Another Favorite This Summer

Another favorite for me this summer was strawberries.  I am a huge strawberry fan and this year they seemed to be superior (I am eating some right now).  

A few weeks ago, we had dinner plans in the evening with friends.  I had an abundance of strawberries so I thought instead of wine it would be fun to bring something unexpected for dessert.  I looked online to see what I could make with the ingredients I had and when I found this recipe, I knew in an instant that was what it was going to be.   

Cupcakes seem to be the in thing right now and while I do enjoy them, I still prefer a regular piece of cake.  But cupcakes are cute, fun and more informal than cake, so they are the perfect thing to bring to a casual affair.  I will post the recipe as it is written, but I did make changes to the icing.  I could not fathom using 2 full sticks of butter, so I started with 1/2 stick and added more as I went along until it was to my liking.  Overall, I  probably used 1 stick total for the icing.  They were so good and easy to make, I made them a week later for another event!

Sprinkles Strawberry Cupcakes
Makes 1 dozen

Cake:
2/3 cup whole fresh or frozen strawberries, thawed
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
2 large egg whites, room temperature

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners; set aside.
2.  Place strawberries in a small food processor; process until pureed. You should have about  1/3 cup of puree, add a few more strawberries if necessary or save any extra puree for frosting; set aside.
3.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a small bowl, mix together milk, vanilla, and strawberry puree; set aside.
4.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until just blended.
5.  With the mixer on low, slowly add half the flour mixture; mix until just blended. Add the milk mixture; mix until just blended. Slowly add remaining flour mixture, scraping down sides of the bowl with a spatula, as necessary, until just blended.
6.  Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Transfer muffin tin to oven and bake until tops are just dry to the touch, 22 to 25 minutes. Transfer muffin tin to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool completely in tin before icing.

Icing:
1/2 cup whole frozen strawberries, thawed
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, firm and slightly cold
Pinch of coarse salt
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1.  Place strawberries in the bowl of a small food processor; process until pureed. 
2.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce mixer speed and slowly add confectioners' sugar; beat until well combined.
3.  Add vanilla and 3 tablespoons strawberry puree (save any remaining strawberry puree for another use); mix until just blended. Do not overmix or frosting will incorporate too much air. Frosting consistency should be dense and creamy, like ice cream.   

Corn and Chick Pea Salad

Hello, there!  It's been quite a while since I have posted.  August came and went so quickly, I just didn't have enough time to post much.  Hopefully, this will not be the case this fall.

My first entry of September will highlight the delicious corn I have been eating this summer.  It's bicolor corn from a farm in NY and it has been spectacular.  I have been buying a surplus every week and then making this salad with the leftovers.  Try it out while the corn is still good!

Corn and Chick Pea Salad

2-3 ears corn that have been boiled a few minutes

1 can chick peas, drained

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

2-3 scallions, diced

salt and pepper

few splashes each of olive oil and red wine vinegar

Carefully cut corn off ears.  Place all ingredients in a bowl.  Mix well and chill for an hour or so (to incorporate flavors).  When serving, garnish with avocado and/or feta cheese if desired.

Peanut Butter Cereal Treats

Want to feel like a kid again?  Make these!  They are so simple and yummy. 

Peanut Butter Rice Cereal Treats

7-8 oz marshmallow fluff

half a stick of salted butter

1/2 cup peanut butter

5 cups rice cereal
chocolate chips
a drop of vegetable oil

Melt butter, fluff and peanut butter in a pot over medium heat stirring constantly.  Once melted, add cereal and mix in well.
Put mixture into 9x13 pan and press down to flatten.  When cooled, cut into squares.
These are good just like this, but chocolate makes them even better!
Melt chocolate chips and oil in microwave.  Dip each square into the chocolate and put on cooling rack to harden.  To harden faster, place rack in fridge.

Swordfish Kabobs

This summer, we have tried to make the most of our backyard and use of the grill.  It's not so easy when you share a backyard with others and the grill is not right outside your back door.  But with simple planning, we have been able to pull it off several times so far and it has been quite enjoyable! Our last al fresco dining experience included swordfish kabobs with pesto potatoes and coleslaw. Swordfish on the grill might be one of the easiest and delicious ways to prepare fish of any kind.  Here is how it's done:

Swordfish Kabobs

Rinse and pat dry swordfish steak(s).  Cut into 1 inch cubes.  Place in bowl with a little olive oil, salt, pepper, a dash of white wine (if you have) and any fresh herbs you have on hand (optional).  Toss to coat fish.
Cut up any veggies you like - zucchini, mushrooms, peppers, onions, cherry tomatoes all work well - and in a separate bowl, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Spear fish and veggies onto kabobs (if using wooden spears, please make sure you soak them in water for an hour or so).  

Once grill is hot, place on grill and let them cook for a few minutes.  Turn over and cook another 3 minutes or so.  The fish should cook pretty quickly since it is cut up.  Enjoy!

A Perfect Pantry Meal - Penne Alla Vodka

Since we were away this weekend, I did not have a fresh supply of groceries on hand for Sunday dinner.  This resulted in one of my favorite dishes on the planet - Penne Alla Vodka.  

The recipe I use is based on the version in the Williams-Sonoma Pasta Cookbook.  It is absolutely delicious, super easy to make and surprisingly light.  The best part may be that all the ingredients in this dish are probably things you already have on hand. 

Penne Alla Vodka
adapted from Williams-Sonoma

serves 2-3

8 oz penne

2 tablespoons olive oil

1-2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1/4 cup vodka

couple shakes of red pepper flakes

1 can diced tomatoes

salt and pepper

1/4 cup heavy cream

handful of fresh parsley, coarsely chopped

parmesan cheese to garnish

In a large pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic and sauté until just starting to turn golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the stovetop and add the vodka. Return the pan to medium heat and cook until reduced by half. Add the tomatoes, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Generously salt the boiling water, add the pasta and cook until al dente (tender but firm to the bite), 10 to 12 minutes. Drain well and add the pasta to the pan.

Add the cream and cook, stirring, over medium heat until the pasta is well coated with the sauce, about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Add the parsley and combine. Garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Roasted Shrimp Salad

We are having quite a warm summer.  I am not complaining - I actually don't mind the heat.  But when the temperature is in the upper 90's for several days straight, I am usually not in the mood for a hot meal.
  
I saw Ina Garten make this the other day on her show.  I have made her roasted shrimp cocktail and have always gotten rave reviews, so I figured using the shrimp in a salad would be a great idea.  I only had a pound of shrimp, so I pretty much halved her original recipe.  Please don't leave out the orange zest and juice in the recipe; it really was great with the shrimp! 
Roasted Shrimp Salad
adapted from Ina Garten
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
olive oil
kosher salt & pepper
1/2 cup mayo  
zest of 1 orange
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
splash of white wine vinegar
handful of minced dill
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1 tablespoon diced red onion

Preheat oven to 400F.

Place shrimp on sheet pan lined with foil and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. 
Roast for 5-8 minutes just until shrimp are pink and firm.  Allow to cool 3 minutes. 
Because I was planning to serve this on rolls, at this point I cut each shrimp in half. 
Combine all remaining ingredients and when shrimp are cool, add shrimp to sauce and mix well.  Season with more salt and pepper if needed.  Chill if not serving immediately.

Black Bean Burgers

I love trying new recipes for veggie burgers.  Recently, I was in the mood for a Mexican-inspired burger so I found this recipe on Epicurious for black bean burgers and gave them a shot.   They are very good and hold up well on the grill, which to me is the best part!  Top with traditional fixins or like I did: with guacamole, jack cheese, jalapenos and fresh salsa.  Mmmmm...

Black Bean Burgers
adapted from Epicurious
2 (14-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained, divided
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/3 cup plain dry bread crumbs
1 (4-ounce) can green chilis
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro

Pulse 1 can beans in a food processor with mayonnaise, bread crumbs, chilis, cumin, oregano, and cayenne until a coarse purée forms. Transfer to a bowl and stir in cilantro and remaining can beans. Add more bread crumbs if mixture is too wet.  Form into 4-5 patties.  Refrigerate before grilling; this will help to solidify the patties so that hey hold up on the grill.  When grilling, patties do not have to be in direct heat - just enough to heat through.
May freeze any unused patties for later use.