Our Fabulous Bites

photo cred: www.diethood.com Though a bit rich and slightly on the heavy side, this was good. I think I'd serve it as a side, however, and not a main dish, simply because of the comments above. Oh, I also added mushrooms just do give it something more. Garlic Butter Asparagus Pasta 1 c dry orzo 1 lb fresh asparagus, cut into inch pieces (or longer, but my girls eat it better if it's cut) mushrooms, sliced (I never measure these, but just throw a bunch in) 4 tbsp butter 3 garlic cloves, minced 1/4 c parmesan 2 tbsp milk 1 tbsp fresh parsley s&p, to taste shredded parm for garnish Prepare orzo according to the directions on the package. Add the asparagus tips to the orzo the last 2 minutes of cooking. Remove from heat and drain. Add butter to a skillet and melt over medium heat. Stir in garlic and mushrooms and cook 4-5 minutes, or until lightly browned, stirring frequently, careful not to burn or the garlic will become bitter. Add o

photo cred: juliasalbum.com  We had this last week and it was easy to gobble up. I did make a change, and that was to run the sun-dried tomatoes through a food processor, because I'm not a fan of the texture when they are in big chunks, and that solved the problem.   Garlic Shrimp and Sun-dried Tomatoes with Pasta and Sauce 1/2 lb shrimp 4 oz sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil salt 1/4 tsp paprika 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 c milk 1 tsp dried basil 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper 1 c parmesan cheese 8 oz pasta, I used angel hair, the original recipe called for fettuccine In a large skillet, saute minced garlic and sun-dried tomatoes in oil (I used the oil from the tomatoes) for one minute until garlic is fragrant. Add shrimp, sprinkle with salt, paprika, and cook on medium heat for about 2 more minutes. Add milk, basil, and crushed red pepper to the skillet, bring to boil and reduce to simmer. Whisk in the parmesan cheese to melt, and turn to lowes

photo cred: www.jocooks.com  We had this last month some time and we all enjoyed it. Unfortunately since I didn't post this right away I can't remember if there was anything we wished different. It was really easy to quick to make . Brazilian Shrimp Soup 2 tbsp olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1 bell pepper, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 c long grain rice pinch of red pepper flakes 2 tsp salt 1 15oz can crushed tomatoes 4 c water 1 c canned unsweetened coconut milk 1 lb medium shrimp, shelled and cut into inch pieces 1/4 tsp ground black pepper 1 lemon, juiced 1/2 c chopped fresh parsley In a large pot heat the olive oil over low heat. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic and cook stirring occasionally until the onion and pepper are soft. Add the rice, red pepper flakes, salt, tomatoes and water to the pot and bring to boil. Cook until the rice is almost done, about 10 minutes. Stir the coconut milk into the soup. Bring to a sim

photo cred: greenvalleykitchen.com   Made this last week. I enjoyed it, and Josh ate the rest of the bowl full, so the girls never got to try it...so it's safe to say he liked it as well. It's a quick, yummy and fresh salad. Tomato, Cucumber, Avocado Salad 1 1/2 c cherry tomatoes, cut in half 1 cucumber, peeled and seeded then cubed 1 avocado, cubed 4 oz feta cheese 2 tbsp minced red onion 2 tbsp minced parsley 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp red wine vinegar s&p to taste Throw together the tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, red onion, and parsley in a bowl and mix.  Whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar and black pepper. Pour over salad and toss gently. Bon Appetite!

photo cred: simplybeautifuleating.com I made this for Thanksgiving. We really enjoyed it, I just wish I had a tart pan for it. It was yummy, tart, and pretty simple to make, though it is a bit time consuming. Anything with coconut pretty much makes me happy. Mine came out a dark vibrant red, and not mauve like this one. I'm curious why. Raspberry Coconut Tart 1 1/2 c flour 1/2 c powdered sugar 1/4 tsp salt 9 tbsp unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small cubes 1 egg, lightly beaten 1/4 c shredded sweetened coconut Fresh Raspberry Coconut Filling 3 c fresh raspberries 1/2 c sugar 1 tsp lemon zest 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice 1/4 c shredded sweetened coconut 2 tbsp water 2 large egg yolks 2 tbsp plus 2 tsp cornstarch 1/8 tsp salt 1 tbsp chilled unsalted butter, into small cubes Additional raspberries, lemon peel curls, and powdered sugar for garnish For the crust, pulse the flour, sugar and salt together in the bowl of a food process

I made these for our Christmas birthday dessert for baby Jesus, and we all really enjoyed them. I need to have a reason to make some more soon. They are also really easy to make! Raspberry Chocolate Cups Makes 6 muffin cup servings Chocolate Cups 7 oz dark chocolate (55-70% cocoa) 6 aluminum muffin cups (refer to note at bottom) Raspberry Puree 5 oz fresh or frozen raspberries 1/4 cup sugar Chocolate Raspberry Filling 7 oz dark chocolate (55-70% cocoa) 1 1/4 cup whipping cream, cold Raspberry puree Topping Fresh Raspberries Powdered Sugar Prepare the chocolate cups . For tempering the chocolate divide the chocolate into 2 parts, 5.5 oz and 1.5 oz. Place the 5.5 oz chocolate into a heatproof bowl and place over simmering water. Heat the chocolate until a thermometer reads 105-115 degrees F, then take the bowl out of the simmering water. Add the 1.5 oz chocolate into the melted chocolate and stir until smooth. Fill each cup a little le