Christina's Pineapple Sorbet with Ginger

from Bitten

2 cups pineapple puree
1/2 cup sugar (to taste; I thought 1/2 cup was way too much)
2 teaspoons very finely minced fresh or candied ginger, or 1/2 teaspoon dried ginger, or to taste

Whisk the sugar and ginger into the puree, and freeze the mixture in an ice cream maker, according to the manufacturer's directions. This sorbet is best the same day it is made.

Christina's Strawberry Coulis

from Smitten Kitchen

2 cups quartered hulled strawberries (about 12 ounces)
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Combine strawberries, water, sugar and lemon juice in blender. Purée until very smooth. Cover and refrigerate until cold. Coulis can be prepared one day ahead.

Christina's Banana Cookies

from Simply Recipes by Elise

* 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, room temperature
* 1 cup of sugar
* 1 egg, room temperature
* 1 cup of mashed bananas (about 2 large bananas)
* 1 teaspoon of baking soda
* 2 cups of flour
* pinch of salt
* 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon of ground mace or nutmeg
* 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves
* 1/2 cup oats or quick oats
* 1/2 cup pecans, walnuts or chocolate chips

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and continue to beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.

2 In a bowl, mix the mashed bananas and baking soda. Let sit for 2 minutes. The baking soda will react with the acid in the bananas which in turn will give the cookies their lift and rise.

3 Mix the banana mixture into the butter mixture. Mix together the flour, salt, and spices and sift into the butter and banana mixture and mix until just combined.

4 Fold into the batter the oats and nuts/chocolate. Drop in dollops onto parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until nicely golden brown. Let cool on wire racks.

Makes about 30 cookies.

Christina's Cream of Asparagus Soup

1 1/2 lb. asparagus
4 Tbs. butter
1 yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup dry vermouth (optional)
3 cups chicken stock, plus more as needed
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3/4 cup heavy cream

Snap off the tough stem ends from the asparagus spears. Chop the asparagus into 1-inch pieces.
In a heavy soup pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the vermouth and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the chopped asparagus and the 3 cups stock. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook until the asparagus is tender, about 20 minutes.
Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth, about 2 minutes. Stir in the cream plus more stock if needed to reach the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Set the pan over low heat and reheat the soup to serving temperature.
Ladle the soup into warmed bowls, garnish with the asparagus tips and serve immediately. Serves 4.

Christina's Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

from Cafe Johnsonia

2 pork tenderloins, about 1 lb. each
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp dried thyme
12 slices bacon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the oven rack in the center of the oven.
Line a jelly-roll pan with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
Trim the fat and silver skin from the pork tenderloins. Dry off the surface of the tenderloins with a paper towel. Mix together: pepper, garlic and onion powder, and thyme. Rub the surface of the tenderloins with the spice mixture. You may also need to even up the ends by tucking the thin part underneath, but you won't need twine, the bacon will help hold it just fine.
Begin at the end and wrap the bacon around each tenderloin at a slight angle--overlapping and layering each strip to completely cover the tenderloin.
Roast for about 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 150 to 160 degrees. Any higher and the tenderloin will be overcooked. You want the center to be slightly pink, but not raw.
Let the tenderloins rest for a few minutes before serving. To serve, cut into 1-2" slices.
If you aren't on a diet, drizzle the tenderloin slices with the rendered fat and juices.

Christina's Raspberry Buttermilk Cake

from Smitten Kitchen

1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick (56 grams) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup (146 grams) plus 1 1/2 tablespoons (22 grams) sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (optional)
1 large (57 grams) egg
1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1 cup fresh raspberries (about 5 oz)

Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside. In a larger bowl, beat butter and 2/3 cup (146 grams) sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about two minutes, then beat in vanilla and zest, if using. Add egg and beat well.

At low speed, mix in flour mixture in three batches, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour, and mixing until just combined.Spoon batter into cake pan, smoothing top. Scatter raspberries evenly over top and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons (22 grams) sugar.

Bake until cake is golden and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool to warm, 10 to 15 minutes more. Invert onto a plate.

Christina's Asian Tropical Fruit Salad

from Steamy Kitchen

One can rambutan, lychee or longan, drained
1/2 fresh pineapple, cut into chunks
1 mango, cut into chunks
2 kiwi fruits, cut into small chunks
1 pint strawberries
juice of ½ lime (optional)
fresh mint leaves, julienned (optional)

In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and toss.

Christina's Vietnamese Chicken

from Better Homes and Gardens

4 medium skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound total)
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy sauce (NOT dark soy sauce)
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped peanuts (optional)

1. Combine sesame oil and crushed red pepper; brush over chicken.
2. Grill chicken on the lightly greased rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes or until tender and no longer pink, turning once. Not having a grill, I put the chicken in a grill pan on my stove. Still tasted great.
3. Meanwhile, for sauce, in a small saucepan, stir together sugar, peanut butter, soy sauce, oil, garlic, and 2 tablespoons water. Heat on low until sugar is dissolved, stirring frequently.

Christina's Peanut Butter Cookies

from Smitten Kitchen

1¼ cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter at room temperature (smooth or chunky)
¾ cup sugar
½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup peanut butter chips (optional)
½ cup chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Add the milk and the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly. Stir in the peanut butter chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving several inches between for expansion. Using a fork, lightly indent with a crissscross pattern, but do not overly flatten cookies. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes. Do not overbake. Cookies may appear to be underdone, but they are not.

Cool the cookies on the sheets for 1 minute, then remove to a rack to cool completely.

Christina's Asparagus Risotto

from Simply Recipes by Elise

1 pound asparagus
3 Tbsp plus 1 teaspoon butter
1/2 cup chopped shallots
1 cup rice
1/2 cup dry white wine (or 1 Tbsp lemon juice and 1/4 cup water)
About 3 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper

Prepare the asparagus by breaking off discarding the tough ends (about the last inch of the spear). Cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch pieces (tips longer, base shorter). If your asparagus are especially large, cut into even smaller (bite-size) pieces. Bring a saucepan with a quart of water to a boil. Blanch the asparagus pieces for 2 minutes. At the end of two minutes, use a slotted spoon to remove the asparagus pieces to an ice water bath to shock the asparagus into a vibrant green color and to stop the cooking. Drain from the ice water bath and set aside.

In a 3 or 4 quart saucepan, heat 3 Tbsp butter on medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for a few minutes until translucent. Add the rice and cook for 2 minutes more, stirring until nicely coated.

While the shallots are cooking, bring the stock to a simmer in a saucepan.

Add the wine. Slowly stir, allowing the rice to absorb the wine. Once the wine is almost completely absorbed, add 1/2 cup of stock to the rice. Continue to stir until the liquid is almost completely absorbed, adding more stock in 1/2 cup increments. Stir often to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Continue cooking and stirring rice, adding a little bit of broth at a time, cooking and stirring until it is absorbed, until the rice is tender, but still firm to the bite, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat. (Note the stock amount given is approximate. You may need a little more or less. If you end up needing more stock and you find yourself without, just use water or the cooking water from the asparagus.)

Gently stir in the Parmesan cheese, the remaining 1 teaspoon butter, and the asparagus. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Christina's Tomato and Egg Curry

from Fun Foods - On a Budget!

4 eggs
1 cup rice
1 tbsp. margarine
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1-2 tsp. cornstarch
Curry powder, turmeric (gives it that fun yellow color!), and cinnamon to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Cover eggs with water in a saucepan and bring to a rolling boil. Turn off heat, cover, and let sit for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook rice according to package directions.

After the eggs are done, drain and remove from pan. Set aside to cool slightly. In saucepan, melt butter and add onions. Saute until transparent. Stir in tomatoes and cornstarch. Cook over medium heat until thickened. Season to taste with curry powder, turmeric, cinnamon, salt and pepper.

When eggs are cool enough to handle, peel and cut in half or quarters. Gently add to tomato sauce. Heat through, and serve over rice.

Christina's Cheesecake with Lemon Curd

from Epicurious

* 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
* 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 3 large eggs
* 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

For crust

* 1 1/3 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs (5 oz)
* 1/3 cup sugar
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For filling

* 3 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, softened
* 1 cup sugar
* 3 large eggs
* 3/4 cup sour cream
* 1 teaspoon vanilla

* Accompaniment: blueberries (optional)

Make lemon curd:
Whisk together zest, juice, sugar, and eggs in a 2-quart heavy saucepan. Add butter and cook over moderately low heat, whisking frequently, until curd is thick enough to hold marks of whisk and first bubbles appear on surface, about 6 minutes.

Force lemon curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a wide shallow dish, scraping bottom of sieve, then cover surface with wax paper. Cool completely, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Make and bake crust:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Invert bottom of springform pan (to make it easier to slide cake off bottom), then lock on side. 3Stir together crust ingredients in a bowl, then press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of springform pan. Place springform pan in a shallow baking pan and bake 10 minutes, then cool crust completely in springform pan on a rack.

Make filling and bake cheesecake:
Reduce oven temperature to 300°F.

Beat together cream cheese and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add eggs 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Beat in sour cream and vanilla until combined.

Pour two thirds of cream cheese filling into crust, then spoon half of lemon curd over filling and swirl curd into filling with a small knife. (Avoid touching crust with knife to prevent crumbs getting into filling.) Repeat with remaining filling and curd.

Bake cheesecake until set 1 1/2 inches from edge but center trembles when pan is gently shaken, about 45 minutes. (Center of cake will appear very loose but will continue to set as it cools.) Transfer springform pan to a rack and immediately run a knife around top edge of cake to loosen. Cool completely, about 2 hours, then chill, uncovered, at least 4 hours. Remove side of springform pan before serving.

Christina's Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon-Sugar Chips

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips - Our Best Bites

Choose your fruit based on color so it will be pretty.

Red: Strawberries, raspberries or pomegranate seeds could work.
Orange: Mango, peaches or nectarines.
Yellow: Pineapple, either fresh or canned.
Green: Kiwi or honeydew.
Blue: Blueberries. The original recipe also said blackberries, but I tried that and didn't like it.

If you are using any type of berries, you'll want to stir them in at the last minute so they don't dye the whole salsa.

If you want to add sweetener, you can add honey or sugar (white or brown), but I thought that the fruit with the cinnamon chips was sweet enough. You can also add extras like lime juice, coconut, mint or cinnamon. I think I added a little cinnamon and lime and I liked it.

Baked Cinnamon Chips

Flour Tortillas
Melted Butter
Cinnamon Sugar

Preheat oven to 350.

Lightly brush one side of each tortilla with melted butter. You could use cooking spray instead of butter.Then sprinkle on some cinnamon sugar.

Use a pizza cutter to cut those tortillas into wedges.

Place them on an ungreased baking sheet and bake them in the oven for about 10 minutes. You'll see them crisp up. Watch for the edges to turn up.
Remove from oven and let cool.

Christina's Soda Scones

from my mom

2/3 c butter or margarine, melted

1/3 c milk

1 egg

1 1/2 c all-purpose flour (I use 1/4 c whole wheat)

1 1/4 c quick oats, uncooked

1/4 c sugar

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 425. Add butter, milk and egg to combined dry ingredients; mix just until dry ingredients are moistened. Shape dough to form ball; gently pat out on lightly floured surface to form 8-inch circle. Cut into 8-12 wedges; Bake on greased cookie sheet in preheated hot oven 12-15 minutes or until light golden brown. Serve warm at breakfast or brunch with butter, preserves or honey.

Christina's Honey-Lime Chicken Enchiladas

from Tangled and True

* 1/3 cup honey
* 1/4 cup lime juice (about 2 large limes)
* 2 teaspoons to 1 Tablespoon chili powder
* 2 large cloves of garlic, finely minced or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 large breasts), cooked and shredded
* 12 corn tortillas
* 2 cups of Mexican cheese blend, shredded (1 small bag usually is 2 cups)
* 1 14-oz can of green enchilada sauce (mild or medium, to your taste)
* 1/2 to 3/4 cup of heavy cream
* nonstick cooking spray
* 1 Tablespoon of chopped cilantro, to garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place the cooked and shredded chicken in a medium sized bowl. Set aside. In a small bowl, place the honey, lime juice, chili powder and minced garlic or garlic powder. Whisk together thoroughly to combine. Pour this mixture over the chicken and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to marinate while you prepare the tortillas, 30 minutes or up to 1 hour, in the refrigerator.

Heat a large griddle till a drop of water skitters across (about 350 degrees F). Spray the surface with non-stick cooking spray or a oil it with a little bit of canola oil in between each round of tortillas. Heat tortillas about 20 seconds on each side till warm and flexible and some golden brown spots have appeared. Remove the tortillas from the griddle and keep them between a couple of paper towels until ready to use.

Spray the sides and bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish lightly with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl combine the enchilada sauce and the heavy cream. Spread about 1/2 cup of the mixture in the bottom of the oiled baking dish.

Add a large spoonful (about 2 tablespoons) of the chicken mixture to the center of each tortilla in a line. Cover the chicken with a large tablespoon (or big pinch) of cheese, then roll the tortilla up from one side to make a rolled enchilada - it will be more of an over lap on the seam side that rolled tightly. Place the enchilada seam side down in the baking dish starting at one end with the long edge parallel to the longest side of the pan so that you end up with two columns of six enchiladas each.

Repeat with the remaining chicken, cheese and tortillas. You will use about 1 1/2 cups of the cheese for the filling and set the remainder aside for topping the enchiladas in the pan. Add the remaining marinade mixture to the enchilada sauce and cream mixture, if desired. Pour this mixture over the top of all the enchiladas. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Bake the enchiladas for 30 to 35 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly and starting to brown on top. Serve with sour cream, black beans, and rice or a green salad for a great meal.

Christina's Sweet Potato Fries

source unknown

2 large sweet potatoes
1 packet taco seasoning
olive oil

Peel the sweet potatoes, then rinse them and wrap them in plastic wrap. Put them in the microwave for just about 5 minutes (give or take) to make sure the insides of the fries will be soft and to make the chopping easier...but you don't want them too soft or they'll be soggy fries. Then chop them up to a fry-like shape on the cutting board and place them in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, season with 1/2 packet of taco seasoning on them and stir. Spread the fries out on a cookie sheet and put them in the oven on the broil setting. Broil 5-10 minutes, and then flip to the other side. They'll start looking almost blistered when they are ready to come out.

For dipping sauce, mix other 1/2 packet of taco seasoning with 1/2 - 1 C sour cream.

Christina's Quick 'n' Easy Zucchini Soup

from Fun Foods on a Budget

1 1/2 lb. zucchini, unpeeled and sliced thin (or shredded)
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup butter
1 can chicken broth (or equivalent of water and bouillon)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup light cream (or evaporated milk)
Parsley for garnish (optional)

Saute zucchini and onion in butter til limp. Add chicken broth and simmer covered 15 minutes. Puree in blender. Add cream of chicken soup, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and cream. Mix well. Heat through and serve.

Christina's Roasted Broccoli

from Barefoot Contessa

Two large bunches of broccoli
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Pepper
4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1 lemon
pine nuts (optional)
Parmesan cheese

Put the broccoli on a cookie sheet. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Now add 4 garlic cloves that are peeled and sliced and toss them in, too. Roast in the oven 20 to 25 minutes at 425 degrees, until crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned.

When it's done, take it out of the oven and zest a lemon over the broccoli, squeeze the lemon juice over the broccoli, add 1.5 Tbs more olive oil, 3 Tbs toasted pine nuts (optional), and 1/3 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Can also 2 Tbs julienned fresh basil (optional), but I left that out.

Christina's Ranchero Mexi-Chicken Crostada

from Picky Palate

1 roll Pillsbury Pie crust, thawed
1 can chunk chicken (from Costco), or about 1 ½ Cups cooked shredded chicken
1 drained can Mild Rotel diced tomatoes with chilies
½ Cup fresh chopped cilantro leaves
1 Teaspoon Ranch dressing seasoning, from packet that makes the dip
1 teaspoon cumin
Pinch of salt and pepper
½ Cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon Lawry’s garlic salt with parsley

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Unroll pie crust and place onto a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with non stick cooking spray.

2. Place chicken, tomatoes, cilantro, ranch seasoning, cumin, salt and pepper into a large bowl. With a fork, stir and cut up chicken pieces until well combined. Pour chicken mixture into the center of pie crust and top with cheddar cheese, leaving about 1 ½ inch border around edges. Fold crust up over chicken forming little pleats every 2 inches or so pressing gently. Brush edges with olive oil and sprinkle crust with garlic salt.

3. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until crust is golden brown on edges. Let cool for 5 minutes then cut into wedges to serve.

Christina's Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits

from Café Johnsonia

2 cups all-purpose flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup shortening (I use butter flavored Crisco)
3/4 cup buttermilk

Heat oven to 425 degrees F.

In large bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in shortening until crumbly.

Stir in buttermilk just until moistened. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth (1 min.). Roll out dough to 3/4-inch thickness. Cut into 8 biscuits; place 1-inch apart on cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 to 14 minutes or until lightly browned.