Blueberry-Yogurt Bark, Bulgur-Mushroom Soup, Mango-Lime Strata, Yogurt Crust?

Blueberry Yogurt Bark
Here's a great frozen treat for the dog days of summer!  Easy to make, sweet and slightly tart, what more could you want?    This recipe comes from Weight Watchers -- makes 16 squares of bark, each square is 1 WW food point!

2 cups Greek Yogurt or Icelandic Skyr
2 cups fresh Blueberries or similar fruit
1 tsp Lemon Juice
1 tsp Lemon Zest
1 Tbsp Agave Nectar or Honey
6 squares Graham Crackers

Line an 8x10 or 9x11 pan with tinfoil that hangs over the edges, to help remove the finished bark.  Crush the Graham crackers and reserve.

In a bowl, combine the yogurt, sweetener and lemon juice/zest.  Fold in the blueberries and 3/4 cup of the crushed crackers.    

With a spatula spread the mixture evenly over the bottom of the prepared pan.  Sprinkle with the remaining crackers.  

Cover and freeze for at least 1 hour.  Using the foil edges, lift the bark from the pan and let it warm up for just a minute.  

Then cut the bark into 16 squares and re-freeze them individually on a baking sheet or tray.  Once frozen solid, they can be placed in a zip top bag or snap top container for freezer storage.

I like mine icy cold.  Sally prefers hers warmed at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.  Your choice.

Bulgur Mushroom Soup
We love homemade mushroom soup.  This unique version also features Bulgur Wheat and chopped cashews.  The original recipe here created a sort of bulgur pilaf.  I've extended it with additional vegetable broth and corn fresh off the cob to make a hearty vegetarian soup.

6-8 cups Vegetable or Mushroom Broth or a mix of broth and water
1 cup Bulgur Wheat
3/4 lb Mushrooms, chopped
1 cup fresh Corn off the cob
3/4 cup raw Cashews, chopped
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated (jar cheese is good here)
3-4 cloves of Garlic minced
White Pepper (not black) and Salt To Taste

Simmer the bulgur in the broth and garlic until tender -- about 15 minutes.  Add the onion, spices,  mushrooms, corn and cashews.  Simmer 30-45 minutes more.  Add the Parmesan just before serving, or as a garnish on the plated soup. 

 

Yogurt Tart Crust?
No, I'm not crazy!!  This pizza crust/tart dough from the Food Network kitchen is made with two ingredients -- self-rising flour and Greek yogurt or Icelandic Skyr!!  Makes a 12" crust or larger...  

1-1/2 cups Self Rising Flour
3/4 cup Skyr or Greek Yogurt

Combine the flour and yogurt with a fork until you get a sort of stringy dough.  Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for about 8 minutes until it is smooth and a little elastic, dusting with additional flour as needed.

Roll the dough out as you see fit, top with whatever you like, and bake in a pre-heated 450F oven for 8-10 minutes.   Here, I topped it with the Spinach-Cashew Pesto I wrote about a couple weeks ago, and added about a pound of asparagus, tomato, mushrooms and 1/4 cup of shredded cheese.  

                     

For WW, this is 2 points per 1/8 slice for the crust, plus whatever you top it with.  A similar recipe in the WW App is called Two-Ingredient Dough.

Mango-Lime Strata
I needed a quick dessert for Sunday Brunch. I had lots of fruit on hand and came up with this fruit and graham cracker "strata".

2 cups Mango chunks
8 oz Fresh Blueberries
8 oz Strawberries, sliced
1 package Graham Crackers  -- 10? rectangles of 4 crackers, crushed
Juice of 1 Lemon

Layer the fruit in a nice bowl, spreading the crushed crackers between layers and on top. 

 Refrigerate for at least an hour to get things nice and cold.  Serve with the juice of a lime slice over the fruit, and a nice dollop of whipped cream.

Timbale di Risu, Garbanzo (Meat)balls, Beer Bread Update!

Timbale di Risu

One of the dishes I made ahead for us to eat with minimal fuss during the several days of kitchen cabinet and countertop installation.  It's been years since I wrote about a couple difference versions of timbale here, and the definitely need to be brought forward as it were!

Timbale is an Italian word that is also found in the drum called a tympani.  It means "drum".  Here, Timbale di Risu means a filled dish with a crust made from rice (risu) and eggs.  Think of this as a very tasty snare drum! 

Crust
I used a generic short grain rice.  Short grain rices are 'sticky' rices which will compact nicely when used for a crust like this.  Do Not use long grain rice... trust me on this!  I made 4 cups of cooked rice, using my rice cooker, and seasoned it with Sazon Tropicaltm for both color and flavor.  Definitely let this cool before continuing to make the crust.  

Once the rice has cooled and been fluffed, put it in a large bowl and fold in 4 beaten eggs.  If the rice is at all warm you'll end up with scrambled eggs and rice -- not Good Eats!    The egg-rice mix is really sticky, so use a paddle or stiff spatula for the next step.

Filling

The filling can be anything your culinary heart desires -- exotic meats and veg, Italian goodies like meatballs and pasta and sauce, Cajun/Creole gumbo or etouffee ingredients;  or in this case roasted veggies.  You'll also want to use appropriate seasonings to bring out the flavors.  Not much, if any, salt, please.

For this recipe you'll need about 4 cups of "filling".  I roasted potatoes, onion, sweet potato, mushrooms, golden beets, celery, and some green beans, all cut into 'bite size' pieces, spritzed with minimal oil, and dusted with a combination of Italian seasoning, Everglades Seasoningtm, and Cavender's Seasoningtm.  I did a couple baking sheets worth of veggies and roasted them for about 30 minutes until just turning brown.   Let them cool.

Assembly

Pack the bottom and sides of a 9" diameter springform pan with a 1/2" thick layer of eggy rice, using about 2/3 of the prepared rice.  You'll want to use a rice paddle or spatula here, not just your hands.  Measure the layer thickness, don't just guess, or you could run out of rice.  

Once the rice is packed and smoothed, spoon in the filling, in a couple stages, adding altogether about half a cup of shredded cheese between layers.  Pack down the filling, then spoon the remaining rice on top and smooth it; sealing the top to the side crust.

Bake the completed timbale at 450F for about 45 minutes until the crust is well set.  Remove the timbale to a cooling rack and let it cool for at least 30 minutes before releasing the springform and slicing.

To serve, cut wedges with a serrated 'bread' knife, just as you would for a layer cake. 

A 1/8th slice makes a nice filling dinner, with or without a side salad.  

For my WW friends, a 1/8th slice, made as described here, is a 6 point meal.  

Garbanzo (Meat)balls

We do like our meatballs!  I've made them from fish, pork sausage, ground beef, and ground lamb.  These days I mostly make (meat)balls -- that is with no actual meat, but rather beans or even eggplant substituting for animal protein.  This is a new one for me -- using chickpeas or garbanzos.  Pretty darn tasty, too.

I made a nice large batch and frozen a bunch for use later.  This makes about 40 one-ounce balls:

1 large can Garbanzos (29 oz)
1 regular can Garbanzos (15 oz)

6 Tbsp Aquafaba (the 'juice' that comes in the garbanzo cans

1 cup Panko or Italian breadcrumbs

1+ Tbsp Italian Seasoning -- to taste

1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

Put the garbanzos and spice(s) in your food processor and take them for a nice long spin.  Once they're crumbled a bit start adding the aquafaba until you get, more or less, a dough.  Transfer to a large bowl and fold in the breadcrumbs.  Add breadcrumbs or aquafaba to get a moist but 'packable' mixture.  Mold the mixture into balls about 1" in diameter -- squeeze a lump of dough firmly, then roll between your palms.  Bake about 30 minutes in a 450F oven until they're starting to brown a bit.  Then cool and store.  

Can be used as meatballs in marinara with or without spaghetti, in a (meat)ball sub sandwich, or as an appetizer with a variety of dipping sauces.

For WW, since the breadcrumbs are the only point-count ingredient, these are 3 (meat)balls per point!

Beer Bread Update
Remember that 3-Ingredient Beer Bread recipe from a couple weeks ago?  I said then that I thought it was far too sweet.   For my second loaf, I cut the sugar from 1/2 cup to 1/4 cup; and for the third loaf I reduced it to a single restaurant sugar packet.  I also changed from Yuengling to Michelob Light.  Now I've got a really good loaf -- barely sweet (I'll try the next one with no added sugar at all), great texture, good crust.   

You may also want to up the 375F baking time to 50-60 minutes to get to 190F+, and be prepared to tent with foil if the top starts to get too dark.  Alternatively, you could boost the temperature from 375F to 425F or even 450F and reduce cooking time to still get 190-220F internal temperature.  

Also, I think next time I'm gonna slash the top like you do with Soda Bread, to control where the crust fissures appear as the bread rises. 

Black Bean Burgers, Octopus Sausage, Shrimp & Grits, Potato Green Bean Salad

A little late this week, but well worth waiting for!!  Next week may be a bit chaotic, as tomorrow (Thursday) the kitchen cabinet and counter guys are supposed to descend on us...

Warm Potato & Green Bean Salad 

Wow!  This one you've got to try!   Baby potatoes, fresh green beans, bulgur wheat for protein, and a fabulous dressing.  Less than an hour to make.  What are you waiting for?  Serves 6-8 as a side.

2 lbs small Potatoes sliced into 1/4" rounds

1 lb fresh Green Beans (or frozen if you must) topped and tailed

1 Red Onion, sliced thin

4 cups uncooked Bulgur Wheat
Fresh Dill

6 Tbsp White Wine Vinegar

6 Tbsp Aquafaba -- the "juice" in cans of Garbanzos.  Don't have any?  Use vegetable oil.

3 Tbsp Dijon Mustard

3 cloves Garlic, minced
S&P TT

In a large pot, cover the potatoes with about 2" of water and bring to a boil.  After two minutes of boiling, add the green beans and cook for another 3-5 minutes until both are tender but not falling apart.  

Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the aquafaba or oil, vinegar, dijon, and a teaspoon or two of minced dill frond with the garlic.  Actually I used a screw-top jar; and instead of whisking the dressing together, I shake the daylights out of it!

Cook the bulgur wheat to package directions -- it only takes about 15 minutes.  Fluff.

Drain the cooked potatoes and beans, and place them in a nice large serving bowl.  Add the bulgur wheat.  The original recipe called for serving the salad on a bed of bulgur, as you see in my photo.  But it makes more sense to just combine the bulgur with the rest of the ingredients.

Salt and pepper if you must, but it doesn't need it.  Add some sprigs of fresh dill.  Pour the dressing overall and gently fold everything together.  Serve while still warm.

Shrimp & Grits Birthday Brunch

Sally's Mum's birthday dinner was Sunday, and she requested Shrimp & Grits.  Well, I decided to make them just that little bit more upscale for her birthday celebration this year.  

I started with my Creamy, Dreamy, White Cheesy Grits, with lots of Italian 5-Cheese Blend as well as grated Parmesan.  I cook them low and slow until they're no longer grainy, then I added the cheeses at the last minute.  

I cook my grits 'stiff'; some folks cook them fairly liquid.  Either way, use slow-cook grits, not the instant kind, the flavor and texture are far superior.  I made lots, because Sally will take the leftovers for her breakfast-at-work for the next few days.

Actually, I started with some fabulous locally wild-caught U-15 shrimp that I found on sale at Whole Foods the other day!    I dusted them with a 'no-name' Cajun spice blend I happen to have laying around, and simmered them in just a bit of water until they barely turned pink.

Bacon-Mushroom Gravy
Then I made a gravy; something I hadn't put with my shrimp & grits in a long time.  Shrimp & Grits in Louisiana and the Carolinas almost always feature a sausage and ham gravy.  Since we're mostly vegetarian, that meant no Andouille Sausage, or Tasso Ham in the gravy.  But I "made do" with  McCormick brand Bac'n Piecestm --  crunchy little nuggets of bacon-flavored soy that have at least as much flavor as the real bacon bits I've bought on occasion.  

I added 3-4 heaping tablespoons of bits to a cup of water, 2 tablespoons of Mushroom Base (I like Vogue Cuisinetm Instant Mushroom Soup and Seasoning Base, that I get on-line), a couple finely chopped white mushrooms, a 1/2 teaspoon of Healthy Solutionstm no-salt Cajun Seafood spice blend and a shake of Mrs Dashtm Chipotle spice blend.     I simmered all that together low and slow while the grits cooked, and it thickened nicely.

Whew!  That's a lot of product endorsement, but I really like those flavors and products.

Once everything was done, I plated the grits fairly thick.  Each of us got 1-1/2 cups of cooked grits.  I smoothed down the grits, then used the back of a wet ladle to make a "well" in the center of each serving, and spooned in the gravy.  Then I placed the shrimp around the edges, and served.

For dessert I made, again by request, a Mango Gingerbread Upside-down Cake.  A simple box mix cake, poured over a traditional brown sugar-butter sauce with wedges of ripe mango and then baked until firm.  The trick is to not let the cooked cake cool for more than 10-12 minutes before flipping it over.  If the caramel hardens you've got a gingerbread and mango flavored mess!!

Food Fun With Tako (Octopus) Sausage

There is an absolutely wonderful series currently on Netflix, called  Midnight Diner.  Stories about love and life and human drama, joys and tears -- all set in a tiny back-alley Tokyo restaurant called Midnight Diner, open only from midnight until 7 AM.  

Although the primary emphasis is on the human interest stories, there is, of course, a food element.  The owner has a limited menu:  Pork and Miso Soup combo, Beer, Sake and Shochu.  But Master will make anything which his guests request, for which he 'just happens' to have ingredients.   

One such dish which caught my fancy is Tako or Octopus Sausage, served as an appetizer, or filler item for a bento lunch box.   Simple and fun -- especially if you are cooking for young ones.

Disclaimer:  No actual octopus were harmed in the production of this culinary masterpiece!

Take some Japanese sausage or hot dogs.  They are normally only about 3" long and smaller in diameter than small American sausage.  If you have longer American hotdogs they can be trimmed to length.  You can also use Lit'l Smokiestm sausages or other cocktail wieners.  The ones above are Al Fresco brand Chicken Breakfast Sausages -- apple & maple flavor!

Cut each sausage into eight "legs" about half the total length of the wiener. The first two cuts are easy, but take a little care to hold things together when making the second set of cuts.  Pan fry the octopus over medium heat until they start browning and the legs are curling.

Here's a Japanese Rolled Omelet with Octopus Sausage that I made from an Aidell'stm Cajun sausage.

Black Bean Burgers -- Rissoles
It's been a couple years since I posted this, so I thought I'd bring these meatless burgers back to everyone's attention.  This was my best-first veggie burger and still a favorite with my favorite food critic.

The original recipe came from Food Network's Sandra Lee, and I've tweaked it for your dining pleasure.  Although the recipe calls for cups of beans, I generally make this with an entire one pound bag of dried beans and scale up the rest of the ingredients to match.

2 cups cooked Black Beans, rinsed & drained (3 cans)

1/2  Sweet Onion, chopped

1 Egg Beaten

3-4 clove Garlic

3 Tbsp minced Parsley or Celery tops

1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

1/2 cup Panko or Italian Bread Crumbs

1-2 Tbsp Spice Blend of choice, to taste.  Taco seasoning is good.  Greek or Italian seasoning too.

Take half the beans, the onion, red pepper flakes, greens, garlic and egg for a spin in your food processor.  You want a nice thick puree.   Mash the remaining beans in a large bowl so they get broken into pieces.  

Add the bean puree to the mashed beans.  Fold in the panko and seasoning(s).  Too wet?  Add a bit more panko.   Press into patties and fry them about 7 minutes per side at 350F (medium heat).  

As you see,  I generally make 4 patties about 4" in diameter and 3/4" thick to serve as a plated rissole, topped with sliced tomato and bleu cheese dressing.  But you can make smaller burger-sized patties and serve them on buns with burger toppings if you want.  

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!