20--- Patriotic Berry Pretzel Salad

I have always loved this dessert.  Sweet and salty.  Perfect.  Now I need to get rid of the leftovers so I do not end up with a 12 lb baby.  Any takers?


The creamy filling of this dessert is typically made of cream cheese and frozen whipped topping.  Aka: frozen artificial stuff.  So I made up my layer of my Russian Cream instead. Not "healthier" in the form of calories and fat, but made from real ingredients.  And it was BETTER with less stuff.  And I didn't use flavored Jello in with the berries (standard recipe).  Berries are sweet enough without the extra sugar and stuff, right?

Happy Birthday America.  Thank you for a reason to celebrate.


Patriotic Berry Pretzel Salad
Serves 12


3 cups crushed pretzel sticks
3/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup white sugar
RUSSIAN CREAM (click link to view recipe)-- you will use one batch
1 cup blueberries
2-3 cups chopped or sliced strawberries


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a bowl mix together pretzels, butter and sugar.  Press into the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish prepared with baking spray.  Bake for ~12 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely (I put mine in the refrigerator after about 20 minutes).


When crust has cooled, mix up Russian Cream, following directions in linked recipe.  Pour Russian Cream mixture over cooled pretzels and return to refrigerator for 3-4 hours, or until set.


Prior to serving, decorate with berries.  To serve, cut into 12 even slices.

80--- Spicy Chicken and Spinach Salad

Dipping your toes into vegetarian cuisine doesn't have to mean meatless meals.  It can mean just less meat at your meals.  Try treating it as a condiment rather than the center of your meal.  


This salad has beans combined with chicken for a spicy, filling combination.  


Spicy Chicken and Spinach Salad
Serves 4


3 oz chicken breast, shredded
1 cup canned navy beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup hot wing sauce
4 cup baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 small cucumber, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 oz crumbled gorgonzola cheese


CREAMY GORGONZOLA DRESSING
1/3 cup low fat buttermilk
1/3 cup light sour cream
2 oz crumbled gorgonzola cheese
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried dill
Salt and pepper to taste


For salad: combine shredded chicken and navy beans in a small bowl and stir in hot sauce. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.


Layer spinach leaves, cucumber and red onion in a large bowl.  Top with spicy chicken and beans, then sprinkle with gorgonzola cheese.


For dressing: combine all ingredients in a small bowl and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes prior to serving.


Drizzle dressing onto individual servings of salad and enjoy!


Nutrition Info per 1 serving: 263 calories, 9 g fat, 20 g protein, 19 g carbohydrates, 5.5 g fiber

80--- Roasted Veggie Tray Leftover Salad with Creamy Balsamic Dressing

Whenever we host a party that involves a veggie tray (yes, the pre-packaged ones, not the "I spent three hours cutting these veggies" ones) we always end up with leftover broccoli and carrots.  The sugar snap peas and cherry tomatoes are gone like yesterday's garbage.  And while snacking on these raw veggies over the next several days is good-- even I will admit that it gets a bit boring!


This is a recipe that will use up those leftover veggies and make a lovely side dish for your family.


Roasted Veggie Tray Leftover Salad
Serves 4


4 cups leftover veggies, chopped into 1" pieces or smaller
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp seasoning salt


CREAMY BALSAMIC DRESSING
1/4 cup light sour cream
2 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp water
1/4 tsp dried dill
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/4 tsp celery seeds
1/4 tsp garlic powder


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place veggies into a large baking dish, then drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt.  Toss to coat, then bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking.


Remove veggies from oven and place into a shallow bowl.  Cool in refrigerator for 2 hours.


For dressing: whisk together all ingredients and place in a covered container in refrigerator while veggies chill.


Just prior to serving, stir dressing into veggies.


Nutrition Info per 1 cup serving: 73 calories, 2.5 g fat, 2 g protein, 8 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber

80---Inside Out Cucumber Sandwiches

Because it's SHOWER season.  Bridal, baby, etc. 

More veggies are always better than less. Less is not more.  More is more.  Forever and always and research will never prove me wrong.

Inside Out Cucumber Sandwiches
Makes ~12 sandwiches

1 large cucumber
2 Tbsp light vegetable cream cheese (try mine)
12 rice crackers
Celery salt

Peel cucumber leaving strips of peel on cucumber (yes, for decor).  Slice cucumber into 1/2" slices.  Place slices onto a plate and sprinkle each side lightly with salt.  Place slices in refrigerator for 30 minutes (some of the water will seep out of slices).  Rinse each slice with water, then place onto a paper towel and press to remove excess water.

Spread 1/2 tsp cream cheese onto each side of a rice cracker.  Sandwich cream cheese spread cracker between two slices of cucumber.  Sprinkle the top of each sandwich lightly with celery salt.

Serve immediately.

Nutrition Info per 1 sandwich: 20 calories, 1 g fat, 0.5 g protein, 3 g carbohydrates, 0.5 g fiber

80--- Smokey Southwest Portobello Burgers with Sundried-Adobo Spread

This is not just any portobello burger. It's very flavorful, with just a wee bit of smoky spice, thanks to the goat cheese spread. My hubby dreamed about this the night after I made it.


I designed this recipe to please even those who are not die-hard plant eaters. Portobellos cook to form a dense, juicy meat-like texture and can absorb a multitude of flavors! This is a great recipe for anyone new to vegetarian cuisine.

Smokey Southwest Portobello Burgers

Makes 4

4 large portobello mushroom caps, stemmed and thoroughly washed
4 English muffins, toasted or grilled


MARINADE
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
Dash cayenne pepper
1 tsp dried cilantro
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp water


GRILLED AVOCADO
1 avocado, halved and seeded
2 Tbsp lemon juice


GOAT CHEESE SPREAD
4 oz soft goat cheese
4 tsp adobo sauce (from canned chipotle chiles—freeze the rest for future use)
1 tsp milk
6 sundried tomato halves, coarsely chopped (if using dried soak in boiling water for 5-10 minutes until soft)

For burgers: Mix all marinade ingredients together in a small bowl. Place mushroom caps in a flat container, bottoms up. With a fork, poke small shallow holes in bottom of each cap and pour marinade ingredients over the top. Flip caps over and use your fingers to rub marinade into cap. 

Place covered in refrigerator for 3-4 hours.

Preheat grill to a medium heat. Spray grill racks lightly with olive oil spray. Place mushroom caps onto grill and cook for 10 minutes, gently flipping halfway through cooking.

For avocado: Slice each avocado half into four lengthwise slices. Gently remove peel from each slice. Rub lemon juice into each slice and place on grill over medium heat. Cook for 6-8 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking. Monitor closely to ensure they do not burn, but you do want grill marks on each side.

For goat cheese spread: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes prior to serving.

To assemble: Spread about 2 Tbsp goat cheese spread onto half of each English muffin. Place two slices of grilled avocado onto spread, then top with portobello cap and other muffin half. Enjoy!

Nutrition Info per 1 burger: 358 calories, 17 g fat (8 g monounsaturated, 2 g polyunsaturated), 15 g protein, 32 g carbohydrates, 8 g fiber


This post is part of the BlogHer Light & Fresh Summer Grilling series, which includes 100 percent editorial content presented by a participating sponsor. Our advertisers do not produce editorial content. This post is made possible by Michelob ULTRA Light Cider and BlogHer.

It's my blog and I can post about parties if I want to...

Happy Summer Solstice! This last weekend was our annual summer solstice party.  It typically rains every year.  This year was different! We had lots of sun and warmth. What a great way to spend the almost-longest day of the year!

My favorite part is theming the party.  It's based on food, of course.  One year we did a taco bar.  Last year (best ever) was a build-your-own grilled pizza bar.  We provided the crusts, encouraged everyone to bring a topping to share, and let the creativity flow! 


This year was a Steak & Shake party.  Build your own slider bar AND build your own adult milkshake bar.  Luckily I have friends who are fantastic chefs.  Burger toppings included caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms, fig compote, caramelized leeks, spicy peppers, and bleu cheese, just to name a few!


I had several different recipes for milkshakes to serve as guides.  They included a Drunk Monkey (pb, banana, rum), a Grasshopper (peppermint schnapps and oreos), and a Birthday Cake.  We used my Magic Bullet blender and had a ton of fun.


The Birthday Cake milkshake was the biggest hit.  Here's the recipe:


Birthday Cake Adult Milkshake
Serves 1


1 cup vanilla ice cream
1/3 cup milk
1 shot Triple Olive Cake Vodka
1 Tbsp rainbow sprinkles


Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  Enjoy!


BTW: Just in case you were wondering, this is a 20!

20--- Berry Fudgsicles

These are for my hubby.  He loves the berry chocolate combo.  I can't complain because it is delicious and antioxidant-laden.  


Berry Fudgesicles
Makes ~6


1 1/2 oz (3 squares) semi-sweet baking chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup half & half
1/3 cup white sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp butter
1 cup raspberries, pureed until a chunky puree is formed


In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt chocolate.  Whisk in milk, half & half, sugar, cocoa powder, and cornstarch (I used my spatula/whisk , which if you do not have, you need).  Continue to stir mixture for 8-10 minutes, until thickened.  Fold in butter and pureed berries.


Pour mixture into popsicle molds.  Freeze until solid.