Coconut Ice Cream

I actually made this several weeks ago for our 2nd anniversary, and I'm just now getting around to blogging about it. On our honeymoon in Mexico, we had the most amazing coconut ice cream. At certain times during the day, the employees would give out ice cream to guests around the pool, at the beach, at restaurants, ect., and it was the best little treat. I made this ice cream to bring back sweet memories.



I can't tell you how much of a difference the toasted coconut makes when sprinkled on top of the ice cream. I bought some unsweetened coconut flakes from a nearby health food store. When toasted, it has the perfect crunch to go along with the creamy ice cream.

Ingredients:
2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups coconut milk (I used light)
1 cup coconut flakes, toasted
8 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups sugar
Pinch of salt

Directions:
Bring milk, heavy cream, coconut milk, and coconut flakes to simmer in heavy saucepan for a few minutes. Allow to steep for 10 minutes.

Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and salt together, long enough to dissolve the sugar.

Temper hot liquid into egg mixture slowly. Return all back into saucepan over low heat, stirring all the while, until mixture starts to thicken. Strain through a mesh strainer. Chill immediately over ice bath. I just filled my sink up with ice and stuck the bowl in the sink.

The directions say to churn in an ice cream maker next, but I put it in the fridge overnight and churned the next day.

Pour ice cream into a freezer safe container and freeze overnight.

Source: Food Network

Lemon-Blueberry Muffins

Last weekend, we went to the beach with another friend couple. Alison (my "hostess with the mostess" friend) made a frittata one morning, and I made these muffins to go along. I actually made the muffins before we traveled to the beach, but I made the glaze when we got there. These were delish... not too sweet, but not too bland either. I learned that it's really dangerous to make mini muffins because they are so easy to just pop right in your mouth.

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk
1 Tablespoon grated lemon rind
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup fresh blueberries
Cooking spray
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400-degrees.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients in a medium bowl, cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. I actually used my electric mixer for this part because I got impatient. Make a well in center of mixture.

Combine buttermilk, rind, and egg; stir well with a whisk. Add to flour mixture; stir just until moist. Gently fold in blueberries.

Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400-degrees for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when lightly touched. I baked the mini muffins for about 11-12 minutes. Remove muffins from pans immediately, and place on a wire rack to cool.

Combine lemon juice and powdered sugar in a small bowl. Drizzle glaze evenly over cooled muffins. Yield: 1 dozen (serving size: 1 muffin)

Nutritional Info: 187 calories; 4.8g fat; 3.7g protein; 32.6g carbs; 1g fiber; 1.1mg iron; 264mg sodium; 59mg calcium.

Source: All-New Complete Cooking Light Cookbook

Cuban Style Black Beans

Aubrey's Aunt Sherry gave me this recipe for her black beans, and I thought they would pair perfectly with the Cuban Beef and skillet cornbread I made for his birthday. I also served this over rice. These beans are amazing, and soaking them in wine gives them a very unique flavor. You will surely impress your guests if you make these... I promise. And if you want to impress them even more, make the Cuban beef and skillet cornbread to go with it. They will be craving for more.

Ingredients:
1 pound black beans
2 red bell peppers, chopped, divided
2 yellow onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
4 Tablespoons vinegar
2 teaspoons crushed oregano
1 cup olive oil
2 Bay leaves
6 Tablespoons Sherry
2 Bottles dry Spanish wine (or just enough to soak beans)
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:
Soak washed beans overnight in wine. In a large Dutch Oven, boil beans, 1 bell pepper, and bay leaves in the wine until tender... about a couple of hours. Stir occasionally.You'll probably have to add water when the wine starts evaporating a bit.

In a skillet, saute chopped onion, 1 bell pepper, and garlic in olive oil. Add vinegar and crushed oregano. Cook over low heat until tender (not brown).... about 1 1/2 hours. Salt and pepper to taste. Add to the beans. Add Sherry and cook until tender.

Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Chilean Cilantro Sauce

Last night we had a Chilean birthday party for my hub. Why Chilean? I don't know... it just sounded good. I built the dinner around this beef recipe because it's one that I've made before that he really liked. This recipe is super easy and quick, but it's pretty expensive (but Aubrey's worth every penny... plus more). I like to make the sauce a few days ahead of time so the flavors have time to blend together.

Grilled Beef Tenderloin

Ingredients:
1 (1 1/2 pound) center-cut beef tenderloin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Chilean Cilantro Sauce

Directions:

Preheat broiler.

Cut beef tenderloin lengthwise with the grain (opposite of how you would cut a filet mignon) into six even steaks (they should be long and thin). Working with 1 steak at a time, place steak between two sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; flatten each steak to an even thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Combine salt and next 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Rub salt mixture over both sides of steaks.

Place steaks on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil steaks 2 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Top each steak with onion mixture, and drizzle with Chilean Cilantro Sauce (recipe below).

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 steak and 1 tablespoon sauce).

Chilean Cilantro Sauce

Ingredients:
2/3 cup canned vegetable broth
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
1/2 cup minced fresh onion
1/2 cup minced red bell pepper
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced

Directions:
Combine all ingredients, stirring with a whisk until well blended.

Yield: 2 cups (serving size: 1 tablespoon)

Nutritional Info:
Steak plus 1 T sauce: 7.3g fat; 17.1g protein; 8.2g carb; 1.7g fiber; 48mg cholesterol; 2.5g iron; 329mg sodium; 27mg calcium

Sauce (1Tablespoon): 18 calories; 1.8g fat; 0.1g protein; 0.8g carb; 0.2g fiber; 0mg cholesterol; 0.1mg iron; 95mg sodium; 4mg calcium

Source: All-New Complete Cooking Light Cookbook

Birthday Cake Ice Cream

First of all, let me say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my hubbie, Aubrey!

This past spring, Aubrey and I went down to Orange Beach to fish. On our way back home, we stopped by Brusters to get ice cream. I ordered Birthday Cake ice cream. It's what I always get at ice cream parlors. Aubrey got some sort of chocolate ice cream. We tasted each others as we always do, and of course he wanted mine instead of his. That was the best birthday cake ice cream I'd ever had.

It was different than the Blue Bell brand that I've been known to indulge in. This one had icing and sprinkles in it, and it tasted just like a cake batter ice cream.

A light bulb went off in my head, and I knew I wanted to make this for Aubrey's birthday. Instead of the traditional cake, I got out my ice cream maker and went to town making this ice cream. I used a cake batter ice cream recipe that I found on recipezaar (and made a few changes), and then I made some icing to layer inside of the ice cream along with some sprinkles.

It is divine!!! This is by far my favorite ice cream recipe that I've made. I can see this being a tradition for Aubrey's birthday cake. I even stuck a candle on top.

Cake Batter Ice Cream

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups whole milk, well chilled
1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
3 cups heavy cream, well chilled
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups yellow cake mix, sifted

Directions:
In a medium bowl, whisk the milk and granulated sugar until the sugar is dissolved.
Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla. Stir in the cake mix, making sure there are no lumps (very important to sift). Pour mixture into ice cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer's directions.

To assemble the Birthday Cake Ice Cream
You will need:
1 recipe of Cake Batter Ice Cream
1/2 recipe of Wilton Icing (I used blue food coloring)
2.75 ounces sprinkles, plus more for serving

Pour 1/3 of the ice cream into a freezer safe container. Dollop 1/2 of the icing recipe on top and 1/3 of the sprinkles. Repeat with another 1/3 of ice cream, 1/2 icing, and 1/3 of sprinkles. Place the last 1/3 of ice cream on top and cover with the rest of the sprinkles. Place container into the freezer to further harden. Sprinkle more sprinkles on top of the scoops when serving.

Enjoy!!

Cranberry-Walnut Chicken Salad

Aubrey and I can live off of chicken salad for days. Aubrey usually makes his favorite chicken salad, which is so good. However, I saw this chicken salad recipe and wanted to give it a try. I used walnuts instead of pecans because that's what I had on hand. I also used Greek yogurt and added some apples to give it a good crunch. Aubrey says that this is his new favorite chicken salad recipe. The cranberries accent the salad really well, and the red wine vinegar really brings out the flavors.


Ingredients:
4 cups of cubed cooked chicken
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 rib celery, finely diced

2-4 Tablespoons finely minced shallot
1 cup dried cranberries
1 Granny Smith apple, chopped
1/3 cup Canola Mayo
2/3 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoons pepper

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix well until thoroughly combined. Adjust shallot and seasoning to taste. Transfer to an air-tight container and refrigerate for 30 minutes or more to allow flavors to meld. Serve.

Source: Annie's Eats, originally from Smitten Kitchen

Italian Style Meatloaf

Aubrey and I have been apart for about 5 days now due to both of us traveling for work. Since I was slap worn out, I wanted to make something really easy and something that Aubrey would like. He's a big beef eater, and I was pretty sure he would like this meat loaf. I knew I was right after he got up to get seconds. I'll definitely make this again in the future.


Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds 92% lean ground beef
1 cup fat free tomato-basil pasta sauce, divided
1/2 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 cup preshredded fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 large egg whites
Cooking spray

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.

Combine beef, 1/2 cup pasta sauce, and remaining ingredients except cooking spray in a large bowl. Shape beef mixture into an 8 x 4-inch loaf on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Brush remaining 1/2 cup pasta sauce over top of meat loaf. Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160. Let stand 10 minutes. Cut loaf into 12 slices.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2 slices):

Nutritional Info:
263 calories; 12.1g fat; 3.3mg iron; 67mg cholesterol; 175mg calcium; 11.9g carbs; 859mg sodium; 27.8g protein; 1.4g fiber

Source: Cooking Light

Sugar Cookie Place Cards

My cousin got married this past weekend, and I was in charge of making place cards for the bridesmaid's luncheon.

Let me start off by saying that this was my second batch of cookies. I don't know if it was due to lack of sleep or stress, but I was a complete dummy when making the first batch. Who puts saran wrap on wet icing? Who does that? Me, apparently. But thankfully Romans 8:28 holds true even when making cookies. The Lord totally worked this out for the good. Since I messed up the first batch, I decided to be daring and make a completely different cookie and royal icing recipe. So.... my second go-around, I made a batch of the one I've made before and a batch of a new recipe. They both turned out beautiful as shown below. Since I've never drawn with icing before, I was too scared to write the whole name with icing. Therefore I just wrote the first letter of the first name.

It's hard to say which cookie recipe I'd rather make. The original dough recipe that I made was so much easier to work with than the newer one. However, I prefer the almond taste in the newer recipe. Maybe I'll add almond extract to the original one next time I make it. I really loved the royal icing recipe that I tried, and it will be my "go to" recipe from now on.

So... now for the recipes:
The original recipe I used is here.

The new one I tried is below:

Ella's White Sugar Cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups sifted flour

Directions:
Cream butter. Add powdered sugar. Blend in egg, almond extract, vanilla extract, salt, and flour. Chill dough until firm. Roll to 1/4-inch thickness on WELL-FLOURED surface. Cut with cookie cutters. Place on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375-degrees for 8-10 minutes. Cookies should not brown. Frost and decorate when cool.
Source: Annies Eats


Royal Icing
Ingredients:
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 Tablespoons meringue powder
5 Tablespoons water

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the sheen has disappeared and the icing has a matte appearance (about 7-10 minutes). Transfer the contents of the mixing bowl to an air-tight container. This will be the stiffest consistency of the icing, and at this point it is still too stiff to use for decorating. Add water a very small amount at a time and stir by hand until fully incorporated. Continue until the icing has reached a consistency appropriate for piping. (Remember, if you are having difficulty piping, it is still too thick. Add a little more liquid and try again.) Using a pastry bag, pipe around the edges of each cookie. Let stand so the icing will set. Make sure to keep the leftover icing covered at all times when not in use so it does not begin to harden.

Use the remaining thicker icing for piping decoration as desired. Gel icing color is best as it does not add a significant amount of liquid. Liquid food coloring can be used as well - add powdered sugar as needed to compensate for any thinning that occurs.
Source: Annie's Eats

Eggplant Parmesan

I stepped out on a limb tonight and cooked a vegetarian dish for my "meat and potatoes" husband. He saw me cutting the eggplant and asked what I was making...
Me: Eggplant Parmesan... kinda like Chicken Parmesan but with eggplant.
Him: "So we're not having any meat tonight?"
Me: "No, but the eggplant is kinda like a meat texture in a way."
Him (trying to be open to new things): "Okay, cool... I'll try it. I've never had eggplant before."

I am a huge fan of this dish, but I love eggplants. However, my "meat and potatoes" man isn't that big of a fan of eggplant. I do give him credit for trying it. He did say it was good, but maybe the eggplant isn't his forte. I would definitely eat this again, but my man probably won't.
P.S. This is even better as leftovers.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dry white wine
1 Tablespoon dried basil
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
4 (8-ounce) cans no salt added tomato sauce
1 (28-ounce) can no salt added whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 (1-pound) eggplants, cut crosswise into 1/4 inch slices
1/4 cup water
3 egg whites, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cups Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Vegetable cooking spray
3 cups part skim mozzarella cheese
Fresh oregano sprigs (optional)

Directions:
Combine first 8 ingredients in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.

Place eggplant in a large bowl; add water to cover, and let stand 30 minutes. Drain well; blot dry with paper towels. Combine 1/4 cup water and egg whites in a shallow bowl. Combine breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese; stir well. Dip eggplant in egg white mixture, and dredge in breadcrumb mixture.

Place half of eggplant on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray, and broil 5 minutes on each side or until browned. Repeat procedure with remaining eggplant. Set eggplant aside.

Spread half of tomato mixture in the bottom of a 13x9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange half of eggplant over sauce; top with half of mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers with remaining sauce, eggplant, and cheese.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh oregano sprigs, if desired.

Yield: 8 servings

Nutritional info (per serving): 298 calories; 8.5 g fat; 2.6mg iron; 27mg cholesterol; 422mg calcium; 38.8g carbs; 818mg sodium; 19.2g protein; 2.6g fiber

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light

Texas Caviar

Warning: This dip is VERY addicting.
But who cares.... it's healthy. I served it with the Fritos Scoops, but I also had some baked Tostitos for a healthier alternative. I made this dip for July 4th, and it was a huge hit.
My sister first gave me this recipe several years ago. It's one of those recipes that's been floating around for quite a while, and I'm not sure where it originated. It makes a ton, so make sure you have a lot of people to serve it to (unless you want to eat it for breakfast, lunch, and supper for a few days).
If you make this for a party, make sure you print out several pages of this recipe because people will be asking you for it!

Ingredients:
2 cans white shoepeg corn
1 can black eyed peas
1 can black beans
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1/2 red onion
8 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped (optional)
16-ounce bottle Fat Free Kraft Zesty Italian dressing

Directions:
Mix all together in a large bowl. Store in the fridge for at least 4 hours to let flavors marinate.

Note: You may also add a chopped avocado. I usually choose not to because they start to turn dark after a while. If you add it, do so right before you serve the dip.

Phyllo Pizza with Feta, Basil, and Tomatoes

This pizza really stood out to me because of the dough. I've only worked with phyllo dough once in my life, and I absolutely love the crunch it gives when it is cooked. One thing to remember when you're working with phyllo dough is to keep it covered at all times with a damp paper towel. It's so fragile, and it will dry out and break if it's not covered.
The only change I would make to this recipe is to decrease the amount of feta cheese or leave it out all together. I felt like it made the pizza too salty, and the taste overpowered the other cheeses. Don't get me wrong -- I love feta, but not so much in this dish.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
1/2 cup finely crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
10 (18x14-inch) sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
Olive Oil or Butter flavored cooking spray
2 cups thinly sliced plum tomato
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375.
Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl.
Cut phyllo sheets in half crosswise. Working with 1 phyllo sheet half at a time (cover remaining dough to keep from drying), place phyllo sheet on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Coat phyllo sheet with cooking spray. Repeat with 2 more layers of phyllo. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cheese mixture. Repeat layers 5 times, ending with 2 phyllo sheets. Coat top phyllo sheet with cooking spray; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cheese mixture. Pat tomato slices with a paper towel. Arrange tomato slices on top of cheese, leaving a 1 inch border. Sprinkle with onions and the remaining 6 tablespoons cheese mixture. Bake at 375-degrees for 20 minutes or until golden. Sprinkle with basil leaves.
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2 slices)

Nutritional Info (per serving: calories 195; fat 6.7g; protein 9.3g; carbs 24.6g; fiber 1.9g; cholesterol 11.4mg; iron 1.7mg; sodium 526mg; calcium 158mg