Category Archives: Recipes

No Bake Cranberry Grand Marnier Cheesecake

Creamy cranberry delish…(Photo by KLC Studios)

Wondering what to do with the cranberries you have leftover from the holidays? Look no further! This recipe is one of my favorite desserts year round. Bonus– no sugar and no gluten… Just don’t call it a “diet dessert” cuz it doesn’t taste like one!

Low-carb Cranberry Cheesecake

Ingredients

For the crust

2 c. almonds
1 stick butter
1 tsp. cinnamon

For the filling

1 8 oz. package of full-fat cream cheese
1 medium tub sugar-free Cool Whip
¼ c. Truvia
½ tsp. almond extract
1 tbsp. Grand Marnier liqueur

For the cranberry topping

1 c. water
¼ c. Grand Marnier
12 oz. fresh cranberries
Juice from ½ lemon
Juice from ½ orange
½ c. Truvia
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. cloves

Instructions

For the crust

Place almonds in a food processor for about 1 minute until ground.
Melt butter and combine with ground almonds and cinnamon.
Press into a springform pan or pie plate. (Optional: If you prefer toasted almonds, bake crust at 350° for 10 minutes.)

For the filling

In a mixer, blend cream cheese and Cool Whip.
Bring both to room temperature and mix with Truvia, almond extract, and Grand Marnier.
Spoon into pie crust. (Keep refrigerated until ready to serve, or keep in the freezer and take out an hour before serving.)

For the cranberry topping

Bring water and Grand Marnier to a boil with cranberries. Add lemon and orange juices, Truvia, and spices.
Simmer on low until reduced by about half (15-20 minutes).
Put cranberry mixture in fridge to thicken (about 30 minutes).
Top onto cheesecake.
Grab a fork and dig in!

http://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2014/01/no-bake-cranberry-grand-marnier-cheesecake/

Photo by KLC Studios

Salmon in Puff Pastry with Whipped Dijon Cream

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Perfect bit of buttery crunch with a bite of salmon

I’m all about texture when it comes to fish dishes, which is why I typically add a bit of encrusted this or nutty that to my fish. I want some crunch to contrast the tender.

If you’re dieting, look away now! I’m not gonna lie– this dish is rich. It ain’t low carb and there are a few steps involved. But it’s soooo worth it. A show-stopper for any dinner party.

There are basically 3 layers you’re working with: The puff pastry, the spinach and garlic, and the salmon with remoulade. Make that 4. The whipped dijon cream makes it oh-so-decadent. It makes a beautiful presentation when you serve the puff pastry packets cut open to reveal the gorgeous pink salmon inside with a hint of green spinach peeking out. It’s worth cheating on your diet for this!

Salmon in Puff Pastry with Whipped Dijon Cream

Ingredients

Salmon wrap

4 Salmon filets
Puff pastry sheets

Spinach bed

4 cups fresh spinach
3 garlic cloves chopped
1 Tb olive oil
kosher salt to taste

Remoulade

3/4 cup mayo
3 Tb srirachi
1 Tb honey
juice from 1/2 a lemon

Egg wash

1 egg whisked

Whipped Dijon Cream

1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 Tb dijon mustard
1 tsp lemon juice
chopped fresh dill (optional)

Instructions

For the spinach bed

Saute spinach and fresh chopped garlic in olive oil until wilted. Hit it with a pinch of kosher salt. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 375

For the pastry

Cut out rectangles of puff pastry that are larger than each salmon filet. Top puff pastry with spinach mixture-- spread out evenly across, leaving 1/2 an inch on all sides of pastry. Then put salmon filet on top of spinach.

For the remoulade

Combine ingredients and spread a couple spoonfuls of the remoulade on top of salmon.
Put another rectangle of puff pastry on top of the salmon and pinch down the sides to seal the fish inside the dough.
Brush the top of the puff pastry salmon packets with egg wash.
Bake at 375 for 25 minutes uncovered. (My oven runs hot, so I lightly covered up the pastry with foil when it got browned after about 15 min.)

Dijon Cream

While salmon is cooking, stir dijon mustard into heavy whipping cream. Using a hand mixer, beat on high for about 2 minutes until peaks form. Add in fresh dill if desired.
Top dijon cream onto salmon pastry packets before serving.

http://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2014/01/salmon-in-puff-pastry-with-whipped-dijon-cream/

Drunken Shrimp and Mussels

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Drunken Yum

I’m always interested to learn how other people cook– their styles, techniques and favorite tricks…and not just by watching some famous Food Network chef. It’s the lady you’re standing next to at the fish counter who tells you about steaming seafood in a can of cheap beer. And that’s exactly what happened! In line at the Publix seafood counter, this woman was ordering shrimp and mussels. We started chatting and I asked her how she was going to cook them.

She said, “Put them in a steamer basket and grab the cheapest, nastiest beer you can find. Steam for about 5 minutes till the mussles open. Throw some Old Bay Seasoning on them and Bon Appetit!”

And that, lovelies, is what’s on Parker’s Plate! It was so easy and so good! I tossed it all on some dirty rice with sautéed onion, garlic and jalapeños.

Drunken Shrimp and Mussels

Ingredients

1 pound mussels (cleaned)
1 pound shrimp (deveined and out of the shell)
1 can of cheap beer
Old Bay seasoning
3 Tb butter melted

Instructions

Bring the can of beer of beer to a boil. Put mussels and shrimp in a steamer basket and cover. Steam for 5-6 minutes or until all mussels are open. (Discard any that don't open)
Drizzle melted butter on the shrimp and mussels and sprinkle with Old Bay seasoning.
Serve over your favorite rice or pasta. (Ideally with more beer!)

http://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2014/01/drunken-shrimp-and-mussels/

Pecan Pie French Toast Roll

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Pecan Pie French Toast Roll Delish

Over the holidays, I cooked for my whole family and ~~went on a carb bender~~ got super creative with breakfast on Christmas morning. I decided to put a spin on Paula Deen’s french toast casserole which personally, I found rather mediocre when I made it a while back. As in, BLAH. MEH. WHATEV.

Then I saw leftover pecan pie ingredients in my Mom’s pantry…..Now we’re onto something. Grab your Spanx. This ain’t low carb or low calorie, baby!

Using a big loaf of french bread, I split the loaf down the middle and soaked it in an egg/egg nog/spice mixture overnight. The next morning, I drained the excess liquid and baked it with a layer of pecan pie yummyness on top. Pretty awesome for a french toast experiment. My fam was stoked! Meet the love child of French Toast and Pecan Pie…

Pecan Pie French Toast Roll

Ingredients

French toast

1 large loaf of french bread or ciabatta bread
8 eggs
1 cup eggnog or milk
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves

Pecan pie topping

1 stick butter
1/4 cup flour
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups toasted pecan pieces

Instructions

Cut a slit in loaf of bread and put in a casserole dish.
Whisk together eggs, eggnog or milk and spices. Pour over bread and cover with foil. Let soak in fridge overnight.
In the morning, drain the excess liquid out of the pan.
Melt butter in sauce pan on medium heat and add flour. Stir to thicken for a minute. Add corn syrup, eggs, sugar and vanilla. Mix to combine. Stir thickened caramel on top of bread and sprinkle toasted pecan pieces on top.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes until golden.

http://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2014/01/pecan-pie-french-toast-roll/

Check out the delish goo that you can scrape up from the pan. OMG.

Gooey, pecan pie yum.

Oh, and drizzle some maple syrup on and bite into that crunchy, gooey heaven. It’s like Christmas in your mouth.

Best Damn Meatloaf Ever

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Not your Mama’s meatloaf

NO! Not meatloaf again!

That’s NOT going to be an ish once you dive into this meaty delish. I had some leftover andouille sausage that I needed to cook and got the idea to combine it with a classic pork/beef meatloaf mixture. And then I thought, “Well, let’s go crazy and add bacon.” Bam.

It’s freaking awesome. Dude Food at it’s finest. My man is not a meatloaf fan, but he ate the entire pan in one sitting. No joke.

But this isn’t just a meathead loaf, y’all. There’s fresh sage, apricots and crushed pistachios. And NO breadcrumbs, so it’s a low-carb shmorgishborg of scrumptious. All that spicy beef yummyness is tempered with texture and savory flavor. Instead of a classic chili sauce or ketchup glaze, I opted to combine Sriracha with Grade B maple syrup. That shiznittabam should be bottled and sold– sooooooo good. Throw this bad boy on a sandwich the next day— doneski.

Best Damn Meatloaf Ever

Ingredients

Meatloaf

1 pound Andouille sausage
1.5 pound beef and pork mix
1 egg
1 cup parmesan cheese grated
1 Tb soy sauce
1 Tb Worcestershire
1 Tb red wine vinegar
1 small onion chopped
¼ cup apricots chopped fine
4 pieces uncooked bacon
¼ cup sage chopped
¼ cup crushed pistachios
1 Tb garlic powder
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp kosher salt (plus more to taste)
1 tsp pepper

Spicy Maple Glaze

½ cup sriracha sauce
2 Tb Grade B maple syrup

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350.
Take sausage out of casing and combine with bacon in the food processor—pulse for about 30 seconds.
In a large bowl combine the ground sausage and bacon with all of the meatloaf ingredients—don’t overwork it, but make sure it’s mixed up well.
Line a bread pan with parchment paper, put meat mixture into pan and press down meat so it’s packed in.

Turn pan upside down on a greased sheet pan and lift up so loaf is upright.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350.

Brush glaze on and continue baking for another 30 minutes.

Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

http://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2014/01/best-damn-meatloaf-ever/

Meaty Monday: Zero Carb Fried Chicken

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No carbs, all flavor

I LOVE fried chicken. Like, rubitallovermyface kinda LOVE fried chicken. Problem is, breadcrumbs aggravate my gluten allergy and they are not a friend to my low-carb diet. Low-carbing keeps me in my skinny jeans, but a girl’s gotta eat fried chicken! So, after much experimenting, I found the combo of pork rinds and parmesan creates a crunchy, savory crust that mimics even the best breadcrumbs. At a farmers market here in Atlanta (Buford Farmers Market) they make their own pork rinds. Ah-mazing. But grabbing a bag at the gas station will work just fine. While I was at Citgo shopping for rinds, I was also able to pick up JP’s favorite shirt. That’s right– dinner ingredients and man fashion. Tasty on both counts, haaaaaaay! There’s my handsome man rocking some gas station threads on New Year’s Eve…He’s so yummy.

I digress.

Gas station fashion

Back to the ZERO carb fried chicken, y’all!

Meaty Monday: Zero Carb Fried Chicken

Ingredients

1 pound of skinless, boneless breasts
2 cups pork rinds
1/2 cup fresh parmesan grated fine
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp garlic powder
2 eggs
1Tbsp butter
1Tbsp olive oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F . Beat eggs together and set aside for egg wash.
Grind pork rinds in the food processor until they are fine crumbs. Grate fresh parmesan and combine with pork rinds, parsley and garlic powder.
Dredge chicken in egg wash and then in pork rind/parmesan mixture. Coat thoroughly!
Heat large frying pan with butter and oil on medium/high heat. When butter is bubbling, add chicken breasts to pan and sear for 2 minutes.
Flip and cook for 2 minutes.
Turn over again and cook for 2 minutes. One last turn for 2 minutes-- so breasts have cooked for 8 minutes.
Transfer breasts to oven and finish cooking for 5-7 minutes or until cooked through.

http://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2014/01/zero-carb-fried-chicken/

My Best Dishes of 2013 (Food Porn Warning)

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2013 was the year I really committed to ~~spending my entire paycheck at the grocery store~~ my culinary dream. I got some big things checked off the bucket list, including starting this blog, launching my cooking segment on CBS Atlanta called “What’s on Parker’s Plate?”, published a cookbook and even got a recipe and a blog post featured in the Huffington Post. I’m pretty stoked, y’all! To celebrate, I’m taking a look back at what I cooked this year and kicking myself that I ~~drank too much wine and didn’t write down the damn recipes~~ need to recreate recipes for most of them!!

Here are my favorites….Warning: Food Porn!

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Bacon wrapped lobster tail and Parmesan Encrusted Porkchop. Parker version of Surf-n-Turf. The only thing I remember about this meal (besides the delish factor) was that it was on a Tuesday night, because my co-workers gave me major hell after seeing me post this pic on Facebook. As in, “WHO makes a Bacon wrapped lobster tail and Parmesan Encrusted Porkchop on a Tuesday??” Um, that would be me.

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Dark Chocolate Dipped Pecan Pie Ball. Sprinkle a little sea salt on top…Bam. It’s pretty much the perfect dessert.

unnamed Lobster Risotto. Creamy, decadent risotto with Lobstah. Yes.

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Hoisin Glazed Short Ribs. I have been obsessed with short ribs since watching Master Chef contestants win 2 years in a row with them as the main dish. They’re a cheap cut of meat that when slow-cooked, turn into fall off the bone, GETINMYMOUTHRAWTNOW kinda good. Add some orange zested hoisin? Winning!

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Hot wings and Onion Rings. Crispy, spicy, insane delish. My man loved this. I mean, he wanted to marry it. (And me.)

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Proscuitto Wrapped Dates Stuffed with a Spiced Walnut drizzled with a Balsamic Reduction. This was the appetizer I made to kick off a 5 course meal for our 5 year anniversary. It was epic. (I hate that word. It’s so over-used and unnecessary.) But let me repeat: Epic.

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Deconstructed Chicken Pot Pie. There was puff pastry involved. There was a lot of butter. There was creamy delish.

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Southern Fried Pork Chop with Buttermilk Gravy and Twice Baked Potatoes. Broccoli doesn’t really deserve a mention here.

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OMG Bars. The name says it all. Decadent layers of graham cracker crust, fudge, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, coconut and more fudge smothered together.

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Blue Cheese Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes. Melty Delish is my favorite culinary term of 2013 and this little gem of an appetizer sums that up perfectly. You’ll have to buy my cookbook for the recipe (see how I got in one more mention there?) Here’s a teaser: Blue cheese with a little lemon whipped and stuffed into a cherry tomato and broiled to make it hot and melty and delish….#meltydelish

Happy New Year! Here’s to an even more decadently (melty delish) 2014!

New Year’s Eve “Must. Eat. Now.” Stuffed Mushrooms

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Best. Appetizer. Ever.

I’m totes making these for the New Year’s Eve party I’m going to tonight. They’re an easy, savory, low-carb mouthful of delish! Guests always ask for this recipe and it’s been a favorite from my cookbook, “Eat Rich, Stay Skinny: A Girl’s Guide to Holiday Feasting,” (still available on Amazon, by the way!)

The cream cheese (always use full-fat because low-fat gets watery) gives it that melt-in-your-mouth quality, the spicy sausage lends a kick and the tarragon imparts a really bright but subtle anise flavor. Bring it to the party, serve it at the party, be the star of your party.

I’m personally ready to par-take in the par-tay (and the low-carb, gluten-free delish!)

Be safe, lovelies, and kisses at midnight!

New Year’s Eve “Must. Eat. Now.” Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients

1 onion chopped
3 garlic cloves chopped
2 Tbsp. butter
25 button mushrooms
1 (16 oz.) package spicy sausage
1 (8 o.z) package full fat cream cheese
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon
1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 °F. Pop off mushroom stems and scoop out mushroom gills.
Chop stems and gills and set aside.
Place scooped out mushrooms on a sheet pan, upright. Bake for 10 minutes. This will sweat the mushroom and fill the scooped out part with water. (Soggy mushrooms are not awesome.) Drain mushrooms and set aside.
Sauté sausage in a frying pan until browned and then drain. Put sausage aside.
Sauté onions and chopped stems and gills in butter on medium heat until liquid is cooked down, about 15 minutes.
Add in cream cheese, parsley, tarragon and cooked sausage. Warm in pan until cream cheese is combined and melted.
Stuff this filling into mushroom caps. Top with Parmesan.
Place on a greased sheet pan and bake at 375°F for 20 minutes.

http://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2013/12/new-years-eve-must-eat-now-stuffed-mushrooms/

Low-carb Delish

White Chocolate Kissed Gingerbread Cookies

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Kissed with White Chocolate!

Christmas may be over, but my cravings for Christmas cookies are not….

2 of my favorite things are white chocolate and gingerbread, so why not combine them?! This is a great recipe to make with kids– they’ll love pressing the Hershey’s kisses onto the cookies! It’s also the perfect recipe for a date…Only rule is to eat as you kiss. Or kiss while you eat. Melty delish is always romantic.

White Chocolate Kissed Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients

3 cups flour
2 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp salt
1 ½ sticks butter softened
¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup molasses
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup sugar
White and milk chocolate swirled Hershey’s kisses

Instructions

Mix flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt in large bowl. Set aside.
Beat butter and brown sugar in large bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add molasses, egg and vanilla. Mix well.
Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until combined. Refrigerate dough for a few hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Roll in sugar to coat. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 8-10 minutes. Immediately press a Hershey’s kiss candy into center of each cookie. Let cool on wire racks.

http://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2013/12/white-chocolate-kissed-gingerbread-cookies/

Low-Carb, Gluten-Free Kahlua Cheesecake

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Light and fluffy, like a mousse

I’ve been on a cheesecake kick lately and when I had some extra Kahlua, it got me thinking about all sorts of ~~cheesecake food porn~~ delish. I decided to go the healthier route and make it low-carb AND gluten-free. The consistency is more of a mousse cake– really light and fluffy, not as dense as classic cheesecake. I loved it! In the past when I’ve made cheesecake, I’ve avoided the high maintenance “water bath” that most chefs suggest using. This time, I went for it, and the results were superb. It’s worth the extra step! Enjoy….

Low-Carb, Gluten-Free Kahlua Cheesecake

Ingredients

For the Crust:

2 cups pecans
1 tsp cinnamon
1 stick butter

For the Ganache:

1/2 cup heavy cream
4 oz unsweetened bakers chocolate
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tb Kahlua
1 Tb truvia
pinch of kosher salt

For the Filling:

3 (8oz each) packages of full fat cream cheese
1 pint sour cream
3 eggs
2 egg yolks
4 tsp instant coffee (sugar free)
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup truvia
1/4 cup kahlua

Instructions

For the Crust:

Grind up pecans in food processor until they are fine crumbs.
Melt the stick of butter and combine with pecan crumbs and cinnamon. Press into the bottom of a springform pan.

For the Ganache:

Bring cream to a boil on stovetop in a small saucepan. Stir in bakers chocolate and vanilla, Kahlua, truvia and the pinch of salt.
Stir until smooth and glossy. Spread over pecan crust.

For the Filling:

Bring cream cheese to room temperature and combine in standing mixer with all the ingredients. Beat until smooth.
Pour over ganache and pecan crust.
Put tin foil around entire springform pan and bring a large pasta pot of water to a boil. Put the cheesecake pan in a large roasting pan and pour the boiling water into the roasting pan. (The tin foil will prevent the water from seeping in.)
Bake at 325 for 1 hour. Cool for 30 minutes, then chill in fridge for atleast 2 hours before serving.

http://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2013/12/low-carb-gluten-free-kahlua-cheesecake/