Fresh Fig and Almond Quick Bread

When it comes to fresh fig recipes, this Fresh Fig and Almond Quick Bread is a winner! Deliciously sweet fresh figs combine with almond flavor in a quick bread everyone will enjoy!

Mint Oreo Icebox Cake

WARNING!!  

This is NOT a low calorie, diet friendly type of recipe.  I will not be giving you nutrition information, because it would probably make you faint.  (I think I would faint if I actually worked it out!)

What it is, is a super duper simple recipe that is meant to be shared with a giant crowd!  Take yourself a small sample piece, and quietly walk away from the pan.  Leave the rest for everyone else.

With that said, this is a great dessert to take to a potluck or a party.  Just three, maybe four ingredients, depending on how you want to dress it up. Refrigerate overnight or longer and it's ready to go!

Yes, I know, it uses unhealthy cookies and fake whipped cream.

Can you lighten it up?  You could lighten it up just a tad by using Cool Whip® Free (which is what I did here) and skim milk (also what I used) but in the end, you can't lighten up two packages of mint oreo cookies.  The original recipe (found HERE) made a cake with three layers of cookies, I chose to only make two layers.  I might have lightened it up just a tad with my changes...

I've got to tell you, I am not even a fan of oreos.  Nope.  I can let them sit in the pantry for weeks and not feel the urge to touch them.  But add some milk and cool whip layer them in a pan, and they turn into something amazing that I can't resist.  This.  This cake right here!  Using mint oreos just takes this over the top!  Especially if you are a mint/chocolate fan like I am!

This icebox cake is so simple, you will probably want to run out and get the ingredients to make it right away.  So your welcome...and I'm sorry.

Mint Oreo Icebox Cake

adapted from Cookies and Cups

Printable Recipe

Yield:  1- 13" x 9" cake, cut into as many servings as you like!

2 - 15.25 oz. packages of Cool Mint Oreo® cookies

1 cup milk (can be skim, reduced fat, or whole)

2 - 8 oz. containers of Cool Whip® ( can be Free, reduced fat, or regular), well thawed

chocolate syrup (optional) 

1.  In a 13" x 9" pan layer most of cookies from one package flat across the bottom, side by side, after dipping each cookie into milk to form single layer.  

2.  Top cookie layer with one container of cool whip®

3.  Repeat with the dipping cookies into milk step to form next layer with the rest of the cookies.  (you will probably have about a row in a half of cookies left over in the package.)  Take two of the cookies out of what is left over and set aside.  Spread second layer with the other container of cool whip®.  Crush the two cookies you set aside ( I used a food processor)  Sprinkle crushed cookies over top cool whip® layer and drizzle with chocolate syrup ( if desired).

4.  Cover and refrigerate overnight or even longer.  (I refrigerated mine for two days before I cut into it!) 

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Crazy, simple good recipe.  

End of story. 

Grilled Steak Salad w/Cherries, Walnuts, and Blue Cheese

I'm not sure what happened to summer this year.  It's been end of September fall-like cold for the past few days. Below normal temperatures for weeks.  It's the middle of August. It's all very wrong.  In fact the entire season has been odd, unseasonably cool and wet. I'm stomping my feet like a 2 year old in protest to Mother Nature.  Cold and wet, nope, not a fan!  But summer is NOT over yet! 

I am a huge fan of steakhouse steak salads.  But, I'm not much of a salad eater when the weather turns cold.  Since summer isn't over just yet, and they say there is more summer like temperatures in our near future, I am sharing this MOST AWESOME steak salad with you.  If you are like me and prefer to eat salads when the temperatures are up there, make this one before time runs out!

It's a very simple salad with simple ingredients that just combine so beautifully.  Tender Boston lettuce topped with grilled warm steak slices that have been marinated in some of the homemade vinaigrette, tart dried cherries, tangy blue cheese, and crunchy walnuts all topped with a zippy, super simple, red wine vinaigrette.

I realize not everyone is a blue cheese fan.  I adore blue cheese, but I do have a son that isn't so fond of it.  He replaced the blue cheese with goat cheese and said it was delicious! I also think feta would be a suitable substitute.   As for the walnuts, I used Emerald Glazed Walnuts.

We like the sweetness they give salads.  But you could substitute plain roasted walnuts or just leave them off the salad all together, and you will still have a great salad.

For the steak portion of this salad, I used a flat iron cut of steak.  I like flat iron for several reasons.  1. It's reasonably priced.  2. It cooks up quickly.  3. It's very tender.  Of course, you could substitute a flank steak cut or a sirloin cut if you choose, and it would be fine too.  Just keep in mind, the nutritional information given for this recipe is based on the flat iron cut of steak.  (To learn more about cuts of beef and how to prepare them visit this site HERE) 

If you are a fan of grilled steak salads, you MUST put this salad on your menu!  It's restaurant quality food at home for half the price.  Trust me!

Grilled Steak Salad w/Cherries, Walnuts and Blue Cheese

adapted from Allrecipes

Printable Recipe

Servings - 4   Serving Size - 1/4th of recipe   Points Plus per serving - 11 Points+

Calories -  393.1,   Total Fat - 25.4g,   Carb. - 16.8g,   Protein - 25.4g,   Fiber - 2.2g

12 oz. flat iron steak

2 TBS extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard

salt and pepper, to your liking

2 large heads of Boston lettuce, washed, spun, and torn into pieces

1/4 cup dried cherries

1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1.  In small bowl, or a small glass jar with lid, combine olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, dijon mustard, and salt and pepper.  Whisk or close lid and shake well.  Remove 3 TBS of mixture for marinade.  Cover and refrigerate the rest of the vinaigrette.  

2.  In a gallon sized zipper bag, add the flat iron steak along with the 3 TBS of vinaigrette.  Close and and put in refrigerator for about 30 minutes to 1 hour to marinade.  

3.  Heat grill pan to hot.  Remove steak from marinade and pat dry with a paper towel. Discard marinade.  Spray grill pan with cooking spray and grill steak to your liking.  We like med/rare.  Allow steak to rest for about 5 to 10 minutes once done, then cut into thin strips on an angle.  

4.  Divide the lettuce between 4 plates.  Top lettuce with 3 oz. steak strips per salad.  Sprinkle each salad evenly with the cherries, blue cheese and walnuts.  Drizzle each salad evenly with the refrigerated vinaigrette.  Enjoy! 

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I admit, this is a bit of a calorie/fat splurge with the steak-blue cheese-walnut trifeca...but trust me, it is so worth it!  I was introduced to this recipe via Allrecipes Allstar Program and the Beef, It's What's for Dinner campaign but altered the recipe a bit to my liking.  

I cannot even believe my youngest son is back to school already!!  This weekend I'll be moving in the other two college kids into their apartment.  Then what?  Um.  Maybe some free time??  Is it possible that free time actually exists?  lol  Even though all the kiddos are back to school, I refuse to believe summer is over yet.  This salad is the perfect salad to enjoy on a warm summer's eve...and I know there are still a few of those left!!  

On a side note, I have joined several other very talented food bloggers in launching a brand new recipe sharing facebook page called Save This Recipe!  If you are a blogger, and follow my blog, don't be surprised if your beautiful pictures and wonderful recipes show up on this new page.  I know a few of you are already familiar with it, but if you aren't, pop over and give it a look.  So much good food!! ( and I hope you don't mind me showing off your recipes!  If you don't want me to share your page, just drop me a message here or at my email. )  Also, feel free to like Save This Recipe so you can get updates on your Facebook feed.  I think you'll see, there is something for everyone there! 

Beef and Pasta Skillet Primavera

Beef...it's what's for dinner! Quick, easy, delicious, and HEALTHY!

Did you know that a three ounce serving of lean beef gives you?
(according to Beef. It's What's for Dinner.)

• Nearly half of the daily value for protein
  
• Less than 10 grams of fat
  
• 4.5 grams or less of saturated fat
  
• Less than 95 mg of cholesterol
  
  
  
  

Give the Beef. It's What's for Dinner website a look.  There is a really awesome interactive meatcase in the Butcher counter section, that allows you to choose the cut of beef you want and gives you an explanation of that cut, the best way to cook it, nutrition information and even recipes!   

This Beef and Pasta Skillet Primavera the perfect healthy one skillet dish when you use lean ground beef and whole grain pasta.

You can find the recipe for this dish HERE.  I only altered the recipe a bit by adding salt, pepper, and some Italian seasonings and sauteing up some onion before browning up the beef.  My entire family gave this "two thumbs up"on taste and I gave it "two thumbs up" on ease of preparation.  Serve with a garden salad for a delicious, complete and healthy meal you can have on the table in record time. (Disclaimer:  I was provided with product for this recipe via Allrecipes as part of the Allstars program.  I was not compensated in any other way.  All opinions expressed in this post are mine.)

Nutrition information for Beef and Pasta Skillet Primavera is as follows:
Servings - 4  Serving Size - 1/4th of recipe   Points Plus per Serving - 8 Points+
Calories  332,   Total Fat - 12.9g,   Carb. - 25.4g,   Protein - 28.1g,   Fiber - 3.7g

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This is the perfect dish to make your own.  For a bit of zing, substitute the Italian canned tomatoes with tomatoes with chilies and add a bit of cumin to the ground beef when browning it.  You can use any type of whole grain pasta you like.  I used farfalle...but there are so many choices for whole grain pastas out there today!  You could also play with the vegetables and either substitute other vegetables for the squash or add more to the mix, such as green or red peppers.  Honestly, the variations are almost endless.  

I was a bit skeptical on cooking the pasta along with the beef and broth in the skillet.  (I've had less than desirable results when using this method in the past)  But the liquid to pasta ratio in this recipe worked out great and the pasta was flavorful and had good texture.  

I am a fan of good recipes that cook up quick and are healthy.   How about you?