As refreshing as it gets....

There is nothing..... NOTHING better then home made ice cream.  I got myself an ice cream maker last year and have been addicted to making every and any kind of ice cream.  If you don't have one, it is a great investment in my opinion.  You can control what goes into it.  If you are a person with allergies....this is a must have.  Making ice cream is simple and does not require a lot of time.

I had some strawberries that I wanted to use up, and since the warm weather is MAKING me pull out the gin and tonic,  I figured I had better make some strawberry lime sorbet to add to it!!

So here it is, a beautiful burst of red, to add to your gin and tonic, or to any drink for that matter to make a spritzer.  Simply delicious on its own, Strawberry Lime Sorbet.

Strawberry Lime Sorbet

1 quart fresh strawberries, washed and hulled
1/2 cup water
1 lime, squeezed (if you are not a lime person, use a lemon or orange)
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp grated lime zest
1 TBSP gin or vodka

In a blender, mix everything together untill it is smooth and creamy.  At this point, stop yourself from getting a straw and slurping it down!!! Trust me, it is tempting!  Refrigerate 1-2 hours.

Pour this mixture into your ice cream maker and churn for 15-20 minutes (sorbet is soft after churning, it will firm up once frozen).   Transfer to a plastic container and freeze.

**if you do not have an ice cream maker**
reduce the sugar to 1/4 cup and add 3/4 cups corn syrup.....the corn syrup helps the sorbet to stay softer so it does not freeze into an ice block.

Pour the blended mixture into a plastic container and every hour stir it up with a fork until set.

Now, for the most delectable part, add a scoop of your sorbet to a glass.  Top with any beverage of your choice, and sit down, sip, breath and restore.

Enjoy this one friends!

XO
Lucia

Date anyone??

I was always skeptical to try them, even though I love dates, and I love mascarpone cheese, but together?? My rule of thumb is try everything once, especially when it is made in an amazing restaurant.  Don't be afraid of food!! You will more then likely surprise yourself and discover a new flavor that you never knew you would enjoy.

Last week I was out with a dear friend, and they were selling mascarpone stuffed dates for dessert......this was my big chance!

They were spectacular! So delicious that I went out the next day to buy some ingreedients and made them at home.

So simple, delicious, and.......healthy really!

Mascarpone filled dates with maple syrup and chopped pistachios

Medjol dates (large succulent dates, no substitutions)
mascarpone cheese
unsalted pistachios, chopped (for garnish)
pure maple syrup, also for garnish

Cut dates lengthwise, leaving bottom intact.  Remove pit.  Whip mascarpone in a bowl.  Fill dates with whipped mascarpone and gently close them together.  Arrange on a dish.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.        Can be made day before.  Before serving, drizzle with maple syrup and sprinkle with pistachios.

Is your mouth watering yet?

Smashed Taters

These are a new favourite in our home.  So simple, but so flavorful!

There will be NO leftovers, they are that good!!

The best part is that there is no recipe really, so you can make them for a crowd or just for two.....

Boil baby potatoes until they are fork tender
drain water, and return to hot pot, drizzle with plenty of olive oil, salt and pepper

on a  cookie sheet, place each potato, and push down with your finger.  If they are too hot to touch, just use a paper towel to help with the heat.

Place in a preheated 425' oven and roast until they are crispy and golden, 15-20 minutes.

Sweet, sweet potatoes

These are not only super nutritious, they are simple to prepare, and are a wonderful way to get the kidlets to eat them by adding a couple of marshmallows on top!!  These beautiful bursts of orange goodness are one of my favorite things to eat in the cold winter months.

Here are some facts on these gems......



Nutritious sweet potatoes are low in calories (provide just 90 cal/100 g, on comparison with starch rich cereals) and contains no saturated fats and cholesterol; but are rich source of dietary fiber, anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals.

They are storehouse of starch, a complex carbohydrate, which raises the blood sugar levels slowly on comparison to simple sugars; therefore, recommended as a healthy food supplement even in diabetes.

They are excellent source of flavonoids like beta-carotene and vitamin A (provides 14187 IU of vitamin A and 8509 mcg of β-carotene). The value is one of the highest among root vegetables category. These compounds are powerful natural antioxidants. Vitamin A is also required by the body to maintain integrity of healthy mucus membranes and skin. It is also vital nutrient for vision. Consumption of natural vegetables and fruits rich in flavonoids helps to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.

The tubers are packed with many essential vitamins such as pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), pyridoxine (vitamin B-6) and thiamin (vitamin B-1), niacin, and riboflavin. These vitamins are essential in the sense that body requires them from external sources to replenish. These vitamins function as co-factors for various enzymes during metabolism.

They also contain good amounts of minerals like iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, and potassium that are very essential for body metabolism.

Here is how  made these individual sweet potato

2 large sweet potatoes, cut crosswise into 2'' round discs
butter
brown sugar
pecans
mini marshmallows, for the adventurous

In a preheated 350' oven, place sweet potato rounds onto an ungreased pan.  Roast for 15 min then turn them over.  Continue to roast another 25 min, and check them to see if they are ready.  They should be totally soft in the center when pressed with a spoon.  Using a melon baller, or spoon, scoop out a thin layer on top of each round, save all of the scoopings in a ramekin, and bake with the others, or save for another use.  Top each potato with a pat of butter, a nice sprinkling of brown sugar, pecans, and marshmallows if using.  return to oven for 5-10 more minutes until all is gooey, and dripping and delicious!

DIG IN!!!!

Breakfast Cookies

When I came across this recipe, I was so eager to try it.  I'm glad I did!  I am forever trying to sneak in extra goodness, and nutrients as camouflage into foods that I make for my family.  These moist, delicious, muffin like cookies are full of goodness.  Almonds, cranberries, and QUINOA!! I have been trying to use quinoa in a lot of cooking these days, it has a fairly neutral flavor, so it can be used in sweet or savory cooking.  The health benefits of this amazing little seed are amazing.

Quinoa is often thought of as a “super-grain,” it is actually not a grain at all, but the seed of a leafy plant that is a distant relative of spinach and beets.


Quinoa has a protein content of 16 percent, which is higher than other grain. Quinoa also has an abundance of amino acids that are essential to a healthy body. Though the Quinoa grain does have a higher fat content than most grains, this is far outweighed by Quinoa’s exceptional levels of amino acids, iron, and fiber. (umn.edu)

1 cup of dry Quinoa is 4 cups cooked. The nutrition for (1/4 cup dry) 1 cup as cooked:

Calories 158.95 kcal
Carbohydrate, 29.28 g
Protein 5.57 g
Total lipid (fat) 2.46 g
Fiber, total dietary 2.51 g
Fatty acids, total 0.25 g
Calcium, Ca 25.5 mg
Iron, Fe 3.93 mg
Potassium, K 314.5 mg
Sodium, Na 8.93 mg
Zinc, Zn 1.4 mg
Vitamin E – mg ATE
Folate, total 20.82 mcg
Magnesium, Mg 89.25 mg
Energy 665.12 kj
Phosphorus, P 174.25 mg
Isoleucine 0.2 g
Serine 0.21 g
Proline 0.17 g
Glycine 0.29 g
Glutamic acid 0.66 g
Aspartic acid 0.41 g
Alanine 0.26 g
Histidine 0.13 g
Arginine 0.39 g
Valine 0.25 g
Manganese, Mn 0.96 mg
Copper, Cu 0.35 mg
Threonine 0.2 g
Vitamin B-12 – mcg
Vitamin B-6 0.09 mg
Niacin 1.25 mg
Riboflavin 0.17 mg
Thiamin 0.08 mg
Phenylalanine 0.23 g
Pantothenic acid 0.44 g
Leucine 0.33 g
Lysine 0.31 g
Methionine 0.11 g
Tyrosine 0.16 g

                                      





This recipe comes from a recent Bon Appetit issue, and the cookies come in handy when you are on the go.....grab one and gobble it down in the car ride on your way out.


1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup cooked quinoa, cooled
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup slivered unsalted almonds, I used coarsely chopped whole almonds



Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, both sugars, and honey in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs and extracts; beat until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in flour mixture, 1/2 cup at a time. Stir in quinoa, oats, cranberries, and almonds. Spoon dough in 2-tablespoon portions onto prepared sheets, spacing 1" apart.


Bake cookies until golden, 12–15 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool. DO AHEAD: Store cooled cookies airtight at room temperature for 1 day, or freeze for up to 1 month.

Tzazikki with fresh Naan.....

I always love a  home made tzazikki sauce with fresh pitas dipped in.  I stumbled upon a recipe for this naan bread and boy, what a treat.  Served warm with  the tangy cold tzazikki.......my mouth just begins to water!

Lucia's Tzazikki Dip

1 tub greek yogurt (you can substitute with sour cream, it is also delicious)

1 english cucumber, grated and excess juice squeezed out

1/2 lemon, squeezed

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 TBSP olive oil

2 tsp seasoning salt

Combine all ingredients together in a bowl. Done. This keeps well for a few days, and improves in flavor over time.  A great make ahead for company.

Fresh Naan Bread

adapted from: budgetbytes.blogspot.com

2 tsp dry active yeast

1 tsp sugar

1/2 cup water

2.5-3 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup plain greek yogurt

1 large egg

In a small bowl, combine the yeast, sugar and water. Stir to dissolve then let sit for a few minutes or until it is frothy on top. At that point, stir in the oil, yogurt and egg until evenly combined.

 In a medium sized bowl, combine 1 cup of the flour with the salt. Next, add the bowl of wet ingredients to the flour/salt mixture and stir until well combined.  Add remaining flour, 1/2 a cup at a time, for a total of up to 3 cups.  (you may not need all 3 cups, and you may need slightly more then 3 cups....this is the part where you really have to "feel" that the dough is right.  It should be smooth, soft, not sticky and easy to knead, like play dough texture.

 At that point, turn the ball of dough out onto a well floured counter top. Knead the ball of dough for about 3 minutes, adding flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking. 

 Loosely cover the dough and let it rise until double in size (about 45 minutes). After it rises, gently flatten the dough and cut it into 8 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a small ball by stretching the dough back under itself until the top is smooth and round.

Heat a large, heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat and brush with olive oil. Working with one ball at a time, roll it out until it is about 1/4 inch thick or approximately 6 inches in diameter. Place the rolled out dough onto the hot skillet and cook until the under side is golden brown and large bubbles have formed on the surface (see photos below). Flip the dough and cook the other side until golden brown as well. Serve plain or brushed with melted butter and sprinkled with herbs!

TIP: For the most bubbles, don't roll out the ball of dough until just before it is ready to be placed in the skillet. I experimented with different skillet temperatures and found that a medium heat produces the most bubbles in the dough and does not burn the surface.

Happy 2012!

So Sorry.....

I've been on Blogcation and have been enjoying my beautiful kids and family for the holidays. I don't know about you, but with every New Year that passes, I get an overwhelming need to de-clutter, reorganize, and get organized! Wish me luck, I really am going to try hard to pursue my New Years resolution this year past January 2nd......LOL!

When I was grocery shopping today, they had all their fresh cranberries on sale.  I usually use sweetened dry cranberries in this muffin recipe, but I wanted to try using fresh, since they were available.  What a hit.  These muffins are one of our familys favorites, and with the addition of the tart little burst of fresh cranberries along with fresh orange, they are truly wonderful.  Enjoy!

Best wishes to you all for a year full of blessings, health and happiness.

XO

Lucia

                                               CRANBERRY ORANGE MUFFINS

1 entire orange, cut into quarters

1/2 cup orange juice

1 cup fresh cranberries or 1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 egg

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 375'

Place orange, orange juice,  egg and butter in a blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth.  This will be very thick.  Combine all your dry ingredients in a large bowl, and mix together.  Add cranberries, and then add all of the wet ingreedients to the dry.  Mix just until moistened.  The batter will be very thick.  I love to use my pampered chef large scoop and scoop onto 12 muffin tins lined with muffin cups.  Bake for about 15 minutes.  Enjoy!