Mango, Pear and Raspberry Coffee Cake

So it's been a hot summer.  And hot summers mean that my fruit gets really ripe, faster than I can eat it.  What to do, what to do?  Why, bake of course!  This coffee cake is super moist and has a spicy kick from the ground ginger.  I encourage you to experiment with the fruit, use what you have on hand - get creative!  I give you permission to eat this for breakfast...but with ice cream it's also a wonderful dessert.

What you'll need:

Cake:

2 c diced fresh mango, cut into ¼ inch pieces

1 ½ cup diced fresh pear, cut into ¼ inch pieces

1 c frozen raspberries, crushed while frozen

1 c brown sugar

1 c white sugar

2 c flour

1 ½ baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp kosher salt

1 tsp ground ginger

½ tsp ground nutmeg

½ tsp ground clove

1 c unsweetened almond milk *

½ c butter, cold

2 eggs, beaten 

1 tsp bourbon vanilla **

 * you can use any milk really - I used almond milk because I had it on hand 

** you can find this pretty readily these days, but trust me the bourbon vanilla is where it's at

Topping:

1/3 c brown sugar

1/3 c white sugar

1/3 c rolled oats

¾ tsp cinnamon

1 ½ tsp ground ginger

Here's how to make it:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Butter a 9x12x2 inch baking pan

Combine dry ingredients and sugar in a large bowl

With a pastry cutter cut butter into flour mixture until fine crumbs form

In a medium sized bowl combine fruit

In a small bowl combine eggs, almond milk and vanilla

Pour into flour mixture and mix together with a rubber spatula until combined

Fold in fruit mixture until well combined

Spread evenly in baking dish

In a small bowl make topping by first combining sugars and the spices then mixing in the oats

Sprinkle evenly over batter

Bake for 40-50 minutes until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean

Burger Heaven

So there's this place...and it's like burger nirvana...seriously!  I first went there for my birthday in 2012...and selfishly I didn't post back then.  But let me tell you - if you like burgers you have to go to Eden Burger Bar (http://www.edenburgerbar.com).  I have the luxury of living walking distance from this little gem.  Never before have I seen such amazing combinations.  And though they are known for their burgers their other menu items are just as delicious.  With a new special every month (burger and some times pizza too), there's always something new and exciting to try.  They've also got a great beer and wine selection and a wine and beer shop attached to the restaurant.  I recommend doing a flight with your meal so you can try the different beers available on tap.  Get sides to share and be sure to sample the sauces (the lemon basil aioli is awesome!).

What I've tried:

The Duck Burger
The Firehouse Burger
The Chicken Pico
The Bahn Mi Burger (my favorite!!!)
The Boar Burger
The Pepperoni Pizza

What Rocks about it:

Interesting flavor combinations (I was skeptical about the teriyaki mushrooms on the boar burger but it ended up being the perfect flavor profile)
Great staff (no seriously, I first went with a group of 21 people and we had one waitress and she was AWESOME!)
Cool decor and good music that isn't too loud


What I'd do differently:

So they don't allow ANY substitutions or customization which as a foodie can be a tad annoying.  For example I wanted to add some of there awesome jalapeno bacon to my pepperoni pizza and they wouldn't let me (sad panda).  I would love to see them add a build your own pizza option like they have available for their burgers.  And the dessert menu is way lacking (though I'm always too stuffed after my meal to even consider ordering dessert)

Thai Style Mint Turkey

I love this dish!  One of the main reasons I love it is because the first time I ever had it it was made for me by one of my dear friends.  Another reason I love it is because I was then able to recreate the recipe without a recipe and without using the seasoning packet.  I dove in and took the challenge and I hope you will too.  This dish is another great quick week day meal that is ready in minutes and can be customized as you like.  I know that some of these ingredients aren't things you'll necessarily have on hand but I'm hoping that after this you'll start keeping them on hand.  Some of the spices used here are so versatile and really should become a staple in your kitchen.  I'll be posting soon about what I think a well stocked pantry should have so stay tuned!

Ingredients:
1 TBS sesame oil
2 TBS olive oil
1 TSP kosher salt
1 TSP chili powder
1 TBS minced fresh ginger, peeled *
2 TBS minced garlic (about 3 medium cloves) - this should be a rough chop and not to finely minced
2 TBS curry powder, divided
4 TBS sugar
1 medium green onion, sliced - separate the greens from the white as they will be added at different times
1 large jalapeno, halved and then sliced **
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch long by 1/4 inch thick (bite sized) - you can also use mini sweet peppers if you like
1/2 c unsweetened fat free coconut milk
2/3 c lime juice
1/2 c low sodium soy sauce, divided
1 LB lean ground turkey
6-6 mint sprigs (stems removed)
4-5 sprigs cilantro (stems removed)

Prep:

Heat oils in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat
Add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant (1-2 minutes)
Add ground turkey and sprinkle with salt (cover the bottom of the pan with the turkey) - make sure to combine with the ginger and garlic to keep from burning the garlic (burned garlic = bitter)
When the turkey starts to brown add half of the curry and chili powder (sprinkle the spices evenly over the meat so you don't get a clump of over seasoned meat)
Once the turkey is almost all browned add half the soy sauce and the lime juice.
Clear a space for the peppers and the white part of the green onion so they can get direct contact with the pan (this lets them sear and get some color).  Once the peppers start to sweat you can combine them with the meat mixture.
Add the remaining soy sauce, curry, coconut milk, sugar and lime juice.  When the sauce starts to thicken slightly, turn heat to low and add mint, cilantro and greens of the onion.  Stir until well combined and herbs just begin to wilt.

Serve immediately over rice

*cook's tip:  you can peel your ginger and put it in the freezer and just pull it out when you need it.  It'll keep longer that way and you'll always have it on hand when you need it.

** If you want less spicy remove the seeds from the jalapeno

I'm Back!

Hello friends,

I'm sorry to say that I have been remiss in posting.  I had high hopes when I started this blog in 2011...yes 2011 and now almost 2 years since my last post I've come to realize I've failed you all.  But I'm back with a mission to keep sharing my tips, recipes and food stories with all of you again.  So what I want to know is what things you're hoping to get from this blog.  What tips and tricks are you hoping to get out of me?  What types of recipes are you dying to try?  I cook a lot!  And I want to share that with all of you.  I want be a sort of tour guide for you through the adventure of food.  Yeah, you heard right, food is an adventure.  It isn't just a necessity...it should enrich your life.  So I'm going to push myself to try new things, to build my food army.  I'm going to start posting reviews of restaurants I visit and tell you what I loved and what I'd do differently.  I'm committed to bringing you something new at least once a month, but hopefully more than that.  I hope you'll keep reading and sharing.  I want to hear your stories too.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned...there's more deliciousness to come!

G