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Creamy No-Bake Strawberry Pie with Cinnamon-Graham Cracker Crust

In the summer, I almost always crave something cold, creamy, and sweet. This creamy, cheesecake-like strawberry pie is a great way to use up all of the extra strawberries you’ve been hoarding (because they are buy one get one free at Harris Teeter, so why not?) and don’t know what to do with. “Strawberries in our salad AGAIN, dear?” will no longer be the cry of your mate.

The REAL steal on this one though is the graham cracker crust. Don’t you dare buy that rock-solid Keebler brand in the store that you could flip upside down and it would stay in one piece. Graham cracker crusts are 1) simple to make, 2) customizable, and 3) crumbly and DELICIOUS. I decided to do a cinnamon variation and made it extra thick (almost too thick to cut into when serving! Oops.)

Just layer a mixture of cream cheese and pudding in the bottom of the prepared crust, and spoon some juicy strawberries on top, and you’ve got yourself a winner of a summer treat! You could also freeze it a day in advance to help it set a bit, then stick in the fridge to defrost for a half hour or so before serving so that the strawberries aren’t so solid. Enjoy!

Creamy No-Bake Strawberry Pie with Cinnamon-Graham Cracker Crust

Recipe Type: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”

Prep time: 20 mins

Total time: 20 mins

Serves: 8

Ingredients

12 graham cracker sheets (24 squares)
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp sugar, divided
6 tbsp butter, melted
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 cups strawberries, sliced
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
6 oz reduced-fat cream cheese (I used Neufchatel cheese), softened
1 package vanilla or cheesecake-flavored pudding mix (I used sugar-free)
2 cups low fat milk

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 deg.
In a food processor, pulse graham crackers and sugar until fine crumbs form.
Pour into a bowl and drizzle melted butter over the top. Stir to combine. You should be able to squeeze together the crumbs and have them form a ball in your hand! (If this doesn’t happen, add 1 tbsp water at a time until it does!)
Spread graham cracker crumbs firmly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9″ pie plate. (I used an aluminum pie plate for ease of giving away leftovers!)
Bake pie crust for 10 minutes or until golden brown and fragrant.
Freeze crust to use later, or allow to cool completely before proceeding.
To make filling, beat together softened cream cheese and 1/2 cup milk until foamy. Add pudding mix and remaining milk. Beat until smooth. Add vanilla and stir.
Spoon evenly into bottom of prepared pie crust.
Slice strawberries and sprinkle 2 tbsp sugar over top. Stir to combine (this will help the strawberries release all of their juices and make the fruit a bit less tangy!), then add lemon juice (and a bit more vanilla if you want). Allow to sit for at least 10 minutes (enough time to go upstairs and shower since you haven’t done so yet after working out!).
Spoon strawberries and juices over top of the pie. Refrigerate or freeze for at least 3 hours to set before serving (if freezing, defrost for at least 30 min).

Bonus!! I had a bit more filling and fruit than would fit in my pie plate, so I decided to use up the leftovers in these cute little muffin tins! I just pressed the graham cracker crust in the bottom of the liners, followed by about 2 tbsp filling, and topped with berries before freezing. Perfectly portioned and easy as (dare I say it?) pie!

July 25, 2014April 14, 2019

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Chicken Marsala Rice Bake

Recipe Type: Chicken, Casserole

Cuisine: Italian

Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 45 mins

Total time: 1 hour 15 mins

Serves: 12

A quick chicken marsala casserole with fresh parsley, peas, and a healthy dose of parmesan cheese! Serve with a side salad and some crusty bread for sopping up the extra juice!

Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 small onion, sliced thinly
3 tsp minced garlic
16 oz sliced mushrooms
1 small container capers
1 1/2 tbsp flour
1/2 cup marsala cooking wine
1/2 cup low fat milk (I used 1%)
2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1.5 lbs chicken cutlets, sliced thinly (about 6 cutlets total)
1 1/2 cups instant brown rice, uncooked
3/4 cup frozen peas
1/2 bunch Italian parsley, chopped roughly (about 1/3 cup total)
8 oz (?) freshly shredded or grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp oil on medium-high. Add onions and mushrooms and cook until soft, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Stir in capers.
Add garlic, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Sprinkle flour over top and stir continuously for 1 minute.
Reduce heat to a low simmer. Add marsala wine and milk, stirring until thickened- about 3-4 minutes.
Transfer mixture to a small saucepan. Add chicken broth and simmer (careful not to let the liquid reduce too much- we will need it for cooking the rice later!).
Meanwhile, sprinkle chicken cutlets with salt and pepper. Add 1 tbsp remaining olive oil to skillet and cook on medium-high heat until browned on both sides, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
In a 9×13 casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray, add rice in a thin layer. (It will stick to the pan, sort of like flouring a cake pan!)
Layer chicken on top of rice. Sprinkle peas over top.
Carefully pour the mushroom sauce over the top of the casserole. Sprinkle with parsley.
Cover tightly with foil and bake 35-40 minutes or until rice is cooked through (the time may change depending on what kind of rice you’re using!).
Uncover, sprinkle with cheese and bake 5 more minutes until cheese is melted.
**You can also make this a day in advance and either freeze it and reheat, or keep it in the fridge uncooked (the uncooked rice will soak up some of the liquid get a bit soft! You can add more liquid if you need to, although 2 cups worked for us) and then cook the next day. Make sure all the rice gets cooked- a few of our grains were a little “crunchy” still and we just stuck the casserole back in the oven!

July 25, 2014April 14, 2019

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Honey Sesame Sweet Potato Fries, Inspired by the Best Place on Earth

There are many things in life to which I can practice self-control. A trip to Trader Joe’s is not one of them. We are very fortunate to live an entire city away from the nearest TJ’s, because frankly, I would probably not be allowed to own a credit card if we lived any closer. I swear, every time I walk into one of those stores, my eyes turn into giant saucers and my legs go all jello-y. A strange, ethereal melody known only to me fills the room, and I saunter my way through aisles of the juiciest Bosc pears, Sun Gold cherry tomatoes, and ohhhhhh— those delectable organic Fuji apples! Don’t even get me started!

Then comes the cereal aisle. It’s almost too overwhelming to walk by and a lot of times I just have to put my hand up on the side of my face to shield all of the gluten-free granola, lightly-sweetened shredded wheat squares, perfectly mouth-sized O’s and A’s and whatever other types of letters they are using in cereals these days. Next is the yogurt, and I can never make a trip without passing up the Australian-style plain yogurt that has the perfect tartness and goes so perfectly with that granola I couldn’t resist just moments before and a little drizzle of honey (ooh that reminds me, next stop- the honey aisle!). After stocking up on about two dozen little tubs of greek yogurt of every single flavor, I catch a waft of something delectable. Oooooh, freeeeeee samplesssss!!! I drop my basket right where I stand (hopefully I didn’t put any eggs in yet!) and rush over to the little stand in the corner of the store where a man in a TJ’s polo stands spooning up little portions of chicken salad with greek goddess dip, a gluten free tortilla chip, and a plump little cherry garnish. A small crowd hovers in awe. “Excuse me, excuse meeeee,” I say as I push my way through the gathering, a bit exasperated that they are all so annoyingly blocking my path to the FREE FOOD. I feel like a college student again.

But then, after I have finished my sample and my stomach has been temporarily quieted, the REAL reason for my visit is upon me. With sudden tunnel vision, a tongue wetted by the small meal I have just devoured, and lips so pursed that those around me wonder if I need to use the ladies room, I make my way to the aisle of light. Also known as the trail mix aisle.

Around Trader Joe’s trail mixes, all bets are off. No self-control is retained. I have literally spend thirty minutes trying to decide whether to get the “just a handful of simply almonds, cashews, and cranberries” (but why would I want JUST a handful?) mix, “Happy Trekking” mix, “Go Raw,” or “Oh My! Omega Trek Mix.” The owner of the store has literally come over to ask me if I needed his help deciding. I lay out the pros and cons for him of the two bags in hand (“Wellllll sir, this one has the raw almonds, but THIS one has the tart cherries!”) without scaring him. In the end I usually decide to get both and mix them together. You only live once.

One item, though, that somehow always finds a way to jump into my already-overstuffed basket is the Sesame Honey Almonds. Perfectly sweetened with a honey glaze and rolled in raw sesame seeds, these little morsels of decadence are a staple in the McCormick household. I savor them like no other pantry item, taking out about 4 at a time and letting them soften slightly in my mouth before I take the first crunch. (Ok that might be too much information.) Anyway, they’re delish. This recipe is inspired by these gems of honey-roasted genius. These sweet potato fries are like candy. Dip ’em in ketchup, BBQ sauce, soy sauce, or whatever else you dream of. There are no rules in this game! Just promise me you will exercise a bit more self-control that I do the next time you make a trip to that Trader we call Joe. 🙂

Honey Sesame Sweet Potato Fries

Recipe Type: Side, Fries

Cuisine: Asian

Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 35 mins

Serves: 2

Here’s a fun twist on a classic sweet potato fries recipe! Inspired by those heavenly honey roasted sesame almonds from TJ’s, I doused sweet potato wedges in some olive oil and honey, then sprinkled them with sesame seeds. Practically like candy!

Ingredients

1 sweet potato, evenly sliced into thin wedges lengthwise
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp sesame seeds

Instructions

Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Spread sweet potato wedges on a foil-lined baking sheet (or very well sprayed one) and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic and chili powders and toss.
Drizzle honey over sweet potatoes and toss again.
Bake at 400 deg for 15 minutes, then remove from oven to toss and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Return to oven for 15 more minutes, until brown and crispy.

July 24, 2014April 14, 2019

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“Spring Clean Your Fridge” Challenge Day #4: A Mid-Week Break!

Don’t worry, I didn’t forget about the challenge for this week. AND I DIDN’T CHEAT. For those of you anxiously waiting by your computers to get an update from me about what ~~tasty~~ interesting new morsel I created tonight out of the (slowly dwindling) remnants of our pantry, do not fret. My grandparents, who came down to NC to visit for my cousin’s graduation at High Point this weekend, were kind enough to stop in Durham on the way to the coast to pay us a visit (and to pay for a delicious supper out!), so tonight Ben and I had the privilege of getting to spend some good, old fashioned quality time with them.

We went to Brixx Wood Fired Pizza in Brier Creek, just like we did last year. We Gorhams and Obers are creatures of habit. All of us enjoyed the Mediterranean Salad (with spinach, not romaine- good life decisions, people) with a decent sized fillet grilled salmon fillet on top. Ok, all except Ben, who never strays from getting his meat-lover’s pizza there. Oh, my husband. Love him.

Anyway, our dinner out at Brixx tonight meant that I was off the hook! I have to admit, I welcomed the opportunity to not have to be creative. Sometimes it’s nice to just know what you want and have it brought to you. 🙂

But the real pleasure in tonight was getting to enjoy the company of my sweet husband and sweet grandparents. We chatted for a good two hours about nutrition, calcium supplements, physical therapy, The Lone Ranger Movie (don’t ask), funerals, weddings, weather, Mountain Lions (again, don’t ask), and traveling. I treasure these visits so much! Thankful for another great memory.

Night, ya’ll! Back tomorrow!

May 2, 2014April 14, 2019

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Lately: Leftovers!

Leftovers, leftovers, leftovers! You’d think that I’d be cooking up new recipes while I’m on break from school, but we’ve had so much food in the house, I can’t bring myself to make anything new until some of what’s already in the fridge gets eaten! I’ve tried to mix it up a bit by using the same ingredients in different ways, so that Ben and I don’t get sick of having the same thing over and over. Here’s what I’ve been eating lately:

Veggie Lo Mein Salad, w/ Steamed Veggies and Sesame Seeds- from leftover New Year’s Eve Chinese take-out!

Chicken Taco Salad– from Taco Night!

Smoked Turkey Guacamole Rollup– with leftover toppings from tacos! (Sooo good that this one deserves its own post!)

Favorite snack these days… PB, Banana & Raspberry Jam Minis, w/ jumbo raisins and orange slices on the side.

Open-Faced Tuna Broil- For some reason lately I’ve been all about our broiler. I’ve been using it to roast veggies, potatoes, and make open-faced sandwiches like this one! Don’t ask me why I think it’s more fun to turn on the whole oven and make way more work for myself than I need to, but there’s something about watching cheese bubble up and get all gooey that just makes my heart sing! I’ve been converted. I’ve also set off the smoke alarm on about six different occasions (one of which Ben did not even notice though he was sitting in the same room…).

This one is canned tuna fish mixed with dijon mustard, spicy brown mustard, a few drops of Worchestershire sauce, garlic powder and some ground mustard (no mayo- puhleaseeee!). I also mixed in some frozen peas to give a bit more substance. Topped with spinach, tomato, pickle, more dijon, and Swiss cheese.

Anyone else see the face in this photo? I wonder how much money I could make if I told everyone it was the face of the Virgin Mary on my tuna sandwich…

January 3, 2014April 14, 2019

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Year-End Wrap-Up: My Favorites from 2013

As 2013 comes to an end, I thought I’d post some of my all-time favorite posts from the year. Many of you have only really gotten to know Claire Tastes within the past few months, which means that you may have missed a few of my earlier recipes. Going back to revisit some of the January and February posts is a time-warp, that’s for sure! For example, it’s hard to believe it was just a year ago that I made BBQ Chicken Pizza for the first time!

Whether a cook, blogger, or taster, I urge you- whoever you are and wherever you are- to take some time to reflect on the past year. All the triumphs, disappointments, new tastes and experiences, and memories with those you love the most. What a beautiful thing it is to be able to look back and reflect on how I have grown and just how blessed I am!