Summer Card Camp MENU & RECIPES

A big part of the fun for me is planning the food for our all-day retreat.  Of course, food is always the best part, right?  Here are the recipes and a few links to tools/ingredients that I used.  Enjoy!

Strawberry Smoothie Drinks

Prep 5 minutes ∙ Cook 5 minutes ∙ Makes Yield: 2 servings 

Ingredients

·         1 cup Greek yogurt (thick)

·         1 cup vanilla almond milk (or reg. milk)

·         1 cup orange/pineapple juice

·         2 cups frozen strawberries

·         1 frozen banana, peeled and cut into chunks

·         1/4 sugar (or to taste)

·         fresh strawberries or whipped cream, for garnish

Directions

Place all ingredients into blender (liquid ingredients first).

Blend on high for 2 minutes or until smooth. Scrap down sides and blend for another 30 seconds.   Taste.  Add more juice or milk for the right consistency.  Serve and enjoy!
To make these smoothies extra fun, use glass milk bottles like these.

Bakery Style Lemon-Blueberry Muffins

Prep 30 mins ∙ Cook 25 mins ∙ Makes 12 ∙ Source Thecafesucrefarine.com

Ingredients 

CRUMB TOPPING

·         5 tablespoons butter, melted

·         ½ cup sugar

·         ½ cup flour

·         ½ cup oatmeal

·         ¼ teaspoon salt

MUFFINS

·         2 cups all purpose flour

·         1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

·         ½ teaspoon salt

·         ½ cup butter, softened

·         1 cup sugar

·         2 large eggs

·         ½ cup buttermilk

·         finely grated zest of 1 lemon

·         1 teaspoon vanilla

·         1/2 tsp of Lemon emulsion (gives that extra lemon flavor)

·         2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, My favorites are the tiny wild blueberries available at most larger grocery stores.

GLAZE

·         3 tablespoons lemon (juice)

·         1 cup powdered sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners
2. Make the crumb topping by combining the melted butter, sugar, flour, oatmeal and salt. Stir with a fork until crumbs form. Set aside.
3. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a medium size bowl. Set aside.
4. If using frozen blueberries, place them in a small bowl and return to freezer until ready to use. If using fresh berries, place in a small bowl and set aside.
5. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter for 1 minute until soft and fluffy. Add sugar and continue to beat for 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time and beat just until incorporated. Add buttermilk, vanilla and lemon zest and mix on low until combined.
6. Remove bowl from mixer. Add flour mixture and stir, by hand, until flour disappears. Do not over mix or muffins will be tough. Gently stir in blueberries.
7. Divide mixture evenly in the prepared muffin pan. Sprinkle with the crumb topping.
8. Bake at 350˚F for 22 to 25 minutes or until light golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the pan before removing to a wire rack. Drizzle lightly with the lemon glaze.
9. For lemon glaze, combine powdered sugar and lemon juice in a medium size bowl. Stir with a fork or whisk until smooth.

To really make these muffins "bakery style", I used these tulip style baking cups.  

Lunch

Fried Chicken Tenders on a

Strawberry Salad with Avocado Poppy Seed Dressing

Cheesy Breadsticks

Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders

My favorite fried chicken recipe.  The secret is adding a bit of buttermilk to the flour, so it gets just a bit clumpy.  Makes it extra crunchy!

Cook 40 minutes ∙ Makes Servings: 4 ∙ Source Onceuponachef.com

Ingredients

·         FOR THE MARINADE:

·         2 pounds chicken tenderloins

·         1 cup buttermilk

·         1-1/2 teaspoons salt

·         1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

·         1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

·         1/4 teaspoon paprika

·         FOR THE BREADING

·         1-1/2 cups all purpose flour (I use rice flour, available at Asian grocer for a crispier fry)

·         1 heaping teaspoon salt

·         3/4 teaspoon black pepper

·         3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

·         3/4 teaspoon paprika

·         1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

·         3 tablespoons buttermilk

·         FOR COOKING

·         3-4 cups vegetable oil, for cooking

Directions

Combine the chicken tenders with all of the marinade ingredients in a large ziplock bag. Seal the bag tightly and smush it around to ensure chicken tenders are evenly coated with buttermilk and seasoning. Place in a bowl (in case of leakage) and refrigerate overnight, or at least 4 hours.
Make the breading by combining the flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika and baking powder in a large bowl. Whisk until well combined, then add the buttermilk and stir with a fork until mixture is evenly clumpy.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Remove the chicken tenders from the marinade a few at a time and toss into the flour mixture. Be sure to press the chicken firmly into the breading so clumps adhere to the meat. (It's best to use one hand to remove the tenders from the bag and the other to toss in the breading.) Set breaded tenders on prepared baking sheet.
Line another baking sheet with a few layers of paper towels and set aside. Add oil to a large, high-sided pot until the level reaches about 3/4-inch. Heat over high heat until oil is shimmering. (If a cube of bread sizzles when you drop it in, it's ready.) Using tongs, place several chicken tenders in the hot oil without crowding the pan. Cook until golden brown on the bottom side, a few minutes, then flip and cook until second side is also golden, a few minutes more. Set cooked tenders on baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain. Fry remaining tenders in batches. Serve hot.

Nutritional Info

Calories:
Fat: 51
Saturated fat: 1
Carbohydrates: 75g
Sugar: 5g
Fiber: 4g
Protein: 41g
Sodium: 1866mg
Cholesterol: 96mg

Note: Nutritional information was calculated assuming that approximately 1/4 cup of the oil is absorbed into the chicken tenders when frying.

Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cooked chicken tenders can be frozen for up to 3 months. No need to defrost; put the chicken tenders on a wire rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet and bake in a 350°F oven until heated through and crisp, about 25 minutes. (Flip the chicken halfway through baking.)

Many of you asked about my fryer.  I LOVE this one!  It has an oil filtration and clean out built into the fryer, which makes it so much better.  I keep mine outside and use it a few times a month.  Fried chicken, yes, but french fries, donuts, etc...

Chicken Strawberry Salad with Avocado Poppy Seed Dressing

Salad dressings, Salads

Prep 5 minutes ∙ Cook 5 minutes ∙ Source Garnishwithlemon.com

Ingredients

Salad

·         Lettuce (I used a combo of Baby Spinach & Romaine)

·         Sliced strawberries

·         Sliced Grapes

·         Chopped Avocado

·         Thinly Sliced Red Onion

·         A sprinkle of Feta

·         A sprinkle of Roasted Pumpkin seeds (or something similar)

Dressing

·         1/2 cup sugar ( I used half honey & half raw coconut sugar)

·         1/3 cup white wine vinegar

·         1 teaspoon salt

·         1 teaspoon dry mustard

·         1 tablespoon finely minced onion

·         1 cup canola or vegetable oil

·         1 avocado, peeled and seeded

·         1/4 cup water

·         1 tablespoon poppy seeds

I felt like it needed more acid so I added juice from several limes.

I also reduced the oil by half and used half olive oil and half avocado oil.

Directions

Combine all ingredients except poppy seeds in a blender or food processor. Pulse until combined.

Add additional water 1 tablespoon at at time if dressing is too thick. Stir in poppy seeds.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

This dressing will keep at least a week in the fridge.

Nutritional Info

TOTAL FAT: 29.84g CARBOHYDRATES: 22.07g
PROTEIN: 4.74g

 Mid-afternoon Snack

Homemade Banana Cream Pie Ice cream Cones

Banana Cream Pie Ice Cream

Icecream

Makes Servings: 8 ∙ Source Icecreaminspiration.com

Ingredients

·         1 cup whole milk

·         2 cups cream

·         1/2 cup sugar

·         1/2 package instant banana cream pudding mix (half of a 5.1 oz. box)

·         1-2 bananas cut in very small chunks

·         1-2 cups of broken up vanilla wafer pieces

Directions

Mix the whole milk and sugar together until the sugar has dissolved.

Add the instant banana cream pudding mix and begin stirring.

Add the 2 cups of cream and continue stirring until everything is well-blended

Pour into your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer's directions.

A couple of minutes before turning off the machine, add your small banana pieces. Let the ice cream continue to churn until the bananas have been well distributed throughout the ice cream.

Transfer to an airtight container.

Freeze for several hours or overnight.

Serve with a large dollop of whipped cream.

Making Homemade icecream is easy with this Cuisinart Icecream maker.  I have two of them.  I keep my bowls in the freezer all the time, so I can literally make icecream in 30 minutes.

Dinner

Korean Bulgogi & Rice Bowls

Bulgogi (Korean Marinated beef)

Prep 4 hours ∙ Cook 10 mins ∙ Makes Serves: 4 ∙ Source Flashfictionkitchen.com

Ingredients

·         ~1-1.5 pounds of sliced ribeye (you can get it pre-sliced at many Asian groceries (Ocean Mart possibly in SLC), or ask your butcher/meat counter to slice it for you - or do it yourself, slicing to ~ 1-1.5mm thickness (probably easier if the meat is a bit frozen)

Marinade

·         1 bunch scallions (reserve some for garnish)

·         1 large onion (half for marinade, half for cooking)

·         1 tb fresh ginger

·         6 cloves garlic (half a head)

·         2 tb coconut aminos or Soy Sauce

·         1 tb fish sauce

·         1 tsp sea salt

·         1 tb apple cider vinegar

·         1 asian pear (can sub apple or regular pear)

·         1-2 tb coconut sugar (optional, can sub honey or other sweetener)

·         2 tb olive oil or avocado oil

·         ¼-1/2 c water

·         avocado oil for cooking

Directions

Shred pears and add in bulgogi meat and enough water so that all the meat is covered by marinade. Leave to marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Remove meat from marinade and drain/pat off with paper towels. Heat up 2 tb of oil in cast iron or good saute pan over high heat. When oil is hot add meat and ½ an onion (sliced) (do this in multiple batches if you can't fit all the meat in the pan so it has room to brown). Cook for a few minutes until meat has caramelized. Garnish with scallions and serve immediately.

Vanilla Crème Brûlée with Fresh Raspberries

Creme Brulee

French desserts

Prep 2 hr 30 min ∙ Cook 1 hr ∙ Makes 6 servings ∙ Difficulty Intermediate ∙ Source Foodnetwork.com

Ingredients

·         1 quart heavy cream

·         1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

·         1 cup vanilla sugar, divided (it's a good idea to NOT forget the sugar...LOL)

·         6 large egg yolks

·         2 quarts hot water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Place the cream, vanilla bean and its pulp into a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean and reserve for another use.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and the egg yolks until well blended and it just starts to lighten in color. Add the cream a little at a time, stirring continually. Pour the liquid into 6 (7 to 8-ounce) ramekins. Place the ramekins into a large cake pan or roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake just until the creme brulee is set, but still trembling in the center, approximately 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

Remove the creme brulee from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to browning the sugar on top. Divide the remaining 1/2 cup vanilla sugar equally among the 6 dishes and spread evenly on top. Using a torch, melt the sugar and form a crispy top. Allow the creme brulee to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Here are the ramekins I used.

Propane Gas Torch Safety: Propane gas torches are highly flammable and should be kept away from heat, open flame, and prolonged exposure to sunlight. They should only be used in well-ventilated areas. When lighting a propane gas torch, place the torch on a flat, steady surface, facing away from you. Light the match or lighter and then open the gas valve. Light the gas jet, and blow out the match. Always turn off the burner valve to "finger tight" when finished using the torch. Children should never use a propane gas torch without adult supervision.