It's a new SUNDAE!

Well, it's not that I had a lot to do, but it's just some of the stuff I had to do took some time to make.

On the menu:

• Homemade applesauce
• Salmon patties
• Quinoa patties
• Butter garlic mushrooms
• Lemon shrimp
• Chocolate covered banana coins
• Healthified sesame chicken
• Homemade cheese bites (I'm sure once you see the picture you'll know what they're supposed to imitate)

Homemade Applesauce

Ingredients

8 apples (I prefer granny smith because I like my applesauce tart, but I'm sure you can use whatever kind tickles your fancy)

Juice from 1 lemon

Directions

1. Core and dice apples

2. Dump apple pieces into slow cooker

3. Juice 1 lemon. Mix juice with apple pieces.

4. Cook on low for 6 hours.

5. Use a hand blender (if you have one) or a potato masher and mash down into liquid form.

6. Let it cool completely.

7. ENJOY!

Salmon Patties

Ingredients

8-9 oz salmon fillet, skinned & chopped into tiny pieces

2 T fresh basil

1/4 C panko bread crumbs

1 t ground ginger (or 1 T freshly grated ginger)

1 t garlic

1 t lemon juice

1 T soy sauce (or soy/coconut aminos)

2 T chia seeds

1/4 t salt

1/4 t pepper

1 T extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients, except EVOO, and form into 4 patties

2. Heat oil over medium-high heat.

3. Once hot, add patties and cook for 3-4 minutes per side.

4. Enjoy them as soon as you can. They are DELICIOUS!

Quinoa Patties

Ingredients

2 C cooked quinoa

2/3 C grated fontina cheese

3 T whole wheat flour

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 t black pepper

2 1/2 T EVOO

Salt to taste

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients EXCEPT EVOO in a bowl and allow to sit for 5 minutes.

2. Form 4 patties with the mixture.

3. Pour oil into a pan over medium heat. Place patties into the heated pan.

4. Cook each patty for about 5 minute on each side.

Butter Garlic Mushrooms
Ingredients

1 container of WHOLE mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced in half
2 1/2 T butter (I used coconut butter)
1 T garlic
1/3 t salt
1/8 t pepper

Directions
1. Melt butter on low

2. Add garlic, salt, pepper, and cook for 1 minute.

3. Add mushrooms and toss with garlic butter to coat.

4. Cover and cook for 10-12 minutes (do not burn the garlic), stirring occasionally

5. Enjoy it as a side.

Lemon Shrimp
Ingredients
1 lb raw shrimp
2 lemons, sliced
2 1/2 T EVOO
1 t italian seasoning

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Line a baking pan with foil.
3. Toss raw shrimp with italian seasoning
4. Put lemon slices on bottom of pan. Drizzle with EVOO. Put shrimp on top of lemon and EVOO.

5. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Chocolate Covered Banana Coins
Ingredients
2 bananas
Melting chocolate of your choice (I went with dark chocolate)
Nut butter of your choice (I went with my homemade almond butter)

Directions
1. Sliced bananas into 1 inch coins
2. Drizzle a little bit of nut butter over bananas
3. Melt chocolate
4. Line a baking pan with parchment paper

5. Dip bananas into chocolate and place on parchment paper
6. Freeze for about 30 minutes. Enjoy them or place in fridge for later indulgence.

Healthified Sesame Chicken
Ingredients
6 chicken breast halves, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 C honey
1/2 C soy sauce (or soy/coconut aminos)
1 C water
2 T cornstarch
1/2 t ground ginger
1/2 t red pepper flakes
2 t garlic
1 T toasted sesame seeds

Directions
1. Heat a non-stick skillet with cooking spray to medium-high
2. Cook chicken for about 6 minutes
3. Mix together honey, soy sauce, water, corn starch, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes until no cork starch lumps appear
4. Pour sauce into skillet over chicken
5. Cook until sauce thickens
6. Sprinkle with sesame seeds
7. Cover and simmer for 10minutes

Homemade Cheese Bites (WARNING: time consuming, but SOOO worth it!!)
Ingredients
8 oz sharp cheddar, grated (seriously, get a block of cheese & grate it)
4 T unsalted butter, room temp
1/2 t salt
1 C flour
2 T ice water

Directions
1. Combine cheese, butter, and salt in a mixer bowl with a paddle attachment (mixture will be crumbly)

2. Slowly add flour and then ice water (no wet dough).

3. Pat the dough into 2 discs and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for 30 minutes.

4. Preheat oven to 375°. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

5. Roll out each disc into 1/8 inch thickness.

6. Cut into 1 inch squares with a pizza wheel (or whatever you may have around).

7. Use a toothpick to prick a hole into the center of each square.

8. Transfer crackers onto the baking sheet.

9. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until puffed and browning around edges.

10. Allow to cool.

[SIDE NOTE: I'll definitely be making this again, but next time I'll do 1/2 C whole wheat flour and 1/2 C white flour to up the nutrition value]