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This is a beautiful and delicious salad. The basic recipe comes from ChelseasMessyApron.com. I modified it quite a bit, trying different types of fruit and presentation. One thing that I found is when my golden raspberries are ripe, they make an excellent fruit component. I’ve made this in one large bowl served family-style and also in separate bowls served individually. The dressing recipe is enough to serve 4-6.
- SALAD INGREDIENTS
- Greens of any kind (Pictured is a variety of young greens picked from my daughter’s garden)
- Beet root, cooked and chopped
- Avocado, chopped
- Fruit, chopped if it is small (I’ve used fresh mandarin oranges, nectarines, golden raspberries, use your imagination)
- Pistachio nuts, shelled, roasted, and salted
- Goat cheese crumbles
- DRESSING INGREDIENTS
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tsp. orange zest
- 1-1/2 Tbsp. honey
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- Onion powder
- Salt
Build the salad however you would like. Whisk the dressing ingredients together. Dress the salad just prior to serving.
The affectionately named Sweet Baby Jesus! Sauce is a recipe I stole from my brother. It is a peach habanero barbecue sauce. I’ve made it a few times now and it’s universally loved by the people I give it to. Those that can’t take spicy food of any sort will not tolerate this sauce and those that are looking for extreme spiciness will be sadly disappointed. I would characterize it as a medium-spicy sauce. Today’s batch made my eyes water. So, there’s that. It’s got a rich flavor and the heat hits you on the back end. The day that I made this and took the photos, I made a double batch. The recipe given here is for a single batch. The yield is about 4 pints.
- INGREDIENTS
- 8 fresh habanero chiles
- 2 16-oz cans peaches (I use the ones in heavy syrup for more sugar content, but I doubt it really matters)
- 3 cups tomato ketchup
- 1 cup cider vinegar
- 3/4 cup dark corn syrup
- 3/4 cup prepared yellow mustard
- 2 Tbsp. salt
- 2 Tbsp. paprika
- 1 Tbsp. chili powder (I use an ancho chile blend)
- 3 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 1-1/2 Tbsp. ground cumin
- 1-1/2 Tbsp. ground black pepper
- 1 tsp. ground coriander
- 2 tsp. ginger powder
Preparation is key here. WEAR GLOVES for this part. I use a dedicated cutting mat for use with preparing fresh chiles. A small spoon can be helpful in scraping the seeds out. Get everything ready: gloves, special cutting board or mat, spoon for scraping, trash bag, large cooking pot, food processor or blender. WEAR GLOVES! Be careful not to touch anything other than the habaneros, especially your eyes. When you’re ready to do this, remove seeds and stems from the habaneros, retaining the seeds from one chile only. Put the seeds from the one chile into a large cooking pot.
Chop the flesh of the stemmed and seeded habaneros and place them into a food processor or blender with the peaches and their juice. Puree. Pour the puree into the large cooking pot with the retained seeds. Stir in all the remaining ingredients.
Bring to a boil over medium heat and then reduce heat to simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat when the mixture has the consistency that you like for barbecue sauce. Voila! You’re done. Keep reading if you want to preserve your sauce in jars.
This yields about 4 pints. I put mine into pint jars, 3/4-pint jars, and 1/2-pint jars.
With the amount of vinegar called for in the recipe, in addition to what’s already in the tomato ketchup and prepared yellow mustard, I doubt that it is necessary to water-bath can these. Simply turning them upside down until they’re sealed is probably enough to keep the food safe. HOWEVER, sometimes I can be paranoid, so I canned these in a water bath for 15 minutes.
In a large cooking pot (or canner), put a rack of some type (I use a telescoping steamer basket) to keep the jars from rocking in the boiling water and breaking (yes, this has happened to me, thus the rack). Fill the pot with water to a point that it won’t spill over once the jars are in it. Fill a tea kettle with water. Bring the cooking pot of water and the tea kettle to a boil. Cover and let simmer on low if you’re not ready yet.
Fill the jars, leaving about 1/2-inch of head space. Make sure your canner water is boiling. Wipe the jar rims. Screw lids onto jars and carefully place the jars into your canner. I have a jar lifter for this purpose. The jars should not touch each other. Pour the water from the teakettle into the canner so that there’s a couple inches of water over the tops of the jars. Let it simmer for fifteen minutes. Carefully remove the jars from the water. Let the jars cool. When pressing the lids with your thumb, there should be no “give.” If it still bounces up and down after canning and cooling, you should keep it refrigerated until it’s used.
So, the time has come. I just placed an order for an actual canner. It comes with a legit rack. This should make things much simpler for me and it’s become worth it since I do a lot of pickle canning in August. Stay tuned!
This recipe comes out of Bear Fare, A Cookbook Commemorating the 10th Anniversary of Bear Valley Elementary School, Anchorage, Alaska, 1993-94.
The recipe author calls it the Cadillac of Blueberry Muffins. I absolutely agree. It is the best blueberry muffin recipe, ever! Where it calls for a topping made by mixing 1 Tbsp. sugar with 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg, I simply sprinkle sugar and cinnamon over the unbaked muffin tops. I’m not a big fan of nutmeg.
- Blueberry Muffin Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs (I use extra-large)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract (I use paste)
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
- 1-2 Tbsp. sugar
- Sprinkle of cinnamon
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare 16-24 muffin cups with papers or spray or grease. The number depends upon how big your cups are and what size eggs, etc. I usually overfill mine, but this time I made smaller ones (24).
In a mixing bowl beat together butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. I used an electric mixer. Add eggs and vanilla, beat well. Slowly stir in flour, baking powder, and salt, alternating with the milk. Fold blueberries in by hand.
The batter is thick. Spoon it into the tins as best you can, no more than 2/3 full. It doesn’t have to be even across the top. Sprinkle tops with a little bit of sugar and cinnamon.
Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until tops are golden and spring back when lightly touched. Remove from heat and cool in pans. These are the best!
This is a simple idea that I saw on my Instagram feed by @irina.r.georgescu. Her website is www.lifeinsmallbites.co.uk. She gave a description rather than a recipe, so I’ll do the same thing and tell you how I did this. Keep in mind that in the UK and other places, eggplant is called aubergine. This is a gluten-free snack.
- Ingredients
- Cooking oil
- Eggplant (AKA Aubergine)
- Eggs
- Corn meal
- Spices
Heat cooking oil (about 1/2″) in a skillet. I never test my heat, so I’m not sure what the temp should be. Hot.
I had bought these small eggplants from Costco, they’re about 8″ long and 2″ around, however, you can use regular eggplant. Slice the ends off and then cut the eggplant in half the long way, then into slices, about 1/2″ wide. You’re looking for snacking-size pieces.
Beat 2-3 eggs (I used 3 extra large and it was too much for my one little eggplant, but I wish, I wish I had made these snacks using three of the little eggplants).
Spice up a bit of cornmeal. I used salt and pepper and a liberal amount of white pepper. Whatever you want to do will be fine.
Dip the eggplant pieces, in batches, in the egg and then dredge through the seasoned cornmeal, then into the frying pan. Turn pieces over after a couple minutes, then make sure the eggplant is thoroughly cooked.
Remove from oil with a slotted spoon onto absorbent paper.
Irina dipped hers in a tomato sauce, but I just ate mine plain. I confess I ate nearly the whole thing while I was waiting for the last batch to fry. I wish, I wish I had made more. Irina says it’s not so good once it’s cooled off. I wouldn’t know.
These Rhubarb Custard Bars were my backup after an epic fail on a custard “magic” cake with rhubarb topping that I was planning to take to a gathering. It’s good to have a backup. These bars were the hit of the gathering, all of them were eaten, and many people asked for the recipe. I hadn’t intended to post this, but I did snap a few pictures along the way, so I’m going to do it. I used the recipe found at Taste of Home. It was simple and made a ton.
- Crust Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup cold butter
- Filling Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 7 Tbsp. flour
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 large eggs, room temperature, beaten
- 5 cups finely chopped rhubarb
- Topping Ingredients
- 6 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract or paste
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or spray a 9×13″ baking pan.
Combine flour and sugar, then cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pat into the prepared pan. Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from heat.
While the crust is baking, stir together sugar and flour. Mix in whipping cream and eggs. Stir in rhubarb.
Pour over crust. Return to oven and bake 40-45 minutes until custard is set. Cool.
Beat together cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Fold in whipped cream. Spread evenly over the top and chill. Cover if you’re storing for awhile. Keep refrigerated until served. Cut into squares and serve.
This is a super simple and delicious salad that I’ve made many times using leftover corn on the cob. It’s based upon the recipe found at Inquiring Chef.
- Ingredients
- Corn kernels (I slice the kernels off corn on the cob)
- Diced bell pepper
- Diced avocado
- Bacon bits (I dice crispy roasted bacon)
- Chopped cilantro
- Lime juice
- Salt and pepper
To make this salad for two people, I use the kernels sliced off one large corn-on-the-cob. I add approximately equal amounts of bell pepper and avocado. Everything else is just eyeballed, there are no set amounts. Stir it all together just prior to serving.
This is a simple and fresh-tasting salad that goes well with Stuffed Poblanos or Sopes.
This is such a simple and delicious recipe from Scarlett at madeitateitlovedit.com. What you see pictured here is a Blueberry Cream Pie, but I have tried this recipe using golden raspberries with great success.
- Ingredients
- 1 unbaked 9″ pie crust
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup flour
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- 2-1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1/2 cup flour
- 3 cups berries, fresh or frozen
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 9″ pie pan with the unbaked crust.
Filling: Stir together 1 cup sugar and 1/3 cup flour. Stir in eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. Set aside.
Topping: Stir together brown sugar, 2 Tbsp. sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir in melted butter. Stir in 1/2 cup flour until well incorporated. Set aside.
Assembly: Place berries into the pie crust. Pour filling over the berries. With your fingers, sprinkle chunks of the topping over the pie.
Bake at 375 degrees for 55 minutes. Serve warm or cold.
Later in the day that I made this pie, I put it into a 350 degree oven with the heat turned OFF while we ate dinner, etc. for about an hour. It was the perfect temperature served with ice cream.
My mother had finished the pie crust before she fell and went to the hospital in an ambulance. When I arrived at their house, lemons were falling off the tree and my dad said to use them. I made lemon curd, mixed it with whipped cream to make a mousse, and filled Mom’s pie crust. Delicious!
Two days later I made more lemon curd to fill these tarts. Delicious again! I used the lemon curd recipe found at pastrypal.com. The tart recipe is based upon one found at Home Cooking in Montana. I didn’t have mini-muffin tins and so adjusted Montana’s recipe to use regular muffin tins. The leftover lemon curd is in the freezer for whenever Mom comes back home. She can use it as cake filling or to make another mousse pie. Lemon curd has many uses.
- Lemon Curd Ingredients
- 3 large egg yolks
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup sugar
- Zest of one lemon
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- Dash salt
- 8 oz. (1 cup) butter, cubed
I created a double boiler by setting a mixing bowl on the edge of a saucepan with a couple inches of water in the saucepan. I brought the water in the saucepan to a boil while I squeezed lemons and prepared the ingredients. In the mixing bowl I whisked together the egg yolks, eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt. Then I set the bowl onto the saucepan and whisked constantly.
The mixture gets frothy as you whisk and then it becomes nearly all froth and then the froth gets thick. Once the mixture is thick enough that it stands up on its own, remove it from the saucepan of water. A handful at a time, whisk in the butter cubes until all the butter cubes are melted. The recipe says you can return it over the water in order to get all the butter melted, but neither I nor the recipe author had to do that. Just sayin’.
Let the curd cool for a few minutes and then place a piece of cling wrap directly on top of the curd so that a skin does not form. Let it cool and then set it into the refrigerator to chill. My guess as to yield is about 3 cups of curd.
In case you’re interested in making Lemon Mousse, whip one cup of whipping cream with 1/4 cup sugar until soft peaks form. Fold in 1-1/2 cups lemon curd. Voila! Mousse! It firms up quite nicely in a pie crust or in decorative glasses, a very mild flavor.
- Mini Tart Crust Ingredients
- 1 cup softened butter
- 3 Tbsp. brown sugar, packed
- 3 Tbsp. powdered sugar
- 1-1/2 cups flour
Mix ingredients together with your hands. Make sure it is well incorporated. Set in the refrigerator to chill for a little while so that it’s easy to handle for the next step.
Spray muffin tins with non-stick spray. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide into ten even pieces. One-by-one place a dough ball into a muffin cup and spread into the bottom and all the way up the sides.
Set the muffin tin into the refrigerator until the dough is firm, fifteen minutes or so should do it. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Remove from refrigeration and bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Start checking them around 13 minutes. The edges should be brown and the centers should be slightly brown. These will look greasy in the middle as there is a lot of butter, but just ignore it and go with it. Once they’re baked, remove from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes.
While they are still quite warm, use the back of a spoon to press a well into the center of each cup. Let them sit in the muffin tins until they are completely cool. Very carefully remove them from the tins. I ran a knife around the edge of each muffin cup to release them gently, gently.
- Assembling the Mini Lemon Tarts
- Using a teaspoon dollop lemon curd into each tart crust.
- Decorate with berries and mint leaves.
- Keep refrigerated until serving.
- Serves ten.
My mother makes a mean shrimp Louie. It’s simple, but delicious. She also uses crab instead of shrimp when she has it available. I’ve changed the recipe a bit to suit what I have on hand and my own taste.
- Salad Ingredients (measurements dependent upon how many people are served)
- Lettuce
- Tomatoes
- Avocado
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Red onion
- Shrimp, cooked and shelled
- Thousand Island Dressing Ingredients (makes about 2 cups)
- 1-1/2 cups Mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup Ketchup
- 1/4 cup Sweet pickle relish
- Splash of Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tbsp. Lemon juice
Tear lettuce into bowls. Decoratively slice tomatoes, avocados, eggs, and a little bit of red onion onto lettuce in each bowl. Place shrimp on top.
The dressing ingredients are not exact. Here is what I do . . . Stir the mayonnaise so it’s smooth. Stir in enough ketchup to turn the mayo a pink color. Stir in sweet pickle relish, a fair amount. Stir in a splash of Worcestershire sauce and enough lemon juice to create a dressing-like consistency.
Serve the dressing on the side so each person can add an amount they like.
I really love asparagus. My favorite way to cook it, so far, is roasted in olive oil with sliced shallots. This salad is another favorite of mine. I’ve made it many times. I like to serve it with Eggplant Parmesan. It’s based upon a recipe I found at cookingclassy.com.
- Salad Ingredients (all measurements approximate — just eyeball things)
- 1/3 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
- 1 lb. fresh asparagus, trimmed and sliced into 1″ pieces
- 1/4 – 1/3 lb. grape tomatoes
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- Dressing Ingredients (all measures approximate — again, just eyeball it)
- 1/8 cup olive oil
- 3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp. honey
- Small clove garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper
Toast the walnuts. I spread mine out on a pie tin and place it in the oven at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes. Don’t forget about it! Shake it around every few minutes until the walnuts are brown and smell toasted. Set aside. Let cool.
Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan or skillet. Add the asparagus pieces and set the timer for 4 or 5 minutes. Remove from heat and strain the asparagus. Let the asparagus run under cold water while you’re filling a small bowl with ice. Set your strainer in the ice bowl and add water until the asparagus is covered. Let it cool down quickly. Strain again.
Mix all the dressing ingredients together and whisk or shake until it is all incorporated.
To an appropriate-sized serving dish, add the walnuts, asparagus, and sliced tomatoes. Stir in the dressing. Just prior to serving, sprinkle on the feta cheese crumbles. Serves 4.
Foods Passion 