Vegan Apple and Asian Pear Crisp

I've just returned from Canada. I was there for the Canadian Thanksgiving, and made several vegan dishes for that feast. One of these was a huge apple crisp with the apples tossed in a caramel sauce. The kids loved it, although I thought it turned out a tad too sweet. This version contains less sugar and vegan buttery spread (no caramel sauce). I also tossed in some juicy organic Asian pears grown here in Sequim.

A small 1.5 liter casserole dish (7x7x3) is ideal for this crisp. It has a smaller surface, so the ratio of apples to crisp topping is greater. A good thing for those watching their waistlines. No worries if you don't have this particular dish (turns out it's vintage), use an 8x8x2 inch pan instead.

apples and pears
about 2 lbs of apples and Asian pears combined
1 tbsp whole wheat pastry flour
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp apple or orange juice

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Core then, cut the apples and Asian pears into large chunks; about 1 1/2 inches. You don't need to peel them first. Place the fruit into a bowl and sprinkle with the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and juice. Toss.

Place the mixture into a small 7x7x3 or 8x8x2 baking dish. Set aside.

crisp topping
1/4 cup regular rolled oats
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp "buttery" vegan spread
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Place the rolled oats, whole wheat pastry flour, brown sugar, vegan spread and cinnamon into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is crumbly.

Sprinkle the crisp topping evenly over the apple and pear mixture.

Bake for about an hour or until the top has browned nicely and the apple mixture has begun to bubble.

This crisp is best served warm or at room temperature.

Refreshing Agar Agar Dessert with Fruit

(6 servings)

Agar agar, a jelling agent which is derived from seaweed is ideal for vegan or vegetarian diets. It has a texture similar to gelatin, yet different; not as "rubbery". it sets without the need for refrigeration and unlike gelatin, it holds its shape in warmer weather.

In recent years whenever I have encountered the powdered form, it has contained sugar, so I having been using the bar form instead.

1 bar/stick agar agar, (about 7 gm/.25 oz)
2 1/4 cups water
1/4 cup evaporated cane juice or granulated sugar, (3-4 tbsp honey, if paleo)
2/3 cup light or regular coconut milk
1/4 tsp pure almond extract, or to taste
1 orange
2 medium mangoes

Break/rip the agar agar into small pieces and place them into a pot. Add the water and soak for about 30 minutes.

Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring until the agar agar has dissolved; about 10-12 minutes.

Add the cane sugar and stir until dissolved. Stir in the coconut milk. If you see small bits of agar agar in the mixture, cook for a few more minutes until they have dissolved. Remove from heat and add the almond extract. Taste and add more almond extract if desired.

Pour the mixture through a sieve into an 8 or 9 inch  square pan. It will be set by the time it's cooled to room temperature.

When you are ready to serve. Squeeze the juice from the orange and pour into a small bowl. Peel the mangoes and cut the flesh into dice. Add the diced fruit to the juice.

Cut the set coconut milk mixture into cubes and divide between bowls. Spoon the mango cubes and orange juice mixture over each serving.

Poached Pears with Dark Chocolate Sauce

(about 6-8 servings)

If you need a dessert that travels well or something to end a heavy meal, this recipe might work for you. Peeled D'Anjou pears are poached in a spiced, not too sweet liquid, then served with a dark chocolate sauce. The combination is terrific.

pears
1 medium orange
1 small lemon
2 cups white wine
2 cups water
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 star anise
1 3" cinnamon stick
5 allspice berries
6 D'Anjou pears

With a sharp knife carefully cut the peels off  both the orange and lemon taking care to get as little of the white pith as possible. When you have removed the peels, squeeze the juice from both fruits and pour into a pot.

Add the wine, water, honey, star anise, cinnamon stick and allspice berries. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer. Don't worry if it foams up a bit.

Meanwhile, peel the pears. Cut them in half lengthwise and remove the cores.

Drop the pears into the hot liquid and gently simmer for about 20-30 minutes or until the fruit can easily be pierced with a sharp knife. Remove the pears from the pot and increase the heat slightly.

Simmer the liquid until it has reduced to about a cup; about 30 minutes. Strain the sauce. It will not thicken but it will be a very flavorful concentrated liquid. Allow to cool.

Meanwhile, prepare the chocolate sauce.

dark chocolate sauce
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 lb dark (72% cacao) chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp dark rum or vanilla extract

Heat the cream until you notice small bubbles forming around the edges, Don't allow the cream to come to a boil.

Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate. Continue stirring until the chocolate has completely melted and you have a smooth sauce. Stir in the rum or vanilla extract.

Pour the sauce into a **small glass jar if you aren't using it right away.

To serve, place one or two pear halves onto a plate or into small bowl. Drizzle about 1-2 tablespoons of the reduced poaching sauce over the pears followed by a tablespoon or two of the chocolate sauce.

**If the chocolate sauce has thickened too much as it cooled, then don't reheat it on the stove top or microwave. If the sauce gets too hot it might curdle. Just pour some hot tap water into a bowl and then place the jar with the sauce into the hot bath for about 2 minutes. The water shouldn't come up all the way to the top; about two thirds of the way up is fine.

Salad with Pear, Walnuts & Blue Cheese

(2-4 servings)

This delicious salad comes together in about 15 minutes. I often make a light meal out of it.

1 large Bartlett pear
2 tsp butter
2 tsp honey
2 tbsp cider vinegar
3 tbsp juice
1/2 tsp mustard
salt, to taste
1 tbsp olive oil
6 cups mixed greens such as baby spinach, baby chard and baby kale
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, lightly toasted
3-4 oz blue cheese crumbled
freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Wash the pear and cut into 1/2 inch dice.

Heat the butter in a non stick skillet over medium heat and gently saute the diced pear for a few minutes. Drizzle the honey over the pear and remove from heat. Set aside.

Combine the vinegar, juice (apple might be nice, I only had black currant juice on hand) and mustard. Add salt to taste and stir well, then stir in the olive oil. Set aside.

Divide the greens, walnuts, blue cheese and pear between four salad plates. Drizzle with the vinaigrette, dust with freshly cracked pepper and serve.

Spiced Apple Cake with Browned Butter Frosting

(8 inch square cake)

A lot of folks here have fruit trees in their backyards. Since September I've had a steady stream of various types of apples in my kitchen. It seems every time I visit my mum, she sends me home with another bag of them. The last batch of apples I got from her were fairly tart and worked really well in this delicious spiced cake.

The amount of frosting I made was just enough for a thin layer over the top of the cake. I thought that was plenty, however you could easily double the recipe if you prefer more.


dry ingredients
1 1/4 cup whole wheat  pastry flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground anise
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp mace or nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt

wet ingredients
2/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup canola oil
2 tbsp unsulphered molasses
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 small eggs or 1 jumbo egg
1 large tart cooking apple, cut into small dice


Preheat oven to 350°F.

Lightly grease an 8 inch square baking pan. Line the greased pan with parchment. Set aside.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, anise, allspice, cloves, mace or nutmeg and salt in a large bowl until everything is well combined.  Set aside.

Whisk together the sour cream, oil, molasses, vanilla and eggs until the mixture is smooth in a second bowl. Stir in the chopped apples.

Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until you have a smooth batter. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared cake pan.

Bake the cake for 35- 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully remove the cake from the pan and allow to cool further.

frosting

3 tbsp butter

about 1 -1 1/3 cups icing sugar

about 2 tsp of  heavy cream

Melt the butter over medium heat and cook until it begins to brown and becomes very fragrant. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Whisk about 2/3 cup icing sugar into the cooled butter. Add the cream, then another 1/3 cup or so of icing sugar. Add more sugar if needed, to create a spreadable but not too stiff frosting. Add more cream if it seems too stiff.

Spread the frosting over the top of the cooled cake.

Hazelnut & Honey Cake with Plums (gluten free)

(8 inch cake)

This cake is a happy union of hazelnuts from Oregon and Washington plums. If you have access to a food processor, then this delicious dessert will come together very quickly.

I have no idea why I made the crumb topping. The cake would have been fine without it. If anything, the plums might have been more visible after it came out of the oven.

crumb topping (optional)
2 tbsp rice flour
2 tbsp sucanat or brown sugar
2 tbsp cool butter

hazelnut cake
2 1/2 cups whole hazelnuts, lightly toasted
1/3 cup honey

6 tbsp butter
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp fresh lemon zest
a pinch of salt

4 large eggs

6-9 plums, washed and cut in half, stones removed

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Prepare an 8 inch round cake pan by greasing it well with butter, then lining the bottom of the pan with a piece of parchment cut to fit. I was only able to find a springform at my mum's place, so I covered the bottom and sides with aluminum foil (in case it leaked) and gave that a generous coating of butter. Set aside.

Place the crumb topping ingredients into the bowl of a food processor (if making) and pulse a few times until the mixture resembles a course meal. Empty the crumb topping into a small bowl and set aside.

Place the hazelnuts into the food processor. Run the motor until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.

Add the honey, butter, baking powder, lemon zest, salt and eggs. Process until the mixture is smooth and creamy looking. Scrape down the sides and pulse a few times. Set aside.

Pour the hazelnut mixture into the prepared pan and spread it with a spoon to even it out.

Arrange the plums over the hazelnut mixture, cut side down. Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture evenly over the top of the cake, if using.

Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the top of the cake has browned nicely and the middle feels firm to the touch.

Cool the cake for about 20 minutes, then carefully remove it from the pan and cool it further on a wire cake rack.

Polish Salad with Homemade Mayonnaise

(6-8 servings)

This salad is similar to Russian salad, sans the ham. I love the bits of apple in it, but you can leave that out if you prefer.

I made my own lemon flavored mayonnaise using olive oil which was much better tasting than store bought. I followed the instructions (link below) and used an immersion blender as suggested. The next time I will try a food processor to see how that turns out.

30 second lemon mayonnaise, adapted from here
1 cup olive oil at room temperature
1 pasteurized whole egg at room temperature
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, or to taste
1/2 tsp very fine lemon zest
salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Place everything into a 1 pint mason jar (with a lid for storage). Place an immersion blender into the jar, allowing it to rest on the bottom. Turn on the blender and and when you see the olive oil and egg begin to thicken, slowly lift the blender up (while it's on).

When everything in the jar looks like it's emulsified, turn the blender off. Taste and add more salt and pepper (or lemon juice) if needed.

The leftover mayonnaise will keep for about a week, refrigerated.

salad
4-5 medium potatoes, scrubbed
1 medium turnip, peeled
3-4 carrots, scrubbed clean
1/3 - 1/2 cup homemade mayonnaise
3-4 tbsp plain yogurt
1-2 tbsp mustard
1 apple, cored and diced
3-4 dill pickles, diced
2 green onions, sliced
2 hard boiled eggs, diced
1 cup peas, frozen are fine
salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Bring the potatoes and turnip to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, then add the carrots. Cook another 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Drain and cool.

In a large salad bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream and mustard.

Dice the cooled potatoes, turnip and carrots and add to the bowl. Add the apple, dill pickles, green onions, eggs and peas. Toss until everything is evenly combined. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.

Allow the salad to sit for about 30 minutes before serving to give the flavors a chance to meld a bit.

Salad with Pink Grapefruit & Avocado

(4 servings)

This week they were practically giving away huge juicy Texas grown pink grapefruit! There's a wonderful selection of locally grown stuff at the market at the moment.

vinaigrette
juice squeezed from 1/2 pink grapefruit and from the leftover membranes, (about 1/2-2/3 cup)
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp grainy mustard
1 1/2 tsp honey
salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Whisk everything together except the salt and pepper. Taste, then add the salt and pepper as needed. Set aside.

salad
6 cups mixed baby greens such as spinach, kale and chard
1/2 small red onion, sliced thinly
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 1/2 pink grapefruit, segmented (then cut them in half)
1 large avocado, peeled and diced
1/4 cup walnuts, lightly toasted and chopped

Divide the greens between four salad bowls. Top each with onion and feta cheese, followed by the grapefruit segments and avocado slices. Sprinkle the toasted walnuts evenly over the four salads.

Drizzle about 3 tablespoons of vinaigrette over each salad and serve.

Sour Cream Cranberry & Apple Pie

(one 9 inch pie)

Fresh cranberries and crispy apple slices are tossed in sweetened sour cream and topped with a thin layer of streusel.

filling
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sucanat or brown sugar
3 tbsp flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
2 cups fresh cranberries, washed and picked over
4 medium Red Delicious apples, peeled and cored, cut into slices

1 unbaked single layer pie crust pressed into a 9 inch pie dish

streusel topping
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sucanat or brown sugar
1/4 cup cold butter (half a stick)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400°F.

 In a large bowl, stir together the sour cream, sucanat, flour, cinnamon and ginger. Add the cranberries and apple slices and toss until they are evenly coated.

Spoon the fruit mixture into the prepared pie dish. You will probably have to mound it slightly.

Combine the streusel ingredients either by hand, cutting in the butter until it resembles a course meal or place everything into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the butter is broken down into very small pieces. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the cranberry and apple mixture.

Place the pie onto a cookie sheet to catch any drips and bake for 15 minutes. (My pie was already lightly browned at this point). Reduce the heat to 350°F. and continue baking another 50-60 minutes or until the pie has browned and the filling is hot and bubbling all over.

Remove from oven and cool before slicing. This pie is best on the day it's made.

Orange Marmalade

(about 2 pints)

These past few months I have been experimenting a bit with Ina Garten's marmalade recipe. I love the idea of seeing long strands of rind suspended in jelly and her recipe suggests using a mandolin to get thin half moon slices of lemon and orange. The finished marmalade is somewhat opaque, yet still clear enough to see the rind.

I tried out various sweeteners and in the end decided on unrefined cane sugar because it didn't darken the marmalade quite as much as the sucanat had. The original recipe was too sweet for me. When I reduced the amount of sugar I noticed I had to cook the marmalade much longer for it to reach 220 degrees F. I suspect the ratio of water to sugar needs to be the same in order to reach that temperature, so I added pectin to take care of this problem.

adapted from Ina Garten's recipe
2 large seedless organic Valencia oranges
1 organic lemon

4 cups water

1 1/2 cups unrefined cane sugar
3 tbsp low sugar pectin

Cut the oranges and lemons in half crosswise, then into very thin slices. Discard any seeds  you come across. Place the sliced fruit and their juices into a stainless-steel pot. Add 4 cups water and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar until it dissolves. Cover and allow to stand overnight at room temperature.

The next day, bring the mixture back to a boil. Reduce the flame to low and simmer very gently uncovered for about 2 hours. Increase the flame and boil the mixture for about 25 minutes, stirring from time to time.

Remove about a 1/4 cup of the hot liquid portion of the marmalade. Add the pectin and stir until smooth. Stir this back into the marmalade and continue to boil the mixture for another 5 minutes.

Ladle the marmalade into clean, hot sterilized jars; wipe the rims with a clean damp paper towel, and seal with the lids.

Ina Garten suggests keeping this in the pantry for up to a year, without processing the marmalade in a water bath. I have no idea if this holds true for this version which contains a higher proportion of water. I have been keeping mine refrigerated, and so far it's still been fine after a month or two.

Upside-down Peach Cake (Gluten Free)

(1x 9 inch cake)

Sometimes it's just too hard to pass up a bargain. This weekend they were practically giving away peaches at the market. I brought home a huge bag of them and used some in this delicious gluten free dessert.

Not too long ago I made a version of this super moist cake using plums which I placed on top of the batter and that cake was so good! This time I made a larger cake and placed the peaches on the bottom of the pan with a butter, honey and orange liqueur sauce. I can't decide which version I like better!

adapted from "Magically Moist Almond Cake" at Bob's Red Mill.

peaches
1 tbsp butter, melted
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp orange liqueur or freshly squeezed orange juice (zest the orange first)
4 peaches

cake

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)

1/3 -1/2 cup sucanat or brown sugar

4 large eggs

1/2 cup milk
finely grated zest from 1 orange

1 1/2 cups almond flour

1/2 cup coconut flour
2 tsp baking powder (gluten free)

1/8 tsp salt

Bring a pot of water to a boil and drop in the peaches for about 15-25 seconds. Remove them with a slotted spoon and allow to cool slightly. Cut the peaches in half. Slip off the skin and remove the pits. Cut into slices. Set aside.

Prepare a 9" cake pan by greasing it. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan and another piece for the sides. Set aside.

Combine the butter, honey and orange liqueur or orange juice in a small bowl.

Pour this mixture into the prepared cake pan and swirl until the bottom is coated evenly.

Arrange the peach slices in an even layer in the bottom of the cake pan. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Beat together the butter and sucanat until light and fluffy; about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well combined. Stir in the milk.

In another bowl stir together the orange zest, almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder and salt until well combined. Add this to the butter and egg mixture, then beat until the batter is smooth and creamy.

Spread the batter carefully over the peach mixture in the prepared cake pan.

Bake the cake for about 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted the middle comes out clean and the surface is a nice golden brown.

Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Carefully invert the cake onto a serving place. Peel off the parchment paper and allow to cool further.

Serve at room temperature.

Spiced Cantaloupe Salad

(4 servings)

A week or so ago I came across this interesting recipe for a cantaloupe salad seasoned with a dressing containing fish sauce. I was pretty intrigued. A teaspoonful of fish sauce on its own can be unpleasant tasting, but add some to a dish and it can provide a wonderful complexity and depth of flavor that would be difficult to mimic otherwise.

I used cilantro for this Thai inspired salad because I only had regular basil on hand. Thai basil has an anise-like flavor which would have been really nice for this. The cilantro was better than using the regular basil, in my opinion. I also added a jalapeno pepper because those little red ones are just too darn hot for me. I suspect regardless of how you tweak this salad, it will still be really tasty. I've already made two batches of it!

adapted from morestomach
1 large cantaloupe, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 jalapeno pepper, dice (or use a hotter red pepper)
2 green onions, sliced
small handful cilantro or Thai basil, chopped or thinly sliced
freshly ground pepper, to taste
2-3 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tsp fish sauce
1/2 tsp honey


Place the cantaloupe, jalapeno pepper, onion and cilantro into a salad bowl. Add freshly cracked pepper, to taste.

Combine the lime juice, fish sauce and honey in a small bowl. Pour over the salad mixture and toss until everything is evenly combined.

Serve.

Mango & Blueberry Sour Cream Crisp (Gluten free)

(4-6 servings)

This crisp is similar to the nectarine pie I made last year. The sour cream cream mixture forms a custard of sorts as it bakes; it's very nice with a variety of fruits or berries.

Serve this crisp warm or at room temperature.

fruit filling
1/2 cup sour cream
1 egg
2 tbsp honey
1/4 tsp cinnamon
a pinch of salt
3 cups mango, diced (2 large mangoes)
1 cup blueberries, washed and sorted

streusel topping
1/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup rice flour
1/4 cup sliced almonds
2 tbsp sucanat or brown sugar
3 tbsp cold butter, diced

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Butter an 8 inch square baking dish and set aside.

Whisk together the sour cream, egg, honey, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Add the mango and blueberries and toss until they are evenly coated. Set aside.

Combine the almond flour, rice flour, sliced almonds, sucanat and butter in a small bowl with a fork until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is the size of petite peas.

Spread the fruit and sour cream mixture evenly  in the prepared baking dish. Top with the streusel mixture.

Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375°F and continue to bake another 35-45 minutes or until the top has browned nicely and the filling is bubbling hot.

Lemon-Lime Cheesecake Popsicles

(6 x 1/2 cup molds)

These refreshing frozen treats reminded me a bit of key lime cheesecake which surprised me having used just a regular lime and one lemon. I added only three tablespoons of a local wildflower honey which was the perfect amount. The resulting pops were light and not overly sweet, yet they weren't too sour or too tangy either.

1 cup milk  (I used 1%)
6 oz neufchâtel or cream cheese
1/2 cup plain yogurt

3 tbsp honey, or to taste
finely minced zest from 1 lemon and 1 lime (use a microplane, if possible)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon and lime juice

Place the milk, cheese, yogurt, honey, zest and juice into a blender. Process until smooth. Taste. Add more honey, if desired.

Pour into popsicle molds and freeze for several hours, (preferably overnight) or until they are frozen solid.

Mixed Fruit Flaugnarde (Gluten Free)

(6 servings)

A clafoutis contains cherries, but when fruit other than cherries is used, this dish becomes a flaugnarde. I had no idea.

I've adapted this recipe from Julia Child's clafoutis on Epicurious. The primary changes I made were using mixed fruit in place of the cherries, making it gluten free and adjusting the ingredients a bit to fit a 9 inch pie dish.

Flaugnarde is often served as dessert, but I thought this was wonderful for brunch. Fortunately I have a counter top convection oven which doesn't increase the temperature in my kitchen; kind of a necessity in this heat.

1 cup and 2 tbsp milk
3 tbsp honey
4 eggs

1 tbsp rum or vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup rice flour

2 tbsp coconut flour
2 1/2 cups mixed fruit and/or berries (cut up), I used a combination of mango, peach, plum and blueberries

1 tbsp sucanat or brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 inch pie dish. Set aside.

In a blender, process the milk, honey, eggs, rum, salt and flours until you have a smooth batter.

Pour about a third of the batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the batter sets. Remove from oven

Spread the fruit mixture evenly over the batter. Sprinkle the sucanat evenly over the fruit and then carefully pour the remaining batter over the fruit.

Return to the oven and bake an additional 45-55 minutes. The flaugnarde is done when the surface has puffed, is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Blackened Shrimp Wraps & Mango Salsa

(2 servings)

This is another recipe I came across online I couldn't wait to try. There's something about a blackened dish that seems to hit the spot when it's incredibly hot outside. The spicy shrimp with the mango salsa were amazing!

This recipe called for large leaves of lettuce to use as wraps, but in all honesty I found them difficult to eat this way. The salsa kept falling out which was messy for sure. The next time I will simply spoon a mound of salsa over some torn up lettuce and place the shrimp on top of that. 

This shrimp dish is adapted from a recipe posted at The Charlotte Observer. 

mango salsa
1 roma tomato, finely diced
1 small mango, peeled, stone removed and finely diced
1/2 jalapeno pepper,  finely diced

1 green onion, sliced thin
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped

salt, to taste

1 lime, juice half; other half cut into wedges

Combine the tomatoes, mango, jalapeno, green onions and cilantro in a small non-reactive bowl. Add a small amount of salt and gradually add the lime juice. Toss and taste, adding more salt and lime juice as needed. Set aside.

blackened shrimp
1 large clove garlic, pressed
1 tbsp butter, melted

8 large raw shrimp, cleaned (about 3/4 lb)
1 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
1  tsp cumin
3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne, to taste

Combine the garlic and butter in a small bowl. Brush the mixture onto both sides of each shrimp.

Combine the paprika, cumin, black pepper, salt and cayenne until evenly mixed on a plate. Dredge both sides of the shrimp through the spice mixture.

Heat a non stick skillet over a medium-high flame. Fry the shrimp for about 2 minutes on each side or until fully cooked. Remove from heat.

to assemble

4 bib or red lettuce leaves, washed and dried or *see note below

Place about 2-3 tbsp salsa on each leaf and top with 2 cooked blackened shrimp.

*Note: My wraps weren't very easy to eat. The next time I will tear up the lettuce and split that between two plates, spoon the salsa over the lettuce in a small mound on each plate and divide the shrimp between the two plates. It will just be much easier to eat this way.

Garnish with the lime wedges. Serve.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/01/27/2964134/blackened-shrimp-lettuce-wraps.html#storylink=cpy

Plum Cake with Bourbon Whipped Cream (Gluten Free)

(8" cake; 6 servings)

This delicious gluten free plum cake is an adaptation of a recipe for "Magically Moist Almond Cake", posted on Bob's Red Mill that I've wanted to try for quite some time. What caught my eye were the rave reviews; everyone loved this recipe. I also liked that it combined coconut flour with almond flour.

I used a small 8 inch tart pan with a removable bottom for this, but an 8 inch regular cake pan should work just as well. I added the lesser amount of sucanat, resulting in a not too sweet cake contrasted by slightly tart plums which in turn were topped with lightly sweetened bourbon flavored whipped cream. Yummy!

adapted from "Magically Moist Almond Cake" at Bob's Red Mill.

6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

1/4 - 1/3 cup sucanat or brown sugar, to taste

2 large eggs

1/4 cup milk

3/4 cup almond flour

1/4 cup coconut flour

finely grated zest from 1/2 lemon

1 tsp baking powder (gluten free)
2 pinches of salt

3 black plums, pits removed, cut into wedges

Preheat oven to 350°F. 

Prepare an 8" tart or *cake pan by greasing it . I sprinkled almond flour over the greased surface, but after the cake cooled, I noticed it stuck to the pan more than it should have. If I make this again, I won't "flour" the pan with almond flour.

*If I was using a cake pan instead, I'd probably cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan, and another piece for the sides; just in case this batter is sticky.

Beat together the butter and sucanat until light and fluffy; about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well combined. Stir in the milk.

In another bowl stir together the almond flour, coconut flour, lemon zest, baking powder and salt until well combined. Add this to the butter and egg mixture, then beat until the batter is smooth and creamy.

Spread the batter into the prepared tart pan or cake pan. **Arrange the cut plums over the top of the batter beginning in the center and working your way to the outer edges.

**Note: In retrospect I should have placed the plums skin side up as the flesh had a matte finish once the cake was baked. I made a glaze using 1 tbsp peach jam which I heated slightly in the microwave, then brushed this over the cut pieces of fruit before I served the cake.

If you are using a tart pan with a removable bottom, place it on a cookie sheet before placing it in the oven in case it leaks. Bake the cake for about 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted the middle comes out clean and the surface is a nice golden brown.

Allow the cake to cool in the pan before carefully removing it.

bourbon whipped cream

2/3 cup heavy cream

1-2 tsp sucanat or brown sugar, to taste

2-3 tsp bourbon, to taste

Place the cream into a small bowl. Add the sucanat, then beat until the cream is whipped. Stir in the bourbon; start off with 2 teaspoons and add the third of you prefer a more pronounced flavor. Serve with the cake.

Spicy Mango Chutney

(2 pints)

I rarely make anything the same way twice. In my case it depends on mood, what I happen to have on hand and time.

Mangoes were on sale this week and this morning I made this delicious spicy mango chutney. It has a bit more kick to it than my usual chutney. In all likelihood that's because I left the seeds in the jalapeno pepper. I have been getting braver and doing this more frequently recently.

The chutney will keep refrigerated for about a month. Just make sure to sterilize your jars and lids first.

1 tbsp coconut oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh ginger. chopped
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 large sweet onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced (seeds and all if you are feeling brave)
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup sucanat or brown sugar
4 yellow slightly under-ripe mangoes, cut into 1/2 inch dice (about 3 cups)
1/2 cup currants
up to 1/2 cup water, if needed 

Heat the oil in a heavy pot with a tight fitting lid over a medium flame. Add the garlic and ginger. Saute for a minute or two. Add the mustard seeds and when they begin to make a popping sound stir in the turmeric, cumin, coriander, curry powder, cardamom and salt.

Lower the flame and stir in the onion. Saute the mixture, stirring from time to time until the onion is translucent, taking care nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot. Stir in the jalapeno slices.

Add the vinegar, sucanat, diced mango, and currants. Cover the pot with a lid and cook over a low flame for about 50 minutes. Check the chutney about every 10-15 minutes and give it a good stir. Despite the lid, the chutney might become too thick; stir in a small amount of water, if needed.

Ladle the hot chutney into sterilized jars, cover with lids, screw on the bands and cool. Will keep refrigerated for about one month.

If you plan on keeping the chutney longer than 4 weeks then ladle into hot sterilized jars, leaving about a 1/2" head space. Cover with metal lids, and screw on the bands. Process in boiling water bath 8 minutes (extend this time to 15 minutes if your jars weren't hot and sterilized beforehand). Remove from the water and leave to cool. The lids should make a popping sound as the jars cool.

Brown Rice Pudding with Dates, Almonds & Blueberries

(3-4 servings)

Last night after work I dropped by the market to pick up a few things.  A huge barrel of short grain brown rice caught my eye in the bulk food section. Rice pudding came to mind immediately. I hadn't made it in months and suddenly I was craving it.

I sweetened this rice pudding with dates. Start off with the lesser amount and add a bit more later if it isn't sweet enough.

1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 cup water
a pinch of salt
3/4 cup raw short grain brown rice
1/3 - 1/2 cup chopped dates
1 1/2 - 1 3/4 cups milk or almond milk
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp whole flaxseed, optional
1/2 tsp finely grated fresh lemon zest

fresh blueberries for serving

Lightly toast the almonds. Set aside and cool.

Bring the water and salt to a boil in a saucepan with a lid. Stir in the rice and simmer gently uncovered for about 10 minutes. Stir in 1/3 cup chopped dates. Continue to simmer uncovered for another 4-5 minutes.

Pour in 1 1/2 cups milk and add the cinnamon. Return the mixture to a light simmer. Taste the liquid and add the extra dates at this point if you prefer your rice pudding sweeter. Cover the saucepan and lower the flame to the lowest setting. Cook for about 20-25 minutes or until the rice is tender with a small bite to it.

Remove the lid. Stir in the remaining milk, flaxseed and lemon zest. Turn off the heat and cover the pot. Allow to sit for about 15 - 20 minutes. Most of the remaining liquid will have absorbed into the rice. Stir in the toasted almonds, reserving some for garnish. If the pudding seems too thick, stir in additional milk or water.

Serve warm or at room temperature with the blueberries.