Banana Bread 3 Ways: Coconut Lime, Cardamom Pistachio, and Marbled Chocolate

{tap tap}... Um, hello? Anybody there?
We're still here... and still cooking, even though it's been 6 months {Gasp !} since we've last posted. Believe it or not, my iPhoto is full of food pictures, and my children now think it is standard practice to take a picture of their meal before dinner. I just haven't posted. {So Sorry!} But we're back. Happy New Year!

I love my local grocery store, Fareway. They aren't open on Sundays (hooray!) and they sell their almost expired produce at reduced prices- including their bananas. My family LIKES bananas a bit on the brown side, so this is a major plus for our family. However, sometimes I get a little carried away and well, we have lots of brown black bananas.  Luckily, Cooking Light about 10 years ago (gasp again!) did an awesome article on banana bread. Carrie posted the original classic banana bread recipe a while back. Here are 3 of their variations.  Hope you enjoy!

Marbled-Chocolate Banana Bread sligh yle="font-size: large;">tly adapted from Cooking Light, Sept. 2003
2 cups all-purpose flour (about 8 1/2 oz.)
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (3-4 bananas)
2 large eggs
1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan (I used shortening).
2. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.
3. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well-blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add bananas and yogurt, beat until well blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist.
4. Place chocolate chips in a medium microwave safe bowl, and microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until almost melted, stirring until almost smooth. Cool slightly. Add 1 cup batter to chocolate, stirring until well combined.
5.Spoon chocolate batter alternately with plain batter into greased loaf pan. Swirl batters together using a knife.
6. Bake at 350° for 1 hour 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.
Yield: 1 loaf, 16 slices. 

Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze slightly adapted from Cooking Light, Sept. 2003
2 cups all-purpose flour (about 8 1/2 oz.)
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (3-4 bananas)
2 large eggs
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
3 TBS apple juice
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut
1  TBS flaked sweetened coconut (for sprinkling on top)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2  TBS fresh lime juice

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease an 9x5 inch loaf pan (I used shortening).

2. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.
3. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well-blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add bananas, yogurt, apple juice, and vanilla beat until well blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Stir in 1/2 cup coconut.
4. Spoon batter into greased loaf pan. Sprinkle with 1 TBS coconut.
5. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on wire rack; remove from pan.
6. Combine powdered sugar and juice, stirring until smooth. Drizzle over warm bread.
7. Cool completely on wire rack.
Yield: 1 loaf, 16 slices. 

Cardamom Banana Bread with Pistachiosslightly adapted from Cooking Light, Sept. 2003
 2 cups all-purpose flour (about 8 1/2 oz.)
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2  cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (3-4 bananas)
2 large eggs
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
1/3 cup finely chopped pistachios (I used roasted, salted, already shelled)

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease an 9x5 inch loaf pan (I used shortening).
2. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.
3. Place sugars and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well-blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add bananas, sour cream, and cardamom; beat until well blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Stir in pistachios.
4. Spoon batter into greased loaf pan.
5. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on wire rack; remove from pan.
6. Cool completely on wire rack.
Yield: 1 loaf, 16 slices. 

left: cardamom pistachio top right: chocolate banana bottom right: coconut lime

 P.S. It's good to be back. ~W

Chinese Barbecued Pork

Chinese barbecued pork was one of my favorite special dinners my mom would make when I was growing up. I remember always trying to sneak some before dinner and especially after, (if there was any left) from the refrigerator. We visited my parents a few weeks ago and my mom surprised us by making this recipe before we even arrived- bringing back many happy memories. It is both flavorful and tender, delicious on its own as an appetizer, or as part of a Chinese meal.

 Chinese Barbecued Pork from Chinese Cooking Class Cookbook
Ingredients:
2 whole pork tenderloins (about 12oz. each)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 TBS brown sugar
1 TBS honey
2 tsp. red food coloring, if desired (we always use it)
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 green onion, cut in half

Directions:
1. Remove and discard fat from meat.
2. Combine soy sauce, sugar, honey, food coloring, cinnamon, garlic and onion in a large bowl or ziploc bag. Add pork, turning tenderloins to coat completely. Cover or seal and let stand at room temperature 1 hour or overnight in refrigerator (I would refrigerate overnight), turning occasionally. 
3. Drain pork, reserving marinade. Place pork on wire rack over a baking pan. 
4. Bake in preheated 350° until done, about 45 minutes. Turn and baste frequently with reserved marinade during baking.
5. Remove pork from oven and let cool. Can be cooled completely and refrigerated. Cut into diagonal slices. Serve warm or cold.

Coconut Lime Cheesecake Bars

I purchased a bag of limes the other day with the idea to make a "summery" tropical dessert. Since I have an ongoing love for both coconut and cheesecake, these bars sounded perfect- a cross between a tangy lemon bar and cheesecake squares, with a coconut crust. Make sure you refrigerate them if you want a firm cheesecake (as pictured above), I cut mine while still warm, and you can see from the picture below, they are quite soft. We still managed to eat more than half the pan (we had company over- but I had doubled the recipe), they were delicious!

Creamy Key Lime Coconut Bars slightly adapted from the baker chick website

Ingredients: 

Crust:

1/3 cup brown sugar

7/8 cup unbleached flour

1 1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut, toasted

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. vanilla or coconut extract

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into cubes

lime zest

 

Filling:

1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened

1 3/4 cups sugar

Pinch salt

3 Tbsp unbleached flour

4 large eggs

1/2 cup  lime juice (from regular or key limes)

zest of a lime 

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 9x9 or 8x8 square pan with parchment paper  with a couple of inches of over-hang. (Note: I doubled the recipe and put it in an half-sheet cookie pan. Obviously, this makes more, but also makes the crust and filling thinner, because both filling and crust are spread thinner. If you want really thick bars, use a 9x9 or 8x8, or if doubling, use a 10x14 pan.)

 

2. Combine all the crust ingredients except butter, in a medium sized mixing bowl. Cut in cubes of butter to flour/coconut mix with a fork or pastry cutter. (Coconut makes it a little more difficult.)  Mix until crumbly and well-combined. Set aside 1/2 cup of the crumbs and press the remaining crumbs into the bottom of the pan.  Bake about 15  minutes, until it's golden brown. Mix lime zest (about 1 tsp) into reserved topping.

3. While the crust is baking, in a medium sized bowl, beat the cream cheese until soft. Add the sugar and salt and beat until well blended.  Stir in the flour, then beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the lime juice and zest mixing until smooth. Pour onto the crust.  Bake for 15 minutes.

 

4. Remove bars from oven and sprinkle top with reserved crumbs and bake an additional 15 minutes or until bars are set around the edges but still slightly soft in the middle. (For a firmer bar, bake an additional 3 minutes or until middle is more firm).  Remove from oven and let cool at room temperature for 1 hour. (For a firm bar and to easily cut, refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.)

Rhubarb Buckle

For those of us who have a yearly spring love affair with rhubarb- this is a fun recipe to try.  Serve it with vanilla ice cream for dessert, as a coffecake for breakfast, and as an easily toted picnic lunch treat. (Or just eat it out of hand as you pass through the kitchen...)
 
Rhubarb Buckle slightly adapted from Martha Stewart Magazine, May 2012
Ingredients:
Cake:
1 lb. plus 10 oz. fresh rhubarb pieces (about 2 lbs stalks untrimmed)
2 cups sugar, divided
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. coarse salt
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
3 large eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream

Crumb topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 tsp coarse salt
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted

Directions:
1. Cake: Preheat oven to 350°, with rack in center position. Coat one half sheet pan or two 9in. square cake pans with cooking spray, and line with parchment, leaving an overhang on 2 sides. Stir together rhubarb with one cup sugar, set aside. (Note: I used the half sheet pan; it decreases the amount of cake in each cut square, which I like.)
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat together butter, remaining cup sugar, and the lemon zest until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then beat in vanilla. Beat in flour mixture in two additions, alternating with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
3. Crumb topping: Stir together flour, brown sugar, and salt. Add melted butter and stir to combine until crumbly.
4. Pour cake batter into pan(s). Spoon rhubarb mixture evenly over cake batter, and sprinkle with crumb topping.
5.Bake until golden on top and cooked through, about 1 hour. Let cool completely in pan. Lift cakes from pan(s) using parchment. Cut into 2 in. squares.

Cake(s) can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature for one day. If storing, remove parchment before wrapping in plastic.

Lion House Cheesecake

We finally sold our house in The South! To mark the occasion, the kids wanted to have a "house selling party".  Upon further discussion, the boys came up with this list of requirements for the party:

• Balloons
• Streamers
• Cheesecake
• A zip line going from the kitchen to the downstairs family room

The balloons and streamers were pretty easy to agree to.  But unfortunately the zip line had to be nixed due to safety concerns.  Thankfully, the kids were pacified about the lack of a zip line when I committed to making cheesecake.

My family has been making this cheesecake recipe for as long as I can remember.  I'm pretty sure my first bite of cheesecake ever was a product of this recipe.  It is a tried-and-true, no fuss, simple, cheesecake that is easy enough to make anytime and fancy enough for special occasions--like house selling parties.

(This recipe hails from The Lion House, a fabulously quaint historical restaurant in the heart of Salt Lake City.  If you are ever in Utah, make sure you check it out; you won't be disappointed.)

Lion House Cheesecake
Source: Adapted from Lion House Recipes

Ingredients:

Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs, rolled fine
3 Tablespoons sugar
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Filling:
3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
3/4 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:
1 pint sour cream
3 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. To make the crust, thoroughly mix all crust ingredients.  Press firmly into a 9- or 10-inch spring form pan, lining bottom and partially up the sides.  Set aside.
3. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the cream cheese well until smooth. 
4. Add sugar to the cream cheese a little at a time, mix well.
5. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until combined after each addition.
6. Add vanilla, combine thoroughly.
7. Pour filling into crust, allowing at least a 1/2 inch of space at the top of the pan to allow room for topping.
8. Bake for 60 minutes at 300 degrees F.
9. While the cake is baking, prepare the topping.
10. In a medium bowl, whip sour cream; add sugar gradually.
11. Add vanilla, mix well.
12. After the cake has baked for 60 minutes, pour topping over cake, covering completely.
13. Return cake to the oven, bake for an additional 10 minutes.  Cool completely before enjoying.

Posole Chicken Soup

I've had the craving for mexican food lately and found this recipe in  HyVee's Seasons magazine.
What they said about it: An ancient recipe from Mesoamerica, posole is also called hominy soup for the one ingredient that is consistently included to this day.
What I say about it: a tasty upscale variation of taco soup.
try it for a an easy weeknight supper.

Posole Chicken Soup adapted from HyVee Seasons magazine www.hyvee.com

Ingredients:
2 (32 oz) cartons chicken broth
2 (15.5 oz) cans white hominy
2 (14.5 oz) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
2 tsp. adobo sauce, from chipotle peppers in adobo sauce can
2 cups plus 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (about 1 bunch)
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 rotisserie chicken, skin removed, de-boned, and chopped (2-3 cups chicken)
3 TBS olive oil
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup diced yellow onion
1 poblano pepper, seeded and diced
2 avocados, seeded and chopped
2 cups Mexican shredded cheese
2 cups tortilla chips
1 cup sour cream



Directions:
1. In a large stockpot, combine broth, hominy, tomatoes, adobo sauce, 2 cups cilantro and oregano. Stir in chicken. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until heated through.

2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil Saute carrots, onion, and poblano pepper about 5 minutes or until tender. Add to stockpot. Allow to heat through and serve hot.

3. Serve or top with avocado, cheese, chips, sour cream and cilantro.
Makes 16 cups.