Banana Nana Muffins*

Yeah, I know. Banana muffins. whoopie! These are actually very very good. All the better the entire batter mixes up in the food processor, and then to the muffin tins. So it goes together fast.

The texture is wonderful, the taste perfect. With a nice adaptation these turn into a chocolate chip version as well.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup quick oats or quinoa flakes, loosely packed (40g)

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp baking soda

1 medium (1/2 cup) mashed over-ripe banana (120g)

1 can white beans (250g without liquid) or 250g cooked beans

1/4 cup peanut butter or allergy-friendly substitution

1/4 cup pure maple syrup or honey (I used sugar free honey)

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

optional handful mini chocolate chips, crushed walnuts, shredded coconut, pinch cinnamon, etc

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and line 8-9 muffin cups.
2.  Drain the beans and rinse extremely well, then pat dry. This is important because it gets rid of any bean taste.
3.  Blend all ingredients until smooth in a blender or high-quality food processor. (If using a blender without a tamper, stop occasionally to stir ingredients with a spoon so they will blend evenly.)
4.  Pour into the muffin cups – don’t overfill or they will rise and then sink in the centers. Bake 20 minutes. They will look underdone – let sit 20 minutes and they will firm up. (I like to bake for only 16 minutes and then refrigerate overnight, because I like the texture a little underdone even the next day.) Muffins last for 3-4 days refrigerated or 2-3 weeks frozen.

SERVES: 9 muffins or more

NOTES: If you wish to make these chocolate, add 1/4 c unsweetened chocolate powder and substitute the white beans for black beans. Continue with the banana and peanut butter. Add chips and chopped walnuts if desired. 

SOURCE: Chocolate Covered Kate

Basic Mexican Rice

Rice is basic and of course most everyone knows how to make it. However, there is a bit of a trick to "Mexican" rice and it took my time and questions before I got the answer.

It's mostly technique, but a huge part of what I think of a basic Mexican rice is a thing called "tomato bouillon". Made by Knorr, it should be fairly easy to find, but if you can't find it in a national market try a local Mexican market if you have one. It makes all the difference.


INGREDIENTS:

• 1 c rice
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp Caldo de tomate (tomato bouillon)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place the rice in a colander and rinse thoroughly and let sit to drain well. 
2. Heat up a couple of tbsp of canola or other oil until hot. Pour in the rice and stir, letting the oil coat all the grains of rice. Continue sauteing until rice has just started to go opaque and slightly brown. 
3. Pour in 2 c of water, the salt, and the Caldo de tomate, stirring in well. Reduce heat to a simmer and stir occasionally until almost all the water is absorbed. Shut off the heat and let sit for five minutes or so. Fluff with a fork. 

SERVES: 4

NOTES: Some use tomato sauce, but I find that the rice comes out a bit gummy which is not what you want. You want a dry effect with the grains well cooked, but not so cooked that they start breaking. You can add chiles if you wish, and people often sprinkle on some shredded cheese on the top of the serving. Or place a tbsp or so of chopped fresh tomato with some chopped onion on top..

SOURCE: Sherry Peyton

Spicy Korean Meatballs

Asian food is one of my favorites. These meatballs, in a wonderful spicy sauce serves well over noodles or rice. Stir fry some other veggies, or make some potstickers and add a spring roll and you have a great meal.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound ground beef, preferably short rib and chuck
• 1 ½ tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• ⅓ cup chopped peeled Bosc or Asian pear
• ¼ cup chopped onion
• ½ tablespoon grated ginger
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large egg, beaten
• ⅓ cup dry bread crumbs, preferably whole wheat
• 6 ounces udon noodles or linguine
• 2 tablespoons gochujang, or ketchup seasoned with 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 3 scallions, trimmed and slant-cut
• INSTRUCTIONS:
• 1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Place beef in a bowl.
  2. Combine honey, black pepper, sesame oil, vinegar, pear, onion, ginger, soy sauce and half the garlic in a food processor or blender and whirl until well blended. Mix with beef. Add egg and bread crumbs and mix again. Form into 1 1/2-inch balls and arrange on the baking sheet with a bit of space between them. Place in the oven and bake 20 minutes.
  3. While meatballs bake, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and boil 5 minutes for udon, about 8 minutes for linguine. Reserve 2/3 cup of the pasta water, then drain pasta.
  4. When meatballs are done, transfer them to a bowl and scrape pan juices into a sauté pan. Heat on medium, add remaining garlic and cook briefly until it starts to color. Whisk in gochujang, then pasta water. Simmer about 3 minutes, until sauce reduces and starts to thicken. Reduce heat to low, add noodles and toss in sauce. Add meatballs and mix gently. Transfer to a warm serving dish or individual bowls, scatter with scallions and serve SERVES: 4
  5.  NOTES: you may add more breadcrumbs to make the meatballs a little stiffer. You can also fry these in a small amount of oil if you prefer.
  6.  SOURCE: NYTimes

Chile Rellenos Casserole

Oh I just love chile rellenos (RAY-yenos). But they are a pain to fix, so I was ecstatic when I found this recipe. The same great taste without nearly the mess.

Mine is definitely not the norm as I put meat in mine, which is utterly not necessary. Regular chile rellenos don't use meat, but since we had Eggplant Parmigiano the day before, which is also meatless, I figured my husband my die on the spot, so I made it this way.

Let me tell you. We liked to founder on this stuff. It was that good. For you Northerners who have trouble with ingredients, I have a few suggestions.

INGREDIENTS:

• 8-10 Hatch or Anaheim chiles (Anaheims are from California but they were developed right here in NM, so don't be the least embarrassed to use them. They are common in most major supermarkets now. These must be roasted, peeled and seeded. 
• 1/2 lb or so of your favorite cheese. For this I used a combination of Monterey Jack and Sharp Cheddar. 
• 1 lb of pork sausage cooked until done and broken up. 
• 2/3 c chopped onions
• 5 eggs
• 1/2 c milk
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. To roast the chiles, place them on parchment on a cookie sheet and place under the broiler. When blistered, turn over and do the other side. Slip immediately into plastic bags and seal. Allow to cool. The peel will come off easily. Slice off the top, slit down and scrape out most of the seeds. Set aside.
2. Cook down the sausage and onions, until both are done. Set aside to cool.
3. Shred all your cheese and mix together. 
4. When ready to assemble, whisk the eggs with the milk and then mix in the flour and baking powder in a bowl. 
5. Using an 8 x 8 casserole, start with some butter or crisco to just cover the bottom and sides to prevent sticking. Then layer half of the chiles on the bottom.
6. Add 1/2 of the sausage and onions, spreading out.
7. Cover with half the cheese mixture.
8. Repeat. 
9. Now pour the custard over the top and around the edges. 
10. Bake in a 375 oven for about 40 minutes until all nice and puffy and browning on the top. 

SERVES: 4

NOTES: You can buy canned whole chiles in cans, and sometimes you can find chiles roasted, seeded and peeled frozen in some supermarkets. I prefer making my own, and Anaheim chiles are readily available most places. But it is worth a jaunt to a local Hispanic market if you can. 

SOURCE: New Mexican Recipes (FB) Kandace Jimenez

Eggplant Parmigiano

Eggplant Parmigiano a delightful dish, guaranteed to please even those who are not great fans of eggplant.

Properly made, you might not even know it doesn't have meat!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 large eggplant
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 c flour
• 1 1/2 c breadcrumbs of choice
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• About 3 c marinara sauce 
• Mozzarella cheese, shredded (4-6 oz)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Slice the eggplant in rounds about 1/2 inch thick.
2. Set up three dishes, one with flour seasoned with salt and pepper, one with whisked egg, and the third with the breadcrumbs (seasoned or not as you desire. Panko is fine, or homemade)
3. Dredge a slice in the flour, then the egg wash and then press into the breadcrumbs on both sides. Drizzle with olive oil.
4. Place on a wire rack over a cookie pan, lined with foil or parchment.
5. Place all slices in a 375 oven and cook for about 30-40 minutes, until breadcrumbs are toasted and crunchy and eggplant has sagged a bit indicating that it is cooked through. Remove and cool.
6. Construct the casserole: Place a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of the casserole, then layer slices of eggplant, more sauce and another layer of eggplant and so on. You should have a stack of eggplant 3 deep. Cover generously with mozzarella cheese. 
7. Place in a 375 oven for about 30 minutes or so until heated through and cheese is nicely melted. Serve immediately. 

SERVES: 4

NOTES: You can use commercial sauce if you wish. You could also use fresh mozzarella or the part-skim variety. If using fresh, just slice into thinnish rounds and scatter across the top, 

SOURCE: Sherry Peyton 

Garden Fresh Cheese Ball

This turned out to be one of the best cheese ball dips I've had in a while. We really dug into it, and after about two evenings, it was utterly gone.

You can of course vary the ingredients to suit your own tastes, but do follow the directions as to how to make it, if you want the same general consistency, which I found really nice.

Enjoy.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 8 oz pkg. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 scallions, rough chopped
• about 1/2 c sweet pepper, yellow, red, green in chunks
• 1 C shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterey Jack, combo)
• 1 jalapeno, most seeds removed, rough chop
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place all in a food processor and whirr until most of the veggies are broken down quite fine. 
2. Refrigerate.

SERVES: Makes about 1 1/3 cups

NOTES: The reason I liked this so much is that a creamy consistency was maintained after it was refrigerated. I assume it was from the water content in the fresh veggies. So I suggest the use of the food processor is important here, keeping the water in the mix. If you do this by hand, I suspect the cheese will firm up in the fridge and it will be difficult to "scoop" except with sturdy crackers or firm crudites. 

SOURCE: Sherry Peyton

Enchilada Soup

Oh goodness. How lovely is thy spice!

This was great.

While it's perfect for cold weather, this is literally perfect any time.

Add or subtract the heat as you wish.

INGREDIENTS:
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2 whole dried ancho chilies, stems and seeds removed (see note above

1 1/2 quarts (1.5 liters)homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock

1 split bone-in, skin-on chicken breast (about 1 pound; 450 grams)

4 ounces (100 grams) cream cheese

1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) distilled white vinegar (see note above)

1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) vegetable or canola oil

1 medium yellow onion, finely diced (about 1 cup; 1/2 pound; 200 grams)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon; 10 grams)

2 ears of corn, kernels removed (about 1 1/2 cups; 250 grams)

1 (14-ounce; 400-milliliter) can diced tomatoes

1 (4.5-ounce; 125-milliliter) can chopped green chilies (see note above)

1 (14.5-ounce; 400-gram) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 pound (225 grams) grated pepper jack cheese

1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) fresh juice from 1 lime

1/2 cup picked fresh cilantro leaves (about 1 ounce; 30 grams), chopped Diced avocado, picked fresh cilantro leaves, sliced scallions, and grated cheese, for serving 

INSTRUCTIONS: 

 Place guajillo and ancho chilies on a microwave-safe plate and microwave on high at 15-second intervals until hot, pliable, and toasted-smelling, about 30 seconds total. Combine chicken stock, split chicken breast, and toasted chilies in a medium pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to lowest heat setting, cover, and cook until chicken breast is cooked through (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the breast should register 155 to 160°F) and chilies are tender, about 15 minutes.

• Remove chicken breast to a plate and set aside to cool. Transfer chilies to the jar of a blender and add 1 cup of stock. Blend, starting at lowest speed and gradually increasing to high speed, until chilies are completely puréed, about 2 minutes. Add cream cheese and blend until homogeneous, about 1 minute, adding more stock as necessary if the mixture is too thick. Whisk chili/cream cheese mixture back into remaining chicken stock. Whisk in vinegar and set aside. 
•  When chicken is cool enough to handle, shred meat into bite-sized pieces using your fingers or two forks. Set aside. Discard skin and bones. 
•  Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add corn and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, chopped green chilies, black beans, and stock/chili/cream cheese mixture. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently.
•  Stir in pepper jack cheese, shredded chicken, and lime juice. Season to taste with more salt and pepper. Stir in cilantro. Serve immediately with diced avocado, picked fresh cilantro leaves, sliced scallions, and grated cheese.

SERVES: 6

NOTES: You can regulate the heat as you wish. Just substitute other chiles or less of them.

SOURCE: Serious Eats

Hunan Beef

We had this yesterday, and it was a great hit. Just lots of nice and spicy beef.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tbsp dry sherry
• 1/4 c soy sauce (low salt)
• 1 tbsp cornstarch or flour
• 12 oz. skirt steak or other similar cut, sliced thin across the grain
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 2 cloves of garlic, mashed
• oil for frying 
• 2 chiles (arbol, Thai, etc, minced
• 1 tsp dry red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp cumin
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 1 tsp sesame seed oil

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place the first three ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Place the sliced meat in it and toss until well covered. Cover and place in the fridge for at least one hour and up to 8. 
2. In a wok or suitable fry pan, add the oil. Add as much as you desire (either saute in a small amount or put in more and deep fry the meat. Heat until it's about 350 degrees.
3. Saute the meat until done. Remove with a slotted spoon. Pour off extra oil until you are down to about 3 tbsp or so. 
4. Add the  garlic and ginger and stir rapidly, not letting it burn, until it is fragrant. Add the cumin and scallions, and continue stirring until scallions are just warmed. Add the meat and drizzle over the sesame seed oil. Mix briefly and serve over rice. 

SERVES: 4

NOTES: You can add other vegetables to the wok after the ginger and garlic, such as snow peas, broccoli, etc. Just stir-fry until tender crisp and continue with the recipe. 

SOURCE: Adapted slightly Serious Eats recipe. 

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