We wanted dessert at the end of our lazy weekend, but we had a hard time finding a recipe we both could agree on. So, we dreamed up an ice-cream pie. This recipe below was the one we came up with, but it truly can be modified and adjusted to create the flavor profile that you enjoy best. I recommend sticking with the Oreo crust. It was the perfect consistency and would go great with a number of different flavors. As for the filling, I took a basic vanilla ice-cream and added things that sounded good to us. If you love chocolate and peanut butter, mix snickers, butterfingers or plain old peanut butter into your ice-cream and top with chocolate sauce. If you love mint chocolate chip, use a mint chocolate chip ice-cream and blend with crushed Oreos. Even just mash up your favorite cookie and mix into the vanilla ice-cream. There are so many variations to this dessert idea, so have fun!
Ingredients
1 package of Oreos
2 tbs. of butter, melted
1/2 jar of caramel sauce (I bought the fat free version)
1 tub of vanilla bean ice-cream (I opted for a light ice-cream), softened
2 Skor bars, crushed
Instructions
Add 3/4 of your package of Oreos and the melted butter to a food processor. Blend until the cookies are a fine crumb texture. Pack the mixture into a non-stick spring form pan. I use my fingers to press down and then I move a glass around the parameter of the pan to get about a 1/2 inch border up the side of the pan.
Next, mix the ice-cream in a large bowl with some of the crushed Skor bar, a few spoonfuls of the caramel and about 10 crushed Oreos.
Now start layering! Add half of the ice-cream mixture to the pan. Sprinkle with more Skor bars, Oreos, and drizzle some caramel sauce. Use as much or as little as you want. Repeat this layer once more. The top should have the remaining crushed Oreos, crushed Skor bar, and caramel sauce. I used a fork to help me drizzle the caramel so it looks decorative. Freeze for a few hours or overnight is even better. To remove, carefully move a knife around the edges of the pan before you release it. Cut into wedges and enjoy!
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Bellini Bar
A Bellini Bar is a fun idea if you are hosting a brunch, bridal/baby shower, or jazzing up breakfast. All you really need is a simple syrup and champagne. Then add your favorite fruit puree. They are beautiful, easy, and just plain good.
Bellini Bar
Ingredients
Bottle of your favorite Champagne or Prosecco
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 bag of frozen peaches
1 bag of frozen strawberries
1 bag of frozen blackberries or blueberries
1 tsp. of grated orange zest
fresh berries, mint or orange zest twists for garnish
Instructions
To make the simple syrup, simply stir the sugar and water in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Heat until sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes. Cool completely.
This is where it gets fun. Puree the peaches, orange zest, and 1/2 cup of the simple syrup. Pass through a strainer. Puree the strawberries with 1/3 of the simple syrup. Pass through a strainer. Puree blackberries/blueberries with 1/3 of the simple syrup. Pass through a mesh strainer. You will then have 3 different purees for your guest to chose from. Simply add champagne to a glass with as much or as little of the puree as you wish. You can make the purees up to a day ahead of time. I like to have the purees in cool bottles that are labeled so your guests know the choices they have. If you don't want to set up the whole bar, simply pick a fruit puree and you have a wonderful bellini for any occasion, even a quiet Sunday morning at home!
Ingredients
Bottle of your favorite Champagne or Prosecco
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 bag of frozen peaches
1 bag of frozen strawberries
1 bag of frozen blackberries or blueberries
1 tsp. of grated orange zest
fresh berries, mint or orange zest twists for garnish
Instructions
To make the simple syrup, simply stir the sugar and water in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Heat until sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes. Cool completely.
This is where it gets fun. Puree the peaches, orange zest, and 1/2 cup of the simple syrup. Pass through a strainer. Puree the strawberries with 1/3 of the simple syrup. Pass through a strainer. Puree blackberries/blueberries with 1/3 of the simple syrup. Pass through a mesh strainer. You will then have 3 different purees for your guest to chose from. Simply add champagne to a glass with as much or as little of the puree as you wish. You can make the purees up to a day ahead of time. I like to have the purees in cool bottles that are labeled so your guests know the choices they have. If you don't want to set up the whole bar, simply pick a fruit puree and you have a wonderful bellini for any occasion, even a quiet Sunday morning at home!
Time for Thai: Marinated Chicken/Beef with Thai Peanut Dipping Sauce, Coconut Basmati Rice and Ginger Snap Peas
A dear friend of mine made a meal similar to the one below when I was visiting her in Texas last month. It was Y.U.M. and a true crowd pleaser. The marinade works great on chicken and beef, but it would also be quite tasty with shrimp or even marinate tofu for you vegetarians out there. You can put on skewers and use as a great appetizer as well. I make the marinade and dipping sauce side by side since both require many of the same ingredients. Who doesn't love peanut butter? And if you don't have time to marinate the meat, just making the peanut dipping sauce will turn a regular dinner into a recipe you will be sending your friends.
Thai Chicken Marinade
Ingredients
1 package of boneless, skinless chicken breast (you can use this recipe with flank steak, shrimp or even tofu)
3 tbs. of fresh lime juice
zest of 1 lime
3 garlic gloves, minced
1 tbs minced ginger (remove skin with the back of a spoon and use a micro-plane if you have one, to grate)
1/4 cup of low sodium soy sauce
1-2 tsp. of red pepper flakes (depending on the heat level you prefer)
1 tbs. of brown sugar
Instructions
Place all of the ingredients in a freezer bag and marinade for a few hours or overnight is even better. Take chicken out of marinade and grill on skewers, on a grill pan, or simply in the broiler.
Thai Peanut Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
1/2 cup of peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
1-2 tbs. of brown sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)
1-2 tsp. of red pepper flakes (again, depending on the heat level you prefer)
juice and zest of 1 lime
1/2 cup of coconut milk
chopped cilantro or scallions (optional)
Instructions
Whisk all of the ingredients together. This is where you can "be your own chef" and adjust the sauce to your liking. If you want more of a peanut flavor, simply add a little more peanut butter. If it needs to mellow out, add more coconut milk. You don't want the sauce too thick, but you also don't want it watery. You won't mess it up. Believe me.
I serve this meal with coconut basmati rice. This simply means that instead of cooking your rice with water, use coconut milk. Jasmine rice or white long grain rice work great here as well. Using the coconut milk creates such a creamy side dish. I try to find light coconut milk when I can. Add scallions, toasted coconut and sesame seeds to the rice if you wish. I also saute sugar snap peas in a little minced garlic, minced ginger and some red pepper flakes. If you don't like snap peas, apply the same method to sauteed spinach, broccoli, asparagus, carrots, or bok choy.
Thank you Kelli for feeding me this wonderful meal!
Thai Chicken Marinade
Ingredients
1 package of boneless, skinless chicken breast (you can use this recipe with flank steak, shrimp or even tofu)
3 tbs. of fresh lime juice
zest of 1 lime
3 garlic gloves, minced
1 tbs minced ginger (remove skin with the back of a spoon and use a micro-plane if you have one, to grate)
1/4 cup of low sodium soy sauce
1-2 tsp. of red pepper flakes (depending on the heat level you prefer)
1 tbs. of brown sugar
Instructions
Place all of the ingredients in a freezer bag and marinade for a few hours or overnight is even better. Take chicken out of marinade and grill on skewers, on a grill pan, or simply in the broiler.
Thai Peanut Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
1/2 cup of peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
1-2 tbs. of brown sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)
1-2 tsp. of red pepper flakes (again, depending on the heat level you prefer)
juice and zest of 1 lime
1/2 cup of coconut milk
chopped cilantro or scallions (optional)
Instructions
Whisk all of the ingredients together. This is where you can "be your own chef" and adjust the sauce to your liking. If you want more of a peanut flavor, simply add a little more peanut butter. If it needs to mellow out, add more coconut milk. You don't want the sauce too thick, but you also don't want it watery. You won't mess it up. Believe me.
I serve this meal with coconut basmati rice. This simply means that instead of cooking your rice with water, use coconut milk. Jasmine rice or white long grain rice work great here as well. Using the coconut milk creates such a creamy side dish. I try to find light coconut milk when I can. Add scallions, toasted coconut and sesame seeds to the rice if you wish. I also saute sugar snap peas in a little minced garlic, minced ginger and some red pepper flakes. If you don't like snap peas, apply the same method to sauteed spinach, broccoli, asparagus, carrots, or bok choy.
Thank you Kelli for feeding me this wonderful meal!
Sunday, May 1, 2011
First Thing on Weekend To-Do List: Must. Use. Grill.
This weekend was simply beautiful and it reminds me why I love California. After a day at the beach, we decided to grill. But this is grilling turned up a notch. Grilling really does many things for me. It let's me know summer is on its way. It is quick and healthy. And it just is plain ol' fun. Not only did we grill dinner, but tonight I wanted to make extra chicken that could provide lunches for the week. I have always thought that making extra food on Sunday was such a smart idea, but I never have done it before. I simply thought I didn't have enough time. If you want to do it, you will make time. I feel this is true for cooking your own meals during the busy work week as well. Many people simply don't want to carve out a half hour at the end of the day because, well, we are tired! But if you have any interest in saving some money, being more healthful, and providing a nice experience for yourself, your spouse, or your friends, then taking a few easy steps to cooking at home is all it takes.
This was my Sunday plan of action:
11a.m. - marinate chicken!
Noon - spend the day at the beach
6p.m. - heat up the grill
6:45p.m. - enjoy the fruits of our labor
Quick and Delicious Marinated Grilled Chicken with Flavorful Grilled Asparagus and Sweet Potato Spears
Marinated Chicken
Ingredients
1 package of chicken breasts (cut each breast in half)
1 tbs. of minced garlic
1-2 tbs. of chopped rosemary
zest of one lemon
juice of one lemon
1 tbs. of white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar (adding vinegar to your marinades makes such a difference in the end result)
salt and pepper
Instructions
Add all ingredients to a casserole dish - making sure to season the chicken with salt and pepper before you dunk in the marinate. Cover and refrigerate as long as you can (few hours, all day, or overnight!) Then grill!
Grilled Asparagus and Sweet Potato
Ingredients (obviously bump up the amount if you are feeding more than 2 people)
1 bunch of asparagus
1 large sweet potato
2 tbs. of olive oil
1 tbs. of minced garlic
1 tsp. of red pepper flakes
1-2 tbs. of chopped parsley
salt and pepper
Instructions
To prepare asparagus simply snap the bottoms of and toss in olive oil, salt and pepper.
To prepare sweet potato, cut one sweet potato in half and boil for 15 minutes or until when pierced with a knife it goes through easily. Then cut the sweet potato into spears, thick enough to hold up on the grill. Season with salt and pepper and a little olive oil. Grill until cooked and you can see some nice grill/char marks on both the asparagus and the sweet potato spears - about 5-6 minutes.
The vegetables are just fine this way. But I like to heat about 1-2 tbs of olive oil in a small pan and add some chopped garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Heat for about 30 seconds and then take off of the heat, making sure not to burn the garlic. If your garlic turns brown quickly, simply discard and try again. There is no going back if the garlic cooks too long! If you are in the clear add 1-2 tbs. of chopped parsley and toss the veggies to coat. This turns the flavor up on basic grilled vegetables. You can do this with any vegetable (zucchini, portobello mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes, etc.) , but these are the two I used tonight.
This turned out to be such an easy, flavorful meal that really only called for a few ingredients and a few basic steps.
This was my Sunday plan of action:
11a.m. - marinate chicken!
Noon - spend the day at the beach
6p.m. - heat up the grill
6:45p.m. - enjoy the fruits of our labor
Quick and Delicious Marinated Grilled Chicken with Flavorful Grilled Asparagus and Sweet Potato Spears
Marinated Chicken
Ingredients
1 package of chicken breasts (cut each breast in half)
1 tbs. of minced garlic
1-2 tbs. of chopped rosemary
zest of one lemon
juice of one lemon
1 tbs. of white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar (adding vinegar to your marinades makes such a difference in the end result)
salt and pepper
Instructions
Add all ingredients to a casserole dish - making sure to season the chicken with salt and pepper before you dunk in the marinate. Cover and refrigerate as long as you can (few hours, all day, or overnight!) Then grill!
Grilled Asparagus and Sweet Potato
Ingredients (obviously bump up the amount if you are feeding more than 2 people)
1 bunch of asparagus
1 large sweet potato
2 tbs. of olive oil
1 tbs. of minced garlic
1 tsp. of red pepper flakes
1-2 tbs. of chopped parsley
salt and pepper
Instructions
To prepare asparagus simply snap the bottoms of and toss in olive oil, salt and pepper.
To prepare sweet potato, cut one sweet potato in half and boil for 15 minutes or until when pierced with a knife it goes through easily. Then cut the sweet potato into spears, thick enough to hold up on the grill. Season with salt and pepper and a little olive oil. Grill until cooked and you can see some nice grill/char marks on both the asparagus and the sweet potato spears - about 5-6 minutes.
The vegetables are just fine this way. But I like to heat about 1-2 tbs of olive oil in a small pan and add some chopped garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Heat for about 30 seconds and then take off of the heat, making sure not to burn the garlic. If your garlic turns brown quickly, simply discard and try again. There is no going back if the garlic cooks too long! If you are in the clear add 1-2 tbs. of chopped parsley and toss the veggies to coat. This turns the flavor up on basic grilled vegetables. You can do this with any vegetable (zucchini, portobello mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes, etc.) , but these are the two I used tonight.
This turned out to be such an easy, flavorful meal that really only called for a few ingredients and a few basic steps.
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