Spring Sangria

Looking for the perfect cocktail to serve at all your spring and summer barbeques? Well, I’m sharing it with you today! While I can’t report on the full tastiness of this because of that big news I told you on Friday I can say I sampled it before the wine was added and it was so yummy. I can only imagine how much more tasty it was with the Moscato.

But, don’t worry, I got the full report from the peeps I made it for and I totally trust their opinions! It was light, refreshing, citrusy, bubbly and (a bit to Joel’s disappointment) not very boozy. It’s a wine cocktail for goodness sakes, it’s just supposed to taste good. That’s what I think at least. I personally really don’t like the taste of any kind of alcohol and would almost always opt for a cherry coke over a cocktail. I’m not a big wine fan (and now you are wondering why I’m writing about wine) but if I am going to drink it, I like the fruity, bubbly, juice tasting variety. So, I know I would have liked the spiked version of this.

It was just amazingly refreshing and will be especially perfect once the hot, humid weather strikes! I can’t wait to be able to try the full version of this.

Spring Sangria
recipe from Eat, Drink, Love

1 (750 mL) fruity white wine (I used Moscato)
3 cups lemon lime soda
2 cups pineapple juice
1/2 cup orange juice
Sliced lemons, limes and oranges
Sugar, optional

1. In a large pitcher, stir together the wine, lemon lime soda, pineapple juice and the orange juice. Then gently stir in the slices of fruit.

2. Place the sangria in the refrigerator for about 2 hours and serve. This is something you don’t want to make ahead of time because of the fruit. If you do need to make this more than two hours in advance, mix all the liquid ingredients together and chill. Then right before serving, add the sliced fruit.

3. If you want to pretty up the rims of your glasses, dip them lightly in water then in a shallow dish filled with sugar. Then fill ‘em up and enjoy!

Honey Lime Fruit Salad

I love to have fruit in the house for healthy snacking but sometimes it can get a little boring on it’s own. When I was a kid, we ate our fair share of fruit salad. Our fruit salad consisted of our favorite fruits mixed with a little cool whip. So yummy! But this time around, I needed a dairy-free version as my in-laws were visiting and my mother-in-law doesn’t eat dairy. I remembered this recipe I came across quite awhile ago and thought it would be the perfect way to make simple sliced fruit a little more special at breakfast.

The honey lime dressing was a bit sweet but had an amazing citrus zing that was just perfect on the fruit. You could use any fruit you like or have on hand for this recipe. I think bananas would be a great addition as long as it was being eaten right away. Don’t mix in the “dressing” too soon or the strawberries will get really soggy. I made it about a half hour before serving so it had a little time to chill together but not too long to get mushy.

This is a perfectly light and refreshing side that will be perfect throughout the much anticipated spring and summer!

Honey Lime Fruit Salad
recipe from Oh You Cook

1 pint strawberries
1 pint blueberries
1  bunch (about 1 1/2 lbs.) seedless grapes
1/4 cup honey
juice from 2 limes (about 2-3 tablespoons)

1. Rinse strawberries, blueberries and grapes then gently pat dry. Hull strawberries, then cut each in half or quarters. Remove stems from grapes and blueberries, if any.

2. Gently combine all three in a large bowl or aluminum tray. Set aside.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together honey and lime juice. Pour over fruit.

Mini Lime Cupcakes

I always love when a holiday rolls around because that means some themed baking is going to happen in my house. With St. Patty’s in a few days, I asked Noah what we should bake and he said cupcakes….so cupakes it is!

I have had this recipe pinned for quite awhile and have been waiting for the perfect recipe to bake up these little guys. I love that they are lime instead of the traditional mint or pistachio flavored cupcakes I came across for St. Patrick’s Day. I also love that they are itty bitty for easier portion control…unless you feel like you have to eat all the ugly ones since you don’t want your husband’s new co-workers to question your baking abilities….yeah, that totally didn’t happen.

Noah calls these cupcakes green tiny little baby ones. I think that kid is pretty funny. You know why else he’s funny? He is a typical boy so clothing is sometimes optional, even when cooking. I decided if he ever has a food blog it should be named “The Naked Chef” and my mom thought the tagline could be “Don’t burn your business” or “No pants, no problem.” That’s how he rolls, see.

Sorry for the tangent, he just cracks me up. I think the socks totally make the outfit.

The cake had a light lime flavor but man did the frosting pack an amazing lime zing. They were just perfect for the springtime that we are all dreaming about. It’s actually supposed to be in the 60′s today but then get chilly again this weekend.

Just wait and see what awesome cupcakes I found for Easter, you might just die.

Hope you all have a happy and safe St. Patty’s!

Mini Lime Cupcakes
recipe from A Farm Girl Dabbles

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
5 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. finely grated lime peel
Green food coloring (I always use gel food coloring because it’s more vibrant)
1-1/2 cups buttermilk

for the frosting*:
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 Tbsp. finely grated lime peel
1/2 tsp. vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, beat butter until smooth.  Add sugar and beat to blend. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then the lime juice, lime peel, and food coloring. Batter may look curdled, but that’s just fine. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, in 3 additions. Spoon batter into liners, about 2/3 full. Bake cupcakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean. This took about 12 minutes for me, but it will depend on the size of your tins, so pay close attention to your baking time. Cool 10 minutes and remove from pan. Cool completely before adding frosting. This recipe yielded 86 mini’s for me but once again, it will depend on the size of your muffin tin.

3. For the frosting: beat all ingredients in medium bowl until smooth.  With a medium-large plain round tip, pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes, or simply spread it on with a knife.  Sprinkle a bit of fresh lime zest over tops, if desired.

*The frosting only made enough to frost about 2/3 of my mini’s. I would recommend making a recipe and a half if you have a tiny mini muffin tin (the silicone ones seem to be bigger so if that is what you are using you should be fine with the original amount).

Cuban Grilled Salmon

We are still dreaming of our Florida vacation and that delicious Cuban food we devoured so I wanted to make something reminiscent of our trip. This Cuban-Style Salmon (chicken for me) was just what we needed. The flavors were bright due to the lemon {or lime} and cilantro. Plus, it was super easy to throw together on a busy weeknight.

I served it with brown rice and black beans and it was totally delish!

Cuban-Style Grilled Salmon
recipe from Food Network

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 2 lemons or limes
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 large shallots, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Kosher salt
1/2 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
4 6-ounce center-cut salmon fillets, skin removed

1. Preheat a grill to medium high. In a large bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons olive oil, the juice of 1 lemon, the garlic, shallots, cumin, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt and half of the cilantro. Add the salmon and turn to coat. Let marinate 15 minutes at room temperature.

2. Brush the grill with vegetable oil. Grill the salmon, round side down, until marked on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Turn and continue grilling until marked on the other side and cooked through, 2 to 3 more minutes. Divide the salmon among plates.

Pad Thai

Joel and I love Pad Thai but for some reason it’s something that I have never attempted to make at home. I love cooking Asian food and do probably once a week so naturally this has been in the back of my mind to whip up. I think it just seemed intimidating but turns out it’s just as easy as any other Asian recipe I have made.

And I recently found out about an awesome Asian market in our downtown area so I didn’t have to worry about any unusual ingredients called for in the recipe. You wouldn’t believe the stuff I came home with after my first trip. There was almost an entire aisle of just noodles so you can only imagine how many types came home with me….let’s just say the pantry is stocked for quite awhile. Some of them aren’t in English so I have no idea what to do with them but they looked super delicious!

Ok, I totally got distracted by noodles. Not the first time and probably not the last. Anyway…the Pad Thai ended up tasting incredibly authentic and we were very pleasantly surprised with the outcome. And it was really pretty which made this meal even more appetizing.

Chicken Pad Thai
recipe from New Cookbook by Better Homes and Gardens

8 ounces rice noodles (Vietnamese bahn pho or Thai sen-mee)
1/4 cup salted peanuts, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. grated lime peel
3 Tbsp. fish sauce
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
4 1/2 tsp. rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. Asian chili sauce with garlic
3 Tbsp. cooking oil
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-size strips
1 Tbsp. finely chopped garlic
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
1/3 cup sliced green onion
2 Tbsp. snipped fresh cilantro

1. Place noodles in a large bowl. Add enough hot water to cover them; let stand for 10-15 minutes or until the noodles are pliable but not soft. Drain well in a colander.

2. Meanwhile, for peanut topping, combine peanuts and lime peel; set aside.

3. In a small bowl combine fish sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, rice vinegar and chile sauce; stir until smooth. Set aside.

4. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and garlic; cook and stir about 6 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Transfer to a bowl.

5. Add egg to the hot skillet and cook for 30 seconds. Turn egg with spatula and cook for 30 to 60 seconds more, just until set. Remove egg from skillet; chop egg and set aside.

6. In same skillet heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil over high heat for 30 seconds. Add drained noodles and the sprouts; stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add fish sauce mixture and chicken; cook for 1 to 2 minutes more or until heated through. Divide noodles mixture among four plates. Sprinkle each serving with egg, peanut topping, green onion and cilantro.

Recipe linked to Totally Tasty Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Cast Party Wednesday, What I Whipped Up Wednesday and Full Plate Thursday.

Baja Fish Tacos

Summer is on the way and if you haven’t noticed by now, I’m kind of obsessed with grilling. And this is the perfect light and refreshing summer supper. It involves a few components but they are quick and easy to throw together and totally worth the work. Even better, the sauces can be mixed up hours ahead of time and refrigerated and the veggies can be chopped so all you have to do is grill the fish then assemble.

The sauces are just delicious together…the avocado is thick and creamy while the mayo sauce is thin and tangy. I love the crunch of the cabbage (or lettuce if you don’t have cabbage on hand) and when it combines with the mayo sauce it tastes a bit like coleslaw. It’s so refreshing with the light, grilled fish.

Baja Fish Tacos
recipe from Taste and Tell

Fish: 4 (6- 8-ounce) mahimahi fillets, I used tilapia
olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
juice of 1 lime

Avocado Sauce:
Flesh of 2 medium-ripe avocados
juice of 1 lime
handful of fresh cilantro leaves
pinch of cayenne pepper

Tangy Mayo Sauce:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons water

10 to 12 (6-inch) soft flour tortillas
1 small head cabbage, shredded
2 medium tomatoes, diced
4 scallions, thinly sliced

1. Preheat a grill to high.  Drizzle fish on both sides with olive oil ans sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Grill 5 to 7 minutes per side, or until opaque.  Remove from heat and drizzle with lime juice.

2. In a small food processor or blender, process avocado, lime juice, cilantro and cayenne until smooth, the consistency of thick cream.  (Add water to thin, if necessary.)  Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

3. Place tortillas on top grill rack and heat through, 30 to 60 seconds.  Arrange food on a table for self-service.  To assemble, hold a tortilla in your hand and spread a spoonful of avocado sauce on it.  Add some fish and drizzle with tangy mayo sauce.  Top with cabbage, tomatoes, and scallions.

Mexican Chicken Salad with Chili Lime Vinaigrette

In honor of Cinco de Mayo I wanted to bring you all one of my new favorite salad recipes, Mexican Chicken Salad with Chili Lime Vinaigrette. It was pretty much like an explosion in your mouth of Mexican flavor!

The vinaigrette was tangy, zippy and spicy which worked wonderfully with the cool greens, warm chicken, black bean pico and ranch dressing. I think this vinaigrette could be used as a quick and easy marinade for chicken this summer too.

Everything combines to create a light and refreshing salad that is surprisingly filling! Give it a try tomorrow for a yummy Mexican meal!

Mexican Chicken Salad with Chili Lime Vinaigrette
recipe from 4 Little Fergusons

FOR THE CHILI-LIME DRESSING:
2 Tablespoons Fresh Lime Juice (about 2 Small Limes)
1 teaspoon Grated Lime Zest
1 teaspoon Chopped Garlic
½ teaspoons Chili Powder
½ teaspoons Salt
¼ teaspoons Ground Pepper
¼ teaspoons Cumin
⅓ cups Olive Oil

FOR THE PICO DE GALLO:
1 whole Red Pepper, Diced
1 whole Yellow Pepper, Diced
½ whole Red Onion, Diced
⅓ cups Fresh Cilantro, Snipped
1 can Corn, Drained (15 Ounce Can)
1 can Black Beans, Drained And Rinsed (15 Ounce Can)
1 whole Large Tomato, Diced

FOR THE SALAD:
8 cups Mixed Greens Of Your Choice
4 whole Grilled Seasoned Chicken Breasts, Cubed
1 whole Hass Avocado, Mashed
1 Tablespoon Lime Juice
Mexican Cheese To Taste
Your Favorite Ranch Dressing
Crunchy Tortilla Strips

1. Combine all of the dressing ingredients and mix well.

2. Combine all of the pico de gallo ingredients and mix well.

3. To assemble salad: place mixed greens on each plate, add a generous helping of pico, some grilled chicken cubes and cheese. Add a dollop of mashed avocado (mix the avocado with the lime juice and some salt, to taste) to the top of each salad.

4. Drizzle with mostly ranch dressing and a small amount of the lime dressing. Top with tortilla strips.

Recipe linked to Mangia Monday, Totally Tasty Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Cast Party Wednesday.

Guacamole

Today is National Guacamole Day. I recently looked up food holidays and found that 2 foods on my Top 100 were “days” in September! Guacamole was one of them so I jumped at having a reason to whip some up.

Guacamole is another one of those foods that I thought I didn’t like and I’m not even sure that I have ever tried it. Lame. Turns out I do like it! I was looking around for recipes and found one by Alton Brown and knew I had hit the jackpot. He never lets me down!

I altered the recipe a bit by leaving out the tomatoes because Joel and I aren’t big fans but if you enjoy them I definitely think it would be a great addition. I also cut down on the amount of cayenne since a certain somebody in my house is kind of wimpy (I will list the original amount of cayenne in the recipe).

The lime juice and spices really make this a standout recipe that I will be making over and over again. I hope that you all will try it and have a Happy Guacamole Day!

Guacamole
recipe from Alton Brown

3 Haas avocados, halved, seeded and peeled
1 lime, juiced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 clove  garlic, minced

In a large bowl place the scooped avocado pulp and lime juice, toss to coat. Drain, and reserve the lime juice, after all of the avocados have been coated. Using a potato masher add the salt, cumin, and cayenne and mash. Then, fold in the onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and garlic. Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved lime juice. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour and then serve.

Linked to Friday Food, Fat Camp Friday, Mangia Monday’s , Tasty Tuesday, Recipe Sharing Monday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Cast Party Wednesday, This Chick Cooks, Full Plate Thursday and Fusion Fridays.

Cherry Limeade Cupcakes

Joel just got through with his yearly review and got really great feedback. I wanted to surprise him with a dessert he would love and immediately thought of Cotton Candy Cupcakes. He loves cotton candy (I personally do not) and always gets cotton candy ice cream when we visit Cold Stone. Well, I searched Fargo high and low but had no luck finding the cotton candy flavoring that is called for in the recipe. Not surprising but disappointing nonetheless. But I will be purchasing cotton candy flavoring to make these for Joel…maybe for his birthday? You say his birthday isn’t for 3 months? Yes, I’m a little bit of a compulsive planner. Sue me.

Anyway, the second cupcake that I knew he would just love was Cherry Limeade Cupcakes. We love Sonic limeades but don’t get them too often since we do not have one in town. I thought this would be a unique, great surprise that he would really enjoy. And he did.

The cupcakes had an amazingly light texture that neither of us could believe. We just kept eating them to make sure the first wasn’t a fluke. Joel absolutely loved the frosting due to all the maraschino cherry juice which he loves. The sweetness of the frosting balanced out the lemon-lime zippiness in the cake.

Check out these Paula Deen cupcake liners I picked up at Michael’s. Oh Paula of course your cupcake liners would say such a thing – “A Well Balanced Diet is a Cupcake in Each Hand!” And that is why I find her so entertaining!

Cherry Limeade Cupcakes
recipe from The Culinary Enthusiast

2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups milk
4 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar
zest of 3 limes
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 tsp. pure lemon extract

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 cupcake pans with liners.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Whisk together the milk and egg whites in a medium bowl.
4. Put the sugar and lime zest in a mixer bowl and mix until the sugar is moist and fragrant.  Add the butter and working with the paddle or whisk attachment beat at medium speed for 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light.
5. Beat in the extract, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed. Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated. Add the rest of the milk and eggs beating until the batter is mixed well, then add the last of the dry ingredients. Continue mixing for 2 minutes.
6. Divide the batter between 18-24 cupcakes, filling each about 1/2 full.
7. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the cupcakes are well risen and springy to the touch. Transfer the cupcakes cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes. Frost and decorate after fully cooled.

Cherry Frosting
3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
4-8 Tbsp. maraschino cherry juice
red food coloring (optional)

Combine the powdered sugar, butter and maraschino cherry juice in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low speed until sugar is incorporated, then increase to medium-high speed and beat until smooth. Add more maraschino cherry juice as needed to achieve desired texture. Add red food coloring if desired (I did not add any).
Frost cooled cupcakes. Garnish with lime slices and maraschino cherries, if desired.Linked to Fat Camp Friday,  Sweets for a Saturday, Recipe Sharing Monday, Mangia Monday, Tasty Tuesday, This Chick Cooks , Cast Party Wednesday, Full Plate Thursday, This Week’s Cravings and Fusion Friday.

Lime-N-Coconut Cupcakes

Three years ago today, I married the guy of my dreams and we started our life together.  So in honor of our third anniversary, I decided to make Lime and Coconut Cupcakes to celebrate.

We spent 10 glorious days in the U.S. Virgin Islands for our honeymoon and it was the vacation of a lifetime!  We swam, snorkeled, ate, kayaked, hiked, ate, explored, shopped, snuba dived, ate and enjoyed many delicious tropical cocktails.  These cupcakes are a re-creation of a favorite drink enjoyed on the islands, the Lime-n-Coconut.  Here I am enjoying one of many on our trip.

I fell in love with this little platter on our trip and it just had to come home with me.  When I go on vacation, I like purchasing souvenirs that are unique, useful and special and this definitely fit the bill.

When I tried the batter I was a little worried because the lime flavor didn’t really come through.  I worried for nothing.  The lime was ridiculously tart in an amazing way.  The batter was so light and airy and probably one of the best cupcakes I’ve ever made.  I think I may try subbing lemon or orange juice for the lime to see if they are just as yummy.

I have always been intrigued by buttercreams using flour but have never been brave enough to try it.  After seeing this recipe and all the rave reviews it received I decided it was time to give it a go and I’m really glad that I did.  The original recipe called for milk but Mara from What’s For Dinner?  substituted coconut milk to make it extra coconut-y.  Amazing idea!  It adds an extra sweetness and a delicious coconut dimension beyond just stirring in coconut flakes.  It was creamy, it was dreamy, it was everything a frosting should be.  The only pitfall of this recipe is that it does not pipe well so it’s not as pretty but the taste definitely makes up for it.

Lime Cupcakes
recipe from What’s For Dinner?
yields 15-18 cupcakes

2 sticks salted butter
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 tsp. baking powder
2 eggs
1 tsp. salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place the butter in a small saucepan and melt over low heat. Whisk the warm butter so no milk solids remain. Mix the melted butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer until the sugar is well-dissolved.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Add the lime juice.
4. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and add to the butter mixture alternately with the milk in 3 additions.
5. Mix until just combined then scoop into lined cupcake tins or one 9×5 loaf pan. Bake until lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean, about 25 minutes for cupcakes and 45-50 minutes for a loaf pan. Allow to cool completely then frost.

Coconut Buttercream
recipe adapted from Tasty Kitchen

5 Tbsp. flour
1 cup coconut milk (found in baking section near the condensed and evaporated milk)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup shredded coconut

1. In a small saucepan, whisk flour into milk and heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens. You want it to be very thick, thicker than cake mix, more like a brownie mix. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. (If you are in a hurry, place the saucepan over ice in the sink for about 10 minutes or so until the mixture cools.) It must be completely cool before you use it in the next step. Stir in vanilla.
2. While the mixture is cooling, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. You don’t want any sugar graininess left. Then add the completely cooled milk/flour/vanilla mixture and beat the living daylights out of it. If it looks separated, you haven’t beaten it enough! Beat it until it all combines and resembles whipped cream.  Stir in shredded coconut.
3. Frost cooled cupcakes and enjoy!

Recipe linked to Everyday Sisters twice!