Breakfast Loves Banana Bread

Banana bread is always a crowd pleaser and it's fun to try variations. Plus, it's good for breakfast a couple days in a row! I have to say this is one of the best banana bread recipes I've made so it might become the tradition. The bread came out very moist and not too dense. Thank you to authors of The American Heritage Cookbook of 1964.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Grated rind of half a lemon
3/4 cup mashed ripe bananas
2 tablespoons commercial sour cream
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or macadamia nuts

Directions:
Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Work butter until soft, then work in sugar, a little at a time, until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time, add the vanilla, grated lemon rind, and bananas. Stir in flour mixture alternatively with sour cream. Last of all, mix in the nuts. Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for one hour or until a toothpick tested in the center comes out dry. Remove from pan and cool on a rack. Cut in thin slices to serve.

Grown-up Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup

Grown-ups need comfort food once in a while too. Today felt like fall with cool temperatures and I was feeling a little homesick. This was a nice lunch to pair with an episode of Friday Night Lights on Netflix!

Grilled Cheese
Sourdough bread
Butter
Cheddar cheese
Roasted red pepper

Butter bread on both sides. Cut cheddar cheese slices thin. Layer cheddar cheese slice then roasted red pepper and another slice of cheddar on top. Grill in saute pan over medium heat until golden in each side.

Tomato Soup
Tomato soup
Milk
Garlic croutons
Black pepper

Make soup according to directions. I prefer the creamier version with milk instead of water. Garlic croutons make a nice substitution to crackers. Sprinkle with black pepper.

C is for Carrot Cake & Cream Cheese Icing

Carrots were a popular ingredient in baking when sweeteners were scarce or expensive. According to Wikipedia carrot cake was a novelty in the US in the 1960s and became a "fad food" in the 1970s. While flipping through our collection of cookbooks I noted many variations of carrot cake recipes to include pineapple or raisins, and mixture of nuts. I decided on a carrot oil cake and cream cheese icing from the Joy of Cooking of 1975.

Carrot Oil Cake Ingredients & Directions
One eight inch square pan
Have all ingredients about 70 degrees
Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Sift before measuring:

• 1 cup all purpose flour

Resift with:

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix together and add to flour, stirring well:

• 2/3 cup vegetable oil 
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 beaten eggs

Add and blend in well:

• 1/2 cup chopped nuts
• 1 1/2 cups grated carrots

Bake in a greased and floured pan about 30 minutes.

Cream Cheese Icing (makes about 3/4 cup)
Sift:

• 3/4 cup confectioners sugar

Work until soft and fluffy:

• 3 oz cream cheese
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cream or milk

Beat in the sugar gradually. Add:

• 1 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon or orange rind

Or: 

• 1 teaspoon vanilla and
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Or: 

• A good dash liqueur, lemon or orange juice and grated rind

Have it Your Way Hummus

Hummus is a nice dip with a change of pace. You can take a basic recipe and easily adjust to your taste or what you have on hand. This recipe was inspired by Ina Garten of the Food Network. I used natural peanut butter because I couldn't locate tahini at my grocery store. Whip up a batch and grab a few crackers!

Ingredients:
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups canned chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup natural peanut butter
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
2 tablespoons water or liquid from the chickpeas
1/2 cup roasted peppers

Directions: 
Place all ingredients in food processor or blender and process until the hummus is coarsely pureed. Taste, for seasoning, and serve chilled or at room temperature.

Link to Ina Garten's recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/hummus-recipe/index.html

No Fridge Needed Peasant Lunch

My husband has a schedule that is not condusive to a sit down lunch let alone use of a fridge or microwave. Eating out every day is expensive and gets old. This week we picked up items for him to take a peasant lunch.

Ginger ale
Bottle water
Prosciutto
Salami
Cheddar cheese
Parmesan cheese
Orange
Apple
French bread
Caramels 

If you'd like more ideas here is a good Chow Hound discussion on the topic: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/827677

Nontraditional Strawberry Jams

Homemade strawberry jam is my favorite hands down! While cooking the jam today the smells of sugary goodness filled the house and reminded me of childhood. My Mom makes a big batch every year to give as gifts and last through the seasons. The Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, Can It!, had a couple variations on the classic recipe which sounded interesting. Sshh, don't tell my Dad. He thinks classic recipes like strawberry jam and pumpkin pie shouldn't be messed with.    

Ingredients:
12 cups strawberries (3 quarts)
1 1.75-ounce package regular powdered fruit pectin
1/2 teaspoon butter
7 cups sugar

Directions:
Place 1 cup of the strawberries in an 8-quart heavy pot. Using a potato masher, crush berries; continue adding and crushing berries. Measure 5 cups crushed berries. Stir in pectin and butter. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Add sugar all at once. Return to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off rims; adjust lids.

Ladle jam into hot, sterilized half pint jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe jar rims; adjust lids.

To distribute the fruit, cool the jam about 20 minutes after processing, then gently turn and tilt the jars without inverting them. Repeat as needed until the fruit is well distributed. Jam may need to stand for one to two weeks after canning to become fully set.

Process filled jars in a boiling-water canner for 5 minutes (start timing when water returns to boiling). Remove jars from canner; cool on wire racks. Makes about 10 half-pints.

Strawberry and Ginger Ale Jam: Prepare as directed, except add 1/2 cup ginger ale after skimming off the foam.

Strawberry-Marsala-Thyme Jam: Prepare as directed, except stir in marsala wine with the butter and pectin. Add 1/4 cup fresh snipped thyme after skimming off the foam.

Mmmm Marsala Carrots

I wasn't a fan of carrots until I had butter carrots for the first time. Cooking with butter makes everything better, right?! My husband has made this recipe a couple times and tonight was my turn. Not only were the carrots delicious they were super easy too.

Ingredients:
5 carrots
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup marsala

Directions:
Bring pot of water to boil. Skin the carrots and slice. Add carrots to boiling water and cook until easily pierced with a form. Heat skillet and add melt butter. As butter browns add the olive oil and coat the entire surface. Add carrots and resist the urge to stir right away. You want the carrots to brown on each side. Add the marsala and let simmer, stirring occasionally. Once all liquid has been absorbed you are ready to serve.

Notes: 
If you don't have marsala on hand you can serve as brown butter carrots, just skip the last step. They are tasty either way! There are many recipes out there for baked or glazed carrots too.

Crazy Good Chicken Curry

I love Thai and Indian curries and my husband's recipe is one of the best. I use the word "recipe" lightly because he cooks to taste and doesn't write anything down. When I make curry it takes me about two hours due to washing, chopping, slicing, simmering, and reducing. You can modify the curry spice, vegetables, and protein to your preference. We serve our curry with jasmine rice and fresh naan bread.

Ingredients:
Vegetable oil
Pepper, to taste
1 sweet onion, chopped
1/2 lb green beans, cut ends
2 yellow zucchini, sliced
2 chicken breast or thighs, cubed
3 tablespoons medium curry
2 tablespoons hot curry (we like it spicy!)
1 can coconut milk

Directions:
 In a large saute pan warm enough vegetable oil to coat surface. Cube chicken and cook in saute pan. Set aside in large mixing bowl. You will cook eat vegetable independently and add to the large mixing bowl. I like the order of onions, then zucchini, then green beans. Heat oil again in saute pan and fry the curry paste. This will release aromatics and make the house smell amazing! Next, slowly stir in the coconut milk. Simmer over low heat to reduce slightly. Then add back in your chicken and vegetables. Let all the ingredients simmer together until the curry flavor has evenly dispersed.

Criss-Cross Applesauce

I loved applesauce as a kid and had a craving for the rustic version this week. This recipe is from the James Beard American Cookery cookbook of 1972. I had no idea applesauce was so easy!

Ingredients:
6 to 8 cooking apples, 4 to 8 ounces each
1/2 to 3/4 cup water
Sugar to taste

Directions:
Peel, core, and cut apples into sixths. Place in a heavy saucepan and add a small amount of water - just enough to create necessary to soften the apples. Cover, and cook over medium heat till the apples are done. Then stir with a wooden spoon or spatula and add sugar to taste, along with whatever spice you like, such as nutmeg, cinnamon, mace, or ginger. Apples vary so much in sugar content that it is folly to sweeten them before they are cooked.

Notes: My apples were sweet enough so no sugar was added. After apples cooked I pressed through a ricer.

Hatch Chile Festivals

The hatch chile is grown in the Hatch Valley of New Mexico. During the month of August in Texas hatch chiles are everywhere, super cheap, and good! Whole Foods, Central Market and other grocery stores host Hatch Chile festivals and events.

The hatch chile is tasty roasted and peeled by itself or chopped up for salsa, enchiladas, tacos, macaroni and cheese, etc. We roasted a bunch of peppers for the freezer. Now we will have winter dishes with summer flavor! 

Directions: 

Over direct flame (grill, fire, or stove top) lay fresh chiles on grill. You can also broil hatch chiles. Turn chiles frequently to allow skin to blister and become evenly charred. Be careful not to overcook flesh though. You want the hatch chile under the skin to be cooked, but not mushy. When ready put all chiles into a paper bag and roll top down to steam. You can also use a bowl and a kitchen towel. Once cool, peel the skin off. Your hatch chiles are ready to enjoy immediately.

If you choose to freeze your hatch chiles let cool after roasting and leave the skin on. When you defrost for future use you will peel the skin at that time. This preserves the flavor.