Kiwi-Lime Sorbet

This year for our St. Patrick's Day treat, we are doing something light and fruity. It also just happens to be naturally green. It is a super fast and easy Kiwi sorbet that has the addition of limeade concentrate to bump up the flavor a little bit.

This sorbet is soo easy. All you do is peel the kiwi into the bowl of a food processor or blender, add a little limeade concentrate, and a few Tablespoons of sugar. I added the sugar gradually, so that I could make sure it wasn't too sweet. I recommend adding a little sugar at a time, then blending the ingredients and tasting it, so that you get the level of sweetness you want. Freeze the puree in your ice cream maker and a few hours later you have a lovely green treat.

My kids are about to get off the bus and this is going to be a fun after school treat. Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!


Here is the recipe for Kiwi-Lime Sorbet from epicurious
* I did not add all the sugar at once- I added 2 Tablespoons and pureed it in the food processor and then tasted it. I added another Tablespoon, pureed and tasted. I ended up adding 4-5 Tablespoons of sugar.

Chicken, Kiwi, and Mango Salad

Finally, it is beginning to warm up around here! I think Spring might be right around the corner. I'm so happy about this because the cold is going to leave and go away for a really long time!

The sun is shining and it is beautiful outside. Those two things make me think of fresh, springy (or summery) salads.

This is a salad that will make you feel happy and it is really easy to make. You just need a handful of ingredients. The dressing is made with mayo, but I used lowfat greek yogurt instead and it is flavored with ginger and lime. The kiwi and mango are delicious with the chicken and those cashews add just the right amount of crunch. Yum.

Recipe for Chicken, Kiwi, and Mango Salad
* I used greek yogurt instead of mayo

Avocado Toasties with Kiwi Salsa and Pancetta

Happy New Year! I am really excited for all the good things that I hope 2011 will bring.
I hope you are excited too.

I saw the picture for this recipe in Bon Appetit and thought it looked too interesting to pass up. It combines kiwi, avocadoes and bacon. Sounds like a strange mixture, but I knew it probably would end up tasting really delicious.

I found some cubed pancetta at Trader Joes and decided to use that instead of bacon, because it was already cut into pieces and I like the flavor better.
I am not a big fan of bacon, but I knew in this recipe it would add the perfect amount of crisp, salty crunch. Well, the pancetta would.
I also just used some Italian sandwich bread instead of ciabatta.

This was one of those dishes that really exceeded my expectations.
The mashed avocado on the toast, topped with the kiwi salsa and crisp pancetta was the perfect combination of flavors and textures. It really surprised me how yummy this was.
This tasty little snack would make a great breakfast, lunch or snack. Perfect for anytime of the day. It looks kinda pretty too. I can't wait to make it again.





Original Recipe for Avocado Toasties with Kiwi Salsa and Bacon from Epicurious
* I used cubed pancetta instead of bacon, cooking it until crisp and then sprinkled it on top
* I used sliced Italian sandwich bread instead of ciabatta, and just toasted it

Tartine's Pastry Cream

Recently, I took someone dinner and dessert.
Unbaked frozen tart dough sure comes in handy.

Last time I made mini tarts, I actually made the full amount of tart dough (Here is a great tutorial on making the tart dough) and pressed the dough that I didn't use into my large tart pan and put it into the freezer. When I needed it, all I had to do was pop it in the oven and bake it.

Since there are so many fruits that are in season right now, I decided that I would make a basic pastry cream and top the tart with fruit.
I remembered that Bridget mentioned Tartine's recipe for pastry cream, which uses whole eggs instead of just egg yolks and I wanted to try it.
I found the recipe here and gave it a try.
This pastry cream was so silky and smooth. Using whole eggs in the pastry cream lightened up the texture. It was still thick, but just lighter than pastry creams made with only egg yolks.

Plus, I didn't have to add to the 13 egg whites I already have in the freezer.

I decorated the tart with kiwis, strawberries, raspberries and blueberries.
I glazed it with this peach spreadable fruit, which I warmed for a few seconds in the microwave with a splash of water.

Tartine's Pastry Cream
2 cups whole milk
1/2 vanilla bean, cut open down the middle, seeded
1/4 tsp of salt
4 Tbls cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
4 Tbls butter, cut in small cubes

Heat the milk, vanilla seeds and salt in a pan and put over medium heat, and bring to a boil.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the sugar, cornstarch and eggs until smooth. Slowly add 1/2 of the milk mixture into the egg and whisk constantly to temper them. Add the remaining milk and return the whole thing to the saucepan.
Cook until you get a thick consistency, whisking non-stop.
Remove from heat and pour into a bowl, let cool for 10 minutes and then incorporate the butter, one tablespoon at a time, until smooth .
Cover the surface with plastic wrap, directly touching the cream, let cool completely in the refrigerator.

Fruit Bruschetta

So, are you tired of hearing about the food we enjoyed on my brother's birthday?
I hope not, because this is a really yummy one.

I decided to make my brother a special birthday breakfast and had seen a couple of great ideas that I wanted to try.
My brother loves bread, cereal, muffins, and oats. He could live on those items. He eats a lot of bread. and cereal. and oats. And not just at breakfast time. When we lived in Utah, he would often come home from school and eat a bowl of cereal with a couple pieces of bread.

Anyway, he also loves yogurt.
So, when I saw this idea of fruit bruschetta- a toasted baguette with a little butter and cinnamon sugar, topped with delicious mixed fruit and drizzled with yogurt- I knew this was the breakfast I was going to make him.

I saw a couple of different version's and decided to use the one I saw on Annie's Eats. She used a combination of pineapple, kiwi, strawberries, and bananas. I added some lemon zest to the fruit mixture just to up the flavor a little bit.
I also used a whole wheat baguette. Usually I don't ever put butter on toast, but I figured a little bit for this special breakfast would be okay. I melted the butter before hand and then used a pastry brush to just get a dab on the toasted bread slices.

This was a delicious twist on bruschetta and breakfast. A little time consuming, but completely worth it. It would be great for brunch or Mother's Day or even a mid-day snack. Yummy, yummy, yummy.

The birthday boy was very happy.
I added lemon zest to the fruit
Recipe for Fruit Bruschetta on Annie's Eats

Recipe for Fruit Bruschetta on The Way the Cookie Crumbles

Green Fruit Salad with Rosemary

Please excuse some of these photos lately! When my family was visiting from Utah, I really didn't take the time to get a good picture of some of the recipes that I really wanted to share.

I tasted this at a recent book club get together and knew there was a secret little something in the fruit salad besides the green apple, kiwi and green grapes.
I asked the hostess what is was and quickly decided that I would definitely be making this at home. A Rosemary simple syrup was the secret ingredient that added that punch of flavor.

I used the simply syrup recipe that I have used with other fruit salads before that is usually flavored with citrus juice and zest and just added fresh rosemary sprigs instead of the citrus. I just guessed on the number of fruits to use, so if you want more green apple or kiwi or grapes, feel free to add more of that fruit.

It might sound like a crazy combination, but it is so amazing.
I took this salad to one of our family dinners and everyone raved about it.

Green Fruit Salad with Rosemary
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup warm water
fresh rosemary- I used a lot
2 green apples, cored and chopped
3 kiwis, peeled and chopped
3 cups green grapes, halved

Combine sugar, water and rosemary in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; remove from heat and let cool. Refrigerate until chilled.
Combine chopped fruit in a large bowl. Strain the rosemary from the syrup and add the syrup to the fruit. Stir to combine and chill until time to serve.

Tropical Fruit Salad with Mint and Spices

Who is excited for Spring? Raise your hand and shout!
I can't wait for spring to officially be here. If you know me at all, you know that I am not a fan of cold weather or snow. I love sunshine. I would rather be hot than cold. Sweat doesn't bother me at all. Chills and brrrrr- I am not a fan.
This recipe made me feel tropical. And since spring is soo close (2 days away), I decided it wouldn't be too horrible if I posted this recipe with all these delicious fruits.

The picture for this recipe in the New Mayo Clinic Cookbook just really made me want to make this fruit salad immediately. The little flecks of vanilla bean and all the bright colors of the fruits- It looked absolutely heavenly.
I noticed mangoes, papaya, raspberries, and kiwis at the grocery store and they were not too expensive, so I bought them. Throw in some canteloupe and banana and you are good to go.

My girls helped me cut up the fruit, make the divine syrup, and stir everything together. They are such good helpers.

The syrup that goes over the fruit calls for honey, lemon juice, orange juice, cinnamon, ginger, a vanilla bean and coriander. What? coriander? That was my original thought when I saw coriander on the ingredient list, but I was brave and I added it and it really added a little extra something to the syrup. The syrup reminded me of mulling cider when it was bubbling away on the stove. I loved that it wasn't overly sweet, but very full of flavor. It was warm(not temperature, but ya know?) and soothing, yet cool and refreshing all at once.

It was unbelievable with the fruit and mint. I never would have thought to combine all these fruits, flavors and spices. It was amazing.

The recipe said that the syrup was really great over pancakes. I was really hoping we could try it that way. But it just disappeared too fast.

Recipe for Tropical Fruit Salad with Mint and Spices

Tropical Muffins with Coconut-Macadamia Topping

I hope everyone had a great holiday break. We got a ton of snow and have been a little stir crazy. It is freezing outside and I am ready for a break in the weather. Somehow, something with the word tropical in the title, is really appealing to me right now. I can just start to dream about warm weather. I really should live somewhere that is warm and balmy all year round. I just can't take this cold stuff anymore! Oh, well. I can dream, right?
I received some dried kiwi in the mail a couple of weeks ago from Oh! Nuts and I have been wanting to use it in some kind of baked good. These muffins were the perfect thing. I had ripe bananas and a ton of macadamia nuts, so I decided to mix these up and throw in about a cup of chopped, dried kiwi. The kiwi added a nice little surprise inside and these muffins disappeared quickly. Another batch is going to be made by demand!

Tropical Muffins with Coconut-Macadamia Topping from Cooking Light
Muffins:1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (about 6 ounces)
1 cup regular oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2)
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup canned crushed pineapple in juice, drained
1/3 cup flaked sweetened coconut
3 tablespoons finely chopped macadamia nuts, toasted
Cooking spray
Topping:
2 tablespoons flaked sweetened coconut
1 tablespoon finely chopped macadamia nuts
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon regular oats

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. To prepare muffins, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl. Make a well in center of flour mixture. Combine banana and next 5 ingredients (through egg) in a medium bowl; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Stir in pineapple, 1/3 cup coconut, and 3 tablespoons nuts. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray.
3. To prepare topping, combine 2 tablespoons coconut and the remaining ingredients in a small bowl.
4. Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of topping over each muffin. Bake at 400° for 18 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove muffins from pans immediately; place on a wire rack.

Coming Tomorrow- Tuesdays with Dorie- Cheesecake

Kiwi Smartini

Okay, when I saw this in the latest issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray Magazine, I thought, that looks really yummy and is actually a little strange. It was oh so good! Seriously, everyone loved it and it was a really fun way to start out our meal. The funniest part was seeing a sippy cup whose top was completely blocked because of all the seeds! Try this, you won't be sorry!
Kiwi Smartini from Everyday with Rachael Ray Magazine
8 kiwis, coarsely chopped, plus 1 for garnish slices
1 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, about 6-7 lemons
2 cups ice cubes
1 cup sugar
2 cups water

Place all ingredients in a blender. Puree until smooth. Pour into glasses and garnish with kiwi slice.