Happy Friday! My week went by extra quickly because Matt and I just got back from a mini vacation in Chicago! Neither of us had been before and it was an awesome food-packed, sites-packed, relaxing whirlwind of a trip. We did so much walking that neither of us can feel our feet and of course we ate all the food. Deep dish pizza, Chicago hot dogs, doughnuts, pierogies, steak; you name it, we probably ate it. Below are just a couple photos from the trip. Maybe one of these days I’ll get around to creating all my travel food posts, but in the meantime let’s talk about this Dirt Fudge.

Dirt Fudge is chocolate fudge loaded with Oreo cookies and gummy worms. I know, crazy, right?

Normally I only make and think about fudge during Christmastime. In fact, I think before this I had only ever eaten it around the holidays. But smooth and rich chocolate fudge is delicious year-round!

I wanted to make a version that would seem more summer-appropriate so I took inspiration from this summer’s most popular dessert on the blog – Aunt Elaine’s Dirt Cake.

If you want an easy, fun summer treat to make and eat with your kids this summer then this Dirt Fudge is exactly what you need. What is more fun than gummy worms?

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

Dirt Fudge

 

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Yield: 64 pieces

Ingredients

• 1 ounce Baker's unsweetened baking chocolate
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• One 12-ounce bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 14-ounce can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 10 Oreo cookies, crushed, plus more for topping
• 10 gummy worms

Directions

1. Line an 8" x 8" pan with wax paper with some overhang so it’s easy to pull the fudge out of the pan. It is easier if you crunch up the wax paper in your hands then smooth out into the pan.
2. Melt the butter and unsweetened chocolate in a medium nonstick saucepan over low heat, stirring regularly with a heatproof spatula to make sure the chocolate doesn’t burn.
3. Pour in the sweetened condensed milk and stir to combine. Let the mixture get a little warm then pour in half the bag of chocolate chips. Stir to help melt. Once partially melted add the rest of the bag of chocolate chips and stir until fully melted, being sure to scrape the bottom as you stir. Stir in the vanilla extract and remove from the heat. Add the crushed Oreo cookies and stir to combine.
4. Pour half the chocolate mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top with the spatula. Top with the gummy worms then pour over the remaining half of the chocolate mixture, smoothing the top. Top with additional crushed Oreos. Refrigerate until the fudge is set; I usually let mine set overnight. Carefully pull the fudge out of the pan using the wax paper overhang, place on a large cutting board and cut into bite size squares with a clean, sharp knife. I usually cut mine into quarters and then cut each quarter into 16 pieces to get 64 pieces. You will need a sharp knife to cut through the gummy worms.

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Lauren Uncategorized 1 Comment

Look at this sizzling skillet of juicy pork chops and caramelized peaches! Ugh, this meal was so good. Both Matt and I decided we would love to have these Skillet Balsamic Pork Chops with Feta and Basil along with the Summer Peach Greek Quinoa Salad every week this summer.

Of course that will never happen since I’m always too busy trying out new recipes, but I’m determined to fit it into our busy meal schedule at least a few more times this summer because I already cannot wait to eat it again.

This was my first time cooking bone-in pork chops and I was super impressed with how flavorful and juicy they were being cooked in our cast iron skillet. The pork chops get a nice sear on the stove-top before adding in an easy sauce of balsamic vinegar, honey and oregano that gets thickened as the pork chops cook. Fresh peach slices are added to the skillet and then the whole dish is broiled in the oven so the peaches can get caramelized.

Final touches include some salty feta and sweet basil and you have yourself a drool-worthy, company-worthy and easy dinner. I was skeptical of how the finished dish would taste since I had previously tried a peach and chicken dish that I did not care for, but the peach and pork combination is a definite winner.

If you don’t have a cast iron skillet you can use any oven-safe pan instead, or you could sear in a pan then transfer to a baking dish for the broiling portion, but I highly recommend getting yourself a cast iron skillet so you can easily make stove-top to oven dishes like these Skillet Balsamic Pork Chops, this Strawberry Dutch Baby or this Caramelized Onion and Apple Dip. I hope you all enjoy this meal as much as we did!

Skillet Balsamic Peach Pork Chops with Feta and Basil

 

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Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

• 2 bone-in pork chops, about ¾” thick
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 peaches, pitted and sliced
• ⅓ cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
• Feta, for topping

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Season both sides of the pork chops with salt and pepper. When the olive oil is hot, add the pork chops and sear both sides for 3-4 minutes each. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F.
2. While the pork is cooking, whisk together the balsamic, honey and oregano. When the pork has 2 minutes left in cooking time, pour the balsamic mixture over the pork. Remove from the heat when the pork has reached 145 degrees F and add the peaches. Broil the skillet for 4-5 minutes or until the peaches are lightly charred. Top with the basil and feta before serving.

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Lauren Uncategorized 2 Comments

I’ve been sharing a lot of appetizer and dessert recipes lately, but I have a whole bundle of dinner recipes that I cannot wait to post here on Lemon & Mocha. Matt and I have definitely been living the good life with our meals the last couple of weeks! I’ve done a lot of experimenting in the kitchen and I’m sharing the very best ones with you all this month.

One of these dishes is this Summer Peach Greek Quinoa Salad. I can’t get enough of fresh fruit all summer long, but one that I look forward to the most are juicy, sweet peaches. Last year summer had passed by and I had only managed to share one peach recipe on the blog – these Raspberry Peach Turnovers with a Fresh Raspberry Glaze. So I immediately started brainstorming peach recipe ideas for this summer.

I have a few peach dessert recipes already here on Lemon & Mocha so my mind went the savory route and I got this idea in my head of a Greek quinoa salad with peaches in it. Of course since I thought of it after peak peach season was over I had to wait until this summer to test out of my creation.

The verdict? SO good. The ingredients are simple; quinoa, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, feta and a quick homemade Greek vinaigrette plus the sweet peach twist. This Summer Peach Greek Quinoa Salad doesn’t have to be a dinner dish as you could certainly serve it for lunch or as a side at a barbecue, but Matt and I had it along an incredible pork dish that I’ll be sharing on Wednesday and it was pure perfection!

What summer fruit do you look forward to the most?

Summer Peach Greek Quinoa Salad

 

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Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa (or 3 cups cooked)
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• ¾ teaspoon dried oregano
• ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¾ cup cherry tomatoes, halved (about 12-13)
• ¼ red onion, minced
• ½ English cucumber, small diced (about ⅔ cup)
• 1 fresh peach, pitted and diced
• ½ cup feta crumbles
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Combine 1 cup uncooked quinoa with 2 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool; the quinoa should be cooked and the water should be absorbed.
2. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, dried oregano and garlic powder. Season with salt and pepper.
3. In a mixing bowl, toss together the cooked quinoa, tomatoes, onion and cucumber. Add the dressing and toss to combine. Gently stir in the diced peach and feta crumbles. Add more feta if desired.

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Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments

Ever since Matt and I went to Seattle in 2013 I’ve been a sucker for any chocolate cherry combination. While we were there on vacation we did a food tour of Pike Place Market and one of the vendors they introduced us to was Chukar Cherries. They source their cherries right in the state of Washington and make all kinds of cherry goodies. It began an instant love affair and Matt and I have ordered deliveries from them several times just to satisfy the occasional craving that still pops up six years later.

Their chocolate covered cherry treats single-handedly converted me to a fan of the chocolate cherry flavor profile in all forms. Including this easy and healthy Chocolate Cherry Smoothie Bowl. The chocolate flavor hits you first, but then the fresh cherry flavor comes through and you’re in chocolate-cherry heaven. The texture is similar to the Chocolate Tahini Banana “Soft Serve” recipe I posted back in March, which is that it is like partially melted ice cream. This chocolate cherry version is more of a smoothie bowl because I included some nonfat milk, although you can use whichever milk fat or milk alternative you prefer.

I stumbled upon this Chocolate Cherry Smoothie Bowl recipe last summer while I was trying out different desserts that would satisfy my after-dinner sweet tooth and chocolate craving, but that were still relatively healthy. During one hot week last summer I had it for dessert every night. You can use either a fresh or frozen banana, but I prefer using a fresh banana since it’s easier to blend in my blender, I never remember to put bananas in my freezer and I like the more melty texture of the smoothie bowl. Matt prefers the thicker texture of the smoothie bowl with the frozen banana so it’s totally up to you.

The frozen cherries and the frozen cauliflower, which I snuck in there for some veggies, provide plenty of frozen goodness to the bowl. I figured this treat might be especially welcome after all the 4th of July hot dog and flag cake consumption so I hope you enjoy!

Chocolate Cherry Smoothie Bowl

 

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Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

• ⅔ cup nonfat milk (or milk of your preference)
• 1 frozen banana (or unfrozen if you like it more melty)
• 1 cup frozen cherries
• ¼ cup frozen cauliflower florets
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon agave (or honey)
• Fresh pitted cherries, chocolate drizzle and granola, for topping

Directions

1. Blend the milk, banana, cherries, cauliflower, cocoa powder and agave in a high-speed blender until smooth. Top with desired toppings and eat immediately.

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Lauren Uncategorized 2 Comments

How fun is this Red, White and Blue Angel Food Cake Platter? As I’ve mentioned in past posts, Babu and I used to make a classic flag sheet cake every Fourth of July. Now my new tradition seems to be coming up with a tasty new alternative every year instead! I really enjoyed putting together last year’s Flag Fruit and Dessert Platter and I wanted to do something similar this year.

Just like mini appetizer food, dessert boards encourage informal snacking and eating, which is especially welcome during lazy summer barbecue parties. When it’s hot out and all the yummy fruits are in season during the summertime I find myself craving fruity desserts. Even better if they’re light and refreshing. This red, white and blue platter essentially turns an already simple dessert into a top your own angel food cake bar.

The white stripes consist of chunks of fluffy angel food cake. Buy it at the store, bake it from scratch or use a box mix; totally up to you! I went basic with the red stripes and just layered juicy strawberries. Strawberries, raspberries and pitted fresh cherries are all great choices that would pair well with the angel food cake.

For the blue section of the flag I have a quick sauce made with blueberries. It was my first time making this easy four-ingredient sauce from Barefoot Contessa and it will definitely not be my last. Striking the perfect balance of sweet and tart, the blueberry sauce tastes so good drizzled all over the angel food cake and fresh berries.

Finally, in a bowl nearby since it doesn’t really fit into the flag is some homemade whipped cream because you can’t have summer cake and berries without whipped cream! If you’re going for all simple this holiday then just break out some Cool Whip. I promise no one will complain. However, if you do take the extra few minutes to make the fresh whipped cream then I also promise you will have some extra rave reviews of your top your own angel food cake bar. Enjoy and have a great holiday!

Red, White and Blue Angel Food Cake Platter

 

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Yield: 1 platter; 2 cups blueberry sauce

Ingredients

for the platter

• 1 angel food cake, cut into cubes
• 24 ounces strawberries, hulled and quartered
• 1 cup heavy cream, cold
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

for the blueberry sauce

• 1½ pints blueberries
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions

for the platter

1. Arrange the cake cubes on the platter in stripes, leaving room for the strawberries and a bowl filled with blueberry sauce in the upper left corner. Place the strawberries on the platter right before serving.
2. In a cold metal bowl of a stand mixer or in a large cold metal mixing bowl with a hand mixer, use cold beaters to beat the heavy cream and sugar until stiff peaks form. Keep refrigerated until you’re ready to serve it. You can make the whipped cream a day ahead, just store it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve then lightly beat with a whisk.

for the blueberry sauce

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the blueberries, sugar, vanilla, lemon juice and ¼ cup water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes. The sauce should be thickened. Remove from the heat and blend in a blender or with an immersion blender. Alternatively you could strain in a mesh strainer to remove the blueberry chunks. If you prefer the chunks of blueberries in the sauce then you can just leave it as is. Cool to room temperature then store in the fridge until ready to serve.

Notes

I used a box mix and baked it in two square baking pans. I lined the baking pans with parchment paper then made the angel food cake according to the package instructions, baking at 325 degrees (my pans were nonstick) for 35 minutes, or until the tops were dark golden. When they came out of the oven I leaned the pans on their sides and when they were mostly cool I took them out of the pans and cut them into cubes.

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Lauren Uncategorized 2 Comments