Slow Cooker Jambalaya

Ingredients:

1 (13-14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
12 ounces of beef broth
1 (7-8 ounce) can tomato paste
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. dried basil
1 1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. cajun seasoning
1/2 tsp. Frank's Red Hot Sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
14 ounces Andouille sausage, cur into slices
5 chicken thighs, boneless, skinless, chopped into 1 inch pieces
1/2 lb. shrimp, cooked, deveined and peeled with tails removed
1 Tbs. fresh chopped Parsley

In the bottom of the slow cooker, combine the first 12 ingredients together with a spatula.

Add the onion, green pepper, celery, garlic, sausage and chicken. Stir together.

Cook, covered, on high for 1 hour. Then reduce the heat to low and cook for another 3 hours.

Add in the shrimp and fresh parsley and cook for another half an hour on low.

Divide into serving dishes on top of cooked white or brown rice. Add some more fresh chopped parsley on top.

King Cake Mini Bites

If you love the flavor of King Cakes but don't like working with yeast, like myself, this is the perfect choice. The gooey cheesecake filling and loads of cinnamon and powdered sugar glaze makes these an amazing sweet little bite.

Ingredients:

1/2 pkg (4 oz.) 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
Ground cinnamon
2 (8 oz) cans refrigerated crescent rolls, reduced fat

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar and lemon juice together until well mixed. Unroll the crescent roll onto your work surface. Separate the crescent tubes into 8 rectangles. Sprinkle cinnamon on the insides of each crescent rectangle. Spread approximately a tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture down the middle of each rectangle. Bring both sides, lengthwise, of the dough over on top of the cream cheese. Cut each into 8 small pieces and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes.

While the king cakes are cooling, combine the glaze ingredients which include 1 cup of powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons of milk together. When the cakes are cooled, drizzle the tops of each with the glaze and sprinkle with green, gold and purple edible glitter (or sprinkles). Let the glaze cool fully before stacking or packing.

Muffaletta Pasta Salad

 If you love the flavors of the classic Muffaletta sandwich, you have to try this deconstructed pasta dish. It combines the tangy olives with creamy provolone cheese and crunchy fresh vegetables.

Ingredients:

16 oz. pasta, cooked and rinsed with cold water
1 c. provolone cheese, cubed
4 oz. dry salami (Busseto Foods Classico Nuggets Dry Salami), sliced into strips
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 c. kalamata olives, pitted, sliced
1/2 c. small green olives, pitted, sliced
2 Tbs. fresh parsley, chopped

Combine the cooled pasta, green pepper, salami, celery, olives and provolone cheese together in a large bowl.

Vinaigrette:

1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/3 c. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. dried minced garlic
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1 tsp. salt

In a small bowl, whisk the vinaigrette ingredients together.

To assemble the pasta, pour the vinaigrette over the pasta and stir everything together until everything is well mixed. Sprinkle the pasta with fresh chopped parsley before serving.

Upside Down Bananas Foster Cupcakes

Ask me how totally not on the ball I was this year for Mardi Gras. I thought it was a week from now, and that I had time to write out a grocery list and make these crazy different things. My mom today on the phone thank goodness corrected me which made me utilize items that I already had in my house. I didn't do too bad considering this is one out of four delicious recipes created with things that were laying around! This is by far my favorite Mardi Gras recipe made to date!

Ingredients:

1/2 c. chopped pecans
1 stick margarine, cut into 12 slices
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 large ripe banana
1 tsp. rum extract
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 c. milk, 1%
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with non stick cooking spray and place 1 slice of margarine into the bottom of each cup. Place into the warm oven until melted. Add about 2 tsp. brown sugar into the melted butter, followed by 2 tsp. chopped pecans. Cut the ripe banana into 12 slices (or 24 smaller slices) and place on top of the nuts.

In a large bowl, mix the milk, eggs, 3/4 cup brown sugar, rum and vanilla extract together with a whisk until everything is fully incorporated. Slowly stir in the dry ingredients, which includes the flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Stir everything together until there are no lumps remaining. Fill the cups on top of the bananas with the batter until it is a little over 2/3 of the way full.

Bake in the oven for 16-18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Invert the cupcakes onto the baking sheet and leave the muffin tin on top to rest for 2-3 minutes. Carefully remove the muffin tins, tapping gently if you need to loosen them up.

Baked Mardi Gras Doughnuts

It is fat Tuesday and why not eat doughnuts by the handful, right? Well, sorry to say that this baked doughnut recipe helps you feel a "little bit" better about pigging out on a day that celebrates eating whatever then heck you want. Make up a batch for your fat Tuesday celebrations and enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 egg
1/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. almond milk

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray a doughnut pan with non stick cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, egg and almond milk together until fully incorporated. Add in the dry ingredients and stir together until there are no lumps left. Pour into the molds 2/3 of the way full and bake for 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool fully.

Glaze:

1 c. powdered sugar
2 Tbs. almond milk

Mix the powdered sugar and almond milk together until you have a slightly runny glaze. Dip the doughnuts round side down into the glaze and place on a parchment lined baking sheet to cool fully. Divide the remaining glaze into three small bowls. Add one drop of green to one bowl, one drop of gold-yellow to another bowl, and a drop of purple to the last bowl. Stir until the fool coloring is fully mixed in. Using a toothpick for each color, dip the end into the frosting and dot the tops of the doughnuts with the different colors.

King Cake Protein Shake

This is a great protein shake recipe that has a rich buttery taste, only without the actual butter. A great pick-me-up to celebrate around the Mardi Gras season or to drink for dessert!

Ingredients:

2 scoops vanilla protein powder
2 c. almond milk
1 1/2 Tbs. almond butter
2 tsp. butter extract
1/2 tsp. rum extract
1 tsp. cinnamon
Ice (I had around 1 cup)

Place all of the above ingredients into a blender and "blend" until smooth. Pour into four serving glasses and enjoy! You could also sprinkle a small amount of cinnamon on top!

 

Blackened Honey Shrimp with Bacon White Cheddar Grits

Mardi Gras is tomorrow so tonight for dinner, I put together an impromptu shrimp and grits recipe, and it turned out delicious! All of these ingredients were things that I already had in my house! It has a nice kick but not overly spicy to the point of setting your mouth on fire. A great twist on a classic New Orleans dish!

Ingredients:

1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbs. soy sauce
1 Tbs. honey
1 Tbs. blackened seasoning

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, soy sauce, honey and blackened seasoning. Mix the shrimp in with the liquid and let marinate for about 20 minutes. Place in a single layer in a baking dish and pour the extra liquid on top. Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes.

 

Grits Ingredients:

3 c. water

1/4 tsp. salt

1 c. grits

2 Tbs. butter

3 tsp. blackened seasoning

1/4 c. bacon bits

1 1/2 c. sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

1 tsp. freeze dried chives

Pour the water and salt into a small saucepan and set on high heat. When the water is boiling, add the grits and stir. Turn the heat down to a simmer and continue stirring occasionally for five minutes. Cover the saucepan and let sit for a few more minutes. Stir in the butter, seasoning, bacon bits and sharp cheddar and continue to stir until the butter is melted. Pour the grits into four serving dishes and top with shrimp. Spoon the sauce from the shrimp on top of each serving. Sprinkle each dish with chives before serving. 

Mini Muffaletta Deli Sandwiches

Ingredients:

Deli sliced Turkey
Deli sliced Chicken
Deli sliced Colby Cheese
Deli Sliced Swiss Cheese
1 c. Miracle Whip, Light
1 Tbs. Stone Ground Mustard
1/4 c. Yellow Mustard
1/2 c. Basil Pesto
6 mini round loaves of bread

Cut each roll in half, and hollow out the middle. Combine the Miracle Whip and both mustard's in a small bowl. Spread pesto around the bottom half of the bread. Layer, in this order, the  Swiss cheese, turkey, Colby, chicken, about 1 tsp. Miracle Whip mixture, and Swiss. Spread the Miracle Whip mixture on the inside of the top bun, and place on top. Repeat this process for the remaining five loaves. Place in a plastic bag (I used the one the rolls came in) or Saran wrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours to overnight. Before serving, cut each sandwich in half.

King Cake Pull-Apart Muffins

Ingredients:
1 container Pillsbury French Bread dough
1/2 stick margarine, melted
1/3 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 c. powdered sugar
Juice from 1/2 of a lemon
1 Tbs. water (give or take)
Green, Purple and Yellow food coloring

Unroll the French bread dough out onto a flat surface. Cut into 6 long strips, then coming from the other side, cut again to form squares. Brush the melted butter on each piece of dough using a pastry brush (or you can use a spoon, pour a small amount, and use the back side of the spoon to spread out). In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar. Sprinkle evenly on the top of each piece of dough (do not use all of the sugar). Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with non stick cooking spray. Grab one piece of the dough in one of the 6 rows. Stack the remaining pieces in that row on top of each other. Place sideways in the muffin tin. Repeat for the remaining 5 rows. Pour the remaining butter on top of the muffins. Sprinkle the tops with the leftover cinnamon sugar blend. Bake in the oven for 20-22 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5-8 minutes in the pan before trying to remove. Place on your serving tray.

Meanwhile, get 3 small bowls out. Add 1/3 cup of powdered sugar to each bowl. Add 1 drop of green to one bowl, yellow to another, and purple to the remaining. Using half of a lemon, squeeze about 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon lemon juice in each bowl. Add a very small amount of water to each bowl, just until you get the right consistency to able to drizzle on top of the muffins. Drizzle all three colors on top of the muffins and let set slightly before serving.

King Cake Pancakes

Ingredients:
2 c. Heart Smart Bisquick
1 c. milk, 1%
2 eggs
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
zest of 1/2 of a lemon
purple, green and yellow food coloring

Heat a large skillet to medium heat. In a medium size bowl, combine the above ingredients (minus the coloring) and whisk until smooth. Divide into 3 even parts. Color each bowl with yellow, green or purple food color. Mix together well. Spray the skillet well with non stick cooking spray. Drop about 2 Tbs. worth of batter  per pancake. Check with a spatula to see when the bottom side gets golden (this batter won't take long, and doesn't bubble much), and flip over to the other side. Each side only takes about 45 seconds to a minute and a half. Repeat until all of the batter is gone.

For the icing drizzle, combine 1 cup of powdered sugar with the juice of half of a lemon, about 1 tablespoon or less of water (eyeball for consistency), and a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg. Drizzle on top of the pancakes before serving.

(Makes approximately 6 servings, 5 WW points per serving)

"Just a hint of lime" Cake

Ingredients:

2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
9 Tbs sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. lime extract
1/4 c. apple butter
1/2 c. reduced-fat sour cream
1/2 c. butter, melted
1 c. 1% milk
colored sugar
non stick cooking spray


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13x9 pan with non stick cooking spray. Set aside. In an electric mixer, whip the eggs and sugar together until fluffy. Add the vanilla and lime extract, apple butter, sour cream and melted butter. Beat until well combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients and the milk alternating, until combine well. When the batter is smooth, pour into the greased pan. Bake for 25-27 minutes. Immediately sprinkle with colored sugar so that as the cake cools it sticks to the top from the heat. Let cool slightly before cutting. (Serves 16, 4 WW points a slice.)

King Cake

Ingredients:

1 c. 1% milk
4 Tbs. margarine
2 (1/4 oz.) packets of yeast
2/3 c. warm water
1/2 c. sugar, divided
1/2 c. Egg Beaters
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. nutmeg
4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. golden raisins
1/2 c. chopped pecans
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbs. margarine
1 c. powdered sugar
3 Tbs. water
yellow food coloring
colored sugar (bright colors!)

Combine milk and 4 Tbs. margarine in a small skillet and heat to medium low heat. As soon as it starts to bubble, remove from the heat and let cool. Meanwhile, mix the yeast, 2/3 c. water and 1 Tbs. granulated sugar in an electric mixer. Let stand for five minutes. Beat in the Egg Beaters. Beat in the milk mixture, remaining granulated sugar, salt and nutmeg. Add the flour, one cup at a time, on low speed. When everything is blended, switch to a dough hook attachment. Mix for another 2 minutes until all of the dough is smooth and elastic.

Shape the dough into a ball. Spray a large bowl with non stick cooking spray and add the dough ball, making sure it all has been greased by the oil in the bowl. Cover with saran wrap and let sit on the counter for 80-90 minutes. When the dough has doubled in size, roll into a large rectangle with a rolling pin.

Melt 1 Tbs. margarine in a microwave, covered, for 15-20 seconds. Combine the brown sugar, raisins, pecans, cinnamon and butter together. Pour over the rolled out dough and spread evenly, leaving 2 inches of just dough on one side, lengthwise. Starting at the edge towards you, roll up the dough tightly like a jelly roll. Lift and place in the shape of a ring on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with non stick spray. Pinch the ends together so that the dough is one continuous circle. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let rise again for 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Using a knife, slit the dough on the top, about 1/4 of the way into the dough, every inch to inch and a half. Bake for 25 minutes, and until golden brown. Let cool slightly.

Mix the powdered sugar, water and yellow food coloring together in a bowl. Drizzle over the top of the cake. Add colored sugar for fun Mardi Gras colored decoration! (Serves 24 slices, 5 WW points per slice)