Spooky Guacamole and Bat Chips

A festive twist on traditional chips and guacamole!  I got this idea from Paula Deen's site and I'll admit, I cheated...this is a semi-homemade guacamole, but hey...it's delish and super fast!

The bat chips are made with cookie cutters and are so simple!  The same idea can be used for other holidays or even tailgates.  How cute would Clemson Tiger Paw tortilla chips be?!

Happy Halloween!!

Alison J.

Guacamole Ingredients

1 package guacamole mix (usually found in the produce section)

3 avocados (*Test for Ripeness: Press it gently with your thumb, if it feels hard it is not ripe enough.  If you can press it in a little bit, then it's perfectly ripe.  If it feels mushy - put it back because it's gone bad!)

1 tomato, chopped (optional)

Directions

Hold the avocado in one hand and gently cut around the seed and twist off the top half of the avocado.  Pull out the seed with your knife.  Scoop out the flesh of both sides and spoon into a mixing bowl.  Using a fork, mash up the avocado.  Toss in the tomatoes and combine. 

Bat Chips Ingredients

1 package soft tortillas (red, green, and orange tortillas would be neat for themed parties)

2 tablespoons of butter, melted

Bat Cookie Cutter

Garlic Pepper, Salt, Seasoning Salt, Chili Pepper, etc.  - use your favorite!  I used Garlic Pepper and Salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.  Using cookie cutter, cut out bats out of your tortillas.  Spread them out on a baking sheet and brush with melted butter. Sprinkle seasonings onto chips and pop into the oven for 15-20 minutes.  Let them get golden brown and crunchy.

Serve with guacamole and don't forget a fake spidey for garnish!

Big Ole Burrito

For those of you who don't know, I'm back to teaching and working long hours.  I created this recipe after an especially long PTA night at our school.  Those are the nights that I fight the urge to call the closest takeout.  I enjoy playing sports, but going to the gym is the last thing on my to-do list, so my recipes need to be on the lighter side.

Here's to you my fellow working women!
Esra 

Big Ole Burrito
3 Gals and a Kitchen

1 lb lean ground turkey
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
½ c sweet onion, chopped
1 (16 oz) can of chili beans, drained
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 c mozzarella cheese
1 can of pizza crust dough (Pillsbury)
1 egg white
Sour cream

Preheat oven to 400.

Heat a medium nonstick skillet on medium high, add the ground turkey and brown for a few minutes; add the green pepper, red pepper, sweet onion, and continue to cook the mixture until the meat has cooked through. Add the chili beans, taco seasoning, and ½ c mozzarella cheese to the above mixture. Meanwhile, roll out the pizza dough on a nonstick baking sheet, and then pour the meat mixture onto the pizza dough. Grab opposite sides of the dough and bring to the center and twist. Do this until none of the meat mixture is showing and the burrito takes a round shape. Brush egg white on top of the burrito, sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes until the crust browns.

Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream.

Spooky Witch Hats

These baby witch hats are the perfect "something sweet" for your Halloween party!  The recipe only calls for 3 ingredients and with a steady hand, these only take moments to make.  They are great to serve as a last minute Halloween dessert!

xoxo,

Alison J.

Ingredients

1 package Fudge Striped Cookies

1 package Chocolate Kisses

1 container of Icing (I used Betty Crocker Cupcake Icing that comes in an aluminum can with 4 icing tips)

Directions

Flip over cookies and squeeze a dollop of icing into the center of the cookie (over the hole).  Unwrap a chocolate kiss and place in the center of the dollop of icing.  Using the tip that is meant for writing (description on side of icing container), slowly pipe icing into shape of a bow.

Punkin Pasta

Before you try this pasta, please note that the pumpkin gives it a sweet flavor. This dish definitely has a unique taste, but Wes and I both loved it! It reminded me of macaroni and cheese with an autumn twist. I think our vegetarian followers will love this pumpkin pasta, and it's really filling as a main dish. Meat-lovers - try adding some sausage and let me know how it turns out. Happy Halloween! -Allison Y.

Punkin Pasta

Adapted from Rachel Ray's
Penne-Wise Pumpkin Pasta

Ingredients:
1 pound ziti
2 tablespoons extra-virgini olive oil
1 small onion (finely chopped)
3 to 4 cloves garlic (diced)
1 cup chicken stock
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree
1/4 cup cream (I used half and half)
2 teaspoons hot sauce
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 pinches ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
7 to 8 leaves fresh sage (thinly sliced)
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions:
Boil a pot of water and cook pasta to al dente (see box for time). Saute chopped onions and garlic in extra virgin olive oil over medium heat for approximately 3 minutes. Stir in chicken stock, pumpkin, and cream. Then, season with hot sauce, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer 5 to 6 minutes more to thicken sauce. Taste test and adjust seasoning as necessary. Stir in sage and toss with pasta. Top with lots of grated cheese (to taste).

Not Your Grannie's Pot Roast

Since I was awake by 7 this morning, I thought I would go ahead and toss a pot roast into the slow cooker. Autumn is my favorite time of year because I can make hearty recipes: pot roast, chili, meatloaf, and shrimp and creamy cheddar grits. Oh the possibilities are endless! XOXO, Esra

Not Your Grannie's
Pot Roast
3 Gals and a Kitchen

1 (3 LB) boneless bottom chuck roast
¼ c EVOO
Salt
Pepper
1 sweet onion, diced
1 c chopped carrots
1 c chopped celery
4 new potatoes cubed
3 garlic cloves, diced
3 c beef broth
½ c dry white wine
1 c chopped button mushrooms
2 TBSP butter (I Can't Believe It's Not Butter)
2 TBSP flour
1 c skim milk

In a medium skillet, add EVOO and roast. Begin to sear the roast on all sides, go ahead and salt and pepper the roast. Meanwhile, chop the onions, carrots, celery, potatoes, garlic and set aside. Transfer the roast into the slow cooker, layer the vegetables on top of your roast, and add beef broth and white wine. Using the same medium skillet, begin to sauté chopped mushrooms in butter, stir in flour and gradually skim milk to ensure no clumps. Pour the cream of mushroom mixture on top of the roast.

Cover and cook on the low setting for 8-10 hours.

**I like using a homemade cream of mushroom mixture to help control the fat going into my recipe and using fresh ingredients adds to the flavor of the pot roast (hence why I called this recipe, "Not Your Grannie's Pot Roast").We all know our grannies like to toss in whole milk and heavy cream into their recipes.**

Skinny Jean Friendly Scrambled Eggs with Hollandaise Sauce

The weekends are for relaxing on the couch and cooking a tasty breakfast. Who says a home cooked breakfast needs to be loaded with fat?!? You don't need to compromise lower calories for taste. You can cook this without telling the kids or your significant other the healthy secrets.
They won’t even notice!

XOXO,
Esra

Skinny Jean Friendly Scrambled Eggs with Hollandaise Sauce

3 egg whites (save egg yolks in a separate bowl)
1 whole egg
2 TBSP skim milk
Salt/Pepper to taste
6 slices of turkey bacon
Hollandaise sauce (recipe below)

In a medium nonstick skillet, crack 3 eggs using only the egg whites (save the egg yolks in a separate bowl) and add the entire 4th egg. Add ¼ of milk (I used skim milk) and whisk vigorously until well blended. Gently and slowly stir the egg mixture as it begins to cook to ensure it will not stick to the pan. Cook until the eggs starts to scramble and have a thick appearance.

Meanwhile, cook up some turkey bacon until cooked through.

Hollandaise Sauce

3 egg yolks
½ stick of unsalted butter (I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter)
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 tsp cold water

Melt butter in a small bowl and set aside. Simmer water in a double boiler making sure the top of the boiler is over (not in) the simmering water.

In a stainless steel bowl, whisk the eggs yolks that you reserved from the scrambled egg recipe until it has doubled in size. Place the bowl on the top of the boiler, reduce heat to medium-low, and continue to whisk as you add the melted butter. If the eggs appear to be cooking remove it from the heat and continue to whisk until it has a thick appearance. Once removed from the heat, add paprika, salt, and pepper to the sauce. Continue to whisk as you add in 1 tsp of cold water.

Serve the sauce warm on top of scrambled eggs, with turkey bacon, and some whole wheat toast.

Paula's Shrimp and Creamy Cheddar Grits

This is an easy and amazing recipe. In the words of my guy, 'This is phenomenal' and I must agree with him. I love Paula Deen and she inspires many of the recipes that I make. I usually take her recipes and cut some of the fat out by using skim milk or I Can't Believe It's Not Butter. Enjoy this hearty meal!

XOXO,
Esra

Paula’s Shrimp and Creamy Cheddar Grits

6 slices applewood-smoked bacon, chopped (I did not use bacon. I used EVOO when it called for bacon drippings)

½ c diced red bell pepper

½ c diced green bell pepper

½ c sweet onion, diced

1 cloves garlic, minced

1 TBSP Creole seasoning
½ c dry white wine
1 lb large fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 TBSP fresh lemon juice

2 TBSP minced fresh chives
Creamy Cheddar Grits (recipe as follows)
Thinly sliced chives (optional)

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, removed bacon from pan, and drain on paper towels. Reserve 2 TBSP bacon drippings in skillet (this is where I used EVOO instead since I did not use bacon in my recipe). Add peppers, garlic, and creole seasoning; cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, for 1 to 2 minutes or until shrimp are pink and firm. Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice and minced chives.

Serve shrimp mixture over Creamy Cheddar grits. Sprinkle evenly with bacon, and sprinkle with
thinly sliced fresh chives. Serve immediately.

Creamy Cheddar Grits

1 (32 oz) carton reduced sodium chicken broth
1 c water
1 cup instant grits
1 c half-and-half (I used skim milk)
1 ½ c shredded extra sharp white cheddar cheese

3 TBSP butter

¼ tsp ground white pepper

In a medium saucepan, combine chicken broth and 1 c water; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add grits, stirring until combined. Return to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, stirring frequently, and slowly stir in half-and-half and continue to cook until thickened. Remove from heat, and stir in cheese, butter, and white pepper, stirring until cheese is melted.

Recipe courtesy of: Deen, Paula. "Paula's Shrimp and Creamy Cheddar Grits." Cooking with Paula Deen. Sept/Oct 2010 Issue: p. 69