22 Feb 2012
Baked Oatmeal with Fruit
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2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
⅓ cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon Chinese five spice
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup walnut, almond or pecan pieces, chopped
1 cup sliced strawberries or blackberries
⅓ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups milk
1 large egg
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ripe banana, peeled, ½-inch slices
Preheat oven to 375°F and generously spray the inside of a 9 by 9 inch or 10 by 7 inch baking dish with cooking spray and place on a baking sheet.
In a large bowl, mix together the oats, sugar, baking powder, orange zest, Chinese five spice, salt, half the nuts, half the strawberries and half the chocolate. (Save the other half of strawberries, walnuts and chocolate chips for the top of the oatmeal).
In another large bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, butter and vanilla extract.
Add the oat mixture to prepared baking dish. Arrange the remaining strawberries, walnuts and chocolate chips on top. Add the banana slices to the top then pour the milk mixture over everything. Gently shimmy/shake the baking dish to help the milk mixture go throughout the oats.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the top is nicely golden brown and the milk mixture has set. For an extra tasty top, sprinkle a tablespoon or so of extra brown sugar on top then place back in the oven under the broiler and broil for 20-30 seconds. Serve warm.
Yields: 6 servings
Recipe adapted from Super Natural Every Day
12 Feb 2012
Valentine Sorbet Sandwiches
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¾ cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
plus more for rolling
⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
fine salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
⅔ cup confectioners’ sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 pint raspberry sorbet, softened slightly
In a small bowl, whisk flour, cocoa powder, and a pinch of salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer beat butter and sugar on high until light and fluffy, 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla; beat until combined. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture and beat until combined. Form dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350°F, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Roll out dough between lightly floured parchment paper to ⅛-inch thickness. With a 3-inch heart shaped cookie cutter, cut out 16 hearts, rerolling scraps once. Place cookies 1-inch apart, on two parchment-lined baking sheets. Freeze until cookies are firm, 10 minutes. Bake until edges are crisp, 12 to 14 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cool completely on sheets, on wire rack.
Scoop scant ¼ cup sorbet onto flat sides of 8 cookies; sandwich with remaining cookies. Wrap in parchment or waxed paper and freeze until firm, 20 minutes (or up to 1 week).
Yields 8 sandwiches
Recipe adapted from Everyday Food
12 Feb 2012
Cherry Chocolate Kisses
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1 cup unsalted butter, softened, but still cool
1 cup powdered sugar
⅛ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons maraschino cherry “juice”
¼ teaspoon almond extract
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup maraschino cherries, chopped
Granulated sugar, for sprinkling the cookies
36 milk chocolate kisses, unwrapped
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
In the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Reduce the speed to the lowest setting and slowly add the powdered sugar and salt. Add the cherry juice and the almond extract until combined. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the flour, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Increase the mixer speed to medium and add the cherries.
Shape the dough into 1-inch balls, and place the balls on a baking sheet, approximately 2 inches apart. Using your thumb, gently press each cookie in its center until the cookie is about ½-inch thick. Sprinkle each cookie with a little granulated sugar.
Bake the cookies until the bottoms are lightly browned, about 14 minutes. Once removed from the oven, immediately press a chocolate kiss into each cookie’s center. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Yields: 36 cookies
Recipe provided by Blog Chefs
12 Feb 2012
Sweet Heart Cupcakes
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For the cupcakes:
2 cups sugar
1¾ cups all purpose flour
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa (best quality available)
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup whole milk
½ cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (best quality available)
1 cup boiling water
For the frosting:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
4 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice
½ cup finely chopped maraschino cherries
pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin tin with paper liners.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for one minute. Stir in boiling water (the batter will be thin, don't worry, this is right). Fill liners ⅔ full with batter.
Bake cupcakes for approximately 22 to 24 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack before frosting.
Meanwhile make frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer beat butter until smooth. With the mixer running, add 2 cups of powdered sugar, one cup at a time. Add maraschino cherry juice, one tablespoon at a time. Continue beating, and add the remaining 2 cups powdered sugar, and chopped maraschino cherries. If desired, add a drop of pink food coloring (we used Americolor electric pink). Beat until fully combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.
To assemble the cupcakes: Use a serrated knife to cut off the top of the cupcake, using the top of the cupcake liner as a guide. Use a small heart cookie cutter to cut out a heart shape from the cupcake dome. Spread the frosting onto the cupcake base in a mounded shape. If desired, sprinkle the cupcake dome with powdered sugar. Place top back on cupcake and press down a bit to secure.
Yields: 24 to 27 cupcakes
Recipe provided by Blog Chefs
08 Feb 2012
Lemon-Ricotta Pancakes Drizzled with Honey
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1 cup par-skim ricotta
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons honey
In a blender, mix the ricotta, eggs, egg whites, flour, oil, lemon zest, salt, and 2 teaspoons of the honey until smooth.
Meanwhile, heat a nonstick griddle over moderately low heat. Working in batches, pour 2 rounded tablespoons of the batter onto the griddle for each pancake, allowing enough room for the to spread slightly. Cook the pancakes until the bottoms are golden, the tops are slightly set and small bubbles appear, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the pancakes and cook until golden, about one minute longer. Transfer the pancakes to plates, drizzle with the remaining 4 teaspoons of hone and serve.
Yields: 4 servings.
Recipe adapted from Food & Wine
08 Feb 2012
Pumpkin Pie Cranberry Pancakes
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1¼ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 pinch of salt
1 egg
1¼ cups buttermilk
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon clove
½ cup canned pumpkin pie filling
½ cup whole cranberries, chopped
Mix together all the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl mix all of the wet ingredients. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture.
Boil cranberries in a little bit sugar water until tender and sweet. Add them to the batter. Cook on a hot griddle.
Yields: 6 servings
Recipe provided by Adobe & Pines Inn
01 Feb 2012
Potato Skins with Buffalo Chicken
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12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 cup water
4 medium russet potatoes
3 tablespoons hot pepper sauce (like Frank’s, not Tabasco)
¼ cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons margarine
¼ cup crumbled blue cheese
2 green onions
2 medium tomatoes
4 celery stalks
Center oven rack and preheat oven to 425°F. Place chicken in a sauté pan, add water, and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes and
remove from pan; let cool slightly. When chicken is cool enough to handle, shred using two forks, one in each hand.
While chicken is simmering, prepare remaining ingredients: Wash potatoes and slit each one lengthwise about one inch deep. Place potatoes in a microwave-safe dish and microwave on high, uncovered, for about 10 minutes. Let cool slightly. Slice each potato in half length-wise, scoop out potato, leaving a ¼-inch thick shell. Mash potato together with hot pepper sauce, sour cream, margarine and milk. Fold in blue cheese and shredded chicken. Spoon mixture into potato skins slightly dentin center (to hold fresh toppings after baking). Place filled potato skins on a 9”x13” baking sheet and bake for about 15-20 minutes until tops are golden brown. Dice tomatoes and green onions. Cut celery stalks to four-inch sticks. To serve, top potatoes with onions and tomatoes. Serve celery sticks on the side for scooping potato contents.
Yields: 4 servings.
Recipe provided by Liz Marr for Produce for Better Health Foundation
01 Feb 2012
Mango Mint Sauce
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2 pounds ripe mangoes, peeled and seeded
1 cup fresh mint leaves
4 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 Serrano chilies, halved and seeded
¼ cup plain yogurt
salt and pepper to taste
Blend all ingredients in processor, except for yogurt, until smooth. Transfer to small bowl. Stir in yogurt. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and chill. (Can be made 1 day ahead).
Yields: 6-8 servings
Recipe provided by Blog Chefs for Lounge Party 14
25 Jan 2012
Izze 2990
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3 oz Izze Sparkling Pomegranate
2 oz citrus vodka
½ oz fresh lemon juice
1 oz simple syrup
flamed orange peel for garnish
Mix ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with orange peel and serve.
Yields: 1 Martini
Recipe provided by Izze
25 Jan 2012
Izze Peachy-Tini
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5 oz Sparkling Peach
3 oz vodka
½ oz triple sec
fresh mint for garnish
Combine ingredients, stir well and strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with fresh mint.
Yields: 1 cocktail
Recipe provided by Izze
2012 (1)
Shelly (February 13, 2012, 10:18 pm)