Tuesday, June 25, 2013

"Couldn't Find Key Lime Juice" - Pie Frozen Yogurt


Key lime pie is one of my favorites.  So is 'Key Lime Pie Scream' an ice cream flavor I recall fondly from Luke's, a local Atlanta Ice Cream Shop near my college that puts an entire pie in their ice cream.  So rich and so delicious.

The fun of my new ice cream maker, is being able to lighten up recipes, having control over my ingredients, and it is just plain delicious.  I found this recipe on Wicked Yummy, and was inspired.  Problem being I couldn't find Key Lime juice at 4 grocery stores and I was getting desperate.  The ice cream bowl was in the freezer and ripe for the making.  I had all the other ingredients, and I had lemons and limes, so I went with it.  I was home watching tv and doing puzzles with the roommate.  We NEEDED fro yo.

Holy smokes, if there were straws in the apartment last night, I would have inhaled a quart of this in the soft serve state.  (Or 1/2 at least as my roommate would've fought me for it, probably.)  Instead we had a ramekin amount.  Twice.

Ingredients:
32 oz container plain fat free yogurt
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup lemon juice (~ 2 lemons)
1/4 cup lime juice (~ 2 limes)
zest of 1 lime; zest of 1 lemon
4 sheets of graham crackers

Directions:
Mix yogurt, sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, lime juice, zest, and 2 graham sheets crumbled.
Put in ice cream maker according to directions.  With a Kitchen Aid, you set it up, turn it on, and pour it in.  20 minutes later add 2 more cracker sheets crumbled for a few minutes.  Voila.  Eat some soft serve style and freeze the rest for later and have a harder fro yo.




Monday, June 24, 2013

Sweet and Spicy Pork Butt Tacos

Taco with shredded pork;
light mexican cheese; hot sauce;
mixed greens; avocado; and  yogurt sauce.
I felt like dusting my crock pot off yesterday.  I have a great cookbook by America's Test Kitchen on slow-cookers.  I recommend it highly.  I decided to use their recipe with some modifications... (Like if I am buying a can of juice, I'll just dump the whole can in.. And also, the store I went to didn't have the dried peppers, so I bought canned - which I'm sure ended up being way easier.)

Ingredients:
Small piece of pork butt.  I used 1.5 pound and I think it was actually shoulder.  There was no visible fat on it. 
1 small can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 T cumin
1 tsp cloves
5 cloves garlic
12-oz can pineapple juice
salt and pepper

Directions:
Puree half of adobo peppers and sauce, half can pineapple juice, garlic cloves, cumin, and cloves.  Salt and pepper pork.  Place in crock.  Cover with puree.  Add rest of pineapple juice to crock.  Add more cumin, because you can't really have too much.  Cook on high for 5-7 hours or low for 8-10 hours.  Remove pork to bowl.  Let cool for 10 minutes.  Shred with forks.  Remove fat from liquid left in crock.  Discard.  Add about a cup of remaining liquid to pork.  Taste.  Salt if necessary.

Make tacos.  Save some for lunches.  Put a few portions in freezer bags for later.  When I make tacos I like to whip up a quick mock-sour cream.  Fat-free plain greek yogurt + garlic powder + lime juice + cilantro.  Mix to taste.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

So That's What You Do with Kohlrabi



Super delicious.  Thanks to stumbling upon a @HuffPostTaste tweet 'WTF to do when your CSA gives you kohlrabi,' I discovered this recipe in their comments section.  It was simple, delicious, and can be good leftlover... I modified it slightly because recipes that call for half of a lemon seem ridiculous, in my opinion.  Just use the whole dang lemon...

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Serves ~ 4
Ingredients

1 kohlrabi bulb
1 green apple
1 lemon
1/2 C plain fat free greek yogurt
1 T honey
Salt and Pepper

Directions
Zest and juice 1 lemon.  Julienne the green apple, leaving the peel on.  Toss the lemon juice with the apple to keep from browning.  Slice kohlrabi greens off the top.  Cut the rough outside off.  Julienne the interior.  Add the kohlrabi to the bowl.  Add honey and yogurt.  Stir well.  Add a little salt and pepper.  Enjoy!  Best part is the leftovers will be just as good!

*** Update 6/21/13 -  Put 1/4 of this recipe on top of mixed greens with 1 oz pepper jack cheese, 1/4 avocado, and 1 boiled egg and you have the most delicious salad.  Ever.     

Monday, June 10, 2013

When Life Gives You Garlic Scape, Make Pesto

I discovered this pesto recipe last year when the CSA had garlic scape.  I had never heard of it before - but that's the beauty of the CSA.  Forced kitchen experiments.  I woke up Sunday morning, made coffee, and then on a whim decided to whip up this 4 ingredient deliciousness with my immersion blender before heading to Bob and Edith's for breakfast, since I had the ingredients on hand.  And it takes about as long to make as it takes to plug in the blender.

I used it as a cucumber dip today and at somepoint this week will probably use it on whole wheat pasta, with greens and chicken or something.  It is very fresh, lemon-ey, and garlic-ey.

Ingredients:
3 garlic scapes
1 lemon - zest and juice
enough olive oil to taste
enough parm to taste (I keep some in the freezer because I can't eat it fast enough.  Worked perfectly.)

Directions:
Put in immersion blender attachment or in a food processor.  Press the button.  Add more of something if you need to.  Eat however you see fit.

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Clean Out the Veggie Drawer Tacos


 Today is CSA pick-up day!  I swear, it's like I get Christmas once a week in the form of a Lancaster Farm Fresh box. But in order to make room in my fridge for this week's delectables, I was having a bit of a backlog and needing to eat to make space.  My own damned fault, really.  I had the audacity to buy veggies in a grocery store.  Even though I am well aware of the fact that my second full time job is preparing and eating the CSA.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoy it.  I have gotten to the point of packing dinners to take to work to eat before happy hours.  Kale > bar food, in case you were wondering.  Anyways, I digress... My tacos:


Ingredients
1 T canola oil
1 summer squash diced
1 bunch asparagus diced
4 scallions diced
1 can black beans
1/2 bunch cilantro
3 small tomatoes
1 mango diced
avocado
2 limes
corn taco shells


Directions
Heat pan to medium heat. Add oil.  Add asparagus, squash, scallions.  Season  well with cumin, garlic  powder, and salt.  While that cooks for a bit dice mango, tomato, and cilantro.  Add rinsed can of black beans.  Cook for a few minutes more, seasoning more if needed.  Turn off heat and add mango, cilantro, and tomato.  Stir well.  Put 3 taco shells on a plate and microwave under a wet paper towel for 30 seconds.  Fill taco shells and top with 1/4 of avocado sliced.

I will be noshing on this all week.  I will probably eat it cold on a salad, cold on taco shells, we'll see.