Blueberries are in season and this dish is sweet and tasty.  Is it a breakfast?  Is it a dessert?

Blueberry French Toast

 

12 slices day-old bread                                 1 tsp. vanilla extract

10 oz. cream cheese, softened                     1/3 cups maple syrup

2 Tbsp. powdered sugar                               1 cup white sugar

2 Tbsp. milk                                                 2 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 cup fresh blueberries                                  1 cup water

10 eggs, beaten                                           1 cup fresh blueberries

2 cups milk                                                  1 Tbsp. butter

 

Lightly grease a 9 X 13” baking dish.  Arrange half the bread cubes in the dish.  Mix the cream cheese with 2 Tbsp. powdered sugar and 2 Tbsp. milk until smooth.  Spread over the bread cubes.  Sprinkle 1 cup blueberries over the cream cheese and top with the remaining bread cubes.  In a large bowl, mix the eggs, milk, vanilla extract and syrup.  Pour over the bread cubes.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.  Remove the bread cube mixture from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Cover and bake 30 minutes.  Uncover and continue baking 25 to 30 minutes longer until center is firm and surface is slightly browned.  In a medium saucepan, mix the sugar, cornstarch and water.  Bring to a boil.  Stirring constantly, cook 3-4 minutes.  Mix in the remaining 1 cup blueberries.  Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, until the blueberries burst.  Stir in the butter and pour over the baked French Toast.

 

This is a light a fluffy dessert for Easter.  I made it last night and served it with a bowl of fresh strawberries.  It was a hit!

Marshmallow Cake

2 egg whites                                                1/3 cup water

1 pinch salt                                                  ½ tsp. cream of tartar

1 ½ cups white sugar                                   1 tsp. vanilla extract

 

1 box Pillsbury White Cake Mix                      ½ tsp. vanilla extract

Mix cake mix as instructed on box, but add ½ tsp. vanilla extract.  Cook as directed on package.  Cool cake and make icing as follows.  In the top of a double boiler, combine egg whites, pinch of salt, white sugar, water and cream of tartar.  Beat 1 minute.  Cook over boiling water beating constantly for 7 minutes or until the icing makes firm peaks.  Remove from the heat and add the vanilla.  Beat until able to spread.  Note:  You can add coloring with the ingredients.  You can also use another flavoring in place of the vanilla. 

Have a gang coming over this week for burgers on the grill.  They really like my macaroni salad and since it is getting warm and BBQ season is here, I thought I would share recipe ~

Macaroni Salad

 

1 16 oz. pkg. macaroni, cooked                     1 cup chopped celery

4 hard boiled eggs, chopped                         ½ cup chopped red onion

1 cup mayonnaise                                        ½ cup green stuffed olives                 

½ cup sour cream                                        ¼ cup chopped sweet pickle

Salt & pepper to taste                                  2 carrots, grated

¼ tsp. ground mustard                                 1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 T. sweet pickle juice                                  2 T. celery seed

Dash of white vinegar                                   2 Tbs. pimientos or green olives

                                                                   Salt & pepper to taste

 

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water until al dente.  Drain and rinse.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, mix mayonnaise, sour cream, dry mustard and sweet pickle juice.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  In large bowl, combine macaroni, celery, onion, olives, sweet pickles, carrots, red bell pepper, celery seeds, olives and eggs.  Stir in dressing, salt and pepper and mix well.  Chill.  Serve.

Chicken Sour Cream Enchiladas

 

1 pkg. corn tortillas                                      ¼ cup butter

Oil for cooking tortillas                                  ¼ cup flour

2 cups chopped, cooked chicken                    2 cups chicken broth

½ cup chopped green onions                        1 cup sour cream

2 cups Mexican cheese blend, divided            4 oz. can chopped green chilies

 

Melt butter in sauce pan and add flour.  Mix until smooth.  Add chicken broth and stir until bubbles.  Remove from heat and add sour cream and green chilies.  Heat tortillas in hot oil just to soften and drain on paper towels.  Mix chicken, green onions and 1 cup of cheese in a bowl.  Place a row of filling in center of each tortilla and roll up.  Place in 9 X 13” baking dish.  Cover tolled tortillas with sour cream sauce and top with remaining 1 cup of cheese.  Bake 20 minutes at 425 degrees.

This weekend we watched Daryl's House on Palladia.  He always invites guests to his home and they play wonderful music (our favorite is Daryl Hall with Rumor).  Anyway, they play music and have a meal together provided by some local restaurant.  This week they made Gazpacho and it reminded me about my own recipe for Gazpacho.  It is so fresh and healthy.  It's great with a delicious bread.

Gazpacho by Brown Dog

This is a Summer Festival of Fresh Vegetables

 

1 cucumber diced                                         ½ lime juiced

1 clove garlic minced                                    2 Tbsp. Olive oil

1 cup celery diced                                         2 Tbsp. Red wine vinegar

1 cup mushrooms sliced                               1 Tbsp. Tabasco

1 cup red, yellow pepper diced                      4 cups V-8 juice

½ cup carrots diced                                      2 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce

4 scallions diced                                           1 Tbsp. basil

2 cups tomatoes diced                                 ¼ tsp. chili powder

1 zucchini diced                                            ½ tsp. cumin

1 tsp. honey                                                ¼ tsp. pepper

½ lemon juiced                                            salt to taste

 

Mix well and serve cold.                                                          Bryan E. Lavery

Chicken Cacciatori

6 pieces of chicken, skin on                          28 oz. diced tomatoes

Salt & pepper to taste                                  1 cup chicken broth

½ cup flour                                                  1 Tbs. capers or green olives

3 Tbs. oil                                                      1 tsp. oregano

1 large yellow bell pepper, chopped               ½ tsp. basil

1 onion, chopped                                         dash of red pepper flakes

3-4 cloves garlic, crushed

Toss the chicken pieces in a mixture of the ½ cup flour with salt and pepper to taste.  In a large heavy pan, heat the oil over medium high heat.  Add the chicken pieces to the pan and sauté until just brown, about 5 minutes per side.  If needed, brown in 2 batches.  Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.  Add the bell pepper, onion and garlic to the same pan and sauté over medium heat until the onion is tender about 5 minutes.  Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste.  Add the broth.  Add the tomatoes with their juice, capers or chopped green olives, oregano, basil and red pepper flakes.  Return the chicken pieces to the pan and turn them to coat in the sauce.  Bring the sauce to a simmer.  Continue simmering over medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through, about 30 minutes.  Serve over pasta or rice and sprinkle with fresh basil if desired.