Mixed Fresh Fruits and Greek Yogurt Parfait

The weather's been too warm these past few days which makes me too lazy to cook.  Cooking means having to open all the windows and doors to let out the heat but it also means that I have to turn off the air conditioner.  Too much hassle so I tend to avoid cooking during the day when it tends to be the hottest and reserve cooking at night when the temperature is a little cooler.  Or, opt to make dishes that does not require any cooking and minimal preparation.  This dish is one such dish as it uses fresh fruits and yogurt so no cooking is needed.

I used several fruits and berries that are in season so they can be easily substituted when the season changes.  In this particular parfait, I used blackberries, raspberries, granny smith apple, and fresh turkey figs.  Instead of regular yogurt, I used Greek yogurt which is a lot thicker in consistency.  I also topped the parfait with dehydrated lentil flakes which I purchased from Dragunara at the farmer's market in Fairfax and Third.  The dehydrated lentils provided some crunch to the parfait but it can be easily substituted with granola, if you prefer. If you prefer the parfait to be sweet, you can add a little bit of honey or sugar.

The fresh turkey figs that I used in this dish came from Costco.  At $5.99 per tray of about 18 or more figs, it was a huge bargain compared to the one sold at WholeFoods.  Figs are are just plain ugly on the outside but the insides are so pretty when you slice it.  It has this pinkish and while color which is so attractive when you add to salads or as garnish. And don't even get me started on the taste as they are very tasty and delicious when they ripen. I usually do not peel it but I do wash it really well to remove the fuzzy exterior before slicing or eating it on its own.

Speaking of Dragunara, it is a gem of a spice store located within the farmer's market at Fairfax and Third in Los Angeles.  My friend and I found this little spice haven by accident when we took a different route than we normally take to get to La Surla Table.  Ahh...so happy that we found this place because they sell a lot of spices that are not normally found in regular stores or even WholeFoods, such as dried lavender flowers, dried hibiscus flowers, Szechuan peppercorns, all colors of lentils, different types of salts, etc.  I came out of the store bearing a huge shopping bag full of different spices...ahhh, the place is like an oasis for cooks and food fanatics...

Ingredients:

Brown turkey figs

blackberries

raspberries

granny smith apple or any apple you prefer

2 Tbsp of dehydrated lentil flakes or granola

Greek yogurt

honey, optional

1. Wash, dry and slice fruits.

2. Place a layer Greek yogurt in a container

3. Top with fresh fruit slices.

4. Sprinkle dehydrated lentil flakes or granola on top.

5. Sweeten with honey, if you prefer.

NOTE:  There is really no exact measurements in this dish so you can use as much or as little of each ingredient as you want.

Banana-Walnut Loaf

Aside from the fried/baked pork dish that I cooked, I also baked banana-walnut loaf.  There wasn't any special reason other than the fact that I had bananas that were getting too ripe for my liking.  I do not even know why I bought bananas in the first place since I am not much of banana eater.  Maybe I was thinking of making a shake or something but for some reason I got sidetracked and ended up with overripe ones...hehehe...no problem though as this dish save them.



Bananas. by the way, are great ingredients in making your smoothie a lot creamier without adding too much milk or dairy products.  It can even be used instead of the dairy products.  I slice them about an inch to a couple of inches in size and then wrap them in parchment paper and freezer bags.  Pop them in the freezer until they are frozen and use them instead of ice to make a smoother and creamier smoothie.  I believe I posted about this tip somewhere in the blog about a year ago.



Anyways, I had some overripe bananas and free time so I baked these babies.  I used a little bit of olive oil along with the butter when I made these.  The result is a very moist and slightly dense banana cake that taste really good.  They taste even better the following day...even after they have been in the fridge overnight.  To make them soft and moist after being the fridge, I usually pop a slice in the microwave and heat for about 10-15 seconds but the time will be dependent on your microwave.




This morning I had a cup of coffee with a slice of banana walnut loaf  and a very hilarious episode of a Korean drama that is currently airing entitled "A Gentleman's Dignity"  It stars Jang Dong Gun and Kim Haneul along with a bunch of other korean actors/actresses.  Jang starred in an American movie entitled "A Warrio's Way" with Kate Bosworth in 2010.  I only watched the first part of that movie but it didn't pique my interest so I didn't finish the entire movie.  A Gentleman's Dignity though is different-it is hilarious, witty, sexy, crazy, heart-warming, and heart-wretching all at the same time.  The dialogue exchanges between Haneul and Dong-gun are really good. Right now, they have about six episodes out and I cannot wait for the next installment.  I didn't think I would say this but the writer (who is also the writer for Secret Garden which I did not like)  is doing a good job and hope she will continue to do so until the end....




Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter, softened

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup honey

2 eggs

4 large ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

a pinch of salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/3 cup walnuts, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350F


2. Spray loaf baking pan with non-stick spray or coat evenly with oil.


3. In a bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.  Mix well and set aside


4. In another mixing bowl, add butter, olive oil, honey,and sugar.  Beat until light and fluffy.


5. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.


6. Stir in mashed banana and vanilla.  Mix well.


7. Add flour-baking soda mixture and mix into the batter.  Do not overmix .  


8. Stir in walnuts and transfer to a loaf baking pan and bake for 1 hour or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.


9. Remove from the oven and let it cool slightly before slicing and serving.

Baklava

Baklava is a rich and sweet Greek dessert made of buttery sheets of phyllo dough and nuts drizzled with syrup or honey. It is sometimes flavored with cinnamon and cloves. Its origin is unknown but some think that it originated from Turkey.

For those who has never worked with phyllo dough, this can be a little daunting since they easily dry out and tear. The key is to make sure you cover the dough in damp (not soaking wet) towel while you assemble. If the dough is frozen, make sure to thaw it completely. I usually thaw mine in the refrigerator for a day before I use them. It just makes it easier to handle since they easily separate from one another. When you brush the butter, just apply a light coating instead of drowning the sheet.


Ingredients:

16 oz. package of phyllo dough
3/4 cup melted butter

Filling:

1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

Syrup:

1 cinnamon stick, broken into half
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup honey
3 strips of lemon rind (about 2-3 inches long each)

To make the syrup:

1. Using a begetable peeler, peel the outer skin of the lemon. Make sure you are only taking the yellow portion and not the pith (white part)

2. Heat sauce pan over medium. Add water and sugar. Heat while stirring occassionally until sugar is dissolved.
3. Add cinnamon stick, lemon peel, vanilla, and honey
4. Continue to simmer for about 10-20 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and strain to remove cinnamon stick and lemon peel.
6. Let it cool completely before using.

To assemble Baklave:

1. Mix pecans and walnuts in a bowl and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350F.
3. Butter the bottom and side of a 9X13 baking dish.
4. Place a layer of phyllo dough at the bottom of the baking dish then lightly butter. Add another layer and butter the top again. Continue to do this until you have around 6-8 layers of buttered phyllo dough.


5. Sprinkle mixture of walnut and pecans over the top of the phyllo dough stack and pour about 2-3 Tbsp of cooled syrup.

6. Place another later of phyllo dough over the nuts layer and brush with butter. Repeat this 3 times then add a layer of mixed nuts and syrup.
7. Stack another 3 layers of buttered phyllo dough then a layer of nut mixture and syrup. By now you have 3 nut layers.
8. For the top layer, stack 6-8 layers of buttered phyllo dough.
9. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 10-15 minutes. NOTE: This solidifies butter thus making it easier to cut.
10. Cut the uncooked Baklava into 2X2 inch squares (or, diamond if you prefer).

11. Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until the top turned golden brown.
12. Remove from the oven and drizzle syrup all over the hot baklava. NOTE:You don't have to use all of the syrup is you don't want it to be too sweet.


13. Let it cool for about 1-2 hours(preferrably longer to allow the baklava to soak up all of the syrup) before removing from tray and serving. Do not cover while you are letting it cool.

Mango Panna Cotta with Honey Mango Sauce

What can I say? I rediscovered panna cotta and fell in love with it. This recipe is different from the mango jelly panna cotta which I posted here. This one is just as delish as the other one. Again, I used the nestle table cream which I got from the Filipino store but I had to cut it down to 1/2 cup instead of the usual 1 cup because it was too creamy and used more milk instead. The result is still very creamy, light, and very flavorful. The mango lends a nice refreshing taste to the dish. I also drizzled it with honey mango sauce which made it taste so divine. You can totally skip the honey mango sauce though if you prefer. The mango panna cotta is able to hold its own without any accompaniment. I also strained the mixture three time: after I pureed the ingredients, after I took it off the stove, and when I poured in the molds.



Ingredients:

Mango Panna Cotta

1/2 cup mango puree
1/4 nestle cream
1 1/2 cup milk
2 tsp unflavored gelatin
1 Tbsp water
1/4 cup sugar (you can adjust according to taste and how sweet your mango is)


1. In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over water to soften
2. Peel and dice mango, place in a blender with sugar and blend until smooth.
3. Add milk and blend some more. Transfer into the sauce pan, add cream and stir to incorporate well. NOTE: I accidentally added my cream to the mixture in the blender which whipped it up a little bit and explained why there was a lot of bubbles on top when I transferred the finish product to the mold :)
4. Simmer, but do not let it boil,for a few minutes until hot.
5. Scoop a ladle or two of the hot cream mixture and add it to the gelatin mixture, mix until gelatin is dissolved.
6. Add gelatin mixture into the cream mixture and simmer for a minute or two.
7. Remove from heat and strain into a container with spout ( for easy pouring into the molds) and let it cool a little bit.
8. Using a small strainer, strain mixture while pouring into the mold. Make sure that it has cooled down before you cover it and refrigerate for 4 or more hours.
9. When ready to unmold, place the mold in warm water to loosen the edges. When loose, invert the mold into the serving dish and serve with honey mango sauce.



Honey Mango Sauce:

1/2 cup mango puree
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup water

1. Peel and dice mango and place in blender
2. Add honey and water and then blend until smooth
3. Serve with mango panna cotta