Buckwheat Bruleed Banana BreadBy SaraSkittleI took this recipe from a regular banana bread recipe I've made before and swapped out the regular flour for buckwheat and the butter for olive oil and I liked it sooo much better. Ive also used the vegetable oil sugar coating on cakes before because I read somewhere that its the best way to get a crunch sugar coating so I wouldn't substitute the vegetable oil for any other type of fat I don't think it will get quite as crispy. the top of this banana bread is like a crunchy candy coating and the sliced almonds add a perfect amount of crunch without overpowering it like some other nuts in banana bread sometimes dol.Restaurant Style Mexican White Cheese DipBy SaraSkittleI lovvvvee this type of white cheese dip at Mexican restaurant. I started looking for recipes and I never would have expected it was AMERICAN cheese in a MEXICAN cheese dip but that's exactly what it is. The pickled jalapeño juice doesn't add spice but it adds so much flavor! since I read about using jalapeño juice in the sauce I also now always use it in my guacamole and it really adds to the flavor. I love this cheese dip with store-bought chips or if you want to fry your own chips that's even more amazing. This is also an amazing addition to chicken enchiladas with salsa verde or to drizzle over chicken fajitas. Strawberry Cake with Strawberry FrostingBy SaraSkittleDefinitely one of my favorite cake recipes that I have made. I based this recipe from Sallys Baking Addiction's "Homemade Strawberry Cake" recipe. She called for 1 and 3/4 cup sugar and I put in about 1 and 1/3 so if you like it a little sweeter add more but I like a little less sweet and more refreshing of a cake especially with something summery like this. I've also though of making some extra of the strawberry reduction and adding a bit of sugar to some of it and putting a little layer of that on the cake before you frost each layer. that would also be really good I bet. For jills birthday I just happened to have some Lemon Thyme for garnish around the sides but I actually loved that little herby addition. For the Coloring of the cake I used an unsweetened unflavored beet juice powder I already had that I used in smoothies that I got on amazon. you could also use regular beet juice but I wouldn't put too much extra liquid. Food coloring is also an option but I prefer the thought of natural coloring. Garnish with fresh strawberries and enjoy!Spring Ceasar SaladBy SaraSkittleI got this idea from a spring panzanella salad recipe I saw on Pinterest that had peas and asparagus and I love both so I planned on trying it but I ended up trying it as a Caesar instead of with a vinnegarette. I love Ceasar salads, but all store bought Caesar dressings are just gross and not even close to something you would eat at a restaurant. I've tried making recipes for homemade before and none of them came out quite right either so I've found that starting with store bought and doctoring it up gets you closer to that tangy flavored Caesar dressing. I love making my own croutons as well, its time consuming and they are fattening but so so good lol. This salad is so filling it is really like a meal in itself so don't plan on eating a lot else. The addition of basil is really fresh but when I first made this salad I was in Aruba and they have this herb that grows wild there that they use in everything that just translates to "plant that smells" lol I have a bush in front of my street and It has a really strong citrus basil smell and I tried researching it and firgured out it was actually Thai lemon basil. it is so fresh and bright, I use regular basil when I don't have any but I highly recommend growing some Thai lemon basil. Spinach Ricotta Stuffed ShellsBy SaraSkittleOne of my favorite Italian meals thats super fresh and healthy Tasting. I really do not reccomend making it with anything but homemade sauce. The addition of goat cheese to the ricotta is not something you would know from tasting it unless you already knew the ingredients. It just adds a nice flavor, so if you don't like goat cheese its not overpowering. I usually serve it with an Italian salad and garlic bread.
P.S. if you are a spinach fiend like me you could add another frozen pack of spinach to the sauce at the end for a super healthy super spinachy chlorophyl packed pasta meal lol.Cheesy Scalloped Sweet PotatoesBy SaraSkittleI've made this so many times and finally feel like I've got the perfect balance of flavors in this pan of cheesy sweet potato heaven. I originally based this off of a sweet potato casserole recipe from Delish.com but I've changed almost everything at this point. It may sound like a weird addition but I feel like the crushed white cheddar Cheese-itz as a topping vs panko just takes the flavor to a whole other level. don't knock it til you try it lol! I first improvised since I was out of panko but when I made it the next time with panko it was so lacking. 2+ hours may seem like a super long cooking time but sweet potatoes seem to take forever to bake.Snowflake Sweet BreadBy SaraSkittleI make this all the time in winter, You can use the chocolate filling or you can use a cinnamon filling and dip it in a glaze for a cinnamon roll holiday breakfast or its also really good with a berry filling. Just basically cook down some fruit and sugar and butter until its thick like a jam. Best eaten warm so heat it up in the microwave if you aren't eating it fresh.
I got the bread recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction blog and I edited the filling from a jewish Kokosh cake recipe and subbed half the butter for Lindt chocolates then halved the sugar.Herb VinaigretteBy SaraSkittleMy favorite Italian dressing, great with a spring lettuce mix with red and yellow cherry tomatoes and homemade garlic croutons. Or a fresh panzanella with basil, mozzarella pearls, heirloom tomatoes. I like my vinaigrettes pretty strong so add a few tablespoons less white vinegar if you like a more mild dressing but once it on the salad its not as overpowering as you'd expect.Almond Pear CakeBy SaraSkittleOne of my favorite cakes, its so fresh yet rich at the same time. Its also good served with a bit of whipped cream.Coconut Oil GranolaBy SaraSkittleYears ago Andrea made me a coconut oil granola that was so good and I never stopped craving it so I decided to start trying different coconut oil granola recipes till I found one I liked almost as well! I always have this on hand! its amazing as a snack by itself or as a cereal, on oatmeal, or in a fruit and yogurt parfait! I also love making my own cereal mix with this granola + frosted mini wheats + freeze dried strawberries!
