Experimental Banana Bread

Three loaves of banana bread baking in the oven... I'm nervous and excited. I think it might be really amazing. Or sort-of-okay or just plain gross. Sometimes I crave a dense, chewy loaf, but this morning I want something light and sweet. We had TONS of organic bananas that went from green-to-spotty in 2 days and buttermilk to use up from scones last Sunday. I based this batch on the Better Homes and Garden recipe, but made a few substitutions. I'm still trying to wrap my head around which substitutions really work and which change the flavor and texture too much. Here's what I did:
- unbleached multigrain flour instead of all-purpose white
-1 c oat bran for 1 of 4 cups of flour
-1 c splenda + 1 c sugar instead of 2 c sugar
-1/2 buttermilk + 1/2 oil instead of 1 cup oil

And here's the doubled recipe (which made 3 loaves):
3 c flour
1 c oat bran
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

12!! bananas (we had so many!)/ 3 cups when smashed
4 eggs
1 c Splenda
1 c sugar
1/2 c canola oil
1/2 c buttermilk

Photos and samples for everyone if it's delicious!

Mother's Day

I had the privilege of hosting mother's day brunch last weekend for my mom and dad, mother and father-in-law, Dylan's brother and sister-in-law, and a good friend, Jen. It is incredible to have such a gracious, loving family (thanks to amazing moms). It makes being together and entertaining such a joy. Not many people can say the perfect Sunday morning is spent with parents and in-laws.

Sunday morning was a blur of cleaning, cooking, and baking. Dylan and Jen were the best side-kicks and prepped and cleaned as I made a mess. I'd never cooked bacon before, and my mom stepped in to save the day sure it crisped <3

Here's the menu (thanks, Martha Stewart) and recipes for things that are worth making again:

• salad with salmon, goat cheese, heirloom tomatoes, & champagne vinaigrette
• asparagus and leek/spinach and feta quiche (substituted a 1/2 cup 1% milk to lighten the quiche a little. I could not tell a difference.)
  
• fresh raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries
• brown sugar-glazed apple-smoked bacon
• raspberry scones (added a tsp of lemon zest and a lemon glaze)
• white sangria, iced tea, OJ, coffee

Overall, it was a wonderful morning. Just before my parents headed back to Cincinnati, we walked along the Walhalla ravine, which is a beautiful, wooded oasis in the middle of Clintonville. It's Matilda's favorite walk with lots of squirrels, a creek, and gorgeous houses. Fingers crossed my parents might someday make Columbus home-base :)

White Bean and Garlic with Greens

Last year my big sister Jess gave me a copy of the book Love Soup for Christmas. It's a vegetarian soup and story book and I absolutely LOVE IT. I tried 5-6 so recipes last year. This year I want to document and share my favorites, which will probably be everything we try--Dylan and I adore soup. The first recipe I've made this year is the White Bean and Garlic with Greens. A good friend Adam gave us some some broccoli rabe, (among other organic goodies from the Wayward Seed farm) so I shredded that and used it as my green. Both Dylan and I were starving, but we were content after a bowl. It was delicious, flavorful, and smooth. I'm taking leftovers for lunch tomorrow :).
Here's my lazy (but DELICIOUS) interpretation of Anna Thomas's recipe.

White Bean and Garlic with Greens Soup

1 medium sweet onion, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, pressed
2-3 TB olive oil
2 cans drained, rinsed white beans (I used white kidney or Cannellini)
2 tsp sage
fresh ground pepper
4 cups water + 2-3 tsp veggie bouillon OR 4 cups of vegetable broth.
2 cups(ish) of a shredded green, like kale, spinach, broccoli rabe, etc.
1 tsp lemon juice
olive oil
parmesan

Over medium heat, soften the onions and garlic in olive oil for 10-15 minutes. Add the beans, sage, and pepper and stir. Add a bit of the water or broth then blend using an immersion blender or regular blender. Add the additional water and 2-3 tsp of vegetable bouillon or remaining broth and stir to desired consistency. Add greens and simmer until tender, 5-10 more minutes. Remove from heat, add lemon juice, additional salt/pepper if needed, and serve with freshly grated parmesan and olive oil.

1 Can of Pumpkin...

two really delicious things. The first was for a staff meeting. I don't know what to call it... Pumpkin Cream Dip? I don't like the way that sounds. Inspired by this and this. Dylan said it's the best thing he's ever eaten. Here's the recipe:

8 oz cream cheese, softened and beaten
2 c powdered sugar, added slowly to the cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup pumpkin puree

Combine everything above with an electric mixer, then fold into 8 oz freshly whipped cream.

Eat with Trader Joe's Triple Ginger Snaps, TJ's Old Fashioned Cinnamon Grahams, Granny Smith apples, and everything else for a week, because it makes a LOT.

The second thing I made with that can of pumpkin was a loaf of pumpkin banana bread. Inspired by my mom's easiest-ever Pumpkin Cake recipe.

1 cup pumpkin (I had a scant cup left, and compensated with a banana)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 c oil
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Mix, pour into loaf pan, bake 55-65 minutes at 350 F. Delicious with leftover pumpkin cream dip.

Northstar challenge. Round 2.

Second attempt at re-creating the Northstar veggie burger? Not a complete fail-- it was a pretty good burger, but far from Northstar's.

The Kitchn posted a recipe (and the picture below) a year or so ago, and I finally got around to trying it July 4th for a family cookout in Cincinnati.

I made some changes to the initial recipe because in a conversation with an employee I found out they add chipotle peppers. There didn't appear to be anything smoky about the original kitchn recipe.

In my first attempt, I added about 3-4 Tb of adobo sauce, caramelized the onions and canned beets for 30 minutes, threw in pureed dried dates for sweetness, and 1/4 cup or so of oats to help them bind. The final product was beautiful, but a little too spicy, a little too sweet, not quite enough salty, and definitely not enough umami. We used a cast iron grill pan over a gas flame to cook them- 6-8 minutes on each side, and they were good.

My second attempt yesterday was different, but probably equally successful (or not?). Dylan thought they were better than the first. I think the texture improved, but not the flavor. I used a 3-grain blend (rice, spelt, barley) from Trader Joe's instead of short-grain brown rice, and also used a package of their refrigerated cooked beats and shredded them instead of chopped canned (or fresh). I still added adobo sauce, just a bit less; about 2 Tb of unsweetened applesauce instead of the dates; LOTS of ground black pepper; and more sea salt. And some soy sauce. And Kitchen Bouquet. And... a little bit of everything else in the kitchen. I added more rolled oats, and let them sit in the fridge few hours before grilling them, on a real grill. We brushed them with oil, and probably grilled them a total of 15 minutes or so on each side. They were the right sweet, smoky, spicy, and salty. The outside was charred and crispy from the grill, but the inside wasn't bright enough, and it was still missing the depth and richness from umami. I'm not sure what I'll try next time. It's been at least 6 months since I've had the real thing, so maybe I should go to Northstar and then brainstorm.

Here are a few ideas for the next batch
1. Cook rice/grains in a mushroom veggie broth + beet juice for more flavor and color
2. Mince and caramelize portobellos with the beets and onions
3. Experiment with other soy sauces
4. Balsamic vinegar instead of cider
5. MSG MSG MSG :)

Any suggestions?

1-Year Anniversary/Father's Day 2010/Matilda's Birthday!

Today is a big day--

It's Dylan and my one year anniversary!
Time is a funny thing. I can't believe the wedding was 365 days ago, but at the same time, it feels like we've been married forever. Our life and love doesn't feel much different than it did 3 1/2 years ago when we started dating. We still stare at one another, asking "is this real?" Things that have changed: we don't play Othello as much, Dylan has a "real job," we're dealing with a perpetual health insurance nightmare, we have a puppy who we love and adore. Married life could not be better, and I couldn't imagine a more perfect husband than Dylan.

Father's Day!




I'm cooking up a storm today! I offered to make dinner for Father's Day with my in-laws.
Here's the menu:

Roasted Vegetable Lasagne
Tomato Salad with Red Onion and Fresh Herbs
Spinach salad with feta and strawberries
French Baguette
Lemon Blueberry Cream Puffs

Last night I went to Trader Joe's and had the most efficient trip ever. I stuck to the grocery list with the exception of two bottles of wine: Green Fin White Table Wine and Ruggero di Tasso’s Nero d’Avola. Both were under $5, but both came recommended, so we'll see!

The eggplant, peppers, and zucchini are roasted, the lemon curd is cooling, I'm just about to add fontina and basil to finish the béchamel. After I assemble the lasagne, I'll make the blueberry sauce and cream puff shells, then I'm going to have some play time with Matilda on the rug I bought last night:

It's soft and pretty and makes our living room feel like a room. And Matilda can't stop rolling around on it. Which brings me to the third landmark today:





Matilda's Birthday!
Pets Without Parents didn't know exactly how old Matilda was when we adopted her last October, but they listed her birthday as sometime the first week of June. We decided to celebrate June 20. She gives me and Dylan immeasurable love and joy, and we can't imagine a better puppy.

Vermintine day?

Last Sunday (Valentine's Day!) Dylan and I were invited to attend a worm-composting workshop co-hosted by our good friend Britany. In the spirit of the themed celebration, Britany provided nostalgic "dirt dessert". I thought we needed a savory worm food, so made worm-shaped soft pretzels. I used Alton Brown's recipe but made a few changes; half of my flour was whole wheat, I split the dough into 16 parts instead of 8, and I added wormy segments by scoring them with a knife. The end was result was delicious. I'll definitely use Alton's recipe again.

Pictured above: boiling worm, boiled worms waiting to bake, and the finished product.

Homemade mayonnaise

Ciabatta, tilapia, spinach, lemon, a hungry husband... but no mayo! What's a girl to do snowed in, craving a fish sandwich?

A quick search for homemade mayo and I found this. Dylan has a mustard phobia, and I LOVE lemon, so here's my adjusted recipe for aioli (basically mayo with garlic):

1 egg yolk
1 tb fresh lemon juice
1 t white vinegar
1/2 t salt plus more to taste
3/4 c olive oil
1 t finely minced garlic

I used a whisk to beat all but the oil, then whisked in a quarter cup, one teaspoon or so at a time.

The last 1/2 c I drizzled and whisked in very slowly. This all took about 10 minutes, but by the end I had 3/4 cup of legitimate mayonnaise-like delicious sauce for our sandwiches. I'd nearly broken a sweat in our 62 degree kitchen and I'm sure burned at least as many calories as are in 3/4 c of olive oil ;).

Final product:

Pasta with Edamame and Salmon

One of my favorite things to have on hand are Wild Alaskan Salmon Burgers from Costco. A bag of 12 costs about $13 and they cook in 5-8 minutes. They're super versatile; I eat them on buns, salads, with pasta, with eggs.

For a lazy, quick lunch today I boiled some pasta, added frozen edamame 5 minutes before it was done, and put a salmon burger in a skillet. When the pasta and edamame were cooked, I added them to the burger, flaked it, added a little olive oil, lime juice, dill, red pepper, salt/pepper.

delicious.

tofu

I really like tofu. I like trying new recipes for tofu. But I have awful luck with pan-fried tofu recipes. They almost NEVER turn out like they should. So many say "cook 3-4 minutes until golden brown and crispy" but I cannot get marinated tofu to brown in less than 15-20 minutes and it splatters like crazy making a mess of the range and the floor. It might get a little crispy, but as soon as I add a sauce, it gets chewy and soft. I've tried coating tofu in egg and flour or breadcrumbs, but the coating gets soggy or falls off and it sticks and splatters. I've tried "deep" frying, in an inch or two of oil, and it's okay, but both me and the house stink afterward.

Well, I think I made some awesome tofu two nights ago for pad thai. I'm really excited about the recipe, and think it's going to be my go-to method now for crispy tofu.

Crispy Tofu

1 block extra-firm tofu cut into 1/2-inch cubes and blotted dry

1/2 c cornstarch
1 tsp garlic salt
few sprinkles ground pepper
red pepper flakes to taste

Mix dry ingredients. Put tofu in big bowl, pour dry ingredients over top. Gently toss, shake, swirl tofu until each piece is totally coated with the cornstarch mixture. Add more cornstarch if necessary. Heat about a quarter inch of canola oil in a non-stick skillet over med-high heat. I usually add one piece of tofu and see if it really sizzles when added. Carefully slip tofu into skillet, piece by piece, and turn when golden brown (about 3-5 minutes depending on heat). I made two batches because I have a little skillet.

I ate about 1/4 of the tofu before adding it to to the pad thai. It was crunchy, salty, spicy, fried, and delicious. After tossing it with the sauce, it did soften up a little, but still crunched.

caramel attempt one

I was craving caramel apples last week so I looked up a few recipes. 101 cookbooks website had a delicious-looking recipe and this one on epicurious looked amazing. I compromised and used ingredients from both, although I can't quite remember the ratio. I added half&half, butter, brown sugar, honey, and salt. I had a heck of a time... the mixture looked really curdled after it came to a boil. I'm not sure if it's because I used half&half instead of heavy cream, brought it to a high temperature too quickly, or because I only made 1/2 cup of caramel sauce. Regardless, it looked gross when I took it off the heat but really came together after setting the pan on ice water and cooling while whisking. I ate it all. I'll keep working on this recipe because I think it'll be worth it once done just right :).

Lemon Parmesan Pasta

We've been settled in to our new place for almost a month, but it wasn't until a couple weeks ago that we had our first "real" meal at the table! I made about 8 oz of pasta, drained it, added some lemon zest and juice, salt/pepper, lots of grated parm, and fresh spinach. It was really simple and really delicious. Here's the table all set with new dishes and place mats! More pictures soon of our new hutch and dining/living room :). First official day of school tomorrow!

101 simple salads for summer

Mark Bittman is one of my all-time favorite columnists and cookbook authors. Several times a year he posts an extensive, amazing, simple recipe list. Today it's 101 Simple Salads for the Season

Here are a few that initially popped out:

13. A red salad: Combine tomato wedges with halved strawberries, basil leaves, shaved Parmesan and balsamic vinegar.

35. Combine cooked or canned black beans with shredded cabbage and this vinaigrette: olive oil, fresh orange juice, not much sherry vinegar, ground cumin.

38. Cube watermelon; combine with roughly chopped mint, crumbled feta, sliced red onion and chopped Kalamata olives. Dress lightly with olive oil and lemon juice. Despite saltiness of feta and olives, this may need salt.

49. Toss greens with walnuts, blue cheese and raspberries; drizzle with a simple vinaigrette. Sell for $14 a serving.

95. Mix cooked couscous or quinoa with orange zest and juice, olive oil, maybe honey, sliced oranges, raisins or dried cranberries, chopped red onion and chopped almonds. Serve over greens, or not.

Banana Cupcakes

Lately I've just been wanting simple, easy food- basically lots of pasta, salads, and soup. I got Moosewood's Simple Suppers from the library the other day, and love it. The first (and only) thing I've tried at this point, are the banana cupcakes with chocolate cream cheese frosting. I thought they were delicious, but a little sweet. My husband said "I want to be buried in these" :)

moosewood's banana cupcakes with chocolate cream cheese frosting
wet ingredients
1 1/2 c mashed bananas
1/2 c veg oil
1 1/3 c brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 c plain yogurt
dry ingredients
1 1/2 c flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
icing
8 oz cream cheese (room temp)
3 T butter (room temp)
1 c powdered sugar
1 T cocoa
(I also added about 1 T strong coffee)

Use an electric mixer to combine wet ingredients until smooth, sift dry ingredients together then add to wet and mix on slow speed until completely combined. Spoon into 2 lined cupcake pans, filling each cup 2/3 full. bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

For icing- mix all ingredients with electric mixer until smooth, ice cupcakes after they cool.

**A note about my icing: I realized as I was beating the butter and cream cheese that we didn't have powdered sugar, so I used about 2/3 c granulated sugar that had been food processed. it didn't get very fine, and the icing ended up looking a lot like melted chocolate ice cream, but it was really, really good.

Pasta Salad

I love pasta salad but I don't normally crave it in the winter. The sunny and 64 degree weather in Columbus today has my body confused, because I can't think of anything but spring cleaning and pasta salad.

A few weeks ago I was at Trader Joe's and found 1lb bags of multigrain fusilli for $.50. I'm not sure if that's the normal price, but I bought four bags because it was cheap, looked tasty, and 1 serving has 8g protein and 6g fiber. So in this recipe, I used Trader Giotto's Multigrain Fusilli with Flax. I also used the minced garlic from TJ's. I bought a jar recently and just love it. I've been using it in everything lately.

Fresh Herb and Lemon Pasta Salad

In a small bowl combine:

1 tbs chopped fresh mint
1 tbs chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
zest and juice from 1 lemon

In a large bowl combine the following and toss with the dresing:

1 lb cooked pasta, rinsed until cool, and drained
1 cup shredded zucchini, loosely packed
1 shredded carrot
1 chopped green onion
15 oz can chick peas, drained, rinsed

I ate a bowl of this at room temperature right after I made it and really enjoyed it, but I bet it would also be good warm or cold, too. I really threw together bits of what I had around, so the measurements are all estimates, but probably pretty close.

Vegetarian Split Pea Soup

Lately we've had a little snow and lots of freezing weather. Right now it's 3 degrees! I made split pea soup a few days ago and just reheated the last of it. Here's what I did:

Vegetarian Split Pea Soup

a few tbs. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1lb split green peas, rinsed
4 cubes vegetable bouillon cubes (for 8 cups)
about 10 cups water
splash soy sauce
rosemary, black pepper, and salt to taste.
few tablespoons fresh parsley

In one pot boil the peas, 8 cups water, and the 4 cubes, covered, for about 30 minutes. I usually use Knorr Vegetable Bouillon. It's cheap and available at Kroger (or in Dolle family Christmas stockings).

Meanwhile, in another, big, stock pot cook the onion and garlic in oil over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes (covered.) Add the celery then peas/broth when soft, and the parsley. I pureed about half of this, then added the soy sauce, rosemary, pepper, and an additional 2 or so cups of water. It simmered, covered, for another 45 minutes or so, until I was ready to eat, but would've been good sooner. I topped my bowls with spoonfuls of sour cream and dunked sour dough bread.

A note about cubed bouillon:
I really like but Mark Bittman and really enjoyed a recent NYTimes article of his- Fresh Start for a New Year? Let’s Begin in the Kitchen, but I don't agree with what he has to say about cubed bouillon. I've tried making fresh vegetarian stock for soups... and sometimes they turn out to be amazing- but it's usually more chopping, cleaning, and time than it's worth.

Pinto Beans and Kale

After a long, freezing, and frustrating day I wanted something easy and spicy and steaming for dinner. A few weeks ago my friend Mia mentioned that one of her favorite meals is her grandma's pinto beans and kale.
I had kale and a 28 oz can of pinto beans from Aldi that's been in the pantry for months... so I threw a few things together and it turned out to be the perfect thing for a cold and grumpy night.

Pinto Beans and Kale
(serves one hungry girl three times)

1 tb butter
2 cloves garlic
about 1/2 lb of kale, shredded
28 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 vegetable bouillon cube dissolved in 2 cups hot water
1/2 tsp thyme and rosemary
lots of black pepper and red pepper flakes

Melt butter with garlic in skillet over medium high heat, add shredded kale and beans, saute until wilted. Add veggie broth and spices, and let simmer, stiring occassionally, about 30 minutes until most liquid has evaporated.













I ate this with a some of Aldi's jambayla rice mix I had on hand. It was perfect. I also have to tell you all how inexpensive this meal is to make if you have basics on hand. The kale ($1.29/lb at Kroger), beans (about $1 at Aldi), and rice ($.99 at Aldi) cost less than $4.

3-Bean Salad

Most of the foods I crave these days are mom's recipes I grew up eating. This afternoon I had a serious hankering for her 3-bean salad. I couldn't get a hold of her for the recipe, but managed to create a delicious/similar variation:


Not-quite-Mom's 3-bean salad

15oz can green beans
15oz can red kidney beans
15oz can limas
minced clove of garlic
diced small yellow bell pepper
2 stalks of sliced celery

Dressing
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp celery seed
salt/pepper

Combine rinsed beans, garlic, pepper, and celery in large bowl
Warm dressing ingredients on stove until sugar dissolves, pour over beans and gently mix.
Refrigerate at least an hour.