Pink Julep in the Kitchen: A Great Recipe for Your Holiday Parties!

I just love my new Bon Appetit Cookbook! I'll admit that many of the recipes are too hard for me at this stage, however I'm excited to work up to it!

With Halloween around the corner, I've decided to bring some snacks into the office tomorrow! I typically bring cookies, cupcakes, etc. but there's one person in the office who doesn't enjoy sweets and I hate to leave her out! So last night I made Pepperoni & Parmesan Pinwheels and arranged them neatly on a little Halloween tray! They're delish! This super easy recipe yeilds 60 pieces so it's a perfect option if you're making your own hors d'oeuvres for upcoming holiday parties as it won't take you too much time and will feed loads during your cocktail hour! Also, you can prepare these the day before, wrap them and chill in the fridge, then pop them out and bake just in time to serve nice and warm! SO EASY and super tasty!!! Hubby ate like 10 of them!


Ingredients
1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese (use parmesan if you can't find Asiago - I did)
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (half of 17.3-ounce package), thawed (I used Pepperidge Farm)
2 tablespoons honey-Dijon mustard
2 ounces packaged sliced pepperoni (about twenty-four 1 1/2-inch-diameter slices)
1 large egg, beaten to blend
Nonstick vegetable oil cooking spray

Preparation
Mix first 4 ingredients in medium bowl. Cut puff pastry crosswise in half to form 2 rectangles. Spread 1 tablespoon mustard over 1 puff pastry rectangle, leaving 1-inch plain border at 1 long edge. Place half of pepperoni in single layer atop mustard. Top pepperoni with half of cheese mixture. Brush plain border with egg. Starting at side opposite plain border, roll up pastry, sealing at egg-coated edge. Transfer pastry roll, seam side down, to medium baking sheet. Repeat with remaining pastry rectangle, mustard, pepperoni, cheese mixture, and egg. Chill rolls until firm, about 30 minutes, or wrap and chill up to 1 day. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line 2 baking sheets with foil. Lightly spray with vegetable oil spray. Cut each pastry roll into about thirty 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Transfer pinwheels to prepared sheets. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to platter; serve.

Happy cooking!!!

xoxo,
Pink Julep!

Pink Julep in the Kitchen - New Obsession

So my current obsession is making smoothies. Here's the thing... I don't like the texture of a lot of fruits or the tastes of other things like honey or yogurt. But when you put them all in the blender at the same time, magic happens! It turns purple (with a few blueberries) so it's pretty and I can't taste the yucky low-fat plain yogurt which is soooo good for me, but without feeling the texture, I can taste the yummy berries! So it's basically a win/win situation for me!!!

I am such a poor eater of fruits and vegetables as well. So when I mix up one of these smoothies, it's like I've had 4 cups of coffee!!! I get such good energy, but I don't crash! NICE!!!

Want to try making smoothies? It's easy! Basically I just put in 2 to 3 tablespoons of plain non-fat yogurt, a little milk (add more later if it's too thick), a tablespoon of honey (supposedly a little honey every day increases life span) and about 1 to 2 cups of frozen fruit or berries! I like to mix and match! You can also add a table spoon of low-fat vanilla ice cream or a bananna sliced up and chilled/frozen if it's too bitter. And just blend it! YUM!!!

Also, I can say from experience, don't be afraid to experiment! Throw in some crazy things and see how it comes out! Add some wheatgrass or spiroline for energy. Or some peanutbutter to a banana smoothie for some protein!

xoxo,
Pink Julep!

Treats for Pink Julep's Kitchen!!!

Mr. Julep and I did some shopping over the weekend and we picked a few treats for the kitchen! If you've been reading either my blog or my tweets, you've probably noticed that I've recently become very interested in cooking and have been whippin up a storm making everything from stew to muffins to breads to steaks and I've been really enjoying it! Hubby hasn't complained at all - in fact, I'm pretty sure he's gained 5 or 10 lbs! hee hee

I was delighted when hubby suggested we pick up this baby - the original Crock Pot! I love it!!! I made the most delicious beef stew yesterday!

I've also had my eye on the Cath Kidston recipe organizer for a while, but vowed not to waste the money on it until I was serious about using it to keep good recipes... well, it's gotten serious and I finally picked one up on Saturday! It's so pretty!!!





I love that it has conversion tables and tabs. And if I print something off the internet, I just need to hole punch it and pop it in! It also includes perforated shopping lists and pockets for recipe cards!








I couldn't resist this beautiful cookbook! It has recipes from around the world and I'm pretty excited about trying some of them this week!

I'm super determined to go from being the girl who cooked the same 5 things every week to the lady with a vast repertoire of recipes at her fingertips! I could also stand to eat better than I used to and honestly, since I've started cooking from scratch, I feel better, have more energy and I've lost 4 pounds!!! YAY!!!

What are your favorite cookbooks?

xoxo,

Pink Julep!

Pink Julep in the Kitchen, Rockin Some Serious Omega 3's!!!

I've been trying some recipes from my new Better Homes and Gardens cookbook this week and I've been completely in love with everything so far, from the potato skins to the Key Lime Pie (which hasn't been cut yet, but has been poked with my greedy little finger for a teeny weeny taste!), but last night's dish turned out really well!!! I made my first ever fish last night and I must say, I danced around the living room with pride for myself for making delicious fish and stuffing my tummy with Omega 3's and all that other good stuff in fish!!! I thought I'd share the recipe along with my notes because the marinade is what made it so good! It calls for salmon, swordfish or halibut, none of which were looking good at the fish counter this week, but we used tuna and it worked perfectly!!!

Ingredients
1 pound fresh or frozen salmon, swordfish, or halibut steaks, cut 1 inch thick
2 tablespoons lime juice or lemon juice * I used lime.
1 tablespoon snipped fresh oregano or thyme, or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano or thyme, crushed
* I used the dried thyme and oregano - worked fine!

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
2 cloves garlic, minced

* I used 2 heaping teaspoons of minced garlic from a jar and it was great!
4 lime wedges

Directions
1. Thaw fish, if frozen. Rinse fish steaks; pat dry with paper towels. Cut into four serving size pieces, if necessary. For marinade, in a shallow dish combine lime juice, oregano, oil, lemon-pepper seasoning, and garlic. Add fish; turn to coat with marinade. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1-1/2 hours, turning steaks occasionally. Drain fish, reserving marinade.
2. Place fish on the greased (I just used Pam Spray) unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 4 inches from the heat for 8 to 12 minutes or until fish begins to flake when tested with a fork, turning once and brushing with reserved marinade halfway through cooking. Discard any remaining marinade. Before serving, squeeze the juice from one lime wedge over each steak.
3. Makes 4 servings

Nutrition Facts
Calories 158, Total Fat 6 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Monounsaturated Fat 3 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 2 g, Cholesterol 59 mg, Sodium 348 mg, Carbohydrate 2 g, Total Sugar 0 g, Fiber 0 g, Protein 23 g. Daily Values: Vitamin A 0%, Vitamin C 7%, Calcium 2%, Iron 5%. Exchanges: Lean Meat 3.Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

I served this with boiled organic new potatoes that I mashed with cheese, milk, butter, salt/pepper, and garlic powder and it made a fabulous meal!!! (ahem... if I do say so myself)

For more recipes or more information on this recipe go to the Better Homes and Gardens Website by clicking here.

Happy Cooking!

xoxo,

Pink Julep!

Pink Julep in the Kitchen - Roast Chicken!

On Sunday I decided to make an organic meal from scratch! It was so fun! I've really began to love cooking and I've recently become concerned with the amount of all out crap I put into my body from frozen, canned, and pre-packaged foods! So hubby and I went shopping and I made this gorgeous roast chicken (my first ever!)!!!

I must say, it's definitely worth the extra $5.00 to get organic free-range chicken that hasn't been subjected to steroids, antibiotics and other nasty stuff! It's so juicy and tender! YUM!!!

Here's the recipe I used, which came from an article on Camilla Parker Bowles. I modified it slightly, but credit where credit's due, it's her recipe. However, the sauce wasn't very good and we didn't end up using it, so this is just the recipe for the chicken:

1 whole free-range organic chicken

2 lemons (one whole and poked several times, the other cut in 1/2)

salt

pepper

olive oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Remove the innards (usually stuffed inside in a bag) and rinse the chicken thoroughly. Dry the chicken with paper towles all over. Place chicken inside roasting pan.

Stuff the whole pierced lemon inside the chicken.

Rub olive oil generously all over the chicken and then season with salt and pepper all over.

Use the other 2 halves of lemon to squeeze juice over the entire chicken.

Bake for 20 minutes at 450 degrees (this crisps the skin and keeps the juices inside) then reduce heat to 350 degrees and cook until juices run clear when the leg is pierced.

Cooking time should be about an hour for a medium sized chicken.

I served mine with boiled haricots and organic herb roasted potatoes which I made with a recipe from www.allrecipes.com. It was a lovely meal!

BON APETIT!

Pink Julep!

PS - Last night I saw Julie and Julia, which was amazing and only fueled my new-found love for cooking! I bought my first ever cook book immediately following so expect more recipes from the Pink Julep Kitchen!!!

Pink Julep in the Kitchen

I'm no chef by any means, but everything I make is tasty and edible. I just can't do it from scratch all the time... But I'd venture to say you'll find bottles, cans, and boxes in nearly any chef's kitchen. Seriously, who has the time to cook from scratch?!?!

I've been making one of my childhood favorites a lot lately and I must say, it's a huge hit with the hubs!!! Cheesy Chicken Noodle Casserole, fondly known as Chicken Yum Yum in my house.

I make it as low fat as possible, but you can substitute the more fattening versions of any of these ingredients and it just tastes better! Here's my recipe:

1 bag No Yolk egg noodles
Bread Crumbs (I like to use the Italian version, but any kind is fine)
1 - 2 lbs chicken cut into cubes
1/4 cup heavy cream or whipping cream
Olive oil
1 can Campbell's Cream of Chicken Soup
Minced Garlic
Minced Onion (or real chopped onions if you like)
Salt
Pepper
1 Medium sized block of 2% Velveeta
Cooking spray
Chopped Parsley


Start by heating up enough olive oil to more than cover the bottom of a medium sized frying pan on Medium heat. Add a teaspoon of Minced Garlic and a teaspoon of Minced Onion.

While this is heating, start boiling the water for the noodles and slicing the cheese.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Add chicken and cook thoroughly, stirring occasionally. Salt and pepper to taste.

While cooking chicken, boil egg noodles and drain.

Once chicken is cooked, drain as well.

In a large stock pot, mix noodles, 1/2 block of cheese cut into slices, heavy cream, can of soup, can of water, and chicken. Stir until hot and cheese is thoroughly melted. Salt and pepper to taste. I like to use a little onion salt or garlic salt as well.

Once mixture is ready, pour into a casserole dish. Cover with the remaining cheese slices. Cover the mixture and cheese generously with bread crumbs and sprinkle with parsley.

Pop it in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes and serve hot!

I did not make this up, but this is simply my way of doing it... I like to mix recipes sometimes or add my own ingredients. This is great if you want leftovers for the week for lunches. It microwaves nicely and you can even prepare it, freeze it and bake it later!

Happy Sunday!!!

xoxo,
Pink Julep!

Deliciousness of the Week

This week I didn't make a menu plan... I just sort of decided to wing it and try to use up all the veggies from our Abel & Cole box. We had 2 big portabella mushrooms that were going to double as hockey pucks if I didn't use them. However, I had been craving some crab cakes all week. So I decided to be all crazy-like and make up my OWN recipe for stuffed mushrooms. I googled stuffed mushrooms to get the baking times (because I've been known to over roast veggies because I tend to like them all brown and burny and didn't want to kill the mushrooms) and then went to town. I mean, this wasn't rocket science, but you know... I like to think I'm now a cooking savant for flying without a recipe. 

You may just call me Julia... Or Ina. 

My Spicy Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

(makes 2)

1 can white lump crab meat in brine (drained)

4 oz. sweet chili flavored light Philadelphia cream cheese (I don't know if they have this in the US but it is MY. FAVORITE. and is KEY. If you don't have it get some sweet chili sauce and add to regular cream cheese)

1/2 diced red pepper 

1/2 diced yellow onion

1/2 to 1 cup grated parmesan (divided)

1 1/2 tsp-ish of mix of red pepper flakes, garlic powder, salt and black ground pepper (I didn't actually measure, but I used to taste!)

2 large portabella mushroom caps

Pre-heat your over to 350F. Mix the cream cheese, red pepper, onion, 1/2 of the parmesan together. Fold in the crab (don't mush it up too much- It's tasty in chunks). Add in the seasoning to taste. 

Spritz the bottom of the mushrooms with low-cal cooking spray and lay cap side up. Top each with half of the crab mixture. Spray the top of the mix again with low-cal cooking spray and bake for about 15-20 minutes. After the mix is a little bubbly and the mushrooms look close to being done (took mine about 15 mins) put the rest of the parmesan on top and put back in the oven until it melts. 

We served ours with a side salad. It was scrumptious. We might be having them again this weekend because I loved them SO much. Well PB loved them too... but I mean I REALLY loved them.

What recipes have y'all made up lately?

PS: I got a lot of emails about my earrings from the kitten pictures! I'm glad y'all love them as much as I do! I actually purchased them on my last visit to NYC while MCW & I were wandering around near the Shake Shack. I had the girl's card but I can't seem to find it. I'll keep checking and will give you her contact details if I can!

Low-Fat Apple Coffee Cake: MAKE. THIS. NOW.

So after my cream puff fail of yesterday (I cooked my eggs accidentally. So I had cream puff paste with scrambled eggs. Gross.) I decided to bake something that I knew I wouldn't screw up. I had come across this recipe in my Better Homes & Gardens cookbook that I received as a wedding gift. It was fast and easy and omgomgomg. It is AMAZING.

Low-Fat Apple Coffee Cake

2/3 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

Few dashes of nutmeg (I omitted because I'm NOT a fan)

1 1/2 cups small diced apple (Peeled & cored, obviously)

1/4 cup beaten egg (About 1 large egg)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (I used walnuts)

1/4 cup applesauce

Topping: 

1/4 packed light brown sugar (I used dark because that was all I had!)

1 Tbsp all purpose flour

1 Tbsp whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 Tbsp cold butter, cubed (I used reduced fat butter spread & it worked perfectly)

1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (again, I used walnuts)

Preheat oven to 350F (177C). Spray 9 inch round pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

Combine flours, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg with a whisk. (I sieved it all together and I always think that it comes out more fluffy than using a whisk!) Set aside. 

Combine apples, egg, sugar, nuts and applesauce. Then add in the flour mixture! It is a very thick mixture, so don't worry. Pour it into the pan & smooth with a spatula.

In a separate bowl make the topping by combining the brown sugar, flours, and cinnamon. Then cut in the butter with a fork or a pastry blender. It should be crumbly. Then mix in the nuts and sprinkle across the top of the cake. 

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick (or in my case the wooden end of an extra long match) comes out clean. It's super tasty all on it's own but you could throw a little bit of low-fat vanilla ice cream on the side! MMMM. 

If you make it let me know what you think! It is unclear as to whether I'm going to be able to save any for PB to have when he gets home. It is seriously the best coffee cake I've ever had. Seriously. 

Have you made any tasty treats lately?

RECIPE ME!

Weight Watcher's Wednesday: Seared chicken with mint yogurt dressing

This past weekend I rejoined a weekly meeting here in the UK. It was my first weigh in at an actual meeting since I moved over. While it wasn't pretty, it was NOT as bad as it could have been. I'm excited to be back on the WW fit-train and looking forward to this FINAL leg of my weight loss plan.

I picked up a cookbook while we were there entitled "Cooking for Two." It's perfect for PB & me because all of the recipes are, you guessed it, only 2 servings. Last night we tested our first recipe and it was a KEEPER! You need to make this ASAP. Super easy & super tasty! I made some adjustments based on our tastes & what we had on hand. It's definitely going on our meal plan again next week. We both absolutely loved it!

Seared Chicken with Mint Yogurt dressing 

(9 ProPoints per serving)

(Picture from the cookbook)

Ingredients:

75g (2 3/4oz) dried wholewheat couscous (We used a lemon, parsley & mint blend because our grocery store had no wholewheat options- But I checked and the points was still the same for our blend.)
1/2 kettleful of boiling water (Or just generally follow directions for the couscous on the package. Duh.)
1/2 vegetable stock cube (We omitted because our couscous was already flavored)
300g (10 1/2 oz) skinless boneless chicken breasts cut into 1/2 inch wide strips
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp ground coriander (We omitted because we are not coriander fans!)
calorie controlled cooking spray (PAM! for those in the US)
50g (1 3/4 oz) frozen peas (We doubled this amount)
50g (1 3/4 oz) sugar snap peas (Omitted because I didn't have any)
1/2 red pepper, deseeded & cut into thin strips
1 large spring onion, sliced diagonally
salt & freshly ground pepper

For the Mint Yogurt dressing:
small handful of fresh mint
75g (2 3/4 oz) 0% fat Greek Yogurt (don't judge. I used the plain half of a Fage mix-in!)
juice of 1/2 of a lime
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (Omitted because I didn't have any)

Put couscous in a bowl, pour water over to cover, stir in the stock cube and cover. Leave for about 5 minutes until the stock is absorbed and the grains are tender. Fluff using a fork & set aside.

Meanwhile, using a hand blender, blend together all the dressing ingredients, except the cumin seeds. Or, if no blender, finely chop the mint & stir with the remaining ingredients. Season & scatter with the cumin seeds.

Sprinkle the chicken with the thyme & coriander. Seasons and then turn until evenly coated. Heat a griddle pan or non stick frying pan over a high heat. Spray the chicken with the cooking spray. Cook over a medium high heat for 6 minutes, turning once, until cooked through & golden.

Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of water to the boil, add the peas, sugar snap peas, pepper & spring onion and cook for 3 minutes or until tender. Refresh under cold running water & drain.

To serve, divide the couscous between two large shallow bowls then top with the peas, sugar snap peas, red pepper, spring onion and chicken. Spoon over the dressing before serving.

Our final product!

Delicious! If you try it, let me know what you think!

Delicious Treats From Across the Pond

Since I'm marrying an Irishman in just 16 short days, I thought I'd take this opportunity to share some of my favorite foods from Ireland and England. Now, Ireland is NOT part of the UK, however they do eat many foods from the UK such as Cadbury chocolate. In the four years I've known my fella, he's introduced me to many lovely snacks that come from his side of the pond! If you have a grocery store with good international choices or even better, an Irish or English store nearby, I highly recommend trying any of these yummy treats! If you're in the New York area, I'd recommend The Butcher's Block on Queens Blvd & 41st Street in Sunnyside, Queens or in Manhattan you could go to Myers of Chiswick or Tea & Sympathy, both located downtown.


Shepherds Pie - YUM! The More gravy the better!!!

Go here for an easy recipe to make it yourself. http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/000216easy_shepherds_pie.php


I could never be a proper Irish wife without enjoying the occasional Bailey's on the rocks! Mmmmm! I always have Bailey's at Christmas time especially - there's just something so Christmassy about it!

I was skeptical at first when mister introduced me to potato waffles, but these beauties are DELICIOUS!!! You pop them in the toaster (at least 2 or three times at the highest setting to get them nice and crispy!) and then smear them with butter! Salt & pepper or season to taste and they are to die for!!!

Rountrees Pastels - gummy snacks with a sugary coating! TOTALLY ADDICTIVE!!!

Quality Street candies are a staple at Christmas as well - they are slightly similar to Hershey's Miniature in that you buy a box and each color is a different flavor! The Brits & Irish simply do better sweets - no contest!

PG Tips is my favorite tea! I just had a cup with milk and it was delightful! I've been drinking PG since I was a senior in college.

Mi Wadi is what the Irish & British refer to as squash. Basically, you use a little Mi Wadi in a glass of water. It's a great way to trick children or even yourself into drinking water. It's yummy and when I stayed with a family in England, this is pretty much all we drank at their house in the way of non-alcoholic beverages. I always keep a bottle in my fridge!

Kerrygold Aged Irish Cheddar is one of the best cheeses on the planet! Kerrygold also makes really nice real butter, but beware, it's fattening!

Jaffa Cakes are soooo good! Basically it's a little cookie with a cakey consistency. In the middle there's an orange flavored gel and it's covered in chocolate. It sounds disgusting, but they are soooo good! I don't even like orange & chocolate confections, but I love these! *Note: In Ireland, they often give these to fatigued soccer players for energy - they contain electrolites (like in Gatoraid) and other good stuff too, but they taste sinful!

Jacobs Cream Crackers are like large saltines without salt. The difference is that they're made with cream so they aren't as dry and taste, well, creamy! These are lovely with some cheese or buttered with soup!

Rowntrees Fruit Gums - They're just like pastels, but chewier, more tangy than sweet and don't have the sugary coating!

McVities Caramels Digestive Biscuits - Any proper Irish wife is ready to make tea at a moment's notice! Now, you can't possibly have tea without biscuits! That just won't do! Across the pond, a biscuit is not the fluffy white bread we get at KFC, it's more like a cracker or cookie! Most are sweet. For special guests, one should pull out the fancy biscuits. Plain ones are much like graham crackers. The next step would be like these caramel ones or anything with a little chocolate or fruit and for very special occasions if not serving cakes or scones, super fancy biscuits have all the bells and whistles and can somewhat resemble a malomar. This is the best way I can describe it - this is what I've learned from the Irish women I know - it's different in England and I don't pretend to be an expert. Anyway, this is my favorite biscuit!

An interesting tidbit - tea was more easily ready for Irish wives of the past. When my mister's mother married in 1963, she had to give up her job as a librarian to marry. It was not legal for women to work and be married!!! Now that women are working and keeping house, the new rage in Ireland when we were there in 2007 was getting a house keeper, which was pretty much unheard of previously! It's not uncommon at all for people in Ireland to drop by your house unannounced for tea - when we lived in NYC and our Irish friends dropped by unannounced, it used to drive me mental - shoving everything under the couch before they walked up the three flights of stairs and scowering the cupboards for the last few biscuits in the house! I'm used to it now and always prepared - though no one drops in down here. But if they did, I'd be ready!

Cadbury Dairy Milk Caramel - I could eat my body weight in these, but for obvious reasons, I stick to about 1 every week or two!

Club Orange or Diet Club Orange - This is like orange juice mixed with sparkling water! My favorite soda substitute!

White Chocolate Cadbury Buttons

Brennan's Bread Pan - This is FRESH bread! The Irish certainly love their bread! And foods overseas don't always have as many preservatives as they do in the US. For that very reason, it drove me mad to buy this bread in NYC because it goes bad within a day or two. But it's so nice - fluffy and white! Makes the very best toast!

Heinz Baked Beans Blue Tin - these are great! Though we have the US version, it has more sugar in the sauce, so it's sweeter. These have more of a tomato taste to them. I prefer them and I'm a huge fan of beans on toast, a popular English & Irish breakfast! Sprinkle a little cheddar on top and serve with a soft boiled egg & Irish bacon or bangers for a proper Irish fry!

Most of these foods are expensive in the US, but you're paying for the import and shipping. They are worth it if you're feeling a little international one day! I'm so glad that we can get most of these things here on island, not just for me, but so my sweetie doesn't feel homesick! Because Cayman is an English Colony, every store has a British foods section, though some Irish things are very very hard to find.

Night Night!

xoxo,

Pink Julep!

Pink Julep in the Kitchen: Lemon Sole

Mr. Julep and I tried Lemon Sole filets for the first time recently and it's truly delicious. I thought I would share the recipe for how we prepared it, because well, it was quite perfect!

Ingredients
2 lemon sole filets
the juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon of lemon pepper
pinch of salt

1. spray a slotted broiling pan with non-stick cooking spray and preheat the oven to 375.

2. Cut 1 lemon into quarters and squeeze over filets as desired.

3. Sprinkle filets with lemon pepper and salt. If you like a bit of spice, also sprinkle a tad of Cayenne Pepper.

4. Bake at 375 for about 35 minutes or until done.

We ate this with white rice and some corn and it was delicious! Really healthy and the fish isn't too flaky - it has a meaty consistency quite similar to chicken and doesn't taste fishy at all.

Happy Cooking!

xoxo,
Pink Julep!

Pink Julep in the Kitchen: Hamburger Pie!

As y'all know, I love my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook! I recently tried out their recipe for Hamburge Pie and let me tell you... it's Heavenly!!! It's very similar to Shepherd's Pie so it was a super treat for Irish hubs as well! It's super simple to make and doesn't require a lot of time.

If you don't have a Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, it is definitely a must for anyone, but especially a Southern Girl!

Below is Hamburger Pie pictured as on the website:


Here's the recipe straight off the BHG website:

Ingredients
1 recipe Mashed Potatoes or one 24-ounce package refrigerated mashed potatoes
1-1/4 pounds lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash black pepper
2-1/2 cups frozen cut green beans, thawed
1 10.75-ounce can condensed tomato soup
1/2 cup shredded process American cheese (2 ounces)

Directions
1. Prepare Mashed Potatoes*, if using; set aside. In a large skillet cook meat and onion until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain off fat. Add the salt and pepper. Stir in thawed beans and soup; pour into a greased 2-quart rectangular baking dish or casserole.

2. Spoon Mashed Potatoes in mounds on bean mixture (or, if desired, pipe potatoes using a pastry bag and a large star tip). Sprinkle cheese over the potatoes. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until mixture is bubbly and cheese begins to brown.

3. Makes 6 servings

*Three Mashed Potato Options: U1. Use four servings refrigerated mashed potatoes 2. Prepare 4 servings instant mashed potatoes according to package directions, except reserve the mil. Add egg and seaon to taste with salt and pepper. Add enough reserved milk so potatoes are stiff enough to hold their shape. 3. Make mashed potatoes using 5 medium potatoes.

PINK JULEP METHOD:

1. I don't like onions so I skipped them and substituted a generous amount of minced garlic instead.

2. I used lean ground turkey instead of beef to be a little more healthy.

3. I used Delmonte canned green beans and also added a can of corn - YUM!

4. I salted the heck out of this thing and peppered like crazy too! Pink Julep says Salt to taste or you might find it a little bland.

5. For the cheese, I found that Velveeta shred works really well!

6. I also added a generous sprinkling of onion powder since I don't like actual onions and it gave it a nice kick!

7. I made mine with real fresh mashed potatoes... I would recommend a little more than what's called for in their recipe, which is 2 oz of potatoes cooked and mashed. I'd go for 4 oz.

Happy cooking!

xoxo,

Pink Julep!

Pink Julep in the Kitchen: Yummy Healthy Smoothie

I made this smoothie the other day to take into the office with me. Not only was it unbelieveably delicious, but I actually think it made me high! hahaha I had fruit smoothie buzz for a few hours and it was such a great and noticeable boost of energy!


Recipe
3 tablespoons Fage Non-fat Plain Greek Yogurt
1 small banana cold and sliced
1/2 cup Almond Breeze Original Unsweetened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup frozen blueberries
1/4 cup frozen raspberries
1/4 cup frozen strawberries
1 teaspoon flax seeds

*Put in the blender until creamy and smooth. If not blending well add a little more Almond Breeze

This smoothie is packed with antioxidants and lots of things that are super good for you! It's quite filling and perfect for breakfast, a light lunch or just a snack! I've recently been drinking it before the gym for a bit of extra energy. Cheers to a healthy 2010!!!

xoxo,
Pink Julep!

Pink Julep at the Bar: Festive Holiday Beverages

At the party over the weekend, the mulled wine was a huge hit! It's something I tasted in England when I went there for Christmas in 2003 and I LOVE it!!! It's easy to make and a great way to serve something festive at your holiday gatherings without breaking the bank!

Ingredients
2 bottles of red wine - look for something fruity, but not too sweet and this is an opportunity to use wine that's at a lower price point than you'd usually buy, but not super cheap.
Cinnamon Sticks
Whole Cloves
Whole All Spice
Brown Sugar (optional)
Cheese Cloth
Orange slices studded with cloves

Pour wine into a large stock pot or sauce pan

Combine 10 whole all spice, 10 whole cloves and 5 cinnamon sticks in a doubled cheese cloth and tie closed.

Put studded orange slices and cheese cloth sachet into the wine. Warm up on medium low heat until warm enough to serve, but do NOT boil. Should take about 1/2 hour on medium low. If desired, add a few tablespoons of brown sugar to taste if not sweet enough. For a kick, add 2 tablespoons of Cointreau (I did not do this - it's strong enough).

Serve warm and if desired, garnish with a cinnamon stick or orange slice.

***This recipe also works beautifully with apple juice or apple cider if you're not drinkers!

CHEERS!!!

xoxo,
Pink Julep!

Pink Julep in the Kitchen: Seasonal Sweets!

As many of you know, with my holiday party coming up on Saturday, I've been slaving away in the kitchen doing loads of baking! Last night I made Chocolate Chip and Peppermint Crunch Crackles and they're awesome! A few peeps on Twitter asked where you could get the recipe. I found it in the Bon Appetit cookbook pictured above, but you can also find it on their sister website here:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chocolate-Chip-and-Peppermint-Crunch-Crackles-107523

Happy Holiday Baking everyone!!!

xoxo,

Pink Julep!