The Only Key Lime Pie Recipe You Need

Look no further. This is the last key lime pie recipe you need. I got the recipe from one of my best friend's moms. She adapted it from Joy of Cooking then I made of few tweaks myself. The results=absolute deliciousness. I'm not even going to ramble on about it, let's just cut to the chase.

I'm a sucker for a good graham cracker crust. Especially this one. It has brown sugar it. I'm telling you it makes all the difference. 

Key Lime Pie
yields 1, 9" pie

Crust:
1 1/2 cups of graham crackers (about 10)
6 Tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup brown sugar 

Filling:
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup key lime juice (about 12 to 14 key limes)
zest of two key limes, plus extra for garnish

Topping:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 Tbsp. sugar

Directions:
Preheat your over to 350 degrees. In a food processor, grind up your graham crackers until finely ground. Pour melted butter and brown sugar in and process together. Dump graham cracker grounds into a 9 inch pie pan. Using your hands spread them out and up the sides. Use the base of a measuring cup to help pat down the crust so that it is even. Use the side of the measuring cup to smooth the sides and make sure the crust is even all along the rim. Bake for 10 minutes.  

While your crust is baking whisk your egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk, key lime juice, and key lime zest in a large mixing bowl. Once your crust is done, lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Pour in the filling and bake for 15 to 17 minutes. Let your pie cool completely before adding the whipped topping. 

Once the pie is cool, make the whipped cream. Using an electric mixer, mix heavy cream and sugar until stiff peaks form. Using a spatula, loosely top the pie with a hefty amount of whipped cream. Sprinkle with extra key lime zest. Serve cold. 

Make it for you momma this weekend. I know she will love it. Mine sure does!

Annie

Bites of My Life

Dove head first into the new month with a week and weekend filled with too much fun. I'm pointing fingers at this being my birthday month as the reason why. So much delicious food, made and eaten, drinks with friends, new and old, gorgeous weather, long sunny days and and a major feeling of summer creeping in. 

-Used my archived Cauliflower Crust Pizza recipe to make this pizza pie last Monday. Turned out better than I remembered, a post update is in the works. 
-A healthy dinner followed but an unhealthy amount of vegan cookie dough...this stuff is amazing (found at Whole Foods).
-The Moscow Mule adventure I mentioned before, went full speed last week. We tried out three more places and IMO mine is still the best!
-I have a friend who has me hopping on the oil train. Swapping real lemons for lemon oil in my morning hot water.
-Have you made the basil vinaigrette I posted last week? If not you are mistaken. I topped my cauliflower crust pizza and salads with it. 
-Last week's recipe post looking prettier than ever. 
-The last key lime pie recipe you need, coming this week.
-Scenes from cinco. 
-Not embarrassed at all to admit I went to En Croute 3 times in 24 hours over the weekend. Our new-ish little neighborhood french bistro has me smitten. 
-When you get to be wedding dates with one of your besties!
-The best time of year!!!
-Turkey burger night round two with my favorite people (my parents).

Annie

Avocado and Grapefruit Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

Hello May, hello summer food. It's not quite summer yet, but I am diving in to colorful food. I love indulging in seasonal dishes and this salad 100% fits the bill for the current season. 

The avocado and grapefruit combination is delicious, but the star of the show is the basil vinaigrette. The recipe comes from Gaby at What's Gaby Cooking. I've made this a few times and every time I'm reminded that I should make it more. It's amazing as a salad dressing, but also so good over fish, chicken, in replace of pesto, as a marinade, basically anything. I used it as a pizza sauce, so stay tuned for more on that. 

I've been making this salad for lunches and just keeping all of the components sliced and prepped in the fridge so I can toss it all together fresh once lunch time comes. Although, this salad would be great with salmon added to make it more filling or as a side with grilled meats or burgers. 

Avocado and Grapefruit Salad
yields 3-4 servings

Ingredients:
1 large grapefruit
1 large hass avocado
5 oz mixed green or spring green lettuce
3 green onions, whites and greens, thinly sliced
Basil Vinaigrette (recipe below)
Maldon salt

Directions:
Using a small sharp knife, peel your grapefruit. Start from the top and peel down as if you were going from the North to South Pole. Then slice thin rings and then cut each ring into fourths so you get triangular shapes. Then cut your avocado in half short ways. Remove the pit and slice into rings like you did the grapefruit, and then in half. Once your components are all sliced and ready it's time to assembly.

In a large bowl add your greens. Top with your grapefruit segments, avocado slices and green onions. Drizzle over a good portion of the basil vinaigrette. With two large spoons toss until the vinaigrette is incorporated. Top with a sprinkle of Maldon salt and enjoy! 

Basil Vinaigrette original recipe from What's Gaby Cooking 
yields ~1 cup

Ingredients: 
1 shallot, roughly chopped
2 cups tightly packed fresh basil leaves, stems removed (about 4 ounces)
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. salt

Directions:
Combine all the ingredients in a food processor or high powered blender and until smooth. It will be a little thiner than pesto. Store in a mason jar or sealed tight container. Vinaigrette will stay good for up to 3 days in the fridge.

Serve as a salad dressing, spread on pizza, sandwiches, and wraps or over pasta in replace of pesto. Also great as a marinade for fish or drizzled over the top. 

Annie

Bites of My Life

This past weekend is one of my favorite weekends in Oklahoma City. The Festival of the Arts comes to town and the Memorial Marathon is run on Sunday. It's always the last weekend in April, and it's always full of fun activities. You would think the last weekend in April would mean sunny spring weather, but we had buckets of rain and fridged temperatures. I'm ready for some May sunshine!

-My friend Malory posted this salad on her instagram and I enjoyed it all week. My version was spring greens, shredded chicken, dried cranberries, slivered almonds, bosc pears, green onions and a dijon vinaigrette.
-Turkey burger Monday with mom, dad and sis. So ready for summer food!
-I have a sensitivity to caffeine, so when we had a coffee tasting at work you can imagine the jitters I felt all day. Pictured here: our dirty chai. 
-Breakfast pizza coming to the brunch menu at The Jones Assembly.
-Felt like an oxymoron drinking my green smoothie out of a beer glass.
-The Malory Salad was on repeat all week!
-So many tastings for The Jones Assembly last week to get ready for our June opening, but nothing can beat our Steak Frites. 
-The Festival of the Arts is just as much about the culinary arts as it is the artists. The Beef & Blue Sandwich won best in show in my opinion!
-Made my M&M Cookie Pizza for Kathleen and John's housewarming party. What you can't see here is that I accidentally doubled the butter...it ended up being just fine and gave it that "melt in your mouth" taste!
-25,000+ people ran in the OKC Memorial Marathon, but we all woke up at 6am to see Maddie run the half in less than 2 hours! 
-After walking up abnormally early for a Sunday to watch the marathon, I had a long nap back in bed then a slow day reading some of my book and snacking on my faves. 
-Made a batch of What's Gaby Cooking's Basil Vinaigrette. I have lot's of plans for this stuff, stay tuned! 

Annie

Bites of My Life

Late night bites, but bites none the less. Happily jumping back into bed tonight after my lack of sleep from the weekend. All worth it though after being reunited with all of my best friends to celebrate our Madeline before she gets hitched this summer. The first to go in our nitch, so we had to celebrate accordingly. 

-Scrambled with a side of matcha. 
-More Jones Assembly menu tastings last week and I single handily took down this whole jar of candied bacon. 
-Our chefs have been cranking out the most delicious eats, like this blood orange and burrata dish with lavender infused olive oil. On the menu this summer at The Jones. 
-When your friend texts you to simply come over to teach her how to make a moscow mule, but then your night turns into a quest around town to find the best moscow mule in the city. Stay tuned for more reviews, but Sidecar is already impressing us. 
-Because I can't drink alcohol and not munch on something. And because Sidecar get's all of their food from their sister restaurant Broadway 10, you know anything on their menu will be delish. 
-The week continued with brunch tastings for The Jones. Wood fired frittata, yes please!
-Wheels down in Scottsdale and first stop was for brunch and multiple mimosas. 
-First day in the sun in about 8 months and in traditional Annie fashioned, got fried to a crisp...
-#madsbach had all the views in beautiful Scottsdale, AZ
-I fell in love with the frozen mojito at Sumo Maya a year ago and have been counting down the days until I knew I would be reunited with it again. 
-All reunited for our gal!
-Serious restaurant crush at The Henry before heading out of town. 

Annie