Bruschetta Chicken Bake

This is a super easy and fast recipe, and tastes so good.  You can use fresh ingredients if you have them or pre-packaged if you don't.  Either way it's pretty great.

Bruschetta Chicken Bake

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped tomatoes with their juices, or 1 15-oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
6 oz dry stuffing mix (I recommend Pepperidge Farm, or Stove Top will do if you can't find that)
1/2 cup water (may need a bit more if using fresh tomatoes)
1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 T fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped, or 1 tsp dried basil
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400F.  Place tomatoes with liquid in a medium bowl.  Add stuffing mix and water; stir until bread is just moistened (if there is still a lot of dry bread, add a bit more water, but you don't want it soggy).  Set aside.  Spray a 9"x13" pan with non-stick cooking spray.  Place chicken in a single layer in the pan, then sprinkle with basil and mozzarella.  Top with the stuffing mixture.  Bake at 400F for 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
Serves 6-8 as a main dish.

Fruit Salad

I love this fruit salad.  I think the lime and mint really bring out the flavor of the fruit, and make it extra  delicious!  You can of course use any fruit you have on hand.

Fruit Salad

Ingredients:
8-10 cups cut fruit, such as watermelon, canteloupe, pineapple, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, mango, peaches, nectarines, etc.
1/4 cup sugar
1 lime
2 tsp fresh mint leaves, chopped

At least 30 minutes before you're going to be serving, zest the entire lime using a zester or a fine grater.  Stir the lime zest into the sugar until well mixed; set aside.  Just before serving, combine all fruit in a large bowl.  Add lime sugar and mint leaves and toss until evenly coated.  Serve immediately.
Serves 10 as a side dish.

Patriotic Pancakes

Why not spice up your 4th of July breakfast with these Patriotic Pancakes? They do take slightly longer than regular pancakes to make, but the results are worth it! 

Start with my basic Buttermilk Pancake recipe (I doubled it this time).

Buttermilk Pancakes

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
2 T sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 T butter, melted
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cup buttermilk

In a medium mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.  Add the wet ingredients and mix until combined (may be slightly lumpy).  Heat your griddle over medium heat until water drops dance on top.  Use about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake.  Cook until edges are dull and a few bubbles have popped on the surface of the pancake, then flip and cook 30 seconds on the other side.  Serve hot.
Makes about 12 pancakes.

For the Patriotic version, divide the batter into three bowls.  Using food coloring, dye one bowl red and one blue; leave the third bowl white.  There are a few different styles of pancakes that I made using the three colors:

Red, White, and Blue stripes:
Using a spoon (I used a regular spoon like you would use to eat cereal or ice cream with), make a red spot, a white spot, and a blue spot, all touching.  Bake like normal. This makes a pancake that is oval in shape and has a red stripe, a white stripe, and a blue stripe.  It's the easiest to make by far.

Red, White, or Blue Stars:
Spray non-stick spray (like Pam) on the inside edges of a star-shaped cookie cutter.  Place the cookie cutter on your hot griddle. Pour one spoonful of batter (pick a color) into the cutter.  Let it sit until set, then carefully slide your pancake-turner under the cutter, grab the cutter with your fingers or tongs (it will probably be hot), and flip it over.  If you've greased it well the pancake inside should slip down to the griddle.  Cook until set, then remove to a plate and take off the cutter.  You can gently push the pancake out if it sticks a little.  Re-grease the cutter and do it again.  When it's done baking you can just eat with syrup or you can decorate with berries, like so.

Flag Pancake:
To make the flag pancake, start with the blue blob for the starry field.  Then make a red stripe at the top to the right of the blue (I found that the longer and thinner you make it, the better it looks when cooked).  Make a white stripe under the red, then a red and then another white if you have room.  Be very careful when flipping this--make sure it's pretty set so it doesn't run everywhere and mix your colors.  You can decorate it with berries and powdered sugar (or whipped cream) or just eat it with syrup.

Happy American kids love patriotic pancakes!

Ben and Jerry's Oreo Mint Ice Cream

Last night I pulled out the Ben & Jerry's ice cream recipe book that someone gave us as a wedding present long ago.  We made a few flavors when we first got it but then it somehow got relegated to the back of the cookbook pile and I just found it again recently.

We had a special party for the women at my church and homemade ice cream was on the menu, so this is what I brought.  It was a huge hit--the most popular flavor by far.  It turned out fantastically, and my kids said it was better than store-bought.  You can eat it straight from the ice cream maker (it's a little soft at that point) or you can put it into a flattish tupperware container and put it in the freezer for a few hours and it will be solid like the kind you buy at the store.  Either way it tastes delicious!

Ben & Jerry's Oreo Mint Ice Cream

Ingredients:
1 cup coarsely chopped Oreo cookies
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup milk (I used whole)
2 tsp peppermint extract

Place the Oreos in a bowl and refrigerate until needed.  In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs vigorously until light and foamy, about 2 minutes.  Add the sugar a little at a time, whisking constantly, until all the sugar has been added.  Whisk an additional minute to fully combine.  Add the cream and milk and whisk until blended.  Add the peppermint extract and whisk until all is well combined.

Pour the mixture into the ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer's instructions for freezing the ice cream.  When the ice cream is set (about 2 minutes before it is fully finished) add the Oreos, then finish freezing.

Makes about 7 1-cup servings.

Berry Lemon Cake

I feel like this blog is turning into What's for Dessert, but hey that's what happens when I'm pregnant. This cake is moist and delicious, with the tangy lemon filling and sweet raspberries.  A serious winner.  It would be a great addition to your July 4th celebration, or for any summer festivity.  If you want to make it easier, just use a lemon cake mix, buy lemon curd and mix it with some whipped cream, and use store-bought frosting.  It won't be as good but will do in a pinch.

Berry Lemon Cake

Cake Ingredients:
1 lemon cake mix
1 3/4 cup water
1/3 cup oil
4 eggs
1/2 package lemon pudding mix
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease 3- 8" or 9" round cake pans.  Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl on low for 30 seconds, then on high for 2 minutes.  Pour evenly into pans, and bake for 25-30 minutes.  After baking, let sit in pans for 10 minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely.

Lemon Filling Ingredients:
1/2 cup lemon juice and 1 T lemon zest (use about 3 lemons total)
1 T cornstarch
6 T butter, cut into pieces
3/4 cup sugar
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup whipping cream, whipped

In a small saucepan whisk together cornstarch, lemon juice, and zest.  Add sugar and butter, and heat over high heat until boiling, stirring constantly.  Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Pour half of the lemon mixture into the egg yolks, whisking vigourously, then return yolks and lemon mixture back to the pan and whisk entire mixture together.  Turn heat to low and whisk an additional 3 minutes, or until nice and thick.  Pour lemon curd into a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let cool in the refrigerator at least 3 hours or up to 3 days.
Just before using, fold whipped cream into lemon curd until combined.


Raspberry Filling Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries
1 T sugar

Mix raspberries and sugar in a small bowl with a fork, mashing the berries until they are mostly broken down.


Fluffy White Frosting Ingredients:
2 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
2 t lemon juice
1 t light corn syrup
1/4 tsp cream of tartar

In a medium bowl set over a medium saucepan filled with 1" of simmering water (bowl should be about 2" above water), beat egg whites, 1/4 cup water, lemon juice, corn syrup, and cream of tarter.  Use a hand mixer and beat on high for about 7 minutes, or until soft peaks form and the mixture reaches 160F on a candy thermometer.  Remove from heat and beat mixture until stiff glossy peaks form, about 5-10 minutes longer.  Makes about 3 cups frosting.



To Assemble the Cake:
Even out the cake layers if necessary.  Place the bottom layer on a plate, then add raspberry filling.  Top with the middle cake layer, then spread the lemon filling on the middle layer (you will probably have extra lemon filling).  Top with the final cake layer.  Frost sides and top of cake, and decorate as desired.  Serves 8-12.

Mile High Strawberry Pie

My mom made this recipe occasionally as a kid, and when I got married I discovered that my mother-in-law also made it. It's a great summer recipe, as it's frozen and uses lots of delicious strawberries. It's also extremely easy to make, and can be made ahead of time. Make some for the 4th of July!

Mile High Strawberry Pie

Ingredients:
1 cup whipping cream
3 cups sliced strawberries (or you can use 10 oz frozen strawberries)
2 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 T lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
1 graham-cracker crust (if you are using a store-bought crust, get the largest size you can find (a full 9 or 10 inches) or you'll have filling left over)

In a medium bowl, beat the cream on high speed until whipped.  Set aside.
Using a blender or food processor, puree the strawberries until most large bits have been pureed.  Pour into a large bowl and add egg whites, sugar, juice, and vanilla.  Beat on high until mixture is very thick, fluffy, and a soft pink color, about 10-15 minutes. 
Carefully fold the whipped cream into the strawberry mixture.  Pour into the crust (the filling should be a few inches higher than the edge of the crust, but should stay as long as you mixed it long enough).  Freeze overnight or until firm.  Keep frozen until ready to serve.

Serves 8.

Rack of Lamb Castle

I had been wanting some great lamb and yummy bread, and decided that I would make them together.  Using Herbes de Provence makes this dish super easy, and the tarragon adds a nice flavor both to the bread and the meat.  The kids thought the finished product looked like a castle, so that's what we're calling it! 
As a sidenote, you can make this bread on its own and it makes 2 large or 4 small delicious artisan bread loaves.  Use the same baking directions as in this recipe.

Rack of Lamb Castle

Bread ingredients:
2 cups warm water
1 T yeast
1 T sugar
2 tsp salt
5 cups flour
1/4 cup melted butter

In a large mixing bowl, combine water, yeast, sugar, and salt.  Stir and let sit for 5 minutes.  Add flour and mix until sticky dough forms.  Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let sit in warm place to rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.  Punch dough down.  Grease a large baking sheet.  Using half of dough, form into a ring shape, leaving about 5 inches of space open in the middle.  Dough will be sticky, but try to use oiled hands instead of adding more flour.  With remaining dough form into one or two small round loaves and place on oiled sheet.  Place baking sheet in warm place and let rise for 30-45 minutes.  In the meantime, prepare the lamb.


Rack of Lamb Ingredients:
1 lamb rib roast (rack of lamb)
2 T Herbes de Provence (this is found in the spices section of your grocery store)
4-6 fresh sprigs of tarragon, or 1 T dried tarragon
Salt and pepper to taste

Lay the lamb on a cutting board and carefully slice between each rib bone, being careful to only slice about half of the way through the thickness of the meat.  Stand the ribs up on their fat ends, then curl them around until they form a circle or crown, with the skinny bones sticking up.  Tie the two end bones together using kitchen twine or thread.
Season the meat by rubbing the Herbes de Provence and salt and pepper on all the exposed surfaces.
Preheat the oven to 425F.
Place in the middle of the risen bread dough ring.  Dough should touch the edges of the meat but not cover it. 
Using half the melted butter, lightly brush the top of the dough (all loaves) with butter, being careful not to make it fall.  Place the tarragon sprigs on top of the dough ring, and some inside the lamb crown.

Bake the lamb and bread at 425F for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 375F and bake an additional 15-20 minutes.  Remove small loaves if necessary, as they will cook faster than the ring loaf.  After baking, brush remaining butter over bread.  Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Serves 4.
I served this with a green salad and peas with mint leaves.