The RPA Tribune recipes

[Kris]

It's time we gather all the awesome recipes that were published in our Tribune issues!!!


@Note: We are always accepting articles and recipes, so be sure to contact the Tribune staff if you wish to add more tasty stuff

[Kris]

From Issue 10-31-12

-Written by Tune-

Alright, food lovers! I had a lot of fun picking the recipes for this. Mainly the desserts They are delicious looking!

You are free to add your own recipes, too. Just submit them to me and I'll get them posted. Of course, there are rules for it, too. Mainly because of people with food allergies - I got lucky there.

Spicy food lovers, rejoice!

Spoiler: A Spicy dinner recipe for all those die hard pepper fans 

Chicken Scarpariello

Due to allergies, ingredients can be substituted, as well as removed per personal taste/choice.

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 40 mins
Total Time: 40 mins

Ingredients:

8 small skinless, boneless chicken thighs (2 pounds)
Salt and pepper
All purpose flour, for dusting
1/2 Cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 garlic cloves, cut in half lengthwise and slightly mashed
4 large Rosemary sprigs, broken into 2 inch pieces
2 cups chicken stock or broth
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup Peppadew peppers or other pickled peppers, sliced

Directions

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dust with flour. In a large skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the chicken and cook over high heat, turning once, until browned and crusty on both sides, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and rosemary and cook for 3 minutes, until the garlic is lightly browned. Transfer the chicken to a platter, leaving the rosemary and garlic in the skillet.

2. Add the stock to the skillet and cook over high heat, scraping up any browned bits, until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice and butter and swirl until emulsified. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Add the peppers and cook, turning the chicken until coated in the sauce, about 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken and sauce to the platter and serve.

Here comes the dessert! I think I owe an apology to those with braces. The apples may get in between your braces, but since I've never had this dish myself, don't take my word for it. Maybe ask TwistedV/V Sue? He loves this dessert!

Spoiler: An apple a day keeps the doctor away 

Apple Crumble

Prep Time Cook Time Total Time
30 minutes 30 minutes 1 Hour

Ingredients

6 tart apples
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, cold

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Peel and core the apples. Cut the apples into thick slices and place in an ungreased baking dish.
2. Combine the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in another bowl and mix until well blended. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the apple slices.
3. Combine the flour, brown sugar, and butter together in another bowl until the mixture has a crumbly texture. Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the apples and then place the crumble in the preheated oven.
4. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until apples are tender when poked and the topping is golden brown and crispy.
5. Remove from the oven and serve while warm. Serve with a scoop of ice cream or some cream.

For the calorie watching people, here is a couple of Low-carb dishes.

Spoiler: The pizza lovers on a diet rejoice! 

White Pizza with Smoked Turkey

Servings: 12 slices
Prep Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

2 large ready-to-use thin crust Italian pizza bread shells (two 10-ounce packages)
2 cups preshredded Italian blend cheese
4 ounces thinly sliced smoked turkey, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
1 container (15 ounces) ricotta cheese
1 container (4 ounces) garlic-and-herb cheese spread
1/4 cup thinly sliced basil

Directions
1. Heat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Place each crust on a baking sheet. Sprinkle 1 cup shredded cheese over each pizza shell. Evenly distribute turkey over each.
3. In small bowl, mix ricotta and cheese spread. Evenly dollop over each pizza.
4. Bake in 450 degree oven until heated through and cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle the basil over the pizzas. To serve the pizzas, cut each into 6 equal wedges.

Nutrition information
Per serving: Calories 302, Total Fat 15 g, Saturated Fat 8 g, Cholesterol 48 mg, Sodium 583 mg, Carbohydrate 25 g, Fiber 1 g, Protein 15 g. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

I've never been a fan of cheesecakes but after seeing the peanut butter and chocolate, even Miss Fortune would give it a try - and she's picky

Spoiler: Even a picky person would eat this! 

Tiny Peanut Butter Cheesecakes

Servings: 12 cheesecakes
Prep Time: 25 mins
Total Time: 2 hrs 20 mins

Ingredients

3/4 cup finely crushed chocolate wafers
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 tablespoon sugar
12 chocolate kisses
2 8-ounce packages of softened cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
1 teaspoon shortening

To Make Ahead

Bake and cool cheesecakes, but do not remove from foil cups. Place in a freezer container and freeze for up to 1 month. Let thaw in the refrigerator. Drizzle with melted chocolate about 1 hour before serving; chill.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F . Line twelve 2-1/2-inch muffin cups with foil bake cups; set aside. In a small bowl, combine crushed wafers, melted butter, and 1 tablespoon sugar. Press crumb mixture onto the bottoms of prepared muffin cups. Place a chocolate kiss, point up, in each cup.
2. For filling, in a medium mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and 1/3 cup sugar with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla just until combined. Beat in peanut butter until combined. Carefully spoon about 1/4 cup filling over kiss in each cup, making sure to keep the kiss centered on bottom of cup (cups will be full). Bake about 25 minutes or until filling is set. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes.
3. In a small saucepan, cook and stir chocolate pieces and shortening over low heat until melted. Remove cheesecakes from foil cups. Drizzle melted chocolate over cheesecakes. Chill about 1 hour or until chocolate is set. Makes 12 tiny cheesecakes.

[Kris]

From Issue 10-31-12

-Written by Tune-



We have our very first member submission for a cooking recipe! Huzzah! And thank you, Setsa!

Spoiler: Setsa's Signature Chili 

Recipe for Chili

Ingredients:

1 lb ground hamburger meat
2 cans [(14-16 oz) of Chili
[to use as your base...with or without beans is to cook's preference]
1 can [14oz] diced tomatoes
1 cup chopped Onions
1 chopped jalapeno
or
2 chopped banana peppers
2 sliced cloves of garlic or 1 TBSP minced Garlic
2 TBSP Italian seasoning
[serves as good all around seasoning for many things]
1-2 TBSP Chili Powder
2 TSP Paprika or Cayenne Powder

[To be mostly prepared in One large Slow-cooker a.k.a. Crockpot]


To Cook:

-Set your crockpot out on the counter, plug it into outlet and turn on low
-Add your cans of chili to crockpot
-Add diced tomatoes to crockpot

-Ground your hamburger meat in a skillet until fully cooked to chef's preference [Idealy meadium well for me ]

-Add Ground meat into the crockpot, stir added ingredients together

-Chop onions can be added now as well to crockpot

-Chop jalapeno or the 2 banana peppers
[you can add all 3 or just one or the other, again chef's choice]

-Add chopped peppers into the crockpot

-Add Garlic to crockpot

-Stir all Ingredients together well

-Add Italian Seasoning, Chili Powder, Paprika or Cayenne [or both again]

-Stir and cover with lid

--Turn crockpot to high heat if you need it ready in 4-5 hours [approx.]

--Turn crockpot to low heat if you plan to have it cook all day long [6-8 hours]

-Remember to give it a good stir everyonce in a while and....

Taste! Taste! Taste!!
Always taste your food for own preperence! You may want to add a little extra spice to please your palette or love it just as it is!

General rule of thumb--
If you are going to add any extra seasonings..always do it by 1-2 Teaspoons at a time! Stir, then taste!

If you want to add topping to your chili for your meal here are some suggestions:

Shredded Cheese, Sour Cream, Onions, Black Olives, Finely chopped jalapenos, chopped green peppers.... Just to name off a few

-Serves: 4-6 people-

We have a special treat for you. Instead of reading text upon text upon even more text, Imp thought, "Hey, what about some videos?" Being the rather Anti-Youtube person I am, I was skeptical - especially after the Metal Massacre Swedish Meatball video he linked me. So after going through dozens of recipes, I found some videos that I think you'll like If not, you are absolutely free to send in some recipes of your own.

The Spanish Omelet



Bougatsa Greek Pastry



Sorry for the brief amount of recipes this time around. I kind of.. got too hungry from watching so many delicious cooking videos and went off to get some food and forgot to search for more. I hope these will do, though!

[Kris]

From Issue November 30th!

-Written by Tune-

We have another special for you! Mary managed to find her way into the kitchen and was kind enough to give us an interesting lesson in.... OLIVE OIL! It's just not for cooking and frying.

Kitchen Kickstarts

by Mary Sue

Hey RPA! I have a lot of recipes to share with all of you but I decided to cover some basics for all of those beginners out there! And I decided to start with a simple yet fun technique: infusing olive oil!

I personally enjoy using olive oil as opposed to canola or vegetable oil. There are several grades of oilive oil that vary in color, taste, and acidity. Allow me to give you a brief summary before I explain the infusing process.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: This is the highest grade of Olive Oil. It is free of acidity and thus is not a bitter olive oil. There is a mild taste, reflecting it's olive nature and there is no chemical process involved in it's making. It is very natural and pairs nicely with fresh cheeses, avacados, and fresh deli meats.

Virging Olive Oil: Mid Grade Olive Oil. It is roughly 3 parts per 100 parts acidic. This olive oil has a slightly bitter taste and works best with heavy pasta sauces that usually involve a lot of garlic.

Ordinary Olive Oil: This is a low grade Olive Oil with high acidity. It has a strong taste with a bitter aftertaste. Ordinary Oil often has taste defects.

Lampante Virgin Olive Oil: Not fit for human consumption.

Now that we know a bit about the grades of Olive Oil we can learn how to infuse them with different flavors!

To infuse olive oil is considered more of an art than a science and it's really trial and error, but I can give you some tips to get you started. The first thing you need to remember is that there ARE unsafe ways to infuse olive oil. Oil itself does not support bacterial growth but water and fresh herbs do. It is easily avoidable however!

Adding fresh ingredients:

• Fill a 1-litre bottle with extra virgin olive oil then add any of the following: 1 clean head of garlic, lemon peels, fresh or dried peppers, ginger, Fresh Rosemary, basil, or other herbs.
• Refigerate and allow to Marinate for a week.
• Use within the following week.

It is possible to do the same thing and yet preserve the added ingredients in salt water or vinegar first. Typically this is done for commercial sauces.

Adding dried herbs/spices:

• Dry the desired herbs in a food processor or on a tray set out in the sun. This removes the water but keeps the oils that infuse the olive oil.
• Add the dried herbs to the oil and allow to marinate for at least a week.
• You can decorate bottles with whole sprigs of dried herbs to add a charming touch this way and refrigeration is not required.

Flavors take about a week to infuse the olive oil but will continue to increase over time until olive oil stabalizes.

Pressing olives with spices:

• Add olives and spices into the olive press.
• Requires that you own your own olive press.
• The water from both the olives and spices is removed at the same time leaving behind the flavored oil mixture.
• Good for lemon and garlic.

Adding essential spice oils works as well.

Infusing your own olive oils helps you add a depth of flavor to your sauces and salads. Depending on the herbs you could add a spicy kick to your oil as well.

One of my own personal favorites is adding red pepper flakes to warm olive oil. It gives it a nice heat for Thai meals and other spicy asian dishes. I enjoy adding it to steamed broccoli with sweet cooked garlic cloves.

There isn't really a science to making the perfect infused oil, but it's simple enough to merit a lot of practice and experimentation! The general rule of thumb is to use one type of herb, but try two or even three to create your own unique and complex flavors and take your dishes to the next level!

That's all I have for this issue. Good luck in the kitchens Tribune readers!

---

Setsa's Famous Recipes!

Spoiler: Peanut Butter Temptations 

Yet another recipe!




Peanut Butter Temptations
[[A great holiday treat I make plenty of!]

Ingredients:


1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup peanut butter [creamy]

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

36 miniature chocolate covered peanut butter cups, unwrapped



Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

In medium bowl, cream together the brown and white sugar and butter.

Stir in the peanut butter, then the egg and vanilla.

Add flour, baking soda and salt..mix well until cookie dough is blended together nicely.

Shape into 1 inch balls by rolling between palms
[do not use butter or flour on your hands!]

Drop the 1 inch formed dough balls into the cups of an unprepared mini muffin pan. [1 dough ball per mini muffin cup]

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven.

As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, press a mini chocolate covered peanut butter cup down into the center of each cookie until only the top is showing.

Allow the cookies to cool completely before removing from their pans.

[I Immediatley remove the cookies after setting the peanut butter cup into the center but you have to be fast! As the chocolate top of the cup will start to melt!]

--Makes 3 dozen--

---

EVEN MOAR RECIPES!

Recipes by Alice

From her home country, she has graced us with a family recipe! Don't tell your Grammie that you gave it away to perfect strangers

Spoiler: Plov - warning, large image! Possibly. 

And a recipe that's good for every family holiday!

Spoiler: Orange Cranberry Sauce - warning, large image. 

[Kris]

From Issue December 14th

-Written by Tune-

Delicious Seasonal Recipes!

by TheTeeJaii and Bia

Since most of us here on RPA have pretty stressful lives when we aren't becoming pirates or ninjas, I decided to provide the lovely members with some quick-and-simple recipes which are bound to perk up even the most exhausted member with a special sugar rush!

Spoiler: Brownie In a Mug ~ By TheTeeJaii 

Yes, One of my personal favorites! this recipe is quick and simple, and is delicious! perfect for a quick dessert!

Ingredients:
60g Self-Raising Flour
60g Caster Sugar
2/3 heaped tbsp of Cocoa Powder
2 tsp of Olive Oil
Milk ((to consistency))

Procedure:

First off, You're going to need a mug!
In the mug, Add the flour, Sugar and Cocoa powder, and mix thoroughly, until it all becomes one "powder."
Next, Add the Olive Oil, and stir until mixed in.

Now, Add the milk in SMALL AMOUNTS until the mixture is a thick gloopy mess (technical terms), and all the powder has been mixed in. Add the milk until it is similar to ordinary brownie batter.
If in doubt, just add until all the powder is wet and mixed in, and then add another tablespoon for good luck! it really doesnt matter, as long as everything is mixed in well!
Now place in the microwave for about two minutes ((In an 800W Microwave, if less, adjust time accordingly))

No need to stir whilst microwaving either! It's so simple, When finished, remove and eat!
Ice-Cream optional.

Spoiler: You're Welcome. 

Spoiler: Stained-Glass Christmas Cookies ~ By TheTeeJaii 

Let's get Festive, Y'all!
It's December, So we can officially use the "C" word - CHRISTMAS!!!

So, Here's a festive treat for your trees!

*Note - You can use any biscuit recipe for this, below is just an example!

Ingredients:
350g Plain Flour
175g Brown Sugar
1tsp of Bicarbonate Soda
100g Butter
One Beaten Egg
4tbsp of Golden Syrup
Boiled Sweets ((if you aren't sure what they are, they tend to look like this

• Preheat your oven to 180oC or GasMark5.
• Line Baking Tray(s) with Greaseproof Paper
• Sift Flour and Bicarbonate of soda together
• Mix in the butter with your fingers until you get a consistency of breadcrumbs
• Add the Syrup, Egg and Sugar. Mix together (preferably with hands!) to form a ball. Leave to stand for five minutes
• Divide the sweets into colours, and crush finely. This can be achieved with a rolling pin
• flour your surface, and roll the dough out to the thickness of a Pound coin (Similar to a Dime, I think?)
• Using cookie-cutters, make some shapes! Be festive and creative! make sure they aren't too small though!
• once you have your shapes, cut a small hole at the top of the shape. this will allow us to thread a ribbon through the top, and hang on a tree!
• Cut a hole in the center of the biscuit. this should not be too big so that the rest of the shape is flimsy, but also not too small.
• Add the crushed sweets into the holes you just made in the center. (do this AFTER placing on the baking tray!)
• Bake in the oven for about 12 minutes, or until golden. Remove with care, and leave to cool
• The biscuits will harden when left to cool, and the sweets will also harden to form a clear and colourful "window" in the biscuit!
• WARNING - Melted sweets are VERY HOT!

Voila!
here are some good examples google showed me!

Spoiler: nom! 

Spoiler: "The Best Lemon Bars ~ By Bia 

Yes, Bia has provided us with her famed snack "Lemon Bars"

The following recipe fills a 9x13 inch pan

Ingredients:

One Cup of Softened butter
1/2 a Cup of White Sugar, and a separate 1 & 1/2 Cups of White Sugar
2 Cups of All-Purpose Flour and a separate 1/4 Cup of All-Purpose Flour
4 Eggs
2 Juiced Lemons with Zest

Procedure:

[list][*]Preheat the Oven to 175oC[*]Blend together the butter, 2 cups of flour and 1/2 cup of sugar. the resulting mix should then be placed into the Pan (9x12 Inches) The Pan does not need greasing.[*] Bake in the oven until firm and golden. this could be between 15-20 minutes.[*]Whisk the 1 1/2 Cups of Sugar, and 1/4 Cup of Flour together, then add the eggs, Juice and Zest. Whisk this again, and then pour over the Crust which you have baked.[*]Bake for a further 20 minutes in the oven. The bars will harden as they cool.

Thank you Bia for this Recipe!
They look delicious!

Spoiler: Yum yum! 

[Kris]

From Issue New Years Edition!

-Written by Tune-

~ Recipes ~

Okay, Pizza Lovers! Rejoice! I found such a cute recipe on my search that I just couldn't pass it up.

Pizza Pinwheels

Ingredients

1 (8 ounce) can refrigerated crescent roll dough

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

24 slices pepperoni

1 (14 ounce) can pizza sauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

2. On a large baking sheet, pinch the 8 crescent roll dough triangles into 4 rectangles. Layer each rectangle with 6 slices of pepperoni and even amounts of mozzarella cheese. Roll tightly lengthwise and slice each into 4 or more pieces.

3. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Serve with pizza sauce for dipping.

For the Potato-Burrito lovers out there, I thought this was quite interesting.

PREP COOK READY IN
30 mins 20 mins 50 mins

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

6 cups canned kidney beans, drained

2 cups water

3 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

4 teaspoons prepared mustard

1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste

3 tablespoons soy sauce

4 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes

12 (10 inch) flour tortillas, warmed

8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Heat oil in a medium skillet, and saute onion and garlic until soft. Stir in beans, and mash. Gradually stir in water, and heat until warm. Remove from heat, and stir in the chili powder, cumin, mustard, cayenne pepper and soy sauce.

3. Divide bean mixture and mashed sweet potatoes evenly between the warm flour tortillas. Top with cheese. Fold up tortillas burrito style, and place on a baking sheet.

4. Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven, and serve.

[Kris]

From Issue Feb 26 Edition!

-Written by G-

RAINBOW CAKES
TheTeeJaii

Welcome to another Recipe, bought to you by the Rainbow King himself! Everyone loves cake, Right? Right!
Everyone loves Rainbows Right? RIGHT!

Why not combine the two?

What You'll need:

Your Favorite Vanilla Cup-cake Recipe, OR:

175g Self-Raising flour
150g Caster Sugar
100g Margarine/Butter
1 tsp of Vanilla Extract
3 Eggs
GEL FOOD DYES X A LOT.
-Gel food dyes are thick, vibrant food colourings which will not dilute icing or fade with cooking. These are a little more expensive, but totally worth it. DO NOT USE NORMAL FOOD COLOUR.

Cake Cases - this should make around 12 cakes

First off, mix all the cake ingredients together. There is no special way to do this (Unless your recipe suggests otherwise)
All I did was sift the flour into the bowl, and add the other stuff, mixing well until fully combined.

Now, The FUN part!

Separate the mixture evenly into SIX SANDWICH BAGS. you could use bowls, but that potentially leads to a lot of mess.

Add the colour to the bags! Add dye to the batter, pinch the top and massage it so that the dye mixes into the cake batter. keep doing this until the colour is VIBRANT - the brighter the better. If you can't find Green, Orange and Purple dyes, Make them with Red, Yellow and Blue. This is why it's a good idea to buy more dye than you think you need - You need a lot!

Spoiler: Like so... 

when the batter is all coloured up to a vibrantness which would make a real rainbow jealous, line up your cake cases. Take a bag of coloured dye, and cut a small hole in the corner of one. Squeeze the top, and the batter comes out the hole-like a piping bag! Fill each cake case evenly with the batter.
Rinse and Repeat for all colours - layer them ontop of each other and DO NOT MIX - the effect may be lost.

Spoiler: yum! 

When you have all of the batter in the cases, Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until firm - stab one with a knife and if it comes out dry, it's ready!

Spoiler: so pretty 

leave to cool, and decorate however.

ENJOY!

Some of my previous efforts:

Spoiler: nom! 

Bon Appetite!

[Kris]

From Issue March 15 Edition

-Written by G-

Tried out this tasty idea of a small meal without too much trouble making and decided to share it with you all.

The baloney toast.
by Kris

Tools:
-Frying Pan
-Toaster

Ingredients:
-Baloney/sausage/hot-dog (whichever works best for you)
-Eggs
-Sauces of any kind, be it ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, etc.

Preparation:

-We're not going to make it just any kind of easy toast, so we take two pieces of bread and dip them with stirred egg, and soon after fry it on the pan. That would be our tasty toast cover. Yum.
-Make sure to cut the sausage to strips or just use layers of baloney and insert them into the cover of bread we created.
-Add any sauce you wish into it and put inside the toaster.
-Serve and eat

[Kris]

From Issue March 1st, 2014

-Written by G-

Eli's Cooking Corner!

As February fades, so does the Valentines romance that was a candlelit home cooked meal for that special someone, or a gourmet meal to celebrate Single's Day. The weather is kicking back into that beautiful Spring we know and love, but in the rush of work and school (did someone say mid-terms?) and spring break for some, the romance of cooking can be lost. So for this month and my first ever Eli's cooking corner, I'm going to do a three course meal perfect for not only getting back into that "bikini shape" (you're already beautiful!) or that "beach bod" look (Gentleman of RPA, you are handsome too!), but for lighting the fire for your relationship, cooking for a new spark, or just a special relaxing day for yourself. Simple enough for even the newest Kitchen-newbie to make! Add candles and a favorite drink, and you are all set.

For the First Course, Creamy Cucumber Dill Toasties.
Now, this is one of my personal favorites. Easy to make and store, and perfect for nibbling on over a glass of wine or a favorite TV show while you cook. Simple, light, and just enough flavor to make this simple recipe stand out as your special meal starts.
What You Will Need:
•1 package of softened cream cheese. (Softened means left in room temperature for a while, or microwaved for about 30 seconds max. Should be easy to stir.)
•1 package of Italian-Style Dressing/Seasoning Mix
•1/2 Cup Mayonnaise
•1 French Baguette (this is a type of break; ask your local grocery baker.) cut into 1 to 1 1/2 inch circles. (I prefer to remove crust as well.)
•1 cucumber, thinly sliced. (A cheese cutter, the wire type, works well here.)
•2 teaspoons dry dill weed.

How do I make this delicious delicacy, Eli?
Directions:
In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, dressing mix and mayonnaise, until thoroughly mixed.
Spread a thin layer of the cream cheese mixture on a slice of bread, and top with a slice of cucumber. Sprinkle with dill. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

What you should end up with:


Now for the Dinner, Fettuccine Alfredo!
I'm all for pasta when it comes to easy meals. Pasta dishes are so easy to dress up and really make fancy, while being relatively simple. Plus, there isn't much clean up, and no need to spend extra time making sides. Now that those little tastes of cucumber wonders has got you wanting the next part of your awesome dinner, onto my next dish. White sauces, in my opinion, can be a light and wonderful meal. Paired with some nice amounts of green with just the perfect amount of cheese? Even better.
What Do I Need?
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. salt for cooking the pasta, plus 1/4 tsp. for the sauce
2 tbsp. butter
1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 lb. asparagus, upper half of spears only, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small zucchini or summer squash, cubed (or sliced like to previous cucumber to keep with a theme.)
1/2 cup finely diced carrot
1/2 cup diced red or yellow bell pepper
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 lb. fettucine
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Directions?! That's a big list!
In a large pot, bring 4 to 5 quarts of water (this is the amount of cups suggested on pasta box. Just use the amount you would to make pasta as normal.) to a boil and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 2 teaspoons of salt to the water.

Meanwhile, in an large pan with large edges, medium size, melt the butter over low heat. Stir in the garlic and warm gently for 1 minute. Add the broth, vegetables, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Bring the mixture to a simmer. (This means lightly sizzling, about medium for my stove.)

Cover the pan and continue to simmer the vegetables undisturbed for 3 minutes. Then stir in the cream. Remove the pan from the heat and leave it covered. Add more salt to taste, if needed.

Once the water has reached a boil, gradually add the fettucine to it. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, then drain.

Quickly bring the vegetables back to a simmer and add the drained pasta. Continue to simmer the mixture over medium-low heat for 3 to 4 minutes while carefully tossing the noodles up from the bottom of the pan with tongs or two forks. (aka: don't stop stirring!)

Remove the pan from the heat and sprinkle in half of the Parmesan cheese. Toss once more. Serve at once, using the parsley and remaining cheese for garnish. Makes 4 to 5 servings.

hint: placing pan in 350F oven after adding cheese for about 3-5 minutes adds a nice golden look and baked warmth. Watch for burning.

Your lovely result:


Could it get better?! Time for dessert: Banana's in Caramel Sauce over Ice Cream!
If you aren't drooling now, don't worry. I'm drooling enough for the both of us. This is the icing on the cake; but, without the cake. A simple, beautiful, banana and vanilla ice cream, done up enough to satisfy even the most picky dessert eater (is that a thing?). Take your time with this one. You're going to want to savor this piece of art!
Forget waiting! Tell me what I Need now, Eli!
•1/2 cup butter
•vanilla or coconut ice cream
•1 cup superfine sugar (also called confectioners sugar)
•1 and 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
•4 bananas, peeled and halved length wise.

"Can't you cook it for me now so I can just eat?" No. Cook it yourself!
Melt butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Stir in sugar and cook, stirring, until sugar is melted and light brown. Slowly stir in the cream (mixture will bubble up). Never, ever stop stirring. You need to make sure to be scrapping the bottom.
Let mixture boil 1 minute, then reduce heat to low. Place the bananas in the pan and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Serve hot over ice cream. You can cut bananas into smaller pieces if you like!

Hint: is also a great topper for those special mornings over pancakes!

And Whal~la!


Sadly, that's all for the first edition of Eli's Cooking Corner!
If you have a suggestion or end up cooking the above recipes, please message me and your creation will be featured in the next Eli's Corner! Having cooking trouble? Can't get cakes to rise or burn everything you touch? Happy to help. Just sent Elizabeth16 a PM! Happy cooking.