Best Banana Bread Ever

8 bananas
3 C flour (originally called for 4 C)
1.5 tsp baking soda
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 pound of unsalted butter
1 C sugar (original recipe called for 2C)
1/4 white or rice vinegar
3 T dark rum
1.5 C shredded coconut (originally 1 C)
2 T brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350F and butter 2 9 by 5 inch bread pans

Puree bananas in a blender. (Called like all these recipes for over ripe bananas but found that is not necessary….just ripe is fine)
Measure out 3 C and set aside.

In a bowl combine the flour, baking soda and nutmeg.

Beat the butter and sugar til light and fluffy.
Add the vinegar and rum and beat briefly.
Add the banana puree and flour mixture alternately, beginning with the bananas and beating smoothly each time.
Stir in the coconut.

Spoon the batter into the pans.
Sprinkle the top of the loaves with the brown sugar.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes.
Let cool for 20 minutes, then turn the pans onto a wire rack to cool completely.

And then attempt not to eat it all at once.

Derived from HomeBaking by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid.

Wasabi Smoke Alarm

Wasabi Smoke Alarm

Instead of an ear-piercing wail, the device unleashes the chemical compound allyl isothiocyanate, which gives horseradish, mustard, and wasabi their bite. A red LED on the alarm also starts flashing when smoke is detected.
In tests on sleeping people with normal or no hearing, the device woke nearly all subjects up within two and a half minutes after the stench hit their nostrils. Further tests determined the ideal intensity of airborne wasabi to wake people up but not hurt their eyes in the process.

From CNet News, I knew there was a use for this stuff.

Pajeon

For the crepes:

Beat together til smooth:

2 large eggs
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp. ginger root
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 C water
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 C all purpose flour
1/3 C rice flour
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Stir in 1 T of water, 1 tsp. at a time until consistency of medium batter. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Add:

3/4 C finely chopped green onion
2 T finely chopped red pepper
2/3 C cooked shrimp (I used quite a bit more and chopped it to chunky)

Heat 1 T cooking oil in large non-stick frying pan until hot. Add about 2 tbsp. batter for each pancake. Cook on medium for 1 minute until edges begin to appear dry. Turn over. Cook until golden. Repeat with remaining batter, using cooking oil to prevent sticking as necessary. Makes 20 pancakes.

Nuoc Cham (dipping sauce)

2 garlic cloves minced
1-6 fresh small red chilies minced
1 T brown sugar, packed
1/4 C fish sauce
3 T rice vinegar
2 T lime juice
2 T water

Combine all ingredients in bowl. Allow to stand for 1 hour to blend flavours. Can be made 2 days ahead.

Rhonda’s Schnitzel

2 C fine bread crumbs (unseasoned)
3/4 C fine grated aged cheese (I used manchego).
2 T finely chopped fresh parsley (italian)
approx 1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper

3 eggs, beaten
1 T dijon mustard
1 large clove of garlic, chopped

1 – 2 C of flour
1 tsp. smoked paprika

Combine the above in their respective groups (note spaces). You should have three seperate shallow dishes.

Cut 3 half chicken breasts into approx. 3 – 4 equal sized pieces each. Place between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound to approx. 1/4″ thickness.

Heat vegetable oil over medium heat. Dip each piece of chicken into the shallow dishes starting with the flour mixture and ending with the bread crumb mix. (Egg in the middle obviously)

Fry until golden brown – hopefully 2 minutes on each side.

Drain on paper towels.

Chicken Paprika with Spaetzle

1 2.5 – 3 pound fryer, cut-up (I used breasts and boneless, skinless thighs)
1/3 C all purpose flour
2 T oil (may have to add a bit more)
2 medium onions thinly sliced1
1/3 tsp salt
1 T Paprika (I used the Czech. “HOT” variety)
1/8 tsp pepper
1.5 C chicken stock
½ C sour cream

Coat chicken w/flour, reserve remaining flour. In 12” skillet over med-high heat, in hot oil, cook chicken until browned on all sides, about 7-10 minutes. Remove chicken.

To oil in skillet, add remaining flour and onions, cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Stir in salt, paprika, pepper, and stock.

Return chicken to skillet, cover and reduce heat to medium, simmer for 25 minutes or until chicken is tender. Turn chicken, once.

Meanwhile prepare Spaetzle. Place Spaetzle on platter and cover w/Chicken Paprika.

SPAETZLE

In 6 quart Dutch oven over high heat, heat 4 quarts of water and 1tsp. salt to boiling.

In medium bowl, beat:
2 C flour
½ cup water
3 eggs
finely chopped fresh Rosemary(about a teaspoon)
1/2 tsp salt until smooth.

Reduce heat to medium. Over boiling water with rubber spatula, press batter through colander or use your Spaetzle maker. Stir water gently, so Spaetzle will not stick together. Boil 5 minutes or until tender and drain.

(from Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook)

Paul’s Vietnamese Satay Soup

Peel 3 or 4 medium size potatoes and cut into bite size pieces and microwave until mostly done. Set aside.

Heat 2T vegetable oil and fry about 1T Penang curry paste (I used Mae Ploy brand) for a couple of minutes.

Add:
1 onion (cut in small chunks) and fry for a few minutes til soft.

Then add:
2 scallions thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
1 inch of ginger finely sliced
1 red or yellow pepper cut into bite size
2 carrots thinly sliced
2 chicken breasts, skinless boneless and cut into bite size
Fry until chicken has changed color

Then add:
4 C chicken stock
4 C water
2T lemon juice
2T fish sauce
2T chunky peanut butter
2 kaffir lime leaves
the potatoes
2 tomatoes cut into bite size chunks

Bring to a boil and then add 1 can of coconut milk.

Simmer for about one hour and serve with cilantro on top.

Note: this was partly created to match a soup served in a local restaurant and also to remove the noodles from the arrangement.

Chicken in Sauce Piquante

Chicken pieces (I used boneless breasts and thighs)
2 T vegetable oil
1 T Cajun Spice Mix (see below)
¼ tsp cayenne
1 tsp dried marjoram
1 tsp dried sage
1 tsp salt
1 recipe Sauce Piquante (see below)

Rub the chicken pieces with oil.
Blend the spice mix, cayenne, marjoram, sage and salt and rub all over the meat.
Barbecue for about ½ an hour @350F.

Place in a baking tray and cover with Piquante Sauce.
Bake in oven or bar-b-que for ½ hour or more at 350F.

Cajun Spice Mix

½ C paprika
¼ C black pepper
I ½ T or more cayenne
2 T garlic powder
2 T onion powder

Combine the spices thoroughly and store in a closed jar in a cool, dry place. Add more cayenne if you want a hotter mix. Use within a month.

SAUCE PIQUANTE

¼ C olive oil
I medium onion, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ green pepper, finely chopped
½ red pepper, finely chopped
1-2 hot fresh chilies, seeded and finely chopped
3 C chopped tomatoes or canned Italian style tomatoes, with juice
1 tsp dried thyme or 2 tsp fresh
1 tsp dried marjoram or 2 tsp fresh
2 bay leaves
2 T Cajun Spice Mix
1 T Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp cayenne
1 T red wine vinegar
¼ tsp or more Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce
1 tsp or more of salt
¼ tsp black pepper

Heat the oil in saucepan over medium heat and sauté the onion, garlic, and peppers, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent.
Stir in the tomatoes and their juice along with the herbs and spices, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, salt and pepper and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally for about 10 -15 minutes or until slightly thickened. Taste for salt and pepper and add more Tabasco if you like it hotter.

From FOODS of the WORLD: Creole and Cajun Cooking

Sweet Corn Bisque

Heat 1T oil in large pan.

Add:
1 chopped yellow onion
3 diced celery stalks
Cook for 2 minutes.

Add:
2 cloves minced garlic
Cook for 1 minute.

Add:
3 roasted then seeded, cored and chopped Anaheim (or New Mexico) peppers
4 C thawed corn kernels
2 peeled and diced potatoes
5 C of chicken or vegetable stock
1 C cream
1.5 tsp salt
plenty of ground pepper
Cook for around 45 minutes on simmer.

Puree and serve.

Adapted from Southwest Flavours put out by the Santa Fe School of Cooking.. (note: if you go to the book they serve this together with the Black Bean Soup and call it Sunset. You pour the soups into the bowl at the same time so you have a two tone soup. Then you add a drizzle made of red pepper, hot sauce and oil. DO NOT MAKE THE DRIZZLE! It was an oily mess…looked nice but had little real taste. If I was going to do it again, I would still use roasted red peppers but would keep the oil down to a coupld or tablespoons at the very most instead of the full cup. The only other drawback of this generally not bad cookbook is the use of some proprietary mixtures which they sell…sin number one for any cookbook I would say.) Great soup though!!!

Black Bean Soup

In a large pan, heat 2T oil.

Add:
1 chopped red onion
2 peeled and diced carrots
3 diced celery stalks
And cook for around 5 minutes.

Add:
4 slices bacon chopped up
4 cloves garlic minced
And cook for another 5 minutes.

Add:
1T roasted and ground coriander seeds
1T roasted and ground cumin seed
2 Cans of black beans, drained
8C of chicken and/or vegetable stock (I did 4 each)
1/2 tsp chipotle pepper flakes

Simmer for about an hour. Add some salt and plenty of ground pepper.
Puree and serve.

Adapted from Southwest Flavours. (Note: they added 1T of dried epazote (I didn’t have any on hand), used something called chipotle seasoning (which I’ve never heard of), and soaked their beans overnight (I do have a life). Also, pet peeve of mine, they turn carrots and celery into cup measurements which is just plain insane when vegetables come with their own units of measurement).

Red Beans and Rice

2 T olive oil
½ pound turkey sausage
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cans kidney beans (we used mixed beans & navy beans)
1 14 oz.can undrained diced tomatoes
1 tsp (or more) Cajun or Creole seasoning

Fry onions, garlic and sausage in oil until brown. Mix in beans with their juices, tomatoes & seasoning. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 45minutes until thick and then add 3 cups of cooked rice.

From Bon Appetit, February 1996