Pun

I've held off on posting this recipe because I have no exact amounts, but it's so good, and it's the perfect summer food, that I decided to post it with some guesstimations... you might want to modify it to taste!

I'm guessing that most of you haven't heard of pun, but it is a type of Asian lettuce wrap. Enjoy!

Large romaine lettuce leaves
Ground turkey or pork, seasoned to taste (I use Johnnys)
Cooked rice noodles - I like the thick ones... you can find these at any Asian store (they look like thick, white spaghetti noodles)
Tomatoes, chopped
Cilantro
Lime Wedges

Sauce: (Here's where the amounts are just guesses)
Sweet Chili Sauce (I use about 1/2 - 3/4 of a 31.4 oz. bottle)
2-3 quarts water
A few tablespoons of sugar
Juice of 1-2 limes
Minced ginger, to taste
Shredded carrots - maybe 1/4 of a carrot (optional)

Slightly warm all sauce ingredients in a 4 quart pot. Build your wrap with lettuce, meat, noodles, and desired toppings. Dip wrap in sauce and enjoy! Note: This can get a little messy so have napkins on hand... I usually end up eating one lettuce wrap, and then making a kind of "pun soup" by just adding all the ingredients to my sauce bowl and eating it with a spoon :-)

Breakfast Fruit Pastry

I found a recipe posted on foodnetwork.com by Giada De Laurentis for Breakfast Pizza. I adapted it a bit and made it for a brunch this morning. I thought it was delicious!

1 sheet puff pastry
2 T butter, melted
4 T cinnamon sugar, divided
1 cup mascarpone cheese
1 T heavy cream
1 1/2 T lemon juice
1/2 - 1 t lemon zest
2 cups mixed berries

Thaw pastry sheet at room temperature 40 minutes or until easy to handle. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer pastry sheet to the lined baking sheet and brush the pastry with the melted butter. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar and bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cool the pastry on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix together the cheese, cream, lemon juice, and zest.

Spread the cheese mixture over the cooled* crust. Top with mixed berries (I used strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries), sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar, and serve.

* Make sure the pastry is completely cooled so the cheese doesn't melt!

Spinach-Cheese Swirls

I got this recipe off the back of the Pepperidge Farm puff pastry box... these spinach-cheese swirls were a hit at a brunch I went to this morning!

1 sheet of puff pastry
1 egg
1 T water
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 green onion, chopped
1/8 t garlic powder
1 pkg. (about 10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed & well drained*

Thaw pastry sheet at room temperature 40 minutes or until easy to handle. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease baking sheet or line with parchment paper.

Stir egg and water in small bowl. In medium bowl, stir Monterey Jack cheese, Parmesan cheese, green onion, and garlic powder.

Unfold pastry sheet on lightly floured surface. Brush with egg mixture. Top with cheese mixture and spinach. Starting at short side closest to you, roll up like a jelly roll. Cut into 1/2" slices and place on baking sheet. Brush with egg mixture. Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.

* Somewhere a couple years ago, I saw a cool trick for draining frozen spinach... once it is thawed, wrap the spinach in a lightweight towel and then ring out all the excess water. It works like a charm! Just make sure to use a towel you wouldn't mind turning green :-)

Almond Tart

1 and 2/3 cups flour
1 and 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, melted
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2T almond extract
1/4t salt
2 1/2 oz. sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together flour, sugar, butter, eggs, almond extract, and salt. Spray two 9" pie pans with cooking spray, and divide batter evenly between the two pans. Sprinkle almonds over the top of each pan. Bake until edges are golden brown, or about 30 minutes. Serve with whipped cream and strawberries (as pictured above).

Coconut Lime Chicken Soup

I made this soup last night and it was SOOO good! I put my own spin on a combination of a recipe from my friend Diana and a recipe I found online, and I think it's definitely a keeper!

1 small deli-roasted chicken
14-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk
2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup lime juice (2 medium limes)
1 T soy sauce
carrots, chopped
ginger, minced
shitake mushrooms, chopped
green onions, chopped
fresh basil, shredded
cilantro

1. Remove and discard skin and bones from chicken. Shred chicken.
2. In a large saucepan, combine shredded chicken with coconut milk, chicken stock, lime juice, carrots, ginger, mushrooms, green onions, and soy sauce.
3. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender.
4. To serve, ladle into bowls. Top with shredded basil and cilantro.

One recipe called for 2t Thai seasoning blend. I couldn't find this at the store last night, but think it would make an excellent addition if you have some.

Special K Bars

Lisa shared this recipe with us in college, and it immediately became one of my favorites. I always keep everything on hand to make this quick and easy recipe.

In a double boiler, melt:
1 cup sugar
1 cup karo syrup
add...
1 1/2 cups peanut butter

Heat until smooth. Pour over 6 cups Special K cereal. Press cereal mixture into a greased 9x13 pan. In a double boiler, melt 1 bag chocolate chips and 1 bag butterscotch chips. Spread over cereal. Put in fridge until set.

Tortellini Salad

A bright, colorful, yummy salad! This recipe makes a LOT of food, so it's great for company.

2 bags frozen tortellini, cooked
3 bunches broccoli, cut and separated
12 oz. marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
12 oz. black olives, sliced
16 oz. each garbanzo beans/kidney beans/lima beans, drained and rinsed
2 red onions, chopped
1 bottle creamy Italian dressing

Just before serving add:
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 orange bell pepper, chopped
2 avocados, chopped
40 grape tomatoes, sliced
1/2 lb salami, chopped
2 cucumbers, chopped