Chicken Caprese Bowls

Here is a dinner version of caprese that's healthy and filling! Recipe serves two.

Ingredients:
Two boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Jar of pesto sauce
6 oz fresh small tomatoes (I used cherry tomatoes)
4 oz fresh mozzarella cheese (I used half of a mozzarella ball from the store)
Handfull of fresh basil leaves
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Coat the chicken breasts with a little olive oil, then spread a layer of pesto sauce on both sides of the chicken breasts.  Grill for about six minutes on each side, or until no longer pink.
2. While the chicken is cooking, chop up the tomatoes, cheese and basil into bite-sized pieces. Grab two bowls and put half of this mixture into each.
3. Once the chicken is cooked, chop them into bite-sized pieces and divide between the two bowls.
4. Add olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, then stir each bowl to combine. You may want to add a little more pesto sauce for extra flavor. Enjoy!

Spiced Apple Beer Cupcakes

I've been seeing lots of recipes for Blue Moon beer cupcakes on Pinterest lately.  Blue Moon isn't my favorite beer, so I went with Shock Top's new Honeycrisp Apple Wheat instead.  Add some apple pie filling to kick up the delicious apple cinnamon flavor!  Makes about 20 cupcakes.

Ingredients:
1 box Betty Crocker Spice Cake mix
1 cup Shock Top Honeycrisp Apple Wheat beer (room temperature)
1/2 cup apple pie filling
3 eggs
1 tub cream cheese flavored cake frosting

Directions:
1. Place cake mix in a large mixing bowl.
2. Chop up the apples from the pie filling into bite-sized pieces so they will distribute evenly. 
3.  Add beer, apple pie filling and eggs to the cake mix.  Stir until well combined. You don't need the other ingredients listed on the cake mix box(water, oil, etc.).
4.  Place cupcake liners in your cupcake pans and pour in cake batter.  Cups should be about two thirds full.
5.  Bake according to cake mix directions, or until a toothpick inserted into the cakes comes out clean.  Cool completely before frosting.

Note:  You can try other flavor combinations as well!  Orange or raspberry wheat beers would do well in yellow or lemon cakes.  Dark beers like Guinness would do well in chocolate cakes. 

Independence Day Sunrise

Celebrate the Fourth of July with this red, white and blue cocktail.  This drink is for adults only.

Ingredients:
Ice
1/2 shot blue curacao
1 1/2 shots coconut rum
Sprite
1/2 shot grenadine

Directions:
1.  Add a handful of ice to a clear glass.  Pour in blue curacao.
2.  Fill the rest of the glass with Sprite.
3.  Carefully pour in the grenadine- it will settle in the middle.
4.  Enjoy the pretty layers, then stir and enjoy!

Paleo Tuscan Soup

This was inspired by a copycat recipe from Olive Garden called "Zuppa Toscana."  It took a few tweaks to get it to work with our low-carb diet.  It's still a tasty, creamy soup that's great for cold evenings at home.

Ingredients:
1 pound Italian sausage (or Italian seasoned ground turkey)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 steamer bags of cauliflower florets
1/2 onion, diced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
5 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
3 cans chicken broth
1 cup milk
2 or 3 stalks kale, chopped

Directions:
1.  Cook the sausage and red pepper flakes in a pan until the meat is no longer pink.  Set aside in a colander to drain off the grease.  While the meat is cooking, steam the cauliflower in the microwave according to the package directions and set aside to cool
2.  Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook a few minutes, until tender.  If you used ground turkey, there won't be much grease leftover, and you might have to add a bit of oil to cook the vegetables effectively. 
3.  Add the onions, garlic, bacon, chicken broth and cauliflower to a large pot and heat to boiling.  Boil for twenty minutes, using a spoon or spatula to stir and break down the cauliflower.
4.  Reduce the heat and add the milk and sausage, heat for a few minutes.  Stir in the kale just before serving.

Crockpot Stroganoff Soup

I've been on the hunt for easy meals in preparation for my maternity leave.  My husband is back on the Paleo diet, which makes it harder to find meals that work.  Fortunately I ran across this idea for stroganoff soup!

Ingredients:
1 can beef broth
2 cans chopped mushrooms, drained
1/2 onion, diced
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup water
Dash of garlic powder
Dash of paprika
1 pound ground beef or turkey
4 ounces cream cheese, chopped into small pieces

Directions:
1.  Add all ingredients except beef and cream cheese to the crockpot.  Stir until well combined.
2.  Stir in the ground beef.  Cook on low for 4 hours, stirring after two hours to ensure even cooking.
3.  Add the cream cheese pieces and turn the heat up to high for 10 minutes.  Stir the soup to help dissolve the cream cheese and serve in bowls.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

**Note: If you're like me and don't care for eating large chunks of mushrooms, try chopping up half of the mushrooms into smaller pieces.  You'll barely notice them!

Sparkling Sunrise Mocktail

So in case you're wondering why my food posts have been few and far between, I am partially blaming a little thing called PREGNANCY.  Yup, there's a baby coming to the War Kitten household, and I've been too busy/tired growing a small human being to come up with many recipes.

I've always loved experimenting with new cocktail recipes, but being prego has put a temporary hold on that.  Instead, I've tried to come up with some fun non-alcoholic beverages to enjoy during parties.  Here is my newest favorite, which reminds me of a mock Tequila Sunrise.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
A few ice cubes
4 oz orange juice
4 oz lemon-lime soda (I used "Diet Twist Up," which is caffeine free)
1/2 shot grenadine

Directions:
1.  Place ice cubes in a pint glass.
2.  Add remaining ingredients.  Oooh, pretty!  Now stir the mocktail and enjoy!