For a simple yet impressive dinner entrée, consider Pork Medallions with Tomatoes and Prosciutto. This is one of my favorite ways to prepare pork tenderloin…it’s so flavorful with the combination of diced tomatoes, diced prosciutto and arugula. It’s also quick and very easy to make!
For those of you that like a recipe with a few ingredients (yes, Robyn, I’m talking to you!), then this is a dream come true! Besides the pork tenderloin, prosciutto and arugula, you probably have all of the other ingredients in your pantry.
And, in just about 20 minutes, you’ve got dinner on the table! Are we happy??
Begin this delicious meal by sautéing the garlic and prosciutto. If you can’t find the prosciutto in pre-packaged chunks, just ask the lovely person behind the deli counter to cut you a 1/4-inch thick slab of prosciutto and then dice it yourself. Remove the prosciutto from the skillet to a plate.
Using the same skillet, sear the pork tenderloin medallions until they are brown and medium rare, about 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer those to a plate.
Add the balsamic vinegar to the skillet, making sure you scrape up any brown bits of deliciousness. Toss in the arugula and once wilted, add the tomatoes and cook for a few minutes. Stir back in the prosciutto and garlic, season it, and spread the tomato mixture out on a platter.
Top with the seared pork tenderloin and get ready for a lot of ooohs and ahhhhs! The whole gang is going to love this!
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Pork Medallions with Tomatoes and Prosciutto
Makes: 4 servings
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Total Time: 21 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 5 ounces prosciutto, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 & 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, cut into 1-inch-thick medallions
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 8 ounces. baby arugula
- 1 (14-ounce) can finely chopped tomatoes
Instructions
In a very large skillet, preferably cast iron, heat the oil. Add the prosciutto and garlic and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the garlic is golden, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Season the pork medallions with salt and pepper, add them to the skillet, and cook over medium-high heat until well browned on the outside and medium rare, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the medallions to a plate, and cover to keep warm.
Add the balsamic vinegar to the skillet and cook until nearly evaporated, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
Add the arugula and toss until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook over high heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the prosciutto and garlic, and season with salt and pepper.
Transfer the tomato mixture to a platter, top with the pork, and serve.
Recipe from Fine Cooking
While cherries are still available, it’s absolutely mandatory that you make this Cherry Hibiscus Vodka Cocktail! Mandatory! I am blown away by the flavor of this delicious bevvy…sweet dark cherries combined with vodka, citrusy triple sec and a floral note of hibiscus. Come on…you know you want some!!!
While I was working on a summer cocktail to feature, I happened to have some gorgeous dark cherries. I also had a bag of dried hibiscus flowers. It’s a very large bag of hibiscus flowers. Why, you might ask, do I have such a large bag? I found a fab recipe for Strawberry Hibiscus Swirl Cake and ordered a bag of hibiscus. I had no idea that it would be so huge. The amount of ounces was so low that it didn’t occur to me that the bag would be about a foot tall! Hibiscus flowers, just so you know, are very lightweight. For that gorgeous cake, I only needed about 3 tablespoons of the flowers. Consequently, I have tonnage of these left over that I really wanted to use. They became my simple syrup!
And, this simple syrup is gorgeous. Between that and the crushed cherries, the cocktail is a stunner! The simple syrup is the only thing that takes a bit of time…10 or so minutes. The rest of the cocktail comes together in a hot minute!
So, buy the tiniest bag of hibiscus flowers that you can or if you’re in the neighborhood, stop on by! I’ll share, I promise!
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Cherry Hibiscus Vodka Cocktail
Makes: 2 cocktails
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10-15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
Hibiscus Simple Syrup:
- 1 & 1/2 cups water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp dried hibiscus flowers
- Zest of one lemon
Cherry Vodka Cocktail:
- 10 fresh dark red cherries (see Chef’s Note)
- 1/2 ounce hibiscus syrup
- 4 ounces vodka
- 1 ounce triple sec
- 2 ounces sparkling rosé
- Ice as needed
Instructions
Hibiscus Simple Syrup:
Combine water and sugar in a medium saucepan on medium heat until sugar has dissolved.
Add lemon zest and hibiscus petals, then turn heat down to a simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes.
Strain syrup into heat-proof container or glass mason jar with lid. Refrigerate to cool.
Cherry Vodka Cocktail:
Place cherries in the bottom of a shaker and press down with a muddler to release all the cherry juices.
Fill the shaker halfway with ice. Add simple syrup, vodka, and triple sec. Place cap on the shaker and shake vigorously for 15 seconds. Strain into two martini glasses. Top each glass with one ounce of chilled rosé. Garnish glass with a couple cherries and enjoy!
Chef’s Note:
It isn’t necessary to pit the cherries as you will be straining the cocktail through the lid of the shaker.
Recipe by Two Cups Flour
Muhammara is a dip that originated in Aleppo, Syria, and it’s one that needs to be in your “dip” rotation (think Hummus, babaghanoush, artichoke dip, onion dip). It’s got a great vibe to it…it’s got the depth of flavor that comes from roasting red peppers, it’s got the chunkiness of the chopped walnuts, and it’s got the sass of the pomegranate molasses. All of that, along with some garlic and lemon make it the perfect addition to an Epic Mezze Platter or to serve with crudités.
Start by roasting the red bell peppers on a sheet pan. Once done, you don’t have to peel the peppers. Just throw them in a blender or processor along with the toasted walnuts, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and wonderful spices such as cumin and aleppo pepper.
I like to leave some chunkiness to this dip by not over-processing it.
Finally, mix in some bread crumbs. The result is a wonderfully textured, deliciously flavored vegan dip for all occasions.
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Muhammara
Makes: 3 cups
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 red bell peppers, washed
- 1 cup toasted walnuts
- 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1 1/2 tsp cumin
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp aleppo pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- Optional garnish: pomegranate seeds, flat parsley, and pomegranate molasses
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Slice the red bell peppers in half lengthwise and remove the core and seeds. Brush the insides and outsides with olive oil, then place cut side down on the baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, or until peppers have some char on them and have sweated out most of their moisture. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
In a food processor or high speed blender, pulse the roasted red peppers, toasted walnuts, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin, salt, and aleppo pepper flakes until mixture resembles course sand. You want to leave in some texture here — don’t pulse too much or the dip will become too smooth.
Remove from food processor and stir in bread crumbs. Garnish with a drizzle of pomegranate molasses, pomegranate seeds, and a sprig of flat parsley. Serve alongside chopped carrots and cucumbers, crackers, or pita bread!
Recipe from Broma Bakery
So many recipes come to mind when I am lucky enough to find gorgeous jumbo lump crabmeat. Certainly I go right to crabcakes, but with it being hot and toasty here in Arizona, I prefer a lighter, never-turn-on-the-oven-or-cooktop kind of recipe. Which brings me right to this one: Thai Crab Salad Lettuce Wraps.
With minimal ingredients and hardly any time at all, this amazing dish can be prepared with hardly any prep and is perfect for lunch, snack, an appetizer or dinner. Take your pick!
Begin by mixing up a dressing of rice vinegar (unseasoned, thank you very much), sugar, water & Asian fish sauce. Throw in a little kosher salt for good measure!
Chop up red & orange bell peppers (you can use green or yellow…I just enjoy the “pop” of color you get with this combination), some serrano chile for heat (you can adjust the quantity for desired heat level), and a little cilantro. Add the vegetables and crabmeat to the dressing. I pulled the bigger pieces of crab apart so that it combines with the dressing and veggies better.
Mound the crab salad on the butter lettuce leaves and serve! Healthy, quick and delicious!
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Thai Crab Salad Lettuce Wraps
Makes: 4 light main dishes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
Vinaigrette:
- 1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp water
- 4 tsp Asian fish sauce
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
Salad:
- 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp minced fresh serrano chile (remove seeds if you prefer less spicy)
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over
- 12 butter lettuce leaves, separated and cleaned
Instructions
Whisk together vinegar, sugar, water, fish sauce, and salt in a bowl until sugar is dissolved.
Add remaining ingredients and toss gently to combine.
Serve crab salad mounded on butter lettuce leaves.
I love adding decorations to the top of cakes and pies, and these Sugared Lemon Twists are wonderful! They are so whimsical to look at and so very tasty!
My father, of blessed memory, loved candied orange peels (to which I very childishly responded “ewwwww”). I never understood the appeal, considering the sour taste. How could something sweet also be so sour? But, now that I’m grown (sort of), I get it. These twists are very similar to the candied orange peels that he loved and I have to say that I love these!
Sweet, chewy, slightly sour…it all works.
So, if you need to garnish a cake or elevate a cocktail, try making these Sugared Lemon Twists. They look adorable on this No-Bake Lemon Icebox Pie.
Begin by slicing the ends off of a lemon. Then, with a filet knife or other sharp knife, cut through the lemon, without cutting in half (stop when you get the the peel on the other side).
Make small cuts along the lemon so that it can flatten somewhat (I like to cut in between the membrane). Then, with your sharp knife, remove as much of the lemon flesh as you can.
Using your sharp knife, try to get as much of the white bitter pith off of the lemon, without cutting into the thin peel. Then cut peel into thin strips. I use a pizza cutter for this. And, if you want to obsess, you can also use a ruler and cut 1/8-inch strips. I didn’t bother…I’m not that nuts!
Gently simmer the lemon strips in simple syrup. Once softened (about 10 minutes), remove and let them cool down for a few minutes and then twist tightly around plastic straw pieces. Let these cool for a bunch of hours and start to harden. Then remove from the straws and garnish your pie, cake or cocktail!
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Sugared Lemon Twists
Makes: 10 twists
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes plus drying time overnight
Ingredients
- 1 lemon
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 3-4 plastic drinking straws, cut into 3-inch lengths
Instructions
Cut off the ends of the lemon. Carefully, cut down one side of the lemon, but don’t cut all the way through.
Open up the lemon, and make more cuts through the fruit so that it will lay as flat as possible.
Use your knife to carefully remove the fruit from the peel. Try to remove as much white pith as possible. The peel should lay flat now.
Cut the peel into 1/8-inch wide strips, using a pizza cutter.
Make the simple syrup by bringing sugar and water to a simmer in a small saucepan. Add the lemon strips and gently simmer for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, lay the peels on a cooling rack, set inside a sheet pan. let them cool slightly and then wrap each peel around a piece of plastic straw. Make sure the curl is slightly separated so that it doesn’t stick to itself. Let curls dry for 8-12 hours or overnight.
Slide curls off straws and onto parchment paper. They might still be slightly sticky. Use the twists to decorate cakes, cocktails or to snack on. You can use them right away or store in a bag with a little bit of sugar for up to one week.
Summer & burgers go together like, well, summer & burgers, so venture a little on the wild side and make Thai Turkey Sliders.
These mini burgers are healthy-ish, filling and lightly spicy, thanks to the addition of Sriracha sauce. They also only take 25 minutes to make!!
I love to serve these as a starter for any summer gathering and are also perfect for a late-night craving!
The burgers are made from lean ground turkey (there’s the healthy part) and shredded carrots, green onion, ginger, Sriracha and peanut butter. Form them into small patties, cook them in a hot skillet and get ready to top them.
The peanut sauce is a delicious combination of peanut butter, garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, lime juice, honey, Sriracha, sesame oil and ginger. What could be bad about that?
And, the slaw is a blend of cabbage, carrots, parsley and a healthy dose of the peanut sauce.
These delicious sliders get schmeared with peanut sauce and topped with the slaw. They are enveloped in a brioche slider bun, or whatever slider bun you prefer.
Then you get to squeeze it all together for that delicious bite! Enjoy!
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Thai Turkey Sliders
Makes: 12 sliders
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
Peanut Sauce:
- 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 2 tsp honey
- 1 tsp Sriracha sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
Crunchy Slaw:
- 2 cups shredded cabbage
- 1 small carrot, peeled and shredded
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Turkey Burger:
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 2 tbsp smooth peanut butter
- 1 small carrot, peeled and shredded
- 1 green onion, minced
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 1/2 tsp Sriracha sauce
- Vegetable Oil
- Kosher Salt
- 12 slider buns
Instructions
Peanut Sauce:
In a blender, combine peanut butter, garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, lime juice, honey, Sriracha, sesame oil and ginger. Blend until smooth. Set aside.
Crunchy Slaw:
In a medium bowl, toss cabbage, shredded carrots and parsley with 3 tablespoons of peanut sauce. Reserve the remaining peanut sauce to spread on slider buns.
Turkey Burgers:
In a medium bowl, combine ground turkey, peanut butter, shredded carrot, green onion, parsley, ginger and Sriracha. Stir to incorporate all ingredients. Form into 12 small slider patties. Lightly oil one side of the burgers and sprinkle with kosher salt. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Cook, turning once, until crusty and cooked though, about 3 1/2- 4 1/2 minutes per side.
Assembly:
Spread both sides of each slider bun with a generous amount of peanut sauce. Place coleslaw on the bottom bun, top with turkey burger and finish with another small scoop of coleslaw. Place remaining bun on top and serve.
Recipe by Bite Me More
Portuguese Pancakes are a new addition to my breakfast choices. They are different than an American pancake in that they include cornmeal in the batter. Known as panquesa de fuba (pancakes with cornmeal), they are a very traditional Portuguese dish.
I found them interesting: denser than a typical pancake and a little sweet with the addition of brown sugar to the batter. They pair up beautifully with maple syrup or honey (my choice) and are topped with fruit, whipped cream, butter or granola. Or maybe you want them all! Knock yourself out!
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Portuguese Pancakes
Makes: 8 medium pancakes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted plus more for the skillet
- 1 cup plus 2 tbsp whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup plus 2 tbsp cornmeal
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp brown sugar, packed
- Honey or maple syrup, for drizzling
- Granola, for sprinkling
Instructions
In a bowl, beat the egg lightly with a fork. Add the melted butter, milk and vanilla. Whisk in the corneal, flour and brown sugar.
In a large non-stick skillet, spread a thin layer of butter. Pour 1/4-cup pancakes into skillet (you will probably get three at a time in the skillet depending on the size). When bubbles appear on the surface and they are lightly browned, flip and brown the second side. Repeat with any remaining batter.
Stack the pancakes, serve with honey or maple syrup and top with granola.
Colorful beets are aplenty at my local farmers market, so this Golden Beets and Honey Burrata Salad was screaming to be made when I saw those beauties!
I am a huge fan of beets or all colors: red, pink, golden, chiogga (pink and white striped). Whatever I can get my hands on provides the inspo for all sorts of dishes. And, one ingredient that is no joke with beets is burrata! Burrata cheese is that creamy ball of cheese that looks like mozzarella, but when you break it open, this oozy filling melts out of it. Schmear a little of that over your freshly roasted beets and you have the makings of an awesome salad.
Take it to the next level by drizzling it with some honey and sprinkling some smoked flaky sea salt and freshly cracked pepper over the top.
I love smoked flaky sea salt, but if you can’t find it, regular flaky sea salt will be just as delicious (Maldon makes both…Check out this link).
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Golden Beets and Honey Burrata Salad
Makes: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour & 15 minutes
Ingredients
6 golden beets, washed & trimmed
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 cups arugula, lightly packed
1 (8 ounce) ball burrata
2 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp smoked flaky salt (regular flaky sea salt will work, too)
Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Roast the Beets:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Place beets in a shallow small roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, and cover with foil.
Place them in the oven for 45-60 minutes, depending on the size. They are ready when a sharp knife pierces them easily. Remove from oven and let them sit for about 10 minutes or until you can handle them safely. Using a paper towel, rub the skin off of them. Cut into 1/4″-thick rounds.
On a serving platter, arrange arugula over the bottom. Fan out beet circles in rows or circle, overlapping slightly. Break open the burrata and set on the arugula.
Drizzle with honey, sprinkle flaky salt and freshly ground pepper over the burrata and beets and serve!
I can’t say that I understand what happens to people when they see Funfetti Cupcakes, but it’s like this light starts to shine in their eyes, they get a little dewy thinking about days gone by, and they start to salivate. Ok, yes, I’m talking about me. But, maybe you too?
The point is that there is something nostalgic about these cupcakes, almost like you’re at that hometown bakery that you grew up going to.
I’m going out on a limb here, but anything with rainbow funfetti sprinkles will evoke that reaction. My Easy Funfetti Sugar Cookies absolutely do that! And just like those cookies, these cupcakes are easy to make and so much fun! The kiddos will love to help you with these pretty babies!
This recipe begins with creaming soft butter with oil. Take note that the butter MUST be at room temperature or you’ll never get the butter and oil to become homogenous. Then you’re adding sugar, eggs, and vanilla. The cake flour, baking powder and salt get whisked together and added to the batter, alternating with buttermilk (see my Chef’s Notes about cake flour & buttermilk).
Finally, fold in the rainbow sprinkles (my favorite part)! Divide the batter between the cupcake lines, bake and let cool while you make the buttercream.
The frosting is a traditional buttercream…butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, salt and a touch of milk are all you need. Transfer it to a pastry bag and pipe some swirls to the top of each cupcake.
Now it’s time to let your inner child loose. I give you permission to eat as many of these as your heart desires!
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Funfetti Cupcakes
Makes: 24 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1 & 1/2 cups sugar
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 2 tbsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups cake flour (See Chef’s Notes)
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 & 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 & 1/3 cups buttermilk
- 1/3 cup rainbow sprinkles
For the Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 & 1/2 pounds powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
For The Funfetti Cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease and line 24 cupcake tins with liners. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the softened butter and oil together until they become homogenous, about 3 minutes. This will not work if your butter is not completely room temperature.
Slowly add the granulated sugar to the oil and butter, beating on high until the mixture is light and fluffy and turns a very pale yellow, about 3 minutes.
Add the eggs in one at time, scraping down the bowl in between each addition. Add the vanilla extract. Beat the mixture on high for 3 minutes more to incorporate as much air as possible.
In separate bowl sift together the cake flour, salt, and baking powder. Alternate mixing in the dry ingredients and the buttermilk in 4 batches, starting with the buttermilk and ending with the dry ingredients. Fold in the sprinkles until well mixed. It’s okay if the batter still has a few lumps in it–you don’t want to over mix it.
Use a large cookie scoop or a 1/4 cup measuring cup to split the batter evenly into the prepared cupcake tins and bake for 20-30 minutes or until the cupcakes are lightly golden brown and spring back when pressed. Take out of the oven and transfer to a cooling rack. Let the cupcakes cool completely and frost with your favorite frosting!
For The Frosting:
In a stand mixer, beat the softened butter and powdered sugar together until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add in the vanilla, salt and a tablespoon of milk one at a time. If the frosting seems to be getting too runny, stop adding milk. Beat for 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Transfer the frosting to a pastry bag fit with a large star tip and frost the cooled cupcakes. Top with rainbow sprinkles or leave plain. Enjoy!
Chef’s Notes:
If you can’t find cake flour, substitute by measuring out 3 cups of regular flour (following this tip). Remove 6 tablespoons flour and add in 6 tablespoons corn starch. Sift 2 times then use in the place of regular flour.
Make sure all your ingredients are at true room temperature so that they incorporate seamlessly.
If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can make a substitute! Find our buttermilk substitute here!
Do not over mix the batter! This can dry out your cake and cause the sprinkles to bleed into the batter!
Recipe by Broma Bakery
For a delicious way to decorate any cake, especially this Southern Peanut Butter Cake, you must try this Peanut Butter Frosting recipe!
It is a classic buttercream recipe with the addition of peanut butter. It’s not complicated…just beat the peanut butter, butter and salt together. Add the confectioners’ sugar, a little vanilla and some milk and continue beating until it’s smooth and spreadable.
That’s all it takes. Not only is this buttercream amazing on cakes, try it on cupcakes, brownies or right off of a spoon!! My favorite way of eating it!
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Peanut Butter Frosting
Makes: 7 cups
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 cups creamy peanut butter
- 1 & 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
- Pinch of salt
- 4 & 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 6 tbsp whole milk, room temperature
Instructions
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat peanut butter, butter, and salt at medium speed until smooth and well combined, 1 to 2 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. With mixer on low speed, gradually add confectioners’ sugar, beating until combined. Beat in vanilla. Gradually add milk, and beat at medium-low speed until smooth and spreadable, stopping to scrape sides of bowl.
Recipe from Bake from Scratch