I already did a post this morning, but I was thinking of Spring around here and this one hit me. So today, you are getting two recipes.
I am sure, due to lack of new recipes recently, you all thought I had given up on drinking martinis….not so, my friend! Here is a yummy, ever so good one. Think Valentine’s Day.
- 3 parts Raspberry Vodka
- 1 part Raspberry Juice (make your own)
- 1 part Chambord
- 1 part white chocolate liqueur
Pour all ingredients into a shaker filled with crushed ice. Shake really well. Strain into well chilled martini glasses and garnish with a couple of fresh raspberries and a big fat blackberry.
Oh yeah, more please! OMG this is good.
Cucumber and Salmon Bites
Don and I eat these from time to time as a snack at night while watching the idiot box. It is light, less fat and salt and hits the spot.
- 7 oz. can of pink salmon
- 1 tbsp. light sour cream
- 2 triangles Laughing Cow Light Cheese
- 1 tbsp. light mayonnaise
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
Drain and clean the skin and bones out and place the salmon in a blender. Add the other ingredients (except the cucumber, of course) and blend for about a minute until smoooooth. (no mistake). Slice the cucumber in rounds. Add a heaping spoonful on top. Serve cold.
OMG these are good. We have also used a tin of small shrimp instead of the salmon. Just as wonderful.
So if you are trying to drop a pound or two, eat these at night instead of chips, dips or nuts.
Peanut Butter Cookiwiches
I know that isn’t a word, but what the hay! This is my spot and I thought it worked with this recipe. No martini required.
Make up your favourite peanut butter cookie. Roll the dough up into 1/2 inch balls and flatten slightly witha fork, bottom of a glass, whatever you choose.
Bake in a 350 oven for about 8-9 minutes, until golden and remove to a rack to cool. Leave for a minute and move to a cooling rack. That is the good part.
Now for the ‘wich’ part.
Peanut Butter Cream
- 3/4 cup peanut butter
- 3/4 cup marshmallow creme
- 3 tbsp. milk
- 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
In a medium bowl whisk all of the above and gradually add 3 tbsp. icing sugar. Turn one cookie over and add a tbsp. of the cream on the flat side and top with another cookie (flat side down). Continue until all the creme is gone. Then on your own…..lick the bowl! No one is looking…
Not only the kids will love this one. Enjoy!
Pecan Crust Fruit Tart
If you follow this site and baked from the Holiday Section, you have the pecan shortbread recipe. If and I mean a big IF you had any left over, you can use them here. Now you can bake some up and use about 12-14 of them to crush.
- 12 pecan shortbread cookies (it should equal a tad more than 1 1/3 cups of crumbs)
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 8z. light Philadelphia Cream Cheese, room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup caramel topping
- 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored, cut into wedges
- 2 red skinned Pears, cored and cut into wedges
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1 tbsp. lime juice
- 2-3 tbsp. caramel topping
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, crush the cookies and add the flour and melted butter and pat into a 10 inch tube pan and up the sides.
In your mixer, cream the cheese on high for about 30 seconds and add the egg and the caramel sauce and beat until super smooth. Spread on the bottom of the crust. Bake for about 10 minutes until the center looks set. Cool on a rack and then cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.
In a skillet, cook the pears and apples in 2 tbsp. of butter until tender (about 8-10 minutes). Stir occasionally and add the lemon juice, stirring to blend.
Spoon the mixture on top of the chilled tart and drizzle the remaining caramel topping.
Wonderful on a beautiful, warm Spring day on the deck or at least in the kitchen with all the windowns open and breathe in the fresh air after a long winter of stuffy house.
Yummy!
Blueberry Mousse Cheesecake
There are so many recipes for cheesecake but what is just one more? You can never have enough, I always say.
- 1/2 cups gingersnap crushed wafers
- 3 tbsp. melted butter
- 2 pkgs Philadelphia Light Cream Cheese
- 2 pkgs. regular Philadelphia Cream Cheese
- 1 cup sugar, divided
- 1 tbsp. pure vanilla
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp. blueberry flavouring
- 3/4 cup fresh blueberries
- 8 oz. whipped topping
Heat oven to 325 degrees. On bottom layer place a pan with water in it.
Mix together the gingersnap crumbs and melted butter and press into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.
In your electric mixer, beat 3 pkgs. of cream cheese (LESS CALORIES THIS WAY AND STILL THE RICH TASTE) with 3/4 cup sugar and 1 tbsp. vanilla. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until smooth. Fold in 3/4 cup fresh and washed blueberries. Pour into pan.
Bake for 50-60 minutes until center is almost set. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen and let cool completely.
Beat the remaining pkg of cream cheese, sugar, blueberry flavouring and blueberry juice until well blended. Spread over the top of the cheesecake. Refrigerate at least 5 hours. When serving, plate and add a few fresh blueberries.
Crab Dip For The Big Game
No matter what the big game is for, football, soccer, hockey etc. when everyone gathers around the television, be sure you are prepared with the chips, dips, crackers, chili, buns, beer, beer and oh, yeah, beer.
This is one dip that will not be left behind and it is served hot.
- 1 lb. large lump crabmeat, (make sure no shells remain)
- 1 cup Jalapeno Jack Cheese, grated
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup good Parmesan cheese
- 4 roasted garlic cloves, broken up
- 3 tbsp. Worchestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp. lime juice
- 1/2 tsp. hot sauce
- 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
- pinch of salt and pepper
- lots of crackers
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Chop the crabmeat coarsely. Mix all the ingredients in a prepared casserole dish until thoroughly mixed and stir in the crab. Bake for 40 minutes. Serve hot.
The cheers will not be for a goal scored. No siree! It will be for rhe crab dip.
Bacon/Mushroom Bites
Most times, the Hors d’Oeurves are always the same and rather boring. Try this one and start a trend. New, exciting and a step up.
- 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
- 3 sheets of frozen ready-rolled Filo pastry
- 2 tbsp. oil
- 4 strips bacon, crisp and chopped
- 1/2 white onion, finely chopped
- couple of springs of parsley, finely chopped
- 8 oz. Philadelphia Cream Cheese
- 12 oz. white button mushrooms, finely chopped
- 4 eggs
To start, preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Brush a 9 inch square cake pan with softened butter.
Brush one sheet of filo pastry with the beaten egg, and carefully add the other sheet on top of this. Repeat with third sheet. Trim the edges to fit the baking pan. Prick the pastry with a fork and bake for 15 minutes (watch carefully so it doesn’t burn) and is golden.
Remove from the oven and reduce the heat to 350 degrees.
Heat the 2 tbsp. of oil in a saucepan, add the mushrooms and onions; over medium heat, stir until well browned. Remove to a separate bowl and cook the bacon until crisp. Add the mushrooms back in and also the parlsey; allow to cool.
With electric mixer, beat the eggs and cream cheese for 4-6 minutes. Add the cooled mixture and stir well to combine. Pour into the cake pan and bake for abut 25 minutes or until firm and lightly browned. Cool in the pan and cut into little triangles. Do not keep overnight. Truly the best the same day you make them.
If you do not eat the whole lot before your company arrives, you are a good soul. Enjoy!
Judith’s Tomato Stuffed Peppers/Asparagus with Proscuitto
Before we moved to our new home, my dear friend served these at dinner. It was super yummy-yummy and I am sharing it with you. She also served asparagus with procuitto (recipe below).
- 4 large red bell peppers
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3 tbsp. olive tapenade
- 4 medium tomatoes
- 2 tbsp. good olive oil
- pepper
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cut the peppers in half lengthwise, but not completely through, removing the seeds but keeping the stem. Although the stem is not edible, it looks good in this dish and helps the peppers stay in shape. Place the peppers cut side up in the baking dish.
Divide the garlic and olives evenly among the peppers. Cut each tomato into 8 wedges and put 4 wedges into each pepper half. Drizzle each pepper with a little oil and pepper.
Roast the peppers until they are tender and beginning to brown around the edges (about 50 minutes).
Asparagus
Wrap the asparagus spear with procuitto and put it on the barbecue until the procuitto is a little crisp. Serve with reduced Fig Balsamic Vinegar.
Crab Quiche
This is easy, especially if you use a commercially made frozen pastry shell.
- 1/2 lb. lump crabmeat, cleaned to ensure no remaining cartilage-like pieces
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups whipping cream
- 2 tbsp. each fresh and finely chopped parsley, and cilantro
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 cup each coarsely grated Monteray Jack and Swiss Cheese
- 1/2 tbsp. thyme, basil and oregano (in total)
Prebake pastry shell blind according to instructions.
Whisk together all the ingredients except for the crab and cheeses. Make sure it is really beaten well. Stir in the cheeses and crab.
Pour into pre-baked and cooled pie shell and bake until it fluffs up and is no longer wiggly in the center when gently shaken. This will take about 45 minutes. Cool about 15 minutes before serving.
Serve with lemon scones and butter.
Cranberry/Maple Challah Bread Pudding
This is really delicious and everyone will look for seconds.
- 7-8 thick slices of Challah Bread, crusts removed on the sides
- Grease 5 x 9 inch loaf pan with butter
- 8 large eggs
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 cups creme fraiche
- 2 cups homogenized milk
- pinch of coarse salt
- 3/4 cups fresh cranberries
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla
- 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast bread on a baking sheet until golden.
Whisk the eggs and sugar in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl mix the creme fraiche and milk together to remove any lumps and whisk into the egg mixture. Add the vanilla and a pinch of coarse salt.
Soak each slice in the egg mixture. Stand the slices up in the baking pan. (Add more bread if needed to fill the loaf pan). Strain the custard and pour over the bread. Let stand 10 minutes and place this on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake about 70-75 minutes. If you find the top too brown before baking is complete, cover lightly with tin foil. When done, let stand for about 10-12 minutes. Bring the cranberries and maple syrup to a gentle simmer on the stove. Simmer only until they get soft but not opened. This will take about 6 -7 minutes.
Serve with the sauce. (If you happen to have any cranberry ice cream or pure vanilla, you could just happen to drop a scoop on the side). You didn’t get that here.
Enjoy!
Lunch Sandwiches
This makes a lovely sandwich for lunch. It is easy, fresh and extremely satisfying.
- 1-2 lbs. fresh shrimp
- pinch of salt
- Zest of 1 lemon
- mayonnaise
- softened cream cheese
- pinch of pepper
- 2 slices of crisp bacon per sandwich
- shredded lettuce
- 1-2 avocado
- 1 tomato, sliced thin
Cook shrimp and place in an ice bath to cool. Peel and coarsely chop. Mix with mayonnaise.
Thinly slice the avocado and sprinkle a tsp of lemon juice over it.
Toast slices of bread and butter with a generous amount of cream cheese.
Add two slices of crisp bacon per sandwich. Slice the avocado thinly and place on top, slice thin a tomato and add on top of that. If needed, add more mayonnaise and place the other slice of toast on top. Cut in two. Take a deep breath and dive in. Absolutely the best sandwich going.
Mocha Cream Pots
This is a classic French dessert and with the addition of coffee, it is completely amazing.
- 1 tbsp. instant coffee
- 2 cups milk
- 6 tbsp. sugar
- 8 oz. plain chocolate, chopped
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp. Tia Maria liqueur
- 7 egg yolks
- whipped cream
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place 8 half cup ramekins in a roasting pan.
In a medium saucepan, mix the instant coffee with the milk and add the sugar. Set the pan over a medium heat and bring to a boil stirring constantly, making sure the sugar and coffee are completely dissolved.
Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate and stir until completely smooth. Add the vanilla and Tia Maria.
In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks and slowly add to the chocolate mixture until well blended. Pour this into a jug or bowl and strain the chocolate equally into the ramekins.
Add boiling water in the roasting pan until it is about half way up the outer sides of the dishes. Bake for approximately 35 minutes until the custard is just set. Remove the dishes from the pan and set on a cookie sheet to cool complately. Cover the tops with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerater. When ready to serve, add a dollop of whipping cream, flavoured with a touch of Tia Maria and sprinkle some coffee curls on top.
Very yummy. Your guests will talk about this one for a long time.