Black bean and corn salsa

1 (15 oz) can black beans
1 (15 oz) can corn
3/4 cup finely diced red onion
3/4 cup red or green bell pepper
1 jalapeno, minced (or for spice 2 jalapenos)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature and add a few sprigs of cilantro for garnish.

Carob or Cocoa Pot de Crème

2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup carob or cocoa powder
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
1 teaspoon honey, or more, to taste
5 eggs, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup heavy cream

Heat butter, water, carob, coffee, and honey in the top of a double boiler over boiling water. Stir until smooth, then add egg yolks and mix thoroughly. Add rum, remove from hot water, and cool slightly.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites stiff but not dry. Fold them gently into the carob mixture. Whip cream and fold into the mixture. Pour into small cups. (I used tea cups.) Spoon whipped cream on top of each serving.

Makes about 6 servings, depending on the size of cup. It can be prepared in advance and refrigerated up to 24 hours.

Delicious Broccoli Cheese Wontons

18 wonton skins
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 egg
1 teaspoon flour
3/4 cup chopped cooked broccoli
1/4 cup chopped red peppers, or chopped pimiento, drained
1 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Heat oven to 350. Spray 18 miniature muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray. Brush one side of each won ton skin with butter. Carefully press won ton skins, buttered side up, into sprayed muffin cups. In medium bowl, combine egg and flour; beat with wire whisk until blended. Stir in remaining ingredients; mix well. Spoon mixture into won ton-lined cups.
Bake at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes or until mixture is set and won ton skins are golden brown. Immediately remove from muffin cups. Serve warm. 18 wontons.

Veggie-Stuffed Mushrooms

20 large mushrooms (about 1 pound)
1/2 cup broccoli, finely chopped
1/4 cup carrot, finely chopped
1 tablespoon onion, finely chopped
1 cup seasoned croutons, crushed or bread crumbs
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400. Cut thin slice from stem end of each mushroom; discard. Remove stems. Chop enough stems to equal 1/4 cup. Place in a medium-sized bowl. Place mushroom caps, rounded sides down, into an oven-safe dish. Add chopped broccoli, carrot and onion to bowl. Stir in croutons, cheese, and salt. Add butter. Spoon vegetable mixture evenly into mushroom caps. Bake 15-20 minutes or until tops are lightly golden. Serves 20 mushrooms.

If you like mushrooms, you’ll love this vegetable filled mushrooms. Since these are a favorite of Rebecca and Mom, on special occasions, for a treat will make them up. You can prepare these ahead, (don’t cook them yet), and refrigerate them.

Cream Horns

Making the horns
Cream horns look challenging, but puff pastry makes them super simple. These are formed and baked around foil-wrapped sugar cones, see pic 1. While you work with the puff pastry, be sure to cover the ones you’re not using with a damp paper towel so the strips don’t dry out and crack. Don’t worry about perfection. Just be sure to overlap each strip so there are no gaps, see pics 2 and 3. Pinch the tip of each horn to seal it so the filling won’t leak out.
Coarse turbinado sugar gives the pastry cones some sweetness and texture, see pics 4 and 5. Don’t substitute regular sugar – the fine granules will burn. Makes 8 horns.

Cream Horns

8 sugar cones
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed sliced crosswise into 1/2”-wide strips (1 box)
1 egg
1 teaspoon water
1/2 cup turbinado (raw) sugar
1 recipe Vanilla Bavarian Cream, below
Assorted fresh berries

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Prepare the sugar cones by wrapping each in foil, then coating

with nonstick spray. Slice the puff pastry sheets into thirds, then into 1/2"- wide strips with a pizza wheel. Wind 4 strips of pastry around each cone,

overlapping each strip to prevent gaps. They don’t have to look perfect. Whisk

the egg and water together in small bowl; place the turbinado sugar in a

shallow dish. Brush horns with the egg mixture. Coat the horns gernously for

crunch and flavor. =) Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Bake for minutes or until golden. Cool on a rack for 2 minutes, then gently molds. Cool pastry completely before filling with Bavarian Cream (The can be made up to 2 weeks in advance and they freeze well). Serve horns assorted fresh berries.

Preparing the filling
When making the pastry cream, be sure to add the hot milk to the eggs slowly so they don’t curdle from the heat. As you cook the custard, whisk it often to avoid scorching and lumps. Cool the warm pastry cream completely before folding in the whipped cream. If it is at all warm, the whipped cream will melt, and you’ll end up with Bavarian soup. And don’t over fold – otherwise, the airy texture of the filling will be lost. Fill the pastry horns no more than a couple of hours before serving. If done too soon, the pastry will get soggy. Makes 4 cups.

Vanilla Bavarian Cream

2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 teaspoons salt
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream
2 Tablespoon powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat the milk for the pastry cream in a saucepan over medium until bubbles form around the edge.
Whisk sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in a bowl while milk heats. Add the eggs, whisk until smooth, then whisk in half of the hot milk to “temper” or warm. Return the egg-milk mixture slowly to the remaining milk in the pan; continue cooking over medium, whisking often, until thickened. As the pastry cream cooks, it looks curdled. Whisk until the lumps disappear and cream is glossy. Boil 1 minute to eliminate the starchy taste and thicken further, whisking constantly.
Add the butter and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla, stirring until butter is melted. Transfer pastry cream to a bowl, then place the bowl in an ice water bath to cool. Stir until pastry cream reaches room temperature, about 10 minutes. If not stirred, it’ll be too thick to flod easily with the whipped cream.
Whip the cream, powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla for the whipped cream to medium peaks in a large bowl. Fold whipped cream into the cooled pastry cream just until incorporated; cover and chill at least 30 minutes (can be made up to 2 days in advance). Transfer cream to a piping bag fitted with a star tip; pipe into horns. To free both hands for piping, place the horn in a small glass. It’s easier to control the bag so piping is less messy.

I made these for Father's Day. Everybody liked them. They're REALLY good!! Mmmmm!

Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 sticks of butter (or you can use half a stick of butter, and half a cup of shortening)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 1/4 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream or yogurt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups oats
1 1/2 cups raisins

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, oil, and brown sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the sour cream (or yogurt) and vanilla.
Stir in the oats and raisins, then add the flour mixture, beating after each addition.
Drop the batter by tablespoons onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake the cookies for 14 minutes. They’ll still be light tan; don’t let them brown, or they’ll be crisp instead of chewy!! =) Let them cool on the parchment until lukewarm, then carefully transfer them to a wire rack; they’ll be delicate when warm, then chewy as they cool.
Makes about 5 dozen if no one eats any while you’re making them. If they do, it should make 3 dozen!!! =)

I LOVE these cookies!!! They’re so nice and chewy!!! =) Dad says these are the best oatmeal raisin cookies ever. Considering, Dad doesn’t care for raisins!!

Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls or Loaf Bread

1 1/2 cups hot water
1 cup cold milk (The resulting temperature will be lukewarm, so as not to kill the yeast)
3 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup honey
4 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
6-7 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour
1 Tablespoon salt

Combine water, milk, oil, honey and eggs in a mixing bowl. Add yeast and about 5 cups of the flour. Mix on medium speed until well blended. Add the salt. Continue to mix adding the flour 1/2 cup at a time. Make sure all the flour gets mixed in. When the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl enough flour has been added. Turn the speed to high and allow to knead 10-12 minutes, or until the dough forms a smooth ball. Let rise until double.
After rising, form into 3 loaves or 36 dinner rolls. Place loaves in greased loaf pan. And the dinner rolls on parchment lined cooking sheets. Let rise until at least double in size. Paint with a scrambled egg for a shiny look. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

This is our family’s “famous” yeast bread recipe. They are really delicious. =)

Banana Nut Bread

2 1/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/4 cups mashed ripe banana
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup milk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 cup macadamia nuts (walnuts or pecans can be used in the place of macadamia nuts)

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Combine banana, honey, milk, oil, egg, and vinegar; beat with a wire whisk until blended. Add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Add nuts.
Spoon batter into a greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool completely on wire rack.
Makes 1 loaf.

This is our fabulous banana bread! I like it best with whipped cream cheese for a spread!!!! =) Yummmm!!!!

Maple Almond Muffins

Muffins:

1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 teaspoons almond extract

1 egg, beaten

Filling:

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup finely chopped or ground almonds

6 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix together the flours, baking powder, and salt.

In a separate bowl, mix together the milk, oil, maple syrup, almond extract, and egg.

For the filling, stir together the maple syrup, almonds, 6 tablespoons pastry flour, cinnamon, and melted butter.

Combine dry flour mixture and wet egg mixture and stir just until moist. Put into oiled muffin tins, making 3 layers:

1 tablespoon muffin batter

1 tablesppon almond mixture

1 tablespoon muffin batter (spread obver almond mixture to cover it well)

Bake 20 minutes.

These muffins are Dad's favorites. Since these muffins have a filling, they take a little longer than most muffins but they are worth the extra effort. =) A really good idea is to make a few muffins first to see how they turn out so you know whether to add more muffin batter or almond mixture.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/2 sticks butter
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 large egg
2 1/4 cups flour (whole wheat is better for you but I have to admit the cookies LOOK good with all-purpose =) )
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Beat the butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup together until fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, baking powder, salt, and baking soda, and then mix in the egg. Beat well. Beat in the flour, then stir in the nuts (optional) and chocolate chips. Drop cookie dough by the rounded tablespoon onto lightly greased or parchment-lined sheet pans. Bake for 10-13 minutes, just until light browned at the edges. For the chewiest cookies, do not overbake. The cookies will look slightly underdone in the middle, but will set up as they cool. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight containter.

To be sure you have the amount of spread you like in a cookie, bake one cookie to test it. Then if it does not spread enough, simply flatten the cookie before baking. If it spreads more than you would like, mix in an extra 1/4 cup of flour.
Makes approx. 3 dozen 2 1/2-inch cookies

Everybody likes these cookies. Dad says that these are the best chocolate chip cookies. While I'm baking, Nathanael comes in and eats a whole tray of them!!! =)

Carrot Cake

4 eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups honey
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons bground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups grated carrots
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts, if desired
Cream Cheese Icing (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 13x9-inch baking pan. Beat eggs and oil in small bowl. Combine flour, honey, bbaking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in large bowl. Add egg mixture; mix well. Stir in carrots and nuts (if desired). Pour into prepared pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack. Spread with Cream Cheese Icing.

Cream Cheese Icing:
Combine 16 ounces powdered sugar, 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened, 1/2 cup butter, softened and 1 teaspoon vanilla in medium bowl. Beat until smooth.

We are not fans of cake but carrot cake is always a favorite. This is nice moist cake! =)

Faux-Nuts

3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 cups teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 4 medium bananas)
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups honey
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
Shredded unsweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray the insides of twelve 4-inch mini bundt pans with nonstick cooking spray, then sprinkle with all-purpose flour and tap out the excess.
Sift together the whole wheat pastry flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into a large bowl.
In a medium bowl, beat the mashed bananas and eggs until smooth, about 1 minute. Add honey, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla and beat for 2 minutes. Gradually mix in the flour mixture, scraping bbbdown the sides of the bowl as needed. Pour the batter into the prepared pans, filling no more than threef-fourths full. This is easiest to do by transferring the batter to a large glass liquid measuring cup.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the cneter comest out clean, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert the pans and rap against the work surface (not tooooo hard =) ) to unmold. Cool completely, right side up, on the wire rack.

Chocolate-dipped:
In the top part of a double boiler or in a heat-proof bowl set over hot water, melt 2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips, stirring until smooth. Invert a Faux-Nut and dip into the chocolate. Shake it a little (not tooo vigorously) so the excess chocolate drips back into the back into the bowl. Coat with flaked coconut. Cool to set chocolate.

These "Faux-Nuts" are a healthy alternative for donuts. They freeze well so you can pull them out for breakfast or a quick desert. =)

Miniature Cheesecakes

1/3 cup graham crackers crumbs

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 tablespoon sugar

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

1 8-oz pkg. cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

Cherry, strawberry, or other favorite preserves

Combine crumbs, butter and sugar. Press rounded measuring tablespoonful of crumb mixture onto bottom of each of six paper-lined muffin cups. Bake at 325 F, 5 minutes.

Combine cream cheese, sugar, juice, peel, and vanilla, mixing at medium speed on electric mixer until well belnded. Blend in egg; pour over curst, filling each cup 3/4 full. Bake at 325 F, 25 minutes. Cool before removing from pan. Chill. Top with preserves just before serving.

6 servings.

You can make this ahead and freeze them. This is a family favorite =)

Stabilized Whipped Cream

1 envelope unflavored gelatin
3 tablespoons water
3 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over water. Let stand until softened, 5 minutes. Stir 1/3 cup of cream into gelatin mixture. Heat over low heat until gelatin is really dissolved. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in remaining cream. Cover and chill for 1 hour.
Beat cream mixture at medium speed until soft peaks form. Beat in confectioners' sugar and vanilla.

Mandarin Cream Delight

Crust:
9 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
Filling:
2 (11-ounce) cans mandarin oranges in light syrup undrained
1/4 cup sugar
1 (16-ounce) carton fat-free sour cream *
1 (8-ounce) carton low-fat sour cream *
2 (3.4-ounce) packages vanilla instant pudding mix
1 (8-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

1. To prepare crust, combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Add flour and salt to butter mixture, beating at low speed until well blended.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3. Pat dough into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray; piece bottom of dough with a fork. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.
4. To prepare filling, drain mandarin oranges over a large bowl, reserving 1/2 cup juice (I used it all without measuring it and it turned out ok). Combine juice, 1/4 cup sugar, sour creams, and pudding mix in a large bowl. Stir in orange segments. Spoon orange mixture over crust, spreading evenly. Top with whipped topping. Chill 1 hour. Yield: 16 servings

* I just used 1 big 24-ounce thing of sour cream and it works fine.
When I didn’t have whipped topping on hand I used stabilized whipped cream. It turned out ok except all the gelatin didn’t dissolve. =)

Sunrise Sausage Balls

1 lb. ground sausage
1/2 c. biscuit baking mix
1/2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
12-oz. jar apricot preserves

In a large bowl, combine sausage, biscuit mix and cheese. Mix well and form into walnut-size balls. Arrange on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, turning once, until golden. Heat apricot preserves until syrupy; pour over meat-balls and toss to coat. Or, serve it like I did with the preserves in a bowl on the side. =) Makes 15.

Sorry, they don't look too appetizing here, but they really are delicious. =)

Piña Colada Fruit Dip

8-oz. can crushed pineapple in its own juice, drained
3 1/2 oz. pkg. instant coconut pudding and pie filing mix
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup dairy sour cream

In food processor bowl with metal blade or blender container, combine all ingredients. Cover; process 30 seconds. Refrigerate several hours or overnight to blend flavors. Serve with fresh fruit. 2 1/2 cups.

Pineapple Boat:

For an impressive and easy presentation, this dip can be served in a pineapple boat. To make a pineapple boat, cut a pineapple in half lengthwise, cutting through the green top. using a small, sharp knife like a grapefruit knife, remove the fruit from the rinds of both halves without piercing it. Remove the core; cut the fruit removed in 1-inch chunks. Spoon the dip into the pineapple boat and place it on a large platter. Arrange clusters of fresh fruit (such as grapes, strawberries, pineapple chunks, kiwi fruit, and bananas).