deliciousness

banana bread with chocolate chips and hazelnuts

via use real butter
makes 4 mini loaves

1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups smashed, very ripe bananas
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts
1 cup mini chocolate chips (I usually put in 1 1/2 cups)

Preheat oven to 350F. Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Mix in the bananas. Combine dry ingredients and mix into batter alternately with the sour cream. Add nuts and chips. Mix well. Pour into four greased mini loaf pans (I just lined with parchment paper), or one bundt pan, and bake for 45 minutes or until top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean from the center. (Not wet and gloppy, but moist crumbs are okay).

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darling pasta

via use real butter

1/2 lb. chicken breast, diced
1 lb. rotini or cheese tortellini, cooked
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup sundried tomatoes, rehydrated and cut into strips
1 cup roasted red peppers, diced
1 cup pesto
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 tbsp vegetable oil
parmesan, grated

Heat oil over high heat in a large sauté pan. Add garlic when oil is hot and stir until fragrant. Add the chicken and sauté until just cooked. Stir in the tomatoes and peppers. Mix in the pesto and pine nuts. Toss the drained pasta into the pan and stir together. Remove from heat and serve with grated parmesan.

Notes: Instead of adding the garlic in the beginning and very likely burning it, I added it when the chicken was almost done and sautéed them together before adding the tomatoes and peppers. Also used the oil that came with the sun-dried tomatoes instead of regular olive oil.

pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

via joy the baker
makes 45 cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola or corn oil
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips, or any chip you like

Position a rack in the middle of the oven . Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and butter the paper.

Stir the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices together in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs and sugar until smooth and lightened in color, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. On low speed, mix the oil, pumpkin, and vanilla until blended. Mix in the flour mixture to incorporate it. Mix in the chips.

Using an ice cream scoop with a 1/4-cup capacity, scoop mounds of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies at least 2 1/2-inches apart. You could also simply use a 1/4-cup measuring cup if you don’t have a scoop. Use a thin metal spatula to smooth and flatten the rounds.

Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry, about 16 minutes. Cool them on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then use a wide metal spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool cimpletely.

Dust the cooled cookies lightly with powdered sugar. The cookies can be stored in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Notes: instead of using a 1/4-cup ice cream scoop, I just used my normal mini scoop and baked for 10-12 min. Also, instead of powdered sugar after baking, I sprinkled the cookies with turbinado and demerrara sugar before baking.

roasted shrimp and orzo

via ina garten
serves 6

salt & pepper
olive oil
3/4 pound orzo
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
2 pounds (16 to 18 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup minced scallions
1 cup chopped fresh dill
1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and medium-diced
1/2 cup small-diced red onion
3/4 pound feta cheese, large diced

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Fill a large pot with water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and a splash of oil, and bring the water to a boil. Add the orzo and simmer for 9 to 11 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it’s cooked al dente. Drain and pour into a large bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Pour over the hot pasta and stir well.

Meanwhile, place the shrimp on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to combine and spread out in a single layer. Roast for 5 to 6 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through. Don’t overcook!

Add the shrimp to the orzo and then add the scallions, dill, parsley, cucumber, and onion. Toss well. Add the feta and stir carefully. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend, or refrigerate overnight. If refrigerated, taste again for seasonings and bring back to room temperature before serving.

Note: i liked the ratio of orzo to shrimp in the recipe. usually there’s way too much orzo or pasta and not enough of the other ingredients in the salad. forgot to add lemon, which i’m sure would have added some lightness and freshness (lemon + seafood = tastyness). also didn’t add as much herb as prescribed since my family doensn’t like herbyness. didn’t realize that the scallions had gone bad so i used a little more red onion. but i forgot that red onion has a much rawer/harsher onion taste. next time i’ll either quick-pickle the onions, or just add only scallions. also no feta since my mom’s not fan. in spite of forgetting lemon and scallions, still ended up deliciousness overall. maybe next time i’ll add more cucumber and some (deseeded) tomatoes.

cashew chicken

8 boneless & skinless chicken tenders, cut into small pieces
3 tsp baking soda
2 tsp corn starch
splash of shaoxing wine
1 small green bell pepper, cut into same size as chicken
handful of cashew nuts
couple slices of ginger

sauce:
1/3 cup of water
1 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp brown sugar
splash of shaoxing wine
splash of sesame oil
salt & pepper

Marinate the chicken in baking soda for 10-15 minutes. Rinse, pat dry, then marinate in corn starch and shaoxing wine for another 10-15 minutes.

Mix together sauce ingredients and set aside. Meanwhile, stir fry chicken until outside is cooked; set aside. Stir fry bell pepper, ginger, and cashews for a couple minutes, then add chicken back in. Add sauce and cook until chicken is cooked all the way through.

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rapid ragu

via nigella lawson
serves 4

2 tbsp. garlic oil
1 cup cubed pancetta
1 lb. ground lamb
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 cups sliced onions (about 2 medium onions)
⅓ cup Marsala
1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes
⅓ cup green lentils
½ cup water
½ cup grated red Leicester or Cheddar (optional)

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until the onions are a deep golden brown and soft, about 25 to 30 minutes. Make sure to use a gentle heat and cook the onions slowly so they don’t burn.

Meanwhile heat the oil in a wide, medium-sized saucepan, and fry the pancetta until beginning to crisp. Add the lamb breaking it up with a fork in the bacony pan as it browns. Tip in the caramelized onions, Marsala, tomatoes, lentils and water and bring the pan to the boil. Simmer the ragu for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Sprinkle over the cheese before serving, if using.

Notes: I used italian sausage instead of lamb, so I opted out of pancetta too. Instead of buying or making garlic oil, I just minced two garlic cloves and tossed it in after browning the sausage. Didn’t know if it made a difference, but I let the garlic brown a little in the sausage/oil for a bit, then threw in the lentils for a bit and coated it with the oil too. Also used the Marsala to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Didn’t let the ragu simmer for the whole twenty minutes because I didn’t time cooking pasta well and didn’t want it to overcook. Lentils may have been underdone but since no one in my family had had lentils before, they didn’t notice.

s'mores brownies

via joy the baker
makes 9x13 pan of brownies

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
5 large eggs
1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup graham cracker, roughly crushed with your hands
12 big marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9×13-inch baking pan with 2-inch-high sides. Combine first 3 ingredients in small bowl. Stir butter and chocolate in a medium sized bowl over a  heavy  saucepan of simmering water.  Stir chocolate and butter in this double boiler until melted and smooth.

Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla in large bowl to blend. Stir in warm chocolate mixture, then dry ingredients. Fold in graham crackers.  Pour batter into prepared pan. Dot with 12 large marshmallows.  Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 30- 40 minutes minutes.

Marshmallows will be browned and puffy but will deflate as the brownies cool.  Cool for at least 20 minutes than slice with a sharp knife, cleaning the knife with hot water if it gets too messy and sticky.  Serve or wrap individually in wax paper for storing.

papas con chorizo

excerpted from Ana Quincoces Rodriguez’s Sabor, A Passion for Cuban Cuisine
serves 4 to 6

3 medium potatoes, peeled
1/4 cup olive oil
3 garlic gloves, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small bell pepper, chopped
3/4 pound chorizo sausage, casings removed, cut into 3/4 inch slices
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1. Fill a large pot with water, add the potatoes, and bring to a boil. Let the potatoes boil for 20 to 25 minutes, until fork-tender.

2. Drain the potatoes, let them cool slightly, and then cut them into 1/4-inch slices.

3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, and bell pepper and saute for 5 to 7 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the chorizo, and cook for 5 minutes.

4. Carefully stir in the potatoes; try to avoid breaking them up too much. Add the salt, pepper, paprika, and parsley, and carefully stir once more. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if necessary.

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notes on cheddar tomato fondue.

recipe found here.

1. regular sharp cheddar is much, much, much tastier than using white cheddar.
2. red wine (i used 337 cabernet sauvignon) is just as tasty as white wine.

dave and kate's remarkable brownies

adapted from David Lebovitz’s The Great Book of Chocolate
makes 12 brownies (although really just depends on cutting preference)

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup walnuts or pecans, toasted and chopped
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

Butter 8in. square pan and lightly dust with cocoa powder, tapping out excess. Preheat oven to 325.

Melt butter in a double boiler, then add unsweetened chocolate and melt over low heat. Remove from heat and mix in sugar, then eggs and vanilla.

Stir in flour and salt, then nuts and chocolate chips. Scrape batter into pan and bake in center of oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.

Wait for brownies to come all the way to room temperature to cut and remove from pan. They can last for up to 3 days at room temperature in an airtight container.

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