Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Baby Blueberry Pies

Pastry for a single crust pie

Filling:
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. cornstarch
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 400F. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out about 1/4″ thick and cut into 3″ rounds with a cookie cutter or glass rim; press into each of 12 muffin cups.

In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar and cornstarch to get rid of any lumps; add the berries and lemon juice and toss to coat. Fill shells. Bake until crusts are golden and filling is bubbly, about 25 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edge of each tart and remove while still warm; if they cool completely, any overflowing goo will cool and stick to the pan.

Makes 12 pies.

Recipe From: Dinner With Julie

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Peanut Butter Jumbos

1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4-1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup M&M's miniature baking bits

In a large mixing bowl, cream peanut butter, butter and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine oats and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and baking bits.

Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 12-14 minutes or until edges are browned. Remove to wire racks. Yield: 9 dozen.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Grilled Chicken with Lemon Basil Pasta

4 whole Grilled Chicken Breasts, Sliced
1 pound Penne Pasta, Cooked Until Al Dente
½ sticks Butter
4 whole Lemons, Juiced
½ cups Heavy Cream
½ cups Half-and-half
1-½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (or Romano)
Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
20 whole Basil Leaves, Chopped

Cook pasta, reserving 1 cup of hot pasta water when you drain. Set pasta aside in a colander.

In the same pot, melt butter over medium heat. Squeeze in the juice of 4 lemons. Whisk together. Pour in cream and half-and-heat. Whisk until hot. Dump in cheese and whisk until melted. Add salt and pepper. Check consistency, adding some of the hot pasta water to loosen the sauce if needed.

Pour pasta and sauce into a large serving bowl. Sprinkle remaining basil all over the top, then add sliced chicken breasts. Serve immediately!

Recipe From: Pioneer Woman

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Fresh Strawberry Lemonade

1 1/2 cup strawberries (hulled + halved)
1/4 cup agave nectar
2 1/2 cups fresh water
juice of 2 large lemons
extra strawberries for garnish

Blend strawberries, lemon juice and agave on high until quite smooth. Pour into a pitcher and add water. Whisk to combine and refrigerate until well chilled. Serve over ice and garnish each glass with a strawberry. Makes approximately 6 8 oz glasses. Note: Using only two lemons gives it that tart lemony flavor without having to add tons of sweetener. To get the most juice out of your lemon, put it in the microwave for 10 seconds before squeezing. If you want it more lemony, add the juice of 2 additional lemons (4 total) and another 1/4 cup of agave (1/2 cup total) to the blender before adding water.

Recipe From: Cooking with my kid

Easy Mac & Cheese

1/2 pound elbow macaroni (or penne)
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups lowfat milk
1 large egg
12 oz shredded cheddar
salt & fresh pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Boil pasta in olive oil to al dente (about 6 or 7 mins) and drain. Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium pot and whisk in the flour. Keep it moving so it doesn’t get lumpy. Begin to stir in the milk and let it simmer for 10 mins. Crack an egg in a separate dish. Temper the egg by taking a spoonful of milk mixture out of the pot, adding it to the egg and whisking. Do this a few more times until you’ve brought the egg to the same temperature as the milk. Then pour the egg (which now has 3 or 4 spoonfuls of milk in it) into the milk mixture. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper. Mix the macaroni (or penne) in with the cheese. Pour it into a 2-quart casserole dish and top with the remaining cheese. Bake for 30 minutes and then let it rest before serving. Serves 8.

Recipe From: Cooking with my kid

Garlic Bread

1 loaf French bread (sliced in half lengthwise)
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons garlic (minced)
¼ teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon basil
1/8 teaspoon seasoning salt
½ cup shredded Monterey jack cheese

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl beat butter and mayonnaise until smooth. Beat in parmesan cheese, garlic, oregano, basil and seasoning salt. Stir in Monterey Jack cheese.

Spread the mixture over the cut slices of bread. Place on a baking sheet.

Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Makes 10 servings.

Recipe From: BlogChef.net

Grilled Chicken Tostadas

Marinade:
½ c. fresh lime juice
¼ c. soy sauce
¼ c. vegetable oil
1 T. honey
2 tsp minced garlic
1 ½ tsp chili powder

Tostadas:
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
8 small corn tortillas (or flour tortillas)
1 ½ c. shredded Monterey jack cheese

Serve with:
monterey jack cheese, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, cilantro, green onions, tomatoes, lettuce, Spanish rice

Slice chicken breasts in half width-wise (so they are not quite so thick) and place in marinade overnight. Grill until no longer pink in the middle. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing into ½ inch strips.

Lightly brush tortillas with vegetable oil. Grill on each side until slightly brown. Before removing, sprinkle with 1 T. cheese and let melt.

Serve with additional toppings listed.

Recipe From: Sisters' Cafe

Baked Apple Doughnuts

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
1 egg (lightly beaten)
1 6 oz container of non fat vanilla yogurt
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 to 2 tablespoons honey
1 apple (diced small)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons sugar
powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss apples in cinnamon and sugar and set aside. In a large bowl whisk together all the dry ingredients. In another bowl stir together oil, lemon juice, honey, egg and yogurt. Make a hole in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the hole. Gently fold everything together until combined. Sprinkle apples into a greased donut pan and divide batter evenly in the pan. (I used the cooking spray that has flour in it but I think any kind would work.) The batter will be pretty thick and airy. We found it was easier to scoop it into the donut pan with our hands. Before baking be sure to clean off any stray dough around the circle so there’s a hole in the middle of the donut. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for a few moments and then flip over onto a cooling rack while still warm. Dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately! Makes 6 donuts.

Recipe From: Cooking with my kid

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Bacon Ranch Zucchini Kebabs

1 large zucchini, sliced into 1/2 inch slices then quartered
1 large yellow squash, also quartered
pinches of kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper
1 1/2 Tablespoons of Bacon drippings
1/2 teaspoon dry Ranch seasoning

Place all quartered zucchini and yellow squash into a large bowl. Season with salt, pepper, bacon drippings and Ranch seasoning. Mix to combine then alternate zucchini and yellow squash quarters onto skewers, about 8 total. Place onto grill and grill about 2 minutes per side. Remove and serve

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Broccoli Bacon Salad

SALAD:
2 heads fresh broccoli, washed and cut into bite-size flowerets
½ cup chopped red onion
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup slivered almonds
½ cup roasted sunflower seeds
½ – 1 cup crumbled bacon (approx. 6 to 8 slices for 1/2 cup and 12-16 slices for 1 cup) * I like mine with lots of bacon!

DRESSING:
1 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons white vinegar
⅓ cup sugar
½ teaspoon ground black pepper

If your local grocery store sells ingredients in a bulk bin, what I like to do is buy just what I need for 1 recipe. It’s often cheaper and you have no waste afterwords. Bulk bins are great for dried cranberries, nuts, sunflower seeds, etc. Most butcher cases also sell thick-quality bacon in bulk. Just tell them what you need!

Add broccoli, red onions, cranberries, almonds and sunflower seeds to a large bowl. Next, make the dressing by mixing mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, and pepper in a small bowl. Pour dressing over the broccoli salad and mix thoroughly. Transfer salad to a large plate or serving bowl. Finish the salad off by garnishing with the crumbled bacon. If you prefer a bacon free version, omit bacon and garnish with ¼ of cranberries and ¼ of slivered almonds. Enjoy!

Serves 8-10
Recipe From: Sweet Savory Life