Hot Cocoa Cookies

Saw these on Pinterest and I'm making these for a Christmas Ugly Sweater party. I have been eating the weird looking ones or the ones that fell apart and they are good. 

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1½ cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips 
2 cups mini marshmallows

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In large bowl, beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy.
3. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt

4. Stir into the butter mixture until well blended
5. Mix in the chocolate chips
6. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets
7. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or just until set
8. Immediately top with three mini marshmallows when you remove the cookies from the oven
9. If more gooey marshmallow is desired place marshmallow topped cookies back in the oven for 1 mintute
10. Cool slightly on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely

Oreo Treats

I always make these for my students because they absolutely love them. It is like making a rice krispie treat but replacing the rice krispies with Oreos. They are very good, I have to admit and so simple to make!

Ingredients

1- 16 oz package of Oreo cookies
5 cups of large marshmallows
4 tablespoons of butter

Directions


1. Butter an 8X8 inch baking pan. Line the baking pan with parchment paper letting the paper extend up two sides of the pan and overhang slightly on both ends. Butter paper then set pan aside.
2. In a food processor  or blender, process Oreos into fine crumbs and set aside. (If you are using a blender, place the Oreos in a large ziploc bag first and smash them with a heavy object, then place in the blender. It makes it easier to grind.)
3. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. (Or put the butter and marshmallows in a microwave safe bowl and microwave it.)
4. Remove from heat. Stir in ground Oreo Cookies until combined. 
5. Transfer to prepared baking pan. 
6. Using a piece of wax paper, press mixture evenly into prepared pan. 
7. Let it cool before cutting into squares. 

Struffoli aka Honey Balls

So every year during Christmas time, my grandmother makes Struffoli (honey balls). I love love love love love these and you will too! I definitely will be making this a Christmas tradition with my hubby to be soon and my children that I will have in the future.

Ingredients

6 eggs
1 cup sugar
 2 sticks of butter room temp
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla 
2 tablespoon baking powder
1 tsp salt
 vegetable oil for frying
1 pound honey 
1 small jar sprinkles

Directions 

1. Whisk eggs very well. Beat sugar into eggs. 
2. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. 
3. Rub butter into the flour with your hands.
4. Add vanilla to the sugar/egg mixture. Put mixture the into a mixer and mix and slowly add the flour/butter mixture. 
5. Let dough rest in a cool dry place for at least 30 minutes.
6. Divide dough into fourths. Roll out the dough in sections. Cut dough into 1/2-inch strips and cut 1/2-inch pieces from the strips. Place the 1/2-inch squares onto a baking pan. Make each 1/2 inch piece into balls about the size of a hazelnut.
7. Put vegetable oil into a large pan. When hot, fry small quantities of the dough balls in the oil until golden brown.
8. Place the balls onto a baking pan lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil. When all dough is fried, let cool to room temperature.
9. In a saucepan, heat the honey add small quantities of the fried dough to the pan. Stir lightly.
10. Remove from saucepan and place back on the baking pan and sprinkle with candy sprinkles.

Eggrolls

I love Chinese egg-rolls but whenever I eat them from a Chinese restaurant, I get the worst tummy aches. I blame the excessive oil. I love making my own egg-rolls at home. I have made duck and veggie egg-rolls in the past, tonight I made pork. They turned out amazing. Enjoy!

Ingredients

egg roll wrappers

ground pork

a bag of cole slaw mix

can of bean sprouts

1 tsp garlic, minced

1/4 tsp ground ginger

teriyaki  sauce 

olive oil spray

duck sauce

Directions

1. Brown pork in a pan until cooked

2. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees 

3. Put cole slaw in a large bowl, cover, and microwave for 5-6 minutes

4. Once the cole slaw is done, drain any excess water, then add garlic and ginger and mix

5. Once the pork is cooked and has cooled down, place a bit of it in the center of each wrapper

6. Add a little teriyaki sauce to the pork

7. Top the pork with cole slaw then bean sprouts

8. Fold in two of the corners. Put a bit of water on the top edges with your finger. Fold up the bottom, and roll as tightly as you can to the edge.

9. Place the egg rolls on a baking sheet sprayed with olive oil spray and make sure to spray the tops of the egg rolls with the oil too (If cooking on a non-stick pan, you do not need to spray the pan)

10. Bake for  20 minutes or until crispy and serve with duck sauce

White Chocolate Cranberry Oat Cookies

I have never met someone who did not love these cookies or become obsessed with them. They are amazing, you definitely cannot eat just one! If you need to bring cookies to a holiday party, bring these!

Ingredients

1/3 cup of sugar
1/3 cup of brown sugar
3/4 cup of flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/8 teaspoon of baking soda
1/8 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of quick-cooking oats
1 cup of dried cranberries
1 cup of white choc. chips
1/2 cup of butter (melted)
1 egg
1 teaspoon of vanilla

Directions

1. Combine flour,  baking powder, baking soda, brown sugar, sugar, and salt in a bowl and mix
2. Add oats, cranberries, and chips and mix
3. Beat in butter, egg, and vanilla
4. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes
5. Bake at 375 degrees on an ungreased cooking pan for  8 to 10 minutes

Italian Christmas Cookies

I helped my grandma bake Italian Christmas cookies tonight. They turned out nice and crisp, just like they are supposed to be. My grams just gets a little carried away with the sprinkles.

Ingredients

3 eggs
1 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1/2 stick of butter
2 1/2 cups of flour
4 teaspoons of baking powder

Directions

1. Beat eggs in a bowl, then add sugar and vanilla and mix
2. Add melted butter to the bowl and mix
3. Put the flour and baking soda in another bowl
4. Then combine the flour and baking soda to the other mixture and mix it all together (you may have to add more flour--the dough should not be very overly sticky)
5. Place flour on a table and roll the dough out over the flour
6. Use cookie cutters to cut out the various shapes of dough
7. Place the cut-out dough on a greased cookie sheet (grease with butter)
8. Take a brush and brush the top of each cookie with egg wash
9. Bake at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes

Bisquick "Fried" Chicken and Avocado Coleslaw

This was pretty simple to make. I think instead of baking next time, I might actually fry it.

Ingredients

3/4 cup Bisquick mix
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 
1 teaspoon paprika 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1/2 tsp garlic powder

boneless skinless chicken breasts 

2 eggs
Olive Oil cooking spray

Directions
1. Heat oven to 450°F. Line cookie sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.

2. Stir Bisquick mix, cheese, paprika and salt in a bowl. 

3. Dip chicken into eggs, then coat with Bisquick mixture

4. Place chicken on cookie sheet

3. Bake 12 to14 minutes

Ingredients

1 bag coleslaw mix
1 large avocado
1 jalapeno 
1 lime
green onions
cilantro

Directions

1. Mix avocado, jalapeno, and lime together

2. Chop green onions and cilantro and mix with coleslaw mix

3. Add avocado mixture

4. Add salt and pepper if needed

Baked Clams

My mom always makes baked clams for the holidays and I love them. It is the only way I will eat clams, maybe because they are basically "hidden" in the breadcrumbs. Normally we buy the foiled clam shells at the party store but this year we just baked them in medium sized tins and scooped what we wanted out using a spoon or crackers.

Baked clams with quinoa chips

Ingredients

6 Tablespoons of chopped white onion
2 tablespoons of minced garlic
6 teaspoons of parsley
dash of oregano
3/4 cup of vegetable oil
4 cans of chopped or minced clams
1 cup of bread crumbs

Directions

1. Saute the onions, garlic, parsley, and oregano in the oil
2. Add the cans of clams including the clam juice in the can
3. Add the breadcrumbs 
4. Mix together until it becomes thick (you may have to add more than 1 cup of breadcrumb)
5. Scoop the  clam mixture into each foil clam shell or into medium tin
6. Add a dot of butter to each clam or spread the dots of butter eventually over the tin
7. Bake 350 degrees for 20 minutes (make sure the top is crispy)

Asian Pork Dumplings

So I usually just cook poultry meals when it comes to meat. I do not eat red meat and I'm VERY picky about the pork I eat (I only eat it on rare occasions). I get yelled at all the time because I think bacon and pork roll are gross! However, I do enjoy steamed pork dumplings from Chinese restaurants. Therefore, I decided to make them myself, but just the filling. This is a paleo recipe. If you want to make it a non-paleo recipe, use the meat as the filling for traditional dumplings. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 pound ground pork

green onions

minced garlic

grated ginger

cup of thinly chopped Napa cabbage

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce 

½ tablespoon sesame oil

Directions

1. Mix the pork, green onions, garlic, ginger, and cabbage.

2. Add the soy sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil.  Mix well.

3. Form oval balls with the meat mixture and set aside.

4. Heat up s olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.

5. When hot, cook the dumplings in batches, shaking the pan as they cook to get even cooking. (You do not want to dry out the pork. So try frying them on each side for 5 minutes each. Pork can be a little pink inside--no worries.)

6. While the dumplings are cooking, in another bowl mix 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 ½ tablespoon lemon or lime juice,  and 1 teaspoon sesame oil to create a sauce.

7. When the dumplings are done, place them in a large bowl or platter and pour the sauce over the them.

An easy dish to bring to a party!

So ever since I was little, my mom would make this simple Mexican dip whenever she was entertaining or needed something to make quickly to bring to a party or get-together. It is only 3 ingredients and delicious. I only eat this every so often (darn you lactose intolerance) but when I do, it is worth it!

Ingredients

1 bar of cream cheese
1 can of chili (I always use Hormel's turkey/no beans chili)
shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Soften the cream cheese, then spread it evenly across the bottom of a casserole dish
2. Pour the chili over the cream cheese and spread evenly
3. Sprinkle cheddar cheese over the chili

Chicken Stuffed with Pepper Jack Cheese & Spinach

I found this recipe on Pinterest. It is simple to make, just make sure you don't pock yourself with a toothpick. 

Ingredients

skinless chicken breasts

pepper jack cheese (I bought a block of it and shredded it myself)

frozen spinach, thawed and drained 

olive oil

breadcrumbs (I used whole wheat)

salt & pepper

toothpicks 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Flatten the chicken and season with salt and pepper
3. Shred the pepper jack cheese into a bowl

4. Please the spinach in another bowl
5. Put the breadcrumbs in another bowl
6. Spoon the spinach onto each chicken breast, then the cheese on top of that (I eye balled everything)

7. Roll each chicken breast tightly and fasten the seams with several toothpicks (I used quite a lot of toothpicks so that the filling wouldn't seep out) 

8. Brush each chicken breast with the olive oil.  

9. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the chicken and underneath as well.  
10. Place the chicken seam-side up onto a tin foil-lined baking sheet

11. Bake for about 40 minutes

Remove the toothpicks before serving.  

Asian Turkey Meatballs

I really enjoyed this! Once again I opted to make something with an Asian flare. They turned out well! My mom found a rice noodle pack that came with a simple seasoning sauce. I added the scrambled egg to the noodles.

                                             

Asian Turkey Meatballs

Rice noodles with scrambled egg

Ingredients

1 lb. white ground turkey
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh minced ginger
2 cloves of minced garlic
1 egg
1/4 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
2 scallions, chopped
1 Tablespoon low sodium soy sauce2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
2. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl until well combined. (use your hands to mix)

3. Form the meatballs into small balls and place on the baking sheet. (again use your hands)

4. Bake for 14-15 minutes 

Serve hot with the dipping sauce 

Sesame-Soy Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

4 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh scallion
1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds 

Directions

In a small bowl whisk together all the ingredients.

Healthy Recipe Substitutions

Did you know that there are many ways to use healthy substitutes in certain recipes?

Here are a few for baking!

1. Black beans for flour
Swapping out flour for a can of back beans (drained and rinsed, of course) in brownies is a great way to cut out the gluten and fit in an extra dose of protein. When baking, swap out 1 cup flour for 1 cup black bean puree.
2. Whole wheat flour for white flour
In  any baked good, replace white flour with whole wheat flour. This provides more fiber. 
3. Unsweetened applesauce for sugar
Using applesauce in place of sugar can give the necessary sweetness without the extra calories. This swap is  great for cookies.
4. Unsweetened applesauce for oil or butter
The applesauce gives the right consistency and a hint of sweetness without all the fat of oil or butter. This works well in any sweet bread or in muffins.

Chicken Parmesan Mini Meatloaf

My grandma makes a delicious turkey meatloaf. So following in her footsteps, I decided to try making chicken parm mini meatloaves. They look like little meatloaf cupcakes. 

Before baking

After baking

Ingredients

2 packs of ground chicken
1 medium egg
1/2 cups Italian breadcrumbs (I used whole wheat)
2 teaspoons minced garlic 
onion, chopped
1 tablespoons Italian seasoning
salt and pepper
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
marinara sauce
shredded Mozzarella cheese
olive oil cooking spray

Directions

1. Spray muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray
2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese (use your hands to mix it well)
3. Divide chicken mixture into muffin cups filling 2/3 way full
4. Top each muffin with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese
5. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes until cooked through

Orange Chicken

I wanted to make an Asian dish I have never tried before since I don't order Chinese food. This turned out amazing!

Ingredients

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1/2 cup of orange juice
zest of 1 orange
3 tablespoon of oyster sauce
2 tablespoons of honey
2 teaspoons of minced ginger

Directions

1. Cube the chicken into bite-sized pieces
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan until simmering
3. Add half the chicken and cook until browned
4. Take the first half out and set it on a towel while you cook up the second half (the towel will help the chicken not get soggy)
5. While the rest of the chicken is cooking, in a bowl mix the orange juice, orange zest, oyster sauce, honey, and ginger. (for the orange zest, I took a cheese grater and scrapped the orange over it--this allows the skin to scrap off into the sauce aka zest)
5. Remove the second batch of chicken and blot with a towel to remove excess oil
6. Leave any small crunchy bits in the pan, pour the sauce into the pan
7. Mix the sauce so it thickens, then add the chicken bites and toss throughout the sauce and heat it through

Pumpkin-Sage Cream Sauce

This recipe is great for the fall. I'm a fan of anything pumpkin (except pumpkin pie), so I needed to make this!

Ingredients

Minced garlic
1/2 diced onion
2 tbsp of olive oil
1/2 cup of vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups of pumpkin puree
1 1/4 tsp sage
salt and pepper
1 cup of evaporated milk (the original calls for heavy cream--evaporated milk is a healthier alternative)
nutmeg
Pasta of choice (I used whole wheat rigatoni)

Directions

1. In a medium-sized pot, sautee garlic and onion in olive oil
2. While sautee that, boil the pasta water
3. Add vegetable broth, evaporated milk, pumpkin, sage, and nutmeg
4. Stir gently to combine the ingredients
5. Allow to simmer until all of the flavors are combined--about 10-15 minutes (allow the sauce to thicken)
6. Follow the directions on the pasta box to cook the pasta
7. Drain the pasta and place in a bowl, then add the pumpkin sauce to it, sprinkle with a bit more nutmeg

Chicken Empanadas

These came out excellent! Definitely worth a try.

Ingredients

Empanada Discs (I used the Goya ones located in the frozen Spanish foods section)
Ground chicken
Taco seasoning (I used low-sodium taco mix seasoning)
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 chopped onion
Olive oil cooking spray

Directions

1. Spray the skillet with the cooking spray
2. Add ground chicken, chopped onion, and garlic
3. Sautee chicken until brown/cooked then sprinkle taco seasoning over the chicken (make sure all the chicken is covered with the seasoning)
4. Once the meat is fully cooked, lay out the empanada discs
5. Evenly fill each disc with chicken then fold each stuff empanada in half (After I folded them, I pressed the edges using a fork...then I sprayed each empanada top with cooking spray)
5. Bake the empanadas in the oven at 375 degrees (about 15-20mins or until golden brown)
6. Serve with salsa or guacamole

Pad Thai

I love Pad Thai! I figured let me try this at home. While the real thing is the best, this turned out pretty well. My dad thought it was delicious and he's a big fan of Thai food.

Ingredients

1 box of rice noodles (gluten free) or whole wheat angel hair pasta 
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
1/2 cup of sesame oil
6 tbsp of honey
6 tbsp of soy sauce
green onions (scallions), chopped
cilantro, chopped
peanuts (I omitted the peanuts)
2 scrambled eggs (I added the egg because real Pad Thai has eggs)
bean sprouts (I added this because real Pad Thai has bean sprouts)
carrots, chopped

Directions
1. Scramble the eggs/cook them, set aside
2. Chop green onions, cilantro, and carrots
3. While chopping, boil the noodles 
4. Heat both oils in a pan, whisk in honey and soy sauce
5. Add carrots, green onions, cilantro, scrambled eggs, and bean sprouts to pan, saute them lightly
6. Drain the noodles and place in a large boil, then add the oil/veggie/egg mixture to the bowl and toss

Sweet and Sour Chicken

I never order Chinese food because every time I eat it, it makes me quite ill. I blame the oils and terrible MSG in the food. Therefore, any Chinese recipes I find...I make them work for me! This is a delicious and easy one to make.

There are 2 steps to this recipe--start with the chicken then the sauce.

Chicken Breading:


3-5 chicken breast
salt and pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup canola oil

1. Rinse chicken, trim off fat or extras and then cut into 1 inch cubes. 
2. Season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken into cornstarch and coat all the way and then into eggs. 
3. Heat oil in large skillet. Cook chicken until browned. Place in baking dish.

Sauce:
3/4 cups white sugar
4 Tablespoons ketchup

1/2 cup white distilled vinegar

1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt

1. Whisk until smooth. Then pour evenly over chicken. 
2. Turn chicken so the sauce gets on both sides and then put in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. 
3. Turn chicken and then cook for 15 more minutes.

Healthy snack

If you are looking for a really healthy non-dairy snack, try this! It only has three ingredients---chia seeds, coconut milk and blueberries!

Lemon & Dill Chicken

This dish was good but if you are not an onion fan, you may not like it. It is a Greek inspired recipe.

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (you can use as many as you want, I usually cut the chicken breasts in half in order to make them thinner)

Salt & freshly ground pepper 

3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil 
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons flour
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

1 tablespoon lemon juice (I added a lot more lemon juice--I determined the amount by taste)

Directions

1. Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. 

2. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons of the olive oil in a large heavy skillet. Add the chicken and sear until well browned on both sides (do not over cook it because you will be returning the chicken to the pan later). Transfer chicken to a plate and tent with foil.

3. Add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to the pan. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. (try not to burn the onion and garlic)

4. Whisk broth, flour, 1 tablespoon dill and lemon juice in a measuring cup and add to pan. Cook, whisking, until slightly thickened.

5. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan. Let it simmer until the chicken is cooked through.

6. Transfer the chicken to a place and season the sauce with salt and pepper and spoon over the chicken. Garnish with the remaining dill.

 

A simple and oh so delicious recipe!

So for almost a week, people have been telling me how amazing this chicken dish looks and it sure was! I have also been asked for the recipe multiple times...so here it is!

Chicken & Artichoke Casserole

Ingredients

1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup of mayonnaise
Garlic powder (I used quite a bit)
skinless, boneless chicken breasts (I cut them in half)
1 can of artichoke hearts, drained
1 bag of frozen spinach (the original recipe called for a package of crimini mushrooms but I replaced them with spinach)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Mix Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, and garlic powder together in a bowl.
3. Arrange chicken breasts in a baking dish.
4. Top with artichoke hearts and spinach. Spread cheese mixture over the artichoke and spinach layer.
5. Bake in the preheated oven until the chicken no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 30 minutes. 

Enjoy!

Homemade Butternut Squash Soup

Because today was so dam and cold, I decided to make a delicious homemade butternut squash soup for dinner! It came out quite well. 

Ingredients

1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 cups low sodium chicken stock
Nutmeg
Fresh sage
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups of evaporated milk (the original recipe calls for heavy cream...but I like to use evaporated milk because A. it is a healthier substitute to heavy cream and B. it is easier on my lactose intolerant tummy)

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a saucepan on medium heat. Add onions and saute for about 5 minutes.
2. Add a couple fresh sage leaves and remove after 3 minutes.
3. Add chicken stock and butternut squash. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes until the squash is soft. Add mixture to a blender (in batches if needed) and blend until smooth. 
4.  Add a the evaporated milk
5. Mix in a touch of nutmeg, salt, and pepper and you're ready to eat.

I baked some biscuits and buttered those up, before dipping them into my soup.