It’s Watermelon and Cantaloupe for Lunch!

Another inspired summer lunch fruit dish! Watermelon and Cantaloupe with Prosciutto and Goat Cheese.

This inspired lunch is a version of my original Cantaloupe salad. I happened to have both watermelon and cantaloupe on hand and it was another warm summer afternoon, just perfect for another cool salad.

I like to keep certain ingredients on hand for last minute inspired lunches and dinners. I usually have goat cheese and packages of prosciutto in the fridge along with really good olive oil. This one afternoon I paired slices of watermelon and cantaloupe with three slices of prosciutto and a 1/2 inch disc of plain goat cheese. A drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of pink Himalayan sea salt and fresh ground pepper finished this wonderful salad. If you are inclined you can also add lemon juice or balsamic vinegar, however I found it is better with just the olive oil and simple seasoning. Sometime the acid will overwhelm the dish. #myinspiredrecipes #summersalad #watermelon #cantaloupe

Simply Inspired Shrimp!

Baked Shrimp with Sautéed Spinach, Grape Tomatoes and Lemon.

I love shrimp for dinner. It is easy and healthy inspired dish. Shrimp has an impressive nutrition profile. It is quite low in calories, providing only 84 calories in a 3-ounce (85-gram) serving, and is very low in carbs. Approximately 90% of the calories in shrimp come from protein, and the rest come from fat. It is perfect and delicious, I always have a bag of frozen jumbo easy to peel and deveined shrimp in the freezer for a quick inspired dinner.

Ingredients

One bag of jumbo Frozen Shrimp thawed

(I usually use the whole bag to feed 4 or have leftovers)

1 pint of fresh grape or cherry tomatoes

2 - 4 cups of fresh or frozen spinach

Onion powder

Garlic powder

2 cloves fresh garlic

Parsley (dried or fresh)

Olive oil

Fresh lemon juice

Lemon slices

Salt and Pepper

Instructions

Thaw shrimp in a glass Pyrex dish. It is better than thawing in water which tends to water down the taste. Once thawed peel the shrimp and remove tails, pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with onion and garlic powder, parsley, salt and pepper, Bake in a 400 degree oven until the shrimp are almost done, add tomatoes and continue to bake until tomatoes are warm but not bursting set aside (keep warm).

Peel and slice fresh garlic, sauté spinach in olive oil with the garlic, salt and pepper to taste.

Plate spinach and top with baked shrimp and tomatoes, squeeze 1/4 of a lemon over the dish. Add fresh lemon slices and serve. Enjoy! #myinspiredrecipes #shrimp

Simply Inspired Pizza!

My Inspired Pizza made easy and trust me it is so much better than you can get from a pizza restaurant or box.

I always thought making my own dough and pizza would be a difficult and time consuming task. I am here to tell you it is not! It is easy and very rewarding. The dough recipe makes two or three pizza's depending on the size you make. The dough can also be refrigerated for a day or two or frozen for up to two months.

As you can see from the photos pizza doesn't always have to be round LOL! And the toppings are endless.

INGREDIENT

1 cup warm water (warm to the touch but not hot)

1 packet active dry yeast (2-1/4 teaspoons)

1 teaspoon sugar

2 1/4 cups 00 flour (do not use all purpose flour)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

Olive oil to coat bowl for rising

INSTRUCTIONS

To the warm water, add the yeast and sugar. Stir to dissolve. Allow the mixture to sit for 3-5 minutes to see if the yeast is active. It will foam and start to bubble.

Place the 00 flour (you can find 00 flour in most grocery stores or order online) salt and olive oil in the bowl of an electric mixer or food processor fitted with a dough hook. (I use a Kitchen Aid mixer with dough hook). Add the yeast mixture and mix on low speed until the dough starts to comes together. Turn up the speed to medium and mix for 5-8 minutes. (If using a food processor pulse to bring the dough together then turn on until the dough pull away from the bowl and forms a ball.

The dough should start to pull away from the sides but still remain soft and a little sticky at the bottom of the bowl. Add a little more 00 flour if needed. Continue to kneed the dough using the mixer or food processor for 2-3 minutes. Coat your hands in a bit of flour and form the dough into a ball. Place the ball of dough in a bowl that is coated in olive oil. Be sure to coat the entire ball of dough with olive oil. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and allow to sit in a warm place for 1 hour plus or until doubled in size. Punch down the dough and cut into 2 or 4 equal pieces depending on how large or how many pizza's you plan to make. Place the dough back in the bowl(s) and allow the dough to rise (proof) for an another 1 hour. Your dough is now ready. Freeze whatever dough you are not going to use immediately in plastic wrap or a freezer bag.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Place the ball of dough on a floured surface and using you hands flatten the dough. Using a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough. You can determine the thickness to your liking. I like a thin crust.

Open a can of plain tomato sauce (or you can use a sauce you have made) spread thinly over the dough. Add shredded mozzarella (I admit I use good quality packaged), sprinkle with parmesan and fresh basil, salt and pepper. Place on a pizza stone if you have one or a cookie sheet.. Cook until crust is crispy. It usually only takes 5-7 minutes in a hot oven to cook. Check the underside of the crust to make sure it is cooked to your liking.

Other toppings you can use Pepperoni, Prosciutto and Arugula, Fresh Tomatoes and Mozzarella. You can also make a no sauce onion pizza using thinly sliced onions drizzeled with olive oil. Enjoy! #myinspiredrecipes #inspiredpizzas #homemakepizza