BIZZY BAKES

I have not added many new recipes in the last week because school started and I found it hard not to think about  my class and what will make it an effective year for them.  I believe strongly in a class personality and that factor determines how I handle the class both in learning and discipline. I am teaching two classes, this year, and when I walked into each one, I felt good.  The boys were normal with no one glaring as a discipline problem.  I know that in one class there is a child who has been difficult over the years.  I made it a point to connect with him immediately.  He behaved and participated.  One day of success.  Now for the days to come. Last year, the class was supposed to be a dream class and from the moment I walked in, I felt a tension, I never felt before in that room.  It remained for at least half the year and never dissipated completely.  It took me months to understand that this class felt entitled. ...

The photo is without the dressing. I bought crystallized ginger for a specific recipe.  I remember being pleased with the results and wondered why it took me so long to add this to my cupboard.  Unfortunately, I forgot about the ginger and have not used it enough.  When I made this salad which called for raisins, I decided that the crystallized ginger could only make it better.  Success. In the past, I have found cucumber salad can get very boring and I have tried different dressings to make it more interesting.  The little bit of ginger made a difference and next time, I would like to add a little bit more. Cucumber Salad with Crystallized Ginger Ingredients : 4 Persian Cucumbers, thin sliced 1 small red onion, thin sliced handful of yellow raisins 1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger Dressing: 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2  cup apple cider vinegar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon ...

Salads are a delight in the summer with the high temperature and humidity.  It nice to change them around by adding ingredients, you might not expect to find.  I have been putting strawberries into salads for years but not blueberries.  I admit, I hesitated, not knowing if they would be accepted.  They turned out to be a wonderful addition to the salad. Greens with Fruits and Nuts Ingredients: 8 ounces mixed greens of choice 1/2 cup strawberries 3/4 cup blueberries 2 tablespoons chopped pecans 1/2 cup slivered almonds Dressing - 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon honey 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper Method: In a bowl, place all makings of salad except dressing. In a separate container, mix the salad dressing ingredients.  I usually put the salad dressing ingredients into my mini food processor and mix them together so the...

Pastrami cures the ills of the  world.  Give it to the enemy and he will convert to your side.  Recently, I have made a few dishes with pastrami and they became instantaneous successes.  I have a feeling, no matter what was with the pastrami, had no significance other than to showcase the meat. This is the kind of recipe, you can add other items to.  Celery would give it a crunch.  Pasta would turn it into a meal.  The pastrami will  be the star, no matter what one adds. Pastrami and Greens Ingredients: 1/2 pound sliced pastrami (sliced pieces into about 1/2 inch pieces) 1 bag romaine lettuce 2 carrots (shredded) 1 small red onion, sliced thin Dressing: 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon 1/4 cup hot sauce 1/8 cup olive oil 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon onion powder Method: In a large bowl. place romaine, carrots, celery and green onions. ...

I have cooked cauliflower so using it raw, in a salad, is new to me.  The clean crisp bite was a pleasure to eat with the other ingredients, it is a sure winner.  It comes from Taste of Home magazine - October-November 2005.  The original recipe included a pound of bacon which I did not use.  While, I would guess that the bacon would make it even more crispy and tasty, it was just fine without it.  I also eliminated the cheese.  It just did not seem to need it. Cauliflower Salad Ingredients: 1 medium head cauliflower, broken into florets  1 medium red pepper, chopped  1 medium onion, chopped  1/2 cup mayonnaise  2 teaspoons honey Method: In a large salad bowl, combine the cauliflower, bell pepper and onion.  Combine the mayonnaise and sugar.  Spoon over cauliflower mixture and toss to coat.  Cover and refrigerate before serving.  Eat and enjoy. linked to...

The longer days necessitate more food on the Sabbath.  Our third meal of the day becomes more complex with lots of salads.  I made some new ones this week and this black bean salad was particularly good. Black Bean Salad With Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette 1(15 ounce) can  black beans , drained and rinsed 2 cups of corn kernels 1⁄4 cup diced  red onion 2 red bell peppers , diced 1⁄2 cup  cilantro , chopped Vinaigrette 2 limes, zest of 2 tablespoons  fresh lime juice 2 tablespoons  extra virgin olive oil 2 garlic cloves , minced 1⁄8 teaspoon  cayenne pepper                     2 tablespoons  sugar 1 teaspoon  cumin 1/2 teaspoon salt Method: Combine all ingredients in a  large bowl and mix well. Toss with desired amount of dressing. Cover and chill for a few hours or overnight Linked to:   Real Food Recipe Round-Up      Treasure...

Kosher Jews do not eat shellfish such as crab, lobster and shrimp.  There is a faux fish made for each of these and perhaps for other prohibited shellfish.  I doubt, they taste the same or even similar, but they are good. When these first came to my awareness, I did not want to buy them.  I was uncomfortable with the idea.  Gradually, I realized, if they are allowed and made from fish we do eat, why not try them.  I did and I liked the fish.  I particularly like to take the fake shrimp and add some butter and garlic to it. It is delicious. I decided to make a faux crab meat salad.  The mock crab is fully cooked so all I had to do was cut it up into smaller pieces.  I added a few ingredients and had a nice fish salad. Mock Crab Meat Salad Ingredients: 1 cup faux crab 2 tablespoons mayonnaise 1/8 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon sugar 2 tablespoons celery, chopped fine Method: Cut fish into small p...

This week, for Eating With Ellie, Kayte chose a delightful salad, Tuscan Kale Salad, found in Ellie Krieger's book, Weeknight Wonders , a book, I love.  So far, every recipe was a success and was healthy and delicious to eat.  Page 41 is the page to find the recipe or here. I did not have kale so I subbed in baby spinach and in place of pine nuts, I used almonds.  I followed the rest of the recipe and although this is an easy recipe, cutting the spinach into thin strips took some time.  It looked pretty this way. You can check out what the other members did with this recipe by going to the Eating with Ellie website.  We welcome new members.  There are no requirements other than to love to cook and explore Ellie Krieger recipes.  Just make the week's recipe and add your link to the site's page. Thank you Kayte for a wonderful choice.  I served it with spicy salmon with caramelized onions and mango rice.

When I make salads, I tend to stay away from macaroni salad, cole slaw and potato salad.  Maybe, that is because, they are the only salads, other than tossed salads, I had - growing up.  I can't say that I don't like them.  I usually do.   With all the new style salads with fruits and vegetables that were not popular when I was a child, I am inspired to be more creative.  I do like cabbage so cole slaw does show its head at times but rarely potato salad and almost never, macaroni salad. This is a hearty salad and despite my hesitation, it is really good. Mom's Potato Salad Ingredients: 4 medium potatoes, peeled 2/3 cup mayonnaise  (I tend to cut down on mayo and use less than this.) 1/2 cup frozen pea  2/3 cup shredded carrots 6 hard boiled eggs 3 half and half pickles 1/4 cup Dijon mustard salt and pepper to taste Method: Peel potatoes and cut in halves Place in a large pot filled with boiling water. Cook for about ...

I don't make salads enough.  I really do love them but I just don't bother making them.  It is funny how I don't mind chopping and shredding for hot food but I do mind for salads.  I did make this combination and we liked it.  And.......I don't like olives. Pepper, Olive, and Mozzarella Salad  Ingredients: 24 Cherry Tomatoes, halved 1/2 Cup Yellow Bell Pepper 1/2 Cup pitted Olives Mozzarella Balls (I used small chunks instead.) 1 teaspoon dried parsley 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil 1/2 teaspoon RiceVinegar with basil and oregano Pinch of ground cumin Salt and fresh ground Pepper to taste Method: In a large salad bowl, mix together the tomatoes, bell pepper, olives, mozzarella, and basil. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, cumin, salt and pepper. Drizzle over salad and enjoy! Results: I took my first bite and my mouth was filled with pops of flavor. This is delicious. I would make it again, happily and I will eat olives, from now ...

I found this wonderful recipe on Bon Appetit , a blog, not the magazine.,  Go take a look and see for yourself. I knew it would be a hit and even though, I was missing some of the ingredients, I went ahead and put it together. What a success!!!! It was easy to make and delicious to eat. For the original recipe, go to the source and get all the details. Of course, it doesn't hurt that this is a recipe, originally from Nigella Lawson, one of my favorites. What I like about her is the way she writes her books, with cute phrases, hints and interesting pieces of information.  It is like reading a novel with fantastic recipes included. This recipe is from a few years ago and I see that she has a new recipe for this salad that looks interesting too.  It is on Food Network. Peanut Butter Noodle Salad adapted from Nigella Lawson Ingredients: Dressing  2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon sesame Oil 1 teaspoon garlic flavore...

I don't usually make potato salad.  I don't really like it very much.   I do eat it when served and it is fine but I don't elaborate on its wonderful qualities.  For the past few weeks, hubby has been asking for potato salad for the Sabbath and I have been making it. I admit to giving the dish very little thought and simply looking in my refrigerator to find something to add to the boiled and chopped potatoes.  I haven't even tasted it until today.  I liked what I tasted today and decided to share it with you. This is an easy potato salad to make but it seems to have nice flavors to it. Spinach Potato Salad Ingredients: 4 medium large potatoes, rough chopped 2 eggs, grated 2 - 3 cups spinach, rough chopped 2 tablespoons mayonnaise 1 teaspoon fresh chives,chopped 1 teaspoon dijon mustard 2 teaspoons sweet relish Method: Mix mayonnaise, mustard, relish and chives together in a small bowl. Place potatoes in a medium bowl.  Add the spi...

In our group My Kitchen My World , we are traveling to Israel. In my search for recipes, I found similarities between Israel and other countries in the Mideast. I decided on something I have made for years but not recently, Israeli salad. (Hebrew: סָלָט יְרָקוֹת יִשְׂרְאֵלִי‎, salat yerakot yisraeli, "Israeli vegetable salad") is a chopped salad of diced tomato and cucumber.  It is usually made of tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and parsley, sometimes with green or red peppers, and with a simple dressing of fresh lemon juice, olive oil and black pepper. It is common for the cucumbers to remain unpeeled.  Israeli Salad Ingredients: 2 medium tomatoes, cubed 1  English cucumber, cubed 1/2 medium red onion, sliced thin 3 tablespoons finely minced fresh, flat-leaf parsley Juice of half a lemon 2  tablespoons olive oil Salt and pepper, to taste Method: In large bowl, toss all the vegetables. Combine le...

For the holiday, I made a Thai salad but didn't take a picture of it.  Since I still had slaw left, I decided to find a similar recipe and make it.  We liked the first and I think this one is even better.  The difference is the peanut butter.  I think nut butters make all the difference, no matter how little you put into the dish. My favorite part of using peanut butter in a recipe is the spoonful I get to indulge on.  Yummy. Asian Slaw with Ginger-Peanut Dressing  adapted  from Once Upon a Chef Ingredients: For the Dressing 1/4 cup honey 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil 1 tablespoon peanut butter  1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger For the Slaw 4 cups prepared shredded coleslaw 2 cups prepared shredded carrots 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced into bite-sized pieces 2 medium s...

I have not gotten access to my blogs but I have found a back door, so to speak, which does get me here.  Of course, each time, I can't find it and search for a while before I have arrived here. The blog is like a little house with a front door and a back door.  Right now, the front door is locked and I at first, felt helpless as to what to do.  Actually, I still  feel pretty helpless.  I have written to Blogger and they are attempting to help me.  Hopefully, I will be able to come in through the front door again, soon. I am happy, we built this Blogger cottage with a back door though.  Can you imagine having no way in to your home or blog.  I could write a great story about the family who could not get into their home. I had been, in the middle of sharing some of Estee Kafra's recipes with you and then I ran into blog trouble and some complications in life in general.  Hoping to get back to myself and to changing this blog a bit. I...

I have linked this to a wonderful  link-up  s   Cook-Your-Books  in found at the outstanding   Kitchen Flavours .  If you have cooked a recipe from any cookbook, you might want to go on over and link it up also. My husband returned home from out of town and I wanted to make him something special so I asked.  Not a giggle out of you guys, please.......... He asked for mac and cheese.  I am guessing he was eating a lot of meat while away.  I know that every time, I spoke with him, he was eating on the run or making food for his grandkids.  For a man who usually eats vegetables and dairy, I don't think he got too much of these. He asked for it so he got it but I made a delicious salad to enhance the pasta dish.  Please keep in mind, I had all kinds of exotic plans, for this meal. Since Ina Friday is this week and we are doing sides, I am using this dish as my Ina contribution.  The recipe is found on page 101 of H...