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Southwest Chicken Salad with Sweet Potato Fries

January 21, 2016 by MamaHarris Leave a Comment

This post is brought to you courtesy of your friends at NatureRaised Farms® & Alexia® but all the opinions and content are mine.

Around this time of year I am left craving salads morning, noon and night. After months of holiday themed comfort foods and desserts and the impending birthday season that last from January through August in our home – salads sound like the perfect alternative.

One person in my family who is wonderful at whipping up an amazing salad out of scraps is my mother in law. Her salads are always perfect. Just the right amount of everything, cut just the right size and with all the right colors. Always delicious, ALWAYS.

So one of my goals this year is to eat more salads. Try different greens and lettuce and also a variety of mix-ins. I tend to make the same type of salad often, and I want to get out of that funk. I love salads with crumbly blue cheese, so I thought that would be a great starting point. I also recently discovered the Target Cartwheel app and when I saw that both the Alexia® Sweet Potato Fries and the NatureRaised Farms® Chicken were both listed on the app for 15% off with the purchase of goods at Target, I knew I had to pick them up too for a new, epic salad.

I picked up a baby spring/baby spinach blend for the greens and thought it would pair well with the NatureRaised Farms® Southern Style Crispy Chicken Strips and Alexia® Sweet Potato Fries, along with some corn, black beans, cherry tomatoes, avocado, hard-boiled egg, avocado, and of course my beloved blue cheese crumbles. It’s sort of a southwestern Cobb salad hybrid, so I knew I had to get a bit creative with the dressing. I wanted something that complimented all of the flavors without being overbearing… but with a kick of flavor.

I played around and mixed some ranch with buffalo wing sauce and knew that was the winning combo. It was so perfect and my whole family wanted bites off my lunch plate. Score!

Now I know the salad looks tasty, but you might scrunch your nose at the idea of fries in a salad. But really, it’s no different than croutons or tortilla strips. It’s actually better though, because the fries are sweet potato fries that lend a bit of sweetness to the plate. Since Alexia® Sweet Potato Fries and NatureRaised Farms® Chicken products are both all-natural and basically farm to table products. The NatureRaised Farms® Chicken is fed a 100% Vegetarian Diet with no animal protein or bakery by-products as well as no added hormones. They are also certified by third-party independent animal welfare agencies. Alexia® Sweet Potato Fries are made with all-natural ingredients and only the best produce is harvested from the farms. Both of these items will lend a tasty approach to your salads and your dinner table!

Ingredients for Southwest Chicken Salad with Sweet Potato Fries:

3 NatureRaised Farms® Southern Style Crispy Chicken Strips
1/2 cup Alexia® Sweet Potato Fries
1 cup Baby Spring Mix with Baby Spinach
2 tablespoons black beans
2 tablespoons yellow corn
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
1 hard boiled egg
1/4 small avocado, sliced
1 tablespoon crumbled blue cheese
juice from 2 lemon wedges

Ingredients for Buffalo Ranch Dressing

1/4 cup buttermilk ranch dressing
2 tablespoons buffalo wing sauce

Directions:

Begin by preparing both the NatureRaised Farms® Southern Style Crispy Chicken Strips and the Alexia® Sweet Potato Fries according to package instructions. While they are cooking, wash and spin your greens and slice up your avocado and hard-boil your egg.

Add the greens to your plate and frame them with the Sweet Potato Fries.

Add the chicken.

Then add the black beans, corn and tomatoes.

Slice up the hard-boiled egg and add to the salad.

Then add the avocado slices.

Finish it off with the crumbled blue cheese.

In a small mixing bowl combine the ranch with the Buffalo wing sauce.

Drizzle the dressing over the salad and refrigerate the extra. Enjoy!

Southwest Chicken Salad with Sweet Potato Fries

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Yield: 1 large personal salad

Serving Size: 1 large personal salad

Southwest Chicken Salad with Sweet Potato Fries

A southwestern take on a Cobb salad, this southwest chicken salad comes loaded with flavor, sweet potato fries and a buffalo ranch dressing.

Ingredients

Ingredients for Southwest Chicken Salad with Sweet Potato Fries:

3 NatureRaised Farms® Southern Style Crispy Chicken Strips
1/2 cup Alexia® Sweet Potato Fries
1 cup Baby Spring Mix with Baby Spinach
2 tablespoons black beans
2 tablespoons yellow corn
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
1 hard boiled egg
1/4 small avocado, sliced
1 tablespoon crumbled blue cheese
juice from 2 lemon wedges

Ingredients for Buffalo Ranch Dressing

1/4 cup buttermilk ranch dressing
2 tablespoons buffalo wing sauce

Instructions

Begin by preparing both the NatureRaised Farms® Southern Style Crispy Chicken Strips and the Alexia® Sweet Potato Fries according to package instructions. While they are cooking, wash and spin your greens and slice up your avocado and hard-boil your egg.
Add the greens to your plate and frame them with the Sweet Potato Fries.
Add the chicken.
Then add the black beans, corn and tomatoes.
Slice up the hard-boiled egg and add to the salad.
Then add the avocado slices.
Finish it off with the crumbled blue cheese.
In a small mixing bowl combine the ranch with the Buffalo wing sauce.
Drizzle the dressing over the salad and refrigerate the extra.
Enjoy!

https://mamaharriskitchen.com/2016/01/southwest-chicken-salad-with-sweet-potato-fries/

Alexia® Sweet Potato Fries and NatureRaised Farms® Chicken can both be found in the freezer section of your local Target store, as shown in this photo!

Do you like to create interesting and different salads?

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of NatureRaised Farms® and Alexia®. The opinions and text are all mine.

Jumbo Raspberry Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

October 20, 2015 by MamaHarris 1 Comment

Isn’t it crazy how much our lives change in such a short amount of time? I remember about 7 or 8 years ago how my mornings would go. My husband, then my fiance, would leave to work in the wee hours of the morning before the kids and I were even awake. I’d rush every morning, throw the kids in their clothes, get presentable and take my makeup with me, drop them off at the bus stop because my commute was too long to be able to take them to school that early, and then I’d brave about an hour to an hour and a half of a commute to get to work only about 25 minutes away. All before 8:00 AM.

Breakfast? Not likely.

My mornings were so rushed, dealing with pre-teen moods, and sluggish elementary age children that wanted to drag their feet. Thankfully their schools had breakfast, but I was left rushing off to work and if I had an available few minutes I’d stop at the corner market near my work and grab some snacks. Maybe a juice and a muffin or breakfast/granola bar, then I’d head promptly to my break room at work to grab some of the coffee they offered to employees.

I often look back at those periods of my life and marvel at how rushed we always were. I’d like to think that now I’d organize our time a bit better. Have a better schedule. But you never know, it’s always easier to look at those things from a different perspective once you are no longer living that life.

Those muffins I would pick up though before work? I always chose the jumbo sized ones that were full of poppy seeds. I would leave it on my desk at work and dig my fingers in, eating a little bit at a time for hours while I worked. I don’t miss those days, but sometimes I do miss those muffins.

So much so, that months ago I attempted to recreate them. The results were disastrous, which is why you never saw them. I attempted a healthier approach, but they ended up tasting like sawdust. Maybe I’ll perfect my healthier muffins, but these… these are scrumptious. I switched up the muffin flavors a bit, they still have poppy seeds sprinkled all over, but they also include fresh raspberries and a delicious sprinkling of lemon. Yum!

What I learned from my muffin disaster months ago is that poppy seeds can tend to dry out the batter or make it dense. So instead of adding whole eggs to the creamed butter, I added just the yolks, then whipped up the whites and added them towards the end to create a lighter crumb. I also used plain yogurt (you can substitute with sour cream or buttermilk as well) and I began by making them at a higher heat for a few minutes, then lowering the temperature for the duration of the baking time. This allowed a bit of a heat shock to make the muffin tops puff quickly so you have a beautiful, round topped muffin to enjoy, just like the ones I used to buy.

Even though my mornings now look a little bit different and our family has grown to now include two more kids and two dogs, I’m still able to enjoy my favorite kind of muffins in the same manner while I work (from home). In fact, I’m digging in now as I type this up. Delish!

Ingredients for Jumbo Raspberry Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
zest of 2 lemons
2 large eggs, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/3 cup all purpose flour
1.5 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons poppy seeds
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup fresh raspberries, rinsed and patted dry
raw sugar for muffin tops

Directions:

Begin by creaming the butter on low speed, then slowly add in the sugars. While adding sugars, also add the zest.

Add egg yolks, then vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds.

While continuing to mix on a low speed, slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. The mixture will be almost crumbly in texture.

Once mixture begins to come together, add the yogurt, then the lemon juice.

Remove mix from mixer, then beat the egg whites in a separate bowl on high until frothy and thick.

Fold egg whites into mix with a spatula.

Then fold in raspberries.

Line your jumbo muffin pan with jumbo sized liners, spray lightly with baking spray. Add muffin mix to each liner, they will be full almost to the top. Sprinkle with raw sugar

Bake for 5 minutes at 400 degrees, then lower the temperature to 350 degrees and set the timer for about 25-30 minutes, depending on your oven. Once tops are golden and a toothpick comes out clean, then they are done! Remove from oven and let cool just a bit.

You can also remove the muffins from the pan after a few minutes and let cool on muffin racks.

These are delicious served warm, either with a bit of butter spread on or even as is. They also taste just as good all the way cooled down, perfect for grabbing on the go for a snack or quick breakfast!

Enjoy!

Jumbo Raspberry Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Prep Time: 8 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 43 minutes

Yield: 6 jumbo muffins

Serving Size: 1 jumbo muffin

Jumbo Raspberry Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Big, jumbo size bakery style raspberry lemon poppy seed muffins. It's a classic flavor with a big twist that you're sure to love!

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
zest of 2 lemons
2 large eggs, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/3 cup all purpose flour
1.5 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons poppy seeds
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup fresh raspberries, rinsed and patted dry
raw sugar for muffin tops

Instructions

Begin by creaming the butter on low speed, then slowly add in the sugars.
While adding sugars, also add the zest.
Add egg yolks, then vanilla extract.
In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds.
While continuing to mix on a low speed, slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet mixture.
The mixture will be almost crumbly in texture.
Once mixture begins to come together, add the yogurt, then the lemon juice.
Remove mix from mixer, then beat the egg whites in a separate bowl on high until frothy and thick.
Fold egg whites into mix with a spatula, then fold in raspberries.
Line your jumbo muffin pan with jumbo sized liners, spray lightly with baking spray. Add muffin mix to each liner, they will be full almost to the top.
Sprinkle with raw sugar
Bake for 5 minutes at 400 degrees, then lower the temperature to 350 degrees and set the timer for about 25-30 minutes, depending on your oven. Once tops are golden and a toothpick comes out clean, then they are done!
Remove from oven and let cool just a bit.
You can also remove the muffins from the pan after a few minutes and let cool on muffin racks.
These are delicious served warm, either with a bit of butter spread on or even as is.
They also taste just as good all the way cooled down, perfect for grabbing on the go for a snack or quick breakfast!
Enjoy!

https://mamaharriskitchen.com/2015/10/jumbo-raspberry-lemon-poppy-seed-muffins/

What do your own mornings look like?

Red Dawn – A Three Ingredient Cocktail

June 11, 2015 by MamaHarris 5 Comments

Last year I shared a seasonal cocktail that’s perfect for the holiday season and leads right into NYE festivities. I hinted at another cocktail I frequently make that’s been a favorite since I was a college student with a part time job as a cocktail waitress. Even though that seems like many moons ago, one of my favorite drinks is still the one that was named after me, the Red Dawn.

See, back then I loved to change up my appearance. I went from brown to blond to red in a matter of two months, and I showed no signs of slowing down. At this particular time, my hair was a bright and fiery red and I had a lot of fun as a redhead. At that time some of the bartenders were making up different cocktails named after each employee, and one of them came up with the Red Dawn – after me and my hair.. and probably the movie!

Anyway, this is a three ingredient cocktail comprised of Southern Comfort and lemon-lime soda – a 1:2 ratio over ice with a splash of cranberry juice. It’s sweet and tastes amazing, and surprisingly strong! My kind of drink, completely.

The drink stuck with me, it’s my favorite go-to cocktail and I’ll play around and add different cranberry juice mixes for a bit of change and recently I tried it with the Southern Comfort Bold Black Cherry for variety and loved it. You can switch it up if you like a bit of a stronger cocktail to a 1:1 ratio or if you like it milder you can try a 1:3 ratio of Southern Comfort and soda. However, you have to promise me to try it at least once. It’s my namesake, after all!

Ingredients:

2 oz Southern Comfort Bold Black Cherry
4 oz lemon-lime soda
splash of cranberry juice (about a tablespoon)
lime wedge (for garnish)

Directions:

Fill your glass with 2-3 ice cubes, then add the Southern Comfort first.

Add the lemon-lime soda..

Then a splash of your favorite cranberry juice.

Top with a lime wedge and a stirrer or straw and serve after mixing it up.

Enjoy!

Red Dawn - Three Ingredient Cocktail

Prep Time: 3 minutes

Total Time: 3 minutes

Yield: 1 cocktail

Serving Size: 1 cocktail

Red Dawn - Three Ingredient Cocktail

Meet the Red Dawn - a three ingredient cocktail comprised of Southern Comfort, lemon-lime soda and cranberry juice. Sweet and strong, sure to be a new fave!

Ingredients

2 oz Southern Comfort Bold Black Cherry
4 oz lemon-lime soda
splash of cranberry juice (about a tablespoon)
lime wedge (for garnish)

Instructions

Fill your glass with 2-3 ice cubes, then add the Southern Comfort first.
Add the lemon-lime soda..
Then a splash of your favorite cranberry juice.
Top with a lime wedge and a stirrer or straw and serve after mixing it up.
Enjoy!

https://mamaharriskitchen.com/2015/06/red-dawn-a-three-ingredient-cocktail/

What are some of your favorite summertime cocktails?

Ginger-Lemon Honey Roasted Carrots

March 24, 2015 by MamaHarris 1 Comment

Alright guys, today I come with a simple side dish that’s (in my opinion) just perfect for the season.

Have you ever tasted roasted carrots? Oh my, the first time I tried them I was smitten. They were just sooo good. I didn’t know carrots could taste like that! Now, of course I love my carrots. I’ve served them on a platter for parties with some form of ranch dip, and of course I’ve cut them up and added them to a pan when making a roast or peeled them into strips to put in a salad. Carrots are good, and I’m a lover of good food. But oh man, roasted carrots? If you haven’t tried it yet, you are surely missing out!

When I made roasted carrots the first time, I cut them into little strips that were all uniform in size, rubbed melted butter all over them and seasoned them with salt and pepper. Super simple, amazingly good.

However, I wanted to make some that would be a great side dish for the season (hint:EASTER!) and would be really pretty to serve on a platter. I started with a small batch, but you can absolutely double or triple the recipe how you deem necessary. This is for one single and simple bundle of carrots found in your local organic department. At my stores the only carrots they sell that still have the leaves and stems are organic, I just love those carrots tops they remind me of cartoons I used to watch a child.

Now I really wanted to play with the sweetness in the carrots that roasting brings out of them. So I definitely wanted to use lemon and ginger, but I also added a bit of garlic and honey, in addition to butter and olive oil combined. The result? Sweet, tender and super flavorful carrots that you can serve as a side to many a main dish (like my baked chicken or my cabbage rolls), or you can cut them up and combine them with any recipe you desire.

Ingredients:

1 bunch of organic carrots
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon (about 3 cloves) garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 lemon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Begin with your bundle of carrots, wash and dry and get them ready on a cutting board.

Cut the tops off, leaving about an inch or so on the top, then peel the carrots with a vegetable peeler.

Add the melted butter, olive oil and honey to a mixing bowl and include the ginger, garlic, salt and pepper.
Cut the lemon in half, and squeeze one half into the mixture being careful not to let any seeds fall in.
Whisk it all together until mixed well.

Toss the carrots in the mixture, using a brush if necessary. Lay the carrots on a baking sheet and pour any of the remaining mixture on top, include the ginger and garlic pieces.

Slice the second half of the lemon into thin slices, and place them on top of the carrots.
Roast in oven for about 25-30 minutes, or until soft.

Your kitchen will smell lovely.

Arrange on a platter and serve. Enjoy!

Ginger-Lemon Honey Roasted Carrots

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ginger-Lemon Honey Roasted Carrots

Drizzled with honey, butter, olive oil and lemon then rubbed with ginger and garlic, these roasted carrots are full of flavor! Simple and delicious!

Ingredients

1 bunch of organic carrots
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon (about 3 cloves) garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 lemon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Begin with your bundle of carrots, wash and dry and get them ready on a cutting board.
Cut the tops off, leaving about an inch or so on the top, then peel the carrots with a vegetable peeler.
Add the melted butter, olive oil and honey to a mixing bowl and include the ginger, garlic, salt and pepper.
Cut the lemon in half, and squeeze one half into the mixture being careful not to let any seeds fall in.
Whisk it all together until mixed well.
Toss the carrots in the mixture, using a brush if necessary. Lay the carrots on a baking sheet and pour any of the remaining mixture on top, include the ginger and garlic pieces.
Slice the second half of the lemon into thin slices, and place them on top of the carrots.
Roast in oven for about 25-30 minutes, or until soft.
Your kitchen will smell lovely.
Arrange on a platter and serve. Enjoy!

https://mamaharriskitchen.com/2015/03/ginger-lemon-honey-roasted-carrots/

What is your favorite roasted vegetable?

Blueberry Coconut Shortcakes

January 22, 2015 by MamaHarris 3 Comments

Disclosure: I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council. I received a stipend to facilitate my purchase for my review as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

Can you guess what my favorite kind of berry is? I’ll give you a hint, it’s not that common one that’s in or on everything.

It’s blueberries! Did the photo at the top give it away? Whether it’s choosing yogurt flavors, or deciding which fruit to add to parfaits and cereal, blueberries are my enthusiastic go-to choice.

I love that there’s (usually) no stems to remove, no messy seeds, and they pack a powerful punch full of fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, including Vitamin C, Vitamin K and manganese which makes them a great choice for meeting nutrient needs. Not only that, they taste great and their flavor blends so well with many other foods.

I know blueberries are associated with summertime as far as fruits go, but thankfully South American imported blueberries are available in grocery stores during America’s off season (October-March) so we can have access to juicy plump blueberries all year round.

Even though I like my blueberries fresh, I occasionally pick them up from the frozen section for smoothies or even muffins. These are great alternatives if you can’t find them fresh.

One of my favorite ways to start my day off right is with a bowl of rice cereal, almond milk, and a handful or two of blueberries. I get just the energy I need without feeling overstuffed and full. I know, I know, the food blogger with all those recipes really just enjoys a bowl of cereal for breakfast? Yup, I do.

Sometimes those simple things make all the difference. I’ve committed to eating a bit healthier this year, so easy changes like snacking on some blueberries for some much needed extra Vitamin C during those winter months can make all the difference.

Another one of my bad habits is that I tend to not snack between meals. Sometimes I just get so busy that I’ll forget to munch on something to keep my body energized. However, one of my favorite healthy snacks is a bowl of fresh blueberries tossed with some pomegranate arils. The combination is delicious and those colors are so luscious. It’s also surprisingly filling!

The U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council website hosts a variety of tips on how to make eating blueberries a part of your lifestyle as well as a ton of recipes in which you can incorporate blueberries, which can be found here.

I decided with all that healthy snacking and simple breakfasts that I’d take it a step further by making a variation of a classic berry shortcake. Since I prefer blueberries over that other, more common berry – why not make a blueberry shortcake?

Of course, I had to get a little fancy and add some other flavors so I infused the homemade whipped cream with some lemon zest and extract, and then I created a fairly simple shortcake recipe and mixed it up by adding a bit of coconut to it. The result was a moist biscuit with tons of flavor that had just the right amount of strength to not get overly soggy by the sauce.

The blueberry coconut shortcake with lemon infused whipped cream – oh, it’s heaven. Now, this isn’t your typical spongecake shortcake. This is a classic shortcake that’s more similar to a biscuit.

And you know what? It’s got only a handful of ingredients. Of course, you can make it healthier by using unsweetened coconut, a sugar substitute or even honey or agave instead of sugar in the blueberry sauce.

Sometimes I feel like I’m making little changes just by making desserts like this from scratch, and having a small biscuit sized shortcake helps too. Those little changes are what makes the big difference in the long run, am I right?

Coconut Shortcake Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1.5 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup shredded coconut
1-2 teaspoons melted butter
1-2 teaspoons coarse sugar

Lemon Infused Whipped Cream Ingredients:

1.5 cups heavy whipping cream
5 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Blueberry Sauce Ingredients:

2 cups fresh blueberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Directions:

Begin by preheating your oven to 400 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Lightly blend them all together, then slowly add the cream. Using a pastry cutter, mix the ingredients together just until mostly wet. Add the extract, then mix in the coconut. The mixture will be crumbly.

Using an ice cream scoop (for size) drop batter onto a lined cookie sheet. Lightly roll the dough into a ball shape, then lightly brush the tops with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake in preheated oven for about 12-15 minutes, or until tops of biscuits are golden.

While they are baking, make the blueberry sauce. Just combine the blueberries and sugar in a saucepan and mix lightly with a wooden spoon until the white sugar is gone and the blueberries have reduced in size a bit and have become a bit more saucy. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Combine the ingredients for the whipped cream, and mix on high for a few minutes, or until stiff peaks are formed.

Once the biscuits have cooled, cut them in half (as best as you can).

Add some blueberry sauce, then top with whipped cream and the top piece of the biscuit, then serve. Enjoy!

Blueberry Coconut Shortcakes

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Blueberry Coconut Shortcakes

Need a break from the usual? Try these blueberry coconut shortcakes with lemon infused whipped cream for a special treat!

Ingredients

For the Coconut Shortcake:

2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1.5 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup shredded coconut
1-2 tablespoons melted butter
1-2 teaspoons coarse sugar

For the Lemon Infused Whipped Cream:

1.5 cups heavy whipping cream
5 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest

For the Blueberry Sauce:

2 cups fresh blueberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Instructions

Begin by preheating your oven to 400 degrees.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Lightly blend them all together, then slowly add the cream. Using a pastry cutter, mix the ingredients together just until mostly wet. Add the extract, then mix in the coconut. The mixture will be crumbly.
Using an ice cream scoop (for size) drop batter onto a lined cookie sheet. Lightly roll the dough into a ball shape, then lightly brush the tops with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Bake in preheated oven for about 12-15 minutes, or until tops of biscuits are golden.
While they are baking, make the blueberry sauce. Just combine the blueberries and sugar in a saucepan and mix lightly with a wooden spoon until the white sugar is gone and the blueberries have reduced in size a bit and have become a bit more saucy. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Combine the ingredients for the whipped cream, and mix on high for a few minutes, or until stiff peaks are formed.
Once the biscuits have cooled, cut them in half, add some blueberry sauce, then top with whipped cream and the top piece of the biscuit. Serve.
Enjoy!

https://mamaharriskitchen.com/2015/01/blueberry-coconut-shortcakes/

How do you like your blueberries?

Speaking of little changes, I have another surprise for you. The U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council is hosting a sweepstakes where you can enter to win a trip for two to LA for the Little Changes Kitchen Challenge with actress,author and TV host Alison Sweeney.

Here’s more info:

Runners up may win one of four $500 Whole Foods or Lululemon gift cards for a refreshed pantry or workout wardrobe! Choose little, win BIG. Hurry!
Sweepstakes opens on January 1, 2015 and closes February 16, 2015!
Enter here

You can find more information on these little blue dynamos on facebook, twitter, instagram and pinterest.

Slow-cooked Lemon-Orange Chicken in Gravy

June 2, 2013 by MamaHarris 4 Comments

In my part of the country it’s been pretty hot lately. Matter of fact, this past few days has been forecasted to reach the triple digits! When it’s that hot, the last thing I want to do is turn on the oven for anything. I like the kind of recipes where you just prepare and go. This is when my slowcooker gets utilized a lot!

It’s the perfect companion for this type of weather, sometimes you use the stove-top to sear your meat, but other than that the only preparation is preparing spices and seasonings and probably cutting up some vegetables. Perfect for me!

I’ve had a busy weekend with two graduations and record high temperatures. I decided to make a tasty meal for my family that can cook away while I was busy tending to life. I opted to create a chicken recipe that had a summery feeling. Loaded with oranges and lemons as well as garlic and seasonings with a touch of sweet white wine, I felt I’d found my ideal dinner.

I was off to shop for my ingredients and needed a whole fryer chicken to separate into pieces for this meal. I decided to head over to my nearest Smart & Final located in Pleasanton, California to shop, and I found the twin pack for First Street Brand Whole frying chicken. The packaging boasted that they are 100% natural, with no artificial ingredients, no additives, no preservatives, and naturally processed. Wonderful! I picked up my twin pack and I was set to get my busy weekend started!

First Street Whole Frying Chicken will be on sale at Smart & Final for just $.89/lb beginning on June 5th! Check out your local Smart & Final and pick some up. I always love picking these up whenever I see them on sale, because they’re so versatile. You can usually make a few meals out of them, and these are great because they are part of a twin pack. If you’d like to see a variety of recipe ideas and sale items, check out the community page for Smart & Final. #ChooseSmart!

I used one chicken for my recipe and froze the other one to be used at a later time. For this recipe I used basic ingredients that I typically have on hand, and served the chicken and gravy with the roasted garlic, lemon and oranges over whole wheat spaghetti that was lightly tossed in butter and olive oil. It was a family friendly meal, that appealed to everyone.

Ingredients:

One 4-5 pound fryer chicken, separated into legs, thighs, wings, and breast
3 cloves garlic, minced – plus one head garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons dry thyme, divided
1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper, plus extra to season
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup sweet white wine (moscato is a good choice)
1-2 large lemons, cut into pieces
1 large orange, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon dry rosemary
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Directions:

Start by washing the chicken and patting it dry.

Once chicken is clean and dry, divide the chicken into 8 pieces. Legs, thighs, breasts, and wings.

Mix the minced garlic, lemon pepper, salt, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and 1 teaspoon of dry thyme in a bowl. Rub the seasoning mixture all over the breasts and thighs, then save the rest for the legs and wings. Be sure to get the seasonings under the skin as much as you can too.

Once the chicken is seasoned, sear it over medium-high heat in a large pan. Add a little extra lemon pepper seasoning while it’s being seared. Sear both sides, just until golden. This locks the seasonings and flavor in before beginning the slow cooking process. Once done, set the pan aside, you will need the seasonings and remaining ingredients later!

Now arrange the chicken in the slow cooker. Wash the lemons and orange before cutting into wedges.

Peel a whole head of garlic and add the whole garlic cloves into the slow cooker on top of the chicken with the lemon and orange wedges.

Deglaze the pan with the white wine. Stir it up, then add chicken broth, orange and lemon juice to the pan, along with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Mix in 1 teaspoon dry thyme, dry rosemary and sugar. Mix well.

Once the mixture is all combined, pour it over the chicken, garlic and fruit.

Cover the slow cooker and set to high heat for 4-6 hours. Your house will smell AMAZING!

Once done, the fruit will have a roasted look to it, and the garlic will be soft.

Scoop out the chicken and put in serving dish, adding the garlic, lemon and oranges on top.

Now take the liquid, and heat it in a saucepan. Add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and whisk quickly until dissolved. Serve gravy with the chicken.

Serve the chicken over noodles, garlic, orange, lemon and all. Then drizzle with gravy.

I used whole wheat spaghetti noodles and tossed in butter and a touch of olive oil.

Enjoy!

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Lemon-Blueberry Pie with Ginger-Lemon Shortbread Crust, thanks to Walkers Shortbread!

May 22, 2013 by MamaHarris 5 Comments

Disclosure: I am a Blog Ambassador for Walkers Shortbread. I was provided free product to try and was not compensated for this post. All thoughts are my own.

About a month ago I was contacted by a Walkers Shortbread representative to be one of a few select bloggers chosen to represent their product by being a Blog Ambassador. My first reaction? Flattered!

Of course I’m familiar with Walkers Shortbread products, I’ve seen them in the cookie aisle at most stores as long as I can remember. Who could miss the Scottish tartan plaid on the packaging?

I decided to do some more digging on the company I’d possibly represent, and became even more impressed with them and especially flattered that they chose me as one of the bloggers to represent their brand!

Company Information

The family-owned company still bakes its shortbread, traditional cookies, cakes, oatcakes and puddings in the secluded village of Aberlour in the Highlands of Scotland. The company was founded in 1898 by Joseph Walker, and continues to be actively run by the Walkers family.
Walkers Shortbread is the leading brand of food exported from Scotland.

Ingredients

Walkers’ classic shortbread is made from only four pure and simple ingredients: butter, flour, sugar and a pinch of salt. Walkers Shortbread uses the very best ingredients that it can procure for its recipes.
Our Shortbread is baked with no genetically modified ingredients, artificial colors, flavors, preservatives or hydrogenated fats.
No bovine growth hormones or antibiotics are given to the free range grass fed dairy cows that produce the rich, creamy milk that becomes the butter used in our shortbread recipe.
100% vegetarian; no animal fats are used in Walkers Shortbread recipes.
Walkers shortbread, cookies and oatcakes are certified Kosher OUD by the Orthodox Union.
Walkers Shortbread products are sold in supermarkets and gourmet, specialty, drug, club and on-line retailers nationwide and via the company’s website (www.walkersus.com).

In addition to all of that (as if it’s not enough!) they have also had a successful partnership with the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®). This is especially impressive for me, because I am a dog owner and dog lover. We own dogs that are misunderstood and do get mistreated, so I feel this partnership is a dream! I’ve talked many times about how I prefer to make things from scratch, less preservatives and additives and to find a company that’s been around as long as they have, and still uses pure ingredients and keeps it handmade is my kind of people!

As a Blog Ambassador, I will receive shipments of product with a theme. I can create recipes using these products and share them with you. I will also have contests, giveaways, and coupon codes that I get to share as well! Doesn’t that sound fun!? Stay tuned, at the end of the post I have a limited time coupon code to share! Take a look at the special Pinterest board Walkers has set up for the various recipes their Blog Ambassadors share!

Once I received my first shipment, I was impressed by the variety of flavors. This is their Spring shipment, “Sweet Celebrations for Mother’s Day and Spring”. I get to taste these delicious cookies and think up some recipes that would be great for Mother’s Day and Spring! The flavors are:

Shortbread Fingers
Shortbread Highlanders
Raspberry Thins
Chocolate Chip Shortbread
Vanilla Shortbread
Lemon Thins
Stem Ginger Shortbread

They all sounded so amazing, I didn’t know where to start. After a lot of self-restraint (and hiding these gems from the kids!) I decided to make a light dessert that tastes decidedly Springtime-ish (is that a word?).

I decided to pair the Lemon Thins with the Stem Ginger Shortbread cookies to make a pie crust. The filling would consist of lemon and blueberries. How much more Spring can you get than that?

Since the cookies are simple with few ingredients, I decided this recipe should be no different. It’s easy to put together, requires very little baking, and it’s light and sweet with all the flavors complimenting one another. The pie should be chilled 24 hours before it’s cut into, this gives the flavors a chance to combine and balance each other out. The texture is similar to a cheesecake, right down to the crust. I like that the little chunks of ginger add something special to this dessert.

Ginger-Lemon Shortbread Pie Crust Ingredients:

1 box (12 cookies) Walkers Shortbread Lemon Thins
1 box (12 cookies) Walkers Stem Ginger Shortbread Cookies
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 cup melted butter

Lemon-Blueberry Pie Filling Ingredients:

2 large egg yolks
1 (14 ounce can) condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1-1/2 cups fresh blueberries (about 9 ounces)

Lemon Infused Whipped Cream Ingredients:

1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
zest from 1 lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees.
Place both boxes of cookies in a bowl (or food processor, blender, whatever way you decide to crumble them). I used a bowl and just crumbled by hand, since they are shortbread and soft, they were easy to get to a fine crumb.
Once it’s crumbly, take 2 tablespoons of the shortbread crumbles and reserve, this will be used to sprinkle over the finished product.

Once crumbled mix the two flavors of cookies together well. Add the sugar, then the melted butter.

Now mix the butter well into the sugar and cookie crumbs, being sure that all crumbs are the same texture.

Press the shortbread crumbs into a pie plate, making sure it’s even all around.
Bake in the preheated oven for 5-8 minutes, just until golden.
Set aside to cool while you prepare the filling.

Now reset the oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, add the can of condensed milk and then the egg yolks.
Whisk thoroughly (D-Man decided to help me).

Now add the lemon juice and lemon zest, and continue to whisk together until well combined.

Now, add the fresh (and rinsed) blueberries, folding them gently into the mixture.

Pour the mixture into the crust and spread so it’s even.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. The filling will be firm, similar to a cheesecake.
Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. This serves well the next day, so give 12-24 hours to chill.

Shortly before it’s ready to serve, prepare the whipped cream. Combine the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and lemon zest. Beat on high until stiff peaks form.

Serve with a dallop (or two) of the lemon infused whipped cream, a sprinkle of the shortbread crumbs and use a lemon wedge and a few blueberries as garnish.

The Ginger-Lemon Shortbread Crust was divine, and a perfect compliment to the Lemon-Blueberry Filling.

Enjoy!

I have a limited time exclusive promo code #KMHSPRING which, for a limited time only, will give you 20% off your purchase made at www.walkersus.com, excluding sale items. This promotion will remain active until May 24, 2013.

Roasted Artichokes

August 31, 2012 by MamaHarris Leave a Comment

It’s no secret that one of my favorite ways to make vegetables is to roast them. Roasting brings out so much of the natural flavor in veggies, without boiling away much of the good and healthy nutrients. Sometimes all you need to roast is just a little olive oil or butter or margarine, and some salt and pepper and maybe another spice or two. Just enough to enhance the natural flavors of the veggie you’re making.

Artichokes are one of my favorites. Fortunately for me, I grew up in California where artichokes are abundant. In my house we always steamed them, then they were served in a bowl where we would pick them apart and dip them liberally in mayonnaise until you get to the choke, which you scrape away to get to the best part. The artichoke heart. Yum! What kid doesn’t love to play with their food?
I know some people think there’s so much work involved in eating an artichoke, and you just get a little bite out of each leaf, but it’s just so fun! And they’re oh, so good!!

As I’ve grown in my cooking style, I’ve discovered I love to roast rather than steam my veggies. So I came across this recipe, to roast artichoke halves and couldn’t wait to try it. It’s definitely a keeper. The added bonus is that little piece of roasted garlic! Delish! And the lemon slices are tasty as well!

Ingredients:

3 artichokes, about 3 – 4 1/2 inches wide
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 large ripe lemon
6 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons butter or margarine

Directions:

Break off small outer leaves that are close to the stem. Slice off the artichoke tips that are in the center of the artichoke. With scissors cut the sharp tips off each leaf. Trim the stem and remove any stringy pieces. Cut the dark part off the very end of the stem. Then cut all the artichokes in half, to make 6 halves. Rinse all the artichokes and pat dry.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Choose a 9×13 baking dish.
You want the artichokes to fit pretty snugly without too many spaces or the juices will burn.
Pour the olive oil in the bottom of the dish, then the thyme. Roll each artichoke half all over the oil on both sides. You can even use a brush to brush the oil and herbs on with to make sure it’s nicely coated. Cut 6 thin slices of lemon, place each clove of garlic into the cut center of the artichoke with the lemon slice over it, then place them in the baking dish cut side down with them lemon on the bottom of the dish and the artichoke covering. Cover dish in foil, place in oven for 40 minutes or until outer leaves on top are tender.

Once done, transfer the artichokes cut side up onto a serving dish.
Place the butter and squeeze remaining lemon into baking dish with the remaining oil and thyme. Place dish back into the oven, uncovered until butter melts. Once done pour mixture over the artichokes and they are ready to serve. They are good as is, or you can serve with some light Mayonnaise or if you have another dipping favorite for artichokes.

Sprinkle with a little salt and serve. Enjoy!!

Mama Harris’ infamous 7-Up cake!!

July 14, 2012 by MamaHarris 173 Comments

I love baking, and I love buying new baking “toys”. Shortly after I purchased my bundt pan I was very excited to make new sweets and try new recipes. I have quite a few recipes under my belt that my family loves, but this cake takes the top spot. Especially with my husband, so that’s a plus! Even my mother in law loves this, and she’s not especially partial to cakes at all.
This is a fairly easy recipe, and the wonderful thing about bundt cakes is you can slice them thin like bread, or thick like cake. My husband likes to throw a few slices in with his lunches whenever I make this, which is fairly often.

Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

Cake:

1 and 1/2 cups butter
3 cups white sugar
5 eggs
3 cups all purpose flour
3 teaspoons lemon extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup 7-up (or other lemon/lime flavored soda)

Icing:

1and 1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons lemon extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Cream together the butter and sugar for about 10 minutes with your mixer set to medium low. Add eggs, one at a time while continually mixing. Then add flour, lemon extract and vanilla extract one at a time. Once mixed (without overmixing), fold in your 7-Up with a spoon.
Pour into a well greased bundt pan, and bake at 325 degrees for about 60 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
Once pan is cool enough to maneuver, flip over onto cake dish and then drizzle with icing while still warm.

Mama Harris’ infamous 7-Up cake!!

Ingredients

For the Cake:

1 and 1/2 cups butter
3 cups white sugar
5 eggs
3 cups all purpose flour
3 teaspoons lemon extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup 7-up (or other lemon/lime flavored soda)

For the Icing:

1and 1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons lemon extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Cream together the butter and sugar for about 10 minutes with your mixer set to medium low.
Add eggs, one at a time while continually mixing.
Then add flour, lemon extract and vanilla extract one at a time.
Once mixed (without overmixing), fold in your 7-Up with a spoon.
Pour into a well greased bundt pan, and bake at 325 degrees for about 60 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
Once pan is cool enough to maneuver, flip over onto cake dish and then drizzle with icing while still warm.

https://mamaharriskitchen.com/2012/07/mama-harris-infamous-7-up-cake/