Asian Lettuce Wraps. {winner!}

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Asian Lettuce Wraps from Michelle:

(from Mels Kitchen Cafe who adapted it from Our Best Bites)

yield 6-8 servings

2 tsp vegetable oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp fresh minced ginger

1 1/2 lbs ground turkey (Michelle used 1 pkg which was 1.25 lbs)

1 cup minced mushrooms (Michelle used white button mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms)

1/4 tsp salt

1 8 oz. can water chestnuts, minced

1/2 cup minced green onions

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tsp sesame oil

1 lemon, zested, then juiced

1 tsp hot sauce

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

1 head of iceburg lettuce

*dipping sauce recipe to follow

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot add minced garlic and ginger. Saute for a minute just until fragrant and then add in the ground chicken, minced mushrooms and salt. Cook until turkey or chicken is cooked through.

Add in the water chestnuts and green onions. Cook for a few minutes. Add in the soy sauce, sesame oil, juice and zest from the lemon, and hot sauce. When everything is cooked through, remove from heat and stir in the cilantro.

To serve, carefully separate the whole leaves from the lettuce. Wash the lettuce leaves and wrap them in paper towels and put them in the refrigerator so they are cold and crisp when serving. Spoon filling onto the lettuce leaf and then roll it up and serve with dipping sauce below- or any other favorite Asian dipping sauce.

Lettuce Wrap Dipping Sauce (We just use Ponzu for dipping sauce)

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/8 cup seasoned rice vinegar

1 Tbsp fresh minced ginger

2 Tbsp chopped green onions

Combine all ingredients and serve with lettuce wraps.

Strawberry Lemonade Slush.

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Strawberry Lemonade Slush from Kelly:

6 lemons

2 cups of ice cubes

1 cup sugar

3 cups water

7 frozen strawberries

Squeeze the lemons. Strain the juice to remove seeds. Put all ingredients into blender and blend to make a slush.

JOIN THE CLUB from Wraps.

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JOIN THE CLUB from Wraps from Jenn:

4 uncooked bacon slices, diced

1/2 cup chopped avocado

1/2 cup chopped tomato

1/3 cup finely chopped red onion

2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil

1 tsp fresh lime juice

Kosher salt

Pepper

1/4 lb thinly sliced smoked turkey

1 cup firmly packed chopped arugula (or lettuce you like)

Two 10 or 11 inch flour tortillas

Cook bacon until crispy and brown, about 5 minutes, cool on towel - lined plate. Combine the avocado, tomato, onion, basil, lime juice and bacon in a small bowl. Season with kosher salt and pepper to taste. Spread desired amount of avocado on tortilla, leaving at least a 1-inch border around the edge. Top with turkey and arugula and wrap.

Sticky Chex Mix.

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Sticky Chex Mix from Shalee:

1/2 box rice chex cereal

1/2 box golden grahams

1 cup Karo syrup

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup butter

slivered almonds

coconut

Mix cereals, almonds and coconut together in a large bowl and set aside. In a pan on the stove bring to boil, butter, sugar and Karo syrup. Stir frequently and let boil for a couple minutes. Remove from stove and pour over cereal mixture stirring well to evenly coat.

Fruit Pizza.

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Fruit Pizza from Jocelyn:

Crust:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

cream together in mixing bowl, then add

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 Tbsp cream of tartar

2 3/4 cup flour

Grease cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes

Filling:

15 oz cream cheese, softened

1 1/4 cups sugar

5 Tbsp pineapple juice from can

Top with fruit and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Corn Dip.

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Corn Dip from Jenni:

2 cans Shoepeg corn

1 can Mexicorn

1 bunch green onion

2 T mayo

1/2 cup shredded cheese

salt and pepper

chili powder

Fritos corn chips

Drain corn, chop onion, mix everything together and then add salt and pepper and chili powder to taste. MUST eat with Fritos corn chips.

Coconut Cake with Lemon Curd and Cream Cheese Frosting.

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Coconut Cake with Lemon Curd and Cream Cheese Frosting from Brittany:

(recipe from Stephmodo)

Layered Coconut Cake

1 cup butter, room temp (2 sticks)

1 3/4 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons good quality vanilla (anything from Madagascar is awesome!)

3 cups cake flour, sifted

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup coconut milk

1/2 cup sweetened, dessicated (shredded) coconut

Lemon Curd

Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting (see below)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter 3 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Butter the surface of the parchment paper as well. Lightly sift flour all over the sides and bottoms of the pans before tapping out any excess. Set aside.

In a large bowl, sift the cake flour before adding the baking powder and sea salt. Whisk the three dry ingredients together and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer place the softened butter. Cream the butter on low speed, gradually increasing to medium speed. Once light and fluffy, add the sugar; beat until light and fluffy (this should take about 3 minutes or less). Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition. Add the vanilla and mix for an additional minute.

With the mixer on medium-low speed, alternate adding the flour mixture and the coconut milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Divide the batter between the 3 buttered/floured pans. Bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until ever-so-lightly browned on top. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and cool for ten minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and continue to allow them to cool on the wire rack.

Once cooled, place one cake on a cake plate and start layering. I started with the lemon curd, toasted coconut and then frosting, repeated each time.

Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1 8-ounce packages Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese, room temperature

1 tablespoon good-quality vanilla extract

2+ cups powdered sugar

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese at high speed until light, about 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla, then the confectioners’ sugar; beat at low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.