Quick Beef Pho

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Courtesy of Food Network .com

I’m totally down with this quick version of Beef Pho 🍲

Asian, Soups & Stews

Prep Time: 20 min Cook Time: 1 hr Difficulty: Easy Servings: 2 large or 4 small bowls Source: foodnetwork.com

INGREDIENTS

Pho Stock:

2 tablespoons (30 g) beef bouillon or base

1 tablespoon (15 g) Vietnamese fish sauce

1 tablespoon (15 g) white sugar

One (2″ [5-cm]) piece ginger, sliced into thin tiles

1/2 yellow onion, large dice

Pinch kosher salt

2 whole cloves

2 whole star anise

1 cinnamon stick

Assembly:

1/2 pound (240 g) thin rice stick noodles, rinsed

1/2 pound (240 g) beef strip loin or fillet, shaved thin

1 cup (240 g) Vietnamese basil leaves

1 cup (240 g) bean sprouts

1/2 cup (95 g) cilantro leaves

5 jalapeno or serrano chiles, sliced thin

4 scallions, sliced thin on the bias

1/2 yellow onion, sliced paper thin

1 lime, cut into wedges

Hoisin sauce, for the table

Chili sauce, such as Sriracha, for the table

DIRECTIONS

For the Pho Stock: Add the beef base and 1 quart water to a 2-quart (1.9-L) saucepan and bring to a low boil. Add the fish sauce, sugar, ginger, onion and salt to the stock and reduce the heat to a simmer. Wrap the cloves, star anise and cinnamon stick in a piece of cheesecloth and tie it into a satchel. Add the satchel to the broth and simmer for at least 30 minutes, but no more than 45 minutes.

Around the 30 minute mark, taste the broth to see that the spice flavors have been extracted, and adjust seasonings if necessary. Strain the aromatics and satchel from the broth, return to a sauce pot, and reserve for assembly.

For the assembly: Bring the broth back to a simmer. In a separate pot, bring water to a boil. Using a sieve or basket, quickly dip the noodles into the water until they are hot and al dente, 10 to 20 seconds. Drain the excess water from the noodles and distribute the noodles between 4 bowls.

Top each bowl with some sliced beef, basil, bean sprouts, cilantro, jalapeno, scallions and onion, or as each person wishes. Ladle in enough broth to cover the ingredients in the bowl. Garnish with a lime wedge. I like to serve pho with Sriracha and hoisin sauce.

NUTRITION

Fat: 22g
Calories: 875
Saturated Fat: 8g
Sodium: 1019mg
Fiber: 12g
Cholesterol: 93mg
Carbohydrate: 131g
Sugar: 19g
Serving Size: 1 of 2 servings
Protein: 40g

Strawberry 🍓 Bread

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Strawberry Bread

★★★★★

Breads, Fruit,

Cook Time: 50 minutesServings: Prep time 10 minutesSource: tastesoflizzyt.com

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE BREAD:

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup oil

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract or almond extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder** (see notes)

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups diced strawberries

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

FOR THE GLAZE:

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons melted butter

1/3 cup finely diced strawberries

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or almond extract

1-2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk** (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar, milk, oil, egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.

In a small bowl, toss together the strawberries and the 2 tablespoons of flour to coat the strawberries. Fold the floured strawberries gently into the batter.

Pour the bread batter into a greased 9″x5″ bread pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center of the bread should come out clean. Allow the bread to cool for 10 minutes, then remove the bread to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the glaze, combine the powdered sugar, melted butter, diced strawberries and extract in a small bowl. Mix until it is smooth.

Once the bread is cool, spread the glaze on top of the bread. Slice and serve.

NOTES

*I often add an extra teaspoon of vanilla or almond extract to the bread batter (along with the wet ingredients) for an extra boost of flavor. I do this especially if I’m not putting the glaze on top. The bread has the most flavor when you add the strawberry glaze!

*We have added up to 2 ½ cups of diced strawberries to the batter. The bread stays together the best when you use about 2 cups.

**We like the strawberry bread as written, but if you’d like a higher rise on the bread, reduce the baking powder to 1 teaspoon and add ½ teaspoon of baking soda. This will change the texture slightly, but some like it a little better.

**We didn’t need any milk or cream to make the glaze spreadable, but it may depend on the juiciness of your strawberries. The glaze will be very thick and look like it is not mixing up, but if you keep mixing, it should create a nice creamy pink glaze as shown below. If it doesn’t, add milk or heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time. The glaze will soften as it sits too since the sugar pulls out juices from the strawberries. Keep this in mind when adding milk and don’t add too much!

***Many people find that they can make half of a recipe of glaze and it is plenty. If you don’t like a lot of glaze, halve the ingredients.

****The calories shown are based on the bread being cut into 10 pieces (and all of the frosting used), with 1 serving being 1 slice of bread. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate.

NUTRITION

Calories: 394kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 92mg | Potassium: 181mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 115IU | Vitamin C: 19.7mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 1.5mg

Leftover Ham? Make sliders 🍔

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We bought a Honey Baked Ham for the holidays and I went searching for recipes for leftovers.

This one’s a KEEPER.

Ham & Cheese Sliders


Ham & Cheese Sliders

★★★★★

Entertaining for a crowd, Make Ahead, Meats, Sandwich

Prep Time: 5 mins Cook Time: 25 mins Servings: Yields: Source: delish.com

INGREDIENTS

SAVE TO MY RECIPES

1/4 c. yellow mustard

1 tbsp. honey

4 tbsp. melted butter

1 tbsp. poppy seeds

1/4 c. mayonnaise

12 slider buns

12 slices deli ham

12 slices Swiss cheese

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 350° and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, combine mustard and honey and whisk to combine.

Make poppy dressing: In a medium bowl, combine butter, poppy seeds, and 1 tablespoon of honey-mustard mixture. Whisk to combine.

Split slider buns in half horizontally and place bottom half on baking sheet. Spread mayo in an even layer on the bottom layer of slider buns, then top with an even layer of ham and cheese. Spread top buns with honey-mustard mixture, then place on top of cheese layer. Pour poppyseed dressing on tops of buns (using a pastry brush to spread if necessary) until all buns are coated.

Place in oven and bake until cheese is melty and buns are golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Slice and serve.

NUTRITION

(per serving): 312 calories, 16 g protein, 20 g carbohydrates, .14 g fiber, 6 g sugar, 18 g fat, 8 g saturated fat, 683 mg sodium

Potato Latkes with Spiced Apple-Pear Sauce

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yes, please


Potato Latkes with Spiced Apple-Pear Sauce

Prep Time: 20 min Cook Time: 35 min Difficulty: EasyServings: Yield: 10 to 12 latkesSource: foodnetwork.com

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds russet potatoes

1 small yellow onion

3 tablespoons matzo meal

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons kosher salt

Vegetable oil, for frying

1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs, such as chives or parsley, for garnish

Sour cream, for serving

Spiced Apple-Pear Sauce, for serving, recipe follows

Spiced Apple-Pear Sauce:

3 McIntosh apples, peeled, cored and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

3 ripe Bartlett pears, peeled, cored and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

6 cinnamon sticks

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 to 2 tablespoons sugar

DIRECTIONS

Peel the potatoes and shred them in a food processor fitted with the shredding blade; transfer the potatoes to a large bowl as the food processor fills up. Repeat with the onion. Transfer the onion to the bowl with the potatoes and stir in the matzo meal, egg, baking powder and salt.

Fill a large skillet with 1/2 inch oil. Heat over medium-high heat until the oil is very hot but not smoking. To test if the oil is hot enough, drop a small piece of potato into the oil; if the potato sizzles steadily, the oil is ready.

Working in batches, scoop the potato mixture by 1/4-cupfuls and add them carefully to the skillet, flattening each latke slightly with a spatula. Fry, turning the latkes once, until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Remove any loose bits of potato mixture between batches with a slotted spoon.

Serve the latkes immediately, or keep them warm in a 200 degree F oven. Garnish with fresh herbs and serve with sour cream and Spiced Apple-Pear Sauce.

Spiced Apple-Pear Sauce:

Combine the apples, pears, lemon juice, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the apples and pears are very soft but still a bit chunky, 15 to 20 minutes. Taste the mixture and add the remaining tablespoon of sugar if desired.

Remove the sauce from the heat and stir a few times until the sauce is well combined with small chunks. Cool to room temperature. Remove the cinnamon sticks and serve. (For a smoother sauce, remove from heat, remove the cinnamon sticks and then whisk the mixture until smooth before cooling.)

NOTES

If you need to fry a lot of latkes, it’s best to make multiple batches rather than one double batch. The longer the mixture sits, the wetter it becomes which makes the latkes fall apart more easily as they cook.

NUTRITION

Fat: 29g
Calories: 383
Saturated Fat: 2g
Sodium: 333mg
Fiber: 4g
Cholesterol: 16mg
Carbohydrate: 31g
Sugar: 12g
Serving Size: 1 of 12 servings
Protein: 3g

Luscious Lemon Cream Fruit Dip

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This dip has always been the hit of the party. Light and truly luscious, guests cannot get enough!

Luscious Lemon Cream Fruit Dip

★★★★★

Appetizer

Difficulty: Easy Source: Keyingredient.com

INGREDIENTS

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

⅓ cup REAL LEMON (brand name) concentrate

1 tablespoon cornstarch

½ cup water water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup whipping cream — whipped

–

DIRECTIONS

Beat lemon, 1/2 cup sugar and eggs. In saucepan, combine 1/2 cup sugar and cornstarch; stir in water. Cook and stir til thickened; remove from heat. Gradually beat in egg mixture.

Over low heat cook and stir until slightly thickened. Add vanilla. Cool. Fold in whipped cream.

Serve with fresh fruit. Refrigerate leftovers.

It’ll take me 10 years but ah’m going to make this Lemon 🍋 Blueberry 🫐cake!

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Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Cake

Cakes, Desserts, TO TRY

Prep Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 1 hr 20 min

Total Time: 14 hours Servings: 12 Source: omgchocolatedesserts.com

INGREDIENTS

¾ cup fresh blueberries

16 oz. cream cheese- room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

2 eggs + 1 egg yolk- room temperature

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 Tablespoons corn starch

¼ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

2/3 cup unsalted butter-room temperature

1 and 1/3 cups granulated sugar

2 eggs + 1 egg white

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

2 teaspoons lemon zest

½ cup milk

3 Tablespoons lemon juice

1 ½ cups blueberries- fresh (if use frozen do not thaw)

3-4 teaspoons of flour- to toss the blueberries

12 oz. full-fat brick style cream cheese- softened

1 cup unsalted butter-softened

¼ teaspoon salt

3 ½ -4 ½ cups powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 Tablespoon lemon zest

lemon wedges

fresh blueberries

DIRECTIONS

Blueberry Cheesecake::

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly grease 8-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Wrap springform pan in double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil to prevent water from leaking in during the baking in a water bath.

To make the cheesecake pulse blueberries and cream cheese in a food processor, then transfer the mixture in a mixing bowl.

Add sugar and flour and beat until smooth and creamy. Mix in vanilla.

Add eggs, one at the time mixing after each addition just to combine, do not over mix.

Finally mix in sour cream and heavy cream. Pour the batter into springform pan and smooth the top, then place in a roasting pan. Pour boiling water in roasting pan halfway up the side of the springform pan and make sure no water drip on the batter and bake 40-45 minutes or until the center has set.

Remove springform pan from water bath, then run a thin knife around the cake and cool to a room temperature, then place in the fridge for a few hours or overnight to cool completely.

Lemon Blueberry Cake::

Preheat oven to 350 F, butter and lightly flour two 8-inches round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper circles.

Sift together 2 cups flour, corn starch, baking powder and salt and set aside.

Stir together milk and lemon juice and set aside to curdle.

Beat butter and sugar on medium-high until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes.

With the mixer running on low, add eggs one at a time and mix after each addition.

Add vanilla extract and lemon zest and mix to combine.

First add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then add half of the milk mixture, then 1/3 of the flour mixture, then remaining milk mixture milk, and finish with the flour mixture. Mix to combine after each addition, but do not over mix.

In a small bowl, gently toss blueberries with flour to coat, then gently fold blueberries into batter, being careful not to break the berries.

Divide batter evenly between pans, smooth the top and bake for 30-35 minutes, until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 to 15 minutes, then remove to wire rack to finish cooling.

Cream Cheese Frosting::

Mix the butter and cream cheese on medium speed until no lumps remain. Do not over beat before the sugar was added or may end up with a runny frosting.

Add vanilla, salt and lemon zest and mix until combined.

Gradually add powdered sugar until desired sweetness and thickness is reached. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat until smooth.

Assembling the Cake:

Place one layer of cake onto serving plate and top with thin layer of lemon cream cheese frosting. Place blueberry cheesecake layer and top with thin layer of frosting. Finally, top with second cake layer and frost cake with remaining frosting. Decorate with lemon wedges and fresh blueberries if desired. Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes before cutting or else the cake may fall apart as you cut.

Store in the fridge.

NOTES

You can make the cake layers and cheesecake layer a day ahead. Cool completely to room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge overnight. The next day make the frosting and assemble the cake.

Buttermilk Peach Popsicles

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Buttermilker-Peach
Popsicles


Ingredients
3 ripe Dickey Farms peaches, peeled and
diced
3/4 cup whole buttermilk
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
Method

  1. Process buttermilk, honey, cream, salt, and 11/2
    cups of the peaches in a blender until
    completely smooth, about 1 minute.
  2. Finely chop remaining 1 cup of peaches; stir into
    buttermilk mixture. Divide peach mixture among
    plastic frozen pop molds, leaving some room at
    the top to allow for expansion. Cover with lids
    and insert wooden craft sticks.
  3. Freeze until pops are completely firm and sticks
    are set, approximately 6-8 hours. To remove the
    pops, run outside of molds under hot water for
    a few seconds and remove lids.
    Exjoy!

Strawberry Patch🍓 Decoys

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I had a beautiful green ceramic strawberry pot, with 🍓plants that survived from year to year.

my 🍓decoy

I kept it on our front porch and invited guests to help themselves. There wasn’t much fruit as our summers can be brutally hot, but we thoroughly enjoyed its presence.

Well, it broke early last spring ?? and I hastily planted them into an already established raised garden bed. They took off nicely but I had a LOT of competition for the berries. I couldn’t begrudge the tiny bunnies or the squirrels, but the birds have feeders.

More plants, I thought. More plants and there will be enough strawberries to go around. The runners from the original plants obliged me and I have a nice little patch this year.

But then I saw the birds going after the berries that haven’t even begun to ripen. What to do?🤔

And THAT’s when I thought to paint some small pebbles red like strawberries 🍓. Birds don’t like pecking hard things with their beaks. They’ll peck the rocks and not like it very much and leave my soon-to-be ripe berries alone. Right? right??

My strawberry 🍓 patch WITH decoys 😂

Worth a try and if nothing else I had a good deal of fun doing it.

Wish me luck and I’ll keep you posted