Fried Plantains

During our trip through Arizona, we happened to visit a Cuban restaurant, where plantains were a garnish on our plates.  I had never tried them before and I fell in love with their starchy sweet flavor.  While in Mexico, they were always in the stores and I found them a wonderful accompaniment to the Mexican Hot Cakes I made with masa harina.

Breakfast Plantains

Peel and slice plantains as desired.  (vertically or crosswise) to about ¼” widths.

Heat coconut or other oil of your choice in a frying pan and add plantain slices.

Cook until plantains turn golden brown, then turn and brown on the opposite side. Drizzle honey over the cooked plantains and stir to coat.  Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon, if desired.

Serve over Mexican pancakes or as an accompaniment to any other suitable dish.

Mexican Hotcakes

We spent 3 weeks in Puerto Penasco, Mexico in February and I wanted to try my hand at adapting our meals to the ingredients available in that small fishing village.  I found a package of masa (corn flour) with a hot cake recipe on the back.  These were so good, I made them multiple times!  

Next weekend, I will explain how to cook the plantains I used for a garnish.

Masa Harina Hot Cakes

Mexican Hot Cakes

1 cup masa (I used Maseca brand, which is commonly available in the US)

1/3 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 tablespoons oil

¾ cup water or milk substitute

Mix all ingredients.  Pour about 1/3 cup onto heated and lightly greased griddle per pancake.  Turn when bubbles begin to form on the top side.  Serve with butter, syrup and fried plantains.

This is the masa I found in the Puerto Penasco grocery store that I thought would be safe since it says 100% maiz on the package.  The package had the Hot Cake recipe on the back.  It called for milk, but I substituted with coconut milk.   

Spinach Artichoke Goat Cheese Spread

Hot Spinach Artichoke and Goat Cheese Dip

2  10 oz. pkgs of frozen chopped spinach (or equivalent fresh, lightly steamed and chopped)

1   6 oz log of creamy goat cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 diced onion

2 cloves garlic, diced finely

1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

½ cup grated goat or sheep cheese

Thaw or cook the spinach, drain away all excess fluid.

In a 2 or 3 quart saucepan, sauté the onion in the olive oil until it just begins to caramelize.  Add the garlic and sauté until it is soft.

Add the soft goat cheese and stir gently over low heat until it begins to soften, then add the spinach and artichoke hearts, stirring until the vegetables are well coated with the creamy goat cheese.  Spread this mixture into a shallow baking pan and sprinkle the top with the grated cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden brown.  Serve hot.  This dish may be prepared in advance and kept in the refrigerator until ready to cook.  Also freezes well and can be reheated after cooking. 

Serve with chips or crusty bread.

Oatmeal Coconut Cookies - Gluten and Dairy Free Recipe

Gluten Free Oatmeal Coconut Cookies

Cream:

1 cup solid coconut oil

2 cups organic cane sugar

Beat in:

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

Add:

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cloves (I was out so did not add)

1 ½ cups brown rice flour

½ cup tapioca starch flour

½ cup millet flour

Mix well, then add:

2 cups gluten free oatmeal  (original recipe calls for 3 cups, so try this next time)

1 cup flaked coconut

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto parchment paper.

Bake at 350 for 10 to 12 minutes

Black Eyed Pea Sausage Soup

Black Eyed Pea Sausage Soup

New Year’s Luck Soup (a soup version of Hoppin’ John)

2 lb dried black eyed peas

1 lb cooked link sausage of your choice (I used a chicken sausage – Adelle’s Pineapple-Bacon)

3 quarts chicken or vegetable broth plus water

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 yellow onions, chopped

3 cups carrots, chopped

3 cups celery, chopped

6 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

2 bay leaves

1.    Sort through black eyed peas, removing pebbles, debris, etc.   Cover black eyed peas with water – about 2” above the level of the peas in your pot.  Soak for 4 hours or overnight.

2.    Caramelize onions in olive oil, then add the other vegetables and sauté them until all are tender.

3.    Add vegetables and bay leaves to stockpot and add drained, soaked black eyed peas.  Add broth.  Add more liquid as needed to keep the peas submerged during cooking.  Simmer several hours until peas are soft. 

4.    At this point, you may wish to remove several cups of the mixture and puree in the blender to make a creamier soup base.  Return the puree to the pot and add the diced cooked sausage and Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.  Simmer 30 minutes longer, taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

5.    For my New Year’s Open House, I made this soup the day before and reheated to serve it from the crock pot.  The flavor seemed to improve the second day.