Friday Foodday

Happy Friday lovebugs! 
I'm off to South Carolina to spend the weekend with one of my best girlfriends. In the meantime, here are some of my favorite recipes this week.

Demerara Rose
c/o Fogged in Lounge

Ingredients

• 4 oz Demerara rum 
• 1/2 oz lemon juice
• 1/2 oz lime juice
• 1/2 oz grenadine

Directions
Shake with ice and strain into chilled cocktail glasses. Makes two.








Peanut Chicken Lettuce Wraps
c/o Cassie Craves

Ingredients
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons ginger root, peeled and grated
1 pound ground chicken 
4 tablespoons soy sauce 
1 tablespoon Sriracha or other hot sauce
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 small can water chestnuts, chopped 
1/3 cup chopped peanuts 
1 head iceberg lettuce 

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Add onion and saute about 2 minutes, then add garlic and ginger and saute another minute. Add ground chicken to frying pan and break apart, then add soy sauce and Sriracha. Cook until the chicken is brown and crumbling apart, and the sauce is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.

2. While chicken cooks, wash and chop cilantro. Remove the core end from lettuce and separate leaves

3. When chicken is done, add chopped water chestnuts, chopped peanuts, and chopped cilantro and cook 1 to 2 minutes more.

4. To serve, place chicken mixture on lettuce leaf and fold the leaf closed to make it easy to grab and eat.

Peach Cobbler Oatmeal

c/o Spoonful of Flavor

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups water
• pinch of salt
• 2 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 2 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• pinch of nutmeg
• 2 large peaches, chopped
• 3-4 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans for garnish; if desired

Directions

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, add water and salt. Bring to a boil. Add oats, cinnamon and nutmeg and stir to combine.
2. Cook for 4 minutes, or until oatmeal thickens. Add peaches and brown sugar and cook one additional minute.
3. Serve immediately and garnish with pecans, if desired.

Friday Foodday

Happy Friday! Here are my favorite holiday cookie recipes!

Candy Cane Crinkles

℅ Lauren's Latest

Ingredients

3 whole candy canes, crushed
½ cups Butter, Softened
1 cup Granulated Sugar
½ teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1 whole Egg
¼ teaspoons Salt
¼ teaspoons Baking Powder
⅛ teaspoons Baking Soda
1-½ cup All-purpose Flour
½ cups Powdered Sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease light colored baking sheets with non stick cooking spray, line with parchment paper or use silicone baking mat and set aside.

Place candy canes into a plastic food storage bag and crush using a rolling pin. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Whip in vanilla and egg. Scrape sides and mix again. Stir all dry ingredients together in a small bowl and then in pour into mixer and slowly mix until just combined, excluding the powdered sugar. Scrape sides of bowl and mix again briefly. Stir in crushed candy canes. Pour powdered sugar onto a large plate. Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough.

Bake for 9-11 minutes or until bottoms begin to barely brown and cookies look matte {not melty or shiny}. Remove from oven and cool cookies about 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Chocolate Milk Cookies

℅ Cassie Craves

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/4 teaspoon baking soda 

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened 

1/2 cup granulated sugar 

1/2 cup chocolate milk powder 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 to 4 tablespoons chocolate milk

Red and green sugar or sprinkles for decorating, if desired

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Combine flour, salt, and baking soda in a bowl. In a large bowl, mix butter, sugar, chocolate milk powder, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add eggs one at a time. Gradually add in flour mixture and mix until thoroughly combined.

3. Drop by teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten cookies with the back of a spoon.

4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheets, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.

5. Combine powdered sugar and chocolate milk. Glaze cooled cookies, then garnish with red and green sugar or sprinkles if desired.

Chocolate Peppermint Patty Cookies

℅ Buns in My Oven

Ingredients

1 box devil's food cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup canola oil
18 peppermint patties (the small ones)
powdered sugar, for sprinkling

Directions

Beat together the cake mix, eggs, and oil until well combined and a sticky dough forms.
Place dough in the fridge for 20 minutes to chill. If you skip this step, the dough will be very hard to work with, but if you're in a hurry just make sure your hands are cold by running them under cold water after you shape each cookie.
Grab a golf ball sized ball of dough, roll into a ball, and flatten it into a disc.Place a peppermint patty in the center and bring the excess dough up and around the patty to cover it.
Repeat with remaining dough and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet 2 inches apart from each other.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 9 minutes.
Remove from oven and sprinkle on powdered sugar.
Cool on a wire rack.

Friday Foodday

Happy Friday! Here are my favorite recipes for the week.

Buffalo Chicken Fries
c/o Lauren's Latest

Ingredients
1 32-oz. bag crinkle cut low fat fries 
2 tablespoons butter
1/2-3/4 cup hot sauce
2 cups diced rotisserie chicken
1 cup grated provolone cheese 
3/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
cilantro, for garnish

Directions
Preheat  oven to 450 degrees. Place fries onto baking sheet and cook according to package directions. While fries are baking, melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Stir in hot sauce. Toss chicken in mixture to coat and heat through. Turn down to low to keep warm. Once fries are crispy and finished baking, Sprinkle with provolone, chicken pieces and blue cheese crumbles. Cook 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top with cilantro and more hot sauce. Serve immediately.

Cauliflower Tots
c/o Skinny Taste

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked cauliflower florets, finely chopped *see note
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white
• 1/2 cup onion, minced
• 3 tbsp minced fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
• salt and pepper to taste
• cooking spray

Directions

*to cook the cauliflower florets, steam a little over 2 cups raw cauliflower florets in a little water covered for for 4 to 5 minutes or until tender but not mushy, then drain well and dry on paper towel, then using a knife finely chop and set 2 cups aside. 

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Spray a nonstick cookie sheet with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon 1 tablespoon of mixture in your hands and roll into small ovals. Place on the cookie sheet and bake for 16-18 minutes, turning halfway through cooking until golden.

Rugelash

c/o Cassie Craves

Ingredients

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter
1 8-ounce package cream cheese
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 cup finely chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Cut cold butter and cream cheese into bits. In a food processor, pulse flour, salt, butter and cream cheese, and sour cream until crumbly.

2. Shape crumbly mixture into 4 equal-sized discs. Wrap each disc and chill for 2 hours, or up to 2 days.

3. Combine sugar, cinnamon, and walnuts in a bowl.

4. Roll each disc into a 9-inch round, keeping the other discs chilled until ready to use. Sprinkle the rolled disc with the walnut mixture, pressing lightly into the dough. 

5. Using a chef's knife or pizza cutter, cut each round into 12 wedges. Roll wedges from wide to narrow, ending with a point. Place on ungreased baking sheets and chill for 20 minutes before baking.

6. After chilling, bake at 350 degrees for 22 minutes until lightly golden. Cool on wire racks.

Friday Foodday

Happy Friday! Here are my favorite recipes this week.

Mulled Wine
c/o Give Me Some Oven

Ingredients

• 1 (750 ml) bottle red wine
• 1 orange, sliced
• 1/4 cup brandy (optional)
• 1/4 cup honey or sugar
• 8 whole cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 star anise

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a non-aluminum saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and let simmer for at least 15 minutes. Strain, and serve warm.

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Encrusted French Toast

c/o Lauren's Latest

Ingredients

2 cups Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal
3 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
5 slices day-old bread {any kind you have on hand}
butter for frying + more for smearing
maple syrup

Directions

Place cereal into a large plastic food storage bag. Crush cereal with a rolling pin into fine crumbs. Pour onto a plate and set aside.

In a large shallow dish, crack eggs and whisk together with milk. Dip one slice of bread into egg mixture and then coat in cereal crumbs.

Cook over medium heat in 1 teaspoon butter until browned on either side. Remove from pan and serve with more butter and warm maple syrup.

Granola Pie

c/o Cassie Craves

Ingredients

Crust for 1 9-inch pie

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup corn syrup

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 eggs, lightly beaten

4 crunchy oats and honey granola bars, crushed

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup oats (quick-cooking or old-fashioned will work)

1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Whipped cream for serving

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place pie crust in a 9-inch pie plate and crimp the edges.

2. Microwave butter on high for 1 minute or until melted. Sitr in brown sugar and corn syrup until blended. Beat in salt, vanilla and eggs. Stir crushed granola bars, walnuts, oats, and chocolate chips into the brown sugar mixture. Pour into the crust-lined pie plate.

3. Bake 40 to 50 minutes, or until filling is set and crust is golden brown. During the last 15 to 20 minutes of baking, cover the crust with strips of foil to avoid over-browning. Cool at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve at any temperature with whipped cream. Cover and refrigerate leftovers.   

Friday Foodday

Happy Friday lovebugs! Here are my favorite recipes this week.

The Classic Rob Roy
c/o The Kitchn

Ingredients
2 ounces of Blended Scotch Whiskey
1 ounce sweet vermouth
2 dashes of Angostura bitters
1 lemon peel, for garnish

Directions

In a shaker filled with ice, add the Scotch whiskey, the sweet vermouth and the bitters. Stir to chill. Strain into a martini glass (or an equally alluring vessel) and top with a lemon peel.

BBQ Cheddar Jalapeno Chicken Meatballs

c/o Slender Kitchen

Ingredients

• 
  
• 1 lb. 90% lean ground chicken
• 1-2 jalapenos, seeded and diced (adjust according to your spice preference)
• 1/2 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• Splash of Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp. diced onions
• 1 tbsp. minced garlic
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.
2. Mix together the chicken, jalapenos, cheese, cilantro, egg, cumin, salt, pepper, Worcestershire, onions, and garlic.
3. Roll into about 16 meatballs.
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes until completely cooked through.
5. While still hot, toss with your favorite barbecue sauce.

Asian Noodle Bowl with Fried Eggs

c/o Cassie Craves

Ingredients

2 packages of ramen noodles (any flavor, the seasoning is getting tossed anyway)

1 teaspoon vegetable or peanut oil

3 cloves minced garlic

1 tablespoon freshly-grated ginger

4 cups low-sodium chicken stock

4 eggs, cooked to desired doneness

Green onions

Soy sauce

Sriracha

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and fresh ginger; cook and stir for 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock, raise heat to high, and bring to a boil. Add the ramen (discard the seasoning packet) and cook, stirring occasionally, until done (about 3 minutes).

2. Meanwhile, cook the eggs to desired doneness.

3. Add ramen to a bowl (with as much or as little liquid as you like). Top each bowl with an egg, a sprinkling of green onions, and soy sauce and sriracha to taste.

Friday Foodday

Happy Friday lovebugs!
I hope you have a wonderful weekend! Here are my favorite recipes this week.

Jalapeño Popper Breakfast Scramble
c/o Cassie Craves

Ingredients
1 pound bacon, chopped
2 jalapeños, finely diced
2 tablespoons canola oil
4 cups shredded frozen hash brown potatoes
8 eggs
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 

Directions
1. Cook bacon to desired crispness in a large skillet. Remove to a paper towel to drain. Add jalapeños and cook until just softened, then place the jalapeños in a large bowl.

2. Heat the canola oil in another large skillet. Add hash browns in a single layer, season with salt and pepper, and let them get crispy. After they're crispy, flip them over to let the other side brown.

3. Add the eggs, cream cheese, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper to the reserved jalapenos and scramble. The cream cheese will still be in chunks in the eggs, but that's fine.

4. Pour the scrambled egg mixture over the hashbrowns, add reserved bacon, and mix it all together until the eggs are cooked. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and cover to let it melt. Serve.

Roasted Red Pepper & Goat Cheese Alfredo

c/o Lauren's Latest

Ingredients

2 whole red bell peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup fat free half & half
4 oz. garlic & herb goat cheese
2/3 cup grated parigiano reggiano cheese
1/2 cup artichoke hearts (optional)
1/2 lb. linguine, cooked to al dente
salt & pepper, to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place red peppers on baking sheet and bake 20-30 minutes until peppers are charred. Remove from oven and cover with foil 10 minutes.
In the mean time, saute onions and garlic in olive oil 7 minutes or until tender. Pour in half & half, goat cheese, salt & pepper. Stir to melt goat cheese into sauce and keep warm over low heat.
Uncover peppers, peel off skin and remove stem and seeds. Chop into large pieces and place into sauce along with parmesan cheese. Stir to melt cheese and remove from heat. Pour sauce into food processor and puree, or use an immersion blender. Place back into hot pan and toss with cooked pasta. Taste and adjust seasonings. Top with more parmesan cheese, pepper, salt and parsley, if desired.

Zucchini Asiago Tomato Scones

c/o Skinny Taste

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup cold buttermilk
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour (recommend: King Arthur)
• 1 cup all purpose flour (recommend: King Arthur)
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 cup chilled whipped butter (must be cold), cut into small pieces
• 1 cup shredded zucchini, squeezed of all moisture
• 2.5 oz Asiago cheese, shredded
• 2.75 oz (just under 2/3 cup) sun dried tomatoes, minced
• 1-1/2 tbsp rosemary, chopped
• cooking spray
• 1 large egg white, beaten

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Combine the buttermilk and egg in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray.

Combine the flours with the baking powder and salt, in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk.

Squeeze all the excess moisture from the zucchini with a paper towel, you should wind up with 1 cup after it's all squeezed. In a bowl combine the zucchini, sun dried tomatoes, cheese and rosemary.

Cut in the chilled butter with a pastry blender, or you could use 2 knives, until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Gently fold in the cheese, zucchini, sun dried tomatoes and rosemary. Add milk mixture, stirring just until moist, without overworking the dough.

Place dough onto a floured surface and knead lightly four times with floured hands. Form dough into an 10-inch circle onto the baking sheet, about 3/4" thick, you may need to sprinkle a little more flour on top if it's too sticky. Using a knife, cut dough into 12 wedges all the way through. 

Brush egg white over dough. Bake until golden, about 20 - 22 minutes, depending on your oven. Serve warm.

Friday Foodday

Happy Friday lovebugs!

Here are my favorite recipes from the week.

Skinny Pizza Logs

c/o Emily Bites

Ingredients

8 egg roll wrappers (larger than wonton wrappers)

8 teaspoons store-bought pizza sauce

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

24 turkey pepperoni slice

4 light Mozzarella string cheese sticks, each cut in half horizontally to make two shorter sticks

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425. Lightly mist a large baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.

2. Pour some water into a small dish and set aside. On a flat surface, place an egg roll wrapper, corner facing toward you (like a diamond) and spread a teaspoon of pizza sauce horizontally across the center of the wrapper, leaving ½ inch or so of space on each side. Sprinkle a pinch of Italian seasoning across the sauce and add a row of 3 pepperoni slices over the sauce. Place half a cheese stick on top of the pepperoni. Fold the bottom corner closest to you up over the ingredients and give it a 90 degree roll. Fold the side corners in and tuck them as you give the filled section another 90 degree roll. Dip your finger in the dish or reserved water and lightly wet the edges of the remaining top corner of the wrapper. Finish rolling the filled pizza log over the wet corner so that it adheres. Place wrapped pizza log onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

3. When all of the pizza logs are wrapped and on the baking sheets, mist the tops with cooking spray. Bake for 10-14 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until the wrappers are golden brown. 

Jalapeño Popper Smashed Potatoes

c/o Cassie Craves

Ingredients

3 to 4 pounds red potatoes, chopped

1/2 pound bacon, chopped

2 jalapenos, seeded and diced

5 tablespoons butter, softened

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Add chopped potatoes to a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and continue to boil until potatoes are fork tender. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot.

2. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove from skillet, reserving drippings, and set aside on paper towels to drain. Add the jalapenos to the bacon drippings and cook until softened and fragrant. Add the jalapenos to the reserved bacon.

3. Add butter and cream cheese to the potatoes and use a potato masher to mash. Stir in the cheddar cheese, bacon, and jalapenos until the cheese is melted. The potatoes shouldn't need any additional liquid, but if they do, add milk until desired consistency is reached. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Linguine with Alfredo, Asparagus, Peas and Poached Egg

c/o A Taste of Home Cooking

Ingredients

1lb linguine or spaghetti 

1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup frozen peas 

4 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 cups half & half 

salt and ground black pepper, to taste

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated (this is about an ounce)

4 large eggs, poached

Directions

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package directions. In the last two minutes add the asparagus to the pasta water to cook. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Add pasta back to the pot and stir in the peas. 

While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a pot, then add the cream, salt and pepper. Allow to thicken slightly, then turn off the heat and add the Parmesan cheese. Add the sauce to the pasta and vegetables and toss to coat. Thin with some of the pasta cooking water, if necessary.

Remove the pasta to plates, creating a nest in the center for the eggs. Reheat poached eggs for 15 seconds in hot (but not boiling) water and remove with a slotted spoon to the top of the pasta. Garnish with more Parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper.