Garlic Bread with a Kick

My family loves garlic bread. I usually mix a couple cloves with some softened butter, split a small loaf of sourdough bread lengthwise, spread the butter and then sprinkle a little bit of paprika. Then I wrap it in foil, and bake it for 15 minutes at 425 or 450.

This time I was in a hurry, but thought I had done everything properly. However, when it came time to eat it, my son refused because he said it was too spicy. After I tasted it, I realized that I added cayenne instead of paprika! I liked it and would do it again, except that I don't want to be the only person to eat it.

Thai Pesto

A friend came over for lunch today and we had Thai Pesto. It was very good and very easy with a food processor. I didn't put as much chili sauce in it in case it was too spicy, but I think that next time I will add it all because I think it could have had more kick. This isn't summertime (although it feels like it today) but this would be a great summer meal or side dish.

For those of you who don't like Asian food, here is a tip: fix yourself a grilled cheese sandwich. That is what my husband did and he said his lunch was better than ours. :)

Cranberry Jello

Here is the recipe my husband uses for his Thanksgiving cranberry dish.

1 lb Cranberries
2 C. Orange juice
1/2 C. honey
2 Tb. plain gelatin
Grated rind of one orange (optional)
1 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple
1/2 Pint Whipping cream
1 C chopped walnuts

Boil cranberries in orange juice until berries pop. Add honey and gelatin; let mixture cool. Add orange rind, pineapple, and nuts. Whip cream and fold it into the jello. Pour mixture into a mold and refrigerate to set.

My comments:

Since cranberries now come in 12 ounce packages instead of 16 ounce ones, my husband sometimes takes extra from a second bag and sometimes he does the math to reduce everything by25%.

In all the times we have made this since we've been married about half the time we have had trouble with the gelatin. If we just dump in the gelatin part of it turns into inedible globs and is hard to remove before eating. Dissolving it in water didn't work very well, either, and if you do that you need to reduce the orange juice by the amount of water that is used. What has worked best is me constantly stirring the pot while he sprinkles the gelatin over the sauce. Also, since the gelatin we have comes in packages it is hard to measure in tablespoons. Last time he used 2.5 packages for 12 ounces of berries* and it worked out well.

When I said something to my mother-in-law about this recipe she said that she didn't like it because it was too greasy with the cream and that she only makes it because her children all like it so much. Neither my husband or I have ever noticed any greasiness, but if that sort of fat bothers you, you probably could use Cool Whip. What I have noticed, however, is that it is very acidic. I didn't notice that this year but, unlike most other Christmases, I am not pregnant and when I am pregnant I am very sensitive to acid.

Finally, we have never used a mold for this. A glass bowl works fine, and if you don't have that then I guess use plastic. For some reason I am under the impression that stainless steel wouldn't work very well.

Enjoy!

* He just told me that this time he used 12 ounces of berries but kept all the other ingredients the same just to see if it would work this way. I guess it did.

Corn on the Cob

I love corn on the cob, but always felt guilty lathering it with butter and salt. Not something my body needs.

Last summer we were invited over to dinner a some friends' home and they served us corn on the cob. They had recently gotten back from a honeymoon in Mexico where they were served corn on the cob with lime juice and sprinkled with chili powder. They loved that so much they served that to us.

Salt and butter step aside! That combination was so good that I have done it every time we have had corn this summer. In my opinion it tastes far better than the traditional salt and butter, and opinion aside, limes and chilis are far, far better for me than salt and butter.

In full disclosure though, my husband didn't care for it and will stick with the usual.

Romaine Salad with Lime-Garlic Dressing

I found this salad recipe at Orangette. She always has excellent recipes there. I haven't tried it yet, but it looks so yummy! Romaine lettuce is my favorite for salads (although I do like a combination of lettuces, too) and the dressing sounds wonderful.

Summer Romaine Salad with Lime-Garlic Dressing

For dressing:
3 Tbs plus 1 tsp fresh lime juice
5 Tbs good-tasting olive oil
¼ tsp minced garlic
1/8 tsp fine sea salt

For salad:
Romaine lettuce, washed, dried, and cut with a chef’s knife into rough ½-inch strips
Cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
Slivered red onion
Greek feta

First, make the dressing. In a small bowl or jar, combine the lime juice, olive oil, garlic, and salt. Whisk until emulsified, and set aside.

In a salad bowl, combine romaine, cherry tomatoes, and red onion in whatever proportions you like. Toss with dressing to taste, and top with plenty of feta. Serve.

Note: Dressing keeps, covered and chilled, for up to a week.