Banana Pineapple Pudding Cups with Toasted Coconut

An avid baker presently cooking in mommy-in-law's oven-less kitchen,I truly miss baking.Sure glad I had some drafted baked goodies to post.


My honest intention was to make a very fruity cup cakes,but when the cup cake recipe went wrong yet tasted incredibly good,I decided to call them pudding cups.

Pineapple and bananas,the two most common tropical fruits,come together to create a pudding like consistency in the cup cakes,while the edges has a crisp golden texture,the collapsed center was perfect for filling with another enjoyable tropical fruit,toasty coconuts.



Recipe : Banana Pineapple Pudding Cups with Toasted Coconut
Yields 6-8 cups
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups Pineapple puree
2 ripe bananas,mashed
1/2 cup fine whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder(aluminum free)
2 large Organic Eggs
1/4 cup reduced fat Organic milk or Soy milk.
1/3 cup canola oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup brown sugar or 3 tablespoon of natural sweeteners like Honey,maple syrup or Agave nectar

For Topping
1 cup Unsweetened shred coconut

Method
Preheat oven to 375F.Line the muffin tray with parchment cups.
Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.In another bowl whisk eggs,mix in pineapple puree,mashed bananas,sweetener and oil,combine.Now bring together this wet mixture slowly in the dry mixture until completely incorporated.
Fill the cups 3/4 th full and bake for 25-30 minutes or until top is golden brown.The cups will eventually collapse ,making space for the filling.



Toast the shred coconut in pan at medium heat until toasted.Fill the toasted coconut in to each of the cups.Serve.



The center is sticky fruity delicious almost like a pudding.

Tuna Burger with Pine apple Relish,Plantain Fries and Berry Milkshake

The Ultimate Trio

I abstain from fast food burgers for all good reasons,but making one from scratch at home with better ingredients and flavors is an absolute pleasure of good food.I stumbled through Bobby Flay's Burgers,Fries and Shakes by chance at the library,one look through the book,was tempted enough to take it home and fix up at least a few of the of the tastiest combination of flavors ,that might just change my taste for burgers.
Bobby presents some fantastic twists to classic burgers,uses flavorful relishes and condiments to further enhance the taste of the beloved fast food.In addition the books had some tasty fries and refreshing shakes,to along for a completely satisfying meal.


Among the grilling guru's crafted tastiest recipes,the leaner seafood variety of Salmon and tuna burgers suited my palate perfectly.Although I did not completely stick with the original recipe,a lover of spices,had to add some more of the spicy ingredients and touch of greens to the burger.Also for the fries,shallow frying worked out well.The buns can definitely be store bought,since I never seem to find the right size hearty buns for my burgers,I choose to bake my own,even though it was 94F outside.On brighter side the steamy kitchen did quickened the rise of yeast in dough.The buns baked while the burgers cooked.The fries needed a close eye,the thin cut plantain can burn easily if ignored.

Recipe : Sesame Burger Buns
Make 3 large burger buns
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup of Warm water
2 teaspoon of sugar
2 teaspoon active dry yeast or 1 packet(1/4 ounce) of quick rise yeast

Method
Make the Dough
In warm water mix in the dry yeast and sugar. Let sit for 10 minutes,until it gets frothy.
In a bowl combine the flours,oil,seeds(reserve few sesame seeds for topping the buns) ,salt along with the yeast mixture. Knead until the dough is tacky but not sticky and place in a greased bowl and cover. Allow to rise for an hour until double its size.
Shape and proof the buns
Get the dough out of the bowl,sprinkle some all purpose flour on the work surface and knead the dough for few seconds and divide in to about 3 portions. Set on a cookie sheet and finish shaping the remaining buns,place them about 1/2 inch apart from each other,sprinkle some sesame seeds on each of the buns. Cover with wrap and allow to rise for another hour.
Bake the Buns
Preheat Oven to 450F. Bake for about 18-20 minutes until crust turns lightly brown. Let cool on rack,Slice using a serrated knife. Assemble the buns with choicest veggies and greens .


Recipe: Tuna Burger,adapted from Bobby Flay's Burgers,Fries and Shakes
Serves 3
Ingredients
For the burger
1 pound fresh Tuna
2 green onions(green and pale green parts),thinly sliced
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove,finely minced
1/2 inch piece of ginger root,finely minced
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or hot chili powder
1/4 teaspoon each of cumin and coriander powder
few leaves fresh mint,finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon canola oil
3 whole grain sesame burger buns(as in the above recipe),split;toasted,if desired.

For the Pineapple Relish
1 cup pineapple,finely chopped
1 dill pickle,finely diced
1/4 cup finely chopped red onions
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon honey
3 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

few tender kale leaves and baby kale for topping (or use other leafy green of choice)

Method
To make the relish,combine the pineapple,pickles,onions,lime juice,honey,cilantro and oil in medium bowl and season with salt and pepper.Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving so that the flavors meld.

To make the Burger,cut the tuna in to large pieces and than coarsely chop in a food processor.Do not over process(or you can chop it by hand with a sharp knife)

Whisk together the mustard,dry spices,ginger,garlic and salt in a large mixing bowl.Add the tuna and green onions and gently fold to combine.Divide the tuna mixture in to 3 equal portions(about 5 ounces each).Form each portion loosely in to a 3/4 inch thick burger.Place on a plate,cover and let chill in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before cooking.

To cook the burgers,heat the oil in a saute pan or griddle(non-stick or cast iron) until begins to shimmer.Cook the burger until golden brown on the bottom sides,about 3 minutes.

To assemble the burger,burger on the sesame bun with kale leave,top with relish and fresh baby greens.Serve immediately with the plantain fries and milk shake.


Recipe: Plantain Fries,adapted from Bobby Flay's Burgers,Fries and Shakes
Ingredients
2 green plantains
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon grate lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or hot chili powder
2 tablespoon peanut oil

Method
Stir together the salt,lemon zest and cayenne pepper in a small bowl.
Heat oil in a medium cast iron pan over medium heat.While the oil heats up,peel the plantains using a sharp knife to cut off the top and bottom ends then peel the green skin off.Cut the plain in to 3,halve each of the three pieces in to thin slices.Now cut each strip lenghtwise in to about 1/8-inch-thick fries.
Shallow fry in batches,turning frequently,until golden brown,about 2-3 minutes.Remove using a slotted spoon on to a plate line with paper towels and season immediately with the salt mixture.Serve hot.

Recipe:Berry Milkshake
Ingredients
2 cups Frozen berries
2 cups skimmed milk
1 cup fat-free frozen yogurt
2 tablespoon Agave nectar

Method
Combine the milk and berry in a blender and blend for 10 seconds.Add the frozen yogurt and blend until smooth,about 30 seconds.Serve immediately,garnish with fresh strawberries,if desired.


My tough take on the ultimate trio from the scratch - warm toasty buns with a juicy burger and sweet tangy relish,crispy fries and an icy fruity shake,was a sure comforting end of a sizzling hot summer day.
I'm submitting the recipe to Yeast Spotting.

Tropical Fruit Barley Risotto -Tropical Temptations Challenge

Soaked in with the warmth of the sunny tropics,the luscious sweet tropical fruits make up a good part of my fruit feast.Although I was raised in tropics,I wasn't a vivid fruit lovers as a child,only recently did I discover the bounty of tropical fruits.Limited to a few that make it up to the north,there are still so many more to try,if only I could take trip to the exotic lands and devour some more.



It was one of those days I had the plethora of tropical delights in my fruit basket and the theme of tropical fruits stuck me.
The barley risotto,that I normally cook up with vegetables ,got a whole new look and taste with the sweet fruity make over.Barley for all its excellent benefits makes a perfect substitute for the starchy arborio rice that is normally used to give the risotto a creamy consistency.The richness of coconut milk and the mellow appealing tropical fruit makes this a very special kind of risotto,which I would say makes a great breakfast\brunch meal or a dessert course.
I wouldn't encourage cooking the soft and sweet fruits,its best to add the fruits towards the end of the cooking process for this risotto.

Recipe : Tropical Fruit Barley Risotto
Serves 2-3
Ingredients
1 cup barley,rinsed
2 cups light coconut milk
1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon Agave nectar or honey
1 kiwi,peeled and sliced
quarter of a papaya,peeled and sliced
1 small ripe mango,sliced
1 very ripe plantain,peeled and sliced
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoon virgin pressed coconut oil
1/8 teaspoon salt

Method
Heat oil in a large sauce pan,add the sliced plantains and a teaspoon of sugar,cook 4-5 minutes on each side until caramelized.Set aside.
In the same pan,add the barley and saute until pearly white,stir in the sugar,now start adding the coconut milk ,about 1/4 cup each time and stir until the barley absorbs it all,cook until is soft and creamy. Add the pine apple pieces,vanilla and agave nectar towards the end of cooking process.
To serve,lay the caramelized plantains,kiwi and top the sliced fruit over the risotto.



Health Nut Challenge 7 : Tropical Temptations

I am very pleased to reveal Tropical fruits as the next theme of Health Nut challenge.This has to be a simpler challenge than the previous.Satiate your fruity desire,pick the most exotic or common tropical fruit found in your part of the world,and dish up a tropical fruit temptation and share them at the Health nut challenge.

Here are the challenge 7 guidelines:
* Prepare a healthy appetizing dish with any one or all of the tropical fruits.Mention about the nutrition and health benefits of each of the fruit.
-> Avocados
-> Bananas
-> Coconuts
-> Mangoes
-> Kiwi
-> Papaya
-> Plantains
-> Pine apples
-> Jack fruit
-> Star Fruit
-> Dragon fruit
-> Passion fruit
-> Guava
-> Lychee
-> Tamarind
-> or other exotic tropical fruits known to you.

* Limit 3 entries per blogger.Please use the logo(the big or smaller in the side bar) and link your post to this announcement page.Send the entries before last day of September 2010, using the form below.

Health Nut Challenge Form

Your Name
Your Email Address
Blog Name
Recipe Name
Recipe URL
Picture of the dish(300 pixels wide)
Image Verification Please enter the text from the image: [ Refresh Image ] [ What's This? ]

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I'm allowing ample time for this challenge in scope of more entries and also the next couple months(Aug-Sept) your truly is planning for a vacation and blog in inactive mode.
The Ice cream Challenge round up is scheduled for next week,so you can still send in the entries till the end of this week.

Tropical Fruit Pops

Funny how my 3 year old asked Popsicle for breakfast.I don't blame him, the heat and humidity was intense and so was the thirst.And having enjoyed these the day before in mid afternoon heat,little buds assumed must be OK to eat them whenever thirsty.Not that these are no good to start the day,but he still had to take his milk and cereal for starters and pops for dessert.

Acai-Coconut-Papaya-Banana Pops
Papayas,kiwis,mangoes,bananas,pineapple,coincidentally had all the tropical fruits in hand to give a very tropical touch to the fruit pops.A real summer indulgence,you could enrich the fruit pops with variety of real fresh fruit puree ,deliciously adding a daily serving of all natural fruits and fiber in your diet,void of artificial colors or excess sugar.



Acai-Coconut-Mango-Pineapple Pops
Layering the pops in different fruit flavors seemed daunting at first,then figured that semi-freezing each fruit layer then proceeding with next layer and finally immersing the stick over the last layer and then freezing completely.Evidently the method worked beautifully,the vibrant pops caught my kiddos attention instantly and of course they were not satisfied with one.


Acai-Coconut-Kiwi Pops

Recipe : Tropical Fruit Pops

Ingredients
2 cups Acai Juice(or any concentrated fruit juice,Raspberry,Grape or Goji)
2 ripe Kiwi ,peeled
quarter of a medium papaya,peeled and cubed
1/2 ripe banana
1 small ripe mango
1/2 cup pineapple cut in cubes
1 cup coconut milk(sweetened with 1 tablespoon agave nectar or honey)

Method
Puree the papaya and banana in a blender and set aside.Likewise puree the mango and pineapple together.Finally puree the kiwi.

Pour the Acai fruit juice in to the molds till 1/3rd full.Set in the freezer for an hour until set but not completely frozen.Now pour the coconut milk in the molds till 2/3rd full.Again set in freezer,for 30 minutes this time.Finally pour in rest of the fruit purees.Insert the mold stick and set in the freezer for 3-6 hours until completely frozen.Run the molds under warm water for 5-10 seconds for clean lift off.

Health Nut Challenge 6 : I Scream for Ice Cream : Join in the celebration of healthy frozen treats.Send in your best recipe before June 31st,find details here..

Pineapple Ginger Chutney

Except for the peeling part I totally enjoy pineapples.The last one we bought was so fully ripened and had to be used in a day.Why not make a tongue tickling chutney for a change?.The spice from Ginger and chili peppers balances the sweetness from the fruit,and lime juice adds a nice tang to sweet and spicy concoction.The experiment turned out to be a toothsome condiment,the Vitamin loaded chutney is relishing with chips and crackers,spread on sandwiches or mixed with rice.


Recipe
Ingredients
1/2 a fresh pineapple,peeled and cubed
1 inch piece fresh ginger root,minced
1 hot or medium hot chili peppers,seeded and chopped(I used habanero)
1 cinnamon stick
2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoon sugar(optional,I didn't use any)
Pinch of salt


Method

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan ,avoid reactive metallic containers like aluminum or cast iron,preferably use stainless steel.Bring the contents to a slow boil,simmer until completely soft and mushy for 25-30 minutes,stir occasionally.check the seasonings, add more lemon juice if needed.Remove the cinnamon stick.For a more smooth chutney ,grind to a finer paste,then return to the saucepan.Mix a teaspoon of cornstarch with equal quantity of water.Stir in the chutney and simmer another 5-10 minutes.Cool and store in an sterilized air tight jar for over 2-3 months.



The chutney is off to Weekend wokking,the ingredients of the month is Ginger and the host is MomGateway

Caribbean-style Kabobs with Rice and Beans

During my weekly shopping at Costco,the gorgeous Caribbean Pineapple and Tart Champagne mangoes caught my eye.Straight from sunny Islands these tropical fruits are in full bloom in stores here.The weather here still pretty much cold with on-n-off cold-n-warm spells,the warming tropical fruits like such are the best taste of the sunny side of world.

The sun-soaked scenic Caribbean Islands,is home to hottest peppers and bountiful tropical fruits and a spicy fusion cuisine of mostly African, Spanish and Indian flavors.Speaking of hot peppers,having tasted some really hot peppers
from South India,the Caribbean hot peppers Scotch Bonnet and Harbanero (falling in the range of hottest peppers in the world) are true delights for hot chili enthusiasts,just one or two are enough to add fieriness to the meal.

My Caribbean platter includes chicken kabobs with the Caribbean Jerk seasoning(blend of hot peppers and spices),tropical fruit kabobs with sweet and tart flavors of Pineapple and mangoes along side the classic Caribbean Rice and beans.To add an extra layer of fruit ,top with Sassy Pine apple mango salsa ,the recipe coming up in another post.
Jerk Seasoning
A traditional spicy hot blend of peppers and spices,the quintessential taste of Caribbean cuisine,in particular Jamaican cooking.The seasoning is used for curing meat, poultry or fish and then slowly grilling over wood fire.This smoking method was originally used for preserving the meat.Choose between the store-bought dry Jerk seasoning or fresh homemade marinade as in my following recipe.

To find a treasure of authentic Caribbean meals ,explore Cynthia's Taste like home. And join in the Meeta's Monthly Mingle ,featuring Caribbean cooking this month.

Caribbean-style Kabobs
Chicken Kabobs with Caribbean Jerk Seasoning

Ingredients
1 3/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, cut in square 1 inch pieces
1 medium bell pepper,Red or Green or Yellow,cut into squares

For Jerk Marinade
2 Scotch Bonnet or Harbanero Peppers,seed it for easing some heat and chop.
1 clove garlic,peeled and chopped
1 medium onion,chopped
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon Orange Juice
1 tablespoon thyme,dried or fresh
1 teaspoon all spice
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 tablespoon Soy sauce
2 tablespoon lime juice,freshly squeezed.
2 tablespoon Extra virgin Olive oil or vegetable oil


4 bamboo skewers,soaked in water for 10 minutes to prevent burning.

Method
Blend all the marinade ingredients.Mix the marinade with the chicken and vegetables ,marinate for an hour.Thread them on skewers with chicken,peppers and onions alternately on each.
In Broiler
Preheat the Broiler.Place the skewers on a baking sheet,transfer in the oven and let bake for 7 minutes,turn once and allow to bake for another 5 minutes.Serve warm.
On Grill
Heat your grill or grill pan on medium high heat.Placed the skewers
on heated grill,cook for about 6-8 minutes on both sides. Serve warm.

Mango Pineapple Kabobs

Ingredients
1/2 a medium pineapple,peeled,cored and cubed
1 mango(Tart Champagne Mangoes),peeled ,seeded and cubed
1/2 teaspoon spice mix,blend of cumin,cinnamon and nutmeg
3 bamboo skewers(10 inch long)

Method
Mix all the ingredients and marinate for 10 minutes.Thread them on skewers with Pineapple and mango alternately on each.Broil or grill like the chicken kabobs,about 3 minutes on each side.Serve.

Caribbean Rice and Beans


Ingredients
2 cups White rice
1 cup Red kidney beans,cooked
1 medium onion,chopped
2 garlic cloves,minced
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 hot pepper , scotch bonnet or harbanero,seeded and finely chopped.
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups water or vegetable broth.

Method
Heat the oil in a large skillet on medium heat.Saute onions until translucent about a minute,add garlic and hot peppers saute for few seconds, then add beans and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the rice to the beans, then stir in stock and coconut milk,season with salt and pepper, reduce heat,cover and simmer until rice is cooked, about 15 to 20 minutes.Allow to sit for ten minutes,fluff the rice with a fork then serve.

A word of caution while handling hot peppers
For particularly sensitive hands use gloves while seeding and chopping hot peppers or wash hands thoroughly to rinse away the essential hots oils of the pepper which can cause burning sensation.

Capsaicin,the heat of the Peppers
Capsaicin has many curative benefits such as lowering blood pressure,reducing sinus inflammation , promoting good blood circulation and also helps in burning unwanted fat .While not ever one has the same tolerance for capsaicin,an overdose can result in upset stomach or diarrhea.A cup of cold milk can help relief the lingering heart burn after eating spicy peppers.

An Update: Made for Each other Food Event

The Strawberry Cobbler with Orange-Carrot Frozen yogurt is the winner of Made for Each other Food event,which invited the recipes with foods that make a lovable combo.Here are the lovely entries.Thanks to Rathna for the exciting food event:).