banana bread

the ingredients:

3 slightly browned bananas

1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

3 tbsp. unsalted, melted butter (plus more for the pan)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

3/4 cups sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

the method:

preheat the oven to 350, and coat a 5-by-9-inch loaf pan with canola oil spray.

peel the bananas, and in a large mixing bowl, mash them well with a fork. stir in the sugar and then the egg, mixing thoroughly. then, stir in the butter.

sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and pecans. fold the dry ingredients gently into the wet, mixing just until you no longer see any streaks of raw flour (do not over-mix, or the banana bread will be tough).

pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean and the bread is just starting to come away from the sides of the pan.

cool in the pan on a rack for five minutes, and then turn out onto the rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.

courtesy of food52.

sausage and pepper pappardelle

this dish was inspired by one that i made in italy. however, i attempted to make it healthier yet still delicious. you decide.

the ingredients:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 medium yellow onion

1 lb. chicken or turkey sausage (casings removed)

1 red pepper (cut into strips)

1 yellow pepper (cut into strips)

1 16 oz. jar of san marzano tomato sauce

1 tsp. fresh rosemary (chopped)

8 oz. fresh mozzarella (shredded)

the method:

heat the olive oil over medium heat, and add the onions. as the onions begin to cook, add the sausage, and break apart with a fork. once the meat has begun to brown slightly, add the peppers. allow the peppers to cook for another five minutes or so. then, add the jar of tomato sauce. stir all of the ingredients so that everything is coated thoroughly.

cover the pan, and let everything rest at a low simmer for about an hour. if you’re working with a large pan and don’t have a lid that fits, you can (carefully) cover the pan with foil. stir occasionally.*

meanwhile, salt the pasta water, and bring it to a boil. cook the pasta for the recommended time, drain, and add to the sauce (this should still be on low heat). add the fresh rosemary and mozzarella cheese, and gently stir until the cheese melts. plate, and serve.

just to give you the full scope, i thought i’d throw in another picture. enjoy.

*this sauce can be made ahead of time. just follow all of the steps above, and let it rest off the heat until you’re ready to cook the pasta.

stecca

this recipe is from jim lahey’s my bread. he is the owner of sullivan street bakery and co. pizzeria in new york city, so suffice it to say, he knows his bread. although most of the prep is inactive, this is not a quick recipe. the end result was delicious and airy. i could have topped it with olives, cloves of garlic, cherry tomatoes, etc. but didn’t have those ingredients on hand. feel free to add them if you do after you shape the dough and before baking.*

the ingredients:

3 cups bread flour ( i used king arthur 00.)

1/2 tsp. table salt

3/4 tsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. instant or other active dry yeast

1 1/2 cups cool water (55-65 degrees)

additional flour for dusting

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

3/4 tsp. coarse sea salt or kosher salt

the method:

in a medium bowl, stir together the flour, table salt, sugar and yeast. add the water and, using a wooden spoon, mix until you have a wet, sticky dough, about 30 seconds. cover the bowl, and let sit at room temperature until the surface is dotted with bubbles and the dough is more than doubled in size, 10 to 18 hours (24 hours if you have a cold cold home.)

when the first rise is complete, generously dust a work surface with flour. use a bowl scraper or rubber spatula to scrape the dough out of the bowl in one piece. fold the dough over itself three times, and gently shape it into a somewhat flattened ball. brush the surface of the dough with some of the olive oil, and sprinkle with a quarter teaspoon of the coarse salt (which will gradually dissolve on the surface).

grab a large bowl (large enough to hold the dough when it doubles in size. you could also use a large pot) and brush the insides of the bowl with olive oil. gently place the dough, seam side down into the bowl. cover the bowl with a towel. place in a warm, draft-free spot to rise for one to two hours. the dough is ready when it is almost doubled. if you gently poke it with your finger, it should hold the impression. if it springs back, let it rise for another 15 minutes.

half an hour before the end of the second rise, preheat the oven to 500, with a rack in the center. oil a 13 x 18 baking sheet.

cut the dough into quarters. gently stretch each piece evenly into a long, thin, baguette shape approximately the length of the pan. place on the pan, leaving about one-inch between the loaves.* drizzle, tab or brush olive oil on each loaf. sprinkle sea salt or kosher salt over each loaf (remember to go light on the olive loaf since the olives are salty).

bake for 15 to 25 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. cool on a pan for five minutes, and use a spatula to transfer the baguette to a rack to cool thoroughly.

note: the baguette may become a bit soggy in just a few hours because of the salt on the surface. if that happens, reheat the loaves in a hot oven until crisp.

courtesy of gojee.

lemon and tarragon polpettini

the ingredients:

1/3 cup cream

3 tbsp. chicken broth

1 egg yolk

3/4 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. gelatin

3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/4 cup pecorino romano (grated)

1 tbsp. parsley (minced)

1 tbsp. tarragon (minced)

1 lemon (zested)

1/2 lb. ground beef

1/2 lb. ground pork

the method:

preheat the oven to 350.

whisk the cream, stock, yolk, salt, onion powder, and gelatin together. let the mixture rest for five minutes to allow the gelatin to rehydrate. then, add the panko, cheese, parsley, tarragon, and lemon zest, and mix to form a paste.

use a fork to mix in the beef and pork using a cutting motion rather than a mashing motion. be careful not to over mix. the mixture should be somewhat crumbly looking, and not smooth like a paste. put the mixture in the fridge to rest.

spread the meatballs onto a sprayed baking sheet, and bake for 12-15 minutes. plate, sprinkle with any remaining pecorino, and serve.

adapted from a gojee recipe.

baked apples

the ingredients:

1/2 cup almonds (toasted)

1/4 cup sugar

2 tbsp. butter (melted)

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

1/8 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1 egg white (beaten)

4 apples (halved)

2 tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

vanilla bean ice cream

the method:

preheat the oven to 350.

place the almonds in a food processor and process until finely ground.  combine the ground almonds, a quarter cup of sugar, the butter, vanilla, salt, nutmeg, and egg white, and stir until well combined.

core the apples very carefully; make sure that the core is not too large. cut a thin slice off the rounded side of each apple so it will sit flat. combine two tablespoons of sugar and a half teaspoon of cinnamon, and generously sprinkle the combination over the apples. finally, spoon about one tablespoon of the filling into the center of each apple.

bake the apples for 30 minutes. allow to cool for a few minutes, and then plate them, and serve with a scoop of ice cream.

courtesy of cooking light.

turkey meatloaf with blackberry bbq sauce

i loved this dish. i made two loaves: one with turkey meat, and the other with a mixture of beef, pork, and veal. both were delicious, but surprisingly, i enjoyed the turkey one more. perhaps it was the creaminess of the goat cheese that i added to that one. either way, the choice is yours.

the ingredients:

for the meatloaf:

1 1/2 lbs. of dark turkey meat (or 1/2 lb. beef, 1/2 lb. pork, and 1/2 lb. veal)

1/2 cup yellow onion (diced)

1/2 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

3 garlic cloves (finely chopped)

1 tbsp. worcestershire sauce

1 egg (beaten)

3/4 cup milk

3 pieces of white bread (crusts removed and torn into small pieces)

4 oz. creamy goat cheese

for the bbq sauce:

2 small onions

2 cloves of garlic

2 cups of fresh or frozen blackberries (just be sure the thaw if you’re using frozen.)

1 tbsp. ground ginger

a generous pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

a not-so-generous pinch of cayenne pepper (unless you like it really hot)

the method:

to make the sauce, add all of the ingredients to a blender or food processor, and puree until smooth. pour the sauce into a small pot, and cook on medium-low heat for about 20 minutes. set aside.

preheat the oven to 350. in a large bowl, combine all of your meatloaf ingredients. time to get down and dirty. use your hands to thoroughly combine the mixture. once combined, add to a loaf pan which is typically 5 × 9. shape into the pan, then add about a half-cup of sauce to the top. bake for nearly an hour and 25 minutes. check before it hits the 1:25 mark as oven temperatures vary.

once cooked, remove from the oven, and allow to cool for about five minutes. while cooling, reheat the remaining bbq sauce. transfer the loaf to a serving dish, and drizle with the bbq sauce. pour the rest of the sauce into a small pitcher, and serve.

sauce with that?

adapted from a food52 recipe.

roasted sweet potatoes with maple pecan butter

the ingredients:

1 scant tbsp. pecans

2 large sweet potatoes

2 tbsp. olive oil

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp. unsalted butter (softened)

1 tsp. brown sugar (plus a tbsp. for garnish)

1 tsp. maple syrup

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

the method:

roast the pecans in a dry, non-stick pan for just a few minutes. keep your eye on them as they can burn quickly.

preheat the oven to 400.

cut the sweet potatoes into 1-inch cubes. on a rimmed baking sheet. toss with the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. roast for 30-35 minutes.

in the meantime, combine the butter, sugar, syrup, vanilla, and now roasted pecans, and stir to combine.

once the potatoes are roasted, toss with the butter so that it’s melted into the potatoes, garnish with the remaining brown sugar, and serve.

adapted from a gojee recipe.

oreo cupcakes

i adore pretty much anything cookies n’ cream. although there are crumbled oreos in the frosting, the showstopper lies at the bottom of the cupcake, where an entire oreo awaits. recommended: a cold glass of milk.

the ingredients:

for the cupcakes:

1 box of oreos or newman’s o’s

i used a family recipe for devil’s food cake that i can’t yet share. you’re welcome to use a boxed mix or your own recipe. any quality devil’s food recipe will work.

for the frosting:

2 8-oz. containers of mascarpone cheese

1 cup of cream

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 cup of crumbled oreos (these should be crumbled pretty finely so that they can spread in conjunction with the rest of the frosting.)

the method:

preheat the oven to 350 (unless your mix or recipe specifies otherwise).

make the cupcake batter. spray your cupcake tins with cooking spray, and place an oreo at the bottom of each slot. pour the batter into the slots so that they are three-quarters of the way full. otherwise, they will overflow! bake according to package or recipe instructions.

in the meantime, make the icing. put the mascarpone, cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla into a large mixing bowl. using an electric mixer, whip the cream mixture to soft peaks. gently stir in the crumbled oreos.

allow the cupcakes to cool. once cooled, ice generously, and enjoy!

idea inspired by bakerella.

whole wheat pita chips

in case you’ve run out of stacy’s or feel like getting creative one day.

the ingredients:

1 bag of whole wheat mini pitas

extra virgin olive oil

dried basil (or whatever herb you fancy)

the method:

preheat the oven to 400.

cut the pitas into eighths (or fourths if you’re using the smaller-sized ones). drizzle with olive, and generously season with salt. sprinkle on the dried basil, and bake for about 10 minutes, or until they’re starting to brown slightly. serve with your favorite dip.

 

pumpkin snickies

the ingredients:

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon allspice

2 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups granulated white sugar

3/4 cup pure unsweetened pumpkin puree

1 large egg

2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

the method:

preheat the oven to 350.

for the rolling sugar:

mix together a half cup of granulated white sugar, one and a half teaspoons of ground cinnamon, a half teaspoon of ground ginger, and a quarter teaspoon of allspice in a shallow bowl, and set aside.

for the cookies:

with a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. add the pumpkin and mix well. then, add the egg and the vanilla and beat until mixed well; make sure you scrape down the sides intermittently.

in another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, and mix until just combined. cover the dough, and refrigerate for at least an hour.

line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. scoop out about two tablespoons of the dough, and roll it into a ball (the dough can be sticky, so it helps to chill it thoroughly). then, roll each ball in the sugar mixture. place them on a cookie sheet (leaving space between each for them to puff up). gently press each cookie with your thumb or two fingertips.

bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes (or until they begin to golden). remove from the oven, and leave them on the cookie sheet for about five minutes. then, move to a cooling rack. eat, and enjoy!

courtesy of the foodie trap.