Chocolate Coconut Pie

Okay. Who LOVES chocolate? And who LOVES coconut? This recipe is for you. And me! LOL Thank you Pillsbury for another wonderful recipe!

Chocolate Coconut Pie

1 Pillsbury® refrigerated Deep Dish pie crust, softened as directed on box

1 can (12 oz) coconut milk

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup milk

1/3 cup cornstarch                                        

1 cup water

1 bag (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups whipping cream

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup chocolate shavings

Heat oven to 450°F. Bake pie crust as directed on box for One-Crust Baked Shell, using 9-inch glass pie plate. Cool completely on cooling rack, about 15 minutes.

In 2-quart saucepan, heat coconut milk, granulated sugar and milk to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly. In small bowl, mix cornstarch and water. Reduce heat to medium-low; stir in cornstarch mixture until thickened.

In large microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips uncovered on Medium (50%) about 2 minutes or until melted. Stir half (about 2 cups) of the coconut milk mixture (haupia) into the melted chocolate. Spread in baked shell. Gently spread white haupia on top of chocolate layer. Refrigerate pie 2 hours.

In chilled medium bowl, beat whipping cream and powdered sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Spread whipped cream over pie; sprinkle with chocolate shavings. Cover and refrigerate any remaining pie.

Expert Tips

To make chocolate shavings, pull a swivel-bladed vegetable peeler or thin, sharp knife across a block of chocolate. The curls will be easier to make if the chocolate is slightly warm (let it stand is a warm plave for about 15 minutes before cutting). Use a toothpick to lift the curls and arrange them on pie.

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Spinach Frittata

Lately it seems that I’m always on the hung for low calorie recipes. This is one of them. I don’t know where it came from. All I have is a faded newspaper clipping. But it’s a good recipe. And it’s also quick and easy. That’s a wonderful combination these days.

Spinach Frittata

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon minced onion

¾ cup liquid egg substitute

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

½ teaspoon dried oregano, crushed

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup chopped cooked spinach, very well drained

Heat oil in 8-inch skillet or omelet pan. Add onion and cook until transparent and tender.

Combine egg substitute with 2 tablespoons cheese, oregano, pepper and spinach. Mix well.

Pour egg mixture into skillet with onion and cook over very low heat until edges are lightly browned. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons cheese over top and place under broiler until cheese is lightly browned. Cut into wedges.

Makes 4 servings.

106 calories per serving.

Sunny Fruit Fiesta

This recipe comes from Healthy Meals in Minutes. It’s on one of those little cards that you get in the mail, so I figure that’s where I got it. I LOVE fruit salad. In fact, we made one this afternoon. We used yellow and red watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple, green and red grapes, apples and pears in it. Absolutely wonderful!

Both of these versions of fruit salad look wonderful. I’m especially excited to try the tropical fruit version because I love fresh pineapple.

Sunny Fruit Fiesta

1 cantaloupe melon, halved and seeded
½ honeydew melon, seeded
¼ cup superfine or granulated sugar
¼ cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 ½ teaspoons grated lime peel
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1 cup black or red seedless grapes

Using a melon baller, scoop flesh from cantaloupe and honeydew into balls; set aside.

In a large glass or ceramic bowl, combine the sugar, lime juice, lemon juice, and lime peel. Stir well to dissolve sugar. Add the cantaloupe and honeydew balls, strawberries, and grapes. Toss gently to combine.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to blend flavors, stirring once or twice.

Spoon the fruit mixture into serving bowls or hollowed-out melon halves, dividing evenly. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings.

Variation:
For a tropical fruit version, substitute kiwi slices, pineapple chunks, papaya slices or mango cubes for some of the melon balls. Add a little grated fresh ginger or ground ginger. A dash of coconut extract would also make an intriguing addition. Try serving this version in a hallowed-out pineapple half.

Tip:
A perfectly ripe cantaloupe will have a sweet, fresh fragrance. It should feel heavy for its size and give slightly at both ends when gently pressed. If the cantaloupe is soft, yellowing, or feels wet at the stem end, pass it by.

To ripen a hard cantaloupe, store it in a warm place for several days, away from sunlight. Once it is ripe, refrigerate and use within a week.

For a melon basket:
Use a non-toxic marker to draw a zigzag pattern on melon. Cut deeply into fruit along pattern, separate halves, seed, and fill with fruit.

Potatoes Rancheros Casserole

Betty Crocker packaged potatoes are always in our cupboards. They're a perfect go-to side dish that everyone loves. They're also good to have just in case you need to take a casserole somewhere with little notice or time to prepare something fancy. I found this recipe in an advertisement for their product. This makes something basic and good downright fancy after all.

Betty Crocker Potatoes Rancheros Casserole

1 package Betty Crocker Au Gratin Potatoes
2 ¼ cups boiling water
1 cup canned corn, drained
2/3 cup milk
½ lb. lean ground beef, cooked and drained
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded taco-seasoned cheese
1 tablespoon finely chopped red pepper, if desired
1 tablespoon finely chopped green bell pepper, if desired

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix potatoes, Sauce Mix, water, corn and milk in ungreased 2-quart casserole. Stir in beef and ¾ cup cheese. Add red and green pepper, if desired.

Bake uncovered 30-35 minutes or until top is golden brown. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Let stand a few minutes.

Serve with Tortilla chips and sour cream.

Oreo Cheesecake Bites

Everybody loves Oreo cookies, don't they? I sure think so. They are wonderful stand alone treats or you can use them to make a glorious dessert like this one!

Kraft is wonderful about also including kitchen tips at the end of their recipes. So be sure to check out a couple at the end. And check out their website too for more delicious recipes!

Oreo Cheesecake Bites

36 OREO Cookies, divided

1/2 cup butter or margarine, divided

4 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream

1 tsp. vanilla

4 eggs

4 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate

 

HEAT oven to 325°F.

LINE 13x9-inch baking pan with foil, with ends extending over sides. Finely crush 24 cookies. Melt 1/4 cup butter; mix with crumbs. Press onto bottom of prepared pan.

BEAT cream cheese and sugar with mixer until blended. Add sour cream and vanilla; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each just until blended. Chop remaining cookies. Gently stir into batter; pour over crust.

BAKE 45 min. or until center is almost set. Cool. Meanwhile, microwave chocolate and remaining butter in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 min.; stir until smooth. Cool slightly; spread over top of cheesecake. Refrigerate 4 hours. Use foil handles to lift cheesecake from pan before cutting to serve.How to Make Mess-Free Cookie Crumbs

Crushing cookies into crumbs can be a messy task. To keep the mess to a minimum, place the whole cookies in a resealable plastic bag. Flatten bag to remove excess air, then seal bag. Crush the cookies into crumbs by rolling a rolling pin across the bag until the crumbs are as fine as you need.

How to Neatly Cut Dessert Bars

When cutting creamy-textured desserts, such as cheesecake, carefully wipe off the knife blade between cuts with a clean damp towel. This prevents the creamy filling from building up on the blade, ensuring clean cuts that leave the edges intact.

Cheesy Carrot-Top Chicken

This is one of those recipes I tore out of a magazine. I have know idea which one. Not that it matters. It almost certainly came from an advertisement for Stove Top Stuffing. It sounds yummy and quick. Both are good things in my world.

Cheesy Carrot-Top Chicken

1 cup hot water
1 cup shredded carrots
2 tablespoons butter or margarines, cut in pieces
2 cups Stove Top Flexible Stuffing Mix
4 skinned boned chicken breast halves
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup shredded Swiss cheese

Conventional Oven:
Bring water, carrots and butter to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in Stove Top. Cover; remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes. Place chicken in greased baking dish. Top with stuffing. Mix sour cream and cheese; spoon over stuffing. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.

Microwave:
Stir water into butter and carrots to soften butter. Stir in Stove Top. Place chicken in microwaveable dish; top with stuffing. Cover dish. Cook at HIGH 5 minutes. Rotate dish half turn; cook 5 more minutes at HIGH. Mix sour cream and cheese; spoon over stuffing. Cook 1 to 2 minutes until cheese melts.

Serves 4.

Crunchy Grecian Dip

This dip is just another excuse to eat your fruit!

Crunchy Grecian Dip with Apples

1 cup (6 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1 cup sour cream, light sour cream, or plan non-fat yogurt
½ cup chopped nuts
½ cup milk
¼ cup raisins
¼ teaspoon ground allspice

Combine all ingredients; mix well.
Serve with apple slices as dippers.
Makes 2 cups.