Coconut Mango Parfaits

To start a busy weekend, granola is an easy, nutritious, and tasty breakfast that could double as snack later on. Layered with Welch's Greek Mango Non-fat Yogurt this granola becomes a beautiful and delicious parfait. Make this parfait for your next brunch or weekend breakfast!

Coconut Granola

3 cups rolled oats

1 cup sliced almonds

scant 1 cup shredded sweet coconut

1 tsp raw shelled hemp seed

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup coconut oil, melted

1 tsp sea salt

Preheat your oven to 250 degrees F.

In a large bowl combine the oats, almonds, shredded coconut, hemp seed, and brown sugar.

In a smaller bowl combine the maple syrup, melted coconut oil, and sea salt. Combine mixtures and spread out onto 2 lipped sheet pans. 

Cook for 1 hour and 15 mins. Stirring every 15 mins. 

For the Parfaits:

2 (5.3 oz) containers of Welch's Mango Greek Yogurt

4 Tablespoons of heavy cream

Coconut Granola

In a medium bowl, mix together yogurt and heavy cream. 

Place a small handful of granola at the bottom of each glass or bowl. Carefully layer the yogurt mixture on top of the granola layer. Repeat the layers, ending with the granola on top.

jamie oliver spinach & mascarpone & parmesan pasta

jamie oliver makes me think of adorable British men, London, and pasta. more specifically this pasta- tagliatelle with spinach, mascarpone and parmesan. Ooooh so good. right now, ry is not eating as much dairy so when i make this dish, its mainly just for me. mmmmmm.

make it and tuck in! happy friday to you!

Tagliatelle with spinach, mascarpone & Parmesan

This is a dead simple dish and the mascarpone and cooking water make a fantastic sauce. Nutritional Information (amount per serving) Calories 826kcal Carbs 81.4g Sugar 7.6 g Fat 43.1g Saturates 25.5g Protein 25.3g

Serves 4

Ingredients 455 g tagliatelle or spaghetti olive oil 2 teaspoons butter 2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced ½ nutmeg, freshly grated 400 g fresh spinach, washed thoroughly and finely sliced sea salt freshly ground black pepper 120 ml double cream 150 g mascarpone cheese 2 handfuls Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Method Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the pasta, and cook according to the packet instructions. Meanwhile get a frying pan or wok warm, add a drizzle of olive oil, the butter, garlic and nutmeg. When the butter melts, add the spinach. After 5 minutes it will have wilted down and will be nice and dark. A lot of the liquid will have cooked away and you'll have wonderful intensely flavoured spinach. At this point season with salt and pepper until it tastes good, then add the cream, mascarpone and a little ladle of cooking water from the pasta. Let this come to a simmer and then season again. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the cooking water, then stir it into the spinach sauce. Add the Parmesan and toss everything together. Loosen to a nice silky consistency with some of the reserved cooking water, so it doesn't become too claggy. Check once more for seasoning and serve straight away.

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golden mushroom & pea risotto from the vegan chef

last saturday night i had a craving for something creamy and comforting, so i decided to find a vegan risotto recipe that would still be "creamy" without the butter & parmesan cheese. found it! thank you Vegan Chef  for this great recipe.

there were some tweaks i made to the recipe:
- i used chicken stock instead of veggie stock
- i did not add asparagus (not at the supermarket right now)
- left out the "nutritional yeast flakes" & lemon zest

it was still so good! definately

original recipe from The Vegan Chef


  3 1/2 - 4 cups vegetable stock
1 lb. asparagus, tough ends trimmed
1 cup onion, diced
2 T. olive oil
1 1/2 cups cremini mushrooms, destemmed, cut in half lengthwise, and sliced
2 T. garlic, minced
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine (optional) 
1/4 t. saffron threads
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
1/3 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
2 T. freshly chopped dill
2 t. finely grated lemon zest
  In a medium saucepan, place the vegetable stock, and bring to a boil. Slice the asparagus spears diagonally into 1-inch pieces and place them in a fine mesh strainer. Place the strainer in the boiling vegetable stock and cook the asparagus in the stock for 2 minutes to blanch them. Remove the strainer from the stock and set the asparagus aside. Reduce the heat of the stock to low. In a large saucepan, saute the onion in the olive oil for 3 minutes to soften. Add the mushrooms and garlic and saute the mixture an additional 3 minutes. Add the Arborio rice, stir well to coat it with the sauteed vegetable mixture, and cook an additional 2 minutes while stirring constantly or until rice turns opaque.
Add the white wine (or use some of the stock if omitting) and saffron threads, season to taste with salt and pepper, and stir well to combine. Reduce the heat to low and cook the mixture while stirring occasionally until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Add 1/2 cup of the simmering vegetable stock and continue to cook, while stirring occasionally, until all of the stock has been absorbed. Repeat the procedure of adding a 1/2 cup of simmering stock, stirring, and cooking until fully absorbed before adding additional stock, until all but a 1/2 cup of stock remains. Add the blanched asparagus, along with the remaining ingredients, and stir well to combine. Cook the mixture an additional 2-3 minutes while stirring constantly, adding the remaining stock, as needed, so that the rice is tender and the risotto has a creamy consistency. Taste and adjust the seasonings, as desired.
Serves 4 (main dish) or 6 (side dish)

olive garden zuppa toscana soup

so good it's all gone

recently for a church potluck function i made a copycat of Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana soup.

it was so good that it was the first soup to disappear. 

make it- you will love it. 

and i love how its another kale recipe. 

we just can't get enough kale! 

Zuppa Toscana

Rated: Submitted By: MARBALET Photo By: Traci's Kitchen Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 55 Minutes Ready In: 1 Hour 10 Minutes Servings: 6

"Smoked sausage, potatoes, onion, and bacon are combined in a creamy chicken broth in this hearty soup with kale and garlic."

INGREDIENTS:

1 (16 ounce) package smoked sausage 2 potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices 3/4 cup chopped onion 6 slices bacon 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 cups kale - washed, dried, and shredded 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon powder 1 quart water 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
2.	Layer the sausage links onto a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, or until done. Cut in half length-wise, then cut at an angle into 1/2 inch slices.
3.	Place onions and bacon in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat until onions are almost clear.
4.	Remove bacon and crumble. Set aside.
5.	Add garlic to the onions and cook an additional 1 minute. Add chicken base or bouillon, water, and potatoes, simmer 15 minutes.
6.	Add crumbled bacon, sausage, kale, and cream. Simmer 4 minutes and serve.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2013 Allrecipes.com

Printed from Allrecipes.com 3/25/2013

spaghetti & turkey meatballs

oh ina garten- how i wish we were friends! this spicy turkey meatballs & spaghetti dish was a big hit at our house. i left out the prosciutto and the Italian pork sausage (im sure it would have been even better with them included) and it still tasted amazing. there was still plenty of meatballs leftover to freeze for another time- win!


Spicy Turkey Meatballs and Spaghetti

Prep Time:25 min
Inactive Prep Time:5 min
Cook Time:40 min


Level:
Easy
Serves:
8 servings

Ingredients
3 cups (1-inch diced) bread cubes from a round rustic bread, crusts removed
2/3 cup whole milk
2 pounds ground turkey (85-percent to 92-percent lean)
1/2 pound sweet Italian pork sausage, casings removed
4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, finely chopped
1 cup freshly grated aged Asiago cheese
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons good olive oil, plus extra for brushing the meatballs
2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
3 (24-ounce) jars good marinara sauce, such as Rao's
2 pounds dried spaghetti, such as De Cecco
Freshly grated Parmesan (or Asiago) cheese, for serving
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.

Place the bread in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until the bread is in medium crumbs. Transfer the crumbs to a small bowl and add the milk. Set aside for 5 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the turkey, sausage, prosciutto, bread mixture, Asiago, parsley, oregano, red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Lightly combine the ingredients with your hands. Add the 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the eggs, and stir lightly with a fork to combine.

With your hands, lightly roll the mixture into 2-inch-round meatballs and place them on the prepared sheet pans. Brush the meatballs with olive oil. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the tops are browned and the centers are completely cooked.

Pour the marinara sauce in a large, low pot, add the meatballs, and bring to a simmer.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water according to the directions on the package. Drain and place the spaghetti in individual bowls, and top with 3 meatballs and lots of sauce. Serve with Parmesan cheese on the side.

Copyright 2012 Television Food Network G.P.
All Rights Reserved

chocolate chip blondies

ive never had a blondie before. brownies always were more tempting and delicious looking than blondies. (this does not apply in my taste in men though-ha!) blondies seem dry and not very exciting that is until i checked out barefoot contessa family style from my local library. such a fun read. ina's recipes hardly disappoint. and this one has changed my mind about blondies altogether (but there is some chocolate involved).

instead of using chocolate chunks i used chocolate chips and they came out great.
my blondies did not turn out as beautifully as ina's did however, i think a smattering of chocolate chips on top of the spread out batter before putting in the oven would have made the dessert prettier.

basically a better tasting cookie but in brownie-esque form!

Chocolate Chunk Blondies
2011, Ina Garten, All Rights Reserved

Prep Time:15 min
inactive Prep Time: -- 
Cook Time:30 min

Level:Easy
Serves: 12 blondies

Ingredients
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
1 1/4 pounds semisweet chocolate chunks, such as Nestle's 

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8 x 12 x 2 inch baking pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on high speed for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time, and mix well, scraping down the bowl. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt and with the mixer still on low, slowly add flour mixture to the butter mixture. Fold the walnuts and chocolate chunks in with a rubber spatula.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 30 minutes exactly. Don't overbake! A toothpick may not come out clean. Cool completely in the pan and cut into bars.

Copyright 2012 Television Food Network G.P.
All Rights Reserved

linguine with shrimp & lemon oil

for the last night little sister was in town i decided to make a lemony shrimp pasta.

seriously so delish & easy

keeping frozen shrimp in the freezer makes this a quick dish i can make during a busy weekday 

Linguine with Shrimp and Lemon Oil

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Prep Time:10 min
Inactive Prep Time: -- 
Cook Time:15 min

Level: Easy

Serves: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

For the lemon oil:

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 lemon, zested

For the pasta:

1 pound linguine pasta

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 shallots, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

16 ounces frozen shrimp

1/4 cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)

1 lemon, zested

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 ounces arugula (about 3 packed cups)

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

For the lemon oil:

Combine the olive oil and the lemon zest in a small bowl and reserve.

For the pasta:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until pink, about 5 minutes. Add the cooked linguine, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine. Turn off the heat and add the arugula. Using a mesh sieve, strain the lemon zest out of the reserved lemon olive oil and add the oil to the pasta. The zest can be discarded. Add some of the cooking water to desired consistency. Add the chopped parsley to the pasta and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

* Shellfish Warning

Consumption of raw or undercooked shellfish may substantially increase the risk of foodborne illness.