Category Archives: Main Dishes

Creamy Chipotle Turkey in Puff Pastry Cups

Mexican delish meets buttery, flaky pastry? Whoah, baby, pump your brakes, pump your brakes! All y’all doin’ low carb can just nix the pastry and make the turkey filling– it can more than stand on it’s own– or would be divine tossed into a lettuce wrap.

You really don’t need the spice mixture if you’re not in the mood to do the extra step— the ground turkey sauteed with onion, adobo sauce and cream cheese has more than enough flavor, but the spices add that extra bit of fabulous.

Creamy Chipotle Turkey in Puff Pastry Cups

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Ingredients

For the Turkey Filling

1.3 pound package of ground turkey
1/2 red onion diced
1 Tb butter
5 Tb adobo sauce (from a can of chipotle peppers found in the Mexican section of the grocery store)
1 package of full fat cream cheese (8oz)
1/4 cup of shredded cheddar or Mexican cheese
3-4 Tb of spice mix (recipe below)

For the spice mix

2 Tb chipotle chili powder
1 Tb coriander
1 Tb cumin
1 Tb dried cilantro
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp kosher salt

For the pastry cups

1 package of Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry shells

Instructions

For the Puff Pastry Cups

Follow package directions.
After baked for 18 minutes, pull out of oven and take top of puff pastry cup off. Put back in the oven for 1 minute to cook the inside of puff pastry cup.

For the Turkey Filling

Mix together the spice mix (there will be more than you need for this meal)
In a frying pan, saute the red onion in 1 Tb butter on medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add ground turkey and saute until cooked through.
Add 3-4 Tb of spice seasoning and stir to combine into the turkey meat. (You can add 1/4 cup of water and let simmer down for 5 minutes so the spice seasoning thoroughly covers the meat.)
Add the 5 Tb of adobo sauce and the package of cream cheese.
Stir for about 5 minutes on medium heat until cream cheese melts evenly.

To assemble

Stuff the turkey mixture into the pastry cups and sprinkle with shredded cheese.
Pop into the oven for another minute to melt the cheese.
Put the little top of the puff pastry on before serving.
Garnish with cilantro and fresh salsa (optional)

http://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2014/03/creamy-chipotle-turkey-in-puff-pastry-cups/

Smoked Gouda Smothered Chicken with Bacon, Jalapeño, & Caramelized Onion

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There’s something about using the word smothered in the same sentence as bacon and cheese that just really gets me going….I mean, look at that melty delish. It’s Level 10, y’all. And it’s totally low carb perfection. The mayo layer in this recipe isn’t totally necessary, but it just makes it even creamier and gooey-er. Do it.

There are a few easy steps to make this melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness. First, saute red onion (cut into rings) in butter until it starts to caramelize, about 20 minutes. Then add in a couple fresh jalapenos and 5 slices of bacon cut up. Saute until bacon is done, another 10-15 minutes. There’s nothing in the world like the smell of bacon and onion sauteeing in a pan together. A girlfriend of mine once said that when she invited a date over for dinner, no matter what she was cooking, she would fry up onions and bacon– and the dude was instantly hooked. (On her and whatever she was serving up that night!)

I like to take my time with the onions and really get them soft and caramelized. They’re so good, I had to stop myself from eating them straight out of the pan!

While the onion mixture is cooking, start grilling your chicken. I use a grill pan with a combo of butter and oil and cook about 2/3 of the way through. These were super thick breasts, so I did about 10 minutes on each side and then they’ll cook the rest of the way when you pop them in the oven. Key to perfect chicken is to dry the meat off with paper towels so the pieces cook evenly. I always use a 2/1 ration of butter to oil (2 Tb butter to 1 Tb of olive/coconut/canola oil– whatever oil you want to use. I season both sides of the chicken with a combo of paprika and steak seasoning.

Mix a cup of mayo with 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, a 1/2 tsp each of garlic powder and onion powder with a pinch of kosher salt. Slather that on the chicken breasts and put in a casserole dish.

Then, spoon the yummy jalapeño, bacon, caramelized onion goodness on top of the chicken.

Put some smoked gouda slices on top of that. (I used 5).

Bake at 400 for 10 minutes (or a few minutes more if the chicken is super thick) and broil for one minute to brown the cheese.

Dive into delish! ERMAHGAWD. So. Damn. Good.

Note: There will be some greasy puddles at the bottom of the casserole because of the fat from the mayo and cheese, but just use a slotted spoon to scoop out the bacon and onion that slips into the bottom of the casserole dish. When I was cleaning up my kitchen later, I found myself using my, uh, fingers, to grab those buttery, yummy stray pieces of bacon. Oh yeah, baby!

Smoked Gouda Smothered Chicken with Bacon, Jalapeño, & Caramelized Onion

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Ingredients

For the chicken

2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Paprika
Steak seasoning
2 Tb butter
1 Tb olive oil or your favorite cooking oil
1 cup full fat mayo
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 cup of shredded cheddar
pinch of kosher salt

For the Bacon/Jalapeño/Caramelized Onion Layer

2 Tb butter
1 Tb olive oil
1 red onion sliced into thin rings
5 slices of bacon cut into small pieces
2 fresh jalapeños chopped

For the cheese topping

5 slices of smoked Gouda

Instructions

For the chicken

Preheat oven to 400.
Dry off the chicken with paper towel so it browns evenly. Sprinkle both sides with paprika and steak seasoning.
Heat up 2 Tb of butter and 1 Tb oil in a grill pan on medium/high heat. When butter gets bubbly, add the chicken to the grill pan.
Cook for 10 minutes on one side. Flip. (I usually add another Tb of butter when I flip the chicken.)
Cook for 10 minutes on the other side.
In a bowl, mix the mayo with the garlic powder, onion powder, pinch of kosher salt and 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar, set aside.

For the Bacon/Jalapeño/Caramelized Onion Layer

Saute the onion in 2 Tb of butter and 1 Tb olive oil for 20 minutes on medium heat, until onion gets soft and starts to carmelize.
Add jalapeño and bacon pieces.
Saute until bacon is cooked through, another 10-15 minutes.

To Assemble:

Take chicken out of grill pan (it will not be totally cooked through) and coat in mayo mixture. Put in the bottom of a casserole dish.
Spoon bacon/jalapeño/onion mixture on top of chicken.
Put 5 slices of smoked gouda on top of the bacon/jalapeño/onion mixture.
Bake at 400 for 10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. (Thicker breasts may take a bit longer).
Broil for 1 minute to brown the cheese.
Serve immediately.

http://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2014/03/smoked-gouda-smothered-chicken-with-bacon-jalapeno-caramelized-onion/

Wasabi Cream Salmon

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Remember those hilarious Budweiser commercials with the dude saying, “WAAASSSABI!!!”

Once you taste this salmon, you’ll slam your fork down and say-

I was browsing through Epicurious lastnight looking for some yum-spiration and put “salmon” into the search engine. When a Wasabi Salmon recipe came up, I turned it into my own with the addition of some ginger and honey. The wasabi lends a nice kick to what could be a boring ol’ salmon filet! You can serve it with some of the leftover wasabi cream if you want some of the dipping delish!

Wasabi Cream Salmon

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Ingredients

For the salmon

2 salmon filets
1 Tb butter
1 Tb olive oil
kosher salt

For the wasabi cream

2 Tb full fat mayo
1 Tb wasabi (in a tube in the Asian section of the grocery store)
1/2 tsp honey (about a squeeze)
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1/4 tsp onion powder

Instructions

For the wasabi cream

Mix together mayo, wasabi, ginger, onion powder and honey. Set aside.

For the salmon

Preheat oven to 350.
Heat up a grill pan with 1 Tb each of butter and olive oil.
Sprinkle kosher salt on the skin side of the salmon and when butter gets bubbly, place the salmon filets in the pan skin side down.
Set your timer for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, put salmon filets on a rimmed baking sheet and spread wasabi cream on the top of the salmon.
Put in oven for 9 minutes.
Turn broiler on and broil for 1 minute to slightly brown the tops of the salmon filets.
Serve immediately.

http://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2014/03/wasabi-cream-salmon/

Vegan Spiced Walnut “Meat” Taco with Cashew “Cheese”

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So, y’all know my nickname is the Bacon Babe, right? I’m all about meat eating fabulousness– and as far as I’m concerned, bacon is one of the 4 four groups. But, sometimes, it’s healthy to have a meatless meal ~~when you’re out of bacon~~ just to change up the flavor profiles, yo!

So, this is one of the ONLY purely vegan meals I make. It passed the “dude test” with flying colors– JP tried it and asked me if he was eating PORK! (I consider that a success story. Vegans reading might cringe at the thought, though, LOL!) Anyhoo, it’s freaking good.

I taught a group of ladies how to make this meal at my first cooking class– the cashew cheese was the biggest hit, ever.

It’s sooo worth learning how to use a food processor for this. Just use the “S” blade and pulverize the nuts with the ingredients. The red pepper turns the cashews into a pretty shade of Doritos (!) and tastes even better. You can spread this “cheese” on kale chips, bake them and then do a fake out with your kiddos and let them think they ARE eating Doritos. It’s that good, y’all. Seriously. Who’s hungry??!

Save your bacon for another day….

Vegan Spiced Walnut “Meat” Taco with Cashew “Cheese”

Ingredients

For the walnut tacos

1 cup walnuts
4-6 red cabbage leaves

For the walnut spice mix

2 Tb chipotle chili powder
1 Tb coriander
1 Tb cumin
1 Tb dried cilantro
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp kosher salt

For the cashew cheese

1 cup raw cashews (soak in water for 1-2 hours and drain)
1 clove garlic
2 Tb olive oil
1 roasted red pepper
2 Tb nutritional yeast
1 Tb soy sauce
Kosher salt to taste

For the mango salsa

1 mango diced
1 jalapeño
2-3 Tb fresh chopped cilantro
2 Tb chopped red onion
½ lime squeezed

Instructions

For the walnut tacos

Take the one cup of walnuts and pulse in the food processor a few times to crumble into smaller bits (so it looks like taco meat).
Soak walnuts for 3 hours and drain.
Mix spice mix together and sprinkle a couple teaspoons on the walnuts until coated. (You won't need to use the entire amount of spice mix-- just put it in a baggie or a spice container to use for a later time. The spice mix is fabulous on ground chicken, ground turkey or beef as well.)
Preheat oven to 350 and bake the spiced walnuts on a rimmed cookie sheet for 5-7 minutes until warm.

For the cashew cheese

Soak cashews for 3 hours. Drain.
Add cashews and all the other ingredients to the food processor and mix until smooth-- about 1-2 minutes. You can always thin it out by adding a little water to the mixture, but I like the consistency of this proportion a lot. It's cheeeeeesy!

For the mango salsa

Combine ingredients and top on to your taco.
*I like to layer the walnuts on the cabbage leaves, then the cashew cheese, then the mango salsa.

http://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2014/03/vegan-spiced-walnut-meat-taco-with-cashew-cheese/

Boursin & Parmesan Encrusted Salmon

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Boursin & Parmesan Encrusted salmon OK, let me be honest: I put that fancy name in the title, but this dish really should be called, “Easy, Cheesy Salmon.” For reals. 4 ingredients: Salmon, Boursin cheese, Parmesan and kosher salt. Boom.

Ever since I started following a low carb/high fat style of eating, cheese has become my BFF. We’re tight. Like, it’s a rubitallovermyface kinda love fest. Salmon gives you a healthy dose of your Omega-3’s and the creamy, delicious consistency of Boursin cheese makes it melt-in-your-mouth. If you’ve never had Boursin, it comes in a cute little box and is usually where the Parmesan and blue cheese live at the grocery store. It’s basically a whipped cream cheese with herbs that is oh-so-good. Let it melt onto a steak hot off the grill— OMG. It’s also awesome added to eggs/omelets.

boursin

Once I slather some Boursin on the salmon, I add a sprinkling of parm on top to get that “encrusted” feel. Hungry yet?

Boursin & Parmesan Encrusted Salmon

Ingredients

1 salmon filet
2 Tb Boursin cheese
2 Tb grated Parmesan cheese
pinch of kosher salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400.
Put tin foil on a rimmed cookie sheet and spray with cooking spray.
Place salmon on sheet and spread Boursin cheese on top of filet.
Sprinkle with Parmesan and a pinch of kosher salt.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Broil for 1 minute to brown the Parmesan on top.

http://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2014/02/boursin-parmesan-encrusted-salmon/

Mardi Gras Wings

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Y’all already know I can throw down some wings. In fact, my White Girl Can Cook Wings made me (almost) famous in Atlanta after a very memorable catering gig a few years back.

Well, this Wing Woman was blown away by a recipe shared with me by a dear co-worker, Martin Williams. His Mom made wings for our office before the holidays and I didn’t even get to sample them while they were hot. Marty had wrapped up a few and left them on my desk for me for when I returned to the office. OMG. I ate them cold and licked my fingers. Oh, it’s true. They were that good.

Mrs. Williams’ wings became my new obsession. I had to practically stalk her for the recipe. I made them the first time with fresh rosemary and they were amazing. Then, when I was out of fresh herbs, I used my Herbs de Provence mixture and they were even more sublime. Make them. NOW. No frying, no flour, no carb drama. AH-MAZING!!!!! Thanks Mrs. W!

The lady behind the delish factor. Thanks Martin and Mrs. W!

Mardi Gras Wings

Ingredients

1 family pack of chicken wings
2 Tb Herbs de Provence
1 Tb Paprika
1 Tb Garlic powder
1 Tb Montreal Steak seasoning
1 Tb Parsley (dried or fresh)
Kosher Salt
Pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450
Rinse and dry wings with paper towels.
Mix together Herbs de provence, paprika, garlic powder, Montreal Steak seasoning and parsley.
Coat wings in herb mixture.
Sprinkle with a little additional kosher salt and cracked black pepper on both sides.
Put wings on a greased rimmed cookie sheet.
Bake for 30 minutes then flip over.
Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes until crispy.

http://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2014/02/mardi-gras-wings/

Creamy, Cheesy, Mashed Potato Crab Bake

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I know, I know. I normally post low carb delish, but this week has been Carb Central. First there was the face stuffing of cake over the sink at 2am and now this. Creamy, Cheesy, Mashed Potato Crab Bake. Let me put a disclaimer out there first: This almost doesn’t qualify as homemade.

Don’t judge….But I bought some packaged cajun crab salad at the seafood counter of Publix. JP loves it– he scoops it onto crackers and since he is always stalking around the kitchen looking for snacks, I decided to pick some up. Then, I got an idea. I had a baked potato lying around and I thought *lightbulb* moment: Combine them!

The crab salad is creamy and smoky– and yeah, it’s not homemade, but it is made in the store, so how processed can it be? Don’t answer that. Just make it. It’s freaking awesome.

The steps are simple. Peel and boil a big ‘ol Idaho baked potato until tender. Then mash it up with as much butter and cream as you deem appropriate. I opted for about 3 Tb of butter and 1/4 cup of cream. Then fold in the crab salad….

Put it all in a pie plate, top with parmesan, breadcrumbs and a drizzle of butter….and bake for 20 minutes.

It’s SOOOOO worth the carb count.

Creamy, Cheesy, Mashed Potato Crab Bake

Ingredients

1 Idaho baking potato (peeled)
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 Tb plus 2 Tb of butter
kosher salt to taste
1 package of crab salad from Publix seafood counter (about a cup)
1/4 cup breadcrumbs or panko
1/2 cup parmesan
Chives to garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400
Peel and dice potato and boil until tender (about 15 minutes)
Drain and mash with cream and 3 Tb butter
Salt to taste
Fold in crab salad to mashed potatoes and stir to combine
Scoop potato crab mixture into a pie plate or casserole dish
Sprinkle with breadcrumbs/panko and parmesan
Drizzle another 2 Tb of butter on top before putting in oven
Bake at 400 for 20 minutes
Top with fresh chives

http://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2014/02/creamy-cheesy-mashed-potato-crab-bake/

Meaty Monday: Marinated Flank Steak

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Ever since JP and I got together, steak has been our go to date-night-in meal. He tackles the grill while I work on the side dishes. Usually we opt for big, marbled rib eyes, but during “Snowpocalypse,” JP picked up some flank steak. I grew up eating flank steak and always have found it kind of blah. It’s such a lean cut of meat that it can be overcooked really easily and more often than not, it ends up tough. Grilling it hot and fast is usually your best bet. I doctored this marinade from a Rachael Ray recipe and it turned out fabulous. Tender, juicy and full-oh-flavah.

Meaty Monday: Marinated Flank Steak

Ingredients

2 pound Flank Steak

For the marinade

4 chopped fresh garlic cloves
2 Tb hot sauce
1 Tb worcestershire
2 Tb chipotle chili powder
2 Tb Montreal Steak seasoning
2 Tb red wine vinegar
2 Tb orange juice
1/3 cup olive oil

Instructions

Combine marinade ingredients. Whisk together.
Marinate steak for 30 minutes, making sure to coat each side.
Grill for 3-4 minutes on each side (for medium rare) or until preferred temperature.

http://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2014/02/meaty-monday-marinated-flank-steak/

8 Awesome Superbowl Recipes: Game Day Winners

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From White Girl Can Cook Wings to Dude Dip, my favorite MUST HAVE Superbowl recipes…..WINNING!

Low Carb Slam Dunk Delish: Bacon Wrapped OMG Jalapeño Chicken Popper Bombs

And while we’re talking BACON…These Bacon Guac bites are a game changer.

Sticky, Spicy, Finger Lickin’, Lip Smackin’ Wings from White Girl Can Cook Productions.

Oh yeah, and those bad ass onion rings are right here, y’all. The two go together like wings and rings.

Here’s another peek at the Best. Onion. Rings. Ever…

Dubbed, “The Ultimate Dude Dip”— this creamy, sausagey yum will bring your man to his knees. But it’s too good to relegate to Dude Only status. Stuff it into mushrooms and call it gourmet.

Dude Food Extravaganza right here, folks. Can anyone say, TOTS of delish???

Chips and Dip are sooooo Superbowl XLVII. How about #meltydelish on a chip. We’re talkin’ blue cheese and bacon on a homemade chip.

And y’all gotta have some sweets for the sweet….OMG Bars are easy and ridiculously GETINMYMOUTHRAWTNOW kinda good.

Happy Football Feasting!

Grilled Mahi Mahi with a Tarragon Butter Sauce

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Mahi Mahi brings back memories of throwing back “swirl” margaritas and fish tacos at Duke’s, an ocean front restaurant in the heart of Malibu. My friends and I would meet for a sunset cocktail after our shift down the street at Gladstone’s 4 Fish. I was in my 20’s and slinging clam chowder for tips– most of which were spent at Duke’s!

“Swirl” Margarita (part strawberry, part regular rita)

The view at Duke’s Restaurant

Those were the days of bad decisions and worse hangovers… I digress.

I typically opt for blackened mahi mahi when I cook it for tacos, but decided to try something new. A restaurant I used to work at (there have been many!) used to make a delish basil butter, so I thought I’d switch it up and make it with tarragon. I love the sweet, licorice-y flavor of fresh tarragon, but you could do the same recipe with any fresh herb.

The only thing missing was the view. (And the hangover!)

Grilled Mahi Mahi with a Tarragon Butter Sauce

Ingredients

2 Mahi mahi filets
1 Tb olive oil
1 Tb butter and 1/2 stick of salted butter
2 chopped garlic cloves
1 Tb fresh chopped tarragon
cracked pepper
kosher salt

Instructions

Season mahi mahi with a pinch of kosher salt and cracked pepper.
Melt 1 Tb butter with 1 Tb olive oil in a grill pan.
Cook for 4 minutes on one side. Flip fish over.
Cook for 4 minutes on the other side until cooked through.
While fish is cooking, melt 1/2 stick of butter in small saucepan.
Saute fresh chopped garlic in melted butter on medium heat until it begins to turn golden, about 2 minutes.
Add fresh tarragon and take off of heat.
Serve fish with tarragon butter sauce spooned on top.

http://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2014/01/grilled-mahi-mahi-with-a-tarragon-butter-sauce/