Strawberry Syrup

When strawberries go on a great sale, we have strawberries with everything!  I brought home oodles of strawberries the other day, and I have been having lots of fun with them in the kitchen. :) We’ve been enjoying Spinach and Strawberry Salad, homemade Strawberry Jam, Strawberry and Yogurt Parfaits with our favorite homemade Granola, plus this wonderful Strawberry Syrup.  Thank you to my friend, Alana DeGooyer, for this recipe. :) This simple and delicious syrup is a favorite around here. As you may already know, we are all diehard Coconut Syrup lovers at my house, and we have it with every breakfast. But every good thing needs a change, and this Strawberry Syrup is our next runner up.  Served with delicious Buttermilk Pancakes, this syrup just tastes like Spring!  I love it! (Oh, it looks like our recipe for Buttermilk Pancakes isn't on our site yet. We had better fix that! In the meantime, Melanie posted a wheat version here. I haven't tried adding wheat flour to them, but I'm sure they are still great!)

PS  You may want to reserve ¼ cup of this syrup for the fabulous Strawberry Cream Cheeserecipe I’m posting on Wednesday! I promise it will be worth saving some of this syrup for. The Strawberry Cream Cheese is amazing!

Strawberry Syrup

Submitted by Erin  ~  The Sisters Cafe

1 cup sugar
1 Tb. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups thinly sliced and then roughly chopped fresh strawberries

Combine sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon in saucepan; stir in strawberries.  (The strawberry juices will dissolve the sugar and make a wet mixture.)  Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened.  Remove from heat and cool slightly.

This makes approximately 2 cups of syrup.

*Note: frozen strawberries, thawed, would work too.

Lindt Truffle Chocolate Cupcakes

I love love love Lindt Lindor Truffles.  Really, who doesn't?  High quality, creamy, melt in your mouth chocolate.  Mmmm.  How can perfection be made any better?  Well, how about combining Lindt truffles with...

 

...chocolate cupcakes and cream cheese frosting!

The result?   The most amazing, out-of-this-world cupcake I have ever eaten. EVER.  And I am not the only one who thought so.  I made these for a family lunch following my baby's blessing, and everyone in attendance gave rave reviews.  Even my mom, and she really isn't a cake kind of girl.  So if you really want to wow your love this Valentine's Day, I suggest you pick up the supplies and be ready to knock some socks off.  Why not wow your friends and family, too?  I mean, it does make a few cupcakes...  Thanks to my friend Brandi Fotheringham for introducing me to my newest love!

P.S.  I made the cupcakes the night before the blessing, and they were absolutely fabulous the next day.  But I did test one the night before when the chocolate was still kind of warm in the center of the cupcake, and it was wonderful, too.

P.P.S. I tried white chocolate and dark chocolate truffles, as well.  Not as good.  I think milk chocolate is definitely a must here.

Lindt Truffle Chocolate Cupcakes
Submitted by Mindy ~ The Sisters Cafe

1 box devils food cake
1 box instant vanilla pudding (small box)
4 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup water
1 cup sour cream
Milk chocolate Lindor truffles by Lindt ~ approximately 24

Unwrap milk chocolate Lindt truffles and place in a bowl for use later.  In a separate bowl, add all ingredients and mix well.  Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full.  Bake at 350.  After five minutes, lightly press a Lindt truffle into each partially baked cupcake.  Let the cupcakes bake an additional 13 minutes (total of 18 minutes).  Cool completely, then frost with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar

Cream butter and cream cheese together, then add vanilla.  Slowly add powdered sugar.

Citrus Walnut Pasta Salad

My fabulous sister Deb made this for a family event and it was seriously sooo good! It tastes so light and fresh and yet has some fun ingredients to give it a special little flare! I wish I was eating this tonight! The recipe is simple but does require a little chopping time. But definitely worth it!

Citrus Walnut Pasta Salad

Submitted by Amy ~ The Sisters Cafe

¾ c. coarsely chopped walnuts
3 c. (abt 8 oz.) bowtie pasta
2 c. shredded cooked chicken (can use rotisserie chicken from deli)
1 c. smoked cheese, such as Gouda, cut in ¼” cubes
1 c. celery cut in thin slices
1/3 c. finely chopped red onion (I like using regular onion)
3 T. chopped fresh chives
2 T. chopped fresh parsley

Dressing: (My favorite part!)
1/3 C. fresh orange juice
¼ c. fresh lemon juice
4 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 T. stone-ground mustard
2 t. sugar
1 ¼ t. salt
½ t. freshly ground black pepper
2 t. rice vinegar

Preheat oven to 350. Place walnuts on a cookie sheet in a single layer and bake for 8-10 min, checking frequently. Let cool. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and let cool completely. To prepare the dressing, combine all ingredients in a large bowl, stirring with whisk to blend. Add pasta, chicken, cheese, celery, onion, walnuts, chives, and parsley to the dressing; toss gently to combine. Makes 6 servings.

Honey Lime Enchiladas

Ok, I have posted this recipe before a long time ago (when we first started Sisters' Cafe) but I was worried that most of you had never seen it. And that just cannot be... it is way too good to be forgotten at the bottom of the pile! This is actually in my top 5 favorite dinners. I usually make 2 pans and freeze one for later. (It freezes great) These enchiladas redefine the concept of enchiladas. They are SO good! I have perfected the recipe to exactly the way I love it. Originally it was made with shredded chicken but one day I had left over pork roast so I shredded that and came up with an even better enchilada!! So you have two delicious options. There is just no description that does these babies justice sooooo here is the recipe...you are going to love it! (If you want to see more pics, check the link above) Honey Lime Enchiladas

submitted by Brittany

1.5 lbs pork or chicken, cooked and shredded

Sauce:

1/3 c honey

1/4 c lime juice

1 Tb chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 (10 oz) cans green enchilada sauce

equal parts mixed together of:

mozzarella cheese, shredded

cheddar cheese, shredded

flour tortillas

Mix together sauce ingredients then add to shredded pork or chicken. Let the sauce soak into the meat for about 30 minutes.

Lightly spray 2 pans with non-stick baking spray. (I usually use one 9x13 and one 9x9 but it may vary with how thick you stuff your enchiladas) Pour green enchilada sauce into pans to coat the entire bottom. Fill tortillas with shredded meat and desired amount of cheese. Roll and place in dish.

Pour remainder of sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle more cheese on top - don't be stingy! (I sometimes use more like 1 1/2 cans- you can freeze left over enchilada sauce in a baggy.) Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Then turn on broiler and place enchiladas nearer the top of oven. Let it broil until cheese is slightly brown and crispy. It is now time to WOW your family!!

Candied Walnut Salad

This salad is YUMMY. My friend Christina brought it to a St. Patricks Day party this year, and it was so yummy I couldn't stop with just one serving. :) There's nothing more delicious than a gourmet salad! Hope you enjoy!

*Note from Erin in 2011 - two years later this salad is still my very favorite, and my salad-of-choice when I want to make an extra-delicious (yet easy) 'gourmet' salad.

Candied Walnut Salad

submitted by Erin

2 heads of leafy greens; 1 can be a bag of spinach (1 bag of spinach and a head of Romaine or just 2 heads of Romaine)
3/4 c. Craisins
2 crisp apples
Orange juice (enough to toss apples in to prevent browning and add a little flavor)
2 oz. blue cheese or Gorgonzola
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
1/4 c. sugar 

Combine walnuts and sugar in a medium skillet over medium heat. Stir constantly. After a few minutes, the sugar will liquify. Pay close attention; at this point stir to cover walnuts with the sugar coating. The syrup will begin to darken and will coat the nuts. When they reach a golden brown color, remove from heat. Stir occasionally as the nuts begin to cool. After a few minutes, spread candied nuts onto a greased piece of parchment or wax paper or a greased cookie sheet and allow to cool completely. Set aside.

Chop apples and toss in orange juice.

When ready to serve, toss lettuce, cranberries, walnuts, apples, and blue cheese in a large bowl. Toss with the dressing. (FYI - You may not want to toss the entire salad with the dressing if you think you will not eat all of it. The dressing will wilt any leftovers.)

Honey Red Wine Vinaigrette

1/2 c. red wine vinegar
1/2 c. honey
1-2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 c. canola oil 

Mix In a blender.

Fresh Lemonade!

Nothing tastes better than freshly squeezed lemonade on a hot day! This recipe came from my mother-in-law Cheryl who is a great cook. It has the traditional lemons of course but also limes and oranges which make it so unique and tasty. I have added a grapefruit to the mix as well and it was awesome. With citrus so cheap right now, it's the perfect time to dust off the juicer and whip yourself up a big cold pitcher of Fresh Lemonade!

Freshly Squeezed Lemonade

submitted by Brittany

5 lemons

5 limes

5 oranges

5-6 cups cold water

1 1/2 -3 cups sugar, to taste

Once you have juiced all the fruit, add the water and sugar to taste. It really depends on how sweet/tart the citrus are and how much juice you get out of them. Also it depends on how sweet you like your lemonade! (Mindy and Griff have made it with Splenda and they say it tasted great!)

Stromboli

My friend Mandy makes a mean stromboli! I had never tried stromboli (which is similar to a calzone) before hers and it is wonderful! Of course I had to get the recipe from her. It's super easy and delicious. Thanks Mandy! (You can get the meat sliced fresh in the deli of your grocery store.)

Stromboli

submitted by Brittany

1 Rhodes bread dough

1/4 lb ham, sliced

1/4 lb hard salami (I goofed and made it with pastrami and it was still so good!)

1/4 lb provolone

mozzarella cheese

1/2 tsp dried basil, divided

1/2 tsp dried oregano, divided

melted butter or olive oil

cornmeal

Set out bread dough to thaw. Once thawed, spread the dough out on a cookie sheet or silpat (which works perfect). Layer the ham and then the salami along the middle of the dough going lengthwise. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp each of basil and oregano then layer on cheeses. (I used approximately 1 cup shredded mozzarella but it's entirely up to you how much you want!) Sprinkle with remaining basil and oregano. Wet edges of the dough and fold over the long edges and roll up the ends. Brush olive oil over dough and sprinkle lightly with corn meal. Carefully flip stromboli over and repeat on other side. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-22 minutes. Serve with hot spaghetti sauce for dipping. Enjoy!

Cape Cod Apple Nut Carrot Muffins

Oh, these are so delicious. I got this recipe a few years ago from my friend, Josie. These are packed with yummy and healthy ingredients, and they are so moist. Mmmmmm, this is one of my favorite muffin recipes. Hope you enjoy them as much as me!

Cape Cod Apple Nut Carrot Muffins
submitted by Erin ~ The Sisters Cafe

2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
1 c. oil
2 c. shredded carrots
1 lg. apple shredded
½ c. chopped walnuts
2 tsp. vanilla
½ c. raisins
3 eggs

Mix dry ingredients together. Then add remaining and mix. Fill muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes. Makes 18 muffins.

Apple Bundt Cake with Caramel Glaze

This was fabulous! Brittany gave me this recipe recently and I made it for company the other day. It was very moist, and the nuts and apples complimented each other very well. The rich, smooth caramel glaze topped it off perfectly. You must try this!

I recommend serving this soon after you put the caramel glaze on it. After a few hours the glaze will crystallize and then, although the cake is still moist and delicious, the glaze will just be a sugary frosting instead of a rich caramel topping.

 

Apple Bundt Cake with Caramel Glaze

Submitted by Erin, but it's Brittany's recipe. :)

 

2 c. sugar

1 1/2 c. oil

3 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

3 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

2 med, apples, peeled and finely chopped (a little more than 2 cups)

1 c. chopped walnuts (I used pecans)

 

Heat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 12 c. bundt cake pan. (I use a plastic bag around my hand and apply shortening to the inside of the bundt pan, then dust it with flour. That way the cake will fall out easily.)

Beat sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Stir in flour, salt, and baking soda until smooth. Stir in apples and nuts. Pour into pan.

Bake 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

(The cake was done slightly earlier than the 1 hour mark for me. Be sure to take it out as soon as a toothpick comes out clean. Of course, insert the toothpick in the moist crack in the top of the cake and not through the firm crust. And try a few different toothpicks, because there is a chance one of them might deceive you by coming out with bits of apple on it if you happened to poke it into an apple.)

Cool 20 minutes. Remove from pan; place on wire rack. Glaze prior to serving.

 

CARAMEL GLAZE

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. packed brown sugar

2 tsp. light cream

 

Heat all ingredients to boiling in 2 qt. saucepan, stirring occasionally.

Boil 2 min., stirring constantly; remove from heat. Spoon over cooled cake.

Chili Verde

This is soooo good. I have made lots of shredded pork recipes before, but this one is my definite favorite. In fact, I think this might be one of my favorite meals ever. I got the recipe from my sister, Melanie, years ago. Jed and I both love it. The chili verde 'sauce' makes this meat so flavorful!

Chili Verde
submitted by Erin

3 pounds pork roast, fat removed as much as possible (*If using a roast any larger than 3 lbs, I always double the remaining ingredients)
1 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic crushed
1 10oz can green enchilada sauce
1 4oz can diced green chilis
1 14oz can diced tomatoes with chilis
2 chicken bouillon cubes
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp oregano
¼ tsp pepper

This is how I made it. I'll include the original instructions too, so you can choose your method. In a large heavy pot, over medium heat, brown meat, then add onion and garlic and saute a few minutes. Place in crockpot. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours. 1 hour before serving, remove roast and set aside. Strain out the onions and tomatoes as much as possible and put with the roast. Pour remaining liquid into a large saucepan. (I place the roast and strained solids back into the crockpot, TURNED OFF, with the lid on to keep warm.) Bring the liquids to a boil on the stove, and simmer for about 20-30 minutes, stirring every now and then, until considerably reduced. The point is to concentrate all the liquids to make a thicker sauce. This is a very important step, because all the flavor is in this liquid, and you want to preserve all that flavor for the meat. Plus, I don't like meat too liquid-y or else it runs out the back of the burritos. (You could also opt to drain the tomatoes at the beginning to make this step go faster.) Mix the thickened sauce into the shredded meat and serve. Serve with warm tortillas, Monterey Jack cheese (monterey pepper jack is good too), cilantro, diced tomatoes, and lettuce. You can also served it with sour cream and chopped red onion.

Original instructions say: Cube roast. In a large heavy pot, over medium heat, brown meat, then add onion, garlic and ½ cup water with the bouillon cubes. Cover for 15-20 minutes then stir, getting all the brown bits off the side of the pan. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, cover and cook on low for 2-4 hours (or in oven at 300°).

South of the Border Sandwiches

These sandwiches are one of my all-time favorites! They are easy to make and are festive and colorful.  They taste even better than they look and are a hit at get-togethers!

South of the Border Sandwiches

Submitted by Amy ~ The Sisters Cafe
Recipe Source: Lion House Entertaining

1 loaf French bread, cut into 1" thick slices
½ cup olives, chopped
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup lite mayo
1/3 cup nonfat sour cream
1/3 cup green onions, chopped
¾ to 1 lb. turkey, thinly sliced
2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
2 ripe avocados, sliced
¾ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
¾ cup pepper jack or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Directions:

In a bowl, combine olives, chili powder, cumin, and salt; set aside 2 T. of this mixture. Add the mayo, sour cream, and green onions to the remaining olive mixture. Place bread on an ungreased baking sheet and spread 1 T. of the mayo mixture on each slice. Top w/slices of turkey and tomatoes. Spread w/another T. of mayo mixture. Top W/ avocados and cheeses. Sprinkle w/the reserved 2 T. of olive mixture. Bake @ 350 for 15 min. Makes 8-10 serv.