Best-Ever Banana Muffins

 

I had a recipe for Best-Ever Banana Bread in my recipe binder. I don’t know where it came from…probably one of the cooking magazines I subscribed to a one time. I had two bananas that were turning brown, so I decided to make Banana Muffins and I used the Bread recipe as a starting point…. I made a few changes… I used more walnuts.  They turned out great…super moist.

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

 

2 ripe (fairly large) bananas, mashed

2 eggs

1-3/4 cups flour

1-1/2 cup sugar

1-1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts (or more if you like…I used close to 2 cups)

1/4-cup plus 1 Tbsp half and half

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients and mix well.

 

Place paper muffin cups in a muffin pan. 

Fill cups about 3/4 full. 

Bake 15 minutes.

 

Remove muffins from pan and cool on a wire rack.

 

This recipe made 17 muffins.

Pecan Butter – Praline Cookies

We are fortunate enough to have a Costco store near us.** If you are familiar with Costco, you know that nothing comes in small sizes. So that is the story here.

 

I had heard about Pecan Butter – Peanut Butter’s cousin. I also had discovered Costco’s Pralines. Both of these items came in a size that was too big for our family of two to use anytime soon.

 

So… I decided to make cookies.  I used Fannie Farmer’s recipe for Peanut Butter Cookies as a base, and I made up this variation.

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

 

Mix together:

1 stick butter, softened to room temperature

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup pecan butter*

1 egg, beaten

 

Separately, mix together dry ingredients

1-1/2 cups flour

1/16 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

 

Add to other ingredients. I don’t have a stand mixer, so I used a pastry dough blender to do this. They are available at Bed, Bath, and Beyond; Williams-Sonoma; Amazon; Target.

Lastly, measure one cup of pralines and place them in a zip-lock bag. Use a mallet to smash them into small pieces… the size of a dime or a bit smaller…not into dust. You'll want some praline pieces in the cookies. Add the pralines to the dough using a large spoon. This was my idea, and it really adds to the flavor and the texture of the cookies.

 

Roll into balls the about 1-1/4 inches across. Place on a cookie sheet and press with a fork in two directions. 

 

This recipe makes enough cookies for two cookie sheets.  I flip the two sheets so the top one becomes the bottom and vice versa. For my oven, I flipped them after 6 minutes and cooked them another 7… so 13 minutes total. You want them to be browned but not burned or dried out.

 

Cool cookies on a rack.

 

*Note: Pecan Butter has a tendency to separate so you have to stir the oil into the rest of the product. The pecan butter can be stiff so use a sturdy spoon.

**If you don't have a Costco near you, Amazon carries these products: Purely Pecans Sea Salt Y'All Pecan Butter and Kirkland Praline Pecans. These sizes will enable you to make multiple batches. Enjoy!

Fish Tacos

This is from Gwyneth Paltrow’s cookbook, My Father’s Daughter. (I made a few adjustments… For example, she uses a beer batter, which makes a big mess when it hits the oil. I don't do that.)  The accompanying sauces are really, really good.

 

1 pound white fish fillets

Corn tortillas

1.     With a sharp knife remove skin from fish (if applicable). Cut into large bite size pieces.

2.     Season with salt and pepper. Dip fish pieces in flour and shake off excess.

3.     Fry 3-4 minutes until nicely browned. (she uses safflower or peanut oil. I used olive oil.)        Place on paper-towel lined plate.

4.     Repeat until all fish is cooked.

 

Warm the corn tortillas in a dry frying pan. (She uses butter.)

Spoon lime crema on tortilla, lay 2-3 pieces of fish. Add guacamole and pico de gallo as desired.

 

Lime Crema

½ cup mayonnaise

1 Tbsp Lime juice

½ tsp salt

 

Pico de Gallo

1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered

½ small red onion, finely diced

2 Tbsp chopped cilantro

Juice of 1 lime

Salt

 

Guacamole

2 ripe avocados

2 Tbsp minced onion

3 Tbsp fresh cilantro

Juice of 1 lime (or to taste)

Salt

 Ina’s Caramelized Bacon

I found this recipe in Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa Foolproof cookbook. The first time I made it was for an annual New Year’s Day party a few years ago. It has now become so popular among my friends that I get so many requests to make it that now I am becoming known for my bacon. Thank you, Ina.  I have made some small modifications to her recipe, such as less salt.

 

My instructions here show the quantities I make. I use Wrights Brand Applewood Thick Cut Bacon—Real Wood Smoked. Our Harris Teeter carries it. (Ina uses Nodine’s.) I think the important thing is that you use bacon that is thicker than typical bacon.

 

3/4 pound of bacon.  Remove from refrigerator in advance.  Use 9 slices of bacon. Cut into thirds. So 27 pieces, total.

1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

1 cup pecans

1 tsp salt

2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

4 tablespoons pure maple syrup

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a baking sheet pan with aluminum foil (for easy cleaning—Do this!) Place a wire baking rack on top. (I have one that is the same dimensions as the baking sheet…approx…12 x 17.  If you don’t have one, Amazon sells a set for $10.99. Search Half Sheet Baking and Cooling Rack Set.)

 

Combine the brown sugar, pecans, salt, pepper, cayenne in a food processor. Pulse until combined. Add the maple syrup to moisten the crumbs.

 

Line the bacon pieces on the baking rack without touching. With a small spoon, evenly spread the pecan mixture on top of each piece of bacon, using all of the mixture. 

 

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Check at 28.  For my oven 30 minutes is good. The Wright’s bacon is so thick it will not look crispy. No worries. It will still be delicious. Some of the sugar mixture will melt and fall onto the pan…that’s why you need to use foil.

 

Ina says to put the bacon on a plate lined with paper towels, but some say that the bacon sticks to the paper. I just let it cool on the racks. When cool, I serve it on a platter.

 

Serve at room temperature.  Be prepared for the compliments.

 

 

 

 

Potato Chip Cookies

Potato Chip Cookies

I found a recipe for potato chip cookies in my file. (I have hundreds of recipes I have saved over the years.)  I thought this recipe would have to be really bad or really good. I had all of the ingredients, so I decided, “Why not?” Turns out they are really good. Like REALLY good. The sweet, slightly salty taste combined with the crunchy texture of the nuts and chips, and a crispy bottom where the sugar caramelizes….mmmmm.

I think the original recipe was in Real Simple magazine. This is the recipe for a full batch. I cut it in half for us.

1 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus more for coating

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 cup crushed potato chips*

1/2 cup chopped pecans (I used more)

(*Before measuring, place potato chips in a ziplock bag and crush with a rolling pin.)

Heat oven to 375 degees.

Cream butter and 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl. Directions say to use a mixer, but I found it easier just to use a heavy spoon. I don’t have a powerful mixer.  (Tip: my butter was really cold and hard to begin with. I put in the microwave for about 5-7 seconds to soften it. Be careful, you don’t want it to melt.)

Add the vanilla. Then the flour and cinnamon. Fold in the potato chips and pecans.

Form into balls approximately 1-1/2 inch in diameter. Roll the balls in the remaining sugar. Place on parchment lined baking sheet, 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly.

Bake until gold brown around the edges… about 13 minutes. Let cool on the cookie sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks.

Salad Nicoise

Niçoise Salad with Grilled Tuna

This falls into the category of No-Fail Recipes you can prepare again and again!

I originally found this recipe in the Williams-Sonoma cookbook, Casual Outdoor Dining. It is a traditional recipe from Nice, on the French Riviera, and it has become a staple in our recipe repertoire.  You cannot go wrong if you have some fresh tuna available. Serve at room temperature. I use the Lemon Vinaigrette from the Ina Garten Family cookbook.

For six people:

1 lb. boiling potatoes

8 whole anchovies packed in olive oil (optional)

¾ tsp salt

1 lb. thin green beans

2 cups mixed lettuces

5 tomatoes, sliced

1 English cucumber, thinly sliced, optional

4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and thinly sliced

1 lb green beans, steamed until tender

½ cup black Kalamata olives (packed in oil)

1 T capers (optional)

Dressing:

½ cup olive oil

¼ cup red wine vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

½ tsp sale

½ tsp pepper

1-1/3 lb. tuna fillet about ½ inch thick

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

Combine water with potatoes to cover by 2-3 inches. Add ½ tsp salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cook 20 minutes. Drain rinse under cold water.

Prepare the dressing and reserve.  Plate all ingredients before you grill the fish: lettuce, potatoes, tomatoes, eggs, green beans, eggs, olives.

Cut tuna into 6 serving pieces. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on grill… do not overcook. The fish should be a bit pink. Place fish on plate and pour dressing over.

Chicken Picatta

This is one of my all-time favorite recipes. You can find a number of variations, but this one is from Giada De Laurentiis, Everyday Italian cookbook.

• 4  skinless boneless chicken breasts, halved crosswise

  ½ tsp salt,  ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

  All-purpose flour for dredging

  4 T butter, divided

  5 Tbsp olive oil, divided

  ½ cup chicken broth

  1/3 cup lemon juice (about two lemons)

  ¼ cup capers, rinsed

  
  

  Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.

  
  

  In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate. Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate.

  
  

  Into the pan add the lemon juice, stock and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Check for seasoning. Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

Lemon Chicken with Mushrooms and Olives

Lemon Chicken with Mushrooms and Olives  (Serves 2)

I adapted this Weight Watchers recipe which originally was made with veal instead of chicken.

2 chicken breasts
Flour, salt and pepper
A few Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp Lemon juice
2 Tbsp olive juice
2 Tbsp dry white wine
2 cups sliced white mushrooms
12 large pimiento-stuffed green olives
2 Tbsp butter
Lemon slices for garnish

1. Pound chicken breasts to make them thinner.

2. Dredge chicken in flour that has been seasoned with salt and pepper.

3. Warm olive oil in a non-stick pan.  Sautée the chicken until lightly browned on both sides. Remove to a plate and cover loosely with foil.

4. Add:  lemon juice, white wine, olive juice. Stir to loosen browned bits.

5. Stir in mushrooms and olives. Add butter to melt. Serve over chicken breasts.

I serve with white rice on the side. And steamed asparagus. Garnish with lemon slices if desired.

Revised Shrimp Scampi recipe, Trez version

Shrimp Scampi. Trez version

After comments about the cooking time for shrimp regarding my last post, I felt I needed to revisit the recipe, which, admittedly, I had not made in a long time, to really figure out how long the shrimp needed to cook. 

I bought a pound of jumbo shrimp….which for us, was 21 shrimp. I used scissors with long pointy blades to cut through the back of the shrimp and remove the sand vein.  Then I left the shells on.

Cooking the shrimp in the shells add a lot of flavor to the meat, and they protect it from quickly overcooking. Besides, sitting around a table peeling and eating shrimp is a party right there.

I have a heavy cast iron pan that I bought the first year I was working after college. Mine is rectangular, but you can use a cast iron frying pan. The point is, you want to be able to put the pan under the broiler, and the cast iron will allow you to do that.

Place the shrimp in the pan…touching but not crowded. You can dip them in the butter sauce first, but after the shrimps are in the pan, pour the rest of the sauce over. 

Place the pan under the broiler. Keep an eye on them. When the shrimp shells have just started to turn black on their edges. Remove the pan from the oven. Turn the shrimp over and cook them again, just until the shells start to turn black. The number of minutes will depend on your stove.

Here’s what I learned about the sauce that is imparting that delicious garlic flavor: This olive oil/garlic/butter/lemon juice sauce is cooking the shrimp. But it has enough liquid to keep the shells soft to make them easy enough to peel off. You can plate the shrimp. By letting the shrimp cool just long enough so you don’t burn your fingers, the shells will come off easily.

Here are the ingredients for one pound of shrimp:

1 pound jumbo shrimp

4 large cloves of garlic

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

½ cup butter

½ cup olive oil

3 Tbsp chopped parsley

4 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Salt and pepper

Enjoy!

Zaytinya's Shrimp with Dill

Zaytinya’s Shrimp With Dill 
(Garides me anitho)

When we lived in Virginia, my absolute favorite restaurant was Zaytinya in DC at 701 9th St NW. It was a real treat and one I sorely miss. Given that Charleston is a real foody paradise, that is high praise. Zaytinya offers an innovative mezze menu inspired by Turkish, Greek and Lebanese cuisines, under the direction of renowned chef José Andrés*, served up in a sleek and modern setting. The small plates are meant to be shared. My favorite was the Shrimp with Dill. I am pretty crafty at replicating recipes and that is what you will see here. Make sure your dill is the freshest you can get.  (PS, if you google this under Recipe Sleuth Mike Isabella, you can find the restaurant version. Mine is much the same, except he uses a whole lot of pepper and prepared mustard instead of seeds.)

Shrimp with Lemon, Dill and Mustard

3 shallots, chopped fine

½ c fruity olive oil 

1 Tbsp mustard seed ground fine in a mortar and pestle, or a small processor
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Juice from 2 lemons

1 tsp salt
White pepper to taste
2 Tbsp butter

1 package fresh dill, chopped (reserve some for garnish)

Simmer shallots in olive oil until soft. 

Add mustard seed, cook briefly.

Add the shrimp. Cook just until cooked through. Add lemon juice and salt. Add the butter to melt. Add dill, cook briefly, stirring.

Serve with rice. Garnish with a little chopped fresh dill.

*José Ramón Andrés Puerta is a Spanish-American chef and founder of World Central Kitchen, a non-profit devoted to providing meals in the wake of natural disasters. He is often credited with bringing the small plates dining concept to America.

Grilled Shrimp Scampi--Style

Grilled Shrimp Scampi-Style

This recipe is from a Time Life book called Great Dinners from Life, written by Eleanor Graves in 1969. As stated in the foreword, “This book is for people who like to have friends in to dinner. It is also a book for people who, every once in a while, are willing to put a little extra effort into cooking those dinners—provided that they know the results are going to be worth it.  

“In Venice, the true scampi are traditionally grilled in their shell, and purists add only a little sunflower-seed oil and butter, and scorn any other seasoning. In the U.S. when jumbo shrimp take the place of scampi, the sauce is a heady one, flavored with parsley, lemon juice and a lot of garlic.”

You will need big shrimp, less than 15 shrimp to a pound. Above all, they must still have their shells on, or you will have an entirely different dish*.

For six people:

36 jumbo shrimp

6 cloves of garlic

2 tsp salt

¾ cup butter

¾ cup olive oil

¼ cup minced parsley

4 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Freshly ground black pepper

Parsley sprigs for garnish

Preheat broiler. Use a sharp knife or scissors to split the raw unshelled shrimp lengthwise, almost to the tail, leaving all the feet on, and the shell intact*. Remove the sand veins and pat the shrimp dry.

Crush the garlic, combine with salt. Melt butter and stir in garlic, salt, oil, parsley, lemon juice and pepper.

Holding the shrimp by the tails, dip them one at a time into the butter mixture. Arrange in a single layer in one or two baking dishes—flesh side up. Don’t crowd them. They may look droopy while raw, but they will curl and “stand” better as they cook. Stir butter sauce and spoon over shrimp. Graves says to broil for 15 minutes six inches from the heat. Shrimp in the shell will take longer that shelled shrimp, but this may be too long depending on your broiler. I checked several sources and the amount of time varies widely.  I'd say you need to keep an eye on them and when the shells start to darken, test one. 

Serve with plenty of sauce. Garnish with parsley sprigs. 

So, hands down… if you make this like Graves says, the shrimp will taste amazing (truly, some of the best I have ever tasted.) Problem is, when the shrimp are straight out of the broiler, they will burn your fingers when your try to peel them. And they will be messy for the guests. If you can wait a bit for them to cool somewhat, and your guests are okay with getting their fingers messy, then go for it.

I have made this recipe many times. It is definitely worth it. I have made some minor modifications:

*My work-around is to peel the shrimp, but leave the tails on. I take the shrimp shells and boil them in melted butter and oil for as long as I have time for. Then strain to remove the shells. The essence of the shrimp shells is imparted into the butter. I think the taste is considerably better if you cook the shrimp in the shells, but it makes for a messier dinner party.  But sometimes that is part of the fun.

A Great Chicken Salad

Chicken Salad with Cranberries and Roasted Pecans

This is a particularly good chicken salad recipe. It tastes even better the second day.

1# cooked chicken breast, cubed. You can also use a whole rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. Just skin it first.

• 2 sticks celery, chopped
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup pecans, toasted, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 3/4 cup mayo
• 1 tsp Worcestershire
• 1-1/2 tsp cider vinegar
• a little sugar
• salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients. Refrigerate for a while to combine flavors.

Coconut Shrimp with Sweet Chili Sauce

Coconut Shrimp with Sweet Chili Sauce

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 20 minutes 

Quick and easy shrimp coated in a crispy golden brown coconut, served with sweet chili sauce for dipping.*

ingredients

         1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

         salt and pepper

         1/3 cup flour 

         2 eggs, lightly beaten

         3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

         3/4 cup shredded coconut 

         oil for frying

Chili Sauce

Equal parts of bottled sweet chili sauce and marmalade

directions

1. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper, dredge them in flour, then dip them in egg and coat them with a mixture of the breadcrumbs and shredded coconut.
2. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat and cook the shrimp until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes, before setting aside on paper towels to drain.

*The original recipe from Closet Cooking specified sweet chili sauce. Straight out of the bottle, it was too strong and garlicky for me. I added an equal amount of marmalade and it was perfect.

Susan's Blue Cheese Coleslaw

This recipe was given to me by my good friend Susan Colwell...a true Southern girl. I've tried other recipes but this one is the best.

Blue Cheese Coleslaw

Dressing

Mix together:

1 cup mayonnaise

¼ cup Dijon mustard

2 T sugar

2 T apple cider vinegar

Slaw:

Toss ingredients in large bowl.  Then mix in dressing.

1 16-ounce bag shredded coleslaw

2 cups red seedless grapes, cut in half

½ cup shredded carrots

½ cup crumbled blue cheese

½ to ¾ cup coarsely chopped pecans

 Optional: salt and pepper