Blueberry cake with crumble topping

I made this cake with a mixture of blueberries and raspberries as I had both in the fridge and both were sour as ****.

Cake:
1.5 cups of plain flour
3/4 cups sugar (I used caster)
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 medium egg
1/3 cup milk
1 cup of blueberries or raspberries

Topping:
1/3 cup plain flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 tsp cinnamon or all spice for a more festive smelling cake


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F/170 Celsius. Grease and line a cake tin/ loaf tin, I used a small 15cm tin.

In a bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. In a measuring cup, pour in 1/3 cup of vegetable oil, 1 egg and top it up with milk until the cup is full. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well. Add the berries and mix it all gently together so as not to break the berries too much. Put the mixture into the pan.

Prepare the topping by mixing the sugar, flour, cinnamon and butter into a breadcrumb consistency. Sprinkle on top of the cake mixture and bake for approximately 35-40 minutes or until ready. Pig out once cooled.

Alabama Shrimp Bake

Last night I told the hubby that shrimp is on sale and what would he like me to make.  He pulled this oldie but goodie out of his brain.

Do you remember when Forrest Gump was all the rage?  Well Southern Living Magazine took advantage of it and put out a "Bubba Gump Cookbook" that took all the SL shrimp recipes and put them in one book.  Mom gave me and my sis one for Christmas along with the usual "Southern Living Annual Cookbook" and a Chickfila Calendar.  I do believe I have made every recipe in the Bubba Gump Cookbook but this one was very popular with my family.  Enjoy!

1 cup butter, melted (I used 1/2 cup)
3/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. salt (I used seasoning salt)
1 tbsp. freshly-ground black pepper
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper (cayenne)
1 tbsp. hot sauce (I used Sriracha)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 lbs. unpeeled large or jumbo fresh shrimp (I peeled mine)
2 lemons, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced


1. Preheat oven to 400F. Combine first 9 ingredients (through garlic) in a small bowl; set aside.
2. Rinse shrimp with cold water; drain well. In an ungreased 9x13x2-inch baking dish, layer shrimp, lemon slices, and onion slices. Pour butter mixture over shrimp.
3. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes (less if you're using peeled shrimp) or until shrimp turn pink, basting occasionally with pan juices.

I like to make some Linguine noodles and cook them al dente.  I will put the noodles in a large bowl and then pour the shrimp on top and let them sit for a minute or 2 so the noodles absorb some of the juice.  

Roasted Bananas

I just pulled this out of my butt and it is NOOOOOOOOOOOMS!!!  - BaconSlut

Heat the over to 400 degrees.  Butter a metal bread loaf pan.  Cut two bananas down the center, lengthwise.  Drizzle with real maple syrup, sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice, and add a few small dots of butter.  Roast for about 12 minutes (go by the smell) before om nom nom-ing.

Ibby's Food Coma Spinach Balls

3/4 of a large onion, minced and microwaved for a few minutes
2 boxes of frozen spinach, thawed, drained and chopped thoroughly
6 large eggs
1/2 cup melted butter
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp garlic powder
2 cups herb stuffing mix (not the cubed kind but the crumbs kind)

1 cup grated (shredded) Parmesan cheese

Mix all ingredients except cheese together and form into 1" balls.  Roll into the cheese and place on baking sheet.  Bake on 350 for 20 mins.  Let cool and devour.  Can be made ahead and frozen.

Chicken or Salmon Superfood Salad

Thanks again Eliza for this super-healthy meal, courtesy of The Leon Cookbook.

2 tbsp quinoa
½ head of broccoli
300g free-range chicken thighs, each cut into 4 pieces and marinated overnight, or 4 x 70g slices of salmon fillet
2 handfuls of rocket
2 handfuls of baby spinach
2 vine-ripened tomatoes, roughly chopped
120g frozen peas (if using fresh, use 500g unshelled pods)
1 lemon
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
A light sprinkling of alfalfa sprouts
3 tbsp aïoli
2 tbsp toasted seeds
A hefty sprinkling of chopped mint and parsley
Salt and pepper
Put 80ml of water into a small pan and bring to the boil. Stir in the quinoa and boil fast for five minutes, then turn the heat down and simmer for five minutes more. Turn the heat off, fluff with a fork, and leave until cooled.
Preheat your grill to very hot, or get your griddle pan smoking.
Cut the broccoli into small florets and slice the stalks into 1cm thick circles. Drop into a pan of rapidly boiling salted water for three minutes, then drain and run under the tap until cold.
Season your protein. Then for chicken, grill for five minutes, turn it over, then five minutes more; a scant three minutes each side for the salmon slices.
While all this is going on, build your salad: toss the leaves, tomatoes, broccoli and peas in the juice of half a lemon and the olive oil. Lift on to one big serving dish or individuals, scatter on the cooled quinoa and alfalfa. The next layer is the protein (try feta if you're veggie). Top with the aïoli, seeds and herbs, with the other half lemon, wedged, on the side.

Risotto Allo Zafferano (Saffron Risotto)

This is a Jamie Oliver recipe from his new cookbook "Comfort Food" and is bloody delicious. He suggests serving it with Ossobuco Alla Milanese (cross-cut veal shanks), but they are impossible to get where I live, so I stuck with risotto on its own.

Ingredients:
1.2 litres fresh chicken stock (best quality you can afford)
1 onion
1 celery heart
2 knobs of unsalted butter
1 good pinch of saffron threads
450g Arborio risotto rice
200ml Pinot Bianco or Verdicchio (white wine)
80g Parmesan cheese
extra virgin olive oil


Method:

Pour your stock into a pan on low heat and leave it there to simmer, it needs to be hot when you need it.

Peel the onion. Click off 6 celery sticks and return them to the fridge, you need the central yellow heart bit. Finely chop with the onion and put into a large high-sided pan on a medium-low heat with one knob of butter. Cook for 15 minutes, or until soft, but not coloured, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, put the saffron threads in a bowl and cover with a small ladleful of hot stock.

Stir the rice into a pan for a couple of minutes, then turn the heat up to medium- high, add the wine and cook it away completely, then add the saffron stock and stir for a few minutes until absorbed. Add the remaining stock a ladleful at a time, only adding more once each ladleful has been nearly absorbed and stirring regularly for 16 minutes in total or until the rice is cooked and a pleasure to eat, but still holds its shape. Add a final splash of stock to give you a loose, oozy consistency.

Remove from heat, beat in remaining knob of butter and finely grate in most of the parmesan, then season the risotto to taste. Cover with a lid and leave to sit for 2 minutes, then stir well. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and remaining parmesan. And don't say I didn't warn you about it being delicious!

The Original Leon Superfood Salad

Photo from KeepRecipes.com

Look y'all...we've gone all international now that Eliza has given us a recipe from London!

2 tbsp quinoa
Salt and pepper
2-3 broccoli spears, cut into bite-sized florets, stalks sliced
120g frozen peas
Quarter cucumber, peeled,cut into slim batons
100g good-quality feta cheese, crumbled
1 handful of alfalfa sprouts
2 tbsp toasted seeds such as pumpkin, sesame and sunflower
½ avocado, cut into pieces
1 small handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 small handful of mint, chopped
2 dsp lemon juice
4 dsp extra-virgin olive oil

Put the quinoa into a small pan. Cover with cold water to a couple of centimetres/one inch above the grain and let it gently simmer over a low heat until the water has evaporated — this takes about 15 minutes — then cool to room temperature.
Pour one inch of hot water into another saucepan, add a pinch of salt. Bring it to the boil, drop in the broccoli & peas, cover and boil for 3 minutes. Drain and run under cold water to take all the heat out and keep the broccoli good and green.
Now build your salad in layers: broccoli, peas, cucumber, feta, alfalfa sprouts, seeds, avocado, quinoa and finally the herbs. Only dress it with the lemon juice, oil and seasoning just before you eat it.

Serves 2

Byerly's Famous Beer Cheese Soup

Photo Credit Parsley at Food.com

BaconSlut is at it again.  Chilly fall evenings usher in thoughts of (local grocery) Byerly's famous beer cheese soup for those living in these parts.  It is both comfort and joy in a bowl.  Add a crisp green side salad and some crusty bread, and a delicious dinner is done! Make 8 cups. 

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup minced onion

2/3 cup flour

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1 (10 3/4 oz. can) chicken broth

4 cups whole milk

1 (12 oz.) can of beer  (Byerly's uses local Summit Pilsner)

3 cups freshly and finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese  (Byerly's uses local Land O' Lakes)

popcorn (for garnish)

Melt butter in large kettle; saute onion until soft.

Blend in flour and seasonings, and gradually stir in broth, milk, and beer.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil; boil and stir one minute.

Stir in cheese (do this slowly, in small batches, making sure all of the cheese is melted before adding additional  cheese).  Heat and stir until smooth.  Garnish with popcorn.

Raspberry Charlotte

Eliza submitted this recipe from Saveur Magazine online.  Looks yummy and versatile. 

FOR THE CAKE:
1 tbsp. butter
4 eggs, separated
½ cup sugar
7 tbsp. cake flour
1¼ tsp. vanilla extract

FOR THE FILLING:
9 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
¾ cup sugar
1 package unflavored gelatin
¼ cup eau-de-vie de poire (pear brandy)
2 cups heavy cream

FOR THE SAUCE:
3 tbsp. superfine sugar
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp. eau-de-vie de poire (pear brandy)

 1. For the cake: Preheat oven to 400°. Butter a 9" springform pan and line bottom with buttered parchment. Whisk together egg yolks and sugar in a bowl until pale yellow. Gradually beat in flour until mixture is smooth. Add vanilla and set aside. Whisk egg whites in a medium bowl until stiff peaks form, then fold whites into yolk mixture, taking care not to deflate whites. Pour into pan and bake until brown, 25–30 minutes. Set aside to cool.

2. For the filling: Put raspberries, sugar, and 1 cup water into a medium saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until sugar dissolves and berries break down, about 10 minutes. Press through a sieve set over a bowl to catch purée. Return 2 cups purée to pan and set over low heat. Reserve remaining purée for sauce. Sprinkle gelatin in ¼ cup cold water, set aside until softened, then add to purée in pan, stirring until dissolved, 1–2 minutes. Remove from heat, add eau-de-vie, and set aside to cool. Whip cream in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Gently fold cooled purée into cream.

3. Unmold cake and discard parchment. Slice cake in half crosswise, then return cake bottom to pan with ring reattached. Pour in filling, then replace cake top, brown side up. Cover with plastic; refrigerate for 24 hours.

4. For the sauce: Combine reserved berry purée, sugar, lemon juice, and eau-de-vie in a bowl and stir until sugar has dissolved. Slice cake and serve with sauce.

Ooey, Gooey Chocolate Chip & Walnut Oatmeal Cookies

Thanks to GingerSoul, I will gain back the 15 lbs I recently lost.  These look Mauv-e-lus!!!

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
½ cup brown sugar, packed
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
¾ cup all purpose flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
Pinch of salt
1 cup oats
¼ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a KitchenAid standalone mixer with paddle attachment (or electric mixer), cream butter and sugar together.
3. Add vanilla and egg and mix on low speed.
4. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg together in a separate bowl, and add a little at a time while mixing on low speed.
5. Add oats and mix until just blended.
6. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts by hand with a large spoon.
7. Using a cookie scooper (or teaspoon), drop round balls of cookie dough on a baking sheet at least 1 inch apart.
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until slightly golden brown. Do not overbake or cookies will be too hard.
9. Transfer to a cooling rack using a spatula. 

Makes 16 cookies.