Pineapple Bundt Cake with Pineapple Syrup

Looking for bundt cake recipes other than pumpkin, I came across this one. And when I saw it was from Week of Menus, I knew it was going to be good.

I did do some slight modifications. The sugar didn't beat into the butter for three minutes; I was sick of holding the hand mixer after two minutes. I didn't use a vanilla bean, I used extract. The syrup? Well, I didn't brush it on and wait for the cake to cool completely. I poured it on (so it turned out more like a topping) and cut into that sucker.

Pineapple Bundt Cake with Pineapple Syrup
adapted from Week of Menus
click to print

3 c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 c sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c sour cream
1/2 c buttermilk
1 1/2 c diced fresh pineapple
2/3 c fresh pineapple puree (use a hand blender, blender, or chopper and puree until fairly smooth)
1/3 c granulated sugar
2 tbsp water

Place rack in center of oven, and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and lightly flour inside of 10-inch bundt pan.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.


Mix together sour cream and buttermilk mixture.

Check this out: I measured the buttermilk in the measuring glass. Then I measured the sour cream in a measuring cup. When I added the sour cream to the buttermilk, I found that the total volume was a smidge shy of one full cup. Next time, I'll just know that I can add the sour cream to the buttermilk directly and save my dishwasher (ahem, that's still me) a few minutes.

Beat the butter at medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes.


Add sugar and beat at medium-high speed until the mixture is light in texture and color, about 2-3 minutes.


Beat in eggs one at a time, beating for 30 to 40 seconds after each addition. Scrape down sides of bowl as necessary.


Look how yellow the batter gets. And voluminous.

Beat in vanilla.


At low speed, add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with sour cream mixture.


Using a spatula, carefully fold in diced pineapple, incorporating it into the batter.


Carefully spoon batter into bundt pan.


Bake cake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.


Cool the cake in the pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then invert it onto another rack. Place the cake, on the rack, over a baking sheet.


Meanwhile, prepare syrup by combining pineapple puree, sugar, and water in a small non-reactive saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat.


Pour the syrup over the cake.



This cake is excellent! It is a little sweet, really buttery, and beautifully pineapple-flavored! The cake is quite moist without the syrup, but the syrup topping is where the pineapple really steps up to the plate and says, "yep, it's all me baby!"

There was a snafu with the baking temperature. For a period of about 10 minutes, the knob had been turned down from 350 to about 300. As soon as I noticed it, I turned the oven back up. I don't know if it made a difference - if it did it might have been the crust of the bundt, which I find amazing! It's actually slightly crusty offering a very nice texture variation.

So good, I will have to make a gluten-free cake and share. I'm killin' this one myself. Every crumb.

Cost:

• all-purpose flour: $0.24
• unsalted butter: $1.08
• sugar: $0.53
• eggs: $1.21
• vanilla extract: $0.16
• sour cream: $0.35
• buttermilk: $0.35
• pineapple: $3.27

TOTAL: $7.19 or about $0.60 for each of 12 exceptional servings.

Maille Dijon Originale Mustard

I like the country blend Maille offers, so when I looked for some Dijon mustard, I bought this stuff. If you click that image above, you'll see in red font on the right side of the black label "HOT". Mmm.

Not too long ago, I put mustard on stuff for the color rather than the flavor. Now I find I like the heat mustard can bring. It's like wasabi heat, but yellow.


This struck me as sort of funny: Maille is by Unilever, the same people who give me my Breyer's ice cream. But doesn't Dijon mustard mean it's from Dijon? As in France? As in NOT Canada?

In the 18th century, a Dijon manufacturer called Naigeon fixed the recipe for 'strong' or 'white' mustard, the production of which was synchronized with the wine harvest, as the black and brown seeds were mixed with verjuice [acid juice of large grapes]. Today, Dijon mustard is prepared with verjuice and white wine, Orleans mustard with wine vinegar, and Bordeaux mustard, which is milder and brown in colour, with grape must (the French word for mustard is derived from mout ardent, i.e. 'piquant must'). -- per Larousse Gastronomique, 1984

So I guess that means no, it doesn't have to be from Dijon, just prepared with verjuice and white wine. And this leaves me with more questions since the ingredient statement for this "original" Dijon is lacking the verjuice and wine. I don't get it. Anyone have a later copy of Larousse care to fill me in?


Regardless, this mustard is tasty.


Maille Dijon Originale mustard, available in the condiment aisle of Ralph's for $6.29 a 7.5-oz jar. That makes each of about 42 teaspoons approximately $0.15.

St. Dalfour Red Raspberry Fruit Spread

I tend to stand in the jams and jellies section of the store reading every single label, looking for the one that doesn't have high fructose corn syrup in it. I want mine to have sugar and I don't care how many disgruntled moms shove me around to grab their precious Smuckers.

And then I saw this. It doesn't have any added sugar in it, relying on grape juice for sweetening. It is completely mind blowing.


And it looks like any regular jam or preserve or spread.


It even has a lot of seeds. My heart pitter-patters at an accelerated rate just looking at this.

And now I know 10-oz of spread is about 1 cup. Fancy.

St. Dalfour Red Raspberry Spread in the jam and jelly section of Ralph's for $5.59 (gulp!) a tall and skinny 10-oz jar.

Cost of Take-Out Lunch, Week Ending 032913

Monday: Bravo Burgers for two: $15.31
Tuesday: Jack in the Box SW Chix Salad: $6.04
Wednesday: Deemer's on a coworker
Thursday: Jack in the Box SW Chix Salad on a coworker
Friday: holiday

Total: $21.35
Total for the year: $427.49

Grocery List, 032913

Raspberry-Mustard Glazed Ham with Warm Berry Compote
Carrot, Parsnips, and Plums with Fresh Ginger
Buttermilk Potato Gratin
Pineapple Vanilla Bean Bundt Cake with Pineapple Syrup
Ham, Goat Cheese and Spinach Strata

Ralph's

• Maille dijon mustard: $6.29
• whole milk: $1.99/half-gallon
• cran-raspberry juice: $2.99/2L
• preserves: $5.59
• frozen spinach: $1
• ham: $16.70
• goat cheese: $11.99
• sourdough bread: $2.50
• TOTAL: $49.15

Grower's Direct:

• plums (3): $2.35/1.18 lb
• green onions: $0.39/bunch
• garlic: $0.37/0.15 lb
• parsnips (3): $1.36/0.98 lb
• blackberries: $4.78/12 oz
• raspberries: $6.98/12 oz
• thyme: $1.29
• sage: $1.29
• TOTAL: $18.81

Grand Total: $67.96

Tilapia Tacos with Chipotle-Black Bean Slaw

Here's a recipe I wouldn't normally try. It sounded good, but it involves frying fish and that just didn't sound like something I'd want to do. Throwing caution to the wind and exercising my kitchen skillz, I went for it. And it rocked my freakin' world. Completely worth doing, no two ways about it.

The recipe calls for a coleslaw mix and coleslaw dressing but I opted to make each. I mean, coleslaw mix? Shred some cabbage and carrots and dice some onion. Done. The dressing? I downsized the quantity of the Sweet Restaurant Slaw dressing and it turned out very well. Those details are jotted down below.

Tilapia Tacos with Chipotle-Black Bean Slaw
adapted from Cooking Club of America
click to print

Slaw
1/4 c mayonnaise
1 tbsp vegetable oil
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp white vinegar
1/8 tsp salt
1 tbsp plus 2 teaspoons chipotle hot sauce, divided
16 oz coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage, shredded carrots and a couple tbsp diced onion)
1 (15-oz.) can black beans, drained, rinsed
1/4 c coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
2 green onions, thinly sliced

Fish
4 (6-oz.) tilapia filets, halved lengthwise
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 eggs
2 c panko
1/2 c vegetable oil
8 (8-inch) flour tortillas

Combine mayonnaise, oil, sugar, vinegar, salt, and 1 tablespoon of the hot sauce in bowl until blended.

Sweet Restaurant Slaw dressing + Chipotle Tabasco = Chipotle-Black Bean Slaw Dressing.

Toss in coleslaw mix, black beans, cilantro and green onions until coated.

Too paranoid there'd be too much dressing, I realized afterward that all of this could've happened in one bowl.

Sprinkle tilapia with salt and pepper.


Whisk eggs in medium bowl with remaining 2 teaspoons hot sauce; place panko in large shallow bowl.


Dip tilapia in egg mixture; roll in panko, pressing lightly to coat.


Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until hot.

Once it started looking like it might be getting warm, I threw a couple panko flakes in (the second photo) and waited for them to start frying before doing the fish.

Cook fish, in batches, 4 to 6 minutes or until crisp and golden brown, turning once and adjusting heat if necessary. Drain on rack or paper towels.



Heat tortillas in hot, dry skillet until warm and soft.


Serve tilapia in tortillas topped with coleslaw.

Concerned the crisp fish would tear the tortilla when consumption was underway, I broke it up a little.


Wow, wow, wow! I am so glad I made this recipe! I had doubts on my way home and thought I should just get chicken instead since fish is sooo hard to make. But these are a very nice change of pace and have me wondering why don't I have fish every day? The Chipotle Tabasco is extremely mild and is just a faint presence, which is a perfect reason to load the finished tacos up with it for added heat and flavor. The slaw didn't turn out soggy, which is fantastic. Next time I'd ease up on the sugar quantity with aim for a more zingy slaw.

The fish was simple to prepare; there was more than enough of the batter and coating which is always a plus to me. I can't stand when I run out in the middle of prep. The amount of oil called for was just perfect and worked well in a 12-inch skillet. The fish fried quickly and easily, the batter stuck like glue yielding nicely crisped fillets. For a very brief moment, the smell reminded me of Gorton's fish sticks. That's what we had sometimes when I was a kid (for a good ol' let's-eat-like-American-kids dinner) and it brought a smile to this face.

Cost:

• mayonnaise: $0.31
• vegetable oil: $0.50, SWAG
• sugar: $0.36
• chipotle hot sauce: $0.67
• cabbage and carrots: $1.69
• black beans: $0.71
• cilantro: $0.50
• green onions: $0.25
• tilapia filets: $5.70
• eggs: $0.61
• panko: $0.75
• flour tortillas: $2.15

TOTAL: $14.20 or about $1.78 for each of 8 tacos.

3/29/13
Reheating the fish is simple for the leftovers. Throw a fillet or two on a baking sheet and pop it in the oven briefly until warmed through. Heat a tortilla or two, add the fish, pile on the slaw. Lunch done in minutes.