Roasted Pears and Sweet Potatoes

KELLIE BARLOW

2 sweet potatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Coarse salt
2 Bartlett pears

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Scrub the sweet potatoes. Quarter lenthwise; slice diagonally 1 1/2 inches thick. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the slices with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the mustard, ginger, and cayenne; season with coarse salt. Roast, tossing occasionally, until crisp-tender, 20-25 minutes.
2. Core and quarter the pears; halve crosswise. Add to the potatoes; toss all with the remaining tablespoon olive oil. Continue roasting until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 10 minutes more.

from Food Everyday's Great Food Fast recipe book.

Annie’s Fruit Salsa

CHELSEA KASEN

2 kiwis, peeled and diced

2 Fuji apples, peeled, cored and diced

8 ounces raspberries

1 pound strawberries

1 tablespoon white sugar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

3 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor

In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes. Serve with baked cinnamon and sugar covered tortillas, or cinnamon graham crackers.

Apple Toffee Dip

EMILIE WONG

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese softened

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 package almond brickle chips (7 1/2) or English toffee bits (8 ounces)

Beat first four ingredients together with a hand mixer. Fold in toffee chips. Serve with apples.

Roasted Pears and Sweet Potatoes

KELLIE BARLOW

2 sweet potatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Coarse salt
2 Bartlett pears

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Scrub the sweet potatoes. Quarter lenthwise; slice diagonally 1 1/2 inches thick. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the slices with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the mustard, ginger, and cayenne; season with coarse salt. Roast, tossing occasionally, until crisp-tender, 20-25 minutes.
2. Core and quarter the pears; halve crosswise. Add to the potatoes; toss all with the remaining tablespoon olive oil. Continue roasting until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 10 minutes more.

from Food Everyday's Great Food Fast recipe book.

Blackberry Pomegranate Slush

JULIE ROYLE

1 (10-ounce) package frozen blackberries
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
1 pint pomegranate juice (cran-pomegranate okay)
2 oranges, juiced
1 lemon, juiced
1 lime, juiced
8 ounces crushed pineapple

Bring sugar and water to a boil. Add other ingredients. Put in 9" x 13" pan and cover. Freeze. Remove from freezer 20 to 30 minutes before serving. When ready to serve, break up frozen slush and serve with ginger ale, Sprite, or 7-Up.

Fruit Smoothie

KATHARINE HAYNIE

12 ounces orange juice
2 cups strawberries
1 cup bananas
2 scoops orange sherbet
1 cup ice


Place juice, fruit, sherbet and ice in a blender and blend for a few minutes until ingredients are fully mixed.


IF AIR BUBBLES STOP THE INGREDIENTS FROM BLENDING, STOP THE BLENDER AND STIR THE INGREDIENTS TO RELEASE THE AIR BUBBLE. DO NOT SHAKE THE BLENDER WHILE IT IS ON THE BASE. THIS CAN LEAD TO YOUR BLENDER BEING STRIPPED.

Strawberries Wild Smoothie

ANNA JOHNSON

1 cup apple juice
1 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 cup sliced bananas
1 cup vanilla frozen yogurt
1/2 cup ice


Pour the apple juice in the blender. Add the strawberries, bananas, frozen yogurt and ice cubes. Blend until smooth.

Orange Julius

AMANDA CALL

1 (6-ounce) can frozen concentrated orange juice
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
10 to 12 ice cubes


Mix in blender and serve.

Coconut Sorbet w/ Pineapple Rings & Syrup

CAITLIN DUNCAN

1/4 cup brown sugar

4 pineapple rings

1 pint coconut sorbet

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Melt butter on medium heat in large skillet. Add brown sugar and stir consistently for 3 minutes. Add pineapple rings and cook each side 4 minutes. Meanwhile, add juice from the pineapple can if you want more syrup. After pineapple is cooked, remove skillet from heat. Place 1 pineapple ring on a scoop of ice cream and drizzle syrup over.

Creamy Blueberry Pie

CATHRYN DANIELS

3 cups fresh blueberries

1 (9-inch) deep-dish pie crust

1 cup white sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup butter

Combine 1 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, and salt. Add eggs and sour cream, stirring until blended. Place blueberries in pastry shell, and spoon sour cream mixture over berries. In another bowl, combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup flour. Cut in butter or margarine with pastry blender until mixture resembles course meal. Sprinkle this mixture over sour cream mixture and berries in the pie shell. Bake at 350° F (175° C) for 50 to 55 minutes, or until lightly browned. If desired, garnish with additional blueberries and mint leaves.

Gooey Caramel Apple Pull-Aparts

LAUREN POSEY

4 pecan crunch crunchy granola bars (2 pouches from 8 to 9 ounce box), crushed (3/4 cup)

1/4 cup chopped pecans

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

2 (17 1/2-ounce) cans large refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing

1 medium Granny Smith apple, peeled, coarsely chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)

Heat oven to 350°. Spray 12-cup fluted tube cake pan with cooking spray. In small bowl, mix crushed granola bars, pecans and 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon. Sprinkle mixture evenly in bottom of pan. In large bowl, mix whipping cream, brown sugar, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Separate both cans of dough into 10 rolls; set icing aside. Cut each roll into quarters. Stir roll pieces and apple into whipping cream mixture to coat. Spoon mixture into pan; spread evenly. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until deep golden brown. Immediately place heatproof serving plate or platter upside down over pan; turn plate and pan over (do not remove pan). Cool 5 minutes. Remove pan; scrape any remaining topping in pan onto coffee cake. Cool 5 minutes longer. Drizzle reserved icing over top. Serve warm.

Blackberry Fools

LAUREN POSEY

1 (12-ounce) jar blackberry jam (not jelly)

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup mixed fresh berries

Pass jam through a fine sieve; discard solids. With a mixer fitter with the whisk attachment, beat cream and sugar until soft peaks form. Gently fold jam into cream to form swirls. Divide mixture among 4 cups, garnish with berries, and serve immediately.

Mini Fruit Pizzas

LAUREN POSEY

1 (18-ounce) package refrigerated sugar cookies

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons frozen limeade concentrate, thawed

1/2 cup powdered sugar

10 fresh strawberries, quartered

1 kiwifruit, peeled, halved lengthwise and cut into 10 slices

1/2 cup fresh blueberries

1/2 cup fresh raspberries

Heat oven to 350°. Bake cookies as directed on package. Cool completely, about 10 minutes. In medium bowl, beat cream cheese, limeade concentrate and powdered sugar until smooth. Spread each cookie with 1 tablespoon cream cheese mixture. Arrange fruit on top of each. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate up to 2 hours.

Upside-Down Cobbler

LAUREN POSEY

1/4 cup soft butter or margarine

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup unsifted regular all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

1 (1 pound) can fruit

whipping Cream

Cream butter and sugar until smooth. Sift flour with baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to butter and sugar little at a time, alternating with milk, beating until batter is thick and smooth. Spread batter evenly in greased 9" x 9" baking pan. Pour berries or fruit and their liquid over batter. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until crust is golden brown.

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips

SARA JENSEN

1 quart strawberries

1 green apple

1 pear (very firm)

2 kiwi fruit (firm)

2 tablespoons brown sugar

Chop fruit into a small dice using food chopper. Add sugar. Mix well and serve with chips.

CINNAMON CHIPS

flour tortillas

butter (melted)

cinnamon

sugar

Cut into wedges and butter/sugar each size. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes on a baking sheet.

Easy Peach Cobbler

SARA JENSEN

4 cups sliced peaches (or 3 cans in heavy syrup)

1 cup self-rising flour

1 1/2 cups sugar, divided

1 cup milk

1/2 cup butter

Melt butter in a 2-quart casserole pan. Stir together flour and 1 cup sugar; add milk and mix well. Pour into butter, stir gently. Add peaches that have been tossed with remaining sugar (don’t need remaining sugar with canned peaches.) Do not stir. Bake 45 to 60 minutes at 350° or until sides are brown.

SO EASY AND SO GOOD! I ACTUALLY LIKE THIS RECIPE BETTER WITH CANNED PEACHES. BEST IF SERVED WITH BREYER’S NATURAL VANILLA ICE CREAM.

Frozen Berries w/ Hot White Chocolate

COURTNEY FJELSTED

1 pint frozen raspberries

1 pint frozen blueberries

1 pint frozen strawberries

1 cup heavy cream

10 ounces good white chocolate (not chips,) chopped

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, heat the cream, white chocolate, and vanilla just until the chocolate melts. Don't let the bowl touch the water. Heat the mixture until it's warm to the touch, about 110°. Place the frozen berries in one layer on 6 dessert plates and allow them to sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes to defrost slightly. Pour the hot white chocolate evenly over the frozen berries and serve immediately.

Raspberry Peach Crumb

COURTNEY FJELSTED

3 cups frozen sliced peaches

1/2 cup frozen raspberries

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup cooking oats

1/4 cup butter

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350°. Place peaches and raspberries in a small greased 9" x 13" baking dish so that they form one layer across the dish. Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl and cut together with a pastry blender until crumbs. Sprinkle over fruit. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until peaches are tender. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Apple Pie

COURTNEY FJELSTED

PIE CRUST

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons milk

FILLING

10 tart apples (I use granny smith) ~20 ounces

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 tablespoon flour

Mix crust ingredients together in a 9-inch pie dish using a fork. Stir until dough forms a ball. Pat dough with hands to form crust in pie dish.

Cut and peel apples. Slice less than 1/4-inch thick. Mix with other filling ingredients in a large bowl. Pour into uncooked pie crust (including all juices from apples.) It's important to pack the apples in tight and stack them high because they will cook down.

CRUMB TOPPING

1/2 cup butter, a little colder than room temperature

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup flour

Cut together with a pastry blender. Sprinkle over apples.

Cover a cookie sheet with foil and place pie dish on top. Bake at 400° for 20 to 30 minutes or until crumb is golden brown. Then turn down heat to 350° and bake for 50 to 60 minutes more or until apples are soft.

Fresh Strawberry Pie

COURTNEY FJELSTED

PIE CRUST

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons milk

GLAZE

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

3 tablespoons corn starch

Mix crust ingredients together in a 9-inch pie dish using a fork. Stir until dough forms a ball. Pat dough with hands to form crust in pie dish. Bake at 350° for about 15 minutes. Let cool.

Combine glaze ingredients in a saucepan and cook until thick and clear. Remove from heat. Add 2 tablespoons dry strawberry Jell-O gelatin. Cool and pour over 2 to 3 pints of strawberries that have been cleaned, cut, and placed in the baked piecrust. Chill well and serve with whipped cream.

REMEMBER THAT THE PIE LOOKS MUCH PRETTIER IF YOU PUT THE CUT SIDE DOWN FOR THE TOP LAYER OF THE PIE.