Sex In A Pan

It's time to bring another birthday treat to work...May is almost over and I haven't treated the birthday gals and guys.  I made this up today to take to work tomorrow.  It is a Pinterest recipe, posted with the title as is. 

Crust:
1 c. flour
3 T. sugar
1/2 c. butter
1 c. chopped nuts
Mix well. Press into a 13 x 9 pan and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  Cool completely.

Cream cheese layer: 
2  8 0z. pkgs. cream cheese
1 c. powdered sugar
1 c. cool whip or whipped cream
Mix cream cheese and powdered sugar.  Mix in cool whip.  Spread on cooled crust.

Vanilla pudding:
1 small pkg. instant vanilla pudding
2 c. milk
Beat for 2 minutes.  Spread over cream cheese layer.

Chocolate pudding
1 small pkg. instant chocolate pudding
2 c. milk
Beat for 2 minutes.  Pour over vanilla layer.

Last layer:
Cover with cool whip.
Chop one large Hershey bar finely and sprinkle over top.   Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Dessert

Tonight we are having a BBQ, and since we are hosting I am pretty much doing the cooking...including dessert.  My sweetheart has had a chocolate craving going on now for a week...sooo  I am making this dessert to satisfy his craving.  It is simple to prepare and goes together easily.  You just need to give it a couple hours in the refrigerator before serving.  This recipe was a Taste of Home winner recipe.
***NOTE: Put this in the freezer like an ice cream pie...really yummy!

• 20 chocolate cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, divided
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, divided
• 1 carton (16 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
• 15 miniature peanut butter cups, chopped
• 1 cup cold milk
• 1 package (3.9 ounces) instant chocolate fudge pudding mix

Directions

• Crush cookies and mix with butter.  Press into an 8 x 8 pan.
• Mix cream cheese, peanut butter and 1 c. of the confectionary sugar.  Then fold in 1/2 carton of Cool Whip.
• Pour cool whip mixture on top of crumbs in pan.  
•  
• Mix milk, pudding, and remaining sugar for 2 minutes.  Let set for 2 minutes.  Fold in remaining Cool Whip and pour mixture into pan.   
• Refrigerate for 2 hours.
•  

Calico Baked Beans

It's BBQ weekend here...the official start of summer holiday weekend.  This is a great recipe that my husband makes for yummy baked beans.  Baked beans go with anything you might be barbequing..so cook them up and dig it:)

2 cans garbanzo beans
1 can of lima beans
1 can kidney beans
1 large can pork and beans
1 c. brown sugar
1 T. vinegar
1/2 c. ketchup
1 t. mustard
1 c. chopped onion
1 # hamburger, cooked
1/2 # bacon. sliced and cooked
Combine all ingredients. Do not drain beans.  Stir well.  Combine and place in a large casserole dish.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  

**crockpot version...put all ingredients in crockpot and cook on low 6-8 hours

Aunt Louise's Coffeecake

Tonight was one of those nights for a lighter dinner.  We had breakfast for dinner...a nice farmer's breakfast with spinach, potatoes, peppers, eggs and feta cheese.  Yummy.  Just to have a little something special with it, I made up this recipe.  It is one of my sweetheart's favorites.

Cake:
1/4 c. butter
3/4 c. sugar
1 egg
1/2 c. milk
1 t. vanilla
1 1/2 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
Combine first 5 ingredients with a mixer.  Add remaining ingredients.  Spread 1/2 of the batter in a greased 8x 8 pan.  Reserve the remaining batter.

Filling:
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 T. melted butter
2 t. cinnamon
2 T. flour
Mix well.  Take 1/2 of the filling mixture and sprinkle over the batter in the pan.  Cover with the remaining reserved batter.  Sprinkle with the remaining filling.
Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.  Serve with a dab of butter on top.

Thai Turkey Burgers

Yum...let's just keep the warm weather going and the BBQ too!  Tonight we grilled these yummy burgers...serve them on the roll of your choice with some fresh spinach leaves and a little peanut sauce.
Delicious!

1# ground turkey
1/2 c. grated carrot
1 green onion, chopped
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
3 T. chopped cilantro
1/2 t. salt

Combine all ingredients.  Shape into patties and grill.

Grilled Chicken Ratatouille

The weather is sunny and warm here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.  Tonight is a great night to walk the dogs on the beach, not spend the evening in the kitchen.  An easy BBQ dinner that is healthy too is on the menu.  This is also a great meal for those of you eating low carb.  This recipe comes from "Eating Well by Season."

4 chicken breasts
2 T. oil
1 t. marjoram
1 t. basil
Mix oil, basil, and marjoram.  Brush onto chicken.

1 large zucchini, cut in half
1 red pepper, cut in 1/4's
1 eggplant, cut in 1/2" rounds
1/4 onion, sliced
4 tomatoes, quartered
1 T. olive oil
1 T. red wine vinegar
Spray vegetables and place on grill.  Grill 4-5 minutes.  Remove, chop in large chunks and combine in a bowl with olive oil and vinegar.

Grill chicken until done.  Serve with vegetables on the side.

Grilled Salmon (or Halibut) with Citrus Salsa Verde

This is a very good recipe from Giada de Laurentiis's  "Giada At Home"  cookbook.  The original recipe calls for salmon, but I have some great Halibut and I substituted that.   It is simple and delicious.  Grill it up with a salad and bread for a fabulous Mother's Day treat.

Salsa
2 large oranges
3 T. lemon juice
1 t. lemon zest
1/4 c. olive oil
1/2 c. parsley
2 scallions or green onions, finely chopped
3 T. mint
2 T. capers
1 t. red pepper flakes

Grate 2 T. zest from the oranges  and put in a medium sized bowl.  Peel and trim the ends from each orange with a sharp knife.  Using a paring knife, cut along the the membrane on both sides of each segment.  Free the segments and place on a cutting board.  Coarsely chop the segments and scoop them into the bowl with the orange zest.  Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, scallions, mint, capers and red pepper flakes.  Toss lightly and set aside.

Fish
4 salmon or halibut fillets
2 T. agave nectar or maple syrup

Place a grill pan over medium heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill.  Brush the rack with oil.  Brush the fish with the agave nectar and season with salt and pepper.  Grill for 3-4 minutes on each side or until the fish flakes easily.  Transfer to a platter and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
Spoon the salsa on top of the fish. 

Mom's Cheesecake

Well, Mother's Day draws near.  If you are having mom over for dinner, or want to bake up something good for her..here is a suggestion.  This is a cheesecake recipe my mom makes.  It is fairly simple and you can make it in a 13 x 9 pan..no special springform pan required.

Crust:
1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs
1/4 lb. melted butter (1/2 c.)
1/2 c. sugar
Mix crust ingredients and press into a 13 x 9 pan.

Filling:
2 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
3 eggs
1/2 c. sugar

Cream together filling ingredients. Pour on top of crust. Bake at 375 for 2o minutes.  Cool 20 minutes.

Topping:  2 pts. sour cream
1/4 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla

Mix topping ingredients.  Pour on top of cheesecake.  Bake again at 375 for 10 minutes more.  Cool.

Can be served with a fruit topping over the sour cream layer.

Easy Thai Pizza

Quick and easy.  Don't have time to deal with pizza dough?  Just want a few individual pizzas?  This is the recipe for you!

Start with some middle Eastern flatbreads.  Warm them up in the microwave, and put onto a cooky sheet.  Top with about 2 T. peanut sauce.  On top of the peanut sauce (for each pizza) sprinkle 1/2 c. mozzarella cheese, 1/4 c. bean sprouts, 1 T. grated carrot, 1 T. cilantro, 1 T. peanuts.  Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes.

Thai Noodle Bowl with Shrimp

This is a great easy dinner to make on one of those busy work day evenings.  It is light, healthy, and so good.  I served it with Easy Thai pizzas.

4 oz. rice noodles (I just used rice fettucine)
1 can coconut milk
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. red curry paste
1# peeled, deveined shrimp
2 c. snow peas
salt and pepper
cilantro
lime wedges
1/2 can bean sprouts
Cook rice noodles, drain.  In the same saucepan combine coconut milk, soy sauce, red curry paste, and snow peas.  Bring to a simmer.  Simmer 3 minutes.  Add shrimp and rice noodles.  Cook another 3-4 minutes, or until shrimp is done.
Serve in bowls with a sprinkling of cilantro and lime wedges.

Nutella Pie with Nutter Butter Crust

I love chocolate and my husband is crazy over Nutella.  We both love peanut butter.  So this dessert is a sure winner in our house.  It is very good, goes together quickly, and you don't even have to bake it!  Come on!  You know you want to try this!

Crust:
24 Nutter Butter cookies, crushed in a food processor
1/4 c. melted margarine

Combine crust ingredients and the press into a 9" greased pie plate.  Put into the refrigerator while you make the filling.

Filling:
2 8 oz. blocks of cream cheese
3/4 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
1/2 c. Nutella
1/2 c. cream

Mix the cream cheese and sugar until creamy.  Add in the vanilla and Nutella.  Mix well.  Turn speed of mixer down to low and slowly add in the cream.  When the cream is well mixed in, turn the mixer on high and beat until the mixture is nice and thick.  Pour into the Nutter Butter crust.  Refrigerate.

Ganache topping:
1/4 c. Nutella
1/4 c. cream
Heat cream, then slowly mix in the Nutella.  Pour over pie.  Refrigerate.

Avocado Lime Pico de Gallo

It's Cinco de Mayo!  Tonight with our Mexican chicken mole, we will be having this delicious pico de gallo with chips.  It is a combination of guacamole and salsa, with a little kick of lime.  So good, and easy to make!

2 Roma tomatoes, chopped fine
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
1 c. cilantro, chopped
2 jalapenos, chopped
zest of one lime
juice of one lime

Mix all ingredients and enjoy!  Come on now, everyone can make this:)

Strawberry Mousse

I know you all love chocolate mousse, and I am certainly never one to downplay the taste of chocolate.  But this is another light mousse..light and airy, tasting of summer to come.  Put a few ladyfingers in a martini glass, put this mousse in the middle, top it with whipped cream and you have a wonderful fancy dessert....how about for Mother's day?

Strawberry Mousse

2 pints fresh strawberries, pureed
1 c. sugar
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/4 c. lemon juice
2 egg whites
1 1/2 c. whipping cream
Combine puree and sugar in a medium bowl.  Soften gelatin in lemon juice, dissolve over hot water.(Stir over another bowl with hot water in it, or over a pot with hot water in it.)   Stir gelatin into puree.  Beat egg whites until foamy and add to puree.  Place mixture into the freezer.

When partially frozen, about 45 minutes later, beat in a food processor or blender until pale pink.  Transfer to a bowl.  Whip 1 c. of the cream and fold into berry mixture.  Place in serving sidhes.  Decorate with more whipped cream and and a strawberry.