Persimmon Coffee Cake

Persimmon Coffee Cake

Now’s the season for people like me, who love persimmons. Unlike so many other fruits, you can only get persimmons (where I live anyway) for a limited time, which makes them all the more special.

I eat them plain - to me they taste like a cross between mango and plum. I also chop them up for homemade salsa. And I bake with them too. Check out these recipes:

persimmon muffins

persimmon salsa

persimmon salsa

persimmon bread

Here’s my latest venture: I cut up a large, ripe fuyu persimmon and added it to a coffee cake recipe (I usually use apples or blueberries). I adjusted the flavors, just a bit and voila! Another good dessert:

Persimmon Coffee Cake

Streusel:

• 1/4 pound unsalted butter

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar

• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Melt the butter and set it aside to cool. Place the sugar, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl and mix until well blended. Pour in the butter and blend it in. Let stand for 4-5 minutes, then crumble the mixture using your fingers. Set aside.

Cake:

• 1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 large eggs

• 1 cup milk

• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1-2 fuyu persimmons, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan. Melt the butter and set it aside to cool. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer and mix on low speed until evenly combined. In another bowl, combine the eggs, milk, melted butter and vanilla extract. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ones and mix on low speed for 1-2 minutes, or until smooth and thoroughly blended. Spoon the batter into the prepared cake pan. Top with the persimmon pieces. Cover with the streusel. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove the outer ring from the pan and let the cake cool completely.

Makes one cake, 8-10 servings

Fresh Homemade Vegetable Cream Cheese

Vegetable Cream Cheese

I bought these gorgeous looking radishes at a farmer’s market and what did I use them for first? Vegetable cream cheese! Which we love to spread on a toast or a bagel. Store-bought veggie cream cheese costs anywhere from $12-$16 per pound where I live. But with @phillycreamchs cream cheese on sale here (2 packages; one pound $5.49) plus 3 scallions, 1 carrot, 3 radishes) mine cost about $6.49. And also it’s more delicious because it’s got more veggies in the amounts that suit our palates. I chopped the vegetables in a processor, mixed them with the cheese and that’s that! #creamcheese #vegetablecreamcheese #savingmoney #breakfastspread

Dairy-free Mashed Potatoes

Dairy-free Mashed Potatoes

Some people say that on Thanksgiving, the mashed potatoes are more important than the turkey. Well, I don’t know about that but if mashed potatoes are a thing at your feast, check out this dairy-free version.

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DAIRY FREE MASHED POTATOES

• 5 medium all-purpose potatoes such as Yukon Gold

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped

• 1 large clove garlic, chopped

• 3 tablespoons lemon juice

• 3 tablespoons chicken or vegetable stock

• salt to taste

• pinch or two of cayenne pepper, optional

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel the potatoes, cut them into chunks and cook them in lightly salted water for about 15 minutes, or until they are fork tender. While the potatoes are cooking, heat the olive oil in a sauté pan and add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes, then add the garlic. Cook for another 1-2 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened. Set aside. Drain the potatoes and mash them with a ricer or potato masher until the lumps have disappeared. Add the vegetables and olive oil and continue mashing u til the mixture is fairly smooth. Stir in the lemon juice, stock, salt and the cayenne pepper. Place the mixture in a baking dish. Bake for about 10 minutes or until heated through.

Makes 6 servings

#vegetarian#thanksgiving#vegan#mashed potatoes#side dish#thanksgiving side dishes

Pot Roast is always a winner!

Pot Roast is always a welcome winner!

CHUCK POT ROAST

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 3-4 pound chuck roast

• 4-6 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

• 12-16 baby potatoes

• 2 medium onions, sliced

• 6-8 plum tomatoes, cut up

• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 1 cup red wine

• 1 cup beef broth

• salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme

Preheat the oven to 250F. Heat the olive oil in a large oven-proof casserole on the cooktop on high heat. Sear the meat surface on both sides (about 2-3 minutes per side). Remove the pan from the cooktop. Scatter the carrots, potatoes, onions, tomatoes and garlic over and around the meat. Pour in the wine and broth. Sprinkle the ingredients with salt and pepper. Place the thyme sprigs on top. Cover the casserole. Place in the oven. Cook for about 4 hours or until the meat is tender.

Makes 4-6 servings

Mujadara, the answer to Vegetarian Thanksgiving

Our Thanksgiving feast has the usual turkey, stuffing, cranberry something-or-other and so on. But I also serve at least one vegetarian main course, usually some version of Mujadara, made with either bulgur wheat, kaniwa or brown rice. It’s a simple dish, everyone loves it and I can make it ahead. Over the years I learned it’s best to cook the onions in advance so they get nice and soft and the savory oniony liquid leaches out perfectly to moisten the grains. Here is the recipe - make all the parts ahead, put it together later and reheat to serve:

BROWN RICE MUJADARA

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 5-6 large yellow onions, peeled and sliced

• 1 cup brown rice

• water or stock

• 1 cup lentils

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin, optional

• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

• salt to taste

Heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large sauté pan over low-medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes or until the onions are soft and brown. Spoon the onions into a container and cover the container. Refrigerate when cool if not serving the dish immediately. Place the rice in a saucepan, cover with 2 cups water or stock, bring to a boil, stir and cover the pan. Turn the heat to low and cook for about 30 minutes or until tender. Spoon the rice into a bowl. While the rice is cooking, place the lentils in a saucepan and cover with water or stock. Bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat, cover the pan and cook for about 25 minutes or until tender. Drain and add to the rice. Stir in the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil. Add the cumin, if used and the parsley. Toss the ingredients. Add salt to taste. If serving immediately, stir in the onions with any accumulated juices, mix and serve. If serving at a later time, add the onions and juices, place in an ovenproof casserole and reheat, covered, in a preheated 350F degree oven (about 25 minutes).

Makes 6 servings

Dairy-free Pumpkin Pie

Years ago I gave up trying to cook everything the day before Thanksgiving. I do as much as I can well ahead of time and really, no one knows the mashed potatoes and stuffing have been sitting in my fridge for a couple of days. Or if they did, no one cares. So last weekend I started my holiday cooking. Here's one of the desserts - a dairy-free pumpkin pie. It's going right into the freezer.

DAIRY-FREE PUMPKIN PIE

• 1-3/4 cups mashed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix) (one 15 ounce can)

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar

• 3 large eggs

• 1-1/2 cups coconut milk

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 9-inch unbaked dairy-free pie crust

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Beat the pumpkin, sugar and brown sugar with a whisk or electric beater set at medium for a minute or until well blended. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the coconut milk, add the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt and beat ingredients for a minute or until well blended. Pour into the pie crust. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 40-45 minutes or until set. Remove from the oven and let cool. 

Makes one pie serving 8-10 people

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Turkey Breast Southwest Style

If you think the recent election showed how petty politics can be, believe me, the squabbles over nonsense are nothing new. Take Thanksgiving. In 1939, it was on the last Thursday in November. But retailers wanted to have more days for Christmas shopping so they convinced president FDR to change the date to the 4th Thursday. Republicans refused to comply with a Democratic president's plan! GOP states continued to celebrate on the last Thursday and for years there were two Thanksgivings!

Even after a joint resolution of Congress, some states refused to comply. It wasn't until 1957 that every state celebrated on the 4th Thursday. The last holdout was Texas.

Mmmmm.

I am happy to celebrate this coming Thanksgiving with everyone else on the 28th, the 4th Thursday. So, with a wink and a nod to Texas, here's a recipe for Southwest style turkey breast for those who don't want to roast a whole turkey on Thanksgiving or any other time. (If you do, double the seasonings and juice).

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Turkey Breast, Southwest Style

1 half turkey breast about 3 pounds

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, mashed

2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 cup apricot or orange juice

salt if desired

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Rinse and dry the turkey and place it skin side up in a roasting pan. Combine the olive oil, garlic, oregano, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper and brush the turkey with this mixture. Sprinkle with salt if desired. Place the turkey in the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 350 degrees. Roast for 20 minutes. Pour the juice over the turkey. Roast for another 40-65 minutes, basting occasionally, or until a meat thermometer stuck into the thickest part of the breast reads 160 degrees. Remove the turkey from the oven and let rest for about 15 minutes before carving.

Makes 4 servings.

#turkey breast#southwest style turkey breast#roasted turkey breast#thanksgiving#thanksgiving 2024#thanksgiving turkey

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Fruit and Green Tomato Chutney

It’s that time of year again — there are still some ripe red tomatoes, lots of basil and a couple of eggplants in my garden, but mostly green tomatoes, (mostly still-green cherry tomatoes). They’ll ripen if I keep them on the vine but frankly, I have had so much success in the past using them for chutney, that that’s what I’ve been doing.

This chutney lasts for months in the fridge. I always make a few jars of it. We love it with any kind of meat and also roasted or grilled chicken. Think of this as a good relish that pairs well with your Thanksgiving turkey.

It’s a good gift too, for the chutney lovers in your life.

FRUIT AND GREEN TOMATO CHUTNEY 

• 6 apples or pears, peeled, cored and chopped

• 2 pounds green tomatoes, chopped

• 2 medium onions, peeled and chopped

• 2 small chili peppers such as serrano, deseeded and chopped

• 1 large clove garlic, chopped

• 2-1/2 cups chopped dried fruit (such as figs, dates, apricots, pears, raisins)

• 1/2 cup crystallized ginger

• 3 cups any kind of fruit vinegar

• 1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar

• 2 cups sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

• 2 teaspoon mustard seeds

Place the fresh fruit, tomatoes, onions, chili peppers, garlic, dried fruit, crystallized ginger, cider vinegar, Balsamic vinegar, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, kosher salt and mustard seed in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 2 to 2-1/2 hours or until very thick.  

Makes about 6 cups

Just a Sandwich, Egg and Pesto

Sometimes you just want a sandwich for dinner, right? Maybe you’re tired or it’s too hot to cook or you want a quick meal. Whatever.

My Mom made sandwiches for dinner and so do I. It can be as satisfying as a tradtional dinner but much easier and such a good choice when you don’t feel like fussing.

Here’s one to try:

Avocado, Egg and Tomato Sandwich with Pesto Mayonnaise

• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise

• 4 teaspoons olive oil

• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

• 1 small clove garlic, finely chopped

• 4 slices Tuscan-Italian style bread

• 2 teaspoons butter

• 2 large eggs, beaten

• 1 avocado, sliced

• 1 tomato, sliced

In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, basil and garlic and mix thoroughly. Refrigerate until ready to use (may be made 2 days ahead). Toast the bread slices lightly. While the bread is toasting, heat the butter in a small pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted and looks foamy, pour in the eggs and cook, moving the egg around slightly to allow wet portions to reach the bottom of the pan. When the egg is almost cooked, flip it over, cook briefly and remove from the pan. Spread some of the pesto mayonnaise on 2 slices of the toasted bread. Top each with half the cooked egg. Top with slices of avocado and tomato. Cover with remaining bread slice. Cut sandwiches in half.

Makes 2 servings

Roasted Soy and Honey Glazed Salmon

We eat salmon so often that I have dozens and dozens of recipes — I could write another book!

I usually try a new recipe each time I make salmon but every once in a while I come back to a few favorite recipes that we like eating again and again: Roasted Salmon with Orange-Mustard Butter; Pistachio Crusted Salmon and Roasted Salmon with Lemon, Rosemary and Coriander.

And this one:

ROASTED SALMON WITH HONEY AND SOY

• 4 salmon filets, each about 5-6 ounces

• 3 tablespoons butter or olive (or avocado) oil

• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 1/4 cup honey

• 1/4 cup soy sauce

• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (such as Sriracha), or more to taste

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• chopped scallion for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the salmon in a deep baking dish. Place the butter, garlic, honey, soy sauce, hot sauce and lemon juice in a saucepan and cook over high heat for 4-5 minutes or until thickened to the consistence of heavy cream. Spoon the sauce over the salmon and roast for about 10-12 minutes or until nicely glazed. Sprinkle with chopped scallion.

Makes 4 servings