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Key Lime Dressing

July 27, 2008 by Lynsey Leave a Comment

So, I’m still on my key lime kick. I’ve come across quite a few recipes that involve key limes and key lime juice. I love light foods especially in the summer time; something that’s different, fruity and sweet always interests me. I came across this dressing recipe and wanted to give it a try. It’s so simple and easy to throw together; it uses 3 ingredients that I think everyone always has in their kitchen. This is going to be a go to recipe for me; especially when I want something light and different or if I need a quick dressing.

***Substitute plain lime juice for key lime if that is all you have.

Key Lime Dressing

1 Cup Mayonnaise

1/4 Cup honey

1/4 Cup key lime juice

Combine all ingredients, mix together and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Recipe Source: Key West Key Lime Pie Co.

Key Lime Pie

July 27, 2008 by Lynsey Leave a Comment

I am a huge fan of things sweet and tart; but mix the two together and it’s a guaranteed winner. Key lime pie is one of my long time favorite desserts. Every time I go out and it’s on the menu it’s guaranteed I’m going to get a piece for dessert.

I have made many desserts that have the sweet and tart combination but I have never taken on the challenge of making a key lime pie myself. One day I searched all day for the perfect recipe to try out; I really never found one that really jumped out at me and had everything I wanted in one. There are some that seemed like the flavor would be muted because of lack of lime or too much other stuff so I decided to write one myself. I figured if I wrote it myself it would include everything I was hunting for.

The first attempt turned out pretty good. I was very impressed with it; especially for it being my first attempt. I will definitely make it again; I may try to “tweak” it a little to make the filling a little thicker initially so it doesn’t have to bake as long but that’s probably the only change I’ll make.

***If you’re not a big fan of lip puckering tartness half the amount of key lime juice used.

Key Lime Pie

Crust:

5-6 Tablespoons butter, melted

1 Cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 Cup almonds
1/2 Cup pretzels
1/8 Teaspoon sugar

Filling:
1 Can sweetened condesned milk
1 Egg, beaten
2 Egg yolks
Zest of 1 lime
1 Cup sugar
1 Cup key lime juice (I used Nellie and Joe’s)

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Crust:Place pretzels and almonds in bag and smash with rolling pin until in course pieces. (I wanted to be able to see the almonds in the crust and I didn’t want the almonds or pretzels to be a powder so that’s why I coarsely crushed them) Combine butter, graham cracker crumbs, almonds, pretzels, and sugar and mix until completely combined. Once mixed together put mixture in 9 inch pie plate;pat the mixture in the pan until pan is completely lined.

Once finished place for 10-12 minutes or until crust is completely cooked. Remove from oven and let cool.

Filling:
Beat egg and egg yolks. Combine condensed milk, eggs, sugar and combine. Once combined add lime juice and lime zest and blend together completely. Pour in cooled pie crust.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until filling is set. Let cool and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Recipe Source: A Lynsey Original

Bacon Avocado Griddle Pizza

July 17, 2008 by Lynsey 1 Comment

I love recipes that take two distinctly different dishes and somehow incorporate them into one dish that flows together so nicely. This pizza incorporates all the elements of a guacomole salad, yum, and istead of serving it as a dip it serves as the “sauce” on this light and delicious pizza. I could eat guacomole all day long, it’s one of my favorite dips, I didn’t think it could get any better but with the addition of bacon, chicken and spinach it takes it to an entirely different leve. I saw this recipe for Bacon Avocado Pizza in Rachael Ray’s magazine, and I knew instantly that I just had to make it.

This is the first time I have cooked a pizza in a less than traditional manner, I’ve always cooked my pizzas in the oven but I’m always up for something new and cooking this pizza on the griddle was so fun. The crust cooks up very quickly, and after you flip it once the pizza is ready to assemble. The crust itself is fabulous, it’s just the right consistency of bread and crunch, and topping it with the avocado mixture and the bacon just put this pizza right over the top. This is such a great twist on two classics but it’s also a very quick and easy meal to put together any night of the week.

Bacon Avocado Griddle Pizza

1 Cup lukewarm watter
2 1/4 Cups flour
One 1/4 ounce packet active dry yeast
1 Teaspoon sugar
Salt
1 Pint plum tomatoes, halved
1 Small onion, lightly sauteed
1/4 Cup extra virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Pepper
3 Avocados
One 12 ounce package bacon
2 Cups spinach
Garlic salt, to taste
Tobasco, to taste
Grilled boneless, skinless chicken breast (optional)

Directions:

In a large glass, whisk together the water, 1 tablespoon flour, the yeast and sugar; let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Using a food processor, combine the remaining flour and 1 teaspoon salt. With the machine on, pour in the yeast mixture and process until the dough forms a ball. Mix for another minute, then transfer to a large greased bowl, turning the ball of dough to coat. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
In a bowl toss together the tomatoes, sauteed onion, olive oil and vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature.
In a bowl, mash the avocados and then mix in garlic salt, pepper, and tobasco then press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to cover.
Preheat a large skillet; add the bacon and cook until crisp. Drain on paper towels.
Preheat a griddle over high heat or an electric griddle to 400°. On a lightly floured work surface, divide the dough into 4 pieces, then flatten each one into a disk. Stretch each disk into a 10-inch round (if dough is too elastic, let rest for 5 minutes).
Brush one side of each round with olive oil and transfer to the griddle, placing the oiled sides down. Cook, lightly brushing the tops with more oil and flipping once, until browned, about 6 minutes on each side. Transfer to a cutting board.
Spread the avocado evenly on each crust. Toss the spinach with the tomato mixture and scatter over the pizzas. Crumble the bacon on top.

Recipe Source: Slightly adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray

Pepperoni Stuffed Chicken

July 17, 2008 by Lynsey 1 Comment

I was trying to think of something to cook for supper but nothing really sounded that great. I started thinking of what all I had and what I could do with what I had. I started going through different combinations of how I could pair things; and after I went through several I finally decided on this one. There is not a lot to it; but the combination goes together very well.

Pepperoni Stuffed Chicken
Ingredients:

2 Boneless, skinless chicken breast

1/2 Cup Spinach, coarsely chopped

1/2-1 Cup parmesan cheese (amount according to taste)

15-20 Slices pepperoni

1 Tablespoon Parsely

1/8 Cup seasoned bread crumbs

Olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Place chicken breast between 2 pieces of parchment/wax paper and poud out until about 1/2 inch thick. Once pounded out salt and pepper to taste then add parsley.

Sprinkle spinach over chicken, followed by pepperoni and shredded cheese.

Roll chicken breast, then secure with toothepicks. Sprinkle chicken with bread crumbs then drizzle olive oil over chicken.

Place in oven, cook for 25-30 minutes at 350 F.

A Lynsey Original

Broiled Parsely Tomatoes

July 17, 2008 by Lynsey 1 Comment

These tomatoes were pretty easy and very quick to throw togehter. I was looking for a side that would go well with chicken I was cooking and the chicken had somewhat of some pizza toppings on it; so I thought what better to go with pizza flavors than tomatoes. I saw this recipe in The Taste of Home Cookbook and thought it would do the job perfectly.

Broiled Parsely Tomatoes

Ingredients:

4 Large plum tomatoes, halved

3 Tablespoons butter, melted

2 Teaspoons minced fresh parsely

1/4 Teaspoon salt

1/4 Teaspoon pepper

Directions:

With a knife, make deep cuts in the cut surface of each tomato. Place tomatoes cut side up on a greased baking sheet.

In a small bowl, combine all of the remaining ingredients; spoon over tomatoes. Broil 3-4 inches from the heat for 3-4 minutes or until tops are lightly browned.

***I also added some parmesan cheese.

Recipe Source: Taste of Home Cookbook

TAG…you're it!

July 13, 2008 by Lynsey 1 Comment

It’s been a pretty crazy weekend so far so I don’t have any food to post as of right now; hopefully I will have something to update my blog with tonight. Friday I got home late and didn’t really want to cook something and eat at 9:00 so we just ate leftovers. Yesterday we had a friends wedding and were gone from 11:00 in the morning until about 9:00 at night, so I obviously didn’t have the time to cook yesterday either. I am trying to find something creative for supper and hopefully it will turn out great so I can tell you all about it. I am posting right now because I have been tagged by Joelen of Joelen’s Culinary Adventures.

Here are the rules:Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

What was I doing ten years ago?

I was enjoying the summer between my freshman and sophmore year of high school. My mom owned a business so I helped her in her office; doing miscellaneous work to help take the load off her. When I wasn’t helping her I was enjoying our pool, just taking it easy.

What are 5 (non-work) things on my to do list for today?

1. Clean House

2. Cook supper for DH and myself

3. Run to the store

4. Try to get an idea of what we’ll have for supper this week

5. Get things in order for another work week

Five Snacks I enjoy.

1. Trail Mix

2. Popcorn…especially movie popcorn

3. Cookies

4. Chips and Salsa

5. Ice Cream

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

1. Travel Europe

2. Have an ocean front property on some secluded island

3. Help fund cancer research

4. Make sure my parents and family were taken care of.

5. Open up a business for the sheer enjoyment…it would be great doing something I loved but didn’t have to worry about making a ton of money to be able to pay the bills.

Places I’ve Lived:

1. El Dorado, my hometown growing up

2. Little Rock, where I moved to go to college and where I currently live.

Jobs I’ve Had:

1. Office assistant

2. Retail Sales Clerk: it was my high school job

3. Photography assistant and office manager

4. Child care

5. Banker

I will be tagging:

Hornedfroggy of MyBakingHeart

Bethany of ThisLittlePiggyWentToMarket

Mary Ellen of MaryEllen’sCookingCreations

Carrie of Carrie’sSweetLife

Neiman-Marcus Cookies

July 11, 2008 by Lynsey 1 Comment

I have been craving some cookies for quite some time now. I haven’t really had the chance to make any in a while but this week I made up my mind I was going to make some. These are some of my favorite cookies; a definite “go to” recipe that never fails.

These cookies are so great. They turn out just right all the time; so oooey and gooey. One of those cookies that great right out of the oven and just as good the next day. I’m sure quite a few people have made them and enjoyed them; for those of you who have yet to try them I hope when you do you enjoy them just as much as I do.

Neiman-Marcus Cookies

1 Cup butter

12 oz. Chocolate Chips

2 Cups flour

1 Cup brown sugar

1/2 Teaspoon salt

1 Cup sugar

1 8oz Hershey Bar (grated)

2 1/2 Cups blended oatmeal

2 Eggs

1 Teaspoon baking powder

1 Teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 Cups chopped nuts (any kind)

Directions:

Measure oatmeal and blend to a fine powder. Cream the butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, then mix with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder and soda.

Fold in chocolate chips, Hershey Bar, and nuts. Roll into balls and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes at 350 F.

***I added 1/2 cup of heath bits.

Macaroni and Cheese with Smoked Sausage

July 11, 2008 by Lynsey Leave a Comment

I really didn’t know what to cook last night and I had some smoked sausage in the fridge that needed to be cooked so I started looking around to see if I could find something a little different to make. I looked at a few different sites before checking out www.recipezaar.com; and that is where I came across this one. I really didn’t know what to make of it at first; it sounded really different and I really didn’t know about the smoked sausage in the macaroni.

I thought about it for a while, asked Spencer what he thought and then we decided to try it out and see what we thought of it. It went together really well and I was very surprised at the outcome. I made a few changes in how the recipe was prepared and I was very pleased with it. Hope you enjoy; and remember don’t be afraid to try things that sound a little odd or different at first.

Macaroni and Cheese with Smoked Sausage

14 oz Macaroni and Cheese

Milk (for mac)

Butter (for mac)

1/2lb smoked sausage (cut into chunks)

1/4 Cup onion, chopped

1/2 Cup bell pepper, chopped

1/2 Teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 Teaspoon thyme

1/8-1/4 Teaspoon ground red pepper

Prepare macaroni and cheese according to instructions on the box. While preparing mac and cheese place meat and veggies in a skillet over medium heat. Keep meat and veggies cooking until mac and cheese is almost done.

Once mac and cheese is almost ready drain meat and veggies then add to mix. Mix together then add garlic powder, thyme and pepper.

***I used regular pepper and parsely.

Deep-Dish Apple-Blackberry Pie

July 10, 2008 by Lynsey 1 Comment

I had some fresh blackberries that I needed to do something with before they went bad; I was searching for recipes on the internet when I came across this one that looked so good. I love baking pies and it’s been a while since I’ve made one so this one was calling out my name. It was a good blend of 2 fruits that went so well together. The crust was incredible as well; with the walnuts and sugar everything just went so well together.

Deep-Dish Apple-Blackberry Pie

FILLING:

1 1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1 Teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 pounds tart apples (about 6 apples)

2/3 Cup sugar

1/4 Cup cornstarch

2 Cups blackberries (frozen or fresh)

1 Recipe Walnut Pastry Dough (Recipe Follows)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Combine lemon juice and vanilla in large bowl. Peel, core, and cut apples into 3/4 inch chunks, tossing them in lemon juice mixture as you work.

Mix 2/3 cup sugar and cornstarch and toss with apples. Then add blackberries.

Roll thelarger piece of dough into a 13-inch circle. Place the dough in a prepared pan, letting excess dough hang over the edges. Gently press the dough into bottom and sides of pan.

With a rubber spatula, scrape the apple-blackberry filling into pie shell.

Roll out smaller disk of dough, making an 11-inch circle. Place the dough over filling. Press together edges of pastry to seal. With the tip of a sharp knife, cut 3 or 4 short slashes to vent steam.

Moisten a pastry brush with water and lightly brush top of pie. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Place the pie on a baking sheet with sides.

Bake until crust is golden and filling bubbles, 45 to 55 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for about 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature.

PASTRY:

1/2 cup walnuts
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
3 tablespoons walnut oil
6-7 tablespoons cold water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Spread walnuts in a pie pan and bake for 5 to 7 minutes, or until fragrant. Let cool.

Combine the walnuts, flour, sugar and salt in a food processor; process until the walnuts are finely chopped. Add butter and process until incorporated. Transfer to a large bowl.

Drizzle oil over the flour mixture. Use your fingertips to rub the oil into the mixture. One tablespoon at a time, add water and mix with a fork until dough is crumbly and holds together when pressed.

Divide dough into 2 pieces, 1 slightly larger than the other, and form each into a disk.

Recipe Source: www.foodnetwork.com

Beer Margaritas

July 10, 2008 by Lynsey 1 Comment

On the Fourth we really didn’t do anything to elaborate; it had been a long week so we took it easy and then decided to throw something together last minute. We had a couple of friends over, grilled out, watched fireworks and hung out.

I found this recipe on line and thought it was intersting and different and we decided to try it out for the 4th.

Beer Margaritas:

Ingredients:

Four 12 ounce bottles of a light flavored beer

1 Cup tequila

One 12 ounce can frozen limade concentrate

Lime wedges

Kosher Salt

Directions:

In a large pitcher combine beer, tequila and limeade. Rub a lime around the rim of each glass then dip in salt. Pour margaritas in glass and garnish with lime wedge.

This drink was very different and I really didn’t know what to think about it when I read the recipe. I decided to mix it up and give it a try. It actually went over very well; all the flavors blended and it was a good and refreshing taste.

Courtesy of Rachael Ray

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