Prepare for a pause...

I'M GETTING MARRIED IN 10 DAYS!!!!!!!!!!

Then I'll be off to Italy for 10 days, so posting will be sloooooooooooooow going between now and the beginning of June.

I hope all 3 of you that read this still love me for temporarily abandoning you :)

BUT upon my return, we will have our first installment of our CSA...so lots of new, healthy recipes to come!

Potsticker Patties & Asian Slaw

I love potstickers. Having only discovered them in the last year or so, I'm late to that party but they are delicious.
I stumbled across this recipe on Pinterest and thought it would be a great, healthier, substitute for potstickers.
I changed the recipe slightly, and due to my use of soy sauce it is not paleo friendly.  That being said, they were SUPER filling and really not all that unhealthy.

yield: 8 patties

ingredients
for the slaw
4 tbs soy sauce
3 tbs red wine vinegar
1 tbs water
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp garlic salt
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1 green onion, sliced
 1.5 bags of broccoli slaw (I used 10oz bags, but there is enough sauce to cover 12oz bags)

for the patties
~1 lb ground turkey
1 egg
4 tbs soy sauce
2 green onions, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbs ginger, minced
1/2 bag of broccoli slaw

directions

1. for the slaw: Mix first 8 ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Add broccoli slaw mix to bowl and toss thoroughly until coated.
3. Place in the fridge to marinate while making the patties.
4. for the patties: In a large bowl, combine all ingredients until well mixed.
5. Form mixture into patties. (I made 8 relatively large patties out of mine).
6. Preheat skillet over medium-low heat.
7. Spray skillet with nonstick cooking spray
8. Add patties and cook ~10 minutes on each side, until center is no longer pink.
9. Take patties off skillet, top with slaw to serve.
10. Enjoy!

Crock Pot Pineapple Chicken

I found this recipe on Pinterest.
I love pineapple, especially cooked pineapple.
I also love Asian inspired food.
I hate when recipes, particularly crockpot recipes, only include just enough sauce to flavor things...and then leave them dried out.
So here is my doubly sauced, doubly delicious version of pineapple chicken -- which also works well as a freezer meal, plop it all in a freezer bag and when the time comes to eat put it in the crockpot and cook a little longer.

ingredients
1 package of chicken breasts (typically 4 breasts, about 1.5lbs)
1C soy sauce
1C teriyaki sauce
2 20oz cans pineapple chunks (use juice from one can, discard the juice from the other)
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

directions

1.  Add chicken breasts to crock pot*.
2. In a medium bowl, toss pineapple chunks with teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, pineapple juice, and red pepper flakes until combined.
3. Pour mixture over chicken breasts.
4. Cook on low for 6-8 hours (longer if you are pulling this out of the freezer).
5. Using two forks, shred chicken (in or out of the crockpot, your choice).
6. Cook shredded chicken in crock pot for at least 30 more minutes.
7. Serve over rice.
8. Enjoy!

*I just learned of these magical things called crock pot liners, Put them over your crockpot as you would a trash bag over a garbage can, put your crockpot meal in, cook and toss the liner away! Clean is 10000000000000000000000000x easier, definitely worth the money.

Churro Cupcakes

I found this recipe on Pinterest and, as our final football game of the season was on Cinco de Mayo, decided they would a delicious treat for my team!
In all seriousness, I think this may be my favorite cupcake EVER. And it even tastes like a churro to boot!

yield: 28 cupcakes

ingredients
for cupcakes
1.5C all-purpose flour
1.5C cake flour
1 tbs baking powder
1 tbs ground cinnamon
1C (2 sticks) salted butter, room temperature
1 3/4C sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
1.25C 2% milk

for cinnamon sugar topping
4 tbs butter, melted
1/2C sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon

for cinnamon cream cheese frosting
1/2C (1 stick) butter, softened
8oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
5C powdered sugar
1 tbs heavy cream

directions

1. for cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line muffin tin with cupcake liners (or grease cups if not using liners).
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, and cinnamon.
4. In a large bowl (or stand mixer), cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy - about 3 minutes.
5. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated.
6. Add vanilla, beat until incorporated.
7. Reduce speed to low.
8. Add flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with milk.
9. Beat for 2 minutes, until well incorporated.
10. Fill each cupcake liner ~2/3 full. 
11. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
12. Let cupcakes completely cool.
13. for cinnamon sugar topping: Melt butter in a small bowl.
14. In another bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon.
15. Brush tops of cupcakes with melted butter.
16. Dip the top of the buttered cupcakes into the cinnamon sugar mixture.
17. for the cinnamon cream cheese frosting: In a medium bowl (or stand mixer), beat butter and cream cheese for 2 minutes on medium speed.
18. Mix in vanilla, heavy cream, and cinnamon.
19. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until all is incorporated.
20. Beat on medium-high speed for 4 minutes.
21. Pipe (or spread) onto cupcakes.
22. Enjoy!

Blueberry Power Muffins

I am a sucker for muffins. I am not a fan of how hungry you are shortly after eating a muffin.
I came across this recipe on Pinterest and thought that with some slight changes, the protein in this muffin could help keep me fuller longer.
The muffins are delicious, and definitely more filling than a regular muffin their size.

yield: 12 muffins*

ingredients
2C whole wheat flour
1C oats
2/3C sugar
1/2C sliced almonds
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
12oz honey Greek yogurt
2 eggs, room temperature
4 tbs butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 tsp vanilla extract
1C fresh blueberries

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray or oil.
3. Combine flour, sugar, oats, almonds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
4. In a second bowl, whisk together yogurt, eggs, butter, and vanilla.
5. Fold yogurt mixture into dry mixture, stirring to combine completely.
6. Gently fold in blueberries (I used my hands here because the batter was thick).
7. Divide evenly into muffin cups.**
8. Bake until a tooth pick comes out clean, about 20-24 minutes.
9. Enjoy!

*If you want smaller muffins, fill the tins less and you will have more muffins.
**This batter is VERY thick. Where you put the batter in the muffin tin is where it will stay. So feel free to scoop them in and above the top of the muffin cup, they will just bake that way without running over the edges.

Spiced Apple Chicken Noodle Soup

We've been having quite a dreary, rainy week here in Maryland.
I decided to take the opportunity to try out this recipe with a few modifications.
It made a TON of soup, about 6 hearty helpings. It was delicious and easy as well.

yield: 6 BIG servings

ingredients
3 quarts chicken stock (homemade or store bought)
3 carrots, diced
freshly ground black pepper
1 package (~1 lb) Nature's Promise Spiced Apple Chicken Sausage
1 tbs dried dill
1/4C fresh parsley, chopped
1 scallion, diced
12oz package of egg noodles

directions

1. Place chicken stock in a stockpot over medium-high heat, and bring to a simmer.
2. Add carrots.
3. Remove sausage casings and break sausage into desirable size.
4. Add sausage to stock.
5. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Add dill, scallion, and parsley to the pot.
7. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
8. Add noodles to the pot, cooking until al dente (or to your preferred tenderness).
9. Enjoy!