Berry Coffee Cake with Crumble Topping

Blackberry and strawberry season in Chongqing is welcomed by small shopkeepers and individual sellers who market their delicious fruit on street corners and along any busy side walks.  The perfect deep purple blackberry is lined in neat rows and strawberries are mounded in shallow baskets for show.  The berries are always fresh picked, and tempting.

I wanted to take advantage of the plentifulness by starting with a basic sour cream coffee cake and combining the berries to get the contrast in color and tangy sweetness.  Now, living in mid-west China has a few difficulties.  At times I cannot get the ingredients I need to make some recipes; sour cream being one of them.  Not to worry, I have found plain yogurt to be a great substitute and did use my homemade yogurt to make this cake.

My favorite fruit and veggie store just outside FG gates displays the daily pick of berries.

Street vendor shouts to get my attention and check out her basket of blackberries.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2/3 cup sour cream (or plain yogurt)
1 teaspoon almond extract

Topping

3/4 cup strawberries sliced
3/4 cup blackberries
3/4 cup sugar coated or honey coated walnuts
3/4 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons butter melted

Set the oven to 375 degree Fahrenheit  (250 degree Celsius).  Prepare a 10 inch round cake pan by brushing with oil, or spray with cooking spray, then dust with flour.  Tap out the excess flour.  In a bowl, combine dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda by shaking through a sifter.

In a separate bowl mix butter and sugar together and beat well with a mixer until fluffy.

 Add eggs one at a time and mix each time.  Add the sour cream and almond extract. Beat once more.  Add dry ingredients a bit at a time and stir after each addition.

For the topping, put together flour, sugar, coconut, walnuts and melted butter and mix.

Pour the batter into the waiting pan and spread until it is even. Drop the strawberries and blackberries randomly on top of batter.  With your hand, crumble the topping all over.

 Pop the pan into the heated oven and bake for about 45 to 50 minutes.  Check to see when done by inserting a toothpick in the center.

Combine the reserved berries with 1 tablespoon of sugar and set aside.  When the cake cools down to room temp, and just before serving, garnish the center with the berries.

Mujadara

Mujadara is cracked bulgar wheat cooked until fragrant with boiled lentils.  When buying bulgar pay attention to the size of the wheat grain.  Selecting the medium to large grain will give you the best results with this dish.  Loaded with iron, fiber and protein, I can't stress the health benefits of mujadara enough.  Caramelize sliced onions and pile on top of your plate to add a sweet and savory flavor.  My girls prefer to accompany it with greek yogurt; I personally have to have some fattoush salad with every bite!

Ingredients:

1cup brown lentils
2 cups bulgar wheat
4 cups water
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Caramelized Onion

2 cups thinly sliced onion
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons canola or any cooking oil
2 tablespoons olive oil



Rinse lentils, place in pot with about 3 cups of water, bring to a boil and cook until the lentil is just tender, but still has a bite to it, approximately 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, slice the onions paper thin and set aside.

Measure out the bulgar wheat in a bowl, submerge in water and let sit for a few minutes.  Pour off the water and rinse.  When the lentils are done, pour the water remaining in the pot into a measuring cup.  We want to add this water back to the pot.

Throw the bulgar in with the lentils and pour in a total of 4 cups of water, including the remaining lentil water.  Add the spices, and bring to a boil.  Set the heat to low, cover and cook until the bulgar is tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

While the bulgar is cooking, heat up the oil in a pan for the onions.  Slide the sliced onion into the pan and cook until they begin to brown, stirring every once in awhile.  Continue to cook and stir with a wooden spoon until the onions turn a deep brown color.

 Drain on a plate lined with a paper towel, but remember to save the oil.

When the bulgar is finished steaming, uncover the pot and fluff with a fork.  Pour the reserved onion oil over the bulgar wheat and stir.  Serve the mujadara and garnish generously with the caramelized onion.

Barbeque Chicken in the Oven

This is my first attempt at posting, and so, I have chosen a recipe I've used for years, that has been popular with both guests and family alike.  I mix up my own barbeque sauce and pour over pieces of chicken legs, thighs or wings.  The poultry is left to marinate for hours or overnight to soak up as much of the sauce as possible, then baked in the oven on high heat until the meat is tender, falling off the bone, yet slightly crisped on the outside.

Barbeque Chicken

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion diced

4 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 cups ketchup

3/4 cup cider vinegar

4 tablespoons lemon juice

4 tablespoons worcestershire sauce

5 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon celery seed

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

cracked black pepper to taste

a pinch of pepper flakes to taste

Place the diced onion and crushed garlic in a bowl, measure out the dry ingredients: chili powder, brown sugar, celery seed, salt and peppers.

Pour in the ketchup, worcestershire sauce,vinegar, lemon juice olive oil and liquid smoke.

Begin by lining any deep edged pan you like with aluminum foil to make cleanup easier and to avoid burning the bottom of the pan.  Pour the prepared barbeque sauce over the chicken, mix well, cover with another piece of aluminum foil and let marinate in the fridge for a few hours.  You can even make the day ahead and keep in the fridge until the next day.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes covered.  Uncover and bake for another 20 minutes or until browned on the outside.  Don't forget to baste the chicken with the barbeque sauce in the bottom of the pan every 5 to 10 minutes after uncovering.

Serve immediately and enjoy.