I’ve been eating a lot of much-needed comfort food lately and got very excited when I came across a recipe for an old childhood favorite on Laylita’s blog.  A plantain recipe.  Yes, plantain.   You can find some of my plantain stories here.

One of the things I like about this so called cooking banana is that you can prepare it in several different ways.   You can boil, fry or bake it.  When I make my plantains, I normally fry them. 

I got excited about Laylita’s recipe for baked plantain because it triggered memories of eating baked plantain and roasted peanuts as a young girl in Africa.  I don’t think I’ve eaten baked plantains here in the States before.  What a treat!

Laylita’s recipe was unique to me because  the sweet baked plantain is served with cheese.  Cheese!  In this case, Mozzarella.  Oh my!  The combination tasted really good.  I would have never imagined eating plantain with cheese.  She also recommends using feta cheese or a good queso, which I’ll try at another time.

According to Laylita, this dish makes a great  breakfast or brunch.  I’ve made it several times now, mainly for dinner.  So, I can say that it makes a great dinner, too.  It’s also great as a an appetizer or side dish when cut the plantain is cut in half or into smaller pieces. 

I loved Laylita’s way of serving the baked plantain and cheese with Aji Criollo, a spicy Ecuadorian hot sauce.  Oh. My.  Gosh!  What a perfect combination of the taste of the sweet plantain, melted cheese and hot pepper!  Whoo hoo!  If you don’t like hot-tasting food, then leave it out but if you’re like me and love peppers, then go for it!  I’ll post the hot sauce recipe next week. 

I left the plantain in the oven a little longer than I should have and it came out a little darker than normal, but no matter.  The plantain still tasted good.

The best part of this recipe is that it is one of the healthiest ways of preparing plantain — baked is much better than fried (although I love my fried plantain.).  The cooking process was very easy to follow and after a long day, I was happy that I didn’t have to go through any lengthy food preparations in order to eat.  Thanks Laylita for this plantain recipe.  It made my day. 

Paz

Sweet Baked Plantain with Cheese

Laylita Recipes

Ingredients:

6 ripe plantains, whole

1-2 Tbs melted butter or oil, use as little as you want

6 thick slices of mozzarella

Optional side - Aji criollo (Ecuadorian hot sauce)

Preparation:

Pre-heat oven to 400 F

Peel the plantains, place them on a baking sheet and rub them with butter or oil.

Bake the plantains for 30 minutes, then turn each one and bake for another 15 - 20 minutes or until golden on both sides.

Remove the plantains from the oven, made a horizontal slit on the middle of each plantain, and stuff them with cheese slices

In a few minutes the cheese will have melted, serve immediately, with or without hot sauce.

 Wishing you: 

Peace, Love, Joy, Hope, Good Health and Prosperity.

Paz

I made something this Christmas that I really liked A LOT –  Jen’s Chocolate and Walnut Mandelbrot.  Oh, it was soooo good and as I savored my finished product, I was very happy with myself.  Regular readers by now, know that I get really excited when anything I make turns out well. 

According to Jen, Mandelbrot (or Mandel Bread) is a Jewish Biscottti and "when drowned in coffee, provides the most delightful means of starting your day".  I’m not a coffee drinker (although I felt like becoming one after reading The Various Flavors of Coffee) but I enjoyed my Mandelbrot with a nice cup of hot chocolate and later with a tall glass of Coke.  The chocolate and walnuts are supposed to be chopped but I didn’t chop the chocolate.  No matter.  I don’t think the size of my chocolate chips harmed this twice baked cookie.  Man, oh man, did it taste divine!  I loved the way the chocolate, walnuts and cookies melted in my mouth.  Divine, I tell you.

Jen suggests that if you don’t like walnuts, you can substitute them with pecans.  She also recommends serving the biscotti straight from the oven with a scoop of coffee ice cream.  Next time, I’ll have to try that.  Most definitely.  Thanks for the recipe, Jen.  I plan on making it again and again and again.

I wish everyone a wonderful New Year’s celebration and a Happy New Year, full of all things good.  Thanks for stopping by here this year.  Without you, it would be no fun.

Best,

Paz

Jen Altman’s Chocolate & Walnut Mandelbrot

Design*Sponge

Ingredients:

¾ cups sugar

½ cups olive oil

2 organic eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon sea salt

1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

2 cups flour

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

1 cup chopped walnuts

2 cups (8oz.) chopped semi-sweet baking chocolate (the best you can find)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350F.   Prepare a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  Begin by chopping the chocolate and walnuts — set aside.  Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt and sift well — set aside.  In a large bowl whisk the sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla together until they are well incorporated.  Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and beat until well mixed.  Fold in the walnuts and chocolate.

Scoop the dough out onto the baking sheet and shape into a long flat log — about 10-12 inches long and 3-4 inches wide.  Bake at 350F for 25 minutes.  Pull from the oven and reset the temperature to 325F.  Let the log sit and cool for 15-20 minutes.  Using a serated knife, carefully cut the log into 1 inch slices.  The dough will still be a bit soft at this point so cut and handle the slices with care.  Place the slices on the baking sheet — they will not spread so they can be placed close together.  Bake an additional 10 minutes — cool for 10 minutes, then flip the cookies over and bake an additional 10 minutes.

My version of a long flat log.  I need some practice.  Okay, I need a lot of practice.

Cookies cooling and waiting to be flipped over and baked again.

The end product.  Delicious!

Found in the window of Stueben Glass, a glass and crystal store, located on the East Side, Madison Avenue.

Merry…

Merry Christmas!

I wish you peace, hope, love and joy!

 Paz

This is an my unofficial entry to the literary/culinary blogging event called Novel Food, where we can prepare and blog about a dish that has a connection to a published literary work.  The wonderful Simone (of Briciole) and Lisa (of Champaign Taste) co-host this event, which is in its sixth season.  I say that it’s an unofficial entry since I’m a bit late in submitting my entry.  However it was a recipe I’d planned on posting for quite some time.   Thanks, Simone for including my late entry. 

I’d seen this cake recipe about a year ago on Tapioca Flour (obrigada/thanks Valentina!) and saved it with the intention of making it immediately.  I never got the chance.

This Brasilian Carrot Cake post was inspired by one of my favorite romance stories, Crush by Crystal Hubbard.  It’s about a heart throb rock star who rescues a headstrong girl from a near fatal accident at his concert and they fall in love.  The heroine is half Brazilian and she mentions her Brazilian grandmother’s cooking and several Brazilian dishes throught the book. 

In a previous Novel Food event, I prepared a dish (Leftovers with Dendi Oil) mentioned in the book.  The Brasilian Carrot Cake is not mentioned in the book.  However, it is something I see the heroine enjoying, something that perhaps her grandmother made for her.  Or, something that she may have unsuccessfully tried to make for her rock star boyfriend and then ended up ordering a dessert from a Brazilian restaurant to make up for her baking blunders.  LOL!

I also wanted to make this cake in celebration of some good news I received about author Crystal Hubbard.  She recently completed a very tough but successful round of chemotherapy treatment.  Yay!  So, I celebrate the good news with two of my favorite romance characters and a slice of Brasilian Carrot Cake.  Congrats Crystal!

Paz

Ed. Note:  Something interesting about the Brasilian Carrot Cake is that Valentina pointed out that it’s a ‘national passion’, a national institution.  In the comments section, she also mentions that the taste of this particular carrot cake is very diiferent from European-style carrot cakes.  After tasting it, I can also add that it tastes much different from American carrot cake, too.

The chocolate icing might sound unusual but it actually tastes perfect with this cake.  Absolutely perfect.

Also, I forgot to mention that I’m still looking for my own rock star.  As before, interested parties can apply here.

The roundup of Novel Food entries have been posted.  They are in two parts and you can find them at Briciole and Champaign Taste.  Check them out, there’s nothing better than finding a good read and recipe!

Lastly, in addition to Valentina’s site, you can also find the original recipe and lovely photo of the cake on Ana’s blog (Kitchen Space).  The recipe for this cake comes from her grandmother, Anna.  Thanks, Ana for sharing the recipe with us, all. 

Crush by Crystal Hubbard

Brasilian Carrot Cake

Tapioca Flour

Main Ingredients

4 medium carrots, peeled and grated

3 medium eggs

2 cups of sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 cups plain flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

Chocolate Icing

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 tablespoons butter

5 tablespoons milk

8 tablespoons sugar

Grease a bundt pan and reserve.  Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (Paz note:  That’s about 350°F)

Take the grated carrot, the eggs, the vegetable oil and sugar and put it all in the blender.

Whiz it long enough to blend it all together but being careful not to over do it otherwise it might alter the consistency or  even the colour of the cake.  Pour the mixture in a mixing bowl and add the dry ingredients, stirring well.  Transfer the mixture to the prepared bundt pan and bake for approximately 40 minutes.  Leave it to cool on a rack.

Meanwhile put all the icing ingredients in a saucepan and stir it until the butter has melted and the mixture has thickened.  Pour it over the cake whilst still hot.  **Please note that the cup measurement used is 250ml.

Victory, Barbara, victory!

Fellow food blogger and plain awesome person Barbara of Winos and Foodies is going through a tough round of chemotherapy.  I just found out that this weekend (December 5-7, 2008),  Ilva and Bron have put together a Virtual Hug  event to show our love and support for her.  Of course, I wanted to participate.

I first met Barbara, years ago, when we participated in a postcard swapping event.  Neither of us were paired together.  She had a different partner and so did I but we drifted towards each other and exchanged cards without being assigned to do so.  We’ve been friends ever since. 

Barbara has the most wonderful posts on her blog and some time ago, she started a foodblogging event called Live Strong with a Taste of Yellow.  It’s an event that supports Lance Armstrong’s Livestrong Day, which in turn raises cancer awareness and funds for the fight against cancer.  Check out her 2007 roundup and 2008 roundup part 1 and part 2.  You can see my entries for the events here and here.

Dearest Barbara:  As you go through those grueling rounds of chemo, I’m sending you the best of thoughts;  I’m sending you positive energy; I’m sending you lots of love;  and I’m sending you the biggest virtual hug.  

Victory, Barbara, victory!

Paz  XOXO

P.S.  If anyone is interested, feel free to join in this Virtual Hug to Barbara.  You can post photos, poems, songs, recipes, whatever you feel would cheer Barbara up.  Then let Ilva and Bron know you’re participating.  Also stop by their blogs to check out the links of other participants.

Thank you, Tanna (My Kitchen in Half Cups)!

ROCKIN’ GIRL BLOGGER

Thank you, Sra (When My Soup Came Alive)!

A PERFECT BLEND OF FRIENDSHIP

Thank you, Mikky (My Finds…)!

SUPERIOR SCRIBBLER

Thank you, Olga (Mango & Tomato)!

Now, it’s my turn to pass these awards along.  The Superior Scribbler has specific rules on how to pass the award out.  I’m sure the other awards also have rules to follow to pass the awards out.  However, I’m going to do things a little differently. 

I’d like to pass the award to the following:

1-  My guest bloggers who generously helped me out while I was recuperating from surgery during the summer — Mischief Mari of Cha no ma-ri, Layla of Laylita’s Recipes, Simona of Bricole, Ilva of Lucullian Delights, Elizabeth of The House in Marrakesh and About New York, Sra of When My Soup Came Alive, Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen, Haalo of Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once, Lydia of The Perfect Pantry, Rebecca of From Argentina with Love, Christine of Christine Cooks, Amy of The Heart of a Seed, and Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict.

2-  Everyone listed in my Links section.

3-  Everyone who has stopped here (So if you’re reading this right now, that means YOU!).

Of course, you are under no obligation to accept this award or pass it on.  I’m simply doing this in the spirit of frienship and fun.  I appreciate you and your blogs.

Oh, and if anyone is interested, here are the original rules to pass along the Superior Scribbler Award: 
1. Post the award on your blog
2. Link to me for giving it to you
3. Link the originating post here
4. Pass it on to five deserving people
5. Post these rules for your recipients

Best to all,

Paz