pineapple peanut bread

Pineapple Peanut Bread

  This is my first bread post, PINEAPPLE PEANUT BREAD, long story as to how I got here with this bread. I have been making fruit bread for many years, Banana nut, strawberry, blueberry, mango, date, apple, cranberry and yes pineapple, but not pineapple peanut and not made like this. I was at my local farmer's market a few days ago and bought a case of strawberries, a pineapple (had to have it. It was nice and ripe), and a five pound bag of shelled spanish peanuts. I buy these peanuts often, I roast them, candy cote them, use them with vegetables, salads, great snack, high protein, I like toasted peanuts. I also make fruit bread often, I bought the strawberries to make bread, I developed a way to keep the strawberries from looking so bad, spoiling so fast and tasting so much better in my strawberry bread. Long story longer, I have always wanted to use peanuts with fruit bread instead of pecans, walnuts and almonds. I was getting ready to make the Strawberry Walnut bread and noticed the pineapple was really ripe and I needed to do something with it first. Flash, I have fresh pineapple and plenty of peanuts, Pineapple Peanut bread anyone. I did it and used the same process for the pineapple as I use with the strawberries, toasted the peanuts and wolla "Pineapple Peanut Bread". It taste a lot like pineapple upside down cake with a peanut crunch. My oldest sister came by to pick up some red beans and sampled the "Pineapple Peanut Bread", she is a big fan of my fruit breads, the best yet she said. Needless to say I'm a loaf short, I gave her the short loaf.
  You must keep in mind I am retired and have a lot of time on my hands and love experimental and fusion cooking. I used everything fresh, pineapple and peanuts being the time killer. Of course you can use canned pineapple chunks (no sugar added, drain liquid) and roasted unsalted peanuts. I always use butter but you can use oil or shortening, I like the taste of  real butter.
Take eggs and butter from refrigerator  before you start. Much better at room temperature. If you're using frozen pineapples, get out now.
*NOTE: Peanut skins have an abundant amount of natural antioxidants and a high content of dietary fiber, says new study. Even different types of roasted peanut skins, such as light-roasted or dark-roasted, contain these high amounts. Adding peanut skins to foods, such as peanut butter, can increase its nutritious content. However, they will tint the cake (dough) around the red skin, so if appearance is important to you, use skinned peanuts. Also, roasting the peanuts a little longer will insure longer crunch. It's a peanut thing! 

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300 degree oven

Ingredients

3 cups pineapple chunks, fresh, canned or frozen (See Directions for Fresh Pineapple below)
2 pinches of cardamom (optional)
1/2 tsp lemon extract
1/4 cup of sugar

Batter

3 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) melted or (oil- shortening)
1 3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1 cup roasted peanuts

Get your eggs and butter out of the refrigerator before you start, better at room temperature. If using raw peanuts, roast now.

DIRECTIONS

OK, let's get the pineapple cooking. This has been a major development for me (cookin fruit before adding to Bread), I know, what took me so long, just making pie, right. If you're using fresh, cut into chunks, if you're using canned, drain the cans, frozen, you should have them thawed or thawing. Put pineapples into saucepan with sugar, cardamom and lemon extract, put on eye, medium high until you get a good simmer and the sugar breaks down a little-stirring often. Reduce heat,cook until the liquid thickens, 20 minutes or so, continue stirring often. set aside. If you're using fresh peanuts, roast at this time, if you haven't already.

While the pineapple is cooking, put flour, salt and soda in large mixing bowl and combine. 
  
In smaller bowl  wisp sugar and butter, as I have stated in cookie post, you can blend, fluff with emersion mix or regular mixer or with a fork (the old fashioned way). Both have benefits, your choice, add eggs one at a time and mix well. Pour liquid from pineapple in with sugar- butter- egg mixture-mix well. Add pineapple chunks to flour mixture, YES, flour mixture- mix well. This will coat the pineapple and keep them from adding more liquid to batter, keep bread from sticking to pan. Add peanuts- mix well Slowly add liquid mixture  to flour mixture, mix until a good consistency. Evenly divide between two 5x9 heavily greased pans.

Anytime you're using juicy fruit, heavily grease pans, the fruit will liquify while cooking and cause flour to stick to bottom, adding the pineapple to flour coats (seals) the fruit and the moisture is absorbed in flour coating and cooks around it. Science?  Not only have we helped to prevent this problem by cooking the pineapples, we enhanced appearance, taste and add shelf life. I use this process with strawberries as well. On the other hand , I do not cook apples but I do add the fresh apples to the flour mixture before adding the liquid mixture, of course you could cook them. Experiment, it's all good, personal preference.

Bake in 300 degree oven until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean, 60 to 90 minutes, depending on oven, convection, etc. cool in pans for 10 15 minutes and turn on wire racks and allow to cool completely, I wrap mine in plastic wrap, it helps the marinade. OK, cut a small piece and taste, then cut a large piece and enjoy! As with all fruit bread it is much better the next day and the next if it last that long.

Put pineapple chunks and 1/4 sugar in saucepan-cook

ingredients, follow directions 

Roasted Spanish peanuts, shin on

Roasted Spanish peanuts, somewhat de-skinned

Pineapple cooked and cooling

Batter mixed and ready to put in pans

Cooked "Pineapple Peanut Bread, add a little taste test, sorry

Greek Slaw Dressing

Preparing Slaw Dressing For Restaurant

In most of my restaurants we referred to this sauce using restaurant name and Dressing, as in "Doodles Slaw Dressing" or "Doodles Dressing". We thinly sliced cabbage and topped with this dressing pero (but) it was used for so much more, chicken fingers, dressing for hamburgers and chicken sandwiches, on red beans and rice, salad dressing, dip french fries, etc, etc...... Originally, with much dispute this was a greek (maybe Birmingham Greeks, maybe John's restaurant) concoction, who knows? I know it's good, no, better than that, it's great. A former Greek restaurant here in Birmingham, John's, served their version of this on thinly sliced cabbage, hence "Slaw Dressing". They are no longer in business, however I think the John's slaw dressing can be found bottled under same name in local grocery stores, maybe state, regional, national. So, if you are lazy, go shopping. I would suggest making it at home, it's better and has no added chemicals and preservatives. Without further ado, I present Slaw Dressing...... or what ever name you wish to call it.

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INGREDIENTS

1 qt Mayonnaise

1 cup ketchup

1 1/4 cup sugar

1 cup white distilled vinegar or the vinegar of your choice (you know better, right?)

1 TBL salt

2 tsp paprika (I like smoked paprika, some like sweet, make it your own)

DIRECTIONS

Keep in mind the picture above is for a large batch of the heavenly concoction, yours will be much less.

Put all the ingredients in a med-lg mixing bowl. Use immersion mixer or regular mixer to thoroughly blend. Store in airtight container, refrigerated. I use a squeeze bottle for the table. I know you will, ENJOY!

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MUMBO (MAMBO) SAUCE

Mambo Sauce

Mumbo or Mambo sauce is a condiment found in takeout restaurants in Washington, D.C. and surrounding metro area. The red orange sauce is similar to BBQ sauce or plum sauce but sweet and tangy and is put on chicken wings, french fries, shrimp, BBQ and fried rice. It's origin and ingredients are subject to great dispute. Someone gave me this recipe several years ago, it's pretty much the same across the net, some use ketchup instead of tomato paste (Do not use ketchup!) I love this stuff, it's great on so many things I can't list them. I even like it on pizza. Once you try this you will keep a bottle in the fridge at all times. I put my Mambo Sauce in a squeeze bottle.

Printable Recipe

INGREDIENTS

1 cup sugar
1 cup vinegar (white, distilled)
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup tomato paste
4 TBLS soy sauce
1 TBL ground ginger
1 tsp hot sauce
1 tsp Sriracha sauce

DIRECTIONS 

Heat saucepan over medium-low heat, add all ingredients, mix well. Gently simmer, stirring occasionally (do not boil) until sauce is thickened and flavors have concentrated and the consistency of ketchup. (thirty to 45  minutes)  

Sliced Orient Express Breast, topped with Aji Amarillo Sauce, Brown Rice-Red Quinoa topped with Mambo Sauce, Black  Eyed Peas, Mint and Green Onions. Can you say  Tasty Fusion! The Sauce is Boss!!

Chocolate Chunk Pecan Cookies

These chocolate chunk (chip) cookies are chocked full of Peruvian dark chocolate chunks and lightly toasted pecans. I made these cookies for several of my restaurants, I made them bigger and put a few pieces of chocolate on top for visual. I made these for me, a little more chocolate and lots of pecans, optics not important. If you have ever made chocolate chunk cookies, one look at the ingredients will send chills up your spine. This is by far and away the best I've found. Do not overcook, keep them soft.

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INGREDIENTS

1 cup butter (2 sticks) Leave butter out to reach room temperature and I still nuke a little. Not to hot.

2 cups sugar (you can use 1 cup brown and one cup white)

2 eggs Not a bad idea to take out of fridge the night before.
4 oz cream cheese (room temperature)

1 tsp vanilla

4 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cardamom (optional) If you do not have in your cupboard, buy some on next visit to market. 

6 oz 56% chocolate cracked into chunks (or semi sweet chocolate chips)
1 cup chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS

I must say, if you like chocolate and pecans, add more to your cookies! I always lightly toast my pecans, seems to bring out more flavor and give a better crunch. I know you're asking why this recipe has cornstarch for cookies, right? It is said that cornstarch used in combination with flour can "soften" the harsh proteins of flour, making a more tender baked good. In my experience this is true, I like soft cookies, cornstarch delivers, I promise. This is that science that enters the art of cooking. Room temperature eggs make all the difference in baked goods, always take eggs out of fridge well in advance of cooking. I know if you have looked at recipes or baked cookies, they all tell you to cream butter, sugar and cream cheese until fluffy. That's fine, however mixing with a fork (the old fashion way) makes for a really good cookie as well. The sugar that's not completely dissolved melts with the heat of the oven and makes for a nice, almost caramel texture. I discovered this in Peru when all I had was a fork and a very small one at that. 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar; add eggs one at a time and vanilla. mix well; combine flour, salt, cornstarch and cardamom, add to creamed mixture. Blend in chocolate and pecans. Scoop or roll into english walnut size balls, press down about half way. I used a two tablespoon scoop for the cookies you see in the picture. Of course you can make them bigger, cook time goes up with bigger cookies. Depending on oven, bake 12 to......minutes, just turning brown around the edges. Let cool completely and put in airtight container, gallon zip lock will do. Hot out of the oven cookies are great as all baked goods, we all have to taste as soon as possible. Now, cookies, baked goods always have a better flavor the next day, like a fine wine. Brace yourself! this may be the best chocolate chunk (chip) cookie you have ever put in you mouth.

Peruvian Aji Sauce

Aji Sauce

Sauces can make or break a sandwich or good dish, Aji sauce delivers. In Miraflores, Peru all restaurants, sandwich shops and local dives accompany your meal with cups of mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard and aji sauce-yellow and aji sauce-red on request. Peruvians don't eat much hot and spicy foods but aji sauce is always available for those who want a little spicy heat. The yellow has a wonderful spicy mild-hot bite, the red is in your face hot. What you see above is the paste, it is mixed with mayonnaise and a little lime juice for the sauce. This Aji sauce is habit forming, it's good on all meat, hamburgers, sandwiches, vegetables and a great dip. It's great for seasoning most everything. You can purchase the Aji Paste at larger grocery stores, specialty food stores or order online. I prefer the yellow for the taste and add the red to kick the heat up a notch. Tradiciones Andinas brand also make the red paste which I prefer over Rocoto. This is a must have for all who like a little spice in their life. Before I attempt a recipe let me explain the process, the more aji paste you add to mayonnaise the hotter it is. Unfortunately, I can't find Peruvian limes here, they are magical. They call them limons, they are green, a little smaller than a golf ball, the peel is thin and the limes are juicy with a mild taste that leaves you mystified, they have a special hand squeezer especially for these limons. Someone should import this magical fruit, a little squeeze in any pastry or cake batter explodes the flavor. If anyone knows of these Peruvian limons in the USA, please contact me immediately. Now that you know how much I enjoy Aji paste and Peruvian limons let me give you a jumping off point to make this unbelievable sauce.

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                                                PERUVIAN AJI SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon aji paste (yellow or red) or to taste
2 teaspoons lime juice or to taste
3 tablespoons mayonnaise or to taste

DIRECTIONS

Mix well, adjust to your taste. Then make a pint, it's habit forming.

Mix well, Taste, Add, Mix well, Taste......

This is what I store my Aji Sauce in

Sliced Orient Express Breast, topped with Aji Amarillo Sauce, Brown Rice-Red Quinoa topped with Mambo Sauce, Black  Eyed Peas, Mint and Green Onions. Can you say  Tasty Fusion! The Sauce is Boss!!

pappy's Granola

I must admit I've been working on this Granola recipe for years, more years than I care to divulge and I still vary from time to time, ok, every time. Depends on what I have in the pantry. Try to make it close to the recipe the first time then experiment and make it your own. This is good stuff, my children and now grand kids (and everyone who taste it) absolutely love this granola concoction..
  O K, I did it again, changed the basic recipe, a little but the below recipe is the basic and the pictures show added frosting. I dropped the brown sugar and added a lime frosting. It's fantastic, I think reducing the brown sugar in half would be better if you like a little more sweet. I would suggest making the basic first. Frosting recipe is included if you want granola as pictured.

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Pappy's Granola

INGREDIENTS

5 cups old fashioned oats
2 cups sunflower seeds
1/2 cup sesame seeds (lightly toasted)
1/2 cup flax
2 cups nuts (your choice, can add more)
2 tsp cardamon (divided)
2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg (optional)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp orange extract (optional)
1 cup honey, 2 cups if you don't use maple syrup
1 cup maple syrup
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup vegetable oil or 1/4 cup orange juice
2 cups dried fruit
NOTE; If nuts are already roasted, do not roast again. In this batch, the sunflower seeds were unsalted and roasted, I added to the fruit, see pictures.

DIRECTIONS 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, combine first 5 ingredients on cookie sheet and sprinkle 1 tsp of the cardamon (reserve the rest for the syrup) over top, roast for approximately ten-15 minutes or golden. Put in large bowl with dried fruit and mix well. Do not turn oven off!

In saucepan combine the rest of the ingredients, mix well and bring to light bubbles, stay with mixture, mixing continuously, the longer you cook the harder the granola will be, use the water test to determine hardness. I like my granola chewy, I cook until a soft ball when dripped in water. If you want hard crunchy cook until hard ball. Pour over oat, nut, fruit mixture and combine well. Make sure it is well absorbed. Divide into two well greased 9x11 pans (I use baking spray), press down with wax paper. Cook for 10 to 30 minutes or edges turn a little brown. All this depends on oven, convection and how hard you like your granola. The longer you cook the harder the granola. Cool, cut, enjoy. 

LIME FROSTING

I try to buy Persian or Mexican limes, unfortunately, Peruvian limes are not available. These limes are smaller than regular limes and more round. Each lime produces about one tablespoon of juice, I make one batch (one lime and powdered sugar to consistency) for each pan, then cut and drip another batch for the cut pieces. Three batches, three limes. The granola will not be to sweet and provide a little citrus kick.

Red Beans and Rice

OK I admit I believe Red Beans & Rice is a staple of life. We should all eat at least once a week (with leftovers for at least one more day), traditionally on Monday (Wash Day). Really try to find andouille sausage, it's soooo much better. Manda brand is the best. I recently spent a couple of months in Peru and cooked a 5 gallon pot of these beans and sausage. I took several packs of my red bean spice blend (cajun seasoning), however Peruvians eat very little sausage, they do have a pretty good chorizo sausage. So, I used Peruvian Chorizo sausage, surprisingly it was great. I have used several types of sausage, enjoyed them all, I just prefer andouille.

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{{{RED BEANS AND RICE}}}

INGREDIENTS

These beans will be New Orleans Hot, if you do not like hot reduce cayenne pepper to one tablespoon in spice blend and reduce hot sauce to one tablespoon in rececipe. If you're a hot wimp reduce more, you can always keep a bottle of hot sauce on the table. I like hot and spicy.

4 heaping TBL cajun spice blend (see recipe below)
4 cups red beans
1 1/4 pound andouille sausage (or your favorite sausage, cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
1 small to medium onion, chopped
1 small to medium green bell pepper, chopped
2 bay leaf
2 TBL hot sauce

HOT COOKED RICE

DIRECTIONS

SORT and wash red beans, place in 5 quart pot, cover with water (2 qts or so) and cook for 45 minutes to one hour. Do not boil. Simmer. Cover and let sit for one hour, pour into colander and rinse with cold water. This will wash most of the enzymes off and de-gas your beans.

Using same 5 qt pot, bring andouille sausage to a boil in one quart water, reduce heat to high simmer, cook until andouille begins to curl.
Add spice blend, hot sauce, bay leaf, red beans, one quart of water, do not mix (cover beans with vented lid). Bring to a boil and simmer, stir as beans begin to soften, cook till tender, (about two hours on high simmer) You can always cook low and slow, personal preference.
Add onions and bell pepper and cook till desired gravy. Cooking beans is forgiving, it's hard to screw up if you have your spices right. Maybe I shouldn't have made that statement, I know a few people that can't boil water.
Serve over rice. ENJOY!

Cooking this recipe

I normally cook 5 gallons of red beans and divide in quart bags to freeze. It's been a long time since I used this smaller recipe. So, I'm cooking today. I put my beans on to pre-cook. I have cooked hundreds, thousands of 5 gallon batches of red beans in my restaurant career, I never, ever soaked beans over night, I used the boiling method as described in directions. I used pinto beans in this batch, what I had in the pantry, never met a bean I didn't like. You probably want to use red kidney beans or small red beans, if you like a bigger bean use kidney, small bean use red beans. Keep them red unless you have none in the pantry then use what you have. I have even used white beans.

Now I have time to make my Spice Blend. I didn't have any garlic powder, so I used garlic granules (I like garlic, so I didn't reduce amount). I didn't have dried thyme, so, I used ground thyme (I cut amount in half). I added the basil and sage, I don't always do this but I wanted a little more background flavor today. If you don't like hot reduce the cayenne pepper. Mix well in bowl or but in plastic bag and blend.  

While the beans are cooking and soaking, I do sous-chef work; I cut the andouille in half lengthwise, then at a slight angle I cut into pieces about 1/2" to 1", I like a few big chunks in my beans. My favorite andouille is Manda brand, it's made in Baton Rouge, La and you can find in most grocery stores, at least here in the South. Manda brand andouille comes in 12oz. packs, so two packs gives you a pound and half, perfect for this recipe. Next I chop my onion and bell pepper. The rest of the story is in the Directions.

After 1st cook, put in colander, rinse beans, rinse pot to cook andouille

Prepare spice blend

Cut Andouille

After cooking andouille, add spice blend, bay leaf and beans, cook until beans are tender and a little gravy (thickening) forming

Cut onion and bell pepper, add to beans when tender, cook to desired gravy. I like my gravy thick, the beans are softer and flavor deeper.

Red Beans Ready! Nice thick gravy.

The taste test: Great aroma, my whole house smelled like a Cajun kitchen. I cooked some rice, toasted a little cuban bread I made a couple of days ago (French bread is traditional, cornbread is great), got out the hot sauce and prepared my plate, Couple spoons rice and a helping, heaping serving of red beans on top with lots of sausage. As I sit down the aroma excites my taste buds, first bite, ahhhh, Red Beans and Rice, excellent flavor, I like the added  basil and sage to the spice blend.They are not as hot as I remember, keep in mind I like hot, everything is relative (I cooked as recipe).

)))SPICE BLEND--CAJUN SEASONING(((

• 1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika or sweet paprika-1 1/2 tsp
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon basil (optional)
• 1 teaspoon sage (optional)

Mix well, I put in a baggie and shake or use spoon to mix well. If this is your first time to make cajun seasoning it would be better to leave out the basil and sage. You can add a shake of each to your bowl of red beans and rice to check out the flavor profile. Central and South American basil is a little sweet, it's fragrant and a little peppery. Sage is in the mint family, it has a fragrant, earthy...smell and taste think dressing.