Aunt Joan's Chautauqua Pineapple Tureen

3 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
2 T flour
1 can crushed pineapple and juice
1 dash salt
6 slices cubed bread tossed in 1 stick of butter or margarine

Toss ingredients and bake in a 350f oven for 55-60 minutes

Quick and easy treat for breakfast (yes, breakfast), lunch, dinner, or parties --- Guacomole!

I made this on the fly recently when Jess and Titus came down to Denver from Steamboat. I also made it for Jacoby's Second Birthday Party!!! Liz actually requested that I bring avocados from Denver because the grocery store was out (a combination of the Hurricane Earl scare and their being priced 10 for $10). We went through all eight (with only six adults!!) A friend at the party asked for the recipe, so since I've typed it all out, I thought I'd do a little cutting and pasting for you. (And it is true, I have eaten guac for breakfast, but how is it that much different than my vegetable and fruit smoothies???)

Keep in mind that I've never been one for precision, so you just kind of have to add and taste, add and taste (and keep an extra avocado on hand in case you go overboard).

Avocados
Tomato (I usually do about a 1 to 3 ratio -- so for every three avocados, I'll do a tomato)
Onion (same ratio as above)
Garlic (a few cloves)
Cumin (to taste)
Salt & Pepper (to taste)
Cayenne (if you like it hot)
Splash of Lime juice, lemon juice, or orange juice (depending on your mood and what you have on hand)
Fresh cilantro (But not if you are making this for Leslie)

Dice up the avocados and mash them up with a fork until smooth. Dice tomatoes and onions, and then toss into mashed avocado. Mince garlic and throw in. Stop and taste. Add a couple shakes of cumin, salt, pepper, and cayenne if you choose. Squeeze some juice of choice (lemon, lime, OJ). Stop and taste. Add more of each until you reach perfection. If you step over the line of perfect, mash another avocado ;). Top with chopped cilantro. If you want to keep until next day, make sure to keep a few avocado pits!

I also make a variation of this (but don't mash the avocados) with a mango instead of tomato. It's a Honduran dish that my friend Jess taught me. It is perfect with chips, veggies, or over salmon. If you need to make it a meal, check out Bittman's sweet potato and black bean salad.

Yum.

A post! A post! Theresa gets back in the kitchen...

So it's been awhile since I've posted on here. Sadly, it not only reflects how little I've been writing about food, but also how little I've been cooking.

But, back in the game. Here's something delicious I made the other night for friends. It's pretty quick and tasty.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Salad (love this! From The Minimalist in the NY Times.)

4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks (smaller still if you don't have a lot of time for baking)
1 large onion, preferably red, chopped.
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper
Minced jalapeno (1)
1-2 cloves garlic
Juice of 2 limes
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 peppers (red and green, red and yellow, red and red, yellow and green, you choose!)
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro (I forget this every time)

Oven to 400. Spread out the sweet potatoes and onion on a baking sheet with some oil, salt, and pepper. Roast, turning occasionally, until potatoes are brown (30-40 minutes).

Dressing: Chilies, garlic, salt, pepper, lime juice, olive oil, and a little bit of white wine vinegar in blender or food processor.

Put warm vegetables in bowl with beans and bell pepper. Toss with dressing and cilantro. Yum.

And now on to the fish:

Grilled Salmon with Avocado Dip:

4 pieces of salmon
dried dill weed
lemon pepper

1 avocado, pitted and diced.
2-4 gloves garlic.
2 tbls (or for me, a big glop) of greek yogurt
fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Fish with some oil and lots of dill and lemon pepper. Broil for 10 minutes or throw it on the grill.

Yogurt sauce: Put all ingredients in blender or use hand blender (or mash by hand). Serve on fish.

Got a curry recipe I'll post soon. All for now.

http://www.thrillist.com/superbowlhq

Brenda's Bay Scallop Chowder

2 tbsp butter
1 onion chopped
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup chopped red potatoes, unpeeled
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
2 (8 ounce) bottles clam juice
1 pound bay scallops
2 cups half-and-half
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 black pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsely


Melt butter in a large heavy saucepan. Add onions, carrots, celery, bell pepper, potatoes, and oregano. Saute' 10 minutes. Add clam juice and scallops. Cook 5 minutes. Add half-and-half, salt and pepper; cook until thoughly heated. Stir in parsely. Serves 4."