Sweet & Spicy Sauce
So let’s get started on the recipe!

First things first, you want to get your sweet and spicy sauce ready so all the flavors can marinate together. Start by combining low sodium soy sauce, white sugar, green onions, cilantro, sesame oil, white vinegar, sambal chili paste, white pepper, freshly grated ginger and garlic in a bowl. (If you can’t find chili paste, red pepper flakes are a great substitute). Give it a good stir and set to the side. The longer it rests, the deeper the flavors. So the longer it sits, the better!

Pork & Shrimp Filling
Now lets make the filling! I decided to go with ground pork and shrimp. The fat content in the pork helps keep the filling nice and juicy after cooking. Remember it’s all about balance! (If you can’t find ground shrimp, don’t stress.. Just add peeled and deveined shrimp to a food processor and pulse until mixed). In a small bowl, mix together the ground pork and shrimp with low sodium soy sauce, green onions, cilantro, rice vinegar, sesame oil and white pepper. Once you’ve got all the ingredients well mixed, you’re ready to start building the potstickers!

 Potsticker Assembly Line
Set up an assembly line with a stack of potsticker or wonton wrapper, a small amount of water in a bowl, and your filling. First you want to lay out a wrapper and dab water around the outline of half of the wrapper. Then, you will take about a teaspoon of the filling and place it in the middle of the wrapper. Fold over the dry side of your wrapper and seal it tight with your finger tips. You want to squeeze out as much air as possible to help everything bind inside of the wrapper. (You can stop at this step and your dumplings will be just as delicious or you can continue and make them a bit tighter and create a pocket to hold your sauce – See picture below). Dab a little water on one of the corners you created from the fold. Then take the two ends created from the fold and bring them together. Ta-da! You just made your first potsticker! Now, repeat these steps (This is when you put your loved ones and family to good use, lol) until you run out of wrappers and/or filling.

 Time to Cook
After you’ve got all your potstickers assembled, heat 1-2 tablespoons of oil in a medium to large skillet. Once the oil is heated, put down a layer of potsticker. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan, you want them to get a nice, crispy and golden brown bottom. After about 1-2 mins of cooking, add just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. Cover the pan and cook for 6-8 minutes. Once all the water is evaporated, uncover and check the bottoms to make sure they are golden and crispy. Remove the potstickers from heat and set them on a plate.
Repeat until you have cooked as many as you’d like. You can freeze any uncooked potstickers for up to a month.

When you’re ready to serve, you may serve it with your sweet and spicy sauce on the side… or you can take it up a notch, and pour it over the potstickers and top it off with some sesame seeds. Serve immediately!

Ready, Set. Eat!

Now, go! Make some potstickers for you to enjoy… and maybe if you’re feeling nice you can share them, lol. Don’t forget to drop a comment if you try out this recipe, I’d love to hear from you all!

Until the next recipe, eat like a king!

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Sweet & Spicy Potstickers

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Author Kingcooks

Ingredients

Sauce

• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 1/4 cup green onion chopped
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 1 tbsp freshly grated garlic
• 1 tbsp sambal chili paste
• 1/2 tbsp white pepper

Filling

• 1/2 lb ground pork
• 1/2 lb ground shrimp
• 1/4 cup green onion
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tbsp white pepper
• 30-40 potsticker or wonton wrappers

Instructions

Sweet & Spicy Dipping Sauce

• Combine low sodium soy sauce, white sugar, green onions, cilantro, sesame oil, white vinegar, sambal chili paste, white pepper, freshly grated ginger, and garlic in a bowl. Give it a good stir and set to the side.
• Tip: If you can't find ground shrimp, just add peeled and deveined shrimp to a food processor and pulse until mixed.

Shrimp & Pork Filling

• In a large bowl, mix together the ground pork and shrimp with low sodium soy sauce, green onions, cilantro, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and white pepper.
• Next, set up an assembly line with a stack of potsticker or wonton wrappers, a small amount of water in a bowl, and your filling.

Assemble

• Lay out a wrapper and dab a small amount of water around the outline of half of the wrapper. Take a teaspoon of the filling and place it in the middle of the wrapper. Fold over the dry side of your wrapper and seal it with your finger tips. Be sure to squeeze out as much of the air out to help everything bind inside.
• Tip: You can stop at this step and your dumplings will be just as delicious or you can continue and make them a bit tighter and create a pocket to hold your sauce. Dab a small amount of water on one of the corners you created from the fold. Take the two ends created from the fold and bring them together to form a little area to hold even more sauce.
• After you've got all your potstickers assembled, heat 2-3 tablespoons of oil in a medium to large skillet. Once the oil is heated, put down a layer of potsticker. Be careful to not overcrowd the pan. Cook for approximately 1-2 minutes and add just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. Cover the pan and cook for an additional 6-8 minutes.
• Once all the water is evaporated, uncover the pan and check the bottom of the potstickers to make sure they are golden and crispy. Remove them from heat and set on a plate.
• Serve with the sweet and spicy sauce on the side or pour it over the potstickers and top it off with some sesame seeds.
• If you have any uncooked potstickers left, place them in an airtight container/ziplock bag and store them in the freezer. These are freezer-friendly for up to a month!

*On Pinterest? Click the pic below to pin!* 

The best desserts are the ones that are easy to make, but taste like it’s been baking for hours! Today, I’ll be sharing with you a no-bake cheesecake recipe that is guaranteed to please your sweet tooth.

You heard right, no-bake cheesecake truffles. They are simple to make and hold well in the fridge for several days. But I doubt that they will last you longer than two days. Lol.

I decided to make them three different ways: Classic Strawberry, Oreo, and Chocolate Chip.

cheesecake truffles 3 ways 🙂

First things first, you’ll start with the base for the truffles. For the Oreo and chocolate chip truffles, you will make a plain base by mixing the cream cheese, butter, lime juice, vanilla extract and powdered sugar. Mix thoroughly and set in the fridge to chill.

plain cheesecake truffle base

For the strawberry truffles, you’ll make a delicious strawberry glaze by adding strawberries, sugar and water to a pot over medium heat. Once the strawberries start breaking down, mix with a hand mixer or blend until smooth and set it aside to cool.  Once the glaze is cooled to room temperature, swirl in 2 tbsp. of the strawberry glaze into the plain base to give it a nice tart and sweet taste in the end. Set the mixture in the fridge to cool for at least two hours.

strawberry cheesecake truffle base

While they are chilling in the fridge, you can go ahead and make the coating of your choice. I went with graham crackers, Oreos and chocolate chip cookies. (I used the mini versions of the Oreo cookies and chocolate chip because they are easier to manage and cheaper). Working in batches, one coating at a time, add to your food processor and pulse until you get a fine powder. Of course, during this part, I was eating the Oreo cookies before I could get them processed, lol. But thankfully I bought enough for me and this recipe. 🙂

truffle coatings (graham cracker, oreo, chocolate chip cookie)

Once everything is cooled, roll one tbsp. of the base into truffles and set on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. This recipe should make 15-16 truffles. Return to the fridge one last time to set for 20 mins. Remove from the fridge, and roll each truffle in the coating of your choice! Don’t forget to make a mess like I did, it’s way more fun lol.

delicious coating assembly line 🙂

After you’ve got all your truffles coated, drizzle each with the topping your choice! For the classic strawberry, drizzle the top of each truffle with the strawberry glaze. For the Oreo, drizzle each truffle with melted white chocolate. And for the chocolate chip, drizzle each truffle with melted semi-sweet chocolate.

drizzled and ready

Now you can enjoy these little truffles and much as I have. Really simple, fool-proof recipe for all my cheesecake lovers out there! Drop a comment and let me know how you like them! Your input, as always, is greatly appreciated.

cheesecake truffles 3 ways

Remember to always cook like a king. Until next time!

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Cheesecake Truffles (3 Ways)

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Author Kingcooks

Ingredients

• 16 oz. cream cheese room temp
• ½ a stick unsalted butter room temp
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp. lime juice
• ½ tbsp. vanilla extract
• Strawberry glaze
• ½ cup strawberries quartered
• 1 tbsp sugar
• ¼ cup water
• 1 cup mini Oreo’s
• 1 cup mini chocolate chip cookies
• 4 Graham cracker squares
• ¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips melted
• ¼ cup white chocolate chips melted

Instructions

• Strawberry Glaze
• In a pot over medium low heat, add strawberries, sugar and water. Allow to cook until strawberries break down completely. Continue to stir to prevent burning.
• Remove from heat and blend until smooth. Set aside to cool.
• In a large bowl, add cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, lime juice and vanilla extract. Mix until fully combined.
• Optional: split batch in two and add a couple tbsp. of the strawberry glaze and swirl with a fork.
• Set in fridge to chill for at least 2 hours.
• Working in batches, add the mini Oreo’s to a food processor and mix until you get a fine powder. Do the same for the chocolate chip cookies and graham crackers and set aside.
• Once chilled, form into golf sized balls and set on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
• Return to fridge to chill for 20 mins.
• Remove from fridge and roll each truffle in the coating of your choice (Oreo’s, chocolate chip or graham cracker).
• For the classic strawberry, drizzle the top of each truffle with the strawberry glaze. For the Oreo’s, drizzle each truffle with melted white chocolate. For the chocolate chip, drizzle each truffle with melted semi-sweet chocolate.
• Refrigerate for 20 mins.
• Once chilled remove from fridge and enjoy!
• Keep refrigerated if not eating immediately to hold shape and texture.

Check out other Meal Prep Ideas and start saving and planning your meals ahead of time!

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Cashew Almond Cranberry Bites (No Bake)

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 5

Author Kingcooks

Ingredients

• 1 cup natural almond butter
• ½ cup cashews
• ¼ cup dried cranberries
• 1 tbsp honey

Instructions

• In a food processor, add cashews and pulse until the pieces are broken up. A couple pulses should do, you don’t want to over mix and end up with cashew butter. Follow this step to also chop up the cranberries so they are evenly distributed through the bites.
• In a large mixing bowl, add the almond butter, minced cashews, chopped cranberries and 1 tbsp honey. Mix thoroughly, and add to a greased none stick loaf pan. Spread mixture into a flat layer.
• Optional: Add crushed cashews, almonds and cranberries to the top before letting cool in the fridge.
• Let cool in the refrigerator for 20 mins before shaping or cutting.
• Once cooled, remove from fridge and cut into 10 individual pieces.
• Keep refrigerated until ready to eat. If taking for lunch or a trip keep in a well-insulated container in a cool place. Will keep for 1-2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Sage Garlic Chicken & Mushrooms

Cauliflower rice is the best alternative to rice I’ve ever had. It’s literally just cauliflower and super easy to make! You can probably find cauliflower rice in you local stores, which is just cauliflower cut into tiny pieces. If you go that route, make sure all it has in it is cauliflower. No seasonings, no extras, just cauliflower! If you can’t find it in store, I included the recipe so you too can make cauliflower rice :).

Cauliflower Rice

Eating healthier starts at the store and end in your kitchen. This dish is an awesome meal prep option and is full of flavor! The whole mission is about building better habits not just eating better for a little while. When you have options it makes it so much easier!

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Cauliflower Rice and Peas

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 5

Author Kingcooks

Ingredients

• 1 Whole head of cauliflower chopped
• 1 cup of green peas
• Salt to taste

Instructions

• In a food processor, add chopped cauliflower and pulse until the pieces are broken up and are about the size of a grain of rice. Do this step in batches to prevent turning your cauliflower into mush.
• Heat 4 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Add 1 cup of green peas and sauté for 2-4 mins.
• Then add in your cauliflower rice and cook for an additional 5-8 mins stirring constantly to prevent burning. Tasting as you go to make sure you achieve the proper texture.
• TIP: Don’t over cook. The cauliflower should have a slight bite to it when you taste it.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve!

By far, the best and most essential dish for brunch is of course, King’s French Toast! I love this stuff, this is the bees double knees! Of course, like everything else, this is an original recipe by yours truly and definitely hits the brunch spot every single time. French toast is simple and a great way to use up bread that you may not have plans for or thats been there for a couple days. But you can’t just use any old bread… You have to use a bread that can with stand your batter and hold up during cooking – I’ve found that challah bread works best! It’s a soft and beautiful bread that’s braided to give it a unique look and texture. It works perfect for french toast, especially if it’s a couple days old (it’ll hold more of that delicious batter). I’m lucky enough to live in walking distance to a bakery. It’s a gift and a curse, especially in the morning when you can smell the bread being baked. Its pure torture! Lol.

For this recipe, I wanted a refreshing cinnamon citrus batter. So, decided to add fresh orange zest, a bit of honey and vanilla extract to round out the eggy deliciousness of the batter. The orange zest really completes the dish. Every piece comes out fluffy and the flavors really hits you in layers. Now being that this is my french toast recipe, I wanted to taste that syrup and butter in every bite! Which lead me to creating the maple butter glaze. It’s simple and the recipe for that is included as well!

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King's French Toast

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 6 minutes minutes

Total Time 11 minutes minutes

Author Kingcooks

Ingredients

• 8 slices of Challah bread
• 5 large eggs
• 1 cup of whole milk
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp organic honey
• 1 tbsp fresh orange zest
• Unsalted butter for cooking
• Maple Butter Syrup
• 4 tbsp butter
• 1 cup maple syrup

Instructions

• To make the maple butter syrup, heat maple syrup and butter slowly over low heat. Once butter is melted remove from heat and set aside.
• In a large bowl combine eggs, milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, honey, and orange zest. Whisk until fully incorporated.
• Melt two tbsp of unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Dip your Challah bread pieces into the egg mixture, coating each side evenly.
• Tip: The fresher the bread the less time it should spend in the egg batter. So if it’s fresh from the bakery just a quick dip; no more than a couple of seconds should do. If the bread is a couple days old about 3-5 seconds is more than enough time to soak up the batter.
• Once coated, cook the pieces for 2-3 mins on each side until golden brown. Adding butter to the skillet as needed to prevent burning.
• Plate and garish with fresh fruit, a drizzle of maple butter, and powdered sugar.
• Enjoy!

Notes

Garnish with:
Fresh fruit
Powdered sugar

Now, go forth with these tools and create the best french toast you’ve ever had!