lil carb Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Burger

All of my favorite cooking sites, shows and chef personalities are talking about ways to transform your Thanksgiving leftovers into something new and creative.  Buttttt, am I the only one who has the turkey dinner and then is just done with it?  Don't get me wrong Thursdays dinner was amazing and I love reheating a plate full of turkey slathered in gravy with cauliflower mash and some zucchini gratin and brussel sprouts and roasted squash- the list goes on but after that plate I don't want to make a turkey-stuffing-cranberry- panini or a turkey pot pie or a pumpkin pie milkshake... instead I am craving something different.  Something that I haven't had in a few months.  On a side note: none of those fun turkey diner leftover ideas are low carb so it takes the fun out of it for me anyway- bah humbug, I know haha
Not that we've had our first snow and the holidays have started I get nostalgic for summer and a good juicy burger!  The best part about this burger is - Jason doesn't have to freeze out in the cold to grill it! I make it right on the stove top and believe it or not the cast iron skillet magically gets the same fresh from the grill flavor right into the meat. This burger idea came from me craving another favorite - Jalapeño Poppers! Everytime Jason and I used to order pizza we would get "Poppers"- as we call them- as an appetizer. They would come breaded and stuffed with cheddar and cream cheese... oh so good! ...too good! These craving fits have given me great inspiration for low carb dishes!

For Jasons burger I placed iceberg lettuce cups on a sheet of wax paper. 

Then topped the lettuce with Mayonnaise, salt, pepper, and 2 slices of bacon.

Next comes the burger! Mmmm

Top the burger with the lettuce hat and I probably had another mayo dollop under there with more black pepper.

Wrap that yummy creation into the wax paper to hold it all together!

Jalapeno Popper Burgers- Makes 4 burgers

4 Beef Patties 

2 Oz Cream Cheese- I used whipped, chive flavor

1/2 tsp Onion Powder

1/2tsp Garlic Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Pepper

1/3 Cup Jalapeños, chopped. I use one that are called "tamed" and they are not spicy.

4 Oz White Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Pepper Jack cheese for topping the burgers (optional)

Butter for the skillet

Burger toppings:

8 Slices of Bacon, cooked until crispy

Mayonnaise

Salt and Pepper

Ice Burger Lettuce

Which ever bun you prefer, lettuce bun included

Cook bacon until crispy and set aside and try not to nibble- a task that is impossible for me. 

Combine cream cheese, onion and garlic powder, salt and pepper, and chopped jalapeños.  Stir mixture until combined. Then add in the shredded cheese and mix again.

Using your hand "cut" the patties in half.  Form each half into a thin patty. Top each half with 1/4 of the cream cheese filling. place the other half of the patty on top and seal in all the sides and form back into a thick patty. 

In a cast iron skillet melt a little butter and cook burgers for 4 minutes a side. 

Then assemble the burgers. My way is: Bun-mayo-s&p-bacon-burger-mayo-pepper-lettuce-bun.

Then dive in- take a bit and enjoy the wonderful creamy cheese, the stringy monetary jack, the crunch from the jalapeño, all mixed with the mayo and iceberg lettuce- YUM! Brings me right back to the summer! 

*Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone it's so important to remember to be thankful every day! I was delighted to see all over Facebook peoples statuses were saying what they were thankful and grateful for- do that every day!  The world will be a better place!*

Happy Thanksgiving!- Egg Soufle

Good morning everyone! Thanksgiving is finally here! And it's our first holiday as husband and wife! Because I am extra, super grateful for my wonderful hubby (no he didn't pay me to say that hehe) I decided to make him a delicious low carb breakfast that I know he will love. Not only is this low carb and high in protein but this recipe can be tailored to whatever you have in your fridge and whatever you like in your eggs!  All veggies have a place in this breakfast as well as meats.
Today I went in the direction of what I like to call Country Eggs. It's so important to eat breakfast and get your metabolism started. If you wait all day to eat Thanksgiving dinner you have a better chance over eating because you will be starving! Instead opt for a healthy breakfast and kick your metabolism into gear!

Start off with eggs and a lil half and half.

Then add in the spices, Sriracha, and tomato

Add in the onions and ham then finish with the cheese! It looks so good already!

Give it a good stir to get everything coated in egg.

transfer to a buttered, oven proof baking dish.

Lets take a moment and admire this yummy creation... hehe

...OK I lied, lets take 2 moments...

Stick this baby in the oven and wait about 30 minutes - the time will pass quickly.

... I hope! 

Wow.YUMMY!  Don't you just want to dive right in?! You can serve this with Ketchup, more Sriracha, Cholula Sauce, Tabasco or whatever you prefer!

Jason likes some good old fashion black pepper and a lil ketchup *not pictured* haha

Country Egg Bowl:

3 Medium Eggs
1 Tbsp Half n Half
1 Thick Slice of Tomato, seeds removed and cut into small pieces
1 Tbsp white onion, minced
1 Tsp Green Onion
1 Slice of Deli Ham, Cut small
1/4 Tsp Sriracha Sauce or a few Dashes of Tabasco
1/8 Tsp Salt
1/8 Tsp Black Pepper
1/8 Tsp Onion Powder
1/4 Cup Monterey Jack, shredded
2 Slices White American Cheese, broken into smaller pieces
and the Kitchen Sink... just kidding hehe

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Start by whisking together eggs and half n half until scrambled and mixed thoroughly.  Add in Sriracha, salt, pepper, and onion powder and whisk again until combined. Add in the ham, tomato, white and green onion and fold together.  Lastly, add in the cheeses and give it one last mix.  Butter an oven proof dish, the one I am using is 2 inches deep and a 4.5 inch diameter.  Then pour in the glorious egg mixture and place in the middle of a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes.

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Home early on a snow day all safe and sound in my kitchen listening to Christmas music (don't judge me) and smelling the aroma of freshly baked chocolate chip peanut butter cup cookies. I honestly couldn't get home fast enough to make these.  This is a recipe that I got from my good friend Ree Drummond aka the Pioneer Woman... actually Ree and I have never met but in my eyes we are best friends lol luv ya Ree! She made these cookies on an episode of Pioneer Woman and I had to try them simply because I didn't believe they could be as easy as she said.  Well I should never doubt a friend because these cookie are the easiest thing I've ever made and they are unbelievably delicious!

Here is the link to her RECIPE.  But below I'm going to show you how I just whipped up 32 nuggets of peanut butter deliciousness.

Starts off with store bought cookie dough!  Ree even says that homemade dough never comes out quite as good. I prefer to use plain peanut butter cookie dough but everywhere I went only had chocolate chip peanut butter so I changed the name of my recipe n moved on ha. I took the already pre-made squares of dough and cut them in half and just dropped them into mini muffin tins. I know- such hard work for this recipe ;)

Then bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes.  Mine baked for 8 minutes today. You want to bake them up until they start to brown. As the cookies are baking get started taking the wrappers off the peanut butter cups.


As soon as the cookies come out of the oven stick a peanut butter cup right in the center.  I let mine sit for a minute or so to set and then spooned them out and onto a plate to cool!  I will be honest- I did eat one but in my defense everything in moderation is fine and I can't serve my family a dessert I haven't tried! What if it was bad?! hehe

These are almost too simple... I feel like I should be writing another step but really- thats it!!!

If you're scrambling for a quick 'cookie party' recipe or something to bring to Thanksgiving tomorrow this is the cookie. They're so yummy no one will even think to question you because their mouths will be full with your cookies.

White Pizza Stuffed Chicken

Since it is the holiday season I seem to revert back to my unhealthy self.  I am craving pizza like crazzzzy! More specifically a white pie! Really- what is better than pizza dough and ricotta and garlic and mozzarella all melty and delicious and gooey?! If I need to answer that question right now I'd say... nothing. Nothing is better than that.  But since I have changed my diet to be low carb its not as easy as it used to be where I could call up and order a white pie and eat 4 slices. haha. Not as easy- good or bad, you decide. After I got to thinking about this craving I decided I don't need to deprive myself- I can still get all the flavors of a white pie without actually eating one. Thats how I came up with this recipe. White pie chicken roll ups served with garlic parmesan broccoli.  It's not a pizza pie but it satisfied my craving just as well!

First I started off with my white pie spice mixture.

Mix my spices with ricotta cheese.

Add in mozzarella cheese and fresh minced garlic.

Pound thin the chicken breasts and spread the mixture over the top.

Roll up the chicken and secure with toothpicks.

For the dredging I have 2 bowls, one with an egg batter and the next with whole wheat seasoned bread crumbs.

Dip in the egg then coat in whole wheat bread crumbs.

Saute in olive oil for 3 minutes per side to brown the breadcrumbs then put on a baking sheet and finish baking in the oven while broccoli roasts.

For the broccoli- I cut into small florets and assemble on a baking sheet.

Add in a few spices and toss in olive oil.  Roast in the oven.

For the topping melt butter with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Toss melted butter mixture with broccoli after it is done roasting them sprinkle on parmesan  cheese and toss until it is all coated.

Cut the chicken rolls and arrange on the plate- if the cheese oozes out from the baking process just place that on the plate and put the cut chicken on top.  White pizza is gooey and messy so this chicken can be too!

Chicken:

3 Chicken Breasts pounded thin

4 oz Ricotta Cheese

1/2 tsp Onion Powder

1/4 tsp Pepper

1/4 tsp Oregano

1/8 tsp Basil

1/2 tsp Garlic Salt

1/4 tsp Crushed Red Peper Flake

1/2 Cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded

2 Cloves Garlic, minced

1 Egg

1/2 Cup Whole Wheat, seasoned bread crumbs

6 toothpicks

Pound chicken thin.  Mix together ricotta, garlic, mozzarella and spices to make the "white pie mixture"- spread the mixture evenly over the 3 chicken breasts. then roll up and secure with toothpicks. next dip in the egg mixture and then coat in breadcrumbs. 

Heat olive oil over medium heat and cook chicken for 3 minutes a side to brown the breadcrumbs. You should be able to brown 4 sides. Then place on a baking sheet and finish baking in the oven at 375 for another 12-15 minutes. 

Broccoli:

3 Broccoli Crowns

Salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and crushed red pepper

2 Tbsp Butter

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

2-3 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese

Cut broccoli crowns into bite size pieces.

Sprinkled with: 2 Tbsp olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper- use however much you need to coat the veggies lightly.

Roast in the oven at 375 for 20 minutes.  In the meantime add 2 Tbsp butter to a small pot- with a pinch of garlic powder, salt and pepper and melt together.  Once broccoli is done pour butter mixture over the top and mix together then top with 2-3 Tbsp parmesan cheese and mix again.

Serve along side of the chicken and enjoy the white pizza flavors without the guilt!  I especially love this meal because you can have the Italian dinner flavors without the tomato sauce. Enjoy!

Whats better than putting your husbands empty plate into the sink?! - Answer: nothing!!! :)

~Happy Wife, Happy Life~

Lil Carb Blackened Cheddar Ranch Chicken

Welcome to the short week of the Thanksgiving holiday!  Not only is Thanksgiving this Thursday but there is also snow expected for NJ on Wednesday night!  Nothing better than baking while watching the snow fall- That is my definition of a happy thought!  Since it is a short week and I plan on eating a few carbs on Thursday (Shhh), I decided to keep the menu for Jason and I very clean and healthy for the beginning of this week.  I plan on making three simple but tasty dinners.  I overdid it a little last weekend too with my food intake (it's the holiday season!), let's be honest we all do it BUT don't get down on yourself. Just make a point to eat a lil healthier for a day or two to get yourself back on track.  If you wallow in the sorrow of eating poorly you will only get more upset and gain weight. Instead, give thanks for the great food you ate and plan for a healthy next few days with your food choices!  I go into the holidays with the thoughts of moderation. I didn't gain 40 lbs overnight so I'm not going to gain it back in that amount of time either but that doesn't mean I get to go crazy- I love food, but sometimes having one or two bites of something is all I need.  I satisfy the craving but I'm able to try a lil of everything. But on to eating healthy! ha

Up for this week:

Monday - Blackened Cheddar Ranch chicken served with roasted eggplant and zucchini rounds

Tuesday - "White pizza" chicken roll ups served with garlic parmesan broccoli

Wednesday - Country style meatloaf with an easy garlic gravy served with cauliflower "mac n cheese"

...Then before I know it, it'll be Thursday morning and I'll be baking desserts and whipping up sides for Thanksgiving! The older I get the more excited I get for every holiday- I didn't think that was possible. This year I can't wait to cook and see family- I'm so thankful to be in such close proximity to mine and Jasons family! And the snow will surely set the tone- it always puts me in the holiday spirit.

Tonight for my simple chicken dinner I have mixed up my own blackening spice mixture.  This is so versatile.  You can really use it on anything: chicken, steak, salmon, the options are endless. You could even sprinkle a lil on some veggies with olive oil and roast them in the oven.  The true meaning of versatile ha. Having a simple spice mixture on hand like this takes a seemingly uneventful chicken dinner to the next level of flavors.  Plus mixing the spices myself saves on carbs and preservatives.

When I add it to my mini mason jar I make enough so that I will have plenty to save. So if this seems like too much just cut the recipe in half.

Blackening Seasoning:
3 Tbsp Paprika
3 Tbsp Garlic Powder
2 1/2 Tbsp Onion Powder
2 Tbsp Thyme
2- 2 1/2 tsp Cayenne (depending on the spice level you like)
2 tsp Basil
2 tsp Cumin
2 tsp Celery Salt
1/2 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp Black Pepper

I add these to my mason jar and shake it up.

To make the blackened cheddar ranch chicken I sprinkle the chicken liberally with the spice mixture. I let it rest in the seasonings for about 5 minutes.

Then I sauté the chicken in a lil bit of olive oil for about 3-4 minutes a side until its browned.

While that is cooking I have my zucchini and eggplant rounds in the oven roasting. 

Before- Prepped and ready to go!

All I did to prep those was slice them into rounds and using a kitchen brush I brush each round with olive oil and then you can sprinkle on any combination of seasonings that you like. Tonight I used garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flake. Then flip them over and repeat on the other side. Then roast them in the oven at 375 for about 20 minutes.

After- All oiled and spiced up, ready for the oven. 

After the chicken is sautéed I put it on cooling rack that I have placed on a cookie sheet lined with tin foil.  Then I top the chicken with Ranch- I prefer Hidden Valley regular Ranch (only 2 rams of carbs per serving).  Then cover that in shredded cheddar cheese and broil until the cheese is gooey and 

melty.

Chicken- check!

Ranch- check!

Cheddar Cheese- check!

After broiling chicken for 2 minutes...Dinner- check!

CHICKEN:
3 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
3 Tbsp Blackening Spice Mix *(recipe above)
3 Tbsp Ranch Dressing
1/2 Cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
---how easy are those ingredients!?---

Rub chicken in the blackening spice mixture and let it sit for 5 minutes.
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook chicken until browned, 3-4 minutes per side.

Place chicken on a wire cooling rack and place the rack inside of a foil lined baking sheet.  Top with Ranch dressing and then with shredded cheddar cheese. Broil until cheese is melted and bubbling.

~Blackened Cheddar Ranch Chicken & Roasted Zucchini & Eggplant Rounds~

What an easy and yummy dinner! Everything doesn't have to be gourmet and complicated - try this and you will agree! Enjoy! 

Lil Carb Chocolate Covered Strawberry "Mock-Shake"

TGIF! For as long as I can remember Fridays have been my favorite day of the week- when I was younger it was probably attributed to Full House.  But now that I'm all grown up, whats a better feeling then leaving work on a Friday with the whole weekend ahead of you!?  It's time to feel good and put the last 5 days of work behind you and be happy! How can you be happy?! Start with feeling good- the way I feel good is by eating healthy- but I am a foodie so my food has to taste as good as it is for me! ha

Since I started on my new low carb lifestyle last June I have not been eating much fruit because of the high sugar content. But now that my wedding is over I have been slowly introducing good-for-you carbs and a little bit of fruit back into my diet- and with no weight gain! I learned the hard way that I have to do it slowly. Otherwise my blood sugar rises very high and literally puts me to sleep - It's crazy to know that my body is that used to not having carbs and sugar!  But, in an effort to introduce some fruit again I started experimenting with smoothies!  Who doesn't love a good smoothie?! My sister Lizzy who hates all lettuces will even make kale smoothies and loves them. In fact she is the one that bought me my Nutribullet for my bridal shower! ( Thanks Madgy!)  I highly recommend the Nutribullet. After I raved about mine so much I actually bought her one a month later for her birthday. It's one of those kitchen appliances that you will not regret buying because you will use it all the time. Its so easy to use and its even easier to clean and you don't lose any of the nutrients from the fruit and veggies when you blend them up.  I recently experimented with a new recipe I call the Chocolate Covered Strawberry Smoothie and it is SO yummy I would even consider it my version of a milkshake it tastes so good!!  I made one this morning and it filled me up until lunch time! 

I started off with my main ingredients and my Nutribullet cup.  

I added in the kale greens first to the bottom of the cup.

Next went the frozen strawberries and frozen blueberries.

(If my fruit isn't frozen I will add ice but I didn't have to today)

On top of that I added in the chia seeds and the protein powder.

I add the chia seeds in now so they have something to sit on and don't fall to the bottom of the cup otherwise they don't blend very well. 

Then I add in the cold water and screw on the blade and pop it on the blender!

Twist away and blend for 40 seconds.  Mmmm!  

Its important to let it blend for over 30 seconds so that your smoothie isn't chunky or gritty. I usually set my kitchen timer and walk away!

Once the timer goes off you're ready to go!  Its also important to drink your smoothie soon after you make it. Plus, why wouldn't you!? It is so yummy!  The chocolate protein powder will fill up your belly and keep you full while the kale and blueberries are super healthy and nutritious and the strawberries add a perfect amount of sweetness.

My version of a "Chocolate Covered Strawberry Mock-Shake" ha!

1 cup Kale greens

7 whole, frozen strawberries

1/4 cup frozen blueberries

1 Tbsp chia seeds

1/2 scoop Isopure dutch chocolate protein powder*

1/4-1/2 cup cold water

Assemble in that order and blend for 40 seconds.. and enjoy!

* This protein powder is Jason's favorite and it quickly became my favorite too.  It's a low carb powder and for half of a scoop I get 12 grams of protein and only 55 calories!

When I start my day off with smoothies I feel energized and sometimes I don't even eat my mid morning snack because I'm still full from my smoothie breakfast.  Putting healthy ingredients in will give out energy and make you feel good. Thats what life is all about!  We're so used to grabbing breakfast from a bagel shop or a fast food drive-thru but to make this smoothie it took me literally 2 minutes total and then I was out the door. I have learned that taking that extra few minutes at home really propels me into being happy and feeling good all day long.  Knowing exactly what is in what I eat is important to me as well.

Happy Friday to everyone!  Smile!- the weekend is here! :)