What started as just a delicious one-off for my New Year’s Eve party has now become a new favorite recipe to enjoy any time you are craving something shrimpy, crunchy, saucy and just plain out of this world! Bang Bang Shrimp Eggrolls will step in and satisfy your craving and have you rubbing your belly with delight! The bonus, of course, is they are incredibly easy to make and take less than a half hour from skillet to table. One of my favorite things about this dish is the sweet & spicy Mayo-Sriracha sauce! Wow! The perfect accompaniment. Why not start off the new year with a bang….bang? Then sit back and take in all the compliments you’ll receive!
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Dulce de Leche Cupcakes
It’s a Latin American favorite that the western world has embraced as its own. Dulce de Leche, a thick and sugary caramel-like sauce made by slowly heating sweet milk, has found its way into just about every dessert and beverage we love. Here is a rich and delicious cupcake made with homemade Dulce de Leche that’s incorporated in the batter as well as the frosting. Enjoy!
Homemade Chicken Nuggets
The kids are finally back in the classroom, and when they come home from school or sports they are generally ravenous, right? It’s a pretty good bet that if given a choice between chicken nuggets and anything else, my guess is it’s going to be the nuggets. So, why not make them delicious and perhaps healthier than the fast food version? Plus, kids love to cook these days, and if your young ones are old enough to be safe around the cook top and oven, this might be a great meal that they can make themselves! (Studies show that when kids take the initiative to cook a meal, they enjoy not only eating the food, but are more apt to want to learn how to prepare meals more often.) I discovered that on a field trip a few years ago to a Boys & Girls Club where I was teaching a cooking class. About fifty kids huddled around as I taught a hands-on cooking demonstration. They were mesmerized. Many shared their at-home cooking experiences with Mom and Dad. I was, quite frankly, stunned at their interested in every aspect of cooking, whether chopping and dicing, sautéing and of course, sharing what they had prepared. Back to the chicken nuggets. This recipe is fairly simple and super delicious, and it’s the kind of recipe that may flesh out whether you have a budding Jacques Pepin or Julia Child just waiting to cook up something fun for the family!
Apricot Pie
What Scottsdale resident Susan Jaramillo remembers most about her Grandma Denise Nerone was her magnificent homemade bread. In fact, Susan vividly remembers her grandma’s words:
“You’re the only little girl I know who begs for bread for dessert!”
Susan said the only time she would choose dessert over bread was when her French born grandmother made Apricot Pie. Once Susan shared her mouthwatering memories about the sweet-but-tart apricots arranged in a flakey homemade crust with a juicy apricot sauce poured on top and covered in lattice strips, I had no choice but to go into bake mode. What a fabulous, unique fruit pie! It’s delicious warm or cold, and of course, the better quality of dried apricots you use, the better the filling will turn out so look for plump, moist apricots. The original recipe called for whole apricots, but Susan and I agreed that cutting them in half is a bit easier to eat. You can cover your pie with an entire crust instead of cutting lattice strips if your choose. Either way, it’s Vive le Apricot Pie!
Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler
There are two things I absolutely love–a great recipe and great neighbors.
When the two come together, life is pretty awesome! It happened this week when my sweet neighbor, Deborah Alyea saw me pull up to the driveway, and scurried over with a beautiful baking dish of bountiful goodness right out of the oven. “I wanted you to have it while it’s still piping hot and bubbling!” Deborah has just baked the most amazing Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler and I was the lucky recipient. I’m not sure I should admit this, but I texted her a picture of her baking dish just several hours later. It was scraped clean except for maybe one more serving. Yes, it was that good. I’m not sure who came up with the combination of strawberries and rhubarb, but thank you, whoever you are! Rhubarb season is incredibly short and right now is the peak of it, so I’m so happy to pass along this delicious dish to you right now, while you can still find those long red stalks. The filling is wonderful with either a pie crust topping or cobbler, and I was ecstatic that Deborah chose the latter. I love that rich crumble topping with the sweet fruit below. So, if you love Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler, this is the recipe to try! And if you have a neighbor as wonderful as Deborah Alyea, maybe make an extra and make someone’s Day!
Watch my How to Video for Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler here!
