Simple fare perfect for summertime

Banana and vanilla wafer pudding is a delightful culinary memory.

I can’t quite say when Mother stopped making it and I began… it is simple enough for many elementary-age cooks. The singular challenge is patience. The phrase “stirring constantly” doesn’t mean much until you’ve either done it and couldn’t wait until the process was complete or, on the other hand, didn’t “stir constantly” and witnessed the results, which were most likely a lumpy and curdled mess.

Still, it is worth every moment. You’ve only to try it once to know you’ll want this as a part of your repertoire.

Here, this classic dessert is embellished by summer fruits, including your choice of: raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, nectarines or peaches. Make it early in the cool of the morning, adding the fruit just before serving.

Banana Wafer Pudding with Summer Fruits

60 vanilla wafers

1 cup sugar

3 tbsp. cornstarch

¼ tsp. salt

2 cans (12 oz. each) evaporated milk

2 eggs, lightly beaten

3 tbsp. butter

1 ½ tsp. vanilla

4-5 ripe but firm bananas

2 cups sliced strawberries, 2 cups raspberries, 2 cups blueberries or equal of sliced peaches or nectarines

Whipped cream or whipped topping

Fresh mint, optional garnish

Line bottom and up sides of 2 ½ qt. serving dish with vanilla wafers.

Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt and whisk well. Turn into medium saucepan. Slowly add evaporated milk, stirring, until well blended. Whisk in eggs. Add butter that has been cut into pieces. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until mixture begins to thicken. Reduce heat to low and bring to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly, for l minute. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Cool slightly.

Pour half of the pudding over the wafers in the serving bowl. Cut bananas into slices and place on top of pudding. Layer remaining vanilla wafers over bananas.

Combine remaining pudding with remaining banana slices and spoon over wafers. Refrigerate at least 4 hours. Just before serving, prepare fruit. Scoop servings into dishes and top with fruit, whipped cream and a sprig of mint.

Summertime means less structured mealtimes. It can also mean there’s time to make homemade “popsicles.” When I was a kid, we’d make up a batch, pour it into molds and put in the freezer and voilà… we had our own treats. Not only did we have the fun of making them, I have a hunch they were far less expensive than the store-bought variety.

Recently a friend asked for “popsicle” recipes for her little one. Here are two varieties you may want to try. Our granddaughters, Hannah (8) and Charlotte (7), can make these for themselves with an adult nearby for encouragement and supervision.

Plastic freezer containers for “popsicle-style” frozen treats can found in many places… the grocery store, gourmet cookware shops and even online from specialty plastic storage container distributors.

Double Orange Pops

1 (3-oz) pkg. orange-flavored gelatin mix

½ cup sugar

2 cups boiling water

2 cups fresh orange juice

Dissolve gelatin and sugar in boiling water. Cool until lukewarm. Stir in orange juice. Pour into “popsicle” freezer containers. Freeze until firm.

Frozen Fudge Pops

1 (5-oz) pkg. chocolate pudding and pie filling mix (not instant)

3 ½ cups milk

¼ cup sugar

Mix ingredients in a medium saucepan. Cook as for pudding. When pudding has come to a boil, remove from heat. Cool for 10 minutes. Stir well. Turn into “popsicle” freezer containers. Freeze until firm.

With blueberries plentiful and value-priced, you might consider splurging on a basket of blueberry muffins to accompany a fruit plate, a dish of cottage cheese garnished with strawberries or the breadstuff for a weekend brunch.

This recipe was created by the folks who make Splenda, a sugar substitute that is said to be measured and used just as you would handle regular sugar. As the product is suitable, the box says, for those with diabetes, this recipe might be a reasonable choice bread or treat for those watching their “carbs.”

Lo-Cal Blueberry Muffins

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

¾ tsp. salt

½ cup light margarine, softened

1 cup Splenda or sugar

¼ cup honey

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

½ cup nonfat milk

1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

Line 20 muffin cups with paper liners.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. Beat together margarine, Splenda and honey with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla.

Alternately stir in flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Fold in berries. Spoon batter into paper-lined muffin cups. Bake in a 350-degree oven until golden brown and an inserted wooden pick comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Remove muffins from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Over the years I’ve learned to cook a little extra one day to use the next. Here, a cooked steak is the basis for a stir-fry. I used flank steak, but any other lean steak will work, too.

Simple Steak Stir-fry

8 oz. broiled or grilled flank steak (or other lean steak)

1 onion

1 zucchini

3 cups sliced green or red cabbage

½ cup cooked corn

1 cup sliced celery

2 handfuls baby spinach leaves

1 tbsp. oil (not olive oil)

2 tbsp. teriyaki grilling sauce

Cut cooked steak into thin strips and set aside.

Slice onion. Cut zucchini into matchstick pieces.

Rim stem ends from spinach.

Heat oil in wok or large skillet. Add onion and sauté just briefly. Add zucchini and cook, stirring, just until beginning to soften. Add cabbage and celery. Stir-fry just until turning soft at the edges. Add spinach leaves. Toss together and remove from heat to serving dish. Heat wok and add streak strips. When warmed, drizzle with teriyaki grilling sauce to heat through. Add to vegetables in dish and stir briefly. Serves 2-4.