Category: Recipe

Recipe

Berry Tart with Lemon Cookie Crust

by Christine RaittLeave a Comment on Berry Tart with Lemon Cookie Crust

Fourth of July is coming quickly and I always associate this summer holiday with barbecues and a fresh berry treat. This summer berry tart is perfect for the holiday. It carries all the patriotic colors and it’s fresh, cool, and delicious.

I’ve switched it up by using a Meyer lemon cookie crust. You can get some at on Amazon – I got mine at Costco. But even a graham cracker or Nilla wafer crust will do. I think the lemon cookie crust adds a bit more sunshine to this summer dessert.

berry-tart-3berry-tart-5berry-tart-7berry-tart-8berry-tart-10berry-tart-cover

Ingredients:
Crust:
10 oz Salem Baking Meyer Lemon Cookie Thins
1/4 cup white sugar
8 Tbs melted butter

Pastry Cream Filling:
2 cups whole milk
1/2 vanilla bean
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbs cornstarch
2 large eggs
4 Tbs unsalted butter cut in 4 pieces
2 – 8oz carton raspberries
1 – 8oz carton blueberries
zest of 1 small lemon

Meyer Lemon Cookie Crust
In a food processor, slightly grind the cookies until course. Add sugar and melted butter and pulse until the ingredients come together to look like wet sand. Pour the crust into a spring-form pan or a tart pan and flatten out. If you’re using a spring-form pan (like me cause I don’t have a tart pan), bring the crust up the wall of the pan halfway to hold in the fillings. Bake at 350 degrees Farenheight for 15 mins. Cool in room temperature once it’s finished.

Filling
Cut the vanilla bean in half length-wise. Scrape out the glorious caviar inside each half of the bean. In a medium saucepan slowly heat the milk, vanilla bean, and sugar under low heat. Go ahead and throw in the empty vanilla pods in there too to get all the vanilla flavor out of the bean. Constantly stir the milk making sure it does not burn at the bottom. Once milk burns you have to start fresh, and that’s just a waste of vanilla beans! Do not let the milk boil. Turn it off once you begin to see little bubbles forming around the edges. Take out the vanilla pods.

In a medium mixing bowl, crack the eggs and whisk. Whisk in the salt and cornstarch. Temper the egg mixture. Meaning, pour about 1/3 of the warm milk into the eggs and stir. Then pour the egg mixture into the saucepan back with the milk. This prevents the eggs from getting shocked by the heat and scrambling. Turn the low heat back on. Now we want to slowly simmer this custard so the cornstarch activates and can thicken the mixture. Again constantly stir and keep an eye on the simmer. Once it comes to a simmer and begins to thicken you can turn it off and pour it in a mixing bowl as it will continue to cook. Take a tablespoon of butter and whisk it in until it melts. Repeat until you do all 4 tablespoons of butter. Place plastic wrap directly on top of the custard to prevent a film from forming and refrigerate for 2 hours.

After everything has cooled, it’s time to assemble! Pour the chilled custard into the tart crust. Spread out evenly with a spatula. Place fresh raspberries one at a time on top of the custard covering the entire surface. Sprinkle blueberries in the gaps. Zest a lemon over the entire tart. This is where I would tell you to chill the tart for another couple hours before cutting into it but I didn’t becuase I don’t have strong will power. So I’ll let you decide.

Advertisements
Recipe

Herb Roasted Veggies

by Christine RaittLeave a Comment on Herb Roasted Veggies
Thanksgiving is right around the corner and every year I make the feast, but this year I have a newborn and a toddler; getting busier every year with a growing family. So every year I try to think of ways to deliver the feast without all the work, like the year I made a Thanksgiving meal in 1 hour.
Herb roasted veggies is one of my quick side dishes, getting it done in 20 minutes or less. This time I used brussel sprouts and baby carrots both bagged and prewashed from the grocer. I pretty much buy most of my veggies bagged and prewashed. It makes all the difference in the world to a new mom. Ain’t nobody got time to wash and chop veggies!

 

Herb Roasted Carrots and Brussel Sprouts
Serves: 3-4
Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 15 mins

Ingredients:
1 bag prewashed brussel sprouts
1/2 small bag baby carrots
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dried herbs 
2 Tbs olive oil

Preheat oven to 425 F
Cut sprouts in half or in quarters for larger sprouts. 
Toss everything in a roasting pan ensuring all the veggies get good coverage of seasonings and oil. 
Roast in oven at 425 F for 15 minutes and flip veggies halfway through to cook evenly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That’s it! It’s really just 5 mins of work while the oven does the rest so you can work on the other sides while this is going.

Try usung different veggies if you like, just make sure they are all somewhat the same size so they all cook evenly. Some other good veggies to use or to add on are broccoli, cauliflower, thinly cut squash, bell peppers, and smaller cubes of potato so they all cook in just 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Recipe

Coconut Coladas

by Christine RaittLeave a Comment on Coconut Coladas
Happy Summer! (insert emoticon of sun) I’ve been going kinda emoticon crazy on Instagram lately. I’m so excited for these warm nights, eating dinner outside, drinking cocktails with friends, and sharing some of my favorite summer recipes.
My friends at Veev sent me a bottle of their new Vita Frute cocktail to try out. This coconut colada flavor is made with coconut water and pineapple juice already mixed in with their Veev Acai spirit, and it’s under 125 calories per serving. Basically you can just add ice and enjoy! But you must know me by now. I like to “shake things up,” so I made a couple summer cocktails to pair with their coconut colada.
I love pina coladas so when I got this bottle I immediately started thinking of relaxing on the beach and cocktails that I would like to enjoy while on vacation. I created a Lime & Kiwi cocktail and a Lava Flow (which is pina colada with strawberry sauce). I also tried to keep the calories low by using real fruits and a coconut milk beverage instead of coconut cream which is typically used in pina coladas.  You can find the coconut milk beverage next to the soy milk and almond milk in your grocery store.
Lime & Kiwi Coconut Colada
4 oz Veev Coconut Colada
1 kiwi, scooped 
juice of 1 lime
3 Tbs simple syrup 
ice
 
Blend the lime juice, kiwi fruit and simple syrup in a blender. Pour into a glass filled with ice. Top off with Veev Coconut Colada and stir.
 
Strawberry & Coconut Colada (or Lava Flow Colada)
4 oz Veev Coconut Colada
4 oz coconut milk beverage
strawberries with tops removed
3 Tbs simple syrup
ice
 
Blend the strawberries with 4 oz of coconut milk beverage and simple syrup. Pour into a glass filled with ice. Top off with Veev Coconut Colada and stir.
 
Simple Syrup
4 Tbs white sugar
4 Tbs hot water
 
Dissolve the sugar in the hot water. There is a little extra so you can add more syrup to your drinks to taste.
 
How are you spending your summer? This was not a paid sponsorship so you can trust that all these ideas are my own =) Show me your coconut colada creations by tagging #crazy4coconutcolada
Recipe

Building the Perfect Slider

by Christine RaittLeave a Comment on Building the Perfect Slider
I’d like to show you how to build the perfect slider (or burger) that highlights all the great ingredients within this amazing sandwich.
Too many times I get the patty on top of the vegetables or the condiments in the middle of the ingredients that it just becomes a sloppy mess halfway through the burger.
Allow me to share with you my OCD-ness into how to build a perfect slider. With summer BBQs fast approaching, you too can share your knowledge at the grill into how to stack your ingredients and why you shouldn’t put the mayo on top of the patty.
I like to add veggies into the ground meat of my burger patties: carrots, celery, and onions. They add more flavor as well as keep the patty moist while cooking. I toss the veggies into the food processor and chop them well. Then mix in the ground meat. Add an egg to keep your ground meat held together while it cooks. Season with salt and pepper. I always taste test my patties before I cook them by just making a small meatball and cooking that first. Tasting it and then adjusting my seasoning accordingly.
The Art of the Stack:
The patty should be at the bottom as it is the heaviest ingredient. You want your burger bottom heavy. The ketchup at the base sticks the patty to the bottom bun as well as seasons your burger. If you like melted cheese on your patty, that can also act like a glue to hold your veggies still.
The next ingredient to go directly on top of the hot patty is your tomato. This is heavier than the onions (remember, think bottom heavy). Onions should go on top of the tomato. Note, that if you decide to go with grilled onions, then that should be directly on top of your hot patty as it also is hot.
Think of your lettuce and mayo as the most temperamental ingredients. If you place the lettuce (or in this case I used spinach) directly on top of the burger they wilt. Same with the mayo as it doesn’t do well in warm temperatures. The onions and tomato make a good barrier against the heat of the patty. Finally, the mayo holds your lettuce leaves in place.
Recipe

Chia Seed Tapioca

by Christine Raitt1 Comment on Chia Seed Tapioca
chia-tapioca-pudding

I’m a big fan of chia seeds. I began to fall in love with them while I was pregnant and wanted the benefits that these little powerfoods hold. They are rich in omega-3 fats (good for brain development), high in fiber (good for regularity), a good source of protein (for rapid cell regeneration), and high in antioxidants (for fighting off bad cells). I put them in my morning oatmeal, smoothies, granola, and salad dressings.

I found some chia pudding recipes and tried them but I didn’t like the globb-y consistency so I adjusted the recipes a few times and came out with this!  The texture is more consistent and is very similar to tapioca. Enjoy!

Chia Seed Tapioca
Ingredients:
1/4 cup dry chia seeds
1 cup almond milk (or milk of your choice) 
1 Tbs honey
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
a splash of extra almond milk to top
fruits or nuts to top (optional)

Soak the chia in 1 cup milk, honey, and vanilla extract for at least 4 hours. Mix every couple hours.

When the chia has absorbed all the milk, you can now serve it with a splash of extra milk and toppings of your choice.  I like to add the splash at the end to create a smoother consistency. 

Share your chia tapioca with me on Instagram by tagging #feedmysole

Recipe

Pumpkin Yogurt Pie

by Christine Raitt1 Comment on Pumpkin Yogurt Pie

I’m not much of a baker because I have a hard time following direction. Crazy right? I’m always trying to think of how I can improve a recipe or personalize it to fit my taste.  Last weekend I wanted to make a pumpkin pie and when I came across a recipe I substituted heavy cream with yogurt for a (semi) skinny pie.  Here’s what came out: a lighter filling with a slight tang from the yogurt.  It’s definitely a lighter approach to the calorie rich traditional pie, but who’s counting calories around the holidays anyway? If you are interested in this pie, read on!

Ingredients:
1 frozen pie crust (thawed)
nonfat whipped cream or cool whip to top

filling:
1 can 15 oz. of pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
1 cup of nonfat yogurt
1 cup of packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Preheat to oven to 350 degrees F. 

Roll out the pie crust and line in a pie dish.  Blind bake for 15 minutes to get a nice crust that’s not soggy.

While the crust is baking, mix all the filling ingredients together. When the crust has slightly goldened, take it out of the oven and pour through a strain, the filling into the crust. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean after being inserted into the middle of the pie.

Cool in the fridge for a few hours. Serve with whipped cream on top (nonfat whipped cream optional 😉

Recipe

Oatmeal Four Ways

by Christine Raitt1 Comment on Oatmeal Four Ways
Lately, I’ve been experimenting with oatmeal. Oatmeal? whoop-dee-doo… I know, I know it doesn’t sound exciting but why does it have to be boring?
With the cooler weather lately it’s the perfect go-to, weekday breakfast. I share some of my topping ideas on Bikini.com. Check it out for all the recipes pictured above. What are some of your favorite oatmeal mix-ins?