Category Archives: Recipe Instant Queue

In continued celebration of the man with the lightening scar, here are some amazing treats. I am in awe of these bloggers- these ideas are so creative! Some are straight out of the books, others are homages to the wizarding world. A slight word of caution: this post is heavy on the dessert, low in health food.

5. Cauldron Cakes

via the Pastry Affair

What did I tell you! Simply magical!! Click on over to the Pastry Affair to get the recipe and how to.  There is some seriously amazing goodie’s on Kristin’s blog- so don’t miss out!

4. Pasties

via Diamonds for Dessert

Diamonds for Dessert has recipes for both Cornish and Pumpkin pasties, a Hogwarts must. Talk about thorough! Check out some of her other Harry Potter inspired recipes!

3. Butterbeer Cupcakes

via Amy Bites

Buttery, butterscotchy cake with butterscotch buttercream? Count me in.  Click on over to Amy Bites.

2. Harry, Ron & Hermione Cookies

via Bake at 350

Get the whole tutorial and some other great ideas over at Bake at 350. (Did I mention that Bridget is pretty much my sugar cookie hero? LOVE her blog!)

1. Butterbeer

via Bakingdom

I’m with Darla on this one. I chose her recipe largely because it does not contain clarified butter. I LOVE butter and I felt weird about pouring it into my soda. So I went with Darla’s advice and used imitation butter flavoring. All things in moderation, and I think it really makes the difference here.

And if you still haven’t had enough, check out some of these great ideas over at the Leaky Cauldron, the official location of all Harry Potterdom. (Yes, I’m a member. I told you I was obsessed!)

The 4th of July is a nostalgic summer holiday. At least it is for me. I’ve been thinking about some of my favorite 4th of July memories, and recipes that would best represent them. Five recipes, five memories.

5. Firework Cookies

Martha's Fireworks cookies

I grew up on a small cul de sac, and in the summer all of the kids would play in the street. We’d bounce from house to house, sampling the food offerings. My mom always had Kool-Aid and sandwiches. I loved to sneak across the street, where our neighbors always had the soft Lighthouse cookies that I loved. These sugar cookies are a more sophisticated replica and have a beautiful Americana feel.

4. Yesterdog Hotdogs

Yesterdog featured on SeriousEats

The summer before college, a group of us met at Yesterdog before the display was held. I remember how happy I was, ready to head to college, bursting with energy and pride.  That happy high forever linked with Yesterdog.

3.Strawberry and Lemon Verbena Summer Drink

from Maria Teresa Jorge, via Food52

Kool-Aid is quintessential summer and I want to remember it that way. I always loved the “Pink Swimmingo” kind. I loved it, begged for it whenever my mom went to the grocery store. Maria Teresa Jorge’s fizzy pink drink is the perfect substitution. I added gin (Maria suggests rum) when I tested the recipe and it was perfection.

2. Flag Cake

Ina Garten's classic

Must have flag cake. The one of my childhood generally involved jello and Cool Whip, so this is a vast improvement. You could go with a cool reinvention of the classic, like this one from Baked Bree or this one from 17andBaking. But I like Ina’s. It’s homey. And it has lots of cream cheese. Win-Win.

1. Sour Cherry Slab Pie

Deb's Sour Cherry Slab Pie

Being from Michigan, Sour Cherries are our thing.  Except we call them Tart Cherries. There is a big Cherry festival in Traverse City, generally near the 4th of July. Because what better way to celebrate Michigan’s proud fruit than to have a festival?  And this cherry pie is portable. Handheld, even. Perfection. Once again, Deb is the master.

I’ve got just one recipe for you today. Mostly because I’m across the pond, on vacation. Mr. Radar let me tag along on one of his very important trips to London.

Korean Fusion Tacos

via the Steamy Kitchen

Every summer, Mr. Radar and I visit the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York. Mr. Radar generally works a few days at a fancy-pants engineering school, and I get to visit my family and drink lots of wine.  The Americana Vineyard has a WONDERFUL cafe, and Mr. Radar ordered kimchi tacos. And I’ve been trying to recreate the experience ever since. Steamy Kitchen’s recipe looks fabulous and extra BBQ sauce is okay with us.

I planted a lot of great vegetables in the community garden this year, but many were lost to the weirdo storms and torrential downpours. But my arugula survived. Thrived, even. I’m so proud of my baby lettuces, I don’t want to relegate them to a salad. So here some new uses for arugula.

5. In Potato Salad

Arugula Potato Salad, via theKitchn

All that starch could use a little green, right? Potato salad with dill and arugula at theKitchn.

4.  In a Panini

Delicious Panini from Phoebe of Big Girls, Small Kitchen

Prosciutto and Fontina panini with arugula and pickled shallots. Yes, Please. Phoebe and Cara have a new cookbook, too. It looks really great and frugal. My favorite kind of recipes.

3. Pile it on top of pizza.

the Pioneer Woman continues to amaze.

Figs, Prosciutto, Parmesan? Count me in. I think Gorgonzola would also be a delicious choice here instead of the Parmesan. just saying!

2. In Pasta

Jamie Oliver's Spaghetti with Prawns & Rocket

A little recipe from everyone’s favorite Brit. It looks good, doesn’t it?

1. With a Great Grain

via Tea and Cookies

Farro, Beet and Arugula salad from Tea and Cookies blog. Oh, and that feta Tara mentions in the recipe? I’d use a local goat cheese…

Did I not promise a Recipe Instant Queue devoted to strawberries? Eat your heart out.

5. Strawberry Focaccia

From Saveur

You might think I bonked my head.  Last week I suggested grilled salad and this week its strawberry pizza. But I love strawberries in a savory application.

4. Strawberry Pineapple Crumble

Joy the Baker's crumble

Pineapples and strawberries, best friends in a fruit salad but rarely seen together otherwise.  Joy the Baker has changed all that. Take this to your next potluck and  you’ll have legions of fans. Just ask Joy.

3. NOLA Style Shortcake

Ezra Pound Cake's New Orleans style Strawberry Shortcake

Yes, please. Technically this is called Ponchatoula Strawberry and Brown Butter cake. It’s a mouthful in the best way possible.

2. Strawberry and Poppy Seed Muffins

from fresh365

I hate muffins. Truly.  We all have our quirks, just generally not broadcasted over the internet. Muffins bother me in an inexplicable way. But these could be the ones that turn me over to the muffin dark side. (Mr. Radar is now going to demand these, I know. He always wants muffins and I always refuse to make them).   Take a gander over to fresh365. I recently discovered the site, and wow!

1. Gluten free and Nut!! Free Cupcakes

From Elana's Pantry

I have several friends that are gluten free for health reasons. I am NOT gluten free for health reasons, mainly due to my allergies to most nuts. I’m allergic to nearly all tree nuts except for almonds and hazelnuts, and I usually have to blanch those nuts before eating to remove any contamination acquired during processing. It isn’t a big deal to me and I continue to make Thistle’s granola by using gloves and utilizing a taste-tester, usually Mr. Radar or an unsuspecting passerby.

This recipe? A winner for the GF and nut-free camps. No outside taste tester needed. Elana has a number of wonderful GF books, in case you are interested.

Pesto and I have history. For every birthday, I would request pesto with homemade pasta, lovingly made for me by my mother. Every year she would ask if I wanted the Cocola family “meaty” sauce and I always refused. Only pesto. It was the one for me. When I first met Mr. Radar, he would not go on a date with me, but like pesto, I was convinced he was the one. So I seduced him, wielding my pesto and homemade pasta recipe. And we all know how that went =) Pesto has worked out pretty well for me thus far, so the more recipes the merrier.

5. Stinging Nettle Pesto

This both intrigues me and freaks me out. I hate stinging nettles, and they are the first weed to be abolished from my garden. But stinging nettles are everywhere, and this could be a budget friendly idea for the adventurous eater. From the Amateur Gourmet

After gloves, a little boiling, the stinging nettles become pesto

4.Fennel Frond Pesto from In The Kitchen With A Good Appetite

I like the fronds of fennel better than the bulb. So useful!

I love Melissa Clark’s new cookbook, In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite.  I wanted it since Christmas, but when our local Borders went out of business in March, I snatched up a copy for $7.99. Practically criminal, especially considering how high quality this book is.

3. Red Pesto & Ravioli

Yum!

I love Heidi Swanson. Her blog is one of my absolute favorites, one that I started following many years ago. I’ve been meaning to try this for years, and haven’t yet. Maybe this weekend!

2. Wild Ramp Pesto

saenyc's Ramp Pesto is a stunner

I have tried this one. I first saw this last year.  Mike Malone of Hungry Toad Farms gave me a bunch of ramps last year. So I made this pesto. And IT IS TO DIE FOR. Go get yourself some ramps and make this, seriously.

1. Pasta with Mint Pesto, Peas and Ricotta Salata

Sara Kate Gillingam-Ryan's Understated Dish

Because of all the rain we’ve been having, mint is abundant. Mine is practically going wild. My plan: this pesto.

You have Netflix, right? I do. I don’t watch a lot of TV, but I’m addicted to collecting movies and TV shows on my Instant Queue. Oh that looks interesting, click. Documentary on Italian Travel? That could be useful, click. I probably spend more time stocking up my Instant Queue than actually watching TV. Same goes for the recipes that I find on the internet. It takes mere minutes for me to find literally hundreds of recipes that I want to try. So I collect them in a giant Firefox folder called Recipe Instant Queue. I try at least a few new recipes a week, but my Recipe Instant Queue is so full that I have to divest. So I’m sharing it with you. Each Thursday, I will feature something you can make at home (ex: burgers). I’ll provide five good recipes for that item from my Recipe Instant Queue. This Week: Popsicles.

Why? Because they’re fun! And I’m hot. It went from 50 degrees to 80 here in Dayton over a few short days. Shock to the system. The only known cure: popsicles.

5. Mango & Rice Pudding Pops

Coconut and Mango Rice Pudding Pops, via TheKitchn

The Kitchn has a quite a few recipes for popsicles, this one being my favorite. Frozen rice pudding? Count me in. Mangoes are really cheap right now, so it might be a good time to jump on this recipe.

5. Coffee & Cardamom Popcicles

This one is for Mr. Radar. At this point, I’m convinced that Mr. Radar’s blood stream contains about 50% caffeine. This is a new vehicle for his coffee addiction.

Get the recipe at Food52!

3. Honeydew Melon Pops

I love the flavor of honeydew melons. LOVE. Only problem: I’m allergic! But you can try this recipe for me and report back.

Honeydew Melon pops, via Icypops

Find this recipe and a LOT of other popsicle recipes at icypops.com

2. Peaches & Cream Pops

I’m so excited for these!! I can’t wait until July when the peaches are ripe and juicy.

via My Baking Addiction

Check out some of the other popsicles on My Baking Addiction- the Somoa Pops would be perfect for your favorite Girl Scout.

1. Fire Cracker Ice Pops

Just like the red, white, and blue pops from the Ice Cream truck, but better. Perfect for the Fourth of July or any summer night.

via Martha Stewart Living

Martha’s got about 500 other popsicle recipes, just in case. You never know when you might have a Popsicle emergency.

PS: Looking for popsicle molds?