Warm Black Bean and Corn Salad (with Honey-Lime Salmon)

This is a tasty, sweet and spicy, soft and crunchy warm salad. I'm not a huge fan of salmon but this would be excellent alongside chicken made in the same honey-lime marinade....someone pointed me to this recipe in a Rachael Ray cookbook, and I am always up for new salads and sides.

The red pepper in this recipe kicks it up quite a few notches - if you don't like spicy things cut the red pepper flakes in half, or omit all together. If you like spice, then flame away!

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (divided use)

• 1 medium red onion, chopped

• 2 large garlic cloves, chopped

• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin (1/3 palmful)

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• Juice of 2 limes

• 3 tablespoons honey (3 gobs)

• 1 teaspoon chili powder (1/3 palmful)

• 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets

• 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped

• 1 (10-ounce) box frozen corn kernels, defrosted

• 1/2 cup chicken stock or broth

• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

• 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

• 6 cups baby spinach

1. Preheat a medium skillet over medium heat with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil (twice around the pan). Add the onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. (this will be your salad skillet)
   

2. While the onions are cooking, preheat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

3. In a shallow dish, combine the juice of 1 lime, honey, chili powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Add the salmon fillets to the lime-honey mixture and toss to coat thoroughly. Add the seasoned salmon to the hot skillet and cook until just cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. (if you are not for salmon, use the marinade to cook chicken or other fish - shrimp would be good too- however you like)
   

4. To the cooked onions, add the bell pepper and corn kernels and cook for 1 minute.

5. Add the chicken (I use vegetable) stock and continue to cook for another 2 minutes.

6. Add the black beans and cook until the beans are just heated through.

7. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the juice of the second lime, the cilantro and the spinach. Toss to wilt the spinach and then taste and adjust the seasoning.

8. Serve the lime-and-honey-glazed salmon on top of the warm black bean and corn salad.

Authentic Beef Enchiladas

This is an excellent recipe that I pulled from the October Issue of Cook's Country. It's not a quick-n-easy dinner - the beef must simmer for an hour and a half and putting the whole thing together I'd estimate it takes 2.5 hours or so in total - but on a Sunday evening when you have the free time, it's just delicious - mexican restaurant quality enchiladas in a smoky, flavorful sauce. Despite the magazine recommendation for blade steak, I used a thin chuck steak and had just as excellent results. If you use chuck steak, the key is to have small pieces. Both steaks are inexpensive. If you like your enchiladas on the mild side, don't use the full 1/4 cup of jalapenos, I also love black beans and I threw about 1/2 cup into the beef mixture before filling the tortillas. Without traipsing down to Mexico, the beef in this recipe is as authentic as you can get!

3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp chili powder
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tsp sugar
Salt
1 to 1.25 lbs blade or chuck steaks, trimmed to small pieces
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
½ cup water
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack or mild cheddar
¼ cup chopped cilantro
¼ cup canned japapenos, chopped fine
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas, white or yellow

1. Combine garlic, chili powder, coriander, cumin, sugar, and 1 tsp salt in a small bowl. Pat the meat dry and sprinkle with salt. Heat oil in a dutch oven (or I used just a deep saucepan) over med high heat. Cook meat until browned on both sides. Transfer the meat to a plate. Add chopped onions to the pot and cook over medium heat until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic mixture and cook till fragrent, about 1 minute. Add tomato sauce and water, bring to a boil. Return meat and juices to the pot, cover, reduce heat to low, and gently simmer till meat is tender and can br broken apart with a wooden spoon or fork, about 1 ½ hours.

2. Adjust oven rack t the middle position and heat oven to 350. Strain the beef mixture over a medium bowl, breaking meat into small pieces, reserve the sauce. Transfer meat to a bowl and mix with the cilantro, jalapenos, and 1 cup of cheese.

3. Spread ¾ cup of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Microwave tortillas 6 at a time until soft, 1 minute. Spread 1/3 cup beef mixture down the center of each tortilla, roll the tortillas tightly, and set in the baking dish seam side down. Repeat with remaining tortillas and beef, you may have to fit a few down the sides of the pan. Pour the remaining sauce over enchiladas and spread to coat evenly. Sprinkle remaining cheese over, wrap with foil, and baked until heated through, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking till cheese browns slightly, 5 minutes. Serve with yellow rice, refried beans, and sour cream!

Herbed Roasted Potatoes

One of the easiest (though with the baking time not necessarily the quickest) side dishes one can come up with is roasted potatoes. Particularly if you use new potatoes, or small creamers - they usually have few eyes and imperfections and not a lot of dirt to be scrubbed, so they can just be chopped in half quickly. But they are simple and tasty and always a hit with the meat-and-potatoes crowed (namely, my husband).

If you don't have these herbs or spices handy, improvise and make your own. Just be sure that you are generous with the salt and the cracked pepper.

Herbed Roasted Potatoes

2-3 lbs of red or gold new potatoes, creamers, or small yukon golds
1/4 to 1/3 cup olive oil
2 generous tablespoons of parsley - dried, or chopped fresh
1 tbsp NaCl
several peppermill twists of cracked pepper - probably equaling 2 tbsp or so
pinch or two of dried rosemary
sprinkle of garlic salt or 1/2 tsp minced garlic

Rinse (or wash if they are super dirty) the potatoes and dig out any eyes and peel out any bad spots, leaving as much skin intact as possible.

For smaller potatoes, cut them in half - for larger new potatoes (larger meaning length of more than 2 inches or so) cut them into quarters. Put the cut potatoes in a large mixing bowl and toss with the olive oil and spices until evenly coated. Spread the coated potatoes evenly on a dark baking sheet and bake in the oven at 400 for 40-45 minutes, or until done.

If you have so many potatoes that a single layer on the baking sheet isn't possible, use two sheets! In the photo below I am obviously heavy on the parsley (because I like it), so if yours don't look quite so "herbed" that is just fine. You can serve them straight out of the oven, or top with a pat of butter if you like. Leftovers are great in the morning alongside scrambled eggs!

Hobby Night Cakes

Every year our church has a hobby night - where people can set up tables and showcase their hobbies. So I thought this year to have a table for cake! Since it is a hobby and all. I had a few different kinds of cakes brought in and gave them away to people who asked, and some mini cakes for children to try their hand at decorating. The 3 tiered stack was a little heavy, but still looked ok.

French Onion Salisbury Steaks

Normally I eschew Salisbury Steak, thinking of it as classless t.v. dinner fare. But this recipe caught my eye in one of those freebie magazines they send to your home - and since I am a huge fan of all things french onion and I had some ground beef handy, I thought I'd give it a whirl.

It was actually quite good! When i think of salisbury steak i think of dried out ground beef patties in a slick greasy gravy, but this recipe turned out thick, spice-filled, and medium-rare ground sirloin in a flavorful broth reduction with plenty of onions. Served on top of cheese toasts and soaking in a shallow bowl of onion soup, it was tasty and filling. While I certainly woudln't serve this to the Queen of England, it was a quick, simple meal and definitely a more well-presented and flavorful version of a tv dinner classic. I used a cup more onions than the recipe called for, and since I had dried thyme instead of fresh, only the tiniest pinch of thyme. It can be overwhelming and I had really screwed some things up by over-thyming them in the past. (photo not mine, from Cuisine magazine online)

Combine and form 4 patties:

1 to 1.25 lbs ground sirloin
1/8 cup fresh or dried parsley
2 scallions, minced
1/4 tsp NaCl
1 tsp cracked black pepper

Dredge each patty in flour and sautee all together in 2 tbsp olive oil for 3 min on each side. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add into frying pan:

4 onions, sliced thinly
1 tsp sugar

Cook for 5 minutes, until onions are soft.

Add in: 1 tsbp tomato paste, 1 tsp minced garlic. Stir over heat 1 minute.
Add in: 2 cups beef broth, 1/4 cup dry red wine, pinch of kosher salt, pinch of fresh or dried thyme. Simmer.

Add the beef patties back into the sauce, continue to simmer till sauce is reduced by one third or so. Serve steaks in shallow bowls on cheese toasts (toasted bread topped with parmesan and then broiled quickly) with onion soup ladled over.

Black Bean Burgers

This recipe comes courtesy of my friend Lexi, who has lived in Texas and Pasadena. I think she knows her way around black beans! These are super tasty burgers that freeze well, so you can make them and freeze for later. Not well suited for grilling, these are better pan fried in just a little olive oil. The bean paste is mushy and it requires that quick-searing heat to make a crispy enough crust that the burger won't fall apart. Topped with cheese and some spicy ranch, even my carnivore husband thinks these are a nice alternative to a meaty burger. Quick, protein filled, and low in fat. What could be better?

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (16 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1/2 onion, cut into wedges
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon Thai chili sauce or hot sauce
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• crushed saltine crackers
  

- Process the beans with the onion and garlic until a chunky paste. Mix in a bowl (using your hands) with the egg, spices, and bread crumbs. Form into patties, and coat each side with the crushed saltines.
-Pan fry the burgers a few at a time in a teaspoon or so of olive oil (or even nonstick cooking spray works), making sure to form a crust on each side. Serve alone or on buns, with cheese and toppings.

Baby Cake

A congratulatory cake I made for a friend and their baby (June). The cake is almond with buttercream, and the baby, blanket, and blocks are fondant.

Fondant is tricky in the summer because it tends to get sticky the second day - no matter where it's kept. Refridgerated fondant will just become cold and sticky, fondant left out will be hot, sticky, and melty. The best thing to do is keep it cool after fashioning whatever it is, and then dust with a gentle brush of powdered sugar the next day if it is looking shiny or sticky. Fondant is an awful lot of work for something that is so ornamental and almost no one eats!

Lemon-Limeade

I found myself wanting to make lemonade, but I was short of lemons. Limes, however, had been on sale 8/$1.00 this week, and I had bought extra limes for the express purpose of putting them down the garbage disposal (at 12 cents a lime I can afford that luxury!). But on a whim I decided to go halfsies on lemons and limes in the traditional lemonade recipe. The end result was actually quite delicious.

1.5 cups granulated sugar
8 cups of water, divided into 7c and 1c
1.5 cups lemon or lime juice (for me it took 3 large lemons and 4 large limes, squeezed)

-Combine granulated sugar and 1 cup of water, boil until dissolved, to form a simple syrup. Refridgerate till cool.
-Squeeze lemons and limes, discard seeds but keep the pulp.
-Combine lemon-lime juice with 7 cups remaining chilled water.
-Slowly stir in sugar syrup, reserving the last 1/4 cup and adding to taste.
-Garnish with lemon rinds and enjoy.

Fresh Croutons

Even a simple everyday salad can be punched up by quick and easy homemade croutons. An excellent use of leftover bread, these little toasty pieces can be stored in an airtight container for several weeks. Use a smattering of your favorite herbs and spices - fresh chives baked with the croutons are great in the summer, dried basil and oregano are good compliments for a salad with an italian meal, or even rosemary and dried sage taste good, particularly on wheat bread. Virtually any type of old bread will do, these were made from leftover slightly stale potato rolls.

- Slice your bread or rolls as normal, butter one side.
- Cut into squares or small pieces (they do not have to be regular)
- Toss the squares in a large plastic bag; I usually use the bread bag itself.
-Add generous amounts of your choice of spices - a good basic formula is 1 tsp garlic salt, 1 tsp dried basil, 1 tsp dried parsley, cracked pepper and coarse salt. Toss and shake the bread and spices in the bag until all are evenly coated.
- Spread evenly on a baking sheet, bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes, or until croutons are toasty. Be careful, one they start to burn it only takes 20 seconds or so before they become completely unusable!

Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks or so. Add them liberally to soups and salads for an extra punch of flavor.

Tri Color Pasta Salad

What is better in the heat of summer than pasta salad. Ice cream, maybe? But that's not appropriate for dinner. You can make a great pasta salad by just cooking tri-color pasta, draining and rinsing, and then tossing it with halved cherry tomatoes and diced bell peppers. A bit of fresh coarsly grated parmesan finishes it off. Top with any thick dressing - I use homemade balsamic vinagrette that I pop in the freezer for a few minutes to chill and thicken. I find it much better to dress individual portions right before eating, that helps to avoid the oily slimy pasta salad fate that so many people suffer at BBQs.

Fish Cakes

These delicious fish cakes are a good way to use any sort of white fish - the original recipe called for catfish, but I used haddock instead. They are most and flaky. Although the original recipe called for them to be panfried in oil, I just lightly seared both sides and around the edge (using 2 pairs of tongs to keep the cake held together, it was a tricky task) and then baked them in the oven to finish them off. It would have been hard to successfully pan fry such a thick cake, I think those in the original recipe were meant to be thinner. But I prefer a hearty and thick fish cake myself.

• 1 pound catfish fillets (or any white flaky fish, or even a combo of leftovers)
  
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
• 1 tablespoon mayo or Miracle Whip
  
• 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning TM, or to taste
• 2 1/2 cups coarsely crushed buttery round crackers
• 1 egg
• 1 cup canola oil (for frying)

1. Place catfish in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook until fish flakes easily with a fork. Drain off water, and mash up the fish. Stir in the onion, mustard, salad dressing, Old Bay™, cracker crumbs and egg. Mix until evenly blended. Shape into patties or cakes. (You can even mold them in cupcake pans for smaller cakes)
   
2. Fry in oil, or pan fry just the sides, or bake in the oven at 325 degrees until desirably browned (15 mins or so). Cooking time is not of the utmost importance, as the fish was cooked to begin with.
   
3. Serve with spicy mayo or aioli! Or just plain tartar sauce

4th of July Cupcakes

These cupcakes were for a picnic on the (rainy) 4th of July this year. But even if we had to sit inside, the cupcakes were delicious! All the fruit is local and fresh, from a farmers market.

Strawberries are juicy and they will leak if you slice them and put them directly on the cake - but if you slice them, fan them out, and then pat and press thoroughly with a paper towel - they will drip signifigantly less.

When baking cupcakes I am a big proponent of omitting traditional cupcake wrappers - they do not allow the cake to form a pleasing outside crust. Cupcake wrappers may be great for containing the cake and making easy transport, but they yield a mushy, gummy edge when unwrapped, which even for the best cake recipe does not do any favors. I find it much more pleasing to grease the cupcake tins thoroughly and put the batter in directly. Give it a try and I think you'll find the taste and texture well worth the extra washing and greasing of pans.

BumbleBee Birthday Cake

A birthday cake I made for a coworker, in keeping with this summers bee theme.

Better Beef Stew

Using our fresh beef, I made a stew to stock a friends freezer. Short on time, I eschewed my normal redskin potatoes in favor of 2 lbs. of tiny golden creamers - "new potatoes," as they were advertised. They really made an amazing addition - both in time and in taste. Since new potatoes are dug up early, they have a much lower starch content (which is why dieticians recommend them as a lower glycemic potato) and they lend a very creamy, buttery flavor to the stew. Many of them were so tiny that they didn't need to be cut - and even the largest ones only needed to be cut in half. This freed up a lot of time in stew preparation that I normally spend washing and cutting large red potatoes. Normally I favor reskins for their color, but in a stew the skin often softens and peels back, so it's all a wash in the end. The photo is not the best, because it was for someone else I had to omit the carrots I would normally put there, so it is missing that bright orange splash of color. But still the combination of the fresh beef and the buttery golden new potatoes made it one of the best stews I have made.

BLT Wraps

When it's hot and steamy out it's hard to cook. A simple BLT wrap with oven baked fries goes a long way. And there's no standing over a hot stove, either! A dash of honey mustard keeps the BLT from being overly salty.

Beef

Each year we purchase a side of fresh beef. It's hormone free black angus and humanely raised. This is what a side of beef looks like - it lasts us for about a year.

Kayak Cake

I made this cake for a neighbor as thanks for the use of their kayak over memorial day weekend. It's a chocolate cake with fudge buttercream icing, and kayaks molded out of marshmallow fondant. They enjoyed it! And that's what cake is all about.

Honey Grilled Shrimp

The Crispy Honey Shrimp at PF Changs is a big favorite of mine. But I always feel bad eating it because deep frying something that is freshly tasty like shrimp seems like such a waste of calories and seafood flavor! So I started making it at home, but on the grill.

For 1 pound of shrimp:

Peel and devein. Marinate for 1/2 hour in 1/2 cup worcestershire and 1/2 white wine, with 2 tbsp minced garlic whisked in. Thread onto skewers.

Mix together 1/2 cup honey with 1/4 cup melted butter. Whisk until smooth. Grill the skewers, brushing with the marinade at each turn. Do not overcook or shrimp will be tough.

The grilled honey sauce creates a really pleasant crystalized taste. Almost as good as the deep fried version, and a whole lot better for you.

Bee Mine Cake

I sent this cake home to my Dad (who already belongs to another woman, but whatever) in honor of his new set of bees - 11,000 of them, to be exact. I am afraid of all those bees but it's nice that there will be fresh honey in the future!

Sauteed Sea Scallops

Sea Scallops are easy, healthy, and quick to thaw - making them an idea weeknight dinner.

2 cloves garlic
2 tsp olive oil

Chop garlic and sautee in olive oil. Add in 2 tbsp butter and 1/2 cup of white wine. Add in 1 lb sea scallops (the small ones, not large bay scallops). Sautee until firm and opaque and until liquid reduces. Season with cracked pepper, fresh parsley, and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Creamy Chicken with Veggies

This is a comfort food for sure, with a thick cream sauce that soothes the tummy (and probably sits on the arteries). You can put all sorts of fresh and frozen veggies in, my favorites are peas, pimentos, and water chestnuts. But your mileage may vary.

4 chicken breasts, cooked and cut/ripped into small pieces
1 onion, diced finely
2 small square packages frozen veggies of your choice
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 cups cream or half and half (or whole milk, but it won't be as thick)

Melt the butter in a large, deep saucepan. Add the flour and work to a paste. Salt and pepper generously, and add the broth. Bring to a boil. Add lemon juice.

Turn heat down to low, add in the cream, stirring continuously. Add in the cut chicken and frozen vegetables. Add one can of water chestnuts, drained. Heat through till thickened, taking care not to boil the cream.

Serve over biscuits or brown rice.

This freezes and reheats very well. When cooking to stock a freezer for a friend, I always include some version of this. It is an excellent recipe to make in large batches and it goes well from freezer to table.

Shower Cake for Junia

I made a cake this week for my good friend's baby shower - Junia is the baby on the way! The shower had a garden theme with bees and ladybugs, so that's what I piped. This is a white cake with sliced strawberry filling and buttercream icing. Fresh strawberries are great in cake and in between layers they act as a natural soak.

Black Bean Quesadillas

Black Bean Quesadillas are my favorite snack or quick dinner. They are healthy and pack a good protein punch, and I use wheat tortillas.

1 can black beans, drained
1 cup salsa or picante
1 chopped garlic clove
1 chopped jalapeño
6 burrito size tortillas
4 oz shredded cheddar

Pulse the beans, picante, garlic and japapeño in the food processor to form a chunky paste. Smooth the paste over 1/2 of each tortilla, fold the other half over to form a semicircle. On top of the bean paste sprinkle the shredded cheddar and a squeeze of lime juice.

Bake the semicircles on a flat baking sheet for 10-12 minutes at 350, or until brown. Cut each into 3 triangles and serve with sour cream or salsa. This is a 20 minute dinner!

Office Cupcakes

These are some cupcakes for my husband to take to work, bearing his company logo. I believe baked goods are great for morale!

Chicken Marsala

I used this recipe from an older issue of Cook's Illustrated, it's a good one for chicken marsala. It's really quite time consuming, though. Which explains why "quick-n-easy chicken marsala" recipes never taste as good as I'd like. I followed their recipe to the letter and it did yield, as promised, crispy but tender chicken, springy mushrooms, and a flavorful rich sauce. I would make it again the next time I have an hour and a half to devote to dinner!

Fauxstess Cupcakes

After making several large cakes, I was left with a good quantity of chocolate cake batter, chocolate icing, and white icing. So I made these replicas of Hostess cupcakes. Injecting icing is harder than it looks, you need to inject with a good bit of power to get the icing to expand inside, but too much pwower will split the top of the cupcake.

GrahamMallow Cookie Bars

These crispy and delicious cookie bars are adapted from a recipe in the Great American Home Baking files. I've found that decreasing the amount of flour in the bottom crust yeilds a softer cookie (rocket science!) that keeps longer - and going halfsies on the chocolate chips and supplementing with butterscotch yields a much nicer flavor combination. My brown sugar was unexpectedly hardened, so I beat the egg whites with some maple syrup instead, and found the resulting meringue coating to be flavorful and equally sweet. The recipe below is the original.


Cream 1 stick of soft butter with 1 cup of sugar. Beat in two egg yolks, one at a time (reserve egg whites).
Mix together 1.5 cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt. Fold flour mixture into butter mixture. Press into a lightly greased 9x13 pan.
Sprinkle over top of firmly packed crust - 1 cup chopped walnuts, 1/4 cup chocolate chips, 1/4 cup butterscotch chips, 1 cup marshmallows.
Beat reserved egg whites at high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold in 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar. Spread over top of the layers in pan.
Bake at 350 for 35 minutes, or until a crust is formed. Cool completely and cut into squares.

Easter Cake

A cute cake for Easter, white on white with some fondant eggs. I had leftover fondant from a recent project.

Leaf tip borders are easy and quick to do, and they add an element of authenticity to any cake with a remotely outdoorsey theme. If the cake has settled unevenly or the icing on the top is not smooth, a leaf border is a good way to cover that up - because the shapes are by nature irregular. A far cry from the shells or rosettes that need to be perfectly lined up and matched in size.

Sheet Carrot Cake

Because who doesn't love a quick 9 x 13 carrot cake at Easter. Cream cheese frosting with little fondant carrots and grated lemon zest. This whole endeavor was probably 45 minutes from start to finish, if you make icing while the sheet cake is baking. Make a thin cake in a 9 x 13 for easier cooling.

Baked Whitefish

So many people are afraid to cook fish. And it's one of the most hassle free, stress-less dishes I can think of! Fish stands on it's own and doesn't require marinades or complicated cooking techniques to keep in flavor. When I buy fresh white fish (like haddock, cod, or sole) I simply lay it out in a pan and top with some cracked pepper, seasoned bread crumbs, and a few small bits of butter. Then squeeze over it the juice of one fresh lemon, and bake at 350 for approx 20 minutes (longer for very thick fillets). It is no-fuss, no-fail, and awfully hard to mess up.

Cheese Fondue

This is a great recipe for cheddar cheese fondue, but it's also a great basic creamy cheese sauce that can be repurposed for lots of things - adding in veggies, pasta topping, etc.

Ingredients:

3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cracked pepper
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded cheddar

Melt butter, stir in flour, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat and add milk, stiring until sauce thickens. Add cheese, stir till melted. Serve with crusty white or pumpernickel bread.

Spicy Beans and Rice

My ultimate winter comfort food is spicy black beans and rice. Sometimes I soak beans overnight and spice them myself, sometimes in a pinch I use a box of spicy beans and rice, but it's always good. Tiny cubes of cheese and a dollop of sour cream round everything off.

Lemon Bread

Lemon Poppyseed bread and muffins are my favorite of the quick bread flavors. To make these easy recipes, take whatever is your favorite quick bread base and add 1/4 cup lemon juice, the zest of two grated lemons, and 1/4 cup of poppyseeds.

Morning Glory Cake

At least, they are supposed to be morning glories. I am not known for having a green thumb, so they could be some other flower and I wouldn't know the difference. In my mind, the cake tastes great and that's what matters. I used applesauce instead of oil.

Best Macaroni and Cheese

Everyone always needs an excellent homemade mac and cheese recipe, it's just that kind of comfort food. This one is my favorite. Originally passed to me by a friend, I stared in abject horror at the ingredient list when I saw that it containted Velveeta. I was sure that I would never make it and I planned to tuck the recipe away in my pocket, never use it, and never tell my friend. But she must have known what the mental objection was, because she was quick to assure me that the Velveeta is there just to enhance the texture, and to help keep things smooth when reheating. She then even gave me a sample of Velveeta so I wouldn't need to go to the grocery store and degrade myself by buying a block of my own. I turned out to really love the recipe and now if I think I might want to make a batch I send my husband to the store for some Velveeta - so I'll never be caught on camera buying it! My mother would be proud.

Cook 2 cups elbow pasta. I like the slightly nutty flavor of Barilla Plus. Drain, rinse.

Melt 3 tbsp butter with 1/4 cup flour in saucepan to form a paste. Add 2 cups of milk, whisk till smooth. Add in 4oz of Velveeta, cut into chunks. Stir till smooth and melted. Add 8 oz of grated sharp cheddar cheese, stir on low till sauce thickens. (Use a 10oz block of cheese and reserve remaining 2 oz). Salt and pepper liberally, add a pinch of onion powder and a dash of chili powder. Mix cooked and drained pasta into the cheese sauce. It should be very saucy.

Pour into a baking dish. Combine 1 tbsp melted butter with 1tbsp bread crumbs. Sprinkle the bread crumbs and reserved cheddar cheese on top. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or so. This reheats fairly well. Thanks J, for the recipe!

Tenderloin with Porcini Crust

This recipe comes from Bon Appetit via epicurious (photo not mine). I am a mushroom lover but when cooking for others, many people reject the texture of cooked mushrooms. This recipe is great even for the mushroomphobic, as the dried porcinis sizzle in the pan and make a flavorful but slightly crispy crust. The herbed butter I could take or leave, but it's part of the original recipe so I left it in.

Ingredients
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
1 small garlic clove, pressed
1 (1/2-ounce) package dried porcini mushrooms*
6 1-inch-thick filet mignon steaks

*Available in the produce section of many supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and Italian markets.

Preparation
Mix first 4 ingredients in small bowl for herb butter. Season butter to taste with salt and pepper. Process dried porcini mushrooms in spice grinder to fine powder. Transfer powder to plate. Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper. Press steaks into porcini powder to coat both sides well.

Melt 2 tablespoons herb butter in heavy large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add steaks to skillet and cook to desired doneness, about 6 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer steaks to plates. Spoon rounded tablespoon of herb butter atop each steak and serve.

Superbowl Cake

This is from last year. But I didn't make a superbowl cake in 06 or 07, so I thought to put this one in.

Skillet Macaroni and Beef

This recipe is loosely based on one found in Cook's Country. This truly is a 30 minute meal, one my husband always loves. This freezes and reheats well.

1 to 1.5 lbs ground beef
1 large onion, chopped fine
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 tomatoes, diced - or one 15 oz can diced tomatoes with green chiles
2 cups elbows
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 29 oz can of tomato sauce
pinch of dried oregano
shredded cheddar cheese

Cook the beef in a nonstick skillet. Drain and pat dry the grease. Sautee the onion and garlic over medium heat in olive oil, until the onion is soft. Add the diced tomatos, tomato sauce, broth, and pasta. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat, cook until pasta is tender. Add back in the reserved beef, mix together. Season with salt, pepper, and oregano. Serve hot with cheddar cheese.

Chocolate Cake with Limes

This is a quick and easy 3 layer chocolate cake with dense fudge frosting. Adding unsweetened chocolate to the icing makes all the difference when it comes to richness. The limes add a bit of spunk and I love the green and brown color combination. Yellow and brown is so last year.

Rose Golden Cookies

These are absolutely decadent cookies that I loved growing up. They are a favorite of my mothers, too. The easy layers make them a snap to make - but they are so rich. Sweetened condensed milk really sits on your stomach! So make these for a crowd and cut small pieces. :)

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup margerine, melted

Mix crumbs and margerine together, press down into an 8x8 pan.

In layers on top add:

-One layer of sweetened shredded coconut, spread generously.
-One layer of melted chocolate (made with 8 oz of chocolate chips melted with 1 stick butter)
-1 can of sweetened condensed milk
-3/4 cup coarsly chopped nuts, walnuts or pecans are best

Bake at 350 degrees for 1/2 and hour, allow to cool completely before cutting (unless you like a mushy cookie in a bowl, which is fine too).

Potato Bread

Potato Bread. But since I made it in the breadmaker it doesn't have a recipe, and doesn't really count.

Chicken Lentil Stew

This is really hardly a recipe. But it is something I cook, and it is quick, cheap, and healthy - which are winning combinations for most people.

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in 1 inch chunks
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 box of whole grain seasoned rice (such as pilaf) or 2 heaping cups of wild rice
1 can of fat free lentil soup, or 1 cup cooked lentils and 3/4 cup chicken broth

Cut chicken into small pieces, pan fry in the oil and soy sauce quickly over high heat. Set aside on paper towels to drain any oil.

Prepare rice according to any package directions, or in a rice cooker. In a saucepan, combine cooked rice with soup (or lentils and broth). Add in chicken pieces and bring to a boil. Simmer until liquid is reduced and a rice stew remains.

This recipe has virtually no fat or sugar, and between the lentils and chicken is a double source of protein! All in all it's hard to go wrong.

Baby Shower Cake

I made this cake for a coworkers baby shower. It is supposed to be a baby blanket (if you can't tell, that's bad). But I was asked at the last minute and didn't have a lot of time - so the edges are a bit sloppy and rounded. Each decorater is their own worst critic, though.

Black Bean Dip

There is no snack (or dinner) quicker than a pan of black bean dip. This is what I cook when I just don't feel like cooking! It takes 5 minutes from start to finish, and then probably another 10-12 in the oven. What it lacks in glamour it makes up in protein and stick-to-your-stomachness.

1 29oz can of black beans
1 cup salsa or picante
1 cup frozen corn
5 oz. shredded cheddar
1 japapeno, diced

Drain the beans. Pulse with the picante in a food processor until it makes a chunky paste. Spread in a 9 x 13 pan. Sprinkle on top the frozen corn, diced jalapeno, and the shredded cheddar. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes, finishing with 1 minute under the broiler to burn the cheese if needed.

Serve with homemade tortilla chips, bagged tortilla chips, and veggies for dipping. Celery sticks and cherry tomatoes work particularly well.

Peanut Butter Cookies

A simple classic and easy-peasy cookie to make when short on time.

Cream together:

1/2 cup margerine, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Beat in:

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar

Stir in:

1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teasp NaCl
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup of flour

Drop onto a cookie sheet, press down with tines of a fork. If the fork sticks, try putting it in flour or sugar before pressing each cookie. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.