Midwest Living March/April 2014 Recipes

Billowy Meringue Frosting tops a moisty and buttery lime-flecked cake whose subtle coconut flavor comes from canned cream of coconut.

Key Lime Coconut Cake with Meringue Frosting

A $1,000 winner in our annual recipe contest, this colorful sandwich from Lori McLain of Denton, Texas, is a flavor twist on a classic Midwestern tenderloin sandwich.

Sticky Asian Pork Wrap

This hearty quiche recipe comes from Fire Lake Camp farm in Paola, Kansas, where a U-pick asparagus patch draws visitors every spring.

Spinach-Asparagus Quiche

Luscious homemade curd beats the jarred stuff hands-down—and you can customize it with any citrus fruit! Try the curd spread over waffles or toast, layered in a parfait with whipped topping, spread between the layers of a cake or served in a jar alongside simple cookies.

Citrus Curd

There are a lot of ingredients in this spruced-up comfort-food dish, but trust us, it’s worth the effort for a weekend treat. The recipe from Michael Watz of Chicago was a finalist in our Best of the Midwest® recipe contest.

Milk-Braised Pork with Cheesy Grits

This North Woods-inspired recipe from Cheryl Francke of Arden Hills, Minnesota, was a finalist in our Best of the Midwest® recipe contest. 

Cranberry-Orange Wild Rice Muffins

Mexican flavors give a fresh twist to this classic Southern dish. Best of all, each serving has only 382 calories!

Pepper-Lime Shrimp and Grits

This hearty, healthy salad combines juicy fruit, flavorful fresh herbs and warm spices. Even people who are skeptical of the nutritious bulgur wheat will be surprised how much they like it.

Orange Tabbouleh

You could serve the zingy Quick Citrus Jam on its own with buttered bread or English muffins, but for special occasions, try this extra-indulgent breakfast combo of melted chocolate on bread with the jam.

Chocolate-Smeared Baguette with Quick Citrus Jam

This simple recipe from Fire Lake Camp farm in Paola, Kansas, is sure to become a spring standard on your table; it's perfect for both brunch and dinner. Don't be tempted to skip the lemon juice; the acidity brightens the flavors of the whole dish.

Garlic-Roasted Asparagus

This almond-kissed, fruit-packed pie comes from David Harper, of Richland Center, Wisconsin. He likes to serve it with a wedge of Wisconsin cheese, but it's just as good with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream! The recipe was a finalist in our annual recipe contest.

Wisconsin Harvest Pie

What's Maltaise Sauce, you ask? It's just hollandaise sauce with a bit of orange zest and juice added. But you wouldn't believe how that bit of zing transforms this brunch standard.

Eggs Benedict with Maltaise Sauce

Dawn Logterman of Verona, Wisconsin, created this clever twist on the classic cream puffs served at the Wisconsin State Fair. Her recipe was a finalist in our annual recipe contest.

Chocolate Hazelnut Cream Cheese Puffs

This recipe couldn't be simpler! Just simmer grapefruit slices in maple syrup for a delicious, rosy compote to serve over waffles, French toast, crepes—or these subtly orange-flavored pancakes.

Hint-of-Orange Pancakes with Grapefruit Syrup

The creamy lemon puddings look and taste sophisticated but are actually quite simple to make, and they can even be prepared in advance.

Meyer Lemon Pots de Crème with Honeyed Kumquats

Have you heard of limoncello? You can make the classic Italian liqueur with almost any citrus fruit. (Only lime doesn't work.) Serve the chilled liqueur with sparkling water, sip it chilled alongside chocolate truffles or try drizzling it over strawberries for a boozy pound cake topper.

Citrus Liqueur

This recipe, submitted by Melanie Madore of Ashland, Missouri, was a finalist in our recipe contest. Unlike many pumpkin chilis, what sets this one apart is using cubed pumpkin (or butternut squash) rather than canned.

Pumpkin Chili

If you can resist munching on all these chewy, sweet citrus bits, you'll find plenty of ways to use them in your kitchen. We like stirring chopped peel into granola or cookie batter, sprinkling it over vanilla ice cream, or dipping the pieces in chocolate. Keep in mind that lime peel does not taste particularly good when candied.

Candied Citrus Peel