Key Lime Pie

August 29, 2013January 26, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ 6 Comments

As I’ve gotten “older” my sweet tooth has gotten smaller. When a craving hits, it’s usually for something salty – like popcorn. But there is one dessert that I can never say no to. And because today is my 25^th birthday, I am going to indulge.

Key Lime Pie is my absolute favorite dessert, and Publix (sorry to anyone not in the South!) makes the best one! …. Or so I thought. I am very proud to declare that I now make the best Key Lime Pie. I’m particularly excited for this because I now know that I can have perfect key lime pie even when we leave the land of Publix.

A couple years ago I made a key lime pie for my brother’s fiancé’s birthday as it’s also one of her favorites. (Her favorite is actually pumpkin pie but my brother hates it, and her birthday is in July anyway.) I had actually squeezed the juice out of actual key limes! That pie was unbelievably tart. I don’t even recall which recipe I used.

This time I found Nellie & Joe Key West Lime Juice and happily used that (no funky ingredients involved). I would love to say that this was only my second attempt at key lime pie. But that’d be a lie. I made two pies for my birthday. The first was a complete disaster. My can of sweetened condensed milk had expired. And I didn’t notice it until I was emptying the contents into the egg yolk mixture. I immediately went to the internet and established that I should still be okay to use it.

So I carried on. Key lime pie is not naturally green (but if you want it to be by all means add a drop or two of food

coloring), but it’s definitely not supposed to be marigold.

It’s not supposed to smell overpoweringly like sweetened condensed milk either. I did still taste it – the texture was a little off and it was still just a little too sour. So I went back to the store and back to square one.

That failed attempt was actually a blessing in disguise because I found the perfect, better-than-Publix recipe! Third time’s the charm. 😉

Key Lime Pie

Ingredients:

3 egg yolks
1 egg white, beaten until frothy
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
zest 1 lime
1/2 C key lime juice
9 in graham cracker pie crust
1/2 C heavy whipping cream
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp powdered sugar

Steps

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Using a hand mixer, beat egg yolks with lime zest and sweetened condensed milk. Add in lime juice. Add the egg white.
Pour pie filling into pie crust. Bake 15 minutes. Allow pie to cool to room temperature for at least an hour before covering and putting in the fridge.
Using a hand mixer, make the whipped cream. Beat the heavy cream until it starts to get thick, then add in the vanilla and sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Top pie with whipped cream right before serving. Note: I don’t like my whipped cream to be too sweet, so feel free to add more sugar/vanilla to taste.

*This recipe is adapted from The Big Cheese at http://www.food.com/recipe/traditional-key-lime-pie-109918*

Chicken and Pineapple Kebobs with Honey Chipotle Glaze

August 27, 2013January 26, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ 4 Comments

The reason I love to cook is the same as any other chef and home-cook. I like to make people happy, and a great way to do that is through food. Just bring in a plate of cookies to the office and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

When I decide on a recipe, I’ve got one person’s interest on my mind – my husband’s. I know what type of flavors he likes and try to find something that will make him happy. This dish did just that.

“What are we having for dinner tonight?”

“Chicken and Pineapple Skewers with a Honey Chipotle sauce”

“You know me so well.”

Stuart is addicted to pineapple, he likes meat of any kind, is obsessed with honey, and enjoys chipotle spiciness. There’s no way this could go wrong. (And it didn’t!) If you’ve never had grilled pineapple, you really should try it – it brings out the sweetness of the fruit while toning down the tartness.

Chicken and Pineapple Kebobs with Honey Chipotle Glaze

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1/2 fresh pineapple, cubed
3 chipotle peppers in adobo
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp canola oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 – 3/4 C honey, to taste

Steps

Soak 10-12 bamboo skewers in water for 15-30 minutes.
Assemble kebobs by alternating chicken and pineapple.
Grill kebobs until chicken is cooked through.
In a blender, puree chipotle peppers, mustard, oil, salt, and honey.
Brush cooked kebobs with the glaze and reserve some for dipping.

*This recipe is adapted from http://bsugarmama.com/chicken-pineapple-skewers-with-honey-chipotle-glaze/*

Banana Bread Muffins

August 25, 2013January 26, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

I like almost any banana bread recipe. And Stuart likes to buy extra bananas with the intention of letting them get too ripe, just so that I can make banana bread.

I have tried many different recipes, and this one is our favorite. It uses a combination of whole wheat flour and all purpose flour.

I’d purchased a bag of whole wheat flour for something (can’t remember what) and we hated it. So then I thought, “Great, what do I do with these three pounds of flour?!” I’d found an all whole wheat banana bread recipe… didn’t care for that. And then we tried this one. It’s mostly all purpose flour, but with just a bit of whole wheat flour. It’s enough whole wheat flour to give the bread some body, but not enough to make the loaf dry and mealy. Adding in cinnamon chips or chocolate chips gives it a little extra sweetness.

I prefer pouring my banana bread batter into either mini loaf pans or into muffin pans because it’s easier to grab on the way out the door than slicing off a piece out of the loaf pan.

Note: This recipe makes 10 muffins or 7 mini loaves. Doubling this recipe will yield enough batter for a full bread loaf.

Banana Bread Muffins

Ingredients:

2 ripe bananas
1 egg, whisked
2 1/2 tbsp butter, melted
3/8 C sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1/4 C whole wheat flour
1/2 C all purpose flour
chocolate chips, cinamon chips, nuts (optional)

Steps

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, mash the bananas. Stir in the melted butter (make sure it’s cooled slightly so it will not cook the egg). Stir in sugar, vanilla, and half to all of the egg (this will depend on how big your bananas are, I only used half of the egg). Add in baking soda and salt. Mix in flours.
Pour two heaping tbsp of batter into each greased or lined muffin tray. If using nuts or chocolate/cinnamon chips, put five into each muffin and gently fold into batter with a small spoon. (I find that folding them into the batter before pouring ends up with all of them at the bottom of the bowl)
Bake 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Note: If you are doubling the recipe, the loaf pan will take an hour to cook. Mini loaves will still only take 20 minutes.

*This recipe is adapted from Katherine at http://www.katherinemartinelli.com/blog/2011/over-ripe-banana-heaven/*

Tuna Steaks

August 24, 2013January 2, 2015 ~ lk529 ~ 1 Comment

There were some pretty looking tuna steaks at the fish counter, so we bought two. I know it doesn’t sound crazy adventurous – buying tuna instead of say, squid. But I’d never prepared tuna steaks before. When it comes to fish, I usually stick with salmon or tilapia. I absolutely love grouper and mahi mahi, but I’ve never prepared my own.

I seasoned the fish with plenty of pepper, salt, and dried herbs and cooked them in a skillet with a little bit of olive oil. Spritzed with fresh lemon juice and provided pesto (I used my Nut-Free Basil Pesto) for dipping.

Tuna Steaks

Ingredients:

2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried rosemary
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tuna steaks
1-2 tbsp olive oil

Steps

Combine herbs, salt and pepper. Rub onto both sides of the fish.
Sear fish over medium heat in olive oil. Cook to desired done-ness.

Tuna Steaks 3

How To Cut A Pineapple

August 23, 2013December 11, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

About 9 months ago my husband drank the CrossFit Kool-Aid. (Really, I can’t complain!) The CrossFit gym on base has classes during the lunch hour, and if I don’t pack him a lunch he’ll run to Einsteins Bros. Bagels on his way back to his desk. In an effort to stay healthy, he always gets the fruit cup in addition to his bagel sandwich. (Fruit with lunch is an Everson household rule) The fruit cup has pineapple in it, and an addiction was born. He always examines all available fruit cups and buys the one with the most pineapple.

When you buy a pineapple from the store, there’s usually a tag on one of the leaves telling you how to cut the fruit. If you’ve tried this, you know as well as I do that it’s not as easy as the cartoon drawings make it seem. And I was determined to find an easier way if Stuart was going through a whole pineapple every 5 days!

For a while I’d cut the entire pineapple into circles, and then trim off the skin and cut around the core. Although this method is simple, it’s time consuming and very sticky.

Here’s how I do it now!

Here’s what you’ll need: a sharp knife

Here’s what you’ll do: Chop off the top and bottom of the pineapple and stand it up on the now flat bottom. Run your knife between the flesh of the pineapple and the skin. Cut the flesh of the pineapple away from the core. Cut into cubes.

Fun fact: Eating an entire pineapple 1-3 days before getting your wisdom teeth removed will help to prevent swelling! There is a chance that doing so will affect your taste buds’ opinion of the fruit though.

Sichuan Orange Beef

August 21, 2013January 26, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

Okay so this dish isn’t technically Sichuan Orange Beef. But if you actually had Sichuan peppercorns then yours could be! I simply substituted freshly ground peppercorns instead of using my typical black pepper. So I guess I ate Orange Beef?

I have no idea if Sichuan peppercorns have a little extra heat to them or not, (You can tell I’ve really done my research on this one) Stuart added Crushed Red Pepper Flakes to his plate.

Sichuan Orange Beef

Ingredients:

1/2 lb brown rice pad thai noodles
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp corn starch
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
2 tsp sesame oil
zest and juice of one orange
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 lb steak
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
3 scallions, sliced diagonally, whites and greens separated

Steps

Whisk together soy sauce, corn starch, sugar, ginger, sesame oil, orange, and pepper. Slice steak and marinade in soy sauce mixture.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook noodles.
Sear beef in vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a large non-stick skillet. Add carrots and white parts of scallions. Pour in the marinade. Simmer for two minutes, stirring. Add in the green parts of the scallions and toss with the cooked noodles.

*This recipe is adapted from Kimberly at http://www.daringgourmet.com/2013/06/05/sichuan-orange-beef/*

Fresh Lemonade

August 20, 2013September 8, 2013 ~ lk529 ~ 3 Comments

My parents have lime trees. Dad and I would squeeze fresh lime juice in an assembly line fashion. I’d cut and score (cutting a shallow x across the cut surface) the limes while he twisted and squeezed the juice out of them. It almost became a race to see if I could wash and cut limes faster than he could juice them.

We would fill up a few large mason jars of fresh lime juice to put in the freezer and of course to make limeade. Mom always kept a smaller jar of fresh lime juice in the fridge too to splash into her waters.

August 20^th is National Lemonade Day.

I love making fresh lemonade. Most people might find it to be tedious, but I actually enjoy the repetition. Wash, cut, score, twist, squeeze, repeat. Although they might not be limes, squeezing the juice out of any citrus makes me think of home.

Fresh Lemonade

Ingredients:

2 C sugar
10 C water, divided
4 lb lemons

Steps

Make simple syrup: Combine sugar and 2 C water in a small saucepan over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once sugar has dissolved, remove from heat and chill.
Juice lemons. 4 lb should yield you 2 C of juice. Strain lemon juice into a pitcher. Stir in remaining 8 C water and simple syrup.

*This recipe is adapted from Allie at http://www.cakeandallie.com/2011/02/lemonade/*

CIC: Avocado & Caramel

August 20, 2013January 26, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ 15 Comments

Last weekend we had a wonderful Korean-style supper at our good friends’ house. Tara is the host of Tara’s Multicultural Table and my blogging mentor. She told me about this new blogging-world challenge. It’s a challenge where you mix two ingredients that wouldn’t normally be paired together and create a recipe that encompasses both of them. Almost like Chopped! This month’s challenge is Avocado and Caramel.

I was surprised at how quickly an idea came to me! I had just watched a Giada at Home episode where she stuffed peanut butter cupcakes with caramel. That fulfills requirement number 2. But what about requirement number 1? I’ve seen many vegan/vegetarian recipes that substitute avocado for eggs in baking, so here we have it! We stopped at Publix on the way home and the next morning I was making these!

I know my blog isn’t exactly vegan friendly, but here’s a recipe you could (dissect and) serve to your meat-free guests! I substituted cow’s milk, but you could switch it back to soy milk! However, Stuffing these chocolate beauties with caramel and topping them with frosting voids the vegan requirements…

Stuart was not excited about this avocado cupcake idea. But I had him taste the batter (that’s the best part about vegetarian/vegan cupcakes! No eggs means you can lick that spoon clean without any guilt), and he conceded to the avocado cupcake. He was even disappointed that this recipe only made 12 cupcakes!

Avocado is changing the baking world one cupcake at a time. A coworker even told me that this was the best cupcake he’s ever had, and I had a request from another for the recipe because his daughter is allergic to eggs.

Caramel Filled Chocolate Avocado Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Caramel Frosting

Ingredients for Cupcakes:

25 caramel squares
1/2 C heavy cream
1 avocado
1 C pure maple syrup
3/4 C milk
1/3 C canola oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 C flour
3/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt

Ingredients for Frosting:

1/2 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 C powdered sugar
1/8 C + 1 tsp milk
1/4 C peanut butter
1-2 tbsp caramel

Steps

In a saucepan over low heat melt caramel into the heavy cream. Stir occasionally.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a food processor, puree avocado, syrup, milk, oil, and vanilla until smooth.
Whisk together the remaining dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients to the dry.
Assemble cupcakes: put a spoonful of batter, a spoonful of caramel, and another spoonful of batter into paper lined cupcake tins. Bake for 25 minutes.
Make the frosting: In a stand mixer beat together sugar, butter, and milk. When combined fully add in the peanut butter. Using a spoon, swirl in the caramel. Pipe frosting on top of cupcakes and drizzle with extra caramel sauce if desired.

*The cupcake recipe was adapted from http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/glazed-chocolate-avocado-cupcakes/. The frosting and filling were adapted from Giada deLaurentiis at http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/stuffed-peanut-butter-cupcakes-with-swirled-peanut-butter-frosting-recipe/index.html*

I have to admit, I was disappointed when I cut into a cupcake and wasn’t met with lava flowing caramel. The photo of Food Network’s page is very misleading; however, my results mimicked those aired on the “Stuff It” episode. (The last photo is a “cheat” 😉 )Stuart’s advice: If you think you put enough caramel in the cupcake, add a little bit more.

Caramel Filled Chocolate Avocado Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Caramel Frosting 3

Here are the other blogs that participated in this month’s Crazy Ingredient Challenge.

Risotto Paella

August 19, 2013January 2, 2015 ~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

Mexican Monday took a back seat this week for a Spanish cousin to shine through.

Of course, I could pretend I just made this dish some other day of the week and find a decent photo of a past Mexican Monday, but then I’d be out of a personal back story to the dish!

I was not about to have a repeat of last week where we ate out way too much, so I “forced” Stuart to help me create our weekly “Everson Menu”.

“What do you want for Mexican Monday?”

“Paella”

“That’s not Mexican….”

Stuart’s favorite Food Network star is Bobby Flay and we record Bobby Flay’s Barbecue Addiction. There was an episode last year in which Bobby had a grill the size of a breakfast table and a paella pan to cover it up. He made the largest (and most expensive) paella I’d ever seen. So for a year Stuart’s been wanting to try Paella.

Most traditional Spanish Paellas involve Mussels or other shellfish, which I am allergic to. I don’t know why it took me a year to realize that I can put whatever I want into the recipe, it’s my kitchen! So I finally gave in to his craving. I read a few recipes and articles about paella and created my own rendition.

Unfortunately I wasn’t able to find authentic Spanish paella rice, but the cooking method reminded me of risotto, so I compromised and used risotto rice. (Sorry!) I also couldn’t find authentic Spanish chorizo, so I kept the casing on Mexican chorizo, sliced it into rings and cooked it. I also opted to use salmon as my seafood choice.

Risotto Paella

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 large onion, diced
1/2 large red bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 C Arborio rice
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp tumeric
1 large tomato, chopped
1/4 C white wine (optional)
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 – 1 1/2 qt chicken stock
2 links chorizo, sliced into rings
6 oz salmon, cubed

Steps

In a large pot bring stock to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer.
In a large, non-stick skillet, saute onion and pepper in olive oil. Season with salt. When the onion is translucent add the garlic, rice, and seasonings. Stir with a wooden spoon. When rice is slightly toasted and everything is yellow add in the chopped tomato.
Deglaze the pan with white wine, if using, or a ladle of stock.
While waiting for the wine to evaporate, start cooking the chorizo in a separate skillet. Remove from pan and cook the salmon in the same skillet.
Add 1-2 ladle-fulls of stock at a time to the rice, stirring constantly. When the liquid is absorbed, repeat the process until the rice is cooked through. This will take approximately 15 minutes.

*This recipe was inspired by http://foudefoodmtl.com/eatsathome/shrimp-and-chorizo-paella and http://mongoliankitchen.com/salmon-paella/*

Fall Off the Bone Baby Back Ribs

August 17, 2013October 16, 2016 ~ lk529 ~ 1 Comment

I love baby back ribs. There, I said it. But I also hate baby back ribs. What?? There is one place back home (Rib City) that has the best, hands down, ribs ever. I’ve tried ribs in the South, and they’re awful. Okay, they’re clearly not awful because everyone else seems to love them. So here’s what I’ve learned about my bi-polar opinion. If the ribs aren’t cooked in sauce, then I’m not going to like them. I used to think it was smoking – I don’t like the Liquid Smoke that is really popular in the South and find my taste buds to be very sensitive to it. I think if the ribs are coated in sauce while being baked/grilled, then it softens the harsh smoke flavor. Disclaimer: I’m no BBQ Pit Master, the above statements are my personal opinion.

The first time I made ribs at home I did them in a slow cooker. The meat was cooked perfectly, but the recipe I followed seriously messed with my head. I tried Asian ribs. It wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t right! Every time I took I bite I was expecting the sweet, tang of barbecue sauce.

I promised myself that the next time I made baby back ribs, I’d do it right. I made a very simple dry rub and used the Neely’s recipe for barbecue sauce.

These babies looked like restaurant quality when I pulled them out of the slow cooker – I actually didn’t want to cover them up in sauce! (But I did eat them that way!)

Stuart said this meal was his second favorite, almost edging out Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas.

Fall Off the Bone Baby Back Ribs

Ingredients:

3 lb baby back ribs
2 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp pepper
2 1/2 C BBQ sauce, plus extra for serving

Steps

Make dry rub with paprika, salt, and pepper.
Cut rack of ribs into mini-slabs of 3 ribs each. Pat them dry with a paper towel. Rub all sides of ribs with the dry rub from Step 1.
Place ribs in slow cooker so the the meaty side is facing the sides of the slow cooker, but not touching them. Pour barbecue sauce around the ribs. Cook on LOW for 6 hours. Flip the ribs halfway through the cooking time.

This blog post also comes with a bonus recipe for my Smokey Sweet Potato Fries.

Ingredients:

2 small sweet potatoes, cut into fries
3 egg whites
1 C panko bread crumbs
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne

Steps:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until it looks like soapy dish water.
Combine panko, paprika, salt, pepper, and cayenne.
Dredge potatoes in egg white and then the panko mixture.
Bake potatoes for 25-30 minutes.

Update July 2016: These ribs are definitely one of my favorite meals and whenever they’re on sale at the grocery store I stock up! Every time I made them I said I needed to take a new picture, but I’d get so excited and completely forget about the camera, the blog, and the internet, and before I knew it I’d have a plate of empty bones and a little bit of barbecue sauce. But not this time! This time I snapped some pictures. I’m not sure how happy I am with the results, but they are better than those originals up there. I guess I’ll have to continue making these ribs and trying to photograph them again. Darn.

Fall Off the Bone Baby Back Ribs | Sew You Think You Can Cook | http://sewyouthinkyoucancook.com