Açaí Mousse (mousse de açaí)

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I wrote about açaí before when I shared with you my recipe for Brazilian Açaí Bowl. This time I am sharing a different way to incorporate açaí in your cooking. I use the same frozen pulp as usual(smoothie packs), but this time I made a mousse-like dessert. This is a very light and airy dessert, it has a wonderful texture. The best part for me is that is not too sweet, thanks to the açaí slightly tart flavour. To make it even more health-conscious, I used agave nectar in place of sugar.

You can make this recipe on a bundt pan or jello mold, like on the photo, and serve it by the slice. Another way of serving it is to pour it into a glass bowl (or individual ones) to be scooped out. Hope you enjoy it!

Açaí Mousse Recipe:

makes one 8 inch pan, enough for 10 slices

You will need:

1 package (0.25 oz) of unflavored gelatin

10.5 oz (300 g) of frozen açaí pulp, thawed

2 egg whites at room temperature

4 ½ tablespoons of agave nectar

8 oz (250 ml) of whipping cream, chilled

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Dissolve the gelatin in ½ cup of boiling water.

In a small saucepan, bring the açaí pulp to a boil and let it reduce for 5 minutes. The pulp with thicken slightly.

In a large bowl, mix the açaí pulp with the gelatin. Set aside.

Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Continue to beat while slowly drizzling the agave nectar. Stop beating when you have a stiff meringue (beaters hold stiff peaks). Fold the egg whites into the açaí gelatin.

In a separate bowl, beat the cream and vanilla until you reach whipped cream consistency. Mix the whipped cream with the mousse until there are no streaks of white in the mousse.

Spray an 8 inch round cake pan or a bundt pan with cooking spray and transfer mousse to it. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.

Before serving, dip the bottom of the pan in hot water and unmold it over a plate.

Roasted Banana Frozen Yogurt

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I like making ice creams, but this was my first time making frozen yogurt. Since I love banana ice cream, I thought I ‘d try a frozen yogurt using bananas. I roasted the bananas in the oven with lots of brown sugar but I suppose that cooking them in the stove would also work well. The bananas need to be very ripe for this recipe. The frozen yogurt turned out very nice, I liked the tangy flavour of the yogurt with the sweetness of the roasted bananas. If you can’t find Greek yogurt, use regular yogurt, strained in the fridge overnight to thicken it up.  I saved a banana and added in the last minute before turning the machine off. I did this because I like chunks of fruit in my ice cream or frozen yogurt. You can skip this step and just add all the banana at once.

 

 

Roasted Banana Frozen Yogurt Recipe:

makes about 1 quart

 

You will need:

4 very ripe bananas

1 1/2 cup of brown sugar

32 oz (900g) of plain Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line an 8x8 inch pan with foil. Peel the bananas and cut lengthwise. Place bananas in the pan and cover with the brown sugar. Bake it until the sugar melts and the banana is soft and roasted.

Reserve 1 banana and transfer the others along with the melted sugar to a large bowl. Mix in the yogurt and the vanilla. Pour yogurt in the ice cream maker and freeze it according to the manufacture’s instructions. Add the reserved banana just before you turn off the ice cream maker, this will ensure you have some chunks of banana in the frozen yogurt.

Enjoy it!

Banana Crumb Cake (Cuca de banana)

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I know I haven't been around here a lot lately, but I have good reasons for that. The best one is that I got a new job. It's a job I believe it's perfect for me, but I will talk more about it at another time.

For now, I would like to share this recipe with you: Banana crumb cake. I learned this recipe back home when I was studying in the south, where the German influence is very strong and therefore there is plenty of German dishes. I suppose the Germans originally made it with apples, but bananas are definitely more "Brazilian". There are two ways I do this cake, this one is what I call the tall version, layered with banana filling. There is another type of "cuca" (I have no idea where the name came from. If anyone out there knows, please share!) that is's more simple and has no layers, it's normally baked in a shallow square pan. The second one resembles more the types of crumb cakes I find here in the U.S. I hope you like this one. According to Andrew, it goes very well with a glass of milk.

On another note, I wanted to thank everyone that joined my Facebook page so far. You are welcome to post questions or comments over there too.

Banana Crumb Cake Recipe:

makes one 9 inch round cake

You will need:

 

For the crumb topping:

3/4 cup of brown sugar

3/4 cup of all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon of cinnamon

4 tablespoons of unsalted butter

 

For the cake:

4 egg yolks

4 egg whites

3 tablespoons of unsalted butter at room temperature

2 cups of sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

3 cups of cake flour

1 tablespoon of baking powder

4 bananas, peeled and sliced

3/4 cups of milk

 

Butter and flour a 9 inch cake pan.

Make the crumb topping by mixing all the ingredients with a fork until you have  pea size crumbs. Set aside.

Beat the egg whites until it forms stiff peaks. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour and the baking powder together. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the yolks, butter and sugar on medium-high until it gets pale and creamy. Add the vanilla. Turn speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture and the milk, alternating both and finishing with the milk. Fold in the egg whites into the batter.

Pour half of the batter in the prepared pan. Make a layer using half of the bananas and half of the crumb mixture. Pour the remaining batter on top of it and repeat the layer of banana and crumb topping (crumb topping last).

Bake it at 350 until the toothpick tester comes out clean. This cake takes me about 1 hour to bake, so be patient. Cool it for 15 minutes before slicing it.

 

Enjoy it!

 

 

	A spring form pan will make it easier to keep the crumb topping intact and give you a nicer presentation,  but it's not necessary as you can just take slices straight from the pan.

 

Fresh Peaches Poached in Spiced Coconut Milk Topped with Granola

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I am a big fruit person, but I normally eat them fresh without any cooking involved.  Peaches are especially nice fresh, when they are juicy and have a wonderful aroma. Sometimes though, I like to try something different. This time I decided to poach the peaches, and as I was opening the can of coconut milk I thought about how nice it would be to add some spices to it, like cinnamon and cloves. These spices are normally used during cold month desserts, but they worked very nicely here. The granola on top is optional, but I like the crunch. Fresh whipped cream or ice cream would work well too, specially if you are a fan of cold and hot contrast on a dish.

 

 

Peaches Poached in Spiced Coconut Milk Recipe:

serves 4

You will need:

 

2 fresh peaches, ripe but still firm

1 can of coconut milk

1 cinnamon stick

10 whole cloves

1 -2 tablespoons of sugar (depending on how sweet you want it to be)

Granola (optional)

 

Peel the peaches, cut them in half and remove pit. Place peaches in a small sauce pan and cover with the coconut milk. Add the spices and sugar. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, without boiling.

Pour each half peach in individual bowls and top it with some of the coconut milk. Top it with granola, if using. Serve immediately.

 

 

Banana and Chocolate Tart

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I know very little people (if any) that don't like chocolate or bananas. The combination of both is even better, so when I ended up with an extra tart shell from my last Daring Bakers challenge, I knew exactly what to do with it. It's hard to go wrong with chocolate and bananas.

If you have already a tart shell frozen or if you are using a store-bought one, this dessert comes together in no time at all and can easily be made on any busy week night. If you are going to make the dough from scratch, than you'll have to add some extra time, but this dough is really easy to work with. For this recipe, I used an already blind-baked tart shell,

The idea here is to make a layer of chocolate on the bottom of the tart shell and top it with fresh bananas. A no-brainier, really. I also added some possible variations and additions to make this tart even more delicious.

 

Banana-Chocolate Tart Recipe:

makes one 9 inch round tart

 

You will need:

1 tart shell, homemade or store-bought , par baked and cooled (recipe for sweet short crust pastry as well as how to blind bake a tart shell, here)

4 oz of semi-sweet chocolate

1/4 cup of cream or half and half

3-4 ripe bananas, depending on their size

1/2 lemon

2 tablespoons of  brown sugar

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat the cream just until bellow boiling point. Pour it over the chocolate and stir until you get a smooth consistency. Let it cool.

Peel the bananas and half them lengthwise. Squeeze the lemon juice over the bananas and add the sugar. Mix well.

Spread the chocolate sauce on the bottom of the tart shell and top it with the bananas, cut side up, forming a circular pattern.

Bake it until tart is golden brown and bananas are soft, about 30 minutes.

Serve warm by itself or alongside some vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy it!

 

Possible variations:

Sprinkle the bananas with some chopped peanuts or walnuts half way trough baking.

Place a layer of shredded coconut between the chocolate and the bananas.

Use cinnamon-sugar instead of the brown sugar.

 

 

Strawberry Ice Cream

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I am excited about making my own ice creams this summer. Ever since I got the attachment for my Kitchen Aid mixer at Christmas I really didn't do much with it (with a few exceptions). But now the summer weather finally arrived here in Seattle and I find myself wanting ice creams and frozen desserts. This one is not going to win any awards in originality, I know. It was Andrew's request though. I've established a "request rotation" here at home for the ice cream flavours. That's because I like to try new and different ideas, whereas Andrew prefers the more conventional flavours. So next time it's my turn to choose a new combination of flavours. I have to say, though that this ice cream turned out extremely well and in fact it tastes just like something from an ice cream parlor. Take your time when making the custard and your patience will be paid of. This recipe calls for 6 egg yolks, so plan on having an omelet or perhaps making meringues with the whites.

 

 

Strawberry Ice Cream:

makes 1 quart

You will need:

3 cups of half-and-half

6 egg yolks

1 cup of sugar

1/4 teaspoon of salt

2 1/2 cups of  strawberries, cleaned, leaves removed and sliced

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

 

Heat the half-and-half over medium-low heat until it gets steamy, without boiling it.

Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and salt until blended. Add the hot half-and-half very slowly, a little at the time, whisking vigorously. This ensures that the hot cream cools down fast as it is whisked and therefore won't cook the eggs. Once all the half-and-half is incorporated, transfer the liquid to a saucepan and cook over medium-low, stirring until it has formed a thick custard ( check by coating  a wooden spoon with the custard, pass your finger on it, the trail left on the spoon should be clear). It is important not to hurry this process, as the custard should never boil.

Pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve set over a clean bowl and stir in the strawberries and vanilla. Let it come to room temperature, cover and refrigerate for at least a couple of hours, up to overnight.

Pour cold custard into ice cream machine and freeze it following the manufacture's instructions. Transfer the soft ice cream to a freezer-safe container and freeze it until set, about 3 hours.

Enjoy it!

 

Sweet Cream of Avocado (Creme de Abacate)

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Cinco de Mayo means avocados are on sale everywhere, but instead of guacamole, I decided to make cream of avocado, a sweet treat I used to have as a child. I just love the creaminess of the fruit and this is, for me, one of the best ways to enjoy it.

This is something very simple and yet super tasty. The idea is to combine avocados and vanilla ice cream to make a creamy dessert that's ready in minutes. Brazilian avocados are the large type that are hard to find here in the U.S. They tend to be much sweeter than the small ones and Brazilians use them in dessert and sweet recipes. I only found small Hass avocados to make this cream and even with the use of ice cream, it was still not quite sweet. I added some sugar, and depending on your sweet tooth you might want to add even more, but I like to be able to taste the fruit as well.

You can also make an avocado smoothie by adding more milk until the mixture becomes liquid enough. Another alternative is to omit the ice cream all together and add more milk and sugar. Choose very ripe avocados for this recipe, and if you can find the large variety, even better.

Cream of Avocado Recipe:

serves 1

You will need:

1/2 large avocado or 2 small ones, very ripe

8 oz of vanilla ice cream, softened

a splash of milk

1/2 teaspoon of lime juice

1 tablespoon of sugar (approximately)

Peel avocados and remove the pits. Blend all ingredients until smooth, adding milk until you get the consistency of a pudding. Add more or less sugar, according to your taste.

Enjoy it!

Muesli

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For me breakfast food has to be quick and easy, something I can put together while the coffee is brewing and I am still half asleep, it takes me a little while to actually wake up.  Weekends are exceptions and I might be more inclined to spend time making a skillet pancake. But for everyday breakfast, a bowl of muesli and a cup of black coffee is just what I need.

Muesli (sometimes referred as mueslix) is a type of cold cereal, more like an uncooked oatmeal, if you will. There are many ways to make your own version of muesli at home. I like to keep it simple, using oats, wheat germ and yogurt. I make this mixture the night before and leave it in the fridge overnight. In the morning, all I have to do is add the nuts, fruits and thin the muesli with some sort of liquid, usually soy milk.

I normally put a lot of effort and thought on what foods I eat to make sure I am eating healthy, but the less decisions I  have to make before my cup of coffee in the morning, the better. This muesli ensures me a healthy breakfast every time and I can vary it by adding different nuts, fruits and dairy as I please.

Muesli Recipe:

makes 4 servings

This recipe is highly adaptable, use different nuts and fruits that fit your taste. I like to use pears when they are in season. Grapes are a wonderful addition too. The nuts I use are normally whatever I have on hand, usually Brazil nuts, almonds and walnuts. If you like almond milk, this is a perfect place to use it. You can make this recipe richer by using half and half or a mix of milk and cream. There is no added sugar on this recipe and I like it that way, but feel free to sweeten it up with sugar, honey or maple syrup.

makes 4 servings

You will need:

1 cup of plain yogurt

3/4 cup of oats (not quick cooking)

1/2 cup of wheat germ

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

a pinch of nutmeg

about 1/2 cup of soy, almond or regular milk, plus more for serving

a handful of  sliced almonds

6 Brazil nuts, chopped

a handful of raisins

1/2 an apple, chopped

red and green seedless grapes, sliced

 

Mix the yogurt with the oats and wheat germ, cover and refrigerate overnight.

On the next day, thin out the oat mixture using your choice of milk until you get the consistency of thick oatmeal. Add the spices and stir well. Mix in your choice of nuts and fruits (dried and fresh). You can do this on individual bowls adjusting to each person's taste. Serve extra milk on the side.

Enjoy it!

 

Fruit-on-the Bottom Yogurt

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I love yogurt. But what I don't like so much is how they are flavored. Most of the time I find flavored yogurts to be too sweet and they never really taste like the fruit pictured on the pretty package...So what I like to do is to buy plain yogurt and dress it up with whatever I feel like at home. Most times I just use honey or maple syrup. This one posted here is my take on the "fruit-on-the-bottom" type of yogurt. It is easy to do and it can be assembled in advance and kept in the fridge.

The recipe bellow is for the fruit mix. The only sweetener used here is the natural sugar from the fruits, so don't expect an overly sweet fruit compote. If you want something sweeter, try using maple flavored yogurt or stir in some honey. Feel free to substitute any kind of dried fruits you have in hand or your favorite ones. Topping the yogurt with some chopped nuts would make this snack or breakfast item even more wholesome.

 

Fruit-on-the-bottom Yogurt Recipe:

makes about 1 cup of fruit mix

4 tablespoons of mixed dried fruits, chopped *

2 tablespoons of prunes, pitted and chopped

1 teaspoon of lemon juice

 

Place all ingredients in a jar and top it with water by an inch. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to use, place fruit mix on the bottom of a cup and top it with plain yogurt.

Enjoy it!

 

* Use any dried fruits you like: raisins, apples, berries, mangoes, pineapple, persimmon.

Minty Pineapple Fried Rice

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This is a tropical fried rice, not your usual Asian style fried rice. There is no soy sauce or any of the bottled Asian sauces usually used in fried rice recipes such as oyster and stir-fry sauces. Instead, this lighter, healthier version uses coconut oil, fresh ginger, garlic and mint to flavour the dish. The vegetables are whatever you want them to be, I used carrots as well as some baked tofu. Frozen peas would make a nice addition too and if you are not vegetarian I would add some crab meat, shrimps or pork, they all go nicely together with the pineapple. Added bonus for this recipe for being a one pot meal, on this case a wok. As with any fried rice recipe, this dish is a perfect opportunity to clean up your fridge and use up leftovers.

I didn't have any macadamia nuts on hand, but I bet it would taste great here, besides adding a crunch to the texture too. If you decide to use it, just add them at the end.

 

One note on coconut oil: extra-virgin coconut oil is a healthy alternative to hydrogenated oils. It contains healthy fats, no cholesterol and it tastes great.  Here in this dish, the use of coconut oil also contributes to it's tropical theme.

 

Minty Pineapple Fried Rice Recipe:

serves 1

This recipe is for one, using only half of a pineapple. Multiply all the ingredients accordingly to make more portions, or use the leftover pineapple and mint to make some delicious juice.

 

You will need:

 

1 whole pineapple or 1/2 cup of fresh pineapple chunks (see note bellow)

1/2 tablespoon of coconut oil (or, if not available, substitute canola oil)

1/2 teaspoon of fresh ginger, finely chopped (or more to taste)

1 large garlic clove, finely chopped

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

1 piece of baked tofu, cubed (about 1 cup total)

1/2 cup of day old brown rice

1 tablespoon of fresh, chopped mint

 

Using a wok or a very large skillet, heat coconut oil over medium high heat. Add ginger and garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Add carrots and (any other vegetables you might use), tofu and rice and stir it around the hot wok until heated through, about 3 minutes. Add pineapple and stir for another 2 minutes. Add mint and sir well. Fill pineapple half with the fried rice, if using and serve immediately.

 

Note:

If using the pineapple as serving dish, cut the entire pineapple in the middle lenghwise, including the crown. Carefully cut off the inside of the fruit, leaving about a 1/2 inch border. Use a sharp knife to do that, a grapefruit spoon can be helpful as well. Chop the fruit removed from the pineapple and set aside.

If you are not making the pineapple dish, just use 1/2 cup of fresh pineapple, chopped.

 

 

To make this dish non-vegetarian:

Add shrimp, pork cubes or crab meat to the garlic and ginger and cook it through before proceeding with the recipe. Or add them already cooked along with the vegetables.

 

 

 

Skillet Pancake with Strawberry

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I simply cannot make  good pancakes on the griddle.  My past attempts on pancakes have been disastrous, I either burn them, or brake them, or both. And the house is covered with smoke and burnt  smell, not pretty... I personally don't care for pancakes very much, but Andrew does, and so I make this every once in a while, normally on the weekends. This is also known as Dutch Baby Pancake. The batter is blended, transferred to an oven-proof skillet and baked in the oven. Almost impossible to mess up, and certainly less messy than making regular pancakes on the stove. The batter puffs up a lot, but it falls down as soon as it's removed from the oven, so it is important to be ready to eat it when it's finished baking.

To make it more interesting, I like to add fruits to the pancake. Here I chose sliced strawberries which were added to the batter in the skillet. I also added a list of possible variations for this same recipe, so try out a few. For toppings, I normally just use good Canadian maple syrup, but powdered sugar and lemon juice are popular options as well.

 

Skillet Pancake with Strawberry Recipe:

makes one 8 inch skillet

 

You will need:

 

3 large eggs

3/4 cup whole milk

1/2 cup of flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1/4 cup of sugar

2 tablespoons of unsalted butter

1 cup of strawberries, sliced

 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Mix all ingredients except for butter and strawberries in a blender. Make sure the flour is incorporated, scraping down the sides of the blender if necessary.

Melt the butter in a oven-proof skillet (I like using cast iron). Add the batter and the sliced strawberries. Transfer skillet to hot oven and bake until puffed and golden, 20-25 minutes.

Serve immediately with maple syrup.

 

Variations:

Cinnamon: add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon to the batter. Skip strawberries.

Apple: slice 1/2 an apple and cook it on the melted butter until lightly golden. You may add a pinch of cinnamon to it. Skip strawberries.

Blueberry: use 1/2 cup of blueberries instead of strawberries.

Banana: add 1 sliced banana to the melted butter and cook it until golden, but still firm. You may add a pinch of cinnamon to it. Skip strawberries.

Chocolate chip: add 1/2 cup of your favourite chocolate chip to the batter in the skillet.  Skip strawberries.

Chocolate: add 1 tablespoon of cocoa to the batter.

Plain: skip strawberries and top baked pancake with a squeeze of lemon juice and powdered sugar.

 

 

Whole Wheat Banana Loaf with Prunes and Brazil Nuts

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I made this banana loaf out of nostalgia, really. It's what I call "hippie food "and it reminds me of the times my parents were on a macrobiotic diet. All natural, whole wheat, "no-white", strange types of sweeteners, home made yogurts, the whole nine yards. This loaf is exactly the type of food we would bring home from the natural food store my mom used to shop at. It's great for breakfast with a cup of coffee or as a mid afternoon snack with a dollop of yogurt on the side.

I love Brazil nuts and I try to use them whenever I can. They are full of mood-boosting selenium and lend a great crunch to this recipe (just look at them poking out of the loaf in the photos...) Any other nut would work well too. The prunes, on the other hand make the loaf moist and with chewy bits of natural sweetness. If prunes are not available, raisins would be a good substitute.

I used a food processor to combine the dry ingredients and later the butter, but it can be made without one, just whisk dry ingredients and then cut the butter in with a pastry cutter or two knives. The muscovado sugar can be lumpy at times and that is when the processor comes in handy.

Whole Wheat Banana Loaf Recipe:

makes 1 loaf (9 x 5 )

1 3/4 cups of whole wheat flour

2/3 cup of muscovado sugar

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg

1/2 cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 cup of ripe, mashed bananas (about 2 large bananas)

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup of prunes, chopped

1/2 cup of Brazil nuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour (or spray) a standard 9 by 5 inches loaf pan. Set aside.

In a bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg just until combined. Add the butter and pulse again until you have small pea-size crumbs. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Mix in the bananas and eggs and stir to combine. Add the prunes and nuts and mix until well combined, do not over mix it.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake it for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Wait 10 minutes to unmold and cool it completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Enjoy it!

Note: For those who can read Portuguese and have a Google account (necessary to view the page), here is the recipe that inspired me to bake this loaf:

http://www.orkut.com/Main#CommMsgs.aspx?cmm=72472&tid=2557974664148461437&kw=bolo+de+banana+e+ameixas

On another note...

Last week I received a blog award from Sally of Pink Bytes. Yes, we have almost the same blog name! Sally blogs from Australia though, a place I can only dream of visiting some day...

This is the first Blog Award I receive so I want to thank Sally (Thank You!!) and pass it on to a few other adorable blogs:

Wandering Chopsticks

Life's Ambrosia

Not Another Omnivore

Pig Pig's Corner

Closet Cooking

Keep making yummy foods, our eyes and our tummys say thank you too... :)

Red Cabbage, Apple and Fig Salad with Yogurt Dressing

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A lot of times I crave a specific food based solely on its colour. This salad is a typical case, I wanted to eat red cabbage, but not so much for the cabbage itself, but more because of its colour. I knew I was going to use in a salad of some sort because I wanted it raw, but had no recipe or specific idea in mind. I thought that cabbages and apples would go nicely together, and then decided to use some dried black mission figs I had in my pantry to add a different flavour and slight sweetness to the salad.

I have seen red cabbage salads that are swimming in mayonnaise, some times there is so much mayo that the (once purple) salad becomes pink. I knew I didn't want to have that, but I like the idea of a creamy dressing. I chose to use plain yogurt with a tiny bit of egg-free mayonnaise to make a dressing that was creamy but not too heavy. The yogurt brings freshness and the mayonnaise offers just the right amount of creaminess.

This salad is a plate full of fiber and it's super crunchy. If you don't have dried figs, use raisins instead. It will give you the same sweet bite. This is a salad I make for myself only, so the measures are small, to make this salad for more people just multiply the ingredients.

This recipe couldn't be any easier or faster.

Red Cabbage, Apple and Fig Recipe:

makes 2 servings

 

1/2 apple,cored and thinly sliced

a squeeze of fresh lemon

2 cups of shredded red cabbage

2 tablespoons of dry mission figs, chopped. Or substitute raisins.

 

Squeeze some fresh lemon on the apples immediately after slicing it to prevent browning. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Pour dressing over salad and mix well. Serve cold.

 

Yogurt Dressing Recipe:

1/4 cup of plain yogurt

1 tablespoon of mayonnaise (regular or egg-free)

juice of half a lemon

salt and pepper to taste

 

Mix yogurt, mayonnaise and lemon juice and stir until well blended. Season with salt and pepper.

Enjoy it!

Banana and Strawberry Chocolate Drizzled Skewers

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This is our alternative to fondue. We love having fondue, whether it is at home or at a restaurant (we happen to live two blocks away from one...). But what does a fondue lover does during the summer months or when money is short to spend on fondue? The skewer you see on the picture is my answer to that.  I think bananas and strawberries go really well together, and what fruit doesn't like to be covered in chocolate?

I take some chocolate chips, melt it in the microwave and stir cream until the right consistency. Sure it can be done on the stove using a double boiler but the idea here is to have as little work as possible. The strawberries are washed, dried and leaves removed. Bananas are chopped into fairly large pieces. Once the fruits are in the skewer, it's just drizzle some chocolate and let it set.  Yum!

Brazilian Açai in the Bowl (Açai na Tigela)

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First things first. It is pronounced a-sigh-EE, with the emphasis on the EE. Not a-SIGH-ee, as it is in a certain TV juice commercial. Well, now that we got that straight, let's talk about açai.

Açai is a berry that grows in certain palm trees in the Amazon rainforest. Considered a super food, açai is low in sugar, high in antioxidants, good fats, protein, vitamins and carbohydrates. This little fruit has it all. It is not a surprise that it became so widely popular here in the States where people continue to look for good-for-you, healthy foods.

Brazilian indigenous tribes have been using açai for centuries to cure many health problems. Over the centuries, this berry made its way from the tall trees fromthe jungles of Amazon to Brazilian's modern kitchens. What you see on this post is the açai in the bowl (açai na tigela), which is the most popular way of eating açai but Brazilians, specially from the north region use açai in various ways including with fish dishes.

Here in the U.S. we can find frozen pulp of açai in many supermarkets. Of course there are also juices, ice creams, smoothies and sorbets flavoured with açai, but if you really want to take as much advantage as possible of it's nutritional value, try using the concentrated frozen pulp. Here in Seattle I buy Sambazon frozen pulp. They come in packages of 4 individual portions of 100 grams (3.53 oz) each called smoothie packs.

Here is how it looks like:

In Brazil the typical açai bowl is mixed with guarana syrup which is loaded with caffeine. I normally have my bowl of açai for breakfast and so I figure my coffee (which are also Brazilian beans) have enough caffeine for me.

To make my version of the Açai in the Bowl you need:

1 individual (100 grams) package of frozen açai pulp

1 banana

a splash of soy milk

granola

Break up the frozen açai pulp in large pieces and place it in the bowl of a blender. Add half of the banana and the soy milk. Blend it until smooth. Pour into a bowl and top it with the remaining banana, sliced and granola. This makes enough for one bowl. The recipe is easily doubled or tripled.

Useful Notes:

• The same açai bowl can be made with different fruits like mangoes.
• You can make a drinking smoothie by adding more liquid to the recipe.
• Açai stains. It's colour is very strong so you will end up with a dark tongue and perhaps even lips (depends on how much you have I guess). Not recommended on a first date.
• This is NOT a sweet treat (unless you load it with sugar, of course).

Apple Crisp and Birthday Thoughts

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Today is my birthday! Yeah!!! Happy birthday to me! I always loved my birthdays, I am happy to think that I lived one more year, and I feel that a new year has started for me all over again.  My mom says such feelings change once you turn fifty... I don't know about that, maybe she is right, maybe not. But I have a lot of birthdays to celebrate before that date comes anyway, and I intend to enjoy them all. For me the year starts now, this is when I make my reflections, think about what happened over the past year, and perhaps even make a few resolutions for myself.

Here is what my resolutions list might look like:

 

• Resolution number one: do not make resolutions.
• Then the list would go on with things like eat less sugar, volunteer more, exercise more, read more, watch less TV, get a job, etc, etc...
• The last resolution reads: when feeling overwhelmed with life and its tasks, go back to resolution number one.

Tonight  I am having a double chocolate cake from my absolute favourite  Seattle bakery, after all, birthdays only come around once a year. But that is ok, for all the other days of the year, there is always Apple Crisp. I love this dessert because it is healthier and easier to make than most baked desserts.

 

Apple Crisp Recipe:

 

I made this with a mix of Braeburn and Granny Smith. If you want to go even lighter, swap the ice cream for low-fat frozen yogurt. This crisp can be baked in advance and reheated. This recipe uses a  2  1/2 quart size dish, enough for 6 servings.

 

You will need:

For the apple filling:

6 cups of peeled, cored and chopped apples, about 6 small ones (**see note)

2 tablespoons of sugar

1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

 

For the crisp topping:

1 cup  (155g) of all purpose-flour (or use 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 white)

1/2 cup (45 g) of old fashioned oats (not quick cooking)

1/3 cup (90g) of  sugar

1/3 cup (75g) of packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1/2 cup (1 stick, 125 g) of unsalted butter, melted

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (180 C).

Have two medium size bowls ready. In one of them, mix all ingredients for the filling and set aside.

In the second bowl, add all the dry ingredients from the toppings and whisk until all combined. Pour melted butter in and stir until crumbs form.

Lay the apple filling in a oven-proof dish and top it with the crisp topping.

Bake it for 35 minutes or so.

Let it rest for about 10 minutes before dishing it out. Serve it with ice cream.

 

 ** Note: mix lemon juice with the apples as soon as they are chopped to avoid them from getting brown.

 

Blueberry Muffins

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I feel really good every time I eat blueberries. Even if they are tucked inside a muffin. And I feel even better if  they are home made muffins. Blueberry is considered a super food due to its high amount of anti-oxidants. I use fresh ones when they are in season  and frozen ones when they are not. In fact, I actually freeze fresh ones during the end of summer when the prices are cheaper and they are abundant.

I guess most people might already have their own recipe for blueberry muffins, but I will share mine anyway. The recipe is adapted from a Martha Stewart baking book, surprisingly named Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook :)

Here it goes:

 

Blueberry Muffins Recipe: (makes 12 standard size muffins)

You will need:

 

1 stick of unsalted butter at room temperature (see note)

2 cups of all-purpose flour, or 1/2 cup whole wheat and 1 1/2 white

1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt

2 cups of blueberries, fresh or thawed if frozen

1 cup of sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoons of vanilla extract

1/2 cup of milk (I normally use 2% because it is what I drink)

 

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Grease and flour a 12-cup muffin pan by either using cooking spray (I use the butter with flour kind) or by buttering and flouring them, tapping out excess.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Using an electric mixer (with the paddle attachment) beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time and add vanilla.

Turn mixer speed to low and add flour mixture slowly until incorporated. Add milk slowly and mix on low speed until just combined. Do not over mix batter (if you feel you did it, just let it rest for about 15 minutes before moving on).

Sprinkle the blueberries with a little bit of flour, no more than a teaspoon, just to coat them. Shake off excess flour. This step will prevent the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the muffins.

Fold in blueberries carefully into the muffin batter. Use your softer spatula and be gentle not to break them.

Pour batter into prepared muffin cups. (At this point you can choose to sprinkle them with some sugar to give an extra crunch and sweetness to them. I tried both ways and I prefer it without the extra sugar).

Bake for about 30 minutes. Test it by doing the toothpick test, it should come out clean if inserted in the center of a muffin.

Let cool and remove from pan.

 

Note: I am pretty good at planning ahead what I want to bake, but sometimes I still forget to leave the butter outside for softening. On that case, I put it in the microwave and heat it in 5 seconds intervals. It normally takes 3-4 times to get to the right consistency.

Banana Spring Rolls

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What would you always find in my kitchen? Bananas. I love banana, mostly in it's raw form, just peel and eat it, specially for breakfast. I also make my morning smoothie and Andrew's favourite cake using bananas. I don't usually fry them though. I don't fry a lot, for many reasons (it's messy, it uses up too much oil and deep fried stuff normally gives me head aches), but every once in a while it's worthy. This time I did it for Andrew. We had a dessert like this at PF Chang's and he really liked it, so I decided to do it at home for him, since it's so easy. They turned out really well, very crunchy on the outside and soft inside. Another nice contrast on this dish was serving the hot banana spring rolls with vanilla ice cream. I drizzled them with chocolate sauce because it was what I had in the fridge, but a dusting of powdered sugar will be nice too. I would have used some berries for decoration/colour/taste if I had any on hand.

As in all-things deep fried, the success will depend on having the oil temperature just right. Too hot and it will burn, too cold and you will end up with a soggy and oily final product. I do not have a candy thermometer (yet), so I just keep checking with a piece of the dough until I see it's the right time for frying.

Banana Spring Rolls Recipe:

You will need:

Spring roll wrappers (I used 6 inches square rice paper wrappers that I had in the freezer)

Bananas

Vegetable oil for frying ( I use canola)

Ice cream (I used vanilla)

Chocolate sauce (optional)

Thaw the wrappers by letting them stand at room temperature for 15 minutes or until they are easy to handle.

Peel and cut the bananas in half. For each banana you will use 2 wrappers. Working with a piece of the time, position a spring roll wrapper with one of the corners towards you. Place one piece of banana in the center of the wrapper. Fold in edges and roll wrapper around the banana. Dip your finger in water and use it to seal the ends of the rolls if necessary. make as many as you want.

In a large or medium pot, heat enough oil to cover the rolls, about 2-3 inches. When oil is hot add a few rolls at a time, not over crowding the pot, or the oil temperature will go down. Fry rolls for about 1-2 minutes per side, until golden. Drain them in paper towels.

Plate rolls and add a scoop of ice cream on the side. Drizzle with chocolate sauce if you like it.

Note: You can use store-bought chocolate sauce. I had some home made left in the fridge (hot cream poured over chocolate chips and stirred).

Apple, Celery and Pomegranate - a good luck salad for the New Year

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This is a time of the year when Christmas memories are still fresh in my mind while thoughts of New Year's Eve celebrations are slowly taking over. In terms of cooking and eating, this means that I am still on recovery mode form all the Holiday eating, but aware that as December 31st gets closer, so does the need for some "New-Year-Good Luck " food. A salad with pomegranate seeds fits the bill.

I ll explain: Some foods are known for having specific meanings and therefore should be eaten sometime between December 31st and January 1st. In my family we always have lentils on New Year's Day. It's supposed to bring wealth during the year to come. Pomegranate seeds symbolize both wealth and fertility. Some people think you should eat the flesh around the seeds and store the dry seeds in your wallet during the entire year. The same goes for grapes and their seeds as well.

I am not going to spit grape seeds into my wallet...but eating lentils and pomegranate is a good idea. Superstitious? Maybe, but it also a tradition in my family and I enjoy celebrating it.

This is a warm salad, which is perfect for this time of the year when the temperatures are low and we crave "warming-tummy" foods.

Warm Apple, Celery and Pomegranate Salad Recipe:

To make one single-serving salad, you'll need: (if you want to make more, just double the ingredients.

1/2 tablespoon of unsalted butter

1/2 an apple, cut into chunks

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme (if using dried, cut amount in half, but fresh is much better here)

1 celery stick, sliced

Pomegranate seeds

1 slice of Brie

Salt and pepper to taste

In a skillet, melt butter, add apples and thyme and cook for about 2 minutes, string often, just until the apples start to look browned but are still firm. Add the celery, and cook 1 minute more. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer to a plate (you can warm up the plate if you want to) and top it with a slice of cheese. The cheese should start to soften as it sits on top of the warm salad. sprinkle salad with pomegranate seeds and serve/eat immediately.

Note: the brie would melt better if it is at room temperature and not straight out of the fridge.