Recipes

Dessert Designer Book & Baking Giveaway

April 4, 2013 By Alicia Marie 223 Comments

(Disclosure: I received a copy of the book and a baking set but all thoughts are my own.)

One thing the boys and I love to do together is bake delicious treats {and then eat them of course}. A book came out in February called Dessert Designer that is perfect for families like ours. The Author, Dana Meachen Rau, shows children and parents how to go beyond just baking and focus on the really fun part- the decorating! I loved flipping through the book and seeing all of the creative designs and the best part is that most of them looked fairly easy to put together.

Look at this cute design from the book:

Aren’t those so creative? I am so in love with how many cute ideas are in this book and I think the boys are going to love decorating cupcakes to actually look like something {as opposed to just dumping half a bottle of sprinkles on a frosted cupcake}!

GIVEAWAY:

One reader will win a copy of the book, a set of nesting bowls, and a spatula.

HOW TO ENTER:

{Do any or all of the following, leave a separate comment for each you do.}

1) Tell me what animal you’d like to decorate on a cupcake

2) Share this giveaway on a social network

3) Like Capstone Young Readers on Facebook

4) Follow @aliciamarie112 on Twitter

5) Subscribe to this blog via email (look in upper right corner)

Giveaway ends April 14, 2013 at 11:59pm Central time. Giveaway open to US and Canadian residents ages 18 and older only. This giveaway is not associated with Facebook in any way.

Filed Under: Book Reviews, Giveaways, Recipes Tagged With: baking, book review, Desserts, giveaway

Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo {Recipe}

April 3, 2013 By Alicia Marie 3 Comments

INGREDIENTS

8 ounces orzo (rosamarina) – preferably whole-wheat
1 cup water
1/2 cup tomato(es), sun-dried – (not oil-packed), chopped, divided
1 medium tomato(es), plum – diced
1 clove(s) garlic – peeled
3 teaspoons marjoram, fresh – chopped, divided
1 tablespoon vinegar, red wine
1 2/3 tablespoons oil, olive, extra virgin – divided
4 piece(s) chicken, breast, boneless, skinless – (1-1 1/4 pounds)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper, black ground
9 ounces artichoke hearts, frozen – thawed
1/2 cup cheese, Romano – finely shredded, divided

DIRECTIONS

· Cook orzo in a large saucepan of boiling water until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse.

· Meanwhile, place 1 cup water, 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, plum tomato, garlic, 2 teaspoons marjoram, vinegar and 2 teaspoons oil in a blender. Blend until just a few chunks remain.

· Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent burning, until golden outside and no longer pink in the middle, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; tent with foil to keep warm.

· Pour the tomato sauce into the pan and bring to a boil. Measure out 1/2 cup sauce to a small bowl. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes to the pan along with the orzo, artichoke hearts and 6 tablespoons cheese. Cook, stirring, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Divide among 4 plates.

· Slice the chicken. Top each portion of pasta with sliced chicken, 2 tablespoons of the reserved tomato sauce and a sprinkling of the remaining cheese and marjoram.

(Disclosure: The above recipe and image are courtesy of RecipeRehab.com. No compensation was received.)

Filed Under: Healthy Living, Recipes Tagged With: Chicken Recipe, Healthy Recipe, recipe

Tropical Fruit Parfait {Recipe}

March 28, 2013 By Alicia Marie 2 Comments

Ingredients:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 to 4 tablespoons whole milk
1/2 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Pure Orange Extract
4 fruit choices such as finely diced mango, pineapple, grapes, strawberries or whole blueberries

Directions:

Combine the cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, milk and orange extract in a mixing bowl and beat using an electric mixer.
Alternate layers of the cream cheese mixture and the fruit in a trifle dish or parfait glasses by either spooning the cream cheese mixture or piping with a pastry bag.

Note: Approximately 3/4 cup of each fruit choice allows for 2 tablespoons per layer in parfait glasses.

Serves 6

(Disclosure: This is not a compensated post. Image and recipe provided by Nielsen-Massey Vanillas.)

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: Fruit Parfait, recipe, Summer Dessert

Mini Apple Pies {Recipe}

March 23, 2013 By Alicia Marie 1 Comment

Ingredients:

7 Granny Apples
½ cup of sugar
½ t cinnamon
2 T brown sugar
1 Package of pre-made pie crust
Confectioner’s sugar
Butter

Directions:

Cut the tops off of 6 apples and discard the tops. Very carefully remove the insides of the apple with a melon baller or a spoon. Make sure you do not puncture the apple peel. Slice the apple pieces you removed from the inside of the apple into thin pieces. Place the apple pieces in a bowl and add sugar and cinnamon and mix thoroughly. Place the mixture into the hollow apples. Roll out the piecrust and slice into ¼ inch strips. Cover the top of the apple with a lattice pattern with piecrust strips and brush on top with melted butter. Place apples in a baking pan and add enough water to cover the bottom of the apples. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes at 350. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes until crust is golden brown and sliced apples are soft. Slice your leftover apple. Sprinkle the baked apple pie with Confectioner’s sugar and garnish with sliced apple.

(Disclosure: This is not a compensated post. This recipe and image are courtesy of eMeals founder and mother of four, Jane DeLaney.)

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: Apple Pie, Mini Pie, Pie Recipe

Strawberry Jam {Recipe}

March 19, 2013 By Alicia Marie 6 Comments

Ingredients:

1 ¼ cup sliced fresh strawberries
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon coconut sugar (optional)
1 heaping teaspoon ground chia seeds

Directions:

Puree berries in a food processor with the vanilla and optional coconut sugar.
Pour into bowl and stir in remaining whole berries and chia until well combined.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
While you’re sleeping the chia will begin to gelatinize, turning your fresh berries into even MORE of an antioxidant-rich goodness.

Recipe and image courtesy of Peggy Kotsopoulos, Host of Peggy K’s Kitchen Cures on Veria Living. This is not a sponsored post.

Filed Under: Healthy Living, Recipes Tagged With: healthy eating, Homemade, recipe, Strawberry Jam

Two Side Dish Recipes For St. Patrick’s Day Dinner

March 15, 2013 By Alicia Marie 2 Comments

Roasted Savoy Cabbage with Black Bean-Garlic Sauce

Cook Time	20 min
Prep Time	10 min
Yields	4 serv.

INGREDIENTS

1 head(s) cabbage, savoy – cored and cut into 1-inch squares
4 teaspoons oil, canola
2 tablespoons wine, rice – Shao Hsing, or dry sherry
4 teaspoons black bean garlic sauce
1 bunch(es) scallion(s) (green onions) – minced
2 teaspoons vinegar, white – distilled
2 teaspoons oil, toasted sesame
5 dashes hot sauce – or to taste

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 500°F. Toss cabbage and canola oil in a large roasting pan and spread out in an even layer. Roast until beginning to wilt and brown, about 15 minutes.
Combine rice wine (or sherry) and black bean sauce in a small bowl; drizzle over the cabbage and toss. Continue roasting until tender, about 5 minutes more.
Toss with scallions, vinegar, sesame oil and hot sauce until combined.

Nutritional Information (per serving)

Calories:	123
Sodium:	485mg
Saturated Fat	1g
Total Fat:	8g
Dietary Fiber:	5g
Carbs:	12g
Cholesterol:	0mg
Protein:	4g

Red Potato Colcannon

Cook Time	25 min
Prep Time	15 min
Yields	4 serv.

INGREDIENTS

1 pound potato(es), red – small, scrubbed and cut in half
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup onion(s) – thinly sliced
6 cups cabbage, green – thinly sliced, (about 1/2 head)
1 cup milk, lowfat (1%)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper, white

DIRECTIONS

Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a Dutch oven. Place potatoes in a steamer basket and steam, covered, until just cooked through, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and cover to keep warm.
Meanwhile, heat butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add cabbage and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage begins to brown, about 5 minutes.
Reduce heat to low. Stir in milk, salt and white pepper; cover and cook until the cabbage is tender, about 8 minutes. Add the cabbage mixture to the potatoes. Mash with a potato masher or a large fork to desired consistency.

Nutritional Information (per serving)

Calories:	182
Sodium:	653mg
Saturated Fat	2g
Total Fat:	4g
Dietary Fiber:	5g
Carbs:	31g
Cholesterol:	11mg
Protein:	6g

(Disclosure: These healthy St. Patrick’s Day inspired recipes are from RecipeRehab.com.)

Filed Under: Recipes, St. Patrick's Day Tagged With: Irish Recipes, Side Dish Recipes, St. Patrick's Day, St. Patrick's Day Dinner

Bistro Beef Tenderloin {Recipe}

March 14, 2013 By Alicia Marie 1 Comment

Cook Time	45 min
Prep Time	15 min
Yields	12 serv.

INGREDIENTS

3 pounds beef, tenderloin steaks – trimmed of fat
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt, Kosher
1/2 teaspoon pepper, black ground
2/3 cup herbs, mixed, fresh – (such as chives, parsley, chervil, tarragon, thyme)
2 tablespoons mustard, Dijon

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Tie kitchen string around tenderloin in three places so it doesn’t flatten while roasting. Rub the tenderloin with oil; pat on salt and pepper. Place in a large roasting pan.
Roast until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the tenderloin registers 140 degrees F for medium-rare, about 45 minutes, turning two or three times during roasting to ensure even cooking. Transfer to a cutting board; let rest for 10 minutes. Remove the string.
Place herbs on a large plate. Coat the tenderloin evenly with mustard; then roll in the herbs, pressing gently to adhere. Slice and serve.

Nutritional Information (per serving)

Calories:	185
Sodium:	178mg
Saturated Fat	3g
Total Fat:	9g
Carbs:	1g
Cholesterol:	67mg
Protein:	24g

(Disclosure: This healthy St. Patrick’s Day inspired recipe is courtesy of RecipeRehab.com.)

Filed Under: Recipes, St. Patrick's Day Tagged With: Beef Recipe, recipe, St. Patrick's Day, St. Patrick's Day Recipe

Whole-Wheat Irish Soda Bread {Recipe}

March 13, 2013 By Alicia Marie 1 Comment

Cook Time	55 min
Prep Time	20 min
Yields	12 serv.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups flour, whole-wheat
2 cups flour, all-purpose – plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups buttermilk

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and sprinkle with a little flour.

2. Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in buttermilk. Using one hand, stir in full circles (starting in the center of the bowl working toward the outside of the bowl) until all the flour is incorporated. The dough should be soft but not too wet and sticky. When it all comes together, in a matter of seconds, turn it out onto a well-floured surface. Clean dough off your hand.

3. Pat and roll the dough gently with floury hands, just enough to tidy it up and give it a round shape. Flip over and flatten slightly to about 2 inches. Transfer the loaf to the prepared baking sheet. Mark with a deep cross using a serrated knife and prick each of the four quadrants.

4. Bake the bread for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 400° and continue to bake until the loaf is brown on top and sounds hollow when tapped, 30 to 35 minutes more. Transfer the loaf to a wire rack and let cool for about 30 minutes.

Nutritional Information (per serving)

Calories:	165
Sodium:	347mg
Saturated Fat	0g
Total Fat:	1g
Dietary Fiber:	3g
Carbs:	37g
Cholesterol:	2mg
Protein:	8g

This healthy St. Patrick’s Day inspired recipe and image is courtesy of RecipeRehab.com.

(Disclosure: This is not a compensated post.)

Filed Under: Healthy Living, Recipes, St. Patrick's Day Tagged With: Irish Soda Bread, St. Patrick's Day, St. Patrick's Day Recipe

Pie Recipes For National Pi Day

March 12, 2013 By Alicia Marie 1 Comment

National Pi Day is this Thursday, March 14th. To celebrate I have 3 pie recipes to share. I’m not a fan of mathematics but any reason to eat pie I’m a fan of

Below are recipes for Cherry Pie, Peach Cobbler, and Apple Pie. All recipes (and images) are courtesy of Pritikin Longevity Center and Spa‘s Executive Chef, Anthony Stewart.

Cherry Pie Ingredients:

8 cups frozen pitted cherries
4 tablespoons apple juice concentrate
2 tablespoons lemon juice
6 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 cups oats
Pie Crust

Cherry Pie Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except oats.
Place mixture in pie crust.
Pour oats on top.
Bake for 25 minutes.
Let cool then Serve.

Peach Cobbler Ingredients:

½ pound frozen peeled peaches, sliced
¼ cups date sugar
1 pinch cinnamon powder
½ nutmeg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2-oz corn flakes fat free/ no salt added

Peach Cobbler Directions:

Grind corn flakes with 1 tablespoon water (added slowly) and layer on bottom of baking pan.
Bake for 2 minutes at 350-degrees.
Remove from oven and let cool.
Mix remainder of ingredients together and spoon softly over crust and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350-degrees.
Let cool before cutting.

Spiced Apple Pie Ingredients:

5 red Delicious or Fuji apples, peeled, cored, and cut into wedges
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon apple pie spice (such as McCormick brand — a simple blend of cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice)
Juice of ½ lemon (1 Tbs.)
2 cups low-sodium, fat-free corn flakes

Topping:

¼ cup crushed shredded wheat
Pinch of ground cinnamon

Spiced Apple Pie Directions:

Combine apples, water, cornstarch, spice, and lemon juice in a medium mixing bowl.
Lightly spray bottom of pie baking pan (8 inches in diameter) with Pam. To make crust, press corn flakes into bottom of pan.
Fill pie pan with mixture, sprinkle topping mixture, and bake in oven at 350 degrees.

(Disclosure: This is not a compensated post.)

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: Dessert Recipes, National Pi Day, Pie Recipes

Low-Fat Mac & Cheese Muffins {Recipe}

March 10, 2013 By Alicia Marie 1 Comment

Yield: 6 servings of Low-Fat Mac & Cheese Muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups brown rice elbow pasta;
¾ cup Greek yogurt;
¾ cup pureed cauliflower (see Tip);
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil;
2 tablespoon ground chia seeds;
1 red pepper, diced;
1 zucchini, grated;
2 tablespoons almond milk;
½ cup aged white cheddar cheese, finely grated

Directions:

Cook Time: 30 min 00 sec

Ready In: 20 min 00 sec

Pre-heat oven to 375F.
Boil water and cook pasta as directed.
Once pasta is cooked and drained, add back to pot, then add greek yogurt, and extra virgin olive oil. Mix well.
Add ground chia and milk.
Mix well, and then stir in cauliflower puree, grated zucchini and red pepper and cheddar cheese (reserving a little for topping).
Grease muffin tin with coconut oil and spoon in mixture.
Sprinkle top with shredded cheddar cheese and bake for 20min
Remove from oven and let cool
Remove from muffin tins and enjoy!

Recipe and image courtesy of Peggy Kotsopoulos, Host of Peggy K’s Kitchen Cures on Veria Living. Here’s a YouTube video of Peggy preparing the Mac & Cheese Muffins. Enjoy!

Filed Under: Healthy Living, Lunch Ideas, Recipes Tagged With: Healthy Meal, Kid-Friendly Recipes

Benny’s Chop House Crab Cakes {Recipe}

March 9, 2013 By Alicia Marie 3 Comments

Photo By: Tim Turner

Today is National Crabmeat Day and to celebrate I’m sharing a delicious recipe for crab cakes. I hope you all enjoy them! Special thanks to Benny’s Chop House in Chicago for providing the recipe and image.

For the crab cakes:

1 pound lump blue crab meat
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Pinch of old bay seasoning
2 pieces of scallion – thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chives – thinly sliced
1 whole egg
2 dashes of Tabasco
2 dashes of worchestershire sauce
¼ cup and ½ cup panko bread crumb measured separately
TT salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350˚ F. In a large mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, old bay, scallions, chives, egg, Tabasco, worchestershire sauce, and salt and pepper. Whisk together the ingredients until mixed thoroughly. Drain excess liquid from the lump blue crab meat. Gently fold the crab meat and ¼ cup of panko into the mixture. Check crab cake mix for seasoning. Form into 4 patties. Dredge the crab cakes in remaining ½ cup of panko.

After the crab cakes are formed, make the horseradish and mustard mayonnaise.

• 3 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 pint vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon horseradish drained of excess liquid

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, white vinegar, lemon juice, kosher salt, Dijon and whole grain mustard, and cayenne. Slowly add the vegetable oil, a few drops at a time, and then a steady stream to create an emulsion. Lastly, add the drained horseradish.

To finish the crab cakes:
In a sauté pan over medium/high heat, add a splash of olive oil. Gently place the crab cakes into hot sauté pan and sear until golden brown. Using a spatula, delicately flip the crab cakes. Place into oven for 3-4 minutes until cooked through.

While the crab cakes are in the oven, spread a spoonful of horseradish and mustard mayo on a small appetizer plate. Remove the crab cakes from the oven and blot on a paper towel to remove any excess oil. Place crab cake halfway on the sauced area of the plate and halfway off. Top with a few leaves of arugula for garnish.

(Disclosure: This is not a compensated post. Recipe and image provided by Benny’s Chop House in Chicago.)

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: Benny's Chop House, Crab Cakes, National Crabmeat Day

Iced Mint Oreo Brownies {Recipe}

March 8, 2013 By Alicia Marie 1 Comment

Ingredients:

Aluminum foil
Cooking spray
7 oz jar marshmallow fluff
1/8 t mint extract
10 drops green food coloring
1 box brownie mix
Vegetable oil (amount depends on the brownie mix)
Eggs (amount depends on the brownie mix)
17 oz package cool mint Oreo cookies
3/4 c white chocolate chips
1/4 t vanilla extract
1 canister vanilla frosting

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9×13 pan with foil & spray it with cooking spray. In medium bowl, stir marshmallow fluff, mint extract, & 5 drops of food coloring (or more) until light green color is achieved. In a large bowl, prepare the brownie mix as directed on the box, using water, oil, eggs, & fold in 12 hand crumbled Oreos at the end. Spread brownie batter in prepared pan. Place random dollops (about 1/2 c) of the green marshmallow mixture on top of brownie batter & save the rest for later. Gently pull a table knife through batter in S-shaped curves for a swirled looking top to your brownies. Bake until brownies are set, being careful not to overbake. I originally set my timer for 25 minutes but ended up having to bake them for around 40 minutes until they were done in the center. Cool brownies completely before icing. In another small microwave-safe bowl, melt the white chocolate chips for 30 second intervals. Take out the chips and stir in between each 30 second intervals until they are completely melted and smooth. Add the melted white chocolate chips, vanilla extract, & the vanilla frosting to the reserved marshmallow mixture. Stir in 5 drops of food coloring or until your desired level of green is achieved. Once the ingredients are blended, spread over cooled brownies. Crumble Oreos by hand and sprinkle them over the brownies, pressing them in lightly. Let it set before slicing and serving.

Recipe and image courtesy of eMeals founder and mother of four, Jane DeLaney.

Filed Under: Recipes, St. Patrick's Day Tagged With: Brownies, Dessert Recipe, Desserts, St. Patrick's Day Treats

Three Leaf Chocolate Clovers {Recipe}

March 7, 2013 By Alicia Marie 3 Comments

Ingredients:

1 bag of Hershey Kisses
Green M&Ms (You may have to pick them out of a regular bag of M&Ms)
1 bag of pretzel knots
Wax Paper
½ cup Confectioner’s Sugar
Green food coloring
¼ stick of butter
2 T of milk

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 200°. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Place the pretzels on the cookie sheet. Place an unwrapped Hershey Kiss on each pretzel. Place the cookie sheet in the oven. Allow chocolates to melt until they become soft. Remove cookie sheet from the oven and promptly press the chocolate flat on the pretzel. Add three green M&Ms to the pretzels to form a three leaf clover. Allow the pretzels to cool completely. In a mixing bowl add Confectioner’s sugar, green food coloring, butter and milk. Add food coloring until you get your desired color. The consistency of the mixture needs to be like play dough. You can keep adding Confectioner’s sugar until desired consistency. Pinch off a piece of the icing and roll the stem of the clover with your fingers and add to the pretzel. Enjoy!

Image and recipe provided by emeals founder, Jane DeLaney.

Filed Under: Recipes, St. Patrick's Day Tagged With: recipe, St. Patrick's Day, Treats

Makeover Your Leftovers In One Minute!

March 7, 2013 By Alicia Marie 1 Comment

Every week we have at least one or two nights that are leftover night. That means we pull out food that we’ve already cooked that week and we eat whatever was left over from the last meal. Sometimes I don’t mind leftovers and welcome eating my favorite meals but other times I just don’t want the same thing again.

Lucky for me I was introduced to Minute Ready To Serve Rice so I can reinvent dinner on leftover night. Sinisa had beef in gravy last night with mashed potatoes. I’m not a huge fan of mashed potatoes and prefer noodles or rice. Since there was leftover beef I decided to create a dinner that I wanted to eat and I was able to do so in less than two minutes with this new Minute rice product!

These rice bowls are seriously awesome because all you do is take the lid off and stick it in the microwave. There is no adding water or other ingredients to the bowls. The rice cooks for one minute and when you take it out of the microwave you are left with a bowl of fluffy rice.

After I cooked the rice I stuck a piece of beef on a plate and heated it up for 45 seconds. 15 seconds to put the meat on the rice and voila! Daddy’s leftovers made Mommy friendly with rice!

It was so delicious! One bowl doesn’t seem like a lot of rice but it’s perfect for a single meal!

I tried the Long Grain White Rice kind but they have other varieties as well.

Minute® Ready to Serve Rice is an ideal portable solution for lunch or breakfast because you can eat it on the go, straight from the cup. In just 60 seconds, you have fully cooked rice for any meal or snack. You’ll never get bored with your lunch since there are 10 flavorful and wholesome varieties. If you’re looking for a healthy option, Minute® Ready to Serve Rice provides easy portion control since it’s conveniently packaged in two individual single-serve cups.

Visit http://www.minuterice.com/ for recipes, including Minute® Ready to Serve Stir it Up recipe ideas and more information about the Minute® Rice family of products.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Minute® Ready to Serve Rice.

Filed Under: Lunch Ideas, Recipes Tagged With: Dinner Idea, Leftover Makeover, Leftovers

Black Bean Avocado Dip {Recipe}

March 2, 2013 By Alicia Marie 1 Comment

Ingredients:

· 2 Cups Canned Black Beans, Drained and Rinsed

· 2 Avocados, Diced

· 2 Plum Tomatoes, Diced

· 1 Bunch of Scallions, Chopped

· 2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Cilantro

· 1 Medium Red Onion, Diced

· 5 Oz. Italian Dressing

Directions:

In a large bowl, place black beans, avocados, tomatoes, scallions, cilantro, red onion and toss with Italian dressing.

Recipe and image courtesy of Maria Zoitas, creator of “Maria’s Homemade” line of prepared food sold exclusively at Westside Market NYC.

(Disclosure: I was not compensated for posting this recipe.)

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: Appetizer, Black Bean Avocado Dip, recipe

Blueberry Applesauce {Recipe}

February 26, 2013 By Alicia Marie 4 Comments

I like applesauce so when Target sent me this recipe to share with you all I thought it sounded delicious. Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:
2 apples, peeled, cored and cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. cinnamon, if desired
1 pkg. (12 oz.) Market Pantry Frozen Blueberries

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients in large saucepan. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat.
2. Simmer uncovered about 5 minutes until apples are tender, stirring occasionally. Serve warm or cool.

(Disclosure: This was not a compensated post. Recipe and blueberry image courtesy of Target. To find other recipes from Target’s kitchen you can visit their online magazine.)

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: Applesauce Recipe, Blueberry Applesauce, Target

Eggplant Caponata Dip {Recipe}

February 24, 2013 By Alicia Marie 6 Comments

Today is National Tortilla Day so I wanted to share a dip with you all to celebrate the day. This Eggplant Caponata Dip recipe is courtesy of Maria Zoitas’, creator of “Maria’s Homemade” line of prepared food sold exclusively at Westside Market NYC.

Ingredients:

½ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Large Onion, Diced
2 Celery Ribs, Diced
1 Red Pepper, Seeded and Diced
2 Eggplant, Cut into ½-inch Cubes
2 Tomatoes, Peeled, Seeded and Chopped
2 Tbsp. Capers, Drained
½ Cup Pitted Green Olives
¼ Cup Red Wine Vinegar
¼ Cup Chopped Parsley
Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Heat oil in frying pan
Cook garlic, onion, celery, red pepper and eggplant until soft
Stir in tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes
Put vegetables in bowl and toss with capers, olives, vinegar, parsley, salt and pepper
Taste, adding more vinegar and olive oil as needed

(Disclosure: I was not compensated for posting this recipe.)

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: Appetizer Recipe, Dip Recipe, National Tortilla Day

Keep In Touch

Dessert Designer Book & Baking Giveaway

Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo {Recipe}

Menu Plan {April 1st-7th}

Tropical Fruit Parfait {Recipe}

Mini Apple Pies {Recipe}

Strawberry Jam {Recipe}

Two Side Dish Recipes For St. Patrick’s Day Dinner

Nutritional Information (per serving)

Nutritional Information (per serving)

Bistro Beef Tenderloin {Recipe}

Nutritional Information (per serving)

Whole-Wheat Irish Soda Bread {Recipe}

Nutritional Information (per serving)

Pie Recipes For National Pi Day

Menu Plan {March 11th-17th}

Low-Fat Mac & Cheese Muffins {Recipe}

Benny’s Chop House Crab Cakes {Recipe}

Iced Mint Oreo Brownies {Recipe}

Three Leaf Chocolate Clovers {Recipe}

Makeover Your Leftovers In One Minute!

Menu Plan {March 4th-10th}

Black Bean Avocado Dip {Recipe}

Blueberry Applesauce {Recipe}

Eggplant Caponata Dip {Recipe}

Subscribe to Blog via Email:

Contact Me:

Running For A Cause:

Current Giveaways:

Brand Affiliations & Ambassadorships:

Blogging for a Cause:

Proud To Be Associated With:

Chicago Blogger:

Special Needs Parenting:

Theme Customization & Hosting By: