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. =)