Monday, April 9, 2012

PINEAPPLE SPOONBREAD


Turkey is to stuffing, as ham is to...pineapple spoonbread?  It's easy to make and more of a sweet dessert type stuffing than the Thanksgiving stuffing.  A different kind of accompaniment for ham.

Pineapple Spoonbread
Makes 8 servings

20-oz can pineapple, crushed

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 tsp salt
4 eggs
9 sourdough bread slices, cubed
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix melted butter and eggs,. Add pineapple and pineapple juice.  Pour over bread and mix.

Bake in greased dish for 55 minutes, until browned and cooked through

Sunday, April 8, 2012

BLUEBERRY LEMON BREAKFAST CAKE


This is a coffee cake-type dish that isn't too sweet.  A perfect side dish for any brunch!

Blueberry Lemon Breakfast Cake
Serves 12


1/2 cup butter, room temperature
lemon zest  from 1 lemon
lemon juice from 1 lemon
7/8 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
2 cups blueberries
3/4 cup buttermilk
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cream butter with lemon zest and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Add the flour mixture to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Fold in the blueberries.

Grease a 9-inch square baking pan. Spread batter into pan. Sprinkle batter with  1 tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 40 minutes. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Saturday, April 7, 2012

FETA & MINT WATERMELON CUPS


Tired of the generic fruit tray at potlucks and parties?  This dish can solve that problem.  Refreshing and light, it's bound to get more compliments than that store bought fruit tray. 

Feta & Mint Watermelon Cups
Makes 8 servings

16 1-inch cubes seedless watermelon, chilled

2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons finely chopped mint
2 teaspoons finely chopped onions
Pepper

Using a 1/4 teaspoon measuring spoon, scoop out a small well in each watermelon cube, keeping the walls of the cube intact.

In a small bowl, mix together the feta, mint and onions.  Season with pepper. Stuff the wells of the watermelon cubes with the mixture.

Monday, April 2, 2012

MINI TAMALE PIES



Mini Tamale Pies
Makes 3-4 servings

vegetable oil
1 bunch green onions, sliced, green & white parts separated
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup water
1 tube polenta- slice into 6 .5 inch rounds
1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro
1/4 tsp. Tabasco
3/4 cup grated Mexican cheese blend
salt
pepper
pico de gallo
sour cream
tortilla chips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Brush 6 small oven-proof ramekins with oil. Place on a cookie sheet and set aside.

Heat some vegetable oil over medium heat. Add: the white parts of the green onions, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute.

Add the pinto and black beans, 3/4 can of tomatoes, water. Stir and bring to a boil. Mash about 1/4 of the mixture while in the pan. Reduce to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 15 minutes.
Place one polenta slice in each ramekin.

Remove the bean mixture from the heat and stir in the green parts of the green onions, cilantro and Tabasco. Season with salt and pepper.
Spoon the bean on top of the polenta. Top each with the cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until bubbly. Let the ramekins sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with pico de gallo, sour cream, Tabasco, more cilantro and tortilla chips.

Note: This is a great leftovers dish at the end of the week!  Toss in any leftover meat and veggies.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

NO-BAKE COOKIES

Wednesday cookie nights at the Tri-Delt house.  It's the little things that bring back college memories.  No-bake cookies (AKA Cat Cr@p Cookies) were a favorite.  Why didn't any of us think to snag this cookie recipe before graduating?  In any event, I found a recipe as good as John the Cook's...



No Bake Cookies
Makes 3 dozen cookies

2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1.5 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter, oats, and vanilla.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper. Let cool until hardened.