Category Archives: Fruits

Strawberry Crepes

Desserts, Fruits, , , ,

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Those of you that have been following dmariedining.com know that I do not consider myself a real baker. However, I have been stretching my wings over time and now I am more comfortable making baked desserts. Looking at the title of the recipe you might say I have really stepped up my game by creating a crepe recipe. That is only partially true so don’t get too excited. Remember, I try to make quick and easy recipes as much as possible. Crepes I think will take a little bit of work for me to learn how to perfect. For this particular recipe I took the easy way out and purchased prepared crepes. They are still delicious but a lot less work and energy.

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The most wonderful thing about crepes is that they can be either a simple dessert or a light breakfast. Plus, you can fill crepes with fruits, whipped cream or nothing at all. The first time I experienced crepes it was for breakfast. Long ago, my family would go to one of the local diners to have breakfast after visiting the barber.  I loved their blueberry and strawberry crepes. The crepes were light , delicate and stuffed with a creamy filling then topped with tons of fresh fruit.

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The key to any great dish is flavor, freshness and eye appeal. After checking out my strawberry crepes recipe I think you will agree it meets all of those elements. If my local diner can make a great tasting strawberry crepe, I figure I can too. Who knows, maybe they use prepared crepes too!

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Strawberry Crepes

Ingredients:
1 package prepared crepes
8 oz mascarpone cheese
1 cup heavy cream
1 pint strawberries sliced thin
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp coffee liqueur
½ cup sugar
½ tsp corn starch
¼ tsp nutmeg

In a small bowl beat together heavy cream, mascarpone cheese, sugar, vanilla, coffee liqueur until mixture forms stiff peaks. Set aside.

In a small sauce pot combine, ¼ cup orange juice 2 tbsp sugar, ¼ tsp nutmeg, ½ tsp corn starch and ½ cup strawberries. Simmer on medium heat until liquid reduces and creates a syrup.

To Assemble:

Spoon a nice helping of whipped cream across the middle of a crepe. Layer with sliced strawberries. Fold one end of the crepe over the filling then gently roll up. Work slowly as the crepes are very delicate. Spoon strawberry syrup over the crepe and add a dollop of whipped cream. Enjoy!

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Sweet Cake Sandwiches

Desserts, Fruits, , , , ,

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Sweet cake sandwiches. Don’t panic! These are not your typical sandwiches. They are really sandwich treats. I was working on another dessert recipe when I got distracted and started thinking about sweet cake sandwiches.

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I envisioned slices of dark chocolate cake topped with various fillings that represented things we usually put on a sandwich. Things like cherry tomatoes (cherry pie filling), cucumbers (kiwi) and mayo (whipped cream). Of course you can use any kind of cake you like as the “bread” of your sandwich. I am just a really big fan of dark chocolate.

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Sweet Cake Sandwiches are a nice dessert that can be turned into family fun and even great for a party. Little kids and big kids like me will love to make their own special sandwiches using simple ingredients. Granted this dessert may not be totally healthy but it sure is fun to create.

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Sweet Cake Sandwiches

Ingredients:
1 box of your favorite cake mix

Sandwich Filling:
1 small can cherry pie filling (*cherry tomatoes)
2 tbsp lemon curd (*mustard)
2 kiwi peeled and sliced (*cucumbers)
1 banana sliced
1 cup whipped cream or Greek yogurt (*mayonnaise)

Prepare cake mix according to package. Pour into a greased and floured 9x 11 inch meatloaf pan. Bake per the cooking times indicated on the package. Let cool.

Slice cake then spread lemon curd, Greek yogurt or whipped cream on a slice of cake. Add your favorite fruit filling to the slice. Top with a second slice of cake. Yummy…..

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Banana Blueberry Pudding Dessert

Desserts, Fruits, ,

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And the winner is…………… Banana Blueberry Pudding Dessert! As I have said in the past, I am not really a baker. So, I have to come up with other simple desserts to satisfy the sweet tooth of my family whenever there is a craving for dessert. Although we usually keep chocolate in the house we do not eat dessert every night. Dessert is something I fix on special occasions or when we invite guests over for dinner.

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Since starting the recipe blog I have spent a little more time trying to come up with desserts that are not too heavy or fattening. I like bananas but they tend to get ripe too quickly for me and then I don’t know what to do with them. Recently, I was wondering what I could do with a bunch of bananas I had laying around. Years ago I tried making banana pudding but it did not come out the way I wanted. I gave up after that.

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Fast forward to 2014. With ripe bananas calling out for me to give it one more try, I decided to make a new version of banana pudding. Instead of using vanilla wafers I found it easier to buy a Nilla pie crust and add blueberries to the dessert. The combination of bananas, blueberries and vanilla pudding is wonderful! My son, who is my number one food tester, (hubby is #2) thought this was a nice dessert.

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I love it when my fiercest critics tell me a recipe tastes really good. That is when I know I can share it with you……

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Banana Blueberry Pudding Dessert

Ingredients:

1 box Jello vanilla pudding mix (cook & serve)

2 Nilla pie crusts

1 pint fresh blueberries

5 small ripe bananas sliced

1- 9 inch pie plate or casserole dish

cooking spray

Prepare pudding according to package.

Spray pie plate with cooking spray. Crumble pie crusts in a large bowl then press all but ½ cup of the crumbs into the bottom of the pie plate. Place a layer of bananas over the crust. Sprinkle with blueberries. Pour cooled pudding over blueberries. Layer the remaining bananas over the pudding and sprinkle with remaining crumbled pie crust. Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.

Peach Blueberry Crumble

Desserts, Fruits,

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This blog is dedicated to my friend B. and her hubby. Recently, B. and I were talking about some of my recipes and she said she was looking for an easy dessert. I told her about my mom’s mouth watering pies but it seems her hubby doesn’t eat pie so she was looking for a dessert that did not require a crust.

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Unlike my mom, I am not much of a baker. Which in some ways is good because I like to eat and if I was a great pastry chef I would be in trouble always tasting my creations. Still, I have learned how to make simple desserts that are tasty and not really fattening.

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Peach blueberry crumble is a light version of both a peach cobbler and a blueberry cobbler. I love both types of cobblers especially peach cobbler. During the summer months fresh peaches and blueberries are plentiful, sweet and juicy. This is the best time of year to try out fresh fruit desserts and experiment with the different flavors fruits provide since there are so many varieties available.

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I thought it would be nice to bring two of my favorite summer fruits together into one simple dish. The first time I made this dessert I used only one type of peach. However, it is even better when you use a mixture of white peaches and regular peaches. Blueberries are blueberries so use what you find.

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This dessert can be made as one big dessert or as an individual dessert in ramekins based on who you are serving. No matter how big or small you make it I think you will have a nice light sweet dessert that everyone can enjoy.

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Guess what B.! No crust!!

 Peach Blueberry Crumble

Ingredients:
4 ramekins
4 large peaches
1 pint of blueberries
½ stick cold butter cubed
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
¾ cup flour
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup oats
½ cup sugar + 4 tbsp sugar
1 tsp lemon zest
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray cooking spray in each ramekin or a casserole dish.  Peel peaches and place in a bowl along with blueberries. Sprinkle 4 tbsp of sugar and lemon zest over fruit. Blend together then place mixture evenly in each ramekin.

Combine remaining ingredients in bowl and cut butter into the dry ingredients until only little bits of butter are visible. Top each ramekin with the crumble mixture. Place ramekins on a cookie sheet. Cover with foil and bake 5 minute. Remove the foil and bake for 25 additional minutes. Let cool slightly and serve.

You can double the recipe and place in a casserole dish if you do not want to make individual sized dishes.

Roasted Potatoes with Feta Cheese

Fruits, Vegetables, , ,

Roasted Potatoes 3_1While my family loves pasta I am a potato girl. I love potatoes almost any way you fix them whether they are oven fried, mashed, boiled or roasted. Nothing against pasta and rice but I think potatoes are wonderful because they soak up the flavors of whatever you add to them. By now you may know I love the idea of layering flavors in a dish. So the layers of flavors in this roasted potatoes dish is both savory and sweet. I recently discovered a nice way to roast potatoes with a few cranberries and raisins. Then I topped them off with feta. Yummy!

Roasted Potatoes 2_1Potatoes can be both good and bad for the diet. The key to eating potatoes is to do it in moderation. Having said that I would stay away from deep frying potatoes no matter what. Potatoes tend to absorb grease which puts on the pounds, effects your skin and is not healthy! Still, potatoes have lots of fiber, vitamin C and B vitamins. As long as you keep the portions small you can partake of any type of potato you like. For this recipe I used red potatoes. I haven’t tried it yet but I am sure sweet potatoes would taste good too. I will let you know how that one turns out later.

Roasted Potatoes with Feta 1_1For those of you who don’t eat meat you can still enjoy this dish by leaving off the crumbled bacon.

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Roasted Potatoes with Feta Cheese

Ingredients:
1 lb potatoes quartered
¼ cup cranberries
¼ cup golden raisins
¾ cup Gazebo Room balsamic vinaigrette
¼ cup feta cheese
2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
1 scallion thinly sliced (separate the white and green parts of the onion)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black ground pepper
½ tsp dried rosemary
½ tsp smoked paprika
3 tbsp melted butter
3 slices crisp bacon chopped
Cooking Spray

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a large bowl combine all ingredients except for the bacon, feta cheese and green onion. Mix well to coat the potatoes. Spray a lipped cookie sheet with cooking spray to prevent potatoes from sticking. Spread potato mixture with juices onto the cookie sheet. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake 30 to 40 minutes until potatoes are golden brown and fork tender. Remove from oven and place in a casserole or serving dish. Sprinkle with feta cheese, bacon and  a little green onion.

 

BIG SALAD

Fruits, Soups/ Salads / Stews, Vegetables, , , ,

If you are a sitcom fan, then you know about Elaine’s love of and constant search for the “BIG SALAD”.

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Salads are a healthy quick and easy dish to make when you don’t have a lot of time or you are too tired to fix a big meal. The great thing about salads is that they are very versatile. You can custom design every salad by using whatever is available in your pantry or frig. Every salad you make can become a work of art that is both pleasing to the eye and definitely pleasing to the stomach.

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On nights I do not have to cook for the family I will make a Big Salad and load it up with whatever I can find in the fruit bowl or refrigerator. Apples, dried cranberries, golden raisins, nuts and olives are a household staple so that is the base of most of the salads I make. Because my son only likes iceberg lettuce and my husband and I like mixed greens, I usually keep both on hand. Sometimes I mix various types of lettuce to keep things festive.

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Cheese, cheese, cheese. I love cheese! Whatever you do, do not forget to add cheese to your salad. Feta, Blue Cheese, Shaved Parmesan or just plain cheddar will give your salad that extra boost and provides good protein. To keep things light, I like to use Gazebo Room Greek Salad Dressing and Marinade to top it off. This dressing has become a family favorite  and brightens up the salad with a unique taste.

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I never did discover what made Elaine’s Big Salad so delicious but I am sure my Big Salad recipe is sure to make you smack your lips.

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Salad Fact:
Did you know that in ancient times salads were considered an aphrodisiac? The next time you feel a little frisky try fixing that special someone a Big Salad and they will love you for it!

BIG SALAD

Ingredients:
1 bag of mixed salad greens
5-6 cherry tomatoes sliced in half
5-6 calamata pitted black olives
2 slices of crispy cooked bacon chopped
¼ cup sliced avocado
½ green apple sliced thin
1 tbsp feta cheese
1 tbsp shaved Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp dried cranberries
1 tbsp golden raisins
1 tbsp almonds
1 tbsp cashews
1 tbsp walnut
1 tbsp croutons
2 tbsp favorite salad dressing

In a BIG bowl layer the mixed greens, tomatoes, avocado, apples,bacon black olives, cranberries, golden raisins, cheeses, nuts, croutons and salad dressing. If you want an even bigger salad, add some chicken or seafood to make this a truly wonderful meal.

Eat up!