For the Cupcakes -

3/4 cup good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. In a small mixing bowl, cream the butter and add the sugar mixing until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time while continuing to mix. Add the dry mixture, a little at a time, mixing until well combined. Mix in the sour cream. Add the chocolate chip, stirring one more time to combine. Place paper cupcake liners in a cupcake pan. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop the batter and place into each cupcake liner filling about 2/3 of each one. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

For the Whipped Ganache -
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups sugar
6 ounces good quality unsweetened chocolate
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the cream and sugar to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid reduces slightly, about 6 to 8 minutes. Pour the mixture into a medium mixing bowl and add the chocolate, butter, vanilla, and salt. Let stand, 5 minutes to allow the chocolate and butter to melt. Stir to combine. Place the bowl in a larger bowl of ice water. This is going to help the ganache set. Using a hand mixer on medium speed, beat the frosting, scraping the sides occasionally with a rubber spatula, until thick,, about 5 minutes. Frost your cupcakes and enjoy!

1 lb. white mushrooms, sliced or cut into quarters
1 red onions, sliced
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves or 1 tablespoon fresh, chopped thyme
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons salted butter
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
Place the mushrooms and red onions in a medium mixing bowl. Add the olive oil and toss to coat. Add the salt, pepper, and thyme, tossing again to combine. Pour the mushroom mixture onto a baking sheet and roast in pre-heated oven for 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan or skillet, over medium-high heat, add the butter. Cook, stirring frequently, until browned, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Place mushroom mixture onto a serving platter. Drizzle with the browned butter, tossing to coat. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve immediately.

2 Persian cucumbers, peeled and sliced
1 cup watermelon, cubed
3 tablespoons red onion, diced
6 fresh mint leaves, sliced thin
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
Salt and fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 - 2 teaspoons sugar

In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, sugar, and add salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
In a small mixing bowl, add cucumbers and red onion. Pour dressing over and toss to combine. Add the mint, toss again. Gently fold in the watermelon and feta. Season again with salt and pepper, if desired. Allow salad to refrigerate 30 to 60 minutes before serving.

For the Avgolemono -

2 large eggs, at room temperature
Juice from 2 lemons
1 cup broth, chicken or beef
Salt, pepper, parsley, to taste.

Warm the broth in a small saucepan until hot but not boiling; remove from heat. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy. Slowly pour in the lemon juice, whisking constantly. Pour the hot broth into a measuring cup and begin pouring it into the egg mixture, a little at a time, VERY slowly, again, stirring constantly. Once you have added the broth, pour the mixture into the same small saucepan over very low heat and simmer, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
Place the meatballs in a shallow serving bowl and pour the sauce over. I add fresh chopped parsley, fresh ground pepper ang a bit of lemon zest. You could also add fresh chopped dill in place of the parsley.

For the Meatballs -

1/2-lb. ground beef
1/2-lb. ground veal
1/2-lb. ground pork
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, pushed through a press
Pinch of crushed red pepper
2 large eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
Salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup water
Olive oil

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil to coat the pan. Add the onions and season generously with salt. Saute for about 5 to 7 minutes. The onions should be very soft and aromatic but have no color. Add the garlic and the crushed red pepper and saute for another 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to cool.
In a large bowl, combine the meats, eggs, Parmesan, Romano, parsley, and bread crumbs. Using your hands (wash them first!), combine the mixture until well blended. Add the onion mixture and season generously with salt. Add the water and combine with your hands again. The mixture will be wet (don't get scared).
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Using your hands or an ice cream scoop, shape the meat mixture into balls. You can make them around the size of a golf ball or smaller, whichever you prefer. Again, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil to coat the pan. Brown the meatballs on all sides. Place them on a baking sheet and bake them in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked all the way through.

For the Onion-Cherry Pepper Mixture -

2 large yellow onions, sliced
3 large cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 cup hot cherry peppers, sliced
1/4 cup sweet cherry peppers, sliced
1/3 cup white wine
Chopped parley

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil to coat the pan. Add the garlic and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Add the onions and saute until almost caramelized and soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the chopped cherry peppers and cook for 3 minutes more. Add the white wine and parsley and cook, stirring to combine for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the reserved garlic back to the skillet. Add desired amount of meatballs to the skillet, tossing to coat with the onion mixture. Place on a serving platter, sprinkle with a bit more parsley and serve.

2 large sweet potatoes, washed
1 stick salted butter
3 cloves garlic , pushed through a press
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan Cheese
Olive oil cooking spray

Cut ends off the ends of the sweet potatoes then cut each into 1-inch slices. Place sweet potato slices in a large pot of salted water. Bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes or until just fork-tender. Drain.
Spray a large baking sheet with the olive oil cooking spray. Place sweet potato slices onto the baking sheet. Using a fork, lightly smash each piece. They may break apart and that's okay. When mine do, I simple push them back together again.
Pre-heat the broiler to high.
Place butter and garlic in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30-seconds at a time until the butter is melted. Add the parsley. Spoon the mixture over each sweet potato slice. Sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper. Place baking sheet under the broiler and broil until the sweet potato slices are slightly golden brown and crispy, about 10 minutes. Remove from baking sheet from oven, sprinkle sweet potato slices with the grated Parmesan cheese. Season again with a little more salt and parsley, and enjoy!

1 kielsaba sausage, cut into slices
12 potato pirogies
2 small yellow onions, chopped
16-oz can sauerkraut, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 to 1/2 cup water
Paprika
Chopped parsley

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute until slightly caramelized. Add the pirogies and cook for 5 minutes per side, until golden brown. Remove pirogies and onions from pan and set aside. Do not wipe the skillet. Heat the oil until shimmering. Add the kielbasa in a single layer and cook until well browned on one side and then flip them over and cook until well browned on the other side. Add the sauerkraut and water, scraping up the browned bits. Lower the heat to medium and cook for 5 to 7 minutes more. Add the pirogies and onions back to the skillet. Mix everything to combine. Add the paprika, to taste. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and enjoy!

2 banana peppers, use 1 if you prefer it less spicy
1/3 lb. Ipirou feta cheese, if you can't find Ipirou, use any good quality Greek feta
1/3 cup whole milk Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil, you may need more or less, depending on your desired consistency
Salt and pepper, to taste

Place the banana peppers under a broiler, turning often, until blackened spots appear on all sides. Place in a bowl and cover with a clean towel until cooled completely. Using gloves, peel, seed, and remove the stems from the peppers; then, chop. Add the chopped peppers, feta, Greek yogurt, and cider vinegar to a food processor and processes until fairly smooth. Slowly stream in the oil, while continuing to pulse. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

4 boneless pork chops (rib or sirloin)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup dry white wine
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon creole seasoning
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Green onions, garnish

In a small bowl, whisk together creole seasoning, garlic powder and onion powder.
Sprinkle desired amount of seasoning mix on to pork chops, season with pepper, then heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Once hot, add pork chops and cook, without moving (other than to flip), until browned on both sides. 6-7 minutes per side.
Remove pork from heat and transfer to a plate. Cover to keep warm.
Return skillet to heat and pour in wine, lemon juice and zest, minced garlic, and thyme, then season again with salt and pepper.
Reduce heat to medium and stir everything together, making sure to scrape up the browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Return pork chops to pan, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until pork chops are cooked through.
Remove pork chops to a plate (or to an oven preheated to 200º F), then add remaining butter to sauce in skillet. Whisk in heavy cream and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low again and simmer until thickened.
Once desired thickness is reached, drizzle over pork chops and serve hot.

4 boneless pork chops
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup seasoning mix (I used Rib Rack Original)

Brush pork chops with olive oil on both sides. Sprinkle both sides with seasoning mix pressing the mix into the chops. Place in air-fryer at 400 degrees for 7 minutes, flip chops and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove from air-fryer and let rest 5 minutes before serving.


1/2 of a red cabbage, shredded
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt
Ground white pepper

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the red cabbage, tossing to coat. Saute until the cabbage starts to wilt slightly, about 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper then sprinkle with the sugar, tossing to coat. Add the balsamic vinegar and allow to boil slightly, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and allow to cook until the cabbage is tender, stirring often, about 30 minutes.

2 to 3 very ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
1/3 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and butter a 4 x 8-inch loaf pan. In a mixing bowl, add the mashed bananas and stir in the melted butter. Mix in the baking soda and salt. Stir in the sugar, beaten egg, and vanilla extract. Mix in the flour. Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for a few minutes. Then remove the banana bread from the pan and let cool completely before serving. Enjoy!

1 to 2 packages of cauliflower tots
2 cups shredded cheddar or cheddar jack
8 to 10 slices bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled
2 scallions, sliced thin
Sour cream or ranch

Cook cauliflower tots according to package. Once done, add shredded cheese, cooked crumbled bacon, sliced scallions. You could even do chili and chopped jalapeños. Place back in oven until cheese is melted. Serve with sour cream or ranch.

2 packages butternut squash noodles or rice
1 lb. hot Italian sausage
9 tablespoons salted butter
6 to 8 sage leaves
Ground white pepper
1/2 to 1 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese (use more or less according to your taste)

Place the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 cup of water to the skillet. After 10 minutes, flip the sausages over and simmer for an additional 5 minutes adding more water to the skillet as the water evaporates. Remove the sausages and slice them into 1/2-inch thick slices.
Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the skillet and turn the heat to medium-high. After a minute, add the sausage slices in an even layer and let them cook until deeply browned. Flip and brown them on the other side. When the sausage slices browned, remove them from the pan and place them on a paper towel-lined plate and return the pan to the burner.
Salt a large pot of water and place it on high heat; bring to a boil. Add the butternut squash noodles to the water and cook about 3 to 5 minutes. The butternut squash noodles cook really fast.
Turn the heat to medium-high and add the sage leaves, the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter, and season with white pepper. As the butter melts, scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Continue to cook until the foam subsides, about 5 minutes. Cook the butter until it’s deeply browned and fragrant, about 5 minutes more.
Drain the butternut squash noodles. Add the to the browned butter sauce and toss to combine. Add the sausage to the skillet and stir. Add the Romano cheese and stir again. Adjust with salt, if necessary.
Place into serving bowls and garnish with additional Romano cheese and sprinkle with additional chopped sage 💕

Footnotes - I started out with noodles but they broke apart while cooking so I ended up with rice 🤷🏻‍♀️ and ran with it LOL!

You can substitute cauliflower gnocchi for the
butternut squash.

You can use sweet Italian sauce instead of hot. I’m not sure how it tastes because I’ve only used hot ♥️

6 portobello mushroom caps, gills gently scraped out
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1lb. hot Italian sausage, casings removed
1 can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 375.

Sprinkle portobello caps with salt. Place gill-side down on a baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until they just start to give off liquid. Remove from oven and pat dry with paper towels.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until soft, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the sausage and brown, breaking it up into smaller pieces until no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, chopped oregano and crushed red pepper and continue to cook a few minutes more.

Spoon the sausage mixture into each portobello cap. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and place back into oven for 5 more minutes to allow the cheese to melt.

2 Persian cucumbers, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped red onion
Fresh chopped dill
Crumbled feta

Place the cucumbers in a shallow bowl. Whisk the next 4 ingredients together and drizzle over cucumbers. Sprinkle with dill and feta.

Low Carb Jalapeño Popper Taquitos with Bacon -

4 ounces whipped cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup chopped jalapeno (I used jarred)
6 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
1/8 cup shredded cheddar jack cheese
Pinch of black pepper
6 slices thin sliced cheddar cheese

Combine the cream cheese, jalapeños, bacon, shredded cheddar jack and black pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place cheese slices on baking sheet.
Bake 5 to 7 minutes or until the outside edges are browned and crisp.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool 1 to 2 minutes.
Place 1 to 2 tablespoons of the mixture on one side of the cheese slice and roll, seam side down. Enjoy!