Easter Dessert

Easter Dessert
Just out of college and newly married, we were ( job) transferred from Birmingham, Al to Jacksonville, FL. This young Alabama gal was completely lost in the big city! Thankfully, I was hired by the Florida Extension Service and went to work with an amazing staff of 4 other Home Economists ( well... 2 amazing, 1 nice and 1 just plain strange). One of these ladies, Tamer Britton, literally " raised me"!  We bought our first home in a nice subdivision and were thrilled to have kind, loving neighbors across the street. They were a little older than us, had a house FULL of kids and when we had our kids, they "adopted" them immediately. Bob Bob and Aunt Bebe ( as my kids dubbed them) were/are very special friends. Bob brought a huge bunny head ( no idea where he got it!) and placed it in our shrubs early one Easter morning! They also called our kids every Christmas Eve and pretended to be Mr. and Mrs. Claus. Talk about kids going to bed without a moment's hesitation! I was thrilled beyond words when my daughter and her husband bought their first home and we found out that one of Aunt Bebe and Bob Bob's "children" lives 10 minutes away!

In return for their kindness, my meager offering usually consisted of baked goods left on their doorstep on Sunday mornings. When Bob came out for his newspaper, he frequently stumbled over a basket of freshly baked blueberry muffins. Aunt Bebe fueled the fire when she gave me her Garden Club's Cookbook. Those are some of the BEST recipes! Community cookbooks are usually compiled of family favorites which are trusted and true.

One of my favorites from this book is the Pea Pickin' Cake. I have no idea where the name came from and the book does not say, but 4 ladies submitted the same or similar recipes. Rarely will you find me using a cake mix, but this is a worthy exception. Besides, it gives me more time at Easter for baking homemade crescent rolls, making Sour Cream Potato Salad, baking a ham, etc. etc......

Warning! This cake must be refrigerated, so if your refrigerator space is limited, pass on this one for now or you can make it in a 9x13 pan.

Pea Pickin' Cake
1 yellow cake mix
1 can Mandarin oranges
4 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 3-9-inch cake pans.
Combine all ingredients in bowl of electric mixer. Beat at medium speed until ingredients are combined. Pour into prepared cake pans and bake for 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool in pans 10 min. Remove from pans and cool completely.

Filling
1 large container Cool Whip, thawed
1 large can crushed pineapple with juice
1 small box instant vanilla pudding

Combine pineapple and pudding. Fold in Cool Whip. Spread between layers and on top of cake. Cover and refrigerate. It's best when made a day or 2 ahead.

Keep leftovers refrigerated.

As Ina Garten would say, " How easy is THAT?" Wonder if I should send her this recipe?? ............

Rustic Mushroom Tart/Pizza

Once again.... Here's a recipe from Pinterest. I look at Pinterest while watching mindless TV like I would thumb through a magazine but instead of turning down page corners, I "pin" the recipes. I'm a sucker for a pretty face/picture. This one looked amazing and sounded scrumptious. But, you know me. I couldn't leave well enough alone. The recipe calls for a buttery flaky pie crust. ( You KNOW I HATE to make pie crust! ) so,  I substituted pizza crust. It was ok. Not scrumptious, but after all, I married "Mikey" who will eat absolutely anything! It is very rich ( and would be great as an appetizer) and very filling. I would make it again, but I would use my tart pan instead of shaping free form. Anyway, give it a try if you LOVE mushrooms, goat cheese and creamy ricotta. I see an extra 1/2 mile on the elliptical at the gym tomorrow! Was it worth it? Absolutely!

Rustic Mushroom Tart /Pizza
3/4 cup whole milk ricotta
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
3/4 pound mixed mushrooms (such as cremini and shiitake), sliced (4 cups)
1 medium leek (white and pale green parts only), trimmed, cut in half lengthwise then into thin half-moons, and thoroughly rinsed or 1 small sweet onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Kosher salt
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 recipe Flaky Butter Crust or pizza crust
1/2 lemon, zest only


Preheat the oven to 400°F.

 In a large bowl, stir together ricotta, goat cheese, parmesan, rosemary, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until well mixed.

 In a large skillet, heat the butter and oil over medium-high heat until the butter melts. Add the mushrooms, leek, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushroom juices release and evaporate and the mushrooms start to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the wine, bring to a boil, and simmer until it evaporates. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

On a large sheet of parchment paper, roll the dough into a 12-inch round. Slide the parchment paper with the dough on it onto a half sheet pan.

Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Spoon the mushrooms in an even layer over the cheese. Fold the border of the dough over the mushrooms, pleating the dough every 2 inches. Immediately transfer to the oven.

 Bake until the crust is golden brown, about 25 minutes. Grate the lemon zest directly over the mushroom filling and drizzle with a little olive oil. Cut into wedges and serve immediately.

Strawberry Banana Muffins

What a difference a few days has made in our weather! Glorious sunshine, warm temps, flowers blooming and fresh strawberries in the market. These muffins are moist with chopped strawberries and mashed bananas. Using brown sugar adds to the moist texture and the freshness over several days. They were a hit at our house for breakfast or a quick snack.Remember to release muffins from the pan when you take them out of the oven to allow the steam to escape. No one wants soggy muffins!

Strawberry Banana Muffins

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
1 cup fresh strawberries, cut into bite sized pieces
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Position rack in center of oven.  Line 12 muffin cups with muffin liners or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
In a small saucepan melt the butter. Set aside.
In a medium bowl whisk together the brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and mashed banana. Add the melted butter and stir to combine.
In another large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Fold in the berries, making sure they are coated with flour.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined.
Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups. Bake until muffin tops are golden and just firm, 20 to 24 minutes, rotating halfway through baking time. Cool muffins in muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool 5 minutes before serving.
Yields: 12 muffins

Pasta with Chicken and Spinach

This is great comfort food! I don't think winter is ever leaving, so we might as well enjoy another cold weather dish! When I made this, I realized that the 2 of us would be eating it for a month, so I shared with my daughter's family. They are the ones with the new baby, so it was definitely appreciated ( along with the fact that I delivered it and stayed for a few days to help out! )

Pasta with Spinach and Chicken

10 ounces pasta ( ziti, rotini, bow tie, etc) cooked and drained
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz. fresh sliced mushrooms
4 ounces cream cheese
1 (8-oz) carton ricotta
1 cup milk, heavy cream or half-and-half
1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh spinach
2 cups cooked chicken (cubed or shredded)
1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half
Fresh basil or parsley, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with non-stick spray.
 Heat butter in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add in the onion and garlic. Cook for 3 - 4 minutes to slightly soften veggies. Do not brown. Add mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are soft.
Stir in cream cheese until melted.  Reduce heat to low. Stir in ricotta, milk, Parmesan cheese, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes (if using). Stir until everything is well-combined and melted. Turn off heat.
Combine the pasta, chicken, spinach and tomatoes in a large bowl.
Add in the sauce and gently stir to coat.
Pour into the prepared baking dish. Top with the remaining mozzarella.
Bake uncovered for about 20 -25 minutes ... or until casserole is bubbly and beginning to brown. Top with basil or parsley for garnish.

Throw Back Thursday Salad/Dessert Recipes

Those of you who are on Facebook know that Thursdays are TBT -throw back Thursdays -where folks post pictures from the past. Today I was looking through a church cookbook and came across a couple of recipes that are also in the "throw back" category! They were quite popular "in their day" and still taste good! You might enjoy a recipe throw back! ( And, yes, I am aware that some of my readers are young enough that they've never heard of these recipes! )

The first one could be served as a dessert or a salad. Many years ago, salads were loaded with fruit and mayonnaise, cream cheese and/or Cool Whip.  They were heavy and sweet and by today's standards are better suited as dessert. I remember eating pineapple salads that consisted of a piece of lettuce on a plate topped with a slice of canned pineapple topped with a dollop of mayonnaise and a sprinkle of shredded cheese. One local restaurant where we occasionally ate Sunday dinner served the same salad but tinted the mayonnaise so that it was a gosh awful color between pink and purple! Those were the days!!

Dump Salad or Dessert
1 (20-oz.) can cherry pie filling
1 (20-oz.) can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 (10-oz.) carton Cool Whip
1 cup chopped pecans

Dump everything in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Cover and chill for 4 or 5 hours.

Confession: I could eat this stuff with a spoon!

Here is the famous pretzel crust strawberry salad/dessert. If you ever went to Rock Eagle 4-H Camp in Georgia, you've eaten this salad! I used to call it the lunchroom ladies' special because they were the only ones who could make it. Someone gave me a cookbook compiled by lunchroom ladies and it contains some great recipes. Here is the recipe, see if you can make it as good as theirs!

Strawberry Pretzel Salad
2 cups crushed pretzels
1/4 cup sugar plus 1/2 cup sugar
1 stick butter, melted
1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 (8-oz) container Cool Whip
1 small pkg strawberry Jello
2 cups boiling water
2 (10-oz) pkgs frozen strawberries, thawed

Combine pretzels, sugar and butter. Press into a 9x13-inch baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Combine cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar and Cool Whip. Pour over crust and refrigerate.
Dissolve Jello in boiling water. Add thawed strawberries. Refrigerate mixture until consistency of egg whites, slightly congealed. Pour over cream cheese layer. Chill until set ( several hours or overnight).

Tip: You can make this without the strawberries.

Couscous

The tiny couscous that comes in a box is just too hard to eat! I hate hemming it up on a fork and I feel like a kid eating it with a spoon. A couple of years ago I was introduced to pearl or Israeli couscous
( probably by Ina Garten ) and have been converted every since. Tonight I just wanted something different.  We've eaten our fill of potatoes, rice and beans. A quick inventory of the refrigerator sent me scurrying for the big saucepan and this side dish emerged. It was a hit at our dinner table along with oven roasted fresh asparagus ( from Costco ) and chicken tenders dipped in egg then rolled in Panko and baked. Yuuuuuum! Full tummies here tonight!

Veggie Pearl Couscous
1tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small sweet onion, chopped
1cup pearl ( Israeli ) couscous
2 small or 1 medium zucchini, chopped
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
1 1/4 cup chicken broth ( or water )
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil and butter in a large saucepan. Add garlic and onion, sautéing until soft, but not brown.  Add couscous and stir until lightly browned. Add zucchini, red pepper and chicken broth. Bring to a boil; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese before serving.

Honey Brushed Chicken and the Cutest Chickies Around

Have I really missed an entire month? Wow! You must be starving! Ha! Ha! As most of you know, we have a new grandson, Hudson Riley Statham, who was born Feb. 4 in Atlanta. My daughter had a scheduled c-section and I stayed with them for 2 1/2 weeks. Everyone is doing great although a bit sleep deprived at the moment. Of course, he is THE most adorable baby EVER born! Just in case you've missed pictures of him, here's a cutie. He has a 3 1/2 yr old sister, Emmie who simply adores him (except when he cries!). They belong to my daughter and son-in-law. My son and daughter-in-law have 3 children. So, this makes number 5 Grand for us! For someone who grew up as an only child, this is a crowd! I love every one of them and every minute I get to spend with them!

Ok, now that you're up to date with my family, let's get back to the kitchen! Since I'm always on the lookout for QUICK recipes, this one was an instant winner with me. I like the combination of spices and since it has been too cold, snowy, rainy, yucky to grill out, this comes close to the same taste! The recipe calls for chicken thighs. I used boneless, skinless thighs. I think chicken legs or wings or even (my favorite) tenders would be equally as good.  

Honey Brushed Chicken 

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon paprika ( if you have smoked paprika, use half regular and half smoked)

1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper ( I backed off of this a little as we are not fans of HOT)

8 skinless chicken thighs

6 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons cider vinegar

Preheat broiler. Spray broiler pan WELL with Pam. Line bottom of pan with foil.

Combine garlic powder, chili powder, salt, cumin and paprika in a large bowl (or zip loc bag). Add chicken to bowl and toss to coat. Place chicken on broiler rack. Broil 5 minutes on each side. 

Combine honey and vinegar. Remove chicken from oven. Brush half of the honey mixture over chicken and return to the oven. Broil for 2 minutes. Turn chicken and brush with remaining mixture. Broil an additional 2 minutes or until chicken is done. (Total cooking time: 14 - 18 minutes).