Grilled Apricot, Gorgonzola, and Candied Walnut Arugula Salad

 Meet my new favorite summer salad. Last night was pizza night. And while pizza night usually means I eat waaaay too much pizza, this time all I cared about was this delicious salad. The next time you fire up the grill, be sure to throw some apricots on for your salad. Grilling makes sweet summer apricots even sweeter. Grilled apricots are the perfect compliment to salty Gorgonzola, peppery arugula, and crunchy candied walnuts.

 

I drizzled this salad with my favorite oil and vinegar: basil infused extra virgin olive oil and syrupy 25 year old balsamic from il Fustino. il Fustino is a Santa Barbara company, but you can  get their goodies online here. The pomegranate vinegar is another favorite of mine. 

I cannot recommend these oils and vinegars enough - they take salad to another level of deliciousness and are great for dipping bread, drizzling over strawberries, I could go on and on... 

Grilled Apricot, Gorgonzola, and Candied Walnut Arugula Salad
printer friendly recipe
Serves 6 

6 apricots, halved and pitted
3 cups arugula
Extra virgin olive oil
Good quality balsamic vinegar (il Fustino 25 year balsamic recommended)
1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1/4 cup candied walnuts
Extra virgin olive oil
Good quality balsamic vinegar (il Fustino 25 year balsamic recommended)

Heat grill or grill pan over medium high heat. Drizzle apricot halves with extra virgin olive oil. Place on the grill and cook until dark grill marks appear, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from heat.

Place arugula in a salad bowl and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Toss to coat. Top arugula with cheese, walnuts, and grilled apricots.

Nutella Baked Oatmeal

 

Baked oatmeal is on our regular weekend breakfast rotation. The kids call it "Oatmeal Cake" because it is baked in a large baking dish and cut into slices. This weekend the girls got a special treat when they woke up to the smell of gooey chocolatey hazelnut spread baking into their oatmeal. Usually sugar in the morning is a no-no in our house, but once in awhile a little Nutella doesn't hurt - and the rest of this recipe is very healthy. 

After the oatmeal cools, we cut it into squares, top with fresh strawberries and bananas, and pour a little milk over the top. 

I had some very happy sleepyheads on my hands with this recipe. 

Nutella Baked Oatmeal 

 printer friendly recipe

serves 6 

2 cups rolled oats 

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4  teaspoon salt

1/4 cup chopped walnuts 

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/4 cup agave syrup

2 tablespoons melted coconut oil 

1/4 cup chocolate hazelnut spread such as Nutella 

1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced 

2 bananas, sliced 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 9 x 13” baking dish with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, stir together oats, baking powder, salt, and walnuts.

In another medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, agave syrup, and coconut oil.

Pour wet ingredients into oat mixture and quickly stir just until combined. Pour oatmeal into baking dish. Drop dollops of Nutella all over the top of the oatmeal and swirl in with a knife. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until edges have turned golden brown. Cool 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve with strawberries and bananas, and additional milk poured over, if desired.

Red, White, and Blueberry Ice Cream Pie with Granola Crust {gluten free}

 Memorial Day is just a few days away. I'm looking forward to the long weekend and spending lots of time with my family. Perhaps a beach day is in order.

 

What are your plans this weekend and Memorial Day? Any special patriotic recipes to share?

This guilt-free frozen pie made with a granola crust, frozen yogurt, and berry sauce is my favorite light and refreshing patriotic dessert. Use any white ice cream you like - I used plain frozen yogurt.

Yummy Hubby said this was the best crust ever. Ever. I'd have to agree... the nutty granola crust was perfect with the tangy frozen yogurt.

Red, White, and Blueberry Ice Cream Pie with Granola Crust
printer friendly recipe 

Serves 8

For the crust: 
2 cups natural granola (make sure it's gluten free if you are on a gluten free diet)
1/2 cup walnut pieces
4 tablespoons melted coconut oil
1 tablespoon agave syrup

For the filling;
1 quart vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt, softened to spreadable consistency

For the berry topping:
6 oz. fresh raspberries (about 1 1/4 cups)
6 oz. fresh blueberries (about 1 1/4 cups)
2 tablespoons agave syrup
2 tablespoons water
1 lemon
1 teaspoon cornstarch


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a food processor, pulse crust ingredients until combined and granola is ground to crumbs. Lightly coat a 9-inch pie dish with cooking spray and press crust into bottom of dish and up the sides. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool completely.

In a small saucepan over medium high heat, stir together raspberries, 1 tablespoon agave syrup, 1 tablespoon water, juice of 1/2 the lemon, and 1/2 teaspoon cornstasrch.

In another small saucepan over medium heat, stir together blueberries, 1 tablespoon agave syrup, 1 tablespoon water, juice of the other 1/2 of the lemon, and the other 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch. Simmer both saucepans of berries until berries have broken down and sauce has thickened, stirring occasionally with a whisk, about 10 minutes. Cool and pour each sauce separately through a fine mesh sieve into small separate bowls. Let sauces cool completely.

Pour sauces into resealable sandwich bags. Snip a tiny amount off one of the corners of the bags. Alternating bags, pipe circles about 2-inches apart over the pie starting in the center and working outward. Drag a toothpick from the center of pie outward to the crust so that the berry sauces are pulled upward. Drag toothpick back in the other direction (from crust to center) about 2-inches away from the first line. Continue around the pie. Freeze uncovered at least 3 hours. Cover with plastic wrap until ready to serve. Serve with additional berries and any remaining sauces.

Bookmark this pie for Memorial Day AND 4th of July!

Skinny Strawberry Daisy Cupcakes: DailyBuzz Moms 9x9

 

DailyBuzz Moms has again invited me to join their 9 x 9 - this month it's all about floral cupcakes! Now that is a topic I just couldn't turn down! When I first started thinking about what to make I had visions of piping beautiful buttercream peonies... But I knew how that would turn out... Me eating spoonfuls of butter and sugar in the form of that evil irresistible buttercream. So I decided to save calories, time, and a stomachache by topping a fresh strawberry Cooking Light cake turned into bite-sized cupcakes with my favorite tangy lemon glaze. The combination of the cake and glaze turned out to be even tastier than buttercream.

Tiny wild daisies from the backyard made pretty cupcake toppers. No wild flowers in your backyard? You can get edible flowers in the fresh herb section of the grocery store.

Favorite 2-year-old kitchen job: lining muffin cups with pretty liners. These are from Fancy Flours. 

 Wouldn't these be so cute for a baby or bridal shower? The only thing I wasn't thrilled about was just how bright pink these turned out - I prefer natural color and would not add as much food coloring next time.

 Skinny Strawberry Cupcakes with Lemon Glaze
printer friendly recipe
makes about 24 cupcakes

 Cake:
1 1/4 cups sliced strawberries
10 ounce all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 cups)
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon red food coloring (YM recommends using a little less for a more natural color)


Lemon Glaze: 
1 cup confectioners' sugar
juice of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 muffin pans or mini muffin pans with liners.

To prepare cake, place sliced strawberries in a food processor; process until smooth.

Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Place granulated sugar and 1/2 cup butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in egg whites. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Add pureed strawberries and food coloring; beat just until blended.

Divide batter between muffin pans. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes (less time for minis) or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.

Place confectioners' sugar in a small bowl. Whisk in lemon juice until glaze is thick but pourable. Add more sugar to thicken, more lemon juice to thin. Spoon glaze over cooled cupcakes and allow glaze to harden.