Tuesday With Dorie- Florida Pie (Parfait)

This weeks challenge was chosen by Dianne of Dianne’s Dishes

This challenge reminded me so much of the time my husband and I went to the Bahamas for a little vacation before the baby came and during we had the most amazing Key Lime Pie. I don’t think I have tasted anything so delicious I was excited to see how Dorie’s would taste.

I knew I wanted to make something a little different then a Pie, since it seems like that is all I have been making. I love the idea of parfaits for dessert in the summer ( or warmer months) and since the weather has just been so beautiful here I knew it would be perfect.

I ended up only making the middle part with Limes ( unfortunately we don’t have Key limes right now) and adding in a little coconut milk instead of the coconut flakes, it made the pie a little more white color and added in great flavor. I skipped baking the crust and just crushing them in a bag and adding them to the bottom. I did end up skipping the meringue and used homemade whipped cream insead since my husband and I arn’t big fans of it. I also used a little lime zest and toasted coconut for the tops and I think it turned out delicious. This was a great recipe. Thanks Dianne.

Be sure to check out the rest of the TWD team for great pies and the recipes.

 

pastel de tres leches

To finish off Cinco De Mayo I decided to go with one of my husbands favorite cakes, Tres Leches or 3 milk cake. We’ve had this dessert several time at restaurants but I have never made it at home. I wish I could say it was an easy dessert to make but unfortunately this was probably one of the hardest. Although it was definitely worth every bite. It took me a few hours form start to finish, but if you have a little time and you want something absolutely amazing I would consider making this cake!

I did end up halving this recipe but I will post the original recipe below.

Cake:

1 cup sugar
5 large eggs, separated
1/3 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa 
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Milk Syrup

1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 cup heavy (or whipping) cream 
1 tsp vanilla extract 
1 Tbsp dark Cuban rum

Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. 

Beat 3/4 cup sugar and the egg yolks until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Fold in the milk, vanilla, flour, cocoa and baking powder. Beat the egg whites to soft peaks, adding the cream of tartar after 20 seconds. Gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and continue beating until the whites are glossy and firm, but not dry. Gently fold the whites into the yolk mixture. Pour this batter into the buttered baking dish. Bake the cake until it feels firm and an inserted toothpick comes out clean, about 30-45 minutes. Let the cake cool completely in baking dish. Pierce the cake all over with a fork, taking care to not tear it up.

MILK SYRUP: Combine the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, cream, vanilla and rum in a mixing bowl. Whisk until well blended. Pour the syrup over the cake, spooning the overflow back on top, until it is all absorbed.

Chocolate Mousse:

6 ounces (175 grams) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 cups (360 ml) heavy whipping cream
3 large egg yolks
1/3 cup (66 grams) granulated white sugar
1/4 cup (60 ml) water

In a medium-sized stainless steel bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate. Set aside but keep the bowl over the warm water so the chocolate will stay slightly warm.

In the bowl of an electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Refrigerate, covered, until needed.

Place the egg yolks in a large heatproof bowl and set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water and bring to a boil. Boil until the sugar dissolves a minute or two. This produces a sugar syrup. Then, whisking constantly, pour the boiling syrup over the egg yolks. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk constantly (can use a hand mixer on low speed) until the mixture is thick and light in color. This mixture should be hot to the touch. (About 10 minutes)

Remove the bowl from the heat and, working quickly, scrape the egg mixture into a clean large bowl of your electric mixer. On medium speed (or with a hand mixer) beat until the volume has doubled and the bottom of the bowl is completely cool to the touch. Turn speed to low, and beat in the warm melted chocolate until well combined. Fold in half the reserved whipped cream and then fold in the remaining cream. The mixture should resemble softly whipped cream. This can be used immediately or refrigerated, covered, until needed. If the mixture seems a little runny, the chocolate may have been too warm, but after refrigerating for an hour or so, it will firm up. Can be made and refrigerate a day ahead of time.

 

 

Black Bean-Taco Salad with Lime Vinaigrette

To  make things lighter I decided to go with a salad for Cinco De Mayo. I saw this recipe on cooking light and the vinaigrette sounded amazing. I had some left over grilled chicken I needed to use so I threw that in with it. It was very delicious.

Source:Cooking Light

Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup chopped seeded tomato
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 garlic clove, peeled

Salad:
8 cups thinly sliced iceberg lettuce
1 1/2 cups chopped ready-to-eat roasted skinned, boned chicken breast (about 2 breasts)  I used Grilled
1 cup chopped tomato
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup finely diced red onion
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups fat-free baked tortilla chips (about 4 ounces)

To prepare vinaigrette, combine first 11 ingredients in a blender or food processor; process until smooth.

To prepare salad, combine lettuce and remaining ingredients except chips in a large bowl. Add vinaigrette; toss well to coat. Serve with chips

 

Strawberry Stuffed French Toast

This came out amazing. Perfect for a Sunday breakfast. They filling was so simple to put together and it went so well with the Sour Dough bread. You can use any fruit you like.

1 (1 pound) loaf sourdough or French bread
1 (8 ounce) package light cream cheese, softened
2 tablesppons sugar 
2 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided 
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1-1 1/2 cups milk 
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped strawberries 

*powdered sugar and real maple syrup to finish

Mix the cream cheese, sugar, 1 tsp vanilla and strawberries together in a bowl, set aside. Slice the  bread on a slant, giving each side of the slice a nice surface area. Make a slit in each slice of bread through the crust to form a pocket. Place the cream cheese in a plastic or piping bag and pipe about 2 tbsp of the mixture in each slice of bread.

In a small bowl, beat together eggs,1 tsp vanilla, milk, cinnamon and nutmeg

Melt butter in a griddle or frying pan over medium-low heat. Briefly dip the bread slices in the egg mixture and place on the griddle. Brown on both sides and serve warm with sliced strawberries, powdered sugar and maple syrup

 

Strawberry-Almond Cream Tart

Last weekend kicked off the start of Strawberry season at the Farmer’s Market. With several pounds of strawberries to use I knew this was a must. A perfect dessert for a brunch! The crust and filling is very light and with only a thin layer you  get a nice little taste of the almond cream.

The main attraction is the strawberries of course and they were perfect in this dessert. The glazed was awesome, delicious and added the perfect amount of sweetness to this tart.  As a nice alteration try adding in a 1/4 cup melted white chocolate to the cream.

Source: Cooking Light

 Crust:
36 honey graham crackers (about 9 sheets)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
4 teaspoons water
 Cooking spray
 
Filling:
2/3 cup light cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
 
Topping:
6 cups small fresh strawberries, divided
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare crust, place crackers in a food processor; process until crumbly. Add 2 tablespoons sugar, butter, and water; pulse just until moist. Place mixture in a 9-inch round removable-bottom tart pan coated with cooking spray, pressing into bottom and up sides of pan to 3/4 inch. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack.

To prepare filling, combine cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, and extracts in a medium bowl; stir until smooth. Spread mixture evenly over bottom of tart shell.

To prepare topping, place 2 cups strawberries in food processor; process until pureed. Combine strawberry puree, 2/3 cup sugar, and cornstarch in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low; cook 1 minute. Remove glaze from heat, and cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

Combine 4 cups strawberries and juice; toss to coat. Arrange berries, bottoms up, in a circular pattern over filling. Spoon half of glaze evenly over berries (reserve remaining glaze for another use). Sprinkle nuts around edge. Cover and chill 3 hours.

Note: You can use either an 8 x 12-inch rectangular pan or a 9-inch round tart pan. The recipe also works with a 9-inch springform pan and a 10-inch pie plate.

 

Grilled Thai Chicken Salad with Mango and Ginger

This was a perfect light summery dish. The mango’s add such a freshness to the salad. I did end up making a few changes to fit our taste. I grated the ginger into the sauce instead of on the salad and I only used about half of what the recipe called for. I also added red pepper flakes to the sauce. I also added fresh raw chopped green beans and they added a great crunch to the salad.

We ended up eating the salad like a lettuce wrap. It was tasty and fun to eat. I’ve posted the original recipe below but make sure to taste the amount of ginger before adding it all.

Souce: Cooking Light

Dressing:
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons minced seeded Thai, hot red, or serrano chiles

Salad:
12 ounces skinned, boned chicken breast
 Cooking spray
2 cups sliced peeled mango (about 2 mangoes)
2/3 cup thinly sliced shallots
1/4 cup matchstick-cut peeled fresh ginger
4 cups mixed salad greens
2/3 cup torn mint leaves

To prepare the dressing, combine the first 4 ingredients in a bowl, and stir well with a whisk. Set dressing aside.

Prepare grill or broiler.

To prepare salad, combine 1 tablespoon dressing and chicken, and toss to coat. Place chicken on a grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray; cook 6 minutes on each side or until chicken is done. Cut chicken diagonally across grain into thin slices. Combine chicken, mango, shallots, and ginger. Toss with remaining dressing. Divide salad greens evenly among 3 plates. Top salad greens with chicken salad; sprinkle with mint.

 

Baked Eggplant with Savory Cheese Stuffing

This was a healthy, easy and satisfying meal. The tomatoes, and feta cheese added a great zest of flavor. I did end up omitting the peppers since my husband isn’t a huge fan of peppers but it was still very delicious. I also recommend serving along side a salad or Rice.

Source: Cooking Light

2 medium eggplants, each cut in half lengthwise (about 2 pounds)
 Cooking spray
1 (1-ounce) slice white bread
1 teaspoon extravirgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
1 1/4 cups finely chopped red bell pepper
1 cup finely chopped seeded plum tomato
1 teaspoon chopped fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400°.

Score cut side of each eggplant half by making 4 crosswise cuts. Place the eggplant halves, cut sides down, on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 25 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven; cool on pan 10 minutes. Carefully remove pulp, leaving a 1/3-inch-thick shell; reserve eggplant shells. Chop pulp.

Reduce oven temperature to 350°.

Place bread in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1/2 cup. Drizzle the breadcrumbs with olive oil, and pulse to combine.

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in the chopped eggplant, bell pepper, tomato, oregano, and garlic; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook 5 minutes or until liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in cheese, parsley, salt, and black pepper. Stuff each eggplant shell with about 1/2 cup onion mixture; sprinkle with breadcrumb mixture. Place on a baking sheet; bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated and lightly browned.

 

Easy Lemon Squares

I found these delicious Lemons Bars in “The Best of Cooking Light” and knew they would be perfect for a picnic dessert. They turned out refreshing, very light and tart. Just make sure to not over cook them. They were a  huge hit.

Source: Cooking Light

Crust:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons butter or stick margarine, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour

Topping:
3 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare the crust, beat 1/4 cup granulated sugar and the butter at medium speed of a mixer until creamy. Lightly spoon 1 cup flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Gradually add 1 cup flour to sugar mixture, beating at low speed until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Gently press mixture into bottom of an 8-inch square baking pan. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes; cool on a wire rack.

To prepare topping, beat eggs at medium speed until foamy. Add 3/4 cup granulated sugar and next 5 ingredients (3/4 cup granulated sugar through salt), and beat until well-blended. Pour mixture over partially baked crust. Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes or until set. Cool on wire rack. Sift powdered sugar evenly over top.

 

Daring Bakers Challenge - Cheesecake Pops

This months challenge was hosted by Elle of Feed my Enthusiasms and Deborah of Taste and Tell. 

 When I saw that Elle and Deborah had chosen Cheesecakes Pops from Jill O’Connor’s book “Sticky, chewy, messy, gooey” I was beyond excited. I had seen her cheesecakes pops before and thought they were adorable but way to difficult to make at home….Or so I thought

I had the opportunity to make these pop with my 10 year old little sister. My family came to visit the beginning of the month and I thought it was be a great project to do with her while she was here. We wanted to make them look like flowers potted in a planters pot with dirt and on the sticks we wanted them to look like leaves.

We used green ribbon for the sticks and Oreo cookies for the dirt. We dipped the cheesecakes in Dark Chocolate, White Chocolate and Strawberry melts with sprinkles. I had such a blast working with her, and this was such a fun ( and very easy) challenge to do. Thanks so much Elle and Deborah!

 

Cheesecake Pops

Makes 30 - 40 Pops

5 8-oz. packages cream cheese at room temperature

2 cups sugar

¼ cup all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

5 large eggs

2 egg yolks

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

¼ cup heavy cream

Boiling water as needed

Thirty to forty 8-inch lollipop sticks

1 pound chocolate, finely chopped - you can use all one kind or half and half of dark, milk, or white (Alternately, you can use 1 pound of flavored coatings, also known as summer coating, confectionary coating or wafer chocolate - candy supply stores carry colors, as well as the three kinds of chocolate.)

2 tablespoons vegetable shortening

(Note: White chocolate is harder to use this way, but not impossible)

Assorted decorations such as chopped nuts, colored jimmies, crushed peppermints, mini chocolate chips, sanding sugars, dragees) - Optional

Position oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Set some water to boil.

In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, flour, and salt until smooth. If using a mixer, mix on low speed. Add the whole eggs and the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well (but still at low speed) after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and cream.

Grease a 10-inch cake pan (not a springform pan), and pour the batter into the cake pan. Place the pan in a larger roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with the boiling water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Bake until the cheesecake is firm and slightly golden on top, 35 to 45 minutes.

Remove the cheesecake from the water bath and cool to room temperature. Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until very cold, at least 3 hours or up to overnight.

When the cheesecake is cold and very firm, scoop the cheesecake into 2-ounce balls and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Carefully insert a lollipop stick into each cheesecake ball. Freeze the cheesecake pops, uncovered, until very hard, at least 1 - 2 hours.

When the cheesecake pops are frozen and ready for dipping, prepare the chocolate. In the top of a double boiler, set over simmering water, or in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, heat half the chocolate and half the shortening, stirring often, until chocolate is melted and chocolate and shortening are combined. Stir until completely smooth. Do not heat the chocolate too much or your chocolate will lose it’s shine after it has dried. Save the rest of the chocolate and shortening for later dipping, or use another type of chocolate for variety.

Alternately, you can microwave the same amount of chocolate coating pieces on high at 30 second intervals, stirring until smooth.

Quickly dip a frozen cheesecake pop in the melted chocolate, swirling quickly to coat it completely. Shake off any excess into the melted chocolate. If you like, you can now roll the pops quickly in optional decorations. You can also drizzle them with a contrasting color of melted chocolate (dark chocolate drizzled over milk chocolate or white chocolate over dark chocolate, etc.) Place the pop on a clean parchment paper-lined baking sheet to set. Repeat with remaining pops, melting more chocolate and shortening (or confectionary chocolate pieces) as needed.

Refrigerate the pops for up to 24 hours, until ready to serve.

 

 

Chicken and Broccolli Stir Fry

This was a quick and satisfying meal to serve. The flavors worked so well together. The peanut Butter adds a great deal of flavor and texture. My husband loved it.

1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
4 cups broccoli florets
1 tablespoon ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World), divided
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 red onion
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons chunky natural peanut butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 garlic cloves, crushed

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add broccoli, onion and 2 teaspoons ginger to pan; sauté 1 minute. Add water. Cover; cook 2 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender. Remove broccoli from pan; keep warm.Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in pan; add remaining 1 teaspoon ginger, crushed red pepper, and chicken. Cook 4 minutes or until chicken is lightly browned, stirring frequently.

Combine broth and rest of ingredients in a small bowl, and stir with a whisk. Add broth mixture to pan; cook 1 minute or until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Return broccoli mixture to pan; toss to coat.

I served it over Jasmine Rice.

 

Tuesday’s With Dorie- Bill’s Big Carrot Cake

This weeks challenge was chosen by Amanda of Slow like Honey

When I found out this weeks challenge would be carrot cake I literally jumped up and down lol. Carrot cake is by far one of my favorite cakes. I think its the combination of the delicious cream cheese frosting and the spice  in the cake that work so well together. 

I have been eyeing this cake for quite awhile ( more then I should admit) It seems every time I flip through dories book I always end up staring and drooling over this cake

I decided to make this cake on Sunday so I could have a slice ( a big slice that is) and ship the rest of it off with my husband to work. Since my husband reminded me over again, that he does not like carrot cake! I knew I shouldn’t Couldn’t eat the whole thing my self . Of course my husband tasted it and feel in love with it like I did. We did end up keeping it haha. Terrible I know

I left out the coconut and raisens and added pecans in the cake and on the outside. I also ran out of oil so I used 1/2 cup oil and applesauce in its place.  This was a fantastic cake! Thanks Amanda. To see the TWD Team click here

 

Bill’s Big Carrot Cake
Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

 
Yields 10 servings
 
Ingredients:
 
For the cake:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon salt
3 cups grated carrots (about 9 carrots, you can grate them in food processor fitted w/ a shredding a blade or use a box grater)
1 cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
½ cup moist, plump golden raisins
2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
4 large eggs

Getting ready:
Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter three 9-x-2-inch round cake pans, flour the insides, and tap out the excess. Put the two pans on one baking sheet and one on another.
 
To make the cake:
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, stir together the carrots, chopped nuts, coconut, and raisins.
Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the sugar and oil together on a medium speed until smooth. Add the eggs one by one and continue to beat until the batter is even smoother. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture, mixing only until the dry ingredients disappear. Gently mix the chunky ingredients. Divide the batter among the baking pans.
Bake for 40-50 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point, until a thin knife inserted into the centers comes out clean. The cakes will have just started to come away from the sides of the pans. Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes and unmold them. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up.
The cakes can be wrapped airtight and kept at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to 2 months.

 

Vegetable Lasagna

The meal came together beautifully. I picked up delicious vegetables from the farmers market and was excited to try them in a lasagna. This recipes is very versatile. You can add any vegetable you desire. You can also add a homemade marinara sauce or store bought like I ended up doing. I also recommend cooking the noodles a few minutes before al dente as they will continue to cook in the oven. Other wise they may come out to mushy.

1 cup chopped red bell pepper (about 1 medium)
1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper (about 1 medium)
1 cup chopped onion 
2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
2 medium yellow squash, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 (8-ounce) package presliced cremini mushrooms 
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
1 1/2 cups fat-free ricotta cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
5 cups marinara sauce , devided 
12  lasagna noodles (about 8 ounces)

Preheat oven to 350°.

Add noodles to salted boiling water and cook about 8 minutes ( a few minutes before al dente)

 Meanwhile, Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add bell peppers, onion, zucchini, squash, and mushrooms; sauté 10 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender and mushroom liquid evaporates. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds.

 Combine 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, ricotta, and 1/4 cup Parmesan

Spread 1 cup  Marinara over bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray; top with 3 noodles. Spoon 1 cup Basic Marinara evenly over noodles. Top evenly with one-third of ricotta mixture and one-third of vegetable mixture. Repeat layers twice, ending with noodles. Top with remaining 1 cup Basic Marinara. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan. Cover and bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes or until cheese melts. Let stand 10 minutes.

 

Tuesdays With Dorie- Marshmallows

This weeks challenge was chosen by Judy of Judy’s Gross Eats

This challenge I would have to say was the most fun! I can honestly say I am a big kid at heart and just the idea of eating skicky gooey marshmallows that I made from scratch was such a thrill. Of course the first thing that came to mind was the beloved S’mores that I couldn’t wait to make with these delicious little marshmallow’s.

But first I wanted to attempt to make them pretty. I was afraid to add anything to it for the risk of it deflating so I was either going to roll them in chocolate… yum,  Sprinkle them with gram crackers.. another yum, or coat them in toasted coconut which I happen to love.

This was such great fun. Thanks Judy for chosing this weeks challenge. To see all of the wonderful team click here

Marshmallows

Makes about 1 pound marshmallows

About 1 cup potato starch (found in the kosher foods section of supermarkets) or cornstarch

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

2 1/4-ounce packets unflavored gelatin

3 large egg whites, at room temperature

3/4 cup cold water

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon sugar

GETTING READY: Line a rimmed baking sheet — choose one with a rim that is 1 inch high — with parchment paper and dust the paper generously with potato starch or cornstarch. Have a candy thermometer at hand.

Put 1/3 cup of the water, 1 1/4 cups of the sugar and the corn syrup in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Once the sugar is dissolved, continue to cook the syrup — without stirring — until it reaches 265 degrees F on the candy thermometer, about 10 minutes.

While the syrup is cooking, work on the gelatin and egg whites. In a microwave-safe bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the remaining cold water (a scant 7 tablespoons) and let it sit for about 5 minutes, until it is spongy, then heat the gelatin in a microwave oven for 20 to 30 seconds to liquefy it. (Alternatively, you can dissolve the gelatin in a saucepan over low heat.)

Working in the clean, dry bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in another large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until firm but still glossy — don’t overbeat them and have them go dull.

As soon as the syrup reaches 265 degrees F, remove the pan from the heat and, with the mixer on medium speed, add the syrup, pouring it between the spinning beater(s) and the sides of the bowl. Add the gelatin and continue to beat for another 3 minutes, so that the syrup and the gelatin are fully incorporated. Beat in the vanilla.

Using a large rubber spatula, scrape the meringue mixture onto the baking sheet, laying it down close to a short end of the sheet. Then spread it into the corners and continue to spread it out, taking care to keep the height of the batter at 1 inch; you won’t fill the pan. Lift the excess parchment paper up to meet the edge of the batter, then rest something against the paper so that it stays in place (I use custard cups).

Dust the top of the marshmallows with potato starch or cornstarch and let the marshmallows set in a cool, dry place. They’ll need about 3 hours, but they can rest for 12 hours or more.

Once they are cool and set, cut the marshmallows with a pair of scissors or a long thin knife. Whatever you use, you’ll have to rinse and dry it frequently. Have a big bowl with the remaining potato starch or cornstarch at hand and cut the marshmallows as you’d like — into squares, rectangles or even strips (as they’re cut in France). As each piece is cut, drop it into the bowl. When you’ve got 4 or 5 marshmallows in the bowl, reach in with your fingers and turn the marshmallows to coat them with starch, then, one by one, toss the marshmallows from one hand to the other to shake off the excess starch; transfer them to a serving bowl. Cut and coat the rest of the batch.

SERVING: Put the marshmallows out and let everyone nibble as they wish. Sometimes I fill a tall glass vase with the marshmallows and put it in the center of the table — it never fails to make friends smile. You can also top hot chocolate or cold sundaes with the marshmallows.

STORING: Keep the marshmallows in a cool, dry place; don’t cover them closely. Stored in this way, they will keep for about 1 week — they might develop a little crust on the outside or they might get a little firmer on the inside, but they’ll still be very good.

 

 

Mini Meat Loaves With Fresh Basil And Provolone

This Meat loaf was fantastic. The sun-dried tomatoes and basil added such great dept of flavor. The mini meal loafs make such a great presentation and everyone has their own little serving. I used ground turkey instead of beef since I don’t eat red meat but you can certainly used any meat you would like. I wrapped the loafs in parchment paper and placed on a cookie sheet to cook and it made for very easy clean up. I hope you enjoys these as much as we did.

Ingredients

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil, chopped small
1/2  cup tomato sauce
1 cup bread crumbs, Plain ( you can use seasoned just opt the dry herbs ingredients if you do)
1 tbsp each of  dried marjoram, dried basil, dried oregano, and garlic powder
3/4 cups chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded sharp provolone cheese
2 Large egg whites
1/2 large onion, grated
1 pound ground Turkey
Cooking Spray
1/3 cup ketchup
Preheat oven at 350 degrees F

Combine chopped tomatoes, 1/2 cup tomato sauce and the next 6 ingredients in a large bowl. mix well to combine. Add ground turkey and combined together making sure not to over mix the meat mixture. Shape mini loaf into three loafs even size. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray (or parchment paper) Add 1/3 cup ketchup on top of the loafs. Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes, using a thermometer to make sure the meat is cooked through.

 

 

A Taste Of Yellow - Strawberry Lemon Yogurt Bread

Peabody Of Culinary Conococtions by peabody introduced me to a blog event honoring and remembering cancer fighters and survivors. I knew right away I wanted to participate.

LIVESTRONG Day is the Lance Armstrong Foundation’s one-day initiative to raise awareness and funds for the cancer fight. LIVESTRONG Day 2008 will occur on Tuesday, May 13.

Having an incredible grandmother lose her battle with cancer was very hard and confusing to me. I know that she was a strong woman and she fought it until the end.

Let us all help and unite people to fight cancer.

Live Strong with a taste of yellow has been accepted by the Lance Armstrong Foundationas the official Live strong Day Event. To help participate in the wonderful event click here for all the details.

Strawberry Lemon Yogurt Bread

2/3 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup Puree Strawberries
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Glaze:
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 to 3 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add yogurt, stawberry puree and lemon peel. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well.

Pour into a greased 9-in. x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pan. Bake at 350° for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean (cover loosely with foil if top browns too quickly). Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack to cool completely.

For glaze, combine confectioners’ sugar, lemon zest and enough lemon juice to achieve desired consistency. Drizzle over cooled bread.