Ice Cream Sandwiches with Lavendar and Strawberry Sauce (serves 4) *2 T. Keys Creek Lavendar Farm Lavendar Jelly *1/2 c. strawberries, washed and diced *vanilla bean ice cream *8 thin slices of pound cake or indiv sponge cakes In a sauce pan, combine strawberries and lavendar jelly over medium heat. Heat through until strawberries become a bit soft and remove from heat. Layer one slice of pound cake, one scoop of ice cream, another pieceof pound cake and top with Lavendar and Strawberry Sauce. Top with whipped cream if desired. Enjoy!
Yesterday I was shopping and came across rhubarb and thought, "Hmm...I've not made a cobbler in a while and I certainly haven't used rhubarb in a while! Now it's time!" Rhubarb looks like red celery, but tastes almost like tart cherries. Cut off the leaves because they are poisonous! But don't worry, not so poisonous that you have to worry about your well-being. Just cut them off, discard the leaves and wash everything (hands, knife and cutting board, especially) thoroughly.
Enjoy these sweet and tart Strawberry and Rhubarb Cobblers. Delicious!
Strawberry and Rhubarb Cobbler
4-6 servings
2 c. honey granola, finely crushed
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup pomegranate juice or wine
2 c. chopped fresh rhubarb, washed very well
1 c. sliced strawberries
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 T. cornstarch
1 T. water
1/8 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. butter
Heat oven to 375°F.
Spray bottom and sides of small souffle dishes with cooking spray.
In large bowl, mix brown sugar, flour, lemon peel, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Cut in butter with a pastry blender, beginning with 1/4 of a cup and then adding 1 T. at a time until you get a crumbly mixture without lumps of butter.
Over medium heat in a saucepan, combine rhubarb, brown sugar and strawberries with pomegranate juice or wine and bring to a slow boil, stirring well until brown sugar dissolves.
In a small bowl, combine water and cornstarch and stir until no lumps remain (add 1 tsp of water at a time as needed until lumps are gone, but only if necessary).
Stir in cornstarch/water slurry and when thickened to a pie filling consistency, spoon equal portions into souffle cups.
Top with the granola mixture and bake until golden brown, 15-25 minutes (depending on how brown and crisp you'd like it to become).
What's the weather like where you are? Hot yet? Here in the South, it's getting pretty hot outside and I've been looking for ways to keep the kitchen cool while not letting what is in my pantry go to waste.
Watercress is one of the things in my pantry that I wanted to use and I began wondering if you know what it is and if so, do you know how to use it? Most people have tried it in a salad, but I use it in soups, sauteed as a side item in place of spinach or the like and yes, in my salads and on sandwiches. It has such a unique, fresh flavor!
So in case you didn't know (and if this is news to you, you certainly aren't alone!), watercress is related to leafy greens like Arugula (which is why if I have watercress in the fridge, I typically have arugla, too. They go very well together.) It is also related to mustard greens and even the root responsible for that kick you get on the side with sushi - wasabi!
Watercress has a slightly bitter yet peppery, citric flavor and can be quite the surprise if you aren't expecting it, but if you know what to pair it with, it's very refreshing and delicious. Trust me!
The heath benefits of eating watercress are great, too. Another reason to try it on for size! It is a natural anti-oxidant loaded with dietary fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin E and has been used as a remedy for many illnesses, including being an anti-cancer superfood. But I'll be honest - I just love the taste of it and get a hankering for it now and then!
So, feeling bold or in the mood for something a little different? Get some arugula and watercress, create a salad and if you have some left over, here's a great sandwich to take to work or to have this weekend by the pool!
Cool Veggie Sandwiches
makes 4 sandwiches
Enjoy!
Margarita Panna Cotta
1. In a large bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water in a medium-sized bowl and let stand 5 to 10 minutes.
Heat the heavy cream and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Once the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and stir in the tequila and vanilla extract.
(If using a vanilla bean, scrape the seeds from the bean into the cream and add the bean pod. Cover, and let infuse for 30 minutes. Remove the bean then rewarm the mixture before continuing.)
2. Lightly oil eight custard cups with a neutral-tasting oil.
4. Pour the very warm Panna Cotta mixture over the gelatin and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved.
5. Divide the Panna Cotta mixture into the prepared cups, then chill them until firm (this would look lovely in a martini glass or a rocks glass) and you don't have to follow the last step of unmolding!), which will take at least two to four hours.
6. Run a sharp knife around the edge of each Panna Cotta and unmold each onto a serving plate, and garnish with lime zest or a slice of lime and sea salt.
Happy Cinco de Mayo and please let me know what you thought if you try this!
Whipped Cream Filling:
Toss strawberries with brown sugar. Set aside for at least one hour in the refrigerator or until sugar is dissolved. Make whipped cream filling by beating cream cheese, sugar, almond extract and vanilla until smooth in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Fold into the cream cheese mixture. Get strawberries from refrigerator and place half of the strawberries on bottom layer and top with whipped cream filling. Place second cake layer on top and top with remaining strawberries and more whipped cream filling or serve whipped cream filling on the side. Enjoy!
This is SUPER easy and the kids are sure to love it! If you like, add carmel sauce, whipped cream and a cherry, but I think they'll like it just fine the way it is!
1. Crush half the cookies (about 20) to make crumbs. 2. Combine crumbs with melted margarine and press into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan or pie plate. 3. Stand remaining cookies around edge of pan. 4. Spread 3/4 c. fudge topping over crust. Freeze 15 minutes. 5. Meanwhile, soften 1 quart of ice cream in microwave or on countertop. 6. Break up the cookie dough into small pieces (as much or as little as you like) and place in a mixing bowl with the 1 quart of ice cream. 7. Mix the ice cream and cookie dough on a low speed and be sure cookie dough is evenly distributed. 8. After crust has chilled, spread softened cookie dough ice cream over fudge layer. 9. Freeze 30 minutes. 10. Scoop remaining 1 quart of ice cream into balls and arrange over ice cream layer. 11. Freeze until firm, 4 hours or overnight. 12. To serve, garnish with remainder of fudge topping, whipped cream and cherries, if desired. Enjoy!
Looking for something easy, tasty and fancy that both the adults AND children will love! Look no further. Here it is! Serve it with some rice and chop your favorite veggies (throw them in a sandwich bag, twist and microwave in herbed butter for 30 seconds to a minute - careful of steam when you open the bag!!) and dinner is served!!! 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup hot water 1/2 cup Shiraz wine 1/2 cup soy sauce 1/3 cup olive oil 3 cloves garlic, minced 1/3 teaspoon fresh ginger 2 pounds salmon fillets (remove bones carefully or ask the store to do it or how to do it! They are well hidden. Feel gently with your fingers.) 1 tablespoon cornstarch 2 tablespoons cold water 1. In a bowl, mix the brown sugar in the hot water until dissolved. 2.Pour into a large resealable plastic bag, and mix in wine, soy sauce, olive oil, garlic, and ginger and cool to room temperature. 3.Place salmon in the bag, seal, and marinate 8 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Preheat a grill for high heat. Lightly oil the grill grate. 4. Reserving marinade, place salmon on the grill, and cook 5 to 8 minutes on each side, or until easily flaked with a fork.Transfer reserved marinade to a pot. 5.Dissolve the cornstarch in cold water. 6.Bring the marinade to a boil, and stir in cornstarch mixture to thicken. 7.Serve over the salmon, rice and veggies or on the side as a dipping sauce. 8.Enjoy!
Children love this and it is so easy to make! Wrap some veggies in some foil and throw it on the grill, serve with fries (careful of the oil level so that it doesn't splash and cause fire if you aren't baking them!) or grill some corn on the cob in foil with your favorite butter. Great for a bbq around the pool! (And the blue drink? Make homemade lemonade with simple syrup (recipe in this blog) and it should be a light enough yellow that blue food coloring won't turn it green. Spear some lemons and cherries with stems and make the children feel fancy, smancy for the day!)
Preheat the grill for medium heat. 1. In a shallow bowl, mix the mustard, honey, mayonnaise, and Worschestershire sauce. 2.Set aside a small amount of the honey mustard sauce for basting, and dip the chicken into the remaining sauce to coat. 3.Lightly oil the grill grate. 4. Grill chicken over indirect heat for 18 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally, or until juices run clear. 5. Baste occasionally with the reserved sauce during the last 10 minutes. 6. Watch carefully to prevent burning! **To create pretty grill marks, place the chicken on the grill in a vertical position and do not move for 4 1/2 to 5 minutes. Then place it on the same side in a horizontal position and repeat for the next 4/ 1/2 to 5 minutes. Flip and repeat with the opposite side.
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