Tag Archives: sweet

Strawberry, Blueberry & Spinach Salad

22 Friday May 2015

Posted by in Gluten Free, New Favorite, Vegan, Vegetarian

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It’s salad time, again.  I love salad 365 days a year but with fresh produce and fruit in spring and summer, it’s the best! This salad is so simple and so delicious and you can have it anytime. Experiment with different greens, fruit and nuts and enjoy!

What a yummy patriotic salad to share this Memorial Day weekend.

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Strawberry, Blueberry and Spinach Salad ingredients

  • Baby Spinach salad mix
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup fresh strawberries, rinsed, drained and sliced
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans)

 Sweet Balsamic Dressing

  • 1-1/2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • Salt & pepper, to taste

Blend salad dressing ingredients together and chill.

When ready to serve, toss salad with dressing and serve immediately.

Recipe from Faithfulprovisions.com

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Kugel…Sweet, Noodle Pudding

04 Friday Apr 2014

Posted by in Holidays, New Favorite

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Kugel is something I have wanted to make (and taste) for years. Our book club was meeting to discuss ‘This is Where I Leave You’ by Jonathan Tropper. We always have a potluck prior to the discussion, typically with a theme from the book. This story takes place during the time this Jewish family is ‘sitting Shiva’, therefore the theme was favorite Jewish foods.  Our potluck including many wonderful dishes including Matzo Ball Soup, Latkes with Applesauce, Bagels and Lox, NY Cheesecake with Strawberries, Mandelbrot, Kugel and  fresh vegetables and fruit (to make us feel less guilty about the carb/fat overload). KUGEL Kugel was my immediate choice and friend and Grandmother-in-Law, Chris, shared a favorite recipe with me. It is a wonderful recipe, absolutely decadent and worth the splurge every now and again.  Sweet, sweet noodle pudding…I love you!

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KUGEL

1 lb. egg noddles (broad or medium), cooked and drained
1/2 pound butter, softened
6 eggs, beaten
1 quart milk (1/2 cup less if using creamed cottage cheese)
3/4 cup sugar
2 caps vanilla
1 cup white raisins
1 pound cottage cheese

Topping:
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups crushed Corn Flakes

  • Butter 10.5″ x 14.75 ” pan.  Heat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Pour boiling water over raisins, just to cover, to plump the raisins.  Let sit 10-15 minutes.  Drain.

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  • Prepare noodles according to package directions.  Drain.  Place noodles in butter and mix well.
  • Combine eggs, sugar, milk, cottage cheese, and vanilla.

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  • Add raisins and noodles.  Mix well.
  • Pour into casserole.  Top with cinnamon sugar and crushed corn flakes.

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  • Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Salt and Vinegar Popcorn…better than I ever expected

11 Tuesday Mar 2014

Posted by in Family, Family Favorites, Gluten Free, New Favorite, Skinny, Vegan, Vegetarian

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My youngest daughter LOVES vinegar potato chips and I spotted this recipe some time ago on a blog that I follow, Lucy’s Friendly Foods. I am a popcorn hound and had to try it. If my daughter, Sarah, liked it, it was a winner.

I’m happy to report we both liked it! The reduction of the balsamic vinegar had a delightfully sweet, and salty, taste. A nice, lighter, change from the traditional (and always yummy) buttered popcorn.

Salt and Vinegar Popcorn

Salt and Vinegar Popcorn

SALT AND VINEGAR POPCORN

12 cups popped corn
4 tablespoons dairy-free spread
6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3/4 teaspoon salt

  • Pop the popcorn.
  • Melt the dairy-free spread in a saucepan.  Stir in the balsamic vinegar.
  • Simmer for 3-4 minutes to slightly reduce the vinegar.
  • Pour over the hot spread/balsamic mix.
  • Stir well and serve immediately.

Adapted slightly from:  lucysfriendlyfoods.com

Cinnamon Bread Pudding … sweet comfort!

18 Friday May 2012

Posted by in Family Favorites, New Traditions

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It’s spring and I seem to be in a cake mode…wonder what’s up with that?  After finally cleaning my freezer, I decided to make something with the cherished Cinnamon Bread from the Butterhorn Bakery in Frisco.  What to make….hmmmm….bread pudding?

Serving of Bread Pudding

I don’t recall making bread pudding, but I’ve indulged in several fabulous samples through the years.  This is one recipe where I don’t have a family favorite.  Next best choice…my handy, dandy Farm Journal Country Cookbook.

This cherished cookbook was a gift from one of our client’s at Farm Journal in Kansas City in 1976.  It’s my ‘go-to’ book for a traditional midwest recipe.  No surprise, I found a bread pudding recipe and decided to go for it!

Cinnamon Bread Pudding fresh from the oven

Not to brag, but…it was a slice of heaven.  I instantly knew that if I kept it in the house, I would devour the whole pan.  Neighbors Maribeth and Gary were the recipients of half a pan.  After sampling a piece (or two…), the rest will go to family tomorrow.  The bread pudding was wonderful by itself, but a light vanilla or butterscotch sauce would be great on top.

CINNAMON BREAD PUDDING

2  and 2/3 cups milk
1/4 cup butter
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups (1″ square) day-old cinnamon bread cubes
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Scald milk; add butter and cool.

Scald milk, add butter and cool

  • Add 3 egg yolks and 1 egg white to 1/2 cup sugar; beat to mix well.  Add cooled milk, teaspoon vanilla and salt.

  • Place bread cubes in buttered 1.5 quart casserole.  Pour egg-milk mixture over bread.  Sprinkle nutmeg on top.

Pouring milk mixture over cinnamon bread

  • Set casserole in another, larger casserole containing at least 2″ of warm water.
  • Bake for 45-60 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.  Remove from oven.
  • Serve warm or cool, both are delicious!

Adapted from Farm Journal’s Country Cookbook, 1972.

Nicaraguan Perrerreque (Corn Cake)

03 Tuesday Apr 2012

Posted by in New Favorite, Nicaragua

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During my trip to Nicaragua, I had the opportunity to stay with a host family in San Ramon. My roommate, Sally, and I had the great pleasure of staying with Neyda and her family. We enjoyed many wonderful meals at Neyda’s home. One evening our ecotour group were treated to an evening of native Nicaraguan food and music. It was wonderful and highlighted by a light shower and a gorgeous rainbow.

Rainbow over San Ramon Nicaragua

The food served that evening included an unusual, sweet yet savory corn cake, baked in an outdoor wood-fired oven. The cake was baking when we arrived and like hungry baby birds, we all flocked to see what was in the oven. Our hostesses were kind enough to share the cake while it was still warm.  Heavenly! The three photos below were taken the night of our dinner in San Ramon.

Nicaraguan Corn Cake

Our Nicaraguan hostess serving corn cake

Nicaraguan Corn Cake hot from the wood-fired oven

Once returning home, the hunt was on for corn cake.  My sister-in-law, Betty, discovered a similar recipe and shared with our ecotour group.  I baked the corn cake to share with my gal pals with wonderful feedback.  By chance, I also brought a bowl of fresh pineapple and found it to be a wonderful side dish to serve with the bread.  This recipe is slightly sweeter than the cake in Nicaragua, but was delicious.  A winner!  However, I will continue my search to match the exact experience of our memorable Nicaraguan dinner.

NOTE: During our special evening in San Ramon we were also served the traditional Nicaraguan Nacatamal, a steamed corn cake filled with meat and vegetables, steamed in banana leaves. They, too, were fabulous and will be covered in a separate post at a later date.  Stay tuned!

Cathy's Nicaraguan Corn Cake

PERERREQUE (CORN CAKE)

1 pound fine white corn meal  (I used regular white corn meal and ground again with the food processor)
1 pound crumbly cheese, grated finely (try Monterey Jack or Wensleydale)
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons margarine
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 ½ cups milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix the corn meal with the cheese and sugar. Cut/crumble in the margarine.   Mix the baking soda into a little of the milk and pour into the dry ingredients.   Add the remaining milk until the mixture is well blended.

Corn Cake: Adding milk to cheese and dry ingredients

Place the cake mixture into a greased baking pan. The mixture should be about 1 inch thick.

Corn Cake batter ready for the oven

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until the cake is golden brown. After this time, remove it from the oven, allow to cool and then cut into small pieces or squares before serving. I found the bread to be at it’s best when served warm, about an hour after baking.

Baked Corn Cake

Adapted from The New Internationalist Food Book