MINI girl

Banana-Cherry Smoothie

Here is an easy smoothie you can whip up before work. You'll get two servings of fruit plus calcium and protein. Breakfast of champions!

Ingredients:
1 cup frozen pitted cherries
1 banana, broken up
1 cup (or more) soymilk

Method:
Blend in blender until liquified adding more soymilk as necessary.

Almond Cake

I made this easy dessert for Easter supper at my sister's house. It was really good, not too heavy, and the almond flavor was very appropriate for the holiday.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup fine yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup almond paste, cut into half-inch pieces
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar, plus more for dusting
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup sour cream

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease an 8-inch round cake pan with vegetable spray. An alternative is to butter and flour the cake pan.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, cake flour and baking powder and set aside.
4. Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and almond paste on high speed until smooth, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to low and slowly add confectioners' sugar. Mix until thoroughly combined and light and fluffy. Raise speed to high and add the vanilla extract, whole eggs and egg yolks, 1 at a time. Mix until well combined. Reduce speed to medium and add the sour cream and dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the surface with a spatula. Bake in the lower third of the oven for 35 minutes, or until the cake is golden and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool. Remove from pan and dust with confectioners' sugar.

Recipe by Giada De Laurentiis

Herb Stuffed Rainbow Trout

This is a great recipe – and so easy to prepare. It was inspired by a method recommended by Coastal Seafoods. The fish comes out extremely moist and flavorful. My husband claimed it was the best fish he has ever eaten!

Rainbow trout has a nice, flaky texture and delicate flavor. Cooking it with the skin on adds flavor and helps hold the meat together. The skin is edible if you like to eat it.

Ingredients:
2 whole rainbow trout, boned, 8oz each
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
3 Tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped
¼ cup of olive oil, divided
½ cup fish stock (water or white wine could be substituted)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Cut slits at a 45-degree angle across the skin of the fish, about 1.5” apart.
3. Open fish to expose fillets, and spread mustard evenly on surface. Top with garlic and herbs.
4. Drizzle half of the olive oil in a shallow pan or rimmed cookie sheet. Place the stuffed fish on the pan and drizzle with the remaining olive oil and fish stock.
5. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Susanne Leighton-Brooder, 2008

Mixed Seafood Paella

This has a lot of ingredients, but it is easier than it looks and you can vary the ingredients to your liking.

The chorizo is optional, but it really adds great flavor. If you only have one color of bell peppers, just use that. If you don't have any dry sherry on hand, omit it. Chicken broth or vegetable broth may be substituted for the fish broth. The type of fish can be any combination that you prefer.

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 chorizo sausages, cooked, cut into chunks
2 tsp minced garlic
6 oz onions, chopped fine
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/4 c (10 oz) rice
1/4 c (2 fl. oz) dry sherry
3 1/4 c (26 fl. oz) fish broth
8 oz cleaned squid (cut the bodies of the squid into rings, quarter the tentacles)
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp dried hot red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp saffron
6 oz barramundi fish, skinned, cut into 1” chunks
6 oz cobia fish, skinned, cut into 1” chunks
4 oz bay scallops
4 oz small uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 oz peas
4 Tbsp capers
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Method:

1. Heat the olive oil in a paella pan (wide round pan) over medium heat. Add the chorizo, garlic, onions, tomato, and bell peppers. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Add the rice and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the sherry and continue to stir until the it evaporates. Add the fish broth, squid, and spices (paprika through saffron). Cook for 15 minutes.
3. Add the fish chunks and cook for 5 minutes. Add the scallops, shrimp, peas and capers. Combine well and continue cooking for 5-10 minutes or until the rice is tender, the fish is just cooked through, and the broth has been absorbed.
4. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve straight from the pan.

© Susanne Leighton-Brooder, 2008

Baked Chocolate Pudding

This is an easy dessert that bakes while you eat dinner. Serve warm with whipped cream if desired.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp butter
1 c flour
3/4 c sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 c milk
1 tsp vanilla

1/2 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 c boiling water

Method:
Preheat oven to 350F.
Place butter in a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish; place in oven to melt. Remove from oven and set aside.
Meanwhile combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and cocoa powder in a medium bowl. Stir in milk and vanilla. Pour evenly into casserole dish.
Combine sugar, brown sugar and cocoa powder in a separate small bowl. Add boiling water and whisk to combine. Pour this mixture over the other mixture in the casserole; do NOT stir. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes.

Dorothy Plank