Easter Cooking with Del Monte #10minutewow

I love a good excuse to cook for a crowd: birthday parties, holidays, summer barbeques.  It's a great time to combine tried and true recipes with some exciting new ones.  With Easter coming up, I am gathering recipes and ingredients to make some delicious sides to go with the huge dinner my mom is preparing.

Ham is always on our menu at Easter, so corn casserole is a must.  Over the years, I've tried several variations on the recipe.  This year I'm planning to make Del Monte's Cheddar Corn Casserole.  It combines sweet corn with savory flavors to create a rich dish, perfect for the holiday table.  Thankfully for us, there are lots of vegan cheeses and gluten free stir-ins I can substitute in the recipe to make it a dish all of us can enjoy.

If lamb is on your menu, Del Monte has a recipe for Peas 5 Ways, that is easy to customize to ensure a great pairing.  The Asian-style sweet peas, with teriyaki and almonds, sounds like it would be a hit in our house.

Making salmon for Easter?  Try Del Monte's Lemon-Garlic Green Beans with Crispy Crumbs.  It's a lighter alternative to green bean casserole, using lemon juice, garlic, and bread crumbs.


There's only a few days left until Easter, but Del Monte has your side dishes covered with their #10minutewow recipes.  Easy to make and minimal ingredients, they'll help you serve a delicious Easter lunch with plenty of time left to hunt Easter eggs with your little ones.

Product was provided for review.  All opinions are our own.

Sunbutter Cream Pie (DF, GF, Peanut Free)

Ingredients:
Box of Healthy Top or two cans of coconut milk, chilled and separated
1/4 cup honey
3/4 cup Sunbutter
2 tsp vanilla
Enjoy Life chocolate chips
Premade gf chocolate crust, like Mi-Del

Directions:
Whip a box of Healthy Top or canned coconut milk with electric mixer until peaks form.  Add 1/4 cup honey, 3/4 cup Sunbutter, and 2 tsp. vanilla, until mixed well. Pour into a gf/df crust and top with Enjoy Life chips and homemade Sunbutter cups.  Allow to set up in fridge for at least 4 hours.

Flourless PB-Free Cookies

These cookies may be flour free and peanut butter free, but they are delicious. The biggest perk? Everyone in our family can safely eat them.

Momma may or may not have eaten two for lunch today.Flourless PB-Free Cookies
(Makes about 2 dozen)

1 cup Soy Nut Butter (You can sub PB or another nut butter if your family can have it)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
Chocolate Chips or Hershey Kisses

Preheat oven to 350 and grease cookie sheet.

Combine soy butter and both sugars in mixer. Blend on medium for about two minutes, or until well mixed.

Add egg and baking soda. Continue mixing about 2 more minutes.

Roll dough into golf ball size balls and place on cookie sheet. Make crisscross pattern with a fork.

Bake for roughly 7-8 minutes or until edges are slightly brown. As soon as you remove from oven, press Kisses or chocolate chips into tops of cookies.

Allow to cool before removing from cookie sheet.

Enjoy!

Have you voted for my Gluten-Free Big Hit recipe today??!

The Big Hit Avocado Blog Tour

I didn't grow up eating avocados. To be honest, I don't think I even tried one until just last year. After hearing so much about the benefits of adding them to your diet, I had finally decided to pick one up at the grocery store.

We've been using them in our house ever since.

Recently, my diet has changed and I've had to rethink and relearn a few things in the kitchen. Being gluten-free means no breads, no rolls, no flour tortillas. But it also means feeling better than I have in years and having so much more energy.

There are several things I miss eating, but I've found ways to alter my favorite foods so that I can still enjoy them alongside my family.

Gluten-Free Philadelphia-Inspired Cheese Steak Taquitos with Avocado Cream

Ingredients:
8 Corn tortillas
1 lb thin cut steak slices (or Steak-ums)
1/2 cup thin sliced peppers (we use red, green, and yellow)
1/2 cup thin sliced onion
2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 cup shredded cheddar (substitute your favorite)
2 cups oil for frying
1 medium avocado
1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tbs fresh lime juice

1. Mix mashed avocado, sour cream, and lime juice in blender until creamy and well mixed. Put in fridge to chill.

2. Heat olive oil over medium heat, then add peppers and onions and cook until soft.

3. Add steak to pan and cook thoroughly.

4. Warm tortillas in microwave for 30 seconds or until pliable.

5. Add small portion of steak, peppers, and onions to warm tortilla and roll up. Secure with a toothpick.

6. Picked up rolled tortillas and drop carefully into hot oil with tongs. Cook until crispy.

7. Top with cheddar cheese and serve with avocado cream. And enjoy!

Did you know?
Avocados are only 50 calories per ounce (around three slices) and are sodium and cholesterol free. Also they contain nearly 20 different types of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients in a one ounce serving.
The "Big Hit" Contest and Avocado League
Mexican Hass Avocado Importers Association (MHAIA) is launching the Big Hit contest exclusively for those participating in this blog tour:
The Avocado League is featuring hometown recipes in Atlanta, Boston, Baltimore, Charlotte, Chicago, Philadelphia, New York and Washington, D.C. MHAIA will choose 8 bloggers, one from each featured hometown, with the best recipe from the blog tour as members of the Avocado League, with public voting of their dishes to take place in late September. Avocado League participants and their dish will be professionally photographed and have their own personal profile on the Big Hit microsite.

The Avocado League recipe with the most votes during the Big Hit contest will win the title of Avocado League MVP and the grand slam prize ­ a $5,000 grocery gift card! Second and third place winners will receive a $2,500 and $1,500 grocery gift card, respectively. Each of the top three winners will also receive a year's supply of avocados! The five Avocado League runner-ups will each receive $100 grocery gift cards.

Any consumer can submit their avocado recipe and may be featured as an "all-star" recipe. All voting and recipe posting will take place at the Big Hit site.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Mexican Hass Avocado Importers Association. Mom Central also sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate

Lazy Baking: Mini Pies

Though I love having fresh, just baked desserts, some days the kitchen is the last place I want to spend my afternoons. (Especially with temperatures up in the 90s lately.) So now and then, I let myself take all the shortcuts. And once in awhile, I end up with delicious results.

Meet the mini pie...I filled a mini muffin pan with refrigerated pie dough, added in a teaspoon of jelly (or soy butter and jelly), and added a lattice top. Then I baked them for 10-12 minutes at 350. Even with them boiling over, it was simple enough.

Some days it's okay to cheat. And you know what? No one cares if I spent 20 minutes or two hours in the kitchen. Just as long as it tastes okay. And according to hubby, these meet his approval.

Come join Love the Pie with TidyMom  sponsored by Whirlpool and enter to win a new Whirlpool Range

Homemade Pop Tarts

Pop Tarts:
1 cup flour
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
6 tablespoons butter (softened)
3 tablespoons water
Jelly of your choice (I used strawberry & blueberry)
Splash of milk

1. Mix flour, salt, and sugar. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and mix until coarse balls form. Add the rest of the butter, mix until small balls form.

2. Add water slowly, until dough holds together. Throw dough until it begins to feel a little drier. (I tossed it for 3-5 minutes.)

3. Form dough into a flattened ball and place in fridge for 30 minutes.

4. Once chilled, roll out dough. It should be about 1/8 inch to 1/16 inch thick. Cut into 10 equal rectangles.

5. Add jelly to center of 5 rectangles, leaving space at the edges. Stretch the other 5 pieces out just a little and place over top. Seal edges with a fork. Poke holes in the tops of each, without going through the bottom layer of dough!

6. Place on parchment paper and brush with milk.

7. Freeze for 30 minutes.

8. Preheat oven to 375-400. And bake for 15-20 minutes. They will be golden brown.
Icing:
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

9. Mix icing ingredients together and drizzle over warm pop tarts.

POM Wonderful Review & Recipe

I have to admit, when I buy groceries, I often buy the exact same things week after week. It's easy, I know how to serve it, and I know it'll get eaten.

A few weeks ago, I searched to see what fruits were currently in season. I was tired of eating clementines and bananas every day. However, I felt a little overwhelmed. Seems like I've never tried many of the winter fruits. Like pomegranates. I have no idea how to eat it. Is that sad to admit?!

I was excited to learn that pomegranate juice from POM Wonderful offers many of the same benefits as the fruit. POM Wonderful is the only brand that contains 100% authentic pomegranate juice, with no added sugars, preservatives, colors, or fillers. POM Wonderful also believes in going straight from the tree to bottle. Grown in California, pomegranates are handpicked, squeezed, and manufactured in their own bottles.
45 studies have been conducted to show the health benefits of drinking POM products. Drinking only 8 ounces of pomegranate juice a day has been shown to have cardiovascular benefits and can positively impact prostate health in men. POM is also a great source of antioxidants, with more potency than red wine, grape juice, or green tea, among others.

We checked out the recipes at POM Wonderful, and were surprised to see so many ways to incorporate pomegranate fruit and juice into meals, drinks, and desserts. Since my 5 year old is smoothie-obsessed, I decided to try a new smoothie recipe.

Our POM Smoothie
2-3 oz of POM Wonderful Pomegranate Juice
1 banana, sliced
1/2 cup blueberries
1 cup milk
Some crushed ice

Then just blend it all together

Little Man gave it the official two thumbs up and has since requested more smoothies several times. I enjoyed it as well, and I love knowing the benefits POM Wonderful can add. I think it will become a permanent staple in our fridge.

Thanks to POM Wonderful for providing us information & product to review. All opinions are our own.

Cuisinart Rice Plus Multi-Cooker Review: Gift Idea

In our house, hubby is the cook. If he's at home, he's in charge of dinner, and on the nights I fend for myself, I eat plenty of eggs and leftovers. (Though my 5-year-old will attest, I make a mean grilled cheese.)

We recently had the chance to try the Cuisinart Rice Plus Multi-Cooker with Fuzzy Logic Technology. Now, if you're me, the first question is, what's "fuzzy logic technology?" According to Cuisinart, it's a built in "brain" that senses changes in cooking and automatically changes the machine's operation to ensure perfect results.

Tonight, hubby relinquished the apron to me. Me, all alone. I was armed with the new appliance, the instruction manual, and the occasional mini-me helper.

I decided to make something simple to start: white rice with steamed veggies and chicken. And it turned out well. The rice was fluffy and perfectly cooked. The veggies were dropped in during the last 10 minutes of cooking and steamed in the steaming insert included with the cooker. And because of the "keep warm" feature, which automatically kicks on after cooking, it was okay that the chicken wasn't ready when the rice was.What I Love
The Rice Plus Multi-Cooker takes up very little counter space, but can cook up to 15 cups of rice. Plus, it was very easy to set up, just wash and start cooking. Once turned on, it is so easy to choose a cooking mode. Simply scroll through the on-screen choices.
The Rice Plus Multi-Cooker also offers a ton of cooking options. Hence, the "Plus." It makes various types of rice, risotto, oatmeal, soups, and sushi rice. It can slow cook, steam, and reheat.

Mom Improvements
Although very simple to use, trying to follow the directions seemed confusing at first. Maybe it's because there is such a vast number of ways to cook, or maybe it's because I rarely read directions anymore. (Who has time?) I would love to see a quick start guide, or to have the different cooking mode directions organized differently. As a novice in the kitchen, seeing so many instructions on only 2 pages felt a little overwhelming.

Our Thoughts
First of all, dinner was delicious! Everyone devoured the meal, and we still have plenty of leftovers to reheat in the cooker tomorrow.

Secondly, I really appreciate the versatility of the Rice Plus Multi-Cooker. You can even brown meat in it using the Quick Cook option or use the Finish Time feature to program in a time you'd like to eat and walk away.
Coming Soon
Up next, hubby's going to try out a recipe from Chef Hubert Keller, hosts of the PBS cooking series, Secrets of a Chef, and owner of Fleur de Lys, Burger Bar and SLeeK Steakhouse.

Brazilian Chicken and Shrimp Soup
Serves 8
5 chicken thighs, skinned
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion (about 1 small)
1 cup diced green bell pepper(about 1 medium)
1 can (14.5 ounces)diced tomatoes
1/3 cup finely chopped toasted peanuts
1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 bay leaves
1-1/4 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cups chicken broth
1-1/2 cups coconut milk
8 ounces raw shrimp (medium size), peeled and de-veined
10 ounces frozen peas
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
4 cups cooked jasmine or basmati rice for serving

1. Prepare rice using the long-grain directions on the cooking chart for Cuisinart’s Rice Plus™ Multi-Cooker. Rice can also be prepared the day before.
2. Place the chicken in a medium mixing bowl and season lightly with salt and pepper. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the lime juice and rub chicken with minced garlic. Mix thoroughly and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
3. In the cooking pot of the Cuisinart Rice Plus™ Multi-Cooker, add the olive oil. Set to Quick Cook and press start. Once the olive oil is hot, after about 3 minutes, add the onions and peppers and sauté for about 4 minutes until soft and fragrant.
4. Stir in the canned tomatoes including juice, peanuts, jalapeno, bay leaves, salt, pepper, broth, and coconut milk. Note: be sure to stir the coconut milk prior to pouring from can). Add the chicken and marinade and stir until well combined. Turn the unit off. Close the lid and select the Soup function and set the timer for 5 hours. 5. 15 minutes before the timer is done, rinse the shrimp well and pat dry. Place in a mixing bowl with the remaining lime juice and a pinch each of the salt and pepper. Refrigerate for 5 to 8 minutes; no longer or the acid of the juice will begin to cook the shrimp.
6. Once there are 5 minutes remaining on the timer, open the lid and add the frozen peas and the shrimp, with the juices, and close again to finish cooking.
7. Once the timer tone sounds, open the lid. Discard the bay leaves. Take out the whole chicken pieces and place on a cutting board. Remove the meat from the bone, cut into bite size pieces, and return to the pot. Stir in the cilantro to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
8. To serve, place some warm cooked rice (approximately 1/3 to 1/2 cup depending on portion size in the bottom of each soup bowl and ladle the soup on top. If desired, sprinkle with additional chopped cilantro and/or chopped peanuts.

Buy It
The Rice Plus Multi-Cooker can be purchased at Cuisinart for $149.

A Cuisinart Rice Plus Multi-Cooker was provided free for our review. But all opinions are our own.

Pumpkin Dip: Easiest Ever

My 5 year old requests pumpkin dip at least once a month. The kid is definitely hooked, but the recipe is so easy that I always give in.

Ingredients:
1-16 oz. container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1-5 oz. pack instant vanilla pudding mix
1-15 oz can solid pack pumpkin
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Directions:
Stir together all but the Cool Whip until well mixed.
Fold in Cool Whip.
Keep refrigerated until ready to eat.
Serve with ginger snaps or animal crackers & enjoy!

VIVA Towels Giveaway

***Contest Ended: Congrats to samsakara!***

I don't know about you, but we go through a ton of paper towels in our house. From wiping faces, to cleaning spills, to cooking, the paper towels are always on hand.

VIVA Towels and Food Network’s Sunny Anderson have partnered up for the Get Closer to Your Food campaign. Sunny's cooking is simple and sophisticated. And very hands-on. Her fork-free recipes offer several fresh ideas where fingers are the only required utensil.

Grilled Corn and Black Bean Salsa

Ingredients:
(makes 3 cups)

• 2 ears of corn, husked
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• salt
• 1 small red onion, finely diced
• 1 small jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed and finely diced
• 1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• juice of 1 lime
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 bag tortilla chips

Salsa Preparation: Preheat a grill pan. Brush corn with 1 tablespoon of oil and season with salt. Place on grill and cook until lightly browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Remove from grill and using a VIVA® paper towel, hold the ear of corn upright in a bowl and cut the kernels from the cob. Add remaining ingredients to the bowl and stir to combine. Serve with tortilla chips.

Recipe Courtesy of Food Network & Sunny Anderson.

Win It:

To celebrate the Get Closer to Your Food campaign 1 lucky reader will win a year's worth of VIVA towels (12-rolls)
To enter: Visit Fork Free Foods and tell me a recipe you'd love to try.

Want extra entries? (Leave separate comments for each)

• Follow me on Blogger
• Grab my button
• Add me to your blog roll
• Follow me on Twitter (Leave your username)
• Tweet this giveaway (Leave link)
• Blog about this giveaway with a link to this post. (Leave your link)
  

Be sure to leave a way to contact you.
Giveaway ends 11/16 at 11:59 pm EST. Winner will be notified via email. Open to US only.

Thanks to M80 who contacted me on behalf of Kimberly-Clark for this campaign and is supplying the giveaway prize.

Potato Corn Salad

Every Memorial Day we have a huge cookout with all my family. Lots of little kids running around, lots of adults chatting, and lots of good food.

This year I decided to try a new recipe:

Potato and Corn Salad
1.5lbs small red potatoes
2 cups cooked corn, cut from the cob
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 Tbs cider vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 Tbs chopped parsley

1. Place potatoes in cold water, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until just cooked (about 15 minutes). Drain and cute potatoes into quarters.

2. In a large container combine all other ingredients except parsley. Pour over salad and stir to coat well. Add parsley and stir again.

Hopefully it will turn out yummy this afternoon.

What's your favorite picnic food?

Homemade Mac & Cheese

I'm not a fan of macaroni and cheese. I could never eat it out of the box, just the thought of it turns me off. I'm officially a blue-box hater. Then, my mom made this recipe for baked mac and cheese, and I couldn't get enough. I'm in love.

I'd thought I'd share it with ya'll, so you can enjoy just as much as I do.

Ingredients:
1 box of elbow macaroni
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
5 cups milk

4 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1. Cook pasta according to box, drain, and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Melt butter in large pot over medium heat.
4. Stir in flour. Slowly pour in milk, add salt and pepper, if desired.
5. Stir continuously until sauce begins to thicken. Bring sauce just to the point of boiling, but don't allow to fully boil.
6. Slowly add cheese to sauce, stir until all is blended.
7. Combine sauce with pasta in large baking ban. Bake for 30 minutes.

Potato Corn Chowder

Ingredients

• 1 lb bacon
• 1 large onion (chopped)
• 6 large potatoes peeled and diced (or canned potatoes)
  
• 1 1/2 cups baby carrots (diced)
• 3 stalks celery
• 2 cups sour cream
• 3 cups milk
• 4 cups frozen corn
• 1 can cream of chicken (26 oz)
• 2 tbs salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups water

Directions

Slice and dice all the veggies

In large pot, brown bacon. You can also microwave, if you prefer. Then cook onions for 4 minutes or until soft. Drain grease. Add potatoes, celery, carrots, and water. Simmer for 15 minutes (Medium heat). Add salt and pepper. Once potatoes are soft, add milk, cream of chicken, sour cream, and corn. Stir until blended. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

This makes about 10-12 servings. I always make extras because it is just as good reheated, and it freezes well, if any of it lasts that long.

What's your favorite wintertime meal?

Super Simple Chocolate Covered Cherries

I just finished making chocolate covered cherries. They have met hubby's taste-test with lots of approval. The best part, they were incredibly easy.

Ingredients:
2 jars maraschino cherries
1/2 bag milk chocolate chips
1/2 bag white chocolate chips
powdered sugar

Directions:
Drain juice from cherries, use paper towels to remove moisture. Once somewhat dry, sprinkle on some powdered sugar to absorb any juice. Melt chocolate. I microwave mine for 45 seconds, stir, and microwave another 15 seconds. Be very careful to use a dry bowl and have dry hands. Any moisture will ruin your chocolate. Once chocolate is smooth, dip cherries in.

The white chocolate ones are a little less sweet than the milk chocolate. I've also heard that they get better if you let them sit for a few days.

Blog Party Day 4: Holiday Cooking

We've made it to day 4 of MomDot's Blog Party! Today's sponsors are Bottlewise Duos and Glow Mama.

The question of the day:
What is your favorite holiday recipe? Describe your holiday table.
What is your biggest holiday cooking disaster?

Since my mom does all the cooking for the holidays, I don't have too many recipes to share. I do, however, usually make a side dish to take along when we head to my parents. This year, I'm planning to take an incredibly yummy baked corn dish. It's so simple too!

Mix together:

• 2 cans of corn
• 1 can cream corn
• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg
• pouch of corn muffin mix

*Bake at 375 for 35 minutes. I drizzle a melted butter and honey sauce over the top. Mmmm...

Our holiday table is busy! We have anywhere from 10 to 20 people there, depending on if anyone has to work or is at their in-laws, etc. Plus, we have friends who are always invited to share our holidays, who may or may not come. The food is set up buffet style, with a little of everything, from turkey and ham, to every yummy side you can imagine, to tons of desserts. It's loud with laughter, and dinner ends with lots of full bellies.

I don't have any cooking disasters to share, at least not any holiday related. I will share a quick, almost kitchen related disaster from last year.

We always put our tree up on a table, so the cat doesn't climb it, and no one knocks it over. I picked out our tree last year, and it ended up just a bit too big. I asked hubby to trim off some of the trunk, only to realize we didn't have anything resembling a saw. This is what happened:

Please note, that's my bread knife! Are you kidding me??

Monday Randomness

It's been one of those days. I feel like I've run here, there, and everywhere, but never left the house. It seems like I've started to do so many things, but haven't accomplished anything. So for today, just complete randomness here too.

Let's see, I made a completely yummy and simple corn casserole for dinner. I'm a veggie nut! I'm far from vegetarian, but I could easily make a meal out of side dishes. Here's how simple it was:
Mix together 1 can of corn, 1 can cream corn, 1 cup milk, 1 egg, and 1 pouch of corn muffin mix. Bake at 375 for 35 minutes. I ate so much of it, I only had room for two bites of chicken. Hubby was annoyed he spent so much time grilling. Oops!

I got the cubby under the tv organized today. We store all of GM's coloring books, crayons, etc down there. He's excited to be able to find things easily. When daddy came home, he proudly announced, "Mommy and me organized today. You gotta see it!" Next job is the toy bins, it looks like someone threw up toys all over our living room, nothing stays in them anymore. Every time I go to put away another Matchbox away, they all come tumbling down, and I bite my tongue to keep from swearing at them.

Tomorrow, we are finally going out to the safari park. GM is so excited. He made me tell him every animal we might see about 50 times today. "Lemurs, (what else?) deer, (what else?) buffalo, (what else?) capybara, (what else?) peacock..." Ahh! I'm looking forward to it though too. It's been far too long since we've had a family day.