Fresh Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

With all the fresh fruits available at this time of year...why not combine sweet and savory and serve on an appetizer platter?

• 3 cups chopped peaches
• 3 kiwis, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 cup finely chopped strawberries
• 1 medium yellow pepper, chopped
• 1 medium red pepper, chopped
• 1/4 cup red onion,. finely chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

1. Combine all ingredients and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.
2. Drain juices if desired.
3. Serve with cinnamon tortilla chips as an appetizer...or serve as an accompaniment to grilled chicken or meat.

Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

• 8 flour tortilla (8 inch)
• Butter flavoured Pam (cooking spray)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1. Combine sugar and cinnamon.
2. Spray both sides of tortilla with cooking spray.
3. Sprinkle both sides with sugar/cinnamon mixture. (Putting sugar mixture in a shaker works well.)
4. Using a pizza cutter, cut each tortilla into eight wedges.
5. Place on ungreased baking sheet (parchment lined for easy clean-up)...in a single layer.
6. Bake at 350° F for 10-14 minutes or until just crisp.

Peach Slab Pie

We love slab pies over here...a pie baked in a bar pan. What we don't eat fresh from the oven...is stacked in layers with parchment paper in between ...and frozen to be used as needed (a few pieces at a time). A container of slab pie (apple, berry or peach) is always a staple when we leave on a road trip with the RV. Since the peaches are at their juiciest best over here...we have been enjoying them fresh and in desserts. There's a peach slab pie in the freezer...ready for the taking...one piece at a time!

Pastry:

• 1 1/2 cup margarine
• 3 3/4 cup flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 egg yolk and milk to make 1 cup (reserve egg white to use as glaze)

Peach Filling:

• 6 cups peaches (about 9-10), peeled, pitted and cut into thin slices.
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Combine flour and salt. Cut in margarine to obtain coarse crumbs.
2. Mix egg yolk mixture into flour mixture until dough holds together in a ball.
3. Roll out half the dough on floured work surface....slightly larger than 12 x 16 inches.
4. Spray 12 x 16 inch pan with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang on the long sides.
5. Transfer dough to prepared pan. Trim edges of dough...leaving 1/2 inch to hang over edge.
6. For filling, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Add sliced peaches and lemon juice and stir. Pour peach filling into prepared baking sheet.
7. Roll out remaining dough. Place on top of filling. Trim edges of dough to hang over sides slightly. Fold edges under and pinch to seal.
8. Beat egg white until foamy and brush over top crust.
9. Bake at 375°F for about 45-50 minutes...or until golden and filling is bubbling.
10. Allow to cool completely on wire rack (several hours). Then pull up parchment paper to remove.
11. Cut into 20 pieces. Freezes wonderfully.

* This pastry recipe will be more than enough for a 12 x 18 pan (Pampered Chef bar pan). Use any leftover pieces to make a galette or two.

Curried Rice Salad

Last summer we joined friends in Victoria at the Symphony Splash in front of the British Columbia parliament buildings. We listened to a concert together with 40,000 others...and enjoyed a wonderful picnic on the lawns on a warm summer evening. My friend had prepared a curried rice salad...which went well with the fried chicken. Here's my version of her curried rice salad...a great option for summertime picnics.

• 1  (6.9-ounce) package rice-a-roni (chicken flavour)
• 2  tablespoons vegetable oil 
• 1/2  teaspoon curry powder
• 1  jar marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
• 1/3  cup mayonnaise
• 1/2  cup chopped bell peppers...red, yellow or green
• 1/4 cup purple onion, chopped
•  ground black pepper, to taste

1. In a large skillet, over medium heat, saute rice-vermicelli mix with oil until vermicelli is golden brown, stirring frequently. Add 2-1/2 cups water and rice-a-roni seasoning packet...and bring to a boil. 
2.  Cover; reduce heat to low. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Cool.
3.  Drain artichoke hearts, reserving marinade...and chop.
4.  Combine 1/3 cup reserved marinade, mayonnaise and curry.  
5.  Stir mayonnaise-mixture, artichokes, bell pepper and onions into cooled rice-a-roni.
6.  Add pepper to taste. 
7.  Cover; chill 1 hour before serving.

Raspberry Cream Pie

Since it's raspberry season in the valley...and we had two family birthdays to celebrate recently...raspberry cream pie doubled as birthday cake this year.  This recipe began as as a peach pie...but works well with berries. 

Crust:

• 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 tablespoons sugar

1. Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
2. Mix crumbs, sugar and butter.  Press on bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate.
3. Bake for 10 minutes. 
4. Cool.

 Filling:

• 1 pkg. large marshmallows (10 oz.)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 cups fresh raspberries  

1. Place milk and marshmallows in a large casserole. Cover.
2. Microwave at High for 2 to 4 minutes, until mixture can be easily stirred smooth.
3. Chill in refrigerator for about 30 minutes...or in a pan of ice-water, until thickened, stirring occasionally.
4. Whip cream...and fold into chilled mallow mixture. 
5. Gently fold in fresh raspberries.  
6. Pour into crust and decorate with additional fresh berries and whipped cream, if desired.
7. Refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Call it a pie...or call it a birthday cake...and enjoy!

Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

More than 80% of Canada's raspberries are grown right here in the Fraser Valley. And since it is the season...there are a lot of raspberry recipes happening around here these days.   Here is a moist raspberry coffee cake...that we enjoyed yesterday.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 8 oz./250 ml cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
• 1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries

 
Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Butter a 10" spring form pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. With a pastry blender or electric mixer, combine flour, sugar and cool butter until well blended and mixture resembles a fine streusel.  Measure out 1 cup of crumbs and set aside.
3. To remaining streusel mix, add baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix.
4. Add sour cream, egg and vanilla and beat only until the batter is smooth. 
5. Spread the batter onto the bottom and slightly up the sides of the prepared pan.
6. Using a clean mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and sugar.  Add egg and orange zest and beat until light  and fluffy.
7. Next, spread the cream cheese filling over the cake batter.
8. Scatter the fresh raspberries over the filling.
9. Top with reserved cup of streusel.
10. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the streusel is golden and toothpick inserted in centre of cake comes out clean.
11. Place on a rack to cool.  Remove ring and slide cake onto a dessert plate.
12. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. 

Greek Pasta Salad

With summer upon us, it is time for salads. Here's a Mediterranean twist to a pasta salad...quickly assembled and very tasty.


Pasta Salad:

• 3 cups / 8 ounces of sea shell pasta *
• 1/4 cup basil pesto
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 English cucumber, chopped
• 1-2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese (or shredded Parmesan)
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• black olives (optional)

1. In large pot of boiling, salted water, cook pasta according to directions on package. Drain. Rinse under cold running water and drain well. Allow pasta to cool.
2. Combine pesto and sour cream in small bowl.
3. Place pasta in large salad bowl, together with cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, cheese, pine nuts and olives.
4. Add dressing and toss to coat.
5. Four main dish servings.

* Use your preferred pasta...bow-ties or spirals work fine as well.

Old-fashioned Strawberry Shortcake

We are enjoying local strawberries...fresh from the fields...these days.  Though strawberries taste good any which way...there's nothing quite like a serving of old-fashioned strawberry shortcake.  This recipe is more like a sweet biscuit more than a cake...and came from my friend, Marlene...some three decades ago.

•  1 quart strawberries / 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 pint whipping cream / 2 Tbsp sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup milk

1. Wash and slice strawberries. Add about 1/4 cup sugar to sliced berries and set aside for at least 15 minutes.
2. Whip cream at medium speed until soft peaks are formed...adding 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
3. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
4. Cut in butter to make coarse crumbs.
5. Combine milk and egg and add to dry ingredients. 
6. Stir with a fork or spoon...just until moistened.
7. Pat batter into greased eight inch round pan.
8. Bake at 425° F for about 15-20 minutes.
9. Allow to cool on wire rack.
10. Cut cake into wedges.
11. Split each wedge in half horizontally filling with strawberries and whipped cream...and topping with more of the same.