What do you do when unexpected guests, a limited budget and a lack time conspire to put a wrench into an otherwise beautiful summer evening?

I had the quinoa, an avocado, some olives and cheese and the chocolate sauce!

The grocery was about to close in 10 minutes!

I ran in without a plan. Went straight to the “fish area”; I needed something fancy that would cook fast and go well with the quinoa salad I had just decided to make.

I bought the salmon; Wild Norwegian Salmon which is thick and moist which for me means easy cooking and a juicy dinner.

I chopped the avocado and put together a deconstructed salad on a cute plate with some olives and feta cheese.

A handful of fresh veggies get chopped and go into the cooked quinoa with olive oil and lime juice.

I broiled the salmon with crushed garlic and some olive oil and lemon.

A quick toss of the quinoa and veggies and plate it up! 20 minutes! Quick and Fancy!

I bought a quart of coconut ice cream and blackberries and topped it off with chocolate syrup.

I was almost embarrassed by how impressed everyone was but happily took the credit!

I love these elegant desserts. Tarts remind me of the days when I lived in France and was able to eat beautiful food daily.

This is my first attempt at this recipe and my mistake was to make the crust too thick.

I should have used only half of the dough that this recipe makes.

Next time I will use half and freeze the other half for another day.

I also did not make the gelatin which tops off the fruit.

I will do so next time as I feel that it adds subtle flavor and it completes the presentation of the dessert.

This crust is delicious.

I used Martha Stewart’s Nut Crust recipe from The Martha Stewart Cookbook, Collected Recipes for Everyday 1995, Clarkson Potter/ Publishers, New York

Nut Crust

Makes two 8-10 inch tart shells or 12 2 1/2 to 3 inch tartlets

10 onces finely chopped nuts
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room tempeture
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 cups all purpose flour
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.

Butter tart pan or tartlet pans.

Put all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix until well blended, using an electric mixer or wooden spoon.

Divide the mixture and press into the prepared pans.

Chill for at least 30 minutes.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the shells are golden brown.

Let cool on racks before filling.

Vanilla Custard

Recipe Courtesy of Not Derby Pie

1/2 cup whole milk
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
3 large eggs
3 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
zest of one lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla
seeds and pulp of one vanilla bean (reserve scraped bean for another use)
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, at room temperature

In a medium saucepan, bring about 2 inches of water to a boil.

In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk together milk, sugar, eggs, egg yolks, salt, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla, and vanilla bean pulp.

Set the bowl over the saucepan and continue whisking as mixture heats up.

After about 10 minutes of stirring, the mixture will have become thick enough that the mixing spoon or whisk will leave a trail.

At this point, remove the bowl from the heat and let the curd cool slightly, about 5 minutes.

Then whisk in butter, one tab at a time, until it has melted into the curd and the mixture is smooth.

Strain the curd through a fine-mesh sieve into the tart crust; use an offset spatula to smooth the top of the curd and distribute it evenly.

Arrange the strawberries in concentric circles over the curd, starting on the outer rim and working your way inward.

If not serving immediately, cover tart lightly with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator.

Remove the outer ring of the tart pan to serve, and plate with a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream.

I should have given this a bit more thought!

I do not have air conditioning and we are in the middle of an incredible heatwave here in the midwest.

The heat index was 106 degrees! yesterday.

We were celebrating a birthday and this cheesecake with strawberries and whipped cream is a favorite.

It did look great when I placed it on the table but by the time I picked up the camera it was sliding all over the place!

That was about 15 seconds!

One of the secrets to the greatness of this cheesecake is the crust.

The butter toasted pecans make the crust amazing and every time I make this the only request is that next time I make more crust!

Ingredients:

Crust

1 stick of butter

3/4 cup of pecans

1 1/2 cups graham crackers

Filling

3 8 oz. pkgs cream cheese
1 cup superfine granulated sugar
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 eggs
1/3 cup whole milk
Whipped cream prepared or homemade; we used Redi-Whip, it’s a nostalgia thing!

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Saute butter and pecans until they become aromatic and lightly toasted

Place graham crackers, sauteed pecans and butter in the food processor and mix until the texture is fine

Press into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan and bake for 10 minutes

Set aside; reset oven to 325 degrees

With an electric mixer beat cream cheese, sugar and flour together until well mixed

Add vanilla and beat until smooth

Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition

Beat until smooth

Add milk and mix until well blended

Pour the batter over the crust and bake in preheated 325 degree oven for 45-55 minutes

Fell free to garnish with your favorite fresh fruit after the cheesecake has chilled in the fridge overnight

Don’t be shy with the whipped cream!

Put love in it and Enjoy!

Not only is my BFF Anna is a great cook but she is the hostess with the mostest!

We invade her lovely home for long weekends and she manages to entertain us like royalty!

One of her specialties is this casserole, of sorts, or breakfast scramble.

She par cooks potatoes in the microwave

Chops and sautes any vegetables on hand, usually: red peppers, asparagus, leeks, and mushrooms and sets those aside

Then dice the potatoes and combine in a large skillet the cooked veggies, potatoes, some cheese then crack a few eggs on top

Turn the heat down to low and cover to allow the eggs to cook.

You’re finished!

You can also do this in the oven in a lovely casserole dish for a more elegant presentation.

Or cook the eggs seperatly and serve on top.

Either way it’s delicious!

We have making pizza down to science here.

And I must admit that this is due to the secret weapon in my kitchen; My Daughter!

She has the perfect touch when it comes to preparing the dough; which we buy at a local pizzeria, and she has the perfect touch when it comes to layering the ingredients!

She gets the dough just right. Thin but not too thin and she has a light touch with the cheese, which is key to proper cooking.

Her specialties include but are not limited to the Margarhita and pepperoni pizzas.

We were so confident with our skills that we threw these pizzas on the grill! First time ever and they were perfect!

Fresh oregano made the pepperoni especially delicious for th meat eaters but the overwhelming favorite was the Margarhita with basil fresh from the garden and fresh mozzarella.

I tried my hand at something a bit more fancy; spinach and red onion with mushroom and goat cheese topped off with a balsamic vinegar reduction.

The reduction came out perfectly, it was my first attempt! I simply poured about 1 cup of balsamic vinegar into a small frying pan and on meduim heat let it cook until it started to thicken.

My mistake was to pour it over the pizza before baking. I should have drizzled it over the pizza when it was finished cooking to keep the thick texture that I so proudly created!

Lightly blanche the spinach before layering on your pizza. It can dry and burn if you don’t.

Tr your hand with your favorite ingredients. Be patient. Cook with loved ones and Enjoy!

This simple yet delicious treat serves as a breakfast or dessert .

The strawberry topping is made with fresh strawberries, sliced placed in the blender with sugar to taste and pureed to perfection!

This is not a diet meal to be sure but is easy to whip up and will make everyone feel special!

The possibilities are endless with this Whipped Cream Flavored Vodka from Pinnacle.

We mixed ours with fresh pineapple, coconut milk and pineapple/coconut juice.

The secret to the amazing taste was, of course, the vodka but we were careful not to add anything too sweet.

Fresh ingredients are a must. And the juice we used from Hortex is great because they are natural with no added sugars.

This recipe was fairly “freehand”.

I used one fresh pineapple which I cut the night before and placed in the freezer; huge tip! Freezing the pineapple make the drinks amazing!

In the blender place half of the cut and frozen pineapple

1/2 can of coconut milk

1 cup of juice

1 cup of Pinnacle Whipped Cream Flavored Vodka

Blend until creamy and frothy

Some enjoyed some whipped cream on top!

These brushetta are fantastic! My friend has this recipe down to a science and we are able to whip these up really fast:

1 baguette sliced about 1/4 peices

olive oil

3-4 fresh garlic cloves

3-4 tomatoes

fresh basil leaves

fresh mozzerella

Slice the bread and rub with garlic cloves on bothe sides

Use enough olive oil to lightly cover both sides

Toast lightly under the broiler

Chop tomatoes and basil and mix with some olive oil and salt to taste

Top toasted bread with tomato mixture and shredded fresh mozzerella and serve!

It was just me for Meatless Monday! today.

I was hungry for pasta, which I rarely eat, and I wanted to keep it simple and fast.

I also didn’t want to shop for any ingredients. So, Meatless Monday! was a really low carbon footprint meal.

Let me also add that the peanut butter which I use is a no sugar added, natural brand made from roasted Valencia peanuts; that’s it!

I scavanged the pantry and the freezer for what was available.

I just happen to have a basil plant on my patio.

I am sure that there is a better peanut sauce recipe but I improvised with what I had.

Ingredients:

Whole wheat pasta

1 cup frozen peas

5 scallions

1/2 cup broccoli florets

Sauce:

1 Tbspn peanut butter

1 Tbsp Bragg’s Aminos

1/2 lime, juiced

1 Tbspn crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 cup fresh basil chopped

Method:

Boil the pasta.

Chop the veggies.

Mix together the peanut butter, Bragg’s Aminos, lime juice and crushed red pepper.

Place veggies in the colander and pour linguini and water over veggies and allow to drain.

Mix the sauce and chopped basil into the pasta, mix and enjoy!

I like the idea of gently “scalding” veggies with the pasta water. It brings out the flavors of the veggies and warms everything nicely.

Just me, dining al fresco!

A cool cucumber salad with red onion complimented this meal and tamed the heat a bit.

This is an “easy-peasy” recipe which kids can easily make.

Not only will you be able to ply them with vegetables but you will also be able to keep them busy for a while!

All you will need is:

8-10 flour Tortillas

2 8 oz. pkgs of cream cheese, softened

2 pkgs of taco seasoning mix or make your own as we did with chili powder, garlic salt, cummin, and a little cayenne and paprika

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

1 8 0z. can black olives chopped

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

You may have to chop for the younger kids but mixing can be done by even the youngest of children.

Spread evenly; roll and slice.

These can even be done “cigar style”; roll and slice just 2-3 times for easy holding for little hands.

The secret to the delightful flavor of this dish is the roasting!

Roasted garlic, eggplant, rep pepper and sauteed leeks create a richness that makes this similar to a pate in texture and flavor.

This recipe is also full of nutrition. Lentils are hardy and full of protein and fiber.

This is also light and when spread on whole wheat or flax crackers leaves you satisfied yet not full.

It is also easy to make and can be whippped up on short notice.

Ingredients

1 medium eggplant
1 cup lentils
1 glove garlic
1 medium leek
1/2 cup olive oil
1 bunch cilantro
1 lime
1 roasted red pepper
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

In a 350 degree oven wrap in aluminum foil the eggplant cut in half with a drizzle of olive oil on the flesh.

In a clay roaster or aluminum foil wrap the garlic and place in oven to roast.

Both should take no more than 30-45 minutes.

In a pan add a drizzle of olive oil to sliced leeks and sautee until translucent.

Cook 1 cup of lentils in 2 cups of water until tender.

When everything is done and cooled for handling, place in the food processor.

Add the cilantro and puree.

Add enough olive oil to create the texture you desire.

For a creamier dip; just add more oil.

I then chopped the roasted red pepper, very fine, and folded it into the finished mixture.

I wanted little “pops” of sweet juicy flavor and the texture contrast.

I, also squeezed some lime into the finished dish and then gave it a good mixing.

Serve with your favorite crackers or breads or even crudites.