CRACK GREEN BEANS ( because they are so addictive).

CRACK GREEN BEANS ( because they are so addictive). 

beans, drained (note: you can substitute a similar amount of frozen green beans, about 4 (12-ounce) bags, thawed, or you can use fresh green beans, too)
12 slices bacon
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
7 teaspoons soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

Put the drained beans in a 9x13 pan. Add the cooked bacon pieces. Mix the remaining ingredients ( the crack sauce). Pour over the beans and bake 40 minutes at 350. Toss and serve

Zucchini Pappardelle

I just gave it a quick sear in a garlicky olive oil, stirred in the remaining ingredients and piled it in a pasta bowl. That stuff disappeared pretty darn quick! It would be great with a meat sauce on it as well — I don’t think it would be good with alfredo because the delicate zucchini woud be overwhelmed by the creamy sauce.

 Give this a try. It’s got under 200 calories and just 3.7 carbs per serving. There’s not a lot of protein but you could add grilled chicken to the plate and it would be delicious. One of my favorite ways to eat pasta has always been with butter or olive oil and a sprinkle of salt, pepper, garlic, and Parmesan so this was perfect for me.

A vegetable peeler is a necessity. You can’t slice the zucchini thin enough to make the pappardelle. You just pull the peeler down the length of the zucchini to create wide noodles. No need to peel. Get a good olive oil because this dish is simple and the olive oil will make a huge difference. You can use Kalamata olives, black olives, green olives, or whatever kind you like.

Here’s that low carb zucchini pappardelle recipe. Let me know what you think. 

YIELDS 1 SERVING

Zucchini Pappardelle

Zucchini stands in for pappardelle pasta in this light, satisfying recipe. A garlicky olive oil enveloped the "noodles" in this recipe and the olives and cheese add even more flavor. Fast, easy, and totally delicious with just 3.7 net carbs and 182 calories!

Ingredients

• 4 ounces zucchini, thinly sliced vertically with a vegetable peeler
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped olives
• 1 tablespoon Parmesan
• 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 tablespoon shredded Mozzarella

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a heavy pan until sizzling.
2. Carefully add the zucchini and saute gently and briefly until tender but not mushy.
3. Stir in the olives, Parmesan, pepper, garlic powder and salt.
4. Remove from heat.
5. Add to dish and garnish with the mozzarella.

Notes

Calories - 182 Carbs - 5.4 Fiber - 1.7 Sugars 2.1 Fat - 17.4 Protein 4.1

Magically makes it own crust!!!

Magically makes it's own crust! Perfect to make year round!!!!
1/2 cup Bisquick
3/4 cup sugar
4 eggs
2 cup milk
1 cup flaked coconut
1 tsp. vanilla
1 TBS. butter, softened
Combine all ingredients and pour into 9 inch buttered pie pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes until custard sets. Like magic it layers into crust, custard, coconut topping. Cool.
Make sure you click on share to save this awesome recipe.
Tip: One cup of Bisquick can be substituted by a mix of one cup of flour, 1½ teaspoons of baking powder, ½ teaspoon of salt, and 1 tablespoon of oil or melted butter.
If you are not my friend already -- WHY NOT??!! lol Hit me up!!!

Hawaiian Pasta Salad

Hawaiian Pasta Salad

 

15 mins

8 mins

23 mins

 

Serves: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 8 oz rotini or bow tie pasta
• 1 (14oz) can pineapple tidbits, juice reserved
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 2 cups diced ham
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced

Dressing

• ½ cup mayonnaise or dressing (I use Hellmann's light)
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• ⅓ cup pineapple juice
• 1 teaspoon honey
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• black pepper to taste

Instructiions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and run under cold water.
2. Whisk together all dressing ingredients until smooth.
3. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl gently toss with dressing. Refrigerate 2 hours before serving.
4. Store refrigerated up to 5 days.

Magic Custard Cake

Magic Custard Cake

 

Ingredients

• 4 eggs (whites separated from yolks), room temp
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¾ cup sugar
• 8 Tablespoons butter, melted
• ¾ cup all purpose flour
• 2 cups milk lukewarm
• powdered sugar for dusting cake

Instructions

1. nstructions:
2. Preheat oven to 325 F degrees. Grease and Line 8 inch x 8 inch baking dish with parchment.
3. Separate eggs and add the egg whites to a mixer and beat egg whites stiff. Place egg whites in a bowl and set aside.
4. Beat the egg yolks & sugar until light. Add butter and vanilla. Beat for two mins. Add the flour and mix it in until fully incorporated.
5. Slowly start adding the milk and beat until everything is well mixed together. Add the egg whites, a third at a time and gently fold them in using a spatula, repeat until all egg whites are folded in. Pour batter into baking dish and bake for approx 60 minutes or until the top is lightly golden. Cool and dust heavily with powdered sugar

Orzo Pasta Salad

If making this recipe ahead of time, be sure to make extra dressing. As the orzo pasta salad sits in the refrigerator, it will absorb the dressing and may need more added when served.

When it’s so hot that you just can’t handle the thought of turning on your oven, turn to this fresh and easy Orzo Pasta Salad for great flavor without the fuss. -

Ingredients

• 1 pound orzo pasta
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 lemons, juiced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 cups halved red and yellow cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup slivered almonds, toasted
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 5 ounces crumbled tomato & basil-flavored feta cheese

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the orzo and cook according to package directions. Drain in a colander and let cool.
2. Once orzo is cool, transfer to a large bowl and add the cherry tomatoes, almonds, green onions, red onion, basil, mint and feta.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the Dijon mustard, olive oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture and combine all. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed, and serve on a serving platter. Serves 6-8.

Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes

This is the recipe that we used for Easter dinner mashed potatoes. It’s a combination of several recipes that wefound on line with our own simple seasoning. Good potatoes!

Most recipes called for Yukon Gold potatoes but we used russets. We mashed them right in the crock pot. If we had mashed them with the paddle in the stand-type mixer they would have been fluffier but that would have been an extra step and an extra dirty bowl.

We used seven pounds of potatoes which maxed out a large crock pot. The recipe below is scaled back to five pounds of potatoes. Some recipes called for cream cheese or sour cream. Not everyone likes garlic at our house so we omitted that. It’s really up to you to decide what you and your family likes.

Ingredients:

5 lbs. Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks

1 stick of butter, cut into cubes

2 cups chicken broth

Add pepper to taste

Minced garlic optional

Place the potatoes, chicken broth, butter, and minced garlic (if desired) in the crock pot. Cook on high for 4 to 5 hours.

Mash while in crock pot.
Add seasoning and other preferred additions such as sour cream, cream cheese, ranch seasoning, bacon bits, or shredded cheese.
That’s it! Enjoy!

Italian Easter Bread

Ingredients:

1 package active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup warm milk

2 beaten eggs

2 to 3 tsp lemon zest

1 1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup softened butter

Optional – 1 cup dark/light raisins, or dry cranberries, as preferred.

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed

Preparation:

Using a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water with a pinch of sugar; let sit for about 10 minutes. Mix in the rest of the ingredients, except for the flour. Then stir in the flour, one cup at a time, until you have wet, sticky dough.

Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes, adding flour as needed to keep from sticking. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic. Place in a lightly oiled bowl. Lightly oil the surface of the dough, and cover with damp towels. The dough needs to rise until double in size – about 1½ to 2 hours. (Keep the dough warm so it rises).

When ready, punch dough down a couple times, then place onto a lightly floured surface; divide in four pieces. Shape into four small oval loaves, or whatever shape you desire. My preference is to cut each piece and braid it into a traditional Easter bread appearance.

Place loaves on baking sheets. Cover very loosely with plastic wrap, and let rise for 2 hours.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Once the breads cool, you can leave them plain, as is, or frost them with a simple lemon icing.

Baci di Dama

Baci di Dama
Ingredients
7oz  butter, softened
7oz  caster sugar
4oz  ground almonds
4oz  ground hazelnuts
7oz  flour

Chocolate butter filling
4oz 72% dark chocolate, broken
2oz  butter

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 180°C-360°F.
Beat the butter and sugar together until smooth. Working the ground almonds, hazelnuts and flour until the mixture forms a stiff dough. Break off 40 pieces the size of walnuts and form into balls. Arrange on baking sheets, leaving a little room between each. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 min, until golden. remove from the oven and transfer to wire rack to cool.
Meanwhile, melt chocolate in a bowl wet over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Remove from heat stir in the butter and leave to cool. When the biscuits are cool use the chocolate butter to sandwich them together.

Serve.

Torta Ricotta & Spinaci - Ricotta & Spinach Pie

Ingredients
2 Roll puff pastry

 1 lb Spinach boiled drained very well

1/2 lb Ricotta
2 eggs
Salt
Black pepper

Preparation
In a bowl mix spinach, ricotta, salt, pepper and eggs then stir.
In a baking dish with parchment paper roll out the puff pastry and add the mixture then cover with other puff pastry.
Bake at 200°C-400°F for 20 min.
Serve.

Mozzarella in Carrozza

Ingredients
100% Organic Extra virgin olive oil
8 slices of bread
4 eggs
breadcrumbs
flour
2 Mozzarella
1 cup milk 

Preparation
Moisten the bread with a small amount of milk.
Cut Mozzarella into slices the same thickness as the bread. Insert a slice of Mozzarella between two slices of bread. Coat with flour, dip in beaten eggs, then coat with breadcrumbs and fry in hot extra virgin olive oil.
Serve.

Zucchine Fritte - Fried Zucchini

Ingredients
15 Tbsp 100% Organic Extra virgin Olive oil
12 zucchini chopped
Flour
Sparkling Water
Ice
Black pepper
Salt

Preparation
Mix the water and the flour. The mixture should be fairly smooth and without lumps. Let rest in refrigerator.
Meanwhile heat the extra virgin olive oil in a frying pan and remove the mixture from the fridge and add three ice cubes.
Dip the zucchini into the batter covering them completely then fry in skillet.
Drain and sprinkle salt.
Serve.

Foolproof Easter Lamb Cake

    Who Bakes and Decorates their own Lamb Cakes….The tricky part is keeping the head of the Lamb cake in place!!! What do you do to keep it from breaking or falling off!!! Mine is made of our family favorite home-made pound cake recipe…How about yours???




 Foolproof Easter Lamb Cake Recipe…

3 1/2 cups of swans cake flour sifted 6 eggs 1 pound box powdered sugar sifted 6 room temperature large eggs 2t vanilla 1 pound butter room temperature. 
beat powder sugar and butter together till creamy. Add one egg at a time mixing in completely before you add next egg. Add vanilla mix well. Mix in flour till all combined. Do not over mix. Spray lamb molds really well with Pam spray for baking. Fill mold. Place in preheated oven on 350 for one hour. Take out of oven let cool for at least 20 minutes 30 minutes if using cast iron.

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 (12 ounce) bottle dark beer
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup cream cheese, soft
• 1/4 cup butter, soft
• 1 1/2 pounds powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Place beer, melted butter and one tablespoon of vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low until combined. 
3. Mix in eggs and sour cream until smooth. 
4. Add in cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda and salt. Mix on low, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Stir in chocolate chips. 
5. Line your a cupcake pan with paper liners. You will have to bake these in multiple batches. Fill each liner 3/4 full with batter. 
6. Bake for 12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool slightly before removing from pan. 
7. For the frosting, blend the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. 
8. Add in remaining 1/2 tablespoon of vanilla and mix well. 
9. Pour in powdered sugar and heavy cream. Start mixer on low until sugar is fully incorporated; then increase speed until frosting is smooth. Add more heavy cream if needed. 
10. Pipe or spread frosting onto each cooled cupcake.