Banana blueberry oatmeal muffins with dark chocolate chunks

I had a bunch of bananas that were begging to be turned into muffins. This recipe is so easy and makes delicious fluffy muffins, great for breakfast or a snack.

1 1/2 C. flour
1 C. rolled oats
1/2 C. granular sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
pinch salt
1 egg
3/4 C. milk
1/3 C. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 C. mashed banana
1/2 C. fresh blueberries
1/4 C. dark chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 400. Spray a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. In another bowl, mash bananas and add wet ingredients, but not blueberries or chocolate chunks.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, stir to combine and add blueberries and chocolate chunks. Spoon into muffin tins and bake for 14-16 minutes until golden brown and when touched, the top springs back.

Pasta with asparagus, brussel sprouts and chicken with garlicky bread crumbs

Last night was one our (now) typical Monday's school, homework, basketball practice at dinnertime!!!

I threw this dish together based on what was in our refrigerator. If you have leftover cooked chicken, use it, I had bought some poached chicken at Trader Joe's and used that. Although the kids didn't want the pasta mixed with the veggies, they ended up mixing it in their bowls...

elbow pasta
2 Tbs. olive oil
3 cubes frozen garlic
1 pint brussel sprouts, quartered
1/2 C. chicken stock or water
1/4 C. creme fraise or sour cream
2 C. cooked chicken, cut into small cubes
1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1/3'rds
1/2 C. Italian bread crumbs
1 tsp. garlic salt
Parmesan cheese
kosher salt and pepper

Boil pasta in salted water. While the pasta boils, heat olive oil in a large nonstick pan on medium high heat. Add brussel sprouts and garlic cubes. Stir to combine and add chicken stock and creme fraise. Saute for 3 minutes, add chicken and season with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs, garlic salt and a drizzle of olive oil.

Reduce heat to medium and add asparagus. Stir to combine and cook for 1 more minute. Drain pasta and add to pan. Garnish with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese before serving.

BLT Soup

I made this soup tonight for some friends and it was a big hit. The cool crunch of the romaine and bread crumbs pair perfectly with the smoky, bacon in this tomato soup.

1 sourdough baguette
1 C. Italian breadcrumbs
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 head romaine lettuce
3 tbs. pesto
1 C. sour cream
8 oz chicken stock
48 oz. pureed tomatoes with juice
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 C. grated Parmesan
3/4 lb. bacon- save drippings
black pepper

Cut bacon into 1" pieces and cook in a pan on medium high heat, stirring frequently until bacon is crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and cool on a few paper towels. Save drippings in pan and set aside.

Preheat oven to 400. Slice baguette into 1" slices and brush with drippings. Place on a cookie sheet and bake in oven until crisp, about 4 minutes.

Combine 1/2 C. sour cream with pesto and place in a squeeze bottle if you have one. Thinly slice romaine lettuce and set aside.

Add bread crumbs to a small pan with 2 Tbs. bacon drippings and garlic salt. Toast over medium heat until crumbs begin to brown, about 4 minutes. Cool and set aside in a bowl.

Combine chicken stock, bacon drippings, pureed tomatoes and Italian seasoning in a large soup pot over medium high heat. Stir to combine and add crumbled bacon pieces. Cook for 5-6 minutes, add sour cream and Parmesan, stir to combine and process with an immersion blender until smooth. Season to taste and add pepper. Continue cooking, covered on medium low heat until ready to eat.

Ladle soup in a bowl, add a spoonful of breadcrumbs, a large pinch of shredded romaine and a squeeze of the pesto aioli. Add a sourdough round to the side of the soup and serve.

Turkey shepherd's pie

My daughter rarely makes requests for dinner, however the other night she asked me to make shepherd's pie. I was happy to oblige, but wanted to make it a bit healthier and we had to eat early as she had her orchestra recital that same night.

Here's my recipe for easy and delicious Turkey Shepherd's Pie.

2 C. mire aux poix, I bought the fresh pre-chopped carrot, celery and onion mix from Trader Joe's
2 Tbs olive oil
1 C. frozen peas
1 C. frozen corn
2 lbs. ground turkey
kosher salt and pepper
3 Tbs. beef demi-glace, available in most supermarkets
1 C. chicken stock
mashed potatoes, I used frozen mashed potatoes from Trader Joe's and doctored them up with milk and butter, and they were great!

Preheat oven to 375. Saute mire aux poix in olive oil in a large nonstick pan until vegetables begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, remove from pan and add to a large bowl. Add frozen peas and corn.

Saute ground turkey in the same pan for 3-4 minutes, add demi-glace and stir to combine. Add chicken stock and continue cooking until turkey is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Remove turkey and add to vegetables, stir to combine.

In another pot, warm potatoes with milk and butter, and cook for 6-7 minutes on medium heat.

Add turkey mixture to a deep casserole pan and spread potatoes over mixture. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Pickle Nirvana- Horman's NY Deli pickles

Are all pickles created equal? I think not. I may have found pickle nirvana in a jar of Horman’s Authentic New York Deli Pickles. I recently tasted their 4 varieties- the classic dill which was perfectly seasoned and crunchy, the spicy kosher which had a hint of heat, but was not overwhelming, the mustard kosher dill chips which had me looking for rye bread and ham in the fridge, and my favorite- the horseradish kosher dill chips, the envy of other pickles! The combination of pickling spices and horseradish is a home-run in my book, and would be perfect on a hot pastrami sandwich, but I would be equally happy eating them by themselves with an ice cold beer!

The Horman family has been making pickles since 1898 and prides themselves on making one thing- a great pickle. They call themselves “picklepreneurs”, and say one of the secrets to producing exceptional pickles is to keep their cukes ice cold from “vine to brine”.

Want to pick up a few jars? There will be a pickle party tomorrow at Fairway Market (595 Canal Street) from 12-3 PM where you will be able to taste (and buy) the four varieties. Try a brine shooter, and learn how to create a decadent relish tray using New York Deli Pickles. www.newyorkdelipickle.com

Thanksgiving leftover ideas...

We have 12 of the 14 pounds of turkey leftover and I am thinking about a few great uses... Recipes to come as they're made.

Turkey enchiladas
Asian turkey fresh spring rolls
Turkey chili -to freeze
Turkey salad with dried cranberries and tzatziki

Homemade (really easy) soft pretzel bites

I caught the last half of a morning talk show last week where they were making chocolately pretzels. While this didn't sound appealing, I loved the basic concept of using pizza dough to make soft pretzels.

I made homemade soft pretzels with marinara dipping sauce. for 5 hungry girls at our house tonight. They disappeared almost as soon as they were put on the table.

Here's the recipe:
1 package fresh pizza dough
kosher salt
garlic salt (optional)
marinara sauce

Preheat oven to 400. Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt generously, and line a cookie sheet with a Silapt mat (if you don't have one, line with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

While the water boils, take small pieces of the pizza dough and roll into finger sized pieces. When the water boils, drop the dough balls into the water and cook until the pieces float to the surface, about 30-45 seconds.

Remove from water, place on the cookie sheet and sprinkle with kosher or garlic salt. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until bites are light golden. Serve with a small bowl of marinara sauce for dipping.

-Options-
Drizzle boiled dough pieces with olive oil, garlic salt and grated Parmesan cheese, bake as directed.