Curried Lemon Cranberry Couscous

Ingredients:

1 (5.8 ounce) box instant couscous

3/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 orange, juiced

2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 to 4 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley leaves, chopped

1/2 lemon, juiced

3/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

freshly ground pepper, to taste

Yields 4 side dish portions 

Time: 10 minute prep and 5 minute cook time (excluding the time to toast the walnuts)

Directions:

Stir the couscous, cranberries, curry powder, salt and sugar in a medium size heatproof bowl. Bring the water (amount directed on couscous box) to a boil and pour over couscous. Add orange juice. 

Stir and cover. Let stand for 5 minutes or until the water is absorbed and the couscous is tender. 

Fluff couscous with fork. Add olive oil, scallions, parsley, lemon juice and walnuts. Stir until evenly distributed.

Adjust salt and pepper to taste. 

This dish can be made two hours ahead of time and left at room temperature. It also reheats nicely as leftovers for another day. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container. Best to use within a couple days.

Super Easy Salsa Recipe

I was making a sauce for a margarita chicken recipe the other day and to my surprise I stumbled across an easy way to make salsa. All I had to do was throw in some onions, and lime juice. I never knew that salsa from canned tomatoes could taste just as good as fresh. It had a good kick to it because I used tomatoes with jalapenos but if you want it milder, just use plain canned petite diced tomatoes.

Ingredients:

1 14.5 ounce can of petite diced tomatoes with jalapenos

1/2 cup chopped cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup onion, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Salt to taste

Yields a good size serving of salsa for 4-5

Time: 10 minute prep and 30 minute chill time.

Directions:

Add all ingredients to blender. Blend until desired consistency. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Homemade Cranberry Sauce (with Pineapple)

You can whip this quick and easy sauce up in a matter of minutes. It tastes great and is better for you because it's made of fresh fruit. You can skip adding the crushed pineapple at the end and serve the traditional sauce. However, you should give the pineapple a try if you have never had it. It adds texture and the sweetness of the pineapple cuts the sourness of the cranberry. It becomes more palatable for kids and people that are not normally fans of the traditional sauce. 


Ingredients:


1 (12 ounces) package of fresh cranberries, rinsed well
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
* Optional- 1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained well


Yields 2 cups (with no pineapple) and 3 cups (with pineapple)


Time: 5 minutes prep and 10 minutes cook time.


Directions:

In a medium saucepan add water and sugar. Bring to a boil until sugar is completely dissolved. 

Add cranberries and return to boil. 

Let boil for 10 minutes.

Place in an airtight container and let cool on counter to room temperature. 

Or add the crushed pineapple (drained) and stir in well. 

Serve or store in the refrigerator. You can also freeze any extra and serve at your next holiday!

Watergate Fruit Salad

This yummy fruit salad certainly tastes better than it looks. It isn't a dish that I normally would make because the ingredients are processed and there really isn't much fruit in it, but it tastes so good!! My aunt Cindy made it last year at Christmas and it was delicious. It is also very easy to make and only requires a few ingredients. It tastes better  when it sits in the fridge for a few hours, so you can make it well in advance.


Ingredients:


1 can (20 ounces) of crushed pineapple, undrained
1 cup miniture marshmallows
1 1/2 cup cool whip, thawed
1 package (4 1/2 serving size) of Jell-O brand pistachio pudding mix
1/2 cup chopped pecans


Yields (8) 1/2 cup servings


Time: 5 minutes prep and 1 hour (at least) refrigeration time.


Directions:

Mix all ingredients except cool whip in a large bowl.

Gently fold in cool whip until just blended.

Cover with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. This allows the marshmallows to soften and the flavors to blend.

Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe

My son loves to eat ranch dressing with his veggies. In fact, that is the only way I can get him to eat any at all. A couple days ago we ran out of our Hidden Valley ranch. Since I am trying to feed my family as much homemade food from scratch as possible, I decided to try making it myself. I was surprised how simple to was to make. If you have a large variety of spices in your cupboard, you can probably make it without going to the store. It's not going to last as long as the store bought stuff because its lacking all the preservatives, but that's a good thing. And if you were wondering... my son loved it. He kept saying "mmm", every time he bit into a ranch covered carrot stick! If you know of any other outstanding ranch recipes, please share them with me!!

The recipe I used is thick for veggie dipping but you could also substitute buttermilk to make it thinner for salads. Just use 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1/2 cup sour cream, and 1/2 mayo instead of what is listed below.

Ingredients:

1 cup reduced-fat olive oil mayonnaise (any mayo will do)

1/2 cup reduced-fat all natural sour cream (any sour cream will do too)

1/2 teaspoon dried chives

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Yields 1 1/2 cup of ranch

Time: 35 minutes prep time

Directions:

Whisk all ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to two weeks.

Baked Ham & Cheese Sandwiches (Ham Babies)

I first tried these delicious little sandwiches at my friend Ashley's house. She is the biggest foodie I know and a great cook. I was surprised how addictive they were. If you are looking for an different appetizer that will impress your friends and be a huge crowd pleaser, give this one a try. What makes it so good are sweetness of the Hawiian rolls, the saltiness of the ham and the creaminess of the butter and cheese. I bet that they will quickly become one of your "go to" recipes. There are many different recipes out there for these sandwiches. I have tried a couple but this recipe is the best by far. 


Ingredients:


12 King's Hawaiian rolls
12 thin slices of ham (I like to get it fresh from the deli, I recommend Black Forest)
12 thin slices of cheddar cheese (sharp Cheddar is really yummy)


For poppy seed sauce:


3/4 stick of unsalted butter, melted
1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon yellow mustard 
1/2 tablespoon poppy seeds


Yields 12 sandwiches


Time: 15 minutes prep and 25 minutes cook time.


Directions:

Melt butter in small saucepan (or microwave in small bowl, about 45 seconds), mix in all other ingredients.

 Brush the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan with some of the butter mixture.

Cut the entire package of rolls horizontally and lightly brush the bottom of each roll with some of the butter mixture. 

Place thin layer of ham...

and cheese on the bottom half of each roll. 

(These slices are a little thick)

Top with the top half of roll. Brush tops of sandwiches with the remaining butter mixture. Let some of the mixture drip over the sides.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cover tightly with foil and bake for about 25 minutes. 

Raspberry Yogurt Parfait

There is nothing fancy or gourmet about this parfait but it is simple and delicious. Greek yogurt has a lot of protein and the homemade granola is packed with nuts, oats and healthy seeds. It's sweet, creamy, crunchy and good for you all at the same time. 


Ingredients:


Homemade granola (recipe available on this blog)
Homemade raspberry jam (recipe available on this blog)
Vanilla or Greek low-fat yogurt


Directions:

Layer as much and however you like. I used 3/4 cup of yogurt with 2 heaping teaspoons of jam. Top with a handful of granola and add more as needed. 

If you are feeling fancy you can do a 3/4 ricotta cheese to 1/4 yogurt mixture for extra creaminess. The texture seems a little odd in the first couple bites but it's really good and really popular in Italy (or so I hear).

Or add fresh fruit.

Quick & Easy Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake Turnover

I didn't realize how quick and easy making a turnover was until I made one the other day. It is so versatile too. If you don't like the lemon raspberry cheesecake filling you can substitute it for literally anything. It can be sweet or savory. Next time I make one I plan on making an cinnamon apple turnover, because that is my favorite. Preparing and sauteing the apple filling will only add an additional 10 minutes to the prep time (Recipe coming soon!). 

It's perfect if you want to make a quick, fresh dessert for only a couple people. 

Ingredients:


1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed
Homemade raspberry jam (recipe available on blog)
Homemade lemon cheesecake (recipe available on blog) or cream cheese. 
1 egg
1/2 tablespoon of water
all purpose flour
granulated sugar


Yields two large turnovers, enough for 2-4 people


Time: 10 minutes prep, 15-20 minutes cook time


Recipe: 

Preheat oven to 375 degree F. Flour a flat surface and roll out pastry dough so that it is about 1/2 thick. Shape into a square. Cut down middle so can make two desserts. Spread raspberry jam in the middle of each pastry piece. Remove crust from cheesecake and mix in a small bowl. Spread a thin layer of cheesecake filling onto of pastry. 

Fold each pastry over and seal edges with fork.

Once sealed, gently push towards the outside of the turnover so make sure the filling is evenly spread. 

(A traditional turnover is triangle shaped but I just made mine into rectangles)

  

Make an egg wash by beating one egg and 1/2 tablespoon of water together (this helps give it a golden brown color when baking). Lightly coat with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. 

Serve by itself or with some vanilla ice cream and whipped cream.

French Toast Casserole Recipe

I am a member of a MOPS group here in Colorado. If you don't know what that is, it's a mommy group that meets to listen to speakers, do crafts, community service projects and to eat a huge brunch. We take turns bringing food and next week it is my groups turn. I want something really tasty and also something I have never made before. Given my track record of trying new recipes on important days, I decided to give this recipe a try this weekend for my family. It turned out so well that I will be bringing it to my group on Wednesday. I highly recommend that you try it. My favorite thing about it was how easy and quick it was to make. My second favorite thing was crunchy praline topping. The original recipe is by Paula Deen but I made some adjustments that I recommend that you follow. 

You have to start this dish the night before, it needs to refrigerate overnight. 

Ingredients:


20 slices of french bread, about an 1 inch thick, fresh or day old
6 large eggs
2 cups of half and half
1/2 cup of milk
2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
dash of salt
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg


For praline topping:


1 cup of chopped pecans
1 cup of light brown sugar
2 tablespoons of light corn syrup
1/2 cup of butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg


Yields 8-10 servings, pictured above.
Test portion, pictured below, yields 4-5 servings 


Time: 10 minute prep and 40 minute cook time. 


Recipe:

Line sliced bread into two rows in a greased 9x13 baking pan. They will be overlapping. In a medium size bowl mix eggs. To the egg mixture add half and half, milk, sugar, vanilla, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix well but not frothy. Pour mixture over bread, making sure to get in between the overlapping pieces. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. 

Take your butter out for fridge so it will be room temperature in the morning. 

In the morning preheat oven to 375 degrees f. Remove the casserole from fridge (bread will have absorbed all the mixture). 

While the oven is preheating  mix the praline topping. Spread evenly over bread slices (nuke the mixture for 20-30 seconds if it is hard to spread).

Bake uncovered for 40 minutes or until  top is slightly crunchy and golden. Do not under bake because it will be really mussy. 

Serve with maple syrup!

To reheat, bake in a preheated 300 degree f oven for 10-15 minutes. If you want it more moist when you reheat, cover with foil. Even more moist? Add some milk and cover with foil. You can also reheat in microwave but you lose some of the delicious crunchiness of the praline topping.