TWD: Whole Wheat Bread

This is an all right loaf of whole wheat bread. Maybe I should have tried harder to find malt powder. I substituted molasses instead. While this bread is not spectacular, it serves as a fine vehicle for all the jams we've been making this year. I think I'll still keep looking for the ideal loaf, at least for me.

You can find the recipe at the lovely blogs veggie num nums or The Family That Bakes Together.

Coconut Corn Salad

Here's another fresh corn recipe to get in before it's all gone! This one comes from 101 cookbooks, which is one of my favorite blogs. We adapted it slightly, and it turned out lovely! I'm trying to get in as much summer cuisine as possible before it's undeniably fall. I love fall cooking, but I want to savor as much summer flavor as possible before then! This quick salad fits the bill with tropical flavors and sweet, fresh corn.

Coconut Corn Salad
from 101 Cookbooks

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cups of corn kernels from 4 ears of corn

Kosher salt (1 teaspoon or so)

3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

1 1/2 oz (1 cup) big coconut flakes

3 oz (1 cup) sliced almonds

3 tablespoons chopped red onions

2 to 3 tablespoons lime juice

If you're like me, and don't like a really intense red onion flavor, soak the chopped onions in a bowl of cold water while you're prepping the rest of the salad. Drain them before adding to the rest of the ingredients.  

Toast the almonds in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, or doing the saute snap. After,the almonds are done, set them aside in a small bowl and toast the coconut flakes. After setting the coconut flakes aside in a small bowl, melt the butter in the skillet. Add the corn, salt to taste, and cook for two to three minutes until it's somewhat soft. 

Put the corn in a medium bowl. Mix in the basil, red onions, and lime juice. Serve topped with almonds and coconut.

Fresh Corn Risotto

We had a good friend over for dinner last week and made this. She requested the recipe, so I figured I'd share it with all of you too! My version is pretty similar to the original, but I adopted it to include more corn because that was my favorite part. Also, I used the Cooks Illustrated technique, because it involves less stirring. You'll have to hurry with this before fresh corn goes totally out of season, but I promise it's worth it!

Fresh Corn Risotto

adapted from Food and Wine

technique from Cooks Illustrated

6 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock, divided

1 bay leaf

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, very finely chopped

12 ounces (1 1/2 cups) cups arborio rice 

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 cups white corn kernels (from 4 ears)

3 ounces (1 cup) freshly grated Parmesan

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Keep the stock warm in a medium saucepan with the bay leaf while you're working on the rest of the risotto. 

In a heavy pot, heat the olive oil over medium to medium high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and cook for about 3 minutes, until opaque.  Add the white wine vinegar and 1/2 cup vegetable stock. Stir until absorbed. Add another 3 cups of stock and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce to a simmer and stir occasionally until it is mostly absorbed. 

Stir in the corn. Add the remaining stock 1/2 cup at a time, stirring pretty well constantly until each addition is absorbed.  The rice is done when it's creamy, but still has some chew in the center. If you run out of stock and the rice isn't done, add some water. 

When the rice is cooked, stir in the Parmesan and butter. Salt and pepper to taste. Remove the bay leaf before serving. 

TWD: Plum Upside Down Cake

This was supposed to be a nectarine upside down cake.I had some plums that were too sour for snacking, so I used those instead. It turned out pretty well. I had a hard time telling for sure when the cake was done, so I think I undercooked it. The middle fell down after it came out of the oven. Oh well, at least it still tasted pretty good!

The layers of plums looked so pretty that I had to take a picture!

The recipe can be found at the double trouble kitchen or the little french bakery. 

This wasn't the most photogenic cake, but it was delicious.

No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake

I'm behind on posting recipes, so it's already a little late this year for strawberries. Still, I think this recipe would be excellent with some of the late season raspberries that are available now. It would make a prefect smooth and creamy end of summer treat. You don't even have to turn on your oven! The berry flavor is the most prominent, so make sure to use good ones. This isn't a hard dessert to make, but it does take a little bit of time, so plan ahead. You can find the recipe over at the cooking channel.

Smashed Chickpea Salad

This is a really simple salad to throw together. I love chickpeas. They're an easy and delicious way to add substance to a meal. Canned chickpeas are a pantry staple in our house. Here, combined with red pepper, red onion and olives they make a filling lunch or dinner. The recipe is from smitten kitchen. Deb suggests it as a sandwich topping, but we loved it on some pearled barley instead. If you're not a fan of the intense flavor of red onion, you can soak the chopped pieces in cold water for 10 minutes before using them in the recipe. 

Smashed Chickpea Salad

1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup chopped red pepper

2 tablespoons chopped black olives

1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon lemon zest

2 tablespoons lemon juice

½ to 1 teaspoon salt, to taste

½ teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Combine all the ingredients and salt and pepper to taste. Smash some of the mixture for textural contrast. Serve on cooked barley, another grain, or a piece of bread. 

Beignets

This was our first foray into fried food. I've always been scared of a pot of super hot oil, so we heated it up very slowly to avoid getting it too hot. Unfortunately our cowardice made the process take two hours. The next time we fried, we turned the heat on high and it went a lot faster. Luckily these were worth even the unnecessarily long wait! Crispy on the outside, soft but not doughy in the middle, these beignets covered in powdered sugar are the perfect fried dough. The recipe is from Leite's Culinaria, and I'll just direct you there since their instructions are perfect.