Pinterest just opens up a whole new world of recipe collecting, doesn't it?  You log on, see pins from people you know and many you don't of images linking to sites with topics ranging from home decor to DIY projects to travel, to fashion, to food.  I shied away from the food pins for a while, thinking that any pinned recipes would just be too much of a gamble, but after getting over that nonsense, I have something like 168 pins in my Edible Givens- Food to Try board.  This particular recipe was a Pinterest find, and quite a good one.



Don't expect a muffin here.  I did, and though I wasn't disappointed, what I was left with was more akin to baked oatmeal cups, a new trend I've seen in coffee shops and cafes.  It's dense and moist, and keeps its freshness for a couple days.  It's tasty and adaptable with different mix-ins.  It's easy, and it used ingredients I already had.  Insert "yessss!" here.  I am of course linking to the wonderful originator of the recipe in the recipe title.

Banana Oatmeal Cups with Chocolate Chips
from Greenlitebites via Pinterest

3 mashed bananas (the more ripe the better!)
1 cup vanilla Almond milk (any milk should work)
2 eggs
1 tbsp Baking powder
3 cups (240g) Old Fashion or Rolled Oats
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp (42g) mini chocolate chips

I know a woman who follows a very unusual diet.  From what I understand, she developed it after years of research and trial and error.  She invited my aunt and uncle over to her house and promptly fed them day lilies and a frozen banana, which my aunt described as being like ice cream but the only ingredient was this frozen banana that she put into one end of the machine, and out the other end came this ice cream like substance, and it was delicious.

I wasn't entirely sure what to call this post, because the chicken salad was featured in an issue of Our State magazine and was originally published in the Hopewell Heritage Cookbook.  I want to make sure that credit is given where credit is due.  Still, I don't suppose you need the proper name; just the recipe.



This chicken salad is delicious, and, aside from chopping some ingredients, comes together easily and quickly.  Here is one recipe where a mise-en-place is a huge help.  I think it's my favorite recipe so far.  I made it as is, and the one thing I may change is to not put as much celery in next time, but it's a great recipe, and it makes a ton, so it's great for parties, food gifts (provided you can keep it refrigerated), or just eating on all week.

Chicken Salad
from Our State Magazine (April 2012 issue) and Hopewell Heritage Cookbook

1 (4- to 5-pound) chicken
2 cups celery, chopped
¾ to 1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
¼ cup pickle relish
2 tablespoons minced onion (optional)
1 apple, chopped
¼ cup toasted almonds or pecans
½ cup seedless grapes, halved
½ teaspoon celery seed
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

I hesitated on whether or not to post this, because it just seems so easy; it's more of an idea than a recipe, really, but since we all get stuck in food ruts and sometimes get inspiration from other people, restaurants, etc, I decided to share.  You know, in case you were a little tired of a turkey sandwich.

Pick a tortilla or wrap of your choice.  I used a sun-dried tomato wrap.  Layer turkey, baby spinach or mixed baby greens, roasted red bell pepper strips, shredded parmesan cheese, and pesto.  Wrap up like a burrito and enjoy!

Italian Turkey Wrap
by me!
Serves 1

1- 10 inch or larger tortilla/wrap
3-4 slices deli turkey (depending on the amt of meat you like)
Handful of baby spinach of mixed baby greens (about 1/2 cup loose)
3 Tb roasted red bell pepper strips (cut into strips if whole)
1 Tb Parmesan cheese, shredded
1-2 Tb pesto

Layer all ingredients in a tortilla and wrap, folding in two ends and rolling up like a burrito.  Enjoy!

In case you don't follow a lot of food blogs and like to nerd out with at least some of the facts, Meatless Mondays is a movement created by these guys, encouraging people to eat meatless at least one day a week (particularly Monday) for better health, and a lot of food bloggers blog about it with a near religious fervor.  I ate a chicken salad croissant for lunch today, so I'll let you guess my level of commitment.  Nevertheless, I do eat a lot of meatless meals; partially because of the amazing variety cooking without meat gives, partially for health, and partially for economic purposes.



I ran across these tacos from the How Sweet It Is blog on the website/cooking community Tasty Kitchen and pinned them to my board.  I have developed a thing for sweet potatoes cooked with a Southwestern/ Latin flair, and I don't see this thing letting up anytime soon.  Drew and I really enjoyed these tacos, and they'll likely make another appearance in the Edible Givens household.



They're quick (30 minutes-ish, tops), easy, and cheap.  Oh, and most importantly- they're tasty!  They're pretty healthy too.  I'm going to link to the blog using the recipe title to where I got the recipe/idea for these tacos, but will post as I made them.  Enjoy!

Smoky Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos
from the How Sweet It Is blog

Makes 8 tacos (2-3 servings)

If you happen to be reading this on the day it was published, you're probably thinking, "uh, Lauren, it's Thursday.  Is that a Freudian slip?"  Not this time!



Last week, Christy Jordan of Southern Plate posted her first "Pie Day Friday" post, and I tried it out that same night/very next day.  Last weekend was when we celebrated my dad's birthday, and the poor man has developed lactose intolerance or an allergy to dairy to the point that he can't have anything containing dairy much at all.  For those who have ever cut dairy out of their diet, you realize how daunting this is.  It cuts out A LOT of foods, including desserts made with butter, milk, cream, etc.  How sad is a birthday without a birthday cake?  When I saw this recipe, a light bulb went off about trying to make the pudding with almond milk rather than cow milk.  I lightly researched it, and discovered that you CAN use pudding mix with almond milk, and it works great in this recipe.  My dad loved it, too, so bonus!  Tasty, easy, quick, and economical, this was a great kickoff to Pie Day Friday, so thanks Christy Jordan!



I'm posting the recipe as I made it (with the almond milk), but you can click on the recipe title to be taken to Southern Plate and the recipe as it was originally posted.  Enjoy!

Frozen Turtle Pie
adapted from Southern Plate

1- 3.4 oz box Chocolate Instant Pudding
1 cup unsweetened plain almond milk
1 lg container whipped topping (16 oz)
1- pre-made chocolate cookie pie crust
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 jar caramel topping
1 bottle Magic Shell (you'll use for garnish only)

In a large bowl, combine the pudding mix and the almond milk.  Add in 8 oz of the whipped topping and fold with a rubber spatula/scraper until well combined.

Pour approx. 1 cup of the caramel topping in the bottom of your pie shell, until it completely covers the bottom of the pie shell.  Spread about 1 cup chopped pecans, almost completely covering the caramel layer. Pour pudding-whipped topping mixture over the pecans and cover pie.  Freeze until firm, about 4 hours or overnight.

When ready to serve, spoon or pipe a border of whipped topping around the edge of the pie.  Drizzle Magic Shell and caramel topping over pie.  Sprinkle with additional pecans.

Hi!  As we transition from spring into summer, I naturally want to cook less.  This usually translates into making a lot more salads and using the grill.  Here's a recipe that you can make for another couple weeks while it's not too warm:  pan seared polenta.



I can remember my first polenta experience was in college, in the vegetarian line in the cafeteria (I went to a small school whose dining options were cafeteria or to-go counter).  While I wasn't then and still am not a vegetarian, there are a lot of times meatless dishes can be more interesting than meat-centric dishes, and in the cafeteria at my school, the vegetarian line was usually one of the most creative and tasty lines.  This dish recalls those days, when you're looking for something just a little different.



For those that are from the South and have never tried polenta, polenta is basically grits made from yellow corn rather than white.  It can be cooked to a softer consistency like grits, or it can be cooked and cooled to firm up, as in this recipe.



The recipe takes some prep and planning, but is mostly passive prep time, and the active prep is easy.  I am linking to the original recipe on epicurious.com as it was out of the January 2010 issue of Bon Appetit, but I am posting as I made it.



Pan Seared Polenta
to serve 4 adults

4 cups water
4 Tb. olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 cup polenta (coarse yellow cornmeal)
Freshly ground black pepper
Tomato based sauce of your choice

• I usually bake the polenta the night before and then will pan sear it the day I want to actually cook it
• The Bon Appetit recipe link (recipe title) also gives the recipe for a spicy tomato basil sauce.  If you promise not to judge me, I'll confess that I usually use a doctored-up jarred sauce.  Here's where you can add meat if you want.
• Serve with a nice green salad and you've got a great, lighter meal!