Cocnut Cream Pie Dip

This little beauty (from the blog South Your Mouth) won me 1st place (and $80!!) in a dip competition!!! It is delicious and all my friends raved. Everyone asked for the recipe, so, here it is girls....

Oh by the way, I made this dip twice....once with the large box and once with the small box of pudding. It is MUCH better with the small box!!!! So, please take my advice and use the 3.4oz box!

Warning*** This dip is super addictive and many friends said they just wanted a spoon to dig in and eat it like pudding!! 

Coconut Cream Pie Dip

1 15-oz. can cream of coconut

1/4 cup milk

1 large (5.1 oz) box instant vanilla pudding mix <I used a 3.4oz box of pudding>

1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk

2 cups sweetened flaked coconut, toasted and divided

1 8-oz tub cool whip, thawed

Graham crackers or shortbread cookies for dipping

Add cream of coconut and milk to a stand mixer or large bowl (using a hand-held mixer) and mix on medium speed until smooth.  Add pudding mix and sweetened condensed milk and mix until thoroughly combined.  Fold in a heaping cup of toasted coconut and cool whip and mix until just combined.

Add mixture to a serving bowl and refrigerate for four hours. Garnish with remaining toasted coconut.

Serve with graham crackers or shortbread cookies.

You can absolutely use the dip as pie filling.  This recipe will easily fill two prepared pie crusts.

Fully Loaded Breakfast Cookies

Navy bean puree in cookies?!?! I hadn't been this intrigued over a strange ingredient in a recipe in quite awhile..... My mom sent me this recipe from the cookbook My New Roots and I literally made it two hours later....I HAD to try these out STAT!!!! And you know what, they are really good!!!! The ingredients are so basic and yet, they have a complex flavor and are hearty enough to curb snack cravings. I like them for a quick breakfast and they are great post workout.

I changed the ingredients slightly to suit my family's tastes. I substituted the apricots, raisins and pumpkin seeds for Enjoy Life dairy, nut & soy-free chocolate chips and chopped walnuts. I also didn't have cornflakes, so I substituted them with One Degree's Sprouted Rice Crisps.

Here is My New Roots recipe:

1 tablespoon chia seeds
3 1⁄4 cups gluten-free rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 1⁄2 cups cooked white beans, such as navy, white kidney, or Great Northern (about one 15-ounce can)
1⁄4 cup coconut oil, melted
1⁄4 cup pure maple syrup or raw honey
Grated zest of 1 organic orange
1⁄4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1⁄3 cup chopped unsulfured dried apricots <I used mini dairy-free chocolate chips instead>
1⁄4 cup raisins <I omitted>
1⁄4 cup pumpkin seeds <I substituted chopped walnuts>
2 cups organic, non-GMO cornflakes <I substituted One Degree Brown Rice Crisps>

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.

Combine the chia seeds with 3 tablespoons water in a small bowl, and set aside for 15 minutes to gel.

Pulse 1 1⁄4 cups of the oats in a food processor until they resemble a very rough flour. Transfer the flour to a large mixing bowl and whisk in the remaining 2 cups oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

Pulse the beans with the coconut oil in the food processor until the mixture is creamy. Add the maple syrup, orange zest, chia gel, applesauce, and vanilla extract, and pulse until smooth.

Pour the bean puree over the oats mixture and stir until everything starts to come together. Add the apricots, raisins, pumpkin seeds, and cornflakes and stir to combine—you may need to use your hands at this point.

Shape the dough into 10 equal balls, and then flatten each one into a patty shape. Transfer them to the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the bars are golden. Let cool completely before enjoying. The bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Summer Veggie Pasta

Oh MY!!! This dish from Cooking Light Magazine is crazy delicious - CRAZY!!!! It is one of the most flavorful meals I have made in the last few months. I definitely recommend trying this one STAT! It's very easy too, since all you need to actually cook is the pasta.....the rest is raw - super healthy, too - BONUS!!

AND don't you dare skip on the toasted panko crumbs.....this crunchy addition is what put the whole meal over the top! The only downside to this dinner is there wasn't enough....I wanted MORE! Next time I will double the recipe. Enjoy!!

• 1/2 pound uncooked whole-grain linguine
• 1/2 pound zucchini
• 1/2 pound yellow squash
• 1 pint of grape tomatoes, quartered
• 2/3 cup finely chopped red onion <I omitted the onion>
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons champagne or white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons panko (Japanese breadcrumbs), toasted* <YUMMY!!!>
• 8 small basil leaves
• 4 radishes, thinly sliced <I omitted the radishes>
• 1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (about 1/4 cup)

Preparation

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain.
2. While the pasta cooks, shave zucchini and squash into thin ribbons using a vegetable peeler; place in a large bowl. Add tomatoes and next 7 ingredients (through garlic) to bowl; toss to combine. Let stand 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to coat.
3. Add pasta to vegetables, tossing gently to combine. Top with panko, basil, radishes, and cheese.

*To toast the panko, I spread it out on a piece of foil and cooked it in the oven on 350F for about three minutes- just until it started to turn brown....keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn!!

Crunchy Stuffed Zucchini with Crushed Potato Chips

Oh my goodness!  These were tasty!!! You know I love me a zucchini boat! (Have you tried the Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Boats I blogged back in 2013 yet?)

Now I've cooked many a stuffed zucchini in my time, but what caught my eye with this particular recipe from Vegetarian Times Magazine was the crushed potato chips on top! Not only were the crushed chips a delicious, crunchy addition, but the Greek yogurt/cheese mixture was crazy yum!!!!

ENJOY!!

• 4 large zucchini, halved lengthwise
• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped (1½ cups)
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)
• 1 cup cooked chickpeas
• 3 tomatoes, chopped (1 cup)
• 2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
• 4 oz. low-fat plain yogurt
• ½ tsp. paprika
• ½ cup crushed potato chips

1  Preheat oven to 400°F. Scoop out seeds and flesh from zucchini to create 1/4-inch-thick shell. Chop flesh, and set aside. Place zucchini shells in baking dish coated with cooking spray.

2  Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, chickpeas, tomatoes, thyme, and chopped zucchini, and sauté 5 minutes, or until tender.

3  Fill each zucchini shell with 1/2 cup chickpea mixture. Stir together cheese, yogurt, and paprika in small bowl. Spoon 2 Tbs. cheese mixture atop stuffing in each zucchini, then sprinkle each with 1 Tbs. crushed potato chips. Bake 20 minutes, or until stuffed zucchini are heated through and crispy on top.

Kim's Veggie Wrap with Edamame Hummus

My friend, Kim, has been raving about this veggie wrap she created for the past few days. She's been raving about it so much that I have actually been CRAVING it....craving a wrap I had never even eaten, mind you!!  The ingredients are just so up my alley, I knew I would love it before I even tasted it. And I did! And I do! And I'm already thinking about making it again for my lunch on Friday.

The thing about this wrap is you can put whatever you like in it (including shredded chicken if you want to add a little meat). Just pick what you want from the listed ingredients and go for it!! Thanks for the recipe, Kim!! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
Large deli-style wrap
Garlic & Herb Cheese Spread*
Edamame Hummus
Carrots, shredded
Zucchini, shredded
Red or Yellow Pepper, sliced thinly
Cherry tomatoes, quartered
Avocado, thinly sliced

Other ingredient ideas for your wrap:
Sprouts
Romaine
Cucumber, thinly sliced
Sun-dried Tomatoes
Olives
Red Onion, sliced thinly
Green Onions, sliced
Shredded rotisserie chicken

*I used DiBruno Bros. Garlic & Herb cheese spread, Alouette makes a similar spread, too

Pop a deli-wrap in the microwave for 10 or 15 seconds to warm it slightly (this makes it easier to roll without breaking). Spread garlic & herb cheese spread over wrap; repeat with edamame hummus. Layer shredded carrots, zucchini, bell peppers, tomatoes and avocados (or whatever combination of veggies you are using). Sprinkle lightly with a little salt & pepper.

And now to wrap this baby up correctly......

Notice how there is space at the top and bottom of the wrap (this is so you can fold both sides in towards the veggies).

 

And here we go for step two..... 

Fold the deli-wrap down on the top and up on the bottom....you will be enclosing the veggies so that you can eat it from either end without spillage!

And here comes step three....

On one side fold the wrap over all the veggies and tuck the wrap in tightly.

 

Step four is to finish rolling that wrap up so that it's nice and tight and all those veggies inside are snug as a bug in a rug. Using a sharp knife, slice the wrap in half. Serve this amazing wrap with a side of kettle chips and/or a little side salad. It's the perfect lunch or dinner!! Enjoy!