Roasted tomato soup

This soup was made for my Soup & Sandwich Swap event, which you can read about HERE for more recipes and pictures.

Art & Carol's roasted tomato soup

3 cups chicken broth or vegetable stock

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1 onion, diced small
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups slow-roasted tomatoes
½ cup half ‘n’ half
Salt & pepper to taste

Bring broth to boil in the microwave.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add sugar, onion and garlic and sauté until softened but not browning. Stir in the slow-roasted tomatoes and hot broth and return to a boil. Add half ‘n’ half and rewarm but do not allow to boil.

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Spicy vegetarian chili

This soup was made for my Soup & Sandwich Swap event, which you can read about HERE for more recipes and pictures.

Betsy's spicy vegetarian chili

1 teaspoon olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 medium red pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups black beans, cooked
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup salsa, medium
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup canned corn niblet

Heat oil in a large pot, saute onions, peppers and garilc for 5 minutes on medium heat.
Add remaining ingredients except corn.
Increase heat to high to bring to a boil.
Decrease heat to medium and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in corn, simmer until heated through.
Makes about 10 cups or 6-7 servings of 1 1/2 cups.

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Mango Lime Pie

Mango Lime Pie

adapted recipe courtesy of Rick Bayless

For the crust:
3 ounces (6 tablespoons) butter
4 ounces (about 32) Mexican “Maria” cookies (or 16 Graham crackers)
3 tablespoons sugar

For the filling and topping:
1 cup sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
1 1/3 cup cold water
A big pinch of salt
6 egg yolks
1/3 cup fresh lime juice, plus the finely grated zest of 1 large lime
3 tablespoons butter
A big pinch of salt

For the topping:
*due to time constraints, I used whipped topping instead*
4 egg whites (you should have about ½ cup)
1 cup sugar
1 large ripe mango, peeled, flesh cut from the pit and cut into ¼-inch dice
Sprigs of mint, for garnish


1. The crust. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. In a small saucepan, melt the butter, letting it brown slightly. Break the cookies (or crackers) into a food processor and pulse until pulverized. Add the 3 tablespoons of sugar and melted butter, then continue to pulse until the mixture begins to clump slightly. Set aside 3 tablespoons of the crumb mixture to use as a garnish for the tart. Press the remainder evenly over the bottom and sides of 8-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. ( In an effort to save time on a weeknight, I used a prepared graham cracker crust.)

2. The filling. In a medium (3-quart) heavy-bottom saucepan, whisk together the 1 cup of sugar, cornstarch, water and salt. Set over medium heat and whisk until the mixture begins to boil (it will be quite thick), 3 or 4 minutes. Add the egg yolks to the hot mixture and immediately whisk vigorously until thoroughly incorporated. Lastly, whisk in the lime juice, zest and butter. Continue whisking until the mixture returns to a boil. Remove from the heat and pour into the crust. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap, until the filling is chilled and nicely set. (The tart can made 24 hours ahead up to this point.)

3. Finishing the pie. In the metal bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together the egg whites and remaining 1 cup of sugar over a pan of simmering water until the egg whites are very warm to the touch. Remove from the heat and beat with the electric mixer until cool, about 5 minutes; the meringue should be thick and fluffy and hold glossy stiff peaks. (The meringue may be prepared up to 24 hours ahead; cover and refrigerate.)

Shortly before serving, preheat the oven to 500 degrees or set out a propane or butane torch. Scoop the meringue into a ring around the outside edge of the tart (an ice cream scoop works well), then use the back of a spoon or a small spatula to form dramatic peaks in it. Place in the oven for 2 or 3 minutes, until the meringue is evenly browned, or brown the meringue with the torch, moving it back and forth over the surface until browned. Fill the center with the chopped mango, sprinkle with the reserved crumbs and decorate with mint, if you wish.

A little mango sauce (pureed mango, sugar, a dash of water and a little orange liqueur) or chopped strawberries (or whole raspberries) make a beautiful plate with wedges of Mango-Lime Tart.

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German BBQ Potato Salad

I made the following for my Oktoberfest event. You can read and get other recipes from the event HERE.

Joelen's German BBQ Potato Salad
recipe adapted from HERE

6 large potatoes (about 2 pounds)
1 cup Bermuda onions, chopped
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
2/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup salad oil
4 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 egg
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Thoroughly wash potatoes and boil with the skins on until tender (about 25 minutes). Remove potatoes from pan and drain the water. Return the potatoes to the pot and place over a low heat shaking constantly to dry the potatoes. Peel and chop potatoes into 1/4-inch pieces. Place potato pieces in a large bowl and toss with onions, parsley, salt and pepper. Set aside. Meanwhile combine the vinegar, water and sugar in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Whisk egg in a bowl and pour the vinegar mixture over top while stirring. Add salad oil and stir. Pour this mixture over potatoes and place in a large skillet or pot over a low heat. Cook until evenly heated. Top with crumbled bacon.

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Lemon Honey Yogurt Muffins

The following recipe was featured in my Muffin Swap event. You can read about it and view other muffin recipes HERE.

Jennifer's Lemon Honey Yogurt Muffins

Recipe adapted from HERE

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons honey
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups plain yogurt
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tablepoon grated lemon zest

Lemon Syrup:
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease muffin tins. In a small bowl stir togther flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl combine sugar, honey, eggs, yogurt, melted butter, and lemon zest and beat thoroughly. Add dry ingredients and mix until incorporated.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake 12-15 minutes or until delicately browned and tester comes out clean. Prepare syrup ingredients in small saucepan and boil one minute. Set aside. When muffins are done, poke tops with toothpick. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of syrup over top of each muffin.

Let cool a few minutes then remove from pan. Serve warm.

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Corn Muffins with Currants

The following recipe was featured in my Muffin Swap event. You can read about it and view other muffin recipes HERE.

Jenny's Corn Muffins with Currants

Recipe adapted from HERE

1/2 cup dried currants
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 ounces)
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
2 large eggs
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Place currants and 1/2 cup hot water in a bowl. Cover and let stand 20 minutes or until soft. Drain currants.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a medium bowl. Combine ricotta and eggs, stirring with a whisk; stir in currants. Add ricotta mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

Spoon batter into 24 miniature muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pans immediately; place on a wire rack. Serve warm.

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Creamy Crab Filling

The following recipe was used for my Steam Buns cooking class. You can read about my class and get other links to recipes HERE.

Creamy Crab Filling

1 brick cream cheese

1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 bunch green onions sliced
1 1/2 cups imitation crab meat, chopped
pinch of kosher salt
1 tablespoon white sugar

Combine all the ingredients.

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Steamed Buns Fluffy Dough

The following recipe was used for my Steam Buns cooking class. You can read about my class and get other links to recipes HERE.

Steamed Buns Fluffy Dough

1.5 cups of all purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1/3 cup whole milk
1/2 cup cold water

In a stand mixer, fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour, sugar, salt & baking powder until fully combined.
Slowly add the remaining ingredients and allow the dough hook to bring the dough together.
Allow the dough hook to knead the dough for 1-3 minutes until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
In a large bowl, sprayed with cooking spray (to prevent sticking), place the dough and cover with a damp cloth.
Allow dough to sit for 1 hour before using.

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Baked Tomato w/ Basil

The following recipe was shared during my French Fare event. You can read and view other recipes from the event HERE.

Baked Tomato w/Basil
shared at the event by Yumi
recipe HERE

6 large tomatoes sliced
2 onions peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons chopped basil
1 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt
1 teaspoon sugar
freshly ground black pepper
garlic croutons to serve


- Take a shallow oven proof dish.
- Put one layer of tomatoes in the bottom of the dish, sprinkle with chopped basil and season.
- Put a layer of onions on top of this and then repeat layers until all tomatoes, onions and basil have been used up.
- Pour olive oil and sugar over the dish and bake for 20 minutes in a moderate oven.
- Serve with hot garlic croutons.

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Pie in My Eye Round Up!

With the bounty of fresh fruits in summer, a great way to use them is to make pie! But if you're like me, you probably don't want a whole pie in your kitchen to tempt you. So my friends and I decided it to make pies anyway... only in smaller packages as hand pies.

For our hand pies, we chose to fill them with fresh strawberries, blueberries and mango. Here are pictures of our event. Also check out this link for some helpful tips & hints with Pie Dough 101!

Cook's Illustrated's Foolproof Pie Dough
- makes one 9-inch double-crust pie -

2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons sugar
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into 4 pieces
1/4 cup cold vodka
1/4 cup cold water

1. Process 1 1/2 cups flour, salt, and sugar in food processor until combined, about 2 one-second pulses. Add butter and shortening and process until homogeneous dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, about 15 seconds (dough will resemble cottage cheese curds and there should be no uncoated flour). Scrape bowl with rubber spatula and redistribute dough evenly around processor blade. Add remaining cup flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl and mass of dough has been broken up, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty mixture into medium bowl.

2. Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. With rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix, pressing down on dough until dough is slightly tacky and sticks together. Divide dough into two even balls and flatten each into 4-inch disk. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days.

To join in the fun, my fellow bloggers have submitted pie recipes! As I do with each blogging event I host, a lucky blogger receives a giveaway related to the food theme. This event's winner is Amy of Just2Good ! Amy will be receiving a Pastry/Baker's Roller tool compliments of Pampered Chef. Congratulations Amy and thanks to all that participated in the blogging event! Read on to check out the recipes submitted by my fellow bloggers...

Karen of Loves To Eat Weblog
from Tampa, FL
Mom's Apple Pie
Karen joins us with a special pie that's near and dear to her. Not only was it a recipe of her mom's but she made this pie for someone's birthday! Check out her blog to find out who and to get the recipe!

Dhanggit from Dhanggit's Kitchen
from Aix Provence, France
Nutella Dulche de Leche Tartellette
Dhanggit joins us from France and has been one of my fave blogs to read. I'm thrilled that she has joined in this blogging adventure to share with us her gorgeous entry. Even the name of her dish makes me hungry. You definitely should check out her blog for the recipe and get some "Nutella theraphy"... because we all need that now and then!
Amy of Just2Good
from Florida
Apple Pie
Amy shares with us a pie recipe she made and brought to a dinner party. She used recipes from 2 sources to create such a beautiful pie! To find out what sources she used and the recipe, check out her blog!

Melissa of Made by Melissa
from New Hampshire
Blueberry Pie
Melissa shares a pie her husband made, since she isn't a fan of pie. The pie was bursting with blueberries and I especially liked how the top of her pie was decorated. To find out how and for the recipe, check out Melissa's blog!

Psychgrad of Equal Opportunity Kitchen
from Ontario, Canada
Raspberry Peach Pie
I'm a fan of peach melbas and after checking out Pyschgrad's entry, I knew this would be an excellent recipe to try. However, someone preferred that Psychgrad not bake this pie. Check out her blog to find out who and to get the recipe!

The Food Hunter
from Arizona
Honey & Pine Nut Pie
A new comer to the my blogging adventures is The Food Hunter! She shares with us her special pie challenge that combines 2 pantry staples (at least in my house) resulting in a sweet looking pie. Check out The Food Hunter's blog for the recipe!
Becke of Columbus Foodie
from Columbus, OH
Blackberry Custard Pie
Becke has one of my favorite blogs because she often creates dishes using creative combinations and her pictures are outstanding. I'm so glad she participated in this event because her pie entry looks so delicious! Forget plain custard pies... and forget plain blackberry pies. Combine these two for a pie that's both fruity and creamy! Check out Becke's blog for the recipe!

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Homage to My Papaya Friend...

My friend Steph and I met online. A few months later, she came to visit with her husband. Four months after that, we went on a long weekend girls getaway. And since then, we've been there for each other through some very trying times and shared our moments of joy. Currently Steph's known as my "papaya friend" since she's expecting and the baby is about the size of a papaya! We have about 5-6 hours drive between us but each month we send packages of fun goodies to make up for not being there in person.

So today happened to be one of those fabulous days I came home to a package sent by Steph. She sent me the Winerd board game I've been eyeing for while (personal tidbit: I collect and enjoy board games that are food related!) and she also sent me a cookbook I've thought about purchasing myself.

This post is dedicated to Steph and in honor of her and our friendship, I made a recipe from the cookbook she sent me, The New Best Recipe. What recipe did I choose? Well, Blackberry & Lemon Cream Scones of course! Thank you Steph for being such a great friend :)

I took the book's recipe for Cream Scones and put my twist on it by adding fresh blackberries and lemon zest. The end result was a light, fluffy, creamy and perfect scone bursting with blackberries and a nice hint of lemon.

Here's my adapted recipe for Blackberry & Lemon Cream Scones, inspired by Cook's Illustrated's The New Best Recipe: 2 cups (10 oz) unbleached all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
2 teaspoons lemon zest
3/4 cup fresh blackberries, halved
1 cup heavy cream

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. Place the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together.

3. Using a pastry blender or your fingertips, quickly cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal with a few slightly larger butter lumps.

4. Add lemon zest and stir until thoroughly incorporated.

5. Stir in the heavy cream with a rubber spatula or fork until the dough begins to form, about 30 seconds.

6. Add the halved blackberries (or whole if they are small) and gently fold into the dough so that the blackberries are evenly distributed throughout.

7. Gather the dough and all dry flour bits and press the dough into an 8 inch cake pan, then turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. With a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut the dough into 8 wedges.

8 Bake until the scone tops are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
*I'm also submitting this recipe to the Bread Baking Day blogging event! Check out the event round up at Aparna's blog, My Diverse Kitchen around August 5th!

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Coffee Flan

The following recipe was made and shared at my Tapas party. You can read about the event and view links to the other recipes shared HERE.

Coffee Flan
unpictured
shared at the event by Sue
recipe from here

5 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup espresso (at room temperature)
1 cup granulated sugar

Beat together eggs, yolks, sweetened condensed milk, whole milk and espresso in a large bowl with an electric mixer, or process in a blender or food processor until smooth.

Cook the 1 cup sugar in a small heavy saucepan or copper caramelizing pot over medium heat. Stir constantly until the sugar turns a honey color. As the sugar begins to dissolve, stir only occasionally. Once it dissolves, continue cooking without stirring until the caramelized sugar is deep amber in color. The color will change rapidly, so watch the saucepan carefully. Immediately after you remove the caramelized sugar from the burner, pour it into an 8-inch soufflé dish. Quickly tilt the dish in various directions so that the caramelized sugar coats the bottom and sides.

Carefully pour the coffee mixture into the soufflé dish, and then place them in a water bath, any shallow pan large enough to hold the dish with room to spare and filled with 1 inch of hot water. Bake the flan on the middle rack in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 1 hour, or until a knife inserted comes out clean.

Remove the flan from the oven and carefully lift the dish from the water bath. Allow the flan to cool to room temperature, and then chill it in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. Unmold the flan by first running a non-serrated knife along the inside edge of the dish. Next invert the flan onto a serving platter. The caramelized sugar syrup will cascade over the flan. Cut the flan into 6 wedges to serve. Garnish each portion with some of the sugar syrup. Serve at once.

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Tarta de Santiago (Galician Almond Tart)

The following recipe was made and shared at my Tapas party. You can read about the event and view links to the other recipes shared HERE.

Tarta de Santiago (Galician Almond Tart)
unpictured
shared at the event by Harv
recipe from here

For the pastry:
1 egg
2/3 cup sugar
Generous 1 cup flour

For the filling:
4 eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 unwaxed lemon, peel grated
2 cups ground almonds
Pinch ground cinnamon
Flour, for rolling out
Butter, for greasing
Confectioners' sugar, for sprinkling

Beat together the egg, sugar and 1 to 2 tablespoons of warm water until light and creamy. Gradually fold in the flour until the mixture leaves the sides of the bowl clean.

For the filling, beat together the eggs and sugar until creamy. Fold in the lemon rind, ground almonds and cinnamon.

Roll out the pastry to 1/8-inch thick on a floured work surface. Line a greased, loose-bottomed 10-inch tart pan with the pastry. Prick it all over with a fork and spoon the filling on top.

Bake in a preheated oven at 355 degrees F for about 30 minutes, until golden brown. Leave the almond tart to cool in the pan.

Once cool, transfer it to a serving plate and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar before serving. A St. James' cross template can be used, if liked.

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Best Brownies

I prepared the following recipe for my Book/Movie club. You can read about my event and view other links to recipes I made for it HERE.

I found this recipe in a thrift store, believe it or not. I was shopping around for a nice glass pitcher for cheap and there lost with the piles of books was a copy of a Cook's Illustrated. Inside this whopping $.40 gem was Cooks Illustrated's recipe for Best Brownies. I made their recipe verbatim, but to put a twist on it, I topped the brownie with pecan halves... and drizzled the top with buttery caramel. Here is Cook's Illustrated's recipe for Best Brownies to which I added some caramel over the top for a little more indulgence:

1 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped medium
1 1/4 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 baking powder
6 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 6-1 inch pieces
2 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
caramel sauce (optional)

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; jeat oven to 325 degrees. Cut 18-ince length foil and foild lengthwise to 8 inch width. Fit foil into corners and up sides of pan; allow excess to overhang pan edges. Cut 14-inch length foil and, if using extra-wide foil, fold lengthwise to 12-inch width, fit into width of baking pan in same manner, perpendicular to first sheet. Spray foil lined pan with nonstick cookin spray. (Basically, line your baking pan well with foil, allowing some excess foil to hang off the edges for esay removal once its baked.)

2. If using nuts, spread nuts evenly on rimmed baking sheet and toast in oven until fragrant, 5-8 minutes. Set aside to cool. (I didn't bother toasting the nuts because I knew it would bake up in the oven.)

3. Whisk to combine flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl; set aside.

4. Melt chocolate and butter in a large heatprood bowl set over saucepan of almost-simmering water, stirring occassionally, until smooth. (Alternatively, in microwave, heat butter and chocolate in large microwave-safe bowl on high for 45 second, then stir and heat for 30 seconds more. Stir again, and if necessary, repeat in 15-second increments; do not let chocolate burn.) When chocolate mixture is completely smooth, remove bowl from saucepan and gradually whisk in sugar. Add eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition until thoroughly combined. Whisk in vanilla. Add flour mixture in three additions, folding with rubber spatual until batter is completely smooth and homogeneous.

5. Transfer batter to prepared pan; using spatula, spread batter into corners of pan and smooth surface. Sprinkle toasted nuts (if using) evenly over batter and bake until toothpick inserted into center of brownies comes out with few moist crumbs attached, 30-35 minutes. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours, then remove brownies from pan by lifting foil overhang. Cut brownies into 2 inch squares and drizzle caramel generously over the top before serving. (Store leftovers in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.)

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Killing Two Birds with One Salsa!

Salsa is quite a popular condiment and in fact, I believe it's even more popular than ketchup! Today I wanted to try making a variation of the traditional tomato salsa and to use it as a way to kick up the flavor in other dishes. I found a Tomatillo Salsa Verde recipe from Simply Recipes and it worked out beautifully. After I made the salsa, I used it to make Salsa Verde Chicken Quesadillas.

Here's my adapted version of Simply Recipe's Tomatillo Salsa Verde:

1 1/2 lb tomatillos
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 Jalapeño peppers, stemmed, seeded and chopped
Salt to taste
pinch of red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic

Remove papery husks from tomatillos and rinse well. Cut in half and place cut side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place under a broiler for about 5-7 minutes to lightly blacken the skin.

Place tomatillos, lime juice, onions, cilantro, Jalapeño peppers, sugar, garlic & red pepper flakes in a food processor (or blender) and pulse until all ingredients are coarsely chopped and mixed. (You can process it finer to your preference but because I planned on using it further, I chose to do it coarsely.) Season to taste with salt. Cool in refrigerator. Serve with chips or as a salsa accompaniment to Mexican dishes. Makes 3 cups.

Using the recipe above, here's my recipe for Salsa Verde Chicken Quesadillas:

1 1/2 cup prepared salsa verde
2-3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
stack of flour tortillas
1 cup Mexican blend shredded cheese
cooking spray
sour cream, salsa verde, chopped tomatoes for garnish

In a freezer bag, place salsa verde with chicken breasts. Allow it to marinate for 30 mins.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place marinated chicken on baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 25-30 mins.
Remove chicken from oven and cool. When cooled, chop up.
Place chopped chicken in a large bowl.
Add cheese and a tablespoon of prepared salsa verde.
Use chicken mixture as a filling for quesadillas.
Spray one side of flour tortilla with cooking spray and lay sprayed side on hot skillet over medium high heat.
Add 1-2 tablespoons chicken filling on top pof the flour tortilla and place another tortilla on top.
Spray the top of flour tortilla with cooking spray and flip in skillet when bottom is lightly browned.
Continue cooking until filling is melted and quesadilla is lightly browned on both sides.
Service with sour cream, additional salsa verde and chopped tomatoes.

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Strawberries w/Balsamic Vinegar

The follow recipe was shared at my Balsamic Vinegar Tasting Event. You can read and view links to other recipes that were featured HERE.

Strawberries w/Balsamic Vinegar
shared at the event by Yumi
recipe from Allrecipes.com

16 ounces fresh strawberries, hulled and large berries cut in half
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

Place strawberries in a bowl. Drizzle vinegar over strawberries, and sprinkle with sugar. Stir gently to combine. Cover, and let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour but not more than 4 hours. Just before serving, grind pepper over berries.

Variation, toss with angel food cake.

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MMM... Melons & Breakfast!

It's a hot day in Chicago and a little too hot in the kitchen to slave over the stove. So with that in mind, I needed something quick. One of the fastest meals I can put together is breakfast... and that was dinner for us tonight! I made "Eggs in a Hole," which is a fried egg cooked into a piece of toast, maple sausage patties and some fresh pineapple. It was also a great time to crank out some sorbet! After making a watermelon sorbet not too long ago, I just had to try the recipe with cantelope. I used this Melon Sorbet recipe from Alton Brown. It is my go to sorbet recipe for melons because it came out perfectly!Here's Alton's recipe for Cantelope (Melon) Sorbet:
1 pound, 5 ounces diced cantelope
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons Vodka (I used Absolut)
9 ounces sugar, approximately 1 1/4 cups

Place the melon in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Add the lemon juice, vodka, and sugar and process for another 30 seconds. Place the mixture into the refrigerator until the mixture reaches 40 degrees F; depending on the temperature of your ingredients and refrigerator, this could take 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Pour the chilled mixture into the bowl of an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's directions. Transfer the sorbet to an airtight container and place in the freezer for 3 to 4 hours before serving.

** I'm also submitting this to the Weekend Breakfast Blogging: Summer Feast event, hosted by Monsoon Spice. This event focuses on a dish using Summer Fruits & Vegetables which can be served for breakfast or brunch. With the warm summer upon us, this Cantelope Sorbet is cool, refreshing and a great palate cleanser for the heavier breakfast & brunch dishes. If you have any breakfast & brunch dishes, submit them to the event by July 31st, 2008!**

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Papaya Salad

The following recipe was featured for my Thai Cooking Class. You can read and view other recipes from the class HERE.

Papaya Salad
Joelen's recipe

1 tablespoon chili garlic paste
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon shrimp paste or 1/2 shrimp bouillon cube
2 cups shredded green papaya
2 tablespoons roasted peanuts
2 tablespoons fried garlic
1 medium tomato, chopped & seeded
1/2 red onion, sliced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1/4 cup chopped holy basil (Thai basil)

Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl and mix to dissolve for vinaigrette.
Combine all other ingredients in a large bowl and toss with vinaigrette.

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Pad Si Ew

The following recipe was featured for my Thai Cooking Class. You can read and view other recipes from the class HERE.

Pad Si Ew
(sweet soy sauce noodles)
Joelen's recipe

1 onion, sliced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons oil
1 lb sliced chicken, pork or beef (your choice)
4 tablespoons black soy sauce
4 tablespoons regular or lite soy sauce
2-3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 package wide rice sticks (pho noodles)
2 cups frozen broccoli

To prep rice sticks, boil water in a dutch oven. Once water has come to a boil, turn off heat and place dried rice sticks into the water. Let it sit for 5-7 minutes until it softens. Drain & set aside.

In a large wok, heat oil. When hot, add onions & garlic.
Once onions have softened, add meat (chicken, pork or beef) and saute for 3-5 minutes.
After 3-5 minutes, add soy sauces and sugar.
Stir and reduce until sauce is slightly thick, about 5-7 minutes.
Add broccoli & toss to heat through.
When broccoli is heated through, add drained rice stick and toss gently.
To serve, place noodles on platter and garnish with fresh bean sprouts, crushed peanuts and/or sliced green onions.

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Mango Sticky Rice

The following recipe was featured for my Thai Cooking Class. You can read and view other recipes from the class HERE.

Mango Sticky Rice
Joelen's recipe

2 cups Thai sticky rice
water for cooking rice
1 can coconut milk
1 cup granulated sugar
1 can lychee in syrup, with syrup reserved
2 large, ripe mangos, chopped

Prepare rice as directed.

When rice is cooked, place in large bowl.
Add coconut milk, sugar, can of lychee fruit and 1/4 cup of reserved lychee syrup; stir until sugar is dissolved.
To serve, place sticky rice on platter and garnish with sliced chopped fresh mango.

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