Three No-Bake Easter Treats Holidays are all about getting together with family and friends, making memories and eating good food. The oven is jam packed with roasting hams and tasty casseroles. It’s nice to get a few things done before the big day as well as give the oven a much needed break. Make sure to keep your meals simple so you can truly enjoy this Easter holiday. Nothing is more disappointing then working so hard that you’re not able to enjoy the holiday itself. These recipes will help to make your lives a little easier and keep the kids busy while you make some last minute preparations in the kitchen. I made these Chocolate Dipped Rice Krispie Eggs for the first time last year when I went back to spend Easter with my family. These ones were made with the leftover Strawberry Marshmallows I had stored away in the freezer. Kids can: Dip the eggs in chocolate and sprinkles. Chocolate Dipped Rice Krispie Eggs Makes: 24 * If you don’t want to go through the work of making the eggs. Un-Baked Cookie Nests
PF Changs Lettuce Wraps Recipe Hey there, darlin! I see you're new here. Check out my monthly newsletter, where I send out free recipes and giveaway lots of cookbooks and fun kitchen gadgets. I've also got a new book out, which I wrote to celebrate my favorite things ever: pasta and CHEESE. Why should you care about this PF Changs Lettuce Wraps Recipe? So you waited until the last minute to make reservations for Valentine’s Day, and everywhere is booked. The way I see it, you have two options: try your chances downtown, or make something at home. This recipe is pretty easy – my friend Lisa made it just last week, and she downright hates to cook. You could even make this recipe with leftover chicken from another dish, if you’ve got some lying around. Wanna-be PF Chang’s Lettuce Wraps Recipe Author: Stephanie Stiavetti Recipe type: Entree Cuisine: Asian Serves: 4 Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Despite the long ingredient list, you can throw this together in about 30-45 minutes. Ingredients Instructions (Photo credit: Uchu75)
"What you give away you keep.": Fish in a Green Sauce (salsa verde) Here's something new, you probably don't notice me posting many seafood recipes that's mostly because it's one of the hottest topics these days and I haven't figured it out quite yet. Issues like over fishing, farmed fish vs. fresh and Canadian fish being shipped halfway across the globe for processing. Many of our fish mongers sell imported fish and if you want a good fish it is quite expensive, plus all they do is thaw out frozen fish at the "fresh fish counter" it seems. I once paid $22 for a small "fresh" fillet of grouper from a reputable fish monger. At that price you lose your appetite. When I was little we had fish on our table from time to time, it was a bit of a ritual and usually my mother carefully flaked apart pieces to make sure none of us choked on bones. I love fish and seafood, simply grilled up with some lemon is all you need! Inspired by Annie Sibonney's recipe at the secret food society in Spain You're going to need a nice fresh bunch of parsley (chopped finely) Garlic
The Enchanted Cook: Honey Lime Chicken (inspired by Sunset Magazine) Leave it to Sunset Magazine to come up with a variety of delicious marinades to suit any purpose and serve them up in one cool issue (August 2010). Recently I made the two "Perfect for Seafood" marinades - Lemongrass, Chile and Coconut Milk Shrimp and Chile Ginger Shrimp. Both were fantastic, so this time I decided to try the honey lime marinade from the "Perfect for Chicken" section and I was very pleased with the outcome.It doesn't get any easier than this - 5 simple ingredients (not including the salt and pepper), marinade overnight, and throw on the grill. Then sit back and enjoy the lime-infused, honey-crusted chicken. Serves 4-6 Marinade: 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (2 limes), plus the zest of both limes 2 Tablespoons honey 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper 2 pounds of chicken (I used boneless skin-on breasts, but use whatever suits you)
My FAVORITE Chocolate Chip Cookie I have experimented with countless recipes searching for that perfect chocolate chip cookie. The characteristics of the perfect cookie are a very personal matter, and here are my preferences: texture: chewy w. medium thickness --- everyone has their preference, and this is mine! chocolate to cookie ratio: 50/50 --- I really enjoy having a lot of chocolate in every bite chips vs. chunks: chunks --- I like sizeable pieces of chocolate in my cookie. type of chocolate: bittersweet --- I like using Valrhona 61% extra bitter nuts or other add-ins: NONE!! With the above criteria in mind, this recipe is the closest I've come to experiencing CCC perfection. - Don't substitute the pastry and bread flours w. - Hand chopped chocolate chunks, NOT premade chips - I will purchase a hunk of the best bittersweet chocolate that I can afford and hand cut them into chunks. - Chill the cookie dough at least 24 hours (I let my dough sit anywhere from 2-3 days) before baking.
Dinner Tonight: Garlic Shrimp with Basil, Tomatoes, and Pepper Flakes [Photo: Blake Royer] I'm not sure I'll ever quite tire of the magical combination of garlic and chile—when a recipe begins with a little olive oil and garlic and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, I know we're off to a good start. I'm even more inclined when the involved recipe requires about 10 minutes of cooking and hardly any chopping to boot. I pulled this one from So Easy by Ellie Kreiger, which is full of health-conscious recipes that pack a lot of flavor.
The Enchanted Cook: Chile Ginger Shrimp Want a super quick and tasty shrimp recipe? Well this is it! In the August 2010 issue of Sunset Magazine there are a couple of marinades that are "Perfect for Seafood". I'm trying them both and this is the first one. 7 ingredients, 15 minutes to marinade and 4-6 minutes of cook time. What could be easier or faster than that? Serves 2 (serving size 5 large shrimp)Grill High HeatIngredients:1/4 cup cilantro, chopped3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice3 serrano chiles, seeded and minced1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, minced1/2 teaspoon kosher salt10 large shrimp, peeled and deveined Mix all ingredients together in a glass bowl and allow shrimp to marinade for 15 minutes at room temperature. You can serve as an appetizer, or over a nice cilantro-lime rice as an entree.
Garlicky Baked Fries I’m never going to make garlic potato fries any other way. These garlic fries, win hands down as the best garlic french fries I’ve ever made. Plus they are baked – so I won’t feel too guilty if I make it every time I’m craving for some potato comfort. When I read that there is garlic infused oil involved, my heart skipped a beat (in a good way, not the way oil would otherwise treat your heart). I got down to making them immediately. crispy golden baked fries These garlic fries are incredibly simple to make and are so full of flavour. crunchy potato skin Garlic Fries Adapted from: Lottie + Doof Ingredients: 8 garlic cloves, minced or grated 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 3 russet potatoes (about 8oz each), each cut into 12 wedges 3 tbsp cornstarch/cornflour 1 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt 1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper ½ tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper Tools:Microplane to grating the garlic warm and soft interior Tagged as: garlic, garlic baked fries, savory bakes, sides
Indian Fish and Creamy Curried Cauliflower Roasted Indian Fish and Creamy Curried Cauliflower Tired of blah, bland, boring dinners? Hang on to your hats folks ~this Indian Fish and Creamy Curried Cauliflower is going to have your head spinning. (In a good way.) Diversity is beautiful. It’s so easy to get stuck in a rut of mindless perceptions and attitudes. If you listen carefully throughout your day, you’ll notice you are unconsciously bombarded with an onslaught of thoughtless statements: “Those people are ________.” “That’s impossible. “Why would anyone want to _______?” “________ is disgusting, I can’t believe anyone would eat that.” “He’s too ________. “Life would be so much simpler if everyone would just…” (Do what I do. And he goes through life, his mouth open, and his mind closed. ~ Oscar Wilde My prayer is to be a person who will throw out judgement and stay open-hearted. I try to walk into every situation as a student of life, always learning, never the master. Baby steps… we can start with what we put in our mouths. Print Save
The Enchanted Cook: Lemongrass, Chile and Coconut Milk Shrimp Before you say, "eh, I don't care for coconut shrimp", think again... this is NOT coconut shrimp. This, my friends, might just be the best shrimp I have ever been lucky enough to consume, let alone make. This is the second of two marinade recipes that I found in the current issue of Sunset Magazine (Aug 2010). Last night when I made the first one (see my previous post for Chile Ginger Shrimp), I thought "Wow, this is good!" and then I tasted this one. O M G - how can I describe it? Another thought that came to mind as the scent of lemongrass and coconut milk gently tickled my nose while the shrimp sizzled and seared on the grill, was something my friend Christina Angelone said to me the other day. Serves 4 (serving size 5 large shrimp) Grill High Heat (outdoor grill or indoor grill pan) Ingredients: 1 stalk lemongrass, ends trimmed, quartered 2 large shallots, peeled, halved 3 red Fresno chiles or red jalapenos, seeded 2 thick slices of fresh ginger 2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
Bacon Guacamole Grilled Cheese Sandwich A guacamole grilled cheese sandwich has been on my to try list for a while now and since I was making the bacon guacamole on the weekend I figured I would just pick up double the ingredients and make both. The basic idea behind this grilled cheese is quite simple and it started out with just adding guacamole to a grilled cheese but with the success of combining salty bacon-y magnificence with cool and creamy guacamole I could not resist adding a few slices of bacon to the sandwich. I also had some leftover corn tortilla chips from dipping on the weekend so I decided to crumble a few of them and add them to the sandwich for texture. Like all grilled cheese sandwiches this one is pretty easy to make though you want to try to remember to pull the guacamole out of the fridge early so that it can come up to room temperature before adding it to the sandwich. Does this grilled cheese sandwich look good? Bacon Guacamole Grilled Cheese Sandwich Servings: makes 1 sandwich Printable Recipe Directions
Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries These aren't anything complicated. With five ingredients, they take only a few minutes to put together. In fact, these were probably the least time-intensive food at my Cheesecake Extravaganza. Yet, I had more than a few people come up and proclaim their love for the finger food. You don't have to throw a cheesecake party to serve these....I imagine they'd be welcomed just about anytime! Next time, I'll make more... this was the first food to go at the Cheesecake Extravaganza, and with good reason! Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberriesfrom Nutmeg NannyIngredients: -1 lb large strawberries -8 oz. cream cheese, softened (can use 1/3 less fat) -3-4 tbsp powdered sugar (4 tbsp for a sweeter filling) -1 tsp vanilla extract -graham cracker crumbs Directions: 1.
Buttered Up: Sunshine Toast, because there's sun. Today is a rare day. Today, the sun is out and there is no gloom yet. Gloom should move. It should reside somewhere else. It should move to the homes of people who ask for fake Rolexes with bad zircons. You'll need: 2 to 3 tablespoons of butter 1 slice of bread 1 egg Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Use something small and with a round edge (like a glass or a cookie-cutter) to cut a hole out of the center of your bread. Bloomin' Onion Bread My husband and I waited tables at Outback Steakhouse while we were in college and ate our share of Bloomin’ Onions. But the funny thing is we never actually ordered them. If a table ordered a Bloomin’ Onion and canceled the order, the onion would sit in the window until another table ordered one which was usually just a matter of minutes. I don’t know if there are other servers out there but I still have reoccurring nightmares where I’m in the weeds with all of my table – everyone needs a drink refill and all of my orders are wrong. This naughty Bloomin’ Onion Bread has cheese stuffed in every crack and is cut just like the Bloomin’ Onion from Outback. Ingredients 1 unsliced loaf sourdough bread 12-16 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, thinly sliced 1/2 cup butter, melted 1/2 cup finely diced green onion 2 teaspoons poppy seeds Instructions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Notes