raspberry lemon sorbet

i did some experimenting tonight; trust me, that's a rare feat. fortunately i had success with this little number and thought i would share! or at the very least, inspire you to do your own experimenting with summer berries and cool treats. :-)

2 cups fresh raspberries
6 oz frozen lemonade
1.5-2 TB sugar
3 oz raspberry jell-o, dissolved in 1 C boiling water

dissolve jell-o in boiling water, put in fridge or freezer until egg-white consistency (or maybe not even that thick).

meanwhile, blend berries, lemonade and sugar.

add jell-o/water to the blender and stir/blend until combined.

pour into ice cream maker and run for approx. 20 minutes, or until it looks sorbet-ish!

** this makes slightly less than 1 quart of sorbet. ours was a little tart, but we liked it. if you don't like tart, just add more sugar to your taste. super easy, fun, and delish! perfect summer delight. i could take a picture of my empty bowl, but that might be a little cruel. ;-)

** if you want to get all fancy, you could puree the raspberries first, then push the mixture through a sieve to remove the seeds. i was much too lazy for that.

sweet bean burritos

i can't believe i haven't posted this yet! it's an absolute staple; i make it at least twice a month because it's easy to throw together and tasty tasty tasty.

2-3 large sweet potatoes, peeled
1/2 onion, diced
olive oil
1 can black beans, rinsed/drained
1 can great northern (white) beans, rinsed/drained
1 garlic clove, diced
1 TB chili powder
1-2 tsp cumin
salt to taste
tortillas

microwave potatoes until tender enough to mash. meanwhile, saute onions in 2 tsp olive oil until translucent. add garlic to pan. add black beans, chili powder, cumin and salt. when potatoes are done, put in a bowl with the white beans and mash. add potato mixture to pan, combine with onion/bean mixture. divide among tortillas, roll into burritos. top with shredded cheddar.

* this tastes great with salsa and sour cream. adjust the spices to your taste.

Delightful!

If you haven't made Emily's delightful ooey, gooey karmel bars... boy oh, boy. You should. I think I found my new favorite treat. Goodbye brownies. Hello sticky fingers. :)

(Plus, they have oatmeal, so that makes them healthy, right?)

teriyaki chicken pasta salad

This is from my friend Rebecca Mauss. I envision this would be a real winner at all sorts of showers, potlucks, etc. The recipe makes a lot and could be altered to your taste. It's delicious!

Dressing:
1 C vegetable oil
2/3 C Teriyaki sauce
2/3 C red wine vinegar
6 TB sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Blend dressing ingredients together right before pouring over pasta (otherwise it will just separate and you'll have to blend again anyway).

Salad:
16 oz farfalle (bowtie) pasta, cooked al dente
1-1/2 (10 oz) bags fresh spinach
3/4 C craisins (6 oz)
3 (11 oz) cans mandarin oranges, drained
2 (8 oz) cans sliced water chestnuts, drained
1/2 C parsley, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1/3 C toasted sunflower seeds
3/4 C honey roasted peanuts (6 oz)
2 C cooked chicken, cut into small pieces

Mix dressing and cooked pasta in a medium bowl; marinate for at least 2 hours. Combine rest of ingredients in a large salad bowl, add pasta/dressing, toss to combine.

Notes: I didn't have all the spinach called for, and it was fine. The dressing was a little oily, and I don't know if the allotted amount of spinach would have helped that or not. I'm sure you could easily adjust to just 3/4 C oil.

short cut chicken pot pie

This is probably more of a winter staple, and I've been meaning to post it for a few months. It was quite comforting, easy, and tasty.

Filling:
4-6 chicken breasts
3 TB butter
1 onion
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced
1/3 C flour
2 C chicken broth
1 C heavy whipping cream
1 C frozen peas and carrots

Heat oven to 450. Poach chicken. Cool and cut into chunks. Melt butter in large pan. Saute onion that has been salt & peppered. Add mushrooms and cook until tender. Add the flour, stirring until bubbly (if it doesn't bubble, it will still work). Gradually add broth & cream. Bring to a boil, stirring and cooking for 1 minute. Add peas and carrots and cut up chicken. Place mixture in 9x13 pan. Top with drops of biscuit dough (recipe below) and cook for 20 minutes until biscuit topping is browning.

Biscuit dough:
1-1/2 C flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
2 TB dried parsley flakes
1/3 C butter
3/4 C milk

Combine dry ingredients. Cut in butter or shortening. Add milk & stir until combined.

vegetable fried rice

* From Cook's Country *

6 TB soy sauce
2 TB rice vinegar
1 TB hot sauce
1 TB grated fresh ginger
4 large eggs
4 tsp vegetable oil
10 scallions, white parts sliced thin, green parts cut into 1/2" pieces
4 C bagged coleslaw mix
1 red bell pepper, seeded & chopped
4 C leftover cooked rice ***

Whisk soy sauce, vinegar, hot sauce, and ginger in bowl. In another bowl, beat eggs with 2 TB soy sauce mixture until combined.

Heat 2 tsp oil in lare nonstick skillet over med-high heat until just smoking. Add egg mixture to pan and cook, scrambling and breaking in small pieces, until set (1-2 minutes). Transfer to plate.

Heat remaining oil in empty skillet until just smoking. Cook scallion whites, coleslaw mix, and bell pepper until just beginning to soften. Add rice and remaining soy sauce mixture and cook until liquid has evaporated and rice is heated through. Stir in egg and scallion greens and cook, stirring constantly, until heated through.

*** This won't work with just-made rice. I usually make the rice the day before and let it sit in the fridge for 24 hours.

Royal Icing

For Easter, I made some sugar cookies eggs (instead of the big chocolate eggs or the chocolate bunnies). I used this recipe for the icing. It is simple to make and easy to be creative. The icing dries with a smooth and glossy appearance.

Ingredients:

1 box (1 lb) confectioner's sugar

2 tbsp powdered egg whites

5 tbsp water

Directions:

In a large bowl, with mixer on low, beat together sugar, egg whites, and water until well combined. Increase mixer speed to high, and continue beating for 5 minutes, until stiff peaks form. If not using immediately, press plastic wrap directly on surface of icing and refrigerate for up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature before using. If icing thins, beat in extra confectioner's sugar with a spoon until thick. Makes about 3 cups

I separated it into separate bowls (for several colors). I also added a little water to get the desired consistency. This icing is easy to manipulate. For the most part, you can drizzle it where you want it to be and use your finger to smooth it out. I also used a cake decorating bag for small detail.