Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Peanut Butter Fat Bombs

So for you, I also made a batch with almond butter and sunbutter.  The consistency works just as well, and the carbs are actually lower.  Just sub out the peanut butter in the recipe for the butter of your choice.  I've included the nutritional data for fat bombs made with almond butter, as well as peanut butter below.

Finally, these fat bombs take Lily's Chocolate Chips because I absolutely love them.   They are made with high quality dark chocolate and stevia, which fits perfectly into a low-carb setting.  They can be expensive, but I've found the more affordable place to get them is through Thrive Market.  (I get most of my staples from Thrive Market.  Want to try them out?  Get 25% off your first 3 orders through my link + free shipping, no membership obligation required!)

INGREDIENTS

1. 6 T Butter, softened (I prefer grass-fed, such as KerryGold)
2. 6 oz softened Cream Cheese
3. 3 T Gentle Sweet (or the equivalent of ¼ c sugar)
4. 6 scoops Powdered MCT Oil
5. 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
6. ½ c Peanut Butter (sub almond butter for lower carbs)
7. ¼ c Lily's Chocolate Chips

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine the butter, cream cheese, sweetener, vanilla extract and peanut butter in a bowl using a hand mixer or kitchen aid. Mix them really well, until completely combined.
2. Stir in the Lily's Chocolate Chips, then cover and freezer for about 10 minutes.
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full recipe : fitmomjourney.com

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE SNICKERS CAKE

She said she didn’t know… but Jon loved Snickers.  It took me about 2 seconds to decide… I knew I had to make him this cake!

Because she needed around 40-50 servings, I actually tripled the following recipe to make the two-tiered cake (size 6″ and 9″ tiers with a little batter leftover for cupcakes) , but the recipe & instructions below will be for a single, 8″ round cake (with 2 layers).

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CAKE

• 1 (15.25 oz) Dark Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix (I use Duncan Hines)
• 1 3/4 oz. box instant chocolate pudding (add the dry pudding mix into the recipe)
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1 cup (8 oz.) sour cream
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips

FOR THE CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM:

• 1/2 cup shortening (ie., Crisco)
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, (softened)
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar (approximately 1 lb.)
• 3-4 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 cup ganache, for the ganache, use this recipe
• 1/2 cup Caramel Sauce, (or use melted caramel squares)
• 3-4 regular Snickers bars, chopped into small pieces/squares

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Prepare two 8″ pans (I use homemade Baker’s Joy). **This recipe is only for a single tier cake with (2) 8″ layers – NOT the 2 tiered cake pictured!
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, water, oil, and sour cream and mix until well combined (do not over-mix!). Gently stir in the chocolate chips.
3. Divide the batter into 2 pans and bake for 45-55 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let them cool for 10 minutes in the pans, then flip out onto a cooling rack and completely cool.
4. ...................................................................................................
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full recipe : rosebakes.com

SAVORY CHIVE CHEESECAKE WITH POTATO CHIPS CRUST

“Savory cheesecake with a potato chip crust.” He gives me two nods. One vertical nod that says “great idea.” And one diagonal nod that says, “get your eyes back up there.” Well, now I could concentrate. On the way to church I was telling him that it was  time for the 5 Star Foodie Makeover challenge and I had nothing. Every month, we are assigned either a theme or an ingredient and the challenge is to give it a 5 Star culinary makeover. This month the challenge was junk food.

I’ve never made any type of cheesecake at all, so this was more than a challenge for me. I chose a sour cream and onion flavor profile, using spring onions and chives and a few spices. Everyone remember eating onion dip and I wanted to play off of that.  It’s a fun appetizer, and something that could easily be taken to a party. The chips brings a crunch to the smooth creaminess of the cheesecake that makes you want to go back for just one more bite.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 8 oz. bag kettle cooked or ruffled potato chips
• 4 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoon butter
• 1 pound full-fat non-whipped cream cheese
• ⅓ cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon chopped chives
• Extra chives for decorating
• Sour Cream for topping (optional)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• sea salt, white pepper
• 4 eggs
• chives for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 475
2. Using a rolling pin or a food processor, crush chips into large crumbs. Add a tablespoon of melted butter to the chips and press into pans. Bake for five minutes. Set Aside.
3. Melt butter in a small frying pan. Gently soften green onions. Do not brown. Set aside.
4. Whip cream cheese in food processor. Once smooth, add in sour cream, flour, chives, spring onion, garlic powder.
5. ......................................................................................................
6. ...........................................................................................................

full recipe : spinachtiger.com

SWEET POTATO PESTO GNOCCHI

This was only our second ever attempt at making home made gnocchi.. and I must say, this time has been far more successful than our previous try! Instead of using regular potatoes like in the traditional method, here we’ve switched these up for sweet potatoes; which I think gives them a lot more flavour because you get that subtle sweetness coming through. My favourite pairing for gnocchi is by far a good old bit of pesto.. pesto just makes everything taste good doesn’t it? It’s such a quick and simple way to pack a flavourful punch to pretty much any dish, I just love it! 

I first tried gnocchi when I was working as a waitress in an Italian restaurant when I was 19 and instantly became obsessed with the stuff! The dish that we served was laden with lots of cream sauce, so probably not the healthiest of options- but it was definitely pretty tasty none-the-less! Gnocchi have quite a unique texture; they’re almost fluffy like little pillows of potato! That’s the key to a good gnocchi in my opinion; you need to get the balance of ingredients just right, as you don’t want to end up with something that’s too mushy or too dry and crumbly from too much flour. I’ve found that sweet potato actually makes the best gnocchi in my opinion because it’s a lot more moist than regular potatoes and helps to bind everything together without needed to add in any eggs. So yes, this is actually a vegan recipe too! 

INGREDIENTS

1. 1 cup mashed sweet potato
2. Pinch salt and pepper
3. Dash mixed herbs
4. 1/3 cup gluten free flour
5. 1 clove garlic
6. Olive oil for cooking
7. Handful fresh spinach
8. Sacla Free From Pesto

INSTRUCTIONS

1. To make the gnocchi, combine the sweet potato, seasonings and flour and mix until well combined and you’re left with a dough mixture.
2. Spread a little flour onto a cutting board and roll out the dough to form a long sausage shape. Cut into small thumb sized pieces.
3. ..............................................................................................................................
4. ....................................................................................................................................

full recipe : charleyshealth.co.uk

Vegan Red Thai Coconut Curry

I’ve been a fan of all things curry for as long as I can remember, and they are one of the easiest things to make vegan. Just make sure you have a vegan red curry paste (they often contain fish sauce). Luckily, in my grocery store there’s a brand called “Alnatura” that sells a brilliant vegan one.

There are not many ingredients in this sauce. Red curry paste is enough of a powerhouse in itself that you don’t need to add many more things. All I add is some onion, fresh ginger, a little chilli paste for a kick, some soy sauce for some saltiness and a dash of rice wine vinegar for a little freshness.

INGREDIENTS

Sauce

1. 1 White Onion finely diced
2. 1 thumb sized Piece of Ginger minced
3. 3 tbsp Red Curry Paste (ensure yours is vegan, or make your own)
4. 2 x 400ml cans Coconut Milk
5. 2 tsp Chilli Paste (sambal oelek)
6. 4 tbsp Soy Sauce
7. 1 tsp Rice Wine Vinegar

Vegetables

1. 1 head Broccoli cut into florets
2. 6-7 Small Potatoes quartered
3. 1 large handful Green Beans
4. 1 cup Frozen Peas
5. 1 block (250g) Tofu cut into 1 inch cubes
6. 1 large handful Spinach

Toppings

1. 1/2 Red Onion
2. 1 Red Chilli
3. Fresh Coriander
4. Sesame Seeds

INSTRUCTIONS

1. First, wash and quarter the potatoes and boil for 10 minutes, drain and set aside.
2. While the potatoes are boiling, start making the sauce. Add a little oil to the bottom of a large stockpot. Cook the finely diced onion and the minced ginger over a medium/high heat for 3-4 minutes until the onion is translucent. Add the curry paste and cook for another minute.
3. .......................................................................................................
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full recipe : laurencariscooks.com

Shrimp and Andouille Sausage with Cheesy Grits

There's so much discord in our nation, that I am at a loss of what to write about today. Do I happily write about food and ignore the monster in my room that scares me so much. Do I write about how I'm feeling and open myself up to criticism and personal attacks that seem to be so commonplace when you exercise free speech. I wonder where our manners have gone and our ability to 'agree to disagree'. Civility, decency and wisdom seem to have disappeared from our social discourse. Being unapologetically rude, mean, and ill-informed have become acceptable norms, and based on the results of our last election...celebrated. Social media has made it easy to voice our opinions but even easier to forget decorum; I can say what ever I want and not be responsible if it is taken the wrong way. Hop on the soapbox, spew venomous and personal attacks when someone has a different opinion or view and then disappears into anonymity. Free speech is our right, but I really believe speaking with dignity and respect toward others will get you heard. It's not only what you say, but how you say it. We've forgotten that I think.

What will happen to our moral fabric now that we have a leader who tweets ignorant and divisive rhetoric daily? He fills airspace with deflections, fabrications, and red herrings which are then fact checked and debunked by media outlets. But why isn't he held to account, for real? IS there no real consequence to not being truthful? Why does he still have credibility? What message does it send to our children about honesty? 
Yeah, yeah, I know that's an old fashion notion...that pesky honesty thing. But just like kindness, in my world, it still matters!  But really, what does that do to our collective humanity if the leader of the free world spreads propaganda that we know and can prove is false? I fear it will affect our humanity. Will the lies be tolerated and accepted as we become desensitized to the barrage of injustices and inconsistencies of words to actions? Will we lose our sense of right and wrong? Will we care? I do.

That being said, my fear of the new president is not partisan. I am neither a Democrat or Republican, so please spare me the politics. Obviously, his lack of political experience and knowledge of the Constitution is a legitimate reason to fear him as President. He's been called a misogynist, racist, xenophobe, etc, but those are just symptoms of the real problem with him...his lack of humanity and integrity. This is most troubling because his integrity, or lack of, is what will guide his decisions no matter what job he holds or what affiliations he aligns himself with. Integrity is consistency of character and ultimately how we measure trust in a person. I trust someone when their actions and words match and they are transparent. He is not transparent and speaks with malice to incite fear and hatred, to confuse, to intimidate, to divide, to threaten, to discredit, and to degrade Americans. He is the most un-American President to have ever hold office. He doesn't care about America or Americans and he proves it every time he speaks and pits us against each other. He doesn't want to unify America. He wants us to be fighting each other and blaming each other so we don't notice as he takes our democracy and our freedoms from us. He is dividing us and tearing at the very fabric of what makes America great...its people!  
We must hold him to account for the things he says, for the damage his words inflict and the actions he takes. We must end the partisan arguing and judge him only on the content of his character. Like it or not, he works for us and he needs to answer to us. 

I'm stepping off my soapbox now...I need comfort food.
 

Shrimp and Grits 

Serves 4 (adapted recipe from Teri Appleton Villanueva)

Prepare Grits
1 1/2 cups hot chicken stock, divided
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup cream
1 garlic clove
1/4 t sea salt
1/4 t. black pepper
3/4 cup stone ground grits (I used yellow cornmeal)
1/4 cup sharp cheddar, grated

In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, add 1 cup chicken stock, milk, cream, garlic, salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in grits and when the grits begin to bubble, turn the heat down to low and simmer, stirring frequently. Cook for 10-15 minutes until smooth and thick. Cover and set aside. 

When shrimp and sauce is done, reheat over medium heat and add some of the remaining 1/2 cup of the hot chicken stock to thin if necessary and then stir in the cheddar cheese and heat until almost melted.

Andouille Sausage Gravy
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, minced
1 stalk celery, minced
1/2 pound Andouille sausage, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
2 T tomato paste
1 pound 16/20 shrimp, peeled, deveined
~3 T parsley, chopped
1/8 t. cayenne pepper (or to taste)
Franks Red Hot Sauce (to taste)

Place oil in a large skillet and saute the onion and celery over medium heat until softened. Add sausage and cook until browned. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. 
Stir in 1 T flour until incorporated with other ingredients. Whisk in chicken stock and tomato paste and when it begins to simmer, lower heat and add shrimp. Cook until shrimp are firm and pink. Season with cayenne pepper and parsley. Spoon grits into hot bowls and ladle the shrimp and andouille gravy over grits. Serve with Franks Red Hot Sauce to taste.

 Other recipes to try:

Easy Crab Cakes with Remoulade

Shrimp with Chili Garlic Cream Sauce

Blackened Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

Lamb Kabobs with Yogurt Garlic Sauce and Mint

Happy New Year everyone! I am so glad it's a new year! I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that 2016 definitely had its challenges. And as with each new year, I find myself looking forward to a fresh start. A time to shrug off the old year and embrace the potential of the new. I like to use this time of year for self-reflection and focus on renewal. It's another chance to try something different, make lists, set goals and get stuff done. 
But, before I plow headlong into 2017, I need to remind myself of the good that happened this last year. More times than I'd like to admit, I tend to focus on the negative and forget that the negative always comes with a dose of positive. And only through deliberate hindsight is it visible to me.  I won't recite a long list of blessings or things that I'm thankful for here, I'll reserve that for my journal. But one thing I'm thankful for this past year, was being able to take the Professional Chef series at Chef Tech Cooking School these last 4 months. I've learned so much and can't wait to apply what I've learned as I develop my recipes and share them with you on the blog. 
Here's my meatball rendition of Chef Teri's Grilled Lamb Kabobs. I absolutely love meatballs so I made her recipe into these immensely flavorful and comforting bite-sized kabobs. Perfect for entertaining or a small plate meal. 

Here's to another year of accomplishments and the challenges that lie ahead. 

Happy New Year! 

Grilled Lamb Kabobs with Yogurt Garlic Sauce

(Slightly adapted recipe from Teri Appleton Villanueva)

Makes ~12 Main Dish Kabobs or 48 Appetizer Kabobs


Yogurt Garlic Sauce
1 cup plain whole Greek yogurt
2 Tbs. lemon juice or orange juice
2 Tbs. tahini
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/2 tsp. fine sea salt

Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.

Kabobs
1/2 cup pine nuts
4-5 garlic cloves
2 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. coriander
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. cayenne (add more for more heat)
1 1/2 lbs. ground lamb
1/2 cup grated onion, drained
1/3 cup fresh parsley, minced
1/3 cup fresh mint, minced
1 1/2 tsp. unflavored gelatin

12 Naan bread or 6 Greek style pita bread cut into 2" rounds
Fresh mint, finely chopped (garnish)

Process pine nuts, garlic, paprika, salt, cumin, black pepper, coriander, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cayenne in a food processor until a coarse paste forms, 30-45 seconds. Transfer to a large bowl. Add lamb, onion, parsley, mint, and gelatin: knead until combined and mixture feels sticky, about 2 minutes. 
For Appetizer kabobs: Cut Greek style pita bread into 2" rounds using a small cookie or biscuit cutter and arrange on a large platter. Portion meat using a small cookie scoop and roll meat into 1" meatballs. Pan fry in small batches until browned on all sides. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of yogurt garlic sauce onto pita rounds and top with a skewered lamb meatball and garnish with fresh mint. Enjoy!

For Main Dish kabobs, divide into 12 equal portions. Shape each portion into 5-inch long cylinder about 1 inch in diameter. Using skewers to thread kabobs, gently pressing to adhere. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to 24 hours. 
Grill for 4-7 minutes, flip skewers and continue to cook until browned on second side and meat registers to 160 degrees, about 6 minutes more.
Transfer to platter and serve with Naan Bread and drizzle with yogurt garlic sauce.

Other Meatball recipes:

Salisbury Meatballs

Greek Meatballs

Spicy Asian Meatball Soup

Albondigas with Chimichurri Pesto