I Get on Ingredient Kicks

Day 107.

Speaking of kicks, let's go off on a tangent for a minute. Kiddie soccer is brutal. I thought the ref was being a little too power hungry when she went around making sure all the kids were tucked in, wearing cleats instead of running shoes, and wearing knee pads. And making the goalee wear those silly Mickey Mouse gloves? What for? (the goalee is usually my Picky Eater. She likes that position best.) You think all those things until you've watched a few 5-6 year old league soccer games. Then you understand. Oh my! I'm glad I'm not on the field with those brutes!

(It used to be that the younger leagues were nothing more than a pack of children all running around trying to get a kick in. Then soccer moms were born, and kids started playing soccer in the womb, so they're pretty darn good by the time they reach first grade. For Picky Eater, this is her first season. So it's all new to us.)

Those kids foul each other intentionally. It's a strategy they use to stop forward progress of the ball! They push and shove. They kick and trip. They kick the ball as far out of bounds as they can. One little guy on our team growls every time he gets the ball. He's a little bit scary....if you're on the opposing team. Now, when you push someone, the ref blows the whistle and the kids on the offended team get posession of the ball again. I don't know all the rules of the game but that much is clear. Still, the kids push and kick to keep the ball away from my Picky Eater. By the time they're teenagers playing in high school, those kids are going to be so tough they'll be ready for rugby! Or hockey! Or tackle football!

Don't misunderstand me. I love going to those games. I get all excited and wound up and cheer and encourage and snap a gazillion pictures every single Saturday. I love every minute. The level of intensity just takes me by surprise.

Back to the real topic: I tend to get on ingredient "kicks." Do you? I'll go weeks at a time using green onions in everything. Then it'll be cream. Then I go on an oat bran kick. And a corn kick. Well, right now, I'm entering a coconut kick. Today, I made ice cream with it. Next week, I'm making cream pie with it. We use it to make popcorn (and I'll share that soon, I promise!). Lately, coconut is where it's at...in my kitchen.

If you like coconut, you're likely to love this ice "cream." It was born out of a desire to be able to eat something cool and creamy this summer that doesn't make me feel icky. Dairy makes me congested. I love cream and cheese and butter. I won't stop using them, but I'm really trying to find some alternatives (not to the butter...I'll probably always use butter) that don't make me fell yucky afterward.

Coconut Milk Ice "Cream" with Bananas and Brown Sugar

What You Need:

• 2 cans of coconut milk (roughly 3 cups)
• 3 lage bananas, peeled, cut up and mashed (leave some chunks, though)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• an ice cream maker (and rock salt and ice if required)

How it's Done:

• Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and chill for several hours.
• Add to ice cream maker and process per manufacturer's instructions. This ice cream will be very soft. It's best to freeze it for a few hours after processing, and then serve it.

Mmmmuffins...

Day 11.

Could there possibly be a better way to wake up than the aroma of freshly baked muffins wafting into your bedroom, rousing you from your dreams? There might be, but right now, I can't think of one.

The kids woke up to the delicious scent of these banana muffins. They were happy. And I was happy knowing that I got to use up those bananas that were just about too ripe. All is well.

Banana Nut Crumb Muffins
makes 18 muffins

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup quick oats
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 to 4 mashed bananas (about 1 cup)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans (or another nut of your choice)
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp butter

How it's Done:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Spray 18 muffin cups with non-sick spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, combine mashed bananas, granulated sugar, melted butter, eggs, and milk. Pour all at once into dry ingredients. Stir just until blended.
4. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full.
5. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and 2 Tbsp flour. Cut in 1 Tbsp butter until the mixture is finely crumbed. Divide equally over top of each muffin
6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until muffin springs back when pressed gently.
   
   

More Food Merging: Breakfast Edition

Day 5.

The kids go back to school today after a lengthy holiday break. I'm up at oh-dark-thirty, an hour I don't usually enjoy seeing, rubbing the sleepiness from my eyes and mentally preparing for the day ahead.

Usually the kids eat breakfast at school. That way, the food is in their bellies a little longer. Plus, it's Little Kid Social Hour in the cafeteria in the mornings. It gives them a little extra time to see their friends before beginning their days.

This morning, though, I thought I'd wake them up to a special breakfast to mark their return to school. Banana Bread French Toast is pretty special. It takes prior planning to pull this morning wonder off -- you have to have the banana bread to make it. I made a loaf last night. I just used the recipe in my handy dandy Betty Crocker Cookbook. After it cooled, I sliced it into 1/2" thick pieces and left some room between them so that air could get to the pieces and slightly dry them out. I covered the loaf with aluminum foil and went to bed.

Banana Bread French Toast

serves 4 (2 slices each)

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf of banana bread, sliced 1/2" thick (remove the end pieces)
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• butter

How it's Done:

Preheat a skillet or griddle to medium. Add a bit of butter.


Combine eggs, milk, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl.


Dip slices of banana bread in egg mixture, making sure to coat thoroughly.


Fry on both sides until browned.


Serve with maple syrup, confectioner's sugar, or whipped cream

Ringing in the New Year with Banana Pancakes

Day One.

I really need a larger griddle. I have this one by George Foreman. I can make four pancakes at a time on the griddle. I'd love to have a griddle with space enough for eight pancakes. Then I could feed my whole crew all at the same time instead of in shifts.

I'm starting 2010 with a batch of banana pancakes. Usually this involves adding cinnamon and diced bananas to my regular pancake batter, but I changed things up a bit this morning and, well, you'll see.

The first steps to make pancakes almost never change. First, you combine your dry ingredients.

Next, you combine (in a separate bowl), your wet ingredients.

Then, you dump the wet stuff into the dry stuff and gently introduce the ingredients to one another, just until they are combined. You don't want to overdo this step or you end up with tougher pancakes in the end. Be kind to your batter.

Now, go grab one of your bananas. This would be a great time to use up an overripe banana, but make sure your other banana is presentable, because it will be served on top of your gorgeous pancakes. This one, though--- this one can be ugly. Dice it up as best you can. Set it to the side of your griddle.

Back to the pancakes. On to the preheated griddle they go. I don't use any greasing agents, but you're welcome to use some butter or whatever you like. I have found that a 1/3 cup measure makes a good pancake size, so I use my measuring cup to dole out my batter. Now, as soon as you drop the batter onto the griddle, plop about a tablespoon worth of diced banana on top of each pancake.

Cook them about 3 minutes before flipping them over to finish. One or two minutes on the other side should do it.

While they're cooking, take out your super secret special New Year's Day Breakfast ingredients...

...and whip them up! For small amounts like I used here, I like to use my mini chopper food processor. It takes a minute to whip up some delicious, real whipped cream for topping, and there's no need to chill the bowl and blade.

Plate two pancakes and drizzle with maple syrup. Top with sliced bananas and chopped walnuts. Plop a dollop of your honey-cinnamon whipped cream on top, and bring to the table. Listen to the oohs and ahhs, then listen to the ting-ting of forks hitting plates and no one talking. Because their mouths are full of your yummy banana pancakes.

Ahhhh. Happy New Year.

Banana Pancakes with Lemon Zest and Sour Cream

makes about 8 pancakes (plenty for a family of four)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/8 cup granulated sugar
  1/2 tsp salt (I use sea salt for everything)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
• 3/4 cup milk (I use fat-free)
• 1/2 cup sour cream (low fat is the way I go)
• zest of one lemon (Don't leave this out. You can cheat and buy dried lemon zest in your baking section, but the fresh stuff is so much better, plus more frugal: the rest of the lemon can be used for another purpose, as you'll see me do this weekend!)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
  
• 2 bananas (one overripe is fine, but save a pretty one for topping your pancakes)
• optional: 1 cup heavy cream, 1/8 cup honey, and 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon for topping
• optional: 1/2 cup chopped walnuts for topping
• optional: maple syrup for topping

For the optional honey-cinnamon whipped cream: Beat 1 cup of heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add 1/8 cup honey and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Beat again until cream reaches desired consistency. In my mini chopper, this takes two minutes, tops.