Blueberry Banana Bran Muffins

The lesson for today: alliteration... my kids were chanting "blueberry banana bran" all over the house.

I love looking for ways to use up "leftover" ingredients or fruits that are just past their prime.  Today's dilemma: What to do with leftover bran flakes from my parents' visit?  Look for more bran recipes to come... today I needed a recipe that incorporated bran and 2 bananas that had lost their stems and were patiently waiting in the fridge for a yummy destination.  This recipe fit the bill - and it was easy and delicious!  (And, of course, used some local flavor.)

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 cups bran flakes
3/4 cup milk
2 medium (very ripe) bananas
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used canola)
1/4 cup honey (Charlotte's Very Local Honey!)
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup frozen blueberries (locally grown!)

Directions: 

Combine bran flakes and milk in a large mixing bowl.  Let it sit for a few minutes.  Add bananas, oil, honey, brown sugar, and egg.  Mix well.  Add flour, baking powder, and salt.  Mix just until the ingredients are combined.  Fold in blueberries.

Spoon into 12 paper lined muffin tins.  Cook for 25 minutes at 375 degrees.

Papa's Fish Chowder

Meet my dad.  Growing up, he was the one most likely to be found cooking in the kitchen.  He recently came to visit us here in Charlotte to meet our newest arrival and my older daughter specifically requested that he make us his world famous fish chowder.

As a rule, I generally don't eat seafood in Charlotte since I grew up about a mile from the ocean in Massachusetts, but I was willing to make an exception to test out a new fish market that opened up nearby.  The new Charlotte fish market is called Clean Catch and it specializes in responsibly fished and caught seafood.  When we trekked in with all four kiddos in tow, the owner and his staff were excited to tell us about the fish they had gotten in that day and what would probably be arriving for the weekend.  We chose the cod from Massachusetts to make Papa's Famous Fish Chowda.  I was very impressed by Clean Catch - I definitely plan to add in more fish to my Charlotte cooking rotation.  Check them out!  

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 to 2 pounds cod, no skin, cut into about 1 inch cubes
10 slices of bacon
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup of corn - canned or frozen
32 ounces chicken broth
2 to 3 tablespoons flour (or cornstarch) mixed with 3 tablespoons water
2 bay leaves
1 pint half and half (or heavy cream)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.) Fry the bacon until crisp.  Remove the bacon, crumble and set aside to garnish the finished chowder.

2.) Add onion to the bacon grease and cook for about 2 minutes.

3.) Add potatoes and cook for about 7 minutes.

4.) Add chicken broth - make sure there is enough broth to cover the potatoes.  Cook until potatoes are almost done - about 15 to 20 minutes.

5.) Add corn.  Add flour/cornstarch mixture to thicken.  Add 2 bay leaves.  Add fish.  Cook for about 10 minutes.

6.) Add a pint of half and half.  Warm the chowder but DO NOT let it come to a boil.

7.)  Turn off the burner and let it sit until you can't stand it anymore and you just have to eat it.  Garnish with crumbled bacon and oyster crackers - or Papa's personal favorite topping - crushed Ritz crackers.  Enjoy!  
 

Blueberry Pie

There are thousands of blueberry pie recipes out there ... this is another one.  Very simple.  I used cornstarch but no flour so the blueberry filling is gluten free.  I recommend fresh blueberries!  We have been buying a gallon of blueberries at a time recently so I had plenty on hand.  The baby refused to be put down so this is his first foray into the kitchen.  I think he enjoyed it.  

Ingredients:

2 9-inch pie crusts (one for the bottom, one for the lattice on top)
6 cups fresh blueberries
juice from half of a lemon
3/4 cup to 1 cup sugar
5 Tablespoons corn starch
pinch of salt

Directions:

Combine blueberries, lemon juice, cornstarch, salt, and sugar in a large bowl.  Stir gently.  Taste test repeatedly - delicious.  Set aside while you prepare the crust.  Pour the blueberries into the prepared crust.  Top with 2nd crust.  Cook at 400 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour.  Let cool for about an hour.  Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Blueberries tossed with sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice

Almost ready for the oven... 

 

Eggplant Mushroom Parmesan

As usual, I surveyed my overflowing counter of vegetables and decided that something had to be made using the eggplants.  I checked for additional sources of inspiration and noticed that I had some mushrooms, onion, and spinach that could use some love.  And so Eggplant Mushroom Parm was born.

Ingredients:

2 large eggplants, sliced lengthwise or across (or both) lightly salted, set aside

1 pint of thickly sliced mushrooms - any type
1 large bunch of fresh spinach or 1 package frozen creamed spinach, thawed
1 small onion, chopped
4 cups shredded or sliced cheese (I used muenster but mozzarella would be an obvious good choice)
2 cups (or so) spaghetti sauce (well seasoned)

Flour for lightly dredging eggplant (you could also use gluten free pancake or baking mix)
Olive oil for sauteing eggplant and mushrooms

Directions:

1. Using olive oil, saute mushrooms and onions until they are well cooked.  Add the spinach.  Mix together and cook until spinach is wilted and combined well with the onions and mushrooms.  Set aside.  

2. I like to lightly salt my eggplant and let it sit while I prepare the other ingredients.  Some people say that salting and sweating helps to eliminate any bitter taste from the eggplant.  I keep the skin on the eggplants - never a problem in my dishes.  After you have let the eggplant "sweat" a little, pat the eggplant dry, dredge in a little bit of flour or baking mix and then lightly fry in olive oil for a few minutes each side.  Try not to eat all the eggplant before you put it in your 9 x 12 baking pan.

3. Spray the baking pan with a little cooking spray and spread some sauce evenly on the bottom of the pan.  Layer eggplant slices over the tomato sauce.  Spoon about half of the spinach, mushroom, onion mixture over the eggplant.  Layer with half the cheese - sliced or shredded.  Repeat the layers: sauce, eggplant, mushrooms and spinach, a little more sauce, and then top it off with cheese.

Cook at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes.  We served this delicious dish with a little bit of pasta and a side salad of arugula and cherry tomatoes.  Enjoy!!  

Got Honey? Make Curried Chicken Salad

This week, I had the opportunity to bring a couple of my children to visit the home of local beekeeper, Libby Mack.  Libby and her husband, Gerry, ditched corporate America to embrace the world of bees and make some VERY local honey.  Sitting under a shady canopy of trees, a small group of moms and kids spent a lovely Charlotte summer morning learning all about bees and, of course, tasting the fruits of their labor... the delicious honey!  (Click here to learn more about Charlotte's own VERY LOCAL HONEY.)

This local field trip has had me trying to use honey in different ways... today's experiment was Curried Chicken Salad and it truly came out delicious.  And, of course, it was so easy to make - I will certainly be making it again soon.

Ingredients

Pulled chicken from a roasted chicken or rotisserie chicken
1 to 2 Tablespoons honey (drizzle the honey over the chicken - don't measure it)
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1/2 cup raisins, chopped
2 Tablespoons diced onion or scallions
1 Tablespoon curry powder
Salt (I used a few sprinkles of sea salt)
About 1/4 cup mayonnaise

Directions

Combine all the ingredients.  Serve alone, in a sandwich or on a salad.  We were fancy tonight and served this for dinner with crispy french fries!  Sadly there were no leftovers... Enjoy!

Crumbled Sausage Pie

 Believe it or not, this recipe absolutely fits in with the summer fresh veggie theme!  I recommend that you make this a day ahead, let it chill in the fridge and then eat it cold or at room temperature the next day for brunch or lunch.  It tastes ok hot, but it tastes incredible the next day.  


Ingredients:

1 9-inch pie crust
About 1 lb. crumbled breakfast sausage or (or any sausage you like)
1/2 small onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
2 cups shredded cheese (I used cheddar and muenster... but you could use anything)
1 cup milk
2 eggs

Directions: 

Since my mom is visiting, I put her to work on the pie crust while I cooked the crumbled sausage I got from a local NC farm - R S Central Farms in Rutherford County.  Very tasty sausage with about four ingredients - pork and a few seasonings.  As I have mentioned before, I am spoiled by the amazing quality of fruits, veggies, and even meats that are available from local farmers here in North Carolina.  

I cooked up about 1 pound of sausage but it was probably a little too much - no worries, we just ate what didn't fit in the pie pan.  After cooking the sausage, I sauteed about 1/2 of a small onion and 1 small green pepper in the little bit of grease left over in the pan.  I then layered the sausage in the bottom of the pie crust, topped it with the sauteed pepper and onion, and covered the meat and veggies with about 2 cups of shredded cheese.  Whisk together the milk and egg and then pour the combined mixture over the top of everything.  Using a fork, I lightly combined the layers trying to make sure that the milk and egg was relatively evenly distributed throughout the pie.

Put the pie in the oven at 350 and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour.  

Homemade Marinara Sauce

Is your garden overflowing with tomatoes?  Or do you have some less than perfect specimens that aren't really pretty enough to serve in your salads?  Making homemade marinara sauce is the perfect answer.

Supposedly plum tomatoes (or roma tomatoes) make the best sauce, but I use whatever I have around.  My last batch of tomato sauce was simply a collection of tomatoes too ugly to be served in public.  To get the tomatoes ready to be simmered down to a tasty sauce, you first have to peel and seed them.

Preparing the Tomatoes

Step 1: Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Prepare the tomatoes by cutting off any inedible portions and remove the core.  You can also make an 'x' in the bottom of the tomato to help aid the peeling process.

Step 2: Prepare another large bowl of ice water to shock the tomatoes as you pull them out of the boiling water.  The tomatoes only stay in the boiling water for a minute or two, so you will need to have the ice water bath ready before you put the tomatoes into the boiling water.

Step 3: Place the tomatoes into the boiling water - only about 6 or so at a time.  Using a slotted spoon, gently drop the tomatoes into the water and watch them closely.  Depending on the size, it will only take 1 or 2 minutes for the skin to start to pucker up or wrinkle.  As soon as you see the skin start to wrinkle, remove the tomatoes from the boiling water and place them into the ice bath to shock them.  The goal is to remove the skin but not actually cook the tomatoes.  The ice bath will stop the cooking process.

Boiling water

Ice bath

Step 4: Remove the skin by gently peeling it away from the tomato.  Also remove most of the seeds - without losing too much juice.  I usually only minimally attempt to remove the seeds and don't find that it affects my sauce in the end.

Step 5: Cut the tomatoes into large chunks, ready to be simmered for sauce.

Ready for sauce!

About 4 cups...

I rarely have time to prepare my tomatoes and simmer a sauce on the same day so I pop the prepared tomatoes into the fridge and get around to making the sauce on another day.  My dad would actually prepare large quantities of tomatoes and then put them in freezer bags to prepare the sauce as needed weeks or months later... preferably when there was snow on the ground and the outline of our summer garden was no longer visible.

Making the Sauce

1. Saute 1 large onion, thinly sliced, in about 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil until it is almost caramelized (very brown) - don't cook it on too high of a temperature or the onions will burn.

2. Add garlic.  I like to use roasted garlic in my tomato sauce because it adds a really nice flavor but you could also use diced fresh cloves of garlic if you prefer.  (Click here if you want to know how to roast garlic.)  Believe it or not, even for this small batch of sauce, I roasted four bulbs of garlic and used them all!  Delicious.  Make extra and rub some roasted garlic on crostini to serve beside your pasta and sauce...

Roasted garlic

3. Add in a combination of your favorite Italian dried herbs - rosemary, oregano, basil, thyme - about 1 tablespoon each.  Add in a dried bay leaf if you have it.  Dried herbs are better to use when you plan to simmer your own sauce because the flavor holds up better.  If you want to use fresh herbs as well, put them in almost at the end of the simmering or when you reheat the sauce to serve.

4. After the onions have been nicely browned and the garlic and herbs have been added, you can add in about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of red wine if you have it.  Sometimes I have it, sometimes I don't.  If you have the red wine, scrape the bottom of the pan (deglazing it) while stirring for about 2 minutes or so.

5. Add the prepared tomatoes.  Simmer on a very low temperature in a large pot for about an hour to 2 hours, gently breaking up the tomatoes and stirring occasionally.

This is obviously a very basic recipe!  You can add in additional veggies - carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, etc. or even meat if you wish.  I sometimes find that I will simmer down my sauce, store it away for later, but when I go to thaw it or take it out of the fridge, I need to add a little bit of tomato sauce to thin it out.  Possibly I over-simmer it the first time around!  Play around with the recipe and I am sure you will find your favorite version.  Enjoy!        

Blackberry and Peach Crisp

A crisp is so easy and delicious to make and it really can be made all year long!  Almost any fruit that you have on hand can be used to make a crisp.  If you are suddenly overrun with fruit or realize that the fruit in your fruit basket is looking a little bruised and battered, now is the perfect time to make this dessert.

This week, my fruit bowl had way too many peaches - peaches are definitely in abundance down here at the moment.  My friend also brought over some fresh-picked blackberries and I can eat one or two blackberries with a smile on my face but I really am not a huge fan - however, I absolutely love blackberries cooked!  Tossing together my extra peaches and blackberries was the perfect combination for this summer dessert.

  
Combine the following ingredients in a large bowl: 

4 cups peaches - peeled and sliced
2 cups blackberries
juice from 1/2 of a lemon
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon corn starch

Combine the following "crisp" ingredients in a separate bowl:

1/3 cup all-purpose flour (or gluten free flour mix works well)
2/3 cup oats
2/3 cup brown sugar
Cinnamon and nutmeg (about 1 teaspoon each)
6 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

A pastry blender is a very useful tool for combining the "crisp" ingredients.  A pastry blender is also useful for making pie crust dough, guacamole, and mashed potatoes.  I promise that if you buy this tool, you will use it!  Use the pastry blender (shown above) to cut the butter into the sugar, flour and oats.  Use a butter knife to scrape the dough off the pastry blender.  You can also use your fingers to combine these ingredients - or, better yet, this is the perfect task for little children helpers.

Put your fruit into a 9 x 9 pan or a deep dish pie pan.  The cornstarch will help the juices of the blackberries and peaches turn syrupy while the crisp cooks in the oven.  Delicious.  Sprinkle the crisp topping over the fruit - cover relatively evenly.  Cook for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

The ingredients in this recipe are very flexible - I only wanted to dirty one measuring cup so I decided that my ingredients would either be 1/3 cup or 2/3 of a cup - however, you can add more oats or brown sugar or even butter depending on your taste and how much fruit you have to cover.  You really cannot mess up a fruit crisp!  Serve it with vanilla ice cream.  

Sweetened Chai Iced Tea

Sweetened condensed milk might be my absolute favorite canned food.  Yum.  I recently saw a really easy way to make sweetened chai tea.

1. Boil water - pour 1 cup water per tea bag and let it steep.  Cool.
2. Pour cool tea over a large cup filled with ice.
3. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk over the iced tea.  Enjoy!