Here’s a quick and incredibly easy muffin recipe to whip up when you’ve got a few ripe bananas to use. My kids love them and can each power down several muffins in one sitting. I like them best the day they’re baked when the muffin tops are firm with just a slight crunch; the muffins are much softer on Day 2 but still delicious. I usually add 1 teaspoon of vanilla to the batter just to add a bit more flavor.

Banana-Chocolate Chip Muffins
- recipe from epicurious.com 

Evelyn’s Coffee Bar, Banff, Canada

Yield: Makes 12 muffins
 
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large)
1 large egg
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line twelve 1/3-cup muffin cups with foil muffin liners. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Mix mashed bananas, egg, melted butter and milk in medium bowl. Stir banana mixture into dry ingredients just until blended (do not overmix). Stir in chocolate chips.

Divide batter among prepared muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake muffins until tops are pale golden and tester inserted into center comes out with some melted chocolate attached but no crumbs, about 32 minutes. Transfer muffins to rack; cool.

Tags: banana, chocolate chips, Muffins

This dish is super tasty, super quick and super easy. The caramelized onions add a nice richness to the stir-fry, and the grated ginger gives the sauce a bright, fresh taste without overpowering it. Chilling the beef in the freezer for 20-30 minutes makes it easier to slice it into thin strips.  I used a few rib-eye steaks (instead of the tenderloin or sirloin) because that’s what I had in the fridge. Serve with steamed rice and stir-fried veggies or salad and you’ve got yourself a quick and delicious meal.

Beef with Ginger & Caramelized Onions
-recipe from Williams-Sonoma: Asian Food Made Fast Cookbook

1 1/2 lb beef tenderloin or sirloin, cut across the grain into thin strips
5 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine or dry sherry
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons corn or peanut oil
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 orange or yellow bell pepper, seed and sliced (optional)
1 tablespoon grated ginger
red pepper flakes (optional)
Steamed rice, for serving

Marinate the beef: In a large bowl, combine the beef, 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, and the wine and mix to coat the beef evenly. Set aside for 10 minutes.

Make the sauce: In a small bowl, combine 4 tablespoons water, the remaining 4 tablespoons soy sauce, and the Worcestershire sauce, sesame oil, sugar, cornstarch, and 1 teaspoon of pepper and stir to dissolve the sugar and cornstarch.

Stir-fry the vegetables: Heat a wok or large frying pan over high heat until very hot and add 1 tablespoon of the corn oil. Add the onion and bell pepper, if using, and stir-fry until caramelized, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the onion mixture to a plate. Return the pan to high heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add the ginger and stir-fry until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add the beef and stir-fry just until it begins to brown and is still rare in the center, about 1 minute. Return the onion mixture to the pan. Give the sauce a quick stir, add to the pan, and stir until the sauce thickens slightly, about 10 seconds. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes to taste, if desired. Serve with the rice.

Cooks tip: Look for fresh ginger that feels firm and heavy for its size and has smooth, shiny, pale skin. Use a vegetable peeler or the edge of a spoon to remove the thin skin before cutting as directed in a recipe. You may use a variety of tools to grate ginger, including a rasp-style grater; a specialized flat ceramic grater with tiny, sharp rasps; or the finest holes on a box grater-shredder.

Tags: Asian, Beef, caramelized onions, ginger, quick, stir-fry

This is a great soup…simple yet hearty and delicious. I did a few things differently but nothing that would alter the recipe too much. For starters, I used bulk Italian sausage instead of the links. If using bulk sausage, just break it into pieces with a spatula as it browns in the pan. I used a few more carrots than the recipe called for, added 1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes, and used low-salt chicken broth (Italian sausage and prosciutto can be salty depending on the brand). After letting the soup simmer for about 20 minutes, I added about 3 cups of chopped kale and let it cook for a few minutes until it wilted. You can save a little money by omitting the prosciutto…the soup will still be good without it. If making the soup ahead of time, add the kale (if using) when reheating and let it cook for several minutes before serving; this way the kale should be bright green when you dish up the soup. Adjust seasonings if needed and serve the soup sprinkled with a little parmesan cheese if you like.

Sausage & White Bean Soup  
-from Perfect Recipes for Having People Over by Pam Anderson
Servings: 8

“Most of us enjoy a good pot of ham and bean soup, but often we don’t have a ham bone on hand or the time to soak and simmer dried beans. Minced prosciutto instantly transforms chicken broth into a ham-flavored soup base. Italian sausage reinforces the pork flavor and makes the soup satisfying and substantial. Canned beans work as well as dried ones, and mashing some of them thickens the soup and gives it body.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds sweet or hot Italian sausage
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto ham, minced
2 medium onions, cut into medium dice
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into medium dice
2 medium celery stalks, cut into medium dice
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 quart chicken broth
3 cans (16 ounces each) great northern or other white beans, undrained

Heat oil in a large deep pot over medium-high heat until hot. Add sausages and cook, turning once or twice, until well-browned on all sides, about 5 minutes (sausage will not be fully cooked).  Remove with a slotted spoon; when cool enough to handle, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

Meanwhile, add prosciutto, onions, carrots, celery and thyme to pot and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are well browned, 8 to 10 minutes.

Add broth and sausage. Smash 1 can of beans with a fork, then add to soup with remaining beans. Cover, and bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, to blend flavors, 20 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit for 10 minutes to let flavors develop.

Return soup to a simmer and serve. 

Make-ahead Tip: The cooled soup can be refrigerated up to 3 days.
How can I vary it? Substitute smoked cooked sausage: kielbasa or chorizo. Other varieties of canned beans can be substituted as well.

Tags: italian sausage, Soup/Stew, white beans

This is a simple dessert that anyone can make. Basically, it’s flaky puff pastry squares filled with homemade applesauce. The applesauce is good as is but I wanted to bump up the flavor a bit so I added about 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla, adding it to the applesauce after it was finished cooking. I used Trader Joe’s Frozen Puff Pastry and didn’t bother rolling it out, although I’ll probably do that next time to get a thinner pastry and bigger squares. I had enough leftover applesauce to make at least 4-6 more turnovers. I sprinkled each turnover with Wilton Sparkling Sugar, a larger-grained sugar that adds a nice crunch to the pastry. These turnovers are best the day they’re made when the pastry is crisp (they still taste good on Day 2 but the pastry is softer). These are good served as is or warmed a bit and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream drizzled with caramel sauce.

French Apple Turnovers (Chaussons Aux Pommes)
- recipe from Bon Appétit Magazine – epicurious.com

All-butter puff pastry is available at some specialty foods stores. Yield: Makes 8 turnovers. 

Filling:
3/4 pound Granny Smith apples
3/4 pound Golden Delicious apples
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Pastry:
1 14- to 16-ounce package all-butter frozen puff pastry (1 or 2 sheets, depending on brand), thawed
1 egg, beaten to blend (for glaze)
Superfine sugar (optional)

For filling: Peel, core, and cut apples into 1-inch pieces (about 4 cups). Place apples in medium saucepan; add 1/4 cup water, 3 tablespoons sugar, and lemon juice. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Cover; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until apples are very tender, stirring frequently, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat. Gently mash apples with fork or potato masher until mixture is very soft but still chunky. Cool completely. DO AHEAD: Filling can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 400°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

For pastry: If using 14-ounce package (1 sheet), roll out pastry on lightly floured surface to 15-inch square. If using 16-ounce package (2 sheets), stack sheets together and roll out on lightly floured surface to 15-inch square. Cut pastry into nine 5-inch squares. Place 1 generous tablespoon filling in center of each of 8 squares (reserve remaining square for another use). Lightly brush edges of 1 pastry with beaten egg. Fold half of pastry square over filling, forming triangle. Press and pinch pastry edges with fingertips to seal tightly. Lightly brush pastry with beaten egg. Sprinkle lightly with superfine sugar, if desired. Repeat with remaining squares. Using thin, sharp knife, make 3 small slits on top of each triangle to allow steam to escape. Place triangles on prepared baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.

Bake turnovers until beginning to color, about 15 minutes. Reverse baking sheets from top to bottom. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F; continue baking until turnovers are firm and golden, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Cool at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tags: apple, Baking, Dessert, puff pastry, quick, turnovers

Egg fried rice is a great way to use up leftover rice or a good reason to make it in the first place. Using cold streamed rice (rice that’s been cooled then refrigerated) is the key to making this dish because freshly cooked rice can get mushy. I used a large non-stick pan instead of a wok and it worked perfectly. I used jasmine rice, a long-grained variety originally from Thailand, because I love it’s fragrance and flavor. After I mixed in the scallions and sesame oil, I also added 1 cup of frozen peas and 1 tablespoon each of soy sauce and seasoned rice vinegar, drizzling it over the rice and stirring it until well combined. Garnish with a little (or a lot) of hot sauce and you’ve got a quick light dinner or late night snack, or serve it as a side dish with Asian-flavored chicken or pork.

Egg Fried Rice
-recipe from epicurious.com 

Yield: Makes 4 side-dish or light main-course servings
Active Time: 10 min
Total Time: 10 min (does not include making steamed rice)
 
1 tablespoon peanut oil
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups cold unsalted steamed white rice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallion greens (3 to 4 scallions)
1 to 2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil

Special equipment: a well-seasoned 14-inch flat-bottomed wok
 
Heat wok over high heat until a drop of water vaporizes instantly upon contact. Add peanut oil, swirling to coat wok evenly, and heat until hot and just smoking. Add eggs, tilting wok and swirling eggs to form a thin even layer on cooking surface, and cook 30 seconds, then add rice and salt and stir-fry, breaking up eggs and letting rice rest several seconds between stirs, until rice is hot, 2 to 3 minutes. Add scallion greens and sesame oil (to taste) and stir-fry until combined well.

Tags: Eggs, fried rice, rice

My father-in-law (a meat & potatoes guy) came over for dinner the other night and I wanted to make him a nice meal–something meaty yet something he wouldn’t make for himself. I decided to make meatballs and spaghetti. This meal was truly a sight to behold: giant meatballs perfectly positioned on top of a plate of tomatoey spaghetti and garnished with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Oh my…it was so good! 

I substituted Italian sausage for the ground veal and ground pork. The recipe calls for kosher salt, a coarser textured salt than table salt. Generally, you should use less table salt if you’re substituting it for kosher salt because a teaspoon of table salt holds more salt than a teaspoon of kosher salt. Since I didn’t have kosher salt on hand, I used 1 1/4 teaspoons of table salt in the meatballs and 1 teaspoon of it in the sauce. Next time I’d probably just use 1 teaspoon of table salt in the meatballs because there’s salt in the Italian sausage and salt in the Parmesan cheese. I divided the meat mixture into 16 large meatballs. It helps to have the meatballs rolled and set aside before you start frying them. Otherwise your first batch might get too brown if you’re busy rolling meatballs and not paying attention to the ones browning. I used my big Oster Electric Skillet to brown the meatballs and it worked perfectly because of it’s size and it’s adjustable temperature control.

For the sauce, I used a 35-oz can of San Marzano tomatoes, a variety of plum tomatoes that are stronger and sweeter in flavor and less acidic than roma tomatoes. The brand I used was Cento, but any good-quality canned plum tomatoes will do. Since I was using a 35-oz can of tomatoes (instead of the 28-oz size), I also added a bit more parsley and garlic. I only cooked a pound of pasta and there was a perfect amount of sauce for it. If you like lots of sauce and are cooking 1.5 pounds pasta then I recommend doubling the sauce recipe (you may have a little extra sauce but that’s ok). This was a great dinner that everyone enjoyed (my 5-year-old on up to Grandpa). I’m sure my Italian friend Mikki and her family would be proud of me!

Real Meatballs and Spaghetti
- recipe from Barefoot Contessa Family Style by Ina Garten

Makes 6 servings.

For the meatballs:
1/2 pound ground veal
1/2 pound ground pork
1 pound ground beef
1 cup fresh white bread crumbs (4 slices, crusts removed)
1/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 extra-large egg, beaten
Vegetable oil
Olive oil

For the sauce:
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup good red wine, such as Chianti
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, or plum tomatoes in puree, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For serving:
1 1/2 pounds spaghetti, cooked according to package directions
Freshly grated Parmesan

Place the ground meats, both bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg, egg, and 3/4 cup warm water in a bowl. Combine very lightly with a fork. Using your hands, lightly form the mixture into 2-inch meatballs. You will have 14 to 16 meatballs.

Pour equal amounts of vegetable oil and olive oil into a large (12-inch) skillet to a depth of 1/4-inch. Heat the oil. Very carefully, in batches, place the meatballs in the oil and brown them well on all sides over medium-low heat, turning carefully with a spatula or a fork. This should take about 10 minutes for each batch. Don’t crowd the meatballs. Remove the meatballs to a plate covered with paper towels. Discard the oil but don’t clean the pan.

For the sauce, heat the olive oil in the same pan. Add the onion and saute over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the wine and cook on high heat, scraping up all the brown bits in the pan, until almost all the liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Return the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and simmer on the lowest heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve hot on cooked spaghetti and pass the grated Parmesan

Tags: Beef, Comfort Food, Italian, italian sausage, meatballs, Pasta, spaghetti

These muffins are as good as any sold in a fancy gourmet bakery. They’re moist, not too sweet, with a light and airy texture and a fresh lemony flavor. Now with that said, I did have one issue with the recipe. The directions say to overfill the muffin cups to get 12 big, bakery-style muffin tops. I overfilled the 12 muffins cups just like the recipe instructed (with some batter to spare) but the batter overflowed the pan and made a lovely mess in my oven. I don’t know if the overflow was a freak of nature or if the instructions just need some tweaking. I’ll definitely make the muffins again but maybe next time I’ll try dividing the batter between 15 muffin cups instead of just 12.

The only addition I made to the recipe was to add a 1/2 teaspoon vanilla to the batter. The muffins were delicious and my kids devoured them. I thought they were best the day they were made but they tasted good the next day, too. As an added bonus, the recipe includes variations for making Cranberry-Orange or Banana-Walnut muffins from the same batter.

Blueberry Muffins
-recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine

This muffin batter is also delicious with the flavoring variations that follow the recipe. Be sure to add the fruit before the batter is fully mixed to avoid overmixing. Overfilling the muffin cups gives you those great big bakery-style muffin tops. Yields 12 muffins.

Vegetable oil or cooking spray for the pan
1 lb. (3-1/2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. table salt
1-1/3 cups granulated sugar
5 oz. (10 Tbs.) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
1 cup crème fraîche or sour cream, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1-1/2 cups fresh (washed, dried, and picked over) or frozen (no need to thaw) blueberries

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil (or spray with cooking spray) the top of a standard 12-cup muffin tin and then line with paper or foil baking cups. (Spraying the pan keeps the muffin tops from sticking to the pan’s surface.)

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; mix well. In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar, butter, milk, crème fraîche or sour cream, eggs, egg yolk, and zest until well combined.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold gently with a rubber spatula just until the dry ingredients are mostly moistened; the batter will be lumpy, and there should still be quite a few streaks of dry flour. Sprinkle the blueberries on the batter and fold them in until just combined. (The batter will still be lumpy; don’t try to smooth it out or you’ll overmix.)

If you have an ice cream scoop with a “sweeper” in it, use it to fill the muffin cups. Otherwise, use two spoons to spoon the batter in, distributing all of the batter evenly. The batter should mound higher than the rim of the cups by about 3/4 inch.

Bake until the muffins are golden brown and spring back lightly when you press the middle, 30 to 35 minutes. (The muffin tops will probably meld together.) Let the muffin tin cool on a rack for 15 to 20 minutes. Use a table knife to separate the tops, and then invert the pan and pop out the muffins.

Variations:
Cranberry-Orange Muffins: In place of the lemon zest and blueberries in the batter, add orange zest and chopped fresh cranberries.
Banana-Walnut Muffins: Don’t add any zest to the batter. Instead add 1-1/2 cups thinly sliced ripe banana and 3/4 cup coarsely chopped toasted walnuts.

Tags: Baking, blueberry, Breakfast, Muffins

Sometimes a simple homemade soup speaks volumes. I made this one recently for a birthday luncheon for some friends. It was pretty (with its bold, bright colors) and went perfectly with paninis. The soup may sound fancy but it’s really pretty basic…just tomato soup drizzled with a basil sauce. Coulis (pronounced “coo-LEE”) is a sauce made from fruits or vegetables, and in this case basil. Both the soup and coulis are easy to make and great for entertaining because you can make them a day before serving. If you don’t have a squeeze bottle (available at cookware stores), just drizzle the coulis onto the soup with a spoon. 

Creamy Tomato Soup with Basil Coulis
by Fine Cooking magazine

Serves six. Yields about 6-1/2 cups.

For the basil coulis:
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1 clove garlic, crushed and peeled; more to taste
Sea salt or kosher salt
1/4 cup fruity extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 Tbs. more if needed

For the soup:
3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
One-half red bell pepper, finely chopped
3 cups lower-salt chicken broth
28-oz. can whole peeled plum tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped (reserve the juice)
1 large sprig fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Make the coulis: Have ready a medium bowl of ice water. In a small saucepan, bring 1 quart of water to a boil. Add the basil and blanch for 30 seconds. Remove from the water with a strainer or slotted spoon and plunge into the ice water.

Once it’s cool, squeeze the basil with your hands to remove excess water. Put the basil in a blender or food processor and add the crushed garlic and a pinch of salt. With the machine running, slowly add 1/4 cup of the oil. If the mixture clings to the side of the container, add the remaining 2 Tbs. oil. Purée until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Transfer the coulis to a squeeze bottle or a jar.

Make the soup: In a nonreactive 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion, celery, and red pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are quite soft, about 10 minutes. Add the broth, tomatoes, thyme, 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper, and 1 cup water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes.

Discard the thyme sprig. Let cool briefly and then purée the soup in two or three batches in a blender or food processor (see tip below). Rinse the pot and return the soup to the pot. If it is too thick, add some of the reserved tomato juice. Reheat if necessary and season to taste with salt and pepper. Top each serving with a little coulis.

To Make Ahead: The coulis can be made 2 or 3 days ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Allow the coulis to come to room temperature before using. This soup stores beautifully and tastes better the second day. You can keep it in the refrigerator as long as you bring it to a boil every two days. Or you can stash it in the freezer for up to three months.

Tip on puréeing hot soup: Be sure to purée in small batches and crack the blender lid slightly (or remove the center cap from the lid). Steam can build up once you start blending, and if the lid is on tight or the blender is overfilled, it will spray hot soup all over you and your kitchen. For protection, cover the top with a dishtowel while puréeing.

Tags: basil, Quick Cooking, Soup/Stew, tomato