italy meets mexico...

i am all about quick and easy cooking.  even more so, i'm all about quick and easy cooking that tastes good and doesn't send me into a carb coma...  unfortunately for my waistline, pizza happens to be my absolute most favorite food in the world, but it's also something i try not to eat too often {which proves problematic with hungry howie's always shoving their propaganda into my newspaper}.  nevertheless, i rescued myself from these weekly cravings with the help of my best friend, low-carb tortillas.

now, this recipe is much faster and simpler than the fan favorite cauliflower crust pizza, but it still gets the job done.  i started making these when i was short on time, and we probably eat them weekly in our house...

recipe necessities {yields: 4 slices}
2 Mission low-carb tortillas, soft taco size
shredded mozzarella cheese
salami, 5 slices
pepperoni, 5 slices
ranch dressing
jalapenos, diced
preferred spices {i used italian seasoning, garlic salt and oregano}

there really is no rhyme or reason with how to layer these, and you can add anything you want to the quesadilla itself {olives, pizza sauce, veggies, etc}. i would recommend "blotting" the meats before putting them in the quesadilla to help reduce the greasiness, because the tortillas will absorb a lot of it...

layer one: cheese, jalapenos, spices

layer two: salami, cheese

layer three: pepperoni, cheese

layer four: ranch, more seasoning

top it with another tortilla, then bake in the oven for 15-18 minutes at 350 degrees!  let it cool, then cut and serve!  seriously, it's so amazing...  and under 15 carbs for the whole thing!

my continued affair with spicy food...

i've been busy on my hiatus, and again apologize for the lack of posts.  however, i've moved into a new position {and thus a new office}, purchased a car and have been losing my weekends to graduations and cleaning.  but nonetheless, i promised to deliver some more amazingness to this blog, and now i give you...

{those beans are from a can, i'm not that good...}

like always, this recipe is an adaptation from a recipe found here, and i adjusted the ingredients according to my preference.  i've been on such a spicy food kick, and literally plan my meals lately around jalapenos... it's sad.

this recipe was super easy to make and {i think} was even better the second day!  here is what you need to do to create this super amazing dinner...

recipe necessities {yields 4 chicken breasts}:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

spices of your choice {i used onion powder, garlic salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, seasoning salt and cumin}

bacon, 4 slices, cooked and chopped

sour cream

jalapenos {i used nacho jalapenos from a jar}, diced

taco seasoning

shredded cheese, mexican blend

olive oil

combine any spices you want, literally in any amount, and dredge your chicken in the mixture.  then, you will want to sear the chicken on both sides in olive oil over a hot pan.  you can also cook your bacon during this time {make it crispy!}

while the chicken is searing, take the sour cream, diced jalapenos, bacon and taco seasoning and combine it to make a thick, creamy sauce.  i also added a bit of jalapeno juice to it...

then, once the chicken is done, place it in a pre-sprayed baking dish. place a generous amount of the sauce on top of each chicken breast, and then smother with cheese.

now you will want to bake these beauties in the oven at 375 degrees for about 15-25 minutes depending on the thickness of your chicken. once they are done, serve with a side of mexican rice or refried beans and an ice cold margarita... yumm!

obsessed with sichuan

after living in lovely Japan for a good chunk of my childhood, i have {obviously} developed quite a taste for asian inspired foods.  if you saw my pinterest boards, you would understand.  anywho, remember that lovely bbq we went to where i made boozy sangria?  well, i decided to triple stamp a double stamp and make an amazing pinspired recipe from kalyn's kitchen, and try out her spicy sichuan style green beans.

keeping true to form, i did modify and tweak this recipe based on ingredients i had at home; therefore, i present to you:

recipe necessities {yields: 4 large servings}:
1 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into halves
1 tbl. soy sauce
1 tbl. unseasoned rice vinegar
4 Splenda packets
1/3 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 tbl. canola oil
2 tbl. minced garlic

you'll want to steam the beans in a pan on the stove, and I added about 1/3 cup of water to speed the process along.  i let them cook for about 4-5 minutes on medium-high heat, until they were slightly tender and a bright green.  then, add the garlic and oil into the pot and stir until the beans are well coated; cook another 2-3 minutes.


in a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and adjust to taste {i ended up adding a bit more soy sauce and vinegar to the sauce}. add the sauce into the beans {most of the water should be evaporated by now}, and stir until well coated.  let simmer for another 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens.  serve!

these bad boys were gone PDQ, and they were simply amazing and delicious... hope you enjoy!

a hangover is the wrath of grapes...

i get real excited when it comes to cookouts and bar-bee-que, because not only does that mean good food, but good booze!  i had been severely craving a good glass of sangria, so rather than overpaying for a smaller bottle of the good stuff at the store, i made my own!

just a fair warning: this recipe is dangerous.  or at least it was for me after a few rounds of cranium...

libation necessities {yields: good times}:

1 bottle of sweet red table wine {or your wine of choice}

sprite zero

triple sec

cherry vodka {or flavor of your choice}

grenadine

assorted fruits

i used everyone's favorite friend a plastic red cup to make my drink.  i filled the cup 3/4 of the way with ice, then 3/4 of the way with the wine.  i added about a 1/2 a shot of triple sec, a splash{ish} of cherry vodka and a splash of grenadine before filling the cup almost the rest of the way with sprite zero.  i squeezed some yummy fruit into the mixture, added a straw and sipped away!  i think this recipe would also be good with raspberry, strawberry or pomegranate vodka as well...

needless to say, it was a great night with great friends!  we are hosting the next game night, and i've already started planning like crazy! more to come on that front...

poppity pop...

i've realized that other people's special occasions have yielded many opportunities for me to continue to craft my culinary skills.  for this, i am grateful! keep being born, having babies and getting engaged... more chances to bake and make for me!

now this recipe was discovered {surprise, surprise} on pinterest via bakergirl.  once again, this recipe was tweaked due to a chocolate melting faux pas on my part.  didn't realize how easy it was to overheat chocolate, but apparently this is a common rookie mistake that i walked right into...  just fyi: overheated chocolate becomes thick and chalky, and almost impossible to work with.  however, {thanks to Google} i remedied my error, and yielded a different take on bakergirl's birthday cake popcorn and discovered...

woop woop! i will say, this stuff was gone in under 10 minutes... it was the perfect combination of sweet and salty goodness!  yum-o!

recipe necessities:
2 bags popcorn, popped {i used orville redenbacher movie theater butter popcorn}
1 bag white chocolate chips {i used an 11oz bag of godiva}
2 tbsp. of butter
2 "capfulls" of canola oil
4 tbsp. of yellow cake mix {heaping}
Rainbow sprinkles {a #$@! ton}

pop your popcorn however you prefer, then pour it out over paper towels and pick out any unpopped kernels.  i took generous liberties with salt at this point, and took it up a notch to help contrast the sweetness. i also worked in two batches, using 1 bag of popcorn at a time...

You can melt the bag of chocolate chips in the microwave or by double boiling it on the stove.  because i effed mine up, that's how the butter and canola oil came into the picture, but i think it actually made it better!  it was easier to drizzle the chocolate over the popcorn as well since it made it thinner...  

once your chocolate and butter are melted and you've mixed in the oil, add the cake mix and stir until well incorporated.  i added a lot of sprinkles to the mixture and stirred them in as well.

transfer your popcorn onto a wax-paper lined cookie sheet, and drizzle the chocolate over the popcorn with a  fork.  i tended to also mix the popcorn with my hands and move it around to get as much of the kernels coated as possible; add more sprinkles!  refrigerate for up to 30 minutes, then break up the kernels and serve chilled!

culinary genius

no joke people, i have hit the low-carb jackpot.  thanks to a lovely little pinterest post, i have found a way to combine my two favorite things on the planet: pizza, sans carbs!

i am not making this up, you read it correctly... i {like colombus} have discovered a new world!

fear not, this crust goes way past infinity into the beyond.  i am always looking for new low carb recipes, and have been on quite a kick lately {and down some major el-bees if i do say so myself}.  this pizza is perfect for  literally anyone; i got drew to eat it, so that should tell you something!  i found the original recipe here, at the your lighter side blog, but i made a few adjustments...

recipe necessities {yields one 10" crust}:
1 egg
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup cooked, riced* cauliflower
2-4 Tbl. grated parmesan
garlic salt {to taste, aka a lot}
oregano {to taste, aka a lot}
italian seasoning {to taste, aka a lot}
toppings of choice

mix the egg, cauliflower and cheeses together in a bowl until well combined.  flatten it onto a pre-greased cookie sheet; you'll want to make it pretty thin to avoid soggy crust...

then, add all your preferred seasonings; i tend to season a lot since the cauliflower really takes on the flavors well...

after it's seasoned, i bake it at 425 degrees for 12 minutes; the edges will burn a bit. then i set the oven to broil, add a thin layer of sauce, veggies, meats and cheeses, then stick it back in the oven just until the cheese melts.  cut and serve, and you'll never even believe there is cauliflower in the crust!

*to rice the cauliflower, i literally grate fresh cauliflower on a cheese grater and then microwave it covered for about 3 minutes {any longer tends to burn the little guys to a crisp}

of course this culinary masterpiece could not have been completed without the best of helpers...