Black Bean Quesadillas

1 15 oz. can black beans
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped (we used a yellow onion and just put in a little bit)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 bunch fresh cilantro
2 cups shredded cheese
2 1/2 Tbsp taco seasoning
10 taco sized tortillas

Here are the directions from the original recipe:

STEP 1: Drain the can of beans and rinse lightly. Place the beans in a large bowl along with the corn (no need to thaw).

STEP 2: Rinse the cilantro, remove the leaves, and chop roughly. Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add the cilantro, onion, garlic, and shredded cheese to the bowl with the beans and corn. Lastly, mix up a batch of taco seasoning and add to the bowl. Stir everything until evenly mixed.

STEP 3: Place a half cup of the filling on one side of each tortilla and fold over. Cook in a skillet on both sides over medium heat until brown and crispy and the cheesy filling has melted.

STEP 4: To freeze the quesadillas, simply fill each one and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in the freezer for one hour to solidify the quesadillas and then transfer to a freezer bag. To reheat either microwave (for a soft quesadilla) or cook in a skillet on low heat (make sure to use low heat so that the filling has time to thaw and melt before the outside burns).

These are really, really good and really easy too. We ate them with leftover rice and sliced avocado and dipped them in yogurt (we were out of sour cream and it's good anyway). Make them right now. Go.

Hearty Whole Wheat Waffles

This recipe is from the King Arthur website, and is our most-used waffle recipe.

1 1/2 cups King Arthur whole wheat flour,  white whole wheat or traditional
 (I use any combination, any brand, of course)
2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

1 large egg

1 1/2 cups milk

1/3 cup melted butter or vegetable oil

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, and butter or oil. Mix together the wet and dry ingredients, stirring just till combined. 

Cook the waffles as directed in the instructions that came with your waffle iron. 
Yield: about eight 8" waffles.

Brown Sugar Bacon Waffles

Here is the original recipe in all its glory, and I quote:

For the Bacon

10 slices of bacon

1/4 cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with non stick cooking spray and line with foil. Arrange bacon in a single layer on the baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with brown sugar. Place in the upper third of the oven and bake until sugar is caramelized and bacon is brown and crispy, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Immediately remove bacon slices using a pair of tongs. Place them on a cutting board (not paper towels, they’ll stick!) to cool before chopping. Once cool, chop the bacon into bite size bits and set aside.

For the Waffles

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup brown sugar

2/3 cups canola or grapeseed oil

4 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups buttermilk

*If you don’t eat bacon for some reason, try adding 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon to the batter. Yum!

Set up your waffle iron on a level, clean surface and turn on to preheat.

In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and brown sugar. Whisk to blend. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, buttermilk and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold. Once almost fully incorporated, add the bacon bites. Stir. Try not to over mix the batter or the waffles will become tough. It’s ok if a few lumps remain in the batter.

Cook according to your waffle machine instructions.

End quote. Now, let me tell you that last time we cooked up some maple bacon with no brown sugar added, and used our favorite whole wheat waffle recipe and enjoyed them every bit as we ever did using the original recipe. The point is: bacon + waffles = yummo!

Banana Sour Cream Bread

• • 2 tablespoons white sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 very ripe bananas, mashed
  • 1/2 (16 ounce) container sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 2/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
• 
  
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease two 7x3 inch loaf pans. In a small bowl, stir together 2 tablespoon white sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Dust pans lightly with cinnamon and sugar mixture. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars. Mix in eggs, mashed bananas, sour cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Mix in salt, baking soda and flour. Stir in nuts. Divide into prepared pans. Bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

My notes: I made a few changes to this recipe: I substituted some brown sugar for the white sugar it asks for, and also used some whole wheat flour. I also changed the temperature it's baked at, as well as halving the original recipe. The loaves turned out kind of thin, so next time I would just make one big loaf. I'd also cut way back on the sugar. You can find the original recipe here.

Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies

1 cup shortening

3 cups brown sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp soda

3 cups flour

3 cups oatmeal

Cream shortening, sugar and eggs. Add remaining ingredients. Roll into small balls and flatten on cookie sheet. Bake at 350*F. When cool, put 2 cookies together with filling.

Filling:

2 egg whites

2 tsp vanilla

4 Tbsp milk

4 cups icing sugar

1 cup Crisco

Beat egg whites until foamy. Add vanilla, milk and 2 cups icing sugar. Beat thoroughly and add remaining icing sugar and Crisco. Beat until smooth and fluffy.

(I realize that this isn't the most detailed recipe ever, but I just copied it the way it's written. I recommend not over-baking the cookies.)

Butternut Squash and Sage Soup

This soup sort of evolved out of several different recipes so you might need to tweak amounts.

1 med. butternut squash, peeled and cubed

2 potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 small onion, diced

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

Add just enough chicken broth (or water and bouillon - I used the Helmuth's chicken soup base) to cover the vegetables and simmer until they are soft.

Meanwhile, over med-low heat, saute 4ish Tbsp roughly chopped fresh sage in 3-4 Tbsp butter, just until the butter begins to brown. In another skillet (or the microwave) fry 3-4 strips of bacon. Drain on paper towel and chop into bacon bits. (I prefer to chop them with my kitchen scissors when they are raw and then fry them up.) Set the bacon aside.

Add butter and sage to cooked vegetables, along with 1/4-1/2 tsp pepper and salt to taste. (It might be better to add the salt at the end?)

Puree in your blender, taking the usual precautions with hot soup. :) Return to the pot and add 1/4 - 1/2 cup plain yogurt, and milk to make the soup the consistency you like. Stir in the bacon bits and serve with some fresh bread. Mmmmmm.

Deb's Blueberry Brown Sugar Cookies

This summer the kids and I joined the in-laws and their friends at a cabin for a few days. Deb had brought these, and I have to admit, at first glance I thought they looked terrible. I started nibbling on one and was amazed. I couldn't pinpoint what the familiar taste was, but now I know it is blueberry cobbler. Little, yummy, doughy, cinnamon-y, sugary bites of blueberry cobbler. (I am especially thinking of Kim when I say that.)
A couple of things:
1) I made these with whole wheat pastry flour and I think they are very, very nearly as good as the original.
2) I made them with frozen blueberries, and while the berries were very hard to incorporate into the dough, it turned out okay. Experiment with another method other than adding them in at the end.
3)Don't forget the all-important, long-standing, ultimate cookie rule of leaving them just a tad on the doughy side.

1 C butter, softened (please don't bother wasting your time with margarine)
1 1/2 C brown sugar (I cut back on this just a bit)
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3 1/2 C flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp milk + more if needed
1 1/2 C fresh blueberries

Beat butter and sugar until smooth, then add egg and vanilla. Mix well.
Mix in dry ingredients until dough comes together. Add milk a little at a time until dough is no longer crumbly.
Fold in blueberries gently (this is the part I'm not sure about. I think you should mix them with the flour first perhaps).
Refrigerate 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375F.
Roll dough into balls and bake 10-12 minutes but not too long!

Thanks, Deb! :-)

Potatos, Peas & Mint Salad

1 1/4 pounds baby red potatoes (I just use regular red potatoes)

• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
• 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup chopped mint leaves
• 3/4 tsp coarse salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• Scrub the potatoes and remove any eyes. Cut into half-inch cubes. Cover with water and cook just until they lose any crunchiness. Drain and set aside. Cook the peas and save the liquid. Mash the peas with a fork, or use a food processor if you wish. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil (I like to use half EVOO and half lemon-infused olive oil) and 1/4 cup of the liquid. Toss potatoes with pea mixture and remaining ingredients. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp olive oil.

It may sound scary, but it's amazing! I like it best when it's slightly warm, but it's good cold too. Be warned that it only keeps well in the fridge for a couple of days. Here's where I got it.

Ice Cream Cake

The Cake

Make Wacky Cake, and divide batter into two greased and floured 9" round cake pans. Bake (duh), then remove from pans and cool on rack. Wrap cakes in plastic wrap and freeze for several hours or overnight.

The Ice Cream
Choose your ice cream. I chose a delicious coconut gelato, and I think it was one of those 1.5-quart containers. You know, the kind where you feel a little ripped off. Using one of the cake pans you used for the cake, take some more plastic wrap and put it inside the pan. Then take your chosen ice cream, which is now slightly softened, and press it all into the pan. I'm guessing you could fit up to 2 quarts into a pan like that. Cover with the plastic wrap and freeze for a couple of hours.

The Frosting

Put into small saucepan:

5 Tbsp flour

1 cup milk

Stir constantly over medium heat until you have a think paste. Let cool to room temperature.

Add:

1 tsp vanilla

Stir, baby.

Cream together:

1 cup butter

1 cup granulated sugar (not powdered/icing/confectioners sugar!)

When this mixture is light and fluffy, add the other mixture and whip it into a delightful frosting.

Here's the original recipe for the icing. Of course, you can never go wrong with Anna Mae's(ing) Icing either.

All of the following must be done quickly: Put one round of cake on whatever serving vessel you have. The ice cream goes on next, and then the other cake. Drown that cake in frosting (quickly!). I toasted some unsweetened coconut flakes in the toaster oven until they were slightly browned and then sprinkled them all over the cake. Freeze again. I didn't cover the cake from when I put it together in the afternoon until we ate it in the evening, and it didn't hurt it at all. It served about 15 adults and 13 kiddos and there was a chunk leftover. Good stuff.

I can't wait to try more flavor combos, like peanut butter ice cream with this. And Rhonda and Robyn, I know you make ice cream cakes, so you should post what you do too.

Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce

¾ cups Fresh Basil Leaves
½ cups Grated Parmesan Cheese
3 Tablespoons Pine Nuts
2 cloves Garlic, Peeled
Salt And Pepper, to taste
⅓ cups Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ cups Heavy Cream (I used half and half)
2 Tablespoons Butter
¼ cups Grated Parmesan (additional - I forgot and left this out)
12 ounces, weight Pasta (cavitappi)
2 whole Tomatoes, Diced
Cook pasta until al dente.

Add basil leaves, 1/2 cup Parmesan, pine nuts, garlic, and salt and pepper to a food processor or blender. Turn machine on, then drizzle in olive oil while it mixes. Continue blending until combined, adding additional olive oil if needed. Set aside.

Heat cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add pesto and stir.

Drain pasta and place in a serving bowl. Pour pesto cream over the top. Toss to combine. Add diced tomatoes and toss quickly. Serve immediately.

My notes: I made this as our main dish, but it would be so good as a side with a grilled chicken breast... or really good with anything else. This is SO good. Make it. Make it today.