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Scallop Carbonara with Bacon and Asparagus

by 20 Comments

Scallop Carbonara is a rich pasta dish built around tender bay scallops, crisp bacon, and a silky carbonara sauce that clings every strand of pasta. The asparagus adds just enough freshness to balance the richness, making it a great option for a special dinner.

A close-up bowl of creamy scallop carbonara pasta topped with crispy bacon bits, fresh green asparagus pieces, and grated parmesan cheese.

I love carbonara-style dishes for ow simple they are once you understand the technique, and this version is one I come back to when asparagus is in season. If you enjoy creamy seafood pastas that don't rely on heavy sauces, this one fits right in.

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Why You'll Love Scallop Carbonara

Silky sauce: the eggs, cream, and Parmesan come together into a smooth sauce that clings to the pasta without feeling heavy.

Balanced flavor: salty bacon, sweet scallops, and tender asparagus create contrast in every bite.

Restaurant feel: this is the kind of recipe you'd expect to order out, but it comes together easily at home.

Key Ingredients for Scallop Carbonara

See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and instructions.

  • Bay scallops: mild, sweet, and quick-cooking, perfect for creamy pasta dishes.
  • Bacon: adds salt and richness that anchors the sauce.
  • Eggs: form the base of the carbonara-style sauce.
  • Heavy cream: adds body and smooth texture without overpowering.
  • Asparagus: brings freshness and a light bite.
  • Bucatini pasta: thick and sturdy, ideal for holding onto the sauce.
  • Parmesan cheese: adds savory depth and finishes the dish.
Extreme close up of a bowl of bucatini pasta, baby scallops, crispy bacon, asparagus pieces, and fresh grated parmesan cheese in a white bowl.

Ingredient Substitutions

  • Pancetta can be used in place of bacon for a slightly milder flavor.
  • Spaghetti works if bucatini isn't available.
  • Half and half can replace heavy cream for a lighter sauce.

Variations on Scallop Carbonara

  • Shrimp swap: use small shrimp instead of scallops for a familiar seafood carbonara option.
  • Spring peas: replace asparagus with peas for a softer texture and subtle sweetness.
  • Extra cheesy: add more Parmesan at the end for a richer finish.

Tips for the Best Carbonara with Asparagus

  • Temper the eggs slowly by whisking in the hot cream a little at a time to prevent scrambling.
  • Keep the heat at medium when adding the sauce to the pasta so it thickens gently.
  • Cook the scallops just until opaque so they stay tender and sweet.

How to Store and Reheat

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat, adding a splash of cream or water to loosen the sauce.

A close-up bowl of creamy scallop carbonara pasta topped with crispy bacon bits, fresh green asparagus pieces, and grated parmesan cheese.

Serving Suggestions for Scallop Carbonara

Serve this scallop carbonara with a simple green salad and warm homemade bread or quick dinner rolls to round out the meal.

More Recipes You'll Love

If you're a fan of seafood and cream sauces, you have to try my Velvet Shrimp, Shrimp Alfredo Linguine with Saffron, or Seafood Lasagna recipe. If you're like me and crave a little bit of heat, my Creamy Creole Shrimp is a total game-changer!

I hope your family loves this dish as much as mine does. If you give it a try, please come back and leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and comment. I love chatting with you all! Don't forget to tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch so I can check out your delicious results!

📖 Recipe

A close-up bowl of creamy scallop carbonara pasta topped with crispy bacon bits, fresh green asparagus pieces, and grated parmesan cheese.

Scallop Carbonara with Asparagus

Shelby Law Ruttan
This delicious Scallop Carbonara brings together tender seafood, crisp bacon, and smooth egg-based sauce for a comforting pasta dish that feels both simple and special. It's well suited for a quiet dinner at home or a to celebrate a special occasion.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Dinner Recipes, Main Dish
Cuisine Italian-American
Servings 6
Calories 614 kcal

Equipment

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Ingredients
  

  • 4 slices thick-cut bacon cut into pieces
  • 1 pound bay scallops
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 1 clove garlic finely chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound asparagus chopped
  • 1 pound bucatini
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese , grated (divided)

Instructions
 

  • Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until al dente according to package directions. Drain well and return pasta to pot.
  • Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring often. Using slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to paper towels and drain. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings from skillet.
  • Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the scallops and cook until they just turn opaque. Remove the scallops from the skillet.
  • Add asparagus and saute until tender, stirring occasionally, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a large plate and season to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Crack eggs into large bowl and whisk to blend and set aside.
  • Add the cream, garlic, and crushed pepper to bacon drippings in the skillet and bring to boil. Gradually whisk hot cream mixture into eggs. Mix in ¼ cup of the Parmesan cheese.
  • Add the cream sauce sauce to the cooked pasta and toss over medium heat until sauce coats pasta (do not boil).
  • Add the cooked bacon and asparagus and toss to heat through. Serve with remaining cheese.

Nutrition

Calories: 614kcalCarbohydrates: 63gProtein: 29gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0.04gCholesterol: 124mgSodium: 625mgPotassium: 577mgFiber: 4gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1054IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 162mgIron: 3mgNet Carbohydrates: 59g
Keyword bacon scallop carbonara, bucatini carbonara, carbonara with asparagus, creamy scallop carbonara, Scallop Carbonara, scallop carbonara recipe, Scallop Carbonara with Asparagus, seafood carbonara
Tried this recipe?Mention @grumpyshoneybunch or tag #grumpyshoneybunch!

Blueberry French Toast Casserole

by 17 Comments

French toast fans will love this Blueberry French Toast Casserole recipe and it's the perfect brunch or breakfast recipe to serve on special occasions. Made with a crusty day old bread baked in a egg custard base sprinkled with fresh juicy blueberries.

This delicious easy french toast bake is the perfect recipe for Christmas morning, Easter, mother's day brunch, and summer time weekend breakfast gatherings.

❤️ Why you'll love it

✔️ It's not too sweet and is made perfect with just a drizzle of maple syrup.

✔️ It gets nice and crusty on the top of the casserole and is custardy on the inside.

✔️ This easy breakfast recipe is made in one dish that can be made the night before and baked the next morning.

Bread cubes for french toast casserole.
Day old bread that has a firm and crusty texture is best for this french toast casserole.

🥘 Ingredients

Stale bread, it can be french bread, challah bread, or italian bread all will work in this recipe.

Cream cheese, this is cut into cubes and scattered over top of the bread in the casserole dish

Heavy cream

Pure maple syrup

Ground cinnamon

Large eggs

Vanilla extract

Fresh blueberries

Coarse sugar crystals (optional)

Blueberry, Blue Cheese, and Pecan Grilled Romaine Salad

🔪 Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray casserole dish with cooking spray. Place ½ of bread cubes in bottom of prepared baking dishl. Add 1 cup blueberries to the casserole and evenly distribute the cream cheese cubes over top of the bread..
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, cream, syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon together until well blended. Pour ½ cup liquid over the bread cube mixture.
  3. Spread the remaining bread cubes in the casserole dish and cover with remaining egg mixture.
  4. Bake covered with aluminum foil in oven 30 minutes. Remove cover, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon coarse sugar crystals and bake another 10 minutes uncovered, until the top is golden brown. Serve with extra blueberries and pure maple syrup.

🥄 Equipment

13-inch baking dish

Medium bowl

Hand whisk

Rubber scraper

Wooden spoon

🥫Storage

Store leftovers in the fridge up to 4 days and in the freezer up to 3 months.

📖 Variations

  • Sprinkle the top of baked casserole with powdered sugar and lemon zest
  • Make this casserole in individual portions using 4 ramekins in place of the large casserole dish
  • Substitute brown sugar for the maple syrup
Blueberry French Toast Casserole Featured Image.

💭 Tips

If making this french toast casserole recipe the night before to bake the next day, remove it from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature (about 20 minutes) before baking.

This Pumpkin Chocolate Bread Pudding makes a delicious fall treat!

Try these Cheesecake Stuffed French Toast Sliders for your next brunch dish.

Waffled French Toast with Meyer Lemon Maple Syrup

A great recipe for fresh strawberries is this Strawberry Stuffed French Toast.

🍽 Serve with...

Serve this baked french toast recipe with pure maple syrup, your favorite fruits,

Don't forget to check out my Amazon storefront for some of my favorite products!

When you make this recipe, please comment below and let me know what you think. I'd love it if you tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch or #grumpyshoneybunch so I can see your photos!

If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating

📖 Recipe

Blueberry French Toast Casserole Featured Image.

Blueberry French Toast Casserole

Shelby Law Ruttan
A breakfast or brunch recipe made with day old bread baked in an egg custard with fresh blueberries and maple syrup as a sweetener.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Calories 370 kcal

Equipment

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Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray individual oven safe bowls with cooking spray.
  • Place ½ cup of bread crumbs in bottom of bowl. Add ¼ cup blueberries to each bowl and divide the cubed cream cheese between the bowls.
  • Whisk the eggs, cream, syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon together until well blended. This should make 1 cup of liquid. Pour ½ cup liquid over each bowl.
  • Bake covered in oven 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake another 10 minutes to brown top. Serve with extra blueberries and pure maple syrup.

Notes

Please note that you can also bake this all in one dish. I opted for the smaller bowls just because I wanted the "visual". :o)

Nutrition

Calories: 370kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 9gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 174mgSodium: 233mgPotassium: 216mgFiber: 2gSugar: 22gVitamin A: 593IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 71mgIron: 1mg
Keyword Blueberry French Toast Casserole
Tried this recipe?Mention @grumpyshoneybunch or tag #grumpyshoneybunch!

Red and White Cauliflower Bake

by 21 Comments

This recipe for Red and White Cauliflower Bake is a vegan casserole made with cauliflower, seasoned tofu, and a tomato sauce topping. This is a veggie recipe that will the whole family will enjoy!

One serving of red and white cauliflower bake garnished with fresh basil leaves.
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❤️ Why you'll love it

Full of flavor: from the seasoned tofu to the white gravy and the fire roasted tomato sauce, this recipe is packed with flavor.

Meatless Mondays: this is a delicious dish to serve on meatless Monday!

Cauliflower recipe: this is another delicious recipe for fans of cauliflower.

Ingredients for tofu layer.
Nutritional yeast gives a cheese like flavor to the tofu and the flavors are brought to life with the lemon juice, herbs, and salt.
Crumbled seasoned tofu in a mixing bowl.
The combination of ingredients turn bland tofu into a delicious layer for this cauliflower casserole.
Ingredients for white sauce
If I'm just making a side dish for my family or a vegetarian dis, I will use regular butter instead of vegan.
Raw chopped cauliflower in a microwave steamer bowl.
The quickest way to prepare the cauliflower for this recipe is to steam it in the microwave for 15 minutes.

🥘 Ingredients

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Fresh cauliflower

Firm tofu: you can buy water packed tofu (be sure to drain) or vacuum sealed tofu (no draining required).

Lemon juice: I prefer to use fresh lemon juice.

Nutritional yeast flakes: this is desiccated yeast made of yellow powdery flakes that have a nutty cheese like flavor and often used in vegan cooking.

Salt, Black pepper, Italian seasoning: these are used to season the tofu with the nutritional yeast and lemon juice.

Vegan butter: Earth Balance is a great brand of vegan butter.

Flour: used to thicken the white sauce

Tahini: this ingredient in particular adds a distinct delicious flavor to the white sauce and I don't recommend substituting anything else for it.

Oat milk: this is my preference for non-dairy milks and I love the Planet Oat brand. Almond milk can be used as well.

Vegetable bouillon concentrate: I love the better than bouillon brand.

Fire roasted tomatoes: this specific type of tomato adds a smoky delicious flavor.

Chopped garlic and herbs sauteing in oil in a skillet.
Saute the garlic and herbs in olive oil to soften the garlic and bring out the aromatics.
Butter and flour bubbling in the saucepan.
Cook the butter and flour together for a few minutes to develop a nuttier flavor.
Thicken white sauce in the sauce pan.
The gravy will thicken quickly, as soon as it has thickened remove it from the stovetop.
Cauliflower mixed with white gravy in a red bowl.
The white gravy adds flavor to the cauliflower and makes it creamy.

🔪 Instructions

  1. Press tofu between heavy plates wrapped in paper towels to absorb moisture.
  2. Chop cauliflower into florets and steam in the microwave for 4 minutes, until fork tender. Remove from microwave, drain water, and set aside.

For the Red Sauce

  1. In a large saucepan over medium high heat, saute dried spices and garlic in olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Add blended tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes.

For the White Sauce

  1. In another large saucepan, melt vegan butter until bubbly. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute.
  2. Add tahini, lemon juice, and almond milk, whisking constantly until flour mixture is smooth. Pour over top of steamed cauliflower and toss to coat. Set aside.

For the Tofu

  1. Crumble drained and pressed tofu into a large bowl and mix with lemon juice, nutritional yeast flakes, salt, pepper, italian seasoning,

Assemble the Casserole

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Press tofu mixture in bottom of 9 x 9 square glass baking dish. Top with cauliflower mixture, then top with tomato sauce.
  3. Bake casserole for 30 minutes, or until casserole is bubbly around the edges and the center is hot.
  4. Remove from oven and let sit at least 15 minutes to set.
Tofu mixture pressed into the bottom of a square baking dish.
The first layer of this cauliflower casserole is the tofu layer. Be sure to press it in tightly (I use my hands).
Cauliflower mixture on top of tofu layer in baking dish.
Next, top the tofu layer with the cauliflower mixture. Use the back of a spoon to evenly spread the cauliflower out over top of the tofu.
Blended fire roasted tomatoes in blender cup.
Canned diced fire roasted tomatoes add a ton of flavor! To get a creamy sauce, just blend in a nutri bullet until smooth.
Red and White Cauliflower Casserole ready to bake.
Bake the casserole for 35 minutes, until bubbling around the edges and hot in the center.

🥄 Equipment

Paper towels: you will need these if you have water packed tofu

Large saucepans

Large bowl

Microwave vegetable steamer

Hand whisk

Rubber spatula

🥫Storage

Refrigerate: store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 5 days.

Freeze: I do not recommend freezing this dish as it will become quite watery.

Reheat: gently reheat casserole in the microwave until warm.

Red and White Cauliflower Casserole with one serving removed from he dish.
It is best to let the casserole cool for about 15 minutes before serving to allow it to settle and not fall apart easily when removing from the dish.

💭 Tips

  • Choose vacuum packed tofu over water packed if at all possible.
  • Drain the steamed cauliflower as much as possible to prevent a watery casserole.

This Cauliflower Fried Rice is a delicious low carb side dish

Coconut Cauliflower Rice is a low carb take on the coconut rice.

I LOVE this Garlic Mashed Cauliflower with Browned Butter so much I would eat it daily!

General Tso's Tofu is a family favorite.

This Marinated Tofu Salad Recipe is super flavorful and so easy to make.

🍽 Serve with...

Enjoy this as a main dish or, pair it up with a protein and serve it as a vegetable side dish.

🏫 The last word

The original recipe came from a cookbook written by Lauren Ulm called Vegan Yum Yum. I highly recommend this cookbook and have made many recipes from it over the years!

📖 Recipe

Featured image for Red and White Cauliflower Casserole.

Red and White Cauliflower Bake

Shelby Law Ruttan
A delicious vegan recipe made with cauliflower, seasoned tofu, and fire roasted tomato sauce baked in a casserole diah.
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Cooling time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 9
Calories 160 kcal

Equipment

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients
  

  • 1 medium cauliflower , chopped and steamed until crisp tender

For the tofu layer:

For the White Sauce

For the Red Sauce

Instructions
 

  • Chop cauliflower into florets and steam in the microwave for 4 minutes, until fork tender. Remove from microwave, drain water, and set aside.

For the Tofu

  • If using water packed tofu, press between 2 heavy plates wrapped in paper towels to absorb moisture.
  • Crumble drained and pressed tofu into a large bowl and mix with lemon juice, nutritional yeast flakes, salt, pepper, italian seasoning, stirring to combine.

For the Red Sauce

  • In a large saucepan over medium high heat, saute dried spices and garlic in olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Add blended tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes.

For the White Sauce

  • In another large saucepan, melt vegan butter until bubbly. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute.
  • Add tahini, lemon juice, and almond milk, whisking constantly until flour mixture is smooth. Pour over top of steamed cauliflower and toss to coat. Set aside.

Assemble the Casserole  

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Press tofu mixture in bottom of 9 x 9 square glass baking dish. Top with cauliflower mixture, then top with tomato sauce.
  • Bake casserole for 30 minutes, or until casserole is bubbly around the edges and the center is hot.
  • Remove from oven and let sit at least 15 minutes to set.

Nutrition

Calories: 160kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 8gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 460mgPotassium: 315mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 251IUVitamin C: 34mgCalcium: 131mgIron: 2mgNet Carbohydrates: 9g
Keyword Red and White Cauliflower Bake
Tried this recipe?Mention @grumpyshoneybunch or tag #grumpyshoneybunch!

Fig and Gorgonzola Bruschetta with Balsamic Syrup

by 15 Comments

Crispy bruschetta toasts with gorgonzola cheese spread on top and a fresh fig with balsamic glaze. Fig and Gorgonzola Bruschetta with Balsamic Syrup are pure appetizer deliciousness with a creamy, crispy, and fresh mouth feel!

Fig and Gorgonzola Bruschetta with Balsamic Syrup

I love snacking.  Actually, I snack more than I eat a meal or I consider my snack a meal!  I also love to read my foodie magazines.  I read several of them but the one that inspired me today was Every Day with Rachel Ray.

Rachel has really gotten where I wish I could be....in a way.  I am a good talker and I love to eat...but to stand in my kitchen and talk and cook - that I don't think I could do.  When I cook, I want to be left alone.  I don't want people hovering over me much less do I want to have to be "scripted" in anyway. However, a show like her Tasty Travel's show....now that I could do!  Give me food someone else has made and let me talk about it - I'd be awesome at that!  Probably most of my family, friends and co-workers that I've carried on conversations with would tell you how my topic of conversation always goes to food!  I was certainly blessed with the gift of gab.

 Fig and Gorgonzola Bruschetta with Balsamic Syrup
With all that said, I was going through the August 2011 issue of Every Day with Rachel Ray and saw an article titled "Bruschetta - 9 ways"  Immediately I had a craving for crusty bread with spreadable cheese and fruit.  While my combination was not one of the 9 ways in the magazine, it's a twist on a couple of the ways.  I finally, for the first time ever, found fresh figs in a grocery store.  I also was craving some gorgonzola and of course, I had that yummy balsamic syrup that I used on my Caprese Panini that I knew would go well with my bruschetta.
Fig and Gorgonzola Bruschetta with Balsamic Syrup
Recipe Type: Appetizer
Author: inspired by Every Day with Rachel Ray
Ingredients
  • Thin slices of crusty baguette
  • Butter Spray
  • Gorgonzola Cheese
  • Fresh Figs, sliced in half (I used black mission figs)
  • Balsamic Syrup
Instructions
  1. Spray slices of baguette with butter spray and place on cookie sheet.  Broil until lightly toasted, flip and toast other side.  Keep a close eye on your baguette slices as they will burn quickly if you decide to not pay attention to them!
  2. Remove baguette slices from oven and spread a small amount of Gorgonzola cheese over warm slices and top with ½ fig, drizzle with Balsamic Syrup.....enjoy!

Fig and Gorgonzola Bruschetta with Balsamic Syrup -  Pin it!Fig and Gorgonzola Bruschetta with Balsamic Syrup

 

Peanut-Sauced Chicken Pitas

by 10 Comments

Peanut-Sauced Chicken Pitas

I must admit it.  This recent issue of Cooking Light is a good one.  Perfect for warm weather food ideas....like the Caprese Panini!  This sandwich was different but delicious!  It has taste of "Thai" with the peanut sauce and the cilantro and wee bit of heat.  I am pretty sure this could easily be rolled up in a rice paper wrap and dipped in the peanut sauce.  Yummy 🙂

I was leary about whether Grumpy was going to be willing to eat this.  Anytime I make something "different" or anytime I mention sandwiches for dinner, I will hear a groan.

He didn't have a lot of choice tonight as by the time he arrived home, I already had dinner started.  I put these together, snapped my photos and handed him the plate.  Grumpy actually liked these!  I didn't hear any groaning; he may have known if he did he would be warming himself up a can of soup!  I actually heard a "wow, you gave me the plate you photographed."  LOL.  I loved this so much that I mixed up another batch and put it in the fridge to take to work for lunch the next day.   There is nothing bad about this sandwich in any way!  If you try this one, you won't regret it 🙂

Peanut-Sauced Chicken Pitas

 

📖 Recipe

Peanut-Sauced Chicken Pitas

Shelby Law Ruttan
Chicken and veggies in a peanut sauce make a tasty filling for pita bread!
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Thai
Servings 2 sandwiches
Calories 287 kcal

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Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup cooked chicken torn apart
  • 2 tablespoons thin red bell pepper strips
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped sweet Vidalia onion
  • 2 tablespoons cucumber cut into thin long strips
  • 2 tablespoons carrots cut into thin long strips
  • 2 tablespoons peanut sauce
  • ⅛ teaspoon chili paste
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
  • 1-6 inch Tofuyan pita bread

Instructions
 

  • Combine all ingredients, divide into 2 servings between pita halves.  Enjoy!

Notes

**Note-CL does tell you to mix the chicken, pepper, onion, peanut sauce and salt and then assemble the sandwich with the remaining ingredients.  I just threw it all together - much easier when putting in a half a pita bread.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sandwichesCalories: 287kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 20gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 63mgSodium: 474mgFiber: 1gSugar: 5g
Keyword chicken, Chicken Pita Sandwich, Peanut Sauce, Peanut-Sauced Chicken Pita, Pita Sandwich
Tried this recipe?Mention @grumpyshoneybunch or tag #grumpyshoneybunch!

 

 

Spicy Jalapeño Cheeseburger (Lighter Version of a Resturaunt Classic)

by 18 Comments

This Jalapeño Cheeseburger is spicy, cheesy, and everything a good burger should be-just made a little lighter. It has the kind of flavor that makes you wonder why you'd ever go back to takeout.

Open-faced jalapeño cheeseburger topped with caramelized onions, creamy sauce, and fresh jalapeño slices on a soft bun.

When I was in Indianapolis staying with my nephews, I packed one of my favorite cookbooks, Cook This! Not That! (affiliate link), for some cooking inspiration. My nephew Austin flipped through the pages with me and picked this burger to make together. He had it gone before I even sat down-I'd say that's the best kind of feedback!

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Why You'll Love This Jalapeño Cheeseburger

  • It tastes like a splurge, but it's not.
  • The spice is just right, and you can make it milder or hotter.
  • It's made with easy-to-find ingredients and doesn't take long.

We didn't have pepper jack, so I used Monterey Jack with fresh diced jalapeños. And in true Shelby fashion, I stuffed the cheese right into the burger. It's a little twist that turned out pretty great.

My Best Tips

Let the onions cook low and slow until golden and sweet.

Don't overmix the meat-just enough to hold it together.

Toast your buns while the pan's still hot.

What to Serve With It

I like to pair this burger with Southwestern Cheddar Steak Fries or Air Fryer French Fries. For something a little fresher, Creamy Coleslaw or Mexican Street Corn Salad works well, too.

📖 Recipe

Spicy Jalapeño Cheeseburger with Caramelized Onions

Shelby Law Ruttan
A lighter Jalapeño Cheeseburger made with lean beef, melted cheese, and caramelized onions-full of flavor without all the extra calories.
No ratings yet
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 9 minutes
Total Time 19 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Calories 543 kcal

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
  • 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
  • 1 pound ground sirloin
  • 1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
  • 1½ tablespoons diced jalapeno peppers
  • 1 cup caramelized onions see below for how to caramelize onions
  • ¼ cup pickled jalapeno slices I went with fresh since that was what we had
  • 4 potato burger buns

Instructions
 

  • Combine the ketchup, relish, and mayo in a mixing bowl. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, combine the ground sirloin with salt and pepper. Shape into 4 equal sized patties.
  • In a small bowl, combine the cheese and diced jalapeños.
  • Place ¼ of the cheese mixture into center of each burger patty and wrap the burger around the cheese to stuff the burger.
  • Heat a grill or skillet over medium high heat until hot. Place patties on the grill and cook on the first side 5-6 minutes until a nice crust develops.
  • Flip the burgers and cook for another 2-3 minutes, until burgers are firm but still yielding to the touch.
  • Remove the burger from the grill and set aside.
  • Butter the cut side of each bun and grill on hot grill or skillet until lightly browned. Place a burger on the bottom half of each bun and top with caramelized onions, burger sauce, and jalapeño slices. Place top half of bun on burger and serve.

Notes

This burger was compared to Applebee's Southwest Jalapeno Burger which has 1,110 calories, 70 grams of fat and 2,100 milligrams of sodium!  
This recipe is adapted from Cook This! Not That! Jalapeno Cheeseburger. While it is slightly different from the original, it is still a healthier version of a restaurant burger.

Nutrition

Calories: 543kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 37gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 104mgSodium: 689mgPotassium: 497mgFiber: 2gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 510IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 395mgIron: 5mgNet Carbohydrates: 31g
Keyword Jalapeno Cheeseburger
Tried this recipe?Mention @grumpyshoneybunch or tag #grumpyshoneybunch!

Mango Mojito - Single serving

by 10 Comments

Cool, refreshing with that minty hit, this recipe for Mango Mojito can be ready in less than 5 minutes and is full of coconut, mango, lime, and mint flavors! This mango mojito recipe is perfect for hot summer days and the 4th of July celebrations.

When looking for easy drink recipes, this Mango Mojito fits the bill. In just 5 minutes you can have a cold refreshing drink and enjoy the beautiful evening on the deck or in your backyard.

Featured Image for Recipe for Mango Mojito.

❤️ Why you'll love it

✔️ This drink recipe uses peach and mango nectar for a quick drink mix packed with fruity flavors.

✔️ If you love Cheeseburger In Paradise' Mango Mojito, you will be happy to have this recipe to make it right at home!

✔️ It is fruity and cold and the fresh mint leaves make it so refreshing.

🥘 Ingredients

Coconut rum (use regular rum if you wish)

Mango nectar

Club soda, lightens the drink up

Fresh mint leaves, to muddle into the drink along with garnishing the drink.

Lime juice and lime wedges, juice for the cocktail and wedges for garnish

Ice Cubes

🔪 Instructions

  1. Add the fresh mint and lime juice to the cocktail shaker. Using a wooden muddler, muddle the mint and lime juice for 1 minute, until the mint has released its oils.
  2. Add the ice, mango nectar, and coconut rum. Cover the cocktail shaker and shake for 30 seconds, until chilled.
  3. Strain the drink into a glass filled with ice and garnish with a lime wedge and mint leaf.
Image of a peach colored beverage.

🥄 Equipment

Shot glasses

Liquid measuring cups

Muddler

Cocktail shaker

🥫Storage

Store any unused limes or juice in the fridge up to 3 days.

📖 Variations

  • Use a fresh mango and make your own mango puree by processing the fruit in a blender. You can do the same thing with peaches.
  • To sweeten the drink up a little add a shot or two of simple syrup or add a tablespoon of granulated sugar to the lime and mint when muddling.

📚 Related Recipes

Try this fruity Strawberry Mojito made with rum.

A Dark Sweet Cherry Mojito is perfect for cherry lovers.

These Watermelon Mojitos are so cool and refreshing!

🍽 Serve with…

Serve this recipe for mango mojito with a tray of your favorite appetizers. These Bacon Wrapped Potato Wedges, Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower, or BBQ Chicken Nachos.

Don't forget to check out my Amazon storefront for some of my favorite products!

When you make this recipe for mango mojito, please comment below and let me know what you think. I'd love it if you tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch or #grumpyshoneybunch so I can see your photos!

If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating

📖 Recipe

Featured Image for Recipe for Mango Mojito.

Recipe for Mango Mojito

Shelby Law Ruttan
A recipe for Mango Mojito, a quick and easy single serving drink made with mango nectar and coconut rum.
No ratings yet
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Course Beverages
Cuisine American
Servings 1
Calories 257 kcal

Equipment

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Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

  • Muddle the mint leaves and lime juice in the bottom of a tall drink glass.
  • Fill glass ¾ full with ice and then pour in the remaining liquid ingredients.
  • Stir and serve!

Nutrition

Calories: 257kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 26mgPotassium: 132mgFiber: 3gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 896IUVitamin C: 27mgCalcium: 63mgIron: 1mg
Keyword Mango Mojito, Recipe for Mango Mojito
Tried this recipe?Mention @grumpyshoneybunch or tag #grumpyshoneybunch!

Summer Rolls with Shrimp and Mango

by 3 Comments

Summery, fresh, crisp, and flavorful.  That is what these rolls are.  Somehow eating a fresh spring roll doesn't seem the same when eating one any other season.  These seem meant for warm weather eating.  My first experience with fresh spring rolls was at a Thai place back home.  I fell in love with them and easily can make them a meal.  I then decided I had to make the spring rolls from Veganomicon - Butternut Squash Spring Rolls - and those were SO awesome that I continue to look for other versions.  So, when I saw this recipe, I knew I would try it.

When we were visiting home over Memorial Day Weekend I was sitting at my Mom's table looking at cookbooks.  I came across the Cook This Not That book and realized that the one I bought was not the one I had thought I bought.  Well, when I went to Barnes and Noble over lunch break one day recently and I remedied that mistake!  While I love the one I did buy, I really wanted the one I didn't have.  (Hmm, I think I'm sounding like Grumpy in that statement!)

If you like these Summer Rolls, you may also like these recipes!
Vietnamese Summer Roll Shrimp Salad - A New York Foodie
Vietnamese Summer Rolls with Hoisin-Peanut Dipping Sauce - The Inquiring Chef



Summer Roll with Shrimp & Mango
Cook This!  Not That!


Printable recipe


1 tablespoon chunk peanut butter
1 tablespoon sugar
½ tablespoon fish sauce
½ tablespoon rice vinegar (plus more for the noodles)
2 oz thin rice noodles
8 sheets of rice paper
½ lb cooked medium shrimp, sliced in half
½ red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into thin strips
4 scallion greens, cut into thin strips
¼ cup cilantro

Combine the peanut butter, sugar, fish sauce and vinegar with 1 tablespoon warm water.  Stir to thoroughly combine.  Set the peanut sauce aside.

Cook the noodles accordingly to package instructions.  Drain and toss with a few shakes of vinegar to keep from sticking.

Dip a sheet of rice paper into a bowl of warm water for a few seconds, until just soft and bendable.  Lay the paper on a cutting board.  Leaving a ½ inch space at each end of the wrapper, top with noodles, 3 or 4 shrimp halves, bell pepper, mango, scallion, and a few whole cilantro leaves.  Fold the ends of the rice paper toward the center, then roll tight like a burrito.  Repeat with the remaining 7 wrappers.  Serve with peanut sauce

4 servings @ 270 calories per serving

Southwestern Cheddar Steak Fries

by 17 Comments

Southwestern Cheddar Steak Fries are Mexican spiced roasted potato dish that is topped with cheese, red pepper and cilantro. It is a delicious side dish for any meal main protein or makes a great party appetizer.

A plate of Southwestern Steak Fries

Potatoes do not belong in the trash

It's not often I get a craving for a potato.  I hated potatoes as a child. So much so, I tossed them in the trash one Christmas, only to miss the can and hit the floor. I was unaware, but when my Aunt saw the potatoes on the floor, she knew exactly who tossed them! 

I never was a fan of potatoes as a child unless they were in french fry form. As an adult I don't really crave them often but, once in a while, I will see something on a menu or in a magazine that looks good enough to try.

Since I am a huge fan of Mexican flavors, these Southwestern Cheddar Steak Fries really appealed to me. The crispy roasted outside was delicious with the light spice topping. And of course, add cheese and they are golden!

What you need to make Southwestern Cheddar Steak Fries

Baby Potatoes: Choose white, red, or a mixture of both. I recommend baby potatoes since they bake quickly and are tender.

Smoked Paprika: This lends a smokiness that can't be substituted. If I were to recommend one spice in your cabinet to never run out of, it would be this one. This can be used to sprinkle over deviled eggs or in chili. There are so many ways to incorporate this spice into recipes that are tasty!

Cumin: This spice has a strong earthy, mildly spiced flavor. It is not overpowering or hot. It adds to Mexican flavors without adding heat.

Garlic Powder: This is added to compliment the paprika and cumin on the Southwestern Cheddar Steak Fries.

Olive Oil: The oil will coat the steak fries and allow the spices to stick to it. It also will help the potatoes to crisp up in the oven while baking.

Cheddar Cheese: I like to use a mild cheddar for these Southwestern Steak Fries. Anything stronger will overpower the flavors on the fries.

Sheet Pan: I like a heavy-duty sheet pan. One that will hold the heat without burning the food.

Tips for getting crispy outside edges on steak fries

  • Make sure the oven is hot. An oven thermometer will tell you if your oven is calibrated correctly. A hot oven is important for circulating the air in a blast, searing the outside of the potatoes while keeping the inside tender.
  • Don't skip the oil in the recipe. Well, you can skip it if you want, but your Steak Fries will not be as crispy as you may like them to be. Oil also adds flavor and we do need oils in our diet!
  • Be sure the wedges are skin down on the baking sheet. This allows the cut sides to be exposed to the air.

What to serve with these Steak Fries

Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches with Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing or this Steakhouse Cheeseburger would be great lunch or dinner main sandwich with a side of these steak fries.  

Steak and fries go great as well! Try this Honey Garlic Onion Topped Steak, or this Cilantro Limed Grilled Pork Chops.

Other Potato Recipes you may enjoy

Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Garlic and Chives have 1 ingredient that puts this recipe over the top of all other mashed potato recipes.

Scalloped Potatoes for Two is a great small-batch recipe when you don't want a lot of leftovers.

Chorizo Jalapeno Potato Puff Bites are made in the oven or Air Fryer and are delicious little spicy bites of potato!

Potato Kielbasa Skillet Recipe is perfect for those who love their meat and potatoes browned in a skillet!

*If you made these Southwestern Cheddar Fries, please give them a star rating*

📖 Recipe

Southwestern Cheddar Steak Fries

Shelby Law Ruttan
Tender roasted potatoes are tossed with Mexican flavored spices and cooked to perfection. Sprinkled with a little cheddar cheese at the end of cooking time then topped with red pepper and cilantro.
No ratings yet
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Calories 173 kcal

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb baby potatoes washed and cut into wedges
  • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 oz finely shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
  • ⅓ cup finely chopped red bell pepper
  • 2 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 425.  Line a large baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.
  • Combine olive oil, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, and salt.  Toss potatoes in the mixture to coat.
  • Spread the potatoes on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 18 minutes or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife.  Remove from the oven and sprinkle with cheese and red peppers.  
  • Place back in the oven for 2 minutes to melt the cheese.  Prior to serving, sprinkle with cilantro.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 173kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 5gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 204mgFiber: 3gSugar: 2g
Keyword Cheddar Steak Fries, Southwestern Cheddar Steak Fries
Tried this recipe?Mention @grumpyshoneybunch or tag #grumpyshoneybunch!

Meatball Crepes ala Austin

by 9 Comments

Meatballs enrobed in a thin crepe covered in your favorite pasta sauce and cheese. Meatball Crepes are something you and your kids will both enjoy!

Meatball Crepes
 
Have you ever heard of Meatball Crepes?  I know I hadn't until I arrived at my brother's home and my nephew said he would make them for our dinner one night while I was visiting.  He took a class on a cruise they went on last year and learned how to flip the crepe in the pan.  I was definitely game on for his cooking one night.  I was thinking "how cool, I've cooked with my brother in the kitchen, and now I get to cook with my nephew!"  What fun we had too!  We had a few crepes hit the floor and the laugh that gave my mother was priceless!
 
I think I never took so many photos of one thing in my life - or maybe my mom took more than I did!  I know we were really having a lot of fun and were excited that Austin wanted to cook!  Below is a progression of his making the meatballs and crepes.
 Meatball Crepes
 
Once all the crepes were made and it was time to assemble, I had Austin assemble his plate for me to photograph.  He did a pretty darn good job with the presentation too!
 
Now, how did they taste?  Excellent!  He did a great job all around and I actually tried something I had never heard of and now am excited to share it with you!
 
Meatball Crepes
 
Stay tuned for the dessert crepes - they required a little more help from me, but they turned out awesome too!
 

 

📖 Recipe

Meatball Crepes

Meatball Crepes ala Austin

Shelby Law Ruttan
No ratings yet
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As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients
  

  • For the Meatballs
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • ½ onion finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • ¼ cup chopped herbs (basil, oregano, parsley) - we used dried and went with 1 teaspoon basil, 1 teaspoon oregano, and 1 tablespoon parsley)
  • 1 large egg
  • ¼ cup breadcrumbs we kind of forgot this in the mixture!
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese
  • 1 jar of your favorite tomato pasta sauce
  • Savory Crepe Dough
  • ¾ cup cornmeal
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • salt and pepper

Instructions
 

  • To make the meatballs
    Preheat oven to 355 degrees. In large bowl, mix together beef, onion, garlic, herbs, breadcrumbs, and egg until combined. Add a generous pinch of salt and pepper.
  • Using an ice cream scoop, portion out the meatballs into round balls. Bake meatballs until cooked through (15-20 minutes).
  • To make the crepes:
    Mix dry ingredients. Combine wet and dry ingredients in a food processor until smooth. (we did this the old fashioned way - by hand with a whisk!).
  • Spray small non stick pan with cooking spray. Pour enough batter to make a thin layer when the pan is swirled. Cook for minute on each side, or until golden brown. Put on a plate to cool until they are ready to be filled.
  • Assemble
    Place two meatballs in a line down the middle of the crepe (see recipe below), drizzle a little pasta sauce on top of the meatballs, roll the crepe and top with more mozzarella cheese and sauce.
Keyword Meatball Crepes ala Austin
Tried this recipe?Mention @grumpyshoneybunch or tag #grumpyshoneybunch!

Buffalo Chicken and Blue Cheese Sandwich

by 12 Comments

Thanks for visiting! If you like this post, please don't forget to stumble 🙂

I don't think you can ever get enough Frank's Red Hot sauce and when I found this recipe in Cook this, Not that, I immediately knew I would make it.  The red onions and blue cheese sauce just looked so appealing!  I showed the photo to my nephew and he and I agreed that would be our dinner that evening!

Mom showed me a potato recipe that we decided would be a good side for the sandwich (will post that one next!) and so she got busy with the potatoes while I assembled everything for the sandwiches.  When all was ready and the boys had fixed their plates, we went out on the back porch to enjoy the sunshine that finally came out.  I swear, before Mom even sat down with her plate, Austin had already devoured more than half his sandwich and it was gone in no time flat.  We heard "that was really good", he ate some more potatoes, then offered to help clean up.  Hmm he will have a lucky wife one day!  My brother and SIL are doing a excellent job of bringing these boys up!

This sandwich was very quick and easy to throw together.  I stuck with the ingredient list, but I switched up the method of cooking the chicken some.  This is a definite keeper sandwich.  Hope you will enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken and Blue Cheese Sandwiches
Recipe from Cook this, Not that and method slightly adapted


Printable Recipe


¼ cup crumbled blue cheese
⅓ cup greek-style yogurt
juice of half a lemon
salt and pepper to taste
4 chicken breasts (6 oz each)
½ tablespoon chili powder
1 red onion, sliced
3 tablespoon Frank's Red Hot Sauce
2 tablespoon butter
4 large romaine lettuce leaves
4 sesame buns, toasted (optional for toasting!)

Season chicken with chili powder and salt.  Set aside.

Mix yogurt, blue cheese and lemon juice together.  Set aside.

Saute Red onion slices in a frying pan on medium heat - using cooking spray to prevent sticking.  Cook until onions are soft and begin to turn brown.  Remove from pan and set aside.

Spray frying pan with more cooking spray and cook chicken on low heat until cooked thru, turning occasionally.

Melt butter and mix with Red Hot sauce.  Place chicken in sauce and toss to coat.

Assemble sandwich - bottom bun, lettuce leaf, chicken, onions, blue cheese dressing and top off with  bun top!  Enjoy and listen to your nephew go on about how good it was.  😉


BBQ Vegetarian Chicken Pita Pizza

by 14 Comments

Thank you for visiting! If you like this post, please don't forget to stumble 🙂

Not only is today Father's Day - Happy Father's Day to all you Dads out there - but it is Grumpy and my anniversary!  Happy Anniversary to my Grumpy Sweetheart 🙂  I love you with my heart and soul.  You ole Grump you!

Yesterday my mom and I drove to Indianapolis - a long grueling 12 hour drive that took us 13 hours because of a 1 hour hold up in Ohio that took us all of 5 miles down the road - if that!  We are staying with my nephews while my brother and his wife are off vacationing for their 20 year anniversary!
So, Grumpy and I are not together today - and by the end of this week, will have seen very little of each other in the last two weeks.  I'll be ready for some big hugs and lots of love from him by the time I get to see him again!   I'm sure the one to run and greet me at the door though will be Rotten Little Rudy Rut-ton......and not Grumpy, but hey, I love him too 🙂  Rudy is the affectionate one of the two and love to cuddle with me most!

Another thing I love is this BBQ Vegetarian Chicken Pita Pizza.  If you have been one of my facebook followers, you have heard me talk about eating this several times a week for dinner.  Especially when I'm alone for dinner.  I have not always put jalapeno slices on this, and this time was the first time I actually had some fresh cilantro, so I put a little that on top too.  Oh. My. Goodness.  Was this ever good.  Being careful with what your eating has never been more yummy or fun.  Yes, to date I am down almost 15 pounds.  10 more to go and I'll be happy!  What do you love to enjoy when watching your calorie intake?  I'd love to know....maybe it will become a favorite of mine too!

BBQ Vegetarian Chicken Pita Pizza
as made by HoneyB
Printable Recipe


1 Joseph's Flax, Oat Bran, and Whole Wheat Pita Bread
2 tablespoons Sweet Baby Ray's Spicy Sweet BBQ Sauce, divided
1 Morningstar Farms Chick' Patty
¼ cup 2% shredded mozzarella cheese
thin slices onion
thin slices fresh jalapeno pepper slices or pepperoncini pepper slices
chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place pita bread on cookie sheet and spread 1 tablespoon of BBQ sauce over top.

Microwave Chick' Patty for 40 seconds, then dice into bite sized pieces.  Place in bowl and top with remaining BBQ Sauce and toss to coat chick pieces.

Layer pita pizza as follows, cheese, onion slices, chick' pieces, and jalapeno slices.  Place in oven and bake 10 minutes or until pizza reaches desired browness (I like mine nice and browned!)  Remove from oven and let sit to cool about 5 minutes.  Top with chopped cilantro.  Enjoy!

This is approximately 325 calories.  I'm not a nutritionist but I am a well seasoned dieter.  🙂  This is an awesome high protien, high fiber, low fat but yummy meal that is really filling.  You can still add a salad if you wish with a low fat or no fat dressing and still stay under 500 calories for your meal!

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

by 26 Comments

These Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies are soft, cake-like cookies that taste like your favorite banana bread in cookie form, studded with dark chocolate chips and a hint of warm cardamom. They're the reason I never let browning banana go to waste. This one's simple enough for a weeknight and good enough that people ask for the recipe!

Here's What You'll Find Below

  • Why cardamom, not cinnamon is the flavor twist here.
  • Why two whole eggs give these a cake-like crumb instead of a chewy one.
  • How to freeze the dough or the baked cookies for later.
Stack of three golden-brown banana chocolate chip cookies on a white textured plate next to a green patterned napkin.
[feast_advanced_jump_to]

Why You'll Love Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

Old-fashioned comfort: these cookies are soft, sweet, and full of banana bread flavor.

A spice twist: cardamom instead of the usual cinnamon

Easy to make: no fancy equipment of chilling needed. Just mix, scoop, and bake.

Makes a big batch: Two dozen cookies from one bowl.

Small white bowls filled with baking ingredients including flour, brown sugar, mashed bananas, butter, eggs, chocolate chips, and spices arranged on a wooden surface.

What Goes Into These Cookies

  • Ripe bananas: adds natural sweetness and moisture, making the cookies tender and cake-like.
  • Light brown sugar: deepens the flavor and gives a softer texture.
  • Cardamom: A warm, slightly citrusy spice that plays against the banana and chocolate without taking over. It's what makes these taste different from a typical banana cookie.
  • Dark Chocolate chips: less sweet than semisweet, so the banana and cardamom still come through.
  • Large eggs: Using two whole eggs, not just yolks, is what gives these a soft, cake-like crumb instead of a chewy one.
Soft cookie dough in a mixing bowl.

What to Swap If You're Missing Something

  • Cinnamon can stand in for cardamom if you want a more classic banana-spice flavor.
  • Semisweet or milk chocolate chips work if you'd rather a sweeter cookie than dark chocolate gives you.

Ways to Switch it Up

  • Add ⅓ cup chopped walnuts or pecans with the chocolate chips for crunch.
  • Frosted Banana Cookies: Add a simple cream cheese frosting on top for extra sweetness.
  • Oatmeal Banana Cookies: Stir in ½ cup of quick oats for a heartier texture.
  • Mini Muffin Bites: Bake the dough in a mini muffin tin for soft, poppabble treats. (bake time will need to be reduced)
Raw scoops of cookie dough studded with chocolate chips arranged on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Tips for Tender Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

  • Use very ripe bananas: The darker the peel, the sweeter the flavor.
  • Don't overmix: Stir until the flour just disappears for soft, tender cookies.
  • Cool on the pan: Let them sit for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack so they don't break apart.
  • Bake at 350°F - not higher. A gentler oven keeps the edges from setting before the centers finish, which is what keeps these soft instead of dry.

How to Store

Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze the baked cookies for up to 3 months and thaw at room temperature. You can also freeze the dough. Just scoop it onto a gray, freeze until solid, then transfer to a bag and bake straight from frozen, adding a minute ot two to the baking time.

Freshly baked round banana chocolate chip cookies cooling on a wire rack on a wooden countertop.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are these cookies supposed to be cake like?

Yes. This recipe is meant to bake up soft and cake-like rather than crisp or chewy at the edges.

What does cardamom taste like in there?

It's warm and a little citrusy, closer to cinnamon than anything else common in American baking, but lighter. In this recipe it works quietly in the background. You'll notice it's there without it tasting like a "spiced" cookie.

Can I freeze the dough before baking?

Yes. See Storage above for how to freeze and bake it from frozen.

If you enjoy these cookies, you'll love my Sesame Cardamom Chews, Cashew Caramel Cookies, Glazed Lemon Cookies, and Browned Butter Cookies with Chocolate and Pecans.

One soft cookie on a white plate with a bite taken out of the cookie.

When you make this banana cookie recipe, please comment below and let me know what you think. I'd love it if you tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch or #grumpyshoneybunch so I can see your photos!

If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating

📖 Recipe

A stack of three banana chocolate chip cookies on a white plate.

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

Shelby Law Ruttan
These Banana and Chocolate Chip cookies are soft, and cake-like, packed with dark chocolate chips and a hint of cardamom in every bite.
No ratings yet
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 22 minutes
Course Cookie Recipes
Cuisine American
Servings 24
Calories 140 kcal

Equipment

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350.
  • In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time mixing until well blended after each addition. Mix in bananas and vanilla extract.
  • In a separate bowl combine cardamom, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and flour. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, stirring until just combined.
  • Gently fold in chocolate chips and walnuts (if using). The batter will be some what banana bread like - only a little firmer. Scoop out tablespoons of the batter and space 2 inches apart.
  • Bake 12 minutes or until no longer wet on top.

Nutrition

Calories: 140kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 2gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 120mgPotassium: 85mgFiber: 1gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 86IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 45mgIron: 1mgNet Carbohydrates: 22g
Keyword banana bread cookies, Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies, Banana Walnut Cookies, cardamom cookies, drop banana cookies, soft banana cookies
Tried this recipe?Mention @grumpyshoneybunch or tag #grumpyshoneybunch!

Weight Watcher's Garlic Shrimp Pasta

by 12 Comments

Garlic Shrimp with Spinach and Vermicelli is a Weight Watcher's recipe with a cheesy sauce tossed with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes. It is fresh, fast, and only 9 weight watcher points for your entire meal!

A healthy serving of shrimp and spinach vermicelli with a light garlic butter sauce and sun-dried tomato pieces.

This recipe is definitely a keeper.  Next time I may add some grated parmesan cheese and even a little dried red pepper flake to add some heat!  Overall, this is a delicious, quick and easy recipe for busy weekday suppers!

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

Why This Recipe is a Keeper

  • Super Fast: It takes only 25 minutes from start to finish.
  • Great flavor: The sun-dried tomatoes and lemon make it taste really fresh.
  • Easy Ingredients: You probably already have most of the items in your kitchen.

What's in This Dish

See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and instructions.

  • Shrimp: These provide lean protein and cook through in just a few minutes.
  • Sun-dried Tomatoes: They add a deep, tangy flavor that really makes the dish.
  • Fresh Spinach: This wilts down perfectly to add some easy greens and color.
  • Lemon Juice: A squeeze at the end brightens up the whole plate.
  • White Wine: This helps create a light sauce and pulls all the flavors together.

Easy Swaps You Can Make

  • Chicken Breast: If you aren't a fan of seafood, use sliced chicken breast instead of shrimp.
  • Kale: This is a great alternative if you want a heartier green that holds its shape better than spinach.
  • Cherry Tomatoes: Use these halved and sautéed if you don't have sun-dried tomatoes on hand.
Weight Watcher's Garlic Shrimp Pasta with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes in a blue ceramic bowl.

What to Serve with This

If you're looking to round out the meal, these Air Fryer Garlic Knots are perfect for soaking up the extra garlic butter sauce. For something lighter, a Honey Dijon Spinach Salad adds a nice crunch and pairs well with the fresh greens in the pasta. If you want more veggies, roasted Asparagus and Mushrooms is a simple side that finishes right when the shrimp is ready.

How to Handle Leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge forup to 3 days. To keep the shrimp from getting rubbery, reheat them in a skillet over low heat with a splash of water or broth. Avoid the freezer, as the noodles and spinach will get mushy when thawed.

I'd love to hear how this turned out for you! Did you add the red pepper flakes or keep it mild? If you give it a try, please come back to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below - it helps me out so much and I truly enjoy hearing from myou!

📖 Recipe

Weight Watcher's Garlic Shrimp Pasta with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes in a blue ceramic bowl.

Weight Watcher's Garlic Shrimp

Shelby Law Ruttan
This garlic shrimp pasta is one of my favorite light meals. The combo of tangy sun-dried tomatoes and fresh spinach in a garlicky sauce is so delicious, and the best part is that it only takes 25 minutes to throw together. It's fresh, filling, and perfect for a quick weeknight dinner.
4.80 from 5 votes
Print FREE recipe card with your email address Pin Recipe Save
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4
Calories 350 kcal

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients
  

  • 5 ounces uncooked vermicelli
  • 6 ounces fresh baby spinach
  • ⅓ cup julienne-cut sun-dried tomatoes packed without oil
  • 1½ tablespoon butter divided
  • 1¼ pound large shrimp peeled and deveined
  • 3 large garlic cloves minced
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ⅓ cup dry white wine
  • 3 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • ¼ cup grated fresh parmesan cheese

Instructions
 

  • Break pasta in half and cook according to package directions. Place spinach and tomatoes in a colander.
  • While pasta cooks, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp and garlic, sprinkle with salt and pepper and sauté 4 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Stir in wine and cook 1 minute. Remove pan from heat.
  • When pasta is done cooking, pour pasta and cooking liquid over spinach mixture in colander. Toss with tongs until spinach wilts. Add to shrimp mixture along with remaining 1-½ teaspoons butter and lemon juice. Toss well. Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese.

Notes

9 Weight Watcher Points

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 350kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 29gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 194mgSodium: 1241mgPotassium: 834mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 4504IUVitamin C: 21mgCalcium: 219mgIron: 3mgNet Carbohydrates: 33g
Keyword Weight Watchers Garlic Shrimp
Tried this recipe?Mention @grumpyshoneybunch or tag #grumpyshoneybunch!

Vegetable Stir-Fry

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It is Taste & Create time!  When I received the partner list for this month's event, I went right straight to Bizzy B Bakes blog and started searching.  When I saw the vegetable stir fry, I knew that was what I would be making for certain.  Mainly because I have been being a good girl and not overdoing it with sweets and high calorie foods and I did not want to ruin my good streak!  I also saw that Bizzy had some Crispy Beef Wontons that I do intend to try in the near future - they are baked so they can't be to bad for you!  😉

I went with the sauce and aromatics for the most part - I just did mine a little differently.  I also went with some different veggies and added some protein to the mix.  I love this place in Latham called The Fresh Market.  I took a trip there the day I was going to make this stir fry and bought some fresh veggies to use in my dish.  Yummylicious!  🙂 This was definitely a meal under 300 calories (I did not eat any rice) and healthy for you!

 

 

Vegetable Stir-Fry
Adapted from Bizzy B. Bakes
The Veggies:
1 cup broccoli florets
3 small carrots, sliced
2 cups green beans, cut into bite size pieces
8 oz package baby portabello mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
1 small yellow summer squash, sliced (I would say it amounted to about 1-½ cups)
1 small red pepper, sliced
The Sauce:
1 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon tamari
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons splenda

The Aromatics:

1 tablespoon olive oil
½ Vidalia Onion, sliced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
The Shrimp:
1 lb large raw shrimp, peeled, deveined with shells and tails removed
1 tablespoon tamari sauce
1 tablespoon mirin
1 teaspoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (adjust this to your own heat tolerance)
Mix all the ingredients for the shrimp together and marinate the shrimp while you chop/cut your veggies.
Once all veggies are chopped and set aside, cook the shrimp on medium high head in a non stick pan until no longer pink, 3-4 minutes.  Remove shrimp from pan and keep warm.
Place olive oil in pan and cook the aromatics about 2 minutes.  Add the mushrooms and cook 3-4 minutes more until mushrooms start to sweat.  Remove from pan and keep warm.
Next you will cook the remainder of the veggies - starting with the carrots and adding more oil if needed.  Stir fry the carrots 2-3 minutes, then add the green beans.  Stir fry a few more minutes, place the mushroom mixture back in the skillet with the carrots and beans.  Stir fry a few seconds and then add the remaining vegetables (squash, peppers, broccoli).  Stir fry a few minutes until the vegetables start to look vibrant in color.  Add the broth and shrimp and cook for 1-2 minutes.  Serves 4 people - serve over rice or noodles.

Chocolate Maple Granola

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Chocolate Granola

Today is posting day for The Secret Recipe Club! Last month was the first month for this club, and I missed it but when I realized what I had missed I signed right up so I could participate this month! In this club, we choose any recipe from the blog assigned to make or bake and keep the blog/blogger we are making from a secret until posting day. Many of the bloggers who are in this club are bloggers that I have followed along for quite some time and when I saw that I was given Deeba of Passionate About Baking blog as my first blog to make from I was pretty ecstatic! Deeba has a beautiful blog and is such an amazing baker, wonderfully talented in photography and food design. I immediately knew what recipe I would be making as I had bookmarked it when I first saw the recipe - I just hadn't gotten to it yet. This was my chance!
Chocolate Granola Parfait

I haven't been blogging much this month. You know how we hit slumps sometimes.....well, I hit one. For the most part, I have been pretty consistent with at least one post a week, but this month, this is my first post! Part of it could be that I have become satisfied with my Pita Bread Pizza's and haven't been baking....and have lost 7 pounds at the writing of this post.  I also was suffering from so pretty intense lower back pain that really knocked the wind out of me.  Guess it all comes with getting older....ya know, that degenerative thing...  

Another great reason to be making Deeba's Chocolate Granola recipe - it is low fat and good for you! So, I wasn't going to be hurting my diet any by having this granola around me!  Deeba actually made this for her "Dieting Diva" as she calls her daughter. So, after she "sold" me on the recipe, I knew making this granola was not going to kill my diet and couldn't wait to try it.  ;o)

I did make a few changes, instead of currants, I went with dried apricots and raisins.  There is just something about apricots and chocolate together that makes me happy!  I also changed up my sweetener and went with dark chocolate instead of semi-sweet.  I happen to be a pure maple syrup girl....and I subbed the syrup for the honey.    

Chocolate Maple Granola
adapted from Passionate About Baking - Chocolate Granola


Printable Recipe

3 ½ cups rolled oats
½ cup slivered almonds
¼ cup diced dried apricots
¼ cup raisins
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
¼ teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
⅓ cup pure maple syrup (I use light amber)
⅓ cup water
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup 60% dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 300 F and have a large baking sheet covered with parchment paper ready.
In a small pot, combine the water, maple syrup, sugar, butter, salt and vanilla extract. Bring to a simmer and let cook until the sugar is dissolved.

In a large bowl, combine the all the ingredients except for the chocolate and apricots.  Pour the liquid over the dry ingredients and toss to combine.

Transfer the granola mixture to the baking sheet and cook for 45 minutes, stirring often to make sure that the granola cooks evenly (if your granola is browning too quickly as mine did, lower your temp and watch carefully).  Cool completely, add chocolate and apricot pieces. Deeba suggests to enjoy with plain yogurt or any type of milk of your choice - I have snacked on some right out of the container and enjoyed it in a parfait with some vanilla greek yogurt.  This is a very yummy granola - slightly sweet and crunchy!  Thank you Deeba!  

If you would like to become a part of The Secret Recipe Club, please follow the link to sign up!

Garlic Scrambled Eggs with Chickpeas

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This recipe for Garlic Scrambled Eggs is a recipe I grew up with. My mom would make this often. Sometimes for breakfast, other times for dinner. It is basically eggs scrambled with some garlic and seasonings with some chickpeas tossed in for good measure!

Overhead view of garlic scrambled eggs with chickpeas and cilantro with a large fresh strawberry to the left of the plate

What is for breakfast in your house?  In our house it is sometimes Blueberry Pancakes (for me).  And, other times without blueberries, (for Grumpy). I might get adventurous and make them healthy, with different fruits, and sometimes I veer off the path of the cake and make Invisible Banana French Toast or these Waffled French Toast Sticks! However, this week, it was this scrambled egg recipe!

Kicking Mom's Garlic Scrambled Eggs up a Notch!

Maybe others have eaten Garlic Scrambled Eggs this way, but I haven't ever come across it online!   With Easter being here this weekend, I thought what better way to think about breakfast than with eggs?!  

I took my mom's recipe and doctored it up to suit my tastes more and this is what I came up with.  Garlicky, slightly spicy goodness.  Have it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!  Have it in a wrap with a little salsa and call it good!  If you try this, do let me know what you think! 

A large serving spoonful of egg mixture

How do you eat your eggs

Garlic Scrambled Eggs with Chickpeas are probably my favorite way to eat eggs. I grew up loving my Nanny's eggs fried in butter, but when I make them for myself, this flavor packed Garlic Scrambled Eggs with Chickpeas recipe is my favorite.

My children LOVE poached eggs. Their favorite ways to eat an egg is on a Fried Green Tomato Eggs Benedict or this Thanksgiving Eggs Benedict. I love the mature palate of my sons!

cooked scrambled egg mixture in the skilet with a serving spoon to the back

Other delicious family recipes for breakfast

The newest family recipe for breakfast that has become a favorite of mine, is a grain -free cereal recipe. Chunky Monkey Noatmeal is so delicious and filling!

We also love our breakfast muffins! Our favorites are Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins, Almond Joy Muffins, and To Die for Blueberry Muffins. However, my newest muffin obsession is this Paleo Pumpkin Muffin recipe!

pinnable image

*If you made this recipe for Garlic Scrambled Eggs with Chickpeas, please give it a star rating*

📖 Recipe

Garlic Scrambled Eggs with Chickpeas on a plate

Garlic Scrambled Eggs with Chickpeas

Shelby Law Ruttan
Garlic seasoned scrambled eggs with a healthy dose of chickpease tossed in.
4.58 from 14 votes
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Breakfast & Brunch
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Calories 268 kcal

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Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

  • In non-stick skillet, heat oil until hot, fry drained chickpeas on medium heat with garlic powder an salt until they are hot and start to pop. Remove chickpeas from skillet and set aside.
  • Pour beaten eggs into skillet and scramble until they are still slightly wet. Stir in chickpeas and cook another 30 seconds to bring back to temperature. Sprinkle with cilantro and roasted red peppers.
  • If your feeling really adventurous you could sprinkle a few red pepper flakes into your oil. While this was a little spicy, I would have l liked a little more heat!

Nutrition

Calories: 268kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 15gFat: 13gFiber: 7g
Keyword Garlic Scrambled Eggs
Tried this recipe?Mention @grumpyshoneybunch or tag #grumpyshoneybunch!

Taste and Create - Simplest Pasta Dish Ever!

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Its that time of month again - for Taste & Create!  Taste & Create is an event that I participated in often prior to my neck surgery.  Even though it has been over 2 years since that surgery (can you BELIEVE that!?), it feels like finally things are starting to settle.  It went from one thing to another after I had that surgery and each event seemed like it couldn't get any worse.  Now, here we are, relocated, new (and better!) jobs and I'm finally blogging again the way I used to.  Seems like we are both happy at the same time with the situations in our professional and personal lives and I am not too certain it has ever been this way before!

Last month I decided to get back into Taste & Create because I enjoyed it so much.  This month I was paired with Shilpa of Passion + Love + Patience.  Shilpa has a variety of recipes on her blog, but when I saw this pasta side dish I knew I would be making it!  Pasta is one of my weaknesses - and my favorite way to eat it is without the red sauce!  Garlic & Olive Oil are the way to go for me!  I didn't make her recipe exactly as she wrote it, I had to improvise a little bit.  You can find the recipe for Shilpa's Simpilest Spaghetti Ever on her blog.  Below is the recipe the way I made it.  Enjoy!

Grumpy enjoyed the pasta dish.  His only comment to me was "you need to start measuring your ingredients". ha ha.  That was because I was a little more heavy handed on the red pepper flakes than he likes!  I will admit, I did put more in than I planned to.  It just "happened" ;o)

Cellentani Pasta Side Dish
adapted from Passion + Love + Patience

8 oz dried Cellentani pasta - cooked according to package directions and drained
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, crushed
sprinkling of red pepper flakes
¼ cup fresh sliced basil
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt to taste

Heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes.  Saute being careful not to burn the garlic 2-3 minutes.  Toss in pasta and heat through.  Remove from heat.  Mix in fresh basil and Parmesan cheese.  Season with salt, serve, enjoy!  Thank you Shilpa!

Almond Breakfast Muffins

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A tender almond breakfast muffin full of almond flavors and topped with sliced almonds before baking. These are more of a cake like muffin, light and airy, and are delicious with a dab of jam in the morning.

I always have been a fan of homemade muffins for breakfast.  There was a time it seemed like I was always making them - up to 2-3 times a week!  I've started another muffin kick lately.  These muffins were inspired from Eating Well's Jam Filled Muffins.   I really love their recipe, which you will find by visiting their website (just click on the title of their muffin).  I ended up  having to improvise though as I found out too late that I didn't have jam....all I had was grape jelly....so I didn't fill the muffins with Jam after all....but I did serve them with some!

I was a little worried while mixing the batter for these muffins because it seemed really "loose".  Very much like cake batter instead of muffin batter.  I was thinking, if I did want to fill these with jam, I wasn't so sure that I could have because the batter was so thin.  These were quite yummy, they are healthy, and kind of made me think more of bread than muffin, but don't let that deter you!  I took a couple to work to give to one of my friends, put a couple in Grumpy's lunch box, and put the rest in the freezer.  These will be great little muffins to put in his lunch box throughout the week!

  •  

📖 Recipe

Almond Topped Breakfast Muffins

Shelby Law Ruttan
A light breakfast muffin full of almond flavors and topped with siced almonds.
No ratings yet
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Breakfast & Brunch
Cuisine American
Servings 12
Calories 192 kcal

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat 12 muffin cups with cooking spray.Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
  • Whisk eggs and brown sugar in a medium bowl until smooth. Add almond milk, orange juice, oil and almond extract.  Whisk to blend. Add to the dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula just until moistened.
  • Scoop the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with almonds.  
  • Bake the muffins until the tops are golden brown and spring back when touched lightly, 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of a muffin
  • Loosen edges and turn muffins out onto a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.

Notes

I found this batter to be very, very loose - just make sure to not over mix.  If you see a lot of lumps, it is ok...don't worry, they do disappear!

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 192kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 5gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 173mgFiber: 2gSugar: 8g
Keyword Almond Topped Breakfast Muffins
Tried this recipe?Mention @grumpyshoneybunch or tag #grumpyshoneybunch!

Bloody Mary

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I love tomato juice but never had tried a Bloody Mary.  The name just turned me off from the drink.  However, on one of our trips back home we visited my friend Renee while she was bar-tendering and I actually tried a little bit - and realized it was really good!

I decided that I would try to make it at home.  I found a recipe on allrecipes.com that looked similar to what I watched Renee make - however there was no horseradish in this recipe.  I'm not sure how the horseradish comes about in the recipe because when I looked traditional recipes up, none mentioned it.  I love the addition though - mostly because I love a kick!

Did Grumpy like it?  Well, Grumpy didn't drink it and he wouldn't even if he had been around when I made it!  He has his mind set on certain things that he is totally unwilling to try - and this drink would be one of them.  So I made it to try when he wasn't here!  😉

Bloody Mary
recipe adapted from allrecipes.com Classic Bloody Mary

PRINTABLE RECIPE

  • 1 cup ice cubes
  • 1.5 fluid ounce Grey Goose Vodka (or your favorite brand)
  • ¾ cup V-8 Low Sodium Tomato Juice
  • 2-3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
  • 1-2 dash Red  Hot Pepper Sauce
  • ½ teaspoon horseradish
  • salt and pepper to taste
Place all ingredients in a cocktail mixer.  Cover and shake well.  Pour into drink glass and garnish with celery stick and lemon wedge....enjoy!

Blackberry Parfaits

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Blackberries were on sale this week.  However, one berry told me I wouldn't be eating these alone.  They were not sweet enough for me.  So, I decided I would make a parfait.  I wanted high protein, low sugar, and yumminess.  🙂

I like to eat breakfast during the week, but not before I leave the house.  I may be up early, but I am never really ready to eat before 8 or 8:30.  This was easy to make and take and have after I arrived to the office.  I decided to go no carb....however I do love to sometimes put granola in my parfaits!  This time I decided not to because I was using ricotta cheese in my recipe and didn't want to add more calories to the picture.

I have added the print feature....finally!  🙂  I know, it has taken me a long time to decide to do this but I never realized just how easy it would be and I thought I never had the time.  I will be updating the blog as I go along and creating printable recipes for my older posts, but from this point on all new posts will have printable recipes!  I hope you will enjoy 🙂

Blackberry Parfait
printable recipe

makes 2 servings
⅓ cup non-fat greek yogurt
⅓ cup part skim ricotta cheese
4 packets Splenda sweetener (or sugar if you prefer)
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 pint blackberries, rinsed and gently patted dry with paper towl

Mix yogurt, ricotta cheese, Splenda, and almond extract together.  Layer blackberries and yogurt mixture alternately.  Chill, enjoy!

Summer's in the Air - a beverage for adults!

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Its that time of year again.  It may only be spring, but the warm temps are reminding me of last summer and  Grumpy and my adventures of making Peach Mojitos, Mojitos, and having Sex on the Beach.  ;o)  I look forward to trying out some of my brothers cocktail recipes this summer - if I can get him to give them up to me!

Those of you on my Facebook page know that we love the Goose in this household.  It is one of those vodkas that when you have it, you never want anything BUT it.  I also am not a super sweet drink person - while I like a little sweet, too much makes me feel ill.  With this in mind, I made this drink and to celebrate the coming season I called it "Summer's in the Air".  The Mango Pineapple Juice is not sweet as you may think - and the addition of blood orange tartens it up some more....not to mention gives it a pretty red color!  So, ring in the coming season with this drink....and enjoy!

Summer's in the Air
print this recipe


1-½ shot Grey Goose Vodka (or your favorite brand)
½ cup Pineapple Mango Juice (Tropicana makes this - I found it in the Diary section)
1 Blood Orange, cut in half
Ice


Fill beverage glass with ice, pour in Vodka, then Pineapple Mango juice.  Squeeze half of blood orange into glass and watch the pretty colors combine.  🙂  Garnish, stir, and enjoy!

Puttanesca Sauce with Rigatoni Pasta

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Today I would like to invite you to meet Claudia of What's Cookin' Italian Style.  Claudia graciously accepted my offer to contribute to my blog and I was very pleased she was so ready to jump right in and share with my readers.  Claudia is a NY'er who relocated to sunny Florida (lucky girl) and she is one awesome cook who shares recipes from her Italian Heritage.  She is the one who inspired me to make the Cajun Shrimp with Linguine recipe that I posted about not too long ago.  Everything she makes looks and sounds so yummy!  I hope you will enjoy  her post here today on Puttanesca Sauce with Rigatoni Pasta!  Don't forget to head on over to her site to visit - today she has a really great looking Nutter Butter Banana Cream Pie showcased!  Yummy!
I was honored when Shelby from Grumpy's Honeybunch asked me to do a guest post! Actually I was hoping she would ask me. Her blog is filled with everything your looking for and more!  We all can associate with her love, a beautiful family, the up's and down's of life, great food and best of all for us one of the best blogging friends and supporters there is! She will always help in any way she can, with a wealth of proven blogging experience and knowledge, she is a true friend among the blogosphere... Thanks so much for asking me to do this post!
I made this recipe only a few times tweaking it again, this time I got it, my family loved it!   The difference is in the tomatoes for sure. These ingredients all fresh, yes very fresh. I am so proud to show you a recipe that came from my own fresh plum tomatoes. I have four plants growing on my patio. These were ready  for picking and more babies on the way and I am so happy to let you see my first picked babies... ( can you tell I am a really a  proud parent of them?) I have never been able to grow anything but herbs. This time I got the right soil, miracle grow, and yes the miracle actually happened... we struck pay dirt with beautiful roma plum tomatoes were born.  I decided to try my favorite dish for a change. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
Puttanesca Sauce with Rigatoni Pasta
PRINT THIS RECIPE

¼ cup olive oil
6 cloves minced garlic
 2 pounds of fresh plum tomatoes put through food processor (remove stems first and cut off the tops, add whole into processor) or use 2 (28-ounce) cans Roma plum tomatoes, broken into pieces, with juice in food processor pulse a few time.
1 cup tightly packed, pitted, and halved Kalamata olives or use black olives
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons drained capers
2 tablespoons minced anchovy fillets (about 8 fillets) or use anchovy paste around 4 ounces
½ teaspoon each  dried crushed basil, oregano, garlic powder
½ teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes or ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound rigatoni pasta, cooked to al dente or use your favorite pasta ( I make two kinds my husband loves linguine and my sons love rigatoni)
Directions
In a large pot heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the remaining ingredients and simmer until the sauce is thickens and slightly reduced, about 40 minutes. Add  pasta to a large serving bowl, add a small amount of sauce to coat the pasta, toss lightly.  Top with grating cheese, serve additional sauce on the side for individual preference. That's it enjoy!

Buffalo and Blue Cheese Stuffed Button Mushrooms

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Buffalo and Blue Cheese Stuffed Button Mushrooms

I love it when something new comes my way.  The flavors aren't new - but the concept of this mushroom is!  A few weeks ago I picked up the Taste of Home Cooking School magazine.  In it was the recipe for this mushroom.  I knew as soon as I saw it that I would be making it!

There are a lot of new things going on lately.  We have been living in Albany now for about 5 months.  I cannot believe it has been that long already.  Pretty much the winter season....and of course, wouldn't you know....Albany gets more snow that they have in a long time this year.  It figures!  I go where I think it may not be as nasty only to have one of the snowiest season's in Albany, NY this year!  Oh yes, I was talking about new things!  Grumpy and I decided that we wanted to continue to renovate the home we own up north of us, even though we aren't living in it.  We did have it for sale however, since our contract is up and there was not even a serious offer, we decided to take it off the market.  This home is now the home of my youngest son!  We had renovated the bathroom before we knew we were moving and the next room would have been the kitchen.  Well, it still was the kitchen because in the last month on the weekends we went home and did the job!  Below is the product of our hard work and I am so jealous that Christopher gets to use this kitchen while my duplex is a tiny little space!

Before
Our quaint old farmhouse...and I do mean old....I think no work had been done in at least 30 years!
Buffalo and Blue Cheese Stuffed Button Mushrooms
After
It is still a country kitchen, but much brighter, updated and shiny new!
Buffalo and Blue Cheese Stuffed Button Mushrooms

I have to give Grumpy the credit for how it looks - other than the color of the wall and the floor tiles - I chose the wall color and we chose the floor tiles together.  This country home sits on 10 acres of land with no other house in site.  I am sure going to miss sitting on our front porch after work this summer enjoying the nature around me!

So, in all things old and new, when you mix something new with the old you can come out with something amazing.  Like my kitchen and these stuffed mushrooms!  Enjoy!

Buffalo and Blue Cheese Stuffed Button Mushrooms
Author: Grumpy's Honeybunch
Ingredients
  • 20 button mushrooms
  • ¼ cup chopped red onion
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • ½ pound reduced fat blue cheese, crumbled
  • 1 tablespoon Saucy Mama Hot Wing Sauce (or use your favorite hot sauce)
  • ½ cup panko plus ¼ cup, divided
  • Cooking Spray
Instructions
  1. Place rack in the upper third of the oven.  Preheat oven to 375.  Clean mushrooms and remove stems.  Cut ends from stems and chop finely.  Chop two of the mushrooms finely as well.  Melt butter in a saucepan over medium low heat.  Saute until onions are translucent and then add chopped mushrooms and stems.  saute until softened and remove pan from heat.  Stir in blue cheese, hot sauce, and ½ cup panko.  Stir until smooth.
  2. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.  Fill each mushroom cap with a spoonful of cheese stuffing, letting it mound just slightly.  Sprinkle the remaining panko over the top.  Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the mushrooms are soft.  Broil for 1-2 minutes until tops are crisp.  Serve with additional hot sauce if desired.

Eggplant with Garlic Sauce

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Eggplant with Garlic Sauce has the perfect balance of sweet-heat and is one of my favorites to add to my plate at Chinese buffets. This side dish recipe is loaded with mouthwatering flavors, packed with fiber, and ready in under 20 minutes, making it a delicious healthier option for your to go with your main course!

Eggplant with Garlic Sauce on a rustic black plate sprinkled with chopped green onion top.

This Chinese eggplant recipe is the a delicious way to use eggplant and is very similar to those found in Chinese restaurants.

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Why you'll love Eggplant with Garlic Sauce

High fiber: this delicious side dish is packed with 7 grams of fiber per serving!

Easy to make: the garlic sauce recipe is easy to make and is a perfect accompaniment to the eggplant.

Healthy and Satisfying: it's a lighter option that's still filling and full of nutrients.

Four whole Japanese eggplants on a wrinkled paper bag.

🥘 Ingredients

  • Olive oil
  • Sesame oil
  • Japanese eggplant, look for tender glossy eggplants without blemishes.
  • Crushed red pepper flakes or 2 whole dried chili peppers, crushed
  • Garlic cloves
  • Brown sugar
  • Corn starch
  • Soy sauce
  • Oyster sauce
  • Green onions 

See recipe card below for ingredient amounts.

Hint: when shopping for eggplants, look for those that have a glossy exterior without any blemishes.

Crushed red pepper flakes on a spoon with whole dried chili peppers and whole garlic bulb in the background.

How to Make Eggplant with Garlic Sauce

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Cook and stir the eggplant for 4 minutes, until it begins to soften.
  2. Stir in the water, red pepper flakes, and garlic. Cover and simmer until all the water is absorbed.
  3. In a small bowl, mix the sesame oil, sugar, cornstarch, soy sauce, and oyster sauce for one minute or until sugar and cornstarch have dissolved.
  4. Stir the sauce mixture into the eggplant mixture, making sure to evenly coat the eggplant. Cook for 1 minute, or until sauce has thickened. Garnish with green onion (if using).

Equipment

  • Cutting board
  • Chefs Knife
  • Large skillet
  • Wooden spoon
  • Small mixing bowl
Garlic sauce in a white bowl.

🥫Storage

Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. I do not recommend freezing this eggplant recipe.

Variations

  • Add ground chicken, ground pork, or serve with grilled shrimp to add protein.
  • Add a hint of sweet flavor by incorporating a teaspoon of sugar into the sauce for sweet heat goodness!
  • It is easy to adjust the heat on this spicy Chinese eggplant by adding more or less of the red pepper flakes.
  • Substitute 1 teaspoon of sambal oelek (affiliate link) for the red pepper flakes. (adjust according to heat tolerance).
  • Make this dish sugar free and lower carb by substituting sugar-free brown sugar sweetener in place of the regular brown sugar.

Top Tips

  • Because of their delicate flesh, it is better to wait to slice eggplants until they're ready to cook.
  • Use a kitchen towel to blot any excess water from the eggplant before cooking.
  • Make this a vegan recipe by replacing the oyster sauce with coconut sugar and light soy sauce.

🙋 FAQ's

What is the difference between a regular eggplant and Japanese eggplant?

Asian eggplant is known for its long, narrow shape and deep purple color. These types of eggplants are more delicate and have a slightly sweeter taste.

Why is my eggplant chewy?

Undercooked eggplant will have a tough and chewy texture.

Up close image of a Black plate with eggplant with garlic sauce on it and chopped green onion topping.

🍽 Serve with...

This eggplant dish is a great side to serve with other Chinese recipes you can make right at home. It also goes well with any of your favorite grilled proteins.

When you make this Eggplant with Garlic Sauce recipe, please comment below and let me know what you think. I'd love it if you tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch or #grumpyshoneybunch so I can see your photos!

If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating

📖 Recipe

Eggplant with Garlic Sauce

Shelby Law Ruttan
Eggplant with Garlic Sauce is similar to the dish you find at Chinese buffets. It is a simple stir-fry with sweet, spicy, and savory flavors that makes a quick and easy side dish to any meal.
4.50 from 4 votes
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Asian
Servings 4
Calories 134 kcal

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

To cook the eggplant

  • Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Cook and stir the eggplant for 4 minutes, until it begins to soften.
  • Stir in the water, red pepper flakes, and garlic. Cover and simmer until all the water is absorbed.

To make the Chinese garlic sauce

  • In a small bowl, mix the sesame oil, sugar, cornstarch, soy sauce, and oyster sauce for one minute or until sugar and cornstarch have dissolved.
  • Stir the sauce mixture into the eggplant mixture, making sure to evenly coat the eggplant. Cook for 1 minute, or until sauce has thickened. Garnish with green onion (if using).

Nutrition

Calories: 134kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 3gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 140mgPotassium: 598mgFiber: 8gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 234IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 37mgIron: 1mgNet Carbohydrates: 15g
Keyword Eggplant stir fry Chinese Recipe, Eggplant with Garlic Sauce
Tried this recipe?Mention @grumpyshoneybunch or tag #grumpyshoneybunch!

Potato Masal and Masala Poori for Taste & Create!

by 11 Comments

Thank you for visiting! If you like this post, please don't forget to stumble before you leave!

What happens when you commit to something and then in the blink of an eye - you find yourself struggling because you did something stupid?  Well, I can tell you what happens with me!

I signed up for Taste and Create for March - well I just made it.  Considering today is the last day.  😉  What happened was this.....

We still own our home north of us - about 4 hours away.  It was for sale, but no longer is.  My youngest son now has a new home to live in....along with a new kitchen (not to mention the brand new bathroom before we moved out!).  I cannot wait to show you photos, however, I won't have any until after this weekend when we go back home to finish the job.  Anywho (as my son Justin would say) on one of our trips up there about 3 or 4 weeks ago, I did something that one who is addicted to blogging should never do.  I forgot my laptop.  I didn't realize I had forgotten it until we were almost home.  Hence, I ended up using my iPod to access the internet.  For someone who is getting on the "ahem" older....side....that dinky little screen doesn't do much for you!  So, I lamented and felt sorry for myself and didn't really blog because of it.  I was internet deprived I tell you!  Then, the other day I receive a reminder email that some of us who joined T&C for the month still hadn't posted.  Was my face red?!  So, I got right on the ball after I was reminded and found the recipe I wanted to make from PJ's blog Seduce your Tastebuds.  Then, I found another recipe that I knew I had to make to go with!

I love Indian food.  I had never had it until one of the Grad students took me along with a few others to a goodbye dinner at a local Indian restaurant.  From the first bite I was hooked.  Since then, I have made a few things but its not a staple in our home because Grumpy is a fussy wussy when I make it.  He insists he hates curry.  I think he doesn't know what he's talking about....but you all know that already.  😉

So, whether Grumpy liked it or not, I was making my Indian food for dinner tonight.  I had already decided he would get a burger if he complained about the food!  In any case, I have a LOT of Potato Masal and Poori for lunch tomorrow and I am tickled pink over it!  This stuff is delicious I tell you.  Absolutely delicious!  I will leave you with how I made the Potato Masal as I could not follow PJ's ingredient list exactly.  I tried to find curry leaves but even the India Bazaar didn't have them.  I was very sad!  However, for the Poori, please visit her site to get her recipe as I followed that one to a T!  You can also find the original Potato Masal at her site also.  Links to follow!

Potato Masal with Masala Poori
original recipe for Potato Masal on Seduce your Tastebuds

3 Medium potatoes, peeled, cubed and boiled in salt water until tender
1 small onion, chopped
2 plum tomatoes, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon madras curry powder
1 teaspoon mustard seed (I used black)
1 teaspoon cumin seed
Oil
Salt to taste
Fresh Cilantro leaves and diced tomato for garnish

Peel, cube and boil the potatoes in salt water until tender.  Slightly mash and set aside.

Place oil in frying pan along with mustard, cumin seeds, and red pepper flakes.  Turn heat on high and cook in oil until seeds begin to sizzle and pop.  Remove from heat, add curry powder and cook and stir for another minute.  Add onions, garlic and tomatoes and simmer until onions are tender.  Mix in potato mash along with water and salt.  Bring to a boil.  Add more water as needed.  Serve with cilantro and tomato topping and of course, the Poori on the side for dipping!  Enjoy!  Thank you PJ!

Irish Cream Cake Pops

by 27 Comments

 Grab a cup of hot coffee and pull up a chair....these Irish Cream Cake Pops are going to make you happy!

Irisn Cream Ckae Pops
 

I have not made cake pops since the first time I made the cupcake pops almost 3 years ago now!  Back when I first saw them on Bakerella's site, I fell immediately in love with how cute they were!  I was working weekends at a non-profit group for abused women - and I made these treats for that weekend.  Even Bakerella included my post in her "they're poppin up all over" post.  I was honored she even put me on her list - especially since I was such a new blogger and my photos didn't look anywhere near as good then!

 

Irisn Cream Ckae PopsWell Bakerella, what a trend you started!  Even Starbucks is making cake pops now...the Tiramisu being the most awesome one of them all!  Actually, Starbucks is what got me to thinking about making these cake pops again.

I never made them again after that first time....for two reasons.  Time consuming, and I didn't care for the canned frosting.  This time, after seeing the flavors that Starbucks made, I thought to myself, why can't I make one that is Irish Cream flavored for St. Patrick's Day?

As you can see....I did make them again, and I did go with Irish Cream!  The snob in me made my own cake and frosting....but seriously, they wouldn't have been the same flavor wise if I hadn't.  These definitely are cake pops for the adult!  The frosting is pure butter, sugar, and Bailey's Irish Cream!

Irisn Cream Ckae Pops

If you feel tempted to make these, please know, that patience needs to come in when dipping these babies.  That is the longest part of the whole process!  If you make them, please let me know how you liked them!  I can tell you they were a hit with people at my workplace and at Grumpy's workplace....and even with Grumpy!  When I asked him if he ate one today....his response was "No.  I ate two."  ;o)  Enjoy and Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Irisn Cream Ckae Pops

📖 Recipe

Featured image for Irish Cream Cake Pops

Irish Cream Cake Pops

Shelby Law Ruttan
Homemade cake combined with Irish Cream frosting and shaped into a cake pop then dipped in candy coating!
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Freezer time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 50 minutes
Course Desserts
Cuisine American
Servings 36
Calories 190 kcal

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients
  

For the Cake

  • 1 cup sifted cake flour
  • 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
  • 2½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoons salt
  • 1¾ cups sugar
  • ⅔ cup butter
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1½ teaspoons vanilla
  • ¾ cup milk
  • ¾ cup Bailey's Irish Cream

For the Frosting

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 9×13 pan with cooking spray.
  • Sift together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. Cream sugar and butter together until light. Add eggs and vanilla to creamed mixture and beat until thoroughly mixed. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with milk and Irish Cream, beating well after each addition. Continue beating one minute. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool layers in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely. Crumble cake into small pieces in large bowl. Set aside.
  • Combine all 3 frosting ingredients together until creamy and smooth. Use more Irish Cream if needed to get a consistency that is not too thick….but not too thin. You want it to be like it would be if you were going to spread it on a cake.
  • Using your hands, blend the frosting into the cake crumbs. Shape into tablespoon sized balls. Place the stick into the cake balls and freeze at least 2 hours,.
  • Remove the cake pops from the freezer and dip into melted candy melts. Decorate as desired.

Notes

I used a styrofoam plate with small pop stick sized holes punched through to let my cake pops completely dry before wrapping them. Worked fine, but I think I will be looking for a better way to dry these pops the next time I make them!

Nutrition

Calories: 190kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 2gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 99mgPotassium: 24mgFiber: 1gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 187IUCalcium: 27mgIron: 1mg
Keyword Irish Cream Cake Pops
Tried this recipe?Mention @grumpyshoneybunch or tag #grumpyshoneybunch!

Shrimp Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

by 26 Comments

This Shrimp Spinach Salad is a warm, satisfying lunch salad tossed in a tangy bacon vinaigrette and layered with tender shrimp, sauteed mushrooms, and sliced eggs. It's hearty enough to stand on its own, yet light enough to leave you feeling good after you've finished.

A vibrant Shrimp Spinach Salad featuring sauteed shrimp, sliced hard-boiled eggs, and caramelized onions served in a blue bowl with a warm bacon dressing.

I've always been drawn to hearty salads that actually satisfy, the kind you an sit down to for lunch and feel completely content afterward. Much like my Chicken Noodle Salad Bowl, this one layers protein, texture, and bold flavor so it eats like a meal instead of a side dish.

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

Why You'll Love This Shrimp Spinach Salad

Low Carb: this salad fits beautifully into a low carb lifestyle without feeling restrictive or skimpy. It's protein rich and satisfying.

Warm comfort: the hot bacon vinaigrette lightly wilts the spinach, giving this lunch salad a cozy feel that's different from your typical cold greens.

Simple prep: everything cooks in one skillet, making cleanup easy and keeping the flavors layered and rich.

Key Ingredients

See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and instructions

  • Shrimp: quick cooking and tender, shrimp makes this spinach salad filling enough for a full low carb meal.
  • Bacon: adds smoky depth and provides the base for the warm bacon vinaigrette.
  • Red onion: brings a mild sharpness that balances the richness.
  • Mushrooms: add earthy flavor and texture to the shrimp spinach salad.
  • Dijon mustard: helps emulsify the vinaigrette and gives a subtle tang.
  • Red wine vinegar: brightens the dressing and cuts through the bacon fat.
  • Baby spinach: softens beautifully when topped with the hot shrimp mixture.
  • Hard boiled eggs: add richness and extra protein, making this lunch salad even more satisfying.
A close-up shot of a fresh spinach salad topped with a sliced hard boiled egg, sauteed shrimp, and caramelized onions, lightly coated in a warm dressing.

Ingredient Substitutions

  • Protein Swaps: sliced grilled chicken breast or sea scallops work beautifully with the warm bacon dressing.
  • Mushroom Alternatives: if you aren't a fan of mushrooms, swap them for sliced water chestnuts. They add texture without changing the flavor and add a crisp crunch that contrasts beautifully with the shrimp.
  • Vinegar Swap: use apple cider vinegar for red wine vinegar if that's what you have.
  • Frozen vs fresh shrimp: If using frozen shrimp, be sure they are fully thawed and patted dry with a paper towel to prevent steaming instead of searing.

Spinach Shrimp Salad Variations

  • Mediterranean Style: toss in some salty feta cheese crumbles, kalamata olives, and swap the bacon for toasted pine nuts for a fresh, briny twist.
  • Spicy Cajun: season the shrimp with a heavy pinch of Cajun spices before sauteing and add sliced jalapenos for a salad with a kick.
  • Sweet & Crunchy: add a handful of fresh blueberries and sliced almonds to the greens to balance the savory warmth of the bacon vinaigrette.

Top Tips for the Best Spinach Shrimp Salad

  • Pat dry: be sure you dry the shrimp with a paper towel before seasoning to get a better sear in the pan.
  • Don't overcook: remove the shrimp as soon as they turn pink and opaque to keep them tender and juicy.
  • Serve Immediately: pour the warm dressing over the spinach just before eating so the leaves wilt slightly without becoming soggy.

How to Store and Reheat

Store the shrimp mixture separately from the spinach in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Reheat the shrimp mixture gently in a skillet over low heat just until warmed through, then spoon over fresh spinach before serving. This keeps the greens from becoming soggy.

More Recipes You'll Love

If you enjoyed this fresh take on seafood, you might also love my Shrimp Fried Rice or this Creamy Tuna Macaroni Salad for your next lunch. For those who can't get enough of that savory bacon flavor, my German Style Potato Salad is a must try, especially when paired with easy-prep Crockpot Boiled Eggs.

Let's Connect!

I'd love to hear how your Shrimp Spinach Salad turned out! Please leave a comment and a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below and let me know what you think. Don't forget to snap a photo and tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch or #grumpyshoneybunch so I can see your delicious creation!

📖 Recipe

A top-down view of a healthy Shrimp Spinach Salad served in a blue bowl, garnished with sliced hard-boiled eggs and a warm bacon dressing.

Shrimp Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Viniagrette

Shelby Law Ruttan
This Shrimp Spinach Salad is a healthy, low carb meal featuring tender sauteed shrimp and a flavorful warm bacon vinaigrette. It's a protein packed lunch that is hearty enough to keep you satisfied all afternoon.
5 from 2 votes
Print FREE recipe card with your email address Pin Recipe Save
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Calories 182 kcal

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

  • Heat large skillet over medium heat. Cook the bacon 7 minutes, until crispy. Transfer bacon to a paper towel on a plate and set aside.
  • Add the onion and mushrooms to the hot pan with the bacon grease and cook until the onions begin to brown, about 3 minutes. 
  • Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and add to the hot pan. Cook until shrimp are pink and firm, about 4 minutes. 
  • Stir the mustard and vinegar into the pan; season with salt and pepper. If the pan looks dry, add a splash of olive oil. 
  • To serve, top spinach with hot shrimp mixture and some of the liquid in the pan. Sprinkle with the reserved crispy bacon.

Notes

3 net carbs per servin

Nutrition

Calories: 182kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 10gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.04gCholesterol: 111mgSodium: 579mgPotassium: 505mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 4130IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 64mgIron: 2mgNet Carbohydrates: 3g
Keyword Shrimp Spinach Salad, Spinach Salad, Spinach Salad Bacon Dressing, Warm Bacon Dressing
Tried this recipe?Mention @grumpyshoneybunch or tag #grumpyshoneybunch!

The Wallflower Donut

by 32 Comments

Thank you for visiting! If you liked this post, please don't forget to stumble!

She's a plain Jane.  She's a donut with no fancy frills.  No glazing, no sugar coating,  she's a wallflower.  The one who feels left out of the crowd.  You know, the third wheel.  She's different.  Different because of what she is made of.  Others say she doesn't belong because its just not normal.

But what do all those other fancy donuts know?  Sure, they have glitter and glitz.  Sprinkles and icing and yes, in their own right they are delicious too.  But the wallflower, she is special.  She doesn't need all those sprinkles and icings to make her shine.  All she needs is one ingredient that is different from the rest.  Mashed Potatoes.  Sometimes being the wallflower can turn out to be the best thing ever!

The Wallflower Donut

1-½ cups room temperature mashed potatoes (just plain mashed taters please - no milk or butter added)
1-½ cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
¾ cup buttermilk
¼ cup vegetable oil
4 cups flour (a little more to help with rolling out the dough)
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon freshly grated cinnamon
3-½ teaspoons baking powder

In a large mixing bowl using hand mixer (or you can use your kitchen aid as I did - only use the paddle - not the dough hook) beat the potatoes and sugar until incorporated and the mixture becomes wet.  Add eggs, 1 at a time and mix until blended.  Sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon & nutmeg.  Incorporate slowly into the batter.  The dough will still be slightly sticky.  Turn dough out onto well floured board and gently pat into a circle.  Cut with donut cutter and carefully place in grease that has reached a temperature of 350 degrees.  When the donut floats to the top of the oil, carefully turn over.  Continue to cook and turn donuts until evenly browned.  Drain on paper towels until slightly cooled.  Dig in and see how amazing the wallflower really can be!

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken

by 20 Comments

This Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken is an effortless, flavor-packed recipe that's perfect for making shredded chicken sandwiches, wraps, or even adding to salads. All it takes is a handful of ingredients and a few minutes to prep, then let the slow cooker work its magic.

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken shredded on a roll with lettuce, blue cheese, and cilantro.

Whether you're hosting a game day party, meal-prepping for the week, or just craving a comforting dinner, this buffalo chicken has you covered.

Toss it on a bun with some coleslaw, stuff it in a burrito, or keep it low-carb with a lettuce wrap or low carb tortilla quesadilla. The possibilities are endless!

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

Why You'll Love Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken

Super Easy to Make: Just throw the ingredients in your slow cooker and let it do the work. Minimal effort, maximum flavor.

Crowd-Pleaser: With its bold buffalo flavor, it's a hit with everyone, especially for game days or casual get-togethers.

Versatile: Serve it on buns, in wraps, on a baked potato, or even over a salad-whatever fits your vibe.

Ingredients

Raw chicken breasts, a bowl of hot sauce, and a bowl of ranch dressing.

Boneless skinless chicken breasts, if chicken breasts are large, cut them into smaller pieces to allow the sauce to absorb into the meat while cooking.

Buffalo wing sauce, I love Frank's Red Hot.

Ranch dressing

Chunky blue cheese crumbles

Optional sandwich toppings: Lettuce, cilantro

Burger buns or slider rolls

How to Make Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken

Raw chicken breasts in a slow cooker.
  1. Step 1: Place the chicken in the slow cooker.
Ranch dressing and buffalo sauce mixed in a bowl.
  1. Step 2: In a small bowl, using a hand whisk, mix together the wing sauce and blue cheese dressing.
Pouring creamy buffalo sauce over top of raw chicken in a slow cooker.
  1. Step 3: Pour the sauce mixture over top of the chicken and cook on low 4 hours.
Cooked chicken breasts in buffalo ranch sauce in a slow cooker.
  1. Step 4: Shred chicken and serve as desired.

Equipment

Slow cooker, for cooking the chicken

Mixing bowls, to mix the sauce

Hand whisk, to blend the sauce mixture.

Substitutions

Chicken: If you're out of chicken breasts, chicken thighs work just as well and stay super tender.

Ranch Dressing: Use homemade ranch dressing if you don't have store bought, or swap for blue cheese dressing for a different vibe.

Butter: Traditional buffalo sauce usually includes butter, you can use ½ cup salted butter in place of the ranch dressing if desired.

Shredded cooked chicken in a storage container.

Variations

  • Buffalo Chicken Dip: Shred the cooked chicken and mix it with cream cheese, shredded cheddar, and extra buffalo sauce for a cheesy, dippable treat.
  • Buffalo Chicken Tacos: Load it into taco shells with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and a drizzle of ranch or blue cheese dressing.
  • Buffalo Chicken Nachos: Spread tortilla chips on a baking sheet, top with the shredded chicken, cheese, and jalapeños. Bake until the cheese melts, then add fresh toppings like diced tomatoes, green onions, and a drizzle of ranch.
Overhead image of shredded slow cooker buffalo chicken on an open face bun with blue cheese and cilantro.

Top Tips

  • Shred It Right: Use two forks or even a hand mixer to shred the chicken easily and evenly.
  • Adjust the Heat: Start with less buffalo sauce if you're not sure about the spice level. You can always add more after shredding.
  • Double It Up: Make a double batch and freeze the leftovers for an easy meal down the line.

Storage

Store any leftover buffalo chicken in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days.

For a more budget friendly recipe, use boneless skinless chicken thighs in place of the chicken breasts or tenders.

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken shredded on a roll with lettuce, blue cheese, and cilantro.

More Buffalo Style Recipes

When you make this Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken recipe, please comment below and let me know what you think. I'd love it if you tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch or #grumpyshoneybunch so I can see your photos!

If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating

📖 Recipe

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken shredded on a roll with lettuce, blue cheese, and cilantro.

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken

Shelby Law Ruttan
Spicy, tender, and bursting with flavor, this Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken is the perfect versatile dish for sandwiches, wraps, or salads. With minimal prep and a deliciously tangy kick, it's an easy weeknight win or a crowd-pleasing game day favorite!
5 from 1 vote
Print FREE recipe card with your email address Pin Recipe Save
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 10 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Servings 6
Calories 301 kcal

Equipment

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

  • Place the chicken in the slow cooker.
  • In a small bowl, using a hand whisk, mix together the wing sauce and blue cheese dressing.
  • Pour the sauce mixture over top of the chicken and cook on low 6 to 8 hours.
  • Shred chicken and place in container along with 1 cup cooking sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 301kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 25gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 11gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 83mgSodium: 1412mgPotassium: 445mgSugar: 2gVitamin A: 49IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 17mgIron: 1mgNet Carbohydrates: 2g
Keyword Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken
Tried this recipe?Mention @grumpyshoneybunch or tag #grumpyshoneybunch!

Dark Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies with Grey Sea Salt Sprinkles

by 20 Comments

Thanks for visiting! If you like this post, please don't forget to stumble!

I'm a copycat.  You know how it goes in the blog world....especially the food blog world.  You see what someone is making that is just awesome to you and you decide you have to make it too.  Heck, you might even have to post about it yourself.  You also can go in streaks where you cook from the same person's blog one thing after another....I've had it happen to me with several blogs out there.  Today I made something else Katrina of Bakng with Boys made.  Yeah, I changed it a little, but not much.  But my, oh my, are these cookies ever good!

It was a long weekend for me.  We went back north, visited family and friends, I bought some cherished Jernabi Coffee, had dinner with the family at Little Italy, and made it home before the snow started to fall.  I did laundry, caught up on some of my reading, watched some TV and of course, made these cookies.  When I was mixing the batter Grumpy came to the kitchen and informed me that I wasn't supposed to be baking because he needed to be on a diet.  Well duh, who said the cookies were for him?  ;o)  ha.  So, instead of throwing white chocolate in, I tossed in dark chocolate and then decided to top the cookies with some grey sea salt. Grumpy saw the dough in the fridge chilling and said "I thought you were making macadamia cookies?" Well, I said, I did make them.  I just threw in dark chocolate.  After a little grumbling I heard "well, just so you know, the dough is pretty good."  He also promptly wanted to know what it was with the sea salt and although he made a big show of being Grumpy about it all, he still ate two - with me the whole time hollering at him to get out of the kitchen and leave "my" cookies alone.  Hey, he said it....he was dieting!  :-p

BTW, if any photos of me in my nightgown yelling at Grumpy to get out of my kitchen and away from my cookies show up on the internet....I will deny them to the max.  They won't look like ME.  lol

To read Katrina's story about her cookie venture, make sure you read her blog post on White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies.  Below is the recipe, from Katrina's blog, which she got from Ashley's blog eat me, delicious who got the original recipe from Bon Appetit!  See how we roll around here?  ;o)

Dark Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies with Grey Sea Salt Sprinkles
I halved my recipe and have given you the measurements I used below.  This gave me about 2 dozen cookies.
1-½ cups flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
½ cup light brown sugar, packed
⅓ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (yes, this is correct, not a typo)
1 large egg
½ cup dark chocolate chips
½ cup chopped macadamia nuts, roasted
Grey sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In small mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, macadamia nuts, and white chocolate chips.  Set aside.

In medium mixing bowl, with hand held mixer, blend butter and sugars together until creamy.  Add vanilla extract and egg.  Mix until blended.  Stir in flour mixture until no longer dry and crumbly.  Refrigerate at least 2 hours.  Scoop, shape, sprinkle with sea salt and bake 5-7 minutes or until just lightly browned.

Note - My cookies baked longer than Katrina's but I believe mine are probably smaller than hers were. 

She's a Lady and he's a Tramp

by 16 Comments

Those of you who "know" my Grumpy - well, you know very well that if I make that comment as I just did above, he will come back with "your the tramp."  ha!  However, in the Disney movie, Tramp was a male dog and I don't hesitate to let him know that.

 

 

Everytime I eat spaghetti I think of Lady & The Tramp - the romance story of a sheltered Cocker Spaniel and a streetwise downtown mutt....huh.  I guess you could compare Grumpy & I the same way....and believe me, I was sheltered.  I do like to think that I've taught Grumpy some finesse, while I am certain he has opened me up to the world of what's real out there too!

 

This spaghetti is a recipe I saw on my blogging buddy Katrina's blog, Baking with Boys.  I'm crazy about pasta dishes - and I admit I am much happier when the pasta is the fresh kind and not out of a box....but this time I did cook the pasta from the box.  I heard from Grumpy the exclamation "you didn't use fresh?!" and knew then and there that he is totally spoiled.  ha!

 

I didn't have ground chicken or turkey, but I did have ground 90% lean beef so I went ahead and used that. Next time however I would go with the ground chicken or turkey for sure. I made a some changes in how it was assembled also - make sure you check out Katrina's blog for her version!

 

Uptown Spaghetti & Meatballs
adapted from Baking and Boys

Meatballs:
Cooking Spray
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups (firmly packed) arugula finely chopped (Katrina steamed hers, I didn't)
1 pound 90% lean ground beef (I suggest you go with the chicken as I will next time!)
½ cup seasoned italian bread crumbs
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large shallots, minced
¼ cup white wine (you can use chicken stock)
3-14.5 ounce cans diced fire roasted tomatoes with garlic, whizzed in a food processor
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Mix meatball ingredients all together and fry in a pan coated with cooking spray until browned on all sides.  Remove from pan and set aside.

Saute shallots in olive oil until softened.  Add white wine and tomatoes and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer on low about 20 minutes, until sauce starts to thicken some.  Season to taste with salt & pepper.

Serve over your favorite pasta.  In the future I will use fresh spaghetti!  🙂

Thanks Katrina!

Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes

by 30 Comments

Life is never boring with Grumpy.  Aggravating as hell sometimes, but never boring.  If you are one of my facebook friends, you have seen me post the links for the Valentine's day posts over the last 3 years.  February 2007 I was heartbroken.  Grumpy forgot me on Valentine's day.  February 2008 Grumpy made up for it then in February 2009 he felt the pressure because I had blogged the year before and knew people would wonder what he did.  February 2010 I didn't want to make a deal of the day at all.  We had a rough year and we were broke and I reassured him all I wanted was for us to be happy and healthy.

This year I wasn't sure what to expect, but I knew he probably wouldn't forget it - since we could afford it....and forget he did not

Grumpy wasn't going to make it easy on me this year - while the gift was wrapped in regular paper, it was wrapped inside of that regular paper entirely in duct tape and electrical tape.  I knew when I saw how he had wrapped it he had the whole tihng planned and that was why he asked me on Friday if I wanted my gift...but  I told him I could wait!  Then on Saturday he brought the gift out to the living room and sat it on our dry bar.  Of course, he knew, putting temptation in front of me was going to work.  It always does!  SO, I decided to open it...and found out that opening it was going to take me some time!  ha!
So, Grumpy did it again.  He went above and beyond.  I  never expected the iPod Touch.  I know those of you who hang out with me on Facebook knew how jealous I was of his, but I had resigned myself to waiting until it was time to go with the new phone plan and I was just going to get myself an awesome phone and had let it go.  Grumpy didn't as you can well see.  ;o)
So today when I was making cupcakes for a Valentine Bakesale at work I made a few extras for Grumpy.   Grumpy insisted I didn't buy him anything because he has gotten quite a few things for himself lately as it was....but I can at least make sure he is well fed.  ;o)
Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes
adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Baking From My Home to Yours
 
Ingredients:
1 cups flour
¼ cup Hershey's Cocoa
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup buttermilk
3 ounces Lindt Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt, melted and cooled
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cupcake tin with paper liners.
Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.
With hand mixer, mix butter and sugar until creamy.  Blend in vanilla extract.  Mix ½ flour mixture with batter until just blended.  Mix in buttermilk then mix in remaining flour mixture until just blended.  Fold in melted dark chocolate.
Scoop batter into cupcake liners and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into center of cake.  Cook and decorate with your favorite frosting!

Sweet Chili Lime Chicken with Cilantro Couscous

by 42 Comments

Sweet Chili Lime Chicken

My Aunt Ann was going to be coming over.  She wanted to drop off a card for Grumpy and see our home as she hadn't been here to see it yet.  I told her that if she was going to be coming over, that she should also eat dinner here.  Of course, since I was inviting her for that night and I had already left home I needed to figure out what I was going to feed her!  On the way home I started thinking and of course it lead to some sweet heat....So.....I stopped at the store and grabbed a package of chicken breasts and a couple of limes.

I arrived home and my Aunt was right behind me!  Hunger had me cooking something fast and was it ever yummy!  My aunt and I both enjoyed the meal....however Grumpy turned his nose up at what he called "puspus".  Yeah, he's not a couscous fan.  LOL.  He certainly gave my Aunt and I a good chuckle over it!  If your not a couscous fan, you can always serve this with rice which Grumpy promptly proclaimed I "should" have done.   Sigh.  No matter, the chicken is the star and the side is the co-star so if you decide to use rice instead because you don't like "puspus" then that is ok with me.  ;o)

Sweet Chili Lime Chicken

 

 

Sweet Chili Lime Chicken with Cilantro Couscous
 
Author: Grumpy's Honeybunch
Sweet Chili Lime Chicken with Cilantro Couscous 1 lb chicken breast, cubed accent seasoning 1 tablespoon olive oil 6 tablespoons soy sauce 6 tablespoons sugar ½ - 1 teaspoon chili pepper flakes (depending on heat factor you like) juice of 1 lime zest of one lime Cilantro couscous (recipe follows) Cook chicken breast with accent seasoning and oil oil until no longer pink (this should not take too long as the chicken is cubed).  Remove from pan and set aside. Mix soy sauce, sugar, chili pepper flakes, lime juice and zest.  Stirl until sugar is dissolved.  Pour into hot skillet and bring to a boil.  Cook for 3-4 minutes until sauce begins to reduce some.  Stir in cooked chicken pieces and simmer for 2-3 minutes more, stirring often to glaze chicken.  Serve with couscous and extra lime wedges.  I used the lime wedges to squirt more juice on top of the dish once I had it assembled.  Grumpy?  He used the lime wedge for his Grey Goose & Cran.  ;o) Cilantro Couscous 2 cups vegetable broth 1 cup couscous ⅓ cup chopped cilantro Bring vegetable broth to a boil.  Stir in couscous and turn off heat.  Let sit for about 5 minutes.  This will allow the couscous to absorb the broth.  Stir in chopped cilantro and serve with Chicken.
Ingredients
  • Sweet Chili Lime Chicken with Cilantro Couscous
  • 1 lb chicken breast, cubed
  • accent seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 6 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 6 tablespoons sugar
  • ½ - 1 teaspoon chili pepper flakes (depending on heat factor you like)
  • juice of 1 lime
  • zest of one lime
  • Cilantro Couscous
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 cup couscous
  • ⅓ cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
for the chicken
  1. Cook chicken breast with accent seasoning and oil oil until no longer pink (this should not take too long as the chicken is cubed). Remove from pan and set aside.
  2. Mix soy sauce, sugar, chili pepper flakes, lime juice and zest. Stirl until sugar is dissolved. Pour into hot skillet and bring to a boil. Cook for 3-4 minutes until sauce begins to reduce some. Stir in cooked chicken pieces and simmer for 2-3 minutes more, stirring often to glaze chicken. Serve with couscous and extra lime wedges. I used the lime wedges to squirt more juice on top of the dish once I had it assembled. Grumpy? He used the lime wedge for his Grey Goose & Cran. ;o)
for the couscous:
  1. Bring vegetable broth to a boil. Stir in couscous and turn off heat. Let sit for about 5 minutes. This will allow the couscous to absorb the broth. Stir in chopped cilantro and serve with Chicken.
 

Peanut Butter Caramel Swirl Brownies

by 22 Comments

Peanut Butter Caramel Swirl Brownies are the best of it all! Fudgy brownies swirled with a peanut butter caramel and baked to perfection. Add to that a little bit of chocolate with sea salt and you have a piece of heaven that you likely will not want to share!

Peanut butter, caramel, chocolate with sea salt.  Pure fudgy goodness!  That is what these brownies are.
This chocolate is some of the best I have ever had....the dark chocolate with the sea salt...broken up into pieces and stirred into the brownie batter.
Peanut Butter Caramel Swirl Brownies
The peanut butter caramel sauce, so good I could just eat it with a spoon.  It would be really yummy on ice cream too.  I'm definitely making the peanut butter caramel sauce again!
Peanut Butter Caramel Swirl Brownies
The brownies made it to work today.  None of them made it home at the end of the day.
Peanut Butter Caramel Swirl Brownies
Go ahead.  I know you want to have one too.  They really aren't hard to make at all.  Don't let making the peanut butter caramel sauce scare you away!

 

Peanut Butter Caramel Swirl Brownies
Author: Grumpy's Honeybunch
Serves: 36
Ingredients
  • for the caramel sauce:
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup water
  • ½ cup smooth peanut butter
  • 1 tablespoon corn syrup
  • Pinch sea salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • for the Brownie Batter
  • 1 cup butter, melted
  • 3 cups white sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1-3.5 oz Lindt Dark Chocolate Bar with Sea Salt, broken into pieces
Instructions
Make the Caramel Sauce:
  1. Bring the cream to a simmer over low heat in a small saucepan. Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan over high heat and cook without stirring until amber brown. Slowly whisk in the warm cream until smooth and let cook for 1 minute. When you stir the cream into the caramelized sugar, it will bubble furiously.  Don't let this scare you, just keep stirring.  Remove from the heat and whisk in the peanut butter, corn syrup, sea salt and ⅛ teaspoon of vanilla extract until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and let cool until thickened at room temperature, about 30 minutes.
Make the Brownies
  1. Preheat oven to 350.  Prepare 9 X 13 pan by lining with tinfoil.  Spray tinfoil with cooking spray.  set aside.
  2. In medium sized bowl, stir sugar into melted butter.  Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until well blended.  Add vanilla extract.  Set aside.
  3. In separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, salt, and chocolate.  Fold into wet ingredients.  Pour into 9X13 pan.  Drop 8 tablespoons peanut butter caramel on top of brownie batter.  Drag knife through batter and caramel to swirl.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Cool completely before cutting.

English Muffin Tuna Melts

by 8 Comments

English Muffin Tuna Melts are an open faced sandwich recipe made with tuna salad and topped off with melty cheese. It is easily made in the oven, toaster oven, or air fryer and ready in just 10 minutes!

I love having fast to fix and delicious lunch recipes on hand and this english muffin tuna melt is a take on the classic tuna melt made as an open face sandwich.

English Muffin Tuna Melt on a white plate with a side of carrot sticks.
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❤️ Why you'll love it

✔️ The english muffin stays nice and crisp while the cheese is melty and lightly browned.

✔️ It is a quick and easy tuna melt recipe that can be made in the oven, toaster oven, or air fryer!

✔️ It is made with ingredients that are generally on hand at all times.

Ingredients for tuna sandwich.

Ingredients

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English Muffins, choose a good quality english muffin. I prefer this brand as it does not curl when toasting

Canned Tuna (or pouch), I prefer to use solid white albacore packed in water. Be sure to buy a 6 ounce size.

Mayonnaise, I prefer this brand

Red onion, used for flavor and color

Celery, used for texture and color

Provolone cheese used for melting qualities and flavor

Black pepper, used as an optional seasoning

Tuna, mayonnaise, diced red onion, and celery in a mixing bowl with a fork.

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven or toaster oven at 400 degrees for 5 minutes.
  2. In a small bowl combine the tuna, red onion, celery, mayonnaise, and freshly ground black pepper (if using). Stir to combine and set aside.
  3. Place english muffin halves on sheet pan or air fryer tray cut side up.
  4. Place ¼ of the tuna mixture on each half, then top with 1 slice of cheese.
  5. Cook the tuna melt in the oven or air fryer for 5 minutes, until english muffin is toasty and cheese is melted and lightly browned.

Equipment

Mixing bowl

Chef knife

Cutting board

Mixing spoon

Baking sheet, if using the oven

Air Fryer (if using air fryer to cook

Mixed tuna salad in a glass bowl.

Variations

  • Substitute swiss or cheddar cheese for the provolone
  • Substitute a good sturdy bread in place of the english muffins
Provolone cheese on top of the open faced tuna melt.

Top Tip

  • For an extra crispy tuna melt, use a slightly toasted english muffin prior to adding the tuna salad and cheese. Then cook as directed.

Storage

Store any leftover tuna salad in the fridge up to 3 days.

Try this healthier version of Tuna Noodle Casserole!

Breakfast Bruschetta is a savory english muffin open faced breakfast sandwich, one of my personal favorites!

Another delicious way to enjoy tuna salad is in this Tuna Crescent Roll Braid.

If you love making quick snacks with English muffins, you will want to make my easy English Muffin Pizzas!

Serve with…

Serve these tuna melts with a side of tortilla chips, a green salad, or your favorite potato salad.

Overhead shot of English Muffin Tuna Melt with carrot sticks on a white plate.

When you make this recipe, please please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and comment below to let me know what you think. I'd love it if you tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch so I can see your photos!

📖 Recipe

Featured image for English Muffin Tuna Melts.

English Muffin Tuna Melts

Shelby Law Ruttan
An open faced sandwich made on an english muffin topped with tuna salad and provolone cheese. These Tuna melts can be made in the air fryer, toaster, or oven.
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 7 minutes
Total Time 12 minutes
Course lunch
Cuisine American
Servings 2 serving
Calories 578 kcal

Equipment

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slighty toast english muffin in toaster to draw some of the moisture out.
  • Spread ¼ cup of tuna on each side of english muffin, cover with slice of provolone cheese and bake for 7-10 minutes or until cheese starts to bubble and brown.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 578kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 35gFat: 35gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 14gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 1054mgPotassium: 399mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 427IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 341mgIron: 2mg
Keyword English Muffin Tuna Melts, Open Face Tuna Melt, Tuna Melt
Tried this recipe?Mention @grumpyshoneybunch or tag #grumpyshoneybunch!
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Banana Walnut Muffins with Maple Icing

by 18 Comments

These are the best Banana Walnut Muffins you will ever make! Perfectly moist, loaded with crunchy walnuts, and topped with a sweet maple icing drizzle. Whether you're looking for a quick breakfast or a way to use up overripe bananas, this easy banana nut muffin recipe delivers bakery style results in just 35 minutes.

One banana walnut muffin sitting on a wooden board with more muffins blurred in the background.
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Why You'll Love Banana Walnut Muffins

Classic flavor: bananas, walnuts, and warm spices make a combination that never gets old.

Quick and easy prep: everything comes together in one bowl without any complicated steps.

Sweet maple finish: the optional maple icing drizzle adds an extra layer of sweetness and a distinct maple flavor.

Key Ingredients for Banana Muffins

See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and instructions.

A group of baking ingredients including a yellow banana, a stick of butter, eggs, milk, flour, and a bowl of chopped walnuts.
  • Ripe bananas: very ripe bananas bring natural sweetness and full banana flavor.
  • Chopped walnuts: add texture and a mild nutty bite throughout the muffins.
  • Warm spices: cinnamon and nutmeg give the muffins a familiar, cozy flavor.
  • Butter: gives the muffins a rich crumb and balanced flavor.
A colorful orange bowl filled with mashed yellow bananas for muffin batter.

Ingredient Substitutions

  • Change the flavor: you can use vanilla or banana extract instead of maple extract.
  • Make it sugar-free: swap the sugar for your favorite sugar-free sweetener, but check the bag to make sure you use the right amount.
  • Nut swap: use pecans in place of walnuts.
Raw muffin batter scooped into a 12-cup baking pan before going into the oven.

Variations on Banana Walnut Muffins

  • Skip the icing and sprinkle coarse sugar on top before baking for a lightly crisp finish.
  • Add a handful of chocolate chips to the batter for a sweeter muffin.
  • Bake the batter in mini muffin tins for a smaller, snack-size option.

Tips for Baking Muffins

  • Mash the bananas well: so they blend evenly into the batter.
  • Don't overmix: stir the batter just until combined to keep the muffins soft and tender.
  • Catch the drips: when adding the icing, place a piece of parchment paper under your cooling rack to make cleanup much easier.

How to Store

Store Banana Walnut Muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

A close-up of a sliced banana walnut muffin showing the soft inside and pieces of walnuts.

Serve With...

Serve these Banana Walnut Muffins with Whipped Cinnamon Honey Butter or Salted Maple Butter for an extra special touch along with a hot cup of coffee or tea

More Breakfast Recipes You'll Love

If you enjoy these muffins, you will want to try my recipe for Invisible Banana French Toast! It's an easy banana recipe to make and the kids will love it! You also may enjoy this Maple Walnut Banana Bread, Baked Banana Doughnuts with Browned Butter Rum Glaze, or this low carb Chunky Monkey Noatmeal recipe!

When you make this recipe, please comment below and let me know what you think. I'd love it if you tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch or #grumpyshoneybunch so I can see your photos!

If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating

📖 Recipe

Banana walnut muffin with a white glaze on a wooden tray.

Banana Walnut Muffins with Maple Icing

Shelby Law Ruttan
These Banana Walnut Muffins are a tasty way to use up brown bananas and fill your home with the cozy smell of warm spices. Each soft muffin is packed with crunch walnuts and finished with a sweet maple drizzle that the whole family will love.
4.34 from 3 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Breakfast & Brunch
Cuisine American
Servings 12
Calories 299 kcal

Equipment

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients
  

FOR THE MUFFINS

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup butter softened
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 very ripe bananas mashed
  • ½ teaspoon maple flavored extract
  • ⅓ cup milk

FOR THE ICING (OPTIONAL)

Instructions
 

For the muffins

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with parchment paper liners. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and walnuts. Set aside.
  • In another large bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed, mix together the the butter and sugar until creamy. 
  • Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until well blended. Mix in the mashed bananas, extract and milk and mix until well blended.
  • Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients using a wooden spoon, folding until just mixed. Be sure you don't over mix the muffin batter.
  • Scoop batter with a large cookie scoop into prepared muffin pan. Bake for 25 minutes or use the toothpick test and if the toothpick comes out of the muffin clean its ready.
  • Remove muffins from oven and cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove muffins from pan and place on cooling rack with a sheet of parchment paper beneath the rack (to catch icing drips)

To make the icing

  • In a medium bowl, mix the powdered sugar, maple syrup and half and half together. Drizzle over top of the slightly warm muffins. Cool completely before storing.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 299kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 5gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 265mgPotassium: 145mgFiber: 1gSugar: 26gVitamin A: 311IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 29mgIron: 1mgNet Carbohydrates: 43g
Keyword Banana Nut Muffins, Easy Breakfast Muffins, Homemade Banana Muffins, Maple Glazed Muffins, Overripe Banana Recipe
Tried this recipe?Mention @grumpyshoneybunch or tag #grumpyshoneybunch!

Cajun Shrimp Pasta Alfredo

by 22 Comments

This Cajun Shrimp Pasta Alfredo recipe is made with perfectly seasoned juicy shrimp cooked to perfection and tossed in a creamy alfredo sauce with your favorite pasta. This meal is delicious enough for weeknights and special enough for celebrations. It is a great recipe with protein and flavor and far more budget friendly than eating out!

The easy alfredo sauce that coats this shrimp and pasta dish is a homemade recipe that you can feel good about, no more need to buy premade jarred sauces when you have a delicious preservative free recipe.

Cajun Shrimp Pasta Alfredo in a white bowl.
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❤️ Why you'll love it

✔️ It is a quick and easy dinner recipe made with simple ingredients with the right amount of flavors.

✔️ This cajun shrimp meal is ready in just 20 minutes and is perfect for busy weeknights for a dinner the whole family will love.

✔️ The creaminess of the alfredo sauce contrasts the spicy and mellows out the heat while packing a punch of flavor.

Raw thawed peeled and deveined shrimp with tails removed.

🥘 Ingredients

Fresh shrimp, I like to buy jumbo or large shrimp and leave the tails on.

Cajun spice

Olive oil

Pasta, I chose to use a fresh linguini pasta.

Heavy whipping cream, to create the creamy sauce

Chicken broth, thins out the cream and adds flavor.

Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Fresh parsley and red pepper flakes for garnish (optional)

Shrimp cooking in a non stick skillet.

🔪 Instructions

  1. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Once cooked toss with 1 tablespoon butter and a few tablespoons of freshly shredded parmesan.
  2. In a large bowl, toss shrimp with cajun seasoning. Heat the olive oil a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Add the shrimp and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until shrimp are pink. Remove from skillet and set aside.
  3. Make the pasta while the shrimp cook. Add pasta to boiling water and cook according to package instructions. Once cooked toss with 1 tablespoon butter and a few tablespoons of freshly shredded parmesan.
  4. While the pasta is cooking, add the chicken broth and butter to the skillet. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and add the heavy cream. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until sauce has reduced and thickened slightly. Stir in the parmesan cheese.
  5. Serve the shrimp and sauce over top of pasta sprinkled with chopped parsley and red pepper flakes (if using).
Cooked pasta with alfredo sauce.

🥄 Equipment

Large pot, to cook the pasta.

Large skillet, to cook the shrimp and make the alfredo sauce

Large bowl, to season the shrimp

Colendar, to drain the pasta

Tongs, to toss the sauce with the pasta.

🥫Storage

Store any leftover cajun shrimp alfredo pasta in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days.

📖 Variations

  • Cook some cooked chorizo or andouille sausages to add to the shrimp and pasta.
  • Substitute half of the heavy cream for cream cheese.
  • Substitute ½ teaspoon garlic powder and onion powder with 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper in place of the cajun seasoning.
  • Substitute your favorite pasta, penne pasta or fettuccine pasta are good ones that will work in this recipe.

💭 Tips

Place frozen shrimp in a colander and place in the sink. Run cold water over the shrimp until shrimp have thawed. Remove shells before cooking.

Cajun Shrimp Pasta Alfredo in a white bowl.

Similar to Chili's menu recipe, this Cajun Chicken Pasta packs flavor and spice.

Quick and Easy Chicken Alfredo is mild and creamy and a family favorite.

🍽 Serve with...

For a complete meal, serve the shrimp and pasta with a healthy green salad topped with Italian vinaigrette and for a beverage this Frosty Peach Mojito!

Don't forget to check out my Amazon storefront for some of my favorite products!

When you make this recipe, please comment below and let me know what you think. I'd love it if you tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch or #grumpyshoneybunch so I can see your photos!

If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating

📖 Recipe

Featured image for Cajun Shrimp Pasta Afredo.

Cajun Shrimp Pasta Alfredo

Shelby Law Ruttan
Cajun spiced shrimp tops a plate of creamy delicious alfredo sauce tossed with fresh cooked pasta. This meal is ready in just 20 minutes and one the whole family will love.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine Italian-American
Servings 4
Calories 485 kcal

Equipment

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients
  

For the shrimp

For the alfredo sauce

Instructions
 

  • Toss shrimp with cajun seasoning. Cook shrimp in hot skillet with butter until no longer pink (be careful to not overcook or it will be tough). Remove from skillet and set aside.
  • Linguine - we use Bertolli fresh linguini. It is our very favorite and I use it for every pasta dish that I want linguini for! Cook the package according to directions. Once cooked toss with 1 tablespoon butter and a few tablespoons of freshly shredded parmesan.
  • Bring to a boil chicken broth and butter. Add heavy cream and simmer until thickened. Add parmesan cheese and stir until melted.
  • Serve sauce over top of linguini and shrimp. You can sprinkle with parsley, but since I only had cilantro I went with that.

Nutrition

Calories: 485kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 13gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 18gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 133mgSodium: 384mgPotassium: 230mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 1747IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 164mgIron: 3mg
Keyword Cajun Shimp Pasta Alfredo
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Invisible Banana French Toast

by 23 Comments

This Invisible Banana French Toast Recipe is a classic breakfast with bananas in the egg batter contributing an amazing banana flavor to the morning meal! Kids will love the fun you will have making this best ever french toast as well as the name!

I am always looking for breakfast recipes with bananas to use up the overripe bananas on my kitchen counter. I also like to find kid pleasing recipes to enjoy with the entire family.

Invisible Banana French Toast recipe on a white plate topped with bananas, blueberries and maple syrup.
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❤️ Why I Love This Recipe

✔️ It is an easy french toast recipe with the batter is made right in the blender which makes for a quick prep time.

✔️ This is a dairy free recipe, making it perfect for those who are lactose intolerant.

✔️ It is an amazing french toast recipe that brings your french toast game to the next level, it is way cooler than regular french toast!

🥘 Ingredients

Bananas, for the batter and to top the pancakes.

Large Eggs

Cinnamon and nutmeg, I love using whole nutmeg and grating it with a microplane grater to get the freshest flavor.

Vanilla extract

Bread, a good choice is brioche bread or try this homemade challah bread.

Pure maple syrup

Blueberries

Ingredients in a blender before mixing.

🔪 Instructions

  1. Place 3 bananas, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla into a blender and blend until smooth.
  2. Pour the banana mixture into a shallow bowl and dip bread the batter; Flip to coat other side of the bread. 
  3. Place bread in a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat, and cook for 2 minutes or until golden. Flip and cook 2 more minutes, or until golden brown. Repeat with remaining bread slices.
  4. Serve the banana french toast with sliced bananas, blueberries, and maple syrup.

🙋 Recipe FAQ's

Why is my french toast soggy?

It is likely the bread you used was too fresh.

How do I make vegan french toast?

Use ½ tablespoon of cornstarch in the banana batter in place of the eggs to aid in binding the batter to the toast.

What is the best pan for french toast?

A large nonstick skillet or griddle works best.

French toast batter in a shallow pan.

💭 Tips

  • Use day old stale bread for the best results.
  • Choose overripe bananas over firm bananas as they will add more sweetness to the french toast.
  • I do not recommend using banana bread to make this french toast recipe. It is too dense and will turn out heavy with the batter.

📖 Variations

  • Skip the syrup and top the banana bread french toast with butter and a sprinkle of dark brown sugar.
  • Spread the french toast with peanut butter, homemade berry rhubarb jam, and top with sliced bananas, finishing off with a drizzle of pure maple syrup.

🍽 Equipment

Large non stick skillet

Blender, I love this blender!

Spatula

Large stainless steel mixing bowl

Serving Suggestions

Serve this Invisible Banana French Toast recipe with a side of Mom's Rhubarb Sauce, a cup of hot or homemade iced coffee, and Homemade breakfast sausage.

Invisible Banana French Toast

Storage

  • Store any leftover french toast in an airtight package in the refrigerator up to 3 days and in the freezer up to 3 months.
  • Reheat the french toast by placing it in a toaster oven or in a 350 degree oven on a large baking sheet covered with foil for 10 minutes. I don't recommend the microwave to reheat as it will make the french toast soggy.

Berry Banana Smoothie

Baked Banana Doughnuts with Browned Butter Rum Glaze

Banana Praline Coffeecake

Waffled French Toast with Meyer Lemon Maple Syrup

Blueberry French Toast Souffle

If you give this recipe a try, I'd love to hear how it turned out! Please leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below to let me know how you liked it. Don't forget to tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch so I can see your beautiful salad bowls!

📖 Recipe

Invisible Banana French Toast

Shelby Law Ruttan
An easy breakfast recipe with bananas, this recipe shares how to make banana french toast with a banana egg mixture. A delicious healthy breakfast or brunch food the whole family will love.
4.86 from 7 votes
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Breakfast & Brunch
Cuisine American
Servings 6
Calories 393 kcal

Equipment

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

  • Place 3 bananas, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla into a blender and blend until smooth.
  • Pour mixture into shallow bowl and drip bread slice into batter.  Flip to coat other side. 
  • Place on hot griddle and fry 2 minutes or until golden. Flip and cook 2 more minutes, or until golden brown. Repeat with remaining bread slices.
  • Serve with the remaining bananas, sliced, blueberries, and maple syrup.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 393kcalCarbohydrates: 83gProtein: 9gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 317mgPotassium: 596mgFiber: 6gSugar: 43gVitamin A: 164IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 138mgIron: 3mg
Keyword Banana French Toast, Breakfast recipe, Invisible Banana French Toast
Tried this recipe?Mention @grumpyshoneybunch or tag #grumpyshoneybunch!

Tamarind Tofu Stir Fry

by 10 Comments

This Tamarind Tofu Stir Fry is a warm, savory vegetarian dinner with crisp tofu, tender cabbage, and orzo pasta tossed in a sweet-tangy sauce. It's filling without feeling heavy and is a quick and easy recipe great for busy weeknights.

Overhead view of Tamarind Tofu Stir Fry bowl.

I've always liked how tamarind adds depth without overpowering a dish, and it works especially well here with tofu and cabbage. This recipe is a satisfying way for my family to enjoy a vegetarian meal without a lot of fuss for me in the kitchen.

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Why You'll Love Tamarind Tofu Stir Fry

Sweet tang: the tamarind chutney brings a gentle balance of sweet and tart that coats every bite.

Hearty texture: crispy tofu, tender orzo, and a lightly browned cabbage give this dish great contrast.

Meatless dinner: this vegetarian tofu stir fry is satisfying enough to stand on it's own.

Key Ingredients for Vegetarian Tofu Stir Fry

See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and instructions.

  • Extra firm tofu: pressed and cubed, it browns nicely in the skillet and holds its shape.
  • Orzo pasta: small and tender, orzo mixes easily with the vegetables and sauce.
  • Green cabbage: thinly sliced cabbage cooks quickly and adds a lightly browned flavor.
  • Carrot: shredded carrot blends into the dish for color and mild sweetness.
  • Tamarind chutney: the sauce that gives it the signature sweet tart flavor that blends in well with the savory cabbage.
  • Tamari: adds savory depth that balances the chutney.

Ingredient Substitutions

  • Use soy sauce in place of tamari.
  • Napa cabbage can be used in place of green cabbage.
  • Swap riced cauliflower for the orzo for a low carb option.

Variations on Tamarind Tofu Stir Fry

  • Give it a veggie boost by adding sliced mushrooms when cooking the cabbage.
  • Stir in chopped scallions just before serving for a freshness boost.
  • Finish with a pinch of crushed red pepper for a slight kick of heat.

Helpful Tofu Stir Fry Tips

  • Press the tofu well to release as much water as possible so it browns instead of steaming.
  • Cook cabbage in batches to get better color.
  • Toss everything together while warm so the sauce coats evenly.

How to Store and Reheat

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet over medium low heat with a small splash of water or olive oil.

Serve With...

This tamarind tofu stir fry pairs nicely with lighter vegetable sides like Air Fryer Green Beans or a side of Cucumber Kimchi.

More Meatless Recipe's You'll Love

If you enjoy meatless meals, try my recipe for Aloo Matar, Homemade Falafel, Tofu Quinoa Bowl with Sweet Chili Lime Glaze, and Vegetarian Patties with Marinara Sauce.

When you make this recipe, please comment below and let me know what you think. I'd love it if you tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch or #grumpyshoneybunch so I can see your photos!

If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating

📖 Recipe

Tamarind Tofu Cabbage Bowl

Shelby Law Ruttan
This Tamarind Tofu Stir Fry is a cozy stovetop dinner with crisp tofu, tender cabbage, and orzo pasta brought together with a sweet-tangy sauce. It is a light and delicious meal that is comforting and satisfying.
No ratings yet
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine Asian, Vegetarian
Servings 4
Calories 267 kcal

Equipment

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup cooked orzo
  • 1 pound block extra firm tofu , pressed and cubed
  • 1 medium carrot , shredded
  • 4 cups thinly sliced cabbage
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil for frying tofu and cabbage
  • 2 tablespoons Tamarind Chutney
  • 2 tablespoons Tamari

For the Chutney

  • 2 tablespoons tamarind paste
  • 2 cups water
  • ½ cup sugar

Instructions
 

  • For Tamarind Chutney mix tamarind paste, water, and sugar together and simmer approximately 30 minutes or until reduced to about half and slightly thickened.
  • Stir in 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon cumin, and 1 teaspoon chili pepper flakes. Cook 1 minute more then set aside to cool completely.
  • Mix two tablespoons tamarind chutney and two tablespoons tamari together and set aside.
  • Cook orzo according to package directions. Cool slightly. Stir shredded carrot into cooked orzo. Set aside.
  • Fry cubes of tofu in olive oil until crispy and browned. Set aside.
  • Fry cabbage in a small amount of olive oil until crisp tender and slightly browned.
  • Toss cabbage, orzo mixture, tofu, and chutney mixture together. Serve warm & enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 267kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 12gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gSodium: 100mgPotassium: 417mgFiber: 4gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 2618IUVitamin C: 28mgCalcium: 79mgIron: 3mgNet Carbohydrates: 30g
Keyword meatless stir fry, orzo tofu recipe, Tamarind Tofu Cabbage Bowl, tamarind tofu recipe, Tamarind Tofu Stir Fry, tofu cabbage stir fry, vegetarian tofu stir fry
Tried this recipe?Mention @grumpyshoneybunch or tag #grumpyshoneybunch!

Spicy Sweet Chili Bowl

by 25 Comments

Who doesn't love a big ole bowl of Spicy Sweet Chili? Full of chili flavor with a hit of sweet brown sugar. This chili, made with lean ground beef and is finished off with shredded colby cheese, chopped avocado, and cilantro. Great served up with chips or cornbread for a delicious chili recipe on game-day!

A bowl of spicy sweet chili garnished with shredded cheese, avocado, and cilantro.

Spicy sweet chili is a great way to warm up on a chilly day and is a great addition to your game day food line up.

This was inspired by my love for a sweet and spicy heat combination and this chili goes excellent with a side of this cornbread recipe!

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Why You'll Love Sweet and Spicy Chili

Perfect Balance: The mix of spicy chili spices and a hint of brown sugar creates a perfect balance of heat and sweetness.

Quick & Easy: Made with ground beef, it's a simple recipe that's ready in no time.

Crowd-Pleaser: A hearty, flavorful dish that's great for family dinners or game day gatherings.

Ingredients

This spicy sweet chili is made with pantry staples and lean ground beef. A delicious combination of chili spices and a touch of sweet brown sugar make this a meal that is irresistibly delicious.

Chili Ingredients: Ground beef, onion, garlic, and spices.
  • Lean ground beef
  • Salt
  • Black pepper
  • Onion
  • Garlic cloves 
  • Green bell pepper 
  • Brown sugar substitute
  • Chili pepper flakes
  • Chili powder
  • Ground cumin
  • Smoked paprika
  • Petite diced canned tomatoes
  • Tomato paste

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

  1. In a large pot over medium heat, cook beef, breaking up with a meat meat chopper, until well browned. Drain fat from skillet and discard.
  2. Add onion, garlic, green pepper, salt and pepper to the cooked beef and and cook for 3-5 minutes, until vegetables have softened.
  3. Using a wooden spoon, stir in chili powder, ground cumin, chili flakes, smoked paprika and brown sugar. Cook over heat for one minute, stirring constantly.
  4. Stir in the canned tomatoes, water, and tomato paste. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, uncovered.
  5. Serve topped with shredded colby cheese, chopped avocado, and chopped cilantro. (if using)

Hint: A meat chopper will break down the ground beef into perfect sized crumbles. I love this meat chopper from Faberware (affiliate link).

Substitutions

Whether you need to go lower fat or lower carb, there are substitutions you can make to this recipe that will suit your needs.Brown Sugar Substitute: Replace the brown sugar

  • Ground Beef: Swap ground beef with ground turkey or chicken for a leaner option. For a vegetarian option, try this meatless ground beef (affiliate link) made with textured vegetable protein in place of the meat.
  • Brown Sugar: Replace the brown sugar with a substitute such as brown sugar truvia or golden monkfruit.
  • Canned Tomatoes: if you have fresh tomatoes on hand, you can substitute 2 cups of finely diced tomatoes for the canned.

Variations

Make this sweet and spicy chili with a few different flavor twist that suit your tastebuds.

  • Tex-Mex Chili: Add diced jalapeños, a handful of shredded cheddar cheese, and a dollop of sour cream to give the chili a bold Tex-Mex flair.
  • Smoky Chipotle Chili: Add a teaspoon of chipotle powder or a chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce for a rich, smoky flavor.

Like beans in your chili? Try this spicy black bean chili version on my website!

Spicy Sweet Chili in a white bowl.

Equipment

  • Large pot
  • Meat chopper
  • Cutting board
  • Sharp knife
  • Wooden spoon

Storage

Store leftover chili in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days. For longer storage, store in the freezer up to 3 months.

Top tip

  • For the best flavor, make the chili a day ahead to allow the spices to fully meld with the meat and tomatoes, creating a rich and hearty taste.

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with spicy sweet chili:

When you make this recipe, please comment below and let me know what you think. I'd love it if you tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch or #grumpyshoneybunch so I can see your photos!

If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating

📖 Recipe

Spicy Sweet Chili Bowl

Spicy Sweet Chili Bowl

Shelby Law Ruttan
This Spicy Sweet Chili is a hearty dish packed with bold flavors and just the right touch of heat and sweetness. Made with ground beef, spices, and a hint of brown sugar, it's perfect for a cozy dinner or meal prep.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Calories 294 kcal

Equipment

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

  • In a large pot over medium heat, cook beef, breaking up with a meat meat chopper, until well browned. Drain fat from skillet and discard.
  • Add onion, garlic, green pepper, salt and pepper to the cooked beef and and cook for 3-5 minutes, until vegetables have softened.
  • Using a wooden spoon, stir in chili powder, ground cumin, chili flakes, smoked paprika and brown sugar. Cook over heat for one minute, stirring constantly.
  • Stir in the canned tomatoes, water, and tomato paste. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, uncovered.
  • Serve topped with shredded colby cheese, chopped avocado, and chopped cilantro. (if using)

Nutrition

Calories: 294kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 31gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 1333mgPotassium: 1571mgFiber: 8gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 2522IUVitamin C: 42mgCalcium: 129mgIron: 8mgNet Carbohydrates: 23g
Keyword Spicy Sweet Chili
Tried this recipe?Mention @grumpyshoneybunch or tag #grumpyshoneybunch!

Date Scones with Sugar Crystals

by 22 Comments

These Date Scones are sweet biscuits filled with chopped Medjool dates, maple syrup, and dusted with coarse sugar crystals prior to baking. They are deliciously sweet and tender scones perfect for a morning brunch or afternoon tea.

A Date Scone on a white plate with the rest of the scones in the background

Scones are the perfect recipe to serve guests for an afternoon tea or to offer up to your family as part of a weekend brunch. These Date Scones have a deep caramel-like flavor with sweet pieces of dates that melt in your mouth with every bite.

Making recipes with Date - nature's candy

I am a big date fan, my most favorite candy being my Great Aunt Helga's Candied Dates recipe. So, when I started thinking about making a scone recently, my mind went to dates and wondering how they would turn out in a scone.

I had just purchased a large box of Medjool dates and decided to go ahead and give it a try. I am so glad I did! These scones were so delicious I didn't want to stop eating them!

Fully baked and scored date scones on parchment paper

What you need to make Date Scones

Medjool Dates (affiliate link) are a large, very sweet, delicious fresh fruit. They are harvested from the date palm and are not processed. Many people think they are a dried fruit due to their texture, however, that is not the case.

Maple Extract(affiliate link): I use the maple extract to enhance the dark sugar flavors of this scone.

Pure Maple Syrup (affiliate link): The flavors of maple and dates complement each other well, so rather than sugar, I used maple syrup as a sweetener.

Pastry Blender (affiliate link): Using a pastry blender to combine the flour and butter together is my preferred way to mix the fat with the flour mixture and is the best way to be sure you're not overmixing the dough.

Baked Date Scones on parchment paper.

Tips for the best Date Scone dough

  • Don't use a heavy hand when measuring the flour. Stir the flour in the storage container, then lightly spoon into the measuring cup and level it off without tapping.
  • Be sure you do not over mix or over knead the scone dough. Doing so will cause it to be tough.
  • Stir the chopped dates into the flour mixture after the butter has been worked in. The loose flour will coat the dates and prevent them from sticking together.
  • When scoring the scones (prior to baking), be sure to not cut all the way thru. Once the scones have been scored, they will be kept together and baked as is.

Make this Date Scone Recipe your own

  • Swap out the maple syrup for brown sugar
  • Use vanilla extract in place of maple extract
  • Instead of sugar crystals, leave them plain, or make the maple icing drizzle from this Banana Walnut Muffin recipe to drizzle over the top.
Scone dough that has been flattened into a circle and scored.

More scone recipes you may want to try

These Date Scones are delicious and I highly recommend you make these. I also have a few other scone flavors that I recommend that you try.

Maple Scones are sweetened with only maple sugar and are a delicious moist scone that is perfect for a spring brunch.

Blueberry Scones are bursting with fresh blueberries and drizzled with a lemon icing.

Mini Caramel Coconut Chip Scones are delicious little bites of scones with the flavors of caramel, coconut, and chocolate.

Pumpkin Scones are a delicious fall scone recipe topped with a two-toned pumpkin spice glaze.

Easy Orange Cranberry Scones are perfect for the winter holiday season with the flavors of orange and cranberry bursting through this delicate dough.

When you make this date scone recipe, please comment below and let me know what you think. I'd love it if you tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch or #grumpyshoneybunch so I can see your photos!

If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating

📖 Recipe

Date Scones

Shelby Law Ruttan
A tender and sweet scone filled with dates and sprinkled with a coarse sugar topping.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Breakfast & Brunch
Cuisine American
Servings 8
Calories 241 kcal

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

  • Place the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine ingredients.
  • Add the butter pieces and using a pastry blender, work the butter into the dough until small pea-sized crumbs form.
  • Stir in the chopped dates and toss to coat with flour mixture. 
  • Pour the half and half, maple syrup, and maple extract into the flour mixture.  Stir until the mixture begins to form a dough. Turn out onto a countertop and gently fold in remaining dry ingredients until the dough starts to take some shape. 
  • Flatten out into a circle on a pastry-lined baking sheet!  Being careful to not overwork the dough. 
  • Cut the scone dough into 8 pieces, being careful to not cut all the way through the dough. 
  • Bake in a 350-degree oven for 25 minutes or until scones have lightly browned. 
  • Remove from the oven and cool slightly and enjoy while still warm.

Nutrition

Calories: 241kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 4.1gFat: 9.1gSaturated Fat: 5.6gSodium: 565mgFiber: 1.7gSugar: 11g
Keyword Date Scones
Tried this recipe?Mention @grumpyshoneybunch or tag #grumpyshoneybunch!