Pineapple cupcakes with fresh cream cheese frosting

I use boxed Betty Crocker yellow cake mix and substitute water or milk for Pineapple juice.
1 Box of Yellow Cake mix
1 15 oz. Can of chunk Dole Pineapple drained with the juice reserved
Follow the direction on the cake mix and substitute the reserved Pineapple juice for the liquid add water if there is not enough juice. Once mixed add the pineapple to the mixture and distribute evenly in to muffin tin.

Next the Frosting.
1 Package of Cream Cheese that has been brought to room temperature.
1/2 stick of butter also room temperature
1 Cup of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of Lemon zest and a small squeeze of the juice to taste.

Beat the Cream Cheese and butter until it is fluffy and soft the fluffier the better! add the powder sugar and gently mix until it is blended then add the zest and juice and beat it on high for 2-3 minutes. Place in it the fridge until the cupcakes are cool and frost.

** for another spin add a small amount of cherry pie filling to the top of the cupcake before placing in the oven.

Elote a spin on a traditional classic style corn

Almost everyone has seen the guy or gal pushing the shopping cart down the street honking the bike horn here is how to make "Elotes" or corn. Not everyone likes corn on the cob so this is a simplified version using a bag of frozen corn.

What you will need:
A bag of frozen 16 ounces
1 Tablespoon of butter or margerine
2 Tablespoons of Best Foods Mayonnaise (it really needs to be name brand since there are so few ingredients)
3 Tablespoons of ground Parmesan Cheese or Cotija if you are near a Mexican market they are interchangeable in just about any recipe.
a pinch of kosher salt
Microwave safe dish

Place corn in the microwave for 2-4 minutes until defrosted and slightly warm I start at 2 minutes and stir every 30 seconds until warmed. once corn is defrosted drain any water and mix in the butter or margarine until melted if the butter is not melting pop everything in the microwave for 30 more seconds. once butter is melted in add pinch of  salt mix in the mayo and 2 of the tablespoons of the parm. Even out the corn mix and top the corn with the remaining parm and put back in the microwave until hot 3 minutes or so depending on your microwave. You don't have to follow it exactly these are just guidelines if you like one ingredient more than another use more it is totally to your taste!

Bruchetta!

This recipe is simple quick and easy not to mention delicious!
I get all of my ingredients from Fresh & Easy but you can get them from any high quality distributor.
6-8 Roma style tomatoes I like the ones on the vine that smell like tomatoes. This is very important that they smell like tomato or they won't have enough flavor.
2 or more whole cloves of garlic grated fine preferable with a rasp(tool used to zest a lemon)
6-8 leaves of fresh Basil I used the potted basil plant from F & E
Fresh cracked black pepper to taste
Kosher salt to taste
Extra Virgin Olive oil

Cut all the tomatoes in half and take out the seeds. Place them in a food processor and pulse until slightly chunky or chop them finely by hand. Add salt to taste at this point it will make the tomatoes lose some of their water you can leave or drain depending on what consistency you like.
Grate the garlic and snip the basil in to the tomato as well or slice in thin strips (chiffonade)
add the fresh pepper taste. It should be a little spicy from the garlic, pepper and basil start with less garlic and basil and add more in to make it to your taste. once you have the flavor that you like add a drizzle of olive oil and mix in.
Slice a baguette thinly and bake at 425 until light golden brown and crunchy. Rub with a clove of fresh garlic. Top the baguette with the bruchetta!
You can also use the bruchetta as a pasta topping as well boil some spaghetti and add bruchetta while it is warm sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.