When the temps drop into the single digits it’s time to warm up with a hot chocolate and this lovely steamed bread, made in a can. Canned Bread? Yup, and it’s so easy, delicious and full of good stuff. Just put the batter in a greased coffee can(see pix below) , put can in a pot of boiling water, 3/4 of the way up the can. Cover with aluminum foil, lower the heat to a gentle simmer and steam for 2 hours or until a tester comes out clean. It’s really good with a dollop of cream cheese. This recipe is a combination of Date Nut Bread and Boston Brown Bread and it’s from my cookery book Coming Home To Cook.
Steamed Fruit Bread – gluten free In a large bowl mix together 2 1/2 cups gluten free bread flour or my recipe for gf flour in book. If using gluten flour use – 11/2 cups whole wheat flour and 1 cup plain white flour. Add 1 cup cornmeal, 11/2 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. baking (bread) soda, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 cup raisins, 1 cup chopped dates, 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, 1/4 cup sesame seeds, 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, 3/4 cup dark molasses, 1/2 cup honey, 2 cups buttermilk. Mix well and spoon into greased cans. Place in water, cover with foil, cover the pot and steam for 2 hours. Let cool on a wire rack. To remove, turn the can over, tap on bottom and bread will slide out. Enjoy!
Traditional Cuban Black Beans are made with a piece of salt pork or ham hocks. But, with the correct seasoning and a rich vegetable stock this vegetarian version hits the spot. It’s great with yellow rice flavored with turmeric. These 2 recipes have 5 of the 7 super spices: turmeric, cayenne pepper, paprika and cumin. Turmeric is a bright yellow spice that is an antioxidant and cancer fighter, as well as promoting brain health by protecting against cognitive decline. Cayenne and paprika enhance metabolism, increases satiety and stimulates fat burning. Cumin also has cancer fighting properties, aids in digestive disorders and has antiseptic value in fighting the common cold. Garlic has cancer protective benefits.
This is a really light, moist quick bread that is gluten and dairy free. There’s a lot of options to help you with gluten free baking in most health shops. In 
Eggplants, otherwise known as aubergines, are rich in calcium, vitamin A, iron and have plenty of good fiber. Stuffed, rolled, stacked, diced, layered and pureed they are versatile in an array of ethnic vegetarian dishes. I made these timbales or stacks with a homemade tomato sauce and fresh mozarella cheese. To keep this dish light and low fat I used low fat ricotta, baked the eggplant (which is much lighter than frying) and I made it gluten free by using rice flour and gluten free bread crumbs. They’re perfect with my slamming good garlic bread recipe from 
Comfort yourself and your family with a warm dessert on a cold winters night. This is an old American cake recipe that’s made in a cast iron skillet or you can use a spring form pan. Don’t have either? A 9″ cake pan is ok, too. There’s nothing complicated about this recipe. Just follow the steps and you will have a perfect cake that will look beautiful and taste delicious. Good luck! Here’s how: Preheat oven to 400. Melt 1/4 cup butter with 1 cup brown sugar. Peel, core and slice into rings – 1 fresh pineapple. In a cast iron skillet, pat down sugar/butter mixture. Sprinkle 1 cup of whole pecans and top with pineapple rings. Now make the cake batter, which for this recipe is called Cottage Pudding: Sift together 1 1/2 cups white flour, 2 tsp. baking powder and 1/2 tsp. salt. Blend with 1/2 cup white sugar. Seperately mix together 1 egg with 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup melted butter. Mix together dry and wet batter. It will be thick. Pour into the pan, covering the pineapple. Bake for 20-25 minutes. 
Let cool on a wire rack. With a knife or spatula, loosen the cake from the sides of the pan. Place a flat plate over the pan, completely covering it. Slowly turn over and the cake will come out of the pan onto the plate. Put another plate on the bottom of the cake and turn over again, so the pineapple side is up. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollopof whipped cream. For more delicious recipes check out my vegetarian cookbook 