Caprese Bites
Nothing says summer quite like fresh basil, tomatoes and mozzarella. Summer feels so close, especially with only nine regular school days left! I can almost taste it.
This is a beautiful, tasty appetizer that is impressive yet simple. Serve with a small bowl of balsamic vinegar and you are ready to go. Perfect to munch on while dinner is on the grill, or to take to a summer barbecue. Enjoy.
Caprese Bites
from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Ingredients
1/2 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half
a handful of fresh basil leaves
4 oz. fresh mozzarella, sliced into small pieces
1-2 dozen long toothpick skewers
Preparation
Slice tomatoes in half, being careful not to cut on a diagonal or else your skewer will be crooked.
On a long toothpick, slide a piece of mozzarella.
Add a leaf of basil, folded in half.
Finish with half a tomato, cut side down.
Make sure the toothpick doesn't stick out too far, so the bottom of the tomato is the base.
Serve with a small bowl of balsamic vinegar, for dipping.
Yields 1-2 dozen bites.
Key Lime Pie with Meringue Topping
I wasn't planning on making this pie. I was planning on spending my afternoon catching up on laundry, working out, and cleaning the porches of our house. However…I ran across a bag of key limes on my trip to the grocery store, and I was intrigued. I've never used key limes before and to be honest, didn't know there was a difference between a key lime and a regular lime!
The bag of tiny limes was only $2.99 so I added them to my cart. Once at home, I was ready to find a use for these little guys. After much googling and searching of my favorite cooking blogs, I decided to make a key lime pie. I couldn't find one that sounded perfect so I combined three: Emeril's crust (with a slight change), Two Peas & Their Pods' filling, and Paula Deen's meringue topping.
Don't let that pale yellow fool you, this lime filling packs a punch!
What started as a big experiment turned out delicious, and not really that complicated. Sometimes it's good to throw the productive plans out the window and try something new!
Key Lime Pie with Meringue Topping
Inspired from Emeril, Two Peas & Their Pod, and Paula Deen
Ingredients
For the Crust
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about one sleeve of crackers)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 TBS of butter, melted
1/4 cup coconut
For the Filling
3/4 cup key lime juice (from about 20 key limes)
1 TBS zest of key lime
4 egg yolks
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
For the Meringue
4 egg whites
6 TBS sugar
1/2 tsp. cornstarch
a pinch of salt
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a food processor or blender, process the graham crackers until you have small crumbs.
Combine crumbs, sugar, melted butter and coconut in a medium bowl.
Press firmly onto the bottom and sides of a 9 inch pie plate.
Bake until brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature.
Reduce oven temperature to 325.
Meanwhile, juice and zest your limes and separate your eggs.
In a small bowl add sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, zest and egg yolks.
Stir with a whisk until combined. Let it sit for a couple minutes to thicken, then stir again.
Once crust is cooled, place the filling into the pie plate. Bake until filling is set, about 15 minutes.
While filing is baking, make the meringue.
Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form.
In a second small bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch and salt.
Add the sugar mixture to the egg whites about 2 TBS at a time. Continue to beat the egg whites between additions.
Beat until sugar dissolves and the meringue is stiff.
Take the pie from the oven and spoon the meringue over the hot filling.
Return the pie to the oven and bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Chicken Involtini with Prosciutto and Basil
I love grilling. Up until recently we lived in an apartment within the city limits of Atlanta, and it's apparently a felony offense to grill on an apartment balcony! Not wanting to go to jail over some delicious meat, we put the grill away for awhile. But now we live in a house (our house!) and we can do whatever we want on our awesome screened in porch! We've been a bunch of grilling fools ever since.
This yumminess was a huge hit. It's a delicious way to dress up your average (boring) chicken breast with a ton of flavor.
A couple notes:
1) The recipe called for butcher's twine. I couldn't find any at my local grocery store, and being too lazy to travel to another store, improvised with longish toothpicks. They worked fine, although they did make the chicken look like torture devices:
I think the butcher's twine would keep everything tighter and lock in the yummy flavor better. Next time I'll overcome my laziness and actually drive to another store.
2) The thinner you can get the chicken breast, the better. It will be easier to roll up and will require less toothpicks! (I don't want you to scare away any guests.)
3) The original recipe called for serving the chicken rolls over warmed tomato sauce. We didn't eat it that way, but it would be a delicious and impressive addition.
Those are my thoughts! This is a great, simple recipe that is so tasty. Give it a try, but don't risk a felony charge!
Chicken Involtini with Prosciutto and Basil
from Weber's Way to Grill by Jamie Purviance
Ingredients
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or enough to feed your family)
6 thin slices of prosciutto
6 slices provolone cheese
10-12 large basil leaves
salt and pepper
tomato sauce, if desired
Special equipment: butcher's twine or long toothpicks, about 4 inches
Preparation
Heat grill to medium heat.
Loosely wrap each chicken breast in saran wrap. Leave about 2 inches around all edges of chicken so it can spread out while it gets thinner.
Using a mallet or heavy skillet, gently pound the chicken until about 1/4 inch thick. Don't pound too hard or you might break apart the chicken.
Season each piece of chicken with salt and pepper.
Lay a slice of prosciutto on each piece, then a slice of provolone, then 2-3 basil leaves.
Roll up the chicken carefully, keeping it as tight as possible. Secure with butcher's twine or long toothpicks.
Grill chicken over direct medium heat with the lid closed as much as possible.
Turn every three minutes, until each side is golden brown, about 12 minutes total.
Let the chicken rest for several minutes. Remove twine or toothpicks.
If desired, serve over warmed tomato sauce.
Big Apple Pancake
Have you ever had a day like Alexander's? A terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day? Have you ever thought about just moving to Australia to escape your problems? I had one of those this week. It was so bad that I came home and wanted to eat ice cream. Lots of it.
Instead I made a giant apple pancake. YUM. There's not many things that can soothe the pain of a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day; but a giant apple pancake came pretty darn close. How could it not- crisp, tasty apples sautéed in butter and cinnamon, then baked with a light batter until golden and puffy, and dusted with powered sugar? I kind of want to go make another one.
Here's hoping that you don't encounter any days like mine or Alexander's. If you do though, remember there's always a big apple pancake ready to make it seem a little better.
Big Apple Pancake
from Gourmet, Nov. 2004 via epicurious.com
Ingredients
2 TBS unsalted butter
1 large or 2 medium sweet apples, like Gala
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup all purpose flour
3 TBS granulated sugar
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
cinnamon to taste
powdered sugar for dusting
Preparation
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Melt butter in a 10 inch oven proof skillet, such as a cast iron.
Transfer half of the butter to a small bowl.
Add apples to the skillet and sprinkle with cinnamon.
Sauté until soft and tender, about 3 to 5 minutes.
While apples are cooking add flour, milk, sugar, salt, vanilla and eggs to the bowl with butter.
Whisk until combined.
When apples are soft and tender, pour batter into the skillet.
Transfer skillet to the oven and bake until puffed and golden, about 15 minutes.
Dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately.
Note: this batter is light and airy, almost like crepe batter. It is not your thick, American pancake but delightfully light.
For a less eggy texture, only use 2 eggs.
Lemony Orzo Salad
My mom taught me to make colorful meals. A plate popping with green, yellow and red will always be more healthy than a plate covered with only white or cream colored food. Incorporating color into meals is so easy this time of year and one of my favorite things about the warmer seasons.
You can't go wrong with fresh, colorful ingredients like these!
A dear friend came to visit while we were on spring break last week and we munched on this salad for several meals. It's healthy, tasty and full of color. There's something wonderful about sitting on the porch in beautiful spring weather enjoying fresh veggies! The orzo is really just a complement to the vegetables, as is the dressing. Cut back on the orzo if it begins to overpower the amount of vegetables you have.
Lemony Orzo Salad
adapted from Cooking Light, March 2000
Ingredients
1 zucchini
4-5 mini red or orange bell peppers (or 1 large of each color)
handful of grape tomatoes
handful of spinach
1 green onion, green part only
3/4 cup cooked orzo
feta cheese to taste
1 1/2 TBS olive oil
3/4 TBS balsamic vinegar
juice of 1/2 of a lemon
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
Cook orzo according to package directions.
After cooking, drain and rinse with cool water.
Meanwhile, chop peppers into small pieces.
Slice zucchini, then quarter each slice.
Remove stems from spinach, then roughly chop.
Slice green onions and halve grape tomatoes.
Combine all vegetables in a medium sized bowl.
Mix together dressing: olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and salt and pepper.
Add cooled orzo to vegetables, stir gently to combine.
Top with feta and dressing.
Rhubarb Fool
Spring is finally here! With spring some normalcy has returned to my life. The past two months have been a whirlwind of closing on our first house, packing, moving, unpacking, working, traveling, and getting settled into our new home. I am thankful to finally have the kitchen unpacked, and feel at home in my new space.
These beautiful tulips were a house warming present from my dear friend Allison. Aren't they so colorful? I love tulips.
I also love all the fresh fruits and veggies that are making their way into the markets. Spring and summer foods are my favorites- tangy, sweet and full of flavor.
The opportunity to try a new rhubarb recipe came this week when my husband had sinus surgery. His throat is still pretty raw so I've been feeding him things like soup and popsicles. I came across this recipe from Gourmet and knew it would be a perfect sweet treat, with the right consistency to soothe my husband's throat.
This is delicious! Sweet, tangy and light as air, it's a perfect spring or summer dessert. Not too filling but satisfying enough to make anyone happy. Serve it in fancy parfait cups or wine glasses, or just eat it shamelessly out of the mixing bowl. No judgement from me, I promise.
Rhubarb Fool
from Gourmet
Ingredients
5 cups rhubarb, chopped
slightly less than 1 cup sugar
3 TBS water
3/4 tsp. vanilla
1 cup heavy cream
Preparation
In a medium sized pot, bring the rhubarb, water and sugar to a boil over medium heat. Let it boil for about 5 minutes.
Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally until rhubarb begins to break down.
Once the rhubarb is completely broken down and reduced to a thick sauce, after about 20 minutes, remove from heat.
Add in vanilla and stir.
Transfer to a bowl and chill for an hour, or until cold.
Once chilled, whip the heavy cream using a mixer until thick and fluffy but not quite stiff.
Fold the rhubarb sauce into the cream using a spatula.
Don't feel the need to completely incorporate it, leave some pink swirls.
Divide into small bowls or glasses.
Serve chilled.
Yields 4-6 servings.
Roasted Veggies & Black Bean Burritos
I find myself constantly caught in the conundrum of wanting to buy organic, grass-fed, un-inhanced meat yet also wanting to save money. I hate buying meat that is loaded with chemicals and preservatives, but I also am rather frugal and hate paying through the nose for better quality meat. Does anyone else have the same problem? What to do?!
Eat less meat.
Now before you assume I'm jumping on the vegetarian bandwagon, let me assure you that I love meat as much as your average carnivore. There's nothing more satisfying than a perfectly grilled hamburger or even a great steak. Mmm…However, I'm constantly battling the desire for a great hamburger with the cost of buying good quality meat. So until our budget lends itself to more extravagant grocery shopping habits (hah!), I've decided to cut back in the meat department. The meat I do buy will be organic and better quality than the cheap stuff.
One thing I've realized about serving vegetarian meals is that if they are full of flavor, the meat is often not even missed. This particular dish was okay the first time I made it, maybe a little bland. I was determined to have this be a winner so tweaked some of the spices and added more jalapeños for the hubby, which sealed the deal. A little more spice and flavor and no one missed the meat! Fabulous.
This is a perfect winter meal, and one that makes a ton for leftovers or lunch meals during the week. You can even eat it without a burrito, as I prefer to do when taking it to school for lunch.
Roasted Veggies & Black Bean Burritos
adapted from Aggie's Kitchen
Ingredients
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed small
1 red pepper, cubed small
1 yellow pepper, cubed small
1 red onion, diced small
2 jalapeños, diced (use less or more depending on your taste)
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chipotle pepper
2 TBS. olive oil
salt and pepper
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 TBS lime juice
shredded cheddar
whole wheat tortillas or wraps
Preparation
Preheat oven to 425.
In a large bowl, toss veggies in olive oil and season with spices.
Place veggies on a large baking sheet (with a rim) and roast for 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
Meanwhile, rinse and drain a can of black beans. Place beans in a large bowl.
Remove veggies from oven, and let cool slightly. Add to the black beans.
Add lime juice, salt and pepper to taste. Combine gently.
You can either store the veggies and black beans for later use, or make baked burritos:
Place 2 heaping spoonfuls of burrito filling on a tortilla. Top with shredded cheese.
Wrap tortilla and place seam side down on a baking sheet.
Spray with non-stick spray (it makes the burrito nice and crunchy!)
Bake at 375 for about 15 minutes, until golden brown.
Makes 6-8 burritos.
Chocolate Pudding Cake
This is a magical recipe! Anyone who can explain the science of a pudding cake to me, please do. Basically you mix together one part of the recipe, then sprinkle on some sugar and cocoa, then pour boiling water over everything. Somehow while baking the top becomes cake and the bottom is pudding! No idea how it works, but I am fascinated by it every time.
I had pudding cake for the first time while I spent a summer in Mozambique when I was 15 year old. No, chocolate pudding cake is not considered a local food in the southern African nation of Mozambique. It was a staple on our team though, and an easy way to feed a crowd of hungry teenagers. Ever since that summer it's been a favorite in our family. Enjoy!
Chocolate Pudding Cake
originally from Teen Missions Intl.
Ingredients
For the base:
3/4 cup flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
3 TBS. cocoa
For the topping:
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 TBS cocoa
1 1/2 cup boiling water
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350.
Mix together all the ingredients for the base in a mixing bowl.
Beat for about 4 minutes until well mixed.
Pour into an 8" baking dish.
In a small bowl, stir together the sugars and cocoa for the topping.
Sprinkle over the chocolate mix in the baking dish.
Pour boiling water over everything. Do not stir!
Bake for 60 minutes. Batter will separate and you'll see the pudding bubbling up on the edges.
Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.
Sausage, Quinoa & Kale Crustless Quiche
I first heard of kale was several years ago. I was in the produce section of our local grocery store and a guy about my age approached me and asked if I could help him find kale. He had a frantic "someone gave me a shopping list with unknown ingredients on it" look about him. Unfortunately for him, I also had never heard of kale so wasn't much help. I googled it when I got home and bought some the next time I was at the store. It's a wonderful leafy green vegetable, packed full of beta carotene and other vitamins. Lately I've been throwing a handful into smoothies and adding it to stir fry.
This quiche is great for breakfast or dinner, and is really easy to throw together. I used leftover quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) that I had in the fridge and it made the process even faster. The original recipe didn't have sausage, but of course everything tastes better with sausage or bacon, at least according to my meat loving husband. The sweet Italian sausage added such a wonderful flavor that I don't think I could go back to the meatless version! If you do make it without meat, add a little more kale and use one less egg.
Sausage, Quinoa & Kale Crustless Quiche
adapted from Food 52
Ingredients
1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 bunch kale, stems removed and sliced
1 sweet onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 oz. cream cheese, cubed
5 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil, as needed
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a pie or quiche dish.
Brown the sausage in a skillet. Transfer to a large mixing bowl when completely cooked.
If necessary, add a little bit of olive oil to the pan. Add sliced onions and cook until soft and browned.
Transfer to the mixing bowl with the sausage.
Add the kale to the hot pan, and cook for 2 minutes or so, until slightly wilted and bright green.
Allow the kale to cool slightly, then add to the mixing bowl along with the cooked quinoa, garlic, cream cheese and cheddar cheese.
Stir ingredients well until evenly distributed.
In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs. Add salt and pepper.
Pour the eggs over the other ingredients and stir to incorporate. Spoon into the prepared dish.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top is golden and the edges are beginning to brown.
Serve hot.
Cranberry Applesauce
If you're like most people, you're still in some stage of detox from the holiday season. You may even be one of the hundreds of people who've joined my gym in the past two weeks and take up space on the cardio equipment. No hard feelings, I promise. I'm all about making healthy changes and I hope you stick with them. I'll even give you a healthy snack to add to your arsenal so you can fight against the urge to inhale leftover Christmas candy!
Adding cranberries kicks ordinary applesauce up a notch, both in flavor and in nutrients. Cranberries are rich with antioxidants and pack a punch when it comes to boosting your immune system. I can't go on any further about cranberries without posting this sketch from one of my favorite comedians, Brian Regan. Hilarious!
Cranberry Applesauce
adapted from Clean Food
Ingredients
6 apples, any variety
3/4 cup fresh cranberries, frozen or thawed
1 cup water
1/2 cup cranberry juice
2 TBS of brown sugar, or more to taste
1 cinnamon stick
Preparation
Peel and core apples, slice into eighths.
Put apples, cranberries, water and juice in a medium sized pot.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
Add cinnamon stick.
Simmer for 15-20 minutes until apples are soft and falling apart.
Taste and add brown sugar 1 TBS at a time until desired sweetness is reached.
Remove cinnamon stick, then carefully transfer applesauce to a blender or food processor.
(Or if you have an immersion blender, blend directly in the pot.)
Blend until smooth.
Serve warm or chilled.
Yields 1 quart.
