Seasonal Fare
Long, ethereal days of yellow sun, green trees, and blue water. On the go from sunrise to sundown, and later as the stars show. Trade hours in the kitchen for simple dishes to carry outside, and remember to grab the local brew on your way out.
Couscous with Ring Bologna from Cooking to Beat the Clock by Sam Gugino and Dawn Smith
I use venison sausage and the flavors combine perfectly.
- 1 1/4 cups instant couscous
- 1 1/2 lbs mergez or other spicy sausage
- 5 scallions
- 1 medium to large ripe tomato
- 1 4-oz jar whole pimiento or roasted red bell peppers
- 20 oil-cured black olives, pitted
- 1/3 cup packed fresh mint leaves
- 2 tsp round cumino
- alt
- cayenne pepper
Put 3 cups of hot water in a 2-quart saucepan over high heat; cover and bring to a boil. Add the couscous, stir, and reduce heat to medium. Cook, uncovered, for 4 minutes, stirring once or twice. Turn off heat, cover, and let couscous steam for 6 minutes.
Meanwhile, put a large, heavy skillet over high heat. Cut the sausage into 4-inch pieces. Add the sausage to the skillet, cover, and cook for 3 minutes. Turn once and cook for 4 more minutes.
While sausage cooks, trim scallions and remove all but 1 inch of green part. Halve the scallions crosswise, put them in a food processor, and pulse until coarsely chopped. Core and quarter the tomato. Quarter the pimientos. Put tomato, pimientos, olives, and mint leaves in processor with scallions and pulse several times until coarsely chopped and combined. Put the steamed couscous in a large mixing bowl and add scallion mixture, cumin, salt, and cayenne to taste. Mix and fluff with a large fork. Transfer couscous to the center of a serving platter and place sausage around the edges
Spring Recipes
Burger and Fries
Fries, for Brats and Burgers
- 6 potatoes
- 2 T olive oil
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp crushed rosemary
Heat oven to 425°F. Wash and peel potatoes. Slice into fry size. Pat dry. Place in large bowl with oil, salt, and rosemary; mix thoroughly. Place on baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, flip after 15.
Angel Food Cake with Strawberries
Angel Food Cake from Betty Crocker's Cookbook, 1984
Or go easy on yourself and buy a box mix.
- 1 cup cake flour
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 cups egg whites (about 12)
- 1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 cup granulated suga
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp vacilla
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
Heat oven to 375°F. Mix flour and powdered sugar. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in large mixer bowl on medium speed until foamy. Beat in granulated sugar on high speed, 2 T at a time; continue beating until stiff and glossy. Add salt, vanilla, and almond extract with the last addition of sugar. Do not underbeat.
Sprinkle flour-sugar mixture, 1/4 cup at a time, over meringue, folding in just until flour-sugar mixture disappears. Push batter into ungreased tube pan, 10x4 inches. Cut gently through batter with metal spatula.
Bake until cracks feel dry and top springs back when touched lightly, 30 to 35 minutes. Invert pan on funnel; let hang until cake is cold. Remove from pan. Slice and top with strawberries and whipping cream.
Orange Julius
- 1/2 of 6oz can frozen orange juice concentrate
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 6 ice cubes
Mix in a blender. Serve or freeze for later.