The Spice is Sweet!

 

Here's a dessert that's both spicy and sweet, and makes a neat treat for your backyard cookout! Jane Butel, who's the author of Real Women Eat Chilies visited Tonia's Kitchen to talk about a memorable dish that's based on berries.  Jane told Tonia she takes 4 cups of any berries (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, etc), and combines that with one lime that's cut in half with the juice squeezed over the berries to enhance the flavor. Jane then mixes the fruit with 3/4 cup of

all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup of any kind of wheat flake cereal (Wheaties, etc) and 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter.  She then adds a teaspoon of some hot spicy chili (hence the name of her book), a half teaspoon of cinnamon, and a half-cup of apple juice concentrate.  Combine it all together and bake for 15 minutes at 425-degrees.  Stir it all together and serve it with ice cream or frozen yogurt. It's a delicious berry blast.

4 cups assorted fresh berries, such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries

1 lime

¼ cup sugar or honey

¼ cup each all-purpose flour and wheat flake cereal, crushed

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon pequin chile

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ cup apple juice concentrate

Frozen yoghurt or low-fat ice cream

1. Preheat the over to 425°F. Rinse the berries and place in a buttered baking dish.

2. Squeeze the lime evenly over the top. Sprinkle with sugar.

3. Combine the flour, cereal, butter, pequin chile, and cinnamon. Stir in the apple juice. Spread the batter over the berries.

4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the topping is browned and crusty.

5. Serve with frozen yogurt or ice cream.

The Spice is Nice

Indeed this spice is! You may not have heard of it, it's Za'atar. It's one of the many spices Susan Spungen uses in her new cookbook Open Kitchen: Inspired Food for Casual Gatherings. She stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about the book and Za'atar! It's s a Mediterranean/Middle Eastern spice that really goes well on tofu, or a number of other dishes she talks about in the book. While not widely known in America, Za'atar is gaining in popularity and may be available in your grocer. She also talks about sea salt and kosher salt, along with lemon paste and other herbs and spices like Sumac that can really liven up the flavor of what you make and give it a real zing!