Prosciutto Wrapped Grilled Asparagus

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus

• 1 pkg Prosciutto, sliced in half
• 1/2 cup Herb Spreadable Cheese (I used Alouette Brand in the Artichoke-Spinach flavor)
• 1/2 bunch Fresh Asparagus
• 1/4 cup Safflower Oil
• Kosher Salt
• Black Pepper
• Balsamic Glaze, optional

1. Spread a small amount of cheese on the center of each cut piece of prosciutto
2. Place 2-3 stalks of asparagus on top of the cheese
3. Roll up tightly and place in a container that has oil on the bottom, and roll each wrapped section until well covered with oil
4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper
5. Grill over an open flame, or under a broiler, until the prosciutto is slightly crispy and the stalks are tender and browned
6. Serve with a drizzle of the balsamic glaze, if desired

To see the finished result and to read more, please visit this post..

Creamy Pasta with Chicken and Butternut Squash

Once again, my leftovers turned into a delightful new dish. I'm beginning to see a pattern here...I may need to add a new tab for leftovers!

Pasta with Chicken and Butternut Squash

• 2 uncooked Chicken Breasts, cut into cubes
• Oil of choice (I prefer Coconut Oil or Safflower Oil)
• 2 tsp McCormick Seasonings Perfect Pinch, Sicilian Blend
• 3/4 cup Green Onion Cheese Ball
• 1/2 cup Half and Half (fat free is fine)
• 1/4 cup Chicken Broth
• 1 cup cubed, cooked Butternut Squash
• 1/2 cup Roasted Red Pepper, previously caramelized if desired
• Parmesan Cheese Shavings

1. Coat Chicken with seasoning blend.
2. Cook chicken until nearly done in desired oil.
3. Add cheeseball, cream and broth and stir until creamy and starting to come to a low boil.
4. Add cooked vegetables and cook until heated through.
5. Serve with cooked Pasta of choice and garnish with cheese shavings.

ALTERNATE Serving Suggestion as pictured above:

1. Add the vegetables to the chicken when almost cooked through, and heat to serve.
2. Prepare the sauce in a separate pan and serve over the top of the pasta, but under the chicken mixture.
3. Garnish with cheese shavings. 

Easy Savory Pasta

Gorgonzola, Pepper and Spinach Creamy Pasta

• 1 box Cavatappi Pasta (see this link), cooked to desired doneness
• 1 small Green Onion Cheeseball from your local Deli (about 8 oz)
• 1/2 cup Cream, or Half and Half
• 1/4 cup Gorgonzola Cheese
• 1/2 cup Roasted Red Pepper strips, diced (see this post)
• 1 cup chopped Tomatoes
• 1 cup Baby Spinach, cut into strips
• 1 tsp Olive Oil
• 1 clove Garlic, finely minced

1. Combine the cheese ball with the cream and Gorgonzola over low heat until warmed and smooth.
2. In a large saucepan, sear the red peppers over med-high heat until they start to caramelize. 
3. Add the tomatoes and cook for an additional minute.
4. Add the spinach, oil and garlic and heat until the spinach wilts.
5. Serve the Gorgonzola sauce over the pasta, and top with the pepper mixture. 
6. Sprinkle with additional cheese, if desired.

For more about this recipe, and the ingredients I used, please visit this post.

Almond-Pear Torte

I made this torte (along with an Apricot version) to take to a family party last week...and I forgot to snap a shot of the finished product before we left! Mercy...I hate when that happens. Just know that it looked very similar to this one...just browned and baked. ;)  This is a decadent tasting treat, and you will feel like you are transported to Europe when you bite into it. It's that good. I created this recipe after trying a similar dessert at a local European Deli in my area...and my taste buds kept telling me to go back! 

I do have another picture of smaller versions that I made for the Bake Sale we had at the Culinary School I am attending. You can see those in this post. I used 2 different types of pears for this one, but any variety of pear will work.

Almond-Pear Torte
This recipe makes enough for two 9-inch tart pans, or approx. 15 mini pans

Crust:

• 1 8 oz block Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 cup Butter, softened
• 1 TBL Cream
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 2 TBL Sugar
• 2 1/2 cups Flour

Filling:

• 1 can Almond Paste
• 1/2 cup Butter
• 2 Eggs
• 3 TBL Flour
• 1 1/2 tsp Almond Extract
• 1 cup Almond Milk (or Cream)
• 3 TBL Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 3-4 Pears, thinly sliced (don't slice until the crust is ready and filled)

1. For the crust: Cream the butter and cream cheese until fluffy.
2. Mix in the remaining ingredients until well blended.
3. Shape into 2 disks and wrap in plastic.
4. Chill dough for 4, or more, hours.
5. For the filling: Blend the paste and butter together until creamy.
6. Add the remaining ingredients, except pears, and mix thoroughly.
7. Once the dough has chilled, roll into a circle large enough for your pan of choice.
8. Grease the pans.
9. Pour filling into the crust, and then top with the pears.
10. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes, or until the center is completely set. (20-25 for mini tarts)

Cherry Delights

I recently received notice of a Valentine Cookie Exchange that my stepdaughter was to be involved in just 4 hours before the event. AAAHHH!! I didn't have time to bake sugar cookies and frost them that day!

All good, I took myself off to Walmart in search of what I knew would be a good solution. I had seen Cherry Chip cake mix previously, and I had some Cherry Chocolate Chips in my freezer. I knew I could create a lovely cookie with those components in no time.

What I ended up with is a texture of cookie that I can only describe as delightful! I've added cream cheese to regular cookies before with great results, but I wanted these cookies to be a very different texture than most cake mix versions. The use of only egg whites vs. a whole egg did the trick....along with adding baking powder. I will be creating many more flavor varieties of these cookies in the future...they really are DELIGHFUL!

Cherry Delights

• 1 block Cream Cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup Butter, at room temperature
• 2 Egg Whites
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 1 1/2 tsp Almond Extract
• 1-2 drops Red Food Coloring, optional
• 1 box Cherry Chip Cake Mix
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 cup Cherry Chocolate Chips (or white chips if you can't find these)
• Sprinkles of choice

1. Mix the cream cheese and butter until fluffy. 
2. Add the egg whites and extracts. 
3. Add food coloring, if desired. 
4. Whisk the cake mix together with the baking powder before adding to the wet mix. Blend well.
5. Drop by desired size of scoop onto a baking stone or a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
6. Bake for 9-11 minutes in a preheated 350° oven.
7. Melt the chips and drizzle over the cooled cookies. Add sprinkles while chocolate is wet.
8. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Put waxed paper between cookies if stacking.

Quick and Easy Strawberry Cheesecake Trifle

Strawberry Cheesecake Trifle

• 1 Angel Food Cake, cubed and dried (250° oven for 30 minutes, or air-dry for 6 hours)
• 1 block Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 cup Greek Yogurt, Vanilla Flavor (if using regular yogurt, let it drain for an hour)
• 2/3 cup Powdered Sugar
• 1/2 cup flavored Liquid Creamer (I used Coldstone's Sweet Cream, but French Vanilla would be fine)
• 1 cup Whipped Cream (or use Cool Whip)
• 1 tsp Almond Extract
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste (or 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract)
• 2 lbs Strawberries, sliced
• 1/2 cup Sugar

1. Blend all ingredients except the Strawberries and regular sugar (and cake cubes) with a mixer until creamy
2. Gently fold in the cake cubes
3. Combine the strawberries with the sugar and allow to sit for at least 2 hours
4. Start with a layer of the berries, then a layer of the cake mixture
5. Repeat Layers
6. Garnish with fresh berries and whipped cream, if desired 

For additional Trifle Ideas and info, please visit my post here . To learn how to keep Strawberries and other berries fresh, make sure to read my AMAZING TIP here.  By the way, my favorite brand of Greek Yogurt is ZOI Brand! I hope you can find it because it's amazing!