Slow Cooker Cabbage Rolls
I. Ingredients:
•1 large head cabbage
============================================================
Pecan Pie Cookies
1 prepared single pie crust (homemade or purchased, I used Pillsbury)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
½ cup pecans, chopped
⅓ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup corn syrup
2 eggs
⅛ teaspoon salt
Optional:
¼ cup semi sweet or milk chocolate chip for decorating.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large non-stick pan, combine butter, pecans, brown sugar, corn syrup, salt and eggs. Cook on the stove top over medium-low heat just until thickened. (You don't want it dry, just slightly thickened, about the consistency of pudding). Remove from heat and set aside.
Unroll dough and using a 3" cookie cutter, cut out circles. Gently fold about ⅛-1/4" up on the edges.
Spoon 1 tablespoon of the pecan mixture into each circle.
Place on a parchment lined pan (it's important to line it) and bake 8 minutes or until filling is just set. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.
============================================================
Pecan Pie Cookies
1 prepared single pie crust (homemade or purchased, I used Pillsbury)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
½ cup pecans, chopped
⅓ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup corn syrup
2 eggs
⅛ teaspoon salt
Optional:
¼ cup semi sweet or milk chocolate chip for decorating.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large non-stick pan, combine butter, pecans, brown sugar, corn syrup, salt and eggs. Cook on the stove top over medium-low heat just until thickened. (You don't want it dry, just slightly thickened, about the consistency of pudding). Remove from heat and set aside.
Unroll dough and using a 3" cookie cutter, cut out circles. Gently fold about ⅛-1/4" up on the edges.
Spoon 1 tablespoon of the pecan mixture into each circle.
Place on a parchment lined pan (it's important to line it) and bake 8 minutes or until filling is just set. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.
============================================================
Chocolate Soufflé Recipe
The words are
simply not enough to describe what a chocolate soufflé tastes like. This is a
flourless souffle, incredible light, chocolaty and simply divine. Definitely a
must for chocolate lovers.
============================================================
Chocolate Soufflé Recipe
The words are
simply not enough to describe what a chocolate soufflé tastes like. This is a
flourless souffle, incredible light, chocolaty and simply divine. Definitely a
must for chocolate lovers.
Ingredients
2 tbsp (30ml) milk
1 tbsp (15g) cream
5 tbsp (75g) sugar
2 oz (60g) 55-70% dark chocolate
2 egg yolks
3 egg whites
1/4 tsp (2g) salt
1/4 cup (30g) unsweetened cocoa powder, good
quality
3 tbsp (45ml) water
Powdered sugar for dusting
Butter and granulated sugar for coating the
ramekins
Topping (optional)
7 oz (200ml) whipping cream
1 tbsp (7g) powdered sugar
1. Preheat oven to 375° (190C). Butter the inside of your soufflé molds ( I
used 3 1/2 Inch- 9 cm Ramekins). Dust the molds with granulated sugar, then
pour out the excess.
2. Place milk and cream in a small saucepan and stir over medium heat until it
boils. Remove from heat, add chocolate. Let sit for 1 minute then stir until
well combined and all of the chocolate has melted.
3. Add the cocoa powder and water and whisk until very hot over bain marie
(double boiler).
4. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool for few minutes.
5. Meanwhile whip the egg whites with salt until foamy. Gradually add sugar and
beat until stiff peaks form.
6. Add egg yolks to chocolate mixture and whisk in
to combine.
7. Using a rubber spatula gently mix one-third of
the egg whites into chocolate mixture. Then fold the chocolate mixture into the
remaining whites. Spoon batter into prepared molds.
8. Bake until the soufflé has risen to about 1 1/2
inch above the dish, for about 13-15 minutes.
9. Meanwhile whip the cream with powdered sugar if
used for serving.
10. Remove from the oven and dust the top with
powdered sugar and add a spoon of whipped cream. Serve immediately as the
soufflé will begin to deflate after in 2 minutes.
============================================================
Ingredients
2 tbsp (30ml) milk1 tbsp (15g) cream
5 tbsp (75g) sugar
2 oz (60g) 55-70% dark chocolate
2 egg yolks
3 egg whites
1/4 tsp (2g) salt
1/4 cup (30g) unsweetened cocoa powder, good quality
3 tbsp (45ml) water
Powdered sugar for dusting
Butter and granulated sugar for coating the ramekins
Topping (optional)
7 oz (200ml) whipping cream
1 tbsp (7g) powdered sugar
1. Preheat oven to 375° (190C). Butter the inside of your soufflé molds ( I used 3 1/2 Inch- 9 cm Ramekins). Dust the molds with granulated sugar, then pour out the excess.
2. Place milk and cream in a small saucepan and stir over medium heat until it boils. Remove from heat, add chocolate. Let sit for 1 minute then stir until well combined and all of the chocolate has melted.
3. Add the cocoa powder and water and whisk until very hot over bain marie (double boiler).
4. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool for few minutes.
5. Meanwhile whip the egg whites with salt until foamy. Gradually add sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
6. Add egg yolks to chocolate mixture and whisk in to combine.
7. Using a rubber spatula gently mix one-third of the egg whites into chocolate mixture. Then fold the chocolate mixture into the remaining whites. Spoon batter into prepared molds.
8. Bake until the soufflé has risen to about 1 1/2 inch above the dish, for about 13-15 minutes.
9. Meanwhile whip the cream with powdered sugar if used for serving.
10. Remove from the oven and dust the top with powdered sugar and add a spoon of whipped cream. Serve immediately as the soufflé will begin to deflate after in 2 minutes.
No Sugar Oatmeal Cookies =>>>Recipes
======================================
Fresh Fig Galette ==>> Recipes
======================================
I. Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 celery ribs, finely chopped
- 1/2 large onion, finely chopped $
- 2 pounds lean ground beef $
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, divided
- 1/2 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup ketchup $
- 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Greek seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten $
- 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste $
- 1 tablespoon ketchup $
II. Preparation:
Melt butter in a
medium nonstick skillet over medium heat; add celery and onion, and sauté 7
minutes or just until tender.
Stir together
celery mixture, ground beef, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, breadcrumbs,
and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Shape into a 10- x 5-inch loaf; place
on a lightly greased broiler rack. Place rack in an aluminum foil-lined broiler
pan.
Bake at 350° for 45
minutes. Stir together remaining 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, tomato
sauce, tomato paste, and 1 tablespoon ketchup until blended; pour evenly over meatloaf,
and bake 10 to 15 more minutes or until no longer pink in center. Let stand 10
minutes before serving.
Note: For testing
purposes only, we used Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning and Cavender's
All Purpose Greek Seasoning.
==============================================================
MOCHA CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIE RECIPE
I. Ingredients:
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup non-GMO xylitol
- 4 tbsp raw cacao powder
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract (non-alcohol based)
- 1/2 cup coconut oil or raw butter
- 1/2 tsp himalayan sea salt
- 1 cup buckwheat flour (preferably sprouted)
- 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp aluminum free baking soda
- 2 tbsp of dandy blend
- Optional: 1/2 cup cacao nibs, 1/4 cup hemp seeds, 1/4 cup goji berries, 1/2 tsp mint extract
II. Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375F
- In a food processor, process egg and sweetener until fluffy.
- Add softened butter and vanilla extract and process until completely combined.
- Add dry ingredients and process until combined.
- Add in desired optional ingredients.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and use a tablespoon to drop rounds of dough onto paper, leaving 2 inches between each cookie.
- Bake for 8 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
- Remove from oven and with spatula remove from cookie sheet and place on cooling rack or piece of foil.
- Cookies will harden as they cool.
- Consumption
- Try not to eat them for breakfast, and eat them on their own as a snack.
==============================================================
Nannies Buttermilk Pie Recipe
I. Ingredients:
- 1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 C.) room temp.
- 1 9" pie shell, unbaked
- 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
- 3 T. all purpose flour
- 1 C. buttermilk
- 1 3/4 C. sugar
- 3 large eggs
- pinch of salt
II. Directions:
Cream together the
sugar and butter till well blended. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, until the
mixture is nice and smooth. Add in the vanilla, salt and flour. Beat in the
buttermilk until well combined. Place the pie shell on a baking sheet lined
with foil (catches any overflow). Fill the pie shell with the buttermilk
mixture, just to the top of the shell. Pour any remaining into an ungreased
custard cup. Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour 10 minutes. Remove from the oven
and let set until almost cooled before serving. Store covered in the fridge.
No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie Bars
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp cocoa or cacao powder
- just over 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 1/2 cups loosely packed pitted dates
- 1 cup raw almonds or walnuts
- 1/2 cup raw nuts of choice
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tsp water
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips, optional
- 1/4 cup nut butter of choice (or pb2) OR allergy-friendly alternative
- 2 tsp pure maple syrup or honey OR stevia to taste
- 2 tbsp milk of choice (plus extra if using stevia)
*Notes: If you have
a small or medium food processor, it may be a good idea to process in two
batches so as not to overwork your machine. Using a blender might yield an
overly sticky result, so try that at your own risk. Recipe: In a high-quality
food processor, combine all but the final three ingredients (but including the
chocolate chips, if using) until sticky crumbles form. If it’s still too
crumbly to stick together, process longer. Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment
paper, then transfer the crumbles to the pan and use a second sheet of
parchment to press down evenly into the pan. In a small dish, stir together the
final three ingredients to make a frosting – it will look liquidy at first, but
just keep stirring. Spread the frosting over top, then set in the fridge until
ready to cut and serve. You can also drizzle melted chocolate on top if
desired. I let mine sit in the fridge for a few hours, then I was easily able
to slice and place the brownies in a sealed container to bring to a party.
Store leftovers unrefrigerated for a few days, or refrigerated a few weeks, or
frozen for up to 2 months.
==============================================================
Chocolate Chip Cookies with No Brown Sugar Recipe
I. Ingredients:
- 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 Tbsp. cream
- 1 cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips (compare prices)
II. Directions:
Preheat oven to 350
degrees F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpat mats (compare
prices).
In a medium bowl,
whisk flour, baking powder and salt together. Set aside.
In a large bowl,
beat the softened butter with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the powdered
sugar and beat well. Beat in the lemon zest, vanilla and egg yolk. Add the
cream, and mix well.
Gradually add the
flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating until incorporated, but do not
overmix. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Drop the chocolate
chip cookie dough by rounded tablespoonsful onto the prepared cookie sheets,
leaving 1 inch between chocolate chip cookies. Bake 17-19 minutes until cookies
are just starting to turn brown. Do not overbake. Let the chocolate chip
cookies cool on wire racks 5 minutes.
==============================================================
Red Velvet Cheese Cake
I. Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups
chocolate graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup butter,
melted
1 tablespoon
granulated sugar
3 (8-ounce)
packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups
granulated sugar
4 large eggs,
lightly beaten
3 tablespoons
unsweetened cocoa
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whole
buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla
extract
1 teaspoon
distilled white vinegar
2 (1-ounce) bottles
red food coloring
1 (3-ounce) package
cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter,
softened
2 cups powdered
sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
extract
II. Preparation:
Stir together
graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar; press
mixture into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
Beat 3 (8-ounce)
packages cream cheese and 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar at medium-low speed with
an electric mixer 1 minute. Add eggs and next 6 ingredients, mixing on low
speed just until fully combined. Pour batter into prepared crust.
Bake at 325° for 10
minutes; reduce heat to 300°, and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until
center is firm. Run knife along outer edge of cheesecake. Turn oven off. Let
cheesecake stand in oven 30 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven; cool in pan
on a wire rack 30 minutes. Cover and chill 8 hours.
Beat 1 (3-ounce)
package cream cheese and 1/4 cup butter at medium speed with an electric mixer
until smooth; gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until smooth. Spread
evenly over top of cheesecake. Remove sides of springform pan. Garnish, if
desired.
==============================================================
I. Ingredients:
6 medium sweet
potatoes (6 oz each), washed & pat dried
3/4 tsp salt + more
for baking potatoes
2 slices of organic
and nitrate-free bacon, diced (optional & skip for vegetarian version)
2 jalapeños, seeds
removed & diced
3 large garlic
cloves, crushed
3/4 cup any cheese,
shredded (I used white cheddar)
1/3 cup plain Greek
yogurt, non-fat
1/2 cup green
onions, chopped
Cooking spray (I
use Misto)
Salsa and Greek
yogurt, for garnish (optional)
II. Directions:
Preheat oven to 375
degrees F. Sprinkle each sweet potato with some salt and wrap tightly in foil.
Place in a baking dish sprayed with cooking spray and bake for 1 hour. For a
crispy skin potato bake without the foil for about 20 minutes longer. I can't wait
that long.:)
In the meanwhile,
cook bacon in a small skillet on low - medium heat until crispy. Set aside. Get
other ingredients ready.
Remove potatoes
from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes or until safe to handle. Unwrap
the foil, leave potatoes in foil inside the baking dish, cutting off extra
foil. Cut each potato on top lengthwise almost to the bottom but not.:) Pull a
little bit apart to create an opening and mash (fluff) the flesh with a fork.
Preheat oven to 425
degrees F. To each potato, add 1/8 tsp salt, 2 - 3 tsp jalapeños (for kid
friendly I recommend 1 tsp), 1/6 of garlic, 1 tbsp cheese, 1 tbsp Greek yogurt,
1 tbsp green onions and a bit of bacon. Carefully mix everything with a fork
and top with 1 tbsp of cheese. Bake for 15 minutes and then broil on High until
cheese is golden brown. Top with more bacon and green onions. Serve hot.
==============================================================
RED VELVET CHEESECAKE CAKE
I. INGREDIENTS:
CHEESECAKE:
Two (8-ounce)
packages cream cheese, at room temperature
2/3 cup granulated
white sugar
pinch of salt
2 large eggs
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup heavy
whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
extract
RED VELVET CAKE:
2 1/2 cups all
purpose flour
1 1/2 cups
granulated white sugar
3 tablespoons
unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
1 1/2 teaspoons
baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, at
room temperature
1 1/2 cups
vegetable or canola oil
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup (two
1-ounce bottles) red food coloring
2 teaspoons vanilla
extract
2 teaspoons white
vinegar
CREAM CHEESE
FROSTING:
2 1/2 cups powdered
sugar, sifted lightly to remove any lumps
Two (8-ounce)
packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted
butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon
vanilla extract
II. DIRECTIONS:
1. Prepare the
cheesecake layer: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place a large roasting pan on
the lower third rack of the oven. Place a kettle of water on the stove to boil.
Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick spray and line the bottom with a
round of parchment paper. Wrap a double layer of foil around the bottom and up
the sides of the pan (you want to seal it so the water from the water bath
doesn't seep into the pan). In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to mix the
cream cheese- blend until it is nice and smooth and creamy. Mix in sugar and
salt and blend for 2 minutes, scraping down sides of the bowl as needed. Add
eggs, one at a time, blending after each addition. Finally, mix in sour cream,
whipping cream and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared
pan. Set the pan into the roasting pan in the pre-heated oven. Carefully pour
the hot water from your kettle into the roasting pan (it will fill the pan
surrounding the cheesecake). Pour enough water so that there is about an inch
of water coming up the foil along the sides of the cheesecake pan. Bake the
cheesecake for 45 minutes. It should be set to the touch and not jiggly. Remove
the cheesecake from the roasting pan and let it cool on a wire rack for at
least an hour. When it has cooled, place the pan into the freezer and let the
cheesecake freeze completely. This can be done in several hours- or overnight.
2. Prepare the cake
layers: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round metal
baking pans (or spray with nonstick baking spray with flour). In a large bowl,
whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Add eggs, oil,
buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla and vinegar to the flour mixture. Using an
electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat for 1 minute, until blended. Scrape
sides and bottom of bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat on high speed for 2
minutes. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pans, dividing equally.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out
with a few moist crumbs attached. Let cool in pans on a wire rack for 10
minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pans, then invert cakes onto a rack
to cool completely.
3. Prepare the
frosting: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat
powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter and vanilla until it is smooth and creamy
(do not overbeat).
4. Assemble the
cake: Place one cake layer into the center of a cake plate or platter. Remove
the cheesecake from the freezer, take off the sides of the pan, and slide a
knife under the parchment to remove the cheesecake from the pan. Peel off the
parchment. Measure your cheesecake layer against the cake layers. If the
cheesecake layer turns out to be a slightly larger round than your cake, move
it to a cutting board and gently shave off some of the exterior of the
cheesecake to get it to the same size as your cake layers. Place the cheesecake
layer on top of the first cake layer. Place the 2nd cake layer on top of the
cheesecake.
5. Frost the cake:
Apply a crumb coat layer to the cake- use a long, thin spatula to cover the
cake completely with a thin and even layer of frosting. Be sure to wipe off
your spatula each time you are about to dip it back into the bowl to get more
frosting (this way you won't be transferring any red crumbs into the bowl of
frosting). Don't worry at this point about the crumbs being visible in the
frosting on the cake. When your cake has a thin layer of frosting all over it,
place it into the refrigerator for 30 minutes to "set" the frosting.
Once the first layer of frosting is set, apply the 2nd layer. Start by adding a
large scoop of frosting onto the top of the cake. Use a long, thin spatula to
spread the frosting evenly across the top and then spread it down the sides of
the cake too. Because you applied a crumb-coat layer, you shouldn't have any
red crumbs floating around in the final frosting layer. Decorate, as desired. I
recommend white chocolate shavings (see *Tips below). Keep this cake
refrigerated.
TIPS:
*For making white
chocolate shavings: Purchase a hunk of white chocolate. Microwave the chocolate
to soften it up slightly (15 to 30 seconds, depending on the size). Use a
potato peeler to run down the side of the chocolate to create
shards/shaves/curls of white chocolate. I like to shave it onto a paper plater
and then just use the plate to slide the chocolate onto the top of the cake.
*If you are serving
this cake at a party, it's perfectly okay to leave the cake at room temperature
for an hour or so while serving. Otherwise, keep it in the refrigerator. It
also freezes perfectly! I made my cake one day and then just placed it as-is in
the freezer and pulled it out the next day. It thaws quickly.
==============================================================
Old Fashioned Pancakes
I. INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups
all-purpose flour
3 1/2 teaspoons
baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white
sugar
3 tablespoons
butter, melted
1 egg
1 1/4 cups milk
cooking spray
II. Directions
1.Sift together
flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl.
2.Whisk in melted
butter, egg, and milk until combined. Let batter rest for 5 minutes.
3.Preheat a large
skillet over medium-high heat. Spray with cooking spray. Pour batter into the
hot skillet, about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes,
until bubbles appear on the sides and center of each pancake. Flip and cook
until golden, about 1 to 2 minutes
==============================================================
Skinny Poolside Dip
1 red pepper,
1/2 can diced
olives,
2 jalapenos (unseeded),
16 oz fat-free
cream cottage cheese (softened),
1 bundle Hidden
Valley Ranch dip flavoring blend.
Combine fixings. Serve this dish with crackers or raw veggies.
==============================================================
Chocolate and Berries Yogurt Dessert Recipe
I. INGREDIENTS:
1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® double
chocolate chip cookie mix
1/4 cup vegetable
oil
2 tablespoons water
1 egg
1/2 cups fresh raspberries
4 containers (4 oz
each) Yoplait® Whips!® raspberry mist yogurt
1 cup whipping
cream, whipped
2 tablespoons hot
fudge topping
1 cup fresh
blueberries
II.DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, stir
cookie mix, oil, water and egg until soft dough forms.
2. On greased cookie sheet, drop dough by
tablespoonfuls to make 6 cookies. Bake 8 to 11 minutes or until set. Cool 2
minutes, remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.
3. Meanwhile, press remaining dough in bottom
and 1 inch up sides of springform pan. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool
completely, about 30 minutes.
4. In medium bowl, fold 1/2 cup raspberries
into yogurt; spread evenly over crust. Crumble cookies; sprinkle over yogurt
mixture. Carefully spread whipped cream evenly over cookie crumbs. Freeze 4 to
5 hours or until firm. Remove sides of pan.
5. Drizzle 1 tablespoon fudge topping over
dessert. Top with blueberries and remaining raspberries. Drizzle with remaining
fudge topping. Store in freezer.
==============================================================
Tasty & Nutritious Healthy Carrot Cake
I. Ingredients:
For the Cashew
Cream Frosting:
2 cups cashews
(preferably soaked for a few hours then drained. This is not entirely necessary
but if the cashews aren’t soaked you’ll need to add more water).
⅓ cup maple syrup
2 tablespoon lemon
juice
1 tablespoon
coconut oil
Water (as required)
For the Carrot Cake:
2 large carrots,
peeled and diced
1 cup almond meal
1 cup hazelnut meal
1 cup dates
½ cup dried
apricots
½ teaspoon cinnamon
(or to taste)
¼ cup shredded
coconut
¼ cup dried
pineapple
¼ cup sultanas or
raisins
½ teaspoon orange
zest
To decorate:
Dried fruits and
nuts of your choice. Or shredded/flaked coconut.
II. Instructions:
To make the Cashew
Cream Frosting:
Step 1 – Place
cashews into your high power blender (or food processor).
Step 2 – Blend on
high speed until a paste-like cashew cream begins to form. You’ll need to
scrape the sides of the blender a few times to get the mixture to form.
Step 3 – Add the maple
syrup, lemon juice and coconut oil. Blend until the cashews become creamier.
Add water gradually and as little as possible. You want the cream frosting to
loosen and become smooth and silky but you don't wan to dilute the flavors with
water. How much water you need will vary (and will also depend on whether you
pre-soaked your cashews).
To make the Carrot
Cake:
Step 1 – Place the
diced carrots, almond meal, hazelnut meal, dates, dried apricots, and cinnamon
into your food processor. Blitz until very well combine and forms a soft paste.
Step 2 – Add
coconut, dried pineapple, sultanas/raisins, and orange zest to the mixture in
the food processor. Blitz very briefly until just combined. You want these
ingredients to be less processed so that there’s some texture variance in the
finished cake (ie, you want some different sized “bits” in your cake).
To Assemble:
Use either two mini
spring-form pans or a small spring-form pan.
Step 1 - Press a
layer of carrot cake mixture into the base of your pan. It should approx 2.5cm
(1 inch) thick.
Step 2 - Add a
layer of cashew cream frosting.
Step 3 Optional:
Sprinkle dried fruits and nuts on the cashew cream frosting layer. I used a
tropical fruit mix I had in the cupboard for the cakes in the photo. It added a
lovely color, texture and even more flavor. Shredded or flaked coconut would
also work well.
Step 4 - Add
another layer of carrot cake mixture onto of the cashew cream frosting (same
thickness as your base layer). Smooth top of cake so it’s even.
Step 5 – For best results
refrigerate for a few hours (or overnight). Place plastic wrap or a plate over
the top of the cake to prevent it drying out in the fridge. If you’re not
refrigerating, move straight onto Step 6.
Step 6 – Remove the
cakes carefully from spring-form pans. The cakes will still be malleable so
handle them gently.
Step 7 – Top cakes
with cashew cream frosting and decorate as you like.
Step 8 – Slice with
a sharp knife that’s been heated under hot running water. This makes cutting
the cake easier. Enjoy!
==============================================================
Biscoff Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
1 1/4 cups
all-purpose Gold Medal flour
1/2 teaspoon baking
soda
1 1/2 teaspoons
ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground
nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground
ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground
allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons
unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated
sugar
1/2 cup light brown
sugar
1/2 cup pumpkin
puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/3 cup Biscoff
Spread
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
extract
1 1/2 cups old
fashioned oats
==============================================================
Pizza Grilled Cheese
I. Ingredients:
8 slices of bread
1/2 cup pizza sauce
(easy Pizza Sauce recipe)
8 slices of cheese
32 pepperoni
(optional)
diced onion (optional)
diced bell pepper
(optional)
sliced mushrooms
(optional)
Add this recipe to
ZipList!
II. Directions:
Brush frying pan
with olive oil.
Spoon pizza sauce
onto 2 slices of bread.
Place cheese on top
of one of the pieces of bread.
Top the cheese with
pepperonis and veggies of choice. Add more pepperoni on top of the veggies if
you wish.
Place another slice
of cheese on top of the veggies and pepperoni.
Top with the other
piece of bread and place on the skillet. (Repeat until you have assembled all
of your sandwiches).
Fry over a medium
heat until the bread is brown and the cheese starts to melt. Flip and cook on
the remaining side until the bread is brown.
Serve while still
warm.
I served the Pizza
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with salad.
==============================================================
BACON FRIED RICE
I. INGREDIENTS:
1 cup long grain
white rice
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 slices thick cut
bacon, diced
1/2 sweet onion,
diced
1 cup canned peas
and carrots
2 eggs
1 tablespoon soy
sauce, divided
1 teaspoon sriracha
or other favorite hot sauce
2 green onions,
chopped
II. DIRECTIONS:
Place the rice and
water in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and
continue cooking for 15 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated and the rice
is mostly tender. Remove from the heat and let sit for 5 minutes.
Place the rice in a
large shallow dish such as a pie plate, and put in the refrigerator to cool for
1 hour.
When the rice is
cool, begin cooking the diced bacon over medium heat in a large, deep skillet.
Cook bacon until cooked through, but still chewy and not too crisp. Remove with
a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate.
Drain the grease
from the pan into a coffee cup, leaving 1 tablespoon of grease behind.
Add the onions to
the pan and cook over medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the carrots and
peas to the pan and continue cooking for 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set
aside.
Add another
tablespoon of bacon grease to the pan and heat until sizzling over high heat.
Add the cold rice
to the bacon grease and stir to coat. Continue cooking, stirring often, for 5
minutes.
Push the rice to
the side of the pan to make room for the eggs. Beat the eggs together in a
small bowl with 1 teaspoon of soy sauce. Pour into the pan and stir to
scramble.
When the eggs are
cooked through, stir into the rice. Return the vegetables and bacon to the pan.
Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of soy sauce and sriracha to the rice and stir to
coat while cooking over high heat. Sprinkle the green onion over the top and
remove from the heat.
Taste and add more
soy sauce or hot sauce as desired. Serve immediately.
==============================================================
Black Bean Brownies
I. INGREDIENTS:
2 tbsp cocoa powder
(10g)
1/2 cup quick oats
(40g) (See nutrition link below for substitutions)
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup pure maple
syrup or agave (or honey, but not for strict vegans.) (75g)
pinch uncut stevia
OR 2 tbsp sugar (or omit and increase maple syrup to 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup coconut or
vegetable oil (40g) (See nutrition link for substitution notes)
2 tsp pure vanilla
extract
1/2 tsp baking
powder
1/2 cup to 2/3 cup
chocolate chips (115-140g) (Not optional. Omit at your own risk.)
optional: more
chips, for presentation
Total Time: 15m
Yield: 9-12
brownies
II. DIRECTIONS:
Black Bean Brownies
Recipe: Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine all ingredients except chips in a good
food processor, and blend until completely smooth. Really blend well. (A
blender can work if you absolutely must, but the texture—and even the
taste—will be much better in a food processor.) Stir in the chips, then pour
into a greased 8×8 pan. Optional: sprinkle extra chocolate chips over the top.
Cook the black bean brownies 15-18 minutes, then let cool at least 10 minutes
before trying to cut. If they still look a bit undercooked, you can place them
in the fridge overnight and they will magically firm up! Makes 9-12 brownies.
The trick with these: serve them first, and then reveal the secret ingredient.
In all the times I’ve served bean desserts, not one single person who didn’t
know beforehand has ever guessed!
==============================================================
Slow Cooker Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs
1 medium onion,
finely chopped, divided
1 slice whole grain
bread, lightly toasted and ground
1 large egg
1 teaspoon Kosher
or sea salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black
pepper
1 (3.5-ounce) ball
of mozzarella, roughly chopped
Whole-wheat flour
to coat the meatballs
Extra-virgin olive
oil for browning
1/2 cup chicken
broth
1 (14-ounce) can
diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried
oregano
4 fresh sage
leaves, roughly chopped
==============================================================
1 small white
onion, peeled and diced
1.5 pounds boneless
skinless chicken breasts, diced into small 1/2-inch pieces (*or see substitution
using pre-cooked shredded chicken)
salt and pepper
1 (4 ounce) can
diced green chiles
1 (15.5 ounce) can
black beans or lentils, rinsed and drained
8-10 flour
tortillas
3 cups
Mexican-blend shredded cheese
1 batch red
enchilada sauce, or 1 can store-bought enchilada sauce
(optional: 1/4 cup
chopped fresh cilantro)
==============================================================
No Bake Diabetic Cheese Cake Pinapple
1/3 cup butter,
melted
8 ounces cream
cheese
1 tablespoon
artificial sweetener (liquid form)
2 tablespoons
vanilla extract
2 tablespoons lemon
juice
1 liter whipped
Nutriwhip
1 (19 ounce) can
crushed pineapple (well drained)
Directions:
1 Combine graham
cracker crumbs and butter. Press into a 9in pie pan.
2 Cream together
remaining ingredients except pineapple.
3 Fold in
pineapple. Pour into crust. Chill for 3 hours or more.
==============================================================
Broccoli and Cauliflower Fritters
1 head Cauliflower,
cut into small florets
1 egg, lightly
beaten
1 small Onion,
diced
1/2 cup Self-rising
flour
1/2 teaspoon Cumin
1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric
1/2 teaspoon
Paprika
1 teaspoon Cayenne
Pepper
Salt and pepper to
taste
1/3 cup mixed
cheese (I’ve used Mozarella and Parmesan)
1/4 cup of milk
Vegetable oil
==============================================================
- 1/4 cup(s)
Hershey's Cocoa
- 3 cup(s) quick
cooking rolled oats
- 1 Tbsp creamy
peanut butter
- 1 Tbsp vanilla
extract
- 1/4 cup(s)
regular butter
- 1/2 cup(s) fat
free milk
==============================================================
Cauliflower Fritters.
1/2 C. milk
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. ground
mustard
3/4 C. all purpose
flour
1 C. finely
shredded cheddar cheese
1 T. real bacon
bits
12 oz. bag frozen
cauliflower, thawed and chopped
In a bowl, whisk
together the egg, milk and seasonings. Whisk in the flour, stir in the cheese,
cauliflower and bacon bits. Mix together well and place in the fridge for 20
minutes. Heat about 1/4" of vegetable oil in a skillet over med. high
heat. Take the mixture from the fridge and when the oil is heated to 325
degrees, drop by spoonful's into the oil and flatten out a little. Fry, about
4-5 at a time, for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove to a paper
towel lined plate. I served mine with a dipping sauce made with 2 T. mayo and 1
T. chili sauce. The kids liked to dip them in ranch dressing
==============================================================
Fudgy Chocolate Cherry Bites
I. Ingredients:
• 1 ¼ Cups Sifted powdered sugar
• 1/3 Cup
Unsweetened Cocoa
• ½ Tsp Espresso
powder (or any coffee powder)
• 1/8 Tsp. Salt
• 2 Large Egg
whites
• 1 ½ Tsp. Vanilla
extract
• ½ Cup Dried
cherries, coarsely chopped
• ½ Cup Pecans or
walnuts, coarsely chopped. Cooking spray
II. Procedure Steps:
1. Pre-heat oven to
300° F.
2. Combine the
sifted powdered sugar, cocoa, coffee powder, salt, egg whites and the vanilla
extract in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at low speed until combined. Then
beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Then stir in the cherries and nuts.
3. Spoon 1 level
tablespoon of the batter into miniature muffin tins that have been coated with
cooking spray. Bake at 300° F. for 16 minutes, or until puffed and crisp on the
top. Let stand on a wire rack for 5 minutes before removing from pan. Then cool
on a wire rack.
Notes: Store in an
airtight container up to 2 days.
==============================================================
I.Ingredients:
• 2 ounces of
unsweetened chocolate baking squares, chopped
• 1 cup of all
purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon of
baking soda
• ½ teaspoon of
salt
• ¼ teaspoon of
cayenne pepper (or more if you like it spicy)
• ½ cup of sliced
almonds (optional, cookies are good with and without them)
• 1 cup of packed
dark brown sugar
• ⅓ cup of
granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon of
vanilla extract
• cooking spray
II. Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to
350 and spray two large cookie sheets with cooking spray.
2. Put the
chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 15 seconds. Stir and then
repeat until chocolate is half melted. Be sure to stir chocolate in-between
cooking time.
3. Remove the bowl
from the microwave and continue stirring until chocolate is completely melted.
Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
4. In a medium
bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and cayenne pepper and then
set to the side.
5. If you are using
almonds, put them in a small skillet and lightly brown over medium-low heat
(about 4 minutes). Then set aside.
6. In a large bowl,
use an electric mixer to combine both sugars and the eggs. Mixture will be
thick.
7. Then mix in
melted chocolate and vanilla until smooth.
8. Using a spoon,
stir in the flour mixture until the flour is moistened. Then stir in the
almonds.
9. Drop dough
(about a teaspoon full) onto the cookie sheets, spacing them about 2 inches
apart.
10. Bake for about
15 minutes until cookies are firm and slightly puffed.
11. Cool before
serving.
Notes
1 cookie = 2
points. You can also use a cookie press (like we did) to make the cookies a
little more decorative. I was out of almonds this time, so I did not put them
in. They are optional.
==============================================================
Weight Watchers Caramel Cookies
Ingredients:
• ½ cups of
unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup of dark
brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon of
vanilla extract
• 1 cup of all
purpose flour
• ¾ cup of whole
wheat flour
• ¼ teaspoon of
salt
• ½ teaspoon of
baking soda
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven
to 400.
2. Use an electric
mixer to cream the butter, sugar, egg and vanilla extract in a large bowl.
3. Add in the rest
of the ingredients and beat until completely mixed.
4. Lay out a large
piece of plastic wrap. Scrape all of the dough out of the bowl onto the plastic
wrap and then roll it into a log. Make it about 2½ inches wide.
5. Wrap the dough
completely with the plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until it is
firm. At least 20 minutes or you can leave it in there overnight.
6. Once the dough
is firm, slice it into cookies (about ⅛ of an inch thick) and place them on
ungreased cookie sheets about 1 inch apart.
7. Bake for 8 to 10
minutes or until they are lightly browned around the edges.
8. Allow cookies to
cool completely.
Notes
1 cookie = 1 point.
You can also add a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg to the batter to give them a
little extra spice (optional).
==============================================================
Weight Watchers Banana Bread Recipe
I. Ingredients:
• 5 large, very
ripe bananas
• 1 cup of whole
whole wheat flour
• 1 cup of all
purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons of
baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of
baking soda
• ½ teaspoon of sea
salt
• 5 teaspoons of
unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ½ cup of light
brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg
• ¼ cup of fat
free, skim milk
• ½ cup of chopped
walnuts (optional)
• cooking spray
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven
to 350 and coat a large loaf pan with the cooking spray.
2. Take 2 of the
bananas, peel and cut them into small chunks and set it to the side.
3. Peel and mash
the other 3 bananas, and set those to the side.
4. In a large
mixing bowl, sift together both of the flours, baking soda, salt and baking
powder and set to the side.
5. In another large
bowl, with an electric mixer, combine the sugar and butter until it is light
and fluffy. Then add the egg and mix well.
6. Alternating
ingredients, add the flour mixture, mashed bananas and milk to the butter
mixture and mix well. Do not over beat.
7. Fold in walnuts
and banana chunks.
8. Pour batter into
loaf pan and bake for one hour, or until a tester inserted in the middle comes
out clean.
9. Cool for 15
minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
10. Cut into 18
slices. 1 slice = 1 serving
==============================================================
I.Ingredients:
1/2 cup granulated
sugar
8 ounces of candied
red cherries*
1 cup salted
butter, room temperature**
2/3 cup granulated
sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond
extract***
2 cups all-purpose
flour
II. Preparation:
- Preheat oven to
350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with silicone baking mats or aluminum foil to
prevent cookies from sticking.
- Pour 1/2 cup
granulated sugar into a small bowl; set aside.
- Cut candied
cherries in half so you have enough for 3 dozen cookies; set aside.
- In a large bowl,
mix butter until creamy. Either use your electric mixer or beat by hand.
Gradually add 2/3 cup sugar; beating until light and fluffy.
- Stir in almond
extract. Gradually add flour to mixture, beating well after each addition.
- Roll dough into
1-inch balls. Next roll the balls into sugar. Place 1-inch apart on baking
sheet. Use your thumb to make indentation into center of each cookie ball.
Edges may slightly crack, you can leave as is or push the edges back together.
Press the candied cherry half into the indentation.
Bake cookies for 10 to 12 minutes or until
edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool on the baking sheet
before moving cookies to wire rack to completely cool. Cookies may crumble if
you move while still hot.
==============================================================