Southwestern Omelette with Pepper Jack & Black Beans

Lazy Saturdays.  I live for those few-and-far-between days when we can sleep in until 9:00, wear our pajamas until noon, and not have a commitment until the evening.  While making brunch for my family in my pajamas with Blake Shelton serenading me in the kitchen, I decided to put a little Mexican twist on our omelettes.  Yum!  Fresh, spicy, cheesy and delicious!  

Ingredients:
Yields 1 serving

• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp skim milk
• 1/4 c black beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 tbsp salsa 
• 1/4 c pepper jack cheese
• 1/4 c sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, divided 
• 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped 
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• 1/16 tsp onion salt
• Pepper, to taste 

Directions:

In a medium bowl, vigorously whisk together the eggs and skim milk for at least 1 minute.  This will make your eggs light and fluffy.

In a separate medium bowl, combine the black beans, salsa, pepper jack, half of the cheddar, cilantro, garlic powder, onion salt and pepper.  

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat.  Spray a light coating of cooking spray in the pan.  Pour the egg mixture into the hot skillet and allow it to cook until the bottom is set but the top is still a little runny.  Flip the omelette over.  Spoon the black bean mixture on one half of the omelette.  Fold the omelette in half.  Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheddar cheese.  

Reduce the heat to low.  Cover and allow it to cook until the cheese melts on top, about 1 minute.

Garnish with cilantro, salsa and black beans.  

Enjoy!

Baked Cheddar, Parmesan & Sage Crackers

Move over, Cheez-Its!  You won't believe how easy it is to make your own delicious crackers at home.  Most store-bought crackers contain artificial flavors, preservatives, etc., so it's nice to know what is actually in your crackers when you're eating them.  You won't be disappointed with these tasty treats! 

While my recipe calls for the dough to be rolled out to 1/16 inch thickness, my family prefers them a little thicker (about 1/4 inch thickness) because they become, as my husband puts it, "delicious mini biscuits with a crispy outside".

Strawberry-Rosemary Lemonade

Take the edge off of those hot, sunny days with a delicious and refreshing Strawberry-Rosemary Lemonade.  The sweet strawberries paired with the fresh taste of rosemary pushes this lemonade over the top.  Happy hour?  Pour in a little vodka and kick off your shoes!     

Grilled White Wine & Garlic Butter Shrimp Kabobs

We were blessed with beautiful weather this weekend and most of it was spent outdoors doing fun things including enjoying a community fair, grilling out, taking two long bike rides on the trail, and having a cookout with family.  I didn't realize how much time we actually spent in the sun until I found myself sporting a pretty unattractive sunburn.  One of the things we grilled were these amazing shrimp kabobs in white wine and garlic butter.  So simple, yet so delicious!  I served this with sauteed veggies and corn on the cob.   
  

Crock Pot Meat Pie - My 500th Recipe!

Today I celebrate 500 recipes on Cooking Creation!  It's kind of hard to believe that I have posted 500 recipes in the last three short years.  Of all of the meals that I make for my family, my husband's favorite is meat pie.  Meat pie is a savory pie consisting of beef stew in a pie crust.  My husband grew up eating meat pie usually as a special treat on his birthday.  I, however, never heard of such a thing until I was introduced to it by his mother.  This recipe originates from my mother-in-law but I have made a few changes to it over the years.  This pie is a very hearty, stick-to-your-ribs kind of pie. 

Baked Oatmeal Cups with Apple Cinnamon & Walnut

Start off your day with this warm, healthy breakfast that's baked in your own personal apple cup.  So good, it's hard to believe they are under 200 calories per serving!

Lemon-Dijon Shrimp Tacos with Black Beans

After a busy day of work and school, we decided to have a fun and peaceful evening on the trail.  On nights like these, I need to have a quick and easy meal to prepare for my family before we head out.  These shrimp tacos are perfect.  Fast and delicious... and not to mention healthy and low in calories!  What's one of your favorite quick and easy meals for days when you're on the go?

Homemade Strawberry Fruit Snacks

Here is a homemade, healthier alternative to those store-bought "fruit" snacks.  They are easy and a lot of fun to make, especially with kids.  The texture is different than your traditional fruit snack.  They are firm but have a more sponge-like consistency.  Try experimenting with a variety of your favorite berries!  Depending on the sweetness of the strawberries themselves, you may or may not want to add the optional confectioners' sugar.  Just be sure to taste the strawberry mixture before placing it in the refrigerator to set.  

Pineapple Carrot & Orange Smoothie with Ginger

Cool off with a refreshing, delicious smoothie that is low in calories and packed with vitamins and minerals.

Skinny Macaroni & Cheese

Cutting down the calories and fat definitely does not compromise the flavor in this Skinny Mac n' Cheese!  Yes, it is possible to enjoy a delicious, cheesy macaroni and cheese with a lot less guilt!  Pureed potato is used as a thickening agent in place of butter and flour, and fat free milk along with reduced fat cheeses are also used.        

Note:  As always, the actual calorie total depends on the quality/brand of ingredients you use, so I included that information as well in the ingredient list.  

Homemade Whole Wheat No Yolk Pasta

Making your own pasta is incredibly easy and rewarding.  I experimented over the weekend with dough and wanted to make it healthier by omitting the egg yolk and also incorporating whole wheat flour.  The results were fantastic!  

Quinoa Cakes with Artichoke, Spinach & Caramelized Onion

My current food craving is quinoa.  I needed to find a way to use up some baby spinach and artichoke and I came up with these tasty little cakes this afternoon on my lunch break.  They are more than just delicious - they are highly nutritious and only 100 calories per cake!

Buffalo Deviled Eggs

Did you know that it's currently National Egg Salad week?  Take a guess why... all of those leftover hard-boiled eggs from Easter.  I wanted to try something new and came up with these yummy Buffalo Deviled Eggs.  They are so good and can easily be adjusted to suit your spice level.  The recipe as written yields a mild spice level. 

Resurrection Rolls

Resurrection rolls are a fun (and tasty) way to share the Easter story with your children.  The hollow roll represents the empty tomb and all of the other ingredients used represent a part of the Easter story as well.  

Happy Easter!

Quinoa Salad with Asparagus & Almonds in Balsamic Vinaigrette

My back door was sending me conflicting information a few days ago - snow in spring?  It can't be!  Even though spring hasn't quite started out as I had hoped, I am still in the spirit.  We have already started on our spring cleaning and I have been admiring the pretty little robins pecking away at the suet from my back door.  How lovely it will be to open my windows and let the sweet spring air pour through to freshen my house.  How happy I will be when I can harvest and cook with fresh ingredients from the garden again.  As I found myself daydreaming, I decided to make a light, healthy and fresh salad for lunch today to help quench my thirst for the spring weather.  

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Bars

Just as I was about to post another fish recipe a few days ago, it was kindly brought to my attention that maybe I should consider holding off on posting it because I have been posting a lot of fish recipes recently.  The thought hadn't even crossed my mind, so I was very thankful for that hot tip... which got me thinking - it has been a while since I've posted a dessert.  Upon asking my husband what kind of dessert he would like me to make, he found himself reminiscing about a dessert that his mother used to make for him as a younger boy.  Now, in case you don't know my husband, he is not a sweets kind of guy and there are very few desserts that he enjoys.   He described it as "peanut butter bars with chocolate on top that would harden".  This prompted a phone conversation with his mother, who informed us that it was a store-bought mix that was discontinued a long time ago.  I did a little playing around in the kitchen over the weekend and came up with these delicious bars.  The verdict?  My husband finally has his childhood dessert back.  Score!

Ingredients:
Yields approximately 24 bars, depending on how you cut them
150 calories per serving

Saint Patrick's Day Recipes

How do you celebrate Saint Patrick's Day?  I am in no way Irish but my husband is half Irish, so I always make something fun.  Here are dessert, dinner, lunch and drink recipes that my family enjoys around this time of year.

1. Homemade Irish Potato Candy - The actual name of this confection is two-thirds a lie.  Irish Potato Candy is neither Irish nor does it contain any potato.  It is, however, a candy that is made to look like a potato.  
2. Corned Beef & Cabbage with Potatoes and Carrots - Serve this with horseradish or Dijon and crusty bread.  Don't forget to use the leftovers for corned beef hash or Reuben sandwiches!
3. Reuben Sandwiches with Homemade Thousand Island Dressing - Prepare your taste buds for a ride... there are so many wonderful flavors packed into this little sandwich!  
4. Irish Coffee - A delicious and refreshing drink to celebrate St. Patty's Day.

Baked Haddock with Balsamic Spinach & Tomato Topping

What does a Sunday afternoon look like for you?  If you were to peek into my house, you would see my husband and I rummaging through our fridge/pantry/cabinets while making a detailed grocery list and planning out our meals for the upcoming week... coupons fluttering about.  When planning meals for the week, I always purpose to make at least one chicken dish, one pork dish, one fish dish, one salad dish and one red meat dish.  Fish was on the menu for tonight and I wanted to make something light, fresh and healthy for dinner.  The fresh and tangy component of the balsamic spinach and tomato topping is a perfect complement to the warm, flaky fish.  It's simple, healthy, delicious, fresh and can be made in under 30 minutes.    

Reuben Sandwiches with Homemade Thousand Island Dressing

Is it really the middle of March already?!  With Saint Patrick's Day not very far away, I decided to whip up one of my favorite hot sandwiches for dinner, the Reuben sandwich.  Prepare your taste buds for a ride... there are so many wonderful flavors packed into this little sandwich!  

Baked Cod & Asparagus Rolls with Garlic Beurre Blanc

Flaky fish enveloping tender asparagus served with buttery, garlicky beurre blanc - my heaven on a plate!  Delicious, healthy and easy to make, it can be served as a weeknight meal or a special occasion.  I served this with a side of baby spinach salad and a glass of white wine.

Chicken Parmigiana & Spinach Sandwich

My schedule tends to be pretty hectic as it is but this week is a different story.  On top of my activities of daily living, I have been asked by a friend to help make food for her wedding this weekend.  I am super nervous excited because this will be a first for me.  Since my schedule will be so busy, I have planned my meals for the week accordingly.  This delicious, juicy chicken parmigiana & spinach sandwich is always a huge hit with my family and it can be ready in under 30 minutes.  

My Three-Year Blogiversary & How to Make Flaky Pie Crust

I cannot believe that it has been three years since I made my first blog post and posted my first recipe!  Some very exciting things have happened over the last year, the most exciting of which was being contacted by Food.com and asked to freelance food write for them!  You mean get paid to do what I love?!  Sign me up!  This post on how to make a pie crust was actually one of the assignments that I did for them.  

I had a hard time figuring out what I wanted to make for my 3-year blogiversary.  I also have been away celebrating my 9-year wedding anniversary and haven't had much time to plan for it.  For my one-year blogiversary, I made a 3-tier cake, which turned out to be humble pie.  On my two-year blogiversary, I celebrated with cotton candy cocktails.  Since today happens to be national cherry pie day, I thought I would stick with that theme and share one of my Food.com assignments, how to make a pie crust.  

Making your own pie crust is easy and involves ingredients that you most likely have lying around your house already.  The key to a flaky pie crust is very cold butter.  Once you have purposed to make your own pie crust from scratch, the very first thing you should do, even before reading through the directions, is place your butter in the freezer.  These instructions will help you achieve a perfectly delicious and flaky pie crust.   

Homemade Chewy Granola Bars

My plans this past weekend were completely shot because I spent Friday and Saturday taking care of my sick little girl.  By Sunday afternoon, she was feeling better and we decided to continue on with our plans to go to my brother-in-law's house to sow seed for the garden this year.  Unfortunately, after all was said and done, I wasn't afforded the time to plan out my meals for the week, so our weekend family grocery run never happened.  Out of bagels, out of cereal, out of eggs, and nearly out of bread, I wanted to make an easy grab-and-go breakfast option for my husband before work, so I decided on granola bars.  I have tried many different granola bar recipes before but I have always wanted to try Smitten Kitchen's version.  I'm glad that I did... with a few changes, that is.  They were easy to make, chewy and absolutely delicious!  

Baked Crab-Stuffed Flounder & Champagne Cream Sauce

Looking for a romantic dinner to impress your Valentine?  This crab-stuffed flounder is elegant, sinfully delicious and incredibly easy to make!   

Baked Buffalo Broccoli Bites

Opt for a healthier choice for your Super Bowl festivities this year without sacrificing flavor!  I came up with these buffalo broccoli bites after feeling guilty about my lack of healthy snacks.  These bites are breaded in Panko crumbs, baked in the oven and then drizzled with a delicious, spicy buffalo sauce.  Yum!

2013 Super Bowl Food

Here are some of my favorite recipes for the big game day.  I'll start off with my recipe post that got the most attention last year around the Super Bowl and made the front page of AOL.com and Huffington Post.  

Blooming Bacon Cheddar Ranch Bread:

Blooming Bacon Cheddar Ranch Bread

Click the below link for ten more!

Sliders with Bacon, Cheddar, BBQ & Homemade Onion Rings

Dude food at its finest!  Kick back a few of these babies during the game.  Cheesy, smoky, crispy, sweet, tangy, chewy - so many wonderful things going on in this little slider!  

Mexican Rice & Black Beans

This is one of my favorite Mexican side dishes!  It is spicy, garlicy and very flavorful.  I made Chipotle Shrimp Tacos for my family the other night and it was the perfect complement to them.  If you're a vegetarian, you can serve this as a main dish.  A word of caution:  A little bit goes a long way - it is very filling!  

Chipotle Shrimp Tacos with Black Bean Pico de Gallo

I've been in quite the Mexican food mood recently.  After making that delicious Black bean Pico de Gallo, I decided to use it as a topping with some chipotle shrimp tacos for dinner one night.  These are definitely a contender for my favorite taco!  The tangy Pico de Gallo is a perfect complement to the smoky and slightly spicy shrimp.  I served this with a side of Mexican rice (recipe to come).  

Black Bean Pico de Gallo

Fresh, tangy, slightly sweet, spicy, crunchy, healthy, low in calories... the perfect condiment to dip your tortilla chips into or top your tacos with!  Pico de Gallo is an uncooked Mexican condiment that contains much less liquid than salsa, so it can be used as a main ingredient in your favorite Mexican dishes.  It's very versatile, so you can add or subtract ingredients to your own taste.  

Grilled Cheese with Bacon, Tomato & Scallions

It doesn't get much better than a grilled cheese sandwich and hot tomato soup on a cold winter day... until you add bacon.  Enough said.

Slow Cooker Spicy Chicken Tortilla Stew

Make a New Year's resolution to have a healthy diet?  Try this delicious spicy chicken tortilla stew!  It's healthy, low in calories and oh, so good!  Simply throw the ingredients in your slow cooker in the morning and return home in the evening to the amazing smell of Southwestern goodness.  

Tip:  To save a little bit of time, you can substitute the "Southwestern Seasoning" ingredients listed below with an envelope of taco seasoning.  

Sausage, Caramelized Onion & Mushroom Stuffed Shells

Woohoo!  This recipe made DailyBuzz.com's Top 9!

http://food.dailybuzz.com/extra-onions

The holidays are over, school is back in session, businesses spring back to life, and the dieting begins!  2012 was a year full of love, good health, and joy in my family and I am hopeful for an even better 2013 for my family and for yours as well.

On to the recipe.  Let me tell you, there is just so much goodness packed in these shells!  They will have your family reaching for more... and more.  Caramelized onions really do take quite a bit of time to make.  If you're feeling ambitious, you can make them ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator until you're ready to use them.  If that isn't an option and you're pressed for time, you can just cook the onions until they are tender.  The results won't be as good, but they will be good!    

3 Ingredient Strawberry & Champagne Cupcakes with Icing

I know I've been doing a lot of cupcakes recently but I just had to share because these cupcakes are special.  Why are they special, you ask?  Well, because they are made with just three ingredients!  Three ingredients?!  Yes!  Well... sort of.  First you have the sweet strawberries, next you have the bubbly champagne, and then you have... a box of cake mix.  Alright, alright.  So I used the word "ingredient" loosely.  Either way, these cupcakes are super easy and they are perfect for ringing in the New Year!  The consistency of the cupcake is soft and fluffy - like delicate angel food cake.  The pink champagne icing is sweet with just the right hint of champagne.  There's no need to add eggs, oil, etc. that box mixes typically call for because the champagne bubbles cause the cake mix to rise in the oven!  If you would prefer a nonalcoholic variation, any carbonated beverage works just as well!

On a totally unrelated note, I just had to quickly share that my husband got me a new camera for Christmas!  This is my third post using the camera and I am so excited to learn more about it as I use it.  Thank you, baby!

Happy New Year!

Eggnog French Toast

I had a little leftover eggnog from Christmas with an expiration date of 1/1/2013 and I decided to use it up with breakfast this morning.  It's a simple yet delicious twist on your classic French toast.  

Shrimp Scampi with Zucchini & Penne Rigate

Need a meal that's just as delicious and satisfying as it is fast and easy to prepare?  Well, this recipe is for you!  It is one of my family's favorites meals and can be made in 15 minutes!  Serve with crusty bread and a glass of wine.  

Top Recipes of 2012

What an amazing year 2012 has been!  In light of the New Year, I wanted to share Cooking Creation's 9 most popular Recipes of 2012.  Here's to many more years of enjoying and sharing food experiences with you!  

1. Blooming Bacon Cheddar Ranch Bread  Featured on front page of Aol and Huffington Post
2. Italian Rigatoni Pie  Won the BetterRecipes.com "Italian" recipe contest
3. Cajun Chicken Alfredo
4. Red Velvet Fudge
5. Gemelli with Chicken & Vegetables in Tomato-Basil Cream Sauce
6. Bacon, Egg & Cheese Breakfast Biscuit Bowls Featured on Food.com
7. Baked Macaroni & Cheese with Crushed Doritos 
8. Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies 
9. Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Nutella-Kahlua Ganache and Ferrero Rocher Garnish Featured on Food.com

Eggnog Cupcakes with Kahlua Buttercream Frosting

Only 2 more days until Christmas!  Are you prepared?  My gifts are all wrapped and I am anxiously counting down the days until I get to share them with my loved ones.  I have also been doing quite a bit of baking recently but have had very little time to blog about it because of the craziness the holidays bring.  

While I was at the grocery store the other day, I spotted some eggnog and couldn't resist throwing it in my cart.  As much as I love my eggnog, and I mean love, I always end up wasting some of it.  To avoid such a terrible thing from happening again this year, I came up with a couple of recipes.  One was eggnog french toast (recipe to come), which was so good!  I then decided to make these tasty cupcakes.  What a delicious and fun way to use up leftover eggnog!    

Baked Cod with Peppery Ritz Cracker Topping

Busy, busy, busy!  You know those times when it's hard to catch your breath in between all the hustle and bustle?  These past two weeks have especially been stressful for us and I have had to pull out quite a few quick and easy meals for my family.  This dish is perfect for those crazy nights.  It's super simple to make and can be done in under 30 minutes.  Oh, and it's delicious!  The crunchy, buttery, peppery cracker topping is a wonderful compliment to the delicate fish.  I served this with green beans from the garden and twice-baked potatoes.  

Blood Orange & Spiced Brown Sugar Upside-Down Cake

The crimson color I discovered after slicing into my first blood orange was intriguing.  Blood oranges are a deliciously sweet and the beautiful color isn't just "for show" - it happens to be an antioxidant.  They are even higher in antioxidants than normal oranges!  You'll start to see them appear in the grocery stores around December.  I decided to pick up a few and incorporate them in a dessert.  I love how the sweet and tangy orange complements the spiced brown sugar cake.