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Garlic Bagel Chips | Make Ahead Mondays

April 22, 2013 by 12 Comments

Garlic Bagel Chips | www.foodiewithfamily.com

Garlic Bagel Chips rock my Casbah. I’m pretty sure just about everyone out there has tried them at one time or another, but it should come as no surprise that the homemade variety -fresh and crisp and hot- from your own oven is THAT much better. That they’re ridiculously simple to make is icing on the cake …Or cream cheese on the bagel, if you will.

There are really only two tricks you need to keep in mind when making your own bagel chips.

  • Do not eat the bagels you intend to turn into chips. Don’t laugh. I really need this reminder.

  • Take your time slicing the bagels. Ultimately, the direction you cut the bagel doesn’t matter as much as getting the slices uniformly thin (as much as is possible) and generally the same size.

Garlic Bagel Chips | www.foodiewithfamily.com

Here’s the beauty of making them yourself.

Homemade Bagel Chips are crispy without being rock hard. You can salt them as much (yes, please!) or as little as you’d like. You can completely control how much of what kind of bagel you like best; for instance, I a-d-o-r-e dark bagels. I love pumpernickel, rye, and whole wheat. If I can control myself around the fresh bagels, I like to have a higher concentration of those dark bagels for chips than any others. If I can’t (and you can tell from the picture above that I suffered a huge lapse in self-control) then I have more white bagel chips. If you have topped and/or seedy bagels, they work beautifully here. Toss any toppings that fell off of the bagels during slicing into the bowl when you add the salt and they should re-stick by virtue of the oil coating on the bagel slices.

Make more than you think you need.

Believe you me, you’re going to have a heckuva time keeping your hands off of these things when they’re warm from the oven. Be kind to yourself and make a double batch to compensate for what you’re going to inevitably consume while they’re still hot. Why do you want so many around? Here’s a list just to get you started: croutons on salads or soups, topped with a schmear of cream cheese and a little smoked salmon as an appetizer, in place of crackers with a cheese tray, or served plain or with dip as a snack. I’m sure there’s more, but isn’t that enough, really?

 

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Garlic Bagel Chips | Make Ahead Mondays

Rating: 51

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Garlic Bagel Chips | Make Ahead Mondays

No one in my house can keep their hands out of the jar of garlic bagel chips. These perfectly crispy, salty, garlicky bagel crisps are an addictive snack! Eat them plain, with dip or topped with a little schmear of cream cheese and a little smoked salmon for a second-to-none appetizer.

Ingredients

  • 6 savoury bagels, any variety (I like a mixture of pumpernickel and white bagels, most often of the everything sort.)
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 250°F.

Slice the bagels thinly -no thicker than 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch. How you slice them doesn't matter as much as how uniform they are. Take the time to make the slices as close to each other in size as you can. Put the bagel slices in a deep mixing bowl.

In a small liquid measuring cup, use a fork or small whisk to combine the olive oil and granulated garlic or garlic powder. Drizzle this over the bagel slices and use your hands to toss until the oil is evenly distributed. Scatter the salt over the top and toss again to evenly distribute it.

Divide the bagel slices between two pans, trying to keep them in a single layer. Bake for 45 minutes, rotating the pans ever 15 minutes, or until crisp but not hard. Remove the pans from the oven and let the chips cool completely on the pans before transferring to a jar or other container with a tight fitting lid.

These store very well at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 10 days.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2013/04/22/garlic-bagel-chips-make-ahead-mondays/

Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Piña Colada Smoothies | Vegan and Dairy Free

April 17, 2013 by 18 Comments

Piña Colada Smoothies | www.foodiewithfamily.com

 

Piña Colada Smoothies are my new go-to smoothie. They’re kind of fabulous.

You know how I’ve told you I was a picky eater when I was a kid? I was a total texture-phobe and I was dead picky about flavour combinations. My mom now says, “Hey, we just didn’t know you were gourmet.” My mom is the Queen of the Euphemism.

I must’ve been a righteous pain in the rear to feed.

The reason I’m confessing this (again) is that pineapple and coconut were both on my no-fly list. I didn’t like pineapple because of the stringy texture. I didn’t like coconut because the sum exposure I had to coconut in Northern Michigan in the 70s and 80s was the über-sweetened stuff in the middle of Mounds candy bars or in a macaroon. Both grossed me out, so piña coladas were a serious no go.

Fast forward to now and my insatiable desire to eat both of those ingredients. (Okay, I still dislike sweetened coconut flakes, but honestly, can you blame me?) I love the fruity, tangy, acidic pineapple AND its texture. I can’t get enough coconut milk -which I’m pretty sure is an ingredient given to humanity by the grace of God-, fresh coconut or unsweetened coconut flakes.

And piña coladas? Well, until recently they were still on my no-fly list because -frankly- I don’t really like alcoholic smoothies, which is what I always viewed piña coladas as being. Pardon me while I go bang my head against the wall for a moment, would ya?

THUD THUD THUD

Howzabout just omitting the hooch, dingbat?

The result of leaving out the high octane stuff was a creamy, dreamy, coconutty, silken pineapple, thick concoction that pretty much makes my eyes roll back into my head. Let me let you in on a little something… There is ZERO added sugar and there doesn’t need to be because the frozen bananas do double duty. They thicken the mixture to milkshake consistency and they sweeten it to boot. Oh and HEY! If you happen to be vegan or cutting back on dairy OR allergic to anything dairy, this is still kosher for you (small ‘k’ kosher because I make no claim to understand kosher law!)

It’s warming up out there, friends. You need this in your lives this summer.

Piña Colada Smoothies | www.foodiewithfamily.com

Double Bonus: If you have leftover smoothie (HA. Like that would happen here unless I plan for it.) you can freeze it in ice pop molds for some wicked good popsicles. You are welcome. Mwah.

XO

Rebecca

 

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Piña Colada Smoothies | Vegan and Dairy Free

Rating: 51

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Piña Colada Smoothies | Vegan and Dairy Free

These super creamy, indulgent tasting, family friendly pineapple and coconut Piña Colada Smoothies will transport you to the tropics in a matter of minutes. Using only 3 easy-to-find and healthy ingredients just boosts the appeal of this naturally vegan, dairy-free treat!

If you've got a hankering to make this a true piña colada, you can stir in a shot of rum before serving.

Ingredients

  • 1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple in juice
  • 1 can (13.5 ounces) coconut milk
  • 3 bananas, peeled and frozen
    • Optional Garnish:
  • A slice of pineapple
  • a dusting of shredded coconut

Instructions

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend on high until smooth. Divide between glasses and serve immediately!

Leftovers can be frozen in ice pop form.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2013/04/17/pina-colada-smoothies-vegan-and-dairy-free/

Filed Under: Beverages, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Ancient Grains Cranberry Dark Chocolate Granola| Make Ahead Mondays

April 15, 2013 by 9 Comments

Ancient Grains Cranberry Dark Chocolate Granola | www.foodiewithfamily.com

I am more than just a wee bit obsessed with granola.

I eat it on yogurt with fruit almost every day. On the days when I don’t have it on yogurt, I have it, um, on my hands. As in, I eat it by the handful. I especially adore clumpy clusters of granola. While I’ve been making my own granola for years, I recently discovered KIND Cranberry Dark Chocolate Clusters and I couldn’t get enough.

I was hooked on the super crispy, crunchy, just-sweet-enough combo that was studded with tiny little chopped dried cranberries and had little morsels of chocolate adhered to the crunchy bits. My word… who wouldn’t be, I ask you?

I’m not the only one in my family with a thaaaaang for granola, though. Every single one of my guys can plough through it at such a pace that it’s a wonder they ever get more than a few steps away from a toilet.

Oh gosh. That was probably really unappetizing of me to say that. Apologies. It’s what comes of living with six males.

The point is this… my dainty little bags of KIND clusters were disappearing at an alarming rate. I had to do something. I had to make my own.

Thankfully, granola making isn’t rocket science and today’s recipe was not only a fairly simple one to nail down the way I wanted it, but it’s a ridiculously easy recipe to repeat.

In short, you stir stuff together.

Now, there’s a little trick to getting the clumps but it’s not taxing; you firmly press the sticky wet mixture together with a stiff spatula in the form of a rectangle (“Wonder Twin powers activate! Form of… A RECTANGLE! Form of… A SPATULA!”) When you remove the granola to give it a stir, you restrain yourself and -instead- flip the mixture over with the spatula, then press it together again and bake. Then, when the baking is finished, you sprinkle with the chocolate (CHOCOLATE GRANOLA!) and press the little ruby-hued bits of dried cranberry into the whole lot and let it cool before you mess with it again. Ta da! Giant slab-o-granola just waiting to be broken into clumpy bits. What a happy, happy thing to load into jars!

This has an enthusiastic stamp of approval from every single member of my household, INCLUDING the no-fruit duo who -for whatever reason- do not seem to mind tiny minced bits of dried cranberries but would rather stage a dramatic hunger strike than eat a WHOLE dried cranberry. Whatever. If it ain’t broke…

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Ancient Grains Cranberry Dark Chocolate Granola| Make Ahead Mondays

Rating: 51

Ancient Grains Cranberry Dark Chocolate Granola| Make Ahead Mondays

This isn't just any old homemade granola, this is power food! Protein packed by virtue of it's amazing medley of quinoa, millet, amaranth, and rice, this sweet, crunchy Ancient Grains Cranberry Dark Chocolate Granola takes the cake for nutrition AND taste, too. It bakes up nice and clumpy, too, making it an ideal healthy out-of-hand snack! It tastes almost exactly like KIND Cranberry Dark Chocolate Clusters.

Ingredients

  • 8 cups whole rolled oats
  • 1 cup puffed brown rice or white rice cereal
  • 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa (red or white)
  • 1/2 cup uncooked millet
  • 1/2 cup uncooked amaranth
  • 1/4 cup untoasted white sesame seeds
  • 1 3/4 cups brown rice syrup, honey, light agave syrup, Lyle's Golden Syrup, light corn syrup, maple syrup, molasses or a combination thereof. (*See Notes)
  • 1/2 cup almond butter (or your preferred nut butter: peanut, sunflower, cashew, etc...)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla paste or real vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups dried cranberries, chopped into small bits
  • 1 1/2 cups finely chopped dark chocolate or miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line two rimmed half-sheet pans with silpats or parchment paper and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl toss together the oats, puffed rice cereal, quinoa, millet, amaranth, and sesame seeds with your hands. In a smaller mixing bowl, whisk together whichever combination of sweet syrup/honey you're using, the almond or other nut butter, the salt and the vanilla paste or extract until smooth. Pour this over the oat mixture and stir until everything is evenly coated. Divide the mixture between the two lined pans and press it into a rectangle with the back of a spoon or spatula.

Place the pans in the oven, immediately lower the temperature of the oven to 225°F, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and use a spatula to flip the mixture over in sections. It may fall apart as you do this, but do your best to flip it all over and make sure the stuff from the edges is now toward the center. Press it back together with the spatula and return to the oven for another 30 minutes. The mixture should be very sticky. To test whether it has been cooked enough, pull a pinch from the center and let it come to room temperature. If it is crispy, it has baked enough. If it is still sticky, it may require as much as another 30 minutes of baking. If you need to return it to the oven, repeat the flipping it over in sections and pressing it back together before returning the pans to bake longer.

When the granola is done toasting, remove the pans from the oven and sprinkle the chopped chocolate evenly between the two pans. Use your hands to break up the chopped cranberries and sprinkle those evenly over the two pans as well. After the cranberries are added, use the palms of your hands to press the cranberries into the mixture. Let it cool completely on the pans and then break up into a mixing bowl before storing in jars or other containers with tight fitting lids.

The granola is good for up to a month when stored at room temperature in an airtight container.

Notes

*While you can use any combination of these liquid sweeteners to make your granola, I do recommend using at least half brown rice syrup, honey, or corn syrup for their super sticky qualities. You can make up the rest with maple syrup, agave syrup or Lyle's Golden Syrup, or add up to 1/4 cup of molasses. Any more molasses tends to be a bit too bitter.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2013/04/15/ancient-grains-cranberry-dark-chocolate-granola-make-ahead-mondays/

Filed Under: Breakfast Foods, Happy Healthy and Wise, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Pulled Pork Walking Tacos {giveaway closed}

April 10, 2013 by 355 Comments

Walking Tacos | www.foodiewithfamily.com

First, I need to get something out of the way. Isn’t my boy adorable? Look at those eyes. That face. That smile. This boy melts my heart. Now, let’s talk about what he’s holding in his hands that’s causing that smile.

It’s that GO GO GO GO time of year.  Everything from buds on trees to school schedules is running at breakneck speed toward an explosion of greenery and excitement. Snow has melted here and whether it stays that way remains to be seen, we ARE in New York State after all. The kids, however, are busy puddle jumping, creek stomping, tree climbing, and biking like it’s their job. I suppose it is.

Busy days and activity filled evenings are the standing order. Sometimes you just gotta meet the challenge with a walking taco.

Right about now, there’s a big part of the Central U.S. saying, “You betcha!” and quite a few other folks scratching their heads. A Walking Taco, as I have known it, is a snack sized bag of Fritos (!) or Doritos (?) that is sliced open down the side and piled high with taco toppings.

Yes, you must slice it down the side instead of popping it open in the usual way. Observe my hand model with the filthy-playing-outside-all-day nails.

Walking Tacos | www.foodiewithfamily.com

Why do it this way? Well, it’s for fittin’ in all the stuff, of course. Just look at this spread.

Walking Tacos | www.foodiewithfamily.com

 

This standard of high school football, baseball, softball, and soccer games, wrestling matches, and community fundraisers is popular both for its ease of preparation and for the lack of additional serviceware needed for it. The chip bag forms the bowl, you pile in all the toppings that you possibly can and a plastic spoon or fork is all you really need to deliver the goods where they’re intended to go.

Since by this point you probably know I’m more than a little fixated on pulled pork (see examples here, here, here, and here) and I’ve waxed on and on about making a ridiculously inexpensive huge amount of pulled pork to keep in the freezer (examples here and here) I’ll spare you that harangue this time around. I’m going to go ahead and assume you have a stash in your freezer or have plans to make some soon. If you don’t, I’m pretty sure you’re aware you can make it easily ~or~ you have a source for purchasing pre-made pulled pork. Any which way you shred that pork shoulder, a Pulled Pork Walking Taco is sure to make your entire crew gleeful.

Heck. It makes ME gleeful. You know how I feel about Fritos.

Can a meal get easier than this? Well, sure… if you call someone to deliver it, but even with the bagged chips, I’m thinking you’re still ahead when you make this at home. With a little creative insulated packaging, you could even take this on a day excursion or a trip to the park for a fast dinner.

What’s your favourite fast meal? Have you indulged in Walking Tacos?

XO

Rebecca

P.S. Here’s a free pro Walking Tacos tip; after you open your bag of chips, but before you start piling in the goodies, slightly crush the chips. This helps them to mix into whatever you add in the bag a little more easily.

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Pulled Pork Walking Tacos

Rating: 51

Pulled Pork Walking Tacos

This is a Midwestern and Central US classic gussied up a bit; Fritos or Doritos in a snack-sized bag topped with Pulled Pork, sour cream, salsa, fresh cilantro, avocado cubes and whatever else your heart desires. These fun, portable meals please kids of all ages and make clean-up beyond snappy!

Ingredients

    For Each Walking Taco:
  • 1 snack sized bag of Fritos or Doritos
  • 1/3 cup fully cooked pulled pork, reheated You can use this recipe, or this recipe, or use purchased pulled pork.
    • Optional Toppings:
  • Shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack Cheese
  • Shredded lettuce
  • Fresh cilantro leaves
  • sour cream or Greek yogurt
  • salsa
  • chopped tomatoes
  • chopped black olives
  • chopped avocados
  • guacamole
  • barbecue sauce
  • hot sauce

Instructions

Slice the bag of chips open along the side rather than the top. Slightly crush the bag to break up the chips a little bit. Pile the pulled pork in and add as many toppings as you'd like. Pop a fork in there and eat immediately!

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2013/04/10/pulled-pork-walking-tacos-giveaway-le-creuset-anthropologie-and-more/

Giveaway Closed: Congratulations to Jennifer (comment beginning: “Other than fresh bread…”)! Check your email for information on your prize package!

P.P.S. About a month ago, I was invited to take part in a Kitchen Conversations webinar discussing trends in food that was put on by Land O’Lakes. Given my past work with Land O’Lakes, I was thrilled to say yes.

KC_Logo

The webinar featured top bloggers Ree Drummond a.k.a. The Pioneer Woman, Julie Deily of The Little Kitchen, Sommer Collier of A Spicy Perspective, Maria of Two Peas and Their Pod, and Brenda Score of A Farmgirl Dabbles. I have to tell you that each of these women is a wizard with butter and nobody does butter better than Land O’Lakes. You should most definitely click on over to their sites and look at the drool-inducing butter-centric recipes they created for the Kitchen Conversations push. I’m just going to say “Butter Chicken Sliders“, “Beef Bahn Mi“, “Meatball Tortilla Soup“, “Garlic Rosemary Parmesan Popcorn“and “Curried Cauliflower with Israeli Couscous and Grains“. Are you drooling yet? I was so hungry by the time our Kitchen Conversation was done. Don’t go until you’ve entered the giveaway, though… Wait ’til you see what Land O’Lakes has in store for you!

As a thank you for a stimulating discussion on what foods are on the rise in popularity this year, Land O’Lakes sent me a gift package to review and will send an identical package to one of you, my readers. Wanna see what’s in it? Of course you do!

Giveaway_KC

The giveaway includes:

-one BEAUTIFUL and seriously serious Le Creuset enamelware sauté and frying pan.

-THREE gorgeous kitchen items from Anthropologie

-one full-value coupon for any Land O Lakes® Butter Half Sticks

-one full-value coupon for Sauté Express® Sauté Starter which includes butter, olive oil and herbs or spices.

How to Enter:

This doesn’t get much easier. Just leave a comment here on the blog telling me what your absolute all-time favourite dish is that’s made with butter! That’s it! The winner will be announced on this post on Friday, April 12, 2013. Good luck everyone!

Disclosure: Land O’Lakes sent me a gift package as a thank you for participating in the webinar and is sponsoring the giveaway of an identical gift package to one Foodie with Family reader. This contest is only open to U.S. Residents. Sorry, international friends! All opinions remain my own.

Butter_ProductImage

Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, kid food, Party Food, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Roasted Garlic Whipped Feta | Make Ahead Mondays

April 8, 2013 by 15 Comments

Roasted Garlic Whipped Feta | www.foodiewithfamily.com

Can we have a heart to heart for a moment? I love foods that stink: garlic, feta cheese, olives, braunschweiger, pungent and runny French cheese, onions, and much, much more. And what’s more, I have loved this stanky stuff for as long as I can remember.

Once -when I was a teenager- my mom stopped me as I was on the way out the door to a dance. (And can I get a ‘Hallelujah’ and ‘Amen’ of thanks from anyone else who was more than glad to leave those years behind?) She said, “Honey? You may want to consider brushing your teeth or something before you go the dance. You know, since you ate an onion and mustard sandwich and all?”

First of all, it was an onion, mustard and Cheddar sandwich, so there. Second, you’d think my momma would’ve wanted to encourage me to have bad breath since I was so boy crazy. It might’ve made keeping me away from them much easier.

That aside, the point is that stinky food just tastes better, doesn’t it? And today’s recipe combines some of my most loved breath-offenders of all time: roasted garlic and feta cheese.

Everyone knows that feta cheese has an alarming habit of falling off of things. It’s just kind of the way it’s built. That lovely crumbly texture is fine and dandy when it’s in a pilaf, Greek salsa, baked on a pizza, or in spanakopita dip. But you sink your teeth into a sandwich you’ve adorned with the salty, briny, crumbled stuff and it makes like lemmings off a cliff falling off the front, side and anywhere that isn’t already in your mouth. This makes me sad.

Enter my friend Jessica at How Sweet Eats. A month or so ago, she posted Whipped Feta. In one fell swoop, she solved my feta problem and made my breath eternally bad. I almost hopped in my car, drove a couple hours south and kissed her face. She’s probably pretty thankful I didn’t, though, because I decided to spike my whipped feta with a hearty helping of roasted garlic which both makes it even more exciting and even more deadly.

Roasted Garlic Whipped Feta | www.foodiewithfamily.com

If you’re not already drooling like a teething baby, let me explain what makes this so delicious. Copious amounts of crumbled feta are added to softened cream cheese along with several cloves of buttery roasted garlic.

Roasted Garlic Whipped Feta | www.foodiewithfamily.com

They’re beaten together mercilessly in the food processor until perfectly smooth.

Roasted Garlic Whipped Feta | www.foodiewithfamily.com

At this point it’s warm and melty from all the processing. Right then, right there, if you can resist sopping up the inevitable left-behind spread in the food processor bowl with torn hunks of fresh bread, then you’re a far, far stronger person than I am. I am not ashamed to say that when I ran out of bread, I licked the food processor bowl.

Roasted Garlic Whipped Feta | www.foodiewithfamily.com

People. I’m married. I can do this now just as long as my darling Evil Genius partakes with me. And he does. The man is no fool.

So whaddya do with a big old jar of Roasted Garlic Whipped Feta? Oh darlin’… what don’t you do? I smear it generously on Black Olive Rolls with a handful of greens and call it lunch, apply with abandon to toasted burger rolls before topping with a grilled turkey burger and some baby spinach (Instant Greek Burger! VOILA!), spread it on crackers, serve as dip with vegetables, and top grilled fish with it. Now, given that I’ve only had the stuff handy for about a month, I’m willing to assert that I haven’t even scratched the surface of ways that Roasted Garlic Whipped Feta can be used.  How will you use this?

XO

Rebecca

P.S. You’re ahead of the game if you already made your own batch of fantastic homemade feta because it works beautifully here!

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Roasted Garlic Whipped Feta | Make Ahead Mondays

Rating: 51

Roasted Garlic Whipped Feta | Make Ahead Mondays

The fabulous punch of feta cheese and roasted garlic in a creamy, flavourful spread that is great on sandwiches, burgers, fresh bread, crackers, or as a dip or dolloped into soup.

Adapted from and with grateful thanks to How Sweet Eats who adapted it from the fabulous Ina Garten

Ingredients

Instructions

Fit your food processor with a metal blade and pulse the feta cheese until it is completely broken up into tiny crumbs. It should look like this:

Add the remaining ingredients and process -stopping to scrape down the sides occasionally- until it is completely smooth and creamy, about 4-5 minutes. Scrape into a jar (or jars) with a tight fitting lid and store in the refrigerator for up to a month.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2013/04/08/roasted-garlic-whipped-feta-make-ahead-mondays/

Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Condiments, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: , , ,

Lemon Cream No-Bake Mini-Cheesecakes

April 4, 2013 by 21 Comments

Lemon No-Bake Mini-Cheesecakes | www.foodiewithfamily.com

As I type this, spring is actually, kind of, sort of, quite nearly behaving like spring. As in, there’s sunshine and a breeze instead of gunmetal grey skies and a biting wind. Things smell fresh and muddy and I, for one, like it a lot.

I’m feeling sunshiney in the kitchen, too.  Our good weather activity level is something just shy of spastic, so I’m breaking out happy, fresh, filling-but-not-heavy recipes.

I’m excited to share a bright and sunny recipe to you today and -oh my goodness- I sure hope it’s as pretty where you live as it is here today. I’m a new member of the Kraft Tastemaker program and this recipe comes together in about five minutes using some of the best loved Kraft products available; Jello instant pudding and Philadelphia Cream Cheese.

Five minutes to creamy, lemony, cheesecake goodness? You want to be all in here, folks.

I use the “1/3 less fat” Philadelphia cream cheese because it’s a better-for-you dessert option. Feel free to choose the fat content of your milk according to your own preference: skim, 1%, 2% or whole milk -or, if you’re so inclined-soy, almond, rice or coconut milk will all work equally well here.

Whip up a batch of these adorable little single-serving size miniature no-bake cheesecakes tonight and save all sorts of time for going to the park with the kids, taking a stroll with your honey, walking the dog, or just generally enjoying the fact that the world seems to be waking back up from it’s winter hibernation. I’d say we’ve all earned a treat!

If you find yourself at my table for brunch one of these days, you’ll probably find these delicious and adorable mini-cheesecakes, along with some other great Kraft brunch recipes. As my boys say, every meal needs a dessert or two to be complete!

XO

Rebecca

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Lemon Cream No-Bake Mini-Cheesecakes

Rating: 51

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 6 mini-cheesecakes

Serving Size: 1 min-cheesecake

Lemon Cream No-Bake Mini-Cheesecakes

Creamy, dreamy, lemony, no-bake, mini-cheesecakes are as bright and sunshiney a treat as the arrival of Spring!

Ingredients

  • 1 (4 ounce) package 1/3 less fat Philadelphia cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 1 box (3.4 ounce size) Jell-O Instant Lemon Pudding
  • 1 1/2 cups of milk
  • the juice and zest of 1/2 of a lemon
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 6 individual serving-size pre-made graham cracker crusts ~or~ 6 homemade individual serving size graham cracker crusts.*See Notes
  • Optional:
  • Whipped cream and lemon peel for garnish

Instructions

Whisk together the Jell-O Instant Lemon Pudding mix with the milk for 3 minutes, or until completely smooth. Set aside.

Using either a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or a hand mixer, whip the softened cream cheese with the lemon juice and zest, and vanilla extract until it is loose and smooth. Add the lemon pudding to the bowl and mix until everything is evenly combined and smooth. Divide the mixture between the crusts and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

If desired, garnish with a generous amount of whipped cream and some decorate lemon peels.

Notes

*You can, if desired, make one large no-bake cheesecake from this mixture by using one standard graham cracker pie crust; either homemade or purchased.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2013/04/04/lemon-cream-no-bake-mini-cheesecakes/

Look for more lemon pudding inspiration!

This post was sponsored by the Kraft Tastemaker Program. All opinions remain, as always, my own.

Filed Under: Desserts, Recipes Tagged With: , , , ,

Spicy Sweet Pulled Pork Empanadas

April 2, 2013 by 4 Comments

Sweet and Spicy Pulled Pork Empanadas | www.foodiewithfamily.com

It’s time for another installment of  “I’m Obsessed with Empanadas”. I’ve made them stuffed with just about everything I can possibly think to stuff in them. The particular empanada recipe I’m sharing today starts with leftover pulled pork.  This pulled pork recipe is perfect because it is already spicy enough. If you don’t have any of this kind handy, there’s an easy kludge I’ll share with you, but I do like eliminating work for myself where I can.

…And because I like sweet with spicy, I soaked some golden raisins in rum for a little kick before stirring them into the pork. You could use any variety of raisin you have on hand. The only reason I went with golden ones is that I had an abundance of them. If you’re not a raisin fan, I suppose you could omit them if you’d like, but I think they bring something special to the party.

Rounding out the lineup with the spicy pork and the sweet, rum-soaked raisins is a bit of minced red onion. It adds just enough punch and brightness to make itself known without being overpowering. Now, added to all this is a neat little hand-held, fried package that makes my heart sing.

The longest part of the procedure is soaking the raisins and even that can be hurried a bit if you cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the microwave on HIGH for a minute.

Raisins for Sweet and Spicy Pulled Pork Empanadas | www.foodiewithfamily.com

If you have pulled pork and empanada wrappers in the freezer, and raisins, onions, and oil in the pantry, you’re mere moments away from chomping down on crispy, puffy, sweet and spicy pulled pork empanadas. I like to serve them with a side of sour cream that has just a little chopped cilantro and lime juice mixed in for dipping, but they’re equally great nibbled solo or with fresh salsa.

Sweet and Spicy Pulled Pork Empanadas | www.foodiewithfamily.com

I can’t get enough of the spicy, juicy pork mixed with sweet, slightly rummy raisins and bright crisp-tender onion.

How about you? Are you a fan of empanadas? How about raisins with pork?

XO Rebecca

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Spicy Sweet Pulled Pork Empanadas

Rating: 51

Spicy Sweet Pulled Pork Empanadas

Crispy, Spicy Sweet Pulled Pork Empanadas are just moments away when you have pulled pork and empanada wrappers on hand in your freezer. These hand-held meat pies get a little extra kick from minced red onion and raisins soaked in golden or dark rum. Serve these as a blockbuster appetizer or movie night main dish.

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup seedless raisins
  • 2/3 cup golden or dark rum
  • 3 cups fully cooked pulled or shredded pork *See Notes
  • 1/4 cup minced red onion
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced or pressed
  • Optional: one chipotle from a can of chipotles in adobo, mashed with a fork
  • 2 10-count packages frozen empanada wrappers (I use Goya Discos)
  • Enough canola, vegetable, or peanut oil or lard to fill a high-sided pan or skillet with 2-3 inches.

Instructions

Put the raisins in a heat-proof bowl. Pour the rum over the top and cover with plastic wrap. Let the raisins soak in the rum for at least an hour or overnight. **See Notes.

If there is any rum that has not been absorbed by the raisins, pour it off carefully. Toss the raisins with the shredded pork, minced onion, garlic, and chipotle (if using) until all ingredients are evenly distributed.

Lightly roll out each empanada wrapper (just to thin it out a bit) and place about 2 tablespoons of the filling slightly off center. Fold the wrapper in half over the filling and crimp the edges with a fork. If desired, you can fold and crimp the edges decoratively as well.

Heat your oil to 350°F. Line a plate with several thicknesses of paper towels. Carefully lower only as many empanadas into the oil as can fit with quite a bit of extra room for them to move about as they fry and expand. Fry the empanadas for 3-4 minutes, turning about halfway through frying, or until they are a deep golden brown. Remember that they will continue to darken when they are removed from the oil. Transfer the cooked empanadas to the paper towel lined plate and let cool slightly before serving.

Serve with fresh salsa or sour cream with cilantro stirred into it.

Notes

*I use this recipe because it is already spicy. If you don't have leftovers of a spicy pork, you can crush one chipotle from a can of chipotles in adobo and stir it into the pork to approximate the spice and flavour levels.

**If you're in a big hurry for empanadas (and who can blame you?) put the plastic wrapped covered bowl into the microwave and microwave on HIGH for 1-2 minutes, or until the raisins have plumped and absorbed much of the rum. Pour off any excess rum and proceed as directed above.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2013/04/02/spicy-sweet-pulled-pork-empanadas/

Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Main Dish, Meat Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Peanut Butter Molasses Ginger Chews

March 27, 2013 by 15 Comments

Peanut Butter Molasses Ginger Chews | www.foodiewithfamily.com

Cookies are the instant gratification fix of the food world. You mix things together, you scoop, you bake and you iiiiiiinhale them. Or at least that’s what I do. This recipe was developed at the request of my dear-ole-dad who asked me to find a road-tested peanut butter and molasses cookie recipe for him. I couldn’t. So I did what any self-respected recipe developer would do.

I made one up. Then I tested it like I was doing a recipe for a company, because people, this is my DAD we’re talking about. I don’t give him lousy recipes. Something about owing my life -in part- to him, blah blah blah.

I put everything my dad loves in a cookie into one little chewy, crispy package: peanut butter, molasses, and ginger. And Dad specifically asked that I make it “not-cakey”. He said, “Crispy and chewy are both fine, but if I want cake, I’ll eat cake.”

Understood.

The addition of peanut oil to this recipe helps it to spread while it bakes. This does double duty- it prevents cakiness and it adds a bit of crispiness to the edges. I call these “The Incredible Morphing Cookies” because when they come out of the oven, they’re domed and puffy and soft.

Peanut Butter Molasses Ginger Chews | www.foodiewithfamily.com

As they sit on the cooling racks, they deflate a bit. When they’re completely cooled, they become crisp. When you transfer them to a cookie jar and let them rest overnight, they remain crisp at the edges and soften to chewy inside. Every single stage is delicious. I highly recommend eating a couple at each point. You know, for scientific reasons.

 

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Peanut Butter Molasses Ginger Chews

Rating: 51

Peanut Butter Molasses Ginger Chews

These crisp-yet-chewy cookies are full of good stuff: peanut butter, molasses, white whole wheat flour, ginger, butter and more. They are simple, fast and taste like Mary Jane candies!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups brown sugar, packed
  • 1 cup smooth peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 2/3 cup molasses
  • 1/2 cup peanut oil (or vegetable or canola oil)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups white whole wheat flour
  • 4 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 4 cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpat.

Cream together the sugar, peanut butter, butter, oil, molasses and eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl until smooth.

Sift the flours, baking soda, ginger and salt together then add to the peanut butter mixture. Beat on low or stir in the flour until it is well mixed and even.

Use a small cookie scoop or a teaspoon to scoop the cookie dough into mounds that are about 2 teaspoons worth of dough. Roll the dough into balls and roll the balls in the extra sugar to coat completely.

Place the sugar coated cookie dough balls in 5 rows of 4 (using an extra cookie sheet if necessary to make sure you have at least 2 inches between each cookie dough ball.)

Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the cookies are set in the center and firm at the edges.

Let the cookies cool on the pans for 2 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack. Store at room temperature in a cookie jar or other airtight container.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2013/03/27/peanut-butter-molasses-ginger-chews/

Filed Under: Cookies, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
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