ORANGE MIMOSA and COCONUT FLAN

This was the beginning and the end of our Easter feast.
With not having family in town, it was wonderful to have dear friends close with which to share the holiday. It was a joy to host a celebration for the entire clan - dogs included - although they didn't eat nearly as well as we did.

ORANGE MIMOSA

Place a sugar cube in the bottom of each glass, drizzle with a few drops of orange bitters. Top with
1 1/2 ounces of cognac, then sparkling wine.
Enjoy!

COCONUT FLAN

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons dark rum
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 eggs
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (14 ounce) can light coconut milk

Heat oven to 350F.
Combine sugar and water in a small heavy saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves, stirring frequently. Continue cooking 3 minutes or until golden, stirring constantly (it took me a lot longer to get the golden color). Immediately pour into 8 custard cups coated with cooking spray, tipping quickly until caramelized sugar coats bottom of cups. Cool completely.
Combine rum, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, eggs, condensed milk and coconut milk, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Divide the egg mixture evenly among prepared custard cups  (about 1/2 cup each).
Place cups in a 13 by 9 inch baking pan, add hot water to pan to a depth of 1 inch. Bake for 30 minutes or until center barely moves when custard cup is touched. Cool completely in the water bath. Remove cups from pan, cover and chill at least 4 hours or overnight.
Loosen edges of custards with a knife, place a plate upside down on top of each cup, and invert onto plates. Drizzle any of the remaining caramelized syrup over custards.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light, May 2003
www.cookinglight.com/food/recipe-finder/

CUCUMBER LEMONADE CHILLER and SPRING SALAD WITH LIME VINAIGRETTE and WHITE PEACH CRISP

We were really looking forward to having some of the most fabulous people we know for dinner. What started out as a small gathering, grew to 12 adults and 14 children.
We started the evening outside on the deck, with a cocktail, and radishes sliced in half, spread with goat milk butter and sprinkled with sea salt. We then moved inside to dine on braised ox-tail, roasted vegetables and pork shoulder my husband had slow cooked in hoisin sauce and red apple ale. I rounded out the meal with a spring salad lightly dressed with a tangy lime vinaigrette and a simple white peach crisp served with whipped cream and coffee.
It was a delightful spring menu for an incredible evening, joyfully served to wonderful friends.

CUCUMBER LEMONADE CHILLER

3 cucumbers
1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary, chopped
2 cups gin
1/2 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons of agave nectar

Peel and chop the cucumbers, transfer to a food processor. Add rosemary and puree.
Pour the puree through a fine-mesh strainer set over a large measuring cup. Press on the solids to extract all the juice. Add gin, lemon juice, and agave nectar to the cucumber juice, stir until the agave is dissolved. Divide among ice filled glasses and garnish with rosemary sprigs.
Enjoy!

SPRING SALAD WITH LIME VINAIGRETTE

FOR THE SALAD
1 green apple, cored and diced
grated zest of 2 limes
juice of 2 limes
3/4 cup artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
5 green onions, chopped
1 cucumber, peeled and seeded, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
4 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1 cup seedless green grapes, sliced in half lengthwise
butter lettuce
1 avocado, peeled and diced
FOR THE LIME VINAIGRETTE
1/4 lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon horseradish
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon green onions, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste

FOR THE SALAD
In a small bowl, coat the apple with the lime juice and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the lime zest, artichoke hearts, green onions, cucumber, celery, parsley, and grapes. Separate the leaves of the lettuce, and place one on each plate. Top with the vegetables, and arrange avocado on top.
FOR THE LIME VINAIGRETTE
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Drizzle over top of salads.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, June 2005
www.arkansasonline.com/news/features/food/

WHITE PEACH CRISP

STREUSEL
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup sugar
PEACHES
1 1/2 pounds ripe white peaches, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon sugar

STREUSEL
Heat oven to 325F.
In a food processor, pulse together flour, butter, almonds and sugar until crumbly. Spread mixture on a cookie sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool on sheet, then crumble into pieces.
PEACHES
In a medium saucepan, combine peaches, honey, lemon juice, and sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring until peaches are tender and juices thicken slightly (I ended up adding a little cornstarch to thicken). Remove from the heat and cool.
Spoon 1/3 cup peach mixture onto each serving dish. Sprinkle each serving with streusel. Serve with vanilla ice-cream or whipped cream.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Oprah Magazine, July 2004
www.oprah.com/food.html

GARLIC CHEESE GRITS and EASTER VIGIL COFFEE CAKE

I find it very difficult to resist a new recipe and when the call went out in church for cooks to contribute to the Easter Vigil breakfast - with recipe and pan provided - I knew that was a volunteer opportunity for me.
Even though these were both delicious for the holiday, the grits and coffee cake would be perfect for any celebration - from Saturday morning spent at home with family (which feels like something to celebrate and be thankful for in this busy life) to a festival with friends.

GARLIC CHEESE GRITS

8 cups water
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups uncooked quick grits (not instant)
2 (12 ounce) blocks of Mexican Velveeta cheese, cubed
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1/4 teaspoon red pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced

Bring water and salt to boil in a large saucepan.
Gradually stir in the grits and bring to a second boil, reduce heat and cook over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring often.
Add the cubed Velveeta, butter, red pepper, and minced garlic to grits, stirring until melted and blended.
Pour grits into a 9 by 13 pan and bake for 30 minutes at 350F or until set and brown at the edges.
Enjoy!

EASTER VIGIL COFFEE CAKE

1 package yellow cake mix
2 (3 ounce) boxes of instant vanilla pudding
3/4 cup corn oil
3/4 cup water
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon butter flavoring
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup toasted chopped pecans
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup granulated sugar
TOPPING
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
milk, as needed

Heat oven to 350F.
In a large bowl, combine cake mix, pudding, oil, water, eggs and flavorings. Beat with an electric mixer for about 8 minutes.
Combine cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl, set aside.
In a buttered 9 by 13 baking pan, spread chopped pecans over bottom. Pour half the batter over the pecans and sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar mixture.
Pour remaining batter and spread evenly.
Bake for 35 minutes, or until done.
Combine powdered sugar, vanilla and enough milk to make a runny mixture. Drizzle topping over coffee cake.
Enjoy!

GREEK SALAD WITH AVOCADO, SHRIMP AND CAPER VINAIGRETTE and HELLO DOLLY BARS

The kids were out of school Friday, for Parent-Teacher conferences. Thankfully there were no surprises to be had during the meetings, and we feel very fortunate to have incredible teachers, who work extremely hard, and want the very best for their students.
With the day ahead of us, and the kids having earned some fun, we invited friends over for lunch and play. It was fruit, sandwiches and chips for the kids and a Greek salad for the adults - however we were all able to come together over dessert, and agree it was a scrumptious success for all ages.

GREEK SALAD WITH AVOCADO, SHRIMP AND CAPER VINAIGRETTE

VINAIGRETTE
1/4 cup olive oil
1 4 ounce jar of capers with liquid
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
3 hard boiled eggs, white part only, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped roasted red peppers from a jar
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
SALAD
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 to 3 avocados, halved, pitted, peeled and diced
3 cups of shredded hearts of romaine lettuce
1 1/2 cups feta cheese
1 1/2 cups cooked shrimp

VINAIGRETTE
Whisk all ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
SALAD
Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Add vinaigrette to salad and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit
www.bonappetit.com/recipes

HELLO DOLLY BARS

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup melted butter
3 tablespoons sugar
2 cup chopped pecans
1 cup chocolate morsels
2/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 (14 ounce) can of sweetened condensed milk

Heat oven to 350F.
Combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and sugar in a medium bowl. Press mixture onto bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9 inch pan. Bake for 8 minutes. Sprinkle pecans, chocolate morsels, and coconut over hot crust. Pour condensed milk over top.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned and edges are bubbly. Let cool for 1 hour on a wire rack. Cut into bars.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Southern Living, April 2001
www.southernliving.com/food/kitchen-assistant/

SMOKED TROUT HORSERADISH DIP and OATCAKES and EDAMAME BRUSCHETTA and CREAMY LEMON NUT BARS

We just had what I call a wild and wonderful weekend of entertaining - we had friends over 4 days in a row - lots of fun cooking, excellent company and great conversation.
The fabulous ladies from book club helped get the festivities started. We met on Thursday night, and chatted, divulged, expressed, articulated, gabbed, shared, laughed long and laughed hard and even managed to talk about the book for about 3 minutes. It is an incredible group, and I very much look forward to our gatherings every month. My intention was to keep the menu light and fresh, with an eye to spring.

SMOKED TROUT HORSERADISH DIP

11.25 ounces of smoked trout
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream (I used reduced fat mayo and sour cream with good results)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons horseradish, or to taste

Discard skin and any bones from trout. Stir mayonnaise, sour cream, dill and horseradish together. Gently mix in trout and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with bread.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from epicurious
www.epicurious.com › recipes & menus

 OATCAKES

110 grams of rolled oats
3/4 cup wholemeal flour
1/2 cup self-rising flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
110 grams of butter, chopped
1 large egg, beaten

Heat oven to 190 C.
Process oats to a fine but still grainy consistency. Mix with flours, brown sugar and salt. Rub in butter until mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Lightly mix in egg and turn on to a surface dusted with flour. Knead briefly and shape into a ball. Roll out to 5mm thick and cut into rounds. Bake on trays 20 minutes. Cool.
Serve with assorted cheeses.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from New Zealand House and Garden
www.nzhouseandgarden.co.nz/entertaining.asp

EDAMAME BRUSCHETTA

Cut a baguette into slices, toast. In a food processor, blend 12 tablespoons of shelled edamame, 8 tablespoons of grated parmesan, 8 basil leaves, 2 tablespoons of water, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 teaspoons of sherry vinegar, until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top each with chopped red bell pepper, and basil leaves.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Self Magazine
www.self.com/fooddiet/recipes

CREAMY LEMON NUT BARS

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour, divided
1/3 cup pecans, chopped
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350F.
Line a 13 by 9 inch baking pan with foil, spray with cooking spray.
Mix butter, powdered sugar and vanilla in a large bowl. Gradually stir in 1 1/2 cups of the flour and pecans. Press dough firmly on bottom of prepared pan. Bake 15 minutes.
Beat cream cheese and sugar in medium bowl with electric mixer on high speed until well blended. Add remaining 1/4 cup flour and eggs, beat until blended.
Stir in lemon juice and peel. Pour over baked crust in pan. Bake 30 minutes or until set. Remove from oven, cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and cut into bars.
Enjoy!

FUDGE PIE

My daughter had been asking for chocolate pie, and had picked out these adorable mini tart shells at the supermarket. After looking through many recipes, I chose this super easy one (the original didn't call for a crust and baked in one 9 inch pie plate).
We had family movie night, and all went to see Life of Pi - I had read the book in book club and was looking forward to viewing it on the big screen. It definitely generated a lot of great discussion, both in the car and once we were home and sitting around the table eating our delicious dessert - a wonderful evening of Pi and pie.

FUDGE PIE

mini Graham cracker tart shells
2 ounces chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350F.
Melt chocolate and butter together, either on the stove top or in the microwave, stirring frequently, until mixture is smooth. Let cool slightly, about 2 minutes.
Whisk in sugar, flour, eggs and vanilla. Whisking until well combined. Pour into tart shells.
Bake about 20 minutes or until a pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, March 2012
www.arkansasonline.com/news/features/food/

MASHED POTATO CHOCOLATE CAKE

While looking into the history of April Fools Day, I learned that pranks should not be pulled after 12 noon on the 1st, or it will bring bad luck to the perpetrator. I had never heard that before, nor that the day supposedly began in the 1500's when the Gregorian calendar came into use. Previously New Years was celebrated on April 1st, and people who ventured to celebrate on the wrong date were teased as "April Fools" (snopes.com http://www.snopes.com/holidays/aprilfools/origins.asp).
Thankfully I pulled my prank early in the day, with this chocolate cake that includes mashed potatoes. I didn't tell the kids what was in their treat until afterwards, for fear they wouldn't try it. There weren't any complaints though, and they all cleaned their plates, so the cake must have tasted like dessert and not dinner. 

MASHED POTATO CHOCOLATE CAKE

2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 ounces chocolate, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup prepared instant mashed potatoes
3/4 cup buttermilk
confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Heat oven to 375F.
Grease and flour a 9 by 13 baking dish, set aside.
Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt, set aside.
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in melted chocolate, vanilla and mashed potato. Beat in flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, mixing just until incorporated.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, April 2009
www.arkansasonline.com/news/features/food/