Memorial Day Roundup

First I want to start off by saying thank you to each and every person, past and present, that has served this country and especially those that have sacrificed their lives to protect our freedom. I’ve mentioned before that my dad served in the Air Force for 20 years and I will be forever grateful for that choice that my parents made. I had the privilege to live in some amazing places and meet and become friends with people from all over the world. Through those experiences, I learned to be accepting of all people, to be adaptable, to know that life is much bigger than just me so the world shouldn’t revolve around just me and to always respect men and women in uniform.

I know there is so much I am missing but at the end of the day all I’m trying to say is that my dad’s service and sacrifice sculpted me into a better person than I could ever have been without it. So I hope on Memorial Day (and every day), you can all remember everyone that serves or has served and be thankful for all they do for us. It’s a huge undertaking and deserves the utmost respect.

Here is a list of some great sides, main dishes and desserts that would be perfect for your Memorial Day celebration. Enjoy!

Spring Sangria

Cucumber Tomato Salad

Smoked Corn on the Cobb

Juicy Lucy’s (Cheese Stuffed Burgers)

Coca-Cola BBQ Chicken Skewers

Cheesecake Filled Strawberries

Patriotic Funfetti Whoopie Pies

Red, White and Blue Tie-Dyed Cupcakes

Cheesy Herbed Monkey Bread

So I’ve been a really lame food blogger again and I’m really sorry. My only excuse is that I’ve been using all my free time to work on a quilt for the little cupcake. And now that the warm weather has finally hit, it’s really hard to stay inside and sit on the computer. I don’t know why I don’t just go sit on our patio swing and write…that sounds like a much better idea. Enjoy the weather and be productive. I promise I’ll be better.

While I’m off topic (I know you all come here for the food so sorry again if you don’t care – just skip below the picture for the food), I’m officially 20 weeks along! It’s hard to believe I’m halfway done! My big ultrasound is next week and we are still strong on not finding out the gender. We are still convinced it’s a girl though and let’s hope it is because we cannot agree on a boy name. But now, onto the food.

I can’t get enough of freshly baked bread these days! There is just no comparison to the store-bought version. This baby must be a girl since I am loving the carbs this time around. Because of my recent addiction, I have been finding any excuse to bake up bread just about every week for the past few months!

This delicious bread was made to go alongside spaghetti which was just perfect. I smothered my pasta a bit more than usual with sauce so that I could sop up all the extra with these little nuggets of buttery bread.

I would probably eat this bread every day if carbs didn’t like to stick around my hips so much. It was incredibly tender, light and delicious. And I have to tell you, I usually like the middle pieces of breads since they are softer and more doughy but with this recipe I loved the outside pieces. The parmesan got a little browned and crispy but the bread with still light and fluffy, the perfect combination.

Cheesy Herbed Monkey Bread
recipe from The Pastry Affair

2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 1/3 cups barely warm water
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp. salt
3 1/2 cups all purpose (or bread) flour
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes
1 Tbsp. dried basil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Mix together the water and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let stand for 5 minutes or until it’s foamy. Stir in the olive oil, salt and flour and mix with dough hook attachment. Knead for 5 minutes in the mixer until the dough is elastic and it no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. If kneading by hand, place on a flour surface and knead for 7-10 minutes. Place in a large bowl coated with non-stick spray, turn to coat other side then cover with a kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 1 1/2 – 2 hours).

2. Once dough has doubled, combine the melted butter, parsley, basil and garlic.

3. Punch down the dough and rip off small pieces about the size of a medium spoon. Roll them in the butter mixture then place in a bundt pan coated with non-stick spray. Continue until you have one layer of dough balls. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Continue the process until you have three layers of dough and cheese. Cover with a towel and let rise again for about 30 minutes.

4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Granola Squares

We are heading to Fargo on Friday to visit our old stomping grounds and I’m really excited! It’s been 5 months since we moved and although I’m finally starting to feel at home here, I still really miss our first home. And I’m totally ready to eat some delicious food including pizza, burgers and doughnuts….I should make sure to pack some maternity pants so I have some extra room.

But first on the list is driving by our old house. Our first home together, the home we brought Noah home to after he was born, the home where I instilled a love of cooking in Noah. And one of Noah’s favorite things to make and eat is granola bars. I can’t believe that I haven’t shared any with you all here.

We were taking a trip to Kansas to visit Joel’s family so I wanted to bring a treat that was dairy free for my mother-in-law and something that Noah would enjoy too. These granola squares fit the bill perfectly. They tasted cookie-like but included healthier ingredients that make it a little easier to indulge your sweet tooth.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Granola Squares
recipe slightly adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction

3/4 cup Trader Joes Cookie Butter or Biscoff Spread (or nut butter of  your choice)
2 Tbs.p coconut oil
1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. chia seeds
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
sprinkles, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8×8 pan with nonstick spray or line with foil for easy cleanup.

2. Melt the biscoff and coconut oil in the microwave. Stir in the honey/maple syrup, egg and vanilla until combined. Stir in the remaining ingredients.

3. Dump the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth it out. The original recipe states to bake for 21-24 minutes but mine took more like 30 minutes. Bake until no longer gooey and edges turn golden brown.

Spicy Lemon Chicken Wraps

This is going to be our official meal of summer. It’s light, healthy, refreshing and doesn’t heat up the house. Even Joel, who doesn’t really like chicken all that much, loves these wraps.

The combination of the warm slightly spicy, citrusy chicken with the cool and creamy guacamole is just perfect. And what makes these even more perfect is that they can be thrown together in less than 20 minutes (not counting the time to marinate). Oh, and it doesn’t dirty up too many dishes either…major bonus for the dishes man around here.

I served these delicious wraps alongside some grilled zucchini for a super simple, healthy weeknight dinner. And it didn’t receive any complaints from the peanut gallery that it “tasted too healthy.” All around win.

Spicy Lemon Chicken Wraps
recipe slightly adapted from The Londoner

3 chicken breasts, sliced into tenderloins
1 lemon, squeezed
1 tsp. chili flakes
2 tsp. paprika
6 Tbsp. hot sauce
2 Tbsp. honey
5 Tbsp. olive oil
1 big pinch of salt

3 ripe avocados
1 clove of roasted garlic, squeezed
1 big pinch of kosher salt
1 squeeze of lemon

sour cream, optional
tortilla wraps (I used whole grain, low carb)

1. Combine the lemon juice, chili flakes, paprika, hot sauce, honey, olive oil and salt in a bowl. Place chicken in a ziplock bag and pour marinade over it. Seal and marinate in fridge for a few hours.

2. Meanwhile, mash the avocados, garlic, salt and lemon juice together. Let sit on the counter for an hour to let flavors mingle or refrigerate if you aren’t eating within that time.

3. Grill chicken until no longer pink and juices run clear. Spread guacamole and a bit of sour cream onto a tortilla. Place chicken on top, wrap up and enjoy.

Loaded Baked Potato Salad

I am a huge fan of baked potatoes but now that spring has finally arrived (or so it seems) they just aren’t something I cook. I hate heating up the oven and the house once the warm weather hits and I avoid it at all cost. So what do I do when the craving strikes? Make up this loaded baked potato salad! It provides all the delicious taste of a loaded baked potato without having to heat up the oven. Plus, it’s chilled and refreshing which helps beat the heat.

There really isn’t anything not to like about this potato salad. Cheese, bacon and ranch are always a winning combination! This would be a great side dish to bring to a summer bbq or just to whip up on a weeknight with a yummy grilled steak.

Loaded Baked Potato Salad
recipe slightly adapted from Key Ingredient

4 large russet or Yukon gold potatoes
1/4 cup light mayo
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp. dry ranch seasoning
8 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 tsp. black pepper
salt to taste

1. In a small bowl, mix together the mayo and sour cream. After thoroughly combined, stir in cheese, ranch seasoning, salt and pepper.

2. Chop potatoes into bite size chunks (you can peel them if you want, I was lazy and didn’t). Boil potatoes for 10-20 minutes, until tender but not falling apart. Drain potatoes and allow to cool a bit.

3. Mix potatoes and 3/4 of the bacon into sour cream mixture. Top with remaining bacon and chill until ready to serve.

Flour Tortillas

I have a lot of things on my to-do list and these have been on it forever. You know what’s not on my list? Trying to get my darn, evil cat who has escaped outside and positioned herself under the windowsill with only about a 4 inch clearance between the house and the landscaping with rocks twice in a day. But alas, that’s what I found myself doing. She has never been an outdoor cat but still tries to take every advantage to slip by me when going out the back patio door. I think I made it worse by having the windows open all day…must have made her yearnings that much stronger. I’m starting to get a little bump so I didn’t feel comfortable laying on my stomach in an attempt to grab her so it took patience to get her out of there. And then once she was out, she was off. I’m sure the neighbors were quite amused by the bobbing and weaving moves I used to catch the brat. Twice. Just making sure you remembered.

These were a lot more fun to mark off the to-do list and didn’t result in embarrassment. But I kind of do regret finally making them homemade because now I will never want to buy them again.

They are so soft and chewy and amazing. They make the store-bought version taste like cardboard. They will be happening again very, very soon. Make a double batch and freeze the leftovers so you can have them anytime the mood strikes.

Flour Tortillas
recipe from Confections of a Foodie Bride

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp, baking powder
1 heaping tsp. salt
5 Tbsp. shortening, lard, softened butter, or olive oil*
3/4 cup warm water

1. Dump the flour, baking powder and salt into the bowl of a food processor which has been fitted with a dough blade. Add in whichever fat you have chosen to use and pulse until the mixture resembles course sand.

2. Turn on the food processor and slowly pour in the water until the dough forms a ball and moves around the bowl (you may need more or less water).

3. Leave the food processor running for 30 seconds to knead the dough. When the dough is ready, it should soft, not too sticky and clean the bowl. If you do not have a food processor, all of this can be done by hand.

4. Flour a flat surface and divide the dough evenly into 12 balls, about 2 ounces each if you have a kitchen scale. Cover with a towel and leave to rest for 10 minutes.

5. Over medium-high heat, warm a skillet (needs to be dry – no spray, olive oil, butter).

6. Dust a bit of flour over each dough ball then roll thinly into circles. Individually, place each tortilla into the hot pan and flip once they have bubbled and browned a bit, about 20 seconds per side.

7. Place on a clean plate and cover with a kitchen towel to keep them warm. Serve immediately. Eat within 3 days or freeze for future use.

*I used butter.

Pork Carnitas

My parents came for dinner last week so I decided to make one of our favorite kinds of food, Mexican. And it’s just in time to share with you all for Cinco de Mayo. I decided on these amazing pork carnitas, Mexican rice, crock pot refried beans and homemade flour tortillas (which I will be sharing with you later this week).

These carnitas may just blow your mind. For real. I’m still dreaming about that delicious taco.

Neither Joel or my brother really like pork so I was a little worried about how this would go over. The verdict…they loved it and have requested it to be made again, soon.

Although the carnitas take a little time to cook and have a few different steps, they come together very easily. And make sure not to skip anything, especially the broiling. It gives the pork a crispy, crunchy bite that is so delicious with the soft tortillas. Man, I need to stop talking about them or else I’m going to start drooling. Please run to the store for the ingredients right now and make this for your family and friends. It’s a great, easy and casual way to entertain any time of the year.

Pork Carnitas
recipe from My Kitchen Escapades

4 pound boneless pork butt, fat trimmed and cut into 2 inch cubes
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 onion, peeled and halved
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 cup water
1 medium orange, juiced and keep the spent halves

1.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees and move oven rack to the bottom of the oven. In a large dutch oven, combine all the ingredients (including the orange halves) and heat over medium high heat until it simmers. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven for about 2 hours, or until the meat falls apart when you poke it with a fork.

2.  Remove the pot from the oven and turn on the broiler.  Remove the meat from the pan and place it on a large foil-lined jelly roll pan.  Remove and throw out everything from the pot except for the cooking liquid.  Place the dutch oven over high heat on the stove and boil until thick and syrupy, about 20 minutes.  You should have about 1 cup of liquid remaining when it is finished.

3.  While the liquid is reducing, use two forks to pull each cube of pork into three equal sized pieces.  Once the liquid has become a syrup, gently fold in the pieces of pork into the pot.  Try not to break up the pork any further.  Taste and if needed, add some salt and pepper.

4.  Spread the pork back onto the foil lined pan and evenly spread the meat around so there is a single layer of meat.  Place the jelly roll pan on the lower middle rack of the oven and broil until the top of the meat is well browned and edges are slightly crisp, about 5 to 8 minutes.  Using a wide metal spatula, flip the pieces of meat and broil the other side until well browned and edges are slightly crisp, 5 to 8 minutes.  Serve immediately in a tortilla with all your favorite toppings.