Roasted Green Beans with Mushrooms, Balsamic, and Parmesan

I absolutely adore roasted veggies.

Seriously, just throw your favorite asortment on a cookie sheet, sprinkle with some olive oil and garlic powder... and oh my goodness, heaven.

I saw this recipe on Pinterest, and I had to give it a whirl.

The hubs isn't too big a fan of green beans, and didn't mind stating it... as he downed the dish.

It's the perfect summer side. Not too heavy, but is still full of flavor.

Roasted Green Beans with Mushrooms, Balsamic, and Parmesan

(Original recipe by Kalyn from Kalyn's Kitchen)

source

Ingredients

• 8 oz. mushrooms, sliced in 1/2 inch slices (I used brown crimini mushrooms, but any mushrooms will work)
• 1 lb. fresh green beans, preferably thin French style beans
• 1 1/2 T olive oil
• 1 T balsamic vinegar
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 2 T finely grated parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 450F/230C. Wash mushrooms and let drain (or spin dry in salad spinner, which is what I did.) While mushrooms are drying, trim ends of beans and cut beans in half so you have bite-sized pieces. (An easy way to trim them is to gather a small handful of beans, stand them up on cutting board, holding loosely so they will fall down and have ends ends aligned, then trim. Repeat with other end.) Cut mushrooms into slices 1/2 inch thick.

Put cut beans and mushrooms into a Ziploc bag or plastic bowl. Whisk together olive oil and balsamic vinegar and pour over, then squeeze bag or stir so all the beans and mushrooms are lightly coated with the mixture. Arrange on large cookie sheet, spreading them out well so beans and mushrooms are not crowded. Roast 20-30 minutes, starting to check for doneness after 20 minutes. Cook until beans are tender-crisp, mushrooms are cooked, and all liquid on the pan from mushrooms has evaporated. Season beans to taste with salt and fresh ground pepper, then sprinkle with finely grated parmesan. Serve hot.

Yields 4-6 servings.





Caprese Salad

I know, I know.

Where have I been?

I guess I took an unintentional summer hiatus from my food blog.

(to read my regular ol' blog, go here)

But summer's not over yet! I mean, really. Have you been outside??

We've got a long way to go before Fall hits... at least where we live, anyway.

However, my basil? Totally a fan of this heat.

It's just gone crazy. So in an attempt to use it up, I've been scouring the internet looking for basil recipes.

One of my favorite no-fail ways to use basil, though, is a light caprese salad.

Absolutely delish.

So here ya go.

Caprese Salad

(By Ree Drummond)

Ingredients

• 2 cups Balsamic Vinegar
• 3 whole Ripe Tomatoes, Sliced Thick
• 12 ounces, weight Mozzarella Cheese, Sliced Thick
• Fresh Basil Leaves
• Olive Oil, For Drizzling
• Kosher Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Directions

In a small saucepan, bring balsamic vinegar to a boil over medium-low heat. Cook for 10 to 20 minutes, or until balsamic has reduced to a thicker glaze. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl or cruet. Allow to cool.
When you're ready to serve, arrange tomato and mozzarella slices on a platter. Arrange basil leaves between the slices. Drizzle olive oil over the top of the salad, getting a little bit on each slice. Do the same with the balsamic reduction, making designs if you want. Store extra balsamic reduction in fridge for a later use.
End with a sprinkling of kosher salt and black pepper.

Serve as a lunch, with crusty bread. Or serve alongside a beef main course for dinner.

Yields: 8 servings (or one really big salad for yourself...)



Red, White, and Blue Trifle

Anyone else hot out there??

Although I personally prefer the cool crispness of Fall, there are a few really fun treats that only seem to come with summer. Beach trips, fireworks, chlorine and sunblock scented kids, and easy summer food. Just throw something on the grill, pull out some popsicles, and you're good to go.

And in the spirit of independence, I thought I'd share a perfect 4th of July dessert which is, of course, incredibly simple. I love trifles not just for the ease of making them, but also for their beautiful presentation.

Red, White, and Blue Trifle

(Original recipe by Paula Deen,

found in the Cooking with Paula Deen July/Aug issue)

Ingredients



1 (16-ounce) container frozen nondairy whipped topping, thawed

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 (7-ounce) jar marshmallow crème

1 tablespoon lemon zest

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1⁄2 cup confectioners’ sugar

4 cups sliced fresh strawberries

1 (18-ounce) jar strawberry jelly, melted and cooled slightly, divided

4 cups fresh blueberries

1 prepared or commercial angel food cake, cut into 1-inch cubes

Garnish: fresh strawberries, blueberries

Directions

In a large bowl, combine whipped topping, cream cheese, marshmallow crème, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, beating until combined.

In a medium bowl, combine strawberries with half of jelly. In a separate bowl, combine blueberries with remaining jelly. To assemble, layer about half of cream mixture in the bottom of a trifle bowl. Top cream mixture with half of cake cubes and all of blueberries in jelly. Top with remaining cream mixture (reserving a little for top), remaining cake, and all strawberries in jelly. Garnish with reserved cream mixture, strawberries, and blueberries, if desired.

Makes 12 servings.

Save Those Berries!

source

Our family looooves blueberries, especially the little Piggy Wiggy.

I probably don't have to mention all the pluses of eating blueberries... all the antioxidants, fiber, and vitamin C? One of the best super foods you can eat.

Right now, blueberries are at their peak... and cheapest!

The problem most people have is that they can't eat 5 cartons of blueberries in a week.

And wouldn't it be nice to make those $1.65/carton berries last all summer?

Well, that's my plan.

Here's a quick and super simple way to freeze your own blueberries.

Here's what you'll need:

- Cookie sheet or flat tray

- Freezer bags

- A freezer :)

#1. Pick through and toss the bad ones (usually if you picked them yourself).

#2. Lay them out in a single layer on a cookie sheet.

#3. Freeze them (I leave them in there for a good 24 hours).

#4. Stick them in a freezer bag (better if you have those vacuum sealer bags). Make sure you get as much air out as possible to prevent freezer burn. Try sticking a straw in the corner, sealing it as tightly as possible up to the straw, then suck the leftover air out. Quickly remove the straw and seal.

#5. It's recommended to store for up to 3 months, so make sure to label your bag with the date.

As for washing, you have two choices: wash before or after freezing.

Before: Wash and drain in a colander. Let stand at least 10 minutes to dry. If necessary, pat any leftover water with a paper towel.

Any remaining water will make the blueberries stick together after frozen (which isn't that big of a problem. they should break apart pretty easily) and might cause some freezer burn. Also? Washing before gives the blueberries a tendency to get a little mushy when thawing.

After: Most people prefer to wash their berries after freezing, just to minimize the possibility of freezer burn.

Sometimes, if you're lucky, you can find them pre-washed (particularly if they're organic).

It's totally up to you. I washed mine before freezing, and I haven't had a problem. But my little guy is used to mushier blueberries from the frozen kind you buy at the store, so he doesn't care.

And that's it!

This process works for any kind of berry, actually.

Once you're done?

Give some of these blueberry treats a try!

Banana Blueberry Pancakes

(Weight Watcher's friendly!)

Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Cake

Need a gluten-free option?

Try these!

Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins

Tutti-Fruity Smoothie

German Chocolate Ooey-Gooey Butter Cake

It's as delicious as it sounds.

I purposely made this for the adults at the bake sale. Most kids don't like coconut. Actually, I'm funny about coconut sometimes too. But when it's covered in chocolate and some sort of sweet gooey middle? Yum.

And just as I'd predicted, it was a hit with the grown-ups.

German Chocolate Ooey-Gooey Butter Cake

(Original recipe by Paula Deen, adapted by Clark Robertson)

Photo from Paula's Best Desserts, August 2009

Ingredients

• 1 (18.25 ounce) box German Chocolate cake mix (Duncan Hines is the best)
• 1 cup butter, melted and divided
• 3 large eggs, divided (it's better if these are at room temperature, but don't let them sit more than 2 hours)
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 (16 ounce) box confectioners' sugar (fyi, if you buy the bulk bag kind, this equals about 3-4 cups)
• 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13x9-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, 1/2 cup melted butter, and 1 egg. Beat at low speed with an electric mixer until combined. Press evenly into bottom of prepared pan; set aside.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in remaining 2 eggs and vanilla. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Add remaining 1/2 cup melted butter, beating at low speed until combined. Stire in coconut and pecans. Pour evenly over cake mix layer. Bake for 45 minutes, or until center is slightly set. Let cool completely before cutting into squares (otherwise you'll have a big mess on your hands... if you don't mind a mess, then oh my gosh is it ever heavenly).

Makes about 10-12 servings.

*This recipe has been around for forever. My grandmothers all have it in their cookbooks. There are a lot of different variations out there, so if you're not crazy about chocolate? Google it. You'll get all kinds of Ooey-Gooey Butter Cake recipes, and I'm pretty sure all of them are ridiculously delicious.

Chocolate Dipped Marshmallows

These went FAST at the bake sale.

Perfect for little kids and not super messy.

Also? It's easy to make with your kids. No knives or hot ovens neccesary.

Chocolate Dipped Marshmallows
(Original recipe by Paula Deen)

Ingredients

1 (10-ounce) package marshmallows

40 thin pretzel sticks

1 (16-ounce) package chocolate-flavored candy coating

Miniature candy-coated chocolate pieces, crushed chocolate-covered toffee bars, miniature semisweet chocolate morsels (I also used Andes mints broken into pieces and Graham cracker crumbs, for that smores taste)

Directions

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Insert 1 pretzel stick into bottom of each marshmallow.In a medium bowl, place candy coating. Microwave on High in 30-second intervals, stirring in between each, until chocolate is melted and smooth (about 11/2 minutes total time). Dip marshmallows in melted chocolate. Immediately roll in desired topping. Place on prepared baking sheet, and let stand 10 minutes.

Makes 40 servings.



Crispy Rice Cupcakes

The bake sale was a HUGE hit!

This past Friday night, our little group of girls held a bake sale at my little sister's school (to read more about that, go here).

The drama team was putting on a production of the Wizard of Oz. For intermission, our team offered sweet treats in return for donations for the victims of Japan. Our Bible study formed a couple of weeks before the disaster hit Japan, and these girls felt led to help.

Now that this went so well, we're looking forward to doing more!

This week, I'm going to be featuring a bunch of different "bake sale" recipes, many of which I made for our little event Friday night.

This first one turned out to be my absolute favorite.

So much so, that these have made their way onto my little boy's birthday menu (so it's not until August, but it's not too early to start, right??).

Crispy Rice Cupcakes

(Original recipe by Paula Deen)

Ingredients

• 6 Tablespoons butter
2 (10.5-ounce) packages miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (12-ounce) box crispy rice cereal
3 (2-ounce) bottles colored sprinkles, divided
1 (16-ounce) package chocolate-flavored candy coating
4 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening

Directions

Lightly grease 2 (12-cup) muffin pans.
In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add marshmallows, and stir constantly until melted. Remove from heat; stir in peanut butter and vanilla. Add cereal and 2 bottles sprinkles, stirring until combined. Using greased hands, press into prepared pans, mounding mixture into a cupcake shape. Cool 1 hour. Remove cupcakes from pans.
In a medium bowl, combine candy coating and vegetable shortening. Microwave on High, in 30-second intervals, stirring in between each, until chocolate is melted and smooth (about 2 minutes total time). Dip tops of cupcakes in melted chocolate.
Immediately sprinkle with remaining sprinkles.

Makes 24
(Tip: I made some mini ones too, just in case there were a few parents who didn't want their toddler eating a massive cupcake full of sugar, thus resulting in spending the remaining half of the play chasing around a sugar crazed kid)