Boatload of Banana Breads

You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch.

You really are a heel.

You're as cuddly as a cactus,

You're as charming as an eel, Mr. Grinch.

You're a bad banana with a greasy black peel.

After those lyrics, one would surmise that bananas with greasy black peels are a bad thing.  Stop!  Don’t believe it for a minute and certainly don’t throw them out!  They are a necessary ingredient to one of life’s finer treats:  Banana Bread.  Wikipedia describes it as a moist, sweet, cake-like, quick bread.  Good banana bread is all of those things, and won’t be as good if you try to make it with anything less than overly ripe bananas.

For the four variations that I attempted for this week’s post, I needed a total of 11 bananas.  To wait and watch that many Musa acuminata go “bad,” was not an easy thing.  I repeatedly reminded myself of what was waiting for me on the other side of ripe.

There is simply no good reason for tossing bananas that have passed their prime.  Even if you don’t have time in the moment to make a batch of banana bread, just toss them into your freezer instead of the garbage can.  As they wait for you in the arctic recesses of your freezer, the skin will actually turn darker and darker until it becomes completely black.  Upon thawing, you’ll know the meaning of “greasy” as the oil from the banana breaking down inside permeates through the skin.  (Don't stop reading!)  Snip off the stem with a pair of kitchen shears and out comes nothing that resembles a banana…but the intensity of the flavor that it now contributes to the recipe is incredible.  Try it.  You’ll never throw another banana in the trash.

This week we start with a basic Banana Bread recipe.  I’ve tried about a half dozen different recipes, and this one is simple, moist, and flavorful.  It is also easily adapted to other variations.  Stay tuned for those later in this post.  Let’s start with plain old banana Banana Bread.

BANANA BREAD

(Click on any image to enlarge)

Ingredients:

½ cup butter

¾ cup brown sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking SODA

¼ teaspoon salt

2¹/₃ cups mashed overripe bananas (approx. 4 medium bananas)

2 eggs, beaten

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°.  Lightly grease or spray non-stick cooking spray into a 9”x5” loaf pan.

It’s best to start with softened butter, if possible.  Add the butter and brown sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer.  Cream both together.

While they are mixing, sift the remaining dry ingredients, (flour, baking SODA, and salt), into a separate bowl and set aside.

After the butter and brown sugar have creamed, add the banana and beaten eggs and mix until well-blended.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mixer’s beater so that everything is blended.

Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture.  Stir until just moistened.

Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan.  (Whenever you're making banana bread, the volume of batter is going to vary, just because bananas vary in size.  This is also going to be true with the recipe variations that follow.  Always leave about 3/4" space at the top of the loaf pan.)  Bake in a 350° oven for 60-75 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Let the bread cool for at least ten minutes, and then turn out onto a cooling rack.  

As banana bread is moist, refrigerate any that is older than 24 hours.

Three variations follow.  Follow this basic recipe making the changes described in each version.  The baking time of 60-75 minutes is approximate.  Always use the toothpick or cake tester method to know when it's ready to come out of the oven.  Good bakers never determine doneness by the clock!

PEACHY BANANA BREAD

For this variation, use the basic recipe above, but reduce the amount of bananas by half, and add two fresh peaches.  Remove the skin using the blanching technique described in a previous post and pit the peaches.  Puree one peach in a blender or food processor and dice the other peach into small pieces.  (If it’s not too ripe you may be able to do this by pulsing in a food processor.)

Follow the basic recipe's directions, adding the peaches at the same time as the bananas.

BLUEBERRY-BANANA BREAD

Again, use the basic recipe above, reducing the bananas by half, and adding 1½ cups of fresh blueberries.  However, do not add the blueberries at the same time as the bananas.

Instead, after the banana mixture has been mixed with the sifted dry ingredients, fold in the blueberries.

“Folding” was described in a previous post.  There is less liquid in the ingredients in this variation, and as a result, baking time should be slightly shorter.

CRANBERRY-PECAN-BANANA BREAD

This is my personal favorite.  You will reduce the bananas by only one-fourth for this variation.  Prepare ½ cup of chopped pecans or pecan pieces by placing them on a cookie sheet and toasting them in a 350° oven for 5-10 minutes.  Remove and set aside.  Prepare ¾ cup of dried cranberries or Craisins® by placing them in a microwave-safe container along with ½ cup water.  Heat on high in the microwave for 2½ minutes.  Set aside.  Use the basic Banana Bread recipe, remembering to reduce the bananas by one-fourth.  Do not add the cranberries or nuts to the electric mixer.  Instead, add them, along with any liquid remaining with the cranberries, when you add the banana mixture to the flour mixture.  Incorporate all ingredients until just moistened.

There are many more possibilities to try.  I may attempt an apple cinnamon version next.  If you have a variation, let me know.  Enjoy!

Beefaroni!

Hooray!  We're having Beefaroni!

Does that bring back memories, or what?

As I’m typing this “Beefaroni” is being questioned in spell check.  What’s with that?  It’s almost un-American.

Beefaroni has been around at least since this 1966 commercial, but it’s tough to find much about its history.  I’m assuming that it was made before the Chef Boyardee canned version.  I was never a fan of canned pasta, but I know a lot of kids absolutely loved it, and even lived for it.  Chef Boyardee continues to manufacture thirty different canned varieties today.

Speaking of Chef Boyardee, did you know he really existed?  Ettore “Hector” Boiardi, along with his brother, started the canned pasta business that continues to bear his name.  Apparently he was quite a chef, even supervising the catering for Woodrow Wilson’s wedding reception when he remarried.  Hector opened a successful Italian restaurant in Cleveland in 1924 and the demand for his cooking caused him to consider starting a canned line of pastas.  The factory was located in Milton, Pennsylvania, where Boiardi lived until his death in 1985.

As kids, we always enjoyed Beefaroni in the school cafeteria and my mother made a version at home that we loved.  This is my version, which of course includes cheese on top.

BEEFARONI

Ingredients:

2 lbs. (approx) lean (80% at least) ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (or 1 T. dried parsley flakes)

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 Tablespoon dried oregano

1 Tablespoon paprika

1½ teaspoons dried basil

½ teaspoon Kosher salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 lb. elbow macaroni

15 oz. can crushed tomatoes

1 jar (1 lb. 10 oz.) pasta sauce

*2 fresh tomatoes, de-seeded, chopped

*1 Tablespoon sugar

2 cups shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese

*can substitute 1-15 oz. can diced tomatoes

Directions:

Prepare all of the ingredients in advance.  Combine all of the dry spices in a dish or container so that they can be added easily when called for.

Sauté the ground beef and onions together.  Brown the ground beef and cook the onions until they are translucent.

While the beef and onions are sautéing, cook the elbow pasta according to package directions.  Use the cooking time for al dente.  Drain the pasta.

If using fresh tomatoes, after de-seeding and chopping place them in a microwave-safe bowl and add 1 Tablespoon of granulated sugar.  Cover and microwave the tomatoes on high for three minutes, stirring once.  (Or use one can of diced tomatoes.)

When the beef has browned and the onions have become soft, drain any excess fat.  (If using an electric frying pan, use my tip for easily draining the fat.)

Add all of the spices at once, stirring them evenly into the meat mixture.  Stir just until incorporated.  Add the elbow macaroni and then the crushed tomatoes, pasta sauce and chopped tomatoes.  Blend all ingredients (except the cheese) thoroughly.

At this point, if you’re ready to serve the Beefaroni, put it in a large casserole dish, top it with the shredded cheese, and place in a 350° oven until thoroughly heated and the cheese is melted.

Beefaroni can be prepared in advanced and frozen.  It’s great to use a large foil pan, especially if you’re taking it to a get-together or covered dish meal.  To freeze, don’t add the cheese and place plastic wrap directly on the top of the Beefaroni and then seal with aluminum foil.  To reheat, be sure to allow 24-48 hours to thaw in the refrigerator.  Remove the plastic wrap, but replace the foil.  Heat in a 350° oven for 45-60 minutes until thoroughly heated.  (You may want to stir several times while reheating.)  Approximately ten minutes before serving, remove the foil, spread the shredded cheese on top and return it to the oven uncovered until the cheese is melted.

I have no pictures of the final product, as this batch was taken on a family camping weekend.  The kids on the trip didn’t even try it.  What is this world coming to?  But the adults loved it and of course they remembered the words to the commercial’s jingle.  Enjoy!

Peach & Blueberry Buckle

Loosen your belt for this buckle!

This week’s recipe follows, but first, some updates:

ZUCCHINI CHOWDER UPDATE - I made another batch of Zucchini Chowder.  For whatever reason, the skin of the zucchini was extra tough, and even though I cooked it thoroughly, a definite skin texture remained.  Such was not the case the first time I made the recipe.  So, watch out for thick-skinned zucchini!  But the “Big Story” is that I added lump crabmeat to the chowder, and sweet mother of Betty Crocker, it’s absolutely delicious!  The crabmeat was already cooked, so I just placed some cold crab in the bottom of a bowl and ladled the piping hot chowder on top.  The result was amazing!  You’ve got to try it!

WEDDING UPDATE - This post is a little delayed.  It was post-wedding catch-up week.  I didn’t realize how much had been put on “hold” in the weeks leading up to my daughter’s wedding.  She was a beautiful bride, and having the honor of not only walking your “little girl” down the aisle, but also of performing the ceremony is an incredible privilege.  At the beginning of the ceremony, I announced that there would be no photography, indicating that I would give a signal when it was okay to point and shoot.  My “signal” was getting my iPhone out after I offered the closing prayer and benediction in order to take the following shot from my perspective:

My daughter summed it up:  “It was the best day ever!”  It was a perfect day and I couldn’t be happier for Dan and Lauren.  Thank you to so many of you for your well wishes, kind thoughts, and appreciated prayers!

THIS WEEK’S RECIPE – Blueberry Buckle has been a favorite in our family for many years.  Of course it can be made with frozen or canned blueberries, but when fresh are available, using them is a no-brainer.  Peach season is just about winding up and I took a chance by combining half of the blueberries called for in the original recipe (2 cups) and matching them with bite-size pieces from two peaches.  The amount of peaches totaled slightly more than one cup.  As a result, there was more moisture.  This, in turn, had the effect of requiring increased baking time from the original recipe by about five minutes.

I did a little research on “buckles.”  In doing so, I found a great site called “What’s Cooking America.”  It gives suggestions for what to do with in-season produce.  The site includes recipes, as well as the basics for preparing produce that is locally available.  On a page detailing the history of cobblers, crisps, crumbles, and pandowdy, I learned that a buckle is a single layer cake with berries added to the batter.  It is topped with streusel-type crumbs which give it a buckled or crumbled appearance, which is certainly true.  Check out the cross section picture at the top of this post.  Can’t you imagine layers of rock under the earth?  Could be a science lesson!

PEACH & BLUEBERRY BUCKLE

Ingredients

For the batter:

½ cup butter (unsalted)

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 egg

2 Tablespoons baking powder

2 cups sifted flour

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup milk

*1 cup fresh blueberries

*1 cup fresh peaches, cut into bite-size pieces (approx. 2 med. Peaches)

For the crumb topping:

¼ cups soft butter

½ cup sugar

¹/₃ cup flour

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

Prepare the fruit in advance by rinsing and draining the blueberries and cutting the peaches into bite-size pieces.  Don’t forget to use the sure-fire way of removing the skin from the peaches, as described in the previous Peach Cobbler post.

Sift the dry ingredients together so that they are ready in advance.  In an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth.  Add the sugar and beat well until light and somewhat fluffy.  Blend in the egg.  Add the dry ingredients, (approximately a third at a time), alternating them with the milk , beating until smooth.

Fold in the fruit.  You want to add the fruit to the batter keeping as much as possible intact.  This is going to be a challenge because the batter is very thick.  

“Folding” means that you use a spatula to scoop under the batter and lift it up and over the fruit.  Doing this several times will incorporate the fruit into the batter without smushing the fruit to smithereens.  (Did you ever notice that you can’t just have one smithereen?)  Check out the photos to see how it should look.  

You’re going to smash a couple of berries.  It just can’t be prevented, but the technique of folding will help.  You’ve got to crack a few eggs to make an omelet, and you’ve go to smash a few berries to make a buckle.

Scoop the batter into a lightly greased 9”x9” baking pan or dish.

Next make the crumb topping, also in the electric mixer.  If you wish, you can use a pastry blender, instead.  Add all ingredients at once and mix or blend until crumbs form.  

Sprinkle the batter with the crumb topping and bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes.  Mine took the full 60 minutes.  With most cakes a light touch that springs back indicates that it’s done.  That is a challenge with a buckle, due to the crumb topping and the denser end product.  I suggest using a cake tester or toothpick.  When it is inserted and comes out clean, the buckle is done.

Serve it warm if you can.  While I really dislike eating cold cakes, this one should be kept refrigerated due to the fruit content.  It’s a moister cake as a result, which can invite spoiling.  A quick trip to the microwave can reheat it.

*If you want to make a blueberry buckle, replace the peaches with a second cup of fresh blueberries.  This recipe is great using other fruit, especially red raspberries.

Enjoy!

Zucchini Chowder and a Wedding

My little girl is getting married.  Today.

It doesn’t seem possible, and it certainly hasn’t sunk in yet.  You see, I still remember her as a little two-year old serving us make-believe food from her play stove.  Back then she was “Neenie Beanie,” a name she gave herself, not being able to say “Lauren.”  She came up with the Neenie part, and we added the Beanie.  Once, for two weeks after she slathered petroleum jelly in her hair, she was “Neenie Beanie Vaseliney.”

At that point in time, she couldn’t say “Willauer” either, and so her last name was “Waddy.”  One time when we were at a family bowling get together at Limerick Bowl, the always adventurous Lauren got separated from us.  A minute later, over the PA system came, “Will the parents of Neenie Waddy please report to the front desk.”  We fell on the floor…literally.  (The lady on the PA system was laughing, too.)

But now my little girl is all grown up.  She not only cooks and cleans for real, but she also deals with hypodermic needles, vital signs, code blues and cardiac patients.  She and her fiancé, who is also a registered nurse, have their own language, just like us educators.  While I’m incredibly happy for them, and give them my unconditional blessing, love and support, a part of me will always miss that little girl with the Pebbles tuft of hair on the top of her head and the miniature cast on her arm, (which, by the way, she would use to bop her brother).

So what does that have to do with Zucchini Chowder?  Not much, although Lauren’s favorite thing that I make is Potato Chowder (*Future Post Alert*).  Okay, so it’s a stretch.  I know.

This week’s recipe comes from Jennie Renninger, of Renninger’s Farm.  Jennie’s dad, Jay, told me about a whole bunch of zucchini recipes, one of which I’ve already blogged:  Linda Fryer's Zucchini Crisp.  “It tastes just like apple crisp,” Farmer Jay told me, and it did.  That didn’t make me any less skeptical about this recipe for Zucchini Chowder.

“You won’t believe it!”  Jay drew me in again.  “This one tastes just like clam chowder.”

Of course I had to try it.

Jennie reports that she has never tried actual clam chowder and therefore cannot vouch for her dad’s assessment, but she does confess that she loves this recipe.  “This one is foolproof,” she promised me.

That sounds like the perfect “dad” recipe to me.  It was originally given to Carol Renninger by an anonymous customer at the farm, so unless that person steps forward, we can’t give proper credit.  I strongly suggest making it exactly as described.  I did, and remarkably it does taste like clam chowder!

ZUCCHINI CHOWDER

(click on any image to enlarge)

Ingredients:

2 medium zucchini, diced

1 medium onion, diced

2 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley (or 1 Tablespoon dried parsley)

1 Tablespoon dried basil

1/3 cup of butter

1/3 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

3 cups water

3 chicken bouillon cubes (or vegetable bouillon)

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

2 medium tomatoes, remove skin and seeds, diced (or 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes)

1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk

4 ears sweet corn, husked and kernels removed

1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

Instead of two medium zucchini, I used one larger one.  Not baseball bat-sized, but close.

Therefore, I felt compelled to halve the zucchini and scrape out the fibrous core and seeds.  Jennie tells me that this isn't necessary with "less mature" zucchini.

Long strips were then cut from each hollowed half and the strips were cut into small cubes.

In a Dutch oven or large pot melt the 1/3 cup butter over medium heat, and sauté the zucchini, onion, parsley and basil until vegetables are tender.

While that is sautéing, prepare the fresh tomatoes by peeling them.  To do so, heat water in a saucepan to boiling.  The water should be deep enough to submerge the tomatoes. 

Cut a shallow “X” into the top and bottom of each tomato.

Submerge the tomatoes in the boiling water until the edges of the skin where they have been cut just starts to loosen and peel up.  This should take 10-30 seconds.  If you can’t see anything happening, remove the tomatoes after 30 seconds.

Remove the tomatoes to an ice water bath to halt the cooking of the tomato. 

When chilled, the skin of the tomato will easily peel off.  You may have to use a paring knife to get it started.  After the skin is removed remove the seeds and dice the tomato and set aside.

In a small bowl, blend 3 cups of water and 1/3 cup of flour until the flour is no longer clumpy. Using an electric hand blender speeds this up.

Gradually add the flour-water mixture to the vegetables. Add the bouillon cubes, salt, pepper and lemon juice, mix well. Bring to a boil, cook and stir for 2 minutes.

While that is cooking, cut the kernels off of two ears of corn.  I've found that it's easiest to do this with a serrated knife.  Cut the narrow tip off of the ear of corn to make a flat end and if you have the little corn-on-the-cob holders, put one in the other end to protect your fingers.  Hold the ear vertically in a shallow container, like a glass pie dish.  Cut down one side of the ear and rotate for each new cut.

Add the tomatoes, evaporated milk and corn. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until corn is tender. Just before serving, stir in the parmesan cheese.

Jennie reports that she has successfully frozen this chowder to enjoy during the winter.  If you want to freeze it, leave out the Parmesan cheese and add it just before serving.  (It's even delicious without the Parmesan.)

Enjoy!