My friend Michelle’s mom, Tomoe, always has a treat for me when I stop by to deliver produce from our garden. Like me, she is always busy making goodies to give away. Pickled mango, takuan, and mango bread are just a few of the delightful treats she makes. On a recent visit, Tomoe gave me a container of furikake animal crackers. I shared them with my co-workers and they all raved about how tasty they were. So here’s another recipe from Tomoe, who by the way is in her 90’s and still having fun in the kitchen.
The original recipe calls for 2 pounds of animal crackers (Target sells giant tubs in the cookie aisle). I cut the recipe in half and used 1 pound of crackers and made my own version (lactose free).
There are many variations of furikake available. For this recipe, it’s best to use one that has simple ingredients such as sesame seeds and nori (seaweed).
These couldn’t be simpler to make. Prepare the sauce, mix it up with the crackers, sprinkle with furikake, toss and bake.
These crackers bake low and slow for about an hour. You will need to toss them every 15 minutes to ensure they crisp up evenly. I found that after the 1 hour baking time was up, some of the animal crackers were stuck together. Just split them apart with a thin spatula before you set them aside to cool.
Nicely glazed with bits of sesame seeds and nori on each cookie, these are a tasty treat.
½ stick (2 ounces) vegan Buttery Sticks (or regular butter)
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 scant teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons canola oil
Preparation
Heat oven to 250 degrees. Line a rimmed half sheet pan (jelly roll pan) with heavy duty foil.
Pile animal crackers on the foil lined baking sheet. Set aside.
Melt Buttery Stick in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add sugar and salt and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat. Add corn syrup and oil. Whisk to combine. Pour syrup over animal crackers. Using disposable gloves, toss crackers with syrup until evenly coated. Sprinkle furikake over crackers and toss again. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes so the crackers bake evenly. Remove pan from oven to cool. If you notice any crackers stuck to one another, split them before they cool completely. The syrup will harden as the crackers cool. Store crackers in tightly sealed containers. I keep mine in the refrigerator.
I received a gorgeous, ripe pineapple recently. I thought about making more mango-pineapple jam but our mangos were not quite ready. I found this recipe from Southern Living and thought it would be the perfect way to use up the entire pineapple. The recipe turned out to be a real delight. The pineapple really shines with its fresh sweet and tart flavor.
A crisp crust is layered with fresh chopped pineapple and crumb topping that includes sliced almonds.
A gorgeous pineapple perfectly ripe and ready to eat.
The crust is baked and cooled before the pineapple and crumb topping are added. I used almost the entire pineapple as the recipe calls for 4 cups of chopped fruit.
The pineapple mixture is spooned over the baked crust and the crumb topping sprinkled over it.
Once in the oven, the pineapple crumble will bake for 45-55 minutes. The scent of fresh pineapple fills the air as it bakes.
4 cups (20 ounces or 570g) chopped fresh pineapple
¼ cup (30g) corn starch
1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ heaping cup (30g) slivered almonds
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line bottom of a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. Lightly spray pan with cooking spray.
Beat flour, butter, vanilla, 1 cup of sugar, and a pinch of kosher salt in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 1 minute. Reserve 1 cup of the crumb mixture in a small bowl for the topping. Press the remaining crumb mixture evenly into bottom of prepared pan.
Bake crust until golden brown, about 18 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack, and cool completely, about 45 minutes (preheat oven again to 375 degrees after 30 minutes cooling time)
Meanwhile, gently stir together chopped pineapple, cornstarch, lemon juice, remaining ⅓ cup sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a bowl until thoroughly combined. Spread pineapple mixture over cooled crust.
Stir together the almonds and reserved crumb mixture in a small bowl. Sprinkle mixture evenly over pineapple mixture on crust. Bake at 375 degrees until the topping is lightly browned, about 45-55 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Cut into 16 squares. Leftovers may be frozen. Separate layers with waxed paper.
One morning just before the holidays, we were shopping at Whole Foods to pick up a few items. I was not paying attention to anything but what was on my list, however, John (always on the lookout for samples) noticed some cookies. It turns out the cookies were actually a type of rugelach which is a small Jewish rolled cookie that can be eaten in one or two bites. Once I returned home, I quickly looked up rugelach recipes and found many variations. Some have chocolate or nuts and raisins while others are savory. The one thing they had in common was a cream cheese and butter dough. The version at Whole Foods was oddly dairy free (pareve). How do you pronounce rugelach? Some say “roo-ga-la” and others like Ina Garten and Dorie Greenspan say “rug-ah-la” which means it’s still a mystery to me.
I choose to skip the chocolate and stick with walnuts, jam and currants. Because these cookies are very small and are rolled, currants work very well since they are much daintier than raisins. I used our homemade mango-lilikoi jam which turned out to be a winner with its sweet and tart flavor.
The dough is rolled out into circles then brushed with jam and sprinkled with the currant and sugar mixture before being cut and rolled into crescents.
I am so happy that there are more lactose free dairy products available these days. Green Valley sells lactose free cream cheese in tubs and we always have one on hand. Because their cream cheese is in tubs which makes it more spreadable, it is a bit softer than normal cream cheese bricks. So I worked around this and found that using a bit less than the normal equal parts of butter and cream cheese was the perfect amount. And the cream cheese is always cold, right out of the refrigerator as is the lactose free Earth Balance Buttery Sticks I used.
The dough is satiny and soft so freezing it for 15 minutes or so is essential in order to roll crescents that hold their shape. The rolled cookies are once again placed in the freezer before going into the oven.
The cookies are done when they puff up and are slightly golden in color.
Once I made my own rugelach, I was hooked. These humble looking cookies are so delicious. We love to eat them straight out of the freezer. And though they seem particularly popular during the holiday season, they are welcome anytime of the year.
3.5 ounces cold Green Valley lactose free cream cheese (drained if needed) spooned into large pieces
Filling:
¼ c + 2 tablespoons (1.8 ounces) currants
½ cup (1.8 ounces) finely chopped walnuts
⅛ cup (1 ounce) packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons (1.5 ounces) granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup + 1 tablespoon mango jam, pureed if chunky (or apricot jam)
To Finish:
Egg wash - I use powdered egg white mixed with water, however you may use 1 whole egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk
1½ tablespoons granulated sugar mixed with ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Preparation
Dough: Combine flour, sugar, Buttery Sticks, Green Valley lactose free cream cheese in the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse 4-5 times, then turn the processor on and process until the dough forms a shaggy ball, about 40 seconds or so.
Divide the dough in half. Working quickly as the dough is very soft, shape each piece into a disk and wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap. Chill the dough in the refrigerator until it registers 40 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, at least 2 hours.
Filling: Combine currants, walnuts, brown sugar, granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack set in the middle.
Pull one packet of dough from the refrigerator. Roll out dough into an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper. Spread half of the jam on the dough leaving a half-inch border. Sprinkle half of the filling over the jam. With a piece of waxed paper, gently press the filling into the dough. Place dough round in the freezer for 5 minutes to firm up before rolling up cookies. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 12 wedges. The simplest way to do this is to cut the dough in quarters, then cut each quarter into 3 pieces for a total of 12.
Starting at the base of each triangle, roll the dough up so that each cookie becomes a little crescent. Arrange the roll-ups on a parchment lined baking sheet making sure the points are tucked under the cookies. Freeze while you prepare the second batch, or refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Just before baking, brush egg wash over each cookie and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon mixture. Bake the cookies for 23-25 minutes. The cookies will be puffed and golden. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool (cookies will be too soft to remove right away). Rugelach should be thoroughly cooled before serving. We love eating these right out of the freezer. Store cookies in the refrigerator or freezer.
This is a refreshing and healthy salad that is perfect to serve during the warm summer months. The broccoli is quickly steamed until crisp and tender then drizzled with a tasty dressing. You can serve it chilled or at room temperature.
Cut the broccoli into bite-sized (not too small) florets. Steam the broccoli just until crisp and tender.
Chill the broccoli while you make the dressing. If I’m in a rush, I place the steamed broccoli on a plate and put it in the freezer for a few minutes.
The dressing is a snap to prepare. Mix the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil and honey together in a small bowl. Throw in a spoonful of roasted sesame seeds and you will end up with a well- balanced, flavorful sauce for the broccoli.
My favorite accompaniments with this broccoli salad are steamed Japanese rice, crispy nori with tuna salad, kimchi and fruit. It is the perfect summer lunch.
Steam the broccoli florets until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Cool on a plate in the refrigerator for about 5 minutes or so.
Whisk soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey and a few grinds of fresh black pepper in a small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of roasted sesame seeds. Set aside.
In a large shallow bowl, toss broccoli with dressing (you may not need all of the dressing). Toss to coat all of the florets. Let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or cover and refrigerate if you prefer to serve it cold, or at a later time during the day. When ready to serve, toss once again then transfer the broccoli to a large low-sided serving bowl. Pour the dressing over the broccoli and sprinkle the remaining sesame seeds over the top.
Homemade English muffins have been something we have wanted to make for years. Recently John came upon a recipe in Cook’s Country magazine that inspired him to give it a try. After the first batch and a few adjustments to the recipe, we were hooked. We always keep our freezer stocked with these beauties. We enjoy eating them toasted with butter and jam as well as with our favorite eggs Benedict with avocado hollandaise. The nice thing about these English muffins is that they don’t take very long to make and the finished product is far superior to any commercial product.
If your cornmeal is on the coarse side, you may want to sift out the large, gritty pieces which can become very hard upon toasting the muffins.
Dough rings help to ensure perfectly tall, well-shaped muffins. We had purchased a dozen rings for another recipe so we were thrilled to be able to make use of them for this recipe. Sprinkle cornmeal into each muffin ring before placing dough inside.
After the dough rounds go into the rings, sprinkle more cornmeal over the top and press lightly into the dough.
The dough will rise for 1 hour before being fried in butter for a quick 30 seconds or so on each side. If you don’t mind a chewier and darker crust, they can be fried longer (up to 2 minutes per side).
Once all of the dough has been fried they go into the oven to bake.
Beautiful English muffins cooling on a wire rack.
Fork-splitting the muffins rather than slicing them with a knife will ensure little nooks and crannies that not only produce beautiful crispy edges when toasted, but also allow the toppings such as butter and jam to sink in to all the crevices. Yum.
1 cup + 6 tablespoons of warm whole lactose free milk or regular whole milk,110 degrees (312 grams/11 oz.)
2 tablespoons honey (40 grams)
2¾ cups bread flour (428 grams/15⅛ oz.)
1 tablespoon instant or rapid rise yeast (11 grams)
1¼ teaspoons table salt (7 grams)
⅓ cup cornmeal (sifted if very coarse)
2 tablespoons + butter (we use Miyoko's vegan butter)
Preparation
Special equipment: 10 muffin rings 3½-inch size (recommended for perfectly shaped, tall muffins), 2 half-sheet pans, 2 silicone baking mats or parchment paper
Combine milk with honey in a large bowl. Heat in microwave to 110 degrees but no more (about 20 - 30 seconds). A digital thermometer is useful here. We like the Thermapen. Whisk warm milk and honey together.
In a separate smaller bowl, whisk dry ingredients (flour, yeast and salt) together. Combine wet and dry ingredients together in first bowl. Mix thoroughly (we like to use a Danish dough whisk). Cover the bowl and proof for 1 hour. Do one set of stretches and folds after 30 minutes of proofing.
Line a half sheet pan with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Place 10 muffin rings on pan. Spray thoroughly with cooking spray making sure the ring interiors are well coated. Sprinkle corn meal inside the rings.
Once dough has proofed, divide into 10 equal pieces (about 79 grams each). Round each piece slightly on a floured surface then flatten the dough pieces until approximately the diameter of the rings. Press the dough gently into the rings. Sprinkle corn meal over the top and press into the dough with your fingers. Cover the pan with a second sheet pan. Proof for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees once dough has proofed for 50 minutes.
Once dough has proofed for 1 hour, heat a 12" non-stick skillet on medium to medium-low heat with 1 tablespoon of butter. In batches of up to four, add dough (in rings) to the skillet and cook for 30 seconds on each side, or until lightly browned. Add more butter to the pan for each batch. Transfer fried muffins to second silicone baking mat or parchment lined half sheet pan. Continue frying until all 10 are done. Transfer pan to oven and bake for 12-13 minutes, or until centers register 205-210 degrees.
Remove rings and let muffins cool completely on a wire rack. Fork-split muffins before toasting. Muffins freeze well.
These days there is a far better selection of good lactose-free products available to those of us who are lactose intolerant. I love Green Valley’s lactose free yogurt, cream cheese and sour cream. I’ve been told they will soon have lactose free cottage cheese available which is excellent news as I use it in my favorite cheesy beef stuffed shells. Organic Valley makes lactose-free half and half, a real life saver when it comes to making desserts such as this strawberry ice cream. I love the simplicity of this recipe from King Arthur Flour. It doesn’t require simmering the sugar and cream, nor does it call for using eggs. It’s just a delight to be able to make lactose-free ice cream at home with the freshest fruit available as well as in flavors usually not found in markets.
Strawberries are in season right now so it’s the perfect opportunity to whip up some homemade ice cream. We still have some Pirie and Rapoza mangos on our trees which means mango ice cream is up next.
A portion of the strawberries are sliced thinly and mixed with sugar and vodka. The strawberries eventually go into the ice cream during the last few minutes of churning. They add a nice pop of extra strawberry flavor in every spoonful.
Wash, hull, and quarter 6 ounces of strawberries. Slice the quarters very thinly. Place in a bowl and pour ½ cup of the sugar and the vodka over the berries. Mix, cover, and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
Wash, hull and quarter the remaining berries, and puree with an immersion blender or regular blender. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer to remove the seeds. Measure out 1½ cups of the strained puree.
In a large mixing bowl,whisk the remaining ¾ cup sugar with the puree. Whisk in the corn syrup and half & half until fully combined. Whisk in a pinch of salt, or to taste.
Chill the mixture until very cold, about 2 hours. Transfer the mixture to the freezer and chill for another 15 minutes.
Pour mixture into the ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer's instructions. My Cuisinart takes about 25 minutes. In the last few minutes of churning, retrieve the sliced strawberries from the refrigerator and drain the liquid. Add the berries to the ice cream for the final few turns.
Transfer the ice cream to a covered container and freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight.
