Gazpacho Salad with Whole Wheat

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This is one of my favorite spring time salads, served over a grilled steak, it’s the best. I found the recipe in my Betty Crocker collection several years back and I find it stays in my “current picks” never put back in the right place, because I use it ALL the time. Love it!

Ingredients
1 cup wheat berries
6 1/2-inch thick slices whole grain crusty country bread
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon snipped fresh oregano
1 teaspoon snipped fresh tarragon
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 ounces Manchego or Parmesan cheese, shaved or grated
1 15 ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (optional)
1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
1 cup seedless green grapes, halved
1/2 cup sliced or chopped English cucumber
1/4 cup seeded and chopped yellow sweet pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon snipped fresh oregano
2 teaspoons snipped fresh tarragon
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cracked black pepper

Directions
1. In a medium bowl combine wheat berries and 3 cups water. Let soak 1 hour; drain. Transfer to a medium saucepan. Add water to cover by 2 inches; place over high heat. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 1 hour, or until wheat berries are tender and some of the grains are splitting open at the tip. Pour into a fine mesh strainer; drain. Transfer to a large bowl. Let cool completely.
2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Place bread slices on a baking sheet. In a small bowl combine 1 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 tsp. oregano, and 1 tsp. tarragon. Brush olive oil mixture on bread slices. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp. salt. Bake 20 minutes or until bread is crisp. Sprinkle with cheese; bake 2 minutes more.
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine chickpeas (if using), tomatoes, grapes, cucumber, sweet pepper, 1/4 cup olive oil, red onion, red wine vinegar, 1 Tbsp. oregano, 2 tsp. tarragon, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Toss to combine. Add wheat berries; toss to mix well.
4. To serve, spoon wheat berry mixture over bread slices. Sprinkle with black pepper. Makes 6 servings.

Grandma’s Banana Pudding

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Growing up across the street from my grandparents was an experience you don’t soon forget. Grandma would make some fancy dessert and call to let us know she’d made it, I remember her saying, “Granddad and I won’t eat all of this, you might as well come join us.” Continue reading »

Easy Pumpkin Pleasure

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A little sugar – now and then, (OCCASIONALLY) never killed a cat, claimed responsibility for diabetes or created instant gray hair.  At least, not that I recall.  But…a lot of gray hair fills my mirror these days… Memory, gray hair…who knows for sure. But I digress.

A friend recently made this quick, yummy cookie recipe for me.  For some odd reason, of which I have no logical explanation, the cookies had a ‘disappearing’ quality – the plate emptied quickly, and I’m sure it had nothing to do with me!

I then fed these cookie lovelies to my visiting friends last week.  I substituted a fudge mix and added ½ C each, of raisins and applesauce.  The same phenomenon occurred – the plate cleared off in no time.

So, be oh-so-careful when you make these – I am thinking there may be a peculiar chemical reaction that causes the mass to change to energy – or some such complex physics formula of which my gray hair has erased.

Pumpkin Cake Cookies

1 box spice cake mix (extra moist)

1 small can 100% pumpkin

 

Mix together these 2 ingredients well (I use my pastry cutter tool – it works for everything),  and spoon onto a greased cookie sheet to your cookie size.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 to 18 minutes – depending on your altitude, oven, size of cookies and growling stomach.

Cool; eat.  But eat quickly…chemistry with this particular recipe…is magical.

I’m thinking I might use the spice mix, grate up a big Granny Smith, add 1/2 C applesauce and raisins, for a grand-kids treat.  The added fruit might just ease my conscience a little; I so hate to send the little tikes home to Mom – in a total state of ‘fizz’…

Let us know your take on this easy, quick snack – just perfect for those unexpected quests on a busy Saturday afternoon.

We’d enjoy hearing if your life…really improves through chemistry.

 

NOTES: There is a new tin foil available that incorporates a ‘non-stick’ side; quick and clean.

 

Lemon and Herb Crusted White Fish

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Admission – I’m crazy about anything I can make in less than 30 minutes for a meal. This is amazing, and there’s almost NO clean up afterward. LOVE this meal! And it’s heart healthy!

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. fresh dill, chopped
2 tsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tsp. fresh terragon, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 small red potatoes, thinly sliced
2 (4 to 5 oz. each) white fish fillets (such as halibut, red snapper, or tilapia)
1/2 tsp. sea salt or Himalayan salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine lemon juice, olive oil, dill, cilantro, tarragon, and garlic in a small bowl; mix well and set aside.

Arrange two 12 x 13-inch pieces of foil on a large baking pan; coat lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange potato slices evenly on center of each foil.

Season fish fillets evenly with salt and pepper and place each fillet on top of potato slices that are on each aluminum foil. Spoon lemon and herb mixture evenly over each fish fillet. Bring up foil sides; double fold top and ends to seal each packet, leaving room for heat circulation inside.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until fish is just opaque in center and vegetables are crisp-tender. Carefully open packets, allowing steam to escape away from you and let cool briefly. Using a spatula, gently push the fish and vegetables onto plate.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Nutritional Information: (per serving)

Pumpkin Apple Spice Muffin Cake

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Pumpkin Apple Spice Muffins

(www.melskitchencafe.com)

 

Pumpkin Apple Spice Bundt CakeThe first pie crust I made 40 odd years ago – though perfect in almost every way – could have been registered as a lethal weapon; it was hard as lead!  My Mother raised 5 of us as a single parent, working two jobs most of our growing years; learning to cook came in individual, sometimes traumatic lessons. Understandably over the years, I’ve steered clear of pie crust and quick bread/muffin recipes.

 

My recent cooking bravery led me to this mouthwatering, delicate and light muffin recipe.  This is my 4th creation with this recipe, each try being simply delicious. First muffins, then a combo of muffins and a small loaf, the 3rd a big loaf and this one, of course, a Bundt version. Raisins have been a standard addition with other additions such as bananas and applesauce giving the finished product subtle but yummy differences.

 

Pumpkin Apple Muffin - CakeIt’s versatile and made of common refrigerator and pantry staples, a quick Saturday morning yummy for DH and the kids.  Let us know how this turns out in your kitchen – especially the topping, as I’ve not yet used that part of the recipe.

 

Yield: 2 dozen muffins

 

1 2/3 C flour (I use 1 C. whole wheat and 2/3 white)

1 C sugar (I use 2/3 C brown sugar)

1 TBLSP pumpkin Pie Spice (I use 2)

1 TSP baking soda

¼ TSP salt (if you’re watching your salt, skip this)

¼ TSP baking powder

1 C canned pumpkin

½ C butter or margarine

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 Granny Smith Apple, peeled and finely grated/chopped

 

1 TSP Pumpkin Pie Spice

3 TBLSPS sugar

 

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture.

Combine pumpkin, butter, and eggs in another bowl and add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened.

Fold in chopped apple and spoon into greased muffin pans, filling two-thirds full.  Combine 3 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice; sprinkle evenly over muffins.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from pans immediately and cool on wire racks.

 

Original author’s tip: if you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, use the following; ½ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp ginger, 1/8 tsp nutmeg, 1/8 tsp cloves.

Please let us know how your version of this recipe turned out.  We post all appropriate comments; learning new recipes is mega fun!

Danielle

 

NOTE: Don’t tell Danielle, but I recently made this same cake adding 2 TBSP cocoa to the mixture and about 2 cups of walnuts and 1 cup of chocolate chips. I didn’t have the apple, so I put in applesauce instead. The cake was literally AMAZING. I don’t remember if she had given me the site, or if it was something I found, but seriously… that was Chocolate to Die For! I don’t know who it was that first mixed chocolate, apples and pumpkin, but they must have been seriously in love with decadence!!!!

Mocha Salted Caramel Cake Balls

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Mocha cake balls with salted caramel buttercream
Yield: 38

Cake Ingredients
1-1/3 all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½  tsp salt
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup espresso (1 shot, I make mine a double)
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup dark brown sugar
1 egg, at room temperature

Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting Ingredients
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp water
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 stick salted butter, at room temperature
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 tsp sea or kosher salt
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Chocolate Dip Ingredients
4 oz semisweet chocolate
2 tbsp heavy cream
4 tbsp powdered sugar
4-5 tbsp water, warm

Directions
Pull espresso shots and set aside to cool. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prep a cake 9×13 cake pan. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Beat butter and both sugars together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add egg and beat until combined. In a measuring cup, combine the cream, espresso and vanilla. Slowly add the flour mixture, alternating with coffee mixture, ending with flour mixture.

Pour batter into cake pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes in the pan, then pop it out onto a platter and cool for an additional 30—if the cake crumbles when you pop it out of the pan, don’t worry. You’re going to be crumbling it anyway, and more surface space for cooling is a good thing. Finally, to prep cake for the cake balls, either refrigerate it for 2-3 hours, or put it in the freezer for 20 minutes.

To make caramel sauce for buttercream, stir together granulated sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cook without stirring until mixture turns a deep amber color. Remove from heat and slowly add in cream and vanilla, stirring until very smooth. Let caramel cool for about 20 minutes, until it is just barely warm and still pourable.

In a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and salt together until lightened and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add powdered sugar. Mix until thoroughly combined.

Add caramel and beat on medium high speed until light and airy, and completely mixed (about 2 minutes).

Place wax paper on a cookie sheet with edges. Trim any hard edges off the cake and crumble it into a bowl. Gradually add the frosting until you get a consistency you’re happy with (begin with 1/2 cup).

Mix together with your hands to ensure that the frosting is evenly distributed.

Scoop out batter with whatever you want to make a uniform shape: melon baller (small), tablespoon, cookie scoop.

Place in refrigerator for 2-3 hours or in freezer for about 20 min. Once firm, it’s time to dip. It is best to only take a few balls out at a time. If you take them all out when you start dipping some will start to soften.

I actually had chocolate dip leftover from when I made the chocolate dipped chocolate cupcakes with orange cream cheese frosting, so that’s what I used. SugarDerby recommends Almond Bark, but I’m a firm believer in use what you have. You’re going for melted chocolate. [Note: halfway through my dipping, I began to run low on chocolate. I didn't have any more semisweet chocolate left, but I had 3 oz. of unsweetened chocolate. So I added that to the bowl, set it over a saucepan of water, heated it up and added cream and confectioners sugar until the flavor was right. I also added a little water to thin the chocolate—better for dipping.]

Dip each cake ball into the chocolate, using a fork, and coat it. Lift with fork and tap excess off on side of bowl. “Flip” the ball onto the wax paper then smooth the fork edges with a little more coating.

Stellar Brunch Muffins

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These family favorite muffins come in handy anytime we have company for brunch or need a quick something to take to a Breakfast event. My daughter often has a breakfast even with her Mary Kay ladies and these Muffins are a HIT every time. She never brings home left overs!

Pancetta Frittata Muffins

(Makes 12 Muffins)

8 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup cream
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup Romano cheese
6 ounces diced pancetta
5 ounces smoked mozzarella cheese diced
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh, italian, flat-leaf parsley
2 cloves garlic minced
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray a standard sized 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray
Add the eggs, milk, cream, and mascarpone to a blender and blend until well combined. Pour the mixture to a large bowl. Add the Romano, pancetta, smoked mozzarella, grated Parmigiano, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper, and nutmeg, Stir the ingredients to combine.

Using a small ladle, divide the mixture evenly into each of the 12 muffin cups filling to the top with the liquid. It’s a little messy filling the cups, but don’t worry it’s worth it!

Bake until firm and cooked through, 30 to 35 minutes. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes and remove from tin.

Make ahead tip: To freeze, allow muffins to cool completely on a wire rack then wrap individually in saran and place in a freezer baggie for up to 2 weeks. To serve, place frozen muffins on a cookie sheet and place in 350F oven for 15-20 minutes until heated through.

Serve with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

Grilled Chicken & Veggies

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Occasionally, there’s a meal plan that comes together so well you just can’t resist sharing it… That would be this one – good enough for family, easy enough for almost any day and pretty enough for company. YUM!

Grilled Chicken & Veggies

Slice chicken breasts to 1/2 inch thickness and lay out on large platter.

Sprinkle with a healthy amount of Worcestershire sauce and allow to rest for about ten minutes.

Set grill to medium heat and chop vegetables to fit on skewers.
(We like peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, onion and celery on ours.)

Lightly season all with salt and pepper – lemon pepper is really good here.

Drizzle a bit of lemon juice over veggies and place on upper rack of grill.

Place chicken on lower rack, close grill for 7 minutes.

Flip chicken, close grill for 5 – 7 minutes.

Veggies will be tender crisp and chicken will be done. Serve with steamed rice if desired.

Prepare one skewer of veggies and a slice of chicken for each person, rice per serving needed.

We particularly love the veggies on skewers, because they’re fun to eat that way.