Gingered Fruit Salad

This was from my dinner party last month that I forgot to post--so you get 2 recipes in 2 days..how lucky! In my opinion you could use any fruit you like or have on hand... Mine had apple, peach, nectarine, banana, mandarin oranges, grapes, and strawberries. I used strawberry-mango yogurt in my dressing.

Ingredients:
2 cups cubed cantaloupe
1 medium orange, peeled and sectioned
1 medium apple, cored and coarsely chopped
1 medium peach, peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup strawberries
1 8 oz carton fruit-flavored or vanilla yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger, or 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
lettuce leaves (optional)

In large bowl combine the cantaloupe, orange, apple, peach, blueberries, and strawberries. For dressing, stir together yogurt, mayonnaise, brown sugar, and ginger. If desired, line 4 salad plates with lettuce leaves. Divide the fruit among plates, Top each serving with dressing.

Hot Bean Dip

I made this to take to my dinner party last night...it was really good! I halved the recipe and put it in an 8x8 baking dish. I also used reduced fat cream cheese, reduced fat sour cream, and mozarella cheese in place of the pepper jack because I didn't have any, and it still tasted fantastic!

Ingredients
1 8oz package cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
2 16 oz cans refried beans
1/2 package taco seasoning mix
5 drops hot pepper sauce
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 8oz package cheddar cheese
1 8oz package monterey jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In medium bowl, blend cream cheese, sour cream, beans, taco seasoning, pepper sauce, parsley, green onions, and half the cheddar and monterey jack cheeses. Pour mixture into 9x13 baking dish and put remaining cheeses over top.  Bake 20-30  minutes or until cheese is slightly browned. Serve with tortilla chips.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

MMMM! It's October and you HAVE to celebrate the season with Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies! This recipe is easy and yummy and I found the secret to making BIG cookies. If you want to bake big cookies, only put 6 cookies on the sheet to bake (and for regular size cookies, you should only put 9). I don't know why, but it works.

Amy's Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1 cup pumpkin
1/2 cup oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups white flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions
1 Mix sugar, pumpkin, oil and egg.
2 Add vanilla.
3 Mix dry ingredients and then add to pumpkin mixture. I usually cheat and just add directly to pumpkin mixture.
4 Add chocolate chips and mix.
5 Spoon onto pans, cook at 375 for 10-12 minutes. Makes 30 cookies.

Nutrition Facts Serving Size 1 cookies 25g Recipe makes 30 cookies) Calories 119 Calories from Fat 50 (42%) Amount Per Serving %DV Total Fat 5.6g 8% Saturated Fat 1.6g 8% Monounsaturated Fat 2.2g Polyunsaturated Fat 1.5g Trans Fat 0.0g Cholesterol 7mg 2% Sodium 108mg 4% Potassium 45mg 1% Total Carbohydrate 17.0g 5% Dietary Fiber 0.6g 2% Sugars 9.8g Protein 1.3g 2% how is this calculated?

Caramel Apple Bars

I just found this recipe and haven't made them yet, but they sounded really good and I didn't want to lose the recipe! So if you make them before I do, let me know if they are good or not!

1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup shortening
1 3/4 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 1/2 cups coarsely chopped peeled tart apples (3 medium)
3 tablespoons Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1 bag (14 ounces) caramels



1. Heat oven to 400ºF. Mix brown sugar, butter and shortening in large bowl. Stir in 1 3/4 cups flour, the oats, salt and baking soda. Reserve 2 cups oat mixture; press remaining oat mixture in ungreased rectangular pan, 13x9x2 inches.
2. Toss apples and 3 tablespoons flour; spread over mixture in pan. Heat caramels over low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted; pour evenly over apples. Sprinkle with reserved oat mixture; press lightly.
3. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown and apples are tender. For 36 bars, cut into 6 rows by 6 rows while warm. Store covered in refrigerator.

Caprese Salad

I made this for my dinner group last week. I even used the "authentic" olive oil my mom brought me home from her trip to Israel.

4-6 roma tomatoes, sliced or 1-2 pints grape tomatoes
1 8 oz container mozzarella balls Ciliegine(cherry sized) are the ones I used
sea salt
cracked black pepper
fresh basil
extra virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar (optional)

Arrange tomatoes and mozzarella on a platter, drizzle olive oil (1-2 tablespoons) and balsamic vinegar over top. Salt and pepper to taste. Chop basil and sprinkle over top, arrange a few whole basil leaves for garnish. Serve immediately.

Chocolate Waffles

Brandon made these for breakfast today--they are really chocolatey and really good! They kind of taste like those chocolate muffins you get from Costco (probably could be eaten as a dessert). Top with some whipped cream and some strawberries, yum!

This recipe came from Alton Brown, so all the measurements are by weight--so keep your scale handy!

7 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 1 1/2 cups
1 3/4 ounces sugar, approximately 3 tablespoons
1.5 ounces cocoa powder, approximately 1/2 cup
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 whole eggs, beaten
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
16 ounces buttermilk, room temperature
4 ounces chocolate chips, approximately 3/4 cup
Vegetable spray, for waffle iron

Directions:

Preheat waffle iron.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In another bowl beat together the eggs and melted butter and vanilla, and then add the buttermilk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir in the chocolate chips just until combined. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Ladle the recommended amount of waffle batter onto the center of the iron. Close the iron top and cook until the waffle is crispy on both sides and is easily removed from iron. Serve immediately or keep warm in a 200 degree F oven until ready to serve.

"Light" Zucchini Bread

If you live near someone with a garden, then you've probably had the grower try to pawn some of their zucchini off on you...it just keeps growing, and growing, and growing. Here's a good recipe to use it in!

Ingredients
· 3 cups all-purpose flour
· 1 teaspoon baking powder
· 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
· 1/2 teaspoon salt
· 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
· 1/2 cup egg substitute
· 1/3 cup canola oil
· 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
· 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
· 1 large egg, lightly beaten
· 1 1/2 cups sugar
· 3 cups shredded zucchini (12 ounces)
· 1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
· Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through baking soda) in a large bowl.
Combine egg substitute and next 4 ingredients (through egg) in a large bowl; add sugar, stirring until combined. Add zucchini; stir until well combined. Add flour mixture; stir just until combined. Stir in walnuts.
Divide batter evenly between 2 (8 x 4-inch) loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.

Dark Chocolate Mousse

I made this for dessert at our dinner group this month--modeled after that chocolate mousse shooter dessert at Applebees. I think it turned out pretty good, but it's very rich!

1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
1/3 cup boiling water
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup cocoa
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 pint cold whipping cream

Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in small bowl; let sit 2 minutes to soften. Add boiling water and stir until gelatin is completely dissolved, set aside and let sit until slightly warm or room temperature.

Meanwhile, in large bowl stir together cocoa and sugar. Add whipping cream and vanilla and beat on medium heat until thickened and stiff peaks--scraping sides and bottom of bowl occasionally throughout. Pour gelatin mixture into cream and beat until well blended. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

For serving:
Take 1 oreo cookie and scrape the filling out (not with your teeth, ha) and crumble it into the bottom of a small cup or bowl. Add a spoonful of the mousse and a dollup of whipped cream.

Makes 10-12 servings, depending on how big your spoonful is

What's the difference?

I was wondering what the difference between jams, jellies, butters, preserves, etc. were so I looked it up and thought I'd share!

Jam is a thick mixture of fruit, pectin, and sugar that is boiled gently but quickly until the fruit is soft and has an organic shape, yet is still thick enough that it spreads easily and can form a blob. In addition to being a spread, jams are also good for fillings.

Jelly is made from sugar, pectin, acid, and fruit juice and is a clear spread that is firm enough to hold its shape. Jellies can also be made from ingredients other than fruit, such as herbs, tea, wine, liqueurs, flowers, and vegetables.

Fruit butter is a smooth and creamy spread that is created by slow-cooking fruit and sugar until it reaches the right consistency; these types of spreads are not always translucent and are often opaque. Fruit butters are best used as a spread and a filling.

Preserves are spreads that have chunks of fruit surrounded by jelly.

Conserves are made with dried fruits and nuts and are cooked. They have a very thick and chunky texture. Conserves work very well as a spread and as a condiment for meats and cheeses.

Marmalade is a citrus spread made from the peel and pulp of the fruit. Marmalades are cooked for a long time and have no pectin, and are used as spreads and glazes.

So what's a gelée? It's just the French word for "jelly."

Banana Bread with cinnamon-sugar-nut filling

It's your lucky day because you are getting 2 recipes from me today! Here's the first one:

I was always searching for the best banana bread recipe--trying a new one every time and finally found this one. I've made it several times and it's been equally good each time so I figure I'm sticking with it!

1/2 Cup butter, softened
3/4 Cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 Cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 Cup smashed bananas (about 3-4 medium)
2 Cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
*

For filling combine:
1/2 Cup nuts (I like pecans, but walnuts would be good as well)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
4 Tbs. brown sugar

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs & vanilla, Add bananas and sour cream. Combine separately flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Gradually add to cream mixture.

Pour half of batter into greased loaf pan, spoon half of the filling over top. Pour rest of batter on top of that, and finally the last of the filling over very top. Bake at 350 degrees for 32-38 minutes. Put tinfoil over top during last half of cooking if top is getting too brown. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack.

*I like to add some cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and ginger to my batter because I like my banana bread a little "spicy."

Honey-glazed chicken stir-fry

There are 3 stir-fry recipes in my one of my favorite cookbooks, and this is my favorite of the 3.

12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast
2 Tablespoons honey
2 Tablespoons vinegar (I use rice wine or apple cider)
2 Tablespoons orange juice
4 teaspoons soy sauce
1 & 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 Tablespoons cooking oil
4 cups cut up veggies such as: broccoli, pepper, onion, mushrooms, snow peas, carrots, celery, etc. (I like to add water chestnuts and bamboo shoots as well)
2 cups hot cooked rice

Cut chicken into bite size strips; set aside. For sauce, in a small bowl stir together honey, vinegar, orange juice, soy sauce, and cornstarch; set aside.

Pour oil into a wok or large skillet. Heat over medium-high heat. Add vegetables to wok: cook and stir for 3-4 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove veggies from wok. Add chicken; cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Push chicken from center and pour sauce into the center. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.

Return veggies to wok. cook and stir about 1 minute more or until heated through. Serve over rice.

S'more S'mores Please!

S'Mores Cupcakes
Adapted from MarthaStewart.com
Makes 24 cupcakes

1 "Family Size" box Fudge Brownies
20 graham crackers
1 stick unsalted butter,melted
1/2 cup sugar
1 bag unsweetened mini chocolate chips
2 cans Marshmallow creme
2 Hershey Bars

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place 24 cupcake liners in muffin tins. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions for "cake like" brownies (3 eggs instead of 2). Set aside batter.Combine graham crackers and sugar in a food processor or blender and pulse until the crackers are crushed into small, even crumbs. Add melted butter and pulse again until mixture is crumbly but becomes firm when pressed.Drop 1 Tablespoon of graham cracker mixture into the bottom of each muffin cup and use a small glass to press them down until evenly spread and firm. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of chocolate chips on top of graham crust in each cupcake. Place cupcake pans in the oven for about 5 minutes to firm graham crusts and begin melting the chocolate.Remove pans from oven and fill each muffin cup with brownie batter until 3/4 of the way full. Sprinkle each cupcake with another teaspoon of chocolate chips and a Tablespoon of graham mixture. Place tins in the oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center cupcake comes out clean.Place muffin tins on a rack until the cupcakes are cooled. Meanwhile, fill a pastry bag or quart-sized zipper bag with marshmallow fluff. When cupcakes have cooled, pipe a small amount of frosting on top of each cake. Do not overfrost, as the fluff will ooze as it settles onto the cakes.Turn oven to broil setting and place muffin tins, one at a time, under broiler approximately 1 inch from the flame. Watch the cakes closely to make sure they puff and brown but do not burn. This may only take a few seconds! Shift tin as needed to make sure the marshmallow browns evenly. Repeat with the second tin. If desired, once cupcakes are completely cooled, top each with a piece of Hershey's chocolate.Serve with lots of napkins....or a hose.

Okay Kristen, I'm not TRYING to turn this blog into a diabetic's worst nightmare! These decadent little beasties are for a once a year special occasion--my daughter's 9th birthday. She's having a camping party in our backyard and serving s'mores at the party. But you can't stick a candle in a s'more--so I scoured the Internet for this recipe. They turned out every bit as yummy as they look, but I had lots of leftover graham cracker crumbs so maybe the recipe meant 20 SQUARES, not full crackers...

Mini Taco Bowls

For those of you who don't know, my neighbor and I take turns teaching a weekly cooking class to our collective 5 kids. This is what I taught today and since it goes along so nicely with Kristen's last post, I thought I would share. For dinner I made slightly bigger versions, using glass bowls on a cookie sheet. The muffin tins produced a crispier shell, so maybe I'll line the bowls with foil next time, Anyway, they were a big hit and super easy.

Now I need to buy some vanilla bean ice cream and combine this recipe with Kristen's and make yummy cinnamon-sugar ice cream bowls...maybe topped with fruit salsa!

Mini Taco Bowls

8 small flour tortillas

1 lb. extra lean ground beef

1 cup salsa

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups chopped lettuce

1 cup chopped tomatoes

1/4 cup Ranch Dressing

Heat oven to 350°F. Microwave tortillas on HIGH 30 sec. Press 1 tortilla into each of eight 2-1/2-inch muffin cups. Carefully fold back edges of tortillas, leaving opening in center of each for filling. Bake 10 min.

Meanwhile, brown meat in large skillet; drain. Stir in salsa; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 10 min. Spoon into tortilla bowls; top with remaining ingredients.

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips

So I am following up on my promise--here is the appetizer I'm going to make for my dinner party. This is so yummy and perfect for summer! I am omitting the white sugar it asks for because it is plenty sweet after using the brown sugar, fruit preserves, and then the chips being sugary as well. (You could even omit the brown sugar, but leave the preserves, it gives it great taste!) Also, you can use any fruit you want--last time I made this I used nectarines instead of raspberries, and I've used blueberries in it before and it's yummy too.

2 kiwis, peeled and diced
2 Golden Delicious apples - peeled, cored and diced
8 ounces raspberries
1 pound strawberries
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor
10 (10 inch) flour tortillas
butter flavored cooking spray
*1-2 cups cinnamon sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, Golden Delicious apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. Coat one side of each flour tortilla with butter flavored cooking spray. Cut into wedges and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle wedges with desired amount of cinnamon sugar. Spray again with cooking spray. (I like use a pastry brush and put butter on both sides instead of the cooking spray, cut into wedges with a pizza cutter and then put them in a zip top bag with the cinnamon/sugar mix and shake. Then I spread them out on the baking sheet).
4. Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit mixture.

*You can buy this at the store, but it's ridiculously expensive, and it's very easy to make at home. For every 1/4 cup sugar I use 1 Tablespoon cinnamon... so for 1 cup sugar = 4 Tablespoons, 2 cups = 8 tablespoons, etc.

well hello there blog!

Ok, so I see I haven't posted on this blog for oh....6 or 7 months, sad! I have decided to start up again and have 2 things to help me: I have invited my mom and 2 sister-in-laws so that they can post some of their favorite recipes, and also I have a group of friends that we get together once a month for a dinner party and we all make something to bring--I will be posting that recipe. So, if nothing else you will at least see one post a month--I think I can handle it! Our next party is next week and my assignment is: Appetizer! Stay tuned! (I know, you can't wait, right?!)