Shamrock Cinnamon Buns

I fully realize that we are well past St. Patrick's Day here but I am going to claim pregnancy brain. I never got around to posting this super fun and easy luck o' the Irish treat that I took over to a friend's house for brunch mainly because I can't seem to remember to write posts these days. I have finally started cooking on a regular basis again but I can't seem to get my act together to remember to photograph and post... probably because I usually inhale the food before it even hits the plate.

Anyway. I know this is super late but I loved how they turned out so I figured I would share for those of you who like to plan for next year. I realize that Pillsbury cinnamon buns don't really count as as a recipe but they were too cute not to post and you could always substitute our real Tangerine Pistachio Sticky Buns for the store bought ones if you are feeling extra crafty in the kitchen

1 roll of cinnamon buns

green food coloring


Unroll each individual cinnamon bun so that it is a long strip of dough. Form the dough strip into a shamrock shape making 4 small loops and one tale (the stem). Pinch tightly together to ensure each roll keeps its shape and then bake in a glass baking dish as directed on the packaging.

When the buns are out of the oven mix food coloring and frosting in a Ziploc sandwich bag until the desired color has been achieved. Cut the corner of the bag and use it to pipe the icing out onto the hot buns.

Provencal Leg of Lamb

Katie here!  After a few months off from having a baby I'm excited to be back in action again!

With Easter on the way I thought I would share one of my favorite Leg of Lamb recipes.  It is so easy and packed with flavors.  It comes from the Barefoot Contessa's How Easy is That? cookbook.  Highly recommend this book.  Tons of tasty recipes to enjoy.  This dish is always a crowd pleaser and people think you spent hours slaving in the kitchen, when in fact it is a fix it and forget type meal. I served it with steamed green beans and boiled red potatoes.

6-7lb bone in leg of lamb - fat trimmed
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
9 cloves of garlic chopped (don't be scared by this amount.  It isn't garlic heavy in the taste)
1 tbs fresh rosemary leaves chopped
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
3 lbs red tomatoes, cored and thickly diced
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup honey
1 large onion sliced
4 sprigs Thyme
2 sprigs Rosemary
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Place the leg in a large roasting pan, fat side up.  Combine the mustard, 1 tbs of the garlic, the rosemary, balsamic vinegar, 1tbs salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Spread on the lamb.  Place the tomatoes, olive oil, 1/4 cup of honey, onion, remaining garlic, 2 tbs salt and 2 tsp of pepper in a bowl and toss.  Put the mixture around the lamb in the pan and add the sprigs of Rosemary and Thyme.  Drizzle the lamb with the remaining 1/4 cup of honey.

Roast for 20 minutes.  Turn heat down to 350 and roast another 1 to 1 1/4 hours, until meat registers at 135 degrees on a thermometer.  Place lamb on cutting board and allow to rest for 15 minutes.  Serve lamb with tomatoes and juices.

Dairy Free Vodka Sauce

Homemade vodka sauce is the most delicious thing ever and I have been craving it in my dreams. There are a lot of things that I dont eat these days but I would say the two biggest would be I dont eat a lot of meat (unless its hidden in a dish) and dairy has become my friendenemy.  I love dairy, and I crave it night and day, it just makes me terribly sick. Some things are worse than others, milk and icecream are basically out of the question but butter or a slice of cheese are still within my limits.

Lucky for me I happen to have an arsenal of dairy free experience from my nine months as a dairy free nursing mom. One of my favorites is this dairy free vodka sauce. It tastes just like the original, creamy, thick and delicious without any of the heartburn or reflux after so I am one happy camper. I served this up at a play group party a couple of weeks ago and since everyone seemed to love it (even the kiddos) I figured I should get on posting it soon. If you are not dairy free you can always substitute the coconut milk back out for regular cream or whole milk and continue on your way.

2 tbs of EVOO
1 C of good chicken stock (you may want more or less)
1/2 onion, chopped
4-5 garlic cloves, minced or grated
1 tbs tomato paste
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes (I use fire roasted)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (or to taste- I used less this time since I was serving to toddlers)
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/3 c vodka
1/2 c So Delicious Coconut Creamer Original flavor- I purchase this at Whole Foods
1 box of your favorite pasta
1 package of fresh basil, chopped

Heat oil in the bottom of your sauce pot. Add onion and cook for about 5 minutes until they are golden brown. Add tomato paste and garlic and continue stirring for about 2 more minutes. Add the tomatoes, sugar, red pepper flakes, salt and vodka and bring the heat up to medium-high stirring to mix the flavors. Allow the sauce to simmer for about 10 minutes while frequently stirring to ensure that the alcohol has time to cook off. Reduce the heat to low and add the cream.

While making the pasta sauce bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta as directed. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce with the chopped fresh basil. Toss and then slowly add chicken stock to the mixture until the sauce is the consistency you would like. The stock adds a bit of flavor while also helping to thin out the sauce.