Fruit Pizza

 What's not to love about Fruit Pizza? There's a huge sugar cookie topped with creamy filling and fresh fruit and berries and a yummy glaze over all. I don't know when it first began showing up in kitchens in America, but it was given to me in the mid 1980's by a friends mother. She brought it to a church dinner and it was an instant hit. Most recipes call for purchased cookie dough, and mine did as well. But I soon decided to use one of my sugar cookie recipes instead, because it would work with a larger pan. This recipe is very popular around this area for family gatherings and pot luck dinners. It is usually the first dessert to go. I love that you can use just about any fruit or berry. My recipe has a cooked citrus glaze which not only adds a bit of sheen to the fruit, but it also keeps some fruits from turning brown. I almost always include bananas in my Fruit Pizza, and have not had a problem with them browning. But I don't think I've ever had this dessert longer than 2 days, so I don't know how much longer bananas would last. One of my favorite combinations is strawberry and Kiwis, along with bananas. This time I got a little patriotic with blueberries and strawberries. It was so yummy!

 I use my own cookie recipe and spread it evenly over the pan. I use a Baker's Half Sheet, about 17 inches by 13 inches. I just dot the pan with dough and smooth it out with my fingers. It doesn't have to look fancy, just get it to all the sides and corners. Bake for 12 minutes and cool. Then comes the cream cheese filling, then a layer of fruit, and lastly the glaze. The citrus glaze adds flavor, helps set the fruit, and helps prevent browning. I think the glaze also dresses this dessert up some. Think of Fruit Pizza as a large tart.

 I like adding lots of fruit and berries, placing them closely together. You  can do a design with the fruit or just place it randomly. It will taste fantastic either way! Use whatever fruit or berries are available. I've used strawberries, Kiwi, apples, bananas, blueberries, oranges, etc. Here's how I make Fruit Pizza. You can use your own sugar cookie recipe if preferred.

Fruit Pizza
Recipe from Lynda's Recipe Box and friend

Sugar Cookie Recipe
3/4 cup shortening, or you can use soft butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cream shortening and sugar until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until fluffy. Combine dry ingredients; add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Spread all the dough into a Half sheet baking sheet(about 17x13 in.). Bake in a preheated 350 degrees oven for 12 minutes. Cookie dough may not look done, but it will set up as it cools; don't over bake or it will be too hard. Cool completely.

While cookie bakes, make the citrus glaze.
Glaze:
1/2 cup orange juice
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Heat juices in a saucepan.. Dissolve cornstarch in water and add to the hot juices. Stir continuously and cook until thick and clear, about 1-2 minutes. Cool. Glaze can be luke-warm when used, but if it thickens too much when you try to glaze the Fruit Pizza, just warm it a little and stir and it should be easy to brush.

Make filling while the cookie and glaze cool.
Filling:
1 1/2 bars, (12 ounces) 0f room temperature cream cheese
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla and beat with an electric mixer until creamy.
(Note: If you want a thicker filling, use 16 ounces cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. )

To Assemble Fruit Pizza:
Spread the cream cheese filling evenly over the cooled cookie. Arrange fruit and berries over the filling, pressing in slightly just to set.
(I used about 1 quart of strawberries, halved, and almost 1 quart of blueberries, and 2-3 (I can't remember!), large bananas for this pizza.
Use a pastry brush to spread the citrus glaze. Topping the blueberries was a bit tricky, so I ended up dolloping the glaze on and spreading it gently.  The glaze needs to set before you cover the Fruit Pizza, so place in the refrigerator to chill, and cover in about an hour. Keep chilled until ready to serve. Enjoy!

NOTE: The cookie  layer can be baked a day ahead, if desired, and kept covered with foil until ready to assemble.

Southern Fried Apples

I have great memories of my Grandmother cooking Fried Apples many times when we went to visit her. The kitchen was filled with such a wonderful cinnamony apple aroma that would waft through the kitchen into the rest of the house. They are so quick and simple to make and are delicious with pork and poultry. Apples, cooked in butter, sugar and cinnamon-what could be better? My Grandmother occasionally served Fried Apples for Thanksgiving, and they are also delicious served for breakfast. Make a large batch though, as they are very addictive, and won't last long. My favorite apple to use are Granny Smiths, or other tart apples. This time I used Gala apples, which are a bit sweeter, so I squeezed a bit of fresh lemon over the apples as they cooked. I normally peel the apples before cooking, but was in a hurry and didn't this time. I actually prefer them peeled as the apple skins can be a bit tough after cooking. Granulated sugar or brown sugar can be used and cinnamon is a must. I cooked these for my husband and I for dinner the other night. I should have doubled the amount as my husband devoured them and I had to fight for a portion! So make plenty!

SOUTHERN FRIED APPLES

from Lynda's Recipe Box

I don't usually follow a recipe, but wrote one down this time so I could share. The amount of sugar used will depend on the type of apples used.

1 pound apples (preferably tart), peeled and cored and cut into slices

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons granulated or light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, if desired

In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. When butter is bubbly, add the sliced apples into the pan and stir until they are coated with butter. Let them cook a couple of minutes, stirring gently and then add the sugar and cinnamon which has been mixed together. Cover pan with a lid and cook for about 5 minutes. Check apples as they cook rather quickly this way. When the apples are tender, uncover and cook until the juices are thick and bubbly. If there isn't as much syrup as you would like, you may add 1 tablespoon of water to the skillet after you remove the lid, and continue cooking until thickened. Don't stir too much at this point or the apples will fall apart. Total cooking time will depend on the amount of apples you are cooking. These were done in 10 minutes, but a large pan full will take a bit longer. Remove apples to a serving dish. Enjoy!

I think they are best after they cool down a few minutes, and I even love them at room temperature.

Crockpot Applesauce

Here I have another apple post, but I was given about 1/2 of a bushel of fresh from the tree apples so I need to use them. I've had this recipe for Crockpot Applesauce bookmarked since last fall when Barbara posted it. This was the perfect time to try this wonderful recipe. Homemade Applesauce is delicious, and I like mine with a bit of tartness to it. The apples given to me were Red Delicious, which are very sweet and I rarely buy them for that reason, but I added some tart Granny Smith apples to the mix, and the applesauce was amazing. If you haven't ever had homemade applesauce, you are missing a great treat. It is so much better tasting than store bought. Here's how it's made.

CROCKPOT APPLESAUCE
adapted from Barbara Bakes

10 Red Delicious apples

6 Granny Smith apples

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

juice of 1 lemon

1/3 cup water or apple juice

Peel and core the apples and cut into large slices. Place apples in crockpot and add the sugar, cinnamon, lemon and apple juice or water. Stir. Cook on low for about 8 hours, or on high for about 5 hours. Stir a couple of times during cooking. When done, you can mash the apples or puree them to the consistency that you like. I use a potato masher on my applesauce because we like it somewhat chunky. My crockpot apparently cooks faster than some, because my applesauce was done in 3 hours. So I mashed it, placed it in a bowl and let it cool, and put it in containers in the refrigerator. I love it served cold the best. The lemon juice adds a freshness to the apples. It is tart, yet lightly sweet, with the wonderful flavor of cinnamon. It's good!

NOTE: Taste the applesauce while it is hot. If it needs more sugar, it will easily be incorporated while the sauce is warm.

Smoke-Roasted Pears

Like many people here in the U.S., we grilled yesterday for our Memorial Day enjoyment. We had the usuals, like Barbecued Chicken, hamburgers, potato salad, Cole Slaw and Baked Beans.
And we also had these amazing Smoke-Roasted Pears, which were also done on the grill. It all started Saturday as my daughter and I were watching PBS. They had an all day marathon of Steven Raichlen shows, with scenes of glorious barbecue calling to us and making our stomachs rumble. In case you don't know, Steven Raichlen wrote the Barbecue Bible, and How to Grill, and other cookbooks. My daughter really wanted to try his Smoke-Roasted Pears, so that's what she made on Monday. Oh my, They are incredibly delicious! The pears are cored and filled with a struesel like filling which when smoked, gives the flavor of a rich, smokey, caramel filling. Yum! The photos do not do these pears justice, but they are delicious!

The cored pears are put in a foil baking pan, filled with the brown sugar mixture and then put on the grill over an indirect fire. In other words, don't put them directly over the coals, or they will burn. I cooked them with the BBQ chicken, setting the pan at the far edge of the grill, opposite the chicken. Doing it this way, I had to rotate the pan a couple of times to ensure even cooking. If you cook the pears only, the coals can be placed on each side of the grill and the pears in the center. The grill is covered, and the pears were done in about 35 minutes. It will depend on the temperature of your grill as to how fast they cook. I put hickory chips on the coals, which gave Hailey's pears the smokey brown appearance. They are done when you squeeze them and they feel soft, but not too soft, and the brown sugar butter mixture is bubbly. It should take 40-6o minutes, according to the book. You've got to try these! Although we ate them alone, they'd be irresistible with vanilla ice cream.

SMOKE-ROASTED PEARS

adapted from Steven Raichlen's, How to Grill

Ingredients:

6 ripe pears- we used anjou

5 tablespoons butter, room temperature

5 tablespoons brown sugar

5 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs (or ground hazelnuts)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

juice from 1/2 lemon

To make filling:

Beat the butter and brown sugar in a bowl with a wooden spoon. Stir in the graham crackers, cinnamon and vanilla.

Prepare the pears:

1. Cut a thin slice off the bottom of each pear, so that it will stand upright in the pan without wobbling.

2. With a paring knife, cut out the stem end and remove it.

3. Using a melon baller, scoop out the core and the seeds of the pears.

4. Rub the bottoms and tops of pears with lemon juice. Squeeze a few drops of lemon juice inside each pear to prevent browning.

5. Stuff each pear with the filling and place in an oiled foil pan. Place the stem cap back on top pf the pears. Can be prepared several hours ahead, if desired.

6. Set up your grill for indirect heat. I use a charcoal grill, and I placed a handful of hickory wood chips in the coals after I placed the pears on the grill.

7. Close the grill and smoke roast the pears until browned and soft on the sides, and the stuffing mixture is bubbly. This took 35 minutes for us, but the recipe calls for 40-60 minutes. Serve immediately, if desired. Ours were served about an hour later and they were wonderful! These smoke roasted pears were to die for! We will be making these smoky, caramel flavored pears often!

Note: The recipe also calls for nutmeg, ground cloves, and 1 T. rum, but my daughter didn't want to use them. I wouldn't change a thing in her method.

Cranberry Apple Relish

Thanksgiving isn't far away and I'm planning my menu. We will only have a few at the table this year, but I still want it to be special. I love dishes that can be prepared a day or two ahead so that the day of the dinner I don't have so much to do. Cranberry Apple Relish can be made a couple days ahead of when you plan to serve it. This is a very simple relish with only five
ingredients! It can't get much easier, or more flavorful! Tart cranberries are cooked with apples and cinnamon to make a quick but delicious relish. I originally found this recipe in Country Living magazine, but I've changed it some. Hope you enjoy!

CRANBERRY APPLE RELISH- from Lynda's Recipe Box

1 12-ounce package fresh cranberries, picked over
1 1/2 pounds sweet cooking apples, I used Gala (about 4 medium), peeled, halved, cored and sliced
1 1/2 cups apple juice, or water
2 -3inch long cinnamon sticks, or 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar, or more (to taste) ;I used close to a cup
In a large sauce pan pour the apple juice or water and the cinnamon sticks. Bring to boiling over high heat. Add the cranberries and cook until most of the berries pop. Stir sugar and apples into cranberry mixture and return to boiling. Remove from heat and discard cinnamon sticks, if using. At this point, it's important to taste the relish to see if you need more sugar. The original recipe was not sweetened, relying upon the apple juice and apples to add enough sweetness. But it needs sugar, so I start with the half cup and go from there. Even with this amount of sugar, the relish will still be on the tart side. Also, the apples will cook just enough to be tender, but not mushy. Cool to room temperature and transfer to a covered container. Refrigerate. This simple, but delicious relish will thicken when refrigerated. My husband and daughter love this relish because it has only a few ingredients. Apples and cranberries, with cinnamon, are just perfect together and are delicious on the holiday table. Do you like cranberry relish?

Spicy Tilapia with Pineapple Salsa

This is one amazing meal, full of flavor, color and it's healthy and quick! What could be better? I made this for just 2 of us, but it's easy to make as much as you need. It's a fast weeknight meal, but it's special enough for company too. I did the fish in a cast iron skillet, but it can also be done on the grill with some veggies. The Tilapia is somewhat spicy, but the Pineapple Salsa really enhances the fish and adds such a freshness to the meal that leaves you wanting more! This recipe is slightly adapted from one I found at Cooking Light. Here's what you need;

Spicy Tilapia with Pineapple Salsa

For the salsa you need;

1 1/2-2 cups diced, fresh pineapple ( you may buy the fresh chunks, if desired)

1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced

1/3-1/2 cup diced Roma tomato

1/2 cup diced red onion

1-2 Tbs. chopped cilantro

2 Tbs. Rice Vinegar

Mix all ingredients, cover and refrigerate till ready to use

For the Tilapia, you need

1 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp. dried Thyme

1/4 tsp.celery seed

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/8 tsp. cayenne

Or, you can use some Creole seasoning, INSTEAD of the above seasonings, but I didn't have any, so I had to improvise. But the flavor of the fish was perfect for us. If you are going to serve rice, as I did, start it first. Heat your skillet to medium heat, with 1-2 tbs. of canola oil. Season both sides of the tilapia with the spice mix. When skillet is ready, lay the fish in the pan and cook for about 2 minutes on each side, or until the fish flakes easily when pierced with a fork. It cooks quickly, so don't leave it to do something else! When done, remove tilapia to a platter. Ahhh, it smells so good, and tastes so good! Serve with the yummy Pineapple Salsa. Here's how I served it;

I spooned some cooked brown rice on the plates and made a bed for the tilapia. Lay the fish on the rice and top with this wonderful salsa. I served it with my Oven Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Vinegar, a salad and some good bread. This was a great meal, that I'll make again, many times!

I used to be rather intimidated by cooking fish, but with easy dishes like this, I think I'm getting over it! What's your favorite fish?

Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler

First off, I need to explain my unplanned absence the last few days. My mother-in-law was rushed to the hospital several days ago, so that's where I have been. Thankfully, she was able to leave the hospital yesterday afternoon and go back to the assisted living facility where she now lives. Whew, that always scares us, as she is 89, but I guess she is tough! I am blessed to have a wonderful MIL and I have enjoyed our relationship so much!
I hope you all are having an enjoyable Memorial Day weekend! We are getting ready to visit some family graves, hopefully before the rain gets heavy! Both my Father and my FIL were World War 2 vets, so we take not only flowers, but flags to their grave sites.
Yesterday after noon, I finally got to do a little cooking; I've been wanting to make a strawberry and rhubarb pie for quite awhile, but with all the busyness, I decided a cobbler would be so much quicker. Besides that, my husband is a proclaimed rhubarb hater, so I didn't want to go to a lot of trouble, if he really doesn't like it! I told him he had to try it, to be a good example to his picky son! Well, he did have some last night with a couple of huge scoops of vanilla ice cream and he stated that it was OK. That's better than hating it! Besides, I loved this so much, that I wouldn't mind at all if I had to eat the whole thing! Hehe, all to myself! That would be fine by me! But I'm sure he'll have some more, as long as there's ice cream to have with it.

I had forgotten that rhubarb is considered a vegetable, but it is very tart so it really needs the addition of sugar to make it tasty. And paring it with strawberries is a delicious match. The leaves of the rhubarb plant are considered poisonous, so be sure to remove them before cooking! I didn't have a recipe for Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler, but I thought I remembered seeing one at Elsie's site, Simply Recipes, so I used hers, with wonderful results! I did adapt the recipe some, as I didn't have the amout of rhubarb the recipe called for, so I used more strawberries.
STRAWBERRY RHUBARB COBBLER
For the fruit mixture you need;
3 cups rhubarb pieces, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 cups strawberries, stemmed and sliced or quartered
1/2 cup sugar, (I could have used a little more, 3/4 cup total)
2 T quick cooking tapioca
1 tsp. grated orange peel, (I didn't use this)

Cobbler crust;
1 cup flour
2T. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a bowl, mix the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar and orange zest, if using and let set, or macerate for about 30 minutes.
In a another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the milk and egg together until just blended.
Pour fruit into a 8x8x2 inch baking dish. Drop the batter on top of fruit and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 35 minutes, until golden. Serves about 6. Top with ice cream or whipped cream, if desired! Delicious! If you like your fruit really sweet, you may need to increase the sugar.
Do you like rhubarb?

Strawberry and Pomegranate Smoothie

I hope everyone is doing well after these winter storms have gone through. We had lots of snow on Saturday, but it stayed warm enough that the snow melted as it fell. But I know many of you probably still have the white stuff! How much did you get? I hope this was the last winter weather for this season! Now, for a recipe. I love a good smoothie. Not only do these Strawberry and Pomegranate Smoothies taste good but it just makes me feel better knowing that I drank something that is so healthy! The folks at POM WONDERFUL contacted me to see if I would want to try their juice. Since I love Pomegranates, I was happy to try it. Pomegranates are full of antioxidants that are good for our bodies, plus they just taste so good! I love to break open the fruit and pull out those delicious juice filled seeds. I use them in fruit salads, but now we can use the juice for cooking other dishes.POM WONDERFUL is 100% pomegranate juice, no fillers at all,and it comes from California, not imported. You can find a lot of recipes and other info at http://www.pomwonderful.com/ . And, no, I'm not being paid to say this. Now, back to this yummy smoothie. I sent my daughter off to college with one this morning. She has a habit of not eating breakfast unless I put something in her hand. It was hard getting a good picture as it is so dark and gloomy outside which makes it that way inside as well. This is a very tasty smoothie, but next time I make it I'll use a bit more Pom juice. It's very easy to make, so grab your blender and get ready!

Strawberry and Pomegranate Smoothie
In a blender add:
2 ounces Pomegranate juice
1 cup of strawberries
1 6 ounce container of strawberry yogurt, that has been frozen(if desired)
1 cup milk (I used 2%)
hand full of crushed ice
Blend well, pour in glasses and enjoy!
I think that the next time we make this I'll try blueberry. It sould be really good too.
Do you ever use pomegranates in your cooking?

Fresh Fruit Salad with Apples and Pomegranate

With all of our wintry weather lately, I've been cooking lots of soups, stews, buttermilk biscuits and just all around comfort foods that we crave when it's cold outside. Yesterday I realized that I hadn't made a fruit salad since Christmas and it really sounded good. When many people think of fresh fruit salad, they think of the berries, melons and peaches of summertime. And while those are so very good, we can have fresh fruit salads in the winter also! Of course, it depends on what is available in your area. This recipe is an adaption of one I found in a 1997 Southern Living cookbook and it allows for a lot of variety. The fruit is drizzled with a light syrup made with fruit juices and keeps really well for a couple of days, unless you use bananas. Bananas taste great in this, but if you use them they will need to be removed from the salad before the next day as they will turn brown and mushy.

Fresh Fruit Salad with Apples and Pomegranate:

Ingredients for Syrup:

1. 1/4 cup sugar

2. 2 teaspoons cornstarch

3. 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

4. 1/2 cup water

5. 3 T. orange juice

6. 1 & 1/2 T. lemon juice

Combine sugar, cornstarch and ginger in a sauce pan; gradually whisk in water and juices until blended. Bring to a boil and stir constantly over med. heat until till syrup thickens, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool while you prepare the fruit.

I decide what fruit to use by what looks good in our local grocery store.For this particular salad I used 2 small Gala apples, 2 pears (one was red), 1 orange, 2 kiwi, 1 cup red seedless grapes, about 1/4/cup of dried cranberries and some pomegranate seeds. Wash fruit well and dry. For the apples and pears, I cored, sliced and cut them into chunks in a bowl. I peeled the orange and cut it crosswise into rounds and then each round I cut into fourths.The Kiwi was cut in rounds and then in half. Mix in the grapes and dried cranberries with a wooden spoon. Pour syrup into fruit and stir gently. Pour into a pretty salad bowl or into individual dessert dishes and chill until ready to serve. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds before serving. Eat and enjoy!