Baked Parmesan Zucchini Crisps

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 small zucchinis or 1 large zucchini, thinly sliced to about 1/4-inch thick rounds
• 3 large eggs, beaten, 
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Lay out a couple paper towels and place the zucchini rounds on the paper towels, Sprinkle zucchini with salt on both sides. Cover zucchini slices with more paper towels and press down on them. Leave for about 20 minutes. After 20 minutes you will notice that the paper towels are wet and the zucchini slices pretty dry.
2. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or wire rack.
3. In a shallow plate, combine Panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, oregano and season with salt and pepper.
4. In a 3rd plate beat eggs, with salt and pepper.
5. Start dredging zucchini rounds in flour, dip into eggs, then dredge in Panko mixture, pressing to coat. Place zucchini slices on prepared baking sheet.
6. Repeat until all zucchini slices are done. One large baking sheet was enough for me.
7. Bake 15 to 30 minutes, or until the zucchini rounds are golden and crispy.
8. Serve with your favorite dip.

Recipe from Stephanie via jocooks.com

Bacon Wrapped Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thighs also work)
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 packages regular cut bacon
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/2 cup mustard (I used honey mustard)
• 3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• dash cayenne (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F, making sure the oven rack is about 1/3 away from the oven top. Sprinkle, chicken breasts lightly with sea salt, ground pepper and garlic powder.
2. Line a baking pan with a baking sheet or foil (to collect drippings)and cooking rack. Slice chicken strips to about 1 1/2 inches thick and wrap in a slice of bacon. Place each on a wire rack set over the baking pan.
3. Mix the honey, mustard vinegar and cayenne (optional) in a small mixing bowl until combined.
4. Baste the top of the bacon wrapped chicken strips with honey mustard mixture and place in the oven for about 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Remove the pan from the oven and flip over chicken strips with a pair of kitchen tongs. Baste the other side of the strips with mixture and return to the oven for another 12-15 minutes or until bacon is crispy.
5. Remove from oven and serve.

~Recipe adapted from paleocupboard.com

Zucchini Cheddar Corn Muffins

Yield: 18 muffins
Prep: 15 min.
Cook time: 15 min.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup course ground yellow cornmeal
• 4 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 3 Tablespoons canola oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup shredded zucchini, squeezed and drained on paper towels
• 1/2 cup sweet corn kernels (you can use frozen corn)
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Fill a regular-size muffin pan with paper muffin cups or spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the buttermilk, melted butter, canola oil, and eggs until well blended. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula until combined. The batter will be lumpy. Fold in the zucchini, corn, and shredded cheese. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.
4. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from pan and serve.

~Recipe adapted from twopeasandtheirpod.com

Cinnamon Apple Energy Balls

Total time: 10 mins
Yields: 12-14 balls

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup pitted dates
• 1 cup dried apples (not freeze dried, you want the chewy ones)
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and process until it forms a thick paste.
2. Using about a tablespoon of the mixture, roll into balls. If you want the little bites, use about 1/4 teaspoon.

~Recipe from thenymelrosefamily.com

Honey Thyme Carrots

Ingredients:

• 16 ounce bag baby carrots
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Thyme
• Salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan on medium heat.
2. Add brown sugar, thyme and salt and pepper.
3. Stir to combine and dissolve brown sugar.
4. Add carrots and cook until you can prick carrots with a fork.

~recipe from Mikaila

Mongolian Beef (Copycat P.F. Chang's)

Ingredients:

• 1-2 pounds beef, cut into strips (suggestion: flank steak or stir fry beef strips)
• For the marinade:
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 Tablespoon corn starch
• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• For the sauce:
• 4 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 3 Tablespoons cold water + 1 1/2 Tbalespoons corn starch
• Optional: sliced green onions, sesame seeds.

Directions:

1. Combine all marinade ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until combined. Pour into a zip-lock back with beef strips, seal and chill 1 hour or overnight.
2. Drain marinade from zip-lock and set beef aside.
3. In a medium sauce pan combine sauce ingredients. Stir and heat over medium high heat until brown sugar has dissolved. While sauce is cooking, whisk together corn starch and water in a small bowl until corn starch is dissolved. Bring sauce to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and stir in corn starch-water mixture. Allow sauce to thicken slightly, then remove from heat. 
4. In a large pan or skillet pan or skillet, cook beef strips over medium high heat until cooked through (5-8 minutes) turning strips over throughout to ensure even cooking, reduce heat to medium. Add 1/2 - 1 cup sauce (depending on how "saucy" you want your beef). Stir and cook 1-2 minutes longer.
5. Serve over rice with green onions and sesame seeds if desired.

*Note: This recipe makes a large batch of the sauce, more than you will need for your beef. You may half the recipe if you'd like, or we like to use the extra over rice.

~Recipe adapted from cremedelacrumb.com

Lemon Zucchini Bread with Lemon Glaze

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cups canola oil
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice (1/2 lemon)
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 cup grated zucchini
• Glaze ingredients:
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 Tablespoon lemon juice (1/2 lemon)

Directions:

1. Mix flour, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat eggs. Then add oil and sugar until well blended. Add lemon juice, buttermilk, lemon zest to this mixture and blend all together.
3. Fold in zucchini until it is mixed well.
4. Add dry mixture to the wet mixture and blend all together until well combined.
5. Pour batter into grease 9x5 loaf pan.
6. Bake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes.
7. While still warm, make glaze and spoon over the bread. Let the glaze set up before cutting and serving.

~Recipe adapted from lilluna.com

Uncle Rich's Flank Steak

Ingredients:
2 Lbs Flank steak
2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 Cup peanut oil
1/2 soy sauce
1 onion sliced
sprinkle sesame seeds

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients in a bag and marinate Flank steak in bag for 24 hours.
2. Take onions from bag and saute in a pan (medium-low temp) until caramelized
3. Grill Flank steak to medium (2-3 minutes per side)
4. Remove Flank steak from grill, tent with foil, and let sit for 10 minutes
5. Slice very thin, across-grain of steak
6. Serve with sauteed onion

~Recipe from Uncle Rich via Nora

Pea and Lemon Risotto

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Arborio rice
• 1/2 cup peas
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup Parmesan
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 2 Tablespoons butter

Directions:

1. Warm stock in a small sauce pan.
2. Heat a large sauce pan on high. Add butter and rice. Cook till the rice starts to brown and smells nutty.
3. Add a couple ladles of stock into rice, stir around a few times. Let sit until liquid is mostly absorbed. Add another ladle of stock and stir to combine, let sit until liquid is mostly absorbed. Continue this until you use all the stock and the rice is cooked. (If you find the rice to not be completely done, go ahead and add water until using the same process until rice is cooked through). Note: do not stir contentiously or you'll end up with a starchy mess.
4. When rice is cooked through, add peas (they can be frozen), lemon juice and Parmesan. Stir to combine and serve!

~Recipe adapted from sayrecipes.com

Basil Shrimp

Serves: 9
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Ready in: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 3 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup minced fresh basil leaves
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• salt, to taste
• white pepper, to taste
• 3 pounds fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
• skewers

Directions:

1. In a shallow, non-porous dish or bowl, mix together olive oil and melted butter. Stir in lemon juice, mustard, basil, and garlic, and season with salt and white pepper. Add shrimp, and toss to coat. Cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Preheat grill to high heat. Remove shrimp from marinade, and thread onto skewers. Discard marinade.
3. Lightly oil grill grate, and arrange skewers on preheated grill. Cook for 4 minutes, turn once, or until opaque.

*I had cut the recipe in half when I made it (as shown in picture).

~Recipe from allrecipe.com

Vegetable Foil Grill Pack

Ingredients:

• Foil
• Italian dressing
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped

Directions:

1. Place cut vegetables in a bowl. Drizzle Italian dressing over them and stir to insure all the vegetables are coated.
2. Make a large pocket using foil.
3. Place all cut vegetables inside foil .
4. Seal edges of foil packet and place on heated BBQ or in oven (on a sheet pan) at 400 degrees.
5. Cook for about 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil packet (take care to not puncture foil). Place packet on large plate and open packet carefully as the steam will be very hot. 
6. Serve and enjoy!

~Recipe from Mikaila

Auntie Annes' Pretzels Copycat

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups milk
2. 1 1/2 Tablespoons active dry yeast (2 packets)
3. 6 Tablespoons packed light-brown sugar
4. 4 Tablespoons butter, at room temperature
5. 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus an up to an additional 1/2 cup as needed
6. 2 teaspoons fine salt
7. 1/3 cup baking soda
8. 3 cups warm water
9. coarse salt, to taste
10. 6 Tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:

• Warm milk in a microwave safe bowl in microwave (or alternately over stove top in a small saucepan) until temperature of milk reaches 110 degrees, about 1 1/2-2 minutes on HIGH power. Pour milk along with yeast into the bowl of an electric stand mixer and whisk together until yeast has dissolved, let rest 5 minutes. Add brown sugar, 4 teaspoons softened butter, 1 cup flour and 2 teaspoons fine salt to milk mixture and using the whisk attachment, stir until blended. Switch attachment to a dough hook, add remaining 3 1/2 cups flour and knead mixture on medium low speed until elastic. Mix in up to an additional 1/2 cup flour, as needed, until dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow dough to rise in warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line two baking sheets with Silpats or parchment paper (alternatley you could grease them). Punch dough down several times to release any air pockets. Divide dough 12 equal pieces (the easiest way to do this is to divide the dough in half, then divide the halves into halves then those into thirds). Cover divided dough loosely with plastic wrap (just to prevent a dry crust from forming on the outside) and roll each piece out into long, thin rope about 32-36 inches long (I found working on a non-floured to very very lightly floured surface worked best, I began with a lightly floured surface and realized it was much harder to get more stretch, plus it was much faster to roll them out when working on a less-no flour surface). Form dough rope into a pretzel shape.
• In a shallow bowl, whisk together baking soda and warm water then fully immerse pretzel into water mixture and allow excess water to drip off. Place on prepared baking sheet, reshape as needed and sprinkle to taste with coarse salt. Repeat this process with remaining dough. Bake pretzels in preheated oven 7-11 minutes until golden brown (note that you will likely only be able to cook 6 at a time among the two baking sheets) remove from oven and brush top and bottom of pretzel with melted butter. Serve warm. Reheat in microwave or in a warm oven once they've cooled, if desired.

~Recipe from cookingclassy.com

Black Bean Brownies

Total Time: 50 min
Prep: 15 min
Inactive: 15 min
Cook: 20 min

Ingredients:

• Butter, for greasing pan
• 3/4 cooked black beans
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil, or olive oil
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee or espresso
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, divided
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 by 9-inch square baking pan.
2. In a blender, puree the beans with the oil. 
3. Add the eggs, cocoa sugar, coffee, and vanilla.
4. Melt half the chocolate chips and add to the blender. Blend on medium-high until smooth.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the blender and pulse until just incorporated.
6. Stir in the remaining chocolate chips. Pour into the prepared pan.
7. Bake until the surface looks somewhat matte around the edges and still a bit shiny in the middle, about 20 minutes.
8. Let cool at least 15 minutes before cutting and removing from the pan.
9. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve.

~Recipe by Melissa d'Arabian from foodnetwork.com