Welcome to My Kitchen

Persistence pays dividends. Those hardy gardeners who did not become discouraged by late frost and wet ground, replanted as needed and faithfully tended their plots are reaping the benefits now. Cucumbers and zucchini are beginning to produce and tomatoes ripening.

Another benefit of persistence is, I am finally tracking down some elusive, requested recipes. One of those recipes, Mrs. McGillicuddy’s Rice and Red Bean Salad, comes from Jackie Greeenwalt, and it is an ideal dish for including in harvest meals. The recipe is easy to double or triple for a crowd.

Mrs. McGillicuddy’s

Rice and Red Bean Salad

2 cups cooked rice

1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans, drained

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

3/4 cup chopped black olives

4 tsp chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)

3 scallions or green onions, chopped, including the green part

1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

1/3 cup olive oil

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp salt

Combine rice, beans, corn, olives, coriander, scallions and sesame seeds in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, olive oil, soy sauce and salt. Pour over rice mixture and toss well to evenly distribute dressing. Serve at room temperature. Yield: 4 to 5 servings.

Jackie states that she usually substitutes vegetable oil and lemon juice in this recipe because her family prefers those flavors, and as she most often increases the quantity she also adds rinsed and drained black beans, but says just about any canned bean would work.

Colleen Janke brought a yummy dessert to a pot luck meal early this summer. There was much discussion as to whether it was a rhubarb cake or a banana cake. Turns out, it is both, rhubarb baked in the cake and banana flavor in the topping. This easy, cake mix based recipe, bakes in just 25 minutes, so you can get it done early, while windows are still open to catch a cool morning breeze.

Rhubarb Cake Dessert

1 yellow cake mix, 2 layer size

1 1/2 cups peeled and chopped rhubarb

Eggs, vegetable oil and water as listed in cake mix directions

1 carton frozen whipped topping, (8 ounces) thawed

1 package cream cheese (8 ounces) softened

1 package instant banana cream pudding mix ( 3 ounces)

1 1/2 cups toasted sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 glass baking pan and set aside.

Prepare cake according to package instructions in a large mixing bowl. Stir in prepared rhubarb. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes.

Remove cake from oven and place on wire rack to cool in the pan. When cake is cooled, prepare topping.

Mix whipped topping with cream cheese and pudding mix in a large bowl until blended and fluffy. Spread over cooled cake and sprinkle with the sliced almonds. Keep refrigerated until serving time. Yield: 12 to 15 servings.

Note: reduced fat and sugar free ingredients may be used in the topping if preferred.

Teresa Iksic shared a cake mix based recipe she recently made and posted a tempting picture on Facebook. Black Bottom Cupcakes require no frosting as they have a yummy cream cheese filling, making them ideal for mess free eating while combine driving. Teresa found the recipe on the Western Family Devil’s Food cake mix package.

Black Bottom Cupcakes

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 egg

1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus additional for sprinkling.

1/8 tsp salt

6 ounces chocolate chips

1 package Devil’s Food Western Family cake mix (2 layer size)

Eggs, vegetable oil and water as listed on the cake mix package.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 muffin cups with paper cupcake liners and set aside.

Combine cream cheese, 1 egg, 1/3 cup sugar and salt. Mix until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips and set aside.

Prepare cake mix according to cake mix package instructions. Fill prepared cupcake liners 1/2 full with cake batter. Top with a heaping tablespoon of cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake 15-20 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Yield: 24 cup cakes. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Summer apples will soon be ripening. Kathie Donahue shared Super French Vanilla Oatmeal, a recipe that will perk up you morning oatmeal and use some of the new crop apples in an inventive way.

Super French Vanilla Oatmeal

4 cups water

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups regular rolled oats (not instant)

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup dried apple slices or 1 whole fresh apple, peeled, cored and sliced

1 Tbsp ground cinnamon

French Vanilla “Coffee Mate” Creamer, regular or sugar free.

Brown sugar or Splenda sweetener

Heat water, salt, raisins and apples in water, uncovered, to boiling in a 2 quart saucepan. Add oats and cinnamon and stir well. Turn heat to low. When boiling has calmed, cover, and let cook until oatmeal is softened and water is mostly absorbed, about 10 minutes. Serve hot with creamer and sweetener. Yield 4-6 servings.

Kathie states, “This is really good”

I used a fresh apple when I made the recipe. You can easily cut this recipe in half for two servings. I waited until just before serving to add the raisins, as I like them just heated through. And, not having Coffee-Mate of any sort on hand, I found regular milk with a drop of vanilla very tasty.

Pickling and preserving will be featured in the next few columns, in addition to more of the requested recipes coming in. Share your favorite recipes by sending them to: Welcome to My Kitchen, c/o The Odessa Record, P.O. Box 458, Odessa, WA 99159, or email them to http://www.therecord@odessaoffice.com, or drop them in the Welcome to My Kitchen mail tin in The Odessa Record office. Keep cucumbers and summer squash picked to promote continued production.