Saturday, October 16, 2010

Honey Banana Bread


Searching for a banana bread recipe I decided to take the basic recipe and add my own flair with items on hand in my pantry. I discovered that honey flavored yogurt meant I didn't need vanilla and gave the bread a heavenly sweetness. A perfect slice or bread to have with hot tea on a chilly Autumn afternoon. Now, onto pumpkin carving!


Ingredients

  • 1 C whole wheat flour
  • 1 C all purpose flour
  • 2 Tbs wheat germ (optional)
  • 3/4  teaspoon  baking soda
  • 1/2  teaspoon  salt
  • 1 C organic sugar
  • 1/4  cup  butter, softened
  • 2  large eggs
  • 1 1/2  cups  mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
  • 1/3  C honey greek style yogurt
  • Cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.
 Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Place sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute). Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, yogurt.  Beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Spoon batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Let cool.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Portuguese Beans

This recipe was made by my great grandmother, my grandmother, and my mother.  I have recently reworked it to fit my crock pot.  My Portuguese ancestors settled in Santa Clara and surrounding areas after first going through Hawaii from the Azores.  I hope this translates well!

1 pkg. dry pink beans (pinto beans can be substituted. )
1 pkg linquica (portuguese sausage) chorizo could probably be a good sub as well.
1 ham hock with or without bone.  To fit in the crock you may need to cut it into chunks first.
1 yellow onion
1-2 cloves minced garlic
1 15oz can tomato sauce

Add pink beans and 4 cups water to crock pot.
cook beans on high 2 hours, until beans are al dente.
Add remaining ingredients.
Continue cooking on high 4-6 hours.
I have a larger crock pot and everything just fit.  It can still be done on the stove, but I like the idea of being able to just leave it for the day and coming home to a meaty aroma.

This is such a hearty meal!  Perfect for cold weather.  Very comforting.  We always spooned it over a slice of bread, but you could easily put it over rice or potatoes, maybe even cornbread!  It is also just great alone in a bowl as stew.


Sunday, September 26, 2010

Homemade Refrigerator Pickles

My garden was pretty sad and wacky this year and I am still oh so slowly getting cucumbers so these home made pickles came in handy for something different and delicious. My Dad says his mom used to make the best pickles when he was a kid. Maybe I am channeling her because I'm not sure I can ever eat the store bought ones again! I made 2 batches. One with regular white vinegar and one with cider vinegar. I'm thinking the white vinegar ones turned out a bit crunchier. Both were super yummy! I am considering making a batch with rice vinegar...hmm.

Here ya go!

2 cups cider vinegar (distilled white vinegar can also be used. I may be tempted to try it with rice vinegar as well)
2 tsp. kosher or pickling salt. (non-iodized)
1 Tbs. pickling spices (McCormick)
pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
8oz or quart size canning jars (I used 8 oz b/c that's what I had)
1-3 or more 3" garden grown cucumbers. Washed and quartered lengthwise. Ends trimmed. (to make spears)
4-8 cloves fresh garlic.
fresh dill

Bring vinegar, salt and spices to a full boil in medium saucepan over high heat. Cool completely.
Sterilize canning jars by immersing in a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes. The jars should be hot when adding the veggies.
Layer the cucumbers, garlic, and dill in the hot jars. Pour in enough of the vinegar to cover completely. You may need to spoon the spices into the jars as well. Screw on lid and refrigerate for at least 3 days before eating. (The pickles can be stored, covered and refrigerated, for up to 1 month. (Ha! They will not last that long!)

This is a recipe I put together from a couple of recipes. You could also add some sliced onion and some grape tomatoes as well. The addition of red pepper flakes gives it a little extra bite. If you are a lover of crunchy dill pickles, you will be in heaven! I used fresh cucumbers from my garden but I am curious to try store bought cucks. My garden cucks had a nice little sweetness to them. Also, when using home grown cucks, be sure to pick them while the are still bumpy and prickly. Once they start yellowing and getting smooth they will not make a crunchy pickle. These were like baby pickle spears. I could fit 1 to 1 1/2 pickles in each 8 oz. jar.

Enjoy! Let me know what you think! Okay, gonna go eat another pickle now!

Friday, September 24, 2010

Italian Lemon Tartlets

This is my first blog as a "foodie." I usually just post random meals and desserts on Facebook and one day a friend said, "you should start a blog." Today, after going through a bazillion, unorganized recipes, I thought, "Hmm, maybe a blog will help keep my recipes organzied!" So here goes. This recipe, as with many of my recipes, come from taking ideas from other recipes to create a dish or dessert to my own liking. This dessert is an Italian Lemon Tart. I was really craving lemon tarts after buying Dickinson's Lemon Curd for some reason. I just couldn't find exactly what I wanted! So I searched the web to find the Frankenstein parts to create a creamy, lemony tartness with a snap of ginger. Oh my! You will have to stop yourself from eating several before anyone even knows they are gone!

1 jar Dickinson's lemon curd (in jam isle of Safeway or Fred Meyer)
30 gingersnap cookies
4 tbs. unsalted butter, melted
3/4 C. chilled whipping cream
1/2 C. white sugar
1/2 - 8 oz. container mascarpone cheese
1-2 tbs. limoncello (optional) (an italian liqueur)


Preheat oven to 350 deg. use muffin cup liners to line a standard size muffin tin.

For tart:
Use food processor to crush cookies until a somewhat even crumb is achieved.
Place crumbs in a bowl and combined with melted butter until mixed.
Distribute crumb mixture evenly among muffin cups.
Using hands press crumb mixture flat along the bottom and up sides of muffin cups.
Place approx. 1 tbs of lemon curd in each crumb tart.
Bake in 350 deg oven for about 7-8 min.
While still hot, spread warm lemon curd to the edges of the bottom of each tart.
Let cool completely. (over refrigerate overnight)

For whipped cream:
in a medium bowl add 3/4 C chilled whipping cream and 1/2 container of mascarpone cheese.
Add sugar and limonello
Using hand mixer, beat until stiff peaks form. (Whipped cream consistency)
Spoon whipped cream into a sandwich size baggie. Cut off one corner to create piping bag.
Pipe whipped cream on to cool or chilled tarts.
Add a blueberry on top for accent. :)
Share if you must!