Oatmeal-Pecan-Banana Muffins

Good Morning everyone! I had a sleepless night last night and was able to catch up on some blogging. I cooked a lot last weekend and had recipes to type up and photos to download. I think I finally went to bed at 3 am. Anyway, I made these Oatmeal-Pecan-Banana Muffins last weekend and they were incredible. I found a banana muffin recipe on Pinterest and modified it a bit. I added Oatmeal to these muffins and I added applesauce to replace the oil in the recipe. I see so many recipes that substitute the oil with applesauce and I wanted to see if the texture would still be there without the oil. It was. The texture even improves the next day. The apples keep it super moist and you really don't miss the oil at all. Delicious.

I used my preserved bananas from last month and it was great. I pulled them from the freezer, thawed them in warm water and dumped them in the recipe. Since I had them pre-measured, it was a snap to make. Check out my 'How to' blog, When Banana's Go Bad, on how to preserve ripe bananas. Enjoy!

Oatmeal-Pecan Banana Muffins (Adapted from Home Cooking with Sonia)
(Makes ~50 mini-muffins)

2 1/2 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1-1 1/2 cup ripe bananas
1 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup applesauce
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray mini muffin pans with baking spray.

Combine flour, oatmeal, sugars, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl, Mix and set aside.

In medium bowl combine bananas, buttermilk, applesauce, vanilla extract, and egg and mix thoroughly.

Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix until just blended. Note:Over mixing muffin batter will make them tough, so mix until just combined.  Add chopped pecans. Pour into mini muffin pans and top with brown sugar and additional pecans. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

If you use normal size muffin tins, use liners and bake for 18-20 minutes.

When Bananas Go Bad

Lately, my kids have lost their interest in eating bananas. They'll eat one and then leave the rest to ripen to extreme blackness, untouched. I personally only like bananas when they are just turning yellow and nearly still green. Anything riper than that and they're too sweet for me. So lately, I just don't buy them. But when I do and they end up looking like this...it's decision time.

I struggle whether to throw them away or make a batch of banana bread. Because let's face it, we never set out to make banana bread. We're forced into it as we witness the shadows overtake uneaten fruit sitting in full display on the kitchen counter. "It's a sad state when bananas go bad..." Reluctantly, since I don't like to waste food, I cave to the quiet torment of cast-off bananas and decide to make bread. Ugh! I don't like to be pressured into anything and especially not from rotting fruit. What if I'm in a hurry that day or worse what if it's summertime? There's no way I'm turning on the oven to bake some bread when it's 90 degrees out. No way Banana!

Here's a way to save the bananas without having to actually make banana bread until you're damn well ready. :) This is not a new idea, nor is it mine, but felt that it should be mentioned that bananas can be preserved with lemon juice and then frozen. Super easy! That way, when the weather gets cooler, or when you feel like making banana nut muffins for breakfast one morning, you'll be all set with super sweet ripe bananas.

Here's the easy step by step:

1.  Peel ripe bananas and place in a large measuring cup and mash until there are no lumps. (~4 bananas=1 1/2 cup)

Make your batches of preserved bananas into 1 1/2 cup servings or to the quantity needed in your banana bread/muffin recipe. Makes it easy to just thaw and dump it into your recipe with out having to measure.

2. Juice one lemon and add 1 1/2 Tbsp of lemon juice to the 1-1/2 cups of mashed bananas.

The lemon preserves the color of the bananas so they won't darken further while frozen.
In addition, if your banana bread recipe calls for using buttermilk, you can now just add regular milk in the recipe because the lemon present in the banana mixture adds the needed acid that is called out when you don't have buttermilk but can substitution with sour milk.
Here's the buttermilk substitution ratio for reference:
1 cup buttermilk-- substitute with 1 Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar plus enough milk to make up 1 cup.

3. Transfer the bananas into a freezer bag and label and date your bananas. Store in your freezer for up to six months. Thaw and use when ready. Easy-Breezy! :)

I'll be making some Oatmeal-Pecan Banana Muffins with some preserved bananas, so keep an eye out for them.

Moroccan Carrot Dip

I was feeling festive and wanted to blog a dish for Easter, which got me thinking of Easter bunnies, Easter baskets, Easter candy, Easter eggs and...carrots. My mind was swirling with ideas of things to make and then I saw this Moroccan Carrot Dip on Pinterest. This may not be a traditional Easter recipe but it's made with a pound and a half of carrots which last I heard, Easter bunnies eat, so it worked for me. :)
Simply put, this dip is amazingly delicious. If you like coriander, cumin, ginger, garlic and cinnamon this dish has it all and can be adjusted to your taste or even made spicy if you add red pepper flakes to it. I made it as written and served it as a dip with Pita chips but this would make a terrific side dish for grilled chicken or served as a relish on sandwiches or in wraps. Hope you try this super yummy dip and have a wonderful Easter!

Moroccan Carrot Dip (very slightly adapted recipe from A Thought for Food)

3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 lbs carrots(about 8), peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick

Salt/Pepper

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 teaspoon ground coriander

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

3/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon chili powder

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon minced cilantro

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the carrots and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until they begin to soften, 5 to 7 minutes. To have a brilliant orange color, take care that you do not brown carrots during this step. Stir in the garlic, coriander, cumin, ginger, chili powder and cinnamon and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the water and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are tender, 20-30 minutes. Note: You may have to add a bit more water during this process to make sure you don't scorch the carrots as they cook.

Turn off the heat, mash the carrots with a potato masher, leaving a few coarse pieces for texture. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and vinegar. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until the dip is chilled, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle with the cilantro before serving. The dip can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Season with additional vinegar, salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with the cilantro before serving.

Serve with Pita Chips or pita bread wedges. Enjoy!

Corned Beef Rolls

I found this amazing recipe on Pinterest last year and made it for a St. Patrick's Day themed dinner for my Dinner Club and it was a huge hit. Such a big hit in fact, I made it again for this St. Paddy's Day. The corned beef is sliced thin and has a beautiful mustard cream sauce with it which just elevates it to the sublime. And then you top it all off with a cabbage slaw with a red wine vinaigrette and the taste gets knocked out of the park. I will never make corned beef the old way again!  Seriously, this is just an incredible dish. 

At first look, it may seem like a lot of work to prepare but it really isn't that much work at all. I prepared all the components a day before which really helped during preparation but it also allows all the flavors in the vinaigrette and the cream sauce to meld. It's important however, to cook your corned beef a day or two before and then refrigerate until completely cool. This will allow you to slice it super thin without it falling apart on you.

I made just a few adaptations from the original recipe. Instead of making a homemade Boxty, which is an Irish Potato flat bread, I went the simpler route and bought some Lavash Flat bread from Trader Joe's. I'm sure the Boxty bread would have made this even better but I didn't have that much time to invest to make it. One day I'll try it though. The other change was really an omission. The original recipe calls for a Horseradish Cream Sauce to top the whole roll, but since I don't care for horseradish, I omitted it. Please follow the link below to see the original recipe if you'd like to add that back into the recipe. And the final change was that I halved the ingredients in the vinaigrette and the cream sauce. The first time I made this I had a lot left, so I just pared it down a bit. The recipe below is my halved version. Hope you enjoy this wonderful recipe, thanks to Field and Feast!

Corned Beef Rolls (adapted from Field and Feast)
Makes ~20 rolls using a 2 1/2-3 lb Corned Beef

I suggest making all the components of this dish the day before and then assemble the rolls prior to serving.

Corned Beef:
Prepare corned beef according to package directions one or two days before. (I cooked mine in a crockpot on high for 5-6 hours) Refrigerate until completely cooled so that it slices cleanly. Slice against the grain into thin 1/8" slices and refrigerate slices until ready to assemble.

Red Wine Vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Mix everything except the oil in a blender–or use an immersion blender.
With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil. Once emulsified, serve.

Mustard Cream Sauce:
Yield- 1 Quart

• 1 cup white wine
• 2 Tbsp garlic
• 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
• 1 cups heavy cream
• 1 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 Tbsp dry mustard
• 1/2 Tbsp whole grain mustard (I used a Country Dijon)
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/8 cup canola oil

Place wine, garlic and onions in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then cook for 5 minutes. Add heavy cream and chicken stock to the pot and cook an additional 7 minutes. Strain sauce into a new pot, discard the onions and garlic.
Whisk both mustards into sauce, then add the remaining seasonings.
Whisk together flour and oil in a bowl, whisk into the sauce.
Heat sauce back to a boil, whisking occasionally.
Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Use for Corned Beef Rolls, or cool and store in airtight container for up to 1 week in refrigerator.
Cabbage Slaw:

• 1/4 head of white cabbage
• Red Wine Vinaigrette to taste
• 1/4 tsp. dried oregano

Chiffonade cabbage. Toss with red wine vinaigrette and dried oregano and place on top of the rolls.

Assembly of Rolls:

• One Lavash Bread
• Corned Beef with Mustard Cream Sauce
• Cabbage Slaw with Red Wine Vinaigrette

Sauté prepared corned beef in mustard sauce until warm. Place about 7-8 slices of corned beef with mustard cream sauce on Lavash Bread, leaving a little space on each end. (Note: The picture below is an 'in progress' photo. I added another three slices before rolling.)

 Roll the Lavash Bread.

 Cut into four or five rolls.

Place on a serving platter on end (sushi style) and top with cabbage slaw. Eat!



Rice Veracruz

I got this recipe from one of my favorite cooking magazines, Cuisine at Home. If you've never heard of it or never seen one, this magazine has no advertising whatsoever, only cooking info, recipes and how-to's. You don't have to turn through 15 pages of ads to finally get to what you want to see or read. It comes already three-hole punched so I just pop it into my Cuisine at Home binders. I love this magazine because it has restaurant style cuisine that you can make at home. It uses easy to find ingredients and the recipes have great pictures and always tastes great. It also has a ton of helpful tips and tricks submitted by readers which are just genius. Did I mention that I really love this magazine. If you get a chance to pick up  a copy at the newsstand, I guarantee that you'll  want a yearly subscription afterward. It's just that good.

Here's a picture of the June 2008 issue I pulled this Rice Veracruz recipe out of.

 

I love everything about this rice dish but especially the olives and capers. They add that little bit of saltiness that complements the peppers and tomatoes. And just for the record, my kiddos don't like this rice dish. They say, "What's that green stuff?" I don't fight them on this one, I realize there's a lot going on in this dish. But, I tell myself that they'll appreciate it more when they get older and I can only expose them to different foods. Most times they'll try them but sometimes they don't and this one didn't get past the 'look-see' for obvious reasons. However, this rice dish is really delicious and goes well with just about anything grilled. A Great recipe for summer or anytime.  Hope you enjoy it!


Rice Veracruz (from Cuisine at Home, June 2008)
Makes about 4 cups

• 1 cup dry converted rice
• chicken broth
• 1/3 cup each of onion, red bell pepper, poblano, diced
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 T garlic, chopped
• 1/2 t paprika(I used smoked paprika)
• 1 cup tomatoes, seeded, diced
• 1/2 cup pimento stuffed green olives, sliced
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 T capers, rinsed
• salt and pepper to taste

Cook rice according to package directions, but substitute chicken broth for the water.
Saute onion, bell pepper and poblano in oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Cook until soft, about 3 minutes, then add garlic and paprika. Saute an additional minute.
Turn heat off and stir in cooked rice and remaining ingredients.
Serve.

Vegetable Ceviche

Summer will be here before you know it. What better way to get ready for warm summer days, than by coming up with a fun recipe for summer veggies. I personally think this is the most amazing vegetable dish ever. I love veggies and salads, and basically this is a salad presented in a cool, fun and yummy way. 

I first had a vegetable ceviche, last summer. My husband's cousin made a version of it with shredded cabbage, radishes, carrots and tomatoes with lime and salt. It was served on tostada shells with cheese. It was delicious, refreshing and super inventive.  If you are a fan of ceviche with all it's lime-y goodness, you will love this veggie version even though it's not your typical ceviche. I enhanced her dish by adding onions, garlic, avocado and cilantro as well as adding more veggies to punch up the texture and flavor a bit. There's no fish in this dish but I hope that you won't miss it in this veggie version. The best part about this idea is that you can change up the veggies you use depending on what you have on hand and even add tofu or black beans if you want to add some protein. You can also just serve it as a salad without the tosadas. Perfect to bring to a summer BBQ without the worry of it sitting out on a warm day. Enjoy!

Vegetable Ceviche
(Serves 4)

• 4 large florets cauliflower, roasted and finely chopped
• 2-3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 5 radishes, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, finely chopped
• 2 Persian cucumbers, grated
• 1 /2 cup carrots, grated
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 bunch green onions, finely chopped
• 2 avocados, finely chopped
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped (to taste)
• 1 jalapeno or habenero pepper, seeded and finely minced. 
• juice of 5-8 limes
• 2 T Agave Sweetener
• 1 tsp crushed Mexican oregano
• sea salt to taste
• Corn Tostadas
• Crumbled Cotija Cheese

Preparation
Instead of using raw cauliflower, I roasted it for about 10 minutes to soften the texture and sweeten the vegetable a bit. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly toss cauliflower florets with 1/2 tsp olive oil and place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Roast cauliflower for 10 minutes. Cool completely and finely chop.

Cut and prepare all vegetables, garlic and cilantro as noted above and place in a medium sized bowl with lid.

Juice all limes and add to cut up veggies. Add salt to taste and oregano and refrigerate for at least a hour, 2-4 hours are best to allow all the flavors to blend. Drain about half the lime juice and add the agave sweetener and mix well.

Serve on Corn Tostadas with crumbled cotija cheese.

Chile Relleno Casserole

 
Here's my 'go-to casserole' for Easter Brunch. This awesome recipe is one of my Mother's tried and true recipes from 'Mom's book'. It's super easy because you can prep it the night before and then bake it while the kids Easter egg hunt. It's simply delicious all by itself but I usually serve it with a dollop of sour cream and salsa.
It's perfect for a brunch to accompany fruit, toast, bacon and other breakfast foods, but it can also be a main dish along with a green salad. I've made this for many Christmas mornings, Father's day brunches and even a Pampered Chef party and it always gets rave reviews.  If you don't eat pork, omit the sausage and prepare it without, it's delicious either way. Hope you enjoy it!

Chile Relleno Casserole

4- 7oz cans whole mild green chilies
8 oz pepper jack cheese, cut into 1/2 inch strips
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
10 oz. chub of bulk sausage, cooked and crumbed 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Crumble sausage in skillet and cook until mostly done and set aside. (It can still be somewhat pink since it will fully cook when put in the oven.)

Rinse chilies and remove any seeds that may remain.  Stuff each chile with a pepper jack cheese strip. Place stuffed chilies in a single layer in an un-greased 3 quart baking dish.

Combine eggs, milk, flour, salt, pepper in a separate bowl. Add cilantro and pour over the stuffed chilies.  Sprinkle top with crumbled sausage and cheddar cheese.

Bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Sprinkle with additional cilantro. Serve.