Jul
2014

Ravioli With Mushrooms And Snap Peas

categories: Italian, Main Dishes, Meatless Meals, Pasta
7 Shares
Pin7
Share
Tweet
Yum
Email

Ravioli with Mushrooms and Snap Peas is a unique and delicious pasta dish, flavored with Parmesan cheese, pistachios, fresh sage and lemon zest.Ravioli with Mushrooms and Snap Peas is a unique and delicious pasta dish, flavored with Parmesan cheese, pistachios, fresh sage and lemon zest.

We’ve been experiencing a bit of a heat wave here in the Pacific Northwest.  I’ve been avoiding turning on our oven at all costs, to keep our kitchen cool. We’ve been grilling almost all of our dinners outside!  Last week I decided to try a new meatless recipe for Ravioli with Mushrooms and Snap Peas! Thankfully no oven was necessary, because this dish was made on our stove top.

My husband and I loved this ravioli with mushrooms, even with a few slight changes to the original recipe! I added additional Parmesan to the sauce, and used pistachios instead of hazelnuts, and regular milk instead of evaporated.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Use Packaged OR Homemade Cheese Ravioli For This Recipe

The recipe calls for a package of refrigerated ravioli. I always make my own from scratch, but know that buying fresh ravioli is a real timesaver. Either type of ravioli can be used flawlessly for this recipe. The original ravioli with mushrooms recipe was found on Pinterest, via Taste of Home magazine. It sure sounded good, so I set out to try it!

What is the verdict? A delicious, unique and filling main dish. The sauce on the ravioli with mushrooms is mild, yet full of flavor. I’ve never added snap peas to any pasta recipe before, but found the crunchy texture was a welcome addition to this dish, along with the fresh sage, lemon, mushrooms, and Parmesan cheese!

I Had Fun Making The Ravioli From Scratch!

Typically I make my own ravioli…so I did! I ended up making a batch of cheese/spinach ravioli for this recipe. See? I really made the ravioli from scratch, with the help of my handy dandy pasta machine. It’s lovingly referred to as my own little pasta making factory!

Homemade ravioli that I made to use in this dish.

It was fun to be able to use some of the fresh sage leaves from our garden in this recipe!

Fresh sage leaves from the garden add great flavor to the ravioli with mushrooms.

How To Make Ravioli With Mushrooms And Snap Peas

Cook the mushrooms, garlic and onions in a large skillet. They smell wonderful as they cook down and soften. These flavorful ingredients will be part of the sauce that tops the ravioli later on.

Cooking the mushrooms, garlic and onions for this dish.

Finely grated lemon peel and sliced sage leaves are prepped, and are now ready to season the sauce for the ravioli with mushrooms!

Grated lemon zest and sliced sage leaves to add to the sauce for the ravioli.

Cook The Mushrooms For The Sauce

Cook the mushrooms down, and now it’s starting to smell really good in the kitchen, because of the onions and garlic!

The mushrooms cook down a lot in the skillet.

The ingredients for the sauce have been added to the mushroom mixture. Now the lemon peel and the sage leaves are added to the sauce, for extra flavor!

Sauce and lemon zest is added to the mushrooms in the skillet.

Cook The Ravioli WITH The Snap Peas

Let the ravioli cook for just a few minutes in boiling water. Snap Peas (from our garden-yay!) cook in same water for a couple minutes, then they are drained.

I cooked the snap peas in the same pan as the cheese ravioli.

Add the cooked and drained raviolis and snap peas to the sauce in the skillet, and then gently mix it all together!

Ravioli with mushrooms and snap peas is heated through and ready to garnish, then seve.

Serve The Ravioli With Mushrooms And Snap Peas

And now it is time to dish this meal up!  We sure think it looks good enough to eat! Chopped pistachios and grated Parmesan cheese make a great garnish for the ravioli with mushrooms!

Finished ravioli with mushrooms is garnished with chopped pistachios and Parmesan cheese.

Here’s a close up look at these delicious ravioli with mushrooms! Yum!

A close up look at one of the cheese raviolis.

Hope you will give this great dinner with ravioli and mushrooms a try! I think you will really enjoy it! Have a GREAT day!

Looking For More PASTA Recipes?

You can find all of my pasta recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few pasta recipes you might want to check out are:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe! 

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signatureRecipe Adapted From: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/ravioli-with-snap-peas—mushrooms

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes
PRINT
Ravioli With Mushrooms And Snap Peas
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 
Ravioli with Mushrooms and Snap Peas is a unique and delicious pasta dish, flavored with Parmesan cheese, pistachios, fresh sage and lemon zest.
Category: Entree
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: ravioli with mushrooms
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 387 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1 package (20 ounces) refrigerated cheese ravioli (or make your own!)
  • 1 pound fresh sugar snap peas , trimmed
  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • 1/2 pound (8 ounces) sliced fresh mushrooms (I used baby portobellas)
  • 3 shallots , finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves , minced
  • 2 cups milk (original recipe calls for evaporated milk - I used regular)
  • 8 fresh sage leaves , thinly sliced (or 2 teaspoons dried sage - I used fresh)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh finely grated lemon peel
  • 1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (for sauce)
  • 1/4 cup shelled and chopped pistachios , for garnish (original recipe used roasted hazelnuts)
  • 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese (for garnishing each dish)
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
  1. Cook the ravioli per package instructions, in a large saucepan. During the last 3 minutes, add the sugar snap peas to the water. When done, drain pasta and snap peas.
  2. While the pasta cooks, heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once melted, add the mushrooms, shallots and garlic. Cook this until the mushrooms become tender.
  3. Stir the milk, sage slices, grated lemon peel, lemon pepper, black pepper into the mushroom mixture; bring the ingredients to a boil. Add the 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, for approximately 2-3 minutes or until sauce has thickened up a bit.
  4. Gently add the cooked and drained ravioli and snap peas to the sauce; gently mix to combine and heat through.
  5. When ravioli is hot, place portions on each serving plate. Garnish each serving with additional grated parmesan cheese, followed by chopped pistachios. Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Ravioli With Mushrooms And Snap Peas
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 387 Calories from Fat 144
% Daily Value*
Fat 16g25%
Saturated Fat 6g38%
Cholesterol 56mg19%
Sodium 625mg27%
Potassium 380mg11%
Carbohydrates 41g14%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 8g9%
Protein 19g38%
Vitamin A 855IU17%
Vitamin C 35.8mg43%
Calcium 221mg22%
Iron 9mg50%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Ravioli with Mushrooms and Snap Peas is a unique and delicious pasta dish, flavored with Parmesan cheese, pistachios, fresh sage and lemon zest.

 

Save

Save

Save

Save


Jul
2014

Old-Fashioned Banana Cream Pie

categories: Desserts, Pies/Tarts
138 Shares
Pin138
Share
Tweet
Yum
Email

Old-Fashioned Banana Cream Pie is a DELICIOUS classic diner-style dessert, made entirely from scratch, without pudding mix or canned ingredients! Old-Fashioned Banana Cream Pie is a DELICIOUS classic diner-style dessert, made entirely from scratch, without pudding mix or canned ingredients!There’s just something about a slice of an old-fashioned banana cream pie…this is the “old school” way to make a great pie, made from scratch, without using pudding mixes or any of the modern pie filling products on the market. Try it… it’s EASY and amazing!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Where I Found This Recipe

This is a recipe I found on Food.com. It was first published in 2001. It’s completely EASY to put together, especially if you use a purchased pie crust! Banana cream pie is pretty inexpensive to make, and tastes like the old-fashioned pies my Mom used to make! You know, the kind you get at a great 50’s diner. Yum!

I’ve made this pie a few times over the years, and it really is delicious! If you like bananas, you will go ape for this banana cream pie! Really can’t believe I actually wrote that last sentence – keeping it classy, ha ha!

Buy Pie Crust Or Make Your Own

You can either make your own pie crust (as shown below), OR you can buy a 9″ frozen pie crust and pre-bake it, before adding the banana cream pie filling!

Making pie crust dough in a food processor.

Pie crust dough is processed until it comes together in a ball.

For me, it’s easy to make my homemade pie crust since I’ve been making it the same way my Mom made it for years! Roll out the prepared crust, line the pie pan with it, and form the crust. Prick the bottom and sides of the dough with the tines of a fork. Pre-bake the crust, and then let it cool.

Pie crust dough is rolled out into a large circle on floured surface.

Dough for pie is put into pie plate, crust is formed, and dough is pricked with fork.

Fill The Banana Cream Pie

The banana cream pie filling is cooked from scratch (it’s quite easy). The ingredients are cooked on the stove top in one pan. The simple filling is cooked until it thickens, and then it is set aside to cool. Once the pie crust has baked and cooled, it is time to create the pie.  Line the baked pie crust shell with fresh banana slices.

Cove all of the banana slices in the pie with the creamy custard-like pie filling. Spread the filling out to evenly fill the pie crust. There you have it! You just made a banana cream pie from scratch!

Serve The Banana Cream Pie

Place the banana cream pie in the refrigerator until it is fully chilled. Once the filling has been refrigerated for at least 4 hours, it is ready to serve! Slice the pie into 8 servings. I like to serve each piece of pie garnished with a dollop of whipped cream and a fresh banana slice or two! Can you see the banana slices hiding out on the bottom of the crust?

Banana cream pie is served with dollop of whipped cream and banana slices.

YUM! This pie is filled with banana flavor! It is cold, creamy, and absolutely DELICIOUS! Hope you will give this recipe a try! With the heat wave we’re having in the Northwest right now, a cool slice of banana cream pie sounds pretty good! Enjoy!

Looking For More PIE Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have a nice variety of pie recipes you might be interested in, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Have a GREAT day!

Author's signature

Recipe Source: http://www.food.com/recipe/old-fashioned-banana-cream-pie-14979

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes
PRINT
Old-Fashioned Banana Cream Pie
Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
35 mins
 
Old-Fashioned Banana Cream Pie is a DELICIOUS classic diner-style dessert, made entirely from scratch, without pudding or canned ingredients!
Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: banana cream pie
Servings: 8 slices
Calories Per Serving: 332 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1 9" pie crust , baked per pkg. instructions
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 egg yolks , room temp
  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 ripe (but not mushy) bananas
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
  1. Pre-bake the pie crust according to package directions OR pre-bake a homemade 9" pie crust according to recipe. Cool and set aside after baking.
  2. Place the milk in a large saucepan on the stove. SCALD the milk. (to scald milk simply means to heat the milk to just below the boiling point. Don't boil the milk or it may curdle).. Set aside.
  3. In a separate saucepan, mix together the sugar, flour and salt. Gradually stir in the scalded milk, stirring constantly as you add it in.
  4. Cook on medium heat; stir constantly and cook until mixture has thickened. Once thickened, cover the pan and cook an additional 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Set aside.

  5. Place the 3 egg yolks in a small bowl. Slightly beat the eggs with a fork or whisk, then stir a small amount of the hot mixture into the beaten yolks, stirring constantly as you add the hot liquid. (This is called "tempering" the egg yolks so they slowly warm up; this prevents the eggs from cooking when added to the hot mixture). When the egg yolks are thoroughly combined with the small amount of hot mixture, stir the egg yolks into the saucepan containing the hot mixture. Cook for one minute, stirring constantly.

  6. Remove pan from heat; blend in the butter and the vanilla extract. Once well combined, set the pan aside and let pie filling cool until it is lukewarm.
  7. While pie filling is cooling, slice the bananas. Line the bottom and sides of the pie crust with the banana slices.

  8. Pour the warm pie filling over the bananas. Refrigerate until ready to serve (at least 4 hours). When pie is completely chilled, serve with a dollop of whipped cream on top OR make and top with meringue made from the 3 remaining egg whites. Serve, and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Old-Fashioned Banana Cream Pie
Amount Per Serving (1 slice)
Calories 332 Calories from Fat 117
% Daily Value*
Fat 13g20%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Cholesterol 89mg30%
Sodium 227mg10%
Potassium 312mg9%
Carbohydrates 47g16%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 28g31%
Protein 6g12%
Vitamin A 360IU7%
Vitamin C 3.9mg5%
Calcium 118mg12%
Iron 1.1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Old-Fashioned Banana Cream Pie is a DELICIOUS classic diner-style dessert, made entirely from scratch, without pudding mix or canned ingredients!

 

Save

Save

Save

Save


Jul
2014

Apple Pie Stuffed Won Tons

categories: Apples, Desserts
48 Shares
Pin48
Share
Tweet
Yum
Email

I love apple pie…I mean, really…who doesn’t? If you love apple pie, then I’m confident you will LOVE these Apple Pie Stuffed WonTons! All the yumminess of apple pie, in a bite-sized crispy treat!Won tons stuffed with apple pie filling, fried until crispy, then served with ice cream and caramel sauce is a fantastic family dessert!

Late last summer I went apple-picking for the very first time. I had apples coming out my ears after doing so, but was ecstatic to fill my freezer with apples, to make dehydrated apple chips (yum), bake pies for friends, and experiment a little with some recipe ideas. These apple pie stuffed won tons were another fun experiment!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

This recipe is one of the ideas I had, using some of the amazing apples I picked, (which were Gravenstein apples, by the way). I’d never even heard of or tried Gravenstein apples before, but… I’m not kidding, they were the best baking apples ever! (similar to a Granny Smith).

I can hardly wait to go again this year and pick a bunch more! Counting the days until the farm opens for apple-picking!

Big box of Gravenstein apples. Some were used to make apple pie stuffed won tons.

See? Here I am with the apples I just picked at a local U-Pick Orchard. I’ve got BIG plans for these Gravenstein apples!

I’ve used them to make a Dutch Crumb Apple Pie, an Apple Shortbread Tart, Apple Butter, Apple Crumb Muffins, Mom’s Apple Cake, and Mini Apple Crisps, to name a few.

Woman smiling with a box of apples.

Are Apple Pie Stuffed Won Tons Difficult To Make?

The recipe is fairly straight forward and simple. Won tons are lightly “stuffed” with a fresh apple pie type-mixture, then fried quickly in hot oil, dusted with powdered sugar and garnished.

Here they are, hot out of the skillet, and lightly dusted with powdered sugar. Now the apple pie stuffed won tons are about to get “prettied up”!

Fried astuffed won tons, draining on paper towel

Garnish The Apple Pie Stuffed Won Tons To Serve

Anyway… this is a really delicious and easy recipe (it sounds harder than it really is). The dessert also look very appealing when you “pretty the apple pie stuffed won tons up”.

You can do this with some caramel sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and a fresh sprig of mint! YUM… they are soooo good!

Apple pie won tons on plate with ice cream and caramel sauce.

*FYI – Here’s an important tip, just so ya know… they are best if you serve them warm, right after cooking. If you try to save them for another day, they lose a lot of their crispiness.  If you like apple desserts, be sure to check out my recipes for Dutch Crumb Apple Pie, Apple Cobbler, and Apple Shortbread Tart…YUM!

Your family or dinner guests will love this dessert. It is simple in nature, but looks fabulous on the plate! I’m confident you will enjoy this sweet treat.  Hope you will give it a try!

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Have a GREAT day!

Author's signature

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes
PRINT
Apple Pie Stuffed Won Tons
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 
Won tons stuffed with apple pie filling, fried until crispy, then served with ice cream and caramel sauce is a fantastic family dessert!
Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: apple pie stuffed won tons
Servings: 12 won tons
Calories Per Serving: 46 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For WonTons:
  • 3 green apples (Gravenstein, Granny Smith), peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons water
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon butter
  • 12 WonTon wrappers (found in most grocery stores)
  • 2 cups Vegetable oil (enough to cover bottom of non-stick skillet with 1 inch of oil - about 2 cups)
For Garnish:
  • 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar (sifted, for garnish)
  • Caramel Sauce (optional, but great served with the wontons)
  • Vanilla ice cream (optional, but great served on the side)
  • Mint sprigs (optional, but makes finished dessert look "pretty")
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
  1. To Make Filling: Put the chopped apples, water, cinnamon, sugar and butter in a medium saucepan. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the apples have become soft, and the mixture is thick and bubbly. (this usually takes about 5-6 minutes). Remove from heat and let mixture cool.
  2. To assemble and cook WonTons: Remove a WonTon from wrapper carefully. Place on flat work surface, with corner point facing you (diamond shaped). Place approx. one Tablespoon of apple mixture into the center of the WonTon. Be sure to keep the edges of the WonTon wrapper free of apple filling, so the edges will seal.
  3. Using a pastry brush (or your fingers), lightly brush the edges of the WonTon with water (the water helps the edges to adhere to each other), pull half of the WonTon over the apple pie filling, and lightly crimp edges together (with the tines of a fork) to seal. Important! Make sure the edges are sealed... or the filling will spill out when you cook them!
  4. Heat oil to 375 degrees in a non-stick or electric skillet. When oil has reached temperature, carefully (HOT OIL!) place 3 or 4 WonTons at a time into the skillet. Fry for about a minute, or until the WonTon is golden brown, the carefully flip to the other side and cook until golden brown. When done, remove them to paper towels. Repeat process with remaining WonTons.
  5. Sift powdered sugar lightly over tops of warm WonTons.
  6. To serve finished WonTons: Drizzle caramel sauce onto individual serving plates. Place 3 WonTons on top of the caramel sauce. Garnish with a sprig of mint, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes

Calories do not include the oil that is used to fry won tons.

Nutrition Facts
Apple Pie Stuffed Won Tons
Amount Per Serving (1 won ton)
Calories 46
% Daily Value*
Cholesterol 1mg0%
Sodium 46mg2%
Potassium 6mg0%
Carbohydrates 9g3%
Sugar 5g6%
Vitamin A 10IU0%
Calcium 4mg0%
Iron 0.3mg2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Won tons stuffed with apple pie filling, fried until crispy, then served with ice cream and caramel sauce is a fantastic family dessert!

 

Save

Save


Jul
2014

Apricot Mini Hand Pies

categories: Desserts, Pies/Tarts
1.1K Shares
Pin1.1K
Share
Tweet
Yum
Email

Apricot Mini Hand Pies (also known as fruit empañadas) are little hand-held miniature fruit pies, with a sweet apricot filling inside. Delicious!Apricot Mini Hand Pies (also known as fruit empañadas) are little hand-held miniature fruit pies, with a sweet apricot filling inside. Delicious!
One of the most vivid memories I have of my maternal grandmother is seeing her standing by the stove, cooking fried fruit pies for our family (apple, apricot, peach, etc.) Yum!  I especially enjoy these little Apricot Mini Hand Pies when I want just a little taste of something yummy.

My grandma was from east Texas, so I just assumed little fried pies were a very “Southern” thing that all Southern grandmas cooked. Well, it’s not just a Southern thing, but this recipe for Apricot Mini Hand Pies takes me right back to those happy, carefree childhood days long ago. My Grandma passed away many years ago at age 99, but sweet memories of her live on!

I decided to make some little apricot hand pies one day, for no good reason, except they sounded good, I had all the ingredients, and I was thinking of my Grandma.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Another Name For Mini Hand Pies

I love little fried pies. They are sometimes called “Empanadas”, which are typically a Spanish or Latin pastry turnover, filled with a variety of ingredients and baked or fried. They are usually filled with savory ingredients like meats and onions, but there are also many varieties of fruit-filled empanadas.

THIS is one of THOSE fruit-filled empanada (or fried pie) recipes, utilizing dried apricots that are available at most grocery stores. If you enjoy little fruit-filled pastries like this, you will also love my recipe for blackberry air fryer handpies, or  apple pie stuffed won tons!

Making Apricot Mini Hand Pies Is Very Easy!

The apricot filling only has 5 ingredients. For the pastry, you can either make your own favorite pie crust recipe (this is what I do), or start with pre-made pie crust dough purchased at your local grocery store. Whatever works best for you.

The pie crust is rolled out thin, then cut into small circles (about 3 inches wide – you can use a biscuit cutter or a drinking glass to cut the dough out).

A very small amount of the prepared filling is placed in the middle of the dough circle, then the edges are sealed, crimped, and the little filled fruit pies are fried in hot oil until golden brown. That’s it!

Ten apricot mini hand pies on green doily on plate, ready o eat!
How Many Apricot Mini Hand Pies Will This Recipe Make?

I can usually get about 10-12 of these mini-fried pies made out of two pie crusts. You can use your favorite pie crust recipe (seems like everyone has their favorite) or you can use the one I use for all my pies (see link below).

Hope you will give these apricot mini hand pies a try. They’re yummy little treats…bite-sized, and perfect for munching! Don’t have a clue where the recipe came from for the apricot filling (maybe my Grandma?). I’ve had it for years and years, written on a 3×5 index card. The pie crust recipe is from my Mom (DIY-Mom’s Pie Crust).

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes
PRINT
Apricot Mini Hand-Pies
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
25 mins
 
Apricot Mini Hand Pies (also known as fruit empañadas) are little hand-held miniature fruit pies, with a sweet apricot filling inside. Delicious!
Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: apricot mini hand pies
Servings: 10 servings
Calories Per Serving: 256 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 4 ounces dried apricots
  • 1/8 cup cornstarch
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • 2 Pie Crust Dough (for 2 crusts)
  • Vegetable oil for frying (enough to cover the bottom of skillet 1" deep)
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. In a small saucepan, cook dried apricots in 1/4 cup water, until tender and soft.

  2. Add cornstarch, sugar, salt, and butter to pan. Mix well with the apricots. Continue cooking for 3-4 minutes or until mixture has thickened.  Add additional water, if needed, to thin mixture out a bit.

  3. Once mixture thickens, remove it from heat. Pour into a small bowl, cover and chill completely. Once chilled completely, make the pastry dough and roll out on a lightly floured work surface. Using a biscuit cutter or a glass, cut 3 inch circles out of dough.

  4. Spoon about a Tablespoonful of the filling into the center of one half of the dough. Do not overfill or fill to the edges or the filling will run out while you are crimping the edges!

  5. Once pastry circles have been filled, pull over half of the dough to cover the filling. You should now have a half circle of dough. Use a fork to "crimp" around the edges of the half circle to seal the two pieces of dough together. This is very important, or the apricot filling will leak out while cooking!

  6. Preheat oil to 375 degrees. When oil is very hot, carefully place fruit pies in skillet. Cook a couple of minutes on each side. The dough should be golden brown before you turn them or remove them from the pan. Drain fruit pies on paper towels (to absorb extra oil). Making sure the oil in skillet is still very hot, repeat the process until all hand-pies are done cooking. Let hand-pies cool slightly (they will be hot inside!), then serve and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Apricot Mini Hand-Pies
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 256 Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Fat 10g15%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Cholesterol 3mg1%
Sodium 179mg8%
Potassium 164mg5%
Carbohydrates 40g13%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 21g23%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 445IU9%
Vitamin C 0.1mg0%
Calcium 13mg1%
Iron 1.2mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Apricot Mini Hand Pies (also known as fruit empañadas) are little hand-held miniature fruit pies, with a sweet apricot filling inside. Delicious!

 

 

 

Save

Save

Save


Jul
2014

“Not Outta the Box” Macaroni And Cheese

categories: Casseroles, Main Dishes, Meatless Meals, Pasta
12 Shares
Pin12
Share
Tweet
Yum
Email

“Not Outta The Box” Macaroni And Cheese is a delicious baked pasta dish, with creamy, cheesy sauce and a bread crumb topping."Not Outta The Box" Macaroni And Cheese is a delicious baked pasta dish, with creamy, cheesy sauce and a bread crumb topping.

Comfort food and macaroni and cheese go together like bad singing and Christmas caroling. Always good, no matter what! By the way,  I nominate this for the worst intro ever for “Not Outta The Box” Macaroni And Cheese”. You’re welcome…*cough, cough.

So, here’s the back story. I grew up in your typical, average, All-American household. We didn’t have a lot of money, but we were well-fed. Our Mom often fed us macaroni and cheese out of a lovely blue and gold box (go ahead – insert nationally known name brand here!), and we loved it!

Yes… we loved it…and I have to admit that my hubby and I occasionally STILL eat it when we want something quick cheesy. Truth. We can’t help ourselves, because it’s in our family genes, I guess. The recipe I am sharing is for a BAKED version of this creamy and very cheesy pasta dish.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Sometimes I crave a homemade version of those cheesy macaroni noodles and don’t want to use a box mix, filled with orange cheese-like substances. I wanna go full out and make it  FRESH! I found this easy and very tasty recipe on Pinterest (my “go to”) for quick recipe searches. We tried it, and loved it. End of story. Oh yeah…they all lived happily ever after, their little tummies filled with homemade “not outta the box” macaroni and cheese.

Bake And Serve “Not Outta The Box” Macaroni And Cheese

Now wasn’t that a nice little story? Well, here’s the nice little recipe. My photos of this dish are not some of my best, but don’t let that mess with your head. This is a great recipe for “not Outta The box” Macaroni And Cheese. Hope you enjoy it!

"Not Outta The Box" Macaroni and Cheese after it finished cooking.

Hope you enjoy this recipe. It really is good (despite my horrible photos).Thank you for stopping by, and have a great day.

Looking For More PASTA Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have lots of great pasta recipes for you to enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Recipe Source: http://www.iheartnaptime.net/homemade-macaroni-and-cheese/

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes
PRINT
"Not Outta the Box" Macaroni And Cheese
Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
45 mins
 

"Not Outta The Box" Macaroni And Cheese is a delicious baked pasta dish, with creamy, cheesy sauce and a bread crumb topping.

Category: Entree
Cuisine: American
Keyword: macaroni and cheese
Servings: 6 servings
Calories Per Serving: 873 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1 lb. elbow macaroni noodles
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 cube) butter
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 1/2 cup whipping cream (I used heavy)
  • 1 Tablespoon yellow table mustard
  • 3 cups sharp cheddar cheese , grated
  • 1 cup medium cheddar cheese , grated
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon creole seasoning (or you may substitute seasoning salt)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 cup additional grated cheddar cheese (to top dish with prior to baking)
  • 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs (for topping - optional)
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Cook the elbow macaroni noodles according to package directions. Remove and drain once macaroni is cooked.
  3. In a separate large saucepan, melt the butter on low heat. When melted, whisk in the flour. Cook these two ingredients together for 3-4 minutes. Stir constantly while these are cooking.
  4. Add the salt, pepper and creole seasoning (or seasoning salt) to the flour mixture.
  5. Add the milk, whipping cream and mustard. Whisk these ingredients until they are well combined.
  6. Add the sharp and medium grated cheddar cheese. Stir these as they melt. Stir until the mixture is smooth.
  7. Add the drained macaroni to the cheese mixture; stir it to combine.
  8. Spray a 9x9 baking dish with non-stick spray. Pour the macaroni and cheese mixture into this dish. Add the additional cheese on top, followed by the bread crumbs.
  9. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and the dish is beginning to turn golden brown on top. Serve and enjoy.
Nutrition Facts
"Not Outta the Box" Macaroni And Cheese
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 873 Calories from Fat 450
% Daily Value*
Fat 50g77%
Saturated Fat 31g194%
Cholesterol 152mg51%
Sodium 1083mg47%
Potassium 210mg6%
Carbohydrates 70g23%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 34g68%
Vitamin A 1660IU33%
Vitamin C 0.2mg0%
Calcium 781mg78%
Iron 2.4mg13%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!"Not Outta The Box" Macaroni And Cheese is a delicious baked pasta dish, with creamy, cheesy sauce and a bread crumb topping.

 

 

 

Save

Save

Save


Jul
2014

Watermelon, Lime & Mint Agua Fresca

categories: Beverages
185 Shares
Pin185
Share
Tweet
Yum
Email

Watermelon, Lime and Mint Agua Fresca is an all natural, flavor-filled, family friendly beverage sure to refresh those you love on a hot summer day!Watermelon, Lime and Mint Agua Fresca is an all natural, flavor-filled, family friendly beverage sure to refresh those you love on a hot summer day!

Temps are in the 90’s in the Pacific Northwest this week…so here’s a fantastic, delicious and healthy beverage to guzzle on a hot, summer day… Watermelon, Lime & Mint Agua Fresca!

This refreshing, fruity, delicious drink is perfect on a hot day! It only takes 4 ingredients (including water) to make an entire pitcher full! Yum. This refreshing drink is colorful and all natural, too! 

Lucky for me, we had a huge watermelon in the refrigerator begging to be eaten, a lime laying on the counter, and I grow fresh mint in our garden. How could I NOT make this on a blazing hot day?

The watermelon agua fresca recipe is super easy…and I’m telling you, it’s wonderful! I found the recipe on Pinterest, and am sure I will be making it many times this summer!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Watermelon used to make agua fresca!

How To Make Watermelon Agua Fresca

First you blend up the watermelon, a small bit of water, and lime juice, then you “muddle” (smash) some fresh peppermint into the watermelon juice. This releases the flavor of the mint.

The next thing you will need to do is strain out the peppermint leaves (optional- I did), and serve the drink over crushed ice! That’s it! Easy peasy and yummy! Here’s some pics and the detailed “how-to’s”:

Puree The Watermelon

Blend up the watermelon chunks with lime juice and water. You can do this step using a food processor or a blender. 

Strain the watermelon juice once blended to remove any wayward seeds that are hiding away in the puree.

Watermelon chunks are blended with lime juice and water into puree

Muddle The Mint Leaves For Flavor

Add fresh mint leaves to a small portion of the watermelon juice in a small container. I use a measuring cup for this.

I don’t think you will even break into a hard sweat doing this step… just sayin’.

Fresh mint leaves are added to a small amount of watermelon puree

Muddle or smash the leaves into the juice. I improvised and used the end of a wooden spoon to grind the leaves into the bottom of the cup.

The more you “smash” the leaves up, the more mint flavor will be released into the watermelon juice. That’s a GOOD thing!

Mint leaves are "muddled" into watermelon puree to release flavor

Time For Some Watermelon Agua Fresca!

Strain out the peppermint leaves from the juice (if desired). I have found I enjoy the watermelon agua fresca more if I strain out the crushed peppermint leaves.

All that said, to strain out the leaves or leave them in is ultimately YOUR CHOICE.

Pour the watermelon agua fresca over a cup filled with crushed ice. Garnish each drink with a tiny sprig of fresh peppermint leaves to make it look colorful and cute!

Watermelon agua fresca served over ice with fresh mint sprig

Now all you have to do is sit back, take a sip of this delicious watermelon agua fresca, and enjoy!

Watermelon Lime Mint Agua Fresca is ready to serve!

Hope you enjoy this cold, delicious and refreshing drink on a HOT day! It really is delicious and very refreshing!

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you’ll come back soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, may God bless you, and have a GREAT day!

Looking For More COLD BEVERAGE Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have other cold beverage recipes for you to enjoy, including:

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with lots of recipes, tips, etc..
Would you like to join our growing list of subscribers?

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use.
You can submit your e-mail address there, to be added to my mailing list.

Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signatureRecipe Source: Jennifer Chong at: http://blog.jchongstudio.com/2014/05/watermelon-lime-mint-agua-fresca.html

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes
PRINT
Watermelon, Lime and Mint Agua Fresca
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
0 mins
Total Time
5 mins
 

Watermelon, Lime and Mint Agua Fresca is an all natural, flavor-filled, family friendly beverage sure to refresh those you love on a hot summer day!

Category: Beverage
Cuisine: American
Keyword: watermelon agua fresca
Servings: 5 servings
Calories Per Serving: 56 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 5 cups watermelon , cut into chunks
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
  • juice from 2 limes
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
  1. Place the watermelon chunks, water and lime juice in a blender. Blend until the mixture is smooth. Strain the watermelon puree into a pitcher. (straining helps to remove any wayward seeds).
  2. Remove about 1/2 cup of the watermelon puree and place it in a measuring cup. Add the mint leaves.
  3. With a wooden spoon "muddle" the juice and the mint leaves together to release flavor. Basically just smash the leaves (or grind them into the bottom of the cup) over and over. Strain the leaves out of the puree when done (optional - I did), and pour the puree back into the pitcher.
  4. Mix the juice well to combine, and serve over crushed ice. Garnish with a mint leaf, if desired.
  5. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Watermelon, Lime and Mint Agua Fresca
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 56
% Daily Value*
Sodium 4mg0%
Potassium 223mg6%
Carbohydrates 14g5%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 9g10%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 1070IU21%
Vitamin C 21.5mg26%
Calcium 30mg3%
Iron 0.8mg4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Watermelon, Lime and Mint Agua Fresca is an all natural, flavor-filled, family friendly beverage sure to refresh those you love on a hot summer day!

 

 

 

Save

Save

Save


Jul
2014

Raspberry Chocolate Meringues

categories: Chocolate, Cookies, Desserts
14 Shares
Pin14
Share
Tweet
Yum
Email

Raspberry Chocolate Meringues are light, airy, crunchy and delicious “cookies”, with the bottom of each meringue dipped in chocolate!Raspberry Chocolate Meringues are light, airy, crunchy and delicious "cookies", with the bottom of each meringue dipped in chocolate!

Happy Fourth of July! Here’s a great recipe I found from my good friend Betty Crocker! (You’ve heard of her, right?) I adapted “her” recipe just a bit to include chocolate.

YUM! Who doesn’t like the flavor combination of chocolate and raspberry? I know this is one of my favorite flavor combos (next to my all-time favorite of orange and chocolate…but that’s another post!). If you enjoy orange and chocolate flavor combos, be sure to check out my other meringue recipe called Orange Meringue Kisses!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Is It Difficult To Make Raspberry Chocolate Meringues?

No. If you have never made meringues before, don’t sweat it…they are very easy to prepare. The only time these really take to prepare is the 15-20 minute prep time and a 2 hour baking time on low heat. Make these raspberry chocolate meringues, throw ’em in the oven, then kick back and watch a good movie or read a great book while they are slowly cooking! Easy!

What Exactly Is A “Meringue”?

According to the dictionary, a meringue is “an item of sweet food made from a mixture of well-beaten egg whites and sugar, baked until crisp and typically used as a topping for desserts, especially pies. Individual meringues are often filled with fruit or whipped cream.” So there ya have it. That’s what a meringue is.

When you bake them, they become glorious little crunchy puffs of goodness, and it feels like you are biting into air! Except in this case, the “air” tastes like raspberries and chocolate! Are you following all of this? I hope so.

The raspberry chocolate meringues are drizzled with melted chocolate.

Hope you enjoy these yummy Raspberry Chocolate Meringues! They are really good! Have a great day, and be sure to check out ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page.

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe! 

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signatureRecipe Adapted From: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/raspberry-meringues/1bcfabf2-fefe-4441-9704-faf540115dcd

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes
PRINT
Raspberry Chocolate Meringues
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs
Total Time
2 hrs 20 mins
 

Raspberry Chocolate Meringues are light, airy, crunchy and delicious "cookies", with the bottom of each meringue dipped in chocolate!

Category: Cookies
Cuisine: American
Keyword: raspberry chocolate meringues
Servings: 36 meringues
Calories Per Serving: 54 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For meringues:
  • 3 egg whites (at room temp!)
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • dash of salt
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
  • 5-6 drops red food color
For chocolate glaze:
  • 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 Tablespoon vegetable shortening
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 225°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

  2. Place the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt in a medium bowl or the base of a stand mixer. Beat these 3 ingredients until soft peaks form. This will only take a couple minutes. Slowly add the granulated sugar to the egg white mixture. Continue beating until very stiff peaks form. This will take about 10 minutes. Add the raspberry jam and food color; continue to beat for 1 minute on high speed. Fill a pastry bag (use a decorative star tip) with the meringue mixture OR simply spoon 1-inch mounds onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

  3. Bake meringues at 225°F. for 2 hours or until crisp and dry (might take just a bit longer depending on your oven). Remove meringues from heat. Cool cookies completely before removing from the parchment paper.

  4. Melt chocolate chips and shortening in microwave in 30 second intervals. Cook for 30 seconds; stir. If not melted, repeat. Do not burn the chocolate!

  5. Carefully dip the bottoms of each meringue into the chocolate, then place on waxed paper to harden (chocolate side down-it's okay). If desired, drizzle a little chocolate over the tops of each meringue, as well. Let chocolate harden completely, then store in a completely covered container. If left out exposed to air, the meringues will become "tacky" and will lose some of their crunch, so this is very important!

Nutrition Facts
Raspberry Chocolate Meringues
Amount Per Serving (1 meringue)
Calories 54 Calories from Fat 18
% Daily Value*
Fat 2g3%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 6mg0%
Potassium 36mg1%
Carbohydrates 8g3%
Sugar 7g8%
Vitamin C 0.2mg0%
Calcium 3mg0%
Iron 0.3mg2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Raspberry Chocolate Meringues are light, airy, crunchy and delicious "cookies", with the bottom of each meringue dipped in chocolate!

 

 

 

Save

Save


Jul
2014

Coffee Ice Cream

categories: Desserts, Ice Cream/Frozen Treats
258 Shares
Pin257
Share
Tweet
Yum1
Email

Homemade coffee ice cream is rich and creamy, is easy to make with only a few ingredients, and is the perfect frozen treat on a hot summer day!Homemade coffee ice cream is rich and creamy, is easy to make with only a few ingredients, and is the perfect frozen treat on a hot summer day!

Coffee Ice Cream…yum. It sure sounds good right now! I am sitting here in my Pacific Northwest home, writing this simple homemade ice cream recipe on a day where it will be hitting 95 degrees! A bit of a heat wave today for us Oregonians. Whew…it’s hot out there!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

When it’s this hot outside we LOVE making homemade ice cream! My husband and I love the flavor of this simple and delicious, creamy, and COLD coffee ice cream. I’ve made this recipe too many times to count, for our family and friends. Call me crazy, but I’ve even been known to package up pints of homemade ice cream as surprise gifts for friends!

So Many Ways To Enjoy Coffee Ice Cream!

I’ve added in various ingredients at times (as the mood hits). Some favorite things we enjoy adding are chocolate chips, chocolate fudge, etc. I’ve even served this coffee ice cream on top of brownies, or molten lava cakes (see photo below). This yummy ice cream is always a big hit, whichever way I serve it. We all scream for ice cream, right?

Coffee ice cream on top of molten lava cake with syrup and whipped cream

Enjoy this basic coffee ice cream recipe, but make it YOUR OWN! Add whatever goodies you think would make this even better than it already is!

Coffee Ice Cream in a glass serving bowl.
Nothing beats a cup, bowl, or cone with some great homemade coffee ice cream in it (and maybe a bit of hot fudge), on a hot, summer day. I hope you enjoy this recipe, made in your very own ice cream maker.

Coffee ice cream with fudge topping, in a blue mug

The Ice Cream Maker I Use

I love the convenience of my Cuisinart Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream and Sorbet Machine. NO- I am NOT compensated by the manufacturer for saying that…I just LOVE my ice cream maker!. There is no need for ice or rock salt. This machine just plugs into an electrical outlet, and goes to town making great ice cream ready to eat in about 20 minutes!

I use this electric machine to make ice cream.

I can’t even begin to count how many times I’ve made this coffee ice cream over the years! Sure do hope you will give this delicious ice cream a try… I’m sure you will enjoy it!

Looking For More ICE CREAM Recipes?

You can find all of my ice cream recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have quite a few of them you’ll really enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Have a GREAT day!

Author's signature

Recipe Source: Cuisinart Instruction and Recipe Booklet, page 9 ( copyright 2002 Cuisinart)

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes
PRINT
Coffee Ice Cream
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
0 mins
Freezing Time
25 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 
Homemade coffee ice cream is rich and creamy, is easy to make with only a few ingredients, and is the perfect frozen treat on a hot summer day!
Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: coffee ice cream
Servings: 12 1/2 cup servings
Calories Per Serving: 203 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1 cup whole milk , well chilled
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons instant coffee crystals (or espresso powder)
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream , well chilled
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
  1. Place the milk, granulated sugar and instant coffee crystals (or espresso powder) into a medium sized mixing bowl.
  2. Using a hand mixer (on low speed) or a wire whisk, mix these three ingredients until the sugar and coffee crystals are dissolved. This will take about 1-2 minutes.
  3. STIR in the heavy whipping cream and the vanilla extract.
  4. Once all ingredients have been combined, pour the ice cream mixture into the canister of your ice cream machine, and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.
Nutrition Facts
Coffee Ice Cream
Amount Per Serving (0.5 cup)
Calories 203 Calories from Fat 135
% Daily Value*
Fat 15g23%
Saturated Fat 9g56%
Cholesterol 56mg19%
Sodium 24mg1%
Potassium 100mg3%
Carbohydrates 15g5%
Sugar 13g14%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 615IU12%
Vitamin C 0.2mg0%
Calcium 51mg5%
Iron 0.1mg1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Homemade coffee ice cream is rich and creamy, is easy to make with only a few ingredients, and is the perfect frozen treat on a hot summer day!

 

 

Save

Save


Jun
2014

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

categories: Breads
400 Shares
Pin384
Share
Tweet
Yum16
Email

Delicious Cinnamon Raisin Bread can be made by hand, or in a bread machine. A delicious loaf that tastes wonderful toasted or used for French toast!Delicious Cinnamon Raisin Bread can be made by hand, or in a bread machine. A delicious loaf that tastes wonderful toasted or used for French toast!

Does anyone out there love the smell of a fresh baked loaf of bread? I know I sure do. Well, how about a recipe for Cinnamon Raisin Bread… that extra burst of cinnamon flavor and chewy raisins, makes this a homemade bread loaf I’m pretty sure you will love!

I really enjoy baking bread, using a handy dandy bread machine that I received as a gift several years ago. It’s a real time saver for me to be able to dump the ingredients into the machine, turn it on, and walk away. I can come back a few hours later to a wonderful hot loaf of bread. Best part? The smell of that cinnamon raisin bread baking… don’t even get me started.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Do I Have To Have A Bread Machine To Make This Cinnamon Raisin Bread?

NOPE! The good news here is that you DON’T have to own a bread machine to make this delicious loaf of cinnamon raisin bread. Aren’t you glad? You can make it all by hand (with a little help from a dough hook on a stand mixer or your own brute strength!)

This simple recipe transforms into a delicious soft cinnamon-raisin filled bread that is wonderful toasted or even used to make French Toast (my preferred way – oh yes…so good!).

Yes, it’s so easy, even our family monster “BIFF” can make it!

As you can see from this picture (below), our family monster, named BIFF, helped me make this loaf of cinnamon raisin bread. BIFF (in all his hideousness), makes random practical joke appearances throughout the year in our home. My dislike for Biff knows no limits… he creeps me out!

My practical joker husband once stuck scary BIFF into a huge Christmas wreath hanging over our fireplace in the living room. I hosted an entire cookie exchange party for 20 women in our home one evening BEFORE ever noticing it was hanging there, right by our Christmas tree… ugh!

At least this time BIFF didn’t surprise me in the refrigerator, our bed, my office chair or in our pantry, as he has previously! I have my sneaky, evil husband to thank for the heart attack it almost gave me, finding him there! Most people would hate this as much as me, right? Sigh.

Biff, our scary family FIEND, holding a loaf of cinnamon raisin bread.
Biff, our family FIEND, has been busy baking bread!

Soooo… BIFF and I hope you will enjoy this delicious recipe for Cinnamon Raisin Bread…it’s a keeper! Try making French toast with this bread. Thanks for stopping by today, and I hope you come back soon for more family-friendly recipes. Have a GREAT day.

Looking For More BAKED BREAD Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few favorite baked bread recipes include:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe! 

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Recipe Adapted From: http://www.momontimeout.com/2013/02/simply-divine-cinnamon-swirl-bread/

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes
PRINT
Cinnamon Raisin Bread
Prep Time
3 hrs 30 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
4 hrs
 
Delicious Cinnamon Raisin Bread can be made by hand, or in a bread machine. A delicious loaf that tastes wonderful toasted or used for French toast!
Category: Bread
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cinnamon raisin bread
Servings: 10 slices (1 large loaf)
Calories Per Serving: 110 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 3/4 cup warm water
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast
  • 1/2 cup milk , warmed slightly
  • 3 1/2 Tablespoons butter , melted
  • 1 egg (at room temperature!)
  • 4 - 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 3/4 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup raisins
  • non-stick baking spray
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
  1. In a small bowl, place the warm (not hot) water. Sprinkle the yeast over the top of the water. Let this stand for about 5 minutes. Bubbles should appear in the water (this lets you know the yeast is active)
  2. In a medium sized bowl, beat the milk, sugar, butter and room temp egg together.
  3. Add the yeast mixture to this.
  4. In a separate medium sized mixing bowl, place the flour, salt and cinnamon. Whisk to combine. Add 2 cups of flour mixture to the yeast and milk mixture. Beat until the batter is smooth.
  5. Add the remaining flour, mixture (a little at a time).
  6. Switch to a dough hook on a stand mixer and beat for an additional 5 minutes OR continue kneading the dough by hand for 5 minutes.
  7. Shape the dough into a smooth ball and place it in a large bowl that has been sprayed lightly with non-stick spray. Cover with a tea towel and let the dough rise for 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size.
  8. Once doubled in size, punch down dough; ADD RAISINS, then knead it several times on a lightly floured work surface to fully combine raisins into the dough.
  9. Roll the dough out into a 9x15 inch rectangle. Starting with the narrow end, roll up the dough tightly. Pinch the edges together, to seal.
  10. Tuck the ends of the loaf under slightly, and carefully place the loaf into a 9x5 inch loaf pan that has been lightly sprayed with non-stick spray.
  11. Cover the dough with a tea towel, set in a warm place and let dough rise for an hour.
  12. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the bread for 30 minutes, or until the loaf is golden brown.
  13. Remove bread pan to a wire rack to cool. Let cool slightly before removing bread from pan. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Cinnamon Raisin Bread
Amount Per Serving (1 slice)
Calories 110 Calories from Fat 45
% Daily Value*
Fat 5g8%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Cholesterol 28mg9%
Sodium 283mg12%
Potassium 137mg4%
Carbohydrates 15g5%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 165IU3%
Vitamin C 0.6mg1%
Calcium 24mg2%
Iron 0.5mg3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Delicious Cinnamon Raisin Bread can be made by hand, or in a bread machine. A delicious loaf that tastes wonderful toasted or used for French toast!

 

Save

Save


Jun
2014

Farfalle Pasta with Arugula and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

categories: Italian, Main Dishes, Meatless Meals, Pasta
8 Shares
Pin8
Share
Tweet
Yum
Email

Farfalle Pasta with Arugula and Sun-Dried Tomatoes is a delicious dish, cooked in a skillet and topped with Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs!Farfalle Pasta with Arugula and Sun-Dried Tomatoes is a delicious dish, cooked in a skillet and topped with Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs!

A few nights ago I made this Farfalle Pasta with Arugula and Sun-Dried Tomatoes for our dinner. I found the recipe on Pinterest, and noticed the original recipe was from celebrity chef, Mario Batali (from the TV Show “The Chew”. It sounded good, so I decided to give it a try.

I was happy that two of the main ingredients in the dish were sun-dried tomatoes and arugula. Hmmm…how convenient! Last Fall I dehydrated some of the yummy tomatoes from my garden, and still had some nestled in a jar of olive oil. I am growing arugula in my garden this year, so out to the garden I went to gather the amount needed for this recipe. The original recipe called for spaghettini pasta, but I decided to go with Farfalle (bow-tie pasta), because I had it in my pantry! I made a couple of minor tweaks to the original recipe to suit our taste, then prepared it for dinner! It was really quite good (and TOTALLY easy to make!).

My husband and I loved that this is not a “heavy” pasta dish (AKA “Gut-Bomb”), loaded down with thick sauces. The concentrated flavor of sun-dried tomatoes, paired with the slightly “peppery” taste of the arugula, a touch of white wine, a little Parmesan cheese, etc. makes this a great entree!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Prepping Some Of The Ingredients

Here’s how to make this dish: Get your ingredients prepped before beginning. Arugula from the garden. Check. Sun-Dried Tomatoes in oil. check. Minced garlic. Check. Begin cooking the pasta according to package directions, remembering to reserve the starchy cooking water when done.

Arugula, sun-dried tomatoes and garlic, ready to add to the pasta dish.

Making the Sauce

Gently cook the garlic in olive oil. You will notice how it smells pretty good in the ol’ kitchen right now!

Minced garlic is cooked in hot olive oil.

Add the sun-dried tomatoes and some red chili flakes to the garlic. Stir well to combine and keep the garlic from burning.

Sun-dried tomatoes and red chili flakes are added to the garlic in the skillet.

Pour white wine and some of the starchy pasta water (from cooking the pasta) into the skillet.. Give it all a good stir to combine these ingredients.

White wine and starchy pasta water are added to the sun-dried tomatoes.

Last Steps

Add the al dente cooked and drained pasta and arugula to the tomato mixture. Use tongs to combine. The heat will wilt down the arugula. The farfalle pasta with arugula is starting to look pretty good, right?

Drained pasta and arugula are added to the skillet.

Sprinkle the pasta with some Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and a little extra salt, to taste. Toss to combine. Now it’s REALLY smelling good in the ol’ kitchen! Make sure the ingredients are heated through, and then the dish is ready to enjoy.

Farfalle Pasta with Arugula is mixed with Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs.

Serve The Farfalle Pasta With Arugula and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Divide the farfalle pasta with arugula evenly between serving plates. Garnish each serving with extra bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and serve hot. Easy Peasy.

Farfalle Pasta with Arugula and Sun-Dried Tomatoes, on a plate, and ready to eat.

See? That wasn’t very hard to make, was it? Trust me- the farfalle pasta with arugula and sun-dried tomatoes really tastes GOOD! 

A serving of Farfalle Pasta with Arugula and Sun-Dried Tomatoes, topped with bread crumbs. Hope you enjoy this meal!  I enjoyed the simplicity involved with making this dish, and was pleasantly surprised how much flavor was in every bite! I hope you’ll give it a try when you want to get dinner on the table in a short amount of time! The recipe serves 4, so there’s plenty for everyone! Have a great day!

Looking For More PASTA Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have some wonderful recipes featuring pasta, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe! 

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signatureRecipe Adapted From: http://abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/Mario-Batali-Spaghettini-Sun-Dried-Tomatoes-Arugula

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes
PRINT
Farfalle Pasta with Arugula and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
13 mins
Total Time
23 mins
 

Farfalle Pasta with Arugula and Sun-Dried Tomatoes is a delicious dish, cooked in a skillet and topped with Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs!

Category: Entree
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: farfalle pasta
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 471 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1/8 cup olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves , minced (or thinly sliced)
  • 8 oil packed sun-dried tomato halves , sliced
  • 1/8 cup dry white wine
  • 1 Tablespoon salt (for pasta water)
  • 3/4 lb. Farfalle (bow-tie) pasta
  • 3 cups baby arugula , trimmed
  • 8 quarts water (to cook pasta)
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
  • 1/3 cup bread crumbs
  • 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese (green shaker can variety)
  • Additional salt and pepper , to taste
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
  1. Make the sauce: Bring the water to a boil in a large stockpot. Add the Tablespoon of salt to the boiling water.
  2. While the water is coming to a boil, heat the olive oil (medium heat) in a large skillet.
  3. Add the minced garlic to the olive oil and saute it until it is golden brown. This only takes a minute or so. Be careful NOT to burn the garlic!
  4. Add the white wine and the sun-dried tomatoes to the oil/garlic mixture in the skillet. Bring this to a boil, then remove skillet from the heat.
  5. Make the pasta: Drop the Farfalle into boiling, salted water. Cook the past for 1 minute less that the package instructions say. right before the pasta is finished, ladle out 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water (be careful...it's HOT).
  6. Drain pasta, then add pasta and chili flakes to the skillet with the tomato mixture.
  7. Heat on medium heat, stirring the pasta, etc. This liquid will begin to be absorbed into the pasta as it finishes cooking.
  8. Add arugula to the skillet and mix well. Cook for another minute or so, until pasta is nicely coated with the sauce.
  9. Add Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs to top of pasta.
  10. Taste pasta, to determine whether to add additional salt and pepper. We found adding a bit of salt and a little bit extra Parmesan to the pasta made it perfect!
  11. Serve immediately while pasta is hot! Garnish with additional breadcrumbs or Parmesan cheese, if desired. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Farfalle Pasta with Arugula and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 471 Calories from Fat 99
% Daily Value*
Fat 11g17%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Cholesterol 5mg2%
Sodium 2068mg90%
Potassium 368mg11%
Carbohydrates 73g24%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 16g32%
Vitamin A 570IU11%
Vitamin C 9.3mg11%
Calcium 222mg22%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Farfalle Pasta with Arugula and Sun-Dried Tomatoes is a delicious dish, cooked in a skillet and topped with Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs!

 

 

 

Save

Save