Cucumber Lime Mint Agua Fresca

So I have to admit I've been a little hesitant to post because, let's be honest, y'all cook and I am not an experienced cook. But seeing as of late the parents are out of town and I am left to feed myself (what?), I have been cooking up a storm! It helps, also, that I have probably 83 cucumbers to do something with. :) I found this drink on punchfork.com, one of my new favorite cooking websites. This website is cool because you can put in any ingredient, and it connects you with hundreds of recipes from a bunch of the popular cooking websites. I love it.


I like the unique taste of this drink, and it really does cool you off on a hot summer day (today it's 103 in NC! yikes.)

Cucumber Lime Mint Agua Fresca

Ingredients:

1 lb of cucumbers (about 2 good sized cucumbers), ends trimmed, but peel still on, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup lime juice from fresh limes (from about 1 pound of limes, or 5 to 10 limes, depending on how juicy they are)

1 1/4 cup packed (spearmint) mint leaves (about a large handful), woody stems removed

1/2 cup sugar (I would put a little less in if you don't like super sweet).

Approximately 1 1/4 cup of water

How to:

Put ingredients in blender, add enough water to fill 3/4 of blender. Hold the lid on the blender and purée until smooth. Place a fine mesh sieve over a bowl and pour the purée through it, pressing against the sieve with a rubber spatula or the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid out as possible.

Fill a large pitcher halfway with ice cubes. Add the juice. Serve with sprigs of mint and slices of lime.

Oatmeal Cake

Cake

1 c oats
2 c water
3/4 c butter
3/4 c sugar
1 1/4 c brown sugar
3 eggs
1/2 t vanilla
2 c flour
1 1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt

Preheat oven to 350 F and grease bottom of cake pan (9 by 13).  Bring 2 cups water to a boil, add oats, and set aside (do not cover or drain any water.)  Cream butter and sugars together.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Add oats (and water.)  Blend in dry ingredients.  Bake anywhere from 30 to 50 minutes until center is done. 

Icing

1/2 c butter
1/2 c brown sugar
3 T canned milk
1/2 c chopped walnut (opt)
3/4 c coconut (opt)

Boil all together.  Pour over cake then broil until icing is bubbly and begins to darken (don't leave it alone - it can burn easily.)

I LOVE this cake.  Just had it for my birthday and couldn't get enough.

Roasted Brussels Sprout salad

Roasted Brussels Sprout salad:

cut brussel sprouts in half or quarters.

toss in a bowl with olive oil, salt, pepper and a little vinegar

dump onto a cookie sheet and put in the oven at 400

Meanwhile put this in a bowl:

lettuce (I used the pre-washed spring mix)

purple onion thinly sliced

blue cheese 

prunes/dried plums cut in 4ths

avacado

Dressing: 

mustard (Dijon or regular)

honey

rice vinegar (or a white vinegar)

oil

salt & pepper

Toss the roasted sprouts on and mix it all together. It is delish. I fried an egg and threw it on top for protein. This isn't really a kid-friendly dinner (obviously). 

Easy Homemade Pizza

This is a tried a true recipe.  I make it all the time, with lots of different toppings.  We all love it because it is super easy and tastes great.
 
Pizza Dough

Dissolve:
1 T yeast (1 package)
1 C warm water

Stir into yeast mixture and let sit for 5 mins:
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 T oil
2 1/2 c flour

Bake 400 for 20 mins.


Pizza Sauce

Mix:
16 oz tomato sauce
8 oz tomato paste
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp pepper
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
3-4 big, heaping tsp parmesan cheese
1 pinch basil

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

I always crave this soup, but it's especially delicious when red peppers are in season (and cheaper). It's surprisingly simple and still very tasty. Sit outside in the summer air and enjoy.

Roasted Red Pepper Soup  

3 red bell peppers

1 yellow bell pepper

1 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

3 cups stock (veggie, chicken, etc…)

1 Tbls flour

black pepper, salt

1. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (If you don’t you’ll have black marks from the peppers that don’t go away). Cut peppers in half and clean out seeds. Lay cut edge down on baking sheet. Broil until skins black and blistered.
2. Place the peppers in a plastic and a close it with a tie or zip lock. Let it sit and cool off.  When cool peel off skins and discard. Roughly chop peppers.
3. Put onion, garlic, and 2/3 cup stock in a large saucepan.  Boil until stock reduces in volume.  Lower heat and stir until onion and garlic soft and just beginning to color.
4. Sprinkle flour over onions.  Gradually stir in the rest of the stock.
5. Add chopped roasted peppers.  Bring to a boil. Cover the saucepan and simmer 5 minutes.
6. Let soup cool slightly. Puree in food processor or blender.  Return to saucepan.  Season with pepper and salt.  Reheat.

Makes about 4 servings

• Another version: cook the onions and garlic and butter with rosemary sprigs.  After cooked remove rosemary.  Add roasted peppers and stock.  Boil add a few Tbls of tomato puree, cook it all together, let cool and then puree.  Add a little paprika and ¼ c. cream.
• Another version: chop up 1 or 2 sweet potatoes and cook with onions and garlic in the stock.  Then after adding the red peppers cook together, let cool, puree, then put back in pan on the burner.  Add salt, pepper, and hot pepper sauce to taste.  

COLORFUL COLESLAW

1/3 medium head red cabbage thinly sliced
2 large carrots coarsely grated
1 medium onion thinly sliced (red or sweet white)

DRESSING
1 1/2 T mustard
1 T honey
1 T fresh lime juice (more to taste)
1 T cider vinegar
1 T olive oil
1/2 tsp salt (more to taste)
1/4 tsp pepper (more to taste)
1/4 c fresh chopped cilantro (optional)
1 tsp poppy seeds (optional)

I saw this recipe in USA Weedkend May 25. I have made it twice.  The second time I cut the dressing proportions in half since it thought it was too watery.  The "Cut" version appears above.  I didn't put cilantro in either time because I didn't have any.  I keeps for days in the fridge.  It can be used in place of lettuce on a sandwitch which is how we use it the most.

Mom/Gayle