Sunday, April 24, 2011

Easter Fruit Tart

My sister made the suggestion I make this for Easter.  Good idea!!  Fresh and fruity!!  and you can't beat Paula Dean for desserts! So here is my Easter offering to you all.  Good eats!!




 Paula’s Fresh Fruit Tart

Ingredients
Crust:
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened and sliced
Filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping:
Fresh strawberries, kiwi slices, blueberries, raspberries
Glaze:
1 (6-ounce) can frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Whipped cream, for garnish
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
For the crust: In a food processor, combine the confectioners' sugar, flour, and butter, and process until the mixture forms a ball. With your fingers, press the dough into a 12-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, taking care to push the crust into the indentations in the sides. Pat until the crust is even. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until very lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
For the filling and topping: Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together until smooth. Spread over the cooled crust. Cut the strawberries into 1/4-inch slices and arrange around the edge of the crust. For the next circle, use kiwi slices. Add another circle of strawberries, filling in any spaces with blueberries. Cluster the raspberries in the center of the tart.
For the glaze: Combine the limeade, cornstarch, lime juice, and sugar in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until clear and thick, about 2 minutes. Let cool. With a pastry brush, glaze the entire tart. You will not use all of the glaze.
Keep the tart in the refrigerator. Remove about 15 minutes before serving. Slice into 8 wedges and serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

The Comfort of Tomato Soup

I took a long, hard hike this morning, and all I wanted at the end (besides a hot shower) was tomato soup.  I love Campbell's tomato soup, but felt like making some homemade.  After going to my neighborhood parents house and not finding tomato paste, I went over to neighborhood Walmart.  I really didn't want to shop, I was tired and looked like a homeless person, but away I went.  The ingredients are simple, and it takes no time at all.  Be careful with the garlic salt, it can be too strong if you use too much.  Enjoy some warm, deliciousness!  

Easy Homemade Tomato Soup
 
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1 cup water
2 cups milk
½ tsp garlic salt
2 ½ Tbsp sugar
¼ tsp salt (or to taste)

Put all ingredients in a soup pot and simmer together.  Serve nice and hot topped with crackers and cheese!!! (or whatever topping you like)

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Myriel's Four Bean Baked Beans

My mom's cousin Myriel, was a wonderful cook, who introduced a lot of recipes into our family.  This is my favorite.  I love the different beans that go into it, and the sweetness and many flavors.  It is just soooo good.  I added a little bit of molasses to the mix, because, I love molasses, and it is, um healthy, so go team!  :)  Add this to your next bbq.  I just made it for a bbq with some friends, and while I am used to the beans being a hit, this time, my friend Anne's hamburgers won hands down.  She added to some high quality hamburger (from real cows ;)  ) : diced onion, serrano pepper, bread crumbs, garlic powder, salt, pepper and an egg.  We slapped a slice of pepperjack cheese on top, and they were awesome!!!!  So, bbq away!!!



4 Bean Baked Beans

½ lb bacon, cut up, raw  ***I use a full pound, really like maple bacon in this, and cook it before I put it in
1         lb (16oz) can of each: (you can pick any kind of beans you want, these are just suggestions, except pork and beans)
kidney beans(drained)
black beans (drained)
northern beans (drained)
pork and beans, do not drain


ADD:
                1 large chopped onion
                ¼ cup vinegar
                1 cup brown sugar
                1TBS processed mustard
                1 teas. Garlic salt (I use 3 minced garlic cloves)
               **I also add 1 tbsp molasses, and 1 tbsp ketchup


Directions:
                Bake at 350 degrees for 3-31/2 hours or 5 hours at slow in crock pot.

Lemon Meringue...the taste of sunshine!

Lemon Meringue, sweet and tangy sunshine...makes me happy!!  Especially since I add a little bit of extra lemon zest, and by a little, I mean a lot.  One of my favorite lemon meringue stories comes from a friend, who told me a time a friend had made him lemon meringue pie, but had never made before, and was a beginning cook.  She read that it needed lemon zest, and  cut up the lemon rind into pieces and added that to the pie.  So, the pie was a little chunky :)  So, just lightly grate the lemon rind, no chunky pieces!!  Have some sunshine today!!


Lemon Meringue Pie
 
Whisk thoroughly in a medium saucepan:
6 Tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/8 tsp salt


Whisk in, blending well:
1/2 cup strained lemon juice
1 Tbsp lemon rind
½  cups water

Whisk in until no yellow streaks remain:
3 large egg yolks
Add
2 Tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
Add
1 ½ cup boiling water

Stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, bring the mixture to full boil then  simmer over medium heat for 1 minute.  The filling should be very thick.  Pour the filling into baked pie crust and press a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface.  Immediately prepare meringue topping.

Meringue
In a clean, grease-free glass or metal bow, beat on medium speed until foamy:
2 large egg whites
Add and beat until soft but definite peaks form:
¼ heaping tsp cream of tartar
Very gradually beat in:
3 Tbs sugar
Beat on high speed until the peaks are stiff and glossy but not dry.  Beat in:
¼  tsp vanilla

Immediately spread the meringue over hot pie filling, anchoring it at the edge of the crust at all points.  Bake for 10 minutes.

 

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Caramelized Onion and Asparagus Quinoa and Honey Teriyaki Stirfry

It was bountiful basket week again!!!  Which means some awesome fruits and vegetables that I get to create with!  yeehaw!  I had been seeing a lot of quinoa recipes, and had been wanting to cook with it again, since it is a super food, as my mom says.  In my basket was 2 beautiful packs of asparagus.  I wanted to create an asparagus and quinoa dish.  This is super simple, but very tasty.  I also created a stirfry with vegetables also, and made a nice honey sauce to go with it, and mixed it with asparagus and onion.  Delicious!

Caramelized Onion

1 1/2 Tbsp butter
1/2 sweet onion, cut into long slices
1 1/2 bunch asparagus, chopped into thirds, with bottom part being thrown away
salt, to taste


1/2 lemon
2 green onions chopped
1 cup quinoa
1 pinch red pepper flakes
dash of salt
1/2-1 chicken bouillon

Melt the butter in a saute pan, over medium heat, add onions, cook until nice and caramelized, brown and sweet.  Add asaparagus, and saute them with the onions.  When almost done, add a dash of salt and squeeze the half lemon in and stir.

To make the quinoa, put 2 cups water, in a pan over medium heat, add 1 cup quinoa,  chicken bouillon, and a pinch of red pepper flakes.  When the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 12 minutes.

Serve by dividing quinoa into bowls and adding caramelized onions on top of the quinoa.

Honey Teriyaki Stirfry

Sauce
2 Tbsps olive oil
3 Tbsp Teriyaki sauce
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp sweet chili sauce
2 Tbsp honey
2 garlic cloves minced
2 green onions chopped
1/8 tsp chili powder
 boil together

1 tbsp butter
1/2 sweet potato
1 head of broccoli chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
1 carrot, shredded
1/2 pineapple, chopped
Saute together, until cararmelized, add sauce and stirfry together.








Put on top of soba noodles, brown rice or quinoa.