Make Something New Every Day


This blog is inspired by all those who love to cook, whether experienced or not, and who continue to experiment with new ideas & ingredients, and best of all, share their passion with others.

The first entries are recipes prepared by the students of Lionel Wilson College Preparatory Academy in Oakland, CA. Fifteen students with varying cooking experience participated in my weekly workshop (via Tutorpedia), and successfully prepared various meals, snacks, and baked goods as part of an after-school program.

Along with the recipes from that class, I will continue to add new seasonal items, spanning every genre of the culinary world, as well as a helpful list of links to recipes, instructional videos, and places to shop and volunteer in your area.

Feel free to ask me questions and share your recipes and ideas as well. I look forward to cooking with you.


June 20, 2018

I Can't Believe They're Gluten-Free Carrot Pineapple Coconut Muffins


It all started with a juicer. I bought a masticating juicer a couple years ago, and though it is quite efficient and I love the juice, I felt bad about all the pulp waste. Raised with a "waste not, want not" attitude, I set about finding ways to use the pulp. It can be frozen and added to veggie burgers, meatloaf, baked mac & cheese, and yes, baked goods. 

Issue #2. Half my friends don't eat wheat. I like to feed my friends. So I buy and try several types of GF flours, and in general, settle on Bob's mix that doesn't contain chick pea flour (I don't like the aftertaste). In this recipe, it replaces wheat flour 1:1, so if you prefer wheat flour, go ahead and use it. In general, this type of bread is very forgiving. For example, I was out of granulated sugar, so I used 1C of confectioners sugar and 1C of light brown sugar, and they turned out great! 

You can bake this as a 10" bundt cake or as about 17 muffins. 

Line muffin tins with liners, or grease & flour a 10" bundt pan. Since the batter needs to rest about 30 minutes, you can preheat the oven to 350' once the batter is mixed to save energy.

Recipe
4C fruit/veggie (in this case it's grated carrots & small-dice pineapple, but you can use grated apple, or zucchini, or whatever)
2 eggs (I always use XL)

1/2C coconut oil (or you can use grapeseed or canola)
1C packed light brown sugar
1t vanilla extract

2C Bob's GF flour mix
1C confectioners sugar
1/2C shredded coconut
2t sifted baking soda
1/2t kosher salt
2t ground cinnamon
1/2t ground cardamom
1/2t ground cloves 

Lightly beat the eggs & combine well with the 4C fruit. Melt the coconut oil & stir in the brown sugar & vanilla extract. Stir the sugar/oil into the carrot mixture.  Combine all dry ingredients. Fold the wet into the dry & let it rest at room temp for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven and prep your pans. 
Muffin on left had a better rise & texture because it was baked after the batter rested for 30 minutes. 

For muffins, I use a 2" wide retractable scoop for even measuring & fast scooping, but you can use a large spoon to fill the tins. 

Bake muffins for about 20-25 minutes. If your oven has a hot corner like mine does, turn the pan carefully after about 15 minutes. The muffins are done when you can gently push on the top with a finger and the dough springs back. Darker tins will bake faster, so keep an eye out. 

A bundt cake may take 45-55 minutes. You can also use the "finger" test, as this cake is quite oily, so using a skewer may not give you an accurate reading. The cake should be pulling away from the sides of the pan, and spring back when you gently push on the doughiest part with your finger. 

Allow the cake or muffins to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely. If you cut a warm cake the structure will turn to glue. Better to wait. It will also be much easier to cut. 

GF baked goods especially tend to get moister as time goes by, so better to eat them within a day or two. Store cooled cakes in airtight containers or bags. 


на здоровья!