Summertime barbecues are the best. My requirements for barbecue food are simple -easy, flavorful, and tasty! I slow cook baked beans to enhance the flavor. And I add black beans, red kidney beans, and chili for a southwest flavor. And for some tang, maple syrup. Vegetarian beans make this a perfect vegan addition to your barbecue or picnic.
2 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium onion, cut into small dice 1/2 medium red pepper, cut into small dice 3 cans (16 ounces each) vegetarian beans 1 can (15.5 ounces) red kidney beans 2 can (15.5 ounces) black beans 3/4 c. barbecue sauce 1/4 c. maple syrup 1/4 c. distilled or cider vinegar 1 tablespoon chili powder 2 tsp. dry mustard
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Heat olive oil in a saucepan. Add onions and peppers pan and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Combine beans and the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add onions and peppers. Pour flavored beans into a greased 13-by 9-inch (or similar size) ovenproof pan. Bake until beans are bubbly and sauce is the consistency of pancake syrup, about 2 hours. Let stand to thicken slightly and serve.
Blueberries are my favorite fruit! If I can stop eating all the fresh blueberries long enough, I love to make blueberry pies. I love so many wonderful blueberry pie recipes, but this one is perfect for the 4th of July! Perfect for a backyard barbecue or to take along to a family reunion, just so wonderfully delicious! If you are short on time or just don’t want to make your own crust, use store-bought refrigerated pie crust, which you can find in the dairy section of your grocery store. I like Pillsbury.
Fabulous All American Blueberry Pie
Crust:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
1/3 cup sweet butter (love my Cabot!)
7 tablespoons cold water
Filling:
6 cups blueberries, rinsed and picked over
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 sugar
4 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon sweet butter, cut into small pieces
Glaze:
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon whipping cream
Crust: In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt with a pastry blender, cut in shortening, and butter until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle water over the top and mix it together with a pastry blender or fingers until it comes together to form a ball. Shape dough into a ball, wrap in plastic and rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
Filling: Place rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat oven to 425 F. (I like to put a piece of aluminum foil down or a baking pan on the bottom of the range to catch any drips and keep my oven clean.) Place blueberries in a large mixing bowl. In a smaller bowl, combine the remaining ingredients except for the butter. Add dry ingredients to blueberries and gently toss.
Divide pastry in half. On a floured surface, roll one of the pastry halves into a 12 inch round. Fit into a 10-inch pie plate, letting the pastry hang over the edge. Fill with blueberry mixture. Dot with butter. On a floured surface, roll out the remaining dough to 12 inches round. Place over pie. Seal edges and crimp to form a decorative rim.
Glaze: In a small bowl, whisk egg yolk and cream. Brush the top of the pie with glaze. Cut vents into the pie top. You can use mini cookie cutters for a more decorative top.
Bake pie for 10 minutes, reduce oven temperature to 350 F. Bake pie for 35 or 40 minutes longer or until nicely glazed. Cool on rack.
I love bold salads with flavor, texture, and color – perfect for summertime picnics and barbecues. And I also strive to make salads healthy. In my edamame salad, I used farro, an ancient Italian grain that brings a nutty flavor to any dish. Quinoa can be substituted if you prefer. Also, I used honey but if you want a vegan salad, maple syrup can be used.
The result is a crunchy, tangy, flavorful salad that will thrill your family and friends.
1 cup farro
1 package (10.5 oz) frozen shelled edamame, steam in bag
1 can (15.5oz) Chickpeas rinsed and drained
1/4 cup toasted almonds
1/4 cup dried cranberries
Dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 1/2 teaspoon liquid aminos, I use Bragg
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Cook farro according to package instructions. Drain farro, and place farro in large serving bowl to cool. Steam edamame, set aside, cool.
Make salad dressing. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together.
Add edamame, chickpeas, almonds, and cranberries to bowl with farro. Toss to combine. Drizzle dressing over, and stir.
Blueberries and lemons are a favorite flavor combination that I love. Lemon is a fresh scent that reminds me of spring. This cake is delicious any time during the year. Adding candied lemons is a nice decorative touch.
I make this loaf cake often because it is moist, flavorful, and easy to make.
Ingredients
2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, at room temperature
3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (80ml) vegetable oil
1/3 cup (80g) sour cream (or plain yogurt/Greek yogurt), at room temperature
2/3 cup (160ml) whole milk, at room temperature
3 Tablespoons (45ml) lemon juice
1 Tablespoon lemon zest
2 cups blueberries
1 teaspoon flour
GLAZE
2 cup (60g) confectioners’ sugar
2 Tablespoon (15ml) lemon juice
optional: candied lemon slices
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 9×5 inch loaf pan with nonstick spray.
Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg and granulated sugar together until combined. Whisk in the oil, sour cream, milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then whisk to completely combine. Avoid over-mixing.Pour/spread the batter evenly into prepared loaf pan.
Take 1/2 cup blueberries and mash with fork. Place remaining blueberries in bow and toss with flour. Fold mashed and whole blueberries into cake batter.
Bake the bread for 50 minutes to 1 hour, covering loosely with foil about halfway through to help the loaf bake evenly. Poke the center of the bread with a skew and if it comes out clean, the bread is done.
Cool bread completely in the pan set on a wire rack.
Drizzle with glaze and decorate with candied lemon slices
Slice and serve.
Cover and store leftover plain or glazed bread at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Glaze
Whisk the confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice together.
Candied Lemon Slices
1 small lemons
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup water
Cut lemons into 1/8-inch-thick rounds; discard seeds. Stir together sugar, lemon juice, and water in a large skillet over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Add lemon slices, and simmer gently, keeping slices in a single layer and turning occasionally, 14 to 16 minutes or until slightly translucent and rinds are softened. Remove from heat. Place slices in a single layer in a wax paper-lined jelly-roll pan, using tongs. Cool completely (about 1 hour). Cover and chill 2 hours to 2 days.
Who doesn’t love deviled eggs! You can add anything to the egg filling to create all different types of eggs. Deviled eggs are great for formal Easter dinner, a picnic, barbecue, just so versatile. I love to change up the ingredients in my eggs to create tasty new treats. I love Mediterranean food, and I couldn’t resist making an egg that captures the Mediterranean taste.
Mediterranean Deviled Eggs with Blue Cheese
12 large eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoon Dijon Mustardor Stonewall Kitchen Blue Cheese Herb Mustard
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives
1 tablespoon minced capers
1/4 cup blue cheese or gorgonzola
sliced kalamata olives
Fresh thyme, for decoration optional
1. Place eggs single layer in a saucepan and cover eggs with water up to that 1 1/2 inches above the eggs. Heat on high until water begins to boil, then cover, turn the heat to low, and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and leave covered for 14 minutes, then rinse under cold water continuously for 1 minute.
2. Crack eggshells and carefully peel under cool running water. Gently dry with paper towels. Slice the eggs in half lengthwise, removing yolks to a medium bowl, place the whites on a serving platter.
3. Mash the yolks into a fine crumble using a fork. Add mayonnaise, mustard, salt, and pepper, and mix well. Gently combine olives, capers, and blue cheese with the egg mixture.
4. Evenly disperse heaping teaspoons of the yolk mixture into the egg whites. Decorate with sliced olive and serve.
These easy to make chocolate covered Easter Eggs will delight all your family members young and old alike. I sometimes omit the coconut and just make cream eggs and peanut butter. You can serve them plain or decorated with purchased sugar appliqués. However, you choose to embellish these candy eggs will be a big success.
Cream butter gradually with confectioners sugar. Add sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. Mix until combined. Divide sugar mixture in half adding coconut to one half and peanut butter to the other. Shape cream mixtures into small eggs. Place on wax paper
Place chocolate and butter in a large glass bowl. Then, microwave one minute on high. The chocolate will look shiny; stir to combine butter. Microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring after each, until totally smooth. Chocolate continues to melt once you take it out of the microwave. If you microwave the chocolate until it looks completely melted, you risk burning the chocolate.
Add cream to chocolate mixture until combined.
Roll eggs in chocolate and place on wax paper. Don’t coat the underside of eggs. Use a small spatula to smooth out the chocolate and cover the eggs of the filing. Decorate. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve. The eggs can be made ahead and frozen. Makes 36 eggs.
I had to share this post again. This year we a vaccinated I am having a family over for a small gathering. Last year the decorations stayed in boxes in the basement. This year I am going all out and will be adding more, especially fresh flowers and candles!
Holidays are so special to celebrate with family and friends. In addition to preparing a delicious Easter feast I love to decorate for Easter all thorough out the house. Easter is always for me the harbinger of spring so spring flowers such as tulips play a prominent place in my Easter table. Nothing says spring to me like yellow tulips which mean happiness to me. Just adding these beautiful, inexpensive, plentiful flowers to your decor adds brightness to your table setting and home. I use tall simple glass vases that I purchased at Target http://www.target.com/p/cylinder-vase-10/-/A-15847588#prodSlot=medium_1_10&term=glass+cylinder+vase for $2.99. The sparkly Easter decorations are from one of my favorite go to holiday stores Pottery Barn. Each year I add to my collection a few purchases at a time. Over the years I’ve amasses beautiful decorations to liven up my Easter table. This year’s addition is these beautiful glitter eggs place card holders on sale for $11.99. http://www.potterybarn.com/products/german-glitter-egg-place-card-holder-set/?pkey=csale-holiday-decor0|sale-easter|&&csale-holiday-decor0|sale-easter/
The pastel eggs center piece is two matching wreaths, a sixteen inch and ten inch placed one of top of the other, that I purchased on sale at Joanne’s Fabric. http://www.joann.com/
How ever you choose to decorate your table for a holiday or a fun dinner, setting a beautifully decorate table is inviting for your guest and you don’t have to over spend. Just pick a theme and carry it though with all your accessories. Be eclectic when you decorate. I added inexpensive vases, candle holders and holiday while using my grandmother’s silver and mother’s china. All with blend beautifully together and your guest will feel so welcome sitting down at your table!
Lately, I’ve been making many vegetarian meals for their low calorie and health benefits. My main requirement is that the recipe pack flavor in each bite. I don’t eat anything that is deliciously tasty. If you eat flavorful food, you don’t overeat. Instead, savor the eat bite. Enjoy, be present, and you will become satisfied.
What I love about this recipe are the chickpeas! I use these darlings in so many recipes, soups, stews, salad; I find many uses. Also, the fire-roasted tomatoes add a delightful taste!
2 (15 ounce) can no-salt-added chickpeas, rinsed, divided
1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped (about 8 cups)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Fresh basil leaves, torn
Directions
Combine tomatoes, broth, onion, carrot, garlic, oregano, salt, crushed red pepper, black pepper and turmeric in a 4-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on Low for 6 hours.
Measure 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid from the slow cooker into a small bowl. Add one can of 2 chickpeas; mash with a fork until smooth.
Add the mashed chickpeas, kale, lemon juice and remaining whole chickpeas to the mixture in the slow cooker. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on Low until the kale is tender, about 30 minutes.
Ladle the stew evenly into 6 bowls; drizzle with oil. Garnish with basil.
One-pan meals are experiencing a boom in popularity, and I can understand why—easy, delicious, low clean up, perfect for a weeknight meal. I especially like adding colorful veggies, like the rainbow-colored tomatoes in this recipe. I’ve added a Mediterranean flavor with the addition of olives, caper, and feta cheese. Clean-up is easy when you use non-stick sheet pans. My favorite is William Sonoma Goldtouch bakeware for all my baking and cooking needs. One-time purchase and well worth the money.
1.5 pound Gourmet Medley Tomatoes
1 package chicken Italian style sausage (5 sausages)
8 ounces feta cheese, cut into pieces
1 cup pitted Mezzetta Castelvetrano olives, sliced
2 tablespoons capers
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoon lemon juice
Preheat oven to 424F.
Place tomatoes on the sheet pan and nestle sausage and feta cheese in between. Top with olives and capers. Combine oil with the remaining ingredients except for the lemon juice—drizzle oil mixture over the sausage, tomatoes, feta cheese, olives, and capers. Sprinkle lemon juice on top. Bake for 35 – 40 minutes until sausage and tomatoes brown. And feta is bubbling.
Pound cakes have a special place in my baking repertoire. I don’t know there is something about a pound cake that is just so perfect. I am amazed by the versatility of Pound cakes. You can make them in all different sizes, shapes, flavors; they are the chameleon of the cake world. Pound cake originated in the 1700s was made with a pound of butter, eggs, sugar, and flour; hence the name pound cake.
And who doesn’t love a delicious chocolate pound cake? I love this recipe because it produces a moist, flavorful cake. Pound cakes can be dense, and sour cream adds a creamy lightness to the batter.
This cake is delicious, making the basic recipe, but plain is not my style. I add a chocolate ganache and chocolate-dipped strawberries to make it extra memorable.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 (16 ounce) packages light brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
1 cup hot water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache
Vanilla ice cream
9 strawberries, washed with stems
Directions
Melt semisweet chocolate morsels in a microwave-safe bowl at HIGH for 30-second intervals until melted (about 1 1/2 minutes total time). Stir until smooth.
Beat butter and brown sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer, beating about 5 minutes or until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add melted chocolate, beating just until blended.
Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to chocolate mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Gradually add 1 cup hot water in a slow, steady stream, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in vanilla. Use immediately, following directions for desired cake.
Spoon batter evenly into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan. Bake at 350° for 55 to 65 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan, and let cool completely on wire rack.
Sift powdered sugar over the top of the cake.
Dip small spoonfuls of warm ganache over the cake.
1. Microwave chocolate morsels and whipping cream in a 2-quart glass bowl at medium 2 1/2 to 3 minutes or until melted. Whisk until smooth then whisk in butter. Let stand 30 minutes. Beat at medium speed with electric mixture for 3 to 4 minutes. Dip strawberries in chocolate Ganache. Place on wax paper and chill.
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