CREAM CHEESE POUNDCAKE (aka: kristine’s birthday cake)
*the key to good poundcake is room-temperature ingredients and thorough beating at each stage.
Ingredients:
1 cup butter or margarine
8 oz cream cheese
1 _ cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
2 _ cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
_ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 300.
In a large bowl, mix butter with cream cheese until very light and soft.
Gradually beat in sugar, until it is largely dissolved.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg.
Beat in the vanilla.
In another bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
Gradually blend into creamed mixture until silky in appearance.
*At this point, you can fold in chocolate chips or raisins or other additives, if you choose.
Pour into a very well greased 9 inch bundt pan. (OR as my grandmother and I do, use two 7 _ X 3 _ X 2 inch loaf pans)
Bake at 300 for one hour or until cake tester comes out clean. (I find it often takes slightly longer than an hour.)
Allow cake to cool in pan for 10 minutes. Shake loose and onto rack to continue cooling.
*At this point, you can frost or glaze the cake, if you choose. (I used a lemon-orange glaze on kristine’s cake.)

TROPICAL LIME COOKIES
*the key to good cookies is room-temperature ingredients
Ingredients:
1 _ cups confectioners sugar
1 cup butter (margarine, or shortening)
1 egg
_ cup corn syrup (or fake pancake syrup)
2 limes for grated lime peel AND fresh lime juice
2 _ cups all-purpose flour
_ teaspoon baking powder
_ teaspoon baking soda
_ teaspoon salt
_ cup flaked coconut
extra confectioners sugar

Preheat oven to 325.
Beat confectioners sugar and butter in large bowl at medium speed, until well blended.
Add egg, syrup, lime peel, and lime juice. Beat until well blended and fluffy.
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in another bowl.
Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating at a low speed until well blended.
Stir in coconut.
Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet.
Bake one sheet at a time for 15-18 minutes. Do not overbake.
Allow cookies to cool 2 minutes before removing from baking sheet.
Dust warm cookies with extra confectioners sugar.
Cool completely.

VEGGIE POLENTA PIE
Makes about 6 servings
Takes about 50 minutes

Ingredients:
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 oz crumbled blue cheese or feta cheese
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 smaller yellow squash, halved lengthwise and cut into this slices
_ cup chopped fresh basil
2 cups chopped fresh tomato
_ pound sugar snap peas
salt

In a small bowl, stir together 1 _ cups of cold water, cornmeal, and _ teaspoon salt, until well combined.
In a large saucepan, bring _ cup of water to a boil.
Stir in cornmeal mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture has thickened, about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat. Stir in the cheese and sour cream. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 450.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.
Add squash and basil, stirring frequently, until squash is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.
Stir in tomatoes and _ teaspoon salt.
Bring to a boil. Cook until mixture has slightly thickened, about 4 minutes.
Stir in snap peas. Cook another minute longer. Remove from heat.

Spoon cornmeal mixture into a 9inch deep-dish pie pan, pressing into bottom and up the sides of the pan.
Spoon the veggies, without the liquid, on top of the cornmeal.
Bake at 450 for 10 minutes, or until the polenta is crisp and veggies are piping hot.

*try using zucchini, green beans, bell peppers, or other veggies in season.

BLACK BEAN SOUP
makes about 4-5 servings
takes about 35 minutes

Ingredients:
3 cloves of garlic
1 medium onion
1 red bell pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 can of black beans, undrained
2 tablespoons tomato paste (or 3-4 tbsp tomato sauce)
1 cup vegetable broth
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 plum tomato (or half large tomato)

Dice pepper, onion, and garlic. Chop tomato.
Heat oil in large saucepan. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is softened.
Add pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until pepper is softened.
Stir in beans and tomato paste (or sauce). Cook 1 minute.
Add vegetable broth and spices. Bring to a boil.
Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook 10 minutes, or until flavor has developed.
Transfer 2/3 mixture to food processor or blender. Puree until smooth.
Return puree to pan. Add corn and chopped tomato. Cook until warmed through.

BLACK BEAN BURGERS
makes about 5 burgers
takes about 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1 can (15 oz) black beans, undrained
1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chilies
1 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Process beans in a food processor or blender until slightly mashed. Scrape into a medium bowl. (OR slightly mash with a potato masher in a medium bowl.)
Add green chilies, breadcrumbs, egg, and chili powder.
Mix with hands or wooden spoon until blended.
Shape into 5 patties, each about _ inch thick.
Spread cornmeal on a plate; coat patties with cornmeal.
Heat oil in a large skillet until hot.
Add patties and cook, about 5 minutes on each side, or until crisp and cooked through.
Serve on toasted buns with lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, salsa, etc.

**I use a few tablespoons of salsa instead of the chilies and chili powder. I add it until the mixture is spicy enough.

Yay, we're live again!

Kids -- the cooking night recipe archive is back online! Thank Mary for getting this ball rolling.

Stay tuned for a bunch of old recipes being posted (Thanks Mary) and some cool redesign shit.

Best part, we can all be authors so no more waiting for Kristine to post recipes :)