Watermelon Cake

This was a paleo diet recipe I had found, and it was super yummy!!!

Watermelon Cake!

Ingredients:- 1 large seedless watermelon
- 2 cans full fat coconut milk (left in fridge for 6 hours or more)**
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp. honey
- 1 cup sliced raw almonds or shredded coconut
- Seasonal fresh fruit (for topping)


Directions:
TO MAKE THE COCONUT WHIPPED CREAM
1. Make sure to place the can of coconut milk in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours (or overnight). This will cause the cream to separate from the milk. The cream will be at the top of the can.
2. Open the can of coconut milk and scrape out the cream into a medium sized bowl. Hint: I always open the can from the bottom and pour the milk out into a separate container before scraping out the cream. You can use the saved milk for smoothies and other recipes.
3. Add the vanilla and raw honey to the mixture. Whip the cream with a hand mixer on medium speed and work your way up to high speed until the cream is fluffy. Place the bowl of whipped cream in the fridge until ready to use.

TO MAKE THE TOASTED ALMONDS OR COCONUT:
1. Place a medium sized skillet over medium-high heat and allow the pan to get hot. 
2. Add the sliced almonds or shredded coconut and toss in the pan until they are toasted and turn a light brown color. Remove from pan and set aside to cool. 

TO ASSEMBLE
1. Remove the top and bottom from the watermelon and remove the rind from the middle section. You should be left with a cake-shaped piece of watermelon. Cut the watermelon "cake" into the number of wedges/slices you want. I recommend 6-8 slices depending on the size of the watermelon. (See below for a visual on how to cut the watermelon!). NOTE: You can leave the watermelon intact if you plan on traveling with it or do not want to cut it. Slicing a cake ahead of time just makes it much easier to dip the edges into the icing and then into anything else you want to adhere to the icing, such as the almonds or toasted coconut.
2. Pat the outside of the watermelon dry with paper towels (this is important because it will help the coconut whipped cream adhere better).
3. Dip the outside edge of each slice into the coconut whipped cream and then into the toasted almonds or coconut, and reassemble the wedges into the cake shape on a serving platter. Top with more whipped coconut cream and your favorite fresh fruit (I used blackberries, strawberries and kiwi). Serve or store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. 

** In a pinch, if you don't have coconut milk, you can use whipped topping as well, it just doesn't stick as nicely

Strawberry Stuffed French Toast Brunch

Strawberry Stuffed French Toast

8 slices of potato bread
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 c chocolate chips
1/2 pound strawberries, freshly sliced
1 1/4 c milk
3 eggs
1 tbsp butter

1.  Cut the crusts off the potato bread.
2. Spread a small amount of cream cheese on each piece of bread, on only one side.
3.  Place chocolate chips and about 6 strawberry slices on half the bread pieces.
4.  Press the other pieces of bread on top (cream cheese facing the middle) to make a sandwich.
5.  In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and milk until smooth.
6. In a non-stick skillet, heat butter on medium heat.
7.  Dip sandwiches into the milk and egg mixture, turning once, until moistened.
8.  Place in non-stick skillet, for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.
9.  Serve warm with fresh maple syrup.

For my brunch here, I made scrambled eggs, hashbrowns, and bacon to go with it.
Serves 4

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Stuffed Bell Peppers

(this recipe courtesy of Carrie Harrison, a dear friend)

Ingredients:

1 onion, diced

3 tbsp. canola oil

1 lb Ground beef, turkey, or chicken

1 can petite diced tomatoes

1 tsp chili powder

1 1/2 ts sea salt

1 can ranch style beans

1 c instant rice

1/2 c sliced mushrooms

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 c mexican cheese

1.  Preheat oven to 350. 

2. Cook Rice

3. Brown ground meat with the vegetables in a large skillet on medium heat

4. Slice the tops off of 8 large Bell Peppers and place upright in a greased pan (I used a 13x9 pan)

5. Mix the rice with the ground beef in the skillet.

6. Stuff the peppers with the beef and rice mixture.  (Stuff them well!) Top with shredded cheese.

7. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

8. Top with Fat-free sour cream or salsa and serve

Veggie Pasta

Veggie Pasta

 Ingredients:

1 box veggie pasta (Safeway, spinach, sun-dried tomato, carrot)

1 pound ground beef

3 large tomatoes, finely diced

1 16 oz can tomato sauce

1 tsp freshly chopped basil

1 tsp freshly chopped cilantro

1 tsp freshly chopped parsley

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 c parmesean cheese

Colby jack cheese, as desired, for the top

1.    Cook pasta according to box directions

2.  In a medium nonstick skillet, add ground beef, salt and pepper, until browned.  

3.  Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, herbs, and garlic.  Cook until tomatoes are tender.

4.    Add parmesean cheese; incorporate until smooth.

5.   Once pasta is done, drain.  Place back into the pot it was cooked in.

6.  Add sauce mixture to pasta.  Mix until fully incorporated.

7.  Add cheese; serve hot.

  

 

Tequila Lime Chicken

I'm sorry the picture is so bad.  I took the picture with my camera, then had to take it with my phone from my camera...yeah.

Ingredients:  (makes 4 servings)
-2 large, boneless skinless chicken breasts
-1/3 c tequila
-Juice from 1 lime
-1 tsp garlic powder
-1 tsp onion powder
-1 clove garlic, minced
-salt and pepper to taste
-2 sprigs, chopped, fresh cilantro
-1/2 c olive oil
-1/4 c butter
-1 c rice, uncooked

Directions: 
-Cut chicken breasts in half lengthwise, so the breasts are less thick.
-Prepare the marinade, mixing the tequila, lime, spices, and olive oil together.  Marinate the chicken for at least an hour.
-Cook the chicken on the stove top in a skillet sprayed with cooking spray until cooked through (should have a little char on the outside)
-While chicken is cooking, prepare rice according to package directions, adding the garlic to the water the rice is cooking in. 
-Once the rice is done cooking, mix the butter into the rice.
-Slice the chicken into diagonal pieces, and serve with rice.

I love this recipe, it's so quick and easy and tastes so good!

Drunk Spaghetti

 

Drunk Spaghetti

 

 

 

Ingredients
1 box spaghetti, angel hair thin
2 bottles of your favorite red wine
1 c parmesean cheese blend (I like the freshly chopped stuff)
1 c bacon, cooked, finely chopped
3 tbsp ollive oil

Garlic bread:  1 loaf french bread, cut into medallions
                        1/2 c butter, melted
                        1 clove garlic, finely chopped
                        Basil

1.  Pour both bottles of red wine into a stockpot.  Heat to boiling.
2.  Add box of spaghetti, bring back to a boil.
3.  Lower heat to medium-high.  Cook according to package directions on the box.
4.  Drain spaghetti; place back into the pot.
5. Add parmesean cheese and bacon, olive oil.  Toss spaghetti with those ingredients until well mixed.

While pasta is cooking, prepare garlic bread.
Place butter and garlic into a bowl, melt.
Brush the mixture onto each medallion; sprinkle basil over the top
Broil until golden.

I love this recipe, and I have experimented with all sorts of wines; I like the sweeter reds myself, but experiment! :)

Grasshopper Cheesecake

This was a first for me; I had never made cheesecake before, so I decided it was about time to try something different.  Now, this recipe gave me a little hiccup, but if you like my fix for it, you can use it too!  It tasted really good, and expect more cheesecake in the future!!!!

Crust

30 fudge mint cookies, crushed (about 1 3/4 cups or 1 package)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

Filling

4 oz semisweet baking chocolate
3 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
4 eggs

1/3 cup green crème de menthe liqueur* (if you don't have creme de menthe or cant find it, use Bailey's Irish Cream coffee creamer and peppermint extract with green food coloring!)

Topping and Garnish, if desired

    Sweetened whipped cream
    Crème de menthe thin rectangular candies for garnish, unwrapped, cut in half diagonally (Andes mints)

    1 Heat oven to 300°F. Wrap foil around bottom and side of ungreased 9-inch springform pan. In large bowl, mix crust ingredients with fork until crumbly. Press in bottom and 1 inch up side of pan. Bake 12 minutes. Cool 30 minutes. You can also use a pie plate; it works nearly as well.  Directions stay the same, you just don't have to remove it from the pan.

    2 In small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate on High 45 to 60 seconds, stirring once halfway through microwaving, until melted. If necessary, continue to microwave on High in 15-second increments, stirring until smooth. Set aside.

    3 In large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed, scraping bowl frequently, until smooth and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Stir in liqueur. Pour filling evenly over crust.

    4 Drop 8 to 10 tablespoonfuls melted chocolate randomly onto filling, allowing chocolate to sink into filling. With table knife or small spatula, cut through chocolate and filling to swirl for marbled design.

    5 Bake 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes or until set 2 inches from edge of pan. Remove from oven; run knife around side of cheesecake to loosen. Return to oven; turn oven off and open door slightly. Cool cheesecake in oven 1 hour. Remove from oven to cooling rack; cool at room temperature 1 hour. Refrigerate 3 hours.

    6 To serve, remove side of pan. Spread the cream over the top of the cheesecake and then add with a star tipped piping bag for additional decoration. Garnish with candies.