Black Bean Salad

Black Bean Salad


INGREDIENTS FOR THE DRESSING:


2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3 to 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper


INGREDIENTS FOR THE SALAD:

2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, drained and rinsed
kernels of 3 ears cooked corn*
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 small red onion, chopped
1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and chopped
2 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
2 fresh jalapenos, seeded and minced


* May substitute a 10-ounce package of frozen corn, cooked and drained.


TO PREPARE:

Whisk olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, salt, and pepper until combined. Set aside.
Combine black beans, corn, cilantro, onion, avocado, tomatoes, and jalapenos in a large serving bowl. Toss salad gently to mix. Pour dressing over salad and toss gently to coat.

Southern Biscuits

Southern Biscuits

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shortening
2/3 cup sweet milk


TO PREPARE:

Sift dry ingredients into mixing bowl. Measure shortening and cut into flour mixture with pastry blender, two knives or blending fork, until mixture looks like "meal." Stir in almost all the milk. If dough does not seem pliable, add the remaining milk. Use enough milk to make a soft, puffy dough, easy to roll out. Knead (fold dough over and press lightly with heel of hand about six times) on a lightly floured board (as lightly floured as you would powder your face). Too much handling makes tough biscuits. Roll or pat out 1/4-inch thick for thin crusty biscuits and 1/2-inch for thick soft biscuits. Cut and place on ungreased cookie sheet, close together for biscuits with soft sides, an inch apart for biscuits with crusty sides. Bake 10 to 12 minutes at 450 degrees.
Triple this recipe when making biscuits for your freezer. For freezing, bake about 8 minutes at 450 degrees (do not brown). Cool, freeze on cookie sheet and then put in bags. To use, defrost and bake at 450 degrees until brown.


YIELDS: About 20 Two-inch Biscuits

Mushroom and Ricotta Cheese Pate

Mushroom and Ricotta Cheese Pate


INGREDIENTS:

1 pound mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 cup toasted pecans
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
1/4 cup unsalted butter or margarine
1/2 cup minced shallots
1 cup freshly toasted bread crumbs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
3 sprigs of fresh oregano
1 teaspoon salt
Cayenne to taste


TO PREPARE:

* Butter an 8-cup loaf pan and line with waxed paper or parchment paper.

* Process the mushrooms, celery, pecans, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese and parsley in a food processor until a coarse mixture forms.

* Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots.

* Saute the shallots until pale. Add the mushroom mixture, breadcrumbs, basil, oregano, salt and cayenne; mix well. Pack the mixture into the prepared pan. Cover with additional buttered waxed paper.

* Bake at 400 degrees for 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until tester comes out clean. Let stand until cool. Invert onto a serving platter.


NOTE: Pate is best served cool, but not cold.

Mediterranean Potato Salad

Mediterranean Potato Salad



INGREDIENTS:

2 cups green beans (1/2 pound)
5 cups red potatoes (10 medium), cubed
1 (2-1/4 ounce) can black olives, sliced
1/3 cup capers, drained
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
2 to 3 teaspoons freshly-ground pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice or balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil


TO PREPARE:

Clean beans, snap off ends and break into 1-inch pieces. In a saucepan over high heat, blanch beans for 5 minutes, until bright green. Drain, rinse under cold water and set aside.

In a large stockpot over high heat, boil potatoes in lightly salted water for 10 to 15 minutes until tender (do not peel). Cool and cut into cubes.

In a large bowl, combine beans, potatoes, olives, capers, parsley, dill, pepper, salt, lemon juice and olive oil and toss. Chill for at least 2 hours. Remove from refrigerator 1/2 hour before serving to allow the flavors to blend.

Butterscotch Pumpkin Muffins

Butterscotch Pumpkin Muffins



INGREDIENTS:

1-3/4 cups flour, sifted
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground mace
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted (optional)


TO PREPARE:

In a large bowl, mix flour, sugars, ginger, mace, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Create a well in the middle of the mixture.

In another bowl, whisk together eggs, pumpkin and butter. Stir in butterscotch chips and pecans and pour into the well of dry ingredients. Fold together just until dry ingredients are moistened. Do not overmix.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spoon batter evenly into greased muffin tins. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean. Place on a rack to cool.

YIELDS: 18 muffins

Salmon Pillows with Basil Cream Sauce

Salmon Pillows with Basil Cream Sauce


INGREDIENTS FOR BASIL CREAM SAUCE:

1 cup fresh basil, loosely packed
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon pine nuts
2 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 cup half and half
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
4 ounces Romano cheese, freshly grated (1 cup)


INGREDIENTS FOR SALMON PILLOWS:

6 ounces smoked salmon, sliced
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
cornstarch
24 won ton wrappers
1 large egg white, beaten
________

chopped red onion
chopped tomatoes
capers


TO PREPARE THE BASIL CREAM SAUCE:

Process basil, olive oil, pine nuts, garlic, and white pepper in a food processor until basil is finely chopped. Combine half and half and whipping cream in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, but do not boil. Whisk in basil mixture and Romano. Heat until cheese melts. Keep warm.


TO PREPARE THE SALMON PILLOWS:

Process salmon, cream cheese, lemon juice, and white pepper in a food processor. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper and lightly sprinkle with cornstarch. Place 1 rounded teaspoon of salmon mixture in the center of a won ton wrapper. Place on prepared baking sheet and fold in half diagonally, pressing edges to release any air. Brush and seal edges with egg white. Repeat with remaining won tons. Cook in batches in a large pot of boiling water, about 3 minutes. Transfer to serving plate. Top with sauce and garnish with red onion, tomatoes, and capers.

Shrimp Tomato Aspic

Shrimp Tomato Aspic


INGREDIENTS:

1-1/2 envelopes of gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
2 cups tomato juice
1 bay leaf
1 rib celery
1/4 onion
Salt and pepper to taste
Lemon juice to taste
Worcestershire to taste
Dash of hot sauce
1 tablespoon minced parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
2 grated carrots
1-1/2 cups shrimp (cut in pieces)
Hard cooked eggs, sliced


TO PREPARE:

Dissolve gelatin in cold water. Bring to boil and simmer slowly for 5 minutes the tomato juice, bay leaf, rib of celery and onion. Remove onion, bay leaf and celery and add dissolved gelatin. Mix well. Add salt, pepper, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and tabasco. Add minced parsley, chopped celery, carrots and shrimp. Pour a small portion into a large mold or individual molds and arrange slices of hard cooked eggs in bottom. Allow to jell. Then pour on rest. Place in refrigerator until firm. Turn out on lettuce leaves and top with mayonnaise.

Crazy Monkey Bread

Crazy Monkey Bread


INGREDIENTS:

1 cup sugar
1-1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/4 cup melted butter or margarine
1 medium banana, mashed
1-1/2 cups chopped peeled fresh fruit
1 cup chopped pecans

TO PREPARE:

* Combine the sugar, flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a bowl; mix well. Add the egg and butter, stirring just until moistened. Fold in the banana, fresh fruit and pecans.

* Spoon into two 5x9-inch loaf pans sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

* Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until the loaves test done.

* Cool in the pans for 15 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

NOTE: Any combination of ripe, non-citrus fresh fruit may be used. Try one of these combinations: 1 Granny Smith apple and 2 pears; 1 banana and 2 to 3 plums; 1 peach, 1 apple and 1 pear. Extremely juicy fruit should be drained.

Blueberry-Yogurt Muffins

Blueberry-Yogurt Muffins



INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup butter (1/2 cube), room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup whole-wheat flour
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen, thawed and drained


TO PREPARE:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line muffin tins with paper cups.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. Add flour, baking power and salt alternately with milk and yogurt. Do not over mix. Carefully fold in blueberries.

Spoon into paper-lined muffin tin. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes.

Shrimp in Dijon Vinaigrette

Shrimp in Dijon Vinaigrette



INGREDIENTS:

3 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
1/2 cup tarragon vinegar
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup olive oil
8 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 teaspoons red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice


TO PREPARE:

Cook shrimp in boiling salted water until pink. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over warm shrimp. Toss well so that every shrimp is coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 to 10 hours (overnight is best). Drain excess sauce from shrimp before serving. Serve in a large bowl lined with lettuce and kale

Chevre-Filled Mushrooms

Chevre-Filled Mushrooms


INGREDIENTS:

24 large fresh mushrooms, caps reserved, stems minced
1/3 cup unsalted butter
2 teaspoons minced onion
3/4 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
3 ounces chevre, crumbled (3/4 cup)
2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled (1/2 cup)
unsalted butter, melted

TO PREPARE:

Place mushroom caps, hollow side up, in a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Set aside.
Melt butter in a medium skillet. Add minced stems and onion. Saute over medium heat until soft. Remove from heat and add bread crumbs, parsley, lemon juice, and salt. Mix well, then cool to room temperature. Stir in cheeses until combined.
Preheat over to 450 degrees. Spoon cheese mixture into mushroom caps. Brush with melted butter. Bake 5 to 7 minutes until lightly browned.