Key Lime Pie

We celebrated my Dad's 60th Birthday today and I made him one of his favorites, Key Lime Pie. I had never made one before, but this recipe was really easy and really good! I was a little unsure of the sour cream topping, but it turned out great. I will definitely be making this recipe again! We couldn't find key limes, so we used regular limes. This recipe is by Emeril Lagasse.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick butter), melted
• 2 (14-ounce) cans condensed milk
• 1 cup key lime or regular lime juice
• 2 whole eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon lime zest or limes slices

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter with your hands. Press the mixture firmly into a 9-inch pie pan, and bake until brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature before filling.
Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
In a separate bowl, combine the condensed milk, lime juice, and eggs. Whisk until well blended and place the filling in the cooled pie shell. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes and allow to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
Once chilled, combine the sour cream and powdered sugar and spread over the top of the pie using a spatula. Sprinkle the lime zest as a garnish on top of the sour cream and serve chilled.

Linking up at: Tip Junkie- Tip Me Tuesday, My Girlish Whims- Your Whims Wednesday, and This Chick Cooks

Cobb Salad

We've been eating a lot of salad lately and I was wanting to make one that would be a little more filling, so we could eat it as a meal. I had never made a Cobb Salad before, but really liked how this one turned out. The homemade blue cheese dressing is by Emeril and I like that it is a lighter dressing then a typical creamy blue cheese dressing. This recipe can also be easily doubled to feed more people.

Ingredients:

• 1 head of bibb lettuce, washed, patted dry, and chopped.
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3 eggs, hard boiled and sliced
• 5 strips of bacon, well cooked and crumbled
• 1 chicken breast, grilled and shredded (or sometimes I use a cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, about 3/4 cup shredded chicken)

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 a lemon, juiced
• 1/4 lb blue cheese
• salt and pepper

Mix the olive oil and lemon juice together, whisk in the blue cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use. Place the lettuce in a large bowl or on each plate. Top with the remaining ingredients. Mix the dressing well, pour over the salad and toss. 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

 Ingredients:

Makes 24 cookies

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Divide dough into 24 portions, about 1 heaping tablespoon each. Roll each piece between your hands to form a smooth ball. Place dough balls, 1 inch apart, on two ungreased baking sheets. Using a fork, press on dough in two directions to form a crosshatch pattern.
2. Bake cookies until puffed and lightly golden, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cookies cool on sheets. (To store, keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 3 days.)  

Recipe is from the Everyday Food Magazine, March 2010 issue by Emeril Lagasse

Tortilla Soup

I thought I should post this recipe while it is still cold outside. It is one of my favorite tortilla soup recipes, and is by Emeril Lagasse. It is different then most tortilla soups, because it is more of a broth based soup, then a thick creamy texture. It is packed with flavor and the fresh tortilla strips, chipotle crema, and sliced avocado top it off! The ESSENCE seasoning used on the tortilla strips, is also a great seasoning to use on fish or shrimp.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
• 1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped, or 1 pasilla or green bell pepper and 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
  
• 2 cups vegetable oil, for frying
• 6 stale corn tortillas, cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips
• 1 teaspoon Essence, recipe follows
• 1 avocado, peeled, seeded, and chopped, for garnish
• Chipotle Crema, accompaniment, recipe follows

Directions:

In a Dutch oven or large heavy pot, heat the oil on medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, peppers, salt, cumin, and coriander for 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add the chicken and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the cilantro and lime juice, and stir well. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.

Heat the oil in a heavy pot or electric fryer to 350 degrees F. Add the tortilla strips in batches and fry until golden and crisp, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Season with the Essence.

Ladle the soup into 4 or 6 serving bowls. Garnish each serving with the diced avocado, the fried tortilla strips, and Chipotle Crema.

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Yield: 2/3 cup

Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch

Published by William and Morrow, 1993.

Chipotle Crema:

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

1/8 teaspoon salt

In the bowl of a food processor or blender, combine all the ingredients. Process on high speed until smooth. Serve with the soup.

Yield: 1/2 cup