Banana Crumb Muffins

I've been a slacker in the recipe posting department so here's what I have in the oven as we speak:

Banana Crumb Muffins

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 bananas, mashed
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon butter

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.
2. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
3. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

These are incredible!

Too Much Chocolate Cake

Tonight we're having John and Jillian over for a little belated birthday dinner. I have a little pressure on me because I promised that I can out-do Olive Garden (a favorite of Jillian's) in the Italian food department. We shall see!!
Anyway, I have several recipes that I am making tonight but why not start with what counts... dessert! This is a sublimely easy and fantastic chocolate cake. I am going to bake it bundt style and then make a homemade caramel sauce to drizzle on top of it and the ice cream of course :)

Too Much Chocolate Cake

1 (18.25 ounce) package

devil's food cake mix

1 (5.9 ounce) package instant

chocolate pudding mix

1 cup sour cream

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1/2 cup warm water

2 cups semisweet chocolate

chips

	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
	In a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs and water. Stir in the chocolate chips and pour batter into a well greased 12 cup bundt pan.
	Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cake thoroughly in pan at least an hour and a half before inverting onto a plate If desired, dust the cake with powdered sugar.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe is dedicated to Jillian and John - lovers of these cookies :)

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
• 2 sticks butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
• 2 cups (12 oz package) chocolate chips
  

PREHEAT oven to 365° F.

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat brown sugar, butter and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in eggs, milk and vanilla extract. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats and chocolate chips; mix well. (At this point I chilled by dough for 30 minutes). Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 9 to 10 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for several minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Notes: I read that chilling the dough helps avoid the whole flat and crispy cookie that I used to end up with. I also always take my cookies out of the oven before they really look done. They continue setting up as they sit on the sheets before transferring to a cooling rack.
Lastly, I use and highly recommend the Pampered Chef baking stones.

New Friends and an Amazing Dessert Idea

Tim and Shanna Browning came over for dinner on Thursday night! I met Shanna through Bethany's "what's for dinner?" thread. Shanna came to my girls' night and I instantly became a big fan of hers!
We did a little Mexican night and I made homemade guacamole, steak fajitas and black beans.
But Miss Shanna made the yummiest dessert ever! Okay, so Tim may have not thought so with his lack of love for the espresso bean, but we adored it! She took an Oreo pie crust and softened espresso ice cream and filled the pie shell. Then she took hot fudge and spread it on the top. The finale? Heath pieces! You could easily do this with different flavors of ice cream/topping/candy combos.
Anyway, thanks for staying up way past your bed time guys (in light of Tim's work schedule)! We hope to spend more time with you soon!!!

Blueberry Scones With Lemon Glaze

Recipe Source: Food Network/Tyler Florence
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_24255,00.html

Blueberry Scones:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut in chunks
1 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing the scones
1 cup fresh blueberries

Lemon Glaze:

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 lemon, zest finely grated
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Sift together the dry ingredients; the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Using 2 forks or a pastry blender, cut in the butter to coat the pieces with the flour. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and pour in the heavy cream. Fold everything together just to incorporate; do not overwork the dough. Fold the blueberries into the batter. Take care not to mash or bruise the blueberries because their strong color will bleed into the dough.

Press the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about 12 by 3 by 1 1/4 inches. Cut the rectangle in 1/2 then cut the pieces in 1/2 again, giving you 4 (3-inch) squares. Cut the squares in 1/2 on a diagonal to give you the classic triangle shape. Place the scones on an ungreased cookie sheet and brush the tops with a little heavy cream. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until beautiful and brown. Let the scones cool a bit before you apply the glaze.

Technically you should make this simple lemon glaze in a double boiler (i.e. over a pot of simmering water with a heatproof bowl set on top) but it's even simpler to zap it in the microwave. Mix the lemon juice and confectioners' sugar together in a microwave-safe bowl. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon zest and butter. Nuke it for 30 seconds on high. Whisk the glaze to smooth out any lumps, then drizzle the glaze over the top of the scones. Let it set a minute before serving.

Super Quick Minestrone

Super Quick Minestrone
Recipe Source: Food Network/Michael Chiarello
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_31993,00.html

1 cup (4 ounces) tubetti pasta, or other small pasta shape
Extra-virgin olive oil
6 cups chicken stock
1/4 pound pancetta, cut into 3 pieces
6 medium garlic cloves, each cut in 1/2 lengthwise
2 cups finely chopped yellow onions (2 small onions)
1 cup small-diced celery (2 medium stalks)
1 cup small-diced carrots (2 to 3 medium carrots)
1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary or thyme leaves
1 (14-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
4 cups small-diced zucchini (green/yellow) (5 small zucchini)
2 cups small-diced, peeled russet potatoes (1 large russet)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain and transfer the pasta to a baking sheet. Toss the pasta with a little olive oil to prevent sticking.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the chicken stock.

In another large saucepan over high heat, heat 1/4 cup oil. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the pancetta and cook until it begins to brown, 3 to 4 minutes, turning occasionally. Add the garlic and cook until it begins to brown, about 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat to medium and add the onions, celery, and carrots.

Cook until the vegetables are soft, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent browning. Add the chopped herbs. Raise the heat to high. Add the beans, tomatoes, zucchini, and potatoes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Then bring it down to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, 12 to 15 minutes, skimming any foam off the top of the soup. Season generously with pepper. Add salt, to taste. Just a few minutes before serving, add the cooked tubetti pasta. Serve warm with Parmesan and olive oil passed at the table.

Cooking notes: Add the cooked pasta just before serving. If it sits in the soup too long, it develops a flabby texture. Tubetti (little hollow tubes) are the classic pasta for minestrone, but you could substitute another small shape of pasta.

Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina

Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina
Recipe Source: Food Network/Giada De Laurentiis
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_35087,00.html

1 cup pastina pasta (or any small pasta)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup cubed chicken breast (1-inch cubes)
1/2 cup diced onion (about 1/2 a small onion)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta into a large mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Put the chicken mixture into the bowl with the cooked pasta. Add the canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Place the mixture in a buttered 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish. In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture. Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Chicken Fajita Tortilla Soup

This soup rocks! That's about all I have to say about that!


Chicken Fajita Tortilla Soup
Recipe source: Food Network/Rachael Ray
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_37504,00.html

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 packages chicken tenders, 1 1/2 to 2 pounds
1 tablespoon coriander, a palm full
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, 5 to 6 sprigs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large onion, quartered and thinly sliced
1 large bell pepper, quartered and thinly sliced
1 jalapeno, seeded and thinly sliced
1 (28-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 quart chicken stock
1 bag white corn tortilla chips
1 cup shredded pepper Jack or sharp white Cheddar
1 ripe avocado, diced
1 lime, juiced
4 scallions, chopped
Handful fresh cilantro leaves or fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Heat a large skillet with extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add chicken, begin to brown 4 minutes, add coriander, thyme, salt and pepper, to taste, onions, bell pepper and jalapeno, season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add tomatoes and stock, heat through.

While the soup is working, lightly crush some tortilla chips and divide among 4 bowls. You need a couple of handfuls per bowl. Top the chips with a little cheese. Toss the avocado with lime juice. Top the chips with ladles of soup. Garnish soup with avocado, scallions and cilantro or parsley.

Cranberry Spinach Salad

Here's a salad recipe to balance out the recent cookie ones :)
My tips: blue cheese is fabulous in this. Also, pine nuts make a great substitution. Lastly, I use a 6 oz. package of Craisins. So good!

Cranberry Spinach Salad

1 tablespoon butter

3/4 cup almonds, blanched and

slivered

1 pound spinach, rinsed and

torn into bite-size pieces

1 cup dried cranberries

2 tablespoons toasted sesame

seeds

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

1/2 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons minced onion

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Cook and stir almonds in butter until lightly toasted. Remove from heat, and let cool.
In a large bowl, combine the spinach with the toasted almonds and cranberries.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, onion, paprika, white wine vinegar, cider vinegar, and vegetable oil. Toss with spinach just before serving.

Blue Ribbon Almond Roca Cookies

I'll give out my other "top secret" cookie recipe... hehe. If you like Almond Roca, these will rock your world :)


Blue Ribbon Almond Roca Cookies
Recipe Source: Food Network
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_32473,00.html

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 package toffee bits
1 cup coarsely ground almonds
4 ounces milk chocolate
1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, blend sugars together on medium speed. Add butter and mix to form a grainy paste. Add eggs and vanilla and mix at medium speed until light and fluffy. At low speed, slowly add the flour mixture and then the toffee bits. Mix until just blended; do not over-mix.

Place ground nuts in a small bowl. Using hands, roll balls of dough into 1 to 1 1/2-inch balls, then roll in the ground nuts. Place on cookie sheets several inches apart. Bake approximately 22 minutes and then transfer cookies to a cooling rack.

Melt the chocolate with the vegetable oil in a double boiler or in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Drizzle melted chocolate over cooled cookies. Place cookies on a cookie sheet and place in freezer or refrigerator until chocolate is firmly set.

Monster Cookies

Per request from a couple of my sweet friends, I am going to kick up the recipe posting a notch. Alice, this new posting trend will be dedicated to you specifically :)
I think I'll try to do a recipe of the day. I used to do that over on the MOPS forum and got lots of appreciative feedback. I hope this blesses the Athey crowd just as much!
And when you make a recipe, please leave feedback/suggestions in the comments.
Thankfully most of my recipes these days are available online or in a word doc so they are easily accessible...

Right now I would have to say these Monster Cookies are currently numero uno in my book.
They get rave reviews every time!
I also like that you can make them healthy if you choose to. You could sub out the "bad stuff" for natural peanut butter, smart balance, splenda, etc. and feel better about eating them. Or eat them as is and experience cookie bliss!

Monster Cookies
Recipe source: Food Network/Paul Deen
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_32570,00.html

3 eggs
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 12-ounce jar creamy peanut butter
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup multi-colored chocolate candies (M&M's)
1/2 cup chocolate chips (toffee chips or butterscotch also yummy)
1/4 cup raisins, optional (or 1/4 cup chopped pecans)
2 teaspoons baking soda
4 1/2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal (not instant)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.

In a very large mixing bowl, combine the eggs and sugars. Mix well. Add the salt, vanilla, peanut butter, and butter. Mix well. Stir in the chocolate candies, chocolate chips, raisins, if using, baking soda, and oatmeal. Drop by tablespoons 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Do not overbake. Let stand for about 3 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool. When cool, store in large resealable plastic bags.

The soup for the sick

Because a friend of mine and her family were ill a couple of weeks ago, I was motivated to create my own simple and healthy version of the classic chicken noodle soup to bless them with.
We have an epidemic of nasty cold/flu/bronchitis/pneumonia bugs circling Athey right now and I am always up to bless those I love with food. And although it was in the sixties a short time ago in P-town, it's now back in the rainy 40s. What is better when you're sick than hot soup on a cold rainy day?! OK, maybe a steaming cup of tea, a great book and a chance to curl up with your favorite blanket by the fire while enjoying your soup. And of course the children would be taken care of by Mary Poppins..... Proverbs 31 version :)

Anyway, back to the soup. I must preface this by saying I adore cooking, I've been doing it for as long as I can remember, I went to culinary school for a short season and still to this day am never quite satisfied with any recipe I produce. I am always seeking to make things better and this is a decent version of what I hope will eventually turn into a great soup.

So, for those that have requested the recipe, I will try and tell you what I did because I didn't follow a recipe. In fact I rarely do these days. I simply used my instincts and what happened to be on hand to save myself a trip out in the rain :)

Chicken Noodle Soup:
1 small onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
3 carrots, diced
Note: cut your veggies according to your preference. Some people like chunky soup, some like finer textures.
1 quart Organic chicken stock (sold in cartons... I buy it in six packs at Costco or make my own. A good stock (not from a can) greatly changes the quality of whatever you cook.
1 quart water
12 ounces frozen chicken tenders (sold in a large bag in the Costco freezer section. And for the person that asked, no they aren't the breaded ones:) You can also sub regular chicken breasts. Just cut them up so they cook faster.
Seasoned salt
1 or 2 fresh or dried bay leafs
Pepper
Fresh or dried parsley
Note: seasonings and amounts are a matter of personal preference. You can add dill, oregano, thyme or garlic if you would like as well. Just watch the salt. You can always add more later but you can't take it away.
6 ounces Whole grain rotini noodles. Buy whatever shape you would like. They make whole grain pastas in a variety of shapes and sizes. This is a great way to sneak in some whole grains to your kiddos and they won't know the difference.

In a stock pot bring stock, water, veggies, tenders (just throw them in frozen as is) and seasonings to a boil. Lower heat, cover with a lid and simmer (keep at a low boil) for 30 minutes or so. If you forget to put the lid on your liquid will evaporate. If you can easily shred the chicken, it is cooked through. With a slotted spoon, remove the chicken and then shred or chop it into bite sized pieces. Remove the bay leaves at this point as well. Return meat to the pot and return to a boil and add pasta. Cook according to the directions on the box. Taste and adjust seasonings and enjoy. SO easy!
You can also do this in a crock pot just as easily. It freezes well and is great to keep on hand for the cold and flu season :)

I hope this helps and give me a call if you need some!
There's also a scrumptious homemade bread that I often pair this with. I will post that recipe later.