Honey Lime Fruit Salad

*Note: This fruit salad is best served right away (or at least within an hour of making) because the strawberries tend to stain the light colored fruit. It doesn't affect the taste at all but is a slight bummer for presentation. 

*Serves 4

1 (20 oz.) can pineapple chunks, drained well

1 can mandarin oranges, drained well

2-3 ripe kiwi, peeled and sliced into thick half moons

1 cup green grapes, halved

1 cup strawberries, quartered

Zest from one lime, about 1 tablespoon

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon poppy seeds (optional)

Combine the fruit in a medium-large serving bowl. Add the lime zest and poppy seeds, if using, and gently toss. Drizzle the honey over the fruit and again, gently mix until the fruit is evenly coated with the honey. Serve.

Recipe Source: from melskitchencafe.com

Caramelized Green Beans

Caramelized Green Beans

1 lb. (actually, just a little bit more...maybe 1 1/8 lb.) fresh green beans

1/2 lb. bacon

1/2 red onion, sliced

3-4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

olive oil

2 Tbsp. sugar

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

Lots of freshly-ground pepper

Begin frying the bacon in a large skillet. Start boiling a large pot of water. Place beans in a colander and rinse them well. Then snap the ends off and snap them in half.

Prepare the sauce by mixing sugar, soy sauce, and salt in a small bowl.

Remove bacon from pan and drain on a paper towel. If you feel like it, you can crumble it now or wait until it's cooled off a little. Pour bacon drippings out of pan (I keep an empty tin can around for this very purpose).

Use some olive oil and heat pan to medium-high heat. When the pan is hot...

--Add onions and garlic. Give them a quick stir and then...

--Add beans to boiling water. Place colander in a clean sink. Boil for one minute; you're not cooking them until they're done, just blanching them to take the edge off. Meanwhile, stir the onions and garlic so they don't scorch. After one minute, drain beans in the colander in the sink.

--Once beans have been drained, add them to the onions and garlic. Stir fry 2-3 more minutes.

--Give your sauce a quick stir and then pour on top of the beans. Keep stir-frying until the beans get kind of glazy.  Stir fry, for another 2 minutes.

--Add crumbled bacon. Keep stir frying until the sauce sticks to the beans and the bacon. Transfer to a serving dish and allow to stand a few minutes so the beans cool down a bit and the glaze thickens up a little.

La Madeleine Tomato-Basil Soup

Ingredients

4 cups tomatoes, peeled, cored and chopped, or 4 cups canned whole tomatoes, crushed

4 cups tomato juice

12 - 14 washed fresh basil leaves, plus additional for garnish, chopped

1 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup sweet, unsalted butter, softened

Salt to taste

1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Crusty bread (optional)

Directions

Combine tomatoes and juice in saucepan. Simmer for 30 minutes over medium-low heat. Cool slightly, then place in a blender or food processor. Add basil and process to puree; this will have to be done in batches.

Return mixture to saucepan. Add cream and butter. Stir over low heat until butter and cream are incorporated. Stir in salt and pepper before serving. Garnish with more fresh basil and serve with fresh, crusty bread. Makes 8 servings.

Notes: When I don't have fresh basil I use 1 Tablespoon dried. You can also use half and half in place of the the heavy cream and cut back on the butter.

Donut Muffins

(makes 18 mini muffins)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and grease a mini-muffin tin, set aside.

Mix up the 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup butter and nutmeg in a large bowl.

Then, add in the milk, baking powder and flour until just combined.

Fill muffin tins about 3/4 full and bake for 15-20 minutes.

During baking get your cinnamon-sugar topping mixed up!

Melt 1/4 cup butter in a small bowl and then in a separate bowl mix together the cinnamon and sugar.

When the muffins are done, remove them from the pan.

Dip the tops in the melted butter and then roll the WHOLE muffin in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Let cool!!

Quick Pizza Margherita

 

Ingredients: 

1 can(s) (10-ounce) refrigerated pizza crust dough

Cooking spray

1 teaspoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 clove(s) garlic, halved

5  (about 3/4 pound) plum tomatoes, thinly sliced

1 cup(s) (4 ounces) shredded fresh mozzarella cheese

1 teaspoon(s) balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup(s) fresh basil, thinly sliced

1/8 teaspoon(s) salt

1/8 teaspoon(s) black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Unroll crust dough onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; pat into a 13- by 11-inch rectangle. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 minutes. Remove crust from oven, and brush with 1/2 teaspoon oil. Rub crust with cut sides of garlic. Arrange tomato slices on crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border; sprinkle evenly with cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes or until cheese melts and crust is golden.

Combine 1/2 teaspoon oil and vinegar, stirring with a whisk.

Sprinkle pizza evenly with sliced basil, salt, and pepper. Drizzle the vinegar mixture evenly over the pizza. Cut pizza into 8 pieces.

Easy Delicious Calzone

If you have ever eaten at our house than there stands a good chance you have tried our "homemade" calazone.  It is my favorite go to recipe because they are easy, delicious and no one hates calzone. There is really no limit to what type of calzone you can make; I listed our two favorite types, but feel free to create to your hearts content.

Meatball Calzone

Frozen Rhodes bread loaf--( 1 pound loaf, thawed)

Frozen Costco Italian Meatballs-heat as directed-(about a dozen)

Shredded Mozzarella cheese (1-2 cups)- I use whatever type of cheese I have on hand

Parmesan (1/2 cup)

Egg wash (opt.)

Pizza Calzone

Frozen Rhodes bread loaf--( 1 pound loaf, thawed)

Shredded Mozzarella cheese (1-2 cups) - I use whatever type of cheese I have on hand

Parmesan (1/2 cup)

Egg wash (opt.)

Various pizza toppings pepperoni, onions, green peppers, etc.

Serve with your favorite  marinara sauce

On a floured surface roll out the thawed dough into a 18 x 12 inch rectangle. 

Spoon on the desired amount of cooked meatballs and sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese on half the rectangle of dough.  Fold dough over filling and press edges firmly to seal.

Place on a  cookie sheet &brush top with egg wash (if desired) and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Let stand for 15-30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 350. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until golden brown. 

Fabulous Frosting & Filling

The white frosting is better than the chocolate so ya know.  Also, here is the original link for the white frosting recipe, the pictures may help clarify any confusion you may have about the directions.

Chocolate Frosting

2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup milk
1 cup real butter, softened
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
Optional: Additional cocoa powder as needed 

Melt your chocolate chips if you haven't already and set aside to cool.  You obviously don't want it so cool that it hardens, but you can get it close to room temperature and still have it be soft and stir-able.  

In a small saucepan, whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa, and milk; bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Boil 1-3 minutes or until thickened like a thinned pudding.  Remove pan from heat and strain mixture into a small bowl. Cool completely in the refrigerator or freezer. 

When chocolate flour mixture is cooled, beat the butter until creamy, about 1 minute.  Beat in the cooled chocolate mixture until well combined fluffy, about 1 minute.  Finally add in melted chocolate and beat again until well combined and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  If desired, add additional cocoa powder to taste, up to 4 tablespoons more.  Spread or pipe frosting on to cupcakes or cake.

Makes enough to frost 24 cupcakes. 

Storage:  Store unused frosting in fridge and bring to room temperature before using again.  If needed, beat with an electric beater before using.  

Perfect Cupcake Frosting and Filling (White Frosting)

3 T Flour

1/2 C milk (whole milk is best, but I used non-fat when it's all I have and it's actually fine)

1/2 C real butter

1/2 C sugar (that's granulated sugar, not powdered sugar)

1 t vanilla extract, or other flavor if you wish.

Whisk together the flour and the milk. Heat in a small sauce pan on medium heat. Whisk continuously until it starts to thicken. I think this is the critical point for any of you who have had problems with this recipe. I have a feeling people are under-cooking this part. Let it cook, while stirring, until it looks like pudding (you should be able to see the bottom of the pan when you stir it). Even though it's thick, you can still it through a mesh strainer (just whisk the mixture in the strainer to push the thick stuff through) and then let it cool completely to room temp. or chill it in the fridge. It needs to be cooled completely. If you don't let it cool completely, it will melt the butter and you'll have runny frosting.

It an electric stand mixer, beat the butter and the sugar for a minute or two until well combined and fluffy. You'll want to use the whisk attachment on a stand mixer, not the flat paddle. Then while beating, add in the thickened milk mixture and the vanilla. Beat on the highest speed you can get to without it spraying all over the place for 7 minutes. Yes, 7 whole minutes, maybe even 8 or 9. I know that seems like a long time, but that's when the magic happens!

You will be scared because it will look like a weird goopy mess at first and you'll wonder what on earth you did wrong. Keep beating and something amazing happens. It goes from that goopy mess to something thick, velvety smooth, and perfectly fluffy.

Use it to fill cupcakes or other pastries, or as a frosting on top. You can't go wrong putting this on just about anything :) 

One batch makes enough to frost 12 cupcakes .

After trouble-shooting with a lot of people, here are some helpful Notes:

1. Use real butter, and a good name-brand. Cheap butter does weird things.

2.  If you beat for the 6-8 minutes and the mixture still looks strange, beat longer and at a higher speed if you can.  It should come together, but it takes a little patience! 

3. Store at room temperature in a sealed container. Frosting may separate in the fridge, but you can store it overnight if left at room temp and in a well sealed container.