Peaches and Cream Cake

I adapted this from a strawberry shortcake Cooking Light recipe I like to make. The turbinado sugar on top is a must, it caramelizes in the oven leaving a crisp and rich flavored crust for this tender desert.

Peaches and Cream Cake
4 cups sliced peaches
1/3 cup margarine, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour ( I substituted part cake flour)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup skim milk
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 egg whites (at room temperature)
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar
2 cups frozen reduced-calorie whipped topping, thawed and divided

Preheat oven to 375°.
Line a 9-inch round cake pan with wax paper. Coat pan with cooking spray, and dust with 1 teaspoon flour; set aside.

Cream margarine at medium speed of a mixer; gradually add 1/2 cup sugar, beating until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes).

Combine 1 3/4 cups flour, baking powder, and salt; stir well. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in almond extract.

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar at high speed of a mixer until foamy. Gradually add 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Gently stir about one-fourth of egg white mixture into batter. Gently fold in remaining egg white mixture.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle turbinado sugar over top of cake. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan, and let cool completely on wire rack.

Slice shortcake in half horizontally. Place bottom half, cut side up, on a serving plate. Spread 1 cup whipped topping over cake layer, and arrange half of peaches over whipped topping. Top with remaining cake layer, cut side down. Spread remaining cup whipped topping over top cake layer, and arrange remaining half of peaches over whipped topping.

Grilled Salmon Tacos with Peach Salsa

Oh, these are so delicious. The peach salsa gives the tried-and-true mango salsa a good run-for-the-money. You can make this with any fish that is not too delicate for the grill. For this meal, the only thing you have to "cook" is the Salmon, the rest is just a mix of fresh, whole, foods. It doesn't get better than that.

Grilled Salmon Tacos with Peach Salsa
Peach salsa:
3 cups coarsely chopped peeled peaches (about 6 small peaches)
1 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon chopped seeded serrano chile (I used jalepeno from the garden)
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon salt

Grilled salmon:
salmon fillets
salt
fresh ground black pepper
Paprika

Tacos:
8 corn tortillias
2 cups shredded green cabbage or packaged coleslaw mix
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
sour cream

Peach salsa: Combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl; toss gently.
Salmon: Prepare grill. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper and a dash of paprika. Place fish on grill; grill 6 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
Tacos: Mix shredded cabbage with a little light sour cream to desired consistancy. Warm the corn tortillas in a hot skillet. Break the fish into pieces, and place fish, cabbage mixture, peach salsa, and cilantro inside the taco shell.

Sweet and Delicious

Peaches for breakfast, peaches for lunch, and well, we'll see if I can manage to eat something other than peaches for dinner. I love peaches and peach season is my favorite food season of the year. When I put in my order for peaches I count the days until they arrive. I just can't resist a fresh, sweet, juicy, tree-ripened peach, straight from the Utah mountain orchards.


Yes, that is three boxes of peaches! A third of these will be used for in-hand eating. I figure it's best to eat them now when they are in season, sweet, fresh, and rich in healthy nutrients like Vitamin A, C, and Phenols (great for your skin). As far as the other two boxes go... well, I have lots of plans to use and preserve their sweet and fragrant goodness.

I am making this peach post mostly for me, so that I can remember how I like to use up my peaches when next year's harvest is in.


Peach Milkshakes
The girls and I mixed up this delicous peach milkshake before hitting the sack. Peachalicious! (Yes, I have been reading the children's books Pinkalicious and Purplicious lately). And a little extra cream to wash down the peachiness. Jeff is out of town so we are having a girl party!



Cottage Cheese and Peaches

No recipe here, just a nutritious and delicious lunch for baby Kate. It's fresh, easy, and simple, and was gobbled up in a minute. I started out feeding her but she quickly let me know that she wanted to feed herself! She loves to get her hands dirty!