strawberry frozen yogurt (for ice cream maker)

http://elise.com/recipes/archives/007244strawberry_frozen_yogurt.php


Ingredients
3 cups sliced fresh strawberries
3 Tbsp lemon juice
2/3 cup to 1 cup sugar (depending on how sweet you want the result, and how sweet your strawberries are to begin with)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup whole milk
1 1/2 cups full fat yogurt (if use low or non fat, then add 2 Tbsp cream)

Method
1 Place the strawberries, lemon juice, salt, and sugar in a medium saucepan. Heat on medium heat, stirring, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Use a potato masher to mash up the strawberries as the mixture is heating. As soon as all of the sugar has completely dissolved, remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes.

2 Stir in the milk and yogurt, until completely incorporated. Place the mixture in the refrigerator, and chill for at least an hour, preferably several hours, until completely cold, before proceeding.

3 Process the mixture in your ice cream maker 20 to 25 minutes. Eat immediately or keep in freezer until served.

Tortilla Soup

ingredients:
1. 2 onions (one purple, one yellow0
2. one green pepper
3. hot peppers (to taste - i used about 8 oz)
4. 3 cans vegetable stock
5. one can crushed tomato
6. cheddar cheese
7. tortilla chips
8. salsa
9. sour cream
10. 2 tbs crushed garlic cloves
11. 3 tbs cumin
12. one can whole kernal corn (11-12 oz)
13. canned black beans (11-12 oz)
14. 2 tbs olive oil
15. one avacado

directions:
1. chop onions and all the peppers
2. sautee with oil, garlic, and cumin for 5 minutes
3. add tomato
4. add stock
5. boil for 20 minutes
6. add corn and beans
7. boil for another 5 minutes
8. serve with sour cream, cheese, salsa, and tortilla chips

French Toast (From Epicurious)

Ingredients:
3 eggs
6 tablespoons half and half
1 tablespoon sugar
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 3/4-inch-thick slices soft-crusted French bread or egg bread


2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1/4 cup powdered sugar
Warm maple syrup (optional)

PreparationBeat eggs, half and half, sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon and vanilla extract in 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish to blend. Add bread and turn to coat. Cover and chill until bread absorbs egg mixture, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day.

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add bread and cook until golden and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to plates. Combine powdered sugar with remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon and sift over toast. Serve with maple syrup, if desired.

Red Velvet Cake

adapted from epicurous.com

Cake
2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour (sifted, then measured)
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon red food coloring
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Frosting
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar




PreparationFor cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Sift sifted flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into medium bowl. Whisk buttermilk, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla in small bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Beat in dry ingredients in 4 additions alternately with buttermilk mixture in 3 additions.

Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 27 minutes. Cool in pans on racks 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks; cool completely.

For frosting:
Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth.

Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on platter. Spread 1 cup frosting over top of cake. Top with second cake layer, flat side down. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.)