Frugal Foodie Friday - The World's Easiest and Probably Cheapest Mocha Pudding

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...While out for a picnic today, the Silver Fox and I passed an empty field that was being watered. Local grass farmers have just finished harvesting the first of their seed crops and we occasionally see this happening. It seems easier for some to continue watering than to reset timers on the equipment used to irrigate their fields. While it's wasteful and inefficient, I suspect you are wondering why the practice is even being mentioned on a food blog. Well, it started me thinking about kitchens, particularly my own, where waste of another sort can sap resources, which, by definition, should include the energy of the cook. When I first started my kitchen explorations, anything, no matter how difficult, was fair game. I've pressed ducks and, on one occasion, even cooked a suckling pig, but over time I've started to question why I thought it was necessary to do such things. Truth be told, I liken the practice to that of a climber who risks life and limb simply because the mountain is there and he is not. Over the years, I become more judicious in my choice of recipes and few tempt me as they did those first years in my kitchen. I still pull out all the stops for holidays and special meals, but I rarely spend an entire day in my kitchen. I've set a personal limit for the amount of time I'm willing to stand at the stove, and while I prefer "from scratch" cooking, I have started to move down the food ladder and am really attracted to meals that are quick and easy to prepare. It goes without saying, that flavor is still of paramount importance to me, but more and more, I find I'm drawn to what gets me in and out of the kitchen in the shortest amount of time. There is just so much more outside that I want to see and touch and feel and I can't resist the temptation to explore what lies beyond my door. The pudding I'm featuring tonight was the result of a search for a fast and cheap dessert. While I've made some fairly substantial changes to the original recipe, develop by Melissa d'Arabian for the Food Network, it came on my radar because it met my fast and cheap criteria. I think you will really enjoy this simple dessert. It takes ten minutes to prepare the pudding and its flavor more than pays for the cost of the ingredients you use to make it. While it lacks the refinement of a mousse, it is, nonetheless, smooth and silky and quite pleasant on the tongue. I do hope you will try it. Here is how this week's Frugal Friday selection is made. 

Slow Cooker - Tres Leches Bread Pudding with Cinnamon Sugar Sauce

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Those of you who love the bearly sweet desserts of Europe may be excused from tonight's post, but I do hope you'll return tomorrow evening when I'll be featuring something less treacly to balance things for you. If, however, you have a sweet tooth that rivals that of the critters that hover around a pie chest, keep reading. Kelsey Nixon has created this unusual bread pudding for The Cooking Channel, and it is a great way to end a spicy Southwestern-style barbecue. While her creation is not cheap to make, it's really easy to prepare and I think those of you those of you who are looking for new ways to use your slow cooker will be tempted to give it a try. I followed her recipe to a tee, save for the fact that I used a liner of paper towels under the lid to capture excess moisture and prevent it from making the pudding goopy. The sweet lovers at the table had nothing but good words to say about the finished pudding, so I'm confident that it's good enough to share with you tonight. I will, however, repeat, it is very sweet and meant only for those of you who aren't afraid of sugar shock. Here is how this pudding and sauce are made. 

Peanut Butter Bars + Mazola Summer Grill Giveaway Winners

The winners of the drawing for the Mazola Summer Grilling Giveaway are Taste the Rainbow, and Carol Z. Please email your address information to me, so I can pass it on to the Mazola representative for mailing to you. Congratulations, gals!

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I know that bacon is the poison of choice for most of my readers. While I, too, love the stuff, I'm partial to nuts and I must admit my allegiance is more firmly entrenched in the peanut butter camp. As a little girl, I'd sneak a jar of peanut butter and some saltines to my hideaway, a closet tucked under the front hall staircase, where I'd go to make my favorite "cookies" - peanut butter, finger smeared, on salty crackers. Lacking the foresight to bring utensils, I managed to get peanut butter on myself, the chain that dangled from the bare bulb and the door knob, and because I was still so young,  I could never figure out how my mother knew I had been in there. Unfortunately, I was usually intemperate in my use of peanut butter. Back in the day, nothing was super-sized, and my mother's weekly shopping placed only a small jar of peanut butter in the pantry. At least once a week, you could hear the far from dulcet accusation, "Hell's bells, Mary, that was meant for lunch," coming from her kitchen. And because that was then and not now, once she calmed down she would apologize for swearing. Such a wicked woman, it's no wonder I'm a mess and still inordinately fond of peanut butter and desserts that are made with it. The recipe I'm featuring tonight comes from Ellen Dorsey, who most of you know as Moomie, of famous bun fame. I found the recipe for Ellen's peanut butter bars on her website which you can find, here. The recipe makes a really nice bar cookie that is packed with peanut flavor, thanks to the use of peanut butter in both the dough and frosting. The simplicity of the recipe makes it a perfect cookie for children and novice cooks to make and  I think those of you who try Ellen's recipe will be really pleased with the results. Here is how these peanut butter bars are made.

Slow Cooker Peach and Blueberry Crumble

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The bins at our local farmer's markets are nearly groaning from the weight of  fruits that have already been harvested. Early apples, apricots and plums have made their appearance and peaches, though just starting to come to market, are also plentiful this year. The peaches, however delicious, present a problem, because they all seem to ripen at the same time. I've been looking for simple ways to prepare them before they become candidates for the compost pile. I found this recipe, which I have only slightly modified, in Beth Hensperger's Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker, and I use it a couple of times every summer to make a dent in my own overzealous fruit purchases. I think you'll like this dessert, but I want to point out that crumb toppings that are baked in a slow cooker will lack the crispy crunch of their oven-baked cousins. I've found the crumbs can be made less soggy if the lid of the slow cooker is lined with several layers of paper toweling that will catch the moisture that accumulates as the fruit cooks. As you skim through the recipe, you'll find that I do not peel the peaches I use to make the crumble. I find they better hold their shape when the skins are left intact. The skins seem to disappear as the peaches cook and leaving them in place certainly makes preparation of the crumble much easier for the cook. I am all for easy. This is a nice family dessert and it is a perfect way to end a summer barbecue. I do hope you'll give the recipe a try. Here is how the crumble is made.

James Beard's 1-2-3-4 Cake with Citrus Glaze

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I've decided to make this summer sweets week on the blog and the first recipe I want to share with you is James Beard's 1-2-3-4 Cake. While there are boatloads of recipes for this cake, I've zeroed in on his because it has a spare elegance that is lacking in most of the others. This is an heirloom cake that your grandmother probably made. While its popularity and longevity can be attributed to the basic goodness of the cake, the fact that its recipe formula is so easy to remember hasn't hurt its standing either. That formula, which includes 1 cup butter, 2 cups sugar, 3 cups flour and 4 eggs, is what gives the cake its name. Beard's version of the cake uses a mix of citrus juice, rather than frosting, to glaze the cake, and that fresh fruity flavor makes it wonderful to serve with macerated berries and a dollop of cream at this time of year. The glaze also makes a wonderful base for a bittersweet chocolate ganache, should you prefer a more traditional icing. I like to make this cake a day or two before I plan to serve it. That gives the flavors a chance to ripen and permeate the cake. If you are looking for a yellow cake that is tender and has outstanding flavor, I hope you'll give this one a try. Its appearance is deceiving. It is plain looking, to be sure, but it is delicious and has an elegance all its own. Here is how the cake is made.

Quick and Easy Burger Buns - Sandwich Rolls in 40 Minutes

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a nice recipe to have in the hopper when you need, but can't get to the store for hamburger buns. While they are not as good as Moomie's famous buns, if speed is a factor, you can make these rolls for your crew without apology. My first occasion to make them was during a snow storm that stranded me on the hillside where we were living at the time. I found the recipe on the Taste of Home website and decided to give it a try. Having done that, I can verify that these buns can be made and table ready in 40 minutes. The best part is that no special equipment is needed to prepare them. The recipe uses a lot of yeast which makes the quick oven-rise possible, but the lack of proofing, at least in my opinion, somewhat compromises the flavor of the finished rolls. I've altered the original recipe and now use more salt and some whole wheat flour to boost flavor without altering the time the rolls take to make. Baked as directed, the rolls will have a crust that offers a slight resistance to the tooth. If you like a softer roll, brush them with butter before baking. The recipe produces enough dough to make 12 medium-sized rolls. I prefer slightly larger rolls, so I divide the dough into 8 rather than 12 pieces. This is a nice go-to recipe when you are pressed for time or need to keep an eye on your food budget. I hope you will try it, or barring that, file it for a rainy day when it might be of use to you. Here is how these fast and simple buns are made.

Menu for the Week of August 3, 2014

Weekly Menu at One Perfect Bite... 

Meals will be simpler than usual this week. We are housesitting for friends and have their incredible home at our disposal for the next several days. I'm stripping leftover meals from the freezer to feed those who straggle to my table. You'll find me at the pool rather than in the kitchen.

Flat Iron Burgers with Onion Marmalade, Blue Cheese and Arugula + Mazola Summer Grill Kit Giveaway

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This delicious burger was created for a Mazola Corn Oil promotion. Chances are, you already have a large bottle of their corn oil sitting in your pantry, and that will make it easier for you to re-create this burger for your friends and family. If you don't, I hope you will soon remedy that with a trip to your nearest market. I tend to be a brand loyal customer and the oils I use are no exception. Mazola Corn Oil was used exclusively in this recipe. I used it to grease the grates of my grill, make the amazing purple onion marmalade you see and as an added ingredient in the burgers to keep them moist as they grilled. Did you know that corn oil has a high smoke point and can be used on grill grates to prevent sticking? While I routinely use it for marinades, I also use it in condiments where oil is a required ingredient. Researchers have recently found that corn oil is more effective than extra virgin olive oil in lowering LDL or "bad" cholesterol, so I use this heart healthy oil without concern when I prepare food for the grill. If you'd like to experiment this grilling season, be sure to visit the Mazola website and take a look at some of their unique recipes. As an enticement to do that, Mazola has given me two ultimate summer grilling kits to share with you. Each set contains a bottle of Mazola Corn Oil, a 3 piece Weber stainless steel grill set, a four-way measuring spoon and a Mazola barbecue apron. If you'd like a chance to win one of the kits, simply enter the words Mazola Corn Oil in the comment section of this post and make sure I can contact you if your name is selected  in the drawing on the evening of Sunday, August 3rd. That's all there is to it. Now, on to the work at hand. The recipes I've created for the marmalade and burgers can be found below. Do try them. I think you'll be delighted.