The Hallmark Channel movie “Love in Zion National Park- A National Park Romance” was a fun adventure through Zion National Park where the main focus was to find a lost relic of the Anasazi Tribe. During this quest, we are introduced to a delicious Native American dish, “Three Sisters Soup”. It caught my eye as a healthy and hearty soup with the three main ingredients being corn, squash and beans. I also made some corn bread to accompany it, and it was a great complement!

Ingredients:

-1 carton low sodium chicken broth

-2 small zucchini squash

-2 small zucchini

-1/2 pound small red potatoes

-2 small cans fire roasted tomatoes (juice included)

-1 bag frozen corn

-2 cups frozen black eyed peas

-1 bag frozen chopped onion

-2 cloves of garlic

-1 teaspoon cumin

-salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Saute onions in olive oil or butter.

Peel and dice zucchini squash and zucchini. Dice potatoes, mince garlic. 

Add garlic to the pan to brown a bit right before adding chicken broth. Add chicken broth, and ALL other ingredients to the pot. Simmer for one hour or until all veggies are soft enough to poke through with a fork. Make some corn bread on the side to dip!

Inspired by “Dream Moms” on Hallmark Channel

One of the main characters, played by Tamera Mowry-Housley, had a sweet argument with her husband about her famous peach cobbler and I was instantly inspired to make some! I have been making a cherry cobbler for years that is always a huge hit, so I reimagined that recipe into something new. And did I mention it is insanely easy to make?

Ingredients:

-2 cans of sliced peaches in fruit juice 

-2 cup chopped pecans

-1 box butter pecan cake mix (do not make the cake)

-1 stick unsalted butter

Directions:

Pour both cans of peaches (juice included) into a 9 by 13 baking dish and spread evenly. Sprinkle one cup of pecans on top.

Next, pour entire contents of cake mix on top of that and spread evenly so there aren’t any peaches showing. 

Sprinkle the second cup of pecans on top of that. Next, cut the entire stick of butter into tabs and cover the entire top. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

Let it sit for 10 minutes, it will be hot! Top with ice cream and enjoy!

Inspired by “A Taste of Portugal” on Hallmark Channel

This movie was a culinary tour of Portugal! During a tour of a local market, the pasteis de nata was a highlight that I just had to make! It’s reminds me of a little creme’ brûlée wrapped in a buttery pastry.

Ingredients:

-frozen puff pastry

-Custard filling

-3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

-1 1/4 cups milk 

-1 1/3 cups granulated sugar

 -2/3 cup water

-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

-6 large egg yolks whisked

-1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

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Directions: 

In a small bowl, separate your egg yolks and egg whites. Only use the yolks. Whisk them up.

In a large bowl, whisk 1/4 cup of the milk with the flour (save the remaining 1 cup of milk for later). Set aside.

In a small sauce pot, heat up milk and pour into flour mixture.

In another small sauce pot, heat sugar and water until it comes to a boil. Slowly pour into flour mixture and stir for 2 minutes. Add vanilla and cinnamon.

Slowly stir in egg yolks and whisk briskly. Strain through a sieve and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

In the meantime. Make sure your pastry dough is brought to room temperature so that it’s pliable. Open up the sheets of dough and cut into large squares. 

Spray a muffin tin with nonstick spray and create a cup out of each square of dough. You may need to stretch it into the shape of the muffin tin. 

Pour about 3/4 cup of chilled filling into each cup. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes until dough is golden and filling is no longer liquid. Let them cool for 25 minutes before removing from tin. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and enjoy!

This recipe for bell pepper pizza was inspired by the Great American Family Christmas movie, “Jingle Bell Princess” starring Merritt Patterson and Trevor Donovan. Merritt plays Princess Amelia and confesses to Trevor’s character that she has never had cold pizza before, but I’m not sure she has had any pizza before! So I created this bell pepper (play on words with “jingle bell” pizza with so many facets of flavors that no princess would ever refuse!

Ingredients:

-Ready made pizza dough

-“Di Fratelli” canned tomato sauce

-Roasted red bell pepper cut into strips

-grilled onions

-sun dried tomatoes

-ricotta

-arugula

-olive oil

Directions:

On a pizza stone, spread out pizza dough into a 12 in round. Spread sauce, sprinkle (pre-grilled) bell peppers, (pre-grilled) onions, sun dried tomatoes and ricotta. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes until crust is golden and ricotta is melted into the dough. Remove from oven and top with fresh arugula and drizzle with olive oil.  Enjoy!

This savory pie is inspired by the movie “South Beach Love” on Hallmark Channel starring William Levy and Taylor Cole. The dish was created when both characters combined their Cuban and Irish heritage to create this unique dish. Shepard’s pie meets ropa vieja!

Ingredients:

One to two pounds large flank steak

2 cloves chopped garlic

1 teaspoon chopped cilantro

Onions

red and green bell peppers

1 tablespoon cumin

1 can tomato sauce

1 cup beef broth

1 tablespoon white or apple cider vinegar

6 oz tomato paste

manzanilla olives

Crust: Two pack frozen pie crust

Directions:

In a large sauce pan, sear flank steak on all sides in a bit of olive oil. Add onions and garlic. Saute for another minute. Add all other ingredients into the pot. Cover and simmer for two hours.

For Crust:

Bake one crust at 375 for 10 minutes

Scoop cooked ropa into cooked crust and cover with uncooked crust.

Crimp sides and poke vent holes with a fork. Bake for 20 minutes or until top is golden.

-½ Teaspoon salt

-1¾ Cup all-purpose flour

-¾ Cup butter (unsalted, cold)

-½ Cup sour cream

-1 Teaspoon vanilla extract

-Strawberry  jam

-¾ Cup almonds or pecans, chopped

-Powdered Sugar

Cut cold butter into tabs first, and In an electric mixer, mix together cold butter, sour cream and vanilla until smooth. There may be a few lumps. 

Next add flour and salt. Mix until a ball of dough forms. Gently knead and split into three balls of dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 25 minutes. Take out one ball of dough at a time when rolling. Keep other two in the fridge  until ready to use.

On a floured surface, roll out one ball of dough into a large circle. Spread strawberry jam and sprinkle chopped nuts on top. Drizzle with a bit of honey. 

Then cut dough into 12 triangles (pizza style) and roll into a crescent shape starting from the wide side down to the corner. 

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until golden in color. Once they are totally cooled, roll in a small bowl of powdered sugar. Enjoy!

This delicious cookie is inspired by the Hallmark Channel movie “Made For Each Other”. Main character Rachel (Alexandra Turshen) molds “the perfect man” out of clay and wished him to life! One way to her heart was through her stomach with her favorite treat, rugelach!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 6 tablespoons COLD unsalted butter (cut into tabs)
• 1 cup milk
• 1 peach tea bag
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup drained, cubed canned peaches

First bring milk to a slow boil, turn off heat and steep tea bag for 20 minutes. Pour in heat safe bowl and place in fridge or freezer to cool completely.

Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl (flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon). Set aside. 

Drain peaches and add into flour mixture.

Take your tabs of butter out of the freezer and with your hands or pastry blender, mix in all the butter into flour mixture until combined and crumbly.

Next, take your cooled tea-infused milk and add that to the dry mixture. Stir or knead until a ball forms. 

Place ball of dough on a cookie sheet lined with a silicone baking mat. Add a touch of flour and knead a bit more, then pat down to form a 1 inch thick circle. Cut 6-8 slices into dough, depending on how big you want your slices.

Place in freezer while you preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Baste top of dough with milk and bake for about 20 minutes. 

This recipe was inspired by the Great American Family movie “The English Estate” .  The England native in this movie was very serious about teaching the “American” how to make a proper tea. She wasn’t too keen on the lack of sweetness, but what better way to sweeten up tea than with a yummy scone! Peach tea is my favorite and it was a no brainer for me to infuse it into this recipe!