Strawberries & Cream Cornmeal Bars

with a name like strawberries & cream, you know it has to be good...

The brain child for this dessert literally came from a childhood memory. I had cornbread at least once a week at my baby sitter's house...I'm sure it was more often than that. Anyway, when she served cornbread at dinner we always had butter and jams on hand. I always loved strawberry preserves on my buttered cornbread. So, when I was thinking about this post it only seemed appropriate that I'd create a recipe with these flavors.

But, I needed to sweeten it up a little more, so I thought what pairs well with strawberries? Cream came to mind, but more specifically cream cheese frosting (my favorite). I have to say, I was skeptical of the cornmeal crust. I was worried it might be too gritty, but after trying one of the bars tonight, I'm happy with this recipe. The cornmeal crust gives these bars the crunch they need. Come down memory lane with me and make these dessert bars. Here's how...

Ingredients - Makes 12 bars
Cornmeal Crust
Nonstick Baking Spray (with flour)
1 C Yellow Cornmeal
1/2 C All Purpose Flour
1 Stick Cold Unsalted Butter, diced
2 T Granulated Sugar
1/4 C Confectioner's Sugar
 1/4 tsp. Salt

Filling & Frosting
1/2 Jar (18 oz.) Strawberry Preserves
8 oz. Block Cream Cheese (low fat okay), softened
1 Stick Unsalted Butter, softened
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 C Confectioner's Sugar

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 8x8 pan with foil, leaving a 2 inch overhang on all sides. Grease the foil well with nonstick baking spray (with flour). Set aside.

In a food processor, combine the cornmeal, flour, butter, sugars, and salt. Pulse to mix together. Add 1 T cold water and continue to pulse until the dough begins to form. Press evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake until the crust is golden and browned around the edges, about 25 minutes. Allow the crust to cool.

Once the crust has cooled, spread the strawberry preserves evenly all over the top. Place the bars in the freezer to harden the preserves, about 30 minutes. This helps with spreading the frosting on top.

Meanwhile, make the frosting: In a medium bowl cream the cream cheese and butter together. Mix in the vanilla and then gradually mix in the sugar. Remove the bars from the pan and frost. Note: you will have extra frosting. Cut into squares and serve. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. Enjoy!

Kalamata Olive & Feta Stuffed Chicken Breasts in White Wine Sauce over Couscous

a balancing act...

Continuing on with my goal to eat better in the new year, I'm coming to the realization that I need to have a more balanced diet. While I've been mostly a pescetarian for the past 10 years, I've decided that I need to eat a little bit more meat. That said, I still won't post recipes with pork or beef, but instead, lean white meats such as chicken and turkey will appear more regularly. In that vein, I'm starting with this dinner.

There are many parts to this meal, but each one is very easy to do, and creates a balanced dish. The kalamata olive and feta stuffing is rich and provides moisture to the chicken as it cooks. The chicken is a lean protein jazzed up with the stuffing. And, the white wine sauce finishes off the dish with a little bit of decadence and a pop of acidity. I round out the meal with a simple couscous. When you need a bit of balance in your life, make this dish. Here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 4
Stuffing:
4 oz. Light Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 C Kalamata Olives, pitted & roughly chopped
1/2 C Feta Cheese, crumbled
2 Oil-Packed Sun Dried Tomatoes, roughly chopped

Chicken:
1 T Olive Oil
4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, trimmed
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper

White Wine Sauce:
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 C White Wine
1/2 Lemon, juiced
2 T Butter
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper

Couscous:
1 T Olive Oil
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
2 C Chicken Broth
1 (10 oz.) Box Couscous

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Make the stuffing: In a small bowl combine the cream cheese, Kalamata olives, feta, and sun dried tomatoes. Stir until well combined. Set aside.

Prepare and stuff the chicken: Pat each chicken breast dry. Using a sharp knife, cut a slit along the side of the breast, from top to bottom and about 3/4 the way in. Be careful not to cut all the way through the breast (essentially, you are creating a pocket). Divide the stuffing mixture and evenly distribute between each "pocket". Stuff the mixture into the "pocket", moving it around to evenly fill the breast.

Cook the chicken: Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over med-high. Add the oil and each breast. Cook on each side until browned, 6-8 minutes. Remove to a roasting pan and put in the preheated oven to finish cooking, about 20 minutes.

As the chicken cooks, make the sauce: In the skillet used to cook the chicken, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Deglaze the pan with the wine and lemon juice. Reduce by half, add the butter, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm.

Make the couscous: In a medium pot add the oil and heat over med-high. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, cook for about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir in the couscous, remove from the heat, cover, and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and keep warm until ready to serve.

Serve the dish: Plate the couscous on the bottom, top with chicken, and drizzle with the sauce. Serve immediately with a small salad and a glass of your favorite red wine. Enjoy!

Cherry Delight

hi ho cherry-o

I became an aunt (again) this week! My sister had her first baby - a sweet little girl. Nora Piper Schermerhorn was born Tuesday, July 29th at 5:24 am. She was 7 lbs. 13 oz. and 21 inches long. Wide-eyed and adorable, see the picture below, all is well with the new family. In honor of aunts, I'm making one of my favorite recipes for the summer - Cherry Delight - straight from the kitchen of my great aunt Pauline. I think she made some of the best desserts.

I mentioned that this is a great summer recipe, that's because this dessert is "no bake". It can be made ahead and is ready to serve when you are. It's similar to a cheese cake, but so much lighter with the Dream Whip blended in. I've opted to make the topping with fresh cherries, but this is traditionally served with canned cherry pie filling. If you opt for this topping, I suggest buying the lite version. This is a great make-and-take dish for any occasion...I'll be dropping some off for the new family. Here's how to make it...

Ingredients - Serves 12

Couldn't you just eat her up??

Crust & Filling
1 Stick Unsalted Butter
2 C Graham Cracker Crumbs
3 tsp. Powdered Sugar
Pinch of Salt
12 oz. (1 & 1/2 sticks) Cream Cheese, softened (full or low-fat okay)
1 C Granulated Sugar
2 Packages Dream Whip
1 C Milk (2% or higher)
1 tsp. Vanilla

Cherry Topping
Approx. 1 lb. Fresh Cherries, pitted & halved
1/2 Lemon, juiced
1/2 C Granulated Sugar
Pinch of Salt

Directions
Put a large bowl and beaters into the freezer to chill.

First make the crust: Melt the butter in a medium bowl, 1-2 minutes in the microwave. Add the graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar, and salt to the bowl. Mix until it looks like wet sand. In a 13x9 pan, evenly distribute the graham cracker mixture. Press into the pan with a spoon or the bottom of a measuring cup. Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.

As the crust sets, make the filling: In a medium bowl combine the softened cream cheese and sugar. With a mixer, beat on low to medium speed until well incorporated. Set aside.

Remove the large bowl and beaters from the freezer. Add the two packages of Dream Whip, milk, and vanilla. Beat on low, then gradually increase the speed to med-high to create a whipped cream. Beat until stiff peaks form, 4-5 minutes.

Next, fold the cream cheese mixture into the whipped cream mixture. Once everything is nearly incorporated, there will be lumps, then beat with the mixer on low just until incorporated. It's important to get most of the lumps out prior to beating, too much will cause the filling to loose its airiness.

Remove the crust from the refrigerator, add the filling, cover, and refrigerate until set. Anywhere from 2-4 hours. Note: this won't be super firm when set, it will still be somewhat like whipped cream. This is what makes it so light!

Meanwhile, make the cherry topping: In a medium sauce pot combine all of the ingredients plus 2-3 T of water. Bring the mixture up to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat to cool. Pour into a dish prior to serving.

Serve the dessert: Cut the dessert into 12 pieces, wiping the knife as needed. Plate and top with the cherries. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Enjoy!

Baby Blue Cheese Ball

be a lover, not a hater...

There are some foods that we all just can't agree on. For example, I love mushrooms, but my husband can't stand even the sight of them. Cilantro is another one. I've heard some describe the taste as lemony soap. I on the other hand find it verdant and fresh and use it often in my recipes. I also think that blue cheese is one of those foods that people either really love or really hate. I'm a lover. So, for my next 3 posts you are either going to love them or hate them.

I was inspired to create this recipe from a cheese ball that my Aunt L has made many times and brought to family events. Her cheese ball recipe requires more ingredients than mine, but it's no more complex (both are quite simple to make). I've included her recipe here as well, see below:

The next time you are looking for an easy party appetizer try either one of these recipes. I highly doubt you will love one and hate the other. Here's how to make my version...

Ingredients - Serves 8
1 (8oz.) Block Cream Cheese
1 T Worcestershire Sauce
3 Green Onions, chopped
1 C (4oz.) Blue Cheese, crumbled
1 C (4oz.) Baby Swiss, shredded
Ground Black Pepper
1/4 C Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped
Assorted Crackers to serve

Directions
Allow the cream cheese to soften to room temperature, at least 1 hour. I suggest using full fat cream cheese for any cheese ball recipe as it holds together better. If you do use light, you may have to serve this in a bowl to keep it together.

Put the softened cream cheese and Worcestershire sauce in a mixing bowl. Beat with a hand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed. Then add the onions, blue, and Swiss cheeses to the bowl and stir together. Add a big pinch of pepper and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until able to form the mixture into a ball, about 2 hours.

Form the cheese ball and roll it in the chopped parley just before serving. Plate and serve with assorted crackers. I hope you love this recipe...let me know, leave a comment. Enjoy!

Asparagus Rolls

asparagus in a blanket

My Aunt L has been making these asparagus rolls since I can remember. They are absolutely delicious. I never knew where the recipe came from until a couple of days ago.

She was volunteering at a center where donations were accepted. She was going through a box that had been brought in to decide what could be salvaged. The box contained an older lady's undergarments mostly, but at the bottom there were many hand-written recipes. She could hardly believe anyone would throw those away! So, she gathered them up and has been making this one in particular ever since.

Fresh, seasonal asparagus is wrapped in bread slathered with a blue and cream cheese mixture. Then baked to crispy perfection. This appetizer is absolutely a crowd pleas er and SO easy to make. Here's how...

Recipe - Serves 8
8oz. Cream Cheese, softened (light okay)
4oz. Blue Cheese, crumbled
20 Slices White Wheat Bread
20 Asparagus Spears, cleaned and trimmed
1C Butter, melted

Directions
Begin by mixing the softened cream cheese and crumbled blue cheese in a small bowl. Ensure the cheeses are well combined. Set aside.

Next prepare the bread: cut the crust off all 4 sides of each bread slice. Then, using a rolling pin, flatten each slice of bread.

Time to build the rolls: spread approximately 1T of the cheese mixture on one of the bread slices. Place an asparagus spear in the middle of the bread and roll. The cheese will help the bread stick together. Place the roll, seam-side down, on a sheet tray. Make the rest of the rolls. After all of the rolls have been made, submerge each roll into the melted butter and return to the sheet tray. Place the tray in the freezer for at least 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees while the rolls firm up in the freezer. When ready, bake the rolls for 15 minutes. After the rolls are baked, move the rack to the top of the oven and broil on high for 1-2 minutes to brown the bread.

Allow the rolls to cool on the tray for a few minutes, then slice in half. Arrange the asparagus rolls on a platter and serve warm. They will be gone way before they cool off!