Strawberry orange shortcake with rose whipped cream

This is a sponsored post by Challenge butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

Strawberry orange shortcake with rose whipped cream

Yield: Makes 8 shortcakes

Ingredients

For the fruit

• 1/2 pound strawberries, sliced
• 4 blood oranges (or 2 regular oranges), segmented and cut in half
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar 
• 1 Tablespoon rose water

For the shortcake biscuits

• 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar 
• 1 Tablespoon orange zest (from 1 orange)
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted Challenge butter, cold and cubed
• 3/4 cup buttermilk

For the whipped cream

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup sour cream 
• 3 Tablespoons (38 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon rose water

Directions

For the fruit

1. Combine strawberries, oranges, sugar, and rose water. Let sit at room temperature while you prepare the rest of the shortcake.

For the shortcake biscuits

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line baking sheet with parchment paper or nonstick mat.
2. Combine flour, sugar, orange zest, baking powder, salt, cardamom, and baking soda in large bowl.
3. Use pastry cutter or fingers to cut butter into dry ingredients until you have pea-sized crumbs.
4. Pour buttermilk into bowl and mix until it becomes cohesive dough.
5. Form dough into 8 mounds using ice cream scoop or 3-Tablespoon cookie scoop and place on baking sheet.
6. Sprinkle tops of biscuits with sparkling sugar if desired and place in oven.
7. Bake biscuits for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the bottoms are browned and the tops are golden, and set aside to cool.
8. Once biscuits are cool, use serrated knife to cut biscuits in half horizontally.

For the whipped cream

1. Whisk heavy cream (by hand or in a stand mixer) in chilled bowl until soft peaks form. 
2. Add sour cream, sugar, and rose water and continue whisking until stiff peaks form.

Assembly

1. Plate bottom half of 1 shortcake biscuit.
2. Spoon macerated fruit over biscuit bottom. 
3. Top with generous dollop of whipped cream
4. Close with top half of biscuit.
5. Spoon more cream over shortcake if desired and serve immediately.

Strawberry salad with lemon Dijon vinaigrette

A lot of people prefer “lighter” meals in the summer, but they don’t want to feel hungry a few hours later! So I’m sharing ideas to transform your wimpy side salad into a hearty dinner salad.

Salads are a great way to use fresh, local ingredients, and they make a great base for whatever you’re grilling.

There are no rules to building a dinner salad, but there are certain key elements every good dinner salad should contain.

Those elements are greens, protein, fruit, nuts, and cheese.

Another key to building the perfect salad is using ingredients that are in season. That’s what is going to help it taste the best. Fortunately, summer is the best time to do that in Indiana as we approach a season where most produce is readily available.

If you’re worried about the amount of time it takes to prep the ingredients for salad, you can always buy pre-cut ingredients or use rotisserie chicken as a shortcut.

The last thing I want to emphasize before I discuss this particular recipe is salad dressing. I think the biggest misconception about salad dressings is fat makes you fat. NOT TRUE! Fat slows the digestion process, and it’s great for heart health and glowing skin. That’s why you don’t need a fat-free dressing.

BUT you should avoid dressings high in saturated fat and added sugar. Pay close attention to that when you’re looking at the label.

When time allows, make your own salad dressing. That way you can control everything that goes into it. It also tastes a lot better!

Now, onto this strawberry salad! Here’s the breakdown if the ingredients I used:

Greens: Spinach—it is packed with iron and fiber, among other macronutrients. It’s also currently in season in Indiana.

Protein: Grilled chicken breast—salads are versatile enough that you can incorporate anything you grill with them. I also added bacon because bacon makes everything better.

Fruit: Strawberries—they’re currently in season in Indiana!

Nuts: Pecans—they provide a crunch like croutons, but they contain important nutrients like manganese which is important for helping your metabolism properly function.

Cheese: Goat cheese—it’s a little bit lower in fat than other cheeses , and it has a tangy taste which pairs well with the sweetness of the strawberries.

Miscellaneous: Pickled onions—Not as sharp of a taste as raw onions, and they’re easier to eat, in my opinion. Also, red onions are important for your immune and digestive systems.

Strawberry salad with lemon Dijon vinaigrette

Serves about 4 people

Ingredients

For the salad

• 6 cups baby spinach
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 8 ounces)
• 4 pieces of bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 cup strawberries, sliced
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
• 1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 cup pickled onions

For the pickled onions

• 1 medium onion, sliced very thin
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 2 teaspoons salt

For the lemon Dijon vinaigrette dressing

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

For the pickled onions

1. Place onion in mason jar or another bowl with lid.
2. Warm water for 2 minutes in microwave or on stove. Add vinegar, honey, and salt, and whish until it looks uniform. Pour over onion. Cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve. They’ll stay good for up to 3 weeks.

For the salad

1. In a large bowl, toss all of the ingredients together.

For the lemon Dijon vinaigrette

1. Add ingredients to mason jar and shake or whisk together in bowl. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Dressing recipe adapted from The Kitchen Girl

Strawberry Salsa

You all will not believe the birden (yes, I spelled it that way for a reason) I faced while trying to make this strawberry salsa.

A few weeks ago, my boyfriend William installed an herb garden on my patio, and it has been a dream. I don’t know how I lived without it. It’s been so much easier to incorporate herbs in my cooking.

I was very excited to use my homegrown cilantro for this strawberry salsa, however, was greeted with an unpleasant surprise when I stepped onto my patio: aggressive birds.

The sweet blue birds I thought were visiting me à la Cinderella were actually protecting a nest they so conveniently built in the corner of my porch. So when I stepped outside, the birds all started diving at me. It was truly terrifying. And the worst part is they don’t seem to be the least bit afraid of humans. When I yell at them to move, they just look at me. In fact, I would go as far to say they taunt me! I thought playing hawk sounds on my phone would help, but it did not.

So I put in a request with maintenance to have the nest removed. Unfortunately, it only made the problem worse. Now the aggressive birds are real life angry birds. And now there are about 8 of them that continue to swoop at my sliding door and look inside, like they’re devising a plan to enter and attack me. Also, I think they’re starting to build a new nest above my patio door. So that’s wonderful.

But I have GREAT news. If you don’t have to dodge angry birds trying to take your head off, this recipe is extremely easy with just a handful of ingredients. And guess what — if you don’t like one of the ingredients, just omit it!

Strawberry Salsa
Ingredients

• 1/2 pound strawberries, diced
• 1 medium red onion, diced
• 1-2 jalapeños, seeded and finely diced (for more heat, leave in seeds)
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons lime juice (about the equivalent of juice from one lime)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in large bowl and serve! Would be great with tortilla chips or served or chicken and fish. I like to serve with blue corn tortilla chips because I think it looks patriotic.
2. This is best the day it’s made otherwise the strawberries start to get mushy.

No-Mix Strawberry Dump Cake

This is a sponsored post by Challenge Butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

I've talked about how agonizingly difficult it can be to come up with "original" and "unique" recipes. Sometimes I spend hours and hours of time trying to create new, never-before-seen-anywhere-else content for my blog.

All I wanted for this recipe was to celebrate the start of strawberry season in Indiana with the easiest dessert possible. My goal with this is for someone to be able to grab fresh Indiana-grown strawberries from either their own garden or grocery store and prepare a tasty dessert in just a matter of minutes.

Dump cakes are really popular, and that's what initially came to mind. The name of the dessert probably gives it away, but basically you just dump 5 ingredients into a cake pan and bake it in the oven. That’s it! You don’t have to pull out a single mixing bowl, spatula, or whisk! I didn't mix anything at all because I just poured the melted butter on top.

No-Mix Strawberry Dump Cake
Yield: Serves about 10 people
Ingredients

• 5 cups strawberries, sliced
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice or juice from 1/2 of a lemon
• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1/2 cup Challenge butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Dump strawberries at bottom of 9 x 13 baking dish
3. Pour sugar and lemon juice on top; this will bring out the natural juices of the strawberries
4. Dump cake mix over strawberries and pour butter on top
5. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes and serve warm

Grilled Fruit Pizza

This is a sponsored post by Challenge butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

There are few people who love a backyard BBQ quite like Kylee Wierks loves a BBQ. First of all, I love eating outside. In fact, I think we should all eat every meal outside. The ambiance significantly effects how much I enjoy the food, and there's just something about the fresh air that makes food taste better.

Secondly, BBQ food is probably my favorite food. I loved grilled meat, I love grilled sides, and I love grilled desserts! Yes, you read that correctly. I said I love GRILLED DESSERTS! Believe it or not, the grill is not just for burgers, steaks, and corn. You can (and you should) make desserts on the grill!

Using the grill does wonderful things for the texture and flavor of your desserts. Bonus: you don't need to turn on the oven, so you won't heat up your home!

Fruit desserts in particular are just magical, hot and sugary but not completely terrible for you. You can grill just about any fruit your heart desires. So I decided to grill all of my favorite fruits and make a fruit pizza!



Fruit pizza was always one of my favorite summer desserts when I was growing up. You know the kind with a sugar cookie crust and cream cheese frosting? My mom would always make it for the Fourth of July and other summer holiday parties.

I wanted to make a more savory version with actual pizza dough. Just use your favorite homemade or store-bought pizza dough or flat bread, it's completely up to you. Then top it with a sweet cream cheese spread and your favorite grilled fruit.

Grilling fruit is easy peasy, I promise! Just make sure to coat the grates or the grill pan well with oil or no-stick spray because the fruit is prone to sticking. Also, I recommend using fruit that is just barely ripe because you don't want it to get too mushy on the grill. One thing to keep in mind is sturdier fruits like pineapples and peaches take more time to grill (about 3 minutes each side) than something like strawberries or kiwis (2 minutes or less each side). My suggestion is to grill just a few pieces at a time until you get a feel for how long it will take.

The pizza is best served warm, and it still tastes great the second day!



Grilled Fruit Pizza
Yield: Serves about 10 people
Ingredients

• 8 ounces Challenge cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• Variety of sliced fresh fruits (I used 1 peach, 1 pineapple, 6 strawberries, handful of blackberries)
• Pizza dough (I used Wewalka bistro dough, but you can use any pizza dough or flat bread you like)
• Optional: Mint leaves for garnish

Directions

1. Use mixer to cream together cream cheese, brown sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy or about 1 minutes. Set aside.
2. Preheat grill or grill pan to medium heat. Lightly coat grill grates with non-stick spray or oil so fruit doesn't stick.
3. Add sliced fruit to grill and grill for about 2 to 3 minutes per side. More delicate fruits like strawberries will take less time than peaches and pineapple. Set grilled fruit on plate.
4. Place pizza dough on grill and cook for about 4 minutes or until bottom is browned. Flip and cook for an additional 4 minutes.
5. Spread grilled pizza dough with cream cheese mixtures and arrange fruit on top.
6. Garnish with mint leaves if desired and serve warm.

No-Bake Mason Jar Cheesecakes

Today on Fox59 morning news I talked about last minute Fourth of July dessert recipes and made these adorable No-Bake Mason Jar Cheesecakes! 

I wanted to make a really light dessert because during the summer it’s hot and people are typically running around playing outside. And I know when I eat something really heavy like pie or cake I just feel sluggish.

These little cheesecakes are very low in fat and calories, but they still satisfy your sweet tooth.

You can whip up the filling in a matter of minutes, and you don’t have to worry about heating up your oven!

Additionally, You can use this same cheesecake filling to make a cheesecake or a fruit dip, as you'll see in my segment!

No-Bake Mason Jar Cheesecakes

Servings: This recipe makes enough for about 12 mason jars

Calories: 188 calories per mason jar

Ingredients

• 15 low-fat graham crackers (8 ounces)
• 2 bars (8 ounces each) non-fat cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups non-fat Cool Whip
• 2 cups fresh berries

Directions

1. In a food processor, pulse graham crackers until finely ground and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy, or about 3 minutes.
3. Add confectioners' sugar, yogurt, vanilla, and salt; beat until smooth.
4. With a rubber spatula, fold in whipped cream.
5. Fill mason jar 1/3 of the way with graham cracker crumbs
6. Spoon or pipe in cheesecake filling so that the jar is 2/3 of the way full
7. Top cheesecake filling with fresh berries and serve

Strawberry Cupcakes and a Sweet Send-Off

I started my journey at Fox59 two years ago as an intern. Every Friday I drove from Bloomington to Indianapolis at 1 a.m. to shadow the morning reporters during the AM show. On my first day I was assigned to tag along with Michael Henrich.

My first impression of Michael was that of amazement – I could not believe how much energy he had at 3 in the morning (this was before my coffee days)!!! Over the next few months I continued to shadow under Michael, and even though it was exhausting to drive to Indy in the middle of the night it was definitely worth it to be able to learn from him.

Not only did I learn about being in front of the camera and writing stories, but I also learned about how you can use journalism as a platform to really help people.

In July 2013, I got a full-time job at Fox59, and I became Michael’s co-worker. He has been a wonderful friend the past two years, and he has continued to mentor me and help me grow as a journalist.

Michael’s caring attitude is inspiring, and he really is just as genuine in person as he appears on TV.

Today is Michael’s last day as a reporter in Indy. He is starting a new job at Fox25 in Boston next week. And even though he will be greatly missed by all of his co-workers and fans here in Indiana, I am so incredibly excited for him and his family!

So of course, in order to properly celebrate his last day I made my favorite Sweet Strawberry Cupcakes. I also took some new pictures for this post with my new camera, and they are a big improvement from my last iPhone photo shoot.

Sweet Strawberry Cupcakes
Yield: 24 cupcakes

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes

·         1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

·         1 cup granulated sugar

·         1 large egg

·         3/4 cup milk

·         1/4 cup strawberry yogurt

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·         1 and 2/3 cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

·         1/2 teaspoon baking powder

·         1/4 teaspoon baking soda

·         1/4 teaspoon salt

·         5 large strawberries (fresh or frozen)

Directions

For the Cupcakes

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.     Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners. Set aside.

3.     In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter in the microwave.

4.     Remove bowl from microwave and stir in sugar.

5.     Stir in egg, milk, yogurt, and vanilla extract until combined.

6.     In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

7.     Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and slowly mix until no lumps remain. Set aside.

8.     Put strawberries in a food processor and pulse until strawberries become a chunky puree. You should have about 1/3 cup.

9.     Add the strawberry puree to the bowl with the rest of the ingredients and fold it in.

10.  Divide the batter among the 12 cupcake liners.

11.  Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

12.  Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Now that you’ve made the cupcakes, choose from either the strawberry cream cheese frosting recipe of the strawberry buttercream recipe to frost them!

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

·         8 ounces strawberry cream cheese, softened to room temperature

·         1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

·         3 cups confectioners' sugar

·         2 tablespoons heavy cream

·         2 teaspoons vanilla extract

·         1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1.     In a medium bowl beat the strawberry cream cheese and the butter together on medium speed for 3 minutes.

2.     Add 1/2 cup of the confectioners’ sugar and beat until combined

3.     Add another 1/2 cup of confectioners’ sugar and beat again

4.     Continue process until you’ve added and beaten all the confectioners’ sugar

5.     Add the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt

6.     Beat on medium speed for another 2 minutes

Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

·         1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

·         1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

·         1/3 cup strawberry preserves

·         4 cups confectioners’ sugar

·         2 tablespoons heavy cream

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1.     Beat butter and vanilla together for 2 minutes

2.     Add strawberry jam and beat for another 2 minutes

3.     Add 1 cup of the confectioners’ sugar and beat until combined

4.     Add another 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar and beat again

5.     Continue process until you’ve added and beaten all the confectioners’ sugar

6.     Add the heavy cream and salt

7.     Beat on medium speed for another 2 minutes

Notes:

1.     It may seem silly to beat the butter for so long in the frosting recipes, but it’s completely necessary. It makes the frosting fluffy and ensures that you don’t end up with chunks of butter when biting into your cupcake.

2.     The amount of confectioners’ sugar in a frosting recipe controls the thickness of the frosting. If you think your frosting is too thin or if it isn't holding shape just add more confectioners’ sugar.

Goodbye, Michael! (Not sure why Intern Kylee was holding a banana)

IMPOSSIBLY EASY CROCK POT BERRY COBBLER

Fourth of July is now just a few days away, and like I mentioned in my last post, I'm dedicating this week to delicious and easy recipes that you can take to your next backyard barbecue! And since July is National Blueberry Month, I thought it would be most appropriate to share my recipe for Impossibly Easy Crock Pot Berry Cobbler. 

For me, nothing says summer quite like fresh berries. My refrigerator is always stocked with them because there's a countless number of ways to use them. I stick them in everything from cereals to salads. Additionally, berries make for wonderful desserts in the summer because they're not rich like chocolate so they don't leave you feeling heavy and sick.

One of my favorite fruity desserts is berry cobbler. Personally, I think there's nothing better than the contrast of warm cobbler with cold vanilla ice cream.

I know that in the summer it can sometimes be impractical to prepare a dessert and wait around for it to bake in the oven. It's much easier to throw something together quickly and not worry about it. That's what makes this cobbler recipe so great. All you have to worry about is mixing together a quick batter and dumping everything in the crock pot! Come back two hours later and you have a delicious cobbler ready to be eaten! It really is impossibly easy!

IMPOSSIBLY EASY CROCK POT BERRY COBBLER
Printable Recipe

INGREDIENTS

·      1 cup flour

·      1 and 1/4 cup sugar, divided

·      1 teaspoon baking powder

·      1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

·      1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

·      1/4 cup water

·      1/4 cup berry-flavored Greek yogurt (or plain sour cream)

·      2 eggs

·      3 teaspoons lemon juice, divided

·      1 (16 oz) bag whole frozen berries

DIRECTIONS

1.     Mix together the flour, 1/4 cup of the sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, water, Greek yogurt, eggs, and 1 teaspoon of the lemon juice.

2.     Mix until creamy removing as many lumps as possible.

3.     Pour the batter into the crock pot.

4.     In a separate bowl, dump in your frozen berries. 

5.     Add the remaining 1 cup of sugar and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice.

6.     Stir until combined.

7.     Dump the berries into the middle section of the batter that is already in the crock pot.

8.     Put the lid on the crock pot and cook on high for 2 hours.

9.     Scoop it up and serve!

TIP: I like to use a smaller crock pot because it makes the cakey part of the cobbler thicker

Recipe adapted from Crystal and Co.

Mix the dry ingredients to make the cobbler batter

Dump the batter into the crock pot

Mix the rest of the sugar and lemon juice with the berries and dump it in the center

Two hours later you'll have a delicious cobbler waiting for you in your crock pot!

My favorite way to eat the cobbler is  by heating it up and throwing a scoop of ice cream on top!