Tomato Mozzarella Salad

With fresh tomatoes and basil in your garden now, this dish is the perfect summer treat.

Ingredients

• 3 large tomatoes, sliced

• 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, sliced

• ¼ cup olive oil

• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper

• ¼ cup minced fresh basil

Directions

1. Gather all ingredients.

2. Place tomato slices, alternating with mozzarella slices, on a large serving platter.

3. Combine oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper in a jar with a tight-fitting lid; shake well.

4. Drizzle over tomatoes and mozzarella; sprinkle with basil.

Zucchini-Chocolate Chip Muffins

These zucchini muffins are packed with shredded zucchini, chocolate chips, and walnuts and make a perfect on-the-go snack.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

• ¾ cup white sugar

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 egg, lightly beaten

• ½ cup vegetable oil

• ¼ cup milk

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 cup shredded zucchini

• ½ cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

• ½ cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 12 muffin cups, or line with paper muffin liners.

2. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Mix egg, oil, milk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract in a bowl. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just moistened. Fold in zucchini, chocolate chips, and walnuts.

3. Fill prepared muffin cups 2/3 full with batter.

4. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

Easy Garlic-Lemon Scallops

In this simple scallop recipe, large sea scallops are sautéed in butter and garlic and served with a lemon-butter sauce. They will melt in your mouth!

Ingredients

• ¾ cup butter

• 3 tablespoons minced garlic

• 2 pounds large sea scallops

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon salt

• ⅛ teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in garlic and cook for a few seconds until fragrant.

2. Arrange scallops in a single layer in the skillet; cook until golden brown on one side, about 2 minutes. Turn scallops over using tongs and continue cooking until firm and opaque, about 2 minutes more. Transfer scallops to a platter, reserving butter in the skillet.

3. Whisk lemon juice, salt, and pepper into butter; pour sauce over scallops to serve.

Amish Peanut Butter Spread

This is a tasty peanut butter spread, sometimes known as 'church spread' that is common among the Amish and Mennonite communities. Great on bread, bananas, ice cream, etc.

Ingredients

• 1 cup light corn syrup

• ½ cup peanut butter, smooth

• ¼ cup marshmallow creme

Directions

1. In a bowl, mix corn syrup, peanut butter and marshmallow creme until thoroughly combined.

2. Store in an air-tight container.

Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake

Your mom will love this Mother’s Day treat! So creamy and good - the strawberry flavor really comes through in the cheesecake and the chocolate crust and ganache work great with the strawberries.

Ingredients

Crust:

• cooking spray

• 1 (9 ounce) box chocolate wafer cookies

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

Cheesecake:

• 1 cup chopped fresh strawberries

• 5 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

• ½ cup granulated sugar

• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 5 large eggs

• 2 large egg yolks

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 2 drops pink gel food coloring

Chocolate Ganache:

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

• 1 (4 ounce) bar semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

• 1 (4 ounce) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

• 10 whole and halved strawberries, for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Wrap outside of a lightly greased (with cooking spray) 9-inch springform pan with a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil.

2. Stir together cookies, melted butter, and granulated sugar in a bowl. Press onto bottom and 1-inch up sides of prepared pan.

3. Bake in the preheated oven until crust is set, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; cool completely, 30 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven again to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

5. Process chopped strawberries in a food processor until completely smooth, about 1 minute, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Set strawberry puree aside.

6. Beat cream cheese with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually add sugar and flour, beating until smooth, about 1 minute. Add whole eggs, 1 at a time, beating on low speed just until blended after each addition (do not overbeat). Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating until just blended after each addition.

7. Beat in reserved strawberry puree, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice on low speed just until combined. Gently stir in food coloring gel until desired shade is reached.

8. Pour batter into the prepared pan (pan will be full). Place cheesecake in a large roasting pan. Place roasting pan with cheesecake in preheated oven and pour very hot water into roasting pan half-way up sides of cheesecake.

9. Bake in the preheated oven until center is almost set but still wobbly, 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes. Turn oven off, and let cheesecake stand in oven, with door closed, 15 minutes.

10. Remove cheesecake from oven, and gently run a knife around outer edge of cheesecake to loosen from sides of pan. (Do not remove sides of pan.) Cool completely in pan on a wire rack, about 2 hours. Cover with aluminum foil; chill 8 to 24 hours.

11. Prepare Chocolate Ganache Topping: Bring cream to a light simmer in a small saucepan over medium. Place chopped chocolate in a small heatproof bowl. Pour hot cream over chocolate in bowl and let stand 1 minute. Whisk chocolate mixture until completely smooth. Let mixture cool until very slightly warm, whisking occasionally, about 20 minutes.

12. Assemble Cheesecake: Dip a few whole strawberries in ganache and chill until ready to top cheesecake. Remove sides of pan from cheesecake and place on a serving platter. Slowly pour ganache over top of cheesecake, spreading to edges with a small offset spatula. Chill for 1 hour.

13. Top cheesecake with whole and halved strawberries and chocolate-dipped strawberries.

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

This peanut butter banana smoothie is so refreshing, and it's sweet and tasty.

Ingredients

• 2 bananas, broken into chunks

• 2 cups milk

• ½ cup peanut butter

• 2 tablespoons honey, or to taste

• 2 cups ice cubes

Directions

1. Gather all ingredients.

2. Place bananas, milk, peanut butter, honey, and ice cubes in a blender.

3. Blend until smooth, about 30 seconds.