Jalapeño Popper Creamed Corn

Yields: 6 servings

Prep Time: 0 hours 15 mins

Total Time: 0 hours 20 mins

 

Ingredients:

1/2 oz. (8-oz.) block cream cheese, softened

1/3 c. sour cream

1/4 tsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

8 ears corn, kernels removed

1 c. cooked bacon, crumbled, plus more for garnish

1 c. shredded cheddar

2 green onions, thinly sliced

2 jalapeños, seeds removed and minced, plus another jalapeño thinly sliced, for garnish

 

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese with sour cream. Season with the chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until the corn is golden and lightly seared, about 5 minutes. 
3. Add corn to cream cheese mixture and let cool slightly. 
4. Add bacon, cheddar, green onions, and jalapeños and toss to coat. Garnish with sliced jalapeño and more bacon.

Submitted by: Jessica Clonts from Delish

 

Flourless Chocolate Brownie Cookies

Ingredients

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 3/4 cups dutch process cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 large egg
• 2/3 cup bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together the dry ingredients and add the eggs. Whisk again until smooth. (Using an electric mixer will make this even easier, but it's simple enough by hand as well.) Stir in the chocolate chips.
2. Drop by tablespoons onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake 12 minutes, until the cookies are just set. They should be puffy and cracked across the top. Let cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire cooling rack. Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Notes

The batter will be more liquid than traditional cookie dough, but don't worry, it works.

 

Submitted by: Amy Brice from Bare Feet in the Kitchen 

personal note: I made these for my sister who avoids gluten and my kids loved them. They are crispy on the outside a gooey on the inside. They can also be dairy free if you get the right kind of chocolate chips.

3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies (Gluten Free)

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 egg

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Stir the ingredients together until smooth. Scoop onto a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet. (Roll into 1" balls with your hands, if you do not have a scoop.) Press down with the back of a fork and then press again from the opposite direction, to form the criss-cross pattern on top.
2. These cookies will not spread at all. You can bake the full recipe on a single tray if you would like. Bake for 12 minutes and then let cool on the tray for 1-2 minutes before removing to a wire rack to finish cooling. Store in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Notes

I like to remove about 2 tablespoons of peanut butter from the "cup" listed in this recipe. This results in a slightly less dense cookie that everyone loves even more than the original. Alternatively, some people have mentioned that they like to add an extra egg to this recipe. If you choose to add an extra egg, simply scoop the finished cookie dough onto the baking tray. It will not be firm enough to roll into balls or press with a criss-cross pattern. The cookies will be puffier straight out of the oven and then will settle a bit as they cool.

Servings: 14-18 cookies, depending on size

Calories: 168 kcal

Submitted by: Amy Brice from Bare Feet in the Kitchen

Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces thin sliced sirloin steaks
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• black pepper to taste
• cooking spray
• 3/4 cup diced onion
• 3/4 cup diced green pepper
• 1/4 cup light sour cream
• 2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
• 2 oz light cream cheese, softened
• 3 oz shredded mild provolone cheese (or cheese of your choice)
• 4 medium portobello mushrooms, with no cracks

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Spray a baking sheet with oil.
2. Gently remove the stems, scoop out the gills and spray the tops of the mushrooms with oil, season with 1/8 tsp salt and fresh pepper.
3. Season steak with salt and pepper on both sides.
4. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and heat on high, let the pan get very hot then add the steak and cook on high heat about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes on each side, until cooked through.
5. Transfer to a cutting board and slice thin, set aside.
6. Reduce the heat to medium-low, spray with more oil and saute onions and peppers 5 to 6 minutes, until soft.
7. Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Transfer to the mushroom caps, about 1/2 cup each.
8. Bake in the oven until the cheese is melted and the mushrooms are tender, about 20 minutes.

Nutrition Information

Yield: 4 servings, Serving Size: 1 mushroom cap

• Amount Per Serving:
• Freestyle Points: 7
• Points +: 7
• Calories: 256 calories
• Total Fat: 16g
• Saturated Fat: 8.5g
• Cholesterol: 26.5mg
• Sodium: 383.5mg
• Carbohydrates: 10g
• Fiber: 4g
• Sugar: 3.5g
• Protein: 19g

Submitted by: Jenie Rainey from Skinny Taste

A Guide to Flour Alternatives

Source: I Heart Vegetables
When I started thinking about doing a post about some of my favorite flours (and flour alternatives) I thought I’d only have a handful to share. But once I started pulling things out of my pantry, I realized I had quite a few flours in there. Some of them are interchangeable and some work best in a few recipes and not so well in others. Some are cheap, some are expensive, and some are harder to find than others. So I thought I’d make you a little guide to the various flours you might see on my blog or across Pinterest. Hopefully this makes it easier for you when you’re at the grocery store!

So here’s the run down of all the different types of flours I have in my pantry:

Whole Wheat Flour- You might already have this at home! Whole wheat flour contains the entire kernel of hard red wheat, which is what gives it a darker color than white flour. It’s high in nutrients and fiber which is why I love using it in recipes! If you’re swapping it out for all-purpose flour start with a half all purpose/half whole wheat blend. If you switch to all whole wheat, it can get sort of chewy and dry.
White Whole Wheat Flour– This has recently become one of my favorite flours. It has the nutrients and fiber of whole wheat flour, but it’s an easier swap for all purpose flour. The wheat flavor isn’t as strong, so depending on the recipe, you can often swap this 1:1 for all purpose flour. This is the perfect place to start when baking for people who think they hate whole wheat flour. I used it in this whole wheat flatbread recipe and they have a great texture!
Whole Wheat Pastry Flour- This flour comes from soft white wheat. The lower protein content of this flour makes it great for whole grain baked goods. It’s pretty similar to white whole what flour, but I think it’s a bit better in baked goods. I used it in these chocolate avocado muffins and it was perfect!
Gluten Free Flour: Gluten free flour can be tricky, but I’ve had a lot of success with Enjoy Life Foods all-purpose flour blend. It’s a combination of grains (Millet, Rice, Teff, Buckwheat, Rice Starch, Tapioca Starch, Brown Rice Protein, & Sprouted Brown Rice Protein) and it works well in baked goods or as a general substitute for flour. It measures 1:1 just like regular flour. I’ve used it in this falafel recipe to keep it vegan.
Coconut Flour– I think this is one of the harder flours to work with. Baked goods tend to get pretty dense, but if you’re paleo, this is a popular choice. I’ve it in a recipe for gluten free protein donuts and it worked fairly well. (Although I prefer this recipe for cinnamon sugar mini protein donuts!) Coconut flour isn’t an easy swap but if you play around with it for a bit, it can be a nice gluten free, high fiber flour option.
Quinoa Flour– I’ve loved playing around with quinoa flour but I’ll warn you, it’s expensive. I like to keep it real over here so I know not everyone wants to shell out $16 for a bag of flour. It’s great for special diets though, since it’s gluten free and quinoa is a “complete protein” meaning it contains all the essential amino acids. That’s helpful for vegans! It also offers more protein than all purpose flour. If you want to try baking with quinoa flour, try these quinoa chocolate chip cookies!
Oat Flour– Technically, you can buy oat flour but you can also make it pretty easily. I just toss rolled oats in the blender or food processor until I get to a flour-like texture. It can be a great gluten-free “flour” for baked goods, but it will definitely change the texture of the final product. If you want to start by substituting part of the flour in a recipe, start with about 20%.
Almond Flour- Again, this one is on the pricy side, but you can make your own with almonds from the bulk bin, or buy some almond flour (somtimes called “almond meal”) from Trader Joe’s where it tends to be a bit cheaper. It’s a great high protein, gluten free substitute but keep in mind that it’s much higher in calories. I love it in these almond flour brownies and these sugar free dark chocolate truffles, but I haven’t used it for things like muffins or bread. It tends to be pretty dense.

Who knew there were so many flour options?! If I’m baking for myself, I typically use white whole wheat flour. I personally think it’s the easiest substitute and it offers a good amount of protein and fiber. But if you’re gluten free or you’re following a special diet, there are some great flour alternatives!

How to Replace Sugar with Healthier Sugar Alternatives

By Kaitlin W

Unless you’re living under a rock, you’ve heard the news: there is a staggering amount of research out there that confirms a seemingly simple fact: refined sugar is bad.
It's bad for your mind, bad for your weight, bad for your teeth, bad for your overall health—just BAD. But this simple fact presents a complex problem. Refined sugar is in SO much of what we eat on a daily basis. It has infiltrated our whole wheat bread, for goodness sake!
Dr. Lustig’s informative video proclaims sugar ought to be viewed “like cigarettes and alcohol, as something that’s killing us.” Numerous in-depth articles showcase the many sources of evidence against sugar. And widely popular diets are kicking out refined sugars left and right!
Here is the good news...you can easily swap in healthier sugar alternatives. The next time a recipe calls for sugar, feel free to try one of these sugar substitutions instead.

Sugar Replacement Chart



Submitted by: Jenie Rainey from Swansons Vitamins

Avocado Egg Salad

Ingredients:

• 8 hard boiled eggs roughly chopped
• 2 ripe medium avocados
• 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
• 1-2 tablespoons Dijon mustard to taste
• juice of 1/2 lemon or pickle juice
• sea salt to taste
• freshly cracked black pepper to taste
• 1/2 - 1 tablespoon fresh dill chopped, to taste

Optional serving suggestions:

• sliced bread, pita or lettuce wraps
• slices of nitrate free bacon and pickle slices

Instructions:

Cook the eggs:

1. Cover the eggs with very hot tap water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, turn heat off, cover with lid and remove from heat. Allow to sit for 18 minutes. Uncover and pour out hot water. Run under very cold water and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes until cool. Peel and chop.
2. In a large bowl, mash the avocados using a fork. Add the chopped eggs, yogurt, mustard and lemon juice and mix to combine. Season with salt, black pepper and dill, to taste.
3. Serve immediately at room temperature, or chill and serve cold. 
4. Serving suggestions: Enjoy alone, spread between two slices of bread with kale & cabbage slaw for an Avocado Egg Salad Sandwich, add to pita or scoop into lettuce wraps for a low carb keto version.
    

Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic

Ingredients:
1 lb. orange sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces about 1 inch across.
1 lb. brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and cut in half lengthwise (If you get them whole you have to soak them for 30min unless the package says prewashed)
2 T olive oil, divided
1 T balsamic vinegar, divided
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 450F. Spray an extra-large baking sheet with olive oil or non-stick spray.
Peel sweet potatoes and cut into chunks about 1 inch across. Put the sweet potatoes into a bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1.5 teaspoons balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Spread sweet potatoes out on the baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes.
While the sweet potatoes are roasting, wash the brussels sprouts and spin dry or pat dry with paper towels. Trim the ends, then cut the brussels sprouts in half lengthwise. (Discard any leaves that fall off; they tend to burn in the hot oven.) Toss the cut brussels sprouts with the other tablespoon of olive oil, the other 1.5 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar, and a little salt and pepper.
When sweet potatoes have cooked for 20 minutes, remove the baking sheet and toss sweet potatoes with the brussels sprouts. Roast 20 minutes more, or until the sweet potatoes are cooked through and both vegetables are slightly browned. (If your oven runs hot, I would check them after 15 minutes.)

Gluten-Free Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup almond flour
• 3 tablespoons softened butter
• 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix all of the ingredients in a small bowl until a cohesive dough forms.
3. Scoop 1" balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet; a teaspoon cookie scoop works well here. Arrange the balls of dough about 1 1/2" to 2" apart.
4. Use a fork to flatten each cookie to about 1/4" thick, making a crosshatch design.
5. Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes, until they start to turn light golden brown on top.
6. Remove the cookies from the oven and cool them on the pan for 10 minutes. Transfer them to a rack to cool completely before serving.

Tips from our bakers

• You can also bake these cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet. Just be sure to transfer the cookies to a rack about 2 to 3 minutes after they come out of the oven; they'll still be warm and fairly fragile. If left to cool on the ungreased pan too long, they'll stick.
• For thumbprint cookies: Instead of creating a crosshatch design with a fork, use your thumb to press an indentation into the center of each ball of dough. Fill the hole with about 1/4 teaspoon jam. Note: too much jam will boil out during baking.
• For Maple Pecan Shortbread Cookies: Add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons maple syrup, and 1/3 cup diced pecans to the dough. Shape the dough into a log, chill, slice, and bake; or bake as directed above.
• For Chocolate Pistachio Shortbread Cookies: Substitute 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder for 2 tablespoons of the almond flour; and add 1/8 teaspoon espresso powder. Stir in 1/4 cup finely chopped pistachios. Shape the dough into a log, chill, slice, and bake for 12 to 14 minutes; or bake as directed above.
• For Cranberry-Orange Shortbread Cookies: Add 1/2 teaspoon orange zest (grated orange rind) and 1/4 cup dried cranberries to the dough. Shape the dough into a log, chill, slice, and bake for 12 to 14 minutes; or bake as directed above. 

Submitted by: Jenie Rainey from King Arthur Flour