Mango Grunt, Spinach-Cashew Pesto Pizza, Thai Carrot Soup, Scottish Buttermilk Bread

Thai Style Carrot Soup

Peanut Butter in a soup??  You bet!  That, plus fresh ginger, lemon juice and a hint of mint give this carrot soup a unique flavor profile that's hard to beat.

1-1/2 lbs Carrots, peeled and sliced thin to cook quickly

1 Sweet Onion, diced

1/2 tsp Cumin

1/2 tsp Coriander

1/3 cup plain or crunchy Peanut Butter

1 thumb fresh Ginger, peeled and minced
2 cups Vegetable Broth or water plus vegetable base

Coconut Milk or Cream to taste

3-4 cloves Garlic

2 Lemons, juiced

Sriracha or other garlic-chili sauce to taste.
Mint or basil leaves for garnish

Par cook the carrots -- I used the microwave.  Saute the onions then add carrots, spices and broth.  Simmer for 15-20 minutes.    

Take the proto-soup for a spin in your food processor.  Add the peanut butter and chili sauce and spin again to combine.   Return to the soup pot.  Add the coconut cream or milk (I added maybe  a quarter cup) and then the lemon juice.  Garnish with mint leaves when serving.

Mango-Blackberry Grunt

The beauty of a Grunt, here in Florida, is that it's a stovetop dessert, unlike Crumbles and Cobblers which require the oven to heat the kitchen.    It's called a "grunt" ostensibly because of the noise the fruit makes as the fruit bubbles and simmers...   

Usually a grunt is berries.  But mango and blackberries pair so well together, you just can't miss.  If your mangos are falling-off-the-tree ripe, there is no need for added sugar.  Serves 4.

3 ripe Mangos, peeled, pitted and chopped 

8 oz or more  Blackberries, better yet Marionberries if you can find them...

For the Dumplings:
1/2-3/4 cup Self Rising Flour

3 Tbsp Sugar
1/2 cup Milk or Half & Half
1/2 tsp or more Cinnamon

Put the mango into a wide shallow pan with a tight-fitting lid, and mash it a bit.  Add about 1/2 cup of water and the blackberries.  Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.  

Mix together the dumpling ingredients into a thick batter.  Dollop large spoonfuls of batter on top of the simmering fruit; at least 4 dumplings.  Cover and cook without peeking.    After  15 minutes peek -- and see if the dumplings are 'done'  -- sorta dry on the surface. 

 

If not, slap the lid back on quickly and cook for another 5-7 minutes.  

Plate each bowl of Grunt with a dumpling surrounded by fruit mixture.  

  

Spinach-Cashew "Pesto" Sauce

Try this on your next cauliflower crust pizza instead of tomato-based sauce or white sauce.  I topped ours with mushrooms, asparagus, onion and bell pepper, plus just enough cheese to hold things on.  It's not really a pesto, because it does not contain any oil.  Still, it serves the same function.

1-1/4 cup raw unsalted Cashews

1/2 tsp Salt

2 cups - packed - fresh Spinach

Juice of half a lemon

2 cloves Garlic, chopped

1/4 cup fresh Basil or Oregano leaves

Pepper to taste

Soak the cashews in boiling water for at least an hour, then drain.  Put everything in a food processor and take it for a nice long spin.  Chill.

Makes about 2 cups of pesto.  Here I used it as a pizza sauce under asparagus and mushrooms:

And here I used it as a pasta sauce for Broccoli Pesto Fettucini:

Scottish Buttermilk Bread

The Scottish version of Irish Soda Bread.   Years ago I made this with regular rolled oats.  If you can find Bob's Red Mill Scottish Oatmealtm  which is much finer than steel cut oats and makes a much finer grained bread. 

I think they call these "porridge oats" or "pin oats" in Scotland.  

I make this bread in a loaf pan for easier slicing and toasting once it's cooked; rather than the traditional 'mound' of soda bread.

Buttermilk Substitute:

2 cups Half & Half or Whole Milk

Juice of 1 Lemon

Stir and let set for 15 minutes to 'curdle' before using.

2 cups Scottish Oatmeal

2 cups Self-Rising Flour (or AP Flour with baking soda and salt)

2 cups Buttermilk or substitute
extra flour for kneading, and dairy if necessary to get a not-sticky dough

Combine the Scottish Oatmeal with the buttermilk in a large bowl.  Let rest on the counter for one hour.

Preheat the oven to 400F.  Prep a loaf pan.

Add the self-rising flour to the oatmeal-dairy slurry and fold into a dough.  Flour your workbench and drop the dough onto it.  With a spatula then hands, knead into a firm dough. 

Put the dough in the loaf pan, and slice a Scottish Cross ( X ) into the top about 1/2" deep to aid expansion as the bread rises during cooking.

Bake for 45-50 minutes to an internal temperature of 190-220F.  If the loaf starts to get too brown, cover with foil and continue baking until you get a loaf like this: 

Avocado Brownies, B.A.G Soup, Beer Bread, Vegetarian Picnic Pie, more

Vegetarian Picnic Pie
"Picnic Pie" is a Brit invention.  Sort of a large-scale version of the ubiquitous Pork Pies, Sausage Rolls, Steak & Kidney Pies and other savory "things in a crust" you find in UK bake shops.    A Picnic Pie has a firm-to-hard crust that allows the pie to be free-standing, not confined to a container to keep its' shape the way an American pie is.  My version uses, surprisingly, ordinary Puff Pastry.  Serves 6.

For the Filling:
Onion, mushroom, butternut squash, turnip, golden beet, potato, sweet potato, carrot, celery, apple -- any firm, not watery,  veg you like.  Plus about a cup of shredded cheese.  A cup of leftover cooked rice is also a good addition; it helps keep the bottom crust from getting soggy from juices which bake out of the filling.  You need enough chopped veggies to completely fill an 8" springform pan!  

Chop everything into 1/2" pieces, spread on baking sheets, spritz with EVOO, and dust with your favorite spices/blends.  Roast at 400F for 30-40 minutes until tender and browning.

For the Crust:
I use a box (2 sheets) of Pepperidge Farmtm Puff Pastry Sheets.  This is enough pastry for an 8" springform, but not a 9".  It will work for a 9" deep-dish pie plate, however.

Flour a working surface, and roll out one sheet of thawed puff pastry to at least 14"x14".  Drape the dough into the springform pan covering the bottom and all the way up the sides all around.  Be sure to tuck the dough into the bottom corner.  Let excess dough hang over the edges; you can trim it off and use it to patch things where needed.  You can put the pan in the fridge to keep it cool until ready to fill.

Assembly & Baking:
Remove the roasted veggies and let them cool a bit -- 10 minutes or so.  Spread the leftover rice across the bottom of the springform pan, and spoon the veg on top to fill the pan.

Roll out the second sheet of puff pastry and make a top for the pie.  Beat an egg and use it to glue the top to the sides, and then eggwash the surface of the top.  Cut three 1" knife slits in the top to let steam out.   Bake at 375F for 30-45 minutes until the top is firm and golden. 

Rest the pie for at least 10 minutes before removing the springform side.  Carefully slice the pie into wedges.  Serve with Lizanotm,  steak sauce, or BBQ sauce on the side.  

Dark Chocolate Avocado Brownie 

Yes..... avocado and chocolate.  You'll never taste it, trust me.  It all started with two giant Florida Avocados -- the red-when-ripe Hardee variety, actually -- which came in our produce box.    We're not particularly fond of avocado by itself, and the big Florida fruit are a bit thin and watery in texture to make good guacamole or avocado toast for our taste.  But far be it from me to let this much fruit (yes avocado is a savory fruit, not a vegetable) go to waste.  I've made avocado chocolate pudding before, but not fudge or brownies, so I thought I'd give a brownie recipe a try.  Experiments are how we learn, right?

Turns out there are no Avocado Brownie or Fudge recipes written to use as much avocado as there is in one of these giant Alligator Pears.  Or at least none that didn't sound ridiculous if you 5x or 6x the amount of other ingredients relative to the amount of avocado used.  So this was a 'seat of my pants' experiment using the flesh of one Hardee avocado along with somewhat more of the usual ingredients in a Chocolate Avocado Brownie recipe...

Preheat the oven to 350F.

1 large ripe Florida Avocado, not those little Hass avos, about 1-1/2 cups pureed/mashed

2-3 cups AP Flour  -- I started with 2, then added 2/3 of a cup more...

3 Eggs, beaten

1 'capfuls' of Orange Extract

1 cup Hershey's Special Darktm Cocoa Powder

1-1/2 cups Sugar -- or a bit more if you must

2/3 cup mini- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Stir together the flour, sugar and cocoa.  Fold in the pureed avocado and keep folding as you add the orange extract and then the eggs.  Keep stirring/folding until everything is a deep rich glossy chocolate color -- a very stiff!

Grease or line an 8x10 or 9x12 baking dish, and spread the batter out in it.  Dress the top with the chocolate chips.  Bake for 30-45 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool and cut.

I did say experiment, right?  No bad at all for an experiment.  Taste is OK.  Chocolate, but not overwhelmingly so. Not particularly sweet.  Could have used more orange extract; or perhaps some strong coffee for a bit of kick.   

Texture was a bit 'different' -- not bad -- but not cakey like a brownie, and not sugar-grainy like fudge either.  I hesitate to say, but it was almost a bit rubbery if I'm being objective.  

Next time (and there will be a next time)  I'll add at least half-again as much flour to see if I can get a more cake-like texture.  Using self-rising flour, or AP with baking soda/powder might improve the texture too.

For Sunday Brunch with Mum, I served slices of this brownie with a sweetened raspberry coulé made from raspberry jam thinned a bit with hot water.

B.A.G. -- Beet, Apple & Garbanzo Soup

A GIANT Golden beet magically appeared in my SWFL Co-Op produce box this week -- thanks Elizabeth!  I knew I had to do something special with it; so here's a new soup.   

1-1/2 lbs Golden Beet, peeled and chopped into 1" cubes
1-1/2 lbs Sweet Apple -- Honeycrisp, Gala, etc, cored and chopped into 1" pieces
1 Tbsp EVOO
1 Onion or 4 shallots, chopped 
4-5 cups chicken or vegetable Broth

1 Tbsp Ras El Hanout spice blend
½ tsp Smoked Paprika
3 cloves Garlic chopped

1 can Garbanzos, drained and rinsed
1 cup Almond Creamer

Roast the apples, beets and onion, dusted with the Ras El Hanout, for 30 to 35 minutes or until soft and tender and starting to caramelize.  

Add the roasted veg to your soup pot along with the other spices and broth.  Simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Puree and return to the pot.  Add the garbanzos and almond creamer and simmer another few minutes.   Serve with  some crusty beer bread!

3-Ingredient Beer Bread!

Yep, just 3 ingredients.  Watch and learn, Grasshopper.

3 cups Self-Rising Flour (or AP Flour with 1Tbsp Baking Soda and 1/2 tsp Salt added)

1/3 cup Sugar

12 oz Beer -- Light or Dark -- what ya got?  I used a Lager this time.  Next time, who knows.  Different beers will give you somewhat different tastes -- experiment.

Optional -- milk or half & half to brush top of loaf.

Preheat the over to 375F.

Spray or grease a 5x9 loaf pan.

In a bowl combine the flour and sugar, stirring with a fork.  Slowly add the beer and keep stirring into a batter.

Plunk the batter into the prepared loaf pan.  Smooth it out, and bake for 45-50 minutes or until you get an internal temp of 190-220F.  If you want a golden crust, about half way through the bake, brush with a little milk or half and half.  Rest for a few minutes after baking, before slicing and serving.  

Light and fluffy from the beer's carbonation, slightly sweet but not beery flavor, wonderful chewy-crisp crust.  What a great simple bread!!!

Chocolate Cherry Avocado Pudding

Here's what else you can make from avocados and cocoa powder.

1 cup mashed Avocado

1/3 cup Cocoa Powder

1/2 cup dried Cherries, chopped and then reconstituted in hot water and drained

Stir it all together, chill and serve.

Mango Passionfruit "Pudding"
Simple and 'finest kind' dessert!   Makes 4 servings.

2 Mangos, dead ripe, mashed

1/2 cup Icelandic Skyr or Greek Yoghurt

2 Passionfruit

Mix up the mango and skyr until smooth.  Then portion out into 4 bowls.  Top each bowl with the juice and seeds of a half passionfruit!

Kitchen Reno Cooking -- Part 2: Watermelon Gazpacho, Summer Berry Pudding, Pease Porridge, Butternut Curry, Pattipan

Here we go again!  And once again the "new-improved" Blogger is messing things up...

Watermelon Gazpacho
The Southwest Florida Produce Co-Op came through with a HUGE watermelon, and I wanted something more than just plate after plate of sweet, juicy melon.  But what can you do with all that melon??

This is a great take on the classic chilled summer soup.  No oil, no vinegar.  Slightly sweet, slightly tart and spicy and all refreshing!

6 cups of 1" cubes of Watermelon, preferably seedless
1/2 cup Water
Juice of a Lime
1 Tsp Mrs. Dash Chipotle seasoning

6" English Cucumber -- peeled in strips and diced 1/4"

1 large firm Bartlett Pear -- peeled and diced 1/4"
1/2 Red Onion, diced 1/4"

Take the watermelon, lime juice and water for a spin to puree it.  Pour into a large bowl, add the diced cuke, pear and onion, and stir in the seasoning.  Chill.   Yep!  That simple.  

Summer Berry Pudding
This is an old English dish, perfect in America as a cool summer dessert that's not a pie or crumble or anything that takes an oven.  Just a few minutes on the stovetop.  My version is even healthier and lower point-count than the recipes in the WW App.  This recipe makes an 8x12 baking dish of pudding that will serve at least 8.  

1 loaf Multi-grain Bread
2+ cups chopped Strawberries
6 oz box Blackberries 

6 oz box Red Raspberries

3 Tbsp Lite Maple Syrup
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice

2 Tbsp Corn Starch -- make a slurry to thicken with

Cut the crusts off of slices of bread -- enough to cover the bottom on the baking dish with two layers.  Now toast those slices light brown and reserve.

In a saucepan, combine the berries with 1-1/2 cups of water, the maple syrup and the lemon juice.  Bring to a boil and simmer the mixture until the berries are soft.  Add the cornstarch slurry and continue simmering until the liquid starts to thicken.  Strain the berries and reserve both the liquid and the cooked berries.

Dip slices of bread (both sides) in the liquid and line the bottom of the baking pan.   Spread the cooked berries over this fruity bed, then top with a second layer of dipped toasts. 

Press the pudding gently, then chill for at least an hour before serving.  If you want a bit more sweet, use a spray of low-fat whipping cream or a dollop of slightly sweetened cashew cream; but we prefer this pudding with just the natural sweetness of the fruit. 

Pease Porridge -- Hot or Cold
But never 9 days old!   This classic British recipe is simplicity itself.  Cook together a package of split yellow peas and a diced white onion according to package directions.  Takes maybe 30 minutes.  Add a bit of salt and white pepper.  Let it cool and thicken.

Makes a sort of split-pea hummus, which spreads nicely on Stottie Cake or Baps either by itself or as a base for a sandwich.  Mold it into patties and pan-fry in a splash of oil.  Thin it out and you get a sort of split-pea soup.  Pease Porridge (or Pease Pottage to be more correct) is a real multitasker.

This is also a recipe which is ripe for experimentation!  Change up the bland salt & pepper with paprika or chili powder.  Add Italian seasoning to give it a Mediterranean flair.  Look at some of the modern takes on hummus you'll find in the mega-mart as inspiration.  

Butternut (squash) Curry
So there was this squash, just begging to be used.  Not very big, but not too small either.  We had a hankering for something from the Indian subcontinent...

I peeled and sliced and diced the squash about 1/4" square.  That set the tone for the size of all the other ingredients.  There was onion --both white and green.  Some cashews and cherry tomatoes.  Plus a cup or so of unflavored almond creamer for the sauce.

Spice?  I added a tablespoon or so of Baingan Bhartaa, a marsala or spice blend originally created for a dish of roasted eggplant, but great with other vegetables as well.

  

On the side, I made Brown Rice, flavored with the ubiquitous Garam masala, most common of Indian spice blends.


Fried Pattipan Squash
Pattipan are these wonderful flying saucer shaped squash that are especially nice if you can find the mini version, but equally good in larger sizes when stuffed.  

I simply cut these in half on the equators and fried them in a bit of Oliviotm with a dash of Everglades Seasoningtm; then added a handful of chopped parsley at the end.

Served them with equally simple side dish of black beans and white rice. 
Keep It Simple... and Tasty.

Kitchen Reno Cooking - - Part1: Stottie Cakes, Baps, NotDogs, Mushroom Casserole

Apologies in advance for the messed up text in this post.  Blogger has implemented a "new improved" version -- which isn't!!!

Yeah.... I know.  Between "Stay Home" ennui and renovating our kitchen I've been real slack at posting.  It's harder than I thought it would be to be creative and still cope with cooking around the kitchen renovation!  Well I'm making up for it today!!  TWO posts for your dining and dancing pleasure!

NotDogs  -- 4th of July
We wanted an All-American 4th of July dinner, and Sally found this interesting recipe.  One of the few Forks over Knives recipes that is virtually perfect as is.  

That's not a hot dog in that bun... that's a carrot.    That's right, a carrot. But man, oh man, we could hardly tell the difference! The special marinade makes them taste virtually identical to a yummy-but-unhealthy' hot dog. 

You want large-ish carrots, the size of a hot dog at the small end, when trimmed to 6-7” length. If the butts are big, shave them down a bit so the dogs are more cylindrical sausage shape.

Marinade
1 cup Vegetable Broth
1/4 cup Apple cider Vinegar
2 Tbsp reduced-sodium Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp pure Maple Syrup or Honey
2 tsp Smoked Paprika
2 tsp Dry Mustard powder (Coleman's)
½ tsp Coriander
½ tsp Garlic Powder or 1 small clove of garlic, minced
½ tsp Onion Powder or minced white onion
½ tsp Liquid Smoke
Dash ground Clove

The recipe will work for 4 NotDogs.  For 6 or 8, I would double the amount of marinade; you want them submerged in the liquid. I put ours in a zip-top bag, added the marinade, and purged most of the air.

Marinate for about 2 hours, then microwave a few minutes.  Don't over do it, you want your NotDogs to have a good texture!  Now go 6 or more hours in the sauce! Grill or pan-fry just a few minutes to get those nice dark 'grill marks'.  

Bun your NotDogs, add your favorite toppings, and take a bite of heaven.

Northumbrian Stottie Cakes
This is NOT a cake in the sweet sense.  This is sort of a Northumbrian/Scottish Border version of Italian foccacia -- a round, thin (but not flat) bread.  Originally made with 'leftover' dough from making stand-up loaves of bread.  These are perfect for an "elegant" sandwich, especially if you're doing a buffet.  Traditionally schmeared with pease porridge (a sort of hummus made from toasted yellow split peas) and slices of ham, but you can top or fill with whatever you choose.    This recipe make two stotties about 9-10" in diameter and an inch thick.

680 gr (5 cups) Unbleached AP Flour
1-1/2 tsp Salt

1 tsp Sugar

2 Tbsp Butter

1 Fast Acting Yeast packet

1/2 tsp White Pepper

1-1/2 cups of warm Water, or half milk and half water

Stir the yeast into about 1/2 cup of the warm liquid and the sugar, and let it start working.  Mix together the flour and salt and cut-in the butter to make fine crumbs.   Now add all the liquid to the dry and fold to combine.  

Add some flour to your bench, plop the dough out and start kneading, adding flour as necessary to keep it from being sticky.  Knead for about 15 minutes until it passes the 'pane test for gluten.    Cover and rest in a warm place for an hour until it doubles in size..

Preheat the oven to 400F.  Grease a couple baking sheets.  

Cut the risen dough into two lumps and roll/pat them out into rounds about an inch thick.

Use your thumb to imprint a dent into the center of each loaf, bake them for 20 minutes.  Then turn the oven off,  flip the loaves over, and bake in the cooling oven for another 20-25 minutes.

Stottie Cakes make a great multi-person sandwich for a buffet or family lunch.  We serve them open-face like this too:

Scottish Baps
Hamburger buns are not a British "thing".  In the UK, a bun is a sweet risen pastry, not a sandwich base.  Instead, they make Baps -- a savory bread roll.  Same concept as a burger bun; different name.  "Two countries divided by a common language!"   Baps are soft like a burger bun, but denser, which makes them great for juicy sandwiches.

3 cups unbleached AP Flour
1 packet Fast Acting Yeast
2/3 cup warm Whole Milk or Half & Half; plus a bit more for brushing.
2/3 cup warm Water
1 tsp Salt

Combine the water and milk, and whisk to dissolve the yeast in it.  Wait 10-15 minutes for the yeast to start working. 

In a mixing bowl combine the salt and flour.  Pour in the liquid and stir.  If the dough is too stiff add a bit more milk.  

Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 10-15 minutes.  Cover and let the dough rise for 1-1/2 hours.

Dump the dough back on your floured surface, and knead it down for a minute.  Divide into 8 or 9 portions, roll them into balls. and then flatten into ovals.  Set the ovals on a baking sheet, cover, and let them rest while your oven preheats to 425F.

Brush the tops of the baps with dairy, and then dust with a bit of flour (or not, as I prefer).  Put a thumb-sized "stottie dent" into the top of each bap.  Bake 15-20 minutes until golden.

Here's a classic cheese and tomato bap for lunch:

Cauli-Mushroom Casserole
The produce Co-op delivered our goodies yesterday, and there was a box of huge mushrooms and a nice head of cauliflower.  Searching around, this tasty recipe came to light.     Serves 6.

1 lb Mushrooms, cleaned and cut in large pieces
1 medium Cauliflower head, trimmed, cored and cut into florets
1 large Onion, diced
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 ½ Tbsp  EVOO
1 ½ Tbsp Salt, divided
Fresh ground Black Pepper
2 Eggs
1/4 cup sharp Cheddar Cheese), shredded
½ cup Icelandic Skyr yogurt
1/4 cup Parmesan grated

Preheat oven to 425°F .  Spritz a baking dish with EVOO and set aside.

Spread cauliflower on a rimmed baking sheet. Spritz with EVOO and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes or until the cauliflower is lightly caramelized.

Meanwhile,  saute the mushrooms in ½ Tbsp of EVOO sprinkled with a couple of pinches of salt. Stir every minute or so until the mushrooms release their liquid and brown a bit. Add the onion and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes until translucent. Stir in the garlic, cook for another minute and remove from the heat.

When the cauliflower is ready, add to the skillet and stir until combined.

In a large bowl combine eggs, cheese and Greek yogurt. Add cauliflower mushroom mixture, stir until well combined and turn out into your prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and cover with foil.

Lower oven temperature to 350°F (175°C).

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 10 minutes, until golden around the edges.

Eggplant Stackers
These are my simple solution to making Eggplant Parmesan for two, with minimal oven heating.

1 Eggplant
1-2 Tomatoes, beefsteak or Roma
Parmesan Cheese to taste
Provolone Cheese -- 1-2 slices per stack
Bread Crumbs or Panko
Italian Seasoning
EVOO
Skewers

Slice the eggplant into 3/4" rounds.  Lay the rounds out on a baking sheet, drizzle with EVOO and dust with Italian seasoning.  Broil for a couple minutes per side until just starting to brown.  You want them firm, not mushy.

Stack (in any order you choose) provolone, tomato slices, bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese between slices of eggplant to build each stack.  Hold everything together with skewers.  Broil the stacks for a couple minutes until the provolone is starting to melt and the Parmesan is starting to brown.