Lemon Ricotta Cookies

OMG! HEAVENLY!
Got this recipe from another Kitchen Kneads cooking class. They were SO good. Yeah, I had like ten.
Came home and later made them for a family function. They were a hit. Again, I ate like ten. :)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg 
• 1/2 (15 oz) container part-skim (or low-fat) ricotta cheese
• 1 1/2 Tbs Lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
• 1/2 lemon zested

      For the Glaze:

• 3/4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 Tbs Lemon Juice (extra lemon makes it DIVINE!)
• 1/2 Lemon, zested

Directions:

1. Preheat over to 375 deg.
2. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In large bowl combine butter and sugar. Beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. 
4. Add egg, (1 at a time if doubling) and beat until completely mixed.
5. Add the rocotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat to combine. Stir in dry ingredients. 
6. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough (about 2 Tbs for each cookie) onto the sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.
7. Make glaze. Combine powdered sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest in small bowl and stir until smooth. Spoon about 1/2 tsp onto each cookie and spread. Or, to be more decorative, put glaze in a baggie (ziplock bag) and cut a small bit off the corner, and squeese glaze onto cookies.
8. Let glaze harden 1-2 hours.

Enjoy!!!!

Calories: 110 per cookie, Fat: 3g, Carbs: 28g, Protein: 3.8g, Fiber: 1.2g, Sodium: 348mg, Potassium: 52mg

Healthy Baked Chicken Nuggets

Another delicious and easy recipe from Gina's Skinny Recipes. Even your kids will love it! The only thing I did differently was I used my Special K cereal instead of Panko... I didn't want to have to go to the store for ONE thing. I improvised, and it was still great.

Ingredients:

• 16 oz (2 large) skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into even bite sized pieces
• salt and pepper
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 6 Tbsp whole wheat Italian Seasoned bread crumbs
• 2 Tbsp panko
• 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425 deg. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil spray.
• Put the olive oil in one bowl and the breadcrumbs, panko, and parmesan cheese in another.
• Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste, then put in olive oil and mix well so it evenly coats all the chicken.
• Then put chicken into the breadcrumb mixture to coat, then on baking sheet.
• Lightly spray the top with olive oil spray and bake 8-10 min. Turn over then cook another 4-5 or until cooked through.
• Yum!

Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 1/4th of nuggets
Calories: 164.9 • Fat: 4.6 g • Protein: 22.1 g • Carb: 7.7 g • Fiber: 0.9 g • Sugar: 0.1 g

Kneaders Chunky Cinnamon French Toast

Have you ever been to Kneaders?  They have the best french toast.  I love it!  If there was one up in the valley I would be in trouble!  Whenever i go to Park City this is my breakfast of choice.  When I saw this receipe on Sisters Cafe I had to give it a try. 

1 loaf Kneaders Chunky Cinnamon Bread cut in 8 slices - you could use any store bought cinnamon swirl bread.  I used monkey bread that I found on the crap cart at Wal Mart.  (you know the cart with all the day old stuff)

8 eggs

3 cups milk

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon vanilla

2 Tablespoons butter

Butter a 9 x 13 glass baking dish generously. Place the bread flat in the baking dish. Mix all remaining ingredients, reserving the butter and pour over the bread. Cut butter into pieces and dot over the top. Refrigerate over night or at least one hour (I think an hour is plenty, and I didn’t need all the egg mixture). Bake 45-50 minutes at 350 degrees. Serves 8.

Kneaders Caramel Syrup

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup creme (I asked the worker at Kneaders, and he confirmed that this is heavy whipping cream.)

1 cup light Karo syrup

Blend together and heat on stove top until sugar is smooth. Serve warm

I made it for dinner and then we had the left overs for breakfast!!  So good!!

Mint Lime Melon Salad

Minted Melon Salad

• 2 T. diced fresh mint
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 1 large lime, juiced and zested
• 1/4 c. water
• 1 cantaloupe
• 1 small honeydew melon
• 1/2 watermelon (or 1 small)

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the mint, sugar, lime zest, lime juice and water. Cut melons into cubes or into balls with a melon baller. Add to the bowl and toss to combine well.
2. Cover and refrigerate at least 3-4 hours to allow the flavors to combine.

Strawberry Shortcake with Almond Glaze

This cake is going to be a new family favorite!!  It was so good! After we ate the entire cake everybody wanted more!! 

Strawberry Shortcake with Almond Glaze

1 yellow cake mix

1 cup sour cream

 4 eggs

1 small vanilla pudding mix

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup water

2 teaspoons almond extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all the above ingredients together for a few minutes until well combined. Pour the batter into 2 round cake pans that have been greased or lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for a few minutes and then gently remove from pans and allow to cool on a wire rack.

Almond Glaze

2 cups powdered sugar

3 Tablespoons butter, melted

2 teaspoons almond extract

1-2 Tablespoons milk, if needed

Mix the glaze ingredients together while the cake cools. Once cake is still warm but has cooled slightly, prick the cake with a large fork or the back of a wooden spoon. Spoon the glaze over the two round cakes letting it sink in. Save about 1/3 or so of the glaze and set aside.

Strawberries and Cream Topping

1 pint (2 cups) heavy whipping cream

3-4 Tablespoons powdered sugar

1-2 pounds of fresh strawberries, sliced

Whip cream with 3-4 Tablespoons of powdered sugar, using a mixer.  This cake is pretty sweet so you may not want to sweeten your cream as much as the tutorial suggests. Wash dry and slice the strawberries and set aside.


Assembly:

Place one of the glazed cake rounds on a cake stand or large plate. Top with freshly whipped cream and a layer of strawberry slices. Follow with the second cake, more whipped cream and arrange more fresh sliced strawberries on top in a pretty pattern. Next drizzle the more of the almond glaze over the top and down the sides. Store in fridge until ready to serve. We like it chilled!

 I found the recipe off of The Girl Who Ate Everything! I love her blog she has some good treats!  I didn't change a thing!!

Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread

I found this recipe on Joy the Baker  We loved it!  My kids want me to make it again!!  I could have eaten the whole loaf by myself!!

Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread

Makes: one 9x5x3-inch loaf

For the Dough:

2 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 ounces unsalted butter

1/3 cup whole milk

1/4 cup water

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Filling:

1 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

2 ounces unsalted butter, melted until browned

In a large mixing bowl (I used just the bowl of my stand mixer) whisk together 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Set aside.

Whisk together eggs and set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt together milk and butter until butter has just melted. Remove from the heat and add water and vanilla extract. Let mixture stand for a minute or two, or until the mixture registers 115 to 125 degrees F.

Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula. Add the eggs and stir the mixture until the eggs are incorporated into the batter. The eggs will feel soupy and it’ll seem like the dough and the eggs are never going to come together. Keep stirring. Add the remaining 3/4 cup of flour and stir with the spatula for about 2 minutes. The mixture will be sticky. That’s just right.

Place the dough is a large, greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel. Place in a warm space and allow to rest until doubled in size, about 1 hour. *The dough can be risen until doubled in size, then refrigerated overnight for use in the morning. If you’re using this method, just let the dough rest on the counter for 30 minutes before following the roll-out directions below.

While the dough rises, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg for the filling. Set aside. Melt 2 ounces of butter until browned. Set aside. Grease and flour a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Set that aside too.

Deflate the risen dough and knead about 2 tablespoons of flour into the dough. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 5 minutes. On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin to roll the dough out. The dough should be 12-inches tall and about 20-inches long. If you can’t get the dough to 20-inches long… that’s okay. Just roll it as large as the dough will go. Use a pastry brush to spread melted butter across all of the dough. Sprinkle with all of the sugar and cinnamon mixture. It might seem like a lot of sugar. Seriously? Just go for it.

Slice the dough vertically, into six equal-sized strips. Stack the strips on top of one another and slice the stack into six equal slices once again. You’ll have six stacks of six squares. Layer the dough squares in the loaf pan like a flip-book. Place a kitchen towel over the loaf pan and allow in a warm place for 30 to 45 minutes or until almost doubled in size.

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Place loaf in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is very golden brown. The top may be lightly browned, but the center may still be raw. A nice, dark, golden brown will ensure that the center is cooked as well.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the bread and invert onto a clean board. Place a cake stand or cake plate on top of the upside down loaf, and carefully invert so it’s right side up. Serve warm with coffee or tea.

I think this bread is best served the day it’s made, but it can also we wrapped and kept at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

This recipe came from our best bites!  it was so good.  My whole family loved them. 

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese
1/4 C green salsa
1T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic, or garlic powder
3 T chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions
2 C shredded cooked chicken (for extra yumminess, use grilled taco chicken!)
1 C grated pepperjack cheese
small corn tortillas (and actually, flour ones are really good as well)
kosher salt
cooking spray

Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.
Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it’s soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.
You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.
Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or are coming unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.
Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges.Then roll it up as tight as you can Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown



Hard Boiled Egg Chocolate Chip Cookies

Do you have a lot of left over hard boiled eggs? We do, the kids have slowed down on eating them - so i had to figure out what else to do with them!!  I found this recipe,  though the thought of hard boiled eggs in a cookie grossed me out, i wanted to see how they would turn out!  I think they are good!

 Ingredients
2 3/4 cups flour
1 cup butter (2 sticks), cut into small chunks
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and diced finely
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine flour and butter in a food processor and process until mixture is the texture of small crumbs.
Add the salt and baking soda and process until just combined.
Add sugars, vanilla, and boiled eggs. Pulse again until mixture comes together.
Add chocolate chips and combine by hand using a wooden spoon or clean hands. Egg whites may still be visible in the dough but will disappear as the cookies bake.
Make golf ball sized balls of cookie dough and place them on parchment lined baking sheets. Flatten balls of dough slightly with your hand.
Bake for 13-15 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are lightly browned.
Remove cookies from oven and let them sit on the cookie sheet for 3-5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

this reciepe I found on the girl who ate everything

Maple Mustard Pork Tenderloin

Another delicious and healthy meal from a Kitchen Kneads class.

 

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp Dijon mustard, divided
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed
• 2 tsps canola oil
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 3 Tbsp maple syrup (real maple syrup)
• 1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh sage, or 1/2 tsp dried sage

Directions:

• Preheat oven 425 degrees.
• Combine 1-2 Tbsp mustard and pepper in a small bowl; rub all over pork. 

• Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and brown on all sides, 3-5 min. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast until meat thermometer registers 145 deg (about 20 minutes). (should still be a lil pink in middle)
• Transfer to cutting board and let rest at least 5 minutes.
• Place the skillet over med-high heat, add vinegar, and boil, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon, about 30 seconds. Whisk in maple syrup and the remaining 2 Tbsp mustard; bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes. (I doubled the sauce since I had 2)
• Slice the pork. Add any accumulated juices to the sauce along with the sage. Serve the pork topped with the sauce.

 Nutrition facts: 225 calories, 7 g fat (2 g sat), 9 g carb, 28 g protein, 0 g fiber