Mexican Bean Dip

 







1 can of rotel
2  to 3 cans of refried beans
1 can of black beans
1 large container of sour cream
Shredded cheese
2 cans of black olives
1 packet of taco seasoning
Hot sauce

Use your decorative trifle bowl for something besides dessert! In a separate bowl mix together refried beans & 2 large scoops of sour cream, taco seasoning & hot sauce if you would like. Then create layers with rest of ingredients! Refrigerate for at least 2 hours & serve with tortilla chips!

Christmas Cherry-Glazed Cornish Game Hens

2 tbsp of diced garlic
2 Cornish Game Hens (1 hen per person)
1 tbsp of olive oil
1/2 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of black pepper
1/3 cup of diced onion
2 tbsp of butter
1 12oz jar of cherry preserves (with whole cherries)
1/4 cup of red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp of cloves

1| Preheat oven to 375. Make sure to dab the hens with a paper towel to remove all excess moisture, after removing from packaging. Then rub the skins with garlic & olive oil. Twist & tuck the wing tips underneath the back, (same as you would do for a turkey). Sprinkle with the salt & pepper all over hen.
2| Roast for 1 hour to 1 & 30 mins, you want the thigh temp to be 180 degrees.
3| When the hens are almost finished in the oven make the glaze: Cook garlic & onion in the hot butter, for about 3 mins. Stir in the preserves, vinegar, allspice & cloves. Bring to boiling; reduce the heat but keep the pot boiling gently for about 20 minutes, continue to stir until it reaches glaze consistency. Take the hens out of the oven & pour the glaze over the top & serve!

Walnut Chocolate Chip cookies!

2 sticks of butter (room temp)
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup of sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs

2 tbsp of ground flaxseed meal
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 cups of white-wheat flour (King Arthur Brand is my fav)
1/2 to 1 cup of chopped walnuts
1 bag of milk chocolate chips

Blend the first half of the ingredients first then add the dry. Bake at 375 for 7-9 minutes. I like gooey cookies so I usually only bake them for 7 minutes! Enjoy!

Delicious steak dinner!

Try my marinade on your sirloin steak! Put the marinade on the steak in the morning if possible, the longer it soaks the better! A couple of dashes of Balsmic Vinager, a little goes a long way so be careful! Then add equal parts of worcestershire & soy sauce, about 1/4 cup of each give or take. Then add lots of black pepper! Baby its cold outside, so why not grill them inside on your cast iron skillet? Make sure you get it screaming hot before searing the steak! Save your money & make steak at home! Can you tell which one is mine & which one is my husband's? LOL

Ham, Potato & Bean Soup

I did not take any pics of my thanksgiving feast this year, because we had family visiting & I forgot. But I did make this delicious soup with some thanksgiving leftovers. If you are looking for a way to re-invent your thanksgiving grub give this recipe a try!

6 cups of water
4-7 slices of diced leftover thanksgiving ham
1 diced onion
celery & carrots chopped
2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
1/2 tsp of dried thyme
1 cup of mashed potatoes
2 -3 chicken bouillon cubes
1 can of navy beans
1 bay leaf
black pepper

Put everything in the crockpot on low for 7 hours. Eat & Enjoy!

Sticky Buns!

Not dinner, I know, but I had to share with you! They are delicious! Make sure you eat them shortly after they come out of the oven! If you have some left over warm in microwave or they might crack your teeth! The 'sticky' sugar part does get hard!

BUN in the OVEN Theme Baby Shower - click here: bun

Sticky Bun Recipe

·        12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

·        1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

·        1/2 cup pecans, chopped in very large pieces

·        1 package ( 2-sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted

     For the filling:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 cup raisins

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place a 12-cup standard muffin tin on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the 12 tablespoons butter and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of the mixture in each of the 12 muffin cups. Distribute the pecans evenly among the 12 muffin cups on top of the butter and sugar mixture.

Lightly flour a wooden board or stone surface. Unfold 1 sheet of puff pastry with the folds going left to right. Brush the whole sheet with the melted butter. Leaving a 1-inch border on the puff pastry, sprinkle each sheet with 1/3 cup of the brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cinnamon, and 1/2 cup of the raisins. Starting with the end nearest you, roll the pastry up snugly like a jelly roll around the filling, finishing the roll with the seam side down. Trim the ends of the roll about 1/2-inch and discard. Slice the roll in 6 equal pieces, each about 1 1/2 inches wide. Place each piece, spiral side up, in 6 of the muffin cups. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry to make 12 sticky buns.

Bake for 30 minutes, until the sticky buns are golden to dark brown on top and firm to the touch. Be careful - they're hot! Allow to cool for 5 minutes only, invert the buns onto the parchment paper (ease the filling and pecans out onto the buns with a spoon) and cool completely.

Red Pepper - Chicken Fajitas

2 chicken breasts (marinated in A1 red pepper marinade)
1/2 white onion - sliced
1/2 red bell pepper - sliced
tortillas
  optional toppings ~ sour cream, cheese, hot sauce, & salsa.

Mahi Mahi with Mango Chutney

2 Mahi Mahi filets
Lemon juice
2 tbsp of olive oil
1 tsp of black pepper

Mango Chutney recipe
1 tsp coconut oil
1 tbsp diced garlic
1/2 large diced onion
1 red bell pepper diced
1 diced mango
3 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp red pepper flakes

Bake the mahi mahi at 400 for 10-15 minutes. This fish has the skin still on it & has a very fishy taste. The chutney is a paleo recipe, so it was not as sweet as I would have liked it, but it was very healthy. Also the recipe for the chutney did not say how long to cook it for I would say it needs a good 35- 50 minutes for it to soften.  I see areas for improvement, & I can't wait to tweak this recipe & make it my own!

Whole Wheat - French Toast

6 slices of whole wheat bread
3 eggs
1 can of evaporated milk (5oz)
1 tbsp cinnamon (or more!)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup sugar

Toast the bread first in the toaster. Wisk together ingredients for the batter. Slice toasted bread in half (makes it easier to flip & you can fit more in skillet!) Soak bread in batter & then cook in heated skillet until browned. Serve with powdered sugar & syrup on top!  Eat this for breakfast or dinner!

Zucchini - Turkey Lasagna

1 lb ground turkey
1 white diced onion
2 tbsp diced garlic
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried italian seasoning
1 tsp black pepper
1 jar of pasta sauce
shredded mozzarella cheese
grated parm cheese
3 medium zucchini
Think I have perfected my recipe... you may think with turkey this dish would be bland, but that is not the case! Make sure you add lots of garlic, dried herbs & black pepper & your taste buds will rejoice! Cook the turkey completely in skillet with onions & garlic. Add seasonings & sauce. Use a mandoline slicer to easily slice the zucchini in even slivers. Layer like normal lasagna but use the zucchini in place of the noodles! Bake at 355 for 45-60 mins, how long you cook will depend on if you like your zucchini al dente or not.
 Happy cooking my friends!
~ B

Roast Beef with Mashed Potatoes

1 cup of cabernet sauvignon
2-4 cups beef broth (enough to cover roast)
1 white onion (sliced)
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp black pepper
Add a tbsp of olive oil & brown the roast beef on all sides, inside a cast iron pan. Add in all of the rest of ingredients. Bring to a boil & then turn down to low for 4-6 hours.

Mini pizzas

Tonight we had cute little mini pizzas! I made some bread with my BreadMan bread maker today. And I cut the loaf into slices to use as the crust! To make the bread, I add wheat germ & flax seeds to up the nurtitional value! After slicing the bread, I topped with some pasta sauce, mozzarella cheese & turkey pepperoni. I always add extra diced garlic & oregano to the pre-made sauces, makes it extra yummy!

Barramundi!

My NEW FAVORITE FISH! SO delicious! If you have not tried this fish, you are seriously missing out! Very tender, really good texture; & without the 'fishy' taste. I put some lemon juice & extra virgin olive oil & rubbed into fish. After that I just sprinkled some of my favorite seafood seasoning, Weber's Zesty Lemon Seasoning. Bake at 400 for 10-15 mins. For sides we had a salad, & I baked some sweet potatoes.

Beef Stir-fry

Buy the beef whole, not already pre-cut for you. I know it saves time, but my husband eats a lot of meat & you get more than if they have already cut it for you. This is a paleo dinner, with no rice. I added fresh broccoli & green pepper. I first added some diced onions to the pan & then the beef. Next add some worchestershire & soy sauce & lots of black pepper. Add the veggies cook until tender with the lid on.

Crab Cakes with Asparagus Soup

Used a recipe from a paleo cookbook to make the soup. What I neglected to read was that the ends of the asparagus need to be thrown away, don't throw them in too. So some of the soup had a little bit of a grassy texture! I thought maybe it would give it more fiber. But no matter how long you cook it, the ends will not get tender! Oops! My crab cake recipe is already on here, so I am just going to share the soup. I cooked in crockpot for about 5-6 hours (until tender). Make sure when you are blending, you remove the circle part of the lid so the heat can escape. Cover with a kitchen towel so it doesn't go everywhere & hold with your hand, & blend. You can also serve with pancetta or bacon on top!

1 onion chopped
3 cloves of garlic
1 tsp of coconut oil OR extra virgin olive oil
2 lbs of chopped asparagus, remove ends!
4 cups of chicken stock/broth
Black Pepper to taste
1-2 cups of baby spinach (optional)

Shrimp Scampi with a kick!

Remove the tails, if you wish & butterfly the shrimp. Marinate in olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, salt & pepper for an hour before cooking. To give it the kick, sprinkle some cajun seasoning on right before baking. Depending on the size of the shrimp, Bake at 375 for 8-15 minutes.

Brooke's -No Noodles Lasagna!

OK so, I know this isn't the most photogenic dinner I have made; but it certainly was delicious! We are going to start doing the caveman/paleo diet, for most meals. I told my husband there is no way that I will deprive myself from Papa John's pizza every once & a while though! This is my own made up recipe, I hope you will try it!

Cook the beef in a skillet. Add garlic & onion to beef. Then add sauce, mushrooms & sliced black olives. Cut the eggplant & zucchini into very thin slices. Create the layers like with regular lasagna. Bake 375 for 40 minutes. Turn down to 350 & bake for another 10 or so.

1 LB of 93 ground beef
1/2 diced onion
1 eggplant
3 zucchini
1 jar of newmans own pasta sauce(sookaroni)- gives it a good kick
1 small can mushrooms
1 can blk olives
2 tsp of diced garlic
2 handfuls of baby spinach
Couple dashes of parm cheese
1 package of shredded mozz cheese

Don't measure this isn't baking, have fun!
Happy Cooking!
~B

Brooke's Healthy Craisins Blueberry Cookies

1 cup white - wheat flour (king arthur)
1 cup soy flour
1/2 cup flaxseed meal
2 sticks of butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup Craisins Blueberry
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
These cookies have protein & fiber! So delicious! Bake at 375 for 7-9 minutes.

Brooke's Bluebird Cake

3 cups white-wheat flour (king arthur brand)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp of nutmeg
3 eggs
3/4 cup of vegetable/canola oil blend
5 ripe mashed bananas
1 - 8oz can crushed pineapple with juice
1 1/2 tsp of pure vanilla extract
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut

2 cream cheese frosting
1 cup toasted shredded sweetened coconut

First, I like to mash the bananas with my hands. Its fun, take out some aggression & get your hands dirty at the same time! Then put in the oil, pineapples, & sugar. Then add everything else. You don't need a mixer for this recipe, just mix it with a wooden spoon. Bake at 350 for 23-28 minutes if you are putting into 2 - 9" pans.
Next, to toast the coconut, spread it out on a baking sheet & bake for about 5 - 10 mins. Don't take your eyes off of it! You might have to take the coconut out & stir it several times for it to toast evenly.

Pineapple upside-down Cake

I have a new obsession my Lodge Cast Iron skillet! It is SO amazing. It makes the most perfect crispy turkey bacon & burgers! I used it to make this cake & it was so delicious! You could use more brown sugar, but I was trying to be some-what healthy.

Drink your dinner!

I have perfect-ed my smoothie recipe! This one is awesome! If you don't like grapefruit juice, use pineapple or just all orange. Smoothies always taste better from a mason jar with 2 straws!

1 activia cherry yogurt
7-10 ice cubes
1 banana
About 4-5 frozen strawberries or 10 frozen blueberries (or both)
1 scoop of vanilla whey protein powder
1/2 cup of grapefruit juice
1/2 cup of orange juice

Serving size for one, if you want to make for 2 add another banana & yogurt cup. You may need to add more or less liquid depending on the ice, I eye ball it, like I usually do :)

Happy blending!
~B

BBQ Chicken & Mac N Cheese

- Mac N Cheese
Smart Taste - Elbow Pasta
Kraft Singles
Milk & Butter
Grated Parm Cheese
Black Pepper
Garlic Powder
(Add ingredients to taste)

Beef Stir Fry

This easy dinner was delicious! I used a little dash of soy sauce & worchestershire sauce on the beef. And then the last few minutes of cooking I used about 2 tablespoons of a teriyaki glaze sauce.

Brooke's Spicy Sausage Minestrone

1 diced white onion
1 tsp of diced garlic
4 cups of chicken stock
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 can of kidney beans
Salt & Pepper (to taste)
1 tsp of italian seasoning
1 cup of frozen chopped spinach
1 cup of elbow pasta
Spicy Dinner Sausage

Put everything into your crockpot minus the pasta & sausage. I like to pre-cook my onions & garlic a little bit before adding them in, but you don't have to. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. The last 30 minutes before you are ready to eat turn the heat up to high & add the pasta & sausage. Then eat!

Grilled Ahi Tuna Sandwich

This yummy sandwich was our lunch today! My husband grilled the tuna on the grill so all I had to make was the lemon dill mayo! I like to pour some lemon juice on the fish & then sprinkle a zesty lemon seasoning on top. I like my bun toasted, it seems to hold together better after I put the heaping tablespoon of mayo on it! :)

To make the mayo: I like to use about 2 tbsp of hellmans mayo, 1 tsp of lemon juice & 1 tsp (or more if you love it like me) of dried dill & stir!

Crunchy Onion Chicken

After Thanksgiving the store was completely out of the French's fried onions, so I had to buy the chedder flavor. On the back there was a recipe for this chicken. But of course I didn't follow it. I dipped my chicken in flour then the egg & then the crumbs, flour helps the egg stick to the chicken. I also added some panko bread crumbs to it to make it crunchier. I made some mashed potatoes & chicken gravy for the side. Not heathly but very delicious!

Baked Whole Chicken

Tonight we had this delicious baked chicken with mashed potatoes & chicken gravy & green beans. I stuffed chopped onion & celery & placed inside the bird after removing the giblet. I also put some butter underneath the skin near the breast meat. Pat the entire bird dry with a paper towel & then put lots salt & pepper and garlic powder all over the top of skin. My oven is not very powerful so I cooked it at 375 for about an hour & then turned it down to 355 to cook for the rest of the time. But if you have a normal oven: Cook for about 20 minutes per pound at 350.
Happy Cooking!
~B

Chili dog

Ok so I know this is not some culinary masterpiece, but who doesn't love a messy chili dog? It's also a great way to re-invent your chili leftovers! I don't normally like hot dogs because you don't know whats inside of them. I have heard some gross stories that I will never forget! However, I do love getting the Hebrew National brand, it puts my mind at ease.