Avocado Baked Eggs

Ok, so I haven't posted in a while - but I am trying to get on Chopped with Food Network, so expect to find me on TV!  This is an egg baked in an avocado with bacon and an English muffin.  The yolk is soft so its a delicious, gooey bite with that crunchy bacon.  It truly is AMAZING to eat - and relatively good for you. 

Half an avocado, crack an egg gently, salt and pepper then bake at 350 for about 9-12 minutes.  Top with shredded cheese and crumbled bacon bits.  DELISH.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

This is Pumpkin "Cheesecake" - now its not super sweet because you are supposed to serve it with caramel sauce or maple syrup drizzled over the top with a hit of pecans.  This is lactose free - however you can use cream cheese rather than silken tofu if people in your family can have milk products.  Mine can't, so I spend a lot of time creating lactose free versions of things like this.

Here you go:
1/2 cup Pecan flour (ground up pecans) - you can use any nuts here
Box of ginger snaps
1 stick of butter, softened
1 egg
1 pkg silken tofu (or use 1 block of cream cheese - if you use the cream cheese omit the lemon juice)
1/4 tsp lemon juice
dash salt
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs well beaten
1/4 cup brown sugar
half a can of pumpkin (not pie mix, just pumpkin)
1 box powdered sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp each, cloves, ginger, nutmeg

Heat oven to 350; spray a pyrex 13x9 dish with PAM.  Grind up cookies and flour in food processor; melt butter and mix with egg.  Mix with cookie mix and pat in the bottom of the pan.

Add all the other ingredients in another bowl with a hand mixer; pour over the cookie crust.  Bake for 45-55 minutes (it won't jiggle in the middle).  Cool in the fridge for a little while - a few hours - then cut in squares, drizzle with the sauce of your choice and serve.

The tofu adds extra protein, you can also add more sugar if you wanted it sweeter and not serve a sauce. 

Praline Cookies

These cookies are inspired by the old fashioned pralines.  Its a simple cookie made with brown sugar rather than white sugar then the praline top is actual candy - it hardens on top.  The original recipe came from the NC Pillsbury Bake Off contest in 1959 - clearly before any of us were worried with sugar! 

Cookies:
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or marg
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsps. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Candy Top:
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup half/half or cream (can use lactose free if you need to)
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray the cookie sheet with PAM; cream together the brown sugar and butter/marg for the cookies until light and fluffy.  Add the vanilla and egg, mix well.  Combine all the dry ingredients for the cookie in a separate bowl then slowly add to the wet mixture.  Roll into balls using about 1 tbls of batter, 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet.  Bake for about 10-12 minutes; let cool on the cookie sheet for about a minute then remove to a place for putting the candy on top.

When all cookies are done, put a little bit of the chopped pecans under candy top list on each cookie, spacing it out evenly.  In a small saucepan coming the brown sugar and half/half or cream over medium heat until it boils - boil it EXACTLY 2 minutes stirring constantly - it won't turn out if you don't.  Remove from heat and stir in the powdered sugar until all dissolved - immediately drizzle on each cookie over the pecans - it will harden as it cools so be a little fast with this.  Should make about 36 cookies.

Your Own Granola

Ok, so Granola at the store is expensive and is so high in sugar and other stuff, its really not good for you anymore.  So, I made my own - and you can too!  This is my combination of things we like, however you really can put any type of nut, seed, or flavoring you like.  If you aren't a nutmeg fan for example, switch it out with pumpkin pie spice or just add more cinnamon.  Walnuts may be your thing rather than pecans..or macadamia nuts.  The goal is to make it your own, make it healthy, and save yourself from the expensive stuff at the store!

Ingredients:
3 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup slivered almonds (or other nut)
1/2 cup chopped pecans (or other nut)
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (or pumpkin pie spice)
1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons canola oil
rind of one medium orange as zest
juice of 1/2 fresh medium orange

Preheat oven to 250 degrees; spray down a large cookie sheet with non-stick spray.  Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and combine all the wet ingredients in a small bowl.  Whisk the wet ingredients until all blended then pour over the dry mixing to cover all the dry.  Spread it all out on the cookie sheet evenly then put it in the oven for 1 hr 30 minutes - no more than 2 hours.  Check on it about every 15-20 minutes and stir it with a spatula to not have any of the edges burn.  When its brown, transfer it all to a cool cookie sheet to crisp up and cool down.  This has to be stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

I did the nutritional calculation - if you divide the whole pan up by 10 servings, there are 327 calories per serving, 13.6 grams of fat, 47 grams of carbohydrate, 8 grams of protein, 0% cholesterol, and 6 grams of dietary fiber.  I would recommend using vanilla soy milk on this to boost the protein; of course if you are lactose intolerant, that is optimal also.

I adapted this recipe from a great new website I found - www.wellvegan.com. 

Potatoes ala Susanne

Ok, so my daughter is a potato LOVER - like she loves them ANY way - but this is her favorite.  She absolutely just craves these really any day of the week but on Saturday morning its like a must.  They are super simple, and the good news is if you make some eggs and brown up some sausage, when you mix all three together in a warmed tortilla with cheese you have a superior breakfast taco.   You really don't need a lot of ingredients to pull this off; it makes a lot.

1 or 2 large Yukon Gold potatoes (really any potato, but I like Yukon Gold)

3 strips bacon, cut in 1/2 in dice

2 green onions, chopped

1 garlic clove

Salt, Pepper to taste

1/4 c white wine

2 TBLS olive oil

Cube up the potatoes, cube up the bacon, chop the onion and garlic clove.  Heat a skillet to HI and add the oil and bacon.  Cook until the bacon is getting crisp then add the potatoes, onion and garlic.  Give a good dusting with salt and pepper then saute.  When the bottom on the pan is covered with drippings to the point of almost burn, put in the white wine to deglaze the pan.  Let it reduce for about 5-7 minutes, then drop the heat back and put a lid on it.  Stir about every 2-3 minutes.  If you have an electric stove, turn the heat off now and let it sit; if gas, let it cook for another 5 minutes then take it off the heat.

Makes enough for about 4 people or about 12 tacos if you combine it with the eggs and sausage as above.

You can add thyme, sage, cheese - any combo of ingredients really.  The goal is to make an alternative to plain old hashbrowns.

Also, my most favorite place to eat is Big Daddy's Ship Store - they have a new blog and Chef Matt is one of the best...go check it out!

King Ranch Chicken Casserole

King ranch is an old favorite around my house.  The story is that the recipe originated on the originaly King Ranch in central/west Texas.  The King Ranch was one of the largest working ranches back in the day - it now only exists in history.

1 whole chicken, boiled and deboned or just get a one from the deli at the supermarket and debone

1 large spanish onion, chopped
2 large hatch, anaheim, or poblano peppers
1 can fat free cream of mushroom soup
1 can fat free cream of chicken soup
1 teaspoon butter
1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes with chilies or 10.5 oz of picante sauce
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 pound cheddar/monterey jack cheese grated
1 bag tortilla chips (roughly crushed)


Preheat oven to 350.  Debone the chicken and dice up the meat, put it to the side.  Using a deep skillet, saute the peppers and onion in the butter until soft; add the garlic, soups, tomatoes (or picante sauce).  Spray a large flat casserole dish (9x13x2) with non-stick spray then layer as follows - sauce, chips, chicken, cheese.  End up with cheese on the top.  Bake uncovered for 50 minutes - it will need to sit for a few minutes once it comes out of the oven.  Garnish with pickled jalepenos and serve with black beans and spanish rice.


Enjoy!





Double Duty Shrimp, Tomatoes, and Cannelli Beans

This is a super easy and fantastic dish not only for the supper, but for a great salad the next day.  Here is the recipe..it was inspired by one I saw in Martha Stewart Living, but I made a few changes to suit my family.

Shrimp, Tomatoes, and Cannelli Beans
12-16 oz grape tomatoes
1 can (14.5 oz) cannelli beans (white beans) drained and rinsed
3 marinated artichoke hearts, diced
2 fresh, small jalepenos, sliced
1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 4 medium cloves)
2 tablespoons EVOO
Coopers Seasoning
Coarse salt
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 pound shrimp, can be frozen and cooked or can be fresh, shell and take the tails off either way
3/4 cup of chicken stock
Sliced fresh basil leaves

1. Heat the broiler in the oven to high.  Put a large, oven proof skillet in the oven dry to heat it up to screaming hot - you CAN use an iron skillet, but I just used my stainless and it was fine.  This takes about 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, toss together the tomatoes, beans, artichoke hearts, garlic, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt in a bowl.  Shell, devein (if needed), and remove tails from shrimp and toss them in a separate bowl with 1 tablespoon oil and 1/4 teaspoon Coopers seasoning (check out my links to buy this seasoning - if you don't have it, something like a grill seasoning will do).

2. Remove skillet from the oven and add the tomato mixture.  Put it back in the oven for like 15 to 20 minutes - until the tomato skins are charring and they are looking kinda wrinkled - anywhere from 5-10 minutes.  After that, take that screaming hot skillet out again and add in the shrimp and chicken broth.  Put it back in the oven for about 3-7 minutes just until the shrimp are done if raw, heated if frozen cooked.

3.  Remove the skillet, drain the liquid if it hasn't been absorbed, dust it with some cayenne and chopped fresh basil and serve.  DELICIOUS!

The next day, for the cold leftovers, just add a basalmic vinegar mixed with a little oil, some italian dressing, or any other type of vingarette and toss - serve on butter lettuce and its fantastic!

This is a totally healthy dish and just screams summer.  I am in Texas, so beleive me, summer will last until...lets say...December?