Recipes

Tasty Tuesday–Cherry Cola Jell-O

Since Easter is rapidly approaching, I decided to share our family’s favorite Jell-O recipe. It’s been something of a family secret until now, but since it’s been so popular with everyone who has tried it, I decided I could part with it!

  • 15 oz. can dark sweet cherries (pitted)–I use Oregon Fruit brand
  • 20 oz. can crushed pineapple
  • 1 large package (6 oz.) cherry Jell-O
  • 13 oz. cola

Drain fruit from both cans of juice AND SAVE. Add water to juice (if needed) to make two cups. Heat juice to boiling; add Jell-O. Stir until dissolved; pour into bowl and cool slightly. Add cola and fruit; pour into 1 1/2 quart mold if desired (I use a trifle dish). Refrigerate until set.

Tasty Tuesday–Salmon Pasta

Lent means fish sales. I especially love it when salmon goes on sale, because I love to bake it will a little lemon juice and olive oil. I love it even more when I have salmon leftovers, because then I get to make one of my very favorite pasta dishes! If you don’t love capers as much as I do, feel free to reduce the amount in the recipe.

  • 16 oz. fettuccine
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • leftover salmon, flaked
  • 1 to 2 cans of artichoke hearts, quartered or chopped
  • 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
  • 3 Tbsp. minced fresh basil
  • 7 oz. capers, drained
  • 2 tsp. lemon zest
  • salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions.

In a large skillet, heat butter; add garlic and cook for one minute. Stir in cream and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer two to three minutes until thickened, stirring constantly. Add salmon, artichokes, salt, and pepper.

Drain pasta and add to skillet. Stir in cheese, basil, capers, and lemon zest. Serve when heated through.

Tasty Tuesday–Beef Barley Soup

Our family loves pot roast, and we also love using leftover pot roast to make beef barley soup. It’s such a hearty, filling meal, especially on a cold winter night!

  • 1 cup chopped carrot
  • 1/2 cup chopped celery
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 10 cups beef broth (if you don’t have enough, make up the rest with water)
  • Approx. 2 cups chopped leftover pot roast
  • 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 11 oz. box quick-cooking barley
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper
  • 1 Tbsp. minced fresh rosemary
  • 1 tsp. dried basil
  • 1/2 tsp. dried oregano

In a large saucepan, saute carrot, celery & onion with salt in butter until translucent.

Add the broth, beef, tomatoes, barley, pepper, rosemary, basil, and oregano; bring to a boil.

Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until barley is tender, stirring occasionally.

Tasty Tuesday–Peppermint Hot Chocolate Bread Pudding

Even though I wasn’t planning on making a dessert for New Year’s Day, once I stumbled across this recipe, I knew I had to try it. I did have to make a few changes, based on what was available to me at the store, so you’re getting the recipe I actually used, not the one I found. I also used Kahlúa in place of the coffee required in the original recipe, because I wanted to add more mint flavor, plus, I’m always looking for a new booze-soaked dessert recipe!

  • 4 large whole eggs
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup peppermint hot chocolate mix
  • 1/4 cup peppermint mocha Kahlúa
  • 3 1/2 cups milk
  • 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
  • 16 ounces stale challah bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
  • 2 cups mini marshmallows, divided

Place the eggs in a blender and blend on the lowest speed for 30 seconds. Slowly add the sugar and then add the hot chocolate mix and blend until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Add the Kahlúa, milk, and vanilla and blend until well combined.

Butter a 9 by 13-inch dish and place 1/2 of the cubed bread in the pan. Sprinkle half of the chocolate chips and 1/4 cup of the mini marshmallows on top. Add the rest of the bread and pack tightly. Sprinkle with the remaining chocolate chips and another 1/4 cup marshmallows.

Slowly pour in the custard. Press down on the mixture with a spatula or the back of a spoon to thoroughly saturate. Cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours.

Bake at 325, uncovered, for 45-55 minutes or until the bread cubes are crisp and browned and the center is firm.

Remove the dish from the oven and top with the remaining mini marshmallows.

Switch your oven settings to broil and broil for about two minutes, or until the marshmallows are toasted to your liking. Watch it closely, the broiler will burn the marshmallows easily.

Let cool for about 15 minutes before serving.

Tasty Tuesday–Apple Cider Milkshakes

After we went apple picking last week, and came home with a gallon of apple cider, I decided I wanted to make apple cider milkshakes. I couldn’t really find a recipe that I liked, so I played around with it a little bit until I had the proportions right. I used two scoops of Edy’s Washington Apple Pie ice cream, and four scoops of Caramel Delight (I have a pretty small ice cream scoop, so you may use fewer scoops than I did), but there are so many ways you could prepare it to your taste…vanilla, caramel, apple pie, and cinnamon ice creams would all work well, in whatever proportions you prefer! I garnished mine with a cinnamon stick because I was feeling fancy…you could also drizzle some caramel sauce on top, or add an apple slice, or whatever else sounds good to you!

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  • 1 cup apple cider
  • 6 scoops of ice cream

Blend cider and ice cream until smooth. Garnish as desired.

Tasty Tuesday–Roast Beef Sandwich Pizza

There are some summer days (like all of last week) where you just don’t want to turn on the oven. This cold pizza is a good dinner option for days like that. If you don’t like horseradish as much as I do, feel free to cut back the amount.

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4 oz. cream cheese with chives and onion (from 8 oz. tub)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 Tbsp. creamy horseradish sauce
14 oz. prebaked Italian pizza crust
8 oz. deli roast beef, cut into bite-sized strips
1 1/2 cups plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup shredded romaine lettuce
1/3 cup zesty Italian salad dressing

In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, and horseradish sauce; mix well. Spread evenly over pizza crust.

In medium bowl, combine roast beef, tomatoes, lettuce and dressing; toss gently to coat. Top pizza crust with roast beef mixture.

To serve, cut into wedges.

Tasty Tuesday–Blackberry Smoothies

I love blackberry season at Eckert’s! They are by far my favorite fruit to pick…and eat! I’m always looking for new recipes to try with our bounty, and this time, the children really wanted me to make smoothies. I had fun putting this recipe together…I think the nutmeg makes it extra special. The following recipe makes about 3-4 servings, so I had to double it for our family. You could also easily halve it if you only want to serve two!

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  • 2 cups fresh blackberries (frozen would work, too)
  • 16 oz. vanilla yogurt
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 4 Tbsp. sugar (more or less depending on how tart your berries are)
  • 1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth, scraping down sides as necessary. Serve immediately.

Tasty Tuesday–Chocolate Chip Cookies

I know this is going to sound silly, but I have worked long and hard to find the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe. Basic, I know, but none of the ones I made in the past were quite good enough. Last summer, however, I finally perfected a recipe that met my standards and pleased everyone in my family. A recipe like that is definitely worth keeping! I love how big they are, and the fact that you can customize them to suit your tastes. I’ve used many combinations of baking chips in subsequent recipes, and I like them all. Dark and white chocolate chips have been especially popular, as have milk chocolate chips and chunks. You can use whatever your favorites are, too!

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  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 cups packed brown sugar
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 2 cups semisweet chocolate chunks
  • 2 cups milk chocolate chips
  • sea salt

Preheat the oven to 325. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, eggs, and egg yolks until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets (cookies should be about 3 inches apart). Sprinkle with sea salt.
Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Tasty Tuesday–Turkey, Cranberry, and Goat Cheese Quesadillas

I modified this recipe from one our local grocery store suggested as a way to use up leftover turkey…the combination of flavors is amazing! I will definitely be adding this one to our Thanksgiving leftovers permanent collection!

  • 2 limes
  • 1/2 cup leftover or whole berry canned cranberry sauce
  • 8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
  • 1 8 oz. package chèvre (goat cheese) with herbs, softened
  • 2 cups chopped leftover or cooked turkey
  • 1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
  • salsa and/or guacamole

Zest limes. In small bowl, stir together cranberry sauce and lime zest.

Place tortillas on work surface; evenly spread each with one ounce chèvre, then cranberry sauce mixture. Evenly top four tortillas with turkey and jalapeño; top with remaining tortillas to close quesadillas.

In batches, spray 12-inch skillet with cooking spray; add 1 quesadilla and cook over medium-low heat 2 to 3 minutes or until bottom is golden brown. Spray top of quesadilla with cooking spray; turn and cook 2 to 3 minutes longer or until bottom is golden brown. Cut each into 6 wedges; serve with salsa and guacamole.

Tasty Tuesday–Pumpkin Tiramisu

If you’re looking for a unique Thanksgiving dessert that still falls into the mandatory “pumpkin” category, you’ve come to the right place! Plus, you can make this pumpkin tiramisu as early as today, and refrigerate it until the big event…always a bonus when you can work ahead!

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I tried this recipe out last week, and was amazed by both how easy it was to make (I’ve previously been afraid of trying to make a real tiramisu ), and how delicious it was. The crystalized ginger is what really takes it the holiday level, but I imagine even without that, it would still be amazing!

  • 1 can pumpkin
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 3/4 tsp. ground ginger
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 12 oz. mascarpone cheese
  • 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 2 cups coffee, cooled
  • 2 7 oz. packages Italian ladyfingers
  • Crystalized ginger

With whisk attachment of stand mixer, whisk pumpkin, brown sugar, ground ginger, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Add mascarpone and 1 1/2 cups cream; beat at medium speed until soft peaks form. Do not overbeat.
Dissolve 2 Tbsp. sugar in coffee. Dip both sides of approximately 8 ladyfingers in coffee and arrange them in a single layer in a  4-quart trifle dish. Spread one cup of pumpkin mixture on top. Repeat layers five more times, ending with pumpkin mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Beat remaining cream and 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar until soft peaks form. Dollop over tiramisu and garnish with crystalized ginger.