Berries and Creme

This is a wonderful end to a great meal or meeting or just by itself.

Easy and Classic: Berries and Crème

1. Buy a loaf shaped sponge cake and slice it into one-inch slices.

2. Buy 2 cans of Blackberries in Light Syrup and drain the juice onto six saucers, evenly.

3. Place six slices of sponge cake onto the saucers and let them soak up the syrup while you have dinner or your meeting or whatever.

4. When you are ready to serve dessert, put one cup of heavy whipping cream in your mixer with one eighth of a teaspoon salt and one teaspoon of Splenda (not sugar), then whip until the cream is fluffy and stiff.

5. Put a quarter cup sized dollop of cream on each slice of sponge cake.

6. Spoon a third of a can of berries on top and down one side of each piece of cake.

7. Serve immediately.

A Duo of Melon Soups

For my last dinner party I made something I've wanted to make for a long time. It is great! I hope you enjoy it!

A Duo of Melon Soups

Melon soup is a summer favorite in Scandinavia. Cool, fresh and a little bit sweet, it is the perfect thing to whet the appetite on a warm summer evening. One of these is good, but both together make for a more interesting medley of flavors. One is sweet and the other savory. Together they make a beautiful presentation.

Honeydew Mint

1 honeydew melon (cut in cubes)

2 Tbs finely chopped mint

2 tsp Splenda

1 tsp lime juice

¾ cup water

Cantaloupe Sage

2 cantaloupe melons (cut in cubes)

1 Tbs finely chopped sage leaves

1 Tbs lemon juice

1/4 tsp kosher or sea salt

1/8 tsp cayenne red pepper

¾ cup water

For each soup put the ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. Chill. For presentation, use two half cup measuring spoons and simultaneously pour a half cup of each soup into a soup bowl, side by side. The soups are thick enough that they will not mix and you will have an orange half and a green half bowl of soup. Wonderful!

Squash Lasagne

Squash Lasagna

This recipe may seem complicated, but it is really just a standard lasagna recipe using sliced squash instead of lasagna noodles. You don’t even have to precook them, so it is actually easier than regular lasagna. And it is wheat and gluten free, with very few carbs.

I chose to make it with chicken in order to achieve lighter, summer flavors, but it could be made with ground beef or turkey, or for a vegetarian option, you could use tofu or hydrated TVP.

Ingredients:

1. winter squash (I used banana squash, but any semi-hard squash would do, even pumpkin) or several summer squashes (like zucchini and yellow crookneck) peeled and sliced in thin, long, flat strips

2. 16oz tub of regular ricotta mixed with

1. 2 eggs
2. ½ cup shredded parmesan or hard Italian cheese blend (I used Bel Gioso three cheese blend)
3. 1 tsp chopped fresh garlic or ¼ tsp dried granulated garlic
4. ¼ tsp. salt
5. ½ tsp dried oregano
6. ½ tsp dried Italian herbs
7. ½ tsp dried basil
8. ¼ tsp black pepper

3. 1/3 cup julienned basil leaves (stack them on top of each other, then roll them and slice them into tiny rings that will become tiny strips when you unroll them)

4. 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thawed, diced finely (or 1 lb ground beef or turkey) and sautéed just to cooked with:

1. 1 Tbs olive oil
2. 1 tsp black pepper
3. ½ tsp dried basil
4. 1 tsp chopped fresh garlic or ¼ tsp dried granulated garlic

5. 1 large can diced tomatoes with garlic, basil and oregano (I used Hunts)

6. 8 oz (2 cups) shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Once you have prepared the ingredients, you are almost done! Lightly oil the bottom and sides of a 9x13x2” baking dish. Spread a layer of squash strips on the bottom of the pan. Top these with half of the ricotta mixture. Top that with a 1 Tbs sliced basil leaves. Top that with half of the chicken or other meat. Top that with a thin layer of tomatoes (about a cup). Top that with a thick layer of mozzarella. Repeat the layers one more time. If you are at the top of the pan, stop. If not, add another layer of squash, tomatoes and cheese, then cook.

If you have time, let the lasagna sit for a hour. This will let the water in the squash and ricotta come out. Drain off the water by slightly tipping the dish and letting the water run off. You may need to do this a few times, or you can just skip it and make sure you put a pan in the bottom of the oven to catch any juices that run over the edge.

Bake the lasagna at 350 degrees for an hour at sea level, 375 degrees in Salt Lake.

Let the lasagna cool for at least 10 minutes before serving to allow it to settle. When you cut it, there will be water in the pan, but that is normal. Use a slotted spatula to serve the lasagna so the water stays in the pan.

I topped the lasagna with a flavorful tomato ragout made of fresh tomatoes stewed and reduced with mushrooms, garlic, onion, long pepper, a little wine and lots of Italian herbs. I let the mixture reduce for about two hours. You can just use a little bit of heated canned Italian spiced tomatoes, or a sun dried tomato toppenade, or nothing.

I hope you enjoy this recipe. It sounds complicated, but it really is very easy. Surprise yourself and try it!

Cat's Kahlua Cake

My cousin Cat makes the richest, most decadent bundt cake in the world. It can be made as a dark chocolate Kahlua Cake or a Venecian Orange Chocolate Cake. Either way, it is awesome. Beware.

1 dark chocolat cake mix
1 sm box vanilla instant pudding mix
4 eggs
2/3 cup oil
1/3 cup Kahlua OR 1/3 cup Triple-sec and grated peel of a large orange
1 pint sour cream
10 ounces chocolate chips (she uses a mixture of bittersweet and semisweet chips)

Put all ingredients except chocolate chips in mixer and beat for 4 minutes. Add chocolate chips and fold.

Transfer batter to a prepared bundt cake pan (that means greased and floured). Bake the cake at sealevel at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, then check to see if toothpick comes out clean. If not, bake 10 more minutes. In Salt Lake, bake 50-60 minutes.

This cake is awesome even without any glaze or frosting. Vanilla bean ice cream is a good complement!

The Foolproof Crepe Recipe

I've always loved making Crepes. From the time I was a child, Mom let me play with the Bisquick recipe, adding more eggs, more milk, or more water in an effort to create the perfect crepe. I perfected my turning technique, but always felt like the batter was hit or miss. About two years ago I stumbled on the perfect concoction. I wrote it down and it has been foolproof for me ever since. Here it is. It works with whole wheat or regular flour. It works with medium or large eggs. It works with nonfat, lowfat or regular milk. It works with butter, margarine or oil, though butter is a little trickier because it solidifies in the batter and melts as you turn it in the pan. Good luck and good eating with this recipe. I have enjoyed it for two years now!

Fool Proof Crepes

1/2 C flour
1/2 tsp. salt

2/3 C milk
2 eggs
3 Tblsp. oil, melted margarine or melted butter
2 tsp. lemon juice

Whisk all ingredients together until smooth. Heat skillet/s over medium high heat. Melt butter, margarine or spray oil in hot skillet. Heat up the skillet to very hot, then remove from burner and let cool for a couple of minutes. Then return the skillet to the burner and add another spray or swipe of oil, margarine or butter. (This proceedure prepares the pan)

Using a medium ladle, hold the skillet in your left hand while pouring about 2/3 cup batter into the pan while turning it to make sure the batter is evenly spread over the bottom of the pan. Place the pan back on the burner.

Wait until the edges are brown and the top of the crepe looks a little dry. Then use a plastic or silicone spatula to loosen the edges and flip the crepe over. Let it brown a minute or two and then stack on a plate covered with paper towles.

These crepes are great folded and topped with preserves, filled with fruit and covered with syrup, or stuffed with chicken and mushrooms and smothered with gravy. Your choice!

Enjoy.

Big Summer Trip

My last trip to LA was spectacular! I got to see the Venice Beach boardwalk, which I've never seen before. I went to Laguna Beach for the DuPre family reunion for one glorious day. And on our way back to Salt Lake, Mom and I got upgraded to a suite at the Flamingo! I've attached some photos.