Pizza, Jam, Bean Rissoles, Falafel, Bread Pudding, Oh My!

Shrimp & Mushroom Pizza
You need a recipe for pizza?  I got a new Pillsbury pre-made crust from Publix.  Comes in a clear plastic rectangular tube.  The dough is rolled around parchment paper which makes it easy to in-roll onto your pan.  The one I picked was a 12" round standard crust.  They also have a thin-crust version.

Shrimp (I used Gulf Pinks)
Mushrooms
Red Bell Pepper
Onion
Base Sauce -- I used a thin brush of Alfredo
Cheese -- I used a wonderful Garden Vegetable & Sweet Basil cheese from Aldi's, plus some shredded sharp white cheddar.

Black Bean Rissoles
My take on a recipe by Food Network's Sandra Lee.  Sandra made hers to be served as burgers on buns.

2 cups dried Black Beans, cooked until tender (or 2 cans of BB)
1/2 Sweet Onion, diced
2 cloves Garlic, minced
3 Tbsp  minced Parsley
1 Egg
1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 cup Bread Crumbs
S&P or other seasoning to taste

In a food processor whirr half the rinsed and drained black beans, the onion, garlic, egg parsley and pepper flakes.

Transfer to a mixing bowl and add half the remaining beans  and bread crumbs.  Season to taste. Mash into 4 - 6 patties.  I made these four giant "rissole" patties; but you can easily make 6 standard hamburger size patties from this batch, and serve them on buns.

Fry on an oiled grill, about 6 minutes per side.

Here I served the rissoles with a slice of heirloom tomato and a drizzle of bleu cheese dressing.

This one's a keeper, folks -- even if you aren't a vegetarian!!


Falafel with Tzatziki
If you've never had them, falafel are sort of Middle Eastern hushpuppies --  golden brown and delicious knobs of deep fried batter.  Hushpuppies use cornmeal.  Falafel use garbanzo, a.k.a. chickpea meal/flour.

1 cup cooked Garbanzos/Chickepeas we prefer home cooked dried chickpeas to those in the can
with preservatives, but they work just fine.
2 cloves Garlic
3 + Tbsp fresh minced Parsley
1 tsp Cumin, ground or seeds
1 tsp Coriander
2 Tbsp Flour
Pinch of Salt
1-2 Tbsp Red Pepper Flakes
1 Egg

Put everything (except the eggshell) in your food processor, and take it for a whirrrr until you get a thick paste.  Transfer to another contain and chill for at least an hour.

Don't want to mess with the hour plus cooking of chickpeas, or the salt of canned garbanzos?  You can buy Chickpea Flour.  Bob's Red Milltm makes it, and I can get it in bulk at the local health food store.  I'm sure there are other sources

Fry in about 1/2" of oil at 350F about 6 minutes per side or until GB&D.

While the batter is chilling, make the Tzatziki:
"some" plain yogurt - 3/4 cup or so
"some" diced cucumber -- about 3" length of peeled and seeded cuke, diced small
"some" fresh or dried dill -- to taste (I like a lot)
"some" lemon juice -- maybe quarter of a lemon's worth

Stir it all together -- voilà -- Tzatziki, a Greek/Middle Eastern dipping sauce; also good on gyros, lamb, burgers, etc.

Florida Bread & Butter Pudding
Had lots of leftover ends and bits of challah bread from our guests ordering my Florida French Toast breakfast.  Needed a dessert. This British version of the internationally favorite Bread Pudding dates back to at least 1728.  Of course I modified the recipe just a tiny bit to make it Floribbean:

2 Eggs
2 cups Half & Half, warmed but not boiled
Butter to spread
3/4 cup Sugar
Pinch Salt
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
4 Tbsp Sugar, divided
1 tsp ORANGE extract (this is Florida, why use vanilla?)
Slices of leftover bread cut about 1/2" thick -- enough to fill a 8x12 baking dish
1/2-3/4 cup Raisins or Sultanas

In a large bowl, beat the eggs.  Now add the warm dairy, spices and 3 Tbsp sugar, whisking all the while.  Stir to combine.  This makes what the Brits would call a custard.

Butter each slice of bread and lay them out, overlapping, butter side up in the baking dish, with some raisins between each piece and sprinkled over all.

Slowly pour the custard over the bread.  Press the bread down into the liquid so it absorbs the custard.  Let the pudding rest to thoroughly soak up goodness, while the oven preheats to 350F.

Sprinkle the remaining sugar overall.  Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.

Serve with my Florida Pudding Sauce:
1/3 cup Sugar
2 Tbsp Cornstarch
Pinch of Salt
1-2/3 cups Water
3 Tbsp Butter
2 tsp Orange Extract (again, this is Florida, not the UK)
1/4 tsp Nutmeg

Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in a sauce pan with the water, stirring until smooth as the liquid comes to a boil over medium heat.  Cook and stir 2 minutes or until the sauce thickens.  Stir in the butter Orange extract and nutmeg.  Serve over warm pudding.

Sally and her Mum approved!   They did mention that in England, often there was more of the custard so that the bread was even soggier.  I suppose it depends on the kind of bread and its ability to absorb the liquid.   Next time with this bread and recipe, I'll make maybe 3 cups of dairy and a cup of sugar...

Want even more of an orange kick?  Try experimenting with frozen OJ concentrate instead of the extract.


Blood Orange Marmalade and Star Fruit Jam
You've seen my microwave marmalades many times.  Here it is with "Moro" Blood Oranges -- the BEST!  

I also "rescued" a bunch of nearly over-ripe starfruit from a tree down the way from Sally's, so I pureed them with sugar and slow cooked them down-and-down-and-down to make a simple jam shown on the right.