Delicious Dill Steak Kabobs (Gluten, Dairy, & Nut Free!)

Hey friends!  This is a delicious and rather simple recipe that was featured in the June 2014 Better Homes and Gardens magazine.  As always, I changed it up a bit based on what I had/didn't have...

Ingredients:

8-12 tiny yellow or red potatoes (I used small Yukon gold potatoes)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb sirloin steak, cut into 1 1/2 in cubes
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp dill weed (original recipe calls for 1 tsp dill seeds, crushed, which would be much more flavorful)
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 medium red onion, cut into wedges

Directions:

1. A few hours ahead of time, place steak cubes in large resealable plastic bag and add following items to bag for marinade: 1 Tbsp olive oil, vinegar, dill weed/seeds, black pepper, red pepper, and a dash of salt.  Shake shake shake!  Let sit in fridge for a bit, then remove about 30 min before cooking.

(reminder: don't forget to place wooden skewers in water to soak before grilling - I used 6 total)

2. In a large pot bring salted water to boiling.  Add potatoes, return to boiling, then cover and reduce heat.  Simmer for 12 minutes or until potatoes are just tender.  Drain water then return potatoes to pot, toss in 1 Tbsp of oil and sprinkle with salt (I used an italian spice blend with salt to season mine).

3. Thread marinated steak cubes, potatoes, and onion wedges onto skewers leaving about 1/4 inch between pieces.  Grill skewers on gas or charcoal grill directly over medium heat (rotating skewers occasionally) for 10-12 minutes or until meat is to desired doneness.

Serve and enjoy!  This was a very filling meal for our little family of 3 - we had lots of left overs - so I think it would serve about 4 hungry adults.

Let me know what you think of this recipe.  It's a wonderful gluten, nut, and dairy free recipe to keep on hand if you're hosting any guests with allergies or dietary restrictions!  As long as they're not vegetarians...

Pork Chops with Cilantro Pesto + Spicy Grilled Corn

Hey friends, thought I'd share a yummy summer-grillin' recipe with you for this weekend.  We tried the recipe last night, and it was super delish.  I first spotted the pork chop recipe in my June 2014 Better Homes & Gardens magazine then added a few other things to the pesto sauce to make it even better.

Drooling yet?

(It's hard to make meat look pretty even if it tastes fabulous...oh, how I envy the talents of food photographers.)

Ingredients for sauce:
1 cup packed cilantro leaves and stems
1/4 cup orange juice
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp Kraft parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp orange marmalade
(BHG recipe called for a few dashes of green hot pepper sauce but we didn't have any)

Ingredients for chops:
4 thick pork chops (bone-in or boneless)
Chili powder (as much as you like)
Brown Sugar (as much as you like)

Ingredients for corn:
4 ears of fresh corn, peeled and washed
2 Tbsp Butter
Montreal Steak flavored Grillmates - in the spice aisle (as much as you like)
Paprika (as much as you like)

Directions:
1. To prep sauce - Toss cilantro, orange juice, olive oil, parmesan cheese, and orange marmalade into blender.  Puree until smooth.  Set aside.

2. To prep chops - Sprinkle brown sugar and chili powder onto pork chops.  Rub in with your fingers.  I used quite a bit of both because we like our pork chops well seasoned. (I did this early in the day, then placed them in fridge until we were ready for dinner)

3. To prep corn - Place each ear of corn over a square of foil.  Rub pad of butter onto surface of corn. Sprinkle with Grillmates and Paprika.  Wrap tightly in foil.

4. Preheat BBQ pit so it's nice and hot.  Place meat and foil-wrapped corn on grill for about 10-15 minutes total.  Flip everything at the half-way point.

5. Remove pork chops and corn from grill.  Plate the food, then drizzle cilantro pesto sauce over grilled pork chops.  Place extra sauce in small bowls for dipping.  Bon appétit!

If you try it, let me know what you think of the recipe.  Hope you enjoy!

Easy Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

I found this recipe for Chicken Pot Pie in an AllRecipes.com mailer/advertisement, and it had me at "pot pie".  To be honest, I've never met a pot pie that I didn't love.  I had never tried making my own mainly because there are so many good pre-made pot pie options like Marie Calendar's frozen pot pies, Costco's "handmade" refrigerated pot pies, etc.  To be super honest, pot pies just always seemed to be too tedious to make at home.  Until now... (enter angels singing a heavenly chorus)

This is so good, you could totally make it for guests and get a standing ovation (if you have guests like that...)

Ingredients:
1 lb boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2" cubes
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp celery seed
1 3/4 cup chicken broth
2/3 cup milk
2 unbaked frozen pie crusts, placed in refrigerator overnight to defrost (or you can make your own crust if you're hard core)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. In large saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas, and celery.  Add warm water to cover and boil for 10-15 min (until chicken cooked through).  Remove from heat, drain, and set aside. (Note: I prepared this the day before and just refrigerated it until the next day to save some prep time)

3. In same saucepan, over medium heat, cook onion in butter until soft and translucent.  Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed.  Then slowly stir in chicken broth and milk - alternating liquids until their both all in.  Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring very frequently, until thick.  Remove from heat and set aside.

4. Place 1 pie crust in a pie plate (I kept my bottom crust in the foil pie pan that it came in, but placed that inside a glass pie plate to prevent overflow) and spoon chicken mixture from step 2 into it.  Then pour hot broth mixture from step 3 over the filling.  Cover with second pie crust, inverted on top of the pie.  Seal crust edges by pressing down around the pie with your fingers.  (You may cut away any extra crust, but I piled my pie high with filling so the entire second pie crust was needed)

5. Make several small slits in the top of the pie to allow steam to escape.  Place pie plate on baking sheet to prevent overflow, then bake in preheated oven for 30-35 min or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly.

6. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.  Slice in and enjoy!

 Never looks as pretty as I'd like it to on the plate, but dang it tastes so good!

Let me know what you think of this recipe if you decide to give it a whirl.  It definitely deserves the 5-star review it has from AllRecipes.com.  It seems to be pretty fail-safe too.  (knock on wood for next time...)

Gluten + Dairy Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwiches

Ok friends, here's another really super tasty gluten and dairy free recipe that is sure to remind you of the Girl Scout Peanut Butter Patty cookies (you know the delicious peanut butter cookie covered in chocolate??).  I found the recipe for Flourless Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Sandwiches on one of my favorite recipe websites - Texanerin Baking.  She's got great recipes, so make sure to check her out!

Up front I'll go ahead and toss out the fact that my sister loved these and said they didn't taste "healthy" or "gluten free" at all.  Without further ado, here's my barely adjusted version of Erin's recipe.

Ingredients:
For cookies...
1 1/4 cup crunchy unsalted almond butter, very well-stirred so it's not too oily coming out of the jar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate, melted

For filling...
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp coconut oil

Directions:
1. Mix all the cookie ingredients, except for melted chocolate, in a large bowl.

2. Once combined, add melted chocolate and stir until well mixed.

3. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour - this will keep your dough from seeming too oily and sticky to work with.

4. While the dough chills, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and prepare the filling.

5. Mix the filling ingredients in a small bowl until well combined.  You can place this in the refrigerator too, just make sure to remove it a while before you place it between the cookies because it does harden a good bit.

6. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Roll your refrigerated dough into small balls, about 3/4" in diameter, and place them 1 1/2" apart.

7. Bake for 4-6 minutes.  4 minutes for fudge-y cookies and 6 minutes for a less doughy cookie.  (Both versions tasted great to me.)  Then remove cookies from oven and let cool completely on the baking sheet.

 (4 min fudge-y batch)

(6 min less doughy batch)

8. Once the cookies are cool, make the sandwiches by placing a small amount of filling between two cookies then press them gently together.  Then serve and enjoy!

These didn't last a night in our house (with guests) but Erin says they can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week.  I dare you!!

(FYI - There are far prettier pictures and more recipe details on Erin's Texanerin Baking blog.)

Gluten Free + Dairy Free Blueberry Power Muffins

That's right folks, these drool-inducing blueberry muffins are actually good for you!  Don't write them off because they're gluten free, dairy free, and amazingly low in sugar.  They truly taste like the real deal - and, I'd argue - even better.  They're moist, full of blueberries, and only about 200 calories for a full-sized muffin.  And, the best part, you'll actually feel good after you eat one...powered up, not full or bloated, ready to go!  (makes 12 muffins)

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cup almond flour (I use Trader Joe's brand almond meal)
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
------------------
3 large eggs
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 Tbsp maple syrup
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp vanilla
------------------
2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen (I used organic frozen berries...let them set out in the fridge for a few hours to defrost a bit)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease muffin pan for 12 muffins, or use muffin liners.

2. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Stir wet ingredients (except blueberries) with a whisk.  Pour wet mix into dry mix and stir until well combined.  Fold in blueberries.

3. Pour into muffin pan/muffin liners.  Bake for approx 28 min.  Let cool for a few minutes in the pan before dumping out (if you remove too soon, muffins baked without muffin liners may fall apart).

Serve or keep in an airtight container for several days.  Enjoy!

(Nutrition facts per muffin: 205 calories, 11 carbs, 15g fat, 7g protein, 192mg sodium, 7g sugar)

Try them out and let me know what you think of them.  Kids and adults love these suckers...I promise!

Heart Shaped Cinnamon Rolls (Round Duex)

Happy February!  Usually January flies by for me but this year it went super slow.  I was ready to get to some heart-themed things for Valentine's Day...and now I can finally get to it!  

We'll start out by bringing back these delicious handmade cinnamon rolls inspired by a recipe featured {here} that are perfect to share with those you love.

Adorable, huh?  Here's how to make them.

Ingredients:

For the dough...
3/4 cup part skim ricotta cheese
1/3 cup low fat buttermilk
1/4 cup sugar
2 oz salted butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
9 oz flour (approx 2 heaping cups)
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda

For the filling...
1 oz salted butter, melted
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

For the frosting...
2 oz mascarpone cheese, at room temp
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
(be flexible with these ingredients to make it a nice frosting/glaze-like consistency)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Grease a 8-9" square baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Combine ricotta cheese, buttermilk, sugar, melted butter, and vanilla in a mixer or food processor and mix until smooth - approx 10 seconds.  Add flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda and mix in short bursts just until dough clumps together (don't over mix it).  The dough should be soft and moist, but still appear to be rather clumpy.

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3. Dump dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it with floured hands until smooth (about a minute).  With floured rolling pin, roll dough into a 12"x15" rectangle.  Doesn't have to be exact ;o)

4. Now for the filling, brush the dough with melted butter (leave a 1/2" border of the dough unbuttered).  In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.  Sprinkle this mixture all over the buttered surface of the dough, then gently pat down so it adheres to the dough.

5. To created the heart shape, carefully roll both long sides toward the middle until they meet.  After the dough is rolled, use a sharp knife to cut equal slices, approx 1" thick.  (I got 9 rolls out of my dough)

6. Gently pinch the bottom (flat side) of each roll until it resembles a heart.

7. Place rolls in greased baking dish.  They will be touching, but that's good!

8. Place in preheated oven and bake for about 30 min, or until golden brown and firm to the touch.

(They don't look so cute now...but they will soon!)

9. Time for frosting!  In a small bowl, mix room-temp mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk until smooth.  Add small amounts of milk or powdered sugar as needed to achieve desired consistency.  Spread over slightly warm rolls and let stand for a few minutes before devouring!

These are the perfect treat for teachers, neighbors and friends, or your family for Valentine's Day morning or any day this month!  If you give them a whirl, do let me know what you think of them.

Thanksgiving Meal Musts : Gulliver's Corn + Green Bean Casserole

I'm bringing these two little gems out of the vault just to make sure you didn't miss them.  These easy recipes are ultimate must-haves for Thanksgiving at our house.  And people are always asking for the recipes!

The first, Gulliver's Corn, is a recipe my mom had gotten from a restaurant decades ago.  It's truly the BEST cream corn you'll ever taste.  And, the second, Green Bean Casserole, has buttermilk and parmesan, and something about using the frozen french cut green beans instead of canned green beans makes it WAY better than the traditional Green Bean Casserole that most people make.

Gulliver's Corn

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Ingredients:

2 (20 oz) packages frozen yellow corn

1/2 pint whipping cream

1/2 pint milk, preferably whole milk

1 tsp salt

6 tsp sugar

pinch of black pepper

2 Tbsp melted butter

2 Tbsp flour

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

fresh chives for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine corn, whipping cream, milk, sugar, salt, and pepper in a pot on stove.  Cover and bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

2. Blend melted butter and flour in small bowl.  Add to corn mixture.  Combine well then remove pot from heat.

3. Pour into oven-safe casserole dish and top with Parmesan cheese.  Place dish under broiler in oven until evenly browned (watch it carefully so it doesn't burn!).

4. If desired, garnish with fresh chives.  Serve warm.

(Way Better) Green Bean Casserole

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Ingredients:

1 bag (16 oz) frozen organic french cut green beans

1 can Campbell's Low Sodium Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 can-full of buttermilk (use the soup can to measure)

1 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese + plus some extra for on top

1 can French's Fried Onions

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Combine green beans, soup, buttermilk, pepper, and Parmesan cheese in an oven-safe casserole dish.  Stir to mix well.

2. Sprinkle the top with French's Fried Onions and an extra dash of Parmesan cheese.

3. Bake for 45 minutes.  Serve warm.

Thought I'd get these out to you while you're still planning for next week's meal.  We'll be away from home in NYC again this Thanksgiving, but this time with my parents (yay!).  We'll miss the traditional meal but we're stoked to be enjoying the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Rockettes performing at Radio City Music Hall for our holiday!  What are your family's plans for Turkey Day?

Slow Cooker Puerto Rican Shredded Pork Tacos

I've totally owed you guys a recipe, so here's a really good one I found in a BHG magazine ad that's super flavorful, colorful, and quite healthy (unless you add yummy cheese and sour cream...).

Ingredients:
2-3 lb. pork boneless sirloin roast (preferably tied with kitchen twine to make things easier for you)
1 Tbsp vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp cumin
1/2 Tbsp coarse salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1 cup orange juice (or 4 oranges, juiced)
4 limes, juiced

Directions:
1. Poke 3-5 holes in raw pork roast with sharp knife; stuff with half the crushed garlic.  Warm oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add pork to skillet and brown on all sides, 6-8 minutes total.

2. Combine remaining ingredients in blender/food processor and blend for a few seconds until evenly combined.  Place pork in slow cooker and pour liquid mixture over pork.  Let marinate for about 10 minutes on each side.

3. Turn slow cooker on low; set timer for 8 hours.  After 8 hours, remove pork and shred using two forks on a large cutting board.  Add pork back into juices in slow cooker.

4. Serve shredded pork warm in corn tortillas.  Garnish with fresh salsa and slices of avocado.

Note: Cilantro and shredded lettuce would also be yummy and healthy additions.  (Feel free to add some delicious cheese and sour cream if you're feeling it!)

Enjoy, friends!

Let me know what you think of the recipe!  It's my quasi-paleo attempt at a meal.  I've learned to accept some things like stone-ground corn tortillas, even though they're not "paleo".  I simply cannot survive without chips and salsa...not going to happen folks.

Pumpkin Roll - Round 2

This recipe is a re-post from a couple years ago, but totally worth the repeat.  I'm always on a pumpkin kick in the Fall.  PSL anyone?? (that's a Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks for you non-addicts)

This dessert is one of our family's favorite seasonal recipes.  We make it for Thanksgiving and Christmas (and a few times in between too!).  It's based off the traditional Libby's Pumpkin Roll recipe.

Ingredients for cake:
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup Libby's brand 100% pure pumpkin
approx. 1/4 cup powered sugar, to cover tea towel
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Ingredients for filling:
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
6 Tbsp butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Grease 15x10-inch jelly-roll pan then line pan with parchment paper.  Grease and flour parchment paper.

2. Set out tea towel on counter and cover with generous sprinkling of powdered sugar. (This is a very important step...if the towel isn't covered in powdered sugar, the towel will stick to the cake and tear it apart.)

3. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt in bowl - set aside.  In another large bowl, beat eggs and sugar until thick.  Beat in pumpkin.  Stir in flour mixture then spread evenly into prepared jelly-roll pan.  If desired, sprinkle with walnuts (note: the nuts make it the roll look prettier, but they do make the cake more-likely to crack a bit when you roll it up).

4. Bake for 13 minutes, or until the top of cake springs back when touched.  Immediately loosen and turn cake out of pan onto prepared tea towel.  Carefully peel off parchment paper.

5. Let cake cool down a bit (approx. 3-5 minutes) then place sheet of wax paper over entire surface of cake. Carefully roll up towel, cake, and wax paper together - starting at the narrow end of the cake.  Cool on wire rack until no heat is felt from the roll.  I usually give it a few hours.

6. While cake roll is cooling, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth.  You can place this filling mixture in the refrigerator until the cake roll is completely cooled.

7. Carefully unroll cooled cake and remove layer of wax paper from surface.  Spread filling mixture over cake and re-roll cake (separating it from the towel this time).  Wrap roll in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least an hour before slicing and serving...best if you let it sit in the fridge overnight.  You can sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

Because it does take some focused effort to craft these rolls, make a few in advance.  They freeze great for future events - the perfect thing to take to a pot-luck, tea, brunch, family dinner, etc.  I promise, this recipe is a big hit with everyone, kids and adults alike!

Pink Donut Birthday Cake

Our little one loves Dunkin Donut's pink frosted donuts with sprinkles...they're her favorite.  And, she's known to have one in hand anytime she helps me grocery shop.  It makes the trip more enjoyable for both of us!

I saw this recipe for Homer Simpson donuts on A Beautiful Mess blog a while back, and thought they were the cutest things.  They sounded tasty too because the frosting is made with real raspberry juice.  

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As much as I would have loved to try the recipe (and I still hope to someday!), they ultimately inspired the idea to do a pink donut cake for our little girl's birthday.  Check it out!

Pretty darn cute, huh?  We just used boxed cake mix in a bundt pan, then frosted it with chocolate frosting on the sides and strawberry frosting on top.  Add a dash of sprinkles and that's it!

Everyone loved it...especially our pretty little birthday princess.

Yes, you get to see her too.  I call this photo "anticipation".  Light those candles already!

This one is the "so why do people sing to you on your birthday?" face.

And, lastly the "group blow" shot.  I think we all rally up a breath to help the birthday girl at this point.

Happy 3rd Birthday to my little bundle of crazy joy!  (P.S. make note to always have glow sticks at a party...)

The Best Chocolate Chip Chocolate Cake Ever...

Disclaimer: Rarely do I pat myself on the back for my culinary creations...but this time I SO did.  This cake was phenomenal.  And, it's fail safe.  So easy - just dump everything in a bowl and go.

Ingredients:
For cake -
1 box devil's food chocolate cake mix
1 package (3.9 oz) instant chocolate pudding mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup apple sauce
4 eggs
1/2 cup hot brewed coffee
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

For cake topping -
1 tub of dark chocolate frosting
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour a Bundt pan (or poundcake pan, if that's all you or your kind neighbor have...)

2. Dump all cake ingredients into a large mixing bowl and beat until smooth.  Pour batter into prepared Bundt pan.

3. Bake for about an hour.  Cool for a few minutes in pan then carefully remove from Bundt pan and place on a cooling rack.  Let completely cool before frosting.

4. Place opened tub of dark chocolate frosting in microwave and heat for about 45 seconds, or until melted enough to pour.  Stir with a spoon until smooth consistency throughout.  Drizzle frosting over cooled cake then sprinkle mini semi-sweet chocolate chips over entire top surface.

 Wham bam thank you you ma'am!

If you haven't already run to the kitchen to preheat your oven to try this sucker out, perhaps you will now...upon seeing the inside of this decadent chocolate lover's dream.

As you can see, the cake looks pretty good lit.  Didn't melt with 12-ish candles shoved into it.  And, no, my husband isn't 12...we just didn't have 31 candles in our party stash.

And, yes, our clown in the background (a.k.a. friend who moonlights it as a clown) played "happy birthday" on the harmonica for us.  How clutch is that?!?

Oh, I'm pretty sure this is the cutest kid with a balloon animal...ever!  Not that I'm biased, or anything.

Hope you enjoy this miracle cake as much as we did!  It was totally worth stepping off the Paleo bandwagon for a weekend of chocolate indulgence...