Banana Coffee Cake with Chocolate Chips

If you are my friend and you live in Minneapolis, chances are I gave you baked goods for your birthday. (Hope you liked them!)  I love baking but I just don't have the metabolism of four teenage boys so I cannot consume all that I like to bake.  Therefore, baking and giving is my favorite thing to do.  

This recipe was given to my friend Chelle on her 26th birthday.  As I recall it was a really dreary weekend AND she had to work on her birthday.  So, I delivered this bundt cake with a note instructing her to just eat her feelings.  I hope she did just that and enjoyed!

Banana Coffee Cake with Chocolate Chips

Ingredients

• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 2/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/3 cups mashed very ripe bananas (about 3 large)
• 3 tablespoons buttermilk or plain yogurt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and an 8x8 inch baking dish. (I used a Bundt cake pan)
2. Stir chocolate chips, brown sugar, walnuts, and cinnamon in small bowl until well blended; set streusel aside.
3. Sift together (or just STIR TOGETHER) all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl. Beat sugar, butter, and egg in a large bowl until fluffy. Mix in mashed bananas and buttermilk or yogurt. Add flour mixture and blend well.
4. Spread half of batter in prepared baking pan. Sprinkle with half of streusel. Repeat with remaining batter and streusel. Bake coffee cake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool for about 10 minutes and serve.

I found this recipe from one of my favorite cooking blogs: Buns in My Oven

Salted Caramel Banana Pudding Pie

Last Thanksgiving I volunteered to make the pies for dessert and put in a good amount of research trying to decide on a delicious, unique and crowd-pleasing selection.  I found this recipe on FoodNetwork.com and thought it sounded, as my friend Clare would say, "Slap your Mama good!"

However, either I did not wait for the pie crust to cool completely or at some point the pie got too warm because when I went to serve this "pie" to my family it was a lot more like soup than pie.  Everyone still licked their plates clean but we had to switch from forks to spoons to make that happen.  So, my advice, don't rush it!

A couple other notes: I did not try to make homemade caramel.  I just bought some high quality caramel from the store.  I also did not use Fluer De Sel.  Apparently, that is just expensive salt.  I used coarse ground sea salt instead. Lastly, I bought mini nilla wafers to serve on top of each slice as a little extra treat.

Ingredients

• 1 box vanilla wafers (60 to 65 cookies)
• 3/4 stick butter, melted
• 3 large ripe bananas
• 1 teaspoon fleur de sel
• 1 cup homemade caramel, recipe follows, or 1 cup prepared caramel
• Vanilla Pudding, warm, recipe follows
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Put the vanilla wafers in a food processor and pulse until the cookies are finely crushed. Reserve 1/2 cup to layer in and to top the pie. Pour the remaining crumbs in a 9-inch pie plate. Pour the meltedbutter over the top and, using a spoon or your hands, combine the ingredients. Press the mixture in the bottom and up the sides and onto the lip of the pie plate. Bake until lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Peel and slice the bananas, adding them to a bowl. Stir the salt into the caramel sauce and toss the banana slices with the salted caramel. Arrange some banana slices evenly over the bottom of the crust. Spread half of the warm Vanilla Pudding over the bananas, top with some more crushed vanilla wafers (reserving some for garnish) and more caramel-coated bananas. Spread the remaining Vanilla Pudding over the top.

In a large bowl, whip the cream until stiff peaks are just about to form. Add the almond extract and sugar and beat until peaks form. Make sure not to overbeat, or the cream will become lumpy and butter-like. Spread the whipped cream over the pie. Just before serving, garnish with a caramel swirl and the rest of the crushed vanilla wafers.

Caramel Sauce:

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream

Combine the sugar and 1/3 cup water in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. This is the only time you can stir the sugar. If you stir it while it's cooking, it turns to rock candy. Place the saucepan over medium to low heat until the sugars start to dissolve, 5 to 10 minutes. Then turn the heat up to medium-high and cook until the sugar starts to caramelize, 5 to 7 minutes. Do not stir while this is happening. You've got to watch the pot, because it goes from caramel to burnt really quickly. And be careful, the mixture is extremely hot!

Turn off the heat and stand back to avoid splattering. Slowly add the cream. Don't panic - the cream will bubble violently, and the caramel will solidify. Just give it more time to liquefy again-trust me!

Simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, until the caramel dissolves and the sauce is smooth, about 2 minutes. Allow the sauce to cool to room temperature, at least 4 hours. It will thicken as it sits. Yield: 3 cups.

Vanilla Pudding:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups milk, divided
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

In a bowl, whisk together the sugar and flour until all of the lumps are gone. Once it is a fine powder, whisk in the egg yolks and whole eggs and continue whisking until a smooth paste is formed. Slowly whisk in 1 cup milk, and once this is incorporated add the remaining 1 cup milk. Transfer the mixture to a saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it reaches the thickness of chilledpudding, 10 to 15 minutes. (Mixture will just begin to bubble and will be thick enough to hold soft peaks when the whisk is lifted.) Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Landlord Tom's Pie Crust

Our landlords at the Lyndale Estates had the best habit of bringing over homemade goodies every so often. During the year we lived on Lyndale we received: homemade jam, homemade pickle, homemade pickled jalapenos, numerous pies and countless plates of cookies.  The pies in particular were outstanding!  Seriously, the. best. pie. crust. ever!  So, I could not help but ask for the recipe.  Here it is directly from Tom, our wonderful landlord.

Basic Pie Crust

(for a 9-in double pie crust or a 10-in pie with a lattice)

Ingredients:

2 ¼ cups flour (the best to use is King Arthur’s All-Purpose white flour)

Pinch of salt

1 cup minus 1 tablespoon butter (best to use is Lurpak, unsalted—available at Lunds or Byerly’s or Kowalski’s)

¼ cup cold water

Method:

1.        Put flour and salt in a food processor.

2.       Cut butter into 1 tablespoon pieces.  Add butter to the above in 3 batches, processing only briefly each time.

3.       Add ½ the water and process briefly.  Add the second half and process just until it forms a ball.

My additional notes:

1.        I don’t use the food processor (too much trouble cleaning it up) since I find using a pastry blender and doing it by hand works just fine.

2.       The real secret to this recipe is the butter.  Lurpak is just one brand of European butter, but it’s all I ever use (it’s a Danish butter)  Another brand is Presidente, I think it’s called; but the secret is that European butter apparently have a slightly higher fat content than ones made in the U.S.

3.       The King Arthur flour is a silkier, softer flour, but I have used just regular flour, too, and the crust still turns out well.  I just use the King Arthur when I really want to impress guests.

4.       Just know that this recipe makes two 9-in pie crusts, if you’re making two open or one-crust pies, such as pumpkin or pecan.  Otherwise, as it says at the top, it will yield enough for a double crust pie.I always have just a bit of the dough left over, too ( good for cinnamon-sugar crisps!)

My Mom's Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

I know most people think their Mom is a good cook but I have to tell you, my mom is a better cook than your mom.  Here is her chocolate chip cookie recipe to prove it.

Warning: this makes A LOT of cookies so I either make half of the recipe or I make the entire recipe and then freeze some dough for later.


Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies


Cream together until well blended:


1 lb. unsalted butter
2 cups dark brown sugar
1 ¼ cup white sugar
4 eggs


Add 3 Tbsp. vanilla


Mix together and then add:


5 ½ cups flour
1 ½ tsp. salt
1 ½ tsp. soda


Add 32 oz. Ghiradelli chocolate chips. (don't skimp on the quality of your chocolate, it makes a huge difference)


Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on size of cookies. Watch
so they don’t burn. Cool for a few minutes, then loosen the cookies on the pans
so they don’t stick.


This is a favorite vacation recipe. My mom will often mix up the batter and bring it from
home. Refrigerated, it will keep up to a week and you can have freshly baked
cookies on vacation.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

I must be in a baking mood.  Here is another family favorite.  My mom and I will make at least one (usually 2) of these before the holidays and just store them in the freezer.  Then, the night before everyone arrives we just let it defrost on the counter and it is ready to eat in the morning.  I also love this recipe because I LOVE my bundt pan! (Thanks to Bre's G-Pa)

My beautiful Nordicware Bundt Pan.
Nordicware also just so happens to be made in MN!

Sour Cream Coffee Cake
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 cup butter, melted
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking powder

Filling
(Double for best results)

1/2 cup nuts
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

To make:

Cream eggs, sour cream, butter, and sugar. Add rest of ingredients. Put half of
batter in a well greased bundt pan.  Add the nuts, brown sugar and cinnamon. Top with other half of the batter.

Bake at 350 for 60 minutes or until you can poke it with a toothpick and have it come out clean.  Let the coffee cake cool in the pan for a short time and then flip it out onto a wire rack or plate to cool further.

Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

Here is my family recipe for Banana Chocolate Chip Bread.  It is my older brother's absolute favorite. We make this about once a month and for every single holiday.  I'll make this recipe but usually freeze one of the loafs for later.  If, for some reason, you do not like chocolate chips (!) you can swap for some walnuts. (However, then my older brother whines and refuses to eat it.)

Same  recipe as below but I baked it in a bundt pan.
Results were not great but it tasted just as good!

Banana Chocolate Chip Bread




¼ pound (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup sugar.


Mix together with mixer or beat well with wooden spoon.


Add and mix well:


3 bananas, crushed ( I used over ripened bananas)
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla


Mix together, then add to the above:


2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt


Then add ½ cup milk.


Add 1-2 cups chocolate chips, sprinkled very lightly with flour (no more than 2
Tbsp.) Mix in by hand. Don’t mix any more than you have to.


Put in loaf pans. It makes 1 large or 2 small. Bake at 350 degrees. For small
pans, check after 35 minutes. Large pan will probably take an hour. Bread is
done when a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. The top of the loaf
will be cracked and the crack will look baked.

Chicken Salsa Chili

 Chicken Salsa Chili 

One of my first posts was a vegan sweet potato chili. So for the meatlovers out there I am now posting this Chicken Salsa Chili.  I like to think this recipe rivals Cafe Latte's but that may just be my imagination.

If my mother were writing this post, she would remind you that the most important thing to do while making a pot of chili is to taste, taste, taste.  You want to really develop some depth of flavor in your seasoning so feel free to add as much of the spices listed below as you like while you let this simmer.

• 3 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces 
• 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions 
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red chili pepper flakes 
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic 
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh jalapeno chili peppers or canned diced green chiles
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock 
• 3 tablespoons chili powder 
• 1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes, undrained and broken up 
• 1 can (29 ounces) tomato puree 
• 2 cans (15 ounces each) dark red kidney beans drained 
1 can (15 ounces) sweet corn
 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro 
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice 

To make: Warm olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat.  Sauté chicken 
until cooked.  Add onions and reduce heat.  Cook for 3 minutes or until onions are tender. 
Add pepper flakes, garlic, jalapenos, chicken stock, chili powder, tomatoes and tomato 
puree, kidney beans and corn.  Add the cocoa powder right at the end.  Season to taste as it simmers.  Plan to simmer for at least 20 minutes or up to an hour.  

I like to make a big batch and then freeze a few portions to eat later.

A Night with Nancy

I had a request from a dear, old friend to prepare a menu for a dinner party she is hosting. Her guests will be her co-workers which is always a little tricky.  I feel, when guests are not your very close friends or family, that the menu should be make ahead or simple to prepare so that you can still entertain and not spend the entire evening stuck in the kitchen, away from the crowd.

Here is my proposed menu and the associated inspirations:

Main Course: Crab Cakes (she lives in DC with easy access to Maryland Crab)
I suggest Ellie Krieger's crab cake recipe found here: Crab Cakes

Notes: Nancy, I added an extra egg (I actually used egg beaters) and I made the batter ahead of time and let it chill covered in the refrigerator for about an hour.  Then, I took out the batter and formed the patties, paced them on a baking sheet, covered with plastic wrap and then put them back into the fridge until I was ready to make the main course.  I cooked them for about 10 minutes on each side and broiled them for the last minute to just get a really good toast on them.  I made the Smarter Tartar sauce in the morning and just let it chill in the fridge all day.  I would suggest serving this with a little hot sauce on the side.


Side 1: Mixed green salad with a citrus vinaigrette.  Meyer lemons are in season and this would be a great accompaniment to the crab cakes.  I suggest this recipe I saw on Cookistry: Meyer Lemon Salad

Side 2: Chili roasted cauliflower.  I first had this at my new favorite pizza place in Minneapolis- Pizzeria Lola  They make their version in a gorgeous woodfire oven.  You can replicate it at home by cranking up the oven to 500*.  Roasted vegetables are so simple but somehow so impressive.  I also must add that roasted cauliflower taste like a totally different food than just raw cauliflower.

Here's the recipe:
Ingredients:

1 medium head of cauliflower cut into 1 ½-inch florets

1/4 c extra virgin olive oil

2 t lemon juice

2 t of diced Calabrian chilis or 2 TBSP Chili Powder

flat leaf parsley for garnish

lemon zest

salt and pepper to taste

 Directions:

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place the cauliflower florets in a large roasting pan (a baking sheet works, too). Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place the pan in the oven and roast for 15 minutes. Stir florets occasionally to ensure an even roast. Remove from oven and toss with lemon juice and chilis. Garnish with lemon zest and chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

Dessert: Fruit Tart.  Inspired by one of St. Paul, MN great treasures, Cafe Latte.  This dessert is a simple, delicious, make-ahead treat.  Since it involves just a little cooking and mostly assembly it is my go-to for dinner parties.

Cafe Latte's Fruit Tart- I try my best to make my dessert look like this..

Fruit Tart

Crust:  
1 Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust.  Let crust  sit out 15-20 minutes, then unfold and place on cookie sheet or pie pan.  Crimp edges a bit if desired.  Prick crust with fork.  Bake at 450 degrees for 9-11 minutes or until light golden brown.  Cool 20 minutes or until completely cooled.  Transfer gently to serving plate.  

Filling:  
1 8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened
¼ cup powdered sugar
½ tsp. grated orange peel or lemon zest

Beat filling ingredients until smooth.  Stir in 1/2 cup sliced strawberries.  Spread mixture over crust to within ½ inch of the edges.  Arrange fresh fruit in a pattern over the cream cheese mixture:  kiwi fruit, strawberry halves, peach slices (dipped in lemon juice to prevent browning), blueberries and/or raspberries.

Brush fruit with melted apricot preserves.  

Notes: If you were my Mother, you would serve this dessert with decaf coffee. And if you were my roommate, JQ, you would serve the decaf coffee with Bailey's Irish Cream..

Hope you have a great dinner party Nancy. Call me with questions!

Turkey Burgers

Turkey Burger

Lately, it has been downright balmy in Minneapolis and I might have Spring Fever.  I was digging through some old recipes and came across this gem for our (my mom and me) homemade turkey burgers.  I no longer eat meat but these used to be one of my Summer time staples.



1 1/3 pounds ground turkey breast (or one package)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 

1 large shallot or 1/4 red onion, finely chopped 

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves 

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1/2 small bell pepper, green, red or yellow, seeded and finely chopped 

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped (you can leave in the seeds if you like it REALLY hot)

2 teaspoons ground cumin 

1 teaspoons cayenne hot sauce, several drops or Sriacha or whatever you have on hand

2 teaspoons grill seasoning blend (we use Penzey’s because we are obsessed with that store)

Olive oil, for drizzling 



To assemble:
Combine turkey meat, garlic, shallot or onion, thyme, cilantro, bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, cumin, hot pepper sauce, grill seasoning or salt and pepper. 
Divide mixture into 4 equal mounds then form meat into patties. Drizzle patties with olive oil to coat.  


If you make an thumb size indentation in the middle of the patty it helps grill evenly.  Grill over medium high heat for 5 to 6 minutes on each side.

I like to top with pepperjack or goat cheese, lettuce, tomato, and sometimes aioli.  Typically, my Dad will add too much hot sauce to his turkey burger and then we all get to watch him sweat through this meal.  It is a really special family time...  

Sweet Potato Curry Fries

I used to live in Omaha, NE.  You may know this city as the, "Paris of the Plains."  The town is charming, the people are great, and the food is really, really good.  My senior year of college a place called, Amsterdam opened in my favorite neighborhood.  The menu is simple.  They serve falafel, kabobs and curry fries.  The best part is that they are open even after bar close.  Many nights we would find ourselves licking our yellow fingers clean of curry at 3AM only to wake up the next morning smelling like we had taken the red eye to the EU and back.

Once I moved back to Minneapolis, I would still get that craving for those curry fries.  So below is my attempt to recreate a slightly healthier version.  Hope you enjoy!




Baked Sweet Potato Curry Fries


2 TBSP ground cumin
2 TBSP ground curry
2 TBSP chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cloves
2 TBSP olive oil
kosher salt/ fresh pepper to taste
4 sweet potatoes

To make:
Preheat oven at 400 degrees
Peel sweet potatoes and cut into almost thin discs.  Throw them in a bowl and coat with olive oil.  Once coated spread with spices and then lay out on a baking sheet ensuring that none of the potatoes are overlapping.


Bake for 15 minutes on one side, flip and back for another 15 minutes over until they start to caramelize on both sides.


I just love everything about this recipe!

Grilled Chicken Ciabatta Sandwich

Grilled Chicken Ciabatta Sandwich


When I go shopping at the Mall of America with my Mother, there is only one place we will eat lunch- Nordstrom's Cafe.  It is delicious cafe tucked in the corner of the third floor, between active wear and BP.  During the Summer time this chicken ciabatta sandwich is one of their specials.  It wasn't until about my 4th time ordering it that it finally occurred to me that I could easily make this at home.

Now this is a year-round staple in my household.  It is so easy to make but packed with flavor.   It is particularly delicious in the Summer when we can grab basil right out of the garden.  Also, since really this is just a sandwich, it is easy to customize for everyone's tastes. (Leave basil off for my sister, take chicken off for me, add Sriacha (?) for my dad, slice an extra big slice for my brother)


Ingredients
1/4 cup (about 2 ounces) sun-dried tomato pesto 

2 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise 

3/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1/4 teaspoon pepper 

1/8 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon olive oil 

1 (8-ounce) loaf ciabatta 

12 large basil leaves 

3/4 cup (3 ounces) fresh mozzarella cheese 

1/2 cup sliced bottled roasted red bell peppers 

1 large tomato, thinly sliced 
drizzle of Balsamic vinegar


Preparation
Combine pesto and mayonnaise in a small bowl, stirring to blend.


Sprinkle chicken with pepper and salt and grill until cooked.  Then slice chicken into somewhat thin pieces.


Cut ciabatta in half horizontally and spray with olive oil. Place bread, cut sides up, on grill. Grill until lightly brown on both sides.


To assemble: Spread pesto mixture evenly over cut sides of bread. Arrange the chicken slices evenly over bottom half. Top chicken evenly with basil leaves, and sprinkle cheese over top. Place bottom half on baking sheet, and broil 2 minutes or until cheese melts. Arrange bell pepper and tomato over cheese, drizzle generously with balsamic vinegar over and cover with top half of bread. Cut and serve.

Super Bowl Chicken Wings

It is the Super Bowl weekend (if you haven't heard) and that means it is time to think about snacks.  Many look forward to this weekend for the football, others for the commercials and yet others (and I'm willing to bet most) look forward to this weekend for the food.  I am in the food category.  In fact, I once had a friend who refused to go visit her out of state boyfriend because she did not want to miss the snacks served at a Super Bowl party we were hosting....


It is estimated that 1.25 BILLION chicken wings will be consumed on Sunday. In honor of that statistic, here is my Aunt Julie’s Chicken Wing Recipe.  You cook these wings low and slow all day long.  Then, by the time the game starts, the juices have caramelized and the meat is so tender it falls off the bone.  Oh, so, so, good!  I recommend making these in a disposable pan for easy clean up.  If you don’t want to have your oven on all day you could also throw these on the grill.  Enjoy!


BBQ Chicken Wings

30 chicken wings divided into 2 pieces
1 large can crushed pineapple
1 cup soy sauce
1 6 oz. can frozen orange juice concentrate
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup sherry
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
Juice of a lime or lemon

Mix marinade ingredients and heat through. Pour over chicken wings and
marinate at least 2 or 3 hours. I usually marinate overnight. Bake at 325 degrees
for 1 and 1/2 hour. Baste every 20 minutes. These keep well in the oven on
low heat. The marinade just becomes syrupy and the wings even better.

Notes: this recipe can be easily doubled for a large crowd.  Feel free to add a little spice (Tabasco or Sriacha) if you like hotter wings.


Need some other ideas? Here are some other good lookin' links:
Cheesy Jalapeno Pull-a-part Bread
Skinny Baked Mozzarella Sticks
Caramelized Onion Dip
Garlic Soft Pretzels
Edamame Dip
Cheese & Beer Bread
Homemade Hummus