Corn Cakes with Avocado Salsa

One of the reasons I love summer so much is because the best fruits and veggies are in season. I'm serving these with steaks tonight as a change from the traditional baked potato. These would also be great for a light lunch as well.

Serves 8-12

4 cups fresh or frozen and thawed corn kernels
1 cup flour
1/2 cup corn meal
1/4 cup minced red onion
1/4 thinly sliced fresh basil
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 large eggs lightly beaten
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
salt and pepper to taste
canola oil for cooking
avocado salsa-below

Preheat the oven to 200. Line a rimmed baking sheet with paper towel and set aside. In the bowl of a food processor, place 2 cups of the corn kernels and pulse until you have a chunky paste. Pour into a large bowl and add the remaining corn kernels, flour, corn meal, onion, basil, baking powder and baking soda, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Add the eggs, buttermilk and melted butter or margarine and stir until ingredients are just combined. Do not overmix. Heat a non stick griddle or large skillet over medium heat. Pour a small amount of oil on the bottom and spread around. Using an ice-cream scoop, place scoops of batter onto the griddle or pan. Flatten the batter our into a pancake. Cook 2-3 minutes on each side or until both sides are brown and crispy. Place finished cakes onto the baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm. Continue making corn cakes until all the batter is used.

3 ripe avocados
1/4 cup red onion
1 pint cherry tomatoes
juice of 1 lemon
1 clove garlic
salt and pepper
couple dashes of tabasco sauce-optional

Cut the avocados in half and remove the pit. With a sharp knife, score each half into squares. Using a spoon scoop the flesh out of its skin and place in a medium bowl. Place the cherry tomatoes, the onion and the garlic in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until chunky. Add that to the avocados. Season with salt and pepper, lemon juice and tabasco. Stir to combine. Spoon some of the salsa over each serving of corn cakes.

Artichoke Chicken

Here's a meal in which the oven does most of the work for you. Just throw everything into a baking dish and let it go.

Serves 6-8
3 1/2 - 4 pounds of chicken thighs with the bone in and skin removed
2 8oz boxes of frozen artichoke hearts
1 onion, diced
1 pound of mushrooms, stems removed and halved
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1/4 red wine vinegar
1/4 cup red wine
1/4 teaspoon each of dried basil, thyme and tarragon
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350. Spray a large baking dish with cooking spray. Place the chicken thighs in a single layer on the bottom of the dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the mushrooms onion, and artichokes hearts into a bowl and toss them with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Pour the veggies over the chicken. In the empty bowl mix together the wine, vinegar, 1/4 olive oil, basil, thyme, tarragon, garlic and mustard. Pour that over the chicken and veggies. Wedge the bay leaf down under the veggies in the center. Place in the oven and bake for 60 to 75 minutes. Turn the veggies over half way through cooking process.

Green Bean Salad

Green Beans are coming into season. The combination of the green beans, cherry tomatoes and red onion makes for a bright and cherry side dish. If your onion has a bite to it, soak it in the vinegar for 15 minutes before assembling the rest of the salad. I usually just throw my onions into the bottom of the salad bowl and pour the amount of vinegar I need over the top.

Serves 4
3/4 of a pound of green beans with the ends cut off
1/4 cup of diced red onion
1/2 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon of your favorite mustard, I like dijon
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste.

Fill a medium sized sauce pan half way with water and bring it to a boil. Add enough salt to season the water and pour in the beans. Let them cook for 5 minutes. Drain off the beans and put them in a large bowl that is partially filled with ice and water. This will shock the beans and stop the cooking process. Add the beans to a salad bowl along with the onion and tomatoes. In a small bowl mix together the oil,vinegar, mustard salt and pepper. Pour over all and toss. Serve.

Mediterranean Shrimp

Shrimp is perfect for a light dinner or lunch. Combined with tomatoes, fennel and feta cheese it makes for a figure friendly meal as well. I like to serve this with my watermelon salad and crusty bread.

Serves 6

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 large fennel bulbs cut into slices
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 14 oz cans of diced fire-roasted tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste
2 pounds of shrimp, peeled with tails on
6 ounces crumbled feta cheese
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsle

y
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 lemons cut into quarters

Preheat the oven to 400. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 12" ovenproof skillet. Add the fennel and lower heat to medium. Saute the fennel until soft and just beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, salt and pepper, and the oregano, cook 1 minute more. Add the wine and deglaze the pan. Let the wine reduce for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the tomato paste. Turn the heat to medium/low and let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes. Place the bread crumbs, parsley and lemon zest in a bowl. Pour the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over them and stir to combine. Remove the skillet from the heat. Lay the shrimp in a single layer over the tomatoes, follow with the feta over the shrimp and finish with the bread crumbs over all. Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.

Watermelon and Arugula Salad

Watermelon is a nice addition to a salad and so refreshing.

Serves 6

1/2 pound baby arugula leaves
2 pounds watermelon cubes
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1 large lemon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Place the arugula, watermelon and cheese in a large salad bowl. Whisk together in a bowl the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Pour over the items in the bowl. Toss and serve.

Back in the Day Carrot Salad

My mom used to make carrot salad a lot when I was a kid. But like all things, carrot salad seems to have seen its day. I'm resurrecting it today. Carrot salad couldn't be easier to make with the help of shredded carrots found in the produce section. Plus, kids love carrots and will enjoy this.

Serves 4-5

1 8oz bag of shredded carrots
1 15oz can of pineapple chunks, drained
1/3 cup of golden raisins
1/2 cup of toasted whole peacans, chopped
1/2 cup fat free greek yogurt
1/2 cup light mayp
3 tablespoons honey
juice of half a lemon

Place all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well until combined. Chill and serve

Kensington Memorial Day Parade 2012

Boy, word must have gotten out this year. Attendance was about double of last year and the parade had the most participants we've ever seen! Participants ranged from local politicians to area elementary schools. If you had an old car, cute baby,are associated with a local business or club and wore a goofy costume you were in. It sure was fun and the kids had a great time. Can't wait for next year.

Here's the start of the parade

Waiting for parade to go by!

This year the parade honored the community trash patrol. They keep our community looking great.

San Diego's Mayor and Kensington resident-Jerry Sanders

Francis Parker Elementary School brings a little New Orleans to Kensington

My alma mater! I attended as a student and began my teaching career here.

Neighbors manning their float entitled-Once Upon A Time

The Model A Club

Surf's Up- Woody's from Pacific Beach

Em leads the pack

Salted Caramel Ice-Cream

Ice-cream has to be my guilty pleasure. In the summer we like to go walking in Coronado in the evenings. It just so happens that our route takes us by Moo Time, Coronado's ice-cream shop. They have some of the best ice-cream in San Diego. Makes you wonder, are we really trying to be healthy or is this just an excuse to mack out on ice-cream??? I suspect it's the later.

Serves 5 Yeild-about 4 cups

Ice-Cream Base
1 cup whole milk
4 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream

Prepare and ice-bath by setting a 2 quart bowl over a larger bowl partially filled with ice and water. Set a strainer over the smaller bowl.Heat the milk in a sauce pan over medium-low heat.In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until pale yellow in color. Gradually pour the hot milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Pour the mixture back into the same saucepan you used to warm the milk. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Strain the custard into the top bowl of the ice-bath to stop the cooking process. Add the heavy cream and stir over the ice bath until cool. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the frig.

Caramel

1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Heat the sugar in a dry heavy bottomed saucepan over medium/high heat, stirring with a fork to heat the sugar evenly, until it starts to melt. Stop stirring and swirl the pan so the sugar melts. Continue cooking until it is a dark amber color. Carefully add the heavy cream (the mixture will splatter) and cook,stirring until all the caramel has dissolved. Transfer to a heat proof bowl and stir in the sea salt and the vanilla. Set the caramel mixture over the ice-bath, until chilled to room temp. Combine the caramel with the ice-cream base and return to the frig over night. Freeze in an ice-cream machine according to manufacturer's instructions.

Gooey Chocolate Caramel Bars

My cousin's son graduated from high school on Friday and we're celebrating today. I like to add a personal touch to gifts when I can so I thought a plate of these would be a nice accompaniment to the traditional card and gift card. These are super easy to make and taste like they came from a professional bakery. They really should be illegal but so glad they're not!

Flourless Chocolate Cake

(makes one 9″ round cake, or 9×13″ bars
1 11.5 ounces bag of bittersweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
6 large eggs at room temperature, separated
12 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch-diameter springform pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper or waxed paper; spray paper. Wrap outside of pan with foil. Alternately, line 9×13″ pan with foil or parchment and spray with nonstick spray. Melt chocolate and butter in microwave-safe bowl until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Cool to lukewarm, stirring often.
Using electric mixer with whisk attachment, beat egg yolks and 6 tablespoons sugar in large bowl until mixture is very thick and pale, about 3 minutes. Fold yolk mixture into lukewarm chocolate, and stir in vanilla. Clean the mixer bowl and beaters. Beat egg whites in the clean bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 6 tablespoons sugar, beating until glossy medium-firm peaks form. Fold whites into chocolate mixture in 3 additions. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake cake until top is puffed and cracked and tester inserted into center comes out with some moist crumbs attached, about 25 minutes for 9×13 and 40 minutes for 9″ pan. Cool cake in pan on rack (cake will fall).
Gently press down crusty top to make evenly thick cake, or trim the top so that it is even. If making round cake, cut around pan sides to loosen cake. Remove pan sides. Place 9-inch-diameter tart pan bottom or cardboard round atop cake. Invert cake onto tart pan bottom. Peel off parchment paper. If making bars, leave the cake in the pan.

Caramel Layer

1 pound soft and chewy caramels
1/4 cup heavy cream (or less–I might only use 2 tbsp next time)
Melt the caramels and the cream in a microwave-safe bowl and stir until it is melted and smooth. Pour the caramel over the cake and spread it into a smooth, even layer.

Ganache Layer
1 11oz bag of dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream
Place chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Place the cream in a small saucepan and heat it until it simmers with small bubbles forming around the edges. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and allow it to sit and melt the chocolate for one minute. Gently whisk the cream and chocolate until the mixture is smooth and homogenous. Pour the ganache over the caramel layer and smooth it into an even layer. Place the bars in the refrigerator to set the caramel and ganache, about 3 hours or overnight.
To serve, use the foil to lift the bars out of the pan. Dip a large knife in hot water (this is the easiest way to get clean cuts) and cut the bars into small squares, dipping and wiping the knife blade as necessary. These bars are decadent and very rich, so you can easily get 20, 24 or even 28 squares out of one 9×13 pan. They taste best at room temperature, but don’t let them get too warm or the caramel will become messy.

My New Menu Board

One of the pitfalls of recovering from knee surgery is that cabin fever sets in fairly quickly. I am so used to having an full to overflowing plate that I just don't know what to do with myself most days. I found some great crafts and DIY projects on Pintrest and decided to get crafting. Since I can't drive right now I am left to drag my son along with me to the craft store. Nothing strikes terror in the heart of a male more than having to take a woman shopping. I'm afraid I've lost Chris to the dark side. Our niece is getting married in August and I wanted to give her a unique gift along with the standard place setting. I've made my own first to see what works best and here's how mine went together.

1 16x20 framed cork board
1 cardboard box with a lid
7 large spring clothespins
Scrapbook paper(I used paper from the Heidi Grace Line. These come from the Tweet Memories designs
2 packages of coordinating sticker trims.
1 black sharpie marker
off white satin finish interior paint
plaster of paris
water
paint brush
ruler
pencil
scissors
glue(I think a spray adhesive works best)
glue gun

I made chalk paint out of the paint, plaster or paris and water.
1 cup paint
3 tablespoons plaster of paris
2 tablespoons water
Mix the plaster of paris and water into a smooth paste and add it to the paint.
Chalk paint will adhere to any wood surface and you won't have to sand or prime the wood first. Paint the frame. I used 3 coats and allowed it to dry completely. Choose your paper colors for the inside.
I divided my board like this
8 inches for the top
2 inches for the strip in the middle
12 inches for the bottom
I needed to piece the patterns using 2 sheets of each color as the paper was 12x12. I needed an extra 4 inches to make it across.
Once I had the pieces cut, I laid them out to see if I liked the layout before I glued them down.
I then used the sticker borders to conceal the edges and give the center a more finished look.
I also used the stickers to decorate the flat side of the clothespins. This was faster and neater than painting. I used the sharpie to write a day of the week on each pin.
I spaced them out on the my board and then I glued each one to the wood frame and the board itself with my glue gun.
I cut the box in half and discarded the lid. I measured and cut another paper to fit the box and then wrapped and glued it to the box. I did the sides first, cutting enough paper to extend halfway across the bottom of the box, folded and glued. Then I did the front also cutting enough to be folded and glued to the bottom of the box. I then finished the edge with more of my sticker trims around the sides and front of the box. I used my glue gun to put glue along the cut edges that I glued to my board to secure it.
Finally, I chose a font I liked from my computer and printed out the words-Menus and Let's eat!. I then free handed the words onto the board with a pencil and ruler.

I went over the letters with my black sharpie.

My last task is to print out my recipes onto cards and store them in the boxes. To plan meals, I can pull the recipes I want to use and then clip the recipe card to the clip that indicates the day I will make that recipe.

Sour Cream,Buttermilk Pound Cake

I have this great idea for a Memorial Day dessert. I'm going to cut star shapes out of pound cake and then assemble it on the plate with fresh strawberries, blueberries and whipped cream. It should look very festive. I haven't decided yet if I will be sandwiching the berries between 2 stars or just use one per plate. I guess it will depend on how many stars I will be able to cut out. I couldn't decide on a sour cream or buttermilk pound cake. So I thought why not use both? I have an extra long loaf pan for mine. However,you can either fit this into a bundt pan or 1 loaf pan and 1 mini loaf pan.

2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
3 cups sugar

6 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups all purpose flour
zest of 1 large orange
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 325. Spray your baking pan with baking spray. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and soda together;set aside. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, whip the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time. Add the zest and the vanilla. Add half of the flour to the bowl. Follow with the sour cream and the buttermilk. Finish with the remaining flour. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 90 minutes. Do not open the oven for the first 60 minutes. When the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, it is done. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Remove from pan onto a cooling rack and let it cool completely. To form into stars. Cut the cake into 3/4 inch slices. Use a cookie cutter to cut the shapes. Save the trimmings to make a small trifle or cake crumbs for another dish.

Green Chili, Chicken and Rice Casserole

This is my take on a popular New Mexico dish. I add brown rice instead of tortillas and made a creamy green chili sauce to go over all. I've found yet another way to turn the humble boneless, skinless chicken breast into a mouth-watering dish.

Serves 6-8

2 cups cooked rice
4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1 onion,diced
3 cloves garlic,minced
1 15 oz can of fire-roasted green chilies,drained & roughly diced
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup light sour cream
1 cup green chili enchilada sauce
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 cups shredded jack cheese

In a medium sauce pot, melt the butter. Add the flour and whisk until combined into a paste. Let it cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and the enchilada sauce. Cook until thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste. Whisk in the sour cream and set aside, off of the heat. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium/high heat. Add the onion, garlic,green chilies and chicken. Cook until the chicken all are cooked through and most of the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt, pepper and cumin. Combine the chicken mixture with the rice and half of the sauce. Pour into a baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Pour the remaining sauce over the top and top with the cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.