Cool Cucumber-Melon Minty Smoothie

Wow, there have been several times over the past few days that I thought I was just going to melt! Don't get me wrong, I like summertime, but when we have day after day of near 100 degree weather, I just want to put on the least amount of clothes that I can get away with and sit under a fan. I get cranky, my kids get cranky and we need something to cool us off!

Did you know that peppermint essential oil is used as a cooling agent, like in reducing fevers? So, how genius is it to put mint leaves in a smoothie and cool your body from the inside out? Pair that with a cool cuke and honeydew melon and you'll be shivering in no time!

I know the combination of ingredients may seem a little odd, but I liked them a lot more than I thought I would, especially feeling that cool mint tingle down my throat and stomach, making me feel cool inside, and minty fresh.


Cool Cucumber-Melon Minty Smoothie
1/2 cucumber, peeled and cut into chunks
1 cup honeydew melon, cut into chunks and frozen (preferably)
1/4 cup fresh mint, rinsed
juice of 1 lime (about 2 Tbsp.)
1 cup pear juice (or water and sweetener, if desired)
handful of ice

Put everything in a blender and process until smooth.


SOURCE: Whole Living

Sweet Potato Quinoa Cakes with Blackberry Salsa

I know it's not fall and sweet potatoes are kind of a fall thing, right along with butternut squash, but burgers and things that come in patties are kind of a summer thing and I'm always on the lookout for meatless meals that pack a nutritional punch and are full of flavor.

Enter sweet potatoes and quinoa. Sweet potatoes, besides being slightly sweet and absolutely delicious are high in fiber, vitamins A, C and B6 and quinoa is high in protein, iron and calcium (nutrients found often in animal products). So, I can feel good about having a meatless meal and not having to worry about my kids not getting the right nutrients.

My husband and I both really enjoyed these "griddle cakes," if you will. I even fed some to my 8 month old and she couldn't get it in her mouth fast enough! I didn't venture to give them to my other two because that would have been all out war, but I'm ok with that for now. Baby steps. The salsa is a great accompaniment and makes for a great combination of flavors.

Sweet Potato Quinoa Cakes
1 medium sweet potato (about 6 oz), peeled and chopped
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 Tbsp. coconut oil, plus more for frying cakes
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat and add 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil. Add in sweet potato, onion, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, stir, cover and cook for 10-12 minutes, or until potato is soft. Remove lid and add garlic, cooking for 30 seconds.

Transfer potato mixture to a large bowl (slightly mashing potato with a fork) and add quinoa, breadcrumbs, cheese, herbs, remaining salt and pepper and mix well. Once combined, add in egg, then mix until moistened. Using your hands to bring it together, form four equally-sized patties. Heat the same skillet over medium heat and add coconut oil. Add cakes and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Serve with blackberry salsa.


Blackberry Salsa
1 pint fresh blackberries, chopped
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1/2 jalapeno, finely diced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
the juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients together in a bowl and mix.


SOURCE: How Sweet It Is

Sweet and Salty Popcorn

It is absolutely ridiculous the amounts of this popcorn I have been making and consuming lately and haven't even bothered to share it with you until now. It's been my little secret. Well, actually not, it's just that I typically make it an night for a movie or game night and by morning (when the light is good), it's mysteriously gone!

I don't have much self control when it comes to popcorn, except microwave popcorn (ewwww), so if there's some left in the bottom of the bowl, it won't be there much longer.

I don't feel too bad about eating a WHOLE bowl, ok, half a bowl, of this popcorn though because it's actually not too bad of a snack, although it tastes pretty indulgent. Since it's cooked in coconut oil, you get all those health benefits and there's just a bit of sugar and salt. SO, no, I really don't feel bad eating it.

And you shouldn't either. This should be your new favorite snack too. It takes about 93 seconds to prepare. And you can get it ready while everyone else is getting the movie set up.

Bring paper lunch sacks. And fold them down to hold the popcorn. My girls thought that was the best trick ever!


Sweet and Salty Popcorn (AKA Kettle Corn)
4 Tbsp. coconut oil
2 Tbsp. white sugar
2/3 cup popcorn kernels
salt, to taste

Put everything in a tall pot and begin cooking over medium-high heat. Once it starts to bubble, place the lid on it and swirl it around as the kernels begin to pop. You kind of want this part to go fast so the last kernels to pop don't get burned. Quickly pour the popcorn out into a very large mixing bowl and immediately sprinkle with salt and stir until evenly coated.

SOURCE:My friend Melanie

Vegan Oatmeal Banana Pancakes with (not so vegan) Chocolate Chips

I think my pancake addiction keeps getting worse and worse! I NEVER tire of eating them. They are just so versatile. You could make a different recipe every week for a year and never repeat.

So the other day I was thinking about making these pancakes that I LOVE, one of my favorites, but decided to try to make them healthier, by omitting the dairy, egg and added sugar, and using whole wheat flour.

Well, all the little tweaks paid off, because I think the pancakes are just as fabulous. I used a super ripe banana so it would add all that natural sweetness instead of adding white sugar. I replaced the chicken egg with a flax egg, definitely multiplying the health factor and supplying the fatty acids that my growing girls need. The whole wheat flour is pretty much a no-brainer for me any more, it's the norm, as well as the almond milk.


Vegan Oatmeal Banana Pancakes with Chocolate Chips
1 very ripe large banana, mashed
1 cup almond milk
1 flax egg (1 Tbsp. ground flax + 3 Tbsp. water)
2 Tbsp. oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oats
pinch salt
1 tsp. baking powder
3 Tbsp. chocolate chips (vegan-friendly if you choose)

Preheat skillet.

In a small bowl, stir together the ground flax and water. Let sit about 5 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, add mashed banana, milk, flax egg, oil and vanilla. Whisk until well-incorporated. Add the dry ingredients, stirring to combine, tossing in chocolate chips in last.

Pour batter by 1/4 cup onto preheated skillet. Cook until bubbles start to form and edges look a bit dry. Flip and continue cooking another minute or so.


SOURCE: Adapted from Minimalist Baker

Coconut Lime Ice Cream

I came up with this recipe out of necessity, 'cause ice cream is a necessity, didn't you know? I LOVE anything coconut but coconut and lime are so delicious and refreshing. I had an abundance of each and they were just begging me to throw them together to make ice cream. You just can't have enough during the summer.

I came across a few recipes using a custard base and no coconut milk and I just thought that was ridiculous. Coconut ice cream NEEDS coconut milk and NO eggy aftertaste. Now, don't get me wrong, I appreciate a good custard base but they are not fit for every kind of ice cream.

This is a no-cook base, gotta love that, and it comes together super fast so you can get it freezing in no time at all. I hope you enjoy this cool and refreshing treat.


Coconut Lime Ice Cream
1 14-oz can coconut milk (full fat)
1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup whole milk
1 lime, zested
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (about 4 limes)
1/2 cup flaked coconut

Whisk everything together in a bowl and refrigerate it until chilled.

Pour ice cream base into ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's directions. Scrape out into a freezer safe container with a tight-fitting lid. Freeze 4 hours or until firm before serving.

Melon Mozzarella Salad

This is another salad that epitomizes summer for me. Fresh cool crisp melons and grapes, heloooooo juicy slurpy peaches, scrumptious strawberries and I told you already I swoon over fresh basil. Kind of an unexpected little burst of flavor, but oh so delish! What's also fun about this salad is the little bites of salty, soft fresh mozzarella, also a little unexpected here, but I'm loving the contrast. All of this is paired with the delicious lemon poppy-seed dressing from this salad and you've got yourself a perfect little dessert for a hot summer night. Sweet and filling and won't weigh you down. You'll be luvin' it too

Melon and Mozzarella salad
3 cups peeled, coarsely chopped fresh peaches (about 1 1/2 lb.)
1 (8-oz.) tub fresh small mozzarella cheese balls, cut in half
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
3/4 cup Lemon-Poppy Seed Dressing
4 cups seeded and cubed watermelon
4 cups cubed honeydew melon
3 cups sliced fresh strawberries
2 cups seedless green grapes, cut in half
Garnishes: mint leaves

Toss first 3 ingredients with 1/4 cup Lemon-Poppy Seed Dressing

Add all salad ingredients into a large glass trifle dish or tall glass bowl. Serve immediately, or cover and chill up to 8 hours. Toss with remaining 1/2 cup dressing just before serving. Garnish, if desired.


SOURCE:Southern Living

Double Bean Burgers with Avocado-Basil Cream

Haha, I'm so proud of myself for pulling off this meal with my kids. I hijacked their normal burger and replaced it with this delicious and flavorful double bean burger and they weren't even the wiser! My oldest daughter even told me how yummy it was and ate most of it as well.

I had to give my husband the "ojo" across the table to make sure he didn't spill the beans about the beans in the burgers. Cause I know if my girls got one wiff of the fact that there were beans on those buns instead of a "real" burger, they for sure would have turned up their noses at it and not eaten another bite. Luckily the man caught my drift and we were safe.

I have actually been wanting to make bean burgers forever. I've bookmarked many many recipes, only to delete them thinking it would be a waste of my time because no one would eat them but me. I finally got up the nerve when I saw this recipe. They looked yummy and flavorful, but to tell you the truth the basil avocado cream totally SOLD me. Anything with basil and I SWOON.

Truly this does make a delicious and light burger and it's a great addition to any repertoire of meatless meals.

Double Bean Burgers
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 large egg
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 whole grain buns, toasted if desired

In a large bowl, mash beans with a potato masher or fork. Add in the rest of the ingredients, using only 1 tablespoon of the oil, and mix thoroughly to combine, bringing it together with your hands if needed. Separate the beans into 6 equal sections and form patties.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil (or as much as you need). Add burgers and cook on each side until golden, about 5 minutes. Remove and serve with avocado cream on whole wheat buns.

Avocado-Basil Cream
1 avocado
1/3 cup mayonnaise
10 basil leaves, chopped
pinch of salt and pepper

Mash the avocado, then mix with the mayonnaise to combine. Stir in the basil leaves and salt and pepper, to taste. Serve over bean burgers.


SOURCE: Slightly adapted from How Sweet It Is

Backyard Mint Ice Cream

National Ice Cream Month is almost over and I've got a new flavor for you today. Mint ice cream literally from your own backyard! Does it get any better?

This recipe comes from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home and is amazing. Her method is unique in that she doesn't use eggs as a thickener, rather cornstarch and a little cream cheese. I think that worked perfectly here because it kept the ice cream nice and minty white in color and didn't give off an eggy flavor for the base. It also kept it nice and smooth, rather than icy, which often results when there's not enough fat. Another thing I love is that this ice cream is infused with fresh mint leaves, rather than an extract so there's no funky aftertaste from fake ingredients.

When my mom brought me a bunch of mint from her garden I was so excited I finally got to try this ice cream. I made a double batch and have probably eaten most of it myself!

So, whether you have to step out the back porch, run to the farmer's market, or just the regular marker, make sure you save some mint (and some room in your belly) for this delicious frozen treat!

Backyard Mint Ice Cream
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp cornstarch
1 1/2 ounces (3 Tbsp.) cream cheese, softened
1/8 tsp fine sea salt
2 cups whole milk
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
2/3 cups sugar
2 Tbsp. light corn syrup
large handful of fresh mint, leaves roughly torn into small pieces.

Mix about 2 tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl to make a smooth slurry.

Whisk the cream cheese and salt in a medium bowl until smooth. If you have trouble whisking the cream cheese, microwave it for 5-10 seconds to soften it a bit more.

Combine the remaining milk, the cream, sugar and corn syrup in a 4-quart saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat and boil for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, and gradually whisk in the cornstarch slurry.

Bring the mixture back to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring with a heatproof spatula, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat.

Gradually whisk the hot milk mixture into the cream cheese until smooth. Make sure not to pour too fast, if you add it all at once, it will be lumpy and it will be very difficult to get them out. Add the mint. Pour the mixture into a large container with tight-fitting lid, or a gallon size ziploc bag.

Refrigerate to steep for 4 to 12 hours.

Strain out the mint. Pour the ice cream base into ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturers instructions.

Pack the ice cream into a freezer-safe storage container, and seal with an airtight lid. Freeze in the coldest park of your freezer until firm, at least 4 hours. Enjoy!


SOURCE: Jenni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home

Cherry Chocolate Scones

I think it's funny how some words have two meanings. Take scones, for instance. When I tell my husband I want to make scones, he gets all excited and asks if we can make honey butter to go with them. See, to him scones are what I've always heard referred to as fry bread, or Indian Fry bread. Not an unlikable treat, but not something I'd generally go to. I find it funny that my husband doesn't think of scones as typical English scones (like I do) because he lived near there for practically 2 years of his life! Oh well.

Anyway, back to what I call scones. These dreamy, cream scones are as good as you're going to get people! If you've ever made scones, it's weird how it all comes together. Almost seems like it won't, looking at that big floury mass. But that butter and cream work their magic.

These are the lightest and most fluffy scones I have ever eaten. They practically melt in your mouth. My girls absolutely went crazy for them, especially with the little chocolate chips; although they could have done without the cherries. They actually love cherries, but they don't do the whole chunky fruit mixed up in baked goods concept.

Now is the prime time to get you some cherries. They do make the dough a little stickier than usual, but don't be dissuaded, you won't be sorry.

Cherry Chocolate Scones
2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 Tbsp. chilled, unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 cup fresh cherries, halved and pitted
4 oz. dark chocolate, chopped (or use chips)
1 cup heavy cream
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Place flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in large bowl or work bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Whisk together or pulse.

If mixing by hand, use two knives, a pastry blender or your fingertips and quickly cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. If using food processor, remove cover and distribute butter evenly over dry ingredients. Cover and pulse until mixture resembles a coarse meal.

Stir in cream and vanilla, just barely combining, then gently stir in cherries and chocolate. Stir with a spoon until a dough forms, using your hands to bring it together. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently, adding a bit more flour, if needed.

Form scones by either patting the dough into an 8-inch circle and cutting it into 8 wedges or cutting pieces with a biscuit cutter.

Place rounds or wedges on un-greased baking sheet and bake until scone tops are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

**If you want to glaze the scones, whisk together 1 cup powdered sugar, 1-2 Tbsp. milk and 1/4 tsp. almond extract. Drizzle over tops of warm scones.


SOURCE: Adapted from America's Test Kitchen via. Smitten Kitchen, and How Sweet It Is

Strawberry Cheesecake Pancakes

So, the other week after menu planning and doing all my grocery shopping I realized mid-week that I had come home with a carton or ricotta and totally forgotten what I bought it for. I checked over my menu and didn't find anything there I was planning on using it for so I turned my thoughts toward what I could make with it.

Naturally I went with pancakes. By now, there's hardly a pancake I haven't made, but these just sounded too delicious to not make a go of it. My girls aren't fans of chunks of fruit in their pancakes, in fact the only add-ins they'll usually go for is chocolate chips-go figure! So, in favor of my daughters' no chunky things in pancakes, I opted to puree the strawberries for this one and it SO worked in my favor. The girls were over the top that these pancakes came out pink(-ish).

When I presented my oldest daughter with a short stack of these, just like in the photo, she literally thought she had died and gone to heaven! She somehow got out of that that it was her special party day and she kept telling her friends all day long about it. If that doesn't convince you to try these, I don't know what will.

I love that the ricotta in these pancakes not only gives it that hint of cheesecake flavor, but makes them really moist. You can use whatever syrup you'd like on these. In lieu of making strawberry syrup I just decided to thin out some strawberry freezer jam to pour over the top and it worked out perfectly. And, of course topping it off with sweetened whipped cream is just like the icing on the cake...but totally optional...especially if it's a weekday.


Strawberry Cheesecake Pancakes
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup ricotta cheese
3 eggs, separated
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup pureed strawberries
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted*
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. sugar

In a mixing bowl, combine combine buttermilk, ricotta, egg yolks, vanilla and strawberry puree. Whisk to combine well. Add in flour, baking powder, salt and sugar and stir just to combine. (*Note: I don't usually sift my flour for pancakes but I did it the first time and not the second and it made a difference.)

Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Add 1/3 of the egg whites to batter and whisk to combine. Then add the rest of the whites and gently fold them into the batter.

Heat griddle. Drop batter by 1/4 cup onto the griddle and cook until bubbles start to form and sides are looking dry. Flip and continue cooking another 2 minutes or so.

Serve warm with syrup of your choice and whipped cream, if desired.

SOURCE: Adapted from Annie's Eats

Strawberry-Banana-Orange Green Smoothie

The other day I wanted to share this smoothie recipe with some friends so I went back through my post list and couldn't find it! I can't believe I haven't shared it with you before. This smoothie, or spinach drink as I used to call it, is the first one I had ever tried, over 10 years ago, albeit with some modifications.

I got the main idea for this smoothie, from a college roommate who had celiac and couldn't eat wheat, so she ate a lot of fruits and veggies, and this smoothie. Back then you didn't hear about celiac and gluten-free, so at first I thought it was a little weird, but then I tried it and loved it. I didn't even have a powerful blender back then and my drinks came out a little chunky and the spinach wasn't very well blended, but I didn't care, it was healthy and good.

So, here I am finally sharing what has evolved into my favorite green smoothie. If you have been reluctant to try the green drinks past, I think you will be pleasantly surprised.


Strawberry-Banana-Orange Green Smoothie
1 cup water
splash of almond milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 whole orange, peeled*
1 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 frozen banana
2 handfuls baby spinach

*If you do not have a powerful blender, I suggest just using the juice of the orange or about 1/2 cup orange juice.

**If your strawberries are not frozen, use ice for part of the water.

Place ingredients in blender in order listed. Blend to your liking-may take a few minutes if you do not have a powerful blender. Drink immediately or store in a jar with a tight-fitting lid for up to 48 hours. Shake well before drinking.

Makes about 3-4 cups

Strawberry Fields Salad with Lemon-Poppy Seed Dressing

I thought I better throw a salad in here, it's been a while.

I love summer produce! I try to soak it up all I can while the getting is good. 'Cause you know, come those winter months and the gettin' gets pretty slim.

This is a fabulous salad. A little different, but not too unusual. The seasonal fruit is delicious, the fresh basil, to die for and the dressing is an absolute keeper! I believe salad dressing totally can totally make or break a salad. I make tons of homemade dressings, which I love, but I have never thought to substitute lemon juice for the vinegar. Totally genius, especially since I love all things lemon.

Strawberry Fields Salad
4 large nectarines, cut into 1/4-inch-thick wedges
1 head of romaine lettuce, shredded
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 (4-oz.) package crumbled feta cheese

Lemon-Poppy Seed Dressing (recipe below)


Toss nectarines with 1/4 cup Lemon-Poppy Seed Dressing.

Put shredded lettuce in a large salad bowl. Layer nectarines, strawberries, tomatoes and basil on top of the lettuce.

Add feta and pecans and dressing just before serving; lightly toss.


Lemon-Poppy Seed Dressing
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 Tbsp. poppy seeds
2 tsp. finely chopped onion
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. salt

Process vegetable oil, sugar, fresh lemon juice, poppy seeds, finely chopped onion, Dijon mustard, and salt in a blender until smooth. Store in refrigerator up to 1 week; serve at room temperature.


SOURCE: Slightly adapted from Southern Living

Cherry Chocolate Ice Cream

One of the things I love most about summer is keeping my freezer well stocked with homemade ice cream. At the end of a long, hot day, I love nothing more than to sit down to a delicious chocolaty refreshing treat and this totally hits the spot.

I love the base for this ice cream. It's one of the smoothest, most chocolaty I've ever made. I think using the bittersweet chocolate is amazing here, although if you prefer a lighter, sweeter chocolate flavor, I would go with a dark or semi-sweet chocolate.

Cherries are in season right now and are on sale everywhere. I couldn't resist pairing them with the chocolate ice cream. The rum extract adds a little dimension and nicely compliments the other flavors. If you have rum on hand, feel free to swap out the water when cooking the cherries and omit the rum extract.


Cherry Chocolate Ice Cream
1 1/3 cups halved pitted cherries (about 13 ounces whole cherries)
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp. rum extract (or to taste)
1 1/2 cups whole milk
4 large egg yolks
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Put the cherries, 2 tablespoons sugar and the water in a medium saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until syrupy, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, add rum extract and let cool, then refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours.

Meanwhile, heat the milk and the remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat, whisking to dissolve the sugar. Whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl. Gradually whisk about 1/2 of the warm milk mixture into the eggs, then whisk the egg mixture back into the saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture coats a spoon and registers 168 degrees F on a candy thermometer, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat; add the bittersweet chocolate and the butter and set aside until the chocolate melts, about 5 minutes.

Transfer the chocolate mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Pour into a large bowl and stir in the heavy cream and vanilla. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours or overnight.

Churn the chilled chocolate mixture in an ice cream maker. Strain the cherry mixture, reserving the syrup. When the ice cream is very thick, add the cherries and continue churning until incorporated. Transfer to a freezer-safe container. Drizzle in the reserved cherry syrup and swirl with a spoon. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.


SOURCE: Food Network

Berry Balsamic Basil Sauce

So, if you remember last week I was talking about using up a whole bunch of fresh basil in like a day or two. I tell you, I love that stuff and I can't seem to get enough of it, especially when summer rolls around. I think I added it to every meal I ate one day last week. I was on the prowl for any way to use it.

As soon as I got it in my head to mix balsamic, basil and fruit for an ice cream topping, I couldn't not wait to make it. I have been loving this stuff ever since, and I daresay, more than chocolate! Now that's saying a lot.

This would be perfect to share at a family or friend gathering. It would make any plain old bowl of vanilla ice cream shine like a superstar! And, it's just in time for national ice cream month.

Berry Balsamic Basil Sauce
12 oz. berries (I used half blueberries and half strawberries; frozen is fine)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped

Put everything, except basil, into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Let boil for about 5 minutes. *Using an immersion blender, puree fruit in sauce and continue boiling until sauce has reduced and thickened a bit; about 5-10 minutes longer. Sauce will thicken upon cooling.

When sauce is done cooking, add fresh basil and allow to cool. Pour into container with a tight-fitting; mine fit perfectly into a half-pint mason jar. Store leftovers in the fridge.


*If you don't have an immersion blender, you may want to puree the fruit before you begin cooking.


SOURCE:Slightly adapted from Oh, She Dabbles

Whole Grain Fresh Peach Pancakes

Ok, it's time for some serious talk! Ripe, fresh peaches, in season, are on my top 5 most favorite things to eat. Pancakes are in there too. So, why I never before brought those two together in beloved matrimony is BEYOND ME! I can't believe I never thought to make these. I'm so totally kicking myself for not doing it until now.

Of course, I love the fresh peach flavor and the little bits of peach all throughout the batter, but I also love that I can use my Wheat-Oat Pancake Mix, keeping it healthy and quick.

I topped my pancakes with a few more slices of peach and some syrup. However, I think homemade ginger syrup and a dollop of whipped cream would be heavenly too!

Whole Grain Peach Pancakes
1 cup Wheat-Oat Pancake Mix
1 tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
pinch cloves
pinch nutmeg
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup fresh peaches, chopped

In a small mixing bowl, mix together 1 cup of pancake mix, sugar and spices. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the buttermilk, egg, oil and vanilla and whisk to combine. Add in dry ingredients and stir to combine. Fold in chopped peaches. Let batter sit while griddle heats up.

Drop batter by 1/4 cup onto griddle. Cook until bubbles start to form and edges start looking dry. Flip pancakes and cook on other side another minute or two.

Serve warm with syrup of your choice and other toppings as desired.

Orzo with Roasted Vegetables

So, a few weeks ago I was grocery shopping with my girls and we were in the produce department. I always love to point out things to them to see if they know what they are (and if they don't, I school them right then and there!). Anyway,my older daughter was walking by the cooler section and saw eggplant and her eyes lit up. She turned to me and begged me to get one. Eggplant? Huh, you want me to get eggplant? I'm all for letting my kids experiment with any fruits and veggies they want so I decided to get a small one. (Then my daughter proceeded to carry the eggplant around the store like it was her baby...hmmm.)

I had been eying a few ratatouille recipes that I wanted to make with the eggplant, you know like the one from the movie, but I couldn't find the right recipe that just struck a chord with me. Then I remembered this orzo dish my mom sent me a few years ago. It's a Ina Garten recipe from the Barefoot Contessa Parties cookbook. It's fabulous, just like everything Ina makes.

I decided to vamp up the veg factor and this turned out even better than I had remembered! I love roasting vegetables to bring out their flavors and even thought about doing it on the grill so I wouldn't have to turn on my oven. So, if you have a veggie tray for your grill that would be a great option too.

Orzo with Roasted Vegetables
1 small eggplant, peeled and 3/4-inch diced
1 red bell pepper, 1-inch diced
1 yellow bell pepper, 1-inch diced
2 small zucchini
8 oz, mushrooms, quartered or sliced
1 red onion, peeled and 1-inch diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound orzo or rice-shaped pasta

For the dressing:
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

To assemble:
4 green onions, minced (white and green parts)
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
3/4 pound feta, 1/2-inch diced
5 oz. baby spinach, chopped
15 fresh basil leaves, cut into julienne

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Toss the eggplant, bell peppers, zucchini, onion, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper on a large sheet pan. Roast for 20-30 minutes, until browned, turning once with a spatula.

Meanwhile, cook the orzo in boiling salted water for 7 to 9 minutes, until tender. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the roasted vegetables to the pasta, scraping all the liquid and seasonings from the roasting pan into the pasta bowl.

For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and pour on the pasta and vegetables. Let cool to room temperature, then add the scallions, pine nuts, feta, spinach and basil. Check the seasonings, and serve at room temperature.


SOURCE: Adapted from Ina Garten

Chunky Monkey Pancakes

These pancakes are the bomb! And I can say that because we make and eat pancakes around here like they are going out of style. So we've been around the block when it comes to pancakes.

Bananas, chocolate chips and peanut butter is my absolute favorite combination in a pancake....EVER! I will typically add a banana to this pancake mix but adding chocolate chips and peanut butter syrup is an extra special treat that we don't do that often.

Whether you are a morning person or not, whip these up the next time you have an extra minute or two when you wake up (a lot to ask, I know...cause who the heck would get up earlier than they have to???).

Chunky Monkey Pancakes
1 egg
2 Tbsp. oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 large banana, mashed
1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar

In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine egg, oil and buttermilk. Whisk to combine. Add mashed banana and whisk again. Add dry ingredients and whisk until just incorporated, making sure not to over-stir. Let batter sit while griddle heats up.

Pour batter by 1/4 cup onto preheated griddle. Cook pancakes until they start to bubble and the sides start looking dry. Flip and cook another minute or two. Serve warm with peanut butter syrup.

Peanut Butter Syrup
1 Tbsp. peanut butter
1/4 cup maple syrup

Put peanut butter and syrup in a small bowl. Warm 10-20 seconds in the microwave. Whisk together until smooth and creamy. Multiply syrup as needed.

Summer Berry Sweet Pizza

I think WinCo is my absolute favorite place to grocery shop!
1-because I can always find fresh basil there,
2-because their bulk section is a granola-maker's heaven,
3-chocolate covered cinnamon bears (need I say more???)
4-they have awesome deals on produce.

A couple of weeks ago they had amazing deals on their blueberries and strawberries and I found myself going back for more and more!!! I bought them mainly to support my green smoothie habit, so I froze most of them, but I couldn't help using some of them fresh; like on this pizza.

Pizza night is pretty much a weekly occurrence around here and we've finally upgraded to 2 pizzas instead of 1 for our little family. I usually make my girls a cheese pizza, per their request, and make something a little more fancy shmancy for my hubby and I. This time, I decided to divide the dough for the second pizza into 3 and make 2 individual pizzas plus a dessert pizza. Let me tell you , BEST DAY EVER!

This is the perfect summer pizza. Right now all the berries are in season, so they not only taste yummy but don't cost ya an arm and a leg to buy them either. And, how can you go wrong with chocolate and more chocolate?

This recipe is equivalent to one large pizza, divided into three smaller pizzas. I would only make as much dessert pizza as you will eat, as it does not keep well. Divide the topping ingredients accordingly for each pizza you make.

Summer Berry Sweet Pizza
1 recipe Perfect Pizza Crust (add additional 2 Tbsp. sugar with dry ingredients)
9 Tbsp. nutella
2-2 1/2 cups mixed fresh berries, cut into smaller pieces if necessary (blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, etc.)
1 cup white chocolate chips
2 Tbsp. melted butter, for brushing the edges
3 Tbsp. turbinado sugar, for sprinkling the edges

Make pizza dough according to directions, making sure to add 2 tablespoons sugar when mixing. Allow dough to rise once. While dough is rising, preheat oven and pizza stone to 450 degrees F.

After the dough has risen, punch down and divide into 3 smaller dough balls. Let it rest for about 5 minutes. I highly recommend using parchment paper for this pizza because it may be too heavy to slide off onto the stone (or inverted baking sheet). Roll one dough ball out on a piece of parchment. Brush edges with melted butter. Spread with 3 tablespoons of the nutella, then evenly distribute 1/3 of the berries, topping with 1/3 of the white chocolate chips. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of turbinado sugar around the edge of the pizza. Open oven quickly and slide parchment onto baking stone. Bake 8-10 minutes.

Repeat with remaining dough and ingredients. Feel free to bake more than one pizza at a time, if you have sufficient room.

SOURCE: Adapted form Donal Skehan

Apricot-Strawberry Smoothie

At our previous house we had apricot trees and I canned and froze those apricots until I had no room left! I'm a little ashamed to say that I still have some left in the far dark corners of my freezer and pantry. I made it my goal to finish them up in the next few months. It has led me on an apricot-smoothie-making journey. As I went down my list of combinations, I crossed them off as I went, knowing that I was not going to make THAT one again-blech! However, I when I threw this combination together, I knew it was a keeper...FINALLY! I've made this over and over the past month or so and we've all loved it.

Apricots are just about in season and strawberries are already here, so it's the perfect time to make this refreshing smoothie. Treat yourself, and your health.

Apricot-Strawberry Smoothie
1 cup apricots, pitted and halved
1 cup strawberries, hulled
1 banana
2 big handfuls spinach, rinsed
1 cup fresh orange juice
handful of ice
water as needed

Put all ingredients in blender, adding juice first, and blend well. Add water as needed for desired consistency. Pour into jar or container with tight fitting lid. Will last up to 48 hours, just shake well before drinking.

Homemade Honey Roasted Peanut Butter

Make my own peanut butter???? I think I can die a happy woman now! Next to chocolate, peanut butter is probably my second favorite food. Ever! I could eat it every day. I used to when I was a kid going to school and I still do more often than not.

With a bunch of kids running around here peanut butter is pretty much a staple in our house. We could not live without it. Although I'm usually not a food label snob, when it comes to peanut butter, I subscribe to the school of thought that "choosy mom's choose JIF." I have very rarely bought another brand. I'm oh so loyal.

So, why make homemade peanut butter if I love JIF so much? I have this thing for making everything from scratch that I possible can. Over the past few years we have been trying to get away from processed foods as much as we can. It is much healthier, gives the consumer more control over what goes in the food and it's down right satisfying knowing that you can provide for your family like that.

I've made peanut butter once or twice before and haven't been overly thrilled with the results, so I stuck with the brand name stuff. But, I was pumped about it again when I read about making honey roasted peanut butter, which I have tried before and practically fell flat on my face it was so good. I think I'm ready now to replace that jar of JIF in my cupboard for good with the homemade stuff...and that's saying a lot!

This is a super simple recipe and you don't even need a high-powered blender to make it. You can use a regular blender or a food processor with a chopper blade as well.

Homemade Honey Roasted Peanut Butter
1 lb. raw peanuts* (a scant 3 cups)
1-2 Tbsp. honey
1/2 tsp. salt
2-3 Tbsp. coconut oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine peanuts, honey and salt. Spread out on a cookie sheet and bake for about 15-20 minutes, stirring half-way through. Remove from oven and cool slightly.


Place peanuts in a blender or food processor with a chopping blade and blend for about a minute. Scrape sides down and blend for another minute or so.



Scrape sides again and add coconut oil, 1 tablespoon at at time and blend until desired consistency is reached. Check flavor and adjust honey and salt as necessary.



Store in an airtight container for about 2 months in the fridge.

*According to Alton Brown, Spanish peanuts are good for making peanut butter because they have a higher oil content, so that is what I've used. You can choose to leave the skins on or off. I've left them on.

SOURCE: A Sweet Pea Chef

Penne Pasta with Smoked Ham and Pepper Cream Sauce

I thought I would pull this out of the archives and give it a face lift. This is one of our family's most beloved pasta dishes and we have been eating it for I don't know how many years. If I'm remembering correctly, this recipe came from a pasta book my mom gave my older brother in college YEARS ago and all three of our families continue to make, eat and LOVE it.

Spring is the perfect time of year to pull out this pasta. Ham is usually on sale often and sweet bell peppers are in season. It's also quick and easy and although it does have cream it's not a heavy dish, but definitely satisfying!

Penne Pasta with Smoked Ham and Pepper Cream Sauce
1 1/2 cups ham, cubed
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1-2 fresh jalapeno or ancho chili peppers, seeded and finely minced
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup white cooking wine
2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 lb. Penne pasta
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

In a large frying pan over medium heat, saute the ham until slightly golden.  Remove ham and add red and yellow peppers and spicy peppers.  Saute until crisp tender; 3-4 minutes. Remove peppers from pan and deglaze with the wine.

Add chicken broth and reduce to 1/3 cup over high heat.  Add heavy cream and reduce over high heat about another 5 minutes, or until desired consistency. (Keep a careful watch so it doesn't boil over.) Taste and season with salt and pepper.  Add the ham and peppers back in and reheat.

Meanwhile heat a large stock pot full of water to a boil.  Add pasta and cook to al dente, according to package directions.  Drain.

Place hot pasta into a large serving bowl and pour sauce over it.  Toss well.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Let sit about 5 minutes to allow sauce to thicken up a bit.  Sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.

S'mores Brownies (Take Two)

Man, we haven't even hit the first day of summer and I'm already craving s'mores. S'mores are one of my most favorite summer treats and I love eating them all summer long. I love that you can throw them in the microwave if you want to do it quick, put them over the grill when you don't have a camp fire around or even use a kitchen torch (which I have done more often than I care to admit!).

Last summer I made s'mores all sorts of ways to curb that craving: s'mores pancakes, s'mores cake in a jar, s'mores pops, and s'mores ice cream. Even before that I made these delectable s'mores bars, as well as s'mores cookies and a different s'mores brownie. Oh, and the s'mores addiction doesn't end there. Thanks to pinterest, I have yet to try the s'mores truffles, turnovers, rice crispie treats, pudding, cupcakes... and oh my gosh, does it ever end? I don't think I'll ever get tired of those things.

The other day I was going to make s'mores with my girls and it ended up not happening, but I still wanted them! I opened my pantry to find a box of brownies, some mini marshmallows, some milk chocolate chips and graham crackers and the wheels in my head started turning. Luckily, thanks to google, I didn't have to reinvent the wheel and found a recipe rather quickly that embodied what I had envisioned.

These brownies were exactly what I had in mind and they were absolutely perfect. I love the crumbly buttery graham cracker crust on the bottom, and the milk chocolate on top of the brownies. When it comes to me and chocolate, it's usually the darker the better. But, when it comes to s'mores, you HAVE to use milk chocolate to get the right taste. You just have to ok?


S'mores Brownies
For the crust:
7 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (8 or 9 whole graham crackers)
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
pinch of salt

For the brownies:
Your favorite recipe or box mix to fit an 8x8 or 9x9-inch pan

For the topping:
1 cup milk chocolate chips
2 cups mini marshmallows
about 1/4 cup of graham cracker crumbs (1 whole cracker, crumbled)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 8x8-inch pan with foil so it hangs over the edges a bit. Spray with nonstick spray.

Prepare crust: In a medium bowl, mix butter with crumbs, sugar and salt. Press crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake until golden; about 10 minutes.

Prepare and bake brownies according to directions.

Remove pan from oven. Turn up heat on the oven to broil. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the brownie, then top with the marshmallows. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs on top.

Place pan back into the oven. Toast under the broiler until golden- KEEP AN EYE ON IT- it can go from golden to burned in a matter of seconds. 1 to 2 minutes under the broiler should be plenty.

Cool for a few minutes, then use foil to remove brownies from the pan and set on a cutting board. Carefully pull the sides of the foil away from the marshmallows and brownies. Cut brownies into squares. Helpful tip: Use a large, WET & SHARP KNIFE to cut the brownies. Slice through the brownie, then clean the knife and slice through again with a clean, wet knife. Keep cleaning off the knife after each cut for the cleanest cuts.


SOURCE: Slightly adapted from RecipeGirl

Strawberry Balsamic Bacon Pizza

So, um, prepare to have your socks knocked off, mm-kay! What an unlikely combination, this pizza is; strawberries, cilantro, bacon, balsamic vinegar and a few other things. I was completely intrigued by this pizza and I happened to have every single ingredient the day I stumbled upon this recipe. So, as any good food blogger would do, I made it-like immediately, that very day!

Unfortunately, the power went out the first time I made this pizza (right as I was putting it in the oven), and although it tasted wonderful, the crust didn’t turn out quite right because it was only being cooked with the residual heat left in the oven. Well, I had no problem making it again, in fact I could hardly wait.

Now is still a great time to get strawberries in season, so I suggest you make this pizza rapido!! Your family and your belly will thank you.

So, without further ado, here are the cast of characters.....

Doesn't it look pretty all put together? I love all the colors! Colorful food is yummy food in my book.

Strawberry Balsamic Bacon Pizza
For the sauce:
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
½ cup good quality strawberry jam or preserves
1 Tbsp. sriracha sweet chili sauce

To assemble:
1 ball pizza dough
olive oil, for brushing
1 cup shredded or diced cooked chicken
4 slices bacon, diced and cooked until crisp
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
4 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
2 oz. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2-3 Tbsp. minced fresh cilantro
Scant 1/2 cup hulled strawberries, small-diced


Add the balsamic vinegar to a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and let cook 4-5 minutes or until reduced by about half with a thick, syrupy texture. In a small bowl, combine the balsamic reduction with the strawberry jam and sriracha chili sauce. Set aside.

To make the pizza, heat the oven to 500˚ F and preheat a pizza stone. Roll out the pizza dough into a 12-14 inch round. Lightly brush the perimeter of the dough with olive oil. Spread the balsamic-strawberry mixture in a thin layer over the crust. Layer with the chicken, bacon, onion, cheeses, cilantro, and strawberries.

Transfer the pizza to the preheated pizza stone and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the crust is lightly browned, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before slicing and serving.


SOURCE:Slightly adapted from Annie's Eats, originally from The Cafe Sucre Farine

Spicy Basil Chicken with Sweet Peppers and Snow Peas

I cook a lot of Asian and Thai-style dishes, partly because they don't use dairy, but mostly because they are so delicious! I have really grown to love this style of food.

As you know from my last post, I was looking for anything and everything that I could make using fresh basil. The stuff just speaks to me. I walk by it in the grocery store and I JUST CANNOT RESIST! So, when I came upon this recipe recently, I knew I would have to make it soon.

Let me tell you, this is not your mamma's chicken and rice dinner!

If you have never used fish sauce, don't be intimidated! I was for a while. And then even after I bought a bottle and opened it up I wondered if it really would taste good, because, honestly it doesn't smell that good by itself. There's something about it though when you add it in Asian dishes. It magically transforms them, deepening the flavor and giving it that salty bite. Be warned though, don't be heavy handed...a little goes a long way.

The dish is balanced out with a little sweet and spicy from the sweet chili sauce and, of course that pop from the fresh basil added in at the very end.

Spicy Basil Chicken with Sweet Peppers and Snow peas
olive oil
1/4 cup onion, finely diced
2 red bell peppers
1/2 lb snow peas, trimmed and cut in half, if desired
3 garlic cloves, minced
6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 Tbsp. fish sauce
4 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp. sweet chili sauce
2 tsp. water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 cup sliced basil leaves

Thai Coconut Rice (omit cilantro for this recipe)

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Drizzle olive oil and swirl to coat. Add onion and saute until soft and translucent, about 3-4 minutes, then add peppers and peas and saute another 3-4 minutes, until they are crisp-tender. Add garlic to pan during the last 30 seconds or so of cooking. Remove veggies to a plate and set aside.

Add another drizzle of olive oil to the pan and let it heat up. Add the chicken pieces and cook until chicken is no longer pink. While chicken is cooking, combine fish sauce and the next 4 ingredients in a small bowl Stir with a whisk to combine.

Return veggies to the pan with the chicken and add fish sauce mixture. Cook for 1 minute or until mixture thickens, stirring to coat chicken and veggies. Remove from heat. Stir in basil. Serve warm with Thai Coconut Rice.


SOURCE: Adapted from Cooking Light on myrecipes.com

Italian Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

So, I recently had a birthday. For once, it took me a while to decide what kind of cake I wanted to make, but I had no problem deciding what I wanted to make for dinner. It was easy, anything and everything with fresh basil! I swear that stuff is completely intoxicating to me. I love the smell, I love the bright taste and how it perfectly accents so many dishes.

Salads are one of my most favorite things to eat for lunch or dinner and I especially love making my own dressings to go with them. So as part of my meal, I decided to make this Italian salad with a basil vinaigrette. The salad itself, although wonderful, is pretty traditional, but the vinaigrette is brilliant! What better way to get that basil-y goodness jam-packed into every bite than to whiz it up in the dressing? I loved it, slurped it and doused my salad in it. De-lish!


Italian Salad with Basil Vinaigrette
For the salad:
1 head romaine lettuce
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 yellow bell pepper, julienned
2 tomatoes on the vine, (sliced, diced or chopped)
1/2 small red onion, very thinly sliced
olives (black or kalamata)
croutons (optional)
grated Parmesan cheese

For the vinaigrette:
Handful of basil leaves (about 1/3 cup)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 clove of garlic
1 tsp sugar, to taste
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Prepare the salad ingredients and place in a large salad bowl, topping with croutons and grated Parmesan cheese.

To prepare the vinaigrette, you can do it one of two ways. Most of the time, I like to just put all my ingredients in a small mason jar, put the lid on and shake it up. However, I wanted the basil to be chopped up more than a rough chop so it would be more evenly distributed throughout the dressing, so I put it in my little Cuisinart and blended it up real well.

Serve over salad. Enjoy!


SOURCE: For the Love of COoking

Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Spicy Broccoli

This right here is my kind of meal. It's healthy, quick and easy, and with just a few ingredients. It's also something my kids would eat and that I would enjoy as well. Broccoli is one of my girls' most favorite veggies and what kid doesn't like noodles? It was a thumbs up all around!

Because of it's simplicity, this dish is pretty adaptable. You can add some cooked meat (grilled chicken, bacon, Italian sausage or ham). You can also pump up the veggie factor by adding in sauteed mushrooms and onions, grape tomatoes or really whatever you'd like. I can't wait to try this again.

Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Spicy Broccoli
2 large crown of broccoli
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
Salt
1/2 pound (8 ounces) whole wheat, whole grain or regular spaghetti
1/2 cup Parmesan, shredded, or to taste


Bring a large stock pot full of water to a boil.

Cut the he stalks off the broccoli and cut the florets into bite-size pieces. Set aside.

Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, and sauté about 1 minute. Turn off the heat, and stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt.

When the water comes to a boil, drop the pasta and cook until the almost al dente, about 5 minutes, then add the broccoli.
Continue cooking until the pasta is al dente and the broccoli is tender, about 2 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid.

Add the spaghetti and broccoli to the skillet and toss over high heat. Add the reserved cooking liquid to moisten the dish. Divide into bowls, top with cheese, and serve immediately.


SOURCE: Ezra Pound Cake

Baked Chicken and Roasted Red Pepper Taquitos

I guess I still have Cinco de Mayo on the brain from last week because I keep thinking of Mexican-style meals to make. It's a good thing though, because we love Mexican food here and I don't make it enough!

I am always looking for quick and healthy meals that a) don't involve a lot of dairy and b) don't involve a lot of meat. I saw a version a of these taquitos a while ago and knew with some tweaking they would be a new family favorite. I love the combination of beans, corn and chicken with Mexican flavors. The roasted red pepper was a great addition that lends a unique flavor and the spinach and cilantro not only pump up the health factor, they add great color and eye appeal! If you don't have roasted red pepper, you can roast your own (tip below) or just use fresh and saute it with the onion.

You'll want to add these to your dinner rotation soon! Tasty and quick to prepare, they make a perfect weeknight meal.

Baked Chicken and Roasted Red Pepper Taquitos
olive oil
1/2 small onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp. cumin
pinch cayenne pepper (optional, especially if you have little mouths to feed)
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup chicken, cooked and chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn, un-thawed
*1 roasted red pepper, small-diced
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 cups fresh spinach, washed and chopped
1/4 cilantro, chopped
1 cup shredded cheese (Monterrey or Pepper Jack, Mexican blend, etc.)
12 8-inch whole wheat tortillas

In a large skillet, heat a good drizzle of olive oil (about a tablespoon). Add onion and saute over medium heat until soft and translucent. Add garlic, cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper and saute about 30 seconds. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the cheese, and stir to coat evenly with the spices. Cook until the chicken broth has just about evaporated completely. Turn off the heat, but keep pan on burner and stir in the spinach and cheese. The residual head from the burner with wilt the spinach and melt the cheese. Add cilantro just before filling taquitos.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Wrap tortillas in a clean kitchen towel and warm them in the microwave for about 30-60 seconds. Spray a large baking sheet, such as a cookie sheet, with cooking spray. Lay one tortilla at a time on a large plate. Scoop about 1/4-1/3 cup filling across the bottom third of the tortilla. Roll it up, leaving the ends open. Place on cookie sheet, seam side down. Repeat with remaining filling and tortillas.

Once all the taquitos have been assembled, brush the tops with olive oil and bake for about 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. (This would also work as a great freezer meal. You could stop before brushing the tops with olive oil, cover the cooking sheet with plastic wrap and freeze. Once frozen, remove taquitos from cookie sheet and place in a zip-top freezer bag. When you're ready to bake, remove desired amount of taquitos, brush with olive oil and bake about 5 minutes longer.)

Serve warm with desired garnished: fresh lime, sour cream, guacamole, salsa

*To make your own roasted red peppers, cut fresh red peppers in half removing stem and seeds, and place them on a cookie sheet. Place under the broiler until they are mostly black and charred. Remove from oven and immediately place in a bowl with a lid or a paper bag. Once they are cooled, remove as much of the skin as you can (sometimes it's tricky and it doesn't all come off, but it's not a big deal). Use immediately, refrigerate for 3-5 days or freeze. If you plan to freeze them, I suggest you portion them into 1-2 peppers pr baggie. I usually place each pepper in a little sandwich bag, then place all the sandwich bags into a larger zip-top freezer bag so they are all together.


SOURCE: Adapted from Savour the Senses

Cinco de Mayo Round-Up

If you still need some last minute ideas to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, or if you just like Mexican food, I've rounded up some of my favorites for you! (Beware though, some of these posts are OLD!)


Dinner
Baked Chimichangas
Chicken Enchiladas
Chicken Tacos with Mango Salsa
Chiles Rellenos with Mexican Tomato Sauce
Chipotle Bean Tostadas
Tortilla Soup with Southwest Cabbage Slaw
Chipotle Lime Shrimp
Crockpot Tamales
Cafe Rio Style Sweet and Spicy Shredded Pork
Cilantro Lime Rice
Spanish Rice
Posole

Dessert
Arroz con Leche
Dulce de Leche Banana Trifle
Pina Colada Ice Cream
Cinnamon-Honey Ice Cream
Tres Leches Cake
Chocolate Chipotle Cupcakes with Chili Chocolate Ganache
Pastel Frio

Dressings and Sauces
Dulce de Leche
Tomatillo Salsa
Tomatillo Dressing

Baked Chimichangas

Chimichangas are one of my most absolute favorite Mexican foods. My mom has been making these as long as I can remember and they have been the star of many a family gathering. So a little while back I got the hankering for some chimichangas and actually thought I could find a better recipe. So I looked and looked and found a recipe I thought would be good. Well, it got rave reviews and it was good, but it wasn't THIS good. It didn't really compare to my mom's recipe. So, I will never search for another chimichanga recipe again! This is my go-to; perfectly seasoned, wonderful taste!

If you're looking for a main dish to celebrate Cinco de Mayo look no further! These will be the star of your feast. They are easy to throw together, can be made a day in advance and they still get that flaky, crispy outer layer, resembling it's fried form, but healthier since it's baked.

Baked Chimichangas
for the Mexican Meat Mix:
2 lb. beef roast
1-2 cups beef broth
olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
1 4-oz. can chopped green chiles
1 7-oz. can tomatillo salsa (salsa verde)
2 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp. cumin
3 Tbsp. flour
juices from roast
salt & pepper

for the chimichangas
12 8-inch flour tortillas
sour cream
roma tomatoes, diced
salsa
lettuce, shredded
guacamole

Set out a crock pot large enough to fit your roast. Turn on low.

Heat a small drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high. Generously season both sides of roast with salt and pepper and place in skillet. Brown on all sides. Place browned roast into warm crock pot and add beef broth until it reaches about half way up the roast; between 1-2 cups. Cook on low for about 6-8 hours. Alternately you could put the roast in a roasting pan in the oven at about 275 degrees F for about 2-3 hours.

Once roast is cooked, remove meat to a large platter, reserving juices. Shred meat and set aside. In a large skillet, over medium heat, add a drizzle of olive oil. Add onions and saute until translucent. Add garlic and saute about 30 seconds, then sprinkle with flour and saute another minute or so. Add green chiles, tomatillo salsa and cumin, then reserved meat and juices (should be around 1 1/2 cups-feel free to add more broth if you don't have many drippings). Cook about 5 minutes, until it has thickened. Cool slightly.

*Preparing the Mexican Meat Mix can be done a day in advance to minimize time spent in the kitchen during dinner prep.

To assemble the chimichangas: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Warm tortillas in the microwave about 20-30 seconds so they are pliable when rolling. Spread about 1/4 - 1/3 cup Mexican Meat Mix on lower third of tortilla. Fold bottom edge up over filling, then fold sides toward center and roll up the rest of the way. Place on greased baking sheet and continue with remaining meat mix and tortillas. Brush the tops of each chimichanga with olive oil and bake about 20-30 minutes or until lightly golden.

Serve on top of a bed of shredded lettuce. Top with your choice of garnishes: sour cream, chopped fresh tomatoes, salsa, guacamole, cheese, olives, etc.

*These freeze very well. Once you are done rolling them all up, stop there and place them in a zip-top freezer bag. When you're ready to bake, continue with the rest of the instructions, baking slightly longer to account for them being frozen.

Arroz con Leche

Have you ever heard that children's song that goes, "Arroz con leche, me quiero casar, con una senorita de san Nicolas. Que sepa coser, que sepa bordar, que sepa abrir la puerta para ir a jugar." Well, probably not if you don't speak Spanish. That song goes through my head every once in a while and it makes me want to make rice pudding, or as it directly translates, rice with milk. This is a treat that I often enjoyed while living in South America many years ago. We ate it plain and simple, no special ingredients, just rice, milk, sugar and a little cinnamon. Sometimes we'd put a little dollop of dulce de leche on top and boy, was that ever delicious!

Even though I am not Mexican, have never been to Mexico and have no distant relatives there I still love the food; simple yet delicious. And I love celebrating Cinco de Mayo. To get you in the mood for Cinco de Mayo this weekend, I've given in to the little song in my head and made this treat so I could share it with you. Hope you enjoy!

Arroz con Leche
8 cups whole milk (2% is ok)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup rice (medium or short grain is nice if you have it)
1/2 cup sugar

Dulce de Leche (optional)

In a sauce pan, slowly heat the milk, salt and cinnamon stick. Bring to a low simmer. Add the rice and sugar and stir. Continue cooking the rice for about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring about every 5 minutes to prevent sticking and burning on the bottom.

Remove from heat and ladle into individual custard cups. Top with dulce de leche and sprinkle with additional cinnamon.


SOURCE: Cannelle et Vanille