Category Archives: Recipes

Yummy Beach Bag Giveaway!

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basketI was pretty stoked when the folks from Parrano Cheese contacted me about being part of a select group of foodie bloggers to take part in their delish giveaway!  We were given themes to participate in Parrano’s Picnic Campaign— I chose to put together a “Toes in the Sand Basket” now that I’ve got my bikini body back, y’all!   Check out the yummy compilation– from wine and cheese to the most perfect bronzer on the planet and some inspiration from the gorgeous Cammy Diaz.  I consider this a LOVE MY BODY BAG…this is all about embracing our inner goddess and feeling good about what we’re putting in our bodies (delish low carb Parrano cheese!) and on our bodies– (hello sunscreen!)

So, how do you win?

I want to know: What body part do you love and what do you do for yourself to feel beautiful inside and out?   So often we focus on what we want to change– our thighs, our stretch marks, our blotchy skin tone…instead of relishing in our gorgeously flawed selves.  Email me a selfie with a sign that says “I LOVE MY (*blank*)” and a couple sentences about what you do to feel beatiful!  Send submissions to: parker at whatsonparkersplate.com.

Deadline to enter is Wednesday, June 18th at 12:00am EST.

Winner will be announced Wednesday,  June 25th at 12pm EST.

Your “Toes in the Sand Basket” includes:

Trio of Parrano Cheeses—  Parrano Originale:  I love the smooth, creamy finish.  This cheese lasted about 11 seconds before it was totally inhaled.   Hollandse Chevre:  Um, hello buttery delish!  Put this on a cracker with some Pâté and OMG! Melkbus 149: This is my favorite of the three and totes melt-in-your-mouth decadence.  Ridiculously good.

Simply Balanced Apple Slices: These freeze dried fruits have the crunch factor that I crave!  Super healthy and a great substitute for chips—and this snack won’t wreck your bikini diet!

Neutragena Ultra Sheer Body Mist – A girl’s got to protect her skin!  This is the best protection against UVA-aging and UVB-burning rays in a spray that’s super light and isn’t greasy.  Plus, it’s sweatproof and is easy to apply….

Gleam Body Radiance:  Developed by superstar makeup artist Melanie Mills who headed up the makeup department for Dancing With the Stars….Now she’s bottled her beautiful bronze for the masses—and it’s incredible.  Adding a little “gleam” to your sun kissed bod never looked so good!

O.N.E. Coconut water:  Low in calories, naturally fat- and cholesterol free, more potassium than four bananas, and super hydrating— coconut water is loaded with benefits. It’s also a great thirst quencher when you’re lounging in the sand!

Beach Accessories- Towel, Frisbee, oversized beach hat: Gotta have a Frisbee on the beach to show off that gorg bod!  When you’re ready to relax, sport an oversized, stylish hat on your lush beach towel.

Cameron Diaz’s The Body Book:  One of my favorite actresses, Cameron Diaz, tells an inspiring personal story backed by science about the mind/body connection.  A must-have beach read!

Guenoc Cabernet: One of my fave big reds! Hints of vanilla and black cherry make this a perfect pairing with Parrano cheeses…or, turn it into a pitcher of delish Sangria with fresh fruit.

**Disclaimer: As a blogger chosen to participate in this contest, I was provided with Parrano products and $100 to choose items for my basket.  The basket items were chosen by me and not suggested by anyone else.  I was not given any additional compensation to participate in this contest.

 

 

Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

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chimiI could eat steak every. single. day.  It’s one of the best parts of living la vida low carb!  That said, I get into the rut of serving steak with mushrooms and onions all the time instead of branching into new flavor territory.  Chimichurri is a classic Argentinian green sauce made with fresh herbs, garlic and olive oil for grilled meat.  All you need is a food processor– toss the ingredients in and blend till smooth.  It’s a great topper for burgers, an awesome marinade for chicken– I even spoon some onto my omelets if there’s some leftover from the night before.

We’ve been striking out on good cuts of steak lately– this skirt steak was cooked to perfection, but still ended up being a little chewy and stringy.  The sauce made it palatable!  Make it ahead and it will keep in the fridge for a day or two– but I think it’s best made and served fresh.

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Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

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Ingredients

  • 1 skirt steak
  • 1 cup packed fresh Italian parsley
  • 1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro
  • 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1/2-1 tsp of dried crushed red pepper
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup olive oil

Instructions

  1. Cook steak to desired temperature.
  2. Put the rest of ingredients into the food processor and blend till smooth.
  3. Top onto steak.
https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2014/06/skirt-steak-with-chimichurri-sauce/

 

El Calzone

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calzoneThis is the first time I’ve cooked since I went home to DC last weekend– it’s been one of those “just make scrambled eggs for dinner” kinda weeks.  I admit– I’ve been sorta uninspired.  Yup– it’s an official Parker Cooking Slump.  *GASP!

So, when I went to the grocery store last night, I wanted to put together something easy and try to be as creative as I could with what I already had in the fridge (one single pie crust and some leftover creamed corn).

I normally make my own taco seasoning, but I grabbed a packet of McCormick’s taco seasoning, a pound of ground beef, some jalapenos, cilantro and cheese.  Initially I was going to make a Taco Pie, but my pie plate was nowhere to be found!  *Lightbulb moment:  A Taco Calzone….or as my friend Jon Nelson declared, “EL CALZONE!”

another cal

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El Calzone

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Ingredients

  • 1/2 onion chopped
  • 1 Tb butter
  • 1-2 jalapenos chopped
  • 1 pound ground beef or turkey
  • 1 packet taco seasoning
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1 cup roasted or creamed corn
  • 2 Tb cream cheese
  • 1 cup shredded Mexican style cheese
  • cilantro for garnish
  • 1 Pillsbury pie shell
  • egg wash

Instructions

  1. Saute the onion and jalapenos in butter on medium heat till soft-- about 5 minutes. Add ground beef or turkey and saute until browned. Drain.
  2. Put meat and onion/jalapeno mixture back in pan and add taco seasoning with 3/4 cup water. Bring to a boil and turn down heat and let simmer for 5 minutes.
  3. Add corn and cream cheese and let cream cheese melt and absorb into the meat mixture. Top with cilantro and take off heat.
  4. Preheat oven to 375.
  5. Unwrap the pie crust and lay it flat on a rimmed baking sheet.
  6. Pour meat mixture into one side of pie crust and fold crust over in a half moon shape. Seal the edges and press down with the tines of a fork.
  7. Brush crust with egg wash and bake for 20 minutes until pie shell is browned.
  8. Serve with a side of salsa, guacamole and sour cream.
https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2014/05/el-calzone/

 

Memorial Day Delish

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Happy Memorial Day weekend, y’all!  Time to fire up the grill and throw back a cocktail (or three!)

Here are some of my all-time favorite ‘kick-off to summer’ recipes….

Fresh Mozzarella, Basil and Watermelon Skewers

Skewers

 Marinated Flank Steak

flank steak

Jalapeno Poppers

These poppers are hotties.

These poppers are hotties.

Grilled Mahi Mahi with Tarragon Butter Sauce

mahiLow Carb Margarita

Parker's Skinny Margarita

Parker’s Skinny Margarita

 Mardi Gras Wings

mardi gras

 Guilt-Free Lemon Cheesecake

Guilt free, sugar free....and did I mention DELISH on a plate??

Guilt free, sugar free….and did I mention DELISH on a plate??

 

Blueberry Chocolate Crumble Pie

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blueberry pie

Low carbers, look away now….This is majah dangerous, y’all!

I wanted to make a special dessert for my favorite camera dude and his awesome wife….She said she likes desserts you can warm up and put ice cream on.  This is chocolate-y, creamy, blueberry yum in a pie plate.  Carb overload?  Fuh-gettaboutit.  Just get your butt to the gym in the morning. It’s worth it!

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Blueberry Chocolate Crumble Pie

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Ingredients

    For the pie filling
  • One Pillsbury Pie Crust
  • 3 cups fresh blueberries
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3 Tb flour
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • sprinkle of nutmeg
  • pinch of kosher salt
  • 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
    • For the crumb crust
  • 1 stick of butter plus 3 Tb for topping
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup flour
  • sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg

Instructions

    For the pie filling
  1. Preheat oven to 400
  2. Line a 9 inch pie dish with one pre-made crust (I like Pillsbury best)
  3. Sprinkle 1 cup of chocolate chips on top of the crust and bake for 10 minutes.
  4. In a bowl, mix berries with sugar, flour, salt, spices and lemon juice.
  5. Take pie out of the oven and pour in the berry mixture on top of the melted chocolate chips.
    6. For the crumb crust
  6. Using fingers, mix ingredients until crumbly and sprinkle over the blueberry filling. Place 3 Tb of butter on top of crumb crust before you place in oven.
  7. Bake at 400 for 35 minutes.
https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2014/05/blueberry-chocolate-crumble-pie/

And on a sentimental note, the filling is my Grandma Ronnie’s recipe– the crumb topping is my Grandma Parker’s recipe!  Best combo of Grandma legacies!

Creamy Crab Fettuccine with Lemon Garlic Gremolata

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pastaI post so many low carb recipes now that I literally feel like I have to apologize when I create anything “carby” and “gluteny” LOL!  This is one of the recipes where I admit, I don’t eat the pasta, just the sauce.  You could make this low carb and gluten free by subbing out zucchini noodles and either omitting the bread crumbs for the gremolata, or using gluten free breadcrumbs.

If you are looking to indulge, the crunchy, lemony gremolata is the perfect addition to a decadent pasta dish.

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Creamy Crab Fettuccine with Lemon Garlic Gremolata

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Ingredients

    For creamy crab fettuccine
  • 2 Tb butter
  • 4 garlic cloves diced
  • 1/4 cup brandy
  • 1/4 cup sherry
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 2 cups cheese (1 cup monterey jack, 1 cup parmesan)
  • 8 oz fresh lump crab meat
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne
  • 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
  • 1/4 cup reserved pasta water
  • pack of fettuccine noodles
  • salt and pepper to taste
    • For the lemon garlic gremolata
  • 4 Tb butter
  • 3 chopped garlic cloves
  • 2 Tb lemon zest
  • 1 Tb lemon juice
  • 1 cup seasoned panko breadcrumbs (or your favorite gluten free breadcrumbs)

Instructions

    For the Creamy Crab Fettuccine
  1. Cook fettuccine according to package directions for "al dente" *Make sure you adequately salt pasta water! (Once pasta is cooked, save 1/4 cup of the pasta water for the sauce) Drain pasta and set aside.
  2. Melt butter in large saucepan on medium heat, add diced garlic cloves.
  3. Add brandy, sherry, heavy cream, paprika, cayenne, crushed red pepper, 1/4 cup pasta water and crab.
  4. Bring to a simmer and add cheese.
  5. Let sauce thicken, stirring occasionally.
    6. For the lemon garlic gremolata
  6. Saute chopped garlic cloves in butter on medium heat in a saucepan.
  7. Add lemon juice and lemon zest.
  8. Add panko and stir to combine.
  9. Combine fettuccine with sauce and top with gremolata.
https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2014/05/creamy-crab-fettuccine-with-lemon-garlic-gremolata/

 

Gluten Free Tip of the Day: Breadcrumbs Using Udi’s Bagels

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crabcakeI’m pretty sure these are the best crab cakes you’ll ever taste….and you’d never know they were gluten free!  I discovered Udi’s Bagels when I went gluten free a couple years ago– they taste like the real deal– thick and crunchy when toasted— not that “it sure tastes gluten-free” kinda bite.

In my Killer Chili Garlic Crab Cake recipe, I fold in breadcrumbs and also coat the outside of the crab cake with bread crumbs for added crunch factor.  All you do is dice up the bag of Udi’s plain bagels (they’re in the freezer section of the grocery store, so let them defrost first) melt a stick of butter, drench the bread crumbs in the butter, spread on a rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle with garlic salt.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned.

Then, just take the crunchy breadcrumbs and pulse in the food processor until they are fine.  Use that gluten free goodness in the recipe as directed….Your guests will totally be stunned that not only are crab cakes THIS delish, but they’re gluten free too!

udis

 

Almond Crusted Tilapia with a Thai Coconut Curry Sauce

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almond tilapiaI’m always looking for new ways to cook the same ‘ol fish.  Since halibut and sea bass are ridiculously expensive, tilapia and catfish are my bottom feeder standbys!  Don’t knock these fishies for snacking on poop garbage at the bottom of the ocean–  no one’s complaining about lobsters bottom feeding!

sebastian

Anyhoo, I digress.  I love adding texture to fish so you get a little crunch with your flakey, tender bites.  I took a cup of almonds, pulsed them in the food processor and bam, easy (gluten-free) “breading.”  I like soaking my fish in buttermilk for 30 minutes before cooking— it takes away any remnants of fishy flavor and tenderizes the fillets.  You could serve this with a simple tartar sauce (mix a little mayo with relish and a squeeze of lemon) but I opted for a spicy Thai curry sauce that was “deceptively delicious” because of sneaking in some chopped brussel sprouts.  JP hates brussel sprouts– so I roasted about half a dozen at 400 for 30 minutes with some olive oil and sea salt, then chopped them up and added them to the sauce just before serving.  He loved it and had no idea he was eating brussels!!  Brilliant!  (I served the fish with sticky Thai purple rice which was marv.  Instead of cooking it with water, I subbed coconut milk.)

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Almond Crusted Tilapia with a Thai Coconut Curry Sauce

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Ingredients

    For the tilapia
  • 2 cups of buttermilk (for soaking)
  • 1 cup raw almonds
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 Tb canola oil
  • 1 Tb butter
    • For the coconut curry sauce
  • 3 garlic cloves chopped
  • 1 Tb olive oil or coconut oil
  • 1 Tb Thai Chili paste
  • 1 Tb fresh ginger
  • 1 Tb honey
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • juice from 1/2 lime
  • 1 Tb tamari or soy sauce
  • 1 jalapeno chopped (optional)
  • 6 roasted brussel sprouts chopped (optional)
  • 1 can full fat coconut milk
  • chopped cilantro for garnish

Instructions

    For the tilapia
  1. Soak in buttermilk for 30 minutes.
  2. Pulse almonds in food processor with "S" blade until they are a course "breadcrumb" consistency.
  3. Dredge tilapia in almond crumbs.
  4. Sprinkle both sides with a pinch of kosher salt and pepper
  5. Heat up a frying pan on medium high heat-- add oil and butter and wait until butter is bubbly. Add fish and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until fish is cooked through.
    6. For the sauce
  6. In a large sauce pan, heat up oil on medium high heat. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add chili paste and stir continuously for a minute until it is combined with garlic.
  7. Add entire can of coconut milk and stir to combine. The cream at the top of the can will have separated, so it takes a minute or two to come together in the sauce pan.
  8. Add the rest of the ingredients and turn down heat to low/medium. Keep warm until ready to serve.
  9. Spoon sauce over fish and garnish with cilantro.
https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2014/05/almond-crusted-tilapia-with-a-thai-coconut-curry-sauce/

 

 

Post Cinco de Mayo Pineapple Coconut Smoothie

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coconut pineaple smoothieI don’t know about y’all, but this little Gordita overdid it with the booze and cheese lastnight. Copious amounts of cheese, guacamole, margaritas and more cheese– and more tequila.  Someone may have even put some bacon on her taco, just sayin’.

seis

So, this morning, I made the most refreshing pineapple coconut detox (non)cocktail.  I mixed 2 cups of fresh pineapple with a few Tb of coconut cream– that yummy, thick cream that you find at the top of a can of coconut milk when you open it up.  (Not the coconut milk in the carton– you have to get the full fat cans of the good stuff. Thai Kitchen is my favorite brand.)  Put that in a food processor or blender and chill it— DIVINE.  Feeling no bueno about that Cinco de Mayo bender?  This is the best Seis de Mayo detox drink ever.  (Although Malibu rum might be a nice addition, but that’s just me being an enabler….)

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Pineapple Coconut Smoothie

Ingredients

  • 2 cups fresh coconut
  • 3 Tb coconut cream (from the can)
  • 1/4 cup coconut water (more if you want to thin it out)

Instructions

  1. Blend ingredients together until smooth.
https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2014/05/post-cinco-de-mayo-pineapple-coconut-smoothie/

 

Chilled Cucumber Avocado Soup

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avocado soup

I never have been a fan of gazpacho– to me, it kinda feels like you’re just eating salsa…but as the weather gets warmer, there’s nothing like a chilled cucumber avocado soup. Without the cucumber addition, the texture is thicker and you might as well be shoveling guacamole into your pie hole. (Not that there’s ANYTHING wrong with that, btw). Love the fresh factor that the Cuke’s add!

This is a great soup to serve before a heavier meal– or if you’re doing a little spring cleaning and opting for a detox menu, it is filling and super nutritious. And, unlike most of my posts, (ahem, BACON) it qualifies as vegan/vegetarian, SHOCKER!

It kept well in the fridge for an additional 24 hours after I made it.  If you want a thinner consistency, just add more of the coconut “water” from the coconut milk can.

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Cucumber Avocado Soup

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Ingredients

  • 2 peeled cucumbers
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 3 avocados
  • 2 Tb coconut cream (the thick cream that floats to the top of a can of coconut milk)
  • 2 Tb coconut water (the residual "water" under the coconut cream)
  • 2 slices pineapple (fresh or canned)
  • 1 Tb fresh pineapple juice
  • 1 tsp salt plus more to taste
  • juice from 1/2 lime
  • kosher salt to taste
  • fresh cilantro for garnish

Instructions

  1. Blend everything together in a blender or food processor. Serve chilled.
https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2014/04/chilled-cucumber-avocado-soup/