Cutie Pies – Mini Peanut Butter Pies

They are cute aren’t they?  Not only are they cute but they are the bomb … satisfying your craving for chocolate and peanut butter all in one luscious bite.  Go ahead, get out your baking supplies and ingredients … you won’t be disappointed.  ENJOY!

Cutie Pies –  PEANUT BUTTER PIES WITH CHOCOLATE CRUST

Ingredients:

Chocolate Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 stick unsalted butter, cold
4 tablespoons Crisco
Yolk from 2 large eggs
6 – 8 tablespoons iced coffee (Ice water will work as well.)

Peanut Butter Filling:
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 package (8 ounce) cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 package (8 ounce) Cool Whip, thawed

Chocolate Drizzle

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon Crisco
Chopped peanuts (optional)

Let’s begin with the crust.

In a food processor (you can also do this by hand if needed), combine the flour, cocoa, sugar, and salt on low until blended. Add the butter and Crisco and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbles. Add the egg yolks and iced coffee and process with slow pulses until the dough forms a ball. Start with about 5 tablespoons of iced coffee and add more until the mixture comes together.

Press the dough into two flatten discs. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Then, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

On a floured surface, roll out your dough until it is about 1/8 inch thick. Then cut out the dough using a flour shaped cookie cutter. My cookie cutter is 3-inches in diameter petal tip to petal tip. Once your first set of flowers are cut, you can ball up the dough and roll it out again. Repeat until you have used as much of the dough as possible.

Gently press the flowers into an ungreased mini muffin pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12 -15 minutes.

Allow the mini pie shells to cool completely in the pan before removing. This will ensure they keep their shape.

While they are cooling, mix up the peanut butter pie filling. Beat the peanut butter with the cream cheese and vanilla until smooth. Then add the powdered sugar, beating again until smooth. Add in the Cool Whip and beat the mixture one final time until smooth.

Add this filling into a piping bag or large plastic bag. Pipe into your cooled chocolate pie shells.

For the drizzle, melt the chocolate chips and shortening in a microwavable bowl (or in a double broiler). Allow the mixture to cool slightly, then transfer to a plastic bag. Snip off a tiny portion of one corner of the bag and drizzle the chocolate onto the filled pie shells. Top with chopped peanut for a garnish.

 Source:  www.inspiredbycharm.com

Undercover – The Greatest Food Deception of all Time – Chicken Pad Thai with Spaghetti Squash

Do you ever have to go “under cover” when cooking dinner for your family?

I have had to go under cover often times.  My husband says he doesn’t like certain vegetables or ingredients and as long as he doesn’t see or know the ingredients 99% of the time he loves it!  This undercover recipe incorporates two foods that he claims to dislike:  spaghetti squash and cabbage!  I make Pad Thai quite often, usually with shrimp, rice noodles and lettuce.  He liked this dish and I had to stop myself from laughing when he tasted it and said rice noodles and lettuce.  And he actually thought I was trying to pass off the chicken as pork which I have done before with success!  Too funny!!

This recipe is a winner and iI can’t wait to make it again; this time with shrimp.

Go under cover and make this … you’ll love it!  ENJOY!

Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai

INGREDIENTS:

1 small spaghetti squash, halved and seeded Sauce: 1 1/2 cups chicken broth 3 tablespoons peanut butter 1 tablespoon chile-garlic sauce 1 tablespoon fish sauce 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon rice vinegar 1 tablespoon oyster sauce 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger 1 teaspoon sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 3 tablespoons cold water 1 tablespoon cornstarch Vegetables: 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 (12 ounce) package broccoli coleslaw mix 1 zucchini, diced 1 red bell pepper, diced 1/2 cup sliced green onions 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 2 cubed cooked chicken breasts

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Place spaghetti squash, cut-side up, on a baking sheet.
2.	Bake in the preheated oven until squash is tender, 30 to 45 minutes. Shred squash meat using a fork and discard the peel.
3.	Combine chicken broth, peanut butter, chile-garlic sauce, fish sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, oyster sauce, ginger, sesame oil, and black pepper together in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Whisk water and cornstarch together in a bowl until smooth; add to broth mixture and continue boiling until sauce thickens, 5 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer sauce.
4.	Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; saute broccoli slaw, zucchini, red bell pepper, green onion, cilantro, and shredded spaghetti squash until tender, about 10 minutes. Add chicken and sauce to squash mixture; cook and stir until heated through, 3 to 5 minutes.

Source:  Allrecipes.com

Pecan Pie and a Tribute for My Dad

Classic Pecan Pie – so easy to make and one of my favorite pies.  Pecan Pie was also a favorite of my Dad’s!  My Dad passed away December 23, 2014; following the recipe is a tribute I wrote that was read at his service.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Karo Light Corn Syrup
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) pecans
• 1 (9-inch) unbaked deep-dish pie crust

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Mix corn syrup, eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla using a spoon. Stir in pecans. Pour filling into pie crust.
3. Bake on center rack of oven for 60 to 70 minutes (see tips for doneness, below). Cool for 2 hours on wire rack before serving.  Once cooled, share with someone you you love!

A Tribute for My Dad

From the day I was born I was “Daddy’s Little Girl”. I think a Father and Daughter have a very special bond. I was also his favorite daughter … of course, I was his only daughter! The admiration and love went both ways. I thought the world of my Daddy and as a young girl I couldn’t wait for him to come home from work. As soon as I saw him coming up the driveway I would yell “Daddy’s home” and go running to see him.

My Dad loved to garden and even after working a long day he would go out to work in the garden after dinner. Being a typical girly girl, I didn’t like to get my hands dirty, but that didn’t stop me from following him everywhere he went and helping him to plant seeds in the garden. He used to pay me a penny for every potato bug that I picked off the plants; I amassed quite a few pennies and saved the potato crop!

When I was young he worked for a Dairy making home deliveries. I think what he enjoyed most about his job was that he was able to get out and talk with people. He enjoyed that so much and always had a kind word and a friendly smile for anyone he crossed paths with. What a treat it was when I got to ride in the truck with him to deliver milk! I got to sit up front with him on top of the cooler. When it was my birthday he would open the back of truck and I’d get to pick out any flavor of ice cream I wanted.

Every Sunday afternoon was “game day”. It was designated family time and we would play board games together. Sometimes we would play badminton or he would throw the softball for me to hit. No matter how busy he was he always made time for me, for his family.

Laughter and love filled our home. I remember how he and my mother used to tease each other and laugh around the kitchen table. God filled our home as well and I remember going to church Sundays and seeing him preaching and singing … oh how he loved to sing! I loved standing next to him hearing him singing the hymns.

When talking about my parents I always told people how lucky I was to have such great parents and what a great man my Dad was. I would tell them that he was a minister and how much I admired him. He lived the life he preached, he lived his faith. And what a great example and testimony to God that was!

Throughout my life my Dad always encouraged me, supported me and uplifted me. He was my strongest supporter and showed confidence in me when I didn’t have it for myself and helped to me to be a self-confident young woman. He lived his life as God wanted him to and was a shining example of everything God wants us to be. He was kind, loving, accepting without being judgmental, understanding, loyal, trustworthy, forgiving, sensitive, a good listener, giving, a great sense of humor, patient, steadfast and true. True to himself, his family and first most true to God. I am so proud to have called him Daddy.

Perhaps without knowing it my Dad passed many things down to me. I inherited his love of walking the beach and picking up shells, I inherited his love of gardening and flowers, and his love of antique dishes, glassware and old bottles.

The last word I remember my Dad saying was when he was in Nursing care. I brought him a flower cookie on a stick that I had decorated. He had always encouraged my artistic and creative endeavors and I hoped he would appreciate this or at least enjoy a homemade cookie. He wasn’t speaking much those days and when he did often times you couldn’t hear him or it didn’t make sense. But when I gave him that cookie he looked at it and said clearly “pretty”. Even at that stage he could appreciate what I made. I don’t know how aware he was during the past year but I always held his hand and made sure I told him I loved him.

I am so fortunate and blessed to have had such a truly amazing father – the best Daddy God could have ever given me. I am glad that my Dad is in heaven with God now and at peace. Selfishly, I miss him like crazy and I just wish I could hold his hand again and talk to him. When I was going through a particularly hard time my Dad said to me “the sun will shine brightly again another day”. He was right .. it did. And so today I remember those words and I know the sun will shine brightly again and I remind myself that now my Dad is in heaven singing with the Angels praising God.

Shrimp Ceviche

 

I found this to be a deliciously different way to serve shrimp.  Do you find that you are always making the same recipes and eating food the served the same way?  When you go out to eat do you always order the same dish or change it up a bit and try something new?  I’m all about trying new recipes – it’s always good to change things up instead of remaining status quo.  And what could be the worst thing to happen?  You don’t like it …oh well at least you tried!  ENJOY!

Cranberry Shrimp Ceviche Cups

Ingredients:

1 ½ teaspoons salt, divided

16 ounces  Medium Raw Shrimp, thawed

1 cup  Dried Cranberries

½ red onion, roughly chopped

½ cup fresh parsley

½ jalapeño, roughly chopped

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

¼ cup fresh lime juice

¼ teaspoon  Crushed Red Pepper or Ground Black Pepper

1 teaspoon  Oregano
Garnish:

13 ounces  Restaurant Style Tortilla Chips

2 limes, cut into wedges

Fresh cranberries (optional)

Directions:

1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Season with 1 teaspoon salt. Add shrimp and cook for 3 minutes. Immediately plunge cooked shrimp into an ice water bath. Peel shrimp and place in a flat dish.
2. In a food processor, combine cranberries, red onion, parsley and jalapeño. Pulse until finely chopped. Add cranberry mixture to shrimp.
3. Add lemon juice, lime juice, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, crushed red pepper and oregano. Stir to combine ingredients thoroughly. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
4. To assemble: Spoon ceviche (about 4-5 shrimp each) into small clear cups or glasses. Garnish with tortilla chips, lime wedges and fresh cranberries.

 

 

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice! Apple mini pies

Apple Hand Pies

What is sugar & spice and everything nice?  If you guessed mini apple pies you are right!  This is the first time I made apple hand pies. They couldn’t be easier or more delicious.  In my opinion anything with a fantastic homemade crust with cinnamon and apples is delicious.  Hands down … this is a winner.  ENJOY!

French Pastry Pie Crust (I love this pie crust – it comes together beautifully)

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 3 tablespoons white sugar 1 cup shortening

1 egg 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar 5 tablespoons water

DIRECTIONS:

1.	In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Mix well, then cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal.
2.	In a small bowl, combine egg, vinegar, and 4 tablespoons of water. Whisk together, then add gradually to flour mixture, stirring with a fork. Mix until dough forms a ball. Add one more tablespoon of water if necessary.
3.	Allow dough to rest in refrigerator 10 minutes before rolling out.

Source:  Allrecipes.com

Apple Filling:

2 cups small diced (peeled) Granny Smith apples or your favorite apple
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
Egg wash (1 egg lightly whisked with 1 Tablespoon water)
Crystal sanding sugar (optional)

Directions:

Make the filling:

In a small bowl, combine the apples, lemon juice, cinnamon, sugar and flour, stirring until thoroughly mixed. Set aside.

Assemble the pies:

Preheat the oven to 425ºF.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll out.

Using a 4-inch (or whatever size you want your pies to be) circular cookie cutter or cup, cut out as many circles as possible. Re-roll the scraps and continue cutting out circles until you run out of dough, ensuring you end up with an even number of circles.

Place six of the dough circles on a Silpat or parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Spoon a small portion of the apple filling into the center of each circle, leaving enough of a border around the filling. Place a second dough circle atop each filled circle then use a fork to crimp the edges together, sealing each pie.

Brush each pie with the egg wash, and using a sharp knife, cut two or three vents on the top of each pie. Sprinkle the pies with crystal sanding sugar (optional).

Bake the pies for about 17 minutes, or until they’re golden brown.

Remove the pies from the oven and allow them to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Repeat the filling and baking process with the remaining dough circles.

 

Reuben Pizza

I love that pizza is so versatile and there is no end to the creativity of toppings.  This pizza tastes like a Reuben Sandwich. So easy … and oh so good!  ENJOY!

INGREDIENTS:

1 (1 pound) pizza dough 1/2 cup thousand island dressing 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese 6 ounces deli sliced corned beef, cut into strips

1 cup sauerkraut – rinsed and drained

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Grease a large pizza pan. On a lightly floured surface, roll the pizza dough out into a large circle about 14 inches across. Transfer to the prepared pizza pan and press up the sides.
2.	Spread the salad dressing over the crust. Sprinkle with the Swiss cheese. Arrange corned beef over the cheese, Top with sauerkraut
4.	Bake for approximately 24 minutes in the preheated oven, until cheese melts and toppings are heated and crust is golden brown.

Pizza Dough – This is the best pizza dough I have tried.  It is super easy, but you do need to remember to make it the day before as it sits in the fridge overnight.

Ingredients:

4 1/2 cups bread flour
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon instant yeast
1/4 cup olive oil
1 3/4 cups water (ice cold)
1 tablespoon sugar
cornmeal (or semolina flour) for dusting

Directions:
1. Mix the flour, salt and yeast in a large bowl.
2. Add the oil, water and sugar and mix until it forms a sticky ball of dough.
3. Knead on a clean surface for 5-7 minutes adding flour if it is too wet or water if it is too dry.
4. Cut the dough into three pieces and form them into balls.
5. Place the dough balls on a pan, spray them with oil and cover them with plastic.
6. Place the dough in the fridge and let it rest over night or up to three days.
7. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and form it into discs. Lightly flour the discs, spray them with oil, cover them with parchment paper and let them rest for 2 hours.
8. Flour (or oil) your hands and lay the dough across your knuckles. Lightly bounce the dough on your knuckles, turning it and stretching it until it reaches the size that you want.  Or … alternatively, roll out and shape into pizza pan.
9. Place the dough on a baking pan dusted with cornmeal.
10. Add your pizza toppings.
11. Bake in a preheated 450F oven until golden brown on top, about 20-22 minutes.

Source:  Closetcooking.com

Edamame Hummus

Edamame what?  Edamame also known as soy beans makes an incredible hummus. I grow Edamame in my garden.  Why??  Because I can .. and because Edamame, any way you serve it, is delicious and full of health benefits.  Fresh is the best, but if you are not growing it in your garden you may also find it in your fresh produce section of your local market or in the frozen section.  ENJOY!

Source:  Foodnetwork

Ingredients
1/2 pound frozen shelled edamame (green soy beans), about 1 1/2 cups
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons), juiced
1 clove garlic, smashed
3/4 teaspooon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Suggested serving: Sliced cucumbers, celery, and olives

Directions
Boil the beans in salted water for 4 to 5 minutes, or microwave, covered, for 2 to 3 minutes.

In a food processor, puree the edamame, tahini, water, lemon zest and juice, garlic, salt, cumin, and coriander until smooth. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and mix until absorbed.

Transfer to a small bowl, stir in the parsley and drizzle with remaining oil. Serve with the suggested vegetables, or refrigerate, covered, up to 1 day.

Sweet N’ Sour Thai Cucumber Salad

This is not your traditional cucumber salad … it’s so much better.  It combines some of the Thai flavors I have come to love.  My garden had a bumper crop of cucumbers this year and even after canning Dill Pickles and Bread and Butter Pickles I still had an abundance.  I won’t be needing an excuse to make this salad again.  ENJOY!

Sweet N’ Sour Thai Cucumber Salad

INGREDIENTS

• 3 TBSP fresh lemon juice
• 3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
• 2 TBSP white vinegar
• ¼ tsp salt [plus extra, to taste]
• ⅛ tsp dill [fresh or dried]
• ⅛ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp fresh minced garlic
• 2 cups chickpeas [canned or cooked from dry]
• ¼-1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro, plus extra to garnish
• 1.5 large english cucumbers (any kind of cucumber will work)
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
• ¼ cup finely minced onion
• 2-3 extra large carrots
• 2 TBSP honey
• 2 TBSP rice vinegar
• ½-1 TBSP sesame seeds

 INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine lemon juice, olive oil, vinegar, garlic powder, dill, salt, and minced garlic and whisk to emulsify.
2. In a medium bowl add chickpeas, minced onion, chopped bell pepper, ½ an English cucumber [chopped] and cilantro.
3. Pour in dressing and mix thoroughly. The longer you allow them to marinate the more intense the flavor will be!
4. Next, using a spiralizer or tool of choice curl one english cucumber and 2-3 large carrots [the biggest, thickest carrots you can find] into raw spiral noodles.
5. Whisk together 2 tablespoons of honey with 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar and pour over salad.
6. Top with extra chopped cilantro and a hearty sprinkle of sesame and chia seeds.

Source:  peasandcrayons.com

Pesto Grilled Shrimp Kabob & Pesto alla Genovese

 

Are you looking something super quick, super easy and super delicious?  Look no more!  Whip up some home-made pesto or if you are like me and have pesto in the freezer it is even quicker!  I ran out of pesto over the winter and determined not to be in that predicament ever again I planted a lot of basil in the garden this year and have made a gallon bag full of pesto already this summer.  I freeze it into ice-cube trays and then put it into freezer bags.  I will not ever, ever buy pesto in a jar ….. bleh!

Load up the skewers with shrimp and veggies and brush pesto over the shrimp.  I added red pepper and green onion.  On a preheated grill these will not take much more than 5 minutes – you do not want to over-cook shrimp … cook just until they turn pink and are no longer opaque.

ENJOY!

 

Pesto alla Genovese

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves (packed)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 tablespoons pine nuts or walnuts, toasted
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the basil, salt, and pepper and process for a few seconds until the basil is chopped. Add the cheese, pine nuts, and garlic and, while the processor is running, add the oil in a thin, steady stream until a mostly smooth sauce is formed. Transfer pesto to a bowl and set aside. (Note: Pesto may be made 1 day in advance and kept, refrigerated, in an airtight container, until ready to use. If making in advance, be sure to cover the top of the pesto with a thin layer of olive oil to prevent the pesto from darkening. Pesto may also be frozen in the same manner in small quantities for use at a later date.)

Pesto Recipe – Source:  foodnetwork

Spicy Cashew Shrimp Stir-Fry

 

This is a fantastic recipe and a great way to use your garden fresh snap or snow peas!  My garden snap and snow peas are doing awesome this year.  I am quite simply amazed at the height they have grown to … about 4 – 5 feet  tall! Even if you don’t have a garden, go ahead and try this stir fry.  Enjoy!

Ingredients (serves 4)

• Shrimp
• 4 Tablespoons soy sauce, divided
• black pepper
• 2/3 cup fat-free, reduced sodium chicken broth
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons Thai chili garlic sauce
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tablespoons sesame oil, divided
• 2 large carrots, sliced thinly on the bias
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 1/2 cups snap peas (or snow peas)
• 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup sliced water chestnuts
• 1/2 cup chopped canned baby corn
• 1/2 cup bamboo shoots
• 3/4 cup cashews
• 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice, cooked according to package directions

Instructions

• Toss together shrimp, 1 Tablespoon soy sauce, plus a couple grinds of black pepper in a bowl then set aside. In a separate bowl, combine remaining soy sauce, broth, brown sugar, Thai chili garlic sauce, and garlic. Microwave for 20 seconds in the microwave, then stir and set aside.
• Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in a lark wok or skillet over high heat. Add shrimp and cook until no longer pink on the outside, about 2-3 minutes. Add carrot, broccoli, snow peas, onion, bamboo shoots and remaining oil if needed, then stir fry for 5-6 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add water chestnuts and baby corn, then stir to combine.
• Add the sauce and cashews to the wok, then let sauce bubble for 2 minutes. Serve over cooked white rice.

Source:  Iowagirleats.com