Ari's Menu

Little changes making a big difference.


Mexican Egg Bake

· by ·

I made this recipe a long time ago, back when this blog was titled “Skinnified”, but  recently made it again with a few changes, so I just wanted to give it an update with some better pictures. It is equally, if not more delicious, and so perfect for hosting brunch for a large group!

Mexican Egg Bake

yield 12 servings

  • 1 8oz package Pillsbury seamless creations
  • 12 egg whites
  • 4 whole eggs
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 bell peppers, chopped
  • 1 can green chilies
  • 1/4 cup red fat sharp cheddar or goat cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 2 oz goat cheese, crumbled
  • 1 lb cooked turkey or soy sausage, chopped (I’ve made both and I love it both ways)
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 tbs ground cumin
  • dash chili powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • splash Chalulah
  • splash milk (I used 2%)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9×13 pan with nonstick spray.
  2. Press Pillsbury dough into sprayed pan and cook about 12-15 minutes until golden.
  3. Spray a large pan with nonstick spray. Over medium heat, saute garlic, onion and bell pepper until tender. Season with salt, pepper, cumin and chili powder.
  4. When veggies are tender, add in sausage and continue to cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.
  5. Whisk together egg whites and eggs. Add a splash of milk and a couple shakes of Chalulah.
  6.  Pour veggies and soy sausage on top of cooked dough. Add green chilies and egg mixture.
  7. Top with cheeses and bake at 350 for about 45 min or until the center is set.

Apple, Goat Cheese and Fig Stuffed Chicken

· by ·

I did it! I made up a dish. I didn’t look at anyone else’s recipe for inspiration (although I’m sure there are a million recipes out there like this one). I just thought about things I liked and put it together and it was so delicious! This dish is perfect for when you’re busy around the holidays and have been living entirely off cookies because there’s not a ton of prep time, it’s healthy and it looks much fancier than it actually is!

Apple, Goat Cheese and Fig Stuffed Chicken

yield 4 servings

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts approx 6oz each
  • 2 oz goat cheese
  • 1/2 apple, thinly sliced (I used the amazingly delicious honey crisp, but any apple will be good!)
  • 4 tbs fig butter
  • olive oil
  • freshly ground sea salt
  • freshly ground garlic pepper (I bought it at Whole Foods and it is so amazing!)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray.
  2. Season chicken with salt and garlic pepper on both sides.
  3. Butterfly the chicken, and stuff with 1/2 oz goat cheese, 2 apple slices and 1 tbs fig butter. Fold chicken back over.
  4. Heat a pan on medium high and drizzle with a little olive oil (just enough to avoid sticking).
  5. Sear chicken about 2-3 minutes on each side, then transfer to baking dish.
  6. Baker for 40-50 minutes until cooked throughout and juices run clear. Let chicken rest out of oven about 2-3 minutes.

Double Chocolate Peppermint Whoopie Pies

· by ·

These whoopie pies are intense. Believe it or not, I am not a super chocolatey dessert person. I like chocolate, but I don’t prefer it to be the base flavor. Unless it’s white chocolate. Maybe next time I will experiment with white chocolate and peanut butter. That sounds amazing. Anyway, these are rich, chocolatey and especially delicious if you are a chocolate lover. Don’t get me wrong, I would still happily eat the entire batch in one sitting 😉

Double Chocolate Peppermint Whoopie Pies

yield approx 3 dozen

For the cakes:

  • 1/2 cup light whipped butter
  • 1/2 cup fat free or reduced fat cream cheese
  • 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 2/3 cup Splenda
  • 1 packet Starbucks via
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup egg substitute
  • 1 cup dutch process cocoa
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 2/3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
  • 2 cups reduced fat buttermilk
  • 2 candy canes, crushed

For the filling:

  • 1 10 oz bag Sunspire white chocolate chips
  • 1 tbs light whipped butter
  • 1/4-1/3 cup 2 % milk
  • 1 tsp peppermint extract

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Beat together butter, sugar, Splenda, via, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and vanilla until smooth Beat in egg substitute. Stir in cocoa.
  3. Alternately add in flour and buttermilk, starting and ending with flour, scraping down sides of bowl when necessary. Mix until no lumps remain.
  4. Drop rounded tablespoon sized balls onto prepared cookie sheet and flatten slightly (I used a sprayed piece of parchment paper to flatten to avoid sticking).
  5. Sprinkle crushed candy canes on top.
  6. Bake for 7-10 minutes, until cakes spring back when you press lightly with your fingers.
  7. Let stand for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
  8. Meanwhile, melt white chocolate and butter in microwave safe bowl stirring every 30 seconds until melted.
  9. Stir in peppermint. Slowly, add 1/4-1/3 cup milk. Cool completely in refrigerator.
  10. Spread a little white chocolate on the flat side of one cookie, top with the flat side of a second and press together. Repeat with all cookies.

Puppy Chow

· by ·

Puppy Chow

only slightly adapted from the back of the Chex box

yield 15-20 servings

  • 9 cups Corn Chex (I label checked and the whole wheat ones were way more calorie dense)
  • 1 cup grain sweetened chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup light whipped butter
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • dash vanilla
  • 2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

  1. Measure 9 cups of cereal into the biggest bowl you have, set aside.
  2. Melt butter, pb, and chocolate in a microwave safe bowl, stirring every 30 seconds until melted. Stir in dash vanilla.
  3. Pour melted chocolate mixture over Chex, stirring constantly until evenly coated.
  4. Pour into huge bag (I use a clean trash bag. Please, don’t use a dirty trash bag. Or at least, if you do, don’t offer me any) and pour powdered sugar on top. Shake it like a polaroid picture. Or like a salt shaker.
  5. Spread onto wax paper to cool.

Salted Caramel Brownie Truffles

· by ·

I had big plans for these. I heard that Starbucks had peppermint brownie cake pops and I was so ready to show them up with salted caramel brownie cake pops! I under cooked my brownies just slightly because cake pops are supposed to be soft and fluffy. Well, apparently they were a little too soft.

Fail. But some accidents can be happy accidents and I knew the brownies with the frosting I had created was too delicious to go to waste, so instead I give you truffles. They are so soft and gooey and fudgey and rich that you’d think they had a million calories, but in reality, you could probably have 2-3 and call it dessert 🙂

Salted Caramel Brownie Truffles

yield 18-24 truffles

  • 1 box either No Pudge brownie mix or TJ’s Reduced Guilt Brownie Mix (I’ve used both and they taste equally delicious)
  • 6 oz non fat vanilla yogurt
  • 4 oz fat free or reduced fat cream cheese
  • 1 tbs light whipped butter
  • 2 tbs caramel
  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Fleur de Sel for sprinkling (Yes, I spent $10 on salt and it was worth it.)

Directions:

  1. Make brownies per package instructions baking until just slightly undercooked. You want the toothpick to come out mostly clean and make sure the brownies are set and don’t dent down when you press lightly on the top.
  2. Cool completely. Meanwhile, combine cream cheese, butter, caramel and vanilla. Beat in powdered sugar.
  3. The fun part! Spray your hands with cooking spray. Using your hands, literally dig into the brownies removing enough to make small 1″ balls.
  4. Dip rolled 1″ truffles into frosting coating the top (I learned this the hard way. Most of them I just rolled around in the frosting and they came out way less pretty than the one we dipped).
  5. Place unfrosted side down into mini muffin liners.
  6. Sprinkle tops with Fleur de Sel.

Peanut Butter Pumpkin S’mores Cups

· by ·

A few days ago, Kathleen posted a link to this recipe, and I just stared at it in awe. Ummm, yum. Yes please. I immediately mentally added it to my holiday baking list. I followed the concept with plans to only slightly modify, but ended up adding peanut butter at the very end, because what isn’t better with peanut butter? I was so excited when I tasted it that not only was the pumpkin butter a healthier replacement for actual butter, but the pb/chocolaye/pumpkin combo was so delicious!

Peanut Butter Pumpkin S’mores Cups

yield 24

  • 7  whole wheat graham crackers, finely crushed
  • 3 1/2 tbs pumpkin butter
  • 1/4 cup grain sweetened chocolate chips
  • 1 tbs peanut butter
  • dash vanilla
  • 12 large marshmallows, halved

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350. Combine crushed graham crackers and pumpkin butter. I just used my hands. Messy is fun 😉
  2. Line 24 mini muffin cups and spray liners.
  3. Drop 1 tsp of graham cracker mixture into each liner and press in with fingers to form cup base.
  4. Bake crust for 4-5 minutes until set. Place a marshmallow half in each cup, cut side down.
  5. Place back in oven for 2-3 minutes.
  6. Let stand for 5 minutes, then remove liners and transfer to cooling rack.
  7. Meanwhile, place chocolate chips and peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in spurts of 30 seconds, stirring after each until melted. Add dash of vanilla.
  8. Drop approx 1-2 tsp chocolate/peanut butter mixture on each marshmallow, and cool completely.

Soft and Fluffy Ginger Molasses Cookies

· by ·

I was going to make ginger bread cookie cake pops. I had high hopes for being creative. Then these puppies came out of the oven, and they looked soooo perfect. Then I tasted one, and I couldn’t bare to ruin it by covering it in a powdered sugary glaze. They were just so right. So here you go. Just as they are 🙂

Soft and Fluffy Ginger Molasses Cookies

yield about 3 dozen cookies

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup light whipped butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup fat free or red fat cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup raw cane sugar
  • 1/3 cup Splenda
  • 1/4 cup egg substitute
  • 1 tbs water
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 3 tbs raw cane sugar

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350. Whisk flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, beat butter, cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar and Splenda until light and fluffy. Beat in egg substitute, water and molasses.
  3. Gradually stir dry ingredients. Shape dough into small (approx 1″) balls and roll them in remaining 3 tbs sugar.
  4. Place on a large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
  5. Bake  7-10 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack.

Pumpkin Fudge Crinkle Cookies

· by ·

I wasn’t sure what to make for Friendmas dessert, so I asked Nacho if he had any requests and he replied saying something with pumpkin and cinnamon. I had been craving some chocolate crinkle cookies, so I put the two together. The result was gooey, fudgey and gone within 10 minutes 🙂

Pumpkin Fudge Crinkle Cookies

yield 16 cookies

  • 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
  • 5 tbs raw cane sugar
  • 2 tbs Splenda
  • 1/4 cup egg substitute
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tbs flour
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • dash salt
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt.
  2. Beat pumpkin, sugar and splenda until combined. Add egg substitute and vanilla.
  3. Beat in dry ingredients, then refrigerate covered for 1 hour.
  4. Preheat oven to 350. Combine powdered sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
  5. Form dough into small balls, then drop and cover in powdered sugar.
  6. Place on greased baking sheet and bake 10-12 minutes.
  7. Transfer to wire rack or eat immediately when warm (that’s what we did).

 

Roasted Tomato and Pepper Soup

· by ·

We all know how I feel about grilled cheese and tomato soup. So when I was deciding on the perfect comforting dinner I could make for all of my besties, it’s no surprise that’s what I chose. But this time I got creative–you can’t serve people dinner from a can, unless that person is your husband. Sorry Steve, This soup took me a little while to make with all of the chopping–So.Much.Chopping–but the nice thing is I was able to do it all in the morning, put it in the crock pot and not have to stress when everyone arrived. I loved it! I always feel like tomato soups at restaurants have so much flavor and I’ve never understood how they do it. The one time I’d tried to make it from scratch it came out just okay. I feel like the roasting is the key, because this one was full of flavor and I would even choose it over my fav tomato soup at Paradise Bakery!

Roasted Tomato and Pepper Soup

yield 10 servings

  • 4 pounds tomatoes
  • 10-12 large bell peppers (I used a combo of red and orange), seeded and chopped
  • 3 medium jalapeno peppers, chopped (you can leave all, some, or none of the ribs and seeds depending on desired spice level)
  • 2 large sweet yellow onions, chopped
  • 1 head garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 14oz center cut or turkey bacon
  • 1/4 cup dried basil
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste
  • 3-5 bay leaves
  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 1 cup non fat plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 tsp crushed red pepper
  • 1-3 tsp Sriracha

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400. Spray the biggest baking dish you have with non stick spray.
  2. Slice tomatoes in half and scrape out seeds.
  3. Add tomatoes, peppers, onions, and garlic to baking dish.
  4. Lightly drizzle with olive oil. Season with basil, salt and pepper.
  5. Place bay leaves around the edges
  6. Top with bacon slices
  7. Bake for 40-45 min until veggies are tender, flipping bacon half way through.
  8. Let cool for 15 min, then remove bacon and bay leaves, setting bacon aside.
  9. Transfer veggies in batches to blender or food processor and blend through.
  10. Transfer blended soup to crock pot.
  11. Chop bacon and add to crock pot.
  12. Stir in Greek yogurt.
  13. Add Sriracha, crushed red pepper, and additional salt and pepper if desired.
  14. Cook on low for 4 hours.
  15. Serve with grilled cheese of course!

Lucius is hoping we'll drop some for him 😉

Vanilla Bean Chocolate Chip Candy Cane Cookies

· by ·

Today is my amazing friend Emily’s birthday! Aside from being a wonderful friend, Emily also happens to be my boss at one of my many jobs. She is pretty much the best person to work for on the face of the planet. Brilliant, talented, kind, supportive, helpful, you name it. So today I wanted to do something special for her. I was originally going to make cupcakes, but I’m on kind of a cookie kick, so I created a brand new recipe that ended up being a success.

This is not necessarily the healthiest recipe I’ve ever created, but it still has a touch of me and my avoidance-except-in-small-doses of my ex lover: butter. Seriously butter, I still love you, but it’s a toxic relationship.

Vanilla Bean Chocolate Chip Candy Cane Cookies

yield 16 medium sized cookies

  • 1 cup + 2 tbs flour (I used plain ole white this time, but white whole wheat, or whole wheat pastry would also be good)
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 cup light whipped butter, softened
  • 1.5 oz reduced fat cream cheese, softened
  • 1 oz fat free plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tbs Splenda
  • 1 1/4 tbs fat free half and half
  • 3 tbs egg substitute (an egg white would work too)
  • 1/2 vanilla bean
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 1 candy cane, crushed

Directions:

  1. Whisk flour and baking soda together, set aside.
  2. Beat cream cheese, butter and yogurt until fluffy. Beat in brown sugar and Splenda, followed by egg substitute, half and half, and vanilla.
  3. Slice vanilla bean down the center and scrape seeds into sugar mixture.
  4. Beat in flour mixture.
  5. Stir in chocolate chips.
  6. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.
  7. Preheat oven to 325 and line baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray with nonstick spray.
  8. Roll cookies into small-medium balls and flatten slightly with the palm of your hand. Place onto cookie sheet.
  9. Top each cookie with a little crushed candy cane.
  10. Bake for 14-18 minutes.
  11. Let stand on baking sheet for 3-5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.


Mint Chocolate Whoopie Pies

· by ·

The time has finally come! The time to share my Food Blogger Cookie Swap creation! For those of you that don’t know, the way this swap worked is hundreds of bloggers signed up to take part of the giving that two fabulous bloggers organized. We were each sent the names, addresses and blog urls of 3 people who we would send a dozen cookies to each. I was so excited to get 3 people who were completely new to me! There are so many blogs out there, that it is always nice to be introduced to new ones.

The truth is, as soon as it came down to actually make the cookies, I started regretting my decision. I started to get a lot of anxiety about what to make and if other people would enjoy my baking or if they would think it was bad or if the cookies would stay fresh–this is still my biggest concern. The thing that I’ve noticed about my healthier baking is that if not stored perfectly, a lot of times things are likely to go stale a little bit faster. I feel like using less fat it is just a little easier for things to get dried out. Generally, however, if kept in air tight containers, I’m good. I was just nervous because this is a new recipe so I wasn’t sure about shelf life.

In true Ari fashion I waited until the day before send off day to bake my cookies. Also, the first day of tech week. Smart, Ari. So at 9pm after being at the theater all day, I got in the kitchen and was feeling less than thrilled. I had made pretty much this same cookie (I just had a few ideas to make it extra special 🙂 ) for my dad’s half birthday and it was such a huge hit that I changed my original cookie plan which involved chocolate, peanut butter and pretzels and went with this instead.

And everything seemed to be going well, and as planned.

Then they came out of the oven and looked like this.

Well, that looks different than before.

I still wasn’t sure what had happened, but I knew that they tasted good so I kept going for a bit, trying to get them together.

If you like cookies that are actually cake, you would have loved this first version.

Finally I admitted to myself that these were way too flimsy, and just not right. I couldn’t figure out what I had done wrong so I grumpily went to bed and decided I would get up and bake first thing the next morning. During my tossing and turning, it finally dawned on me!!! I had doubled the recipe (which when you are as bad at focusing as I am can be dangerous). Well, I had doubled everything….except the flour. I really thought I had doubled the flour, but going back through my steps, I realized I hadn’t. That’s why they turned out more like cake!

You can see the evidence in the dough

Batch 1:

Cake.

Batch 2:

Cookies!

Success.

Mint Chocolate Whoopie Pies

yield 40-50

Inspired by Can You Stay For Dinner‘s Vanilla Whoopie Pies with Chocolate Ganache

For the outside:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup light whipped butter, softened
  • 4 oz fat free cream cheese
  • 1 cup organic raw cane sugar
  • 2/3 cup Splenda
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup reduced fat buttermilk
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 candy canes, crushed
  • green sprinkles (optional)

For the filling:

  • 12 oz grain sweetened chocolate chips
  • 3/4 cup 2% milk
  • 1 1/2 tbs light whipped butter
  • 1 tsp peppermint extract

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper, and spray with nonstick spray.
  2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl and set aside.
  3. In a separate large bowl (I used my Kitchenaid), beat butter, cream cheese, Splenda and sugar together until light and fluffy.
  4. Add eggs one at a time. Add buttermilk and almond milk and beat until combined.
  5. Add the flour mixture. Beat on low speed until just incorporated.
  6. Stir in vanilla extract.
  7. Using a sprayed tablespoon, drop cookies onto lined and sprayed sheet (for prettiest cookies, use your hands to roll after batter has been dropped).
  8. Sprinkle each cookie with crushed candy canes and green sprinkles (if it’s not the holiday season, you can omit the sprinkles).
  9. Bake for 10 minutes. The whoopie pies should spring back when you press them gently. Let the cookies sit for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
  10. Begin the filling by placing butter, peppermint extract and chocolate chips in a medium-large bowl.
  11. Heat milk in microwave (or on stove if you’re more patient than me 🙂 ) until the top begins to bubble, but be careful not to heat too long.
  12. Pour in hot milk and mix well until chocolate is fully melted. Let cool and thicken(I put mine in the fridge for about 15 min).
  13. Spread a little chocolate on the flat side of one cookie, top with the flat side of a second and press together. Repeat with all cookies.

They look so much better this time around!

 

 

Happy holidays fellow food bloggers!!!

I really really loved the way these cookies came out. I hope that Emmamarie, Amy, and Monique enjoyed them!!! And thank you so much to Julie and Lindsay for putting this together!!

 

Green Tea Mini Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

· by ·

When my friend Charlie requested green tea cupcakes as his birthday treat, I was a little unsure of how they would turn out. I don’t really drink green tea. I’ve never made anything with green tea. The only reference I had in my brain was a sample of green tea fro yo. In true Ari fashion, I found a recipe to use for reference, then just did my own thing 🙂

Green Tea Mini Cupcakes

yield 20 mini cupcakes

  • 1/2 cup cake flour
  • 1 tsp matcha powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • pinch salt
  • 3 tbs organic raw cane sugar
  • 1 1/2 tbs Splenda
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup plain non fat Greek yogurt

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350. Line 20 mini muffin tins and spray insides of liners (lower fat cupcakes tend to stick to the liner if you don’t).
  2. Combine flour, matcha powder, baking soda and salt.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine applesauce, sugar, Splenda, egg white, and vanilla.
  4. Add wet ingredients into dry, then add yogurt. Mix until just incorporated.
  5. Fill each lined muffin tin about 2/3 and bake for 10-14 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
  6. Cool completely and top with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting.

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

yield frosting for 20 mini cupcakes (it really ended up being the PERFECT amount!)

  • 4 oz fat free cream cheese, softened
  • 1 tbs light whipped butter, softened
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp coconut extract
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

  1. Beat butter and cream cheese together until fluffy.
  2. Add extracts.
  3. Add powdered sugar (you can use more or less depending on your sweetness preference).
  4. Top cooled cupcakes.
  5. Optional: If desired, top with sweetened flaked coconut.

Like a green tea latte, I think? But better!

I ended up being sooooo happy with the results! I would seriously make these cupcakes over and over again! The texture was perfect, and the flavor combination between the coconut and the green tea (something I kind of went for on a whim hoping it would work) was perfectly balanced!

See, the spraying pays off!

 

Featured Here

Member Of…

FitFluential Is Fitness Found
AZ Bloggers Network
az 150 photo az150_zpsfb093d32.gif

Archives


Image Map