Dark Chocolate Nutter Butter Truffles

This past weekend I hosted Bunco at my house and wanted to come up with a new, bite sized dessert. After all, there are twelve of us and by the time dessert rolls around, we're generally full from picking on snacks and drinking our favorite beverages. I was already making a batch of the Oreo Truffles to give to my friends husband who helps plow my driveway when my hubby is away on business, but I've made those before and you know me....I have to make something new! So I used the same concept as the Oreo Truffles and made these Dark Chocolate Nutter Butter Truffles. 

If you LOVE peanut butter and chocolate, you will LOVE-LOVE-LOVE these! This recipe is so simple too. All you have to do is chop the cookies (I used my food processor, but if you don't have one put the cookies in a Ziploc bag and pound them with a meat mallet or the bottom of a glass. Hey...maybe I'll try that anyway next time I'm feeling a bit stressed! haha), blend in the cream cheese, freeze, dip them into the melted chocolate and top with the chopped honey roasted peanuts. 

I opted to use dark chocolate instead of milk or white chocolate as it's not only healthier for you, but that deep, rich color is certainly more appealing. The nuts just gave it an extra layer of peanut-y goodness. I have to say, these Dark Chocolate Nutter Butter Truffles were a HUGE hit and everyone enjoyed them. These would make a great dessert for your Valentine, but you can show the love any day of the week. I dare you to eat just one! ~Enjoy! 

Lemon Basil Popovers

My mother in law makes Yorkshire pudding whenever she prepares a roast beef for company and until I married into the family, I don't recall ever eating it before. It's a delicious batter type bread that she makes in a pie dish with eggs, flour, milk and LOTS of butter. I've never made Yorkshire pudding myself; however, I always wanted to try to make popovers instead; which are similar to Yorkshire pudding; however they're a little lighter, have a hollow center and are made in a dedicated popover pan.

Fate had it one day in December when I visited my local Chef Central to visit my friend Lauren (Lauren Kelly Nutrition), who was there signing her latest book, The Greek Yogurt Cookbook; which I had the honor of having a few of my own recipes published in there as well. (Check out the book, it's fantastic!) OK, so anyway, I was at Chef Central with my Mom who was in from Florida and we were perusing the isles when I saw this popover pan. Kismet! I still had not tried to make my own popovers until I was reading the February issue of Family Circle Magazine where they shared a recipe for Herb and Asiago Popovers. I didn't have Asiago cheese in the house at the time so I  used their recipe as a base and came up with this lemon and basil version.

These popovers were insanely good, light, flavorful, airy and without all of the added fat from the butter. Yup...definitely going to have to make these again real soon. When making popovers make sure you only fill the tins halfway because they will rise...a lot! Also, make sure you preheat the pan first before pouring in the batter and don't open the oven when cooking, you don't want the popovers to deflate. If you don't have a popover pan, you can use a muffin tin; however they will make more popovers.  ~Enjoy!

Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

Today is World Nutella Day so of course I had to find a new way to experiment with this chocolaty, hazelnut goodness. My kids just LOVE Nutella and a jar really doesn't last very long in our house. They love it on toast, combined with peanut butter on sandwiches or just eaten out of the jar with a spoon.

For today's recipe I mixed the Nutella in with the batter from my Banana Chocolate Chip Bread (which is in my cookbook) since my youngest was craving some banana muffins for breakfast. The Nutella really added another delicious layer of flavor to these muffins and there is nothing better than fresh baked muffins to start your day. ~Enjoy!

Loaded Mashed Potato Gratin

If you're looking for a tasty side dish to make for a crowd, this Loaded Mashed Potato Gratin is PERFECT! With bacon, sour cream, and cheddar cheese, how can you go wrong!  You can prepare the mashed potatoes up to a day ahead of time; then bake when you're ready. Which means less time in the kitchen and more time with your guests. Even when not entertaining, I like to make extra mashed potatoes so that there are some left over. Then I whip up some of these Corn and Cheddar Mashed Potato Fritters which the girls BEG me for every time I make mashed potatoes.

Blueberry, Peach & Banana Smoothie

When I first started making these drinks, I was unsure if I should call them juices or smoothies. To me, a smoothie always had the connotation that there was milk or yogurt involved somehow. However, upon some research, a smoothie is anything blended; whereas a juice is also blended, but then the mixture is then separated using a sieve to form a thin liquid removing the pulp. 

Spinach & Artichoke Flatbread

With the next several weekends being glued to the TV between the Superbowl and the Winter Olympics, I wanted to create another flatbread recipe since my family really enjoyed the Copycat Olive Garden Caprese Flatbread I made over the summer. It's kind of a Sunday ritual in our house anyway to make a few appetizers and stay home on a Sunday. It's our "family connection day" and we try not to make plans outside of the home. We generally either entertain family or just relax and watch movies while unwinding from the previous week. I decided to make a new experiment and created this Spinach & Artichoke Flatbread; which has a little lemony twist.

Spinach, Pear & Mint Smoothie

We got a Vitamix blender for Christmas! Well technically I should say that my hubby wanted to start making smoothies at home so the girls and I got him one for Christmas, but it's one of those gifts that the whole family loves. My hubby works long hours and hardly has time to eat, let alone eat healthy and get enough fruit and vegetables into his diet. But with the blender, I'm able to make him a fruit or vegetable (or combination of both) smoothie for him to drink on his way into the office like this Spinach, Pear & Mint Smoothie.

Minestrone Soup and a Giveaway

January is National Soup Month and it couldn't have come at a better time. Here in NJ, as is in most of the country, we've been experiencing extremely frigid temperatures. So what would be better than a nice, hot bowl of soup to warm your soul. This week, I'll be sharing a new soup recipe each day. And to start, here is one of my all time favorites, Minestrone.

Crock Pot Greek Mashed Potatoes

Today I'm going to be sharing a new experiment with you for Crock Pot Greek Mashed Potatoes. This is one of those recipes that started out one way in my head; then wound up another. Not a bad thing mind you, just different.

Roasted Butternut Squash with Sun Dried Tomatoes

Butternut squash is a type of winter squash that is orange in color, similar to pumpkin, and has a sweet nutty flavor. It's not something I've ever made before. In fact, I don't even remember eating it growing up. The first time I had it was when my mother made Butternut Squash Soup a few years ago and I loved it. This year, I decided to try to make the squash myself and wanted to use some of my favorite flavors like garlic, sun dried tomatoes and fresh rosemary, and roasting this squash seemed like the best plan.

Cranberry Pear Sauce

Let's see a show of hands. How many people use canned cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving? I always did. It was just what I grew up with and yes, I even liked the jellied version that had to be sliced. (No judgement please). That is until last year when I made my own version after seeing how easy it was on some of my favorite blogs. 

Reduced Fat Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

A few weeks ago, I received a lovely email from Chobani Greek Yogurt stating that they loved my recipe for Cucumber Yogurt Lime Dip. They also said that they wanted to send me some yogurt as a thank you and if I happen to come up with another great recipe, all the better. Well, I think I did just that!

To me, Fall means pumpkin, so what better way to incorporate some of Chobani's famous Vanilla Greek Yogurt into these Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars. I don't like to keep a lot of sweets laying around the house, so when I do have a craving, I try to "lighten" the recipe up a bit so I don't feel so guilty eating them. This dessert was decadent, yet light at the same time and my family and I really enjoyed them.

Reduced Fat Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Cook Time: 1 hour       Refrigerator Time: 6 hours       Servings: 16

Ingredients
For the Crust

• 9 Graham Cracker Squares
• 1/4 c. Granulated Sugar
• 1 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 5 tbsp. Butter, melted
• 1 tsp. Butter

For the Filling and Cheesecake Bars

• 1 lb. Fat Free Cream Cheese, softened
• 1/2 c. Granulated Sugar
• 1/2 c. Pureed Pumpkin
• 1/2 c. Chobani Nonfat Vanilla Yogurt
• 2 Large Eggs
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice

Directions
For the Crust

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Add the crackers, sugar and pumpkin pie spice to a food processor and pulse until the mixture is crumbly; then add in the butter and pulse until the crumbs form together.
3. Grease the bottom and sides of an 8"x8" pan with the teaspoon of butter; then firmly press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan, coming up 1/2"-3/4" up the sides.
4. Bake for 5-8 minutes, then remove from oven and allow to cool.

For the Filling and Cheesecake Bars

1. Cream together all of the ingredients using a stand mixer until creamy.
2. Pour the batter into the crust and spread out evenly.
3. Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until the sides start to puff up and turn slightly brown. The center should be somewhat firm to the touch.
4. Allow to cool and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before cutting into 16 squares.

Enjoy! 

Nutrition Facts per Serving

Calories 141, Carbs 18.4g, Fat 5.1g, Protein 5.9g, Fiber .5g, Sugar 12.9g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

Spinach Risotto

Raise your hand if you have fallen victim to purchasing boxed rice mixes at your local supermarket. I have. See my hand waving! It's convenient and easy, especially when you just don't think you have the time to make anything else. Just throw it all into one pot and in 20-25 minutes, you have a side dish to serve with your meal.

Well what if I told you that you could make a rice side dish without all of that added sodium, using fresh ingredients and it tastes even better than the boxed variety? Well you can! AND it still only takes 20-25 minutes...bonus! I LOVE making my own risotto because then I can control what I add to it and it's also a great way to use up leftovers or small amounts of something, like fresh spinach, that you might not have enough of to make something else. Besides, homemade always tastes much better!


Spinach Risotto
Cook Time: 20-25 minutes           Serves: 6 (as a side dish)

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 1/2 c. Arborio Rice
• 4 c. Light/Fat Free Chicken Broth
• 1 c. Water
• 3 c. Fresh Baby Spinach, packed
• 1/4 c. Romano Cheese, grated

Directions

1. In a large, non-stick saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat and stir in the rice. 
2. Stir until the rice turns slightly brown, then add the chicken broth one cup at a time, allowing the liquid to evaporate after each addition. Add the water and when that has evaporated halfway, stir in the spinach and cheese. 
3. Mix until the spinach has wilted and the rice is creamy in texture. 

Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts 

Calories 155, Carbs 26.8g, Fat 3.3g, Protein 4.3g, Fiber .2g, Sugar 0g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

Spinach Risotto Shopping List

If you love risotto like my family does, check out some of my other varieties too. There are even more in my cookbook! 

1. Balsamic Risotto with Grilled Chicken, Spinach & Sun Dried Tomatoes
2. Portobello Mushroom, Zucchini & Sage Risotto
3. Roasted Garden Vegetable Saffron Baked Risotto
4. Basil, Leek & Asiago Cheese Risotto
5. Lemon Thyme Pesto Risotto
6. Pumpkin & Sage Risotto
7. Chorizo, Peas & Colby Jack Risotto

Cream of Spinach & Artichoke Soup

This recipe was created recently after dining out with my kids one evening after having ordered Spinach Artichoke Dip as an appetizer. They just love it! I've made Spinach & Artichoke French Bread Pizza before so I thought I'd experiment with the same flavors in a soup since I had some leftover spinach from dinner the previous night. 

I really liked the flavor of this Spinach & Artichoke Soup, but the kids weren't fond of it. I even sent it into my hubby's work so that other's can try it as well, but he left  it in his car that day and it never made it inside the office. So you will have to be the judge and let me know what you think when you make it! 

Cream of Spinach & Artichoke Soup
Total Time: 45-50 minutes    Yield: 7 cups   Serving Size: 1 cup

Ingredients

• 1-10oz. Frozen Chopped Spinach, defrosted and drained
• 1/4 c. Red Onion, chopped
• 1 Garlic Clove, chopped
• 1 tbsp. Butter
• 4 Artichoke Hearts, chopped
• 4 c. Vegetable Broth
• 2 c. Water
• 1 c. Milk, heated (I used 2%)
• 1/2 c. Pecorino Romano Cheese, grated
• 3 tbsp. Cornstarch + 3 tbsp. Cold Water, if needed

Directions

1. Heat butter in a large pot over medium heat then add the onion and garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes; then add in the spinach and artichokes. 
2. Add the vegetable broth and water. Mix well and bring to a boil. 
3. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for 30 minutes; then mix in the milk and cheese. 
4. Use your immersion blender* to blend all of the ingredients together until the mixture is smooth. 
5. If the soup isn't thick enough for your liking, mix together the cornstarch and cold water; then add it to the mixture and simmer for an additional 3-5 minutes.

Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Calories 127, Carbs 7.2g, Fat 7.2g, Protein 5.5g, Fiber 1.3g, Sugar 3.6g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

Cream of Spinach & Artichoke Soup Shopping List

*If you do not have an immersion blender, simply pour the mixture into a regular blender and puree until smooth. Just be very careful not to fill it too much to the top as it will be extremely hot and you don't want to pop the lid off of your blender.

Eggplant Fritters

About two years ago, I had my first fritter while vacationing in Greece. They were made with zucchini and I loved them so much, I even made my own version upon my return and added the recipe to my cookbook. Before leaving for vacation, I was trying to clean out my refrigerator and realized I had an eggplant in there that I never got a chance to use. I do that all the time. I go to the farmers market. Purchase so many fruits and vegetables that I can't possibly eat in one week, then go on a cooking frenzy trying to use them all up in different ways before they go bad!

So I decided to make these Eggplant Fritters. I really liked them, but the kids...not so much. Though they didn't eat them right out of the frying pan; which really wasn't a fair assessment as these do taste much better when eaten right after frying. You could also bake these if you wanted to save some of the calories and fat, but you wouldn't get that crispiness that comes from frying them.

Eggplant Fritters

Prep Time: 15 minutes                Yield: 8

Cook Time:  8 minutes                Serving: 1 each

Total Time:  23 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 Medium Eggplant (approx. 1 1/2 c grated)
• 2 Garlic Cloves, chopped
• 1 tbsp. Fresh Basil, chopped
• 1 Plum Tomato, small dice
• 1 Scallion, chopped
• 1 Egg
• 3/4 c. All-Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1/2 c. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Kosher Salt, to taste
• Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Rinse eggplant under cold water, remove the top and bottom and grate the eggplant using a hand grater or food processor with the grater attachment. 
2. Place the grated eggplant in a clean dishtowel and squeeze out any extra liquid; then add to a bowl. 
3. Add the garlic, basil, tomatoes, scallions, egg, flour, and baking powder to the eggplant and mix well. If the mixture is still a little too wet and won't form a small ball without falling apart, gradually add a little more flour. 
4. Heat the oil in a large nonstick saute pan over medium to medium-high heat. 
5. Using a kitchen soup spoon, scoop out the eggplant mixture and place in the hot oil. Repeat for all fritters and flatten them down using the back of a spoon or spatula. 
6. Cook 3-4 minutes per side until they are lightly brown and have fluffed up a bit. 

Nutrition Facts

Calories 158, Carbs 13.7g, Fat 10.6g, Protein 2.7g, Fiber 2.9g, Sugar 1.8g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

Enjoy! 

Eggplant Fritters Shopping List

Spinach, Mushroom & Brie Stuffed Tomatoes

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Such is the case with these Spinach, Mushroom & Brie Stuffed Tomatoes. I first experimented with these about 2 weeks ago because I had a small piece of Brie, a handful of spinach and some ripe tomatoes that needed to be used up. The recipe was AMAZING and the family devoured them. However, sometimes my photo skills aren't quite what I'd like them to be and this is the photo I wound up with. I made them too late in the day and the natural lighting was gone as it started raining. And, they just didn't look appetizing. I tried. I really did.

So being a food blogger, what did I do? 

I made the ultimate sacrifice and made them again of course. Just for you. 

Oh who am I kidding...I was happy to make them again! 

This time, my preteen had her friend over for dinner so I had her as an extra taste tester as well. She started out with half because she wasn't sure she would like them, but then quickly returned for the other half. That speaks volumes in my book! I told you...AMAZING!

The first time I made this recipe I used Roma tomatoes, which are my preference. However, they didn't have hearty ones this time around at my local market, so I used a standard, round garden tomato. I also had to purchase more Brie, so I'll have to use that up in a new recipe next. Any suggestions or requests?


Spinach, Mushroom & Brie Stuffed Tomatoes
Prep Time:  15 minutes                     Yield: 4
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes                Serving: 1 each
Total Time:  30-35 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 Fresh Garden Tomatoes
• 1 c. Mushrooms, small dice
• 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 Scallion, chopped
• 1 c. Packed Baby Spinach, washed, stems removed and torn into smaller pieces
• 1/2 c.+/- Italian Breadcrumbs
• 2 oz. Brie Cheese, small dice
• 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Place your tomatoes on a flat surface, slicing a thin slice off of the bottom if necessary so it sits flat; then take a sharp knife and cut a circle in the top of the tomato. Remove the inside and even out the inside of the tomato shell. 
3. Chop the tomato pulp and place in a bowl; then add the mushrooms, garlic, scallions, spinach, breadcrumbs and cheese. Mix well. (You may need to adjust your breadcrumbs if the mixture is too dry/moist, it depends on how much tomato pulp/juice each tomato yields). 
4. Stuff the tomato mixture into the tomato shells and place in an oven safe baking dish. 
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the breading is lightly brown. 

Enjoy! 

Nutrition Facts

Calories 164, Carbs 16.8g, Fat 8.6g, Protein 6.3g, Fiber 2.2g, Sugar 1.3g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

Enjoy! 

Spinach, Mushroom & Brie Stuffed Tomatoes Shopping List

Shared on Thursday's Treasures 8/8/13

Oreo Lemon Drops and a Giveaway

My family has a new obsession and they're called Lemon Twist Oreo's! I don't usually purchase store bought cookies or much dessert for that matter, but I LOVE lemon in any way, shape or form lately. So when I saw these limited edition cookies at my local grocery store a few weeks ago, I just had to try them and they didn't disappoint!

I knew I wanted to make a version of Oreo Truffles with these as soon as I tasted one. I even added some extra lemon flavoring in the melted chocolate for extra lemony-ness (I know it's not a word!). These Oreo Lemon Drops were incredible and very decadent. My personal preference is to keep these frozen and only pull out what you're going to eat immediately.

Oreo Lemon Drops
Prep Time: 30                                                    Yield: 24
Refrigeration Time: 1 hour 30 minutes            Servings: 1 each
Total Time: 2 hours

Ingredients

• 1 pkg. Lemon Twist Oreos
• 4 oz. Fat Free Cream Cheese
• 12oz. White Chocolate (I used Ghiradelli)
• 1 tsp. Lemon Extract
• 6 drops Yellow Food Coloring
• Canola Oil, if needed

Directions

1. Add the cookies to a food processor and pulse until the cookies are crumb-like. 
2. Next, add in the cream cheese and pulse again; stopping the machine to scrape down the sides before pulsing again until it's all mixed through. 
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; then carefully remove the blade from the machine.
4. Form 24 balls, approximate size 1" in diameter, and place them the parchment paper. When they're all made, place the entire baking sheet in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to allow them to chill. This will allow the melted chocolate to adhere better. 
5. Prepare the melted chocolate five minutes prior to dipping the cookie mixture into the chocolate by melting the chocolate over a double boiler. If the chocolate is too thick, remove from the heat and add a few drops of oil and stir well. 
6. Mix in the lemon extract and food coloring and stir well; then dip each ball into the chocolate using a spoon and place back on the baking sheet. When the chocolate has started to harden on the balls, drizzle the extra melted chocolate over the top; then place the Oreo Lemon Drops back into the freezer for at least 1 hour until ready to serve. 

It's ok to get messy when you're working with chocolate!

Nutrition Facts

Calories 159, Carbs 21.8g, Fat 8.1g, Protein 2.7g, Fiber .5g, Sugar 16g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

Enjoy! 

Oreo Lemon Drops Shopping List

And now for the Giveaway...

When I posted this picture of the cookies a couple of weeks ago on my Facebook and Instagram pages, not many people had heard of them. And I've only seen them myself in my local Shoprite grocery store. So I decided to purchase five extra packages to give away to 5 LUCKY WINNERS. All you have to do is comment below and tell me what your favorite lemon recipe is.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

GOOD LUCK! 

Disclaimer: Five winners will be notified by email on Friday, July 19, 2013 and will each receive one package of Lemon Twist Oreo's. The winners will have 48 hours to respond before selecting another winner. Contest valid 7/11/13-7/18/13 and is open to U.S. residents only. This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.