Stuffed Apples: Pork and Sage

 ToSo, we know I'm (somewhat unsuccessfully) trying to stay paleo. It's a never ending battle. I will say though that if all recipes tasted like this, I would be 100% 

I got this recipe (wait for it....) from www.paleOMG.com - such a shocker right? I'm sorry but she just does such a good job.

I followed this recipe pretty much to the "T" but had to use these weird ground pork cutlet things that didn't break up well so I cooked then pulled out departed to chop up before combining the rest of the goodies. Other than that...same recipe. (Oh wait I don't do ghee so I used butter for veggies and didn't add anything on top) Tasted Delish. Pork was a little dry so something on top may have been beneficial. 

http://paleomg.com/stuffed-double-pork-sage-baked-apples/

Gots to say- this will be a make again kinda recipe especially before the apples are gone 

Banana Bread

So, today marks the last day of my sinfulness. Well, for a while anyway. I have had quite the last few weeks of binge-eating, which I define as eating whatever I damn well please. It has been glorious, I'm not going to lie and say I haven't enjoyed myself. But I feel like crap, and so that means it's time to get back to the clean. Before my time is done, however, I do want to share something: I baked. Yup, by choice and on my own, this girl right here baked. {oddly enough, my sister baked recently too- I don't know what's happening to us}

Someone somewhere told me that if bananas go brown, you make banana bread. I came across said brown bananas in my kitchen the other day and thought "I know I heard somewhere that you're supposed to do something with these buggers.... what was it?!" And then it hit me- BREAD! {ok ok people- I'm doing this for effect. Believe it or not, I do know that this is a commonly known fact. Come on- I'm not that big of an idiot}

So, because I don't bake and have no concept of how to do so, I set to Pinterest. Also through this process, I realized I may not have some of the key ingredients that one might need to make banana bread. Like, milk for example. I have coconut milk, I have almond milk, but not plain old cow's milk. Somehow, I thought to myself, that may not swap well. 

I found my way to a recipe from Simply Recipes, that did not involve milk. Had only a few simple ingredients {another that I didn't have, baking soda. BUT I did have baking powder. OMG, wait, they're different? Really?! Again- duh. I googled that and learned you can swap it 2-3x powder for 1 soda. Win!} 

ingredients:

2-3 very ripe bananas, peeled

1/3 cup melted butter

1/2 cup of sugar*

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp baking soda*

Pinch of salt

1-1/2 cups flour

instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F, and grease a loaf pan {I sprayed with cooking spray to avoid using more butter}
2. In a large bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until smooth. 
3. Stir the melted butter into the bananas.
4. Mix in the baking soda and salt. Stir in the sugar, beaten egg, and vanilla extract. 
5. Mix in the flour.
6. Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Bake for appx 1 hour or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. {test at 50 min- mine was ready just before 1 hour}
7. Remove from oven and cool completely on a rack. 
8. Remove the banana bread from the pan. Slice and serve. 

notes:

• In case you hadn't figured it out already... this recipe is NOT Paleo.
• A great thing about this recipe, especially for me, is that you don't need a mixer. Great for me, since I only have a weeny hand one and not a fancy stand mixer. I mixed everything in one bowl: mashed the bananas with a fork, and then mixed in with a wooden spoon. 
• The best bananas to use are overly ripe and mostly browned ones- they makes the bread much sweeter. Because of this, I found that you also can decrease the sugar in the recipe drastically, which I did. *The original recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar, but I actually only used 1/2 cup and felt it was plenty sweet {and slightly less naughty!}
• Get ready for learning. *You can substitute baking soda/powder if you don't have any. If you are using baking powder in place of soda, you will need 2-3x the amount, and you should leave out any salt that is called for. Vice versa, you can use 1 part baking soda+ 2 parts cream of tartar to sub for baking powder. You'll need to make the "baking powder" mixture, then measure exactly what is called for in the recipe #schooled

{Direct Link}

Banana Bread

Apple Bison Burger Salad + BONUS RECIPE

So, as much as I love the fall, I'm not quite ready to get into chili mode. I mean, that will happen soon, but for now I'm on the hunt for things I can make inside that allow for me to hold on to a few more sweet 70 degree days. 

I found this recipe on paleOMG {of course} and changed it up ever so slightly to meet our table's needs, and the result was quite enjoyable. Feel free to compare to her original recipe- she also served them on gluten/grain free buns rather than as salad.

ingredients:

3 Tbl coconut oil {plus extra to coat pan for cooking}

1-2 yellow onions, thinly sliced 

1 pound ground bison 

1 egg

1 green apple, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

S+P

Arugula

instructions:

1. In a medium pan, heat coconut oil, and then add onion with a little salt. Make sure onions are coated in oil and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until onions are soft and brown.
2. While onions cook, combine beef with other ingredients: in a large bowl add beef, egg, apple, garlic cloves, salt and pepper, and mix well by hand to combine. Form 4-5 patties depending on how big you want them {wash your hands well before touching anything else!}
3. Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Add a bit of coconut oil to grease the pan, and cook patties on both sides for 5-6 minutes.
4. Serve over bed of arugula, with cooked onions on top. 

notes:

• I served over a bed of arugula but you can feel free to add any additional veggies or more apple to make it more like a salad. Hubby doesn't like arugula, so he actually had it over iceberg lettuce. He may have even wrapped.... lots of options here people!! 
• Another neat trick that I learned is that pressing a thumb into the middle of a patty will keep the burgers from puffing up... I have always seen people do this but never really understood why, nor did I take the time to ask. Now I know! 
• I used one onion and it only got us through the first 2 patties. If you're anything like us and enjoy onions, I recommend cooking up more than one onion. 
• I think this would be pretty tasty with bacon. Probably because everything is. 

* BONUS RECIPE *

Homemade Sweet Potato Fries ~ Click here

Sweet Potato Fries

I love sweet potatoes. I love that you can go either sweet or savory with them. I love that you can eat them as a meal. I love that you can eat them as part of a meal. I love that you can eat them as snacks like in the form of chips or french fries. I have a heck of a time getting said snacks crispy in the oven, though, and it drives me crazy. 

In her post linked below, Juli from paleOMG tells us how to make them crispy! The secret is in the sauce.. or.. oil. Either way, I tried it and they were the best ones I've ever made! 

Check it out!! http://paleomg.com/leftovers-bbq-chicken-burgers-crispy-sweet-potato-fries/

Shrimp and Sweet Corn Gazpacho

So, if something's easy, especially in the kitchen, I'm all for it. I happened upon this recipe for gazpacho in the circular we get from Stop & Shop. Really? The grocery store? Yes. I saw it and immediately felt the overwhelming desire to make this into my own recipe. Gazpacho is one of those things that just screams summer. Since the summer feels like it is so quickly coming to an end, I made it that night. I doubled the recipe so we could enjoy it all week, and for dinner that evening, I also added chopped shrimp. MMM. The amounts I am providing are for the double batch, just FYI.

Ingredients:

1 lb cocktail shrimp, chopped 

1 package frozen sweet corn, cooked and cooled {I use steam-in bag}

4 fresh tomatoes, finely diced

2 medium cucumbers, finely diced

1 green bell pepper, finely diced

1/2 yellow onion, finely diced

2 tsp minced garlic

1 regular bottle low sodium V8 juice

6 Tbl lemon juice

2 tsp dried basil

1/2 cup Hot sauce, or to taste

Salt + black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients
2. Refrigerate for 4–6 hours to allow flavors to develop
3. Serve chilled with fresh basil for garnish if desired

Notes:

• Yes, that's all you do.
• Because I made so much of it, I actually spooned a separate portion of the soup into a smaller bowl and added the shrimp to that, as to not contaminate the rest of the soup that would last all week. 

Chicken Florentine Spaghetti Squash // Paleo

This, my friends, is one worth making. Mind you, you need to get a good sausage {the weird chicken sausage we got did not work, but the thought was there and I could taste how good it would be if I had the right sausage- that's how good it was!}  Also adorable, keeping your spaghetti squash skins, and serving this up right inside! Super cute, super easy. Me, I always quarter my squash to cook it in the microwave since I'm entirely too impatient to wait for it's 40 minute roast time//so I served this sucker up in my super adorable {and bright orange} Rachael Ray bubble and brown dishes. 

Let's get to it, shall we? I found this recipe on stupideasypaleo.com

it was a guest post from the awesome chick that writes popularpaleo.com

ingredients

1 medium spaghetti squash
1 package//4 links chicken sausage (organic, gluten-free; I would go hot)
1 organic onion, diced
2–3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups//3 large handfuls organic baby spinach leaves, packed
2–3 TBL EVOO
S+P to taste
Optional: chopped flat-leaf parsley for garnish

instructions

1. First- cook the spaghetti squash. I will have to do a post specifically on how to do this, but here's my trick. Cut squash in half, and remove seeds and pulp with a spoon. Split squash into quarters, place in a glass Pyrex with some water, cover with plastic wrap and seal tightly. Nuke in microwave for 10-13 minutes depending on size of squash. {be VERY careful when removing from the microwave- there will be all sorts of steam trapped under that plastic- trust}
2. While the squash cooks, heat a large skillet to medium-high and drizzle in a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Once the oil is heated, crumble in the sausage, onion and garlic. Cook and stir until the sausage is just about cooked and the onion is translucent—this should take about 10 minutes or so. Add the spinach leaves on top of the mixture in the pan so that it wilts as the rest of the items cook. Stir it all together as the spinach cooks down. Turn off heat.
3. Once the squash is cooked and cooled slightly, hold each section with tongs to drain, and use a fork to scrape out the strands. Transfer into the pan with the sausage mixture, season with S+P, and toss the squash with the sausage and spinach so everything gets evenly combined. Top with parsley if you'd like. 

notes

• I think I also threw this under the broiler once it was all done. If you wanted to cheat a little, this would be delightful with a little parm sprinkled on top. Mm Mm.
• This was super easy and actually pretty quick to make. Again, if you roast your squash it takes wayyyy longer. Who has time for that after working all day?! But if you are anti-plastic-in-the-microwave as some are, you certainly can roast your squashes. 
• This reminds me slightly of the Spaghetti Pie recipe I posted here. Although, these flavors + that preparation, hmm... I might be on to something....

Baked breaded eggplant

So this recipe is one that I will be using in as many ways as I possibly can. A Paleo breading?! Say what! This was delightful on eggplant, and I look forward to breading everything in sight.

Found on www.paleoproject.com who adapted from Paleo Girls

ingredients:

2 medium eggplants
2 eggs, whisked
coconut oil, enough to oil pan for each batch of eggplant

For the Paleo breadcrumbs:
1 cup almonds
1 cup cashews
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 tablespoons dried Thyme
2 teaspoons dried Oregano
2 teaspoons dried Rosemary
3 tablespoons dried Parsley Flakes
1/2 tablespoon Sea Salt

instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350
• Peel, slice into 1/4 inch rounds and rinse eggplant. Set aside.
• Prepare breadcrumbs. Place almonds in food processor, chop until very fine. Set aside. Place cashews in food processor, process until it resembles parmesan cheese, add to almonds.
• Press garlic. Add garlic, Thyme, Rosemary, Oregano, Parsley and Salt to almonds and cashews. Stir to combine.
• Set up breading station. Whisk two eggs, place beside breadcrumbs and eggplant rounds.
• Place eggplant on foil covered baking sheet (1 or 2 depending on how many rounds) and bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until the breading turns a golden brown color 

notes:

1. Serve with your choice of spaghetti sauce {I always default to Nature's Promise~ either tomato basil or fra diavlo. 
2. Breading can be used for a variety of other things... Can't wait!

Stuffed, Marinated Mushrooms {Paleo}

As always, I am LOVING Lexi's Clean Kitchen recipes. I make one of her recipes at least once a week as I'm learning the Paleo lifestyle. Last night, I made Stuffed Mushrooms ~ and these little guys were PACKED with flavor. I was pleasantly surprised, because I was a little skeptical on this one. It just didn't sound like it would taste like much. I was mistaken. Ohhh, was I mistaken. 

I think the trick to these is the marination. {Marination?! I'm making that a word, and I'm making it mean what I want it to mean} - I didn't even get those suckers in the fridge for very long, but it makes a world of difference, especially for these hefty mushroom caps. 

Stuffed Marinated Mushrooms {Paleo}

original recipe from www.lexiscleankitchen.com

ingredients:

1 package Portobello mushrooms {containing at least 4-6 mushrooms}

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 Tbl EVOO

3 chicken sausage, casing removed and diced {I used organic, sun-dried tomato flavor}

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1 yellow onion, finely diced

2 cups baby spinach leaves

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

Sea salt & ground pepper to taste

instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Separate the stems from the mushrooms and reserve for later
3. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 Tbl EVOO and vinegar. Pour the mixture into a large ziplock bag and add the mushroom tops. Marinate in the fridge for up to 30 minutes
4. Once marinated, put the mushrooms on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes
5. While cooking, chop mushroom stems, mince garlic, and chop onion. Heat remaining oil and add garlic, chopped mushroom stems and onion and let cook for 5 minutes, mixing often
6. Add in sausage, spinach, and tomatoes; let cook for an additional 5 minutes
7. After the mushrooms have cooked, remove them from the oven and gently pour off any liquid. Spoon in the filling into each mushroom cap
8. Serve and enjoy!

notes:

• We could only get a package of mushrooms that were kind of small. It worked ok, a small portion was 3 mushrooms. I would probably try to buy larger mushrooms next time.
• The sun dried tomato sausage was a delight. The original recipe calls for spicy sausage, which also would work well I think, but I think I will experiment with different flavors of chicken sausage. It's such a great ingredient!
• This could be used for mini mushrooms, too, to be served app-style. The sausage would just have to be broke up significantly more than it does with the larger mushroom caps
• The original recipe also called for basil. I might try that next time, just chopped and sprinkled on top. 
• For a non-paleo version, sprinkled with breadcrumbs and a little grated parm then broiled for a minute at the end would be yum! 

Deviled Avocados

Avocados.



These tasty little suckers are jam-packed full of goodness. They provide a ton of antioxidants and healthy, unsaturated fat to a balanced diet and actually help your body absorb vitamins and nutrients.. say what?! Fact. They are good for...

Bone + Skin Health
Manganese Bone health
Phosphorus Bone and teeth formation
Magnesium Bone health
Riboflavin, Niacin Skin Health

Cardiovascular {circulation + heart}
Copper, Magnesium Regulating your heart rate
Copper Maintaining normal blood pressure
Pantothenic Acid Formation of red blood cells

Immune System
Vitamins C, B6 Immune system function
Zinc Wound healing

Vitamin E Tissue repair

Muscle Growth + Development
Vitamin E Muscular development
Vitamin C Connective tissue function

Magnesium Muscle and nerve function

Digestion
Thiamin, Folate Metabolism
Riboflavin Protein, fat and carb processing

Panthothenic Acid Nutrient processing

WOW!!! It is NOT easy being green!
A few tips about these green goddesses that I thought I would share...

• The ripeness of an avocado can be determined by its color. The greener the avocado, the less ripe, the darker/black the avocado, the riper it is
• You can speed up ripening by placing in a brown paper bag. Slow it down by sticking it in the fridge.
• When opening an avocado, I find it easiest to cut around the circumference of the fruit {I do it the long way, especially for this recipe} twist open, and then pop your knife into the pit, turn, and pull out. No need to dig the pit out with a spoon! 
• To save a cut avocado, keep the pit in, sprinkle with lime juice, and cover with aluminum or plastic wrap. 

and now... onto the recipe!

Deviled Avocados

{original recipe spotted on Pinterest 

from jamaicanitpaleo.com}

ingredients:

1 can tuna 

1 avocado {ripe}

½ tsp minced garlic

1 scallion, chopped

¼ red onion, minced

Juice of ½ lime

Sea salt and pepper to taste

instructions:

1. Cut the avocado in half and empty the contents in a mixing bowl {save the skin!}
2. Combine the tuna and the remaining ingredients with the avocado.
3. Mix and mash until thoroughly combined.
4. For presentation, put the mixture back into the skins and serve!

notes:

• This is absolutely adorable if served in the skins.
• This is absolutely delicious, even if eaten directly off a plate.
• Info and nutritional facts obtained from www.theamazingavocado.com 

Carrot Cake Whoopie Pie

Hi, my name is Coleen and I'm a food-aholic. 

I'm pretty sure that's how this whole thing started... and what keeps it going. 

Easter, my friends, is quickly becoming a favorite holiday for me. Primarily because I get to cook. {when my mother reads this, I will promptly get a text indicating that the day that I decide to "take over" any additional holidays, she will be more than happy to oblige}

This year {as you may have already found out from my quick and easy post where I did NOT share recipes... hehehe sorrieee} we made Pistachio Crusted rack of lamb, roasted potatoes, and a beautiful Spring salad. The lamb was insanely good. I will have to get that recipe from my sister to share... but in my mind, the pièce de résistance was by far dessert. Our end game was the delectably sweet, and just a touch of savory and wittily re-named, individual Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies. Bon Appétit~

Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies

{original recipe from Cooking Light}

ingredients:

2 cups shredded carrot {we chopped it up a bit}

2/3 cup packed brown sugar, divided

1/4 cup unsalted butter, divided

2 Tbl canola oil

1 tsp orange zest {eyeball it}

3/4 tsp vanilla extract, divided

1 large egg

1 cup flour

1 tsp cinnamon

3/8 tsp salt, divided

1/4 tsp baking soda

4 oz cream cheese, softened 

1 cup powdered sugar

instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Cover 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
2. Combine carrot and 3 Tbl brown sugar in a bowl; toss to coat. Place mixture in a fine mesh sieve; let stand to drain over the bowl for at least 10 minutes, stirring every once in a while. Discard liquid.
3. Place 2 tablespoons butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in short increments until melted. Add oil, orange, 1/2 tsp vanilla, and egg; whisk until well combined.
4. Combine flour, remaining brown sugar (about 1/2 cup), cinnamon, 1/4 tsp salt, and baking soda in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add both carrot mixture and butter mixture; stir until just combined. 
5. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets and gently pat dough down to form 2-inch circles. Target 14 cookies in total. 
6. Bake at 350° for 11-13 minutes or until set. Remove pans from oven; let stand 3 minutes. Let cool completely.
7. While cookies are baking, make the frosting: combine cream cheese, remaining 2 Tbl butter, remaining 1/4 tsp vanilla extract, and remaining 1/8 tsp salt in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed 3 minutes, until fluffy. Add powdered sugar; beat at low speed 1 minute or until well combined (don't overbeat!). Spread frosting on flat side of 1 cookie; top with another cookie, flat side down. 
8. Repeat the procedure with remaining cookies and filling.

notes:

• Make sure your parchment paper is cut to fit your baking sheet.
• The original recipe says this makes 28 total cookies, but we made our cookies a little larger and our batter created 14 total {which was perfect- it made 7 little whoopies for our dinner party of 6}
• I couldn't believe how delicious this super easy cream cheese frosting was!

Crockpot Jerk Chicken

So, I totally brought Jerk Seasoning home from the island. Obviously, I did. My friend bought his at one of the little shops when we ventured off our resort, but I bought mine in the gift shop at the hotel. Either way, though, it's Jamaican Jerk seasoning. And I was so excited to use it. 

I had tt get me a package of organic, grass fed, deconstructed chicken pieces {ie the glorious package that has all the pieces of a whole chicken in it, but without the inconvenience of it coming in the form of a whole chicken carcass} - and I decided I was going to crock pot that sucker with some jerk. And crock pot with some jerk I did. 

I have a small crock pot, so the chicken pieces got layered. In between these layers of raw poultry, I layered jerk along with it. Liberally. {so liberally, that my mouth is still on fire} -- I threw a little vegetable stock in the bottom, which is my go-to for everything, and set on low and slow for 8 hours. 

Fall off the bone.

Bursting with flavor.

Shut the front door. 

Honestly, the flavor is not unlike the chicken obtained from the chicken guy that was serving jerk chicken off of a cart at lunchtime each day. 

I just burned myself because I stuck my fingers right into the crock pot to pull some of this goodness out.

If you aren't lucky like me and have a whole baggie of this delectable combination of spices, fear not, because you can make it yourself!

Crockpot Jerk Chicken

ingredients

Recipes for the seasoning vary, but my real Jamaican spice is made of:

Salt

Crushed chillis

Cane sugar

Pimento
Black pepper

Granulated garlic

Coriander

Thyme

Garlic extract

Cinnamon

{others included allspice, turmeric, brown sugar, red pepper flakes and other ingredients}

other ingredients

Meat {chicken, pork}

Vegetable stock

instructions

1. Apply liberally to meat {chicken, pork are ideal}
2. Place in crock pot, cook on low for 8ish hours depending on the size of meat

notes

• 4 hours on high will probably work too, but low and slow makes for the fall off the bone tenderness!
• This is seriously delish.

Paleo Pizza Spaghetti Pie

Yet again it's a recipe experiment week!! While the week is coming to a close, I tried a few good ones. Shrimp fraDiavlo was one that was pretty tasty.. I don't usually make my own sauce and this one was a quick and simple take on a spicy classic. I'll get that recipe up later but for now I'm focused on what's in the oven.

If you know me, you know my weird obsession with the Spaghetti Pie my mother makes. It's so good. And it's actually the first thing I ever made for tt for dinner back in our early days of courtship. The frozen salty meatballs, the loads of ooey-gooey cheese, and let's not forget the spaghetti. Oh, and the butter. 

If I could make this in a swimming pool and climb right on in, I would. No seriously, I would do that. And probably then either eat my way out, or drown right there in the cheese. 

As even a non-Paleo-er can imagine, the items listed above probably weren't around in the time of the cavemen. Frozen meatballs? Um no. Delightfully convenient, probably too convenient for the Flinstones. Lame. BUT- fear not!! For I have found a solution. Paleo Pizza Spaghetti Pie!! I can't promise how it tastes, but I can definitely attest to how it smells. And it smells like pizza. And yummy. 

{Paleo} Pizza Spaghetti Pie 

Recipe by paleOMG.com

ingredients

1 large spaghetti squash 

1 lb sausage {I used organic, grass fed, spicy Italian pork sausage, casing removed}

1 small or half of a large yellow onion, diced 

Dry or fresh basil to taste

1 cup pizza sauce {no sugar added}

3 eggs, beaten

instructions 

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Cook spaghetti squash {can bake, or I like to remember that I'm not actually a cave woman and cook mine in the microwave- quarter, scoop seeds, throw in a Pyrex with about a half inch of water and cover with Saran Wrap. Nuke for 11-12 mins} 
3. Meanwhile, cook your onion and sausage until there is no pink left in the meat; as it cooks, work to break it apart into small pieces
4. When cooked, add pizza sauce and basil and mix well
5. When squash is cooked, remove the strands and put into a 8x8 baking dish that has been greased. Add sausage and sauce mixture and mix well
6. Add eggs and mix until you can no longer see the egg
7. Bake at 400 for an hour, you will notice that the top forms a slight crust
8. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving 

notes

• You can also add any other "pizza toppings" such as other veggies or cheese if you are so inclined. 
• I can't wait to eat it. My whole house smells like I'm going to eat something naughty. 

Happy Friday!

No bake Paleo Cookies

While I don't have a super sweet tooth, I will say that one thing I miss when dieting is desserts. Only once in a while, but when that craving comes over me, watch out. I usually give in and send tt down the street to DQ for a blizzard {note: I always get a mini, but it's still 1000 calories I'm sure}

I came across a bunch of Paleo cookie recipes. I am dying to try the chocolate chip cookies, but also found these which ultimately came out a little more like a candy bar than a cookie. I'm ok with it. 

No Bake Paleo Cookies

Original recipe from: sweettreatsbyshayna.blogspot.com

ingredients

1 cup coconut flakes

1 cup dark chocolate chips

1 cup chopped pecans {I used walnuts}

1/2 cup almond butter

1/3 cup raw honey

1/3 cup olive oil {I actually ran out of olive oil...gasp...so I used coconut oil here}

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

instructions

1. Heat chocolate chips, oil, honey, and almond butter in a sauce pan on medium heat, stirring often. You will want to melt the chocolate chips until they are a smooth consistency.
2. Turn off the heat and add cinnamon, nuts and coconut. Be sure to coat everything in the chocolate.
3. Drop a spoonful on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until hardened.

notes

• Mine was super liquidy, even once I mixed the dry ingredients in. I'm wondering if this is partly due to using coconut oil in place of olive oil, but I don't see why that would happen. I don't bake- clearly, this is why. I mess up even no-bake cookies. Most of it ran together on the parchment paper, so I will cut it into pieces and eat as candy. Problem solved!

Cauliflower Rice

PALEO ALERT!

I've made this nifty side dish a few times now, and am excited to report that for me, it serves as a nice alternative to actual rice. I do love a good cauliflower, so I can't tell you in all honesty if it actually tastes like cauliflower if you don't season it with anything other than S+P- my guess is that it does a little. BUT it is literally an empty canvas for flavor combinations. S+P are a must, but you could do all sorts of things like:

... add cilantro and lime juice for a fresh take on Mexican "rice"

... go Indian and add turmeric and curry powder for a savory treat 

    {add cayenne to give it a kick}

... sesame oil, scallions and a little ginger would take you down an Asian path. 

    {and- if you threw in some tamari, it might just blow your mind}

... include sauteed veggies like mushrooms, onions or peppers to give it more bulk

... I'm seriously not kidding- you can do anything with this! 

And to make matters even better, it is super easy to make. Like, stupid easy. Are you even ready for this?

{Paleo} Cauliflower "Rice"

ingredients

1/2-1 whole head fresh cauliflower

Appx 1 Tbl oil {I used olive, but anything could be used here}

S+P to taste

Any other ingredients you'd like to jazz up your "rice"

What else do you need? A food processor, and nice large skillet - that's it.

instructions

1. Remove the stem from your cauliflower and roughly chop. It doesn't have to be small at all. 
2. Place chopped pieces of cauliflower into food processor, and pulse until it becomes the consistency of little rices.
3. Heat oil in skillet, and saute cauliflower until it turns slightly translucent, stirring often.

notes

• Yes, I made up the word "rices"
• That is all.

Pad Thai {Paleo}

I'm all about new Paleo recipes right now!! Bring 'em on. One of my oldest friends in life knows this about me and shared a recipe that she came up with for Pad Thai. If you know me {and she knows me} I love-love-LOVE Pad Thai. She instructed me that the basic premise for the recipe is a protein, veggies, egg, lime, and almond butter. Now having made it, I will agree that basically, if you work around that, the possibilities are pretty much endless. I am seriously in Pad Thai HEAVEN. I am forcing myself not to not eat the whole thing... and I totally can't wait to make this again. So, here goes:

Pad Thai {Paleo}

ingredients

A protein {chicken breast, shrimp, any ground meat will work... I used chicken thighs}

Cabbage sliced like noodles {or for the lazy, ie me: a bag of fresh coleslaw mix}

Optional: Red/Green Peppers, Sliced onions, Mushrooms, Garlic

Sesame oil

1/2 tsp of "Chinese 5 spice" {can also use nutmeg and cinnamon}

Salt + Pepper

Juice of half of a lime

2 eggs

1 heaping tsp of almond butter

1 Tbl water

Finish with: red pepper flakes and sesame seeds

instructions

1. Saute protein and vegg in "just enough" sesame oil 
2. Season with 5spice and S+P
3. Once veggies and chicken are cooked and seasoned, finish with the juice of half a lime
4. Crack eggs in and lightly scramble
5. Mix almond butter with a little water to thin it out to a sauce, then add into pan and mix well
6. Finish with red pepper flakes{adds heat!} and sesame seeds 

notes

• So, I don't have Chinese 5 spice in my repoirtoire, and I used cinn/nutmeg- that being said, the flavor was slightly off. It was a little too sweet-spicy. Aka, cinnamonny. Or nutmeggy. Or something. Either way, because I fully intend to make this again, I fully intend on visiting Penzey's to get myself some 5 spice. 
• I used about 3/4 of the bag of Cole Slaw mix - it worked perfectly fine, I wouldn't bother actually slicing cabbage.
• For veggies, I cut up 1 red bell pepper, 1 green pepper, 1 small yellow onion, probably a half cup of baby bellas, and threw in a little minced garlic. 
• Because I used chicken thighs, I baked them separately {425 for 25-30 mins} I put a little sesame oil on them, S+P and a dash of red pepper flakes. Skin didn't really crisp up, which I was bummed about, but I wasn't planning on eating it anyways so it didn't matter. Next time I will probably try shrimps. Mmm. 

Shepard's Pie {Paleo}

Ok slight change in plans after the grocery store adventure. Wanted nothing to do with going to a second grocery store for fish, so Sunday shifted to Shepard's Pie. And thank goodness it did. You would NEVER guess that this dish was paleo/good for you/not packed with processed junk. Get ready for your mouth to literally start watering as you read the recipe. 

And for dessert? I finished it off with coconut chocolate chia seed pudding. Stop it. Nope, I can't. It's kinda scary how delicious paleo food can be... You know you're jealous. 

Shepard's Pie {Paleo}

Recipe originated from: www.eat-yourself-skinny.com 

ingredients

1 lb grass fed ground beef

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 carrots, chopped

1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped

1/2 cup frozen corn

1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary, divided

1 Tbsp chopped fresh sage, divided

1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme, divided

1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp organic vegetable stock {like Nature's Promise}

1 Tbsp potato starch {I couldn't find it, so I actually used regular flour- this makes the dish not paleo}

1/2 head cauliflower, chopped

1 egg

Salt and pepper, to taste

instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a large skillet, brown ground beef. Add onion, garlic, carrots and mushrooms and cook until soft, about 3 minutes.
3. Add a 1/2 cup of chicken stock, potato starch and corn and bring mixture to a light boil, mixing often.
4. Turn off heat and add half of your fresh herbs (you'll use the other half in the cauliflower mash) along with salt and pepper. Set aside.
5. Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a rolling boil. Cook cauliflower for about 7 to 10 minutes, until soft. Drain.
6. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, 2 tablespoons of chicken stock (or more if needed) and the cooked cauliflower. Using a potato masher or whisk, mash cauliflower until smooth and add reserved herbs and a good pinch of salt. {you can also use a food processor or blender here - that's what I did}
7. Evenly divide the meat mixture into ramekins until almost full. Using a spatula, spread cauliflower mixture over top until meat is completely covered.
8. Place ramekins on a baking sheet and cook in the oven for 10 minutes then switch your oven to broil and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes.
9. Allow a few minutes to cool and enjoy!

notes

• Had I not burnt the tops of my little pretties, there would have been pics of these babies. I had my broiler on "normal" {I have low, normal, high} and left in for 8 minutes and it was entirely too long, obviously. Next time I will go to low and probably watch after 5 minutes.
• I will 100% be making Cauliflower Mash again in place of mashed potatoes. The cauliflower mixed with vegetable stock and an egg, baked in the oven, literally almost tastes like potatoes. I am looking forward to experimenting with that!
• I intend to go to Whole Foods this week to hopefully procure potato starch. Again with the "we didn't want to go to multiple stores" today, I didn't bother. I figured it was only 1 Tbl of flour, so it's not the end of the world.. but using that changed the paleo nature of this recipe. Boo. 

Sweet + Spicy Basil Shrimp

Sooo tt decided to make me dinner one night this past week which was an extremely welcomed surprise. Even more of a surprise, was the recipe he found online to make. Shrimp with Mango and Basil is where it started, and it morphed into this sweet and spicy one-pan wonder, channeling warm Indian spices, and throwing your tastebuds for a loop with a pop of sweet pineapple. 

Sweet + Spicy Basil Shrimp

From EatingWell: February/March 2005, The EatingWell Healthy in a Hurry Cookbook (2006) 

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/shrimp_with_mango_basil.html

ingredients:

1 pound raw shrimp, (21-25 per pound), peeled and deveined, tails left on
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large ripe, pineapple- peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup firmly packed fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

{serve it over: wild rice}

instructions:

1. In a large Ziploc bag, toss shrimp with salt, cayenne to taste and turmeric. Seal the bag and marinate in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. 
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; place the shrimp in a single layer and cook until the undersides turn salmon-pink, about 1 minute. Flip them over and cook for 1 minute more. 
3. Add pineapple and chopped basil and cook, stirring, until the shrimp is just cooked and starts to barely curl, 1 to 2 minutes more.

notes: 

• Makes 4 servings, 1 cup each
• Nutrition per serving: 183 Calories; 5 g Fat; 1 g Sat; 3 g Mono; 168 mg Cholesterol; 16 g Carbohydrates; 20 g Protein; 3 g Fiber; 352 mg Sodium; 478 mg Potassium (based on recipe with mango rather than pineapple--but really, its probably not much different)

SkinnyMini Corn Dog Muffins

Are you ready for some football?!?!! I mean, I'm totally not, but who doesn't love Superbowl Sunday?! Even I do. Maybe it's the commercials... maybe it's all the football butts... but more than likely, it's the food.

We have a busy little weekend ahead, but the mister literally has me planning events around the "are you gonna have enough time to cook?" thought process, including the "I'll just drop you off at home, so you can start cooking, and I'll run back out"  -- I'm flattered, really. 

So what I'll do for you tonight, is share what's on our Superbowl Super Menu that I am trying to keep at least halfway WeightWatchers conscious. First up... these little delights. Hotdogs + Cornbread... say what?! I'm totally making chili too, so that makes these even more exciting.

Stay tuned for what else is on tap.

SkinnyMini Corn Dog Muffins

Recipe courtesy of Pinterest, of course, but originated from Simply Nourished Living

ingredients:

1 small package  cornbread mix (6.5 ounces/6 muffin size)

1 egg (or 2 egg whites )

⅓ cup milk

2 tablespoons melted butter

3 fat free hot dogs, each one cut into 6 even pieces 

instructions:

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat mini muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the muffin mix, milk, melted butter, and egg just until moistened. The batter will be lumpy. Scoop the batter evenly into the muffin cups, filling them about ⅔ full.
3. Insert a piece of hot dog into the center of each muffin cup.
4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. until golden brown
5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
6. Serve warm with your favorite corn dog muffins condiments.

notes:

• Nutrition: 83 calories, 2.2 g fat, 8.3 g carbs, 0 g fiber, 2.3 g protein
• WeightWatchers PointsPlus Values: 2 PPV+

Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

Man oh man. Now just forming the thought of cornbread and chili got my tastebuds working. Next up as a new little appie is this concept that I heard about on TFN's new show "The Kitchen" {which I find hilarious, b-t-dubs}

Anywho, what is your first reaction when I say: Buffalo Cauliflower? Really, I'm curious to know. Because my insides did a little dance. Maybe that's because I am mildly obsessed with buffalo anything, and to know that there is a higher being out there that would allow me to eat a spicy Superbowl snack that is not a deep-fried chicken wing, makes me so happy. {Note: I heart deep-fried chicken wings. A lot. They don't love me or my scale}

So they started talking about this as an app on this past weekend's show, and I couldn't find it anywhere on their site... so I had to do a little digging. Thankfully, skinnytaste.com came to my rescue {obvs} - and I am super stoked to make these, and tt actually didn't turn his nose up! Score!

Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

with homemade "Skinny" Blue Cheese dressing

Recipe credit goes to skinnytaste.com 

ingredients:

For the Cauliflower

1 cup water
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp garlic powder
22 oz (6 1/2 cups) cauliflower florets
3/4 cup Franks Hot Sauce
1 tbsp melted unsalted butter

For the Dressing

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
6 oz fat free Greek yogurt
1 tbsp light mayonnaise
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and freshly ground black pepper

instructions:

For the Cauliflower {makes 6 appx 1 cup servings}

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Lightly spray a large non-stick baking sheet with oil.
2. Combine the water, flour, and garlic powder in a bowl and stir until well combined.
3. Coat the cauliflower pieces with the flour mixture and place on the baking sheet; bake for 20 minutes.
4. While the cauliflower is baking, combine the hot sauce and butter in a small bowl.
5. Pour the hot sauce mixture over the baked cauliflower and continue baking for an additional 5 minutes. Serve with skinny blue cheese dressing and baby carrots/celery sticks.

For the Dressing {makes 1 cup, serving size 2 Tbl}

1. In a small bowl, mash blue cheese and yogurt together with a fork. 
2. Stir in mayonnaise, lemon juice, vinegar, and garlic powder until well blended. 
3. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

notes:

• Cauliflower Nutrition: Calories: 119.4 • Fat: 2g • Protein: 4g • Carb: 21.4g • Fiber: 3g • Sugar: 0.2g • Sodium: 1172 mg • 3 PPV+
• Skinny Blue Cheese Dressing Nutrition: Calories: 46.8 • Fat: 3.0g • Protein: 2.8g • Carb: 2.2g • Fiber: 0.3g • 1 PPV+
• If you are watching sodium intake, don't use Frank's -- the sodium is pretty high in that brand of hot sauce. I'm sure there are low sodium options out there. You can also 1/2 the buffalo sauce. 

Kale + Quinoa Superfood Salad

Jamaica is 5 weeks away... and that number on the scale is not going down. Probably because I'm not doing anything overly zealous to make it happen. That's all about to change. I'm hunkering down and making a real commitment to healthy living: eating clean, no drinking {eek} and actually working out {eek even more}

We made a plan for the week, breakfast, lunch and dinner along with snacks. And this little guy is going to be filling up our bellies at lunchtime, and I'm pretty excited about that. I came across this recipe a while ago.. no idea where I found it, probably on fitsugar.com or in one of the emails I get from them. I've been holding onto it, waiting for the right time, and to tell you the truth, it really does feel like the right time! I haven't tried the whole combo together yet, but that dressing...oooh baby. I pretty much wanted to drink it. 

So without further ado...

Kale + Quinoa Superfood Salad

ingredients:

For the salad

   1 cup quinoa

   1 bunch kale, washed and chopped

   1 medium carrot, grated

   1/2 cup slivered almonds

   1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered

   1 cup blueberries, washed

   Nori, sliced thinly

For the dressing

   1/4 cup EVOO

   1/8 cup balsamic vinegar

   1 Tbl low-sodium soy sauce

   1 clove garlic, chopped

   1 Tbl honey or brown sugar

   1 Tbl peeled and minced ginger

   1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil

   1 Tbl water

instructions:

1. Prepare quinoa according to package instructions. Set aside to cool.
2. Meanwhile, make the dressing by combining all ingredients in a mason jar. Shake and set aside. {can be blended together if desired}
3. Combine 1 Tbl of dressing with sliced kale in a large bowl and toss to coat. 
4. When quinoa is cool, add to kale, along with remaining ingredients except nori. Add more dressing if desired. Top with sliced nori and serve. 

notes:

• Recipe as above makes appx 3 servings of salad with 10 Tbl dressing. 
• Salad {one third of recipe} 377 calories, 9.6g fat, 60.4g carb, 8.5g fiber, 14g protein {10 PPV+}
• Dressing {per tablespoon} 57 calories, 5.5g fat, 2.4g carb, 0 fiber, 0.1g protein {2 PPV+}
• I doubled the recipe and divi-ed up into 10 mason jars for me and tt's lunches for this week. I layered kale, tomatoes, carrots, blueberries, almonds and then quinoa. Kept the nori and dressing separate to avoid sogginess. 

Spaghetti Pie

What is the first thing that pops into your head when you hear the words "spaghetti" and "pie" in the same sentence? For me, I instantly go back to the first meal I made for tt! Very special memory for me. I also associate it with being somewhat of a treat, although my slightly lightened up version didn't add up to be an obscene amount of points, luckily. 

It's oh so easy to make, and oh so easy to enjoy. My only caveat is that you must use frozen meatballs. I know, that sounds gross.. but trust me, as I trust my mother, on this one. {she has made it using real meatballs, and apparently it was a complete disaster- I forget what actually went wrong but in my distant memory, it was greasy and never set up the way it's supposed to. Either way, I remember that fresh/homemade meatballs are a BIG no-no for this recipe.. which ultimately makes it way easier}

Spaghetti Pie

ingredients

1/2 box/8 oz spaghetti {lighten up! use whole wheat pasta}

2 Tbl butter, melted

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese {lighten up! use reduced fat version}

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce

2 cups shredded mozzarella {lighten up! use a little less, and go for a reduced fat/fat free version}

1 lb frozen mini Italian meatballs, cut in half {appx 30 meatballs- enough to cover the top of the pan}

instructions

1. Cook the pasta as directed, and preheat oven to 350
2. Mix drained pasta with eggs, butter and parm cheese.
3. Spray a pie pan with non-stick spray, and place pasta mixture into pan.
4. Cover with sauce and add 1 1/2 cups mozzarella.
5. Arrange meatballs over the top of the cheese, cover the entire surface.
6. Bake for 25 minutes, sprinkle remaining cheese on top, and bake another 5 minutes
7. Let rest 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.

notes

• WeightWatchers PointsPlus+ Values: makes 8 servings. For original recipe, 10 PPV per serving / for lightened up version, 8 PPV per serving
• I made a lightened up version but used regular pasta instead of whole wheat - this actually doesn't change the 8 PPV per serving - I was informed by my WW mentor, Stan, that swapping whole wheat pasta doesn't make enough of a difference to not splurge on regular pasta. There are plenty of other areas to save points.
• Definitely let it rest - everything needs to cool just slightly in order for it to stay in "pie" form. Believe me, I couldn't wait, and I had a spaghetti and meatball mess on my plate as you can see below..

• That's the only advice I can give, other than you should probably make this recipe this week! Greatest part is, most of these items are staples in everyone's kitchen! {frozen meatballs tend to always be in my freezer.. I don't even eat them really, but they always manage to end up there.. hehe} Enjoy duckies! 

{WeightWatchers} Filet Mignon with Bearnaise

Date night is a special night in our house. For two people who are go go go all the time, while I typically do cook every night, we can usually be found eating in front of the TV, bent over the living room coffee table. This drives me crazy on a day-to-day basis, but apparently not enough to start forcing myself to eat at the table. I have a gorgeous new dining room table, and I think it has been used maybe 3 or 4 times in the course of the last few months. Hopefully that will change, and if I had meals like this one to eat on a regular basis, I can tell you I would spend much less time on my couch!

In my family, there is a New Years tradition that involves Filet Mignon. The tradition was created by accident a million years ago. My dad, the amazing man that he is, braves the elements at any time of year to grill. In blustery upstate NY, you can imagine what the weather is like on New Years. Long story short, the glass on said grill exploded while the steaks were being cooked. My guess is because of the temperature difference between the ice cold air and the warm grill. Thankfully no one was hurt, other than the filets, and we of course picked out the glass and enjoyed the steaks anyway. Thus, the endearing meaning of the term "Filet O'Glass". 

So to carry on this tradition, I decided to make filets for me and the mr. on our last NYE as singles!! It must have been fate, because I signed onto the WW website and low and behold, one of the new/trending recipes was this one! I was so excited! I read the reviews and like 99% of people said it was super easy and restaurant quality... sold. It was the perfect addition to our fancy date night meal. Hope you enjoy as much as we did! I served the steaks with Roasted Confetti Fingerling Potatoes and haricot verts, which is really just a fancy way to say green beans. The Bearnaise is delicious over those as well. 

Filet Mignon with Bearnaise Sauce

ingredients

1/2 tsp each Salt + Pepper, divided

1 lb lean beef filet mignon {ideally 4 4oz pieces}

1 large uncooked egg yolk, at room temperature

1 Tbl water, at room temperature

2 1/3 Tbl unsalted butter, melted

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1-2 Tbl fresh minced herbs {I used fresh chives and parsley and probably used more than 2 Tbl in the end}

instructions

1. Rub salt + pepper on steaks.
2. Coat a grill pan with cooking spray and set over medium-high heat. Heat the pan until almost smoking.
3. Cook the steaks 5 minutes on one side without turning. Flip and cook another 4-6 minutes on the other side to achieve medium doneness. 
4. Place steaks on cutting board to let rest for 10+ minutes. Loosely cover with foil. The steaks will continue to cook slightly under the foil.
5. Bring a small saucepan one-third full of water to a boil, to create a double boiler. 
6. In a metal or glass bowl, beat the egg yolk with 1 Tbl water until frothy; set bowl over saucepan and cook, whisking constantly, until the yolk thickens, appx 3-5 mins.
7. Remove egg yolk from heat and slowly whisk in melted butter. Stir in lemon juice, remaining S+P and herbs. 
8. Serve steaks with sauce - yields appx 3 oz steak and 1 Tbl sauce per serving.

notes

• WeightWatchers PointsPlus+ Values: makes 4 servings at 6 PPV per serving
• I actually threw my steaks in a ziplock baggie with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper. I find that the little bit of oil gives the steaks a little more flavor. Note: this increases the PPV of the steaks slightly. 1 tsp of olive oil = 1 PPV 
• Make sure you have everything prepared for the sauce before you start making it!!! This is crucial to it working, as timing is everything. Chop your veggies, get your butter melted, and have everything portioned out before you start on the sauce. Trust me, you will be thanking me later!
• To ensure the egg yolk is brought up to room temperature, I recommend taking it out of the fridge about an hour before you plan to start cooking. At this point I also got my Tbl of water on the counter too.

{WeightWatchers} Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

I love potatoes. I particularly love fingerling potatoes because they are just totes adorbs. Even more adorable, if you could believe it, are the mixed or "confetti" fingerling potatoes.. a super fun mix of little red, yellow, and gorgeous purple potatoes makes your dish look as lovely as it tastes. 

What I enjoy most about fingerling potatoes, is how quickly they cook up, even if they are left whole. I usually halve or quarter the bigger ones, to make sure they cook evenly, but either way. This particular recipe only takes 30-35 minutes from start to finish, based on how big/small your potatoes are. Of course, the larger the potato, the longer they will take to cook. Science!

I started with the general concepts of a WeightWatchers recipe called Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Herbs and Garlic, and added my own twist. Hopefully the link brings you to the original recipe, although I think my jazzed up version is probably better and adds 0 PointsPlus+ to the recipe ;o)

These potatoes were a very special part of me and tt's fancy date night in for NYE. They were served alongside Filet Mignon with Bearnaise Sauce, also a WeightWatchers recipe, and haricot verts. 

{WeightWatchers} Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

ingredients

1 lb fingerling potatoes, chopped to keep size mostly uniform {I used mixed/confetti potatoes}

2 medium yellow onions, roughly chopped into chunks

2 1/2 tsp olive oil, divided

1/4 tsp salt + 1/2 tsp pepper

3 cloves garlic, minced

2+ tsp fresh herbs {I used chopped parsley, chives, and dill}

1/2 tsp lemon zest

instructions

1. Preheat oven to 500° and warm your baking dish in the oven as it preheats. 
2. In a large bowl, toss potatoes and onion with 1 1/2 tsp oil and salt. Set bowl aside.
3. Reduce oven to 425° and remove hot pan from oven. Spread potatoes and onions into pan and roast for 20-25 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, combine garlic, herbs, pepper and lemon zest in the original bowl. 
5. After 20-25 minutes of baking, remove the potatoes and toss in the bowl with the herb mixture. Return to baking dish and place back in oven for 5-10 minutes more cook-time. Ultimately you want to create a crispy outside and soft inside. 

notes

• WeightWatchers PointsPlus+ Values: makes 4 servings, at 3 PPV per serving.
• Make sure your onions are not cut too small, the first onion I chopped I sliced a little too thin and so they crisped up a lot more. Personally, I don't mind that flavor, so it worked out just fine.
• Double up your recipe and use the potatoes for home fries the next morning! I cut them all up into chunks and threw in a skillet with a little more oil, paprika and garlic powder. So yum!