Chocolate Banana Bread

Ever wake up on Sunday morning...look around at the lack of food in your house...see a pile of bananas and say to  yourself (or anyone who might be listening)  "hmmmm....chocolate banana bread sounds delightful."  So chocolate banana bread it is.  I didn't have any chocolate chips so I had to make due with what I had, and I actually did not have to run over to my parents house to borrow eggs or butter.  Awesome.  I added Demetra sugar to the top for an extra bit of crunchy sweetness, and I considered adding marshmallows at the end and experimenting with rocky road bread...but, I was getting ready for church at the same time, and forgot, in the attempt to decorate my bathroom with all the shirts in my closet that didn't look good....So party on!!!  by the way I dreamed that my followers count jumped to 31 in one night!  I was so excited...so my dream interpretation:  friends are exciting.  Thanks for being my friends!!!  :)

Chocolate Banana Bread Recipe:

1/2 cup (55 grams) toasted walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped
1 3/4 cups (230 grams) all-purpose flour

1/4 cup (30 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder                                                             
1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (85 grams) white or dark chocolate chips ( I didn’t have any chips, so I chopped 3 oz of semi-sweet baking chocolate.)  2 oz I mixed in, 1 oz I put on top)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
**! Tbsp molasses (I always add this to fruit/vegetable breads, add an extra richness of flavor)
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 ripe bananas (approximately 1 pound or 454 grams), mashed well (about 1-1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Banana Bread: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place oven rack to middle position. Butter and flour (or spray with a non stick vegetable/flour spray) the bottom and sides of a 9 x 5 x 3 inch (23 x 13 x 8 cm) loaf pan.  Place the nuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 - 10 minutes or until lightly toasted. Let cool and then chop coarsely.   In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  In a medium-sized bowl combine the mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, lightly fold the wet ingredients (banana mixture) into the dry ingredients until just combined and batter is thick and chunky. Fold in the nuts and chocolate chips.  Scrape batter into prepared pan and sprinkle the top of the bread with coarse brown sugar (optional). Bake until bread has risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 to 65 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool and then remove the bread from the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 1 - 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf.                                      

Read more: http://www.joyofbaking.com/breakfast/ChocolateBananaBread.html#ixzz10eLbfhqV

Carrot Cake...the world's best air freshner.

I met my new manager at my part-time job, and she was totally cool, and she found out that I liked to bake for the office.  She mentioned that she liked cream cheese frosting. I told her that I would make her carrot cake, if I would be her favorite employee, she laughed, close enough...I made her cake.  I am not a big cake maker, but I love me some carrot cake, and love the cream cheese frosting the best...and I have to test it a lot....I mean a lot...just to make sure it is perfect!!!  :)

Carrot Cake

 

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1cup oil

1 teaspoon vanilla                                                                          

1 Tbsp molasses

2 cups flour

3teaspoons cinnamon (I use Santa Cruz factory baking spice…and it is GENEROUS helpings)

2teaspoons soda

1 teaspoon salt                                                                                           

3 cups grated carrots

1cup chopped nuts

Mix  wet ingredients together until a lemon color.  In a separate bowl mix dry ingredients and add to egg mixture.  Add carrots and nuts.  Bake in two 9-inch layer pans at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Poblano Cilantro Rice

Still looking for ways to use the poblanos, I happened upon this recipe by Emeril.  I added a lot more vegetables and then some more plain while rice to dilute down the overpowering flavors.  It turned out quite nice. 

Poblano Pepper-Cilantro Rice (with sara additions)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup chopped white onions
• 2 diced carrots
• 2 diced celery
• ½ diced peppers
• 2 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, stemmed, seeded, and coarsely chopped
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish
• 1 3/4 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup long-grain white rice

Directions

In a medium saucepan, heat 1 1/2 teaspoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and chiles, and vegetables and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, salt, cilantro, and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and transfer to a blender with 1/2 cup of the stock. Process on high speed until smooth.
Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the pan over medium heat. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until translucent, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the puree and cook, stirring, to evaporate most of the liquid, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining stock, stir and cover, and lower the heat to medium-low. Simmer without stirring, until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit without stirring for 10 to 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve, garnished with additional cilantro.

Machaca...fun to say, fun to eat

I picked up my bountiful basket, and received my Mexican Pack, which again included everything I needed for tomatillo salsa, and it had big, beautiful poblano peppers.  So, I started looking up recipes with poblanos and came across this machaca recipe, which is beef that is used in street tacos, tamales, etc.  It look fab. and I went for it.  I also made a poblano and cilantro rice dish and a pot of beans, (pureeing some for refried beans)  Over all, I think it came out well.  I think the meat should have been cooked lower and slower to be more tender.  I am not great at meats, so I will learn.  So, happy eats to you.

Carne Machaca Recipe

Marinade:

• 2 Tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• Juice of two limes
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• Tablespoon of chipotle chili in adobo minced (substitute chili powder)
• Teaspoon of ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper

Machaca:

• 3 pounds of chuck or skirt steak (although any affordable, tougher cut would work as well)
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 poblano pepper, diced (substitute a green pepper)
• 1 Jalapeno, diced
• 1 can of diced tomatoes (with or without chilies)
• Tablespoon dried oregano
• Tablespoon ground cumin seed                                                                                       
• Teaspoon of hot pepper sauce such as Tabasco (you know I used chipotle tabasco!)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Oil for frying

Process:

1. Mix all the ingredients for the marinade in a large freezer bag.
2. Cut the meat into 1/4 lb. pieces and place in the bag. Refrigerate over night.
3. In a large stock pot, fry the pieces of meat enough to get a brown color on the outside. This step will deepen the flavor of the final product.
4. Once the beef has some coloring, add the onion, peppers, oregano, and cumin. Cook until the onions are soft.
5. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan for all the brown bits as these too will add flavor.
6. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 hours. Add water or beef broth if needed. The meat should be to the point of falling apart.
7. Remove the pot from the heat and remove the meat pieces. Shred with a pair of folks and return to the liquid.
8. Reduce liquid until the meat is almost dry.

Read more at Suite101: Carne Machaca Recipe: Beef Filling Used in Every Mexican Dish From Tacos to Tamales http://www.suite101.com/content/carne-machaca-a20300#ixzz0ztNUih9B

Hummus with a happy kick!

A month ago my brother-in-law brought home some hummus from a fabulous Greek co-worker.  She didn't use tahini, or yogurt, and it was addicting!  She used a lot of cilantro and lime.  So I have attempted to recreate this fabulous addiction, and add my own twist.  I am pretty pleased with the results.  (and by the way...I have a lot of paperwork to do this weekend, so there should be a lot of recipes that I will make...the more responsibility I have, the more I use cooking to escape!)  :) 

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus with  Lime and Cilantro

 Ingredients

                               1  (16-oz.) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed                                                                          

                               1/3  cup  olive oil                                                                                                               

                               3  tablespoons  lime juice

                               ½ cup roasted red pepper

                               1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

                               1 Tablespoon  minced garlic

                               Dash of  ground cumin

                               Dash of paprika

                               Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Process first 6 ingredients and 2 tablespoons water in a food processor 1 to 2 minutes or until smooth, stopping once to scrape down sides. Add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a bowl. Cover and chill 2 hours or up to 3 days. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil just before serving, if desired. Garnish, if desired.

Rocky Road for Josh

Today is my friend Josh's birthday.  He has been a good and patient friend.  He is able to deal with the ridiculous and is able to keep me laughing, he is also an excellent listener and whose wisdom and advice I respect.  He deserves a great present.  So we are having a birthday dinner for him tonight, with homemade personal pan pizzas and I decided to make his favorite ice cream...Rocky Road.  I haven't attempted R.R. before, so this is a delicious experiment.  I haven't yet made a chocolate ice cream to my liking.  I don't really like the custard ice cream bases, too thick.  So I modified a custard based with my sweet cream base and used various chocolates to try and kick it up a bit.  I think it quite lovely and overly addicting.  I hope Josh concurs!!  :) Happy ice creaming!!

Rocky Road Ice Cream
2 cups heavy cream
¼ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder (Hershey’s Dark is fabulous!)
1 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 cup whole milk
½ milk chocolate, chopped (or just use chocolate chips                                       
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup miniature marshmallows, halved
1 cup walnuts, chopped
½ cup chocolate chips
1. Warm 1 cup of the cream with the cocoa powder in a medium saucepan, whisking to thoroughly blend the cocoa. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer at a very low boil for 30 seconds, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat and add the chopped bittersweet and milk chocolate, stirring until smooth. Then stir in the remaining 1 cup cream. Pour the mixture into a large bowl and refrigerate.
2. Whisk the milk, egg and sugar in a bowl
3. Pour the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture until smooth, then stir in the vanilla.
4. Freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Once the ice cream has finished churning, fold in the marshmallows, walnuts and chocolate chips.

Fire Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

I first had fire roasted tomato soup at Paradise Bakery, then at Zona 78 I had tomato basil soup, so I decided, why not fire roasted tomato basil soup, with roasted red peppers.  Sounds interesting?  It is!!!  Healthy, tasty, and fun, is there anything better than that?  Oh, yes, there is, the chocolate, white chocolate chip cookies...that is actually what I was eating while the making of this soup, but I also ate the soup!!!  Eat away!!

 Fire Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
1 onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
28 oz can San Marzano whole tomatoes                                        
14 oz can Muir Glen fire roasted diced tomatoes
8 oz can tomato sauce
6 oz can v-8 juice

2 oz of roasted red peppers
4 cups water
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper                                                                      
2 cups milk

¼ cup basil, torn or chopped into small pieces

½  cup spinach

In a dutch oven saute onion in olive oil until almost translucent. Add garlic and continue to saute a few minutes more. Add tomatoes, sauce, juice and paste, red peppers, basil as well as water. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes. Puree in blender, or with immersion blender until desired consistency. (I like mine slightly chunky but you should puree until your hearts content) Add milk and seasonings and continue to simmer for another 5 or 1o minutes.  For extra flavor I sometimes add 1 Tbsp or so of chicken bouillon.

Chocolate, White Chocolate Chip, Macadamia Nut Cookies to make you drool and smile

If you need happiness, and all you have is cocoa powder and white chocolate chips then you can have sweet, heavenly happiness!!!!  I also used it to bribe my supervisor for a couple days off to go play, and because he and everyone at my job are so super nice and flatter me and my ego, which is an excellent way get me to cook for them!!!  Yes, I pay off my friends in food, it works for me!!!  :)  So try these and you will be happy!!  Promise!!!

Chewy White Chocolate, Chocolate Cookies

1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/4 cups cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder)

1 cup white sugar                                                            
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsps. baking soda
1 cup butter
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
1 bag white chocolate chips

optional: macadamia nuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease cookie sheet.        
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well with each addiction. Add the salt and vanilla.
3. In another bowl, combine the flour, cocoa and baking soda and gradually add to the creamed mixture. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet.
4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until fluffy but still soft. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely

Peach Crumble of Happiness

This was my last peach creation from my peach escapade.  It made the recipients declare their undying love...and that makes me happy!!  This is from American Test Kitchen, of which I am a major fan.  I have hardly ever gone wrong with their recipes.  I added lot of extra almonds..mmmmm.... Enjoy!

Peach Crumble

INGREDIENTS
Filling
3 1/2	pounds  ripe but firm peaches (6 to 7 medium), peeled and pitted; each peach halved and cut into 3/4-inch wedges (about 6 1/2 cups prepared peaches)
1/3	cup  granulated sugar (2 1/3 ounces)
1 1/4	teaspoons  cornstarch
3-5	teaspoons  fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon (see note above)
	Pinch  table salt
	Pinch  ground cinnamon
	Pinch  ground nutmeg
Topping
1	cup  unbleached all-purpose flour (5 ounces)
1/4	cup  granulated sugar (1 3/4 ounces) plus 1 tablespoon
1/4	cup  packed brown sugar (light or dark), 1 3/4 ounces
1/8	teaspoon  table salt
2	teaspoons  vanilla extract
6	tablespoons  unsalted butter , cut into 6 pieces and very soft
1/2	cup  sliced almonds

1. Adjust oven racks to lower and middle positions; heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. FOR THE FILLING: Gently toss peaches and sugar together in large bowl; let stand for 30 minutes, tossing several times. Drain peaches in colander set over large bowl. Whisk 1/4 cup drained peach juice, cornstarch, lemon juice, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in small bowl; discard excess peach juice. Toss juice mixture with peaches and transfer to 8-inch-square glass baking dish.

3. FOR THE TOPPING: While peaches are macerating, combine flour, sugars (reserving 1 tablespoon granulated sugar), and salt in workbowl of food processor; drizzle vanilla over top. Pulse to combine mixture, about five 1-second pulses. Add butter and half of nuts; process until mixture clumps together into large, crumbly balls, about 30 seconds, pausing halfway through to scrape down sides of workbowl. Sprinkle remaining nuts over mixture and combine with two quick pulses. Transfer mixture to parchment-lined baking sheet and spread into even layer (mixture should break up into roughly 1/2-inch chunks with some smaller, loose bits). Bake on middle rack until chunks are lightly browned and firm, 18 to 22 minutes.

4. TO ASSEMBLE AND BAKE: Grasping edges of parchment paper , slide topping over peaches and spread into even layer with spatula, packing down lightly and breaking up any very large pieces. Sprinkle remaining tablespoon sugar over top and place on lower oven rack. Increase oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake until well browned and fruit is bubbling around edges, 25 to 35 minutes. Cool on wire rack until warm, at least 15 minutes; serve.