Tag Archives: summer

Margarita Cake {Alcohol-Free}

Posted on July 15, 2011 by Veronica

I got one of my favorite cake recipes, for Zesty Lemon Pound Cakes, from the back of the cardboard label that came on a Wilton pan. So when I bought a Wilton bundt pan and found a recipe for Margarita Cake on the back, I saved it in hopes that it would be equally delightful. Three years later, I finally got around to trying it!

This cake uses a mix, so I apologize to those who are averse to cake mixes. If you have been following my blog for very long, you know I prefer cakes that start with a mix for not only the ease, but the flavor & texture. (I make no apologies for my unrefined ways.) As is the case with many doctored cake mix cakes, you can not tell it started with a mix. The margarita mix, along with the lime zest in the cake and glaze, gives it a nice lime flavor, and the texture is incredible. The only thing I’ve ever had that is similar to it is a sour cream angel food cake, managing to be both airy and a little dense all at the same time. Honestly, the texture delighted me so much that I ate a second piece that I really didn’t need, just to feel it in my mouth a little bit longer.

Margarita Cake

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1 package (18.25 oz) white cake mix
1 can (10 oz) frozen margarita mix, thawed and undiluted
3 egg whites
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons finely chopped lime zest, divided
1 cup confectioners sugar
Lime juice, as desired
Coarse sugar for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a bundt pan; set aside. In large bowl, combine cake mix, thawed margarita mix, eggs and oil. Beat at medium speed two minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the lime zest. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 40-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes; invert onto cooling rack, remove from pan, and cool completely. In a small bowl, combine confectioners sugar, 1 tablespoon lime zest and enough lime juice to make a glaze; drizzle over cake. If desired, sprinkle the top of the cake with coarse sugar to resemble salt.

Makes 10-12 servings

Recipe source: Wilton

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Posted in Cake & Frosting and tagged alcohol-free, lime, margarita cake recipe, margarita mix, non-alcoholic, picnic, potluck, summer. Bookmark the permalink.

Corn, Avocado, and Black Bean Tostadas

Posted on July 12, 2011 by Veronica

For some reason, before I made these tostadas, I had an aversion to chipotle peppers that came canned in adobo sauce. I think I made one bad dish with them that turned me off, and I was hesitant to use them in anything again. This recipe has completely turned me around! These are the absolute best tostadas I’ve ever made. I love how the sweet corn balances the smoky and spicy flavor of the chiles.

I really love it when I can find vegan meals that don’t require a lot of fake ingredients, and love it even more when those meals are just as delicious as a meat-centric meal. I have to say that these tostadas beat the pants off of any tostada I’ve made with meat to date. Although I did put cheddar cheese on these, you can leave it off for a vegan meal because you get plenty of (healthy) fat from the avocado.

This is a great summer meal because it comes together really quickly and only requires a few minutes of heat on the stovetop. Enjoy!

Corn, Avocado, and Black-Bean Tostadas

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1 large zucchini, diced
2 cups frozen corn kernels
2-3 medium tomatoes, diced
1/3 cup red onion, chopped
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
2-3 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
½ teaspoon kosher salt
8 tostada shells
1 cup refried black beans*
Shredded lettuce
1 avocado, peeled & sliced
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Spray a large nonstick skilled with oil and heat over medium-high head. Add zucchini and sauté 3 minutes. Add corn and cook until heated through. Remove from heat and stir in tomatoes, onion, cilantro, chipotle chiles, lime juice, and salt. Spread each tostada shell with 2 tablespoons of heated beans and top with shredded lettuce. Spoon corn mixture over lettuce, then top with shredded cheddar and slices of avocado.

*To make your own quick refried black beans, drain a can of black beans and reserve the liquid. Place beans in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, along with 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder. Process, adding in liquid through the feeding tube as necessary to obtain your desired texture. Taste and add salt, pepper, and additional seasonings if desired.

Makes 8 tostadas.

Per tostada: 235 calories; 11.6 g fat; 27.5 g carbohydrates; 5.4 g fiber; 8.6 g protein; 6 Points Plus

Recipe source: adapted from Redbook, October 2010

This recipe has actually been recreated twice by the SRC. Here is the first blogger who made it (click the box above for the second): Thru the Bugs on My Windshield

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Posted in Meatless, Mexican, My Favorites, Vegetarian & Vegan and tagged avocado, black bean, chipotle, corn, favorite, meatless, Mexican, recipe, summer, tostadas, vegan, vegetarian. Bookmark the permalink.

Homemade Magic Shell

Posted on July 8, 2011 by Veronica

Have you ever had Magic Shell? If you haven’t heard of it, it’s a Smucker’s ice cream topping that comes out liquid, like chocolate syrup, but hardens when it comes in contact with your ice cream, so that you have to tap and break it to take a spoonful of icecream. It’s so cool!

My husband is obsessed with it, but you can rarely find the peppermint kind, his favorite, so I started making it for him last year.

It is super simple to make, and you can add any extracts you like to change the flavor profile. You can also use dairy-free chocolate, such as Ghirardelli semisweet chips, and you have a vegan topping for your vegan one-ingredient ice cream. Since that ice cream is so healthy, I didn’t feel too guilty about adding some of this to the top of it and calling it my breakfast. :)

Homemade Magic Shell

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1 1/2 cups (300 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup (200 grams) refined coconut oil
pinch of salt

Place the chocolate and oil in a microwave-safe dish and microwave for thirty seconds, stir, and microwave another 15 seconds. Repeat, if necessary, stirring well every 15 seconds, until mixture is melted and smooth. This can also be done in a double boiler. Stir in salt and store in an airtight container at room temperature. Mixture will remain liquid during the summer, but might solidify during the winter. If it becomes solid, simply heat it until liquid again.

Peppermint Magic Shell: add 2 teaspoons peppermint extract. I like to divide the batch in half, leaving half plain and adding 1 teaspoon peppermint to the other half.

Makes about 2 cups Magic Shell.

Recipe source: adapted from Brownie Points

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Posted in Condiments & ETC., Sweets, Vegetarian & Vegan and tagged homemade, ice cream, magic shell recipe, peppermint, summer. Bookmark the permalink.

Heavenly Peanut Butter Pie

Posted on June 14, 2011 by Veronica

If you’ve been around for a while, you’ve heard me mention my foodie mama, Marina, before. We met on MySpace three years ago, and she took me under her baking wing, sharing her wisdom and fabulous award-winning recipes with me and all those lucky enough to befriend her. I like to think of myself as a baker, but Marina is a pro, having won literally hundreds of ribbons for her baked goods and recipes over the years, and is also a field editor for Taste of Home. This pie is one of the first recipes I ever made of hers, and I took all these pictures at that time–nearly three years ago now. Since she gave me permission to share the recipe, I thought it was about time I did so!

Marina has won a blue ribbon for this pie every year for the past 11 consecutive years, so that should give you an indication of how good it is. I have to agree with the judges, because the creamy peanut butter filling is just to die for, and the cinnamon-scented graham cracker crust, chocolate drizzle, and crunchy nuts really puts it over the top. The bonus is that it’s a chilled pie, and thus a perfect treat to enjoy during these warmer months.

Heavenly Peanut Butter Pie

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12 whole graham crackers, crushed
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 (3 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 cup milk
1 cup smooth peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups chilled heavy cream
1 cup chopped peanuts (I used walnuts and peanuts)
Hot fudge sauce (I used ganache; recipe follows)

For the crust, mix graham cracker crumbs, butter, cinnamon, and 1 Tablespoon sugar. Pack into 9-inch pie plate.Bake at 375 degrees F for 6 minutes. Cool completely.

For the filling, in large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Beat in milk, peanut butter, and vanilla.

In chilled bowl, beat heavy cream until stiff peaks form.

Fold in one third of it into peanut butter/cream cheese mixture.

Fold in remaining whipped cream.

Spoon filling into prepared crust.

Give your nuts a good chop.

And sprinkle over the top and refrigerate overnight.

Drizzle hot fudge sauce or ganache over the top just before serving. I went with ganache.

To make the ganache, place 4 ounces of semisweet chocolate chips in a heat-proof bowl; set aside. Heat 1/2 cup whipping cream until boiling and pour over the chocolate.

Let sit for a minute, then stir until mixture is smooth and shiny.

Allow to cool completely before using. It will get thicker as it stands, eventually becoming the consistency of frosting, and if it gets too thick you can heat it for just a few seconds in the microwave to make it liquid again. It liquefies very fast so you really shouldn’t need more than 5 seconds.

*Note: although the pictures show two pies, I did not double the recipe. I used pie tins, which are smaller than a regular pie plate, and the recipe made a perfect amount to fill both tins.

Recipe source: Marina C.

Check out other recipes I’ve shared from Marina:

Easy Italian Cream Cake
Honey Garlic Wings
Crab & Avocado Enchiladas
Chocolate Sparkle Cookies (we’ve both won blue ribbons for these now!)
Carrot Cake Cookies (this recipe also won me a ribbon at last year’s fair)
Cookies ‘n Cream Cake (award winning)
Tres Leches Cake
Easy Apple Cider Doughnuts (award winning)
Praline Sweet Potato Bread (award winning)
Slow-Cooked Enchilada Casserole with Spicy Red Rice (Pillsbury finalist)
Chocolate Eclair Squares
Orange Biggie Buns (award winning)

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Posted in Pie and tagged award-winning, blue ribbon, heavenly peanut butter pie, summer. Bookmark the permalink.

Green Chile and Cream Cheese Burgers

Posted on June 7, 2011 by Veronica

I’m a sucker for a grilled burger in the summer, so I broke this recipe from Debbi out as soon as it was grilling weather! Usually I just go for a plain grilled burger with lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, ketchup and mustard, but sometimes you want something a little different and this one really satisfies. The chiles give the burger a kick (for more kick, you could use jalapenos) and the cream cheese is a cooling, tangy contrast. I really love grilled onions on any burger and they are perfect with the green chiles on this one. I served mine with Dilly Cucumber Salad, and I found the tangy sweetness really complimented this burger!

Green Chile and Cream Cheese Burgers

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1 teaspoon canola oil
1/2 of a large onion, diced (I sliced mine)
1 (4 oz.) can of green chiles (I bought canned whole chiles and cut into strips)
Salt and pepper
1 lb. ground beef or bison (click here to find out why bison is better)
4 hamburger buns
4 oz. cream cheese

Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion until softened and is browned in places (it helps to only stir occasionally). Add chiles, season with salt and pepper, saute until heated through. Divide meat into four patties, salt and pepper, and cook or grill until done. Spread 1 oz. cream cheese on each bun and divide the green chile-onion mixture among the burgers. Serve hot.

Makes 4 burgers.

Per burger, using bison, light (80-calorie) buns, and neufchatel: 302 calories; 10 g fat; 24 g carbohydrates; 5 g fiber; 31 g protein; 8 Points Plus. Using 93% lean ground beef makes the burgers 9 Points Plus.

Recipe source: adapted from Debbi Does Dinner

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Posted in Burgers & Sandwiches, Lighter Fare and tagged barbecue, burger, chile, cream cheese, green chiles, grilled, kick, spicy, summer. Bookmark the permalink.

Triple Berry Pie

Posted on June 6, 2011 by Veronica

This was one of the pies I brought to the Memorial Day barbecue at my preacher’s home and it was a big hit! Although I really prefer to make cakes, what I do appreciate about pie is how simple it is. Just a few ingredients turn into utter magic in a Pyrex dish. Essentially pie crust, fruit, and sugar and you’ve got the perfect summertime dessert. This one really is all about the sweet berries, gently complimented by flaky pastry!

Triple Berry Pie

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Pastry for a 2-crust pie (I cheated and used Pillsbury)
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 cups frozen mixed berries, thawed & drained
Milk & coarse sugar for top crust

Preheat oven to 450 F. Roll out one disc of dough, line pie plate with pastry, leaving a 3/4″ overhang, and place in refrigerator. In a large bowl, mix sugar, cornstarch, and salt together. Gently toss with the berries and let stand for 15 minutes. Spoon into crust-lined pie plate. Roll out second dough disc and cut into strips with a pastry wheel or pizza cutter. Arrange the strips to make a lattice design over filling (I have a tutorial on this process here). Trim, fold overhang from bottom crust over the ends of the lattice top crust, seal, and flute edges (I have a video tutorial on working with pie crust here, in which I include a demonstration on fluting edges). Brush crust with milk (I used my finger) & sprinkle with sugar. Place pie on middle oven rack; place large cookie sheet on rack below pie pan in case of spillover. Bake pie 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 375 and place a pie shield on the crust to prevent overbrowning. Bake another 40-45 minutes, or until crust is golden brown & filling is bubbling. Cool at least two hours before serving. (I always make fruit pies a day in advance and they are always nicely set up by the time I serve them.)

*Veronica’s Notes: the original recipe calls for fresh OR frozen berries so I guess this recipe will work with fresh berries too, but I haven’t tried it yet. The original recipe also calls for ½ cup more sugar than mine, which you may need if your fresh berries are very tart. Frozen berries are packaged at their peak and are usually quite sweet, so 1 cup of sugar was plenty and more would have been overkill.

Recipe source: adapted from the Three Berry Pie recipe on the side of my Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts box.

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Posted in Pie and tagged blackberry, blueberry, lattice top crust, Pie, Pillsbury, raspberry, simple, summer, three berry, triple berry. Bookmark the permalink.

Dilly Cucumber Salad

Posted on May 27, 2011 by Veronica

I remember as a little girl, whenever my Grandma Millner would visit, our refrigerator would smell faintly of onions and vinegar because she’d always have a big bowl of cucumber salad stashed in there. Back then, I remember eating it without complaint, but I wasn’t all that impressed with it. I think I may use more sugar than her, because I’m practically addicted to the recipe I use now, and you all know how much I like my sugar!

This is a wonderfully cold, crisp, sweet, and briny salad to serve during the warmer months, and a great addition to a potluck or barbecue. It reminds me of a better and fresher version of bread and butter pickles, though not quite as sweet. This makes a huge bowl so feel free to cut the recipe down if you don’t think you’ll need this much. Enjoy!

Dilly Cucumber Salad

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4 cucumbers
1 large white onion
¼ cup finely diced red bell pepper
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon dried dill
2 teaspoons salt

Wash cucumbers well (I get them wet and rub a little dish soap over them to get help get the wax off, then rinse them very well with warm water). Cut cucumbers in half, then lay flat side down and slice; place slices in a very large bowl. Next, cut the onion in half lengthwise. Place halves flat-side down, cut in half again lengthwise, then slice very thin width-wise; add to the cucumbers. Measure in remaining ingredients, stir well, and refrigerate overnight before serving. Stir once or twice if you can. The salt will cause water to come out of the veggies and by morning, the liquid will be filled up to the level of the veggies. Serve cold with a slotted spoon.

Serves 16.

Per serving: 52 calories; 0 g fat; 293 mg sodium; 145 mg potassium; 13.1 g carbohydrates; 1 g fiber; 10 g sugar; 1 g protein; 1 Point Plus

Recipe by Veronica Miller

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Posted in Salads, Side Dishes, Vegetarian & Vegan and tagged barbecue, cucumber salad, dill, dilly, Memorial day, recipe, red pepper, summer. Bookmark the permalink.

Watermelon & Tomato Salad

Posted on June 7, 2010 by Veronica

I got this recipe from my friend, Pia, who has a wonderful blog with tons of ethnic recipes, particularly Filipino since she is from the Philippines. Now, I know what you were thinking when you read the title of this post. You’re wrong! Watermelons and tomatoes CAN be put together in a salad–and it is delicious! This salad is sweet, salty, acidic, tangy, and is so refreshing. You will love it.

Watermelon & Tomato Salad
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5 cups seedless watermelon, cut into cubes
1/2 lb. tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium red onion, thinly julienned
freshly ground black pepper
chopped cilantro for garnish

In a large bowl mix chopped watermelon and tomatoes. Stir in sugar and salt and place in fridge to marinate for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, mix in red wine vinegar, olive oil and onions. Keep chilled.

When ready to serve add freshly ground black pepper and garnish with chopped cilantro.

Serves 8.

Nutritional Info (per serving): 106 calories; 7 g fat; 11 g carb; 1 g fiber; 1 g protein

Recipe source: Inato lang Filipino Cuisine and More

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Posted in Lighter Fare, Salads, Side Dishes, Vegetarian & Vegan and tagged easy, recipe, refreshing, salad, summer, tomato, watermelon. Bookmark the permalink.

Crunchy Dilled Shrimp Salad

Posted on April 24, 2010 by Veronica

I’ve been making this shrimp salad for several years and especially enjoy it in the spring and summer because it is light and bright. I love the crisp crunch from the water chestnuts and the nutty crunch from the cashews. The dill & lemon balance the slightly sweet taste of the dressing and pair perfectly with the shrimp. I usually serve it on a slice of toasted bread as an open-faced sandwich so I can enjoy the visual appeal of the pretty salad while I eat it.

I omitted the cashews from this batch and decreased the dressing to 1/3 cup, which saves 50 calories per serving.

Crunchy Dilled Shrimp Salad

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1 (12 oz) bag frozen cooked shrimp, thawed and tails removed
1 (8 oz) can water chestnuts, drained
1/4 c cashews
1/2 c light Miracle Whip
3 T chopped fresh dill or 1 T dried dill
2 t lemon juice
3/4 t garlic powder
1/8 t salt

Roughly chop the shrimp, water chestnuts & cashews and mix in a medium bowl with all other ingredients. Serve immediately. If you will be serving later, omit the cashews and refrigerate. Stir them in just before serving so they will still be nice and crunchy.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutritional Info (per serving): 187 cal, 7 g fat, 177 mg cholesterol, 560 mg sodium, 12 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 20 g protein.

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Posted in Burgers & Sandwiches, Lighter Fare, Meats, My Favorites, Salads, Seafood and tagged cashews, crunchy, diet-friendly, dill, easy, healthy, salad, shrimp, summer, water chestnuts. Bookmark the permalink.

Easy Lemon Cookies

Posted on January 4, 2010 by Veronica

5 reasons why you need to make these cookies ASAP:

5. They’re insanely easy to make.
4.They’re bright and pretty!
3. They have superb texture–firm on the outside, chewy on the inside.
2. They taste like sunshine.
1. You can have two whole cookies for just 102 calories!

What, you need more reasons? What are you waiting for?!

I like to really douse the cookies with powdered sugar so they take on the "crinkle" look.

Easy Lemon Cookies

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1 (18.25 oz) package lemon cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
grated zest from 1 lemon
powdered sugar for decoration

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Pour cake mix into a large bowl. Stir in eggs, oil, lemon juice & lemon zest until well blended. Refrigerate at least 15 minutes, and up to overnight to make the dough easier to handle. Roll teaspoonfuls of dough into balls and then drop into a small bowl of powdered sugar. Roll around until lightly or heavily covered, depending on how much you want. Once sugared, place on an ungreased or parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake for 6-9 minutes in the preheated oven. The bottoms will be light brown, and the insides chewy.

Makes 60 cookies
Per cookie: 51 calories, 2 g fat, 7.8 g carbohydrate

This recipe is linked with GirliChef for BSI: Lemons!