Pesto BLT Salad

I enjoy bacon. On its own it is amazing, but added to almost any savory dish it becomes amazing. A BLT sandwich is one of those ultimate comfort foods. My friend Elissa introduced me to a BLT Salad a few years ago and it was love at first bite. Chop salad - yes please. A club sandwich... yum. Wilted leaf lettuce salad (recipe coming soon) - childhood memories.

A few months ago my husband and I hit up a new bar and grill in town and I had their pesto chicken club sandwich. Until then, I had missed the amazing combination of pesto and bacon. Now I'm on a mission to pair the two wherever I can (within reason so I can keep my waistline in check).

This amazing salad came together today as I cleaned out the odds and ends in my fridge. If this is what I come up with, maybe I should clean it out more often.

6 c. Chopped Greens (I used spinach, but romaine would be good)
2 c. Orzo, cooked
2 Roma Tomatoes, seeded and diced
5 slices of Bacon, fried and chopped
4 T. Pesto
Shredded Parmesan or Romano Cheese

Cook the orzo until al dente and drain. Rinse briefly with cold water to cool it off and keep pesto from soaking into the pasta too quickly. Toss the pasta with the pesto and set aside to cool while completing the salad. Chop your greens and then add the tomato and bacon. I opted to chop the bacon small to get a little bit in every bite.

Fold in the pesto pasta with the salad and stir to coat. Add additional pesto if necessary. Top with freshly shredded cheese. Served slightly warm, this salad was a great combination of crispy, smooth, salty, and a bit sweet. Definitely a summer salad worth repeating.

* Adding a bit of pine nuts or chicken would be a nice addition to the salad as well. I had a bit extra leftover and pit it a tortilla and it made a great filling for a wrap.

4th of July Firework Fruit Kabobs

I was given fruit to bring for the family reunion over the 4th of July weekend. Instead of mixing a bunch of fruit together and hearing the kids complain that they are all "touching" I figured I'd make an assortment of fruit kabobs. That way they could pick the one that looked best for them.

I found some red/white/blue star shaped marshmallows at the store and threaded a few of those on for a sweet touch. The kabobs were pretty quick to assemble and then I pushed them into the top of the watermelon I had cut up earlier. It ended up being a nice centerpiece for the food table and a huge hit with the kids (and grown ups too).
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Contains:
Bamboo Skewers (marshmallows slide on better if you soak the skewers in water first)
Strawberries (hulled)
Blueberries
Marshmallows
Watermelon end
Grapes (cut into portion segments)

Raspberry Cupcakes

I have so much to be thankful for today. Easter for me is about new life, fresh starts, and gratitude. I spent the day celebrating with family and friends the amazing gift that Jesus gave of his life and by his resurrection.  I've been singing this song all day long.

For our family gathering today I wanted something fresh and new too. I instantly thought of raspberries. To me they taste like summer, and at this point I am so ready for warmth and sunshine.

I really LOVE the flavor of raspberries. I can eat a whole carton of fresh berries in a flash and frozen berries make excellent ice/flavoring in water or a punch. I have a bunch of berry canes that I can't wait to plant as soon as the thaw comes (courtesy of kind neighbors).

I topped these raspberry cupcakes with raspberry frosting a fresh raspberry with a white chocolate chip inserted into the opening. I mean I topped the ones that we hadn't already eaten as a "muffin." Face it, the difference between a muffin and cupcake is pretty much the frosting...

RASPBERRY CUPCAKES
1 c butter, softened
1 1/4 c sugar
4 eggs
1 t vanilla extract
2 1/2 c flour, sifted
1/4 t salt
2 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 c milk (cow, nut, rice, etc)
1/2 - 2/3 c raspberry puree*

Line muffin tin with baking cups. Beat butter and sugar with mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Alternate adding the flour mixture and milk, mixing well after each addition. Mix in raspberry puree. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake 22-25 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from pans and cool on racks. Makes 21-24 cupcakes

RASPBERRY FROSTING
1/2 c shortening or softened butter (I used palm shortening)
1/4 c raspberry puree*
2 c confectioners' sugar, sifted
dash of salt
1/4 c white chocolate chips + 1 t shortening

In a microwave, melt chocolate chips with shortening. Mixing after every 30 seconds until just melted. With a mixer, cream together shortening and sugar and salt. Alternate adding in puree and white chocolate while mixing until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate slightly to stiffen frosting before pipping onto cupcakes or frosting with a knife or spatula. Frosting is light and fluffy, but will become very soft if left in the heat.

* Raspberry puree was made with 12-16 oz of fresh raspberries. I ran them through the blender and pushed the mixture through a mesh strainer to remove the seeds.

A Jedi Birthday - Part I and Part II

My Star Wars fanatic turned 9 and of course had dreams as big as the galaxy about what we could do to celebrate. In the end, we had two simple parties - one for family and one for school friends. I referred to them as Episode I and Episode II. Time and money were at a premium, but the end results were simple, fun, and well enjoyed by my young jedi.

Birthday Party EPISODE I - Family
MENU- Taco Bar with seasoned ground turkey, sauteed peppers, corn, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, sour cream, salsa, tortilla chips
CAKE- Green light saber cupcakes & vanilla ice cream
DECORATION - black plastic table cloth (dollar store) using a white paint pen to draw a galaxy on, birthday boy's spot with labelled for Jedi Ryan, Lego Star Wars creations & figures

Birthday Party EPISODE II - School Friends
MENU- Pizza, Yoda Soda (label around a green bottle of soda or juice box), baby carrots & celery
CAKE- Blue light saber cupcakes & vanilla ice cream
DECORATION - black plastic table cloth (dollar store) using a white paint pen to draw a galaxy on, each child's spot with labelled for each Jedi (their names), Lego Star Wars creations & figures
PARTY BAGS - found little Lego Star Wars kits on clearance a month ago and stashed them away. Bags were tied together with a glow stick light saber with a character picture threaded on it
ACTIVITIES - outdoor light saber/blaster battles, glow in the dark light saber battle,balloon light sable battles, general chaos

A little bit of electrical tape around the bracelet connector was a quick job and so much fun for the boys Okay, it was fun for too. I saved the two pink ones in the pack for the "Mom Sabers" and broke them out when the boys were getting a bit out of control. That way I was int he middle of it and could keep an eye on things. I may or may not have added to the chaos and my husband may or may not have made me stop before the other parents showed up to pick up their kids.

I took balloons for making animals and wrapped duct tape around the end to make a saber handle. This was chaos, but my living room and all the kids survived. Lots of laughter involved. The kids each took one home with them.

It doesn't get easier than a light saber cupcake spread. Covered a paper towel roll with tin foil and electrical tape and lined up colorful cupcakes. Super easy to slide in a gluten-free cupcake and everyone else gets a regular one.

Summer Jicama Salad

For those of you not familiar with jicama - it's a white bulb with a fibrous texture, also known as a Mexican Yam. It's fairly plain tasting, but adds crunch and a hint of sweetness, similar to like a carrot. It contains vitamins C, A and B, along with calcium. To eat, peel the exterior and then thinly slice or grate (my preference) the jicama.

A couple of years ago I posted a different recipe for a jicama salad - (Jicama Lime Chicken Salad) which I love, but I was looking for something a little more on the sweet side. This is what I came up with for a family get together over Memorial  Day weekend. You could definitely add chicken to this if you wanted protein in it.

SALAD
1 head of Romaine, chopped (or two hearts)
2 Roma Tomatoes, chopped ( I remove the seeds/juice and use just the flesh)
1 c Sweet Corn
1 c Carrots, shredded
1 c Jicama, shredded & drained*
Optional Crunch Factor (I wish I had added something like wonton strips, tortilla strips, or chow mein noodles for a bit of salt & crunch to the salad)

* The longer shredded jicama sits, the more the moisture comes out. I just squeeze the liquid out with my hands. You could use a towel or press into a strainer.

DRESSING
-- Wisk ingredients together or shake in a sealed container. Add a little bit at a time, depending on how much lettuce you use, you may not need the whole amount.
1/4 c Lime Juice
1/4 c Oil (I used sunflower oil)
1/4 c White Sugar
1/2 t Cinnamon
2 t Sesame Seeds
1 t Sesame Oil (optional)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Trifle

I had a cookie baking incident this weekend. I was making my favorite chocolate chip cookies for the cake walk at our church carnival. So, I discovered halfway into mixing the dough that I had not oatmeal to use (except for my gluten-free oats that are expensive and used carefully/sparingly). So I substituted too much flour and ended up with some very dry cookies. So I couldn't use them for the cake walk, but weren't so bad that I couldn't bring myself to through them away. And I couldn't bring myself to waste calories on something I didn't really love...

So what's a girl to do? Invent a new dessert. My mind went to the Pumpkin Toffee Trifle that I enjoy (okay, I love). The finished product is moist and amazing melding of flavors creating something greater than the sum of it's components. Could the same be true with cookies and as with cake?

So enters the Chocolate Chip Cookie Trifle. I crumbled up 2 dozen cookies and layered it with pudding mixed with whipped cream and chocolate chips.  I tested a batch right away and it tasted okay, but the cookie bits were still a bit solid and dry. However, letting the trifle set overnight made the cookies moist and tasty. The extra chocolate chips and added a bit of texture to the mix. Next time I think I would use miniature chocolate chips in the mix.

Not a bad way to redeem a baking failure.

2 Dozen chocolate chip cookies
2 lg boxes of pudding (vanilla or chocolate), prepared
1/2 c Chocolate chips (I'd prefer mini chips)
4 c Whipped Cream (about 2 c heavy cream whipped with 1/4 c powdered sugar)

Whip heavy cream with powdered sugar until soft peaks form. Fold in gently to prepared pudding. Set aside. Break cookies into small bite size pieces. Take a third of the cookies and line the bottom of a glass bowl. Spread half of the pudding mixture on top of the cookie pieces and sprinkle with half of the chocolate chips. Top with about 2/3 of the remaining cookie pieces, and then the all of the remaining pudding mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining cookie pieces and chocolate chips. Refrigerate 4-18 hours before serving.

NOTE: This makes a lot of trifle. Make sure to bring it to a party, or have a large hungry family waiting. If not, I would suggest you half the recipe.

Fruit Pizza Toast

I hosted a Christmas brunch for friends and served a variety of dishes that were red and green - including this lovely. It can easily be adapted to most dietary restrictions.

Bread (French, Gluten-free, etc.)
Butter, Palm Shortening, or Vegan Spread
Cinnamon-sugar
8 oz Cream cheese (or vegan alternative)
1/4 c Powdered sugar
2 T Milk (cow, nut, rice, hemp)
Fruit sliced thin

This simple tasty treat is a great way to use up bread (gluten-free or regular) that is starting to go stale. Spread a thin layer of butter, vegan spread, or palm shortening on small slice of bread. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and bake in a 300 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.

Meanwhile, beat together cream cheese, powdered sugar, and milk. Spread a thin layer of the mixture on top of each piece of toast. Top with your favorite slices of fruit and enjoy.

Chicken Pot Pie

I grew up on the Banquet frozen chicken pot pies. I thought that is what a pot pie should taste like. I was wrong. I tried a pot pie at a homestyle restaurant a few years ago which was more like a bland chicken stew with a puff pastry on top. I was getting closer. Then I discovered this mixture... and I have arrived at total comfort food.

This again will fall into my category of "I made it by method rather than by measurement." I know this will drive some of you nuts, but it's just how I cook. I'll give you the best estimates of what I did, but please feel free to adapt this to fit your needs (*see below). This is a great meal for leftovers for a quick fix, or you can cook the ingredients from start to finish.

2 pie crusts (top & bottom)
2-3 c cooked chicken, diced
1-2 c cooked potato, diced*
1 c cooked carrots, diced*
2 c chicken gravy **
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/4 t celery seeds

In a large pan, mix together all ingredients other than the pie crusts. Allow them to simmer over medium heat for 10-15 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Meanwhile, lightly sprinkle a pie tin with flour and add the bottom crust. Pour the mixture into the crust and quickly add the top crust and pinch the edges together before the heat starts to soften the dough. If it doesn't seal well due to the softened dough, that's okay, but make sure there something under the pan while cooking to catch any drippings. Make small slits in the crust with a knife to allow the steam to vent. Brush the pie crust with a bit of melted butter (optional) and sprinkle lightly with salt.

Bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes. Cover the edges of the crust with foil or a silicone ring for the first 30 minutes and remove to allow it to brown in the final minutes. I recommend placing the pie tin on a cookie sheet or put tin foil under the pan to catch any of the gravy that may drip out.

* Method - use 2 cups of veggies total - split them however you like. I like a lot of potato in mine because it makes for a hearty pie. I know peas are traditional, but I just don't care for them. Celery would be a good addition, but I didn't have any.

**Depending on what veggies you use, you may need more or less gravy. Start with less and add more as needed. The potatoes tend to absorb more.

Vegan Buttercream Frosting

Here's my go to frosting right now. Note, if you refrigerate the left over frosting, be sure to leave time for it to warm up before you need to use it. It hardens significantly after refrigeration, but will warm enough to use again. It tastes great.

1 c Palm oil shortening
3 c Powdered sugar
1 1/2 t Vanilla extract
1/4 c Almond Milk
1/2 t Cinnamon (optional) of 2 T Cocoa Powder (optional)

Blend all ingredients together until light and creamy. Works well for cake frosting (pipping bag or spatula), on crackers, with fruit, stuffed french toast, or straight from the bowl.

Caramelized Banana Sundaes

Oh this little piece of heaven. Please forgive the rotten picture, but I was so excited to eat this little treat tonight that I didn't have the patience to get a decent picture of this sundae. I only use this less than stellar picture so that you can see the caramel on the bananas. This is similar to a Bananas Foster but without the liquor and expensive price tag in a restaurant.

1 T butter or coconut oil
2 T brown sugar
1/4 t vanilla or vanilla powder (optional)

In a non-stick skillet heat ingredients until smooth and bubbly. Add in 2 bananas split lengthwise (I also cut mine in half), cut side down and do not move them so that the sugar can caramelize to the banana (1-2 minutes). Remove and serve immediately with ice cream. Pour any remaining caramel in the pan over top.

I may regret trying one out. So much for a healthy banana.

Ice Cream Sandwich Cake

I had forgotten all about this cake until last week when I was scanning through pictures from 2 years ago.

My youngest son wanted an ice cream cake for his 3rd birthday (summertime). I had seen something about making a flower ice cream sandwich cake in a birthday idea book at one point and tried to come up with a way to make it un-girlie for my little man.

What I cam up with was cutting the sandwiches in half and laying them into a springform pan, cut side towards the center. Then I let my little guy pick what ice cream he wanted to fill the center. I was happy to oblige with some cookie dough ice cream. Allow the ice cream to warm up just a bit so it is soft enough to spread and fill. Cover and re-freeze.

If you look at it, it still kind of looks like a flower, but not so much that it was an issue. You will want to pull the cake out of the freezer about 5-10 minutes prior to using so it can warm up to cut and eat easily.

TIPS: After this experience I would recommend lining the bottom with some wax paper, and removing the sides of the pan before it warms up. Make sure you have a crowd to help eat it or serious damage to your waistline could occur.

Cucumber Cranberry Salad

This salad is definitely a new favorite. It has great texture. There are crisp veggies, smooth creamy cheese, and crunch from the sunflower seeds. The medley of salt and sweet leaves you wanting more. A double batch of this salad would work great for a brunch, picnic, shower/party, or family gathering.

2  Cucumbers, seeded & finely diced
1  Apple, cored & finely diced
1/4 c  Celery, finely diced
1/4 c  Crumbled Feta Cheese (optional
1/4 c  Dried Fruit (cranberries, cherries, raisins, etc)
1/4 c  Sunflower Seeds (or chopped nuts)
1/4 c  Poppy Seed Dressing (Start out mixing in 1 T at a time)

Finely dice the cucumbers, apple, and celery – then toss together with the other ingredients. Add the salad dressing just before serving so that it doesn’t get soggy.

This cool cucumber salad is a great pair for your summer time meals, picnics, brunch or parties.

Chip Supreme

No great recipe here, but rather one of my favorite snacks right now. I found these lovelies last winter in a random bin at Walmart and haven't found it since. That is until yesterday when I found them at Sydney's Health Market... Woo Hoo!

Let me introduce you to Chip'ins. If you love popcorn, you will love these. The light crisp texture of a chip, the salty flavor, the tender flavor of popcorn, and completely gluten/dairy/soy/egg free.

There are no artificial ingredients. I love when there are very few ingredients to read on the back of packaging... corn, sunflower oil, and sea salt.

That's it.

Warning, you may hate me for sharing this with you. Because once you start, you may not be able to stop.

Summer Strawberry Pie

This gluten-free version of strawberry pie was a HUGE hit at a backyard party last week - with all the people that COULD eat gluten. The combination of oat flavor and texture was wonderful.

I also wanted to find away around using products with artificial flavors and colors. I think that it is pretty close to the original, and darn tasty.

CRUST:
1 3/4 c Oat flour*
2 T Flour or Potato Starch or Corn starch
1 T Sugar
1 stick of Butter

In pie pan, melt the butter. Mix in the oat flour, starch, and sugar and pat out in the pan and around the edges. The crust will slide down a bit in the pan as it bakes and consolidates so push it as high up the sides of the pie pan as it will go. Bake at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Cool.

* I pulsed gluten free oats in an coffee grinder until fine flour was produced.

FILLING:
1 c Sugar
2 T Corn Starch
1 c Water
1/4 c Mashed Strawberries
1 t Unflavored gelatin (about 1/2 a Knox packet)
1 1/2 lb Strawberries

Mix sugar and corn starch together in a saucepan. Add water, stir often and bring to a boil. Stir constantly and boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and add jello powder and mashed berries. Cool until lukewarm but still pliable.

Place cleaned and cut strawberries in the cooled pie crust. Pour cooled (but not cold) filling over the berries. Refrigerate and allow to set. Serve with whipped or ice cream.

Strawberry Pie - Traditional

This is the strawberry pie that I grew up with. It was one of my favorites and I loved when my mom would make it for us. This was the recipe that I picked to add to our class 5th grade cookbook (which 90% were desserts - go figure).

CRUST:
1 stick of Butter
1 1/3 c Flour
1 T water

In pie pan, melt the butter. Mix in the flour and water and pat out in the pan and around the edges.  Prick holes in the pie crust with a fork. Bake at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Cool.

FILLING:
1 c Sugar
2 T Corn Starch
1 c Water
4 T Strawberry Jello mix
1 qt Strawberries, cleaned & hulled

Mix sugar and corn starch together in a saucepan. Add water, stir often and bring to a boil. Stir constantly and boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and add jello powder. Cool until lukewarm but still pliable.

Place cleaned and cut strawberries in the cooled pie crust. Pour cooled (but not cold) filling over the berries. Refrigerate and allow to set. Serve with whipped or ice cream.

Gluten Free Strawberry Pie Option

Corn Toppers

It doesn't get much better than corn on the cob in the summer. The 4th of July is just around the corner and corn is likely on many of our menus. The sweet, juicy and crisp kernels are great on there own, but the right topping can make it over the top amazing. I have lots of fresh herbs coming from my container garden and I chopped a bunch of them for dinner tonight and the corn was AMAZING.

I melted a little bit of butter and let some fresh chopped flat leaf parsley hang out in the warm butter to infuse the flavor. Topped with a bit of sea salt - it was so good. I've got plans to try some of these options over the next couple of weeks. I'll keep you posted on the results.

Butter w/parley & lime
Butter w/cilantro & lime
Butter w/basil
Butter w/basil & lemon
Butter w/thyme
Butter w/thyme & lemon
* Butter can be replaced by Earth Balance dairy-free spread for dairy-free or vegans

Applying melted butter in a measured and moderate amount can be a bit difficult. I just used a butter knife to drizzle it on and spread it around. It worked, but it wasn't very efficient. Next time I think I will use a pastry or basting brush.

On to enjoy more tastes of summer.

Zucchini Bread Pudding

Why did I never think of this before? I love zucchini bread and I love bread pudding. Why not put them together and feast on their team effort? I broke a loaf of zucchini bread out of the freezer and made my plan. This plan is one that I'll be repeating for sure.

1 loaf of zucchini bread
4 large eggs
1 c milk
1 t cinnamon

Cube up the bread and put it in an 8" X 8" or 9" X 9" pan. Double the recipe for a 9" X 13" pan.
Wisk together eggs, milk, and cinnamon. Pour over bread cubes and use a piece of plastic wrap or the back of a large spoon to push the bread down into the custard mix. Allow to sit for 30 minutes - up to overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and back for 35-40 minutes until the top starts to brown slightly and appears to be dry. Serve warm or cool. Great topped with whipping cream or ice cream. Delicious on it's own.

Gluten Free Chicken Coating

In our gluten-free world, I've been working on a thin (non-corn meal) coating to make chicken strips out of. I think we have reached success. My husband and kiddos devoured the chicken. This coating is lightweight so the chicken is the star, browns nicely, and develops a great crunch.

I used potato starch as the base for the coating. You'll find it in the baking isle near the flour and corn starch. However, it's much cheaper to find at an Asian or ethnic food market. I guess you could use corn starch as well, but I don't think the flavor would be quite the same.

1 c Potato Starch
1 t Salt
1 t Italian Seasoning
1/2 t Garlic Powder
1/2 t Onion Powder

Mix all ingredients together thoroughly. Dip the chickens strips in milk (cow, rice, or almond) and then into the coating mixture. Shake off excess and then add to a frying pan of hot oil. Allow to cook for 2-4 minutes until coating is browned and then turn. Continue to fry until chicken is completely cooked through and all sides are browned. Serve warm on their own, with BBQ sauce, sweet & sour, marinara, etc.

This tasted great dipped in sweet and sour sauce and might have to make a meal of that soon.

Caramel Corn

 This is one of my all-time favorite Christmas treats that really is an anytime treat. WARNING: once you start eating this you may curse the day that you read this post and decided that it was a good one to try. This is like the crack of popcorn. Best if eaten with others to reduce the likelihood that you eat the whole thing.

I was also excited to find that I could make this for my son by using a soy-free vegan spread (butter substitute). It was still really good.

7 qt  (28 c) Plain popped popcorn
2 c  Dry roasted peanuts (optional)
2 c  Brown sugar
1/2 c Light corn syrup
1 t  Salt
1 c  Butter
1/2 t  Baking soda
1 t Vanilla extract

Put the popped popcorn into two greased baking pans (I like to use disposable foil pans or roaster pans). Add nuts to the popcorn if you would like.

Meanwhile preheat the oven to 250. In a large saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, and salt. Stir to mix over medium heat, bringing to a boil. Then boil for 5 minutes while stirring constantly.

Once you've removed from the pan from heat, add the vanilla and baking soda. This will cause the liquid to bubble and expand. While hot, pour the mixture on the popcorn and toss to coat.

Bake for a total of 60 minutes while stirring every 15 minutes which will make the caramel distribute more evenly. Put parchment or wax paper on the counter and spread out the hot caramel corn on it to cool. Immediately use a spatula or spoon to break up the caramel corn into bite-sized pieces. Let it cool and then store in airtight containers or resealable bags. Wrap it up and it makes a great gift for teachers, bus drivers, or friends.

Ham Glaze

We tried something different for Christmas dinner. Yes, we did ham as usual, but we made our own glaze. It really is very simple and tastes much like a ham that you would get from an expense ham store...


Besides, who isn't going to love using a blow torch in the kitchen. You could use a long handled lighter as well, but it isn't nearly as efficient. and more likely to burn the sugar.

3/4 c Brown Sugar
1/4 t Cinnamon
Dash of Ginger
Dash of Paprika
Dash of Nutmeg
Dash of Ground cloves

Place the ham cut side down on a glass or metal pan. Lightly rub the glaze mixture over the meat and pack it on to stick. You don't want large clumps of sugar because they are too hard to melt without burning. Quickly run the blowtorch over the sugar to melt/caramelize the sugars. It will darken slightly and smooth out. You can run over the sugar multiple times to get it to melt. If you leave the fire in one place too long, it will burn. Allow the sugar to cool and repeat the process.

You can then serve the ham cold or warm. I'm a fan of warm meat myself, and the glaze helped keep the ham really moist on the inside.