cranberry muffins

 Cranberry muffins from here. 

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• (citrus zest, if desired)

Combine above in medium bowl.  Then separately combine the following:

• 3/4 cup milk (or I use yogurt)
• 1/2 cup oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp. almond extract (or substitute vanilla or citrus or whatever)

Add in the wet ingredients to the dry, then add in:

• 2 cups cranberries (fresh or frozen)

Put into 12 muffins cups, sprinkle tops with sugar if desired.  

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes (ish).

banana bread waffles

 I got a little Dash waffle maker.  IT's cute AF, and I finally have it waffling.  The booklet with it included this recipe - which is timely because I have A TON of bananas in my freezer right now (blue java from my backyard tree).  They're pretty tasty.

Ingredients

Combine in a medium bowl:

• 1.5 cups AP flour (or a whole grain flour would be nice)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

 Mash bananas so no more large chunks, then add the rest:

• 1 cup mashed bananas (2-3 bananas or more if small)
• 3/4 cup buttermilk (or yogurt)
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3 tbsp canola oil

Then add wet ingredients and mix.

Add 3 tbsp to the mini waffle maker ad cook until golden brown. 

sukuma

 A Facebook friend who is from Kenya recently mentioned sukuma and it piqued my interest.  I've got some gorgeous greens that will do well in this.  I checked different recipes and like this one (the spices look great) which I'll try this weekend.  (I'm not going to make ugali or fufu, so I'll eat it with rice.) 

Ingredients

• 1 large white onion
• 1-2 cloves minced garlic
• 3 medium tomatoes diced
• 1/2 tsp curry or turmeric
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1 T smoked paprika
• 1/2# ground beef (or other meat)
• 1 T bouillon powder or cube 
• 1 bunch collard greens or kale
  
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)
• 1/2 juiced lemon, about 1 T
  

Instructions
1. In a medium- large skillet, add oil, onions, and garlic, and sauté, for about 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent any burns.

2. Then add tomatoes, curry, coriander, and paprika, and continue stirring with a heavy wooden spoon, about 2 minutes.

3. Add minced meat, bouillon powder; stir until ingredients have been thoroughly combine. Simmer for about 5 minutes or more. 

4.  Throw in chopped collards, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, Continue cooking for another 5-10 minutes until flavors have blend and greens are cooked, according to preference. Adjust seasonings –Salt and pepper, turn off the heat.

Remove from the heat and let it cool.  Best with ugali (I eat it with naan). 

roasted potatoes

 I'm quite tired of boiled potatoes (how we ate them in Germany), so I roasted them today to eat with cabbage and they were great.  I'm just putting this "recipe" here to remind myself of temperature and time.

Clean, chop potatoes.  Mix with oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and whatever else (like rosemary).  

Preheat oven to 425.  Roast approximately 30 minutes.  

mirliton wild rice

 Mirlitons are a big deal here in southern Louisiana.  Known as chayote elsewhere, they're fruit of a vine that is used in fall dishes - such as stuffed mirlitons and mirliton dressing at Thanksgiving.  Usually they use shrimp, which I can't eat, but when a neighbor had heaps to give away of course I grabbed some.  I'll pot a couple to sprout my own vine, and the others I made this and it was good.

- Cook 3/4 c. wild rice to specifications (mine calls for scant 2c water, cook 45 minutes)

- In separate pan, saute 1/4-1/3# spicy Italian sausage.  Once it's starting to brown, drain grease as necessary.  Then add in 

- 2 large mirlitons, peeled and chopped

Cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes.  No need to add any liquid.

Once done, add in the wild rice mix and stir it up well.  Taste and season as needed.  

***

Update: this was actually really good and I didn't mind several days of leftovers.  Even good for breakfast.  Next time I'll cut the sausage a bit more and put a fried egg on it.  Yum. 

lemon yogurt

 I always have yogurt in my fridge, and often I have a half a lemon that I need to use up.  This is a tasty treat.

- 2 cups yogurt

- lemon zest & juice (1/2 - 1 lemon)

- 1 Tbsp. sugar

Stir it up and enjoy!

calamondin marmalade

 I've been letting the calamondins on my tree stay on because they're pretty in a drearier season and in a prominent front yard spot, but today I was inspired to use them instead.  I first encountered this fruit when I lived in Oceania, and they were known by the local name "ging gong."  The juice is outstanding with fish - such as with sashimi, and also as a marinade.  Also outstanding as a beverage and I drank a lot of lemonade with it and with gin and tonics.  I was delighted to find out that they grow well here, so last year I put in a tree and it's already giving me a lot.  

So how about marmalade?  I've got everything on hand.

This recipe is across the internet in numerous places so not sure of an original source.

Ingredients (ratios):

• 4 cups calamondins, deseeded and thinly sliced (keeping all juice, pith, skin, etc.) - could use a food processor
  
• 3 cups water
• 4 cups sugar (or if lesser amount of fruit, make it match, and 3/4 c. water for 1 c. fruit)

Steps:

After processing fruit, put into a pan and add the water.  Bring to a rolling boil and keep it there for 15 minutes.  Remove pot from the heat and let it sit overnight.  

The next day, bring it back to a boil and very slowly add the sugar (can take 10 minutes).  Stir until it completely dissolves.  Bring temperature to 220 degrees.  

Prep (sterilize) jars and lids, and put marmalade into them.  No need to hot water bath.