Ravioli Caprese

I have been wanting to make homemade ravioli for a long time but since I don't have a pasta maker, I didn't think I would be able to. Then I saw Giada make this ravioli on Everyday Italian. It looked so easy and simple. I had to try it. The flavors were great. So fresh and light. And I was suprised at how well it went for my first try at homemade pasta. I squeezed fresh lemon on it just before serving to brighten it up and intensify the lemon flavor. I will definitely be making this again soon, especially after I plant my basil in my herb garden. A great, light, and simple summer dinner. (Serves about 4 people)

Ingredients:

Dough:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1 cup very hot water

Filling:

3/4 cup whole milk ricotta cheese

1 egg

1/2 cup finely shredded rotisserie chicken

1/4 cup grated parmesean

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Sauce:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

juice of 1 lemon (optional)

Directions:

For the dough:

In a large bowl combine the flour and water. Using a wooden spoon, stir to combine into a large ball. Cover wil plastic wrap and let sit for 10 minutes.

For the filling:

Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl and stir to combine

To form the ravioli, cut the dough into 4 evenly sized pieces. The dough should be slightly sticky. Add extra flour as necessary for rolling, but use only a little as necessary. Form each piece into a 2 by 6 inch rectangle. Recover the dough with the plastic wrap.

Lightly dust the work surface and a rolling pin. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, roll the dough into a 4 by 9-inch rectangle. Place rounded teaspoons of filling about 1 inch apart down the center of the dough. Fold the dough over the filling. Press down around the edges of each of the ravioli with your fingertips. Cut the ravioli into small squares (or use a circle cutter) and press down around each of the edges again with your fingertips to seal. Place the finished ravioli on a baking tray and continue forming the remaining ravioli.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add half the ravioli and cook until the ravioli float, stirring occasionally, about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain into a large bowl and cook the remaining ravioli.

Pour olive oil over the cooked ravioli. Add the basil, lemon zest, lemon juice (if desired), salt, and pepper. Gently toss to coat and serve immediately.

Saffron and Lemon Risotto with Scallops

A couple of weeks ago my dad treated us all to this fancy meal found in this cookbook my mom had given me. It was seriously so good! It had so much flavor and the risotto had a really good creamy texture and such a pretty color from the saffron. Risotto can be a little time consuming, but the key is to add the liquid just a little at a time and let it slowly absorb it. He served it with a Fresh Arugula Salad topped with a little parmesan cheese and fresh lemon juice. Oh and the table setting he and my mom came up with wasn't too bad either;) Great job, Dad!

(serves 4)

Ingredients:

5 cups simmering vegetable stock

16 scallops

juice of 1 lemon, plus extra for seasoning

1 Tbsp. olive oil, plus extra for brushing

3 Tbsp. butter

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups risotto rice

1 tsp. crumbled saffron threads

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

1 lemon, cut into wedges

2 tsp. grated lemon zest, to garnish

Directions:
Place the scallops in a nonmetallic bowl and mix with the lemon juice. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Heat the oil with 2 Tbsp. of the butter in a deep pan over medium heat until the butter has melted. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until soft and starting to turn golden. Add the rice and mix to coat in oil and butter. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes, or until the grains are translucent. Dissolve the saffron in 4 Tbsp. of the hot stock and add to the rice.

Gradually add the remaining stock, a ladleful at a time. Stir constantly and add more liquid as the rice absorbs each addition. Increase the heat to medium so that the liquid bubbles. Cook for 20 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is creamy. Season to taste.

When the risotto is nearly cooked, preheat a pan over high heat. Brush the scallops with oil and for 3-4 minutes on each side, depending on their thickness. Be careful not to overcook them or they will be rubbery.

Remove the risotto from the heat and add the remaining butter. Mix well, then stir in the parmesan cheese until it melts. Season with lemon juice, adding just 1 tsp. at a time and tasting as you go.

Place risotto in serving dish and arrange scallops on top. Top with parmesan curls and lemon zest.

Seared Tuna with Mango Salsa and Chiptole Aioli

Once again, I cannot take credit for this recipe, except for the mango salsa part (that was a Martha Stewart recipe we have had around for awhile). Tyler created this awesome meal one night for our family. Everything about this meal was entirely his idea, even the way it was plated. The tuna steaks came with the sesame seeds already on them. All he and my mom did was sear them for about 30 seconds on each side, in a preheated pan with olive oil. Then they sliced them up and served them with a scoop of the salsa and a drizzle of the chipotle aioli. It didn't make it in the picture, but Tyler also served it with sourdough bread and an Avocado Spinach salad with a citrus vinaigrette. I am just posting the recipes for the mango salsa and the chipotle aioli because those were the only real "recipes" he used. Also, he and my mom set the table with sort of a beachy theme in mind... Such a delicious and fresh summer meal! Great job Tyler!

Mango Salsa
(makes about 2 1/2 cups)

Ingredients:
2 ripe mangoes (peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/4 inch dice) ** Here is a little guide from one of my favorite cooking blogs about how to cut a mango... much harder than it sounds!
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh Jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (about 1 medium)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. minced shallot

Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Toss gently, and serve.

Chipotle Aioli

Ingredients:
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3 cloves minced garlic
2 1/2 T lemon juice
3/4 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1 1/2 t finely chopped chipotle in adobo sauce (you can adjust this amount depending on how spicy you want it)

Directions:
Stir together the mayo, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and chipotle pepper and chill until ready to serve.

Brunch Braid

I am posting this recipe because it is SO good (even though I cannot take credit for finding it!) I first tasted this recipe at the Graduation Brunch my cousin Jodee threw for Ashley and I. Since then we have made it a few times, both the original way and also with a variation my mom thought of. My mom made one of each for dinner one night and served them with fruit kabobs. I am also posting a picture of the sort of French table setting she did because I thought it was so cute!

Ham and Cheddar Brunch Braid

Ingredients:

1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

2 green onions, sliced
4 oz. cream cheese

1/2 cup milk

8 eggs

1/4 tsp. salt

dash ground black pepper

1 tsp. butter or margarine

2 packages refrigerated crescent rolls (we found that the largest size work best)

1/4 lb. thinly sliced deli ham

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 F. Chop bell pepper and green onions. Place cream cheese and milk in bowl. Microwave on high 1 minute; whisk until smooth. Separate 1 egg and reserve egg white for later use. Whisk egg yolk and the remaining 7 eggs, salt, and pepper into cream cheese mixture until well blended. Add bell pepper and onions to egg mixture and mix well.

Melt butter in large skillet over medium-low heat. Add egg mixture. Cook, stirring occasionally, until eggs are set but still moist. Remove pan from heat.

Unroll crescent dough; do not separate. Arrange dough on rectangular baking stone (or metal baking sheet will work fine) with longest sides of rectangles across width of baking stone. Using a rolling pin or just your hands, roll dough to seal seams. Starting on the longest sides of the baking stone, cut sides of dough into strips, about 1 inch wide and 3 inches long. Arrange ham evenly over center of dough. Scoop egg mixture over ham. Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese over egg mixture.

Starting at one end, lift one strip of dough. Twist one turn and lay across top of filling. Repeat, alternating strips of dough to form a braid. Fold bottom edges up at ends of braid. Lightly beat reserved egg white. Brush over dough using a pastry brush. Bake for 25-28 minutes or until deep golden brown. Slice into pieces.

Turkey and Provolone Brunch Braid

Ingredients:

1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

1 small shallot, chopped finely

4 oz. cream cheese

1/2 cup milk

8 eggs

1/4 tsp. salt

dash ground black pepper

1 tsp. butter or margarine

2 packages refrigerated crescent rolls (the biggest size work best)

1/4 lb. thinly sliced deli turkey (we used herb-roasted deli turkey)

1/2 cup provolone cheese (we just took the pre-sliced sandwich provolone and cut it up)

2 cups fresh spinach, sliced

Directions:

Follow the same directions as I described above. Just sprinkle the fresh spinach on at the same time you add the meat and cheese.

Creamy Walnut Shrimp

This recipe was by far the favorite dish from the Chinese take-out meal I created. I tried to find a recipe that was similar to the Walnut Shrimp I always order when I go to Asian Star. It had a really unique flavor (I think it was something in the 5-spice powder), and we all loved it! Definitely a new family favorite! Oh and I threw in a picture of the table setting I did for the meal. Usually I don't do a table setting, but I though it would kinda be fun to do sort of an Asian theme! I also set some fortune cookies on the table for dessert!

(serves 4)

Ingredients:
3/4 lb. uncooked medium shrimp, shelled and cleaned
oil for deep frying
1/4 cup glazed walnuts

Marinade:
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. minced shallot
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. sesame seeds
1/4 tsp. 5-spice powder (available in the Asian food aisle)

Sauce:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp. honey
2 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. lime juice
1 tsp. sesame oil
1/4 tsp. mustard powder

Directions:
Mix together ingredients for marinade. Add shrimp and toss in marinade. While shrimp is marinating, mix together ingredients for sauce. Stir until smooth.

Pour oil into wok and heat. Slip the shrimp into hot oil and fry until opaque, about 3 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Place shrimp in large bowl and drizzle with sauce. Toss to coat well and then place onto serving platter. Top with glazed walnuts and garnish with sesame seeds.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

When making my Chinese take-out dinner, I knew I had to make some Sweet and Sour Chicken. For this recipe I turned to a cooking blog I had come across recently called Rasa Malaysia. Between the countless easy but authentic Asian recipes and awesome pictures of her food, I would highly recommend it! The original recipe called for pork, but I used chicken since there aren't many pork fans in our family. It turned out great and I will definitely be making this again!

Ingredients:

1/2 lb chicken, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into pieces
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into pieces
2 stalks scallions, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 small can pineapple chunks
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
oil for frying

Marinade:
1 tsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. rice wine

Frying Batter:
1/2 cup water
2 oz. all-purpose flour (I had to look this up, and found out it's a little less than 1/2 c)
1 oz. corn starch (a little less than 1/4 c)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 egg (just whisk it in a little bowl and dump half of it out)
1 tsp. cooking oil
1 small pinch of salt

Sweet and Sour Sauce:
1 1/2 Tbsp. ketchup
1 tsp. plum sauce
1/8 tsp. rice vinegar
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. oyster sauce
1 tsp. corn starch
1 tsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. water

Directions:
Cut chicken into pieces and marinate with the ingredients for 15-20 minutes.

Mix the sweet and sour sauce ingredients well and set aside.

Mix together the dry ingredients for the frying batter and then add in the 1/2 egg, water, and cooking oil to form a thick batter.

When the chicken is well marinated, transfer the pieces into the batter and make sure they are well coated. In a deep skillet, pour enough cooking oil to fry the chicken pieces. Once the oil is hot, deep fry the chicken pieces until they turn golden brown. Dish out and drain on paper towels.

Heat up a wok and add in some cooking oil. Add in the chopped garlic and stir fry until light brown, then add the bell peppers and pineapple. Stir fry until you can smell the peppers. Add in the sweet and sour sauce. As soon as the sauce thickens, transfer the chicken into the wok and stir well to coat chicken with sauce. Add in the chopped scallions, do a few quick stirs. Serve with hot steamed white rice.

Hot Sesame Beef

For my homecooked Chinese take-out meal, I also made a spicy beef dish from this cookbook my mom had given me. It was really good, but I should probably warn you, VERY spicy. I'm sure you could adjust the amount of red chile, chile flakes, or chili oil to acheive just the right amount of heat for your taste. Also, you end up cooking the beef twice, so be careful not to overcook it the first time or it will end up overdone.

(serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 lb 2 oz beef fillet, cut into thin strips (I just bought the meat that comes already sliced and says "stir fry meat" on it and cut each piece in half. Not the stew meat, which can be really tough)
1 1/2 Tbsp. sesame seeds
1/2 cup beef stock
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. grated fresh gingerroot (I just used ground ginger)
2 garlic cloves, chopped finely (I always just use the jarred stuff)
1 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. chile flakes
3 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 large head of broccoli, cut into florets (I just used frozen broccoli florets)
1 red bell pepper, sliced thinly
1 red chile, seeded and sliced finely
1 Tbsp. chile oil, to taste
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro, to garnish

Directions:
Mix the beef strips with 1 Tbsp. of the sesame seeds in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the beef stock, soy sauce, gingerroot, garlic, cornstarch, and chile flakes.

Heat 1 Tbsp. of the sesame oil in a large skillet or wok. Stir-fry the beef strips for 2-3 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Discard any oil left in the pan, then wipe with paper towels to remove any stray sesame seeds. Heat the reamaining oil, add the broccoli, red bell pepper, chile, and chili oil, and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the beef stock mixture, cover, and let simmer for 2 minutes.

Return the beef to the skillet and let simmer until the juices thicken, stirring occasionally. Cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Sprinkle with the remaining sesame seeds and garnish with chopped cilantro.

Baked Egg Rolls

A couple of weeks ago I was craving some Chinese food and decided I would make an entire Chinese take-out meal from scratch. It ended up being a LOT of work, but was totally worth it in my opinion! For the egg rolls I decided on this recipe because it seemed a like a healthier option and I didn't want to mess around with having to deep fry the egg rolls.

(Recipe yields 14 egg rolls)

Ingredients:

Egg rolls:
2/3 cup coarsely chopped celery
2/3 cup coarsely chopped carrot
2 cups shredded cabbage
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
2/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 pound ground turkey breast
1 1/2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
14 egg roll wrappers
1 large egg white
Cooking spray

Sauce:
3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
6 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425°.

Combine celery and carrot in food processor, and pulse 10 times or until finely chopped.

Combine celery mixture and cabbage in a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; vent. Microwave at high 5 minutes; drain.

Heat vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, and garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add turkey; cook 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in cabbage mixture, 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce, and pepper. Cover and chill 15 minutes.

Place 1 egg roll wrapper at a time onto work surface with 1 corner pointing toward you (wrapper should look like a diamond). Trim 1 inch off right and left corners of wrapper. Spoon 3 tablespoons turkey filling into center of wrapper. Fold lower corner of egg roll wrapper over filling. Fold in trimmed corners. Moisten top corner of wrapper with egg white; roll up jelly-roll fashion. Repeat procedure with remaining wrappers, turkey filling, and egg white.

Lightly coat egg rolls with cooking spray, and place, seam side down, on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 18 minutes or until golden brown.

To prepare sauce, combine 3/4 cup soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and 1 tablespoon ginger; serve with egg rolls. Garnish with green onions.

Vegetable Bulgur Salad

I was in the mood for a light, healthy lunch and ended up making this salad. I started out with this recipe and just tweaked a few things. I adjusted the dressing (upped the lime and used less oil), nixed the shrimp, and added a bunch of colorful vegetables instead. It tasted so good and is packed full of good stuff!

Dressing:
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
3 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
salt to taste
pinch of cayenne pepper
3 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
1/8 cup canola oil

Salad:
1 cup uncooked bulgur
1/2 large red bell pepper, diced
1 English cucumber, diced
1 cup matchstick carrots
2 scallions, chopped
1 avocado, diced

Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients. Set aside.

Cook bulgur according to package instructions. In a large bowl, toss together cooked bulgur, red pepper, cucumber, carrots, and scallions. Add dressing and toss. Top with diced avocado.

Crab Cake Salad

I have been craving the crab cake salad at Desert's Edge Brewery for the last little while. But instead of going to the restaurant, I decided to make my own version of what might be my favorite salad. I have tried crab cake salads at other restaurants but none of them have beat the one from Desert's Edge. It has a lot of different flavors that work really well together and I think I might have come up with the perfect imitation :) The recipe makes about 16 small crab cakes (enough for 7 or 8 dinner sized salads). I mixed up the meat, dressing, salsa, and aioli, and chopped all the vegetables and then cooked the crab cakes last so that I could serve them warm.

Crab Cakes with Chiptole Aioli

Ingredients:
8 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
3 6-ounce cans crabmeat, drained (**make sure you drain it as much as you can, the drier the better)
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 T mayonaise
1 1/2 t dry mustard
9 ounces Ritz crackers (about 30 crackers), crushed
3/4 t cayenne pepper
1 1/2 t garlic powder
3/4 t Old Bay Seasoning
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
3/4 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs) or regular dry bread crumbs
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3 cloves minced garlic
2 1/2 T lemon juice
3/4 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1 1/2 t finely chopped chipotle in adobo sauce (you can adjust this amount depending on how spicy you want it)

Directions:
Combine crabmeat, green onions, eggs, mayo, dry mustard, crushed crackers, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, Old Bay seasoning, salt and pepper. Form into 1/2 inch thick patties (**I found that they stayed together better if I made them smaller and thicker, rather than flatter and bigger). Coat the patties with breadcrumbs.

Heat 1/2 cup oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Cook cakes until golden brown on each side. Drain briefly on paper towels and serve hot.

For the aioli, stir together the mayo, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and chipotle pepper and chill until ready to serve.

Corn and Jicama Salsa

Ingredients:
2 cups corn kernels (about 4 ears)
1 cup finely chopped tomato
1/2 cup finely chopped peeled jicama
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 T minced fresh cilantro
1/4 t salt
1/4 t paprika
1/4 t black pepper
1 4-ounce can chopped green chiles, drained

Directions:
Stir ingredients together and chill until ready to serve

Citrus Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
4 T fresh lemon juice
1/2 c fresh lime juice
4 T frozen orange juice concentrate
4 t red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlice minced or pressed
1/2 t sugar
1 t salt
black pepper to taste
3/4 c olive oil

Directions:
Whisk together all ingredients and set aside

Crab Cake Salad

Ingredients:
mixed greens
citrus vinaigrette
chopped tomato
chopped red pepper
chopped avocado
corn and jicama salsa
crab cakes
chiptole aioli

Directions:
Toss mixed greens with citrus vinaigrette. Divide equally among plates. Top each salad with chopped tomato, red pepper, avocado, corn and jicama salsa, and 2-3 crab cakes. Put chipotle aioli in a plastic baggie and cut the tip off. Pipe aioli across crab cakes and serve.

Oreo Ice Cream

One of my favorite treats in the summer is homemade ice cream. We've made almost every summer for as long as I can remember. My dad is the designated ice cream maker in the family :) He usually makes raspberry or strawberry, but this year we decided to mix it up a little and made oreo ice cream. It was so good. Sometimes homemade ice cream can end up a little too creamy but this is a really good recipe to use as your base, and then add whatever you want to it. This recipe makes 5 quarts, but you could scale it down to make less.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups milk

2 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 t salt

2 1/2 cups half and half

1 1/2 T vanilla extract

5 cups whipping cream

25-30 oreo cookies, crumbled

additonal oreo cookies to serve, if desired

Directions:

Scald milk until bubbles form around edge. Remove from heat. Add sugar and salt. Stir until dissolved. Stir in half and half, vanilla, and whipping cream. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes. Freeze according to ice cream maker instructions. After frozen, stir in oreo cookies. To serve, spoon into bowl and top with additional crumbled cookies or a whole cookie.

Fajita Burgers

We found this recipe on delish.com. One of my favorite places to get recipes. We first made them for father's day and they were so good that we made them again for the 24th. The first time, we used ground beef and the second time, we used ground turkey. I didn't notice any difference in the flavor, but the ground turkey is a lot better for you. We love spicy, mexican flavors so this was the perfect summer recipe for us. I especially love the chipotle mayonnaise. We have used it as a spread for grilled chicken sandwiches also. A little more time consuming than your regular cheeseburger, but so worth it in my opinion :)

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef (or ground turkey)

3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (divided)

1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

1/4 cup chopped scallions

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 tablespoon chopped chipotle chile in adobo

1/2 cup shredded monterey jack cheese (we used slices of pepper jack)

4 French rolls (preferably whole wheat, split and toasted)

2 roasted anaheim or poblano peppers

1 cup shredded green cabbage (we just used bagged cole slaw mix)

4 slices tomato

4 slices red onion (we omitted this because there's already plenty of onion in the meat)

sliced avocado

Directions:

Place beef, 1/4 cup cilantro, onion, scallions, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, pepper, and salt in a large bowl. Gently combine, without overmixing, until evenly incorporated. (We then usally let the meat sit for an hour or so for the flavors to mix.) Form meat into 4 equal patties, about 1/2 inch thick and oval-shaped to match the rolls.

To roast the peppers, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place whole peppers on a baking sheet lined with foil and cook for about 30 minutes, turning halfway through. Immediately, place peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit for 30 minutes until cool. Carefully remove the skins and remove stem, seeds, and membranes. Cut in half and set aside.

Combine the remaining 1/2 cup cilantro, mayonnaise, lime juice, and chipotle in a small bowl.

Grill the burgers for about 6 minutes per side on medium-high heat. Top with cheese and cook until it is melted, about 1 minute more.

Assemble burgers on toasted rools with the chipotle mayonnaise, half a roasted pepper, cabbage, tomato, onion, and avocado. (We served them with watermelon wedges, chips, and a pickle wedge)

Stuffed French Toast

This is a recipe that Tyler saw on a TV show and was dying to make. He made it for brunch for all of us last sunday. It was SO good! I usually am not a big fan of breakfast food but I loved this. Tyler did a really good job making it and all the different flavors worked so well together. He doubled the recipe to make 8 servings but it ended up making a lot of the egg mixture. Also, we didn't use thick bread like the recipe calls for, so we ended up needing less of the egg mixture. So if you double the recipe, you probably don't need to double the egg mixture unless you use really thick bread slices.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups milk

2 eggs, beaten

1/8 t ground nutmeg

1/4 t ground cinnamon

1/2 t vanilla extract

3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

8 (2-inch thick) slices of bread (**we just used regular, thin white bread)

2 bananas, very thinly sliced

1 cup strawberries, very thinly sliced

4 T butter

1/4 cups powdered sugar

maple syrup

Directions:

Combine milk, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla in a shallow bowl. Set aside.

For assembly, spread a thin layer of the cream cheese onto 1 side ofthe bread slices. Top half the slices with the fruit. Place another piece of bread on top, cream cheese side down, creating a sandwich.

Preheat a griddle to 350 degrees. Lightly brush with the butter.

Give the milk mixture a quick stir, and dip the sandwiches into the batter, coating all sides.

Place on the griddle. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, then turn on the edges and cook to brown evenly.

To serve, slice sandwiches in half on the diagonal and transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with maple syrup.

Honey Glazed Salmon

Ever since we made this recipe from this book, it has been our favorite way to make salmon. The original recipe called for pure maple syrup but since pure maple syrup is so expensive, we substituted honey and it was delicious. We love eating fish so its always to nice to find a new way to cook it. Its a really quick and easy recipe. We usually serve it with some steamed broccoli and some wild rice.

Ingredients:
4 salmon fillets
1 cup soy sauce
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 cup pure maple syrup (we used honey)

Directions:
Marinate salmon for 1-24 hours
Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Bake for 18 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Quinoa Salad With Lime Ginger Dressing and Shrimp

I've been making an effort to look for healthier recipes lately and I came across this one from NYTimes.com(their healthy recipes section is awesome by the way!) I made a full recipe, enjoyed some that day, and put the rest into 3 containers so now I have healthy lunches for the next few days! This salad tasted so fresh and had so much flavor and wasn't too hard to make! Oh and apparently quinoa is pretty expensive so I swapped it out for some bulgur, but I'm sure you could use any sort of healthy whole grain. I also left out the buttermilk in the dressing because I didn't have any, and it tasted fine to me. You could also make this vegetarian by leaving out the shrimp and substituting avocado instead. SO good and SO good for you:)

For the dressing:
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger (more to taste)
1 small garlic clove, minced
Salt to taste
Pinch of cayenne
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil or walnut oil
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons buttermilk (** I left this out)

For the salad:
3 cups cooked quinoa (3/4 cup uncooked) (** I used bulgur instead)
4 scallions, white and light green parts, sliced thin
1 small cucumber, halved, seeded and thinly sliced on the diagonal
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
12 to 16 cooked medium shrimp, peeled (**I tossed the raw shrimp with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper and then roasted them for 5 min. in the oven at 400 degrees)

Directions:
In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the lime juice, rice wine vinegar, ginger, garlic, salt, cayenne, sesame oil, canola oil, and buttermilk.

In a salad bowl, combine the quinoa, scallions, cucumber, and cilantro. Toss with the dressing and divide among salad plates. Top each portion with 3 or 4 shrimp, and serve.

Yield: Serves 4

Advance preparation: The cooked quinoa will keep for 3 or 4 days in the refrigerator. You can make the dressing and prep the ingredients for the salad a few hours ahead.

Baked Orzo With Tomatoes, Roasted Peppers and Zucchini

I came across this recipe in the healthy recipe section of NYTimes.com. It was super easy and it was so nice that I could make it all ahead of time and then just stick it in the oven before dinner. It was so flavorful and packed with vegetables. It tasted healthy but was still warm and comforting at the same time. I served it with a green salad dressed with a homemade balsamic vinaigrette.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound orzo (about 1 1/8 cups)
Salt to taste
1 large red pepper, roasted and diced (I followed these instructions for roasting peppers)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 medium zucchini, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 pound tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced; or 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 or 2 plump garlic cloves (to taste), minced
2 ounces freshly grated Parmesan or 2 ounces crumbled goat cheese (1/2 cup, tightly packed)

Directions:
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil, and add the orzo. Cook eight minutes, or until it is cooked through but still firm to the bite. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Toss with the diced roasted pepper and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 2-quart baking dish. Heat another tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, wide skillet. Add the zucchini and cook — stirring and turning over the slices, or tossing them in the pan — until just cooked through and lightly colored, about five minutes. Scrape into the bowl with the orzo.

Return the pan to the heat, add the final tablespoon of oil and the garlic. Cook just until fragrant, 20 to 30 seconds, and add the tomatoes and salt to taste. Cook, stirring from time to time, until the tomatoes have cooked down slightly and smell fragrant. Taste and adjust seasoning. Scrape into the bowl with the orzo, add the Parmesan or goat cheese, and mix everything together. Add freshly ground pepper to taste, and adjust salt. Transfer to the baking dish.

Bake 30 to 40 minutes, until the top is just beginning to color. Serve hot or warm.

Yield: Serves six

Advance preparation: You can assemble this several hours, even a day, before baking.

Mint Oreo Truffles

I came across this recipe a few weeks ago on one of my favorite sites, Bakerella. If you haven't been to her blog before, you should because her creations are seriously amazing. One of my favorite flavor combinations is mint and chocolate and with St Patricks day coming up, it was the perfect time to make them. They were pretty easy to make and turned out so good. It was my first attempt at truffle making though so they didn't turn out as smooth and pretty as I hoped they would. Don't look too closely! ;)

Ingredients:

1 package (1lb 1oz) Double Stuff Oreos- Cool Mint Flavor (**I could only find regular mint oreos, not double stuff so I used these proportions instead so the consistency was right**)

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, room temperature

chocolate bark or candy coating

Directions:

If using double stuff oreos, used 22 cookies with cream centers and 10 cookies with the cream centers removed. Finely crush the cookies in a food processor or a ziploc bag with a rolling pin. Stir in cream cheese. Use the back of a large spoon to help mash the two together completely.

Roll the mixture into 1' balls and place on wax paper covered cookie sheet. Place covered in freezer or refrigerator for a few minutes to help retain shape when dipping in melted chocolate.

Melt chocolate as directed on the package and then dip balls into chocolate, tap off extra and set aside on wax paper covered cookie sheet to dry.

For decorations, melt chocolate and put it in a ziploc bag. Cut off the tip and either drizzle over the truffles or to make shamrocks, on a sheet of wax paper, draw three dots and a line down the middle. Using a toothpick, drag until it looks like a shamrock.

Chicken Parmesean Burgers

A few months ago I subscribed to Bon Apetit magazine. Since then, I have made a huge list of recipes to make but I haven't really gotten around to trying any of them until a few nights ago. This recipe caught my eye because it was a unique take on a classic dish and it looked so good. I'm not usually a huge fan of Italian food but I loved the flavors in this recipe and it wasn't too heavy.

Ingredients:

10 1/2-inch-thick slices French bread (4 inches in diameter); 8 slices toasted, 2 slices (crust removed) diced
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons minced fresh basil, divided, plus 12 large basil leaves
3/4 cup purchased refrigerated marinara sauce
12 ounces ground chicken (white meat) (**I couldn't find ground chicken so I just put some chicken breasts in the food processor until they were finely ground**)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon grated onion (** I didn't want to grate it so I just finely chopped it**)
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces whole-milk mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced (**make sure its the fresh kind, not the rubbery kind :)
4 large radicchio leaves (**I used red leaf lettuce because that's what I had**)

Directions:

Blend diced bread and Parmesan in processor to fine crumbs. Transfer to pie dish; mix in 2 tablespoons minced basil.

Mix marinara and 2 tablespoons basil in small saucepan. Transfer 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce to large bowl. Add chicken, 1/2 tablespoon oil, onion, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle with pepper; blend. Shape into four 1/2-inch-thick patties; coat with crumbs. Heat sauce over low heat.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook patties until bottoms are crusty, 4 minutes. Turn patties over; top with cheese. Cook 3 minutes. Cover; cook until cooked through and cheese is melted, about 1 minute. (** Since I was making this for our whole family, I just decided to bake them in the oven for about 25 minutes at 375. Then added the cheese and broiled them until the cheese was melted.**)

Assemble burgers with bread, radicchio, basil leaves, and warm marinara.

Makes 4 servings

Tandoori-Style Chicken Burgers

I actually made this recipe a few months ago but didn't realized that I hadn't posted it until I found the pictures on my computer. I got it from this cookbook that I bought in the fall. This was a really fun and unique meal to make. The flavors were great and everyone enjoyed it. It was a little time consuming but it was worth it. I also made some sweet potato fries to go with them. I just sliced up a sweet potato, tossed the slices with olive oil, garlic salt, salt, and dried parsley. Then I spread them out onto a foil lined baking sheet and baked them at 400 degrees until they were soft and lightly browned.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds (4 to 5) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into rough chunks (**I used chicken breasts because that's what I had)
4 scallions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger (from a peeled 2-inch piece)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (** I omitted this because it was fairly expensive)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Vegetable oil, for grates or pan
4 (6-inch) whole-wheat pitas
1 cucumber (8 ounces), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced on the diagonal
1/2 cup fresh cilantro sprigs
Cumin yogurt sauce (see recipe below)

Watermelon slices (optional)

Directions:

Heat grill or frying pan to medium-high. In a medium bowl, place chicken, scallions, ginger, lemon juice, paprika, cumin, cardamom, cayenne, 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; toss to combine. Set aside to marinate, at least 10 and up to 30 minutes.

Transfer chicken mixture to a food processor; pulse until roughly chopped, but not pasty, 10 to 12 times. Gently form mixture into sixteen 3/4-inch-thick patties (about 3 tablespoons each).
Moisten a folded paper towel with oil; grasp with tongs and rub over grates, or if using a frying pan, add oil. Season patties with salt and pepper; grill or cook until opaque throughout, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

For the Cumin Yogurt Sauce: In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt with 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin; season with coarse salt and ground pepper.

Halve pitas crosswise (toast on grill, if you like). Into each pocket, place 2 chicken patties, cucumber slices, and cilantro sprigs. Serve with Cumin Yogurt Sauce and, if desired, watermelon slices.

Molten Chocolate Cakes

This recipe is also from this cookbook. This is seriously one of my favorite desserts I have made. The cakes were so gooey and dense and chocolately. Like a really rich brownie. Next time I make them though, I will make sure to butter and sugar the tins more and cook them a little longer. (Some of mine came out a little too gooey. More of a little pile than a mini cake :) One batch makes 6 cakes.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for muffin tins
1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more for muffin tins
3 large eggs
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Whipped Cream, for serving

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously butter 6 cups of a standard muffin tin. Dust with granulated sugar, and tap out excess. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and granulated sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. With the mixer on low speed, beat in flour and salt until just combined. Beat in chocolate until just combined. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups.

Place muffin tin on a baking sheet; bake just until tops of the cakes no longer jiggle when the pan is lightly shaken, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes.

To serve, turn out cakes, and place on serving plates, bottom sides up. Dust with confectioners' sugar, and serve with whipped cream, if desired.