Your Next Favorite!
April has been interesting so far - everything from snow to upper 60-degree days!
Once we had a taste of those nicer days, it is hard to see the snow. But we are thankful for the moisture.
The warmer weather will get here. While we wait - try some new recipes and spend some time in the kitchen looking for your next favorite recipe your family will love!
Cherry Almond Crunch Bowl
Prep Time: 5 min.
Total Time: 5 min.
Servings: 1
1/3 C. frozen dark cherries
3/4 C. 1% Greek yogurt
1 tsp. chia seeds
1 T. slivered almonds
1 T. sweet cacao nibs
2 tsp. pure maple syrup
Slice frozen cherries in half and let thaw while you prepare the rest of the bowl.
Mix yogurt with chia seeds in a small bowl. Top with cherries, slivered almonds, and cacao nibs, then drizzle with maple syrup.
Ooey-Gooey Lemon Monkey Bread
Prep Time: 20 min.
Cook Time: 45 min.
Cool Time: 10 min.
Total Time: 1 hr. 15 min.
Servings: 16
1 C. granulated sugar
1 packed T. grated lemon zest, plus more for garnish
2 (16.3-oz.) cans southern homestyle biscuits, cut into quarters
3/4 C. unsalted butter
1/4 C. light corn syrup
1/2 tsp. lemon extract
Lemon Drizzle
1/2 C. creamy lemony supreme frosting
1/2 tsp. vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
Gather all ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350°F. with a rack positioned in lower third position. Grease a (12-cup) Bundt pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
Combine granulated sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl; rub sugar and zest together until fragrant. Add biscuit pieces and toss to coat each piece evenly with sugar mixture; do not shake off excess sugar. Arrange pieces in the prepared pan. Melt butter, corn syrup, lemon extract, and any remaining lemon-sugar mixture (scant 1/2 cup) in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly until sugar is dissolved and mixture is fully combined. Pour butter mixture evenly over biscuits in the pan. Bake in the preheated oven until biscuits are golden brown and a thermometer inserted into the outer edges of the center biscuits registers 190°F, about 40 min. Let cool in the pan for 10 min. before inverting onto a serving platter. Microwave frosting in a small microwave-safe bowl until runny, 10 to 15 seconds. Stir in vanilla until smooth. Drizzle glaze evenly over Monkey Bread.
Strawberry Poppyseed Chicken Salad
Prep Time: 25 min.
Total Time: 25 min.
Servings: 4
Dressing
1 (11-oz) can mandarin orange sections, undrained
1 C. canned pineapple chunks, undrained
1/3 C. mayonnaise
2 T. white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar
1 T. sugar
1 T. Dijon mustard
1 T. poppy seeds
1/2 tsp. dried minced onion
1/4 tsp. salt
pinch of dry mustard
Salad
8 C. chopped romaine lettuce (1 head)
1 C. sliced fresh strawberries
1/2 C. fresh blueberries
1/2 C. toasted pecans, coarsely chopped
2 (6-oz) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, grilled and sliced
Dressing: Drain mandarin oranges and pineapple chunks, reserving 1 tablespoon juice from each can. Set aside oranges and pineapple. To the reserved juice, add mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, mustard, poppy seeds, dried minced onion, salt, and dry mustard; whisk to combine.
Salad: Put romaine in a large bowl. Top with half of the dressing; toss to coat. Add strawberries, blueberries, pecans, and reserved drained oranges and pineapple. Divide salad among 4 serving plates; top evenly with chicken. Serve with remaining dressing.
Bundt Pan Doritos Locos Nachos
Prep Time: 10 min.
Cook Time: 30 min.
Cool Time: 5 min.
Total Time: 45 min.
Servings: 4
1 lb. 90/10 ground beef
1 (1 oz) envelope taco seasoning
3/4 C. water
1 (9.25 oz.) bag nacho-
cheese flavored chips, divided, such as Doritos®
1 C. chopped tomatoes, divided
4 C. shredded Mexican blend cheese, divided
1 C. shredded iceberg lettuce
1/2 C. sour cream
2 T. hot taco sauce
1/4 C. sliced pickled jalapeño chiles
guacamole, salsa, or cheese sauce for serving
Preheat the oven to 375 °F. Coat a 12 to 14-quart nonstick Bundt pan generously with cooking spray.
Add beef to a large nonstick skillet; cook over medium-high, breaking up meat into small pieces until browned, about 5 min. Stir in taco seasoning and water; cook according to package directions. Transfer cooked beef to a plate to cool, about 5 min.
Add about a third of the chips to the bottom of the prepared Bundt pan, followed by half of the beef mixture. Sprinkle with 1/2 C. tomatoes, top with 1-1/2 C. cheese. Repeat layers once. Top with remaining Doritos® and 1 C. cheese.
Generously coat a sheet of aluminum foil with cooking spray; tightly cover the Bundt pan with foil, sprayed side down.
Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted, about 15 min.
Discard foil and carefully invert pan onto a large serving platter. Top with lettuce, sour cream, hot sauce, and jalapenos. Serve with guacamole, salsa, or cheese sauce, if desired.
Creamy Lemon Garlic Salmon
Prep Time: 10 min.
Cook Time: 20 min.
Total Time: 30 min.
Servings: 4
Salmon
4 fillet salmon fillets
1 T. olive oil
salt and black pepper
Sauce
2 T. butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 C. whole milk or evaporated milk
1/2 C. heavy cream
1/4 C. shredded Swiss cheese
1/4 C. freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
1 lemon, zested
1 T. lemon juice, or more to taste
ground white pepper to taste
parsley, for garnish
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
Place salmon on the prepared baking sheet; drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Bake in the preheated oven until salmon flakes easily with a fork, about 15 min. Cooking time will vary based on thickness of filets.
Meanwhile, for sauce, melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in milk and cream; simmer for 2 to 3 min.
Lower heat to very low. Add Swiss cheese and Parmesan cheese in small handfuls, whisking constantly until melted; remove from heat.
Stir in lemon zest. Add lemon juice slowly to taste; season with salt and white pepper. Garnish with parsley.
Japanese-Style Sesame Green Beans
Prep Time: 5 min.
Cook Time: 15 min.
Total Time: 20 min.
Servings: 4
1 T. canola oil
1-1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1 lb. fresh green beans, washed
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. toasted sesame seeds
Warm a large skillet or wok over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, pour in canola and sesame oils, then place whole green beans into the skillet. Stir the beans to coat with oil. Cook until the beans are bright green and slightly browned in spots, about 10 min. Remove from heat, and stir in soy sauce; cover, and let sit about 5 min. Transfer to a serving platter, and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.
Dubai Chocolate Cheesecake
Prep Time: 1 hr.
Cook Time: 1 hr. 20 min.
Cool Time: 1 hr. 15 min.
Chill Time: 9 hr.
Total Time: 12 hr. 35 min.
Servings: 12
Kataifi
2-1/4 C. kataifi (shredded phyllo dough)
Topping
1/2 C. pistachio cream
1 T. tahini
6 oz. milk chocolate, chopped
1/3 C. heavy whipping cream
Crust
3/4 C. graham cracker crumbs (3 oz.)
1/2 C. finely chopped pistachios, plus more for garnish
1/3 C. butter, melted
1/4 C. plus 3 T. sugar
Filling
1-1/3 C. heavy whipping cream, divided
1 C. pistachio cream
2 T. tahini
1-1/4 C. white chocolate chips
2 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 C. sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Toast Kataifi: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread kataifi on a 10x15-inch rimmed baking sheet; toast, stirring halfway through, until golden, 10 to 12 min. Cool 15 min.
Prepare Crust: Stir together 3/4 cup kataifi, graham cracker crumbs, pistachios, melted butter, and sugar in a bowl. Press mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake until golden, 12 to 15 min. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
Filling: Meanwhile, whisk 1 C. whipping cream, 1 C. pistachio cream, and tahini in a bowl until smooth (mixture may look clumpy at first).
In a small bowl, combine white chocolate chips and remaining 1/3 C. whipping cream. Microwave on High, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted, 1 to 2 min. Let cool slightly.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Mix in white chocolate mixture and vanilla extract until combined.
Pour half of the cream cheese mixture into crust. Top with pistachio cream mixture. Pour in remaining cream cheese mixture, then swirl with a thin metal spatula or toothpick.
Bake in the preheated oven until edges are set, 55 to 60 min. (The cheesecake will still jiggle slightly in the center but will continue to set up during cooling and chilling.) Turn off oven and leave oven door slightly ajar until cheesecake has cooled to room temperature, about 1 hour. Remove cheesecake from the oven. Chill, covered, in pan overnight.
Topper: Stir together pistachio cream, tahini, and remaining 1-1/2 C. kataifi in a bowl; spread mixture over cheesecake in the pan.
In a small bowl, microwave milk chocolate and whipping cream, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted, 1 to 2 min. Pour over top of cheesecake, spreading to an even layer with an offset spatula. Chill, covered, at least 1 hour (or up to 4 days) in the pan. Garnish with additional pistachios. Remove sides of pan before slicing and serving.
Quote of the Week:
“You can tell a lot about a fellow’s character by his way of eating jellybeans.”
~ Ronald Reagan
