Fruit cobbler

I did this with fresh sweet cherries. It was fabulous!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Fruit Mixture

3 cups fruit (peaches, sweet cherries, nectarines, plums, raspberries)
1 tablespoon tapioca
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, optional
1/2 lemon juiced and zested
1/4-1/2 cup sugar depending on sweetness of fruit

Pour the fruit into a 9 inch cake pam

Topping

1 egg
1/3 cup plus 4 tablespoons milk
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Zest of half a lemon

In a medium bowl, whisk the butter, milk, and egg together.  Add the sugar and vanilla and stir. 

Combine the dry ingredients and add them to the liquid mixture.   Stir until just combined. 

Spoon batter over the fruit mixture so that the fruit is covered. 

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top is a golden brown.  

My Go-to bean recipe

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 white or yellow onion, finely chopped
Kosher salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups cooked beans
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano leaves (or 2 teaspoons dried)
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
In a small pan, over medium heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot add the onion with a pinch of salt and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Raise the heat and add the white wine. Cook until the wine has reduced by half. Stir in the beans and oregano and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook gently for 15 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.

Sauteed cannelloni beans

Sauteed Cannellini Beans
Recipe courtesy Melissa d'Arabian
4 servings

Ingredients
1/2 sweet bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 medium onion, diced
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1 teaspoon herbes de provence
3 cups cooked cannellini beans
1/2 baguette, sliced and toasted, for serving
Directions
In a medium saute pan, cook the bell peppers and onions in 2 tablespoons olive oil until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, another 2 minutes. Deglaze the pan with white wine and allow to boil for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the stock, herbs de provence, and beans and simmer for 20 minutes. Pour into shallow bowls and drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Serve with bread slices.

Chicken Con Broccoli

1 link of sausage
1 chicken breast, split flat wise
1 head broccoli, cut into small bite size florets
1 tablespoon EVOO
1 tablespoon butter
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup minced onion
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 cup chicken stock
Parmesan to taste (about 1 cup)
1 lb. Wheat Spaghetti

Par-cook sausage in chicken stock for 5 min. , Season chicken with seasoning of your choice, brown chicken and sausage in a frying pan. Meanwhile, Reserve stock. Cook pasta according to directions, and blanch broccoli for 2 min in pasta water. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water.. Remove from pan, let rest, and slice thinly. Add oil, butter, chile flakes, onion and garlic. Cook until garlic is golden brown. Add chicken stock scraping up any brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Add pasta, Parmesan, chicken, and any juices, sausage, and broccoli. Toss to coat and add pasta water as needed to moisten.

Classic Sandwich Bread (like Grandma Sycamores)

Classic Sandwich Bread
A A A

For sandwiches, toast, and French toast, you just can’t beat a classic American sandwich loaf, with its creamy-white interior, golden crust, and soft, easily sliceable texture.
3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour*
1/2 cup milk (skim, 1%, 2% or whole, your choice)**
1/2 to 2/3 cup hot water, enough to make a soft, smooth dough**
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) melted butter, margarine or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 packet active dry yeast dissolved in 1 tablespoon warm water OR 2 teaspoons instant yeast

*For added whole-grain goodness, substitute great-tasting King Arthur 100% White Whole Wheat Flour for up to half of the all-purpose flour in this recipe.

**Mix the cold-from-the-refrigerator milk with 1/2 cup of the hot-from-the-tap water to make a lukewarm combination.
Mixing: In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and stir till the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased surface, oil your hands, and knead it for 6 to 8 minutes, or until it begins to become smooth and supple. (You may also knead this dough in an electric mixer or food processor, or in a bread machine set to the dough or manual cycle). Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl, and allow the dough to rise till puffy though not necessarily doubled in bulk, about 1 to 2 hours, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.

Shaping: Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface, and shape it into an 8" log. Place the log in a lightly greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan, cover the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the bread to rise for about 60 minutes, until it’s domed about 1" above the edge of the pan. A finger pressed into the dough should leave a mark that rebounds slowly.

Baking: Bake the bread in a preheated 350°F oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until it’s light golden brown. Test it for doneness by removing it from the pan and thumping it on the bottom (it should sound hollow), or by measuring its interior temperature with an instant-read thermometer (it should register 190°F at the center of the loaf). Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it on a wire rack before slicing. Store the bread in a plastic bag at room temperature. Yield: 1 loaf.

Sugared vanilla buttercream

I ran out of powdered sugar and tried making my own in the blender. The result was a smooth, creamy buttercream with a slight crunch from the half ground sugar crystals. It is so unexpected and very dekicious! A lovely mishap that makes a fantastic frosting for vanilla cupcakes!

1 cup sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup butter (room temp)
1 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup whipping cream

Grind sugar and cornstarch together in a blender (not food processor) until powdery. Cream butter until pale yellow, gradually add both sugars, add vanilla. Turn to med-high and add 1/3 cup whipping cream. Beat until fluffy. Enjoy!

Shrimp with tomatoes and feta

Baked Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta
  Serves 4 | Prep time: 25 minutes | Total time: 40 minutes

ingredients
 
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 thinly sliced scallions
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds peeled and de-veined large frozen shrimp, thawed, tails removed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, plus more for garnish
4 ounces feta cheese
 

Preheat oven to 475 degrees with rack set in upper third. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Add scallions, garlic, and oregano; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add tomatoes. Cook over medium, stirring occasionally, until no liquid remains in skillet, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Add shrimp and mint to skillet. Stir to combine; transfer to an 8-inch square (or other shallow 2-quart) baking dish. Crumble feta over top.
Bake until liquid is bubbling, cheese is beginning to brown, and shrimp in center of dish are opaque, 15 to 20 minutes.
Green Beans