Pecan Pie!

 

My little sis, Ally, slept over my apartment a few weeks ago. We did what we always do when she comes over: WE BAKED! In the past, we've mostly baked cookies and other basic stuff like that. One time I tried to bake a pumpkin pie with her, but she was probably too young for it at the time because she lost interest and wondered off about 2 seconds into it. Oddly enough, she managed to find her way back to the kitchen when it was finally time to eat...(yup, we're definitely related).

This time she specifically requested that we bake a pecan pie, so bake a pecan pie we did. Actually, she ended up doing most of the work. I mostly supervised and made sure no one was horrifically burned by my MacGyvered double boiler. By the end of the night, we were enjoying quite possibly the best pecan pie ever created by human hands. Then we enjoyed it again for breakfast.

We used a recipe from Brown Eyed Baker and didn't change a thing. This will definitely be my go-to pecan pie recipe from here on out. It's pretty darn perfect.

Lamb Sliders

Since the weather is about to start cooling down, I figured I better start using the grill more often. The result: delicious lamb sliders! These are simple, easy, and awesomely tasty and full of flavor. 

If you can't find ground lamb, go ahead and use ground beef or pork. As for the buns, find the most tasty looking slider buns you can. I got mine at Trader Joe's. 

Lamb Sliders

INGREDIENTS

1 red onion, thinly sliced

1 Tsp olive oil

pinch of salt & pepper

1 Lb ground lamb

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp garlic salt

8 of the most delicious slider buns you can find

mayo

dijon mustard

DIRECTIONS

Warm up your grill. Cut a piece of foil about 2 ft long and spray one side with cooking spray. Arrange the sliced onion on one half of the foil and sprinkle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Fold the other half of the foil over the onions and fold up the edges to make a little packet so the onions can't escape. Toss the packet on the grill over medium high heat. 

While the onions cook, shape your lamb into 8 patties. sprinkle each patty with pepper and garlic salt. Slice the slider buns in half and spread a thin layer of mayo on each half. 

Put the lamb patties on the grill (medium high heat) and flip your onion packet over. After about 4 minutes, the patties should be ready to flip. Flip them over and then lay the bun halves on the grill as well, mayo side down. After 4 or 5 more minutes, the patties should be cooked through and the buns should be toasty. Remove the buns, lamb patties, and onion packet from the grill. 

To assemble, place a patty on the bottom half of a bun and top with a spoonful of grilled onions. Spread the top half of the bun with a thin layer of dijon mustard and add it to the top of the slider. Enjoy!

Cheesecake Stuffed Peaches

I can't even describe how amazingly delicious these things are. Sweet, succulent peaches stuffed with cheesecake... what could be better? I even give you permission to eat these for breakfast. I promise, you'll want to eat them all day. 

Cheesecake Stuffed Peaches

INGREDIENTS

8 peaches

1 1/2 sticks of butter, melted

1/4 cup cinnamon & sugar mix

16 oz cream cheese (2 blocks), room temperature

5 oz sour cream

1 large egg

1/3 cup plus 2 Tbs sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Slice the peaches in half from top to bottom, remove the pit, and scoop out a little extra from the middle to make room for cheesecake. Next, trim a small slice from the round side of each peach half to keep it from tipping over. Dip each half in the melted butter, place into baking dish, and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. 

In a medium bowl beat cream cheese, sour cream, egg, sugar, and vanilla until combined. Spoon a generous amount of mixture into each peach half (as much as you can pile on without the mixture falling off). 

Bake for 30 minutes or until soft and lightly browned. You can serve these warm, room temperature or refrigerated. Enjoy!

Parmesan Garlic Sweet Potato Fries

Sweet potato fries: I'm addicted! Somehow no matter what I season them with they still taste amazing, but this is my favorite way to prepare them.  

Parmesan Garlic Sweet Potato Fries

INGREDIENTS

2 medium sweet potatoes, washed and peeled
1 Tbs olive oil
3 Tbs parmesan cheese, finely grated
1 tsp garlic salt
pinch of red pepper flakes
pinch of black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil.

Using a mandolin with a 3/8" slicing attachment or very sharp knife, slice the sweet potatoes lengthwise into 3/8" thick fries. In a large bowl, toss fries with olive oil, parmesan, garlic salt, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Spread fries onto baking sheet in a single layer and bake for 10 minutes. Flip the fries over and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until crispy and browned. Enjoy!

Try them dipped either in some mayo mixed with a squirt of lemon, or mashed avocado.

Turkey Hash

This was the perfect meal after my husband and I went for a long hike. Meaty and full of carbs, it was just what we needed to recover, and promptly put us into a food coma. 

Turkey Hash

INGREDIENTS

for the potatoes:

1/4 cup olive oil

1 1/2 Lbs fingerling potatoes, chopped into very small pieces

2 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp pepper

for the turkey:

1 tsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 Lb ground turkey

1 cup store-bought salsa

1 cup mushrooms, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

2 tsp oregano

1 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp paprika

2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

For this meal, you will need two large skillets. In one skillet, heat 1/4 cup of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes, sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper, and cover. Stir every 3-4 minutes until potatoes are crispy, about 20 minutes.

While the potatoes cook, heat 1 tsp olive oil over medium-high heat in the other skillet. Add onions and saute until soft and translucent. Add turkey and stir to break it up. Once turkey is browned, add salsa, mushrooms, bell peppers, and spices. Cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes, or until most of the juices have evaporated.

Spoon some of the potatoes into a bowl, top with turkey mixture, and stir to combine. Enjoy!

*If you have leftovers (which you will, unless you are feeding 6+ people), store the potatoes separate from the turkey to keep them from getting soggy.