Brazilian Lemonade

Very refreshing drink, and according to my husband it is "like heaven" when frozen into a slush. 
 
Brazilian Lemonade

4 juicy limes (try and find ones with thin, smooth skins; they’re the juiciest and the thin skin cuts down on the chance of your drink being bitter)
1 c. sugar
6 c. cold water
6 Tbsp. sweetened condensed milk

Mix cold water and sugar very well and chill until ready to use. This step can be done ahead of time.
Wash limes thoroughly with soap (I just use hand-dishwashing soap or regular hand soap); you need the soap to get the wax and pesticides off of the limes because you’re using the WHOLE lime. Cut the ends off the limes and then cut each lime into 8ths.

Place 1/2 of the limes in your blender.

Add 1/2 of the sugar water, place the lid on your blender, and pulse 5 times. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a pitcher (the one you’ll serve the lemonade in) and pour the blended mixture through the strainer and into the pitcher. Use a spoon to press the rest of the liquid into the pitcher. Dump the pulp and stuff in the strainer into the trash. Repeat with remaining limes and sugar water. Add sweetened condensed milk; DO NOT leave this step out unless you will die of a horrible sweetened condensed milk allergy because this is the secret ingredient!
You may want to taste test it at this point. If it is bitter just add some more sugar and maybe a little more milk.
Serve immediately over lots of ice. This does not keep well, so don’t make this in advance (although you can cut the limes, mix the sugar water, and measure the sweetened condensed milk in advance). Serves 4.

Recipe/photo source: Our Best Bites

Spaghetti and Meatballs

I have been making a lot of things from the Our Best Bites cookbook lately so you will see most of my dishes will be referencing their creations.


Spaghetti and Meatballs

Italian Meatballs:
1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 lb. Italian sausage
1/4 c. dry bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. dehydrated onion
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. parsley
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt

Gently combine meatball ingredients in a medium bowl. Shape into balls, whatever size you like, but I prefer using my standard cookie scoop (about 1 Tbsp.) to shape meat into balls and then rolling it between my hands to make them even more round. Place on a broiler pan and broil until the meatballs start to brown. Remove from oven and set aside until ready to use (or freeze for later use).

Sauce
1 large onion, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
Olive oil
2 28-oz. cans crushed tomatoes
16 oz. tomato sauce
1-2 Tbsp. sugar (to taste)
2 tsp. basil
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of baking soda (to help neutralize the acid)

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add onion and garlic and cook until onions are translucent and garlic is fragrant. Add remaining sauce ingredients and combine well. Bring to a simmer and add meatballs. Simmer on low, uncovered, until desired consistency is reached–about 25-30 minutes for a sauce that’s of medium consistency

Serve over hot spaghetti.

FREEZER MEAL INSTRUCTIONS:
Prepare meatballs as directed, but divide the meatballs among two freezer-safe containers. Prepare sauce through adding all ingredients to the pan, but don’t simmer; rather, divide the sauce among the two containers. Freeze until ready to use. When ready to use, place in slow cooker and cook on low for about 5-6 hours, although you’ll want to keep an eye on the sauce and make sure it’s not burning if you go for the whole 6 hours.

Recipe and photo source: Our Best Bites

Savory Cheese Waffles

I was a little skeptical of a savory waffle at first. I like my waffles sweet with maple syrup but a savory waffle is just as good. These are wonderful paired with this Tomato Bisque. 

Savory Cheese Waffles

2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 large eggs
1 1/2 to 2 1/2 cups whole buttermilk
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese
1 teaspoon sugar
Pinch of coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Sift together flour, baking powder, and baking soda three times; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, and butter until well combined. Add flour mixture and whisk until smooth. Batter should have a pudding-like consistency. If necessary, add more buttermilk, 1/4 cup at a time, until pudding-like consistency is reached. Stir in cheese, sugar, and salt; season with pepper.

Preheat a waffle iron. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup batter to heated waffle iron; close and cook until dark golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes, depending on your waffle iron. Repeat process with remaining batter and serve immediately.

Recipe source: Martha Stewart

Baked Breakfast Taquitos with Lime Chipotle Dip

These are fantastic! You must make the dipping sauce with this. It is wonderful.

Crispy Baked Breakfast Taquitos with Lime-Chipotle Dip



2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
12 large eggs
1/2 C Sour Cream
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 C grated pepperjack cheese
1/4 C chopped roasted red bell peppers
1/4 C sliced green onions
1/4 C chopped cilantro
1-2 tsp hot sauce
16 6″ flour tortillas
cooking spray or olive oil

Dipping Sauce:
1 1/2 C Sour Cream
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil for easy clean-up.  Spray with cooking spray or lightly brush with oil and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Crack eggs into large mixing bowl.  Whisk in 1/2 C sour cream, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  When skillet is hot, add egg mixture to pan.  Using a rubber spatula, gently scrape bottom of pan and fold eggs over to scramble.  Remove from heat when slightly undercooked.  Add cheese, roasted red peppers, green onions, cilantro, and hot sauce to taste.  Gently fold to combine.

Warm tortillas in microwave to ease rolling process.  Working with a few tortillas at a time, place a scant 1/4 C egg mixture into the center of each one and roll up into a cylinder.  Place rolled tortillas on prepared baking sheet, seam-side down, so they are not touching each other.  When all tortillas are rolled and filled, lightly spray tops with cooking spray, or lightly brush with olive oil.  Bake for 15 minutes or until edges are golden brown and crisp.

While taquitos are baking, combine 1 1/2 C sour cream, lime juice, chipotle chili powder and kosher salt.  Stir to combine and store in fridge.  Remove taquitos from oven , let cool for 5 minutes, and then serve with dipping sauce.


Make Ahead Prep: The egg mixture can be made a day ahead of time and stored in the fridge until ready to use.  You can also prepare the taquitos and instead of baking right away, cover tightly in plastic wrap and store in the fridge overnight, or freeze for later use.  To prepare frozen taquitos, place (un-thawed) directly on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray.  Follow original baking instructions, increasing time by 5 minutes or until taquitos are golden brown.

Recipe Source: Our Best Bites

Banana Slush Punch

I can't wait to have this on a hot summer day.  The recipe says to use Sprite or Ginger Ale, but I used Fresca and it was great.

Banana Slush Punch


Ingredients:
6 cups water, divided
4 very ripe bananas
1 1/2 cups white sugar
6 cups (48 ounces) pineapple juice
2 12- ounce cans orange juice concentrate
1 12-ounce can lemonade concentrate (pink or yellow)
3 liters Sprite or ginger ale


Instructions:
In the jar of a blender, combine 3 cups water, bananas, and sugar. Blend until smooth and set aside.
In a large bowl or pot, combine remaining water, pineapple juice, orange juice concentrate, and lemonade concentrate and mix well or blend with an immersion blender. Add banana mixture.

Divide the mixture evenly among 3 freezer-safe containers or gallon-sized Ziploc bags and freeze for several hours or overnight (at least). When ready to serve, place 1 container of banana mixture at a time into a drink bowl or jar and pour 1 liter of chilled ginger ale or Sprite over the banana mixture. Mix with a spoon (or immersion blender) and serve immediately. If desired, you can garnish with frozen berries.

Recipe source: Our Best Bites

Cupcake Filling and Buttercream Frosting

The filling can be used as a filling and a frosting but it isn't as sweet as I like my frosting to be so I used a buttercream Frosting to do the top of these cupcakes.

Perfect Cupcake Frosting and Filling

3 T Flour
1/2 C milk (whole milk is best, but I use non-fat when it’s all I have and it’s actually fine)
1/2 C real butter (I prefer salted, but you can use also unsalted and add salt to taste)
1/2 C sugar (that’s granulated sugar, not powdered sugar)
1 t vanilla extract, or other flavor if you wish.

Whisk together the flour and the milk. Heat in a small sauce pan on medium heat.

Whisk continuously until it starts to thicken. Let it cook, while stirring with a rubber spatula, until you can start to see the bottom of the pan.   Continue to cook until mixture has the consistency of pudding.

Put  mixture in the fridge and let it cool completely, it’s fine if it stays in there long enough to get chilly, you just don’t want it warm at all. As it’s cooling, feel free to stir it occasionally to speed up the process and keep it from forming a crust on top.

In an electric stand mixer, beat the butter and the sugar for a minute or two until well combined and fluffy. You’ll want to use the whisk attachment on a stand mixer if you have one, instead of the flat paddle. Then while beating, add in the thickened milk mixture and the vanilla. Beat to combine and then scrape down the sides.

Mixture will separate and look messy, keep beating!  Continue beating until mixture comes together and is light and fluffy, about 7-8 minutes, but time varies.  Take a sample of frosting between your fingers; frosting is done when light and fluffy and sugar granules are dissolved.

Recipe source: Our Best Bites

Buttercream Frosting

1 c. solid white vegetable shortening
1 tsp. flavoring (vanilla, almond, butter flavoring or combination. I use 1/2 tsp. vanilla, 1/2 tsp. almond and just a drop of butter flavoring)*
2 Tbsp. water or milk**
1 lb. (about 4 cups) powdered sugar (I like the pre-sifted 10x kind, Kroger brand is a good one)
1 Tbsp. Meringue Powder (I don't always use this but if you want your frosting to crust then use it)
A pinch of salt

Cream shortening, flavoring, water and salt. Add dry ingredients and mix on medium speed until ingredients have been thoroughly mixed together. Blend an additional minute or so until creamy.

*If you want bright white frosting, make sure you use clear vanilla.

**This recipe is for stiff consistency frosting. For thinner consistency add 1 tsp. per cup of icing. I usually just add small amounts of water until I get the consistency I want.

Poppy seed Chicken

Poppy seed Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 c. sour cream
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 roll Ritz crackers, crushed
1/4 c. butter, melted
1 Tbsp. poppy seeds

Combine sour cream and lemon juice in a large bowl. Add the chicken breasts and stir until all pieces are coated with sour cream. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 375. In a shallow dish, combine crackers, melted butter and poppy seeds. Remove chicken from sour cream mixture and dip into cracker mixture, coating well. Place in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.