Stuffed Taco Potatoes

Stuffed Taco Potatoes

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 large russet potatoes
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened and at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons butter at room temperature
• 1/2 cup half and half, warmed
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• I cup cooked shredded chicken (optional)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar or jack cheese
• Any of the following for garnish: guacamole, sour cream, chopped scallions, salsa, chopped jalapenos, crush tortilla chips, ground red pepper, fresh lime wedges

DIRECTIONS:

1. Scrub potatoes well, pierce a few times with a fork and bake until soft, either approximately 10 minutes in the microwave or one hour in a 350 degree oven. Cool for 10 minutes.
2. Cut the tops off of the potatoes lengthwise and discard. Carefully scoop the cooked potato out of each potato skin, leaving the skins as intact as possible.
3. Mash all the potato insides with cream cheese and butter. Add half and half in small increments until the potatoes are a consistency that you like (you might not need all the half and half). Stir in the taco season until well-mixed, and then stir in the chicken if you are using it.
4. Sprinkle cheese on the top of each potato. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
5. Garnish with your choice of toppings and serve at once.

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Roasted Cauliflower and Aged White Cheddar Soup

Roasted Cauliflower and Aged White Cheddar Soup

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 2 tablespoons oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon thyme, chopped
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 cups aged white cheddar, shredded
• 1 cup milk or cream
• salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Toss the cauliflower florets in the oil along with the salt and pepper and arrange them in a single layer on a large baking sheet.
2. Roast the cauliflower in a preheated 400F oven until lightly golden brown, about 20-30 minutes.
3. Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat.
4. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
5. Add the garlic and thyme and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
6. Add the broth and cauliflower, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
7. Puree the soup until it reaches your desired consistency with a stick blender.
8. Mix in the cheese, let it melt and season with salt and pepper.
9. Mix in the milk and remove from heat.

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Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting

Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting

INGREDIENTS:
makes 20-24 cupcakes

• 1 box Devil’s Food Cake Mix
• 1 small box Jello Chocolate Fudge instant pudding mix
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup sour cream
• Salted Caramel Frosting (recipe below)
• Pretzel Twists (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two 12-cupcake pans with liners. Set aside.
2. Using a stand or hand held electric mixer on medium speed, beat together the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, oil, milk and sour cream. Beat until well combined, about 2 minutes.
3. Scoop the batter evenly into cupcake liners. I got 20 cupcakes using 1/4 cup measuring cup to spoon into the liners.
4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes from the tin and let cool.
5. Once fully cooled, frost cupcakes with salted caramel frosting and garnish with a pretzel twist.

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No-Bake Blueberry Almond Oat Bars

No-Bake Blueberry Almond Oat Bars

INGREDIENTS:
Makes 16 bars

• 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup whole raw almonds
• scant 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
• 1 lightly packed cup pitted soft Medjool dates (about 10 large)
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 1 10-ounce jar all-fruit blueberry jam, such as St. Dalfour
• 1/2 tsp almond extract, or more to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper going both ways.

In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, process oats, almonds, and salt until finely ground. Add in the pitted dates and pulse until crumbly. Add in the melted coconut oil and process until the mixture comes together. The mixture should hold together when pinched.

Remove date-oat mixture from the food processor, set aside 3/4 cup for topping, and press the remaining mixture firmly and evenly into the prepared pan.

In a small bowl, stir the almond extract into the blueberry jam.

Spoon the almond extract-infused blueberry jam evenly over the crust in the pan. Sprinkle the remaining 3/4 cup crust mixture evenly over the jam; press down lightly.

Chill in the refrigerator until firm, at least 1 hour. Cut into 16 squares; store individually wrapped in the refrigerator or freezer.

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Mushroom, Onion, and Spinach Tart

Mushroom, Onion, and Spinach Tart

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup white Kamut flour (or all-purpose)
• 1/4 cup Earth Balance buttery stick
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 4-4.5 tbsp almond milk
• 2.5-3 cups mushrooms, sliced
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1.5 cups packed spinach
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Goat Cheeze: 1/2 cup macadamia nut butter, 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, black pepper, sea salt, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400F. Grease a tart pan or alternatively you can simply roll out the dough, trim, and place on parchment on a baking sheet. To assemble the dough: In a stand mixer with a dough hook (or by hand), mix the flour, salt, butter, and almond milk together. Use your hands when necessary to form into a ball. Place in fridge for 20 mins. to chill. While it is chilling prepare the onions and mushrooms. In a skillet over medium-low heat, add in 2-3 tbsp oil and the sliced onion. Cook onion over low for about 10 minutes until it caramelizes and slightly browns. Remove dough from fridge and lightly flour your surface. Roll out dough to desired size and place into tart pan (see this post for more pictures of the process). Pierce dough with a fork and place in the oven for 13-16 minutes at 400F to pre-bake. While it is baking, add the sliced mushrooms and garlic to the onion mixture and cook over low-medium heat for another 10 minutes. Add in the spinach and cook for another 5 minutes until wilted. Make the goat cheeze by mixing 1/2 cup macadamia nut butter, 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, black pepper, and approx 1/8th tsp sea salt. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. When tart is done pre-baking, remove from oven and spread on a layer of olive oil with a brush to keep the crust moist. Now, layer on the mushroom and onion mixture. Now add on clumps of goat cheeze. Bake in over for another 5 minutes or so, watching carefully, until golden in colour.

Note: Makes enough dough and filling to make two 3×12 inch tarts. You can also make mini tarts or even use a cupcake pan if you don’t have mini tart pans. As a third option, simply roll out your dough, trim the edges to form a rectangle, and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Score the edges to form a crust.

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Caramel Apple Sticky Buns

Caramel Apple Sticky Buns

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE ROLLS:

• 2 cups Whole Milk
• 1-1/4 cup Sugar
• 1/2 cup Canola Oil
• 1 package (2 1/4 Teaspoons) Active Dry Yeast
• 4-1/2 cups Flour, Divided
• 2 teaspoons Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon (scant) Baking Soda
• 1/2 teaspoon (heaping) Baking Powder
• 3/4 cups Melted Butter
• 4 Tablespoons Ground Cinnamon 

 FOR THE CARAMEL TOPPING:

• 1 stick Salted Butter
• 1-1/2 cup Packed Brown Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Dark Brown Corn Syrup
• 2 Tablespoons Cream
• 2 Tablespoons Apply Brandy Or Apple Juice (optional)
• 1 whole Granny Smith Apple, Peeled And Finely Diced

DIRECTIONS:

To make the dough:
Heat milk, oil, and 1/2 cup sugar until warm (do not boil.) Allow to cool to lukewarm. Sprinkle in yeast and 4 cups flour. Stir gently and cover with a tea towel, allowing it to rise for 1 hour. After 1 hour, add remaining flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
To make the caramel topping:
Add 1 stick butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, cream, and optional apple brandy or apple juice. Allow to melt over low heat until totally combined. Allow to boil for a few seconds, then remove from heat. Set aside.
To make the rolls:
Roll out half the dough into a large rectangle. Pour on half the melted butter, half the remaining 3/4 cup sugar, and half the cinnamon. Roll into a long roll, then slice into rolls.
To assemble:
Spray 9-inch cake pan with cooking spray. Pour in half the caramel topping. Sprinkle diced apple over the top, then arrange sliced rolls all over the pan. Allow to rise for 20 to 30 minutes.
Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes, covered in foil for the first 25 minutes.
(Repeat with the other half of dough if desired, or save the dough in the fridge for another use.)
Invert on a cake pedestal or serving plate. Rolls will be very hot at first; allow to cool slightly before serving.

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Sausage and Broccoli Carbonara

Sausage and Broccoli Carbonara

INGREDIENTS:

• 1.0 tbsp olive oil
• 8 chipolatas , meet squeezed out and rolled into balls
• 3 eggs
• 50.0g Parmesan , grated, plus extra to serve (optional)
• 300.0g spaghetti
• 1 head broccoli , broken into small florets
• 2 garlic cloves , crushed

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large pan, heat the oil and cook the sausageballs until golden, moving them around in the pan frequently. Meanwhile, mix together the eggs, cheese and some seasoning with a fork in a jug.
2. Cook the pasta following pack instructions. Add the broccoli for the final 3 mins, then drain, reserving a cup of the cooking water.
3. Add the garlic to the sausageballs and cook for a couple mins more, being careful the garlic doesn’t brown. Remove the pan from the heat.
4. Add the pasta and broccoli to the sausage pan. Toss everything together, then add the egg mixture. Stir the sauce through the pasta for 1-2 mins. The heat from the pan will cook the sauce – if it is too thick, use a little of the reserved cooking water to thin it. Divide between pasta bowls and serve with extra Parmesan, if you like.

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