Nick's Recipes

Parmesan Garlic Baked Broccoli

Steamed broccoli is great don't get me wrong but it is nice to have another healthy alternative such as this one. This broccoli is a big hit, I have made it when we have friends over for dinner and everyone raves about it. Good way to make a vegetable that has good flavor but is still healthy. Recipie yields one 13 x 9 pan that will serve 4 to 6.

Parmesan Garlic Baked Broccoli

Ingredients
4 Crowns of Broccoli
1/4 Cup Olive Oil (I used Avocado Oil)
1/4 Cup Lemon Juice + 2 Tbsp For Garnish (Fresh Squeezed or From A Bottle)
1 Tbsp Garlic Powder
2 tsp Black Pepper
2 tsp Salt or Sea Salt
Parmesan Cheese (Grated or Canned)


Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400F. Spray 13 x 9 pan with non-stick cooking spray. 

2. Wash broccoli crowns and cut into florets (the smaller you make them the faster they cook). Place florets into a bowl add oil, garlic, 1/4 cup lemon juice, black pepper, sea salt and desired amount of Parmesan Cheese into the bowl. Stir until oil, seasonings and cheese are evenly distributed. 
3. Bake in oven for 45 minutes to an hour.
4. Remove broccoli from oven, drizzle with 2 Tbsp of lemon juice and sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese. 

8. Serve and be prepared to hand over your recipe since all of your guests will be asking for it!

 Baked Fries

 

 French fries are so good but I feel guilty every time I eat them. This is a great alternative if you still

 want to have french fries but want to be healthy!

Baked Fries

Ingredients
4 Baker Potatoes
1/4 Cup Olive Oil (I used Avocado Oil)
1 Tbsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Salt or Sea Salt
1 Gallon Size Zip-Lock Bag

Directions
1. Wash potatoes, slice each potato into three chunks long ways and cut every piece into 1/2" by 1/2" by however long your potato is.  
2. Preheat oven to 400 F. Spray cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray (If you want less mess you can line the cookie sheet with aluminum foil)   
3. Soak cut fries in a large bowl with ice and water for 30 to 40 minutes.  
4. Drain potatoes and pat dry with a paper towel. 
5. Place fries, oil and seasonings into a Zip-Lock bag, close the bag and shake until oil and seasonings are distributed.
6. Pour the fries out onto prepared cookie sheet into a single layer and leave space in between them.
7. Bake in the oven for 35-45 minutes or until desired crispness is achieved. 
8. Serve with ketchup, fry sauce or your favorite dipping sauce and be prepared to never eat deep fried fries again!

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Most people have a garden and chances are you have lots of extra zucchini. If you have lots of extra zucchini or someone gives you zucchini and you don't know what to do with it this recipe rocks! Such a great way to get rid of extra zucchini and is a delicious treat.

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Ingredients
2 cups shredded zucchini (about 1 large or 2 small)
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
1/2 cup applesauce (you can even use apple sauce with cinnamon)
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray with non-stick cooking spray and flour an 8″ x 4″ x 2 1/2″  loaf pan (any loaf pan will work) and set aside.
2. Use a towel or paper towels to slightly press down on the shredded zucchini to eliminate some of the moisture. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add the brown sugar, eggs, oil, applesauce, and vanilla. Mix to combine. Stir in the zucchini, then fold in the chocolate chips. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan (if using different size pan than listed above fill half full with batter) and bake for 30 to 45 minutes (depending on your oven) or until a toothpick comes out clean.
4. Let the bread cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely before serving. Don’t skip the cooling process – the bread will appear underdone if you slice and serve while it’s still warm.

Egg Cups

These are such a quick and easy thing to make for breakfast! I like to make them the night before and then all you have to do is heat them up in the microwave in the morning. They are very simple to make but yet a healthy and delicious breakfast.

Egg Cups

Ingredients

Eggs
Non-Stick Spray
Shredded Cheese
Desired Seasonings


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray ramekins with non stick spray.
2. Crack one or two eggs into a ramekin add desired seasonings and cheese.
3. Bake ramekins of egg cups on a cookie sheet for 15 minutes for one egg and 20 for two eggs.
4. Remove from oven let stand for 5 minutes and serve or refrigerate. If you refrigerate cover with plastic wrap before placing in the fridge.

5. To reheat simply remove from the refrigerator, remove plastic wrap and heat in microwave for about 45 seconds.

Cauliflower Smashed Potatoes

Went to a friend's house for dinner and had these Cauliflower Smashed Potatoes. I swore they were mashed potatoes and when I found out they were made from vegetables I was so excited. A healthy alternative to mashed potatoes and they are super easy to make!

Cauliflower Smashed Potatoes

Ingredients

1 Head of Cauliflower
3 Tablespoons Sour Cream
¼ Cup Bacon Bits
½ Cup Shredded Cheese
2 Tablespoons Butter (I use I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spray)
¼ Cup Milk (Add more if you want them thinner, or less if you want them thicker)
1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
Pinch of Salt
Pinch of Pepper
¼ Cup Shredded Cheese (garnish)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Wash Cauliflower and cut into medium chunks, boil 1 inch of water in a pot and add in Cauliflower. Place lid on pot and steam for 8 minutes.
3. Place Cauliflower in food processor and add in remaining ingredients, run food processor on high and add milk until desired consistency is reached.
4. Scrape Cauliflower Smashed Potatoes into a bowl, top with cheese and bake in the oven on 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
5. Serve and see if anyone notices they are vegetable mashed potatoes and not potatoes.

Nick's Delicious Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Start making this delicious bread with leftover bananas that would otherwise be thrown away. The chocolate chips make it delicious and the sour cream help this banana bread to say very moist. Turn trash into a delicious treat with this simple recipe.

Ingredients 1 stick butter 11/3 c sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla 1 c sour cream 2 c flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 3/4 tsp salt 1 c mashed ripe bananas 1 c chocolate chips 1/2 c chopped pecans (optional - I left these out!) Instructions 1. Preheat oven to 325°. In a large bowl cream butter and sugar. Then mix in eggs, vanilla and sour cream. In a separate bowl whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add to sugar mixture and stir until combined. Fold in bananas, nuts, and chocolate chips. Pour into 2 large loaf pans or 4 small loaf pans. You can also make 24 muffins. Bake for 1 hour in a loaf pan, 35-45 minutes in a small loaf pan or 25 min in a muffin pan. You want the bread to be lightly browned. Make sure it comes clean with a toothpick.

2. Once the bread is cooked, remove the bread from the pan and place on a cooling rack.

Nick's Mexican Fiesta Soup

If your looking for a good soup recipe that is Mexican inspired then give this one a shot. After having Chicken Tortilla soup for lunch today it inspired me to make my own Mexican soup.

Ingredients:

2 Chicken Breasts Cooked and Cut into Chunks
2 (32 ounce) Boxes of Organic Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth
1 (14 ounce) Can Diced Tomatoes with Garlic
1 Cob of Fresh Sweet Corn-Cut Off the Cob
1 Cup of Crinkle Cut Carrots
1 Medium Sweet Onion-Diced
1 Tbps Sriracha Sauce 
Pinch of Cumin
Pinch of Black Pepper
Pinch of Garlic Powder
1 Tomato Bullion Cube
Salt to taste
Tortilla Chips, Shredded Cheese and Sour Cream for garnishing

Directions:

1. Season chicken breasts with seasoning of choice and cook in a pan or on the grill.2. Cut up chicken into chunks3. Meanwhile shuck ear of corn and boil in a pot of water for 10 mins then cut off the cob.4. Pour chicken broth, diced tomatoes, corn, carrots, onion and cooked chicken into 4 quart or bigger pot and cook on medium heat.5. Add pinch of salt, pepper, garlic powder, tablespoon of sriracha sauce and tomato bullion cube.6. Cook on medium heat until carrots and onions are tender.7. Salt to taste, remove from heat, garnish with tortilla chips, shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream (if desired) and serve.

Enchiladas With a Sour Cream Sauce

If you like enchiladas and are in a hurry then this is a meal for you! Also it is nice to make these rather than traditional enchiladas with red sauce for something different. These are so creamy and just melt in your mouth! Have made these for parties and they always run out before any of the other dishes do!

Ingredients:

• 10 soft flour tortillas (you can use corn but I like flour with chicken)
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 1/2 cups shredded and cooked chicken (we like to use rotisserie chicken)
• 3 cups Monterey Jack cheese – shredded
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 4oz can diced green chillies (I like medium – they are not spicy at all)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Combine shredded chicken and 1 cup of cheese
Fill tortillas with the mixture above and roll each one then place in a greased 9×13 pan
Melt butter in a pan over medium heat
Stir flour into butter and whisk for 1 minute over heat.
Add broth and whisk together. Cook over heat until it’s thick and bubbles up
Take off heat and add in sour cream and chilies. (be careful it’s not too hot or the sour cream will curdle)
Pour mixture over enchiladas and add remaining cheese to top.
Bake in oven for 20-23 minutes then you will want to broil for 3 minutes to brown the cheese

Enjoy!

Queso Dip

This Mexican Queso Dip is very delicious and can be served in a variety of ways. I personally like to serve it some with tortilla chips for dipping. I also like to grill some chicken and make some Mexican Rice (recipe coming soon) and serve the queso over a bed a rice topped with the chicken. This recipe says to microwave it and you can do that but I like to cook it on the stovetop stirring constantly.

1/2 lb White American Cheese, roughly chopped into 1" pieces
2 tablespoons chopped green chiles, frozen or canned will work fine
1 tablespoon pickled jalapeno slices, diced fine
1 tablespoon juice from the pickled jalapenos
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup water
dash of cumin

Combine all ingredients in a medium size glass bowl. Microwave for five minutes, pausing to stir after every minute. The dip will be very watery at first, but it will thicken as it finishes cooking. Serve hot, poured over just about anything that you want to make more delicious. Enjoy!

Pork Barbacoa

This Pork Barbacoa is so good. For those who have been to Cafe Rio and have had the Pork Barbacoa Salad or Burrito know that it is to die for. With this simple at home recipe even families who are busy can make and enjoy this dish. Make and serve on tortillas for tacos, put on top of salad or wrap it up and make a burrito.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Boneless Rib Meat Pork

• 3 cans Coca Cola (NOT Diet)

• 1/4 cup Brown Sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Salt

• 1/4 cup Water

• 1 can diced Green Chilies

• 3/4 (10oz) can Red Enchilada Sauce

• 1 cup Brown Sugar

1. Put the pork in a heavy duty Ziploc bag to marinade.

1. Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 cup of the brown sugar.

1. Marinade for a few hours or overnight.

1. Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don’t let it get TOO dry) or on low for 8 hours.

1. Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot.

1. Shred pork.

1. In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown sugar (about a cup, you can add a little more or less to taste..). If it looks too thick, add more Coke little by little.

1. Put shredded pork and sauce in crockpot and cook on low for 2 hours.

Directions