Heaven & Hell Cake with Raspberry Mousse

For years I've wanted to make the Heaven & Hell cake that was created by Stephan Pyles but never seemed to take the time to prepare it.  With a layer of sponge cake, devils food cake, peanut butter mousse and chocolate ganache I knew the cake would take some time. 

My sister who lives in California came in town this week with her 16 year old son.  He just celebrated his birthday in July and since we weren't there to celebrate, and they weren't in town to celebrate my kids birthdays, we decided to celebrate all of theirs, including my dogs birthday which was yesterday.  Afterall he's family too!

This seemed like the perfect opportunity to make Stephan Pyles cake.  So I gathered up all the ingredients with the exception of just one thing.  Since my daughters Butterfinger Cake last year had peanut butter in it she thought it would nice to try something different.  So we opted for a Raspberry Mousse filling instead of the Peanut Butter Mousse.

The cake was beautiful but it was SO, SO VERY RICH!  You honestly could only handle a sliver of it.  Thank goodness we didn't use the peanut butter mousse otherwise I think it would have been too much.  In fact, I think I would have preferred a Strawberry Mousse instead but my husband dislikes strawberries so raspberries seemed like the right choice.  

Everyone loved the cake but all agreed, a sliver was all they could handle.  Of course, that's not to say we didn't go back later that day or the next to have a piece but, we also shared it with our relatives and friends.  A seven layer, 10 inch cake feeds quite a few people.

My favorite part of the cake was the ganache being the chocolate lover that I am.  In fact, this would be perfect served warm, over ice cream.

Here's the recipe and a photo of what Stephan Pyles cake looks like.  Mine is at the top with the raspberry mousse.  In pink are the changes that I made.

FOR THE GANACHE:

2 lbs. milk chocolate, such as Valrhona, chopped (I used Nestle's chips for cost)

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

 

FOR THE ANGEL FOOD CAKE:
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup cake flour
1 1/2 cups egg whites
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. almond extract (I used a total of 3 tsp. of vanilla, no almond since my sister's allergic)

 

FOR THE DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE:
1/2 cup vegetable shortening, plus more for pan
1 1/2 cups cake flour, plus more for pan
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 cup coffee
1/2 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs

 

I MADE RASPBERRY MOUSSE INSTEAD OF THE PB MOUSSE BELOW:

2 cups (16 ounces) raspberries

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 3/4 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed (or you can use heavy whipping cream as described in the Peanut Butter Mousse recipe)

Directions:

Process first 3 ingredients in food processor until smooth. Transfer raspberry mixture to a large bowl; fold in whipped topping. Cover and chill.  Note:  To eliminate the raspberry seeds - puree the raspberries first, then run through a strainer, place back into the processor and continue as described above.  Or if you prefer.....

FOR THE PEANUT BUTTER MOUSSE in Stephan Pyles original recipe:

1 1/2 lbs. cream cheese, at room temperature
4 cups smooth peanut butter, at room temperature
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1. Make the ganache: Place the chocolate in a medium-size bowl. Bring cream to a boil in a 2-qt. saucepan; pour cream over the chocolate and let sit to melt for 5 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, combine the chocolate and cream. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to let rest for 4 hours.

2. Make the angel food cake: Heat oven to 325°. Line bottom of a 10" round cake pan with ungreased parchment paper. In a medium bowl, sift together confectioners' sugar and flour; set flour mixture aside. In a large bowl, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt with a handheld mixer on low speed until frothy. Increase mixer speed to medium, sprinkle in sugar, vanilla, and almond extract, and beat until stiff peaks form. Sprinkle half of the confectioners' sugar–flour mixture over egg whites; using a rubber spatula, fold until just combined. Repeat with remaining flour mixture. Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake until top of cake springs back when touched, 45–50 minutes. Transfer cake to a rack and let cool.

3. Make the devil's food cake: Heat oven to 350°. Grease a 10" round cake pan with shortening and dust with flour to coat; shake out excess flour and set pan aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder; set flour mixture aside. In another medium bowl, whisk the coffee and cocoa powder until smooth; set coffee mixture aside. In a large bowl, beat the shortening, sugar, vanilla, and eggs with a handheld mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 2 minutes. Alternately add the flour mixture and the coffee mixture to the bowl in 3 stages, beating to combine after each addition. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean, 30–35 minutes; transfer to a rack and let cool completely.

4. Make the raspberry (follow instructions above) or peanut butter mousse: In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, raspberry or peanut butter, and confectioners' sugar with a handheld mixer on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Put cream into a large bowl and beat on high speed until stiff peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture; set mousse aside in the refrigerator.

5. Assemble the cake: Using a serrated-blade knife, slice each cake horizontally into 2 layers. Place 1 layer of the devil's food cake on a cake stand and spread 1/3 of the raspberry or peanut butter mousse over the top with a butter knife. Top mousse with a layer of the angel food cake and spread with half of the remaining mousse. Repeat with the remaining devil's food cake, mousse, and angel food cake. Wrap cake in plastic wrap and freeze for 2 hours. Stir ganache until smooth and spread evenly over the top and sides of the cake with a butter knife. Refrigerate the cake for 2 hours before slicing.

SERVES 10 – 12 

I definitely think this cake is worth making.  It's rich but delicious!

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Espresso Cookies!

As I mentioned in my previous post, we celebrated our kids birthdays this past Sunday.  A little late, only because they were both traveling at the time.  However, when we were finally all together we decided to make it a celebration. 

My daughter wanted the Chocolate Buttermilk Milk Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting that I posted on Monday.  My son wanted a very chocolate rich cake and if I was willing, to also make my Chocolate Chocolate Chip Espresso Cookies. 

Of course, he knew I'd make them.  I'd do anything for my kids especially when it comes to their birthdays.  I'm not sure who likes celebrating more - them or me!

Both desserts were a hit and already gone.  As promised though, from my previous post, here is the recipe for these wonderfully rich, decadent cookies!

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Espresso Cookies

makes 3 dozen small scoop cookies or 2 dozen large ice cream scoop cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened non-alkalized cocoa powder

3 tablespoons Espresso Powder 

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon Kahlua (coffee liqueur)

24 ounce bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, espresso, baking soda and salt and blend together.

In a large bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars until smooth and creamy. 

Add the eggs, mixing together for about 20 seconds and scraping the bowl if needed.  Add the coffee liqueur and beat until combined. 

Add flour mixture and blend all ingredients together. 

Remove bowl from the stand mixer and with a wooden spoon, mix in the chocolate chips.

Using a small cookie scoop, large scoop or whatever size desired, drop spoonfuls of prepared dough onto the lined cookies sheets and bake in the preheated oven for about 10-12 minutes. 

I prefer my cookies slightly underdone so they are chewy and moist.  If you prefer a crunchy cookie you might like to cook yours longer. 

Depending on the size scoop you use will determine how long to bake the cookies for.  A larger scoop will require longer cooking times.

When done remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before removing to a cooling rack.  Once cooled, eat and enjoy! 

I have to say, I even enjoyed these in the morning with my coffee.  I know, dessert for breakfast.  What can I say, I'm a chocoholic!

What's your favorite cookie?



Not Another Burger!

Since we've been vacationing in the Colorado mountains where my husband bikes 4-5 hours a day and has already logged over 2000 miles, it appears all he's in the mood to eat is meat.  I love meat but just can't eat it more than once a week.

So when he asked me to make a burger the other night before leaving to come home that next day, I said fine but, I wasn't going to have one.  I decided I'd pick up a large portobello mushroom, a red pepper, lettuce, tomatoes and of course some whole wheat buns to put the burgers on.

I marinated my mushroom in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, fresh minced garlic and red pepper (cut in 1/2 and seeded), then put all into a zip lock baggie.  Prior to doing that I cleaned the mushroom gills. I removed any dirt or debris that might have lodged itself in them.

Note: When cleaning mushrooms just use a damp paper towel.  Never wash with water since mushrooms will soak the water up like a sponge.  Just wet a paper towel and wipe the dirt off. 

After the veggies had marinated for about 1/2 an hour, I placed the mushroom and red pepper on the grill, skin side down.  Once both were cooked to my liking I removed them from the grill and placed them on the bun with lettuce and tomatoes.

In addition, I decided since I had some chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, I thought I'd chop that up fine and add it to some fat free mayo that I had, and combined them.  It made a delicious dressing to put on my veggie burger and to my surprise my husband loved it as well on his burgers.  It had a nice kick to it!  Yes he ate several burgers.  I don't know how he does it and stays so skinny but, I suppose with all the miles he's logged on his bike he needs lots of protein and his protein of choice is red meat. 

Our meal was delightful, along with some iced cold watermelon that we both love, baked fries and homemade oil and vinegar cole slaw. 

A simple and delightful meal. Oh and for dessert I went all out (just kidding) and we had Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches.  This meal couldn't have been easier and it was scrumptious!

What's your favorite burger?  I also adore salmon burgers.  Please share your recipe.  You can never have too many burger recipes!

Memories - Cooking with Kids!

I didn't sleep at all last night.  I was remembering what it was like to be in labor with my daughter who at 12:50am turned 22 years old today. 

I had easy deliveries with both my children.  My son who will be 25 later this month arrived in just 3 hours, of course that's quick but, my daughter literally joined the human race in a mere 30 minutes.  My water broke at 12:20am on August 1st and there she was at 12:50am. 

My daughter and I last year after summiting Mt. Democrat

She's a big girl now!

Thank goodness there was no traffic getting to the hospital at that time. I told my husband to drop me off at the door and go park his car.  I ran into the hospital elevator to take it to the maternity floor and was greeted by a man who I terrified, when told I was having a baby any second.  With horror in his eyes he said, "not with me in here lady," and quickly hit the button and ran out.  I laughed!  Luckily I made it to the maternity floor just in the nick of time.  Now that was close.

What are your fondest memories?

So today as I'm sitting in 60 degree weather looking out at the Colorado mountains I'm reminiscing about the years I spent raising both kids.  I was a stay at home mom and loved every minute of it.  Living each day through the eyes of my children, playing, exploring, learning and cooking.  Lots and lots of cooking together. 

During the summer months with the kids off school, we would cook just about everything.  Not fish, they hated fish as children, now they love it. 

Homemade PlayDoh (read on for fun projects and links) was one of their favorite cooking and play activities.  We could roll with it for hours, creating new colors and shapes.  Cookies and cakes of various sizes and shapes, homemade pizzas, ice cream, spinach stuffed manicotti and ravioli lasagna (see below) their favorite - the list was endless. 

As they got older they used the computer and made trifold menus (something I had no clue how to do at the time), for their make believe restaurant - the name escapes me now.  With a list of items and photos on each page they'd have my husband and I order while they would cook.  Their favorite restaurant items were the quesadillas!  They loved those, and with a variety of tortillas, veggies and cheese they were true chefs. 

Of course my son was very enterprising and always made sure each item had a price, for which we had to pay!  The two would then cook up our dishes and serve them very carefully.  My daughter was so lady like, and still is, but so adorable when she served us, while my son was the maitre d and made certain everything was done to perfection.  He's still that way and so is she!

Why am I telling you this long story?   I suppose because it's on my mind today but also to remind you, if you're a parent, spend quality time with your children while they're still young.  They will never forget it and neither will you!  

Cooking is an incredible way to enjoy stress free hours together while they create their own culinary masterpieces and gain not only confidence but improve their math skills as well. Plus there's no bickering whatsoever, everyone just has fun.

If you're looking for some fun activities to do with your kids where they won't fight with each other, cooking is it!  If it's hot out, raining, if they're sick or just plain bored just go to the kitchen.

Here are some things you can do:

• Create your own chefs hats before starting your project
• Make sure everyone wears an apron or make a dish towel apron if you're crafty, and don't forget to wash their hands - the #1 rule for anyone that prepares food.
• Make PlayDoh - kids of all ages and adults like this too.
• Try my kids favorite childhood dish, that's easy peasy - Ravioli Lasagna.  Here's a video demonstration from Diergergs grocery store where I got the recipe many years ago. 
• Bake cookies and use cookie cutters to cut out their names or sayings and decorate them.
• Make homemade ice cream

There's an infinite number of fun kitchen activities to do with your children.  However, what's key is to spend quality time with them.  Those are memories that will last a lifetime. I'm thrilled I took the time!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY LITTLE GIRL! 

 I LOVE YOU!

Strawberry Balsamic Jam and Peach Crostata!

There's nothing as simple as making a crostata.  This italian rustic freeform dessert is perfect anytime of the year.  If company is coming over and you want to prepare an effortless yet delicious dessert to serve with coffee this is ideal.

While visiting the blog Scrambled Henfruit last week I happened the come across a recipe for Strawberry Jam with a Twist.  Of course I was intrigued, and when I viewed the recipe found that the twist was Balsamic Vinegar a favorite ingredient of mine, and a recipe Scrambled Henfruit found on the blog Savory Sweet Life. 

The world wide web is wonderful for sharing and finding recipes and ideas.  One recipe leads to another and before you know it your meeting total strangers that have the same interests as you do.  I love it!

Anyway, when I saw this recipe I knew I wanted to make it.  I've actually never attempted to make jam before but I had all the ingredients at hand since it didn't use any pectin. The National Center for Home Food Preservation has guidelines for cooking without pectin that you might find helpful. 

Since my husband goes through jars of Strawberry Jam I figured why not try this and if he likes it, then I'd have more fun making batches of Strawberry Balsamic Jam for him than purchasing jar after jar of the ready-made varieties.

The recipe made a small amount so it wasn't necessary to "can" it, which thrills me.  Since that would take a whole other lesson that I wasn't in the mood to tackle. However, uncanned jam will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.  Here's more information if you'd like to learn how to can jam.

Once I made the jam, I decided that I'd make a crostata using the Strawberry Balsamic Jam and the White Peaches that I had just purchased.  Together the two were a marriage made in heaven.  Warm out of the oven it was everything I had imagined and then some.  To say the least, it didn't last the day.

Strawberry Balsamic Jam and Peach Crostata
serves 6

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped strawberries
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 large peaches, cored and sliced into 1/4-inch slices

1 (9") premade Pillsbury pie crust
3 tablespoons sugar
water
1 tablespoons sugar

Directions:

Strawberry Balsamic Jam:

Combine strawberries, 1 cup of sugar and balsamic vinegar in a saucepan and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes until sauce is a honey-like consistency or 220 degrees on a candy thermometer.  (For altitudes other than sea level see this chart for guidelines).

Remove from heat and cool.  If desired you can run through a blender to puree once completely cooled.

Crostata:

Slice fruit and place in a bowl with 3 tablespoons of sugar.  Mix together and set aside while preparing the dough.

Place parchment or foil on a countertop and roll out one 9-inch premade Pillsbury pie crust to approximately 12-inches. Place all on a pizza pan or sheet pan.

Spread approximately 3 tablespoons of the jam over the surface of the dough as if spreading sauce onto a pizza, leaving a 2-inch border all the way around.

Add the sliced peaches to the top of the jam and carefully pull up the sides of the dough over the edges of the fruit.  Leave an opening in the middle. Be careful not to tear the sides of the dough or fruit juices will ooze out during cooking.

With a pastry brush, spread water over the top of the dough and then sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of sugar.

Bake at 400 degrees for 50 minutes.

Remove from heat and allow to cool at least 10 minutes.  Place on serving platter and serve slices warm or at room temperature.

Note:  You can make any type of crostata using your favorite ingredients.  Simply follow these guidelines and you're sure to have a perfect tasting crostata everytime.

Enjoy!

Here's the recipe for a Peach and Blueberry Crostata that I posted in a previous blog.

(For those of you that have been following my blog for awhile, what type of recipe would you like to see me post or what topics would you like me to discuss?  Your feedback is important to me).

Watermelon Lime Salsa!

Summer is the time to bring out all the fresh fruits and vegetables and create dishes that are refreshing and healthy.  Although we should do this all year, it appears that during the summer we think about it more.  Maybe because we're getting into our bathing suits or because the weather is warmer and heavy foods just don't sound appetizing.

At any rate, I wanted to grill some fish last night with a fresh salsa but unfortunately when I arrived at the grocery store where we are vacationing, in the mountains of Colorado, their selection was marginal.  So I opted for chicken breasts instead.

Since my husband is a maniac about watermelon, which is packed with lots of nutrition, I decided that I would make a Watermelon Salsa.  It sounded good to me so I figured I would use watermelon in place of the usual tomatoes and add other similar ingredients like the salsas I've made in the past.  I do that a lot, do you?

I wanted to make sure that the salsa was colorful so this is what I came up with.  It was so delicious that I almost ate the entire bowl.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to since my family ate the rest.  So much for leftovers!

Speaking of leftovers - a fresh salsa will last covered and refrigerated for only 5 days.  If you prepare a cooked salsa it will last up to 6 months in the refrigerater, covered.

Watermelon Lime Salsa
serves 4 (because you'll gobble it all up)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 -2 cups watermelon, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1/2 cucumber, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1 jalepeno pepper, seeded and minced (be careful not to touch your eyes or skin after removing the seeds.  It will burn severely)
2 green scallions, thinly sliced
2 limes, juice of both and zest of one lime
1 Tbsp. minced cilantro

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to chill and let the flavors meld together.

Serve with chicken, fish or alone as a side dish.  It's that good.

I love salsa recipes.  So if you have one that you love, I'd welcome you to share it with everyone in my comments section below.  Then I'll try it and post about it.

If you like watermelon like we do you might enjoy this link that shares a lot of watermelon recipes.

Also, here's my post for the Grilled Watermelon Salad with Goat Cheese and Balsamic Reduction in case you missed it.

Enjoy!

National Pina Colada Day!

Did you know that yesterday was National Pina Colada Day?  Well, I'm sure you're not alone, no one that I know knew except for me.  So in honor of the day I decided I'd whip something up.

If you read a recent post of mine for Coconut Encrusted Scallops with Banana Colada Sauce you'll know how much I love the stuff.

In fact, as a little girl my family would always go away for the Christmas Holidays to either Florida or Puerto Rico.  So every year we would have lots of virgin Pina Colada's.  I grew to love them so much and of course having spent quality time with my family (Mom, Dad, and two sisters) during the holidays and someplace tropical, I have very fond memories of Pina Colada's. 

When I finally reached the age of 21 I could have a juiced up Pina Colada but for some reason it just didn't do it for me.  I love what I grew up with and adding the Rum ruins it for me.  However, in the recipe that I'm going to share with you, feel free to add some Rum if you like.

Since it's summer I thought I'd make a Pina Colada Granita, which is a type of Italian dessert, similar to sorbet or frozen flavored ice.  The ingredients are simple and quick to put together.  I've just added a touch of lime which I think lends a special touch. 

I would suggest making this a day ahead of time to insure that it gets done in time for serving.  I'm on vacation and made it yesterday planning to have it ready by dinner time but whether it was the freezer where we're staying or the altitude it took longer than normal.

Follow these simple steps and guaranteed you'll be in Pina Colada and Granita heaven.  This cool refreshing treat is just what the doctor ordered on a hot summers day.  Oh and one other thing, you can use this technique to make any type of Granita that you desire.

Pina Colada Granita
serves 6

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups water
2/3 cups sugar
1 (13.66 oz.) can unsweetened coconut milk (2 cups)
1/2 cup pineapple juice
Juice and zest of 1 lime

Directions:

Make a simple syrup by adding the water and sugar in a saucepan, bring to a simmer and cook until the sugar dissolves. 

Remove the pan from the heat, allow to cool, and then stir in the coconut milk. 

Add the pineapple juice, lime juice and zest and blend.

Freeze Granita:

Pour the granita mixture into a wide and shallow container.  Cover with foil and freeze for 1-2 hours until the edges are frozen. 

Take container out of the freezer and scrape the ice with a fork as though you were shredding it. 

At this point you will only be able to do the edges since the center will still be gushy.  Place back into the freezer and continue to repeat this method every half hour to an hour until the entire mixture has frozen and you have been able to scrape it into tiny ice crystals creating your Granita.

Serve in a fancy glass with a slice of lime and if desired add a splash of rum.  YUM!!!

Enjoy!

Here are some links to other Pina Colada recipes that you might like to try:
http://in-homeculinaryclasses.blogspot.com/2011/06/coconut-encrusted-scallops-with-banana.html

http://www.cupcakeproject.com/2011/02/pina-colada-cupcakes.html

http://www.cherryteacakes.com/2010/05/pina-colada-donuts.html

BBQ Salmon with Pineapple

Before coming out to Colorado I stopped in at my local grocery store, Schnucks, to pick up a few things.  While there they have a stand called "Schnucks Cooks" where they share a recipe that they've created and offer samples to all the shoppers.

On that particular day they had Sweet and Sour Meatballs.  I love meatballs and although I try not to indulge too often in meat, I am always eager to see what new recipes they've come up with.  Well the meatballs were delicious, in fact, I wish I could have had another but, didn't want to sound like a hog, especially since they are offering samples to everyone.

So the other night I decided to make salmon for dinner.  My daughter suggested I BBQ the salmon just like she and my husband had out to dinner a few weeks before.  Of course, whenever I can, I'll BBQ fish just so I don't have any residual odors left in my house.  There's nothing worse than walking into a house that stinks like fish.  Wouldn't you agree?

Anyway, I remembered the Sweet and Sour Meatballs at Schnucks and thought that the combination of sauces they used would be great for salmon.

I went to the store to get my ingredients and indeed it was superb!  It's simply an equal blend of BBQ sauce and Apricot Preserves that you combine together and spread over the salmon.  I mean how easy is that?

If you wanted to change it up I think an Orange Marmalade would also be delicious or even Raspberry Preserves.  If you wanted to add even more flavor, although it's not necessary, add some butter and heat all three ingredients up in a saucepan and spoon over the salmon and grill, pouring some additional sauce over the salmon once cooked.

In addition, my daughter asked if I'd grill the pineapple that I had purchased which gets it nice and caramelized.  Following her wishes I ended up with a beautiful and healthy plate of food to serve to everyone.

There's nothing like a well balanced meal.  When the meal is over you're completely nourished and don't find yourself running to the refrigerator or cupboard to find something else to fill your belly.

Here's my recipe.  I hope you like it.  It couldn't be more simple and luscious, and pretty enough to serve to guests.

BBQ Salmon with Pineapple
serves 4

Ingredients:

4 (8 oz.) pieces of Salmon filets
1/3 cup BBQ Sauce (whatever you like or have on hand)
1/3 cup Apricot Preserves
1 fresh Pineapple, sliced into strips, core removed

Directions:

• Fire up the grill or turn on the gas grill to preheat. 
• Blend the bbq sauce and preserves together, combining well.
• Slice the top and bottom off the pineapple.  Carefully slice the skin off, slicing down from top to bottom.  Go around until all skin is removed.  Cut pineapple in half vertically, then slice each of those pieces in 1/2 and remove the core.  Continue to slice each section into 3 strips for a total of 12 strips. You can also slice the pineapple in rounds.  Here's a pictorial demonstration.
• Place the pineapple strips on the grill
• Add the Salmon with the skin on (no need to flip the salmon and with the skin on it's easy to remove it from the grates), skin side down.
• Slather the sauce over each piece of salmon, close the lid on the grill and cook for about 8 minutes on medium heat.
• After about 4 minutes open the grill and turn over each strip of pineapple.  Continue to grill until the salmon is cooked, for about 8 minutes total.
• With a metal spatula, place the edge between the bottom of the meat of the salmon and the top of the skin.  Gently glide your spatula under the salmon releasing it from the skin, remove it placing it onto a platter.
• Remove pineapple slices

To plate:

• Lay 3 strips of pineapple onto the plate
• set salmon on top of pineapple and pour additional sauce over the fish

Simple, healthy, delicious and beautiful!

Enjoy!

Grilled Watermelon Salad with Goat Cheese and Balsamic Reduction

There's nothing better than watermelon in the summer.  Whether having it as a side dish, dessert, watermelon gazpacho or salad, it's refreshing and light.  

This sweet, juicy watermelon is actually packed with some of the most important antioxidants in nature.  An excellent source of vitamin C and a very good source of vitamin A  it's so refreshing and light, I could literally sit down and eat and entire bowl and not feel stuffed.  This is probably due to the fact that's it's packed with 92% water, making it an extremely thirst-quenching fruit. Plus, it has a good concentration of lycopene, it's rich in B vitamins necessary for energy production and magnesium and potassium. And at only 48 calories per cup, it packs more nutrients per calorie - an outstanding health benefit!

Of course, all this helps to know when I eat buckets full.  However, I eat it mostly because I just love it and it's so refreshing and satisfying. 

So last night I decided to make BBQ Salmon with a Grilled Watermelon Salad with Goat Cheese, and a Balsamic Reduction.  Since I had some pineapple I decided to add that to the grill as well and set that under my salmon for a light and luscious meal. 

The Watermelon Salad was so delicious that I thought I'd share the recipe with you.  For my next post I'll share my salmon dish that I think you'll enjoy as well.  All are so simple to prepare in addition to being healthy and delicious!

In the recipe below, adjust the amount of watermelon needed for the amount of people you're serving.


Grilled Watermelon Salad with Goat Cheese and Balsamic Reduction

Ingredients:

Watermelon (seedless)
Spring Mix lettuce or Arugula
Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil
Goat Cheese, crumbled

Directions:

For each serving cut 2 rectangular pieces of watermelon (about 3"x2") and set out on a paper towel for approximately 30 minutes.  This will absorb the extra water in the melon and allow it to get to room temperature before grilling.

Prior to grilling rub just one side of each piece of watermelon with olive oil.  Place each piece, oil side down, onto a very hot grill.   Grill just the one side for about 8 minutes.  After about 4 minutes you can rotate the watermelon to create hatch marks, if desired.

Place one piece grill side down on a plate.  Top with Spring Mix or Arugula.  Then place the other grilled piece of watermelon with the grill marks facing up on top of the Spring Mix. Set a couple pieces of the Spring Mix on top with some goat cheese crumbles.  Additionally, sprinkle some of the goat cheese around the plate and drizzle with the balsamic reduction.  (My balsamic reduction moved a bit as I moved my plate to the outdoors for photo taking).

Balsamic Reduction:

Take one bottle of balsamic vinegar and place in a heavy duty saucepan.  Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and reduce until just 1/4 of the vinegar is remaining in the pan.  It will be thick and sweet.  Perfect for salads, ice cream on fruit, etc.  Cool before serving. 

Store in a squirt bottle for easy serving.  Will last indefinitely.

Serve and enjoy this light, delicious and refreshing salad!

Have a Happy & Safe 4th of July!

Coconut Encrusted Scallops with Banana Colada Sauce - YUM!

OMG, I know I keep mentioning the weather, but today it was AMAZING!  Who would have thought that it would feel like fall in the summer here in Missouri?  Certainly not me.  The breeze was blowing and the sun was shining most of the day -  it was crisp and wonderful.  In fact, something about the day reminded me of the evenings in the Caribbean except for the fact that I wasn't by an ocean.

Suddenly I had a craving for a Pina Colada and some fresh fish.  So my mind starting wondering what I could do and I decided to head over to Bob's Seafood to get some of their heavenly fresh Wild Alaskan Dry Scallops to concoct some sort of scallop dish that reminded  me of the Caribbean. 

I decided I'd encrust the scallops with coconut.  I mean how bad could that be?  Other than the fact that the scallops smelled so fresh, sweet and ocean like, they really didn't need any doctoring.   However, I felt like the Caribbean so that's what I was going to create.


Coconut Encrusted Scallops with a Pina/Banana Colada Sauce with Coconut Jasmine Rice was my challenge and it all turned out incredibly delicous!  (I decided to add bananas to the sauce, since I had some on hand).  The scallops just melted in your mouth.

*NOTE:

Before purchasing scallops here are some tips you might like to know.  In addition, if you've ever had an allergic reaction to scallops, most likely you had those that have been soaked in sodium tripolyphosphate (STP).  To avoid any adverse reactions always be sure to get dry scallops.

Scallops are usually shucked from the shells to be sold at market. But even when shucked, they're often sold with the "catch" muscle still attached. You'll recognize the catch muscle running up the side of the scallop. This is very simple to remove but if you prefer not to remove it yourself, then ask your fishmonger.

This bit of muscle is strong—it's the one the scallop uses to clamp its shell shut in order to defend itself. It's also tough and unpleasant to eat, and it should be removed before cooking.

Simply grab the tab of the muscle firmly, coaxing it with your fingernails or the tip of a paring knife, and then pull it off the scallop.

Some say that the muscle is good for thickening sauces.  So rather than tossing it out, you might want to utilize it if you're making a sauce.

 











Coconut Encrusted Scallops with Banana Colada Sauce
serves 4

Ingredients:

Banana Colada Sauce:

1 tablespoon rum
1/4 cup sliced banana (3/4 of a medium banana)
1/4 cup diced pineapple
1/2 cup light coconut milk
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice
Pinch sea salt (you could use any type of salt but afterall I was recreating the ocean)
******************
12  large dry scallops*
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 beaten eggs
1/2 cup grated coconut

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. In a blender container combine all ingredients for Banana Colada Sauce and puree until smooth. Set aside.

3. Lightly coat a foil lined sheet pan with canola oil or non-stick spray. Dredge scallops in flour, then dip into beaten eggs and roll in grated coconut. 

Place on prepared sheet pan and bake for 15 minutes or until coconut is golden.

4. While prepping the scallops take 1 cup of dried Jasmine rice and place in a rice cooker.  Add 1 cup of the remaining light coconut milk and 1 cup of water to the pot.  Turn on and let it do it's thing.  When the rice is ready, add about 1/2 cup diced fresh pineapple to the rice cooker.  Mix and let warm up before serving.

5. Warm  sauce. Serve.  On a plate, place a nice mound of the coconut rice in the center of the plate surrounded by 3 coconut-crusted scallops (per serving) and then top with 1/4 cup warm Banana Colada Sauce. If preferred serve sauce on the side. YUM!!

Enjoy!!

Banana Mango Smoothie Push Pops

I love ice cold fruit smoothies especially on days like today when the temperatures reach almost 100 degrees.  But, sometimes I just don't feel like cranking out the blender to whip up a batch especially if I'm hot and tired from walking the dogs in the heat or just doing whatever, outdoors.  That's when it's nice to have them made up and poured into individual Push Pops.  They're then stored in the freezer and ready to pop out and eat like a popsicle or push pop in this case.

Of course you can make these anyway you want, with whatever fruit, fruit juice or yogurt that your heart desires.  Best of all when you have company over, the kids or grandkids it's an ice cold healthy treat that everyone loves.

Here's the recipe for my Banana Mango Smoothie Push Pops, but don't be afraid to try your favorite ingredients and make your own creation.

Banana Mango Smoothie Push Pops
makes 4 push pops

In a blender place:

1 banana
1 ripe mango, sliced and cubed
1-2 teaspoons Agave Nectar
1/2 cup Plain Non-Fat Yogurt

Blend until smooth.  Pour into Push Pops, cover and place in the freezer for 24 hours to solidfy.  Stand upright in between the slats of your freezer shelves.  They're ready to enjoy 24 hours later. 

Will keep indefinitely.

Interested in the health benefits of Agave Nectar?  Read here.

Enjoy!

Iced-Cold Gazpacho!

I love to have soup all year round but let's face it, when the temperatures are in the 90s with 100% humidity it's a bit difficult to enjoy a piping hot cup of soup.  That's when a nice refreshing bowl of iced cold Gazpacho hits the spot.  Packed with lots of vegetables and vitamins it's just what your body is craving.

So the next time you're in the mood for a healthy meal but don't feel like standing over hot coals or cooking up something on the stove or in the oven why not whip up a batch of Gazpacho in your blender or food processor?

Here's a great recipe that's so simple.  For the best results make it a day ahead to let the flavors meld together.  I just know you're going to love this.

Gazpacho
serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1/3 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup low sodium tomato juice
1 (28 oz.) can San Marzanotomatoes*
4 slices French or Italian Bread, cut into 1" slices.  Crust removed and bread slices, cubed

1 small red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 yellow or red bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 cucumbers, peeled, halved, seeded and diced or 1 English cucumber
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a small bowl, whisk together the sherry, vinegar and tomato juice.  Set aside.

In a blender/food processor, working in batches, combine the tomatoes and bread and puree until smooth, 30-40 seconds.  Transfer to a large bowl.  In the blender, combine the onion, garlic and a little of the sherry mixture and puree until smooth.  Add to the bowl with the tomato puree.  In the blender/processor, combine the bell pepper, cucumbers and a little of the sherry mixture and pulse until coarsely chopped.  Add to the bowl with the tomato puree.  Whisk in the olive oil and the remaining sherry mixture, and season with salt and pepper.  Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least two hours. For the best results chill for 24 hours. 

Taste the soup and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper.  Ladle into chilled bowls and garnish each serving with diced bell peppers, minced onion and croutons if desired.

*Note:  Several summers ago I traveled to Italy.  While there I took a culinary class and although they had the most incredible fresh tomatoes they used San Marzano tomatoes in their recipes.  Their flavor is superior!

Enjoy!

Frozen Fruit Salad & Push Pops

With the weather as hot as it's been I only crave fruits, veggies/salads and fish.  It's no wonder I feel 1000 times better when I eat just that.  My energy level is higher and I feel like I can go all day long. 

So this morning for breakfast I had my typical oatmeal with cinnamon and blueberries on it and for lunch I had a fresh spinach salad with berries, slivered almonds and poppyseed dressing.  I really felt like having some chicken on top but wasn't in the mood to go out in the heat and grill some up.  So the almonds were my protein.

I love fruit and one of my husbands favorite things that I've been making for years is a frozen fruit salad.  It's perfect on a hot summers day and although much of this is made with canned fruit, (which they say is still good for you) you don't have to opt for those with heavy syrup. (The photo above was taken straight from the freezer without any thawing time).

I made this recipe but also had some push pops that I purchased from CupKates Event Design and decided in addition to pouring my salad into a Rubbermaid container and freezing it I would also add some to my cute little push pops - the kids will LOVE these!

Here's my recipe.  It's delicious, refreshing and a little sweet so if you aren't a sweet lover cut back on the sugar.

Frozen Fruit Salad and Push Pops

Ingredients:

3 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
1 large can frozen orange juice
1 large can crushed pineapple
1 large can sliced peaches
1 large can fruit cocktail, drained
1 (10 oz.) package strawverries, frozen
6-8 bananas, sliced

Directions:

• Boil water and sugar for 3 minutes 
• Removed from heat and mix in 1 large can of frozen orange juice.
• Add crushed pineapple, sliced peaches, fruit cocktail, strawverries, and bananas.  Mix well.
• Pour all into a large container (I use a rectangular Rubbermaid container covered) and freeze for 24 hours.
• Take out 1 hour before serving so it becomes just slightly slushy.

To make the push pops I simply reserved some of the mixture and poured it into the push pop containers and covered them with the lids they come with.  Then pop in the freezer for 24 hours, standing up in a glass or like I did - propped up between the slats of my freezer shelves.

The push pops make it easy to eat right from the freezer.  So if you're looking for a healthier dessert to give your children, there's no doubt they will love these.  Of course, we're all adults now in my family and we have fun eating the push pops too!  It reminds me of my childhood. 

Enjoy!

Halibut with Black Bean and Corn Salsa

Here's a dish I whipped up in no time at all.  Grilled Halibut with Black Bean and Corn Salsa.  Rather than making up a batch of black beans and grilling the corn which would have of course been even better, I simply used canned black beans, and frozen corn.  Of course I was in a hurry since I was running late for dinner but feel free to go the extra mile.  If you want, you can even make these into fish tacos by grilling the fish, placing it into the soft torilla and filling with the salsa.

Here's this quick, yet delicious and healthy recipe.

Grilled Halibut with Black Bean and Corn Salsa

4 (6-8 ounce) Halibut fillets
olive oil
salt and pepper

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 large orange bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 jalelpeno pepper, seeded and diced
3-4 roma tomatoes, diced
1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1/2 of a small red onion diced (optional)
juice of one lime
minced cilantro for garnish, if desired

Directions:

Brush olive oil lightly on halibut and season with salt and pepper.  Grill over medium heat about 4 minutes per side.

Mix all ingredients together for salsa and set aside.

To serve: Place halibut or fish of choice on a plate and top with salsa. Or if making fish tacos, cut grilled halibut into pieces and place in a warm soft shell tortilla and top with salsa, and sour cream if desired.

Simple, delicious and healthy!

Cheddar Scallion Cornbread Madeleine's

Last night, although it was just my husband and I celebrating Memorial Day, I decided I'd make a fun meal.  So I made some incredibly delicious Asian BBQ Kobe Beef Ribs which I'll be posting in my newsletter next week, Asian Rainbow Slaw, BBQ Baked Beans and Cheddar Scallion Cornbread Madeleine's. To finish off our dinner we had some refreshing iced cold watermelon.

I know it sounds like a lot for just the two of us, but we like leftovers, and I'm sure my son will be popping over in the next day or so and open the refrigerator to see what might be in there that he can nibble on.  Not too much goes to waste in my house.

The meal was superb and while neither of us over indulged we licked our platters clean. 

I especially loved the Cornbread that I put in my Madeleine Pan.  It made for a perfect serving and of course if you wanted more there was plenty to go back to.

Although you can make these in a regular 9x13" pan why not go for the WOW factor and make them in something different?  If you like cornbread you'll love these, and with BBQ season here, they're perfect for large gatherings and easy to pick up.

If you try these please let me know what you think.

Cheddar Scallion Cornbread Madeleine's
Makes about 36 Madeleines or 18 squares


Ingredients:

Nonstick cooking spray or unsalted butter for preparing pan

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Pinch of freshly ground pepper

2 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whole milk

2 cups shredded sharp white Cheddar cheese
1 cup thinly sliced scallions, white and tender green parts

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degree F. Spray 36 madeleine molds or one 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray, or grease with butter.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt and white pepper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until thickened and smooth. Add the melted butter and whisk until incorporated. Then add the sour cream and milk and whisk until smooth.

Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just until combined. Add the cheese and scallions and mix gently just until evenly incorporated. Do not overmix. Using a spoon, fill each prepared madeleine mold half full with batter. Or, pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the corn bread is golden. Let cool in the madeleine pans or baking pan on a wire rack. Invert the pan onto the rack, or if using a rectangular pan cut into squares and remove from the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note: This recipe can easily be divided in half.

Enjoy!