Lemon Spaghetti

Adapted from Food Network's Giada De Laurentis



I made this dish tonight to take to a family in our ward who just had a baby.  Of course I made extra for us too!  By the time I got home from delivering the meal, we were so hungry {and my son was getting super whiny}, that we were scarfing it down.  I had completely forgotten to take a decent picture.  Right before my husband had his second large bowl, finishing off all of the noodles, I remembered that I needed to take a pic.  So, I grabbed his bowl and snapped a few quick pictures.  Thus, it might not be the greatest picture, but this time don't let the picture advertise the dish.  The dish is one of our favorites.  We love lemon flavor.  The summer squash absorbs the lemon marinade and simply makes the dish.  For some reason the vegetables in dishes always make the dish for me and squash is always one of my favorite vegetables.  I also highly suggest fresh basil, but in a pinch or during winter when your basil plant dies {like mine did last month}, dried basil works as well. 

Ingredients:

• 2 large chicken breasts
• ½ bottle of lemon pepper marinade
• 1 medium sized yellow summer squash, peeled and sliced
• 16 oz spaghetti noodles
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ½ cup lemon juice
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 Tbs lemon zest
• 1/3 cup fresh basil or 2 Tbs dried basil

Directions:

• Puncture chicken breasts with fork and place in large Ziploc bag.   Add marinade and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight. 
• Heat grill to medium heat.  Place summer squash in a vegetable grill pan.  Pour excess marinade over summer squash and spread to make sure all summer squash has some on it to absorb while cooking.  Place vegetable pan on grill.  Grill for about 15 minutes, flipping occasionally.  Place chicken on grill.  Grill chicken for about 5-7 minutes on each side, flipping halfway through cooking.
• Cook spaghetti noodles until al dente.  Drain, reserving 1 cup of cooking liquid.
• Whisk the oil, parmesan and lemon juice in a large bowl to blend.
• Toss the pasta with the lemon sauce and the reserved cooking liquid, adding ¼ cup at a time as needed to moisten.   Season with salt and pepper. 
• Garnish with lemon zest and chopped basil. 
• Serve with extra lemon juice.

Hash Brown Omelette

Adapted from Ivory Family Favorite's Cookbook

This reminded me a lot of something my Grandma Johnson makes. I would add sausage next time instead of bacon.

Ingredients:

1 pound bacon

4 cups shredded hash browns, thawed

1/2 large onion, chopped

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

12 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 cups grated Cheddar cheese

Cook bacon and crumble. Set aside. Brown hash browns, onion and pepper until golden and underside is crisp. Put in buttered casserole dish. Blend eggs, milk, and seasonings and pour over top. Top with cheese and bacon. Cover with foil and bake at 325 for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes more. Let stand a few minutes before serving.

BBQ Chicken Chop Salad

Adapted from Ivory Family Favorites Cookbook

This totally hit the spot. I've had variations of this salad but would definitely use this recipe again. This recipe makes a ton, so I scaled down on the ingredients quite a bit. I am, however, listing the larger recipe since I didn't keep track of my measurements at all.

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup barbeque sauce

Cover chicken in BBQ sauce, then bake covered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until juices run clear. Chop into pieces and refrigerate.

head of lettuce

3 to 4 tomatoes, chopped

1 jicama, peeled and diced

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

1-15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup frozen sweet corn, thawed

1/2 pound cheddar cheese, grated

green onions, as desired

corn chips

BBQ sauce

Put chicken and additional BBQ sauce, as desired, in a bowl and toss until chicken is covered. Either keep ingredients separate and build your own salad or combine chicken in large salad bowl with salad ingredients and toss. Serve with Ranch dressing, additional BBQ sauce and crispy corn tortilla chips.

Swiss Chicken

Source: Former Coworker of Tim's

This recipe is EASY.  And it's delicious.  Let's face it---you can't go wrong with cheese and mushrooms--two of my favorite ingredients in any dish.  So, if you need to hurry and throw a meal together and only have a few ingredients in the house, give this recipe a try.  Serve with rice or noodles. 

Ingredients:

·         2 boneless chicken breast

·         2-4 sliced Swiss cheese

·         1 can cream of chicken soup

·         ¼ cup water

·         4-6 mushrooms, sliced

·         ½ cup seasoned stuffing mix (Pepperidge Farm)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place raw chicken breast in small baking pan and cover each with Swiss cheese.  Place mushrooms around chicken in baking dish.  Mix soup with water and pour over chicken.  Crush stuffing mix and sprinkle over chicken. 
• Bake for 50-55 minutes.

Black Bean Salsa

Adapted from Ivory Family Favorites Cookbook

I have eaten this salsa before but hadn't made it myself. It's a very yummy and healthy snack!

1-15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

8 ounces frozen corn, thawed

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons chopped green onions

2 tablespoons chopped red onions

1/4 cup chopped ripe tomatoes

1/4 cup lime juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

salt and pepper

garlic powder

onion salt

In large bowl combine beans, corn, cilantro, green onions, red onions tomatoes, lime juice, oil and cumin. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion salt to taste. Cover and chill at least 2 hours. Serve with tortilla chips.

Pork Loin with Ginger Apple Compote

Adapted from All Recipes

I had never had pork loin before, but had been meaning to try it  for a long time.  Pork Loin is the Filet Mignon of pork, but much cheaper.  I think I'm going to have to find more pork loin recipes to try since this is an affordable choice cut of meat.  I was amazed at how tender this piece of pork is and so easy to cook!    The apple compote in this is yummy giving the pork loin lots of sweet flavor. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbs minced garlic
• ½ Tbs chopped thyme
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 pork tenderloin, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 4 Tbs butter
• ¾ cup apple juice
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 apple, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup dried cherries or dried cranberries
• 1 Tbs minced ginger root
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg

Directions:

• Puree the balsamic vinegar, garlic and thyme in a blender until mixed.  With the blender running, slowly pour in the olive oil until thickened and incorporated.  Pour the marinade into a resealable plastic bag.  Add the pork pieces, coat with marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag.  Marinate in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes.  {recommend marinading overnight.}
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Remove the pork from the marinade and place in foil lined pan.  Pour remaining marinade over pork.  Bake for 25-35 minutes until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 160 degrees F.  Once cooked, remove from oven, cover with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
• While pork is cooking, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat.  Stir in the apple juice and brown sugar until it begins to simmer.  Add the apple, cherries/craisins, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Cook and stir until the apple is tender, about 7 minutes.
• Serve the sliced pork topped with the apple compote.

Favorite Chicken Enchiladas

Adapted from Ivory Family Favorites Cookbook

I love enchiladas and am always up for trying a new enchilada dish. This was especially scrumptious!

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked, diced chicken

2 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-16 ounce can crushed tomatoes

1-8 ounce can tomato sauce

1-4 ounce can diced green chilies

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon basil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon oregano

4 flour or wheat tortillas

4 cups cheddar cheese, grated and divided

sour cream

Saute onion and garlic in butter. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, green chilies, sugar and spices. Bring to a boil and simmer 20 minutes. Spoon some of the sauce over tortillas one at a time to soften a little. Top with a few pieces of chicken and cheese, reserving 1 cup of cheese for topping. Roll up and place seam side down in a grease 9x13 inch glass dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the top. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees. Top each serving with sour cream.

Lemon Cream Chicken

Adapted from A Taste of Richmond Cookbook

It had been one of those days where I wasn't sure WHAT we were going to eat. To be honest, the name of this recipe sounded a little strange to me, but the ingredients didn't sound bad...PLUS I had all of them. I LOVED this recipe. I made it just last week and have thought of making it again several times since then! So tasty!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour, divided

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/4 cup butter

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup whipping cream, divided

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 pound sliced mushrooms

In large resealable plastic bag, combine 1/2 cup flour, salt and pepper. Pound out chicken if thick. Add chicken and shake to coat. In a large skillet, cook chicken in butter for 8-9 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Remove chicken and keep warm. Add broth to the drippings. Bring to a boil over medium heat; stir to loosen brown bits from the pan. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes or until broth is reduced approximately 1/3 cup. Stir in 3/4 cup cream, lemon juice and mushrooms. Cook over medium low heat for 5 minutes.

Combine remaining flour and cream until smooth; stir into skillet. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Return chicken to skillet and heat through.

Classic Lasagna

Adapted from Kraftfoods.com

We love this recipe for lasagna. It has been one we've made again and again.

Ingredients:

1 medium onion

3 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons oil

3/4 pound ground beef

3/4 pound Italian sausage

onion salt to taste

garlic powder to taste

1 large can spaghetti sauce

1-15 ounce container Ricotta Cheese

1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, divided

salt and pepper to taste

3 eggs

2 tablespoons dried parsley

8 whole wheat lasagna noodles, cooked and drained

1 cup Mozzarella Cheese

Cook and stir onion and garlic in hot oil in large skillet until tender. Add ground beef and sausage; cook until browned. Add onion salt and garlic powder to taste. Drain grease. Stir spaghetti sauce in with meat. Simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Then add eggs.

Layer half each of the noodles, meat sauce and ricotta cheese mixture in 13x9 inch baking dish; repeat layers. Top with mozzarella cheese and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

Bake 30-35 minutes or until heated through. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting to serve.

Note: Can substitute cottage cheese for the ricotta cheese.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

Adapted from All Recipes

My husband specifically requested this dish, which he rarely does.  Generally, he just lets me make whatever I want since I know what ingredients we have on hand.  But, he likes spicy dishes and pasta, so this definitely is at the top of his favorite meal list and I guess he was craving it.  So, of course I complied.  I didn't have a green pepper, so I added some diced tomatoes instead, which worked well.  I like lots of mushrooms in this, so feel free to add more than just the 4!

Ingredients:

• 4 oz. linguini or spaghetti pasta
• 2 chicken breast halves, cut into cubes
• 2 tsp Cajun seasoning
• 2 Tbs butter
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 4-6 fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tsp of garlic powder
• 1 tsp black pepper
• ¼ tsp basil
• ¼ tsp lemon pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

• Cook pasta until al dente; drain.
• Place the chicken, Cajun seasoning, butter, peppers, onion and mushroom in a large skillet over medium heat.  Saute in butter until almost tender and chicken is no longer pink.  (5-7 minutes)
• Reduce the heat.  Add the cream, basil, lemon pepper, salt, garlic powder and black pepper.  Heat through.
• Add the pasta.  Toss and heat through.  Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.

Notes:  Add 1 can of diced tomatoes.

Mushroom, Spinach & Ham Quiche

Adapted from All Recipes

Quiches are my brunch specialty.  My husband and I both LOVE them.  And I haven't tried a recipe yet that I haven't liked.  This one takes advantage of sneaking in some extra vegetables by adding spinach and mushrooms.  It was perfect for Christmas morning.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbs all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp sugar
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 3 eggs, whisked
• 4 slices Swiss cheese
• 1 tsp parsley
• ¼ tsp thyme
• 1 recipe pastry for 9” single pie crust
• ½ cup chopped fresh spinach
• ½ cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 4.5 oz ham, diced
• ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Beat together flour, salt, sugar, half-and-half, eggs, parsley, thyme, and cheddar cheese in a medium bowl.  Whisk together. 
• Place Swiss cheese flat in the pie crust.  Arrange spinach evenly over the Swiss cheese, then cover with mushrooms and ham.  Cover with egg mixture.
• Bake for 45-55 minutes until surface is golden brown and eggs have set. 

Notes:  Add a layer of onions next time.  Consider a pinch of cayenne pepper. 

Sugar Cookie Frosting

Adapted from All Recipes

I didn't make homemade sugar cookies.  I never do; I really like the Betty Crocker mix and haven't really had a homemade sugar cookie that I like better.  But I do have a frosting recipe that I love.  It really makes the Betty Crocker sugar cookies absolutely perfect.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 5 Tbs milk
• ½ cup shortening
• 1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

• Beat all ingredients together until light and fluffy.  Color  with food coloring if desired. 



Ham with Fruited Sauce

Adapted from Crock Pot Made Simple Recipe book

Again, I was in a rush to eat my Christmas Eve dinner, so this picture is somewhat lacking.  Oh well!  The main thing is to get the recipe on here, so I can refer to it sometime in the future.  This ham recipe comes out tender and juicy.  And the best part is that it is SO simple.  Following this recipe means you end up with a yummy main dish with little effort, leaving time to focus your efforts on the side dishes.  The bit of red pepper flakes gives it just a hint of spice which makes the sauce interesting.

Ingredients:

• 1 bone-in ham, butt portion (about 6 pounds)
• 1 cup apple juice
• 1 ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 cup craisins
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/3 cup dried cherries, optional

Directions:

• Coat 5-quart Crock Pot slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.  Add ham, cut side up.  Combine apple juice, brown sugar, craisins, cinnamon and pepper flakes in small bowl.  Stir well.  Pour mixture evenly over ham.
•  Cover; cook on low for 9-10 hours.  Add cherries 30 minutes before end of cooking time.
• Transfer ham to cutting board.  Let stand 15 minutes before slicing. 
• Serve with craisins and cherries from juices.  Can serve with extra sauce, if desired. 

Brussel Sprouts & Butternut Squash with Bacon Vinaigrette

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Thanksgiving Recipes

I debated not posting this picture with the recipe because, let's face it, this looks disgusting.  But it's really quite yummy.  The Dijon mustard, bacon and onion give a lot of flavor to the brussel sprouts and butternut squash.  The recipe does take some time to put together...and usually I like to focus my energy on the main dishes, not the side dishes.  But I knew this dish was yummy and my main dish was in a crockpot, so it was totally worth it! 

Ingredients:

• 4 oz bacon pieces
• ½ medium onion, diced
• 3 Tbs cider vinegar
• 1 Tbs firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp thyme
• 7 Tbs olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 ½ lb brussel sprouts, trimmed
• 1 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into ¾” dice
• 1 tsp sage

Directions:

·         Sauté onion over medium heat with one tablespoon of olive oil, stirring occasionally until tender, 2-3 minutes. 

·         In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, brown sugar, mustard, thyme, onion and bacon. Slowly whisk in 4 Tbs olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Set the vinaigrette aside.

·         Meanwhile bring a large pot of salted water to boil over medium heat.  Add the brussel sprouts and cook until just tender, 4-6 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon transfer the brussel sprouts to a bowl and slice in half.

·         Return the water in the pot to a boil, add the butternut squash to a boil until just tender, 4-6 minutes.  Drain water. 

·         In a large sauté pan over medium heat warm 1 Tbs olive oil .  Add the squash and sauté stirring occasionally until light golden brown and warmed through, 3-4 minutes.  Transfer to a large bowl. 

·         In the same pan over medium-high heat, warm the remaining 1 Tbs olive oil.  Place the brussel sprouts, cut side down, in the pan.  Cook without moving them for 3-4 minutes, then stir and add the sage.  Cook for 2 minutes more.  Transfer to the bowl with the squash.  Add the vinaigrette, stir and serve immediately.

Spinach & Feta Pita

Adapted from All Recipes

I am posting the basic recipe here, but it's great recipe to customize and make your own based on whatever veggies/ingredients you have on hand.  For example, this time I added some gorgonzola cheese, artichoke hearts and capers to the dish.  This recipe is simple; a quick fix for a busy night.  And it's really yummy.  I think my husband's comment was, "you should make this once a week!" 

Ingredients:

• 6 (6”) whole wheat pita breads
• 1 (6 oz) tub pesto
• 2 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
• 1 bunch spinach, rinsed & chopped
• 4 fresh mushrooms, sliced
• ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
• 2 Tbs grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 Tbs olive oil
• 1 pinch pepper

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spread pesto onto one side of each pita bread and place them  pesto side up on a baking sheet.  Top with tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, feta cheese & parmesan cheese.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with pepper
• Bake for 12 minutes or until pita breads are crisp.  Cut into quarters and serve.

Orange Rolls

Dough Adapted from A Hint of Honey and Frosting Adapted From Tasty Kitchen

I prefer sweet orange rolls to cinnamon rolls.  And I prefer them a little gooey.  My friend makes this recipe and, knowing my love for them, made them for my baby shower a few months ago.  I've been meaning to make them ever since.  I intended to just make them for Christmas morning, along with a quiche {recipe to come!}, but they take some time and the recipe makes quite a lot of sweet rolls.  So, I decided to make them today to enjoy over several days and to share with a few friends.  My first attempt at orange rolls turned out to be an ooey-gooey success!

Ingredients:

Dough:

• 6-8 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbs instant yeast
• 2 tsp salt
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup butter, melted
• 2 eggs, whisked
• 2 ¼ cups warm milk

Filling:

• ½ cup butter, melted
• 2 cups brown sugar
• Zest of 3 oranges

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 8 oz cream cheese
• ½ cup butter
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 8 Tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
• ½ tsp almond extract
• Pinch of salt

Directions:

• In a large bowl combine 3 cups flour, yeast, salt and sugar.  Whisk to combine.  Pour in wet ingredients (butter, eggs and milk).  Stir until it is a thick paste.  Add the remaining flour, ½ cup at a time, until it comes together in a ball.
• Lightly flour a flat surface and knead the dough, adding more flour if needed to prevent sticking, 8-10 minutes, until smooth.  Spray the inside of a bowl with cooking spray, place the dough inside, cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Punch down the dough and divide in half.  Roll out each half into a large rectangle.  Brush melted butter over the surface of the dough.  Sprinkle with brown sugar and orange zest.  Roll up lengthwise.  Cut each log into 12 evenly sized pinwheels.  Place into lightly greased 9x13” baking pans.  Cover each pans and let rise until doubles in size, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 F.  Bake rolls in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until golden on top.  Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. 
• While the rolls are baking, prepare the frosting.  Beat the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy.  Slowly add the orange juice, powdered sugar, almond extract and salt.  Beat until smooth.  If the frosting is too thick, add more juice.
• Pour frosting over the hot rolls, dividing it among the two pans.  Serve warm.

Makes 24 rolls.

Buttermilk Pancakes

Source Unknown

My husband LOVES buttermilk pancakes.  I rarely buy buttermilk, so when I do I always make sure to make these for them.  You really can tell the difference between made-from-scratch buttermilk pancakes versus any other kind of pancake mix.  We often add blueberries to these, but today just had them plain. 

Ingredients:

·         1 ¼ cup flour

·         1 egg

·         1 ¼ cup buttermilk

·         ¼ cup sugar

·         1 tsp baking powder

·         1 tsp baking soda

·         ¼ cup vegetable oil

Directions:

• Preheat skillet over medium heat. 
• Combine all ingredients and mix until mostly smooth. 
• Spray pan/griddle with cooking spray.  Pour batter onto the pan/griddle to form ten medium sized pancakes.

Ribeye Steak with Mushroom Gravy

Adapted from Cooking Light

Generally we eat our steak with just a little bit of A-1 sauce so that we can taste the flavor of the steak.  This is especially important to my husband.  But occasionally I like to mix things up and try some sort of sauce or topping on the steak.  This time I decided to go with a healthy gravy.  I love mushrooms with steak {we generally have some grilled mushrooms on the side whenever we have steak}, so this seemed to be a great new recipe to try.  The fresh parsley is key in this recipe, so make sure not to substitute for dried parsley.  Also, you really can use any cut of steak for this recipe; it doesn't have to be ribeye.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 4-6 oz ribeye steaks
• Garlic salt, to taste
• 1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 ½ cups mushrooms, thinly sliced
• ½ cup beef broth
• 1/3 cup non-fat sour cream
• 2 Tbs fresh parsley, chopped
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

• Pre-heat an outdoor grill on high for about 15 minutes.  Season steaks to taste with garlic salt and sear steaks for 4-5 minutes on each side.
• Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet at medium heat.  Add onion, garlic and mushrooms to pan and saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.  Add the beef broth and bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and gradually whisk in the sour cream, stirring constantly.  Stir in the parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve over the steaks. 

The Best Homemade Ice Cream

From Tim's Uncle

This really is the best recipe for a homemade fruit ice cream.  I think both of our favorite is the strawberry ice cream, but it has been great with every kind of fruit we have tried.  {So far we have tried strawberry, strawberry-banana, raspberry, peach and blueberry.}  This time we made the blueberry ice cream to go along with our angel food cake.  So good! 

Ingredients:

• 1 qt.  milk
• 1 pt. heavy whipping cream
• 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
• 1 ½ cup sugar
• 4 tsp vanilla
• 3 cups fresh fruit or 2 (10 oz) bags of frozen fruit, thawed and pureed in blender

Directions:

Thoroughly mixed together all ingredients.  Fill ice cream maker and freeze according to instructions on your particular model of ice cream maker.

Almond Angel Food Cake with Coconut Frosting

Adapted from Cooking Light

This angel food cake is great for winter when berries become too expensive to heap on every dessert you eat.  The coconut replaces the sweetness of the berries.  However, I think you could still throw a few berries on there for an extra burst of sweetness if desired.  We seved with homemade blueberry ice cream instead, but I think I might throw a few fresh blueberries on tonight when I have another piece. 

Ingredients:

Angel Food Cake

• 12 eggs
• 1 ¼ cup confectioners sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1 ½ tsp cream of tartar
• 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp almond extract
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 cup sugar

Frosting

• 1 cup sugar
• ¼ cup water
• ¼ tsp cream of tartar
• 3 large egg whites
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp almond extract
• ¾ cup flaked sweetened coconut

Directions:

Angel Food Cake

• Separate eggs; discard yolks.  Measure egg whites adding or removing whites as needed to equal 1 ½ cups.  Place in a mixing bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, sift confectioner’s sugar and flour together three times.  Set aside.
• Add cream of tartar, extracts and salt to egg whites.  Beat on high speed.  Gradually add sugar, beating until sugar is dissolved and stiff peaks form.
• Fold in flour mixture ¼ cup at a time.  Gently spoon into an ungreased pan.  Cut through batter with a knife to remove air pockets.  Bake at 350 degrees F. for 45 minutes.

Frosting

• Combine sugar, water, cream of tartar & egg whites in a medium sized pan.  Beat at low speed for 30 seconds.  Heat on oven at medium-low heat and beat for seven minutes constantly at high speed.  Remove from heat and continue beating until stiff peaks form. 
• Add in vanilla and almond extract.  Spread frosting over cooled angel food cake and then sprinkle with coconut.

Pesto Lasagna with Spinach & Mushrooms

Adapted from Cooking Light

This is probably the best meat lasagna I have ever had.  Seriously.  The pesto and mushrooms in this made all the difference, turning an otherwise regular lasagna into something fabulous.  I can't wait to eat the leftovers.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups torn spinach
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms
• ½ cup prepared pesto
• 2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1  (15 oz) carton fat-free ricotta cheese
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• ¾ cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 lb. sausage, browned
• 1 (26 oz) can mushroom flavored pasta sauce
• Cooking spray
• 1 (8 oz) package wheat lasagna noodles (12 noodles)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Cook lasagna noodles to al dente.
• Combine spinach, mushrooms, and pesto in a medium bowl, stirring to combine; set aside.
• Combine 1 ½ cups mozzarella, ricotta and beaten egg in a medium bowl, stirring well to combine.  Stir in ¼ cup Parmesan and set aside. 
• Spread  half of pasta sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan, sprayed with cooking spray.  Arrange 4 noodles over pasta sauce; top with ricotta cheese mixture; top with sausage; top with another layer of noodles; top with spinach mixture; top with final layer of noodles.  Top with the remaining half of pasta sauce, then remaining ½ cup of mozzarella and ½ cup of Parmesan cheese.
• Cover with foil and cook lasagna in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes.

Paprika Vinaigrette

Adapted from All Recipes

About a month ago, I hosted a murder mystery dinner party.  The menu consisted simply of broccoli cheese soup, bread, salad and a key lime pie for dessert.  Since it was a fairly simple meal, I decided to make my own vinaigrette to accompany the salad.  But it was a last minute decision, so I needed to find a recipe with great reviews AND with ingredients that I already had on hand.  This recipe fit the bill.  It's always a little risky to serve a new recipe to guests without trying it first, but luckily this turned out fantastic.  The vinaigrette is just slightly spicy; it has a little zing to it.  It's unique and yummy enough that I made it again quite soon!

Ingredients:

• ½ cup red wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 Tbs Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbs lime juice
• ¾ tsp ground black pepper
• ¾ tsp salt
• 1 ¼ tsp paprika
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 Tbs chopped onion
• ¼ tsp oregano
• 1 pinch white sugar
• ½ cup olive oil

Directions:

Blen the red wine vinegar, honey, mustard, lime juice, pepper, salt, paprika, garlic, onion, oregano, and sugar together in a blender until thoroughly mixed.  Drizzle the olive oil into the mixture while blending on low.  Chill until ready to serve.

Blueberry Lemon Bread

Adapted from Ivory Family Favorites Cookbook

This bread is so yummy. I made it one other time and had better luck last time with the blueberries...this time they all sunk to the bottom! Oh well...I'll definitely be making this again so I'll have time to work on that issue.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons grated lemon rind

1/2 cup milk

1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen, thawed and drained

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1/3 cup sugar

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in small bowl. Set aside. Beat butter with 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy in second bowl. Add eggs one at a time; beat well after each one. Add lemon rind. Add flower mixture to butter mixture, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Fold in blueberries. (Sprinkle small amount of flour over blueberries to prevent sinking to the bottom of bowl.) Spoon batter into a greased and floured loaf pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour 15 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Bring lemon juice and 1/3 cup sugar to a boil. Pierce loaf. Spoon mixture over loaf. Let stand in pan 1 hour to cool completely. Makes 1 loaf.