homemade ice cream: mint chocolate chip

I do believe in my first homemade ice cream post I mentioned that there were two no-churn recipes I wanted to try. Well that was the first and this is the second! The difference is that the first one used heavy cream mixed with confectioners' sugar and this one has heavy cream mixed with sweetened condensed milk.

Maybe one day I'll make two of the same flavors at the same time using the different recipes just to see if there's any real distance in consistency or taste. But separately I thought these both tasted delicious and like ice cream so they both win in my book.

My only complaint with both so far is that each time the texture got a little ice crystal-y in certain parts. They were still good but it could've been creamier all the way through. Neither recipe mentioned stirring the ice cream once it was popped in the freezer, but I have since heard from several people that giving a stir every so often during the initial freezing process will eliminate this problem. I already have more ingredients so I can give this theory a try!

I was excited to use one of my new Wilton gel food colors in this. I bought an obnoxious pack of a million (twelve) colors and I've been waiting to use one of them. So there's all of your ingredients, except for the chocolate, in the first photo. While your cream is whipping, combine all your flavors, colors, and chips to the sweetened condensed milk. Then add milk mixture to cream, blend well, transfer to some containers and freeze! And maybe stir periodically for good measure. :)

See the linky below for a more detailed recipe. Hope your month is starting off well!

memorial day eats

I think it was Sunday night after returning from Miami that I decided I wanted to make all the sides for our Memorial Day BBQ. I knew my parents were grilling steaks so I started going through my bookmarks and foodgawker favorites and came up with four winners. I decided on..

Pasta Salad with Homemade Italian Dressing
Baked Beans
Salsa Verde
Grilled Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus

Sadly, only three of these were made because the asparagus I bought was no bueno. I guess I was so concerned with how many were in the bunch, I didn't notice there was something very wrong with them. I grabbed a bunch, flipped it to count the bottoms since that was easier, and went on my way. When I took them out at home to get them ready, I realized the tips were all slimy and smelled like fish. :C Do you see that face back there? That is the biggest sad face EVER. I love asparagus and am infatuated with prosciutto so I was probably most excited about this dish. Oh well, another time. I was not about to fight my way through the supermarket again just to score some non-creepy asparagus.

Things that worked out just lovely however..

..the salsa verde. I had it at the only Mexican restaurant I like and Charlie loves the stuff so I thought it was a good opportunity to try it. Note: I added about half a cucumber to the original recipe because the one we had at the restaurant tasted like it had some cuke in it. Delish.

The pasta salad was also a hit. Here is the pasta mixed with the homemade dressing..


..and here is the plate of accoutrements I had on the side because I'm the only who would eat all of this. My mom would've picked out the mushrooms, my dad would've chucked the peppers, my brother would get rid of the olives, and Charlie would ditch the olives and tomatoes. So this seemed like the most reasonable option. I also had pieces of fresh mozzarella to add but they were still in the fridge at this point.


The baked beans recipe is my new favorite. Everyone agreed that they taste just like the ones in the can. Why make them yourself then? Well, because now you know exactly whats in them and it's probably healthier that way. Also, it is incredibly easy.


Add a cold, summery beer to wash it all down..

..and you're good to go.

We capped off the night with some water ice and a rousing game of iPad Scrabble in the yard by candlelight.

Sorry if you can't make that out. I didn't have my tripod outside so long exposures weren't in the cards. I still like it though. :)

Perfect kickoff to summer. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Hope your start to summer was great too!

lemon butter tilapia and orzo

I haven't done a dinner recipe in a while but this one knocked my socks off the other night so I thought I'd share. It's also a sort of lighter meal which I thought was appropriate because of the recent warm weather and all. I sort of took a Bobby Flay recipe and added a few touches of my own.

To make the lemon butter, combine white wine, scallions, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small sauce pan. Simmer until it's reduced to about half.


And have a glass of wine since the bottle's open anyway. :)
When it's reduced, mix it with melted butter and a splash of cream. Pop it in the fridge for at least a half hour.


Get your orzo cooking. When it's about halfway done, throw in some chopped broccoli. Look at it dance..


While this is going, line a baking sheet with parchment or foil and put your tilapia filets on the pan. Brush them with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper. In the oven they go!

When the orzo is done, stir in a few tablespoons of the lemon butter, some garlic, and fresh chopped parsley. Brush some of the lemon butter on the fish too. Season with salt and pepper and fresh parsley if you want.

Word of advice.. do NOT try the lemon butter by itself. I did because I'm always nervous about serving people something I've never made before. It was so incredibly sour by itself. I panicked thinking I did something wrong, but once I mixed it with the pasta and put it on the tilapia it was totally toned down and complimented everything perfectly. *Phew!!*



Lemon Butter Tilapia with Orzo
adapted from Bobby Flay

zest from one lemon
juice from two lemons
1/2 cup dry white wine
4-5 scallions chopped (white part)
1 stick butter, melted
splash of heavy cream
tilapia fillets (as many as you need)
2 cups orzo
head of broccoli, chopped
1 tsp garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
kosher salt
black pepper
olive oil

In a small saucepan, bring white wine, lemon juice, lemon zest, and scallions to a boil. Simmer until reduced to half.
Remove from heat and combine with melted butter and cream. Refrigerate for at least a half hour (can be done ahead of time).
Cook orzo according to directions. Add broccoli to the orzo water when there's about 5 minutes left.
Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil. Place tilapia fillets on pan and brush with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 15-18 minutes. Fish will be white and flaky when it's done.
Strain cooked orzo and broccoli and return to pot. Mix with a few tablespoons of lemon butter, garlic, and some of the parsley. Spread some lemon butter on the fish. Garnish fish with parsley (optional).
Plate and enjoy!



How are you welcoming the warm weather?