Cauliflower and Bacon Gratin

OK, Cauliflower? Not a standout favorite of mine. I am embarrassed to say my kids weren't quite sure what it was! I think I may have put it on a veggie tray a couple times in my adult life and that's about it. If you are like me and need to introduce a forgotten vegetable to the table, I've got three words for you~ butter, cream and bacon. Something tells me they just might like it, right?! They did :)  It's a super easy side dish. 
This recipe is adapted from Giada DeLaurentiis

unsalted butter, for dish, plus 4 tablespoons cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 slices day~old sourdough bread or 2 cups bread crumbs
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon all~purpose flour
8 ounces bacon, cooked until crispy and cut into 1/2 pieces
1 cup Gruyere cheese, divided
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets
extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 8x8 casserole dish.  Set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor, blend the bread until it forms into crumbs.  In a large non~stick skillet, heat the butter over medium heat.  Add the bread crumbs and cook, stirring constantly until all the butter has been absorbed and the bread crumbs are toasted, about 2 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream and flour.  Add the bacon and 1/2 cup of the Gruyere.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste. 

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil over high heat.  Add the cauliflower and cook for 2 minutes.  Drain the cauliflower and toss with the cream mixture. Pour the cauliflower mixture into the prepared baking dish.  Sprinkle with bread crumbs and remaining cheese.  Drizzle with olive oil and bake for about 40 minutes until the cheese has melted and the top is golden brown. 

Serves~ 4 to 6 as a side

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cake

When I think about making a cake I usually go to chocolate, as it's my husband's favorite. So, for my family this one is a little different. It's a fun twist on a great cookie! It's a moist cake with chunks of white chocolate and nuts, which I happen to love. It's also a really pretty cake that doesn't need a lot of messing with. I tend to be a little cake decorating challenged. I've got to take a class one of these days. Drizzle a glaze? Yes, I can handle that.

For the cake~
1 package vanilla cake mix
1 package vanilla instant pudding mix (3.4 ounces)
4 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup white chocolate chips, plus more for garnish
3/4 cups chopped (unsalted) macadamia nuts, plus more for garnish

For the glaze~
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly mist a 12 cup bundt pan with cooking spray, then dust it with flour. Shake out the excess flour and set pan aside.

Place cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, water, oil and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the ingredients are incorporated, about 30 seconds, while scraping down the sides of the bowl. Beat another 2 minutes on medium speed. The batter should look smooth and thick. Fold in the chocolate chips and nuts. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a rubber spatula.

Bake the cake on the center rack in oven, until the top springs back when lightly pressed with a finger, about 55~58 minutes. Cool cake on a wire rack for 10~15 minutes. Run a long, sharp knife around the edges of the cake, shake the pan gently, and invert the cake onto a wire rack. Let the cake cool completely.

Make the glaze. Melt the white chocolate chips in a small microwave~safe glass bowl in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Stir, and melt another 30 seconds if needed. When the chocolate is melted, stir in the cream. Spoon the warm glaze over the cooled cake. Garnish with more white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts. Let the glaze set for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Spiced Pork and Apples

An Asian twist on a classic. Pork chops and apples enhanced with sesame oil and five~spice powder. This is really flavorful, no need for added spices or salt. In fact, I would use the less sodium soy sauce in this recipe, if you don't already use it. The pork needs to marinate for 4~12 hours. Get it going in the morning and when you are done with a busy day, it won't stress you out. It's a really quick and easy dinner to pull off. Serve it with some coconut rice or even some plain rice and you are good to go.

4~6 thin cut (about 1/2 inch thick) boneless pork chops
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon five~spice powder
1 2 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
2 large baking apples, cored and cut into thick slices
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 green onions, diagonally sliced into 1 inch pieces
2 tablespoons honey

Place pork chops in a resealable plastic bag set in a shallow dish; set aside. For marinade, in a small bowl combine oil, brown sugar, soy sauce, sherry, sesame oil, five~spice powder, and ginger. Pour marinade over pork chops. Seal bag; turn to coat chops. Marinate in the refrigerator for 4~12 hours, turning occasionally.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Drain chops, reserving 1/3 cup marinade. Arrange chops in an ungreased 3 quart baking dish. Arrange apples around chops. Drizzle apples with the reserved marinade. Sprinkle apples with cinnamon.

Bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add green onions. Bake, uncovered, for another 10~15 minutes or until chops are cooked through (160 degrees) and apples are tender. Arrange chops and apples on a serving platter. Drizzle with honey.

Tropical "Green" Smoothie

I make some kind of smoothie just about every day for my kids. Sometimes, I try to sneak something healthy in them. If it will get my skinny kids to consume more veggies, I'm going for it. I'm not getting to radical on you and going all "healthy green revolution." I'm just trying to feel good about what my kids are eating or not eating.

Hmm...Spinach Smoothie!?

I have to admit, it took me a while to try this one. I'm glad I did, my kids have been asking me to make the weird spinach one. They loved it! So, skip the salad and try a smoothie, it's pretty good.


2 cups spinach
1 mango
2 bananas
1 cup pineapple chunks (fresh)
1 cup water
1 cup ice

Blend ingredients until smooth.

Dark Chocolate Layered Cheesecake

I'm not one of those people who go "crazy" for chocolate. Do I like chocolate? Yes. Do I have an addiction? Not really. Don't get me wrong, sometimes it's the only thing that can make everything in the world seem right again. Perhaps I just like some variety in my desserts. My husband is a total chocolate guy, I never have to guess what dessert he will order. This is one that he loves. I made it and was like "it's ok", he ate the whole thing and wanted more! Rich? Absolutely! If you are one of those crazy chocolate people give it a try :)

Chocolate Crumb Crust~ recipe follows

3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
4 eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups (12 ounce package) Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate chips, divided
1/2 teaspoon shortening (do not use butter, margarine or oil)

Prepare Chocolate Crumb Crust. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until smooth. Gradually beat in eggs, heavy cream, vanilla and salt, beating until well blended; set aside.

Set aside 2 tablespoons chocolate chips. Place remaining chips in a large microwave~safe bowl. Microwave at medium (50% power) 1 1/2 minutes; stir. If necessary, microwave an additional 15 seconds at a time, stirring until chocolate is melted.

Gradually blend 1 1/2 cups cheesecake batter into melted chocolate. Spread 2 cups chocolate mixture in prepared crust.

Blend another 2 cups plain cheesecake batter into remaining chocolate mixture; spread 2 cups of this mixture over the first layer. Stir remaining cheesecake batter into remaining chocolate mixture; spread over second layer.

Bake 50~55 minutes or until center is almost set. Remove from oven to wire rack. With knife, immediately loosen cake from side of pan. Cool to room temperature.

Place reserved chocolate chips and shortening in small microwave~safe bowl. Microwave at medium power 30 seconds; stir. If necessary, microwave and additional 10 seconds at a time, stirring until chocolate is melted and smooth. Drizzle over top of cheesecake. Cover; refrigerate several hours until cold.

Chocolate Crumb Crust

1 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs (about 45 wafers, crushed)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup butter, melted

Stir together cookie crumbs, powdered sugar and cocoa; stir in butter. Press mixture onto bottom and 1 1/2 inches up sides of 9~inch springform pan.

Penne Pasta w/Chicken in a Citrus Vinaigrette

This is a light, refreshing salad. I love the citrus in the dressing along with the subtle Asian flavors. I brought it to a bbq this summer and have some friends requesting the recipe. I know it's the middle of winter, but sometimes we just need a break from all the heavy dishes. This salad is great anytime, as a light meal or as a side. It looks like a lot of ingredients, but it's really easy.

A perfect make ahead dish...it's better when it has some time to rest. I would make it in the afternoon before I took the kids to the pool and we'd have something to eat when we were done. Perfect!

This recipe was adapted from a Sweet Tomatoes recipe.

For the chicken
3 or 4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
1 tablespoon orange zest, plus 1 tablespoon zest for the vinaigrette
juice of 1 orange
1 clove minced garlic
2 tablespoons oil

For the vinaigrette
6 tablespoons soy sauce
6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons light olive oil (extra virgin would be too heavy, canola oil would be a better substitution)
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Korean teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons orange juice concentrate
1 1/2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
1 tablespoon finely minced ginger
1 tablespoon reserved orange zest

For the salad
1 pound penne pasta, cooked
2 cups carrots, shredded
1 cup cucumbers, quartered and diced
1 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
sesame seeds for garnish

Combine 1 tablespoon of the orange zest, orange juice (not the concentrate), garlic, and oil in a bowl or bag to marinate the chicken in. Add the chicken, and let marinate for 30 minutes. Grill the chicken and set aside.

Combine all the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a large bowl and whisk to thoroughly combine.

Assemble the salad. Cut the chicken at an angle in 1/4 inch slices and cube. Add to the vinaigrette. Add cooked pasta, carrots, cucumbers, celery, and cilantro to the bowl. Mix to evenly coat with dressing. Allow to marinate for 2 hours. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with sesame seeds.

Triple~Citrus Cupcakes

I have a friend that used to call me Martha Stewart. I'm not going to lie...it drove me nuts! Of course, she meant it as a compliment. Martha Stewart is a great talent. My go~to pie crust is from her along with many tips I've picked up over the years. So, thank you Martha. I guess I just like to be called by my own name. :)

This recipe comes from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes cookbook. It's the first recipe I tried. Did I go to chocolate? Nope, give me a lime and I'm a happy girl.

The glaze and garnish could be made with lime, lemon, or orange. It would even be fun to make all three and see what the favorites are.

3 1/3 cups all~purpose flour
2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest (from 3 lemons)
3 tablespoons finely grated orange zest (from 2 oranges)
3 tablespoons finely grated lime zest, plus more for garnish (from about 3 limes)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
9 large eggs, room temperature

Citrus Glaze (made with lime juice and zest) recipe follows.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together flour and salt.

With an electric mixer on medium~high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, scraping down sides of bowl every few minutes. Add citrus zests. Reduce speed to medium, and add vanilla. Add eggs, three at a time, beating until incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in four batches, beating until completely incorporated after each.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three~quarters full; tap tins on counter top once to distribute batter. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 10 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely.

To finish, dip tops of cupcakes in glaze, then turn over quickly and garnish with zest. Cupcakes are best eaten the day they are glazed; keep at room temperature until ready to serve.

Citrus Glaze (used lime for mine)

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted, plus more if needed
1/4 teaspoon finely grated citrus zest
3 tablespoons fresh citrus juice, plus more if needed

Whisk together all ingredients until smooth. If necessary, add more sugar to thicken or more juice to thin the glaze. Use immediately.