Coconut Macaroons

It's amazing how quick it is to make light and chewy macaroons, and with very few ingredients. These are perfect for tea time or an afternoon sweet snack, especially if you're as die hard about coconut as I am!

Ingredients:


7 ounces shredded sweetened coconut
7 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 egg white, at room temperature
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt


Yield: Approximately 14 macaroons


1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, combine the coconut, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract and almond extract with a rubber spatula.

3. In another small bowl, beat the egg white and salt on high speed until frothy and slightly firm peaks form. (Test this by stopping mixer and lifting beaters out of mixture. If small peaks stand up and don't fall over, it is perfect.)

4. Using the rubber spatula, gently fold half of the egg white mixture into the coconut mixture. Then gently fold in the other half of the egg white mixture until it is a homogeneous mixture.

5. Using a small ice cream scoop, drop small mounds of the coconut mixture onto the parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving at least 1-1/2 inches in between each.

6. Bake for 25-27 minutes, or until macaroons are lightly golden on top. Remove from oven and cool.
Enjoy!

Veggie Quesadillas

Here's an easy weeknight dinner that spreads a buck, or a fun party finger food on the weekend. Try these quesadillas filled with cheese and veggies. Or, for the picky eaters, leave out the vegetables and enjoy a different kind of grilled cheese.

Yield: 4 quesadillas

Ingredients:


2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion (I used a shallot), diced
1 bell pepper (red or yellow), diced
2 small (or 1 large) yellow squash, diced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
8 whole wheat soft tortilla shells
2 cups shredded Mexican style cheese
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 lime


1. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. When oil slightly ripples, add garlic and onion. Cook until slightly tender.

2. Add in bell pepper and squash. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté until vegetables are just tender. Remove skillet from heat.

3. In another skillet over medium heat, spread a small amount of butter (just enough to lightly coat the bottom of the pan). When the butter is bubbling, add one tortilla shell.

4. While the shell browns, sprinkle on 1/4 cup of cheese. Then add a spoonful or two of the cooked vegetables and spread evenly. Then add another 1/4 cup of cheese and sprinkle 1/2 tablespoon of parsley on top. Place another tortilla shell on top of the cheese and press down so all layers stick together.

5. Once bottom tortilla is browned and cheese is starting to melt, use a large spatula to gently flip quesadilla over to brown on the other side. Let the second side brown and the cheese melt completely. Sprinkle outside of quesadilla with a light squeeze of lime juice.

6. Remove from pan and let rest for a minute before cutting into 8 triangles. Repeat steps 3 through 5 for the other 3 quesadillas. Enjoy by dipping quesadilla triangles in salsa.