rainforest recipes

My Beet ...

It was exciting to cook and eat something that had grown here with our own energies. I had never tried Harvard Beets (or Harvard Beet as my sister pointed out, since I only had one), so I decided to try it.

Harvard Beets

Ingredients:

2 lbs Beets ; (900 g) medium-sized, tops removed
1/3 cup (160 ml) sugar
2 Tbs (30 ml) cornstarch (cornflour)
1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt
1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) freshly ground black pepper
1 cup (250 ml) cider vinegar
1/4 cup (60 ml) orange juice








Instructions:



Boil the beets in lightly salted water for 40 to 45 minutes, until
tender. Drain and allow to cool. Peel and trim the ends, then cut

Posted by Anne Lossing at 5:59 PM 0 comments  

Labels: beet greens, beets

Posted by Anne Lossing at 2:34 PM 0 comments  

On Saturday afternoon, Mom pulled out her cookbooks and found the perfect recipe for the marinade, so the meat would be ready for cooking on Sunday:

Marinated Roast Beef

6 - 8 lb rump roast
1 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 cup prepared mustard
30 cloves of garlic, halved
1 Tbsp. ground pepper


Instructions:
1. Pierce roast at 1 inch intervals witha meat fork, and place in a large zip lock bag.
2. Combine vegetable oil and next 5 ingredients; pour over roast in zip lock bag.
3. Seal and chill for 24 - 48 hours, turning roast occasionally.
4. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 50 minutes, or until a meeat thermomenter registers 145 - 160 degrees.
5. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing thinly across the grain.
6. Roast beef will be rare.

Our roast beef ended up a little bit better done than rare, but that is how it has always been. It is moist, and topped up with a big spoonful of gravy ...

and served with some carrots and broccoli ...

Posted by Anne Lossing at 9:18 AM 0 comments  

Labels: gravy, roast beef

Mom's first instruction was to go out and buy a pound of Canadian "no name pure lard" (not pictured here). I figured it was the secret ingredient, and it wasn't until I was all ready to start making the pie that I learned that the recipe that she recommends is printed on the inside of the lard package.


Easy Pie Pastry

Taken From Canadian "no name pure lard" package

Ingredients
5 1/2 cups All-purpose flour
2 tsp salt
1 lb. chilled Lard cut into large chunks
1 egg
1 Tbsp.White Vinegar

Instructions

In large bowl, combine flour and salt. With pastry blender or two knives, cut in lard until mixture resembles coarse meal with a few larger pea-sized pieces.

In glass measuring cup, and using fork, beat egg with vinegar. Add enough cold water to make 1 cup. Mix well. Drizzle into flour mixture a bit at a time, mixing in with a fork, until dough looks evenly moistened and holds together when gently pressed between fingers. You may not need to use all of the liquid.



Divide dough into 6 equal balls, Wrap each ball in plastic wrap and pat into 4-inch discs. Chill for at least 30 minutes before using. For best results, chill 2 hours before using.

Preparing dough in advance: Dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Dough can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw in Refrigerator.

Makes 6 single crust or 3 double crust 9-inch pies.

Tips for tender pastry:
" Add only enough liquid so dough just holds together when gently pressed. Too much water makes pastry tough.
" Do not over-handle dough or knead it. Over-handling develops gluten, which makes pastry tough.
" Allow dough to rest after making.

Rolling Tips:
" To prevent sticking, lightly flour work surface and rolling pin. Use a floured pastry cloth, if you prefer. Or, roll dough between two sheets of waxed paper.
" Roll dough from center of disc out. Roll to about 1 ½ inches larger than pie plate.
" Patch any tears by lightly moistening edges of tear with wet finger and pressing on a thin piece of dough to cover gap.
" If dough sticks while rolling because it is too soft, cover and chill 15 - 30 minutes before proceeding.

How to transfer to pie plate:
" Loosely roll dough circle onto floured rolling pin and unroll onto pie plate. Or lightly fold dough circle in half. Place fold over center of pie plate and unfold.
" If rolling between two sheets of waxed paper, remove top sheet of paper, invert dough onto pie plate and remove paper.
" Ease dough into pie plate without stretching dough to prevent shrinkage during baking.

Shaping:
" For single crust pie, with kitchen scissors or sharp knife, trip dough to ½ inch overhang beyond edges of pie plate. Fold crust under for double thickness edge. Press with tines of fork or pinch between thumb and finger for decorative edge.
" For double curst pie, trip bottom crust before filling pie. Trip top crust so it hangs over edge of pie plate ½ inch. Fold edge of top crust under bottom crust. Press to seal as for single crust pie. Brush top crust with beaten egg or cream for golden crust. Sprinkle with granulated sugar, if desired, for a sweet pie.

Baking:
" For single crust pie, fill and bake as directed in recipe used.
" For double crust pie, slash or prick top crust to allow steam to escape. Bake as directed in recipe used.
" Cover crust loosely with foil if browning too quickly.
" Empty crust: Prick empty single shell evenly with tines of fork. Line crust with foil. Fill with raw rice, dried beans or pie weights. Bake in center of oven preheated to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C.) for 20 minutes. Remove foil and weights; bake another 5 - 10 minutes or until crust is golden.

** This recipe can be pasted into BigOven without retyping. **
** Easy recipe software. Try it free at: http://www.bigoven.com **

Posted by Anne Lossing at 5:01 PM 0 comments  

The cooked cereal part is super easy ... for a one person serving, I boil 1/2 cup cereal with 1 cup of water and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring until it thickens up the way I like it. The super crunchy flaked cereal makes a perfect topping and the vanilla flavored rice milk adds just enough sweetness.

Posted by Anne Lossing at 8:19 PM 0 comments  

Labels: breakfast, cereal, grains, rice milk

Ramon Bread

Ingredients:

The Verdict:
Superb! It disappeared to fast to take any more photos. It was fantastic served hot from the oven with butter melting down into it. It was mouth wateringly delicious toasted with peanut butter and served with hot ramon beverage (Rice milk heated with 1 Tbsp of ramon powder)for breakfast or snacks. I will definitely make it again!

Posted by Anne Lossing at 2:40 PM 0 comments  

Labels: bread, ramon

I've just returned from a month in New Brunswick, Canada, where I was visiting with Mom and celebrating her 80th birthday with her. During the month, I made a point of learning several recipes that captured my attention when they were served. The first that I am going to blog about was prepared and served by my sister-in-law, Kathleen in Boston on my way north. She told me that she invented the dish one night when she had limited ingredients, time and energy. Kath uses a can (or 2)of Mexican Stewed Tomatoes, a product that we can't buy here, even given our proximity to Mexico. I had forseen this difficulty when planning the duplication of the recipe here, so brought with me the can label, complete with ingredients list (minus quantities), enabling me to build the flavorful stewed tomatoes from scratch. I am going to henceforth call it "Jungle Stewed Tomatoes", since I feel I have reinvented it here in the jungle.



Jungle Tomatoes

Posted by Anne Lossing at 3:36 PM 1 comments  

Labels: angel hair pasta, cumin, parmesan, Queso Fresco, Tomatoes

Baked Banana Crumble
Mmm...this fruit dish is so rich and delectable. Guests just love this crumble. With a tart, but sweet, cream topping, this is a dish to please anyone.

Ingredients
3 Bananas, sliced ** You can also mix in some berries
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar (I used panela)
1 cup butter or margarine ; melted
1/2 cup nuts ; (optional)
1/2 cup coconut ; (optional)
2 Tbsps lemon juice
1/2 cup white sugar
Grated ; nutmeg for topping

Instructions:
Spray 12 individual ramekins with Pam or a 9" round pan. (I used a pyrex pie dish)
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix lemon juice and white sugar, add sliced bananas and toss. Place sliced bananas in greased pan (add a few berries, if you wish).
Mix remaining ingredients (except for nutmeg) and spread over fruit.
Grate a little nutmeg on top and bake at 350° for about 20 minutes or until bubbly.
Serve topped with sweetened sour cream, ice cream or whipped cream.

*This recipe can be pasted into BigOven without retyping.
Easy recipe software. Try it free at: http://www.bigoven.com

_______________________________________________________________

Banana Crisp (Platanitos Horneados)

Here's a classic Cuban dessert. You could eliminate the rum
if you like, but then it wouldn't be nearly as authentic.

Ingredients:
4 -6 ripe bananas ; peeled and sliced
1/4 cup ; (60 ml) packed brown sugar
2 Tbs ; (30 ml) rum
1 Tbs ; (15 ml) lime juice
1/2 teaspoon ; (2 ml) vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ; (2 ml) ground cinnamon
A ; grating of fresh nutmeg
4 Tbs ; (60 ml) butter
1 -1 1/2 cups ; (250-375 ml) crumbled savoiardi, toasted
ladyfingers, ; or amaretti (I used graham crackers)
1/4 cup ; (60 ml) finely chopped walnuts

Instructions:
Combine the bananas, brown sugar, rum, lime juice, and spices
in a bowl, tossing to coat the bananas with the mixture. Place
the banana mixture in a greased 8x8-inch (20x20 cm) baking
dish. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Stir in the
cooky crumbs and walnuts and sprinkle over the bananas. Bake
in a preheated 350F (180C) oven until golden brown, about 20
minutes. Serve warm. Serves 4 to 6.

** This recipe can be pasted into BigOven without retyping.
Easy recipe software. Try it free at: http://www.bigoven.com

Verdict:
Everybody agreed that both were delicious. However, after an exhaustive survey of all the lucky drop-ins during the afternoon, it was determined that, if a winner must be chosen, it would be the Baked Banana Crumble with its tart tingle of lemon. The next time I will make sure I have a big dollop of my homemade yogurt on hand ... or the Baked Banana Ice Cream that I will make tomorrow.

Posted by Anne Lossing at 8:08 AM 0 comments  

Labels: bananas, dessert

"As anthropologist Arjun Appadurai concluded in an article on cookbooks in contemporary India, "cookbooks appear to belong to the literature of exile, of nostalgia and loss." Our recipes represent our often unsuccessful attempts to relive the past, to recover lost comforts or reclaim a forgotten heritage. We take them with us into foreign lands. We pass them on to our friends and children. We share them with strangers. The foods of our pasts are the most elemental artifacts of who we are: who our parents and friends and lovers were and are, where we have been and where we ended up, what we treasure, what we disdain, what fuels our endeavors, what comforts, what sustains. So powerful is food as an expression of the self that we even orchestrate favorite meals for those we execute. We want to honor at least that much of the worst criminal. Good food. Finally."

Patty Kirk, from "Starting from Scratch"

Posted by Anne Lossing at 3:50 AM 0 comments  

we discovered that the bananas that we had been watching grow on the palm tree out back were ripening at an ever increasing speed and had begun falling plumply to the ground. We asked around and soon learned that the way to harvest the racim of bananas is to cut down the entire palm tree .. apparently the banana palm produces only one racim of bananas in its life, then dies. However, before the bananas ripen, the palm sends up one or more shoots right beside it that will produce the next generation of fruit. If the shoots are cut down before the "Mama" bears her fruit, the Mama will die. So, we cut down the "Mama" palm, leaving the new 4 foot shoot growing in its place, and hung the bananas to continue the rapid ripening process hanging from my living room ceiling!

I have now printed out several recipes that will no doubt be appearing here over the next few days ... but started with this one yesterday. I didn't have all the ingredients that were called for, but found totally appropriate substitutions.

Exported from BigOven (*see below)

Bananas Foster Crunch Cake

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter or margarine -- softened
1 -1/2 cups sugar (I used half white and half panela or raw brown sugar)
2 large eggs
2 cups mashed bananas
1/4 cup light rum (I used the liquid that had collected on my preserved nances)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 -1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cornmeal (I used ramon flour ** see note below)
1 -1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup chopped pecans (no pecans here ... but i found some walnuts)
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar (I used panela)
1/4 cup butter or margarine -- melted

Instructions:
Beat 1/2 cup butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy;
gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after
each addition. Stir in mashed bananas, rum, and vanilla. Combine 1 1/2 cups
flour and next 4 ingredients; add to butter mixture, mixing until blended.
Pour into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan; set aside.

Combine 1/2 cup flour and remaining ingredients; sprinkle over batter. Bake
at 350 degrees F. for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center
of cake comes out clean.

Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes; remove from pan, and let cool
completely on wire rack. Yield: about 10 servings.

*This recipe can be pasted into BigOven without retyping.
Easy recipe software. Try it free at: http://www.bigoven.com

Verdict:

The flavor was deep, rich and chocolaty, even though it contains no chocolate, and the general texture is heavy like good gooey brownies. Everybody has been enjoying it.

**Ramon:
Known as "Yaxox" in Mayan, the ramon tree (Brosimum Alicastrum) is a member of the fig family, which also includes mulberry trees. Referred to as "corn tree" by the Maya civilization, its nut was a staple food crop, capable of being stored for lengthy periods of time, that was roasted, ground into a flour and combined with corn for baking or boiled and eaten like potatoes. Ramon nuts are actually the seed of the ramon fruit. They have zero fat and can be ground into flour which is gluten-free making it a nutritious addition to gluten-free flours. Ramon flour is very high in potassium, fiber and tryptophan, the amino acid that helps calm stress and anxiety. Ramon nuts were used medicinally by the Maya to detoxify the liver and promote lactation in nursing women. Other common names for ramon nuts are ojoche, mojo. breadnut and mayanut.

Ramon was integral to the physical and spiritual life of the Maya as evidenced by their 4th day-sign glyph, KAN, meaning "the seed" ... which is a depiction of a ramon seed.

Enrique and I have been championing the re-popularization of ramon seeds since we first heard about them, and understood their importance, not only as a food, but as a way for the people of the rainforest to earn a living in harmony with the trees of the jungle (see www.ixcanaan.com). Through the support of various organizations, the women's group of Ixlu (our neighboring village) now operates a full-fledged production/packaging facility for Ramon Flour and Ramon Beverage. (see http://www.teeccino.com/ramonnut1.aspx AND http://www.theequilibriumfund.org/page.cfm?pageid=2890 ).

Posted by Anne Lossing at 1:03 PM 1 comments  

Labels: bananas, dessert, ramon

Yield: about 8 to 10 appetizer servings.

Posted by Anne Lossing at 10:51 AM 2 comments  

Labels: balsamic vinegar, chicken wings, chipotle, raspberry jelly