Hi y’all! Can you believe it’s already Week #3 of our Summer Camp here at TDP? July is just flying by! If you haven’t already checked out our lineup of activities for SUMMER CAMP 2018… definitely swing through the forum, grab yourself a badge tracking card and join the fun! We’ve got events, challenges, tutorials, and more lined up throughout the month of July!

With a new week comes an all-new edition of our Mess Hall series… and I’m here to share with you some delicious recipes from Amie of Little Lamm Paper Co.

When I asked Amie, who lives in Fargo, North Dakota, about her three favorite summer recipes… she replied, “It’s hot and yucky in Fargo in July, and I am all about meals that don’t heat up the house!” As such. she has a great (summer-friendly) main dish, side dish, and dessert to share with us this week!

Here is a look at Amie’s dishes…

What’s that yumminess you see up there?

• Slow-Cooker Pork Carnitas
• Mexican Grilled Corn
• Lemon Berry Trifle

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 SLOW-COOKER PORK CARNITAS

Amie says she loves these carnitas because you can freeze batches to use for future meals. And since her family doesn’t have taco trucks on every corner here, she needs to make her own. Luckily, it’s super easy!

INGRIEDIENTS NEEDED

• 1 (3- to 3 1/2-pound) boneless pork butt roast, lightly trimmed and cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1 small onion, peeled and halved
• 3 (2-inch) strips orange zest plus 1/2 cup juice
• 3 (2-inch) strips lime zest plus 2 tablespoons juice
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tbsp ground cumin
• 1 Tbsp dried oregano
• Salt and pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine pork, onion, orange zest and juice, lime zest and juice, garlic, cumin, oregano, 2 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper, and bay leaves in slow cooker. Cover and cook until fork slips easily in and out of pork, 5 to 7 hours on high or 8 to 10 hours on low
2. Using slotted spoon, transfer pork from slow cooker to large bowl. Using potato masher, smash pork until coarsely shredded. Strain cooking liquid from slow cooker through fine-mesh strainer set over separate bowl and discard solid.
3. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add pork to skillet. Whisk cooking liquid to recombine, then add 1 cup to skillet with pork. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated and pork is evenly browned and crispy in spots, 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer pork to serving platter and moisten with 1/4 cup remaining cooking liquid, or more as needed. Serve.

She likes to serve with lime wedges, sliced radishes, avocado, black beans, pickled red onions and her favorite tomatillo salsa.

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MEXICAN GRILLED CORN

When describing this recipe, Amie stated, “I take advantage of the grill as much as possible in the summer months. Especially to get a char on vegetables. My 6 year old loves almost any veggie if it’s roasted. But it’s too hot outside to use the oven, so onto the grill it goes!”

INGRIEDIENTS NEEDED

• Vegetable oil for cooking grate
• 1/4c. mayonnaise
• 3 Tbsp chopped cilantro or parsley
• 3 Tbsp sour cream
• 1 medium garlic glove minced or pressed
• 3/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp caynnne pepper
• 4 tsp fresh lime juice
• 1 oz grated pecorino Romano
• 4 tsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 6 large ears of corn

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Turn all grill burners to high and heat grill with lid down until very hot, about 15 minutes. Scrape grate clean with grill brush. Dip wad of paper towels in vegetable oil; holding wad with tongs, wipe cooking grate.
2. While grill is heating, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, cilantro, garlic, ¼ teaspoon chili powder, black pepper, cayenne (if using), lime juice, and cheese in large bowl; set aside. In second large bowl, combine oil, salt, and remaining ½ teaspoon chili powder; add corn and toss until coated evenly.
3. Leave burners on high and cook corn with lid down, turning corn occasionally, until lightly charred on all sides, 7 to 12 minutes total. Remove from grill and place in bowl with mayonnaise mixture; toss to coat evenly. Serve immediately.

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LEMON BERRY TRIFLE

Of course we need a no-bake dessert… and this one is so simple! If you don’t have a trifle dish, you can just use a large bowl. Amie has even seen it done in a lasagna pan before (just with less layers).

INGRIEDIENTS NEEDED

• 1 – 9×5 inch pound cake (lemon, if available)
• 2 – 16oz containers of cool whip (or you can use real whipped cream)
• 1 – 8 oz block cream cheese (softened)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup lemon curd
• 5-6 cups fresh berries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, etc.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Slice the pound cake into 9 different 1-inch slices. Cut into bite-sized cubes. Set aside.
2. Make the lemon cheesecake layer: In a large bowl using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed until creamy. Add the vanilla extract and lemon curd and beat on medium-high speed until combined. Lastly, beat in half of whipped cream (about 2 cups). Cover and store the remaining whipped cream in the refrigerator.
3. Assemble: This trifle has 3 layers of pound cake, 3 layers of berries, and 2 layers of the lemon cheesecake mixture. Begin with a base of lemon pound cake cubes. Top with an even layer of fresh berries, then half of the lemon cheesecake mixture. Repeat. Finish with final layer of lemon pound cake cubes followed by a final layer of berries. Spread or pipe remaining whipped cream on top of the trifle.
4. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 6 hours. You can refrigerate uncovered for 2-4 hours, but I recommend loosely covering if storing longer than that. The time in the refrigerator gives the flavors a chance to settle and allows the pound cake to soak up some of the lemon cheesecake mixture.
5. Garnish with extra berries and/or lemon slices and serve cold. Cover and store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.

 

My stomach is growling just reading these recipes! So go give these tasty looking recipes a try and earn your WEEK #3 MESS HALL BADGE for the 2018 TDP Summer Camp! Your stomach will thank you!

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About the author  Robin is a member of the creative team here at The Digital Press. A wife of 25 years and a mom of 4 crazy children (3 in college and 1 still at home), she says that her life occurs mostly in the car as she transports said crazy kids to their many, many homeschool activities. When not driving, Robin loves to make her family cringe by pulling out her camera again (and again, and again…).

Hey gang! It’s week #2 of Summer Camp –how’s everyone doing?! Having fun?! I know I am! Well, I’d like to welcome you to Week #2 of Summer Camp’s Mess Hall, where we check out a couple of recipes that our team is loving right now. Make sure you check out Week #1 and all of the other challenges going on for TDP’s Summer Camp. You can check them all out in THIS FORUM, and be sure to grab a badge tracking card and join in the fun yourself! We’ve got fun events, challenges, tutorials… and best of all… prizes!

I’m actually really excited to try these. I live in Phoenix, Arizona in the U.S. and Mexican food is super common around here. My husband and I have discovered several restaurants that we like to hit up for some Mexican eats, but now I can try making some myself! TDP’s very own Hillary has a couple of recipes that look amazing… and our wonderful designer Kim B is following up with a cool and refreshing beverage to accompany! Try any of these recipes (and show us!) to get your week #2 Mess Hall badge. Take a look at the full details HERE.

Ok ok… let’s get to it… my tummy is starting to growl.

For our tasty treats, Hillary has for us authentic Mexican Rice as the side dish and some awesome looking Baked Chicken Taquitos with salsa as the main course. Take a look at these, people… can we say YUM?! I can’t wait to try them out. And for a bit of adult fun to top if off, try the cool Cucumber Martini that Kim’s got on deck for us. Sounds like summer fun to me!

photo credits to [1] TDP Creative Team member Hillary [2] TDP Designer Kim B [3] tastesbetterfromscratch.com

• Baked Chicken Taquitos with Salsa
• Authentic Mexican Rice
• Cucumber Martini

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BAKED CHICKEN TAQUITOS with SALSA

FOR THE TAQUITOS:

• 2 cups shredded chicken (we use rotisserie chicken)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 1 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
• 20 corn tortillas

FOR THE TOPPINGS:

• Shredded lettuce
• Diced tomatoes
• Guacamole
• Sour Cream
• Chopped Green Onion
• Crumbled Queso Fresco
• Salsa (recipe below!)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the shredded chicken with the cumin, chili powder, salt, garlic powder, paprika, and fresh lime juice. Stir until chicken is well coated with the seasonings. Stir in the shredded cheese.
3. Get two paper towels damp and place two tortillas at a time in between the paper towels. Place in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. Remove from the microwave and roll up the taquitos.
4. Place a heaping tablespoon of the chicken and cheese mixture in the center of the tortilla and roll it up tightly. Place the taquito, seam side down on the prepared baking sheet. Continue rolling taquitos until the tortillas and filling are gone. You should have about 20 taquitos.
5. Spray the taquitos generously with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until taquitos are golden brown and crispy. Remove from the oven and serve warm with desired toppings.

 

FOR THE SALSA:

• 2 cans (14.5 oz each) whole or diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 TBSP (to taste) canned diced jalapeños (not pickled)
• 1/4 – 1/2 yellow onion (to taste)
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons lime juice (to taste)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place all of the ingredients together into a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Serve with tortilla chips.

 

TIP: Hillary told me that while the original recipe calls for all of those colorful toppings (guac, sour cream, etc.) that she thinks all of that covered up the yummy flavor of the taquitos too much, so she prefers them without.

Recipe photo credits to tastesbetterfromscratch.com

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AUTHENTIC MEXICAN RICE

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic , minced
• 1/4 medium onion , finely diced
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce , or 2 pureed tomatoes
• 2 tomato bouillon cubes , chopped (these can be found in the Mexican food aisle at Walmart or your local grocery store)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 carrot , diced (optional)
• 1/2 cup peas (optional)
• 3 1/4 cup water
• 3-4 whole serrano peppers (optional, but do add flavor, not heat)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Rinse and drain the rice in a fine mesh strainer.
2. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the oil. Add the rice and stir to combine. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the rice is lightly golden brown all over (about 10 minutes).
3. Add tomato sauce, garlic, and diced onion to the pan. Stir. Add the tomato bullion cubes, salt, carrots, peas, and water (and serrano peppers, if using. They add a little flavor, but not spice.).
4. Cook, stirring, until bullion cubes are completely dissolved. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to low and cook for about 20 minutes or until the water is completely absorbed. Remove from heat and allow to rest for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.

Recipe photo credits to tastesbetterfromscratch.com

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CUCUMBER MARTINI

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 thick slices of cucumber(about 1/4 English Cucumber) + 1 thin slice for garnish
• 3 oz Vodka (+/- 90ml)
• 1 oz triple sec (+/- 30ml)
• 1/2 Lime freshly squeezed
• 1 Cup Ice

VARIATIONS:

• Add a splash of simple sugar syrup if you like it sweeter
• Add 4 Basil or 4 Mint leaves to shaker for a tasty twist.
• Replace Vodka with Gin

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a martini shaker, add the cucumber chunks. Muddle with a wooden spoon or muddler (or crush as you wish) to bring out their flavor and juices, then add in the vodka, triple sec, lime juice and ice.
2. Put the top on the cocktail shaker. Shake and shake(and I mean shake- lol). Shake for at least 30 seconds – you want to ‘BLEND’ the ingredients and flavors together and melt some of that ice.
3. Strain the mixture into a martini glass(usually lid has strainer). Add the remaining 1 thin slice of fresh cucumber(un-muddled) to the glass or cocktail, and serve immediately.
4. Decorate with mint leaves, edible flowers, sprig of dill or as you want.

 

Recipe photo credits to Kim B.

So there it is people — give these tasty looking recipes a try and earn your WEEK #2 MESS HALL BADGE for the 2018 TDP Summer Camp!  I’m off to the kitchen!

 

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About the Author  Shannon has been completely addicted to digiscrapping since she began in early 2016 (though she’s been a scrapper since 2000). Her early morning ritual of a few quiet hours of scrapping while sipping a chai tea is her favorite part of each day. She is also the owner of a web design company, and when she’s not at the computer designing websites or digiscrap layouts, she’s probably hiking one of the local mountains in her hometown of Phoenix, Arizona. She is an avid reader and loves to travel to foreign countries.

Hello, and welcome to the first edition of this summer’s weekly “Mess Hall” feature — part of The Digital Press’s big SUMMER CAMP 2018 event this July!

If you haven’t already checked out our lineup of activities for SUMMER CAMP 2017… definitely swing through the forum, grab yourself a badge tracking card, and join the fun! We’ve got events, challenges, tutorials, and more lined up throughout the month of July… including a weekly FOOD article!

Each Sunday throughout the first 4 weeks of July, members of our team will be here on the blog sharing a meal with you — a main course, a side dish, and a dessert (or a drink!) that are each tried-and-true (tested personally by members of our team!). Give any of the meal items a try, and you could earn a SUMMER CAMP 2018 badge! Get the full details HERE.

The WEEK #1 meal is very, very worth a little time in the kitchen, folks. Trust us on this (and it’s actually really quick & easy!).

photo credits to [1] [2] Plated and [3] TDP creative team member Amie Wheeler

What is that up there, you ask?

• Blackened Cod with Garlic Aioli
• Avocado and Corn Salsa
• Triple Berry Trifle

Seriously, just YUM to all of it. You won’t be disappointed if you give any of these recipes a try.

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BLACKENED COD WITH GARLIC AIOLI

This blackened fish recipe comes to us from TDP designer Laura Passage (and she adapted it from a recipe she found on Plated), and it’s become a go-to in her family’s meal rotation. It is the perfect summer meal… light and yet flavorful, and with a kick of spice that comes from the blackening process! For those who don’t love seafood… you can also substitute a chicken breast in for this dish, if desired.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED

—10-12 oz cod
—juice of 1/2 fresh lemon
—1-2 cloves of fresh garlic
—2 oz mayonnaise
—spice mix: equal parts (1 tsp each) of paprika, cayenne pepper*, onion powder, garlic powder, & dried thyme

*use more or less cayenne pepper depending on how spicy you wish this dish to be

INSTRUCTIONS

—Mince the garlic (use as much or little as you prefer) and set aside.
—Make the spice mix by mixing all 5 dry spice items together in a small bowl.
—Dry cod filets, season both sides with salt and pepper, and rub the spice mix on both sides of each filet; set aside to allow flavor to marinate.
—Heat about 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a pan (preferably non-stick) over medium-high heat; once oil is hot/shimmering, add spice-coated cod filets to pan.
—Sear the fish about 2-4 min per side, until the spices are blackened and a fork inserted gently into the filet meets very little resistance.
—Meanwhile, make the garlic aioli in a small bowl by mixing the mayonnaise, garlic, and juice of 1/2 lemon. Season with salt and pepper (to taste).
—Serve fish with garlic aioli spooned over the top of it (or you can also use small dipping bowls for the aioli, if you prefer).

[recipe adapted slightly from an original recipe found on Plated]

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AVOCADO AND CORN SALSA

This dish is also a favorite of Laura’s family… they eat it year-round (but especially in the summertime when fresh corn and avocados are easy to find in the store, and when home-grown tomato is easy to come by!). Super easy to make, and truly delicious.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED

—1-2 ears fresh corn
—1-2 ripe tomatoes (or small pint container of grape tomatoes)
—1 fresh ripe avocado
—juice of 1/2 fresh lemon
—olive oil
—salt & pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

—Heat about 1 Tbsp olive oil in a pan (preferably non-stick) over medium-high heat; cook corn about 5 min, stirring often, until corn begins to char/brown.
—Remove corn from heat and place in medium bowl; set-aside.
—Meanwhile, as corn cooks… medium-dice tomatoes (or cut each grape tomato in 1/2 or 1/3) & medium-dice the avocado; add both items to bowl with corn.
—Add juice of 1/2 fresh lemon and about 1/2 Tbsp olive oil to bowl; stir gently.
—Season with salt and pepper (to taste).

[recipe adapted slightly from an original recipe found on Plated]

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TRIPLE BERRY TRIFLE

This Triple Berry Trifle is a favorite of mine (Amie), and it is not only beautiful… but it’s also soooo good! It’s super easy to put together & perfect for a busy holiday party or event (such as the upcoming 4th of July here in the States)!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED

—1 angel food cake (you could make your own, but often the bakery at the grocery store has pre-baked, naked angel food cake)
—1 lemon pound cake (again –grocery store pre-made works perfectly!)
—1 pint fresh strawberries (sliced)
—2 pints fresh raspberries
—1 pint fresh blueberries
—1 – 16oz container heavy whipping cream
—1/2-1 cup powdered/confectioner’s sugar (to taste)
—1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
—1 teaspoon vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS

—Whip the heavy whipping cream, the sugar, the cinnamon, and the vanilla in a mixer until soft peaks form.
—Slice the angel food & lemon pound cakes; slice strawberries while cream comes together.
—Assemble the trifle as follows:
First, layer the angel food & pound cake, breaking the slices into pieces that fit into your bowl/container; then, add a layer of berries. Next, spoon a layer of the cream on top of the berries. Keep going to make 3 or 4 more layers, depending on the size of your bowl, finishing at the end with a layer of cream. Decorate the top with remaining berries. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

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Want to give one of these recipes a try and earn your WEEK #1 MESS HALL BADGE for TDP’s SUMMER CAMP 2018? Come get the details in the forum —> HERE.

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About the Author  Amie is a craft-loving dental hygienist who lives in Washington state. She loves her husband, her two crazy kids, and her English Bulldog… as well as coffee, baking cupcakes, daffodils, glitter & sprinkles, reading a good book, and lip gloss — not necessarily in that order.