Strawberry Bread

This recipe will send your taste buds wild...Strawberries WILD! :)

Ingredients: 
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon--or a tad more! :)
1 Teaspoon Vanilla-- and an extra drop!
2 cups Sugar
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup cooking oil
2 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1. Spray loaf pan lightly with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Combine all ingredients except strawberries and mix together. Gently stir in the berries.
3. Place the batter in prepared loaf pan and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a knife comes out clean! (The bread is very dense so it may take a little bit longer, depending on your oven.)


 ...This makes the perfect side dish for any breakfast or brunch, especially when strawberries are in season!

XOXO, Enjoy!

Brussels Sprout Salad--don't let the name steer you away!

This makes the PERFECT side dish for any summer meal! ...inspired by one of my favorite restaurants in AZ, Chelsea's Kitchen. <3

Ingredients
For the Dressing:
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon whole-grain mustard
1/2 small clove garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

For the Salad:
1/2 pound Brussels sprouts, leaves only (3 1/2 cups leaves)
1 tablespoon dried blueberries
2 tablespoons dried cranberries
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
5 strips of bacon; crumbled
1/2 ounce manchego cheese, shaved (Or Romano cheese if they do not have Manchego at the store, it can be hard to find!)

Directions

The Dressing:
1. Whisk the vegetable oil, olive oil, honey, vinegar, lemon juice, lemon zest, mustard, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper in a medium bowl. Store in a small/medium jar with an air-tight lid and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. (Dressing is good for up to 1 week.)


The Salad:
Toss the Brussels sprout leaves, dried blueberries and cranberries, almonds, bacon and 1/4 cup dressing in a large bowl. Pile the salad onto a plate. Top with the manchego and season with pepper.

...Enjoy!!

Roasted Tomato and Basil Bisque

AKA: FOOD FOR THE SOUL. (Oh and... Bring. It. On. Nordstrom tomato soup chef!)

Ingredients:
Two 28 oz cans whole tomatoes; drained
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 shallots; quartered
Salt and freshly cracked pepper...Or just regular pepper if you don't want to get fancy... ;)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
5 fresh basil leaves; finely chopped
1-2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F
1. In a mixing bowl, combine the drained whole tomatoes, olive oil, light brown sugar, carrots and shallots. Toss to coat. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper.
2. Place the vegetables on a silicone or parchment-lined baking sheet and roast until carmelized, about 30-40 minutes.
3. Heat a soup pot over medium heat. Add the butter and cook until foaming. Add the crushed red pepper and garlic and saute for 1 minute.
4. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes. Then add the sherry and cook until the liquid has evaporated and the alcohol has cooked off, 1-2 minutes.
5. Add the crushed tomatoes, roasted vegetables, chopped fresh basil and 1 cup chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and let simmer for about 15 minutes.
6. Add the heavy cream using an immersion blender, puree the soup until uniform in texture. Add more chicken stock to adjust the consistency to how you like it.

Serve with a grilled cheese sandwich! (Fancy or simple, whichever your taste buds prefer!)

Ideas:
**Fresh Sourdough bread, Extra Sharp White Cheddar, Sharp Yellow Cheddar & Avocado slices.
**OR Extra Sharp White Cheddar and carmelized onions.

....Don't forget to DIP the sandwich into the soup and BAM, you will be ready to cozy up on the couch to a good movie after this meal! ENJOY. xo

Beau Monde Dip

This makes the PERFECT appetizer for a dinner party or sports game! The delicious blend of spices will send your taste buds to heaven!

...Thanks to my amazing Grandma Roberts for this recipe!

Ingredients:
2- 3oz packages of Cream Cheese, softened
1 Tbsp. water
2 1/2 tsp. Beau Monde Seasoning (In the spice aisle at the grocery store.)
1/4 tsp. Thyme (dried)
1/4 tsp. Marjoram (dried)
1/4 tsp. Savory (dried)
1 tsp. Parsley (dried)

1. With an electric mixer, blend cream cheese, water and Beau Monde spice.
2. Crush herbs in your hand and add to Beau Monde mixture.
3. Refrigerate 2 or 3 hours.
4. Serve with pretzels --my favorite!(or veggies, pita chips, etc.)
***It is a THICK dip!

Enjoy!

Eggplant, Zucchini & Artichoke Bake

...Okay, so bear with me on the measurements because this recipe was an experiment that turned out fantastic, so I had to share!

Ingredients:
1 medium eggplant (1/4 inch round slices)
3 zucchini (long,thin slices)
1 can artichoke hearts(marinated or in water)
28 oz can diced tomatoes (Italian style or regular)
8 oz can tomato sauce
Shredded Mozzarella cheese
Italian Seasonings (Oregano, Parsley, Tyme, etc.)
Olive Oil
Minced garlic
Salt & Pepper to taste (& if you like a kick, a sprinkle of chili powder!)

Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
1. In a large bowl, combine eggplant slices, zucchini slices, olive oil, minced garlic, parsley & tyme until all pieces are thoroughly coated.
2. Line a large 9x13 inch casserole dish with foil to make clean-up easier! Then make one layer of eggplant, a second layer of zucchini and a third layer of artichoke hearts.
3. Cover the layers with 1/2 of the can of diced tomatoes and 1/2 of the can of tomato sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, oregano, sea salt &/or garlic salt, pepper, (chili powder/optional), garlic powder, etc. (Basically any spice that you have in your cupboard that you think would add some pizazz!)
4. Repeat these same steps for the second large layer.
5. Bake at 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until the cheese begins to bubble and turn golden brown on top!

....If you are a meat lover, add a layer (or two) of cooked Italian sausage to the dish!

Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top and serve with pasta (optional--you don't really need it!), salad & WINE, of course! Enjoy! <3

Cranberry and Lime Infused Vodka

This makes a phenomenal festive Holiday present for the special people in your life!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Ingredients:
4 limes
1 bag of cranberries
Your favorite vodka (I used the "Kirkland" brand vodka from Costco (1.75 L) because it is supposed to compare to Grey Goose for a much better price!--Just some advice from my dad!)
2 tablespoons sugar --to take away the bitterness of the cranberries!
1 pin or needle to poke holes in the cranberries
1 funnel to pour vodka into glass bottle (You can buy these at the dollar store!)
Glass bottles (I bought them from Crate&Barrel--http://www.crateandbarrel.com/kitchen-and-food/food-containers-storage/airtight-glass-bottle/s216669)

1. Poke a few pin holes into the cranberries and fill the bottle halfway or a little less.
2. Cut the lime rind off of two limes and put into bottle.
3. Next use a funnel to pour vodka into the bottle.
4. Let sit for two weeks!

***These ingredients will fill two bottles from Crate&Barrel---Amount will vary according to which type of bottles you use, how many you're making, etc.)

...This idea is inspired by Pinterest--my most recent ADDICTION!

Enjoy! xoxo

Dark Chocolate, Orange & Almond Truffles

...These make the PERFECT holiday gift or dessert for your favorite friends and family! <3 Happy Holidays!

Makes approximately 45-50 truffles

8 oz. dark chocolate (I used 2 x 4oz Ghirardelli Chocolate bars--found in the baking aisle)
1 cup/ 200g. heavy cream
1/2 orange- zest only
1/4 cup chopped almonds
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Ghirardelli makes this too.)

1. To make the ganache: Place the chocolate in a medium bowl and set aside. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil over a low heat. Pour it over the chocolate and let it stand for 2 minutes, then stir gently, until the chocolate has completed melted.
2. Let it cool a bit, after which you can stir in the chopped almonds and orange zest.
3. Get a shallow container and line it with parchment paper. Pour the ganache on it and spread evenly. Refrigerate this for 4 hours or overnight.
4. To form truffles: Once the ganache has firmed up, score lines on the sheet of ganache inn the box to give you 50 squares. This way, you can achieve even sized truffles. Now pluck each square from the parchment and roll it into a 1 inch ball. Depending on how warm your environment is, you might need to refrigerate the rolled truffles for another hour before you can coat them.
3.Coat the truffles: Once rolled into balls, toss them in a plate of sifted cocoa and coat them evenly.

...serve on a festive Holiday platter and VOILA, you're guests will think that you are a culinary mastermind! ;)