Steak Marinade

This is the marinade I use whenever we are grilling thick steaks.  It's pretty yummy.  

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 c Soy sauce

1/4 c Balsamic vinegar

1/4 c Olive oil

1/4 c Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp Dijon mustard

2-3 tsp Minced garlic

Salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients and pour over steaks.  Cover with plastic wrap and marinate steaks for at least one hour.

Note:  I like to add "Spicy Montreal Steak Seasoning" in place of the salt and pepper.  Both ways taste great, but I just like to use that seasoning if I have some on hand.

Creamy Orange/Coconut Ice Cream

This ice cream is so easy to make and has mostly healthy ingredients.  

My family loved it!

INGREDIENTS:

1 3/4 cup coconut milk
2-3 oranges
4 tbsp sweetened condensed milk (or sugar)
1 tsp vanilla

Peel and section the oranges and place on a cookie sheet.  Place cookie sheet in the freezer for a few hours.  Throw the somewhat frozen orange wedges and coconut milk in the blender along with the vanilla and sweetened condensed milk.  Blend until creamy and then pour your mix into your ice cream maker.  Follow directions on your ice cream maker.  Mine took about 20 minutes to be ready.  Enjoy!

Lime Cookie Dessert

 

This dessert is very easy to make and it's delicious!  Perfect combination of sweet and sour.  

You will need two packages of "galletas Marias" (Marias cookies) for this recipe.  You will find these cookies in the Latin aisle of your local super market (although I have also found them in the cookie aisle).  You can buy the individual packages, or buy them like I did in this 4-pack below. 

 INGREDIENTS:

1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 can evaporated milk
1/2 pkg cream cheese (you can add the whole pkg if you want), softened
8 tbsp lime juice (about 3 1/2 limes)
2 pkgs galletas Marias (Marias cookies)

With a blender, blend the milks, the cream cheese and lime juice until smooth and creamy.  Maybe start out with 5 tablespoons of lime juice and try it.  It's really up to you how much lime juice you want to add.  The lime juice will cut the sweetness and bring that tart flavor to your dessert.  I found 8 tablespoons of lime juice to be perfect to my liking.  Place a layer of Maria's cookies on an 8x8 baking dish.  I broke some cookies in half and quarters to try and fill the larger gaps.

 Pour a small layer of your milk and lime cream over the cookies.

 Continue layering, alternating between the cream and cookies.

Finish with a layer of cream at the top.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two to three hours before serving.  Enjoy!

Mint Hot Chocolate

Whenever I mention making hot chocolate the immediate response is "please, please, make the mint kind"  This mint hot chocolate has become my family's favorite! I'm sure it will become yours as soon as you give it a try.

INGREDIENTS:

6 cups milk

6 oz white chocolate chips (1/2 bag)

1 tsp peppermint extract

Green food coloring

crushed Andes mint chocolates

Whipped cream

Pour milk in a large pot and warm it on medium heat.  As soon as the milk starts warming up, add your chocolate chips and stir until they are melted.  Add peppermint extract and a few drops of green food coloring (I usually do between 5 and 6), stir well and remove from heat.  Serve warm and garnish with whipped cream and crushed Andes mint chocolates.  Enjoy!

Cherry Crisp

 

Quick, simple, and oh so yummy!

INGREDIENTS

1 box yellow cake mix

cherry pie filling (for homemade version click HERE)

1 stick butter, softened

chopped walnuts or almonds

Pour your cake mix in a bowl and add butter, mix well.  You will end up with a thick dough. Press two thirds of the dough firmly onto the bottom of a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish.  Add cherry pie filling on top.  Crumble remaining dough with the chopped nuts and sprinkle evenly on top of the cherry filling.

Bake at 350 degrees fahrenheit for 30 minutes.  The crisp will get a light golden color.  Let cool a bit and serve with your favorite vanilla ice cream.  Enjoy!

Cherry Pie Filling

Pretty easy to make and it goes great with so many recipes!

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups fresh pitted cherries

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

Red food coloring (optional)

Place pitted cherries in a cover saucepan and cook until cherries start releasing their juice.  Meanwhile mix the sugar and cornstarch in a bowl.  When the cherries have released some of the juice, add your sugar and cornstarch mix.  Mix well, the juice from the cherries will thicken and you'll end up with the perfect consistency for pie filling.  Add some drops of red food coloring for a vibrant red color.  That's all, enjoy!!!

Pastel de Tres Leches (Tres Leches Cake)

Pastel de tres leches has always been one of my all time favorite cakes, it's so yummy and moist!  It's a definite must try if you've never had it.  Of course if you have already had tres leches cake, then you know the pure yumminess I'm talking about.

Note:  You can half the recipe and just pour it on a 9x13 pan.  I did the two round cakes because I wanted to add a filling.  

Also, if you want you can also use more egg whites rather than the whole egg. Maybe 5 whole eggs and 5 egg whites, it should work just fine. It will cut out the calories by a bit, but it really won't be much considering everything else that will go into this cake ;)

INGREDIENTS FOR CAKE: 

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

3 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

10 eggs

1 1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla

INGREDIENTS FOR MILK MIXTURE: Mix all three ingredients together

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk

1 cup milk

INGREDIENTS FOR WHIPPED TOPPING:

Whipping cream (Heavy or regular)

Powdered sugar

Start out by whisking together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl, set aside.  In a separate bowl beat the eggs and sugar until thick, add vanilla.  Incorporate the dry ingredient mixture and mix well.  Fold in melted butter until well combined.  Pour cake batter into two greased 9" round cake pans.  Bake at 350 degrees fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes.  Test by inserting a toothpick in the middle and checking if it comes out clean.  Remove from oven and let cool.

I leveled my cakes by removing some of the top, by doing so, I exposed the cake and didn't have to poke any holes before pouring the milk mixture.  You will have to poke your cake if you are only doing a single layer.  Pour the milk mixture over the cake(s), make sure you pour the milk evenly so that your whole cake is moist.  Pour it slowly, wait for the cake to absorb the milk and continue until you use up all your milk mixture.

Whip cream and when it's almost set, add powdered sugar to your liking, continue beating on high speed until cream is thick and peaks are formed.  

Add whipped cream and fresh fruit on top of your first cake, place your second cake over it.  Frost all of your cake with the remainder of the whipped cream.  Add more fresh fruit on the top or decorate as you wish.  Enjoy!

Hopefully my instructions aren't too confusing, let me know if you have any questions.