Monday, December 11, 2017

Ginger Molasses Cookie Recipe



One of my absolute favorite cookie recipes for Christmas time! Fun to make and really ads warmth and comfort to any holiday spread.

Ginger Molasses Cookie Recipe:

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup molasses
1 egg
1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
Small bowl of coarse/raw sugar for rolling

Directions:
1.    Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2.    In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3.    In a separate bowl, cream together the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until well blended.
4.    Add molasses, egg, cinnamon, and ginger to the butter/sugar mixture. Blend very well.
5.    Add flour mixture to butter/sugar mixture and blend until well incorporated. It might be easier to use your hands.
6.    Roll the cookie dough into balls slightly smaller than golf balls. Roll each ball in coarse/raw sugar and place on a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper. Make sure the sugar side is facing up. Keep dough balls about 2 inches apart.
7.    Bake for 8-10 minutes. Rotate the baking sheets halfway through to ensure even baking.
8.    Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Enjoy!

Saturday, February 18, 2017

Easy Carne Asada Tacos




 I got this recipe from a friend named Kristy. I spent a few dinners at her house and she taught me first hand how to make it. I absolutely LOVE Carne Asada tacos, so when she said she was making them, I decided to write everything down as we went along. She didn't mind. Since then, I have made it myself several times, and its fairly fool proof. A fun and great recipe for a BBQ outside, on those lazy summer days. If you're going "low carb" you can always eat this as a salad, or use low carb substitutes for tortillas. 

Easy Carne Asada Tacos

3 lbs Carne Asada beef (or boneless, skinless chicken pounded flat)
3 cups vegetables sliced (any you like-- we prefer green onion, bell pepper, and squash)
1 bag of your favorite corn tortillas

Marinade:

¼ cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp Chef Merito (or Melissa’s) Carne Asada seasoning, recipe down below
1 tsp Callieri (or Melissa’s) “Cimichurri” seasoning, recipe down below
½ tablespoon water
1 tablespoon lime juice
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:
1. Combine marinade ingredients in a large bowl.  Blend the vegetables into the  mixture, and then the meat, until everything is thoroughly coated in the marinade.  Cover and marinade in the refrigerator a minimum of 15 minutes or longer, but preferably overnight (the longer it marinades, the better the flavor will be and the more the meat will become tender).

2. Take the meat out, leaving the vegetables behind.  Be sure your grill is properly heated and ready to cook. You can use an indoor grill, or an outdoor grill.  Grill the meat on both sides, until done (no more blood or pink meat is visible, inside or on the surface). Be careful not to burn the meat.  Remove the meat from the grill, transfer to a plate and cut into strips. 

3. Set an oven-safe skillet over the grill to contain the vegetables (if using an outdoor grill), and cook vegetables until tender.

4. Serve meat and vegetables hot, with warm (or grill toasted) corn or flour tortillas, and your favorite condiment  (such as sour cream, guacamole, salsa, etc.).  

TIP:  You can also serve this dish with sides of Spanish / Mexican rice or re-fried beans.

Melissa’s carne asada seasoning mix:
3 tsp mild chili powder (McCormick is best)
1 tsp meat tenderizer
1 tsp dried minced garlic
½ tsp dried rosemary, crumbled
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano, crumbled
2 tsp ground paprika

Melissa’s chimichurri seasoning mix:
4 tsp Parsley
2 tsp Basil
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp crushed dried red peppers
1 tsp minced dried garlic





Monday, February 6, 2017

Cloud Bread / Woopsie Bread



This recipe is a great bread substitute when you are trying to eat healthy and lose weight, or if you are diabetic. Properly stored, it has a good bready texture and slightly sweet taste.  Just right for sandwiches, short cake desserts, even pizza crust!  Zero carbs and extremely LOW in calories. It has been a life saver on my weight loss journey and I hope it helps other people too.  



Cloud Bread (Woopsie Bread)



Ingredients:
3 eggs, yolks separated and kept in a bowl
3 tablespoons sour cream (yogurt or softened cream cheese can substitute)
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 packet sugar substitute

Directions:
1.        Mix sugar substitute, cream cheese and egg yolks until smooth and creamy.



2.        In a separate bowl, whip egg whites and cream of tartar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy with stiff peaks (almost like whipped cream). 







3.       Add half the yolk mixture to the egg whites a VERY GENTLY fold them into the egg whites until well combined, to avoid deflating the egg whites. Do not be tempted to quickly stir-- only fold. Repeat with the second half of yolk mixture. 





4.       Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet to prevent bread from sticking. Spoon egg micture onto baking sheet, spreading them out to make 3 inch circles, 1/2 inch thick. Bake 30 minutes, or until light brown. 








5.       Remove from oven. Allow to cool a few minutes, then gently beel bread circles off parchment paper. Serve immediately. Or quickly place in a plastic zip bag or tight sealed container (while still warm) to keep bread soft. Bread will become crumbly and fall apart easily if it is left out.