COCONUT MANGO PUDDING

I picked up a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket for dinner, and the kids from school, after their activities and clubs were finished.
I planned to meet friends at a local yoga studio, Urban Asana, to try an aerial yoga class for the first time, but before I gamely threw my yoga mat over my shoulder and walked to the studio, I made this Coconut Mango Pudding. My husband and I chatted and caught up on the events of the day, as I chopped and cooked and poured and cooled.
Although I had difficulty trusting I wasn't going to crash to the ground, and as uncoordinated and ungraceful as I was, it was a really great experience, and one I would definitely repeat for the novelty, but probably not how I would regularly choose to practice.

Amber at Urban Asana Yoga

COCONUT MANGO PUDDING

1 cup ripe mango, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon of cornstarch
pinch of salt
3 eggs
1 (13 ounce) can of coconut milk

Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium saucepan. Add eggs and coconut milk, and beat until well mixed. Cook over a medium heat, whisking constantly until pudding thickens, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Remove from heat. Gently mix mango into pudding. Pour into small custard cups or decorative bowl. Cover, and refrigerate until cool.
Decorate with toasted coconut and/or extra mango before serving, if desired.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Morning News
April 2004

CHOCOLATE AVOCADO PUDDING

I was intrigued with the combination of ingredients in this recipe, and was inspired, interested and excited to try the flavors. The pudding had a wonderful, thick, silky, rich texture, and I really enjoyed the taste, different from regular chocolate pudding, but delicious.

CHOCOLATE AVOCADO PUDDING

1 ripe avocado, peeled, pit removed
1/2 cup almond milk
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
6 dates, pitted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Puree all ingredients in a blender, adding a little more milk if needed. Spoon into bowls, add whipped topping and berries if desired.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Shape Magazine, January/February 2014
www.shape.com/healthy-eating/healthy-recipes‎

ASIAN CHICKEN DUMPLINGS and PORK DUMPLINGS and CHINESE NOODLES WITH BARBECUE PORK and MANGO PUDDING

Happy Chinese and Vietnamese New Year!!! Wishing you luck and prosperity in the Year of the Horse!!

ASIAN CHICKEN DUMPLINGS

1/4 cup soy sauce
2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 pound ground chicken
1/2 cup finely chopped cabbage
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
wonton wrappers (I used round)

In a bowl, mix the soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of ginger and the rice vinegar.
In a large bowl, mix the chicken, cabbage, remaining ginger and oils and season with salt and pepper.
Put about 1 tablespoon of mixture into a wonton wrapper, brush the edges with water, fold and pinch to seal. Repeat until all mixture is used.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray Magazine
www.rachaelray.com/‎

PORK DUMPLINGS





1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 pound ground pork
wonton wrappers (I used square)

Whisk together the egg white, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch, sugar, salt and pepper in a medium sized bowl. Stir in the green onions, ginger and garlic, add the pork and stir until the filling is thoroughly combined.
Put about a tablespoon of filling into the middle of each wonton wrapper, moisten the edges with water and bring the corners of the wrapper together at the top, pinching to seal.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Family Fun Magazine, February 2010
family.go.com/recipes/‎

CHINESE NOODLES WITH BARBECUE PORK

PORK
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon sherry
1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed and diced
NOODLES
12 ounces chinese noodles
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 1/2 tablespoons minced peeled ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
1/2 onion, sliced
2 cups fresh bean sprouts
3 green onions, sliced

To prepare pork, combine honey, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sherry, five-spice powder, salt and pepper, in a zip-lock bag. Add pork. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 8 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.
Heat broiler to high. Remove pork from bag, and discard marinade. Place pork on a foil lined baking sheet, broil for 4 minutes on each side or until it is cooked through. Let stand 10 minutes.
To prepare noodles, cook according to package directions. Combine 2 tablespoons soy sauce, oyster sauce, and 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce, set aside.
Heat a large pan over high heat, add oil to pan, swirl. Add ginger, garlic and jalapeño, stir fry 30 seconds. Add sliced onion, bean sprouts, and green onions, stir fry one minute. Add pork and soy sauce mixture. Serve over noodles.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light, March 2013
www.cookinglight.com/‎

MANGO PUDDING

2 envelopes of unflavored gelatin
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup hot water
3 cups pureed frozen mango
1 cup evaporated milk

Add gelatin and sugar to hot water and mix until dissolved and smooth. Mix in mango puree and evaporated milk, stir until smooth.
Pour mixture into bowl and chill until set (I poured mine through a sieve because the gelatin formed lumps).
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from About.Com
http://chinesefood.about.com/od/dessertsfruit/r/mangopudding.htm

CREAMY COLESLAW WITH PINEAPPLE AND ALMONDS and TROPICAL RICE PUDDING

We had a container of fresh pineapple in the refrigerator, and I wanted to use it before it went bad - I hate to waste good food.
I came across the Tropical Rice Pudding recipe while reading the latest Southern Living magazine, and the Creamy Coleslaw with Pineapple and Almonds looked appealing to me, while I was searching through my stockpile.
The pineapple added a lovely fresh, tropical flavor to the dishes, which was so very welcome amidst these cold, dim days of winter.

CREAMY COLESLAW WITH PINEAPPLE AND ALMONDS

1/3 cup slivered almonds
1 cup chopped green cabbage
1 cup fresh pineapple, chopped
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup creme fraiche
zest and juice from 1/2 a lime
1 teaspoon sugar
salt to taste

To toast the almonds, spread out on a cookie sheet, in a 350F oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, combine cabbage, pineapple and almonds.
In a separate bowl, combine mayonnaise, creme fraiche, lime zest and juice and sugar. Season to taste with salt. Toss with the salad ingredients and chill for at least 1 hour.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Northwest Arkansas Times, May 2012

TROPICAL RICE PUDDING

2 cups cooked rice (I used Jasmine)
4 cups milk
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup cream
2 eggs
2 cups chopped pineapple
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon orange extract

Bring rice, milk, sugar and salt to a simmer in a large saucepan, over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
Reduce heat to medium-low, simmer, stirring often, 20 to 25 minutes, or until milk is reduced by half and rice is very tender.
Meanwhile, whisk together cream and eggs. Whisk 2 tablespoons of hot rice mixture into cream mixture. Reduce heat to low, stir cream mixture into remaining rice mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat, stir in pineapple, orange zest, lemon zest and orange extract.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Southern Living, January 2014
www.southernliving.com/food/‎

MALVA PUDDING

I may be the only person in NWA, sad to see the snow days come to an end. This past week has felt like a lovely vacation from all of the usual December Christmas chaos!!
I have had more patience, with not having to, or trying to rush, do and be everywhere, it has been wonderful!! However I do worry a little that I didn't experience any cabin fever!! It did help that we have a good sized "cabin" and friends were by every day, and my husbands car managed well on the roads once he was able to get it out of the driveway, after the first couple of days.
All the same, I decided to plan a little celebration when the announcement came that school would resume - I need very little excuse to make an occasion of something. So my husband uncorked a bottle of wine, and I baked this pudding, knowing we were stocked with all the necessary ingredients, and we toasted, celebrated a return to some kind of regular routine, and ushered out the last snow day. For now.

MALVA PUDDING

Heat oven to 350F. In a bowl, whisk 3/4 cup sugar and 2 large eggs until thick and yellow, mix in 1 tablespoon of apricot jam, 1 tablespoon melted butter, 1 teaspoon of vinegar and 1/3 cup milk. In a second bowl, mix 1/2 cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Pour dry mixture into wet mixture, and stir until combined. Pour batter into a 7 by 11 inch baking dish. Bake until pudding has risen and top is evenly browned, 16 to 18 minutes.
While it bakes make the sauce: combine 1/2 cup sugar, 3/4 cup cream, 7 tablespoons of butter, 1/3 cup hot water and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract in a saucepan over low heat, simmer, stirring constantly, until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved, 3 to 5 minutes. Set aside.
Let the baked pudding sit for a few minutes. Pour sauce evenly over the top, let stand for 15 minutes.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Glamour Magazine, October 2013
www.glamour.com/about/food-recipes‎

BANANA PUDDING and QUICK PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

My oldest son was recently scheduled for a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy - it was time to take care of his sleep apnea, and maybe even eliminate the need for speech therapy and chewing with his mouth open (we are still waiting to see results on the latter two). It was very difficult to leave my child in the hands of virtual strangers and to watch him being wheeled away into surgery, even one that is commonplace. I wondered if we were doing the right thing, if everything was going well, and why I hadn't had another cup of coffee before leaving the house at 6am.
Thankfully all went well, and he did great, however he had complained of a sore stomach early in the morning, which I attributed to nerves. Unfortunately it was the flu, which hit both my boys, and was a miserable set back to recovery.
I tried to make the mandatory soft diet interesting and varied, but despite my best efforts he had no appetite and no interest in trying to eat anything, not even this rich, creamy banana pudding, or the soft, sweet pineapple upside down cake drenched in whipped cream. Thankfully he kept his fluids up, and as soon as he was able to eat solid food, his first request was for Eureka Pizza - sausage, light sauce, extra cheese.

BANANA PUDDING

3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
pinch of salt
3 cups milk
8 eggs, separated
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups vanilla wafers
4 ripe bananas, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Heat oven to 350F. In a large saucepan, combine 1/3 cup sugar, cornstarch and salt, stir until blended. Mix in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened and boiling, boil 1 minute, then remove from heat. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks, then whisk in about 1/2 cup of hot custard until blended. Pour yolk mixture back into saucepan of custard, cook over medium heat, stirring for 2 minutes. Stir in butter and vanilla until blended.
Place vanilla wafers on bottom of a shallow 2 quart casserole dish. Top with layers of banana slices and custard. Repeat layering, ending with custard.
In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites and 1/4 cup sugar at low speed until frothy. Add cream of tartar, increase speed to medium and gradually beat in remaining sugar. Beat until egg whites hold stiff peaks.
Spoon meringue over hot custard immediately, making sure that the meringue touches the baking dish on all sides (this prevents it from shrinking).
Transfer to oven and bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Remove pudding from oven and cool 1 hour. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Oprah Magazine, October 2004
www.oprah.com/food/Banana-Pudding

QUICK PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (15 ounce) can pineapple slices, drained
1 (18 ounce) package yellow cake mix

Heat oven to 350F.
Melt butter in an oven safe skillet. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle over butter in the bottom of the skillet. Arrange 7 pineapple slices over brown sugar.
Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Pour batter over pineapple. Bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove cake and invert onto a large plate.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, January 2013
www.arkansasonline.com/news/features/food/?f=features-food...2

BREAKFAST PUDDING and HAM AND EGG BRUNCH

Here are a couple of breakfast dishes I made for my family over the holidays. They were both absolutely wonderful, and would be great for breakfast, brunch or lunch - paired with fruit or a simple green salad - perfect.

HAM AND EGG BRUNCH

2 1/2 cups cooked diced ham
5 hard boiled eggs, quartered
3 ounces cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 cup ricotta cheese
salt and pepper to taste
6 slices of hot, buttered English muffins
dash of paprika
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped

Gently heat ham and eggs in a heavy skillet. Blend cream cheese, sour cream and ricotta cheese in a separate bowl, add to the skillet and mix. Heat on low 2 minutes and add salt and pepper to taste. Ladle over hot muffins. Sprinkle tops with paprika and parsley, and serve.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Invitation Tupelo, December 2012/January 2013
www.invitationtupelo.com/

BREAKFAST PUDDING

16 slices of home made style bread
8 slices ham
8 slices aged cheddar cheese
6 eggs
3 cups whole milk
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 red pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon worcester sauce
dash of tabasco

Grease a 9-inch by 13-inch pan.
Trim crusts off 8 slices of bread and layer in bottom of pan, then add one layer of ham and one layer of cheese.
Trim crusts off remaining bread and layer on top of cheese. Beat eggs with milk, stir in onion, pepper, worcester sauce, mustard, tabasco and chopped peppers.
Pour evenly over bread and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
Next day, bake in a 350F degree oven for 1 hour, or until brown, and set in the middle. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Breakfast for a Christmas Day by Sheila Laird