S'mores Ice Cream

I have a thing for s'mores. Especially during the summertime. I love roasting marshmallows over a camp fire then putting them atop a Hershey's bar to make it all melty, only to eat it sandwiched between a crumbly graham cracker. Yum!

I like to kind of slow roast my marshmallows so they get evenly toasty all around and get nice and poofy. I love that toasty flavor. That's why I decided, when making this ice cream, that I would try to simulate that same toasty marshmallow flavor in the ice cream base by putting the marshmallows under the broiler. The verdict: UH-mazing! The ice cream base really tastes like toasted marshmallows and the whole deal tastes like one big fat cold s'more! Now, what's not to love about that?

I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing that this only makes about a pint of ice cream, but heaven sakes go ahead a double it if you're worried about it or have more than yourself to feed!

S'mores Ice Cream
Makes about a pint

1/2 package mini marshmallows
1 cup whole or 2% milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2-1.55 oz. bars Hershey’s Chocolate (they're usually the ones that come in a 6-pack)
3 graham crackers


Put milk and cream into a medium saucepan and warm over medium heat. Meanwhile spread marshmallows out on a cookie sheet and put under broiler for about 30-60 seconds. DO NOT take your eyes away or you'll have flaming marshmallows! Cool for a few seconds then immediately scrape into the saucepan with the milk and cream. Stir constantly until marshmallows are melted and incorporated.

Pour mixture (yes, the hot mixture) into ice cream maker that has been frozen according to manufacturer’s instructions, and churn for about 30-60 minutes. It may take longer than normal to get to the right consistency since the mixture is hot when you pour it in. Add ice and rock salt, if necessary to keep it cold enough.

While the ice cream is churning, break chocolate into chunks or pieces however you like. Break graham crackers into a little bit larger pieces.

After churning is completed, turn off ice cream maker and fold in chocolate and graham cracker pieces. Pour into freezer safe container and freeze until firm.

SOURCE: Adapted from Bonnie the Baker

Linked to...
Sweet Tooth Friday @ Alli n' Son
Sweets For A Saturday @ Sweet As Sugar Cookies
Sweet Indulgences Sunday @ A Well-Seasoned Life
Sweet Treats Thursday @ Something Swanky
Savory Sunday @ The Sweet Details
Potluck Sunday @ Mommy's Kitchen
Mangia Mondays @ Delightfully Dowling

Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce

I love hoarding fresh garden tomatoes during the summer time. The last time we had a garden, I planted about 11 tomato plants. I love eating them fresh, but I like to plant so many so I can do some home canning. I love to do spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, salsa and just some stewed tomatoes as well.

It's been several months now that my supply of spaghetti sauce has ended and I can't wait to make more of it by summer's end. In the meantime, I have been trying other recipes but have not found something I like as much.

With that said, however, I did like this sauce. It is simple, easy and pretty tasty, especially if you are a fan of garlic. I like garlic to begin with but I absolutely love the taste that roasted garlic brings to a dish.

This sauce, along with a sprinkle of freshly shaved parmesan cheese, would compliment any pasta. It would also be great on homemade pizza as well.


Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce
1 large onion, chopped
3 T olive oil
1 T minced garlic
1/4 c. tomato paste
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp dried basil
2 (28 oz) cans whole Italian tomatoes, with juices
3 whole heads roasted garlic, cloves removed from peels

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Peel off the loose papery skins of each of the heads of garlic. Cut the top 1/4-1/2 off of each of the heads and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap the garlic heads in foil and bake for about 45 minutes.

Allow garlic to cool enough to handle it without getting burned. Either squeeze the garlic cloves out with your hand, or use a small fork to pull them from their skins. Set garlic aside.

In a large saucepan saute onion in oil over med-high head until lightly golden, about 5-7 minutes. Add minced garlic and saute, stirring, for 1 min. Add tomato paste, salt, balsamic vinegar, crushed red pepper, Italian seasoning, and basil, and cook for another minute longer. Add tomatoes, with their juices, crushing with your hands as you place them in the pan. Stir to combine well and bring to boil. Reduce heat to slow simmer and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add roasted garlic cloves and stir to combine. Continue to simmer for 30-45 min. longer or until flavors have come together.

Serve over pasta or use as pizza sauce. Makes about 1 1/2 quarts of sauce.

SOURCE: Perry's Plate

Linked to...
Seasonal Sunday @ Real Sustenance
Savory Sunday @ The Sweet Details
Potluck Sunday @ Mommy's Kitchen

Grilling Favorites

Memorial Day is a time of year where lots of things are just happening. It's the end of school, the start of pool season and warmer weather and when most people break out the grill. I personally love to grill and love to do it all summer and even into fall. For me, there's nothing tastier than meat or veggies that have been grilled on an outdoor grill. I've put together some of our favorite grilling recipes that I hope you enjoy. They are all really tasty! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday weekend.


Lemon Linguini with Grilled Chicken















Chipotle Lime Shrimp















Feta and Sun-dried Tomato Turkey Sliders














Basil Chicken Burgers

Spicy Cucumber Salad with Peanuts

Peanuts and cucumbers, who would have thought? I would have never put them together, but they make a surprisingly wonderful combination. I saw a similar recipe one day while blog hopping and remembered seeing this recipe in my Cooking Light cookbook. I've turned past that recipe so many times, without even considering making it. I don't know what flipped the switch this time, but I couldn't get it out of my mind and just had to make it.

Let me tell you, it was a huge hit, even with my kids. We couldn't stop eating it as we prepared it, so when it was actually time to bring it to the dinner table, there was not much left. Needless to say, there were no leftovers.

This is a great salad, perfect for spring or summer. It's got some great combinations going on too: light and fresh, sweet and salty, crispy and crunchy!

Spicy Cucumber Salad with Peanuts
1 1/2 pounds cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (I left these of my kids' portions)
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1 tablespoon chopped dry-roasted peanuts

Place the cucumber slices in a colander; sprinkle with salt. Toss well. Drain 1 hour. Place cucumber slices on several layers of paper towels; cover with additional paper towels. Let stand 5 minutes, pressing down occasionally. Rinse and pat dry.

Combine vinegar, water, sugar, and pepper in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook until reduced to 1/3 cup (about 10 minutes). Remove vinegar reduction from heat; cool. Stir in onion. Combine cucumbers and vinegar reduction in a medium bowl; toss well. Sprinkle with peanuts.

SOURCE: Cooking Light

Linked to...
Recipe Swap Thursday @ Prairie Story
It's a Keeper Thursday @ It's A Keeper
Mangia Mondays @ Delightfully Dowling

Lemon Poppy Seed Cakes with Raspberry Filling and Lemon Buttercream

Happy Sunday everyone! I've been without a computer for about three days and it feels like it's been forever! Crazy how we've become so attached to technology these days.

I have a special treat for you today. These cakes are absolutely delicious. I first had it as a layer cake that my mom made for a family dinner. As soon as I tasted it, I knew I wanted to make it as well and I had the perfect occasion for it. I was hosting a Mother's Day brunch for our little preschool co-op group so I decided to make them into little cakes to easily serve to everyone. Using a mini bundt pan was great because, first of all, it made just the right portion sizes, and secondly, it created the perfect crevice to hide the surprise filling in.

I loved every part of this dessert. Lemon anything is wonderful and raspberries are just about my favorite fruit ever! However, if I had to pick one component that was my favorite, I would have to say the frosting. I know that may sound strange, and I don't usually like frosting above the actual dessert, but it was truly amazing. When my mom made the cake, she added a little more lemon to intensify the flavor and to lighten it up added some cool whip. I think those two things made it just perfect, absolutely finger-licking good! Frost just the tops or frost the whole thing, you'll love it either way.

Lemon Poppy Seed Cakes with Raspberry Filling and Lemon Buttercream

For the cakes:
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. poppy seeds
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
zest and juice of a lemon
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil

For the raspberry filling:
1/2 recipe Berry Coulis, using only raspberries
(Raspberry preserves may be substituted.)

For the lemon buttercream frosting: 
8 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
zest of one lemon
juice of 2 lemons
1/4-1/2 cup cool whip

Prepare raspberry filling as directed and set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Liberally grease a 12 cavity mini-bundt pan.

In a small mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir in poppy seeds. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon juice and zest, and vanilla extract. Whisk in the dry ingredients. Add the vegetable oil to the bowl and fold in to the batter with a rubber spatula until completely incorporated. Spoon batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake for about 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let the cakes cool about 10 minutes in the pan then gently slide them out. Wipe out pan and grease about half of the molds again. Spoon remaining batter into prepared molds and bake and cool as directed above.

To prepare lemon buttercream, add butter to a mixer bowl and beat on medium speed until smooth; about 1 minute. Add powdered sugar, lemon zest and juice and mix until incorporated. Then turn the mixer on medium speed and beat for another 1-2 minutes, until frosting is light and fluffy. Add cool whip and mix until just incorporated.

Assembling the cakes: Fill each cavity in the cakes with the raspberry filling. Either dollop lemon buttercream frosting on top of each cake or, using a spatula, frost as desired.

Makes 16-18 mini bundt cakes

My notes:
1)When making the raspberry sauce, I do not strain my seeds as they are small and do not bother me.
2)If you do not have a mini-bundt pan, have no fear. Simply bake them up in a cupcake pan. You can then either hollow them out to create a cavity for the filling (there are tools for this these days, or you could just use a knife) or cut them in half and spread the filling in between.




SOURCE:Adapted from Annie's Eats

Linked to...
Potluck Sunday @ Mommy's Kitchen
Whisking Wednesdays @ Pinch of This, That & the Other
Recipe Swap Thursday @ Prairie Story
It's a Keeper Thursday @ It's A Keeper
Sweets For A Saturday @ Sweet As Sugar Cookies
These Chicks Cooked Link Party @ This Chick Cooks
Sweet Tooth Friday @ Alli n' Son

Cake Batter Pancakes

I love to celebrate, especially when it comes to my kids and birthdays. I love to make them feel special and make them food that makes them smile. Saturday, however, was my birthday and I got to make these fun pancakes to share with everyone.

Seriously, if you're a fan of birthday cake, cake batter or heck, even pancakes, you're going to love these. My oldest daughter helped me make the batter and was so thrilled that she could dump in all those sprinkles. That just made it for her.

This is such a fun way to celebrate a birthday and it doesn't take much effort. Even if it's not anybody's birthday, these are fun and are sure to put a smile on anyone's face.

Wondering what to do with all that leftover cake mix? May I suggest you make MORE of these pancakes? Or you can even use it to make cake batter ice cream. Keep it in an ziploc bag or an air-tight container and it will keep for months, you don't have to use it right away.

Cake Batter Pancakes
makes about 10 pancakes

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow or white cake mix
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
1-2 Tbsp. oil
1 1/2 cups milk (dairy, almond, rice, etc.; I used almond)
1 tsp. vanilla extract

assorted sprinkles

Combine flour, cake mix, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl and mix. Add egg, oil, milk and vanilla extract and stir until smooth. You want the batter to look like regular pancake batter; not too thin, not too thick. Add more milk, if needed. Let batter sit while griddle heats up.

Preheat griddle or skillet, whichever you are using. Fold desired amount of sprinkles into batter. Pour batter in 1/4 cup measurements onto skillet and let cook until bubbles form on top, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook for 1 minute more. Serve with vanilla glaze and extra sprinkles, if desired.

For the glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 Tbsp. milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix milk, extract and powdered sugar until glaze forms. You may need to add a little more sugar or water/milk to reach desired consistency.


SOURCE:Adapted from How Sweet It Is


Linked to...
Whisking Wednesdays @ Pinch of This, That & The Other
Potluck Sunday @ Mommy's Kitchen
Recipe Swap Thursday @ Prairie Story
It's a Keeper Thursday @ It's A Keeper
Mangia Mondays @ Delightfully Dowling
Savory Sunday @ The Sweet Details

Lemon Garlic Shrimp with Orzo

When I made my (half) menu this month, I was looking for lots of quick and easy meals. Although I've been cooking a little more lately, I have still had many nights I've just fed everyone cold cereal. So, when I came across this recipe from Pioneer Woman I knew it would be a keeper. For one, there is minimal prep, I'm talking under 10 minutes and all you have to do is throw this stuff in the oven and put the pasta on. Secondly, everyone here just adores shrimp!

I have actually made this twice recently. The first night I made it I only had a mere 1/2 lb. of shrimp from my freezer to work with and none of us got our fill. So, of course, I had to make it again! It's amazing what a few simple ingredients can to. It may not look much, but this dish has so much flavor. That along with the simplicity of it, it'll be calling your name too!!

Lemon Garlic Shrimp with Orzo
1 pound raw, frozen shrimp, deveined, shells on
1 stick cold butter, cut into pieces
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 cups orzo pasta

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rinse frozen shrimp to separate and partially thaw them, then arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Fill a pot of water and put it on the stove to bring to a boil.

In the bowl of a food processor, add cold butter, garlic, lemon juice, salt and parsley. Pulse until combined. Sprinkle cold butter crumbles over the shrimp.

Bake until shrimp is opaque and butter is hot and bubbly. Mine was done in under 10 minutes, but times will vary depending on oven and how frozen shrimp is.

While shrimp is cooking, drop orzo into boiling water and cook according to package directions. Drain pasta and pour into serving dish. Pour cooked shrimp and lemon garlic sauce over the pasta and toss gently to coat.

*If you want to add a little extra heat, add a few sprinkles of red pepper flakes to the butter sauce.

SOURCE:Pioneer Woman

Linked to...
Seasonal Sunday @ Real Sustenance
Potluck Sunday @ Mommy's Kitchen
Whisking Wednesdays @ Pinch of This, That & The Other

Tres Leches Cake

Ok, so I know I'm a day late and a dollar short on this Tres Leches Cake, but it is soooooo good! It was definitely the highlight of my weekend. And, I've been eating it since I made it Thursday night-YUM! I've been wanting to try Tres Leches for a long time. Last year I found a coconut Tres Leches Cakes that I thought would be fabulous because I love coconut. However, it wasn't so hot, so it put me off for a while. When we decided to have a Cinco de Mayo celebration, I knew this was my chance to make it again, the REAL thing this time though.

I did a little research on Tres Leches Cake and found out that the basic cake recipe is probably the most important part of it all coming together. Using cake flour and beating the egg whites separately gives the cake the perfect crumb and makes it rise enough to be able to soak up all the milky goodness. Otherwise, you may have a milk moat from a cake that cannot stand up to all that milk.

I wasn't sure how I would like eating a cake that was so moist, but after my first bite, I was blown away! The drizzle of dulce de leche was an extra special treat as well, making this actually a Cuatro Leches Cake! This dessert has lodged a place in my recipe book I'm sure for years to come.

Tres Leches Cake
For the cake:
6 3/4 oz. cake flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
4 oz. unsalted butter, room temperature
8 oz. granulated sugar
5 eggs, separated
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the milk mixture:
1 (12-oz) can evaporated milk
1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2-1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

For the whipped topping:
2 cups heavy cream
4 oz. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Garnish:
cinnamon
maraschino cherries
dulce de leche


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Liberally spray a 9x13 baking pan with oil until well coated. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.

Separate eggs. Beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. With the mixer on, pour in about 1/4 cup of the sugar and beat until egg whites are stiff but not dry. Remove to a bowl and set aside.

Beat butter on medium speed until fluffy, approximately 1 minute. Decrease the speed to low and with the mixer still running, gradually add the rest of the sugar over 1 minute. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl, if necessary. Add the egg yolks, 1 at a time, and mix to thoroughly combine. Add the vanilla extract and mix to combine. Add the flour mixture to the batter in 3 batches and mix just until combined; do not overmix. Add about 1/3 of the egg whites to the batter and mix on low until combined. Remove the paddle/whisk attachment from the mixing bowl and gently fold in the rest of the egg whites with a spatula. (You don't have to get them completely incorporated, it's ok if you still see ribbons of egg white throughout the batter-kind of like a souffle.)

Pour batter into prepared pan and spread to even out surface. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cake it lightly golden. (Remember all ovens are different so be vigilant near the end of baking time to ensure proper doneness.)

Remove cake pan to a cooling rack and allow cake to cool for 30 minutes. Take a fork or skewer and poke holes all over the cake. Allow the cake to completely cool.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the milk mixture. Slowly pour mixture over the cake, cover and refrigerate overnight.

For the whipped topping, place the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whisk together on low until stiff peaks are formed. Change to medium speed and whisk until thick. Spread the topping over the cake and allow to chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

To serve the cake, drizzle some dulce de leche onto a small plate and place a piece of cake on top. Lightly sprinkle cinnamon and top with a maraschino cherry. Keep leftovers refrigerated.

Some notes:
1)As always, you can make your own cake flour. For every cup of all-purpose flour, take out 2 tablespoons and replace with cornstarch. Sift well.

2)A kitchen scale really comes in handy in this recipe. They are a good investment, relatively inexpensive and I have used mine more than I thought I would. With that said, I'll give you an idea of the equivalents: 6 3/4 oz cake flour is just over 1 1/2 cups, 8 oz sugar is about a cup and 4 oz of butter is 1/2 cup or 1 stick.

3)I purchased dulce de leche in the Mexican section at my local grocery store, although you can easily make your own. I also thinned it out with a little milk so that I could drizzle it easily on each plate.

SOURCE:Adapted from Alton Brown and Pioneer Woman

Linked to...
Sweets For A Saturday @ Sweet As Sugar Cookies
Potluck Sunday @ Mommy's Kitchen
Sweet Indulgences Sunday @ A Well-Seasoned Life

Cinnamon-Honey Ice Cream

Remember how I told you that last year I made these cupcakes for my birthday/Cinco de Mayo celebration? Well, I also made this Cinnamon-Honey Ice Cream to go with them. My sister asked me to post the recipe ages ago and here I am a year later and I still haven't posted it!!!

I love making ice cream at home and I started doing it lots last summer. This ice cream is great. It's sweet and creamy with all the yuminess of cinnamon and vanilla all swirled together.

If you're planning on celebrating Cinco de Mayo with Mexican fare, this ice cream is the perfect accompaniment either by itself or along side some sopapillas, Mexican Wedding cookies or bunelos.

Cinnamon-Honey Ice Cream
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1/4 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
20 cloves
2 sticks cinnamon
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Warm the half-and-half and sugar in a medium saucepan. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Temper the eggs by slowly pouring the warm milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

Tie the cloves in a small piece of cheese cloth and add them, along with the 2 sticks of cinnamon, to the saucepan. Stir mixture constantly over medium heat until mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Pour custard through a strainer, or cheesecloth, then stir in the cream, honey, vanilla extract and ground cinnamon. Add the cinnamon sticks and the cloves back to the custard mixture, cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled (up to overnight).

Take out the cloves and cinnamon sticks and pour custard into ice cream maker. Freeze according to manufacturer's directions.

Linked to...
Recipe Swap Thursday @ Prairie Story
It's A Keeper Thursday @ It's A Keeper
Sweets For A Saturday @ Sweet As Sugar Cookies
Sweet Indulgences Sunday @ A Well-Seasoned Life

May Menu

Happy days it's May! I'm so glad it's May, not only because I get to celebrate both Mother's day as well as my birthday, but we get to welcome in warmer weather and sunshine!!! After being cooped up inside with two young children all winter, I'm looking forward to spending half our days in the sun at the park with the kids running wild with their friends.

I'm also excited about Cinco de Mayo. We're getting together with some of my extended family to enjoy some good eats and smack down a pinata. On the menu so far we have fajitas, rice and beans, chips, salsa & guacamole. I'm bringing a traditional Tres Leches cake and some horchata, which is a traditional rice milk drink that I absolutely adore!

Last year we had just moved in to our new house around this time so I combined our Cinco de Mayo fiesta with my birthday party and had a great bash. My girls helped my make these Crockpot Tamales, and for dessert I made these Chocolate Chipotle Cupcakes with Chili Chocolate Ganache and Honey Cinnamon Ice Cream.

I have yet to decide what I will make for my birthday celebration. I have just passed my first trimester of pregnancy and am still feeling ill most of the time. I wanted to wait until it passed so I could really enjoy a wonderful meal, especially dessert. Dessert will most likely be something chocolate. I've had my eye on this Chocolate Malt Cake from Bon Appetit for a while, as well as the famous Sweet and Salty Cake from Baked cookbook. We'll just have to see what it comes down to.

And one last thing. Although I didn't make a menu last month and only cooked dinner a handful of times, I'm going to make an effort to do better this month. Yesterday, after looking at an empty fridge, not seeing a fresh fruit or vegetable in sight, I decided to make a menu and go shopping. I only made a menu for 2 weeks, I hope we can get through it, so here it goes....

White Chicken Chili
Lemon Garlic Shrimp w/ orzo and broccoli
Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce over Spaghetti, green beans and garlic bread
Spicy Dr. Pepper Shredded Pork Tacos with Spanish rice and beans

Chicken Divan
Mashed potatoes and broccoli
Sesame Noodles w/ snow peas and peppers
Coconut Crusted Tilapia w/ wild rice and green beans
Pizza
Apple Cheddar Meatballs, egg noodles and veggie

Classic Angel Food Cake

A few weeks ago we celebrated my husband's birthday. I kept asking him what kind of cake or dessert he wanted for the special occasion and he would tell me, "nothing." HELLO! You can't have NOTHING to celebrate your birthday, it's a special day. Truth is my husband is not big on any celebration, be it Christmas, birthdays or whatever. I do, however, love to celebrate anything, especially when I can make something special to eat.

Since spring has been peaking around the corner the past little while, even though we woke up to snow flurries this morning, I wanted to do a dessert that was light, fresh and tasty. I immediately went to strawberries and lemon curd. I love, love, love lemon curd. I could totally eat it off the spoon, but that's beside the point. So I was thinking of a strawberry shortcake kind of deal and had to figure out what kind of base to put all that strawberry-lemony goodness on.

Angel food cake seemed perfect for the task. I had never made one but heard they were much better than store-bought versions. Plus, I had lots of egg whites in the freezer that needed to be used. The cake was actually really fun to make and I love how it came together. I baked mine in a bundt pan, although it calls for a tube pan, because that's what I had and, it turned out fine. I was a little leery when the directions said to bake in an UN-greased pan but I trusted and went with it. I think the trick is to let it cool enough that it all comes out in one piece.

This is the perfect cake for any spring dessert with lots of fruit and cream. It would even make a great trifle! Oh, and here's my favorite lemon curd recipe.

Classic Angel Food Cake
1 cup sifted cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
12 large egg whites
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon almond extract


Preheat oven to 325°.

To prepare cake, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and 3/4 cup sugar, stirring with a whisk.

Place egg whites in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and salt; beat until soft peaks form. Add 3/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Beat in vanilla, juice, and almond extract. Sift 1/4 cup flour mixture over egg white mixture; fold in. Repeat with remaining flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time.

Spoon the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan, spreading evenly. Break air pockets by cutting through the batter with a knife. Bake at 325° for 55 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Invert pan; cool completely. Loosen cake from sides of pan using a narrow metal spatula. Invert the cake onto a plate.

SOURCE: Cooking Light on myrecipes.com

Linked to...
Sweets For A Saturday @ Sweet As Sugar Cookies

Cherry Pistachio Biscotti

Just about every month we have a family dinner and celebrate everyone's birthday that falls in that month. A while back it happened to be my mom's birthday and we decided to have an Italian-themed meal. I put it together with my sister and it was lots of fun and a big hit! We had spaghetti and meatballs, Zuppa Toscana, garlic bread, yummy salad and for dessert my sister got some spumoni ice cream and I made these biscotti.

Biscotti are fun to make and you can create so many flavor combinations, probably as endlessly as cookie combinations. For this biscotti, I really wanted it to just "scream" Italian and I thought pistachios and dried cherries were perfect, especially since they are two of the flavors in traditional spumoni. The biscotti turned out wonderfully! The saltiness of the pistachios worked great with the sweetness of the dried cherries. It was also a great dipper for our ice cream.


Cherry Pistachio Biscotti
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup chopped pistachios
1/2 cup dried cherries


In a small bowl, beat sugar and oil until blended. Beat in eggs, then almond and vanilla extracts. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to sugar mixture and mix well (dough will be stiff). Stir in pistachios and cherries.

Divide dough in half. With floured hands, shape each half into a 12-in. x 2-in. rectangle on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 18-22 minutes or until set.

Place pan on wire rack. When cool enough to handle, transfer to a cutting board; cut diagonally with a serrated knife into 3/4-in. slices. Place cut side down on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until firm. Remove to wire racks to cool. Store in an airtight container. Yield: about 2-1/2 dozen.

SOURCE: Adapted from Taste of Home

Linked to...
Mangia Mondays @ Delightfully Dowling

Lasagna Rolls

I have had this recipe for so many years, I can't believe I'm just now getting around to posting it. The first time I made it was for some friends we had over for dinner and it was a huge hit!

I've had some serious cravings the past couple of months. Pregnancy will do that to you once in a while. I could not stop craving lasagna so I just had to make it again. Now, I don't usually make meals with so much dairy when my husband works (lactose-intolerant), but he had the week off so he said to bring it on.

I like that this lasagna uses a marinara rather than a meat sauce. I felt like the cheese and spinach mixture were definitely filling enough and more the star of the dish. However, we all loved the little crumbs of bacon here and there, which gave it a yummy kind of smoky taste.

Although these lasagna rolls may have an extra step or two compared to your typical lasagna, it's definitely worth it and not difficult. To save time when you're actually putting it together, you can do some of the steps ahead of time, like prepare your favorite marinara sauce, cook and crumble the bacon and even make the bechamel right before. You've gotta try these, you'll just love them!

Lasagna Rolls

For the Bechamel Sauce:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Pinch ground nutmeg

For the Lasagna:
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
6 ounces bacon
1 large egg, beaten to blend
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
14 uncooked lasagna noodles
2 cups marinara sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided


Turn oven to broil. Place bacon slices on a cookie sheet and broil about 4-5 minutes on one side. Flip bacon over and cook another 4-5 minutes. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Once cool, crumble bacon and reserve.

To make the sauce: Melt the butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk. Increase the heat to medium-high. Whisk the sauce until it comes to a simmer and is thick and smooth, about 3 minutes. Whisk the salt, pepper, and nutmeg into the bechamel sauce.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Whisk the ricotta, spinach, 1 cup Parmesan, 1/2 cup mozzarella, bacon crumbles, egg, salt and pepper in a medium bowl to blend. (I actually used my stick blender to blend the spinach, ricotta and egg together, before I added the rest, so my girls wouldn't pick out the spinach. And it worked too!)

Bring a large pot of water to boil on the stove. Salt, if desired. Boil the noodles until just tender but still firm to bite; about 1-2 minutes shy of what the package says to cook them for. (Note: I always add 2-3 extra noodles in the pot in case I need more or they rip.) Drain. Arrange the noodles in a single layer on a baking sheet to prevent them from sticking.

Butter a 13x9 glass baking dish. Pour the bechamel sauce over the bottom. Lay out 4 lasagna noodles on a work surface, then spread about 3-4 tablespoons of ricotta mixture evenly over each noodle. Starting at one end, roll each noodle like a jelly roll. Lay the lasagna rolls seam side down on top of the bechamel sauce in the dish. Repeat with the remaining noodles and ricotta mixture. Spoon the marinara sauce over the lasagna rolls. Sprinkle 1 cup mozzarella and remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan over the lasagna rolls. Cover tightly with foil.

Bake until heated through and the sauce bubbles, about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until the cheese on top becomes golden, about 15 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes to firm up a bit.

SOURCE:Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

Linked to...
It's A Keeper Thursday @ It's A Keeper
Recipe Swap Thursday @ Prairie Story

BLT Pasta

I made something similar to this dish several months ago when I had my mom and sister over for dinner. I kept craving it, but knew I wanted to change it a little bit. I'm glad I finally got back to the dish because after a few tweaks, this dish instantly became some delicious comfort food!

I love the combination of flavors going on here. First of all tomato and basil are an amazing duo and really brighten the dish. Next, the Parmesan and bacon contrast that with a little saltiness, and, of course, the pasta ties it all together. Oh, and I can't forget to mention the spinach, which served as the "lettuce" and adds heaps of color and good nutrition.


BLT Pasta
12 slices smoky bacon, cut into half-inch dice
1 1/2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
A handful of parsley, chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
A pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 pint (about 2 cups) cherry tomatoes, quartered (or other less-juicy tomato like Roma)
1/2 cup chicken broth
Salt and pepper
3/4 pound bowtie pasta
4 cups baby spinach, coarsely chopped
1 cup basil leaves, about 20 leaves, torn or coarsely chopped


Heat a skillet over medium-high heat; add bacon and brown to crisp. Remove bacon and drain on paper towels. Leave about 3-4 tablespoons of drippings in the skillet, add the Panko crumbs and toast to golden brown. Add the parsley and grated Parmesan. Toss to combine, turn off heat and reserve the crumbs.

Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Salt water and cook bowties to al dente. Drain pasta and pour into a 2-quart baking or serving dish.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Add onions, garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook to soften, about 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add chicken broth and diced tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Add fresh tomatoes, along with the reserved bacon, basil and baby spinach. Let simmer for another minute or so until the spinach just barely wilts. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Pour sauce over bowties and toss to coat. Sprinkle with reserved bread crumb mixture. Serve warm.




SOURCE:Adapted from Rachael Ray and Let's Dish

Oreo Cupcakes

I have to admit I'm not a fan of store-bought cookies. Maybe that's not a surprise though since this is a food blog. Ever since I can remember I've had in my mind that store bought cookies are just not worth the calories (ok, maybe the huge Costco ones could come close to homemade and maybe I could eat about 4 or 5 of them in one sitting).



Oreos are pretty much one of the only store bought cookies that I could go to town on. Man, those things are addicting, especially when you have a nice cold glass of milk to dip them in and wash them down with. Once when I was first married my husband and I brought a package of Oreos camping with us and I ate so many of them that I vowed I would never eat them again. It took me several years, but I eventually caved.



When I was looking for a birthday cupcake treat for a friend, I knew these would be perfect and they were. I really loved the batter, especially the cookie bits inside. And the Oreo cookie on the bottom was a nice surprise. I used a cream cheese frosting, but a whipped cream frosting would be just as nice.

Oreo Cupcakes

For the cupcakes:
24 Oreo halves, with cream filling attached
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 2/3 cup sugar
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup milk
20 Oreo cookies, coarsely chopped (I quartered them)

For the cream cheese frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 tbsp. heavy cream

For the garnish:
Oreo cookie crumbs
24 Oreo cookie halves

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line the wells of two cupcake pans with 24 paper liners. Place an Oreo halve in the bottom of each liner, cream side up.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar and beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Blend in the egg whites one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in the vanilla extract.

With the mixer on low speed, beat in half of the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Add the milk and beat just until combined, then mix in the remaining dry ingredients. Gently fold in the chopped Oreos with a rubber spatula until evenly incorporated, being careful not to over-mix.

Evenly divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pans 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, combine the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Blend in the vanilla extract. Beat in the powdered sugar until incorporated and smooth, 1-2 minutes. Add the heavy cream to the bowl and beat on medium-low speed just until incorporated, then increase the speed to medium-high and whip for 4 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Frost the cooled cupcakes as desired. Sprinkle with Oreo crumbs and garnish with Oreo halves.


SOURCE: Annie's Eats

Linked to...
Sweet Tooth Friday @ Alli 'n Son
Sweets For A Saturday @ Sweet As Sugar Cookies

Chipotle Bean Tostadas

Have you ever made a fresh pot of beans? There is nothing like them and they don't even compare to what you buy in a can at the store. They taste so fresh and just free of "stuff." If you've never made your own beans, you should at least try once, it's about the easiest thing you can do. Just add water and boil. You can buy uncooked beans in 1-2 pound packages at your local market but they are not usually the freshest and take longer to cook, though they can still turn out a good product as long as you cook it long enough. I like to buy my beans at my local WinCo where they have a nice selection of bulk foods that tend to be more fresh since they are stocked more frequently.

I grew up eating tostadas a lot so this concept was nothing new to me, but I was used to topping them a little differently. I think these more closely resemble an authentic Mexican Tostada and boy are they good! Topped with beans, tomatoes, cilantro, radishes and queso fresco, they are pretty simple, but feel free to add salsa, Crema Mexicana (or sour cream), lettuce, guacamole, olives, you name it! You can buy pre-made tostada shells, but frying them up at home only takes a little time and effort.

Chipotle Bean Tostadas

For the beans
1 lb. dry pinto beans (about 2 cups)
2 quarts of water
salt

Rinse beans and remove any bad beans, pieces of dirt or stones.

Put the beans in a pot and cover with water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered for about 2-3 hours (time will vary depending on the freshness of the beans). The beans are done when they are soft and skins are just beginning to break open.

Strain beans of cooking water and return them to the pot. Add about 1/4 cup (or more) water and either mash with a potato masher or use a stick blender to puree the beans. Add salt to taste.


For the tostada shells
1/2 cup high flash-point vegetable oil, such as grapeseed oil, peanut oil, or canola oil
1 dozen corn tortillas

To prepare the tortillas, heat the oven to 200°F. Line a baking pan with paper towels and place next to the stove. Heat 5 Tbsp of oil in a small skillet on medium high heat, until the bubbles form immediately when you insert the edge of a tortilla in it. Using tongs, place a tortilla in the hot oil and let cook until golden brown on both sides, about 30 seconds per side. You can use a metal spatula to flatten down the tortilla while cooking.

Use tongs to lift the cooked tortilla out of the pan, allowing the excess oil to drip off of it, back into the pan. Place the cooked tortilla on the paper towels to absorb more of the oil. Sprinkle a little salt onto each warm tortilla. Do each tortilla one at a time this way. As you fill up a baking pan, put the pan in the oven to keep the tortillas warm.

Add more oil as needed. Carefully monitor the oil temperature. Don't let it get too hot, or the tortillas will burn, or too cool - they won't fry up crisp enough.


For the Tostadas
4 cups smashed pinto beans
4 tsp. Chipotle Tabasco Sauce (not regular)
1 tsp. cumin
1 dozen tostada shells
Cotija, Queso Fresco or Feta cheese
finely diced fresh tomato
thinly sliced red radishes
cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

Just after finishing cooking the beans and while they are still warm, add the chipotle tobasco sauce and cumin. Adjust seasonings if necessary. If beans are too thick, add more water, if they are too thin, cook them down a bit.

To assemble the tostadas, spread 3-4 Tbsp. of the beans on each tostada shell. Either top with tomatoes, cilantro, radishes and cheese and serve or put the topping in separate bowls on the table and let each person top their tostada how they wish. Garnish with additional toppings as desired.


SOURCE:Adapted from Simply Recipes

Linked to...
Recipe Swap Thursday @ Prairie Story
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Seasonal Sunday @ Real Sustenance

A Shout out to Classic Banana Bread

I know this is not a new recipe on the blog but don't you agree that everyone needs a great basic banana bread recipe? This is my favorite basic and classic banana bread and it comes from Cooking Light. In fact, I think all but one of my banana bread recipes comes from Cooking Light, they have a great collection, many of which I've made.

I've had an over abundance of bananas lining my counter tops lately and I didn't want to get sick of just eating them plain. So, I decided a few other things were in order. First we made my favorite banana pancakes, now this banana bread and I'm planning on making some delicious banana breakfast cookies that are super healthy! Maybe I'll make some muffins too, I seem to be craving them lately. What is your favorite way to use bananas?

Classic Banana Bread
2 cups flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
1/4 butter, softened (can also use coconut oil)
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 medium)
1/3 cup plain yogurt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a small mixing bowl and set aside. In a stand mixer, fitted with a whisk attachment, cream together butter and sugar until well-blended. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Add banana, yogurt and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Spoon batter into an 8 1/2 X 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 35o for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.


More banana recipes:
Banana Bars
Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes
Jamaican Banana Bread
Bananas Foster Bread
Peanut Butter Banana Muffins


SOURCE: Cooking Light

Orange Dark Chocolate Pancakes

Ok, it's been a few weeks since I posted my last pancake recipe so I figured I was due for another one. I can't believe I waited so long to make these pancakes. I mean, who can resist orange and dark chocolate together? They are an amazing duo and taste absolutely wonderful in these pancakes. I don't usually put chocolate chips in my pancakes so these were a special treat. And I didn't even eat them with syrup because they were sweet enough and a little gooey from the chocolate, I didn't think they needed it. However, if you just can't eat pancakes without something on top, a light syrup or even a dusting of powdered sugar should do you just fine. Try these soon though, they are delicious!

Orange Dark Chocolate Pancakes
1 1/2 cups flour
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
zest of 1 orange
juice of 1 orange
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt together and set aside. In another small bowl, mix orange zest and juice, egg and milk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and GENTLY mix until just incorporated. (Usually I don't have a problem with this when I make pancakes but the first time I made these I think I stirred too much because the pancakes were not light and fluffy. So, just make sure you don't stir too much.) Fold in the chocolate chips.

Let batter sit while griddle preheats. Ladle batter by the 1/4 cup onto griddle. Cook until bubbles start to pop, flip and cook about another 1-2 minutes.

SOURCE: Adapted from Baking Serendipity

Linked to...
Sweet Tooth Friday @ Ali-n-Son
Sweets For A Saturday @ Sweet As Sugar Cookies
Recipe Swap Thursday @ Prairie Story

Favorite Sugar Cookies and Cherry Buttercream Frosting

I know there are a lot of sugar cookie recipes out there and everyone has their favorite but today I wanted to share with you MY favorite sugar cookie recipe. It's pretty basic but it uses almond extract in addition to vanilla extract and I LOVE it! I got this recipe from a dear friend and co-worker in college. She used to bring these sugar cookies into the office every holiday and there were never any leftover! As for the frosting, it was kind of an experiment and it worked out fabulously. I have a small collection of flavored oils for candy making and I happened upon a cherry-flavored oil that I thought would be great in a buttercream frosting. Pairing that cherry flavor with the almond in the cookies and, my friends, we have a winning combination! I told my husband that these cookies were so amazing and my favorite sugar cookies ever. He didn't believe me at the time, after all, a sugar cookie is a sugar cookie right? Well, he changed his mind after eating one; he agreed with me. You will too! 

Favorite Sugar Cookies

2 sticks butter 

1 1/2 cups sugar 

2 eggs 

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 

1/2 tsp. almond extract 

1/4 cup milk 

1/2 tsp. baking soda 

1/2 tsp salt 

4 cups flour 

Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla and almond extract and milk; mix. Add flour and baking soda and mix until combined. Chill dough for about 10-15 minutes. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface and cut with cookie cutters. Bake at 400 for 8-10 minutes. 

Cherry Buttercream Frosting 

1 stick butter, at room temperature 

2 1/2 - 3 cups powdered sugar 

1-2 tsp. cherry flavored candy and baking oil 2-4 Tbsp. milk Food coloring (if desired) 

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat butter at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add powdered sugar; beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened, about 45 seconds. Scrape down the bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is fully combined, about 15 seconds. Scrape bowl, add cherry oil and milk, and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 10 seconds. Then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice. 

SOURCE:Cookies recipe from my friend Anita; Buttercream adapted from Annie's Eats. 

Linked to... Potluck Sunday @ Mommy's Kitchen Sweet Tooth Friday @ Ali-N-Son Mangia Mondays @ Delightfully Dowling

Spring Green Risotto

Need something green for St. Patty's Day? Although this risotto isn't completely green, it's studded with green veggies and is the perfect one pot dish that will put you in the mood for spring. I absolutely love risottos and this one sure didn't disappoint. I loved the combination of the veggies and the lemon. The lemon seemed to bring out their flavor as well as lighten it up a little. I also liked the creamy smooth texture created by adding the cream cheese at the end. We ate this as a main dish, but you could also serve it as a beautiful side with ham or grilled chicken.

Spring Green Risotto
5 cups chicken broth or stock
1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 shallots, minced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
2/3 cup dry white wine
1 lb. asparagus (thin spears), cut into 1-inch pieces and tough ends discarded
10 oz. frozen peas, thawed (or 1½ cups shelled fresh peas)
1/2 Tbsp. freshly grated lemon zest
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 oz. cream cheese (original recipe actually called for 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
3 tbsp. minced fresh chives

In a medium saucepan, heat the chicken broth or stock over medium heat until simmering. Reduce the heat to medium-low, keeping the stock warm.

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the shallots to the pan and sauté for 5-7 minutes, until tender. Add the rice to the pan and stir to coat well with the oil and butter, cooking for about 1 minute. Add the white wine and simmer over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until most of the wine has been absorbed. Add the chicken stock, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring almost constantly and waiting for the stock to be absorbed before adding more.

Meanwhile, blanch the asparagus in boiling water for about 1 minute (longer for thicker spears). Drain and rinse immediately with cold water to stop cooking. (If using fresh peas, blanch them in boiling water for a few minutes as well.)

When the risotto has been cooking for 20 minutes, add the asparagus and peas to the risotto. Stir in the lemon zest, salt and pepper. Continue cooking and adding stock, stirring almost constantly, until the rice is tender but still firm. The entire process should take about 25-30 minutes.

When the risotto is done, remove the pan from the heat. Mix in the lemon juice, cream cheese/mascarpone, Parmesan and chives. Stir until the cheeses are melted in and the risotto is creamy. Serve immediately with additional Parmesan, if desired.

SOURCE:Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics via Annie's Eats

Linked to...
Recipe Swap Thursday @ Prairie Story
It's A Keeper Thursday @ It's A Keeper
Seasonal Sunday @ Real Sustenance
Potluck Sunday @ Mommy's Kitchen

Kale Almond Pesto

If you're a Sweet Luvin' Facebook fan, you'll remember a couple of weeks ago I posted some pictures of some pestos I was working on. Three to be exact. I don't know what got into me but all of a sudden I was just in this mood for pesto. And although I absolutely ADORE traditional basil pesto, I wanted to go out on a limb and try something new.

For those of you who aren't sure what pesto is, the name pesto comes from the same Latin root of "pestle," (like a mortar and pestle) which is fitting as the sauce, in its simplest form, is made by crushing a few key ingredients together (thank you wisegeek for the definition). I like to call it a condiment rather than a sauce. You can use it in so many ways. I've thrown it in some some ground chicken to make burgers, used it on sandwiches, on cooked pasta, dipped crackers, dipped my finger...and so on.

To say that I just enjoyed this pesto is an understatement. I finished off a the leftovers one day for lunch with some tortilla chips and I couldn't stop thinking about it the rest of the day. I wanted more! I like kale. It's a different green, very hardy and a little peppery but it just feels good eating it. That's probably because it's so good for you. It's high in fiber and has lots of good vitamins and minerals.


Kale Almond Pesto
1/2 bunch kale,
1/3 cup almonds
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice (about half a lemon)
2-4 Tbsp. olive oil
2-4 Tbsp. warm water (this will soften the kale just a little)
pinch red pepper flakes

Place kale in food processor with water and lemon juice and pulse until chopped. Add almonds, garlic, and olive oil and pulse again to incorporate. Add salt and red pepper flakes to taste and pulse again to incorporate. Continue pulsing until you reach desired consistency, adding water and/or olive oil as desired.

Serve with crackers, chips or cooked pasta. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

SOURCE: Adapted from Elana's Pantry

Linked to...
Mangia Mondays @ Delightfully Dowling
Recipe Swap Thursday @ Prairie Story
It's A Keeper Thursday @ It's A Keeper
Seasonal Sunday @ Real Sustenance

Lemonade Cake

Ok, maybe right now you may be thinking, what's so special about this cake, it doesn't look like much. I mean how good could a cake from a mix actually be right? Well, be prepared to get your socks knocked off. Especially if you like lemon. We have been eating this cake in my family for as long as I can remember! I've eaten it so many times and I can't even count. This is one of our absolute favorites and one my dad got just about ever year on his birthday.

The lemon flavor in the batter gets kicked up a notch by adding some lemon Jell-o, then once again, after it's baked, by using lemonade in the glaze. This cake is best eaten completely cooled and is actually better and moister a day or even two after it's made.

Now, I get asked to make a lot of desserts, which I don't mind, and I tend to go for desserts that are a little more involved. I like to challenge my culinary skills once in a while. However, I can have this cake whipped up before the oven can even preheat. This recipe, no matter how easy, will never leave my recipe box!

For the cake:
1 small pkg. lemon jell-o
1 pkg. lemon cake mix
1/2 cup oil
3/4 cup water
3 large eggs

Mix all ingredients together at medium speed for 3 minutes. Spray a 9x13 pan and pour batter in. Bake at 350°F for 30-40 minutes. Slightly cool and poke full of holes with a fork or toothpick. Spoon glaze slowly over the top, it will seep down into the holes. Cool completely.

Glaze:
6 oz. (half a can) lemonade concentrate, thawed
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Linked to...
Sweet Tooth Friday @ Ali-N-Son
Sweets For A Saturday @ Sweet As Sugar Cookies
Potluck Sunday @ Mommy's Kitchen

Sesame Noodles

We love dishes like this in our house! The flavors are amazing and the colors brilliant. It's also very quick and easy to throw together, and healthy to boot. I have made this about 4 times over the past few months and there has never been enough leftovers to get a decent picture. So, I made sure this time to take photos BEFORE we ate it all.

We have dairy issues in our house so the fact that this dish has no cheese or milk is wonderful. This is a great one dish meal because you've got your grains and veggies all together. When we have unsalted peanuts, we throw them on top to make it a little more "meaty."

Sesame Noodles
1/2 lb noodles (spaghetti, whole wheat, rice, etc.)
1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2-3 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 red pepper, sliced thin
1/4 head cabbage (purple or green), sliced thin
2 whole Carrots, cut into matchsticks
1 1/2 cups thawed frozen peas
1/2 cup sesame seeds

Cook noodles according to directions. Drain, rinse under cold water. Prepare vegetables and put them in a large salad bowl. Add sesame seeds and noodles.

To make dressing, whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, canola oil, vinegar and crushed red pepper. Pour over noodles and veggies and toss well to coat.




SOURCE: Adapted from Aggie's Kitchen


Linked to...
Recipe Swap Thursday @ Prairie Story
It's A Keeper Thursday @ It's A Keeper
Potluck Sunday @ Mommy's Kitchen
Seasonal Sunday @ Real Sustenance
Mangia Mondays @ Delightfully Dowling

Tortilla Soup with Southwest Cabbage Slaw

I don't know what happened to all the soup I used to make. I was so good last winter to make a pot of soup about once a week and we'd eat the leftovers over the next couple of days. This year I just haven't made it as much. Soups really are wonderful and generally easy and quick to throw together. You can usually sneak in lots of veggies too.

The last soup I made like this was your typical taco soup with hamburger and prepackaged seasonings, etc. This soup is definitely a step up from that has more of a WOW taste factor where tortilla soups are concerned. This soup is really easy to customize to your own tastes. For example, I chose not to use meat, but some grilled chicken might sit nicely on top. Or you could use different beans, different veggies, whatever strikes your fancy. While not all of this is as easy as opening up a can and dumping it in the pot, it is pretty easy and so tasty!

Oh and if you don't think you like cabbage, you might change your mind. The Southwest Cabbage Slaw is a great little topper that will add flavor and awesome texture to your soup.

Tortilla Soup
1-2 dried mulato or ancho chile peppers

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic, smashed

1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes

1 tablespoon coriander seeds (or roughly 2 tsp ground coriander)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
6 cups vegetable broth

2 cups frozen corn (or 14-oz can)
2 cups (14-oz can) black beans
2 bay leaves

4 sprigs fresh thyme
Kosher salt


Garnishes:
crumbled queso fresco

diced avocado

Fresh cilantro

Southwest Cabbage Slaw (recipe below)

Crush the dried chilies in a mortar and pestle until pulverized. Set aside. Alternately, you can place dried chiles in a small saucepan, cover with water and boil about 5 minutes. Drain, pull out stems and seeds then puree in blender, adding a small amount of water water as needed for a smooth texture.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, then add the onion and cook until the onion is translucent. Add garlic and cook about a minute longer. Add the tomatoes with their juice, 2-3 Tbsp. of the dried/pureed chilies, the coriander seeds and cumin and cook about 5 minutes. Add the broth, corn, beans, bay leaves and thyme and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook about 15-20 minutes.

Serve soup warm with you choice of garnish(es).

Southwest Cabbage Slaw
2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
2 c coleslaw mix or thinly sliced cabbage
2 green onions, chopped
1/3 c chopped fresh cilantro

Combine all into a medium bowl and mix well. Keeps in the fridge, covered, for about a week.

SOURCE:Adapted from Perry's Plate

Linked to...
Seasonal Sunday @ Real Sustenance
Potluck Sunday @ Mommy's Kitchen
Recipe Swap Thursday @ Prairie Story
It's A Keeper Thursday @ It's A Keeper

March Menu

Yeah, it's March! It's already getting warmer and I'm so excited. I'm so done with being sick and ready to get outside for some sunlight and fresh air. This month I'm trying to use up what I can in my freezer and my pantry, as well as plan for the produce I get in my weekly CSA basket. I don't have a plan for anything too indulgent because I want to get outside for lots of walks with my girls and shed that "winter coat," if you know what I mean. I do, however, have my 7 year wedding anniversary coming up in a couple of weeks so I'll probably make an exception that day, but I don't know what yet.

For those of you who are new, I'll link the recipes I've made before and posted. The other recipes I'll post as I make them. Last month I wasn't able to post several dishes I made and I was totally bummed about it. I hope I can get through them all this month.


Dinners
Chicken Burgers on Homemade Burger Buns, green beans and Herbed Potato Salad
Cold Sesame Noodles
Spring Risotto and Mango Chicken Salad
Cauliflower Soup
Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Roasted Garlic Pumpkinseed Pesto, Salad

Baked Penne w/ Broccoli and Smoked Mozzarella
Parsley-Feta Pesto, Roasted Garlic Hummus & Pita chips w/ raw veggies
Spinach Orzo Ensalata w/ Grilled Chicken
Pretzel Pizza Bites
Zuppa Toscana and Breadsticks
Chipotle Bean Tostadas, corn
Fiesta Chicken Salad w/ Cilantro-lime Rice

Pistachio Chicken w/ brown rice and veggie
Black Bean and Jicama Salad w/ Roasted Red Pepper Fritatta
BLT Pasta w/ Salad
Greek Tostadas w/ Chopped Greek Salad (this is an old recipe, I plan on re-writing it this month after I make it)
Thai Shrimp Soup

Orzo Stuffed Peppers
Spaghetti w/ Breadsticks
Shrimp Fried Rice w/ veggies
Chicken Barley Soup w/ Walnut Pesto

Other
Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars
Breakfast Cookies
Movie Theater Cookies
White Chocolate Coconut Brownies
Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
Strawberry Shortcake Pancakes
Fig, Date and Almond Granola Bars


Linked to...
Menu Plan Monthly @ Mommy's Kitchen

National Pancake Day and Chicken Pot Pie Pancakes w/ Herb-Dijon Gravy

Ok, here is my last installment of new pancakes for National Pancake Day (today, if you didn't know). Don't you worry though, I have pleanty more to post in the future. Have you ever had a savory pancake? I doubt most people have. I hadn't until this summer when I stumbled across this amazing recipe for Corn and Basil Cakes. We made these many times. My girls even liked and ate them. They'll make just about anybody a believer in a pancake that is not sweet or doused in syrup.



I've only tried a few different savory pancake recipes and I have to say that these are the most creative. Chicken pot pie is the ultimate comfort food and it's pretty much the epitome of cold weather baking. I love it. I couldn't resist trying it in pancake form.

Believe it or not, these pancakes were a success! My husband commented that he'd never had mustard on pancakes before but that he actually liked them. I'm glad I wasn't the only one eating them. These are actually a really great quick dinner option when you don't have much time or much in the fridge. Just throw in your leftover veggies, chopped up fine, make a little gravy and, voila!, you have dinner.

You still have time to celebrate National Pancake Day, even if you missed it for breakfast. Check out the end of this post for some more ideas or see my posts the past two days, I've linked up my favorites.

Chicken Pot Pie pancakes w/ Herb-Dijon Gravy
For the pancakes:
Double recipe Buttermilk Pancakes
1-1/2-2 cups chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (about 1 large breast)
1/2 cup frozen peas, defrosted
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
3 green onions, thinly sliced

For the gravy:
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. flour
1 cup chicken stock
1 Tbsp. fresh dill or tarragon, finely chopped
2-3 tsp. Dijon mustard
Salt and ground black pepper

In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Stir in flour and cook about 1 minute. Whisk in stock, dill or tarragon and Dijon, and cook until well thickened and season with salt and pepper.

Prepare buttermilk pancakes according to directions. Stir in the chicken, peas, celery, and green onions until incorporated. Let batter sit while griddle heats.

Pour batter onto griddle by 1/4 cups. Cook until golden brown on each side, and continue with the rest of the batter. Place cooked pancakes on a plate and keep warm in a 250˚F oven with foil on top.

Serve pancakes warm with herb-Dijon gravy.

SOURCE:Adapted from Rachael Ray


More pancake love....
Corn and Basil Cakes










Buttermilk Pancakes