Coconut Bread - a quick and easy treat!

This is my all-time favorite "quick" bread. You can make it in full-size loaves, as directed in this recipe - or make mini loaves, or muffins of any size. If you change the size of whatever you're baking, do everything the same way as in the recipe below - BUT be sure to check for doneness a lot sooner: smaller breads will cook much faster than the large loaf.

MAKES 1 LARGE LOAF (9” X 5”) OR 3 DISPOSABLE LOAF PANS

2 3/4 cups, flour
1 cup, sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon, baking powder
1 teaspoon, salt
1 1/4 cups, shredded coconut - toasted and cooled
1 1/2 cups, milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons, peanut oil
1 teaspoon, coconut extract
Oil for coating loaf pan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into mixing bowl. Add toasted coconut and blend well.

In a separate bowl, combine milk, egg, oil and extract, and blend well. Add this mixture to dry ingredients, all at once, and stir briefly to blend. Do not over-mix. Turn into oiled pan(s).

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes to 1 hour, depending on pan size. (When a skewer, inserted in the middle of the loaf, comes out clean, the bread is done.) Cool loaf in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out loaves and cool on a cake rack, to room temperature, before slicing.

This bread is even better (and easier to slice neatly) after several hours.

Wrap well in aluminum foil for storage.

P.S. I can’t tell you how good it is toasted by the slice, and buttered!

Mozzarella Slices with Capers

We eat mozzarella almost everyday. So nice to have a variation from caprese!

Serve these rich and creamy-tasting mozzarella slices with artichoke hearts, salami, olives and with crostini or crackers. Look for fresh mozzarella at stores that offer a good selection of cheese.

1 pound fresh water-packed mozzarella, drained, cut into ¼-inch slices
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 garlic cloves, peeled, minced or crushed
¼ teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste
1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons capers, drained well, chopped
Artichoke hearts, salami and olives for garnish

Overlap the cheese slices on a serving platter.

In a small saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper. Stir just until the garlic begins to color, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in the oregano, salt and pepper. Cool completely.

Stir in the capers and the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Drizzle the mixture over the cheese slices and garnish them with artichoke hearts, salami and olives.

Makes 12 generous servings.

Adapted from Bon Appetit magazine, January 2002 issue.

Tested by Susan Selasky for the Detroit Free Press Test Kitchen.

Per appetizer: 174 calories (80 percent from fat), 15 grams fat (7 grams sat. fat), 1 gram carbohydrate, 7 grams protein, 136 mg sodium, 30 mg cholesterol, 220 mg calcium, 0 grams fiber.