Blue Cheese and Asparagus Salad

This is DELISH!!! YUM! A definite keeper and a great summer salad!

~Recipe~

 2 lbs asparagus tips

1 can mandarin oranges, drained, 

juices reserved 

1 tbsp  reserved mandarin orange 

juice **I used to taste**

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil 

1  cup Blue Cheese, crumbled

 Fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the asparagus and cook until crisp tender then drain and plunge into the ice bath for 1 minute, drain again and set aside.  Whisk together the olive oil and orange juice.  Toss the asparagus, blue cheese and oranges together and drizzle the dressing over.  Toss again and sprinkle with salt.  Enjoy~

Red Velvet Cupcakes

To quote Tony....These are the very best cupcakes ever! So I guess these are keepers!

~Recipe~

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 pound cream cheese, softened
• 2 sticks butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.
  Frost the cupcakes with a butter knife or pipe it on with a big star tip.
  
  
  
  
  

Enough to share

This pasta dish is so easy and makes a lot.  The original recipe is titled Friendship Casserole because there is enough for 2 casseroles and you can share! My kids love it! The recipe is for 2 9x13 pans....I make about 3/4 of the recipe below and it is a hearty dinner.

~Recipe~
2 lbs ground beef**I use turkey**
1 48 once jar of prepared spaghetti sauce*I used home made sauce that was in the freezer*
2 Tbsp sugar
1 16 ounce pkg egg noodle
1/2 cup butter
 1/2 minced onion
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
12 ounces mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Brown meat, garlic and onion and drain extra fat.  Add sauce and sugar to the meat, simmer for 20 minutes.  Cook noodles and drain, toss with butter ad Parmesan cheese.  Spray 2 9x13 pans with cooking spray.  Pour 1/2 sauce then layer the noodles and rest of the sauce and top with mozzarella cheese.  Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.  YUM! Enjoy~

Citrus Chicken Marinade

YUM! It is grillin' season again! Woo Hoo! Love to grill everything and I love to try new marinades and recipes.  This was a huge hit...juicy and flavorful! Make sure to allow plenty of time for the marinade to sit with the meat.

~Recipe~
4 boneless and skinless chicken breasts ** I doubled this for our family**
1 1/2 cups of white wine
Juice of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 orange
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp peppercorns
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons of fresh basil, chopped
3 bay leaves
2 additional Tbsp vegetable oil
Mix all of the ingredients well in a bowl.  Place chicken in a large ziplock bag pour the marinade over the chicken. Seal and marinate in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours. Turn occasionally to make sure all the chicken gets marinade time. Throw away the marinade before you grill.  Brush the breasts with the oil and grill for 10-12 minutes r until cooked through. Easy...Enjoy~

Lemon berry cupcakes

Mmmm mmmm good! And pretty, too! I found this cake "doctored" recipe and I couldn't wait to make them.  The recipe made 24 so I took them to a couple of neighbors and we had a ton for us as well.

~Recipe~
1 pkg lemon cake mix
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup oil
3/4 cup water
4 eggs
1 small pkg lemon instant pudding

Mix dry ingredients and add wet ingredients.  Mix with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes.  The batter will be really thick.   Fill cupcake cups and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  Do not over bake or they will be dry. The tops MIGHT fall and you just have to fill with more icing! :)

Lemon Buttercream Frosting
1 cup soft butter
6-8 powdered sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice, fresh
1 tsp grated lemon zest
Put butter in a mixer and add 4 cups of the sugar, then juice and zest and beat until smooth.  Gradually add the remaining sugar 1 cup at a time until icing is thick enough to spread. Ice the cupcakes and garnish with berries! Enjoy~

Shrimp Enchiladas

These were so good, Brooklyn and I thought...Tony is not a fan of hot shrimp so they were  not his favorite.  I will double the recipe next time because it only made 6. I will also make them spicier.  They lacked a kick. I served them with chopped avacados, Mexican crema, sour cream, hot sauce and then refried beans, queso, chips and guac.  to go with them. YUM!

~Recipe~
*adapted from Annie's Eats*
Remember to double this is you are making food for more than 4 people

3 tbsp. butter, divided
1 lb. medium-size shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 red bell pepper, diced
¾ cup onion, diced
¼ tsp. oregano
¼ tsp. salt
Dash garlic powder
Dash cayenne pepper**use more**
2 tsp. all-purpose flour
6 tbsp. heavy cream or half-and-half
¼ cup sour cream
6 oz. shredded cheese (such as Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, etc.), divided
1 cup tomato, seeded and diced
8-10 (8-inch) flour tortillas
Cooking spray

In a large sauté pan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-high heat.  Add the shrimp to the pan in an even layer and let cook without moving, about 1 minute.  Flip the shrimp over and continue to cook until just pink and opaque, 30-60 seconds longer.  Remove to a plate with a slotted spoon and set aside.  When the shrimp is cool enough to handle, roughly chop into bite sized pieces, if desired. **I recommend this**

Melt the remaining butter in the pan.  Add the diced bell pepper and onion, and cook until just tender, about 5-7 minutes.  Add the oregano, salt, garlic powder, cayenne and flour to the pan; stir well and cook briefly until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds.  Lower the heat to medium-low and add the heavy cream to the pan, stirring to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Cook just until slightly thickened, 1-2 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat.  Stir in the sour cream, half of the shredded cheese, and the tomatoes.  Return the shrimp to the pan as well, and mix everything together until the sauce is well blended and the cheese is melted. **This is where I would taste it and add some serrano pepper or some heat**

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.  Scoop 1/3 cup of the filling and sauce mixture down the center of a tortilla.  Sprinkle lightly with some of the reserved cheese.  Roll the tortilla tightly around the filling and place seam side-down in the  prepared baking dish.  Repeat with the remaining filling, tortillas and cheese.  Spray the tops of the finished assembled tortillas lightly with cooking spray.  Bake uncovered for about 30-35 minutes, until lightly browned.  Let cool at least 5-10 minutes before serving. It is a good base recipe...add to it and play with it!! Enjoy~

Lime Cheesecake with Blackberry Sauce

This recipe is versatile and Delicious!! I have made it this way below and for Easter I made it a lemon cheesecake with a raspberry sauce. Both ways were FABULOUS!!!! YUM!! It is an easy recipe as well...double score! 

For the crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
6 tbsp. sugar
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

For the cheesecake:
3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
Juice of 2 limes
Zest of 2 limes

For the blackberry sauce:
6 oz. blackberries, rinsed and drained
2 tbsp. sugar
1½ tsp. cornstarch
1½ tsp. cold water

To make the cheesecake, preheat the oven to 325 ˚F.  Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter in a medium bowl.  Stir together until well combined and moistened.  Press the crumbs into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan (or 6 4-inch mini springforms).  In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth.  Gradually mix in the sugar.  Blend in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in the lime juice and lime zest until well combined.  Pour the filling over the graham cracker crust.

To minimize cracking, place a shallow pan half full of hot water on the bottom rack of the oven during baking.**This really works**  

Bake for 55-65 minutes or until the center is set (25-33 minutes for mini springforms).  Turn the oven off and prop the door open about 4 inches.  Let the cheesecake stand 30 minutes.  Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack.  Let cool 10 minutes.  Carefully remove the sides of the pan and let cool to room temperature on the rack.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours before slicing and serving.

To make the blackberry sauce, combine the blackberries and sugar in a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the berries begin to release some of their juices and the mixture is simmering.  Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl; whisk until smooth.  Add the cornstarch mixture to the blackberries and mix well.  Reduce the heat to medium and let cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture comes to a low boil and thickens slightly.  Remove from the heat and press the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds.  The sauce will thicken slightly as it cools. Drizzle the blackberry sauce over the cheesecake before serving. Enjoy~