Plum Cake

Our plum tree decided to go on a sabbatical this year, but when I saw the plums at the fruit stand yesterday, I had to get some for this cake I hadn't made for along time. If I remember correctly, I got the recipe from a small, digest sized, magazine that came free to our house years ago. I think it was called Homemakers.

topping:

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 c butter 

cake:

• ¾ cup sugar
• ½ cup butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 ½ cup flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup milk
• about 8 Italian plums, quartered or cut in half

glaze:

• ¾ cup icing sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk
• ½ teaspoon almond extract

Method:

1. In small bowl, stir together sugar, flour and cinnamon for topping. With pastry blender cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Set aside.
2. In large bowl, beat sugar and butter until fluffy. 
3. Beat in eggs, one at a time and vanilla. 
4. Add combined dry ingredients alternately with milk. 
5. Spread batter into greased and floured 10 inch spring-form pan. 
6. Arrange plums, cut side up, on top of batter.
7. Sprinkle evenly with topping.
8. Bake at 350° F. about 50 min, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
9.  Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove rim of pan. 
10. Mix glaze and drizzle over cake.

(If you line the greased pan with wax paper and grease again, you can slide the cake onto a serving plate. Otherwise just leave the cake on the plate of the baking pan and place that on a serving plate once it’s cooled.)

Peach Plum Galette

I had peaches and plums sitting on the counter top ripe and ready, waiting to be used up. I had been 'eyeing' this recipe for sometime and with a bit of pie pastry sitting in the fridge I was ready to go. Wasn't until I chatted with Trish and she asked if I would post this recipe that I had even thought of my camera! We had enjoyed some of this rustic looking pie at supper but thought I'd take a photo anyway and post it. It was ever so delicious especially with a scoop of frozen vanilla yogurt.

• 1 1/2 cups nectarines or peaches, cut up in wedges, I used peaches
• 1 cup plums, cut up in wedges
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons flour
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 refrigerated pie crust
• 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar

1. Combine fruit, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and almond extract.
2. Roll out pie crust (I had leftover pie dough so I just eye balled the size, approx 9 or 10" in diameter) onto parchment lined cookie sheet.
3. Place fruit mixture in center leaving a 2 1/2" border around the edges. Fold edges of crust over filling, pleating and pressing dough together gently to hold shape.
4. Brush edges with beaten egg white and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
5. Bake at 425º for 15 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 375º and bake for 20 minutes. Cool 10 minutes on cooling rack.
6. Very good served warm with whipped cream, ice cream or frozen yogurt.
7. Serves: 6

Black Bean Soup

The best black bean soup I ever had was in a restaurant in the Grand Cayman Islands. I came home and endeavored to duplicate this soup by checking out a variety of recipes, ending up taking the ideas and going for it the way that seemed to make sense, adjusting flavor as needed. This soup is great as an appetizer for your Mexican fiesta or for lunch, served with sandwiches or pizza buns.

Ingredients:

• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• ½ cup finely chopped ham OR
• 6 slices bacon
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 – 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoon chili
• pepper to taste
• 1 can tomatoes (28oz whole or 19 oz crushed)
• 2 - 19 oz cans black beans
• handful of cilantro

1. Cook onion and ham in small amount of oil. Add garlic, then water and bouillon cube (or broth) and spices. 
2. Roughly puree tomatoes and beans in blender and add to soup. 
3. Bring to boil and simmer about 5 minutes. 
4. Add chopped cilantro near the end. Serve with sour cream or cheese and tortilla chips.

Seven Minute Frosting

This frosting goes so well on chocolate cake. I have it on an old hand written recipe card, but it is in the Mennonite Treasury too.

• 1 egg white
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tarter
• 1/3 cup boiling water
• 1 scant cup white sugar
• pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Place sugar, salt, cream of tarter and boiling water in the top of a double boiler. 
2. Have the egg white ready in a small bowl to add.
3. Over the hot water bath begin beating the water sugar mixture and add egg white beating with an electric hand mixer.
4. Continue to beat for 5-7 minutes until mixture is very white and billowy and stands at a peak when you pull up on the beaters. You can also test it by slicing through the frosting with a knife. It should retain a clean cut.
5. Remove from heat and add in salt and vanilla.
6. Immediately frost completely cooled cake with warm frosting. 

Quesadillas - Gluten-free

Being Celiac adds a challenge to 'eating' ! but I approach it with a bit of an adventurous spirit and a goal of finding food that tastes 'good' -- not just gluten-free !

With my daughter also Celiac and one of my granddaughters lactose intolerant and wheat sensitive ... and a couple of picky eaters thrown into the mix, I find myself unable to cook just ONE meal when my kids come over for dinner.

So I was THRILLED when I found this Quesadilla recipe that EVERYONE in my family LOVES ! I have made these for non-Celiac friends and they have proclaimed them as good as or better than the wheat ones.

To make the Quesadillas lay one tortilla shell into the frying pan with a very tiny amount of oil.. and cover one half with cheese... then your favorite fillings ... another layer of cheese and fold tortilla in half. Cook on medium heat on both sides until cheese is melted. Cut in half and serve with sour cream and Salsa.

Gluten-free Tortilla Shells

These Tortilla shells are easy to make and the dough- unlike most gluten-free dough - is extremely nice to handle.

Ingredients
2 cups tapioca flour (found in the Asian aisle of most grocery stores)
1 cup of gluten-free bread/bun mix - (I like Kinnikinnick - you can also use gluten-free biscuit mix flour)

2 rounded tsp of xanthium gum (important- adds the elasticity to dough)

1tbsp. shortning, 1tbsp butter

1 1/3 cups whole milk

1/2 cup of sweet rice flour for rolling dough - (if you don't have sweet rice flour you can use tapioca flour)

Method
1. Mix the dry ingredients well, cut in the shortning and then add the milk and mix until it forms a ball.

2. Turn ball onto floured surface and knead until dough is smooth.

3. Cover completely with plasic wrap and let rest for an hour.

4. Form dough into a rope and cut into 12 pieces.


5. Place the pieces on a plate and cover with a damp paper tower. (The dough will dry out too quickly if you don't)

6. Piece by piece roll out on floured surface, using as little of the sweet rice flour as possible. Use a 9" plate to cut into round circles.
7. As you roll out each ball, stack the circles between layers of wax paper.

8. Heat up a flat bottomed frying pan ... medium high....and in a little olive oil or coconut oil (healthy oil) fry each tortilla about 30 seconds on each side.

9. Let them cool... then store them in a sealed plastic bag in the fridge until you want to use them. I find they keep very well.

(credits... I found this recipe on a forum that was shared by someone who had googled it..I could not find the original source...plus the recipe as I found it had some ingred. quantity errors in it that I have corrected)

Ukrainian Borscht

I used to walk in after school, smelling fresh dill.

There it was, a fresh bowl of Borscht.
So this weekend Levi and I pulled the vegetables out of our
Veggie Tale Garden.
Then he practiced saying BORSCHT!

Take a walk to your garden
Find potatoes, carrots and beets.

Add a few of the other things like cabbage, dill and tomatoes.

Meanwhile my herb garden is bursting, which gave me a few extra flavors.

VIOLA! Wash, peel, and chop and you have a tasty soup.

I searched the Menno blog for borscht, I noticed Lovella's and Trish's
but I could not find a true borscht like my Mother's.
You need to have beets.
So here goes.....

Ukrainian Borscht
(Mennonite Treasury pg.50)
I doubled the whole recipe.

4 cups soup stock ( I used beef soup broth)
2 Cups beets
1/2 cups carrots diced.
1 Cup Cabbage shredded
1 Cup potatoes diced
1 Cup tomato juice
1 medium onion, cut fine.
Salt to taste
3 Bay leaves
Fresh handful of dill
Parsley

Put all vegetables in soup stock and simmer gently until well done.
I like making my soup thick rather than thin.
So I add more vegetables. (like I double them)
Add a bit of sour cream.
Yummy!

Oh, by the way did any of you ever love
dipping your bread into the soup?
Only at home, never at company's.

Apricot Glazed Brunch Meatballs

I got the recipe for the basic meatballs from Lovella many years ago. They came with a wonderful recipe for the spaghetti sauce as well, which I will let her post someday. Today I just want to add a variation that can be used as an appetizer, as a side dish with a BBQ, or even main meat with a late summer potato or pasta salad. If you use     1½ - 2 lbs of lean ground beef, you will get a large enough recipe to freeze several small zip lock bags full and have them ready to just add to any quick sauce. ( I freeze them after they are baked and cooled, so they are ready to go)

BASIC MEATBALLS

• 1 1/2 - 2 pounds lean hamburger
• 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1/3 cup skim milk powder
• 1/8 cup water
• 1 tsp dried onion flakes
• 1 teaspon salt
• pepper
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon oregano

1. Mix and shape into 1 inch meatballs. 
2. Bake on foil lined cookie sheet for 20 - 25 min., at 400 F. This will make about 60 - 80 meatballs, depending on size.

APRICOT GLAZE (for about 40 meatballs)

Prepare sauce by combining:

• 1/2 cup apricot jam
• 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
• 2 tablespoons chili sauce
• 1-2 tablespoons water (optional)

Heat in small saucepan and pour over meatballs. Keep warm or re-heat before serving. For appetizer, serve warm with wooden picks.

Bologonese Sauce

"Bologonese' Sauce refers to dishes that are slowly simmered with vegetables and meat until it is nice and thick.

• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
• 4 Italian sausages . . .casings removed

Brown the ground beef and the sausages together. . .Use a potato masher to ensure even small bits. . .this will take a bit of patience but it's good to have even small bits.

• 1 large onion
• 2 stalks celery
• 2 carrots
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 large red bell pepper

Chop the veggies coarsely and put them in a food processor and pulse until they are even and finely chopped.

Add this to the browned meat. Simmer until the veggies are softened. . about 5 minutes.

Add .. .

• 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup of red wine
• 1 cup  whole milk
• 1 small tin tomato paste
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon freeze dried basil leaves. . or use a small fist full of freshly chopped
• 2 teaspoons of dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes

Simmer slowly for about an hour.

Finish with a fist full of chopped parsley. . .and serve over hot spaghetti noodles. . .or which ever noodle suits your fancy.

Maple Walnut Apple Meringue Torte

This cake has a crispy topping of meringue and with a bit of apple in the batter, it is moist and satisfying.

It is essentially a Blitz Torte but I've added some apple and maple flavouring. . .

Leave out the apple and use vanilla instead of Maple and the cake will have a bit of a different flavour.

I've adapted the

recipe from the Dessert Book of the Company's Coming Series. . by Jean Pare.

You can use purchased pudding or make a packet of Vanilla pudding if you want to save some time. It should be the cooked version if you purchase a packet.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup milk. .. 5 tbsp. if leaving the apple out
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup finely chopped apple
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon Maple Flavouring or Vanilla
• 4 egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup finely chopped nuts. . I used FRESH Walnuts. . make sure you taste the nut for freshness

Filling

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 3 egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons vanilla or maple flavouring

1 cup whipping cream for garnishing the sides of the cake

1. Cream butter and the 3/4 cup sugar.


2. Beat in egg yolks and milk.


3. Stir in flour, baking powder and flavouring.


4. Add the apple.


5. Spread into 2 parchment lined 9 inch cake pans that you then spray with Pam or butter.


6. Set aside while you make the meringue


7. Beat the egg whites in a glass or metal bowl that is freshly washed.


8. Gradually add the 1/2 cup sugar


9. Beat until stiff peaks form and then fold in the finely chopped nuts with a spatula


10. Spread over the batter in the pans.


11. Bake at 325 F for 40 minutes.

While the cake is baking make the filling.

1. Blend the sugar and cornstarch and salt in a microwave safe bowl.


2. Combine the egg yolks and milk in a small bowl.


3. Add the egg yolk, milk mixture to the sugar and cornstarch.


4. Cook one minute at a time on high in the microwave, stirring after each minute.


5. Cook until it is bubbly. .


6. Add the flavouring.


7. Allow to cool covered with plastic wrap on the surface of the pudding, in the refrigerator.

Once the cake and the filling are both cool, put down the first cake layer, meringue up, top with the filling and cover with the second cake layer.

Beat the whipping cream with a tablespoon or two of sugar, and I use whipping cream stabilizer if the torte won't be eaten the same day. Spread on the sides of the cake, or put a dollop of whipping cream on each slice as you serve it.

This cake can be made a day ahead. . .

Corn Cheese Bake

Another great recipe from my sis in law. I had some extra corn on the cob so I used that but frozen or canned corn works too. A very nice vegetable side dish for any meal and it is something that can be prepared ahead of time and baked just before supper. Always a great idea when company is coming. I started gathering all the ingredients...the green pepper just picked from my garden. You need cooked corn for this recipe so if you are using corn on the cob..well that's where you start..so hurry, go cook the corn!
2 cups corn, drained and cooked
2/3 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup shredded cheese(I used TexMex)
1/4 cup minced green and red pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash black pepper, or to taste
dash crushed red pepper, if you don't like too much of a 'bite' just omit it
Pour into greased casserole dish and sprinkle with a mix of 1/2 cup cracker crumbs(12 crackers) and 2 tbsp melted butter. Bake at 350 for 45 min.