BIZZY BAKES

I have not added many new recipes in the last week because school started and I found it hard not to think about  my class and what will make it an effective year for them.  I believe strongly in a class personality and that factor determines how I handle the class both in learning and discipline. I am teaching two classes, this year, and when I walked into each one, I felt good.  The boys were normal with no one glaring as a discipline problem.  I know that in one class there is a child who has been difficult over the years.  I made it a point to connect with him immediately.  He behaved and participated.  One day of success.  Now for the days to come. Last year, the class was supposed to be a dream class and from the moment I walked in, I felt a tension, I never felt before in that room.  It remained for at least half the year and never dissipated completely.  It took me months to understand that this class felt entitled. ...

This week, in Eating with Ellie, Margaret selected Corn and Quinoa with Sausage found on page 158 in Weeknight Wonders.  I was thrilled when I saw this on our list.  Corn and sausage always appeal to me and quinoa is not far behind.  All three sounded like a winning recipe and in fact, it was. The procedures went quickly although, you do have to prepare by cooking the quinoa and frying up the sausage and vegetables.  I did both at the same time to speed the process and the whole thing, did not take long.  Quinoa cooks much more quickly than rice which is why I have been choosing it for recipes above the brown rice, I used to cook, so much of the time. The sausage gives this a great flavor as does the cilantro.  I expected this to be a favorite and I was not disappointed. Let's find out what the other ladies did with this recipe at our site. Waste Not Want Not Wednesday               Creative Munst...

I made these once before and I didn't learn my lesson or more to the point, I didn't leave myself a note, not to add the spinach.  Even though I chopped it into small pieces, it was still too big to fit easily into the batter.  It caused some of the patties not to adhere easily.  As you can see, I could not get nice round patties.  They tasted fine despite this. Baked Southwestern Style Salmon Cakes adapted from Cook's Illustrated Ingredients: 2 cups flaked cooked salmon 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped fine  3/4 cup frozen corn, thawed 1 cup chopped baby spinach 4 scallions minced 1 teaspoon dried cilantro  1 cup dried Panko crumbs  1/4 cup mayonnaise  1 large egg Salt and ground black pepper to taste Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees In a small bowl combine  the breadcrumbs with the eggs, mayonnaise, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Mix well. Ge...

The longer days necessitate more food on the Sabbath.  Our third meal of the day becomes more complex with lots of salads.  I made some new ones this week and this black bean salad was particularly good. Black Bean Salad With Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette 1(15 ounce) can  black beans , drained and rinsed 2 cups of corn kernels 1⁄4 cup diced  red onion 2 red bell peppers , diced 1⁄2 cup  cilantro , chopped Vinaigrette 2 limes, zest of 2 tablespoons  fresh lime juice 2 tablespoons  extra virgin olive oil 2 garlic cloves , minced 1⁄8 teaspoon  cayenne pepper                     2 tablespoons  sugar 1 teaspoon  cumin 1/2 teaspoon salt Method: Combine all ingredients in a  large bowl and mix well. Toss with desired amount of dressing. Cover and chill for a few hours or overnight Linked to:   Real Food Recipe Round-Up      Treasure...

I don't make corn in any form enough.  Corn is a favorite in our house and when I think of it, I make corn fritters or a delicious corn casserole.  The best is fresh corn, straight from the garden, hardly cooked at all.  The natural sweetness of the corn shines in the fresh picked vegetable. When we had our garden, corn was our favorite crop.  When it was in season, it was nightly a  treat, for us.  I would have the water boiling before it was picked and shucked.  What a delight. Now, it has become an afterthought after the more healthy vegetables, such as broccoli and spinach.  This recipe inspired me to get out that corn and enjoy. Curried Corn Soup Ingredients: 4 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil 1 red onion, thin sliced 1 stalk celery, finely chopped 1 large carrot, finely chopped 2 tablespoons finely chopped peeled ginger 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped 1 1/2 tea...

I fell in love with recipes by Ellie Krieger in our original group CEiMB and have done that again in our new group Eating with Ellie, EwE.  I probably say this every week but that is what happens with true love.  Ask my hubby. This week, I chose a simple vegetable recipe which had spinach and corn, two of my favorites and zucchini which fits anywhere.  I made this about a month ago and all I remember is that we liked it.  It is an uncomplicated  side dish, won't be spectacular but it should be good to eat and goes with everything. To see what the other gals did this week, stop by Eating with Ellie (EwE )

This winter has been a COLD one with lots of snow and ice.  That makes it the perfect weather for soup and more soup. The magic of soup is that almost any soup is delicious, or at least, we think so, in our home.  I have proven it by the number of soups that have been made in my kitchen in the past month and we honestly loved each one. I found this soup, aptly called Sunshine Soup in Nigella's book, "Nigella Kitchen."   I could leave this book out and read it, any time, I have a few minutes.  It is a wonderful way to learn about Nigella's life and her thinking about cooking.  There are so many tips punctuating not only her recipes but also her stories. The soup is rich in vegetable broth with corn, garlic and roasted peppers.  Roasted peppers are delight by themselves; put them into a soup and the rich flavor permeates every aspect of the soup. Look out the window at the snow and eat this soup.  You will see the sun reflecting from the snow an...

I shouldn't like chili because I don't usually like mixed meat and vegetable dished but this chili was very good.  I went back for seconds. Turkey Chili Ingredients: 1 pound lean ground turkey (lean) 28-ounce can no-salt-added crushed tomatoes 2 cups water 2 large onions, chopped 1 tablespoons chili powder 1 teaspoon paprika 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (or more to taste) 2 teaspoons brown rice flour one 15-ounce can no-salt-added black beans, drained and rinsed 2 cups frozen corn kernels  Method: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the turkey, stirring to break up the meat.  Drain the fat. My turkey had almost no fat. Add the tomatoes, water, onions, chili powder, paprika, black pepper, cumin, oregano, and red pepper. Mix thoroughly. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, 25 to 30 minutes. Stir in the flour, and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Stir in the b...

I mention, in another post, I am cooking lots of side dishes.  We really don't ever run out of sides.  There are those from veggies, rice, quinoa, pasta, greens and bread.  The combinations are endless.   The book, I found the recipe in has been on my shelf since 1994.  There are a whole series of 365 Ways books highlighting different areas of cooking.  This one is right for me since it is vegetarian.  Although, I am not a vegetarian, a good share of my cooking is purely veggies.  The more we eat, the more we like our vegetables. Why don't children like vegetables?  It makes no sense to me.  Guessing, the parents are to blame.  A lot of the child's choices have to do with what is put in front of her or him as a baby.  (Is that why I like chocolate?) On the other hand, there are some inborn preferences.  It happens my youngest child does not like bananas and has not offered it to her baby.  My husband lov...

I love corn, especially when it is creamy in texture or when it is fresh off the stalk.  I know, one is overcooked and the other almost raw.  It doesn't matter.  Corn is good. Growing your own corn is a treat.  Going out, at the last minute to pick it and then drop it into boiling water for just a few minutes and ending with the sweetest corn in the world is well worth the gardening. Corn Pudding Ingredients: 4 cups thawed corn kernels  4 large eggs 3/4 cup whipping cream 1/2 cup whole milk 1/3 cup honey or sugar 1/4 cup oil 2 tablespoons gluten-free flour mixture 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2  teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon parsley Method: Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease a square pan with spray cooking oil. Blend all ingredients, except for two cups of the corn, in food processor until almost smooth. Add parsley. Pour into prepared dish.  Bake pudding for 45 mi...

Corn is good in anything.  Fresh from the garden corn on the cob is the best.  Corn kugel, soup, salad, side are all delicious.  Corn with black beans is a treat.  I really like corn and don't use it enough.  I have forgotten where I found this recipe and I have altered it quite a bit but it turned out to be delicious.  I do have leftovers and I plan to use my immersion blender to make it smoother. Corn Chowder 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 1/2 cup celery, chopped 2 small red potatoes, chopped 2 cups sweet corn (fresh or frozen) 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth 1 can lite coconut milk 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 2 cups fresh baby spinach  Heat oil in large, heavy saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion and celery, and sauté 5 minutes, or until soft. Add potatoes and corn and cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-...

I love corn pudding.  I have made different corn puddings since I first got married.  There is something endearing about the creamy dish with pieces of corn and a touch of sweetness. Corn Chive Pudding - adapted by Paula Deen (The Lady and Sons) Ingredients: 2 10-oz packages frozen corn, thawed 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 4 large eggs 2 cups Rice Milk 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives 3 tablespoons gluten-free  flour (Brown Rice) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract  Method: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a baking dish.  In a food processor, pulse half of the corn until coarsely chopped; transfer to a mixing bowl.  Add the remaining corn and sprinkle with the sugar and salt; stir to combine.  Whisk together the eggs, milk, oil, chives, flour, and vanilla, and combine with the corn.  Pour into the baking dish and sprinkle with nutmeg. ...

Zucchini Corn Bread ( adapted from Bon Appetit ) Ingredients: 1/2 cup oil 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 1/2 cup buttermilk 1 large zucchini (about 10 ounces) 1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour 1/2 cup sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 3/4 cup medium-grind cornmeal Method: Position a rack in the middle of oven and preheat to 350°.Greaser a 9 x 5 x 3" loaf pan. Combine eggs, oil and buttermilk. Trim zucchini ends. Thinly slice five 1/8" rounds from 1 end of zucchini and reserve for garnish.  Coarsely grate remaining zucchini.  Add to bowl with butter mixture and stir until well blended. Sift  flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda into a large bowl. Whisk in cornmeal.  Add zucchini mixture; fold just to blend (mixture will be very thick).  Transfer batter to prepared pan and smooth top. Place reserved zucchini slices atop batter d...

I am impressed at the number of books, Donna Hay, has written. I have been reading two of her books with great pleasure.  I have been putting stickies on the recipes I like and I found a number that sound like something for our table. For my first recipe (not my first Donna Hay recipe), I chose a simple corn cake from Modern Classic, Book 1. The book has many photos and they are plated nicely and feel comfortable. Some books beautify their dishes and the surrounding area so, it feels like it doesn't belong in my house. Her food is often on a plain white background and stands out beautifully, simple in design. I was interested in these corn cakes because they have Cheddar cheese in them. I usually make mine without any dairy products. It also has bacon which I can't use because I am kosher. I substituted some olive oil to cook the corn cakes in. I did not like, the set-up of the recipe, since the flour and baking powder were separated by several ingredients and I ended ...