•Well, it’s official…spring is here!  That means it’s time to take down the Christmas lights.  Honest, that’s what I spent my morning doing.  I felt inspired to venture out and do some spring cleaning and clean up some flower beds and start tackling my honey’s to do list……maybe if I cross some things off he’ll be inspired as well (I can dream).  I really craved a beer when I was done, but it was only 10am and the dog was looking at me, so that was out.  I wanted something refreshing and springtime.  I had just planted some mint and  remembered those strawberries I had bought last week.  Just needed to whip up some simple syrup and add some seltzer and lemon to finish it all off.  Simple syrup is something you can keep in the fridge for a week and use in other cold drinks like lemonade or ice tea.  This would be equally delicious in the summer and with a splash of vodka.

Simple syrup

In a small pot, add 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar.  Whisk well.

Bring to a low boil, reduce heat, and let simmer until sugar dissolves.  Should only take a min.  Set aside to cool or let cool in fridge uncovered.  I used mine semi warm….no biggie.  Slice your strawberries and cut lemon into 8 wedges while it cools.

Add 3-6 tbls simple syrup to each glass.  Measurement depends on the size of your glasses, the sweetness of the strawberries and your preference.  Make one complete drink 1st and taste.

Add 3 mint leaves per glass.

With the end of  a wooden spoon, smush (tech term is muddle) the leaves into the simple syrup.

Add 2-3 sliced strawberries to each glass.

Smush them up a bit too.

Add ice.

Squeeze in a lemon wedge, and toss in.

Fill each glass with seltzer water and stir.

Serve immediately and drink in a nice sunny spot♥Enjoy

The post STRAWBERRY FIZZ appeared first on SmittenFoodie.com.

•This was a kind of clean out your cupboards/fridge day.  Wanted to make something different  for dessert, and needed a little inspiration.  I had a bag of sweetened shredded coconut that I had bought for some other reason, and obviously never used, just staring me in the face saying “why did you ever buy me”……do your ingredients ever talk to you?  I have always loved lemon bars and we all know heaven’s gift is lemon curd, but though I would change it up with lime.  Lime and coconut compliment each other nicely in these tart, chewy, buttery bars. 

Pre heat oven to 350° grease a 9×13 baking dish with butter or cooking spray, set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted witha  paddle attachment, cream together the butter

and brown sugar until fluffy.

Add in the lime zest

and salt, mix.

Mix in the coconut

and slowly mix in the flour.  Mixture will be not fully come together in bowl.

Dump into the prepared pan.

Press evenly into pan using your fingers.  Pop into oven and bake for 20-25 min until crust is brown.

Meanwhile….wash out your mixer bowl and start on the curd

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the granulated sugar,

salt,

cornstarch,

and baking powder.  Slowly mix for a couple seconds.

Add in the lime zest, mix.

Add one egg at a time, making sure to fully mix in between.

Add vanilla, mix.

Add 1 tbls lemon juice to the freshly squeezed lime juice.

Pour into bowl and mix for just a min.

To dye or not to dye?  I added just 1 drop of green food coloring (I made these on St. Patrick’s Day for goodness sakes!!) but it is totally up to you.

Pour lime curd mixture over the baked crust and pop back into the same oven for 18-25 min, until curd is set and slightly brown on top.

While you have the oven on, toast 1 cup of coconut  for garnish later.  Should only take 5 min or so, keep an eye on it and make sure to stir around with a spatula.  Set aside when done.

Remove from oven and let cool on rack for 30 min before transferring to fridge to completely cool for at least 2 hours.  Cut into desire amount and sprinkle powdered sugar, reserved lime zest and toasted coconut♥Enjoy

•

The post LIME CURD AND COCONUT BARS appeared first on SmittenFoodie.com.

•This is almost like a lemon lava cake, a cakey texture surrounds a creamy, tart, lemon pudding. Serve with fresh berries to add a little sweetness and texture, and maybe a little whipped cream.  It’s best either still warm or at room temp, so it can be made ahead.  If you’re not familiar with cooking in a water bath, it’s a technique that slowly and evenly cooks puddings, creme brûlée, and other creamy desserts.

Crave lemon like me? Don’t miss out on lemon curd, lemon and blueberry johnny cakes, lemon vinaigrette…….or just type lemon in the search bar, I put that @&$# in everything(:  (love those commercials)

Preheat oven to 350° Place ramekins inside of a large baking dish or roasting pan.  Spray the ramekins with cooking spray.  Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and sugar, set aside.

Separate the eggs, putting the whites into a mixing bowl along with the salt and the yolks into a med bowl.  Beat the whites and salt on high speed until stiff peaks form.  Let them hang out until later.

In the med bowl with the yolks, whisk in the butter until fully incorporated.

Mix the heavy cream and water together and pour into the bowl, whisk.

Whisk in the vanilla,

lemon zest,

and lemon juice.

Slowly pour in the sugar and flour, whisking well.

Carefully fold in 1/2 half of the egg whites until incorporated.

Fold in the other half of the whites.  Mixture will not be completely smooth.

Pour into the prepared ramekins.

Place the baking dish in the oven and pour enough hot water into the baking dish to come 1/2 way up the ramekins to create a water bath.  Bake for 25 min until set on top and edges and slightly wiggly in the middle.  Carefully remove from water bath with tongs and hot pads and let cool on rack for at least 20 min.  Serve warm or at room temp with fresh berries♥Enjoy

•

The post LEMON PUDDING CAKES appeared first on SmittenFoodie.com.

•I’ve been wanting to make these for a while.  Chicken enchiladas and fajitas are something I can make in my sleep, but have never made a fluata.  What is a flaunta?  Traditionally it’s a flour tortilla stuffed with meat and cheese and fried in oil.  I tried to make mine a little healthier by adding some spinach and baking them in the oven.  I also made them a little saucier inside with a homemade enchilada sauce that is so good!  The results are a crispy tortilla filled with shredded chicken, spinach, melted cheese and a flavorful sauce.  Perfect with any or all of the following-pico de gallo, salsa verde, guacamole, and avocado cream.

In a large skillet or Dutch oven, add the chicken breasts, (I cut mine into evenly thick pieces so they would cook evenly) the 1/4 of the onion, 2 garlic cloves, hot sauce, the salt and pepper.  Pour in the chicken stock and enough water to cover everything.  Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until chicken is cooked through-about 10 min.

Pull out the chicken, let cool a bit and shred with a couple forks.  Set aside.  Reserve 1 cup of the chicken cooking liquid, discard the remaining liquid and the poached onion and garlic.  Wipe pot dry with a paper towel.

Starting the sauce-

In the same pot, add oil, diced onion, minced garlic, and a pinch each of salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.  Cook over med heat until onions are translucent.

Sprinkle in the smoked paprika,

chili powder

and cumin.  Cook just a min to heat up the flavors.

Sprinkle in the flour and cook another min, making sure to stir around.

Remember that reserved poaching liquid-give it a quick whisk and pour half into the pot to create sauce.  Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula, making sure scrape the bottom of the pot to get all of the flavor.  Add the remaining 1/2 cup liquid.

Drop in the spinach and cook until wilted- about 3 min.

Squeeze in the lime juice.

Assembling-

Preheat oven to 425°  Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.  Spray liberally with cooking spray.  Set aside.

Spread out the tortillas on your work surface.  Add 1/8 of the shredded chicken at the edge closest to you.

Followed by 1/8 of the cheese

and 1/8 of the spinach sauce.

Roll the tortillas tightly and place on the prepared baking sheet.  Spray liberally with cooking spray and pop into the oven.  At this stage, can be kept in the fridge for up

Bake for 10 min.  Remove from oven, turn flautas over and bake on the other side for another 8-10 min until both sides are crispy and the filling is melty and hot.

Can be cooled and individually wrapped and frozen for another time.  Serve with pico de gallo and avocado cream♥Enjoy

The post BAKED CHICKEN AND SPINACH FLAUTAS appeared first on SmittenFoodie.com.

•Both of these are a perfect accompaniment, along with their cousin salsa verde, to all sorts of dishes like chicken fajitas, tacos, mix pico into rice or pasta, spread the avocado cream on sandwiches or burgers, both delicious with chicken and spinach flautas.  Maybe just need a simple tortilla chip to scoop into and enjoy.

With a large spoon, scoop out the tomato seeds.

Dice and add to a bowl along with the jalapeño, garlic, minced onion, and lime zest.

Sprinkle in the salt ~ start out with 1/2 tsp to start and adjust to your taste, and the black pepper.

Give it a quick stir and add in the cilantro

and squeeze in the lime juice.  Stir again and taste for seasoning, adjust.

Let sit in the fridge for at least 1/2 hour.  Best when made the day of, but will keep in the fridge for a couple of days♥Enjoy

Spoon out the avocado and smash with a fork to the consistency you like.  Add a pinch of salt and pepper and the lime juice.  Stir.

Add in the sour cream

the greek yogurt.  Stir again.

Cover with plastic wrap directly pressed down on top of the avocado cream, to prevent from turning brown. Can serve right away or let sit in fridge for a couple hours♥Enjoy

The post PICO DE GALLO and AVOCADO CREAM appeared first on SmittenFoodie.com.

•Can it get better than chicken wrapped in bacon?  Why yes, it’s also glazed with a honey, coarse mustard, and lemon sauce!  I made this as a main dish, but you can cut chicken smaller and wrap with a half a piece of bacon to make appetizers.  As a main course I would serve it with an arugula salad with a lemon vinaigrette.  Or try rocket and pomegranate salad for something a little fancier.  Love things wrapped in bacon, I have a couple of those under my sleeve too!  Bacon wrapped scallops with chili lime butter or asparagus bundles.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray with a little cooking spray, set aside.  Don’t use parchment paper like I tried 1st (will burn at the ovens hot temp).  Preheat oven to 425°

Slice chicken breasts into 4 pieces, trying to keep them even in thickness.

Season with salt and pepper.

Starting on one end, wrap bacon fairly tightly, around the chicken.  Place finished chicken on prepared sheet pan.

In a small bowl, mix together the mustard

honey

and squeeze in lemon juice.

Mix well.

Brush only half of the marinade over the top of the chicken. At this point, you can cover with plastic and keep in the fridge and bake later.

Pop into the oven and bake 13-15 min until the bacon starts to brown.

Flip over.

Brush with the other half of the marinade and bake for another 13-15 min.  Keep an eye on things, I flipped them once more because the second side was getting too crispy.

Serve with a lemon wedge and another drizzle of honey♥Enjoy

shared on these linky parties~come join the fun!

The post BACON WRAPPED HONEY MUSTARD CHICKEN appeared first on SmittenFoodie.com.

•So I wanted to make something quick and easy to take with me to share at work and thought cookie bars would be easy.  I could use up the those Valentine M&M’s that have been calling my name for the past week.  I thought I could just use the Nestlé cookie recipe and just add the candies.  I dug out an open bag of chocolate chips from the freezer and had at it……I followed the directions, so I thought, long story short, the bag was cut in such a way that the flour measurements were cut off a little.  I thought it said 4 cups of flour, nope it was supposed to be 2 1/4 cups flour!! I had to do some quick thinking, enter the peanut butter, honey and the extra egg….voila, peanut butter cookie bars!

Preheat your oven to 375°

Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray, set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter

granulated sugar

and brown sugar.  Cream together on med speed until fluffy.

Add in the peanut butter

honey

and vanilla.  Mix until combined.

Mix in eggs, one at a time, scrape sides of bowl.

Add in the salt, mix.

Add baking soda, mix again.

Slowly add the flour, 1 cup at a time on low speed.

After all mixed, add the goodies……start with the chocolate chips

white chocolate chips

walnuts

and the M&M’s.  Mix carefully, only until incorporated.  Might have to finish with wooden spoon.

Spread into the prepared pan and bake 25-30 min until brown around the edges and cooked in the middle.  Let cool in the pan then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely before cutting, or serve warm if you can’t wait♥Enjoy

Love is in the air…..

The post PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE BARS appeared first on SmittenFoodie.com.

 •I’ve been making quite a few Valentine’s Day♥ recipes the last couple of weeks and have been cutting everything into hearts…..I just can’t help it!!  I also noticed that this is my third shortbread cookie recipe; chocolate, lemon and now raspberry.  These are my favorite kind of cookie, so buttery and flaky, plus I can cut into any shape and decorate them.  I really think my husband is tired of me watching him eat my shortbread creations and really think I owe him a batch of chocolate chip cookies (his favorite) soon.  These raspberry shortbread cookies are filled with the same cream cheese filling I used for whoopie pies back in the fall.  They are a beautiful pink color and have a subtle raspberry flavor that hits you at the end, just wait for it!!

for the cookies

Pour raspberries into a small sauce pot.

Add in the lemon zest

and lemon juice.

Cook on med heat until raspberries are broken down and create a sauce.  Don’t boil at this stage.

Pour the cooked raspberries into a clean bowl.

Rinse the pot and place a strainer/colander inside.  I have one that fits perfect, but use what you have, a colander over a bowl would work too, I just wanted to avoid too many dishes.

Lay in 2 pieces of cheesecloth.

Pour in the raspberries and go vacuum or nap, this takes a bit.

The juice will slowly start draining through the cheesecloth.

Use a spoon to help move things around and smush the juice through. 

You want to get 1/2 cup raspberry juice.  Pull ends of cheese cloth together, twist to make a bundle, and carefully squeeze the remaining juice out.  This is messy!!  Discard the seeds and cheesecloth.

Pour the juice back into the sauce pot and look for any seeds that might have made it past you.  Simmer over med-low heat until juice has reduced by half (1/4 cup) and is thicker.  Takes about 15 min.  Set aside to let cool.

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter

and powdered sugar.  Cream together until smooth.

Add in the kosher salt

and vanilla-mix.

With blender on low, slowly pour in the raspberry sauce.   It will look ugly until fully incorporated, don’t freak out=)

Increase the speed and beat until fully combined, scraping sides of bowl once.  Isn’t that a beautiful color!!

Add in the flour, 1 cup at a time

mix only until the dough comes together, don’t over mix.

Place half of the dough onto a piece of parchment paper.

Place another on top and roll out dough to 1/4 inch.  Make sure to rotate and move the paper as you’re rolling.  Place on a sheet pan in the fridge for 2 hours to overnight.  Repeat with the second half of the dough.

After 2 hours, remove the rolled dough from the fridge and let sit out 5-10 min until pliable and easy to cut.  Turn oven to 350°  Cut into desirible shapes and place on parchment lined sheet pans. 

Keep in mind that if using more than one shape/size to always have a match to it so you can sandwich up easier later.

Sprinkle half of the cookies with coarse sugar or other sprinkles.  These cookies need that crunch and added sweetness, don’t skip this step.  

Again, keep in mind the cookie sandwich ”pairs”.  I only sprinkled the top half of the pairs, but do as much or as little as you like.

Anything bigger than these small nonpareils might not stick well.

Bake 10-13 min until the bottom of the cookies are slightly brown, rotate pans halfway through.  Let cool completely on wire racks.

for the filling

Probably smart idea to make this and let chill in the fridge while the dough is resting in the fridge as well.

Beat together the butter and cream cheese using a whisk attachment or hand mixer until smooth and creamy.  I doubled the recipe and used half later.

Pour in the powdered sugar and beat on low until incorporated.  Increase speed, and whisk until smooth and fluffy.

Add in the vanilla and whisk a min more.

This is the best filling or frosting!!

Using a spatula, scoop the filling into a large ziptop or pastry bag.  Let sit in the fridge for at least a hour to 1 week.  Let sit on the counter or squeeze bag with hands to warm up so it can easily piped on cookies.  You want the filling chilled so it has a little more body than warm filling that will just ooze out sides when cookies are sandwiched.

assembly

Get yourself organized. 

Pull the filling out of the fridge and let warm up a bit.  Pair up the cookies how you want, flipping over the bottom.  Going to roll the exposed edges of the filled cookies in sprinkles? Get the sprinkles poured into a shallow dish.  Anything else?

Cut a med size hole at the tip of the ziptop bag.  Outline the bottom of the cookie, leaving just a little around the edge.

Fill in the rest.  Carefully sandwich the top on, pressing slightly.  Continue with the rest of the cookies.

Plan ahead- Cookies can be made 2-3 days ahead of time and stored unfilled in an airtight container.  Filled cookies can sit in the fridge for a couple of hours to keep the filling cold.  Filling can be made upto a week ahead and store in the fridge.  I would suggest not filling the cookies until the day you want to serve them or give them to your sweetie♥Enjoy

shared on these linky parties~come join the fun!

The post RASPBERRY SHORTBREAD SANDWICH COOKIES appeared first on SmittenFoodie.com.

•Ever made a rotisserie chicken? Ya, me either.  I don’t have a rotisserie, but I do have a crock pot!!  I originally was inspire by a recipe I saw on Pinterest, but didn’t want it cooking in the juices all day……enter the foil balls, they aren’t just for foil ball tag, you know the game in socks on old school linoleum floors, anyone?  This chicken is juicy and flavorful.  I must be honest, I missed the crispy skin of an oven roasted chicken, but this is a different way to cook a whole chicken to have for dinner or save for lunches all week.

Use the chicken in chipotle ranch chicken taco salad, BBQ chicken stuffed sweet potatoes or add to any pasta or salad.

Make 4 or 5 balls of foil, enough to cover the bottom of your slow cooker.  Smush them down a bit to flatten so the chicken doesn’t touch the lid when placed on top.  Spray the foil and sides well with cooking spray.

Remove the giblets and neck from the chicken, discard.  Rinse the chicken under cold water and pat dry with a paper towel.  Bend the wings under so they don’t flop around and stick to the sides (makes for a prettier presentation too). Place on a plate and set aside.

In a small bowl add the regular paprika

the smoked paprika

kosher salt

pepper

cayenne

and lemon zest.

Stir all together.

Using a microplane or grater, grate the garlic

and onion (I used a coarser grater) this will make you tear up a bit

The onion juice should make this into a thick paste, if not add a little water or lemon juice.

Rub the paste all over the outside, inside and carefully under the skin.

Place chicken, breast side up, on top of the foil balls.  Put on lid and cook on high for 5 hours.  Insert a thermometer between the leg and breast, finished chicken is 165° juice will run clear and no longer be pink inside.  If it’s to temp, remove and place on cutting board to rest for 10 min.  If not done yet, put lid back on and cook longer, my chicken took 5 1/2 hours.

After the chicken has rested on cutting board for 10 min, slice and serve♥Enjoy

 shared on these linky partied~come join the fun

The post CROCK POT ROTISSERIE CHICKEN appeared first on SmittenFoodie.com.

•This is a very quick cooking one pot pasta dish packed full of flavor.  Shrimp cooked in a fresh tomato sauce with peppery arugula and lemony tarragon.  If you have never tried tarragon before, it’s an herb that has a subtle licorice flavor.  Tarragon is also perfect with chicken and goes great with citrus.  Rocket (fancy name for arugula) is a hearty green that stands up to strong vinaigrettes and a great addition to sandwiches.  This sauce can also be served over brown rice or made with a gluten free pasta.

Cook pasta according to package directions in well salted boiling water, go short 2 min so it’s just under al dente.  Reserve 1 cup of the cooking pasta water.  Drain pasta and set aside.  You can also serve over brown rice to make it gluten free.

In the same pot, add olive oil, shallot, garlic and red pepper flakes.  Sauté over med high heat for a couple of min until the shallot is translucent and garlic is fragrant.

Add in the chopped tomatoes and the salt and pepper.  

Cook on med high for about 7 min until the tomatoes break down.

Add the shrimp, with a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook only a min, just until they start turning pink.  The shrimp will continue to cook, don’t over cook in this step.

Pour in a little of the pasta water to deglaze the pan, just a splash.  Scrape bottom of pan with wooden spoon.

Add enough water to make the sauce the thickness you like.  I used 3/4 cup total.  Bring to a simmer.

Sprinkle in the tarragon

and arugula, stir.  Turn off heat.

Toss in the pasta and let sit in the hot sauce until cooked through, should be just a min.

Serve with a little fresh lemon zest and shaved parmesan cheese♥Enjoy

shared on these linky parties~come join the fun!

The post ROCKET AND TARRAGON SHRIMP appeared first on SmittenFoodie.com.