BANANA TEA LOAVES WITH ISRAELI TAHINI-DATE FILLING

3 ripe bananas
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
4 large eggs
1/4 canola oil
1 cup milk
1 tsp. vani1la extract
1 cup sugar
1 cup slivered almonds
3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoons salt
2 cups grated coconut
10 ounces Israeli sesame-date spread
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 F.Place Israeli sesame-date spread in bain-marie, stirring until it becomes semi-liquid.  Grease five mini bread loaves pans with cooking spray. Place  flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Stir with a fork or egg beat until blended. In a separate bowl. mash peeled bananas and mix in applesauce. Reserve. Beat eggs in mixer bowl.  Add oil and milk. Beat in vanilla extract. Add sugar and continue to mix. Add almonds and coconut. Mix in dry ingredients. Place batter in greased loaf pans. Add two ounces of  Israeli sesame-date to each of the  the five loaves. Bake for 40 minutes.  Allow to cool. These loaves have a moist, chewy texture with a bit of crunch from the almonds. Each slice will have a delicious core of date-tahini spread.They freeze well.

NOTE: Israeli sesame date spread is available in  online shops.I suppose it is possible to make a filling for these loaves with dates and tahini, but I prefer the Israeli spread.

GARLIC MUSTARD, DANDELION GREENS AND BEEF CHORIZO

 

2 cups water
1 pound and 3 ounces beef chorizo
2 large onions, sliced
3 large cloves of  garlic, slivered
Three cups garlic mustard greens, trimmed and washed
One cup dandelion greens, trimmed and washed
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
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Boil chorizo  in two cups of water for twelve minutes. Drain. Add onions and garlic and cook until transparent. Add greens and and balsamic vinegar. Cover and turn off burner. Greens will be cooked in three minutes. Serves six. Leftovers can be added to Brazilian Fried Rice the recipe for which I will post next week.

ORANGE CRANBERRY PRESERVES

1 pound dried cranberries soaked overnight  in one cup of water
1 orange, chopped
Two cups sugar
1 stick cinnamon

Place ingredients in a heavy pan. Cook at medium heat for 20 minutes. Place in a sterile jar. Refrigerate.
Note: It is important to use lightly sweetened dried cranberries, The flavor is far more intense than that of fresh cranberries. This recipe makes two and a half cups, two of which I use in the pound cake recipe posted earlier

CRANBERRY-ORANGE POUND CAKE

Ingredients
8 ounces butter at room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup orange liqueur
1 teaspoon orange extract
2 cups cranberry orange preserves
4 cups  all purpose flour
1 tablespoon coriander seeds, crushed
3 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a ten-inch angel food cake pan, Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together. Mix in crushed coriander seeds. Mix cranberry orange jam and orange liqueur.   Place butter, cream cheese and sugar in mixer bowl. Beat until thoroughly creamed. Beat in eggs. Add jam and orange liqueur mix. Add four mix gradually. Continue to mix until thoroughly blended. Transfer cake to dough to greased pan. Bake at 350 F for 50 minutes.
This is a substantial cake for a a dozen or more fearless eaters.The coriander seeds marry well with the citrus flavor and adds an Elizabethan touch to a cake much  beloved in the American South. Enjoy and remember that according to the ancient Chines sages, coriander confers immortality.
Serve as is or go all out and top with  jam and  whipping cream.

NOTE: I will post a recipe for cranberry preserves feel free to experiment with strawberry or cherry jam.

SPINACH CHEESE CALZONES

Warm milk for the dough.

Kneading the dough with dough hook.

Dough should be smooth and elastic.

                                       

     Dough ready to be punched down. 

                                         

Dough circle should measure approximately xxx inches.

Fresh spinach washed and drained.

Minced garlic.

Cooking the spinach with garlic.

Grated mozarella.

Ricotta, mozarella and spinach, foir the filling.

Pepperoni slices layered with ricotta and spinach.

Pepperoni slices and spinach ricotta mix topped with grated mozzarella.

Crimping the edges of the calzone.

 Let it rise for hour an hour.

Ready for the oven.

Almost done.

Nice and golden.

Ready to serve.

Lunch for two.

DOUGH

4 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour mixed with 1/2 a teaspoon salt.
1 package yeast
1 cup milk
1/4 water
1 tablespoon l plus 7 teaspoons olive oil
1 egg, beaten
Oil a ceramic bowl with two teaspoons olive oil. Preheat oven to 375. Heat water to 115F. Add yeast and let stand until foamy. Heat milk to 105F, add to yeast and place in mixer bowl. Mix in  one tablespoon olive oil, reserving the remainder. Add four cups of flour, half a cup at a time and beat with the dough hook until smooth. Transfer to oiled bowl and allow it to rise until double. Punch down, divide into four portions.  Roll out each dough portion into a circle. Spread a teaspoon of olive oil on each dough circle. Layer with pepperoni, ricotta-spinach mix and top with mozzarella. Fold in half. Crimp edges. Place on greased baking sheet. Allow it to rise for half an hour to forty minutes.Brush with beaten egg.  Bake at 375F for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden.Makes four Brobdingnagian portions or eight medium-sized portions.


FILLING
2 large garlic cloves, minced
13 ounces of fresh spinach,  washed and drained.
2 cups ricotta
2 cups grated mozzarella to be divided into half cup portions
1/2 a teaspoon freshly grated black pepper
1/2 a teaspoon salt
12 ounces sliced  pepperoni sausage

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan. Sautee garlic. Add spinach, pepper and  and salt. Cook at high heat for five minutes. Cool and drain. Reserve liquid to be used in soup or homemade pasta.  Once the spinach has cooled, mix in two cups of ricotta.  Divide into four portions.