Ice Cream

“Chubby Hubby ice cream – I can't say no anymore.” - Sidney Biddle Barrows, the erstwhile Mayflower Madam, on the subject of her sole remaining vice.

Found in Loose Cannons: Devastating Dish from the World's Wildest Women, complied by Autumn Stephens, page 21.

Since Monday is Labor Day, a time when many people are fortunate enough to have off, I figured I'd post something to get everyone into a festive mood. For me, that screams of ice cream, especially since I remember way too many summer holidays making homemade ice cream. Today's offerings include Honey Pistachio Ice Cream (something I'm sure my dad would have loved, given his love of pistachios and homemade ice cream) and Creamy No Churn Raspberry Crumble Ice Cream. Enjoy!

WATERMELON SORBET

This came from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list. Makes 8 servings.

The recipe began, “This fresh sorbet is the perfect dessert for a tropical meal.”

Ingredients

1/2 cup plus 4 cups seeded and pureed watermelon

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 teaspoon lime zest

Directions

In a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup watermelon puree and sugar to simmer and remove it from heat. Add lime juice and zest and allow mixture to cool for 20 minutes. Add the 4 cups fresh watermelon puree to melon-lime mixture, then freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.

KEY LIME PIE POPS

This was on the TODAY website, and starts off, “Turn your favorite summer pie into an easy creamy lime and graham cracker frozen treat.

"Technique tip: You don't need fancy ice pop molds to make these pops. Try using basic tools you already have in your kitchen, such as small paper cups, a loaf pan, large ice cube trays or even empty yogurt containers.

“Swap option: To give these pops a chocolaty twist, swap 16 chocolate wafer cookies for the graham crackers.”

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

6 graham crackers

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

4 ounces (1/2 package) cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

1 cup heavy cream, very cold

Twelve 3-ounce paper cups

12 wooden craft sticks

Preparation

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the graham crackers to form fine crumbs. Add the butter and pulse to combine.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese on low speed until smooth. With the mixer running, gradually add the sweetened condensed milk, then the lime zest and juice.

Add the cream, then increase the speed until mixture is thick and soft peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes. Divide among the cups (about 5 tablespoons per cup). Top with the graham mixture and lightly press down to flatten.

Transfer the cups to a small, rimmed baking sheet and push a craft stick halfway down into each cup. Freeze until firm, at least 6 hours.

When ready to serve, peel the cups away from the pops.

RED, WHITE & BLUE POPSICLES

This is from Matt Abdoo and was posted on the TODAY Show’s site. Matt wrote, “Who doesn't love a popsicle? Especially when it's homemade with real fruit! They're easy to eat, a fun dessert and can be color customized to suit the summer celebration. Technique tip: Use silicone molds that will release the popsicles easy.

“Swap option: Swap out raspberries for strawberries or use frozen fruit.”

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time 3 hours; Yield: 6 popsicles

To view this online, go to https://www.today.com/recipes/red-white-blue-popsicles-recipe-t154820.

Ingredients

Red Layer

1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries

1 teaspoon cane sugar

White Layer

1 cup coconut milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cane sugar

Blue Layer

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

1 teaspoon cane sugar

Preparation

Place the empty popsicle molds in the freezer.

For the red layer:

Puree the strawberries with the sugar in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a container that is easy to pour out of and reserve.

For the white layer:

Whisk together the coconut milk, sugar and vanilla and transfer to a container that is easy to pour out of and reserve.

For the blue layer:

Puree the blueberries with the sugar in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a container that is easy to pour out of and reserve.

To assemble:

Remove the popsicle molds from the freezer and evenly pour the strawberry puree first into the molds. Place the molds in the freezer and allow freezing for one hour or until firm.

Once the strawberry layer has set up, remove the molds from the freezer and evenly pour in the coconut mixture and return the molds to the freezer and allow freezing for 1 hour or until firm.

Finally remove the popsicle molds from the freezer a final time and evenly pour in the final blueberry layer, then insert the popsicle handles and return to the freezer for an additional hour or until the final layer has set. Keep the popsicles in the freezer to fully freeze until ready to serve.

HONEY PISTACHIO ICE CREAM

Like I wrote at the top of this post, I'm sure my dad would have loved this ice cream. Between making homemade ice cream during the summer holidays (Memorial Day, Labor Day, and especially the 4th of July), along with his love of pistachios, ths no doublt would've been a hit.

Dad and Phyllis (step-mom)

This comes from Anita Schecter, who writes for The Spruce Eats.

For this recipe, Anita wrote, “As much as I love all desserts, nothing quite makes me swoon as much as the combination of sweet and salty. It's why chocolate covered salty pretzels and I are old friends and caramel sauce only interests me if it's got a good hit of sea salt. Candied or chocolate covered nuts are good but way more awesome if the nuts are salted.

“And so, as fond as I am of pistachios, pistachio ice cream and, basically all things pistachio, store bought pistachio ice cream is usually too sweet and one note for me. I'm missing the balance of the salt.

“Fortunately, I can easily remedy this situation by making my own and by using roasted and salted pistachios. You can make this with sugar only and omit the honey, if you like, but honey vanilla is another favorite flavor of mine so I decided to combine the two.

“When it comes to homemade ice cream, you can use a cooked custard base, which contains eggs. Or you can go for a straight dairy only option which doesn't require cooking. Because I wanted little bits and pieces of pistachios in my finished ice cream, I went with a no-cook method. If I wanted to strain them out, I would have cooked them with the base mix.

“I should also note that the color of pistachios, while definitely green, is nowhere near the deep green shade you find in store bought pistachio or even mint ice cream. You can certainly add some green food color to your ice cream if you really want that bright green shade. But I prefer to keep it all natural so my ice cream is still mostly beige but with green flecks from the bits of pistachios.

“This recipe is easy and simple and results in the perfect hit of sweet, salty and creamy. A perfect treat for a hot summer day. Enjoy!”

Prep Time: 12 minutes; Cook Time: 40 minutes; Freeze: 240 minutes; Total Time: 292 minutes; Yield: 8 (1/2 Cup) Servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 Cup whole milk

2 Cups heavy cream

1/2 Cup honey

1/4 Cup sugar

1 Tablespoon vanilla (vanilla paste is best, if you have it)

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1 Cup shelled roasted and salted pistachios

Preparation

In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, heavy cream, honey, sugar, vanilla and salt. Add the pistachios to a food processor and pulse a few times until the nuts are very broken down but not powder or paste. Add to the bowl.

Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions for use. Churn for 40 minutes and freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.

DARK CHOCOLATE SORBET

This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list. Makes 4 servings.

This begins, “Deep, dark chocolate is the perfect finish to any meal. Here, the sumptuousness of a chocolate treat is tempered by the refreshing texture of a light sorbet.”

Ingredients:

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 cup whole milk

1/4 cup cocoa powder

5 oz finely chopped dark chocolate

Directions:

In a small saucepan, bring the milk, sugar, and cocoa to a gentle simmer. Whisking the mixture occasionally, allow it to simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes. Set aside the chocolate milk.

Melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler and then whisk in the chocolate milk.

Chill the chocolate mixture for at least 1 hour, and then freeze it in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

CREAMY NO CHURN RASPBERRY CRUMBLE ICE CREAM

This comes from the wonderful people at Feedfeed, and begins, “Sunshine in Vancouver got me like... let’s make homemade ice cream!!”

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Brown Sugar Crisp

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

3 tbsp butter, cold

No Churn Ice Cream

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 tbsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp salt

4 oz cream cheese, softened

2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

Raspberry Jam, about 2/3 cup

Directions

For the Brown Sugar Crisp: Preheat oven to 350˚F degrees and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, oats, brown sugar and cinnamon. Add cold butter and work the butter into the dry ingredients with a pasty cutter until the butter is incorporated and you are left with a crumbly mixture. Spread onto prepared baking sheet and place in the oven to bake for about 10-15 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and and allow to cool completely. Set aside until ready to use assemble ice cream.

For the No Churn Ice Cream: In a small bowl, whisk together condensed milk, vanilla and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment on high until smooth and creamy and there are no lumps. Turn the mixer to low and slowly add the whipping cream in a steady stream. Once all the cream in incorporated, turn the mixer to high and whip until stiff peaks form; about 3-4 minutes.

Add half of the whipped cream cheese mixture to the condensed milk mixture and whisk to combine. Add the condensed milk mixture to your bowl of whipped cream and use a spatula to fold the whipped cream into the condensed milk until smooth and no streaks of whipped cream remain.

Pour 1/2 of the mixture into a 9 or 10 inch cake pan (alternatively you could use a loaf pan). Set the pan and the remaining ice cream mixture in your freezer for 15 minutes to set slightly. Once set remove and begin assembling your ice cream.

Dollop about 1/3 of a cup of your raspberry jam over the ice cream in the pan. Use a spoon to spread it evenly over the top. Sprinkle with 1/2 of your crumble mixture. Dollop the rest of your ice cream mixture on top and use a spoon to smooth. Dollop the remaining jam across the top of the ice cream and use a knife or the back of your spoon to create the pretty swirls. Sprinkle with remaining crisp mixture.

Cover with plastic wrap and set in the freezer for 5-6 hours before serving.

Desserts

There are times when most of us just have a craving for something snacky. That's where yummy desserts come in. Check out today's six desserts, including the decadent All-in-One Chocolate Cake and Heavenly Ice Cream Cake with Raspberry Coulis. Enjoy!

MINI APPLE PIES

This came from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list. The notes on here are from the original author.

Ingredients

4 ramekins (small glazed ceramic serving bowls)

2 large tart-sweet apples (I use ones that are half green half red)

2 Tablespoons arrowroot or cornstarch or 1 Tablespoons flour

1-2 Tablespoons vegan margarine (I use Earth Balance)

2 Tablespoons maple syrup or agave nectar

apple pie spice

1/4 cup rolled oats

2 Tablespoons flour

raw sugar

The ingredient amounts are approximations, I just guess as I go!

Directions

Cut apples into 1/2" dice and place into a bowl. Add 2 Tablespoons arrowroot, a few big shakes of pie spice and the liquid sweetener. Mix until evenly coated and pack down into ramekins leaving 1/2" from top.

In a bowl mix oats and margarine until combined add flour. Mixture should look like crumbly oats, if too dry add more margarine.

Distribute between ramekins, lightly packing on top, sprinkle with sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. The top will give when pressed, & you will see bubbling.

HEAVENLY ICE CREAM CAKE WITH RASPBERRY COULIS

This comes from the January 2007 issue of Vegetarian Times, and begins, “Prepared angel food cakes from the supermarket bakery section are good items to have on hand for desserts. Before preparing this elaborate-looking recipe, freeze the cake completely. It slices easily with a serrated knife.” Serves 12.

To view this online, click here.

1 16-oz. angel food cake, frozen

1 10-oz. jar raspberry preserves

1/4 cup raspberry liqueur or orange juice

2 pints low-fat vanilla ice cream, softened, divided

1 10-oz. pkg. frozen raspberries in syrup, thawed

Cut cake into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cover bottom of 9-inch springform pan with slices, cutting one or two slices as necessary to fill in gaps.

Combine raspberry preserves and liqueur in small saucepan over medium heat, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 5 minutes. Brush half of raspberry mixture over cake in pan. Spread 1 pint ice cream over cake, and smooth top. Arrange more cake slices over ice cream to cover completely. Spread remaining raspberry mixture over cake. Smooth remaining pint of ice cream over cake. Cover with plastic wrap, and freeze overnight. (Can be prepared up to 3 days in advance up to this point.)

Purée thawed raspberries and syrup in food processor until smooth. Strain into bowl.

Run knife around sides of springform pan. Release sides from cake. Slice into wedges, and top with raspberry coulis.

nutritional information Per SERVING: Calories: 273; Protein: 4 g; Total Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 60 g; Cholesterol: 3 mg; Sodium: 319 mg; Fiber: 2 g; Sugar: 31 g

BANANA “ICE CREAM” FAKE OUT

This comes from Rachel Ray, of The Food Network's 30 Minute Meals. Total Time: 5 min; Prep: 5 min; Yield: 3 to 4 cups; Level: Easy

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/banana-ice-cream-fakeout-recipe.print.html?oc=linkback

Ingredients

3 bananas, peeled, cut into chunks and frozen

1/4 to 1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup chocolate syrup

1/4 cup chopped peanuts

Directions

In the bowl of a food processor, puree the bananas, adding the milk bit by bit as needed, until whipped to a creamy consistency, about 2 minutes.

Scoop into a bowl and top with the chocolate syrup and peanuts.

ALL-IN-ONE CHOCOLATE CAKE

This comes from Nigella Lawson, from The New York Times' cooking newsletter. If you haven't signed up for their newsletter, I highly recommend it. Nigella writes, “This is the perfect chocolate cake: beautiful, melting, intense but not heavy. The batter comes together quickly in a food processor, and the cake bakes at 350 degrees for a while, giving the baker time to assemble the frosting, which is given a luscious sheen by a bit of corn syrup. Use the best chocolate you can find for the frosting, and gild it however you like: with a few flowers, some birthday candles or nothing at all.” Time: 1 hour 15 minutes; 10 to 12 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

For the Cake:

Butter for greasing baking pans

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup best-quality cocoa powder

6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 large eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla

3/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature

For the Frosting:

6 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate, broken into small pieces

3 ounces (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

Preparation

For cake: heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter sides of two 8-inch cake pans, and line bottoms with parchment paper. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a knife blade, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, butter, eggs, vanilla and sour cream. Process to make a smooth, thick batter.

Using a rubber spatula, divide batter between pans, and smooth tops. Bake until a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 35 minutes; do not overbake. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes before removing from cake pans.

For frosting: Combine chocolate and butter in a large heat-proof bowl, and heat until melted in a microwave oven or over a pan of simmering water. Remove from heat, and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Stir in corn syrup, sour cream, and vanilla. Whisk in confectioners' sugar until very smooth. Frosting should be thick and spreadable. If necessary, add a teaspoon or two of boiling water to thin it, or additional sifted confectioners' sugar to thicken.

Cut four strips of waxed or parchment paper, and place them side by side on a cake plate, covering the surface. Place one cake layer domed-side down on plate.

Spoon about a third of the frosting onto center of cake, and use a knife or a spatula to spread it evenly. Place the other cake on top, domed side up. Spoon another third of frosting on top of cake, spreading to make swirls or a smooth finish. Spread sides of cake with remaining frosting, and allow to sit for a few minutes until set. Carefully remove paper strips. Place cake under glass or in an airtight container, and set aside in a cool place until serving.

HONEY PISTACHIO ICE CREAM

This comes from Anita Schecter, who writes for The Spruce Eats.

For this recipe, Anita wrote, “As much as I love all desserts, nothing quite makes me swoon as much as the combination of sweet and salty. It's why chocolate covered salty pretzels and I are old friends and caramel sauce only interests me if it's got a good hit of sea salt. Candied or chocolate covered nuts are good but way more awesome if the nuts are salted.

“And so, as fond as I am of pistachios, pistachio ice cream and, basically all things pistachio, store bought pistachio ice cream is usually too sweet and one note for me. I'm missing the balance of the salt.

“Fortunately, I can easily remedy this situation by making my own and by using roasted and salted pistachios. You can make this with sugar only and omit the honey, if you like, but honey vanilla is another favorite flavor of mine so I decided to combine the two.

“When it comes to homemade ice cream, you can use a cooked custard base, which contains eggs. Or you can go for a straight dairy only option which doesn't require cooking. Because I wanted little bits and pieces of pistachios in my finished ice cream, I went with a no-cook method. If I wanted to strain them out, I would have cooked them with the base mix.

“I should also note that the color of pistachios, while definitely green, is nowhere near the deep green shade you find in store bought pistachio or even mint ice cream. You can certainly add some green food color to your ice cream if you really want that bright green shade. But I prefer to keep it all natural so my ice cream is still mostly beige but with green flecks from the bits of pistachios.

“This recipe is easy and simple and results in the perfect hit of sweet, salty and creamy. A perfect treat for a hot summer day. Enjoy!”

Prep Time: 12 minutes; Cook Time: 40 minutes; Freeze: 240 minutes; Total Time: 292 minutes; Yield: 8 (1/2 Cup) Servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 Cup whole milk

2 Cups heavy cream

1/2 Cup honey

1/4 Cup sugar

1 Tablespoon vanilla (vanilla paste is best, if you have it)

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1 Cup shelled roasted and salted pistachios

Preparation

In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, heavy cream, honey, sugar, vanilla and salt. Add the pistachios to a food processor and pulse a few times until the nuts are very broken down but not powder or paste. Add to the bowl.

Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions for use. Churn for 40 minutes and freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.

MINI CHURRO DOUGHNUT HOLES

This yummy recipe is from Old El Paso, and begins, “This DIY version of fair food goes bite-size and gets an added flavor boost from caramel.”

By Pillsbury Kitchens

Total Time: 15 minutes; Prep Time: 15 minutes; Servings: 8

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Canola oil for deep-frying

1/2 cup cinnamon-sugar

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 can (16.3 oz) Pillsbury™ Grands!™ Flaky Layers refrigerated Original biscuits

Caramel sauce, if desired

Instructions

Fill 3-quart saucepan one-third full with oil. Heat over medium heat to about 350°F. Line plate with paper towels; set aside.

In small bowl, stir together cinnamon-sugar and powdered sugar; set aside.

Separate dough into 8 biscuits. Split each biscuit into 2 rounds; place on cutting board. Using very small doughnut-hole cutter or mouth of an empty bottle, cut out mini-sized doughnut holes.

When oil is hot, carefully drop a few of the doughnut holes into oil at a time. (See Tip.) Using slotted metal spoon or kitchen spider, continuously turn holes over and over until golden brown. Remove from oil; place on paper towel-lined plate to drain. Immediately place holes in sugar mixture; coat completely. Serve doughnut holes immediately drizzled with caramel sauce.

Expert Tips

The safest way to fry is to bring your hand close to the oil and gently drop in the dough versus quickly dropping and splashing the oil.

To prep ahead by a few hours, you can cut the dough and store it in a zipper-topped plastic bag in the fridge.

Ice Cream

“Chubby Hubby ice cream – I can't say no anymore.” - Sidney Biddle Barrows, the erstwhile Mayflower Madam, on the subject of her sole remaining vice.

Found in Loose Cannons: Devastating Dish from the World's Wildest Women, complied by Autumn Stephens, page 21.

Since Monday is Labor Day, a time when many people are fortunate enough to have off, I figured I'd post something to get everyone into a festive mood. For me, that screams of ice cream, especially since I remember way too many summer holidays making homemade ice cream. Today's offerings include Honey Pistachio Ice Cream (something I'm sure my dad would have loved, given his love of pistachios and homemade ice cream) and Creamy No Churn Raspberry Crumble Ice Cream. Enjoy!

WATERMELON SORBET

This came from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list. Makes 8 servings.

The recipe began, “This fresh sorbet is the perfect dessert for a tropical meal.”

Ingredients

1/2 cup plus 4 cups seeded and pureed watermelon

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 teaspoon lime zest

Directions

In a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup watermelon puree and sugar to simmer and remove it from heat. Add lime juice and zest and allow mixture to cool for 20 minutes. Add the 4 cups fresh watermelon puree to melon-lime mixture, then freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.

KEY LIME PIE POPS

This was on the TODAY website, and starts off, “Turn your favorite summer pie into an easy creamy lime and graham cracker frozen treat.

"Technique tip: You don't need fancy ice pop molds to make these pops. Try using basic tools you already have in your kitchen, such as small paper cups, a loaf pan, large ice cube trays or even empty yogurt containers.

“Swap option: To give these pops a chocolaty twist, swap 16 chocolate wafer cookies for the graham crackers.”

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

6 graham crackers

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

4 ounces (1/2 package) cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

1 cup heavy cream, very cold

Twelve 3-ounce paper cups

12 wooden craft sticks

Preparation

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the graham crackers to form fine crumbs. Add the butter and pulse to combine.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese on low speed until smooth. With the mixer running, gradually add the sweetened condensed milk, then the lime zest and juice.

Add the cream, then increase the speed until mixture is thick and soft peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes. Divide among the cups (about 5 tablespoons per cup). Top with the graham mixture and lightly press down to flatten.

Transfer the cups to a small, rimmed baking sheet and push a craft stick halfway down into each cup. Freeze until firm, at least 6 hours.

When ready to serve, peel the cups away from the pops.

RED, WHITE & BLUE POPSICLES

This is from Matt Abdoo and was posted on the TODAY Show’s site. Matt wrote, “Who doesn't love a popsicle? Especially when it's homemade with real fruit! They're easy to eat, a fun dessert and can be color customized to suit the summer celebration. Technique tip: Use silicone molds that will release the popsicles easy.

“Swap option: Swap out raspberries for strawberries or use frozen fruit.”

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time 3 hours; Yield: 6 popsicles

To view this online, go to https://www.today.com/recipes/red-white-blue-popsicles-recipe-t154820.

Ingredients

Red Layer

1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries

1 teaspoon cane sugar

White Layer

1 cup coconut milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cane sugar

Blue Layer

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

1 teaspoon cane sugar

Preparation

Place the empty popsicle molds in the freezer.

For the red layer:

Puree the strawberries with the sugar in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a container that is easy to pour out of and reserve.

For the white layer:

Whisk together the coconut milk, sugar and vanilla and transfer to a container that is easy to pour out of and reserve.

For the blue layer:

Puree the blueberries with the sugar in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a container that is easy to pour out of and reserve.

To assemble:

Remove the popsicle molds from the freezer and evenly pour the strawberry puree first into the molds. Place the molds in the freezer and allow freezing for one hour or until firm.

Once the strawberry layer has set up, remove the molds from the freezer and evenly pour in the coconut mixture and return the molds to the freezer and allow freezing for 1 hour or until firm.

Finally remove the popsicle molds from the freezer a final time and evenly pour in the final blueberry layer, then insert the popsicle handles and return to the freezer for an additional hour or until the final layer has set. Keep the popsicles in the freezer to fully freeze until ready to serve.

HONEY PISTACHIO ICE CREAM

This comes from Anita Schecter, who writes for The Spruce Eats.

For this recipe, Anita wrote, “As much as I love all desserts, nothing quite makes me swoon as much as the combination of sweet and salty. It's why chocolate covered salty pretzels and I are old friends and caramel sauce only interests me if it's got a good hit of sea salt. Candied or chocolate covered nuts are good but way more awesome if the nuts are salted.

“And so, as fond as I am of pistachios, pistachio ice cream and, basically all things pistachio, store bought pistachio ice cream is usually too sweet and one note for me. I'm missing the balance of the salt.

“Fortunately, I can easily remedy this situation by making my own and by using roasted and salted pistachios. You can make this with sugar only and omit the honey, if you like, but honey vanilla is another favorite flavor of mine so I decided to combine the two.

“When it comes to homemade ice cream, you can use a cooked custard base, which contains eggs. Or you can go for a straight dairy only option which doesn't require cooking. Because I wanted little bits and pieces of pistachios in my finished ice cream, I went with a no-cook method. If I wanted to strain them out, I would have cooked them with the base mix.

“I should also note that the color of pistachios, while definitely green, is nowhere near the deep green shade you find in store bought pistachio or even mint ice cream. You can certainly add some green food color to your ice cream if you really want that bright green shade. But I prefer to keep it all natural so my ice cream is still mostly beige but with green flecks from the bits of pistachios.

“This recipe is easy and simple and results in the perfect hit of sweet, salty and creamy. A perfect treat for a hot summer day. Enjoy!”

Prep Time: 12 minutes; Cook Time: 40 minutes; Freeze: 240 minutes; Total Time: 292 minutes; Yield: 8 (1/2 Cup) Servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 Cup whole milk

2 Cups heavy cream

1/2 Cup honey

1/4 Cup sugar

1 Tablespoon vanilla (vanilla paste is best, if you have it)

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1 Cup shelled roasted and salted pistachios

Preparation

In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, heavy cream, honey, sugar, vanilla and salt. Add the pistachios to a food processor and pulse a few times until the nuts are very broken down but not powder or paste. Add to the bowl.

Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions for use. Churn for 40 minutes and freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.

DARK CHOCOLATE SORBET

This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list. Makes 4 servings.

This begins, “Deep, dark chocolate is the perfect finish to any meal. Here, the sumptuousness of a chocolate treat is tempered by the refreshing texture of a light sorbet.”

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 cup whole milk

1/4 cup cocoa powder

5 oz finely chopped dark chocolate

In a small saucepan, bring the milk, sugar, and cocoa to a gentle simmer. Whisking the mixture occasionally, allow it to simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes. Set aside the chocolate milk.

Melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler and then whisk in the chocolate milk.

Chill the chocolate mixture for at least 1 hour, and then freeze it in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

CREAMY NO CHURN RASPBERRY CRUMBLE ICE CREAM

This comes from the wonderful people at Feedfeed, and begins, “Sunshine in Vancouver got me like... let’s make homemade ice cream!!”

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Brown Sugar Crisp

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

3 tbsp butter, cold

No Churn Ice Cream

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 tbsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp salt

4 oz cream cheese, softened

2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

Raspberry Jam, about 2/3 cup

Directions

For the Brown Sugar Crisp: Preheat oven to 350˚F degrees and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, oats, brown sugar and cinnamon. Add cold butter and work the butter into the dry ingredients with a pasty cutter until the butter is incorporated and you are left with a crumbly mixture. Spread onto prepared baking sheet and place in the oven to bake for about 10-15 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and and allow to cool completely. Set aside until ready to use assemble ice cream.

For the No Churn Ice Cream: In a small bowl, whisk together condensed milk, vanilla and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment on high until smooth and creamy and there are no lumps. Turn the mixer to low and slowly add the whipping cream in a steady stream. Once all the cream in incorporated, turn the mixer to high and whip until stiff peaks form; about 3-4 minutes.

Add half of the whipped cream cheese mixture to the condensed milk mixture and whisk to combine. Add the condensed milk mixture to your bowl of whipped cream and use a spatula to fold the whipped cream into the condensed milk until smooth and no streaks of whipped cream remain.

Pour 1/2 of the mixture into a 9 or 10 inch cake pan (alternatively you could use a loaf pan). Set the pan and the remaining ice cream mixture in your freezer for 15 minutes to set slightly. Once set remove and begin assembling your ice cream.

Dollop about 1/3 of a cup of your raspberry jam over the ice cream in the pan. Use a spoon to spread it evenly over the top. Sprinkle with 1/2 of your crumble mixture. Dollop the rest of your ice cream mixture on top and use a spoon to smooth. Dollop the remaining jam across the top of the ice cream and use a knife or the back of your spoon to create the pretty swirls. Sprinkle with remaining crisp mixture.

Cover with plastic wrap and set in the freezer for 5-6 hours before serving.

Double-Post Monday

Besides being Meatless Monday, it's also Double-Post Monday. Today's six recipes include Classic Hot Fudge Sundae and Easy Pumpkin Pudding Cake. Enjoy!

HONEY PISTACHIO ICE CREAM

This comes from Anita Schecter, who writes for The Spruce Eats.

For this recipe, Anita wrote, “As much as I love all desserts, nothing quite makes me swoon as much as the combination of sweet and salty. It's why chocolate covered salty pretzels and I are old friends and caramel sauce only interests me if it's got a good hit of sea salt. Candied or chocolate covered nuts are good but way more awesome if the nuts are salted.

“And so, as fond as I am of pistachios, pistachio ice cream and, basically all things pistachio, store bought pistachio ice cream is usually too sweet and one note for me. I'm missing the balance of the salt.

“Fortunately, I can easily remedy this situation by making my own and by using roasted and salted pistachios. You can make this with sugar only and omit the honey, if you like, but honey vanilla is another favorite flavor of mine so I decided to combine the two.

“When it comes to homemade ice cream, you can use a cooked custard base, which contains eggs. Or you can go for a straight dairy only option which doesn't require cooking. Because I wanted little bits and pieces of pistachios in my finished ice cream, I went with a no-cook method. If I wanted to strain them out, I would have cooked them with the base mix.

“I should also note that the color of pistachios, while definitely green, is nowhere near the deep green shade you find in store bought pistachio or even mint ice cream. You can certainly add some green food color to your ice cream if you really want that bright green shade. But I prefer to keep it all natural so my ice cream is still mostly beige but with green flecks from the bits of pistachios.

“This recipe is easy and simple and results in the perfect hit of sweet, salty and creamy. A perfect treat for a hot summer day. Enjoy!”

Prep Time: 12 minutes; Cook Time: 40 minutes; Freeze: 240 minutes; Total Time: 292 minutes; Yield: 8 (1/2 Cup) Servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 Cup whole milk

2 Cups heavy cream

1/2 Cup honey

1/4 Cup sugar

1 Tablespoon vanilla (vanilla paste is best, if you have it)

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1 Cup shelled roasted and salted pistachios

Preparation

In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, heavy cream, honey, sugar, vanilla and salt. Add the pistachios to a food processor and pulse a few times until the nuts are very broken down but not powder or paste. Add to the bowl.

Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions for use. Churn for 40 minutes and freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.

CLASSIC HOT FUDGE SUNDAE

This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “There is a reason a hot fudge sundae is such an enduring classic: That combination of warm, rich chocolate fudge mixing with frozen ice cream and melting it slightly is absolutely irresistible. Of course, if you have homemade fudge sauce and homemade ice cream, it gets even better. Vanilla ice cream is the standard here, but feel free to use your favorite flavor, or a combination of flavors. And if you like nuts, by all means use them here. The added crunch is marvelous against all the rich creaminess.”

Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: 35 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Check out Melissa Clark’s guide “How to Make Ice Cream”.

Ingredients

For the Fudge Sauce:

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/3 cup light corn syrup or honey

3 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed

7 ounces finely chopped bittersweet chocolate

1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 tablespoon brandy or rum

For Assembly:

1 cup chilled heavy cream

1 tablespoon superfine sugar, more to taste

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 pints your favorite flavor ice cream

Chopped toasted nuts, such as almonds, peanuts, or pecans (optional)

Cherries, for garnish (optional)

Preparation

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream, sugar, corn syrup or honey, cocoa, and salt to a simmer, whisking until the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the chocolate and let cook until the chocolate melts. Stir in butter and vanilla or liquor. Let cool slightly. Contrary to its name, hot fudge is best served warm, not piping hot.

For assembly, make the whipped cream. Using a whisk or an electric mixer, beat the cream, sugar, and vanilla until soft peaks form.

Pour a little fudge sauce into the bottoms of sundae dishes or bowls. Top with ice cream, then more hot fudge, then nuts if using. Cover all with whipped cream and a cherry if you like. Serve.

TEX-MEX BEEF AND RICE SKILLET

This is from tbsp., and begins, “Wherein we turn a humble pound of ground beef into a supremely satisfying and totally doable meal in a matter of minutes. Now you never have to wonder what’s for dinner. You’re welcome.”

Prep Time: 35 minutes; Total Time: 35 minutes; Servings: 6

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup diced yellow onion

1 medium red bell pepper, diced

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

1 can (10 oz) Old El Paso™ enchilada sauce

1 package (1 oz) Old El Paso™ original taco seasoning mix

3 cups cooked white rice

1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend (4 oz)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

In 12-inch nonstick skillet, cook beef 6 to 8 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until brown. Drain, and wipe out skillet.

Add oil to skillet, and heat over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper and corn. Cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender.

Stir in beef, enchilada sauce and taco seasoning mix. Heat to simmering; stir in rice. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until rice is heated through.

Top with cheese and cilantro.

LOW CALORIE SPINACH LASAGNA

This is from Kimberly Eggleston, a nutritionist on The Spruce. Kimberly wrote, “You wouldn't think that lasagna could be a lean and delicious dish until you have tried this low-calorie spinach lasagna recipe. You can see from the ingredient list that it doesn't even take a whole lot of ingredients to make up this yummy dish. And the ingredients that are included are relatively lean. Instead of fatty sausage and beef, the bulk of this lasagna filling is part skim mozzarella, low-fat cottage cheese, and spinach which give the lasagna nice texture and color. There aren't too many calories coming from those ingredients!

“Another great thing about his spinach lasagna is that this lasagna recipe is so easy to throw together about an hour and fifteen minutes before dinner. Yes, that's only a little over one hour before dinner, and the majority or that time is the lasagna cooking, which frees you up to do other things.

“And there is no need to precook the noodles. You will add water to the dish once you have layered the lasagna together, using uncooked dry noodles. Then the water will cook the noodles during baking time resulting in perfectly al dente noodles when it is finished. One less pot to wash when it is all finished is certainly worth it.”

Total Time: 70 mins; Prep: 10 mins; Cook: 60 mins; Yield: 8 Servings; Per Serving Calories: 304

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 16 oz. carton low-fat cottage cheese

1 10 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed and rinsed

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (6 oz.), divided

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese (2 oz.)

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp salt

9 lasagna noodles, uncooked

2 cups jarred marinara sauce

1 cup water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

To begin with, prepare the cheese and spinach filling for the lasagna.

In a large bowl, combine the cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, spinach, 3/4 cup of the shredded mozzarella, pepper, oregano, and salt. Use large spoon to gently stir together the mixture until it is well combined.

Next, spray a 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray.

Place 3 of the uncooked noodles in the bottom of the pan. Top with half of the cottage cheese mixture, and use a large spoon or a spatula to gently spread the cheese mixture over the noodles, trying to cover all the noodles.

Next, over the cheese and spinach mixture, spread 2/3 cup of the marinara sauce, and then top the layer of marinara sauce with 1/4 cup of the shredded mozzarella. Repeat the layers two more times. End with the last three noddles, topped with 2/3 cup of sauce and 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese.

Now that the lasagna is assembled, pour 1 cup of water around the edges of the pan gently and slowly, allowing the water to fill in the gaps slowly so that it does not overflow. Cover the pan tightly with tin foil.

Place the covered lasagna in the preheated oven, and bake for 1 hour. Once the lasagna is done cooking, remove it from the oven, and loosely uncover the dish while the lasagna cools. Let the lasagna stand for 10 minutes before serving in order to allow the lasagna to become far easier to cut.

TACO ZUCCHINI LASAGNA

This comes from Linday Funston on Delish, and begins, “So flavorful, you won't even notice the noodles are gone.”

Total Time: 45 minutes; Prep Time: 20 minutes; Level: Easy; Serves: 4 - 6

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. chili powder

kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 lb. ground beef

3/4 c. ricotta

1/2 c. sour cream, plus more for drizzling

1 large egg

1/3 c. salsa

3 large zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise

2 c. shredded Cheddar

2 c. Shredded Monterey Jack

Fresh cilantro, for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350º. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion and cook until tender, 5 minutes. Season with cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink, 8 minutes more. Drain fat.

In a small bowl, stir together ricotta, sour cream, and egg. Season with salt and pepper.

In a large baking or casserole dish, spread a thin layer of salsa. Top with a layer of zucchini noodles, sour cream mixture, ground beef, cheddar, and Monterey Jack. Repeat until all ingredients are used up, ending with zucchini noodles.

Bake until noodles are tender and cheese is bubbly, 25 minutes.

Drizzle with sour cream, garnish with cilantro, and serve.

EASY PUMPKIN PUDDING CAKE

This is from Ashley, a high school teacher turned blogger, on her wonderful site, The Recipe Rebel. This recipe begins, “This Easy Pumpkin Pudding Cake takes just 10 minutes prep and makes it’s own caramel pudding sauce as it bakes! Perfect hot from the oven with a scoop of ice cream.”

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 35 minutes; Makes 6 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour (I use whole wheat!)

3/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

pinch of nutmeg

pinch of cloves

3/4 cup pure pumpkin puree (not pie filling!)

1/3 cup milk (I use 1%)

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

Sauce

1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed

2 teaspoons corn starch

1 1/4 cup hot or boiling water

2 tablespoons butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 9" pie plate or baking dish.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, 3/4 cup brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and cloves with a spoon.

Add in pumpkin, milk, oil and vanilla and stir until a thick batter forms. Spread into prepared pie plate.

In a small bowl, stir together 1 cup brown sugar and corn starch until there are no clumps. Sprinkle over cake batter.

Add butter to hot water and stir until melted. Pour over brown sugar mixture in pan.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until top is completely set (keep in mind that there is a thick layer of caramel sauce in the bottom, so it may jiggle). Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator and reheat perfectly!

Ice Cream

With the weather warming up (finally!), can summer be far behind? And with warmer weather, I start thinking of homemade ice cream.

There's a reason for this. When I was growing up, my dad bought an ice cream maker and started making homemade ice cream every 4th of July, as well as other random weekends.

Of course, back then, the ice cream makers were hand-cranked, and took plenty of arm-power (which is where my brother, sister, and I came in; if we wanted the good stuff, we had to help out!).

Dad and Mom, circa 1964/1965



If you'd like to see how to use a hand crank ice cream maker, check out this post from New Life on a Homestead (which has tons of great posts; I highly recommend checking it out!). If you'd like to buy a hand crank ice cream maker, here's a good place to check out. And if you want to buy an electric ice cream maker (a lot easier on the arms!), you can pick one up almost anywhere.

Anyway, here are today's six ice cream recipes to check out, including Blackberry Ice Cream and Mocha Chip Banana Ice Cream. Enjoy!

HONEY PISTACHIO ICE CREAM

I have a sneaking suspicion that my dad would have loved this recipe (from Anita Schecter, About.com’s Middle Eastern Food expert), as he loved both ice cream and pistachios.

Anita wrote, “As much as I love all desserts, nothing quite makes me swoon as much as the combination of sweet and salty. It's why chocolate covered salty pretzels and I are old friends and caramel sauce only interests me if it's got a good hit of sea salt. Candied or chocolate covered nuts are good but way more awesome if the nuts are salted.

“And so, as fond as I am of pistachios, pistachio ice cream and, basically all things pistachio, store bought pistachio ice cream is usually too sweet and one note for me. I'm missing the balance of the salt.

“Fortunately, I can easily remedy this situation by making my own and by using roasted and salted pistachios. You can make this with sugar only and omit the honey, if you like, but honey vanilla is another favorite flavor of mine so I decided to combine the two.

“When it comes to homemade ice cream, you can use a cooked custard base, which contains eggs. Or you can go for a straight dairy only option which doesn't require cooking. Because I wanted little bits and pieces of pistachios in my finished ice cream, I went with a no-cook method. If I wanted to strain them out, I would have cooked them with the base mix.

“I should also note that the color of pistachios, while definitely green, is nowhere near the deep green shade you find in store bought pistachio or even mint ice cream. You can certainly add some green food color to your ice cream if you really want that bright green shade. But I prefer to keep it all natural so my ice cream is still mostly beige but with green flecks from the bits of pistachios.

“This recipe is easy and simple and results in the perfect hit of sweet, salty and creamy. A perfect treat for a hot summer day. Enjoy!”

Prep Time: 12 minutes; Cook Time: 40 minutes; Freeze: 240 minutes; Total Time: 292 minutes; Yield: 8 (1/2 Cup) Servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 Cup whole milk

2 Cups heavy cream

1/2 Cup honey

1/4 Cup sugar

1 Tablespoon vanilla (vanilla paste is best, if you have it)

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1 Cup shelled roasted and salted pistachios

Preparation

In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, heavy cream, honey, sugar, vanilla and salt. Add the pistachios to a food processor and pulse a few times until the nuts are very broken down but not powder or paste. Add to the bowl.

Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions for use. Churn for 40 minutes and freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.

CLASSIC HOT FUDGE SUNDAE

This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “There is a reason a hot fudge sundae is such an enduring classic: That combination of warm, rich chocolate fudge mixing with frozen ice cream and melting it slightly is absolutely irresistible. Of course, if you have homemade fudge sauce and homemade ice cream, it gets even better. Vanilla ice cream is the standard here, but feel free to use your favorite flavor, or a combination of flavors. And if you like nuts, by all means use them here. The added crunch is marvelous against all the rich creaminess.”

Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: 35 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Check out Melissa Clark’s guide “How to Make Ice Cream”.

Ingredients

For the Fudge Sauce:

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/3 cup light corn syrup or honey

3 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed

7 ounces finely chopped bittersweet chocolate

1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 tablespoon brandy or rum

For Assembly:

1 cup chilled heavy cream

1 tablespoon superfine sugar, more to taste

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 pints your favorite flavor ice cream

Chopped toasted nuts, such as almonds, peanuts, or pecans (optional)

Cherries, for garnish (optional)

Preparation

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream, sugar, corn syrup or honey, cocoa, and salt to a simmer, whisking until the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the chocolate and let cook until the chocolate melts. Stir in butter and vanilla or liquor. Let cool slightly. Contrary to its name, hot fudge is best served warm, not piping hot.

For assembly, make the whipped cream. Using a whisk or an electric mixer, beat the cream, sugar, and vanilla until soft peaks form.

Pour a little fudge sauce into the bottoms of sundae dishes or bowls. Top with ice cream, then more hot fudge, then nuts if using. Cover all with whipped cream and a cherry if you like. Serve.

MOCHA CHIP BANANA ICE CREAM

This is from Kaleigh McMordie on VeryWell. (Kaleigh also has her own food blog, Lively Table. Check it out!)

This recipe begins, “Ice cream is a delicious dessert, but probably not something you want to eat daily if you are trying to get healthy. Though one pint seems small it actually contains four servings. It may be time to introduce an alternative If you often find yourself at the bottom with no idea where all of the ice cream went.

“Banana ice cream, or ‘nice cream’ as it is sometimes called, is a healthy ice cream alternative made by blending frozen banana slices in a blender to yield a smooth, creamy, and naturally sweet treat. You can add any other flavor you like.

“This mocha chip banana ice cream is blended with coffee and dark chocolate and swirled with mini chocolate chips. It’s vegan if you use dairy-free chocolate chips, and it’s the perfect healthy dessert for when you need something cool and creamy. As a bonus, you also get a serving of fruit and antioxidants in your dessert!”

Total Time: 10 min; Prep: 10 min; Cook: 0 min; Servings: 2 (1/2 cup each)

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 sliced bananas, frozen

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon instant coffee granules

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)

2 teaspoons semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

Preparation

In a high-powered blender or food processor, blend all ingredients except for chocolate chips. You may need to add more milk to get bananas to blend.

Stir in chocolate chips.

Serve immediately, or for a firmer consistency, pour into a shallow container and freeze 10 to 15 minutes before scooping.

Ingredient Variations and Substitutions

For vegan and dairy-free, use vegan chocolate chips and dairy-free milk.

Cooking and Serving Tips

Bananas will take a little while to blend. Be patient and add milk by the tablespoon as needed.

BLACKBERRY ICE CREAM

This comes from the One Green Planet emailing list. They have quite a few really good vegetarian recipes. Give it a try!

This recipe starts off, “I served my ice cream as a soft serve, but I also froze it in an airtight container and it turned to the same consistency as the ice cream you knew/know and love/d as a non-vegan. I won't lie; this ice cream is not as creamy as the dairy kind, or the soya or nut-based ice cream you can buy from health food stores, but the banana makes this more than just a sorbet. Not to mention, it cuts the calories by half. At least. So enjoy your 'ice cream' guiltlessly! You have my permission.”

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 cups frozen blackberries

2 frozen bananas, in chuncks

a few splashes of almond milk

Preparation

In a blender or food processor, blend the frozen fruit with a little bit of almond milk, adding the milk little by littled. Don't add too much or you'll just end up with a frozen smoothie, you want to add just a few splashes when necessary. Depending on the speed of your blender or food processors, this will take about five minutes. You may need to stir the ice cream mixture with a spoon between pulsing to make sure everything gets blended (unless you want chunks).

Serve immediately as soft serve, or place in a container in the freezer for at least one hour before scooping it out.

MOCHA SHERBET FREEZE

Here’s a recipe from that infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list.

Ingredients

2-1/4 cups strongly brewed coffee or espresso

3/4 cup sugar

6 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

Pinch of salt

3/4 cup whole milk

Preparation

Whisk together the coffee, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a large saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and allow it to boil for 30 seconds, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in the milk.

Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Perfect Pairing: To make a Mocha Freeze, for each serving put 2 scoops of Mocha Sherbet (4 ounces, 115 g) in a blender along with 1/2 cup (125 ml) very strongly brewed coffee or espresso, 1-1/2 tablespoons sugar, and 3 ice cubes. Blend until almost smooth. Pour into a glass and top with Whipped Cream.

STRAWBERRY SORBET

This comes from Amanda Hesser in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Amanda wrote, “This mouthwatering summer sorbet is an adaptation of one served at the River Café in London. Yes, it calls for an entire lemon (rind and all), but trust us: the sweet of the strawberries and sugar, the tart and bitter of the lemon – it all works together beautifully.”

Yield: Makes 1 1/2 quarts; Time: 10 minutes.

This was featured in “The Arsenal” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

1 whole lemon, seeded and roughly chopped

2 cups sugar

2 pounds strawberries, hulled

Juice of 1 to 2 lemons

Preparation

Place the chopped lemon and sugar in a food processor, and pulse until combined. Transfer to a bowl.

Purée the strawberries in a food processor, and add to the lemon mixture, along with the juice of 1 lemon. Taste and add more juice as desired. The lemon flavor should be intense but should not overpower the strawberries. Pour the mixture into an ice cream machine and churn until frozen.

Double-Post Monday

Besides being Meatless Monday, it's also Double-Post Monday. Today's six recipes include Classic Hot Fudge Sundae and Easy Pumpkin Pudding Cake. Enjoy!

HONEY PISTACHIO ICE CREAM

This comes from Anita Schecter, About.com’s Middle Eastern Food expert. Anita wrote, “As much as I love all desserts, nothing quite makes me swoon as much as the combination of sweet and salty. It's why chocolate covered salty pretzels and I are old friends and caramel sauce only interests me if it's got a good hit of sea salt. Candied or chocolate covered nuts are good but way more awesome if the nuts are salted.

“And so, as fond as I am of pistachios, pistachio ice cream and, basically all things pistachio, store bought pistachio ice cream is usually too sweet and one note for me. I'm missing the balance of the salt.

“Fortunately, I can easily remedy this situation by making my own and by using roasted and salted pistachios. You can make this with sugar only and omit the honey, if you like, but honey vanilla is another favorite flavor of mine so I decided to combine the two.

“When it comes to homemade ice cream, you can use a cooked custard base, which contains eggs. Or you can go for a straight dairy only option which doesn't require cooking. Because I wanted little bits and pieces of pistachios in my finished ice cream, I went with a no-cook method. If I wanted to strain them out, I would have cooked them with the base mix.

“I should also note that the color of pistachios, while definitely green, is nowhere near the deep green shade you find in store bought pistachio or even mint ice cream. You can certainly add some green food color to your ice cream if you really want that bright green shade. But I prefer to keep it all natural so my ice cream is still mostly beige but with green flecks from the bits of pistachios.

“This recipe is easy and simple and results in the perfect hit of sweet, salty and creamy. A perfect treat for a hot summer day. Enjoy!”

Prep Time: 12 minutes; Cook Time: 40 minutes; Freeze: 240 minutes; Total Time: 292 minutes; Yield: 8 (1/2 Cup) Servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 Cup whole milk

2 Cups heavy cream

1/2 Cup honey

1/4 Cup sugar

1 Tablespoon vanilla (vanilla paste is best, if you have it)

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1 Cup shelled roasted and salted pistachios

Preparation

In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, heavy cream, honey, sugar, vanilla and salt. Add the pistachios to a food processor and pulse a few times until the nuts are very broken down but not powder or paste. Add to the bowl.

Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions for use. Churn for 40 minutes and freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.

CLASSIC HOT FUDGE SUNDAE

This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “There is a reason a hot fudge sundae is such an enduring classic: That combination of warm, rich chocolate fudge mixing with frozen ice cream and melting it slightly is absolutely irresistible. Of course, if you have homemade fudge sauce and homemade ice cream, it gets even better. Vanilla ice cream is the standard here, but feel free to use your favorite flavor, or a combination of flavors. And if you like nuts, by all means use them here. The added crunch is marvelous against all the rich creaminess.”

Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: 35 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Check out Melissa Clark’s guide “How to Make Ice Cream”.

Ingredients

For the Fudge Sauce:

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/3 cup light corn syrup or honey

3 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed

7 ounces finely chopped bittersweet chocolate

1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 tablespoon brandy or rum

For Assembly:

1 cup chilled heavy cream

1 tablespoon superfine sugar, more to taste

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 pints your favorite flavor ice cream

Chopped toasted nuts, such as almonds, peanuts, or pecans (optional)

Cherries, for garnish (optional)

Preparation

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream, sugar, corn syrup or honey, cocoa, and salt to a simmer, whisking until the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the chocolate and let cook until the chocolate melts. Stir in butter and vanilla or liquor. Let cool slightly. Contrary to its name, hot fudge is best served warm, not piping hot.

For assembly, make the whipped cream. Using a whisk or an electric mixer, beat the cream, sugar, and vanilla until soft peaks form.

Pour a little fudge sauce into the bottoms of sundae dishes or bowls. Top with ice cream, then more hot fudge, then nuts if using. Cover all with whipped cream and a cherry if you like. Serve.

TEX-MEX BEEF AND RICE SKILLET

This is from tbsp., and begins, “Wherein we turn a humble pound of ground beef into a supremely satisfying and totally doable meal in a matter of minutes. Now you never have to wonder what’s for dinner. You’re welcome.”

Prep Time: 35 minutes; Total Time: 35 minutes; Servings: 6

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup diced yellow onion

1 medium red bell pepper, diced

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

1 can (10 oz) Old El Paso™ enchilada sauce

1 package (1 oz) Old El Paso™ original taco seasoning mix

3 cups cooked white rice

1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend (4 oz)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

In 12-inch nonstick skillet, cook beef 6 to 8 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until brown. Drain, and wipe out skillet.

Add oil to skillet, and heat over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper and corn. Cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender.

Stir in beef, enchilada sauce and taco seasoning mix. Heat to simmering; stir in rice. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until rice is heated through.

Top with cheese and cilantro.

LOW CALORIE SPINACH LASAGNA

This is from Kimberly Eggleston, a nutritionist on The Spruce. Kimberly wrote, “You wouldn't think that lasagna could be a lean and delicious dish until you have tried this low-calorie spinach lasagna recipe. You can see from the ingredient list that it doesn't even take a whole lot of ingredients to make up this yummy dish. And the ingredients that are included are relatively lean. Instead of fatty sausage and beef, the bulk of this lasagna filling is part skim mozzarella, low-fat cottage cheese, and spinach which give the lasagna nice texture and color. There aren't too many calories coming from those ingredients!

“Another great thing about his spinach lasagna is that this lasagna recipe is so easy to throw together about an hour and fifteen minutes before dinner. Yes, that's only a little over one hour before dinner, and the majority or that time is the lasagna cooking, which frees you up to do other things.

“And there is no need to precook the noodles. You will add water to the dish once you have layered the lasagna together, using uncooked dry noodles. Then the water will cook the noodles during baking time resulting in perfectly al dente noodles when it is finished. One less pot to wash when it is all finished is certainly worth it.”

Total Time: 70 mins; Prep: 10 mins; Cook: 60 mins; Yield: 8 Servings; Per Serving Calories: 304

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 16 oz. carton low-fat cottage cheese

1 10 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed and rinsed

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (6 oz.), divided

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese (2 oz.)

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp salt

9 lasagna noodles, uncooked

2 cups jarred marinara sauce

1 cup water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

To begin with, prepare the cheese and spinach filling for the lasagna.

In a large bowl, combine the cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, spinach, 3/4 cup of the shredded mozzarella, pepper, oregano, and salt. Use large spoon to gently stir together the mixture until it is well combined.

Next, spray a 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray.

Place 3 of the uncooked noodles in the bottom of the pan. Top with half of the cottage cheese mixture, and use a large spoon or a spatula to gently spread the cheese mixture over the noodles, trying to cover all the noodles.

Next, over the cheese and spinach mixture, spread 2/3 cup of the marinara sauce, and then top the layer of marinara sauce with 1/4 cup of the shredded mozzarella. Repeat the layers two more times. End with the last three noddles, topped with 2/3 cup of sauce and 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese.

Now that the lasagna is assembled, pour 1 cup of water around the edges of the pan gently and slowly, allowing the water to fill in the gaps slowly so that it does not overflow. Cover the pan tightly with tin foil.

Place the covered lasagna in the preheated oven, and bake for 1 hour. Once the lasagna is done cooking, remove it from the oven, and loosely uncover the dish while the lasagna cools. Let the lasagna stand for 10 minutes before serving in order to allow the lasagna to become far easier to cut.

TACO ZUCCHINI LASAGNA

This comes from Linday Funston on Delish, and begins, “So flavorful, you won't even notice the noodles are gone.”

Total Time: 45 minutes; Prep Time: 20 minutes; Level: Easy; Serves: 4 - 6

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. chili powder

kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 lb. ground beef

3/4 c. ricotta

1/2 c. sour cream, plus more for drizzling

1 large egg

1/3 c. salsa

3 large zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise

2 c. shredded Cheddar

2 c. Shredded Monterey Jack

Fresh cilantro, for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350º. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion and cook until tender, 5 minutes. Season with cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink, 8 minutes more. Drain fat.

In a small bowl, stir together ricotta, sour cream, and egg. Season with salt and pepper.

In a large baking or casserole dish, spread a thin layer of salsa. Top with a layer of zucchini noodles, sour cream mixture, ground beef, cheddar, and Monterey Jack. Repeat until all ingredients are used up, ending with zucchini noodles.

Bake until noodles are tender and cheese is bubbly, 25 minutes.

Drizzle with sour cream, garnish with cilantro, and serve.

EASY PUMPKIN PUDDING CAKE

This is from Ashley, a high school teacher turned blogger, on her wonderful site, The Recipe Rebel. This recipe begins, “This Easy Pumpkin Pudding Cake takes just 10 minutes prep and makes it’s own caramel pudding sauce as it bakes! Perfect hot from the oven with a scoop of ice cream.”

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 35 minutes; Makes 6 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour (I use whole wheat!)

3/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

pinch of nutmeg

pinch of cloves

3/4 cup pure pumpkin puree (not pie filling!)

1/3 cup milk (I use 1%)

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

Sauce

1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed

2 teaspoons corn starch

1 1/4 cup hot or boiling water

2 tablespoons butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 9" pie plate or baking dish.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, 3/4 cup brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and cloves with a spoon.

Add in pumpkin, milk, oil and vanilla and stir until a thick batter forms. Spread into prepared pie plate.

In a small bowl, stir together 1 cup brown sugar and corn starch until there are no clumps. Sprinkle over cake batter.

Add butter to hot water and stir until melted. Pour over brown sugar mixture in pan.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until top is completely set (keep in mind that there is a thick layer of caramel sauce in the bottom, so it may jiggle). Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator and reheat perfectly!

Wednesday Recipes

Here are today's six recipes to help you through the day, including One-Pan Crispy Chicken Thighs with Roasted Vegetables and Grandma's Oatmeal Cookies. Enjoy!

ALMOND CAKE

This is from Mark Bittman and Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. The recipe begins, “This moist and fragrant cake from Molly Wizenberg, the author of the popular food blog Orangette, calls for a whole orange and lemon, almonds and olive oil. It does require a little effort and the use of some equipment – a food processor and a mixer – but the ingredient list is short, and once you've boiled and puréed the citrus and ground the almonds, the whole thing comes together in a snap. It's excellent on its own, but we also like it with poached pears or grilled figs.” Yield: 8 servings; Time: 2 hours 15 minutes.

This was featured in “Feast in a Day”, and can be viewed online by clicking here.

Ingredients

1 small to medium orange

1 lemon

6 ounces raw almonds

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

4 eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

2/3 cup olive oil

Confectioners’ sugar

Preparation

Place the orange and the lemon in a saucepan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Drain and cool.

Heat the oven to 325 degrees, and set a rack in the middle position. Bake the almonds 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside to cool completely. When the almonds are cool, pulse them in a food processor until ground.

Set oven to 350 degrees, and grease a 9-inch springform pan.

When the citrus is cool, cut the lemon in half, and discard the pulp and seeds. Cut the orange in half, and discard seeds. Put the fruits in the food processor and process almost to a paste.

In a small bowl, whisk the flour and baking powder. Combine eggs and salt. Beat until foamy. Beat in the sugar. Fold in the flour mixture. Add the citrus, almonds and olive oil, and beat on low speed until incorporated. Pour the batter into the pan, and bake for about 1 hour. Let cool for 10 minutes, unmold and dust with confectioners’ sugar.

GRANDMA'S PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

This and the next recipe (Grandma's Oatmeal Cookies) are from my Grandma Hallock (my mom's mom). They can be found in my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking.

1/2 C butter

1 1/4 C flour

1/2 C peanut butter

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 C sugar

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 egg, well beaten

1/4 tsp. salt

Cream butter & peanut butter together. Add sugar gradually & cream thoroughly. Add egg. Sift flour once before measuring. Sift flour, soda, baking powder & salt together & add to creamed mixture. Chill dough well, then form into balls the size of walnuts. Place balls on lightly greased baking sheet. Flatten with fork dipped in flour, making criss-cross pattern. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

GRANDMA'S OATMEAL COOKIES

Cookies were one of Grandma Hallock's specialties. Both of her cookie recipes included here were extremely popular.

1 C flour

1 C butter or margarine

1 C brown sugar

1/4 C boiling water

3 C quick cooking oatmeal

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

Mix flour & brown sugar. Add oatmeal; stir. Melt butter; add to dry ingredients. Mix baking soda into boiling water; add to other ingredients, stirring well. Place batter into loaf pan, lined with aluminum foil & place in freeze for several hours. Slice & bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.

HONEY PISTACHIO ICE CREAM

This comes from Anita Schecter, About.com’s Middle Eastern Food expert. Anita wrote, “As much as I love all desserts, nothing quite makes me swoon as much as the combination of sweet and salty. It's why chocolate covered salty pretzels and I are old friends and caramel sauce only interests me if it's got a good hit of sea salt. Candied or chocolate covered nuts are good but way more awesome if the nuts are salted.

“And so, as fond as I am of pistachios, pistachio ice cream and, basically all things pistachio, store bought pistachio ice cream is usually too sweet and one note for me. I'm missing the balance of the salt.

“Fortunately, I can easily remedy this situation by making my own and by using roasted and salted pistachios. You can make this with sugar only and omit the honey, if you like, but honey vanilla is another favorite flavor of mine so I decided to combine the two.

“When it comes to homemade ice cream, you can use a cooked custard base, which contains eggs. Or you can go for a straight dairy only option which doesn't require cooking. Because I wanted little bits and pieces of pistachios in my finished ice cream, I went with a no-cook method. If I wanted to strain them out, I would have cooked them with the base mix.

“I should also note that the color of pistachios, while definitely green, is nowhere near the deep green shade you find in store bought pistachio or even mint ice cream. You can certainly add some green food color to your ice cream if you really want that bright green shade. But I prefer to keep it all natural so my ice cream is still mostly beige but with green flecks from the bits of pistachios.

“This recipe is easy and simple and results in the perfect hit of sweet, salty and creamy. A perfect treat for a hot summer day. Enjoy!”

Prep Time: 12 minutes; Cook Time: 40 minutes; Freeze: 240 minutes; Total Time: 292 minutes; Yield: 8 (1/2 Cup) Servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 Cup whole milk

2 Cups heavy cream

1/2 Cup honey

1/4 Cup sugar

1 Tablespoon vanilla (vanilla paste is best, if you have it)

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1 Cup shelled roasted and salted pistachios

Preparation

In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, heavy cream, honey, sugar, vanilla and salt. Add the pistachios to a food processor and pulse a few times until the nuts are very broken down but not powder or paste. Add to the bowl.

Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions for use. Churn for 40 minutes and freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.

ONE-PAN CRISPY CHICKEN THIGHS WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES

This comes from Stephanie Wise in her blog Girl Versus Dough and reposted in the Tablespoon e-newsletter. This recipe starts off, “Crispy chicken thighs and caramelized vegetables all baked on one sheet pan.” Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 60 minutes; Makes 4 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, halved and quartered

4 to 5 carrots, peeled, halved and quartered

1 red onion, halved and quartered

1 garlic bulb, cloves separated and skins removed

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

3 1/2 to 4 lbs skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs

Salt and pepper

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

Directions

Heat oven to 450°F.

In a large bowl, toss potatoes, carrots, onion and garlic with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Spread in an even layer on a large rimmed baking sheet.

Use paper towel to blot chicken thighs to remove excess moisture. Arrange chicken thighs on top of vegetables, and brush chicken skin with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle thighs generously with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle thyme, oregano and parsley flakes evenly over thighs and vegetables. Bake on center rack of oven 40 to 45 minutes until an internal thermometer inserted in center of largest piece of chicken reads 175°F, chicken skin is crispy and browned and vegetables are tender.

BULGUR-STUFFED SUMMER VEGETABLES

This comes from Melissa d’Arabian of The Food Network’s Ten Dollar Dinners. Total Time: 1 hr 45 min; Prep: 30 min; Cook: 1 hr 15 min; Yield: 4 servings; Level: Easy

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/bulgur-stuffed-summer-vegetables-recipe.html?oc=linkback

Ingredients

1 cup bulgur wheat

1 1/4 cups chicken broth

2 bell peppers (1 red, 1 yellow)

2 zucchini and/or yellow summer squash

2 tomatoes

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1/4 pound crimini mushrooms, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the bulgur in a heatproof bowl. In a sauce pan, bring the chicken broth and 1 1/2 cups water to a boil. When the liquid has come to a boil, pour over the bulgur. Let sit until the bulgur absorbs the liquid, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, prep the vegetables: Cut off the top third of the bell peppers. Remove the seeds and ribs leaving a 'cup' for the stuffing. Dice the flesh from the top 1/3 and reserve. Cut a 1/3 of the zucchini lengthwise to reveal the seeds. Scoop out the seeds to create a boat. Dice the remaining 1/3 pieces. Slice the tomatoes in half and scoop out the seeds to create a cup.

In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sweat until translucent. Add the reserved chopped peppers, squash, mushrooms, and garlic to the pan. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the cooked vegetables, if necessary, and add to the cooked bulgur.

Cook's Note: You may need to drain the excess liquid from the bowl of bulgur, too.

Stir in the chopped tarragon.

Sprinkle salt and pepper on the inside of the vegetable 'cups.' Stuff the vegetables with the bulgur mixture, place in a shallow baking dish, cover with foil, and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese, then bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the cheese is brown and melted.

Friday Recipes

Finally, Friday! Here are six recipes to help you through the weekend. Enjoy!

HONEY PISTACHIO ICE CREAM

This comes from Anita Schecter, About.com’s Middle Eastern Food expert. Anita wrote, “As much as I love all desserts, nothing quite makes me swoon as much as the combination of sweet and salty. It's why chocolate covered salty pretzels and I are old friends and caramel sauce only interests me if it's got a good hit of sea salt. Candied or chocolate covered nuts are good but way more awesome if the nuts are salted.

“And so, as fond as I am of pistachios, pistachio ice cream and, basically all things pistachio, store bought pistachio ice cream is usually too sweet and one note for me. I'm missing the balance of the salt.

“Fortunately, I can easily remedy this situation by making my own and by using roasted and salted pistachios. You can make this with sugar only and omit the honey, if you like, but honey vanilla is another favorite flavor of mine so I decided to combine the two.

“When it comes to homemade ice cream, you can use a cooked custard base, which contains eggs. Or you can go for a straight dairy only option which doesn't require cooking. Because I wanted little bits and pieces of pistachios in my finished ice cream, I went with a no-cook method. If I wanted to strain them out, I would have cooked them with the base mix.

“I should also note that the color of pistachios, while definitely green, is nowhere near the deep green shade you find in store bought pistachio or even mint ice cream. You can certainly add some green food color to your ice cream if you really want that bright green shade. But I prefer to keep it all natural so my ice cream is still mostly beige but with green flecks from the bits of pistachios.

“This recipe is easy and simple and results in the perfect hit of sweet, salty and creamy. A perfect treat for a hot summer day. Enjoy!”

Prep Time: 12 minutes; Cook Time: 40 minutes; Freeze: 240 minutes; Total Time: 292 minutes; Yield: 8 (1/2 Cup) Servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 Cup whole milk

2 Cups heavy cream

1/2 Cup honey

1/4 Cup sugar

1 Tablespoon vanilla (vanilla paste is best, if you have it)

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1 Cup shelled roasted and salted pistachios

Preparation

In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, heavy cream, honey, sugar, vanilla and salt. Add the pistachios to a food processor and pulse a few times until the nuts are very broken down but not powder or paste. Add to the bowl.

Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions for use. Churn for 40 minutes and freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.

ROASTED CHICKEN WITH POTATOES, ARUGULA AND GARLIC YOGURT

This comes from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “Your typical sheet-pan chicken recipe roasts everything together on a pan at once. This version pairs potatoes with the poultry, and tops everything off with fresh herbs and arugula, making it a true one-pan meal, salad included. A savory yogurt sauce adds a creamy touch, but it’s optional if you’re not a yogurt sauce fan. Feel free to double the recipe if you’re feeding a crowd, though make sure to use two sheet pans so that everything is spread out in one layer, which is critical for browning.” Yield: 4 servings; Time: 1 hour, plus marinating

This was featured in “Springtime Sheet-Pan Chicken” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds chicken thighs and drumsticks

1 1/4 pounds small Yukon Gold potatoes, halved and cut into 1/2-inch slices

2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, more as needed

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, more as needed

2 tablespoons harissa (or use another thick hot sauce, such as sriracha)

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

4 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed

2 leeks, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (from 1/2 lemon)

1/3 cup plain yogurt (do not use Greek yogurt)

1 small garlic clove

2 ounces baby arugula

Chopped fresh dill, as needed

Lemon juice, as needed

Preparation

Combine chicken and potatoes in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, whisk together harissa, cumin and 3 tablespoons oil. Pour over chicken and potatoes and toss to combine. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours in the refrigerator.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine leeks, lemon zest, a pinch of salt and the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil.

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Arrange chicken and potatoes on a large rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Roast 15 minutes. Toss potatoes lightly. Scatter leeks over pan. Roast until chicken and potatoes are cooked through and everything is golden and slightly crisped, 25 to 30 minutes longer.

While chicken cooks, place yogurt in a small bowl. Grate garlic over yogurt and season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, spoon yogurt over chicken and vegetables in the pan. Scatter arugula and dill over mixture. Drizzle with oil and lemon juice and serve.

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

This comes from Kim Severson, also n The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Kim wrote, “This version of the childhood favorite came from Christopher Kimball, formerly the publisher and editor of Cook’s Illustrated and Cook’s Country magazines. Mr. Kimball calls for extra crunchy peanut butter here, plus a full cup of roasted salted peanuts, which results in a super crunchy and delightfully salty-sweet treat.” Yield: 4 dozen cookies; Time: 35 minutes.

This was featured in “Who’s Sticking With Us?”, and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup roasted salted peanuts

1/2 pound (2 sticks) salted butter

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup extra-crunchy peanut butter

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation

Adjust oven rack to low center position. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Place peanuts in a food processor and pulse until the texture of bread crumbs. Set aside.

In bowl of electric mixer or by hand, beat butter until creamy. Add sugars and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping sides as necessary. Then beat in crunchy peanut butter until fully incorporated, followed by eggs and vanilla. Gently stir dry ingredients into peanut butter mixture. Fold in ground peanuts just until incorporated.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drop dough onto sheet in spoonfuls a little bigger than a golf ball, about two inches apart. Dip a fork in cold water and then press the back into dough, repeating to make a crisscross.

Bake until cookies are puffed and slightly brown along edges, but not top, 11 to 12 minutes. They will not look completely baked. Cool cookies on cookie sheet until set, about 3 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.

Tip

Cookies will keep, refrigerated in an airtight container, up to 7 days.

TEX-MEX MACARONI AND GROUND BEEF CASSEROLE

This comes from Diana Rattray, Southern Food expert at About.com. Diana wrote, “Taco seasoning and nacho cheese soup help to flavor this easy, tasty casserole. Serve this casserole with cornbread or biscuits.This is a great casserole to make for a family meal or potluck dinner.” Serves 6 to 8.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

8 ounces elbow macaroni or mini ziti

1 cup chopped onion

1 pound lean ground beef

1 large green bell pepper, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 package (1 ounce) taco seasoning

1 can (about 10 1/2 ounces) nacho cheese soup

1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste

1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained

2 cups shredded Mexican blend of cheeses, such as Cheddar Jack

Preparation

Cook macaroni or mini ziti in boiling water as directed on the package. Drain and rinse with hot water; set aside.

Heat oven to 350°. Grease a 2 1/2 to 3-quart baking dish or spray with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef, stirring and breaking up, with the onion until onion is softened. Add the bell pepper and continue cooking, stirring, until beef is no longer pink. Add the garlic and taco seasoning and cook for 1 minute longer.

Add soup, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, and half of the cheese. Cook, stirring, until blended and bubbly. Add the drained macaroni and spoon into the prepared baking dish. Top with the remaining cheese and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbly and cheese topping has melted.

Note: If you cover and refrigerate earlier in the day, allow more time for warming the casserole.

BLUEBERRY CRUNCH GRANOLA

This is from the November 2014 issue of Runner's World, and begins, "Packed with grains, nuts, and fruit, granola is one of chef Marcus Samuelsson's go-to breakfasts. He keeps it on hand for fuel before or after his nearly daily six-mile loop through New York City's Central Park. 'The beauty of making granola at home is that it's cheaper, it's fresher, and I can customize it the way I want,' says the Top Chef Masters champ, who just published his latest cookbook, Marcus Off Duty. 'This is a very forgiving mix,' he adds. 'Swap in other nuts or fruits or sweeteners that you prefer.'"

This can be viewed online by clicking here.

Ingredients:

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup unsweetened dried blueberries

3/4 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded or flaked coconut

1/2 cup raw cashews

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300F. In a large bowl, combine oats, blueberries, almonds, coconut, cashews, sugar, and allspice. Mix well. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter with the maple syrup. Pour over the granola and toss to coat. Spread granola on a baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until it is golden brown. Sprinkle cinnamon over the granola and stir it in.

Makes 6 cups. (24 servings, 1/4-cup each)

Nutrition Information: 123 calories; 14 grams carbs (6 grams sugar); 2 grams fiber; 3 grams protein; 6 grams total fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 4 miligrams sodium

Beyond Yogurt

•Stir granola into cooked oatmeal or pancake and muffin batter.

•Add to root vegetables halfway through roasting; use as a topping for a holiday gratin.

•Swap in granola for croutons in green salads or use as a garnish on soup.

•When shopping for store-bought versions, choose brands with a max of 10 grams each of sugar and fat per serving.

SLOPPY JOE SLIDERS

This comes from Family Time, and begins, “Sink your teeth into these mouthwatering sliders, that are easy to make and really fun to eat.” Serves: 8 servings (3 sliders each); Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 20 minutes.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 1/2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

2 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)

3 pounds ground beef

ketchup or 2 cups barbecue sauce

1 cup French's® Classic Yellow® mustard

1/2 cup French's® worcestershire sauce

2 packages (15 ounces each) Pepperidge Farm® Mini Sandwich Buns (White or Wheat)

Directions

Heat the oil in a 6-quart saucepot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until tender, stirring occasionally.

Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the beef to the saucepot and cook until it's well browned, stirring often to separate meat. Pour off any fat.

Stir the barbecue sauce, mustard and Worcestershire sauce in the saucepot. Reduce the heat to low. Cook until the mixture is hot and bubbling, stirring occasionally. Divide the beef mixture among the buns.