Bran Muffins

 1 1/2 c bran (I replace 1/4 c of this with milled flax seed if I have it - ups the flavor and fiber)

1 c boiling water

1 egg

1/2 c oil

2 T brown sugar

1 c flour

2 T ground flax seed

2 T chia seed

1 T baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 c blueberries

Set oven to 375. Mix bran and water. Add egg, oil, and sugar. Stir in everything else except blueberries. Add blueberries. Put in greased muffin tin or paper cups and bake 15-20 min. Makes 9 large or 12 small or 20 mini muffins

Veggie Burgers

 This recipe makes a lot of burgers (about 10-12) and the patties freeze really well. I usually make them ahead of time and freeze them and they thaw fairly quickly. Highly recommended to serve with some kind of sauce like a tahini sauce or tzatziki or sriracha mayo or Peruvian green sauce (see recipe)  to punch up the flavor a bit and add some moisture.

 

2/3 cup medium-grind bulgur, rinsed

1 1/2 c boiling water

1/2 t salt


1 large raw beet (8 ounces), peeled and grated coarsely

3/4 cup walnuts

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves


3 garlic cloves, minced


2 cups cooked pinto beans

1/4 cup mashed sweet potato - this is just something sticky to hold it together

1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard


1 1/2 cups panko

1/4 cup vegetable oil

 

1.      In a large bowl, mix bulgur, salt, and water and let it sit 15-20 minutes until it’s tender. Drain it if there’s any water that’s not absorbed.

2.      Meanwhile, pulse beet, walnuts, basil, and garlic together in a food processor until they are finely chopped, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add beans, sweet potato, mustard, 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and pulse until well combined

3.      Transfer mixture to the large bowl with the bulgur and stir. Add in panko and stir. Divide mixture into 10-12 equal portions and pack into patties.

At this point you can cook them like a regular burger by adding the oil to a frying pan and sautéing until they’re nicely browned, or freeze them in a single layer on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and then bag them up to store in your freezer. They CAN be grilled but make sure to oil your grill.

Fruitcake

 

Basic recipe for 16 1lb (3"x5" pan) cakes:

Dried chopped fruit 8-9 lb

Liquid for soaking fruit 2 c - jam or fruit juice or liquor (Jack Daniels, bourbon, or rum) plus more for bathing

Nuts 3-4 lb

Butter 1 lb

Brown sugar 2 lb (4 c)

Eggs 12

Flour 2 lb (6-7 c)

1 tsp each salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, baking powder

2-7 days before making the cakes, soak the chopped fruit in the liquor and stir I every once in a while.  On the day you’re baking, mix together the butter, sugar, flour, eggs, and spices (it’s basically a pound cake batter).  Mix in the fruit and nuts.  Warning – you probably don’t have a bowl big enough for this – if you have a big dish pan or stock pot, use that, or you can split it between two bowls.  Line your 1 lb pans with parchment and fill them with batter. Bake at 325 for 60-90 min or until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool.  Brush or douse them with a little liquor, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate.  You can repeat the dousing every couple of days or weeks for as long as you like.  I usually wait at least a month before eating them.  They keep indefinitely in the fridge. 

A note on fruit:  If I can get fresh citrons (from my Jewish friends after Succoth, thank you!) I usually candy them myself – they have a wonderful fragrance and a lot more flavor.  Figs, dates, apricots and sour cherries are my favorites but I use whatever I’ve got. 

2022:

2 lb crystallized chopped pineapple

1 lb sour cherries

1 lb candied citron

1 lb candied lemon peel

1 lb candied orange peel

2 lb raisins

1 lb chopped figs

2 lb chopped pecans

1 lb chopped almonds

1 lb chopped walnuts

2024:

1 lb citron

1 lb pineapple

2 lb currants

1 lb apricots

2 lb sour cherries

1 lb dates

1 lb pecans

1 lb walnuts

1 lb almonds

Bolo de Fuba (sweet corn cake)

This is a very nice gluten free sponge cake - moist but not heavy, with a lovely coconut-corn flavor. It is better to use a fine-grind corn flour if you have it, but medium grind will work as well.

2 1/2 cups sweet corn kernels

1 cup coconut milk

1/2 cup milk

3/4 cup corn oil

4 eggs

2 cups corn flour or fine grind corn meal

1 cup sugar

1 cup shredded coconut

Pinch of salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

Set oven to 350 and grease and flour a Bundt pan or angel food pan. In a blender, Blend the corn in a blender with the two milks until very creamy. Add the oil and eggs and blend a little more until incorporated. Pour the contents of the blender into a large bowl and add flour, sugar, coconut and salt. Stir to incorporate. Add the baking powder and stir to incorporate. It will be quite a liquid batter.  Pour into the prepared baking pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 50-60 minutes. Run a knife around the edge and let it cool for 15 min and then unmold onto a rack or plate.  

If you like you can make a drizzle with lemon juice and confectioner's sugar, but personally I like it plain.  

Gingerbread

 Makes one 8-inch square cake

Ingredients

    3/4 cup Guiness
    1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    2/3 cup molasses
    3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
    1/4 cup granulated sugar
    1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
    2 tablespoons ground ginger
    1/2 teaspoon baking powder
    1/2 teaspoon table salt
    1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
    2 large eggs
    1/3 cup vegetable oil
    1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 8-inch square baking pan.

    2. Bring Guiness to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda. When foaming subsides, stir in molasses, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until dissolved. Take off the heat and whisk in eggs, oil, and grated ginger until combined.

    3. In a large bowl whisk flour, ground ginger, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and pepper together. Whisk wet mixture into flour mixture in thirds, stirring vigorously until completely smooth after each addition.

    4. Transfer batter to prepared pan and tap pan against counter 3 or 4 times to dislodge any large air bubbles. Bake until top of cake is just firm to touch and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Cool cake in pan on wire rack. Cut into squares and serve warm or at room temperature.

Coconut Chichi Dango

 1 pound mochiko

1 1/2 c sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 15 oz can coconut milk

3/4 cup water

1 tsp vanilla

food coloring (optional)

cooking oil spray

corn starch

Preheat oven to 350.  Combine dry ingredients in a bowl, add wet ingredients and food coloring if adding it.   Spray a 9-x13 backing dish with cooking oil and pour batter into it.  Bake for 1 hour or until the edges are slightly brown.  Let cool and turn the whole thing out onto a cutting board dusted with corn starch.  Cut into bit sized pieces and dust with more corn starch.  (It also sometimes helps to dust your knife with corn starch)   

You can also play with flavors -- I like substituting passionfruit or guava paste for some of the water.  

Salmon Cakes

These were delicious!  Great use of leftovers.  I served them with the Peruvian Green Sauce (see recipe for Peruvian Chicken with Green Sauce)  

Makes 6 good-sized cakes

3/4 lb cooked salmon (or 1 can canned salmon)

1 egg

1/4 c mayonnaise

1 c mashed potatoes

1/4 c diced red onions

1 cup panko, divided

1 tablespoon capers

1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 c cooking oil

Mix all ingredients except 1/2 cup of the panko, divide into 6 portions and form each into a 'burger'.  roll in remaining panko.  Heat cooking oil to medium in a skillet and fry the burgers until brown and crusty, about 6-8 minutes.  Serve with sauce of your choice -- a hollandaise or béarnaise is nice, or try the Peruvian Green Sauce to add a little zip.