Recipes

This page contains recipes that I love are a big success in our house.  Some of them are (obviously) not appropriate for kids.  A cocktail once in a while saves my sanity, so I'll share some of my favs with you as well.  I really don't want to go into the all the  'Don'tGiveAlcoholToYourKids, 'AlcoholWhilePregnantIsNotAGoodIdea'  and Don'tDrinkAndDrive' things, as I think those are pretty obvious.  All I say is, please enjoy responsibly (that also goes for the cakes, cookies and desserts ;-)

When you make any of this yummy-ness, please let me know how it worked out for you.


I will endeavor to get a picture to go with every recipe as soon as I can.

Enjoy!!

Berry Fool
Adapted from Cherie Mercer Twohy's recipe in the "I [heart] Trader Joe's Cook Book"

Ingredients:

1 (12 oz.) container fresh mixed berries (frozen will work too) - I used a raspberry, blueberry and blackberry mix
2/3 cup sugar, divided
squeeze of lemon juice
1 1/2 cup heavy cream

Serves: 3-4

Directions:

In a food processor, purée the berries.  Add 1/3 cup sugar (use less if using sweetened , frozen berries) and lemon juice, and blend.  In a separate bowl, with an electric mixer or whisk, beat the cream, gradually adding the other 1/3 cup of sugar, until it holds a peak when the beater (or whisk) is lifted from the bowl.  Remove a bit of the whipped cream to use for garnish and put aside.  Fold in the purée with a silicone / wooden spatula.  Spoon into individual glasses and chill or freeze.  When ready to serve, garnish with a bit of whipped cream and your choice of berries.

Enjoy this beautiful dessert, filled with Vitamin C and Calcium :-0



5-color Balsamic Pasta Salad

This pasta salad is great as meal on its own.  It is served at room temp or luke warm, so it’s perfect for warm summer evenings.   The recipe is vegetarian, but you can easily add some (mild) sausage or pieces of hard salami to the dish to add some protein.  I have tried it with the salami – yum!

Ingredients:

9 oz. Farfalle [bow-tie pasta] - I usually boil the whole 12 oz. Bag and save some pasta for the next as a kids’ meal with some added parmigiano cheese and garlic.
8 oz. Ciliegine mozzarella [cherry-sized balls] (You can use regular sized mozzarella as well, just cube it in 1” pieces)
6 oz. Black pitted olives (drained) and halved
3 tomatoes, seeded and diced in 1” pieces
1 1/2 – 2 cups chopped fresh basil
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar (use more or less according to your liking)
Salt & Pepper to taste
1/2 cup good olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic (depending on the size and how much you like garlic – we LOVE it) - minced
Parmigiano cheese, grated

Directions:

Boil the pasta according to the directions on the bag. 

In a bowl put together the mozzarella, halved olives, tomatoes and basil.  Toss it with the balsamic vinegar and add salt and pepper to taste.

When the pasta is done, drain it in a colander and add it to the other ingredients. 

Poor the olive oil in the pan that you used to boil the pasta in.  When the oil is hot, toss the garlic in and stir.  When the garlic becomes aromatic, take the pan immediately off the heat.  You don’t want the garlic to turn brown as it will become bitter!!!!  Poor the olive oil and garlic over the salad and stir gently.

Serve with Parmigiano cheese and enjoy!!




Belgian Endive Salad

This is a salad that my mom used to make when I was a kid.  I never liked Belgian Endive, but in this salad I devoured it.  It was my favorite salad as a kid.  It’s so easy to make, it’s fresh and perfect for summer.



Ingredients:

3-4 ‘heads’/pieces (whatever you call them) Belgian Endive
1 Granny Smith apple
1 Banana
Juice of 1 orange
1 tsp. Mayonnaise

Directions:

Slice the Belgian endive in 1/4” rings.  After slicing it, pull the rings apart and remove the bitter pieces of core.  Rinse and dry.

Cut the apple in 1/2” pieces (leave the skin on) and slice the banana.  Add those to the endive.

Add the orange juice and the mayonnaise and toss.  Keep the salad in the fridge until ready to serve.




My Favorite Lychee-tini

5 oz. Vodka
2 oz. Lychee Liquor
5 oz. Lychee syrup (from canned lychees)
Splash of lime juice
4-6 lychees for garnish

Tip: get canned lychees in syrup.  Use the fruit for garnish and the syrup as one of the ingredients in the cocktail.

Pour liquid ingredients in a shaker with ice, shake.  Put 2-3 lychees in a glass and pour the cocktail.  Enjoy!

Serves 2

Classic Cosmo:

5 oz. Vodka
10 oz. Cranberry Juice
2.5 oz. Triple Sec
Splash of lime juice

Pour in a shaker with ice, shake and serve.

Serves 2









Yogurt Lemon Cake - by Ina Garten

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• 1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
• 3 extra-large eggs
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the Glaze:

nocoupons

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan.  Line the bottom with parchment paper.  Grease and flour the pan.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake.

Best Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp. flaxseed meal

4 tbsp. water

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. Brewer's yeast (be generous)

3 cups oats (thick cut is better)

2 cups chocolate chips (or raisins for oatmeal raisin cookies) 


Directions: 


Preheat oven to 375.  Mix together flaxseed meal and water and set aside for 3-5 minutes.  Cream the butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Add eggs one at a time.  Stir flaxseed mixture and add with vanilla to butter mixture.

Beat until blended.  Sift the dry ingredients together, except the oats and choc. chips.  Add to the butter mixture, mix until blended.  Stir in the oats, then the choc. chips.  Scoop onto a baking sheet and bake 8-14 minutes.  (Baking time depends on the size of cookies you're making).

Enjoy :-)