Tomato Basil Pasta

Sweet summertime! It has been pretty hot this summer and August is here. The last couple of days have been beautiful though with a wonderful breeze! One of the things I love about summer is the fresh fruits and vegetables. If you read this blog you know I belong to a CSA, Community Supported Agriculture.
I get wonderful fresh certified organic vegetables. My favorite are the tomatoes!


Growing up in an Italian household you couldn't get enough of these plump, delicious things! One recipe I grew up on was this pasta!


It is easy and delicious.

The ingredients are
Tomatoes 6-8 diced
Extra Virgin Olive oil
3 cloves of garlic
fresh basil 
salt

Cut tomatoes into diced pieces and fill bowl. Mince 3 cloves of garlic and 1/2 tsp salt. You can chop if you would like it stronger. I like a lot of fresh basil. 4-5 leaves chopped and 1/4 cop of Olive Oil. Mix together and add water to top tomatoes. Let stand and marinate a few hours. Overnight is great too! The longer it sits the better it tastes.

Using fresh ingredients are the key! If you don't have fresh basil used dried but fresh is better.

Your mixture should look like this. Now boil a pound of your favorite pasta. Add this on top like a sauce. It does not get cook.  The heat from the pasta warms it and you will not be able to stop eating it!

This mixture is also great to top chicken and steak. Enjoy!

Ice Box Cake

Hello Everyone! Hope you had a wonderful holiday!


It is very hot in Tennessee so unless you are sitting by a pool, the air conditioned house is the only relief.

For some reason I usually forget my camera in the kitchen. I love to cook and do so a lot! I happened to have it with me today. This recipe is easy and delicious.  Since it has been a while since I posted a recipe I feel like this should be the next one because it is great for summer.


Start with these ingredients.

 

1 box of Honey Maid Graham Crackers original flavor (I had the wrong box for picture)

1 box of cook n serve Jello chocolate pudding

1 box of cook n serve Jello vanilla pudding

Bananas

Milk

Cook the pudding on the stove top as directed on the package.

Stir vanilla and chocolate in separate pots till it becomes thick

Line a 9x13 dish with Graham crackers

 Slice bananas to top crackers to your desired amount

Pour chocolate pudding over bananas and layer with another round of graham crackers

Layer the vanilla on top of the grahams for a second layer

Top with graham cracker crumbs and refrigerate

When chilled it is ready to serve!

It is a cool and refreshing dessert!

Enjoy!

Tiramisu

An Italian delicacy! This custard filled dessert is so fluffy and good. Soaked in scrumptious, you gotta give it a try.

Start with these ingredients. Full recipe below.

Brew 2/14 cups of espresso.

Put the espresso, 3/4 cup of the sugar, and 1/4 cup of Kahlua into a heavy saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Whisk until the sugar dissolves, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the syrup cool

 Put the yolks, marscapone, marsala, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, and remaining 1 tablespoon of Kahlua in the bowl on medium speed until light and airy. Transfer the mixture to another bowl .

Put the cream in a new bowl and whip until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the cream mixture into the marsala mixture

 One by one, dip the ladyfingers in the espresso syrup and arrange a layer in the bottom of a 13-inch x 9-inch pan. Spoon a layer of cream over the ladyfingers

 Sprinkle some cocoa powder over top of cream. Dip and arrange another layer of ladyfingers over the cream, with the second layer perpendicular to the first. Spoon the remaining cream over the top.

 Dust the tiramisu with cocoa powder. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 3 days.

Not a very pretty dessert but the taste makes up for it! Enjoy!



Tiramisu

INGREDIENTS
2‑1/4 cups brewed espresso
1‑1/4 cup granulated sugar
6 Tablespoons plus 1 Tablespoon Kahlua
4 extra large egg yolks
1 pound mascarpone cheese
2 Tablespoons sweet marsala wine
1 cup heavy cream
48 store-bought ladyfingers
1/2 cup cocoa powder

PREPARATION:

1. Put the espresso, 3/4 cup of the sugar, and 1/4 cup of Kahlua into a heavy saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Whisk until the sugar dissolves, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the syrup cool.
2. Put the yolks, marscapone, marsala, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, and remaining 1 tablespoon of Kahlua in the bowl on medium speed until light and airy. Transfer the mixture to another bowl .
3. Put the cream in a new bowl and whip until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the cream mixture into the marsala mixture.
4. One by one, dip the ladyfingers in the espresso syrup and arrange a layer in the bottom of a 13-inch x 9-inch pan. Spoon a layer of cream over the ladyfingers. Sprinkle some cocoa powder over top of cream. Dip and arrange another layer of ladyfingers over the cream, with the second layer perpendicular to the first. Spoon the remaining cream over the top.
5. Dust the tiramisu with cocoa powder. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 3 days.

Linking to

Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Don't you just love the smell of something baking in the oven? It fills your home with such a wonderful scent. Those scents bring back memories of all different times of our lives. It's like a hug on a winters day. One of my favorite smells is cinnamon and one of my favorite recipes is this Cinnamon Sour Cream Coffee Cake by Ina Garten. 

12 Tablespoons unsalted butter at room temp
11/2cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
11/2 teaspoons pure vanilla
11/14 cups sour cream
21/2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt


for the streusel
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup a;; purpose flour
11/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut in pieces

for the glaze
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 Tablespoons real maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10 inch bundt pan. Cream butter and sugar 4-5 min until light. Add the eggs one at a time then vanilla and sour cream. In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add flour mixture to batter until just combined. Finish stirring with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed.

For the streusel, place brown sugar flour cinnamon, salt and butter in a bowl and pinch together with your fingers until it forms a crumble.

Spoon half the batter into the pan and spread it our with a knife. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup streusel. Spoon the rest of the batter in the pan, spread it out and scatter the remaining streusel on top. Bake for 50-60 min.

Let cool for at least 30 min. Transfer cake streusel side up onto serving plate. Whisk the confectioners sugar and syrup together adding a few drops of water to make the glaze runny. Drizzle as much as you would like over the cake .

Can't you just taste and smell it!  I love the texture and brown and white color. I hope you have a chance to try it.  It is great with tea or coffee or a nice big glass of milk. Enjoy!