Kacey Tess

Lemon-Almond & White Chocolate Cookies

Lemons may be my favorite thing! I love anything that has them in it, I even like to eat them plain. So a lemon cookie is right up my ally and these don’t dissapoint. You can leave out the white chocolate for a more tart cookie. I hope you enjoy these as much as my husband did (you can see a few bite marks in my pictures).

Ingredient List:

Lemon Box Cake Mix

2 Eggs

1/3 C Canola Oil

1 Lemon (Juice & Zest)

1 tsp Almond Extract

1/4 C Shredded White Chocolate

1/2 C powdered sugar

Method:

Line a baking sheet with greased parchment paper

Heat oven to 375

Combine cake mix, eggs, oil, lemon, extract and chocolate

Refrigerate for 30-60 minutes

Spoon out 1 tbsp of dough, roll in powdered sugar, place on baking sheet and repeat

Bake for 10 minutes

Place on cooling rack

Enjoy!

Makes 2 dozen cookies

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Blue-Cheese, Buffalo + Quinoa Burgers

Blue-Cheese, Buffalo + Quinoa Burger

Ingredient List:

2 C cooked quinoa

3/4 C panko or breadcrumbs

1 can white beans (I used Great Northern) drained, rinsed and smashed

1 egg

1/4 buffalo sauce (I use Frank’s)

1/2 C blue cheese crumbles

Sea salt

Black pepper

Olive oil

Method:

In a large mixing bowl combine first 5 ingredients until thoroughly combined

Stir in blue cheese

Add 1 tsp sea salt and pepper

Form into patties (6)

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium

Fry patties on each side until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side

I served mine on a brioche bun with fried leeks, onions, pickles + avocado

Enjoy!

Summer Veggie Fry

I get so excited for summer. There is nothing better than being able to stop by a fruit stand and buy local produce. I get so excited being able to grow some of my own veggies too, I look forward to having a big garden next year! You can add any fresh veggies you want to this recipe, the tomato pesto goes well with almost anything. If you want your pesto to have more of a kick replace the basil with arugula.

Ingredient List:

Stir Fry

2 large carrots chopped finely

1 C spinach

1 tbsp olive oil

2 large leeks chopped finely and washed (white and light green part only)

1 garlic clove minced

Sea salt

Black pepper

1 head broccoli cut into florets

1 bunch asparagus (tough part of stem removed)

Sun Dried Tomato Pesto

1 8 oz container of sun dried tomatoes in oil

1/2 C parmesan cheese

1/4 C fresh basil

1/4 pine nuts (or any type of nut you have on hand)

Exta virgin olive oil (if needed)

Method:

Combine all ingredients for pesto in a food processor until smooth

Add olive oil 1 tsp at a time if too thick until you get a smooth texture

In a large skillet heat oil over medium

Add leeks and garlic and cook until leeks are translucent about 10 minutes

Season with sea salt and pepper

Add broccoli, and asparagus and cook for an additional 5-6 minutes until asparagus is tender

Serve the veggie mixture on top of raw carrots and spinach

Top with tomato pesto

Enjoy!

Hashbrown Casserole

Breakfast Casserole

I saw this recipe on Buzzfed and immediately knew I wanted to make it. It makes a hearty 9×13 casserole so you will have leftovers and this is one leftover I wanted to eat! Use any fresh herbs to have on hand to make this recipe even better.

Ingredient list:

1 can crescent roll dough

1 bag shredded potatoes

3 large avocados diced

3 large tomatoes diced

1 small red onion diced

1 C mozerella cheese

4 eggs

1/4 C flax seed milk

Any fresh herbs you have on hand, I used green onions + parsley

Sea salt

Chili powder

Black pepper

Method:

Heat oven to 350

Grease a 9×13 glass casserole dish

Push the dough into the bottom of the dish

Sprinkle the dough with sea salt, chili powder and pepper

Put a layer of hash browns on the dough

Sprinkle a layer avocado, tomato and onion

Continue to layer until casserole dish is 3/4 full

Beat eggs in a small dish and stir in milk

Pour mixture over casserole

Sprinkle an even layer of cheese over the casserole

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes

Remove foil and continue cooking until cheese is bubbling and eggs are cooked about 10 minutes

Sprinkle with additional salt if wanted and top with fresh herbs

Enjoy!!

Garden Herb Breakfast Sandwich

Ingredient List:

1 baguette cut into 4 pieces

2 eggs

2 tbsp creme fraiche, marscapone or sour cream

1/2 C mozeralla cheese

Fresh herbs (whatever you have on hand) I used: dill, rosemary, parsley and cilantro

4 cherry tomatoes

1/4 C sliced mushrooms

Sea salt to taste (1 tsp)

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 400

Line a baking sheet with aluminium foil

Hollow out the baguette pieces and place them on the baking sheet

In a large bowl combine eggs, creme, cheese, herbs, tomatoes, mushrooms and salt

Scoop egg mixture into bread

Top with extra tomato pieces if wanted

Bake for 20-23 minutes until golden brown

Enjoy!

Crab Legs

I made this crab leg dinner for 2 for under $30! I found the king crab legs at Smith’s grocery store for $7.99 per lb. I served them with oven roasted-rosemary potatoes and a pre-made chopped kale salad.

Ingredient List:

2 lbs of king crab legs

Fresh dill

1/2 lemon sliced

1 tsp sea salt

Method:

Fill a large stock pot half way up with water

Add dill, lemon, salt and crab

Bring to a boil, reduce and steam for 10 minutes

Drain water and serve warm with melted butter

Oven roasted rosemary potatoes

Ingredient List:

4 red potatoes sliced thinly

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp fresh rosemary chopped

1 tsp sea salt

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 425

Prepare a baking sheet with aluminun foil

Place potatoes on baking sheet

Toss with olive oil

Sprinkle with rosemary and sea salt

Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, flip and bake an additional 15 minutes or until browning

Remove from oven, place on a plate covered with paper towel

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Bites

Sweet Potato Bites

Ingredient list:

2 large sweet potatoes washed and cut into bite size pieces

1/4 Coconut oil

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp dried parsley (optional, as garnish)

Method:

Preheat oven to 350

Pre pare a greased baking sheet or lined with aluminum foil

Melt coconut oil

Place all ingredients in a zip-lock bag and shake it until all potatoes are coated

Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown

I dipped mine in a homemade Russian dressing and it was delightful!

Enjoy!!

Non-Dairy Alternatives

Non-Dairy Substitutes

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I have never been able to eat a lot of dairy so you can imagine how happy it makes me that so many non-dairy substitutes are available and most grocery stores now. There are so many to choose from, below I have listed a few of my favorites.

Unsweetened Almond Milk

(Everyday milk replacement, cereal, baking (sweet), drinking)

Even though I buy unsweetened I still find it slightly sweet, so this milk is great for baking and using in anything sweet. It has low calories, even less than skim milk, low carbs and is high in omega-3 fatty acids, calcium and vitamin E. It is super easy to make yourself too!

Flax seed milk

(Savory baking, scrambled eggs, soups, sauces)

I think flax seed milk tastes the most like dairy milk out of any of the milks. I use this for anything savory. It is creamier than a lot of the other milk alternatives so it goes great in soups and sauces. It is also cholesterol free, lactose free, gluten free and has omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin A, B 12, D and calcium.

Greek Cultured Coconut Milk

This is a great alternative to dairy yogurt. It still contains live cultures but is soy, gluten and dairy free. I use this in place of traditional dairy yogurt, sour cream and mayonnaise.

Nutritional Yeast

I have not found a cheese replacement I love, but nutritional yeast does add a cheesy taste to sauces and meals. You can sprinkle on top of dishes to add flavor, stir it into potatoes or polenta and add it to almost any pasta dish to develop great taste without adding cheese. Nutritional yeast has that name for a reason too, it contains folic acid, B-vitamins, selenium, zinc and protein. You may have to visit your local health food store to find this.

Olive Oil

I use olive oil everyday! I hardly ever use butter, I normally always substitute it with olive oil or coconut oil. If you are cooking at high temperatures you will need to use an oil with a higher smoking point such as grape-seed oil.

Luna & Larry’s Coconut Bliss Ice Cream

Everyone needs a treat! I like this non-dairy ice cream more than any others I have tried and even prefer it to dairy ice cream. My favorite flavors are Naked Almond Fudge and Mint Galactica. Try it, you won’t be disappointed!

{meatless} Club Sandwich

{Meatless} Club Sandwich

Ingredient List: 2 sandwiches

6 pieces bread toasted (I used 12 grain bread)

6 1/4” thick pieces of tempeh

1 tbsp olive oil

4 Tbsp guacamole

2 Tbsp stoneground mustard

10 spinach leaves

2 dill pickle spears cut into thirds

4 pieces pepper-jack cheese

4-6 slices red onion

Sprouts (I used radish)

1/4 cucumber sliced

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Sea salt to taste

Method:

Place the sliced cucumbers in balsamic vinegar and let marinade while cooking tempeh

In a large skillet heat oil over medium and add tempeh

Cook on each side until golden brown (about 3-4 minutes each side)

Start with one piece of toasted bread

Add gaucamole

Top with spinach, tempeh, pickles one slice of cheese

Spread 1 tbsp mustard on another piece of toasted bread and place on sandwich

Top with onion, sprouts, cucumber and an additional piece of cheese

Sprinkle with sea salt

Enjoy!

Vegetarian Korma

Vegetarian Korma

I made this meal for $10 (I had a few things on hand) and in under 30 minutes, it doesn’t get better than that!

Ingredient List:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 yellow onion chopped

2 tsp minced garlic

2-3 yukon gold potatoes cubed

3 carrots roughly chopped

1 C sliced mushrooms

1 C frozen peas

1 8 oz can of tomato sauce

1 jalapeno (optional)

1 tsp ginger powder

1 tbsp yellow curry powder

1 green bell pepper chopped

1 Tbsp peanut butter

1 C non fat greek yogurt

Sea salt

Cilantro or parsley

Method:

In a large skillet heat the oil over medium

Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook until onions are soft about 5 minutes

Taste and season with sea salt if wanted

Add potatoes, carrots, jalapeño, peas (frozen), mushrooms, tomato sauce and peanut butter

Cook until potatoes and carrots are tender about 10-15 minutes

Stir in yogurt and bell pepper

Cook for 5 additional minutes

Garnish with cilantro or parsley

Serve on rice ( I used couscous)

Enjoy!!