Easy Low Carb Pizza

I'm back. After two years of focusing on my degree and getting my masters under my belt, I have done it and I can focus on sharing things with my friends once again. YAY! It was a long journey and I have to say along the way I lost that love of sharing and preparing meals. Cooking a meal had become a chore when it was once something I would thoughtfully plan out and send out into the internet universe for my 15 readers to take pleasure in. This blog was something I looked forward to posting to. I looked forward to chopping, sautéing, baking and seasoning all so that you could take the pleasure in making these dishes at home. So I am working on gaining that love back, starting with an easy peasy, delicious, pizza. This crust recipe is so quick and you can use it for whatever pizza toppings you desire, this one was just a tad unique.

Ingredients:

For the crust:

• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 2 oz cream cheese
• 1 cup mozzarella
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp garlic salt
• parchment paper

For the toppings:

• 1 jalapeno sliced thinly
• 1/4 heaping cup of finely sliced red onion
• 3 oz honey goat cheese (I found mine at Trader Joe's, but you can use regular and drizzle honey on top when you top the pizza. Same diff.)
• salami (add as much as you want)
• pesto

It's not Sunday, but it's how I feel ok?

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• In a medium sized microwavable bowl, take you mozzarella and cream cheese and melt them. 
• When they are melted add your almond flour, egg and garlic salt and mix well (spatulas work best in my opinion). 
• On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spread the mixture across (it'll make a 5X8 crust roughly). This mixture is sticky but easily spreadable.
• Bake for 12-14 minutes or until browned.
• When its done baking, remove from oven and spread pesto over the top.
• Add your toppings. I like to add the salami on top of the pesto first, then add everything else.
• Bake for 10-12 more minutes.
• Cut and serve!

Biscuits and Gravy Bake

I've been asked in the past by numerous people, what is your favorite thing to make? I usually sit there and scroll through all of the recipes I have made, the countless number of pizzas, tacos, vegetarian meals, breakfast goodies and appetizers that have been made with these two hands, but I could never think of a straight forward answer.  It's kind of like when people ask you what your favorite movie is, well what kind of weather is it? what mood am I in? am I alone or with people? But I finally thought of an answer this morning as I thought about my dinner menu. My favorite thing to make is a meal for other people, it's like watching someone open up their presents on Christmas day or surprising someone with a note saying that you care. There's nothing better than a making a meal to share with family or friends. So here's a recipe I got to share this weekend and it was, yum-tastic.

Ingredients:

• 1 can biscuits
• 2 1/2 cup milk
• salt and pepper
• 3 1/2 tbsp flour
• 1 lb breakfast sausage

This band has been in head for the past six months, you'd know them as the band that did the music for Stranger Things, I love the sic-fi, eighties drone they have going on and I find them to be great school work companions. 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Grease a small baking pan.
3. Then cut your biscuits into quarters. Place half in the baking pan and bake for 10 minutes.
4. While baking, in a large skillet brown your sausage. 
5. Stir in your flour and mix until absorbed. 
6. Pour in the milk and stir until it starts to bubble, adding salt and pepper to taste.
7. Once bubbling, set the skillet off to the side.
8. Remove the biscuits from oven and pour your sausage gravy on top.
9. Place the remaining biscuits on top of the rest of the ingredients. (Depending on how hot your oven gets, place aluminum foil on top to prevent burning).
10. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
11. Let cool for 10, the serve!

Happy Eatings Everyone!

Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas

I was talking to a co-worker the other day and I made a crack about how somedays we just do not want to adult but somehow find ourselves working through the day and doing just that. Where in us, does this urge to push forward come from? I feel like I juggle a lot of things, I mean we all do, we all have a million and one things going on in our lives and we all struggle but how or why haven't I broke down about it? I live with anxiety and usually when things start piling up figuratively with school or work or literally with the dishes in the sink, panic attacks ensue and I am lost for God knows how long. So I guess what I am getting at is a 'pat on the back' if you will, I've started my masters courses on top of work and I'm cool as a cucumber, maybe I can attribute it to my amazing support system that follows me wherever I go.

Ingredients (made 14 enchiladas):

• 2 cans black beans, drained
• 1 can corn, drained
• 2.5 lbs shredded and cooked chicken (I slow cooked mine the night before)
• 2 cups raw spinach
• whole wheat tortillas
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 2 cans enchilada sauce
• 3 cups shredded cheese
• avocado for topping
• sour cream for topping

I've found this song stuck in my head a lot lately, and I know it's obnoxious... but is it? It is... but is it? Yes. No. I can't make up my mind.

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• In a large bowl mix together black beans, corn, chicken, spinach and cumin.
• In a greased baking pan (I used 2 and a half lol) place 1/4 cup of the mixture onto a single tortilla and gently roll it up. Repeat until pan is full.
• Next, evenly pour your enchilada sauce onto the enchiladas, then sprinkle the cheese over the top.
• Bake for 25 minutes.
• Serve!

Happy Eatings Everyone!

Breakfast Sausage Boats

This is the time of year I make anything cheesy, meaty, or gravy-licious. It's football season. Now the whole family takes part in fantasy football, it's what they do, they compete with friendly banter about how the other is losing or how their fantasy team is the best. Me? I like getting the family together and making everyone something scrumptious to nibble on as we watch our team. I can't get involved in fantasy, I'm too competitive as is, and all I am doing is watching! SO, here you are, make it for your friends and family and have them over for the game, or if your not into football, just have them over and have a great brunch together!

Ingredients (makes for 4):

• 8-10 breakfast sausage links, cooked
• 8 eggs, whisked
• hollandaise (here's a recipe of mine with how to make it)
• salt and pepper
• 1 baguette, or I found individual soft pretzel breads to hollow out

It's raining, I'm sick. I just want my Joni and a cup of tea.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Remove the top of your bread with a knife, then hollow out the bread with a spoon creating a bread bowl.
3. Dice your cooked sausage into small pieces. 
4. Pour egg into each or into your single bread bowl, then evenly distribute the sausage on top.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until egg is no longer runny.
6. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Drizzle your hollandaise on top.
7. Serve!

Happy Eating Everyone!

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup

"I have nothing to put in my stew, you see,

Not a bone or a bean or a black-eyed pea,

So I'll just climb in the pot to see

If I can make a stew out of me.

I'll put in some pepper and salt and I'll sit

In the bubbling water--I won't scream a bit.

I'll sing while I simmer, I'll smile while I'm stewing,

I'll taste myself often to see how I'm doing.

I'll stir me around with this big wooden spoon

And serve myself up at a quarter to noon.

So bring out your stew bowls,

You gobblers and snackers.

Farewell--and I hope you enjoy me with crackers!"

-Shel Silverstein

Ingredient:

• 16 oz split peas
• 1/4 lb chopped ham
• 1 half yellow onion diced
• 3 carrots peeled and diced
• 4 small stalks of celery chopped
• 2 cups freshly chopped parsley
• 6 cups of chicken broth (After I cooked it was way too thick, I stirred in another 2 and half cups of broth to it and it fixed it right away)
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and pepper to taste

Sip your soup and sink into this sweet melody:

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in your slow cooker and stir well.
2. Cook on high for 7-8 hours. Remove bay leaf when finished.
3. Serve!

Waffle Iron Monte Cristo

There is absolutely nothing in the world that beats the quiet of the first morning of the weekend, a black and white movie playing, coffee brewing and a breakfast on the menu. There's a light fog over the fields this morning, everything is damp and cool, and the wind is a gentle whisper. I'm done being poetic, the fall season just brings out a kind of romance in  me, it's not just harvest season and sweater weather, it's the feeling of the warmth of your hot apple cider reaching your nose and the smell of something savory in the slow cooker. No other season compares, anyway here's a delicious breakfast recipe to chomp on.

Ingredients (1 sandwich):

• 2 slices white bread
• Dijon mustard
• Mayo
• 2 slices ham (I used thick from a left over ham)
• 2 slices swiss cheese
• Blackberry jam for dipping
• 1 large egg
• 1 tbsp half and half

This song just sounds how everything looks, if that makes any sense. Stardust is a classic song and I've listened to a lot of different versions, so here's one of my favorite renditions:

Directions:

1. Preheat your waffle iron.
2. In a bowl whisk together your half and half and egg to make an egg wash.
3. On one slice of bread spread your mustard, then on the other slice spread your mayo. Then take each slice and on the side without condiments quickly dip it in your egg wash.
4. Place your ham and cheese over your condiment side of your bread then combine the two pieces of bread. 
5. Place your sandwich in the waffle iron and cook it until it turns bread.
6. While the sandwich cooks place about two tbsp of jam in a separate small bowl.
7. When your sandwich is cooked dip and serve!

Happy Eatings Everyone!

Baked Plums Stuffed with Goat Cheese

It's been a hot minute since I posted last, but I've been busy ok? Blogging can get away from me sometimes and becomes lower on the priority list than I would like but alas life is happening around us and we get swept up in all of the chaos. Between reading about Jefferson's views on the role of education in our nation, to trying to problem solve at work, to wanting to go out to two comedy shows in one weekend, it's all stuff I can't skip out on. This past weekend was the husband's birthday weekend and the mother and I decided to make yums for the tums, let's just say his tum was very satisfied. Here's the recipe I took under my wing:

Ingredients:

• 6 plums, halved and pitted
• 2 tbsps olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp dried basil
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1/4 cup chopped pistachios
• balsamic vinaigrette  (for drizzling)
• 10 oz goat cheese

It's fall time! Yeah, I am one of those crazy, boot loving, apple cider sipping, pumpkin eating freaks and I don't care who knows it. The other things synonymous with Fall, at least for me, is jazz. So hears a little crisp and frosty air music to listen to while you say goodbye to sweaty summer!

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil and place your plums fruit side up inside. Drizzle your olive oil and honey over the top of your plums and then evenly distribute your basil over the top. Top with salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes.
3. When the plums are done in the oven, remove them and let them cool.
4. Next spoon your goat cheese over each plum evenly, top with your chopped pistachios, then drizzle a little balsamic onto each plum.
5. Serve!

Happy Eatings Everyone!