Main Course

Banana Pancakes

- Elspeth 1 Comment

This isn’t just pancake batter that you throw bananas into. It’s pancake batter made mostly out of the bananas themselves.

BOOM. Just blew your minds.

Since I’ve gone mostly gluten free and vegetarian (now and then you just NEED a burger. Am I wrong? That’s not a “like to have”, it’s a “need to have” kind of food), I’ve been combing Pinterest for recipes that will fit both bills. A lot of vegetarians rely on bread, pasta, etc to fill the void left behind by chickens and other beasts, but the GF thing gets in the way. I’m finding creative recipes and substitutions all over the wonder-webz and this beauty takes the cake for the weekend.

There are two ingredients. That’s right. TWO.

  • 1 banana
  • 2 eggs

Most people have those hanging around, so you can keep your sweatpants on (I know I did) and not worry about having to run to the store first thing on a lazy Sunday morning.

The other beautiful thing, aside from the fact that they are tasty, have a good texture, and take 2 seconds to make, is that you can make them sweet OR savory.

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It’s as if Moses has traipsed down that mountain again to deliver me golden tablets etched with delightful recipes. Thanks, friend.

I added a teaspoon of almond extract and a shake of cinnamon to give mine a little personality, but I think these combos would be great, as well:

  • Chocolate and peanut butter chips (duh)
  • Cinnamon pecan
  • Scallion and shredded cheddar
  • Caper and bacon chunks (one of my favorite combinations ever)

And the list goes on and on.

To get yourself moving, preheat a pan to med-high or 375 degrees if you’re working with a griddle. Mash the banana in a bowl (really make sure it’s smooth) and then beat in the two eggs, one at a time. Mix in any additionals. When the pan is hot and you’ve greased it up with butter or oil, pour a slow stream of batter for a couple of seconds, until you have a nice sized disc. It will spread fairly quickly and be runny, so it’s easy to know when to stop pouring.

Warning: these stick to the pan when they are not cooked enough on one side, so make sure you wait 3-4 minutes before attempting to flip. Make them fairly small so you don’t have to worry about leaving behind an edge as your spatula comes off the surface of the pan. I slid mine around under the pancakes to make sure I had loosened the whole thing up before I attempted to flip. A few edges were lost in the shuffle. I cried. The pancakes mourned.

But then I ate them and it was magical, so all of the sadness was forgotten! I doused mine with some maple syrup and a bit of buttah, and died a little happy joyful heavenly death of wonder.

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Corn Risotto-Stuffed Poblanos

- Elspeth 2 Comments

Hey there, stranger. Now that the holidays are over, it seems that everyone is being punished for their Christmas consumerism with a strong, sturdy bout of the flu. The memories of illness have come screaming back to me with phlegmy headaches, a hacking cough, and the knowledge that I look sexy with Kleenex permanently wedged into my cranium.

Now that we’ve all whetted our appetites, let’s talk food!

My dear sister’s family unit gave me the delightfully awesome Smitten Kitchen cookbook and I was so over the moon excited that I blacked out from sheer joy. So far I’ve made her Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats (with the addition of toffee bits….Yes, they were amazing) and these peppers, both of which have been to die for. I’ve also got my eye on the Turkey Meatballs, so keep your eyes peeled for that bad boy.

This dish was very enjoyable. It wasn’t difficult, but it was a tad tedious to char the peppers, rub the skins off, and stuff them. I would definitely suggesting broiling them instead of doing it on the stove, since the latter requires much more attention (and I’m guessing time). Super tasty, though, so I would definitely recommend giving them a whirl!

Corn Risotto-Stuffed Poblanos

Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, adapted slightly

8 large poblano peppers
6 cups broth, heated
2 T olive oil
1 shallot, diced
2 garlic cloves
2 c short-grained rice, such as Arborio
1/2 c white wine
1.5 c corn, fresh or frozen
3/4 c grated Pepper Jack cheese
1/2 t salt
pepper
1/2 t paprika
For the crema sauce:
1 small adobo chipotle pepper, plus sauce from the can
1/2 c greek yogurt
1 T milk
1/2 t salt
1/2 t paprika
crumbled queso fresco

For the peppers you can either char them over high heat on a gas stove, turning frequently, or you can broil them until they are crispy around the edges. You will need to ensure an even char all the way around or else the skin will not come off very well! Set the charred peppers aside in a covered bowl.

To make the risotto, heat the oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute, then add the rice. Toast for a couple of minutes, add the wine, and cook until evaporated, stirring frequently. Add 1 cup of the broth and simmer, stirring every minute or so, until the broth is absorbed. Continue to add the broth 1/2 c at a time.

When you are down to your last addition of broth, add in the corn, salt, and pepper. When the rice is creamy and tested for done-ness, turn off the heat and add the pepper jack cheese and paprika.

Scrape the charred skins off the peppers with a knife, then cut a slit in each one and scoop out the seeds. Stuff each one with a healthy portion of the risotto and top with the queso fresca. In a preheated 400 degree oven, bake the peppers for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the crema. Put the pepper, yogurt, spices, and milk in a food processor, blender, or use an immersion blender to puree the ingredients.

When the peppers come out, put a dollop of crema on top and serve warm.

Delish!

Banana Coffee Cake Muffins

- Elspeth 4 Comments

Lately I’ve been on a wheat/gluten-free kick and loving it. A few weeks ago I looked around my kitchen and realized that I had sunk into a pile of doughy chunkster-hood, a lifestyle I was not eager to continue. Dinners consisted of cheesy quesadillas that sat in my stomach like liquid lead, lunch was a sandwich that had me diving into multiple-hour food comas, and snacks were sugary cookies with an obnoxiously addictive energy high/low roller coaster.

I’d had enough. Aside from my feelings of grubby grossness, it was incredibly boring to use the same ingredients night after night and I couldn’t seem to break the habit. No more!

I found these oat-banana muffins on Pinterest shortly after I made the decision of the century, but I felt they were a bit lacking. Very tasty with a smear of peanut butter, but not super-star status on it’s own. I decided to hybridize them with my favorite recipe, Cook’s Illustrated Coffee Cake Muffins. Totes amazing.

Cinnamon- banana goodness that was moist and had a nice texture. They got rave reviews, but then again I did badger my family incessantly and they might have just been trying to get rid of me.

Banana Coffee Cake Muffins
A combination of C&E breakfast muffins and Cook’s Illustrated Coffee Cake
2.5 c oats
3/4 c yogurt
2 eggs
2/3 c sugar
1.5 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 t salt
1 t vanilla
6 T butter, softened

Streusel:
1/2 c pecans
1/4 c packed brown sugar
1 t cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 400. Blend the streusel ingredients in a food processor until crumbly. Set aside and place 2 cups of the oats in the processor. Blend until fine, then add the sugar and salt. Scatter the butter and pulse the mixture until coarse, about 10 1-second pulses. Remove 3/4 c and add to the streusel mixture. Set aside 3/4 c of this for the batter; the rest will go on top of the muffins when they go into the oven.

Add the baking powder and baking soda to the food processor/flour mixture. Whisk together the eggs, yogurt, vanilla, and bananas, then add to the processor. Blend until smooth and then put in the streusel mixture. Pulse two or three times; there should be a bit of a “ribbon” of streusel throughout, but don’t be disappointed if it blends in. Because the batter is very wet, it won’t remain super intact.

Divide the batter into greased muffin tins and top with the remaining streusel. Bake for 15 minutes,  until golden brown or when a knife comes out clean. They are best warm, but freeze well, too.

Enjoy!