Sparkling Lemonade

As summer draws to a close, it is time to enjoy a few more glasses of homemade lemonade. This recipe calls for a quart/liter of "fizzy" water... a very nice touch! If you don't like pulp, strain before serving.

Sparkling Lemonade

4 lemons

1 ½ cup sugar

1 Quart sparkling/ seltzer water

ice

Grate 2 teaspoons of lemon zest and put into 1-quart pitcher. Cut each lemon in half and squeeze out juice (I use a citrus reamer... you could also use any citrus press or juicer). Pour into pitcher. Stir the sugar into the juice until dissolved. Add seltzer water. Serve over ice with a slice of lemon and a cherry.

Molten Chocolate Cakes

The trick to these cakes is to NOT bake them until they are dry... you want them to still be soft on the inside.

Molten Chocolate Cakes

4 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

½ cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

4 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

½ cup sugar

4 large egg yolks

2 large eggs

1 Tablespoon all purpose flour

Powdered sugar

Mint leaves

Preheat oven to 350. Butter four 6oz ramekins (or you could make six 4oz size). Stir chocolate and butter in small saucepan over low heat until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat; whisk in cocoa and sugar. Whisk in egg yolks, then whole egg and flour. Divide batter between prepared ramekins. Bake cakes uncovered until edges are set but center is still shiny, about 22 minutes. To serve, cut around cakes to loosen; turn out onto plates. Sift powdered sugar over and garnish with mint. (Batter can be made day ahead and refrigerated)

Best Brownies

This recipe is from the Hershey's cookbook... it is my go-to easy brownie recipe that is made of pantry staples.

Best Brownies

1 stick butter or margarine, melted

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

½ cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup Hershey’s cocoa

¼ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup chopped nuts, if desired

Heat oven to 350. Grease 9” square baking pan. Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla in large bowl. Add eggs; beat well. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in nuts. Spread into prepared pan. Bake 20-25 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool and cut into 16 squares.

vegetarian pizza combos

We tried two combinations last night on pizza and both were delicious! We were hesitant since there was no sauce on the pizza, but it turned out really well!

Combo #1= tomato, ricotta, basil, Parmesan
Combo #2= potato, rosemary, Parmesan

ingredients:
extra virgin olive oil
prepared pizza dough (store bought or homemade)
3 small-medium sized tomatoes, cut into small wedges
1/3 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 shaved Parmesan (we used fresh grated)
coarse salt and ground pepper
3 or 4 small red new potatoes, very thinly sliced
leaves of several sprigs fresh rosemary
leaves of several sprigs of fresh basil
kosher salt and pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place tomatoes on a foil-lined cookie sheet, drizzle with a little olive oil and roast until soft and beginning to brown (about 10 minutes).
Meanwhile, work pizza dough and spread onto cookie sheet. When tomatoes are finished, increase temperature to 450. On one half of the crust, place tomatoes, dollop with ricotta, top with basil. On the other side of the crust, place potato slices in an even layer, drizzle with olive oil, and top with rosemary. Sprinkle Parmesan on entire pizza and season entire pizza with salt and pepper.

Bake at 450 for about 12- 15 minutes or until crust begins to brown. Yum!

Or, if you really like the potatoes, you could do all potatoes like I did here (aren't the little potatoes cute?!):

see more of Doug's pics here

Apple Cobbler

Is fall really almost here? Here's a good fall dessert from Salud:

Apple Cobbler

2 cups diced apples (use a combo of types of apples... different colors makes it pretty so I don't peel them)

1 cup brown sugar

pinch cinnamon

pinch nutmeg

pinch cloves

¾ cup flour

pinch salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

¾ cup milk

1 cup sugar

½ cup butter

Mix apples with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, set aside. Mix flour, salt, baking powder, milk, and sugar in a medium bowl to form a batter; set aside. Melt butter in 9x13 baking dish. Add batter and then add apple mixture on top of batter. Bake at 325 for 45 minutes or until browned and bubbly.

Sour Cream Mini Muffins

I got the recipe for these yummy (EASY) rolls when I was in home-ec at GAC in 10th grade! They are so good!

Sour cream mini-muffins

1 cup sour cream

1 stick melted butter or margarine

1 cup self-rising flour

Stir sour cream, butter, and self-rising flour together and drop into lightly greased mini-muffin tin. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.

Pistachio Salad

This Southern potluck classic could be a side or dessert.

Pistachio Salad

2 packages (4 serving each) Pistachio Flavor Instant Pudding and Pie filling

2- 20 oz cans crushed pineapple, un-drained

2 cups mini marshmallows

1 cup chopped pecans

8 oz thawed Cool Whip

Mix dry pudding mix, un-drained pineapple, marshmallows, and pecans in large bowl until well blended. Gently stir in whipped topping. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or until ready to serve.

Cooking Quotes

"I feel a recipe is only a theme, which an intelligent cook can play each time with variation" -Madame Benoit

"Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all." -Harriet Van Horne

"A good meal makes a man feel more charitable toward the world than any sermon." -Arthur Pendenys

Roasted Asparagus

Recipe from Beth Prewitt:

Roasted Asparagus

1 lb asparagus, washed with bottom inch cut off

olive oil

balsamic vinegar

lemon pepper

salt

pepper

Place asparagus on rimmed baking sheet; brush with olive oil and vinegar. Sprinkle with lemon pepper, salt, and pepper. Roast 8 minutes at 400 degrees.

Homemade Lemon Curd

Made this last weekend for a pavlova... I wasn't such a big fan of the pavlova, but the curd would be excellent in tarts, in a pie, or to top a scone for breakfast. Cut recipe down or multiply as needed.

Lemon Curd (1 cup)

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

4 large egg yolks

1/8 teaspoon coarse salt

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

In a medium saucepan off heat, whisk together sugar, zest, and yolks. Add lemon juice and salt. Add butter and place pan over medium-high heat. Cook, whisking constantly until butter has melted and mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and small bubbles form around edge of pan (about 4 minutes, do not boil). Remove pan from heat while continuing to whisk. Pour curd through a fine mesh sieve into a glass bowl. Press plastic wrap against the surface of the curd and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Tomatoes Provencal

I made this recipe last weekend, and although the flavor was very good, there were way too many breadcrumbs. The original recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups... I would recommend cutting it down to 1/2 cup... you can always add more if it looks like you need more.

Tomatoes Provencal

1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1 Tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

a few sprigs fresh thyme

2 Tablespoons olive oil

coarse salt, ground pepper

4 large tomatoes, cut into 1/2 inch slices

Preheat oven to 400. Lightly oil a 2 qt baking dish. In a bowl, combine breadcrumbs, parmesan, zest, thyme, oil, salt and pepper. Arrange tomato slices in dish, overlapping slightly. Season with salt and pepper and top with breadcrumb mixture. Bake until tomatoes are tender and crumbs re golden brown, 15-20 minutes.

Mastering the Art of French Cooking

Just read this article from the NY Times. Pretty amazing that Mastering the Art of French Cooking is at the top of the best seller list... 48 years after it was originally published! I saw a copy of Simca's Cuisine (the cookbook Simone Beck wrote after M.T.A.O.F.C.) today at Rhino Used Books. I put it down for a minute and someone else bought it! What an influence Julia Child had... even beyond her lifetime!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Icebox Pie

I adjusted this recipe from a chocolate peanut-butter icebox cake from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine...

Chocolate Peanut-butter icebox pie

1 chocolate graham cracker crust (store bought or homemade)

2 cups heavy cream, well chilled

1/3 cup confectioners' sugar

1/3 cup smooth peanut butter

chocolate wafter cookies or chocolate chips for garnish

In a large bowl, whip 1 1/2 cups cream with sugar until soft peaks form. In a small bowl, whisk peanut butter and remaining cream until blended. Fold peanut butter mixture into whipped cream. Pour mixture into graham cracker shell and garnish with wafer cookies or chocolate chips. Place pie in freezer until set. Store in freezer or refrigerator (if you store it in the freezer, set it out 10 minutes before serving).

Fresh Fruit Cobbler

This easy recipe from my mom relies on pantry staples and fresh seasonal fruit.

EASY Fresh Fruit Cobbler

½ stick butter

½ cup self-rising flour

¾ cup sugar

½ cup + 3 Tablespoons milk

1 cup fresh fruit (blackberries, blueberries, peaches, etc.)

1) melt butter in casserole dish

2) Put fruit in dish with butter

3) Mix self-rising flour, sugar, and milk.

4) Pour mixture over fruit

5) Bake at 350º for 30 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Serves about 4-5. For a larger group, double the recipe.

Roast beef salad with goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette

We had this for supper tonight- it was very good... light but filling

Roast beef salad with goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette

2 small heads Boston lettuce, torn into pieces

12 oz sliced deli roast beef

1 large beefsteak tomato, cut into wedges

1/2 red onion, sliced

4 oz soft goat cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

kosher salt and pepper to taste

Divide lettuce, roast beef, tomato, onion, and goat cheese among 4 plates or bowls. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, and mustard. Drizzle vinaigrette over salad.

Homemade pizza or pasta sauce

This sauce is so easy but so good! We doubled the recipe and used it for pizza Friday night, for meatloaf Saturday, and the rest for pasta on Monday!

Simple Tomato Sauce

2-3 cloves garlic

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1 lb canned tomatoes

several sprigs of fresh basil

salt and pepper, to taste

In a food processor or blender, puree the tomatoes, set aside. In a heavy bottomed saucepan, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the garlic cloves and saute for 3-5 minutes- do not allow to brown. Add the tomatoes and basil, stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer. Simmer 15-25 minutes or until sauce has thickened slightly. Remove garlic and basil and season with salt and pepper. Serve over your favorite pasta or spread over a prepared pizza dough. Once extra sauce has cooled, freeze in freezer bags for future use.

Soft Pizza Dough

I have been making crispy pizza dough for a while... I recently discovered this recipe from Salud, and it is a much softer dough.

Pizza Dough

1 package active dry yeast (if you are using yeast out of a jar, use 2 1/4 teaspoons)

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup tepid warm water (like a baby's bottle)

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon sugar

In a small bowl, combine the warm water and sugar. Add yeast and stir gently. Allow yeast to bubble slightly (5-10 minutes). Pour yeast mixture into a mixer bowl with the dough hook attachment. Add olive oil, salt, and 2 cups flour. Turn on mixer- after a few minutes the dough should start to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Add flour as needed (you may not need the entire last cup). If you do not have a mixer, this process can be done with a large bowl and wooden spoon. Oil a large bowl. Remove dough from bowl and knead slightly then place in bowl, turning to coat evenly with oil. Cover with a dish towel or saran wrap and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, approximately 1-2 hours. After doubling in bulk, remove from bowl and knead on a floured surface. Stretch dough onto pizza stone or cookie sheet. Add sauce, desired toppings, and cheese. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is beginning to brown.

Herb Roasted Potatoes

This is such an easy side dish... with lots of yummy variations.

Herb Roasted Potatoes

2 lbs potatoes cut into chunks (don't worry about peeling them!)

1/3 cup olive oil

kosher salt and pepper

herbs

Combine in 9x13 pan, roast 35 minutes at 425 degrees, occasionally stirring.

Normally we use "Herbes de Provence" or rosemary to flavor the potatoes. Saturday I used fresh herbs from Joel and Lauren's garden.

Cinnamon pull-apart bread

This is a short-cut version of monkey bread. It is very good!

Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread

3/4 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

2 cans (7.5 oz each) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

½ cup butter/margarine, melted and divided

1) Preheat oven to 350º

2) Mix cinnamon and sugar in bowl.

3) Cut biscuit dough into quarters and roll each piece in cinnamon sugar mixture.

4) Place half of biscuits in greased tube pan. Drizzle with ¼ cup butter

5) Top with remaining biscuit quarters, remaining butter, and remaining cinnamon sugar.

6) Bake 40-45 minutes.

7) Let stand 5 minutes, then invert onto plate or cooling rack

Great for brunch or dessert!

Oven French Toast

Oven French Toast

This recipe can be made the night before- in the morning, just pour on the butter and bake.

2 eggs

½ cup orange juice

¼ cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ teaspoon cinnamon (I usually add more...)

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

½ day-old baguette, cut into 1” thick slices (about 8 slices)

¼ cup melted butter

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, juice, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Dip both sides of French bread slices in mixture and place in a buttered 9x13 baking dish. Pour remaining egg mixture over the bread. Drizzle melted butter over French bread and bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until bread is golden brown and egg mixture is bubbly.

Fresh Apple Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze

We are coming into apple season... they are starting to show up at the farmers' markets... this is a great recipe to use them... and it can be frozen in the pan for a month or so.

Fresh Apple Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze

3 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

1 ½ cups canola oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups cored and finely chopped apples

1 cup coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts

To make the cake, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9x13 pan (or 2 round or square 8” or 9” pans) In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Stir with a fork to mix everything together well. In a large bowl, beat the eggs until pale yellow and foamy. Add the oil and vanilla; beat well. Stir in flour mixture just until flour disappears. Add the apples and nuts and stir to mix them into the batter until fairly uniform. Scrape the batter into the prepared pans (batter will be very thick). Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes or until the cake is is golden brown, springs back when touched lightly near the center and is just beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool while you make the glaze.

Brown sugar glaze

1 cup lightly packed light brown sugar

1/3 cup butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 Tablespoons half-and-half or cream

While cake is still hot, combine the brown sugar, butter, vanilla, and cream in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often until mixture comes to a gentle boil. Cook, stirring, for a few minutes longer. Spoon the glaze all over the hot cake. Let the glazed cake cool completely. Serve in squares, right form the pan.

Lemon Pound Cake

Ever since working at Ketchie Creek in high school and when I was home from college, I have really liked pound cakes... I made this recipe yesterday for my grandmother's birthday and it turned out really well.

Lemon Pound Cake

4 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter (room temperature)

2 3/4 cups granulated sugar

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

8 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325. Butter and flour two 8.5x4.5 inch loaf pans (or one tube pan).

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.

In a mixer bowl, combine butter, sugar, and lemon zest on high speed until fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time.

Reduce mixer speed to low and add half the dry ingredients until flour is incorporated and no white streaks are visible. Add the other half in the same way.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s). Bake for 1 hour and test with cake tester/toothpick. If toothpick comes out wet, bake for additional 5 minutes. Repeat process until cakes test done. Allow to cool in pan slightly, then run knife around cake and invert onto cooling rack to cool completely. Top with lemon glaze, confectioners sugar, fresh berries, etc.

Lemon glaze

Combine 1 cup sifted confectioners sugar and 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice. Stir until mixture is thick and smooth. Pour over cake.

Notes-

-You can freeze a cooled and unglazed cake for several months!

-toast pound cake and serve with jam for brunch

Peach Crisp

I have made this recipe twice in the last two weeks. It is good for breakfast and good for dessert! As the dish serves 8, I cut the recipe in half both times I have made it.

Peach Crisp

5 lbs peaches (about 12) cut into 8 wedges

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small pieces

2 cups rolled oats

1 cup almonds, roughly chopped

Heat oven to 350. In a large bowl, toss the peaches, granulated sugar, and 1 tablespoon flour. Transfer to a shallow 3-quart baking dish.

In a separate bowl, combine the brown sugar, salt, and remaining 3/4 cup of flour. Using your fingers, incorporate the butter until coarse crumbs form. Mix in the oats and almonds.

Squeeze the topping into marble-size clumps and sprinkle on the peaches. Bake until the top is golden and the fruit is tender, 45-55 minutes.

I like to serve it with non-fat vanilla yogurt for breakfast... and with ice cream for dessert.

Pineapple Casserole

There are tons of different versions of this Southern classic... enjoy!

Pineapple Casserole

1 ¼ cup sugar

¾ cup flour

1 ½ cup grated cheddar cheese

2 cans chunk or diced pineapple

¾ cup margarine/butter

1 ½ stacks Ritz crackers, crushed

Mix sugar, flour, and cheese. Add pineapple until mixed well. Spoon into greased 9x13 dish. Melt margarine or butter and mix crushed Ritz crackers. Spread cracker mixture on top of pineapple. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

Note- this makes a lot... sometimes I'll cut the recipe in half (kind of estimate the amounts) and make it in an 8x8 dish.

Goat Cheese Toasts

This recipe is super-easy, but an impressive way to dress up a salad plate for a good first course.

Goat Cheese Toasts

6oz goat cheese (I love Sweetgrass Dairy's Chevre!)

6-8 slices French baguette

olive oil

salt

pepper

Heat oven to broil. Place bread on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Spread goat cheese onto each piece of bread. Season with salt and pepper. Place in oven for 2-3 minutes, until cheese is melted and browned. Serve warm with mixed green salad.

Julia Child, chef extraordinaire

Doug and I saw Julie and Julia tonight... I loved it! What an inspiration! It just makes me want to DO something... as far as what to do... still trying to figure that part out. Write a French cookbook- no, that's been done... blog about French cooking- no, that's been done, too. Well until I've discovered my dream, here are a couple videos from The French Chef just for fun...

Dijon Vinaigrette

I first started making my own dressing after returning from France in early 2006- Pamela makes her own and it is SO GOOD! This recipe is a combination of one of her recipes and a recipe I got from Salud.

Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 Tablespoons Red wine vinegar

salt and pepper

1 shallot, finely diced (optional)

1/3 cup canola or olive oil

Blend mustard and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Add diced shallot. Slowly add oil, stirring constantly. Toss with greens in large bowl; or serve on the side.

Here are some of Pamela's other combos:

-red wine vinegar + half olive oil + half canola oil

-balsamic vinegar + olive oil + 1 garlic clove, crushed (esp good on tomatoes)

-lemon juice + canola oil + 1 garlic clove, crushed + chopped shallot (or red onion) if desired (for asparagus, avocados, grated carrots or Greek salad)

Sweetheart Cookies

This recipe is from my friend, Caroline... it has become a favorite among our friends... especially for events and holidays.

Sweetheart Cookies

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Mix sugars, shortening, and egg at medium speed. Add sour cream and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add flour mixture to mixer and beat until combined. Chill dough for 1 hour. Roll into 1/8- 1/4 inch thick and cut with cookie cutter. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes or until golden. Transfer to cooling rack and allow to cool before icing. You can also allow the cookies to cool completely and freeze in ziplock bags for icing later.

Icing

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup shortening

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

4 to 5 cups powdered sugar

1/4 to 1/3 cup milk

food coloring, if desired

Cream butter and shortening. Add vanilla and salt. Add sugar one cup at a time, mix well after each cup. Scrape bottom and sides after all sugar is added... icing will appear very dry. Add milk Mix on high until light an fluffy. Add additional sugar and milk to reach desired consistency. Mix in food coloring, if desired. Cover with a damp cloth until ready to use. Ice cookies with spatula or pipe with pastry bag.

Eggplant Parmesan

I don't know about you, but I had never been eager to eat anything with "eggplant" in it until recent years. Something about egg-plant... it just sounded so gross! Little did I know I had been missing out on a yummy veggie! I have eaten some delicious eggplant dishes in restaurants over the last couple of years, but had never cooked anything myself. Well I purchased my first eggplants this past Saturday at the Franklin Farmers' Market and made Eggplant Parmesan tonight from this months "Everyday Food" magazine. Tonight happened to be a dine-in-date-night for us, so this was a great romantic Italian dish... a good alternative to pasta! Here's the recipe (I adapted it slightly)... ***BTW, this is not the quickest or easiest recipe in the world, but it turned out really well, so if I might direct you to Julia Child's wise words, sometimes the extra effort is worth it!

28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes

1 tablespoon olive oil

coarse salt and ground pepper

2 medium sized eggplants, cut into 1/4" rounds

3/4 cup flour

2 eggs, slightly beaten

3/4 cup plain dried breadcrumbs

vegetable oil, for frying

1/3 cup grated Parmesan

1/4 lb fresh mozzarella, cut into large chunks

1) Toss eggplant slices in a colander with 1 teaspoon salt; allow to sit for 30 minutes.

2) Meanwhile... puree tomatoes in a blender or food processor, then transfer to a sauce pan, add olive oil, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer until thickened (about 30 minutes) and add salt and pepper to taste.

3) Press eggplant slices between paper towels to dry slightly.

4) Place a metal rack on a rimmed baking sheet and place beside the stove. Put enough vegetable oil in a saute pan to fill halfway up the side. Heat until breadcrumb dropped in sizzles.

5) Set up a line of 4 plates: first plate with flour, 2nd with beaten eggs, 3rd with breadcrumbs, and 4th to hold the finished product. Dredge each eggplant slice in flour, then eggs, then breadcrumbs.

6) In batches, fry eggplant until golden, 2-3 minutes on each side; set on cooling rack to dry

7) Spread tomato sauce on bottom of 9x9 baking dish. Arrange eggplant slices, then half of the parmesan cheese. Top with remaining sauce, remaining parmesan, and the mozzarella.

8) Bake until lightly browned and bubbling, about 40 minutes.

Note: this recipe can be made ahead and frozen! Assemble the dish but do not bake... wrap tightly with foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw completely and bake as directed.

Plum Cake

Tonight I made plum cake for dessert... it is from this month's "Everyday Food" magazine.

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2/3 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

1/4 cup sour cream, plus a dollop for each slice for serving

3 plums, halved, pitted, and cut into eights

confectioners' sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 375. Butter and flour a 9" pan.

Whisk together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

Beat butter and sugars with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat eggs one at a time on low. Beat in vanilla and lemon zest. Beat in 1/2 flour mixture, then sour cream and remaining flour mixture just until combined.

Spread batter into pan, smooth with spatula.

In a bowl, toss the 2 tablespoons flour and the plum slices.

Place the floured plum slices on top of the batter.

Bake for 30 minutes, then tent aluminum foil on the pan and bake for an additional 35 minutes. Cake tester should come out clean. Let cake cool; dust with confectioners' sugar and serve with a dollop of sour cream (I think that next time I make it I'll serve it with a dollop of craime fraiche).

Cranberry salad

This recipe is from Doug's mom... it is very good! Great alternative to traditional cranberry dishes! It has quite a bit of sugar, so it keeps well in the fridge for well over a week... you may want to drain excess juices before serving.

Cranberry salad

1 bag fresh cranberries, chopped

1 cup sugar

1 can pineapple tidbits, drained

½ cup diced apple

½ cup diced orange

½ cup chopped pecans

Pour sugar over chopped cranberries and let sit in refrigerator several hours or overnight. Combine with apple, orange, and drained pineapple. Add pecans just before serving.

Zesty Chicken Enchiladas

This recipe was in Real Simple earlier this year. We tried it out and it was good... not so healthy (1 cup of cream, for example!, but good for a special treat!

Zesty Chicken Enchiladas

16 oz jar mild green salsa

1 cup cream

2-2 ½ lb rotisserie chicken, meat shredded

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained

1 ¼ cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

8 six-inch corn tortillas

salsa

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In medium bowl, combine mild green salsa and cream. In large bowl, combine the chicken, tomatoes, one cup of the cheese, ½ cup salsa mixture, and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper.

Spread 1 cup of salsa mixture in a 9x13 baking dish. Roll the chicken mixture in the tortillas and place them in the dish seam-down.

Top with remaining sauce and cheese. Bake until beginning to brown, 10-15 minutes. Serve with salsa.

(Pretty sure you could assemble ahead of time, then cook right before supper)

One more Julia thought...

"Nothing is too much trouble if it turns out the way it should. Good results require that one take time and care. If one doesn't use the freshest ingredients or read the whole recipe before starting, and if one rushes through the cooking, the result will be an inferior taste and texture... But a careful approach will result in a magnificent burst of flavor, a thoroughly satisfying meal, perhaps even a life-changing experience." -Julia Child, My Life in France

pasta with broccoli and walnuts

We have made (well, actually, Doug has made... it has become one of his specialties) this quick and easy meal several times- it is delicious!

Short Pasta with Roasted Broccoli and Walnuts

12 oz orecchiette or some other short pasta

1 bunch broccoli (1 ½ lbs) cut into small florets

½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped (we usually use pecans)

¼ cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

¼ cup grated Parmesan

Heat oven to 400. Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve ¾ cup of the cooking water, drain the pasta, and return it to the pot. Meanwhile, on a rimmed baking sheet, toss the broccoli, walnuts, oil, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Roast, tossing once, until the broccoli is tender, 18-20 minutes. Toss the pasta with the broccoli mixture, butter, and ½ cup of the reserved pasta water. Add more water if the pasta seems dry. Sprinkle with the Parmesan before serving.