Cocktail Hour

Dirty martini with Hor d' oeuvres.

Had a little cocktail gathering at home with light fare. We had Chianti marinated salami with rosemary wafers, Dubliner cheese and Rosemary olive oil Asiago cheese, with a side of Blue Cheese stuffed green olives.  Dirty martinis were the beverage accompanying the appetizers. So simple and fun to put together in a short amount of time. It was a nice way to relax after a long day.

Ube Yogurt Treat

Ube, an Asian purplish yam.

This delicious recipe was a favorite of mine as a child. I tweaked it a little to make it lowfat, but the taste still remains the same. I love this recipe; very easy to make with few ingredients. 

 All you need is a can of Coconut Milk (13.5 oz), 1 cup of nonfat plain yogurt, 1 cup of sugar, and a pound of shredded Ube (which you can find at any Asian grocery store). Puree in blender and add to ice cream maker. Within a few minutes you will have yourself a delicious healthy dessert. Happy eating.      

Cherry Pecan Meringue, so light and airy

Fluffy clouds of goodness.

Sweet and chewy in the center.

You can't just stop at one........

Ingredients


Makes 36
4 large egg whites, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup dried cherries or dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup chopped pecans


Directions
Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, salt, and vanilla until soft peaks form.
Still beating, very gradually (1 tablespoon at a time) add sugar to egg whites. Continue to beat until sugar has dissolved and stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Gently fold in chopped dried cherries and chopped pecans.
Drop meringue mixture by rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart. Bake, switching baking sheets halfway through, until meringues are dry, about 2 hours. Cool completely on baking sheets. Meringues can be stored in an airtight container, up to 5 days.

I need a drink!

Here is my large stiff and yummy drink.

I am right now in the middle of doing my final paper for my master's program. Lots of research, but finding all the information fascinating and exciting. I have to create a poster presentation of my paper as well, and I am finding myself creating lots of great ideas in my head :)...... But back to my yummy drink; I borrowed it from "Martha", she always has great ideas and recipes. Here goes:

Cantaloupe Shake

1/2 cantaloupe

2 cups nonfat yogurt

3 Tbl. honey 

1/2 scoop protein powder

some ice

Blend all ingredients except ice in blender, then put ice in a tall glass. Pour shake into glass and then enjoy! The recipe makes for 2 servings.

Cucumber-Pear Yogurt Shake

A refreshing drink for a warm May day. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt

3/4 cup crushed ice

1 medium pear chopped

1 small banana chopped

1/4 cup cucumber chopped and peeled

2 Tbl protein powder

Blend all ingredients together until smooth and consistent, then take a sip and enjoy the lovely day!

Sushi for Three

My kids and I tried to make salmon with dill sushi rolls this afternoon. It was a fun way to get in some time together and do some hands on learning. The results were well worth the fun and anticipation of eating them. Take a look!

The secret ingredients :-)...

My failed attempt at making a perfect sushi roll.

The sushi pro; on her first attempt she scored a nice roll. That said I watched the master and learned her tricks.

A yummy snack that was enjoyed by all!

Orange Oatmeal Lace Cookies

It all began when I went to a Foreign market in search of rose water for another recipe. I found the water as well as this Orange Blossom water next to it. Rarely do you find exotic items like these at the local grocery store, so I decided to get it also. Not knowing yet what to do with it, I randomly searched for recipes on the internet and found this easy recipe that I could do with my kids.

I scraped off the zest of one large orange, just the smell of the pieces was appetizing.

Then my daughter blended the remaining ingredients together.

When you form the dough use a melon ball scooper and space cookies on sheet in 2 rows; these cookies spread.

Beautiful, light and crisp......addicting. Fortunately it is low in calories and carbs :).

Ingredients:
1 orange for zesting
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup very finely chopped pecans

Instructions:
Heat the oven to 350º. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, using dabs of butter or shortening to hold the corners of the paper in place.

Finely grate the orange until you have 1/2 teaspoon of zest. Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the flour, salt, and milk all at once, then add the vanilla extract and orange zest and blend for about 30 seconds more. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the oats and pecans.

Scoop and gently shape the dough into 1-inch balls -- each about a rounded teaspoon. Place the balls on the sheet, leaving approximately 3 inches between them.

Bake the cookies on the center oven rack until they are bubbly and the edges have started to turn a dark golden color, about 10 minutes. Transfer the cookie sheet to a wire rack and let it cool for 2 minutes.

Carefully lift the sides of the parchment paper and transfer the cookies to a countertop. Let them cool for about 5 minutes before gently placing them on a serving plate. In the meantime, line another baking sheet with parchment for the second batch (or let the first baking sheet cool to room temperature, then line it with fresh parchment). Makes approximately 3 dozen cookies.