Coconut Cream Pie

I realize not everyone loves coconut cream pie as much as my husband and I do...it's a love-hate relationship for most people. But, if you love coconut cream pie - you just have to try this! We've always had it with a traditional pie crust, but recently had it in a restaurant with a graham cracker crust and it's amazing. It's not a quick throw together pie, but it's easy and well worth the effort.

Coconut Cream Pie

Crust:

1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs

6 T. butter, melted

2 T. sugar

Filling:

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. cornstarch

1/2 t. salt

3 c. hot milk
3 egg yolks, beaten

1 t. vanilla

1/2 t. almond extract

2 c. grated coconut, divided

Topping:

1 c. heavy cream

1/4 c. powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter for crust. Press into a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 20 minutes and cool.

Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in small bowl. Heat milk in medium saucepan and gradually add the sugar mixture, stirring until smooth. Heat over medium heat until thick and just about to boil. Remove from heat. Place beaten egg yolks in a bowl, and stir half the hot mixture in with the yolks to temper. Return egg yolk mixture to pan and cook over low heat, until just boiling again and very thick. Remove from heat and pour filling into a bowl; stir in the vanilla, almond extract, and 1 cup of the coconut. Cover with wax paper pressed on top and refrigerate 1 hour. Pour filling in prepared graham cracker crust and refrigerate 3 hours.

Take the remaining 1 cup of coconut and lay evenly on a sheet pan. Bake at 325 degrees about 10 minutes, until just brown and toasted, stirring occasionally. Let cool.

Whip heavy cream with powdered sugar until thick and soft peaks form. Spread over filling and top with toasted coconut before serving.

Tomato Basil Pizza

Still on a pizza kick... This is just a quick idea that you can make into a mini just for yourself if your husband is gone, or make a BIG one for your whole family.

Tomato Basil Pizza

1 pizza crust

store-bought pesto

fresh mozzarella

ripe tomatoes, sliced

parmesan

Spread a thin layer of pesto on the pizza crust. Lay thin slices of fresh mozzarella on top and sprinkle with salt. Layer tomatoes on top and sprinkle the whole thing with a snow shower of fresh parmesan! Bake at 450 degrees for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Enjoy.

Caramelized Onion & Prosciutto Pizza

Oh. My. Goodness. If salty & sweet are your weakness, you MUST try this pizza. It's super fast, easy and really different. The flavors are perfect! Again, inspired by the "Pioneer Woman" (http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/03/caramelized-onion-prosciutto-pizza/) I had a couple roma tomatoes on hand, so I sliced them and added those on top. Make it your own and add what you want!

*A good place to buy fresh mozzarella, parmesan, and prosciutto is Sam's Club or Costco!

Caramlized Onion & Prosciutto Pizza

1 Pizza Crust

Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling

1 large red onion, halved and sliced thin

1/4 c. brown sugar

Parmesan Cheese, grated

10 oz. fresh mozzarella, sliced thin

8 slices Prosciutto

2 roma tomatoes, sliced (optional)

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Heat 2 T. olive oil in a large skillet. Add onions and brown sugar and saute several minutes until soft. Set aside.

Roll out pizza dough on floured surface. Drizzle a little olive oil over the top of the crust followed by a sprinkle of Parmesan and kosher salt. Lay slices of mozzarella evenly over crust. Arrange caramelized onions over mozzarella, followed by the prosciutto and tomatoes.

Bake 15-17 minutes until crust is golden brown. I baked mine on a cookie sheet that was dark, so I would move my oven rack up a little next time. A pizza stone is probably ideal for this.

Chicken Parmigiana

One of my favorites! This recipe was inspired by my new favorite, Ree - http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/10/chicken-parmigiana/

I made her recipe, but used basil instead of parsley. I got a quick picture of what was left before it went in the fridge...I'm already thinking about eating the leftovers tonight. Delicious!

Restaurant Style Salsa

It's been WAY too long since I've posted something new. My new obsession is The Pioneer Woman...she has an awesome blog and a new cookbook and I love her! Her recipes are simple and delicious - check out her website, she's very fun to read (and hilarious in my opinion; I relate to her in a lot of ways) http://thepioneerwoman.com/. Anyway, this is one of her recipes. Personally, I love pico de gallo the most but if you don't have the time to chop all that up, this is a delicious, fast and easy alternative with just enough kick.

Restaurant Style Salsa

1 28oz. can whole tomatoes with juice

2 10oz. cans Rotel (I use one original and one mild)

1/4 c. chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 jalapeno, chopped

1/4 t. sugar

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. cumin

1/2 c. fresh cilantro

1 lime, juiced

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Pulse until you get the consistancy you like; refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. ***If you do not like spicy - use mild Rotel and seed the jalapeno completely to get the heat out!

Chicken Enchiladas & Chocolate Lava Cake!

For Valentine's Day there's nothing better, in my opinion, than making dinner and spending the evening IN! This year, I tried a new recipe I've been wanting to make - Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas (from Tyler Florence), yum! The actual recipe is very long with lots of ingredients, but I scaled it down a bit, took a few shortcuts, and the results were absolutely delicious.

I also made a special dessert that looks and always sounds fancy, but is SO easy and quick to make. Give them both a try!

Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas

Extra virgin olive oil + 1 T. butter

1/2 medium sweet onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 t. ground cumin

1/4 c. flour

2 c. chicken stock

Chopped cilantro

Salt & pepper

1 jar thick tomatillo salsa

1 rotisserie chicken (meat pulled off), or 3 chicken breats (cooked & shredded)

10 flour tortillas

1/2 lb. shredded Monerey Jack cheese

Chopped tomatoes, sour cream, guacamole, and chips & salsa for garnish

*Note: I made all the filling and put half in a bowl to freeze since it was just the 2 of us. This probably serves 4-6 people.

Preheat oven to 350.

Heat 2 T. olive oil + butter in medium pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft - about 10 minutes. Add garlic & cumin and cook one minute more. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in chicken stock and continue stirring until liquid thickens. Turn off heat and add about 1/2 the jar of tomatillo salsa, chopped fresh cilantro, and the shredded chicken.

Smear the bottom of a large baking dish with some of the tomatillo salsa. Put a scoop of the chicken filling in each tortilla followed by a sprinkle of cheese, roll up, and place in baking dish. Finish assembling all tortillas, pour rest of tomatillo salsa over top with the remaining shredded cheese. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes until melted & bubbly. Top with fresh diced tomatoes, sour cream, and fresh guacamole.

Chocolate Lava Cakes

4 (1-ounce) squares bittersweet chocolate

4 (1-ounce) squares semisweet chocolate

10 T. (1 1/4 sticks) butter

1/2 c. flour

1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

3 large eggs

3 egg yolks

1 t. vanilla

2 T. chocolate liqueur

Preheat oven to 425.

Butter 6 custard cups/ramakins well. Melt chocolates and butter in microwave in 1-minute incriments, or over double boiler. Take off heat and add flour and sugar (it will be very thick). Stir in eggs and yolks and stir until smooth. Stir in vanilla and liqueur. Divide batter evenly between the 6 cups. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10-14 minutes. The edges will be firm but the center will be runny. Run knife around the edges to loosen, place a small plate on top and invert onto plate. Serve warm with fresh berries (I recommend raspberries) and a scoop of ice cream.

Spinach & Artichoke Mac and Cheese

This was another top 10 on Rachael Ray. I'm a big fan of spinach & artichoke dip, so I couldn't wait to try this. Loved it! Especially the crusty cheesy top...enjoy!

Spinach & Artichoke Mac and Cheese

1 lb. penne (regular or whole wheat - I like Ronzoni)

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

3 T. butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped (I used 1/2)

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 T. flour

1/2 c. white wine

2 c. milk

Freshly grated nutmeg, about 1/4 t.

1 10oz. box frozen spinach, defrosted and wrung dry in a kitchen towel or paper towels

1 can quartered artichoke hearts, drained

Salt & pepper

1 1/2 c. shredded Fontina cheese (I used sharp white cheddar), plus more for sprinking on top

1 1/2 c. grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, plus more for sprinking on top

Bring large pot of water to a boil, salt water liberally, add pasta and cook.

In a medium saute pan over medium-low, heat EVOO and butter. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft. Turn heat up and sprinkle in the flour. Cook for about 1 minute then whisk in the wine, cooking for another minute to burn off the alcohol. Whisk in the milk and bring to a bubble. Add the nutmeg, spinach, artichokes, salt and pepper and simmer until thick. Add 1 cup of each of the cheeses and stir until melted.

Preheat broiler. Toss the sauce with the cooked pasta (drained) and transfer to a casserole dish. Sprinkle more cheese on top and place under the broiler until golden brown and bubbly.

White Chicken Chili

Rachael Ray did a show on her top 10 most downloaded recipes...this was one of them. I changed it up a bit and overall, loved it!

White Chicken Chili

1 32oz. box chicken stock (I prefer Kitchen Basics brand)

2 cans white kidney beans, left undrained

1 rotisserie chicken, meat taken off (or leftover chicken, chopped)

1 16oz. jar salsa (your preference)

8 oz. pepper jack or cojack cheese, grated

2 t. cumin

1 clove garlic, minced

1 can chopped tomatoes with green chilies

Tortilla or corn chips

Sour cream

Place all ingredients except chips and sour cream in a crockpot, or large stock pot. Cook on high until cheese is melted and chili is thickened. Serve with a couple chips and a dallop of sour cream on top.

Parmesan Fish Sticks

I really love salmon - especially on the grill. But this time of year I'm looking to cook it other ways. These fish sticks are super easy, really delicious, and good for you. I'd be willing to bet you could get your kids to eat them too...especially if they help you make them!

This recipe is from my girl, Giada. Hope you like these as much as I did!

Parmesan Fish Sticks

4 salmon fillets, skinned and cut into thick strips.

1/2 c. flour

salt & pepper

3 egg whites

1 c. freshly grated Parmesan (highly recommended)

1 c. seasoned bread crumbs (I used Italian Panko crumbs)

Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Dipping Sauce:

1/3 c. reduced fat mayo

1/3 c. lowfat plain yogurt

1 T. Dijon mustard

1 T. chopped fresh parsley or chives

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Place flour sprinkled with salt & pepper in one bowl. Place egg whites in another bowl, and whisk until frothy. Combine parmesan and bread crumbs in a third bowl.

Coat salmon strips in seasoned flour (lightly). Dip floured salmon in egg whites then into the parmesan mixture, gently pressing onto the fish. Place breaded salmon sticks on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil sprayed with cooking spray. Drizzle fish lightly with the olive oil. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown.

Mix mayo, yogurt, Dijon mustard, and parsley in small bowl and set aside until you're ready to dip!

I also squeezed a fresh lemon over the salmon before eating - your preference.

NOTE: You can also dip the fish sticks in ketchup, marinara sauce, pesto, ranch, or any vinaigrette.

Oatmeal Cream-Cheese Butterscotch Bars

This recipe is from Anne Burrell on the Food Network - she's great!

Oatmeal Cream-Cheese Butterscotch Bars

2 sticks butter, at room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (11-ounce) bag butterscotch chips
1 (8-ounce) pkg. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x13 pan and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, oats and brown sugar and mix to combine. Add the 2 sticks of butter, the cinnamon and the butterscotch chips. Mix on low so you don't break up the chips too much. Press half of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan in an even layer, reserve the other half. Bake in the preheated oven just until slightly golden and set, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool slightly.
Beat together the cream cheese, condensed milk, and vanilla until smooth. Spread evenly over the baked crust. Sprinkle the remaining half of the oatmeal mixture over the cream cheese. Bake until the top is golden, about 40 minutes.
Cool and chill before cutting. Run a knife around the edge of the pan, and cut into 2-inch squares with a sharp knife and serve.
Call yourself a superstar!!!