Chocolate Chip Truffle Bars

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There are so many people in my immediate family, and since we all have crazy schedules we find it hard to pick a date and time when everyone is available to celebrate birthdays. My oldest brother turned 40 this month, and we aren't due to celebrate as a family for another few weeks, but I couldn't let this momentous occasion go by unnoticed. I'm sure he wanted to be reminded of it, too!!! Riiight.

On his actual birthday, I showed up at his office with a few surprises. Balloons, of course, and a little gift I made. I saw it on Pinterest and knew it would be perfect to make. I decorated a shoebox using decorative paper and mod podge, layered floral foam inside, topped it with some shredded green paper, and then added 40 assorted lollipops inside with a sign that read "40 Sucks!" So that was the "bouquet" I brought him. I thought it was the best gag gift. Not sure how he felt about it... :) I added some pictures below in case you're interested. They aren't the best quality because I was using my Blackberry, but you get the gist!

I also made him this chocolate chip truffle dessert. It was a cinch to make and so decadent. I couldn't taste any because of this silly old thing called a diet, but my brothers and mom all said it was delicious and very rich. My brother said it was even better the next day after being in the refrigerator overnight. Yum! Enjoy :) 

His cake!

Here's the front of his "bouquet"

Here's the back side...so cute!

Surprising him at work!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

For bars:

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 egg
• 1 pouch (1 lb. 1.5 oz.) Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie mix

For frosting:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray bottom of a 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, stir together softened butter and egg. Stir in cookie mixture until soft dough forms. Press mixture in bottom of pans, using floured fingers.

Bake 19-21 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 30 minutes.

 

In medium saucepan, melt butter. Add sugar, milk, chocolate chips and vanilla. Continue to whisk until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is smooth. Allow to cool slightly and then spread over cooled cookie.

 

Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Once cooled, using frosting with a tip or a gel pack to decorate. Top with your favorite candy.

 

For bars, cut into 7 rows by 5 rows.

Source: For bars: Betty Crocker; For frosting: Cooks.com

Chicken Sausage, Peppers and Onions

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My goal to stay on a low carb diet is still going strong, and it's surprising how many recipes I've found or come up with that are actually fitting. I thought for sure that once I started I'd be having salads every night. I'm so glad that's not the case because I like variety and I don't think I'd be as successful if I had to have the same meal over and over again.

I've been reluctant to try any flavor of turkey or chicken sausage until Christmas when my sister-in-law served some with dinner. I just feel like sausage needs to be made with pork in order for it to be good, but she instantly proved me wrong. I tried the Italian and Garlic flavored chicken sausage, which were both delicious! I don't know why I was so hesitant to try them since I love both chicken and turkey, so I'm glad she pointed me in the right direction. My mom suggested making my usual Sausage, Peppers and Onions but modifying it to fit my low carb diet, which turned out great and didn't taste much different. Hope you enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 links Mild Italian Chicken Sausage
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 red pepper, sliced
• 1 green pepper, sliced
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Spray a skillet with cooking spray. Add the chicken sausage and cook for about 2 minutes on each side, flipping so that all sides are evenly cooked, so about 8-10 minutes total. Remove from skillet and cool slightly. Cut the sausage into bite-size pieces.

Meanwhile, add 2 tbsp. of vegetable oil to a large skillet. Add the onions and peppers and cook until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and cooked sausage. Cook for a few minutes until sauce is warm and thickened. Serve immediately.

Source: SK Original

Chicken Parmigiana

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Chicken Parmigiana. An Italian classic and one of my favorites at that. Albeit it might not be one of the healthiest things in the world, but it sure is one of the tastiest.

I served this when we had Chris' family over for dinner and I'm glad I did. I didn't want something that took a lot of time because I wanted to be able to enjoy our company. Since I made my homemade marinara sauce that morning, it was ready to go by the time I had to make the cutlets. I breaded them beforehand and stored them in the refrigerator in between sheets of plastic wrap. About 15 minutes before our company arrived, I began browning the chicken so that when they got there all I had to do was put it in the pan, pile on the sauce and cheese and pop it in the oven. This really is a perfect dinner to make when expecting guests! Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1-1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• Canola or vegetable oil
• 2 cups marinara sauce (homemade or store bought)
• Mozzarella cheese, shredded
• Parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Pound cutlets until 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.

Mix flour, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper in shallow plate. In separate plate, whisk eggs. Put breadcrumbs in a separate plate. Dip each cutlet in flour, then egg mixture, then breadcrumbs, allowing excess to drip off in between each plate.

Heat 1 tbsp. canola oil over medium-low heat. Cook breasts on each side until brown, about 2-3 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, heat the marinara sauce until hot. Coat the bottom of the pan with marinara sauce. Lay the chicken pieces on top and cover each piece with a generous amount of marinara sauce.  Top with shredded mozzarella cheese and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. 

Cook in the oven for 5-7 minutes until chicken is cooked all the way through and cheese is melted. Serve hot with pasta.

Source: SK Original

Asian Grilled Salmon

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Here's another recipe that's low carb, easy and delicious. I feel like most people I know enjoy salmon, and it's a definitely go-to of mine when I'm trying to eat healthy. It can be made on the grill, stove top, in the oven or on an indoor grill (which is what I did), so it's convenient no matter what your setting is.

My favorite salmon recipe of all time was posted here on The Savvy Kitchen a while back, but this is a close second. I like Asian flavors, so it didn't really surprise me that this was a front runner. Both recipes also used Dijon mustard, so I guess I can conclude that I enjoy a little mustard on my salmon. It gives the fish a little kick. I paired it with a side of wilted spinach, which was the same recipe I used when I made Seared Scallops. Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 side fresh salmon, boned but skin on (about 1.5 lbs.)

For the marinade:

• 2 tbsp. whole-grain Dijon mustard
• 3 tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
• 6 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. garlic, minced

Heat grill and spray with olive oil to keep the salmon from sticking.

While the grill is heating, lay the salmon skin side down on a cutting board and cut it crosswise into 4 equal pieces. Whisk together the mustard, soy sauce, olive oil, and garlic in a small bowl. Drizzle half of the marinade onto the salmon and allow it to sit for 10 minutes.

Place the salmon skin side up on the hot grill; discard the marinade the fish was sitting in. Grill for 5 to 6 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Turn carefully with a wide spatula and grill for another 5 to 6 minutes (or longer depending on how thick your salmon is).

Remove skin from the fish. Transfer the fish to a flat plate and spoon the reserved marinade on top. Serve warm or room temperature.

Source: Adapted from Barefoot Contessa

Bruschetta Steak

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This tomato, red onions and balsamic vinegar mixture is a perfect compliment for beef, chicken, or seafood. The flavors are fresh and crisp, which makes a light, yet hearty, dinner. I'm also trying to keep a low-carb diet until the wedding, so this fits the bill perfectly.

I have never been great at cooking steak indoors, but this broiling technique worked wonders. And it didn't even smoke up the kitchen. Score! Chris probably appreciated it since he usually gets stuck making the steak whenever that's in one of my recipes. Or else I cook it on my indoor grill, which takes twice as long. This recipe will definitely have you going back for seconds. Hope you enjoy!

Printable Recipe


Ingredients

• 2 lb. flank steak, fat trimmed
• Salt and fresh pepper
• Garlic powder
• 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 cup red onion, chopped
• 2-3 tomatoes, chopped (about 2 cups)
• 1/2 tbsp. basil leaves
• 1/2 tbsp. parsley

Pierce steak all over with a fork. Season generously with salt, pepper and garlic powder and set aside about 10 minutes at room temperature.


In a large bowl, combine onions, olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper. Let onions sit a few minutes with the salt and balsamic to mellow a bit. Combine with tomatoes and fresh herbs and adjust seasoning if needed.


Heat grill or broiler on high heat. Cook steak about 7 minutes on each side for medium rare or longer to taste. Remove from grill and let it rest on a plate for about 5 minutes before slicing.


Slice steak think on the diagonal; top with tomatoes and serve.


Source: Adapted from Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes