This recipe was clearly inspired by the America’s Test Kitchen 6 Banana Bread recipe. But, the idea of nuking the bananas for 5 minutes turns me off completely. So, I played and puttered around a bit with the recipe. And, I came up with a version that I prefer.
(This loaf was a bit too wet and dense under the banana slices.)
This is still a work in progress. I believe this loaf would have been better if I’d left it in the oven for another couple of minutes. And, next time I’ll leave the banana slices off the top. Those wet banana slices caused the top to be a bit wet and weepy. Thin coconut slices make a better garnish. They toast up beautifully on top.
Six Banana Bread
(Next time, this will be 5 Banana Bread)
makes 1 large loaf
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
5 very ripe bananas, average-sized (not huge)
1 cup sugar
8 Tablespoons butter, 1 stick, soft
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1 banana, sliced thin
sprinkle of thin dried coconut slices
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cream bananas, sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Allow to sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes. Sift dry ingredients. After 5 minutes, add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Beat briefly. Then, stir in pecans by hand. Pour into large buttered loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 75-80 minutes. (Still testing, the oven had to be opened and closed too many times to specify an exact time. And, without the banana on top, the cooking time will probably be closer to 70-75 minutes.)
Those banana slices cook up sticky sweet.
There may be instances of desperation here and there. But, there are really only two cookies that I crave on a regular basis that are not homemade. Oreos and Biscoff… Wait, lets be completely honest. Nutter butters would make it a two way tie for second place with Biscoff. And, it’s no coincidence that all three of these cookies are dunk-able in milk. Oreos and Nutter Butters make me feel guilty. So, Biscoff cookies find their way home with me most frequently. Two cookies for 73 calories? That’s not too bad, right?
These cookies would make a great cookie crumb crust, too. But, who needs all that extra butter? Not me. I’m all about the pumpkin.
Baked Pumpkin Pie Pudding
makes 1 large oval casserole
1 3/4 cups biscoff cookie crumbs
30 oz pumpkin puree
1 can sweetened condensed milk
4 Tablespoons butter, soft
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup pineapple
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large mixing bowl, cream all except for the pineapple and cookie crumbs. When everything is thoroughly combined, stir in cookie crumbs and pineapple. Pour into buttered casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour and 20-30 minutes. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing. If you can’t wait, spoon it into a bowl and top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Add a mug of Harney & Son’s Hot Cinnamon Spice tea and you’ve got a dessert that you can almost feel good about…
…almost. You might feel a little bit of guilt about the sugar.
Traditionally, this is a simple salad of crab, a little chopped onion, cider vinegar and a splash of oil. But, wouldn’t a touch of sugar cane vinegar and coconut milk give this dish some real island flavor? I think so. The touch of natural sweetness from the coconut milk plays off the onion nicely. And, I love the hint of earthy sweetness and spice that Balinese long peppers bring to the table. So, that’s what I’ve chosen to use in this dish.
Stir gently, or the tender crab will be nothing but wispy shreds.
West Indies Salad
1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat, carefully checked for shell pieces
1/2 Vidalia onion, finely diced
2 Tablespoons sugarcane vinegar
2-3 Tablespoons peanut oil, olive oil, or vegetable oil
(or 3-4 Tablespoons full fat coconut milk, no added sugar)
fine sea salt, to taste
freshly ground Balinese long pepper, to taste
small pinch of chopped chives
small pinch finely chopped parsley
1 lemon, cut into wedges, if you like
Sprinkle ingredients evenly over the crab meat. This will allow you to keep the stirring to a minimum. Another way to treat the crab gently? Stir very carefully with your perfectly clean fingers. If you can wait, let it marinate for an hour or two. Or, as we do, devour immediately.
Serve with lemon wedges
Another Year, Another Cold
I nipped this one at the first tickle in my throat with oregano oil. It’s not a miracle cure. But, either I’m in better shape this year or it successfully cut the length of this cold in half. As usual, I munched on buttered toast, saltines and bites of cheese when I could muster an appetite. One favorite quick meal that was easy to whip up consisted of leftover Chinese curried vegetables in a bowl of chicken broth with ramen. The flavors were powerful enough to taste. And, that’s a plus when your senses are at half strength. Another favorite? Ginger tea with soothing elements. I’m not sure if the St Germain brought any healing powers to the table. But, it sure did make me feel better.
Ginger Tea
makes one small pot
1 scant teaspoon black tea leaves
1 teaspoon peppermint leaves
1 inch ginger, cut into thin slices
1 ounce St Germain elderflower liqueur
honey, to taste
Bring about 16 ounces of water to a boil. Let sit for 2 minutes. As the water sits, spoon black tea and peppermint leaves into steeping pot. Add ginger slices. After two minutes, pour hot water into steeping pot. Let steep for 4-7 minutes (to your taste). Then, add 1 ounce of St Germain to your tea cup. Fill with hot tea. Relax and sip slowly to let it all sooth your throat.
Happy New Year!!
The red tree (above) has finally been packed away for another year. And, the gold bell wreath has been packed away, too. The second will be gone tomorrow. It might seem lazy for our trees to stay up this long. But, there’s a tradition in many old Italian families to leave the decorations up through the Epiphany (January 6) for the 12 day festival. (The Twelve Days of Christmas) Some even refill stockings with chocolates, candies, and other small gifts on the day of the Epiphany. And, I believe January 6th is a church day, too. Though, we’ve never gone. We tend to be a bit more agnostic than religious. Yet, we’ll happily use any excuse to celebrate or at the very least decorate. And, this tradition is one we love. Those bright balls and shiny decorations brighten up the cold and gloomy winter days.
In Spain, they make Epiphany cake or Twelfth Night bread (Roscon de Reyes or Rosca de Reyes). Hmm, a new version of King’s cake for me to try? This is another tradition I could easily learn to love!
We have one last bag of cranberries to use! Most will be used in a small batch of cranberry jam. But, I’ve skewered a few dozen on decorative mini bamboo skewers.
Cranberry Elderflower Cocktail
makes 2
2 ounces St Germain Elderflower Liqueur
2 ounces ruby red grapefruit vodka (Charbay)
1 cup cranberry juice
club soda, to fill
2 skewers of frozen cranberries, one per glass
Chill two rocks glasses. When ready to serve, pour 1 ounce of elderberry liqueur, 1 ounce vodka, and 4 ounces cranberry juice into each glass. Fill with club soda. Garnish with cranberry skewer.
Here’s to 2013! And, Cheers to 2014!!
Just take two rocks glasses…
Add ice, a shot or two of rum, fill with coconut water, and you’re done. You have one delicious cocktail in an instant. This bottled coconut water has plenty of sweetness. There’s no need to add more.
Coconut Rum Cocktail
makes2
1 bottle sweet (or semi-sweet) coconut water with chunks of young coconut
2 ounces rum
lime wedges, optional
ice
Fill 2 rocks glasses with ice. Add 1 ounce of rum to each glass. Squeeze one wedge of lime into each glass, if you like. Fill with coconut water.
Cheers!
Sautéed kale finds its way to our table much (MUCH) more frequently than spinach. Those big bags of prepped kale are so temptingly easy. Sometimes I’ll chop it up a bit more into a fine, but rustic dice. Other times I’ll leave it in the big sloppy pieces that are already present. But, I always rewash it. It’s better to be safe than sorry! Besides, those little droplets of water that cling to the leaves aid in a quick sauté.
The wilted leftovers make a tasty base for a sunny side up egg or two. Sometimes, I’ll throw a tomato or two into the leftover kale as I reheat it gently on the stovetop.
Sautéed Kale
serves many
1 big bag of prepped kale, washed and prepped to your liking
1 onion
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 Tablespoons butter
2 shallots, finely minced
1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
juice of 1 lemon
Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated, to taste
Melt butter in olive oil. Add onion and shallots. Sweat briefly. Add garlic and continue to sauté for another minute or two. Add drained, but damp kale. Sauté until tender. Serve immediately and grate fresh Parmigiano Reggiano over each serving to the person’s taste.
Leftovers:
Reheat leftover kale gently. Serve each person a generous portion of kale. Top with a sunny side up (or, poached or over easy) egg or two. Grate Parmigiano-Reggiano on top and serve with buttered toast. This is a quick, healthy and extremely satisfying breakfast. It’ll keep you very happy until lunchtime.
Feeling incredibly decadent, we were prepared for the day-after this year. We made a quick stop at Alon’s bakery on our way home from a day of holiday shopping. And, this post-shopping bakery stop is bound to be a new tradition. The resulting turkey sandwiches were incredibly rich and delicious.
And, we smartly kept our buttery croissants in their paper bag until we were ready to eat. This kept each croissant crisp and flaky. You want sandwiches for the next day? Just head back to the bakery. Croissants need to be perfectly fresh.
Alon’s Croissants
They truly are a thing of beauty.
Day-After Turkey Day Sandwiches
makes 2
2 croissants
thinly sliced turkey
a little stuffing
homemade lemony cranberry sauce (see below)
Carefully slice croissants. Layer turkey slices to your taste. Add a little stuffing, if you like. Top with homemade cranberry sauce.
Bon Appétit!
You know you want it.
Lemony Cranberry Sauce
makes 1 medium-sized bowl
(2-3 cups?)
1 bag cranberries
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup simple syrup with lemon
juice of one lemon
1 scant cup water
Bring water and cranberries to a boil. Add sugar, lemon simple syrup, and juice of one lemon. Bring back to a boil and allow cranberries to pop for a minute or two. As it cooks the mixture thickens. For a chunky cranberry sauce, allow to simmer gently for about 3-4 minutes of boiling after the cranberries pop. (We like to see whole berries in our cranberry sauce. So, this is how we do it.) For a smoother cranberry sauce, allow sauce to simmer for about 10-12 minutes after the cranberries begin to pop.
(I reserved this simple syrup from making a batch of candied lemon zest (no pith). If you reserve the syrup from candied lemon peel with the white pith, it might be a bit too bitter.)
Waste Not, Want Not
This is one of the simplest, yet most important, life lessons that my grandmother left with me. Her mother had lived through some very lean years that taught her to never waste. In her eyes, it was a downright sin to waste good food when so many went hungry. Extra tomatoes from her garden were canned and good herbs were left to dry when winter came around.
I doubt that I’ll ever be as good at the art of frugality as she was. But, I always try to save good food when I can. After making a batch of candied lemon peel, I was left with some deliciously rich lemon syrup.
This recipe is a work in progress. But, it has an incredibly dense, yet tender crumb.
Lemon Pound Cake
makes 1 loaf
2 cups AP flour
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, soft
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup lemon syrup (reserved from making candied lemon peel)
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Sift flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add 1/2 cup lemon syrup, 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil, 2 eggs, and vanilla extract. Cream until very fluffy with a hand mixer. Add flour slowly as you continue to beat with hand mixer, just until combined. Batter will be very dense and fluffy. Do not over-beat. Pour batter into well-buttered loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 60-65 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out of the center clean.
Cool nights mean one thing in our house. It’s time for hot chocolate! Mexican chocolate has a grainy texture that’s rich with sugar. So much sugar, in fact, that there is no need to add additional sugar.
Mexican Hot Chocolate
makes about 1 cup of hot chocolate mix
1 disc Mexican chocolate, roughly chopped
2 Tablespoons dark cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon espresso powder
a tiny pinch of chili powder (pasilla, ancho or even cayenne)
milk
In a powerful food processor or blender, reduce chocolate to a powder. Add dark cocoa powder, cinnamon and chili powder. Pulse 2-3 times to combine. Place in an airtight jar or bottle.
In a saucepan, heat milk. Add 1-2 Tablespoons hot chocolate mix per cup of milk. Start with 1 Tablespoon per cup of milk and taste. If you want a richer chocolate flavor, add hot chocolate powder to your taste.
Or, try adding a spoonful of hot chocolate powder to your favorite mug and fill with hot coffee.
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