Strawberry Lassi

Strawberries are on sale & ridiculously cheap right now, so I have bought a few pounds & am having fun with new recipes.  This one is very simple & pure.  I have only had lassi once at this Indian restaurant we would go to when the hubby & I were in college (everything good happened in college!)  It's a good drink; I don't know why I never ordered it again.  I am usually a water gal; saving my calories for my food.  Anyway, I really can't get enough sweet drinks right now, so I made this.  We had it kind of as a breakfast smoothie with peanut butter toast on the side, but lassi is typically a hot weather refreshment used as a beverage for lunch.

Strawberry Lassi

Recipe altered from Ambrosia by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• 1 pound strawberries, hulled & halved (half or quarter them if you have a small blender)
• 2-4 Tbsp honey (I used 2 Tbsp, but you can taste test & if it's tart, add more, but the vanilla yogurt should sweeten it up quite a bit.)
• pinch of salt
• 2 cups vanilla greek yogurt
• 1 cup ice, crushed (Use crushed if you have a small blender.)

1. Blend the strawberries with the honey & salt in a blender.
2. Add greek yogurt & blend
3. Repeat with ice & blend again.  Serve immediately.  Makes 4 servings.

*If you have a Ninja (like I do, & absolutely love,) use the big pitcher & just throw everything into it & blend until smooth.

  

Chicken Alfredo Roll-ups

I found this recipe from pinterest & I was in love with the idea of one of my favorite italian dishes all wound up into a lasagna roll.  This dish was very texturally pleasing for me & very flavorful!  I had 1 1/2 rolls & was super stuffed.  Very filling & savory!

Chicken Alfredo Roll-ups

Recipe altered from Mmm...Cafe by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• 2 small chicken breasts
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 tsp chicken bouillon
• 1 Tbsp homemade Italian Seasoning Dressing Mix
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 9 Lasagna Noodles
• 2 1/2 cups Light Alfredo (Recipe slightly altered from Our Best Bites)
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 cups fat-free milk
• 4oz Neufchatel Cream Cheese
• 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 3 cups mozzarella

1. Slow cook chicken breasts with water, bouillon, & italian seasoning in a crockpot on low for 4 hours.  Shred chicken & add a little bit of broth to keep moist.  Season with oregano, garlic powder & salt.  Set aside.
2. Heat up a pot of salted water & boil lasagna noodles until al dente.  Rinse with cold water.  Place a couple of paper towels on a baking sheet & lay the noodles on top of paper towels to absorb excess water.  Set aside.
3. Make alfredo sauce by melting butter & sautéing garlic for about 30 seconds.  Add flour, salt, & pepper, to make a roux.  Gradually whisk in milk.  Let heat until boiling & thickens slightly.  Remove from heat & add cream cheese & grated parmesan.  Stir until cheese melts & let stand.  Will thicken as it cools slightly.  
4. Spread a small amount of alfredo sauce in the bottom of a square baking dish.  Assemble rolls by spreading a couple tablespoons of alfredo, 1/9 of the chicken, & a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese.  Roll lasagna up & place seam side down into prepared dish.  Repeat with remaining lasagna rolls.  Once all rolls are in the pan, top them with the remaining alfredo sauce & sprinkle with desired amount of mozzarella cheese.  
5. Bake at 350*F for 30-40 minutes or until sauce bubbles & cheese browns. *Optional: Let stand for 10 minutes before removing from pan.  The alfredo is thinner when it's hot, & thickens as it cools slightly, so it might be slightly runny if you remove it immediately from the pan when taken straight from the oven.

Lava Flows

Lately I have been obsessed with fruity drinks I can make since the weather is teasingly close to summer temperatures.  So you may or may not be seeing a lot of cold, refreshing, thirst quenching drinks coming up in future posts.  This one is super easy!  I have never had it before, but is very pretty to look at & just as enjoyable to drink.  Cheers!
 

Lava Flows

Recipe altered from The Coterie Blog by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• 1/2 cup pineapple juice
• 1/2 cup cream of coconut (Coco Lopez or whatever brand you can get; in the alcoholic mixers aisle.)
• 2 cups ice
• 2 Tbsp water
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 1/2 lb of strawberries

1. Blend the pineapple juice, cream of coconut, & ice in a blender until smooth.  Set aside.
2. Heat water in microwave until boiling (20-30 seconds.)  Add sugar & stir until dissolved to create a simple syrup.  Add the simple syrup to strawberries & puree in a separate blender (I use my Magic Bullet for this, or you can use a food processor.) *You may blend one or two ice cubes with the strawberries if you wish.
3. In a clear cup, pour some strawberry mixture in the bottom of the glass.  Then add some pina colada mixture; the strawberry mixture should come up the sides of the cup around the pina colada mixture.  Swirl lightly with a spoon. Repeat a second time (layer of stawberries/layer of pina colada.)
4. Garnish with a strawberry or pineapple & serve immediately.  Makes 2 drinks.

Easy Pizza Crust

 

This is my go-to yeast dough recipe.  It's very versatile & I use it for a lot of things.  This recipe will yield one, 14-inch thin, crispy pizza crust.  If you like it thicker & softer, go ahead & 1 1/2 times (1.5x) the recipe.  Nothing tastes better than homemade pizza!

Easy Pizza Crust

Recipe from: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• 3/4 cup warm water
• 1/2 Tbsp yeast
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups flour

1. In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast with sugar in warm water.  Let sit until bubbly (5 min.)
2. Add extra virgin olive oil, salt & flour to the yeast mixture.  Mix with a spoon giving it about 50 good stirs until it balls up & does not stick to the bowl, sprinkling dough with extra flour as necessary.  Take dough out of bowl.  Spray the inside with pan-coating & put dough back inside the bowl.  Cover with a towel & let the dough rise for 30 minutes.  
3. Once dough has rested, & risen about double the size, roll out onto prepared pizza tray (grease tray with spray.)  Cover with towel & let rest again for 10-15 minutes.  The longer you let it rest the softer it will be.
4. Preheat oven to 425*F.  Bake crust for 5-7 minutes to create a dry, semi-cooked layer over the top.
5. Top pizza with desired sauce, cheese & toppings.
6. Return pizza to oven for an additional 11-12 minutes or until crust is browned & cheese bubbles.

Pre-baked crust will puff up a bit
& be dry to the touch

Beef Philly Sandwiches

When I was making the beef for the scrumptious french dip sandwiches, I knew I wanted to use some to make some beef philly sandwiches as well.  That meat is so versatile & delicious.  You really can use any leftover beef roast to make these.  This isn't really a recipe; it doesn't have exact quantities, but you just throw everything in to your liking.  This is how I put together a flavorful beef sandwich.  Enjoy your leftovers made into a second meal!

Beef Philly Sandwiches

Recipe by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• Shredded Beef Chuck Roast/Leftover Beef Pot Roast
• White Onion, julienne
• Green Pepper, julienne
• Steak Seasoning
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Pepper-jack Cheese
• Hoagie/French Rolls

1. Saute onion & peppers for 1-2 minutes (until starting to soften) in a non-stick pan.  
2. Add shredded beef & season with steak seasoning & a few splashes of worcestershire sauce (or even a cube of your leftover frozen au jus if you saved it from the french dip sandwiches.)  Continue until heated through.  Can splash a little bit of water in the pan to keep beef from drying out.
3. Once everything is heated & vegetables are tender, but still have a little bite to them, place your cheese on top & add another splash of water the the pan to help melt the cheese quickly.  (Helps to cover the pan with a lid for a few seconds while the steam helps melt the cheese.)
4. Serve on a toasted hoagie bun.

You can even enjoy these open faced if you like, you'll just want to double the filling.

Virgin Blackberry Pina Colada

When I was in college & went out to eat a lot, Chili's was a regular place of choice.  One of my guy friends suggested I try their blackberry pina colada, so I did.  I will never be the same!  I had found my new love, for the time being, but it is a sweet treat & wonderfully refreshing for the summer heat.  And although it's not summer yet, I am wishing it was!  So sit back, relax & sip on that Blackberry Pina!  
 

Virgin Blackberry Pina Colada

Recipe by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• 2 cups ice
• 3/4 cup Cream of Coconut
• 3/4 cup Pineapple Juice
• 1 cup Frozen Blackberries

1. Add all ingredients to a blender & crush on high, until smooth.  Enjoy!

*Makes 2 drinks.

Not a fan of blackberries?  Just leave them out & sip on your plain old Pina Colada!

French Dip Sandwiches & Au Jus

My husband suggested we have french dip sandwiches for dinner this week, & I had to stop & think about, "When was the last time I actually had a french dip sandwich?"  I honestly couldn't really remember...elementary school?  Really?  It's not like I don't like them, I LOVE them, so why hadn't I made them before?  Well, enough with the questions.  I hopped on the french dip train & made them! And I am so glad I did!  This recipe is slow cooked, so the meat is amazingly tender & the au jus is rich & flavorful.  Will be making this again & again!

French Dip Sandwiches & Au Jus

Recipe altered from Baking Bites by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• 3 1/2 lbs Beef Chuck Roast
• 16oz beef broth (I did 2 cups of water with 2 tsp/2 cubes beef bouillon)
• 1-10.5oz can Condensed French Onion Soup
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 small red onion, julienne
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• French Rolls/Hoagies
• Sliced Provolone Cheese

1. Pour beef broth & soup into a crock pot.  Add garlic powder, onion, salt, & pepper.
2. Trim roast of most of the fat & add to crock pot.  Cut roast up to fit into crock pot, if you have a smaller one.  (I believe mine is a 4 qt & it was a tight squeeze.)
3. Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low 6-8.  (I actually did high for 4 & then low for 3 & it was falling apart delicious!)
4. Strain the au jus into a separate pot with a mesh strainer.  If you have a gravy separator, use it to remove the oil film at the top.  If not, do what you can to get most of the oil off the top, unless you like it that way.  
5. Serve on fresh or toasted rolls with cheese if desired.  Dip into the fresh au jus & enjoy!

*You can season your roast with salt & pepper & sear it in a pan before slow cooking it for additional flavor.  

**If you end up with extra au jus after everyone has scarfed their delicious sandwiches, don't you dare get rid of it!  Pour the rest into an ice cube tray & save it!  Great for gravy or soup!

Lemon Cream Crumb Bars

I think I am in heaven with these bars!  I am obviously a citrus fan, if you haven't seen my several posts using limes, & grapefruit & such.  So these, bars are right up my alley.  My muffins always have streusel on them too, which is another bonus with these bars.  CRUMBS!  And lots of them!  Crumbly, creamy, dreamy bars!  This one is a keeper!
 

Lemon Cream Crumb Bars

Recipe from Pioneer Woman & adored by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• 1/2 cup butter, slightly softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup oats
• 1-14oz can sweetened condensed milk or 1 recipe homemade condensed milk
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• Zest of 1 lemon

1. Preheat oven to 350*F.  Cream butter & sugar.  
2. Sift flour, salt, & baking powder.
3. Add oats & flour mixture to butter/sugar mixture & combine.  Make sure there are no butter chunks.
4. Press 1/2-3/4 mixture on the bottom of an 8x11 (not 9x13) pan (there is a TON of crumb mixture, so I would recommend more than half pressed on the bottom b/c it gets messy with a lot on the top.)
5. Mix together the condensed milk, lemon juice, & zest.  Spread onto the bottom layer of the crumb mixture.  
6. Knead the remaining crumb mixture with hands, & crumble on the top of the lemon layer, but don't press down or you can ruin your lemon filling.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Allow pan to rest for 30 minutes before cutting/serving.  Delicious served cold from the fridge!

Coconut Cream Fruit Dip

I first tried this dip at a recipe swap one of my friends hosted.  I was blown away by how simple, & refreshing it is paired with the fruit.  I also liked how it's easy to make & can be used to dip graham crackers in as well.  Great dip to try at home or bring with fruit for a summer potluck!  This recipe makes a lot, so I have cut the original recipe in half (for a crazy amount of dip, double the recipe.)
 

Coconut Cream Fruit Dip

Recipe from: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• 4 oz cream cheese
• 1/2 (15oz) can Cream of Coconut (Not coconut milk! Find this in the aisle with the margarita mix & other mixers.)
• 1/2 (8oz) tub Cool Whip

1. Whip the cream cheese with the cream of coconut in a stand mixer until all lumps are gone.
2. Remove paddle, & fold in cool whip.
3. Serve with fruit or graham crackers.

Blonde Butter Syrup

I was first introduced to this syrup when my husband & I were first married & we were attending a married student ward for our church.  We would have a "Linger Longer" every now & then where we would stay after church was over & eat food.  The food was anything from dinners, to desserts, to breakfasts.  One of the ladies in our ward made the best butter syrup for one of our breakfast activities.  I had never tried anything like it before.  I was completely addicted, & so glad she shared the recipe with us.  Definitely a crowd pleaser if you are making breakfast for a lot of people.  This syrup is smooth & buttery just like you would expect from the name of it.  Amazing!
 

Blonde Butter Syrup

Recipe from Sister Jewitt & shared by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk

1. Melt butter in a small saucepan over the stovetop.
2. Heat evaporated milk in a large microwaveable dish/glass measure cup.  Microwave for 60 seconds or until boiling.  
3. Add sugar to the evaporated milk immediately after removing from the microwave. (It will puff up when you first add the sugar to the milk, so that's why you want a big container to stir it in.)
4. Whisk sugar & milk for a minute until sugar is mostly dissolved.  Add to melted butter on the stove & whisk continuously over medium-high heat.  Continue whisking until the syrup boils & thickens up (happens when it reaches a boil.)  Don't cook too long or it will caramelize the sugars & it won't be that blonde butter syrup you want.

Makes: 1 1/2 (+) cups of syrup
*Save any leftovers & reheat in the microwave to melt any sugar crystals that may develop.