Super Simple Crab Rangoon

Crab Rangoon

Crab Rangoon. Such an easy food to make, and yet this was my first time! Although this was easy as far as few ingredients, and simple steps. I will have to invest in an electric deep fryer before I make them again. The oil was splattering all over the place, and the pot I fried them in took about a half hour to get clean. But these were sure worth it!! In fact they were so good that I forgot to take any 'after pictures'. 

INGREDIENTS:

• 6oz. Can- White Crabmeat
• One Half- Red Onion
• 8oz. Block- Cream Cheese
• Half Package- Won Ton Wrappers (About 20 Wrappers)
• 1 Bottle- Vegetable Oil 
• Small Dish Of Water- To Seal The Won Tons Closed 
• 1/4 - 1/2 t.- Garlic Salt (Whatever tastes right to you)

As you can see I decided to do triangles, but you can do any shape you want!

1. Put the entire bottle of Vegetable Oil in a large pot, and turn on Med-Hi. You want it to be just slightly bubbling when you put the Crab Rangoon in.

2. In a food processor (I used a small one) combine and mix- 

                Small diced Red Onions, Crabmeat (Drained), Cream Cheese, Garlic Salt.

3. Separate Won Ton wrappers and fill with about 1 T. of crab mixture. You don't want to over fill them or they'll explode while they're cooking, and oil will go everywhere. 

4. Dip your index finger in the small dish of water, and wet the edges of the wrapper, and fold the edges together to seal the pocket. 

5. Gently drop the Rangoon in the HOT oil, and turn over after about 20-30 seconds. They'll stay in the oil for a total of about 1 minute, depending on the temperature of your oil.

6. When you take them out of the oil, place them on a plate lined with paper towels to soak up all the excess oil.

7. Enjoy!! 

I didn't make any sauce because not only was this my first time making them, but it was also my first time eating them, and I didn't know you were supposed to eat them with sauce. They were so tasty on their own though!! 

Make this recipe your own, and let me know how they turn out!! 

Chocolate Chunk Cake Brownies

Chocolate Chunk Cake Brownies

Courtesy of Better Homes & Gardens Bridal Edition Cookbook

Now I have to admit.. I have never made brownies from scratch before! This was a treat that was easy to make, and well, well worth it!

Before you get started- read ALL the directions, and grab ALL the ingredients! Before you start mixing everything together! 

Step 1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 15x10x1 (or 9x13x1) pan. Melt Butter completely in microwave safe bowl for 1 1/2-2 minutes.

 Step 2. Stir in Cocoa powder and Sugar until combined. Add Eggs and Vanilla. Using a wooden spoon, beat lightly just until combined. 

Step 3. In a small bowl combine Flour, Baking Soda, and Baking Powder. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to chocolate mixture, beating after each addition. (As you can see 2 pictures above. I mixed the flour mixture with the milk, and then mixed that with the chocolate mixture. Also, I clearly did not use a wooden spoon like they call for, a whisk worked just fine.) Stir in Chocolate Chunks.

Step 4. Pour batter into prepared baking dish. Since I did mine in a 9x13x1 it took about 30 mins to bake. However, the recipe says it should only take 15-18 mins @ 350 degrees F. if you use a 15x10x1.

Step 5. Enjoy! I enjoyed mine hot out of the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 C.- Butter
• 1 1/4 C.- Sugar
• 1/4 C.- Dark Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 1/4 C.- Regular Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 2- Eggs
• 1 t.- Vanilla
• 1 1/2 C.- All-Purpose Flour
• 1 t.- Baking Powder
• 1/4 t.- Baking Soda
• 1 C.- Milk
• 1 C.- Chocolate Chunks

Baked Eggs in Whole Roasted Tomatoes

Baked Eggs in Whole Roasted Tomatoes

I recently started getting a magazine in the mail called whole living. I wasn't too impressed with the magazine overall, but the recipe section has proved to be a winner. While glancing through it, this recipe popped out at me! 

 These are simple, tasty, and best of all- healthy! 

Although they are simple, they were still pretty tricky to make. Scraping out the insides of the tomatoes with out poking a hole through the side is quite difficult. For me at least. So I would not recommend this recipe for beginners.

This is the second time I've made these, and both times the tomatoes have split on the sides. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. I'm thinking it may have something to do with my oven not being level, therefore putting more pressure on one side of the tomato and causing it to crack..? Then again, that may just be an excuse for my poor cutting skills.

 Either way, they may not be incredibly pleasing to the eye, but they sure are to your taste buds! 

Ingredients Serves 2

• 2 large tomatoes
• 2ish tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Coarse salt and ground black pepper
• 1/2 Tbsp. Tuscany Bread Dipper (Wildtree) Thyme can be used in replacement.
• 2 large eggs

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Slice the top third off tomatoes and use a small spoon to remove core and seeds. Arrange in a baking dish, drizzle with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with seasoning (Thyme). Roast until tomatoes are tender and caramelized, about 30 minutes.
2. Crack an egg into each tomato and season with salt and pepper. Bake until eggs are just set, 7 to 9 minutes more.
   
   
   Recipe adapted from  Whole Living

Real Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Strawberry Whipped Cream Topping

Real Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Strawberry Whipped Cream Topping

So it's Easter time, and I wanted to make something extra special for the Special day. I had seen this recipe a long while ago (probably in the fall), and wanted to make them. Not only because they looked and sounded delicious, but because I had gotten some vanilla beans for a bridal gift last spring and needed to use them up on something scrumptious!

This was only the second time I've ever made a cake from scratch. Growing up my mom was never a fan of baking (and still isn't), so we always did boxed cakes & brownies. Which are tasty, but just not the same as the real deal!

(You'll have to forgive me for the poor pictures. I made them at midnight, and the lighting was terrible. So I had to snap a few pictures the next day.)

These were the tastiest, most moist, heavenly cupcakes I've ever had!! And I don't even like cupcakes.

The Ultimate Vanilla Cupcake Recipe

Yield: 16 cupcakes

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 vanilla bean
• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (I used salted)
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup canola oil, vegetable oil, or olive oil
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup 2% or whole milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. In a small bowl, combine sugar and seeds from the vanilla bean.
3. Using the back of a spoon, move around the bowl and apply pressure to break up any clumps of seeds and to better infuse the vanilla flavor into the sugar. Then mix very well in with an electric mixer. Set aside.
4. In a medium-sized mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, mix together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
5. Add the vanilla bean sugar and mix until well combined.
6. Add butter and mix on medium-low speed for three minutes. Because there is so little butter, you'll end up with a very fine crumb texture.
7. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, sour cream, oil, and vanilla extract until smooth.
8. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined.
9. Slowly add milk and mix on low speed until just combined. The batter will be liquid. (Don't worry, you didn't do anything wrong. It's supposed to be that way.)
10. Spray the cupcake liners. Fill just over 1/2 full.
11. Bake for 14 minutes and then test to see if they are done. They are done when a toothpick comes out without wet batter stuck to it. The cupcakes should appear white with specks of vanilla bean. They should not turn a golden brown. If they are not done, test again in two minutes. If they are still not done, test again in another two minutes. (Mine took 16-18 mins.)
12. When the cupcakes are done, remove them immediately from the tins and leave them on a cooling rack (or just on your counter if you don't own a cooling rack) to cool.
13. Remove from greasy cupcake liners, and put into new ones.

Recipe adapted from: Cupcakeproject.com

As for that delicious Strawberry Whipped Cream Topping, it was incredibly easy to make! Just 5 minutes, and you're done!

Strawberry Whipped Cream Recipe

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons food processed strawberries (take some fresh strawberries, wash them, remove the stems, and throw them in the food processor until they become a thick, seedy liquid)

1. Whip cream until it looks like whipped cream.
2. Mix in sugar.
3. Mix in strawberries until just combined.
4. Be sure to frost your cupcakes before you eat all of the strawberry whipped cream.

Recipe adapted from: Cupcakeproject.com

French Toast Casserole

The Famous French Toast Casserole!

Although I wish I could take credit for this incredible recipe, I cannot. I've made it a few times, and it has been a big hit! Paula Dean is to thank for this tasty recipe. And those of you who know Paula, know that this is definitely NOT one of the healthier dishes that I make.

It's so tasty that even if you're on a diet, you'll find an excuse to splurge for this breakfast treat! French toast has always been a breakfast favorite of mine, so to make huge pan of it and top it with praline.. Pure bliss.

Did I mention it's super simple to make? Well, it is!

Ingredients:

Dash - salt

1/2 t. - Pumpkin Pie Spice

1/2 t. - Ground Cinnamon

1 T. - Vanilla Extract

2 T. - Sugar

1 3/4 C. - Milk

8 - Large Eggs

1 C. - Half-and-Half

Butter, for pan

1 Loaf – Your Favorite Bread (Cinnamon Raisin is very tasty)

Praline Topping, recipe follows

Directions:

Place slices in a buttered 9x13 casserole dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a hand mixer or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure everything is covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, the egg mixture will be mostly soaked into the bread. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 45 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup & Butter.

Praline Topping:

1/2 lb. - (2 sticks) Butter

1 C. - Packed Light Brown Sugar

1 C. - Chopped Pecans (Optional)

2 T. - Light Corn Syrup

1/2 t. - Ground Cinnamon

1/2-t. - Ground Nutmeg

(I never have pecans on hand, so I’ve never added them.)

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Spread over bread as directed above.

Recipes adapted from Pauladeen.com

Shamrock Shake (Mint Chocolate-chip)- Gluten-free, Soy-free, Sugar-free.

Shamrock Shake!! (Mint chocolate-chip)

Gluten-free, Soy-free, Sugar-free

Who doesn't like a Mint Chocolate-Chip shake? Especially around St. Patrick's Day! And the best part about this shake is that it's really healthy, so you don't have to feel guilty about drinking it!

Here is what your shake will look like before you mix it up! Kinda scary, I know- but it tastes delish!

Ahh, the finished product! Refreshing green!

Ingredients:

• 1- Frozen Banana (As ripe as possible! Like the ones you'd freeze for banana bread!)
• 1 handful- Chocolate chips (I don't like chocolate-chips so I just used 1 Tbsp. Cocoa Powder)
• 2 drops- of pure peppermint extract
• 1/4 cup- Frozen Spinach (If you just can't do the spinach, green food coloring will also do. However, I couldn't taste it at all!)
• 2/3 cup- Milk of your choice

Blend it all together and you're done!!

Disclaimer: As far as the mint extract goes, I don't have a dropper so I just eyeballed it, and I didn't really taste much mint. So I added some more, and of course it was wayyyyy too much! I wasn't sure what I could add to cut the mint, but after a little thought- I decided that 2 Tbsp. of natural peanut butter should work! And it did! My shake was tasty!!

This is what the finished product looked like!

Recipe adapted from: Raw Mint Chocolate Chip Milkshake

Fruit Kabobs - St. Patties Day Celebration (Pt.3)

These little guys were a little time consuming, but well worth it!

Since I've been calorie conscious lately, I wanted to offer some healthy options along with all the junk food that I was serving. So I made up these fruit kabobs, along with a green veggie plate (Green Peppers, Cucumbers, Celery) and veggie dip.

The only set-back to this snack is that it takes a awhile to cut up all the fruit. Also, it took me about a half hour in the store to find the skewers!! I figured they'd be with the paper plates, and disposable plastic-ware.. Nope. They were on the other ride of the store (wal-mart super center) with the kitchen-wares!! What!?

Not only is this snack good for you, but it's also good for your wallet!

Try this simple snack and make it your own by adding whatever green fruits YOU like!

What You Will Need:

• 1 Green Apple ---------- .80
• 1 Honeydew Melon ---- 2.00
• 5 Kiwi's ----------------- 1.70
• 1/2 Lb. Green Grapes -- .69
• 25ish Skewers ----------- .25 (100 Pack for .97)

Total: 5.44

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Leprechaun Pie - St. Patties Day Celebration (Pt.2)

These little treats are budget friendly, super simple, very tasty, and festive!

I made a bunch of little treats for our St. Patties Day Celebration last night, and these were one of them! If you like pistachio pudding- these are for you!

The point of these treats is to find the leprechauns gold at the bottom, and unfortunately I forgot to buy the gold coins.. They were still yummy though!

You will need:

• Instant pistachio pudding mix.
• Milk
• Whipped cream
• Oreo and sprinkles (optional)
• Foil-wrapped chocolate coin (I forgot to buy some, and I was hoping that an oreo would fit at the bottom of the cup- but it was too big. So my guests got nothing at the bottom.)
• Clear plastic cups

Directions:

1. Mix up your pudding & milk in a medium size bowl. Put it in the fridge for 3-5 mins to let chill.
2. Set out your cups in a row (It's easier to go from one to the next when pouring). Put chocolate coin at the bottom of the cup.
3. Pour 1/3 cup pudding in each cup.
4. Add Whipped cream, Oreo, and Green Sprinkles.
5. Keep in fridge until ready to serve. Enjoy!

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Lucky Charms Treats - St. Patties Day Celebration (Pt.1)

This past weekend was St. Patrick's day, so my husband and I decided to throw a little party. Nothing huge, just a few friends. I wanted to be festive and make a few treats, so this is what I came up with!

Lucky Charms Treats- and oh were they a treat!

Growing up my aunt used to make rice crispy treats for almost every family get-together, and I loved them! My mom would also make her own version- Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treats. To this day, those are still my favorite! But these are a delicious twist, on a classic favorite!!

Ingredients:

Yields: 12 – 16 servings

• 3 tablespoons butter or 3 tablespoons margarine
• 5 large marshmallows or 2 ½ cups mini marshmallows
• 5 cups Lucky Charms cereal

Directions:

1. Grease 9x9x2-inch pan with oil or butter (I used EVOO).

2. Melt margarine and marshmallows until smooth and creamy. Either over medium heat in a saucepan or in the microwave.

3. Stir in Lucky Charms until well coated. Press into pan with buttered hands.

4. Cut into squares when cool.

Nutritional Facts for Lucky Charms Treats

Serving Size: 1 (22 g)

Servings Per Recipe: 16

Amount Per Serving - % Daily Value

Calories 88.2

Calories from Fat 22 - 25%

Total Fat 2.4g - 3%

Saturated Fat 1.4g - 7%

Cholesterol 5.7mg - 1%

Sodium 88.5mg - 3%

Total Carbohydrate 15.8g - 5%

Dietary Fiber 0.4g - 1%

Sugars 9.6g - 38%

Protein 0.8g - 1%

Recipe Adapted from food.com.

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Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Cauliflower pizza crust, it's all the buzz with my friends right now!! I found this recipe where I find almost all of my recipes, Pinterest! I have never been a fan of cauliflower, as I mentioned in my Pureed Cauliflower post a few weeks ago. But I'm always wanting to try new things, especially if they're good for me! Perhaps the best part about this recipe, it's SUPER easy!!

I made this for my husband last week, and he had no idea it was cauliflower! He simply told me, "This is one of the best pizzas I've ever had". The very next day I had a friend over and made it for us for lunch- she tried to taste the cauliflower, and couldn't! This recipe is a winner for sure. I will be making this on a regular basis!

When I made this I had a half head of cauliflower sitting my fridge that I needed to use up, and had hoped that it would be enough- and it was more than enough. You only need 1 cup of cauliflower, and my half head made 2 pizzas with a little left over.

Now I don't want to go and tell you that this is just like regular pizza crust, because since it is made with cauliflower, and no flour- it's a little soft. I had to eat my first piece with a fork, and once the other piece cooled I was able to pick it up but it was still a little too soft for me. I just used a fork for both pieces.

cauliflower crust pizza

Serves 2; Adapted from Your Lighter Side.

ingredients:

1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp crushed garlic
1/2 tsp garlic salt
olive oil (optional)

pizza sauce, shredded cheese and your choice of toppings*

directions:

To "Rice" the Cauliflower:
Take 1 large head of fresh cauliflower, remove stems and leaves, and chop the florets into chunks. Add to food processor and pulse until it looks like grain. Do not over pulse it or you will puree it. (If you don't have a food processor, you can grate the whole head with a cheese grater). Place the riced cauliflower into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 8 minutes. There is no need to add water, as the natural moisture in the cauliflower is enough to cook itself.

One large head should produce approximately 4 cups of riced cauliflower. The remainder can be used to make additional pizza crusts immediately, or can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

To Make the Pizza Crust:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup cauliflower, egg and mozzarella. Add oregano, crushed garlic and garlic salt, stir. Transfer to the cookie sheet, and using your hands, pat out into a 9" round. Optional: Brush olive oil over top of mixture to help with browning.

Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven. To the crust, add sauce, toppings and cheese. Place under a broiler at high heat just until cheese is melted (approximately 3-4 minutes).

Enjoy!

*Note that toppings need to be precooked since you are only broiling for a few minutes.

Note for those that don’ t have a microwave:

You can steam the florets on the stove before ricing them. The texture/consistency won’t be the same (It will be more like a puree) but it still works fine once you mix all the ingredients together!

Nutritional Information for the entire crust:
calories: 434, fat: 25 g, carbohydrates: 8 (net), 13 if counting all, fiber: 5 g, protein: 41 g.

Nutritional Information for one serving: 109 calories, 7 grams fat, 2 net carbs, 1.5 grams fiber, 10 grams protein.

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Quinoa Mac N' Cheese

Quinoa Mac n’ cheese, a delicious & healthy meal. Delicious because it’s full of cheesy goodness, and healthy cause quinoa is filled with protein! Healthy really does = Happy. I bought a small bag of quinoa a few weeks ago to make Blueberry Breakfast Quinoa. I was not impressed, but still wanted to use up the rest of the quinoa (waste not, want not)! So I searched and searched for a mouthwatering recipe on Pinterest, and this is what I found. Quinoa Mac n’ Cheese!

First I sauteed up the veggies. Rinsed and then added the quinoa & gralic to them, and let it cook for about 3-5 mins uncovered. I then added the water to it once it started to turn opaque. Pour in the water & salt, and simmer for about 5-10 mins. Turn off heat and let sit for 5 mins. Pre-heat the oven to 350, and while it's heating- whisk up the eggs & milk in a large bowl. Then fold in the quinoa mixture and Cheese, until well mixed and some of the cheese is melted.

After I mixed everything together- I sprayed the dish with olive oil spray, and poured it into a glass pie dish (I cut the recipe in half, it's just me and my husband). Topped with panko bread crumbs & a little shredded cheese. Popped it in the oven & and let it toast up for about 30-35 mins till everything is melty & heated through. A bit brown around the edges will tell you it's done!

The veggies I added are- red peppers, green peppers, yellow onions, zucchini, fresh tomato, and yellow squash. What can I say, I love my veggies! And anyone that knows me, knows that I don’t like to spend money. So I know you’re probably thinking- “All those veggies aren't in season this time of year, and can be expensive!” When you go to your local supermarket, look for a little sale rack/area in the produce section. Some stores try to make their money back by marking down veggies before they are about to expire, and hide them in the back. I got all my veggies for under $3!

This mac n’ cheese isn’t your typical mac n’ cheese (for obvious reasons- no noodles), but it’s also not incredibly moist. The quinoa kinda soaks up all the moisture. So what I did, and would recommend is just a dollop if sour cream on each serving. Next time I might try adding a little chicken broth before I pop it in the oven.

You can add whatever toppings you want to 'make it your own'- Bacon bits, extra cheese, sour cream, hot sauce, scallions, you get the idea!

Quinoa Mac N’ Cheese

Recipe adapted from Monica Nelson Fitness.

Serving Size: Can serve 6-8

Ingredients

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 med. onion
• 1/2 cup diced tomato, or red/green pepper
• 1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained
• good pinch of salt
• a few grinds of seasoning salt
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup soy milk, non-fat milk, or milk of choice
• 1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar cheese, more for sprinkling
• Optional- Crushed Red Pepper, Panko Bread crumbs for topping
• Toppings (optional)- salsa, hot sauce, sour cream, scallions (you get the picture)

Directions

1. Heat oil in med. saucepan over med. heat. Add leek and tomatoes (or bell peppers-or any veggies you want really); cover and cook 5 mins or until tender. Stir in quinoa and garlic, and cook, uncovered, 3-4 mins, or until grains start to turn opaque. (They will not fully be cooked yet.)
2. Add 3 cups water and season with salt and the Seasoning Salt (I like Lawry's or Everyday Seasoning). Cover and reduce heat to med-low and simmer 5-10 more, or until most liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand 5 mins.
3. Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat 13x9 inch dish with cooking spray. Whisk together eggs and milk in large bowl. Fold in quinoa mixture and cheese. Stir very well and let some of the cheese melt. Transfer to prepared baking dish and if using Panko Crumbs or Bread crumbs add now and bake 30-35 mins, (or until browned around edges.)
4. Now you can toss with many toppings, some ideas: salsa, scallions, sour cream, and hot sauce! I serve with a side of steamed broccoli or a salad and a nice slice of good hearty bread.

NOTE: Many readers wanted to know how many Calories this AMAZING meal has. Divided into 6 servings: 339 Calories per serving.

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