Key Lime Pie

My family loves desserts and my mom makes the most impressive ones so it's always hard to top when I host dinner. I always look for something different and to balance out a heavy dinner of chicken parmesan, I wanted to make something lighter.

This key lime pie is an easy make ahead dessert and I make it in a springform pan which makes it look elegant and delicious. This one got rave reviews!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 cans sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup key lime juice
• 1 tsp grated lime zest
• 1 cup whipping cream

Directions

• Mix the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and sugar to form pie crust
• Press into pan (trust me, you do not need to grease it!) and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes

• Mix together condensed milk, sour cream, lime juice and lime zest
• Pour on top of pie crust 

• Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until tiny pinhole bubbles form on the surface. Be careful not to brown!
• Chill well
• Make whip cream and cover on top. 
• Add lime garnish

Homemade Croutons

I love a good, toasty, chewy crouton. These are so simple to make and a really impressive addition to any dinner.

Ingredients

• really good french stick, cubed
• lots of butter
• lots of garlic

Directions

• Cut the bread into cubes and leave out for a few hours to dry out slightly (the longer you leave them, the less chewy they will be). I estimate about 3-4 croutons per person

• For about 20 croutons, I use about 3 tbsp of butter. Melt it in a skillet

• Add chopped garlic and mix well with butter. Keep on low-medium heat
• Add bread, stir often and cook until browned on all sides

• Pour into plate lined with paper towel and add to salad. You'll never go back to store-bought croutons again!

Baked Chicken Parmesan

I hosted a dinner party last night and made my signature dish: chicken parmesan.

The first time I made it, I didn't read the recipe through (one of my noted key learns), and I threw a pot at my husband. I tend to get stressed in the kitchen. But last night, I felt much more confident with my cooking and was able to time everything in the kitchen so I could enjoy some time with my guests!

As always, read the whole recipe through because this chicken parm has a surprise white sauce -- which not only makes the dish extra delicious, it adds precious time.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cups dry breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp each pepper, dried basil, dried oregano
• 3/4 cup tomato sauce
• 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Directions

• Read through the directions and get everything ready that you need to prepare the chicken -- in one bowl, mix the bread crumbs and parmesan, in another bowl, beat two eggs, and get your greased baking dish out. This should look like an assembly line which I assure you, will save you time and headaches

• Now, beat those chicken breasts. This is maybe the most cathartic experience I have had cooking. It's awesome
• Next, dip each piece of chicken in egg, then dip it in the breadcrumb mixture, then lay fat in the baking dish

• Bake these uncovered at 350 degrees for 20 minutes (note: you will bake these a second time with the sauce and cheese on top)
• While they are in the oven, get ready to make the white sauce. In a pot, melt 2 tbsp of butter and add 2 tbsp of flour. Mix well and cook for 3 minutes without browning
• Mix in milk and spices (pepper, oregano and basil) and bring to a boil before reducing heat. Simmer for five minutes, stirring often

• On each piece of chicken, drizzle some of the white sauce, some tomato sauce and top with grated mozzarella cheese. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes more until cheese is bubbling

Brunch Strata

Brunch is a really challenging meal to host because so many things you serve have to be done at the very last minute -- eggs, pancakes, french toast.

I was hosting a small brunch party today and went in search of something I could prepare in advance and leave to bake while I was entertaining. Enter the brunch strata.

Strata is like a breakfast casserole. It's wholesome and hearty, healthy and delicious. And you can prepare it in advance and watch it bake while you're enjoying a mimosa. What could be better?

Here's the recipe I used this morning and it was a hit!

Ingredients

• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup chopped zucchini
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 cup chopped red pepper
• 1 cup bacon/ham/sausage -- whatever you have on hand
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 pkg cream cheese (softened)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup cream
• 2 cups day-old cubed bread
• 6 eggs

Directions

• Cube bread about the size of large croutons and leave out overnight
• Prepare veggies

• Cook the meat, drain and set aside

• Sautee veggies in oil and garlic, drain and set aside

• In a mixer, combine cream cheese with cream until smooth
• Add eggs and mix
• Add bread crumbs, veggies, meat and cheddar cheese and mix
• Pour into greased 11 x 7 pan

• Bake in oven at 350 degrees for about an hour
• Let cool for about 10 minutes
• Serve!

(this is it baked, but I couldn't take a picture before the vultures got at it!)

Creamy Shrimp Fettucine

Now that you know how to make pasta, here's a delicious and easy topping for it: Creamy Shrimp Fettucine.

Ingredients:
(serves 4)

• about 6 shrimps per person
• 3 tsp butter
• 3 tsp olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, very finely chopped (I have discovered pre-chopped garlic = way easier)
• one red pepper sliced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup cream

Directions:

• Heat the butter and oil over a medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook for a few minutes. Then add red pepper.

• Stir in tomato paste and wine, simmering for about 10 minutes
• Bring a large pot of water to boil and add pasta. Before draining, add about a 1/4 cup of pasta water to the pasta mixture
• Add shrimp to the sauce and raise the heat to medium-high, cooking until shrimp turn pink
• Reduce heat and stir in the cream, cooking for one minute until thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste

• Add pasta to sauce and mix together
• Serve to hungry crowd!

Home-Made Pasta

One of my favourite wedding gifts was a pasta maker attachment to go onto my Kitchenaid stand mixer.

While it takes some time, making pasta is actually a really enjoyable activity. It's sort of like playing with playdoh, but it tastes a whole lot better!

I have read many different rules of thumb for making pasta. Some say one egg per 3/4 cup of flour, while others say two eggs per cup of flour. What's a new cook to do? So this time, I added two eggs, and then slowly added the flour until I felt like it had the right consistency and I think I've really discovered that elusive "you'll know by the feel" that other chefs (I say that like I'm a chef, too) talk about!

After making my dough, I let it rest for 30 minutes.

Then I cut the ball into quarters and took one piece to run through the pasta maker, leaving the other pieces covered so they wouldn't dry out.

I ran it through the machine a lot, each time, folding it into a tri-envelope fold and then running the "open" end through the machine.

Once I had all the "sheets" of pasta, I covered them in flour, covered them with a dish towel to rest again for another 20 minutes.

Now, the fun part. Take each sheet and run it through the pasta cutter.

Let rest again for another 20 minutes or so and then cook in salted boiling water for 3-5 minutes.

Don't have a pasta maker? Pioneer Woman tells you how to make pasta without one.

And of course, my sous-chef was instrumental.

Don't have a sous-chef? Not to worry, he wasn't really that helpful.

Success!!!

Finally... a perfect loaf!