Pickle Mom's Kitchen

Low Carb Pots de Creme

2012-02-12T16:27:00.000-06:00

14 oz. 70% cacao chocolate bar (or for lower carbs try 86% cacao with 1C stevia or spenda)
4 eggs
8oz. boiling coffee (I used a nescafe tasters choice single use packet )
dash sea salt

Makes 8-12 servings

In a blender, chop the chocolate bar.
Then add the salt, and eggs. Blend to mix.
Then add the boiling coffee.
Blend until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth and thick.
Pour into serving dishes and chill several hours.

LC Shamrock Shake

2012-02-10T13:03:00.002-06:00

Do you eagerly await the Shamrock Shake each March at McDonalds? I've spotted it on the menu already at our local 'Donalds (as my kids call it). It's not really on my low carb plan though. "Not really" is actually an enormous understatement. There are a whopping 96 carbs and no fiber in a 16oz shake. eEEeeEEK!

So, you know I had to try and make something similar.

1C whipping cream
1C unsweetened almond breeze
1/4 tsp mint flavoring
A touch of pureed spinach (you won't taste it- don't freak out) or mint leaves!
You can also use food coloring if that's just too weird

Place your whipping cream in the blender and make whipped cream.
I use an immersion blender but anything works.
Freeze your whipping cream or place it in an ice cream maker.
When frozen, Add almond milk, spinach/coloring, and mint flavoring.

Low Carb Peanut Butter Chocolate Crunch Bars

2012-02-08T16:10:00.000-06:00

These are soooo good. Like a crackle bar on crack. Don't be afraid of the TVP that I use in the recipe. Generally I try to stay away from "weird stuff" but this was so worth it. TVP or Textured Vegetable Protein (soy actually) is widely sold in grocery stores and is inexpensive.

1/2 C butter
1/2 natural peanut butter

Melt together for 30 seconds in the microwave

Add 3C TVP and stir

Add 3 scoops of chocolate whey protein powder. (I used Nnw 100% whey protein powder)

Spread into a square pan or double for a casserole dish.

Freeze for an hour or so.
Then you're ready to love it!

Cut into 25 squares.

Calories:

Carbs:2

Fat: 6

Protein: 5

Fiber: 1 1Net Carb/Square

You can make a CHOCOLATE TOPPING for it if you feel the need.

1/2C coconut oil melted
2tsp cocoa
3T splenda or other sweetener
Mix and pour over the top. Freeze until firm.

Low Carb Broccoli Cheddar Bites

2012-02-07T09:25:00.000-06:00

These are pretty wholesome, and quite tasty. They're even better burnt. Ha! We make these with burgers to replace the crunch and salty flavor of fries. Don't try to pipe them into fry shapes though. They puff and spread a bit, so they'll resemble broccoli cheddar slugs instead. Stick to the nugget shapes. :)

2 Cups broccoli, chopped
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (or for more body use crushed pork rinds)
3 cups Shredded cheddar cheese (a bag)
3 Large eggs

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375 and lightly coat a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat and set aside.
2. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until broccoli is very fine. Scoop into a large baggie.
*Add seasonings if you like - garlic powder, pepper, extra basil & oregano for example
3. Snip off a corner of the baggie and pipe little nuggets onto your baking sheet.
4. Bake for15min, turn, bake for another 5-10 minutes.

Sour Cream Butter Biscuits

2012-01-30T15:29:00.000-06:00

Oh my! These little nuggets are so nice. Buttery, a little salty (but not too much) and super, super easy to make. You can't mess them up! Pair them with a little honey butter, or maybe some apple cinnamon butter and you have a sure winner. These are going to be served with the soup bar that we're having for my oldest daughter's birthday... that was back in December. ...but who's counting? Thank you Paula Deen!!!

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 9 min

Serves: about 3 dozen miniature biscuits

Ingredients

2 cups self-rising flour
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease miniature muffin pans.

Mix the flour and butter together, add the sour cream, and blend well. Place spoonfuls of the batter in the muffin pans. Bake until golden, 8 to 10 minutes.

LC Peppermint Cream Puff Minis

2012-01-27T13:29:00.000-06:00

This recipe is not my own. Here is the original blog post by Your Lighter Side
http://yourlighterside.com/peppermint-cream-puff-minis/

I think I'll make a flavor other than peppermint but these look great!

Peppermint Cream Puff Minis

For the shells:
3 egg whites
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
3 egg yolks
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 Tbsp sugar substitute equivalent

For the filling :
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 Tbsp sugar substitute equivalent
1/4 tsp peppermint extract
3 drops red food coloring

To Prepare:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degree Fahrenheit.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on high speed until thick, stiff peaks form, about 3-5 minutes. Set aside.
3. In another mixing bowl, combine egg yolks, cream cheese and sweetener.
4. Carefully fold yolk mixture into whites.
5. Spoon batter into greased cupcake pans (large for bigger cream puffs; small for tiny cream puffs).
6. Bake for 30 minutes.
7. While rolls are still warm, loosely separate from the pans.
8. In a mixing bowl, whip heavy white cream, sweetener, peppermint extract and food coloring until still peaks form, about 3-5 minutes.
To Assemble:

Carefully pull apart or slice shells.
Spoon whipped cream into shells.
Place top shell and refrigerate until serving.

Makes 12 large cream puffs or 24 small when using one shell cut in two.

For 1/12 recipe (large cream puff or 2 small): Calories: 111, Carbohydrates: .8 g, Fiber: 0 g, Net Carbohydrates: .8 g, Protein: 2.5 g, Fat: 11 g
Per entire recipe: Calories: 1332, Carbohydrates: 10g, Fiber: 0 g, Net Carbohydrates: 10 g, Protein: 30 g, Fat: 132 g

Crab stuffed Salmon

2012-01-24T17:37:00.000-06:00

3 large salmon fillets
1 pound crabmeat
1 egg, beaten gently
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
butter

Using a very sharp knife, cut a slit down the middle of each fillet; do not cut all the way through. Fold the fillet in half and cut another slit on each side of the fold into the thick part of the fillet to create a pocket.

Pick through the crabmeat and remove any bits of shell. Add the beaten egg, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay, mayo, parsley and salt and pepper to the crabmeat and gently mix together. You don't want to mix too hard because you want the lumps of crabmeat to remain intact as much as possible.

Stuff the pocket of each fillet with the crabmeat. Add one or two thin slices of butter on top of the crabmeat on each fillet.

Bake in a preheated 350* oven for 30 minutes and serve hot with lemon wedges that can be squeezed on the fish.

NUTRITION:

478 calories, 21 grams fat, 1 grams carbohydrates, 68 grams protein per serving.

Low Carb Snacky Crackers

2012-01-23T15:53:00.000-06:00

1 cup flax seed meal
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1.5 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground rosemary (sub your favorite herbs/spices here)
1/2 cup water

Heat oven to 400 F.
Mix all ingredients together.
Spread onto a sheet pan covered with a silpat, use a silicone pan, or put parchment down before putting mixture onto a regular pan. This can be tricky to clean up otherwise.
Cover the mixture with a piece of parchment or waxed paper.

Even out the mixture to about 1/8 inch. Really the thinner the better. Make sure the outsides aren't too thin or they'll burn before the middle is done.

Use a pizza cutter or even the side of a ruler to score lines where you want to break your crackers apart.

Bake until the center is no longer soft, about 15-18 minutes.

Break into pieces.

The whole batch = 6 grams of carbohydrate plus 35 grams of fiber.

6 carbs / 16 crackers = .375 per cracker but that's negated by the fiber content.

Bacon and Bleu Brussels Sprouts

2012-01-22T13:46:00.000-06:00

2o oz Brussels sprouts
2-3 slices of bacon cut into small pieces
1/2 cup walnuts chopped
1 clove garlic
1 green onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-2 oz gorgonzola cheese crumbles

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Cut each sprout in half.
Cook the bacon and walnuts in a large oven-proof skillet over medium heat about two minutes.
Meanwhile chop your garlic and onion, finely.
Add garlic to the bacon and cook another 2 minutes until the bacon is crispy, walnuts are toasted, and garlic is fragrant.
Transfer the bacon, garlic and and nuts with a slotted spoon to a bowl and set aside.
Add the brussels sprouts to the skillet and season with salt.
Put the pan in the oven and roast the Brussels sprouts for about 30 minutes.
Add the bacon mixture back and continue to roast until the sprouts are cooked through and golden, about 10 to 15 minutes more.
Top with green onion and gorgonzola cheese.

Prodsciutto wrapped Chicken with Herbed Goat Cheese Filling

2012-01-18T15:45:00.002-06:00

3 Chicken breasts
3 long thin slices of prosciutto
3/4 C herbed goat cheese (got mine from Trader Joe's)

Preheat to 375*
Cut a slit in your chicken breasts so that it makes like a pita pocket.
With a butter knife or spoon, stuff about 1/4C goat cheese into the pocket.
Then wrap the chicken with a slice of prosciutto, making sure to cover the seam of your pocket.
Place the chicken seam side down in a small casserole dish or pan.
Bake for about 25 - 30 minutes

This is good without the prosciuotto also, and of course you can always use bacon instead. I feel like prosciutto lets the taste of the goat cheese shine through better though. If you don't like goat cheese you can always whip up a nice herb-cream cheese mix or use a package of boursin too. That's always tasty and equally easy.

What I love about this dish is that it looks fancy and tastes fancy, but it's three ingredients and barely takes any time at all to prep. Add a tossed green salad or some lemony fresh green beans and you're set.

Creamy Buffalo Chicken - low carb

2012-01-08T17:25:00.000-06:00

Who doesn't love buffalo chicken dip, right? But what do you eat it with? I, for one, detest celery so... Why not just make it into a main dish? Here it is:

1lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 ounces cream cheese, softened (a little over 1/8th of the lg brick)
1/4 cup bleu cheese dressing (less carbs than ranch)
1-2 tablespoons of frank's hot sauce (eyeball it)
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Place chicken in a casserole dish greased with cooking spray
Bake for 20-25 min
Meanwhile in a microwave safe dish, melt cream cheese (about 30 seconds)
Stir until very smooth, then whisk in Ranch dressing and hot sauce.
Stir in shredded cheese.
Place in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time until the cheese is melted.
When the chicken is done, spread over chicken in baking dish.

Loaded Baked cauliflower (almost like potatoes)

2012-01-08T17:01:00.001-06:00

2 1/2 cups steamed cauliflower
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup shredded cheddar
3 green onions finely chopped
4 slices cooked and crumbled bacon

Pre-heat oven to 350.

Mash or chop cauliflower into small pieces.

Mix in sour cream, 1/2 of the green onions, 1/2 of the cheese, 1/2 of the bacon.

Place in an oven safe dish and top with remaining cheese and bacon.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Top with remaining green onion.

Lemon chicken and broccoli

2012-01-07T09:38:00.002-06:00

3/4 tsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp table salt, divided

1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

12 oz uncooked boneless skinless chicken breast(s), thinly sliced

2 tsp olive oil

1 1/2 cup(s) fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided

2 tsp minced garlic

2 1/2 cup(s) uncooked broccoli, small florets

2 tsp lemon zest, or more to taste

2 Tbsp parsley, fresh, chopped

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, turning as needed, until lightly browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes; remove to a plate.
Put 1 cup of broth and garlic in same skillet; bring to a boil over high heat, scrapping up browned bits from bottom of pan with a wooden spoon. Add broccoli; cover and cook 1 minute.
In a small cup, stir together remaining 1/2 cup of broth, 3/4 tsp cornstarch** and 1/4 teaspoon of salt; add to skillet and bring to a simmer over low heat.
Cover and cook until broccoli is crisp-tender and sauce is slightly thickened, about 1 1/2 minutes. Stir in chicken and lemon zest; heat through.
Remove skillet from heat and stir in parsley and lemon juice; toss to coat. Yields about 1 cup per serving.

This is a weight watchers recipe that I altered to be low carb friendly.

**3/4 tsp of cornstarch is 1.25 carbs, but there are 2g of fiber from the broccoli in the recipe. A little lesson in thickeners: The recipe originally called for Flour which has 3 carb per 1/2 Tablespoon. Cornstarch has 3.5g carb per 1/2 Tablespoon but you need half as much to thicken the same amount with flour. Whole wheat flour has 2.25 grams of carbs plus 1 gram fiber per 1/2 tablespoon (=1.25 net). It takes slightly more to thicken a sauce than white flour.

Almond Dijon Salmon

2012-01-03T17:13:00.002-06:00

When I was working with a couple to become their gestational carrier, the father cooked us the most wonderful salmon one night. It was so good that once I flew home, I duplicated the recipe for my family. Now I hardly serve salmon any other way.

4 (4 oz) Salmon fillets

2T Butter- melted
3 tsp Dijon Mustard

1/2 cup finely smashed nuts (I like almonds)
1 T Parsley- chopped
fresh lemons to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Combine butter and mustard together in a small bowl
Place Salmon in a pan lined with aluminum foil
Brush butter mixture on each salmon fillet.
Sprinkle crushed nuts on the fillets.
Bake 15 minutes and serve with lemon juice and parsley to garnish.

A little quinoa and a veggie rounds out a really nice dish that's flavorful and easy to make.

Low Carb Chicken Parmesan

2012-01-02T13:30:00.000-06:00

1 cup fat-free low-sodium chicken broth
1clove garlic, grated or thinly minced
1 14.5-ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes crushed or pureed in a blender/food processor
4 fresh basil leaves
Kosher salt
4 chicken breasts pounded very thinly (1/8 inch or so)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
about a cup of shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup finely crushed almonds (use your food processor)
1 large egg
Cooking spray

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F.

In a medium skillet, cook the broth, garlic, and tomatoes in a skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Season with salt as needed.Cover to keep warm.

Season the chicken with salt.
Sprinkle with the parsley and mozzarella. Then top with a basil leaf.
Starting at the short end, roll up to enclose the filling. Secure with a toothpick.

Mix the parmesan and almond crumbs in a shallow dish.
Put the egg in another dish and beat until foamy.

Dip the chicken rolls in the egg white, then coat with the crumb mixture. Place in an oven safe pan or casserole dish that you've sprayed with cooking spray, seam-side down.
Sprinkle with any remaining crumbs and spray with cooking spray.
Bake until cooked through, about 20 minutes.
Serve with the tomato sauce.

Creamy Spaghetti Casserole

2011-12-28T12:12:00.000-06:00

spaghetti squash (or um... 8oz of spaghetti)
1 pound ground beef
1 1/2 - 2C spaghetti sauce
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup chopped red or green peppers
1/3 cup chopped onions
8 ounces cream cheese
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Place spaghetti squash cut in half, upside down in 1/4 inch of water into your microwave for 4 minutes.
Brown ground beef. Drain excess grease. Add spaghetti sauce to skillet and heat.
Combine onions, peppers and butter in small glass bowl. Cover and microwave 4 minutes on HIGH until soft.
Add cream cheese to vegetables and stir well. Microwave for 20 seconds or until you can spread it.
Using a 10 x 6 dish, assemble in the following order:

Thin layer of spaghetti sauce with beef on the bottom of the casserole dish.
Spaghetti squash
Cream cheese/vegetable mixture
Spaghetti sauce with beef
Parmesan Cheese (amount subject to your own taste)

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Make this ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze

Shredded Beef Tacos

2011-12-26T11:42:00.002-06:00

1 (4 pound) frozen rump roast
1 cup white wine (or beer)
2 (7.75 ounce) cans Mexican style tomato sauce
3 tablespoons crushed garlic
seasoned salt to taste
1 bunch green onions, chopped

Place the frozen roast in the slow cooker. Pour the wine and Mexican style tomato sauce over the top. Season with garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.
(I found the Mexican tomato sauce in the Mexican aisle by the Ro*tel. It was not by the Salsa and Taco sauce like I thought it would be.)

Cover, and cook on Low for 9 hours. When done, the roast should shred easily with a fork. Shred the roast into the juices, and mix in the chopped green onions.

This recipe can also be made in the oven. Roast for 8 or 9 hours at 250 degrees F (120 degrees C)

Add your beef to tortillas with all of your favorite toppings.

Freeze the extra for later!

Yogurt Frosted Krispy Stars

2011-12-17T16:57:00.001-06:00

My daughter turns 4 this week and is very excited to take treats to school to celebrate. They get a lot of "crap" to eat for snack time in my opinion, so I didn't want to go all out with some ADHD inducing confection. (There are only three girls in her class. The rest are boys. Enough said.) Now don't get me wrong. These still have a good amount of sugar in them. They are a treat, but more healthy than your run of the mill birthday treats.

The krispy stars:
Melt 3T of butter in a sauce pan.
Add one pkg of mini marshmallows
Stir until melted.
Then add 6 C of crisped rice cereal.
Add half a bottle of sprinkles and stir. (optional)
You can also add 1/3 cup of cake mix here for flavor.
Plop this into a greased jelly roll pan and use a piece of parchment paper over the top to smooth it out and compact the krispies. (The parchment keeps your hands clean, doesn't stick, and buffers the heat.

Use cookie cutters to make stars or whatever shape you like.

The icing:
Mix 1C yogurt (I used Greek)
with 1C powdered sugar
I added a little coloring and cherry flavoring but that's optional.

Dip the krispy stars in the icing and place onto parchment paper or waxed paper to dry.

Easy peasy!

Spaghetti [squash] Pie

2011-12-13T18:05:00.000-06:00

1 pound ground beef
2 tablespoons onion, chopped
1 clove garlic finely chopped

1/2 cup spaghetti sauce
8 ounces cream cheese
1 egg
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (half of a regular sized bag)
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese

1 spaghetti squash

Cut the squash in half and place it cut side down in a microwave safe dish along with 1/4 C water.

Microwave for 7-10 minutes.

Brown the hamburger with the onion and garlic; drain off the fat.
Mix in the spaghetti sauce.
Meanwhile, soften the cream cheese in a medium-size microwaveable bowl for about 40-60 seconds. Stir until creamy; beat in the egg until well mixed.

Using a fork, separate the inside of the squash from the shell.

Add the "spaghetti" to the meat sauce.
Spread half of the meat mixture evenly in the bottom of a greased, 8 x 8" glass baking pan. Spread the egg/cream cheese mixture over the meat; top with the mozzarella, then the rest of the meat... and maybe a little more mozzarella.
Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese.
Bake at 350º about 30 minutes until hot and bubbly.
Let stand 3 minutes before serving.

Dutch Letters

2011-12-11T09:44:00.001-06:00

I come from a Dutch heritage and grew up in a darling little Dutch village of about 12,000. Dutch letters and Sinterklaas cookies were pretty much a staple on Sunday night's at Grandma's house. (That and popcorn.) It took me about 9 years of being away from home to not take the taste of a good Dutch Letter for granted though. I thought for Christmas it might be fun to make a few Dutch Letters of my own.

When you purchase your almond paste, check the ingredients listed on the package.
Get one that only has almonds and sugar as the ingredients. Not corn syrup or fructose.
Otherwise your filling will melt and leak out of the pastry during baking. Not cool.

2 17.5 oz pkg. frozen puff pastry*
1 slightly beaten egg white
1 8 oz. can almond paste
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
Granulated sugar (the coarser the better) for dusting
a little milk for the outsides

Thaw the frozen puff pastry according to package directions.
Preheat oven to 370*
In a food processor (or small mixing bowl) combine egg white, almond paste, ½ cup granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Set aside.

On a well-floured surface, (I actually use powdered sugar - just a personal preference) roll each sheet of thawed puff pastry into a 12 ½ x 10-inch rectangle.
Cut each rectangle into five 10 x 2 ½ inch strips.
- Just eyeball it. It should look like a ruler.

Place your almond filling into a thick freezer baggie and snip the corner to make a pastry bag.
Squeeze a rope of almond down the center of puff pastry strip.
Brush the edge and ends with water; pinch well to seal.
Repeat with the remaining dough strips and filling.
Place the filled strips, seam side down on an ungreased baking sheet, shaping each strip into a letter “S”. Brush with milk; sprinkle with additional granulated sugar.
Bake in a 370 degree oven for 20 – 25 minutes or till pastry is golden.
Remove pastries from the baking sheet. Cool completely on wire racks.
This is supposed to make 20... but I usually get about 12.

*Puff pastry bakeries make much better pastry than I can ever hope to, but if you are good at the pastry chef gig, then by all means go with it.

Alternate non-lazypants pastry instructions:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, chilled
1/3 cup ice water

In a medium bowl, stir together flour and salt. Cut in chilled butter until the texture of the mix is mealy with pea sized lumps.
Add ice water gradually while stirring with a wooden spoon until dough forms a ball. Cover your dough and chill for 1/2 hour.

Cowboy Beef and Beans

2011-12-09T14:00:00.000-06:00

1-1/2 lb. beef

Any beef is fine. Ground beef or sirloin steak cut into thin strips are what I usually use.

2 slices Bacon, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 can (16 oz.) pinto beans, rinsed

1 can (15 oz.) butter beans, rinsed

(or 30 oz total of whatever beans you like - we often use black beans)

3/4 cup Low Carb Barbecue Sauce (search this blog for recipe)

Cook your beef in Dutch oven on medium-high heat. About 3 min for steak strips. Remove to plate and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.

Add bacon to Dutch oven and cook on medium heat 1 min.
Add onions and peppers; mix well. Cook 6 min. or until bacon is done and vegetables are crisp-tender.
Stir in beans and barbecue sauce; simmer on medium-low heat 5 min.
Add your beef back in along with any juices from plate. cook 1 to 2 min.

Low Carb Chicken Lo Mein

2011-12-09T13:38:00.000-06:00

2 - 7oz pkgs of shirataki noodles (or normal people can use1/2 lb spaghetti, uncooked)

1/4 cup Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup total bell pepper and onion strips (make it closer to 2cups if not going low carb)

1/2 cup chicken broth

1-1/2 Tbsp.Creamy Peanut Butter

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 green onion chopped

Rinse and par boil your noodles (or cook your spaghetti)
While that's going on, heat dressing in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat.
Add chicken and garlic; stir-fry 3 min. or until chicken is no longer pink.
Add vegetables, broth and peanut butter; stir-fry 3 to 4 min. or until chicken is done.
Add noodles/spaghetti to the pan.
Add soy sauce; mix lightly and top with green onions.

Bourbon Chicken

2011-12-07T16:12:00.001-06:00

There's actually no bourbon in this recipe, although traditionally I think there is supposed to be.
I haven't tried this yet but will post any changes when I do:

http://www.momswhothink.com/chicken-recipes/bourbon-chicken-recipe.html

Chicken Ranch Soup

2011-11-29T17:34:00.001-06:00

1 rotisserie chicken, fully cookedor 3-4 cups of leftover chicken
6 cups chicken broth
1 onion, chopped
1 head of cauliflower, chopped
1 head of broccoli, chopped
1 carrot, chopped thinly
1 to 1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 Packet of Hidden Valley Ranch mix
(or use a lg container of ranch dip)

Take the skin off the chicken and cut into bite sized pieces.
Put the chicken, broth, and all the vegetables in a pot.
Heat to boiling over high heat, then lower the heat, cover the pot, and allow to simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
Turn off the heat.
Mix the ranch mix with the sour cream and add to the soup.
Allow to warm a couple more minutes and let the sour cream heat through.

IF you want to make this ahead and freeze, leave the sour cream out until you reheat.

Bacon and Bleu Cheese Meatloaf

2011-11-29T17:18:00.000-06:00

If you don't love bleu cheese.... well you should. :)
Here's a low carb friendly comfort food. My husband is the meatloaf lover in the family. By taking out the bread crumbs (I detest soggy bread products) and adding bacon/bleu cheese, I think its much more palatable. Delicious even. Think bleu cheese burgers... in a loaf.
Serve this with some buttery mashed cauliflower and you're all set.

4 slices bacon
½ cup finely chopped yellow onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds ground beef
1 cup blue cheese, crumbled
2 eggs
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 cups parmesan

-Sauce-

4 Tablespoons Butter
1 Yellow Onion cut into half rings (or whatever)
2oz cream cheese (about 4T)
1/2 cup Crumbled Blue Cheese

Preheat the oven to 350°.
In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, cook bacon until it almost crisp, about 3 to 4 minutes.

* I've actually taken to just wrapping the bacon around the loaf b/c otherwise it's hard to know if the meatloaf is done. The bacon makes it look pink even when it's done. *

Remove from skillet and coarsely chop. Place in a large mixing bowl.
In the same pan, using the remaining rendered fat, add the onion and garlic.
Saute until translucent, about 5 minutes, over medium heat.
Add to the bowl with the bacon.
To the mixing bowl, add the ground beef, blue cheese, eggs, and thyme.
Use your hands to combine, but don't over mix.
Add parmesan. Toss to combine.
Form the mixture into a loaf. You can freeze it at this point if you'd like.
Place loaf on a cooling rack that has been set on top of a jelly roll pan. (needs to have ridges to keep the fat from going everywhere.)
Bake until the loaf is firm and reaches an internal temperature of 160ºF, about 45-55 minutes.
Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before slicing to serve.

While it's cooling... make your sauce.

Over high heat, saute your chopped yellow onion in 4 tablespoons of butter. It's going to create some color as it caramelizes. You want them somewhat dark but not burnt. 5 to 7 minutes is a good estimate, but keep an eye on them. My middle burner is VERY hot so I use one of my less powerful ones. You may or may not have that choice.
Reduce heat to simmer and pour in softened cream cheese. (microwaved for 30 seconds)
Cook until melted fully. You may need to add a bit of white wine or chicken stock to thin it if you prefer a thinner sauce.
Stir in blue cheese until mostly melted.
The pour over the top of your meatloaf or spoon some onto your plate and place a slice of your cooled meatloaf on top of it.

Beer Battered Onion Rings [ Crisps ] - Baked

2011-11-23T18:49:00.001-06:00

2 yellow onions
2 cups buttermilk
(or sour cream or 2C regular milk + 2tsp lemon juice)
1 cup flour,
1/2 C panko
1/2 C Italian Bread Crumbs
12 ounces beer,
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan

Cut onions 1/2-inch thick, and separate into rings.
Soak in buttermilk for 1 hour.
Combine1/2 cup of Panko and 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs, mix thoroughly.
In a medium bowl combine beer and 1 cup of flour, mix thoroughly.
Remove onion rings from buttermilk, shake off excess, dredge in panko mixture, shake off excess, then dip in beer batter
Lay them on a sheet pan and bake at 400* for 20 minutes or until brown and crispy.
Garnish with parmesan.

Feel free to use the batter for chicken, shrimp, pickles, string cheese, whatever your heart desires to be breaded.

BETTER Green Bean Casserole

2011-11-22T17:38:00.000-06:00

I may be slightly un-American by saying this, but I don't really care much for green bean casserole in the way that it's traditionally made. Maybe it's the cream of crap soup or the mushy overcooked beans. Don't even get me started on those mega nasty fried onion things.
Anyway, as Green Bean Casserole was tasked to me for Thanksgiving, I wanted to make a version that... well... tastes good. I think I've created a nice compromise. One of the few original recipes of mine that includes mushrooms.

2 Tbs butter
2 Tbs flour
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1 cup milk
1/4 cup mushrooms diced
1 brick of cream cheese
4 regular size cans of french cut green beans

6 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped into bite sized bits
3 green onions, chopped with whites and greens
1-2 onions - I used yellow Vidalia
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup Italian flavored bread crumbs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 egg

Set milk out on the counter to warm.
Cut your onions horizontally to make rings. Then cut the rings in half to make crescents. These are a nice size for the top of the casserole.
Pop the onion into the fridge for 30 minutes.
Don't dismiss that step. If you don't put them into the fridge, the breading won't stick as well.
In a dish, scramble your egg with a fork a bit and then toss the onions in. Depending on the size of your onion(s) you might need 2 eggs.
Once coated, put the onions into a large zip top bag. Add panko, Italian crumbs, and Parmesan.
Shake, shake, shake it.

Lay your onions out in one layer on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 400* for 20 minutes or until browned and crispy.

Soften cream cheese in the microwave for 30 seconds or so.
Pop bacon in the microwave for about 3 minutes to crisp it up.
While that's working, melt your butter in a sauce pan.
Add flour and whisk, whisk, whisk until it has a little color and is lumpy.
Add milk slowly while whisking.
Add salt, then add mushrooms.
Then add your cream cheese until melted. Cut the heat.
Toss chopped bacon and green onions into the sauce.

Drain and then pour your beans into a large casserole dish.
Pour sauce over the beans and stir.
Bake at 350* for about 15-20 minutes or... microwave it.
You can also warm the beans in the microwave before adding the sauce. Then you won't need to bake it at all. You just want everything to be warm, obviously.

Top with your crispy onions and enjoy!

Pumpkin Truffles

2011-11-20T17:13:00.001-06:00

From Once a Month Mom

1 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 oz cream cheese, softened
16 oz white chocolate or white candy melts for dipping

Directions:

To make truffle filling, melt the white chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water just until smooth. Set aside and cool slightly. In a medium bowl, combine pumpkin, graham cracker crumbs, ginger, cinnamon and cream cheese. Mix well and add melted white chocolate. Transfer mixture to refrigerator until it has thickened up enough to scoop and roll into balls (about 1 hour).
Scoop the filling mixture and roll into tablespoon size balls. Transfer to parchment paper lined baking sheet and flash freeze til firm (about 2 hours).
When you are ready to dip the truffles, melt the white chocolate or candy melts and begin to dip. Turning quickly to coat, using the tines of a fork or a toothpick. Cook on wax paper. Sprinkle tops with additional graham cracker crumbs. Keep refrigerated.

Freezing Directions:

After truffles have completely dried on wax paper, transfer to freezer safe container or freezer bag. Store up to 3 months.

Servings: 30 balls

Mojo Shrimp with Quinoa

2011-11-15T16:15:00.001-06:00

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
zest of one orange - minus 2tsp
1/4 cup chardonnay (or more orange juice)
3 large garlic cloves, minced
Pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 pound deveined peeled shrimp
1 cup chopped red onion
1 tsp olive oil
3 tsp butter

For the quinoa:

2 cups low-sodium chicken stock or water
1 cup quinoa, rinsed in cold water and drained
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
½ teaspoon cumin

Heat oil and butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onion.
Cook and stir until onion is translucent. Add wine and orange juice. Let simmer for a minute or two.
Add shrimp. cook and stir 3 minutes or until shrimp begin to turn opaque.
Add cumin, red pepper flakes, and orange zest. Cook and stir 2 minutes or just until shrimp are cooked though.

To make the quinoa: In a medium pot, bring the stock to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the quinoa and salt. Cover and let cook for 10 minutes. Add orange zest and cumin and cook for 10 more minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Turn off the heat and leave the pot covered.
(Note: The quinoa can be made 1 day ahead up to this point and refrigerated. )

You can also serve over mixed greens, rice, pasta or polenta.

Green Beans and Bacon

2011-11-13T18:05:00.001-06:00

If you thought you didn't like green beans... try them like this. Bacon makes it all better.

1lb green beans (about 3 Cups)
1C red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic
3 slices of bacon
1/3 C almonds
3 oz bleu cheese (optional)

Trim your green beans and toss in boiling water for 4-5 minutes or until they're done to your liking.
Fresher green beans will snap nicely in the middle and cook faster. Older beans are a little harder to snap and need to cook longer.

Meanwhile, fry your bacon in a pan. Remove the bacon, place it on a paper towel to cool, and then chop into bits. You should be left with 1-3T of bacon fat in the pan. If not, add butter and melt.

When the beans are done, move them into the bacon fat and toss them to coat.
Saute for 1-2 minutes on medium high heat.
Add almonds and cut the heat. Stir to coat and then add the bacon back in.
Sprinkle with bleu cheese or leave it on the side if there are guests who may not like the taste.

You can make this very simply with just beans and bacon also, or for a different twist, add a teaspoon of vinegar to the bacon fat and then sugar to taste. Think hot bacon dressing on green beans. yum.

Asian Inspired Pork Stew

2011-11-13T17:38:00.001-06:00

lb boneless country-style pork ribs, cut into 2-inch pieces

medium carrots, cut into 1-inch slices

medium onion, diced

can (8 oz) whole water chestnuts, drained and chopped

can (8 oz) bamboo shoots, drained

3/4

cup hoisin sauce or BBQ

1/3

cup reduced-sodium soy sauce

large cloves garlic, finely chopped

tablespoon grated gingerroot

tablespoons cornstarch

tablespoons water

4C rice
4C water or chicken broth

1 green onion, finely chopped

Spray 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In cooker, layer pork, carrots, onions, water chestnuts and bamboo shoots. In small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup of the hoisin sauce, the soy sauce, garlic and gingerroot; pour into slow cooker.

Cover; cook on Low heat setting 8 hours.

During last hour of cooking, make 8 servings of rice (4C rice/water)

When it's done, pour the liquid from the slow cooker into a 1qt saucepan. Skim any fat. Stir remaining 1/4 cup hoisin sauce into liquid.
Heat to boiling.
In small bowl, (or your 1/4 cup that you just used for hoisin) mix cornstarch and 3 tablespoons water.
Dump mixture into saucepan. Cook, whisking constantly, until thickened.
Pour over pork mixture and gently stir.

Sprinkle green onion over stew. Serve over rice.

Makes 8 servings

This freezes well. You can also substitute beef.

Cream of "whatever" soup

2011-11-13T16:57:00.000-06:00

So I'm not a big fan of the condensed cream of "whatever" soups. They're convenient, but I find them to be too salty and just kind of gross in general. Some, not all, also have MSG in them.

Did you know that it's not really that hard to make on your own though?

Here's the traditional base:

2 Tbs butter
2 Tbs flour
1/4 tsp salt (optional)
1 cup milk

In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter. Sift the flour over the melted butter and whisk. Cook over medium low heat for 2-3 minutes, whisking constantly. Slowly whisk in the milk. Done.

Cream of chicken

Simply use half broth and half milk. Bring to a simmer and cook over low heat, barely simmering, for a few minutes until thick.

Cheese sauce

Use the base recipe and add grated cheese until it's the flavor you want. Stir until melted.

Cream of {veggie}

To make a cream of some vegetable soup, saute 1/4 cup or so finely chopped broccoli, onion, or whatever in the butter before adding the flour and use half broth and half milk.

Lower Carb

Instead of butter, flour, and milk, substitute 8oz of cream cheese. After the cheese has melted, add a little broth to make the right consistency that you're looking for. Add your cooked, diced, or pureed veggies, cheese, etc.

I almost always sub cream cheese in recipes instead of making a roux. It's rich like butter but easy and low carb. You can also use 1/3 fat cream cheese to cut calories if that's your thing. Personally... I'd rather eat less than use fat free/low fat/sugar free products. That's just me though. :)

Low Carb Mini Pepperoni Pizzas

2011-11-08T13:20:00.000-06:00

36 Pepperoni slices
2C or 1 can of pizza sauce
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 tsp Pizza seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

>Add whatever pizza toppings you like!

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Place three pepperoni slices in the bottom of a 12 cupcake tin spread evenly to cover most of the bottom.
In a bowl, mix sauce, parmesan, and seasonings.
Drop 1-2T of sauce mixture into each cup.
Top with mozzarella and then any toppings you like.

Bake at 425 for 12-15 mins or until the cheese is slightly browned and bubbly.
Let cool for a few minutes until the cheese tightens up a bit.
Enjoy!

Sloppy Joe's for a crowd

2011-11-06T11:00:00.000-06:00

It's birthday season around here. Me, my girls, Jesus... we're all having birthdays in the next couple of months.
I have Halloween covered. My youngest has Thanksgiving (Yes, I begged out of the hospital early, just in time to make Turkey dinner with the family.) and my oldest was born 4 days before Christmas as an early surprise.
That means that we generally try to do an early birthday party for my youngest and a late party for my oldest so that people will actually be able to come and relax without the hustle and bustle of the season upon them.

In order to feed our bunch, I have to amp up our recipe size, so here is a sloppy joe recipe for 20. (plus a little extra - it freezes.)

Every mother, grandmother, and daughter I know has this recipe, so it's not necessarily mine but I can't really trace it's source either.

4 pounds lean ground beef
4 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed chicken gumbo soup
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup yellow mustard
5 cups water
a few bloops of bbq sauce - just enough for a hint
a bloop or two of Worcestershire sauce
salt to taste - but you proooobably won't need it.

Brown the ground beef, drain the fat, and then toss everything into a crockpot. Set on low with the lid off for an hour so that it can thicken. Then set it to warm and it's ready to serve.

We're adding shredded BBQ chicken sandwiches, Baked Mommy mac (made with French Onion Dip instead of sour cream), a garden salad, and Autumn Apple salad with fresh (pitted) cherries. We'll do cider, soda, and water for drinks. - Nothing fancy or difficult, but it's good food and allows me to enjoy myself instead of being a slave to the kitchen as well.

A little credit, please.

2011-11-06T09:02:00.000-06:00

Hello friends of Pickle Mom's Kitchen!
I wanted to post a quick reminder.

IF you are going to repost my recipes word for word, or without making any significant adaptations, the proper thing to do is give me credit. I do put indicators into my recipes so I know when they're mine.

I'm sure those who have forgotten this courtesy have not done it on purpose (I hope) or simply didn't know the proper way of sharing blog posts. I understand, and now you know. :)

The best way to credit my recipes on your own blog is to make a link back to my blog or the specific recipe, and note where you got the recipe.

By omitting the credit, you imply that the recipe is your own, and let's be honest. Nobody likes to do all of the work, just to have someone else take credit, right? It gives me flash backs of doing group work in college. lol! You too? :)

Much love and comforting food to you all!

Chicken Gorgonzola Gnocci Soup

2011-10-23T13:16:00.000-05:00

1 cup chicken breasts, cooked and diced
4 T butter
1/3 brick cream cheese
1- 14 ounce can of chicken broth
2 minced garlic cloves
1 cup carrots, finely shredded
1 cup onion, finely diced
1 cup fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoons extra virgin oil
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon parsley
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for garnish
1 lb Gorgonzola gnocchi (I use trader joe's)

Instructions

Cook gnocchi according to package directions.

Meanwhile, saute the onion, carrot, and garlic in the butter and olive oil over medium heat until the onion becomes translucent.

Add the cream cheese and melt before adding broth.

Add in the chicken, cooked gnocchi, spinach, and seasoning.

Simmer until soup is heated through.

Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls

2011-10-20T12:32:00.000-05:00

frozen bread dough - whole wheat or white

Filling Ingredients:
1 cup brown sugar
4teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon fresh pumpkin pie spice
1/2 C butter

Butter Rum Glaze Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/8 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons milk
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon rum

Start with frozen dough. Using the instructions on the package, thaw and let it rise. (Anywhere from 5-16 hrs depending on the method you use.)

In the meantime make your cinnamon mixture. Mix together the following:

1 cup brown sugar
4teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon fresh pumpkin pie spice

After dough has risen, roll and stretch the dough into approximately a 15 x 24-inch rectangle.

Brush 1/2 cup softened butter over the top of the dough

Sprinkle Cinnamon Filling over the butter on the prepared dough.

Starting with long edge, roll up dough; pinch seams to seal.

NOTE: Rolling the log too tightly will result in cinnamon rolls whose centers pop up above the rest of them as they bake.

With a *sharp* knife, cut roll into 1 1/2-inch section. Place cut side up in buttered baking pan, flattening them only slightly. Make sure they have some room around them. You don't want to pack them tightly.

IF you are Freezing them-

The cinnamon rolls can be covered with plastic wrap and frozen for 1 month. Before baking, allow rolls to thaw completely and rise in a warm place if frozen. (10 to 12 hours)

Otherwise-

Cover and let rise in a warm place for approximately 45 to 60 minutes or until doubled in size (after rising, rolls should be touching each other and the sides of the pan).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Bake approximately 20 to 25 minutes until they are a light golden brown.

When they're cool, you can drizzle the icing over them.
In a sauce pan mix:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/8 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons milk
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon rum
Drizzle over the entire pan of cinnamon rolls

Yields 15 cinnamon rolls.

Easy Sugar Cookies

2011-10-19T15:35:00.000-05:00

I love this recipe because it uses the whole egg. I also like that you don't necessarily have to chill it before rolling out shapes. You can, but don't have to if you roll it thickly enough.

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon almond extract

1.	Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
2.	In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and place onto ungreased cookie sheets, or roll out and make shapes.
3.	Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

IMPORTANT:
1. The butter needs to be REALLY soft but not melted. If the dough seems crumbly, it won't stick together so you're going to need to use your mixer to stir it at high speed for a while longer until it comes together better.
2. These probably won't look done at 8-9 minutes but take them out anyway. If you wait just 2 minutes longer, they'll be hard. Better to undercook these than overcook. If they're a little cracked, they're ready.

Slow cooker chicken taquitos

2011-10-17T16:20:00.003-05:00

Inspired by this recipe... Thanks Nora!

1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese
1/4 C salsa
1T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic, or garlic powder
2 T sliced green onions
1lb chicken
1 C grated pepperjack cheese
small corn or flour tortillas (I find flour doesn't crack as easily as corn)
kosher salt
cooking spray

-------------

1.) Toss the following in the crockpot:
1/4 C salsa
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic, or garlic powder
1lb chicken
Cook 4 hours on high or 8 on low.

2.) After the chicken is done, shred the chicken and add the following:

1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese
1T fresh lime juice

2 T sliced green onions

Mix until cheese is melted.

3.) Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

In the original link, she has some good tips for getting the tortillas ready to roll without cracking.

Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges.
Add some cheese.
Then roll it up as tightly as you can.
Place seam side down on the baking sheet, making sure they're not touching each other.
Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle kosher salt.

Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.

Makes 12-16

These freeze well before or after baking.
Try making these into little taco bites by using won ton wrappers instead of tortillas.

White Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies

2011-10-09T21:01:00.001-05:00

The sweetness of the white chocolate, along with the flavor of the spices and the texture of the craisins make for an amazing fall treat.

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) butter; softened
1 cup loosely packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup pure pumpkin puree
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
(Or white. Whole wheat just reduces my guilt factor, resulting in increased enjoyment. ha!)
1/2 cup high quality protein powder
1 ½ cups old-fashioned oats

1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup dried cherries or craisins; roughly chopped

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line your baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
2. Beat butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until light and fluffy. You cannot overmix, so keep it going a while.
3. Add pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract; mix well.
4. Combine flour, protein powder, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt in medium bowl. Add flour mixture; combine until all ingredients are incorporated.
5. Fold in white chocolate chips and dried cherries.
6. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets.
7. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Pumpkin cream cheese muffins

2011-10-09T14:27:00.000-05:00

Adapted from Kristi's recipe at onceamonthmom.com

3 cups flour* (I sometimes use a mix of white and whole wheat pastry, but all white works great, too)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
4tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoons baking soda
4 medium eggs
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C brown sugar
2 cups pumpkin, pureed (1 can pure pumpkin; not pie mix)
1.25 cups applesauce
8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 C powdered sugar - this was not in the original recipe. If you like straight cream cheese on things, leave it. I enjoyed it much more with this little bit of sugar added. (and a little more cinnamon too)

Directions:

Combine cream cheese with powdered sugar and roll into a log with parchment paper.
Freeze briefly (up to an hour).
Meanwhile, Preheat oven to 350. Mix all remaining ingredients. Mix dry. Then wet. Then combine the two. Fill greased muffin tins about 1/2 full.
Cut cream cheese into disks (about 1 to 2 teaspoons each). Unwrap from parchment.Place cheese disks into center of batter, pushing down. Cover with just enough batter to make the cream cheese disappear. Bake 20-25 minutes. Cool five minutes, remove to rack.

* Do not use exclusively whole wheat or white whole wheat flour. Doing so will result in a gummy texture. You need a little white flour to keep it light.

Freezing Directions:

Allow to cool completely and divide among freezer bags. Freeze.
Thaw. Heat in microwave for about 30 seconds.

Menu plan week of 10/9

2011-10-09T10:53:00.000-05:00

Grocery list:

4lbs of chicken breasts
6 slices of bacon
4 to 6 cups shredded store-bought rotisserie chicken or leftovers
1 pound ground beef
30 small meatballs
8 slices of deli sliced ham
Six 6-ounce beef tenderloins
12 slices bacon
2 pkgs parmesan cheese
3 bags shredded mozzarella cheese
2bricks cream cheese
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 pkg of string cheese

11/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
2eggs
3 sticks butter
milk
6 tablespoons heavy cream or cream cheese
cooking spray
olive oil
3 onions
1 bunch scallions, white and green parts

4 garlic cloves
3carrots,
1 jalapeño
1 pound mini penne
1 1/2 cup shell pasta or whatever pasta is in your pantry
1 quart bottled hickory-smoked flavored barbecue sauce
Salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
11/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
6 ounces beer (your favorite brew)
1/4 cup Frank's Hot Sauce
3 -15-ounce can tomato sauce
1/2 cup spaghetti sauce
One 8.5-ounce Jiffy-brand corn muffin mix

2 quarts beef stock* (4C = 1qt... you're welcome )
6 tablespoons red wine -look for burgundy, pinot noir, merlot, cabernet (you need to like it)
Fresh parsley, chopped

Buffalo Chicken Chili with Blue Cheese-Corn muffins

2011-10-09T09:19:00.000-05:00

This is Rachel Ray's recipe that I've changed to fit our tastes.

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
2 tablespoons butter, plus more for greasing
2 pounds chicken, cut into bite size pieces
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped or grated
1 carrot, finely chopped or grated
1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
Salt
11/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
6 ounces beer (your favorite brew)
1/4 cup Frank's Hot Sauce
One 15-ounce can tomato sauce
One 8.5-ounce Jiffy-brand corn muffin mix
1/3 cup milk
1 large egg
2 scallions, finely chopped

1 cup crumbled blue cheese (about 6 ounces)

DIRECTIONS:

Heat a medium Dutch oven or large skillet over high heat. Add the olive oil, 1 turn of the pan, and the butter and melt together. Add the chicken and cook through.
Add the garlic, onion, carrot and jalapeño.
Season with salt, pepper, cumin and coriander, and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the beer and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Concentrate the flavor of the beer by reducing the mixture over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
Stir in the hot sauce and the tomato sauce. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the chili for 15 minutes.
Prepare the corn muffin mix with the milk and egg according to package directions. Stir the scallions and the blue cheese into the batter. Bake as directed.

BBQ Chicken Soup

2011-10-08T19:11:00.003-05:00

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons fresh minced garlic
1 1/4C corn, drained (or a can- whatever)
2C leftover cooked chicken in bite sized pieces
--or 2 chix breasts cut into pieces/ 2C shredded /2C rotisserie - go with what you've got
1 1/2 Cups Chicken Broth
1/2 Cup BBQ Sauce - I like Sweet Baby Ray's
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon Garlic Salt
colby jack cheese for garnish - pepper jack might be good too

Heat oil into a medium pot over medium heat.
When hot, saute onions for 5 minutes or until softened.
Stir in garlic, corn and chicken breast; mix to combine.
Pour in chicken broth, BBQ sauce, salt, garlic salt.
Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes or until ready to serve.
Garnish with a little shredded cheese

Cowboy stew

2011-10-08T18:17:00.000-05:00

1C tomato soup concentrate
1-2 potatoes, cooked
1C corn
1C black beans
1C carrots, diced
1C green beans
1C onion of any sort
1C tomatoes
1clove garlic
1lb beef - use what you have on hand. I like sirloin, stew meat, or chili meat
3T steak sauce - I like a sweet and smoky type. (add more if you like!)
You could play around with BBQ sauce as well.
beer - to reduce thickness as needed

Heat a pan on high heat and sear your meat that has been cut into bite size pieces. About 2 minutes on each side. Toss minced garlic in during the last 2 minutes. The object is not to cook the beef through, but to get nice color on the outside and create pan yummies.
Toss the seared meat into the crockpot, large pot, or dutch oven.
Add a little beer to the pan to deglaze and get the pan yummies up. Pour that into the pot.
Add veggies, etc
Stir and evaluate thickness. This will thicken as it cooks but it's easier to thin something out than it is to make it thicker, if you catch my drift. Add beer to thin out if needed.

Cook in the slow cooker on high for at least an hour or on low however long you need to. If using a large pot or dutch oven, simmer at least 30 minutes.

Italian Meatball Soup

2011-10-01T16:51:00.003-05:00

Let's a make a meatball soup...

2 quarts beef stock* (4C = 1qt... you're welcome
30 small meatballs (porcupine meatballs are good in this recipe)
2C tomato sauce (or 2 8oz cans)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
salt to taste
2 carrots, sliced or grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cup shell pasta or whatever pasta is in your pantry
Parmesan shredded or curled

Dump everything in, simmer it for 30 mins, top it with parmesan, and love it!
Stick it in a crockpot on low, if you like, for a couple of hours.
Double it and freeze for later too!

* You can add an Onion Soup packet with water instead of the beef stock. The onion flavor is great but does make it more of a salty soup.

balsamic bruschetta chicken

2011-10-01T13:26:00.000-05:00

1lb chicken breast
1/4 C and 2T balsamic vinegar
1/2 T and 1T olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 medium sweet onion (Vidalia or other)
4 medium roma tomatoes
optional: a few basil leaves
3-6 thin slices of fresh mozzarella cheese or goat cheese

Cover the chicken with plastic wrap and pound the pieces down to one inch in thickness
Place the chicken in a container or zip top bag along with 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/2 Tbsp olive oil, one clove of garlic, minced, and a healthy pinch of salt and pepper.
Make sure the chicken is coated in the marinade.
Refrigerate until ready to cook.

Grill the chicken until cooked through, OR bake at 375* for about 30 min. Also begin preheating your broiler.

Meanwhile, finely dice the onion and tomatoes. Combine them in a bowl with the one clove of finely minced or pressed garlic, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil. Stir well, taste, and add salt and pepper to your liking.

Place grilled chicken on a baking sheet covered with foil. Top each piece of chicken with about 1/4 cup of the bruschetta and 1-2 slices of fresh Mozzarella cheese. Place the baking sheet in the oven under the broiler. Cook just until the cheese is fully melted (5-10 minutes).

Fiesta Chicken Stew

2011-09-25T18:59:00.000-05:00

I've made several versions of this soup over the years but this one, hands down, feels like the final version. For us, it's perfect.

1lb chicken breast
taco seasoning
1/2 red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced or pressed
1T butter
extra virgin olive oil
2C of black beans, rinsed well
2C of corn
(or use one can each from the pantry - about 15oz)
one can of ro*tel - I use mild but you can kick it up
one finely diced jalapeno - I removed ribs and seeds for less heat
1 small pkg colby jack shredded cheese
1/4C sour cream
1 beer (or chicken stock)

optional: cilantro, tortilla chips

Place your chicken breast on a pan and sprinkle liberally with taco seasoning.
Bake at 375* for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large heavy bottom pan or dutch oven add butter, a little evoo, and your onions.
Cook until translucent on medium high heat.
Add your garlic and cook just a minute or so until fragrant. Do not brown it.
Toss in beans, corn, and ro*tel and the jalapeno. (If using cans, add in 1/2 of the liquids. Toss the rest.)
Add the package of cheese along with the sour cream. Stir until smooth.

At this point you can decide how thick you like it. If you want it thinner, or to stretch it farther, add beer.
Cut your now cooked chicken into bit sized pieces and add it to the stew.
Simmer for a few minutes to incorporate the spices and then serve with a little cilantro if you like, or with tortilla chips to dunk.

This will stay good in the fridge for a few days. It does not freeze well, however. It also doesn't do well in a slow cooker as the cheese doesn't look very nice after a while. Making it fresh is SO worth it though and it's extremely quick and easy to make.

Pumpkin Pie cream cheese

2011-09-14T09:45:00.000-05:00

I love summer so much that I hate to wish it away, and I won't, but there's something warm and inviting about fall too. A cold day in the midwest has me craving all things pumpkin. Our fall cream cheese spread will do for now.

This is great on pretty much everything. Try bagels, toast, waffles, pancakes, apple slices (as dip), pretzel rods, graham crackers, pears, etc. I could go on and on.

Mix:

8-ounce package cream cheese, softened (30 seconds to 1 min in microwave)

1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2T honey
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
a little sploosh of vanilla

Place this in an airtight container - the smaller the better - and store in the fridge.
For a little something extra, crush some graham crackers and sprinkle them over the top. Mmmm!
My girls love to eat a pumpkin cream cheese sandwich with bananas. Sounds weird but it's pretty tasty.

You might also like:
Pumpkin Butter Pumpkin Nutmeg Rolls

Beef tenderloin with red wine and bleu cheese sauce

2011-09-12T14:44:00.000-05:00

3 to 4 tablespoons butter
Six 6-ounce beef tenderloins
6 tablespoons red wine -look for burgundy, pinot noir, merlot, cabernet (you need to like it)
6 tablespoons heavy cream or cream cheese
3 tablespoons crumbled bleu cheese
Seasoned salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Crumbled bleu cheese
Fresh parsley, chopped

In a large skillet, melt the butter and sauté the beef about 2 minutes on each side.

Remove the beef, and let it rest with a tent of aluminum foil over it.

Deglaze the skillet with the wine.

Stir in the cream and bleu cheese.

Let it reduce by half as the cheese melts.

Add the salt and pepper.

Pour the sauce over the meat and sprinkle with more cheese and the parsley.

Bacon Salt

2011-09-10T11:38:00.000-05:00

While this is not good for your body, it's incredibly good for mental well being. 'Nuff said. ;)

Bake 6 strips of bacon until they're extremely crunchy.
Use a paper towel to drain off excess grease and let the bacon cool.
Then use your food processor to process into very small bits.
Add ½ cup of sea salt (um, all salt is sea salt but you know what I mean.) and 1/2 tsp ground pepper.
Process until thoroughly mixed.
Put your bacon salt in an airtight container/jar and keep in the fridge or freezer.

Chocolate Chip Bacon Cookies

2011-08-29T13:02:00.001-05:00

There's a lot of bacon around our house lately. This low carb diet has us eating it at least once a week. As I prepped some bacon cheddar ranch bread sticks last night, I was also baking off a few batches of cookies. Then it hit me. I always sprinkle the tops of my chocolate chip cookies with a little sea salt for a better flavor. Why not use the smoky-salty flavor of the bacon to do the same thing? I mean really... why not? So I did.
The result was fabulous! Do not poo-poo this recipe until you've tried it. Then it's fair game.

To make these little pieces of heaven:

Use your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe to make the cookie dough.
(Or heck, buy it at the store. Who am I to judge??)

Cook 1 slice of bacon for every 3 cookies in the microwave for 3 minutes. (They need to be very crispy.)
Chop or crush them into very fine bits. The smaller the better. You're not going for chewey chunks, but rather a hint of bacon-ey flavor.
Place the bacon bits on a paper towel. That keeps them in place while rolling and pulls some of the grease off.

Scoop or roll the cookie dough into balls.
Roll the cookie dough balls into the bacon and place on a cookie sheet.
Bake according to your recipe's directions.
D E L I S H.

Baked Mommy Mac: four ways

2011-08-22T16:12:00.001-05:00

Okay, so Baked Mommy Mac has been a real hit. How could it not be? It's easy, sinful and delicious. But how could we make it better? What are your favorite foods?

How about bacon? or Pizza? or Tacos? or Cheeseburgers?
Well here you go!

Bacon Cheddar Mommy Mac - little piggy style

1 (8 oz) pkg. elbow macaroni
1 (8 oz) pkg shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (if its not sharp it will be a little bland)
1 (12 oz) container small curd cottage cheese
1 (8 oz) container sour cream (all things with sour cream are tasty!)
1/2 a package of bacon, cooked and chopped into bite sized bits
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup dry seasoned bread crumbs (or crunched up pringles or corn flakes - whatever you have)
¼ cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, add pasta, and cook until done; drain.
In 9x13 pan, stir together macaroni, shredded cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, bacon & parmesan cheese.
In a small bowl, mix together bread crumbs and melted butter.
Sprinkle topping over macaroni mixture.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until top is golden.

Cheeseburger Mommy Mac

1 (8 oz) pkg. elbow macaroni
1 (8 oz) pkg shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (if its not sharp it will be a little bland)
1 (12 oz) container small curd cottage cheese
1 (8 oz) container sour cream (all things with sour cream are tasty!)
1lb ground beef, cooked and crumbled
1/3C ketchup or 1T tomato paste
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/4C green onions, chopped1 cup dry seasoned bread crumbs or crunched up pringles or corn flakes - whatever you have
¼ cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, add pasta, and cook until done; drain.
In 9x13 pan, stir together macaroni, shredded cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, ketchup, tomato, and onion.
In a small bowl, mix together bread crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle topping over macaroni mixture.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until top is golden.

Mexican Mommy Mac

1 (8 oz) pkg. elbow macaroni
1 (8 oz) pkg shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (if its not sharp it will be a little bland)
1 (12 oz) container small curd cottage cheese
1 (8 oz) container sour cream (all things with sour cream are tasty!)

1pkg taco seasoning
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/4 C green onion, chopped
1/4C black beans, rinsed
1/4C corn
1 cup dry seasoned bread crumbs (or crunched up pringles or corn flakes - whatever you have)
¼ cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, add pasta, and cook until done; drain.
In 9x13 pan, stir together macaroni, shredded cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, taco seasoning, tomato, onion, beans, and corn.
In a small bowl, mix together bread crumbs and melted butter.
Sprinkle topping over macaroni mixture.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until top is golden.

Mommy's Pizza Mac

1 (8 oz) pkg. elbow macaroni
1 (8 oz) pkg shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (if its not sharp it will be a little bland)
1 (12 oz) container small curd cottage cheese
1 (8 oz) container sour cream (all things with sour cream are tasty!)

1 lb of ground beef, (and/or one package of pepperoni if you like)
1 small green pepper, chopped finely
1 small onion chopped finely
1C pizza sauce
1/2 C shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, add pasta, and cook until done; drain.
Cook your beef over medium high heat with your onions and peppers.
In 9x13 pan, stir together macaroni, shredded cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, beef mixture, and pizza sauce.
Sprinkle with Mozzarella and cover with foil.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until top is golden.
Take the foil off for the last 5 minutes of baking.

Fresh Tomato Salsa

2011-08-21T16:29:00.002-05:00

This is so great for a quick, raw salsa in a small batch. It has very fresh flavors but is extremely mild. Great for the kids.

3 tomatoes (1 lb.), chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped red onions

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro- maybe less. You just need enough to brighten the salsa.

1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped

1T Italian Dressing juice of 1/2 a fresh lemon garlic salt Seed the tomatoes, chop them, and place them in a colendar to drain.

Cover the drippy tomatoes with a light layer of garlic salt and let it drain some more.

(unless you like salsa soup)

Chop, chop, chop, everything else. I removed the ribs/seeds from the jalapeno, but kept them separately for temperature calibration. ;) Stir the drained tomatoes with your veggies. Add dressing and lemon, stir. At this point, taste it. If you want more heat, add some of the seeds/ribs from the jalapeno.

Carbonara Chicken

2011-08-19T16:48:00.002-05:00

1lb chicken breast (3 breasts)
6 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped into bite sized pieces
3/4 C mozzerella cheese
1/3 brick cream cheese
1/4 tsp garlic powder
3T parmesan
a little chicken stock or milk

Slit your chicken breasts so there's a pocket running the length of the breast.
Add 1/3 of the cooked bacon and 1/4 C mozzerella to each breast.
Bake at 375* for 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan (or in the microwave) melt the remaining ingredients together.
You might need a little chicken stock to make the sauce less thick.

When the chicken is done, pour the cream cheese sauce over the chicken and serve.
You can add some shredded lettuce and/or mushrooms to your chicken if you like. I personally don't like mushrooms so I leave them out.

OR Make it into a wrap.

Before baking, cut your chicken breast into two identical pieces (so it's flatter)
Bake at 375* for 25 minutes still.
Meanwhile put 6 slices of bacon in the microwave for 3 minutes (more if it needs it to be crispy)
Chop your bacon into pieces
Mix up your alfredo sauce.
Spread alfredo sauce on a large piece of lettuce.
Add chicken - I did it whole so I didn't have to worry about it falling out of the wrap.
Top with bacon and fold the lettuce around the chicken.

Sissy Salsa

2011-08-18T18:56:00.000-05:00

I do not like food that bites me back. I like a good spice but not heat, so here's a great balanced salsa recipe that Sam G. gave me. I changed a few things to our taste.

20 tomatoes
2 purple onions
8 seeded jalapenos
1/2 cup cilantro
5 cloves of garlic

4T sugar
1C white vinegar (or lemon/lime juice)

Prepare a small pot of boiling water and also an ice bath.
Cut an X in the bottom of the tomatoes and put them in the boiling water for 5 seconds.
Then plunge them into the ice bath.
Once cool, they should peel really easily.
Chop them to the size you like.

In a food processor take your onions, jalapeno, and cilantro down to the desired size.
Grate in your garlic or use a garlic press.
Add tomatoes and your onion mixture to a large pot.
Let simmer until bubbly.
Add paprika, sugar and vinegar.
Stir and let simmer about 20 more minutes.
Store in pint size jars.
Makes about 9 jars.
If you're canning, fill your very clean jars with the hot salsa and then flip them over to seal them (as they cool they'll seal the lid)

If you don't want to deal with the seasonings, sugar, and vinegar, you can also substitute 1C Italian dressing. :) Is that cheating? Maybe, but it works.

Oatmeal Peanutbutter Balls

2011-08-17T17:54:00.002-05:00

1 - cup honey
2 - cups creamy natural peanut butter
2 1/2 cups protein powder
3 - cups quick cooking oatmeal
1 - 2 - tablespoons wheat germ or flax seed
1/2 cup goodies like:
mini chocolate chips
or chunks of dark chocolate,
or chopped nuts,
or reese's pieces or...
whatever you like really.
You can leave the goodies out too.

Mix all together with a mixer. Form into balls with hands and freeze on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper until firm. Remove from freezer and store in a large zip lock bag in the refrigerator or divide into snack sized portions. I like to reuse the girls' old homemade babyfood containers.

These are so good you won't even remember that they're supposed to be healthy. The best part is that, while it's best to store them in the refrigerator, there's nothing in them that can't be left at room temperature, so they're a great snack for us to pop in my purse and eat between activities in the car... or as a bribe at the grocery store... not that I ever need to do that. Okay, I do. Anyway, try them!

This recipe makes quite a few! We ate our fair share of dough as well.

Using press n seal to make individual sized packages

Blueberry Banana Bread

2011-08-15T13:51:00.000-05:00

My kids pretend to like bananas, but generally they eat two bites and leave the rest to die a slow banana death. I'm thinking that if I just collect the forgotten nannas, and freeze them, maybe I can give them a new life... in banana bread.

My friend Jennifer S. send me this awesome recipe:

2 1/2 cups flour (I used half wheat flour)
1/2 cup reg. sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder, plus
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
A little nutmeg
1/4 cup coconut
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup milk
1 egg
zest from 1 orange
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 or 4 medium mashed bananas
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
2 cups frozen or fresh blueberries

Directions:

1 In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except blueberries for about 30 seconds.
2 Fold in the blueberries.
3 Pour into 2 greased 8 1/2x4 1/2x2 1/2 loaf pans that have been greased on the bottoms only.
4 Bake in 350º oven for 55-60 minutes, til toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
5 Cool slightly, loosen sides with knife from sides of pan, turn out onto rack to cool.
6 When cool, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, keep refrigerated.

BLT chicken-wich

2011-08-10T18:46:00.000-05:00

The finished err... chickenwich?

It's hard not to envision eating a juicy BLT in the middle of summer when the tomatoes are fresh from the garden. I have about 50 of them sitting on my counter right now. With our low carb diet, we can't have traditional sandwiches though, so this is my compromise.

One tomato sliced into rounds
1lb chicken breast
Mayo
lemon
Lettuce
6 slices of bacon

Instead of a square pan, like I used, use a long casserole dish to bake your chicken and bacon.
Place bacon next to chicken and bake at 375* for 25 minutes.
Then turn the oven to broil and give it another 5 minutes.
Mix a tablespoon or more of mayo with a little bit of lemon juice to taste.
Slice through the chicken so that you have two thin breasts from one.
On one piece spread 1/3 of the mayo.
Then add your bacon.
Then lettuce and finally tomatoes.
Top with the other half of the chicken.

You get all of the BLT flavor. The only thing missing is the crispness of the toasted bread. While I missed that, it was a good enough dish over all that I didn't feel too cheated. :)

Low Carb Fajita Melt

2011-07-30T10:11:00.000-05:00

chicken tenders or breast
mexican shredded cheese
cooked green/red pepper slices
cooked onion slices (more onion = more carbs)
fajita seasoning
Sour cream

Sprinkle chicken with fajita seasoning and cook/grill however you like.
Then cut it into tenders or shred it. (doesn't really matter)
Place it on a plate an add peppers, onions
Top with shredded cheese and microwave until the cheese is melted.
Add sour cream on the side
(or sometimes I like to add fajita seasoning to the sour cream and toss the chicken and veggies in it before topping with cheese)

You can add salsa and/or guac too but that adds more carbs.
Obviously this can be done with chicken, or beef.

Low Carb Philly Melt

2011-07-30T09:14:00.000-05:00

Beef of your choice, shredded, shaved, or in small cubes. (I use leftovers usually or Hormel Roast Beef packets)
Half of a green pepper diced or julienned
1/4 onion julienned or diced
Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cube (2oz) cream cheese (Some people use cheese whiz instead, I guess?)
Thin slices of mozzarella or swiss cheese

Start your beef in a pan on medium high heat. Let it sear on one side, 2 mins.
Flip the beef and add worchestershire sauce and veggies.
Cook until everything is done. Then add cream cheese. Melt and stir everything together.
Plate your meat and veggies on a plate. Top with swiss or mozz cheese. (I like swiss)
Then cover the plate with another plate or aluminum foil until the cheese melts.
Serve hot

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

2011-07-25T08:01:00.000-05:00

My friend Brenna sent me this recipe. I can't wait to try it!

You Won't Believe it's Cauliflower Pizza Crust

1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower**
1 egg
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp parsley

pizza or alfredo sauce
toppings
mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees farenheit.

Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray.

In a medium bowl, combine cauliflower, egg and mozzarella. Press evenly on the pan. Sprinkle evenly with oregano and parsley.

Bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes (15-20 minutes if you double the recipe).

Remove the pan from the oven. To the crust, add sauce, then toppings and cheese.

Place under a broiler at high heat just until cheese is melted.

Chicken Alfredo

2011-07-24T17:01:00.000-05:00

This low carb diet has me begging for pasta. Maybe it's just the sauce that I need...

1/2 brick cream cheese
3T parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1lb chicken breasts

Bake chicken breasts 375* for 25 minutes
In a small sauce pan, melt cream cheese.
Add parmesan and garlic powder.
When the chicken is done, pour "alfredo sauce" over your chicken.

You can add bacon, pine nuts or veggies as well. It's great on asparagus.

Chicken crust pizza

2011-07-24T16:52:00.001-05:00

I'm not a mushroom fan, nor a zucchini fan, so when I want some low carb pizza flavor (and don't fee like mixing up my own low carb pizza crust) this is what goes into the oven...

1 boneless chicken breast, pounded flat - about 1/4 in thick
cover with garlic salt and Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon pizza sauce
4 slices pepperoni
A couple slices of green pepper, diced
1 ounce mozzarella cheese, shredded

Season the chicken.

Spread the sauce over the chicken, then top with the pepperoni and pepper.

Bake at 400º about 10-15 minutes
Add the cheese over the top.

Bake an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and browned.

Low Carb "Lasagna"

2011-07-24T16:19:00.000-05:00

1 pound ground beef
2 tablespoons onion, chopped
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup spaghetti sauce
8 ounces cream cheese
1 egg
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (half of a regular sized bag)
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese

Brown the hamburger with the onion; drain off the fat.
Mix in the garlic powder and spaghetti sauce.
Meanwhile, soften the cream cheese in a medium-size microwaveable bowl for about 40-60 seconds. Stir until creamy; beat in the egg until well mixed.
Spread half of the meat mixture evenly in the bottom of a greased, 8 x 8" glass baking pan. Spread the egg/cream cheese mixture over the meat; top with the mozzarella, then the rest of the meat.
It may not completely cover the top, but that's ok.
Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese.
Bake at 350º about 30 minutes until hot and bubbly.
Let stand 3 minutes before serving.

Crockpot pesto baked ziti

2011-07-18T16:55:00.001-05:00

This is a great ziti recipe and having it made in the crockpot is right up my alley. Now, being a cheese lover, I do miss the browned cheese on top of the ziti that comes from an oven, but the ease of this crockpot method really makes up for it. Maybe if I used a creme broulet torch? ...I'll have to think on that. :)

8 oz pasta noodles

26 oz jar of pasta sauce, homemade or store bought - you choose

12 oz ricotta cheese

*Sometimes* I use 1 brick softened cream cheese instead, depending on my mood, OR

To save a few $ you can use a food processor on cottage cheese to get a similar flavor/texture.

8 oz package of shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 container of pesto

1/4 cup water

Spray crockpot with non-stick spray.

Put 1/3 of spaghetti sauce in bottom of crockpot, then 1/3 of the dry noodles on top of that.

Mix ricotta with the pesto in a bowl.

Dollop 1/3 of the ricotta pesto on top of the noodles. Here and there is fine.

No need to spread it exactly or you'll make yourself crazy.

Sprinkle with 1/3 of shredded cheese.

Repeat layers, ending with a shredded cheese layer on top.

Put the 1/4 cup of water in your empty pasta jar and shake - Pour the juice over the whole pile of food. Cover and cook for 4 hours on low.

Low Carb Frozen Cream cheese pops

2011-07-11T22:32:00.000-05:00

8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup Splenda
small Dixie cups, popsicle molds, or parchment paper
If making the plain version, a little vanilla is nice. 1 tsp +/-

Beat everything in a mixer bowl until fluffy.
Drop by bite-size spoonfuls onto a parchment paper
Or spoon into molds/cups. Add a stick or a spoon.
Freeze until firm. Store in the freezer and eat frozen.

Variations:

Chocolate mint: Add 1 teaspoon peppermint extract and 4 squares of chopped dark chocolate
Chocolate: melt 4 squares of dark chocolate over the top or fold into the mix
Cherry: add 1 teaspoon cherry extract and/or cherries
Strawberry: chop or puree 10 strawberries, mix with 1 tsp of splenda, then add to the cream cheese mix.
Lemon: Add 1 tsp lemon juice
Creamsicle: add 1-2 tsp orange zest (juice is too sugary) and 1 tsp vanilla.
Blueberry: puree or chop a hand full of blueberries and add to the mix. Add a tsp of lemon for kick if you like.
Pumpkin: add a can of pumpkin puree plus pumpkin pie spice and splenda to taste.

Mac n Hot Dog Muffins

2011-07-03T17:27:00.000-05:00

1 package mac n cheese (or make mommy mac)

1/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1/4 cup pureed butternut squash
1/4 cup cheddar cheese
2 hot dogs, diced or quartered

Make mac n cheese to package directions. Add everything else.

Load the mix into muffin cups.

Bake at 350 for 8 mins.

Freeze the portions in a cupcake pan and then transfer to zip top bags or a plastic container with a lid.

Reheat about 2-3 mins each.

Corn Dog Muffins

2011-07-03T17:23:00.000-05:00

Okay... I really don't like hot dogs. In fact, they kind of repulse me, but the kids seem to like the little corn dog nuggets that they serve at the zoo, so as I sat watching them down those deep fried, less than nutritional lunch treats, an idea was born. Corn Dog Muffins.

1 Cornbread Box Mix (I've never served corn bread so I don't have a go-to recipe. Boxed is fine.)
1/2 can of creamed corn (or just use milk)
1 egg
2 nitrate free, all beef hot dogs cooked, quartered or diced
1C shredded cheddar cheese

(I experimented with cutting the dogs into 1 inch pieces and putting them in the middle, more like a real corn dog. I wasn't happy with the result though, because it's more enticing for my kids to take the muffin apart that way. Not cool.)

Dice up the hot dogs.
Mix the Jiffy mix, corn (or milk), cheese, and egg.
Stir in the hot dogs.
Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. (I like mini muffins)
Bake for 15-20 minutes according to the box or until lightly browned.

Even better, you can freeze these and have them for a quick lunch another time.

Once cool place in gallon freezer bag and freeze.
To serve: reheat in microwave for 1-2 minutes or until heated through.

Bacon Bleu Broccoli

2011-06-30T09:26:00.000-05:00

It's a broccoli salad kicked in the rear. :)

2 bunches of broccoli, florets only
6+ strips of bacon cooked and crumbled
1/3 C toasted pine nuts
1/3 C bleu cheese crumbled
1/4 C red onion diced

Sauce:
3/4C mayo
2T splenda
1.5 balsamic vinegar or cider vinegar

Mix it. Enjoy it. :)

Cinnamon dusted cocoa covered almonds

2011-06-27T22:11:00.001-05:00

I used to be a Dove chocolatier and they had the most amazing Chocolate Covered Cinnamon Dusted Almonds. Really they were to die for. But expensive.
Additionally, my husband and I started a low carb diet but I found myself really craving chocolate. On a shopping trip I found Emerald Brand cocoa dusted almonds and decided to give them a try. They really did give me my chocolate fix, but I knew I could make them myself much cheaper. So... inspired by both snacks, Cinnamon dusted cocoa covered almonds were born.

3C whole almonds
1/3 stick of butter, melted
1/4C splenda
1/4 C Unsweetened cocoa powder
1T cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350, and put a silpat on your baking sheet. (or parchment paper)

In a large zip top bag, add almonds and melted butter.
Shake to coat.
Add cocoa powder, splenda, and cinnamon.
Shake until almonds are completely coated.
Pour the mix out onto the baking sheet and bake for approximately 10 minutes.

Depending on how sweet you prefer this to be, you can adjust the Splenda to taste without much impact to the overall nutritional information.

Asiago ( or parmesan ) cheese crisps

2011-06-27T15:30:00.000-05:00

1/2 cup shredded Asiago or Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp dried rosemary or a teaspoon of minced fresh rosemary

Preheat oven to 350*
Toss the cheese with the rosemary.
Place a teaspoon (approximately) of the mixture in a silicone mini-muffin cup. Repeat with all 24 cups.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden but not brown. Rotate the pan halfway through.
Let the crisps cool in the muffin tins, then peel them out.

You can also do this in the microwave.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Roulade

2011-06-26T11:25:00.001-05:00

3-4 Chicken Breasts
8 slices of cooked bacon
8 slices of Swiss cheese
1 package Ranch Dressing Mix
8 toothpicks

Preheat oven to 350*
Empty dry ranch mix onto a large plate.

Pound Chicken Breasts very flat, about 1/4" thick.
Place twp pieces of bacon, and two pieces of cheese on top of the chicken. Starting from the small end, wrap the chicken around the bacon and cheese. Then secure with toothpick(s).

Roll it in the dry ranch dressing mix.

Place in a pan, cover and bake at 350* for 20 miuntes. Uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked thru.

Low Carb Chicken Bacon Alfredo Thin Crust Pizza

2011-06-26T10:28:00.003-05:00

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1/4 cup Asiago cheese, shredded (You can use Parmesan too)
1/4 teaspoon oregano or Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
8 ounces mozzarella cheese or pizza blend, shredded

1/3 brick of cream cheese
1T butter
2 cooked chicken breasts, diced
1/2 C tomatoes, diced
2 strips of bacon, diced
4 oz shredded mozzerella

In a medium bowl, whisk the cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
Whisk in the eggs until the mixture is well-blended and smooth.
Add the Parmesan and seasonings, then stir in the 8 ounces of mozzarella until completely moistened.
Spread the cheese mixture evenly in a 9x13" glass baking dish lined with parchment paper.
I really recommend the parchment paper. Otherwise, this will stick to the dish like glue.
Misting the bottom of the dish with a little water will keep the parchcment paper in place while you spread the mixture. It's going to look like there isn't enough to fill the dish. There is. Just keep spreading.

Bake at 375º 20-25 minutes or until evenly browned, but not too dark. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Refrigerate, uncovered, until shortly before serving time. The longer it sits in the fridge, the crispier it gets during the second cooking.

In a sauce pan mix 1/3 brick of cream cheese and 1T of butter. Melt together. Add garlic powder to taste.
Spread on the pizza "crust" and top with diced chicken, cooked bacon, and diced tomato.
Top with mozzarella.

Bake at 375º about 15-20 minutes or until toppings are bubbly. Let stand a few minutes before cutting.

Crust can be frozen.
This crust is not crispy but you can pick it up.

While the crust ingredients may sound strange, I think you'll agree that you won't feel like you're missing out at all if you follow the recipe. :)

Magic S'Mores Bars

2011-06-23T15:52:00.000-05:00

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs or just coarsely broken graham crackers
1 (14 ounce) can Sweetened Condensed Milk
3 cups milk chocolate chips
4 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F (325 degrees for glass dish). Coat 13x9-inch baking pan with no-stick cooking spray.
Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter. Press into bottom of prepared pan. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumb mixture.
Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned.
Immediately after they come out of the oven, pour your chocolate chips evenly over the top. Let them melt for 3-5 minutes and then use an offset spatula to spread.
Change your oven setting to broil.
Top bars evenly with marshmallows. Then put them back in the oven
Broil with top 5 to 6 inches from heat for 20 to 30 seconds or until marshmallows are toasted. (Watch closely; marshmallows will brown quickly.)
Cool 10 minutes.

Taco Lettuce Wraps

2011-06-22T10:01:00.000-05:00

More lettuce wraps for your low carb enjoyment ;)

container (18 oz) refrigerated taco sauce with seasoned ground beef

1/4

cup chopped green onions (4 medium)

1/2

cup finely shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (2 oz)

1/4

cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

large leaves Bibb lettuce, rinsed, patted dry with paper towels

Makes 6 servings (2 wraps and 4 tablespoons sauce each)

Heat the ground beef, toss everything together, load it into a bib lettuce leaf.

Homemade low carb BBQ sauce

2011-06-21T13:24:00.000-05:00

2 strips of thick bacon, frozen
1 small onion
1 clove garlic
1 small can (6 oz) tomato paste
1 can (12 oz) diet coke (Splenda-sweetened)
T vinegar
3 T mustard
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
splenda to taste

Use a cheese grater or microplane to finely grate the frozen bacon into a sauce pan. Fry the bacon until it's almost done.
Grate the onion into the pan and cook over medium until soft - 3-5 minutes.
Grate in garlic and stir it for half a minute or so.
Add the rest of the ingredients, plus about half a cup of water. Stir well.
Simmer for 20-30 minutes. It will cook down a bit and flavors will combine.
Adjust the vinegar or sweetener so you have the balance you want

The recipe makes approximately 10 servings of 1/4 cup each. Each serving has about 2.5 net carbs
You don't have to grate everything but I prefer a smoother texture. You could also do a rough chop and use an immersion blender.

Bacon Wrapped Chicken

2011-06-21T13:11:00.000-05:00

1/4 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1lb chicken breast tenders or full breasts cut in 1/3's
8 bacon slices

Combine wine and garlic in a bowl.

Add chicken and turn to coat.

Cover and refrigerate overnight if you like or just for a few minutes

Prepare grill to medium-high heat. (broiler will work in an oven too)

Remove chicken from marinade.

Wrap each chicken piece with 1 strip of bacon, securing ends with toothpicks.

Grill about 15 minutes.

BBQ Beef Brisket

2011-06-14T22:22:00.003-05:00

Haven't tried this yet but will try and put my own touches on it soon!

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/barbecue-beef-brisket-118050.aspx?cm_mmc=eml-_-rbe-_-20110614-_-1084

Mac n Beer Cheese Cups

2011-06-14T22:21:00.002-05:00

These would be great for football gatherings,etc. Haven't tried them yet but will soon!

http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/mac-and-beer-cheese-cups/42b4a0af-b45a-433f-8d4e-d14192c2cbaa?WT.dcsvid=MzY3MDMwMzM1MwS2&rvrin=633227B9-4ED6-4B86-B58E-1714A7045653&WT.mc_id=Newsletter_PB_PB_2011_6_14_6amSend

Grill Top Cupcakes/Brownies

2011-06-14T22:20:00.002-05:00

From familyfun.com These are SO CUTE!
http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/grate-gift-for-dad-888883/

(Low Carb) Mu Shu Chicken Lettuce Wrap

2011-06-14T19:33:00.001-05:00


This was a Slam Dunk for dinner!

Chicken:
• 1lb of chicken tenders (or 1lb of chix breast cut into 1/2 or 1/3)
•1 tablespoon vegetable oil
•1 tablespoon grill seasoning
Marinate and bake 375* for 25min or grill

Slaw:
In a bowl, mix -
•2 teaspoons sugar/splenda
•2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar or white vinegar
•Salt
Taste to make sure you're happy with the dressing. Then add -
•1/2C seedless cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced on an angle (1 net carb)
•1-2 cups broccoli slaw - broccoli, carrots, cabbage (3 net carbs/cup)

Peanut sauce:
Mix -
1/3 C all natural peanut or almond butter (7 net carbs)
1″ piece ginger, grated
6 cloves garlic, grated
3 Tbsp cup low-sodium soy sauce (3 net carbs)
2 Tbsp sugar/splenda
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
3 Tbsp water

Taste at this point and adjust vinegar or sugar, depending on your taste.

Use Iceberg or butter lettuce leaves as your wrap.

Directions
Spread peanut sauce on your leaf.
Pile on the slaw
Add your chicken and wrap.

Alternatively, heat your peanut sauce and add 1T of water to use a squirt bottle and drizzle it on top.
You can use the peanut sauce as a dip as well but it's hard to keep everything together.

This makes 6 Lettuce Wraps at 2.3 net carbs each. Not bad. :)

Peanut Sauce

2011-06-14T13:47:00.000-05:00

1/2 C peanut butter
1″ piece ginger, grated
6 cloves garlic, grated
3 Tbsp cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp sugar/splenda
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
3 Tbsp water

Taste at this point and adjust vinegar or sugar, depending on your taste.

Great on chicken satay with some sesame seeds, etc. Use it as a sauce in a wrap with green onions, shredded carrot, cole slaw cabbage, and chicken.

Soy Ginger Marinade

2011-06-13T15:20:00.000-05:00

I started off using this marinade on a flank steak. It was fantastic so I want to use it on more things! I'm thinking next it will marinade the meat for my beef and broccoli and I will reserve half of the mixture for the sauce. All of these flavors together are amazing and bold but not over powering.

In a small bowl or zip top bag:
Grate2T Ginger
6 Garlic cloves (or less - I like garlic)
1/4 C soy sauce (low sodium is best or it gets a little salty)
1/4 C EVOO
3T lemon juice (about half of a fresh lemon - fresh is mmmm good! and it cleans the garlic smell off your hands)
salt to taste

Mix and add to meat. This recipe is for about 2lbs of meat. It'll keep in the fridge for about a week. It does not freeze well.

Whiskey Butter for Steak

2011-06-13T13:42:00.000-05:00

Whiskey Butter

2 sticks butter, softened

2 shallots minced, soaked in whiskey

3 tsp. minced parsley

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

3tsp. Whiskey

1/2 tsp. sea salt

Lemon Butter Flank Steak

2011-06-13T13:38:00.000-05:00

This is from BHG.com
My hubby is on a low carb diet so I'm sourcing new recipes this week. :)

Lemon Butter Flank Steak

Makes: 4 servings

Prep: 20 minutes Marinate: 30 minutes Cook: 17 minutes

ingredients

1-1/2
lb. beef flank steak
142
cup chopped fresh cilantro
4
Tbsp. olive oil
4
tsp. finely shredded lemon peel
2
Tbsp. lemon juice
2
cloves garlic, minced
1/4
tsp. crushed red pepper
1
recipe Lemon Butter (below)
4
cups shredded Napa cabbage
1
cup fresh bean sprouts
2
green onions, bias-sliced into 1-inch pieces

directions

1. Place steak in a shallow dish. Add cilantro, half of the olive oil, the lemon peel and juice, garlic, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, and the red pepper. Turn steak to coat. Cover; chill 30 minutes to 1-1/2 hours.

2. Meanwhile, prepare Lemon Butter; set aside. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet heat remaining oil over medium heat. Remove steak from marinade; discard marinade. Cook steak 15 minutes or to desired doneness, turning once. Cover; let stand 10 minutes.
3. Add vegetables to skillet. Cook and stir over medium heat 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Season with salt and pepper. Serve steak with vegetables and Lemon Butter. Makes 4 servings.
Lemon Butter: In bowl combine 3 Tbsp. softened butter; 3 Tbsp. minced lemongrass; 1/4 cup cilantro; 1 Tbsp. lemon juice; and salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste.

nutrition facts

Servings Per Recipe 4 servings
Calories492
Total Fat (g)35
Saturated Fat (g)12,
Monounsaturated Fat (g)17,
Polyunsaturated Fat (g)2,
Cholesterol (mg)82,
Sodium (mg)400,
Carbohydrate (g)7,
Total Sugar (g)3,
Fiber (g)2,
Protein (g)39,
Vitamin C (DV%)79,
Calcium (DV%)13,
Iron (DV%)22,
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Hot Bacon Dressing

2011-06-05T21:52:00.000-05:00

8 pieces of bacon chopped into pieces
4T vinegar (I used white wine vinegar and a little balsamic. Use whatever you have.)
1-2 T splenda (or sugar)
1 small red onion

Start your bacon in a small frying pan or a sauce pan. When it's done, pull out the bacon and place it on a paper towel to drain. Add onion into the leftover fat. While the onion is cooking, mix your vinegar and sugar in a small bowl or cup. Taste it to see that you like the sweet/sour balance. Adjust if necessary. Lower the temp and let it cool down for a bit. If you don't, the fat will pop all over the place when you add the vinegar mixture. Mix together and add to your salad. Serve right away.

I usually put this over a bed of spinach or another type of leaf that is fairly hearty. It needs to stand up to the heat. Iceburg lettuce does not work. This goes great with a little shrimp added in and some berries or mandarin orange also.

Soy Ginger Flank Steak

2011-06-05T21:42:00.000-05:00

We cut these into strips and added sour cream and cheese. Then wrapped them in a lettuce leaf. It's sort of Chinese meets Mexico, but it works!

2T grated ginger
1/4 C soy sauce
1/4 EVOO
3T lemon juice
6 chopped garlic cloves
2lb flank steak
salt/pepper to taste - I did not add any. This has tons of flavor and the soy sauce has plenty of salt anyway.

Mix everything together in a zip top bag. Marinate overnight and then grill or broil 3-4 minutes on each side. This is best served medium at most and probably better medium rare. It's not a soft cut of meat so cooking more than that makes it chewey. Also remember to let it rest for 10 minutes after cooking and cut against the grain for a more tender bite.

Barbecue Chicken Penne Melt

2011-05-25T09:33:00.000-05:00

Barbecue Chicken Penne Melt

This is a recipe I saw on the Nate show.

Barbecue Chicken Penne Melt
Ingredients
1 pound mini penne
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups diced onions
4 to 6 cups shredded store-bought rotisserie chicken
1 quart bottled hickory-smoked flavored barbecue sauce
12 slices bacon, cooked until crispy and crumbled
½ cup chopped scallions, white and green parts
1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Directions
In a medium saucepan, cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Drain, do not rinse, and set aside.
In a medium skillet, heat the butter and oil over medium-high heat and, when hot, add the onions and cook, stirring until softened and starting to brown, about 5 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease an 11 by 9-inch baking dish.
In a large bowl, toss the pasta with the chicken, 3 1/2 cups of the barbecue sauce, the bacon, scallions, and cooked onions. In another bowl, stir together the cheeses.
Spread one-third of the pasta mixture in the prepared dish and top with one-third of the cheese. Make two more layers of the pasta and cheese, cover with aluminum foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is browned. Remove from the oven, drizzle with the remaining 1/2 cup barbecue sauce, and serve.

Knock you naked Brownies

2011-05-02T16:00:00.000-05:00

These are from the Pioneer Woman's recipe box. :)

Ingredients

1 box (18.5 Ounce) German Chocolate Cake Mix (I Used Duncan Hines)
1 cup Finely Chopped Pecans
⅓ cups Evaporated Milk
½ cups Evaporated Milk (additional)
½ cups Butter, Melted
60 whole Caramels, Unwrapped
⅓ cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
¼ cups Powdered Sugar

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix together cake mix, chopped pecans, 1/3 cup evaporated milk, and melted butter. Stir together until totally combined. Mixture will be very thick.
Press half the mixture into a well-greased 9 x 9 inch square baking pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and set aside.
In a double boiler (or a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of boiling water) melt caramels with additional 1/2 cup evaporated milk. When melted and combined, pour over brownie base. Sprinkle chocolate chips as evenly as you can over the caramel.
Turn out remaining brownie dough on work surface. Use your hands to press it into a large square a little smaller than the pan. Use a spatula to remove it from the surface, then set it on top of the caramel and chocolate chips.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for several hours. When ready to serve, generously sift powdered sugar over the surface of the brownies. Cut into either nine or twelve helpings, and carefully remove from the pan.
*Adapted from the standard/classic “Knock You Naked Brownies” recipe. These brownies don’t really knock you naked…but almost.

Chicken with Lemon Pasta

2011-04-25T17:25:00.000-05:00

Servings: Serves 4–6

Ingredients

Baked/Grilled/whatever 1lb of chicken, cut into bite size chunks

· 1 Tbsp. kosher salt , for pasta water,plus extra for seasoning to taste

· 8 ounces angel hair pasta

· 4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

· 4 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

· 2 Tbsp. Italian parsley

· 2 cups Parmesan cheese , plus extra for garnish

· 1/3 cups toasted pine nuts

· 1 lemon

· Lemon zest

· Cracked black pepper

Fill a pasta pot with water with at least 2 1/2 quarts of water and add 1tablespoon of kosher salt. When the water has come to a boil, add the angelhair pasta. Angel hair cooks quickly— in about 3 to 5 minutes—so do not overcook!

Drain all except for about a cup of the pasta water. (eyeball it)

In the pot with the angel hair, add the olive oil, lemon and parsley. Mix gently with the tongs.
Add Parmesan cheese, chicken, and pine nuts. Crack some fresh pepper and sprinkle a small amount of kosher salt on top as well.

Divide into bowls. Finish with the lemon zest and a lemon wedge.

Strawberry squares

2011-04-17T09:53:00.000-05:00

From Betty Crocker.com

Crust

pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix

1/2

cup butter or margarine, softened

egg

Filling

cup white vanilla baking chips (6 oz)

package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

Topping

cups sliced fresh strawberries

1/2

cup sugar

tablespoons cornstarch

1/3

cup water

to 12 drops red food color, if desired

Cake Batter Rice Krispy Treats

2011-04-15T06:50:00.000-05:00

This recipe has been touring the internet lately from various sources. So far I've seen people basically using 1/3 cup of white cake batter added into the marshmallow/butter mix before stirring in the krispies. Sounds tasty!

I think it might be equally fun to used flavored cake batters as well. Strawberry, Chocolate, Lemon.

It might be even more awesome to top a layer of lemon krispy bars with strawberry krispy bars. You could even add a dab of strawberry jam to the mix for added color.

Go to it! Create fun krispies!

Freezer Meal Creation Station #2

2011-03-04T10:09:00.000-06:00

Some of you might know that I have decided to be a gestational carrier (surrogate) for an amazing couple in the New England area. I will have to be away for 4-5 days for the IVF transfer. (hopefully only once if it works the first time!) My husband will be staying with our two daughters, 1 and 3, so this freezer meal creation station is all for them. ...Because you know that making dinner with two active children under foot is not for amateurs. ;)

Dinner MENU

Lunch MENU

Pizza Rolls
Mac Muffins
Chicken (un-)Fried Rice
Broccoli Cheese nuggets
chix nuggets

With any leftover ingredients, I plan to make some breakfast burritos as well.

Grocery List:

3 packages (10 count) flour tortillas
1 packet taco seasoning

2 cans cream of chicken soup (or any “cream of” soup you have on hand. I hate mushrooms.)

1 can cream of onion soup or any "cream of" soup
1 can of pringles or 3 cups of corn flakes crushed(or just use panko)

1 package mac n cheese

1/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

1 cup Seasoned bread crumbs

Rice 2C

Teriaki marinade 4T

1 lbs dried ziti

2- 26 oz jars spaghetti sauce

1-2 store bought small rotisserie chicken OR a whole chicken in your crockpot

1lb chicken breast

2lb ground beef

mini pepperoni packet

1 medium sized onion diced finely and cooked
1 medium sized pepper (red or green - or half of each!) diced and cooked

1 green pepper
1/4 cup pureed butternut squash

lrg onion chopped

2 Cups of broccoli

bunch of green onions

1 pkg won ton wrappers

2 bricks of cream cheese
15 cups or 3-5 bags of shredded Mexican cheese blend

1 bag shredded cheddar cheese

3C cheddar
2 -16oz sour cream

eggs 3 Large eggs

6 oz provolone, sliced

6 oz shredded mozzarella

-2 tbls grated parmesan cheese

1 large bag frozen hash browns

1 bag mixed veggies
Tater Tots
frozen meatballs

Bourbon Chicken

2011-02-27T15:36:00.000-06:00

This is a recipe that I've not yet tested completely. These are the changes from my first try which was good. Just needed some tweaking.

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast cubed

1 teaspoon ground ginger

4 ounces soy sauce

2 tablespoons fresh minced onion

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

3/8 cup bourbon

1 clove minced garlic

1.	Place chicken breasts in a large zip top bag. To the bag add ginger, soy sauce, onion, sugar, bourbon and garlic. Squish together and place in refrigerator. Marinate overnight or at least 6 hours.
2.	Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
3.	Remove chix from refrigerator and place in a 9 x 13 pan. Make sure it's in a single layer or they won't get done. Bake in the preheated oven, basting frequently, for 30 minutes or until chicken is well browned and juices run clear. Serve over rice.

Chicken cordon bleu chowder

2011-02-26T16:25:00.000-06:00

This was a bit of an experiment but it turned out fabulously.

1 cup chopped green onions, divided (about 1 bunch)
2 cups corn kernels (frozen is fine)
1 1/4 cups water
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 pound baking potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (or cheat and use cubed hashbrowns!)
1 cup milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup cubed cooked chicken
1 cup diced cooked ham
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh chives

Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat with cooking spray. Add 3/4 cup green onions, and sauté 4 minutes or until lightly browned.
Increase heat to high; add corn, water, thyme, and potatoes; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add chicken and ham. Then slowly add cheese and stir until it melts. Remove from heat, and stir in milk and salt.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Sea Salt Cookies

2011-02-24T07:34:00.001-06:00

These are to die for. The little bit of salt on top makes all the difference.

1 Cup Butter, melted (melt butter for nice chewy cookies or don't melt for fluffy cookies.)
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Sugar
2 Large Eggs
2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 Cup Wheat Flour (or white)
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
3 Cups Old Fashioned Oats
1 9 oz Bag of peanut butter chocolate chips (or just semi sweet chips)
Sea Salt - Don't use table salt on top of the cookies. It's not the same thing.

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Using a standing or hand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy and fluffy, about 4 minutes (getting this really fluffy is key to great cookies.)
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, and vanilla until thoroughly combined.
4. Stir the flour, baking soda and salt in a separate mixing bowl.
5. Slowly add the flour to the butter/sugar mixture until combined.
6. Stir in oats and chocolate chips mixing well until combined. *
7. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto parchment or silpat lined cookie sheet.
8. Press down each cookie and top with a little sea salt.
9. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.
10. Cool and serve.

*These freeze well. After step #6, dump your dough onto a big piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper. Smooth into a rough log shape. Then bring up one of the long sides of the paper and tuck it around the log. Smooth into a uniform log. Roll the rest of the way and twist the ends. Place in an airtight container or zip top bag. Toss in the freezer for up to 3 mos. When baking, cut into rounds and add an extra minute or two in the oven.

Honey Wheat Bread

2011-02-24T07:18:00.000-06:00

This recipe is from weelicious

Honey Wheat Bread (Makes 2 Loaves or 24 Rolls)
2 1/2 Cups Warm Water
1/3 Cup Honey
1 Tbsp Butter
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Package Dry Instant Yeast (you can find it at any grocery)
2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
4 Cups Bread Flour (plus 1/2 cup extra to dust your work surface for kneading)
1. Whisk the warm water, honey, butter, salt and instant yeast until the ingredients dissolve.
2. Gradually add the flours into the bowl, stirring with a whisk to combine.
3. Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and knead for 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth (it’s done when you poke your finger in it and it bounces back).
4. Place in a large greased or oiled bowl, cover with plastic and place in a warm area (I like to set it on top of my oven) for 1 1/2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
5. After the dough has risen, place it on a floured work surface. Cut into 2 equal pieces if making loaves or into 24 equal pieces if making rolls.
6. Shape the dough into 2 even loaf shapes and place into two greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans (or shape the 24 pieces into rolls and place on parchment lined sheet trays).
7. Cover the loaves with greased plastic wrap (so the dough doesn’t stick to it) and set aside in a warm place for 1 hour for loaves, 30 minutes for rolls or until the dough or rolls have doubled in size.
8. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
9. Bake 50 minutes for loaves or 30 minutes for rolls.
10. Serve.

Pumpkin Pancakes

2011-02-13T14:40:00.000-06:00

1/2 C white whole wheat flour (trader joe's)
1/2 C oatmeal
2T brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking bowder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp each of cinnamon, ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 egg
1T oil
1C milk (or a little more - these are kind of thick)
1/3 C pumpkin (100% pureed - not pie filling)

In a preheated skillet on medium heat, brown until bubbles form. Then flip and do another minute or so on the other side.

To freeze, place on a cookie sheet and freeze. Once frozen, place in a container with a lid or zippered baggie with parchment paper in between.
Re-Heat in the microwave for 30seconds - 1 minute each.

These are great with honey butter or honey cinnamon butter. My kids eat them plain.

Healthier Breakfast Tarts

2011-02-11T16:04:00.000-06:00

I'm just going to put this out there. Pop tarts are disgusting. I don't know how they can even call that stuff around the high fructose corn syrup a crust. ick. Yet my kids always see them in the store and ask for them. I'd rather make my own. They freeze well.

Here's an updated healthier crust to make them with. I was previously using store bought pie crust but I think I can handle making my own.

CRUST:
1 1/2 C whole wheat flour
2T sugar
1/2 tsp salt (or use sea salt and cut that in half)
1/2 C chilled butter
4-5 T milk
sift the dry ingredients together and then cut in the butter. Cut until it's the consistency of small pebbles. Then add the milk one tablespoon at a time until it's just able to hold together. Don't over stir it and try to keep everything as cold as possible.

FILLING:
1/2 C fruit of your choice mashed really well
1/4 C whipped cream cheese (whip your own in the mixer. It's much more cost effective.)
Or just use 3/4 Cup of your favorite fruit mashed (or simply fruit preserve!) alone if you don't like cream cheese or if these will be a picnic type item that will set out and get warm.

Roll out half of the crust, Use a biscuit cutter to make little circles if you like. Otherwise cut even squares and place them on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
Dot the middle with about 1T of filling.
Cover with another circle or square and use a fork to combine the two pieces around the edges.
You can also use the cool little pampered chef tart maker - just put your filling spaced evenly on the first piece of dough, then cover with the second piece and use the tart maker to cut out the tarts.

Bake at 400* for 8 minutes. Then check. Depending on the thickness, it could take up to 20 minutes. Just watch to see when it's nice and golden brown.

Pickle Mom's Kitchen

Low Carb Pots de Creme

LC Shamrock Shake

Low Carb Peanut Butter Chocolate Crunch Bars

Low Carb Broccoli Cheddar Bites

Sour Cream Butter Biscuits

Ingredients

Directions

LC Peppermint Cream Puff Minis

Crab stuffed Salmon

NUTRITION:

Low Carb Snacky Crackers

Bacon and Bleu Brussels Sprouts

Prodsciutto wrapped Chicken with Herbed Goat Cheese Filling

Creamy Buffalo Chicken - low carb

Loaded Baked cauliflower (almost like potatoes)

Lemon chicken and broccoli

Almond Dijon Salmon

Low Carb Chicken Parmesan

Creamy Spaghetti Casserole

Shredded Beef Tacos

Yogurt Frosted Krispy Stars

Spaghetti [squash] Pie

Dutch Letters

Cowboy Beef and Beans

Low Carb Chicken Lo Mein

Bourbon Chicken

Chicken Ranch Soup

Bacon and Bleu Cheese Meatloaf

Beer Battered Onion Rings [ Crisps ] - Baked

BETTER Green Bean Casserole

Pumpkin Truffles

Directions:

Freezing Directions:

Servings: 30 balls

Mojo Shrimp with Quinoa

For the quinoa:

Green Beans and Bacon

Asian Inspired Pork Stew

Cream of "whatever" soup

So I'm not a big fan of the condensed cream of "whatever" soups. They're convenient, but I find them to be too salty and just kind of gross in general. Some, not all, also have MSG in them.

Did you know that it's not really that hard to make on your own though?

Cream of chicken

Cheese sauce

Cream of {veggie}

Low Carb Mini Pepperoni Pizzas

Sloppy Joe's for a crowd

A little credit, please.

Chicken Gorgonzola Gnocci Soup

Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls

Easy Sugar Cookies

Slow cooker chicken taquitos

White Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies

Pumpkin cream cheese muffins

Directions:

Freezing Directions:

Menu plan week of 10/9

Buffalo Chicken Chili with Blue Cheese-Corn muffins

Italian Meatball Soup

Beef tenderloin with red wine and bleu cheese sauce

Carbonara Chicken

Low Carb "Lasagna"

Barbecue Chicken Penne Melt

Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu

Grocery list:

Buffalo Chicken Chili with Blue Cheese-Corn muffins

INGREDIENTS:

DIRECTIONS:

BBQ Chicken Soup

Cowboy stew

Italian Meatball Soup

balsamic bruschetta chicken

Fiesta Chicken Stew

Pumpkin Pie cream cheese

Beef tenderloin with red wine and bleu cheese sauce

Bacon Salt

Chocolate Chip Bacon Cookies

Baked Mommy Mac: four ways

Fresh Tomato Salsa

Carbonara Chicken