Fresh Apricot Pie Bars

Greg and I are moving up in this world. We said goodbye to Sam's Club in mid-June, and we became members of Costco this past Tuesday evening. We went up to meet my parents at the Costco in Columbia so we could return three portable AC units that we bought 2 years ago. They really did not do a good job at cooling our house, and we didn't feel good about selling them on craigslist, especially since we didn't believe in the product. So Costco has this CRAZY return policy, where if you are not happy with an item, they will take it back and give you a full refund, even if you've had the product for several years. They have some limits on their policy, like for electronics and cell phones, but almost everything else is always returnable. So, yeah, my parents did feel bad about the fact that they were returning items that they bought for us on their membership, so we were politely encouraged by to get our own Costco membership!

Costco is a wonderful place. They have so many great things at such good prices. They even have a pretty nice produce section. On Tuesday, I walked around Costco with my mom and we saw a box of apricots in the produce section, and we decided to split the container. On Wednesday, I was home trying to work on housework and school work, and boredom set in and the urge to bake came over me. The apricots kept calling my name...they were asking me to put them into a delicious baked good treat. I was thinking about these yummy strawberry rhubarb pie bars that a coworker shared at work at the end of the school year, and I wanted to create something like that, but with the apricots. I searched the web and really could not find many pie bar recipes that uses fresh apricots, so I was a bit concerned that my concoction wouldn't turn out. But guess what? It did turn out and it turned out very well. You'll love the way the crust, apricot filling, and sweet and crumbly topping come together. I shared these fresh apricot pie bars at a party on Wednesday evening, and they definitely were a crowd-pleaser. I can't wait to make this yummy treat again. Enjoy!

Recipe for Fresh Apricot Pie Bars 

INGREDIENTS:
For the crust
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
3/4 cup of granulated sugar
A pinch of salt
1/4 tsp. of lemon zest
12 Tbsp. of very cold butter, chopped into small cubes (I put butter in freezer for about 20 minutes before using)
For the apricot filling
8 fresh apricots, pitted and chopped into small pieces

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. of granulated sugar, divided

1/8 tsp. of fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. of cornstarch
1 Tbsp. of honey
1/4 cup of part-skim Ricotta cheese
2 egg yolks
For the topping
Reserved crust mixture
1/3 cup of dark brown sugar
1/3 cup of raw almonds

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 x 9 pan. Make the crust. Put the flour, sugar, salt, and lemon zest into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blad. Pulse briefly to blend. Scatter the very cold pieces of butter over the flour mixture. Pulse until the butter is incorporated and the mixture turns to crumbs. Use your hands to gather up some of the mixture, and then put it into the prepared pan. Press down so it sticks to the bottom of the pan, and continue adding more of the mixture until there is an even layer pressed onto the bottom of the pan. You will have leftover flour mixture in the food processor, and it will be used for the topping. Leave it in the bowl of the food processor. Put the pan in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Then remove from oven, transfer to a wire rack, and allow it to cool.

While the crust is baking, prepare the apricots. Put the chopped apricots into a bowl and gently toss with the 2 Tbsp. of sugar and the lemon juice. Let sit for 10 minutes. Mix the 1/2 cup sugar and cornstarch together in a small bowl. Then put the apricots into a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. Then stir in the cornstarch and sugar and cook for another 1 - 2 minutes. Set aside to cool. Once the apricots have cooled for several minutes, add in the honey, ricotta, and egg yolks. Mix until well incorporated.

Make the topping. Add the dark brown sugar and almonds into the bowl of the food processor with the reserved crust mixture. Pulse until incorporated and the almonds are finely chopped.

Pour the apricot filling on top of the cooled crust. Distribute the topping evenly over the apricot layer. Put pan into the oven and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, and rotate the pan halfway between baking. Put on a wire rack to cool before cutting and serving. Makes 16 - 20 bars. Serve fresh apricot pie bars with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Pie crust recipe adapted from: Annie's Eats, originally from Pink Parsley 

Banana Coconut Ice Cream (made with coconut milk)

You were always told to never trust a book by its cover. Well, you also shouldn't always judge a blog post by its title. Yes, this ice cream is made with coconut milk, but it is also made with cream. So, if you were looking for a non-dairy alternative, this isn't the recipe for you. BUT, if you are looking for a totally yummy ice cream recipe made with less dairy than usual, then you are at the right place. I made this ice cream the other day with coconut milk because I didn't have enough cream to make ice cream the old-fashioned way. I also didn't have any whole milk, but I did have one can of coconut milk in the cupboard. I have been seeing coconut milk ice cream recipes all over lately, so I improvised and was totally happy with the results!

The ice cream turned out amazingly delicious. It is the perfect amount of creaminess and it's a tasty tropical treat that is just perfect for hot and humid days like today. As an added bonus, it's super easy to make, as long as you have an automatic ice cream maker. And if you don't have one, you should buy one. Seriously.

Recipe for Banana Coconut Ice Cream 

INGREDIENTS:
1 13.5 ounce can of coconut milk
5 ounces of heavy cream
5 ounces of 2% milk
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean
3/4 tsp. of high quality vanilla extract
1 ripe small banana, mashed
3 Tbsp. of sweetened shredded flaked coconut

DIRECTIONS:
Put the coconut milk, cream, milk, and sugar into a large bowl. Use an electric hand mixer set on medium low speed to mix ingredients together until well incorporated. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the inside, and add the vanilla beans to the bowl. Discard of the vanilla bean. Add in the vanilla extract and mashed banana, then mix together with a whisk or with the electric hand mixer until all the banana is incorporated and the mixture is smooth.  Cover the bowl and put it into the fridge for about an hour.

Pour the batter into the bowl of an automatic ice cream maker and make according to manufacturer directions. Add the shredded coconut into the ice cream maker bowl while it is running, about 5 minutes before it is finished. Put ice cream in an airtight container, put in the freezer, and eat after it has set for about 30 minutes. YUM!

Top ice cream with extra coconut and some pretty sugar sprinkles, if desired.

Grilled Romaine Salad with a Homemade Buttermilk Dressing

Recently I have been hearing about how good grilled romaine salads are from several people. My mom has talked about a restaurant in Ellicott City called Coal Fire Pizza that has an amazing grilled romaine caesar salad on the menu. She started grilling her own romaine at home, so she can eat grilled salad on a budget, and I've always wanted to try it. One of my coworkers has also talked up the grilled romaine salad, so I figured it was time for me to see what the craze is all about. On Father's Day, Greg and I went to visit my parents and I brought over the fixings for a salad and we grilled the romaine. It was a really tasty salad - and very easy to make! I made a homemade buttermilk dressing to top the salad, and it was super yummy. Next time you have tons of buttermilk after only using a small amount in a baked goods recipe, make some buttermilk dressing! And, when you are looking for a new way to eat romaine lettuce, try grilling it to make this delicious salad. Enjoy!

Recipe for Grilled Romaine Salad with a Homemade Buttermilk Dressing

INGREDIENTS:
2 Hearts of Romaine lettuce, cut in half lengthwise, ends kept in place
Extra-virgin olive oil

Grilled Romaine salad with homemade buttermilk dressing

Salt and pepper
1 Tbsp. of sunflower seeds
8 cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half
2 Tbsp. of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup of buttermilk
1/2 cup of mayonnaise
1 clove of garlic, pressed
1 tsp. of lemon juice
1/4 tsp. of smoked paprika
1 tsp. of dried parsley flakes
1/8 tsp. of dried dill weed
1/4 tsp. of freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. of salt

DIRECTIONS:
Make the dressing first. In a medium bowl, mix the buttermilk and mayonnaise together until smooth. Then add in the pressed garlic, lemon juice and spices and mix to incorporate well. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking. Cover the bowl and put dressing in the fridge until you are ready to use. If you don't use all the dressing, any leftovers will keep for a week in the fridge in an airtight container.

Prepare the romaine for the grill. Put a very small amount of olive oil on each side of the romaine and brush the entire side (all you need is about 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. of oil per side). Sprinkle salt and pepper over each side. Put the grill on medium heat - about 400 degrees. Place the romaine right on top of the grates of the grill and cook, watching the entire time, for about 2 - 3 minutes per side (or until it turns a little brown and softens). Take off the grill and divide grilled romaine onto 4 plates. Top each with the cherry tomatoes, sunflower seeds, Parmesan cheese, and buttermilk dressing. Sprinkle with a little extra black pepper, if desired. Yum!

Makes 4 servings. 

*The buttermilk dressing also works well as a marinade for chicken. I marinated 1 chicken breast in about 1/3 of the dressing for 45 minutes and then Greg put it on the grill. We served it along side the grilled romaine salad, and it made a delicious dinner!

Buttermilk Dressing recipe adapted from: Simply Recipes

Spicy Brazilian Shrimp Soup

Do you think it is strange for me to post a soup recipe on the first day of summer? I have always strayed away from making or eating hot soups during the warmer months, but I thought that this recipe seemed good for summer. We have been having this beautiful weather lately and I actually ate a bowl of this soup out on my front porch yesterday afternoon. Shrimp is something that is usually enjoyed in the summer, so I that is why I thought this soup would be just fine for me to try this week. Hopefully I have convinced myself and you that eating hot soup in the summer time is totally normal.

We have a ton of cilantro growing in our garden right now. Greg kept telling me I needed to make something with parsley because there was so much of it, so I was going to add it into a buttermilk ranch dressing recipe. Greg went out to grab me the "parsley," and when he put it into my hand, I immediately knew it was not parsley! There is no mistaking the smell of cilantro (unless you are Greg). Needless to say, I didn't put the cilantro in my dressing. I was thinking about what I wanted to make with cilantro. I always make Mexican food, so I thought I'd try something different. I had seen this soup years ago on Annie's Eats and knew I wanted to eventually try it, so that is what I made. The soup is hearty and spicy and healthy. Each serving has about 300 calories, and it's very filling. You can serve it alone or with a side salad. I also made homemade croutons to add on top of the soup, and they add a nice touch, but they aren't necessary. I included a recipe link for homemade croutons in case you want to add some crunch to your bowl! Enjoy.

Recipe for Spicy Brazilian Shrimp Soup 

INGREDIENTS:
3 Tbsp. of Extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped small
1 red bell pepper, chopped small
1 small jalapeno pepper, minced (leave a few seeds for more heat or remove all)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 cups of canned crushed tomatoes
5 cups of water
1 cup of white Basmati rice or other long-grained white rice
1 tsp. of crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/4 tsp. of salt
1 can of coconut milk (13.5 ounces)
1 pound of frozen large shrimp, thawed and peeled
Juice from 1/2 small lemon
Juice from 1/2 small lime
1/4 tsp. of black pepper
1/2 cup of fresh cilantro leaves
Sliced avocado, for garnish
Homemade Croutons (add 1 clove of pressed garlic to olive oil for garlic croutons)

DIRECTIONS:
Put the olive oil into a large pot and set over medium heat. Once oil is hot, add in the onion, red pepper, and jalapeno pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add in the crushed tomatoes, water, rice, red pepper flakes and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil and then adjust the heat to medium-low and cover the pot. Cook for about 10 - 12 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and bring the soup back to a simmer. Add in the shrimp and stir. Allow the shrimp to cook for about 5 minutes (the shrimp will turn pink when it is done). Stir in the lemon juice, lime juice, black pepper, and cilantro. You can serve immediately or allow the soup to sit for several minutes before serving. Divide into soup bowls and garnish with avocado slices and croutons, if desired. Store any leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge. It will stay good for a couple days.

Makes approximately 8 servings. Each serving has about 300 calories (without the avocado and croutons).

Recipe Adapted from Annie's Eats

Do you love shrimp but  not sure about eating soup in summer? Try this sweet & spicy marinated shrimp recipe!