Reds and Greens Salad

4 cups romaine lettuce pieces (I used more)
4 cups spring mix (I used less)
1 cup red seedless grapes, halved
2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup sliced red onion
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup pistachio nuts

Mix all and lightly dress with:

Balsamic Vinaigrette
1/2 cup olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
2 T balsamic vinegar
2 t Dijon mustard

My notes:

This recipe is from The Food Nanny Rescues Dinner (bought at Costco awhile back). It says it serves 4 to 6, but that all depends, of course. I like to make a goodly amount, but the family is not eating as large servings as the bag or recipe says. Generally.

The recipe calls for pistachios, but I used toasted slivered almonds. I got the pistachios, but it was a pain trying to remove the paper skins from each nut. I would hold a nut in my fingers and try to twist it and see if the paper would loosen for removal. It sometimes did, sometimes didn't. I didn't know if they would be good or if the paper would get yucky, so I sent the almonds instead. However, in the leftovers I kept for myself I added the pistachios, and they were terrific. So if you've got the time and the patience, they would be good. But I'm sure the almonds were fine, too.

I don't like running out of salad dressing and having to make more, so I doubled the recipe. Don't know if there were many leftovers or not.

I wasn't sure I wanted a strong olive oil taste, so I put in half olive oil and half corn oil. It seemed a little tart to me, so I added a spoonful of sugar and then I liked it better.

I REALLY liked this.

Frozen Lemon Tarts

Fresh Frozen Lemon Tarts (from Academy Ward, Colorado Springs)

3 eggs, separated

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp. grated lemon rind

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup finely crushed vanilla wafer crumbs

1 cup heavy cream, whipped

The recipe, as written:  In double boiler, combine well-beaten egg yolks, lemon juice, sugar and salt.  Cook over hot, but not boiling water, until custard coats a metal spoon.  Cool.  Stir in rind and vanilla.  Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry, fold into custard.  Fold in whipped cream.  Sprinkle bottom of 12 paper fluted muffin cups with 1 tsp. each vanilla wafer crumbs.  Pour custard into cups and sprinkle with remaining crumbs.  Freeze in muffin tins until firm.  Remove paper before serving.

My modifications:  I have never, in 40 years!, had a double boiler.  I now know one can be simulated using a glass bowl over a pan of simmering water.  I never can understand what it means, "until custard coats a metal spoon."  (I get it:  when you run your finger over the back of the spoon  you're using, it should leave a trail and not fill in.)  Problem is, this happens immediately if you're not discerning about this subject.  Long ago I upped the heat a bit (you can stand there, stirring, for a VERY long time waiting for the custard to SLOWLY thicken, but since there are other things you need to be doing) and watched carefully until mixture thickened somewhat (it will thicken more as it cools), and if I had any bits of cooked egg whites, I just used a fine-mesh strainer and strained it out.

-Mom

Picnic Brownies

Picnic Brownies    (from Lion House Bakery cookbook)

4 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate    (Okay, maybe I should add something here; I used Lindt Excellence intense dark chocolate, mostly 80% but had to use a little 70% -- if these tasted particularly good, the good chocolate could have been part of the reason.)

1 C butter

2 C sugar

2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp salt

4 eggs

1 3/4 cup flour

2/3 cup chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds.  And remember, if you want the best flavor, toast them in the oven.  Which I didn't do.

1 C chocolate chips  (I used Guittard milk chocolate, because I LOVE them, but I know dark chocolate is all the rage now)

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease two 9 inch round cake pans.

Carefully melt butter and chocolate together in microwave.  (Be REALLY careful, because it is so easy to burn.  I think I did a minute or two on 50% power, let it sit, then I had to do a little more.  But watch it.)  In medium bowl, mix sugar, vanilla, and salt; add to melted chocolate mixture and blend well.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add flour and mix well.  Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.   Divide batter equally into prepared pans.   Bake 20 to 25 minutes.  Brownies are done when toothpick inserted an inch from center comes out clean.  Do not overbake.  Allow to cool completely before cutting.  If necessary, run a thin knife between pan and brownies and turn upside down.  (I didn't need to do this because I used that Pam Bakers spray.)  Recipe calls for cutting each round into 8 wedges, but I cut into 12.  We had 24 good-sized brownies.  Yum.

-Mom

Beef Tamale Pie

Beef Tamale Pie

1 T vegetable oil

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

1 medium onion, minced

1 medium jalapeno chile, seeds and ribs removed, chile minced*

salt

2 T chili powder

4 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press

1 T tomato paste

1 t dried oregano

1 t cumin

1/4 t cayenne pepper

1   28 oz. can diced tomatoes**

1   15.5 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

1   1/4 cups frozen corn (do not thaw)

8  oz. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)

1/4  cup fresh cilantro leaves, minced ***

4 t juice from 2 limes****

ground black pepper

1 recipe homemade cornbread topping (recipe follows)

1.  Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until shimmering.  Add the beef and cook, breaking up large clumps of meat with a wooden spoon, until it is no longer pink.  Stir in the onion, jalameno, and 1 t salt and cook until softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes.  Stir in the chili powder, garlic, tomato paste, oregano, cumin, and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

2.  Stir in the diced tomatoes with their juices, scraping up any browned bits.  Off the heat, stir in the black beans, corn, cheese, cilantro, and lime juice and season with salt and pepper to tasste.

3.  Transfer the beef mixture to a greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish.  Spread the cornmeal topping evenly over the filling, pushing it to the edges of the baking dish.

4.  To store:  wrap the dish tightly with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with vegetable oil spray and then foil and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 month.

5.  To serve:  adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees.  Unwrap the dish.  If refrigerated, bake, uncovered, until the filling is bubbly and the crust is baked through and golden, 50 to 60 minutes.  If frozen, unwrap the dish and let the casserole sit at room temperature for 30 minutes while the oven heats, then cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for about 30 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake until the filling is bubbly and the crust is baked through and golden, 50 to 60 minutes longer.

To serve right away:  bake, uncovered, as directed in step 5, reducing the baking time to 45 minutes.

* I was surprised to learn that I have a reaction to cutting up the jalapeno.  It kind of hurts my throat and makes me cough.  I buy packs of 100 rubber gloves (throw away kind, but I reuse them) and always wear them when I mince a jalapeno.  Then wash your hands with the gloves on before you reuse them.  I once made the mistake of not doing this, and I touched my eye with an unwashed finger and it stung badly for a long time.

** I always buzz my tomatoes in the food processor before adding them to a dish.  I don't totally puree them, but almost do.  I don't like big chunks of tomato in things, and I've found that even the petite diced are too big of pieces for my taste.

*** I hate cilantro and never use it.  Sometimes I substitute fresh or dried parsley in a smaller amount.

**** I always try to have that frozen lemon juice in my freezer, and I just use that in place of lime.

Homemade Cornbread topping

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup yellow cornmeal

6 T sugar

2 t baking powder

3/4 t salt

1/4 t baking soda

1 C buttermilk

8 T (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 large eggs

1.  Whisk the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda together in a large bowl.

2.  In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk, butter, and eggs together.  Stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture until uniform.  Use as directed in Beef Tamale Pie.

-Mom

Cornbread

Cornbread from Joan Wright

Mix:  2/3 cup sugar

        1/2 cup butter

add:  2 eggs

Mix and add to first mixture:  1 cup flour

                                          1 cup cornmeal

                                          1/2 tsp salt

(actually, I don't mix that.  I just dump it all in the food processor.)

add:  1 cup buttermilk mixed with 1/2 tsp baking soda (be sure to mix it well and really scrape the inside of the measuring cup to get it all out.  Actually, I don't know if you really have to mix those things or not, but the recipe says to so I do.)

Pour into greased 9" square pan and bake 30-40 minutes at 375.  (When I'm serving a lot of people, I double the recipe and bake it in a 9 x 13" pan.)

-Mom