Bread, Breakfast, Dessert, Fruit, Recipes

Maui Mango Bread

November 9, 2013

Summer has come and gone and so have most of the mangoes on our two trees. I haven’t had to buy fruit for months since we’ve had fresh mangoes every day. What a dream! Well we have just a few of those glorious golden orbs left and as it happens they all ripened at the same time. I couldn’t let this opportunity pass: time to break out my mango bread recipe.

I adore these exceptionally sweet mangoes as do my family and friends. They don’t have a very long shelf life, they ripen a day or two after they’re picked. A quick chill in the refrigerator and they are ready to eat.

The White Pirie mango has a deep orange color and is delightfully fragrant.

Though mango is the star of this recipe, the combination of raisins, walnuts, coconut and cinnamon bring it all together to make a moist and luscious cake. Thanks to my friend Tamoe who shared her recipe with me.

Toasting a thick slice of mango bread and serving it with a pat of butter takes it to another level.

Maui Mango Bread

Adapted from Tamoe’s Mango Bread recipe

Makes two loaves

Ingredients

2 cups flour

1 1/4 cups sugar (or up to 1 1/2 cups sugar if your mangoes are not on the sweeter side)

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons canola oil

3 large eggs, well beaten

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups finely chopped mango

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup raisins

1/8 cup shredded sweetened coconut

demerara sugar (optional but recommended)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter two 8 inch loaf pans.

Place flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl and mix well. Mix in the oil, beaten eggs and vanilla. Add the mangoes, walnuts, raisins and coconut. Pour into loaf pans and bake for 55 – 60 minutes. If using demerara sugar, bake the bread for 10 minutes then sprinkle the sugar over the tops of each loaf. (If you add the sugar before baking the bread, it will dissolve into the batter). Continue baking for another 45 minutes. Since oven temperatures vary, it’s a good idea to check the bread after it has baked for 53 minutes. If it needs more time, check again every 2 minutes to prevent over baking.

Note: If you are using dark pans the bread will bake quicker than in light pans so check for doneness at 50 minutes.

Canning, Fruit, Jams & Jellies, Recipes

Mango Strawberry Jam

August 15, 2013

Mangoes are our favorite fruit. We have two mango trees in our yard, Rapoza and White Pirie. Both provide us with sweet and juicy fruit throughout spring and summer and even occasionally into fall. Apparently we are not the only ones who love mangoes. This year the birds decided they couldn’t wait for the occasional mango that falls to the ground. They have been devouring the mangoes while still on the tree.

The nerve of those birds!

No thanks to those hungry birds, we were still lucky to have enough fruit to make some jam this summer. This time we mixed it up a bit and made mango-strawberry jam. It turned out great.

Strawberries are lightly crushed with a potato masher to soften a bit and release their fragrant flavor.

Mango Strawberry Jam

Makes 7 half pint jars

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups packed crushed strawberries

3 1/4 cups diced mango (I cut the mango into small chunks then pulse a few times in the food processor. Be careful not to pulse too much or you will end up with mango purée!)

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

5 1/2 cups sugar (1038 g)

1 package powdered pectin

Preparation

Place jars in boiling-water canner. Fill the jars and canner with water to the top of the jars. Cover and bring water to a simmer over medium heat, do not boil. Prepare the two piece closures. Place lids in a small saucepan and cover with water. Heat to just a simmer but do not boil. Do not heat screw bands.

Wash and prepare strawberries and dice mangoes. Using a potato masher lightly crush strawberries. Measure out 1 1/2 cups strawberries and 3 cups diced mango. Measure sugar and set aside.

Transfer fruit to a large, deep stainless steel saucepan. Add lemon juice to fruit. Whisk in pectin until it dissolves. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Add sugar all at once. Stirring constantly, return to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Boil hard, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Remove from heat and using a large slotted metal spoon skim off any foam.

Fill one jar at a time. Remove jar from canner and empty hot water back into the canner. Place jar on a cutting board and place a canning funnel in it. Ladle hot jam into jar leaving 1/4 inch head space. With a clean damp cloth or paper towel wipe jar rim to remove any food residue. Using a magnetic utensil lift hot lid from water, center it on the jar and place screw band on jar. Tighten screw band evenly and firmly just until resistance is met. Then increase to finger tip tight. Do not over tighten. Return jar to canner rack until all jam is used. When all jars are filled lower rack into canner and ensure that all jars are covered by 1 inch of water. Cover canner and bring water to a full boil over high heat. Process for 10 minutes, starting timer only when water reaches a full boil.

At the end of the processing time, turn the heat off and remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes then remove jars without tilting. Place jars upright on a rack or towel and let cool undisturbed for 24 hours. After 24 hours check lids for proper seal. Remove screw bands and press down on the lid with your finger. Sealed lids will curve downward and will show no movement when pressed. Jars that haven’t sealed properly must be refrigerated immediately or reprocessed. Wipe jars and store in a cool, dry place. Label and date jars.

***If there is extra jam after filling all of the jars, transfer to a small container and store in the refrigerator.

Breakfast, Canning, Fruit, Jams & Jellies, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Mango Jam

August 14, 2012

Each year we wait patiently for our annual mango season which brings us an abundant crop of fruit. We share our mangoes with friends and family, many times lugging heavy bags of mangoes to work or wrapping them up carefully and taking them on the plane to Oahu. One of the most enjoyable ways to eat a mango is to chill it well, cut it into bite size chunks and serve. If you find yourself with too many mangoes you can also make mango salsa, bread, pie, smoothies, sorbet, and jam.

This little gadget works very well. Just cut off the top of the mango and place the center of the cutter over the seed of the mango and press down. In no time you will have your mango seeded and all you’ll need to do is remove the flesh of the mango from the skin by scooping it out with a spoon. It saves a lot of time when preparing mangoes for jam. There’s no need to peel and cut up the mango, just one quick swoop and you’re done.

Process mangoes to measure 4 1/2 cups.

Sterilize your jars.

Bring the mango mixture to a rolling boil that can’t be stirred down then add sugar. Return to a rolling boil that can’t be stirred down and boil for 1 minute. Use a very tall pot and long wooden spoon. Mixture can splatter as it cooks.

Pour hot mango jam into sterilized jars leaving about 1/8 inch between the jam and the top of the jar.

Process jam in boiling water for 10 minutes (covered) then remove to cool on a wire rack.

Canning jam is easier than you might think. You will need canning equipment which is basically the canner, a few helpful utensils and jars. These items are not expensive and the only downside is that they take up precious cupboard space. Once you have your little jars of homemade jam you can store them in the cupboard for up to a year. They probably won’t be around that long…

Mango Jam

Yield: 7 Half pint jars

Ingredients

4 1/2 cups coarsely chopped mango

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

6 cups sugar

1 pkg. dry pectin

1/2 teaspoon butter

Preparation

Wash fruit, peel, seed and cut into cubes. You can mash the fruit with a potato masher or run through a food processor in batches. I use the food processor (two batches to make 4 1/2 cups total) and pulse two times then I give it a stir with a large spoon and pulse two more times, mixing the fruit again, and one last pulse making sure not to puree the fruit leaving small pieces of mango for texture.

In a 8 – 10 quart pot, preferably with high sides, mix fruit, lemon juice, butter and pectin. The butter helps to prevent foaming. Place over high heat, stirring constantly with a long handled wooden spoon. Bring to a rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Still stirring, add sugar. Return to a boil that cannot be stirred down, then boil for exactly 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Ladle hot jam into prepared half pint jars leaving just about 1/8 inch of space between the jam and top of the jar. Wipe rims clean. Place lids on jars and screw on the rings until a point of resistance is met – fingertip tight. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Once cool, remove rings and wipe rims clean. Mark the date on the bottom of each jar and store for up to a year. Once opened, refrigerate leftovers. If any of the jars do not seal, store the jam in the refrigerator. For basic canning directions go here.

The jar on the left is mango jam with Hawaiian chili peppers. For this delicious option add to the above recipe 15 – 20 Hawaiian chili peppers which have been seeded and finely chopped. An exotic combination of sweet and hot it is especially delicious served on crackers with cream cheese.

Dinner, Dressing, Lactose Free, Recipes, Salad, Side Dishes, Vegetarian

Green Goddess Dressing

March 25, 2024

Here’s a lactose free green goddess dressing for those of us who are unable to digest lactose. Green Valley lactose free yogurt comes in handy for all sorts of recipes such as bread, cake and even popsicles. If regular dairy products suit you, go ahead and use your favorite brand of yogurt. Using a good mayonnaise is essential in this recipe as is seeking out the freshest herbs you can find.

This is one of the easiest and tastiest dressings you can make. It definitely falls into the rich category of dressings given that its main ingredient is mayonnaise, so I make it for special occasions or when I have a produce drawer full of crispy romaine hearts.

For a stunning salad, arrange steamed diced beets and avocado over green goddess dressing.

A green goddess dressed salad with a side of sourdough bread makes a splendid meal.

Green Goddess Dressing

Recipe by Kiyo

Servings

1 1/2 c

servings

Adapted from NYT Cooking

Ingredients

1 1/2 teaspoons drained capers
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup full fat plain lactose free yogurt (or regular yogurt)
1 cup coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley
1/2 cup roughly chopped basil
1/8 teaspoon finely grated garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
2 tablespoons finely chopped tarragon
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions

In a food processor (or use an immersion blender) combine the capers, mayonnaise, yogurt, parsley, basil, grated garlic and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Process until smooth and uniformly green. Transfer to a lidded jar, and stir in the tarragon, chives, a few dashes of kosher salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed with salt, pepper and reserved 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice.

Notes

Store dressing in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Bread, Breakfast, Lactose Free, Recipes, Summertime Meal

Fresh Corn Muffins

August 22, 2023

Corn is in peak season now and the markets are stocked with beautiful fresh ears of corn. I don’t always have a plan for what I’m going to do with the corn I buy but I make sure to use it within a day to ensure it is fresh and sweet. Here is a great recipe to make when you have fresh corn on hand and aren’t quite sure how you want to use it. I adapted this recipe from Cook’s Country magazine to make a lactose-free version. Feel free to use standard dairy ingredients when you make these.

You can whip up a cardamom-brown sugar butter that pairs well with the fresh corn flavor of these muffins. The sweet and salty butter with a hint of cardamom takes these muffins over the top.

Bob’s Red Mill is known for quality products and their cornmeal is no exception. The medium grain cornmeal is just the right texture for these muffins.

Beautiful cornmeal such as Bob’s Red Mill can be found at Safeway on Maui.

Hydrating a portion of the cornmeal with milk in the microwave before adding it to the rest of the ingredients produces a muffin with a tender crumb and a boost of fresh corn flavor.

You might think there is too much batter for 12 muffin cups. I read a few comments from others who made 16-24 muffins. If you have a muffin pan that has a smaller than usual cup capacity, you may need to bake more than 12 muffins. However, for this recipe I found the batter to be perfect for my 12-cup muffin pan. The batter should fill the entire cup and even be a bit higher than level.

Beautifully high domed muffins show off the fresh corn beneath. One of my favorite ways to eat these corn muffins is to split them, toast them until the edges are browned and crispy, then serve with a pat of butter and homemade jam.