Tapioca & Cantaloupe

I've had a clumsy start to the week.  I'm not even usually a clumsy person, but this week, it's like accident after accident seems to be happening!

Sunday, while making dinner, I made the stupidest mistake ever.  I had cooked some salmon in the oven (in an oven-proof skillet).  After removing the skillet from the oven, getting side-tracked into a conversation of some sort with Andy, I go to grab the skillet.  Yeah, I think I may have yelled out some expletives with that one.  A quick lathering of aloe did the trick, and my hand seems to be just fine - so no worries!

And then yesterday, I was being extra productive and tried to tackle the cleaning of my pantry.  I bumped into a shelf and knocked over a jar of tomato sauce (which happened to be $8!).  So yeah, jar broke, tomato sauce everywhere.

Just not my week, I tell ya.

So times like these, simple things make me happy.  Like this tapioca, cantaloupe, and coconut milk dessert.  It's very reminiscent of something my mom used to make when I was a kid.  I'm pretty sure she put sweet potatoes and bananas in hers, but when I asked her how she made it - she couldn't even remember that it was something she made.  But I swear she made something like this!

I was on a search for tapioca pearls a couple weeks ago, and being too lazy to drive to the other side of the city to an Asian Market, I settled on granules from Whole Foods - there was an empty spot where the pearls were that said "discontinued item".  I guess tapioca isn't that popular anymore!

Ingredients:
Adapted from New Asian Cuisine's Recipe

1 & 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup tapioca granules (or pearls)
1/2 cup whole milk
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
2 cups cantaloupe, cubed

In a medium saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil.  Once boiling, turn the heat down to low and stir in the whole milk.  Return mixture to a boil, then turn off the heat.  Stir in the coconut milk.  Let mixture cool to room temperature and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Cook the tapioca according to the package directions and then drain.  Stir tapioca into coconut milk mixture.  Add in chopped cantaloupe.

When I was a kid, I remember this being a little bit thicker, but this version was more like a soup.  I actually liked it this way.  It was the perfect treat to sit on the back porch and read a book with.  I even brought some into work for some co-workers to try and they said it reminded them of pina coladas!  If only I lived near a beach!

Oh, and one other note.  Through the Foodbuzz Tastemaker's Program, I was able to make a Kodak Photo Book.  I got the e-mail right after we received our engagement pictures back and thought it would be the perfect way to get them printed!  I made a little "story book" of Andy and I!

 Making the photobook couldn't have been easier!  Most of the photos I uploaded from Facebook, and then the engagement pictures I just uploaded straight from my computer!  It didn't take long either.

And the process is pretty self-explanatory, as well.  The Kodak website pretty much walks you through the whole thing.  It even lets you know if the picture you chose isn't of good enough resolution for print - nothing more frustrating than seeing a picture that looks perfect on a computer screen, but then crappy when you print it off!

So as my readers, Kodak is offering you 40% off the cost of a Medium Hard Cover Or Large Photobook.  Just check out the website here!

Have a great rest of your day guys!

*As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker's Program, I was given the opportunity to make a free Kodak Photobook.

Coconut Almond Ice Cream

Happy Friday guys!  Definitely glad that the weekend is here!  I've got to work tomorrow night, but I have Sunday and Monday off, so it won't be too bad!  And no school work to think about, so hey, I'm in good spirits!

I was privileged enough to be a part of a Thanksgiving blogger compilation over at Guerrilla Gourmet.  They did a "cornucopia project" on how people from all 50 states celebrate Thanksgiving and I was lucky enough to represent Kentucky.  They didn't get posts from all 50 states, but they got 40 of them, so that's not half bad!  So hope you guys check out the post and see how different parts of the country celebrate the common tradition!

And, as promised, here's the almond recipe that tied with last week's poll!

Ingredients:

Adapted from a Bon Appetit recipe

Ice Cream

2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup whole milk
1 cup light brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1-3 teaspoons of almond extract (depending on how deep of a flavor you want!)
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon coconut rum

Coconut Tortillas & Fruit Salsa

2 flour tortillas
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1/4 cup sugar, divided
1 egg white
1 mango, peeled and diced
5 large strawberries, diced

To make the ice cream, combine coconut milk, whole milk, brown sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan under medium heat.  Stir in desired amount of almond extract (a little goes a long way!) and bring to a simmer.  Stir until the brown sugar is dissolved.  Remove from heat and cover saucepan with aluminum foil.  Allow mixture to steep for about 30 minutes.

Whisk the egg yolks in a large bowl and slowly whisk in the coconut milk mixture.  Return the mixture to the saucepan and heat under medium heat until it reaches a temperature of about 160 F.  This took about 6-10 minutes for me.  Cool the mixture at room temperature for 1 hour.  It will resemble a custard.  Chill in the fridge for an additional 2 hours.

Slowly stir in coconut rum into custard mixture.  Process the custard in an ice cream machine for about 25-30 minutes.  Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for at least an hour.

In the meantime, you can start on the coconut chips and fruit salsa.  Preheat your oven to 375 F. 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and cut each tortilla into 8 wedges.  Assemble onto parchment paper.

In a small food processor, combine coconut flakes and 1 teaspoon of sugar.  Pulse for about 30 seconds.

Beat the egg white in a small bowl until it is foamy.  Brush the egg white onto the tortillas and sprinkle with desired amount of coconut/sugar mixture.

Bake in oven until tortillas are crisp and golden, about 10-15 minutes.  Let cool until ready for use.

To make fruit salsa, combine mangoes and strawberries in medium bowl and sprinkle with a tablespoon or two of sugar.  Mix well.

Scoop ice cream into a bowl or, in my case, a margarita glass, and top with fruit salsa.  Place about 2 or 3 coconut tortilla chips in ice cream as well, and dig on in!

Although I didn't use actual almonds, the almond extract provided such a deep flavor to this ice cream, that it was definitely the star.  There were many textures in this dessert, and you would think one would overpower the other, but the crunch of the tortillas, the creaminess of the ice cream, and the sweet bites of fruit all worked together as one, shining together.  Who says you can't have ice cream in the winter time?  In the words of Andy... "ice cream is any time food.  breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  ice cream is good any time.' 

Hope you guys enjoy your weekend!

Curried Flounder & Rice

I'm not gonna lie, this was just okay. Kind of looks like a bunch of mush. Haven't really had anything good come about lately. Kind of depressing, but I guess I'll get back in the game soon... hopefully.


Ingredients:
Adapted from The Taste of Oregon's blog

1 cup spinach, washed and drained
1 egg
1 15 oz can coconut milk
2 flounder fillets, cut up into 1 inch cubes/slices
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 teaspoons red curry paste
1 teaspoon fish sauce
3 dried red chiles
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine coconut milk, curry paste, fish sauce, and egg. Beat the mixture until the curry paste is dissolved and well incorporated.

Add flounder pieces and let marinate in fridge for about an hour.

In a large skillet, heat up oil under medium to high heat. Add the dried chiles and cook until browned, about 1-2 minutes. Add the bell pepper and saute until soft, about 4-5 minutes.

Add fish/coconut milk mixture to pan and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes, when fish is white and mixture is heated through. Add in spinach and stir until wilted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with rice.

I don't really know how to describe this dish. It had flavors of a thai style curry, yes, but it just didn't have enough punch. The original dish was meant to be a custard-type deal steamed in a banana leaf boat, but I didn't feel like buying any banana leaves so I just heated the mixture up. I should have probably removed the egg since I wasn't planning on doing a custard. That was mistake number one. The curry may have been less chunky and more smooth that way. The rice I made was a little mushy too. Kind of made it runny. It was just sort of a plain jane dish and didn't get much depth of flavor. Oh well, try and try again I suppose.