Banana Nut (or without nuts) Mini-Muffins

We hosted a brunch back in March for St. Patrick's Day.  As part of the menu, I made mini-quiches and blueberry mini-muffins.  I borrowed several mini-muffin pans from a friend.  But, I was hooked so I bought my own pan soon after.  I have now made two different versions of banana mini-muffins two weekends in a row.  The second batch turned out much better so I will only share that recipe here.  This recipe is adapted from two different recipes - Banana Walnut Muffins from my Totally Muffins Cookbook by Helene Siegel and Karen Gillingham and Good to the Grain by Kim Boyce.  The muffin recipe is from the muffin cookbook but with part of the flour substituted by the multigrain flour mix from the Good to the Grain cookbook.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts) (optional)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup multi-grain flour mix
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease mini muffin tin.  If using, spread nuts on a tray and toast in oven for 8 to 10 minutes.  In a bowl, combine flours, baking powder and salt.  In another bowl, cream butter, sugar and vanilla until smooth and creamy.  Note: I used a spoon for this step and it worked great - plus I didn't have to get out my mixer and then clean it up when I was done!  Beat in eggs one at a time.  Add mashed bananas and beat until combined.  Stir dry ingredients into banana mixture just until flour disappears.  Lightly stir in nuts.  Spoon batter into muffin cups to the top.  Note: I use a mini ice cream scoop for spooning in the batter.  It is much easier than using two spoons.  Bake 15-25 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.

Tofu-Carrot Pot Stickers

Using ideas from several pot sticker recipes, I made up this recipe using items from my refrigerator.  They were yummy.  Be sure to make the dipping sauce too!  Note that you can freeze these before cooking them.  Then, cook them just as described below although the cooking times will be longer.

Ingredients:
14 oz firm tofu, cut into small cubes
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1/4 onion, peeled and grated
1 T. toasted sesame oil
1 T. soy sauce
1 egg, lightly beaten
gyoza wrappers or egg roll wrappers cut into quarters

Directions:
Mix the first six ingredients in a bowl with a potato masher.  Put a small amount of filling in the middle of each wrapper.  Using your finger, wet the outer edge of the wrapper and then fold over to make a triangle.  To cook, place a pan over medium-high heat.  Add about a tablespoon of oil.  When the oil is heated, add the pot stickers to the pan and cover for about 5 minutes.  Add 1/2 cup of water, turn to medium heat and cover for 2 minutes.  Uncover and turn to high heat until all water has been evaporated.  Enjoy with the dipping sauce below.

Dipping Sauce:
Mix together soy sauce, toasted sesame oil and vinegar to taste.

Carrot Muffins

Recipe adapted from Good to the Grain by Kim Boyce

Ingredients:

Streusel Topping:

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons spelt flour

2 tablespoons oat bran

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon sugar

pinch of salt (recipe calls for 1/8 teaspoon of kosher salt but I found the topping to be too salty with those bigger grains of kosher salt)

3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch pieces

Dry Mix:

1 cup spelt flour

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup oat bran

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon kosher salt (I think the kosher salt is fine here as it is dissolved into the batter; if you do substitute table salt, be sure to use less than a teaspoon; it is not a 1:1 substitution)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 cups coarsely grated carrots, about 2 medium

Wet Mix:

2 ounces (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1 cup buttermilk

1 egg

Directions:

Preheat the over to 350 degrees.  Grease 8 muffin cups and the outer area with 1/3 cup capacity with butter.  If possible, fill alternate cups as these muffins bake out of the cup.

For the streusel topping, measure the flour, oat bran, sugars and salt into a mixing bowl.  Add the butter to the dry mixture.  Rub the butter between your fingers, breaking it into smaller bits.  Continue rubbing until the mixture feels coarse, like cornmeal.  The more quickly you do this, the more the butter will stay solid.

Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl, puring back into the bowl any bits of grain and other ingredients that may remain in the sifter.  I also sometimes just use a whisk to mix up dry ingredients instead of putting through the sifter.  Stir the carrots into the dry ingredients.

In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, buttermilk and egg and whisk until thoroughly combined.  Using a spatula, mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine.

Scoop the batter into 8 muffin cups, using a spoon or an ice cream scoop.  The batter should be slightly mounded above the edge.  Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the mounds of batter and press it into the batter slightly.

Bake for 32 to 35 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through.  The muffins are ready to come out when they smell nutty and their bottoms are a dark golden-brown.  Remove the pans from the oven, twist each muffin out, and place it on its side in the cup to cool.  This ensures that the muffin stays crusty instead of getting soggy.  I think I'll use a cooling rack next time instead.

Also, the book says that these muffins are best when warm from the oven or later that day.  Although they did taste the best that first day, they still tasted good 2-3 days later.  They can also be frozen and reheated.

Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles are a great cookie to make with a 2 year old. Logan "helped"measure the ingredients as well as mix them in the mixer. I did have to teach him that no hands could go past the bowl when the mixer is on. But the part he enjoyed most (besides sampling them) was rolling them in the cinnamon sugar. Next stop with all of these cookies: the firehouse!!

Recipe from the 2005 Martha Stewart Holiday Cookie magazine (printed version)

Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add eggs, and beat to combine. Add dry ingredients, and beat to combine.
In a small bowl, combine remaining sugar and the ground cinnamon. Use a small (1 1/4-ounce) ice-cream scoop to form balls of the dough, and roll in cinnamon sugar. Place about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are set in center and begin to crack (they will not brown), about 12-15 minutes, rotating the baking sheets after 5 minutes. Transfer the sheets to a wire rack to cool about 5 minutes before transferring the cookies to the rack. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Whole Grain Waffles

I like to add as much healthy as I can to breakfast. When DS decided he didn't want to eat oatmeal for breakfast anymore, we started doing waffles instead. These have whole wheat flour, wheat germ and milled flax seed. They may not be as light as regular waffles but I think they're pretty good and Logan has consistently eaten them for breakfast for about 3 months now! Adapted from The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook (1980 edition)

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons milled flax seed
2 tablespoons wheat germ
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup yogurt ( in a 2 cup or bigger Pyrex)
enough milk to make 2 cups in the Pyrex mention above (your making buttermilk so you could also used buttermilk)
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions:
Whisk together dry ingredients. Whisk together wet ingredients. Whisk wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Follow your waffle iron's instructions.

Apple Upside Down Cake

Found on kitchenmusings.com - Adapted from Rose Levy Berenbaum's recipe in Rose's Heavenly Cakes
http://kitchenmusings.com/2009/10/bring-on-the-apples.html

Apple and Walnut Filling
3 1/4 c sliced apples (about 2 large)
1 t lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1/3 c light brown sugar, firmly packed, divided
4 T unsalted butter, divided
2/3 c pecan halves

One 9×2-inch round cake pan bottom coated with shortening, topped with a parchment round
baking stone optional

Preheat the oven, twenty minutes or more before baking, set an oven rack in the lower third of the oven, set a baking stone, if using, on the rack and preheat the oven to 350F.

Make the apple topping:
In a medium bowl, toss together the apples, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar. Allow the mixture to sit for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 1/2 hours. Drain the apples, reserving their liquid.

In a small heavy saucepan, preferably nonstick, melt the butter. Use about 1 tablespoon to coat the parchment-lined bottom and the sides of the cake pan.

Add the remaining brown sugar and the reserved liquid that has drained from the apples to the butter remaining in the saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a light-colored silicone spatula, then stop stirring, but leave the spatula in place to judge the color, and simmer for about 3 minutes, until bubbling thickly and deep amber in color.

Pour this mixture (do not scrape) into the prepared cake pan, tilting to coat the entire bottom. Don’t worry if the mixture hardens; it will melt during baking. Place the apple slices, overlapping slightly, on the bottom and around the sides of the pan. Set aside.

Toast the pecans:
Spread the pecans evenly on a baking sheet and bake for about 7 minutes to enhance their flavor. Stir once or twice to ensure even toasting and avoid over-browning. Cool completely. Chop coarsely and set aside.

Batter
3 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1/2 c Greek yogurt, divided
1 1/4 t pure vanilla extract
1 1/3 c all purpose flour, sifted into the cup and leveled off
3/4 c superfine sugar
3/4 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
9 T unsalted butter

Mix the liquid ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk the yolks, 2 tbs. of the yogurt, and the vanilla just until combined.

Make the batter:
In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt on low speed for 30 seconds. Add the butter and the remaining yogurt. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Raise the speed to medium and beat for 1 1/2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Starting on medium-low speed, gradually add the egg mixture to the batter in two parts, beating on medium speed for 30 seconds after each addition to incorporate the ingredients and strengthen the structure. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Using a silicone spatula, drop the batter in big blobs on top of the apples. then smooth the surface evenly with a small offset spatula while keeping the apples in an attractive pattern.

Bake the cake:
Place the pan in the oven on the stone, if using it. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown, a wire cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center.

Unmold and cool the cake:
Run a small metal spatula between the sides of the pan and the cake, pressing firmly against the pan, and invert the cake at once onto a serving plate. Leave the pan in place for 1 to 2 minutes before lifting it off. If any apple slices have stuck to the pan, use a small metal spatula to place them back on the cake. Scatter the toasted pecans on top. Serve warm or room temperature.

Corn Pancakes

I had some corn cakes (or so they called them) at Cafe Gutenberg. When I googled corncakes, I got recipes that didn't match what I had eaten. So, I googled corn pancakes instead. Then, it seemed to match more closely to what I thought I had eaten. The first time I made them, I just used a recipe I found online. But, they weren't corny enough. The next time, I modified my normal pancake recipe by substituting 3/4 cup of flour with 3/4 cup of corn meal (and didn't add the milled flax seed or wheat germ). These still weren't corny enough. I had been told that I should probably try adding pureed corn. I really didn't want to go to that trouble. So, for my third try, I used masa. It worked! They're very corny. Here's the recipe. It's very similar to my normal pancake recipe but since I expect to make this one again, I want to write it down fully.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup plain flour
3/4 cup masa
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 3/4 cup milk
1 egg
3 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions:
Stir dry ingredients together. Stir wet ingredients together. Add liquid to dry ingredients. Cook and enjoy with maple syrup or as a savory side dish at dinner.

Banana Nut Whole Wheat Pancakes

I love banana nut bread so I decided to make banana nut pancakes. Really, it's just my normal pancake recipe with additions. I've also added blueberries.

1/2 cup plain flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 T wheat germ (optional)
2 t baking powder
3/4 t salt
1 1/4 cup milk (you may want to use more to make a thinner batter)
1 egg
2 t vanilla
2 T oil
mashed banana
chopped pecans

Mix the dry ingredients. Mix the wet ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix well but do not overstir. When making the pancakes, add the mashed banana and chopped pecans. Then, when you turn the pancake, you'll have nice caramelization of the banana and toasting of the pecans.

Half Whole Wheat Applesauce Spice Muffins (45 minutes)

I made banana pecan muffins a few weeks back. I froze the extras and really enjoyed having this daily snack to take with me to work. I decided to make a different flavor this time. I sachet on the internet for a recipe. All of the ones I found seemed to have a lot of butter. If you look at this recipe, you'll see that it originally did as well. In the comments, people had tried it with less butter so I decided to test my luck on my first try. It seems to have paid off. These are delicious muffins. Plus, they're better for me than the previous ones since I've added whole wheat flour.

Adapted from recipe in Gourmet, November 2003
Active time: 20 min
Servings: Makes 12 muffins.
Ingredients:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour (original called for only all-purpose flour)
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (original called for a full cup)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (original called for 5 tablespoons)
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

Special equipment: a muffin pan with 12 (1/2-cup) muffin cups
Preparation:

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F. Grease muffin pan.

Stir together flours, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt in a bowl. Whisk together eggs and brown sugar in a large bowl until combined well, then add butter, a little at a time, whisking until mixture is creamy. Stir in applesauce, then fold in flour mixture until flour is just moistened. Stir in nuts and divide batter among muffin cups.

Bake until toothpick comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 5 minutes, then remove muffins from pan and cool slightly.


These muffins are supposed to have a topping that I forgot to add:
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

The topping is added before baking.

Homemade Lasagna (About 1 hour)

We usually go out to eat on Saturday nights but this week, we went out on Friday night and then ate in on Saturday. On my blog, you can read about the dinner out here (link coming soon) and you can read MTH's review here (link coming soon).

Here's the quick lasagna that I made last night. Note that it feeds enough for an army so be prepared for leftovers if there's only two of you like me and and MTH.

Ingredients:
1/2 pound bulk Italian sausage
1/2 pound ground turkey
1 onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
29 oz petite diced tomatoes
8 oz tomato paste
oregano, to taste
salt, to taste
fresh ground pepper, to taste
red pepper flakes, to taste
16 oz skim ricotta cheese
1 egg
Parmesan cheese (use how much you like)
mozzarella cheese (use how much you like - I tried not to make it too cheesy)
12 lasagna noodles, boiled

Preparation:
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Cook the ground meats until almost no pink remains. Add the onion and green pepper. When they are translucent, add the tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir to combine. Add the spices to your taste. Let simmer for at least 15 minutes. Taste again and add more spices if necessary. Mix the ricotta, egg and Parmesan cheese.
In a 9x13 pan, start with a small amount of sauce (2-3 spoonfuls). Place 4 noodles across the pan. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture over the noodles. Sprinkle 1/3 of the mozzarella. Repeat the layers ending with sauce ensuring that the sauce covers all the noodles. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Let set for about 10 minutes before serving.

Christmas French Toast (About 20 minutes)

We had lots and lots of bread that had been sliced up for our Christmas Eve dinner. So, I decided to take a page from Alton Brown's book and leave it out overnight so that we could make perfect French toast. The batter was simple:

3 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla

Mix thoroughly.

Add a dot of butter to a preheated frying pan. Place the bread into the batter for a few seconds, flip and repeat. Place in the frying pan and brown on both sides.

I like a little sugar or jam. My Mom had brought some of her homemade strawberry and blueberry jams. Some people put syrup on it instead.

It was the best homemade French toast I've ever had. Using stale bread is the key! The day after Christmas we had some challah bread left over. It makes awesome French toast as well.

Deviled Eggs (About an hour)

Deviled Eggs
Adapted from Epicurious.

12 medium eggs
some mayonnaise
some Dijon horseradish mustard
some cayenne pepper

Used http://whatscookingamerica.net/Eggs/BoiledEggs.htm for instructions on how to boil eggs perfectly.

Peel eggs and halve lengthwise. Carefully remove yolks and mash in a bowl with a fork. Add mayonnaise, mustard, and cayenne and stir with fork until smooth, then season with salt and pepper. Taste. Add more of any of the ingredients as you see fit for your taste. Using two spoons, spoon the yellow mixture into the egg whites. If you're ambitious, use a pastry bag and pipe it into the egg whites.

Orange Sugar Cookies with Chocolate Fondue (About 1 1/2 hours)

One of the cookies that I've made for the past 3 Annual H Christmas Parties is the Orange Sugar Cookie. The recipe actually calls for lemon zest and lemon juice but I thought that the orange flavor would be awesome with the dark chocolate fondue that I serve at the party. I also made marshmallows and cut up fruit for dipping in the chocolate. Here are the sugar cookie and chocolate fondue recipes:

Orange Sugar Cookies
Adapted from Martha Stewart Christmas

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest, plus 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1 cup unsalted butter, (2 sticks), softened
2 large eggs
Granulated sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl; set aside.
2. Put sugars and orange zest in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed 30 seconds. Add butter; mix until pale and fluffy, about 1 minute. Mix in eggs, 1 at a time, and then the orange juice. Reduce speed; gradually add flour mixture, and mix until just combined.
3. Scoop dough using a scoop; space cookies 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Flatten cookies slightly with wet fingers. Sprinkle tops with granulated sugar
4. Bake cookies until golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks using a spatula; let cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.

Chocolate Fondue
From Epicurious
1 cup premium cocoa powder (Valrohna or Scharffen Berger), sifted
1 1/4 cups spring water
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup plus 5 tablespoons heavy cream
5 ounces (premium) semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

Sift the cocoa into mixing bowl and set aside. Place the water, sugar, and corn syrup into a pot and bring to boil. Allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes until sugar solution has reduced by about 30%. Pour the cocoa powder into the solution and blend with a whisk until smooth. Return the chocolate mixture to the stove and continue cooking over medium heat. Add heavy cream, bring to boil and allow to simmer for five minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in chopped chocolate. Pour into fondue pot and keep warm.