My Sister's Kitchen recipes from Mary Kay

Summer Treats and Eats
(. . .And all things LEMON!) from Mary Kay
Lemon Curd
3 lemons, juiced
2 tsp. Grated lemon zest, or more to taste
1 stick butter, cut into pieces
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs, beaten

Strain the juice to measure ½ cup or more. Put the zest and juice, butter and sugar in a heavy bottomed saucepan or double boiler over medium heat. Heat until the butter is just melted and the sugar dissolved. Taste to see if you have enough sugar to balance the lemon juice. Remove from heat. Whisk the eggs in a slow, steady stream, beating all the while. Continue stirring until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon, 10-12 minutes in the saucepan or 15-20 minutes in a double boiler. Don’t boil or cook too long or you’ll have scrambled eggs! Remove pan from heat. Stir to cool a bit. Strain through sieve into container with a tight lid. Cool and cover tightly. Keeps in fridge 3 weeks or so.

Lemon Cake
Sift together:
3 c. unsifted cake flour
1 ½ tsp. Baking powder
1 tsp. Baking soda
1/4 tsp. Salt
2 Tbl. Poppy seeds
3/4 c. butter, softened
2 c. sugar
4 egg yolks (add one at a time)
2 Tbl. Fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
1 tsp. Butter extract
1 1/3 buttermilk, mixed with
1/4 tsp. Cream of tartar

Filling
1 cup lemon curd (see recipe above)

Frosting
8 oz .cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup butter, softened
2 c. sifted powdered sugar
1/4 c. heavy cream
1-2 Tbl. Lemon curd

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease 2 9" cake pans.
2. Sift dry ingredients together.
3. Beat butter & sugar 2 minutes, medium speed, beat in egg yolks one at a time, then beat in juice and extracts.
4. At low speed, beat in flour, in fourths, and buttermilk, in thirds. Beat til just blended.
5. Beat egg whites til stiff, but not dry, fold into cake mixture. Pour into pans.
6. Bake 22-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out barely clean. Cool.





1. Spread between layers of cake. Chill while preparing frosting.

1. Beat ingredients for 2 minutes. Chill 20 minutes, then frost top and sides of cake
2. Garnish cake with red raspberries, blackberries and lemon curls.

Almond Tarts –Delicious filled w/lemon curd, topped w/whipped cream and berries
2/3 c. butter
½ c. sugar
1/4 tsp. Almond extract
½ c. blanched almonds, grated
1 egg yolk
1 ½ c. flour

Directions:
1. Cream butter and sugar
2. Stir in the rest of the ingredients
3. Mix and chill dough
4. Butter small tart molds and press about 1 Tbl. Dough in each mold. Press thinly.
5. Bake 325 for 10-15 min. Cool. Unmold.

Mini Fruit Pizzas
From: Laura Hale (my sister)

Cookies: Mix together1 pkg white cake mix2 eggs1/3 cup oil. Form balls into desired size (regular or mini)Bake 350 for 10-12 minutes. Note: You can use your favorite sugar cookie recipe instead...this is just the easiest way!

Frosting:Mix together1/2 of small carton cool whip 2 yoplait yogurts (I usually either do a berry or lemon/lime)(with whatever is left over, use it for a fruit salad or on top of pancakes/waffles!)

Decorate with:
sliced strawberriescanned mandarin orangesfresh blueberriessliced kiwi

Fruit Pizza
Mix ½ pkg white cake mix w/ 2 eggs
Add:
1/4 c. water
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. softened butter
Add the rest of the cake mix.
Pour batter into greased 16" pizza pan. Bake 350 for 10-15 minutes or until slightly golden.
Cool. Spread cool whip (can also use mixture of cool whip and cream cheese) and arrange fruit on top. (Fruits that work nicely: mandarin oranges, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, kiwi fruit, etc.)

Lemon Pudding Cake (Was my dad’s favorite dessert!)

4 egg whites---Beat until stiff in small bowl

Combine together in large bowl:
4 egg yolks
½ cup flour
1 ¼ cup sugar
¼ tsp salt
1 cup lemon juice
1 2/3 cup milk

1. Fold in egg whites and pour into 8 custard cups. Set in 8 x 10 pan with 1” water.
2. Bake at 325 to 350 F for 50 minutes.
3. Serve warm or cold with or without whipped cream.

Uncle Doug’s Lemon-Lime Icecream
Makes 4 quarts

2/3 cup lemon juice (4‑6 lemons)
2 cup lime juice (3‑4 limes)
2 tsp lemon extract
1 cup low fat cottage cheese
*Blend in a blender above until smooth

Add:
2 cups whipping cream (I use 1 cup plain yogurt and 1 cup whipping cream)
3 cup sugar (or to taste)
2 % milk
*Freeze

Hawaiian Punch Icecream
1, 12 oz can frozen Hawaiian Punch concentrate
1, 6 oz can frozen orange juice
3 oz frozen lemonade or 3 fresh lemons, juiced
1 ¾ cup sugar
1 cup vanilla yogurt
1 quart milk
1 pt whipping cream

*Freeze with ice cream maker

Crab Rangoons
(From www.kraftfoods.com with some alterations)
1 can (6 oz.) white crabmeat, drained, flaked
4. 4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) 1/3 Less Fat Cream Cheese, softened
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup Mayo (Light or regular)
30-40 won ton wrappers

Heat oven to 350°F. Mix first 4 ingredients. Spray mini muffin cups with cooking spray. Place 1-2 tsp. of filling in center of won ton wrapper. Pinch sides together and place in muffin tins.
Bake 18 to 20 min. or until won tons are golden brown and filling is heated through. Serve w/ sweet and sour sauce for dipping.

Asparagus Gruyere Tart (from Great Food Fast, Everyday Living)

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (from 17.3 oz package), thawed according to package instructions
5 ½ oz. Gruyere cheese, shredded (2 cups) (Swiss cheese works for a cheaper substitution)
1 ½ lbs medium asparagus
1 TB olive oil
salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400. On a lightly greased cookie sheet (or jelly roll pan) roll the puff pastry into a 16-by-10 inch rectangle. With a sharp knife, lightly score the dough 1 inch in from the edges to mark a rectangle. Using a fork, pierce the dough inside the markings at half-inch intervals. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.
2. Remove the pastry shell from the oven, and sprinkle with the cheese. Trim the bottoms of the asparagus spears to fit crosswise inside the tart shell; arrange in a single layer over the cheese, alternating ends and tips. Brush with the oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake at 400 until the spears are tender, 20-25 minutes.

Mushroom Tart (from Great Food Fast, Everyday Living)

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (from 17.3 oz package), thawed according to package instructions
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 TB olive oil
salt and pepper
1-2 packages (10 oz. each) white mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 package (10 oz.) Fresh baby spinach
2 oz soft goat cheese (or feta cheese), crumbled

1. Preheat oven to 400. On a lightly greased cookie sheet (or jelly roll pan) roll the puff pastry into a 16-by-10 inch rectangle. With a sharp knife, lightly score the dough 1 inch in from the edges to mark a rectangle. Using a fork, pierce the dough inside the markings at half-inch intervals. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, toss the onion with 1 TB. Of the oil. Season with salt. Cover and cook over medium heat until the onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir. Continue cooking with the cover on for 15 minutes., stirring every 5 minutes. Set aside.
3. In a large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the mushrooms; cover and cook until tender and all liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Fold in the spinach; season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until wilted, about 5 minute more. Drain any liquid.
4. Top the dough with the mushroom-spinach mixture. Scatter the onions and goat cheese on top. Bake at 400 until the cheese is lightly browned, about 15 minutes.

Chinese Chicken Salad
1 head of red/green leaf lettuce
1 can mandarin oranges (11 oz.)
2 chicken breasts, cooked and sliced
2 green onion stems, chopped
1 pkg Ramen Noodles, dry and crushed
(can also add slivered almonds, water chestnuts, fresh mushrooms)

Salad Dressing
1 tsp. dry mustard
4 tsp. sugar
4 tsp. soy sauce
2 TB sesame oil
½ c. olive oil (extra virgin)
6 TB rice vinegar

Favorite Taco Salad
Iceburg or Romaine lettuce
Red cabbage
1 lb. ground hamburger, cooked and drained, (can mix in some Taco seasoning)
corn (frozen or canned)
beans (black, kidney, pinto, whichever you like best, or use a combination)
sliced olives
diced tomatoes
shredded carrots
diced avocado
shredded cheddar cheese (or Mexican cheese mix)
crushed Nacho Cheese Doritos
Catalina Salad Dressing

Mix together. Add chips and dressing just before serving so salad and chips stay crisp. (I often make it w/o the hamburger and people still love it!)


Chicken Vegetable Pasta Salad
½ pkg tri-color pasta, cooked and cooled
½ pkg bowtie pasta, cooked and cooled
1 bunch of broccoli
½ red onion
1 cup peas
2-4 oz. Blue cheese, crumbled
1 can kidney beans
2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and sliced
3/4 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled
Salad Dressing
½ c. Canola oil
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
1/4 c. sugar
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. dry mustard
½ tsp. Poppy seeds

Azalea Chicken Pasta Salad (Maren Hardy)
16 oz. pasta (bowtie, spiral, whatever you like), cooked and drained
4 cups cooked and diced chicken
1 can sliced water chestnuts
2 cups celery, sliced
4 green onions, sliced
2 cups red grapes
1 c. slivered almonds

Salad Dressing
1 ½ c. mayonnaise
2 tsp. curry
3 tsp. soy sauce (or Braggs Amino Acid)
3 TB Major Grey’s Mango Chutney (can find at Day’s Market, in Edgemont, Provo)
½ c. milk
1 ½ tsp. salt
fresh ground pepper, to taste

BBQ Chicken Pizza

1 c. BBQ sauce (your favorite brand or recipe)
2 cups precooked chicken, diced
2 cups shredded mozzarella
½ c. Parmesan cheese
1 c. Alfredo sauce (I like Classico brand)
1 pizza crust

Mix chicken and BBQ sauce together in a bowl. Spread Alfredo sauce on pizza crust, then layer ½ cheese, chicken, ½ cheese and then other toppings as desired.
Additional toppings that are good: red onions, pineapple, fresh mushrooms, olives

Chicken Cashew Salad Sandwiches
2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
1 c. salted cashews (add at the last minute)
1 cup celery, chopped
1 c. mayonnaise
1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper
½ tsp. dry Ranch dressing mix
Sprouts
Favorite sandwich bread

Favorite Turkey Burger (taken from Great Food Fast)
1 ½ lbs ground turkey
½ cup finely grated Gruyere cheese (can substitute Swiss cheese or Provolone)
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup dried breadcrumbs
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Combine and form into four to six patties. Grill and enjoy on hamburger buns with favorite condiments.

Favorite Chicken Marinade for Grilling
2 ½ lbs. chicken (or flank steak or pork)
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup lemon juice
1/4 cup Canola oil
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. celery salt
½ tsp. pepper
½ tsp. thyme
½ tsp. oregano
½ tsp. rosemary
1-2 cloves garlic, minced

Combine all ingredients and marinate meat for 4-5 hours. Turn occasionally. Grill and baste while cooking. (Using fresh herbs from your garden makes the flavor even better. Use ½ - 1 TB of fresh instead of the ½ tsp. dried)

Lemon-Honey Chicken
Combine and coat chicken:
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper

6-8 chicken breast halves
½ cup butter
½ cup honey
½ cup lemon juice
2 TB soy sauce

1. Place chicken in 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes.
2. Combine honey, lemon juice, and soy sauce, and butter in saucepan. Cook until thoroughly heated. Pour sauce over chicken.
3. Bake uncovered for 20-30 minutes more until chicken is done, basting frequently with honey mixture.