Month: February 2014


Feb
2014

Marinated Grilled Pork Chops and Portabella Mushrooms

categories: For The BBQ Grill, Main Dishes, Pork, Sauces and Dressings
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My husband is the “Grill-Master” in our family. He recently grilled these Marinated Grilled Pork Chops and Portabella Mushrooms, and the dish was outstanding! Marinated Grilled Pork Chops and Portabella Mushrooms / The Grateful Girl Cooks!
When the weather is decent (in Oregon that means “not raining heavily”), he loves to grill on our Weber BBQ.  He’ll stand out there (yes, sometimes even in the rain) with the smoke pouring out of that BBQ into his eyes and permeating his clothes…and grill our dinner! While I love to prepare the food, I am so grateful he loves to GRILL the food! Yay!
Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

I found this simple marinade recipe for pork chops online; then decided to use half of the marinade for the pork chops, and the other half to make a reduction sauce to saute baby portabella mushrooms in (to top the grilled pork chops with). Yum.  If you don’t eat mushrooms, then use the entire marinade for the chops. Fantastic, either way!

The Grill Master, busy at work (Should I tell him the lighter fluid goes on the briquets?)- ha ha.

The grillmeister at work, before making marinated grilled pork chops.

Hope you give these yummy pork chops a try. They are such a simple and delicious entree! Have a great day.

Looking For More PORK CHOP Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have some really yummy pork chop recipes, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signatureMarinade Recipe adapted from: http://www.cooks.com/recipe/rc9vt5im/marinade-for-grilled-pork-chops.html

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Marinated Grilled Pork Chops and Portabella Mushrooms
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
50 mins
Marinating Time
4 hrs
Total Time
5 hrs
 
Marinated grilled pork chops, with portabella mushrooms in a delicious sauce.
Category: Entree
Cuisine: American
Keyword: marinated grilled pork chops
Servings: 4 servings
Calories Per Serving: 544 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For The Marinade:
  • 1 medium onion , finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup oil
  • 1/3 cup pineapple juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
  • 4 large pork chops , bone in
  • 1 package baby portabella mushrooms , sliced
  • 1 Tablespoon butter
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
  1. Combine the first 6 ingredients (onion, oil, pineapple juice, garlic powder, soy sauce, and brown sugar) in a bowl. Whisk ingredients until fully blended. Pour HALF of the sauce over the pork chops to marinate. To marinade the chops, I use a gallon sized plastic resealable bag (you can also use a covered pan).
  2. Set aside the remaining 1/2 of the sauce (to cook the mushrooms in later).
  3. Marinate the chops in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours (overnight is even better), turning several times to make sure the chops are fully coated. Once BBQ is ready to go, grill chops until done, basting occasionally with sauce (from the bag or pan).
  4. While pork chops are cooking, add the reserved marinade (that you set aside earlier) to a skillet. Add the sliced mushrooms and saute on medium low for approximately 5-8 minutes. Sauce should reduce a bit as it cooks. Stir to coat the mushrooms. About a minute or so before the mushrooms are done, add the Tablespoon of butter to the sauce. Stir in and keep the sauce warm.
  5. When pork chops are done, place on serving plates and spoon some of the mushrooms and skillet sauce over the top of each chop. ENJOY!
Recipe Notes

PLEASE NOTE: Almost all of the prep time in INACTIVE prep time while the pork is marinating.

Nutrition Facts
Marinated Grilled Pork Chops and Portabella Mushrooms
Amount Per Serving (1 pork chop)
Calories 544 Calories from Fat 324
% Daily Value*
Fat 36g55%
Saturated Fat 21g131%
Cholesterol 124mg41%
Sodium 1188mg52%
Potassium 910mg26%
Carbohydrates 16g5%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 10g11%
Protein 38g76%
Vitamin A 90IU2%
Vitamin C 4mg5%
Calcium 51mg5%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Marinated Grilled Pork Chops and Portabella Mushrooms / The Grateful Girl Cooks!

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Feb
2014

Copycat Cherry Garcia Ice Cream

categories: Chocolate, Copycat Recipes, Desserts, Ice Cream/Frozen Treats
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Dark chocolate and Bing cherries are featured in delicious Cherry Garcia Ice Cream (copycat) recipe, made in an electric ice cream maker!Dark chocolate and Bing cherries are featured in delicious Cherry Garcia Ice Cream (copycat) recipe, made in an electric ice cream maker! Here’s a great recipe for Copycat Cherry Garcia Ice Cream I discovered two years ago during my Summer Ice Cream Experiment! I spent the summer experimenting with many homemade ice cream recipes in my Cuisinart Ice Cream maker.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

About Cherry Garcia Ice Cream

I only managed to get one picture of this yummy cherry garcia ice cream before we dove in….YUM!  I love it when I can experiment and make “copycat” recipes. This is a knockoff recipe for one of the most famous (and wildly popular) of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream flavors. If you love the original, you will love this simple to make version! Cherry Garcia ice cream is filled with juicy Bing cherries, sweet cream, and chocolate. 

Summer is just around the corner, and I hope you will give this recipe a try…perfect for a hot summer evening (or let’s get real…ANYTIME you require ice cream…stat!). Have a great day, and hope you enjoy this recipe for Cherry Garcia ice cream!

Looking For More ICE CREAM Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have LOTS of ice cream recipes you’ll enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signatureRecipe source: My regular vanilla base (from Cuisinart book) + experimenting

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Copycat Cherry Garcia Ice Cream
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
0 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 

Dark chocolate and Bing cherries are featured in delicious Cherry Garcia Ice Cream (copycat) recipe, made in an electric ice cream maker!

Category: Ice Cream
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cherry garcia ice cream
Servings: 10 (1/2 cup servings) 1.5 qts. total
Calories Per Serving: 299 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate , grated finely, then covered & refrigerated (to keep it cold)
  • 1/2 cup fresh Bing cherries , pitted, halved, & then covered & refrigerated (to keep them cold)
  • 1/2 cup Egg substitute
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 1 cup milk
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
  1. Prepare the chocolate and the cherries as indicated in ingredient list. Place them in separate bowls; cover and keep refrigerated until just before ice cream has finished freezing.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk the egg substitute, sugar, and vanilla together until the sugar has dissolved (a couple minutes). Pour in the whipping cream and milk; continue whisking until fully blended.
  3. Transfer the ice cream mixture to your ice cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. About 5 minutes before the ice cream is done (and has thickened), add the grated chocolate and cherries to the ice cream mixture. Continue churning the ice cream for remainder of time indicated for your machine. When done, transfer mixture to a container suitable for a freezer, and let it continue to "ripen" (i.e. firm up) in the freezer. When ready to serve, grab an ice cream scoop and dig in!
Nutrition Facts
Copycat Cherry Garcia Ice Cream
Amount Per Serving (1 (1/2 cup serving))
Calories 299 Calories from Fat 198
% Daily Value*
Fat 22g34%
Saturated Fat 13g81%
Cholesterol 67mg22%
Sodium 55mg2%
Potassium 170mg5%
Carbohydrates 22g7%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 19g21%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 865IU17%
Vitamin C 1.1mg1%
Calcium 75mg8%
Iron 1.3mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Dark chocolate and Bing cherries are featured in delicious Cherry Garcia Ice Cream (copycat) recipe, made in an electric ice cream maker!

 

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Feb
2014

Cantaloupe Sorbet

categories: Desserts, Ice Cream/Frozen Treats
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Cantaloupe Sorbet is easy to make (only 4 ingredients), and is a cold, refreshing frozen dessert treat to enjoy on a hot summer day!Cantaloupe Sorbet is easy to make (only 4 ingredients), and is a cold, refreshing frozen dessert treat to enjoy on a hot summer day!

A couple of summers ago I experimented making many different kinds of homemade ice cream and sorbets with my ice cream maker. This Cantaloupe Sorbet is one of the recipes I made… and guess what? It is very EASY to make, and is refreshing and DELICIOUS!
 
I began searching for fruit sorbet recipes online and found this simple one for Cantaloupe Sorbet. The recipe sounded a bit unusual and was a perfect candidate for my Summer Ice Cream Experiment. This experiment involved making and eating a variety of as many different ice creams  as I could without gaining an ounce…ha ha!
 
Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Making Cantaloupe Sorbet Is Simple!

When I made this sorbet, all that was needed was to mix up the ingredients (super easy), and refrigerate the mixture for about 6 hours. Later that evening all I had to do is haul out my trusty ice cream maker and voila…cantaloupe sorbet! YUM YUM YUM! This frozen, sweet treat is so refreshing and delicious!
 
Here’s the most important tip I can give you when making this delicious sorbet: Make sure you get a wonderfully RIPE cantaloupe for best flavor!)
 

Picture of the ice cream maker used to make cantaloupe sorbet.

This would be a perfectly yummy frozen dessert on a warm summer evening…hope you will give it a try. It’s very refreshing! With only 4 ingredients, this cantaloupe sorbet recipe is also simple to prepare! Hope you will give it a try… it’s really tasty!

Looking For More ICE CREAM Or SORBET Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have lots of frozen treat recipes, including Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream, Butter Pecan Ice Cream, and Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream! Another sorbet recipe you might enjoy is Kiwi Mango Sorbet – yum!

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signatureRecipe Source: http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/desserts/cantaloupe-sorbet/

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Cantaloupe Sorbet
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
0 mins
Refrigeration Time
6 hrs
Total Time
6 hrs 30 mins
 
Cantaloupe Sorbet is easy to make (only 4 ingredients), and is a cold, refreshing frozen dessert treat to enjoy on a hot summer day!
Category: Ice Cream/Sorbet
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cantaloupe sorbet
Servings: 8 (1/2 cup) servings
Calories Per Serving: 130 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1 whole very ripe cantaloupe , peeled, seeds removed, and cut into chunks
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup light corn syrup
  • 6 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (approx. 2 lemons)
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
  1. Add all ingredients to a food processor (or blender) and puree till smooth.
  2. Place pureed fruit in the refrigerator (covered), and refrigerate at least 6 hours (or overnight).
  3. Pour ingredients into an ice cream maker and freeze per manufacturer's directions.
  4. Serve in chilled serving dishes and ENJOY!
Recipe Notes

**Prep time includes chilling time in the refrigerator.
**Be sure to use very ripe cantaloupe for best flavor.

Nutrition Facts
Cantaloupe Sorbet
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 130
% Daily Value*
Sodium 20mg1%
Potassium 195mg6%
Carbohydrates 33g11%
Sugar 33g37%
Vitamin A 2335IU47%
Vitamin C 29.7mg36%
Calcium 8mg1%
Iron 0.1mg1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Cantaloupe Sorbet is easy to make (only 4 ingredients), and is a cold, refreshing frozen dessert treat to enjoy on a hot summer day!

 

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Feb
2014

Hawaiian Meatballs and Rice

categories: Beef, Main Dishes
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You’ll love Hawaiian Meatballs and Rice – ground beef meatballs, with pineapple, red and green bell peppers in sweet and sour sauce, served on a bed of rice.You'll love Hawaiian Meatballs and Rice - ground beef meatballs, with pineapple, red and green bell peppers in sweet and sour sauce, served on a bed of rice.

When my husband and I were newlyweds (over 36 years ago) he decided to cook dinner for us one evening. He made Hawaiian Meatballs and Rice, with pineapple chunks, red and green bell peppers in a sweet and sour sauce. It was love at first sight. This is the recipe he used. Needless to say I was impressed with his “culinary skills” and by the fact that he prepared a delicious meal for us. Ah…young love!

Well…fast forward to many, many years later, and we STILL have this meal for dinner occasionally. I still love him, but now I am the one who cooks our meals. Neither of us remember where he found the original recipe, so I dug through my recipe box , pull out my trusty handwritten 3×5 index card I wrote down the recipe on ages ago… and off I go into the kitchen to make this dish.

We had these meatballs and rice two nights ago… so delicious! The sweet and sour sauce that coats the meatballs, along with the green and red peppers and pineapple is fantastic! It really is a quick and easy recipe to make.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At the Bottom Of The Page

How To Make Hawaiian Meatballs and Rice

Tip: It would be very easy to pre-cook the meatballs and pre-make the sauce (throw them both in the refrigerator); then pulling this recipe together at the end of a long day would be a snap.  Here’s how to make this dish: Drain the pineapple, making sure to reserve the juice. Set the pineapples (and the saved juice) aside.

Pineapple is drained, and sauce is reserved for Hawaiian meatballs.

Mix up the sweet and sour stir fry sauce in a medium sized bowl… easy!

Whisking the sweet and sour stir fry sauce for Hawaiian meatballs.

Chop up the red and green bell peppers, and set them aside with the pineapple chunks.

Red and green bell peppers are chopped for Hawaiian meatballs and rice.

Make The Meatballs

Mix up the meatball ingredients in a large bowl.  Once the ingredients are fully combined, form the meat into 2″ meatballs, by rolling them between your hands.

Meatball ingredients are combined in mixing bowl.

Heat oil or shortening in a large skillet. Brown the meatballs on all sides, and cook until fully cooked through.

Meatballs are cooked on all sides until browned.

Remove the cooked meatballs from skillet; transfer them to drain onto paper towels.

Browned meatballs are drained on paper towels.

Finishing The Hawaiian Meatballs

Add the reserved stir fry sauce to the skillet you cook the meatballs in, and cook until it thickens. Stir the sauce occasionally while it cooks.

Stir fry sauce is heated in skillet for Hawaiian meatballs.

Once the sauce has thickened, add the bell peppers and pineapple back into the skillet.

Bell peppers and pineapple are added to thickened Hawaiian meatballs stir fry sauce

Add the Hawaiian meatballs back into the skillet, and gently stir to combine all ingredients (and coat them with the sauce). Cook only until the dish is heated through.

Hawaiian meatballs are added to sauce, peppers and pineapple.

Time to Eat Some Hawaiian Meatballs And Rice

Serve the Hawaiian meatballs on top of a bed of rice. Spoon any leftover sauce over the top, and enjoy this delicious meal!

Hawaiian meatballs served on a bed of white rice.

Sure hope you will give these delicious Hawaiian meatballs a try in your own kitchen. They are absolutely delicious! Thanks for stopping by today, and please come back soon.

Looking For Recipes Featuring MEATBALLS?

You can find all my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have some delicious recipes featuring meatballs, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signatureOriginal Recipe Source: unknown (been making them for over 40 years)

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Hawaiian Meatballs and Rice
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
35 mins
 
You'll love Hawaiian Meatballs and Rice - ground beef meatballs, with pineapple, red and green bell peppers in sweet and sour sauce, served on a bed of rice.
Category: Entree
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Hawaiian meatballs
Servings: 5 servings (3 meatballs per)
Calories Per Serving: 524 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
  • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
  • 1/3 cup bread crumbs
  • 1/3 cup onion , finely chopped
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 Tablespoon shortening or oil (for browning meatballs)
For the sauce:
  • 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 - 13 oz can pineapple chunks (drain the chunks over a bowl-save the pineapple juice!!)
  • 1/4 cup white vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 cup chopped green pepper (I usually mix red and green peppers - the colors are nice in the sauce!)
  • *OPTIONAL* Original recipe also calls for 1 small can mandarin oranges.
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Make sauce: Drain pineapple, reserving juice (set pineapple chunks aside). In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch and brown sugar together. Add pineapple juice, vinegar, ground ginger, and soy sauce to brown sugar mixture. Stir until smooth. Set bowl aside.

  2. Chop red and green peppers and set aside (with pineapple chunks).

  3. Make meatballs: In a large bowl, mix ground beef, bread crumbs, onion, egg, salt, ginger and milk until thoroughly blended (I use a fork to mix). Using your hands, shape mixture into meatballs (approx. 12-15 -2" meatballs). In large skillet, heat shortening (or oil) on medium heat. When skillet is very hot, add meatballs, one at a time. Cook meatballs, making sure to turn so that all sides brown. When fully cooked (5-6 minutes), remove meatballs from pan; place on paper towel lined plate to absorb grease. Keep meatballs warm.

  4. Drain oil from skillet after removing meatballs. Wipe skillet with paper towel to remove grease or leftover "crumbles". Over medium heat, add sauce to skillet. Cook, stirring constantly until it thickens and boils for 1 minute. Add pineapple, peppers and meatballs back into skillet; gently stir until meatballs are evenly coated with sauce. Cook only until heated through (1-2 minutes). Remove from heat.

  5. Serve meatballs and sauce on top of steamed rice. ENJOY!

Nutrition Facts
Hawaiian Meatballs and Rice
Amount Per Serving (3 (meatballs + sauce))
Calories 524 Calories from Fat 279
% Daily Value*
Fat 31g48%
Saturated Fat 11g69%
Cholesterol 130mg43%
Sodium 973mg42%
Potassium 480mg14%
Carbohydrates 32g11%
Sugar 23g26%
Protein 26g52%
Vitamin A 120IU2%
Vitamin C 12.8mg16%
Calcium 77mg8%
Iron 3.4mg19%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!You'll love Hawaiian Meatballs and Rice - ground beef meatballs, with pineapple, red and green bell peppers in sweet and sour sauce, served on a bed of rice.

 

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Feb
2014

Italian Stuffed Zucchini

categories: Beef, From Our Veggie Garden, Italian, Main Dishes, Vegetable Dishes
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Baked Italian stuffed zucchini is a large zucchini, halved & filled with Italian sausage, tomato sauce, spices, Parmesan & mozzarella cheese.
Italian Stuffed Zucchini / The Grateful Girl Cooks!
I love to grow our own vegetables in my raised bed garden. Zucchini is one of my favorites, but sometimes they hide under the leaves until they have grown quite large. This recipe for Italian Stuffed Zucchini uses those great big zucchinis…which is why I love it!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

A fairly large zucchini is necessary for this dish. You know, the big zucchini you find you overlooked in your garden, or buy at your local Farmer’s market. It also might be the kind a friend gives you in a grocery bag after their harvest. You want a BIG one, so you have plenty of room for the delicious Italian filling!

Growing zucchini in our garden.
I received this recipe for Italian stuffed zucchini from a friend of mine named Shannon. I worked in a school office with Shannon for many years and love her dearly. She was one of my early inspirations for starting a veggie garden (for which I remain grateful!).

What Is In Italian Stuffed Zucchini?

I’ve made stuffed zucchini several times over the years. The pairing of a large garden-grown zucchini stuffed with Italian sausage, garlic, Parmesan and Mozzarella cheeses adds up to a delicious and quick dinner! Italian stuffed zucchini is so easy to prepare, and is an all-in-one meal- meat AND veggies! See how big the zucchini is in the photo below?

Two huge zucchini halves, stuffed, baked, and ready to serve!

Here is a side view of all that melted Parmesan and mozzarella cheese on top! YUM!

Lots of melted cheese on top of the stuffed zucchini.

Have a great day. I hope you will consider trying this recipe for stuffed zucchini, and trust you will enjoy it, too! Thank you for stopping by, and I sincerely hope you will come back again soon.

Looking For More Recipes That Use ZUCCHINI?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A couple recipes with zucchini you might also enjoy include:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature
Recipe given to me by Shannon Newton. Original Recipe Source: Unknown

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

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Italian Stuffed Zucchini
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
45 mins
 

Baked Italian stuffed zucchini is a large zucchini, halved & filled with Italian sausage, tomato sauce, spices, Parmesan & mozzarella cheese.

Category: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: italian stuffed zucchini
Servings: 6 (if using really big zucchini)
Calories Per Serving: 710 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1 large zucchini
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1/2 pound Italian sausage (or use 2 links with casing removed)
  • 3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
  • 1 medium onion , finely chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoons oregano
  • salt & pepper (to taste)
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 6 ounces can tomato sauce
  • 3 Tablespoons butter , melted
  • 1 pound mozzarella cheese , grated
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (Kraft "green container" Parmesan works great)
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
  1. Saute hamburger meat, Italian sausage, onion and garlic until cooked. Drain grease. Put meat mixture in large bowl.
  2. Add breadcrumbs, oregano, salt, pepper and tomato sauce to meat mixture. Mix well.
  3. In a skillet, par boil zucchini in water till tender. Remove zucchini and cut in half-length-wise. Remove seeds with a spoon, creating out a "tunnel" indentation in the zucchini (this will hold the filling-see photo below). Poke holes in zucchini with fork, then brush melted butter all over surface of the zucchini. Season with salt and pepper. Place zucchini halves in a 9x13 baking dish.
  4. Stuff both the carved "tunnels" with the hamburger mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
  5. Cover pan with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven. Uncover.
  6. Divide grated Mozzarella cheese in half. Sprinkle across top surface of both halves. Place pan back into the oven (uncovered) and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes, or until cheese has melted.
  7. Remove from oven and cut into serving sizes (can usually get 2-3 servings per half, but it depends of course, on the size zucchini you are using). Serve, and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Italian Stuffed Zucchini
Amount Per Serving (1 (1/6 of total))
Calories 710 Calories from Fat 468
% Daily Value*
Fat 52g80%
Saturated Fat 25g156%
Cholesterol 162mg54%
Sodium 1336mg58%
Potassium 605mg17%
Carbohydrates 16g5%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 41g82%
Vitamin A 970IU19%
Vitamin C 10.3mg12%
Calcium 543mg54%
Iron 3.5mg19%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Baked Italian stuffed zucchini is a large zucchini, halved & filled with Italian sausage, tomato sauce, spices, Parmesan & mozzarella cheese.

 

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Feb
2014

Snowball Cookies

categories: Cookies, Desserts, Holidays!
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Snowball Cookies (aka Mexican Wedding Cakes or Russian Tea Cakes), are little balls of yummy buttery shortbread with pecans, coated with powdered sugar.Snowball Cookies / The Grateful Girl Cooks! These delicious cookies (aka Mexican Wedding Cakes or Russian Tea Cakes), are little balls of scrumptious buttery shortbread with pecans, coated with powdered sugar.

Traditions… I love them! This recipe for Snowball Cookies is one of those dearly loved holiday traditions in our family. Little balls of buttery shortbread, bursting with pecans (or walnuts) and rolled in sweet powdered sugar are the perfect Christmas treat to eat or give to family and friends!

My Mom made these delicious snowballs cookies for us when we were growing up. To continue the tradition, I’ve been making them with her recipe for over 40 years at Christmas for our family, and as gifts for friends and neighbors.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Other Names For Snowball Cookies

I’ve heard these snowball cookies referred to as Mexican Wedding Cookies, Russian Tea Cakes, Shortbread Bites, etc. Seems like everyone has a recipe and a name for them. Whatever they are called, these cookies really are little bites of “shortbread goodness”.

The snowball cookies look like little snowballs because they are round and coated with powdered sugar once baked! They seem to just melt in your mouth (just like snow), and are very easy to make.

If You Enjoy Shortbread Cookies, You Will LOVE Snowball Cookies

Snowball cookies go perfectly with a cup of coffee or tea! These decadent treats are not just for Christmas, because they can be enjoyed ANY time of year. If you enjoy shortbread, you will LOVE these cookies! Rich and buttery, with a hint of sweetness from the powdered sugar, these are one of my favorite Christmas treats!

Here’s a photo of some of the snowball cookies ready to eat… yum! I hope you will give them a try, because they are lip-smackin’ delicious!!

Snowball cookies, cooling on a wire rack.

Time To Roll The Snowball Cookies In Powdered Sugar

The dough for snowball cookies is easy to make. Once made, the cookie dough is chilled, rolled into balls, baked, and then rolled in powdered sugar. That’s really all there is to it! And snowball cookies sure are delicious, so I bet ya can’t eat just one of ’em! YUM.

Snowball cookies, cooling on parchment paper.

I love to eat a couple of these buttery snowball cookies with a good strong cup of coffee to sip on! Ahhhh- they are so good, and are a perfect small bite of goodness! Hope you will consider making a nice big batch of snowball cookies. They are absolutely delicious, no matter what time of year you make them! Have a GREAT day!

Looking For More Cookie Recipes?

All of my cookie recipes can be found in the Recipe Index at the top of the page. Some of our favorites include:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe! 

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks


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Snowball Cookies
Prep Time
2 hrs 15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
2 hrs 30 mins
 
Snowball Cookies (aka Mexican Wedding Cakes or Russian Tea Cakes), are little balls of yummy buttery shortbread with pecans, coated with powdered sugar.
Category: Cookies
Cuisine: American
Keyword: snowball cookies
Servings: 60 (approx.)
Calories Per Serving: 67 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For cookies:
  • 1 cup butter (2 cubes, room temperature)
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons water
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup nuts (walnuts or pecans), chopped
For Topping:
  • 1 cup confectioner's sugar (powdered) to roll the baked cookies in when done
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
  1. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together for several minutes until thoroughly mixed. Add the water and vanilla, and mix together. Slowly add the flour (the dough will become very thick). Stir in the nuts.
  2. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-3 hours in refrigerator.
  3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Remove dough from refrigerator. Spoon out and roll dough in your hands to make 1" round cookie dough balls.
  4. Bake snowballs on un-greased baking sheets for 15-20 minutes at 325 degrees, or until just slightly browned. Remove cookies from oven; let cool just a minute, then carefully roll each cookie in a bowl of powdered sugar, to cover. Cool on a wire rack. Once cool, coat them a second time with the powdered sugar, if desired. That's it!
Recipe Notes

The prep time indicated is not active prep time. The cookies take only a few minutes to prepare, then dough must be refrigerated (inactive prep time) for a couple hours.

Nutrition Facts
Snowball Cookies
Amount Per Serving (1 cookie)
Calories 67 Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Fat 4g6%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Cholesterol 8mg3%
Sodium 27mg1%
Potassium 13mg0%
Carbohydrates 6g2%
Sugar 3g3%
Vitamin A 95IU2%
Calcium 3mg0%
Iron 0.3mg2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Snowball Cookies (aka Mexican Wedding Cakes or Russian Tea Cakes), are little balls of yummy buttery shortbread with pecans, coated with powdered sugar.

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Feb
2014

Pasta Carbonara

categories: Bacon, Italian, Main Dishes, Pasta
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Enjoy classic Pasta Carbonara, an Italian dish with pasta cooked in a creamy bacon and onion sauce, with grated Parmesan cheese. It tastes FANTASTIC!Enjoy classic Pasta Carbonara, an Italian dish with pasta cooked in a creamy bacon and onion sauce, with grated Parmesan cheese. It tastes FANTASTIC!

If you love bacon and you love pasta, then you’re going to LOVE this Pasta Carbonara recipe! I love recipes created by Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman, because I love her cooking, photos, and sense of humor. This recipe is adapted from her version of this classic pasta dish. I only made a couple of changes to suit our taste buds.
 
This pasta carbonara recipe is RIDICULOUS! I’m not kidding – the smell of bacon, onions, and garlic is amazing as they cook. I made this (again!) for us last night and my husband and I both LOVED it. We might have even exclaimed several times “Oh my gosh- this is so good!” Honestly, this dish is quite simple to make, economical, and if that’s not enough, it’s incredibly delicious! I’ve made it with spaghetti noodles (as in pic above) and fettucine noodles. Any pasta will do!

This recipe makes enough for 6 small servings or 4 generous servings. Since our sons are grown and it is now just the two of us at home, we always have LEFTOVERS! Yes…this pasta dish is truly a good thing. Here’s how to make it:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Make Pasta Carbonara

Bring water in pan to a boil to cook the pasta. While the water is coming to a boil, fry the bacon in a large skillet, until crisp. Drain out the bacon grease, but leave about. 2 Tablespoons grease still in the skillet. Remove and drain the bacon strips on paper towels. When it has cooled, crumble the bacon into small pieces.

Bacon is cooked until crisp, for the pasta sauce.

Return the skillet you cooked the bacon in back to the stove. Add the onions and mushrooms and cook over medium-low heat until golden brown (3-4 minutes). Carefully add the garlic and crumbled bacon, and continue cooking/stirring for one minute. 

Cooking the onions and mushrooms for the pasta sauce.

The crumbled crisp bacon is added to the carbonara sauce.

Time To Make The Pasta Carbonara Sauce

Now it’s time to make the pasta carbonara sauce. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, whipping cream, parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes together. Now it’s time to “temper the eggs”.

IMPORTANT – “Temper” The Eggs

Because there are fresh eggs in the sauce, you will want to “temper” them. All this means is introducing hot liquid very slowly into the mixture so when you add the hot pasta to the sauce, the eggs won’t scramble. Okay? It’s EASY.  Don’t freak out… here’s what you do:

Take 6 Tablespoons of the hot, starchy water from your pasta (when it is about half way cooked). SLOWLY add the water, by drizzling one Tablespoon at a time to the egg mixture, stirring continuously while adding. Repeat until all 6 Tablespoons of hot starch water have been added. This helps warm up the egg mixture and “tempers” the eggs. 

Eggs, whipping cream, spices and Parmesan cheese are the base for the carbonara sauce.

The egg mixture is mixed together and eggs are tempered before adding to hot skillet.

Turn the heat on the skillet to low. Slowly pour the mixture back into the skillet with the bacon mixture. Stir continuously, until the egg mixture is fully blended in with the bacon mixture.

The tempered egg mixture is added to the skillet to make pasta carbonara sauce.

Now the pasta carbonara sauce is ready to go! The next step is to add the cooked pasta to the sauce! Add the cooked and drained pasta to the skillet with the sauce. Toss well, to fully combine the pasta and the sauce. Once everything is heated through, the pasta carbonara is ready to serve!

Pasta carbonara sauce is fully blended, and is ready for cooked pasta to be added.

Serve The Pasta Carbonara

When ready to serve, place portions of the pasta carbonara onto each plate. If desired, garnish the pasta carbonara with additional bacon crumbles, parsley, and grated Parmesan cheese. This is optional, but it looks (and tastes) good. Dig in, and enjoy this hearty pasta dish! I bet you will love it!

A plate with a serving of pasta carbonara, and a slice of french bread.

Hope you enjoy this pasta carbonara dish, because it really tastes fantastic! Have a wonderful day, friends. Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you will come back again soon.

Looking For More PASTA Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have quite a few pasta dishes, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature
Recipe Adapted From: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2012/05/pasta-carbonara/

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Pasta Carbonara
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 

Enjoy classic Pasta Carbonara, an Italian dish with pasta cooked in a creamy bacon and onion sauce, with grated Parmesan cheese. It tastes FANTASTIC!

Category: Entree, Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: pasta carbonara
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 557 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 6 slices thick cut bacon
  • 1/2 medium onion , chopped finely
  • 4 mushrooms , chopped (optional-I added them)
  • 2 garlic cloves , minced
  • 3 whole eggs
  • 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese ,or 1/2 c. fresh and 1/4 c. Kraft "green" can)
  • 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (add more later, to taste!)
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 3/4 lb. pasta fettucine, spaghetti or other pasta you enjoy
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. While water is coming to a boil for pasta, fry bacon until crisp. Drain most of the grease from skillet, but leave approx. 2 TBSP bacon grease in the skillet. Remove and drain bacon on paper towels. When cool, crumble bacon into small pieces.

  2. Return skillet to stove. Place onions and mushrooms in skillet w/ bacon grease; cook on medium-low until golden brown (3-4 minutes). Add garlic and crumbled bacon; continue cooking for 1 minute, stirring often.

  3. In a small bowl, beat eggs, whipping cream, Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes together using a whisk or fork. Because there are fresh eggs in the sauce, you need to "temper" them. This means introducing hot liquid slowly into the mixture so when you add hot pasta to the sauce, the eggs won't scramble. It's EASY. Here's how (see next step):

  4. Cook pasta according to pkg. directions. When pasta is halfway cooked, measure out 6 Tablespoons of the starchy water. SLOWLY add this water, ONE TABLESPOON AT A TIME, drizzling it slowly into eggs while stirring continuously. Once hot starchy water has been added, the eggs are "tempered". Slowly pour egg mixture back into skillet (on Low heat) with bacon mixture, stirring continuously until egg mixture is fully incorporated.

  5. When pasta is done cooking, drain, then add it to the sauce, stirring while adding. Cook on low heat for 1-2 minutes (do not boil) until pasta and sauce are heated through. Garnish with additional parmesan cheese and bacon crumbles, if desired. Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Pasta Carbonara
Amount Per Serving (1 (1/6) of total)
Calories 557 Calories from Fat 288
% Daily Value*
Fat 32g49%
Saturated Fat 15g94%
Cholesterol 157mg52%
Sodium 673mg29%
Potassium 322mg9%
Carbohydrates 46g15%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 21g42%
Vitamin A 725IU15%
Vitamin C 1.5mg2%
Calcium 188mg19%
Iron 1.4mg8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Enjoy classic Pasta Carbonara, an Italian dish with pasta cooked in a creamy bacon and onion sauce, with grated Parmesan cheese. It tastes FANTASTIC!

 

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Feb
2014

Apple Cinnamon Scones

categories: Apples, Breads, Breakfast, Scones
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Apple Cinnamon Scones are filled with chopped fresh apples, and topped with a cinnamon/oat topping, in this easy to make, scrumptious breakfast treat!Apple Cinnamon Scones are filled with chopped fresh apples, and topped with a cinnamon/oat topping, in this easy to make, scrumptious breakfast treat!
Anyone who knows me well knows I LOVE a good scone with a strong cup of coffee!  I also love to collect and try new recipes for scones…it’s what I enjoy doing! That is why I tried this yummy recipe for Apple Cinnamon Scones recently!

Do You Like SCONES?

Here’s a collage of several of the scone recipes already on this blog that you might also be interested in looking at. Besides these apple cinnamon scones, they include cinnamon chip, white chocolate raspberry, blackberry, banana nut, chocolate orange, lemon, gingerbread, and cranberry orange, as well as a few others.

A collage of scones on this blog, including apple cinnamon scones.

I found this recipe for apple cinnamon scones on Pinterest several days ago and thought it sounded pretty good. Since I love the smell of apples and cinnamon, I had a hunch I would love that same flavor combination in a scone (what’s not to love?), so off to the kitchen I went.

In no time at all these delicious scones were cooling on our kitchen counter, just waiting to be lovingly gazed at… and then devoured. These Apple Cinnamon Scones are easy, economical to make, and taste delicious. Give them a try…I think you’ll like them!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Making Apple Cinnamon Scones

Cold butter is cut into flour mixture, using a pastry blender or two forks, until the butter has been reduced to the size of peas.

Butter is cut into flour for scones.

Honey, chopped apples, and some other ingredients are then added to the flour and butter mixture.

Honey, chopped apples are added to scone batter.

Form The Scone Dough For Baking

The scone dough is mixed, then shaped into a circle and cut into 8 wedges. Oat topping is then sprinkled on… then the apple cinnamon scones are ready to bake!

Scone dough cut into 8 wedges on cutting board

Yum. The apple cinnamon scones are out of the oven, cooled, and are now ready to eat! Look at those apple chunks! I really think you’re gonna enjoy them.

Close up of baked apple cinnamon scone on wire rack

Hope you enjoy these scones as much as we did. They taste perfect, and are lovely, especially when served with a cup of hot coffee or tea!

Scones cooling on wire rack

Hope you will consider trying these apple cinnamon scones, and trust you will enjoy them!  Have a wonderful day!  Be kind to those you meet, and try to be a force for GOOD in this crazy world!

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signatureOriginal Recipe Source: http://www.jocooks.com/bakery/pastries/apple-cinnamon-scones/ 

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Apple Cinnamon Scones
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
35 mins
 

Apple Cinnamon Scones are filled with chopped fresh apples, and topped with a cinnamon/oat topping, in this easy to make, scrumptious breakfast treat!

Category: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: apple cinnamon scones
Servings: 8 servings
Calories Per Serving: 366 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For Scones:
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup rolled oats
  • 1 Tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup COLD butter
  • 1 large apple , peeled and chopped (I use Granny Smith...nice and firm!)
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup honey
For Topping:
  • 2 Tablespoons rolled oats
  • 1 Tablespoon Turbinado sugar (if you do not have this, substitute granulated sugar)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 Tablespoons milk
For Glaze:
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2-3 teaspoons warm water (or till thin enough for "drizzling" tops of cooked scones
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. (You can also use a food processor for this, if desired)
  3. Cut in the COLD butter with a pastry blender (or pulse until cut into small crumbs in a food processor).
  4. In a separate bowl, mix together the milk, honey and apple. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients; mix until blended.
  5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough gently until all ingredients are combined. (You might want to lightly flour your hands) Form the dough into an 8-9 inch circle and about 3/4 inch thickness. Slice into 8 wedges. Carefully put the wedges onto prepared baking sheet (keep them in a circle, but leave about 3/4 inch between each wedge).
  6. In a small bowl, mix together the topping ingredients, EXCEPT FOR THE MILK.
  7. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush and cover the tops of each scone with the milk.
  8. Sprinkle each scone with the topping ingredients evenly till all of the mixture has been distributed.
  9. Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 20 minutes (or until golden brown). Remove scones from oven and let them cool on a wire rack. Mix glaze ingredients and decoratively drizzle glaze over tops of scones when cool. Serve... and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Apple Cinnamon Scones
Amount Per Serving (1 scone)
Calories 366 Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Fat 12g18%
Saturated Fat 7g44%
Cholesterol 31mg10%
Sodium 219mg10%
Potassium 272mg8%
Carbohydrates 59g20%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 28g31%
Protein 5g10%
Vitamin A 405IU8%
Vitamin C 1.1mg1%
Calcium 104mg10%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Apple Cinnamon Scones are filled with chopped fresh apples, and topped with a cinnamon/oat topping, in this easy to make, scrumptious breakfast treat!

 

 

 

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Feb
2014

Bruleéd Blood Orange Mini-Cheesecakes, with Citrus Sauce

categories: Desserts
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Blood Orange Mini-Cheesecakes are decadent treats, with a graham base, orange/cheesecake filling, ricotta glaze, bruleéd topping and a citrus sauce!Blood Orange Mini-Cheesecakes are decadent treats, with a graham base, orange/cheesecake filling, ricotta glaze, bruleéd topping and a citrus sauce!

My husband and I, along with four dearly loved friends, have enjoyed fantastic “Themed” dinner parties together for the past several years. We have cooked and celebrated great meals with one individual theme for each evening. I prepared these Bruleéd Blood Orange Mini-Cheesecakes with a Citrus Sauce for an “Orange” themed evening.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Themed Dinners For The WIN!

Other evenings of “featured ingredients” or “Themes” have included Chocolate, Pomegranate, Orange, Pasta, Mediterranean, Burger Test Kitchen, and Watermelon. Every course for the themed dinner (appetizers, beverages, soups, salads, main dishes and desserts) has to include some form of the featured ingredient.

Our hostess for these evenings, my deeply treasured friend Shari (and my inspiration for all things “food”), is a wonderful cook. She specializes in the main dishes (usually 2-3) and they are unbelievable! I usually end up making the desserts (usually 3-4), and our other friends bring an appetizer and/or the beverages (also utilizing the same “themed” ingredient).

We have so much fun together and LOVE devouring the crazy recipes we all come up with! And we are all so FULL when we leave, we usually just waddle or roll out the door to our cars. Seriously.

How I Came Up with This Recipe

For our “Orange” themed dinner  a year or so ago (named “Night of the Bloody Oranges” by the way), I experimented with a recipe I found online. I ended up bringing these blood orange mini-cheesecakes as one of my dessert contributions that night. I took the original recipe and then made a citrus sauce to accompany it, and the results were delicious!

The cream cheese, ricotta, citrus, and graham cracker crust blend to make this a delightful cheesecake…and when paired with the bruleéd topping AND citrus sauce…whoa! This dessert is really, really good, and it looks great on a dessert plate, too! I’m not sure my photos do this dessert justice. Trust me…these are good. Really good.

Making The Orange Mini-Cheesecakes

Graham cracker crusts are made in small tart pans. These tart pans have removable bottoms, which makes it easy to remove and serve the desserts.

Graham cracker crusts are placed in the tiny tart pans.

The cheesecake filling is loaded in, and then the orange mini-cheesecakes are baked. Once baked, the little cheesecakes cool on wire racks.

The cheesecake topping has been baked, and is cooled completely before removing from pan..


Let the cheesecakes cool completely on a wire rack before removing from pans.

To Serve The Blood Orange Mini-Cheesecakes

Once totally refrigerated, carefully remove the tart pans from each orange mini-cheesecake. Add the ricotta topping to the top of each of the cheesecakes.
 
When you are ready to serve, it is time to bruleé the top of each dessert. Sprinkle sugar on top of each cheesecake. Use a kitchen torch to heat the sugar until the sugar is bruleéd, golden brown, and crunchy on top.  Now the orange mini-cheesecakes are ready to serve!

A ricotta topping is added to the cooled, baked mini-cheesecakes.
Serve The Orange Mini-Cheesecakes

The bruleéd orange mini-cheesecakes are served surrounded by citrus sauce, and with a slice of a blood orange on the side! YUM! It is such a delicious dessert!

The orange mini-cheesecakes are served on top of the citrus sauce.

 

Hope you enjoy this recipe for blood orange mini-cheesecakes! If you enjoy cheesecake-style desserts, be sure to check out my recipes for Chocolate Fudge Truffle Cheesecake! Have a great day!

Looking For More DESSERT Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have LOTS of delicious dessert recipes, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

 

Cheesecake recipe source: http://domesticfits.com/2012/02/22/bruleed-blood-orange-and-ricotta-mini-cheesecakes/

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Bruleed Blood Orange Mini-Cheesecakes, with Citrus Sauce
Prep Time
2 hrs 30 mins
Cook Time
12 mins
Total Time
2 hrs 42 mins
 

Blood Orange Mini-Cheesecakes are decadent treats, with a graham base, orange/cheesecake filling, ricotta glaze, bruleéd topping and a citrus sauce!

Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: orange mini-cheesecakes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories Per Serving: 562 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For The Crust:
  • 4 standard sized graham crackers , crushed (about 3/4 cup crushed)
  • 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons butter , melted
For The Cheesecake Filling:
  • 8 oz. cream cheese , softened
  • 1/4 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 Tablespoons blood orange zest (finely grated blood orange peel)
  • 1/4 cup fresh squeezed blood orange juice (or use regular if you can't find blood oranges)
For The Topping:
  • 1/3 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1/3 cup confectioner's sugar (powdered)
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
For The Citrus Sauce:
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
  • 1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange rind
For The Brulee:
  • Granulated sugar (to garnish and brulee the top of each mini-cheesecake-1 1/2 teaspoons per cheesecake)
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
  1. Make The Crust: Spray mini-cheesecake pans or small tart pans (with removable disk on bottom) with non-stick spray.
  2. Process the graham crackers and brown sugar in food processor until it becomes small crumbs. Add the melted butter and mix until it looks like wet sand. Place 1 Tablespoon of the crumbs into the bottom of each pan. Press the crumbs together with your fingers or a spoon until well compacted. Set aside.
  3. Make The Cheesecake Filling: Place the cream cheese and 1/4 cup ricotta cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl, if using hand mixer). Beat on high until combined. Add 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and beat on high until mixture is creamed. Add the egg, orange zest and blood orange juice; beat until well combined. (Scrape the bottom of the bowl to ensure all ingredients are mixed in well). Spoon the batter into the prepared crusts, being sure to only fill them 3/4 of the way to the top.
  4. Bake the cheesecakes at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes (until the cheesecake filling no longer jiggles when rack is shaken). Remove from oven and let them cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before attempting to remove the cheesecakes from the pans. Once they cheesecakes have cooled, press gently upward on the bottom disk. The cheesecake should remove easily from the pan. Now careful remove the bottom "disk" from the cheesecakes. (TIP: If you are making these in batches, as I did, this is where you wash the tart pans and bottom disks and begin again with the crusts).
  5. Once the cheesecakes have cooled, you will notice that they sink slightly in the middle. That is normal. Now make the topping (this will fill in that indentation rather nicely!)
  6. Make The Topping: In a small bowl, mix the ricotta, powdered sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer, till well combined. Top each cheesecake with enough topping to fill the indented hole in the center till entire top surface is level. (see photo above). Place the cheesecakes in the refrigerator and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  7. Make The Citrus Sauce: While the cheesecakes are chilling, make the citrus sauce.
  8. Stir together the sugar, salt and cornstarch in a saucepan. Gradually stir in the orange juice (regular), lemon juice and the water. Stir. Cook these ingredients over medium heat till mixture has boiled for 1 minute and has slightly thickened. Remove from heat, and add the finely grated lemon and orange rinds. Cover and let cool in refrigerator until ready to serve.
  9. To Serve: Right before serving, sprinkle an even layer of granulated sugar (approx. 1 1/2 tsp.) over the top surface of each cheesecake. Slowly pass a kitchen torch over the sugar (about 2-3 inches away) until the sugar melts and turns golden brown (be careful not to burn the sugar OR your fingers!).
  10. Place the citrus sauce on each serving plate, and center the cheesecake on top. Garnish with a slice of a blood orange. Take a big bite (scoop up that citrus sauce) and ENJOY!
Recipe Notes

Prep time indicated includes an hour "inactive" refrigeration time.

Nutrition Facts
Bruleed Blood Orange Mini-Cheesecakes, with Citrus Sauce
Amount Per Serving (1 tart)
Calories 562 Calories from Fat 207
% Daily Value*
Fat 23g35%
Saturated Fat 13g81%
Cholesterol 96mg32%
Sodium 363mg16%
Potassium 228mg7%
Carbohydrates 83g28%
Sugar 72g80%
Protein 7g14%
Vitamin A 955IU19%
Vitamin C 36.5mg44%
Calcium 115mg12%
Iron 0.9mg5%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Blood Orange Mini-Cheesecakes are decadent treats, with a graham base, orange/cheesecake filling, ricotta glaze, bruleéd topping and a citrus sauce!

 

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Feb
2014

Flour Tortillas DIY

categories: Breads, Mexican / Southwestern
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It’s EASY to make homemade flour tortillas with only a few common ingredients, and no special equipment! Great for quesadillas, enchiladas, or tacos!It's EASY to make homemade flour tortillas with only a few common ingredients, and no special equipment! Great for quesadillas, enchiladas, or tacos!Our family LOVES Mexican food! (It’s my favorite!) I am routinely cooking tacos, enchiladas or quesadillas, and we never seem to get tired of them.  Today I want to show you how to make flour tortillas, because it’s fairly easy!

I’m curious by nature, and love to try and figure out how to make things myself. Because of this, my quest to find a recipe for good homemade flour tortillas began a few years back.

It’s really true that fresh flour tortillas taste better than store-bought (plus you can control what is in them)! These flour tortillas are very easy to make. Why not experiment and give them a try, because there is no fancy equipment needed?

Scroll Down for A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Make The Dough For The Flour Tortillas

Make a simple dough for the flour tortillas by mixing flour, baking powder, shortening, salt and hot water. The photo below shows the dough, mixed and ready to knead.

The dough for the flour tortillas is mixed and ready to knead.

The tortilla dough is then formed into 8 balls, all about the same size.

The tortilla dough is shaped into 8 equal sized dough balls.

Each of the dough balls is rolled out into a tortilla shape, and then it is ready for the hot skillet, to cook.

Each of the dough balls is rolled out to form flour tortillas.

Cook the Flour Tortillas

Cook the tortillas in a skillet, one at a time. When small bubbles appear on the surface, flip the tortilla over, to cook the other side.

The tortillas are cooked on a hot skillet until bubbles appear on top, then they are flipped.

This batch of tortillas was used to make shredded chicken quesadillas. My only regret (see photo below) is that I apparently cannot cut a straight line… ha ha!

Flour tortillas can be used to make quesadillas and other dishes!

It’s actually very simple to make homemade flour tortillas from scratch. I really hope you will give it a try sometime! Have a wonderful day, and please come back again soon for more yummy recipes.

Looking For More Recipes Using TORTILLAS?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few recipes that use tortillas include:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

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Author's signatureRecipe Source: http://www.mennonitegirlscancook.ca/2013/02/homemade-flour-tortillas.html  

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

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Flour Tortillas DIY
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
17 mins
Total Time
27 mins
 

It's EASY to make homemade flour tortillas with only a few common ingredients, and no special equipment! Great for quesadillas, enchiladas, or tacos!

Category: Bread
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: flour tortillas
Servings: 8 tortillas
Calories Per Serving: 170 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
  • 2/3 cup hot water
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
  1. Whisk the flour, baking powder & salt together. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender until crumbly. Pour in the hot water, a little at a time with a fork, and mix until the dough comes together. (I also have made this in the food processor with the dough blade on...works well, also!)
  2. Place dough on a lightly floured work surface, and knead a few minutes until smooth dough ball is formed (use your food processor for this, if using)
  3. Cover the dough with a towel and let it rest for approx. 45 minutes.
  4. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces; roll it with your hands; shape into a ball. Cover the dough balls with plastic wrap.
  5. Using a rolling pin, roll each ball into a 6-7 inch circle. Don't freak out...they do not have to be "perfect" circles... (that gives them their personality!) You can cook one tortilla while you roll out the next one, if you want.
  6. Preheat your skillet (non-stick or cast iron-done it both ways...cast iron is my preference) on medium high heat. DO NOT ADD OIL.
  7. Place tortilla in the hot skillet; cook till small bubbles appear on the surface before flipping the tortilla to the other side. You will end up cooking each side for about a minute (typically).
  8. Stack and cover the cooked tortillas (with a tea towel) as you remove them from the skillet until all the tortillas are cooked.
Recipe Notes

Once done, you are ready to use them for your favorite recipe. They are even good served hot off the grill, with butter (just sayin'). These tortillas can be frozen to use later. If freezing, be sure to wrap them in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil for best storage.

Nutrition Facts
Flour Tortillas DIY
Amount Per Serving (1 tortilla)
Calories 170 Calories from Fat 54
% Daily Value*
Fat 6g9%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 219mg10%
Potassium 58mg2%
Carbohydrates 23g8%
Protein 3g6%
Calcium 16mg2%
Iron 1.5mg8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!It's EASY to make homemade flour tortillas with only a few common ingredients, and no special equipment! Great for quesadillas, enchiladas, or tacos!

 

Save

Save