Fluffy Orange Fruit Dip

Can't go wrong with fruit and dip for a party!!  This was really good - tasted yummy with strawberries, pineapple, and bananas.  Would be kinda fun to team this with fruit on skewers - esp now that I have a fun new plate for each season :)

Makes 2 cups - OBB

Ingredients:
1 (8oz) package cream cheese
2 teaspoon orange zest
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice (just use the same orange)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 (7oz) jar marshmallow cream
Fruit

Beat cream cheese, orange zest, orange juice, vanilla, and salt until smooth and creamy.  Add marshmallow cream and beat until combined.

Buttercream Frosting - cake techniques

My mom has decorated cakes for us kids since my very first birthday....she is amazing!!  It was always so much fun to help her (aka eat the frosting when she wasn't looking) that I took a class with Linda about 3 years ago to learn the craft myself!!  I haven't done many cakes since then - BUT I decided to make my rents wedding cake (same as when they got married!) for their 40th anniversary.  This is how I spent my Thursday night :)

Yields 3 cups (makes enough to frost two 8 inch cakes

Ingredients:

1 cup solid white veggie shortening

1 teaspoon Wilton flavor (vanilla, almond, or butter) - I usually use almond

2 tablespoons milk or water

1 lb pure can confectioners' sugar (about 4 cups)

1 tablespoon Wilton Meringue powder

salt

Cream shortening and Meringue powder together first.  Then add flavoring and water - and mix again.  Add dry ingredients and mix on medium speed until all ingredients have been thoroughly mixed together.  Blend an additional minute or so, until creamy.

Decorating Techniques

1. Leveling: You have to get your cake "ready" to be frosted....after the cake is completely cool - you have to level your cake.  Remove the crown from the cake center so your cake will set level.  If you baked two cakes - level both.  I used this crafty "cake leveler" but you could just use a bread knife too.  The fun thing about the cake leveler is you can adjust for any size cake - it's sweet!!  I got mine at Michael's in the cake decorating section.

2. Filling : If you made two cakes - you need to put filling in between them.  This will help hold the cake layers together - and adds flavor!!  I just used my frosting and put a thin layer on one of the cakes - then plopped the other one right on top!

3. Icing: Now that you have your cakes together - it's time to ice them.  Basically this is the step that drives my Type A self crazy - I can never get my frosting "smooth" enough, but basically use a spatula and do the best you can!

4. Decorating bags: fun part time!!  First things first - go with disposable decorating bags.  Then you can just throw the bag away when you are done!!  Pick out what tip you want - and put on top of the coupler base. (I got my tips, bags, and couplers from Michael's).  Then a fun technique I learned in class was to put your decorating bags into the bottom of a plastic cup. This way you then just put the frosting right into the bag - and you stay clean and your bag is easy to fold back up! 

Here is what your bag will look like when you are done:

5. Color Mixing: My parents colors were a light blue and white - so I decided to do the flowers the light blue.  I bought icing colors again at Michael's - and they will last forever!!  I always use a toothpick to get the color and then mix it up with the spatula.  I literally used a tiny dot of color to get this color.

6. Flowers and Figures: I used tip #21 to make what the book calls "The Shell".  This is standard and super easy border for cakes.  Basically you hold the bag at a 6:00 position so that you can pull the bag toward you.  The tip should be slightly above the surface.  Now squeeze hard, letting the icing fan out as it forces the tip up.  Relax your pressure as you lower the tip until it touches the surface.  Then pull tip away - without lifting it off the surface - to pull the shell to a point.  Then just do that around the cake!

I then decided to do "Drop Flowers" (that's what I used the blue frosting for).  You use Tip # 2D and 3 for the dot in the center.  This is super easy - basically just hold the bag straight up with the tip touching the surface.  Turn hand holding the bag, keeping flat of knuckle at 9:00.  As you squeeze out the icing, slowly turn your hand to 12:00.  Stop squeezing and lift tip away.  Make a dot in the center of the flower with the #3. 

Then because I could get my cake to be smooth - I decided to make little dots around the cake.  I used tip #3 for that also.

SOOOOO here is the final product!!!

Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Squash

YAY!!  Grilling season is upon us and this girl is pumped up!!  This was super yummy - and another way to eat squash!!  I can actually say now that I like pretty much every veggie!!  This is super good as a side to about any meat - we had chicken and it was such a tasty meal!!

Serves 8 -Tiff Blog

Ingredients:
4 yellow squash and/or zucchini
2 tablespoon butter
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 egg
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
pinch ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Trim off ends of squash; cut squash in half (lengthwise). With a teaspoon scoop out seeds and part of the pulp leaving shells about 1/2 inch thick.

In a small frying pan over medium heat, melt one tablespoon of the butter. Add onion and garlic and cook until they are done. Squeeze the spinach to remove extra moisture and add to the garlic and onion and cook until thoroughly heated.

In a medium size mixing bowl, combine eggs, ricotta, Parmesan, parsley, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and spinach mixture. Fill the squash halves with this mixture, about three tablespoons per shell and place squash in a shallow baking dish. Melt the remaining butter and brush over the squash shells. Bake for 20 minutes.

Taco Pizza

So I was craving quac - but needed a new recipe for this week.....so I made up my own version of taco pizza!!!  Super easy - and really yummy!!  We had Ross's parents over for dindin and it was a hit!  Pretty much put anything you like on this - but the taco sauce was key!  Super good :)

Ingredients:
flatbread
1/2 lb hamburger, browned
taco sauce
chopped black olives
shredded lettuce
1 onion
shredded cheddar cheese
1 tomato
chopped cilantro
sour cream

Put taco sauce on the flatbread - and then add the toppings and pop in the oven for 15 minutes!!  How easy and awesome is that :)  We topped with sour cream and ate with quac / chips!

Chicken and Veggie kabobs

One of the easiest way to make up veggies is to grill them in this awesome grill basket!!  (Got it from Crate and Barrel)  I use this bad boy daily during the summer - it's so awesome!!  I love grilling season!!!  YAY for summer!!

Ingredients:
any veggie...
Italian Dressing
Chicken

Marinade the veggies and chicken in Italian Dressing - throw them in the basket....grill....and heaven in your mouth!!  SOOOO easy :)

Sweet and Spicy Honey Grilled Shrimp

This was super super good!!  Totally worth spending a little extra to get the garlic pastes!!  The marinade was super yummy!!  I made this and put it in the Steak and Mango Salad.  Super good together - but these would be really good on their own too!!  Little surf and turf action tonight!!

OBB Cookbook

Ingredients:
2-2 1/2 lb. raw, shelled, de-veined shrimp; raw shrimp are blue or grey, not pink.
1 Tbsp. minced or pressed garlic
1/4 c. minced fresh ginger
1/4 c. hot chili garlic paste
1/2 c. sweet chili garlic paste
1 c. honey
1 c. fresh-squeezed lime juice
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
1 c. canola oil

Rinse shrimp in cold water and place in a large Ziploc bag. Combine garlic, ginger, both chili pastes, honey, lime juice, salt, pepper, and oil in a large bowl. Whisk thoroughly. Set aside 1 c. of the marinade. Pour remaining mixture over shrimp and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to 48 hours.

When ready to cook, thread shrimp onto skewers.  If using bamboo skewers, soak in water for at least 1/2 hour before skewering anything. Preheat outdoor grill. This really should be done outside because they get VERY smokey! When grill is hot, reduce heat to low and quickly place all skewers over the heat. Brush with reserved marinade. When they’ve cooked for 1 1/2-2 minutesquickly flip them over and brush or drizzle with remaining marinade. Cook for another 1 1/2-2 minutes, or until opaque and pink. 

Remove skewers from grill and remove shrimp from skewers. Pile them on a big ol’ platter, drizzle with any remaining reserved marinade, and squeeze the juice from a lime all over them. Toss to distribute the deliciousness.

Steak and Mango Salad

AH - what a crazy week!!  Finally had time to actually grocery shop (ok - have Ross grocery shop) and make a meal :)  I did a little combo with this one - so I'll make them into two posts, because you for sure could have both on their own - but I made this salad with Sweet and Spicy Honey Grilled Shrimp.  It was really good together, but this salad would be amazing without the shrimp too!  The steak marinade was tasty as both the marinade and dressing!!  hmmm yummy!!!

Makes 4-6 large dinner salads or 6-8 smaller side salad - OBB

Ingredients:
1lb flank steak
1 head romaine or red-leaf lettuce
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 mangoes, sliced
1 large, or 2 small avocados sliced 1/2 C roughly chopped cilantro
1/2 C caramelized macadamia nuts (see below)

 Dressing & Marinade

1/2 C fresh squeezed orange juice
6 T fresh lime juice
6 T soy sauce
1/2 C brown sugar
1 1/2 T fresh grated ginger
4 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
1/4 C olive oil
1/2 C canola oil

Caramelized Macadamia Nuts

2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/2 tablespoon butter1/2 cup nuts
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon (SO good)

Place brown sugar, corn syrup, and butter (and cinnamon if you’re using) in a non-stick skillet on the stove top. Set heat to medium or medium-high. Stir the mixture as it comes together until it bubbles.  Then add nuts and stir to coat.  Continue cooking for 5-7 minutes, stirring constantly until nuts turn golden brown in color and smell toasted. Transfer to foil, waxed paper, or parchment and cool completely

In a bowl, whisk together the orange juice, lime juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic. Whisk until sugar is dissolved. Continue whisking while slowly drizzling in the oils until combined. Reserve about 3/4 C* and place the rest of the mixture in a zip-lock bag.  *Make sure when you’re pouring out the 3/4 C you are constantly whisking the mixture to assure even distribution of ingredients
 

Lightly score the flank steak in a diagonal pattern on both sides. Place steak in the zip-lock bag with marinade and leave in fridge for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.

Remove steak from fridge about 30 minutes prior to cooking and leave at room temperature. You’ll want to let the dressing portion to sit at room temp during this time as well. Heat outdoor grill to med-high heat. If an outdoor grill is not available, use the broiler, or an indoor grill pan. Remove steak from bag and let any excess marinade drip off.  Sprinkle steak lightly with salt and pepper.  Cook for about 5-8 minutes on each side or until done. In order to stay tender, flank steak should still be pink in the middle, but nicely seared on the outside. When done, remove from grill and wait at least 5 minutes before cutting to let the juices redistribute. Then slice into thin slices.

Divide lettuce onto plates and top with slices of mango, avocado, and red onion. Add steak slices and drizzle with dressing. Sprinkle macadamia nuts and cilantro on top.