Orange Creamsicle Popsicles

It's been so bloody hot in Houston lately that when it comes to desserts, Dr. Sweetpea and I just want popsicles. I came across this Orange Creamsicle recipe the other day and made it the same day since I had all the ingredients on hand. Y'all, it's creamy with a hint of orange and tastes amazing. Dr. Sweetpea had two popsicles in one sitting because these are that good. It's definitely a keeper in our household.

Orange Creamsicle Popsicles

(Source: Laura Vitale)

1 (12 oz) can orange juice concentrate

1 cup milk

1/2 cup cream

1 (14 oz) can condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Place all of the ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze for at least 6 hours but overnight is best. Remove from the mold and enjoy!

Chicken with Herbed Goat Cheese

Dr. Sweetpea loves Chicken, Herbs, and Goat Cheese, so when I saw this recipe that uses all three, I knew it would be a massive hit. Admittedly, he was skeptical when he saw me trying to stuff the chicken with goat cheese and basil, but as the chicken was baking, he kept asking me when dinner will be done since it smelled so good in the kitchen. It only took one bite for Dr. Sweetpea to be over the moon about this dish and told me to keep it in our regular rotation.

Chicken with Herbed Goat Cheese

(Source: Ina Garten)

3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on

12 ounces Montrachet goat cheese, with garlic and herbs

Fresh basil leaves

Good olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Loosen the skin from the meat with your fingers, leaving one side attached. Cut 12 thick slices of the Montrachet and place 2 slices plus a large basil leaf under the skin of each chicken breast. Rub each piece with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Bake the breasts for 35 to 40 minutes, until just cooked through. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Spring Green and Goat Cheese Salad

The other day, I was looking at a catering menu for an event that I'm coordinating for work. I saw a delicious looking salad on the menu and made a mental note of what I'd need to buy if I want to try to replicate it at home. I bought the ingredients on my way home for work and whipped everything together the best I could. The result? The best damn salad we've ever had! It's crispy, tangy, creamy, and sweet! It's currently Dr. Sweetpea's favorite salad and it'll be in our regular dinner rotation for years to come!

Spring Green and Goat Cheese Salad

Spring Greens

Baby tomatoes, halved

Dried apricots, sliced

Pecan halves

Crumbled Goat Cheese

Sliced apples (optional, but if I decide to add apples to the salad, it's always Honeycrisp)

Toss all the salad ingredients together. Drizzle Champagne vinaigrette over salad and serve. 

Champagne Vinaigrette 

(Souce: The Neely's)

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard

1/4 cup champagne vinegar (I usually substitute with white balsamic vinegar)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons honey

2 or 3 dashes hot sauce (I usually omit the hot sauce)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Whisk together the garlic, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, honey, hot sauce, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until the dressing is emulsified. Alternatively, you can combine all the ingredients in a blender or a food processor and puré until smooth.

Oatmeal, Maple and Pecan Scones

I woke up suuuuper early just to watch the royal wedding. Y'all, I had to take a nap in the afternoon because I was so sleepy after missing out on some sleep! Anyway, I wanted to have some scones to munch on while watching the royal wedding, so I decided to make the Oatmeal, Maple, and Pecan scones from Once Upon a Chef. They were so so SO tasty and perfect with my morning cup of coffee. 

Oatmeal, Maple and Pecan Scones

(Source: Once Upon a Chef)

For the Scones

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick cooking or instant)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup pecan halves, toasted (if desired) and chopped

1/2 cup currants (or raisins)

1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 10 pieces

1/3 cup cold heavy cream

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 cold egg

For the Glaze

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

3 tablespoons maple syrup

1 to 2 tablespoons water

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a handheld mixer), mix together the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pecans and currants on low speed for 10 to 15 seconds. Scatter the butter pieces over top and beat on low speed for about 30 seconds, or until the butter is somewhat broken down and grape-size pieces are still visible. In a small bowl, whisk together the cream, maple syrup and egg until thoroughly mixed. Pour the cream mixture into the butter mixture and mix on low speed for about 20 seconds, or just until the dough comes together. It will be fairly wet. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure that all of the dry ingredients are incorporated into the dough. Using an ice cream scooper, drop mounded scoops of the dough (about 1/3 cup each) onto the prepared baking sheet, forming 8 scones and spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until scones are golden brown around the edges and lightly golden on top. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for about 30 minutes. (Hold on to the parchment paper -- you'll need it for adding the glaze.) While the scones are cooling, make the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar, maple syrup and enough of the water to make a smooth, pourable glaze. When the scones have cooled for at least 30 minutes, transfer them back to the parchment-lined baking sheet and use a spoon to drizzle the glaze evenly over top.

Pork Chops in Creamy White Wine Sauce

Dr. Sweepea LOVES pork chops for a midweek dinner. It's such a quick meal and there are so many sauces to serve them with that I happily indulge his love for pork chops. I recently came across a recipe where the pork chops are served with a white wine sauce and it was a massive hit! Definitely will be in our regular dinner rotation!

Pork Chops in White Wine Sauce

(Souce: whatsinthepan.com) 

Pork Chops:

4 boneless pork chops (I used bone-in pork chops)

2 tablespoons butter

Pork Chop Dredging Mixture:

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Creamy Herb and Wine Sauce:

2 tablespoons butter

2 cloves garlic minced

1 tbsp flour (or use leftover flour from pork chops dredging)

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/4 lemon (juice of fresh lemon)

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

4 sprigs fresh thyme (leaves only)

Pork Chop Dredging Mixture: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning and season generously with salt and pepper.

Cooking Pork Chops: Dredge pork chops thoroughly in dry mixture, then heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add pork chops and sear them by cooking for 3-4 minutes per side for a total of 6-8 minutes. First side is cooked on medium high, but when cooking on the second side, reduce the heat to medium. Remove pork from heat and transfer to a plate. Cover to keep warm.

Creamy Garlic & Herb Sauce: Return skillet to heat, add 2 tablespoons butter and minced garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes on medium heat. Add flour to the butter mixture and start pouring in wine while still on medium heat - about 1 minute. Next squeeze lemon into the pan, add chicken stock and heavy cream. Add fresh thyme and Italian seasoning, season with salt and pepper (to taste). Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Taste the sauce and add more seasoning, if necessary.

Final Assembly: Reduce heat to low and return pork chops to pan. Depending on the thickness of your pork chops, you might just need to heat them up a bit to make sure they are done. Drizzle some of the sauce over pork chops and reheat on low for 2-3 minutes or until pork chops are done.

**Note: since my pork chops were thicker and I only seared the pork to create a crust, I baked the pork in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes until it was close to being cooked through.

Succulent Braised Pork

I've had this recipe in my files for several years but never made it until today. It's essentially braised pork but the sauce tastes amazing! The pork falls apart with just a fork and I serve it on a bed of rice or mashed potatoes to not miss out on any sauce. Dr. Sweepea RAVED about this meal and it's probably one of his favorite pork dishes right now. I even brought leftovers to lunch!

Succulent Braised Pork 

(Souce: Melissa d'Arabian) 

2 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 6 large chunks

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 clove garlic, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup red wine

1 1/2 cups beef stock or broth

1 bunch parsley stems, tied with string

2 bay leaves

1 cup water (I omitted the water)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Pat the pork dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, and working in batches brown the meat on all sides until a golden crust forms. Transfer the pork to a plate. To the pan add the onion, celery, and carrot and sweat until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and sweat another 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 3 minutes to cook off the raw flavor and caramelize it. Sprinkle with the flour and cook another 2 minutes to cook off its raw flavor. Whisk in the wine and reduce it by half. Return the pork to the Dutch oven, then stir in the beef stock, parsley stems, and bay leaves. Add the water if liquid does not come up to the top of the pork. Do not cover the pork with liquid. Cover the pan and place it in the oven to braise until the meat is fork tender, about 3 hours. Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if needed. Transfer to a serving platter and serve.

Bacon Pea Creamy Pasta Salad with Lemon Parmesan Dressing

There are many days when I'm just too tired to cook a full dinner for us after I come home for work. So what do I do? I drive to Costco and buy a rotisserie chicken, some veggies, and ingredients to make an easy side dish. Both Dr. Sweetpea and I love peas so I knew this pasta salad would go well with our dinner. It's creamy, lemony, and perfect as a side dish to go with the chicken. Definitely something I'll keep around to make in the summer for a picnic or potluck.

Bacon Pea Creamy Pasta Salad with Lemon Parmesan Dressing

(Source: Carlsbad Cravings)

Pasta Salad

12 oz.  medium shells or other small pasta of choice

2 cups frozen petite peas thawed

8 oz.  thick cut bacon cooked and chopped

Lemon Parmesan Dressing

2/3 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup freshly finely grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried chives

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp sugar

Whisk together all of the Lemon Parmesan Dressing Ingredients together in a medium bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Dressing is much better if it has at least 30 minutes to chill. Cook pasta according to package directions just until al dente. Rinse with cold water and drain. Drizzle with a little olive oil to keep from sticking. If serving immediately: Add cooled pasta, peas, bacon and dressing to a large bowl and toss until evenly combined. If not serving immediately (preferable so salad can chill): Add the pasta and peas to a large bowl and toss with half of the dressing once the pasta has cooled (so the dressing doesn’t separate). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.  When ready to serve, add the remaining dressing and the bacon and toss until evenly combined.

Homemade Popsicles

It's starting to got hot and humid in good old Houston. So what does one do when getting one's tan on poolside, but want to cool down? Eat popsicles of course! I purchased a popsicle mold from Amazon to make fresh popsicles for us to eat throughout the hot months in Houston and I seriously think it's one of the best purchases that I made in a while. I've made a variety of popsicles already and Dr. Sweetpea is in heaven. Our favorites are Strawberry and Cream, Blood Orange, Cantaloupe, and Thai Tea. I'll share the recipes for these below and you'll have a very refreshing summer too!

Strawberries and Cream Popsicles

(Source: People's Pops)

Just over 1 pound (4 cups) strawberries, hulled

7 fl oz simple syrup (3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons)

2 fl oz heavy cream (1/4 cup)

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, if needed

Puree the strawberries in a food processor. You should have about 2 cups (16 fl oz) of puree. Transfer the pureed strawberries to a bowl or measuring pitcher with a pouring spout and add the simple syrup. Stir well to combine. Add the cream and mix according to your aesthetic preference. Taste; the mixture should be sweet and mouth-fillingly creamy but not cloying. Adjust to taste, adding the lemon juice if the mixture tastes a little flat. Pour the mixture into your ice pop molds, leaving a little bit of room at the top for the mixture to expand. Insert sticks and freeze until solid, 4 to 5 hours. Unmold and transfer to plastic bags for storage or serve at once. 

Cantaloupe Popsicles 

(Source: People's Pops) 

1 cup(8 fl oz) simple syrup

1 cantaloupe, about 2 1/4 pounds, peeled and seeded

Cut the cantaloupe into large chunks and puree in a food processor. You should have about 2 1/3 cups (19 fl oz) of puree. Transfer the pureed cantalope to a bowl or measuring pitcher with a pouring spout. Add 3/4 cup (6 fl oz) of simple syrup to the cantaloupe puree until it tastes sweet. Pour the mixture into your ice pop molds, leaving a little bit of room at the top for the mixture to expand. Insert sticks and freeze until slid, 4 to 5 hours. Unmold and transfer to plastic bags for storage or serve at once. 

Blood Orange Ice Pops

(Source: Sweet Cream and Sugar Cone Cookbook)

1/2 cup 2:1 simple syrup (recipe below) 

2 1/4 cups fresh blood orange juice (from 6 to 8 blood oranges)

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

about 30 segments of blood, cara cara, or other variety of orange

In a medium nonreactive bowl, combine 6 tablespoons of the simple syrup, the juice, and the salt. Stir until well combined and the salt has dissolved. Taste the base. It should taste too sweet (once frozen, it will lose some of it's sweetness. Add the remaining simple syrup if you need it. Add 2 or 3 orange segments to each ice pop mold. (Don't add too many or the pops will be hard and icy. Leave room so that you end up with more juice than fruit in each pop.) Strain the base through a fine-mesh strainer into a liquid measuring cup. Pour into the ice pop molds, insert the sticks, and freeze until completely solid, about 4 hours. Unmold just before serving. 

2:1 simple syrup

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

Mix the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Mix the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Dip your fingers or a pastry brush in water and wash down the sides of the pan before heating. Place over medium heat and stir until the mixture comes to a boil and the sugar has dissolved completely. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool completely. Transfer to a covered container and store in the refrigerator.