Blueberry cake is perfect for a picnic!

Weekends are busy, so whatever you can do to lessen the pressure on your time is always welcome. In the spirit of planning ahead,   while some people were travelling up to their cottage, or going to summer solstice parties on Friday night, I found myself putting a chicken on the smoker and baking 2 blueberry cakes. That is our idea of fun (not always, just when the feeling strikes!!)!

We took the blueberry cake and some smoked chicken quesadillas to a pool party on Saturday.  The cake stands up extremely well to transporting and is truly delicious. The quesadillas can be grilled ahead of time and eaten cold. Serve with a dish of salsa and rich sour cream topped with grated lime zest and your friends will be clamouring for the recipe for these savoury snacks.

 

The other half of the chicken was perfect packed in a picnic basket with some salad, fresh bread and the other blueberry cake. We went in to Toronto to meet some of the kids for a belated fathers day picnic. A perfect weekend!

 

SMOKED CHICKEN QUESADILLAS

12 corn tortillas

2 cups shredded smoked chicken

1 roasted red pepper

1 cup feta cheese

1cup old cheddar cheese, grated

1cup salsa

5 green onions, chopped

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Preheat barbecue on HIGH for 5 minutes.  Reduce temperature to MEDIUM. Arrange 6 tortillas on a cutti g board and brush one side with oil.  Assemble quesadillas by layering chicken, red pepper, cheeses, and salsa on tortillas. Top with chopped green onion and cilantro.  Lay remaining tortillas on top and brush top surface with oil. Place on oiled grids and grill for 4-5 minutes.  Turn using a large spatula and grill for an additional 4-5 minutes.  Serve with sliced avocado and lime infused sour cream.

Sarah’s Blueberry Cake

  1/4         pound  butter -- softened

   3/4        cup  sugar

  1             egg

  1/2          cup  milk

  1             teaspoon  vanilla

  2             cups  unbleached flour

  2             teaspoons  baking powder

  1/2          teaspoon  salt

  2             cups  blueberries

  For the Topping:

  1/4           cup  white sugar

  1/4           cup  brown sugar

  2              tablespoons  butter

  1/2           teaspoon  cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 F and butter the bottom and sides of a 9" x 9" cake

pan.

Cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until soft.  Beat in egg.

Stir in milk and vanilla until blended. 

In a small bowl combine flour, salt and baking powder, and with a few

swift strokes mix this into the butter and egg mixture.    Gently fold in

blueberries.  Spoon into the prepared pan.

In a small bowl, lightly mix the topping ingredients with a fork until

crumbly.  Sprinkle over the cake batter.

Bake 50 minutes.  Cool on rack and cut into squares to serve.