Awesome Cake

Here is another entry of my cooking adventures. I just realized I've been doing this for four months already. Time flies so fast. It's good to note though, that I am learning something worthwhile along the way. This weekend I made a really nice soup that I highly recommend, a perfect pasta (Matet and I made sure there were no leftovers), a decent salad, and a heavenly no-bake cake. As I wrote the word "heavenly", my mouth got watery, longing for just one more serving of that cake. Mmmmm, it was so good and so easy to make.

Dish #1 - Potato and Crab Salad with Honey-Mustard Dressing

Serves 6 Time to Prepare 15 min Cooking Time 15 min

1 lb potatoes, boiled and diced

1 cup fresh asparagus, cut into 1" sticks and blanched

1 cup canned button mushrooms, quartered

1 cup canned young corn, cut into 1/2" pcs

1/3 lb crabsticks, quartered

1 pack cream

2 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar

2 tbsp honey

3 tbsp mustard

salt and pepper

To make the dressing, mix cream, juice, honey and mustard in a bowl or blender until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper

Place vegetables and crabsticks in a bowl. Toss in dressing and chill before serving.

My experience: I substituted asparagus with broccoli, and boiled fresh young corn, instead of using canned young corn. Other than that, it was pretty straightforward.

Our verdict: Great salad. It's quite filling on its own though, as it has potatoes.

Dish # 2 - Chunky Potato Soup

Serves 4 Time to Prepare 10 min Cooking Time 20 min

2-1/4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

1/4 cup and 3 tablespoons chopped onion

5/8 small carrot, chopped

2 tablespoons and 3/4 teaspoon chopped celery

3/4 cup and 1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons chicken broth

1 tablespoon and 2-1/4 teaspoons butter, cubed

1 tablespoon and 2-1/4 teaspoons all-purpose flour

1-1/3 cups and 2 tablespoons milk

1-3/4 teaspoons minced fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup and 1 tablespoon shredded Swiss cheese

In a large saucepan, combine the potatoes, onion, carrot, celery and broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender; lightly mash. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt butter; stir in flour until smooth. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir into potato mixture. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add parsley, salt and pepper. Remove from the heat; stir in cheese until melted.

My experience: I think I'm getting the hang of making soups. Every time, the highlight for me is to watch my kids devour the soup with delight. They are small, but they are my biggest fans! :)
Our verdict: Yummy soup. Also, very filling on its own, as it has so many ingredients in it.

Dish # 3 - Creamy Tuna and Mushroom Pasta

Serves 4 Time to Prepare 10 min Cooking Time 15 min

1 tbsp butter

1/4 chopped onions

3 tbsp sliced garlic

1 tsp dried basil

1/2 cup quartered mushrooms

3 tbsp cubed red bell pepper

3 tbsp frozen peas

1 can tuna flakes in oil, drained and reserve oil

1/2 cup stock/water

1 tsp lemon rind

1 1/4 packs cream

salt and pepper

400 gms pasta, cooked according to package directions

salt and pepper

parmesan cheese (optional)

Heat tuna oil and butter in a pan. Add onions, garlic, and basil and saute for a few minutes. Add in vegetables and cook until heated through. Blend in drained tuna flakes and stock. Bring to a quick boil. Add cream and rind. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes or until vegetables are done. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over pasta and top with parmesan cheese. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

My experience: I used plain vegetable oil instead of tuna oil and I added quite a lot of cheese.

Our verdict: This is a fantastic recipe. We loved it. It's definitely one of the best pasta recipes we've ever had.

Dish # 4 - Strawberry Cheesecake

Serves 12 Time to Prepare 15 min

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup melted butter

1 tbsp sugar

1 1/2 cups cream cheese

2/3 cup condensed milk

1 tbsp gelatin dissolved in 3 tbsp hot water

1 pack cream chilled

2 cups fresh strawberries, washed and quartered

1/4 cup strawberry syrup

Blend crushed grahams, butter and sugar in a bowl. Press in a 9" springform /removable bottom pan and chill for at least 30 minutes. 

In another bowl, beat cheese with condensed milk and dissolved gelatin until smooth. Set aside. In a clean bowl, beat cream on high speed until it doubles its volume. Fold in cream cheese mixture and pour over prepared crust. Smoothen top and chill overnight or until it sets. Top with strawberries and syrup.

My experience: This was my very first cake. I tended to avoid cakes up to this point, as I consider cakes as something for the experts. But it turned out it was worth giving it a try. It's awesome and no baking whatsoever.

Our verdict: It's unbelievable, but this cake is well at par with those cheesecakes in our favorite coffee shops. Yummy!