Easter S'mores

I saw these today and just had to try them. If you want to try some yourself, check out how it's done at http://creativeholidaygiftideas.blogspot.com/2008/03/easter-bunny-smores.html.

Here are the pictures from my assembly.


The cracker crumbs

Cracker crumbs with brown sugar

Cracker crumb/brown sugar mixture in a bag

Bunny Peeps looking out

Instructions for baking

See the many pretty colors!

And I had to bake up a batch, too! (Next time I will try them by cutting up the peeps and making sure I really press the mixture into the pan.)

Joe's Spring Rolls

Ingredients:

1 pound cooked shrimp (or lobster or crab meat)
1/4 pound leftover shredded pork (or leftover roast chicken)
Cellophane noodles (bean thread noodles)
1 T. seasoned rice vinegar
Red or Boston lettuce leaves, leaves separated, rinsed and dried
Fresh mint leaves, washed, dried, and coarsely chopped
Fresh basil leaves, washed, dried, and coarsely chopped
Fresh cilantro leaves, washed, dried, and coarsely chopped
1 package broccoli slaw (or shredded carrots, cabbage and broccoli)
Spring roll wrappers (rice paper rounds), 8 1/2 inches in diameter (Asian grocery store)

Dressing:

2 T. fish sauce
1 T. ginger paste
1 T. rice vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. plum sauce
Hot pepper flakes or chopped hot chilies (optional)

Directions:

Slice shrimp in half lengthwise.

Soak noodles 30 minutes in hot water then plunge into boiling water for 30-45 seconds, drain, rinse and toss with rice vinegar. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Fill a pie plate with lukewarm water. Immerse rice paper in warm water for a few seconds to soften them up just until soft but still flexible. Remove from water and place rice paper on a kitchen towel and let rest approximately 30 seconds until it's more pliable.

Arrange one piece of lettuce on bottom half of soaked rice paper, leaving a 1-inch border along edge. Top with some of the pork, noodles, mint, basil, cilantro, and broccoli slaw. Add a squirt of dressing.

Making sure the ingredients are not clumped together in the center, but evenly distributed from one end to the other, press down on the filling with your fingers (this tightens the roll), fold the bottom end of the sheet (side nearest you) over the top fo the fillings and rollinto a cylindrical shape half way. Fold the left and right sides inward, add 4 shrimp halves and complete rolling the remaining half. Transfer roll to a plate, seam-side down, and cover with dampened paper towels. Make additional rolls in the same manner.

Makes 8-12 spring rolls (which can be cut in half before serving with Spicy Peanut Sauce)

*Can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator a day or so covered with a damp cloth.

Spicy Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:

Small bunch fresh cilantro leaves
1 c. smooth, unsalted peanut butter (Wheatsfield Grocery has in bulk)
1 T. sesame oil
1/2 c. low-sodium soy sauce
2 1/2 T. sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. hot chili sauce (Thai/Restaurant style...the type that has the rooster on the bottle)
1 T. rice vinegar

Directions:

In a food processor or blender, place all ingredients and process until smooth. Serve at room temperature. If too thick, thin out with water.

Makes approximately 2 cups.
2 T. = 3 WW points

Serving suggestions: Chicken Skewers, Rice, Spring Rolls

Shawnee's Cream Peach Pie

I received this recipe from my friend. Very simple, but also very tasty!

Cream Peach Pie

Ingredients:

1 can (29 oz.) sliced peaches, drained and placed on paper towel to dry a little more
1 unbaked Pet-Ritz deep dish pie crust (from the frozen section)
Cinnamon
1 carton (1/2 pint) whipping cream
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Slice peach slices again so they are smaller slices (slice each peach slice into 2 or 3 slices).
3. Arrange peaches in unbaked pie shell. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
4. Mix whipping cream, flour and sugar just enough to mix. DO NOT WHIP! (Stir with a fork just until blended.) Pour over peaches.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 - 60 minutes.

Fried Rice and Thai Peanut Chicken

This is what I made for dinner last night when Mark came over. It was very tasty!

Fried Rice
(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

3 tbsp canola oil, divided
1/2 cup minced onion
dash low-sodium soy sauce
dash toasted sesame oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup carrots, grated)
1/4 cup frozen broccoli, thawed, finely chopped
1/4 cup frozen green peas, thawed
2 cups cold brown rice, grains separated
2 medium green onions, finely chopped

Directions:

1) In wok, over medium heat, stir-fry onion in 1 T. oil until golden. Remove onion and allow wok to cool slightly.
2) In small bowl, whisk soy sauce and sesame oil into eggs. Heat 1 T. oil in wok. Over medium-low heat, swirl egg mixture until it sets. Remove from wok & set aside.
3) Heat 1 T. oil & return cooked onion to wok, along with carrots, broccoli, peas, & stir0fry for 2 minutes. Add rice & green onions, stir-frying for 3 minutes. Fold in egg with 1 T. soy sauce & stir-fry for 1 minute.
4) Serve immediately.

Thai Peanut Chicken
(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1" chunks
3 tbsp minced garlic
1 1/2 tbsp ginger, minced
2 tbsp canola oil, for cooking
3/4 cup green onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1/3 cup dry roasted peanuts

For Sauce:
3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp creamy reduced-fat peanut butter
2 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp dark sesame oil
1 tsp unpacked brown sugar
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, (or more to your taste...I used closer to 1/2 tsp or more)
1/4 cup water

Directions:

1) Make the peanut sauce by mixing in a bowl the soy sauce and peanut butter. Add white wine vinegar, sesame oil, brown sugar and cayenne pepper. Mix well and set aside.
2) In a large skillet heat canola oil. Add garlic, ginger and chicken. Cook until chicken is no longer pink inside (about 5 minutes). Remove from pan and set aside.
3) Add a tiny bit more oil to the pan and stir-fry the red bell pepper and green onions for about 2 minutes or until they have reached desired tenderness. Remove from pan and set aside.
4) Over medium heat add the peanut sauce mixture to the pan. Heat while stirring constantly. When sauce mixture starts to bubble add 1/4 cup water and mix well to thin it out a bit (I mixed water with the peanut sauce at the beginning, then just heated it and let it thicken up).
5) Add chicken, green onions, red bell pepper and toasted peanuts to the sauce. Mix well to combine.
6) Serve with white or fried rice.

And for those Weight Watchers Points, this is what I figured:

Fried Rice: 1 serving = 6 points
Thai Peanut Chicken: 1 serving = 8 points

Peanut Butter Crumb Cakes

I made these to take to Mark's over the weekend. I had 2 6-oz. heart-shaped ramekins, and since it called for 4, I made the other 2 in my pumpkin-shaped ramekins. These are not diet friendly (see nutrition facts below), but I wanted something tasty to take! The way I made them might be slightly less, as I used light PB and 1% milk (it called for 2% milk and regular PB).

Ingredients:

1/3 c. creamy peanut butter (I used light peanut butter)
2/3 c. packed brown sugar
3/4 c. flour
3 T. cold butter
1 egg
1/3 c. milk (I used 1%)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used mini chocolate chips)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Using kitchenaid mixer (or by hand...I just liked the ease of using the mixer), cream peanut butter and brown sugar until crumbly. Stir in the flour. Add butter cut into small chuncks and allow mixer to cut it in until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside 1/3 cup for the topping. Add baking powder and baking soda to the rest of the mixture.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg, milk and vanilla. Stir the milk mixture into the peanut butter mixture just until moistened.

Transfer to four 6-oz. ramekins coated with Pam. Add chocolate chips to reserved peanut butter mixter, and then evenly sprinkle over the four ramekins.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from ramekins to a wire rack to cool completely.

Yield: 4 servings

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving equals 522 calories, 25 g fat (11 g sat. fat), 77 mg cholestrol, 293 mg sodium, 68 g carbs, 3 g fiber, 11 g protein.

Amano Artisan Chocolate

In December I was a lucky winner from Blake Makes. What did I win? Amano Chocolate! Who wouldn't love to win chocolate????

Just look at that gold wrapper! I felt like Charlie Bucket..."Cause I've got a golden ticket. I've got a golden chance to make my way. And with a golden ticket, it's a golden day."

I received a 2 ounce bar of the Amano Jembrana chocolate. Jembrana is a handcrafted dark chocolate (70% is the minimum percentage of cocoa to be exact!). This chocolate is so good. I just let it sit and melt on my tongue, savoring it as it filled me with chocolaty goodness! And for those of you out there watching what you're eating, 1 square has only .44 Weight Watchers points! A nice treat to savor!

Thanks to Blake Makes and Amano Chocolate for allowing me to try this chocolate...it was a wonderful experience!