Ingredients

4 pounds of fresh strawberries, cleaned and stemmed (or any fruit you would like)

1/2 – 1 cup of sugar (depending on the sweetness of the fruit)

juice from 1 lemon

DirectionsPreheat oven to 170F degree
1. Toss everything into a food processor and blend until smooth.

2. Pour into a heavy sauce pan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

3. Reduce heat and skim off foam that will form on top with a spoon.

4. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30-45 minutes until mixture is the consistency of applesauce.

5. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

6. Pour mixture on parchment paper and spread evenly.

7. Bake at 170F for 8-10 hours. Until the center is no longer sticky

8. Cut into strips and roll up.

There you have it, homemade fruit-rolls.

- Strawberry Cupcakes - adapted from Annie’s Eats

Yield: two dozen cupcakes
Cupcake:

2 1/4 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

zest of one lime (mine was on the smaller side)

12 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

3/4 cup milk

2 cups fresh strawberries, chopped

Frosting:

1 cup fresh strawberries, roughly chopped

12 oz cream cheese, room temperature

18 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature

2 2/3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

1 tsp vanilla extract

- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

- Prepare the cupcake batter first. Mix together flour, baking powder, salt and lime zest in a bowl. Cream butter and sugar on medium speed until sugar is dissolved and butter is light and fluffy. Beat in each egg until it is fully incorporated, one at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure that everything is evenly mixed. Add half of the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined, then add half of the milk and mix until smooth. Repeat with remaining flour and milk. Fold in strawberry pieces.

- Line two cupcake tins with liners and fill each about 3/4 full; this batch can be stretched to make exactly two dozen cupcakes if you have a keen eye for measuring the batter. Bake for about 23-25 minutes and let cool completely before frosting.

- To prepare the frosting, puree the strawberry pieces in a food processor and strain. Put aside.

- Beat the cream cheese and butter on medium speed for about five minutes, until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add vanilla extract and mix until just combined. Add as much strawberry puree to achieve your desired consistency and flavor. I added about six tablespoons. Frost cupcakes as desired and enjoy!

Spaghetti with Creamy Marinara

Serves 6
You will need:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 (28 ounce) cans whole tomatoes
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
4 ounces goat cheese
kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
1 pound dried spaghetti
Preheat oven to 325.
In a large oven proof pot or dutch oven heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, garlic and crushed red pepper. Cook until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Pour in whole tomatoes.
Place tomato sauce in the oven and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Stirring occasionally.
Remove from oven. Using an immersion blender puree until smooth (Note: If you don’t have an immersion blender, carefully transfer, in batches, to a blender and blend until smooth). Place on stove top over medium heat. Stir in oregano and goat cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer while you prepare the noodles.
Prepare the noodles according to package directions.
Divide noodles evenly among bowls and spoon sauce over the top. Serve.

Sauteed Soybean/Edamame

Sauteed Soybean/Edamame Recipe

Quick and easy, this side dish takes only about 10 minutes. Especially if you buy the pre-shelled soybeans.

Ingredients

2 T Olive Oil
3 Shallots, roughly diced
3 Garlic cloves, mashed or finely diced
1/2 lb Soybeans (shelled, pre-cooked)
few sprigs Fresh Thyme
Sea salt
fresh cracked Black Pepper
1/2 T Soy Sauce

1. Over med. high heat, warm saute pan. Add olive oil, then after it warms, add shallots. After shallots soften (@2 min.) lower heat to medium, add garlic and saute for another minute or two.

2. Add soybeans and thyme. Season with salt, pepper, and soy sauce, then continue to cook until soybeans are fully heated (@ 1 min.)

3. Serve warm or allow to cool and serve at room temp.

Sticky Buns

Easy Sticky Buns-Barefoot Contessa – Back to Basics

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

1/2 cup pecans, chopped in very large pieces

1 package (17.3-ounces/ 2-sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted

For the filling:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 cup raisins (I left them out – yucky!)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place a 12-cup standard muffin tin on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the 12 tablespoons butter and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of the mixture in each of the 12 muffin cups. Distribute the pecans evenly among the 12 muffin cups on top of the butter and sugar mixture.

Lightly flour a wooden board or stone surface. Unfold 1 sheet of puff pastry with the folds going left to right. Brush the whole sheet with the melted butter. Leaving a 1-inch border on the puff pastry, sprinkle each sheet with 1/3 cup of the brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cinnamon, and 1/2 cup of the raisins. Starting with the end nearest you, roll the pastry up snugly like a jelly roll around the filling, finishing the roll with the seam side down. Trim the ends of the roll about 1/2-inch and discard. Slice the roll in 6 equal pieces, each about 1 1/2 inches wide. Place each piece, spiral side up, in 6 of the muffin cups. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry to make 12 sticky buns.

Bake for 30 minutes, until the sticky buns are golden to dark brown on top and firm to the touch. Be careful – they’re hot! Allow to cool for 5 minutes only, invert the buns onto the parchment paper (ease the filling and pecans out onto the buns with a spoon) and cool completely.

Tortillas

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups whole wheat bread flour
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• all-purpose flour for rolling

Directions

1. In a large bowl, stir together 1 cup all-purpose flour, the whole wheat flour, and salt. Rub in the shortening by hand until the mixture is the texture of oatmeal. Make a well in the center, and pour in the boiling water. Mix with a fork until all of the water is evenly incorporated. Sprinkle with a bit of additional flour, and knead until the dough does not stick to your fingers. The dough should be smooth.

2. Make balls the size of golf balls, about 2 ounces each. Place them on a tray, and cover with a cloth. Let stand for at least 1 hour, or up to 8 hours.

3. Heat a griddle or large frying pan over high heat. On a lightly floured surface, roll out a tortilla to your preferred thinness. Fry one at a time. Place on the griddle for 10 seconds, as soon as you see a bubble on the top, flip the tortilla over. Let it cook for about 30 seconds, then flip and cook the other side for another 30 seconds. Roll out the next tortilla while you wait for that one to cook. Repeat until all of the balls have been cooked. Tortillas can be refrigerated or frozen.

FOOTNOTE

• For white Mexican Flour Tortillas, use the same amounts of flour, but using white flour only. Another variation is to use 3/4, 1 cup, or 1 1/4 of vegetable shortening or lard. All these amounts work; I have tried them, but I like to keep things light. I must say the best tasting recipe is the one with all white flour, and 1 1/4 cup lard...of course!

Eggadilla

Eggadilla (from Relish Magazine)
Ingredients

1/2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 eggs

1 egg white

2 (8-inch or 10-inch) flour tortillas

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Salsa (optional)

Diced avocado (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat a nonstick sauté pan, big enough to fit tortillas, over medium-low heat. Add oil. Add eggs, breaking yolks. Cook until eggs are set enough to flip, about 2 minutes. Flip; cook until eggs are done (over-hard), about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Wipe out pan.

2. Return pan to heat and increase heat to medium. Place one tortilla in pan. Sprinkle on half the cheese. Place cooked eggs over cheese. Top with remaining cheese and tortilla. Cook until bottom tortilla is a little brown and cheese starts to melt, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip with a spatula and brown the other side. Remove from pan. Transfer to cutting board. Cool 1 minute. Slice into wedges. Serve with salsa and diced avocado if using. Serves 2.
Nutritional Information Per serving: 340 calories, 19g fat, 240mg chol., 19g prot., 25g carbs., 1g fiber, 570mg sodium.