Lemon Crinkle Cookies

I saw this recipe on pinterest and had to try it.  It is a quick and easy cookie recipe and so so good.  We all seem to be obsessed with lemons as well, so I wanted to share.

Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Makes 2-3 dozen

Ingredients:
½ cups butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 whole egg
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoons baking powder
⅛ teaspoons baking soda
1-½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cups powdered sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease light colored baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Whip in vanilla, egg, lemon zest, and juice. Scrape sides and mix again. Stir in all dry ingredients slowly until just combined, excluding the powdered sugar. Scrape sides of bowl and mix again briefly. Pour powdered sugar onto a large plate. Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough.

Bake for 9-11 minutes or until bottoms begin to barely brown and cookies look matte {not melty or shiny}. Remove from oven and cool cookies about 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

*If using a non-stick darker baking tray, reduce baking time by about 2 minutes.

credit to:
Lauren Brennan; laurenslatest.com

Black Bean Burgers

I made these after trying a black bean burger sample at Costco, and everyone liked them.  I did double the recipe for my family, because this recipe was for 4 patties.  I found it on allrecipes.

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 green bell pepper
• 1/2 onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon Thai chili sauce or hot sauce
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs

Directions

1. If grilling, preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil a sheet of aluminum foil. If baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), and lightly oil a baking sheet.
2. In a medium bowl, mash black beans with a fork until thick and pasty.
3. In a food processor, finely chop bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Then stir into mashed beans.
4. In a small bowl, stir together egg, chili powder, cumin, and chili sauce.
5. Stir the egg mixture into the mashed beans. Mix in bread crumbs until the mixture is sticky and holds together. Divide mixture into four patties.
6. If grilling, place patties on foil, and grill about 8 minutes on each side. If baking, place patties on baking sheet, and bake about 10 minutes on each side.

Four Cheese Margherita Pizza

I made this tonight, and I am in love.  This is my new favorite pizza.  It is sooooo good.  I wanted to eat more and more and more.  Unfortunately, my stomach can't hold that much food with my swollen prego belly.  I loved it so much, I am already planning to make more tomorrow.  Blake loved it too.  I think he was surprised by how yummy it was.  Recipe comes from allrecipes.com.

I used the pizza dough recipe in the family cook book.  That is my go to recipe, it always turns out great.  I baked it for about 10 minutes and then added the toppings and them baked it again for 10 minutes. 

 Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 8 Roma tomatoes, sliced
• 2 (12 inch) pre-baked pizza crusts
• 8 ounces shredded Mozzarella cheese
• 4 ounces shredded Fontina cheese   *I did not use this cheese and it still turned out yummy!
• 10 fresh basil leaves, washed, dried
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions

1. Stir together olive oil, garlic, and salt; toss with tomatoes, and allow to stand for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Brush each pizza crust with some of the tomato marinade. Sprinkle the pizzas evenly with Mozzarella and Fontina cheeses. Arrange tomatoes overtop, then sprinkle with shredded basil, Parmesan, and feta cheese.
3. Bake in preheated oven until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown, about 10 minutes.  

Zucchini Oven Chips

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fat-free milk
• 2 1/2 cups (1/4-inch-thick) slices zucchini (about 2 small)
• Cooking spray

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Place milk in a shallow bowl. Dip zucchini slices in milk, and dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Place coated slices on an ovenproof wire rack coated with cooking spray; place rack on a baking sheet. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes or until browned and crisp. Serve immediately.

Best Black Beans

I got this recipe off of allrecipe.com.  I made these to go along with our fish tacos.  Super easy and yummy!

 Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) can black beans
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt to taste

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine beans, onion, and garlic, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Season with cilantro, cayenne, and salt. Simmer for 5 minutes, and serve.

Fish Tacos with Lime-Cilantro Crema

I've been trying out some new recipes and wanted to share my favorites.  This year we are splitting a crop share with some friends, which has been fun and also a little challenging to use up everything we get each week.  We have been getting some great food. I have had fun finding new recipes to use the ingredients, such as: cilantro, basil leaves, egg plant, bok choy,  zucchini, zucchini and more zucchini, ect.............  I try to stick with recipes that are quick and easy, because that is the kind of cook I am.  I made these Fish Tacos the other night and loved them.  They were also super quick and  easy.  I got the recipe off myrecipes.com.

• Crema:
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
• 1 teaspoon grated lime rind
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Tacos:
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 1/2 pounds red snapper fillets
• Cooking spray
• 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
  

  Preparation

• Preheat oven to 425°.
• To prepare crema, combine the first 8 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.
• To prepare tacos, combine cumin and next 5 ingredients (through garlic powder) in a small bowl; sprinkle spice mixture evenly over both sides of fish. Place fish on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 9 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Place fish in a bowl; break into pieces with a fork. Heat tortillas according to package directions. Divide fish evenly among tortillas; top each with 1/4 cup cabbage and 1 tablespoon crema.
• I loved the the crema and would probably make twice as much next time.  Also, I didn't use Red Snapper, I used tilapia.  I'm sure any fish would be super yummy.  Also, my kids aren't a big fan of corn tortillas, so next time I will give them flour. I liked the corn with these tacos.   Halibut would be good.  I HOPE YOU ENJOY!