Bean and Corn Chili

I was in the mood for chili and decided to give the Crock-Pot some action. A couple of friends stopped by while the chili was cooking. They couldn't stop raving at how good it smelled, so I invited them over for an impromptu dinner party.

Wine and beer flew out of the fridge and the five of us finished off the chili.

Bean and Corn Chili

2 medium onions, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp olive oil
2 Tbs red wine
1 green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely sliced
6 Roma tomatoes, chopped
2 15-oz cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 6-oz can tomato paste
8-oz frozen corn kernels
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1 1/2 cups nonfat chicken or vegetable broth

1. In a medium skillet, saute the onions and garlic in the olive oil and red wine.

Add the skillet contents and the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker. Mix thoroughly.

Cover; cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours or on High for 3 to 4 hours.

We can thank our friends at CrockPot.com.

Buckeyes

We were reminiscing about treats our Grandma's made during a recent dinner party. Buckeyes, a mix of peanut butter, powdered sugar and chocolate, peeked my interest. I will admit a great fondness for most treats that involve a mixture of peanut butter and chocolate.

I must agree, they are tasty. While making a batch last night for Jessica's Super Bowl party, I devoured six.

Buckeyes

1 16 ounce package powdered sugar, sifted
1 ½ cups creamy peanut butter
½ cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon salt
2 ounces paraffin (optional)
1 12 ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Blend sugar, peanut butter, butter, salt and vanilla until smooth. Shape into 1 inch balls.

2. Melt chocolate chips and paraffin in top of double boiler. Dip balls in chocolate mixture with toothpick until ¾ covered. Place on waxed paper until set. Cover over hole until smooth.

Yield: 6 dozen

Recipe Source cooks.com

Carrot Cake with Maple-Cream Cheese Icing

The fridge is overflowing with fresh carrots from the weekly Angelic Organics CSA veggie boxes. My last attempt at carrot cake, Martha let me down. I told her I had to work late Thursday night and hung out with Epicurious.com.

Epicurious provided me with a boost of confidence and a no-frills carrot cake recipe. I went to work measuring and grating.

After adding the final swirls of Maple-Cream Cheese Icing, I cut a couple of slices and let my tasters at it. They were raving. One, after taking his first bite, proclaimed, "This is damn good!".

I'm off to exercise - I ate more than my share.

Old-Fashioned Carrot Cake with Maple-Cream Cheese Icing

2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
4 large eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
4 cups finely grated peeled carrots
1 cup walnuts, toasted, chopped

Maple-Cream Cheese Icing

24 ounces cream cheese, softened
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (1 Ã?‚Ã?½ sticks)
24 teaspoons maple syrup or honey

1. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350Ã?‚Ã?°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, oil and eggs in large bowl until well blended. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt; beat until blended. Stir in carrots and walnuts. Divide batter between pans.

2. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 32 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on rack 15 minutes. Run small knife between pan sides and cakes to loosen. Turn cakes out onto racks; cool completely.

3. Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on platter. Spread 1 cup icing over. Top with second cake layer, flat side down. Spread remaining icing over top and sides of cake. Refrigerate cake 1 hour or up to 1 day. Serve at room temperature.

4. Maple-Cream Cheese Icing: In a bowl beat together frosting ingredients until smooth and chill.

Servings: 10

Carrot Cake Flop

I love to celebrate sweet taste of success when my cooking or baking produce a tasty treat. At times, the sweet success is not so sweet.

I took my first crack at a carrot cake. I think it would best be described as carrot flop. Back to the drawing board with another recipe. When the carrot cake is carrot-licious, I'll share the recipe.

Marinara Sauce

In our weekly Angelic Organics CSA (Community Suported Agriculture) veggie box, I received an abundance of fresh and tasty tomatoes. I took the opportunity to give this new sauce recipe a try.

Marinara Sauce

2 tablespoons Olive oil
½ yellow onion, diced small
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups diced tomatoes (with juice)
1 cup tomato puree
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chiffonade
1 bay leaf
salt and black pepper

1. Heat a large sauce pot over medium heat; add olive oil and heat through.

2. Add onions; saute 2 minutes

3. Add garlic; saute 1 minute

4. Add remaining ingredients; bring to a simmer.

5. Simmer for ½ hour.

6. Season with salt and pepper.

Servings: 4

Zucchini Bread

With more zucchini than we can eat, I called up Mom State. She sent me this tasty zucchini bread recipe. I can't get enough of it!

Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Zucchini Bread

3 eggs
1 cup salad oil
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
3½ cups flour
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups raisins (optional)
1 cup nuts
2 cups zucchini

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour two loaf pans. Peel and chop or grate the zucchini.

2. In a big bowl, mix together oil, spices, sugar, eggs and zucchini. Add salt, flour, baking soda and vanilla. Mix well. Add raisins and nuts.

3. Divide mixture between the two loaf pans and bake for 55 - 60 minutes.

Welcome to the Frisky Kitchen

During and after events, many folks ask me how to prepare the tasty treats found at Morgan Terrace. Since we aim to please our faithful guests, I'm going to open the kitchen door and invite everyone in to learn the secrets behind the edible treats at Morgan Terrace.

Check back often to find out what's cooking in the Morgan Terrace Frisky Kitchen.