Black Bean and Corn Salsa

It doesn't get any easier than this ... really. When it comes to simple recipes with just a handful of ingredients, I'm all ears. With so much going on in my life daily it helps to have tried and true recipes with few ingredients  that are frugal to boot.

I make this for the kids fairly often and it never fails to disappear completely within minutes. As soon as they realize it's being stirred together they're waiting with tortillas in hand to scoop up and devour. I've made it in different ways before, but this is the one we all like best.

You don't need to rinse the black beans, and feel free to use your own beans cooked from dry and freshly cooked or thawed frozen corn, as well. I've also made this with fresh salsa that I make myself. The cumin and garlic are optional depending on the seasoning used in the salsa.

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

Black Bean and Corn Salsa
Makes 6 cups
Printable Recipe

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (or two cups cooked from dry)
1 can whole kernel corn, drained (or two cups fresh or thawed frozen)
1 jar (16 ounces) salsa (or two cups fresh)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 clove garlic, minced

Combine all and stir well to blend. Eat right away or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Watch it disappear!

Fondue Date Night

Cheese Fondue

Fondue seems to be making a comeback lately. Not just in homes, but there are whole restaurants devoted to the smooth, warm dipping sauces. I recall back in the 70's the big joke was how many Crock-Pots® or fondue pots a couple would get as wedding gifts.Some had 4 or 5 fondue sets, so it's no real surprise to me that I can find many for sale on sites like eBay or Etsy.

Cheese Fondue and dippers. L to R: Meatballs, fried cooked salami cubes, steamed asparagus tips, grape tomatoes, bread cubes and pretzel sticks. Provide extra small skewers (left) and plates in addition to the longer skewers that come with your set. The longer skewers aren't meant for eating from, they're simply made for dipping foods that are then set on plates.

I even found my own set at a local yard sale a few years ago. It sat in the box until I stopped at Pier 1 the other day and found a brand new contemporary fondue set on sale. It was too cute to pass up and I started thinking about dual fondues for dinner one night.


Tonight was that night and the kids thoroughly loved it. Fondue is so easy to make if you take your time and do it right. The list of 'dippers' is endless for both cheese and chocolate and it's easy enough to do for a party or just a weeknight dinner at home. It's especially good with lots of kids because there's usually something for everyone.

Chocolate Fondue

Fondue is derived from the French word "fondre" meaning, to melt. Simple as that. Bread as a dipper was the traditional, though almost anything you like dipped in cheese or chocolate will work these days.

Chocolate fondue and dippers. L to R: marshmallows, coconut cookies, strawberries and carrot pound cake. 

I have to say, as cute as the new pot is, the original was better at keeping heat and a much larger capacity for the crowd I have, though the smaller new one was better for the dessert fondue, so it worked out having two sets.

Here are two very basic recipes for cheese fondue and chocolate fondue.

Classic Cheese Fondue
Printable Recipe

1 pound of cheese, shredded - typical is Gruyere and Swiss, but almost any will do
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
Spices if desired
Assorted dippers

1. In a small bowl, toss the cheeses well with cornstarch and set aside. The cornstarch helps to ensure a smooth fondue.
2. Cut the garlic in half and rub the inside of the fondue pot with the cut side and set pot aside until fondue is ready.
3. Over medium heat in a heavy bottomed saucepan, add the wine and bring to a simmer. Very slowly and about 1/2 cup at a time, stir the cheese into the wine. Once each addition has melted add in more and stir and melt until all the cheese is incorporated and the fondue is smooth.
4. Transfer to fondue pot and keep warm over a low flame.
5. Serve with assorted dippers and reheat gently if necessary to keep fluid and smooth.
6. Add spices such as a pinch of cayenne pepper or freshly grated nutmeg at the end of cooking and stir well.

Classic Chocolate Fondue
Printable Recipe

1 pound bittersweet chocolate - grated or cut in small pieces
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 to 2 Tablespoons flavored liqueur, if desired
1/2 teaspoon grated cinnamon, if desired
Assorted dippers

1. In a small double boiler, heat chocolate and cream, stirring frequently, until chocolate is smooth.
2. Add liqueur and cinnamon if using and stir well.
3. Keep warm in a fondue pot with a flame beneath. Stir often to keep from burning and make sure chocolate is still fluid.
4. Serve with dippers.

*Note: The post title is a reference any "Everybody Loves Raymond" fan will appreciate.

Summer Cooking 101 Part I

Muffuletta

Nope, not Summer Cooking for Dummies, but close.

Now that things are heating up, many people are trying to figure out how to make meals without too much heat or fuss.

First thing's first - figure out what methods of cooking you have available and whether or not you are comfortable with them. One thing you definitely don't want to do is turn on the oven! Even if you have A/C the heat from the oven takes longer to dissipate in the summer since the humidity is generally higher. Also, anything that involves boiling water is something you want to do before sunrise or after sunset. If there is anything that I definitely need the oven or stovetop for (ie; certain cakes, pastas, rice) I try to get it done as early in the day as possible when it's generally cooler and more likely that the kitchen will cool off by mealtime.

I would try to stick with these appliances: refrigerator/freezer, crockpot, microwave, sandwich maker, waffle iron, blender, food processor, tabletop or stovetop grill, outdoor grill and electric frying pan. (I don't even own all of these myself, so you can make do with less.)

OK, now that you have your basic appliances chosen, what do you cook with them?
Here's where I come in! I have too many crockpot recipes and many for the microwave. I will post microwave recipes for sure, but they will be fewer since individual microwaves vary in heating times making it harder to pin down the method for many recipes. They are great to have and you can make a perfect cake with them as I discovered when we were without cooking gas for about a month once. (My microwave made a 9x9 cake in 10 minutes at 50% power, for instance. I did need to play around the first couple times but once I had it down we had cake fairly often.)

My favorite recipes are the ones that don't involve any cooking and those are most likely the ones I will share first.

My personal favorites for hotter days:

No-Cook or almost-no-cook:

• Fruit and Cheese with crackers or bread
• Tortilla Roll-Ups and wraps
• Cut up veggies and dip (cucumber, carrot, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, grape tomatoes, zucchini, etc.)
• Muffuletta
• Subs
• Cucumber Salad
• Pasta Salads
• Sandwich spreads
• Smoothies and milkshakes
• Dips
• Popsicles

Microwave:

• Quesadillas
• Rice dishes
• Chicken patty sandwiches
• Quick pizzas
• Veggie melts

Grill:

• Bulgogi (aka-Korean BBQ beef)
• Hot dogs
• Hamburgers
• Lime Ranch Chicken
• BBQ Chicken
• Grill roasted potatoes
• Grill roasted corn
• Chicken and veggie packets

Crockpot:

• Crockpot Chicken Stew
• Chicken with Noodles
• Sausage and Rice dinner
• Chicken and Rice
• Triple Chocolate Mess Dessert
• Chili

Here is a sample to get you going. Keep "tuning in" during the Summer for lots more!

Ham and Cheese Ranch Roll-Ups
Printable Recipes

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese-softened
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese-room temperature
1 cup mayonnaise
1 envelope Ranch Dip Mix
3/4 pound shaved deli ham-chopped if necessary
3/4 cup green onion, thinly sliced
12 (9 inch) flour tortillas

In medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, cheddar, mayonnaise, and
dip mix until well combined. Stir in ham and onion, Spread each
tortilla thinly with ham mixture, leaving a scant 1/2 inch edge on
one side. Roll up toward side with 1/2 inch edge and wrap tightly in
plastic wrap; chill thoroughly, 3 to 4 hours or up to 2 days. Slice
rolls into 1/2 inch slices for appetizers or serve whole for full servings; discard ends if desired and arrange spirals on serving dish. Cover tightly and chill until ready to
serve, up to 24 hours.
Serves approximately 16 - 20 as an appetizer or 12 as a main dish.


5 Layer Mediterranean Dip
Printable Recipe

2 c hummus (recipe below)
1/2 c chopped tomato
1/4 c chopped cucumber
1 pkg. (8 oz.) Feta cheese-crumbled
2 T sliced pitted ripe olives

Spread hummus on bottom of 9-inch pie plate.
Layer with remaining ingredients. Serve with pita chips or wedges.


Hummus
Makes 2 cups
Printable Recipe

2 cups cooked and drained garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
1/2 cup tahini - sesame paste
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
juice of 1 lemon

Toss everything into a blender and pulse until smooth. For this one I added in a cup of diced red pepper. You can add in other veggies, etc. just make sure to balance out the liquid so the hummus isn't too thin.


Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
Makes 36 bars
Printable Recipe

2 c powdered sugar
2 c graham cracker crumbs
1 c smooth peanut butter
1/2 c +2 T butter or margarine-melted
12 oz Milk chocolate or semisweet chocolate chips-melted

Mix the powdered sugar, cracker crumbs, peanut butter and butter in a
medium size bowl until blended.
Scrape into an ungreased 13x9 baking pan and press into an even layer.
spread the melted chocolate over the top. Refrigerate at least 2
hours until the chocolate is firm. Let stand at room temperature, 15
to 20 minutes before cutting with a sharp knife into bars.




White Sangria Punch (Non-alcoholic)
12- 3/4 cup servings
Printable Recipe

4 c white grape juice
1 c pink grapefruit juice
1T lime juice
1 club soda bottle- 750 ml- chilled
Pink grapefruit slices

In large pitcher, combine grape, grapefruit and lime
juices; refrigerate. Just before serving, add soda water
and grapefruit slices.



Next up:

Summer Cooking 101 Part II, Big Ideas for Little Tummies