Bountiful Bliss

Happy Easter Everyone! I was very happy to see that we got strawberries in our baskets again this week. They just scream spring time and best of all it was Easter weekend and it is a tradition for my family to have Strawberry Shortcake on Easter Sunday. So once again the stars aligned and I knew exactly what I was going to feature for Bountiful Bliss this week. This Strawberry Shortcake is named Traditional Strawberry Shortcake for 2 reasons the first I have already shared with you, the second is that it is the real thing! None of that Strawberry Angle Food Cake that is going around masquerading as Shortcake! While it is true that this will take a bit more time than buying Angle Food Cake at the store slapping in on a plate with some sliced strawberries and cool whip and calling it Strawberry Short Cake you will find that it is really quite a simple thing to make, not to mention that it is absolutely delicious and the perfect compliment to Easter dinner.

Traditional Strawberry Shortcake

Ready Set Cook! Here is your list of ingredients. Notice that for the most part it also has quite simple ingredients that most people have on hand.

2 C.Flour

1 Tbsp. Baking Powder

3 Tbsp. Sugar

3/4 Tsp. Salt

1 C. Cold Butter

1 Egg

1/2 C. Milk

1 Lb. "Bountiful Strawberries"

2 Tbsp. Sugar (for the Strawberries)

Homemade Whipped Cream

Optional Garnish: Mint Leaves

In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients. Then cut in the butter using a pastry blender or I use a potato masher to get the job done but if you don't have either of those a fork will work, it just takes a bit more elbow grease. Just remember that you want to keep the butter cold so work quickly. This part is a bit like making biscuits. You want to break up the butter until it is about pea sized. It should look like this. Then you want to make a well in the center as shown.

Once you are at this stage, beat together the egg and the milk then pour it into your well and slowly, starting in the middle and working your way out stir until just combined. Over mixing will create too much gluten in the mixture and your shortcake will not be nearly as good. Then with a large cookie scoop, scoop the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle sugar over the tops and bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes. While that is baking thinly slice your "Bountiful Strawberries" and place them into a bowl. Then sprinkle 1-2 Tbsp. of sugar (depending on how sweet or tart your strawberries are) and set aside. This will bring out the delicious flavor of the strawberries. When the shortcakes are done set them on a cooling rack and allow them to cool. Right before you are ready to serve them make your whipped cream. To make your own whipped cream, and I highly suggest you making your own. Pour 1 pint of heavy cream into a large bowl and with a hand mixer begin to beat it on medium high speed. Then when it begins to thicken slightly add 1- 3/4 C. of powdered sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla and a dash of salt. Continue to beat until it is thick. Make sure not to make butter by over beating. Once your shortcakes are cooled and you are ready to serve them, slice them in half. Then add the strawberries to the center of your shortcakes and top with your whipped cream and garnish with a mint leave. Then prepare to dive into a bit of spring time deliciousness!

Ps. Truth be told I don't hate the imposter, I just think that it should be renamed:)

Bountiful Bliss

As I looked at my basket of goodness this week I realized that we had all of the makings of my Cheddar Broccoli Soup. Then while I was watching the weather forecast for this week, the weather man confirmed it with another rainy week. Cheddar Broccoli Soup is indeed what needed to be made with this weeks basket. This is one of the recipes in my upcoming cookbook and my son Kevin's favorite soup, so I hope that you love it as much as we do.

Cheddar Broccoli Soup

Let's get cooken'! Here is what you will need to get started. Notice that there are 4 things in this picture that came from our baskets this week... clearly it was meant to be.

6 Tbsp. Butter

*2 Medium Shallots, Diced Small

2 "Bountiful Celery Stalks", Diced Small

3 Medium "Bountiful Carrots", Diced Small

1/2 C. Flour

*1 1/2 C. Sour Cream and Chive Mashed Potatoes

*3 Cans Chicken Broth

3 C. Sharp Cheddar Cheese

2-3 C. Broccoli

Salt and Pepper to Taste

For Garnish: Chopped Chives

*Notes to the chef: You will notice in the picture that I have a shallot and a "Bountiful Onion." The original recipe calls for shallots, but you can use an onion in it's place. I do like the shallots better in this recipe but an onion works great as well. You might also notice in this picture that I have a quart of chicken stock instead of cans. It is just what I happened to have this week. But if you don't have the cans you will need about 45 oz. of chicken stalk. As for cheese when cooking with cheese the trick is the sharper the better! Bland cheese makes for bland soup. And one final thing. Don't worry about the Sour Cream and Chive Mashed Potatoes Recipe. I will post it at the bottom:) It is sooo good! I like to make this recipe when I have these babies leftover. It is always good to make extras when making these because there are a million delicious things that you can make with leftover mashed potatoes...that is if you if you have any.

Now let's really get cooken'! You want to start by melting 4 Tbsp. of Butter in your soup pot. Once your pan is hot start sauteing your veggies aka: Mirepoix as the French call it. Once they are soft add the remaining butter, as soon as that is melted add your flour and continue stirring and cooking for 1 minute. This is to make the roux to thicken your soup. When it is done it should look like this...

Once yours looks like this, add in the chicken broth and stir until it begins to thicken. Then add in your mashed potatoes and stir to combine. If you are using leftover mashed potatoes and they are cold you kind of need to break them into the soup. Next slowly add in your cheese until it is melted. Then add the broccoli to your liking, salt and pepper to taste and continue to cook until the broccoli is tender. Garnish with chives. And last but not least, to make your dinner over the top good, serve this soup with a big chunk of sourdough bread on the side, sit back and enjoy the rainy night.

Sour Cream and Chive Mashed Potatoes

3 lbs. Potatoes

Heather's Seasoning Salt

6 Tbsp. Butter

*2 Tbsp. Milk

1/2 C. Sour Cream

1/4 Tsp. Ground Pepper

3/4-1 Tsp. Salt

1-2 Tbsp. Chopped Fresh Chive

Peel and dice your potatoes into 1 inch cubes. Then cover them with water in a large pot and sprinkle "Heather's Seasoning Salt" over the top and boil them for 30 -45 minutes or until fork tender. Drain your potatoes in a colander and place them back in the pot.( I like to mash them in the same pot... less dishes makes a happier cook:) Then add in all of the ingredients except the chives and with a had mixer mix them until they are light and fluffy. Then add in the chives and mix to combine.

*Just a few more notes for the Chef: If you are using red potatoes there is no need to peel them, they are great with the skins on. But they do become a bit starchy if you over mix them so be sure not to or you will have made plaster instead of light fluffy potatoes. One last tip. If you are making these for something special adding half and half or cream in place of the milk will really dress these up.

An Organic Bountiful Experience

My good friend Chelsea took this picture of her Organic Bountiful Basket this last week for us so that we could compare. The Organic Baskets are available every other week and they are $25 instead of the regular $15. They also can be a bit less for your money as organic foods cost a bit more. However the benefits of eating organically can far out weigh the cost. For my Dad who is battling cancer eating organically has been imperative to his recovery.

Boutiful Bliss

Yeah! My first real challenge! I have seen these odd shaped squash before while watching Paula Dean, so we meet again....but this time I get to taste you. Now for a little crazy squash 101. These little babies actually go by a bunch of different names. The most common in the U.S. are Mirlitons or Chayote. They are also known as Vegetable Pear, Mango Squash and in France they are called Christophene. The use of these dates back to the Aztecs and Mayans. There are many ways that they can be prepared. In Mexican foods people like to chop them up and put them into soups and stews like potatoes. They can be eaten raw in salads or as they are beloved in New Orleans Stuffed, which is how I decided to cook them, thus they will be named Stuffed Mirlitos in true Louisiana fashion. I have to say that I was very pleasantly surprised about just how good these were. They could be eaten as a side dish or as a main dish like a stuffed green pepper.

Stuffed Mirlitons

Now that you have had your lesson for the day let's get cookin'! The first thing that you want to do is wash the Mirlitons and put them in a pot of salted water and boil them like potatoes until they are fork tender. This does take a bit of time so be sure to plan ahead. I was making them to take them to my Mom's for a big family dinner so I was making a double batch so that may be why they took so long. These took about 1 1/2 hours to cook.

Now for the stuffing this is what you will need.

"The Holy Trinity"

1/2 C. Diced Onion

1/3 C. "Bountiful" Diced Green Pepper

1/3 C. "Bountiful" Celery

1/4 C. Butter

*1-2 Cloves Minced Garlic

1/2 C. Italian Bread Crumbs

1/2 C. Parmesan Cheese

1/2 C. Lump Crab Meat

*3/4 Tsp. Heather's Seasoning Salt

2-3 Dashes Cayenne Pepper

Fresh Chives for Garnish

And of Course 3 "Bountiful" Mirlitons, Boiled and cut in half.

Once you have boiled the mirlitons let them cool and cut them in half, take out the seed (and eat it, this is the cooks treat:) Then carefully scoop out the center of the mirlitons leaving 1/4 to 1/2 inch shell and save the pulp in a separate bowl. With your hands (I tried to use a fork at first and it did not work) mash the pulp and squeeze out most of the water and set aside. Place the shells into a baking dish. Then in a saute pan melt your butter and add "The Holy Trinity," or the onion, green pepper and celery and saute until they become golden brown. Then add your garlic and cook until it becomes fragrant, *Note: I used 2 cloves of garlic and it was a bit garlicky for some, I am a fan of garlic though so I liked it but add it to your taste. Once you can smell the garlic add in all of the remaining ingredients and the reserved pulp leaving the chives out. Continue to saute until the cheese is melted. Scoop the stuffing into the Mirliton shells top with Parmesan cheese, cover with tinfoil and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until it is hot and bubbly. Then uncover and bake for 5-10 minutes longer until the cheese is melted on top. Chop up your chives, I like to use kitchen scissors and sprinkle them on top for a fresh garnish. Serve and enjoy!

*Note: You can use your favorite Seasoning Salt, I am just partial to my own. This recipe was originally my Grandma Scoville's but I added my own twist on it. It is great to use on just about everything!

Heather's Seasoning Salt

1 C. Lawry's Seasoning Salt

1/2 C. Ground Pepper

1/2 Onion Salt

1 Tbsp. Onion Powder

1/4 C. Garlic Salt

1 Tbsp. Garlic Powder

2 C. Salt

Mix all together and store in an airtight container.

Boutiful Bliss

This week we are Goin' Banana's with these Amazing Banana Pancakes with Coconut Syrup. As I was contemplating all of the delicious things that could be done with the contents of my basket this week, I noticed that I still had bananas from last week. We got so many of them last week so I thought that I would teamed them up with the ones that I got this week and make these tropical delights. The Banana Pancakes are great by themselves but topped with fresh bananas, chopped macadamia nuts and drizzled with this rich and delicious yet super easy Coconut Syrup and you will think that you must be sitting on the beach in the tropics. That is until you look out the window, like I did and realize that it is April and it is beginning to snow, again. Oh well at least I was able to escape in my mind for a few minutes and enjoy a great breakfast.

Banana Pancakes With Coconut Syrup

These are the ingredients that you will need to make the pancakes.

Oh wait, once I started cooking I realized that what these pancakes needed, was some Wheat Germ. If you haven't used Wheat Germ before it is wonderful. It adds nutty depth of flavors while also adding some great nutrients.

2 C. Flour

2 Tbsp. Sugar

2 Tbsp. Brown Sugar

1/2 Tsp. Salt

2 Tsp. Baking Powder

2 Tsp. Baking Soda

1 Tbsp. Wheat Germ

1/4 C. Melted Butter

2 Eggs

1 3/4 C. Buttermilk

1 Tsp. Vanilla

1 C. Mashed Ripe "Bountiful" Bananas

(Approximately 3 Lg. Bananas)

For Garnish:

1/4 C. Chopped Macadamia Nuts

2 Sliced "Bountiful" Bananas

Start by beating together the melted butter and the eggs. This will create an emulsion which will make your pancakes more moist and tender. An emulsion is a fancy word for making oil and water play nice and when they play nice great things happen. This is what it should look like when it is done.

You then want to slowly stir in the buttermilk. If you do this to fast your emulsion will separate and no longer play nice. When you have completely mixed in the buttermilk you will be left with this beauty. With out the emulsion this would look separated and not as smooth. The pancakes will be good still but not as good.

You then want to add in your mashed bananas and vanilla then stir to combine. Then in a bigger bowl add all of your dry ingredients and mix them together. When they are mixed together make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the well. Starting in the middle slowly stir until just combined. There will be lumps. Over Mixing will result in tough pancakes. Cook on a hot greased griddle set to 300 degrees and flip when the tops are bubbly and the sides are dry.

Now for what really sends these pancakes over the edge. The Coconut Syrup!

1 Stick Butter

1 C. Sugar

1 Can Coconut Milk

1/2 Tsp. Soda

1 1/2 Tsp. Corn Starch

1/2 Tsp. Coconut Extract

1/2 Tsp. Vanilla.

In a medium sauce pan whisk all of the ingredients together and stir over medium heat until it just begins to boil. Then remove from stove and let it cool for a few minutes. Pour over hot pancakes and top with chopped macadamia nuts and fresh slices of banana and enjoy a taste of the tropics at home.

A Bountiful Experience

Hello again! So I thought this week that I would share with you my Bountiful Experience. I have had a lot of questions about what to expect when you show up. And I have to say that I was a bit hesitant the first time as well. This has been my Bountiful Experience where I pick mine up, I am sure that the other locations are similar as well. When you get there you get in line according to your last name.

They then send you to a volunteer who sends you to two baskets one with your fruits and one with your veggies. (They also send you home with a box to recycle) Then you transfer them to your own basket and your done. As simple as that!

They also have some extra things that you can sign up for too these are some pictures of the Mexican Pack, Tortillas, Granola and Bread. From what I hear the bread is really a good and it is only $10 for 5 loaves. A steal of a deal if you ask me!

Can you say $15!!!!

Here is what I got this last Saturday. It is hard to believe that you could get this much for $15 and that it is good quality food! I have to say that these Oranges were Divine! They are the best that I have had sense I bought a bag in Arizona from a little orchard on the side of the road. AMAZING!