Monday, July 26, 2021

Verry Cherry Plum Mini Muffins #MuffinMonday

These Verry Cherry Plum Mini Muffins are made with hybrid fruit, part cherry-part plum and they are a delicious mixture of both!

Food Lust People Love: These Verry Cherry Plum Mini Muffins are made with hybrid fruit, part cherry-part plum and they are a delicious mixture of both! If you don't have cherry plums, by all means, substitute another soft fruit.

A couple of weeks ago, I was at my local grocery store and I came across a display of Verry Cherry Plums and was intrigued. The price was $1.99 a pound and, even better, another sign said if you bought more than one pound, you got a discount of $2.   What? 

I stood there for a few minutes contemplating and calculating when another shopper approached the display. I could see her brain working on the math problem as well so I said, “Are we reading this right and if we buy more than one pound, that first pound is essentially free?” We agreed that we were and went off happily in our separate directions with each a bag of Verry Cherry Plums in our carts.

It’s always exciting to have a new ingredient to try and I am pleased to tell you that that cherry plums are lovely. Crunchier than a plum so more like a cherry in texture but definitely with a plummy flavor mixed in with cherry. And most of the bag were super sweet. Almost too sweet, if that’s even possible in fruit. 

According to the website, the season is now and it’s short so if you see them in your local store, snap them up. A little more research reveals that there are other name brands for these little hybrid fruit and also some naturally occurring cherry plums that are not manipulated hybrids. (These aren't genetically modified, by the way.) How I’ve never come across them before, I do not know! Am I the last to discover them or have you tried cherry plums before?

Verry Cherry Plum Mini Muffins

If you don’t have cherry plums, please substitute normal plums or cherries for these muffins. Or really any soft fruit to be honest. 

Ingredients for 24 mini muffins
1 cup or 125g flour
1/4 cup or 50g sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup or 100g chopped Verry Cherry Plums, plus extra for decoration, if desired 
1 egg
1/4 cup or 75g Greek yogurt
1/4 cup or 60ml milk
2 tablespoons canola or other light oil 

To give you an idea of their size, here are a few cherry plums with a normal cherry. 


Method
Preheat oven to 350°F or 180°C and prepare your mini muffin pan by lining them with little paper muffin cups or greasing the inside with butter or oil. I only had 12 little paper liners so I did half and half. 

In large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add in the chopped cherry plums and stir to coat them with the dry ingredients.


In smaller bowl, whisk together the egg, yogurt, milk and oil.


Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredient and fold until just combined. 

Divide the batter between your mini muffin cups. Add some chopped cherry plums to each muffin for decoration, if desired. 

Food Lust People Love: These Verry Cherry Plum Mini Muffins are made with hybrid fruit, part cherry-part plum and they are a delicious mixture of both! If you don't have cherry plums, by all means, substitute another soft fruit.

Bake in the preheated oven about 13-16 minutes or until the muffins are browned and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Leave them to cool for a few minutes then remove them from the pan and cool on a wire rack. 

Food Lust People Love: These Verry Cherry Plum Mini Muffins are made with hybrid fruit, part cherry-part plum and they are a delicious mixture of both! If you don't have cherry plums, by all means, substitute another soft fruit.

Enjoy!

Food Lust People Love: These Verry Cherry Plum Mini Muffins are made with hybrid fruit, part cherry-part plum and they are a delicious mixture of both! If you don't have cherry plums, by all means, substitute another soft fruit.

As almost always with Muffin Monday, we don’t have a theme so our bakers make whatever inspires them each month. We hope some of them will inspire you to bake! 
Muffin Monday 

#MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins. You can see all of our lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday can be found on our home page.

Pin these Very Cherry Plum Mini Muffins!

Food Lust People Love: These Verry Cherry Plum Mini Muffins are made with hybrid fruit, part cherry-part plum and they are a delicious mixture of both! If you don't have cherry plums, by all means, substitute another soft fruit.
 .

Sunday, July 25, 2021

Carlota de Limón – Lime Charlotte

Marie biscuits are layered with a tangy filling of lime juice, sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk to make this easy no-bake Carlota de Limón or Lime Charlotte.

Food Lust People Love: Maria biscuits are layered with a tangy filling of lime juice, sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk to make this easy no-bake Carlota de Limón or Lime Charlotte.

When it’s hotter than all get-out outside, what we all need is a dessert that can be made without turning the stove or oven on, don’t you agree? That’s why I chose no-bake desserts as this week’s Sunday FunDay theme. Personally, I think some of us should get extra points for a dessert that's served super cold as well.

Make sure you scroll down past my recipe to see the other lovely no-bake desserts my blogger friends are sharing, perfect for these hot summer days. 

Carlota de Limón – Lime Charlotte

Carlota de Limón is a classic Mexican dessert that is served very cold (as if it were an ice cream cake). As you make your shopping list, keep in mind that Marie biscuits are also called Maria biscuits or cookies in some places. In a pinch, you could also substitute plain graham crackers. 

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups or 360ml evaporated milk
1 can (14 oz or 397g) condensed milk
1⁄2 cup or 120ml dulce de leche (or sub more condensed milk) 
1⁄2 cup or 120ml fresh lime juice
Zest 1 lime
Maria biscuits – about 30

Optional to decorate/serve:
Whipped cream
Strawberries, halved 
1 lime, sliced thinly

Method
Use electric beaters or a whisk to combine the condensed milk, dulce de leche and evaporated milk. Add in the lime juice and zest and beat until thickened.


Line a deep round pan with foil and cover the bottom with a layer of Maria biscuits, scoring and breaking some to fill the gaps. I had a bunch of crumbs in my biscuit packet so I sprinkled them on the base as well. 


Spoon in one third of the filling, spreading it carefully to cover the biscuit base.


Top with another layer of Maria biscuits, again, scoring and breaking a couple to fill the gaps.


Top with second third of the filling, a final layer of biscuits, then the last third of the filling.


Pop the carlota de limón in the freezer for an hour or two or until firm.

When you are ready to serve, remove the carlota de limón from the freezer. Lift it out of the pan with the foil and carefully move the carlota to a serving plate. Decorate with whipped cream, halved strawberries and sliced limes, if desired.

Food Lust People Love: Maria biscuits are layered with a tangy filling of lime juice, sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk to make this easy no-bake Carlota de Limón or Lime Charlotte.

Enjoy! 

Food Lust People Love: Maria biscuits are layered with a tangy filling of lime juice, sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk to make this easy no-bake Carlota de Limón or Lime Charlotte.

Check out the no-bake desserts my Sunday FunDay blogger friends are sharing today! Which one will you make first? 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

Pin this Carlota de Limón – Lime Charlotte!

Food Lust People Love: Maria biscuits are layered with a tangy filling of lime juice, sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk to make this easy no-bake Carlota de Limón or Lime Charlotte.
 .

Monday, July 19, 2021

Easy Pork Vindaloo - Instant Pot

This easy pork vindaloo is a super tasty dish and quick to the table because it’s made in an Instant Pot. Vindaloo is classically a very spicy curry but you can tone that down by scaling back on the red chili peppers. 

Food Lust People Love: This easy pork vindaloo is a super tasty dish and quick to the table because it’s made in an Instant Pot. Vindaloo is classically a very spicy curry but you can tone that down by scaling back on the red chili peppers.

I remember watching a Jamie Oliver show years ago and he was cooking beef stew. He didn’t bother browning the meat saying that he had tried making the stew both ways, browning and not browning, and didn’t see a difference in the flavor of the resulting dish. In fact, for his wife Jool’s Favorite Beef Stew, the beef is chucked into the pot along with the vegetables. (That might have been the dish he was making, I don't recall.)

This story is my way of assuring you that this pork vindaloo is going to turn out just fine, more than fine actually, delicious, even though the pork isn’t browned. In case you were worried. 

Easy Pork Vindaloo - Instant Pot

If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can use a Dutch oven to cook this recipe on your stovetop, slow simmering the pork in the spices until tender. Just keep the lid closed tightly and add more water if necessary. 

Ingredients
1 teaspoon monosodium glutamate
2 1/2 lbs or 1134g pork shoulder, cut into 1.5 in or 4cm cubes
4 tablespoons canola or other light oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
3-4 red chili peppers
4 cloves garlic
1 knob fresh ginger, peeled
2 onions
1/4 cup or 60ml white vinegar
1/2 cup or 120ml water

For the spice mix:
4 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne

For garnish: 
cilantro

To serve: cooked rice and/or flatbread


Method
Sprinkle the MSG on the cubed pork. Set aside while you prepare the other items. 


Use a small food processor (or a sharp knife) to mince the garlic, chili peppers and ginger. Cut the onions into quarters and again use the food processor to mince them. 


Press the sauté button on your Instant Pot. Add oil and allow it a minute to heat up. Add the cumin and mustard seeds. 


Once the cumin seeds brown and the mustard seeds begin to pop, add the onions. Sauté for 8-10 minutes or until the onions begin to brown slightly.


Add the pork, garlic, ginger and peppers. Stir well until the pork is coated with the onions, garlic, ginger and chili peppers. 


Add the spice mix, give everything a good stir then add the vinegar and water.


Secure the lid and make sure the pressure valve is closed. Cook for 25 minutes on “normal.” 

Naturally release pressure for 10 minutes, then manual release. 

Remove the lid and press the sauté button. 

Food Lust People Love: This easy pork vindaloo is a super tasty dish and quick to the table because it’s made in an Instant Pot. Vindaloo is classically a very spicy curry but you can tone that down by scaling back on the red chili peppers.

Cook for 5 minutes to boil off some of the liquid and reduce the gravy to a stew like consistency. Taste for salt and add a little more, if needed.  

Garnish with cilantro and serve with cooked rice and/or your favorite flat bread. 

Food Lust People Love: This easy pork vindaloo is a super tasty dish and quick to the table because it’s made in an Instant Pot. Vindaloo is classically a very spicy curry but you can tone that down by scaling back on the red chili peppers.

Enjoy!

It’s MultiCooker Monday and my blogger friends are sharing all sorts of lovely dishes cooked in small appliances. Check out the links below. Many thanks to our organizer and host, Sue of Palatable Pastime


Multicooker Monday is a blogger group created by Sue of Palatable Pastime for all of us who need encouragement to make better use of our small appliances like slow cookers, Instant Pots, Air Fryers, rice cookers and sous vide machines. We get together every third Monday of the month to share our recipes. If you are a food blogger who would like to post with us, please request to join our Facebook group. 


Pin this Easy Pork Vindaloo!

Food Lust People Love: This easy pork vindaloo is a super tasty dish and quick to the table because it’s made in an Instant Pot. Vindaloo is classically a very spicy curry but you can tone that down by scaling back on the red chili peppers.

 .

Friday, July 16, 2021

Southern-style Tuna Salad

My Southern-style tuna salad is an old family recipe, the one I grew up with. It’s like egg salad but, of course, with added tuna, like we make it in the Southern United States. 

Food Lust People Love: My Southern-style tuna salad is an old family recipe, the one I grew up with. It’s like egg salad but, of course, with added tuna, like we make it in the Southern United States.

Another short tale. Many years ago, I was on the board of the American Association of Malaysia. Once a month, we would meet to deal with association business and we would bring dishes to share for a working lunch. 

One month I made tuna salad sandwiches. They were fancy sandwiches, crusts cut off, this recipe inside. We were discussing some item on the agenda when the chairperson stopped short and looked right at me. “Your egg salad has tuna in it!” she exclaimed. My retort was “No, my tuna salad has eggs in it! Doesn't yours?” 

A lively discussion by the whole board (a mixed group of Americans from all over) followed whereby I learned that there seems to be a north-south divide. In the northern US states tuna salad does not have eggs, southern-style tuna salad does. Who knew? 

Growing up, this is the way I remember my grandmothers and my mother making the “dressing” for not only tuna salad but also potato salad (at least on the days when no one had the wherewithal to whip up homemade mayonnaise.) Homemade mayo was always preferred but, you know, who has time for that? (Another parenthetical aside: My elder daughter would disagree. She always has time for that and she is a pro at homemade mayo! But she is not with me right now and I cannot be bothered.) 

Southern-style Tuna Salad 

You can chop up the egg yolks along with the whites and just add them to the tuna salad but you’ll miss the opportunity to enrich the mayonnaise and mustard dressing and make it seem more like homemade. Trust me, it makes a difference in flavor somehow. 

Ingredients
4 hard-boiled eggs
2 cans (5 oz or 142g) wild-caught chunk white albacore tuna in water
1/2 cup or 120ml mayonnaise
2-3 tablespoons yellow mustard
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 medium onion

To garnish: chopped green onions and a good sprinkle of cayenne

Method
Drain the canned tuna in a sieve and use the can lid to press out as much liquid as you can. If you don't the tuna salad will be a bit "wet."


Cut the boiled eggs in half with a sharp knife and put the yolks in a mixing bowl. Mash them with a fork. 


Add in the mayonnaise, mustard and seasonings then grate in the onion. I use a microplane so the onion is very fine (and juicy) because I like the flavor but personally don’t like to find crunchy bits of onion in my tuna salad. You are welcome to mince the onion with a sharp knife if onion bits don’t bother you. Mix well. 


Chop the egg whites and add them to the mixing bowl, along with the tuna. Mix well to combine. 


Food Lust People Love: My Southern-style tuna salad is an old family recipe, the one I grew up with. It’s like egg salad but, of course, with added tuna, like we make it in the Southern United States.

Garnish with some chopped green onions and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper, if desired. 

Food Lust People Love: My Southern-style tuna salad is an old family recipe, the one I grew up with. It’s like egg salad but, of course, with added tuna, like we make it in the Southern United States.

Chill until ready to serve. This tuna salad is great on bread rolls, sliced bread or crackers. It is perfect for a picnic. Just bring it chilled in the cooler, provide the appropriate starchy things and let everyone help themselves! 

Food Lust People Love: My Southern-style tuna salad is an old family recipe, the one I grew up with. It’s like egg salad but, of course, with added tuna, like we make it in the Southern United States.

Enjoy! 

This month my Fish Friday Foodie friends are going on a picnic. Check out all the picnic friendly recipes below! Many thanks to our host and organizer, Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm


Are you a food blogger who would you like to join Fish Friday Foodies? We post and share new seafood/fish recipes on the third Friday of the month. To join our group please email Wendy at wendyklik1517 (at) gmail.com. Visit our Facebook page and Pinterest page for more wonderful fish and seafood recipe ideas. 


Pin this Southern-style Tuna Salad! 

Food Lust People Love: My Southern-style tuna salad is an old family recipe, the one I grew up with. It’s like egg salad but, of course, with added tuna, like we make it in the Southern United States.
 .

Thursday, July 15, 2021

Piña Colada Bundt Cake #BundtBakers

A delicious treat of the tropical cocktail in cake form, this Piña Colada Bundt Cake is made with pineapple, coconut cream and, of course, rum. It is brushed after baking with a coconut pineapple rum syrup/glaze.

Food Lust People Love: A delicious treat of the tropical cocktail in cake form, this Piña Colada Bundt Cake is made with pineapple, coconut cream and, of course, rum. It is brushed after baking with a coconut pineapple rum syrup/glaze.

Once upon a time, a boy and a girl got married. He wanted to surprise her with the honeymoon so he only said, pack for a beach holiday. So she did. But the funny thing is (and it wasn’t so funny back then) the suitcases went to the Bahamas and the couple went to Barbados. Which was a big surprise for everyone. 

They consoled themselves by ordering cocktails by the pool where they could sit around in the hotel bathrobes and gift shop I 💙  Barbados t-shirts. Many, many, MANY consoling piña coladas were consumed before the suitcases turned up four days later. And they lived happily ever after. 

I’d say “The End” but there’s cake to come!  A tender, pineapple-y, coconutty cake with rum. Read on. 

Piña Colada Bundt Cake

For your canned pineapple, buy the kind in juice, not syrup, so you’ll have the necessary juice for the coconut pineapple rum syrup/glaze. This recipe is adapted from one on Real House Moms. It makes one 6-cup Bundt cake. 

Ingredients
For the cake batter: 
1 1/2 cups or 190g flour, plus extra for preparing the Bundt pan
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup or 100g sugar
1/3 cup or 75g softened butter, plus extra for preparing the Bundt pan
1 egg
1/2 cup or 120ml coconut cream
1 1/2 teaspoons aged rum 
1/2 cup or 90g chopped, canned pineapple, drained juice reserved

For the coconut pineapple rum syrup/glaze:
3/4 cup or 150g sugar
1/4 cup or 60ml pineapple juice
1/4 cup or 60ml dark rum
3 tablespoons coconut cream 

Optional for decorating:
a few good pinches sweetened flake coconut
diced canned pineapple

Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C. Generously butter then flour a 6-cup Bundt pan. 

In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy; add the egg and beat until well mixed.


Add the rum and coconut cream and mix until incorporated.


Tip the pineapple bits in the flour bowl and stir them around till they are coated with flour.  Now add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl and beat until the batter is light and glossy. 


Spoon the batter into the Bundt pan and even out the top with a spatula. 


Bake for 30-35 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

Meanwhile, make the coconut pineapple rum syrup. Cook the sugar, pineapple juice and rum together in a small pot over a medium heat until the sugar is dissolved and it has reduced by about one half. 


Take the pot off the heat and leave the mixture to cool. It will thicken up more as it cools. 

Whisk in the coconut cream.

Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes then remove cake from pan and cool completely.


Brush with the cake with the syrup/glaze. I spooned the syrup/glaze over the cake to start with but a lot just dripped off despite how thick it was so brushing it on seemed to work better. Keep brushing it on as the syrup/glaze soaks in. You may not use all of the syrup/glaze.

Decorate with a little sweetened flake coconut and bits of the canned pineapple, if desired. 

Food Lust People Love: A delicious treat of the tropical cocktail in cake form, this Piña Colada Bundt Cake is made with pineapple, coconut cream and, of course, rum. It is brushed after baking with a coconut pineapple rum syrup/glaze.

Enjoy! 

Food Lust People Love: A delicious treat of the tropical cocktail in cake form, this Piña Colada Bundt Cake is made with pineapple, coconut cream and, of course, rum. It is brushed after baking with a coconut pineapple rum syrup/glaze.

This month my Bundt Bakers are all sharing boozy Bundt recipes. Check out the links below. Many thanks to our host, Sneha of Sneha's Recipe

BundtBakers

#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all of our lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.
Updated links for all of our past events and more information about BundtBakers, can be found on our home page.


Pin this Piña Colada Bundt Cake! 

Food Lust People Love: A delicious treat of the tropical cocktail in cake form, this Piña Colada Bundt Cake is made with pineapple, coconut cream and, of course, rum. It is brushed after baking with a coconut pineapple rum syrup/glaze.
 .

Tuesday, July 13, 2021

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Twists #BreadBakers

These Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Twists are made with an enriched brioche dough filled with peanut butter and chocolate chips and baked till golden. Enjoy them with a cold glass of milk or a cup of tea.

Food Lust People Love: These Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Twists are made with an enriched brioche dough filled with peanut butter and chocolate chips and baked till golden. Enjoy them with a cold glass of milk or a cup of tea.

I’ve always been a fan of peanut butter cups but find they are a little too sweet for me these days. Recently I was introduced to the Trader Joe’s dark chocolate peanut butter cups and, boy, howdy, are those guys good! 

They were my inspiration for this month’s Bread Bakers’ theme which is “favorite breads.” Who wouldn’t love a soft brioche twist filled with the perennial favorite combination of peanut butter and chocolate?

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Twists

This recipe is adapted from James Morton’s first fabulous baking book, Brilliant Bread. I also have one of his other books, Super Sourdough and can highly recommend both. If you have a stand mixer, I recommend you use it for this recipe. The dough is really sticky to knead by hand. 

Ingredients
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon dry active yeast
1/3 cup or 78ml milk, slightly warmed
2 cups or 250g strong white bread flour -18g
1/4 cup or 57g sourdough starter (fed or discard)
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 egg yolk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/3 cup or 75g unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup or 194g creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup or 85g semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method
In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the sugar and yeast with the warm milk and two tablespoons of the flour. Leave it for about five minutes. If the yeast has started foaming up, proceed with the next step. If not, your yeast is old and should be replaced. 

Add the flour, the sourdough starter, egg, yolk, milk and salt and combine to form a soft dough. 


Knead your dough for about 5–10 minutes, or until it is really starting to come together.  Add the soft butter and continue to knead until it passes the windowpane test, at least another 5 minutes. 


Cover and leave in a warm place to prove for one hour, or until doubled in size. Alternatively, leave to rest in the fridge for 10–14 hours.


Turn your proved dough out onto a lightly floured surface and sprinkle some more flour on top. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a big square about 15 in or 38cm wide. 


Spread the peanut butter over one half. If your peanut butter is too stiff to spread easily, warm it slightly with a couple of quick zaps in a microwave. 


Sprinkle the chocolate chips onto the peanut butter. 


Fold your dough over to seal the peanut butter and chocolate chips. 


Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into strips. I got 10 strips out of mine but you can cut thicker or thinner strips, according to your preference.


Twist each strip and place them on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper or a silicone liner. I couldn’t squeeze all 10 in one pan, try as I might. If yours are also too much for your biggest pan, put the remainers in a smaller pan. Don't crowd them because they need room to rise. 


Cover lightly with cling film and leave to rise for about an hour. At least half an hour before you’re going to bake, preheat your oven to 450°F or 232°C.

When you are ready to bake, turn your oven down to 410°F or 210°C and bake the twists for 10–15 minutes, until they are a light golden brown. We want them to stay soft and pillowy. 

I meant to turn my pans around halfway through because I know my oven doesn't brown evenly but we were watching the UEFA 2020 final and I completely forgot. If your oven has the same issues, you might want to turn your pan around at about the 7 minute mark. Also the extra ones were on a different oven shelf and got a bit darker. Still soft and delicious though! 

Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the baking pan for a few minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack and store in an airtight container. 

Food Lust People Love: These Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Twists are made with an enriched brioche dough filled with peanut butter and chocolate chips and baked till golden. Enjoy them with a cold glass of milk or a cup of tea.

Enjoy! 

Food Lust People Love: These Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Twists are made with an enriched brioche dough filled with peanut butter and chocolate chips and baked till golden. Enjoy them with a cold glass of milk or a cup of tea.

As I mentioned above, our Bread Bakers' theme this month is Favorite Breads. Many thanks to our host Kelly of A Messy Kitchen. Check out the great recipe links below. 

BreadBakers
    #BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page.

    We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

Pin these Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Twists!

Food Lust People Love: These Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Twists are made with an enriched brioche dough filled with peanut butter and chocolate chips and baked till golden. Enjoy them with a cold glass of milk or a cup of tea.
.

Monday, July 12, 2021

Toasted Eggplant Crust Mini Pizzas

These Toasted Eggplant Crust Mini Pizzas are as delicious as they are adorable with quick tomato sauce and toppings baked on toasted eggplant slices.

Food Lust People Love: These Toasted Eggplant Crust Mini Pizzas are as delicious as they are adorable with quick tomato sauce and toppings baked on toasted eggplant slices.

We went through a phase a while back of attempting to eat keto, that is to say, without carbs or very low carb. It did not go well. I didn’t lose any weight, for one, and I can’t imagine the increased fat in the cheese, meat and bacon I consumed did my cholesterol any good. Nevertheless, I did create a couple of recipes we loved so I’ll call that part of the experiment a win. 

The first used leftover pork roast slices and eggplant to make stuffed cheesy rolls covered in a rich tomato sauce then baked. Seriously, so good! Most canned tomatoes are not considered keto because of the added sugar so the secret appears to be making your sauce from scratch with fresh tomatoes. 

The second recipe was for rice-free cabbage rolls made with both beef and smoked sausage. I don't know that I'll ever make traditional cabbage rolls again because the smoked sausage adds so much flavor and who needs the rice really?

These toasted eggplant mini pizzas were the third keeper. They kind of remind us of our favorite eggplant Parmigiana but with a lot less trouble. Also: pepperoni - always a welcome addition in my book. 

Toasted Eggplant Crust Mini Pizzas

These would be a great appetizer for any crowd, with the added bonus of being naturally gluten free and keto-friendly.

Ingredients
1 large eggplant (about 19 oz or 535g, but a little bigger or smaller won't matter too much.)
fine sea salt

For the fresh tomato sauce:
2 ripe medium sized tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt 

Suggested toppings:
Mozzarella or your favorite pizza cheese, shredded
Pepperoni (get the mini ones if you can, so cute!)
Black olives, pitted and sliced
Sliced jalapeños
Anchovies
Crushed red pepper 

To garnish after baking: fresh basil

Method
Trim the stem of your eggplant and cut it into 1/2 in or 1 cm slices (I got 16.) If you look closely, you'll see the little pokes of the knife I made at the appropriate intervals using a measuring tape because I'm anal like that. Eyeball it if you want to. 


Sprinkle the eggplant slices lightly with salt and stack them in a colander and set aside in your sink or on a plate to catch any liquid that drips out so it doesn't make a big mess.


Peel your tomatoes. I find the easiest way to peel tomatoes is to cut a cross in the skin with a sharp knife and then use a fork to dip the tomato into just boiled water for about 10-15 seconds. The skin will then slip off easily. 


Core and finely chop the peeled tomatoes.


Combine them in a pan with the minced garlic, oregano, baking soda and salt. 


Cook over medium heat for about 17-20 minutes, or until the tomatoes and garlic are softened and most of the liquid has evaporated. Set aside to cool. 


By this time, your eggplant should have released some juice. Dry the slices off with a tea cloth or paper towels. 

Toast them on a non-stick griddle pan over a medium high heat until they are browned on both sides. This takes just 4-5 minutes a side. Unless you’ve got a really large pan, this is going to have to be done in batches. 

Keep a careful eye on the eggplant slices so they don’t burn, especially if you’ve cut some of them a bit unevenly and some edges are thinner than others. I use a spatula to press them down occasionally, to make sure the eggplant and the pan are making a good connection and shift them around the griddle so they brown evenly. 

When one batch is golden on both sides, remove it to a dry tea cloth or layer of paper towels on a clean work surface. The slices should be laid on in a single layer. If you stack the eggplant slices, they’ll continue cooking and steaming. We want them to cool off once they are toasted. 


At this point, if you are ready to bake the mini pizzas, preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C.

Place your toasted eggplant circles on a baking pan lined with baking parchment or a silicone liner and top them with a small spoon of the tomato sauce, cheese and your favorite other toppings. I made one pan of 12 and the other of four.

Food Lust People Love: These Toasted Eggplant Crust Mini Pizzas are as delicious as they are adorable with quick tomato sauce and toppings baked on toasted eggplant slices.

Bake in the preheated oven until the cheese is melted and bubbling, just 6 -7 minutes. 

Food Lust People Love: These Toasted Eggplant Crust Mini Pizzas are as delicious as they are adorable with quick tomato sauce and toppings baked on toasted eggplant slices.

Garnish with fresh basil leaves and serve with extra crushed red pepper, if desired. Enjoy!

Food Lust People Love: These Toasted Eggplant Crust Mini Pizzas are as delicious as they are adorable with quick tomato sauce and toppings baked on toasted eggplant slices.

It’s high summer now in the northern hemisphere so tomatoes and basil are flourishing in gardens everywhere. To celebrate the season, my Baking Blogger group has chosen to showcase tomatoes and basil for today’s theme. Check out all the recipes below. Many thanks to our organizer and host, Sue of Palatable Pastime

Baking Bloggers is a friendly group of food bloggers who vote on a shared theme and then post recipes to fit that theme one the second Monday of each month. If you are a food blogger interested in joining in, inquire at our Baking Bloggers Facebook group. We'd be honored if you would join us in our baking adventures.

Pin these Toasted Eggplant Crust Mini Pizzas!

Food Lust People Love: These Toasted Eggplant Crust Mini Pizzas are as delicious as they are adorable with quick tomato sauce and toppings baked on toasted eggplant slices.
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