Category Archives: Appetizers

Shaved Cucumber and Edamame Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing

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cuc salad

When I was planning the menu for JP’s birthday bonanza feast, I decided to make spicy seared ahi tuna and wanted to serve a cool, refreshing salad to offset the heat.

Meet the most delish cucumber salad.  Ever.

And as the 1% of women who really don’t care for salad (hello, save me a double helping of the meat and cheese, please!) I really dig it. And consequently, I ate most of it.  Sorry birthday boy.

The shaved cucumber makes for a beautiful presentation and the dressing can double as a dang dip it’s so yum.  Sprinkle some black sesame seeds on top and you’ve got a super easy, fancy looking gourmet salad.

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Shaved Cucumber and Edamame Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing

Shaved Cucumber and Edamame Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing

Ingredients

  • 1 English cucumber
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt (more to taste)
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 peeled whole avocado
  • 1/2 cup cilantro
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 2 1/2 Tb rice vinegar
  • juice from 1/2 lime
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 2 Tb thinly sliced red bell peppers
  • 1 cup peeled edamame
  • 3 scallions chopped
  • 1 tsp black sesame seeds

Instructions

    For the salad
  1. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the cucumber down to the core (where you start to see the seeds and save half of the cucumber core)
  2. Cut the long peeled strips in half and put in a bowl
  3. Add edamame and scallions to cucumber
  4. Put salad in fridge while you make the dressing
    5. For the dressing
  5. In a food processor, combine avocado, mayo, garlic cloves, salt, vinegar, cilantro, lime juice and 1/2 cucumber core and heavy cream. Pulse until smooth.
  6. Right before serving, add the bell pepper and fold in the dressing.
  7. Top with black sesame seeds.
  8. Best served chilled.
https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2014/02/shaved-cucumber-and-edamame-salad-with-creamy-avocado-dressing/

 

Low-Carb Jalapeño Poppers

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These poppers are hotties.

These poppers are hotties.

They’re hotties alright. These little beauties are low-carb perfection, wrapped in — what else— BACON.  In my second installment of a review of Burgers’ Smokehouse Bacon, this is an easy, melt-in-your-mouth crowd pleaser with a spicy kick of awesome.  I love this recipe using Burgers’ Smokehouse Cajun Style Country Bacon.  The spice factor is perfect– not overpowering and packed with flavor.  And don’t be intimidated by the jalapeños– they aren’t nearly as spicy once you bake them.  If you’re a wuss spice sensitive, a little trick is to sprinkle some sugar on the inside of the jalapeños before you stuff them.  That does add some carbs, but it’s minimal and it neutralizes the spiciness.

It’s also the perfect appetizer if you’re serving guests– or bringing an app to a party.  Before I started following a low-carb/high fat diet (LCHF), party food always stressed me out.  I usually ended up hovering over the hummus and pita plate (cuz it’s vegetarian and healthy, riiiiiiiiiight???)  Inevitably, I would wake up as Bloaty McPufferson with a horrible carb hangover.

But, these poppers with cajun bacon will not only impress the crowd, you’ll stay in your skinny jeans.

And when you wake up without the bloat, you can chop up the leftover poppers and add them to eggs.  You may need to make another batch of Burgers’ bacon, though.  It’s that good.

This is not a sponsored post, meaning I was not given monetary compensation to write it. I was sent product at no charge to review honestly, and was under no obligation to say anything positive about the product or the company. The photographs, recipe, and opinions are 100% my own.

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Low-Carb Jalapeño Poppers

Low-Carb Jalapeño Poppers

Ingredients

  • 6 jalapeños
  • 4 oz full fat cream cheese
  • 2 chives or scallions chopped
  • 3 pieces of Burgers' Smokehouse Cajun Style Country bacon uncooked

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375.
  2. Slice jalapeños lengthwise and scoop out seeds and membranes. Careful not to touch your eyes! Wear kitchen gloves if you have sensitive skin.
  3. Mix chopped chives or scallions into cream cheese.
  4. Fill jalapeños with cream cheese mixture and top with slices of bacon, cut into the length of each jalapeño.
  5. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes.
https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2014/01/low-carb-jalapeno-poppers/

And if you wanna get fancy (and add a few carbs in!) stuff with some roasted corn for a TexMex version.  I just cut off the kernels of 2 corn cobs and sauteed in a Tb of butter until slightly charred, 7-10 minutes.  Then, put roasted corn on top of cream cheese, and put bacon on top of corn/cream cheese.

bacon corn poppers

 

And if you really wanna go crazy, stuff them with my creamed jalapeño corn recipe.  Just don’t forget the bacon!

Low-Carb Bacon Guac Bites

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Best bacon...EVER.

Best bacon…EVER.

Right before the holidays, I received a box full of bacon.  Literally.  And not just any bacon, y’all.  This was compliments of Cliff Caldwell and Burgers’ Smokehouse bacon and it might be my favorite gift of all time.  Send this girl a box of clothes?  Meh.  Send this girl a box of brownies?   Sniff.  But send this girl a box of bacon?  Happy Dance!!!!  With visions of bacon studded delish dancing in her head……

So here’s the lowdown.  I was thrilled to sample an assortment of Burgers’ Smokehouse Bacon. Ermahgaaaahd.  GetinmymouthRAWTnow.

The next 3 days, I will be dedicating my favorite bacon recipes with my bacon box.  I’m now totally regretting letting a couple of my coworkers take a package home with them.  It would have meant more for me to hoard for myself sample.  Um, the bacon box is empty.  *Sad face.*

Let’s start with a quick review of the different bacon styles.

Bacon Steak Cuts Peppered

Bacon Steak Cuts Peppered

Bacon Steak Cuts seasoned on the edges with pepper.  This is like the filet mignon of bacon.  WHOAH. Normally, I avoid buying thick cut bacon because it doesn’t get super crispy, which I prefer.  But this bacon cooked up beautifully, crisping up along the edges, but the bite was meaty and tender with an amazing peppery finish.  Hands down, my favorite.  For another twist on the bacon steak, I added a little more kick with some chopped jalapeños on top and it was divine.

Bacon with a kick

Bacon with a kick

Then, there’s the variety of country bacon:  Original Country Bacon, Cajun Style Country Bacon and Pepper Coated Country Bacon.  My favorite of those was the Cajun Style– and I hate admitting that JP and I polished it off so fast, I never got an actual picture of cooking with it!  The saltiest of the bunch was the Original Country Bacon which tastes best combined with something else…Like guacamole.  Who needs tortilla chips when you can make low-carb delish with some Country Bacon?  Haaaaaaaay!!!  Meet the love child of bacon and guac.

More bacon recipes tomorrow and Saturday.  You’re welcome.

This is not a sponsored post, meaning I was not given monetary compensation to write it. I was sent product at no charge to review honestly, and was under no obligation to say anything positive about the product or the company. The photographs, recipe, and opinions are 100% my own.

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Bacon Guac Bites

Bacon Guac Bites

Ingredients

  • 8 slices of Burger's Smokehouse Original Country Bacon
  • 4 avocados
  • 1/4 cup chopped red onion
  • Palmful of fresh cilantro chopped
  • 1 diced jalapeño (no seeds)
  • Juice of one lime squeezed
  • 1 tomato chopped
  • Kosher salt to taste

Instructions

    For the guacamole
  1. Mash avocados with lime juice and fold in rest of ingredients.
    2. For the bacon
  2. Preheat oven to 400
  3. Line bacon on a rimmed sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes until crispy.
  4. Break bacon into 2 inch pieces and sandwich it with guacamole.
https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2014/01/low-carb-bacon-guac-bites/

 

 

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

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Best. Appetizer. Ever.

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!

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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

  1. Preheat oven to 375 °F. Pop off mushroom stems and scoop out mushroom gills.
  2. Chop stems and gills and set aside.
  3. 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.
  4. Sauté sausage in a frying pan until browned and then drain. Put sausage aside.
  5. Sauté onions and chopped stems and gills in butter on medium heat until liquid is cooked down, about 15 minutes.
  6. Add in cream cheese, parsley, tarragon and cooked sausage. Warm in pan until cream cheese is combined and melted.
  7. Stuff this filling into mushroom caps. Top with Parmesan.
  8. Place on a greased sheet pan and bake at 375°F for 20 minutes.
https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2013/12/new-years-eve-must-eat-now-stuffed-mushrooms/

unnamed-2

 

Low-carb Delish

Low-carb Delish

 

Coconut Curry Mussels

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even better than the dish I used to order at THAT restaurant that stopped serving it....

even better than the dish I used to order at THAT restaurant that stopped serving it….

Aaaaahhhh muscles.  I love them rippling on my man’s beefcake bod…(see yummy pic below!)

Muscles..mmmmm.

Muscles..mmmmm.

Oh wait, I mean, MUSSELS.  And for cake, well, uh, check the dessert section of this site!  I got distracted.

Where were we?  Oh yeah, MUSSELS.  One of my favorite meals at one of my (formerly) favorite restaurants is no longer available…after a few disappointing meals in recent months,  it’s no longer my go-to spot and shall remain nameless.  But, they used to serve an absolutely decadent dish of juicy mussels bathed in a slightly sweet and spicy curried coconut milk.  I thought I’d try to recreate it since I no longer have the luxury of ordering it!

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Coconut Curry Mussels

Coconut Curry Mussels

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds cleaned mussels (toss any with shells that aren't tightly shut)
  • 1 Tb butter
  • 1 Tb olive oil
  • 1 Tb chili paste
  • 4 garlic cloves diced
  • 1 large shallot diced
  • 2 cans full fat coconut milk
  • juice from 1/2 lime
  • 1 Tb curry powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 2 Tb honey
  • 1 Tb fresh ginger
  • 1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
  • chopped cilantro for garnish

Instructions

  1. In a large saucepan (use one that has a lid), saute chopped garlic and shallot in butter and olive oil on medium heat until soft, 5-7 minutes. Add in the 1 Tb of chili paste and stir until fragrant, about a minute. Make sure chopped shallots and garlic are coated with the chili paste. Add in the rest of the ingredients until combined.
  2. Put mussels in the coconut milk broth, cover the pan and cook on medium heat for 5-8 minutes, until all the mussels are opened. (Discard any that don't open).
  3. Garnish with some chopped cilantro and serve with crusty bread or coconut rice.
https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2013/12/coconut-curry-mussels/

Now it’s time to return focus to the muscles and the beef(cake).

Homemade Chips with Melty Blue Cheese and Bacon

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YES.

YES.

One of my first food experiences when I moved to Atlanta in 2006 was this: Homemade chips plus hot blue cheese dressing plus bacon.  Um, YES.

The restaurant that served this has long shut down, but my memory of the deliciousness lives on!  I’ve recreated the dish and it is freaking awesome.  The key is adding that little bit of bacon fat into the sauce….OMG.

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Homemade Chips with Melty Blue Cheese and Bacon

Homemade Chips with Melty Blue Cheese and Bacon

Ingredients

    Blue Cheese Sauce
  • 4 slices crispy bacon crumbled (Bake at 400 for about 10 minutes and save 1 tsp bacon fat)
  • 2 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1 Tb butter
  • 1 Tb bacon fat
  • 3/4 cup full fat sour cream
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • 1 Tb worcestershire
  • 1 Tb fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese plus more for garnish
  • chopped scallions to garnish
    • Chips
  • Baking potato (peeled and sliced thin)
  • Canola oil
  • Kosher Salt

Instructions

    For the Sauce
  1. Bake bacon on a rimmed cookie sheet at 400 until crispy, about 10 minutes. Reserve 1 tsp of bacon fat and put in a frying pan. Saute garlic cloves in bacon fat and butter on medium heat until lightly caramelized, about 2 minutes.
  2. Add in the rest of the ingredients. Blue cheese will start to melt into the dressing. Top onto chips with additional blue cheese, bacon and scallions to garnish.
    3. For the Chips
  3. Peel a baking potato and slice thin on a mandolin. Soak sliced potato pieces in cold water for 15 minutes and then dry off with paper towels. This will rub off some of the starch so they crisp up easier. (Soaking isn't necessary, but I like the results better that way).
  4. Heat up about 2-3 inches of oil in a large frying pan or dutch oven on medium high heat. When oil sizzles just a bit, (test it out with one chip) add chips in batches. Turn over when browned on one side.
  5. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with kosher salt.
https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2013/12/homemade-chips-with-melty-blue-cheese-and-bacon/

 

OMG.

OMG.

Killer Chili Garlic Crab Cakes

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Star of the meal

Star of the meal!

This is a great meal for entertaining!  I’ve cooked this for anniversary dinners for personal chef clients and for my family’s Christmas dinner one year.  It’s always a hit.

Hint: Remember to sort through the crab meat to make sure there aren’t any shells mixed in and use paper towels to remove any excess moisture from the crab meat.  Watery crab will not hold together well or brown evenly.

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Killer Chili Garlic Crab Cakes

Killer Chili Garlic Crab Cakes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup mayonnaise (not low-fat)
  • 1 fresh garlic clove diced
  • 4 tsp chili-garlic sauce
  • 1 Tb Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • 3 Tb olive oil
  • 2 Tb butter
  • 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
  • 1/2 cup celery
  • 1/2 cup sweet onion
  • 2 Tb jalapeño
  • 1 pound crabmeat, drained and coursely chopped
  • 1 large egg, beaten to blend
  • 5 cups breadcrumbs (you can sub gluten-free bread)

Instructions

  1. Mix mayonnaise, diced garlic clove, chili-garlic sauce, Worcestershire sauce, honey, salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice in small bowl. Cover and refrigerate chili mayonnaise.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 Tb butter in skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper, celery, onion, and jalapeño; sauté 3 minutes. Transfer to large bowl. Mix in crab, egg, 1/2 cup chili mayonnaise, and remaining 2 teaspoons lemon juice, then 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs.
  3. Form crab mixture into eight 1/2-inch-thick cakes, using 1/2 cup for each. Dredge cakes in remaining 3 1/2 cups breadcrumbs, turning to coat. Place on baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours.
  4. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil and 1 Tb butter in large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, add crab cakes and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side.
  5. Transfer to plates. Serve, passing remaining chili mayonnaise separately.
https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2013/12/killer-chili-garlic-crabcakes/

 

Holy Delish Hummus and Pita Bread

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Holy Delish

Holy Delish

What was that Jesus line?  “I am the bread of life….”  Well, it would’ve been more like “I will die without hummus on this bread” if he had tasted this shiznittabam…

Homemade hummus AND homemade pita bread?  Read on, lovelies and you’ll never wanna go store bought again.
Culinary GOD-dess has spoken.

Ingredients

2 cups canned garbanzo beans, drained

1/3 cup tahini

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt

4 cloves fresh garlic

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 pinch paprika

1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley

1/2 jalapeno pepper with seeds

Combine in a food processor.

Add additional oil and salt for desired taste and consistency.

 PARKER’S PITA BREAD

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

1 tablespoon of sugar

1/2 cup of warm water

4 cups of bread flour

2 teaspoons of salt

1 cup of warm water

1 tablespoon of olive oil

Directions: Dissolve the yeast and sugar in 1/2 cup of warm water and set aside, covered for 15 minutes. Dissolve salt in the remaining 1 cup of warm water.

In a large mixing bowl, add flour and make a well in the center. Add yeast mixture and salt water. Knead with hands for 10 minutes in the bowl. Add olive oil and continue to knead until all oil is absorbed. Shape into a ball in the bowl, cover, and place in a warm area to rise until doubled in volume, approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Punch down the dough and knead for 5 minutes more.

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C), and lightly oil baking sheets.

Take pieces of dough slightly larger than an egg and roll out on a floured surface to a thickness of 3/8 to 1/4 inch. (For larger or smaller pita bread pieces, take more or less dough). Prick the bread with a fork in several places.

Place on baking sheets and bake at 350°F (175°C) on the lowest oven rack for 2-3 minutes, then turn the pitas over and bake for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from oven and saute in a frying pan with 1 Tb of olive oil until lightly browned.  When thoroughly cooled, pitas can be stored in plastic bags in the refrigerator, or frozen.

Before using, brown in a lightly oiled frying pan for a few minutes until browned on both sides.

Nut-free Pesto

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Go nuts...without the nuts!

Go nuts…without the nuts!

Lately, nuts have been giving me itchy, bumpy hives doing not so nice things to my complexion.  Pesto is one of my favorite toppings for pasta and pizza– hell, I’d even spoon that green goodness onto my cereal.  Pesto Crispies, anyone?  Anyhoo,  I needed an allergy-free solution: I give you, NUT-FREE pesto.  Almost, as good as the real deal.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups basil leaves
3 Tb parsley
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan
1/3 cup + 3 Tb olive oil
1/4 cup unsalted sunflower seeds
4 fresh garlic cloves
1/2 ts of salt (salt to taste since the parmesan adds quite a bit of saltiness)
Blend all ingredients in food processor. Add a Tb or two of water if you want to thin it down. Spread on fish before baking, or mix into pasta….or dip pieces of pita into it! DELISH!

Best Onion Rings…EVER.

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Onion rings in Heaven

Onion rings in Heaven

Think you died and went to heaven last time you went to Outback for a blooming onion?  Well hold onto your bloomers, lovelies, and get ready for The. Best. Onion. Rings. EVER.

The batter turns out light and crispy– I actually want to experiment with this battered on fish tacos. I’ll report back results…in the meantime, report back to me on Facebook with photos of your success– and I promise, your onion breath will be forgiven.

Ingredients

2 large onions sliced into rings

1 cup flour

2 cups buttermilk

1 tsp baking powder

1 Tb sugar

1/2 tsp kosher salt

Canola oil for frying

Batter: Whisk  flour, buttermilk, sugar, baking powder and salt until smooth.

Heat 2 inches of oil on medium high in a Dutch oven or wide rimmed, deep frying pan.  The oil is ready when you hear a *sizzle* if you flick a few drops of water in the pan.  If you hear a *crackle*, the oil is too hot, so turn that bad boy down.

Dip onion rings in batter, coating well…..Fry till golden.

The batter will puff up in the oil, making it super light and crunchy!

The batter will puff up in the oil, making it super light and crunchy!

Drain on paper towels, serve immediately!