EASY LEMON BREAKFAST MUFFINS

EASY LEMON BREAKFAST MUFFINS 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup sugar 1 egg 1/2 cup 1 stick butter, softened 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon lemon extract 1 cup ricotta cheese Preheat the oven to 350*. Line muffin tin with muffin/cupcake liners In bowl, mix together softened butter, sugar and egg. Add ricotta cheese, lemon zest, juice and extract. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, backing soda, salt. Combine dry ingredients with butter and cheese mixture until well-blended. Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Bake 20-22 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

Melon sangria

Melon sangria - Very Refreshing! ~3 cups of mixed melon balls (watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew) 2-4 tablespoons of honey, adjust to taste 1 lime, juiced ¼ cup to ½ cup of grappa, adjust to taste – can also use pisco or a clear grape brandy 1 (750 ml) bottle of moscato wine, chilled ~ 1 ½ cups of sparkling water, chilled To serve and garnish: Mint leaves Lime slices Ice cubes or frozen melon ball ice cubes Place the melon balls in a large pitcher, add the honey (2 tablespoons to start), lime juice, and ¼ cup of grappa. Mix gently and let rest in fridge for 1-2 hours or until 1 hour before serving. Add the moscato wine, mix gently, taste and add more honey or grappa if desired. Keep in mind that you will top it off with sparkling water right before serving, so it’s okay if it’s on the sweeter/stronger side. Refrigerate for another hour. Right before serving, add ice (or frozen melon balls as ice cubes), lime slices and mint leaves to garnish, and top off with sparkling water. You can prepare the final mix in the pitcher or serve it directly into glasses with melon ice cubes and top off each glass with the sparkling water.

Loaded Broccoli Cauliflower Salad

Loaded Broccoli Cauliflower Salad (Low Carb) Dressing: 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup clover honey 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper Salad: 4 cups small broccoli florets, diced 4 cups small cauliflower florets, diced 12 slices thick cut bacon, cooked and diced 8 ounces Colby Jack cheese, small cubed 1/2 medium red onion, chopped and rinsed Whisk all dressing ingredients together in a medium sized mixing bowl. Cover and chill. In a large salad bowl, toss all salad ingredients. Pour dressing over salad and toss to evenly coat. Top with additional bacon and serve immediately.

GRILLED BASIL CHICKEN & TOMATOES

GRILLED BASIL CHICKEN & TOMATOES 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar 1/4 cup tightly packed fresh basil leaves 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 garlic clove, minced 1/2 teaspoon salt 8 plum tomatoes 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each) For marinade, place first five ingredients in a blender. Cut four tomatoes into quarters and add to blender; cover and process until blended. Halve remaining tomatoes for grilling. In a bowl, combine chicken and 2/3 cup marinade; refrigerate, covered, 1 hour, turning occasionally. Reserve remaining marinade for serving. Place chicken on an oiled grill rack over medium heat; discard marinade remaining in bowl. Grill chicken, covered, until a thermometer reads 165°, 4-6 minutes per side. Grill tomatoes, covered, over medium heat until lightly browned, 2-4 minutes per side. Serve chicken and tomatoes with reserved marinade.

GRILLED PORK CHOPS

GRILLED PORK CHOPS 1/4 cup kosher salt 1/4 cup sugar 2 cups water 2 cups ice water 4 center-cut pork rib chops (1 inch thick and 8 ounces each) 2 tablespoons canola oil BASIC RUB: 3 tablespoons paprika 1 teaspoon each garlic powder, onion powder, ground cumin and ground mustard 1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper In a large saucepan, combine salt, sugar and 2 cups water; cook and stir over medium heat until salt and sugar are dissolved. Remove from heat. Add 2 cups ice water to cool brine to room temperature. Place pork chops in a large resealable plastic bag; add cooled brine. Seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible; turn to coat chops. Place in a 13x9-in. baking dish. Refrigerate 8-12 hours. Remove chops from brine; rinse and pat dry. Discard brine. Brush both sides of chops with oil. In a small bowl, mix rub ingredients; rub over pork chops. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Grill chops on an oiled rack, covered, over medium heat 4-6 minutes on each side or until a thermometer reads 145°. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

CROCK POT CHILI MAC

CROCK POT CHILI MAC 1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean), cooked and drained 2 cans (16 ounces each) hot chili beans, undrained 2 large green peppers, chopped 1 large onion, chopped 4 celery ribs, chopped 1 can (8 ounces) no-salt-added tomato sauce 2 tablespoons chili seasoning mix 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 package (7 ounces) elbow macaroni, cooked and drained Salt and pepper to taste Shredded pepper jack cheese and sliced jalapeno pepper, In a 5-qt. slow cooker, combine the first 8 ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until heated through. Stir in macaroni. Season with salt and pepper. If desired, top servings with cheese and sliced jalapenos.

CROCK POT PORK CHILE VERDE

CROCK POT PORK CHILE VERDE 1 boneless pork sirloin roast (3 pounds), cut into 1-inch cubes 4 medium carrots, sliced 1 medium onion, thinly sliced 4 garlic cloves, minced 3 tablespoons canola oil 1 can (28 ounces) green enchilada sauce 1/4 cup cold water 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped 1 cup minced fresh cilantro Hot cooked rice Flour tortillas, warmed In a large skillet, saute the pork, carrots, onion and garlic in oil in batches until pork is browned. Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker. Add the enchilada sauce, water, jalapenos and cilantro. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until meat is tender. Serve with rice and tortillas.