Lemon Blueberry Pistachio Cupcakes (vegan + gluten free!)

Remember the ever-popular Sprinkles cupcake era of 2010; when Cupcake Wars was the best show on TV and gourmet cupcake shops were popping up at every corner? Cupcakes were adored by the little ones for birthday parties but also by the Grandmothers who loved pairing them with a cup of coffee for breakfast.

During that time period I learned that ordinary cupcake flavors almost always disappointed me. When I went to local cupcake shops, I stuck to the classica: chocolate with chocolate frosting and sprinkles, strawberry, red velvet, vanilla birthday cake, etc. They were never magical enough for me to want to return for another.


I remember the first time I chose something out of the ordinary: a mango cupcake with a mango orange buttercream. My goodness, it was downright sensational! From that moment, I vowed to choose the surprising, unique cupcakes flavors over basic bettys.

Today’s recipe was inspired by a lemon pistachio doughnut at Stan’s Donuts in Chicago. Tony took me there for my birthday breakfast and we ordered about 6 of their doughnuts (so we can have a bite of each!); we knew the lemon pistachio flavor stood out by a mile because it was devoured in less than two minutes.

Of course, when Earth Balance reached out to me and asked me to create a vegan cupcake to promote their awesome vegan cupcake challenge (with a grand prize trip to Colorado!), I knew that I would try to create pistachio cupcakes with beautiful with spring flavors (like lemon and blueberry). I used their soy free vegan buttery sticks for the both the cupcake and frosting and seriously, you’d never be able to tell that they’re vegan!


More about these cupcakes: Did I mention they’re gluten free too?! This means that anyone will be able to enjoy these beauties. They’re moist with a light crumb and the lemon buttercream frosting is the perfectly fluffy, sweet and tart. Keeping your fingers out of the frosting bowl is going to be pretty difficult, so good luck.

I love that you can actually taste the pistachios in the cupcake without having to use pistachio pudding flavor additives. The lemon flavor is also very prominent, making the cupcakes feel fresh and light.


I hope you love these cupcakes as much as I did. They’d make the perfect Easter or party dessert. If you make these, please let me know by leaving a comment below or snap a photo, upload it to Instagram and tag #ambitiouskitchen! xo.

Lemon Blueberry Pistachio Cupcakes (vegan + gluten free!)

Nutrition Information

• Serving size: 1 cupcake
• Calories: 286
• Fat: 13.9g
• Saturated fat: 3g
• Carbohydrates: 36.2g
• Sugar: 22.1g
• Fiber: 2.8g
• Protein: 4.8g

Recipe type: Cupcakes, Vegan, Gluten Free

Prep time:  1 hour 10 mins
Cook time:  25 mins
Total time:  1 hour 35 mins

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups oat flour
• 1 cup shelled roasted pistachios (pistachios without the shells)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tablespoon Earth Balance vegan soy free buttery sticks
• 2/3 cup organic cane sugar
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
• For the vegan lemon buttercream
• 1/2 cup Earth Balance vegan soy free buttery stick
• 1 cup organic powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• zest of 1 lemon
• For garnish: 2 tablespoons chopped pistachios

Read More: Lemon Blueberry Pistachio Cupcakes (vegan + gluten free!)

Asparagus Artichoke Breakfast Casserole

Looking for Easter or Mother’s Day Sunday brunch ideas? I love the convenience of a breakfast casserole because you can easily assemble it the night before and have it ready to bake in the morning.
Perfect hands-off cooking leaving you time for the important things, like Easter egg hunts, or Mother’s Day mimosas.
This breakfast casserole (the fancier term being “strata”) has asparagus (fresh) and artichoke hearts (canned), big cubes of rustic bread, bacon, onions, all held together with eggs, milk, and cheddar cheese.
It’s spring in an 8×13!

Asparagus Artichoke Breakfast Casserole Recipe

• Prep time: 25 minutes
• Cook time: 40 minutes
• Yield: Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

• 6 cups of 1 to 1 1/2-inch cubed rustic bread (about half a loaf), or 6 slices of bread
• 2 ounces bacon (2 to 3 thick-cut slices), roughly chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 pound of asparagus, trimmed of tough bottoms, spears sliced on the diagonal, in 1-inch long pieces
• 1 15-ounce can of artichoke hearts (packed in water), drained, chopped
• 2 Tbsp minced chives or green onion greens
• 6 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 8 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Read More: Asparagus Artichoke Breakfast Casserole

Ham Salad

One of the best reasons to serve a ham for a holiday dinner or family gathering is the prospect of leftover ham, don’t you think? Ham keeps well and can be used for a hearty ham and bean soup, a pasta dish with peas, or for a crowed pleasing ham salad.
It’s one of those feed-a-lot-of-people comfort food salads that makes you look forward to leftovers.
Put it in a sandwich (or a slider bun!), eat it plain, or add it to macaroni. The basic components of our favorite ham salad are ground or finely diced ham, sweet pickle relish (sweet works better than dill for ham, imho), and hard boiled eggs. Then something for crunch (celery and/or bell peppers) and mayo to bind it.
Add a little mustard and lemon juice to brighten the flavors, and maybe a touch of cayenne as a nod to deviled ham or eggs.
Do you have a twist on ham salad that you enjoy? Please let us know about it in the comments!

Ham Salad Recipe

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Yield: Makes enough for 3 to 4 sandwiches

To make ground ham, chop leftover ham into cubes and either pulse in a food processor or put through a meat grinder.

Ingredients

• 2 cups finely diced or ground ham (about 3/4 pound)
• 3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
• 1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp minced green onion
• 2 Tbsp minced celery
• 2 Tbsp minced red bell pepper
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• A large pinch of cayenne (optional)
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Read More: Ham Salad

Alfredo Asparagus Pasta

A tasty and delightful dinner loaded with flavor and delicious ingredients! Fresh asparagus is mixed into a fabulous meal loaded with bacon, parmesan cheese and creamy alfredo sauce. This will become a new family favorite!

Tis the season for asparagus and this may be my favorite new recipe to use it!
This meal is packed with insanely delicious flavor. The asparagus, bacon, parmesan cheese and creamy alfredo sauce really knock this meal out of the park! This was a huge hit with my entire family, making this recipe classified as a winner.
My husband, in particular, could not stop RAVING enough about how yummy it was. I am pretty sure he went back for 4 helpings of it. My kids gobbled it up almost as fast as it hit their plates. That is saying something because one of them is an extremely picky eater.

Asparagus is one of my favorite vegetables and I have a few really tasty recipes coming up that I am excited to share with you, today’s been one of them.
If you are looking for an incredible new dinner that your whole family will love and appreciate, give this one a try! You will not regret it!

Alfredo Asparagus Pasta

A tasty and delightful dinner loaded with flavor and delicious ingredients! This will become a new family favorite!

Recipe type: Dinner

Ingredients

• 1 box bow tie pasta, cooked according to package directions
• ¾ cup butter
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 2 cup half and half
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper
• 3 cups fresh grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup cooked and chopped bacon
• 3 cups asparagus, cut in 1 inch pieces

Read More: Alfredo Asparagus Pasta

Skillet Shrimp and Asparagus

Hello friends! I know many of you come here looking for something you can quickly and easily make, and tastes great. Something perhaps for a weeknight dinner when you have maybe only 30 minutes to cook, and even less to clean up afterwards?
Here’s a shrimp and asparagus skillet recipe that scores high on all points. It only takes half an hour start to finish, and only uses one pan. And the taste? Wow! I was really surprised by this one.
First you sauté onions and garlic, then add diced new potatoes with a little water, cover and let cook for a few minutes until the potatoes are almost cooked through. Then you add asparagus, cook a minute more, then shrimp with some lemon juice and zest.

The juices from everything cooking create the most lovely glaze. You have protein from the shrimp, green vegetable from the asparagus, and starch from the potatoes making a complete one pot meal.
If you wanted to, you could skip the potatoes and toss the shrimp and asparagus sauté in with pasta. You could also spice it up a bit with some chili pepper flakes. Enjoy!

Skillet Shrimp and Asparagus Recipe

• Prep time: 15 minutes
• Cook time: 15 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 medium onion, quartered, thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced (about 4 teaspoons)
• 1/2 pound small red skinned new potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices or small dice
• Salt (to taste)
• Pinch of black pepper
• 1/2 cup water
• 3/4 pound of asparagus, woody ends discarded, spears thinly sliced on the diagonal
• 1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp (can leave tails on for presentation if you want), 16-20 count
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp minced chives or green onion greens

Read More: Skillet Shrimp and Asparagus

One Pot Chicken and Orzo

A few months ago my wonderful mother made what I thought was Spanish rice (a favorite around here, basically a rice pilaf with tomato) but instead of browning rice to start the pilaf, she browned orzo pasta.
Brilliant! It was so incredibly good. Silky and savory like our sopa seca de fideo angel hair dish, but with little rice-shaped orzo pasta. The browning of the orzo adds a toasty nutty flavor to the pasta.
So, I thought I would step the idea up a notch and make something akin to arroz con pollo, except with pasta instead of the arroz. It would be “Orzo con Pollo”.

It’s a winner! And the best part? Aside from it being absolutely can’t-stop-eating delicious, is that it’s really easy to make, all in one large skillet.
First you brown the chicken, then brown the orzo in the rendered fat, and then add some onions and garlic. Add the chicken back to the pasta, pour in some stock and crushed tomatoes, cover and cook until the pasta has absorbed the liquid.
You can do most of the prep while the chicken is browning, so the whole shebang takes maybe 35 minutes.

One Pot Chicken and Orzo Recipe

• Prep time: 5 minutes
• Cook time: 30 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4 to 6

To save time, while the chicken is browning, prep the onion, garlic, and parsley.
You can easily swap out the thighs for bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts. Depending on the size of the pieces you may want to cut them in half.
If you use boneless, skinless thighs or breasts do not brown them as long in the first step. They will not need as much cooking time as the bone-in, skin-on thighs.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 to 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 12 ounces (2 cups) orzo pasta
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion (about 1 medium onion)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 1/4 cups chicken stock
• 3/4 cup canned crushed tomatoes (including juices)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Read More: One Pot Chicken and Orzo

Mediterranean Omelete

I’m almost embarrassed to share this simple 15-minute recipe—almost, but not enough not to share this easy Mediterranean Omelete.

Psst . . . to bypass all the flavor building, go for deli olives and peppers. Just make sure to buy the pitted ones. I made the mistake and didn’t do that, so I had to spend a few extra minutes pitting. For the greens I skipped the traditional spinach add-in and went for micro arugula because I prefer the added peppery bite.
See how fast and easy that is? Fast enough that I made it twice in one day, but more because I didn’t want to waste the few deli olives that weren’t used in the first round, but more than that—I absolutely hate a cluttered fridge.

It stresses me out. I like a clear sight to the back of the fridge. I know, weird quirk #300-and-eleventy!

Recipe note: This recipe easily scales up or down according to your serving needs. As you can see in the photo, I made a serving for just me because my little guys hate Feta (at least for now). The recipe as written is scaled up to serve 4.

Mediterranean Omelet

Ingredients:

• 6 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Filling

• 2/3 cups (4 oz.) pitted deli olives, diced
• 1/2 (3 oz.)cup roasted red pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup (1.5 oz.) Feta cheese

*Optional: 1 oz micro Arugula

Read More: Mediterranean Omelete

Dutch Baby

I’m a huge pancake fan. When I was little I would have happily forgone every other food in favor of pancakes, but unlike the other kids I knew, I never really liked syrup. I always preferred my pancakes plain, or with the addition of fresh blueberries or mashed up bananas added to the batter before it hit the griddle.
Occasionally my mom would indulge us by tossing in a handful of chocolate chips, which, at that young age, was just about the most exciting thing ever.
In my naive little breakfast world, I was happy. But as I grew up, I was introduced to a whole new world of adult pancakes—recipes that broke away from the standard, super-sweet trap of maple syrup and celebrated the flavor of the pancake itself, something I’d always held in the highest regard.

I was seduced by crepes, soufflé pancakes, and buckwheat flapjacks fried in bacon fat. My all-time favorite, though, became the Dutch baby.
For those new to the concept of a Dutch baby, it’s a pancake that is baked in a single sizzling-hot skillet that has been prepared with a tablespoon or two of butter.
The sides of the pancake rise high above edges of the pan, creating a light, puffy crust with a tender, eggy middle. Sprinkled with cinnamon and lemon juice, the Dutch baby makes a wonderful breakfast for both kids and adults.

Dutch Baby Recipe

• Prep time: 5 minutes
• Cook time: 30 minutes
• Yield: Makes 1 10-inch Dutch baby pancake. Feeds 2 or 3 people for breakfast

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 egg white, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup milk, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• Sifted powdered sugar
• Splash of lemon juice

More topping ideas:

• Berries with whipped cream
• Applesauce or apple butter
• Maple syrup

Read More: Dutch Baby

Mint Ricotta Stuffed Shells

Move over lasagna, make way for stuffed shells!
There’s something whimsically satisfying about stuffed pasta shells. Is it the shape that conjures up a sunny day at the beach with ocean surf turning over pebbles and shells as the waves retreat? Or is it the seasoned ricotta stuffing hiding inside?
I’m guessing pasta shells were invented by some mischievous pasta maker who created the shape as an act of rebellion against every parent whose ever said to a child, “stop playing with your food.”

This stuffed shell recipe is a nod to spring, with a ricotta stuffing packed with chopped fresh mint leaves.
Usually when I add mint to a recipe, I do so in moderation. Mint is strong. But in this case, ricotta is stronger, and you do need the leaves from an entire bunch of mint to make an impact, and to hold its own with the flavors coming from the tomatoes and Italian sausage.
The combination? Fantastic! The mint, ricotta, tomato, pasta, sausage, together? Perfect.

Mint Ricotta Stuffed Shells Recipe

• Prep time: 15 minutes
• Cook time: 1 hour
• Yield: Serves 4 to 6

I love the taste and texture of a chunky tomato sauce with this recipe. But if you prefer a smoother sauce, please feel free to pulse it a few times in a food processor or blender.

Ingredients

• 6 ounces jumbo shell pasta (1/2 standard box)

Sauce:

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 pound mild Italian sausage (out of casing)
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley (packed)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Mint ricotta stuffing:

• 15 (or 16) ounces ricotta cheese
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 bunch of mint, leaves only, chopped (about 1 cup packed)
• 1 ounce (1/4 cup) grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Topping:

• 1 ounce (1/4 cup) grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 ounces (1 cup) grated Mozzarella cheese

Read More: Mint Ricotta Stuffed Shells

Chicken Jalapeño Popper Pasta

This Chicken Jalapeño Popper Pasta is loaded with creamy cheesy goodness! It has the right amount of heat and cool and is such a flavor packed meal the whole family will go crazy over!

I am always looking for fun ways to change up flavors and ideas for main dishes for dinner. This meal was a home run with my whole family! My husband could not stop raving about this recipe!

It is both creamy and cheesy and a perfect blend of heat and cool. It is quite the flavor sensation and is sure to be a huge hit!

I used cellentani pasta and my family loved these noodles. I haven’t cooked a lot with this particular pasta before but I think that needs to change. It’s fun shape brought smiles to my kids faces and made it easier to introduce them to these fun new flavors. I will definitely be using this pasta more often.

If you are looking for a fabulous new dinner idea, give this a try! I am sure you will love it as much as we do!

Chicken Jalapeño Popper Pasta

This recipe is loaded with creamy cheesy goodness! It has the right amount of heat and cool and is such a flavor packed meal the whole family will go crazy over!

Recipe type: Dinner

Ingredients

• 1 pound cellentani pasta, cooked according to the package and drained
• 16 ounces cream cheese, very softened
• 1 cup bacon, crumbled
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
• ¼ cup diced jalapenos
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ⅓ cup half and half
• 2½ cups cooked and chopped chicken

Read More: Chicken Jalapeño Popper Pasta

Best Ever Homemade Lemonade

This lemonade has the most delicious flavor and is perfect for quenching your thirst on hot summer days!

Lemonade is my favorite summertime drink.

I am actually pretty particular with my lemonade, probably because I was so spoiled growing up.

My grandparents have a lemon tree in their backyard. Some of my favorite summertime memories begin and end with that Lemon tree. Growing up, my sister and I used to pick the lemons with my grandma, help my grandma squeeze and squish the lemons to get every ounce of juice they had to offer out of them and help her make a fresh batch of lemonade.

My grandma made the cutest lemonade stand and my younger sister and I used to spend a good portion of our summer days selling that lemonade, and drinking it too ;) People would sometimes even come back for thirds- it is THAT good!

A couple of weeks ago, my family went and visited my grandparents. My grandma could hardly wait to get in the kitchen to make fresh lemonade with my kiddos. Watching them work hand in hand with my grandma literally brought tears to my eyes. I am so grateful and elated that they get to make some wonderful memories, just as I had, with my beautiful and amazing grandma.

Of course she got out the lemonade stand for my kids :) They are still talking about their fun times picking and squeezing the lemons.

One disclaimer my grandma wanted me to add in here is that some lemons are stronger in flavor than others so you may have to adjust the recipe accordingly. That said, this is the proportions we find to be the best most of the time :)

Trust me, once you try this fresh and delicious batch of homemade lemonade, you won’t want to have it any other way! It is the perfect way to quench your thirst. My mouth is watering just thinking about drinking a delicious cold glass of this fresh lemonade!

Best Ever Homemade Lemonade

This lemonade has the most delicious flavor and is perfect for quenching your thirst on hot summer days!

Recipe type: Beverage

Ingredients

• 1¼ cups fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 5 cups cold water
• 1¼ cups sugar
• 2 lemons, thinly sliced
• ice

Read More: Best Ever Homemade Lemonade

Kimchi Avocado Quesadilla

What’s your go-to 15-minute make-it-from-what’s-in-the-fridge recipe? Mine is a quesadilla. Any kind of quesadilla. You’ll always find tortillas and cheese in my fridge. It’s my PB&J.
The great thing about quesadillas? They’re so easy to dress up! Whether it’s with chicken and apples, mushrooms, green chiles, or in this case, kimchi—spicy Korean pickled cabbage.
A friend of mine mentioned recently that she had had a terrific kimchi quesadilla at a local eatery, and I thought, what a great idea, why not? I found a few references online, including Roy Choi’s version of Kogi BBQ truck fame.

Wow, what a perfect combo! The spicy pickled cabbage goes great with buttery toasted flour tortillas and melted cheese.
I added avocado slices, because quesadillas are always better with avocados, some chopped parsley to brighten the flavors, and a splash of lime juice for the same reason.
So good!

Kimchi Avocado Quesadilla Recipe

• Prep time: 5 minutes
• Cook time: 10 minutes
• Yield: Makes 2 quesadillas

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 cup cabbage kimchi, drained and chopped
• 2 flour tortillas
• 1 1/2 cup grated Monterey jack and/or cheddar cheese
• 1/2 avocado, peeled, pitted, sliced
• A dash of lime juice
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

Read More: Kimchi Avocado Quesadilla

Strawberry Tuxedo & Almond Chocolate Pudding

Ever since my I left my office job to work for myself, I’ve almost forgotten how important the little breaks in the day are.

Until recently, my breaks were little more than pivoting from cooking and baking to shooting and editing.

But lately, I’m making sure to fit in more than a wipe-of-the-eyebrow as I move from task to task. I’m taking that time to carve out a happy moment with my family.
Hello, Happy Moment . . . let’s be besties.
In fact, I’m excited to share that Matt and I have partnered up with HERSHEY’S to do just that—create “Hello Happy Moments” with our kids. We’ll be sharing fun and happy ways to carve out everlasting memories around life’s everyday hustle. And this week, with “Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day” on April 28^th, we wanted to plan a sweet moment in the day to talk about what they discovered about our jobs.

To start things off, Matt and I created these easy build-your-own pudding parfaits to share with the kids.  I made mine with HERSHEY’S SPECIAL DARK Cocoa for the Strawberry Tuxedo Pudding Parfait and Almond Crunch Pudding Parfait. While Matt made his with the traditional HERSHEY’S Cocoa for two varieties of his own: Elvis Pudding Parfait and a Chocolate Crunch Pudding Parfait (don’t forget to hit the jump here for his recipes).

And because we couldn’t leave well enough alone, we decided to pair it up with a trivia game related to our jobs for a Pudding Parfait Trivia Game. Matt and I gathered all kinds of fun and weird food facts for them. The idea is easy and straightforward—for every questions answered correctly, the kids earned some toppings. The boys loved it and they learned all kinds of things about food.

However, any trivia theme will work, so if you take your kid(s) to the office, you can definitely make the trivia questions centered around your job. Here are a few tips and pointers of how to host your trivia game for your Hello Happy Moment: 

1. Theme: Pick a theme, any theme.
2. Rules: Decide on the rules before you start.
3. Questions: Come up with good question. You want to make sure your questions are a mix of simple and obscure facts to keep it fun and interesting.
4. Score Keeper: Designate how you will keep score, whether it’s tally marks or it’s with toppings if you are playing the Pudding Parfait Trivia Game like we did.
5. Make it extra special: Have a lightning round in which 10 questions are answered in a limited time for a big prize at the end.
6. Most important rule: Your ultimate goal is to have fun and make it memorable!

See what I meant about “Hello Happy Moments” being a great vehicle for connecting and creating moments? You don’t need much just a little creativity and you can create your own special memory anywhere.

Strawberry Tuxedo and Almond Crunch Pudding Parfaits

Ingredients:

EASY CHOCOLATE PUDDING

• ⅔ cup sugar
• ¼ cup HERSHEY’S SPECIAL DARK Cocoa
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 ¼ cups milk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

TOPPING
Strawberry Tuxedo

• 2 cups whipped cream
• ½ cup quartered strawberries
• ¼ cup finely chopped HERSHEY'S Cookies 'N' Crème Bar

 Almond Crunch

• 2 cups whipped cream
• ¼ cup finely chopped HERSHEY’S Milk Chocolate Bar with Almonds
• ¼ cup shaved HERSHEY’S Milk Chocolate Bar
• 4-5 tablespoons sliced almonds

Read More: Strawberry Tuxedo & Almond Chocolate Pudding

BBQ Meatloaf Muffins

This is such a flavorful and hearty meal! Each meatloaf muffin is personal sized and loaded with bacon, bbq sauce and an array of yummy ingredients! This will become a new family favorite!

I love creating new dinner ideas that my family can’t stop raving about, and today’s recipe is one of those!
My man LOVES meat, but he is not the only one. My daughter LOVES meat, too! She requests steak on the regular, so you can imagine their joy upon trying these little beauties!
This recipe was a home run! They are loaded with beef, bacon, BBQ sauce, cheese and flavors that will knock your socks off! Trust me on this, you are going to want to make this!

BBQ Meatloaf Muffins

This is such a flavorful and hearty meal! Each meatloaf muffin is personal sized and loaded with bacon, bbq sauce and an array of yummy ingredients! This will become a new family favorite!

Recipe type: Dinner

Serves: 24

Ingredients

• 2 lbs ground beef
• ½ cup chopped green onion
• ¼ cup copped sweet onion
• ½ cup bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• ½ cup barbecue sauce,I love Sweet Baby Rays
• 4 slices chopped uncooked bacon
• 1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheeses

Read More: BBQ Meatloaf Muffins

Carne Asada

Carrrrrrne asada! Do you remember that Superbowl ad with the two lions? For months after that aired I couldn’t say “carne” without rolling the rrrrrrs.
Clever of whatever ad agency came up with that campaign to feature two king carnivores talking about carne asada, which translates literally as “beef grilled”.
Carne asada is the thinly sliced, grilled beef served so often in tacos and burritos. You can also serve it straight up, with rice and beans on the side.
Although almost any cut of beef can be butterflied into thin sheets for the carne asada, typically you make it with either flank steak or skirt steak.

Flank steak is a lean cut and needs to be cooked rare, and thinly cut across the grain to make it tender. Skirt steak is well marbled with fat, and while it still needs to be cut across the grain, it’s inherently more flavorful and tender, and can be cooked more without suffering.
You can make carne asada without a marinade, and just a bit of salt and pepper before grilling, but if you have the time, a good soak in a marinade greatly enhances the flavor.
The marinade we are using here has olive oil, soy sauce, lime juice, vinegar, a little sugar for sweetness to balance the acidity of the lime and vinegar, and lots of minced garlic, jalapeño, and cilantro. Perfect for tacos!
Serve it up with tortillas, avocados and salsa.

Carne Asada Recipe

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 20 minutes
• Marinating time: 2 hours
• Yield: Serves 4-6

If you don't have a grill you can use a well-seasoned grill pan or a large cast iron pan on the stove-top. Heat on high to sear and then lower the heat to finish cooking. Make sure to use your stove vent, searing the steak this way can smoke up the kitchen!
If you want, before adding the steak to the marinade, reserve a couple tablespoons of the marinade to drizzle over the finished carne asada to serve.

Ingredients

Steak:

• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds flank or skirt steak
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Marinade:

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 limes, juiced (about 2 Tbsp)
• 2 Tbsp cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin seed (if have whole, toast and then grind)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced (4 teaspoons)
• 1 jalapeño chile pepper, seeded and minced
• 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves and stems, finely chopped (great flavor in the stems!), about 1/2 cup

Fixings (optional):

• Chopped avocado
• Lime wedges
• Corn or flour tortillas
• Thinly sliced radishes
• Thinly sliced lettuce
• Pico de gallo salsa

Read More: Carne Asada

Chocolate Eclairs with Creme Caramel

Can we just talk about these éclairs? I have been eating them for what feels for-evaaa. But its only been weeks.

The upside to that is after much testing and tinkering, I’ve perfected the recipe for you.


Let me start by saying that some pate choux recipes call for all water, while others use half milk, half water. Mine falls into the latter. And since my stomach isn’t always happy when I consume milk, I’m so glad to know a2 Milk® is now available to people like me.
Can we just talk about how excited I am that a2 Milk®is now widely available in California? It’s natural milk from specially selected cows that produce milk without the A1 beta-casein protein—the protein that may cause digestive discomfort for those us not clinically diagnosed as lactose intolerant. a2 Milk® is a great replacement to the overly processed alternatives like Lactaid or Fairlife. And, I especially love that not only are their cows not given hormones or rBST, but the cows are also fed a vegetarian diet.

Do you see why someone like me is crushing on these specially selected cows and their milk?
An added good thing for this recipe because the burnt caramel pastry cream that these éclairs are stuffed with is made with a milk base. Milk is a key component in this recipe so you will definitely want to grab some a2 Milk®
With that, lets talk pate choux for these éclairs. These are exactly on point with what you need – hollow insides (no heavy webbing) and minimal cracks on the top with a crispy exterior. If you follow me on Instagram than you saw the evolution of this recipe. If not, you can see the recipe side-by-side transformation here.

In fact, stay tuned because I’ll be making a short video that will include key techniques for how to make éclairs that are more polished in appearance—that is without cracks and with hollow insides.
For the finish on these éclairs, I went with my usual heavy-handed flair. Beyond the decorative factor, I piped some Swiss Meringue on top for a lighter textural contrast to the caramel pastry cream. Then I sprinkled it with chocolate covered almonds for some crunch and added gold leaf for a final visual punch. But feel free to keep it simple and and stick with a chocolate glaze.
However, you finish it, grab a glass of a2 Milk® and enjoy!

Chocolate Eclairs with Burnt Caramel Pastry Creme

Ingredients:

Pate Choux (makes 28 4-inch eclair shells)

• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 6 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/4  teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup bread flour
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten

Burnt Caramel Creme (makes about 2 1/2 cups)

• 1 cup + 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 cups milk
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla paste

Chocolate Glaze

• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Read More: Chocolate Eclairs with Creme Caramel

Lemon Meringue Pie

My grandmother Mae was notorious for her sweet tooth. How she lived to 97 on a diet that included daily jelly donuts I have no idea.
She loved to bake and one of her favorite things to make for us was lemon meringue pie. I still remember the magic of that whipped meringue topping that went into the oven like soft cloudy pillows and came out firm and golden brown.

Taking that first bite? Cutting into the light billowy meringue, scooping up that buttery lemon filling? Sigh.
Now as much as I loved my grandmother’s pie, she left no record of the recipe that I have found. But this one? It’s even better.
There are two elements that make up a perfect lemon meringue pie—a lemon curd filling that is just the right balance of tart and sweet, and a tall and tender meringue topping, lightly browned.
There is a third element—the crust, of course. I make an all-butter crust for the pie this way, but you can easily use a store-bought frozen crust for this recipe.

Lemon curd fillings are fairly standard for a lemon meringue pie. You make it with egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, and zest, and fortify with cornstarch so it holds its shape when you cut the pie.
Making the meringue is where people may encounter problems. Egg whites demand attention to whip well, and extra help to hold their shape in a meringue.
The trick I learned from Shirley Corriher (author of Cookwise) is to add a gelled cornstarch and water mixture to the meringue. In addition to the acid from cream of tartar, and the use of sugar, the cornstarch helps the meringue hold its shape, and keep it from weeping or shrinking when baked in the pie.
This is how you get a “mile-high” meringue pie. Plenty of egg whites, and enough support to keep the whipped meringue sturdy enough to cut, yet tender to eat.
Enjoy!

Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe

• Prep time: 15 minutes
• Cook time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
• Yield: Serves 8

Eggs are easier to separate when cold. You'll want to use the egg whites when they are closer to room temperature. So separate the eggs first, then let the egg whites sit for a while before making the meringue.
Egg whites will refuse to whip up properly if they are in contact with any fat. So, make sure your mixer bowl and whisk are completely clean.
Also make sure that there are not bits of yolk that have made their way into the egg whites when you separated them.

Ingredients

• 1 frozen pie crust (see pie crust recipe for instructions to make your own, use a butter crust or butter and shortening crust recipe)

Filling:

• 5 large egg yolks
• 6 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 2 Tbsp butter

Meringue:

• 1 Tbsp corn starch
• 1/3 cup cold water
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar (can use vinegar instead of cream of tartar, see method instructions)
• 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp white granulated sugar
• 5 large egg whites (room temperature)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Read More: Lemon Meringue Pie

Bowtie Pasta with Peas, Prosciutto, and Arugula

Do you have a favorite pasta shape? For me it’s sort of a toss-up between angel hair and bowties. I love angel hair for the how delicate the pasta is and how easy it is to eat, and bowties because, well, they’re so cute.
Is that even a valid reason for liking a pasta shape? They are cute! They make any pasta dish look just a little bit fancy, like the pasta got all dressed up for a show. And each one is a perfect forkful size.

For this bowtie pasta dish, I started with a classic—bowties with peas and prosciutto—but ditched the cream sauce that usually accompanies this dish. Instead, I lightened it up a bit by tossing everything with olive oil, black pepper, and Parmesan and added fresh baby arugula for some peppery greens.
Wow! Prosciutto, arugula, peas, parm, pasta, pepper? Perfect! So good together.

It’s quick! It takes about as long to cook as it does to bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta. 30 minutes tops. Enjoy!

Bowtie Pasta with Peas, Prosciutto, and Arugula Recipe

• Prep time: 15 minutes
• Cook time: 15 minutes
• Yield: Serves 3 to 4

Prep the ingredients while the pasta water is heating to save time.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound (8 ounces) farfalle bowtie pasta
• 3 Tbsp olive oil (divided, 1 Tbsp and 2 Tbsp)
• 2 ounces prosciutto, thin slices separated and roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup reserved pasta water
• 1 large handful baby arugula (about a cup and a half, packed)
• 2 Tbsp thinly sliced fresh mint leaves

Read More: Bowtie Pasta with Peas, Prosciutto, and Arugula

Baked Sweet Potato Donuts with Dark Chocolate + Coconut

Just the other day I was dreaming about donuts again and then I realized that I’ve had these beauties in my drafts since last October. Yep, over 6 months ago.

Memory issues? Perhaps. Or maybe I just had too many other delicious things to post back then. I’ll really never know, I’m just sorry these didn’t come sooner because THEY ARE SO DAMN GOOD.

Here’s the lowdown. Since I had the recipe and photos waiting in the drafts, I had completely forgotten about how amazing they were and so (of course) had to make them again. There’s no stopping me when it comes to the big wide world of donuts. Or peanut butter, but that’s a different story.

Before we get into the details of these amazing sweet potato donuts, I need to mention that you’ll need a donut pan to make these. If you don’t have one, the real question is: what are you waiting for? They’re inexpensive and most baked donut recipes are done in roughly 15 minutes! Donuts truly make the most wonderful homemade brunch accompaniment with a pot of coffee and a giant pitcher of mimosa.

Don’t judge me.

Not many people serve donuts at brunches these days. Or maybe it’s just the people I know? #sideeye

These are the kind you dunk in a steaming hot cup of coffee or foamy almond milk cappuccino. They’re hearty, yet still have a light and tender interior which makes you forget about the fact that they’re baked instead of fried.

The ingredients used in this recipe are also worth a quick mention…

Whole wheat flour provides a wonderful source of whole grains so you really can’t feel too terrible about enjoying one (or two!). 

They’re also dairy free! I actually just realized that most of my recipes are, so tell all your DF friends to come say hi.

They’re naturally sweetened.

They only take less than 30 minutes to make.

Okay, that’s enough talking. It’s time to go make donuts people. Get to it!

Baked Sweet Potato Donuts with Dark Chocolate + Coconut

Nutrition Information

• Serving size: 1 donut with chocolate glaze and coconut
• Calories: 251
• Fat: 13.3g
• Carbohydrates: 32.4g
• Sugar: 15g
• Fiber: 4.3g
• Protein: 4.5g

Prep time:  15 mins
Cook time:  15 mins
Total time:  30 mins

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup cooked mashed sweet potato (from 1 medium to large sweet potato)
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup or coconut nectar
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted and cooled (olive oil also works well)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2.5 oz 72% dark chocolate
• 1/3 cup coconut flakes

Read More: Baked Sweet Potato Donuts with Dark Chocolate + Coconut