Weekend Smoothie (Banana, Blueberries, Cherries, and Nut Milk)

The past two weekends I've been enjoying fruit smoothies for breakfast at my apartment. While enjoying them I kept thinking how it was like a healthy dessert in the morning and that I should blog about it.

So here I am blogging about it. THE END.

 

Just kidding.

 

I like to eat a pseudo-raw foods diet for most of the week and this smoothie fits in well!

One banana, 3/4 cup of blueberries, 4 cherries, 1/2 a cup+ of nut milk, a couple of ice cubes plus the whirring of a blender = magic! This smoothie is very thick due to the banana and the nut milk. Sometimes I make it so thick that it reminds me of yogurt. The flavor is always great seeing that fruit has a great variety of flavors for your tastebuds and fruits contains lots of natural SUGAR.

 

You know what else is rather magical? Construction in NYC. Well, at least how construction is covered up in NYC.

 

Can you tell what part of the Plaza Hotel is showing and what part is covered up?

Look at the top and see the gray panels against the green spires and then look all the way down tot he first floor where the scaffolding is. That's one huge covering!

 

Pretty cool, huh? Just like this refreshing smoothie!

Bake well and prosper!

Whole Wheat Banana Bread with Cacao Nibs

Did you know that when you buy cacao nibs they are never ending? At least that's how it feels to me. It's like the chocolate that keeps on giving. 

 

In my kitchen I had an abundant smount of cacao nibs and a couple of ripe bananas. What to make was a no-brainer. 

 

Then I wondered what else I had that I could use to make this banana bread different. Whole wheat and buckwheat flour became the answer.

 

This yummy banana bread was the love child of all those ingredients mixed together (plus some others.) The wheat factor compliments the cacao nibs and creates a subtle smokey flavor.

 

I shared with my next door neighbors. I hope they enjoyed it as much as I did. Maybe next time I'll also add some bourbon to the batter...

Whole Wheat Banana Bread with Cacao Nibs

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup buckwheat flour

1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2  teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups bananas, mashed (about 3 medium bananas)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup cacao nibs + more for the garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan.

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium high speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each. Add the mashed banana until just combined.

Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and cacao nibs. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread to distribute it evenly. Sprinkle on some cacao nibs on top of the batter. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan 20 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Bake well and prosper!

Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies



Do you ever feel like you just can't get a break? I think that's the way NYC feels right now when dealing with mother nature. Last week was Hurricane Sandy. This week was Nor'Easter Athena which meant snow.

Looks pretty, but it's been too much crazy weather for me in just a week's time. And guess what! It's going to be 60+ degrees F this weekend!

 

I DID get a break when making these cookies though. I saw a lovely photo on a Czechoslovakian blog. I don't read that language but google.com/translate does! I added a little more flour than the original recipe so they became less flat, but besides that I think everything worked out just fine!

Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies (translated from Sweet Pixel Blog)

Ingredients

1.5 cups flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 bananas, crushed

1/2 cup all natural peanut butter

8 tablespoons butter
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ cup milk
3/4 cup of dark chocolate, coarsely grated
3/4 cup of peanuts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 340° F. In a large bowl, combine peanut butter and butter until smooth. Add the sugar, brown sugar, egg yolks, vanilla extract, milk and banana pieces. Mix.
In a smaller bowl, mix the flour and baking powder and add to the mixture. Finally, stir chocolate chips and peanuts.

Spoon the batter onto a baking sheet and spread it out in the shape of a circle. Leave a good amount of room between dough.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Once out of the oven, let cool for about 5 minutes and then add sliced chocolate and peanuts on top if desired. 

Bake well and prosper!

Vegan Breakfast Cookies

Confession (I feel like I confess a lot on my blog...) - I've never used coconut oil before. This recipe calls for it and I was scared that I wouldn't even find it at the grocery store. But there it was in the "European and World" food isle.

When I opened it up at home I was surprised to see it was in a solid form. I guess I was expecting more of a liquid oil. I was concerned I would never get it blended into the cookie dough. But then I researched it online and found out that it usually comes in solid form and softens very quickly in heat. I let out a sigh of relief.

You can make these cookies with normal chocolate chips, but since I had vegan chocolate chips on hand I decided to use those. Therefore it made the recipe vegan.

I really enjoyed these as did the few people I shared them with. One friend said, "I could eat a couple of these each morning." To which I said, "Me too. In fact, I think I ate 5 this morning!"

Vegan Breakfast Cookies (Modified from uTry.it)

Ingredients

2 bananas (preferably ripe or spotty bananas)

1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats

3/4 cup dried cranberries
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Then, mix the remaining ingredients into the bananas until well combined.

Allow the batter to sit for 5 to 10 minutes. With a mini ice cream scoop (about 1 tablespoon), place the batter onto a baking sheet.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.

Bake well and prosper!

Bourbon Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Today's is my co-worker's 30th birthday! In America, we tease and call it the Dirty 30...mainly because it rhymes. I figured I'd use this ditty when making a goody for his bday. I knew it was time to make the alcohol and chocolate chip infused banana bread recipe I saw online a couple of weeks ago.

This recipe was fairly easy to make. Too bad I was super tired last night and kinda out of it (I fell asleep 4 times during the last pose in my yoga class!) Due to me being half aware of what I was doing, I got my finger stuck in the stand mixer. Which kinda hurt...still does. I was actually very proud at how well I managed it. I would not recommend sticking anything to poke butter at besides a spatula. (Made a mental note of that yesterday.)

I think I was so tired because I'm still getting over the busy weekend that started with 12 hours of opera stuff. At least I didn't hurt myself singing! Check out my cute costume:

Anyway, minus my finger snafoo (it's fine btw...just a little bruised...they are pretty fat and seem to be able to withstand a lot...), the bread turned out really nicely. I gave it to my coworker along with the rest of the bourbon. :)

Bourbon Chocolate Banana Bread (found on And Now for Something Completely Delicious)
(Feel free to make your own banana bread recipe and add the bourbon and chocolate chips in to it!)
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups bananas, mashed (about 3 medium bananas)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons bourbon
1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped (optional)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan.

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium high speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the mashed banana, lemon juice, and bourbon and mix until just combined.

Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in the walnuts and chocolate chips. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread to distribute it evenly. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan 20 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Store bread at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Bake well and prosper!

Cinnamon Twisters Banana Bread

I'm inventive. At least I feel that way about this banana bread. Remember these muffins from a couple of weeks ago? The original recipe called for cinnamon chips and I looked for them at 2 different stores but had no luck in finding them. (I know I'll get 3 comments on this post telling me where to find them in NYC...I hope...)

At home I figured I'd use some cinnamon goodies that I already had on hand. I decided to use the Entenmann's "Ultimate Cinnamon Pastry Twisters" that I had bought from the Entenmann's Bakery Outlet that I live by. Yes. I know. I walk by it everyday on my way home and fight off temptation all the time. Well, 95% of the time.

So, I took these nummies and broke them into pieces and pressed them into the top of the batter. The nice crunchiness and cinnamon flavor made this banana bread quite lovely!

Cinnamon Twisters Banana Bread (adapted from Amanda's Cookin')

2+ very ripe bananas
1/2 cup unsalted butter, butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon of cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour loaf pan.

Mash the bananas with a fork and place in a mixer bowl with softened butter. Mix on medium speed until well blended. Add in the vanilla, eggs, sugar and buttermilk and beat on medium speed until well blended.

Whisk together baking soda, salt and flour. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add flour mixture to banana mixture.

Pour batter into loaf pan. Break pieces of Entenman's Cinnamon Twisters and press into top of batter. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool slightly before removing and cooling completely.

Bake well and prosper!

Banana Bread Muffins with Chocolate & Peanut Butter Chips

I found a recipe online that called for cinnamon chips in banana bread. I was so excited to make the recipe! Alas, it was not to be. I couldn't find cinnamon chips in the two stores I went to. So, I bought peanut butter chips and improvised.

I really enjoyed the mix of pb & chocolate in banana bread. However, in the long run, I think I would just use peanut butter in the batter and add the chocolate chips in. NEXT time! :)

Banana Bread Muffins with Chocolate & Peanut Butter Chips

(adapted from Amanda's Cookin')

2+ very ripe bananas

1/2 cup unsalted butter, butter

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter chips

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour muffin tins.

Mashed the bananas with a fork and place in a mixer bowl with softened butter. Mix on medium speed until well blended. Add in the vanilla, eggs, sugar and buttermilk and beat on medium speed until well blended.

Whisk together baking soda, salt and flour. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add flour mixture to banana mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips and peanut butter chips.

Scoop batter into muffin tins. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire racks slightly before removing and cooling completely.

Bake well and prosper.

Banana Nutella Empanadas

A week ago I visited the cutest store in my new neighborhood, SITE. They were celebrating their 4th anniversary with discounts, goodie bags, and empanadas. The banana nutella ones were SO good that I was determined to try to mimic them as soon as possible.

This past weekend I went to my coworker's Cinco de Derby Party. I figured it was the perfect event to bring banana nutella empanandas as dessert.

To make it even more perfect, I bought (for the first time ever) butter from the farmer's market in Union Square.

About a year ago I bought eggs from the farmer's market and I am convinced that the eggs make better desserts than what I get from the grocery store. Maybe it is because they are fresher. Maybe because they are free range? Maybe because they are local? Who knows. But since they've never failed me, I decided to also try butter from a local farm.

All I have to say is that these were a hit! I'd like to thank the eggs and butter!

(Oh, and I used the eggs and butter in cookies I made last night - post coming soon - and the batter was some of the best I've eaten. Mmmm!)

Banana Nutella Empanadas from Recipe Goldmine

Yields 16 (2 per serving)

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/3 cup ice water
1 large banana, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 cup Nutella
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Directions
Place the flour and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Using 2 forks or knives, or a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles a cornmeal texture. This step also can be done in the food processor, using the pulse button, making sure not to over-mix. Add the water all at once, stirring gently with a fork just until the dough comes together. Form dough into a 6-inch square, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a separate small bowl, stir the chopped banana into the Nutella just until combined. It will thicken and become stiff.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide in half. Roll out each half to a 14-by-8-inch rectangle, 1/4-inch thick. Using a square or round 3-inch cookie cutter, punch out 8 pieces per half. Place 1 heaping teaspoon of the Nutella-banana mixture onto each dough cutout.

Brush the outer perimeter with water, folding the sides together to form a pocket. Pinch the edges together with a fork, brush with a little water and sprinkle with sugar.

Freeze on parchment or foil-lined baking sheets for at least 15 minutes. (The empanadas can be made up to this point and may be frozen for up to 3 months.)

Bake the empanadas until golden, about 20 minutes. Serve warm.

Serving ideas: Serve warm with cinnamon ice cream or whipped cream.

Bake well and prosper!

Banana Bread with a Kick

I have a problem in my kitchen. No, it's not my normal spilling of flour. You see, I have only three cabinets that came in my small, humble abode.  

Oh? You like those "stylin" door knobs?

Yeah. Those came with the place. I bet you are super jealous. Anyway, the doorknobs are not the problem. The problem is my baking supplies (especially since a coworker gave me a bunch of items she can't use.)

Yeah. The bottom shelf was originally for my coffee mugs. Ahem...

*sigh* Yes, that WOULD be coconut, chocolate, and Ritz crackers pouring over into the space for my glasses. The thing is, my OTHER cabinets (the ones I brought when I moved) are stuffed with baking pans, utensils, and the basics (flour, sugar, brown sugar, etc.)

You know the only solution to this dilemma? Yep. I better bake more. :)

Banana Bread with Chocolate and Crystallized Ginger (the "kick") (from Food, Wine, & Mod Podge)

1/2 C butter

1 C sugar

2 eggs

2-3 ripe bananas (I generally freeze very ripe ones to save for this recipe)

3 T milk

2 C flour

1 t baking powder

1/2 t baking soda

1/2 C mini chocolate chips

1/4 C finely chopped crystallized ginger

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat well. Add bananas. Add milk, flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Beat until smooth. Fold in mini chocolate chips and chopped ginger with a spatula. Pour batter into a large greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, lower temperature to 300 for another 15-20 minutes, until outside is browned and a toothpick comes out clean.

Erika's Extras: This is the first time I've ever lowered the temp for banana bread. It worked wonders! Also, I find that this bread goes really well with Chai tea.

Bake well and prosper!
Crystallized Ginger