Best Brownies Recipe

Best Brownies Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8 inch square pan.

In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not overcook.

To Make Frosting: Combine 3 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoons cocoa, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 cup confectioners' sugar. Frost brownies while they are still warm.

Rocky Road Cookies Recipe

Rocky Road Cookies Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 cups powdered sugar

• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 3 extra large egg whites

• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

• 2.5 oz sliced almonds (pecans work too!), toasted

• 1 cup mini marshmallows

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and line two sheet pans with parchment paper.

1. In a large bowl, sift together the powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Whisk in the salt. Add the egg whites and vanilla and whisk until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and almonds.

1. Use a small ice cream scoop to portion out small mounds on to the parchment paper, then top each cookie with 4-5 marshmallows. Pop into the freezer for 5 minutes to chill slightly (this prevents them from spreading too much in the oven).

1. Bake for 12-13 minutes until the marshmallows are golden brown. Let the cookies sit on the paper for a few minutes to set, before moving them to a wire rack to cool.

Low Carb Mexican Lettuce Wraps Recipe

Low Carb Mexican Lettuce Wraps Recipe

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef (you could use turkey if you wanted)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
2 green onions chopped
10 large iceberg lettuce leaves, whole, washed and dried (you could use romaine, or Bibb lettuce)
1/2 cup cheddar or monterey jack cheese, shredded (I used a mixture of both)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 large tomato, chopped
1/2 large avocado, diced


Directions:

1. In a large pan over medium heat add the ground beef. Cook until lightly browned. Drain if there's excess grease.
2. Add the white part of the green onions to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Add onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, and chili powder, salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 5 minutes more.
3. To assemble the wraps, top a lettuce leaf with taco meat, shredded cheese, avocado, sour cream, and the green tops of the green onions.

Steak and Spinach Quesadilla with Provolone Recipe

Steak and Spinach Quesadilla with Provolone Recipe

1 tsp. of extra virgin olive oil
2 oz. leftover flank steak
A big handful of spinach
1- 6 inch, whole grain tortilla
1 slice part-skim provolone cheese

Heat oil in a 12 inch skillet. Add steak and heat until just heated through. Toss in the spinach and cook until wilted. Remove steak and spinach from the pan. Place one tortilla in the pan and heat through. Flip the tortilla and place half a slice of cheese on one half of the tortilla.

Layer the steak and the spinach over the cheese and then place another half slice of cheese on top. Fold the tortilla onto itself to create a half moon. Place a tea kettle or another heavy pot on top of the tortilla to press it down for about 30 seconds. Flip the quesadilla and do the same thing on the other side.

Remove quesadilla from the pan and allow to cool bait before slicing in half. Enjoy with some plain Greek yogurt and spicy garlic sauce.

Funfetti Cake Batter White Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake Recipe

Funfetti Cake Batter White Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake Recipe

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 box funfetti dry cake mix

2 tsp cornstarch

2-3 tsp sprinkles

1 cup white chocolate chips

Instructions

1. With a mixer, cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.

2. Add egg and vanilla extract. Mix well.

3. Add dry cake mix, cornstarch and sprinkles. Mix well. Dough will be thick and sticky.

4. Stir in white chocolate chips.

5. Place dough in clear wrap and refrigerate overnight.

6. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

7. Place parchment circle the size of your cake pan in bottom of pan and grease the sides. This will help you remove the cookie cake from the pan after it's baked.

8. Spread dough evenly in cake pan.

9. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until done. The edges should be golden. The center may not seem totally done, but it will firm and cook a little more as it cools. You could cook it for longer, but I like my cookie cake super soft and chewy.

10. Allow cookie cake to cool completely in pan before removing. As it cools, it will firm up and you should be able to remove it from the pan without the center breaking (like I said, super moist!). Certainly if you have a spring form pan, that makes it even easier.

Easy Angel Chicken Recipe

Easy Angel Chicken Recipe

2-4 boneless chicken breasts
1 packet Italian dressing mix
4 oz cream cheese
3 Tbsp butter
1 can Cream of Chicken (or Golden Mushroom)
3/4 cup chicken broth or white wine
angel hair pasta

Place chicken in crock pot.  Combine Italian dressing mix, cream cheese, butter, soup and broth.  Pour over chicken.  Turn crock-pot on low for 8-10 hours.  Serve over cooked angel hair pasta.

Stuffed Zucchini Boats Recipe

Stuffed Zucchini Boats Recipe

Ingredients:

2 medium sized zucchinis

1 grilled chicken breast, chopped

1 ear of corn

1 small red onion, diced

1 clove of garlic, minced

2 tbs olive oil

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/4 cup shredded cheese of your choice

Fresh parsley, chopped

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

1. First, prepare your filling by adding the olive oil to a medium sized pan, and sauteing the onion and garlic until softened. Add in the fresh corn kernels, chopped chicken breast (I had some left over grilled chicken and just used that), parsley and season well with salt and pepper. Cook until vegetables have softened. Take off heat and set aside.

2. Preheat your oven to 350 deg F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice your zucchini in half (long way) and scoop out the inside, leaving about a 1/4 inch border around the edges. Discard the seeds and dice the rest of the scooped out inside and add it into the vegetables. Add in the crumbled feta cheese and mix all together.

3. Place your zucchini halves on your baking sheet and stuff with the vegetable and chicken mixture. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the filling is slightly browned.

Samoas Bars Recipe

Samoas Bars Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups flour
• 1 (12 oz.) bag caramels, unwrapped
• 4 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 cups coconut, toasted
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. With an electric mixer, cream together sugar, butter and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Add the egg and beat until fluffy.
3. Stir in the salt, then the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until well mixed.
4. Press dough evenly into the bottom of a lightly greased 9x13 inch pan.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the shortbread is set and just beginning to turn golden brown. Cool completely.
6. Meanwhile, combine the caramels, milk and and 1 teaspoon vanilla in a saucepan over medium low heat.
7. Cook and stir until the caramels are melted and the mixture is smooth. Stir in the toasted coconut.
8. Spread the coconut caramel mixture over the cooled shortbread base.
9. Refrigerate for at least an hour, or until the caramel layer is completely cooled. Remove the bars from the refrigerator and cut into squares
10. .Melt the 2 cups of chocolate chips in the microwave at 50% power, stirring every 1-2 minutes until smooth.
11. Dip the bottoms of the cookies into the melted chocolate and set on wax paper.
12. Once all the cookies have been dipped, drizzle the remaining chocolate over the top of the cookies.

Healthy Crock Pot Turkey Chili Recipe

Healthy Crock Pot Turkey Chili Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 lbs ground turkey, extra lean or 1.5 lb leftover cooked turkey, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 large onions, diced
• 4 large celery stalks, chopped
• 3 large bell peppers, chopped
• 14 oz can red kidney beans, drained & rinsed
• 14 oz can any white beans, drained & rinsed
• 28 oz can tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups water or low sodium chicken broth
• 1 tbsp chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced or to taste
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp taco seasoning, all natural
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• Cooking spray 

Directions

1. Preheat large skillet on high and add ground turkey. Cook until brown, stirring and breaking into small pieces with spatula, occasionally. Transfer to a large crockpot. If using leftover cooked turkey, skip the browning step.
2. Return skillet to medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Add garlic, onion, celery, bell peppers and saute for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a slow cooker.
3. Add remaining ingredients to slow cooker, cover and cook 8 hours on Low or 4 hours on High. Reduce cooking time to 5 hours on Low and 3 hours on High, if using cooked turkey. Serve hot.

Easy Oven Baked Meatball Sandwiches Recipe

Easy Oven Baked Meatball Sandwiches Recipe

Ingredients

• Sandwich rolls (cut with one side intact)
• Cooked Meatballs (your favorite recipe or frozen, pre-made meatballs)
• Pasta Sauce (homemade or jarred)
• Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Instructions

1. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Place your frozen cooked meatballs or homemade cooked meatballs in a large pot. Cover with your pasta sauce. Gently fold the meatballs with the sauce, Heat the meatballs and sauce on low-medium, stirring occasionally, until the meatballs are heated thoroughly.
3. Fill a roll with as many meatballs as you can fit (usually 4-5 meatballs, depends on size of meatballs and the size of the roll). Top with more pasta sauce from your pot. Place filled sandwich rolls closely on baking sheet. Top each sandwich with shredded mozzarella cheese.
4. Bake until cheese is melted, hot, and bubbly.

Paleo Cajun Shrimp and Cauliflower "Grits" Recipe

Paleo Cajun Shrimp and Cauliflower "Grits" Recipe

Ingredients:

TOPPINGS:
- 4 strips bacon, cooked and chopped (save the bacon fat!)
- Chopped parsley (optional)
- Hot sauce (optional....sort of)

GRITS:
- 1 Tbsp. lard/bacon fat or tallow
- 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
- 3 cups riced cauliflower
- 1 1/4 cup almond flour
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
- Sea salt to taste
- Ground pepper to taste

 SHRIMP:
- 2 Tbsp. lard/bacon fat or tallow
- 1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice

SHRIMP SEASONING:
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne (or more if you like it spicey!)
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp.  dried thyme
- Dash red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:

TO MAKE THE GRITS:
1. Prepare the onions and cauliflower. You can rice the cauliflower by grating it or by placing batches of it in a food processor and pulsing until rice sized chunks are formed.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, add 1 Tbsp lard/bacon fat or tallow and saute the onion for about 3 minutes. Add the riced cauliflower and stir to combine.
3. Next add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the almond flour and seasonings and stir to combine.
4. Cover and allow to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Check the consistency at about 15 minutes into the cooking process. If grits are too thin for your liking add more almond flour, if too thick add more broth.
5. After 20 minutes remove the grits from the heat and set aside. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

TO MAKE THE SHRIMP:
1. Rinse shrimp and pat dry. Mix seasoning ingredients in small bowl. Sprinkle the mixture over the shrimp to coat well and set aside.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and warm 2 Tbsp. lard/bacon fat or tallow  Add shrimp, onion and garlic to pan and cook until they turn pink.
3. Add lemon juice and saute for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

TO SERVE:
1. Add a large scoop of grits to a bowl and add a serving of shrimp. Top it off with some crumbled bacon and a few dashes of parsley. Serve with some hot sauce on the side for added spice.