Cucumber Salad

This spring I discovered that Naomi loves cucumbers, particularly if I toss them in a little vinegar.  I probably should have guessed sooner, given that she would eat pickles with every meal if I let her.  In any case, this spring we've been making up for lost time and eating lots of cucumber salad.  Now if only our cucumber plant would start growing some cucumbers, and Naomi could eat the ones she's picked with her very own hands, then she would be completely happy. 

Cucumber Salad
serves 2 adults or 1 adult and 2 small children

Ingredients:

• 1 medium cucumber (about 8 to 10 oz.)
• 1/8 tsp. sea salt
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper
• 1/8 tsp. white sugar
• 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar OR rice vinegar

Instructions:

Peel the cucumber.  Cut it in half length-wise; then cut each half into thin slices.  Place the cucumber slices in a small bowl.  Sprinkle salt, pepper, sugar, and vinegar over the slices.  Toss to combine.  Serve immediately. 

Creamy Green Beans

This is another recipe that I've been playing with since the winter, when the craving for something creamy came upon me.  Creamy foods are somehow inherently warm and comforting when it's below freezing outside.  But how can food be made creamy when you can't use cream, sour cream, or cream cheese?  Well, in the case of green beans, I discovered that you can make a creamy dressing by using mayonnaise.  I came up with two different flavors that I use depending on the rest of the food I'm cooking for dinner.  And even though I first thought of the recipe in the winter, it's great year-round when that craving for something creamy hits.  The dressing also tastes great with steamed asparagus.  I use 1 lb. of asparagus, which ends up being about 3/4 lb. once you snap off the ends.

Creamy Green Beans
serves 3 adults or 2 adults and 2 young children

Ingredients for Curried Creamy Green Beans:

• 3/4 lb. green beans (When green beans aren't in season, I like to buy Trader Joe's frozen French green beans.)
• 2 Tbsp. Hellmann's Real mayonnaise (not low-fat)
• 1/2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. curry powder
• 1/8 tsp. sea salt
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper 

Ingredients for French Creamy Green Beans:

• 3/4 lb. green beans (When green beans aren't in season, I like to buy Trader Joe's frozen French green beans.)
• 2 Tbsp. Hellmann's Real mayonnaise (not low-fat)
• 1/2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/8 tsp. sea salt
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper

Ingredients for Sriracha Creamy Green Beans:

• 3/4 lb. green beans (When green beans aren't in season, I like to buy Trader Joe's frozen French green beans.)
• 2 Tbsp. Hellmann's Real mayonnaise (not low-fat)
• 1/2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. Sriracha hot chili sauce
• 1/8 tsp. sea salt
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper

Instructions:

Cook the green beans until tender-crisp.  While the green beans are cooking, whisk together the rest of the ingredients.  When the green beans are done, drain them thoroughly.  (If they are too wet, it dilutes the dressing and the dressing doesn't adhere to the beans as well.)  Return the green beans to the pot they were cooked in or a warmed serving bowl.  Pour the dressing over them and toss so that all of the beans are coated with the dressing.  Serve immediately.  

Vanilla Frosting

I'm back!  I finished my second semester of graduate school and have now recovered and caught up on sleep.  Over the past few months I didn't take a break from cooking or trying out new recipes, but I just didn't have the time or energy to post the recipes here.  But now I'm back to blogging and I'll try to make up for my semester-long absence by sharing some of the recipes that I've been working on over the past few months. 

One recipe that I've been tweaking since the winter is corn-free and dairy-free vanilla frosting.  The two basic ingredients in vanilla frosting are powdered sugar (which usually contains cornstarch) and butter (which obviously contains dairy).  Fortunately, the Trader Joe's near us started carrying powdered sugar that contains tapioca starch instead of cornstarch.  From there I experimented with the rest of the ingredients until I came up with a frosting that the girls think tastes great.  The thing I like about this frosting is that it is so quick and easy to make.  So when I need to take one of the girls to a friend's birthday party, I just pull a chocolate cupcake out of the freezer to defrost (since I bake a batch once in a while and freeze the extras), and then make a little frosting to cover it.  Add some sprinkles and we're ready to go.

Vanilla Frosting
makes frosting to cover 3 to 4 cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup corn-free powdered sugar.  I use Trader Joe's, but Whole Foods also sells some.
• 2 Tbsp. Spectrum organic palm shortening
• 1/8 tsp. vanilla extract.  Use Trader Joe's alcohol-free vanilla extract or another vanilla extract that does not have corn syrup and is preferably alcohol-free, since the alcohol could be derived from corn. Recently I have been using Rodelle Vanilla Flavor alcohol free all natural extract, which I found at Stop and Shop.
• 1/8 tsp. sea salt
• 1 to 1 1/2 tsp. rice milk

Instructions:

Add the powdered sugar, shortening, vanilla, sea salt, and 1 tsp. rice milk to a standing mixer bowl with the whisk attachment in place.  Whisk on medium to medium-fast speed.  If the frosting is too thick and not spreadable enough, add 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. more rice milk until the frosting reaches the right consistency.  Scrape the bowl at least once and whisk thoroughly so that the salt and vanilla are mixed throughout the frosting.  Spread on top of cupcakes immediately.