Ja cię kocham…

Well last week I accumulated quite a bit of leftover fruit, which has compelled me to bake.  I’m not normally a baker because either what I make sits in my kitchen until it’s hard as a rock, or I manage to eat 12 muffins or a whole loaf of bread in 2 days.  I cannot find the happy medium that allows me slowly enjoy what I have baked.

Yes, I could cut the batch in half… I may try that next time, but often times I’m left with disappointing results.

Anyway… I had some left over mangoes in my fruit bowl.  Mangoes can be rather expensive so normally I buy one at a time.  Since they were on some kind of super sale, I bought 4.  They weren’t ripe yet, so I waited and waited for them to ripen until I forgot about them.  Oops…

What do you do with slightly overripe fruit?  You bake with it!  But what on earth can you make with mango?  It was time for research.

Joy the Baker, a food blog celebrity, made her own fresh Mango bread with lime zest and grated Granny Smith apple.  It sounded a bit odd – so it’s perfect!  I love making unusual foods, especially with fruits and veggies.

The bread takes some time to bake in the oven, so just make sure that you have the time.  I’m off from school for a week so my mornings are pretty free.

Joy, you didn’t fail me.  The bread was super moist because of the apple, and delicately sweet.  The ground ginger gave it a punch that makes you say “Mmmmm…what is that?”.  I only tweaked it a tiny bit.  I used natural cane sugar instead of white sugar, and I omitted the golden raisins.  Just like walnuts, I’m not a big fan of raisins in my baked goods.

This bread is the perfect breakfast to go.  Yum!

Mango Bread with Lime and Granny

Source: Joy the Baker, adapted from Baking a la Greenspan

Ingredients:

3 large eggs
3/4 cup flavorless oil such as canola
2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (all-purpose is fine)
1 cup natural cane sugar
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1 to 1 1/4 cup diced mangoes from 1 large peeled and pitted mango
1 cup grated apple from 1 peeled Granny Smith apple
grated zest of 1/2 lime
Directions:

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan, dust the inside with flour and tap out the excess.  Put the pan on an insulated baking sheet or on regular baking sheets stacked on on top of the other.  This extra insulation will keep the bottom of the bread from over baking.

Whisk the eggs and the oil together.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt.  Rub the brown sugar between your palms into the bowl, breaking up any lumps, then stir it in.

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry, with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, mix until blended.  The batter will have a doughy, sticky consistency that is very difficult to mix, but do not fret!  The fruit will make it smoother once you add it.

Stir in the mango, apples, and zest.  Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.

Bake the bread for 1 1/2 hours, or until it is golden brown and a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean.  I recommend checking your bread every 30 minutes to see if the top is beginning to brown.

Joy offers excellent advice: If the bread looks as if it’s getting too brown as it bakes, cover loosely with a foil tent. I had to do that, and it was my saving grace.

Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before running a knife around the sides of the pan and unmolding.  Invert and cool to room temperature right side up on the rack.

Holy Crap this was good.  I wish I could be more eloquent with my words, but all I can say is,  “Holy Crap”.  As my husband put it… “I would never think to put pears and blue cheese together or on a pizza, but that was amazing.”

All that I can say is that I adore fruit and cheese as hors d’oeuvres so why not pears and blue cheese?!  I’d put it on a cracker, why not a pizza??  Same concept, right?  YES.

This recipe was simple, derived from minimal ingredients, and was super tasty.  Even if you are a skeptic, trust me, you’ll like it.  Really.  Trust me.  It’s THAT good.

Pear and Blue Cheese Pizza

Source: Loosely adapted from Just Eat Food

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Whole wheat pizza dough (enough for one medium pizza)
4 Tbs. unsalted butter
2 Tbs. brown sugar (I used organic)
2 Bartlett pears, ripe but still firm, cored and thinly sliced
Blue cheese crumbles (choose a quality blue cheese for best results)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.  While it is heating, shape your dough.  Poke several small holes in the dough with a fork.

Transfer dough to pizza stone, cookie sheet, or whatever you plan to use to cook the pizza.

Melt butter in large sauce pan and brush dough with some of it.  Cook for 5 minutes without toppings.

Add brown sugar to the remaining melted butter in the sauce pan and stir until dissolved.  Add pear slices to it and cook for about 6 minutes or until nicely caramelized.

Add pears to pizza dough and cook for 10 minutes, or until golden brown.

Sprinkle with blue cheese and pop back into the turned off (but still warm) oven until cheese melts.

I would have never thought to put bananas and espresso together in a muffin, a cake, or in anything.  I was quite intrigued by the thought of these two flavors blended and baked together with cane sugar and vanilla.   Sounds pretty tempting, mostly because of the espresso.

And that’s because I am a huge java junkie.  I eagerly await my Gevalia Coffee shipment each month and get so excited when it arrives on my door step.   I do not splurge often, but I encourage all to splurge a little on one of your favorite things – and mine happens to be café au lait or a vanilla cappuccino with soy milk, or an awesome cookbook.

Heidi Swanson has quickly become my absolute favorite cook to follow.  Her blog 101 Cookbooks is amazing and so is her cookbook, Super Natural Cooking.  I have made several of her recipes and have been blown away by them all.  Her selection of ingredients are natural and wholesome, yet incredibly flavorful.  Just because you eat healthy does not mean you have to deprive yourself of flavor.  I am learning this now thanks to Heidi Swanson.

These amazingly delicious muffins come from her cookbook, Super Natural Cooking.  The only changes that I made were the omitted the walnuts (I’m not a big fan of a crunch in my soft muffins, breads, and cakes) and the use of one cup of whole wheat flour and one cup of unbleached all-purpose flour because I didn’t have the white whole-wheat flour that the recipe called for.

Espresso Banana Muffins

Source: Super Natural Cooking, p. 38

Yields 12 muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups white whole-wheat flour
2 tsp. aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 tsp. fine-grain sea salt
1 1/4 cups chopped, toasted walnuts (optional)
1 Tbs. fine espresso powder
6 Tbs. unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup natural cane sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 cups mashed overripe bananas (about 3 large bananas)

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees F, and position the racks low in the oven, and line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, 3/4 cup of the walnuts, and espresso powder in a bowl.  Whisk to combine.

In a separate large bowl, or a stand mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy.  Beat in the sugar and then the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the vanilla, yogurt, and mashed bananas, then very carefully mix in the dry ingredients. Be sure not to overmix or the muffins will become tough.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins, top with remaining walnuts, and bake until golden – about 25 minutes.  Let cool for 5 minutes then place on wire rack to finish cooling.

Okay, I have mentioned in the past that when I make something particularly delicious my husband gives me a huge smile and a high five after his first bite.  Well, today I was ready to give myself a high five.

I tell you why…

…I typically get home from work around 7pm and even though it’s late, I want to have a nice meal with the hubby.  My problem is that I am usually SOOOOO hungry that I gnosh my way through my cabinets before dinner is ready.  To alleviate this problem I need to make something quick and easy.

On my way to work I stopped and picked up a pineapple.  Basically because it was on sale for $1.99.  So after work, I poured myself a glass of red wine (or two) and decided that I wanted to grill my pineapple.  I took a moment to reflect on my Maple Ginger Salmon and how deliciously caramelized it turned out because of the maple syrup that was put on top.  Well why can’t I do that with pineapple!?  I didn’t have any maple syrup or honey left (gasp!) but I definitely have some agave nectar on hand, which is a similar consistency to honey so I was happy.  Time for some grilled fruit!!

Agave nectar resembles honey in its consistency but is more water soluble.  It is actually derived from the tequila plant and is a natural sweetener that many use for their baking, hot beverages, and so on as a substitute for processed sugar.  I recently bought it from Trader Joe’s and will never look back.  (Thanks, Nikki!)

If you happen to find Agave Nectar (otherwise known as Agave Syrup) in the organic section of your local grocery store or at your local Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.  It’s not super sweet in flavor but has a distinct presence in dishes and drinks.

If you can’t find Agave Nectar, honey works just as well in this recipe.  )

My grilled pineapple took all of 10 minutes and was so unbelievably juicy and sweet that I wish I had bought TWO!

Grilled Pineapple with Agave Nectar and Coconut Flakes

(Serves 4-6)

Ingredients:

1 Tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 pineapple, trimmed, cored, and sliced into 1/2-inch slices
4 Tbs. agave nectar or honey
1 tsp. lime or lemon juice
freshly cracked pepper
Coconut flakes, to garnish

Directions:

Add oil to indoor grill pan and place on high heat.

Mix nectar or honey, lemon/lime juice, and pepper in a small bowl.  Brush on both sides of sliced pineapple.

Grill for 3-5 minutes or until grill marks appear.  Flip pineapple and repeat.  Make sure not to overcook otherwise pineapple will fall apart.

Garnish with coconut flakes.

Hey, if I made Homemade Peanut Butter, why not make Homemade Jam!?  I decided to halve the recipe since there are only two of us at home.

Again, I am amazed by how simple this is!  Since I made it myself, the taste is fresh, light, and sooooo good.  Fresh fruit tastes so much better than a jar of gloppy, sugary, full of preservatives jam.  There really is a difference.  I say the same thing when I make my own salsa – it’s so much fresher than the stuff in the jar.

Most jam recipes call for pectin, which is a gelling agent.  I just wanted to stick to my fresh, fruity ingredients so I omitted it.  Jam also calls for a TON of sugar.  You can’t avoid it because it helps create the jam’s consistency.

Or can you avoid it? )

You guessed it.  I used Splenda.  I couldn’t bear to use so much sugar.  Eek!  My teeth hurt just thinking about it.  Yay to Splenda!  (Sorry Splenda haters!)  Although, because I used Splenda my jam turned out quite sweet.  So if you plan to use Splenda, cut it back a cup.

This recipe literally took 15 minutes start to finish.  Don’t you love that?  You can look all Betty Crockerish with your homemade jam on the table, and it took minutes.  Fantastic.

Homemade Strawberry Jam

Source: All Recipes

(Yields 40 servings)

Ingredients:

2 pounds fresh strawberries, hulled
4 cups white sugar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Directions:

In a wide bowl, crush strawberries in batches until you have 4 cups of mashed berry.

In a heavy bottomed saucepan, mix together the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice.

Stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to high, and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil.

Boil, stirring often, until the mixture reaches 220 degrees F (105 degrees C).

Transfer to hot sterile jars, leaving 1/4 to 1/2 inch headspace, and seal. Process any unsealed jars in a water bath. If the jam is going to be eaten right away, don’t bother with processing, and just refrigerate.

I ate mine right away!  Mmmmmmmm…..

Yes, I said it.  Chocolate.  Raspberries.  Almonds.  Did I mention bliss?

This would be perfect for a Valentine’s Day morning treat for your special someone!  As is, the bread is mildly sweet, which for me makes a fantastic breakfast treat!  The bread was moist, chocolaty, with a hint of tartness from the raspberries – YUM!

I adapted this recipe from Joy the Baker.  I substituted 1/4 cup of the 2 cups of all-purpose flour for cocoa powder because who can resist chocolate and raspberries?  Not this girl.

Chocolate Raspberry Almond Bliss Bread

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons sour cream
1 cup crushed fresh raspberries or strawberries or blueberries
1/3 cup toasted slivered almonds

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray or grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream the butter, sugar and almond extract until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the flour and sour cream. Fold in the crushed fruit and almond slivers.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the center of the oven for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool the bread in the pan for 20 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack, turn right side up and cool completely.

After my pathetic run-in with the roll-ups, I decided to roll up my sleeves instead and do something that I know how to do – cut up fruit.  Fruit salads are so yummy…so healthy… and so easy, right?  Normally this would be true, but this salad, also adapted from Annie’s Eats, involved my fruit nemesis: the mango.  The mango is a delicious fruit that I enjoy very much so long as I’m not the one preparing it.  The seed is enormous, and I end up cutting portions of it into inedible, stringy bits.  This time I was determined (insert determined face).

The recipe calls for one mango, but if you’re a novice mango slicer like I am then I would add another one to the batch of fruit in case of a mango mishap.

Caribbean Fruit Salad

Ingredients:

1-2 mangos
1 papaya
1 pineapple
1 small cantaloupe
1-2 cups of blueberries
Fresh mint, for garnish

Directions:

Cut the mango, papaya, pineapple, and cantaloupe into bite-sized chunks.  Top with blueberries.  Garnish with fresh mint.

Can’t get anymore straight forward than that, and it is a fantastic crowd pleaser!