Thursdays Recipe Corner

Beachcomber Pasta Salad
Brought to you by Beachcobersgrove
Paintings and jewelry with a sandy point of view. Its only appropriate that the first ingredient in this recipe is shells.

1 lb pasta (sm shell)
1 handful black olives, pitted
  1 c. sun-dried tomatoes in oil
1 c. broccoli crowns (firm cooked)
1 bunch fresh basil
1 c. corn/peas
1/2 red onion chopped(or green onions)
1 bottle italian dressing
Optional: parmesean cheese & bacon bits
Salt, pepper, thyme to taste

Beachcombers Cove, Your Oasis of Fun , Tropical Art

The peaceful spirit of the seahorse is represented here for your wearing pleasure. Handmade in 16g. sterling silver wire and combined with natural, bone beads, it is approximately 8" long and fastens with a handmade clasp. 

The Recipe Corner. Homemade Peach Ice Cream

Your list of ingredients. 

1 pint half and half
1 pint whipping cream
1 14 oz can condensed milk
Fresh peaches.
I use 3 large ripe peaches because I like lots of peach flavor.

Mix all ingredients together except the peaches.
Peel and chop peaches or run through food processor depending on your preference of chunky or smooth ice cream.

Mix the pieces with the milk/cream mixture and freeze according to the instruction on your ice cream freezer.

Find a shady tree on a summer day, sit under the tree and consume.

Visit TextstyleTextures online shop for the linen dress that goes perfect with peach ice-cream, summer days and shady trees.


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The Recipe Corner - Popcorn, Main Course

Popcorn is an economical thing to eat providing you don’t break a tooth on it.  Then it gets expensive. Be careful. Please. 

Cook your popcorn in olive oil. This helps with the illusion that you are eating healthy food.  I pop up a double fistful of popcorn in olive oil and throw into a large shallow bowl. Large and shallow is important for the mixing technique used later on. That and carefully washing your hands.

In the pot you just used, swab out any bits of hull, pour in the amount of olive oil you are going to put on your popcorn (still healthy) and then pour in some more. (oops.)

Crush three giant cloves of garlic into the oil and saute lightly. When the garlic turns lite brown and the house reeks, let it cool a bit. Then pour over popcorn while occasionally digging both hands into popcorn and tossing gently (into the air like the falling autumn leaves. No, no. Don’t do that).

Generously sprinkle Brewers Yeast powder over popcorn till you think you have enough. Yes, we are still keeping with the illusion that we are eating healthy. Then sprinkle in some more.  Yes, folks, Brewers Yeast. It has a very nutty flavor that blends well with the garlic and olive oil. Its available at your local health food store. Give it a try. 

Sprinkle a bit of lawry’s Seasoning Salt. Its got to be Lawry's. I don't know why. The only thing that you could season your popcorn with that would taste better would be a thick cut of rare to medium steak also seasoned with Lawry's. 

You don't have to go too crazy with the salt.  Again. The illusion of health. 

Sprinkle in some Parmesan cheese. That's the protein part of the meal. When you think you have sprinkled in enough, sprinkle in some more. 

Push your sleeves up to your elbows and start dredging up the popcorn, grease and powdery stuff. Get the seasonings nicely distributed and call the neighbors over for a taste test. 

I was going to get a glamorous  fashion shot of the finished product but I turned my back on the neighbors for what I swear was no longer than three seconds. When I turned back this is what I found. The empty bowl is testimony to how good it is. 

Recipe compliments of ManicManx.

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The Recipe Corner - Plaintains

You need at least 1/2 a plantain for each person.

Melt butter and olive (or vegetable oil) in a frying pan. Turn your heat to medium or medium low. Add the plantain, sliced about a quarter inch thick, to the oil. Shake sugar and cinnamon over the top of the plantains. fry until golden, turn plantains and add sugar and cinnamon to the other side. Before taking them off the heat, flip the pieces back for about 30 seconds just to set the second sugar and cinnamon coating. Serve hot with ice cream for dessert or, my favorite, as a side dish to jambalaya.

Recipe compliments of MarthaHorman.
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The Recipe Corner - Oven-fried Zucchini Sticks

Ingredients:

Cooking spray
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour 
1 1/2 lb. zucchini (about 3 med.) cut into 1/2 X 3” sticks
2 Tblsp cornmeal 
2 egg whites lightly beaten
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 475 F. 
Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray. 


Combine flours, cornmeal, salt, & pepper in a large resealable plastic bag. Dip zucchini in egg white, shake in bag to coat, and arrange, not touching, on the baking sheet. Coat all exposed sides with cooking spray. 
Bake on the center rack for 7 minutes. Turn the zucchini and coat any floury spots with the cooking spray. Continue to bake until golden brown and just tender, about 5 minutes more. 


Serve hot.


Recipe compliments of Beachcomberscove.

The Recipe Corner - Crab and Shrimp Dip

8 ounces chive and onion cream cheese, softened 
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce 
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill 
2 tablespoons white wine 
1 cup cooked chopped imitation crabmeat 
1 cup cooked chopped shrimp 
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan 
1 loaf sourdough round bread or baguette, cut into 16 slices 
Olive oil 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Mix on medium speed using a hand mixer until blended. Fold in the crab and shrimp. Transfer to a shallow 2-cup baking dish. Top with Parmesan. Bake for 20 minutes or until top is lightly brown.
To make the toasted bread slices, place bread slices on a baking sheet. Brush with olive oil on both sides. Bake in oven for 8 minutes while dip is also baking. Serve crab and shrimp dip with toasted bread slices.


Recipe complements of TheArtfulFlamingo.

The Recipe Corner - Sopa de Peña

I named this soup Sopa de Peña after the friend who gave me the recipe.

Take 4 large links of sausage (spicy is good) and slice into rounds. Saute them with sliced onion until light brown. Add a small can of sliced white potatoes, a can of diced green chilies, a small can of corn and about a quarter of a cup of your favorite salsa. Add a cup of water, bring to a boil, cover and let simmer for about 15 minutes.  Serve with a nice crusty bread. Should feed 4.

This can also be made with elbow macaroni instead of the potatoes. Just use more water because the pasta will absorb a lot. Keep your eye on it and if the liquid gets low, add more. It is a soup after all.

This is just a basic recipe. One can add and subtract meat and veggies to taste.

Recipe compliments of AuntMartha.

The Recipe Corner - Basic Roasted Root Vegetables

We made something approximating this for dinner. It was yummy.

You need enough chopped root vegetables to fill a medium-sized mixing bowl, with a little room to stir.
1 head garlic
1/2 onion, chopped and sauteed
olive oil
a few splashes of white wine
salt and pepper to taste
herbs

Select roots to roast. In this particular instance, the vegetable culprits turned out to be potatoes, part of a celeriac bulb, a rutabaga, carrots, and half a very large fennel (yes, I know fennel is a modified stem and not a root, but fennel and roots tend to very congenial with each other). Other yummy roots include a variety of beets, parsnips, turnips, sunchokes, and um, any number of other vegetables that I'm not thinking of at the moment.

Once you have chopped your selected root vegetables, mix with all other ingredients, pour into a large baking dish, and roast for 50 minutes at 375-400. Stir sometime around 30 minutes. 


Recipe compliments of tofunutloaf.

The Recipe Corner - Shocking Pink Bean Dip

This one is not for the faint of heart!

2 cans white or navy beans
4-6 anchovies (I use the ones packed in oil in the little jars.)
2-6 cloves garlic
1 medium roasted beet, peeled
1/4 cup yogurt
about 4 tbsp olive oil (or oil from the anchovies)

Blend 'till smooth.

Serve with carrots, celery and fresh green beans, 
or corn chips and crackers, 
or try it as a yummy sandwich spread!  

From ClockworkCrow

The Recipe Corner - Veggie Sandwich

For this recipe you need to gather a favorite vegetable or two. It is a bit unusual but excellent. By itself it makes a great lunch; combined with a good soup it makes a big meal.

Good bread
Avocado
A crisp vegetable or two
Goat cheese
Mustard or pesto or BBQ sauce (or whatever)


For each sandwich use two slices of good bread, toasted. Slice or mash 1/2 avocado; layer or spread onto one piece of toast. Slice your favorite crisp vegetable and layer that on top of the avocado. Add goat cheese and then the sauce of your choice. Add second slice of toast and enjoy.

From tofunutloaf

The Recipe Corner - Beachcomber Seafood Chowder

This isn’t a real recipe because a friend from Maine just told me how to do it while we were in the pool in water aerobics. Couldn’t exactly write it down, but its easy & tasty.

Dice one medium red potato. Place in saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Here you can add salt, pepper, onion, garlic, bacon bits, thyme, whatever you like. 

Before potatoes are done lay a fish filet (or 2) on top and continue to simmer. After a few minutes you can add crab meat, shrimp, scallops, clams, any other seafood you like or have on hand. 


When the seafood is about done, I stir in 1 can of evaporated milk (with 1/2 can water) and 1 can of cream-style corn. You can add you own “heat” to taste. I add some creole seasoning, red & green tabasco, and some finely cut jalapenos A teaspoon of sugar or splenda is a nice touch, also. 


Simmer the whole thing a little longer just to blend all the flavors together. Its great with oyster crackers & a little more Tabasco.


From Beachcomberscove.

The Recipe Corner - Forest Fruit with Basil

Our first recipe is a very simple one. It's a basic mushroom dish that can can be eaten by itself or combined with other dishes such as rice pilaf or as an addition to stew. I usually use wild mushrooms such as Wine Caps but, unless you know what you're doing, you are better off using fresh mushrooms from the store.

Stropharia rugosoannulata "Wine Cap"

Olive oil

Butter

3/4 Cup Red onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 Cup dried Basil

1 1/2 Cup chopped mushrooms

In a non-stick pan, warm a tablespoon each of olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add to that the red onion, the garlic, and the dried basil. Sauté for about 2 minutes. Now add  the mushrooms and sauté until onions are transparent and just starting to brown.  You may need to add a bit more oil. 

Serve hot or add to any other dish you are making. If you make up a large batch, you can be freeze some of it and then have them on hand as needed.

From AuntMartha.