Loaded Nachos 2 Ways

We love nachos at our house! These recipes make for a great appetizer for a big gathering or a family meal.

Vegetarian Loaded Nachos

Organic corn chips (I like Costco brand)

4 cups Monterrey Jack or white cheddar cheese, shredded

2 cans refried pinto beans

1 cup medium salsa (I like the Costco brand)

1 jar pickled jalapenos

1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced

4 avocados

Juice of 1 lemon

Sea salt and pepper

Sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a rimmed cookie sheet with cooking spray. Heat the refried beans and salsa in a small sauce pan. Layer the pan with corn chips and half of the bean mixture. Sprinkle with half the cheese. Put in the oven until cheese has melted, about 5-10 minutes. Layer again and repeat. Make the guacamole by mashing the avocados, add the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Top with tomatoes, jalapenos, guacamole and sour cream. Eat right away and enjoy!

Loaded Meat Nacho

Organic corn chips (I like Costco brand)

1 pound ground turkey or beef

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground chili powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 can refried beans

4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 jar pickled jalapeno peppers

1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced

1 can sliced olives

2-3 avocados, chopped

Sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a rimmed cookie sheet with cooking spray. Cook the meat and season with the cumin, chili powder and sea salt and pepper to taste. Add the refried beans to the meat. Layer the pan with corn chips and half of the meat/bean mixture. Sprinkle with half the cheese. Put in the oven until cheese has melted, about 5-10 minutes. Layer again and repeat. Top with tomatoes, jalapenos, olives avocadoes and sour cream. Eat right away and enjoy!

November 11, 2019

Paleo Chewy Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt

When you can’t eat gluten and need a chocolate fix this will not disappoint! I love the chewy texture and not to mention how simple this recipe is!

Recipe

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (I like to use dark chocolate)

3 tablespoons coconut oil

1 cup almond flour

1/4 cup coconut sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

Coarse sea salt like Fleur de Sel

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or silicone sheet. Melt together 1 cup chocolate chips and coconut oil. In a large bowl mix together the almond flour, coconut sugar, baking soda, sea salt, egg and vanilla. Add the melted chocolate mixture and blend well. Add the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips to the batter. Scoop 1 tablespoon onto the cookie sheet allowing for 2 inches between each cookie. Bake for 10 minutes. Sprinkle coarse sea salt on tip of each cookie after it has baked. Allow to cool and enjoy!

November 11, 2019

Cranberry Pear Crumble

The flavors of fall are some of my favorite and this does not disappoint! We like to eat it with vanilla yogurt or coconut ice cream.

Recipe

Filling

4 large pears, peeled and sliced

1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries

3/4 cup organic sugar

1/2 cup dried cranberries

2 tablespoons corn starch

1 lemon zested and juiced

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Crumble

2 cups oatmeal

1/2 cup flour or gluten free flour like Namaste

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup butter

Prepare a 9 x 13 dish by spraying with cooking spray or coating with butter. Set aside. In a large bowl mix together all the ingredients for the filling. Toss to coat and place evenly in the bottom of the 9 x 13 dish. In another bowl whisk together everything but the butter. Cut the butter into the oatmeal mixture until it forms a crumble. Sprinkle on top evenly and bake at 350 degrees for 30 – 40 minutes. Watch close a the end to see when it starts to brown a little. Serve with vanilla yogurt or ice cream.

November 11, 2019

Fever Tea Bath Bags

Fevers are an essential symptom during an illness. They usually work in a beneficial way for us to kill pathogens we don’t want inside our body. It’s important to understand when we should intervene and when we should work with the fever to help recover from an illness faster. I recommend reading this blog post form Dr. Lawrence Palevsky, Pediatrician, whom I have a lot of respect for before reading on. It has brought me and many of my loved ones with children peace of mind when our children have been ill.

https://www.northportwellnesscenter.com/practitioner/lawrence-palevsky/if-your-child-is-sick

From the article above you should now have a better understanding of what signs and symptoms to look for when you or your child has a fever, what kinds of things you can do as comfort measures and when you should go to the doctor. These fever tea bags are a great comfort measure and contain herbs to help a fever work better for the person who is ill. Many of the herbs are diaphoretic herbs that help break a fever through sweating, including elder, yarrow and spearmint. The lavender and chamomile are cooling, soothing and anti-inflammatory. It is important to make a strong infusion with the herbs. Save some to drink and use the rest in a bath.

Fever Tea Bags

Use equal parts: about 2 tablespoons for each bath

Elder flower
Yarrow
Spearmint
Lavender
Chamomile
3×5 or 4×6 muslin bag

Place the herbs inside the muslin bag and cinch closed. Make an infusion by boiling 4 cups of purified water. Turn the heat off and place the muslin bag filled with the herbs into the pot. Cover with lid and steep for 30 minutes. Reserve one cup of the tea in a mug. Pour the rest of the tea in a warm bath with 1 cup of Epsom salts. Soak for 30 minutes while drinking the reserved cup of tea. Remember to get in with your little ones for lots of skin to skin time like Dr Palevsky mentions in his article. Once out of the bath be sure to have warm towels close by so not to lose any heat. Wrap up in more blankets and apply a little lavender essential oil onto the back of the neck and feet.

November 11, 2019

Homemade Bourbon Vanilla

The cost of vanilla is out of control right now. Costco has their Madagascar vanilla beans (5 in a package) for around $15 this time of year. So I went and bought some good bourbon whiskey and decided to make my own. It’s pretty easy. All you need is a bit of time.

Recipe

750 ml – 90 proof (45%) Bourbon Whiskey

10 vanilla beans

Split the vanilla beans down the middle to expose the seeds. Cut in half and place straight into the bottle of bourbon. Put the lid on and keep on the back shelf up high out of the reach of children. Allow to extract for 6 months before using.

November 11, 2019

French Chocolate Bark

If you are looking for a healthier treat to curve those sweet tooth cravings, look no further! This recipe is so wonderful! The flavors of ginger, chocolate and dried fruit are hard to beat!

French Chocolate Bark

12-14 ounces combination of good semi and bitter sweet chocolate

1 cup roasted or raw cashews or almonds, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup dried peaches, chopped

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup dried blueberries

1/4 cup crystallized ginger, chopped

Line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper. Melt the chocolate in a double broiler over medium low heat. Spread the chocolate onto the parchment paper and sprinkle nuts, fruit and ginger evenly. Let set in the fridge for 10-20 minutes until set and break into medium size pieces. Serve.

November 11, 2019November 11, 2019

Soft Gingersnap Cookies

This recipe has been long coveted and admired by many who get one of my famous gingersnap cookies! We have served them for countless weddings and events! What’s the point in having a good recipe and not sharing?! So I give it willingly with all my love!

Soft Gingersnap Cookies with White Chocolate

3/4 cup butter at room temp

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1/4 c. molasses

2 1/4 cups all- purpose flour

2 tablespoons turbinado sugar (Sugar in the Raw) for rolling cookies in before cooking

Cream together butter and sugar. Add the ginger, soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Mix thoroughly. Add the egg and molasses. Mix. Add the flour and roll dough out into 1 tablespoon balls. Roll into turbinado sugar and place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 350`. While the cookies are cooling, heat white chocolate in a double broiler. Prepare a cookie sheet lined with parchment and dip the cookies half way. Place dipped cookies into the prepared cookie sheets and allow the chocolate to cool and harden before serving.

November 11, 2019November 11, 2019

Italian Wedding Soup

One of my all time favorite meals! This soup will win anyone’s heart with its hearty, full flavor! Try doubling the meatball recipe and saving half for another meal. From Barefoot Contessa’s Back to Basics cookbook. Serves 10-12.

Recipe

For the Meatballs

3/4 pounds ground chicken

1/2 pound chicken sausage (I like the Italian flavored)

2/3 cups fresh bread crumbs

2 teaspoons minced garlic

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

3 tablespoons milk

1 large egg beaten

Kosher sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

For the Soup

2 tablespoons good olive oil

1 cup minced onion

1 cup 1/4-inch diced carrots

1 cup 1/4-inch diced celery

10 cups organic chicken stock

1/2 cup white wine

1 cup small pasta such as tubetini or macaroni

1/4 cup minced fresh dill

12 ounces baby spinach, prewashed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, cheese, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork. With a teaspoon, drop 1 to 1 1/4-inch meatballs onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (You should have about 40 meatballs. They don’t have to be perfectly round). Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.

In the meantime, for the soup, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large dutch oven. Add the onion, carrots, celery and saute until softened, 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock and wine bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6-8 minutes, until pasta is tender. Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minutes. taste for salt and pepper. Stir in fresh spinach and cook for another minute, until spinach has just wilted. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan cheese.

November 11, 2019November 11, 2019

Jalapeno Cheddar Corn Bread

I usually make these when I have company because they are so rich! This dense bread is full of flavor and a little kick! The recipe is from Barefoot Contessa’s cookbook titled “At Home”, but I use buttermilk instead to give it a better flavor.

Recipe

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup organic yellow cornmeal

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons baking powder

2 teaspoons sea salt

2 cups buttermilk

3 extra-large eggs

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, melted

8 ounces aged sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1/3 cup chopped scallions and extra for topping

3 tablespoons jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced

Grease a 9x13x2 -inch baking pan and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl mix together the buttermilk, eggs and butter. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until most the lumps are dissolved. Mix in 2 cups of the grated cheddar cheese, scallions and jalapenos. Place in the pan and let sit for 20 minutes at room temperature. Sprinkle remaining cheese on the batter and a few scallions. Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and cut into large pieces. Serve warm or at room temperature with soup/chili, grilled chicken and/or a salad.

November 11, 2019

Gingerbread with Lemon Cream and Cranberry Sauce

This is the perfect holiday treat! So many flavors and textures in one bite! The dense gingerbread with it’s perfect combination of spices, the lemon cream with it’s bright and sweet smoothness and the cranberry sauce to add just enough tartness to top it all off! You won’t be disappointed with this dessert and neither will your friends and family!

Recipe

Gingerbread

Heat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 10″ round baking pan.

In a large bowl whisk together the following ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup organic sugar

In a medium sauce pan melt 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, let cool and whisk together with the following ingredients in a medium bowl:

1 cup molasses

1/2 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt

1/2 milk

1 large egg

Add to the flour mixture and combine just until evenly incorporated. Pour into the greased 10″ round baking pan and bake for 40 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan then remove and finish cooling on a wire rack.

Lemon Cream

In a small sauce pan whisk constantly over medium heat, 5 large egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice until thickened for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in 2 ounces of chopped white chocolate until melted and incorporated. Strain through a mesh sieve to remove any lumps and refrigerate for 2 hours. Whip 1 cup heavy cream and gently fold into the cold lemon curd. Spread onto the gingerbread and refrigerate.

Cranberry Strawberry or Raspberry Sauce

In a large sauce pan over medium heat mix together 12 oz. package of fresh or frozen cranberries, 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup sugar for about 10-20 minutes or until the cranberries start to pop and the mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat and add 1 1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries or whole raspberries. Allow to cool completely and then spread gently onto the lemon cream. Serve immediately.