A variety of recipes for you to try

I have so many new recipes I want to share, and I’m not sure where to start or when I’ll ever get around to all of them. There are always new things to try and pass along and with the season changing to spring, that is a good time to turn over a new leaf and start cooking.

New recipes don’t have to be complicated to be good, and sometimes the simpler the recipe, the better it is. That is what we are going to look at today; simple yet tasty recipes for spring.

Coconut Pineapple Ice Cream

If you've never made homemade ice cream you have to try this coconut pineapple ice cream recipe. Pineapple coconut ice cream is refreshing and indulgent, perfect for spring!

• 4 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 can pineapple chunks
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 6 ice cream cones

Place heavy whipping cream in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. This can also be done with a hand blender with whisk attachment but will take much longer. Blend for four minutes on low speed and adjust speed going up to 6 as it thickens. Once it resembles whipped topping then it's ready.

Fold in the can of sweetened condensed milk. Then pour into a 9-inch square pan. Add in pineapple placing the chunks down into the mixture all over the pan. Top with shredded coconut.

Place in the freezer for at least six hours but best if froze overnight.

Scoop and serve!

Source: www.cookcleanrepeat.com

Blueberry Fluff Salad

• 1 (21 ounce) can blueberry pie filling
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 4 cups whipped topping, thawed
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 cups mini marshmallows
• 1 3/4 cups pineapple chunks
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• Fresh blueberries and additional sliced almonds for topping as garnish

In a large bowl, combine the blueberry pie filling, sweetened condensed milk, whipped topping, and sour cream. Mix until well combined.

Fold in the mini marshmallows, pineapple chunks, and almonds.

Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 to 45 minutes.

Garnish as desired and serve well chilled.

Source: www.myincrediblerecipes.com

Kentucky Butter Cake Cookies

All of the buttery flavors of the traditional Kentucky Butter Cake but in a cookie that is made with a cake mix.

• 1 box white cake mix
• 2 eggs, whisked
• 1/3 cup butter, melted

Glaze:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine cookie ingredients in large bowl and mix until completely incorporated. Note: Dough will be thick.

Using a medium sized cookie scoop or heaping tablespoon, scoop cookies onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for seven to eight minutes, remove from oven and let cool on cookie sheet for four to five minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. Repeat until all the dough is baked.

Glaze: Combine the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat until the sugar is dissolved, about four minutes, being sure to whisk the whole time. Spoon a teaspoon of glaze over each cookie and spread out, if necessary.

Let the glaze set and then sprinkle with powdered sugar. Keep your Kentucky butter cake cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.

Source: www.practicallyhomemade.com

Beef Tips and Noodles

• 4 cups water
• 1 package noodles cooked (Martha Gooch's Kluski noodles, 8 ounce)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil, for noodle pot
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 stick butter, for cooked noodles
• 1 rib eye steak, 6 ounces or more for a crowd
• 1 large portobello mushroom (used half of large one)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons butter
• 2 beef bouillon cubes for gravy
• 2 cups water for gravy, divided
• 2 tablespoons corn starch, for gravy
• 1/4 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet to darken gravy
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste

Note: Kitchen Bouquet can be hard to find. Gravy Master or something similar can be substituted.

For noodles, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add 8 ounces dried noodles, 1 teaspoon oil and 1 teaspoon salt after coming to a boil. Cook noodles per package directions.

In fry pan cook rib eye steak to medium-rare. Remove from pan and slice and cube to 1/4-inch by 1/4-inch.

Slice and cube portobello mushroom to 1/4- by 1/4- cubes. In a separate fry pan, sauté mushrooms in 1 teaspoon olive oil and 2 teaspoons butter over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add cubed rib eye to mushroom pan and keep warm. I had an equal amount of rib rye and mushroom.

Combine two beef bouillon cubes to 1/2 cup water and microwave for two minutes. Dissolve bouillon cubes.

Add beef broth to the pan that steak was fried in. Bring to low simmer and add 1 additional cup of water. Add 2 tablespoons of corn starch to 1/2 cup cold water and make a slurry.

At low simmer add corn starch slurry to the pan and stir and increase heat to thicken the gravy.

Add 1/4 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet to darken. Add salt and pepper to taste. Makes 2 cups.

Drain noodles and melt 2 tablespoons of butter in them and stir.

Plate butter noodles, top with steak and mushrooms and then cover with gravy.

Note: I made two single meals out of this and still have 1/2 the noodles for other offerings. I will make chicken noodle soup or freeze the remaining noodles.

You can add a 1/4 cup of sweet red wine to the gravy the last few minutes if you choose to.

You could also add 1/3 to 1/2 cup of sour cream to the gravy.

Source: www.justapinch.com

Soft and Chewey Cowboy Cookies

Classic Cowboy Cookies are made even better when they start with cold butter. These hearty cookies are full of flavor with oats, pecans, coconut, peanut butter chips and chocolate chips.

• 1 cup butter, cold and cut into cubes
• 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup old fashioned oats
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup pecans, roughly chopped, plus a few for the top
• 1/4 cup sweetened coconut
• 3/4 cup peanut butter chips, plus a few for the top
• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus a few for the top

Preheat the oven to 410 degrees.

In a large bowl from your mixer, combine the cold cubed butter and both sugars. Fitted with the paddle attachment, mix ingredients on a medium speed for about four minutes or until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla extract, continue to mix until combined.

In a separate bowl combine flour, oats, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Whisk ingredients together and then add to the butter and sugar mixture all at once. Mix until just combined. You do not want to over mix (this will heat up your butter).

Add pecans, coconut, peanut butter chips and semi sweet chocolate chips and mix until evenly distributed.

Use a 1/3 measuring cup to measure out cookies. Shape each mound of dough into a thick and round mound. Place six onto a silicone mat (or parchment) lined baking sheet.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes (mine took 12 minutes) or until the cookies begin to turn golden brown and are set. Let the cookies cool completely on the cookie sheet. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Notes: Cut the butter into cubes to be sure that it mixes into the sugars easily. Change up the add-in ingredients according to what you love. Add additional pecans and chocolate chips to the top of the cookie after it is baked for a great finished look.

Store- Store the Cowboy Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days.

Freeze- Cowboy cookies can be frozen for up to three months. It is important that the cookies are covered tightly with plastic wrap or in an airtight container.

Source: www.practicallyhomemade.com

Blackened Steak and Shrimp Alfredo

Dive into the rich flavors of Blackened Steak and Shrimp Alfredo, a luxurious dish combining tender shrimp and juicy steak with creamy Alfredo sauce, served over perfectly cooked penne pasta. It’s a hearty, comforting meal that’s sure to impress.

• 1-pound large shrimp, raw, deveined, tail removed
• 1-pound top sirloin steak, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 8 ounces penne pasta
• 1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon blackened seasoning (divided for shrimp and steak)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup 1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 small yellow onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
• 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 2 cups Parmesan cheese, freshly grated!
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Parsley, chopped for garnish

Boil penne until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water; drain the rest.

Season with blackened seasoning. Sauté in oil until opaque. Set aside.

Season and sear in butter until browned. Set aside with shrimp.

Sauté onions and garlic. Add cream, pasta water, cheese, seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir until thickened.

Mix pasta with sauce, top with shrimp and steak. Garnish with parsley.

Note: For an extra kick, adjust the amount of blackened seasoning to suit your taste. Don’t rush the searing of the steak; a good crust adds depth to the dish. Freshly grated Parmesan is key for a smooth, rich sauce.

Source: www.recipemaestro.com

Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

This classic salad recipe is always good to revisit if you haven’t made it in a while. It is so simple and easy to prepare for a few or crowd.

Chicken:

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Garlic powder to taste
• Salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Pasta Salad:

• 12-ounces (3/4 of 16 ounce box) dry penne pasta
• 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 1 cup garlic herb croutons

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

• 6 slices crispy cooked Hickory smoked bacon, crumbled
• Lemon wedges

Dressing:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
• Salt and cracked black pepper to taste

In a large bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients until completely blended. Cover and refrigerate.

Oil and season chicken breast and grill over medium heat until fully cooked, four to five minutes per side. Rest until cooled.

Cook paste according to packages' al dente instructions. Strain and run under cold water.

Drain well.

Add pasta, chicken, lettuce, croutons, cheese and crumbled bacon to a large bowl and toss.

Add desired amount of dressing and toss until combined and coated.

Serve immediately.

Source: www.myincrediblerecipes.com

Lemon Lush Lasagna

Everyone loves layered desserts and although chocolate seems to be a favorite, I really enjoy lemon. If you haven’t made lemon lush before or it has been a while, here’s a great recipe to remind you to make it again.

Crust:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup pecans, chopped finely
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

Cream Cheese Layer:

• 1 package (8 ounce) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 (8 ounce) container whipped topping, thawed

Pudding Layer:

• 2 boxes (3.4 ounce) each instant lemon pudding
• 3 cups cold milk

Top Layer:

• 1 (8 ounce) container whipped topping, thawed
• Garnish options: Zest of lemon, Lemon slices

Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13-inch-by-9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Add crust ingredients to large bowl and combine well. Press into 13x9 baking dish.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely

First Layer: Cream together softened cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Stir in zest, juice and whipped topping until smooth. Spread over crust. Place in refrigerator to chill at least 30 minutes.

Second Layer: In a large bowl, combine pudding mix and milk until smooth and creamy. Spread over cream cheese layer. Place in refrigerator to chill at least 15 minutes or until pudding is set.

Third Layer: Spread remaining whipped topping over pudding layer.

Optional: add chopped nuts, lemon zest or slices or a sprig of fresh mint among the lemon slices.

Place in refrigerator until ready to serve at least one hour. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Source: www.myincrediblerecipes.com

Have a great week, and until next time, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at news@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, MO 63702. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by Southeast Missourian staff