Fresh Fruit Bowls with Vanilla Yogurt Dressing

"You can serve this fruit salad at your next breakfast, brunch or barbecue!   

 

 

2 Mangoes, cut into chunks

2 Nectarines, cut into chunks

1 quart Strawberries, sliced

1 pint Blueberries

1 individual-sized container Greek Yogurt*

1 Tablespoon Honey*

1/4 teaspoon vanilla  

 

Combine fruit and divide into individual serving dishes.  Mix yogurt, honey and vanilla and dollop onto fruit. 

 

 *TIP:  I substituted a 5.3 ounce Fage Greek Yogurt with honey.

 

You can also serve this fruit salad in a large bowl, rather than individual serving dishes.  Also, feel free to use your favorite fruits if you would prefer a different combination.  



Chicken, Bacon, Mushroom & Artichoke Pizza

"This pizza has layer upon layer of delicious ingredients that combine to make one of the tastiest pizzas you will ever eat!"

"Pizza's on it's way and you don't even need to wait for the delivery guy!"

 

"Everything you need to make a delicious dinner!"

  

"Ready for the oven.  Looks good huh?"

Here's how to do it!

1 Boboli 12-inch thin pizza crust

1-(15 ounce) jar Bertolli Garlic Alfredo Sauce
2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

1-1/2 cups shredded or diced chicken*

1-(4.5 ounce) jar of sliced mushrooms, drained

1-(12 ounce) jar of marinated quartered artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1/2 cup Hormel bacon pieces or crumbled bacon

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Spread desired amount of Alfredo sauce onto pizza crust.  (I used a little over 1/2 of the jar.)  Top with Mozzarella cheese.  Layer the next 4 ingredients (chicken, mushrooms, artichokes and bacon pieces) over the Mozzarella cheese.  Sprinkle on Parmesan cheese, Italian seasonings and red pepper flakes.  Bake at 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

 

*Tip:  You can use leftover chicken or you can shred up deli Rotisserie chicken. 

Taco Salad

"This salad makes a delicious lunch or dinner.  We often make it the day after taco night to use up leftover taco ingredients."

1 pound ground beef

1/2 of a medium onion, diced

salt, pepper, onion and garlic powders; to taste

1 head of iceberg lettuce, chopped

1 bunch of green onions, sliced

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

tortilla chips, crushed

1-(2.25 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained 

green olives stuffed with garlic, desired amount

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Litehouse Salsa Ranch Dressing*

Pickled Jalapeno Slices

1 avocado, sliced

 

In a sauté pan, brown ground beef with onion and desired amounts of seasonings; drain.  In a large bowl, combine lettuce, green onions and tomatoes.  On serving plates, layer crushed tortilla chips, lettuce mixture, ground beef, olives and cheddar cheese.  Spoon on desired amount of salad dressing and garnish with jalapeno and avocado slices and additional tortilla chips.

 

*TIP:  You can substitute your favorite salad dressing for the salsa ranch.  I have also used Ranch and Thousand Island dressings. 

Almond Peach Cobbler

"This cobbler is a perfect Summer recipe because it takes advantage of fresh peaches.  I love the flavors of almond and peaches and this dessert combines them DELICIOUSLY!"



 Fruit:
5-6 peaches, sliced
1/2 cup sugar (You can adjust the sugar, depending on how sweet you want your peaches.)
juice from 1/2 of a lemon
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix all ingredients together and place in a 9x9 inch baking pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

Batter:
1-1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1-1/2 Tablespoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup butter, melted

Combine all batter ingredients and pour over peaches.  Bake at 375 degrees for 50 minutes.  (I placed a piece of foil over the cobbler for the last 15 minutes of baking, so the top wouldn't brown too much.)

 

"Topped with vanilla bean ice cream.  YUM!

Buttery Barbecued Steaks

"My Dad taught me this recipe years ago.  It's so easy and it makes grilled steaks buttery and mouthwatering!"

 "These steaks are perfect served with Twice Grilled Potatoes!"

Beef Ribeye Steaks, or your favorite cut of beef

Salt and pepper

Season steaks with desired amount of salt and pepper.  Place on grill.  Baste with Butter Basting Sauce (Recipe follows) while grilling.  Cook until desired doneness.

   

Butter Basting Sauce:

1/4 cup Butter

1/4 cup of your favorite Barbecue Sauce

In a saucepan, melt butter.  Add barbecue sauce and stir to combine completely.  Use to baste steaks throughout grilling
time. 



                                                                         Check out my recipe on Bakewell Junction

Twice Grilled Potatoes

"A twist on the original recipe, Twice Baked Potatoes, this recipe 'kicks it up a notch' as Emeril would say.  We grilled the potatoes; scooped out the creamy insides; mixed in butter, sour cream, bacon and chives; piled everything back in and threw it back onto the grill until they were smoky and ooey gooey delicious!"  

"Everything you need for a delicious side dish!"

"Cut the top off of each potato."

"Scoop out potato flesh, leaving about 1/4 inch border." 

"Add butter, sour cream, bacon and chives to potato."

"Over-Stuff potato shells."

"Grill until heated through." 

"Serve at your next Barbecue."

Grilled Potatoes:
2 Idaho Potatoes
salt and pepper
cooking oil (vegetable, olive or canola)

Preheat grill to 400 degrees.*  Prepare potatoes by washing them and poking them several times with a fork.  Rub potatoes with a few drops of oil until they are completely coated.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place potatoes over indirect heat and grill for 1 hour.  Remove from the grill and allow to cool slightly.   

*TIP:  Our grill has 3 separate burners.  My hubby turned the two outside burners on and left the middle burner off.  He grilled the potatoes over the unlit middle burner.  That way the potatoes could cook over indirect heat and would not burn.

To prepare Twice Grilled Potatoes:
2 Grilled Potatoes
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup crumbled bacon
1 Tablespoon minced fresh chives
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Cut the top off of each potato.  Scoop potato flesh out, making sure to leave about a 1/4 inch of potato flesh in the skin, and place into a medium sized bowl.  Mash potato with potato masher or fork.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Spoon 1/2 of mixture into each potato shell.  (The potatoes will be overstuffed.)  Place potatoes on grill.  Close lid and grill at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes.      

My Recipe is one of the Runners up in Taste of Home Contest

"I'm thrilled that my recipe for Chunky Apple Cinnamon Mini Pies is one of the runners-up in a Taste of Home recipe contest.  It was published in the August/September 2013 issue of Simple & Delicious magazine." 

"This is the photo of my recipe in the Simple & Delicious issue.  Don't they look adorable!"
Photo by Taste of Home.