This post is sponsored by Princess Cruises.

I love quick and easy meals. I really do. I also love laboring over a meal (when I have time on the weekends) and it coming out just right. It's such a feeling of accomplishment.

But during the week, it's all about the quick and easy! This recipe for BLT (bacon, lettuce and tomato) shrimp flatbreads is so easy!!!

I recently went on a Princess Cruise to the Mexican Riviera and I had an amazing time! I was fortunate to bring my friend, Nancie, with me!

We had so much fun! This is the Port of Los Angeles as we were leaving the port for Mexico!

We had sooo much good food on the cruise ship and off. I knew I had to come home and make some shrimp recipes for you to try!

After cooking the bacon, I left some of the bacon fat in the skillet. And then cooked the shrimp!

This is kind of a recipe un-recipe…because I just splashed in some vinegar and olive oil along with some salt and pepper!

This makes a delicious snack or dinner! I know you'll love it!!!!!

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BLT Shrimp Flatbread Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 2 flatbread pizzas

Ingredients

• 2 naan flatbreads
• 3 to 5 slices bacon cooked and chopped
• 1/2 pound shrimp if frozen, defrosted; peeled and deveined
• homemade pesto or store bought is fine
• chopped tomatoes
• baby arugula
• white wine or prosecco vinegar
• olive oil
• salt & pepper

Instructions

• Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Cook the bacon in a skillet and chop up. Set aside.
• Prep the shrimp. Dry the shrimp with paper towels and add salt and pepper. Using the same skillet (with some of the bacon fat still in the skillet), cook the shrimp 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Remove the shrimp and set aside.
• While the shrimp is cooking, add the flatbreads to the oven on a foil-lined baking sheet. Heat 4 to 6 minutes on each side (longer if your flatbreads are frozen).
• Add tomatoes, arugula, a couple of splashes of vinegar and olive oil as well as salt and pepper to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Toss to combine.
• Remove the flatbreads from the oven, spread the pesto on both. Add the tossed arugula and tomatoes on top. Then, add the shrimp and bacon. Serve immediately.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Princess Cruises. I only share with you brands that I love and share with you my own opinions.

The post BLT Shrimp Flatbreads appeared first on The Little Kitchen.

Okay, I'm going to have to just fold and let Fall take over but just one last summer post…maybe? I'm obsessed with this shrimp & pesto pasta dish and I have made it like five times…I know, I know, I should have shared it with you earlier. I think I'm about to go make it again today! Because this weekend, I cut my basil plants back again and harvested this…

can you believe this? It was like 4.5 or 5 inches. I wish I had measured it!

On a whim, I bought this bag of Peggy Green plant food at Whole Foods a few months back and have been using it on my plants and on the back, it promises 6-inch basil leaves. Seriously, this stuff is amazing but you know it stinks so the dogs crave it. Just a little warning for you! haha

And this amazing ice cube tray, I picked up at Marshalls this past weekend. Going to use it for regular ice cubes but first…

to freeze my pesto! I recently posted my recipe for homemade basil pesto and a video too, so check that out if you haven't already!

Cook the pasta and then work on your other ingredients. After cleaning and deveining the shrimp, wipe them dry with a paper towel.

Then, cook the shrimp and tomatoes in butter and olive oil.

It only takes a few minutes to cook.

You will make this and I know you will love this dish! It's easy, literally takes only a few minutes to put together if you have the pesto already made. I eat it all myself and it reheats well too!

I'm a big baby…but I'm starting to come to grips with summer going away.

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Shrimp and Pesto Pasta Toss Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound pasta twists or corkscrew, cooked according to package instructions
• 1 pound frozen shrimp defrosted, cleaned and deveined
• 1 cup grape tomatoes halved
• 1 Tablespoon salted butter
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup store bought or homemade pesto
• Parmesan cheese

Instructions

• Pat shrimp dry using clean paper towels. Add olive oil and butter to a non-stick or cast iron skillet set to medium high heat. After the butter has melted, add add shrimp and tomatoes. Cook until shrimp is thoroughly cooked, about 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add cooked pasta, shrimp and tomatoes to a large bowl. Mix together. Add pesto and toss until combined. Top with grated parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

Disclosure: There are affiliate links in this post.

The post Shrimp and Pesto Pasta Toss appeared first on The Little Kitchen.

I have been getting back into reading thanks to my friends, Aggie and Kristen, for encouraging me. I have been reading on my iPhone via iBooks and just finished You Had Me at Woof by Julie Klam. She's a fellow dog lover and writes about how dogs taught her the secret to happiness. I love the way she writes, it's easy to read and I couldn't put it down. I seriously feel like we could be friends in real life. I laughed and I did cry, like really cried, so fair warning. If you love dogs, this is a great book for you. She also wrote Friendkeeping which I cannot stop talking about. It's an awesome book that examines the different types of friendships we all have. I found myself nodding my head a lot and it made me appreciate my own friends even more. Both are keepers and I'll probably be rereading Friendkeeping over and over again.

I'm just starting Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In and I really want to get back into Steve Jobs' biography (I own the hardcover edition). Since I started ordering books via iBooks app, I'm finding it harder to pick up a really thick book and it's harder to pack it when traveling. It's funny because I thought I would never get into reading books on my iPhone or iPad. I know some people like their Kindle. Do you have one? What do you think? And let me know what books you're into right now. I need to add more to my goodreads list!

I shared my recipe for basil pesto made with walnuts last week and I told you I'm still holding onto summer. Nothing is more like summer than potato salad and pesto so how about combining them?

It doesn't take that long for these bite sized pieces to boil.

Just to show you how small I cut them.

Serve warm or cold. It reheats nicely too. You can prepare the pesto ahead of time or use store bought pesto to make this dish come off even faster.

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Warm Potato Pesto Salad Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4 to 6 as a side

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds baby yellow or red Idaho potatoes washed, drained and cut into quarters or eighths depending on the size
• 1/4 cup cherry or grape tomatoes rinsed and halved or quartered
• 1/4 cup store bought or homemade basil pesto
• salt & pepper
• parmesan cheese for serving

Instructions

• To a large pot, add cut up potatoes and cover with at least 3 to 4 inches of water and add salt. Bring to a boil. Allow to boil for 5 to 8 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Remove potatoes and drain in a colander. Rinse quickly with cold water. Set aside and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
• In the meantime, prep your tomatoes and make your pesto. Add pesto to the potatoes and mix gently with a rubber spatula. Add tomatoes and combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste and top with parmesan cheese.

Disclosure: There are affiliate links in this post.

The post Warm Potato Pesto Salad appeared first on The Little Kitchen.

I have been so excited to share this with you and have been bursting to share this virtual baby shower for Aggie! I'm happy to be organizing it with Sandy and Liz. They are the sweetest and so is Aggie. She's a dear dear friend — who gets me and is such a great cheerleader and friend. She keeps me sane! I say it over and over again, I'm so lucky to have such great friends. Friends who know me and know when I'm being ridiculous and tell me so. You absolutely need friends in your life who can be completely honest with you. Last month, I attended her live and in-person baby shower.

I got to meet her sweet friends and see her sweet daughter, Gina. Isn't Aggie so cute pregnant? I was in Chicago for BlogHer and when I found out when her baby shower was, I had to change my flight to be back in time for the baby shower. I just had to. It's funny, a few days before I left, I received an email from Delta saying that I was upgraded to first class…I texted Aggie and told her, see it's meant to be!

This cake that was served at her baby shower, not only is it cute but it's the BEST cake I have had in a longgg time! Aggie loved it and she's not a total sweets person either!

Back to the recipe! When I was trying to decide what to make to bring to Aggie's “baby shower”, I knew I wanted to do some kind of dumpling since we made Chinese dumplings together earlier this year. The theme for our baby shower to celebrate Aggie's impending arrival of her little boy is an Italian theme so I knew I wanted to do it with pesto. And there were “born”. They are seriously addicting and my Bunko group got to taste test for me…they approved it!

One of the big things about this recipe is getting all of the ingredients into place and having a paper towel near by. Wipe your fingers a lot so you don't get your wontons all sticky.

Here's a quick video to show you exactly how I fold them. You can use this same technique to fold Asian wontons too!

Aren't they cute? If you scroll down, the recipe is below but first…

Look at what Aggie's other friends made for her baby shower!! Aggie is such a sweet person, I hope she enjoys this baby shower and I know she'll definitely enjoy baby Micah when he arrives! Congratulations, Aggie!! I'm so happy for you and I can't wait to meet your baby boy!

Appetizers
Sundried Tomato Hummus from Robyn of Add a Pinch
Melon & Prosicutto Balls from Paula of bell'alimento
Bruschetta from Sheila of Eat2gather
Jalapeno Poppers from Ali of Gimme Some Oven
Grilled Naan White Pizza Bites from Jamie of Mom's Cooking Club
Watermelon Feta Bites with Basil Olive Oil from Sandy of Reluctant Entertainer
Pesto Caprese Fried Wontons from Julie of The Little Kitchen
Blue Cheese Wedge Salad Crostini from Cheryl of TidyMom

Drinks
Toasted Coconut Milkshakes from Bev of Bev Cooks
Lemon Cream Soda from Angie of Eclectic Recipes
Peach Sorbet Bellini and Spritzers from Shaina of Food for My Family
Non Alcoholic Berry Spritzer from Lisa of Jersey Girl Cooks
Virgin Peach & Raspberry Bellinis from Milisa of Miss in the Kitchen
Italian Basil Sparkling Lemonade from Marly of Namely Marly
Italian Sodas from Laura of Real Mom Kitchen
Cafe Mocha Punch from Amy of She Wears Many Hats

Salads
Italian Chopped Salad in a Jar {with Creamy Caesar Dressing} from Brenda of a farmgirl's dabbles
Caprese Salad with Mozzarella Crisps from Christine of Cook the Story
Pesto Pasta Stuffed Tomatoes from Suzanne of Kokocooks
Grilled Romaine Caesar Salad from Liz of The Lemon Bowl
Herbed Israeli Couscous Salad with Tomato and Mozzarella from Rachel of Rachel Cooks
Chickpea, Avocado, & Feta Salad from Maria of Two Peas and Their Pod
Lentil and Chickpea Layered Salad from Lisa of With Style & Grace

Entrees
Chicken Cacciatore from Meagan of A Zesty Bite
Zucchini, Bell Pepper & Edamame Stir-Fry from Cassie of Bake Your Day
Potato-Crusted Vegetarian Quiche with Zucchini, Tomatoes & Feta from Dara of Cookin' Canuck
“Straw & Hay” Tagliatelle in Cream Sauce from Flavia of Flavia's Flavors
Grilled Italian Chicken with Veggie & Bow Tie Pasta from Katie of Katie's Cucina
Grilled Naan Pizza with Summer Veggies & Turkey Sausage from Kelley of Mountain Mama Cooks
Smashed Chickpea and Avocado Panini from Kathy of Panini Happy

Desserts
Fresh Blueberry Shortbread with Lemon Cream Frosting from Sommer of A Spicy Perspective
Crostata di Mango from Lora of Cake Duchess
Italian Ice from Kristen of Dine & Dish
Roasted Banana and Nutella S'mores Bruschetta from Jenny of Picky Palate
Italian Cream Cake from Deborah of Taste and Tell
Panna cotta from Leslie of The hungry housewife
Fortune Cookies from Shari of Tickled Red
Baby Vanilla Bean Scones a la Starbucks from Tara of Unsophisticook

I bet you won't be able to eat just one!

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Pesto Caprese Fried Wontons Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 18 to 20 wonton appetizers

Ingredients

• 18 to 20 wonton wrappers
• 1/4 cup store-bought or homemade basil pesto
• 18 to 20 small pieces of round fresh mozzarella or cut into 1/4 cubes
• 5 to 10 grape tomatoes cut into quarters
• 1 cup olive oil
• Parmesan cheese to garnish
• Tomato sauce to serve

Instructions

• For each wonton, take one wonton wrapper and wet the edges with water using your index finger. Add 1/2 teaspoon or less pesto to the center of the wonton wrapper, one piece of mozzarella and one or two pieces of tomato. Fold in half to make a triangle and be sure to seal and not allow for any air pockets. If any pesto leaks out, use a paper towel to wipe it. Pull the left and right corners down and add a little dab of water. Fold together and fold up about three times. Repeat with the rest of the wontons. (See my video on how to fold a wonton!)
• Heat oil in a non-stick pan on medium for a few minutes. Add wontons to oil and cook on each side for 60 to 90 seconds on each side or until browned. Remove and place on a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve with your favorite tomato sauce.

The post Pesto Caprese Fried Wontons appeared first on The Little Kitchen.

Do you like caprese salads? (Sliced fresh mozzarella, sliced tomato, basil and usually drizzled with some kind of balsamic vinegar glaze.) I do and I must admit I usually end up eating like three pieces (okay slices) of fresh mozzarella before my salad is made. And I love love using fresh mozzarella when I'm making pizza.

So how about a caprese salad in a little bite size version made with puff pastry? I'm in appetizer mode for this Super Bowl Sunday. I'm loving it. And I'm loving how easy this recipe is. Hope you enjoy it and make it for the game this Sunday!

Cut up a bunch of grape tomatoes – into quarters.

Honestly, I love how easy it is to work with Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry. This time on a lightly floured cutting board, I rolled out the puff pastry into a 10 inch square with a rolling pin.

Then cut into 6 strips and then into squares.

Then, I brushed reduced fat (store bought) pesto onto the puff pastry sheet squares.

Then I put two squares into each mini muffin pan cavity. I put them offset into the pan, can you see the corners of the bottom ones?

Place two to three pieces of cheese and 2 quarters of a grape tomato on top of the puff pastry. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes and that's it.

So easy, my favorite kind of recipe. I will not tell you how many I had the first time I made these! Check out the jalapeno poppers I made with Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry and many other Super Bowl recipes!

Be sure to visit PuffPastry.com for more recipes, tips and how-videos and vis the Puffection™ tab on the Pepperidge Farm facebook page where you can share your own Puff Pastry recipes.

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Caprese Puff Pastry Bites Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 18 -20 servings

Ingredients

• 4-6 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese sliced and cut into small cubes
• 10 grape tomatoes washed and quartered
• 1/2 of a 17.3-ounce package Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets 1 sheet, thawed
• pesto homemade or store bought
• fresh basil to garnish

Instructions

• Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Prep cheese and tomatoes.
• Roll Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry into 10 inch square on a floured surface. Cut into 6 1 1/2 to 2 inch strips and then into 1 1/2 to 2 inch squares. Using a silicon pastry brush, brush pesto onto one side of the puff pastry sheet.
• Take two pieces of puff pastry squares and press into mini muffin tin. Add mozzarella cheese and tomatoes. Bake for 9-12 minutes. Garnish with torn or cut up strips of basil.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry. As always, opinions are always my own and I only work with brand I love.

The post Caprese Puff Pastry Bites appeared first on The Little Kitchen.