Tembleque (Puerto Rican)

From: http://www.tastingpuertorico.com/tembleque

This is the Puerto Rican Christmas Cake. It has the consistency of Flan, but no eggs.  It is a completely vegan recipe. And it’s so yum. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cans (13.5 oz. each) Coconut Milk (Goya Brand)
• ¾ cup sugar
• ½ cup corn starch
• ¼ tsp. salt
• Toasted coconut (optional for garnish)
• Ground cinnamon (for garnish)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In saucepan over medium-high heat, combine 1.5 cans of the coconut milk with sugar and salt, stirring occasionally until the mixture starts to boil
2. In a separate bowl dissolve the cornstarch with the remaining 0.5 can of Coconut milk, making sure that the cornstarch has no lumps
3. Add this cornstarch and coconut mixture to the pan and stir until the mixture starts to thicken (about 5 mins)
4. Next pour through a strainer(optional) into individual serving dishes or one large bowl then cover to prevent a thick skin from forming on the top as the dessert cools.Allow to cool and place into the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours or longer
5. If you are using individual serving dishes, sprinkle the top of the tembleque with ground cinnamon before serving
6. If you have used a large bowl, then run a thin knife around the edge of the pudding, carefully invert the bowl onto a serving plate. Sprinkle the top with ground cinnamon before serving

Tres Leches Cake (Puerto Rican)

FROM: Chowhound

INGREDIENTS:

• Butter, for coating the baking dish
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 2/3 cup evaporated milk (not nonfat)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened canned coconut milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 cup sweetened or unsweetened flaked coconut
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat the oven to 325°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Coat a 13-by-9-inch glass baking dish with butter; set aside.
2. Separate egg whites and egg yolks.
3. In kitchenaid, blend egg whites on high until medium peaks form.
4. In bowl, whisk egg yolks, vanilla extract and almond extract.
5. Add egg yolk mixture spoonful by spoonful to egg white mixture. Fold in slowly, by hand, taking care to keep the volume of the egg whites.
6. Add flour mixture slowly, half cup by half cup. Fold in slowly, by hand, taking care to keep the volume of the egg whites.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake until the cake is puffed and golden and the edges pull away from the sides of the pan, about 20 to 25 minutes.
8. Meanwhile, place the three milks and the rum in a large bowl and whisk until combined; set aside.
9. Remove the cake from the oven and place on a wire cooling rack. Using a toothpick or wooden skewer, poke holes all over the cake and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Pour the milk mixture evenly over the cake and continue cooling, about 45 minutes more. Tightly cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
10. When the cake is ready to serve, spread the coconut in an even layer in a large frying pan. Toast over medium heat, stirring often, until lightly browned and fragrant, about 5 minutes. (If the coconut begins to burn, reduce the heat.) Immediately remove from the pan to a small bowl.
11. Place the heavy cream and powdered sugar in large bowl and whisk until medium peaks form. (If you like, flavor it with a teaspoon of dark rum.) Slice the cake and serve topped with a mound of whipped cream and a sprinkle of toasted coconut.

Stuffed Eggplant (Baked)

This is an improvement of the Stuffed Eggplant Poriyal recipe, which is cooked on the stove. I tried that, but my spices burned, so I decided to bake the eggplant dish instead.

Stuffing:

VAGHAR:

2 tsp oil
2 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tbsp urad dal, picked over and rinsed
2 tbsp yellow split peas, picked over and rinsed
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp hing
3-4 dried red chillies, seeds removed

ADD:

1 c flaked coconut, dry roasted till brown
salt to taste
1.5 tsp tamarind concentrate
1/2 c water

THEN:

Blend it all together into a thick paste.

STUFF paste into 12 baby eggplants.

Eggplants should be slit into quarters lengthwise, and not cut through entirely.

Fill the eggplant slits with stuffing and set aside. NOTE: Slit eggplants only AFTER stuffing is ready, or eggplants will become discolored.

Preheat oven to 250 F.

Arrange stuffed eggplants in greased pyrex.

Take leftover stuffing, add water (around 1 c) to make a stuffing that is just slightly more runny than pancake batter. Pour over eggplants.

Cover with foil and bake 30 min. Check. Bake for longer as needed until cooked. (Mine took just over 2 hours).

Serve hot with rice.

ALTERNATIVE: Can stuff green peppers instead of eggplant if you want.

NOTE: Tastes great, turned out well. Missed the roasted eggplant taste. Next time will split the difference — will cook the eggplant on the stove FIRST (after it has been split, before it has been stuffed) and then dunk it in the watered down stuffing and let it simmer on the stove or in the oven. A local South Indian place serves its veggies like this, and now I know why.

South Indian Sesame Rice

This is great for using up leftover white rice.

Ellu Sadam / Sesame Rice Recipe
Source: Southern Spice by Chandra Padmanabhan

Ingredients:
1 cup cooked rice
Salt to taste

For the Spice Powder:
1/2 cup white sesame seeds / til / ellu
2 tbsp grated coconut
4 dry red chillies
1 tsp oil

For Tempering:
2 tbsp gingelly oil / nallennai / sesame oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
3 tbsp shelled peanuts
1/2 tsp cumin seeds / jeera
2 dry red chillies, halved
1 tsp urad dal / ulutham paruppu
1 tsp channa dal / kadala paruppu
A few curry leaves

Instructions:
1. Dry roast the sesame seeds and grated coconut separately in a pan until nicely browned. Add oil for spice powder and lightly fry the red chillies, taking care not to burn them. Cool, grind to a fine powder and set aside.
2. Heat oil for tempering and add the roasted peanuts. When almost fried and brown, add the rest of the ingredients. When the mustard seeds pop and the dals turn golden, remove from heat.
3. Stir in the rice and the spice powder. Serve at room temperature with raita.

Ono Butter Mochi

INGREDIENTS:

1 box mochiko (1 pound glutinous rice flour)
2 1/2 c white sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 c butter, melted
3 c whole milk
5 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 c sweetened, flaked coconut (Baker’s Coconut)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Grease 9 x 13 pyrex.
3. In bowl 1, mix eggs, vanilla and milk.
4. In bowl 2, mix mochiko, sugar and baking powder.
5. Pour bowl 1 contents into bowl 2.
6. Stir in melted butter and coconut.
7. Pour into pyrex.
8. Bake 1 hout. Let cool completely. Cut into squares to serve.
9. Enjoy!

NOTE: Can replace the whole milk and flaked coconut with 1 can coconut milk and 1 can evaporated milk.

Coconut Flour Anzacs

Adapted from Martha Stewart

YIELD: 2.5 dozen cookies

INGREDIENTS:

1 c all purpose flour
2 c coconut flour
1 c oats
3/4 c desiccated coconut
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 c sugar
1 1/2 sticks butter
1 tsp ginger powder
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsps golden syrup or palm syrup
3/4 tsp baking soda
2 c 6 tbsp boiling water

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Mix dry ingredients except baking soda.
3. In saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and syrup. Dissolve baking soda in boiling water, and add to syrup mixture. It’s supposed to bubble up, but it didn’t for me.
4. Add butter mixture to flour mixture.
5. Make 1.5 in balls, place on cookie sheet 2 in apart, smoosh down evenly into pancake like discs.
6. Bake 18 min.

These cookies should last a pretty long time without spoiling; they used to be given to soldiers in Australia and New Zealand. Martha Stewart says they last like a week. If they get hard, just dip them in tea and enjoy.

Tawa Baingan

Rasika and Rasika West End, Washington, D.C.

Vikram Sunderam made this stacked eggplant and potato dish at his 2010 Beard House dinner.
Yield: 4 servings

Eggplant:

2 Holland eggplants, or 1 Italian eggplant, sliced thinly
6 cloves garlic, chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon black pepper
Salt to taste

Mashed Potatoes:

2 Idaho potatoes, peeled and boiled until tender
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
Scant 1/4 cup chopped red onion
Scant 1/4 cup chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon chopped ginger
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon sliced Thai green chile
1/2 teaspoon chile powder
1/2 teaspoon chaat masala
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt to taste

Coconut Sauce:

2 ounces jaggery or 1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/4 teaspoon red chile flakes
Scant 1/4 cup chopped peanuts
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
Salt to taste

Method:

To make the eggplant, combine the eggplant slices, garlic, olive oil, black pepper, and salt in a large bowl and mix well. Set aside.

To make the mashed potatoes, grate the potatoes into a large bowl and set aside. Heat the oil in a sauté pan and add the cumin seeds. Toast until they start to crackle, about 1 minute. Add the onions and sauté until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, ginger, turmeric, and Thai chilies; cook until the tomatoes are soft, about 3 minutes. Add the chile powder and chaat masala and cook until very fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer the contents of the pan to the bowl of grated potatoes. Add the lemon juice and mix well. Season with salt.

To make the coconut sauce, melt the jaggery in a saucepan over a low flame. (If you are using brown sugar, you do not need to melt it first.) Add the coconut milk and chile flakes and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and mix in the peanuts, lemon juice, and salt.

Heat a sauté pan over medium heat. Working in batches, sauté the marinated eggplant slices on both sides until golden brown, about 2 minutes each side. Transfer the cooked eggplant to a baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain.

Heat the mashed potatoes in a medium pot.

Place an eggplant slice on a plate and top with a spoonful of warmed mashed potatoes. Continue adding alternating layers of eggplant and potato until you have at least 4 layers of eggplant and 3 layers of potato. Drizzle the warm sauce over the stack.

Baking with Coconut Flour

Tips:

1) Use 1:1 ratio of coconut flour to liquid. Coconut flour is very absorbent.

2) Do NOT replace ALL the flour in a recipe with coconut flour – replace only one fourth the amount of flour in a recipe with an equal amount of coconut flour. Eg: If a recipe calls for 1 c all purpose flour, you can instead use: 3/4 c all purpose flour + 1/4 c coconut flour + 1/4 c ADDITIONAL LIQUID.

Verdict:

This stuff is EXPENSIVE. Because of that, there are NO good recipes available for it. Except for dieters and people too ill to eat flour (people with celiac’s disease and allergies). Because they’re the best source for dessert recipes.

Baker’s Nanaimo Bars

INGREDIENTS:

6 oz. Baker’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate, divided
3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp. butter, softened, divided
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups Honey Maid Graham Crumbs
1 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 Tbsp. Bird’s Custard Powder
3 Tbsp. milk
2 cups confectioner’s sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 350°F.

Microwave 2 oz. chocolate and 1/2 cup butter in large microwaveable bowl on MEDIUM 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Blend in egg and vanilla. Stir in graham crumbs, coconut and nuts. Press onto bottom of 9-inch square pan. Bake 8 min.; cool completely.

Mix custard powder and milk in medium bowl with whisk until blended. Add 1/4 cup of the remaining butter; mix well. Gradually beat in sugar until blended. Spread onto crust. Refrigerate 15 min.

Microwave remaining chocolate and butter in microwaveable bowl 2 to 3 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Spread over custard layer. Refrigerate several hours or until chilled before cutting into bars.

TIPS

MAKE IT EASY
For easy removal of dessert from pan before cutting into bars, line empty pan with foil or parchment paper, with ends of foil extending over sides. Then, use the foil handles to remove chilled dessert from pan before cutting into bars.

MOCHA NANAIMO BARS
Blend 3 Tbsp. coffee-flavoured liqueur with 2 tsp. Maxwell House Coffee granules. Substitute this for the 3 Tbsp. milk used to prepare custard layer.

RED OR GREEN NANAIMO BARS
Prepare as directed, adding 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract and a few drops green or red food coloring to filling with butter.

Baker’s One Bowl Coconut Macaroons

INGREDIENTS

1 pkg. (14 oz.) BAKER’S ANGEL FLAKE Coconut (5-1/3 cups)
2/3 cup sugar
6 Tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
4 egg whites
1 tsp. almond extract

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 325°F.
Combine coconut, sugar, flour and salt in large bowl. Stir in egg whites and extract until blended.
Drop coconut mixture into 36 mounds, 2 inches apart, onto greased and lightly floured baking sheets, using about 1 Tbsp. coconut mixture for each.
Bake 20 min. or until edges are golden brown. Immediately remove from baking sheets to wire racks; cool completely.

NOTE: This recipe is excellent and super easy.