Banana-Rama

So what do you do when your husband purchases ten pounds of bananas for a race, then forgets to take them to the race? As it turns out, you have just a few days to figure it out before your entire house starts to smell like over-ripened banana. It took me a day or two to decide it was time for banana-rama at our house, starting with a homemade Salted Caramel Banana Ice Cream.

Salted caramel made its way on to my radar sometime last year, and I am smitten. I love the saltiness balancing the sweetness of the caramel, and love how it goes with just about anything. So I adapted a Ben and Jerry's Banana ice cream recipe, adding a ribbon of salted caramel through the ice cream (and of course with a drizzle over the top!). It turned out quite well! Next time I make this, I think I'll add toffee or chocolate to it for a little crunch as well. Enjoy!

Salted Caramel Banana Ice Cream (adapted from Ben and Jerry's Banana)

2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
2 bananas, mashed
juice of 1 lemon

1 bag Kraft caramels (or caramel sauce, if you want to cheat)
Coarse sea salt
1 tbsp heavy cream

Whisk eggs in mixing bowl until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Whisk in sugar until blended. Add cream and milk and blend. Put in ice cream freezer and follow manufacturer's directions. Add lemon juice to bananas and stir well. Add banana mixture to ice cream during last few minutes of freezing.

To make the salted caramel, put about half of the unwrapped caramels into a heat-proof bowl with 1 tablespoon of heavy cream. Microwave in 30-60 second increments, stirring frequently - watch out, it'll burn!

When caramels are melted, sprinkle coarse sea salt on top - 1/2 - 1 teaspoon depending on your tastes

Let cool for 5-10 minutes, then add to ice cream and stir just once or twice until a ribbon of caramel runs through the ice cream. Place in freezer and allow to freeze. 

To make sauce for the top of the ice cream, melt a few caramels with a dash of heavy cream, drizzle over the top of the ice cream and sprinkle with coarse sea salt - enjoy immediately!

I'm Back!

Ok, so it's been a few months since I've posted. My apologies. Between work, baby, and life, I've just been too exhausted to keep up. I've tried quite a few new recipes, though, and can't wait to share them! Another added bonus - I convinced the husband to get us a good camera, so no longer forced to take pictures of food with my iPhone (feel free to gush at how beautiful my food looks, now).


It's nearly May, and after the oh-so-mild winter and beautifully warm and sunny spring we've had so far, today turned miserably cold and wet. They called for eight inches of snow, but instead it was 34 degrees and raining the entire day. So I made the best of it and whipped up my favorite cold weather staple: white chili. It is simply chili made with roasted chicken, white (northern) beans, tomatoes, green chilies, and chicken broth. I also added sweet potato for extra flavor, and love the sweetness to balance the smokiness of the chili. Enjoy!

Chicken Chili
Ingredients:
2tbsp olive oil
1lb chicken thighs, skin-on and bone-in
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 jalapeno, diced
1 sweet potato, cut into 1" cubes and steamed 10-12 minutes
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups chicken broth
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
1 can fire roasted green chilies
1 can white northern beans, drained and rinsed
1tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
1 lime, juiced
1 avocado, sliced

Spices:
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp chipotle powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin

Mix the spices up in a small bowl

Take about half of the spices and rub into the chicken - I like to lift up the skin and put the spices underneath so I can remove the skin later but keep all the flavor

Bake chicken for 25 minutes at 375F. 

Let cool, then remove the skin and pull the meat off the bone

While the chicken is cooking, heat 2tbsp olive oil in a dutch oven or other large, heavy-bottomed pot.
Cook chopped onion, jalapeno and garlic 2-3 minutes
Add the chicken broth to the pot and stir
Add in the remainder of the spices from the dry rub
Add in the chicken meat, beans, tomatoes, chilies, and sweet potato. Let simmer at least 20-30 minutes

In the last few minutes of cooking, add in the fresh lime juice and cilantro and stir

Garnish with sliced avocado, cheese and sour cream if desired.

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Brownie Bites

My sister recently invited me to Pinterest, though at the time I had no idea what Pinterest was. I just didn't get it - an online pinboard? Why do I need that? Then, one day, I decided to sit down and look at it, just to try it, and see what all the buzz was about. It seems like everybody I talk to is on Pinterest, and to make it even more "in" you have to be invited to even get on the site. So, I may as well look. Well, as it turns out, Pinterest is pretty awesome. What I discovered was access to all sorts of recipes, blogs I've never heard of, food combinations I've never tried, all sorts of things delicious. And it opened my eyes. So now, most recipes that I try, I saw on Pinterest ("Oh yeah, I pinned that!")

The recipe for today is less of a recipe, and more of a great idea, courtesy of Pinterest. This recipe was found on a blog called Baked Perfection. One of those where you see it and think "why didn't I ever think of that???". It is simple, and it is fabulous.

Peanut Butter Brownie Bites, makes 40 brownie bites
1 box brownie mix, prepared (I made mine from scratch)
1/2 cup peanut butter chis
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

Fill mini muffin cups 3/4 of the way full, bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until done
When they come out of the oven, indent the middle just a little (you can use a spoon, or a clean fingertip), then spoon in 1tsp creamy peanut butter into the indentation
Top with peanut butter chips and chocolate chips
Enjoy!

Winter's Return

Somehow we managed to make it all the way to January before winter found its way back to us. We really lucked out through November and December, with surprisingly mild days through fall and early winter. Being a southern girl, I love mild winters. The third day of January brought with it a big gust of wind and our first real snowfall of the season, and in response I cuddled up with a blanket and my iPad to search for some new recipes that would make me forget about the upcoming months of cold and snow.

I respect the winter  because it makes me appreciate spring and summer even more. Since moving to the north from southern Georgia, I enjoy a little bit of snow, for the novelty of it. But, come February I am almost always sick and tired of winter. And the return of blustery winter days kind of makes me sad, in a way. But, on the other hand, there is no time like winter for comfort foods, which happen to be my favorite. If it weren't for winter, there would be many foods that just wouldn't taste as good - can you imagine eating a steaming hot bowl of chili in July? 

I may have found my favorite tomato soup recipe today. It was easy, and it was awesome. And, best of all, it was made in the crock pot, so all I had to do was throw some ingredients in and let it do its thing all day. I also made a parmesan focaccia to go with it, a twist on the usual grilled cheese and tomato soup, and have to say that it was a hit. 

Parmesan Tomato Basil Soup - adapted from 365 days of slow cooking

1 cup diced onion

1 cup diced carrot

1 cup diced celery

2 cans fire roasted tomatoes (28oz total), undrained

4 cups chicken broth

1 stick butter

1/2c all purpose flour

1/3c fresh basil

1tbsp fresh thyme

1 spring fresh rosemary

1-2 bay leaves

1 cup parmesan cheese

2 cups half and half

Put onion, carrots, celery, tomatoes, and chicken broth into slow cooker for 6-7 hours (I only had 5, so I sauteed the onions, carrots and celery in a little olive oil in a dutch oven before putting them in the crock pot). During the last 1-2 hours of cooking, add in the fresh herbs.

During the last 30 minutes of cooking, make a roux with the butter and flour. If you've never made a roux before, this is done by melting the butter in a skillet and whisking in the flour. Then keep on whisking for five minutes or so, until you reach what they call "peanut butter roux" - which means it is the color of peanut butter. When you've gotten to this point, add in 1 cup of the soup to the skillet and whisk until incorporated, then add in 2-3 more cups and whisk. Then put the entire mixture back into the crock pot and stir well.

Add the parmesan cheese and half and half and bring back to temperature, salt and pepper to taste (and basil or more thyme if needed) before serving.

For the final touch, use immersion blender to blend to desired consistency.

Christmas Cinnamon Rolls

I started cooking when I was a kid, maybe around seven years old. I don't really remember learning to cook, just always had an interest in it and enjoyed spending time in the kitchen with my mom. I have frequently said how lucky I am to have a mom who can actually cook well, because I have grown up to be one of the few  young adults who can put ingredients together to create good food. And, a bonus is the fact that I actually like to do so most of the time.

Growing up, my mom would let me in the kitchen and show me how to prepare food, how to read and follow recipes, and how to analyze food for the perfect taste and experience, adjusting flavors as needed. Without this early childhood food experience, who knows what my kitchen would be like today. I find the creation of food to be gratifying, comforting, enjoyable. And yes, I tend to be an alpha in the kitchen - sorry mom.

I had the joy of cooking with my mom again over Christmas, I find it entertaining to be the one who shows my mom new tricks and tools, but she still has new discoveries to show me as well.
Together we made stuffed french toast (day 10), salted chocolate caramels (day 11), and cinnamon rolls (day 12). When I was a kid, my grandmother had a tea room that had the most incredible cinnamon rolls ever. She would make them over Christmas when we visited, and we loved them. I remember the day I found out that she ordered her cinnamon rolls from a company and just baked them at the shop. Boy, was I disheartened. But then, I realized I have the opportunity to make cinnamon rolls better than my grandmother's - which would be awesome.

The only problem is, yeast scares me. Yeast is the volatile little creature that can make or break your baked goods. Yes, yeast is a bit terrifying at times. And then, when you feel you have mastered the yeast, proofed it just right, and allowed it to rise, you have to face the oven. Which is where my cinnamon rolls really suffered. Overly brown on the outside, still a touch doughy on the inside. They weren't as good as grandmother's, but they were still tasty!

12 Days of Christmas, Days 5-9

Well, two 12-hour shifts in a row, along with the parents coming to visit for Christmas has left me a little behind in the blogosphere, and it turns out that I've forgotten to write for the last few days.  The Christmas season has been hectic, but is drawing to a close - phew! Only four days left in this challenge.

Day five brought popcorn balls - I did two versions, cranberry ginger and Mexican chocolate. If you want to surprise your friends, don't tell them that there is chili powder in the chocolate popcorn balls.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting were the special for day six - if you want bonus points, put extra frosting into an icing bag with a smallish tip, shove it into the top of each cupcake and inject some frosting into the middle of each cake before frosting the top. You'll know you have enough when the cupcake swells a little. I got hugs all day from friends at work for these.

Day seven was a flurry of Christmas candies. I like to make different   bag them up and give them to friends as little gifts. It is fun and relatively easy to do. I went a little overboard, making another batch of apple cider snicker doodles (see disaster cookies from previous episode), peppermint bark, Mexican chocolate truffles (chocolate truffles with almond extract, cayenne and chili powder - yum!), peanut butter chocolate pretzels, turtles, and maple walnuts.

Day eight - I totally forgot to make something. It was an hour before I had to leave for work when I realized I hadn't made a single thing, but figured it was ok given the overload of goodies from day seven. Right?

Day nine brought my parents in town, which means I get the joy of cooking with my mom again. More on this later. We made triple-ginger gingersnaps, which were flat out awesome. I definitely recommend this for ginger fans.

Triple-Ginger Gingersnaps - recipe courtesy  Taste of Home Magazine December 2011

2/3c butter, softened
1c packed brown sugar
1/4c molasses
1 egg
2tsp minced fresh ginger root
1c all-purpose flour
3/4c whole wheat flour
3tsp ground ginger
1 1/2tsp ground nutmeg
1/4tsp ground cloves
3tbsp crystallized ginger, finely chopped
1/4c sugar
1 1/2tsp ground cinnamon

1. in a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the molasses, egg and fresh ginger

2. combine the flours, ground ginger, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cloves; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in crystallized ginger. Cover and refrigerate for one hour or until easy to handle


3. In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. Shape dough into 1" balls, roll in sugar mixture. Place 3" apart on parchment paper lined baking sheet, bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes.

12 Days of Christmas, Day 4

If you are paying any attention to the 12 Days of Christmas, you may notice I skipped Day 3. Yes, I still baked (Gingerbread Cupcakes with Orange Buttercream frosting - they were amazingly delicious but not the prettiest things to look at), but otherwise there wasn't much to say that day. My momma always told me, if I don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all. So, on to day 4!

Day Four, AKA the cursed cookies.
These cookies were supposed to be delicious. And, in their defense, the ones that didn't land on the floor and didn't get burned to a crisp WERE good. All six of them.
It was one of those days where the baby wouldn't take a nap. Flat out refused, despite multiple attempts on my part to get her to go the hell to sleep. No, no napping for this baby. Which leads to the baby making that incessant noise that makes me feel like my brain may just explode - not quite crying, but longer than a regular whimper. A good, extended, high pitched, tired-baby whine. All. Night. Long. But, life doesn't stop just because a baby is whining, on with the show!

Apple Cider Snicker Doodles. It sounds so good, it couldn't possibly be a failure, right? Less than halfway through the recipe, the high-pitched brain-rattling noise emanating from the baby finally got to me. So, being the good mom that I am, I decided I could finish making the cookies and making dinner with the baby on my back in a backpack. No problem! And it worked, or at least seemed to. The baby was soothed, the awful noise she was making ceased, and things were good.
With exactly three cookies on the cookie sheet, I heard a "BANG!", and turned around to see, to my horror, the mixing bowl of cookie dough upside down on the floor. It turns out that she can reach the countertop when she is strapped to my back, interestingly enough. I laid my head on the counter and had a good, long cry.

Then, with the urging of my husband, did the only thing one can do in this instance, and saved what I could from the floor.

Then, called in the cleaning crew to take care of the rest while I put the cookies in the oven.

Bake for 11-13 minutes at 400F. But don't really, because this will burn them beyond recognition. The first tray came out inedible, not even worthy of a picture (my exact words to the husband when I pulled them out: "Oh my gosh! They are smoking! There is smoke coming off my cookies!"). Into the trash they went. The show must go on. The second batch came out beautifully (9 minutes, not a second longer!) and were incredibly delicious, a must have for fall/holiday recipes.

Apple Cider Snicker Doodles - recipe courtesy of Food Network Kitchens

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups apple cider
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus 3 tablespoons for rolling
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons finely chopped red and green crispy apple chips, plus whole chips for garnish
• 2 teaspoons apple pie spice

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat the cider in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil. Continue to cook until syrupy and reduced to about 2 tablespoons, 12 to 14 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

Whisk the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl until smooth. Beat the butter with 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar and the light brown sugar in a separate bowl on medium-high speed until fluffy and smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the reduced cider and the egg (the mixture may look slightly curdled). Stir in the flour mixture and 1/4 cup of the chopped apple chips until combined.

Stir together the remaining 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons of chopped apple chips and the apple pie spice in a small bowl. Roll heaping tablespoons of dough into balls, using lightly moistened hands if the dough is too sticky, and then roll in the spiced sugar mixture. Place the dough balls 3 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets and top with a few pieces of whole apple chips. Bake until the edges are just set but centers are still soft, 11 to 13 minutes, rotating pans halfway through the baking time. Cool 2 to 3 minutes on the baking sheet, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.