Summer Salad 2

This makes a great, healthy side or a quick lunch.



2 boiled ears of corn, with the kernels removed
half pint of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 tbsp cilantro
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
salt/pepper to taste

Easy pecan pie

1 cup dark corn syrup
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp. butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup pecans
1 unbaked 9-inch deep dish pie crust

Mix all ingredients except pecans together. Then mix in pecans. Pour into pie crust and bake for about one hour at 350 degrees. Let cool before slicing (this is the toughest part of all).

Shitake mushroom and potato soup with pancetta

This was fun to make and you won't believe how tasty and filling it is. The recipe was taken from a CIA book and the only alteration I had to make was to extend the cooking time so that all of the vegetables would be prepared. The sequence of events unfolded like this, give or take a few:









And the recipe:

1 oz pancetta, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and cut into 1/3 inch dice
1 stalk celery, peeled and cut into 1/3 inch dice
1/2 onion, cut into 1/3 inch dice
1/2 rutabaga, cut into 1/3 inch dice
6 ounces shitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
1 lb yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/3 inch dice
6 cups vegetable stock
2 tbsps chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tbsps chopped fresh marjoram
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a stockpot over low heat, cook the pancetta until all the fat is released. Add the diced carrot, celery, onion and turnip. Cover and cook until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes (more like 5). Add the mushrooms, potatoes, and stock. Simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Add the parsley and marjoram and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Apple and poppy seed cake with lemon

What is there to do on a Saturday that is more fun than baking a cake? The best part (for our wasteline) is applesauce is used in place of a butter.





Recipe taken from CIA:

3.5 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsps baking powder
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups applesauce
1 cup sugar
1.5 tsps grated lemon zest
2 tbsps poppy seeds

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 10-inch bundt pan with vegetable spray or coat it with butter and flour.

Sift the flour and baking powder together into a large bowl. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and add all the remaining ingredients. Mix the egg mixture into the flour until well combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 50 minutes, or until a skewer or toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Place on a rack to cool completely before unmolding.

Summer salad.

I made this for lunch today. It's quick and easy, but looks and tastes great. Perfect for when you have guests over, or to treat yourself.





Ingredients:

1 pint cherry tomatoes
4 oz mozarella cheese, cubed
2 tbsps fresh cilantro (or as much as you'd like)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsps red wine vinegar
salt/pepper to taste

Directions:

Place cherry tomatoes and cubed mozarella cheese in a bowl. Add cilantro. Mix together olive oil and red wine vinegar in a separate dish and add as much as you would like to the tomatoes, mozarella and cilantro. Mix and add salt and pepper to taste.

Cinnamon cake

Still warm:

• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan. In a small bowl, mix together 1/3 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon; set aside.
2. In large bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt and remaining 1 cup sugar. Combine egg, milk, and oil; add to flour mixture. Stir until just moistened.
3. Pour half of the batter into pan. Sprinkle with half the reserved cinnamon/sugar mixture. Repeat with remaining batter and cinnamon/sugar mixture. Draw a knife through batter to marble.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Wrap in foil and let sit overnight before slicing.

EDIT: Although this recipe says to let it sit overnight, this is not necessary! I ate it warm out of the oven and it was delicious.

Banana muffins

I had a craving for muffins, so I found a recipe on allrecipes.com. I made them in the mini-muffin pan and halved the original recipe. It still made two mini-muffin pans worth or 24 mini muffins. I subbed the margarine for butter and the cooking time was decreased as these were smaller.



Recipe:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup mashed ripe banana
• 1/2 cup margarine
• 2 eggs
• 6 tablespoons milk
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. In a medium bowl mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and set aside.
2. In a separate bowl cream margarine and sugar, add eggs and mix until smooth. Stir in milk and mashed banana and mix well.
3. Fold in flour mixture into the liquid ingredients until combined.
4. Fill greased muffin tins two-thirds of the way full.
5. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F (175 degrees C) oven for 25 to 30 minutes.