Tuna Salad and Cheese Roll Up

I am so excited for warm weather and all the yummy foods that come with it! In that respect--here is a recipe I found by watching Martha a few years ago. It's now a favorite of mine!

Tuna Salad and Cheese Roll-Ups
(marthastewart.com)

1 small crisp apple, peeled, cored, and very finely chopped
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 (6-ounce) cans solid white tuna packed in water
2 ribs celery, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
½ cup light mayonnaise
½ teaspoon coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 lavash flatbread (I use tortillas)
6 slices cheese, such as Kraft Singles
4 lettuce leaves, preferably green leaf

In a medium bowl, toss the apples with the lemon juice until coated. Add the tuna, celery, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper and stir with a fork until tuna is broken up and mixture is combined. Lay the lavash on a large sheet of parchment paper on a work surface and cover with the cheese slices in a single layer, followed by a single layer of lettuce leaves. Evenly place the tuna salad along the bottom edge of the lavash. Using the parchment as a guide, tightly roll the sandwich beginning with a long side and wrap tightly in the parchment, taping the paper as necessary.

Easy Homemade Chili

So Bryan and I usually eat chili out of the can because we like the tomato base kind of chili but the chili in the can has fake meat and lots of sodium. So I decided to be adventurous and make up my own chili recipe - and, not to brag, but it rocks (or atleast we think it rocks!). The nice thing about this recipe is that it is cheap to make and you can change it up by adding new veggies, more beans, or different meat.

1 pound hamburger
1 small onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped (I used an orange pepper but any will do fine)
1/2 Chili Seasoning packet (I used the Albertsons brand - you can find these where you find taco seasoning packets)
1 can tomato sauce (like the 14 or 15 oz. size)
1/3 cup barbeque sauce (I actually just squirted some in, so start with less - you can always add more later)
1 large can Chili Beans in sauce

Brown hamburger with onion and pepper. Add seasoning packet and stir. Add tomato sauce and beans. Add BBQ sauce. Salt to taste. It tastes better if you let it simmer on very low for a little while so the flavors can incorporate. We topped ours with sour cream and cheese.

Variations: Here are some ideas that you can change up the chili with. Add stew meat or leftover roast cut into pieces instead of hamburger. Sausage would be interesting too! Add a can of petite diced stewed tomatoes (I would drain some of the juice off). Saute carrots until soft and add for more nutrition in your chili. Add a can of kidney or black beans to the large can of chili beans (don't omit the chili beans in sauce - they are critical!!!). Add minced garlic for flavor.

Panera Bread's Broccoli Cheese Soup

I know it's not really soup season anymore, at least not here, but I made soup anyway the other night and it was so yummy. If you haven't ever had Panera Bread before, you are missing out, and I love their soup. This recipe says to puree the whole thing, but I remember chunks of carrot and broccoli at panera so I used my immersion blender and only pureed enough to make it thick but left lots of smaller chunks intact. We ate it with Kelli's multigrain bread and havarti cheese toasts. Yummy! Oh, and I doubled the recipe and it fed us for almost 3 dinners. Plus, my kids ate it up like pros, so that was a nice bonus.

Panera Bread's Broccoli Cheese Soup

1 Tbsp butter, melted
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup flour
2 cups half and half (I used Land O' Lakes fat free kind)
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 pound fresh broccoli, chopped (I used the stems and florets)
1 cup carrots, julienned (I used precut matchstick carrots that you use for salads)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp nutmeg
8 oz. grated sharp cheddar

Saute onion in 1 Tbsp butter. Set aside. Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly add the half and half, stirring constantly while adding. Add the chicken stock, whisking the whole time. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat until the veggies are tender for 20-25 minutes (I actually had to cook mine a little longer than that). Add salt and pepper. The soup should be thickened by now. Pour in batches into blender and puree (I used my immersion blender and only pureed some of it. I like texture in my soup. You can also only puree half of your soup in the blender). Return to pot over low heat and add the grated cheese. Stir until well blended and melted. Add nutmeg and serve (I only added a pinch of nutmeg since most comments on this recipe said the nutmeg wasn't necessary).

Strawberry Breakfast

This isn't so much of a recipe, but an idea. Strawberries are quite cheap right now, $1.50 for a container at most stores around here, and we buy them in bulk. I created a breakfast the other day that is to die for. We have it almost daily:

2 slices whole-grain bread per person (or your favorite bread)
About 8 strawberries per person, washed, hulled, and sliced
Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread)

Toast bread. Spread immediately with Nutella (the heat from the toast helps melt it slightly). Top with sliced strawberries. Enjoy!

A similar version would be to toast the bread, top with the strawberries and sprinkle with chocolate chips, and broil. You could broil the Nutella version. The strawberries have this great flavor when heated. Just don't burn. =)

Turtle Brownies

I know I just posted a recipe, but oh well. These are delicious and sooo addicting (did I spell that right?). Anyways... when I posted the eggplant spread recipe, I promised to also post this recipe as well and I am way excited. I know it looks daunting since it is so long, but really it's just a process because there are 3 layers to these brownies: the brownies, the caramel/pecan sauce, and the ganache. Yes, I said ganache. Yeah! And I realize that I'm posting these near swimsuit season so just bake with caution and don't say I didn't warn you.

Turtle Brownies

Brownies:
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 large eggs
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Caramel Topping:
40 Kraft caramels (10 oz), unwrapped
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 cups pecan halves, toasted

Ganache Topping:
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in the center of the oven. Butter, or spray with a non stick vegetable spray, a 9 x 13 inch rectangular baking pan.

Brownies: Melt the chopped chocolate and butter in a stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water. Remove from heat and set aside while you make the brownie batter.
Meanwhile, in the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the eggs and sugars until smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract and then the melted chocolate mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and, on low speed, beat in the flour and salt.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 20 minutes, or just until the brownies are barely firm to the touch. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack.

Caramel: Place the unwrapped caramels and cream in a saucepan and melt, over low heat (stirring frequently), until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the toasted pecans (instructions are at the bottom of recipe), making sure all the pecans are coated with caramel. Spread the caramel topping evenly over the still warm brownies and let cool to room temperature. Then cover and refrigerate brownies for about an hour or until the brownies are firm.

Ganache: Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow tostand for 5 minutes. Stir with a whisk until smooth.

Remove the brownies from the refrigerator and, using a fork, drizzle the ganache over the brownies in a zigzag pattern. Cover and refrigerate until the chocolate is set..

Store, covered, in the refrigerator for 7 to 10 days, or in the freezer for longer storage.

Note: To toast pecans - Bake in a 350 degree F (177 degree C) oven for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant

Pear and Blue Cheese Salad

I give full credit for this recipe to my friend Rachel. We had Easter dinner with them and this was the first course. I don't really like blue cheese at all but I loved this salad. It was delicious! It makes a perfect side dish, especially if you want to impress someone or want a fancy side for a special dinner. By the way, if you don't have a Heinen's grocery store or Trader Joe's nearby, you can probably find the pear infused vinegar at Safeway or Albertson's.

Salad
1 bag baby greens (the fancy mix)
3 ripe pears peeled and cut into small pieces
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/3 cup pine nuts (you should toast these to bring out the flavor, but you don't have to)

Dressing
1/2 cup pear infused vinegar (they have this at Heinen's, I like the Alessi brand the best, and I'm pretty sure Trader Joe's has their own)
3/4 cup olive oil
Whisk together until mixed and then pour over right before serving. Toss to coat.