Happy 4th!!

Flagalicious Berry Trifle

Inspired by America's Test Kitchen

Not bad for a last minute decision to make this. I didn't have the required ingredients either, so I compromised and this is how it came out. Lets just say it tasted better than it looked!!

Here's the real deal...Here's the original recipe!

Blueberry Oatmeal Bars

Moist and Delicious!

Well as you can see, I got my first blueberries of the season! What to make... decisions, decisions. There are too many great recipes to make with blueberries. Should I make the always welcomed blueberry muffins or maybe some scones. Of course blueberry pie never disappoints either. Then there's those lemon blueberry cookies I've been wanting to make. Talk about stress...what a tough decision.

But I finally decided to make some Blueberry Oatmeal Bars. Why? I don't really know. Probably because I have never made them before. Plus, I recently ate some of my Mom's Quaker Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars and have been thinking about them ever since. So why not create a blueberry bar using similar ingredients? I was up for the challenge!

By the way, they turned out super moist and chewy, flavorful and I think, pretty cute too!


1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick tub margarine or butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3 egg whites
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 1/2 - 2 cups fresh blueberries, washed and stems picked off

Heat oven to 350°F. Place a large piece of foil in a 9 x 13 inch baking pan, overhanging sides.

In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

In an electric mixer or large bowl, beat margarine and sugars until creamy. Add oil and maple syrup, mix well. Add egg whites (one at a time) and vanilla; beat well. Add sifted flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Add oats; mix well. Carefully fold in half of blueberries.
Spread mixture evenly into prepared pan. Add the remaining blueberries to the top of the mixture, pushing berries in lightly.

Bake 28 to 35 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 20 minutes in pan; remove to wire rack by lifting up sides of foil. Cool completely. Cut into 24 squares. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator.

Angelic Pasta and Shrimp Primavera

Easy, Fast and Filling...

What more could you ask for? I love to cook but sometimes I just don't feel like making a big fussy meal, especially on a weeknight after working all day. No thanks. That's why I like having quick cooking pasta like angel hair and frozen cooked shrimp on hand. You can whip up a meal in a matter of minutes with either one of these ingredients. And when paired together, you get a "heavenly" combination. That's why I'm calling it...

Angelic Pasta and Shrimp Primavera
by Mixed Salad Annie

8 oz. Angel Hair Pasta
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 pound frozen cooked shrimp, thawed
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup green beans, ends trimmed and halved
1 cup black and green olives, sliced
1 - 8 oz. jar red roasted peppers, cut in strips
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup fresh parsley, minced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Add pasta and cook until al dente according to package. In a large non-stick skillet heat oil and garlic over low heat for about 4-5 minutes until garlic is soft but not brown.

Add green beans and stir to coat with oil and garlic. Raise heat to medium-high, add wine and bring to a boil. Cover, turn heat back down to low and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add olives, red peppers, shrimp, salt and pepper and parsley. Add cooked pasta to the skillet and combine all ingredients.
Serve immediately.

Lightened Up American Chop Suey

I Got A New Pot!

Before I talk about the American Chop Suey recipe, I must first tell you about my fabulous new Dutch Oven. Although Mario Batali likes to call it an Italian Essentials Pot. I got it in his trademark "orange", he calls it Persimmon. It is cast iron covered in ceramic and it is gorgeous and very heavy.
Ok. Now I can give you all a very serious warning about this pot...
It gets very, very hot and apparently holds an enormous amount of dangerous steam. I used this pot to cook my American Chop Suey and had the cover on for about 10 minutes, when I went to peek in on my macaroni, the steam burned my arm pretty bad. I even had a mit on when I opened the cover, but I lifted the cover open from the front...big mistake. This is the damage.

It is pretty bad burn. I covered it with a bandaid for the photo only, since you are not supposed to cover a burn with a bandaid. I will be more cautious when lifting the cover in the future. I guess the cover should be opened lifting up in the back. Now I know. Lesson learned. Hopefully, my mistake will be fair warning for everyone else. Seriously, be careful...

A New England Classic.

My family ate this a lot when I was growing up. It is definately a comfort food for me.
I never really knew that this recipe was originated in New England until recently. Before I made it, I wanted to check some recipes online for the proportions because it's been a while since either my mom or I have made it. While looking, I found many variations and also discovered it's New England origin.

My mom's original recipe uses ground beef and onion. Since I am not a big fan of either ingredient anymore, I decided to adapt the recipe and also lighten it up a bit. I really like the new lightened up version. I also tried to make it for easy clean up. The pasta is cooked right in the same pot as the sauce... I love that. The only thing is, it tends to get a little dry if you don't use enough tomato sauce, so adjust it with water as needed. And be careful not to overcook the macaroni because it will break up and will not be as pretty.

Lightened Up American Chop Suey
by Mixed Salad Annie

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 leek, washed, dried and finely chopped (or 1 large onion)
1 shallot, chopped (can be omitted if using onion)
1 green bell pepper -- cored, seeded, and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/3 pounds ground turkey (93% fat)
1 can (28 ounce size) whole tomatoes with their juices, pureed
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup water, or more depending on dryness of mixture
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups elbow macaroni
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
Freshly grated parmesan or romano cheese, for garnish

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the leek, shallot and green pepper, stirring often, for 5-7 minutes or until the vegetables soften. Stir in the garlic and cook for half a minute.

Add the ground turkey and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the meat is no longer pink.

Push aside the turkey to make an open space. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for about a minute. Add the pureed tomatoes, water, oregano, Worcestershire sauce, salt and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil.

Add the macaroni to the turkey mixture and stir to combine. Cover the pan, lower the heat and simmer the sauce for about 10 minutes. Carefully, remove the cover and stir half way through. Add more water if necessary.

It is ready when the pasta is tender but still has some bite.
Spoon into bowls, sprinkle with parsley and Parmesan, and serve immediately.

P.S. It's always better the next day, so make it ahead for best flavor!

Kitchen Sink Pasta Salad

Whatever You Have... Just Throw It In!

Still surviving this retched heatwave. I can't stand hot, hazy and humid days. It always amazes me when people say they love this weather. Who in their right mind would love the feeling of damp, sticky clothes and frizzy hair? NOT ME. Ok enough complaining, but I wouldn't be a Rhode Islander if I didn't bitch about the weather.

One thing I am happy about is that I made this salad when I did. Now I can relax and I don't have to worry about cooking anything and heating up the house. Everything is right there in it... protein, veggies, and grains! I like to take it out of the refrigerator at least a half hour before I want to eat so that the flavors are even better.

I love dishes like this. Whenever I have leftover chicken, vegetables or pantry items that have been sitting around for a while, I make this pasta salad. The beauty of it is that you can make it with whatever you have on hand at the time, it always tastes great and it's never the same the next time you make it.

Kitchen Sink Pasta Salad
by Mixed Salad Annie

Dressing:
1 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped, stems discarded
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Pasta Salad:
1 pound fusilli pasta
2 cups cooked chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
1 cup cauliflower florets, 1/2 cup broccoli florets, 1/2 cup baby carrots (quartered lengthwise), all steamed until aldente (about 5-6 minutes)
1/4 cup mixed black and green olives, pitted and sliced
1 small can water chestnuts
1/4 cup jarred marinated mushrooms, cut in half
1 small jar roasted red peppers, cut into strips
1/4 cup 50% less fat- sharp cheddar cheese, cut into cubes
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved

For Dressing:
Add the parsley, vinegar, garlic, mustard, and salt and pepper to a blender. Blend until all ingredients are incorporated. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while the motor is running. Set aside.

Cook pasta according to box instructions and drain.

In a large serving bowl, mix the pasta with the remaining ingredients, except tomatoes. Drizzle with dressing, toss and refrigerate for about 2 hours or overnight.

Take pasta salad out of the refrigerator about a half hour before serving and toss in the tomatoes.

Green Beans ala Romano

Pure and Simple.

I'm keeping it simple today. It's too hot to cook anything elaborate anyway. Yesterday it hit 91 degrees here and today and tomorrow are supposed to bring more of the same. Yuck. I have to say I don't like the hot, muggy, sticky days of summer.

But I'll tell you what I do like...Green beans. They just seem to have endless possibilities. This is just a simple recipe that is so easy to throw together on a busy work night.
I prefer to steam my veggies because more of the nutrients are retained, but feel free to boil them if you prefer, to your desired tenderness before sauting them in the garlic tomatoes.

Green Beans ala Romano
by Mixed Salad Annie

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced or pressed through a garlic press
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 pound green beans, stem ends removed
1/8 cup seasoned Panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
2 tablepoons chopped fresh parsley

Steam or boil green beans in salted water until tender, about 7 minutes steamed and 5 minutes boiled.

Add 2 teaspoons oil to a medium skillet add garlic and cook over low heat until soft but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper and cook about 2-3 minutes.

Add green beans and cook, mixing to incorporate flavors, about 3-4 minutes.

Remove pan from heat and add Romano cheese, breadcrumbs and parsley.

Serves two.

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Get Your Chocolate Fix..
and Your Vegetables All In One Bite!

If you have never heard of this combination before...Where have you been? It is pretty popular now, but I remember when it first showed up years ago, everyone thought it was a really strange pairing. That's until they tasted it.

I kind of got a jump start on this recipe. I know by mid-summer there will be zucchini muffins, breads and cakes all over the food blogisphere. I wasn't really trying to beat everyone to the punch, I just had some extra zucchini in the fridge and I somehow thought of these muffins. I have had and made chocolate zucchini muffins in the past but never like these.
This recipe really worked out great. The flavor is very chocolatey and the texture is soft and velvety. Very moist as well, due to the zucchini, of course!

What more could you ask for in a muffin?
Oh yeah, I almost forgot, they're somewhat low-fat too!

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
by Mixed Salad Annie

1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup dutch processed cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
1/4 cup tub margarine or butter
1/2 cup natural granulated sugar
1/2 cup natural brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 tsps. vanilla
3/4 cup fat-free plain yogurt
2 cups grated zucchini
1/3 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray non-stick muffin tin with cooking spray.

Melt the margarine or butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in cocoa and heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.

Cream together cocoa butter mixture and sugars in mixing bowl until light and fluffy,
using electric mixer at medium speed. Beat in yogurt, then blend in eggs and vanilla. Slowly add dry ingredients and blend until just combined. Stir in zucchini and mini chocolate chips with a rubber spatula. Pour batter into prepared muffin tins. Bake 19- 21 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of muffins comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes.

Key Lime Bars

As Easy As Key Lime Pie...
Only Easier!

I have been in a limey mood lately. First I made the Coconut Lime cake for Easter, then I made a boxed mix of lime bars (a sticky mess) and last but certainly not least, these delicious key lime bars.
The original recipe is from America's Test Kitchen (Cooks Illustrated Magazine). It is a really simple, yet elegant bar recipe. I decided, as I usually do, to go low-fat with it. And you really can't tell the difference, I promise. If you like tangy...these bars are for you!!

Seeing that this recipe is made with low-fat cream cheese and fat-free sweetened condensed milk, which are both rich in calcium, I am sending it to Susan at Food Blogga for her Beautiful Bones Osteoporosis Food Event. It is a great event for a very important topic that surely needs more attention and thanks to Susan, we can learn a lot about the causes and prevention and not to mention her fabulous calcium rich recipes. Check it out!

Key Lime Bars
(Reduced-fat, but you'd never know it)

adapted from Cooks Illustrated

Crust
5 ounces animal crackers
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar (light or dark)
Pinch table salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
3 tablespoons margarine, melted and cooled slightly

Filling
2 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese (1/3 less fat), room temperature
1 tablespoon grated lime zest, minced
Pinch table salt
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup fresh lime juice, either Key lime or regular, about 3-4 limes
Garnish (optional)
3/4 cup natural unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted until golden and crispAdjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Fit an extra-wide heavy-duty piece of foil into bottom and up sides of 8-inch-square baking pan. Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.

For CRUST: Place animal crackers in a food processor and pulse until broken down and until evenly fine. Add brown sugar and salt; process to combine, (break up any large sugar clumps with your fingers). Drizzle in butter and pulse until crumbs are evenly moistened. Press crumbs evenly into bottom of prepared pan. Bake until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack while making filling. Keep oven on same temperature.

For FILLING: In medium bowl, stir cream cheese, zest, and salt until softened, creamy, and thoroughly combined. Add sweetened condensed milk and whisk until smooth; whisk in egg yolk. Add lime juice and whisk gently until combined.

TO ASSEMBLE AND BAKE: Pour filling into crust; spread evenly to corners. Bake until set and edges begin to pull away slightly from sides, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack for at least one hour. Cover with foil and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 2 hours.

Lift foil with bars out from baking pan; cut bars into 16 squares. Sprinkle with toasted coconut, if desired.

Chicken and Artichoke Pasta Supreme

I HAVE A SECRET...

Did I get your attention? Good, because this is important. It's buttermilk. That's my secret. It is a super ingredient to use in low-fat cooking. I have always used buttermilk in baked goods with great results, and even as a marinade for chicken. But I had never tried using it as part of a sauce until now.
I have to say I was a bit nervous about how it was going to turn out, because I feared that it might curdle or separate. No problems though, it turned out great. The sauce had a nice silky texture and a bit of a tang. Give it a try.

Chicken and Artichoke Pasta Supreme
by Mixed Salad Annie

1 pound chicken boneless skinless chicken breast or breast tenders, cut into small pieces
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon chicken seasoning
4 cloves garlic, chopped (divided)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespon extra-virgin olive oil
1 leek, washed, dried and chopped
1/2 pound egg noodles, or your favorite pasta
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons margarine (suggested: Smart Balance Buttery Spread)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup low sodium chicken stock
1 cup low-fat sharp Cheddar
1/3 cup grated sharp Pecorino Romano cheese
1 can artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed and cut into quarters
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

Place chicken pieces in a resealable plastic bag and add buttermilk, chicken seasoning, 2 cloves chopped garlic and salt and pepper. Marinate at least 1/2 or overnight in the refrigerator.

Place a pot of water on to boil for noodles.

Remove chicken from buttermilk, reserving 1/2 cup of buttermilk and pat chicken pieces dry with paper towels. Heat a medium pan over medium to medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and chicken and season with salt and pepper. Saute a couple of minutes then add leeks and cook another 3-4 minutes until leeks are tender and chicken is almost cooked through. Remove from pan and reserve.

To boiling pasta water, add kosher salt to season the cooking water and add noodles or pasta. Cook until al dente.

While pasta cooks, re-heat the same pan that the chicken was cooked in over medium heat. Add margarine and melt, then add the remaining 2 cloves of chopped garlic. Cook for 1 minute. Add flour, and whisk together over heat until bubbles form and cook a minute more. Whisk in wine, reduce 30 seconds. Whisk in stock, then reserved 1/2 cup buttermilk. Turn up heat a bit and bring to a boil. Lower heat and add cheeses. Stir until cheese melts into sauce. Simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes. Add the reserved chicken and leeks, artichokes and simmer another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Drain noodles or pasta. Add to chicken mixture and stir to combine.

Adjust seasonings, transfer to a large serving platter, sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve.

A Cake Fit For A Queen!

Queen Mom That Is...

Two of my mom's favorite things are chocolate and pistashio nuts. I remember when I was a little girl, whenever she would bring me and my sister out for ice cream she would always get pistashio or chocolate. One or the other; the other fancy flavors never even tempted her. She knew what she wanted and was satisfied with the simplicity of each flavor on it's own. Although I wonder if she would have been tempted if they had chocolate-pistashio ice cream. I think so. And so I was inspired to make this combination in a cake...just for mom on Mother's Day!

This is a rich, moist and tender chocolate cake, studded with whole pistashio nuts. The middle of the cake is filled with a pistashio cream cheese pudding, that surprises and delights everyone when they see it and taste it. The deliciously rich pistashio butter cream frosting is made with pistashio paste and butter.
*Since pistashio paste is not the easiest thing to find or the most cost effective, you could also frost the cake with chocolate frosting. I've listed both recipes.

Chocolate-Pistashio Surprise Cake
by Mixed Salad Annie

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 large eggs
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 cup freshly brewed strong black coffee (OR) 2 heaping teaspoons instant coffee in 1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup shelled pistashio nuts, plus more for garnish
Pistashio cream pudding filling, recipe follows
Pistashio butter cream frosting, recipe follows
or
Creamy chocolate frosting, recipe follows

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lighty butter two 9-inch round baking pans. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper, then butter and flour them. Shake out the excess flour and set aside.

Sift together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer. Stir to combine. In a separate bowl, mix eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Slowly add the wet mixture while mixing at low speed. Add the hot coffee slowly with the mixer still on low speed. Mix until combined. Scrape the bottom of the bowl and then pour batter evenly into prepared pans. Evenly distribute nuts on top of batter in each pan. Gently push nuts into batter with a toothpick.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes for round pans or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 25 minutes in pans; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. ******Continue below.

Pistashio Cream Cheese Pudding Filling

1 box instant pistashio pudding mix
1 (8 0unce) package 1/3 less fat cream cheese, room temperature
1 3/4 cups low-fat milk
1 cup boiling water
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/8 cup sugar

Line a 9 inch cake pan with plastic wrap, overlapping on all sides. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat pudding mix into the cold milk for 2 minutes with a whisk. Set aside.
In a small bowl mix gelatin and sugar; add boiling water and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved, about 5 minutes.
In another bowl, beat cream cheese and vanilla with a hand mixer until smooth. Slowly beat in 1/2 of the gelatin mixture. Discard the remaining gelatin. Pour into prepared pan and refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours.

Pistashio Butter Cream Frosting

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter or margarine, softened
½ cup pistachio nut paste
2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 to 3 tablespoons milk

Cream together the butter and pistachio paste. Alternately add sugar and milk until smooth and creamy. Blend in the vanilla.

(OR an excellent alternative frosting...)Creamy Chocolate Frosting

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter or margarine
2/3 cup Cocoa
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, until creamy and spreadable. Adding small amounts of additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla.

******Continued...
Lifting the plasic from the sides of the pan, remove the set pistashio cream pudding filling from the pan. Place 1 layer of cake, flat side up, on a plate or cake stand. Gently and quickly flip over and place the pistashio filling on top of the cake. Remove plastic wrap. With a knife, carefully trim the edges of the filling that overhang the cake. Place the second cake layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the desired frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake. Garish with extra pistashio nuts and melted chocolate if desired.
10 to 12 servings.

Grilled Portobello Pizzas

Yummy and Satifying!

This the quickest and easiest dinner to make when you don't have a lot of time or energy. All you need are some portobello mushrooms, left over cooked chicken, and some basic pantry items. You can even use a stovetop grill. I did!

Grilled Portobello Pizzas
by Mixed Salad Annie

6 large portobello mushrooms, de-stemmed and gills removed
Olive oil, for brushing
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 shallot, sliced thin strips
1/3 cup cooked chicken breast, sliced in small thin pieces
1 roma tomato, diced
6 tablespoons store-bought pesto sauce, or homemade (I used my frozen ice cube pesto)
1/4 cup Pecorino Romano, shaved with peeled
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, minced

Preheat the grill to high heat. Preheat broiler.

Brush both sides of the mushrooms with olive oil and sprinkle both sides of each mushroom with salt and pepper. Place the mushrooms on the grill and grill for 4 to 6 minutes on each side, until soft and tender.

Remove from grill, placing the mushrooms bottom side up on a foil lined baking sheet. Top each mushroom with 1 tablespoon pesto, a few small slices of chicken, shallots, tomatoes and finally the cheese.

Place the mushrooms about 6 inches from broiler and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Remove and place on a serving platter and sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately with grilled italian bread.

I found these cute little glass mugs at the Christmas Tree Shops. At only .89 cents each, I just couldn't resist. They make for the perfect modern espresso mug. The only problem is that I don't drink espresso too often since I gave up caffeine.

As soon as I got them home I started thinking it was a stupid impulse buy. And of course it was, but I was determined to figure out what to use them for. So far I have used them in two ways. As shown above, they make a great presentation for pudding. Which by the way, is delicious with trail mix stirred in just before adding to your dessert cup or in my case petite mug.

The dried fruit in the trail mix softens and gives the pudding a great texture and flavor. I used Dr. Oetker organic vanilla pudding mix which is all natural and has no added chemicals or preservatives. I used pacific trail mix which has almonds, raisins, cranberries, pineapple, mango and papaya. I also added 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract to pump up the vanilla flavor.

Second: Perfect for individual servings of shrimp cocktail.
Again it makes a great presentation. I fit four shrimp per mug and filled the mug with tangy cocktail sauce. Cute and YUMMY!

Let me know if you have any more ideas...

Linguine with Shrimp and Lemon Oil

Flavorful and Healthy!!
What a great combination.

I love it when a recipe packs a healthy punch along with a fist full of flavor. Wow. I didn't mean to be so violently graphic, with punches and fists. HAHA. I guess this recipe just brings it out. Maybe its the tangy lemon or the peppery arugula. Whatever it is, you can thank Giada. She came through again with another winner!

Linguine with Shrimp and Lemon Oil
by Giada DiLaurentiis

For the lemon oil:
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, zested

For the pasta:
1 pound linguine pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, diced (I used one choppe leek)
2 garlic cloves, minced
16 ounces frozen shrimp (I used cooked shrimp)
1/4 cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1 lemon, zested
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 ounces arugula (about 3 packed cups)
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

For the lemon oil:
Combine the olive oil and the lemon zest in a small bowl and reserve.

For the pasta:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots (or leek) and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until pink, about 5 minutes. (I only heated mine through for about 2 minutes and that may have been too long.) Add the cooked linguine, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine. Turn off the heat and add the arugula. Using a mesh sieve, strain the lemon zest out of the reserved lemon olive oil and add the oil to the pasta. The zest can be discarded. Add the chopped parsley to the pasta and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Broiled Chicken with Meyer Lemon Dijon Marinade

First Time Cooking with Meyer Lemons

I don't know what took me so long to buy meyer lemons. I guess because they are a little more expensive than regular lemons, I kind of shyed away. I'm glad I finally broke down and got some! The flavor is so intense and the color is beautiful. They are a little more orangy in color.
This just a simple marinade for a simple weekday dinner. It's quick, easy and very tasty!

Broiled Chicken with Meyer Lemon Dijon Marinade

1 lb. chicken tenderloins or chicken breast cut into smaller pieces
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Combine oil, rind, juice, mustard, garlic, pepper and parsley in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Place chicken pieces in a large zip lock plastic bag and add the marinade. Let stand for at least 1/2 hour or longer if possible.

Preheat Broiler.

Place chicken pieces on a broiler pan or baking sheet lined with foil. Broil for 4 minutes on the first side and then 3-4 minutes on the second, or until cooked through.

Tarragon Turkey Burgers

Hankering For a Hamburger?

Try turkey instead. Sometimes I get a hankering for something hearty and filling for dinner after a long day at work. One night I was seriously craving a big juicy burger. So I stopped at the market after work and bought some ground turkey. It is healthier than ground beef with less saturated fat and I just love it. I actually prefer it to beef now.

I wanted to flavor it with some fresh herbs, I was thinking the usual; basil or parsley. But when I went to grab a pack of basil, the fresh tarragon caught my eye. So I went with that instead. I thought it would really freshen and brighten the flavor of the burger. And it did. It is such a fresh flavor; it tastes a little like fennel to me. Kind of like licorice, only not as strong. Delicious!

Tarragon Turkey Burgers

1 pound lean ground turkey (I used dark meat, which is about 93% lean)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 egg white, beaten
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano Regiano cheese, or parmesan
1/4 cup flavored bread crumbs
2-3 tablespoons fresh finely chopped tarragon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
4 light hamburger buns, toasted lightly on grill

Preheat broiler.

1. Mix together egg white, garlic, tarragon, parmigiano cheese, salt, pepper and breadcrumbs in a medium bowl. Add the ground turkey and mix until evenly blended. (Do not over work the meat or it will be tough when cooked).
   
2. Form into 4 equal size patties.
3. Broil burgers about 6 inches from element for about 5-6 minutes per side or until no longer pink in the center. (180 degrees on an instant read thermometer).
   
4. Place each burger atop a toasted bun. Top with a slice of fresh tomato if desired.
   

Orange Almond Butter Bars

Got Orange Peel?

Lately I've been obsessed with orange peel. It seems I can't eat an orange without first zesting or peeling it. I actually feel like I'd be throwing away some kind of valuable commodity if I threw away the peel. I know it's weird.

I just really love the fresh smell of the oranges essential oils when zesting them. I used to just zest the peel over some waxed paper and save it in the freezer until I needed it for a recipe. But I realized that I wasn't getting all of the essential oils from the orange. So I started to make orange butter instead. By zesting the orange into room temperature butter, all of the oil is incorporated right into the butter. I mix it and wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze for future use. It also makes it easy the next time I need orange zest in a recipe, since the work is already done!

In this recipe I made two different versions of bars. One with chocolate and the other is just topped with sliced almonds. They are both sure to please!

Orange Almond Butter Bars
by Mixed Salad Annie

Ingredients
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup natural almond butter
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup natural brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon pure almond extract
Grated orange rind from 1 1/2 oranges
1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate, chopped or bittersweet morsels
2 tablespoons sliced almondsDirections
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Mix together flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl.
3. Beat together almond butter, butter and sugar in medium-size bowl until creamy. Beat in egg, yolk, rind and almond extract.
4. Stir flour mixture into butter mixture in 2 additions to form dough. If too soft, refrigerate to firm.
5. Place 1/2 of dough on a parchment lined baking sheet.
6. Stir chocolate pieces into remaining dough. Place on the same baking sheet.
7. Shape into two 10 x 3-inch logs.
8. Top the first log with sliced almonds pushing gently into dough.
9. Bake in 375 degree F oven for 10 to 13 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove logs to cutting board. Let stand until cool enough to handle, about 10-15 minutes.
10. Using serrated knife, cut logs crosswise on a slight angle into 1/2-inch-thick slices. With spatula, transfer bars to wire rack to cool.
Makes about 20 bars.

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes with Broiled Chicken

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes- Yum!

This is a great recipe to use when cherry tomatoes go on sale. That's when I made mine. They were .99 cents a pint. Not bad!

As with roasting anything, the flavor of what ever is being roasted becomes intensified and caramelized. I love that! You could use these roasted tomatoes as just a pasta sauce as well. Just add some grated Parmigiano cheese and your good to go!

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes with Broiled Chicken

2 pints cherry tomatoes
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
5 whole garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
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4 chicken cutlets
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, or cooking spray

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 425 degrees F.

Line a baking sheet with heavy duty foil. Add the tomatoes and toss with the oil, whole garlic cloves, vinegar, salt, red pepper flakes, and pepper. Roast until the tomatoes are tender, stirring occasionally, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, add the chopped garlic and mix well. Place sheet back in the oven and roast for an additional 10-15 minutes. Transfer the tomatoes and any accumulated juices to a bowl; add the parsley and oregano. Stir well, cover to keep warm.
Preheat broiler.
Spray a foil lined baking sheet or broiler pan with cooking spray. Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper and place on the baking sheet. Spray the top of the cutlets with cooking spray or a 1/2 teaspoon olive oil. Cook the chicken for 4 minutes per side or until no longer pink in the center.
Let rest for a few minutes and slice into strips. Add to the roasted tomatoes. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Serve immediately with pasta or rice.

Chocolate Covered Orange Peel

OMG-These Were Good!

If there are "two great tastes that taste great together" (besides chocolate and peanut butter), they would have to be chocolate and orange. This was my first ever attempt at making this type of candy. I have to say it was very easy, just a lot of steps.

I got the recipe from one of my favorite bloggers, Emiline at Sugar Plum. She had made them for her Mom on Valentine's Day in the shape of little hearts. They were just so cute and I knew if Emiline made them they had to be good! I had been thinking of them ever since and starting saving all my orange peels. It started getting a little crazy, because I wouldn't eat an orange unless I properly peeled it in order to save the precious peel!So anyway I made the chocolate orange peel but I kept the natural shape of the peeled strips. I also used more oranges, probably 4-5. And lastly, I omitted the butter from the chocolate. Other than that I followed the recipe as written.

Chocolate Covered Orange Peel Hearts (Recipe adapted by Emiline from Chocolate Step-by-Step)

Ingredients:
2 large oranges
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
5 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips, room temp.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temp.

Directions:
Cut oranges into quarters. Carefully remove peel in large sections, removing any excess pith with a sharp knife.

Using a small heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut the peel into shapes.
Drop the rounds into a pan of boiling water, simmer for 5 minutes; drain. Repeat twice more using fresh boiling water each time you do it.

Combine water and sugar in pan; stir over low heat without boiling until sugar dissolves. Add orange hearts; bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the peel becomes translucent.

Transfer shapes to large wire rack to drain. To dry thoroughly, stand peel overnight, loosely covered with foil.

Combine chocolate and butter in small saucepan; stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Using two forks, dip peel in chocolate to coat; drain excess. Stand shapes on foil-lined tray until set.

Apricot and Dried Plum Truffles

Easy As Pie...

The inspiration for these truffles came from Ellie Krieger on the Food Network. She hosts the show Healthy Appetite. I really like some of her recipes since she always tries to use healthful ingredients in recipes that would otherwise be very fattening or unhealthy.

This recipe is a perfect example of how you can eat healthy without missing out on the things you love, like chocolate.
We all know that dark chocolate (around 60%-70% cocoa, the higher the percentage, the better is it for you) can now be a healthy addition to our everyday diets (if eaten in moderation, something I have to practice myself)! And dried fruits are also an important part of a healthy diet since they contain minerals essential to our bodies.
In the first version I made, I used apricots and dried plums. The second version is very similar to Ellie's recipe, Fig and Ginger Truffles, which uses dried figs. I added some pistashios for crunch.

Apricot and Dried Plum Truffles

1 1/2 cups dried apricots, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dried plums, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon orange zest
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon honey
2 1/2 ounces dark chocolate (60 to 70 percent cocoa solids), chopped.

Place the apricots, dried plums, orange zest, cinnamon and honey in a food processor and process for about 1 minute, until the ingredients form a consistency of a sticky paste.

Roll the mixture in your hands into balls the size of cherry tomatoes and set them on a waxed paper lined baking sheet.

Use a double boiler or place a small bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, over low heat, making sure the water isn't touching the bottom of the bowl. Place the chocolate in the bowl and stir until it is melted. Remove the bowl from the pan.

Roll the apricot balls into the melted chocolate 1 or 2 at a time, until they are all covered. Place them back on the waxed paper and chill in the refrigerator until set.

(Version#2)

Figgy Pistashio Truffles
adapted from Ellie Krieger

2 cups dried figs, (about 8 ounces)
2 tablespoons crystallized ginger, I used candied ginger and grated it on my microplane
2 teaspoons orange zest
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup chopped pistashio nuts
2 1/2 ounces dark chocolate (60 to 70 percent cocoa solids), chopped

Cut the stems off the figs and discard. Put the figs, ginger, orange zest, cinnamon and honey in a food processor and process for about 1 minute, until the ingredients form a consistency of a sticky paste.

Roll the fig mixture in your hands into balls the size of cherry tomatoes and set them on a waxed paper lined baking sheet.

Use a double boiler or place a small bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, over low heat, making sure the water isn't touching the bottom of the bowl. Place the chocolate in the bowl and stir until it is melted. Remove the bowl from the pan.

Roll the fig balls into the melted chocolate 1 or 2 at a time, until they are all covered. Place them back on the waxed paper and sprinkle with chopped pistashio nuts. Chill in the refrigerator until set.