Baked Garlic Green Beans

Do you need to amp up the vegetable consumption in your life? Or find a way to get your kids to eat more veggies. If yes, then this super easy, super delicious preparation of green beans is for you. And maybe you eat plenty of veggies, but need a new inspiration - then this is for you, too.

Green beans are one of my favorite veggies and the kids at my house happily eat them as well. But when I made these, well, they gobbled them up. They actually asked for more and I didn't have any left on the pan! I think that may have been the first time we RAN OUT of vegetables at dinner! So, even though these aren't the most picturesque beans in the world, they are delicious, and they are super easy to prepare. I hope they'll make frequent appearances on your table this summer.

Baked Garlic Green Beans

1 to 1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, rinsed and ends cut off
4-5 cloves garlic, chopped or minced
1 Tbsp. olive oil

Place green beans in a large bowl. Drizzle olive oil over green beans and toss. Add garlic and stir well to coat all the beans. Season with salt and pepper to your taste. Pour beans onto a lightly greased baking sheet (or use a silpat liner).

Bake at 350 for 17-20 minutes, tossing half way through the cooking process. Serves 4-6.

Sausage, Shrimp and Vegetable Skillet Dinner

I'm always on the look out for fast, easy and delicious meals - they are a life saver on weeknights, especially busy weeknights that involve sports practice, music concerts, and who knows what else. When you have less than an hour to cook AND eat, you have a bit of a challenge. But this is one of those recipes that comes to the rescue! And it only dirties one pan. Save the dishes for after the concert!

I added more meat and vegetables than the original recipe, so I ended up using my large electric skillet so that everything could cook evenly. It worked like a charm. And the best part? It's tremendously versatile - use your favorite veggies or the ones that are languishing in the fridge. I loved zucchini and asparagus together but I'm sure there are many other combinations that would be equally great. Quickly chop up the veggies and sausage, thaw the shrimp, and you'll have a really delicious dinner on the table in no time.

Find more great ideas at Inspiration Monday, Busy Monday, Inspire Me.

Sausage, Shrimp and Vegetable Skillet Dinner

2 tsp. olive oil or coconut oil
12 oz. large cooked shrimp
2 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
12 oz. smoked sausage or keilbasa, chopped
1 cup diced red bell pepper
3/4 cup medium yellow onion, large diced
1 zucchini, chopped
1/2 pound asparagus, tough ends removed and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat (or use a large electric skillet at 350) and add coconut or olive oil. Season shrimp with Old Bay seasoning and set aside.

Cook onions and bell peppers in skillet with for about 2 minutes; add sausage and zucchini to the skillet, cook another 2 minutes. Add shrimp and asparagus into skillet along with the garlic, and cook for 1 minute, then add chicken broth mix well to moisten all the vegetables. Salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Serves 6.

Recipe Source: Adapted from Paleo Newbie