Starfruit x 2, Mulled Plums, Applesauce substitute for Egg

Applesauce Dredge
On Fridays Sally and I usually have one of her favorite dishes -- my cornmeal-crusted Cod with our favorite roasted Brussels Sprouts dusted with Cavender's Seasoningtm and Everglades Seasoningtm. 

But when I cracked my last duck egg to make the avgolemono (egg and lemon) liquid part of my dredge, I discovered that it had gone "off" (phew!)....   Oh no!  What to do!     All I can say is Thank Murphy for the Internet. 

 Before the oil in the skillet could get hot, I had found a substitute for an egg when making a two-stage dredge -- unsweetened applesauce!  

Luckily I keep some shelf-stable small containers in the cupboard, so it was easy to pull the lid and get out my kitchen brush. Applesauce is too thick to dip the filets in, so I brushed it on both surfaces before pressing it into the dish of panko.

I gotta say -- I actually like this better as a crust-maker.   Give it a try the next time you're making crusted fish!!

Starfruit Salad Dressing
I must admit, starfruit isn't very pretty  once you chop it and cook it, but the flavor is certainly interesting!

I got this idea from the Blue Osa Yoga Retreat & Spa in Costa Rica.  They of course, have starfruit trees growing on their property like many of us here in Florida.  Unlike many of us, they have created some interesting things to do with starfruit other than just put star-shaped pieces on a salad or a dish of ice cream!

3 Starfruit --  points just turning dark
2+ Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1/4+ tsp Salt
1+ Tbsp Vegetable Oil
1+ tsp Honey

All those + signs mean you can adjust the amounts to suit your own starfruit harvest -- some fruit are sweeter than others at any stage.  The numbers here worked great for 3 average size fruit that were barely ripe.

Trim the ends of the fruit and chop into pieces.  Put them in your blender as you build the rest of the recipe right in the carafe.  Take everything for a nice long spin so that the oil and acids emulsify.  Makes about a cup of dressing.

Starfruit "Butter" 
Like apple butter, but with starfruit!   Again, not particularly pretty, but excellent flavor. 

Chop and puree the fruit to a coarse texture.  Cook low and slow to reduce 25-50% of the liquid and thicken things.  Adjust the sweetness level with some brown sugar,  and add cinnamon and clove to give it a nice flavor palate.   

You can see the difference in texture here, between the thin salad dressing and the starfruit butter.  Great on toast, spooned on salmon filets, or as a coulis for any occasion.

Mulled Plums
Based on a recipe from the BBC.  This past week I got a ton of different kinds of plums in our produce boxes from SWFL Produce, and there were more than enough for something besides just 'out of hand' eating.  This is an old British dessert recipe. 

4-6 Plums halved or quartered and pitted
Water to cover
1/2 cup Red Wine
2 Tbsp Dark Brown Sugar
1 tsp ground Cardamon
1/2 tsp ground Cinnamon

Bring water to a simmer and stir to dissolve the sugar and blend the spices.  Add the plums and continue cooking 20 minutes or so until they are tender but not falling apart.

Serve warm, topped with a big dollop of custard -- Bird's Custardtm or made from scratch. 

You can find Bird's Custard powder in the British part of the International food section of Publix or World Market --  red/yellow/blue short, round container.     Great for all sorts of dessert applications!