Chunky Banana Bran Muffins

I hate wasting things so when I have leftover bananas that are overripe, they have to find their way into some sort of baked good. These chunky muffins are perfect: they use up any leftover bananas I have around the house and they're loaded with bran, nuts, raisins and all sorts of good stuff. The banana keeps them moist for a few days so they're great for breakfast on the go.

What's your favorite recipe to use up extra fruit you have around? Leave a comment and let me know!

Chunky Banana Bran Muffins

1 ½ c. bran flakes
3 medium ripe bananas, mashed with a fork
½ c. milk
1 egg
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 c. all purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
¼ c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. ground cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
½ c. raisins (optional)
1/3 c. chopped walnuts, pecans or almonds (optional)

Preheat oven to 400°.

Grease or line 12 muffin cups.



Combine cereal, banana, milk, egg and oil in a bowl and mix well. Let stand 5 minutes; stir to break up cereal. Add flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir until just mixed. Stir in nuts and raisins.

Divide evenly among prepared baking cups. Bake 20 minutes or until a tester inserted in center comes out clean.

Makes 12.

Raspberry Almond Crumb bars with Toasted Coconut

The arrival of Spring always makes me crave fruit. The trouble is that it's still a bit too early to get much fresh fruit - or at least fresh fruit that hasn't travelled across the country to get to my plate. Another thing I like about Spring is that it's still cool enough to turn on the oven and not so hot that room temperature butter is soup. Take the two together and baking fruity treats is just the ticket.

I've been on a raspberry kick of late. I bought some raspberry sorbet and a big jar of raspberry jam. I got the jam home, went to put it in the cupboard and found... another big jar of raspberry jam! Ooops. Jar number one must find a suitable use. I flipped through a couple baking books and found a recipe I liked in the Martha Stewart Baking Handbook. Her Jam Crumb Bars had only a few ingredients and would be the perfect use for my jam. They needed a little something extra though so I added some almond extract and toasted coconut.



These buttery, rich bars are easy to make. They require cooling time in between baking so throw something else in the oven to make good use of the heat while the crust cools. The limited number of ingredients is a welcome change to many of the dishes I attempt and believe me, these have all the flavor in the world: butter, raspberry and almond with a hint of toasted coconut. Yum!

Feel free to substitute your favorite jam (or whichever flavor you accidentally bought 2 jars of). Strawberry, apricot, blackberry - anything would pair nicely with the flavors. And until more fresh fruit arrives, these are full of fruit flavor (which makes them healthy, right??).

I'll be craving another fruit dessert soon, so leave a comment with your favorite or a link to something you've made...



Raspberry Almond Crumb Bars with Toasted Coconut
adapted from the Martha Stewart Baking Handbook

1/2 cup coconut
2 1/2 sticks butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces, plus extra for pan
1 3/4 cup blanched almonds, finely ground in a food processor
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. almond extract (optional)
1 3/4 cups raspberry jam (or use your favorite fruit jam)



Preheat oven to 350F. Sprinkle the coconut in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until toasted, stirring occasionally.

Butter a 13x9-inch cookie sheet (1/4 sheet pan), then line the bottom with parchment allowing about an inch to hang over on each of the long sides. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, almonds, sugar, and salt. Sprinkly the almond extract over the mixture and the cut in the butter using a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Using your fingers, squeeze the mixture together to create pea-sized crumbs with a few larger clumps.



Transfer 2/3 of the mixture to the prepared baking dish and press it firmly and evenly in the bottom of the pan. Use a rolling pin to flatten the crust. Be sure there are no holes or cracks. Bake until light golden all over, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely.



Combine the cooled toasted coconut with the remaining crumb mixture.

Spread the jam over the cooled crust. Sprinkle the ramining crumb mixture over the jam, squeezing some into clumps. Bake about 20-22 minutes until the topping is light golden and the jam is bubbling around the edges but not too dark. Remove pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

Run a kinfe around the edges and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into individual bars. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Authentic Greek chicken souvlaki

The second dish on my Greek menu is chicken souvlaki. With a simple four ingredients, this chicken is full of flavor, especially when served with homemade tzatziki. It wasn't in Greece that I fell in love with chicken souvlaki, but rather at Pithari Taverna in Highland Park, NJ. Grilled to perfection, it's juicy and flavorful - and I rarely order chicken in restaurants.

This dish is also very healthy and light. It pairs nicely with a simple Greek salad, grilled vegetables, lemon potatoes or any other combination of side dishes. I always use fat free Greek yogurt for my tzatziki - it's still rich and creamy, but with the fat. I had mint on hand, but you could also use fresh dill or fresh oregano (don't use dried oregano).

Still to come: Eggplant spirals and our first course of potato and baby octopus salad. So check back for those recipes. And don't miss the fried olive bread. All of the recipes are based on those found in Vefa's Kitchen - if you're going to have one Greek cookbook in your collection, this is it!



Chicken Souvlaki
adapted from Vefa's Kitchen

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 tsp. dried oregano, preferably Greek
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of half a lemon

Place the chicken in a bowl and drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle the oregano over the top and stir to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate 6 hours or overnight. About an hour before cooking, remove from the refrigerator and sprinkle the lemon juice over the top. Let sit about 45 minutes then thread onto skewers (you can alternate with peppers and onions if you like).

Grill the skewered chicken until cooked through, a few minutes per side. Brush with a little of the marinade after putting on the grill - but be sure not to put marinade on for the last few minutes so it is cooked through!

Sprinkle with sea salt if desired and serve with homemade tzatziki.

NOTE: this recipe works great with pork too and can easily be multiplied for a crowd. The amount shown above serves 2-4 depending on side dishes.

Tzatziki

1 8 oz. container fat free Greek yogurt (such as Fage or Chobani)
1 2-inch piece of cucumber, peeled and grated
1 clove of garlic, minced
1-2 tsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano, mint or dill
2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir well. Cover and refrigerate at least a few hours before serving.

Basil-prosciutto risotto

The 2010 March Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Eleanor of MelbournefoodGeek and Jess of Jessthebaker. They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make risotto. The various components of their challenge recipe are based on input from the Australian Masterchef cookbook and the cookbook Moorish by Greg Malouf.

Before I get to the recipe, let me tell you about yesterday. It rained. Not just a little, but lets-go-build-an-ark rain. The weather channel said we got 4-6 inches of rain - and it's still raining as I write this. I now have waterfront property and a small indoor pool in my basement which my husband battled until the wee hours. So, with a very wet image in mind, I tell you I bought veal chops to accompany my risotto and Jeff insisted on grilling them. Each time he came in after turning them, his jacket left a puddle on the floor and he had to dry his hair with a towel. But boy were they good. Almost 2 inches thick, I marinated them in garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon zest.

I used the risotto base recipe below and added prosciutto, basil, and paremsan cheese. The creamy texture of the risotto was excellent with the grilled chops. One of the beauties of risotto is its adapatability to different flavors. I happened to have a big bunch of fresh basil, but you can add whatever flavors you have on hand: mushrooms, pumpkin, pancetta, asparagus, peas... the possibilties are endless. I'm always looking for new combinations, so leave a comment with your favorite flavors for risotto!

To complete the meal, I served a salad of romaine and radicchio with celery, baby tomatoes, shaved parmesan, and a dressing I made with garlic, olive oil, sea salt, a few basil leaves, and lemon juice. Light and crunchy, it rounded out the meal nicely.



All in all, a fun and not-too-stressful challenge from the Daring Cooks. (We had enough stress with the weather!)

Basil -prosciutto Risotto

olive oil 2 fluid oz 60 ml
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
rice 14 oz 400g (Any type of risotto rice will do. I use Arborio but the recipe itself says Vialone Nano. Another to look for is Carnaroli.)
white wine 2 fl oz 60 ml
chicken or vegetable stock , simmering 2 pints 1 L
NOTE: Ingredients above make the base - modify as you like from here
6 slices prosciutto, cut into thin strips
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
bunch of fresh basil, larger leaves torn



1.Heat oil in a pan and add onion. Saute until softened.

2.Add the rice and garlic and stir for a few minutes to coat each grain of rice with oil and toast slightly.

3.Add the wine and let it bubble away until evaporated.

4.Add enough stock to cover the rice by about an inch or two.
5.Cook on medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon from time to time, until most of the stock has been absorbed.

6.Repeat Step 5 making sure to leave aside approximately 100 ml. of stock for the final step. .

7.Repeat, save 100ml for the final stage. Once you are at this point, the base is made. You now get to add your own variation.

8. Stir in the prosciutto and cheese.

9. Just before serving, stir in the basil.



Chicken Stock

1 large chicken about 4 pounds
2 onions, halved
2 sticks celery
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp. peppercorns
2 bay leaves
peel of 1/2 lemon
1/4 tsp. allspice

1.Wash the chicken and place in a 5 Litre pot, cover completely with water and bring to a boil

2.Skim away any scum as it comes to the surface

3.Add the vegetables and bring back to a boil

4.Add the rest remaining ingredients and simmer very gently, uncovered for 1.5 hours

5.Carefully lift out the chicken, set aside. The chicken meat can be removed from the chicken, shredded off and used for other things like soup!

6.Simmer the stock gently for another hour. At , at the end you should have around 2 Liters

7.Carefully ladle the liquid into a fine sieve, the less the bones and vegetables are disturbed in this process the clearer the stock will be. 
The stock is now ready for use. Freeze what you don't need for later use.

Quick and easy pasta with arugula and Romano cheese

Last weekend found us driving from NJ to MA and back in a day and then headed to Albany overnight on Sunday, so Saturday was all about getting things done. (And having time to go shopping with mom for baby clothes! Priorities!!!) So dinner needed to be quick, but yummy...

And who doesn't love a fast, easy, side dish that's packed with flavor and pairs well with just about any main course? This pasta dish takes no time to make and it goes great with steak, chicken, fish, pork or serve it on its own. I love having leftovers for lunch. With a measly 5 ingredients, this is great if you have unexpected guests or find yourself without a plan for dinner like I did on Saturday. I had decided on steaks (with Little Italy relish) and needed a side. This dish popped to mind and my husband almost jumped for joy when I mentioned it. Done and done.

Quick and easy Pasta with Arugula and Romano Cheese
recipe adapted from Everyday Pasta by Giada DiLaurentiis

1/2 pound dried pasta, ant shape will work, but I like Mafalde, long wide ribbons with curly edges
2 Tbsp. Unsalted butter
3/4 cup fresh grrated Pecorino Romano
About 2 cups baby arugula, washed and dried
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Extra romano or Parmesan cheese to garnish (optional)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta, reserving the cooking liquid.

Cut the butter into small pieces and toss with the hot pasta to coat. Gradually toss in all of the cheese. Mix in the arugula and about 1/2-1 cup of the hot cooking liquid. Add black pepper to taste. The arugula with wilt slightly from the hot pasta and water. Serve immediately, garmished with extra cheese, if desired.

Serves 4 as a side dish or two as a main course. Can easily be doubled!