Welcome to The Freshman Cook! I am so glad to see you! It has been quite a while since I have been blogging, and I am thrilled to be back in the kitchen cooking, baking and mixing up recipes to share.
If you are a peach lover this Peachy Salsa will make you very happy! If you are not crazy for peaches, it is definitely worth a try, and I just might change your mind about this refreshing fruit!
I wanted to make a peach salsa today because, first of all, I love peaches! They are full of flavor, can be used for so many great recipes, and I have never met anyone who didn't enjoy peaches!
Peaches are the perfect way to refresh on a hot summer day, and there are a million ways to enjoy them! Sure, that number might be a little high, but there are some very tasty ways to enjoy juicy peaches!
Peachy Salsa
1/2 cup chopped Tomato
1/2 cup chopped Onion
1.8 ounces chopped Red Pepper
5 ounces chopped Jalapeno
1 cup diced mix of White and Yellow Peaches
a few leaves of Cilantro, cut into very small pieces
Lime Juice
Salt
Black Pepper
For your info: If you like more heat, use more jalapeno pieces. However, I would still chop the pieces very small! If you like less onion, cut a little less. As you are putting the recipe together, add more if you want or use less if that is what makes it work for you. This is the type of recipe that will work with changes, and still taste amazing!
I like to start recipes that have a lot of chopping involved by cutting all of the ingredients at the beginning. If you can't do all the cutting at once, consider cutting the ingredients, and place them in small bowls, or whatever works for you. Cover them with plastic and refrigerate them until everything is cut and you are ready to use the ingredients.
Start by cutting the tomato, onion, red pepper and jalapeno. Add the lime juice and stir together. Add the salt and black pepper and mix it in also.
Peel and cut the peaches from the stone. Chop the pieces into small bites that can be eaten easily. Place in a bowl that leaves room for mixing the ingredients together.
Add the tomato, red pepper, jalapeno and white
onion to the bowl.
To serve, I used small plastic cups, and I placed a scoop tortilla in each cup, along with a plastic spoon to serve these treats! The scoops are amazing with the fruit, and they look festive and tasty! You could add a couple more scoops in each cup to ensure that your guests have plenty. You could also serve a basket or bowl with additional scoops so everyone has plenty!
I hope you enjoyed this easy appetizer recipe! If you have any questions or issues with the recipe, please email me at thefreshmancook@hotmail.com
I love summer, but I can easily get overheated when the high temperatures hit! Once this happens, the last thing I want to do is prepare a meal, and I lose my enthusiasm for grilling.
When the hottest part of summer comes around, salads are on the menu quite a bit. I often grill chicken or steak for salads early in the morning to avoid the afternoon heat, and use it later in the day, for lunch or dinner.
But today I decided on a Summer Fruit Salad! I included a few things you won't find in the traditional fruit salad, but I know you will love them.
All the ingredients I used are easy to find, easy to work with, and they taste delicious!
Summer Fruit Salad
(printable recipe at end of page)
1/2 cup Heavy Duty Whipping Cream
1 tablespoon Granulated Sugar
1/2 teaspoons Vanilla Flavoring
Blueberries
Cantaloupe
Mango
Apple
Orange
Bananas
Strawberries
Peach
Light Vanilla Yoplait Yogurt
Sweet Hawaiian Mini Flour Tortillas
Choose any fruit you want to use. More colorful fruit will make the plate prettier and more appetizing.
Pour the heavy whipping cream into a medium sized bowl. Add the sugar and vanilla.
Mix together on medium until the cream thickens and becomes whipped cream.
Wash all of the fruit before cutting it. When cutting the fruit, the important thing to remember is to make it easy to eat. One way to do that is to cut it in small bite sized pieces. You can see that the strawberries and the blueberries were not cut, but you could cut the stems off the strawberries if you wanted to.
One of the small bowls contains the whipped cream and the other one has light vanilla yogurt in it. I also included a few mini tortillas, which are the perfect addition to this plate! They can be filled with your favorite fruit and topped with a bit of whipped cream or fill them with a little bit of each fruit and add a spoonful of yogurt for a fun and tasty treat! They are a favorite for kids!
There you have it! Simple, tasty and good for you!
Thank you for joining me today! Here is a list of more "Beat the Heat" recipes to enjoy! Don't they sound amazing?!!
If you are anything like me, then you are always looking for tasty and unique appetizer recipes to create. I love making them simple and loaded with flavor.
These Pork BBQ Crostini pieces hit both of the goals. They are both simple and very tasty! They make the perfect addition to a backyard bbq, a holiday party, or a get together with friends.
All of the ingredients are easily available at your local grocery store.
Pork BBQ Crostini
(recipe makes 12-15 crostini)
(printable recipe at the end of this post)
1 Pork Loin
sprinkle of Garlic Powder
sprinkle of Black Pepper
1 medium White Onion, sliced thin
1/2 cup BBQ Sauce
2-3 squirts of Mustard
1 loaf of Crostini
Southwestern Shredded Cheese
Sour Cream (1 tablespoon each crostini)
Salsa
The pork loin I bought was sealed in air proof packaging, so I opened it and rinsed the pork loin under cold running water. Pat it dry, then sprinkle the pork with black pepper and garlic powder. I love using both of these spices on pork. They lend an incredibly wonderful flavor. Place on a preheated grill at 350 degrees.
As the pork begins to get grill marks on it, turn the pork, side to side, so it will end up completely cooked. It should be cooked to between 150 degrees and 160 degrees, which is medium rare, to be safe to eat.
When you check the temperature, check it in the thickest area of the meat, which is almost always the center of the pork. If it is not to temperature, simply continue to grill until it reaches the temperature destination.
Slice the crostini into thin slices, about 1/4" to 1/2" thick. Toast the crostini. The crostini can be made without being toasted but toasting delivers a wonderful flavor.
Start building the crostini. Spread the mustard mix on the top of the bread. Add the cheese, pork, and then the onions. You can place them in an oven if desired. You can also place the crostini under a broiler. Just be careful, as it will only take a minute. The crostini will taste fantastic either way!
Serve the crostini and enjoy! Thank you for stopping by today! I hope you enjoyed this recipe!
Please continue down the page to find a printable copy of this recipe, and to find the list of bloggers who joined me in this fun challenge!
If you have not had the pleasure of enjoying fresh cherries on a summer day, you must try this dessert! If you have had the pleasure, you know how amazing fresh cherries are! Cherries are a "good for you" summer treat and during the peak season, I love to cook and bake with them as often as I can. They are also incredible tasting right from the bag, but don't forget to remove the pit!
What is needed for Fresh Cherry Clafouti?
You are going to need a cherry pitter. This is what they look like. Picture is below this paragraph. I bought this one about 2 years ago, and I use it quite often. To use it, simply wash the cherries with clear water and pat dry. Pull the stem off of each one. Place the cherry directly on the round silver base directly below the long silver stem looking piece. Place the cherry so that the stem piece will drive directly into the top of the cherry, when you push the handle down. When that happens, the pit will be pushed out of the bottom of the cherry. Throw the pits away and keep the cherries together in a container and refrigerate them once the pits have been removed.
There are other ways to remove pits, but most of them are messy, and I have seen a couple that look dangerous!
Once the cherries are pitted, refrigerate them to keep them cold, especially if you are in a hot climate.
Fresh Cherry Clafouti Ingredients
(Makes 4, 8-ounce cups)
1 1/2 cups fresh Cherries, pitted, then sliced
2 large Eggs
1/2 cup +1/8 cup Milk
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Sugar
1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/4 teaspoon Almond Extract
Today I made a Fresh Cherry Clafouti in individual servings. They are easy to serve, and it helps determine if you have made enough! Everyone gets one dish!
You are going to love the fresh flavors from the cherries mixed with the pudding like flavor. Comfort food!
Pit each cherry that you will be using. You do not want to miss any pits when making this dessert! Make sure to grease the sides and bottom of the bowls with butter.
Cut the cherries in half. Distribute the cherries evenly between the bowls or ramekins. If you are making this in one large dish, no distribution is needed. Just pour the cherries in the pan!
Using a medium bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, sugar, flour, vanilla extract and almond extract.
Pour the mix into each bowl, distributing it equally. Place in 350-degree oven for 20-25 minutes. When checking for the degree of doneness, stick a toothpick in the cups to double check. If more time is needed for cooking, check in small intervals until done.
Drop a dollop of whipped cream on the top of the Cherry Clafouti. Top the whipped cream with a cherry! A Fresh Cherry Clafouti is a treat! Enjoy! Find a printable recipe a little further down the page.
Here is a list of what everyone else in the blogging group made today! Check out these awesome recipes and Thank you for stopping by today. You made my day!
Tortillas are the best! When I am preparing food that normally goes on bread or a biscuit, I try to see if the recipe will work using a tortilla. These Summer Fruit Tortillas are fresh and taste amazing!
Just for fun, I stuffed the tortillas with strawberries, bananas, and blueberries.
Add whipping cream, vanilla and sugar to a bowl. Beat the cream with a mixer until it thickens. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Chop the strawberries into small bite sized pieces.
Chop the bananas into small slices and then each slice into four pieces.
Save a few pieces of strawberries, bananas and blueberries to garnish the tortilla when done.
Place the strawberries, blueberries and chopped bananas into a bowl. Refrigerate.
Spread the whipped cream onto the tortilla.
Add 2-3 spoonful of the mix of chopped fruit to the top of the whipped cream.
Chop 1/2 cup of chocolate into small pieces.
Melt on the stove or in the microwave.
As it melts add 1-2 teaspoons of warm milk to the chocolate and mix until creamy.
Roll the tortillas into tight burritos.
Garnish the top of the burritos with the fruit.
Drizzle the chocolate onto the plated fruit tortilla and enjoy!
This week I joined with a group of bloggers to present a blog post that highlights dairy. I hope you enjoyed the recipe. Find a printable copy at the end of this page!
Check out the list below of blogger friends who participated. The recipes all look amazing!
This is the last day of Lemon Week. It has been such a fun making and sharing lemon recipes and checking out what everyone else cooked. All the recipes were so impressive and mouthwatering! I can't wait to try them!
My last recipe for the week ~ Lemon Donuts! These tasty donuts have lemon in the recipe, a vanilla glaze, and a lemon curd in the middle of the doughnut. Full of fresh lemon yumminess,
these doughnuts can be made the day before you want to serve them. Make this recipe easy by cooking the lemon curd first and refrigerate it, once it cooled down.
Cook the doughnuts the next day and store them in an air free container in the fridge, until you are ready to finish the doughnuts.
When you are ready to put your recipe together start by making the vanilla glaze, then set it aside.
These lemon doughnuts come together nicely, and they are fun to eat!
Lemon Doughnuts
( makes 6 doughnuts)
(printable recipe at end of page)
Lemon Curd
3 Large Eggs at room temperature
Grated Rind and Juice of 2 Large Lemons
1/2 cup Salted Butter at room temperature
1 cup Superfine Sugar
Doughnuts
2 cups Flour
3/4 cup Sugar
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
2 large Eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup Buttermilk
2 tablespoons unsalted Butter, melted and cooled a bit
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Zest of 1 Lemon
Vanilla Glaze
1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
3 teaspoon Water
To make the curd, beat the eggs lightly in a medium bowl. Mix in the lemon rind, juice,
butter and sugar. Place the bowl over
a pan of hot water and heat gently. Stir until the sugar dissolves and the curd becomes thick. Pour the curd into a bowl with a lid and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, butter, vanilla, and lemon zest.
Pour the liquid mix into the flour and stir together.
Spray the donut pan with La Tourangelle All Purpose Baking Spray.
Pipe the batter into the donut pan. Bake 12-12 minutes. Remove from oven when done and let the doughnuts cool for 5 minutes.
Mix together the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and water in a small bowl to make the vanilla glaze. Drizzle the glaze over the donuts and onto the plate.
Add the lemon curd to the inside of the doughnuts. Enjoy!
Thank you for stopping by today! I hope you enjoyed todays recipe, my last recipe for #LemonWeek!
As a company, Rodelle offers a complete line of superior baking ingredients, pure vanilla products, and gourmet spice blends that will elevate your meals into memories! If you’re looking for their products, they are available in stores nationwide and on Amazon and Walmart. Learn more about them and their focus on responsible sourcing of vanilla beans and supporting farmers through their partnership with Sahanala at www.rodellekitchen.com.
At La Tourangelle we are passionate about making high quality ingredients that are good for the table, community, and planet. Our natural products are crafted locally in California and France using traditional practices. We believe in making products that are authentic, delicious, and sustainable, and by doing so we can spread joy and well-being through food.
Prize #1: Rodelle Prize Pack
Rodelle Prize Pack includes:
2 count Gourmet Madagascar Vanilla Beans
2oz Almond Extract
4oz Natural Baker’s Extract
4oz Vanilla Paste
8oz Gourmet Vanilla Extract
25oz Organic Baking Cocoa
Prize #2: La Tourangelle Prize Pack
La Tourangelle Prize Pack includes:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Roasted Walnut Oil
Regenerative Sunflower Oil
4oz Vanilla Paste
Fleur de Sel Almond Butter
Who are Rodelle and La Tourangelle?
Find out about our wonderful sponsors!!
RODELLE
https://rodellekitchen.com
https://www.instagram.com/rodellevanilla/
https://www.facebook.com/RodelleVanilla/
As a company, Rodelle offers a complete line of superior baking ingredients, pure vanilla products, and gourmet spice blends that will elevate your meals into memories! If you’re looking for their products, they are available in stores nationwide and on Amazon and Walmart. Learn more about them and their focus on responsible sourcing of vanilla beans and supporting farmers through their partnership with Sahanala at www.rodellekitchen.com.
LA TOURANGELLE
https://latourangelle.com
https://www.instagram.com/latourangelle/
https://www.facebook.com/latourangelleusa/
At La Tourangelle we are passionate about making high quality ingredients that are good for the table, community, and planet. Our natural products are crafted locally in California and France using traditional practices. We believe in making products that are authentic, delicious, and sustainable, and by doing so we can spread joy and well-being through food.
