Asparagus with citrus dressing

1 bunch of asparagus (ends trimmed)
cherry or grape tomatoes (I'm not a huge tomato fan so I don't add too many. You can add as many as you would like)
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon orange juice
1 Tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 bunch of watercress (remove stems)

Toss asparagus and tomatoes with olive oil and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread out on a baking sheet and bake at 450 degrees for about 15 minutes or until asparagus is tender and tomatoes are slightly crinkled. Mix lemon juice, orange juice, honey, mustard, and a pinch of salt in a bowl and divide the dressing in half. Coat the watercress with half of the dressing and spread out on a plate. Add the asparagus and tomatoes on top of the watercress and then drizzle the rest of the dressing on top of the vegetables.

Summer Veggies

1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 Tablespoon oregano (or 1 tsp dried)
1/2 cup white cooking wine
1 pound green beans (ends trimmed)
1 medium summer squash (you can use zucchini if you would like)
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Heat oil in skillet and add onion and oregano and cook until soft and starting to brown (about 2 minutes). Add wine and bring to a boil. Add green beans, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. Add summer squash and tomatoes and continue to cook until vegetables are tender (about 8-10 minutes more). Season with salt and pepper. It is also really good topped off with shredded parmesan cheese.

Panini's

I love a good panini and would much prefer making my own, so that I can add any type of fresh ingredient I want. I just bought a new a panini press and thought I'd try it out last night - these turned out so yummy!! Usually the best kind of bread to use is an artisan type bread with a hard crust and soft chewy inside. I like either ciabatta rolls or rosemary and olive oil loaf from Costco. And of course fresh mozzarella is always the best. Be sure to brush top and bottom of bread with olive oil before pressing. Brush inside of roll with pesto sauce and fill with whatever fresh ingredients you want. Heat in a panini press or a George Foreman grill would even work to, until sandwich is golden brown flat and cheese has melted. Enjoy!

Panini's

submitted by Liz Harrison

Ciabatta Roll

Pesto Sauce

Chicken or Portabella Mushroom

Bell Peppers

Sun-dried tomatoes

Spinach

Fresh Mozzarella

Sweetened Condensed Angel Food Cake

I am typically not a strawberry shortcake lover, but this is one version that I cannot resist. Loaded with strawberries, homemade angel food cake, and sweetened condensed milk, what is not to love. Perfect for summer BBQ's.

Sweetened Condensed Angel Food Cake:

submitted by Liz Harrison

Angel Food Cake:

2 cups sugar

1 1/3 cup cake flour(not self-rising)

1 1/2 cup egg whites (10-12 eggs)

3/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp vanilla

*Combine 1/2 cup sugar with flour and sift - set aside. In mixer beat egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar on high until medium firm peaks form. On medium speed, add the remaining 1 1/2 c. sugar and vanilla and continue to wisk until batter becomes thick and shiny. Slowly fold the flour mixture over the batter until well incorporated. (fold only about 1/4 c. flour at a time) Pour into a greased and floured angel food cake pan or bundt pan, and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Sweetened Condensed Filling:

1 can sweetened condensed milk(can use low fat)

1 container cool whip(medium size and can use low fat)

strawberries (as many as you like - sliced) I LOAD mine.

*Once angel food cake has cooled and placed onto your serving dish, combine the above ingredients and pour some of the mixture into the middle of the cake - this will make frosting the top of your cake easier so there is not a hole in the middle of the cake. You should have quite a bit of cream sauce left to spoon over each individual slice when serving. Using another (medium size) container of cool whip, frost the entire cake and top with sliced strawberries.

Homemade Pizza

We love to have pizza night at our house because everyone can decide exactly what kind they want to make. Our two favorites are always cheese and chicken pesto. We like to use fresh mozzarella (Costco is cheapest) and of course lots of Parmesan! You can either buy a store bought marinara sauce & pesto sauce or make your own. There really is no recipe to making pizza other than add whatever you think would be yummy. The chicken pesto shown has pesto, chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, and bell peppers. Enjoy!

submitted by Liz Harrison

Pizza Crust:

1 T. instant yeast

1 T. sugar

1 Cup warm water

Dissolve these together and add the following,

1 tsp. salt

2 T. oil

3 Cups flour(may need to add more)

*Mix and knead ingredients together in a large bowl, cover, and let rise. Once doubled in size, dough is ready to be made into pizzas. We like thin crust so roll out a small amount of dough onto a pizza stone that has been sprinkled with cornmeal. Brush olive oil onto the top of dough and bake at 450 degrees for just a few minutes - golden brown. Take out of oven and make your pizza as normal - sauce, cheese, toppings, Parmesan. Bake another few minutes until cheese is completely melted.

Pizza Sauce:

Garlic & Olive Oil (saute together)

1 can crushed tomatoes

2 - 3 T Tomato Paste

Basil

Oregano

Pinch of Sugar

Salt & Pepper

(I don't have specific measurements for this recipe because I just eyeball everything until I get the texture and taste that I like so this is ALL approximate.)

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

These are such a nice change from your typical "cream of" enchilada recipe and I promise you won't be disappointed! I have made these dozens of times for different groups of people and have yet to find someone who doesn't love them. Enjoy!

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas:
submitted by Liz Harrison
1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup lime juice(freshly squeezed)

1 tsp. chili powder (can spice up more if you like)

1 tsp. cumin (can spice up more if you like)

garlic clove minced

1 14oz can green enchilada sauce

1/2 cup cream

2 chicken breasts(cooked and shredded)

cheese (I like monterey or colby jack)

cilantro - for looks and garnish

*Combine in a bowl honey, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, and garlic. Add the shredded chicken and marinate (the longer the better). Mix in another bowl the green enchilada sauce and cream - set aside. In a 9x13 dish add a little of the cream sauce to bottom of dish before assembling so the enchiladas won't stick to pan. Roll as normal - tortilla, chicken mixture, cheese. Once all enchiladas are rolled, pour the remaining honey lime sauce from the chicken mixture and add it to the cream/enchilada sauce and pour over the top of enchiladas. Sprinkle(load) the top with cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Coconut Pecan Bars

Recipe for Coconut Peacn Bars:

(From Jill Lewis)

CRUST:
1/2 lb. butter
2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup corn starch
1/4 tsp. salt
Work together until mixed well then put in greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake 15 minutes @ 350'.

FILLING:
4 eggs
2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 cups chopped pecans
1 Tb. flour
2 tsp. vanilla
1 pkg. coconut
Pour filling over baked crust and bake 15 minutes @350' and 5 minutes @ 350'.

FROSTING:
1 cube softened butter
1 *oz. pkg. cream cheese
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Frost bars after they are completely cool.