We celebrated my grandmother’s birthday over the weekend and she had 1 request: coconut cream pie. Though I have never made one before, I volunteered for the job (I LOVE baking!). Little did I know that the baby would be a clingy fuss all day Saturday, allowing me no time to bake; or that it would be too humid Sunday morning for my egg whites to peak into meringue. So, I did the best I could with what time and resources I did have. I could have spend an hour baking a delicious, from scratch, pie … but I didn’t and it got rave reviews. So, I of course had to share it with you!

The kiddo had asked for Peppermint Ice Cream last week, which I was happy to oblige.  But I felt that the minty flavor needed a little chocolate to go with it … doesn’t everything taste better with a little chocolate?  So, I whipped up these easy cookies, thanks to my trusty epicurious app on my iPhone (you can also find the recipe here).

YUMMY CHOCOLATE COOKIES

Recipe courtesy of PARADE, August 2009 (by Sheila Lukins)

INGREDIENTS
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon espresso
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, espresso, and salt into a bowl. Reserve. In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until it is light and fluffy. Add the egg and the vanilla, then mix well. Add the reserved dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Form 1/4-cup portions of dough into 8 balls. Arrange 4 balls on each cookie sheet and flatten with a spatula. Bake in the center of the oven until set, about 10 minutes. Let stand on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before removing with a spatula to a wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!

I have a thing against ricotta.   It hasn’t ever really done anything to me, well except make me gag.  It’s a texture issue.  But I love lasagna.  So replacing the ricotta with cottage cheese is the perfect solution!  This is super-easy to make and is actually great leftover.  I hope you and your family enjoy it as much as we do!

I was so sick of all the Thanksgiving leftovers last night, so I was glad that I had a pork tenderloin in the freezer.  The oldest and I were starting up a batch of applesauce when it was time to start cooking dinner.  While she finished peeling apples, I took 2 and made this recipe up.  It turned out to be a hit served with wild rice and a mix of fresh, organic veggies.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Granny Smith apples, sliced
• Pork tenderloin (~2.5 lb)
• 3 large shallots, sliced
• Several sprigs of fresh parsley and sage
• Agave nectar or local honey
• Salt & Pepper
• Olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Heat ~1 tbsp oil in skillet on stovetop.  Sprinkle tenderloin with salt and pepper. On high heat sear tenderloin on all sides.  Remove tenderloin and place in roasting pan.  Drizzle nectar lightly over pork. Cover with apples and shallots. Place herbs in pan. Cover with foil.  Bake in 350° oven for about 35 minutes.

Enjoy!

We tried this recipe out last week (courtesy of epicurious.com) and the consensus was that this was one of the “top 3″ meals I’ve ever made.  Thanks to my trusty epicurious iPhone app I was able to grab the few ingredients I didn’t already have while at the Farmer’s Market, then again while cooking.  I almost always alter a recipe that I use from a publication – there is always too much of this, not enough of that.  But not this one.  I wouldn’t change a thing … and neither would anyone else in my family.  Pure deliciousness.

Pork Stir-Fry (epicurious.com)

• INGREDIENTS
• 
  
• 12 ounces pork tenderloin, trimmed, cut into 1 1/2×1/4-inch strips
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
• 1 pound green beans, trimmed, cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths
• 1 cup matchstick-size strips peeled carrots (about 2 medium)
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1 1/2×1/4-inch strips
• 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup finely chopped lightly salted dry-roasted peanuts

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Mix pork, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon honey, half of garlic, and crushed red pepper in medium bowl.

Mix remaining 3 tablespoons soy sauce and remaining 1/2 tablespoon honey in small bowl; set aside.

Cook green beans in large saucepan of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add carrots to green beans in water; cook 1 minute. Drain carrots and green beans.

Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in wok or large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add pork mixture; stir-fry 1 minute. Transfer pork to dish.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil to wok; add red bell pepper and stir-fry 1 minute. Add green beans, carrots, ginger, and remaining garlic; stir-fry 1 minute.

Return pork to wok along with reserved soy sauce-honey mixture; stir until heated through, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl. Sprinkle with sliced green onions and chopped peanuts and serve.

Enjoy!

(You may also link to the recipe by clicking the above picture.)