Recipes
- Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze
- Tomato Basil Soup
- Summer Squash Quiche
- Chicken Salad by Chick-Fil-A
- Green Tea Ginger Dressing
- Cucumber-Dill Finger Sandwiches
- Cinnamon Rolls
- Chocolate Mousse
- Chocolate-Covered Cherries
- Grape Salad
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2 C flour 3/4 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1 C sugar 1/4 C (4 Tbs) real butter, softened 2 large eggs 1 1/2 C mashed ripe bananas (about 4 large bananas) 1/4 C sour cream or plain yogurt 3 Tbs apple juice or milk* 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 C coconut optional (if you have it, add it!): 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract |
Topping: 2 Tbs additional coconut Glaze: 1/2 C powdered sugar whisked with 1 1/2 Tbs fresh lime juice and optionally the zest from the lime as well. *as in: don’t go buy apple juice just for this recipe. If you don’t already have some, just use milk! Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until blended. Add eggs and beat to combine. Add banana, sour cream or yogurt, apple juice (or milk), and vanilla. Beat until blended. Pour batter into a 9×5″ loaf pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Sprinkle additional 2 Tbs coconut on top. Bake in the oven for about 1 hour or until a knife or skewer inserted in center comes out clean. Note: Check bread after about 40 minutes. If the top has browned and the coconut pieces are looking toasty, cover top of bread lightly with a piece of foil. Continue baking until done. When done, remove pan from oven. Let cool on a cooling rack for about 10 minutes and then carefully remove from pan. Whisk powdered sugar and lime juice together for the glaze and then drizzle over top. Cool for another 15 minutes before slicing. |
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6 large tomatoes or 3 cans of diced tomatoes 10 fresh basil leaves or 3 TBSP dried basil 1 stick of butter 1 cup half and half, you may use fat free if you wish 1 container chicken broth, 32 oz 1 tsp sugar 1 tsp salt 1 tsp pepper |
If using fresh tomatoes, blanch them and remove their skins. Also remove as many of the seeds as possible by using a strainer. Save the tomato juice for the soup. If using canned tomatoes, just pour all three cans into your soup pot. Place your pot over medium heat. Add the butter, half and half, and chicken broth and stir until butter melts and liquids are combined. Add sugar, salt, and pepper, adjusting to your preference. Next, break fresh basil leaves into soup or pour in the dried basil. Let soup cook on low for 15-20 minutes, until well combined and fragrant. Lastly, if you want a smooth soup, use an immersion blender or scoop soup into a regular blender to get it smoother. If you like your soup chunky, just serve it as-is without blending it. All done! Enjoy! |
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4 summer squash, sliced 1 sweet onion, diced 1 Tbsp Olive Oil (Basil infused is the best option) 4 eggs 1/4 cup flour 1/4 tsp dry mustard 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper OR garlic powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 1 cup half and half 1 unbaked pie crust (Pillsbury brand tastes best) 1 cup shredded hickory smoked Gruyere cheese 1 Tbsp fresh basil + 4 leaves |
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a skillet, sauté squash and onion in the olive oil until onion is translucent. Set aside. Spread out unbaked pie crust in pie pan and roll out pie crust. Place just enough cheese at the bottom of the crust to cover it, about 1/4 of the cheese. Cook for 5 minutes, until cheese is beginning to melt. Remove from oven and set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, flour, mustard powder, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, half and half, and 1 Tbsp fresh basil leaves shredded up. Once mixed, add squash and onion mix and additional cheese. Mix and pour into pie crust. Top with gently shredded basil leaves. Cook for 30 minutes or until set. 15 additional minutes is sometimes needed on mine, depending on the pan I use. (Glass takes additional time to metal.) Let stand an additional 15 minutes after removing from the oven. Serve and enjoy! For muffin tin quiches, cook for 15 minutes or until set, adding time as needed depending on the size of the muffin holes. Gluten-Free option: Omit flour from recipe, spray muffin tins with butter spray and pour mixture directly into the tins. I use mini-muffin tins for the gluten-free version. Personal preference. Cook for 15 minutes or until the top is browning a little bit. Once out of the oven, IMMEDIATELY run a butter knife along the edges of the quiche to loosen it from the sides of the tins. Let cool for 5 minutes and use a spoon to scoop out the quiches. I like to serve these in an egg carton for fun, as pictured. |
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4 Chicken Breasts cooked, cooled & cut into 1″ cubes (you can use canned chicken) 2.5 oz. celery (approximately 1.5 full stalks, washed, trimmed & cut into 1″ pieces) 1/3 cup of sweet pickle relish 1/2 cup of mayonnaise 2 hard-boiled eggs (cooled & peeled) |
Place ingredients in batches in food processor and blend until smooth. I pulse my processor to make sure the chicken doesn’t break down too much. Once all the ingredients are processed, mix entire batch together in a big bowl. I refrigerate this for at least an hour before serving, but you can serve right away if needed. This is delicious grilled on regular bread and topped with Chick-Fil-A sauce. |
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2 cups of mayonnaise 1 TBSP soy sauce 2 TBS olive oil 2 TBSP water 1 TSP sugar 1 TBSP fresh, grated ginger (fresh is imperitive!) 1 TBSP matcha green tea powder |
Combine all ingredients in a bowl by hand. Refrigerate until chilled before serving. The dressing tastes best if made at least one day ahead. It will keep in the fridge for about a month. For the tea party, this was served with a salad consisting of: spring greens, boursin cheese (the chive one), cherry tomatoes, and chopped cucumber slices. |
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1 cucumber, peeled and sliced 1/4-1/2” thickness 1 loaf of French bread, cut into 1” slices 1 8oz brick of reduced fat cream chees 1 Tbsp dried or fresh dill |
Soften cream cheese until it is easy to work with, about 1 hour on the counter. Once it is soft, mix in dill with a fork, mashing and mixing it in until well blended. Spread the mixture lightly on bread slices and top with cucumbers. To add a little flair, cut cucumbers with a cute metal cookie cutter into flowers or butterflies. Use the unused parts of the cucumber to chop up in a salad. Serve sandwiches immediately so they don’t get soggy. |
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1 cup milk (I use canned or regular) 1 egg, beaten 4 tablespoons melted butter 4 tablespoons water ½ (3.5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix 4 cups bread flour 1 tablespoon white sugar ½ teaspoon salt 2 ¼ teaspoons bread machine yeast ½ cup butter, softened 1 cup packed brown sugar 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon ¼ cup chopped walnuts (Optional) ¼ cup raisins (Optional) 1 teaspoon milk 1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar 4 tablespoons butter, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla extract |
In a bread machine pan, place the milk, beaten egg, melted butter, water, vanilla pudding mix, bread flour, sugar, salt and yeast in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select the Dough cycle. When cycle is finished, remove the dough, and knead for 3 to 5 minutes. Roll out to a large rectangle. Mix together the softened butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Spread over dough. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts and raisins, if desired. Starting with the widest end, roll the dough into a log. Pinch to seal seams. Cut into 1/2 inch to 1 inch slices, and place in a greased 9×13 inch pan. Place in a draft-free space, and allow to rise until doubled. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. To make frosting, mix the milk, confectioners sugar, softened butter and vanilla in a small bowl. Spread over warm cinnamon rolls. |
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1 bag dark chocolate, high quality like Dove or Ghirardelli 4 TBSP unsalted butter, frozen and cut into pieces 6 TBSP granulated sugar 8 ounces heavy whipping cream, whipped 8 egg whites |
Melt chocolate in 30-second intervals in a microwave-safe bowl, stirring well every thirty seconds. If the chocolate is still chunky after 1 minute, 30 seconds, you can add a tsp of coconut oil to it and stir until smooth. Coconut oil helps chocolate be smoother, but it is optional. Once chocolate is melted, stir in the butter until it has melted and is thoroughly mixed in. Set aside. In another bowl, whip egg whites and sugar until egg whites are almost completely gone and only white peaks or foam is left. It should be slightly stiff and fluffy with minimal liquid left. Fold egg whites into the chocolate mixture, adding in thirds and blending well. The chocolate will be fluffy and more like a nougat as the egg whites are added. Fold in the whipped heavy whipping cream until completely integrated into chocolate. Pour into individual serving cups, about ¼ cup per serving is plenty. Here you may get creative. Add maraschino cherry juice for chocolate-cherry mousse. Chop up and add in strawberries for chocolate-strawberry mousse. Swirl in caramel or melted white chocolate. Swirl in peanut butter melted and mixed with powdered sugar (equal parts sugar to peanut butter). Stir in walnuts or pecans. Have fun. It’s YOUR creation! Or, simply add whipped cream and a cherry or strawberry on top and serve as-is. No matter how you do it, it will be delicious! |
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2 bottles maraschino cherries w/stems 1 bag of milk chocolate chips + 1 Tbsp coconut oil 3 Tbsp butter, melted 3 Tbsp light corn syrup 2 cups powdered sugar 1 Tbsp almond extract |
Thoroughly drain and rinse your cherries. Do not remove their stems! Pour out on paper towels, cover the top with a paper towel, and let fully dry, about 1 hour. While those are sitting to the side, this isn’t a necessary step, but it makes like easier: line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place it in the freezer. Mix together butter, almond extract, and corn syrup and then add in the powdered sugar. It will become a thick icing that is almost a dough consistency. Press a small amount the icing in your hands until it is flat, about the size of a half dollar coin. Put a cherry in the middle and fold the icing up around the cherry, making sure the cherry is completely covered except for the stem. Place on the baking sheet. Again, frozen makes it easier, but it’s not necessary. Do all the cherries. For the chocolate, put it in a microwave-safe dish and microwave every thirty seconds until it is melted OR place in a metal bowl over a pot of hot water and slowly melt the chocolate like a double broiler. Add the coconut oil once the chocolate is melted. Holding the cherry stems, dip the cherries fully in the chocolate, not leaving in too long or the white icing will melt off them! Only dip and roll the cherries until they are covered, place back on the baking sheet, and continue until all are done. Slide the sheet of cherries into the freezer for 10 minutes. Pull back out and gently remove the stems. Either leave the holes left in the chocolate or fill them with just a little swipe of the melted chocolate left in your bowl. I filled mine with a bit of chocolate on the end of a toothpick. Place back on baking sheet and slide back in the freezer. Leave for an hour. You may keep these in a freezer-safe container or bag indefinitely. Serve them after they’ve thawed for at least 15 minutes. |
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½-1 pound each of red and green grapes, washed and dried 1 brick reduced-fat cream cheese, softened 8 oz fat free sour cream 1 tsp vanilla extract ½ cup brown sugar plus 4 Tbsp 1 cup chopped pecans |
In a bowl, combine cream cheese and sour cream until well blended. Add in ½ cup brown sugar and vanilla extract. Add grapes to bowl, a handful at a time and mix gently until coated. Continue until all grapes are coated. Spoon into serving dish or individual bowls. Sprinkle with chopped pecans and remaining 4 Tbsp of brown sugar. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. |