Sarah's Test Kitchen

I love the Baja chicken bowl at Panera!  Not until I decided to make one myself did I realize why.  I love the combination of hearty quinoa, the zing of grape tomatoes, corn and Verde salsas, and lime - balanced with my favs avocado and feta - then topped with a dollop of magical Greek yogurt.  Who knew that could change everything? Despite it's health benefits, I have a hard time enjoying that food item any other way.  And speaking of health benefits, I made my version low carb by using seasoned riced cauliflower.  And if you need a quick weeknight meal, stock up on pre-made ingredients and you're set in minutes.  Making your own copy-cat recipes from places you enjoy is so much healthier because you are the creator and in control of all of the ingredients.  No surprises of added sugars, preservatives or other icky stuff (unless you throw something in there having not read the label!). The salsa is simple and best if made ahead to marinate some. You'l...

We went to Mentone a couple of years ago and there was a quaint little bakery that sold Raspberry and Almond Shortbread Thumbprint cookies. They were delectable! Well, the owner actually gave me the recipe. 🙂 Since shortbread dough is so versatile, I decided to make flat heart-shaped cookies for Valentines this year! ❤ I simply pressed out the chilled dough onto a floured surface and used cookie cutters to make different sized hearts. I pressed the dough slightly in the center and spread the jam (I couldn't find seedless, oh well) with my finger into a rough heart shape. I watched them as they baked since they were different sizes. The recipe says to bake "until lightly browned" but by then they may be too crunchy. This is such an easy recipe for a cookie dough that can be shaped any way you want. I think I'll make bells for Christmas!  Raspberry and Almond Shortbread Thumbprints Recipe - 2020 Allrecipes.com

Several fun stories with this recipe. I admit salsa and eggs for breakfast never appealed to me until we stayed at a bed and breakfast in North Carolina. That was our breakfast one morning, and to my surprise, it was amazing! I just figured salsa was something that only made sense with a Mexican dinner. And with eggs?? Ew! Well, as I consumed every bite, all I kept thinking was "where has this been all my life??" 😆 I absolutely love Mexican food so this recipe of breakfast burritos really grabbed my attention, especially since I was searching for Keto recipes at the time. It is a perfect Keto meal any time of the day and it is super fun to make! I used small omelette pans in the photo but with all the filling, it makes the egg "tortillas" hard to roll and keep from unfolding in the dish. I sometimes use a 10-in skillet and am able to fold the edges so as to keep the filling intact (you'd need more eggs for this). It is helpful to have two pans making the tortil...

When I was looking for a healthy chili recipe, the title of this one definitely grabbed my attention! It has since been a family favorite and I actually won a chili cook-off with it today at work! 🎉 This recipe has been my go-to chili for a few years now - even when I'm not wanting to go healthy. I always salt and pepper the meat as I brown it - typically with Nature's Seasoning actually. The problem with ground turkey is its blandness. I also use black beans instead of kidney beans at my husband's request! I think the addition of the cumin makes it stand out giving it a Mexican flair, so why not change to black beans, right? I do believe the addition of the red bell pepper is spot on because it balances the taste better than the sweetness of a yellow or orange pepper or the strong taste of a green pepper.  For the garnishes I always add avocado, Mexican blend cheese, sour cream, and of course cilantro! Some brave souls can add jalenpeno. You can enjoy it with cornbread o...

I love scones and I love cinnamon. The combo is a winner for sure. The only thing better than a cinnamon scone is a cinnamon chip scone! I think the first time I experienced this was at Panera Bread. I made it my goal to try to create my own. I found a recipe and at the time none other than Walmart carried the cinnamon chips. They've since stopped carrying them, so now I just order them online. Let me just say, the addition of cinnamon chips to a cinnamon scone is a game-changer. You can cut them in a variety of ways. The recipe says to form the dough in a circle and cut them into 6 scones. Well, they are simply huge - like Panera's! Problem is, I nor any of my family members prefer to eat one that large in one sitting. So I'll often split the dough in half and make two circles out of which to cut the scones. That way they're smaller and I have more product. I have also used a biscuit cutter which works great, especially if you want a uniform look. This time I decided t...

During the quarantine I saw I had a bunch of bags of cranberries in my freezer (I stock up on them to make smoothies). I decided to look for a new recipie I could use them in. Well, I found a winner! The "test kitchen" attempt was in the spring, but I decided it would be a perfect dessert for the holidays. This year, I made three different batches for different occasions! It has been a favorite for sure.  The addition of the orange zest makes it special. I love the zing of the zest combined with the tart berries. Together they complement the sweetness super well. I have used both pecans and walnuts. Both work great but pecans are my fav. And ignore where it says that powdered sugar dusting is optional. It is quite necessary - especially for the holidays! 🎄 Enjoy!  Cranberry Bars Recipe - Stuck On Sweet