Monday, May 27, 2019

Mangu with Men Pa'w Umami

Mangu with Men Pa'w Umami Mild Gourmet Sauce


We have reviewed several Men Pa'w Sauces over the years on many foods and are big fans of the product line. Carline Phanor recently released the stellar Men Pa'w Umami Mild Gourmet Sauce. I put it over mangu that Sophia made us and it was superb! Umami is mild but it is packed with flavor and will compliment all your dishes. The rich taste lingered nicely on my tongue and I kept adding more of it to my mangu. Umami adds a refreshing and bold kick and is versatile for rice dishes, beans, seafood, eggs, chicken, pork, steak, veggie dishes and more.


Men Pa'w Umami with mangu
Umami is a vinegar based sauce and features roasted red peppers, fire roasted red jalapeno, chocolate habanero and a variety of spices. Men Pa'w are known for their Caribbean flavors and Umami is no exception. Some of the spice ingredients are garlic, cayenne pepper, paprika, onion, curry powder, black pepper, celery, chili powder, and parsley. See mangu recipe below. We made ours with Dominican salami but you can also make mangu with fried Spanish white cheese, and also fried or scrambled eggs.

Umami

Mangu Ingredients
3-4 Green Plantains

Apple Cider Vinegar

1/2 cup, 1 stick Butter, softened

1 Shallot, diced

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Coarse Salt


Mangu with Dominican Salami

Mangu with Dominican Salami

Directions
Peel and slice plantains.

In a small skillet, add 1 table spoon of olive oil, shallots and season with salt. Sautee over medium heat and then set aside.

In a large pot filled with water, add the peeled and sliced plantains and cook over medium heat.


Plantains ready to mash
Adding butter and continuing to mash
Add coarse salt.

Cook for 20-25 minutes.

Reserve 1 cup of the starchy water.

Drain plantains and return to pot.


Add cooked shallots and stir together with a spatula

Starchy water reserved before draining plantains
With a masher start to smash plantains.

Add butter and continue mashing.

Add about 2 tablespoons of the starchy water and continue mashing until you reach the consistency you like. I prefer mine a little on the chunky side.



Adding starchy water
Adding apple cider vinegar
Add cooked shallots and combine with a spatula.

Add 1-2 tablespoons (or less) of Apple Cider Vinegar and stir together with a spatula.

Add 1 tablespoon at a time of the starchy water if needed.

Enjoy!

-Allen and Sophia/Two Frys

Saturday, May 4, 2019

Kentucky Derby Cupcakes

Kentucky Derby Cupcakes

Happy Kentucky Derby Day! I made 2 dozen cupcakes to celebrate this grand event. Too bad it is gloomy in Kentucky Derby land but that won't damper the excitement of the day. Which horse is your favorite? I don't have one in mind but I do enjoy watching it. I hope the weather improves out there. 

Kentucky Derby Cupcakes

Kentucky Derby Cupcakes
For this recipe, I used Pillsbury Moist Supreme Devil's Food Premium Cake Mix, and 1 container each of Betty Crocker Rich & Creamy Dark Chocolate and Duncan Hines Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting. If you have more time you can use your favorite cake and frosting recipe. When time is short this is a great alternative that tastes great. For other Kentucky Derby recipes, check out my Kentucky Butter Cake Cookies; Kentucky Bourbon Pecan Pie and Kentucky Butter Cake.

Kentucky Derby Cupcakes 

Kentucky Derby Cupcakes

Kentucky Derby Cupcakes; love the candy decorations
I found some cute edible decorations online of a cowboy hat, horse head, horse shoe and also some cupcake picks with a horse head and horse shoe design. These were fun to put together. I let the frosted cupcakes set overnight in the fridge in a cupcake container. This morning, I added the decorations gently pressing down on the frosting.

Love the designs

Cool cowboy cake and horse edible decorations

Horse and horse shoe cupcake pick design
I had 2 cupcakes for breakfast and the devils' food cake is moist and very rich from the dark chocolate frosting. The tang from the whipped cream cheese frosting balances the sweetness of the cupcake. 

Some of the edible decoration and cupcake picks

Cupcakes cooled and ready for frosting

Enjoy!

-Sophia/Two Frys