Mango-Agave Sorbet

I've had this sorbet recipe saved for over a month, but I was waiting on some of the "hard to find" ingredients. Catherine (my sister) brought some mangoes to the beach this past weekend, and I brought some of the left-overs home so I could make this recipe. I also had to go to a health food store to buy the agave nectar. It's a bit expensive, but it's a great alternative for table sugar especially for people that have blood sugar issues.
I'm a big fan of this sorbet. It has a sweet but refreshing taste. It's the perfect ending for any meal!


Ingredients:
4 cups cubed peeled ripe mango (about 3 pounds)
1/2 cup fresh orange juice (about 3 oranges)
1/3 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)
1/3 cup tequila
3/4 cup light agave nectar (I used raw b/c that's what was available)
1/3 cup water

Directions:
Combine cubed mango, orange juice, lime juice, and tequila in a food processor; process until smooth. Pour the mixture into a bowl, and stir in the agave nectar and 1/3 cup water. Cover and chill for 2 hours.
Pour mixture into the freezer can of an ice-cream freezer; freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Spoon sorbet into a freezer-safe container; cover and freeze 8 hours or until firm.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)

Nutritional Info: 233 calories; 0.5g fat; 1g protein; 55.4 g carbs; 0mg cholesterol; 0.3mg iron; 4mg sodium; 20mg calcium

Source: Cooking Light Magazine; March 2009

Spring Asparagus Risotto

I'm always looking for a new risotto recipe, and I found another one in the April 2009 Cooking Light magazine. Aubrey and I both love asparagus, and it was perfect for this risotto dish. This recipe is actually from a chef (Clif Holt) that lives in Birmingham (where I'm from)... so that made it all the more special. I'll definitely be making this again in the future.

Ingredients:
4 cups (1-inch) slices asparagus (about 1 and 1/2 pounds), divided
3 cups fat free, less-sodium chicken broth, divided
1 and 1/2 cups water
1 Tablespoon butter
2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large)
2 cups uncooked Arborio rice or other medium-grain rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
Place 1 cup asparagus and 1 cup broth in a blender; puree until smooth. Combine puree, remaining 2 cups broth, and 1 and 1/2 cups water in a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.

Melt butter in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add onion to pan; cook 8 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in rice; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in wine; cook 2 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add 1/2 cup broth mixture; cook 2 minutes or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add remaining puree mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 30 minutes total). Stir in remaining 3 cups asparagus; cook 2 minutes.

Stir in 3/4 cup cheese, cream, salt, and pepper. Transfer risotto to a bowl. Serve with remaining 1/4 cup cheese.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 and 1/4 cups risotto and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cheese.

Nutritional Info: 283 calories; 7.7g fat; 10.5g protein; 44g carbs; 4.1g fiber; 23mg cholesterol; 2.2mg iron; 634mg sodium; 144mg calcium

Daring Bakers Cheesecake Challenge

Key Lime Cheesecake

April's Daring Bakers challenge had us getting creative with cheesecake. I love cheesecake, and I was so excited to find a key lime version to kick off the summer with. I was really pleased with the taste of it... Aubrey says it's the best he's ever had, but he wishes it had a little more lime flavor in it. Cheesecake wasn't as hard to make as I thought it would be. I was scared to death that it would crack in the middle, but low and behold... it held up. Hooray!

Ingredients:

Crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 stick butter, melted
2 Tablespoons sugar
Zest of 1 lime
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cheesecake:
3 sticks of cream cheese, 8 oz each, room temperature
Zest of 1 lime
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
3 Tablespoons key lime juice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Begin to boil a large pot of water for the water bath.

2. Mix together the crust ingredients and press into your preferred pan. You can press the crust just into the bottom, or up the sides of the pan too - baker's choice. Set crust aside.

3. Combine sugar and lime zest and mix with the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand-mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand-mixer) and cream together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Make sure to scrape down the bowl in between each egg. Add heavy cream and key lime juice and blend until smooth and creamy.

4. Pour batter into prepared crust and tap the pan on the counter a few times to bring all air bubbles to the surface. Place pan into a larger pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan.

5. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until it is almost done - this can be hard to judge, but you're looking for the cake to hold together, but still have a lot of jiggle to it in the center. You don't want it to be completely firm at this stage. Close the oven door, turn the heat off, and let rest in the cooling oven for one hour. This lets the cake finish cooking and cool down gently enough so that it won't crack on the top. After one hour, remove cheesecake from oven and lift carefully out of water bath. Let it finish cooling on the counter, and then cover and put in the fridge to chill. Once fully chilled, it is ready to serve.

The April 2009 challenge is hosted by Jenny from Jenny Bakes. She has chosen Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge.

Chicken Scallopine

Pioneer Woman has the best recipes on her blog, and this one is no exception. Aubrey and I both had a long day at work, and this was a quick and easy meal to make our tummies happy. This was my first time cooking with capers, and I don't think I'm a big fan of the tangy taste.... Aubrey either. We both pushed them to the side, and it was perfect.

Ingredients:
1 pound linguine
6 boneless, skinless, trimmed chicken breasts
Flour
Salt & Pepper
2 Tablespoons olive oil
4 Tablespoons butter
12 ounces white mushrooms, sliced thin
1 cup dry white wine
Chicken broth (optional)... I omitted
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup heavy cream (can use half & half)
1 heaping tablespoon capers
Chopped fresh Italian parsley

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions.
Flatten chicken breasts to uniform thickness. Salt and pepper both sides, then dredge in flour.
Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry chicken breasts until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes on each side. Remove to a plate and set aside.
Throw mushrooms into the pan and stir. Immediately pour in wine and lemon juice. Stir to deglaze the pan, then cook vigorously for 1 minute, until sauce reduces.
Pour in cream and stir, then add capers and parsley and stir. Turn off heat. Stir and add salt and pepper to taste. Don’t undersalt!
Place pasta and chicken on a platter and top with every last drop of sauce. Generously sprinkle Parmesan Cheese over the top.

Dirty Risotto

I've been dying to try this recipe that Giada made on the Food Network. I'm a big fan of risotto. My dad actually introduced me to it... He would make risotto (plain) served with a rotisserie chicken, and it was one of my favorite meals. The trick to cooking risotto is to NEVER leave it alone and continually stir. Don't even stop to answer the phone... well, maybe you can do that... but stir while you talk.
I really liked this dish, but Aubrey wasn't a big fan of the sausage. Next time I make it for him I'll probably either leave the sausage out or use a different kind.


Ingredients:
5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter
2 ounces pancetta, chopped
1 link (about 6 ounces) spicy Italian sausage, casing removed
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
4 ounces button mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer. Cover the broth and keep warm over low heat.
In a large heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the pancetta and sausage and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms and saute until tender, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the rice and stir to coat. Add the wine and simmer until the wine has almost completely evaporated, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup of simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 25 to 30 minutes total. Remove from the heat. Stir in 3/4 of the Parmesan. Transfer the risotto to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with the parsley and remaining Parmesan and serve immediately.

Almond Stuffed Chicken

Tonight's dinner was amazing. The creaminess of the herbed cheese mixed with the crunchy almonds gives this the perfect texture (and taste). My only issue was the mixture oozing out of the chicken. I haven't mastered the slicing and stuffing technique... I usually just smash out the chicken really flat, put the stuffing in, and roll up the chicken. It's always worked in the past, but for some reason it didn't work tonight. The chicken pictured worked better than the other one. I had to take the stuffing out of the other one, and lay the chicken flat. Once the chicken was cooked, I just topped it with the stuffing.
I served this on top of a bed of couscous along with fresh steamed vegetables.
Source: Cooking Light


Ingredients:
1/3 cup light garlic-and-herbs spreadable cheese (I used Laughing Cow)
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted, coarsely chopped, and divided
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 and 1/2 teaspoons butter

Directions:
1. Combine spreadable cheese, 3 tablespoons almonds, and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Cut a horizontal slit through thickest portion of each breast half to form a pocket. Stuff 1 1/2 tablespoons almond mixture into each pocket; secure each pocket with a wooden pick. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.
3. Heat butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken to pan; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan; cover and let stand 2 minutes. Top chicken with remaining 1 tablespoon almonds and remaining 1 tablespoon parsley.

Nutritional Info (per serving):
Calories: 288; Fat: 12.7g (sat 4.3g,mono 4.5g,poly 1.8g); Protein: 37.5g; Carbohydrate: 3.9g; Fiber: 0.9g; Cholesterol: 111mg; Iron: 1.7mg; Sodium: 496mg; Calcium: 109mg

Black Bean, Chicken, and Red Pepper Stew

I've had this recipe saved for a couple weeks. My mouth is still burning as I type. If you are sensitive to "heat," you may want to omit the chiles, but in our house, we love the heat.... especially Aubrey. I served this with cornbread.
Source: Annie's Eats

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
2-3 chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (12 oz.) jar roasted red peppers, chopped
1 (4 oz.) can diced green chiles
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 Tablespoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:
In a large Dutch oven or stockpot, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken pieces and cook, stirring, until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon and set aside. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the onion to the pot and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Mix in the black beans, diced tomatoes, red peppers, green chiles, chicken broth, cumin, and cayenne. Return the chicken to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Allow to simmer uncovered for 45 minutes. When finished, remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper and stir in fresh cilantro.

Southern Oven "Fried" Chicken

Since we've had a ton of Easter candy over the weekend, I wanted to cook something light for dinner. It's originally a weight watchers recipe that I found on The Novice Chef blog, but it sure doesn't taste "light." I used chicken tenders, and I served them with steamed broccoli and couscous. I'll definitely be making these again and again. I can't even begin to tell you how "delish" they were.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup fat free buttermilk
1/2 cup cornflakes, crushed
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper (or to taste)
2 pounds chicken parts, skinned (I used the chicken breast tender meat
4 teaspoons Canola oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Pour the buttermilk into a large shallow bowl. In another shallow dish, combine the cornflake crumbs, flour, salt, and pepper. Dip the chicken in the buttermilk, then dredge in the cornflake mixture, coating completely.
Place the chicken in a casserole dish and drizzle with the canola oil.
If you are using chicken breasts cook for 30 minutes, then turn chicken over and bake until cooked through; 15-20 minutes.If you are using chicken tenders, cook for 15 minutes, then turn chicken over and bake until cooked through; 10-15 minutes.

Happy Easter (a day late)

Spring Chickens

I've been dying to make Bakerella's cake pops for the longest time. When I saw these little chicks, I couldn't resist making them for Easter. I used strawberry cake for the inside, and they were delicious. My cousin told me that cute things usually don't taste good, but these do... thanks Brant!

I had fun with this photo shoot. My mom's azaleas were in full bloom, and the little chick-a-dees behaved quite well stuck in their styrofoam block. The Easter grass was the perfect addition for them to rest.

Ta-da! And now for the recipe:

Ingredients:
Cake and Frosting
Yellow Candy melts
Paper Lollipop Sticks
Black Edible Ink Pen (I used chocolate b/c I couldn't find this)
Styrofoam Block
Crisco or Paramount Crystals
Rainbow Candy Coated Chips
Pastel Wild Flower Sprinkles

Directions:
Bake cake according to directions on the box. After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.
Mix thoroughly with 1 can frosting. Be warned, it will get messy. Also, you may not need the entire can of frosting, so start out by using almost the entire can and add more if you need to.)
Roll mixture into quarter size balls and place on wax paper covered cookie sheet. (Should make 45-50)
Melt chocolate in the microwave per directions on package. (30 sec intervals, stirring in between.)
Dip the tip of your lollipop stick in a little of the melted candy coating and insert into the cake balls. (Insert a little less than halfway.)
Place them in the freezer for a little while to firm up.
Once firm, carefully insert the cake ball into the candy coating by holding the lollipop stick and rotating until covered. Once covered remove and softly tap and rotate until the excess chocolate falls off. Don't tap too hard or the cake ball will fall off, too.
Place in a styrofoam block to dry.
Decorate when dry.

DH Burgers

My Dear Husband (DH) cooked supper last night. He did all of the chopping and everything. He grilled these burgers that we saw Giada make on the Food Network channel the other day. I'm not sure what they were called or even if we remembered all of the ingredients, but this burger was "the bomb." They were so juicy, and the garlic flavor was so unique. I told him that this should be the burger recipe that we make from now on.

Ingredients:
2 pounds ground beef
3 cloves garlic
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup Parmesan cheese
Salt & Pepper, to taste
Hamburger toppings and buns

Directions:
Mix the ground beef, garlic, tomato paste, and salt & pepper in the food processor until combined. Form about 6-8 patties, and grill.

Chicken Fried Steak

I found this light recipe from recipezaar. Since my last chicken fried steak went well, I wanted to try another similar recipe. I think I like this one a little better, but they are both really good. This is one of those meals that brings me back to childhood. I remember this being my absolute favorite meal that was served from the Pickens Academy lunchroom when I was in elementary school. It's funny the things that we remember and how different tastes and smells can bring us back to a certain time in our lives. I also remember that an ice cream cost a quarter, nickel and a dime (40-cents).

Ingredients:
4 lean cube steaks
1/2 cup fat-free buttermilk
1 cup flour (reserve 1 Tablespoon)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon steak seasoning
2 tablespoons oil
2 cups skim milk
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Directions:
Dip steaks in buttermilk. Combine flour, salt, and steak seasoning (remember to keep 1 tablespoon set aside). Dip steaks in flour mixture.
Set steaks on wax paper, let set for 20 minutes.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in skillet, add steaks, cook until both sides are golden brown. Remove from pan and keep warm.
Combine milk and reserved TBSP of flour in bowl until well mixed.
Stirring constantly, add milk mixture to skillet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Once added, bring mixture to a boil.
Lower heat and simmer until gravy thickens.
Serve over steaks.

April Fools Day

Corn on the Cob Cupcakes


I've been waiting for so long to make these cupcakes, and I thought April Fools was the best day to make them (for obvious reasons). They are in the book, Hello Cupcake, which is the cutest book ever. If you've never seen this book, you HAVE to take a look next time you go to the book store. There are some really cute cupcakes. These were good for a beginner (like me) because all you have to do is press jelly beans on the icing.

Ingredients:
24 vanilla cupcakes baked in white paper liners (I used the pale yellow liners)
1 can (16 ounces) vanilla frosting (I made the Wilton's icing.... recipe below)
Yellow food coloring
3 and 1/2 cups small jelly beans (Jelly Bellys) in assorted yellow, cream, and white colors (I used pina colada, coconut, and banana flavors... the popcorn flavor would look good, but I can't imagine popcorn mixed with tropical flavors. Ick!)
4 pieces yellow fruit chews (Laffy Taffys or Starbursts
1 Tablespoon each black and white decorating sugars
8 sets of corn holders (optional)

Directions:
Tint the vanilla frosting pale yellow with food coloring.

Working with 3 cupcakes at a time, spread yellow frosting on top of each. Arrange about 5 rows of jelly beans, close together, on each cupcake. Place the remaining cupcakes, frosting, and jelly beans.

Cut the fruit chews into eight 1-inch squares, and soften the edges slightly by hand so that they look melted. Place 1 square on top of each group of 3 cupcakes. Sprinkle with the sugars. Insert 1 corn holder, if using in each end of the cupcakes.

These are all packaged up and ready to be given away!

Wilton's Classic Buttercream Icing
I halved this recipe

Ingredients:
2 c solid white vegetable shortening
2 sticks unsalted butter, soften
2 tsp flavoring (vanilla, almond or butter, add more if you want)
2 T water (only add to produce a thinner consistency)... I added 1 teaspoon
2 lb. confectioners sugar (about 8 c.)
2 T meringue powder
2 pinches salt (optional, salt adds flavor to the buttercream and reduces the sweetness)

Directions:
Cream shortening, butter and flavoring. Add dry ingredients and mix on medium speed until all ingredients have been thoroughly mixed together. Blend an additional minute or two until creamy.
Medium Consistency: add 1 T of water and mix thoroughly
Thin Consistency: add 2 T of water and mix thoroughly

Source: Kim's Kitchen