Blueberry Fantasia bars

This is a quick and yet decadent dessert that I found on the back of a Lucky Leaf Blueberry Pie Filling jar. I made it and brought it to my cooking club meeting recently and it was a big hit. I love any type of dessert that has a type of cheesecake layer. In addition, coconut has been one of my favorite things lately to work into recipes. So I was interested to try this recipe since it has coconut, nuts, pie filling and cheesecake. You can't go wrong with something like this! This recipe could also be switched up a little by using cherry or some other type of berry pie filling and use some other flavors in the cheesecake, like coconut. I added some lemon extract, which really added some brightness to the dessert.

Serves 12


Ingredients:

• 1 pkg (18 oz.) yellow cake mix
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 3 eggs
• 1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese
• 2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
• 1 tsp lemon extract (or vanilla or coconut)
• 1 1/2 cup blueberry fruit filling (I used a whole can of filling)
• 3/4 cup flaked coconut
• 3/4 cup chopped nuts

Directions:

• In large bowl, blend cake mix, butter and 1 egg.
• Pat mixture into greased 9x13 inch baking pan.
• Beat cream cheese until fluffy; add in 2 eggs, flavoring and sugar. Pour over cake mixture.
• Spoon fruit filling on top evenly. Sprinkle  with coconut and nuts.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes until lightly browned. (Cheesecake layer should not be too wet/jiggly when testing it.)
• Cool/refrigerate for about 30-45 minutes before cutting.

*Note: the cheesecake layer may be a little soft. You may need to clean the knife after each cut so the cheesecake does not smear all over the other parts. (That's just more for you to taste!)

I also wanted to share that I was one of the bloggers given the Versatile Blogger award by Susie at Earning-My-Cape a few weeks ago (maybe even a little longer- time has been flying by lately). Although I am unable to fulfill all the requirements in accepting that award at this time, I wanted to give her a big THANKYOU!!!! and a tell everyone to check out her blog and show her some blog love. She is just getting started in the blogging world and shares quite a variety of things that she is working on- from various crafts to cooking to information that is useful for our health and families, and basically whatever is happening with her family at that time (like a lot of us do). She is really another sweet person that I have had the privilege to meet since I started blogging. 

Shared with the following:


Friday Flair Link Party #19 at Whipperberry

Sugar Cake

mixed lilacs

tulips

azalea

daffodils

helleborus

Valley Valentine Japonica

apple blossoms

 

Spring is such a beautiful time of year, and I just had to share some of the flowers in bloom at our house. Right now, I picked some lilacs and the scent is perfuming our entire house. Growing up, there were lilacs around our house, and later the house my husband and I bought had a large number of old lilac bushes of various colors throughout the entire property. I must say, they are one of my favorite flowers. We have since removed some of them to open up some areas and clean up the yard some (still very much a work in progress). Our small home orchard was also beautiful this spring in full bloom. I hope this translates into a good fruit crop.

I know that in some parts of the U.S. it is rhubarb season, but ours is not quite ready. We were finally able to harvest a nice supply last spring/early summer. In our area, there is actually a rhubarb festival that features this tart plant in many different ways. I had posted a recipe for rhubarb dessert sauce previously and thought I would share this old fashioned cake recipe that goes so well with the rhubarb sauce.

rhubarb

This is a  cake that was made for our family by a good friend when my last baby was born. She made some wonderful soups that we could heat up and eat when we needed quick meals, and she also made this cake for dessert to go with some rhubarb sauce she had made. Her mother-in-law used to make this recipe for many years, and my friend remembers her making it to take with them when they went camping. They often ate it for breakfast with applesauce, but it is also a simple cake that goes well with ice cream and just about any other type of dessert sauces or toppings.

I had to look around for a while to find the right kind of sugar to use on the top so that it would not dissolve into the cake during the baking process. You should use some type of specialty sugar that is larger granules and may be called gourmet sugar or coating sugar. I noticed this sugar has wax added, which I believe helps keep it more solid. When I made these cakes, my daughter saw I had bought some pink coating sugar and so she wanted "her" cake to have the colored sugar. The other cake was coated with the gourmet sugar that was white and larger granules. It seemed to sink into the top of the cake batter slightly more than the coating sugar, which surprised me, but it made a lovely glittery, crunchy top layer on top of the cake. If you cannot find this type of sugar, you can still use the regular granulated sugar- it will just dissolve somewhat into the top of the cake as it bakes.

 I really enjoy this cake because of the moist, tender crumb with the crunchy top. The original recipe called for it to be baked in 3 pie plates, but I decided to use two 9 inch cake pans. I just had to adjust the baking time approximately 10-15 minutes longer. My friend has also made the cakes in a couple smaller oblong cake pans with good results.


Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup shortening (I used olive oil)
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk or sour milk
• 1 tsp vanilla (I used about 1 1/2 or 2 tsp)
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cream of tartar

Directions:

• Cream shortening or oil with sugar. 
• Beat eggs and add to sugar and oil.
• Add sour milk and vanilla.
• Sift dry ingredients and add to wet ingredients in batches while mixing.
• Divide into 3 greased pie pans (I used two greased 9 inch round cake pans). 
• Sprinkle top with additional granulated sugar.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes for pie plates or about 30-35 minutes if using cake pans (check frequently and test with toothpick in the center when it appears golden brown on top).
• Cool on rack for about 20 minutes and then may serve with toppings of choice if desired.

One cake could be wrapped in plastic and frozen to be eaten later.

Pasta with Potato and Brussel Sprouts

In my family growing up, I ate spaghetti but always just with tomato meat sauce. It has only been in the last few years that I have tried making pasta dishes with different types of sauces. When I saw Rachael Ray make a lightened up version of  Pizzoccheri, I was very interested to see how the Italians combine potatoes and pasta together- I never would have thought of this before. I have made a number of changes to Rachael's recipe. In Rachael's recipe, she cored the brussel sprouts and opened up the sprouts into individual leaves, as well as used some toasted bread crumbs for garnish. Since I had a lot of brussel sprouts to use and I did not feel like coring them, I simply cut them in half. I collected the extra leaves that came off the sprouts and added to the cooking water about 1 minute before the end of cooking. I also omitted the toasted buttered bread crumbs, but these would also be wonderful as a garnish. This dish was also originally a meatless dish but I recently decided to add in sausage- it is delicious both ways.  I also made it one time with sliced cabbage instead of the brussel sprouts- actually would be good with both cabbage and brussel sprouts. This dish is definitely one of my family's favorites lately.


Serves about 6


Ingredients:

• 3-4 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced into planks
• 15 brussel sprouts, sliced in half, larger ones quartered
• 1 large onion
• 1/2 pound sausage
• 3 large cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
• 1/2 tsp ground sage or 10-12 fresh sage leaves
• 1-2 Tbsp butter 
• 1 Tbsp dried parsley or 3 Tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley
• seasoned salt to taste/pepper
• 1/2 pound pasta (I used thin spaghetti)
• reserved pasta cooking water
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup whole milk, half and half or cream (may also use evaporated milk)
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• shredded mozzarella cheese for garnish 
• toasted bread crumbs mixed with parmesan cheese for garnish
• chopped parsley for garnish

Directions:

• Boil sliced potatoes and brussel sprouts together in a large pot of salted water for about 5-7 minutes or until potatoes are just beginning to become tender. Be careful not to cook too long or they will fall apart and be mushy. Then remove the potatoes and brussel sprouts and  drizzle a little olive oil and mix gently. Leave the cooking water in the pot to cook the pasta later.
• In a large skillet, brown the sausage and onion until the onion is translucent. Then stir in the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes. If there is a lot of fat, remove most of it from the pan. 
• Stir in the butter, parsley, sage and salt/pepper and simmer for another couple minutes. 
• Meanwhile, start the potato water boiling in the large pot and cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. 
• When finished, drain off the pasta water and reserve it. Mix the pasta in with the meat mixture.
• Add in the milk/cream and parmesan cheese and then add enough pasta water to make a sauce- it will thicken gradually. You may need to add some more water later to loosen it up more. Warm through for about 5 more minutes on medium heat, stirring regularly.
• Then add in the potato/brussel sprouts and gently mix in the pasta. Garnish with more parmesan or mozzarella cheese, bread crumbs (if desired) and chopped parsley.

This dish was shared with the following:
     Weekend Potluck #15

Squash Dal Curry

One of my favorite cuisines is Indian food because of the rich flavors that are combined into amazing dishes. I don't think I really even ate much Indian food before I was married but tried it while visiting larger cities with my husband, as well as a nearby Indian restaurant that we have grown to love. However, what I have realized in the process of learning how to cook this food is that there are many different types/styles of Indian food, depending on the region you are cooking from, as well as the fact that Indian restaurant food is quite different from what most Indian people eat in their homes everyday. I have bought a couple good Indian cookbooks that I have studied and tried to learn from and now have accumulated quite a few spices/herbs that are often used in their cooking. However, with just a small investment in about 5 spices (some you may already have), you can make some very tasty Indian dishes. I like the fact that, while much of the Indian food is spicy hot, when you make it at home, you can omit or temper down the heat to your liking and yet still enjoy the wonderful flavors. In addition, although Indian restaurant food is quite expensive, you can make many dishes very cheaply at home. Since I have been trying to cook more dishes with beans for my family, I often like using Indian recipes because they take the lowly bean from oh-hum to oh-yum!

this is the masala dabba I bought to hold some of the spices I frequently use- includes tumeric (outer left and continuing clockwise), cardamom, fennel seed, black mustard seed, ground ancho chili powder, cumin seed and black salt (center)

This recipe I share here was inspired by a Green Pumpkin Curry recipe that I have enjoyed making quite a few times. A few years ago, I picked up a small, thick cookbook at a local craft store titled Greatest Ever Indian for about $5. While I have not made many of the recipes in the book, there are a lot of nice pictures illustrating the steps and many of them are simple dishes with a variety of ingredients and ranging from sides to main dishes to breads, appetizers and desserts. When making this recipe, I never saw or found green pumpkin but it said I could substitute ordinary pumpkin. So I also figured that since butternut squash is in the pumpkin family, then that should also work well. This most recent time I made this, I decided to add in some dal I had- I believe it is moong dal, which is very quick cooking and mild in flavor, as well as some extra cooking liquid. You can omit the beans, if desired and reduce the cooking liquid, or substitute some red lentils. This dish comes together pretty quickly- in about 30 minutes, and is very rich in antioxidants from not only the spices but also the squash and beans. 

moong dal

Ingredients:

• 2-3 Tbsp oil
• 1 large onions, sliced
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds (may substitute 1/2 tsp ground cumin if you don't have seeds)
• 1/2 - 3/4 tsp black mustard seed (optional)
• 1 1/2 - 2 pounds butternut squash (1 large), peeled, deseeded and cubed
• 1 tsp amchur/amchoor- dried mango powder (optional, but adds a nice flavor)
• 1 1/2 tsp mild curry powder
• 1 tsp tumeric 
• 1/2 tsp black salt (optional- may use adobo seasoned salt or other salt)
• 1/2 tsp chili powder (not the chili powder blend)- (optional)
• 1 1/2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger * (may substitute 1 tsp dried ginger- not quite as good)
• 2 large garlic cloves, crushed/made into paste
• 3 1/2 cups chicken broth- or may use vegetable broth or salted water
• 1 cup moong dal (or split lentils), sorted and rinsed
• 10 dried apricots, chopped
• 1 Tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (optional)

Directions:

• Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onions, cumin seeds, black mustard seeds and curry powder, stirring occasionally, until a light golden brown color.
• Add the cubed squash or pumpkin to the skillet and stir-fry for 3-5 minutes over low heat.
• Mix in the amchur powder, tumeric, salt, chili powder, ginger and garlic cloves together in a small bowl. 
• Add the spice mixture to the squash  mixture, stirring well to mix.
• Add the broth or water, rinsed moong dal or lentils, apricots and fenugreek, then cover and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes or until beans are soft and slightly creamy, stirring occasionally. 

Serve warm with rice, warm naan or paratha (chapati) bread.

*ginger is easy to keep on hand ready to use if you peel it/chop into large chunks after bringing it home from the store, place it in a plastic bag in the freezer. Then when you need it, simply remove a piece or two and either grate it or thinly slice/chop it. It is actually easier to work with when it is slightly frozen. This will keep for a long time in the freezer. It is great in chicken soups, with bean dishes, smoothies with coconut milk, etc.

This was shared with the following:

I Should Be Mopping The Floor: Mop It Up Mondays #11
The Sweet Spot: Recipe Party
Simple Lives Thursday, #91- A Little Bit Of Spain In Iowa
Weekend Potluck #13
Financial Friday + Fabulous Features
Country Momma Cooks: Link and Greet #14
Taylor House Thursday #3
Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday 4-12-12
Six Sisters' Stuff: Strut Your Stuff Saturday Link Party-Week 40

Cheeseburger Soup

Even though we are experiencing some lovely spring weather, I still love to make up soups during this time since my husband does not care to have soups during the hot summer months. This recipe is more like a thick chowder with the creamy and cheesy base and is great for adding in any number of vegetables for those little (or big) people in the house who might not like to eat their veggies. I have adapted it somewhat from the original version I found online on the Taste of Home site.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 - 3/4 pound ground beef
• large onion, chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or pressed
• 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 6 mushroom, finely chopped (optional)
• 3/4 cup carrots, sliced
• 3/4 cup celery, diced
• 1-2 Tbsp sofrito (optional)
• 1 Tbsp dried parsley flakes
• 1 tsp dried basil flakes
• 3-4 cups chicken broth (I used 1/2 chicken, 1/2 beef broth)
• 4 cups potatoes, diced (I left the peels on them) (about 2 pounds of potatoes)
• 1 3/4 cups canned chopped tomatoes (I used one 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes with Italian herbs)
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 8 oz (2 cups) cheese of choice, cubed (Velveeta or muenster cheese makes it more creamy, but it will still be good with other types of cheese)
• 1 1/2 cups milk (if using skim milk, may start with a can of evaporated milk and add enough skim milk to equal amount needed)
• 1/2 cup sour cream (optional)

Directions:

• In a stockpot, sauté the ground beef, onion, celery, mushrooms, salt and pepper until the onion is translucent. 
• Drain off some of the fat and add in the garlic and sauté for another 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. 
• Add the sofrito, carrots, herbs, broth, tomatoes with juice and potatoes and bring to a boil. 
• While that is cooking, melt butter in a saucepan or a large skillet and add in the flour, stirring well and cooking for approximately 2 minutes. Add in the milk gradually while stirring; then pour into the soup, mixing well. 
• Cook soup over medium heat for about 15 minutes, or until vegetables and potatoes are tender.
• When finished cooking, add in the cheese, stirring well until melted. May also blend in the sour cream if desired. (I will often omit this since it is already very creamy and rich.)

Serves approximately 4-6 

This is wonderful with a salad and/or bread!

This was shared with the following:

     Country Momma Cooks: Link and Greet #13

     Weekend Potluck #13

     Financial Friday + Fabulous Features

     Taylor House Thursday #3

     Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday 4-12-12

     Six Sisters' Stuff: Strut Your Stuff Saturday Link Party-Week 40

Baked Peach Pancakes

This is another brunch dish that my family loves that came from a Bisquick recipe booklet. I have mentioned in the past that I now try to keep a homemade biscuit mix in my fridge all the time and use that in place of Bisquick. So I made this with my homemade mix that is part white whole wheat and part all-purpose flour and it turned out perfect. Originally, the recipe turns out a little more wet and "eggy"; so I have added about an additional 1/3 cup biscuit mix than what was called for in the original recipe. I also really liked the flavor of the peach syrup over top, but I added the recipe for the Honey-Raisin Syrup that was part of Bisquick's recipe.

Servings: 8 


Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 1/3 cup biscuit/baking mix
• 3/4 cup milk
• 4 eggs
• 2 medium peaches, peeled and thinly sliced (or may use 1 1/2 cups canned, drained and sliced peaches or frozen but thawed ones)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place 2 Tbsp butter in each of 2 pie plates (9x 1 1/4 inches). Heat in oven until melted. May instead melt the butter in the pie plates in the microwave for a minute or two.
2. Beat baking mix, milk and eggs in a small bowl, using a wire whisk or fork, until smooth. Arrange half of the peach slices in each pie plate. Divide batter evenly between pie plates, pouring over the peaches. Mix sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over batter.
3. Bake uncovered 20-25 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Serve with Honey-Raisin Syrup (or I used the syrup from my canned peaches over top of the pancakes).

Honey-Raisin Syrup

• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Heat all ingredients over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until hot.

adapted from Bisquick Breakfasts & Brunches (No 22) copyright 1999 "Baked Peach Pancakes"

Shared with the following:
     Country Momma Cooks: Link and Greet #12
     Six Sisters' Stuff: Strut Your Stuff Saturday Linky Party #38
     The Grant Life: Financial Friday + Fabulous Features
     The Country Cook: Weekend Potluck #11
     The Taylor House #3
     Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday 4-12-12

Shortcakes

Even though it is a little early in our area for homegrown strawberries, I just had to share this recipe with everyone. My husband came home from the grocery store with another great deal recently- beautiful, ripe and wonderful strawberries for a steal! So we had to make strawberry shortcake with some of them. I have often used the little individual cakes that are sold in the store to eat with strawberries- sweet and yummy. However, we did not have any of these on hand, and I have been trying to make more foods from scratch when possible. So I decided to make biscuits, which are actually the traditional way to eat fruit shortcakes. 

Lately, I have been trying different biscuit recipes and found some really good ones that are wonderfully flaky and tasty. I have almost become addicted to them with various sweet and savory spreads and toppings. It is a little funny because I rarely, if ever, made these up until now- thought they were too much work and did not really enjoy them. This time, I found a winner recipe for shortcake that I was so thrilled with and will be THE ONE for shortcakes. This recipe was from an older cookbook I have titled Fannie Farmer Boston Cooking School Cookbook, (tenth edition, 1959). Three interesting ingredients that differ from many biscuit recipes were a little spice (nutmeg- or cardamom would also be good), cream of tartar and egg, which gives a richer biscuit.

Here is a picture of the biscuits- I did not make them as thick because I did not want so much biscuit with each serving of fruit. 

Ingredients:


2 cups flour (I used 1/2 white whole wheat flour)
4 tsp cream of tartar or phosphate baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/8 tsp nutmeg or cardamom
1/3 cup butter
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup milk


Directions:


Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Mix together dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Cut butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender, fork or may use fingers until butter is well incorporated (may also use a food processor just until the butter is mixed evenly in the flour). Combine milk and egg together into measuring cup and gradually add to the flour mixture just until the dough begins to hold together. If the dough is too dry and there is much excess flour in the bowl, add more milk one Tbsp at a time but do not mix excessively. 


Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly a few times to get it to stick together. Pat out into a circle about 1 inch thick and either cut into desired pieces or use a biscuit cutter or cup/drinking glass to cut out individual biscuits. Place on a  lightly greased baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. If using a darker baking sheet, bake at 400 degrees and check them at about 10 minutes or even sooner so they do not become too browned.


*If you want higher rising biscuits, do not pat the dough out as thin- make it 1 1/2 inches-2 inches thick and cut out the biscuits.


Option: the original recipe calls for using a 9 inch buttered cake pan and dividing the biscuit dough into 2 parts. Each part is rolled out to 9 inch rounds, the first round placed in the cake pan and a little melted butter is brushed on it. Then the 2nd round is placed in the cake pan and more butter is brushed on top. It is then baked for about 12 minutes or until golden brown.

The original recipe also called for using unsweetened, unwhipped heavy cream over the berries and shortcake, but I prefer a lighter sweetened whipped cream.


*The leftover biscuits are wonderful with cream cheese (strawberry flavored or other fruit flavored) or butter after being warmed a few seconds in the microwave or a couple minutes in the toaster oven.



This recipe was shared with the following:
     Sweets For A Saturday #62
     Weekend Potluck #10
     Crumbs and Chaos: Seasonal Inspiration: 3-24-12
     Country Momma Cooks- Link and Greet Party #11
     Jam Hands: Recipe Sharing Monday #13
     Delightfully Dowling: Mangia Mondays 55
     Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday 3-29-12
     Something Swanky: Sweet Treats Thursday
     Simple Lives Thursday #89- A Bit of Spain In Iowa
     The Taylor House #3

Thai Shrimp Curry

In the past, I never thought I wanted to eat Thai food because my perception has always been that it is spicy hot. However, I occasionally watch Chef Tommy Tang on PBS making easy Thai food, and I absolutely salivate over his dishes. In addition, last year I was looking for other ways to use coconut milk and came across this recipe online. The thing I love about this dish is that it is pretty fast and you can adjust the level of heat- making it mild or spicy.  Every time I make it, we all spend the meal exclaiming how good it is. I have also made this dish and served it over angel hair pasta. In addition, this dish would also be good with fish or chicken. The recipe I am posting is an adaptation of one I found on Epicurious.com- I followed the basic recipe but added in some other vegetables and seasonings.

     Ingredients:

2 Tbsp oil

1 cup thinly sliced onion

1 cup chopped green onion

1-2 Tbsp Thai green curry paste

1  14 oz. can unsweetened coconut milk

2-3 cups chicken broth (or enough to cover vegetables)

3 Tbsp fish sauce

2 tsp sugar

1 cup diced plum tomatoes (I used grape tomatoes)

2 pounds uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined

chopped cilantro

lime wedges

*optional (I also added these items)- 

•      2 stalks of celery, bias cut 
•      1 small yellow summer squash, quartered and thinly sliced
•      1/2 sweet green or red pepper, chopped (may use any combination of sweet or hot peppers)
•      1/2 cup carrots, julienned
•      3 cloves garlic, pressed/finely minced or 1-2 Tbsp of garlic paste
•      1-2 Tbsp freshly grated ginger or may use ginger paste (this really adds wonderful flavor), may substitute 1-2 tsp dry ginger powder
•      1-2 shrimp flavor bouillon cubes

     Directions:

Heat oil in bottom of a large soup pot and add sliced onion (not the green), celery, peppers, squash and carrots. Cook for approximately 2-4 minutes until the onion is just becoming translucent. Season with some seasoned salt. Add in the garlic, ginger and green curry paste and stir around for about 1 minute. Then add in coconut milk, chicken broth, fish sauce and sugar. Boil for 2 minutes.  Add in green onions, shrimp and tomatoes and cook for about 2 minutes if using medium shrimp or a couple minutes longer if using larger shrimp- just until they begin to turn pink. Serve over prepared rice or noodles and garnish with chopped cilantro and lime wedges.   

  Serves approximately 4-6 people   

Shared with the following:

     Weekend Potluck #13

     The Taylor House #3

     Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday 4-12-12

     Six Sisters' Stuff: Strut Your Stuff Saturday Link Party-Week 40

Moroccan Beet Salad

Beets are such a lovely vegetable- great color and have such a wonderful flavor, and they are another one of those superfoods that is rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that our bodies crave. I have always loved them and this dish is just another big reason why! Last summer, my family went to a mission open-house at a local church and had a great time talking to people from all around the world and sampling some wonderful food. While there, I found this beet salad and could not believe how good the flavors were. Near the end of the day, I asked someone about what was in it- she didn't know for sure because it was made by a local man from Morocco. She then offered me an entire large pan of it since there were a lot of leftovers, which I readily accepted. My husband and I were in heaven for the next few days eating the leftovers. After eating this and trying to figure out what this was made out of, I decided to try making it myself. I think the key to the great flavor is the cilantro, which I have never had with beets before. Somehow, the onion and cilantro give such a brightness with the sweetness of the beets and the marinade (dressing) imparts a subtle flavor that results in such wonderful combination! This is a great summer salad, but it is also great anytime of the year when you want a little different beet dish.

     Ingredients:
3  15 oz. canned beets, (drained, chopped into strips or cubes if not already done for you)
     or you may use approximately 5-6 cups cooked and chopped beets
1 medium red onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (may use more or less or substitute chopped fresh flat leaf parsley)
1/3 cup olive oil
2/3 cup vinegar (or may use 1/2 cup vinegar and 3 Tbsp lime juice)
3/4 tsp salt (may adjust to taste)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2/3 cup sugar  
   
     Directions:
Mix together olive oil, vinegar/lime juice, salt, pepper and sugar in a large bowl. Add in the prepared beets, onion and cilantro. Stir well. Refrigerate in a covered dish for at least 4 hours, mixing ingredients every couple hours. Mix again before serving.


Yields approximately 8-10   1/2 - 2/3 cup servings
     

Portuguese Soup (Caldo Verde)

Here is another soup that I made for the first time a few months ago and really enjoyed. In fact, the entire family liked it. This is one of the many variations of Portuguese soup- which is reportedly their national soup. The main elements, I have learned, are kale- lots of it and thus called "Green Soup", potatoes and some type of a broth. Many other people add in any or all of the following: cabbage, beans, tomatoes and andouille or another type of sausage. Of course, I have a hard time making a dish with just a couple ingredients for some reason. Maybe it is because I feel the need to always try to pack as much nutrition in one dish, and I am a big one for one-dish meals! So this is why my Portuguese soup is full of ingredients and not just a simple dish. Feel free, though, to make it with any or all of the ingredients- you might substitute the kale for some other type of greens if you do not care as much for the kale.

Ingredients:

1-2 large onions, chopped 

2 stalks of celery, chopped

2 Tbsp olive oil or butter

3-4 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed

2-3 cups of chopped starchy vegetable- white and/or sweet potatoes, turnips, parsnips, etc

1/4 medium head of cabbage, coarsely chopped (optional)

2  15 oz. cans of kidney beans or cannelini or whatever other combination desired, drained

1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes, or 1  24 oz. (large) can diced tomatoes with the juice

1-2 Tbsp dried parsley

12-16 oz. sausage of choice

8-10 cups chicken broth or water with chicken flavor bouillon (may need to add more)

1 pound kale, center rib removed, finely chopped

Adobo seasoned salt to taste

Instructions:

In a large stockpot, sauté the onion and celery with oil or butter until the onion is translucent. Add in the minced garlic and sauté a couple minutes longer, stirring constantly. You may brown the sausage in a separate pan or in the same pot with the vegetables. Then add in the remainder of the ingredients except the kale and cook over medium heat until the vegetables have cooked and the potatoes are soft. Add in the kale and cook about 10-15 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Serve with a hearty bread.

Serves approximately 8-10 as a main dish

Shared on :
Simple Lives Thursday #87

Cilantro, Lime and Lentil Salad

I got this recipe from my daughter's diabetes specialist's office last summer where they usually have some recipes that people can take that feature healthier diet choices. This recipe caught my eye because I have really come to enjoy the flavors of cilantro and lime and am also trying to incorporate more beans into my family's diet. The recipe originally called for 1 pound of lentils, but it ended up being such a huge amount that I decided to adjust it down to 1/2 pound. Even this amount makes a large salad. I also increased most of the other ingredients in the recipe and added some olive oil. However, my husband and I enjoyed eating this like a dip with chips or crackers, as well as as a salad. I have posted this recipe with the changes I made and am not sure who made the original recipe. The nice thing about this recipe is that you can add a number of different vegetables

Ingredients:

1/2 pound lentils, sorted and rinsed

1/4 - 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped (I used approximately 1/2 cup)

1/2 cup minced red onion

juice of 1-2 limes (adjust to taste)

2-3 medium or large tomatoes, diced (may substitute canned diced tomatoes)

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

3-4 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 - 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 - 1 1/2 tsp salt, or adjusted to taste (I used Adobo seasoned salt)

1 Tbsp cumin (may start with less and adjust to taste)

1/2 cup chopped cucumber

1/4 cup chopped bell peppers

hot pepper sauce (green or red) to taste

Directions:

     Simmer lentils in 6 cups of water until soft, about 25-30 minutes. Drain any excess liquid. Cool. Add the remaining ingredients together in a bowl and toss. Add in the cooled lentils and stir well. 

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Also shared on Simple Lives Thursday # 87

Slice of Heaven Spice Cake --- and an Award

This cake has become one of my favorite cakes because it is so full of flavor and yet so easy to put together. I found it on the back of the Lucky Leaf Apple Pie Filling can a few years ago and have been making it regularly since. It uses a spice cake mix, which I usually stock up on in the fall when stores more reliably stock them and put them on sale. I suppose if you are the type adverse to using cake mixes, you might use the dry ingredient part of whatever spice cake recipe you like and follow the remainder of this recipe as the instructions direct. The other magic ingredient is apple butter, both in the cake and in the icing. This is a great dessert anytime of the year!

Ingredients:
     Cake:
1 package (18 oz.) spice cake mix
1 can (21 oz.) apple pie filling
3 eggs
1/3 cup apple butter
     Icing:
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 Tbsp apple butter

Directions:
     Mix cake mix with pie filling, eggs and 1/3 cup apple butter (do not add oil or water). Spoon into 13x9 inch baking pan coated with non-stick cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes, or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool. 
     Meanwhile, blend remaining ingredients; spread over cake. 


Servings: 10-16

So about a week ago, I was surprised to see that I had been awarded the Liebster Blog Award by Balvinder at Gluten Free Food.

A Liebster Blog Award is given to talented and loved bloggers who have less than 200 followers.

There are a few rules that go with accepting the award:
-Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog.
-Link back to the blogger who presented the award to you.
-Copy and paste the blog award on your blog.
-Present the Liebster Blog Award to 5 blogs of 200 followers or less who you feel deserve to be noticed.
-Let them know they have been chosen by leaving a comment at their blog.

So in following the award instructions, I wanted to thank Balvinder for thinking of me! She is such a sweet person and writes lovely blog posts about yummy gluten-free food that she makes. I have really enjoyed reading and learning about gluten-free cooking from her and seeing that it really is not as hard as it would seem to make gluten-free dishes. It seems that everywhere we turn, more people are being diagnosed with gluten sensitivities. So it is a good thing to have some tested and tasty gluten-free recipes to go to when cooking for these people. And as Balvinder says, "it is good for everyone." Her Lentil Byriani and the Lemon Roulade sponge cake are a couple that I intend to make very soon. Be sure to stop by and check her out!

Now here are the 5 blogs that I have chosen to pass this award on to- be sure to stop by and check out their food and leave some comments. I think you will find them interesting and full of wonderful recipes!

Kimberly at Random Tips on Healthy Eating
Ashley at Sugar Mama Bakeshop
Red at Momma Butterbean's Cookshack
Eating Deliciously
Nadia at Delights Of Culinaria
Susie at Earning My Cape
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