When I think of stuffed shells I usually think of some kind of cheesy mixture stuffed inside pasta shells, topped with tomato sauce and melted cheese. These shells couldn’t be farther from the norm. As part of my Mother’s Day Menu, I wanted to make stuffed shells with crab…almost a deconstructed crab cake, stuffed in pasta shells. Also, since crab in its natural form is found in shells, I thought it would be pretty cute to stuff a crab mixture into shells of a different kind. I wanted to make a Béchamel sauce (this is a white sauce; it’s basically just milk that is thickened […]...
Happy Mother’s Day, Recipe for Strawberries & Cream Cake, & Giveaway Winner
I usually like to save the best for last, but since today is Mother’s Day I wanted to share the crowning jewel of my Mother’s Day Menu…dessert! Strawberries and cream are a classic summer combination; I wanted to do a new twist on an old classic and so this cake was born. I based this recipe on my double-crusted cheesecake (which was featured here on Delish…yay!). This cake is light and fresh and very summery with the strawberries; it’s the perfect ending to a beautiful Mother’s Day (or any summertime) meal. Happy Mother’s Day! Strawberries & Cream Cake (Yield: 1 cheesecake) Oatmeal-Almond Crust: 2/3 c […]...
Valentine’s Day Menu: Dark Chocolate Mousse
This is the final course of our homemade Valentine’s Day meal. And it really goes out with a bang. It’s not your typical mousse, since you won’t find any eggs here. Instead I used Greek yogurt to make it a little healthier (let’s face it, this meal was not light on calories, so we might as well make up for it a little bit ;) ), and also because with this method the dessert is literally made in minutes. This mousse is so decadent you won’t miss the eggs. I’m sending this mousse over to Natasha of 5 Star Foodie for her 5 Star Mousse […]...
Valentine’s Day Menu: Blush Pasta & Individual Beef Roulades
Here’s the next part of our Valentine’s Day meal, the blush pasta and individual beef roulades. (For the full recipe, see my post here.) To finish off our Valentine’s menu, soon I’ll posting my recipe for dark chocolate mousse! :)...
Valentine’s Day Menu: Strawberry Spritzers and Savory Strawberry Salad
First up in our fancy homemade Valentine’s Day meal are the cute little drinks and the salad. The two are tied together through strawberry slices, which are perfect for Valentine’s Day since they look just like sweet little hearts. The Strawberry Spritzers are so easy to make that it isn’t even really a recipe…and for very little effort you get something that is absolutely adorable! I made a caramelized onion dressing to serve with the salad (because I also use caramelized onion for the pasta and beef recipes), but you could make it even easier and use your favorite prepared salad dressing…I think anything with a […]...
Making a Restaurant-Quality Meal For Any Occasion
The Dilemma: I think many people out there suffer from the same quandary that I did – no new ideas for Mother’s Day gifts. Of course there are the usual stand-bys (such as flowers, chocolates, gift certificates, etc.), but they get old fast. The Start of Something Good: For Mother’s Day 2006 I wanted to come up with a unique way of showing my mom just how special she is to me, so I decided to make a restaurant quality meal and serve it in a restaurant quality atmosphere, at home. Now I have to tell you I’m no chef at all. I have no […]...