sandbeachcastle

Spiced Vegan Lentil Soup This soup recipe has been a long time coming! Over the years, I’ve made some lackluster lentil soups that never saw the light of day on this website. No vegetarian food blog would be complete without a proper lentil soup, though, so I’ve been perfecting one of my own lately. Here it is. My lentil soup is made with mostly pantry ingredients but includes hearty greens and a squeeze of lemon for bright, fresh flavor. It’s seasoned with a few of my favorite spices and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Honestly, it’s the best lentil soup I’ve ever had. I’ve seriously overindulged over the past couple of weeks here in Austin, Texas. This much-needed soup is helping me balance out all the tacos and tequila (or at least that’s what I’m telling myself). Whether you’re looking to lighten up or warm up, this healthy lentil soup is for you! How to Make the Best Lentil Soup Five reasons to love this recipe: The recipe calls for seasonal vegetables and affordable pantry...

Cookie Dough Cake Cookie dough cake for a special birthday week, and a list of things for which I am grateful. How to make cookie dough cake: I made this cookie dough cake because I wanted to bake something fun that is a little out of the ordinary for me. Elaborate, over-the-top desserts that are super sweet aren’t normally my thing. I would definitely never combine my cookie dough with cake and buttercream on a regular Tuesday. It’s mildly excessive, but it’s very birthday. I adore it. This cookie dough cake is actually a double batch of my mini vanilla cake with my cookie dough dip sandwiched between the layers. I tripled the recipe for the frosting from the vanilla cake but used vanilla bean paste instead of extract. This is a small layer cake made of two six-inch cake layers. I use a special 6″ cake pan for this. It’s the cake pan that I use for all of my small cake recipes here on this site. Here is the exact one I use. I love it because it has 2″ sides, not 3″ tall sides. Since I...

Sloppy Joe Grilled Cheese Sandwich Prepare time: 5 min Cook: 20 min Ready in: 30 min Want to make some unique stuff for your lunchtime? Try to make a sloppy grilled cheese sandwich. This one is filling, satisfying and you may share it with your friends or colleges. The recipe is effortless, and you just need some time to cook it. Making sloppy grilled cheese sandwich is as fun to taste it! Experience the cook with follows the instructions below. How to Make a Massy, Delectable Sloppy Grilled Cheese Sandwich Sloppy grilled cheese is a terrific meal that combining ground beef with bread and other flavorful ingredients. If you are starving and want to eat some messy stuff, you can choose this menu to se rve. The recipe is straightforward, and of course, you will do it successfully, without a doubt! Ingredients: Brown sugar in ¼ cup Ketchup in ½ cup Worcestershire sauce as much ½ tablespoon Yellow mustard as much 1 or 2 tablespoons Softened butter as much six tablespoons Chopped onion in ¼...

Caribbean Sea Bass  Yield: serves 2 Ingredients: scant 1 pound MSC Chilean Sea Bass (or another thick, flaky white fish like cod or halibut - MSC or Green rated preferably) 1 tablespoon honey olive oil, for the skillet ½ a habanero, seeded, diced 2 scallions, trimmed, cut into thin rings ten 1/4"-thick half-moon slices of pineapple 1 avocado, peeled and sliced into 10 wedges salt and pepper Instructions: Cut your fish into two equal portions and season very well with salt. Sprinkle with fresh pepper and drizzle the honey on top, splitting the tablespoon between the two filets. Slick the bottom of a 10" or 12" non-stick skillet with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. When very hot, add the fish, skin-side down. Cook without moving for 3-5 minutes, depending on the thickness. You might want a splatter screen to help keep your stovetop clean. When the fish has started to firm up, flip carefully and let the honey caramelize into a nice "crust", another 3 or ...

BROWNIE PECAN PIE OOEY GOOEY BUTTER CAKE Brownie Pecan Pie Ooey Gooey Butter Cake A fudge brownie layer, topped with a pecan pie filling and then a cheesecake layer. Ooey gooey cake at it’s best! BROWNIE PECAN PIE OOEY GOOEY BUTTER CAKE I just can’t stop making these cakes and the flavor combinations just get better and better. I know I said last time but this is one is the best one so far! Chocolate and ooey gooey pecans…. that just about covers it! I wish I had thought to weigh this cake before I took pictures because as I was carrying it back into the kitchen I realized that I think this cake must of weighted like 7 lbs! I’m sure it didn’t but this is a lot of cake, trust me. You don’t need a big piece either or for sure you might go into a sugar coma. Regardless, it is so good that you just don’t need to think about it, just grab a fork and dig in. The brownie layer is so fudgey, then you have a layer of pecans with some of the pie filling mixture and topped with a cheesecake toppi...

CHICKEN POT PIE CASSEROLE Add this easy Chicken Pot Pie Casserole to your quick weeknight dinner idea list. Pot Pies make for a comforting meal during the fall and winter months. Since this recipe uses store bought crescent rolls for the crust, it comes together quite easily. You can grill a few chicken breasts or use a store bought rotisserie chicken too! CHICKEN POT PIE CASSEROLE When fall arrives, we begin having more at home family dinners. The entire family is ready to spend more time at home being warm and cozy. Our family likes to enjoy comfort foods like Slow Cooker Chili and Stove Top Mac & Cheese as well as casserole dishes that really fill us up. This weekend, a bit of chilly weather hit Cincinnati. We all spent the majority of our weekend in pj’s watching movies. Since we were all in the mood for comfort food, I decided a casserole would make for a great Sunday dinner. I whipped up this Chicken Pot Pie casserole for all of us to enjoy. Since my kiddos love our CopyCat ...

10-Minute Maple-Crusted Salmon A spicy sweet rub tops salmon fillets that are broiled then drizzled with maple syrup to create a caramelized crust for a healthy, easy dinner ready in under 10 minutes. Maple-Crusted Salmon This super simple salmon recipe from Lexi’s Clean Kitchen is one you’ll be digging into time and time again. It’s simple enough for fast family dinners but so stunningly tasty you’ll be eager to share it for special occasions too. We start things off with skinless salmon fillets. Of course you could serve with the skin intact too, it’s all a matter of preference with this dish. I prefer wild caught salmon for it’s more robust flavor and can usually find it readily available just about year round at my grocer’s seafood counter. You can also use flash frozen salmon that will yield just about as tasty of results as fresh. The salmon is sprinkled with a mixture of kosher salt, raw sugar, paprika and chile powder. Lexi’s original recipe calls for coconut sugar or granulate...

Singapore Chili Prawns As you probably already know, I am a bit of a shrimp fanatic and I am always looking for tasty new ways to enjoy shrimp. I recently came across a really interesting recipe for Singapore chili prawns on Almost Bourdain that sounded so good that it quickly pushed its way to the top of my to try list. Not that it takes much to get me interested in a shrimp dish but the two things that caught my attention with this recipe were the use of the sweet chili sauce and the egg drop. I picked up a bottle of sweet chili sauce a while ago and I really liked it but I have only used it a few times since. I was looking forward to using the sweet chili sauce with shrimp! A while ago, when I made the Chinese hot and sour soup I was introduced to the concept of slowly pouring an egg into a hot liquid while stirring. The egg quickly cooks into little particles that give the liquid an amazing texture in addition to adding some protein to the sauce itself. Speaking of hot and sour, th...

Slutty Cheesecake Bars These will definitely get around. YIELDS:8 PREP TIME:0 HOURS 15 MINS TOTAL TIME:3 HOURS 50 MINS INGREDIENTS 1 log refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough (such as Pillsbury) 20 Oreo cookies, plus more for topping 2 8-oz. bars cream cheese, softened 1/2 c. sugar 2 large eggs 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract pinch of kosher salt Warm caramel, for drizzling  DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 325°. Line an 8"-x-8" baking dish with parchment paper or aluminum foil leaving a 2" overhang. Press cookie dough into bottom of baking dish. Top with a layer of Oreos (break them up to form a single layer) and set aside. Make cheesecake layer: In a medium bowl using a handheld mixer or stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and salt. Pour over Oreo layer and smooth top. Top with more crushed Oreos and bake until the center is only slightly jiggly, 30 to 35 minutes. Refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 3 hours and up to ...

BLUEBERRY LEMON BREAD WITH LEMON GLAZE Lemon zest, freshly squeezed lemon juice, blueberries, vanilla – what’s not to love, especially in the Summer! This blueberry lemon bread recipe with lemon glaze combines all these delicious ingredients to produce the ultimate breakfast, brunch, and dessert recipe good for all year around. TIPS AND TRICKS FOR MAKING PERFECT LEMON BREAD Use 8×4 inch loaf pan. Use parchment paper. Line the bottom and two sides of the pan with the parchment paper. This will ensure that your lemon bread will not fall apart when you take it out of the baking pan. Use 2 separate bowls for combining dry and wet ingredients. Combine dry ingredients in one bowl. Combine wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Only then, combine the two together. Toss blueberries with flour (2 tablespoons) before adding them to the batter. This will help prevent blueberries from sinking. Do not overmix. Overmixing will allow gluten to develop more than you want and your bread will be tough and...

COOKIE HUMMUS DIP {21 DAY FIX} Cookie hummus dip is a healthy, 21 Day Fix approved treat that is so delicious, you may even fool people who aren’t on the Fix eating plan!  Confession # 39 – I’ve been dipping into this cookie hummus dip all day. Can you blame me? And while it’s definitely a “treat” on the fix, this cookie hummus is just so darn healthy, I might even have some more. Yup. You heard me. It’s healthy. Extremely, actually, for a treat. It’s made from… wait for it… CHICK PEAS! I made a version of this a couple years ago from a recipe on Pinterest, and I’ve been wanting to make it even healthier AND Fix approved. Mission accomplished. But – the most important part – it’s also delicious. You might even be able to serve this at a party and trick someone. Ingredients 1 cup of chick peas, rinsed and drained 1/3 cup of nut butter 2 -3 tablespoons of almond or coconut milk 1 teaspoon of vanilla Fix-approved sweetener of your choice- I used 1 T of pure maple syrup and 10 drop...

COOKIE HUMMUS DIP {21 DAY FIX} Cookie hummus dip is a healthy, 21 Day Fix approved treat that is so delicious, you may even fool people who aren’t on the Fix eating plan!  Confession # 39 – I’ve been dipping into this cookie hummus dip all day. Can you blame me? And while it’s definitely a “treat” on the fix, this cookie hummus is just so darn healthy, I might even have some more. Yup. You heard me. It’s healthy. Extremely, actually, for a treat. It’s made from… wait for it… CHICK PEAS! I made a version of this a couple years ago from a recipe on Pinterest, and I’ve been wanting to make it even healthier AND Fix approved. Mission accomplished. But – the most important part – it’s also delicious. You might even be able to serve this at a party and trick someone. Ingredients 1 cup of chick peas, rinsed and drained 1/3 cup of nut butter 2 -3 tablespoons of almond or coconut milk 1 teaspoon of vanilla Fix-approved sweetener of your choice- I used 1 T of pure maple syrup and 10 drops of...

INSTANT POT ROASTED POTATOES This recipe for “roasted” potatoes in the Instant Pot is now my “go to” side dish recipe. The ingredient list is short, the steps are simple, and the outcome is a huge bowl of the most moist, creamy and delicious potatoes. More on that in a minute. While you could certainly use just about any kind of potato to cook in your Instant Pot, I find russet potatoes to be the best. They’re very affordable and I almost always have a sack of russet potatoes at home. I love them for many reasons, the most of which is the taste and texture. Russet potatoes naturally have a soft and creamy texture when properly cooked. And when they’re cooked in a pressure cooker, it infuses the flavors of everything, especially the chicken broth we use as the liquid. The recipe uses 6 medium russet potatoes which should come in right around a pound and a 1/2. If you’re over or under a little, no worries, you can always add or subtract a little of the seasonings depending on taste. But ...

Parmesan-Butternut Squash Gratin Parmesan-Butternut Squash Gratin Crispy bread crumbs add a bit of crunch to tender slices of butternut squash seasoned with garlic and Parmesan, making this a can’t-miss side that even veggie skeptics adore. It’s also easy to make ahead — perfect for holiday feasts.  Ingredients 1 butternut squash (2 1/2 lb) 1/4 cup butter or margarine 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped 1/4 cup Progresso™ panko bread crumbs SAVE $ 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley Steps Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Peel, halve lengthwise and seed squash; cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Arrange with slices overlapping slightly in bottom of baking dish. In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Reduce heat to low. Add garlic; cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until garlic is soft and butter is infused with garlic flavor. Do not let butter brown. I...