Almond Brunch Cake

3/4 c sugar
1 butter, room temperature
1 8-oz can almond paste, broken into pieces
3 large eggs
1 T Amaretto
1/2 t almond extract
1/4 t salt
1/3 c cake flour
1/2 t baking powder
Powdered sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees 

Butter and flour the bottom and up the sides of an 8 or 9-inch spring form pan. 

Using electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat 3/4 cup sugar and butter at medium-high speed until very light and creamy, about 5 minutes. Add almond paste, 1 piece at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in Amaretto, almond extract and salt. 

Whisk together flour and baking powder in small bowl; add to batter. Beat just until blended. Pour batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly.  Bake cake until top is golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool in pan on rack.  Remove sides of pan and dust with powdered sugar and serve.

Salt River Bar

(Saving for future reference as it's almost exactly like my Angel Bars)

 

Salt River Bar

90 Club crackers
1 cup butter, salted
2 cups light brown sugar, packed
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3/4 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
sea salt for finishing

Prepare a 9 by 13 inch pan by lining it with parchment paper, leaving the two long edges a bit long to remove the bars from the pan later for cutting.

Spray the parchment and sides of the pan with nonstick spray. Cover the bottom of the pan with the first layer of crackers on top of the parchment. Cut the crackers to fit as needed.

In a medium sized heavy bottomed pan, melt butter, brown sugar, graham cracker crumbs, and heavy cream together over medium heat, stirring constantly. Bring the mixture to a boil, continuing to stir, and boil for 7 minutes. Pour half of the caramel mixture over the crackers, spreading it evenly to the edges of the pan. Working quickly, add another layer of crackers over the caramel. Pour the rest of the caramel over the second layer of crackers, and then add a final layer of crackers.

Refrigerate the pan to chill and set the caramel layers while you make the chocolate topping.

To make the chocolate topping, add milk chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and peanut butter to a microwave safe bowl. Heat for 30-45 seconds, then stir. Microwave the chocolate in 15 second intervals, stirring in between until smooth. Pour the chocolate topping over the final layer of crackers, spreading it evenly to the edges. Sprinkle sea salt over the chocolate layer to taste.

Chill for 1-2 hours before using a sharp knife to cut into bars.

Nougat

1/4 - 1/3 c butter (a little more than 1/4 but less than 1/3, LOL)
1/2 c xylitol
1/4 c erythritol
1/2 c vanilla whey powder (I use Nature's Best Isopure Zero Carb Creamy Vanilla)
1 c cream cheese
1/2 t vanilla extract
1/2 t almond extract
10-20 drops liquid sweetener

In  a saucepan melt the butter and add the xylitol, stir until disolved and clear.  Add the erythritol, stir until dissolved then add whey protein.  Cook for about 2 minutes, remove from heat and beat in cream cheese and flavorings.  Let cool.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled.  It should be like playdoh - so you can work it into a shape with your hands. 


In order to make the candy bars;

Salted Nut Candy Bars

1 pkg. sugar free chocolate chips
1 recipe sugar free nougat
1 recipe sugar free caramel (or store purchased)
1 1/2 cups salted peanuts or salted, roasted almonds - chopped briefly in a processor

In a 9 or 10" square pan, place a layer of aluminum foil.  Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave and pour onto the aluminum foil and spread with a rubber spatula.  Place this into the refrigerator while you get the other items ready or just chill until it's set a bit - it doesn't have to be rock hard, just not completely melted.  Add your layer of nougat and spread or press over the chocolate.  Now pour your caramel layer over the nougat and after a brief few minutes in the freezer or refrigerator to let the caramel just set up a tad, sprinkle nuts over the top of all.

Chill until set and cut.  You can make this more of a 'candy bar' by melting another package of chocolate chips and dipping each sliced bar into the chocolate and let stand on parchment or foil until hard.  I don't personally like chocolate very much so I didn't dip ours.

Grilled Pork - Carne Asada Style - and perfect in tortillas with cheese, sour cream and avocado

We've had this marinade from 2013 on various meats TWICE in the past week.  I've made a few different sauces for it, and one daughter loves it with just ranch dressing or green goddess dressing as the sauce.  We simply serve with fresh shredded cabbage, on flour tortillas.  

 

I posted this recipe previously in 2013 using thin sliced steak.  That's what I usually use, but I did it differently this time and loved it - I used a pork roast I had cut from a large pork loin I bought at Sam's Club.   It had a nice layer of fat on the back/bottom so I sliced thin slices of meat, but only 'to' the fat - not through it.  This made a fanned out piece of meat with the slices forming the fan, but attached on the very bottom with the layer of fat.  I placed this in the marinade in a glass dish, flipped it a couple times to get it covered in marinade, then let it set overnight.

The next day I grilled it, and it was really nice to have it fan out to cook; no pieces falling through the grates.  I grilled it on both sides, flipping when needed, until the meat was done through.  I let it set about 10 minutes, then sliced off the fat back (which had blackened nicely from the grill yet protected the meat) and then sliced the meat through to serve on low-carb flour tortillas with cheese and sour cream.

 

 

Here is the recipe as posted in 2013.  I doubled it this time and used amino acids in place of soy sauce and added a jalapeno from the garden that had turned ripe and red hot.
 

 

Carne Asada Marinade

1/2 c soy sauce or amino acids
3 garlic cloves, minced or chopped
1 T vinegar
1 small jalapeno pepper, chopped fine
1/3 c lime juice
1/4 c lemon juice
1/2 t either chipotle seasoning or cayenne
1 T (scant) chili powder, cumin and paprika
3/4 t dried oregano
1/4 c fresh parsley (you can use cilantro)
1/2 c oil (preferably olive oil)
pepper (about 1/2 t) but not salt as the soy sauce is very salty

Place all in a ziploc baggy (double bag) or in a ceramic or glass container, and add about 2 pounds thin steaks or other meat.  Let marinade overnight.  Grill until done, slice across the grain and serve.  I opted to serve with tortillas, salsa, sour cream, cheese, avocados and lettuce.  

 

Spinach and Feta Chicken - quick and easy - minimal ingredient list too

 

 

This is basically the chicken version of one of  my favorite Greek Pizzas.  

PLAY WITH THE AMOUNTS.   I discovered I like it better when I use tons of feta cheese.  Adjust everything as you like.  Garlic or no.  More feta or less.  More mozzarella... or less.  Amounts of seasoning on the chicken?  All good.  (Kalamata olives... or not.  Want to add sun dried tomatoes and rings of red onion?  Cool.  Yes.   Or no.  Your call.)

Spinach and Feta Chicken

4 thin Chicken Breasts* 
Garlic

Italian Seasoning
Oregano
Salt and Pepper
1-2 T Avocado Oil or Olive Oil

2 - 3 handfuls of Fresh Spinach
1- 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 c Mozzarella Cheese - shredded
1/2 - 1 c Feta Cheese, crumbled

*I buy chicken breasts at Sams and Costco - which are really thick.  I slice two (2) breasts in half lengthwise to make 4 nice sized chicken breasts. 

Either pound your regular chicken breasts to make them rather flat, or do as I do and slice them lengthwise.  Lay them in a pan with oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper, oregano and Italian seasoning and some garlic.  Put them into a 400 degree oven to bake while you make the sauce.  Set the oven timer for about 17 minutes.

In a pan on the stove add more oil to the bottom and heat to a nice medium low.  Add spinach leaves and they start to wilt immediately.  Add a package of cream cheese (8 oz.).  Turn off the heat and stir until melted.  By now the chicken should be about ready to 'top'.  

Top the chicken breasts with the spinach and cream cheese mixture.  Cover everything with some shredded mozzarella and crumbled feta cheese.  Add other things if you wish (kalamata olives, red onion, sun dried tomato) but I think we like ours without all the extras best.

Return to the oven to bake at 375 for about 25-30 minutes more.  Serve hot.

This is a quadruple batch - so, lots of chicken breasts!  Seasoned.

 

 

 

Into the oven

Wilting the spinach

 

Adding cream cheese

 Chicken is out of the oven (partially cooked) and ready to be topped with the spinach and cheeses

 

Spinach and Cream Cheese

 

All the cheeses, plus some kalamata olives this time...

Out of the oven and ready to serve a crowd.