Cooking With Gourmet Coffee

Submitted by Brenda Campbell

http://cre8tivekitchen.blogspot.com/

I love BBQ rubs on meats! They make the meat taste so yummy and really tenderizes some cuts. If you let the rub sit on the meat overnight, it turns into something really special because it oozes yumminess! With coffee in the rub, it turns it to Mocha-zazz and gives a rich nutty flavor to the meat. The pilot run of the Mocha-zazz rub was on pork loin roast. I baked it in the oven since the BBQ has since run out of propane (Richard needs to get some more) and it was wonderful so here is what I did:

1/4 cup paprika
1/4 cup Kosher salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp granulated garlic
2 Tbsp chili powder
2 Tbsp fine ground coffee (right from the can, not instant)
1 Tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp season salt
2 tsp ginger
2 tsp onion salt
1/4 tsp cocoa powder (you do not need much, since it is a strong flavor but meshes well with the coffee and other seasonings)
dash nutmeg

Mix together and put into ziplock bag and label. Keep in dry cool place.

Use your favorite meat (I used pork loin roast) and rub liberally all over all of the meat. Refrigerate overnight for best flavor.

When I did the pork roast, I preheated the oven to 325 degrees. I baked the pork for 2 hours. Let it stand for 20 minutes. Slice and enjoy!

• 2 onions, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 jalepenos, de-stemmed, roughly chopped
• 2 cups roma tomatoes, strained
• 2 cups strongly brewed Kona coffee
• Pink salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 pound baking potatoes, like russets, peeled and quartered
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup chopped chives
• 4 (1/2 pound) pieces ahi tuna, cut into square cubes
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 3 eggs, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
• 1 cup macadamia nuts, coarsely ground
• 1/2 pound greens, preferably Hawaiian
• 1 lime, juiced

In a sauce pan coated lightly with canola oil, caramelize the onions, ginger, garlic and jalepenos. Add tomatoes and coffee and bring to a simmer. Using a hand blender, buzz until smooth and check for seasoning, adjust with pink salt and black pepper, to taste.

For the potato puree, boil the potatoes until fork tender. In a sauce pan, reduce the cream with the garlic cloves by 1/3. Hand mash with the potatoes and check and adjust seasoning. Fold in the chives.

Season the tuna well. Dredge the tuna in flour, then eggs, then nuts. Shallow fry in canola oil on all sides. Keep the tuna rare.

Slice the tuna on the bias. On a large plate, sauce the plate with the BBQ sauce. Place a small mound greens down and drizzle with lime juice. Top with mashed potatoes, then top with tuna.

• 1-2 T butter or oil
• ¼ c sesame seeds
• 1 c strong black coffee
• 2 c ripe bananas, puréed
• 1½ c butter, softenened
• 1¾ c brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2½ t vanilla extract
• ½ t almond extract
• 1 t orange zest
• 4 c flour
• 1 t salt
• ½ t baking soda
• 1 T baking powder
• ½ t nutmeg
• 2 t cinnamon
• ¾ c chopped walnuts or pecans, optional

Preheat oven to 350º. Grease the pan(s) then sprinkle with sesame seeds and shake around until they stick.

Stir the coffee into the puréed bananas and set aside.

Beat butter and sugar together, then beat in eggs, one at a time. When fluffy, add vanilla, almond extract, and orange zest.

Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

Gradually combine dry ingredients with the butter/eggs and banana/coffee mixture - don’t overmix. Stir in optional nuts.

Spread batter into pan(s) and bake for 35-50 minutes, until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Cool for one hour before slicing.

Adapted from Molly Katzen’s New Moosewood Cookbook

.

• 1 cup chopped pitted dates
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup strong brewed coffee
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8×4 inch loaf pan, and line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
2. Place the dates in a small bowl, and sprinkle the baking soda over. Heat coffee to boiling, and pour over the dates and soda. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together the butter, sugar and egg until well blended. Stir in vanilla. Blend in the flour and salt, then fold in the pecans and date mixture. Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan.
4. Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until the top of the loaf springs back when lightly touched. Let stand for 5 minutes before removing from pan. Peel off paper, and allow to cool on a wire rack.