Toasted Coconut Marshmallows

Yum! Yum! Yum! That’s about all I have to say about these Toasted Coconut Marshmallows. Well…almost all I have to say about them. I purchased a new stand mixer a while back and was searching for the perfect first stand mixer recipe. After all, you have to break a good piece of equipment in properly, right? I was also searching for a finger food dessert for a party I was attending. After some thought and a serious sugar craving, I knew Toasted Coconut Marshmallows would be a hit at the party. I was right! These little babies were flying off the platter and received raving reviews!

With the season turning to candies and desserts for all those parties and family gatherings you will be attending, you will want to make up a batch of these delicious marshmallows. They are sweet, pillowy and irresistable. They also can be stored for a few weeks in an airtight container – so make some now!

Toasted Coconut Marshmallows Recipe

Serves: About 24 Marshmallow Squares

Ingredients

2 cups sweetened dried coconut

3 (1/4 oz) envelopes unflavored gelatin

1 cup water

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon coconut extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour coconut onto baking sheet in a single layer. Bake until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.  Cautionary Note: Shield your eyes when opening the oven. Toasted coconut “air” is potent and will sting your eyes!

2. Spray a 9X13 pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle bottom of pan with 1/2 cup of the toasted coconut.

3. Using a stand mixer, add 1/2 cup water to mixer bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over the water and let sit.

4. In a small saucepan, add sugar, corn syrup, salt and 1/2 cup water. Heat over low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium. Bring to a boil without stirring. Use a pastry brush dipped in cold water to wash any sugar crystals down side of pan. Continue boiling until a candy thermoment reaches 240 degrees. Remove from heat and let stand until bubbles subside.

5. Attach mixer bowl to mixer and turn on to low speed. Pour hot syrup into the gelatin misture in a thin stream. Increase speed to high and beat until thick, about 15 minutes. Add vanilla and coconut extracts and beat another minute.

6. Spoon the marshmallow over the toasted coconut already in the 9×13 pan. Dampen your fingers in water and press the marshmallow until it is evenly distributed in pan and smooth on top. Sprinkle another 1/2 cup of toasted coconut over the top of the marshmallow.

7. Let the marshmallows stand uncovered at room temperature for about 2 1/2 hours, until firm.

8. When firm, use a sharp knive to loosen the marshmallows from the edges of the pan and then invert onto a cutting board. Cut the marshmallow into small squares, about 3/4″. Put remaining 1 cup of toasted coconut in a bowl and coat each square liberally.

9. Serve immediately and store leftovers in layers on parchment paper in an airtight container.

I don’t know about you but I find fish tacos at restaurants frustrating. Very rarely do I find a delicious fish taco anywhere. Do I find a good fish taco? Sometimes. A great fish taco? Not yet. Why am I so picky? I really don’t know what it is. Maybe it’s the fact that many restaurants only offer a fried fish rather than grilled. Maybe it’s the lack of a corn tortilla. Many times it’s the use of iceberg lettuce rather than crunchy cabbage. Whatever it is, I have yet to find that fish taco that has me coming back for more.

What’s the solution to my problem? There are probably lots of solutions to many of my problems. This fish taco problem though…I think the solutions is to make my own fish tacos! I sat down for a few minutes and thought about all of the various components of a fish taco which speak to me (not literally of course!). The chili lime flavors, the crunchy cabbage, the grilled and firm fish, the earthy corn tortillas. Then there has to be a sauce that  brings all of the flavors together. After all of these yummy thoughts, I put together what I thought would be my perfect fish taco. And guess what? They were outstanding! I am so looking forward to the leftovers tonight! Now it’s your turn…don’t go out tonight – make your own Grilled Garlic Lime Fish Tacos!

Grilled Garlic Lime Fish Tacos Recipe

Serves 8 small tacos

Ingredients

Marinade:

1/4 cup olive oil

2 Tbls rice vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp lime zest

2 Tbls lime juice

2 tsp honey

Pinch salt

Pinch black pepper

1/2 tsp cumin

2 tsp chili powder

2 large tilapia filets, sliced into strips across the grain

2 tsp olive oil, for grilling

Garlic Lime Sauce

8 oz sour cream

3 Tbls mayonnaise

1 Tbls lime zest

Juice from 1/2 of a lime

1 clove garlic, minced

1 green onion, chopped thinly

1/4 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp salt

Fish Taco Toppings

8 Corn Tortillas

Shredded cabbage

Diced tomatoes

Chopped green onions

Directions

1. Make the marinade: Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, lime zest, lime juice, honey, salt, pepper, cumin and chili powder. Pour over tilapia. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 6 hours.

2. Make the sauce: Combine sour cream, mayonnaise, lime zest, lime juice, garlic, green onions, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Stir well and store in refrigerator at least 2 hours.

3. After marinating fish, heat an indoor grill pan over medium high heat. Brush the grill pan with 2 tsp olive oil. Add strips of marinated fish without crowding the pan. When you see grill marks, flip the fish carefully, about 2-3 minutes. Remove fish from grill pan after about another 2-3 minutes.

4. Warm corn tortilla in dry, non-stick skillet over medium heat, about 30-45 seconds on each side.

5. Assemble tacos by filling warm tortilla with 2-4 strips of grilled fish and topping with Garlic Lime Sauce, cabbage, tomatoes, green onions, and another thin layer of Garlic Lime Sauce on top.

Blood Orange Ricotta Fritters

It is a rare day when I find blood oranges at any of my supermarkets. So imagine my excitement when I spotted some across the produce section. I literally clapped my hands, smiled, and honestly almost hopped with joy. It takes so little to make me happy these days. Regardless of my weird produce enthusiasm, I now had something new to play with…blood oranges.

After some research and internal conflict as to whether I go sweet or savory, I decided to at least start with sweet. Doughnuts sounded great but it was time for something a little different. I’ve had lemon ricotta fritters before, but never blood orange. Time to try something new! These little fritters were delicious. The blood orange is quite subtle but contributes enough flavor to make the fritters slightly sweet and perfect for a Sunday breakfast on the back porch. Try your Blood Orange Ricotta Fritters this weekend!

P.S. If you are like me, not all of your fritters will be picture worthy. Here are my alien fritters…Have fun!

The Not so Pretty Blood Orange Ricotta Fritters

Blood Orange Ricotta Fritters Recipe

Serves 6 (4-6 fritters per serving)

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3 large eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 lb whole milk ricotta

2 Tbls grated blood orange zest

1/4 cup blood orange juice

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon

4 cups vegetable oil for frying

Directions

1. Begin heating oil over  medium high heat. Do not begin frying until you see streaks of oil swirling on bottom of pan. Test your oil by dropping in a small drop of batter first to ensure your oil bubbles appropriately.

2. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Add eggs and 1/4 cup  sugar in a large bowl and whisk together. Add ricotta, zest, and vanilla. Stir until just combined.  Slowly add sifted flour mixture and stir until smooth.

3. Combine the remaining sugar and cinnamon in a separate bowl and set aside.

4. Carefully drop in a heaping tablespoon of the batter into the oil. Do not crowd the pan – fry about 4-6 fritters at a time. Fry until golden brown, flipping the fritters several times to prevent overbrowning. Pay close attention as your fritters can burn quickly if left unattended.  Drain each batch on paper towels.

5. Toss the warm fritters in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Serve immediately.

Basil Oil

After spending too much time watching TV this weekend, I kept seeing a commercial from a popular Italian chain restaurant tempting me to come devour some all you can eat pasta. I was sold but didn’t want to get up and go. I chose to use what I had in my kitchen instead. The big decision though was the sauce…just as it would have been at the restaurant. I had a huge amount of basil so the decision was made for me. It was time for some basil oil.

Basil oil is a very flavorful and amazingly versatile. Not only can you do what I did and add it to you favorite pasta dish, you can also drizzle it over a refreshing caprese salad, spread it on a slice of bread for a tasty sandwich, add it to mayonnaise for a new twist on a condiment, create your own bruschetta, or toss it with some roasted potatoes at your next meal. Think outside of the box for how you might use your batch of basil oil! It will liven up your next meal!

Basil Oil Recipe

Serves about 1/4 cup oil

Ingredients

2 cups fresh basil leaves

1/4 olive oil

1 clove garlic

Directions

1. Clean and pat the basil leaves dry with paper towels.

2. Add basil and garlic to blender. Cover. Turn blender on to a medium setting and immediately begin drizzling olive oil in from the top cover. Continue to blend until well combined.

3. Strain oil through a fine mesh sieve, gently pressing to retrieve all oil. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Sweet Grilled Cheese and Tomato Sandwich

I LOVE this sandwich! I visited a sandwich cafe this weekend and tried one of their specialties…a grilled cheese with honey. It was delicious!  I quickly began devising my version of a sweet grilled cheese and came up with this…Sweet Grilled Cheese and Tomato sandwich. The mix of creamy havarti cheese, juicy tomato, sweet honey, and buttery toasted sourdough bread is absolutely scrumptious! Give this easy sandwich a try today!

Sweet Grilled Cheese and Tomato Sandwich Recipe

Serves 2 sandwiches

Ingredients

4 slices sourdough bread

1/2 cup sliced havarti cheese (cut straight off a block of cheese for thicker, gooey slices)

2 Tbls honey

4 slices tomatoes

2 Tbls basil, sliced julienne

1 Tbls butter

Directions

1. Build sandwiches by spreading honey on all four slices of bread and layering the cheese, tomatoes and basil between the bread.

2. Heat non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add 1/2 Tbls butter to melt.

3. Add sandwiches to skillet. Cover in order to fully melt cheese. Flip sandwiches when evenly browned, adding remaining butter. Cover skillet again to continue to melt cheese.

4. Serve sandwiches straight from skillet.

Coconut Macaroons

Okay, maybe it’s not very original but I recently had a bag of coconut and couldn’t decide what to do with it. So, I made coconut macaroons. It was hard to resist making a cookie so simple with only six ingredients. In one bowl. In less than thirty minutes. Why wouldn’t I make coconut macaroons? Crispy on the outside and chewy sweetness on the inside.

I wanted to put my stamp on this recipe so I did try something new. After picking up some blood oranges at the market, I thought they would make a great addition to my “unoriginal” coconut macaroons. They tasted great. They tasted just like my first batch of macaroons without the blood orange. Honestly, the blood orange juice made no difference. So guess what? I decided there was no need to mess with perfection.

Coconut Macaroons Recipe

Makes 20-24 cookies

Ingredients

2 2/3 cup sweetened coconut

2/3 cup sugar

4 Tbls flour (add another 2 Tbls if you add 2 Tbls plus zest of blood orange juice)

1/4 tsp salt

4 egg whites

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease/spray the sheet.

2. Combine the coconut, sugar, flour, and salt in a medium bowl. Add egg whites and vanilla. Mix to combine well.

3. Use a spoon to drop tablespoon size amounts on to baking sheet. Bake for 18 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Cajun Tilapia with Roasted Blueberries

It feels so good to be back! After some health issues and a major job change, it is time to get back to what I enjoy. Without these distractions and honestly, all those energy zappers, I have been dreaming about new recipes. Today’s Cajun Tilapia with Roasted Blueberries is one I have tried before. Each time I made it, I was dissatisfied with some minor detail. I think I’ve got it right this time.

First, you have to find your favorite cajun seasoning. Maybe one day I will come up with my own seasoning blend but until then, I will use Weber Grill Creations N’Orleans Cajun Seasoning. Not a plug…just my favorite. It’s got a kick, but it’s not overpowering. Second, go minimal on the salt in your blueberries. If you use too much, it will taste weird…kind of soapy. Third, use a cast iron skillet if you have one. It really does just push the flavor over the top. Once you get the blend of flavors just right, this dish is delicious! It has that mildly spicy kick with the cooling sweetness of the warm blueberries. Try this one this weekend…you won’t regret it!

Cajun Tilapia with Roasted Blueberries

Serves 2

Ingredients

Tilapia:

2 tilapia filets

2 Tbls cajun seasoning

1 Tbls butter

salt and pepper

1 Tbls canola oil

Roasted Blueberries:

1 lb fresh blueberries

1 Tbls lemon juice

1 Tbls sugar

1 Tbls butter

salt and pepper

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Pat the tilapia filets dry with a paper towel. Season with cajun seasoning, salt and pepper.

2. Heat an oven proof skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium high heat. Add 1 Tbls canola oil.

3. Add tilapia filets. Sear the filets on one side, about 2 minutes. Turn the fish over, and dot with the butter. Add skillet to oven and roast for 15 minutes.

4. In medium sized baking dish, add blueberries, lemon juice, sugar, butter, a slight pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Bake in same oven with fish for 15 minutes.

5. Remove both the fish and blueberries from the oven. Serve tilapia with blueberries on top.

These roasted red potatoes are drizzled with a creamy, tangy, and yes, garlicky aioli. An aioli is a creamy mayonnaise style sauce. It can be flavored in so many ways but adding garlic is a classic way of giving aioli a delicious kick. It can be fairly addictive so make plenty of potatoes!

Roasted Red Potatoes with Garlic Aioli Recipe

Roasted Red Potatoes with Garlic Aioli

Serves 4-6

For the potatoes:

3 lb small red potatoes, unpeeled and halved

2 tlbs olive oil

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

For the aioli:

1 cup olive oil

1 egg yolk at room temperature

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbls white wine vinegar

Pinch of salt

Pinch of black pepper

1 to 2 tbls warm water

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Toss potatoes in oil, salt and pepper. Spread onto a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast for 50 minutes or until potatoes are crispy and tender.

3. Make the aioli: In a blender or stand mixer with whish attachment, add egg yolk, garlic, vinegar, salt and pepper. mix well over a medium speed. Slowly stream in olive oil until the mixture emulsifies. Add water to thin as needed. Adjust seasoning to personal preference.

4. To serve, drizzle aioli over hot potatoes.

Guinness Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe

Guinness Corned Beef and Cabbage

Serves 4 (2 if you want leftovers!)

Ingredients

3-4 lb Corned Beef Brisket, with seasoning packet

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 bottles of Guinness beer (save the other half for drinking!)

1/2 head of green cabbage, sliced thick

2 baking potatoes, sliced thick

4 carrots, chopped thick

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Rinse the corned beef. Pat dry. Coat all sides with the seasoning packet and brown sugar. Set fat side up in a 9×13 baking dish. Pour the beer around and gently over the beef. Cover with tin foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Remove from oven, uncover and add cabbage, potatoes and carrots around beef. Stir to coat and partially submerge the veggies. Bake uncovered for an additional 1 hour. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

So what exactly am I anticipating? My Baked Ziti is very lasagna like but without the work. Easy homemade marinara, crumbled sweet Italian sausage (the key to a tasty Baked Ziti in my humble opinion), and lots of cheese! Add a fresh green salad, some extra garlicky garlic bread and I am a very, very happy girl. Treat yourself to an Italian feast tonight!

Baked Ziti Recipe

Baked Ziti with Homemade Marinara Sauce

Serves 8

First, make the Marinara Sauce:

• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/3 cup finely diced onion
• 1/2 cup white wine

1. Heat large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil, then onions. Cook onions until translucent.

2. While onions are cooking, add tomatoes, tomato paste, parsley, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper to food processor or blender. Pulse until smooth.

3. Add wine and tomato sauce to onions. Simmer for 30 minutes over medium low, stirring occasionally.

Second, make the Baked Ziti:

• 1 lb ziti pasta
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 lb ground sweet sausage (not in casings)
• Marinara sauce (see above)
• 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
• 1 T garlic powder
• 1 T flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 6-8 slices provolone cheese (not smoked)
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 baking disk to prevent sticking.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add ziti and cook to al dente, about 7-8 minutes. Do not overcook the pasta here or your Baked Ziti will be mushy. Drain.

3. In a large, deep skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add onions and sweet sausage. When sausage is browned, add marinara. Simmer for 10 minutes.

4. While meat sauce is simmering, add ricotta, salt, garlic powder and parsley to a medium bowl. Stir until combined. Set aside.

5. Layer the ingredients in the baking dish as follows: 1/4 cup meat sauce, 1/2 of ziti, 1/2 of ricotta mixture, 1/2 of provolone cheese, 1/2 of mozzarella cheese, 1/2 of remaining meat sauce,  1/2 of parmesan cheese, then repeat with remaining 1/2 of ingredients. Cover with tin foil.

6. Bake for 15 minutes with foil. Remove foil and bake for remaining 15 minutes until cheeses are melted and gooey. Allow ziti to sit for 10 minutes before serving. This will allow the dish to set.