Mint Chip Ice Cream Pie

8 ounces chopped semisweet chocolate, melted
4 cups crisped rice cereal (such as Rice Krispies)
2 pints mint chocolate-chip ice cream, slightly softened

1. In a large bowl, combine the chocolate and cereal until the cereal is completely coated. Transfer to a 9-inch springform pan. Press the mixture into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of the pan. Freeze just until firm, 5 to 10 minutes.

2. Spread the ice cream in the prepared crust and freeze, covered, until firm, for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

Creamy Chai Iced Tea

One of my favorite drinks of all time!  – Melissa

Creamy Chai Iced Tea

4 chai tea bags
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

1. In a small saucepan, bring 4 cups water to a boil. Remove from heat, add the tea bags, and let steep for 10 minutes; discard the bags and let the tea cool.
2. Serve over ice and top off each glass with 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk. Serves 4.

Frozen Blueberry Lemonade

Perfect for a summer afternoon! – Melissa

Frozen Blueberry Lemonade

1 1/2 cups blueberries
1 cup lemonade
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, plus more for serving
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

1. In a blender, puree the blueberries, lemonade, mint, confectioners’ sugar, and 3 cups ice until smooth.
2. Garnish with mint sprigs. Serves 4.

Bavarian Strawberry Pie

2 1/2 cups flaked sweetened coconut
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 quart fresh strawberries, sliced
3/4 cup sugar
1 (.25 ounce) envelope unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped

In a small bowl, combine coconut and butter. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a greased 9-in. pie plate. Bake at 300 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until lightly browned (cover edges loosely with foil to prevent over browning if necessary). Cool on a wire rack.

In a large bowl, combine strawberries and sugar; let stand for 15 minutes. In a small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over cold water; let stand for 1 minute. Cook and stir over medium heat until gelatin is dissolved; stir in lemon juice. Stir into strawberry mixture. Cool to room temperature. Fold in whipped cream. Pour into crust. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before slicing.

Creative Cooking

Penne Frittata and Pepperonia Kale. This meal was a prime example of substituting what I had in my pantry to save a trip to the store and also to save from buying more expensive ingredients. It is meatless (except for the pepperoni) which also saves on costs, but has plenty of protein from the eggs, yogurt and cheese. The kale is from our garden. It was overgrown but still had great flavor.

This Frittata recipe is inspired by Martha Stewart’s. I didn’t have milk, ricotta, or fresh basil so I made a few adjustments. Here’s the recipe as I used it. Next time I would use a little less salt and less basil. Darren and I loved it, but the kids did not.

6 eggs

1 cup plain fat free yogurt

1/4 cup parmesean cheese

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

3 cups cooked whole wheat penne pasta

Beat eggs, stir in yogurt, cheese and spices. Fold in pasta. Pour into a greased cast iron skillet and bake at 400 degrees until eggs are set, about 30 minutes. (I put mine in a cold oven and let the eggs cook while the oven heated up. I thought this would give the cook first on the stove top and transfer to the oven feel without having to stand over it and burn the bottom.

Pepperoni Kale (What happens when I run out of turkey bacon–it was fantastic!)

6 slices of beef pepperoni, chopped (or use a meatless substitute if you prefer)

1 onion sliced

1 large bunch of kale, washed and sliced

Stir fry the pepperoni and onion together until the onion is clear. Add the kale and cook just until barely wilted. Remove from heat and salt gently.

Roasted Vegetable Foccacia Sandwich

This is a wonderful light fresh sandwich for a hot summer day.  And its so flavorful that you won’t even notice that it is vegan.

Roasted Vegetable Foccacia Sandwich

1 loaf Foccacia Bread

8 oz. Greek Olives (pitted), chop in a food processor until in small pieces.

1 large Onion Sliced and grilled

1 lb. sliced mushrooms (or 2 portabella mushrooms, sliced) sauteed

1 Summer Squash, sliced and grilled (sprinkle with salt, onion and garlic powder first)

1 Red Pepper roasted (you can get these in a jar and its much faster)

Fresh Spinach

1 Cucumber

1 pkg. Tofu (prefrozen and thawed and marinated with soy sauce) sliced and grilled

Trader Joe’s Goddess dressing (or Kraft Cream Italian (4T.) + 1t. Tahini + 1/4t. soy sauce)

Bake whole Foccacia Bread about 10 min in a 350 oven, just to give it a nice crunch.  Remove and cut down the middle (the long way to form top and bottom).  Spread bottom of  bread with the olive mixture.  Next layer the onion and mushrooms over the whole sandwich.  Next the summer squash (there really is no set way, although I’d keep the cucumber and spinach at the top).  Next Tofu or Gluten chops (as seen in picture).  Next red pepper.  Next Cucumbers and Spinach.  Drizzle with dressing, add the top to the sandwich and cut into easy to eat pieces.

Romaine and Fruit Salad

1 to 2 limes
3/4 cup red wine vinegar & olive oil dressing
8 cups cut up romaine lettuce
2 mangoes, peeled and cubed
3/4 cup each halved green and red grapes

Grate 1 1/2 tsp. peel from limes and squeeze 2 Tbsp. juice. Place in a small bowl and add dressing. Whisk together.

Combine remaining ingredients in a large salad bowl. Serve dressing alongside salad.

Strawberry Jam

Photo Credit: Jesse K.

We recently went to a local “pick your own” strawberry farm and had the most wonderful time!  But, the real work began when we got home.  Three baskets of strawberries doesn’t seem like a lot – until you’re washing, trimming and canning them.  With the help of my wonderful family, we were able to can three batches within a few hours.

I first started canning in 2007.  I have the mentality of “I can make that!” when I see something in the store.  So, I made a mental determination that I would conquer my fear of canning and learn how.  It’s really not as hard as it seems and my fears (although real) were unnecessary and a hindrance.  I figured if my grandma could do it, so could I.

I borrowed my mother-in-law’s mega water bath canner (just a big ol’ pot with an inner rack for lifting the jars up and down), read a lot of websites on how to can and just went at it.  The first thing I tried was strawberry jam.

I use the recipe in the pectin box (Sur-Jell) and it turns out good every time.  Other than the strawberries, there are a few other ingredients that are in jam, including sugar, pectin and sometimes lemon juice.  Pectin can come as either “no sugar added” or the regular pectin.  If you use the “no sugar added” recipe, this would probably be good for diabetics.

Here’s the recipe for the plain ol’ strawberry jam:

• 5 cups crushed strawberries
• 1 package of pectin
• ½ tsp. butter (helps to reduce the foaming)
• 7 cups of sugar

Materials needed:

• Waterbath canner (or a tall stock pot)
• large-mouth funnel
• canning tongs (for adding & removing the jars from the boiling water)
• regular tongs (for removing the lids & rings from the hot water)
• Glass measuring cup
• Ball, Kerr or Mason jars (4 oz. jars, ½ pints or pints)
• Lids, rings

Here are the steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees (to keep your jars warm).
2. Fill the canner with water (so that it’ll cover the jars by one inch) & turn it on high so that it can start heating to boiling. (This takes awhile).
3. Fill a large pot with water (for the lids and rings)
4. Wash the jars, lids and rings in hot soapy water and rinse.  Add the rings & lids to the pot of water (in #3) and bring to a simmer, turn the heat down but keep them hot.
5. Put your clean jars into the pre-heated oven so that they stay clean and hot (they will also sterilize at that temperature).
6. Prepare your strawberries, crushing one cup at a time using a potato masher for best results.  Or, you may use a food processor, pulse to chop.
7. Measure the exact amount of fruit into the dutch oven.
8. Measure the exact amount of sugar into a separate bowl.
9. Stir the box of pectin into the crushed fruit.   Add ½ teaspoon butter to reduce foaming, if desired.
10. Bring mixture to a full rolling boil (a boil that doesn’t stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly.
11. Stir in sugar quickly.  Return to a full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Skim off any foam.
12. Remove your jars from the oven (preferably with tongs so you don’t burn yourself) and place them on a towel on your counter.  Quickly (and safely)  ladle the hot jam into the prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch from the top.  Wipe jar rims and threads with a clean, warm, wet cloth.  Cover with two-piece lids.  Screw bands tightly.
13. Place jars in the boiling/simmering water bath (use the canning tongs and be very careful).  Water must cover jars by 1-2 inches; add boiling water if needed.  Cover.
14. Process jams for 10 minutes; jelly 5 minutes.  If you live at a higher altitude, you’ll need to adjust the processing time.
15. Remove the jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely.  After jars cool, check seals by pressing middle of lid with finger.  The lid should not spring back.  If it does, then refrigerate the jam and use it first.

TIP: To prevent hard water deposits on your jars, add a splash of vinegar to the canning water and your jars will come out crystal clean.

Polynesian Style Meatballs

I am very proud of this recipe since I am normally not the type of person who likes to stray from a traditional European palette which is in general savory.  My husband is constantly whining that I try something new, like say Thai, Indian, African…  While I’m not opposed to these cuisines, I find that I either love or hate the spices, so trying something has a 50/50 chance of failure.  But I’ve been making an effort.  Here is the fruit of some of my labor.

Polynesian Style Meatballs
1 recipe Sweet and Sour Sauce (see recipe below)
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 onion
1 cup FRESH pineapple
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Dash of soy sauce
Dash of olive oil
20-30 meatballs (one of my favorites are Tofu Walnut Balls)

Place meatballs in a small baking dish (9×13 is too large).

Cut peppers and onions into strips and cut strips in half.  Saute pepper, garlic and onion in the olive oil and soy sauce until they begin to get tender.  Scatter on top of meatballs.

Cut up fresh pineapple into bite sized chunks and add to the pan you sauted the peppers in.  Lightly brown the pineapple and then toss on top of the meatballs.

Pour sweet and sour sauce over the meatballs and bake for 30 min on 350.  Serve immediately.

** This would also be a nice topping for gluten chops or grilled/fried tofu or some other meat substitute.**

Sweet and Sour Sauce
1/2 c. Brown Sugar
4 t. corn starch
1/2 c. Vegetable broth
1/3 c. lemon juice
2 T. soy sauce
1/2 c. coconut milk
4 T. tomato paste
1 t. olive oil
1/2 c. toasted shredded coconut (fastest way is in a frying pan – no oil – on med heat, keep flipping them so they don’t burn)

Mix ingredients together (minus coconut) and heat on medium heat until thickened slightly.  Add coconut and mix in.

Homemade Ice Cream

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

2 quarts half-and-half cream
1/2 pint heavy cream
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/4 cup water
4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 pinch salt

Dissolve sugar in water over med-low heat. Cool. Combine half-and-half, cream, sugar, vanilla and salt in freezer container of ice cream maker. Freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Strawberry Topping

1 pint strawberries, cleaned and stemmed
1/3 cup white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Cut about 1/3 of the strawberries in half. In a saucepan over medium high heat, combine strawberries, sugar and vanilla. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. In a blender, puree about 1/3 of sauce, then mix back into remainder. Store in refrigerator.

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