Friday Foodday

Happy Friday and Christmas lovebugs! Here are some festive recipes for you.

Cranberry Ginger Mule
c/o Delish

Ingredients
¼ c. water
3 packets Splenda® Naturals Stevia Sweetener
1 c. vodka
1/3 c. lime juice
1 c. unsweetened cranberry juice (not cocktail)
1 c. ginger beer

Directions

In a small saucepan, bring water and SPLENDA® Naturals Stevia Sweetener to a simmer. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes until sweetener is reduced. Set aside.
In a large pitcher, mix together vodka, lime juice, cranberry juice, and sweetener reduction. Top with ginger beer.
Divide among 4 glasses. Garnish each glass with a cranberry skewer. Serve immediately.

Christmas Pancake Casserole

c/o Food Network

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the dish and serving
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons sugar
Kosher salt
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
7 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Maple syrup, for serving
Blueberries, for serving

Directions

1. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish; set aside. Put 3 tablespoons of the butter in a microwave-safe small bowl or liquid measure; microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute to melt the butter.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, 3 tablespoons of the sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, 2 of the eggs and the melted butter. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and stir until just combined.
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Melt a little of the remaining butter in the pan. For each pancake, spoon 1/4 cup of batter into the skillet and cook until the bottom is golden brown and small bubbles appear on the top, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook until golden brown on the other side, about 2 minutes. If the pancakes brown too quickly, reduce the heat to medium-low. Transfer the pancakes to a plate as finished. Repeat until all the batter is used, adding more butter to the pan as necessary. (You should have at least 12 pancakes.)
4. Whisk together the half-and-half, vanilla, the remaining 5 eggs and 3 tablespoons sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl.
5. Shingle the pancakes in the prepared baking dish. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the pancakes. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours up to overnight to allow the pancakes to soak in the custard.
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the plastic wrap, and bake the casserole until it feels firm yet springy to the touch in the center and the custard is set, 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm with maple syrup, blueberries and pats of butter.

Peppermint Cheesecake Cups

c/o Emily Bites

Ingredients

• 12 Famous Chocolate Wafers
• 8 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 5.3 oz container of fat free vanilla Greek yogurt (I used Dannon Light & Fit)
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 – 1/3 teaspoon peppermint extract (or to taste)
• 3 drops red food coloring (optional)
• 12 tablespoons nonfat whipped topping (like Reddi Wip)
• 3 mini candy canes, crushed

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375. Place cupcake liners into 12 cups of a standard sized muffin/cupcake tin and place a chocolate wafer in each liner (don’t worry if they don’t fit perfectly, just try to make them lay flat).
2. In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, yogurt, 1/3 cup of sugar, egg, extract and food coloring and mix together using an electric mixer until smooth and well combined. Spoon the mixture evenly on top of the wafers into the prepared liners and spread flat with a spatula or the back or a spoon.
3. Bake for 15-16 minutes and remove from oven to cool. Once the cheesecake cups have cooled to room temperature, transfer the cheesecake cups to the refrigerator and chill for at least one hour. Before serving, top each cheesecake cup with a tablespoon of whipped topping and a sprinkling of crushed candy cane pieces.

Friday Foodday

Happy Friday! Here are my favorite recipes this week.

Smirnoff No. 21 and Champagne Sparkler
c/o Delish

Ingredients
1 1/2 c. Smirnoff No. 21 Vodka
2 bottle Moët & Chandon Champagne
1 1/4 c. pomegranate juice
1 c. simple syrup
Lemon slices

Directions
Combine the first three ingredients in a punch bowl with ice. 

Add simple syrup to taste.

Mix in lemon slices.



Korean Grilled Chicken Breasts

c/o Skinny Taste

Ingredients

• 1 pound (2) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise
• 1/4 cup low sodium or gluten-free soy sauce
• 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 tbsp light brown sugar
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, plus more for topping
• 2 thinly sliced scallions, white and green parts

Directions

Place the chicken breasts, 1 at a time, in a Ziploc bag. Pound the chicken breast to an even thickness, about ½ inch thick, being careful not to puncture the bag.

In a medium bowl, combine the soy sauce, apple sauce, onion, sesame oil, ginger, brown sugar, garlic, red pepper flakes, if using and sesame seeds.  Reserve ¼ cup of the marinade and transfer the remainder to the Ziploc bag with the chicken. Refrigerate and marinate for at least 1 hour.

Over medium-high heat, grill the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes or until it no longer sticks to the grill.  Turn the chicken, spoon the reserved ¼ cup of marinade over each breast and grill an addition 2 to 3 minutes.

Fruity Pebble Crunch Ice Cream Cake

c/o The Gunny Sack

Ingredients

• 4 cups Fruity Pebbles
• 1½ cups white chocolate chips
• 1½ tablespoons shortening
• ½ gallon vanilla ice cream

Directions

1. To make the Fruity Pebble Crunch Ice Cream Cake, start by placing half a gallon of vanilla ice cream in the fridge to soften.
2. Put Fruity Pebbles into a large bowl. Melt white chocolate chips and shortening in the microwave. Pour the melted chocolate over the cereal and stir until evenly coated.
3. Pour the coated cereal onto a piece of parchment paper. Allow the white chocolate coating to harden and then break the cereal into bite sized pieces.
4. In a large bowl, quickly mix half a gallon of softened vanilla ice cream with 2 cups of the crunchy cereal pieces. Spread into a 9-inch springform pan before the ice cream melts.
5. Top with the remaining crunchy cereal and press it into the ice cream.
6. Cover the springform pan and place the ice cream cake in the freezer for 4-6 hours or overnight to harden. When ready to serve, remove from the freezer and slide a knife around the edges of the springform pan and then remove the sides.
7. Dip a knife in very hot water, quickly dry it off and use the hot knife to cut the ice cream cake cake. Re-dip and dry the knife for each cut you make.