Peach Cobbler

There are so many ways to make a cobbler, so this is my mom's version of peach cobbler. It is so easy to make and requires basically no mixing. Either serve alone or warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Ingredients:

12 yellow and white peaches (6 of each), sliced

1/3 cup sugar

1 stick of butter, melted

3/4 cup self-rising flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. In a large bowl, combine peaches and 1/3 cup sugar. Let peaches sit in sugar and macerate for 20 minutes, creating a syrup in the bottom of the bowl.

3. While peaches are sitting, whisk together in another bowl the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and milk.

4. Pour melted butter in the bottom of a large oven-safe bowl. (We used a 2.5 liter glass bowl.)

5. Pour flour mixture over the melted butter. DO NOT STIR TOGETHER!

6. Spoon the macerated peaches over the flour mixture. DO NOT STIR TOGETHER!

7. Bake for about 1 hour and 20 minutes (depending on size of bowl), or until crust on top is golden brown. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving warm, or store cobbler in refrigerator and reheat at 325 degrees until warmed through and bubbly.

Enjoy!

Parmesan Knots

Need a change to the same old yeast roll or toast? These bite-sized parmesan knots are full of flavor and will keep you coming back for more.

Ingredients:

3 tubes (7.5 ounces each) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

1 cup canola oil

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1-1/2 teaspoons oregano

1-1/2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Sprinkle of kosher salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. In a small bowl, combine oil, cheese, oregano, parsley, garlic powder and pepper. Set aside.

3. With hands, roll each biscuit into a 6-inch rope. Tie in a loose knot and place knots on a lightly greased baking sheet, about 1 inch apart.

4. Bake knots for 8-11 minutes, or until light golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately spoon parmesan mixture over each knot. Sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt.

5. Serve warm or freeze knots for up to 2 months. *To reheat frozen knots, bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-18 minutes.*

Cherry Pie

Eating this cherry pie makes the extra time and effort to make everything from scratch worth it. And the delicate crust isn't loaded with butter like most pie crusts, so you won't feel as bad about having that piece of pie.

Cherry pie filling ingredients:

1-1/4 cups sugar

3 tablespoons corn starch or quick-cooking tapioca

5-1/2 cups fresh or frozen unsweetened pitted tart red cherries (use sweet if you can't find unsweetened)

1 or 2 unbaked pie crusts (bake 2 if you want to use one on top of the pie or as a lattice top)

1. In a large bowl, stir together sugar and corn starch. Add cherries; gently toss until coated. Let mixture stand for about 15 minutes or until a syrup forms, stirring occasionally. (If using frozen cherries, let cherry mixture stand for 45 minutes or until fruit is partially thawed.)

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare and roll out the pie crust(s).

Pie crust ingredients:

Yield: 1 single pie crust

1-1/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2-1/2 tablespoons milk

2 pieces of wax paper

3. Mix the flour and salt together in a mixing bowl with a fork. In a liquid measuring cup, mix together the oil and milk with a fork, making a temporary emulsion.

4. Dump the liquid all at once into the flour mixture, and mix together lightly with a fork. Once the mixture cleans the sides of the bowl, lightly press together into a ball. Do not knead. Using hands, flatten out dough onto one piece of wax paper.

5. Be sure to repair any cracks that form. Lay the other piece of wax paper crosswise over dough. This creates a guide to use for the size of pie crust.

6. Using rolling pin, roll dough from the middle. Push out, then lift dough up so it doesn't stick to your work surface. Press down lightly and go slowly. Remove creases in wax paper or they will tear the crust. Flip the pie dough/wax paper over and continue rolling it out until it measures 1 inch beyond the edge of your pie pan. Don't roll it too thin.

7. Remove the top sheet of wax paper and center the crust over the pie pan with the remaining sheet of wax paper on top. Slowly ease the crust into the pan while carefully removing the sheet of wax paper. Make the edges how you like them, either pressing down with your fingers or using a fork to crimp them.

8. Using a fork, poke small holes on all surfaces of the crust (don't forget the sides) to prevent air bubbles. Be sure to repair any tears in the crust. If the recipe calls for a baked pie crust, then bake immediately at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes.

9. Stir the cherry mixture; carefully pour it into the pie pan on top of the bottom crust. Trim the bottom pie crust to the edge of the pie pan. For a fully covered pie, cut slits in in the center of the other pie crust. Place this crust on the filling and seal the edges. Crimp the edges as desired.

*For a lattice-top pie: cut the second pie crust into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Weave the strips over the filling in a lattice pattern. Press strip ends into bottom pastry rim. Fold bottom pastry strip over strip ends; seal and crimp edge.*

10. If desired, brush the top pastry with milk and sprinkle with additional sugar. Place the pie pan on a baking sheet, in case the filling bubbles out.

11. To prevent over-browning, cover the edge of the pie with foil. Bake for 30 minutes (or 50 minutes for partially-thawed fruit).

12. Remove foil and bake for 25-30 minutes or until filling is bubbly and pastry is golden. Cool on a wire rack. Serve and enjoy!

Crepes

Crepes are, hands down, one of the best desserts. But they can also be savory. Whichever way you like them, this recipe is versatile and can be refrigerated for several days, so you can enjoy a full week of crepes!

Ingredients:

400 ml (or about 1 3/5 cup plus 1 tablespoon) milk

120 grams (or 4.2 ounces) all-purpose flour

4 eggs

salt

butter

1. Put the flour in a large mixing bowl; stir in a pinch of salt. Make a well in the middle of the flour and crack 1 egg into the well.

2. Mix with a wooden spoon to incorporate the flour into the egg, little by little. Continue with the 3 remaining eggs.

3. Add the milk slowly, stirring until it's all combined. *Note: for a sweeter crepe batter for dessert crepes, add 1-3 tablespoons of sugar in this step.*

4. Let the mixture rest in the refrigerator, covered, for at least 1 hour.

5. After at least 1 hour, warm up a crepe pan (or just a flat-bottomed skillet) over medium-high to high heat.

6. Reduce the heat to medium; add 1/2 tablespoon of butter and let it sizzle and coat the pan.

7. Pick the pan up off the heat. Add 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup of the batter (depending on the size of the pan) to the pan and swirl the batter around until it covers the entire bottom of the pan in a thin layer. *Do this step quickly and smoothly.*

8. Return the pan to the heat quickly and let the batter cook until the edges begin to curl up and pull away from the pan on their own (about 1 minute).

9. Flip the crepe over with a large spatula and let it cook for about 30 seconds longer, then remove to a plate.

10. Repeat steps 6-9 for the rest of the batter, making sure to add butter to the pan between crepes.

11. There are several options for filling the crepes. Sweet fillings: Nutella, various jellies (not grape), granulated sugar, fresh lemon juice mixed with powdered sugar, etc. Savory fillings: various cheeses, sauteed vegetables, deli meats, sliced meats, etc.

~Our favorite ways to eat dessert crepes are with Nutella or granulated sugar. We just spread the Nutella (or sprinkle the sugar) down the center of the crepe and roll it up, or we spread it onto an entire half of the crepe, fold it in half (plain side over the chocolate side), then fold it in half again.

~Our favorite ways to eat savory crepes are with strips of steak that have been marinated in Worcestershire sauce, garlic cloves, salt and pepper. Add the sauteed steak to the inside of the crepe, top with feta cheese crumbles and sauteed peppers and onions.

Enjoy!

Pineapple Sprite Grilled Chicken

My uncle John made this chicken a few years ago and I fell in love. This grilled chicken is different from any chicken I have ever eaten, and it is full of flavor. Just marinate it in a few ingredients and grill – simple and delicious!

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thirds

3 cans (6 ounces each) pineapple juice

1 can of chilled Sprite

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Place in a gallon-sized plastic food storage bag.

2. Pour pineapple juice and Sprite into the bag over the chicken. Seal bag and massage liquid into chicken.

3. Place bag in the refrigerator and let marinate for at least 2 hours, but up to 8 hours.

4. Preheat grill over medium high heat. Remove chicken from bag and place on the grill.

5. Grill chicken for 7 minutes on each side, only flipping once. Chicken is cooked through when it doesn't give in when you press it in the center with your finger or tongs.

6. Remove from grill and serve. You will love this tender, sweet grilled chicken!

Greek Strawberry Salad

One of my favorite salads to eat is a Greek one with lots of strawberries. I've only had it at a few restaurants, so I decided to make my own version of it at home. This strawberry salad is so simple to make and perfect for a hot summer day.

Ingredients:

Fresh baby greens

Feta cheese crumbles

1 cup fresh sliced strawberries

spiced walnuts (recipe follows)

red wine vinaigrette (recipe follows)

1. Top fresh baby greens with a handful of feta cheese crumbles, sliced strawberries and a handful of spiced walnuts. Toss together.

2. Drizzle red wine vinaigrette onto salad and serve.

Spiced walnuts:

A handful of walnuts, roughly chopped

1 egg white

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/2 tablespoon nutmeg

1. Spread walnuts evenly on a foiled-lined round baking pan.

2. Whisk together egg white and sugar. Drizzle over walnuts; toss to evenly coat.

3. Sprinkle walnuts with cinnamon and nutmeg and toss.

4. Bake on 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove from oven and let cool.

Red Wine Vinaigrette:

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1. In a bowl, whisk red wine vinegar and slowly drizzle in olive oil. Whisk until the two ingredients are combined and are creamy.

2. Sprinkle in salt and pepper (about 1/2 teaspoon of each) and whisk into vinaigrette.

Lemon Pound Cake

Making pound cake may seem daunting, but this recipe is so simple. You would never guess that this light and refreshing dessert is actually made from a box pound cake mix. Just jazz it up with some fresh ingredients and you will have a new favorite in no time at all.

Ingredients:

1 box pound cake mix (plus ingredients the directions call for on box, i.e. eggs, oil, etc.)

juice of 1 1/2 fresh lemons (about 3 tablespoons)

zest of 1 fresh lemon

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to the temperature the box directions suggests.

2. Prepare pound cake mix as directed on the back of the box, mixing together the dry ingredients and eggs, oil, etc. Don't over mix!

3. Stir in lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla extract.

4. Pour batter into a greased and floured loaf pan. Fill pan to no more than 2/3 full.

5. Bake pound cake for suggested time on package directions. Cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

6. Remove from oven and let cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, prepare the following lemon syrup recipe. Then, using a long wooden pick or skewer, poke a lot of small holes into the top of the pound cake. Slowly and generously pour prepared syrup over holes while cake is still in pan and warm. Pound cake will absorb all of the syrup, making it even more moist and tangy.

7. Remove cake from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack. Slice and enjoy!

Lemon syrup recipe:

juice of half of a lemon (about 1 tablespoon)

zest of half of a lemon

approximately 3 tablespoons confectioners sugar

1. Combine all ingredients. If needed, add more lemon juice or confectioners sugar to make syrup thinner or thicker. (Syrup should be thin enough to soak into holes of pound cake.)