Blueberry Lemon Muffins: Practical Paleo

I haven't been able to blog about my cooking adventures in a really long time, but I finally made something so delicious and paired with enough time to rave about it that I had to take this chance while I had it!  Among needing to eat gluten-free because I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease (not Celiacs/Celiac’s) in Aug of 2010, the sous chef and I have also decided towards the beginning of this summer to embark on a Whole30 journey. 

Now, side note, if you decide that Whole30 is something you want to try, I highly encourage and, let’s face it, push you to read It Starts With Food.  No excuse; you should be able to read the tangible version or read on your mobile device (whatever that may be).

Anyway, as the two of us come off of this (second) Whole30, it’s part of the journey to begin adding certain foods back in to your diet to see how those foods affect you.  Because I strongly feel that I have certain specific foods that ail me beyond gluten, I’m taking this super slow and adding in one food item a day rather than a group of foods (i.e. grains).  Nevertheless, on the day that I made these delicious muffins, I was adding maple syrup back into my diet (I told you! Specific!).  Personally, I don’t think it matters if you are on a diet of any kind or not!!!  These muffins are amazing!!!  It certainly helps matters that they are gluten-free, grain-free, and paleo-friendly!

This recipe was made exactly as the recipe specifies from Practical Paleo.  Shameless Thank You to our friends Kevin and Melissa for getting this book for us!!!

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup butter or coconut oil, melted (Krista Kooks used butter.)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup grade B maple syrup (I used 100% pure maple syrup)
• 1 lemon, juice and zest
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup fresh blueberries (Krista Kooks used frozen, and thawed them slightly under cold running water before adding them to the batter.)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk together the eggs, butter or coconut oil (remember, this should be melted), pure vanilla extract, maple syrup, and lemon juice, and lemon zest together in a large mixing bowl.  It works well to use a stand mixer fitted with your whisk attachment.  Sift in the coconut flour, sea salt, and baking soda and stir until well combined. Gently fold in the blueberries.

In a muffin tin, scoop 1/4 cup of the batter into each lined muffin cup (natural parchment muffin papers work best for lining), and bake for approximately 35-40 minutes. Krista Kooks used a silicone muffin pan which was lightly greased.

Chipotle-Cornmeal Crusted Fish {Gluten Free}

I’ll just go ahead and prepare you know; for several posts in a row, I have more Pink Parsley repeats to show you.  I’m not sorry either.  I love what she posts, and almost everything she makes becomes a bookmark in my browser.  I love the recipes she makes!  So, thank you, Josie, for sharing!
I love this recipe, foremost, because the recipe is gluten free as is; always a plus in my kitchen.  The sous chef was impressed because of the amount of flavor you get in one bite.  The crust of the kitchen paired with the burst of flavor from the homemade salsa is delicious.  This is an easy weeknight meal, for sure.  This household highly suggests!

Ingredients
Fish
4 firm fish fillets (5-6 ounces each)
2 canned chipotles in adobo sauce, minced
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
juice of 1/2 lime
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cornmeal, or cornbread crumbs
Peach Salsa
2 ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and chopped
1 ripe tomato, cored, seeded, and chopped
1/2 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and minced (about 1 Tbsp)
juice of 1/2 lime
pinch salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions
For the salsa, mix together all the ingredients, and set aside for at least 10 minutes. Taste and season accordingly.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil a large baking sheet with oil. Pat the fillets dry with a paper towel, and season with salt and pepper.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the chipotles, oil, lime juice, cilantro, garlic, thyme, and salt. Pulse a few times to combine.
Pour the sauce into a shallow bowl or dish, and spread the cornmeal in a separate dish. Dip each fish fillet first into the chipotle sauce, then dredge in the cornmeal. Turn the fish several times to coat, and pat the fillets to adhere the crumbs. Arrange the fish in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with a small amount of oil.
Bake uncovered until the fillets are golden and the fish flakes easily with a fork. It could be as little as 10 minutes, or up to 25 depending on the type and thickness of the fish. For the last 2 minutes, turn on the broiler to achieve a crispy crust.
Serve with peach salsa and lime wedges.

Gluten Free Pork Carnitas in a Slow Cooker/Crock Pot

I’ve never…other than bacon…made pork.  EVER!  No pork chops, tenderloins or anything.  It’s never been appetizing to me or something I wanted to try.  That said, recently, friends of ours (and one of the sous chef’s co-workers) invited us over for dinner.  While they were kind enough to prepare food for my gluten-free diet, they prepared pork as the main dish.  I sat down frightened, as I don’t ever eat it, but thought to myself, “Well, what can it hurt?!  They certainly prepared it well!”  After one bite, I was impressed.

Thus, it intrigued me to see what I could do.  After ordering two cookbooks that tailor to the gluten-free diet, I decide to try this pork carnitas recipe from Carol Fenster’s 100 Best Gluten-Free Recipes.  Wait a second.  I take that back.  I was having a hectic day planning for the sous chef’s family coming in town, so I must give credit to the sous chef.  He is actually the one that threw everything in the slow cooker!  He deserves the credit

The family thought it was great, as did I, and we served it with Roasted Broccoli.  Whether you eat gluten free or not, I think you should try this!

Ingredients

1 (1 lb) pork tenderloin or pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat

1/2 cup gluten-free, low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup gluten free salsa

1 tablespoon of tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Cut the pork tenderloin into 1/2 inch chunks and add to the slow cooker that has been coated with cooking spray.

Combine the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl, pour over the pork and cover.  Cook 6 hours in a slow cooker on low heat.

Serve the pork as a main dish, spooning the sauce over it.  Or shred the pork and serve it as a filling for tacos, using the remaining  liquid as a sauce.

As you can see from the recipe, there’s nothing that makes this blaringly gluten free other than making sure you get gluten free chicken broth (not hard) and gluten free salsa (definitely not hard in Texas). Thus, if you are someone who does not need to eat gluten free, don’t hesitate to use the chicken broth and salsa YOU prefer.  Enjoy!

Gluten-Free Southern Red Velvet Cake

Again, I leave the Krista Kooks readers hanging.  So sorry!  Life is crazy busy these days.  I’ve so missed being able to blog about the culinary delights that are created in this household

While I would love to be able to eat the fabulous Red Velvet Cake I’ve previously blogged about, a recent diagnosis of Celiac Disease has led me to search for new recipes, including my favorite cake - Red Velvet!
I loved tasting and consuming this cake as it made me realize that I won’t be missing out on ANYTHING with this diagnosis.  Don’t let the types of flour scare you; this is no different than tossing all-purpose flour in with other ingredients.

Cake Ingredients:

1 3/4 c. canola oil
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs, beaten (room temp)
1 c. brown rice flour
3/4 c. sorghum flour
3/4 c. tapioca starch
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. xanthan gum
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. buttermilk (or 1 Tbsp cider vinegar and 1 c. milk substitute)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 oz. red food coloring (this is one of the McCormick’s bottles)
1 Tbsp. cocoa

Frosting Ingredients:
1 box confectioner’s sugar
8 oz. cream cheese (can sub vegan cream cheese)
1 stick butter (room temp)
1 c. chopped nuts (optional)
1 tsp vanilla Cake Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Use a mixer to cream oil and sugar. With the mixer still going, add one egg at a time and beat until the eggs are thoroughly incorporated. (This step creates an emulsion that holds the batter together)

Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Make sure they are well mixed, either by sifting the flours or whisking them.

Add the flour to the oil and sugar mixture in four parts. Alternate the flour with the buttermilk. You should begin and end with dry ingredients and each part should be mixed in completely before you add the next. (If you were to start with the liquids the emulsion would break.)

Make a paste of the cocoa, red food coloring, and vanilla and gently stir it into the batter.
Pour the batter into two greased and floured round cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 25 minutes. (A toothpick stuck into the middle of the cake should come out clean when the cake is done)

When the cakes have completely cooled, frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Frosting Instructions:
Cream the confectioner’s sugar, cream cheese, and butter.
Mix in the vanilla and chopped nuts.
Spread over cooled cake.

Ina Garten's Mustard Roasted Potatoes

I don’t know what it is about roasted potatoes, but I’ve always been so nervous to make them.  I know I know.  With all the stuff that I make, how could I possibly be scared of roasted potatoes?  It’s true!  I just always imagine them coming out of the oven completely charred on the edges.

Each Thanksgiving, my mother is famous for making these oven roasted potatoes that are to die for!  No literally, I think they are a recipe to kill you with all the oil and butter that is used.  I’m not knocking it, don’t get me wrong, because I serve myself some each and every year.  I do it happily.  I know how good they taste!  I wake up on Thanksgiving morning thinking about how I’ll be eating them in just a few short hours.  That said, I know my mother doesn’t love making something so unhealthy just the same as others don’t love eating something so unhealthy. 

After making these mustard roasted potatoes, I informed my mother that I had a way out of all that guilt!!!  These potatoes are FABULOUS!!!  Plus, I know how much easier they are than my mother’s oven roasted potatoes.  I know she’s always a fan of me making something easier  

Thus, Kornegay Klan, if you are reading this, get ready for a new recipe for oven roasted potatoes this year.  That’s right; these babies are headed for annual Thanksgiving Day reunion.  What?  You said you weren’t coming?  Oh….these should make you RECONSIDER!!!

Source: Beantown Baker

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds small red potatoes
2 yellow onions
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
kosher salt
1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut the potatoes into one-inch cubes (halves or quarters for the small potatoes, several more cuts for the larger ones). Place potatoes into a large plastic bag with a zipper seal. Peel onion and cut in half. Slice crosswise to about 1/4 inch thickness to make half rounds and add to bag.

Add the olive oil, mustard, 2 teaspoons salt, and pepper to bag; seal, and toss together. This can be prepped a few hours in advance and left in the plastic bag until ready to roast.

Line a sheet pan with foil and spread potatoes and onions onto pan. Bake for 50 minutes to an hour; until potatoes are lightly browned on the outside and tender on the inside. Toss the potatoes occasionally to prevent sticking and for even browning.

Garnish with chopped parsley and more salt if needed and serve immediately.

I enjoyed my potatoes with Bison steak!

Crockpot Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole

Gluten-Free Notes at the bottom of this post.

Guests are in town, you sweated and slaved over dinner last night, or you know you’ll sweat and slave over dinner tonight.  Maybe you’ll do so for both meals.  How on Earth will you provide them a decent breakfast, too?!  Easy…pull out the crockpot!

I’d previously tried another version of this recipe that Stephanie with Crockpot 365 suggested, but it was not my favorite at all.  It was good enough for the sous chef, but it was not for me.  Thus, he ate all of it.

This try, however, was certainly tasty!!!  I attribute most of the taste to the fabulous sausage that I purchased specifically for this recipe.  Jimmy Dean’s new All Natural Regular Pork Sausage is absolutely terrific!  It tastes like it came straight from a butcher.  I realize that sounds odd, but, what I mean is, it doesn’t taste like it’s made with other things than just meat and some seasonings.  When you compare the ingredients of this sausage with that of other sausage on the same shelf, above, and below, you’ll see exactly what I mean!  This stuff is amazing, and I buy it 3 at a time now   I love love love the flavor!

Nonetheless, this breakfast dish is incredible because you can put these ingredients in the crockpot the night before, and, the night morning, you have a hashbrown, egg, cheese, sausage, onion, and bell pepper heavenly dish.  I imagine this would be GREAT for kids that have a big test one day; perfect “I have a big test today” breakfast

Below is how I prepared this dish, but click here to see Stephanie’s original recipe.

Ingredients

30 oz package of plain frozen hash brown (shredded) potatoes
1 lb. already-been cooked and cooled sausage (see above note on the HIGHLY suggested Jimmy Dean All Natural Regular Pork Sausage)

1/2 onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
12 eggs
1 cup skim or fat free milk
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper

Directions.
Use a  6 quart Crockpot for this full recipe.

Spray the inside of your crockpot with cooking spray. Dump in the whole package of hash browns. Spread them out with your fingers, and break up any clumps.

In a mixing bowl, mix the dozen eggs with the milk, salt and pepper, cheese, cooked sausage (make sure it’s cooled down), and diced vegetables. Pour everything on top of the hash browns.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4. This is done when the eggs are fully cooked and the edges start to brown a bit. If you want the cheese to brown and get a bit crispy on the sides, cook it longer.

Note that the edges of the dish in the crockpot did brown a bit.  Simply cut those portions off and do not serve them.  Nothing is wrong with the dish, it’s just the way the dish cooks.

Make it Gluten-Free!

• Be sure that the sausage you use is gluten-free.  The suggested sausage above is a gluten-free selection.
• Ensure that your hash browns do not have any additives with gluten.

Crockpot Roast Beef with Mushrooms and Tomatoes

I’ve prepared one other crockpot/slow cooker beef recipe to share with you on Krista Kooks in the past. I haven’t really ever tried another recipe as the previous one was so delicious!  I’ve made it a couple of times since that first post. 

That being said, I wanted to bring you a gluten-free crockpot beef recipe.  Jen (Beantown Baker) did a guest post on the Novice Chef with this terrific Roast Beef!  As Jen mentions, this is an amazingly easy recipe to throw into the crockpot.  I agree with Jen that more tomatoes should be added to this recipe.  I’m constantly looking for recipes that use up some leftover wine, as well.

Ingredients

1 beef roast (about 4lbs)
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup red wine
12 button mushrooms
6 large cherry tomatoes (Krista Kooks suggests using more)
1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
Dried thyme

Directions

Place meat in slow cooker (trim or remove any extra fat off the meat). Add mushrooms, garlic and tomatoes. Add salt and pepper. Add wine and chicken stock. Toss in the dried thyme. Cover and set on to LOW. Cook for at least 8 hours. Remove meat and vegetables and transfer sauce to pan. Bring sauce to a boil and reduce. Add 1 tbsp. cornstarch to 2 tbsp. Cold Water and mix in a bowl. Add mixture to sauce pan. Bring to a boil and let thicken. Carve meat , drizzle with sauce.

Gluten Free Banana Nut Muffins

While I’ve never personally made banana ANYTHING, I have tasted many banana breads and muffins in my time.  That said, not a single one of them compares to this fabulous recipe; this is by far the best recipe I’ve EVER tasted!!!  It’s great that it’s gluten free, too ;)

I thought that it would be best for me to freeze all but the few mini muffins I made.  Well, that didn’t really do me any good.  I didn’t need to freeze them.  I still consumed them all within one week.  Ooops :/

Moral of the story: MAKE THESE MUFFINS! :)

Ingredients

2 cups Brown Rice Flour Mix

Brown Rice Flour Mix
2 cups extra finely ground brown rice flour, 2/3 cup potato starch (not potato flour), 1/3 cup tapioca starch/flour. It is very important that you use an extra finely ground brown rice flour, (and not just any grind) or the muffins will be gritty and heavy.

2/3 cup coconut sugar (granulated white sugar also works)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 packed cup very ripe chopped banana  (about 2 medium bananas)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk (or almond milk/milk substitute of your choice)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (substitutions include canola oil or coconut oil)
Granulated sugar for garnish, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Position rack in center of oven. Grease muffin pan with cooking spray (or three 5 x 3 -inch loaf pans).

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, salt and cinnamon in large mixing bowl. Add bananas and walnuts; stir to coat evenly.

Combine milk and oil in small bowl; remove 1 tablespoon of combined liquid and discard it. Beat in eggs. Add liquids to banana mixture and stir until just blended.

Fill muffin pans 2/3 full. Bake 18–25 minutes until golden brown (35–44 minutes for loaf pans). Remove from pan and serve immediately or cool on a rack.

Note: 

1. Krista Kooks much prefers coconut sugar for this recipe!  
2. Consider tossing in 1/2 tsp of allspice or nutmeg as well.  
3. Haven't tried this with flaxseed meal in place of the egg yet, but I'll try again soon!
4. Applesauce works the best in comparison to the canola oil or coconut oil.  Both subs work, but they just aren't the same.

Garlic and Sun-Dried Tomato Corn Muffin

Gluten-Free notes at the bottom of this post.

I bookmarked this recipe way back in January, but I had yet to get around to making it.  Well, I finally did, and these were fabulous!!!  My bosses both loved them, and, of course, the sous chef did, too :)  These would be a GREAT side to your tomato pasta dish.

Ingredients

2 (8 1/2-ounce) packages corn muffin mix
2 cups frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
3 garlic cloves, minced
2/3 cup diced sun-dried tomatoes (from an 8-ounce jar)
2/3 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup sour cream
2 large eggs

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 2 muffin tins.

In a large bowl combine the muffin mix, corn, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes. Stir to combine.

In a small bowl whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, and eggs until well blended. Add the buttermilk mixture to the muffin mix. Stir to combine. Spoon the mix into the muffin tins, filling up the cups about halfway. Bake until golden brown on top, about 15 minutes.

Make it Gluten-Free!
-Use this mix for the corn muffin mix.
-Make sure to use Daisy brand sour cream to ensure a gluten-free sour cream.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

If it’s possible for you to believe, I had never eaten sweet potatoes until August 1st.  What’s harder for me to believe is that I’d never eaten the fabulous potato created by a Texas A&M professor! :)  Nonetheless, so far I at least know I like them in baked french fry form.  I have yet to try them any other way.

The following day, I  decided to make some at home to go alongside our Mexican Turkey Burgers.  This recipe was perfect!  I should say that I should have sliced these potatoes into a smaller fry; I think they would have cooked better.

Ingredients

1 lb peeled sweet potatoes cut into 1/4" match-sticks
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t oregano
1/2 t coriander
1 t kosher salt
1 t parsley
1/8 tsp black pepper
*you want 1 lb sweet potatoes after they are peeled, sliced, etc. If you weigh them at the store make sure you have a little more than a pound to allow for the peeling, and tossing of small pieces.

Directions

In a small bowl combine cumin, oregano, coriander, salt, parsley, and pepper.

Place sweet potatoes in a pile directly on baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Use hands to toss until all pieces are well coated. Sprinkle seasoning mixture on top and toss again with hands to coat.

Arrange sweet potatoes in a single layer so that pieces are not touching each other. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes. Use a metal spatula to gently flip fries and then return pan to oven. Cook for an additional 15-20 minutes or until fries are starting to lightly brown and crisp. Remove pan from oven and cool 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

According to the brand new parents, Carissa and Nick, these are some pretty amazing cookies :)  The sous chef and I went with some other friends to celebrate and congratulate C&N on the arrival on their new twin girls, and I brought these delicious cookies with us.  I trust C&N’s taste as C is a pretty good cook/baker herself.   Not to mention, the sous chef loved these himself.  I, too, have to admit that these rank right up there with another one of my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipes.

I was also pretty excited to share in making the first post for The Way the Cookie Crumbles.  I think she does a fabulous job with her blog, and I was shocked that I migrated all the way to her first post!  It was pretty exciting to do this as I don’t think I’ve done this with any other blog that I follow.

Nonetheless, make a trip to grab some cream cheese and pop these babies in the oven!

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) light brown sugar
3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups (12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees.  Whisk the flour, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl; set aside.  Beat butter, cream cheese, and sugars until creamy; add egg and vanilla and beat until combined.  Add flour mixture and mix until just combined.  Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop dough by 1-inch spoonfuls onto cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart.  Bake until brown around edges and center is set.  Cool on cookie sheet 2 minutes; transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
Also!  Credit goes to the sous chef for photography on this post ;)

Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

While shopping through Sam’s Club the other day, the sous chef and I came across La Madeline’s salad dressings.  Yep, they sell the Caesar and Balsamic in bottles there.  Well, my sous chef began to salivate a little, and I assured him that I could make fresher and healthier salad dressings/vinaigrette at home from scratch as I have in the past.

Thus, a few nights ago, I tried another new one!  After this salad was served, it didn’t take long for the sous chef to finish and plead for another salad.  Haha!  He asks, “Did you take a picture already?” Chomp chomp chomp. “Because you HAVE to blog about this one!  It’s soooooo good!”  So there ya have it.  It’s a winner salad dressing!  Yes, and I liked it too :)

Source

Ingredients

1 cup packed cilantro

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup lime juice

1/4 cup orange juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Pinch of minced garlic

Directions

Puree cilantro, olive oil, lime juice, orange juice, salt, pepper and garlic in a blender or food processor until smooth.I use the Magic Bullet to puree our dressing :)  You can half this recipe if this is just serving 2 people.

Corn Salsa with Lime

So this corn salsa from Gina is much like the Roasted Corn, Black Bean and Mango salad I made previously.  Obviously there are some added ingredients in the later, but the prep is much the same.  This particular corn salsa is like that of Chipotle’s corn salsa.  Sadly I must say that I wish I had made Chipotle’s recipe.  This recipe isn’t bad by any means.  It’s still tasty.  We actually ate it as a side along the crab cakes.  Later that week, I also used some of the leftovers of this corn salsa on top of some baked tilapia.  It’s just my recommendation, however, that you select the Roasted Corn recipe above or the Chipotle recipe above.

The recipe also calls to make 6 cups, which I could never have consumed in our household, so our recipe below is halved.

Source: Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 3

Ingredients
2 cups (10 oz) cooked sweet yellow corn, cut
1 vine ripe tomatoes, diced
1/4 red onion, diced
1/2 scallion, diced
1 jalapeño, diced (remove seeds unless you like it really spicy)
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
3/4 limes, juice of
chipotle chili powder, to taste
salt and fresh pepper to taste

Directions
Combine all the ingredients and refrigerate for about an hour. Makes about 3 cups.

Baked Lump Crab Cakes with Red Pepper Chipotle Lime Sauce

Yuuuuuuum!  I went crazy picking out seafood recipes recently, and this is the first of those recipes.  It should be obvious why I picked it first; so delicious!  Also, the Red Pepper Chipotle sauce is soooo amazing!  The sous chef and I both agreed that it would make a great friend to some fish as well. 

These make a great dinner as I wasn’t even able to finish 2!  The sous chef had to finish off my last few bites :)  I wanted very much to eat them all, but they are just very filling.  The recipe below serves 4 crab cakes, but you could make them smaller to make bite size crabcakes; say 16 crab cakes would make these small enough for bite size.  Making them smaller might alter your cooking time though, so be aware. Source: Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 1 cake

Crab Cakes
9 ounces lump crab meat, picked free of shells
1/2 cup (about 13) reduced fat Ritz crackers, crushed
1 whole egg plus 1 egg white, beaten
2 finely chopped scallions
2 tbsp finely chopped red bell pepper
1 tbsp low fat mayonnaise
2 tbsp fresh cilantro (or parsley)
1/2 lime, juiced
salt and pepper to taste
cooking spray
Zesty Chipotle Lime Sauce
1 tbsp roasted peppers (jarred)
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1 tsp minced canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
1 tsp fresh lime juice

In a small blender (or magic bullet) puree mayonnaise, lime juice, roasted pepper and chipotle pepper.

In a large bowl, combine crushed crackers, eggs, scallions, pepper, mayo, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper. Mix well, then fold in crab meat, careful not to over mix so the crab remains in large chunks. Gently shape into patties using a 1/2 cup measuring cup.

Chill in the refrigerator at least 1/2 hour before baking.
Preheat oven to 400°. Grease a baking sheet with cooking spray. Bake about 8-10 minutes on each side, until nicely browned.

Drizzle red pepper chipotle lime sauce over crab cakes and serve.

Cucumber Sandwiches

Recently, I and a few other ladies threw a shower for a sweet friend our ours, Carissa.  I was assigned to bring Cucumber sandwiches.  Hmmm, well…

#1 I’ve never made them before
#2 I don’t like cucumbers
#3 I’ve never even seen them before.

Hahah!  No problem.  The ladies helped me out with a recipe, and I did some browsing online.  Here’s how I decided to make them, and they were REALLY good!

Ingredients

Pumpernickel bread (I simply bought some at the bakery at my grocery store)
1 8 oz. package of fat free cream cheese
1 packet zesty italian dressing mix
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp red pepper
1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 cucumber (sliced)

Directions

Whip cream cheese until creamy.

Into cream cheese mix italian dressing packet, garlic powder, red pepper and fresh dill.
Spread cream cheese mixture onto bread in thin layer.  Place one slice of cucumber onto each sandwich.

Roasted Veggie and Black Bean Burritos

Do you work?  Ok, then stay tuned.

Are you the typical cook in your household? Ok, then stay tuned.

Are you short on time?  Ok, then stay tuned.

If you answered yes to a single one of these questions, I promise you want this recipe.  I was planning to be out of the house for 6 days straight and was not going to be able to help my sous chef with his meal prep :)  Thus, I wanted to make something he could put in the oven and it could be done fairly quickly but still feel like a home-cooked meal.  This burrito recipe was PERFECT for that.

If you have a look at Aggie’s original recipe for this, you’ll notice that she used sweet potatoes.  Um, I don’t like those (even though my sous chef does), so I decided to sub tomatoes instead.  If you like sweet potatoes, I’d say stick with those!  Using tomatoes was not bad, I promise, but I think those others that have made it with sweet potatoes have really enjoyed it.

Anyhow, we ate 4 of these burritos the night I made them and saved the other 4 so my sous chef could prepare quick meals while I was gone.  I wrapped those other 4 burritos in foil, and he placed them in the oven on the nights he was ready for some yummy dinner :)

Ingredients

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (small) (Krista Kooks subbed 4 large tomatoes, squeezed of seeds and juices, and cubed)
1 red pepper, cubed (small)
1 red onion cubed (small)
2 jalapenos, diced (if you want less heat sub another red pepper)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper
2 tsp olive oil
can black beans, rinsed
handful chopped cilantro
squeeze lime
shredded cheddar
Whole Wheat Tortillas or Wraps , burrito/wrap size
nonstick olive oil spray

Directions

In a bowl, toss veggies in olive oil and season with spices.  Place in large baking dish and roast in 425 degree oven for 20 minutes, tossing around halfway in between.

Let cool.  Add to a bowl of rinsed black beans.  Add cilantro and squirt of lime juice.  Combine gently.  At this point, mixture can be stored for later use.  Warm wraps in microwave according to directions on package.  Add two heaping tablespoons of vegetable and bean mixture to center of wrap.  Top with shredded cheese.  Fold over, fold in sides and continue to roll.  Place on baking dish, seam side down and spray with nonstick spray or olive oil spray.  Bake in 375 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Baking this way will make tortilla wrap crisp. For a softer burrito, spray burrito with nonstick spray, then wrap in aluminum foil and bake for same amount of time.
Makes about 6 burritos.

Tip: Premake your burritos and wrap in aluminum foil. Keep in refrigerator for 3-4 days for a quick lunch or dinner!

Diet Soda Cake

Oh wow!  I can now have cake without so much guilt!  Thank you to Gina for sharing this lovely secret to your everyday box cake :)  Find your favorite diet soda, 2 egg whites, your favorite boxed cake, and your done!  How incredibly simple. 

Because I love the taste of Dr. Pepper, I was determined to make this cake with Diet Dr. Pepper.  The sous chef and I loved the flavor of this cake, no frosting/icing needed, and the egg whites really made it light and fluffy.  Highly recommend this quick and easy dessert!

Ingredients
1 boxed cake of your preference
2 egg whites
10 ounces of diet soda (your choice)

Directions
Preheat oven according to box directions. Spray pan of your choice according to box directions.

Beat cake mix, diet soda and egg whites. Pour into pan.
Bake as directed on box, or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted.
Let cake cool about 10 minutes before cutting.

Zucchini Casserole

So sorry for my disappearance!  I did not schedule my time very well before my trip recently and did not have posts set up to keep you intrigued while I was away.  So sorry! Here’s a yummy dish that a friend of mine made recently from Gina’s WW blog.  The sous chef and I thought this was a great recipe as a side dish.  I’m not so sure that this could be the only thing I ate for dinner at night, but I suppose it could be if weren’t too hungry one evening.  Either way, it’s a yummy dish!

4 cups grated zucchini
1 cup bisquick
1 small onion, grated
3 egg whites, 1 whole egg
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt
1 tsp parsley

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix everything together in a bowl. Spray a pie dish or a casserole with Pam and pour mixture. Bake approximately 45 minutes, until golden brown. Put a toothpick in the center to test if it is done. If it comes out clean, it is ready. Divide into 12 equal parts.

Whole Chicken with Spice Rub in the Crock Pot

So easy!!!  Anything in a slow cooker is usually easy though :)  I was browsing The Foodie Blogroll for some ideas on crockpot recipes and found The Cooking Husband’s blog.  I’m trying to do more crockpot recipes, perhaps trying one twice or four times a month.  Anyway, I thought The Cooking Husband’s whole chicken approach was quite similar to how I prepare my Mexican flavored chicken that I use for anything I need shredded chicken for; however, his, as I said, uses a whole chicken!  The sous chef and I simply prepared some rice to eat with this.  I prepared the rice similar to the way Chipotle’s rice is done.  Instead of lime and cilantro, I used lemon juice and grated lemon peel.

Source: Whole Chicken with Spice Rub in the Crock Pot

4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 onion, chopped

In a small bowl, combine the above minus the onion.

Rub spice rub onto the chicken.  Put chopped onion in bottom of the crock pot.  Add chicken to the crock pot and add no liquid at all! The chicken will make it’s own juices.  Put the lid on the crock pot and cook for 8 hours on LOW.

Sugar Cookies

So, the last time I made sugar cookies, I was proud of myself, but I definitely saw room for improvement.  After reading multiple posts over the last year and recognizing where I went wrong in the past, I decided to give these sugar cookies another try.

My B.F.F. and ‘adopted sister’ K was celebrating her 27th birthday and had recently had a baby.  Additionally, another of the sous chef and I’s friend’s had a baby as well shortly after K.  I thought each of them was HIGHLY deserving a sweet treat delivered by their postman.  Getting packages in the mail is FUN!

After a good deal of planning and thinking out how I would get these cookies to these sweet girls, I moved forward in my execution of the project :)

I decided on making Ella’s White Sugar Cookies which I found on  Annie’s Eats. 

Ingredients

1 cup butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 ½ t. almond extract
1 t. vanilla
1 t. salt
2 ½ c. sifted flour

Directions

Cream butter.  Add powdered sugar.  Blend in egg, almond extract, vanilla, salt and flour.  Chill dough until firm.  Roll to ¼” thickness on well-floured surface.  Cut with cookie cutters.  Place on greased cookie sheets.  Bake at 375° for 8-10 min.  Cookies should not brown.  Frost and decorate when cool.  Yields ~40 cookies.

I also used Annie’s terrific tutorial on decorating with royal icing.  I still have some perfecting to do, but I was decently proud of myself for what I was able to accomplish :) The tricky part was getting ready to ship these cookies off to other states and trusting USPS with them!  I didn’t spend 2 days on these delicious and beautiful cookies only for them to break, right?!  So I packaged them VERY well and wrapped each cookie in a baggie.  Our friends in Louisiana received them in OK condition as the picture at the top of this posts displays.

My B.F.F. K received her cookies in great condition, too!  See below. I’m looking forward to making more of these delicious cookies!