Mango Ice Cream

Mango ice cream is a sentimental favorite of mine. It is my grandfather's favorite thing to eat. Mangoes are in season and no one can seem to eat them fast enough. This ice cream can be made chunky or creamy, whichever you prefer. Either way, it is delicious!



Mango Ice Cream

2 cups ripe mango, diced, peeled
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 cups milk
5 egg yolks
1 cup whipping cream

Combine mango, 1/2 cup of sugar and lime juice in a non-metallic bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Make a custard by scalding the milk in a 2-quart saucepan. Whisk the egg yolks and 3/4 cup sugar in a mixing bowl. Add the hot milk in a thin stream while whisking. Return the mixture to the pan and cook over medium heat, uncovered, until thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 3 minutes. Do not let it boil. Strain into a bowl, and let cool to room temperature.

Stir the mango mixture into the custard mixture. Stir in the cream. Taste for sweetness and add more sugar if desired. Freeze in an electric or crank ice cream maker, following the manufacturer's instructions.

Cashew Honey Green Beans

Another thing we eat a lot of is green beans. I think my mom served us canned green beans twice a week. These green beans are simple and so delicious.



Green Beans in Honey Cashew Sauce

Water
Kosher salt
16 ounces green beans
2 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup cashews, chopped
2 tablespoons honey

Trim the ends from the green beans and if necessary, “string” them by pulling the fibrous strings from one end of the bean’s crease to the other.

You could also just cut the ends of the beans. That is what I did.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the beans and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Immediately drain the beans.

In a large skillet, sauté the cashews in butter over low heat until the nuts are lightly browned— about 5-7 minutes. Add honey and stir constantly for 1 minute.

Pour the honey-cashew sauce over the beans and toss to coat evenly. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Failed Cupcake

I have been searching for the recipe to the perfect white cupcake. This is my latest failure. Stay tuned...

Colcannon Potatoes

We always have potatoes. Mashed, roasted, baked. This is a delicious way to eat potatoes - of course, there is bacon. This dish is so hearty, definitely a comfort food. I like mine with a beer.



Colcannon Potatoes
Adapted from Earth to Table

5 medium Yukon gold potatoes (about 2 ½ pounds), cut into 1-inch cubes
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
¾ cup finely chopped smoked bacon
1 ½ cups finely sliced Brussels sprouts (about 5)
¼ cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh thyme
1 ¼ cups 2% milk
½ cup unsalted butter
¼ cup finely minced fresh chives
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place potatoes in a saucepan and add enough cold salted water to cover by 1 inch; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add bacon and saute until slightly crisp, about 4 minutes. Add Brussels sprouts, wine and thyme; cook until Brussels sprouts are tender and wine has evaporated, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat.

Drain potatoes and, while still steaming, add to bacon mixture. Add milk, butter, and chives. Using a fork, lightly mash potatoes until crushed but still chunky. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Yield: 6 servings

Scallops with Blackberry Chipotle Sauce

This is easily one of my favorite dinners. Blackberries and chipotle peppers do not sound like they go together – but they do! This dish has a ton of flavor with very little effort!



Scallops in Blackberry Chipotle Sauce over Couscous
Adapted from Clean Eating Magazine, July/August 2010

4 cups blackberries
2 teaspoons lemon zest
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons honey
3 teaspoons chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped (or just the adobo sauce for a milder heat)
1 cup whole-wheat couscous
2 teaspoons olive oil
20 oz large scallops, touch muscle removed and patted dry with paper towel
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Fresh parsley, chopped

In a small bowl, combine the blackberries, lemon zest and juice, honey, and chipotle chiles; set aside.

In a small saucepan with a lid, bring 1 ½ cups water to a boil, then add couscous. Cover tightly, remove from heat, and let stand for 5 minutes.

Remove the muscle on the scallops and pat them dry before cooking.

Preheat a cast-iron skillet over high heat before drizzling in oil. Season scallops with pepper and sear them in a skillet for about 2 minutes per side. When scallop edges start to split, remove scallops and keep warm.

Add blackberry mixture to hot skillet and stir rapidly. When bubbling, reduce heat to low and stir until berries start to break down and are heated through, about 4 minutes. The mixture should be somewhat syrupy. If the berries do not break down enough, mash them with a spoon.

Divide couscous evenly among 4 plates, spoon over top all but 4 tablespoons blackberry sauce, then top with seared scallops and drizzle with remaining blackberry sauce. Garnish with parsley.

Serves 4

Red Pepper Hummus

Christian is a HUGE hummus fan but I can take it or leave it. Usually I only like the hummus at California Pizza Kitchen. This, however, was delicious! I served it with toasted pita wedges. We ate the entire batch in one day.



Red Pepper Hummus

2 (16-ounce) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
4-5 garlic cloves
1/2 cup jarred roasted red bell peppers, drained
1/2 cup tahini
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/3 to 1/2 cup fresh lemon or lime juice

Process first 9 ingredients and 1/3 cup lime juice in a food processor or blender until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides; add additional lime juice, if necessary, until desired consistency.

Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Note: You can easily double this recipe. Stir the tahini thoroughly before measuring it.

Light Potato Salad

This was so good you would never know it was lightened up. I used fingerling potatoes (only because they are my favorite). I just cut the larger ones so they are all similar in size. I didn't even peel them first. The cucumbers are a strange ingredient – I didn’t use them because Christian doesn’t like them.

I made two batches of this, one with chopped chicken for Christian’s lunch.



Lighter Potato Salad
Adapted from Food Network Magazine, June 2010

1 lemon
5 or 6 sprigs fresh parsley plus 2 tablespoons chopped leaves
2 or 3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
3 cloves garlic, smashed
2 pounds small fingerling potatoes or red-skinned potatoes cut into ¼-inch thick rounds
Kosher salt
4 medium carrots, cut into ¼-inch thick rounds
¾ cup plain yogurt
¼ cup low-fat mayonaise
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon whole grain or dijon mustard
3 scallions, minced, whites and greens separated
Freshly ground pepper
2 stalks celery, cut into ¼-inch thick slices
1 small kirby cucumber, cut into ¼-inch thick rounds (optional; I didn’t use)

Peel a 2-inch long strip of zest from the lemon. Put in a saucepan with the herb sprigs, garlic, potatoes, 2 tablespoons salt and 8 cups water. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook abut 10 minutes.

Add the carrots and cook until the potatoes are tender and the carrots are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes more. Reserve ¼ cup the cooking water then drain the vegetables and discard the herb sprigs and bay leaf. Let cool.

Meanwhile, finely grate 2 teaspoons lemon zest and squeeze 3 tablespoons juice into a large bowl. Whisk in the yogurt, mayonaise, mustard, scallion whites, chopped parsley, reserved cooking water, 1 teaspoon salt and ¾ teaspoon pepper.

Add the potatoes, carrots, celery, and cucumber to the dressing and toss. Chill about 4 hours. Top with the scallion greens.

Light Curried Chicken Salad

This "light" chicken salad has so much flavor! Plus, it is so easy.



Healthy Curried Chicken Salad
Adapted from Ellie Krieger

1 1/4 pounds cooked chicken breast, cubed
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 cup halved red grapes
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Toast the almonds in a small dry skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant and beginning to turn golden, 2 to 3 minutes.

In a large bowl, stir together the yogurt, mayonnaise, and curry powder. Fold in the chicken, grapes and cilantro and season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Heavenly Healthy Banana Bread

I have been having trouble with whole-wheat quickbreads - until now. This is so yummy and moist and good for you!



Heavenly Healthy Banana Bread
From King Arthur Flour

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, light or dark
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 4 medium to large bananas)
1/4 cup honey
2 large eggs
2 cups King Arthur 100% Organic Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, vanilla, baking soda, and salt. Add the bananas, honey, and eggs, beating until smooth. Add the flour, then the walnuts, stirring until smooth. Spoon the batter into a lightly greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pan, smoothing the top. Let it rest at room temperature for 10 minutes. Bake the bread for 60 minutes, then gently lay a piece of aluminum foil across the top, to prevent over-browning. Bake for an additional 10 minutes, then remove the bread from the oven; a long toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center should come out clean. Allow the loaf to cool for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan, and cooling it completely on a rack. Yield: 1 loaf, 16 servings.