Cooking Method: Baking

Rosemary Pecan Raincoast Crackers

My friend Kay sent me this recipe for these Rosemary Pecan Raincoast Crackers. This copycat version is spot on. They are so easy to make and satisfying. Made in one bowl, with no mixer, these taste just like the original at a fraction of the cost. Kay gave me the tip to go to a market that has bulk bins of nuts, seeds, etc., like Sprouts.

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Orange Kiss-Me Cake

The Grand Prize-Winning Recipe from the 2nd Pillsbury Bake-Off in 1950 was “Orange Kiss-Me Cake.” Mrs. Peter Wuebel (Lily) of Redwood City, California came up with a classic winning recipe and won $25,000 for her idea. That is a hell of a lot of money in 1950! I wasn't actually born yet, my parents were about 12 years old... The reason I made this cake was because we had a spontaneous dinner party for about 10 people (at someone else's house) and we happen to have an enormous orange tree that produces a ridiculous amount of the juiciest oranges. The recipe is very bizarre, in that you grind up an orange with walnuts and raisins and make a sort of paste to stir into the cake batter. I made this cake with a raised eyebrow and it turned out to be the hit of the party. Who knew such a blast from the past vintage recipe could cause so many rave reviews?

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Hot Cuban Dip

Last week, I made Hot Reuben Dip and this week, it's Hot Cuban Dip. It captures all the flavors of the iconic Cuban sandwich in a dip. It's made with a creamy base of cream cheese and mayonnaise, studded with chunks of ham, Swiss cheese, and tangy pickles, and baked until bubbly and golden brown.

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Mojito Cake

This Mojito cake is one of my absolute favorite cakes. It's refreshingly light and captures the essence of the classic Cuban cocktail. It combines an angel food cake base with crushed pineapple, lime juice, and rum. The topping features a creamy blend of softened cream cheese, frozen limeade concentrate, powdered sugar, rum extract, and cool whip (yes, cool whip!). It's then adorned with coconut, lime zest, and fresh mint.

I recently catered a Cuban themed dinner party, which is one of my favorite menus and this was the cake I served, which got rave reviews.

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Creamy Lemon-Parmesan Chicken Casserole

This Creamy Lemon-Parmesan Chicken Casserole is delicious and kind of a more elegant version of what my family calls Nancy Drew Casserole (officially called Hannah Gruen's Chicken and Rice Casserole), which is basically shredded chicken, mushroom soup, uncooked rice and water. Anyway, back to this much more flavorful version, which uses shredded chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken), broccoli, and orzo, which is enveloped in a creamy lemony sauce and topped with toasted panko.

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Hot Reuben Dip

My nephew Will was visiting from the UK. He loves reuben sandwiches, so I made him this Hot Reuben Dip. It's a combination of corned beef (I couldn't find any so I used pastrami), cream cheese, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, sour cream, ketchup, and spicy brown mustard. It's baked in the oven and served with rye or pumpernickel. It was delicious.

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Tex-Mex Style Lasagna

I made this Tex-Mex Style Lasagna which is a great option if you're short on time and low on energy. It’s so easy to throw this together for a busy weeknight meal. It’s taco style ground beef, with corn, black beans layered with tortillas and cheese. It was a big hit with my family.

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Spinach Artichoke Dip Pizza

Spinach Artichoke Dip Pizza is a delicious and unique twist on the classic pizza. It combines the creamy, cheesy goodness of spinach artichoke dip with a pre-made pizza dough. It makes a great party appetizer. I used Trader Joe’s Rectangular Pizza Crust or you can use Boboli. It's so easy and so good.

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Healthy Yogurt Marinated Chicken Breast

Healthy Yogurt Marinated Chicken Breast is very versatile. I can be eaten hot or cold. You can add it to a sandwich, wrap, salad, pasta, etc. I have included 3 different ways to make it - in the oven, air fryer or on the grill. This is the perfect thing to have in your fridge for lunches throughout the week.

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Tater Tot XLNT Chili Casserole

My late mother-in-law always served albondigas soup and tamales on Christmas Eve, which we do every year. She always served an XLNT chili brick for a topping. I never really thought about using it any other way, until we read the inside of the packet. It's basically a base to make your own chili, by adding peppers, beans, etc. I decided to try this Tater Tot XLNT Chili Casserole (actually my husband Eric made it!).

Starting out as a push cart on the side of Southern California roads, XLNT became a popular lunch time meal for some of California’s earliest residents. It was Californians’ love for the recipe that allowed XLNT to be one of the first tamales to be distributed and sold directly to grocery stores.

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