Homemade Black Bean and Corn Salsa

It's the Fourth of July holiday weekend here in the States and although I've posted black bean salsa recipes before, it's the perfect 'throw together at the last second' thing for an appetizer, lunch, even heaping on a plate of nachos for dinner.  I just whipped this up yesterday for a quick, cool, refreshing lunch so I thought I'd post it here for anyone that forgot about this old standby recipe.

Best yet - you don't really need a recipe.  Just throw stuff together and do taste testing while you are doing so.  The amounts and items you add or leave out is up to you.  I don't usually have corn in the house so often that's left out.  I also prefer white niblet corn to yellow.  Go easy on the lime and salt at first and add after tasting.

I don't have a 'recipe' written with amounts in my recipe book, instead it's a recipe card with a list of ingredients.  Here is what I use when I make this (which is fairly often) and I serve with a mixture of blue and white tortilla chips.


Black Bean Salsa

Black Beans - drained and rinsed
Yellow Carn
White Corn
Diced Tomatoes
Cilantro
Red Onion
Green Onion
Garlic, Fresh Minced
Lime Juice
Avocado
Olive Oil
Cumin
Jalapeno
Salt


Previously I posted along with the amounts I used that particular time - some of you may find it helpful to give you a starting point to see how much of each ingredients I used.



Black Bean and Corn Salsa Side Dish
Almost all ingredients are optional based on your preferences

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can or  1 1/2 cups petite diced tomatoes
1 can yellow corn
1 can white corn
4-5 green onions, sliced thin
1/2 small red onion, diced
1/2 avocado, petite diced
1/2 red or green pepper, diced
1-2 t minced fresh garlic
1 small can diced green chili
1 small jalapeno pepper, diced fine
1 bunch cilantro - chopped
Juice from 1 lime  (about 2 tablespoons)
1 1/2 t cumin powder
Salt to taste (start with a teaspoon and taste test)

Mix together in a bowl.  Serve right away or chill 2 hours before serving. 

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies! No sugar, no white flour but oh so good!

This is my 'go to' chocolate chip cookie recipe when I do not want to use flour or sugar.  

Although I like to bake on parchment lined sheets, almond flour cookies and baked goods like to stay very moist and sometimes fall apart too easily if they are not baked a little longer than regular flour/sugar versions.  After some trial and error I've found that using one of my older 'darkened' cookie sheets gives these cookies the more sturdy foundation they need to not be too moist, to the point where they want to stick to each other when stored.  It's a very traditional chocolate chip cookie style, but none of the flour or sugar to weigh down your digestive system or pump your system full of sugar.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 c butter
1 1/2 c sugar substitute of your choice 
1 1/2 t black strap molasses
2 eggs
1 c almond flour or fine almond meal
1 c Vanilla Whey Protein Powder
1/4 c wheat bran (or oat bran)
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
1 c chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
1- 8 oz Bag of Sugar Free Chocolate Chips


Preheat your oven to 375. Beat the sweetener equivalent to 1 1/2 cup, with the butter and molasses until well mixed. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well. In another bowl stir the ground almonds, whey powder, wheat or oat bran, baking soda and salt. Add this to the butter/sweetener mixture about 1/2 cup at a time to incorporate.

Stir in the nuts and chocolate chunks or chips. Drop by tablespoons onto a sprayed/greased cookie sheet. Form into nicely shaped rounds and flatten a bit with your hand. Bake for approximately 10 minutes, let cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes and then remove to a rack or counter to cool. The original recipe said each cookie yields about 3 carbs.

Homemade Cheese Balls

Homemade Cheese Balls


Play with the ingredients in this recipe. Use different cheeses, add jalapeno, add crumbled bacon, some chipolte, use only cheese but mix in smoked provolone, smoked gouda and cheddar, add chopped shrimp, crab or lobster to make a seafood ball.. etc.

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) real butter
1-2 green onions, chopped
1/4 c flour (I used a hard white wheat I ground myself this time)
1 c milk
1 c mozzarella, shredded
1/2 c cheddar, shredded

1/2 c flour, extra for tossing with the cheese
oil for frying


Combine the shredded cheeses and extra flour in a bowl. Set aside.


Heat the butter in a saucepan, add green onions, cook briefly until soft and add the flour. Whisk until bubbling, stir in milk and heat until it thickens.

Combine the flour/milk mixture with the cheeses in a bowl. Stir until blended and let cool.


Form the mixture into small balls. (Roll in some panko crumbs if you wish.)

When all the balls are formed, heat your oil. Deep fry the cheese balls in hot oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.

When you can't or won't cook with alcohol... here are substitutions for alcohol of all sorts!

When it comes to substitutions in cooking I've never really had to worry about it because it comes naturally to me. I stop, think about what I want or need to substitute, an idea comes to me and it's done.  Some of them are so second nature I don't even think about it (like souring milk with lemon juice or vinegar in place of buttermilk).

So with 'substitutions' in mind I thought I should probably put a post up on An American Housewife...  but before I could post one, I saw this list and realized;  someone else already did it - and did a far more thorough and great job than I probably would have!  Ha.  So... without further adieu, a substitution list for when you can't or don't want to cook with alcohol.


Article originally published 2004 by What's Cooking America

• Amaretto – Non-Alcoholic almond extract. Substitute 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon almond extract for 2 tablespoons Amaretto.
• Anisette – Anise Italian soda syrup or fennel. Also use the herbs anise or fennel.
• Beer or Ale – Chicken broth, beef broth, mushroom broth, white grape juice, or ginger ale.
• Bourbon – 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of non-alcoholic vanilla extract.
• Brandy – Water, white grape juice, apple cider or apple juice, diluted peach or apricot syrups. Substitute equal amounts of liquid.
• Champagne – Ginger ale, sparkling apple cider, sparkling cranberry juice, or sparkling white grape juice.
• Coffee Liqueur – To replace 2 tablespoons of liqueur, use 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of chocolate extract mixed with 1 teaspoon of Pero® or Postum® powder, which has been mixed in 2 tablespoons of water.
• Cognac – Juice from peaches, apricots, or pears.
• Cointreau – Orange juice or frozen orange juice concentrate.
• Creme de menthe – Spearmint extract or oil of spearmint diluted with a little water or grapefruit juice.
• Grand Marnier or Orange-Flavored Liqueur – Unsweetened orange juice concentrate or orange juice. Substitute 2 tablespoons unsweetened orange juice concentrate or 2 tablespoons orange juice and 1/2 teaspoon orange extract for 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier.
• Kahlua – Coffee or chocolate-flavored liqueur. Substitute 1/2 to 1 teaspoon chocolate extract or substitute 1/2 to 1 teaspoon Pero® or Postum® powder in 2 tablespoons water for 2 tablespoons Kahlua.
• Kirsch – Syrup or juices from cherries, raspberries, boysenberries, currants, or cider. Substitute equal amounts of liquid.
• Peppermint Schnapps – Non-alcoholic mint or peppermint extract, mint Italian soda syrup, or mint leaves.
• Port Wine, Sweet Sherry, or Fruit-Flavored Liqueur – Orange juice or apple juice. Substitute equal amount of liquid.
• Rum (light or dark) – Water, white grape juice, pineapple juice, apple juice or apple cider, or syrup flavored with almond extract. Substitute equal amounts of liquid.
• Sake – Rice vinegar.
• Sherry or Bourbon – Orange or pineapple juices, peach syrup, or non-alcoholic vanilla extract. Substitute equal amount of liquid 1 to 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
• Southern Comfort – Peach flavored nectar combined with a small amount of cider vinegar.
• Tequila – Cactus juice or nectar.
• Triple Sec – Orange juice concentrate, orange juice, orange zest or orange marmalade.
• Vermouth, Dry – White grape juice, white wine vinegar, or non-alcoholic white wine.
• Vermouth, Sweet – Apple juice, grape juice, balsamic vinegar, non-alcoholic sweet wine, or water with lemon juice.
• Whiskey – If a small amount is called for, it can be eliminated.
• Vodka – White grape juice or apple cider combined with lime juice or use plain water in place of the vodka.
• Claret – Diluted grape juice or cherry cider syrup.
• Gewurztraminer – White grape juice combined with lemon juice.
• Grappa – Grape juice.
• Port Wine – Concord grape juice with some lime zest added, cranberry juice with some lemon juice added, or grape juice concentrate. Substitute orange juice or apple juice for lighter ports.
• Red Wine – Red grape juice, cranberry juice, chicken broth, beef broth, vegetable broth, clam juice, fruit juices, flavored vinegar. Substitute equal amount of liquid.
• White Wine – Water, chicken broth, vegetable broth, white grape juice, ginger ale, white grape juice.
• Sweet White Wine – White grape juice plus 1 tablespoons Karo corn syrup. Substitute equal amount of liquid.
  

Homemade Macaroons (Macarons) Again - Just for fun, just for my family

I made something this week that left me with a few egg whites to use up so this morning I decided to whip up some macaron cookies to use up the egg whites.  I've already posted this recipe previously around Easter time with some 'mini' macaroons I had tinted pink.  These didn't have to be as pretty... and didn't have to be pink.  As a matter of fact I left them white and untinted with white buttercreme frosting in the middle but used a simple yellow jimmy sprinkle to add color since I chose to use "Princess" flavoring which the lemon citrus really stood out in today.

I have tried to make these completely sugar free previously.  They work 'ok' but not great when made sugar free.  The texture isn't the same and they stay 'sticky' and don't dry out to a nice meringue style crisp.  I don't usually bake or cook with sugar but I did for these.


Macarons  (Macaroons)

1 c confectioner's sugar
3/4 c almond flour
2 egg whites, room temperature
pinch of cream of tartar
1/4 c superfine granulated sugar
optional: 1-2 drops food color and 1/4 t flavor extract

Mix the confectioner's sugar and almond flour very well either by pulsing in a food processor until combined or using an electric stick blender or electric whisk, etc. It should be mixed very well and quite fine.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk whites with a mixer on medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar, and whisk until soft peaks form. Reduce speed to low, then add a drop or two of food color if you are using it, a drop or two of flavor extracts if you are using them, and the superfine white sugar. Increase speed to high, and whisk until stiff peaks form. Sift flour mixture over whites, and fold until mixture is smooth and shiny.

Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip if you have one, or if not, leave the round 1/2 inch opening of the bag or the white plastic piece you would normally put a tip on, and pipe 3/4-inch rounds 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets.  Drag the pastry tip to the side of rounds rather than forming peaks.

Tap bottom of each sheet on work surface to release trapped air. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake 1 sheet at a time, rotating halfway through, until macarons are crisp and firm, about 10 minutes. After each batch, increase oven temperature to 375 degrees, heat for 5 minutes, then reduce to 325 degrees.


Let macarons cool on sheets for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. (If macarons stick, spray water underneath parchment on hot sheet. The steam will help release macarons.)

Sandwich 2 same-size macarons with 1 teaspoon filling of your choice. Serve immediately, or stack between layers of parchment, wrap in plastic, and freeze for up to 3 months.