Watermelon Salad with Pickled Onions...

In the good old summertime, in the good old summertime.

Strolling through the shady lanes with your baby mine.

You hold her hand, and she holds yours,

and that's a very good sign.

That she's your tootsie-wootsie,

in the good old summertime.

Such a cute song.....and what is better in the summertime than watermelon..here is a different twist on it...Watermelon Salad.....I have always put salt on my watermelon but never pepper, and the sweet onions and basil are so good...and the creamy feta cheese....ahhhhh....

Watermelon Salad with Pickled Onions..
1 medium onion
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup water
11/2 pounds of cubed watermelon
8 ounces of feta
6 tablespoons fresh basil, slivered
drizzle of olive oil
salt and fresh pepper
peel the onion and slice it very thinly...stir the vinegar, sugar, salt and water together and add to the onions..
let set for 24 hours....then toss the watermelon with the cheese add the onions and basil...drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.....

put the onions in a jar and add the liquid mixture to cover...set aside for 24 hours in the refrigerator...

this is so good...these onions would be perfect on any salad or sandwich...next time I will make them with walla walla onions...

simply put together....and serve!!!

Cheers to Happy  !!

Julia's Hawaiian Banana Bread?

 Today was a big day for me...I tossed out the last bit of flour....I had gotten rid of everything with wheat flour in it quite a while ago, but had saved back my fresh ground flour and my King Arthur flour....I convinced myself that I might need to cook for someone else, when they came to my house...I couldn't possibly expect them to eat my funky gluten free products....but I have changed my mind....In most cases the gluten free items taste no different...and in some cases taste better....

good bye flour....

hello new gluten free flour....

So the better gluten free item? Banana Bread....simply the best banana bread you can make...to me it tastes as good a Julia's Banana Bread , you remember me talking about Julia's banana bread right? the one that is sold in a roadside stand on Maui....

Julia sells out of her banana bread most often before noon...you have to get there early to get some...and that means driving a one lane road some 20 miles along the shoreline.....it is fantastic bread.....and now I think I know what her secret ingredient is....rice flour....sweet rice flour....

Banana Bread

1/2 cup of unsalted butter, softened

1 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 eggs
5 medium, ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
2 tablespoon non-fat, plain yogurt
1/2 cup teff flour
3/4 cup white rice flour
3/4 cup brown rice flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 teaspoon of salt
cinnamon and fresh nutmeg to taste
°Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a loaf pan.
° Cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla in your mixer, on high speed, until the mixture is light and pale.
°Beat in the eggs, one at a time, slowly.
°Mix the bananas, yogurt, and spices separately
°In another bowl, blend the dry ingredients.
° Keep the mixer running all this time.
° Blend the dry ingredients and the banana mixture alternately to the mixer batter...then mix for 2 minutes...
  I added the optional chopped pecans and mini chocolate chips....
°Bake for one hour. It’s done when you can insert a knife or toothpick and it comes out clean. Cool  on a wire rack

mash your ripe bananas in a dish....don't notice the pile of tennis shoes in the background....

this pastry blender works great for this task...

add the soft butter, sugar and vanilla....and get it started with the mixer on medium speed...

add the yogurt and cinnamon and nutmeg to the mashed bananas...and stir...I used about a tsp of cinnamon and maybe 1/4 of nutmeg....

add the flours together and the salt and soda and mix...

add the eggs to the sugary butter mixture one at a time...keep the mixer running....and add the mashed banana mix and flour mix alternately...then mix on high speed at least 2 minutes....I know that banana bread should not be over mixed...but with these gluten free fine flours...it is important to mix for at least 2 minutes....I think it has something to do with the proteins and the eggs....and I think it is chemistry and we know I didn't do well in chemistry....

infomercial...world market has inexpensive spices...all these fresh nutmegs....2.99...

when the batter is finished...add the nuts and chocolate chips if you like and stir in...

spread in a pan....place in the oven for 1 hour....

check to make sure it is done....

then try to wait until it is cool enough to cut! so moist and so good! It is a nice thing to share...or not..you choose....I shared 3 precious slices.....

Cheers to Happy  !!

Choke Cherry Chocolate Pork Tenderloin...

Choke Cherry Chocolate Pork Tenderloin

You know the chocolate covered cherry cordial that you get at Christmas? This is a spin on that candy....the chocolate and cherry are perfect together....and the pork is moist and flavorful....it almost has a Mexican taste to it...probably the chipolte....This is a very festive dish or a great everyday entree....

Choke Cherry Chocolate Pork Tenderloin
1 tablespoon chipolte powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 heaping tablespoons dry cocoa powder
mix together....

1/2 cup of choke cherry jam (or regular cherry jam)
1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
1 tsp chopped fresh oregano
mix all together and bring to a boil for 1 minute...set aside to cool...

1 pork tenderloin...with silver skin removed...

salt the pork tenderloin on both sides...rub with half the rub....put in a heavy bottom fry pan 3 tablespoons olive oil... and fry until browned on all side...approx 1 minute per side....then set the meat in the pan and in the oven at 375 for 35-45 minutes....make sure it reaches just 160, with a meat thermometer....

put the spices in a bowl to make the rub.....

add the dry cocoa powder...someday I will use up that great big jar of cocoa powder....

stir......

take a pork tenderloin and cut the silvery thing off of it..., then salt it.....

sprinkle the rub on it and rub it in..

coat it really well...

heat oil in a heavy bottom pan...on medium...

add the meat...and fry about 4 minutes on each side.....

ready! place it in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes depending how thick the meat is....

while it is cooking make the choke cherry sauce...

my daughter that lives in Tao's made this jam, the choke cherry's grow wild all over the town...she gave me some for Christmas...it is awesome....

place jam, vinegar and fresh oregano in a pan and simmer on medium heat for 5 minutes....

it will reduce some....let cool...

when the meat is done slice and arrange on a pool of choke cherry sauce,,,

this dish is amazing...the cocoa make a nice crust and the chipolte makes this perfect heat for the sweet and sour cherry sauce....

Cheers to Happy  !!

Bloody Mary Gazpacho......

All of America is having a heat wave except the Pacific Northwest...today we reached 80 degrees....it has been unusually cold here, I think most people here would not wish for the over 100 degree heat you all have been having , but we sure are missing shirtsleeve weather......today was the first day I did not wear a jacket when I went outside, yep the 23rd of July......when I got home from work the house was hot and something cold was just the ticket for dinner, that and finally eating outside on the patio....this recipe is a procedure...and the amounts you use and the ingredients depends on you and what you like!

I started with roasting some fresh corn, on the gas BBQ...I pulled back the husks and removed the silk and then covered the corn again with the husks...I cooked them on high, until hot and done......I did this while I cut up the other vegetables....

the corn is perfect.....

just peal off the husks and cut the corn off the cob for your soup.....

you will want to buy some tomato juice and bloody mary mix....spicy bloody mary mix has all the right spices, it makes this dish super easy......

cut up with what you want in your soup...I had cilantro, red onions, chopped small...cucumber, seeded and chopped small, tomato, seeded and chopped small....and avocado, chopped small, and large cooked shrimp, and fresh roasted corn, the corn added such a freshness and sweetness....I thought I had just the right amount for a big serving, for one.....

but no, there was too much for the bowl....so it was necessary to transfer to another bowl ....

  

much better now!

add equal ingredients of the tomato juice and spicy bloody mary mix.....stir....

squeeze a lime over all and taste...Good? Oh yeah!...

add a dollop of sour cream on top and serve!

                                                                               hmmmmm.....

I could really eat this every day...!!!!..add what you like...this would be great with green peppers and red peppers also....maybe jalapeno....scallops would be good and even oysters....make it your own!

Cheers to Happy  !!

Chocolate Peanut butter Cup Cupcakes...

Oh my! These are sinfully good! They are so easy to make and so good to eat! I saw a similar recipe a while back....and had it in my mind to make them...I was really going to make them home made...but one thing led to the other and I really couldn't find the time...so today I used a mix and made them...they are, I am sure better than if I would of made them myself...so tender and gooey and good!!! you could make these with a vanilla cake mix, and add some peanut butter to the mix and they would be good too...Here is how to do this...

1 chocolate cake mix
1 package of small peanut butter cups
1 can of vanilla frosting
peanut butter
not much of a recipe....OK it is more like a shopping list...and the rest is procedure...

make your favorite recipe for chocolate cupcakes.....I used Betty Crocker Gluten free cake mix....use whatever you have and put in cupcake pans....

then add peanut butter cups....i made some with Reese's and some with Trader Joe's dark chocolate ones...just set them in the middle and press down.....

like this........bake according to the directions on the box......

and voila! they are done!!!

after they are cool....take a can of vanilla frosting...and yes you can make homemade, but why? and add a heaping big spoon of peanut butter and mix in a bowl....

until just the right color....taste it to make sure you have enough peanut butter...good huh?

they are finished...and oh so good!!!!!

I bet you can't eat just one......I didn't.....

Cheers to Happy  !!