Baked Tex-Mex Cheese Dip

We were quite busy this past Labor day weekend.  I decided to kick the weekend off by canning 25lbs. of tomatoes from a local farmer's market.  It was my first experience canning and I quickly learned canning is a labor of love.  I spent many hours in the kitchen washing, scoring, blanching, peeling, slicing, stuffing jars, and processing in a water bath.  Although it took more time than I thought, the end product was totally worth it.  I'm working on a blog post for the canned tomatoes and a few other posts with recipes that incorporate them as well.

On Saturday we attended the first Husky Football game of the season in the new stadium.  The view from our seats is amazing.  I love football season, especially the excuse to try new recipes on our tailgate crew.

Kyle held his Fantasy Football draft party at our house on Sunday.  We were gone almost all of Saturday (tailgating is a day-long affair for our family), so I wanted something quick to feed to group of hungry guys.  I decided to make this Baked Tex-Mex Cheese Dip as the appetizer since it seemed easy to throw together and sounded delicious.  This dip did not disappoint.  Within 10 minutes of bringing the dip out of the oven it disappeared and everyone wanted to know what was in it because it tasted so good.  This dip has the right amount of heat and would pair nicely with homemade pretzel bites. 

Baked Tex-Mex Cheese Dip
Makes about 8-10 servings

Ingredients

1/2 cup mayonnaise
6 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup chopped roasted red bell pepper
2 jalapeno peppers, seeds and ribs removed, finely chopped
8 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
8 ounces pepper jack cheese, grated
1/3 cup minced scallion
1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro, plus more to garnish
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste
Tortilla chips, for serving

Directions

Heat oven to 350F and lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish.

Combine all the ingredients together in a large bowl, reserving 1 tablespoon each of the cheddar and pepper jack cheeses, and stir until combined.  Taste and adjust seasonings if needed, then spread mixture into the prepared baking dish.

Sprinkle the reserved cheese over the top and bake for 20-25 minutes, until hot and bubbly.  Garnish with additional cilantro and serve immediately.

Source: Cook Like a Champion

Honey Graham Crackers

 

I've come to realize that I really enjoy preparing homemade versions of what's typically processed food.  My goal is to quit buying processed foods that contain ingredients I wouldn't normally cook with in my kitchen - primarily whole wheat bread, canned beans and tomatoes, and Autumn's "puffs".

These graham crackers were high on my list of recipes to try.  I wanted something I could substitute for Autumn's typical "puffs" and an added bonus would be using the leftover graham pieces in a s'more ice cream recipe. 

The recipe is simple to pull together, just make sure you leave enough time to chill the dough before rolling and then again before baking.  Whenever I make a recipe that requires a good amount of chilling time (I'm one impatient gal!) I usually double the batch and freeze half (or in this case, just freeze half since it makes quite a few crackers).  I love using my freezer for recipes like this because I can whip up a batch of graham crackers in no time if we spend an impromptu late summer night with friends around the campfire.

Honey Graham Crackers
Makes about 4 dozen crackers

Ingredients:

2 cups plus 2 Tbsp. (300 grams) all-purpose lour
1/2 cup (75 grams) whole wheat flour or wheat pastry flour
1 cup (176 grams) brown sugar, lightly packed
1 tsp. (6 grams) baking soda
3/4 tsp. (4 grams) kosher salt
7 Tbsp. (100 grams) unsalted butter, cut into cubes and frozen (at least 20-30 minutes)
1/3 cup (114 grams) honey
5 Tbsp. (77 grams) milk, whole preferred
2 Tbsp. vanilla extract

For the cinnamon-sugar topping:
3 Tbsp. (43 grams) sugar
1 tsp. (5 grams) ground cinnamon

Directions:

To make the dough, combine the flours, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade.  Pulse to blend.  Add in the butter and pulse in short bursts until the mixture has the texture of coarse meal (this can also be done in a stand mixer or with a pastry cutter).

In a liquid measuring cup, combine the honey, milk, and vanilla.  Whisk to blend.  Add the liquid to the four mixture and process just until a dough has come together.  The mixture will be fairly sticky.  Transfer the dough to a piece of plastic wrap, form into a saucer, cover tightly, and chill until firm, at least 2 hours.

When you are ready to bake the crackers, line baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.  Generously flour a work surface.  Place the dough on the work surface, flour the dough, and roll out into an even layer about 1/8 inch thick.  Re-flour as needed since the dough is quite sticky.  Use a cookie cutter to cut the dough into your desired shape.  Transfer the cut outs to the prepared baking sheets, spacing at least an inch apart.  Re-roll (and re-chill) additional dough scraps as needed.  Chill the cut outs once more until firm, about 15-20 minutes in the freezer.

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Combine the sugar and cinnamon for the topping in a small bowl and whisk to blend.  Bake until evenly browned and just crisp, about 15-17 minutes total.  About 2 minutes before the crackers are done baking, sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar topping.  Let the crackers cool on the pans briefly before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.  Store in an airtight container.

Source: Annie's Eats, originally from Smitten Kitchen

Whole Grain Pancakes with Fresh Blueberry Sauce

On Saturdays I try to make something outside of our normal routine which typically means pancakes or waffles of some sort.  I've made these pancakes a few times now.  They are quick to pull together and the texture is light and fluffy.

It's hard to believe the whole recipe only includes a limited amount of flour, but the end result is a soft, soufflé-like pancake.  Rather than topping these pancakes with the traditional pure maple syrup this morning, I opted to use the leftover Fresh Blueberry Sauce from the Blueberry Pancake Cupcakes I made earlier this week.

Whole Grain Pancakes with Fresh Blueberry Sauce
Makes about 8 pancakes

Ingredients

1 cup sour cream
7 Tbsp. white whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Butter, for frying and serving
Fresh blueberry sauce, for serving

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and vanilla.  Set aside.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.  Add the sour cream and stir until the ingredients are just barely combined.  Whisk in the egg mixture until just combined.

Heat a griddle over medium heat and melt some butter in a pan.  Drop the batter by 1/4 cup servings onto the griddle.  Cook on the first side until bubbles start to form on the surface and edges are starting to brown.  Flip to the other side and cook until the pancakes are cooked through (about a half minute or so).  Serve with warmed fresh blueberry sauce.

Source: Pancakes slightly adapted from Pioneer Woman, Fresh Blueberry Sauce from Annie's Eats
 

Blueberry Pancake Cupcakes

It's been awhile since I've baked cupcakes.  I used to bake a new cupcake recipe monthly, but this year has been crazy to say the least.  Running after a toddler and carrying a little guy who is due in the Fall can have that effect on you I suppose.

I looked at my calendar a couple of weeks back and noticed it was one of my co-worker's birthdays today.  I asked her what flavor of cupcakes she typically likes and she mentioned fruit or chocolate.  With the abundance of fresh blueberries in our fridge from my in-laws backyard I decided to bake these Blueberry Pancake cupcakes.



This recipe includes a buttermilk cupcake batter that is infused with pure maple syrup.  The cupcakes are brushed with more maple syrup while they are still warm and once cooled they are topped with home made whipped cream and blueberry sauce.  These cupcakes taste just like blueberry pancakes and are the perfect excuse to justify eating them at breakfast.

Blueberry Pancake Cupcakes
Makes 24 cupcakes

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 3/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
14 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs plus 3 large egg yolks
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. buttermilk
1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup, plus more for brushing
1 3/4 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and dried

For the frosting:
2 cups heavy cream
6 Tbsp. confectioners' sugar

To finish:
Fresh blueberry sauce
Pure maple syrup

Directions

To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350F.  Line cupcake pans with paper liners.  In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Whisk to blend, then set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugars.  Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.  Blend in the eggs and egg yolks one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed.  Blend in the vanilla.  In a liquid measuring cup, combine the buttermilk and maple syrup and whisk to blend.

With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the milk mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, and mixing each addition only until just incorporated.  Gently fold in the blueberries with a spatula.  Divide the batter between the prepared liners, filling each about two thirds full (I used a 2.25 inch ice cream scoop and it worked great).  Bake 18-20 minutes, or until cupcakes are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool briefly in the pans, then transfer to a wire rack.  Brush the still warm cupcakes lightly with additional maple syrup.  Let cool completely.

To frost the cupcakes, combine the cream and confectioners' sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Whip on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, being careful not to over-beat.  Transfer the whipped cream to a pastry bag filled with a decorative tip.  Pipe a swirl of whipped cream on top of each cupcake.  Use the back of a spoon to scoop out a small dip in the whipped cream.  Fill each dip with a spoonful of blueberry sauce.  Drizzle with a small amount of additional maple syrup on top of the finished cupcakes.

Source: Annie's Eats

Salted Caramel Brownies

 

This past summer I baked Ina Garten's Outrageous Brownies for our church's softball team and everyone loved them!  You really can't go wrong when you have a brownie recipe full of rich chocolate, coffee, and a touch of flour.  This is another take on those same brownies. 

 

These are so good guys!  You can really use whatever you have in your kitchen.  I ended up swapping the semisweet chocolate for bittersweet since that's what I had in our pantry and used kosher salt to finish the top (instead of sea salt).

 

As a side note, if coffee isn't your thing you should still add the instant coffee granules to this recipe. Everyone who tried a brownie couldn't tell there was coffee in the recipe and it definitely deepens the flavor of the chocolate.

 

 

Salted Caramel Brownies

Makes 12 brownies

 

Ingredients

 

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter

8 ounces semisweet chocolate

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate

1 1/2 tablespoons instant coffee granules

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup flour, sifted

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

5 to 6 ounces of good caramel sauce

2 to 3 teaspoons flaked sea salt (I substituted with kosher and it still tasted great)

 

Directions

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour a 9 x 12 x 1 1/2 inch baking pan.

 

Melt the butter, 8 ounces of the semisweet chocolate, and the unsweetened chocolate together in a medium bowl set over simmering water.  Allow to cool for 15 minutes.  In a large bowl, stir (do not beat) together the eggs, coffee, vanilla, and sugar.  Stir the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture.

 

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and add to the chocolate mixture.  Spread evenly in the prepared pan.

 

Bake for 32-35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.  Don't over bake!!

 

As soon as the brownies are out of the oven, place the jar of caramel sauce without the lid in a microwave and heat just until it's pourable.  Stir until smooth.  Drizzle the caramel evenly over the hot brownies and sprinkle with the sea salt.  Cool completely and cut into 12 bars.

 

Source: slightly adapted from Foolproof by Ina Garten

Chocolate Ice Cream

I always get the "ice-cream making bug" during the summer.  This year I've held off making some due to a lack of freezer space, but luckily Kyle and I ended up buying an upright freezer (we've been looking into buying a used one for some time now).

Seeing all the open freezer space and planning a football draft party menu gave me the perfect excuse to whip up some recipes.  This recipe is very decadent.  My original plan was to try some Philadelphia-Style ice cream (ice cream without eggs), but halfway through the recipe I realized I opened to the wrong page and was actually making a custard-based recipe.

Although I had to spend more time cooking the custard the end result was totally worth it.  This ice cream is rich, thick, and will satisfy your chocolate cravings with just one scoop.

Chocolate Ice Cream
Makes About 1 Quart

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
5 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
5 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Warm 1 cup of the cream with the cocoa powder in a medium saucepan, whisking to thoroughly blend the cocoa.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer at a low boil for 30 seconds, whisking constantly.  Remove from the head and add the chopped chocolate, stirring until smooth.  Then stir in the remaining 1 cup cream.  Pour the mixture into a large bowl, scraping the saucepan as thoroughly as possible, and set a mesh strainer on top of that bowl.

Warm the milk, sugar, and salt in the same saucepan.  In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks.  Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula.  Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the chocolate mixture until smooth, then stir in the vanilla.  Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or until cool enough to place in the refrigerator.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.  (If the cold mixture is too thick to pour into your machine, ,whisk it vigorously to thin it out.)

Source: adapted from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

Snickers Cupcakes

I made these Snicker cupcakes for my coworkers a couple of months ago and everyone raved about them!  One person commented on how gourmet and professional-looking they were (that's always fun to hear).

They are a little labor intensive, but totally worth it if you have the time.  If you wanted to make a quicker version of these you could omit the filling and just make the cupcake/ frosting/ garnish combo.

Snickers Cupcakes
Makes about 20 cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:
1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/2 cup hot water
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. coarse salt
16 Tbsp. unsalted butter (2 sticks)
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1 3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 cup sour cream, room temperature

For the caramel sauce:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup light cream
2 Tbsp. light corn syrup
1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

For the filling:
24 fun-sized Snickers bars, chopped

For the frosting:
16 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
1 lb. confectioners sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup caramel sauce
Pinch of coarse salt
2 Tbsp. heavy cream

For the garnish:
8 fun-sized Snicker bars, chopped

Directions:

To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line standard cupcake pans with paper liners.  In a small bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and hot water until smooth.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the butter and the sugar over medium heat.  Heat, stirring occasionally to combine, until the butter is melted.  Remove the mixture from the heat and transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.  Beat on medium-low speed, 4-5 minutes, until the mixture is cooled.  Mix in the eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed and beating well after each addition.  Mix in the vanilla and then the cocoa mixture and beat until incorporated.  With the mixer on low speed add in the dry ingredients in two batches, alternating with the sour cream, beating just until combined.

Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners, filling them about 3/4 of the way full.  Bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, rotating the pans halfway through baking.  Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the caramel sauce, in a heavy saucepan mix sugar and cornstarch.  Stir in 1/4 cup water.  Stir in cream and corn syrup.  Cook and stir until bubbly (mixture may appear curdled).  Cook and stir for 2 minutes more.  Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla.  Let cool slightly.

To fill the cupcakes, cut a cone out of the center of each cupcake with a paring knife.  Prepare the filling by combining the chopped Snickers bars in a bowl with 1/3 - 1/2 cup of the caramel sauce, and mix to coat.  Drop a spoonful of the filling mixture into each cupcake.

To make the frosting, add the butter to the bowl of an electric mixer.  Beat on medium-high speed 1 minute until smooth.  Blend in the confectioners’ sugar until smooth, 1-2 minutes.  Mix in the vanilla, caramel sauce, and salt until incorporated.

Note: the caramel sauce should be just warm enough that it is workable, but not warm enough to melt the butter in the frosting. 

Add the heavy cream and whip on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.

Transfer the frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip.  Drizzle the frosted cupcakes with additional caramel sauce and garnish with chopped Snickers bars.

Source: adapted from Annie's Eats, caramel sauce from Better Homes New Cookbook

Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

I stumbled across these photos yesterday and realized I never blogged the recipe, shame on me!  These cupcakes are divine -- if you enjoyed peanut butter banana sandwiches growing up you will hands down love this cupcake.

Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting
Makes about 28 cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes
3 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 very ripe large bananas, mashed (about 2 cups)
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature

For the frosting
1 1/3 cups creamy peanut butter (I don't recommend using natural peanut butter for this unless you like the grainy texture)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (I never sift mine, but you can)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Line standard muffin tins with paper liners.  Whisk together cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.  In another bowl, whisk together bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.  Reduce speed to low.  Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with banana mixture, and beating until just combined after each.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full (I like to use a 1/3 cup measure).  Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes (I always check at around 17 minutes and they are usually done at that time in my oven).  Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes.  Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.

To make the frosting, cream the peanut butter and butter with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until incorporated and fluffy.  Add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time and mix on low speed until incorporated some, then mix on high speed until fully incorporated and fluffy.  Repeat with remaining powdered sugar.

To finish the cupcakes I like to pipe the peanut butter frosting on top and drizzle with some Hershey's chocolate syrup.  I was planning to make my own chocolate syrup for this batch, but totally ran out of time and had the Hershey's on hand.

Source: cupcakes adapted from Martha Stewart Cupcakes; I found the frosting recipe on the Internet last year, but forgot to document the source

Pina Colada Sherbet

I've always enjoyed the taste of pina coladas, specifically the combination of pineapple and coconut.  I can remember ordering a virgin pina colada my sophomore year in high school at a luau my family decided to go to in Maui.  We were there for my grandparents 50th wedding anniversary and I specifically remember the drink coming in a hollowed out pineapple (it was so cool!).  Now every time I drink a pina colada or make anything pineapple-coconut related it brings me back to that warm evening on the island.  It's nostalgic.

I made coconut cupcakes with a vanilla-almond cream cheese frosting for a friend's bridal shower last weekend and I only ended up using one can of coconut milk instead of two so it worked out perfectly that I had all of the ingredients already on hand for this sherbet.


Pina Colada Sherbet
Makes about 1 1/2 Quarts

Ingredients:
1 pineapple, peeled and cored (4 cups, 1 liter puree)*
1 cup (200 g) sugar
1 cup (250 ml) Thai coconut milk**
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice

Directions:

Cut the pineapple into chunks.  Puree in a blender with the sugar, coconut milk, and lime juice until smooth.  Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

*I used two cans of pineapple chunks in their own juice.  Simply puree the pineapple first, then make sure you only have 4 cups remaining in your blender before proceeding with the additional ingredients (my two cans of pineapple yielded ~5 cups puree).  I do recommend using fresh pineapple though and plan to do so in the future.

**You can find canned coconut milk in the ethnic isle of your local grocery store.  This is not the same thing as coconut water.

Source: adapted from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

Panko-Crusted Salmon

I'm trying to be good about planning my meals each week and this last week I realized I don't have much variety in the types of proteins I serve for dinner.  I typically lean towards chicken and beef so I made it my goal to incorporate more fish/ shellfish and even some meat-free entrees going forward.

This recipe was easy to prepare and quick to the table (which I love on a work night).  From start to finish it took less than 30 minutes to prepare. 

I'm always curious to see what Kyle thinks about a new recipe.  It's funny because he eats every meal the same way - he'll start with the item he likes the least and save the best tasting item for last.  On this particular night I was surprised to see the salmon as the last item he planned to eat.  While halfway through his potatoes I strongly recommended he either a) try the salmon to confirm it was indeed the best tasting item on his plate or b) save the potatoes for last.  He didn't seem too worried about the salmon and afterwards commented that he liked it.  We both like to critique the food after each meal to see what we would change about the recipe next time, but for this recipe we couldn't think of anything.  It had a great fresh flavor and the crunch from the panko sits nicely with the creamy salmon.  I do recommend serving this fish with the lemon wedges as the recipe recommends; a spritz of juice from the the fresh lemon wedge gives the salmon a bright, fresh taste.

Panko-Crusted Salmon
Serves 4

Ingredients:

2/3 cup panko
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
3-4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 (6-8oz.) fillets of salmon, skin on
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425˚ F.  In a small bowl, combine the panko, parsley, lemon zest, salt and pepper.  Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and toss with a fork until the crumbs are evenly coated; set aside.

Place the salmon fillets skin side down on a work surface.  Generously brush the top of each fillet with the mustard and then season with salt and pepper.  Press the panko mixture thickly on top of the mustard on each fillet to help the panko adhere.

Heat the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat in a 12-inch oven-safe skillet.  When the oil is hot, add the salmon fillets, skin side down, and sear for 3-4 minutes without turning to brown the skin.

Transfer the pan to the preheated oven for 5-7 minutes, until the salmon is almost cooked through and the panko is browned.  Remove from the oven, cover with foil and let rest 5-10 minutes.  Serve warm with fresh lemon wedges.

Source: Annie's Eats, originally from How Easy Is That? by Ina Garten

Cookies n Cream Ice Cream

As much as I love Seattle weather (I'm a sucker for pouring rain and snuggling up indoors), I'm looking forward to this Spring and Summer.  I know a lot of that has to do with a little certain someone due at the end of May, but I'm also enjoying the lighting at night to snap photos of my latest kitchen adventures.

Last night I decided to make this Cookies n Cream Ice Cream recipe.  Kyle is a sucker for Oreos (loves them!) so I knew he would be excited to try this recipe.  The only bad thing about making ice cream is you have to be patient, it's definitely a process.  It's like baking bread.  The actual time spent preparing the dish isn't that long, but the time to consumption is usually a couple of hours.  With ice cream you really need to let it ripen in the freezer. 

Well Kyle and I were not patient and decided to test the ice cream out in its soft-frozen state last night (and don't get me wrong, it tasted great), but it tasted much better (and more like the consistency you expect from ice cream) today. 

This bowl of ice cream may or may not have been sacrificed before dinner, ahem.

I had a full night of cooking last night (three separate entrees, some granola, ice cream, and a breakfast casserole (I know!)), but tonight I plan to take it easy.  I'm going to grill some burgers, bake homemade potato wedges, and try my luck at some garbanzo chips using a recipe I received at Whole Foods on Saturday when I bought a large bag of dried beans from a local farmer.

Cookies n Cream Ice Cream
Makes about 1.5 pints

Ingredients:

1 cup whole milk
2 cups heavy whipping cream
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
15-20 Oreo cookies, coarsely chopped

Directions:

Combine the milk and cream in a saucepan over medium heat.  Heat until bubbles form around the edges.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until smooth and well combined. Slowly add the warm milk mixture to the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly to prevent curdling.

Pour the mixture back into the saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, about 5-8 minutes, until the mixture is thickened and coats the back of a spoon (about 175 degrees F on an instant read thermometer).  Pour the liquid through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl.  Stir in the vanilla extract.  Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until completely chilled.

Once the mixture is well chilled, pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions (I use the Kitchen Aid attachment and it took about 25 minutes).  Once the mixture is softly frozen, transfer half of it to a storage container.  Add half of the chopped Oreo pieces and fold in gently with a rubber spatula.  Add the remaining ice cream and Oreo pieces to the container, and fold once more until the mixture is evenly combined.  Freeze until completely hardened.

Source: Annie's Eats 

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

This past week I've made a couple of batches of these cookies (they are seriously that good!).  I was a little surprised at how much dough you put on the cookie sheet, but they flatten out nicely and are super moist.  They almost look undercooked when you pull them out of the oven, but let them cool and they will hold their shape.

Typically I like to cook a few then freeze the rest.  You'll need to flash freeze the dough to keep them from sticking.  Just place the rolled dough on some parchment paper on a cookie sheet and let them freeze for 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes transfer them to a Ziploc bag.  If you plan to cook these straight from the freezer you'll need to add 2-3 minutes to the cooking time (give or take), just make sure to watch them.

Enjoy-


Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes about 16 large cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups plus 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
12 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Adjust oven racks to upper and lower-middle positions.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk dry ingredients together in a medium bowl; set aside.  With an electric mixer, or by hand, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly combined.  Beat in egg yolk, and vanilla until combined.  Add dry ingredients and beat at low-speed just until combined.  Stir in chocolate chips.

Roll a scant half-cup of dough into a ball.   Holding dough ball in fingertips of both hands, pull apart into two equal halves.   Rotate halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, place formed dough onto cookie sheet, leaving ample room between each ball.   Bake, reversing position of cookie sheets halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft and puffy (approximately 11-14 minutes).   Do not over bake.

Cool cookies on sheets until able to lift without breaking.   Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Source: Annie's Eats

Chicken Gyros

During my long freezer cooking/ prepping session a couple of weeks ago I prepared this Chicken Gyro recipe.  To make it freezer friendly, cook up the homemade pitas beforehand and wrap individually in plastic wrap.  Then, prepare the marinade and add the raw chicken.  Throw everything in the freezer and let it hang out until your craving some yummy Mediterranean food :)

The night before you want to make this dish, pull the raw chicken and cooked pitas from the freezer to thaw in the refrigerator.  Then follow the recipe to make the tzatiki sauce, cook the chicken, and assemble the gyros.

I really enjoyed this recipe.  I naturally like the creamy and fresh taste of tzatiki and once you make homemade pitas you will never go back!  They can be a little time consuming to make, but totally worth it if you double the batch and freeze them ahead of time.  I also like freezer recipes that use raw meat in a marinade because they are super quick to throw together.

Enjoy-

Chicken Gyros
Makes about 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

For the tzatziki:
16 oz. plain yogurt (not nonfat, if possible)
1/2 hothouse cucumber or 1 regular cucumber, peeled and seeded
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press (or finely minced)
1 tsp. white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Extra virgin olive oil

For the chicken:
4 cloves garlic, smashed
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping Tbsp. plain yogurt
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
Salt and pepper
1 1/4 lbs. chicken pieces (I used boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, but thighs would also work great here)

To assemble:
Pita bread (I highly recommend making these homemade pitas, they are amazing!)
Fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced
Red onion, sliced thin

Directions:

To make the tzatziki sauce, strain yogurt using cheesecloth over a bowl.  Let strain for several hours or overnight, if possible, to remove as much moisture as possible.

Greek yogurt would also work nicely here.  I used the plain yogurt and didn't have time to strain, but it still worked just fine.

Shred the cucumber.  Wrap in a a towel and squeeze to remove as much water as possible.  Mix together the strained yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and lemon juice.  Drizzle lightly with olive oil.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.

To prepare the chicken, combine the garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, yogurt, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste in a minimum bowl.  Whisk together until mixed well.  Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and mix well to coat.  Cover and refrigerate for about an hour. 

Cook the chicken as desired, either in the skillet or with the broiler.  Once the chicken is completely cooked through, transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes.  Cut into strips.

 I pounded the breasts to flatten them slightly, cut them into strips, and then froze the whole mixture until I was ready. The night before I wanted to make this for dinner I pulled out the chicken to let thaw in the refrigerator. I decided to cook them under the broiler on high and it worked great.

Heat pitas to warm and top with chicken, tzatiki sauce, diced tomatoes, and sliced onions.  Serve immediately.

I misted the pitas with a little olive oil and warmed them slightly in the toaster (only a minute or two).

Source: Annie's Eats

American French Toast

This morning I had to find an excuse to use some of the homemade American Sandwich Bread I made yesterday so I decided to pull out some cookbooks and look for a French toast recipe.  I typically make French toast the way my mom made it growing up where you whisk together a couple of eggs, some milk, splash of vanilla, and a dash or two of cinnamon.  It always tasted great, but I was looking for more of a custardy French toast recipe with some flavor other than cinnamon.

I ended up finding a recipe in one of my Williams Sonoma cookbooks with nutmeg and hint of orange zest.  I was a little worried that Kyle might not like the addition of citrus to the French toast, but we both really enjoyed it.  I also used to cook my French toast on an electric skillet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, but now I plan to follow this technique of frying the slices in melted butter.  The flavor you get from the melted butter is wonderful and you don't have to worry about buttering your slices before adding syrup.



French Toast
Makes 3 or 4 servings

Ingredients:

6 slices of American Sandwich Bread
1 1/2 cups (12 fl oz/ 375 ml) 1% milk
4 large eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup (2 oz/ 60 g) granulated sugar
1 tsp grated orange zest
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
Confectioners' (icing) sugar for dusting
Pure maple syrup, warmed, for serving

Directions:

In a large baking dish, place the bread slices in a single layer.

In a large glass measuring pitcher, thoroughly whisk together the milk, eggs, vanilla, granulated sugar, orange zest, nutmeg, and salt.  Pour evenly over the bread and let stand for 1 minute, then turn the bread over and let stand for another minute.

In a large frying pan over medium heat, melt 1 Tbsp of the butter.  When the butter has foamed and the foam begins to subside, add as many slices of bread as will fit in the pan without overlapping (if you can use a frying pan that will fit 3 slices of bread).  When the slices are golden brown on the bottom, after about 1-2 minutes, carefully turn them over and cook until golden brown on the second side, about 1-2 minutes longer.  You may want to extend the cooking time slightly if you like a drier French toast.  Transfer the finished slices to a warmed platter in a 200 degree oven to keep warm.  Melt the remaining 1 Tbsp butter and repeat with the remaining bread slices.  Transfer the French toast to individual plates, dust the tops with confectioners' sugar, and serve at once, with warm maple syrup.

I found that the bread slices browned quickly over medium heat so definitely keep an eye on it and turn down the heat slightly if needed.

Source: Adapated from The Williams-Sonoma Cookbook: The Essential Recipe Collection for Today's Home Cook 

Homemade Sandwich Bread

A week ago I discovered this wonderful food blog, Annie's Eats, on Pinterest.  My friend Cammie pinned her post on freezer meals and I was hooked!  I've been trying to find recipes other than casseroles to prepare before baby Autumn arrives in late May.  Well needless to say I ended up spending 5 hours last Thursday preparing freezer meals.  I decided to start with her Chicken Gyros, Whole Wheat Pita Bread, The Perfect Hamburger, The Perfect Burger Bun, and White Bean Chicken Chili. 

All the work was well worth it, but being pregnant and on my feet in the kitchen after work was not good for my back.  In the future I plan to double and triple recipes rather than make multiple recipes all at once. 

So far I've tried the White Bean Chicken Chili and the Perfect Hamburger (with Perfect Bun).  Both of them were great, especially the Perfect Bun (which is a light brioche bun).  I also really enjoyed packing the chili for lunch this week, but Kyle thought it resembled too much of a soup (he's not really a soup guy).  I didn't mind the consistency, but in the future I will probably double the amount of beans.

Anyways, I digress.  This post is about some homemade American Sandwich Bread.  Ever since making the buns and pitas I'm now on a bread/roll/bun making kick.  You just can't beat the taste and satisfaction of homemade bread.

I was drawn to this particular recipe because I had all of the ingredients on hand.  It came together rather quickly and I LOVE that the dough cooperated with me.  I typically find bread recipes a challenge because the dough is either too sticky or too dry, but with the purchase of a kitchen scale that has all changed.  I weighed the amount of all purpose flour and didn't need to follow the extra step of adding flour after the 10 minute knead process in the mixer.

I will definitely be making this bread again and I plan to store the slices in the freezer for a quick sandwich, grilled cheese, or some toast (if it's not all gone by Sunday!).








American Sandwich Bread
Makes 1 loaf
Approximate cook time is 2 hours and 15 minutes (includes prep, rise, and bake time)

Ingredients:

3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (18 ¾ oz.)

2 tsp. salt

1 cup warm whole milk (about 110°)

1/3 cup warm water (about 110°)

2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

3 tbsp. honey

1 envelope (about 2 ¼ tsp.) instant yeast

Directions:

Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position and heat the oven to 200°.  Once the oven temperature reaches 200°, maintain the heat for 10 minutes, then turn off the oven.

Mix 3 ½ cups of the flour and the salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.  Mix the milk, water, butter, honey and yeast in a liquid measuring cup. Turn the machine to low and slowly add the liquid. When the dough comes together, increase the speed to medium and mix until the dough is smooth and satiny, stopping the machine two or three times to scrape dough from the hook, if necessary, about 10 minutes. (After 5 minutes of kneading, if the dough is still sticking to the sides of the bowl, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time and up to ¼ cup total, until the dough is no longer sticky.) Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface; knead to form a smooth, round ball, about 15 seconds.

Please note that a medium mixing speed in your stand mixer will sound pretty violent.  After 5 minutes of running I heard a loud thump and the mixer actually fell on the floor (I know!).  The mixer was close to the edge of the counter, but my recommendation is to push as far back as possible.  I also decreased the speed for the last 5 minutes down to medium-low and the bread still tasted fantastic.

Place the dough in a very lightly oiled large bowl, rubbing the dough around the bowl to coat lightly. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the warmed oven until the dough has doubled in size, about 40-50 minutes.

On a floured work surface, gently press the dough into a rectangle 1 inch thick and no longer than 9 inches. With a long side facing you, roll the dough firmly into a cylinder, pressing with your fingers to make sure the dough sticks to itself. Turn the dough seam-side up and pinch it closed. Place the dough seam-side down in a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan and press it gently so it touches all four sides of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap; set aside in a warm spot until the dough almost doubles in size, 20-30 minutes.

Keep one oven rack at the lowest position and place the other at the middle position and heat the oven to 350°. Place an empty baking pan on the bottom rack. Bring two cups of water to boil in a small saucepan. Pour the boiling water into the empty pan on the bottom rack and set the loaf onto the middle rack. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted at an angle from the short end just above the pan rim into the center of the loaf reads 195°, 40-50 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan, transfer to a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Slice and serve.

Source: Annie's Eats, originally from Baking Illustrated

Pear-Caramel Ice Cream

A couple of weeks ago I had a bunch of ripe pears that needed to be used so I decided to make David Lebovitz' Pear-Caramel Ice Cream.  This ice cream is SUPER yummy -- it's so rich that I can only handle a 1/2 cup serving at a time (crazy I know!). 

I did end up substituting 1/2 of the heavy cream with 1% milk because I didn't have the full amount on hand, but it still turned out great.  If you have an ice cream maker I highly recommend David Lebovitz' The Perfect Scoop cookbook.  I found it on Amazon for less than $15 and it's full of mouth-watering ice cream, gelato, sherbet, sorbet, and granita recipes.

Pear-Caramel Ice Cream
Makes about 1 quart

Ingredients:

• 3 medium-sized ripe pears, peeled and cored
• 3/4 c. + 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/8 teaspoon coarse salt
• a few drops of fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. Dice the pears into 1/4-inch pieces.
2. Spread the sugar in a large, heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat, carefully watching and stirring occasionally with a heatproof spatula until melted.
3. When the sugar is a deep amber, stir in the pears. The caramel will seize, that's ok. Continue cooking and stirring occasionally for ten minutes. The sugar will have dissolved.
4. Remove from the heat and stir in 1/2 cup of the cream, then mix in the rest of the cream, salt, and lemon juice.
5. Cool to room temp, puree until smooth, press through a strainer.
6. Chill according to your ice-cream maker manufacturer's instructions.

Source: Summarized from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

Bacon-Corn Chowder with Shrimp

I decided to make this soup on a whim tonight because I had most of the ingredients on hand and it looked delicious.  Seriously, you can never go wrong with big chunks of bacon!  This soup came together pretty quickly and is super yummy.  I love the smokiness that the bacon adds.  It also doesn't hurt that one serving is 294 calories.  Thank you Cooking Light~

Bacon-Corn Chowder with Shrimp
Cooking Light, August Issue, pg. 26

Ingredients:
6 slices center-cut bacon, chopped
1 cup prechopped onion
1/2 cup prechopped celery
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 garlic clove, minced
4 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels, thawed
2 cups fat-free, lower sodium chicken broth
3/4 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp
1/3 cup half-and-half
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add bacon to pan; saute 4 minutes or until the bacon begins to brown.  Remove 2 slices bacon.  Drain on paper towels.  Add onion and next 3 ingredients (through minced garlic) to pan, and saute for 2 minutes.  Add corn, and cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add broth; bring to a boil, and cook for 4 minutes.
2. Place 2 cups of corn mixture in a blender.  Remove the center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape), and secure lid on blender.  Place a clean towel over opening in the blend lid (to avoid splatters).  Blend until smooth.  Return pureed corn mixture to pan.  Stir in shrimp; cook 2 minutes or until shrimp are done.  Stir in half-and-half, pepper, and salt.  Crumble reserved bacon over soup.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 2/3 cups)

Nutrition Info:
Calories: 294
Fat: 7g (sat 2.7g, mono 1.3g, poly 1.2g)
Protein: 26.8g
Carb: 34.8g
Fiber: 4.3g
Chol: 144mg
Iron: 31mg
Sodium: 547mg
Calc: 94mg

Peach Streusel Coffee Cake

I've been on quite the baking spree lately!  I'm guessing it's due to the fact that all of the Williams-Sonoma cookbooks I have are filled with scrumptious, mouth-watering photos.

I'm definitely planning to bake this again~ it's simple to pull together and would also taste great with other fresh fruits.  Fresh raspberries maybe?



Peach Streusel Coffee Cake
The Williams-Sonoma Baking Book, pg. 131

Makes one 9-inch cake

For the Streusel:
3/4 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
6 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

For the cake:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp pure almond extract
2 firm, ripe peaches, 1 lb total, peeled, pitted, and sliced 1 inch thick

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Grease and flour a 9-inch round springform pan or square baking pan or baking dish.  If using a glass baking dish, set the oven temperature to 325F.

To make the streusel, in a bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon.  Using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut or rub in the butter until coarse crumbs form.

To make the cake, in a bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

In another bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed or a wire whisk, beat the egg, melted butter, milk, vanilla, and almond extract until creamy, about 1 minute.  Add to the flour mixture and beat just until evenly moistened.  There should be no lumps or dry spots.  Do not over mix.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly.  If using a springform pan, arrange the peach slices in concentric circles from the pan sides to the center.  If using a square pan, arrange slices in rows.  Gently press the slices into the batter.  Sprinkle evenly with the streusel.

Bake until the topping is golden brown, 40-45 minutes.  A toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean.  Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes.  Remove the sides of the springform pan, if using.  Serve warm or at room temperature, cut into wedges or squares.

Steamed Salmon with Charmoula

Mouthwatering...this isn't the overcooked, dry piece of salmon you're used to eating.  It's so much more.

I stumbled on this recipe in The Williams-Sonoma Cookbook: The Essential Recipe Collection For Today's Home Cook the other night when looking for "light" recipes my dad would enjoy for Father's Day.  I decided to stick with fish and this particular recipe stood out to me with all of the fresh herbs, lemon juice, and spice blend.  I decided to give it a try and let me tell you, it is super flavorful, quick, and delicious.

The cookbook gives a brief history on the "Charmoula" sauce:

Charmoula is a classic Moroccan preparation that can be used as a marinade or a sauce and is commonly served with fish.  It features many familiar Mediterranean ingredients, but extra doses of paprika and cumin give it a distinctly North African character.  To make the sauce without a food processor, mince the garlic or crush it through a press, chop the cilantro and parsley leaves finely, and combine with garlic and herbs in a glass or ceramic bowl.  Add the remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth.

Everyone, including my picky husband, loved the flavor of the sauce and said they would "definitely eat this again".  One thing to note, I didn't have time to marinate the fish beforehand and it still tasted great.

Steamed Salmon with Charmoula
Williams-Sonoma Cookbook, pg. 172
Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients:
4 cloves garlic
1/3 cup firmly packed fresh cilantro leaves
1/3 cup firmly packed fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley leaves
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (I only had lime juice on hand and it still tastes bright and fresh)
Salt
1 1/2 tsp paprika
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 center-cut salmon fillets, about 6oz. each, skin removed

To make the Charmoula, with the motor of a food processor running, add the garlic cloves one at a time until finely minced.  Then add the cilantro, parsley, lemon juice, 1 tsp. salt, the paprika, cumin, and cayenne to taste and puree until smooth.  Slowly add the oil, processing until smooth and emulsified.  Measure out 3 Tbsp of the sauce and reserve.  Put the remaining sauce in a serving bowl, cover, and refrigerate.  Put the salmon on a platter and rub both sides of the fish with the 3 Tbsp sauce.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerated for at least 2 hours.

Remove the fish and the remaining sauce from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.  Pour water to a depth of 1 inch in a large steamer pan or other large pot and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.  Set a steamer rack or other large, round rack over the simmering water.  Arrange the salmon fillets on a heatproof plate, place the plate on the rack, cover the pan tightly, and steam until the fish is firm to the touch and is barely opaque when tested with a knife, about 8 minutes {I brought the water to a boil, and then added the fish to a steamer basket that sat inside by soup pot and left the temp on medium-high, and worked just fine}.  Transfer the fish to warmed individual plates and top each fillet with a generous spoonful of the charmoula.  Pass the remaining sauce at the table.

I served the salmon over a couple spoonfuls of couscous and some grilled asparagus.  you decide to make this, please let me know what you think!

Mango-Coconut Sherbet

This Mango-Coconut Sherbet is pretty much amazing.  I've had my KitchenAid Ice Cream Mixer attachment for over a year or two now, but I've never attempted to make any sherbets!  I was also pleased that this recipe comes together so quickly.  As long as you have your ice cream maker ready, all you need to do is puree the ingredients and then churn!  Within 30 minutes you could be enjoying some homemade goodness.

You can find this recipe in the June 2011 issue of Cooking Light (love that magazine!).

Mango-Coconut Sherbet
Cooking Light, June 2011

Ingredients:
2 cups cubed peeled diced mango
1 (13.5 ounce) can of light coconut-milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 
1/4 cup unsweetened flaked coconut, toasted

Directions:
Combine cubed mango, sugar, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and coconut milk in a blender; process until mixture is smooth, scraping sides as necessary. Pour mixture into the freezer can of an ice-cream freezer, and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions to soft-serve consistency. Spoon sherbet into a freezer-safe container; cover and freeze 2 hours or until firm. Sprinkle each serving with coconut. 

Nutrition Information:
Cal: 171
Fat: 4.1g
Sat Fat: 3.8g
Mono Fat: 0.1g
Poly Fat: 0g
Protein: 1.1g
Carb: 35.4g
Fiber: 1g
Chol: 0mg
Iron: 0.4mg
Sodium: 26mg
Calcium: 4mg