Chutney Chicken

First of all, let me just say I had no idea what to call this....but it has mango chutney in it so chutney chicken it is.

Actually, the reason I made this is because my aunt gave me a beautiful little jar of mango chutney. (I went on their website to scope out other products, but apparently they only ship to the UK! What a shame! There are so many things I'd love to try. But if you are in the UK, here's the website... Mrs. Bridges...and just know that I'm jealous!) Anyways, she won it at a bridal shower and told me that I would appreciate it more then her, so being the awesome aunt that she is, gave it to me. But truth be told, I had no idea what to do with it. I'm not familiar with chutney at all. I looked at things online that said it was good with cream cheese and in curry's. I have no idea what a curry even is (seriously) but I decided to go with the cream cheese thing.

It actually worked out really well! I just added a little of this and that, and it turned out deliciously! This could be made for one or two people, depending on how hungry you are! I just made it for myself, but definitely didn't finish it. But if you are feeding it to someone extra hungry, it's a very easy recipe to double.

Ingredients

1 boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2" pieces
1/4 of a yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, diced
1/2 cup chicken stock
3 oz. cream cheese
2 tbsp. mango chutney
2-3 fresh basil leaves, chopped
salt & freshly ground pepper

Directions
In a medium skillet (coated with non stick spray) over medium-high heat, add chicken and season with salt and pepper. Keep the chicken moving until all the chicken pieces are light golden brown and cooked all the way through. Add onions and cook another 3-4 minutes until onions are softened. Finally, add garlic and cook for another minute or two, being careful not to burn the garlic. Next add the chicken stock, basil leaves, mango chutney and cream cheese. Stir until cream cheese is melted and incorporated into the sauce. Serve hot over white rice.

Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken with Cranberry Compote

I am personally a big fan of cranberries and often get annoyed that they're treated as a one-holiday food. The other day I was particularly in the mood for them, and thought they'd be good on chicken.

I stuffed my chicken with goat cheese for some added flavor and depth, then topped the whole thing with a quick and easy cranberry compote that I make every Thanksgiving.

The result was a deliciously moist and flavorful chicken that paired so nicely with the cranberry compote. I served it with white rice which worked wonderfully. This is a perfect dish for fall especially!

Ingredients
Cranberry Compote adapted from Emeril Lagasse

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts pounded thin
Aprox. 2-4 tbsp goat cheese
1/2 cup frozen or fresh cranberries
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. good vanilla extract
2+ tsp. honey
1 tbsp. cornstarch
3 tbsp. milk
aprox. 1/2 tsp. lemon zest

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a baking dish with non stick spray. On the bottom of both chicken breasts, spread a liberal amount of goat cheese and "roll" chicken up and secure with toothpicks. Place in baking dish and cover with foil. Bake for 1 hour, removing foil after 45 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking, make the cranberry compote. In a medium saucepan, add cranberries, water, cinnamon, vanilla, zest and honey. Stir to combine. On medium heat, bring to a gentle boil and continue to cook until the cranberries have "popped" and the mixture thickens. Meanwhile in a small bowl, whisk together milk and cornstarch and add it to thickened cranberry mixture. Taste everything and make sure it's sweetened to your liking (if not, add more honey).

Pour on top of cooked chicken and serve hot.

Coconut Encrusted Salmon with Blueberry Citrus Sauce

I came up with this meal after talking with my mom. She was telling me that the best salmon she ever had was at her favorite restaurant, and the chef had a "coconut salmon thing with this blueberry sauce" as a special. So from that, I decided to make my own version of it because, well, it just sounded good. And while my mom's not much of a foodie or a cook herself, she knows what she likes and has pretty good taste.

I'm very pleased to saw that this came out just wonderfully. It tasted tropical, fresh, healthy and just plain good. Even my husband who "doesn't like fish OR coconut" said that I could make this meal for him any time. This meal totally got me in the mood for summer, so now I'm anxiously waiting for the 8 feet of snow in my front yard to melt. This is just a great meal for this time of year...it will definitely make you feel like you're on an island somewhere, even when there's 8 feet of snow in your yard!
Ingredients

For the salmon:
1-2 skinless salmon filets
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 egg
1-2 tbsp skim milk
1/3 cup plain panko bread crumbs
1/3 (or more) cup sweetened coconut flakes
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper

For the Blueberry Citrus Sauce:
1 hand full of blueberries (about 1/2 cup)
1-2 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tbsp. sweetened coconut flakes
1 tsp granulated sugar

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees and spray a baking dish with nonstick olive oil spray. Season both sides of salmon with salt and pepper and set aside. Set up a breading station: on one plate, add flour; in a small bowl, whisk together egg and milk; and on another plate add panko and coconut. Using your fingers, mix panko and coconut together until coconut is evenly distributed amongst panko.

Press salmon into flour until completely coated, then dip into egg mixture, then dredge in panko coconut mixture. Press panko mixture into salmon until well coated on all sides. Place filet(s) in prepared baking dish and sprinkle the top of the filet with any extra panko/coconut that didn't get used. Spray the top of the filet with non-stick olive oil spray and place in oven for about 20 minutes. Check the filet after about 10-15 minutes to make sure the coconut isn't burning. If it is, cover the baking dish loosely with foil.

While salmon is baking, make blueberry citrus sauce. In a small blender (I use the magic bullet blender), add blueberries, coconut, sugar and lime juice and blend until smooth. Taste the sauce after it's blended and add more lime juice or sugar to taste.

Serve the fish hot with blueberry citrus sauce.

Roasted Salmon with Garlic and Tomatoes

This is another salmon recipe I found that was easy to make and tasted great. I also loved that I got a main course and side dish out of one recipe which is great for the weeknight. I added goat cheese to this which really kicked up the flavor...but if you aren't a huge goat cheese fan it could easily be left out.

This was a light, healthy recipe that tasted like a salmon dish that you might get at a restaurant. It was so flavorful and was really a great way to prepare salmon.

Ingredients
Adapted from Real Simple

1-2 salmon fillets
1/2-3/4 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 tsp paprika
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2-4 springs fresh thyme
2 garlic cloves, minced
Kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
Goat cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees and coat a medium baking dish with non stick spray. Add salmon, skin side down, to baking dish. Spread cherry tomatoes around fillet(s) and sprinkle salmon and tomatoes with salt, pepper and paprika to taste. Sprinkle garlic and thyme over salmon. Drizzle everything with just a bit of olive oil.

Bake for about 15 minutes. Then pull salmon out of oven and sprinkle goat cheese to taste over salmon and tomatoes. Put back in oven and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until salmon is opaque throughout and goat cheese is very lightly browned.

Morning Glory Muffins

I've really been in the mood for a good muffin lately. A super healthy, packed with goodness muffin that I can have for a weekday breakfast on the go without feeling bad about questionable ingredients. So when I found this recipe I was anxious to try it out.

After I made a few modifications to bump up the health factor, I was SO pleased with how this muffin came out. Carrots, apples, golden raisins, and whole wheat flour are only a few of the healthful ingredients in this muffin. I actually feel good about eating it because not only is it just delicious tasting, I know that it's packed with goodness.

The muffin itself is perfectly sweet (using agave nectar, not white sugar) and very moist. The almonds add wonderful texture and the cinnamon is a great addition to the flavor of the muffin.

All in all, I absolutely loved this muffin, as did my co-workers...who could not believe it was actually healthy. Which is fine by me.

Ingredients
Adapted from Allrecipes.com

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup agave nectar
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups grated carrots
1 apple (I used granny smith), peeled, cored and diced
1 cup golden raisins
1 whole egg
2 egg whites
1 cup applesauce
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2 small handfuls of Raw Almonds, chopped finely and divided
about 4+ tbsp. wheat germ, divided

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly oil a muffin tin with nonstick spray, or use paper cups.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites, applesauce, agave nectar, vanilla extract and almond extract. Set bowl aside.

In a large bowl, stir together whole wheat and all purpose flours, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt and about 2 tbsp. wheat germ. Stir in carrots, apples, 1 small handful of chopped almonds and raisins. Then stir in egg mixture until just moistened. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them about 3/4 full.

In a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, combine the rest of the chopped almonds and 2 tbsp wheat germ. Heat until wheat germ is very lightly toasted, and then top the muffins with the toasted wheat germ and almonds.

Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and spring back when lightly pressed.

I yielded 24 muffins that were on the smaller side.

Chocolate Covered Cherries

When my friend Julie sent me the link to this recipe...I was admittedly hesitant. I have never liked chocolate covered cherries but then again I've never had a homemade one either. Needless to say, I was intrigued by the recipe and decided to try it because I know many people do like these little treats for the holidays.

I am SO glad I tried it! These are really fantastic. After you let them sit for a week or so the filling gets all mushy and delicious. That combined with the dark chocolate shell just makes for a fabulous little treat.

I actually made this recipe two ways. One with regular maraschino cherries out of the jar, and the other with maraschino cherries that I soaked in a cherry liqueur for the adults. I haven't tried the ones with alcohol yet since they are still soaking, but I know we will just love those too!

Ingredients
Adapted from: AllRecipes

60 maraschino cherries with stems (I used stemless)

3 tablespoons butter, softened

3 tablespoons corn syrup (I used about 4 tbsp...3 wasn't enough for me as the mixture was still very dry)

2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 lb. chocolate confectioners coating (I used dark chocolate candy melts)

Directions

Drain cherries and set on paper towels to dry thoroughly.

In a medium bowl, combine butter and corn syrup until smooth. Stir in confectioners' sugar and knead to form a dough. Chill to stiffen if necessary. Wrap each cherry in about 1 teaspoon of dough. Chill until firm.

Melt confectioners' coating in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Dip each cherry in by its stem, and place on waxed paper lined sheets. Chill until completely set. Store in an airtight container in a cool place. Best after 1 or 2 weeks.

Cranberry Pear Crisp

After impulsively buying some beautiful Bosc pears at the farmers market, I got home and realized I had no idea what to do with them. So I asked my friend Julie for some suggestions (and because she is awesome at finding recipes) and decided to start with Ina Garten's Pear and Apple crisp as a starting point, but I forgot to print the recipe. So when I got home I just winged it and ended up with a surprisingly delicious crisp.

This is a great modification of a traditional apple crisp. The pear is a very welcome change, both texturally and taste wise. The cranberries add beautiful color and the thick topping is always a favorite. This crisp is great straight out of the oven or the day after. This would be a lovely dessert to display on your Thanksgiving dessert table.

Ingredients
Adapted from Ina Garten

Filling
6-8 Ripe Bosc Pears
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup Crasins
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Topping
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 pound cold unsalted butter, diced

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 11x7 baking dish.

Peel, core and cut the pears into medium sized wedges. Add pears to a large bowl. Sprinkle the vanilla extract over the pears and toss to coat. Add sugar, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and crasins. Pour into baking dish and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, oatmeal and cold butter. Mix on low speed until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is the size of peas. Scatter evenly over the pear mixture.

Place the crisp on a baking sheet and bake for one hour until the pears are bubbly. If the topping starts to get too brown, place a large baking sheet on a rack over the crisp to prevent burning.

Apple Butter

One thing I wanted to do with my mass of apples was to make Apple Butter this year. I overcame my fear of canning when I made my homemade pickles over the summer, so I was excited to jar the apple butter as well.

I chose this recipe because it didn't require the use of a food mill since I don't have one, nor do I want to buy one. Looking back, I'm sure I could have used any Apple Butter recipe and just pressed the apple mixture through a sieve instead of running it through a food mill like I did for this one, but I liked that there was no mention of a food mill in the recipe itself!

This recipe was great. I used the stovetop directions because it was quicker, and it was really easy and fun to do. The only part that is tedious was peeling, coring and chopping the apples, but this little tool came in very handy for that and made the process much easier.

The apple butter itself is smooth and rich, with great subtle hints of fall flavors and spices. Spread this apple butter on toast, English muffins or even pork chops to bring the flavors of autumn to your meal. This recipe is certainly a keeper...I've already made it 3 times this year alone! Additionally, you don't need to jar the apple butter (although it makes great gifts)...you can also put it in a bowl and refrigerate for up to a week. Enjoy!

Recipe can be found at www.MyRecipes.com and is from Cooking Light.

Apple Crisp

It's apple season in my neck of the woods, and boy have I been going crazy with apples! My husband and I went picking 2 weekends ago and ended up with 48 lbs...yes you heard me...48 lbs. of apples! So I needed to think of something to do with them all! Apple crisp is one of the favorites of my coworkers, so I made some to bring in to work after our apple picking extravaganza!

This is a new recipe I tried this year, and turned out great. However, I had to double the crisp and lessen the apples. The flavor was great, but the proportions are off, so I noted what I did in the recipe. I had a recipe last year that I loved but lost the recipe. Then after I made this, I found my recipe from last year! So I'll be making the old one again as well and blogging about it in the next few weeks.

Overall, this was a simple and easy recipe that resulted in a deliciously fall flavored apple crisp that my co workers loved!

Ingredients
Adapted from a recipe by Rachel Ray's Sister

6 McIntosh apples, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces (I used large apples, and this was too many. I'd use more like 4-5)
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I used about 2 tsp)
1/2 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons granulated sugar (I used more like 4-6 tbsp...2 was not nearly enough)
1/2 cup flour or fine graham cracker crumbs (I used flour, and doubled this)
1/2 cup brown sugar (I doubled this)
1/2 stick butter (I doubled this)

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a 9 by 12 baking dish, combine apples, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar. In a small bowl, mix flour or graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and butter together using the tines of a fork and your fingers, working until even, small crumbles form. Sprinkle topping evenly over apples and bake 15 to 20 minutes (I baked mine for about 30 minutes) until apples are just tender and topping is golden brown.

Sugar Plum Pie

I often go to the Farmer's Market with no idea what I'm going to get. Whatever looks fresh and delicious that day, I'll try! I especially love getting something that I've never tried before and then figuring out what to do with it when I get home. This happened with Sugar Plums! They were all over the market, so I had to get some! Like all plums, these had a tart golden skin with a sweet flesh. So since I hadn't made a summer pie, I decided to give it a whirl!

This recipe was great. I didn't skin the plums, thus the pie itself was a bit on the tart side which is what I wanted. I didn't want it to be overly sweet for the summer. However, if you do want it sweeter just add some more sugar. The recipe itself was easy to follow and made a great filling for the pie.

Ingredients
Source: Dessert Internet Cookbook, Recipe from the Serenity Inn - Sonora, California

1 Recipe Pie Dough
11 or 12 plums, pitted and thinly sliced
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg, slightly beaten
Directions
Place one half of pie dough in pie dish and trim the edges. Set aside.

To make the filling, cook plums and water in skillet over medium heat until juice thickens slightly. Remove from heat. In small bowl, combine remaining flour and sugar with baking powder and egg and enough juice from plums to form smooth batter. Stir unto plums until evenly coated. Pour into crust. Top filling with other half of pie dough. I made a lattice design and surrounded the edge of the pie with daisy cut-outs, but you could also lay the sheet of pie dough over the whole thing. Just make sure to pierce the top to let the steam escape.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool. Cut into 8 pieces. May be garnished with a sprinkle of powdered sugar or a dollop of whipped cream.

Tomato & Goat Cheese Tart

This tart exudes summer. The freshness of the tomato and basil is balanced by the rich puff pastry shell and the goat cheese works perfectly with all the flavors described. In addition, the caramelized onions add a wonderful smoothness. This tart would be the perfect addition to any summer party. My husband and I both enjoyed this tart very much, and I will definitely be making it again!

Ingredients
Source: Ina Garten

1 package (17.3 ounces/2 sheets) puff pastry, defrosted
Good olive oil
4 cups thinly sliced yellow onions (2 large onions)
3 large garlic cloves, cut into thin slivers
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons dry white wine
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves (I used herbs de Provence instead)
4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, plus 2 ounces shaved with a vegetable peeler
4 ounces garlic-and-herb goat cheese (recommended: Montrachet) (I used plain goat cheese)
1 large tomato, cut into 4 (1/4-inch-thick) slices
3 tablespoons julienned basil leaves

Directions

Unfold a sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and roll it lightly to an 11 by 11-inch square. Using a 6-inch wide saucer or other round object as a guide, cut 2 circles from the sheet of puff pastry, discarding the scraps. Repeat with the second pastry sheet to make 4 circles in all. Place the pastry circles on 2 sheet pans lined with parchment paper and refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium to low heat and add the onions and garlic. Saute for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are limp and there is almost no moisture remaining in the skillet. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, the wine, and thyme and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned. Remove from the heat.

Using a sharp paring knife, score a 1/4-inch-wide border around each pastry circle. Prick the pastry inside the score lines with the tines of a fork and sprinkle a tablespoon of grated Parmesan on each round, staying inside the scored border.

Place 1/4 of the onion mixture on each circle, again staying within the scored edge. Crumble 1 ounce of goat cheese on top of the onions. Place a slice of tomato in the center of each tart. Brush the tomato lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with basil, salt, and pepper. Finally, scatter 4 or 5 shards of Parmesan on each tart.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. The bottom sheet pan may need an extra few minutes in the oven. Serve hot or warm.

Roast Pork Loin with Apricots

After my friend was talking about meal planning, I decided to dig out a few old cook books and try it for a week. This meal was perfect for the weeknight. I did all the prep the night before and then when it came time to cook dinner, all I had to do was put this in the oven and dinner was done in less then 30 minutes. The pork loin itself was incredibly flavorful on the inside and the outside which was great, and the apricots make for a beautiful presentation. This recipe was certainly a winner in our book!.

Ingredients
Source: Williams-Sonoma Bride & Groom cookbook, page 106

1 boneless center cut pork loin, about 2 lbs.
1/2 cup dried apricots
2 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
leaves from 2 springs fresh rosemary
1 tsp. cumin seeds, lightly toasted and crushed
2 tsp. fennel seeds, lightly toasted and crushed
Directions
One day or at least 6 hours before cooking, stuff and season the pork loin. Use a thin boning knife to make an incision from each end that run the length of the loin through its center. The incision should be no wider then 1 inch. Stuff the dried apricots into the center, one at a time, until the incision is completely filled with apricots. Season pork liberally with the salt and pepper to taste. Rub with rosemary, cumin seeds and fennel seeds.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place pork on a rack in a roasting pan and put it in the oven. Roast for 10 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Cook until a thermometer inserted into the center of the roast registers 135 degrees for medium-rare, about 25 minutes more. Remove from the oven and let rest for about 15 minutes.

Slice the pork, about 1/2 inch thick in order to show off the center stuffing. Serve.

Blueberry Turnovers

With blueberries at their peak, I decided it was high time I made a baked good with them as the star! I've never made a turnover before, so this was a great way to use them.

This was a great and simple recipe. It's like a little hand held blueberry pie which is perfect for outdoor entertaining during the summer time. The only thing I wish was that the filling stayed inside the pastry better so there would be more of the filling. I tried everything to seal shut the edges, but to no avail. A little always bubbled through. But all in all this was a perfect little summer time dessert that was deliciously sweet with a flaky and buttery crust.

Ingredients
Source: Martha Stewart

FOR THE DOUGH

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for rolling
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 4 to 8 tablespoons ice water
  
  FOR THE FILLING
• 2 cups mixed fresh berries, such as blueberries, raspberries, strawberries (quartered lengthwise), and blackberries (halved if large) (I just used blueberries)
  
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• Juice of 1/2 lemon, about 4 teaspoons
• Eggwash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water)
• Sanding sugar or granulated sugar to garnish , optional
  
  Directions
  Prepare dough: In a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar; pulse to combine. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with just a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining. Sprinkle with 4 tablespoons ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed with fingers (if necessary, add up to 4 tablespoons more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time). To help ensure a flaky crust, do not overprocess. (I don't use a food processor for my dough...I just do it in a bowl with a hand held pastry blender)
  
  Transfer half of the dough (still crumbly) onto a piece of plastic wrap. Form into a square 3/4 inch thick; wrap tightly in plastic. Repeat with the other half. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (and up to 3 days).
  
  Prepare filling: In a medium bowl, toss together berries, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice.
  
  Preheat the oven to 425. On a lightly floured surface, roll first disk out to an 8-by-12-inch rectangle. Cut into six 4-inch squares. Spoon berry mixture into the center of each square. Brush 2 opposite sides of each square with egg wash and fold into triangles. Crimp edges to seal. Transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat with second dough.
  
  Brush tops with eggwash. Sprinkle with sugar if desired and make a 1/2 inch incision to create a steam vent in the middle of each of triangle. Bake until golden brown and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating sheet pan halfway through.

Roasted Tomatoes

It's tomato season around here, and with an abundance of fresh tomatoes at every local market, store and garden, different recipes to use them are always welcome. I found this recipe in one of my many Williams-Sonoma cookbooks, and tend to make this with almost every dinner during the summer. It's a fabulous way to use up your tomatoes, and it's a perfectly simple and delicious side dish.

Ingredients
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma New Healthy Kitchen: Main Dishes; Page 101

1 large tomato
1 clove garlic, minced
salt
pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Panko Bread Crumbs

Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut tomato in half. On both halves, sprinkle an even amount of minced garlic, salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil. Add panko bread crumbs on top of both tomato halves and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake on the top rack for about 6-8 minutes, or until bread crumbs are lightly browned. Serve warm.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Cake

With some leftover strawberries and rhubarb, I began my quest to find another great recipe to use for these seasonal items, before they went bad and were gone for another season. I am avoiding making a pie, and I'm not really sure why (do you like my awesome rhyming?! haha!) so I decided to try this crumb cake instead. Mine really didn't come out that "pretty" but the taste made up for it! I loved that I didn't have to cook the strawberries and rhubarb on the stovetop first...one less pan to clean! This was a great recipe and one that I will surely make again.

Ingredients
Source: Sugar Plum

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup milk
1 cup sliced strawberries
2/3 cup finely chopped rhubarb

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 1 (9-inch) round cake pan.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together 1 cup flour, baking powder and salt.
In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together 6 tablespoons butter and granulated sugar until creamy, about 1 minute; beat in yolks (and a drop of yellow food coloring, optional) and vanilla until combined. Gradually beat in flour mixture, alternating with milk until combined, about 1-2 minutes. Spread cake batter evenly into prepared pan.

Top batter with strawberries and rhubarb. Bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the crumb topping: Combine brown sugar, 1/2 cup flour and 5 tablespoons butter; knead together using fingertips or a fork until well combined and mixture starts to clump together. Keep in freezer until ready for use.

When cake has baked 20 minutes, top evenly with crumb mixture. Continue baking for an additional 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into cakes comes out with moist crumbs attached. Cool for 30 minutes before running a knife around outside edges and inverting. Invert again onto platter.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Bars

At the farmer's market, I picked up some great looking Rhubarb to try for the first time. Yup, you heard me. I've never had rhubarb until last weekend! But I have always been really curious to try it, so I thought what better time than now! I've seen a lot of pie recipes, but I really wanted to make something that I could easily pass out at work. So I found these bars on the Land O'Lakes website and it looked like the perfect recipe!!!

These were SO good. I was very pleasantly surprised with how it tasted combined with the strawberries. I tried rhubarb raw at first, and was very much hoping it would taste much different when it was cooked, and thankfully it did!!! Additionally, the crumb crust and topping is fantastic. These went like hot-cakes at my office, and even people who said that the "didn't like rhubarb" were totally impressed with them. This was a great, easy dessert to make with rhubarb.

Ingredients
Source: Land O'Lakes

Filling

1 1/2		cups fresh or frozen unsweetened rhubarb, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2		cups sliced fresh strawberries
1		tablespoon lemon juice
1/2		cup sugar
2		tablespoons cornstarch

Crust

1 1/2		cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2		cups uncooked quick-cooking oats
1		cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4		cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, softened
1/2		teaspoon baking soda
1/4		teaspoon salt

Drizzle

3/4		cup powdered sugar
1 to 2		tablespoons milk

Directions
Combine rhubarb, strawberries and lemon juice in 2-quart saucepan. Cover; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fruit is tender (8 to 12 minutes).

Combine 1/2 cup sugar and cornstarch in small bowl. Stir into fruit mixture. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil (about 1 minute). Continue boiling until thickened (1 minute). Remove from heat. Set aside.

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine all crust ingredients in large bowl. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 1 1/2 cups crumb mixture. Press remaining crumb mixture onto bottom of greased 13x9-inch baking pan. Spread filling over crust. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely.

Combine all drizzle ingredients in small bowl. Drizzle over cooled bars. Cut into bars.

Mini Lemon and Lime Tartlets

I can't take credit for finding this recipe. I can't even take credit for making it. But I can take credit for eating it!

Last week my mom had my husband and I over to celebrate my birthday and she made these to go along side our cake. Of course, she sent me home a few of my own along with the recipe!

These were really great and totally refreshing. This would be the perfect dessert to have at a barbecue over the summer! At first I thought I liked the lime ones best...but then changed to lemon after having one of each! Either way, the lemon or lime is delicious!
Ingredients
Source: Nestle

1 pkg. (16.5 oz.) refrigerated sugar cookie dough (I would make my own dough)
1 can (14 oz.) Sweetened condensed milk
1 pkg. (8 oz.) 1/3 less fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel) or regular cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups thawed fat free, reduced fat or regular frozen whipped topping
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1/4 cup lime juice
2 teaspoons grated lime peel
Additional lemon and lime quarter slices, peel curls or grated peel (optional)

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 325º F. Paper-line 24 muffin cups.

CUT dough along pre-scored lines; place one piece of cookie dough in each muffin cup.

BAKE for 13 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cookies will be puffy. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

BEAT sweetened condensed milk and cream cheese in large mixer bowl until smooth. Gently fold in whipped topping. Divide mixture into two medium bowls. Stir lemon juice and lemon peel into one bowl and lime juice and lime peel into other bowl.

POUR about 3 tablespoons lemon cream cheese mixture over 12 cookie cups. Repeat with lime cream cheese mixture and remaining cookie cups. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. Decorate with lemon and lime quarter slices, curls or peel, if desired.