Another girly lunch option! I would eat an egg salad sandwich every single day if I could...but all that mayo just doesn’t do wonders for my waistline. When I saw an option for an almost mayo-less sandwich I had to try it. I will never go back! I love avocado and this sandwich was to die for. I wanted it every day for lunch this week!
Avocado Egg Salad
Printable Version
4 large hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1 medium hass avocado, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 Tbs. light mayonnaise
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
pinch freshly ground pepper
Combine the egg yolks with the avocado, light mayo, vinegar, salt and pepper. Mash with a fork. Combine with egg whites and adjust salt as needed.
Adapted from Skinnytaste.com
Serves 2.
Girls, gather round! This was the perfect, light, healthy dish for a girls lunch or dinner! I made it for my friend and we were oooo-ing and ahhh-ing the entire time. The pop of zest of lemon and the fresh, sweet basil lingers on your tongue and keeps you begging for more... I might just try and trick my husband into liking this dish!
Lemon Garlic Herb Pasta
Printable Version
10 oz. whole wheat pasta (cooked al dente)
2 chicken breasts, diced
Marinade
1/2 teaspoon ground or 2 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
4 fresh basil leaves, whole
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
1 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
Sauce
3 Tbs unsalted butter
1/2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, finely minced
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock
2 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
¼ tsp. lemon zest
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cups whole cherry tomatoes
Add all the marinade ingredients into the chicken and marinade for 20 minutes. Remove basil leaves and saute the marinated chicken in extra virgin olive oil until cooked (about 4-5 minutes) then set aside.
For the sauce, place sauté pan over medium heat and add butter and olive oil. Saute the garlic until fragrant and soft, about 30 seconds, then add the flour and cook for a minute, stirring constantly. Add cooked chicken stock and simmer gravy until thickened, then add the ½ chopped basil and lemon zest and juice, and add ¼ cup parmesan cheese.
Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Add the sauteed chicken in the gravy then toss the cooked pasta into the sauce. Finish the dish with tomatoes, fresh basil and grated parmesan cheese.
Recipe highly adapted from the Goddess of Scrumptiousness
Serves 4.
O how I love it when my momma visits. She whipped up this snickerdoodles in a snap. There is something about someone else working in your kitchen on a yummy surprise that just gets me excited! They were amazing. Like 4 straight out of the oven, and another (Few) once they were cooled. O, and 3 a day for the next 3 days until they were gone. Then we made some more. Mmmm I love snickerdoodles, thanks momma:)
Mom’s Snickerdoodles
Printable Version
2 3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cinnamon
Mix flour, cream of tartar and baking soda in medium bowl. Set aside. Beat 1 1/2 cups of the sugar, butter and shortening in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed. Refrigerate 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix remaining 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in cinnamon sugar mixture to coat. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheets.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets 1 minute. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.
Recipe from allrecipies.com
Yields 40 cookies
I LOVE it when my hubbs bakes. He is so much more creative than me in the kitchen and always comes up with something delicious and unique! I asked him to whip me up some Peanut Butter Cookies the other day, and he decided to mix it up a bit and add a hint of cocoa powder. O my gosh it was so good! You can barely tell there is chocolate in them, except for the deep, rich flavor of the cookie itself. O I want another one, right now!
Cody’s Peanut Butter Choco Cookies
Printable Version
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
½ tsp vanilla
1 Tbs. cocoa powder
1 egg
1 tsp. baking soda
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl mix together all of the ingredients. Drop by tablespoonfuls on a baking sheet, and use a fork to flatten slightly.
Bake for 9 minutes or until puffed and golden. The cookies will be very soft, allow them to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Makes 15 cookies
Recipe from Cody
O how I adore Gnocchi. I had it for the first time in my college years, and I will never go back to a no-gnocchi life! Okay, if you have never had gnocchi before, it is a potato dumpling that tastes like pasta. Not just any pasta, it tastes like the yummiest, most moist, square-shaped homemade pasta in the world. You can do a variety of things with it. We love it with burned butter and parmesan, but feel free to serve it up with a red or white pasta sauce, or an invention of your own. Throw in some chicken to make it a more well rounded meal, you won’t be sorry!
Homemade Gnocchi
Printable Version
Gnocchi
Kosher salt
3 large russet potatoes (1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pounds)
1 to 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 large egg
Sauce
4 tablespoons salted butter
1/2 cup shaved and/or coarsely grated parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Pour a mound of kosher salt onto a rimmed baking sheet. Prick the potatoes all over with a fork and nestle them in the salt; this prevents the potatoes from browning and draws out their moisture. Bake the potatoes until fork-tender, about 45 minutes. Let sit until just cool enough to handle.
Halve the potatoes lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a potato ricer; discard the skin. Press the flesh through the ricer onto a floured counter or cutting board; let cool 3 to 4 minutes.
Spread out the potatoes slightly. Beat the egg with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl and drizzle over the potatoes.
Sprinkle the potato mixture with 1 cup flour and knead until a smooth dough forms, adding up to 1/2 cup more flour if the dough is sticky. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest 5 minutes.
Lightly flour your surface. Divide the dough into 6 pieces and roll into "snakes," about 1/2 inch in diameter. Cut into 1/2-to-1-inch lengths with a bench cutter or knife; lightly dust with flour.
For the sauce, melt the butter in a large skillet over high heat. Cook, stirring, until the butter develops brown flecks and smells nutty. Watch it closely to keep the butter solids from burning. Remove from the heat.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi; wait until they float to the surface, then simmer 30 more seconds. (Taste one to make sure it's cooked through.) Return the brown butter to medium-low heat. Scoop the gnocchi from the pot with a slotted spoon, transfer to the skillet and toss until some of the brown-butter flecks stick to the gnocchi. Remove from the heat and top with cheese.
Serves 4.
Recipe from Food Network
A friend made these for dinner a couple weeks ago and the minute I took my first bite I had to get the recipe. Much to my surprise, when I asked her, she told me they took 10 minutes to make and 20 minutes to cook-then done! My usual go-to is Divine Breadsticks, but they do take just a smidge longer than 30 minutes:) This recipe is a great, quick side dish for any meal.
30 Minute Breadsticks
Printable Version
Bread
1 Tbs. yeast
2 Tbs. Sugar
1 ½ cups warm water
3-4 cups flour
½ tsp. salt
Topping
¼ cup butter (plus 2 Tbs. for pan)
¼ cup mayo
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
parsley
garlic salt
Combine yeast, warm water and sugar. Allow to sit for 1 minute, then add 3 cups flour and salt. Knead until combined, adding more flour if necessary. Cover and allow to raise for 10 min. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt 2 Tbs. butter in the bottom of a cookie sheet. Roll dough onto a cookie sheet. Combine all topping ingredients and spread onto raw dough. Cut dough into 14 breadsticks with a dull knife. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
Makes 14 breadsticks
Recipe from Caramie
This syrup is as good as it sounds! A perfectly sugary, creamy syrup to be dumped over your choice of breakfast foods. We prefer these Homemade Pancakes or then Waffles of Insane Greatness just below this recipe. Whenever breakfast is for dinner, I have to whip up this delicious side:)
Buttermilk Caramel Syrup
Printable Version
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 Tbs. butter
1/3 tsp baking soda
1/3 tsp vanilla
In a medium saucepan, bring buttermilk, sugars, and butter to a boil over medium heat. Boil, constantly stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from heat and whisk in soda and vanilla. It will bubble up a lot, so be sure to use a medium to large saucepan. As it cools, the bubbles will go away and the syrup will thicken.
Serves: Makes about ½ cup syrup, or enough for 4 waffles
Recipe from creationsbykara.com
