Homemade Banana Bread with Pecans

I am not a big fan of banana bread and haven't made it in a long time. I had a few overripe bananas and I hated wasting them. So, I  decided to give the banana bread another try. I searched for a good banana bread recipe and came across this one... A  little different than the others and the result was super delicious. Even if you are not a huge fan of strong banana taste I am sure that you will love this stuff.

Here what you need:

2 cups of all purpose flour (I used Robin Hood all purpose flour)

1 1//2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp (or less) salt

4 medium-large overripe bananas

3/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

3/4 cup melted butter

1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Lets get started:

Pre-heat oven at 350F.  Grease a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan.

In a small bowl,  sift flour, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.

In plate, mash 2 of the 4 banana using a fork such that it still keeps some of its texture. Set aside.

 Using your electric mixer, whip remaining two bananas with sugar until a light and creamy mixture is obtained (2-3 minutes).

Add the eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract to the banana mixture from previous step and mix for another 1-2 minutes.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix using a rubber spatula (give your electric mixer a rest :) ) until well combined.

Add the mashed bananas and chopped pecans and fold into the batter using the spatula.

Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan. Place on the middle rack in the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes, until golden brown and the toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes or so before removing from the pan. Transfer onto a wired rack and cool completely before slicing.

Enjoy!

Recipe courtesy of Tyler Florence

Lamb burgers with grilled zucchini in a creamy dill sauce

 Barbequing is an integral part of summer in our household. We have recently converted to a charcoal   grill which  makes an immense difference in the depth of flavour added to meats and veggies.   I love lamb burgers and normally dress them tzatziki,  feta, tomatoes and arugula. This time I opted for a side salad and grilled zucchini with the most delicious creamy dill sauce.

What you will need:

 For the burgers:

1.5 - 2lbs of ground lamb

1 tbsp of dried mint

1/2 tbsp of dried summer savory or oregano

1 tbsp of ground cumin

1 tsp of Aleppo pepper or crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 tbsp garlic powder

1 tsp of salt

1 tsp of ground black pepper

For the zucchini:

3 medium sized zucchinis, yellow or green

1 tsp of olive oil

1tbsp of chopped fresh dill

1 medium size garlic clove, minced

3/4 cup of full fat plain yoghurt (I use Astro balkan style) 

a touch of fresh squeezed lemon juice (optional) 

salt to taste

Let's get cooking...

In a large bowl add all the spices to the lamb and mix well. 

Make sure you rub the dried mint and summer savory/oregano between the palm of your hands to crush them. This way they release the fragrant oils and make thing extra yummy.

Let the meat sit in the fridge for 30-40 minutes.

Form into 4 large patties.

Grill burgers about 7 min on each side or until well done.

For the zucchini:

Slice your zucchini length-wise into 1/4" thick slices. Use a mandolin if you have one, it will make your life easier. 

Place in colander, salt generously and let sit for 15min. Rinse well under running water.

While you wait for the zucchini, in a bowl mix the yoghurt well, add the minced garlic, dill, olive oil and season to taste with salt (and lemon juice). Keep in the fridge until zucchini is ready.

Grill the zucchini, about 3 min a side, take off the heat  and let cool. Then add to the yoghurt dill sauce. You can eat warm or chilled. I prefer chilled.

Voila!

Lentils and bulgur soup

This is a thick, delicious, and healthy dish made easy by using quick-cooking bulgur. A simple combination of vegetables with whole-grain bulgur and fiber and protein rich lentils.

Here is what you will need:

(for 4-6 servings)

1 cup quick bulgur, pre-soaked for at least 1-2 hours

2/3 cup lentils (you can use either red, green, or brown lentils), pre-soaked for at least 1-2 hours

1 medium onion, finely chopped

6 cloves of garlic, chopped

1tbsp dried mint (optional)

2 cups fresh parsley, chopped

3 cups fresh spinach, chopped

1 cup fresh leek, chopped

Olive oil, 3 tbsp

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Kashk, whey, or sour cream, 1 cup (less or more to your taste)

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Salt to taste

How to make it:

In a large pot over medium heat, sauté onion in oil for 5 minutes, or until tender.

Add turmeric powder, chopped garlic, and dried mint. Stir and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
 

Add pre-soaked bulgur, lentils, and 3-4 cups of water (you can also use vegetable stock), cover pot, and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until lentils are almost cooked.

Add chopped vegetables, cover and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes.

 

Add Kashk, sour cream, or whey and mix well. Note: If you are using Kashk make sure you dissolve it completely in a little bit of water to avoid any Kashk lumps in the soup.

Season with salt and pepper. Cook for another 5-10 minutes and your tasty soup is ready.

Garnish with sautéed onions and garlic if desired and enjoy!!

Deconstructed Key Lime Pie

I love key lime pie, but am in general terrified of making pies...of any kind. Lol 

With this version you can enjoy the delicious flavour of key lime pie but in a simpler parfait version.  I served this dessert for my parents 60th surprise birthday party, presented it in martini glasses and it was very well received by everyone. Unfortunately, I don't have a pic of the martini glass presentation. I will be making this again for sure and will add a picture then.

What you will need:

1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk

1 cup of graham cracker crumbs

1-2 tbsp of brown sugar

3 tbsp of unsalted butter

3 tbsp of chopped pecans (optional) 

1/2 cup freshly squeezed key lime juice (if you can't find key limes, use regular limes)

1 tbsp of lime zest

2 cups of heavy whipping cream

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

How to make it:

  This recipe will yield  about 4-6 servings.

In a sauce pan on medium heat melt butter and sugar until bubbling.

Add your graham cracker crumbs and cook until golden-brown.

Pour in a plate and let cool. This can be done ahead of time and the crumbs can be stored in Ziploc bag.

In a bowl add the condensed milk, lime juice and lime zest. Stir to combine.

Using a mixer beat the whipping cream until stiff peaks form then add the vanilla. Fold in half of the whipping cream in the condensed milk/lime mix. Reserve the remainder of the whipping cream to top parfaits.

  

You can use wine goblets, martini glasses or even a small salad bowl (as I did in the pic above) to layer and present this dessert.  If using glasses, layer 1/4 cup lime mousse and top with 2 tbsp, then 1/4 cup of mousse again and then crumbs. Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours or make a day ahead if you can.

Garnish with dollop of reserved whipping cream and some lime zest or grated white chocolate.

Grainfree Eggnog Liquor Chocolate Cake

 This cake is another wonderful grain free cake option. The Eggnog liquor, you can use store bought or make it yourself (recipe coming soon) makes it more festive, but don't be fooled this cake is great at any occasion.The grated chocolate gives it an interesting chocolate chip type of texture.  I tend to use 70%+ cocoa dark chocolate in all my baking. It's healthier for you and is less sweet. Feel free to substitute with milk chocolate, but you might need to adjust the sugar amount, if you don't want the cake to become too sweet.

What you will need:

1/3 cup of butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup of sugar

5 eggs, separated

2 packs of Vanilla Sugar

1 1/4 cups of almond flour

1 tsp of baking powder

100 g of good quality chocolate, grated

150ml of eggnog liquor (if you don't want the alcohol in it, you can omit the rum in the recipe)

500ml of heavy cream

2 packs of Whip it (a whipping cream stabilizer)

Chocolate shaving for decoration

 

Here is how we make it:

Preheat oven to 350F and line and grease an 8" Springform pan with parchment paper

Beat your butter until creamy

Add 1/3 of the sugar and one package of vanilla sugar , mix to incorporate.

Add the egg yolks, one at a time and incorporate well between additions.

Stir in almond flour, baking powder, grated chocolate and 2 tbsp of eggnog liquor.

In a separate bowl beat the egg-whites until stiff peaks form.

 

Fold in the egg whites into the cake batter.

Pour batter into Springform and bake for 55-60 min.

Let the cake cool completely in the Springform.

In a large bowl whip cream, remaining sugar and Whip It until stiff peaks form.

For this step I enlisted the help of my little girl and baker in training,  Evie.

After the cake is cooled and out of  the Springform, use 2/3 of the whipping cream to cover the cake.

Put the remainder of the whipping cream in a piping bag and pipe flower on top of cake for decoration.

Spread the remainder of the eggnog liquor on top of cake and spread gently.

Finish with chocolate shavings.

If you can resist and let the cake sit in the fridge for a day it will taste even better.

A Very Simple Pecan Butter Tart

Butter tarts are a traditional Canadian dessert and are associated with several special occasions such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. You can find different variations of butter tarts but pecan tart is my my favorite. However, I find the majority are too sweet for my taste buds and always wanted to make my own variation.  Here, I would like to share my favorite recipe so far with you. Lets get started...

What you will need:

FOR THE DOUGH

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

6 tbsp unsalted butter, cold and in chunks

1 egg

2 tbsp cold water

pinch of salt

FOR THE FILLING

1 1/4 cup pecan halves

3 eggs

3 tbsp butter, melted

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 (or less) cup golden corn syrup (optional)

3 tbsp heavy cream

Here is how to make it:

To make the dough, pulse together flour, salt and sugar in a food processor. Add butter chunks and pulse until the texture resembles a coarse meal. Add egg and 2 tbsp cold water and pulse a few times until a granulated dough is formed. Transfer onto a lightly floured surface and kneed quickly to form a smooth ball. Wrap the dough in a plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour.

Return the dough onto slightly floured surface (or use the plastic wrap around it) and roll out.

 Lay the dough inside a 9" greased tart pan with a removable bottom. Using your hand, press the dough into the edges of the pan. Cover and refrigerate for another 30 min.

While the dough is refrigerating, get your tart filling ready.  Pre-heat the oven at 350F. Spread the walnuts onto an aluminum foil covered tray and toast in the oven for 5 minutes .

In a non-stick skillet, melt butter and brown sugar and stir until sugar is melted. Add corn starch if you choose to use it and mix. Set aside to cool down to room temperature.

In a bowl, mix together cream and eggs with the sugar syrup from the previous step until fully combined and smooth batter obtained. Pour the batter into the dough lined tart pan.

Arrange the nuts over the filling. 

Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let tart to cool completely before removing it from the pan. The tart won't be fully set in the middle and fluffy right after the oven. It will solidify as it is cools down and will flatten over time.