Buffalo Chicken Poppers

Buffalo chicken is one of my favorite foods, I love it on pizza, sandwiches, anything! So, when I was hanging out with my friends last night we tried out a recipe that looked amazing for buffalo chicken poppers! They turned out amazing with a avocado Bleu cheese dip. I found this recipe on www.iowagirleats.com
It was hard to get good pictures because they went so quickly!

Ingredients:
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 tsp. ranch dip mix (We used actual ranch dressing)
1 large chicken breast, cooked, diced
3-4 tblsp. buffalo wing sauce (We used Franks Red Hot)
1, 8 count tube crescent rolls
1 avocado
1/3 cup Bleu cheese dressing

Directions:
Preheat oven according to crescent roll package directions.
Toss cooked chicken with wing sauce.
Mix together cream cheese and ranch in a bowl.
Unroll crescent rolls and cut each triangle in half.
Spoon 1 teaspoon of cream cheese filling into the middle of each half triangle.
Top with a scoop of chicken.
Being all three sides of crescent tool together at the top, then pinch all the seams together to seal.
Place on a baking sheet and cook according to package directions.
While cooking, make the dip.
Mash avocado in a bowl until smooth and stir in Bleu cheese dressing.
Serve with poppers.

Paleo Banana Chocolate Chip Cakies

These are another version of the double chocolate cakies from www.multiplydelicious.com these are more of a plain chocolate chip cookie, so if you aren’t a huge chocolate fan try these instead!

Ingredients:
1 ripe banana
2 tblsp almond butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/4 cups almond flour
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Combine banana, almond butter, vanilla, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl and beat with hand mixer until combined.
Add almond flour and mix.
Fold in chocolate chips.
Drop by the rounded tablespoon-full onto your parchment paper.
Makes 10-12 cookies.
Bake for 15 minutes, until tops are golden brown.

Paleo Double Chocolate Cakies

So today I decided to try my very first paleo treat! I love to bake, but my crossfit coach is trying to get me out of it since it uses so much flour and sugar! I found a recipe that looked very yummy from www.multiplydelicious.com for double chocolate cakies. They have the consistency of cake but are baked like cookies!
Are paleo desserts healthy?
No not necessarily…but they are a lot healthier than normal cookies!!
I don’t suggest you make a paleo dessert everyday, but when your craving a treat these will definitely fill that craving! Enjoy

Ingredients:
2 ripe bananas
2 tblsp almond butter
3 1/4 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 1/4 cups almond flour
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl mash bananas with a hand mixer.
Add the next 5 ingredients and mix well.
Add the almond flour and mix.
Fold in the chocolate chips with a spoon.
Scoop tablespoons of batter onto parchment paper. (Should make about 12).
Bake for 15 minutes.
*Since these are cake-like cookies, refrigerate them after they cool. These cookies are even better the next day.

Classic Strawberry Shortcake

Happy Mothers Day! I hope everyone is out enjoying this beautiful weather and their moms We surprised my mom with an iPad today and she was so happy!! Now she just needs to learn how to use it! Anyway, my family and I are getting together for a Mothers Day dinner tonight…which means Middlebury Pizza at my house! Lol..and all my grandma asked me for was some strawberry shortcake for mothers day! So, I decided instead of buying the biscuits why not try and make them! They smelled so good while they were baking and came out perfect! Didn’t stick to the pan like I was afraid they would! So here’s a delicious recipe for mothers day

Recipes adapted from: www.foodnetwork.com

Ingredients:
Strawberries-
1 1/2 lbs. strawberries, tops cut off, sliced
4 tablespoons sugar
Biscuits-
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Whipped Cream-
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 400.
Mix sliced strawberries with sugar in a bowl and cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes until juices start to form at the bottom of the bowl.
In a separate, large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar and mix well. Then add heavy cream and mix with a spoon until just combined.
Pour into a ungreased 8×8 pan.
(I know the mixture seems very sticky and your probably afraid it will stick to the pan but it won’t!! Dont spray it.)
*i used a dark 8×8 pan that I use for brownies.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned on the top.
Let cool for 10-15 minutes then invert onto a plate so that it is upside down.
Let it cool there until cool to the touch and then flip right side up onto a cutting board.
Cut into 6 pieces. (2 vertical lines, 2 horizontal lines).
Then, slice each piece in half through the middle with a serrated knife so you have a top and a bottom biscuit.
To make your whipped cream, beat heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla on high until soft peaks form.
To create your shortcakes, place one half of the biscuit on a plate, top with strawberries, whipped cream, and the juice from the strawberry mixture, then top with the second half of the biscuit. Add extra whipped cream, strawberries, and/or juice to the top if desired!

Paleo Snack: Avocado wrapped in Turkey Bacon

This is a very simple and very quickly put together snack that is technically considered paleo to most people. Bacon is not paleo, but some people say that turkey bacon is. Since I am trying to go about 80% paleo, I’m agreeing that turkey bacon will still be used in my diet I wouldn’t suggest eating turkey bacon all the time though! I ran out of deli chicken, so I cooked up 1 slice of turkey bacon, cut it in half to make two, and wrapped it around some avocado, yum! It’s a mixture of creamy and crunchy and it’s delicious!

Ingredients:
1 slice turkey bacon, cooked, cut in half
2 slices avocado

Directions:
Wrap 1 piece of turkey bacon around each slice of avocado.

Paleo Scrambled Eggs with Ham and Scallions

Today is Day 1 of my Paleo challenge!! I have decided to try and have a Paleo diet at least during the week from now on. Eventually I will try and continue it on weekends. For anyone who is unfamiliar with the Paleo lifestyle it is often called “The Caveman Diet”. Without going to far into it, it basically is a lifestyle of eating no: grains, dairy, legumes, potatoes, sugar, alcohol, and “fake” foods.
But you can eat as much meat, veggies, and fruits as you like!
Today for my first paleo meal I made delicious scrambled eggs and I am still full 4 hours later!!
Tell me what you think of the Paleo diet.

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 teaspoon coconut oil
2 slices deli ham, cut up
2 scallions, diced
Sea salt
Black pepper

Directions:
Over medium-low heat add coconut oil to your pan.
Let it get hot and add your ham and scallions.
Cook for about 2 minutes then crack two eggs into your pan.
Cook for about 1 minute and then with a rubber spatula, scramble the eggs.
Cook until done, turn off heat and add salt and pepper and mix.
Transfer to a plate and enjoy!
I don’t even miss the butter that I used to cook my eggs with, coconut oil is delicious!

Spicy Avocado Chicken Enchiladas

If you want this dinner extra hot, do not seed the Serrano pepper, if you don’t like food too spicy, seed it!

Ingredients:
Sauce-
1 tablespoon butter
1 Serrano pepper, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup chicken stock
Salt & pepper
1 cup salsa verde
1/2 cup sour cream
Enchiladas-
8 large flour tortillas
3 cups cooked diced chicken
1/2 packet taco seasoning (mix with chicken while cooking) *optional
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 small onion, chopped
3 avocados, peeled and sliced

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375.
Grease a 9×13 baking dish.
*if you are cooking chicken with the recipe and not using leftovers, add taco seasoning to cooked chicken while hot.
In a medium sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat.
Add Serrano pepper and garlic, sauté for 1 minute.
Add flour and whisk well for 2 minutes.
Add chicken broth, and salt and pepper and bring to a low boil.
Once boiling, whisk in sour cream and salsa verde.
Cook for 5 minutes on medium heat, whisking continually.
Remove from heat.
Add 3/4 cup of sauce to the bottom of your greased baking dish.
Roll one tortilla up with chicken, cheese, onion, and avocado.
Repeat until all chicken is used.
Place tortillas seam side down in dish.
*you may need two baking dishes.
Pour remaining sauce over rolled tortillas.
Sprinkle a generous amount of cheese to cover tortillas.
Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes.
Sprinkle cilantro over baked tortillas.

Baked Taco Dip

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Here is a recipe for a hot seven layer dip. It’s easy to prepare and very delicious!
Adapted from: www.thishomemadelife.com

Ingredients:
3 avocados
Juice from 1/2 lime
1 (16 oz.) can refried beans
Salt
1 bunch green onions, chopped finely
1 (8 oz.) container sour cream
1/2 packet taco seasoning
1/2 cup drained green chilies
2 tomatoes, diced
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350.
Spread refried beans in the bottom of a casserole dish.
In a bowl, mash avocados and mix with lime juice and green onions.
Pour avocado mixture on top of beans.
In another bowl, mix sour cream with taco seasoning.
Pour over avocado.
Place diced green onions, green chilies, and tomatoes on top of sour cream mixture.
Add shredded cheese to the top.
Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.
Serve with tortilla chips.

Easy Salsa

This is a very easy salsa recipe. It is very similar to restaurant types salsas, but very spicy! If you don’t like too spicy of salsa, you can get some of the spicier ingredients in half. I used my food processor for this salsa, but if you don’t have one, a blender would work just fine!

Ingredients:
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (10 oz.) can Rotel original (use mild of you don’t want it to be too spicy)
1/2 of a small onion, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed
1/2 of a jalapeño, seeded
Salt to taste
Handful of washed cilantro leaves

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse for 30 seconds.

Capresé Salad

Ingredients:
4 small Roma tomatoes
1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese
Basil leaves
Olive oil
Balsamic Vinagrette (white or black)
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Slice all tomatoes into 1/4 in. thick slices.
Slice mozzarella in the same thickness.
Layer mozzarella, tomato, and basil on a dish.
Just before serving, sprinkle with salt oil and vinegar, and pepper