Overnight oatmeal

This is a great breakfast dish! We had it several mornings last week with assorted berries, mangos, peaches, nectarines... every combination was good. I ended up not adding the vanilla or lemon zest everyday, but we did stir in honey for a little added sweetness.

serves 2:

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup milk (for skim milk, I found it was better to use only 3/4 cup so it wasn't too runny)

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons chopped nuts (pecans, almonds, walnuts)

1 peach, mango, nectarine, plum, or apricot, pitted and sliced

1 tablespoon honey

Combine oats, milk, zest, and vanilla in a glass measuring cup or bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning serve with fruit, nuts, and honey.

Almond-basil pesto

I had a bounty of basil that I wanted to use while it is at its peak, so I made a big batch of pesto based on this recipe. I had some extra spinach, so I tossed that in there, too. I made mine cheese-free.

3 cups basil leaves

1/2 cup slivered unsalted almonds, toasted

3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

juice of 1/2 lemon

Combine ingredients in food processor, pulsing until chopped, then processed until smooth. Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze in an ice cube tray until just frozen, then transfer pesto cubes to a freezer bag.

Lemon cheesecake ball

I found this recipe on Pinterest and made it last night. It was very tasty! I cut the recipe in half and it was more than enough for 5 people.

10 oz cream cheese

2 1/2 tablespoons sugar

zest of 1 lemon

4 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 graham crackers

Mix cream cheese, sugar, zest, and juice with an electric mixer until blended. Transfer to plastic wrap, form into a ball, and place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. After 3 hours, remold back into a ball and refrigerate until nearly ready to use. Before serving, crush graham crackers on a plate and roll the ball in the crumbs. Serve with crackers, cookies, fruit, etc.

Apple-cranberry tuna salad

This recipe turned out great.

1 Fuji apple, diced

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1 stalk celery, diced

2 tablespoons fresh (or 2 teaspoons dried) dill

2 cans/ packets white tuna in water

1/2 cup mayonnaise

In mixing bowl, combine apples and lemon juice. Add cranberries, celery, and dill. In a separate bowl, break up tuna with a fork. Add tuna and mayo to the apple mixture. Serve over a salad or on a sandwich.

Mango-lime sorbet

This is great, and although it contains sugar, it doesn't have any cream... so that makes it healthy, right??

3/4 cup water

3/4 cup sugar

1 lime- need zest and juice

4-5 mangoes, peeled, seeded, chopped

Mix water, sugar, and zest of lime in a small sauce pan. Stir over heat until sugar dissolves. Transfer this simple syrup to the fridge while you chop the mangoes. Place chopped mangoes in food processor and cover with lime juice and simple syrup. Pulse and process until smooth. Place puréed mixture in refrigerator until cool (at least 3 hours).

Transfer mixture to ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions.

PB-chocolate-banana ice cream

This is not only EASY, but HEALTHY! No added cream or sugar! And if you were going to be reeeeally healthy, you could make it plain banana. Or, if you wanted to dress it up more, you could add chopped nuts, chocolate chips, sub other fruits for the pb/choc, honey, etc.

4 bananas, peeled, cut into 1/2" slices

2 tablespoons cocoa

2 tablespoons peanut butter (I am a big pb fan, so I added 3 Tbsp)

Freeze banana slices for 1-2 hours. I used a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat for easy removal... you could also use parchment paper, wax paper, aluminum foil, etc.

Place bananas in food processor and pulse for several minutes, frequently scraping down sides. Once bananas are smooth, add peanut butter and chocolate and continue to process until smooth and blended. For soft-serve, dish immediately. For traditional ice cream, place in freezer-safe container in freezer.

Mexican Layered Pie

original recipe here: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/mexican-bean-pie/Detail.aspx

Ingredients:
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, drained
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
½ cup salsa, plus extra for serving
1 (2 ounce) can sliced black olives
1/2 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
ground black pepper to taste
5 (10 inch) whole wheat tortillas
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream (optional, for serving)
cilantro (optional, for serving)

Prepare to freeze:

• Lightly grease a 10 inch round cake pan or springform pan.
• In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, mix black beans, pinto beans, refried beans, salsa, olives, corn, bell pepper, and jalapeno pepper. Season with cumin, chili power, and black pepper. Cook and stir until thickened, about 10 minutes.
• Lay one tortilla flat on the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Spread 1/4 of the bean mixture on the tortilla. Sprinkle 1/4 cup Cheddar cheese lightly over the bean mixture. Repeat layering, ending with a tortilla. Top with remaining Cheddar cheese.

Prepare to serve:
Thaw in refrigerator. Bake 20 minutes at 350. Allow to cool slightly before serving. Serve with salsa and sour cream for garnish.

Crême Fraîche

Many French recipes call for crême fraîche, but it can be expensive in the U.S. Here's a recipe from Cuisine At Home.

Mix 1 cup heavy cream, 1/4 cup buttermilk, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Cover and let sit at room temperature 6-8 hours, then refrigerate. Use when thick.

Lemon Snap Peas

This was a good, easy side.

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1 lab sugar snap peas, trimmed

1 teaspoon lemon zest, grated

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in skillet over medium-high heat. Add peas; sauté 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add remaining ingredients and cook an additional minute or until peas are crisp-tender.

Parmesan tilapia

This was so easy, and very good. I served it with a side of rice and green beans.

• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon butter, softened
• 2-1/4 teaspoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons dried bread crumbs
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh basil
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon lemon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 pound tilapia fillets
• 
  

1. Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and other ingredients (except tilapia). Mix well and set aside.
3. Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.