I enjoyed making this no-bake dessert for a work picnic, and everyone enjoyed eating it! It is light and creamy, perfect for a hot day. The bananas worked well, but I think many other fruits would be good too!
Ingredients:
4 bananas, sliced
1 box Honey Graham Crackers
16oz Cool Whip
1 box vanilla pudding mix
2 cups milk (to make pudding)
Instructions
1. Prepare the pudding.
2. Slice the bananas
3. Mix the pudding with the cool whip.
4. Spread a thin layer of cool whip mixture in a 9x13 pan just to coat the bottom.
5. Create 1 layer of graham crackers in the pan.
6. Spread a thick layer of whip mixture over the crackerss and top with a hearty layer of sliced bananas.
7. Place graham crackers on top of bananas, then whip mixture, then bananas.
8. Top with crunched up crackers and refrigerate for 4 hours, or overnight.
This may be the best thing I’ve ever made. The reason why I think so: my fiance ate all of the leftovers for lunch the day after I made it. He never eats leftovers! I couldn’t believe this simple, vegetarian dish was such a hit!
Ingredients
3 T butter, divided
2 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/4” slices
2 medium summer squash, sliced into 1/4” slices
½ cup diced onion
½ cup shredded carrots
1 can of low-fat Cream of Mushroom Soup
½ cup plain Greek yogurt
2 cups Stuffing Mix, divided
Directions
1. Slice the onion, zucchini and summer squash.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
3. Warm 2 T of butter in a large skillet over medium heat until melted. Add the onion, zucchini, summer squash and carrots and saute for 3-4 minutes.
4. Cover the pan and cook for an additional 5-6 minutes until the zucchini and summer squash are tender.
5. Remove the squash mixture from heat and stir in the soup, yogurt, and 1 ¼ cups of the stuffing until well combined.
6. Transfer the mixture to a casserole dish (I used a 3qt dish) and spread evenly.
7. Melt the remaining 1 T of butter in a medium bowl and combine with the remaining ¾ cup of stuffing mix. Sprinkle the stuffing across the top of the zucchini mixture in the casserole dish. Bake for about 30 minutes and serve warm.
From Emily Bites
This light and easy summer dinner is the perfect meal for two! My fiancé and I both enjoyed the warm spicy shrimp on top of crisp, citrusy veggies. It was the perfect amount of spice for me, but if you like a lot of heat, feel free to add more sriacha sauce. My fiancé covered his shrimp in sauce!
Ingredients
1 14 oz bag coleslaw mix
4 T toasted sesame oil
1 lime (1 t zest and 1 T juice)
2 1/2 T sriracha sauce
1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
Directions
1. Prepare the lime zest and juice, set aside.
2. In large skillet, cook coleslaw in sesame oil over medium-high, stirring, 2 minutes; season.
3. Stir in lime zest and juice; divide among plates.
4. In the same skillet, simmer remaining oil, sriracha and 2 T water over medium-high heat for 1 minute.
5. Add shrimp; cook, stirring, until opaque in center, about 3 minutes.
6. Top the coleslaw mix with shrimp, serve warm.
From Rachael Ray
I’ll be honest, this dish takes some work, but it’s worth it! It tastes like your favorite taco filling served with sweet, fluffy corn bread instead of a plain old tortilla. The cheese and onions on top give the casserole a unique look, and they taste delicious!
Ingredients
1.5 lb ground beef
1 can (15oz) whole kernel corn, drained
1 can (8oz) tomato sauce
½ cup water
½ cup chopped green pepper
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 package corn bread mix
1/3 cup French fried onions (divided)
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Chop green pepper, measure the ½ cup and set aside (or, like me, serve strips of green pepper with the casserole).
3. In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink, drain.
4. Stir in the corn, tomato sauce, water, green pepper and taco seasoning; mix well. Spoon into a greased 2-qt baking dish.
5. Prepare corn bread mix according to package directions. Stir in half the onions.
6. Spread the corn bread mix over beef mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
7. Sprinkle with cheese and remaining onions. Bake 3-5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.
6 servings
From the Taste of Home: Family-Favorite Casseroles (2006)
Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine recently published a bunch of muffin recipes and this one looked like the best to me! I love anything with coconut, and the tangy lemon zest goes great with it. I used applesauce instead of vegetable oil to make these muffins light and healthy. This is a nice alternative to those overly sweet muffins at the store!
Ingredients
• 2 cups flour
• 2 t baking powder
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, plus more for topping
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 2/3 cup applesauce
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 4 T lemon zest
• 2 eggs
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners
3. In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, coconut flakes and salt.
4. In a large bowl, whisk the buttermilk, applesauce, sugar, lemon zest and eggs.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and fold until just barely blended.
2. Divide the batter among the liners (fill about three-quarters). Top each with coconut flakes, pressing to adhere. Bake until puffed and golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 13 to 17 minutes. Cool in the pan.
My mom made this dish growing up and I always loved it, especially when it was served with cheesy green beans on the side! It is tough to find cans of Spanish rice these days, so when you do, stock up! This extra healthy version fills you up with plenty of veggies and lean ground turkey. My fiancé enjoyed his topped with lots of hot sauce!
Ingredients
1 can of Spanish rice (I found it in the international aisle at Hillers)
1 green pepper
1 white onion
1 lb lean ground turkey
1 T vegetable oil
Hot sauce (optional)
Directions
1. Slice the green pepper and onion.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced pepper and onion and cook until the onions are soft.
3. Add the ground turkey to the skillet and brown.
4. Open the can of Spanish rice and mix into the skillet. Stir occasionally until the rice is warm. Serve warm.
Hot and cheesy dips are always a hit at get-togethers, and this dip was no exception! It disappeared fast at my book club last weekend; I may make a double-batch next time. I love the flavors of supreme pizza, but this could easily be altered to include any pizza toppings.
Ingredients
1 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup marinara sauce
1/2 cup thinly sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup sliced black olives (I skipped these)
14 slices pepperoni
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
1/2 t Italian seasoning
Pretzel-thins, for dipping
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a 9-inch pie plate (or brownie pan), spread the cream cheese in an even layer.
3. Top with the marinara and half the mushrooms, peppers, olives and pepperoni.
4. Sprinkle with the mozzarella. Top with the remaining veggies and pepperoni.
5. Bake until the cheese melts, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the Italian seasoning. Serve with the pretzel-thins.
From Rachael Ray
My book club met for a brunch potluck today, so I thought this cereal mix would be a great dish to share. Everyone enjoyed the crunchy, vanilla-scented mix! It was incredibly easy to throw together; I loved that I only needed to use my microwave for cooking.
Ingredients
6cups Rice Chex cereal (I used Wheat Waffles from Whole Foods)
1 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 T pure maple syrup
2 t pure vanilla
Directions
1. Measure cereal and pecans in large microwaveable bowl.
2. In 2-cup microwavable measuring cup, microwave butter uncovered on high for 30 seconds or until melted.
3. Add brown sugar and maple syrup; microwave uncovered on high for 30 seconds, until mixture is boiling.
4. Stir in vanilla. Pour over cereal and pecans, stirring until evenly coated.
5. Microwave uncovered on high for 3-4 minutes, stirring every minute. Spread on waxed paper or foil (I didn’t have time so I skipped this step). Store tightly covered.
From Chex
I’m not much of a mixologist, but this was easy enough for me! I bought a dry wine so it would not be too sweet and everyone loved it. This is a great drink for a hot day!
Ingredients
1 (750 milliliter) bottle white wine
3/4 cup rum
1/2 cup orange juice
1/3 cup white sugar
1 lemon, sliced
1 lime, sliced
1 green apple, cored and sliced
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle lemon-lime soda
Directions
1. Slice lemon, lime and apple. Place in a large pitcher and mix with white wine, rum and sugar. Refrigerate for up to a day (I made mine the night before).
2. Before serving, stir in the lemon-lime soda (I used 7-up).
From AllRecipes
I made this earlier in the month when I had some friends over, including a few vegetarians. This dish got a good reaction from veggies and meat-lovers alike. The cheesiness will win everyone over, and this tastes especially good in the summer with local, fresh zucchini.
Ingredients
6 medium zucchini (thinly sliced)
1 medium onion (chopped)
1 large fresh tomato (chopped)
1 garlic clove (minced)
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 t Italian spices
1 T olive oil
1 t garlic salt
Shredded Parmesan (if desired)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and chop all veggies.
2. Heat oil in large skillet.
3. Add zucchini, onion, tomato & garlic.
4. Cover & cook until desired tenderness, about 10 minutes. Drain if needed.
5. Stir in tomato sauce & seasonings.
6. In a 13 x 9-inch baking dish, place a layer of the zucchini mixture, then top with shredded cheese.
7. Continue layers until pan is full, ending with the remaining cheese (just one more layer in my case).
8. Bake uncovered, in a 350°F oven, for 25 minutes.
9. Top with shredded Parmesan or Romano cheese, if desired.
From food.com.
I love one-pot recipes, especially in the summer when I don’t want to stand near a hot stove all day! This easy brownie recipe is rich, chewy and sooo chocolatey. It came from the May 2014 issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray, which included ideas on how to spruce them up – such as adding pecans or kettle corn. I think they would go well with the add-ins, but they are great on their own too!
Ingredients
1.5 sticks butter
1 ¾ cups sugar
1.5 t vanilla extract
¼ t salt
3 eggs
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup flour
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line an 8-inch (I used 9-inch) square baking pan with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang.
3. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, remove from heat.
4. While the pan is off heat, whisk in the sugar, vanilla and salt. Whisk until creamy, about 1 minute.
5. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking between additions.
6. Add the cocoa powder and flour; stir until just blended.
7. Pour into baking pan and bake for about 40 to 45 minutes.
8. Cool in pan set on wire rack.
From Rachael Ray.
I’ve been on the look-out for light summer recipes, so when I saw these tuna-salad stuffed tomatoes I could not resist giving them a try. This recipe is easy to make and tasty, but I bet they will be even better in the summer when I can get local, fresh tomatoes!
Ingredients
2 (5oz) cans tuna, drained
1 T drained capers
1 chopped green onion
2 T chopped parsley
½ cup light mayo
¼ t ground pepper
4 large tomatoes
Directions
1. Chop green onion and parsley, add to medium bowl. Stir in mayo, tuna, ground pepper and capers.
2. Slice off the top of the tomatoes. Finely chop them and add to the tuna mixture.
3. Hollow out the tomatoes, throw away seeds and such.
4. Fill each tomato with tuna mixture.
I made the pineapple upside-down cake in the iron skillet last weekend and it was a huge hit, all of my friends wanted the recipe and two slices! Since only about 2/3 of the batter fit in my 10” skillet, I used the remaining 1/3 to make 6 upside-down cupcakes. This way, I would not be tempted to break into the cake before the party, which is tough because I like to let it set for a day before serving. The cupcakes were a very cute treat!
Ingredients
3 slices of canned pineapple, drained and cut in half
1/3 prepared white cake mix, using pineapple juice in place of water and apple sauce in place of oil
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
6 maraschino cherries
Directions
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line 6 muffin cups.
2. In small bowl, stir together melted butter and brown sugar. Spoon 1 1/2 teaspoons butter mixture into each muffin cup.
3. In each cup, top the butter mixture with half a pineapple slice and a cherry. Spoon 1/4 cup batter into each cup.
4. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes.
Adapted from Betty Crocker
This rich, beefy pasta dish was a big hit with my boyfriend. He said it reminded him of Hamburger Helper without all the salt, and I agree! This dinner comes together quickly and doesn’t require too many dishes.
Ingredients
8 oz fettuccine noodles
12 oz white mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced (I use the kind from a jar)
2 T butter
1/2 pound ground beef (I used a full pound)
1/3 cup red wine (use good wine…not cooking wine!)
2 T tomato paste
2 T grated Parmesan
Directions
1. Boil water for the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook mushrooms and garlic in butter over medium-high until browned, 5 minutes.
3. Add beef to skillet; cook until browned, 5 minutes.
4. Add wine and tomato paste to skillet; simmer 5 minutes.
5. Add pasta and reserved cooking liquid to skillet; toss to coat. Top with Parmesan.
From Rachael Ray
The warm weather means it is time for fruity, light desserts! I love berry picking and making pies in the summer, but it is not berry season in Michigan yet. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t whip up something with frozen berries! I made this over the weekend and served it warm with vanilla ice cream, yum!
Ingredients
3 cups of frozen berries (I bought a pack with a mix of raspberries, blackberries and blueberries)
2 T white sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
¾ cup brown sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
3/4 cup butter
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, gently toss together berries and white sugar; set aside.
3. In a separate large bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cut in butter until crumbly. Press half of mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Cover with berries. Sprinkle remaining crumble mixture over the berries.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until fruit is bubbly and topping is golden brown.
Altered from AllRecipes
Your house will smell amazing as this easy pudding cooks in your crock pot. It was the perfect way to welcome some friends over on Saturday. This pudding is very fluffy and dense; I found that a small serving goes a long way. The combination of vanilla and cinnamon make this dessert warm and comforting.
Ingredients
3/4 cup long grain rice
3 cups milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
Directions
1. Grease your slow cooker stoneware with a little butter.
2. Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker.
3. Cook on high for 3 hours (I did) or low 4-5 hours.
4. Serve warm.
From About.com
With St. Patrick’s Day around the corner, many websites are offering fun ways to include everyone’s favorite St. Patty’s drink (beer!) in your favorite dishes. I saw a few recipes for Blue Moon cupcakes and thought I would give them a try since I enjoy citrus desserts and these are made with oranges. They are incredible! The cakes are moist and the frosting has a sweet orange flavor. I started gobbling them up, but I hope to save a few to share at work!
Cake Ingredients
1 Boxed Cake Mix (Yellow or White)
1 Bottle Blue Moon
1 tsp Orange Zest
Cupcake Liners
Tip: You’re going to prepare the boxed cake mix exactly like the directions on the box, the difference being you are going to substitute the water with beer.
Directions
1. Open a bottle of beer and it sit. It’s best to work with when it’s a little less foamy.
2. Pre-heat the oven per the cake box instructions.
3. Mix the cake batter, replacing the water with beer and add in 1 tsp of orange zest. I also recommend substituting apple sauce for the oil. It makes the cakes moist and fruity! Fill the cupcake liners just under 3/4 full. These cupcakes will rise.
5. Bake to the low end up the box baking instructions.
6. When the cupcakes are done, let them cool before frosting.
Frosting Ingredients
12 oz cream cheese, cold
6 T butter, at room temperature
1 T freshly squeezed orange juice
1 t orange zest
4 cups powdered sugar
Directions
1. Set out the butter for about an hour so it reaches room temperature.
2. Cream together the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the citrus juice and zest and gradually add the powdered sugar until well-combined. Beat until smooth for about 2 minutes.
4. Load frosting in a piping bag fit with a large star tip and pipe cupcake tops once cooled.
Note: To speed things up, you can skip making homemade frosting and just mix 16 oz of canned vanilla frosting with a tablespoon of orange juice.
Cake from Brittany, Herself
Frosting from Erica’s Sweet Tooth
I don’t like to “wing” anything, even for a simple stir fry dish, I start with a solid recipe. I can always adjust it, but this one didn’t need any adjusting – it has some of my favorite veggies and it uses flank steak, which my boyfriend loves. This quick dish is great for a weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
2 T soy sauce
2 t cornstarch
12 oz flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain
1/2 T peanut or vegetable oil
8 scallions, greens and whites separated, chopped
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 cups mushrooms, thinly sliced
4 cups sugar snap peas
2 T hoisin sauce
Directions
1. Chop scallions and set aside.
2. Stir together the soy sauce and cornstarch with a fork in a large, shallow dish.
3. Slice the steak and add to the dish. Toss the steak to coat and let sit for 10 minutes.
2. Heat the oil in a large saute pan over high heat. When the wok is screaming hot, add the scallion whites and the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant but not browned. Add the mushrooms and sugar snap peas and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes, using a spatula to keep the vegetables in near-constant motion.
3. Add the beef, along with the soy sauce, and continue to stir-fry for 3 minutes, until the beef is fully browned on the outside. Stir in the hoisin and chili sauce and cook until the sauce lightly clings to the surface of the meat and vegetables. Garnish with the scallion greens.
Adapted from Men's Health
I enjoy juicy citrus fruits in the winter and thanks to this recipe, I’ve now tried blood oranges – they are delicious! Think of them as extra-sweet oranges. This simple tart is great for a quick dessert, or even breakfast.
Ingredients
1 blood orange
1 navel orange
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1/3 cup orange marmalade
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
Directions
1. Thaw puff pastry overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
3. Peel oranges, remove seeds and slice into about 8 rounds.
4. Place pastry on parchment-lined backing sheet, spread with marmalade.
5. Top pastry with oranges and bake until crisp, about 25 minutes. Let cool.
6. Beat cream and sugar until thick, serve with tart.
From Rachael Ray
My boyfriend loves swordfish and has been asking me to make it for years, but I did not think it would be worth it to buy such expensive fish since I was sure when I cooked the fish it would not live up to restaurant dishes. But, when I got my iron skillet and made the best salmon ever, I decided that it was time to give swordfish a try using the same method I used for the salmon. Voila! This recipe has a very buttery sauce for the fish that makes it taste as rich as a restaurant entrée. My boyfriend raved about it!
Ingredients
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground mixed peppercorns, plus more for sprinkling
1/2 teaspoon (packed) grated lemon peel
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 1-inch-thick swordfish fillets (about 6 ounces each)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Mash butter, parsley, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon ground mixed peppercorns, and lemon peel in small bowl. Season to taste with salt.
3. Heat oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle swordfish with salt and ground mixed peppercorns. Add swordfish to skillet. Cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Turn swordfish over and transfer to oven.
4. Roast until just cooked through, about 10 minutes longer. Transfer swordfish to plates. Add seasoned butter to same skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, scraping up browned bits, until melted and bubbling. Pour butter sauce over swordfish and serve.
From Epicurious
