Category Archives: Sara’s Recipes

Raspberry Cheese Blintzes

Posted on by
Raspberry Cheese Blintzes on a plate with a fork, napkin, and roses

Madison Park Cafe used to be a favorite brunch place for my mother and I. After they closed we really missed their amazing cheese blintzes. So a few years back, I created my own version for Mother’s Day. Now it is an annual tradition. Creamy, sweetened ricotta on the inside brightened with just a little bit of lemon zest, wrapped in a delicate crêpe and topped with fresh raspberry sauce — these blintzes make a wonderful treat for a special breakfast.

Crêpes

3 large eggs

2/3 cup milk

Continue reading →

Apple Cinnamon Trail Mix

Posted on by
Bowl with trail mix spilling out

Trail mix isn’t only for the trail. I love having this around for football parties, as a little something sweet on a cheese platter, or over the top of vanilla or better yet, cinnamon ice cream. The crystalized ginger chunks are tart bursts of sunshine on a cold autumn day.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

Continue reading →

Peach Ricotta Fruit Salad

Posted on by

This is one of my most versatile recipes. So much so, that I almost didn’t know what to call it. Is it a fruit salad? A pudding? Who cares, it’s delicious! Creamy lemon and vanilla-scented ricotta forms the bed for bright, juicy peaches that are the essence of summer flavor. Passion fruit vinegar adds a unique tropical note and olive oil and basil lend it fresh from the garden quality. I originally made this dish to have for breakfast in the summer, but spread the ricotta in a shallow bowl and top with all of the peaches and it makes a fantastic fruit salad for a picnic or BBQ.  The ricotta can be made in advance and kept for several days in the refrigerator.

Peaches

2 1/2 lbs peaches, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces

1 teaspoon sugar Continue reading →

Fresh Nectarine Pie

Posted on by

Fresh Peach Pie Slice and Pie

I look forward to nectarine and peach season all year long!  There is something about that sweet, juicy fruit that just screams summer.  In this pie, I paired an extra thick and crumbly graham cracker crust with a luxurious cream cheese topping and bright, fresh nectarines to create a perfect bite of southern comfort.  A little bit of apricot liqueur adds some crisp acidity and intensifies the nectarine flavor.  It’s sweet, salty, creamy and exactly what I want after a BBQ on a hot summer night. And if a little of that apricot liqueur ends up in your glass with it, I won’t judge!

Graham Cracker Crust

12 whole graham crackers, roughly crumbled into pieces Continue reading →

Frosé Champagne Float

Posted on by

ILCB Frosé Champagne Floats - 1 of 4

Summer is here, which means it is time for strawberries, rosé, and my birthday! For my birthday party this year I wanted to create foods that were grown-up takes on childhood favorites.  And what’s more reminiscent of childhood than ice cream floats?

For my grown-up take I started with a fruity rosé filled with notes of sweet honeysuckle, fresh strawberry and hints of lemon zest. Then I amped up all these flavors with added strawberry and lemon juice and created some wine-like complexity with star anise and vanilla bean. Top it all with champagne and it’s all the grown-up and the kid in me craves on a hot summer day!!!

Frosé

4 1/2 cups strawberries, coarsely chopped Continue reading →

Pancetta & Pea Mini Frittatas

Posted on by

ILCB Frittatas - 2 of 2

I love, love, love frittatas!!! There’s something about rich, silky eggs and melted cheese that just screams weekend brunch indulgence. But here’s my little secret, these babies aren’t just great fresh from the oven, they reheat like a dream in the microwave in just 30 seconds! I love making a big batch of them on Sundays and then having them for quick breakfasts or even breakfast for dinner (shh, don’t tell!) throughout the week. They make me feel like I’m having something hearty and nourishing even when I’m racing out the door. Salty pancetta and bright, fresh peas are one of my favorite combinations, but the only real limit to filling options here is your imagination. Just be sure whatever you use is pre-cooked.

Ingredients

1/2 cup frozen petite peas* Continue reading →

Maui Brownie Bites

Posted on by

Maui Brownie Bites

This recipe was inspired by a brown sugar buttercream truffle enrobed in dark chocolate at my favorite local chocolate shop in Seattle.  I’m not sure what it is about brown sugar buttercream that makes me think of Hawaii.  Perhaps it’s that the flavor reminds me, not of the coconut, but the rich sugary brown notes you smell in suntan lotion on the beach.

I wanted to take those flavors and bring them to something more easily made at home. These brownie bites are still rich and chocolatey. The graham cracker adds a bit of buttery, salty crunch and also makes the bites easier to remove from the muffin tin! But it’s the buttercream that takes it over the top.

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust

6 whole cinnamon graham crackers, crumbled

2 tablespoons sugar Continue reading →

Hearty Chicken Pot Pie Stew

Posted on by

 

Hearty Chicken Pot Pie Stew

Chilly winter days make me crave comfort foods like chicken pot pie, but having survived the debauchery of the holidays I want something with a slightly healthier twist.  These days healthy means something different to everyone, but for me it means ditching the simple carbs.

Hearty Chicken Pot Pie Stew

This has led me to a recent love affair with turnips, which lend this recipe a comfort food heartiness without potatoes. If you want to make this recipe really low carb, make it with cream. On the other hand, if you’re not so worried about the carbs serve it with a biscuit and it will be all your chicken-pot-pie-loving heart desires!

Ingredients

3 cups cooked rotisserie chicken, shredded Continue reading →

Whiskey Apple Cider

Posted on by


Apple Cider Whiskey HorizontalNothing warms you up on a cold winter’s night like hot apple cider with a kick of whiskey.  I first created this recipe after trying McMenamin’s Aval Pota Whiskey, a malt whiskey distilled with freshly-pressed apples from Hood River and a touch of cinnamon, at the Edgefield Distillery in Troutdale, Oregon.  If you happen to live in Oregon or Washington you can purchase this whiskey at most McMenamin’s locations. Call in advance to make sure they have it in stock. Otherwise, your favorite rye whiskey will also be delicious. This recipe easily doubles for a large crowd and can be kept warm in a slow cooker for hours, making it an ideal winter party cocktail. Continue reading →

Apple Cinnamon Bread Pudding

Posted on by

My local coffee shop makes an absolutely fantastic bread pudding. So fantastic in fact, that one day I asked the owner if he’d be willing to share the recipe.  After receiving an extremely surly, “no” in reply I decided I could make it better myself. This recipe is the result.  To me it tastes like the holidays; like warm cinnamon rolls with a little bit of sweet, tart apple pie freshness.  Not only is it the perfect festive dessert, it also makes for a wonderfully indulgent holiday breakfast. I love it because I can make it the day before and just re-heat it when I’m ready to serve, leaving me free to celebrate the season with my guests.  Continue reading →