Recipe of the Month - May 2012

SUNNY SPAGHETTI I never thought I would like lemon pasta until I tried it. Now it is my favorite pasta dish. It is a bowl of sunshine. 8 ounces spaghetti 8 ounces frozen broccoli 1 meyer lemon ½ cup meyer lemon olive oil ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese 2 tablespoon chopped fresh basil Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add 1 tablespoon of salt, the pasta and cook according to the package directions, adding the broccoli for the last 2 minutes of the cooking time. While the pasta cooks, make the sauce. In a large bowl, combine the grated zest of the lemon and the juice from half of the lemon, salt, pepper, and the meyer lemon olive oil. Whisk until combined. Drain the pasta and broccoli and add to the lemon sauce. Toss with the cheese and basil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serves 2 – 4.

Recipe of the Month - April 2012

S’MORE COOKIES


S’mores are fun to eat and more fun to make. If you don’t camp as much as you would like, just make these and enjoy. These cookies are ooey, gooey goodness.


1 roll store bought refrigerated cookie dough, 16.5 – 18 ounces, room temperature
¼ cup graham crackers, broken, about 1 full sheet
¼ cup mini-marshmallows
¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Open the cookie dough roll and place in a large bowl. Squeezing the dough with your hands will warm up the dough and it will become easier to work with. Sprinkle the graham cracker pieces, mini-marshmallows and chocolate chips onto the cookie dough. Knead the dough with your hands until everything is combined.
Use your hands to form the dough into 1- inch balls and place onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 10 – 12 minutes, until light golden brown around the edges. Leave cookies on the cookie sheet to cool slightly, about 2 minutes. Then place cookies on a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Makes 32 cookies.

Recipe of the Month - March 2012

GREEN EGGS AND HAM


Veggies are a great way to start your day
So you can go and play
Now get in the kitchen and cook fun
The battle over veggies is won


½ cup pine nuts
8 slices prosciutto, thinly sliced
2 cups baby spinach, washed and patted dry
1 lemon
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
¼ cup grated fontina cheese
1 teaspoon unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan over medium heat for a few minutes. You will smell the nuts when they are toasted. Remove from heat and set aside.
Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Place the prosciutto slices on top of the foil and bake for 10 minutes.
To make the pesto, combine the spinach, toasted pine nuts, grated zest of the lemon and juice of the lemon in a food processor and pulse until blended. While the machine is running, add the oil and blend until the mixture is creamy. Stop to scrape the sides as necessary. Transfer the pesto to a bowl and add the parmesan cheese. Mix until combined and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. This makes about ¾ cups of pesto.
Now make the eggs. In a medium bowl, beat together the eggs and milk. Add the fontina cheese and mix until combined. In a non-stick skillet melt the butter over medium heat. Using a non-stick skillet will make clean-up so much easier. Add the egg-cheese mixture and cook, stirring often until the mixture begins to set on the bottom and around the edge. Continue to cook a few more minutes until the eggs are cooked through and set. Add about ½ cup of the pesto to the eggs and stir to combine and heat through. Use the leftover pesto on pasta, chicken, or as a dip with crackers.
Serve the green eggs with the ham, the prosciutto.
Serves 2.

Recipe of the Month - February 2012

PANCAKE BAR


Veggies in the morning are a great way to start your day. This recipe makes two types of pancakes, pink pancakes and pumpkin pancakes. This dish is great for a brunch. This recipe does take a little bit of time so if you are serving it for a brunch, start before your guests arrive or have your guests help. If your pancake mix calls for oil, be sure to add it to the batter.


4 cups pancake mix
1 cup beet juice
4 eggs
4 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup milk, extra if needed
1 cup pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling

Heat a griddle pan over medium heat.
First make the pink pancakes. To measure the beet juice, drain the juice from a can of beets into a glass measuring cup. Add milk to get 1 cup of liquid, if needed. In a large bowl, stir together 2 cups of pancake mix, beet juice, 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and the ricotta cheese. Mix until combined.
Place about 1 tablespoon of the batter onto a hot griddle. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side or until pancakes are golden.
Now make the pumpkin pancakes. In another large bowl stir together 2 cups of pancake mix, 1 cup of milk, 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon vanilla, cinnamon, and the pumpkin puree. Stir until combined.
Place about 1 tablespoon of the batter onto a hot griddle. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side or until pancakes are golden. Serve with maple syrup and fruit.
Serves about 12 – 14.

Recipe of the Month - January 2012

COCONUT CUPCAKES


These cupcakes remind me of springtime. They taste so good you will want to make
them all year.


for the cake: for the frosting:
1 box yellow cake mix 1 cup heavy cream
juice and zest of half a lemon 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
¼ cup coconut flakes juice and zest of half a lemon
1 cup coconut flakes

Prepare cake batter as directed on package, substituting milk for the water and adding the lemon juice, lemon zest, and coconut flakes. Pour into lined cupcake tins and bake as directed on package. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
To make the frosting, beat the cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Slowly add the sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat until combined. Frost the cupcakes with the whipped cream mixture. Sprinkle coconut on top of the cupcakes.
Makes 24 cupcakes.

CANDY CANE BROWNIES


I love peppermint and candy canes are one of my favorite things. I just smell these brownies and I feel it is Christmas. Once you make these brownies, you’ll make them all year.


1 box chocolate cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
¼ cup peppermint baking chips
¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 candy cane, crushed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Grease an 8 x 8 inch pan.
Mix together cake mix, eggs, and oil. I break eggs first into a separate bowl, then add them to the cake batter. Stir in the peppermint baking chips and the chocolate chips. The mixture will be very thick. Press into the pan. Sprinkle crushed candy cane on top of brownies.
Bake 14 – 16 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a cooling rack. When cooled, cut into squares and serve.
Makes 16 brownies.

Recipe of the Month - Nov 2011

BAKED VEGETABLES


This is my attempt to eat more vegetables. This recipe makes it fun to eat vegetables.


1 zucchini, sliced about ¼ inch thick
1 yellow squash, sliced about ¼ inch thick
¾ cup flour
3 eggs
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons canola oil

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Spray 2 cookie sheets with cooking spray. Place the flour on a dish, lightly beat the eggs in a pie dish, and mix the bread crumbs and the cheese together in a third dish.
Dip the zucchini and yellow squash slices in the flour, then the eggs, then the bread crumb and cheese mixture. Place in a single layer on the cookie sheets. Put the larger yellow squash slices on 1 sheet and the smaller zucchini slices on the other sheet. Drizzle the canola oil over the slices. Bake for 10 minutes. Then take out the zucchini and bake the yellow squash for 2 minutes more.
Serves 4 – 6.