Zen and the Kitchen

I know I have mentioned it before, but cooking is my biggest form of stress relief. Give me my iPod and a spatula and I am more at home, haha barefoot in the kitchen, than anywhere else in the world. I've had more than one roommate who loved when I came home after a really bad day, because she knew that dinner would end up being spectacular.

I'm not sure if it is the temper-cooking or just my nature, but in recent years, I've become a lot more creative in the things that I make. Take the photo on the site, for example. Those tropical fruit pastries were the product of two things: my inability to eat sugar and a very long day. It's really nice to have a creative outlet, where I can make something that makes me, and everyone else, happy.

By popular demand, the recipe for the tropical phyllo pastries.

Tropical fruit phyllo shells

Each of the fruit is diced and seeded:
1 mango
2 starfruit
2 kiwi
1 pint strawberries
1 pineapple
1 blood orange

**** be prepared to be STICKY. A lot of the fruit is really juicy and makes a mess when you’re cutting it. Also, you want to wikipedia the right way to pit a mango, because it’s a pain. If you use canned pineapple, make sure you drain it completely. *****

2-3 packages of pre-made mini phyllo shells: You can find them in the freezer section of the grocery store, near the pre-made desserts.
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tsp lemon juice
2-3 tbs honey
1 tsp each ginger, coriander, cinnamon, anise, nutmeg, cloves, mint and cardamom

Whisk together juice, honey, and spices in large bowl with a lid. Add the fruit. TIGHTLY secure the lid and shake. Refrigerate, stirring every few hours, for at least 6 hours.

Spread shells out on a baking sheet and bake per box instructions. Fill with fruit mixture. Top with mascarpone cheese or whipped cream if desired.

Enjoy!