Whenever I'm on the hunt for a unique ingredient for a recipe - I almost always find it at World Market.  Let me be clear - I love World Market.  The problem is that I have never managed to leave the store with just that one ingredient.  Inevitably, I end up filling my basket with all kinds of World Market goodies.  They are the absolute best resource for creative fillers for almost any gift basket.  Darn your wonderfully unique inventory, World Market.  

Mexican Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 Tablespoons vanilla
1 Tablespoon dark rum
2 cups quick oats
1 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 ounces Mexican chocolate, chopped
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Bake 12-15 minutes at 350.  Cool 10 minutes on cooling racks. 

Let me just say that I'm normally a chocolate chip cookie purist.  I don't like to tinker too much with my traditional chocolate chip cookie recipe, BUT - these Mexican chocolate chip cookies were pretty amazing.  The oatmeal and the cinnamon really took them out of the chocolate chip cookie category and put them into more of an oatmeal cookie category.  The fact that I gobbled up two cookies straight out of the oven ought to be proof enough that these were really tasty cookies.  

Hoping that your family loves these cookies as much as mine did.  And if your quest for Mexican chocolate happens to take you to World Market - consider yourself lucky.  

Ciao!

You had me at FRIES  -- Am I right?  It doesn't even matter if you're not a fan of asparagus - if you're a fan of FRIES - this recipe is for you.  Swapping out a starchy potato with this deliciously green spring vegetable really makes these a healthy alternative to traditional french fries. 

Spring is the perfect time to give these Asparagus fries a try.  This is the season when supermarkets are stocking fresh spears of this sweet and snappy vegetable.  Pick some up on your next trip to the store and give these healthy FRIES a shot.  (Oh and this sauce is ridiculous so don't even think about skipping it.)  

Baked Asparagus Fries
1/2 cup sour cream
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
​1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup + 3 Tablespoons flour
3 eggs
4 slices bread
1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed
cooking spray
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I'm not sure whether it was because I wet the asparagus before dipping it in flour or because I made my own bread crumb mixture but this delicious coating really adhered to the asparagus much better than it had in my previous attempts.  I loved these "fries" so much that I gobbled up this entire batch of them for dinner.  Lucky for me - I'm the only asparagus eater in the house.  ;)

Ciao!

Remember when coconut oil was all the rage as the new healthy fat?  Well, coconut oil is out and it's being replaced with the avocado.  You read that right - the avocado has found it's way to the forefront of the cooking world. 

Avocados are being used in place of butter and oil in all kinds of recipes.  I've seen recipes for cupcakes, breads, cookies, muffins, chocolate mousse, ice cream and pasta sauces that all make use of this nutrient dense fruit.  

I just want to go on record as saying that I'm a huge avocado lover and I am totally on board with this new trend of substituting the good fats found in avocado for less healthy saturated fats in recipes.  

This particular recipe caught my eye because I just happened to have 2 over ripe bananas and an avocado on my counter that needed to be used up.  But  be warned - this is certainly one of MANY more avocado experiments to come.  Did I mention how much I am loving this new avocado trend?

Bake 15-20 minutes at 350.  

Is it wrong that as soon as these tasty little treats went into the oven, I started to imagine what other variations I could make?  What would happen if I added some shredded coconut, rolled oats, golden raisins or even chocolate chips?  

These muffins were SUPER yummy and it didn't bother me in the least that they had the slightest hint of green to them.  I ate 2 for dinner and put the rest in the refrigerator to eat with my breakfast this week.  I'm guessing they wont last through the weekend though.  Lucky for me, I've got 2 more avocados ripening on the counter and ready to be transformed into something amazing.  

Ciao!

I've had this recipe for Berry Granola Pancakes in my blog que for a really long time.  Every weekend, I had the best of intentions of getting up and making these delicious pancakes but we've been so busy lately that I never took the time to make them and the recipe just sat there patiently waiting for me to pull it out. 

A recipe this special deserves to be savored during a long, lingering weekend brunch and not just devoured as we run out the door.  (Now you see my problem with finding a good day to make them.)  I finally resolved to forgo the brunch idea and make them for weekend lunch - I just couldn't hold out for a quiet weekend morning any longer.  ​

Berry Granola Pancakes
2 cups whole wheat flour
3 Tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 cups milk
1/3 cup applesauce
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup granola 
1 cup fresh berries
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Heat griddle and coat with cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto hot griddle. Cook until bubbles form on top.  Flip.  Cook until second side is golden.  Serve with extra granola and fresh berries. 

Serve with syrup.

I have to admit that I was a bit surprised that my family liked these pancakes as much as they did.  They are pancake purists and they really don't like when I mess with their proven pancake formula.  I was pleasantly surprised to see them gobble up these pancakes in no time.  Maybe there's hope for them after all.  ;) 

Ciao!

I've seen a lot of "sheet pan recipes" lately and I've got to say - I'm a fan of the pan.  Putting all of my ingredients on one pan and having a single pan to clean up at the end of a meal - win, win.  So feel free to send me all of your sheet pan recipes - I want to try them all.  

Roasted shrimp and broccolini is one of my favorite go-to meals and this homemade lemon pepper oil really took my recipe to the next level.  I pulled my shrimp directly out of my freezer and we were sitting down at the table and enjoying this meal in under 20 minutes - AND I only had 1 pan to clean!  

Roasted Shrimp and Broccolini
4 lemons
1/3 cup olive oil
2 Tablespoons fresh peppercorns, crushed
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 bunches fresh broccolini
2 pounds peeled shrimp
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/3 chopped walnuts
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Drizzle sauce over broccolini and sprinkle with walnuts. 

I roasted more shrimp that I thought we would eat for dinner because I wanted to save some to put on a salad  for my lunch the next day.  Oh well - I had good intentions.  Unfortunately, I also had a giant appetite for shrimp that night.

I had some leftover couscous in my refrigerator and that was the perfect compliment to this yummy meal.  

I'm going through some serious sugar detox after our Valentine's Day extravaganza so this recipe is right up my alley today.  This meal was so easy to make, easy to clean up and it was DELICIOUS. 

​Ciao!