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Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies with Stevia

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One of my favorite desserts to enjoy after a long day is a chewy homemade chocolate chip cookie.  Yet, as I get older I find myself wanting to lessen the amount of refined white sugar that I consume in my homemade baking products.  I have been told that you can use a natural sugar substitute, but I was Stevia in the Rawconcerned about how it might change the taste of my cookies.  I finally decided to give it a try anyway using Stevia. It’s a sugar alternative that is surprisingly affordable.  I was pleasantly surprised at how lightweight the package was in comparison to the weight of white refined sugar.

When I returned home, I was anxious to start baking with Stevia. The results were great — I was amazed that when I used the Stevia in the recipe it did not change the taste, texture or awesomeness of my cookie! Here is the recipe I used:

Ingredients

Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies with Stevia2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Cup Semi- Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 Cup Light Brown Sugar
1 Cup Stevia Sugar in the Raw
1 Stick of Butter (melted or softened at room temperature)
1 Egg
1 Tablespoon Vanilla

Instructions

In a large bowl add:
Butter
Stevia Sugar
Egg
Vanilla
Mix well with a large spoon and set aside

In a medium bowl add:
Flour
Baking Powder
Salt
Mix well

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix
Add chocolate chips

Cookie dough should form into a ball.
Cover dough and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes
Preheat oven 350*
Remove dough from refrigerator and use a ice cream scoop to place dough onto non-stick cookie sheet
Bake for 10-13 minutes

Enjoy your homemade chocolate chip cookies made with Stevia!

Posted by Eve

Homemade Mini Chimichangas Recipe

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Homemade chimichangas are one of my favorite recipes to make at home.  They are delicious little flaky pockets filled with Mexican inspired ingredients.  I can remember the first time that I tried them.  It was a cute Mexican restaurant located on West 4th Street in Manhattan.  It was love at first bite!  I was totally surprised to find out, later on, that they were not originally an authentic Mexican dish.  I also, realized that there is no wrong way to make them.  Chimichangas are basically burritos that are deep fried.  However, I do my best to stay healthy, so needless to say, that I am not keen on deep frying anything these days!  I figured out a healthier version that maintains its flavor and is very satisfying.

Ingredients

image58-10 Tortillas
1- 2 Skinless Chicken Breast
1/2 Cup Mozzarella Cheese ( or cheese of your choice )
1/2 Cup Refried Beans
1/4 Cup Finely Diced Mushrooms ( optional )
1/2 Cup Finely Diced Onion
1/2 Cup Finely Diced Green Pepper
2 Tablespoons Chipotle Peppers In Adobo Sauce
2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder
2 Teaspoons Onion Powder
1 Tablespoon Cumin
2 Teaspoons Salt
1/4 Cup Vegetable (or Peanut) Oil
4 Tablespoons Water

Instructions

In a large non stick skillet, set heat on medium, add two tablespoons of water and add chicken breast to thoroughly cook breast(s) for about 3-4 minutes each side.
Remove breast from skillet and shred breast in a large plate using two forks.

image1Now, on medium heat, add to skillet:
Onions
Green peppers
Mushrooms
Sauté until soft

Add shredded chicken to skillet and add:
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Chipotle
Cumin
Salt
Water
Combine well

image2Simmer for about 3 minutes and remove from heat with lid on

In a large skillet place 1/4 cup of vegetable oil on medium high heat

Assemble the chimichangas.
First, warm tortillas in microwave for 30 seconds. Then, spread approximately 1 teaspoon of refried beans on a tortilla, image4add cheese and 1 tablespoon of chicken mixture.  Next, fold tortilla in half, then fold in the sides and roll over. Repeat.

Place Chimichangas in oil, folded side down until golden brown on each side.

Optional Garnishes
Sour cream
Salsa
Pico de gallo
Guacamole
image3Iceberg lettuce (shredded)

Enjoy this Homemade Mini Chimichangas Recipe!

Posted by Eve

Homemade Banana Cake Made Easy

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I love baking for my friends and family. Especially, in the winter months. An added bonus is the lingering aroma of freshly baked goods, that permeates throughout my home. What everyone should realize is that, baking delicious desserts doesn’t always require purchasing expensive ingredients. For example, just last night, I realized that my bananas were turning brown. So, instead of throwing them away, I decided to make a homemade banana cake to enjoy with a freshly brewed cup of coffee. This recipe is super easy and quick to prepare.

Ingredients

2-3 Ripe Bananas
1 Cup Flour
1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
2 Teaspoons Butter
3/4 Cup Sugar
1 Egg
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/2 Teaspoon Salt

Directions

Preheat Oven 350*
Now, in a medium size bowl add peeled bananas and mash with a large fork. In a large bowl, add sugar and butter. Blend until creamy.
Add egg, vanilla and bananas and stir together until blended. Add flour, baking powder and salt to the batter.
Pour batter into a nonstick cake pan.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown (you will know it’s done when you insert a butter knife into the middle of the cake and knife comes out clean)

Enjoy your homemade banana cake!!!

Posted by Eve

Kid Friendly Pizza Recipe

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Cooking with your children should always be a fun learning experience. I’ll never forget learning from my mother how to cook. Whether I was helping her prepare lunch or dinner, it was quality time with her that I will never forget.

As a mother myself, I remember also including my young children in the preparations of meals. We always had a great time. I was glad to pass on the tradition that my mother started with me all those years ago. After all, how else would they learn how to take care of themselves with delicious foods?

So I want share with the world my kids’ favorite childhood recipe for pizza. Trust me they devoured every piece! More importantly, they felt a sense of achievement because they made it themselves. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

4 Flour Tortillas
1 Cup Pizza Sauce
1 1/4 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
( You can add additional toppings such as pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms etc.. )

Directions

Tortilla_pizza
Example of what a Tortilla pizza looks like (courtesy wikimedia.org). It’s very yummy!

Preheat oven to 350*
Place Tortillas on a non stick baking sheet
Now let the kids make their own individual pizza
Use a large spoon to spread 2-3 tablespoons of pizza sauce on tortilla Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top
Add any desired topping(s)

Place in oven for 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Enjoy this Kid Friendly Pizza Recipe!!

Posted by Eve

Easy Spicy Thai Noodles with Shrimp Recipe

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Every so often, I really enjoy eating spicy Thai inspired cuisine. I first, had Thai noodles, at an upscale Asian restaurant in my hometown. I was shocked at the cost of the meal when reading the menu. I thought to myself, “I could make a more affordable version at home!” So that’s what I decided to do. All I needed was a few key ingredients purchased from my local Asian market. To my delight, it was a great success the first time I made this Easy Spicy Thai Noodles with Shrimp Recipe. I now make it on a regular basis for friends and family.

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon Olive or Vegetable Oil
1 Small Onion Diced
1-2 Teaspoons Thai Chili Paste
8-12 Ounces Medium Shrimp (Raw & Deveined)
4-6 Ounces Fresh Mushroom (Canned is OK)
2 Tablespoons Fish Sauce
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
8-10 Ounces Wide Rice or Egg Noodles (Cooked)
1/4 Cup Finely Chopped Cilantro For Garnishment (Optional)

Directions

In a large sauce pan or wok on medium heat:
Add oil & onions
Sautée 1-2 minutes
Add:
Raw shrimp
Mushrooms
Fish sauce
Soy sauce
Chili paste
Toss 3-4 minutes until shrimp is cooked
Add:
Noodles
Combine all ingredients together for 1-2 minutes
Top portions with cilantro

Keep in mind that this recipe for Easy Spicy Thai Noodles with Shrimp works well with thinly sliced pork loin or chicken breast. If you like your foods extremely hot use more chili paste.

ENJOY!!!!!

Posted by Eve

Homemade Burritos

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I rather enjoy a good burrito from time to time. Yet, I don’t care for the preservatives that are added to the store bought and fast food burritos. So, I came up with a recipe for homemade burritos to satisfy my craving. It’s easy and a fun way to use ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry.

Ingredients

1 Lb Lean Ground Beef
1 medium Onion finely diced
1 can Refried Beans
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 teaspoon Chili powder
1 teaspoon dried Oregano
1 teaspoon Garlic powder
2 1/2 teaspoons Cumin
1 teaspoon Paprika
1/2 teaspoon Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Flour
1 Jalapeño pepper finely diced ( optional )
1/4 cup Salsa ( mild or hot )
4 large Burrito wraps

Optional Condiments:

Sour cream
1 cup Lettuce (shredded)
1 large Tomato diced
1 cup Mexican shredded cheese

Directions

In a large skillet, on medium heat, add oil, onion, jalapeño and ground beef. Add the dry ingredients to skillet and mix well until meat is browned.

Add salsa, refried beans and blend together and cook for another 2 minutes on low heat. Meanwhile, warm the burrito wraps in the microwave (in a tortilla warmer if you have one) for approximately 30 seconds.

Place warm burrito on a large plate, spread about a 1/4 cup of meat and bean mixture in middle of burrito, add lettuce, tomato, cheese and sour cream.

Simply roll up your homemade burritos and enjoy!!

Posted by Eve