Strawberry Lemonade Cake Makes the Party

After 42 years teaching orchestra I thought my husband deserved something special.  So we invited his colleagues over for a retirement dinner and this Strawberry Lemonade Cake was a hit!  It was the grand finale I was hoping for.  I followed the recipe for the cake which reminded me a lot of a lemon bread I used to make.  It is a dense cake.  The frosting was a little too sweet for me, so I added softened cream cheese to the mix and liked it much better.

 Fresh strawberries are sandwiched in between layers.  The cream cheese gave the filling body and substance. The pink color comes from blending in chopped berries into the frosting.

Spice Cake with Apple Compote and Vanilla Anglaise

This combination sounded so good the other day.  My little experiment proved a success, so I thought I'd share the recipe.  I'll admit the flavors lend themselves to a blustery Autumn day, but that's good imagery for me since we've been having such a hot and humid and thunderstorm filled May.

 Spice Cake
1 spice cake mix (what ever your favorite brand will do)
Bake according to the box directions.

Apple Compote
4 flavorful apples, peeled and chopped into 1/2" pieces (I believe I used Gala or Jazz)
3 TBSP butter
1 to 2 TBSP TBSP dark brown sugar (depending on how sweet you like things)
1 to 2 TBSP water
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla

Melt butter in a small sauce pan.  Add apple pieces, sugar, water, cinnamon & vanilla.  Give it a good stir.  Over medium heat, bring to barely a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer with the lid on, stirring occasionally, until apples are soft (about 15 minutes).  Remove lid and continue to simmer until the liquid thickens and you can mash the apples with a fork (about 20 minutes).  Set aside until ready to serve.

Vanilla Creme Anglaise
 4 egg yolks
1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar (depending on how sweet you like things)
1 cup good heavy cream
2 tsp vanilla

Heat cream and vanilla in a small sauce pan until just barely simmering.  In the meantime, whisk egg yolks and sugar in a small bowl until smooth.  Temper eggs by slowly adding 1/2 cup of hot cream to the yolk mixture, whisking constantly.  Slowly pour the warm egg mixture into the sauce pan with the remaining cream, whisking constantly.  Whisk and cook until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.  Remove from heat and strain through a fine strainer to get rid of any curdled eggs.  Set aside until ready to serve.

Spoon anglais over cake, top with apple compote.  Best served warm!

Ginger Jam I Am

I LOVE GINGER JAM!  I know it isn't the most popular taste in America, but I discovered it while living in Australia one year.  One visit to The Ginger Factory and I was hooked!  Price of admission for our visiting Aussie friends is one jar of ginger (pronounced "jin-ja") jam.
                                                  
For years I have fantasized about making ginger jam but recipes were hard to come by.  In fact, I think ginger jam recipes are the very last thing to make it to internet.  Recently I have found some but they all seem to have ingredients like pineapple or jalapeños.  In the meantime, my taste buds have been satisfied by the occasional ginger jam purchase at stores like Marshall's or World Market.  But today was the day I got the courage to try my hand at this amber delight.  After studying other recipes I came up with one of my own.

      Janene's Ginger Jam

1 pound fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

2 medium gala apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped

juice of 2 fresh limes

7 cups of sugar

1 packet Sure Jell Certo, liquid fruit pectin

Combine all ingredients, except the Certo,  in a heavy saucepan.  Heat slowly to melt sugar.  It will form a liquid.  Stir often.  Bring it to a boil and turn down to simmer for 45-60 minutes.  Stir occasionally, scraping sides and bottom of pot.  Because of the natural pectin in the apples, I probably didn't need to add the Certo, but I did just for good measure.  I added it after cooking the fruit.  I brought it to a boil and immediately removed from heat, stirring the Certo thoroughly into the mixture.  Spoon into clean containers, cool and refrigerate.  Jam could also be put into canning jars and processed in a water bath canner.  But I will eat too fast to bother with that!

I like to eat ginger jam on pancakes (piklets), biscuits (scones), toast, ice cream, yogurt and a spoon!

Make-Ahead Breakfast: Steel Cut Oats

Hello, neglected blog.  

Here's a little ramble, so you know you've been on my mind.

I'm not a big breakfast eater.  I generally eat whatever is in the house that does not need any preparation... like cookies or candy or ice cream.  Or, I don't eat breakfast at all. 

I know this is not "healthy" and that breakfast is the "most important meal of the day".

Recently, I started to exercise irregularly and I find that on the days I do exercise, I want to eat healthier. 

Go figure.

Sam's Club had this delicious steel cut oatmeal in their freezer section that I discovered about the time I started irregularly exercising and I really loved it.  It was easy to make and felt healthier than cupcakes.  Steel cut oats aren't as mushy as regular oat meal, of which I'm not a huge fan, but they take a long time to cook from scratch.  

 Then, Sam's discontinued carrying it.  

Darn you Sam W.

So, I decided to try my hand at making my own steel cut oats and freezing them in portioned baggies.

Here's my recipe:

Freezer Steal Cut Oats

Make a very large batch of steel cut oats, following the manufacturer's directions.  (Since steel cut oats take 30-40 minutes to cook, I made a batch using 2 cups of oats and 8 cups of water, which yielded 9 portions.)

Let oats cool in pan for 15 minutes.

Scoop 1 cup portions of oats into Ziplock sandwich bags

Sprinkle 1-2 tsp brown sugar (according to taste)

Drop in a sliced strawberry (you could add raisins, craisins, blueberries, maple syrup or whatever you like on your oatmeal)

Cool completely.  Seal baggy and freeze.

When ready to eat, pop the frozen oatmeal out of the baggy and into a microwave safe bowl.  Microwave for 2- 3 minutes or until hot.  Stir and eat!

Black Bean Dip Recipe

All my best recipes are made by accident! I started out making a pot of black beans for our taco bar at Isaac's graduation open house. Then Lizzie came to help on Saturday night and she asked if I was going to make black bean dip! So I decided to use that pot of beans in the dip. That is how I came to make this version of black bean dip and it was extra good!

3/4 cup chopped sweet onion

1 tsp chopped garlic

2 cans black beans

3/4 cup Pace salsa

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

juice of one lime

salt to taste, about 1 tsp.

Saute the garlic and onion. Combine all ingredients in food processor just enough to mix, 15-20 seconds. Serve with chips. In the past I have made this recipe as Becca taught it to me which is the same except without the sauteed onion and garlic.

Mango Jicama Slaw

                           ++

                                    +=

Hands down, this is the easiest and tastiest thing I've made all summer.  It is really hot here (have I mentioned it's hot?) and I've been packing this salad in our cooler and munching on it poolside whilst my little ones cool off in the tepid mid-June waters.  I think this salad has internal chilling properties which makes it the perfect thing to eat to combat sweating glistening (this is the South-- women glisten) in the sun.  I love how much flavor and texture you get with just four, seasonal ingredients. Four ingredients!  It just doesn't get easier than that!  

Yum, yum!  

Mango Jicama Slaw
1/2 jicama (peeled and julienned)
1 ripe mango (diced)
4-5 teaspoons cilantro (minced)
juice of 1 to 2 limes

Mix the jicama, mango, and cilantro together in a bowl. Add lime juice (to taste).  Toss and serve.

photo source   photo source   photo source   photo source

Cinnamon Rolls

Growing up, Mom would make cinnamon rolls, dinner rolls, and bread all the time.  Do you know how great it is to be raised in a home that almost always smells like rising dough or baking bread?  Somehow, that baking-with-yeast-gene passed me by.   My skills kills yeast.  But, since we've been snowed in off and on for the past couple of weeks, my thoughts turned toward warm, sweet, and homey.  I found this cinnamon roll recipe online that promised to be easy and tasty, so I thought I'd give it a try.  

It was sketchy there for a while when I poured the dissolved yeast into the mixing bowl, I had a quick flash of panic.  Maybe the bowl was too cold.  Maybe I should have warmed up the eggs.  But, the dough pulled through and rose nicely.  Phew!   I am a fan of thick, cream cheesy frosting.  I used  another recipe for frosting that I found online.  The whole thing turned out really delicious.

Next time I make them, I'm going to use a tip from my friend, Holly, who used to work for Cinnabon.  She said they sprinkle cinnamon and brown sugar, instead of white sugar, over the dough right before they roll it up.  Sounds like a good idea to me!

Cinnamon Rolls
Dough

2 packages active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (105-115 degrees F)
2/3 cup sugar + 1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup warmed milk
2/3 cup butter
2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten
7 cups flour, or more if needed

Filling1 cup melted butter, divided
1 3/4 cup sugar, divided (try brown sugar for Cinnabon-like rolls)
3 tablespoons cinnamon

Directions

In a small bowl mix together warm water, yeast and sugar and set aside. In a large bowl, mix milk, remaining 2/3 Cup sugar, melted butter, salt and eggs; stir well and add yeast mixture. Add half the flour and beat until smooth. Stir in enough of the remaining flour until dough is slightly stiff (dough will be sticky). Turn out onto a well-floured board; knead 5-10 minutes. Place in well-buttered glass or plastic bowl, cover and let rise in warm place, free from drafts, until doubled in bulk, about 1-1 1/2 hours. When doubled, punch down dough and let rest 5 min. Roll out on floured surface into a 15x20" rectangle.

Filling: Spread dough with 1/2 Cup melted butter. Mix together 1 1/2 Cup sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over buttered dough. Roll up jellyroll-fashion and pinch edge together to seal. Cut into 12-15 slices. Coat bottom of a 13x9 inch baking pan and a 8 inch square pan with remaining melted butter, then sprinkle with remaining sugar. Place cinnamon roll slices close together in pans. Let rise in warm place until dough is doubled in bulk, about 45 min. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake 25 minutes, or until rolls are golden brown. Cool rolls.

Frosting
1 lb. butter
1 lb. cream cheese
2 lbs. powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Directions
Allow margarine and cream cheese to reach room temperature. Beat cream cheese and margarine together in a bowl with a mixer. Slowly add in all powdered sugar. Once all of the sugar is in the bowl mix for at least an additional 12 minutes.  Add vanilla and beat again until smooth and thick. Enjoy!