Maple Cinnamon Rolls

I just made these and they are seriously heavenly.  They are so good that I am actually going to delete my previous cinnamon roll recipe!

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups bread flour
• 1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
• TOPPING:
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons bread flour
• 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 6 tablespoons cold butter
• MAPLE ICING:
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 to 2 teaspoons milk

Directions

• Warm milk and add yeast and 1 tsp. of sugar.  Let sit until foamy.  In your mixer, add the butter and maple syrup.  Mix well.  Add egg, salt, flour and yeast.  On low speed, with a dough hook, let it knead for 10 minutes.  Let rise until double.
• Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into two 12-in. x 7-in. rectangles. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle half over each rectangle. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting from a long side; pinch seam to seal.
• Cut each roll into slices. Place cut side down in one greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 20 minutes.
• Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, butter, syrup and enough milk to achieve desired consistency. Spread over warm rolls. 

Crockpot Italian Roundsteak

This is a great hearty meal for a busy day.  Throw everything in your crockpot.  You don’t even have to pre-thaw the meat.  Let it simmer all day and by the end of the day when you are tired and your kids are all hungry, you won’t have any work left to do, but serve.  Okay, and clean the dishes. :)

2 lbs. round steak (thawed or frozen)
2 cans tomato sauce
1 packet lipton onion dry soup mix
4 TBSP. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. oregano
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. pepper
6 Red Potatoes, cut in half
5-8 Carrots, peeled and chopped about 1” thick
1 large zucchini, quartered

Place the meat on the bottom of your crockpot.  Place tomato sauce and all seasonings next.  Top with potatoes, carrots and zucchini.  Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 6-7.

Low Carb Tortillas

I loved this easy chicken burrito filling.  I love it because it uses greek yogurt, but tastes like you haven’t skimped a bit!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast meat
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped bell peppers
3/4 cup nonfat plain greek yogurt
3/4 cups shredded lowfat 4 cheese mexican cheese
3/4 cup salsa
Low carb tortillas

Sautee onions and bell peppers in a small skillet using cooking spray until onion are lightly browned.  Add shredded chicken, yogurt, cheese and salsa.  Once the cheese is melted, spread on tortilla and top with cilantro and more salsa.

Butter Chicken

I love this recipe for Butter Chicken.  It is sincerely heavenly!

Ingredients:
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bit sized pieces
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. groud coriander
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. cardamom
1 whole lime, juiced

Combine above ingredients in a bag or lidded bowl and marinate overnight in the fridge.

1 whole onion
1/4 cup butter
1 can (14.5 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (14.5 oz.) petite diced tomato
1 pint whipping cream
1 bunch cilantro, chopped (to taste)
2 cups cooked basmati rice

Saute the onion in butter until soft.  Add the marinated chicken and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until the chicken is mostly cooked.  Add the tomato sauce and diced tomato and simmer over medium low heat for half an hour with a lid on.  Stir occasionally.  Thicken with cornstarch.  Add the whipping cream.  Serve over the rice with the fresh chopped cilantro to taste.

Grilled Teriyaki Salmon and Asparagus

I love grilled Salmon!  Tonight I tried this simple recipe and threw on some Asparagus to go with it.  It was delicious.  I always cook the salmon layered in tinfoil and then flip it.  Towards the end, open up the tinfoil and allow it to vent a little while cooking.  I like it to cook in the juices, or small amount of butter inside the tinfoil.  

Ingredients:
1/8 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup water
1 TBSP. olive oil
Lemon Pepper
Garlic Powder
Salt

Rinse your salmon and pat dry.  Cut four pieces of tinfoil large enough to fold the edges over and still fit the salmon inside.  Place your Salmon on top of two of the pieces of tinfoil.  Season both sides lightly or 1 side heavily with lemon pepper, garlic powder and salt.  Mix the soy sauce, brown sugar, water and olive oil in a small cup.  Brush over all sides of the salmon, leaving a little bit of extra juice on the tinfoil to cook in.  Put the remaining two pieces of tinfoil on top and double fold in the sides all around the salmon.  Cook on the grill on medium high heat until desired doneness (about 6-8 minutes each side, depending on thickness of salmon).  Be careful not to let it burn.

Asparagus Directions:

Rinse and snap the asparagus at the natural breaking point.  Brush the asparagus with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt.  Throw on oiled grill, turning until desired crispness.  You can cook this on or inside tinfoil if you would like as well.