Kaelin's Green Noodles aka Basil Pesto

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

1 large bunch of fresh basil leaves

1 large garlic clove

1 cup shredded parmesean cheese

1 cup pine nuts (I sub walnuts)

2 c olive oil

2 T lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

2 chicken breast grilled and sliced

noodles of choice (I usually just use spaghetti)

1. In a blender, puree basil, one cup of the oil, garlic clove, cheese, nuts, and lemon juice. Slowly add the remaining oil until you get your desired consistency. Add the salt and pepper last. Set aside and let the flavors develop.

2. Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook noodles to package directions.

3. Drain the noodles and toss with the pesto sauce (only enough sauce to coat everything, this pesto recipe should make extra that you can freeze).

4. Serve topped with the grilled chicken and some parmesean cheese.

ENJOY!!

Note: I like to add sliced sundried tomatoes in when I toss the noodles with the pesto. Sometimes, I will also add some parsley to basil when making the pesto. Just last night, I made pesto, but didn't have parmesean cheese, so I made the sauce without the cheese and it was great. I ended up making this pesto a creamy pesto though by making a cream cheese based white sauce and stirring the parmesean-less pesto in. It was yummy!!!

Strawberry Pops

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Freeze Time: at least 2 hours

2 cups strawberry puree
1 cup milk
sugar to taste

1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Add sugar to get the flavor that you are looking for.

2. Pour mixture into your popsicle mold or ice cube tray. Let freeze for at least 2 hours.

ENJOY!!

Strawberry Vinegar

Prep Time: 48 hours

2 cups sliced strawberries
4 cups white wine vinegar
2 T sugar

1. Combine strawberries, vinegar, and sugar in a large jar or large airtight container.

2. Let this mixture set covered in a cool dark place for 48 hours.

3. Strain the mixture through a fine strainer lined with 3 layers of cheese cloth. Keep stored in the fridge in a jar. Is great made into a vinaigrette for spring and summer salads.

Gyro Burgers with Tzatziki and Feta

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

1 1/2 lb ground lamb (I sub beef)
1/2 c fine diced onion
1/4 c olive oil
2 garlic cloves - minced
2 t fresh oregano (1/2 t dried)
2 t fresh rosemary (1/2 t dried)
1 T cumin
2 T lemon juice
salt and pepper
3 whole pita pockets (cut in half)
lettuce
tomato
red onion
crumbled feta cheese
tzatziki (recipe below)

1. In a heavy bottomed frying pan, saute the onion over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until translucent. Add in garlic and saute for an additional 45 seconds stirring constantly so you don't burn the garlic. Set aside to cool.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the meat, oregano, rosemary, salt, pepper, cumin, lemon juice, onion, and garlic. Use your hands to incorporate all of the ingredients. Don't over work the mixture or you will have tough patties. Let this mixture set covered for 15 or so minutes if you have the time, the flavor is stronger.

3. Form the meat mixture into six patties. Heat the remaining oil in frying pan over medium high heat. Cook the patties until juices run clear.

Tzatziki

1 medium cucumber
1 c plain yogurt
1 garlic clove - minced
salt
pepper (optional)

1. Peel, halve, and seed the cucumber. Grate the cucumber into a bowl and sprinkle with salt. Let this set for 15 minutes.

2. Place grated cucumber and salt mixture in the center of a clean dish towel. Squeeze out all of the water that you can.

3. Combine squeezed out cucumber, garlic, yogurt, and pepper. Let this set in the fridge while you cook your gyro's

Note: Serve the gyro patty in a pita pocket with some tzatziki, feta, lettuce, sliced tomato, and thinly slice red onion.

ENJOY!!!

Easy Granola

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20ish minutes

4 c old fashioned oats
3/4 c sliced almonds
1/2 c shredded or flaked coconut
2 t cinnamon
1/4 t salt
1/2 c honey
1/4 c apple juice
1/2 c raisins
1/2 c dried cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, almonds, coconut, cinnamon, and salt.

3. Mix together the honey and apple juice. Pour over the oat mixture and stir to coat each piece.

4. Spread the mixture in an even layer on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes until a golden color has been achieved. Be sure to stir the mixture two times during baking to avoid burning the edges.

5. Remove from oven and let cool. Once the granola is cool, add the raisins and cranberries.

ENJOY!

Note: You can really play with this recipe. Change up the dried fruits, add some pecans pieces, etc. My next batch, I am going to add some flax seeds and pearl barley. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Best Ever Rice Pudding with Irish Cream Caramel Sauce

Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 min

Pudding:
4 c milk
1 t vanilla
2/3 c heavy cream
2/3 c arborio rice (or other short grain white rice)
2/3 c sugar
1/2 c golden raisins (plumped in hot water and drained)
1/2 c irish cream liqueur
2 eggs beaten
1 t cinnamon
1 T lemon zest

1. Preheat oven to 325. Combine milk, vanilla, and cream in a large sauce pan and bring to a boil.

2. Add rice and sugar to milk mixture, reduce heat to simmer, and cook rice for 30 or until tender. Note: the rice will not soak up all of the milk and cream.

3. Combine irish cream and eggs, stir to combine. Add in raisins.

4. Butter a 9x9 baking dish. When rice is tender, remove from heat and add in the egg mixture. Pour all contents into the baking dish and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes.

Caramel Sauce:
1/2 c sugar
4 T butter
1/4 c heavy cream
1/4 c irish cream liqueur

1. In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, heat the sugar to melting point.

2. Remove from heat and stir in butter and then the cream. Once combined, add in the irish cream.

3. Serve the pudding warm drizzled with the caramel sauce.

ENJOY!

Leftover Ham Casserole

Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 30 min

2 c cubed ham
1 c diced onion
2 c cubed potato
2 c chopped carrot
2 c chopped celery
3 T canola oil or butter
2 T flour
1-2 c ff milk
1 c reduced fat cream cheese
1/2 c grated parmesean cheese
salt, pepper, and garlic to taste
1/2 c crushed crackers or bread crumbs

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Bring potato, celery, carrots to a boil in a soup pot. Reduce heat to simmer and cook until just tender. Drain and set aside.

2. In a large skillet, saute the onion in 1 T of oil/butter. Add ham and saute until hot.

3. Combine ham mixture with potato mixture in a 9x13 baking dish.

4. In the skillet, heat the remaining 2 T of oil/butter over medium heat and add the flour. Stir and brown. Slowly add the milk while stirring. Once thickened, add the cream cheese and parmesean cheese. Stir until melted. Add in salt, pepper and garlic powder.

5. Pour cheese sauce over the ham mixture and stir to combine. Top with the cracker crumbs and bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

ENJOY!

FamilyFun Great Cake Contest

So I entered Kaelin's birthday cake in FamilyFun's Great Cake Contest. Here is a link to where her cake is and where you can vote. The contest ends in April...fingers crossed!!!

http://family.go.com/2010-cake-contest/animal_and_characters/kaelin-s-3rd-birthday-23829/

Basil Wrapped Mozzarella w/ Sun Dried Tomato Balsamic Glaze

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 0

10 oz fresh mozzarella log
10 large basil leaves
1/4 c sun dried tomato
3/4 c balsamic vinegar

1. Remove basil leaves from the stems. Use the largest leaves and reserve the small leaves for the glaze.

2. Slice the mozzarella log into 1/4" slices and place one slice on each basil leaf.

3. In a blender, combine sun dried tomatoes, vinegar, and small basil leaves. This should make a thin paste.

4. Spread the vinegar mixture on each of the mozzarella rounds and then wrap the basil leaf around the mozzarella.

ENJOY!!

Rolled Marshmallow Fondant

Prep Time: 30ish minutes
Cook Time: approx. 2 1/2 minutes


16 oz bag mini marshmallow
4-5 T water
2 lb powdered sugar (sifted to remove lumps)
1/2 c crisco shortening

1. In a large microwave safe bowl, combine marshmallows and 2 tablespoons of water.

2. Microwave for 30 seconds and stir. Continue microwaving in 30 second intervals and stirring until all of the marshmallows are melted. If you are tinting your fondant, now is a good time to add color or flavor.

3. Add about 2/3 of the powdered sugar to the marshmallows and combine. I found it easier to do this with my hands (well greased with shortening).

4. Put fondant onto a shortening coated surface, make sure your hand are greased up to avoid sticking, and knead until the fondant is elastic-like and doesn't crack. If cracking does occur, add water by the 1/2 tablespoon. If it is too soft, add more powdered sugar.

5. Store the fondant wrapped in a piece of plastic wrap that has been coated on the inside with shortening. Then put the wrapped fondant in a plastic bag. This can be stored in the fridge for several weeks.

6. When you are ready to use the fondant, coat your work surface with a mixture equal parts powdered sugar and corn starch, and roll out the fondant to 1/8 of an inch. For the correct size that you need, take the diameter of your cake in inches plus 2 times the height. Add another inch to that.

ENJOY!!

Notes: This was super easy to make and surprisingly easy to put on the cake. Have fun with it and be creative!