Avocado Tea Cakes

Yummy!  What a  way to start my Monday morning.  Chef Azuki has created a new delicious tea cake with the small avocados that I have growing in my yard.  Despite the efforts of our neighborhood squirrels and our own (Blogger BeaN and Hubby BeaN) misadventures in the watering system of our hillside, we have a crop of small yet tasty and creamy avocados!  Our first harvest!  Now I've been bugging friends for guacamole recipes and putting avocados in all our sandwiches and salads. But only Chef Azuki would think of baking them into her tea cakes.  Chef Azuki, You Rock!

Avocado Tea Cakes

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix

1 Cup of strong green tea

2 small avocados peeled and mashed

3 eggs

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2.  In a large bowl, blend cake mix, tea, avocados and eggs until everything is moistened

3.  Beat on medium speed  for an extra 2 minutes

4.  Pour this luscious mixture into square cupcake tins lined with paper baking cups
5.  Add your own garnish if you would like

And then enjoy!  I had mine with some unsweetened ginger tea and now am ready to enjoy the rest of this beautiful day.

BeaNspiration:  Enjoy the little things that make your heart sing!

Asian Slaw Salad w/ Pomegranate Dressing

I never know what to sign up for during potlucks.  Will I have enough time to cook a main dish?  Will the dessert last if I buy it or make it the night before?  Do I have to toss the salad there?  Here's a a sure way to make your potluck dilemma disappear. A lovely Asian-inspired slaw salad with pomegranate dressing that you can make the day before.  Any salad that I can make ahead of time and it doesn’t wilt to pieces is Lucky in my book.  I can sign up for that salad for the potluck!  I think I found my pot of GREENS! 

Asian Slaw Salad w/ Pomegranate Dressing

12oz bag of broccoli slaw

3 C kale cut into small pieces (remove hard center part of leaf)

½ C Cashews chopped

½ C dried cranberries

1 C spicy sprouts

Dressing:

¼ C Pomegranate juice

2 Tbsp. Seasoned Rice Vinegar

2 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. sesame oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1.  In a large bowl put in broccoli slaw, chopped kale, cashews and cranberries
2.  Prepare dressing by whisking together all the ingredients
3.  Pour dressing on the salad and toss
4.  Set for at least 1/2 hour in the refrigerator
5.  If you're making the salad the night before, leave out cashews until the next day

BeaNspiration:  The world is my inspiration!

Brown Rice California Cake

Otanjyobi Omedetou means "Happy Birthday" in Japanese.  Chef Azuki remembers her father's birthday today and also how he loved sushi.  In his honor, we are introducing Brown Rice California Cake in our blog.  It's a spin off from the famous California Roll and the Roll Your Own Sushi Recipes.  We used brown rice and light mayonnaise in an attempt to make it healthier.  Let us know what you think.

Brown Rice California Cake

3 Cups brown rice (short grain)

1 Cup chopped imitation crab

1 cucumber seeded and diced

2 stalks green onion chopped

1/3 Cup Seasoned Rice Vinegar

1/4 tsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. light mayonnaise

1 avocado sliced

1-2 tsp. ginger for garnish

1 Tbsp. furukake (nori komi)

1 Package Sushi Seaweed Sheets

Low Sodium Soy Sauce 

Wasabi to taste (be careful, it's hot)

Directions:

1.  Cook 3 cups of rice according to directions

2.  Chop the crab and green onions

3.  Dice the cucumbers

4.  When the rice is cool, add sugar and salt to seasoned rice vinegar, stir and pour over the rice

5.  Add light mayo to the imitation crab

6.  Use an 8 or 9" round cake pan or any round casserole dish you may have

7.  Line casserole dish with saran wrap

8.  Layer the cake.  Start with 1/2 the rice (Push it down with fingertips to have an even layer)

9.  Fill with crab mixture, then cucumbers and top with another layer of rice.  (Push it down)

10.  Carefully (you may need the help of a friend or little BeaN) take out the cake by
       flipping it over a plate and pulling on the saran wrap.

11.  Sprinkle furukake all over the top

11.  When it comes out you can garnish with avocado slices making a pretty flower

12.  Mound up a pile of ginger in the center of the flower

13.  Cut nori(seaweed) sheets in half horizontally

14.  Everyone can now make their own sushi rolls by cutting the cake and
       putting the rice mixture into the nori and rolling it up.
15.  Chef Azuki's special instructions:  make the point of the nori paper point to you,
       put a scoop of rice mixture on at an angle and roll from that point.

16.  Let everyone make their own dipping sauce (soy sauce and wasabi) in individual small bowls
       and enjoy your roll!

Maybe you know a sushi-lover whose birthday is coming up.  This will surely be a hit!
Otanjyobi Omedetou to all our Pisces readers!  

BeaNspiration:  Adding a new twist on something tried and true can make it new again!

Wasabi Hummus

The Azuki BeaN Mamas made a special dip for Girl’s Day.  Hinamatsuri, also known as Girl’s Day or Japanese Doll Festival, is celebrated on March 3.  It's a day for the Japanese dolls to be brought out.  Didn't set any up this year, but enjoyed a yummy lunch of ginger chicken and other finger foods.  This dip jazzed up our lunch and was a fun snack.   It’s delicious with veges or try it with your favorite crispy crackers.  It has a little kick to it for the wild child in all of us.  Enjoy!

Wasabi Hummus

1 can of Garbanzo Beans

1 clove Garlic

½ Cup liquid from the garbanzo beans

½ tsp. salt

¼ Cup lemon juice

½ tsp. sesame oil

¼- ½ tsp. wasabi paste

Directions:

1.  Place Garbanzo beans, garlic, liquid from beans, salt, lemon juice, sesame oil and   

      wasabi paste in a food processor or blender

2.  Process on high until creamy

3.  Scoop out into a bowl and serve with vegetables and/or crackers

Try this quick ‘n easy recipe for parties, picnics or anytime you need a quick snack.   Feel free to double the recipe and tweak it to your own preference.  Part of the fun of cooking is learning what flavors excite you!

BeaNspirations:  Make up your own recipe for life!