Crunchy Roasted Butter Beans

I'm always looking for healthier snacks. Roasted chickpeas, roasted peas, zucchini chips are just a few of my favorites. For some reason I had a can of butter beans in my pantry (a gift for our pantry wedding shower, maybe?) and had no idea what to do with them. So I decided to roast them. They're crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and addicting.

Ingredients:
1 15-ounce can butter beans, drained and rinsed
Lemon Pepper Seasoning (or the spice of your choice)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet with cooking spray.

Pat the beans dry with paper towel. Spread them on the cookie sheet in a single layer.

Bake for 20 minutes, flipping the beans half way through cooking.

Season with lemon pepper seasoning.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Healthy Snacks: 
Baked Apple Chips
Roasted Butternut Seeds
Kale Chips
Yellow Squash Chips 
Yogurt-Covered Blueberries

Pizza Inspired Chicken

I don't think I've ever met anyone who loves pizza more than my husband. I swear, he could happily eat it every day. But he only likes it one way: with pepperoni, which for me gets pretty boring. So I decided to try something a little different, keeping my fingers crossed that Eric would like it. He absoultely loved it. (I like it too.) It's definitely going into our meal rotation.

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup flour
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt
pepper
1 cup pizza sauce
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 cup Parmesan, grated
1 cup mozzarella, shredded
10 pepperonis, chopped

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a baking dish with cooking spray.

In a shallow dish, combine flour with salt and pepper. In a bowl, beat egg and milk together. In a second shallow dish, combine breadcrumbs, basil, oregano, and parsley.

Dredge the chicken breast in the flour. Dip the breasts in the egg mixture and shake off excess liquid. Coat the chicken in breadcrumbs and place in baking dish.

Bake for 50 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Remove from oven, pour pizza sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle with mozzarella, Parmesan, and pepperoni pieces. Turn oven to broil and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes or until cheese bubbles.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Pizza Recipes:
Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Homemade Pizza Rolls
Ricotta, Basil, and Sun-dried Tomato Pizza 
The Pizza Quiche
Pizza Zucchini Boats

Fried Dill Pickles

Eric loves dill pickles. If we go out to eat and I order a sandwich (sandwiches always seem to come with a pickle), he never fails to ask if he can have it. So when I saw these fried pickles, I had to make them for him.

Recipe slightly adapted from here.

Ingredients:
Sliced dill pickles (approximately 36)
1 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
Oil for frying
1 cup flour
salt
pepper
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried dill

Directions:
In a heavy-bottomed sauce pan, heat oil to between 360 and 370 degrees using a candy thermometer.

In a shallow dish, combine the flour with salt and pepper. In a second shallow dish, beat egg and milk together. In a third shallow dish, combine the breadcrumbs with paprika and dill.

Pat the pickles dry with paper towel. Dredge the pickles in the flour then in the egg mixture. Shake off excess liquid then coat the pickles in the breadcrumbs.

Fry the pickles in small batches for 3 to 4 minutes or until they turn brown and crispy. Place on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb any excess oil.

Serve with dip such as marinara sauce or ranch dressing.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Appetizer Recipes:
Bacon and Cheese Deviled Eggs 
Cheese Puffs for Cheese Lovers!
Homemade Pita Chips 
Spinach Balls with a Spicy Tomato Dipping Sauce 
Roasted Peas

Homemade Pita Bread

Whenever we have hummus or any other kind of dip, I can happily replace the chips and crackers with pita bread. I've made pita bread from scratch with a different recipe. The bread would puff up and made that pocket in the oven, but as soon as they cooled the bread would fall and fuse together. I finally tested out a new pita bread recipe and this one works so much better. And since I had pita bread, and went ahead and made a roasted garlic white bean hummus.

Recipe from here.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 1/4 cups warm water
1 teaspoon salt
3 to 3 1/2 cups flour

Directions:
Combine the yeast and water in the bowl of an electric mixer and let sit for 5 minutes. Add salt and 1 1/2 cups flour. With the dough hook attached to your mixer, combine until you have a batter. Add another 1 1/2 cups flour. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes. If the dough is still very sticky, add more flour.

Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface. Divide it into 8 sections (you can separate it into smaller sections for smaller pitas or larger sections for larger pitas). Roll the dough into balls then use a rolling pin to flatten them into rounds with a thickness between 1/4 and 1/8-inch. Make sure to keep the thickness even because this is what makes them puff up.

Allow the dough to rest on the floured surface for 40 minutes. You'll notice the dough rise slightly.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Using a spatula, flip the rounds upside down onto the baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the dough is puffed and a light golden brown.


Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Homemade pita bread with white bean hummus

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Bread Recipes:
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread in a Mug 
Homemade Bread Sticks 
Parmesan Onion Rolls
Pull-Apart Spinach and Cheese Bread
Pumpkin Bread!
Sour Cream Dinner Rolls 

Roasted Garlic White Bean Hummus

I was making pita bread and decided I needed something to go with it so I decided to make a dip. I had a head of garlic and a can of Great Northern beans in the pantry. Did a little googling, found a recipe, then changed it up to suit what I had in the house, and I couldn't be happier with the outcome. The best part--I get it all to myself. In general, Eric doesn't like any type of white beans (I think I have one recipe he'll eat them in) but I love them. He wasn't thrilled with the dip which mean I get it all!

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 head of garlic, roasted (recipe below)
1 15.8-ounce can of Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

Directions:
Roasted Garlic
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Peel away the outer layers of the garlic head skin, however, don't peel the skins of the individual cloves. With a knife, cut off the top of the cloves--about1/4 to a 1/2 inch of the top--so you can see the inside of the individual cloves.

Drizzle the top with olive oil then wrap the garlic head in tin foil. On a cookie sheet, bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the cloves feel soft.

Allow the garlic to cool. Separate the individual cloves from the head then pinch the end of the cloves so the garlic inside shoots out.

Hummus
Place the beans, roasted garlic, lemon juice, and cumin in a food processor. Process until smooth. Pour in olive oil and process. Season with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Appetizer Recipes:
Bacon and Cheese Deviled Eggs
Cheese Puffs for Cheese Lovers!
Homemade Bread Sticks
Homemade Pita Chips 
Homemade Pizza Rolls
Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Jalapeno Popper Wontons

How to Roast a Head of Garlic

Roasted garlic. Milder and sweeter than raw garlic. Good to eat plain. Also delicious in recipes such as dips, spreads, and sauces. I thought I already had a post about roasting garlic, but when I went to look for it to make some for my white bean hummus, it didn't exist. So I wrote one up.

Ingredients:
Head of garlic
olive oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Peel away the outer layers of the garlic head skin, however, don't peel the skins of the individual cloves. With a knife, cut off the top of the cloves--about 1/4 to a 1/2 inch of the top--so you can see the inside of the individual cloves.

Drizzle the top with olive oil then wrap the garlic head in tin foil. On a cookie sheet, bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the cloves feel soft.

Allow the garlic to cool. Separate the individual cloves from the head then pinch the end of the cloves so the garlic inside shoots out.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More How-to's:
How to Dye Easter Eggs with Kool Aid
How to Make Boxed Mac and Cheese Taste Homemade
How to Make Buttermilk Substitute 
How to Make Potato Chips in the Microwave
How to Roast Red Peppers
How to Toast Sesame Seeds 

Homemade Flour Tortillas

It seems like every time I go to the grocery store, they are sold out of the tortillas that I want. Either the brand I'm looking for or the size. So I finally decided to just make my own. I should have started a long time ago because these things are sooo easy.

Recipe from here.

Ingredients:
2 cups flours
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons shortening
3/4 cup water

Directions:
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder. Add shortening. Using two butter knives, cut the shortening into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Create a well in the center of the mixture and pour in the water. Slowly combine the dry and wet ingredients until a dough forms.

Place the dough on a floured work surface and knead until the dough is smooth--about 7 or 8 minutes. Roll the dough into a ball. Place the dough back in the bowl and cover. Let rest for 30 minutes.

Separate dough into 12 equal portions. Roll each section into a ball then with a rolling pin roll out the ball into a round with a 6-inch diameter.

Lightly grease a skillet with cooking spray then over medium-high heat, cook the tortillas until they puff up and are slightly browned--about 2 minutes on each side.

Serve warm or store in a airtight container in the fridge.

Mama's litte helper or should say crumb catcher

Enjoy!

~Krissy

For Recipes for Tortillas:
Chicken Enchiladas with Fire-Roasted Tomatoes
Chile and Tomato Shredded Chicken with Cheese Sauce
Pesto Tuna Wrap 
Homemade Tortilla Chips

Bacon Barbecue Green Bean Casserole

I was actually a little nervous about this recipe. Green beans and barbecue sauce? Even Eric looked at me a little side ways when I told him what I was planning. But the dish kind of wowed me. And it must have wowed the husband a bit too because he didn't even complain about the onions. He actually piled the casserole on top of his chicken breast and ate it that way which makes me wonder if I could throw some shredded chicken into the casserole and take it from a side dish to a main dish. Just might have to try it next time.

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
6 strips of bacon
1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
3/4 cup barbecue sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray)
2 14.5 ounce cans of French cut green beans, drained and rinsed

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook bacon in a large skillet. Remove from pan and crumble. Set aside. Reserve 1 tablespoon of dripping and discard the rest. Saute the onions in remaining bacon grease until tender. Stir in barbecue sauce, bring to a boil, and remove from heat.

Place green beans into 1.5 quart baking dish (I divide the beans among 6 small ramkins). Pour the barbecue mixture on top. Cover and bake for approximately 30 minutes. Sprinkle crumbled bacon on top and serve.

Arya only has eyes for the bacon cooking on the stovetop.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Casserole Recipes:
Alfredo Green Bean Casserole
Black Bean and Sausage Stovetop Casserole
Cheesy Sausage and Potato Casserole
Cheesy Tomato Zucchini Bake 
Parmesan Chicken Casserole 

Roasted Peas

A couple days ago I made a batch of roasted chickpeas (so, so yummy) and it got me wondering about what other beans I could roast and make crunchy. As I was googling roasted kidney beans and roasted butter beans, I came across a recipe for roasted peas. I had peas in the freezer and I needed a side for dinner so I tried it. Even Eric, who isn't a huge fan of chickpeas unless they are in hummus form, loved these crunchy little things. I had to convince him to leave me some.They also make the perfect healthy snack.

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
2 cups frozen green peas, thawed
lemon pepper seasoning (or your favorite seasoning)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pat dry the peas with paper towel; get them as dry as you can.

Grease a cooking sheet with cooking spray. Spread out the peas on the cookie sheet in a single layer. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the peas are crisp.

Frozen peas

Roast peas with pumpkin gnocchi in a parmesan sauce.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Healthy Snacks:
Kale Chips 
Zucchini Chips 2.0 
Baked Parmesan Tomatoes
Yogurt-Covered Blueberries
Roasted Cauliflower Popcorn

Pumpkin Gnocchi in a Parmesan Sauce

I know pumpkin is a little out of season right now, but Eric wanted pumpkin dip for his birthday and I didn't want to throw away the leftover pumpkin puree. So I googled "ideas for leftover pumpkin puree." There are a lot of lists out there. I knew I didn't want to do a dessert or a breakfast meal. I actually love pumpkin in savory dishes and the pumpkin gnocchi caught my eye. I immediately knew I wanted to use my Parmesan sauce for it because I love the way pumpkin and Parmesan go together. When I took my first bite, I was immediately transported to fall with its crisp air, colored leaves, and fat pumpkins. It's March and I'm already planning an autumn dinner party starring these pumpkin gnocchi.

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
Pumpkin Gnocchi
1/2 pumpkin puree
3 tablespoons butter
1 egg yolk
12 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Parmesan Sauce
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth (I used low sodium)
1/2 cup milk (I used whole milk)
1/4 cup Parmesan, grated

Directions:
Pumpkin Gnocchi
In a medium bowl, combine the pumpkin puree and the egg yolk. In a small bowl, whisk together flour and pumpkin pie spice. Stir in 9 tablespoons of the flour and combine with the pumpkin puree. Add the remaining flour a little at a time until the mixture forms into dough.

Transfer the dough to a floured work surface, knead a couple of times, but make sure not to overwork the dough (this will make the gnocchi tough). Divide the dough into four sections; roll each section into a ball.

Roll each ball into a rope with a diameter of approximately 1 inch. With a butter knife, cut the rope into 2-inch sections. Light press a fork into each pieces to creates ridges (this helps the sauce adhere to the gnocchi).

Over medium-high heat, boil a large pot of water with 1 tablespoon of salt. In batches, add the gnocchi to the boiling water. Cook them until they float to the surface, about 4 to 6 minutes. Remove with a slated spoon. 

Parmesan Sauce
Melt butter in the bottom of a saucepan and saute the garlic until it turns a golden brown. Add flour and cook for about 1 minute while continually stirring. Pour in broth and milk. Bring to a boil, continually stirring so the sauce thickens. Reduce heat. Add Parmesan and stir until cheese is melted.

Serve sauce over the pumpkin gnocchi.

Pumpkin gnocchi and parmesan sauce with roasted peas.

Eric doesn't usually do the savory pumpkin dishes, but he actually liked this one--except the pairing of it with the cheese sauce. I think he would have preferred a brown butter sauce (I loved it with the cheese sauce).

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Pumpkin Recipes:
Cheese Tortellini in a Pumpkin Sauce
Pumpkin-Black Bean Stew with Spicy Sausage
Pumpkin Lasagna Rolls
Pumpkin Butter
Pumpkin Caramels!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Brownies
Pumpkin Fudge