Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

2 (15-oz cans) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 large cucumber, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

¼ cup red onion, diced

4 oz feta cheese, crumbled

¼ cup chopped parsley

lemon vinaigrette (use as much or as little as you'd like)

Lemon vinaigrette:

⅓ cup olive oil

¼ cup lemon juice

1 tsp Dijon mustard

½ tsp honey, or maple syrup

1 garlic clove, minced

salt and pepper, to taste

Homemade Whatchamacallit Bars

Ingredients:

Chocolate Layers

18 oz milk chocolate chips, divided

2 tbsp oil (optional) – coconut, vegetable, canola, or any neutral oil to help the chocolate melt smoothly

Crispy Peanut Butter Layer:

2 cups Rice Krispies cereal

1 cup creamy peanut butter

¼ cup butter

2 tbsp powdered sugar

½ tsp vanilla extract

Homemade Caramel:

1 cup granulated sugar

6 tbsp butter

½ cup heavy cream, warmed

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Line a 9×9-inch pan with parchment paper.

2. Melt all 18 oz of chocolate chips with the optional oil until smooth. Spread about ⅓ of the chocolate into the bottom of the pan. Refrigerate for 15–20 minutes, or until set. Reserve the remaining chocolate.

3. In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and peanut butter together. Stir in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Fold in the Rice Krispies until evenly coated.

4. Gently press the peanut butter mixture over the chilled chocolate layer. Refrigerate for 15–20 minutes.

5. Make the caramel by melting the sugar over medium heat until it turns an amber color. Stir in the butter, then slowly whisk in the warmed heavy cream. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and salt. Let cool for 5–10 minutes.

6. Pour the caramel over the peanut butter layer and spread evenly. Refrigerate for 20–30 minutes, or until mostly set.

7. Rewarm the remaining chocolate if needed and spread it over the caramel.

8. Refrigerate until completely firm, about 1 hour, then slice and enjoy.

Tips

* Oil is optional. Use coconut oil or any neutral oil if you’d like a smoother melted chocolate.

* Chill between each layer to keep the layers clean and distinct.

* Let the bars sit at room temperature for 5–10 minutes before slicing for the cleanest cuts.

White Wedding Cake

White Cake batter:

2 cups plus 2 tbsp (300g) all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon salt

½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened

3 tablespoon (45ml) sunflower oil (you can also use canola or vegetable oil)

1 ⅓ cups (265g) granulated sugar

4 large egg whites at room temperature

2 teaspoon (10ml) pure vanilla extract

½ cup (120ml) full fat sour cream, at room temperature

¾ cup (180ml) whole milk, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly grease two 8-inch round cake pans, dust lightly with flour and line the base with rounds of parchment paper.

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl and whisk well to blend evenly. It's important to distribute the leavening agents uniformly to prevent large air pockets in the cake. Set aside

Combine butter, oil, sugar and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) and mix together on medium-high speed using an electric handheld mixer until pale, light and fluffy. This will take 3-5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl halfway through mixing to ensure there are no bits of butter that haven't been blended.

Add the egg whites 2 at a time and mix for 1-2 minutes until well combined between each addition. Scrape down the bowl again. Add sour cream and mix it in evenly.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and then add half of the flour mixture until just combined then add half of the milk. Scrape down the bowl and repeat adding half of the remaining flour, followed by the rest of the milk and finally gently mix in the rest of the flour. Be sure to stop and scrape down the bowl frequently so the batter is even. It's important not to over-mix, however undermixing will mean the batter is not homogeneous and it will not bake evenly.

Divide the batter evenly between two pans (about 600g per pan) and spread it out evenly using a small offset spatula, tap the pans on the countertop to force out any large air bubbles and bake for 25-30 minutes or until evenly golden and a toothpick comes out clean.

Frost as desired.

Dirty Sodas

Fill cup ⅔ full with pebble ice.  Add flavorings or puree, then soda or juice then stir in creamer. Garnich with Marashino cherries, lime wedges & spray whipped cream, if desired. 

The Front Porch:

Lemonade,  2 pumps any flavor + creamer

The Smooth Talker:

Dr Pepper, 1 pump peach, 1 pump vanilla + creamer

Strawberry Twist:

Sprite, 1 pump strawberry (or 2 T strawberry puree'), 1 pump vanilla + creamer

Cherry Cream Coke:

Coke, 1 pump cherry, 1 pump vanilla + creamer

The Original Dirty:

Dr Pepper, 1 pump coconut, squeeze of lime juice + creamer

Cherry Limeade: 

Sprite, 2 pumps cherry, squeeze of lime juice 

Sunset Splash:

Sprite, 1 pump strawberry, 1 pump pineapple (or 2 T pineapple juice), 1 pump coconut + creamer

The Golden Hour:

Coke, 1 pump vanilla, 1 pump peach + creamer

Iced Oatmeal Cookies

3 cups rolled oats

1½ cups flour

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 tsp cornstarch

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 cup softened butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

¾ cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

In a food processor, add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cornstarch & cinnamon & pulse until oats are blended. 

In a mixing bowl, add butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Mix until combined. Stir in dry ingredients.

Scoop w/ medium scoop & place on parchment lined cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. 

Bake at 350⁰ for 10-12 minutes. Let cool. 

Frosting:

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla 

Mix together & dip cooled cookies into frosting mixture. Let frosting harden.

Black Forest Cake

Cake:

1 pkg chocolate cake mix

1 pkg brownie mix

4 eggs

1½ c water

1 c oil

Chantilly Cream:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

2 c whipping cream

1 c powdered sugar

2 T instant vanilla pudding mix 

1 tsp vanilla

Chocolate Ganache:

½ c heavy cream 

1 c chocolate chips 

Canned cherry pie filling

Chocolate shavings

Preheat oven to 350⁰. Mix all cake ingredients (Do not use the ingredients listed on the back of the box mixes) together & divide batter into two 9" round pans & bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove from oven & let cool. 

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add whipping cream & beat until it's not soupy. Add powdered sugar, pudding mix & vanilla & continue whipping until thick. Refrigerate until ready to use. 

Cut cake layers so you have 4 layers. Place one layer on a cake stand & top with ¼ of the cream mixture & ¼ of the cherries. Repeat remaining cake layers, cream & cherries 3 more times. Frost outside with Chantilly cream. Place chocolate chips in a small bowl. Heat cream in microwave for 30 seconds & pour over chocolate chips. Let sit 5 minutes & stir. Top cake with ganache & decorate with remaining chantilly cream & fresh cherries. Place chocolate shavings on outside of cake. 

Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skewers

2 lbs chicken tenders, thighs or breast

2 tbsp olive oil

Garlic Parmesan Butter Sauce:

1 stick butter

8-10 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup parmesan, grated

1 tbsp hot sauce more if desired

2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

1/3 cup fresh parsley, minced

Chicken Seasonings:

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Before you start, make sure to soak your wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes.

Start by combining your chicken seasoning mixture in a small bowl and set aside. Prep your chicken by cutting in 1-2" pieces. Place them in a large bowl or ziptop bag and toss in olive oil and the spices, coating well on all sides.

Pack the chicken onto each skewer, making sure they are tightly packed with no space in between to ensure maximum juiciness. 

Make the Garlic Parmesan Butter Sauce

Add the butter and garlic in a microwave-safe bowl and heat until partially melted. Add in red pepper flakes, hot sauce, parsley, and parmesan. Whisk together until combined. (If sauce separates, add 1-2 tablespoons of softened butter and stir to re-emulsify.)

Scoop out 1/3 of the sauce and use that for basting the par-cooked chicken. Reserve the remaining sauce for basting the cooked chicken so you don't cross contaminate. 

Cook 2-3 skewers at a time. I grill them or pay fry using a cast oron skillet. 

Flip them back, baste with more sauce and cook another 5-6 minutes or until the internal temp reaches 165⁰. Total cook time of 12-14 minutes.

Once they are finished cooking, hit them with a final pass of the garlic sauce (the clean reserved sauce) and sprinkle with some extra parmesan and serve.

Caesar Dressing

Ingredients

1½ cups mayonnaise

1 tbsp yellow mustard

1 tbsp anchovy paste

1 tbsp + 1/4 tsp worcestershire

4 garlic cloves, minced

½ lemon, juiced

1 tsp lemon zest

1¼ cup parmigiano-reggiano, finely grated

1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions 

• In a medium bowl, whisk all ingredients except the parmigiano-reggiano until smooth and well combined.

• Once the base is creamy, gently stir in the parmigiano-reggiano until everything has been thoroughly combined.

• Refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Crumb Topping

3 T butter, melted 

⅓ cup + 1 T flour 

¼ cup sugar 

1 T brown sugar 

½ teaspoon cinnamon (the spice I use here is dependent on what flavor of roll I’m making. Example: apple pie rolls > apple pie spice, pumpkin pie roll > pumpkin pie spice, etc. 

 

Combine flour, both sugars, and cinnamon. Mix in melted butter until crumbly.  

 

Sprinkle over cinnamon rolls before baking. 

 

This yields enough crumble for about 8-12 cinnamon rolls or muffins. 

High Protein Mud Cake (for two)

8 oz cottage cheese,  blended smooth

2 eggs

¼ c mknkfruit sweetener 

4 T cacao powder

½ t vanilla

Sugar free chocolate chips (optional)

Stir all ingredients in a bowl. Top with chocolate chips. Bake 350⁰ for 33 minutes

Makes 2 servings 

Each serving:

190 calories

22 g protein 

Yum Yum Sauce

1 cup mayo

2 tsp ketchup

1 tsp rice vinegar

1 tsp sugar

½ tsp onion powder

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp paprika

3-4 T water, if needed

Fluffy Flour Tortillas

6 cups flour

1 tsp Baking Powder

2 tsp Salt

½ cup Fat such as lard, vegtable shortening, avocado oil shortening, butter or beef tallow

2 - 2 ½ cups hot Water

Add all ingredients to a bowl. Mix until combined. Knead for 1-2 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes. Divide into 16-20 balls. Flatten each ball into a circle. Cook on hot, dry griddle or skillet for 30-60 seconds per side & flip over. 

16-20 tortillas

Ninja Creami Vanilla Ice Cream Base

1 can condensed milk or (14oz)

1 cup heavy cream, cold

2 cups milk (whole)

1 T vanilla extract

Blend all ingredients in a blender. Pour into ninja creami containers. Freeze 24 hours.

Korean Soy Sauce Noodles

200 g Somyeon 소면 thin korean dried noodles (2 cups cooked thin noodles)

1½ Tbsp soy sauce

1½ Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp sesame oil

½ Tbsp sesame seeds

1-2 tsp crunchy red chili oil 

1 green onions sliced

Boil a pot of water. Add dried noodles to pot and cook per package directions. For ssal somyeon, you just need to cook for 4 minutes. Drain.

In a bowl, add the sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, sesame seeds and mix. Pour over noodles until they're evenly coated. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Feel free to try other toppings to this very basic noodle dish. You can add a soft boiled egg, cooked veggies, chicken, beef, whatever you want to try!

Noodles - I like to use Sempio Ssal Somyeon 쌀소면 which is gluten-free and delicious. But you can use any other thin wheat Somyeon noodles or even angel hair pasta. 

Buttermilk Biscuits

2 c flour

1 T baking powder 

1 T sugar 

1 t salt

½ c butter,  grated

1 - 1½ c buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375⁰. Mix dough. Press out on counter with hands. Fold in thirds. Rotate & repeat. Cut into biscuits. Place on greased baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Brush with melted butter