Brookies

BROOKIES
 

All needed ingredients:
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 c. cocoa powder
1 c. sugar
3/4 c. packed brown sugar (light or dark or combination)
1 tsp. salt
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/3 + 1/2 c. flour
1 3/4 c. chocolate chips
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
 
 
Brownie layer:
1/2 c. butter, melted
1/3 c. (35g) cocoa powder
3/4 c. (135g) chocolate chips, melted
1/2 c. (100g) sugar
1/2 c. (110g) brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. (60g) flour
 
Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9x13 baking dish with parchment or foil.
 
Combine melted butter and cocoa powder in a medium mixing bowl. Mix until cocoa powder is fully dissolved. Add melted chocolate chips and mix.
 
Add sugar, brown sugar, and salt. Mix until the sugar is moistened. Add eggs and vanilla and mix for 1-2 minutes. Mix in flour.
 
Put brownie batter in pan. Spread evenly into a thin layer.
 
 
 
Cookie layer:
1/2 c. butter, room temperature
1/2 c. (100g) sugar
1/4 c. (55g) packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 1/3 (160g) flour
1 c. (180g) chocolate chips
 
Beat butter, sugar, and brown sugar for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy.
 
Mix in vanilla and egg. Add salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix until combined. Add flour and mix.
 
Stir in chocolate chips.
 
 
Drop cookie batter onto the brownie batter in big spoonfuls. It doesn’t have to cover the brownie layer completely, but try to cover it fairly evenly.
 
Cover the pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 20-25 minutes.
 
 
Cool, cut, and enjoy!
 

Crockpot BBQ Chicken

 

CROCKPOT BBQ CHICKEN

 

8 lbs leg quarters or 3 lbs boneless skinless breasts

18 oz BBQ sauce

16 oz chicken stock

1 bell pepper, chopped fine

1 onion, chopped fine

30 oz canned pineapple, undrained

Garlic powder

 

Cook for 8-10 hours on low. Serve over rice.

Toffee Cake

TOFFEE CAKE 

1 box devil's food cake mix plus ingredients to prepare

1 jar (12-14 oz) caramel ice cream topping, warmed

1 jar (12-14 oz) hot fudge ice cream topping, warmed

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

12 oz Heath Bits O' Brickle toffee chips (1 1/2 bags)

Prepare cake mix according to package directions in a 9x13" pan. Bake as directed.

When the cake comes out of the oven, poke holes with a chopstick or make cuts down into it with a knife. Slowly pour the caramel and hot fudge toppings over the hot cake (I prefer how it comes out if you do the caramel first). Let the cake cool, then cover and refrigerate it.

Whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Spread over the cold cake. Top with toffee chips.

Store in refrigerator. 

Italian Chicken Casserole

ITALIAN CHICKEN CASSEROLE

2 lbs boneless skinless thighs

Olive oil

Dried bell peppers

4 cans green beans, drained

1 can diced tomatoes, rinsed and drained

1 can navy beans, rinsed and drained 

Italian blend seasoning

Dash chicken grill seasoning

Salt and pepper

2 cups cooked quinoa

Brown thighs in olive oil in large skillet. Add water, bell peppers, cans, and seasonings to taste. Cook on medium-low for 30 minutes, covered. Stir, cover, and cook 15 more minutes. 

Remove with slotted spoon. Reduce juices and add to chicken mixture. Stir in quinoa. Drizzle with olive oil and mix. 

Cold Lunches

COLD LUNCHES

YOGURT

Chocolate Strawberry:

130g plain nonfat Greek yogurt (1/2 c) 11g

23g chocolate protein powder (1 scoop) 10g

28g chopped pecans (1 oz) 3g

10g freeze dried strawberry powder 

5-10g heavy cream

Almond milk

        24g protein

Mix protein powder and strawberry powder with enough almond milk to form a smooth paste. Mix with rest of ingredients.

COTTAGE CHEESE

Blueberry:

226g lowfat cottage cheese (1 c) 26g

70g frozen wild blueberries (1/2 c)

23g vanilla protein powder (1 scoop) 10g

28g chopped walnuts (1 oz) 4g

Almond milk 

        40g protein

Mix protein powder with enough almond milk to form a smooth paste. Mix with rest of ingredients.

PBJ YOGURT 

1 c plain nonfat Greek yogurt 

1 scoop unflavored low carb protein powder

1 scoop vanilla low carb protein powder

Almond milk

1/4 c peanut butter

Jelly to taste

Mix protein powders with enough almond milk to make a smooth paste. Mix together yogurt and peanut butter. Mix in protein powder mixture until uniform. Stir in jelly (I like to mix just until there are small clumps of it left). 

Mom's Bread Pudding with Rum Sauce

MOM'S BREAD PUDDING WITH RUM SAUCE  

1 loaf French bread, crumbled (8 cups) 

4 cups milk  

4 eggs  

1/2 stick melted butter

1/2 tsp, strong vanilla  

1 cup sugar  

Nutmeg  

Melt butter in 8 c. measuring cup. Add milk, eggs, vanilla, sugar, and nutmeg. Beat with whisk until well blended. Pour into bread crumbs and mix well. Bake at 350 for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.  

RUM SAUCE  

1/2 c. butter  

1 1/2 c. powdered sugar  

1 egg yolk  

1/2 c. rum or bourbon, or to taste  

Melt butter and add powdered sugar. Beat in egg yolk. Add booze to taste. Sauce will thicken as it cools. 

Gingerbread Spice Mix

GINGERBREAD SPICE MIX

I add this to coffee, but there are lots of yummy uses for it! 

3 Tbsp cinnamon

3 Tbsp ginger 

1 Tbsp allspice 

3/4 tsp nutmeg

3/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp cloves

Mix all together. Store in a tightly closed container in a cool, dry place.

Half batch:

1 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon

1 1/2 Tbsp ginger 

1/2 Tbsp allspice 

3/8 tsp nutmeg

3/8 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp cloves

Low Carb Green Chile Chicken Casserole

 LOW CARB GREEN CHILE CHICKEN CASSEROLE

24 oz boneless skinless chicken breasts (I cut the thick parts lengthwise into thinner pieces)

1 c sour cream

8 oz cream cheese, softened

7 oz can chopped green chilies

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 c (4 oz) shredded cheese (I use preshredded Mexican/fiesta blend)

Topping suggestions - diced tomatoes, olives, avocado, extra cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Place chicken evenly in pan.

Mix together sour cream, cream cheese, chilies, and seasonings. Spread over chicken, making sure each piece is covered. Top with cheese.

Bake uncovered 45 minutes to an hour, depending on thickness of chicken. 

Can be served with rice, beans, tortillas, etc if desired.

Especially delicious with G's Favorite TexMex Side!

Cabbage Casserole

CABBAGE CASSEROLE

1 lb ground beef or turkey

1 medium onion, chopped 

1 bell pepper 

2 cloves garlic

3 green onions, chopped 

3 oz tomato paste 

1 can Rotel 

1 1/2 lbs cabbage, shredded or chopped

Saute ground meat, onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Mix in rest of ingredients. Simmer until tender, adding water if needed to keep from sticking. 

Serve as is, or mixed with brown rice. 

Pressure Cooker 15-Bean

PRESSURE COOKER 15-BEAN 

1 bag (20 oz) Hurst 15-bean soup (seasoning packet is not used for this recipe)

8 c. water 

3 lbs smoked turkey wings

Salt

Onion powder

Garlic powder 

Parsley 

Cook for 90 minutes. Natural release until the cooker unlocks. Serve with brown rice. 

Pressure Cooker Red Beans

PRESSURE COOKER RED BEANS 

1 lb red beans

2 lbs meat, sliced or chopped (I use smoked turkey sausage, half sliced thin using my food processor, half sliced thicker by hand)

8 c. water

Essence

Salt

Onion powder 

Garlic powder 

Parsley 

Cook for 90 minutes. Natural release until the cooker unlocks. Serve with brown rice. 

G's Favorite TexMex Side

G's FAVORITE TEXMEX SIDE

(Kicked up black beans/rice)

Rice:

3 c. Minute brown rice 

3 c. water

1 can diced tomatoes, rinsed (I use unsalted) 

Dried bell peppers 

Onion powder

Garlic powder

Salt

1 can black beans, rinsed 

Combine rice ingredients. Cook according to Minute package directions. When finished, stir in black beans. 

Vegan Low Carb Hot "Cereal"

The base recipe is fairly bland, with a slightly grainy texture

Cereal/yogurt recipe at bottom

VEGAN LOW CARB HOT "CEREAL"

2 Tbsp coconut flour

3 Tbsp golden flaxseed meal

2 Tbsp vegan vanilla protein powder 

1 c unsweetened almond or coconut milk

Mix-ins - fruit, nuts, etc

Mix dry ingredients together. Put milk in a small saucepan, then whisk in dry ingredients. Cook over medium heat until thickened and bubbly, stirring occasionally. Add mix-ins to taste.

NOTES:

• I add 1/2 c frozen wild blueberries when cooking
• You can add extracts to change the flavor 
• I am going to make a big batch of the dry ingredients. Then I can just measure out one batch's worth when I'm ready to make it.
• You can add more milk if you like it thinner

By weight (single batch):

15g coconut flour (Great Value organic)

20g golden flaxseed meal (Bob's Red Mill organic)

12g protein powder (Orgain vanilla bean)

TOTAL dry ingredients - 47g

250g almond coconut milk (Silk)

70g blueberries (GV frozen wild - 1/2 c)

Nutrition info using exact products in By weight, including blueberries:

Cal              60      115.5 39.5   40      40      =        295
Fat               2        7.4     1        3.5     0        =        11
Carb            9        6.6     4        1        9.5     =        30
Net carb      4        1.65   2.7     1        6.5     =        16
Protein        3        5        5.5     1        0        =        15

CEREAL/YOGURT
 
Make a double batch of cereal:
          94g dry mix
          500g almond coconut milk
          140g blueberries
 
Cool. Mix in 500g plain nonfat Greek yogurt.
 
Yield: 4 containers, approximately 275g each 

Calories            213

Fat                    5.5g

Carbs                20g

Net carbs          13g

Protein              30g

Buffalo Chicken Pasta

 

BUFFALO CHICKEN PASTA

 

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken

4 oz pasta

1/3 c. buffalo sauce

8 oz cream cheese

3/4 c. chicken broth

Garlic powder

Parsley flakes

 

Cook chicken and cut into bite sized or shred.

 

Cook pasta a minute less than package directions.

 

Heat buffalo sauce, cream cheese, chicken broth, and seasoning over medium heat, mixing occasionally, until cream cheese is melted.

 

Mix together chicken, pasta, and sauce.

 

Top servings with bleu cheese or ranch salad dressing.

x

Mom's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Mom’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

1 c. butter, softened (2 sticks)

1 c. (200g) sugar

1/2 c. (110g) packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 1/4 c. (270g GF oat) flour

1 tsp. baking soda

If using unsalted butter, add 1/2 tsp. salt

12 oz. chocolate chips

 

Cream together butter, sugars, and vanilla. Beat in eggs. Sift or whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add gradually to creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.

 Bake at 375 for about 10 minutes.

 

This recipe will give you about 5 dozen crispy cookies.

White Chicken Chili (pressure cooker)

WHITE CHICKEN CHILI

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 Tbsp. minced garlic OR 1 tsp. garlic powder

2 cans (15.5 oz each) white beans, undrained

2 c. chicken broth 

Optional - 1 lb sliced mushrooms, 1 can or frozen bag of corn

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 c. sour cream

1/2 c. heavy cream

Toppings - cheese, tomatoes, onion, salsa, olives, crumbled tortilla chips, etc

Put chicken, garlic, white beans, chicken broth, optional ingredients, and seasonings into the pressure cooker pot. Seal. Set pressure cooker to high for 30 minutes. When the timer goes off, quick release the seal. When the pressure is released, shred the chicken (it should be fall-apart tender). Add the cream and sour cream to the pot. Stir until everything is mixed together. Add desired toppings to bowls. 

Macaroni and Cheese

 

MACARONI AND CHEESE

 

8 oz pasta

6 oz colbyjack or pepperjack 

4 oz cheddar

6-7 oz heavy cream

 

Cook pasta one minute less than package directions.

 

While pasta is cooking, combine cheeses and cream. Microwave at 30% power for 5 minutes. Stir. Continue cooking at 30% power, stirring every 1 to 2 minutes, until cheese is melted.

 

Drain pasta. Stir into cheese sauce and mix well.

 

Yield: 4 main dish servings or 8 small sides

 

This is good with added seasonings, meat and/or veggies as well! 

 

 

ALTERNATE SERVINGS:

Reduce melting time for smaller proportion, increase for larger.

 

12 oz pasta

9 oz colbyjack

6 oz cheddar

9-10 oz heavy cream

 

6 oz pasta

4.5 oz colbyjack

3 oz cheddar

4.5-5 oz heavy cream

 

4 oz pasta

3 oz colbyjack

2 oz cheddar

3-3.5 oz heavy cream

 

2 oz pasta

1.5 oz colbyjack

1 oz cheddar

1.5-2 oz heavy cream

Double Decker Fudge

 DOUBLE DECKER FUDGE 

12 oz peanut butter chips

4 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. cocoa powder
1 tsp. vanilla
7 oz marshmallow creme
12 oz evaporated milk

Set aside half of the peanut butter chips in a medium bowl.

Melt half of the butter in a medium bowl. Blend the melted butter, cocoa, and vanilla. Add the other half of the peanut butter chips. 

In a saucepan, combine the sugar, marshmallow creme, milk, and the rest of the butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a rolling boil. Boil and stir 5 minutes more. Remove from heat. Immediately add half of the hot mixture (about 3 c.) to the bowl of peanut butter chips. Pour the rest into the cocoa mixture. Stir the cocoa mixture. With a different spoon or whisk, stir the peanut butter mixture until the chips are melted. Spread in a 13x9 pan and spread into an even layer. 

Whisk the cocoa mixture until the chips are melted and the mixture starts to thicken. Spread evenly over the top of the peanut butter layer.

Cool before cutting.

Yield: about 4 lbs 

Treasure Chest Bars

My mom used to make these when I was growing up. So yummy!

TREASURE CHEST BARS

2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder 
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. Crisco (substitute butter)
3/4 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs

1 c. chocolate chips
1 c. maraschino cherries
1 c. nuts (pecans?)

Icing:
2 c. powdered sugar
2 tbsp. softened butter
2 to 3 tbsp. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 square unsweetened chocolate, melted

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour 10x15 jelly roll pan/cookie sheet. 

In a large bowl, combine first 9 ingredients. Blend at medium speed until smooth, approximately 2 minutes. Stir in last 3 ingredients. Spread into pan. Bake 25-30 minutes until lightly browned.

In small bowl, combine icing ingredients. Blend until smooth. Spread over warm bars. Drizzle with melted chocolate.

Cool completely before cutting into bars. 

Broccoli Cheddar Garlic Potatoes with Chicken

BROCCOLI CHEDDAR GARLIC POTATOES WITH CHICKEN

24 oz red potatoes
2 lbs frozen broccoli
1 stick butter
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
Garlic powder
24 oz chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
8 oz sharp cheddar
4 oz (by weight) heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook and chop potatoes (I use the baked potatoes setting on my microwave). Cook and drain broccoli (I use my microwave for this also). Combine potatoes and broccoli in a large container.

Melt butter with olive oil in a skillet (I use cast iron). Add garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste. Saute chicken until cooked through and browned. Using a slotted spoon, remove chicken from pan into a separate bowl. Pour liquid in pan into potatoes/broccoli and mix well.

In another bowl, melt cheddar and cream until it forms a sauce (I use 30% power in the microwave, stirring every 1-2 minutes).

To serve, you can layer the components, or mix them all together in the large container. 

This made 4 large servings for us, with a couple oz of chicken left over.