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Category Archives: Mother’s Day

Boozy Sour Cherry Tiramisu ~ Sweet Recipe for Success for Mother’s Day

22 Tuesday May 2012

Posted by in cherries, Cooking, Dairy, Dessert, Mother's Day, Recipe

≈ 2 Comments

A few years ago, I wrote a simple post for Mother’s Day that turned this blog of mine upside down.  That recipe for Sausage and Broccoli Egg Muffins brought thousands of you to my site and fed thousands of hungry mouths.

Every Mother’s Day that follows, I try to create a new recipe that will bring joy to my mom and live up to the popularity of that initial post.  I can’t guarantee the latter, but the former is definitely true!

This year, I whipped up Boozy Sour Cherry Tiramisu ~ my adaptation of one of Italy’s most popular dessert.  You will find mascarpone and ladyfingers in my version, but the coffee is replaced with delicious sour cheerry juice, that’s not so sour! Won’t you give this one a try?  And if you are looking for more tiramisu recipes, check one made by MangoTomato with pomegranate!  But if cherries are more to your liking, you will also want to make Sour Cherry Crustless Cheesecakes ~ baked inside your muffin tin!

Boozy Sour Cherry Tiramisu



Ingredients 

1 pint whipping cream

16 ounces mascarpone cheese

1/3 cup cherry liqueur (I used the bottle of Ginja I brought from Portugal)

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

24-ounce jar pitted sour cherries

2 cups sour cherry juice

3 packs Italian ladyfingers

Directions

1.  Beat together whipping cream, mascarpone cheese, cherry liqueur and powdered sugar in a large bowl, until stiff peaks form.

2.  Drain cherry juice from the jar of cherries and combine with the other two cups of juice.  Quickly dip ladyfingers into sour cherry juice and line them on the bottom of the 9×13 glass dish.

 3.  Spread the first layer of ladyfingers with 1/3 of the mascarpone and sprinkle with 1/3 of the sour cherries.

 4.  Repeat with two more layers of ladyfingers and mascarpone, leaving the cherries off the last layer.  Cover the Boozy Sour Cherry Tiramisu with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

 
5.  Remove the cake from the refrigerator and garnish with the remaining cherries.  Eat up!

The cake gets better as it sits and the layers of ladyfingers absorb the rich, boozy, sweet mascarpone cream.  Enjoy a slice (or two) with a cup of tea or a shot of cherry liqueur!

What did you make this year for Mother’s Day?

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Roasted Salmon with Lemon and Dill

14 Saturday May 2011

Posted by in Cooking, Dinner, Fish, Mother's Day, Recipe

≈ 3 Comments

Do you want to hear my favorite fish joke?  I heard it on Jay Leno years ago, and haven’t stopped telling it since.  Ok, here we go – “What’s a fish without an i/eye?”  It is …..fsssshhhhhh 🙂  Ok, you had to be there.

Whether you love fish or a bit skittish about eating it, this is a lovely recipe for you to try.  The fish lover in you will appreciate the simple, unobstructed flavor of salmon that is gently enhanced with the acidity of lemon and white wine (the acid works quite well against the natural oily flavor of salmon).  Dill is the traditional accompaniment for salmon, and honestly, it looks quite pretty against the fish’ pink flesh.

Ingredients

Olive oil
1.5 pounds salmon fillet
salt and pepper to taste
4-6 sprigs fresh dill
1 lemon, sliced into 1/4″
1/2 cup white wine

Directions

1.  Preheat the oven to 375.
2.  Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with olive oil.  Place the salmon, skin side down, on top of the foil.
3.  Season the salmon with salt and pepper.  Lay dill sprigs on top of salmon and cover with lemon slices.  Lightly drizzle with olive oil.
4.  Pour wine around the salmon.  Fold the foil around the salmon, forming an envelope.
5.  Roast salmon until desired doneness (about 20 minutes for medium).
6.  When serving, use a spatula to separate salmon from its skin and serve with wedges of lemon.  Garnish with fresh chopped dill.

I served the salmon for Mother’s Day with Mushroom & Dill Risotto and a side of Roasted Asparagus.

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Mushroom & Dill Risotto Recipe

14 Saturday May 2011

Posted by in Cheese, Cooking, Mother's Day, Mushrooms, Recipe, Rice, Risotto

≈ 3 Comments

“I’m going to make risotto for mom!” I told my sister.  It was Mother’s Day, and I wanted to make dinner.  “Risotto?  Mom thinks it’s like a rice porridge.” she said.  “Really?  Well, I bet she just didn’t have a good risotto yet.  Perhaps I can change her mind.”  I was ready for a challenge!

I’m not sure if I changed her mind, but she did enjoy the risotto, and my dad went for seconds.
I’m not sure if I changed her mind, but she did enjoy the risotto, and my dad went for seconds.

Ingredients
 1 tablespoon olive oil + extra if needed
1 small onion or 2 shallots, diced
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
1 cup button mushrooms, quartered
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine (I used Lone Birch – the name reminded me of Russia where birches grow free and wild)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped dill

Directions



1. Heat olive oil in a medium size heavy-bottom pot, over medium high heat. Add onion, mushrooms and saute for 7-10 minutes until the onions are soft and mushrooms have browned. Remove from the pan, and set aside.

2. Bring chicken broth to a boil, lower to the heat, and keep the broth at a low simmer.

3. Add rice to the medium size pot (where you cooked onions and mushrooms). If needed, add more olive oil. Toast rice in oil for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the wine and cook until the wine evaporates.

4. Time to add the hot broth! (You really do want it hot – that will help the risotto to cook more evenly and quicker). Add only about 1 cup of broth at a time, waiting until the liquid almost evaporates before the next addition.

5. Test the rice – taste it. You want it to remain its bite, but not be crunchy. Don’t feel like you have to use all of the broth.

6. Once you are happy with the risotto consistency, add the mushrooms, cheese and dill. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve immediately!

What are your favorite risotto stir-ins?
 
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Celebrating Mother’s Day 2011 with Dinner

09 Monday May 2011

Posted by in Cooking, Fish, Mother's Day, Recipe, Risotto

≈ 3 Comments

Last year, for Mother’s Day, I made my mom mini frittatas with sausage, broccoli and cheese, baked directly inside a muffin tin.  These individual servings of eggs were a big hit with my mom and many of you out there have liked the recipe as well (thank you!)

When this Mother’s Day approached, I asked my mom what would she like me to cook for dinner.  Surprisingly, she had something else in mind – she wanted me to clean her refrigerator.  As glamorous as it might be, this wasn’t exactly my idea of fun, but since I asked, I could hardly refuse her.  
So there I was, over at my parents’ house, cleaning the refrigerator after spending 6 hours working in a busy bakery on Mother’s Day.  But the story doesn’t end there.  Afterall, I showed up to the house with a bouquet of flowers and a bag of groceries – there was dinner to be made!
(Photographing risotto turned out harder than expected).


What did you cook or eat this Mother’s day?

Mother’s Day 2010 Brunch

09 Sunday May 2010

Posted by in Brunch, Cooking, Eggs, Mother's Day, Recipe

≈ 258 Comments

Happy Mother’s Day!  (Want more ideas of what to do with your cupcake pan?  Check out my recipe for Sour Cherry Crustless Cheesecake Cupcakes with Sour Cherry Glaze)

Back to Mother’s Day though!

On the menu:
Broccoli and Italian Sausage Egg Muffins
Grilled Lemon & Garlic Asparagus
Orange Juice


Broccoli and Italian Sausage Egg Muffins

Ingredients


1 pound Italian Sausage (sweet, mild, hot variety depending on your preference)
1 cup broccoli florets
8 large eggs
1/4 cup milk (or half and half depending on how you’re feeling that day)
1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp baking powder
salt & pepper to taste
Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese as needed

Directions


1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. In a large saute pan, over medium high heat, brown Italian Sausage for about 5 minutes, or until the sausage is no longer pink. Remove from heat and stir in broccoli.
3. Whisk together eggs, milk, oil and baking powder.  Season with salt and pepper.
4. Lightly spray a 12-cupcake pan with oil.Spoon out the sausage and broccoli mixture evenly into each cupcake.
5. Ladle the egg mixture over sausage and broccoli.
6. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes. 

Here’s Mother’s Day Brunch 2011: Roasted Salmon with Dill and Lemon and Mushroom and Dill Risotto.

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