Fruit bars

This time I wanted to make a really fruity bar. I think it's a nice change of pace! All fruit used was dried.

1/2C- peaches

1/3C- apricot

1/3C- coconut

1/2C- almond

1/4C- pecan

1/2C- dates

1/4C- cherries

2oz- pineapple juice

Just keep adding the ingredients to your food processor-- I chopped up any large fruit before adding it... Scoop it out and let it set in your fridge for an hour & if you let it sit overnight the flavors mature more. Enjoy!

One pot pasta

Pasta

Diced tomatoes

Onion

Garlic cloves

Oregano

Fresh basil

5C- veg broth 

EVOO

S&P 

Put all above in a pot- bring to boil- 10 minutes & stir every 2 minutes

Gonna add my water in a second

 I give this a B+ it kinda grows on you as you eat!

Almond, coconut, honey bar

1C- almonds

1C- coconut

1T- chia seeds

1/2C- Rice Krispies

Put all the above in the food processor and pulse to this consistency 

Add 1/3C or 1/2C- honey (less quality honey add the 1/3C) & pulse until mixed.

Scoop it out using a small cookie scoop. This will firm up in the fridge 

1 hour in the fridge :)

** UPDATE: I have made another batch of these because I liked them so much. I brought the honey down to 1/3C and omitted the rice krispies and added 1T of flaxseeds

Orange, chocolate, coconut bars

1/2C- pecans

1/3C- almonds

(Pulse until you get a consistency like this)

1/2C- dates

1/3C- raisins

Orange juice & orange zest

(Pulse until you form a paste. Be generous with the freshly squeezed orange juice)

1/2C- coconut

1/8C- MINI chocolate chips

1/2C- Rice Krispies (optional for extra crunch)

1T- Chia seed

1T- flaxseed

Mix all the dry ingredients with the date/raisin/ orange zest & juice paste. Mine came out very loose but I packed it in to a small cookie scoop- laid it out on a baking tray and put it in the refrigerator for about an hour. They firmed right up.

I love orange chocolate flavor combination and I LOVE these, I feel like I'm eating something totally sinful instead of something healthy!

Rotisserie style slow cooked chicken

Ingredients: 

Sea salt

Fresh cracked pepper 

Emeril's steak rub

Paprika

Garlic powder

Minced onion powder

EVOO

I just sort of free poured here leaning towards our taste- we like a lot of garlic powder, pepper-- you get the drift, play with your spices here!!

I think I added too much EVOO, came out more like a sauce then a paste- no matter... Just scoop it all up & give your raw chicken a massage ;)

I'm trying the tin foil method to elevate the chicken ( allowing the fat to drip off instead of sitting in it )

My chicken is rubbed & ready to go in my slow cooker- I will leave it on low for 7- 8 hours (you can also cook it on high and it won't take as long... I just started it very early this morning so I have the time for the low and slow method.

Apricot coconut lime bars

I wasn't going to post these because I didn't take pictures or measurements while I made these... It was my first trial run at homemade Larabars... I have:

Dried diced Apricots

Unsweetened coconut flakes

Fresh lime juice and zest

Some almonds

A couple of pecans (like 3)

3/4C- dates

1/4C- raisins

They are so good... I can't wait to continue to develop new flavor combinations & recipes!!

Broccoli rabe & pasta

Trying to get darker greens into your diet? This is a wonderful, light way to prepare broccoli rabe for pasta.

Just a few simple ingredients are needed:

Broccoli rabe

Garlic

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt & pepper 

Pasta (I tend to go with a linguine or spaghetti... A pasta that has length and weight, but that is a personal preference... You can really use whatever you have on hand)

I'm using a whole grain linguine.

Some people boil it first to take out the bitterness and to soften the stems. I do not, I clean it and then cut the stems in halves or quarters (depending on their thickness) and use everything except for the very tips of the stems.

 

Here is a stem that a cut the tip off and quartered.

All my broccoli rabe- washed, cut & ready.

I used 4 really large cloves of garlic- yum!

There seems to be a lot of evoo but that's only because its part of the "sauce" and will dress the pasta.

As the garlic begins to golden, add the broccoli rabe. Be careful of any oil splashing!!

 Cook it until the stems are soft.

Toss some of your pasta in & enjoy.

Broccoli rabe is bitter. You're either going to love it like me- or hate it like my husband!

Whole wheat pasta, broccoli rabe & chunks of garlic- yum!

Enchiladas

Red peppers
onion
black beans
ground beef
zesty tomatoes
taco seasoning
Sour cream
Cheddar Cheese
Tortillas

(The only thing not in the picture is the ground beef) 

First I chopped the tops off of my peppers. I pulled the stem out and chopped the rest of the pepper from the tops in a small to medium dice. 

Next I chopped up the onion.

I actually added it to the raw ground beef because I really wanted the peppers & onions to cook for a while together.

In a separate bowl I added sour cream, shredded cheese, drained diced tomatoes with zesty mild green chilies, and some enchilada sauce.

When the onions and red peppers began to soften I added the taco seasoning.packet & then I tossed in a drained and rinsed can of black beans.. I didn't cook it for long, just enough to warm the beans and made sure it was evenly stirred.

Other added this mixture to tomato- sour cream mixture...

Then I stuffed the two peppers with this new mix & then topped them with a sprinkling of cheese. 

I then used the same filling for enchiladas. I pour enchilada sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish. I then layed the tortilla down, poured some filling in the middle, then rolled up the enchilada and put it seam down into the casserole dish. I topped it with the remaining enchilada sauce and then sprinkled the top with the last of the cheese.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes

Low country boil

Ingredients: 

Old bay

Corn

Potatoes

Kielbasa

Shrimp

You literally dump a tablespoon or two into a very large sauce pot.

Wash your potatoes & once the old bay water comes to a boil you dump the potatoes in. 

Then you cut your kielbasa and dump that in too. Let that cook for about 10 minutes.

Next husk the corn and snap the corn in half... Add them

Finally add your peeled shrimp

Cook until the shrimp is cooked & drain all the water out.

Enjoy!

Garlicky summer squash pasta

1 yellow summer squash, peeled with a vegetable peeler into strips

1 green summer squash, peeled with a vegetable peeler into strips

1 medium onion, chopped 

3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped 

EVOO

Parsley

Sauté onion & garlic in EVOO until light golden brown

Add squashes & cook until desired tenderness

Add salt and pepper

And toss parsley in before serving 

Seafood fra diavolo

*do not forget to clean all your fish ahead of time

Saute EVOO, 4 garlic cloves, 1 tea- crushed red pepper flakes, 1 medium onion chopped, s&p and release the pepper flakes & garlic aromas

Add 1/2 to 1c red wine, 1 large can of crushed tomatoes, basil & parsley

Add muscles and as they open pull them out and set aside

Next round, add the clams and wait until they open and the pull them aside with the waiting muscles

Finally add the shrimp just until they turn pink and then throw all the seafood back in

Perfect amount of heat. Just perfection. This was a dish I'd pay a lot of money for.. Perfect seafood fra diavolo!!!

My empty plate- you see all that sauce, sponge it up with a good garlic bread & you'll feel like a king or queen!!