Cheesy Potato Caserole

There’s no
comfort food
like cheese
and potatoes,
and considering
how easy it
is to make, it’s
the perfect side
dish. Especially
around the
holidays. We
never have a
Thanksgiving
meal without it!








Cheesy Potato Casserole 

1 lb frozen hash browns unseasoned
1/4 cup butter softened
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 1/4 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt with a tsp fresh lemon juice mixed in
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese (I use pasture raised cheeses, mild and sharp cheddar mixed)
2/3 cup diced onion
Salt and pepper

Cream the butter first and then add the cream of chicken soup. After that as well mixed add the sour cream, onion, cheddar cheese, and the salt and pepper. Now stir in the hashbrowns until they are well coated. Pour mixture into a 9 x 13 pan and bake at 350° for 50 to 60 minutes. Cover with foil partway through the bake if the top is browning too much.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

This salad recipe has been with me Since the early years of our marriage. Julie was one of the first women I met in my shy years of young adulthood that made me believe there was a support system in authentic women who will be there for you. This meant so much to me after a rough high school experience with girlfriends. Well Julie introduced me to this salad and I recently changed it up to make it healthy and taste even better! The key is good honey. I’m talking raw unfiltered honey. Mine is citrus flower honey from a company called Blessed Buy Isreal. Then you’ve got all of the health benefits of apple cider vinegar with the tangy kick of raspberries! I’m pretty excited about this one!

Strawberry Spinach Salad

1 bag spring mix lettuce
1 bag spinach
1 cup sugared pecans
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 pint strawberries sliced

Dressing

1/3 cup Braggs apple cider vinegar
2/3 cup avacado or extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup overflowing raw honey
4 frozen or fresh raspberries
1/4 tsp salt
2 T minced green onions
1 Tbsp poppy seeds

1. Poor your lead us into a large salad bowl on top with the pecans, cranberries, and strawberries.

2. Combine all the dressing ingredients except poppy seeds in a blender on medium low until combined.

3. Add the poppy seeds with a gentle stir. Pour about 1/2 of the dressing over the salad and serve immediately. You won’t need it all so save the extra in a mason jar in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Carne Asada with Arroz con Menestra

Carne Asada with Arroz con Menestra

Carne Asada

1 lb thinly sliced steak meat
6 basil leaves
4 cloves garlic
1/2 red onion
1 tsp cumin powder
1 pinch pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup olive oil

Blend on low all the ingredients except the meat. Pour into a bowl or ziplock bag to marinate, adding the meat to sit for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.

Arroz con Menestra

4 cans pinto beans drained
2 tomatoes diced
2 red onions diced
2 green peppers cored and diced
4-6 cloves garlic
1/2 trip salt
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup cilantro
1/2 cup shredded cheese (Mexican style or cojito)

Sauté the onions, green pepper, and garlic  in the olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, beans, and salt. Simmer for 5 minutes and top with the cheese, cilantro, and the grilled Carne Asada meat.

Coconut Syrup

Coconut Syrup 

7-8 T butter
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp coconut extract

In a large saucepan whisk together butter, buttermilk, and sugar. Bring to a rolling boil stirring constantly. Turn down the heat and simmer for 5 minutes still stirring. Take off the heat and add the soda and coconut.

Kristy’s Scalloped Potatoes

My Kristy brought us dinner one night while Garron was in dental school and I was popping out babies every two years. She was a lifesaver! She said that these are what she makes when she has extra milk and potatoes that need to go to good use. Warning! Don’t be tempted to add extra salt like I did the first time I tried to make it. The ham adds a lot of saltiness so keep that in mind! I did change up the recipe a little to add more sauce, cheese, and spices. Make it your own!

Kristy’s Scalloped Potatoes 

3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/3 tsp onion powder
1/3 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp parsley
3 cups milk
2/3 cup cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups cubed ham
6 large potatoes peeled and sliced in 1/4 inch slices

1. Pre heat the oven to 350°. Melt butter in a large saucepan and stir in the flour, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and parsley.

2. Slowly whisk in the milk and stir constantly until it thickens 5-10 minutes.

3. Add the potatoes and the ham to the sauce pot to coat them all evenly.  Pour the saucy potatoes and ham in a 9 x 13 pan.

4. Top with cheddar cheese. Bake for 1 1/2 hours or more until potatoes are tender.

Cashew Coconut Creamer

Cashew Coconut Creamer

1 cup cashews

1/2 cup raw coconut flakes

1 1/2 cups pitted dates

1 T vanilla or hazelnut extract 

Approximately 1 cup coconut or almond milk

For extra sweetness add either high or pure maple syrup.

Soak cashews coconut and dates in purified water for four hours or overnight. Drain out the water and put in the blender with the extract, milk, and syrup or honey. Blend on high for 1-2 minutes. I use a vitamix blender. Freeze what you don’t need in a ziplock bag pressed flat.

Erica’s Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

My friend Erika made this soup at a gathering of friends in Denver, CO years ago, and I had to get the recipe! I think of Erica’s brilliant smile and her laugh every time I make the soup. She was one of my favorite people in Colorado. What impressed me most about Erica the first time I met her was that she was going out of her way to reach out to someone that most people would pass by. She made everyone feel loved and special. I also think the pesto in this soup makes it extra special. I’ve made a few small changes to the original recipe.

Erica’s Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

2 chicken breasts
4 cups chicken broth
Bullion for 2 cups water
1 onion
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic minced
4-6 carrots peeled and chopped
4-6 stalks celery chopped
2 Tbsp pesto
1/2 -1 full package of Grandma’s Noodles (in the freezer section)
1/4 cup butter
2 cans cream of chicken soup or 3 cups homemade cream of chicken soup recipe
2/3 cup tapioca flour or Wondra

Fill a soup pot with water, chicken broth, and onion. When chicken is cooked through remove it from the pot. Shred the chicken and put it back in the pot. In a large pan heat the oil on medium heat and add the veggies and garlic. Sauté for about 5 minutes stirring often.  In a separate bowl beat  butter well. Slowly incorporate the cream of chicken soup and tapioca flour. Add the cream of chicken soup mixture to the pot and whisk to incorporate. Add the sautéed vegetables and noodles. Simmer until veggies and noodles are tender. Serve with French Bread Recipe.

Beef Stew

Beef Stew

1 1b stew meat seared on high heat in oil
2 bay leaves
2 tsp salt
4 cups water
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp worchestershire sauce
Shake of garlic powder
Shake of clove
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp minced fresh rosemary (or 1/2 tsp dried)
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp sugar or honey
1 medium onion chopped
5 carrots sliced
4-6 yukan gold potatoes chopped

Simmer all the ingredients except the carrots and potatoes for an hour or until the stew meat is tender. Add the carrots and potatoes and cook until they are soft. Serve with warm French Bread Recipe

Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

My mom always
made this bread 
growing up, and 
often gave out 
mini loaves for 
Christmas gifts. 
The sugar crust 
with nuts and 
chocolate is 
decadent. It will 
be hard not to 
eat the entire 
loaf all by 
yourself! I like 
to have a loaf 
sliced up in the 
freezer for a quick 
treat without 
the baking time. 


Banana Chocolate Chip Bread 

Bread batter

1 stick butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 T Braggs apple cider vinegar
1 cup mashed bananas
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 bag chocolate chips
1/2 cup walnuts chopped

Chocolate Chip Topping

1 package chocolate chips
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2-2/3 cup chopped walnuts

For the bread batter

Beat butter and sugar for 2 minutes and then add the eggs one at a time and beat for 4 minutes after each egg. Combine milk, vinegar, and vanilla in a separate bowl. Very very slowly add the liquids to the butter. Stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour mixture into the batter slowly. When they are well combined add the bananas (don’t over mash them, leave them a bit chunky), chocolate chips, and walnuts. For bread that rises better let the batter sit for 45 minutes before baking. This adds about a 1/2 inch taller rise on the bread.

For the Chocolate Chip Topping


Stir together the chocolate chips, brown sugar and walnuts Right before you put the bread in the oven, sprinkle on the Chocolate Chip Topping evenly over the two loaves. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Indian Fried Bread

Indian Fried Bread

1 quart buttermilk
2 Tbsp dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2-3 Tbsp sugar
2 slightly beaten eggs
6 Tbsp avacado oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda to add to the buttermilk
8-10 cups flour

Mix ingredients on medium for five minutes. Roll out dough in a rectangle and cut out triangles. Fry the triangles of dough on each side until golden brown. Remove from the oil and put on a paper towel covered plate. Serve with powdered sugar or drizzled with honey.

Healthy homemade granola bars

Healthy Homemade Granola Bars

2 cups rolled oats
1 cup wheat flour
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup avacado oil
1/2 cup honey (raw organic unfiltered prefered)
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs beaten
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
nuts and dried cranberries/raisins

Combine ingredients without over mixing and spread out mixture evenly over a large lightly greased baking sheet until it’s less than 1/2 inch thick. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes

Crêpes (Peach or Nutella Strawberry)

Crêpe batter

3/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt just brimming over the edge
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp sugar

Peach Crêpes

1. Make one recipe of baked crêpe batter recipe adding 1/8 tsp nutmeg, and  replacing 1 tsp. of the vanilla for almond emulsion (or extract). Refrigerate batter for 30 minutes-two hours to get a better texture.

2. Heat a large low edged cast-iron skillet on medium low heat, and lightly greased with coconut oil. Get a heavy duty pot holder to wrap around the handle of the skillet.  Pour about 1/2 cup of batter onto the pan and immediately swirl it around the pan to evenly coat. If you have too much better quickly pour it back into your batter bowl. Cook until the edges become a bit try and pull away from the edge of the pan. Flip the crêpe over and brown for a few seconds. Transfer to a plate. Add toppings.

Peach filling

2 cups fresh orange juice
2 Tbsp orange liqueur
8 peaches peeled and sliced
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar sifted

1. Simmer peach filling until it thickens and use to fill crêpes. In your KitchenAid whip the heavy cream until it thickens and holds its shape (Don’t overmix or it will start to get chunky).

2. Stir in the powdered sugar. Put a dollop of whipped cream over your peach filling and then fold up your crêpe in half and then fourths.

Nutella, strawberry, and banana crepes 

1. Prepare one recipe of Crêpe batter and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 2 hours for a better texture.

2. Heat a large low edged cast-iron skillet on medium low heat, and lightly greased with coconut oil. Get a heavy duty pot holder to wrap around the handle of the skillet.  Pour about 1/2 cup of batter onto the pan and immediately swirl it around the pan to evenly coat. If you have too much better quickly pour it back into your batter bowl. Cook until the edges become a bit try and pull away from the edge of the pan. Flip the crêpe over and brown for a few seconds. Transfer to a plate. Add toppings.

3. Spread about a quarter cup of Nutella on 1/4 of the crepe in a large pizza shaped section. Cover that with your choice of sliced strawberries and/or banana slices. Fold the group over in half at the edge of one of the edges of Nutella, and then fold in half again at the other Nutella edge.

Cornbread

Cornbread

1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal (Organic non-GMO ground fresh is preferred)
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup avacado or olive oil
1 cup + 2 Tbsp milk
1 beaten egg

First combine the flour cornmeal baking powder salt and sugar into a bowl. In a separate bowl combine the oil milk and egg. Add the mixture to the dry and gently fold together with a spatula. Overmixing will make the cornbread dry and crumbly. Bake at 400° for 25 minutes in an 8 x 8  pan.

Wheat Berry Bread

Wheat Berry Bread
(Makes 5-6 loaves)

Boil 1 cup of wheat berries in 4 cups of water and half a teaspoon of salt. Cover and simmer for three hours. Add enough water to the weed to measure 6 1/2 cups total. It’s ideal to soak the wheat berries overnight before you simmer them. Sometimes that just doesn’t happen and that’s OK.

1/3 cup oil
2/3 cup honey
6 cups wheat flour
1 1/2 Tbsp active dry yeast
7-8 cups white flour

Bring the boiled wheat mixture to a just warm temperature and combine in your bread bowl or mixer with oil, honey, yeast, and 4 cups of the wheat flour. Once that as well combined add the rest of the wheat flour and then start adding the white flour one cup at a time on low speed. As the mixer becomes sluggish turn up the speed and add flour until the door pulls away from the sides of the wall. Cover loosely with greased plastic wrap and rise in a warm space until doubled in size about 1 1/2 hours. Then turn out onto a lightly greased countertop and divided into five or six balls of dough. Kneed out the air pockets and shape into loaves. Place in a bread pan cover loosely with plastic wrap that’s greased, and repeat for the remaining loaves. Let the loaves rise until they have doubled in size for about another hour and a half and then bake at 350° for 45 minutes total. Bake the first 25 minutes with the loaves uncovered and then slide into long sheets of foil over the top of the loaves to bake for the remaining time so that the loaves don’t over brown. When the loaves are done you can knock on the top of them and they will sound hollow. Use immediately or freeze the remaining loaves in freezer bags.

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

There’s nothing in the world like slicing into a loaf of warm bread fresh out of the oven and spreading butter over the top. It just melts in your mouth and this recipe is so good for you too! I buy all my grains in berry form (shaped like rice before its ground into flour) and then I grind it in my Whispermill right before I bake to get the most nutritious bread possible. You can definitely buy your flower from the store but I think it taste better when it’s ground fresh. I also like to grind it fresh so that I can use a variety of grains like Spelt, Rye, Einkorn, and so on. Each different variety has a different profile of vitamins so it’s good to mix it up. The majority of my flour is from heirloom hard red wheat berries that I have shipped from The Grain Place. This is a particularly good option if you have sensitivity to wheat. The heirloom grains are non gmo and organic, so they don’t have the same negative side effects of traditional American wheat. I am absolutely allergic to regular wheat, but I do fine with all of the heirloom grains. This is exciting news for so many people! This company also sells flour from these grains. I also want to note that the olive oil I use is from a company based out of Israel called Blessed Buy Isreal. It has it naturally low acidity which is important in bread making because a higher acidity will hinder the yeast action.

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

4 1/2 cups warm water
3 Tbsp dry active yeast
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (low acidity) or regular olive oil halved with coconut or avacado oil
1 cup raw unfiltered honey
3 beaten eggs
2 rounded Tbsps dough enhancer (buy on amazon)
2 Tbsp salt
12- 16 cups flour of your choice
My typical flour combo:
2 cups rye, 2 cups spelt, 2 cups buckwheat, 2 cups Einkorn, 8 cups hard red winter wheat

Combine in a large bowl or Bosch mixer the warm water and yeast. Use a glass one cup measuring cup to measure out your oil, and add that to the water and yeast. Use the oiled measuring cup to measure approximately one cup of honey. The honey comes out of that oiled cup so much easier. Next add the eggs, dough enhancer, salt, and 3 cups of your flour. Combine well, and then start adding the rest of your flour one cup at a time while mixing on low. You can substitute and some white flour if you want. Look for the devil to start pulling away from the edge of the bowl. It should be a moist dough that doesn’t stick to your fingers too much. Ere on the side of a too wet dough rather than dry. Once the door is pulling away from the sides it needs to mix on medium or high for about five minutes to build up the gluten. Don’t overmix however, or you’ll end up with a tough loaf of bread. The dough should be very soft to the touch and pliable. Cover the mixing bowl with greased plastic wrap and sat on the counter or in a slightly warm oven for one and a half to two hours. If the dog starts to run over the side of the bowl instead of rising upward, it is a little bit on the wet side. That’s OK, just make a note of it for next time and you may need to bake a couple of extra minutes.
Once Aledo has doubled in size, turn it out onto an oil countertop and divided into six or seven balls of dough. Six is all that will fit in the oven at a time, but smaller loads are easier to work with and fit in sandwich bags once sandwiches are made with the bread. Take one of the six balls of dough and squeeze out any big air pockets. You will want to need the dough a little bit by folding the dog over like a taco and then needing it towards the closed end with the palms of your hand. Do this several times and tell you have pressed out as many air bubbles as possible. Shape into a loaf and put into a greased bread pan and cover loosely with greased plastic wrap. Repeat for the remaining Lowe’s and let rise for another one and a half to two hours until doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 350° and bake the loaves for about 30 minutes total. The first 20 minutes uncovered, and then the last 10 minutes slide into long sheets of foil to cover the tops of the bread so that they don’t over Brown. You should be able to tap on the tops of the bread when they are done.

Lela’s Chicken and Rice

When I was a teenager one of our neighbors brought over a meal when my mom was sick. Nothing had ever tasted so good as her chicken and rice bake that day. That Neighbor turned out to be my mother-in-law a few years down the road. She didn’t remember bringing dinner, but I did and she had the recipe to prove it!

Lela’s Chicken and Rice

2 large chicken breasts sliced into 3/4 inch slices (raw)
2 cans cream of mushroom soup (homemade would be even better)
1 1/2 cans water
1 1/4 cups white rice
1 Tbsp onion soup mix or your own herb combo
Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk the mushroom soup in a bowl and slowly add the one and a half cups of water and then the rice and soup mix or herbs and the salt and pepper. Pour into a 9 x 13  baking dish and then top with the slices of chicken breast. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes to an hour until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through. Serve with my Awesome Salad for the perfect meal!

Kristy’s Chicken Salad

You know that one friend who has you laughing till you pee with just one look? No words needed. That friend for me is Kristy. She has the best laugh and makes a killer chicken salad. What more could you ask for in a friend?

Kristy’s Chicken Salad 
(for a crowd)

8 cups chicken breasts boiled with one onion and salt, cooled and cubed
4 cups bow shaped pasta (Italian imported prefered) cooked, rinsed, and cooled
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 Tbsp chopped green onion
16 oz bottle of Kraft Coleslaw dressing
2 cups mayo
2 dashes thyme
2 pinches ginger

Combine above ingredients and refrigerate overnight, then stir in the following ingredients

2 cups diced celery
4 cups red grapes halved
4 cups unpeeled green apples
4 cups of pineapple chopped into small bite sized pieces
1 cup slivered almonds

Serve sandwiched into croissants sliced in half

Awesome Salad with Pears and Citrus Dressing

I got this recipe from my neighbor Tara when we lived in Colorado. I remember looking out my bedroom window to see her adorable French Bulldog named Angus sitting out in the sun in her back yard. I would open the window and say hello to him. I also spent many afternoons talking to Tara over our backyard fence, and acquired this recipe after one such afternoon chat. She hand wrote the recipe for me on a yellow index card that I am reluctant to part with. This salad is as bright as the yellow on that card and every bit as awesome as she claimed it was! The pears and cashews mellow out the lemony dressing, and the Yarlsburg cheese gives it a sophisticated flair!

Awesome Salad with Pears and Citrus Dressing 

6 cups spring mix and/or spinach
1 cup shredded Yarlsburg or Swiss cheese
1 cup raw cashew halves
1 apple sliced
1 Bosc pear diced or sliced
1 cup dried unsweetened cranberries

Toss together and serve with dressing.

Dressing

1/3 cup Braggs apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup raw unfiltered honey (citrus flower or wildflower is excellent!)
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil or avacado oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice (I used Meyer lemons)
1 Tbsp minced scallions or 1/4 tsp onion powder
1 Tbsp poppy seeds

Combine all the ingredients in a mason jar with a lid and shake well. If your honey is extra thick like mine you may need to blend it. If you choose to use a blender, add the poppyseeds after you blend.

Pate Brisee

While I was in France I attended a cooking class where we made Pate Brisee for our appetizer. Herbed goat cheese mixed with the crème fraîche was mouthwateringly good! No, that’s not a real word but I’ve made it one for this occasion. Okay, then imagine the herbed cream on a flaky crust with tender asparagus and you’re in heaven!

Pate Brisee

250 grams flour
140 grams butter
6 grams salt
15 grams sugar
1 egg
20-30 grams water
One small package of herbed goat cheese
1/4 cup of crème fraîche
One bunch of asparagus white and green
Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
Salt and pepper
Mix flour and butter with the tips of your fingers until the mix looks like powder. Make a well in the mixture and add salt, sugar, egg, water, and mixed together. This can also be made with a KitchenAid. Roll out the dough into a rectangle, and cut the rectangle. Bake at 350° for about 30 minutes. When it comes out of the oven cut the rectangle into eight equal sized smaller rectangles. Then chop the asparagus to a length just shorter than each small rectangle and put 3-4 asparagus stalks on each rectangle, alternating green and white asparagus. Drizzle the tops with olive oil and salt and pepper. Bake again for about 15 minutes or until asparagus is tender.  Whip together equal parts of herb goat cheese and crème Fraîche and transfer to a piping bag (Or a Ziploc bag with one corner cut open). Once the asparagus tarts have cooled a little bit you can pipe the crème fraîche into one corner of the pastry. Serve immediately.

Strawberry Rhubarb Almond Cakes with Crème Fraîche

 This a French recipe I got in Paris. I attended a culinary class from Pastry A La Carte (highly recommend if you are ever in Paris) where we walked to an open air market with our chef and planned a menu for the meal we would prepare and eat together. It was springtime in Paris with a light breeze carrying the smell of freshly baked bread. The hundreds of vibrant colors tumbling from the stalls was a feast for my eyes! With our grocery bags filled we headed for the kitchen to prepare and eat. While everything we made that day was heavenly, this strawberry rhubarb cake was my absolute favorite! The picuture to the left is the one we made in Paris. The middle picture is of our cute and knowledgeable chef who took her craft very seriously. I may or may not have gotten in trouble once for talking!
The bottom picture is my re-creation of this desert at home on a day when I didn’t happen to have crème fraîche available, and I used heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar to make the topping which was pretty darn good too!

Strawberry Rhubarb Almond  Cakes with Crème Fraîche

100 grams butter

100 grams of sugar

100 grams eggs (about 2)

100 grams almond flour 

1 tsp vanilla 

1 tsp Rum (optional, but delicious)

2 stalks rhubarb sliced about 1/3 - 1/2 inch thick

1 pint strawberries washed and chopped into bite size pieces 

One container of crème Fraîche 

1-2 Tbsp powdered sugar (optional)

Sliced almonds and fresh strawberry slices for garnish (optional)

Combine butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until creamy. Add eggs and mix until completely combined. Add the ground almonds and mix well. At that point you can add your vanilla and rum. Divide your cake batter into 8 small ramekins or 6 large ones, keeping room to add the rhubarb and strawberries without overflowing. Press even amounts of strawberry and rhubarb into the batter leaving the colors showing on the top. Bake at 350° for about 15 minutes. Insert a toothpick and make sure it comes out clean before you take them out of the oven. Serve warm with crème fraîche sweetened with a little bit of powdered sugar if you like it sweet!

Grilled Pizza

Grilled pizza. Is there any other kind? You’ll never go back to baked pizzas again after you’ve tried these! The smoky flavor from the grill add so much flavor to the crust you will die!


Grilled Pizza

Prepare a batch of pizza dough.  While the dough is rising prepare the sauce by making a recipe of garlic bread sprinkle, and add 3 Tbsp of the sprinkle to about 8 oz of your favorite marinara sauce puréed. You can also skip the garlic bread sprinkle, and combine a little bit of olive oil with fresh oregano, basil, garlic, onion powder, and salt. Brush that oil mixture on your dough after you have grilled one side of the crust and flipped it.  You could then add sauce, cheese, and toppings, or skip the sauce and just do mozzarella, sliced tomatoes, and fresh basil. Either way, prepare all of your toppings and grilling spatula’s on a tray to take out to the grill and run on your grill to a medium heat.
Once your pizza dough has finished its first rise, you can begin to shape the dough into personal pizza sizes by hand for an artisan look (which I prefer) or roll them with a rolling pin. Either way, if you’re going to grill pizzas you want to keep the size fairly small or else they will be very difficult to work with on the grill. To start out, put two or three of your shaped dough rounds on your well oiled, well heated grill. Wait for about 30 seconds until there’s grill marks on the bottom and then flip the dough over. If the dough is sticking to the grill, oil one side of the dough before you start grilling. You’ll want to work quickly to put on your toppings and then close the top of the grill for the cheese to melt.  You’ll want to go light on the toppings and keep them sliced thin so that they will be able to cook through without burning the crust. This will only take a minute or two so stay by the grill and have a plate ready for transferring. If the bottom of your crust is getting overcooked you can put it on the top rack away from the flames to finish the cheese melting.

Garlic Bread Sprinkle

Garlic Bread Sprinkle

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp salt
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp basil
2 tsp marjoram
2 tsp parsley

Stir ingredients together and use right away or store in the refrigerator for a week or freeze for future use.

Breadsticks

Breadsticks 

Prepare Pizza and Breadstick dough according to directions in that recipe. Now that the dog has been risen for 45 minutes and punch down, roll it out on a floured countertop into a rectangle about 18 inches long by 9 inches wide. Cut into 12 strips with a bread cutter or pizza cutter. Place each strip on  a lightly greased baking sheet after twisting the ends of each strip in opposite directions 3 times to achieve a twisty looking breadstick. Cover the baking sheet with Greece plastic wrap and allow the breadsticks to rise for another 30 minutes. 15 minutes into the rise time you will want to preheat your oven to 425° and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. When they come out of the oven brush the tops with butter and then sprinkle some garlic bread sprinkle on the top (See garlic bread sprinkle recipe).

Pizza or Breadstick Dough

Pizza or Breadstick Dough 

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp active dry yeast
3/4 tsp salt
3-4 1/2 cups flour, divided 

In a large bowl or bread mixing bowl with dough hook combine water, sugar, and yeast. Let it stand for 5 to 10 minutes until it’s bubbly. Add one and a half cups of flour and then the salt and mix well. Continue to add the flour half a cup at a time until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. If mixing by hand, need the dough on the counter for 5 to 10 minutes until the dough become smooth and elastic. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise for 45 minutes until doubled in bulk. See recipes for breadsticks and grilled pizza to finish off your dough.

Lemon Curd Mascarpone and Goat Cheesecake

This is the best cheesecake I’ve ever had. If you’re a lemon lover you are in for a treat! The recipe came with an almond shortbread crust, but I prefer graham cracker crust with the goat cheese mascarpone cheesecake filling I do. I’ve listed both so you can choose what sounds the best. You will find the graham cracker crust recipe at the end.

Lemon Curd Mascarpone and Goat Cheesecake 

Almond shortbread crust

1/2 cup almond meal
1 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
6 Tbsp Unsalted butter chilled and cubed
1 large egg yolk

Cheesecake Filling

7 oz. goat cheese (from a log)
7 1/2 oz. cream cheese or Mascarpone
1/4 cup + 2 T sugar
5 tsp heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp Meyer lemon juice
2 eggs separated

Lemon Curd Topping 
5 eggs
5 egg yolks
1 2/3 cup sugar
2 Tbsp Meyer lemon zest
Scant 1/2 cup Meyer lemon juice
1/3 cup regular lemon juice
4-6 oz. unsalted butter

For the Shortbread Crust

In a blender or food processor pulse the almond meal flour sugar and salt until the butter is broken up into pea size or smaller pieces. Gently stir in an egg yolk with a fork. The mixture should be crumbly still. Gently press crumbs into a large pie dish and bake at 375° for six minutes.

For the Cheesecake Filling

Combine the sugar and goat cheese on high for a minute. Add the cream cheese or the mascarpone cheese a little at a time until well mixed together. Add the heavy cream, vanilla, and lemon juice. Gently stir in the yolks and set aside.  In a separate bowl that as well cleaned with no residual grease, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Very gently fold the egg whites into the cheesecake filling, careful not to deflate all of those air bubbles in the egg whites. Pour the cheesecake filling into the cooked shortbread crust. Now bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes. The center of the cheesecake should still be just a little bit wobbly. Cool and refrigerate for at least three hours or overnight.

For the Lemon Curd

And a medium-size bowl whisk the eggs and yolks together. Add sugar and whisk together thoroughly. Add zest and lemon juice and pour into a heavy duty pot, stirring constantly over medium low heat. If you don’t have a pot like this, whisk in the bowl over a pot of boiling water for 5-10 minutes until the curd has thickened. Take off the heat and stir in the butter. Pour over the refrigerated cheese cake and bake at 300° for 15 minutes. You may not need all of the curd, but I like to make this much curd so that I can have a little bit extra to eat with a spoon before I pour it onto the cheesecake. It is that good!

Graham Cracker Crust

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs fine and even (I use a vita mix blender or food processor)
3 Tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp salt
5 Tbsp unsalted butter melted

1. Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and salt. Pour in the butter and stir together until the texture is like wet sand.

2. Press into a 9 inch springform pan. Bake at 325° for 8 to 10 minutes.

Roasted Root Vegetable Salad

The colors in this salad are exquisite, and on top of that it’s a vitamin filled nutritional feast! I found the recipe on Rachel Hollis’s website and altered it just a little bit to fit my tastes.
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Roasted Root Vegetable Salad (thechicsite)

Roasted vegetable topping

1 1/2 lb potatoes chopped (red, purple, or yellow)
3 large carrots pealed and chopped into bite sized pieces
2 Parsnips peeled and chopped into bite-size pieces
2 Beats scrubbed and chopped into bite-size pieces
1 Onion quarter inch sliced
4 Garlic cloves sliced
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp paprika
Fresh arugula and spinach mixed

Vinaigrette 

3 Tbsp Apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp Blue agave or honey
2/3 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt and pepper


Combine the potatoes, carrots, parsnips, onion, garlic, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, pepper, and paprika and toss together. Then spread evenly on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Now put the beats in the bowl that you just used to toss the rest of the ingredients in. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt pepper and paprika. Put the beads on the roasting pan a little bit of separate from the rest of the vegetables so that the color doesn’t bleed. Roast at 400° for 30-45 minutes until fork tender. While the vegetables are roasting mix up the vinaigrette for the salad.
For the vinaigrette combine all the ingredients in a jar and shake. If you are using a very sick raw honey you might need to blend the ingredients in a blender to break up the honey. When vegetables are done baking let them cool and then top the arugula spinach mixture and drizzle the vinaigrette over the top. Toss the salad and eat up!

Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup

2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups 2% or whole milk (pasture raised)
3/4 cup flour or flour substitute like tapioca
4-6 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp each of onion powder, garlic powder, salt,  pepper, parsley, and fresh rosemary chopped if you have any.

Bring chicken broth and whole milk to simmer in a pot. In another small pan melt the butter and add the flower to it while whisking constantly. Add the butter flour mixture to the simmering broth while whisking constantly. Continue stirring for 3 to 5 minutes until the soup thickens. Cool and use immediately or freeze until ready to use.

Flaky, Buttery Croissants (monpetitfour)

For the dough

1 lb 2 oz unbleached flour
5 oz cold water
5 oz cold whole milk
2 oz sugar
1 1/2 oz unsalted butter
1 Tbsp + scant 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
2 1/4 tsp salt

For the butter layer

10 oz butter 1/2 satled, 1/2 unsalted

For the egg wash

1 egg beaten

Combine all the dough ingredients in a mixer for four minutes and then turn into a lightly floured surface, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
Make a 6 inch square out of butter slices from the butter layer butter on parchment paper. Cover the top with parchment paper and then use a rolling pin to pound out a 7 1/2 inch square. Refrigerate to keep cold while you roll the dough. Flower of the surface and then roll the dough into a 10 inch square. Play’s the square of butter diagonally on top of the dough making a diamond shape. For the corners of the door towards the middle and pinch all of the ends together to seal in the butter. Roll the dough in long strokes to make a rectangle about 8 inches wide and 24 inches long. Now fold the edges of the dough toward the middle in thirds like a letter. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes to let the dough rest. Turn the door a quarter turn so that the open edges are facing you and roll into a new rectangle. Repeat this process two more times. Cover your folded dough and refrigerate overnight.
Now roll the dough to 8 inches wide and 44 inches long. Trim the uneven edges of your Dell about half inch to 1 inch off. Now take a ruler across the top of the dough and measure/mark every 5 inches.
Take your ruler 2 1/2 inches in from the bottom edge of your toe and then measure every 5 inches from that spot. Now take your ruler from the marking on the top of the dough and cut diagonally downward to the first marking on the bottom of the dough. Repeat this cut along the dough to get 15 triangles. Gently stretch each triangle from the pointed end to elongate them.

Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits

2 1/2 cups flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp. Salt
2 Tbsp vegetable shortening chilled and cut in 1/2 inch cubes
8 Tbsp unsalted butter chilled and cut in 1/8 inch slices floured plus 2 Tbsp butter melted and cooled
1 3/4 cup buttermilk chilled

Heat oven to 450°. Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add shortening to the flour mixture and press the chunks flat into the flour with your fingertips. Add butter slices a few at a time and press with your fingers into flat nickel size pieces until all the butter is incorporated. Freeze bowl for 15 minutes or refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Spray 24 in squares counter space with oil and then wipe with paper towel to even it over the counter. Flour the counter and then even out the flour coating with your hands. Add 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp chilled buttermilk to the biscuit mixture stirring briskly with a fork, careful not to overwork the dough. Shape the  dough into a rectangle, and then fold the edges of the dough towards the middle in thirds like a letter. Turn your rectangle though a quarter turn and roll it back out to original size and repeat the folding and turning. Do this one more time. Roll the dough out to 1 inch thick and use a 3 inch circle cutter to get the biscuit out and onto the baking pan. Flour the biscuit cutter each time before you use it and never twist the cutter in the dough. Brush the tops of the biscuits with remaining buttermilk. The biscuits rise well when they are all touching and can be cooked in a Dutch oven pan. Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Cauliflower Chicken Fried Rice

 

This is a great meal full of veggies, and so good! This recipe is on the smaller side only serving two to four, so I always double it. Any leftovers are perfect for freezing in individual portion sizes and then put in a larger freezer ziplock bag.

Cauliflower Chicken Fried Rice (serves2-4)

1 lb riced cauliflower
10 oz. chicken
2 eggs beaten
3/4 cup frozen peas
3/4 cup sliced carrots
1 cup cremini mushrooms sliced
4 scallions chopped
1-2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp sushi ginger
Chili flakes

Cook chicken stove top with salt pepper seasoning salt and chili flakes. Well the chicken is cooking heat the sesame oil and sauté the cauliflower, carrots, mushrooms, and scallions until tender. Add the Peas, soy sauce, and sushi ginger. When everything is heated through push all the vegetables to one side of the pan and scramble the eggs in the other half of the pan. When the eggs are cooked stir everything together and serve.

Hearty Cabbage Soup

Hearty Cabbage Soup

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion chopped
2 carrots chopped
2 to 3 stocks celery chopped
1/2 tsp. Chili powder
Salt and pepper
1 15 ounce can of white beans dried and rinsed
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp thyme
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1/2 head cabbage chopped
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 15 ounce can of chopped fire roasted tomatoes
2 Tbsp fresh parsley chopped

Heat olive oil on medium and add onion carrots celery chili powder salt and pepper. Stir 4-5 minutes until the vegetables have softened. Stir in beans, garlic , and thyme for 30 seconds. Add broth and water and bring to a simmer. Stir in the tomatoes, cabbage, and red pepper flakes and cook until cabbage is wilted. Serve with fresh parsley on top.

Ruth’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ruth’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1b butter (2 cups)
2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
5 1/2 cups flour
4-6 cups chocolate chips

1. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time beating for five minutes after each egg. Add vanilla.
2. Combine salt, baking powder, and flour in a bowl. Add one cup at a time to the butter mixture. When the flour mixture is incorporated and the dough is still a bit moist and sticky, stir in the chocolate chips. I recommend refrigerating the dough for at least two hours before baking.

3. Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes.

Buttery Croissant Rolls

Buttery Croissant Rolls

2 cups warm water

3/4 cups melted butter (Plus more for brushing on the dough)

3/4 cups sugar 

1 Tbsp salt

3 eggs

1 1/2 Tbsp yeast

6-7 cups flour 

Combine the water,  yeast, and sugar in a mixing bowl with the bread hook attachment. When the yeast is bubbly add the melted butter the eggs and 3 cups of the flour. Beat until smooth a minute or two and then add the salt. Start adding the rest of the flour 1/2 cup at a time until the dough is pulling away from the edge of the mixing bowl. The dough should still be moist and sticky. Cover with greased plastic wrap and rise for about an hour and a half until the dough has doubled in size. Turn out the dough onto clean counter and divide the dough into three equal balls. Roll each ball out into a circle with the dough a third of an inch thick. Cut each circle into 12 slices like a pizza. Roll the slices up into a croissant shape starting with the thick end of the triangle and place on the baking sheet with the tip of your triangle tucked under to keep the croissant shape from unrolling. Rise for another hour and a half covered with greased plastic wrap. When your rolls have doubled in size, bake at 350° for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown and then brush the tops with butter as they come out of the oven.

Royal Icing

Royal Icing

3 ounces of egg whites
1 teaspoon of vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar

Beat egg whites and vanilla until frothy. Add the powdered sugar a cup at a time on low speed until well Incorporated and shiny. Turn the speed up to high and beat for 5 to 7 minutes until stiff glossy peaks form. If the icing is too thick add milk 1/8 teaspoon at a time.

Sugar Cookies

One of our favorite holiday traditions is decorating cookies together. There’s nothing like watching the creativity and personality come out of children in such unique ways! My favorite thing about this recipe is that the dough doesn’t spread out all over the sheet when you bake the cookies so that you can retain all of the unique cookie cutter shapes that you have!

Sugar Cookies

2 c butter
2 c sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond emulsion (optional)
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp baking powder
5 1/2 - 6 c flour

Cream butter and sugar together for five minutes, then add one egg at a time beating for 2 to 3 minutes after each egg addition. Add the vanilla and almond emulsion. Combine 5 1/2 cups of flour with the baking powder and salt, and add Flour mixture one cup at a time to the creamed butter mixture. Add the extra half cup of flour if needed. Bake at 350°for approximately eight minutes. Cool and ice with royal icing or cream cheese frosting.

Cashew Coconut Creamer

Cashew Coconut Creamer

1 cup cashews

1/2 cup raw coconut flakes

1 1/2 cups pitted dates

1 T vanilla or hazelnut extract 

Approximately 1 cup coconut or almond milk

For extra sweetness add either honey or pure maple syrup.

Soak cashews coconut and dates in purified water for four hours or overnight. Drain out the water and put in the blender with the extract, milk, and syrup or honey. Blend on high for 1-2 minutes. I use a vitamix blender. Freeze what you don’t need in a ziplock bag pressed flat.

Mediterranean Tacos

I found this recipe after reading Girl Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis. I loved the book, and I’m obsessed with the recipe I found on her blog for these tacos. The flavors are off the charts! I made a few changes to the recipe and I usually only do one chicken breast to make it light and vegetable foreword.

Mediterranean Tacos (thechicsite)

1 tomato diced

1/2 cucumber peeled and diced
1/2 small red onion diced
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 container of hummus
1-2 chicken breasts cooked stovetop with cumin, paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce, then sliced or diced
1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce
Green or black olives
Artichoke hearts
Feta cheese

1. Combine the tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl to marinate.

2. Cook chicken with spices, rest it for 5 minutes and then slice it.

3. Warm the pita breads in the oven and then top with hummus, lettuce, marinated vegetables, green olives, artichoke hearts, and feta cheese. Devour!