Banana Oatmeal Muffins

We had another very ripe banana that needed to be consumed, so I decided to make banana oatmeal muffins, for the second time. The first time I attempted to make the muffins, I tried just adding mashed banana to my overnight oatmeal muffin recipe. However, the muffins turned out too soft and mushy. Sabrina and Naomi still happily ate the muffins, but I knew that the recipe needed some tweaking. This time around I changed the amount of sugar, flour, and oil that I used, and the muffins turned out much better. If you like nuts, I'm sure that 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans would be an excellent addition. I might try adding 1/2 cup of blueberries for some blueberry banana muffins next time.

Banana Oatmeal Muffins
makes 7 muffins

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats. If making the muffins for Michael, use gluten-free oats.
  
• 1/2 cup almond milk (or Lactaid milk if making for Michael)
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp. canola oil
• 1/4 tsp. lemon juice
  
• 1/2 cup mashed banana (about 1 banana)
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar, firmly packed
• 3/4 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten-free flour
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. and 1/8 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Instructions:

The night before, heat the milk in the microwave until it is warm. Mix the milk and oats in a small bowl, cover with a plate or plastic wrap, and let sit at room temperature overnight.

In the morning, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease 7 cups in a regular-size muffin tin with canola oil or Spectrum Organic shortening. In a medium-size bowl, whisk the egg. Mash the banana and add to the bowl. Then add the mixture of oats and milk, the brown sugar, lemon juice, and the oil. Stir until combined. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, sea salt, and cinnamon. Then slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring only enough to combine them and until you see no traces of flour.

Fill the muffin cups two-thirds full of batter. Bake the muffins for about 17 minutes, until a toothpick comes out mostly clean when inserted in the middle of one of the muffins.

Hungarian Stew

Hungarian stew was one of the recipes Michael made to impress me when we were dating. The extent of my cooking skills was the ability to boil water and cook pasta, and here was a man who knew how to make Hungarian stew! We have been making it every winter since then. Michael got the recipe from his college friend Nato. The essentials of the following recipe are the same as Nato's, although we've adjusted the amount of spices to suit our taste.

Hungarian Stew
serves 4 adults

Ingredients:

• 1/4 pound of bacon (about 4 or 5 slices). To find a corn-free bacon, look for one that has just these ingredients: pork, salt, sugar, celery powder, and spices. I recommend a bacon I find at Trader Joe's called Classic Sliced Dry Rubbed All Natural Uncured Bacon. Another corn-free bacon is Hormel Natural Choice 100% Natural Original Uncured Bacon. Be sure that the bacon you use does not have any dextrose, sodium erythorbate, sodium lactate, or lactic acid starter culture.
• 1 medium yellow onion
• about 3 pounds of boneless chuck roast
• kosher salt
  
• 1 Tbsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. caraway seeds
• 1 tsp. dried marjoram leaves
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
  
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups dry red wine. I use the inexpensive Carlo Rossi Burgundy that comes in a screw-top jug, but if you have a more expensive wine you'd like to use, go right ahead.
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups Pacific beef broth. This is the only beef broth I have found that does not contain any corn products, since most other organic beef broths contain caramel color, which often comes from corn. If you cannot find Pacific beef broth, just use water instead.
• sea salt to taste
  
• serve with boiled potatoes. I like to use small red potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes.

Optional Ingredients:

• For those who like mushrooms, you can add some quartered or halved white mushrooms to the stew about 30 minutes before serving.
• For those who like sour cream, put some sour cream on the table for people to add to their individual bowls of stew. Check the sour cream label to make sure there is not any corn, like dextrose. Do not use light sour cream, which almost always contains corn.
  

Instructions:

Chop four or five slices of bacon width-wise into quarter-inch wide pieces. Place the bacon in a 4-quart pot over medium heat and fry. While the bacon is frying, chop the onion. When the bacon is cooked, remove the bacon from the pot, leaving the drippings, and place the bacon on a plate. Add the chopped onion to the pot with the drippings and saute the onion over medium heat until it is softened.

While the onion is sauteing, trim all of the excess fat off of the beef and cut it into 1-inch cubes. Place the beef cubes in a large bowl and sprinkle generously with kosher salt, tossing the beef so that all of the surfaces are sprinkled with the salt. When the onion is soft, add the paprika, black pepper, caraway seeds, and marjoram leaves to the pot. Stir for 1 minute to combine. Then transfer the onion and spice mixture to a plate.

Add 1 tablespoon of canola oil to the pot and turn the heat up to medium-heat. Add the beef to the pot. Stir the cubes of beef in the pot for a couple of minutes so that the beef browns slightly on all sides. Then add 1 cup of beef broth, 1 cup of dry red wine, the bacon pieces, and the onion mixture to the pot and stir. If the liquid does not just cover the meat, add up to 1/2 cup more red wine and 1/2 cup more beef broth. Let the liquid come to a simmer and then turn the heat down to low so that the liquid is just simmering. Let the beef cook in the liquid for at least three hours, but up to five hours, until the beef is tender. Before you serve the stew, taste it to determine if you need to add any more salt.

Serve with boiled potatoes and sour cream.

Crustless Quiche

I needed to use up some eggs, so I decided to make a crustless quiche for dinner tonight. I started with the following recipe for crustless broccoli and onion quiche, but I modified it a bit because we also had some bacon that needed to be eaten. And I have a hard time resisting adding bacon to foods that we eat. As Michael says, bacon makes everything better. If you don't happen to have any bacon, or would rather not use it, then saute the onion and broccoli in olive oil instead of bacon drippings.

Another option that I would like to try in the future is to add, instead of the bacon and broccoli, one small can of Lindsay's Naturals chopped olives and one 10-ounce package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed. Or chopped artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes sound like a tasty option, too. Fortunately, I don't have to twist any arms to get Michael and the girls to eat quiche. Naomi scarfed it down, and Sabrina liked it so much that she asked me to make it again soon.

Crustless Quiche
serves 4 adults

Ingredients:

• 4 or 5 slices of bacon. To find a corn-free bacon, look for one that has just these ingredients: pork, salt, sugar, celery powder, and spices. I recommend a bacon I find at Trader Joe's called Classic Sliced Dry Rubbed All Natural Uncured Bacon. Another corn-free bacon is Hormel Natural Choice 100% Natural Original Uncured Bacon. Be sure that the bacon you use does not have any dextrose, sodium erythorbate, sodium lactate, or lactic acid starter culture.
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 2 cups broccoli or asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 small broccoli crowns)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup Lactaid milk (or 1/2 cup milk if you don't prefer to use as much milk)
• 1/4 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten-free flour
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan or sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano or basil (or use 1/2 tsp. of both!)
• dash of paprika

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking dish.

Chop the bacon into 1/4-inch wide slices and cook in a frying pan over medium heat until crispy. While the bacon is cooking, chop the onion and rinse and cut up the broccoli or asparagus. When the bacon is done, remove the bacon from the pan using a slotted spoon and place in a medium-size bowl. Pore the bacon drippings into a small bowl or cup.

Return 1 tablespoon of the bacon drippings (or 1 tablespoon of olive oil if not using bacon) to the pan and add the chopped onion. Saute over medium heat until softened, about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the onion from the pan and place in the bowl with the bacon. Pour 1 more tablespoon of bacon drippings (or olive oil) into the pan, add the broccoli or asparagus, and cook, stirring frequently, until just tender, about 5 minutes. Then transfer the broccoli or asparagus to the bowl with the bacon and onion. Stir to combine and then pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish so that they are evenly distributed over the bottom of the dish.

Grate the cheese. In a separate bowl whisk together the 4 eggs, 1/2 cup milk, cheese, salt, pepper, and oregano or basil. Warm the other 1/2 cup milk in the microwave and then whisk in the 1/4 cup flour. Pour this milk and flour mixture into the egg mixture and whisk until combined. Pour the entire egg mixture into the baking dish over the bacon and vegetables. Sprinkle with paprika and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the egg is set and the top is golden brown.

Lemony Green Beans

You can probably tell that I'm on a lemon kick. My latest use of lemon is in this recipe for lemony green beans. I especially like the addition of chopped green onions to the basic lemon juice and olive oil dressing.

Lemony Green Beans
serves 4 adults

Ingredients:

• 1 pound green beans, ends cut off
  
• 1 tsp. lemon zest
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. freshly-squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 3 or 4 green onions, chopped
  

Instructions:

Pour 1/2 cup water into a medium-size pot and heat over high heat until boiling. While the water is heating, rinse the beans and cut off the ends. When the water has come to a boil, add the beans to the pot, turn down the heat to medium or medium-low, cover the pot with a lid, and cook the beans until they are tender-crisp.

While the beans are cooking, mix together the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl. When the beans are done cooking, drain them and then return them to the pot. Pour the rest of the ingredients from the small bowl into the pot and toss the beans so that they are evenly coated. Keep the beans in the pot until you are ready to serve them so that they stay warm.

Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

I wanted to make something to eat for snack this afternoon that would be quick and easy and would use up the very ripe banana I had sitting on the counter. Somehow I stumbled upon the following recipe for gluten-free chocolate chip cookies, and it fit the bill. I am so glad I tried this recipe because these might be my new favorite cookie. I like our usual peanut butter cookies, but sometimes they're a bit too peanut-buttery for me. In contrast, these chocolate chip cookies have a lighter flavor and feel to them. They are still flourless and still call for a cup of peanut butter, but using less sugar and adding a mashed banana completely changes the taste and texture of the cookie. Instead of being crunchy, they are perfectly chewy. They remind me of Pepperidge Farm soft-baked cookies, except even better because they're fresh. Perhaps you can tell that I'm a big fan of chewy cookies. The only thing I would change to the original recipe is to add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. The other variation that I would like to try is to use almond butter instead of peanut butter, so Naomi could eat them as well.

Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
makes about 18-20 cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe medium-size banana (about 1/2 cup mashed banana)
  
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
  
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract. Use Trader Joe's alcohol-free vanilla extract or another vanilla extract that does not have corn syrup and is preferably alcohol-free, since the alcohol could be derived from corn.
• 1 cup Natural Jif creamy peanut butter (or sunflower seed butter)
  
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips. The two kinds I have found that do not contain milkfat are Trader Joe's semi-sweet chocolate chips and Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl mash the banana until there are no lumps. Add the egg and whisk. Add the sugar, baking soda, vanilla extract, and peanut butter. Stir until well combined. Then stir in the chocolate chips.

Place teaspoonfuls of dough on a cookie sheet, leaving a couple of inches between each spoonful of dough. Bake for 12 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to continue to cool.

Sauteed Lemon Broccoli

I have to confess that I don't like plain steamed broccoli. I prefer some other flavor to go with the broccoli. A couple of years ago I tended to cover the broccoli with either butter or cheese, but since we're trying to limit our consumption of dairy products I've needed to come up with alternatives.

I started looking at recipes on the internet and stumbled across this one for sauteed lemon broccoli. Since I had some lemons in the refrigerator, I thought I would try it, and I'm so glad I did. The recipe was quite easy and the resulting broccoli was great. The lemon flavor complements the broccoli so well. I really like the taste of lemon, so I doubled the amount of lemon zest and juice called for in the original recipe. Since I didn't have any fresh garlic at home, I left out the garlic and the broccoli still tasted great.

Sauteed Lemon Broccoli
serves 2 adults

Ingredients:

• 2 or 3 broccoli crowns. When the stems are cut off, this becomes about 3 cups of florets or about 1/2 pound.
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
  
• 1 tsp. grated lemon zest
• 1 Tbsp. freshly-squeezed lemon juice
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper
  

Instructions:

Fill a large pot two-thirds full with water and bring the water to a boil over high heat. While the water is heating, wash the broccoli and cut the florets into bite-size pieces. When the water has come to a boil, transfer the broccoli florets to the pot and set the timer for 2 minutes. After exactly 2 minutes, remove the florets from the pot and submerge them in ice-cold water to stop the cooking process. Then drain the water from the broccoli and put the broccoli in a bowl. Place the bowl in the refrigerator until a few minutes before you would like to serve the broccoli.

About ten minutes before you would like to serve the broccoli, place a large frying pan over medium-low heat. When the pan is hot, add the olive oil, lemon zest, and broccoli. If you would like to use garlic, add it at this time as well. Cook, stirring frequently, until the broccoli is hot. When the broccoli is hot, add the lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and stir to combine.

Peanut Butter Rice-cereal Bars

Recently when I've wanted something sweet to eat that is still fairly good for me, I've made peanut butter rice-cereal bars. They are sort of like Rice Krispie bars, except a lot better for you. And, personally I think they taste a lot better than the originals. Maybe I'm just getting old, but I like the flavor of peanut butter and honey a lot more than the sickeningly sweet taste of marshmallows and butter.

Here's an important note of caution: I tried to make the bars a couple of times without heating the honey, and they would not hold together at all. Somehow heating the honey until it boils causes the honey to seep into the crevices of the rice cereal so that it all sticks together very nicely.

Peanut Butter Rice Cereal Bars
makes an 8"x8" pan of bars

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup honey (or 1/4 cup and 2 Tbsp. honey, depending on how sweet you like it.)
• 1/2 cup Natural Jif creamy peanut butter, or another natural peanut butter.
• 1 tsp. vanilla. Use Trader Joe's alcohol-free vanilla extract or another vanilla extract that does not have corn syrup and is preferably alcohol-free, since the alcohol could be derived from corn.
• 3 cups rice cereal. The brand I have used that does not contain any wheat or corn is Erewhon Organic Crispy Brown Rice, gluten free. If you can't find that one, the other two brands I have seen that could work are Enviro Kidz Organic Koala Crisp cereal and Nature's Path Whole Grain Brown Crispy Rice cereal.
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips. The two kinds I have found that do not contain milkfat are Trader Joe's semi-sweet chocolate chips and Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Instructions:

Pour the honey into a medium-size 2-quart sauce pot and heat it over medium heat until the honey comes to a gentle boil. Add the vanilla and peanut butter and stir until the peanut butter is completely melted. Take the pot off of the heat and stir in the rice cereal.

Pour the mixture into an 8"x8" Pyrex dish. Fold in the chocolate chips. If you don't want the chocolate chips to melt a bit, wait a couple of minutes before stirring them in. The following recipe also suggests the alternative of melting the chocolate chips and then pouring the melted chocolate over the top of the rice bars.

Firmly press the rice mixture into the pan using the back of a spoon, so that the rice cereal mixture is compressed into the pan and the surface is flat. Let the bars cool for a couple of hours and then cut and serve. If you are in a hurry to eat the bars, you can put them in the refrigerator so that they will cool more quickly.

New York-Style Cheesecake

We got together with a bunch of friends for Easter dinner, and Michael made his amazing cheesecake. It's not even close to being dairy-free, but it tastes so good that I had to have a small piece that night. And then, since there was some left over, I had to have some the next night as well. It's probably best that the cheesecake is gone now and I have gone back to the reality of healthy snacks, but in the back of my mind I'm already looking forward to when it's strawberry season here in New Hampshire and we can make a cheesecake with a topping of fresh strawberries and strawberry glaze. Until then I will just have to dwell in the memories of the light and velvety texture, and the flavor that is a delicate balance of sweet with a slight tang.

The recipe we use is from Cook's Illustrated, March & April 2002, pp. 22-24. Below is our modified ingredients list, but for the instructions you can go to www.cooksillustrated.com or ask me.

New York-Style Cheesecake
makes a 9-inch cake

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (4 ounces, or about half the bag) Barbara's wheat-free oatmeal Snackimals cookies
• 1 Tbsp. granulated white sugar
  
• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, plus 1 more Tbsp. melted butter for greasing the springform pan
• 2 1/2 pounds cream cheese (not low-fat)
• 1/8 tsp. sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
• 1/3 cup sour cream (not low-fat). Check to make sure there are not any corn products.
• 2 tsp. juice from 1 lemon
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract. Use Trader Joe's alcohol-free vanilla extract or another vanilla extract that does not have corn syrup and is preferably alcohol-free, since the alcohol could be derived from corn.
• 2 large egg yolks plus 6 large whole eggs