Caramel Budino with Salted Caramel Sauce

Ok, so this recipe is as amazing as it sounds!  And it really isn't that difficult to make.  The most difficult part is waiting for the pudding to chill in the refrigerator so you can eat it!  This budino can be transportable if you make it in little jars like I did.  And let me tell you, if you bring this to a dinner party for the dessert, all the guest will love you forever.  So.freakin.good!  Try it!

Radicchio, Cannellini Bean & Tuna Salad with Parsley Vinaigrette

I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit magazine and had to make it.  I always put tuna in my salads but usually just use arugula and olive oil & balsamic.  So this recipe sounded like a nice switch-a-roo, and boy was it!  I loved it!  And I will definitely be making this one again, and probably put it in my regular rotation of meals. Yum!

Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats!

Who doesn't like rice krispie treats?! and who doesn't like peanut butter?! Well put those two lovelies together and you've got yourself quite a nice treat.  This recipe uses coconut oil instead of butter (which I was a little worried about since butter makes everything SO yummy), but the coconut oil adds a hint of coconut flavor and a nice element to these treats.  They are so easy and quick to make, that you might as well make them now!

Enjoy!!!

Lemon Rosemary Olive Oil Cake

I recently went to a new(ish) donut place called Fonuts.  They are baked and not fried and so are kind of like little bundt cakes.  But they had a flavor that was awesome - Rosemary Olive Oil.  Ever since I tried that I have been wanting to make a cake with the same flavors.  I found this recipe online and it came out really good! I used 2 1/2 cups of flour and I think if I make it again I would use even less - maybe just 2 cups - because it was slightly dry.  But the flavors are so yummy together!  The rosemary is not overpowering at all, but rather adds a really subtle flavor and complementing the lemon and olive oil flavors perfectly.  This is a perfect cake to take to a summer BBQ which we all will be going to soon! Enjoy!

Green Smoothies!!!

To be honest, I have several things to tell you about, I've just really been lagging with the posting. But I feel the need to follow up that last post about the carbonara with a brief note about my current obsession, which happens to be very healthy. Namely, smoothies! And more specifically, kale smoothies!

I've been making different concoctions involving kale almost every day for a week or so, and I'm hooked. Kale is great in a smoothie because it really just turns it green and packs it full of vitamins, without overpowering the yummy fruits and juices you might use. I've been doing various combos of frozen fruit (strawberries, raspberries, mangos etc.), coconut water or passion fruit juice, banana or avocado, kale leaves, sometimes parsley, a little ground flax seed... etc. So refreshing and energizing in the morning!

Spring Pastas!

First of all, a lovely pasta dish with prosciutto, asparagus, mushrooms and peas...

This is the recipe I used, except instead of fettuccine I used some fancy "casereccia" noodles that Jimmy brought home from Murrays. (It is very hard to go into Murrays without bringing home a few fancy things).

It was a very yummy Pasta Primavera indeed!

Another recent dish, also from Bon Appétit: Pasta Carbonara... "The Silkiest Carbonara" to be exact! And oh my was it silky. I have made carbonara in the past, but I don't think it was ever THIS good. I guess the trick really is lots of egg yolk but not so much white. I used pancetta instead of the guanciale, but I'd love to try the later another time. This dish is decadent and SOOO delicious!

Happy Easter!

I was in charge of making a dessert for Easter Sunday and found this recipe for Lemon-Limoncello Cupcakes which sounded perfect!  They are a cake made with limoncello, with a dollop of lemon curd in the middle, and topped with limoncello cream cheese frosting.  I still had homemade limoncello that Mom gave us for Christmas, so these cupcakes were made from scratch with limoncello that was made from scratch!  So special! I hope everyone had a good Easter!

Here are the cupcakes with the lemon curd inside, before frosting...

...and the finished product!