Banana-Sweet Potato Brulee

Bananas and sweet potatoes, huh? OK, I know it sounds like a weird combo but trust me on this, it totally works. The banana and sweet potato are actually very complementary flavors. There is also some fresh orange juice and zest that really makes this side dish shine.

This is definitely a Thanksgiving day worthy recipe but I decided to make it one night last week for dinner. I am not a huge fan of sweet potatoes myself but in order to keep my kids eating their veggies, I can't limit them to just my tastes. Of course, I still wanted to enjoy this myself and hence came the idea to brulee the top.


The caramelized sugar on top gives this dish a nice textural touch and an excuse to use that creme brulee torch again!


My mix-and-match dinner: a store bought rotisserie chicken and made from scratch banana-sweet potato brulee.

Ingredients

2-3 (med-large) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1/4 stick unsalted butter
1 banana, sliced
1/2 orange, zested and juiced
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup brown sugar
pinch grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper
turbinado sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Set aside 4 ramekins.

Boil potatoes until tender, drain and reserve.

In another pot over medium heat, add butter and bananas to the pot. Cook bananas 3-5 minutes and add the orange juice, zest, potatoes cream, nutmeg and sugar. Mash potatoes, banana, and other ingredients together until well combined. Season with , salt, pepper to your taste. Mash to combine spices and spoon into the ramekins.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle the tops with 1-2 tablespoons of turbniado sugar. Using a creme brulee torch or your broiler (watch carefully!) caramelize the top. serve and enjoy!

Source: Inspired by Rachel Ray

Sour Cream and Chive Mashed Poatoes

Are you tired of the same old boring mashed potatoes? If so, here is a quick and easy update that not only tastes great but looks pretty on your plate too.

I decided to make sour cream and chive mashed potatoes earlier this week and I'm glad I did! This creamy, velvety side dish was delicious and so easy to make.

(excuse the blurry picture)


The simple recipe just requires you to add sour cream, milk, a little butter and the chives to boiled, fork tender potatoes. If you have kids who love to help in the kitchen (I have two excellent and enthusiastic helpers) this is a great recipe for them. My son was so proud of making these with me and said that they tasted like they came from a restaurant...:)


Ingredients:

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Place potatoes in a large pot with enough water to come up 2 inches from the bottom. Bring to a boil, and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until fork tender. Drain, and mash. Mix in the milk using a potato masher or an electric mixer until fluffy. Stir in the sour cream, butter and chives, and season with salt and pepper.

Source: Adapted from All Recipes

Turkey Day Wrap-Up

Hi everyone!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We normally travel up to New Jersey to celebrate this holiday with family. It is always a lot of fun...a house filled with a lot of people, a lot of food and a lot of love. My kids have an especially good time. They get showered with attention from their grandparents, aunts, uncles and many cousins. This year however, we decided to stay here in Virginia and had a more low key celebration with some friends.

One great thing about staying here is that I actually got to do some of the cooking this year. So, I thought I would share with you what I made....because of course you know I had to photograph it :) Yes, I *heart* food porn!

My friend Anne and I planned a pretty traditional dinner with turkey, stuffing, green beans, corn and apple pie. I made the mashed potatoes and the following yums:

Fresh Cranberry Orange Sauce

Honey Poppyseed Butter served with an assortment of breads and rolls

Fruit Platter

Pumpkin Cheesecake with a Gingersnap Crust

I had planned on only piping one ring of fresh whipped cream on top of the cheesecake, however my cake developed some big crack while rest on the counter after baking. The funny thing was when my son looked at the cake and the cracks he said to me "Cool Mom! You made a star shape on top!"....ummm, yeah just like I had planned :)

Onion Rings- Baked or Fried

Ever get a craving for something out of the blue and then all you can think about is that food? Well, that's what happened to me earlier this week. Out of the blue, I got a crazy craving for ONION RINGS!

I don't even know the last time I had onion rings. It was probably a year ago or longer and I'm sure I had them at some chain restaurant like, Red Robin. What I had never done was make them myself. So I started looking online and ran across a recipe on AllRecipes.com that sounded good to me and had very high ratings.

I modified it a bit and am very, very happy with the results. I used ground up Panko and added a bit of paprika for color and flavor. The original recipe called for frying but I also ended up baking half the batch to make them a bit healthier.

These turned out crispy and tasted fantastic! They were a huge hit with my husband and kids. I've included both baking and frying directions below. The only other thing I will do next time is to double the recipe. We quickly gobbled these up and really wanted some more.

The baked onion rings. They certainly aren't as pretty as the fried ones but taste wise, they were very close. I will definitely make these again baked and save myself a lot of fat and calories.

After the rings are dipped into the floured batter they are placed on a wire rack to drain. Wax paper placed underneath helps keep things tidy.

I recently found this great product at my local grocery store. Up until now, if I wanted a non-propellant olive oil spray I would use my Misto. However, I often had trouble getting an even stream if I didn't pump it enough and that is why I love this Filippo Berio spray. No pumping required and it sprays beautifully every time!

The only thing missing from these onion rings was a yummy dipping sauce...next time.


Ingredients

1 large onion, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 cup Panko bread crumbs, finely ground
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable or canola oil for frying, or as needed

Directions

1. Separate the onion slices into rings, and set aside. In a Ziploc bag, combine together the flour, baking powder and salt.

2. Add the onion slices into the Ziploc bag and shake until they are all coated; set aside.

3. Whisk the egg and milk together. Then add 1/2 of the flour mixture and whisk until all ingredients are combined.

4. Dip the floured rings into the floured batter to coat, then place on a wire rack to drain until the batter stops dripping. The wire rack may be placed over a sheet of aluminum foil or wax paper for easier clean up.

5. Add the Panko bread crumbs, salt and paprika to a plate or shallow dish. Mix with a fork or hands till all ingredients are combined.

6. Place rings one at a time into the Panko mixture and scoop the crumbs up over the ring to coat. Give it a hard tap as you remove it from the crumbs. The coating should cling very well. Repeat with remaining rings.

To Fry:
Heat the oil in a deep-fryer to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C) or in a pan or dutch oven.
Carefully add the rings a few at a time for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove to paper towels to drain. Season with additional salt if desired, and serve.

To Bake:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Line a baking pan with aluminum foil for easy clean up. Spray the pan with olive oil or cooking spray. Add the onion rings in a single layer. Spray the tops of the rings with additional oil. Bake for 8-10 minutes, turn rings and bake for an additional 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and season with additional salt if desired and serve.

Source: Chef Mommy, adapted from AllRecipes.

Tomato Basil Pasta Salad

Houston, we have a problem...my camera is broken :(

I'm not sure what happened exactly. My DSLR now has a small piece that chipped on the camera's body where the lens attaches. So, no pretty food pics (aka "food porn") in the meantime...boohoo

Luckily, I did manage to get these pictures before the camera accident. I found this recipe on Woman's Day and it's a really good one!



This simple pasta salad is what summer is all about. Ripe tomatoes,fresh basil, a little red onion, plus your favorite pasta all tossed in a light oil and vinegar dressing...YUM!! This makes a great side for a picnic lunch or other casual cook-out meal.

I had this with a simple turkey and cheese sandwich. I think next time, I'll add cubed grilled chicken or even mini fresh mozzarella balls and make it a compete meal by itself.


INGREDIENTS
3 large ripe tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lb), coarsely chopped (3 1/2 cups)
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
1/4 tsp dried oregano
12 oz fusilli pasta (or your favorite pasta)
1 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips

PREPARATION
1. Put tomatoes, onion, olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper and oregano in a large bowl; toss. Let stand at room temperature at least 30 minutes or until tomatoes release their juices, tossing occasionally.

2. Cook pasta as package directs. Drain and add to bowl with tomatoes; lightly toss. Let come to room temperature. Add basil; toss. Serve or refrigerate up to 1 day.

Source: Woman's Day

Baked Rice Pilaf

Here is a wonderful baked rice pilaf recipe you'll want to bookmark. I found this on Annie's Eats and it is fantastic!

This would work great as a side dish to just about any type of meal. The rice is so light and fluffy. Plus, it was a snap to prepare (just note that it bakes for about an hour). I'm a little bummed that I didn't get a better picture. By the time dinner was ready, it was almost 6PM and the light was quickly fading, so this was the best I could get.

Here is a look at the rest of dinner. The flounder was kind of blah and not really "blog worthy". The spinach was frozen and from a box, again nothing special...but the rice...that was the star!

And now, on a completely unrelated, non-cooking note....some pictures of my daughter taken this afternoon. *Please scroll all the way down for recipe.*






Waving hello to a neighbor.

"Hey, we are wearing the same outfit today!"

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Ingredients:

2 tbsp. butter
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 cup long-grain white rice
2½ cups chicken broth, divided
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
Squeeze of lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Have ready a covered casserole dish. In a saucepan or skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and rice to the pan and cook until both are golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of the chicken broth,salt, pepper and bring to a boil. Pour the mixture into the casserole dish, cover, and bake for 25 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1½ cups chicken broth and bake, covered, for another 45 minutes. About 15 minutes before it is finished baking, stir in a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Note: This recipe can be doubled without increasing the baking time.

Pork Tenderloin

This was Sunday night supper. Roasted pork tenderloin with pan sauce, roasted sweet potato wedges and sauteed green beans....so,so good!

The pork tenderloin recipe comes courtesy of Fortheloveofcooking blog. To make the sweet potatoes, I peeled them, then cut into wedges and simply seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper. These cooked in the oven along with the tenderloin for about 30 minutes, turning over half way. The green beans were first cooked in boiling water till tender crisp, then sauteed in a little butter and seasoned with salt and pepper.

This was a wonderful Fall meal and one good enough to serve company. I also love that it's healthy (pork tenderloin has about as much fat as a chicken breast), easy to prepare and so flavorful. We all loved this dish!

Ingredients
1⁄2 cups olive oil
1⁄3 cup soy sauce
1⁄4 cup red wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
1-2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1-2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 tsp dry mustard
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 1-lb. pork tenderloin

Combine all ingredients and marinate for at least 3-4 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a hot skillet over medium heat, sear each side of tenderloin for 2-3 minutes. Place in the oven and cook for 20 minutes or until the meat has reached 160 degrees (check with your meat thermometer because one of mine said 145 degrees for pork and the other said 160 degrees). Let rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.

Pan Sauce:
Pan scrapings from pork tenderloin
1/2 cup of chicken broth
2-3 tbsp of pork marinade (thoroughly mixed)
1-2 tsp butter
Meanwhile, place the skillet back on the stove over medium heat. Add the chicken broth and scrape up all the browned pieces from the bottom of the pan. Add the marinade and let it boil down for 2-3 minutes. Add the butter and remove from heat stirring until butter has melted. Pour over the pork tenderloin.

Baked French Fries

Dinner tonight came together very easily. I made Boca burgers (original variety) with cheese and homemade baked french fries.

These baked fries are not only easy to make but they are also healthy b/c they are baked and not fried. They taste much better than the frozen variety too.

Ingredients
Makes 4 servings

2 large baking potato
1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dry basil
sea salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Wash and dry potatoes. Cut potatoes into wedges or thinner. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Mix olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, basil and onion powder together. Brush potatoes with oil/spice mixture and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, then turn over potatoes. Bake an additional 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle with additional salt if desired.

Black Bean Salsa

Black bean salsa recipe from Paula Deen....yes, Paul Deen. No, don't worry it doesn't contain a stick of butter silly :) This is a classic black bean salsa with avacado, onions, tomato and lime juice. So easy, so good!

Great with chips

And over chicken


Ingredients
Makes 12 servings (I only made half)

2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (17-ounce) package frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
2 large tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 large avocado, peeled and diced
1 small onion, diced
1/8 to 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients thoroughly in a large bowl. Cover and chill overnight. Taste and add salt, pepper or more lime juice as necessary.

Apple Sauce

Last weekend, we took the kids apple picking to an orchard in Maryland, Homestead Farms. It was so much fun and we came home with SO MANY apples!

The apples have not gone to waste though. I personally have eaten almost about a dozen. My son took some into his preschool class to share with the other kids at snack. We also made mini apple pies, apple cupcakes (I'll post these soon)and of course apple sauce!

I made my apple sauce pretty smooth.

Here are some pictures from our trip to the farm.

My daughter loved apple picking so much!! The funny thing is she spent most of the time picking rotten apples from the ground and putting them in our basket. It was hysterical! As soon as she turned her back to get another apple, we would toss out the rotten ones.
Lots of pumpkins too!

Nothing tastes better than a fresh picked apple.

The farm also had animals...a calf, pigs, chickens and lots of goats!!


Ingredients
4-5 medium sized apples, 3 cups (I used golden delicious)
1 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice
cinnamon (optional)

Directions
Wash and dry the apples. Then peel and cut into even sized pieces. Add the apple chunks to a sauce pan then add water, sugar and lemon juice. Heat the pan on med-high and bring the apples to a gently boil. Reduce heat and simmer apples for about 20 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat and with an immersion blender or potato masher, mash apples to desired consistency. Serve with a little cinnamon if desired.

Latin Rice

Here it is...the great latin rice that accompanied the shrimp enchiladas. This recipe came from Gina's WW Blog. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Gina's recipes are FANTASTIC!!! If you haven't checked out her blog yet, do yourself a favor and click on the link to your right.

Up until now, to make any type of latin rice I would just open a box of Goya rice mix. Goya is good, but this recipe is in another league altogether and it wasn't that much more difficult to make. This is a keeper for sure.

Here is one last look at this yummy meal.


Ingredients
Makes 6 servings

2 cups long grain rice
2 tbsp canola oil
1 chicken bullion cube
5 scallions, chopped
2 garlic, minced
1 tomato, diced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
4 cups water
sazón
1 tsp salt (or more to taste)

In a medium heavy pot with a tight fitting lid, heat oil on medium heat and saute scallions, cilantro and garlic for about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and saute another minute. Add rice and saute 2 minutes longer, stirring frequently. Add water, bullion cube and sazón. Taste the water for salt and add more to taste. Let water boil on a high flame stirring once. As the water boils down and just skims the top of the rice, turn the flame to very low and cover 15 minutes. The steam will cook the rice so do not open. After 15 minutes, shut the flame and let the pot sit for at least 5 more minutes. This will finish cooking the rice without burning the bottom.

WW POINTS= 5 (1 cup)

Cilantro Lime Rice

Here is a copycat recipe of Chipolte's cilantro rice. This is easy to prepare and goes great with most Mexican dishes. I like to use jasmine rice in this recipe, b/c it's lighter and fluffier than regular long-grain rice.


Ingredients:
Makes 4 servings

1 1/2 cups jasmine rice
2 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
salt to taste

Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Add the rice, salt and oil and return to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender, 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the lime juice, cilantro, ; fluff with a fork and serve.

WW Points= 4 (3/4 cup serving)