Bacon-Wrapped Figs Stuffed with Cayenne Peanut Butter

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For my first recipe post-hiatus, I've created something amazing. These taste like peanut butter and jelly, with bacon. All that's missing is bananas and Elvis would be turning in his grave.

I hear he never died, you know. 

Next time I bring an appetizer to an event, this is it. The ratio of required prep time to flavor is rather favorable, so your dish can be the star of the show without too much work. Between the slight kick from the cayenne in the peanut butter, the sweetness of the fig, and the salty flavor of the bacon, this appetizer has just about everything you could ever want... all wrapped up into a bite size piece.

These are for my sister and inspired by my friend Diane.

Bacon-wrapped Figs stuffed with Cayenne Peanut Butter
Servings: 8-12 food items
Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp peanut butter
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 8-12 dried figs
• 4-6 strips of bacon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine peanut butter and cayenne pepper and mix well.  
3. Remove fig stems and cut figs in half. Stuff with peanut butter mixture and then place back together.
   
4. Cut bacon strips in half so that you have two strips of the same length but now half as long as they were before.
5. Wrap reconstructed figs with bacon strips. 
6. Bake until bacon is golden brown, about 20 minutes. As it gets hot, the peanut butter mixture will liquefy a bit more and some of it may seep out.
   
7. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Prosciutto Cotto Brussels Sprouts

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Heads up: You can make this recipe solely using CostCo ingredients. Yeah, you're welcome.

When I found a large quantity of prosciutto for sale at CostCo, I purchased it without hesitation. It took me a bit of brainstorming to figure out how to use it, though. Oddly enough, as it turns out, I don't love raw prosciutto as much as I love, say, salami and ALL OTHER MEATS. 

Alas, there are no wrong answers in brainstorming (according to 30 rock), so I quickly figured out how to deal with this prosciutto dilemma: cook it.

In Italian, this is called serving it as Prosciutto Cotto. The resulting amazingness is thin and crispy, almost like kettle cooked chips, but with a major burst of smoky ham flavor kind of like - wait for it - BACON! Now, you know I don't just compare things to bacon lightly, because bacon is my jam (speaking of - have you ever made BACON JAM?).

Combine that deliciousness with toasted brussels sprouts and you will be amazed. You're not even stuck with that nasty brussels sprouts smell because all you're getting a whiff of is delicious, decadent prosciutto cotto.

Prosciutto Cotto Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups brussels sprouts, rinsed and ends cut off
• 2-4 slices prosciutto (you know, depends on how much you LOVE IT)
• 1 tbsp olive oil 
• Cooking spray
• Optional: 1/4 cup walnuts

Directions:

1. Cut or rip prosciutto into small pieces, approximately 1-2 inches long and a half inch wide (this doesn't need to be exact - they just need to be bite size!)
2. Spray a pan and cook on medium-high heat until prosciutto pieces are crispy. Remove prosciutto from heat and set aside.
3. In the same pan, combine olive oil and brussels sprouts (and walnuts if you are using them) and cook for 8-12 minutes, until brussels sprouts are becoming soft and browned on the edges. 
4. Add prosciutto and cook for another 1 minute, then serve.

Balsamic Grilled Pears and Figs

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I don't know if I should call this breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert. It's warm enough and delicious enough for a cold Fall breakfast. It's the perfect side for a lunch or dinner side. And, man, this is easily sweet enough on its own to suffice for a sugary dessert.

Balsamic Grilled Pears and Figs
Ingredients:

• 1/2 pear, sliced into 1/2 inch thick pieces
• 4 figs, cut in halves
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Directions:

1. On an oil-sprayed grill pan, grill figs for 3-5 minutes, turning regularly.
2. Once the figs begin to brown, add pears. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and grill for 2 minutes, then turn and grill on the other side for 2 minutes. 
3. Transfer figs and pear slices to a bowl, layering figs on the bottom and pears on top. Drizzle again with balsamic vinegar and eat!

Brie and Roasted Tomato Grilled Cheese

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Due to a late harvest in my garden beds, I have a major abundance of tomatoes at the moment. Countless people have told me to start canning them, but I am being stubborn. I'm determined to eat them all without dealing with the canning process. We'll see how that lasts.

One of my favorite ways to eat tomatoes is roasted, with a tiny bit of sea salt. It brings out the sweetness of the tomatoes, which the salt compliments quite well. When I finally found some delicious Gluten Free bread that I like, I started experimenting with putting the delicious roasted tomatoes on a sandwich.

Brie and Roasted Tomato Grilled Cheese

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tomato (I used a yellow tomato from my garden, but feel free to use one of your favorite variety! Heirloom tomatoes are my favorite)
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 sprinkling sea salt
• 2 slices bread (I used Gluten Free Bread, Super Seeded, by Essential Baking Co)
• 4 thin slices brie cheese
• Garneshes to taste (I added sriracha and guacamole because duh)

Directions:

1. Roast the tomatoes. Preheat oven to 350. Slice tomato slices 1/4 inch thick and place on a sprayed cookie sheet (I used a layer of aluminum foil and then sprayed it with coconut oil cooking spray). Brush or drizzle slices with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. After 10 minutes (or when the tomatoes have become gooey), take out of the oven.
2. Place two pieces of bread on a pan over medium-high heat on the stove. Place two thin pieces of brie cheese on each piece.
3. Add the roasted tomatoes to one piece.
4. Cover and wait 2-4 minutes, until the brie cheese begins to melt. Then, put the two pieces of the sandwich together and press down to glue them together. 
5. Heat for another 2-4 minutes, until the bottom piece is well-toasted, and then repeat on the other side. 
6. Serve with sriracha and guac, if you've got it!

Meez Meals

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Have you ever had the desire to make a gourmet, home-cooked meal? Then, that desire is promptly squashed when you look up the ingredient list and realize you'll have to scour the grocery store in search of everything on the list, most of which you only need a tiny bit of, only to be stuck with extra ingredients that will go to waste?

Never fear. Meez Meals has solved your problem.

I was recently contacted by Meez Meals and offered a few free home-delivered meals. They have a lot of options, and I was able to choose items that were gluten free. None of the options included meat, so my husband immediately said to count him out... I got crafty and solved that one (see below).

The way Meez Meals works is that you select meals to have delivered, and then they deliver you all of the fresh ingredients as well as the directions for cooking. I actually selected three meals: 

• Gluten-free sage and fig glazed pasta with spinach, kale, and crispy fennel
• Sriracha toasted brussels sprouts
• Tomato and goat cheese dip with chick peas and foccacia bread

When the box arrived, I started on the pasta, but put the brussels sprouts in the freezer for later and saved the goat cheese dip for later that week in the fridge. 

The directions were very easy and clear, and solved a lot of problems for me by telling me the best order in which to do things to be most efficient. The labels on each item were very clear and they made sure to package the right amount of each ingredient, so that there was no measuring required (if you know me, you know measuring is basically the bane of my existance).

It took about 15 minutes of work and I ended up with a delicious, gourmet meal. I fixed my husband's meat problem by cooking up and adding a chicken sausage to his. 

Ding ding ding! Dinner's done!

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

• Have you ever tried a food delivery service?
• Are you convinced? Click here to try out Meez Meals.

Whiskey Marinated Steak with Chocolate Red Wine Reduction Sauce

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Since I posted a recap of my weekend, I've had numerous readers and friends ask me for this recipe. For those of you who are wondering, yes, it really was that good.

Basically, one day, I was feeling particularly cranky at work. I'm generally a very positive person, but occasionally things get too complicated. On this particular day, I was feeling very irritated, and then a thought entered my mind: This would all be better if I could have whiskey marinated steak with chocolate wine sauce.

All it took was one moment, that seed of a totally random recipe to be planted in my head, and from that point forward, I was hooked on the idea of this dish. My coworkers have heard me repeatedly bringing it up, asking them if they thought it would work or professing my excitement over this imaginary dish.

Finally, when my fiance and I made plans to visit my parents over the weekend, it seemed like the perfect experiment. My parents are (almost) always willing to try my edible concoctions, and my fiance is a WONDERFUL griller (it's not as easy as it looks - I'm pretty sure I'd suck at it).

Thus, with a random thought during the workday, this recipe was conceived... and, over a weekend in the Northern Chicago Suburbs, it was born. Happy Birthday, Recipe!

This recipe would be perfect for a homemade Valentines Day dinner, or a romantic gourmet meal.

Whiskey Marinated Steak with Chocolate Wine Reduction Sauce

Serving Size: This recipe is for 4-6 filets. If you're making it for two, cut it in half.

Marinade Ingredients:

• 1/4 Cup Whiskey
• 1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
• 1 Dash Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
• 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 2 Shakes, Minced White Onion Flakes (or Onion Powder)

Sauce Ingredients:

• 2 Cups Red Wine
• 2 Tablespoons Sifted Cacao Powder (or Cocoa powder)
• 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar

Other Ingredients:

• 4-6 filets (or cut recipe in half for 2-3) 

Directions:

1. Mix marinade ingredients and whisk well. Place steak with marinade in a plastic bag. Poke filets/steaks with fork, if desired. Let sit for at least two hours, but overnight is best.
2. Heat your grill! We like to cook our steaks "Rare Plus," so we start the heat out as high as possible so that we sear the outside quickly, without cooking the meat too much.
3. Before cooking the meat, begin making the chocolate and wine reduction sauce. Reduce wine (boil for a while, then slowly reduce to a simmer) until it is reduced in volume and slightly thicker. Then, add gradually add Cacao Powder and Brown Sugar, stirring well to break up any chunks.
4. Grill your steaks. Ours took only a few minutes on each side.
5. Place steaks on individual plates and drizzle with chocolate wine reduction sauce.
6. Enjoy!

Skinny Tiramisu (139 Calories Per Slice)

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Tiramisu that tastes so gourmet, you won't believe how it's made. It's rich and creamy, with just the right edge of coffee, cinnamon, and chocolate. Will keep in the fridge for days, so it's perfect to make ahead! And at only 139 calories per slice, it's pretty hard to pass up...

 Pin this recipe if it looks delish!

 Be kind and pin!

On Friday, I asked my Facebook fans what dessert they'd like a skinny version of. There were a few answers... Cheesecake, Creme Brulee, Tiramisu... and I promise, I'll take a crack at all of those recipes. 

First on my list was Tiramisu. For no reason other than that it sounded insanely appetizing when you guys suggested it! And my recipe ended up ringing in at just shy of 140 calories per slice -- sounds like heaven to me!

But really. Bf couldn't believe how gourmet it tastes, for something made with a combination of Nilla Wafers, Greek Yogurt, and Whipped Topping (among other things). It tastes incredibly gourmet, like you're ordering it at a tried and true Italian restaurant.

Not to mention how easy it is. I made two large tupperware bins of it so that we could eat it for days or bring it to work to share. With such good ingredients, I might even have some for breakfast...

Skinny Tiramisu

Calories Per Serving: 139

Servings: 10

Ingredients:

• 14 Oz Greek Yogurt, Plain (I used Chobani Plain 0%)
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 4 tsp Vanilla
• 2 tsp Shaved Chocolate
• 1 cup strong brewed coffee
• 2 tbsp Dark Rum (Optional)
• 45-50 Nilla Wafers Reduced Fat (My pan fit 3 layers of 16 just perfectly, so I used 48)
• 6-8 oz Light Whipped Topping (Depends on how thick you want your whipped layers to be)

Directions:

1. Mix together greek yogurt, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and 2 tsp shaved chocolate. Freeze for an hour. Remove from freezer and stir before using in recipe.
2. Brew appx 1 cup of strong coffee. Add 1 tbsp dark rum and stir well, then freeze for 30 minutes. Remove from freezer and stir before using in recipe.
3. In a tupperware or pan (I used a 9x9 tupperware), begin layering. First, dip Nilla wafers into the coffee/rum mixture and place into the pan, side by site, laying flat. Spoon a few drops of coffee/rum over the Nilla wafers, if desired.
4. Next, spoon in one layer of whipped cream. Be careful to spread the whipped cream (to cover all of the wafers) without disturbing the Nilla wafers too much. On top of the whipped cream, add a thin layer of chocolate shavings.
5. Add another layer of coffee/rum-dipped Nilla wafers, then spoon a few drops of coffee/rum over, if desired.
6. Spoon in one layer of greek yogurt mixture (you'll probably use about 2/3 of it here). Spread the mixture over the wafers the same way you did with the whipped cream. On top, add a thin layer of chocolate shavings.
7. Next, add another layer of coffee/rum-dipped Nilla wafers, then spoon a few drops of coffee/rum over, if desired.
8. Next, drop in a few spoons full of the greek yogurt mixture and a few spoon fulls of whipped cream, dispersing fairly evenly. Spread over the Nilla wafers, mixing as you do so. Don't try too hard to mix it perfectly - it should look a bit swirled.
9. Finally, add another thin layer of chocolate shavings.
10. Freeze for one hour, then refrigerate until serving!

Asian Lettuce Wraps

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Just about everyone I know is obsessed with the lettuce wraps at P.F. Changs.  After seeing an attempt to crack the secret here, I was inspired to create my own.

    

The recipe below will yield what I made last night.  I fed five people, everyone got as much as they wanted, and there was a tiny bit left over.  If you're cooking for two people, and are only eating this as a side, I made a note next to each ingredient suggesting how to alter the recipe.

WARNING:  This recipe breaks my low ingredients rule by a long shot.  It has almost 10 ingredients and requires a lot of slicing and dicing.  That said, it's full of vegetables and low carb, so I suppose that combined with its sweet amazing tasty goodness will make up for the work it takes.

What You Need:

• Large pieces of iceberg lettuce (to use as a wrap)
• 2 tablespoons canola oil [1/2 tablespoon for side]
• 16 ounces of ultra lean ground beef [4 for side]  (Can substitute chicken here)
• 1 large green pepper, diced [1 small green pepper for side]
• 2 cups shelled & steamed edamame beans [1/2 for side] (I couldn't find shelled edamame beans at the grocery store, so I actually did the labor of steaming them and then squeezing the beans out of the pod.  It wasn't horrible - but I'd still recommend pre-shelled beans if you can find them).
• 3/4 cup soy sauce [3 tablespoons for side]  (If you don't have this much, it's alright to under-do it a bit on the soy sauce).
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds [1/2 tablespoon for side]
• 1 large cucumber, diced [1/2 cucumber for side]
• 1 cup chopped green onion [1/4 cup for side]
• 2 handfulls of cilantro, chopped [one small handful for side]
• Lime juice from 2 limes [1 lime for side]

How to Make it:

1. Using a saute pan, cook ground beef with the green pepper and the canola oil.
2. While beef is cooking, chop the cucumber, green onion, and cilantro, and juice the lime.  Set this to the side (to be used in a few minutes).
   
3. Once beef is cooked, add the steamed edamame beans, sesame seeds, and soy sauce.  Stir and heat for a few more minutes.
   
4. Remove from heat and put into your serving bowl.  Add the chopped cucumbers, green onion, cilantro, and lime juice.  Toss together.
   
5. Serve with lettuce pieces!

Enjoy!