Tuesday Recipes

Hot-weather meals tend to be a little different from cold-weather meals: lighter, with less time over the stove. But we still want something satisfying. These recipes fit the bill. Enjoy!

NO-BAKE ICEBOX CAKE

This comes from one of my favorite websites, The Kitchn.com. This and its sibling site, Apartment Therapy, are really pretty cool, and have great newsletters. If you haven't already signed up, I highly encourage you to. (And no, I'm not getting paid to endorce this.)

Anyway, the No-Bake Icebox Cake serves 8 to 12, and can be viewed online by clicking here.

2 pounds fresh strawberries, washed and patted dry

3 3/4 cups heavy cream, divided

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon rosewater, optional

4 sleeves (about 19 ounces, or 24 to 28 whole crackers) graham crackers

2 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped

Take out a few of the best-looking strawberries and set them aside for the garnish. Hull the remainder of the strawberries and cut each berry into thin slices.

With a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, whip 3 1/2 cups of cream until it just holds stiff peaks. Add the confectioners sugar, vanilla, and rosewater (if using) and whip to combine.

Spread a small spoonful of whipped cream on the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking pan, or a similarly sized platter. Lay down 6 graham crackers. Lightly cover the top of the graham crackers with more whipped cream, and then a single layer of strawberries. Repeat 3 times, until you have 4 layers of graham crackers. Spread the last of the whipped cream over the top and swirl it lightly with a spoon. Add a few more strawberries.

To make the ganache, heat the remaining 1/4 cup cream until bubbles form around the edges, then pour over the chopped chocolate. Let it stand for a few minutes, then whisk until the mixture is thick and glossy.

Drizzle this over the layered dessert with a spoon, or transfer to a squeeze bottle and use that to drizzle.

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or until the crackers have softened completely. Garnish with additional berries.

Recipe Notes

Building the cake on a platter instead of in a pan: You can build this cake in a 9x13-inch pan as I mention above, or you can build it up on a platter as shown here. Either way works nicely. The 9x13-inch pan makes it easier to transport the cake, but if you're staying at home, the platter makes it look a little fancier. You don't need to do anything differently when building it on a platter. I do, though, like to smear a bit of cream on the bottom of each cracker as I add it to the stack to keep it steady and in place.

ALMOND JOY

This yummy recipe comes from the April 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times. While I love most of the recipes I find in Vegetarian Times, some of them really stand out, as far as I'm concerned; this is one of them. It begins, “As delicious as a candy bar, this delicate dessert whips up in an instant. Use prepared chocolate syrup to garnish the cake. If you really want to fancy it up, make your own fudge sauce, and drizzle it on before serving.” Serves 8 in 30 minutes or less.

To view this online, click here.

1 14-oz. premade angel food cake

2 12-oz. pkg. soft silken tofu

4 Tbs. confectioners’ sugar

1 Tbs. almond extract, or to taste

1 8-oz. pkg. almond paste

2 cups sliced almonds, toasted, for garnish

Chocolate syrup, as desired

Tear angel food cake into about 2×4-inch rectangles, and put about half of them into 3-quart serving dish.

Put tofu, sugar, almond extract and almond paste into blender or food processor, and purée until smooth. Pour half mixture over cake pieces, and top with remaining cake. Pour remaining mixture over cake, and garnish with almonds and drizzles of chocolate syrup. Chill, or serve immediately.

nutritional information Per SERVING: Calories: 470; Protein: 15 g; Total Fat: 23 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 53 g; Sodium: 380 mg; Fiber: 5 g; Sugar: 16 g

SIMPLEST TOMATO, CORN, BASIL AND MOZZARELLA PASTA SALAD

This comes from Katie Workman, About.com's Cooking for Kids expert. She writes, “One of the things I need to constantly remind myself of, and relearn and relearn is the art of NOT adding one more thing to a recipe. It’s often so tempting – there’s that jar of artichoke hearts! There’s that leftover tapenade! It’s not that these ingredients wouldn’t be welcome in the dish…it’s that the dish is just perfectly awesome without them.

“There is no better time to re-establish this important rule of cooking than the middle of summer. Tomatoes. Corn. Basil. Hard stop. And so, I fought the urge to throw another half dozen ingredients into this pasta salad, contenting myself with some fresh mozzarella and a light balsamic olive oil dressing. And oh, my dears, if this Tomato, Corn, Basil and Mozzarella Pasta Salad isn’t summertime eating at its finest, I don’t know what is.

“There is nothing like a fresh picked tomato from the garden. Any tomato lover worth their salt (and p.s. a sliced tomato sprinkled with salt is one of the best meals ever, full stop) know the flavor of a store bought tomato is incomparable to that of the freshly grown tomato. So if you have garden tomatoes, this is the recipe to make use of them! If you don't have a back yard bounty of tomatoes, head to a farmers' market, or these days many supermarkets carry local tomatoes, so we can all enjoy tomatoes as they should taste. However you get them, this fresh, herby pasta salad will not disappoint.” While this is definitely worth remembering when cooking for kids, there are many times when adults could enjoy simplicity in foods; this is one of those times!

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 25 minutes; Yield: Serves 6 – 8.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 pounds dried pasta, any chunky shape

4 ears fresh corn, shucked

6 cups cubed ripe tomatoes

1 pounds fresh mozzarella, diced

1/2 cups slivered fresh basil leaves

1/3 cups cup extra virgin olive oil

6 cloves roasted garlic (see Cooking Tip)

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Kosher or coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Generously salt the water and return to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions. During the last two minutes of cooking add the ears of corn. When you drain the pasta, take out the ears of corn and let cool. Quickly rinse the pasta in cool water to stop the cooking, drain well, and turn into a serving bowl.

Remove the corn from the cobs with a knife. Add the corn, tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil to the pasta.

In a small container combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper and sake to combine. Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and toss well to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings (be generous with the salt). Serve at room temperature.

CONFETTI CORN

This simple and yummy recipe comes from The Food Network's Ina Garten, also known as the Barefoot Contessa. Personally, I wouldn't mind having dinner at her place!

Total Time: 30 min; Prep: 15 min; Cook: 15 min; Yield: 6 servings; Level: Easy

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/confetti-corn-recipe4.print.html?oc=linkback

Ingredients

2 tablespoons good olive oil

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1 small orange bell pepper, 1/2-inch diced

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Kernels cut from 5 ears yellow or white corn (4 cups)

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil, minced fresh chives, and/or minced fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large saute pan. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes, until the onion is soft. Stir in the bell pepper and saute for 2 more minutes.



Add the butter to the pan and allow it to melt. Over medium heat, add the corn, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes, until the corn just loses its starchiness. Season to taste, gently stir in the basil or other green herbs, and serve hot.

EASY ITALIAN FRITTATA

I discovered frittatas several years ago and fell in love with them. This wonderful one is from Kathy Kingsley, About.com's American Food expert. She writes, “This delicious potato, bell pepper, and olive frittata is perfect for your next brunch, and guests will never know how easy it was go make. Serve it warm or at room temperature. It also makes a quick weeknight dinner.”

Prep time: 10 minutes; Cook time: 40 minutes; total time: 50 minutes; serves 4 to 6.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large Yukon Gold or russet potato, peeled and thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seed and chopped

1 small zucchini, trimmed, halved lengthwise and sliced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried

6 large eggs

1/3 cup pitted, chopped black olives, such as kalamata (optional)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup shredded Fontina cheese

2 tablespoons chopped parsley, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large 12-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat. Layer half of the potato, onion, bell pepper, and zucchini in the skillet. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Repeat with the remaining potato, onion, and bell pepper, and season again. Cover and cook, stirring and turning frequently with a spatula until tender, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle the thyme over the mixture. Let cool slightly.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the olives,if desired, and then add the potato mixture to the eggs, stirring to blend.

Wipe the skillet clean, add the remaining tablespoon of oil and warm over medium-low heat. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet, and sprinkle with the Parmesan and Fontina cheese.

Cook, drawing eggs away from the sides and bottom of the pan with a heatproof spatula so that the uncooked egg runs underneath. When the mixture is loosely set around the edges, place pan in the oven, and bake until puffed and completely set, about 20 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and slide out onto a serving plate. Sprinkle the parsley. Cut into wedges and serve.

VEGETABLE FRITTATA

This comes from Elaine Lemm, About.com's British & Irish Food expert. She writes, “Vegetable Frittata makes a super-quick, delicious supper dish It may not be a classic British food but it is one that is much-loved here.

“Frittata can be eaten warm with a side salad, or left to cool and makes a great lunch-box treat or for sliced for picnics and parties.

“For a Frittata you can use any cooked vegetables you have to hand or to use up which makes it a surprisingly cheap dish. My favorites are cold diced potato, peppers, courgettes (zucchini), and shredded leeks. The frittata is your palette to create whatever flavors you like.”

Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes; Yield: Serves 4

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, peeled and finely sliced

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

9 oz mixed, diced, cooked vegetables of your choice

1 cup cavolo nero or spring cabbage, shredded

6 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

4 oz soft goats' cheese, crumbled

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a 9 in/23cm frying pan and cook the onion on a low heat for about 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic, stir, then add the cooked vegetables and cabbage. Cook for a further 2 mins.

Season the beaten eggs with a twist of black pepper and a little salt, tip the eggs into the cooked vegetables in the frying pan and stir. Add the parsley and stir well.

Turn the heat down to low and cook until the sides and center of the omlette is barely set. Turn the frittata onto a large plate, then transfer back to the frying pan uncooked side down.

Sprinkle the goats cheese over and cook for a further 5 minutes (alternatively transfer the frittata to the grill and cook for 10 minutes) or until the frittata is golden and firm.

Remove from the heat, and leave to cool slightly. Cut into wedges and serve with a green salad.