Banana chocolate ganache woopie pies

Background: I hate bananas.  And yet, I never put them on my "no" list for my organic veggie box, as I think the potassium will be good for me...  I end up procrastinating on eating them, have overripe bananas, and stick them in the freezer.  Yes, it's true.  Bananas freeze well.  My roommate dropped the bag of frozen bananas I had accumulating in the freezer and I decided it was a sign to try a new banana dessert.  Having recently succumbed to the holiday cookies edition of the Martha Stewart magazine, I decided it was a great time to try the recipe for banana whoopie pies.  I didn't have cream cheese on hand, so I figured that caramel and chocolate filling would be just as good.  But then, I ran out of butter as well so I had to simply use chocolate ganache (I know, I know...it's a hard life).  I forgot the butter in the first batch and ended up with very low-fat banana cookies--not as good as the full butter cake-ish pie version but if there were not the comparison point, I dare say they were mighty good for a relatively healthy snack...  but then I went to make the real version.. and oh my my my, are they delicious!

Methods:
Banana chocolate ganache woopie pies

-c/o Martha's with slight modifications (a.k.a. I don't own a pastry bag and only have 2 mixing bowls...and I used chocolate filling in lieu of cream cheese)

2 c flour
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 c mashed banana
1/2 c sour cream
1/2 c unsalted softened butter
1/2 c sugar
1/2c brown sugar
1 large egg
1t vanilla extract

Oven: 350
Ziplock bag:
2 cups flour
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt

Mixing bowl A:
1/2 c banana
1/2 c sour cream

Mixing bowl B:
1. Mix until fluffy:
1 stick butter
1/2 c mashed banana
1/2 c sour cream
2. Add egg and vanilla
3. Mix in half of banana mixture
4. Mix in half of flour mixture
5. Mix in half of banana mixture
6. Mix in half of flour mixture

Put contents in ziploc bag
Cut hole in corner
pipette out 1 1/4 in rounds
Bake 12 minutes at 350
Let cool
Fill with chocolate ganache (1 c heavy cream, 1/3 bag of Ghiradelli bittersweet chocolate chips)

Results: LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEE THEM!!!!!!!!!  Ready to make these all the time!!!

Thanksgiving 2010!

THANKSGIVING 2010!
Livy's

The final cut

All items made with organic vegetables except where marked with indications of semi-homemade, purchased, or brought by guest

White Bean dip

Before: Swiss Chard 

After: Swiss chard and four cheese challah pudding

Basalmic and brown sugar butternut squash

Before: Scarlet turnips

After: Roasted sweet potato, parsnip, turnip, scarlet turnip

Four root ensemble: sweet potato, turnip, parsnip, scarlet turnip

Herbed brie croquette salad with four root ensemble

Grilled jalapeno cornbread with queso fresco

Base for Crimini mushroom, thyme and rosemary soup

the ocean waves: Crimini mushroom, thyme and rosemary soup

Wild mushroom with browned butter sauce (semi-homemade)

Scallop tartlet (TJ),
Asian shitake mushroom glutinous rice stuffing (courtesy of guest / Buddhist temple)
Swiss chard and four cheese challah pudding

Thai shrimp dumpling with crabmeat sauce (semi)

The omnivores plate:
Garlic mashed potato with wild mushroom
gravy,
Harvest vegetable biscuit stuffing,
Herbed free range turkey (WF),
Sweet potato mash

The vegetarian platter:
Sweet potato mash
Asian shitake mushroom glutinous rice stuffing
Harvest vegetable biscuit stuffing,
Garlic mashed potato
Wild mushroom gravy

Dessert Platter
Apple turnover (bought),
Jacques Torres individual chocolate indulgence
(http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/jacques-torres/individual-chocolate-indulgence-cake-recipe/index.html)
Roasted honey and olive oil drizzled pear with cinnamon essence,
Miniature ginger cakelette with molten chocolate center
(http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Ginger-Cakes-with-Molten-Chocolate-Centers-and-Ginger-Creme-Anglaise-14595)
Chocolate mango truffle (courtesy of brother and Cinderella)

Crimini mushroom, thyme and rosemary soup

Just kidding with the recipe... I decided to experiment with my own thing :/  Shocking I'm sure!

Melt approximately 3 tbsp butter and 1T olive oil
Stir in crimini mushrooms, thyme, and rosemary until liquid evaporates
Add in pre-sauteed onions
Add in flour to coat
Add in a few ladles of vegetable stock
Transfer to stockpot
Add in a stockpot full of vegetable stock
Add in approximately 1 c of wine (I had malbec on hand)
Add in a parboiled potato (I boiled mine in the larger vat of vegetable stock while making mashed potatoes and borrowed one for the soup cause)
Add in rind from manchego cheese (Yes, save the rinds of manchego or parmesan for soup bases!)
Bring contents to boil
Reduce heat to simmer
Add salt to taste
Use potato masher to break up potato / thicken soup

Results: Most amazing soup ever!!!

Green Onion Jalapeno Cornbread

Green Onion Jalapeno Cornbread
(Bon Appetit and Epicurious)


I doubled the recipe.  I only had three stalks of green onion so I used what I had on hand.  I did not measure the jalapeno chile with seeds...Trader Joe's only sold them by the box.  I used three, as part of the doubled recipe.  I also did not reference the directions at the time...so... I melted the butter in a pyrex bowl in the microwave, whisked in then the buttermilk and eggs (opposite order).  




3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 teaspoons minced jalapeño chile with seeds
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, cooled

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan. Whisk flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in large bowl to blend. Stir in green onions and jalapeño. Whisk buttermilk and eggs in medium bowl to blend, then whisk in melted butter. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and stir just until blended (do not overmix). Transfer batter to prepared pan (batter will come only about 3/4 inch up sides of pan).

Bake cornbread until lightly browned on top and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer pan to rack and cool cornbread completely in pan. (Cornbread can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover tightly with foil and store at room temperature.)

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Green-Onion-Jalapeno-Cornbread-231072#ixzz16AxRcjZI

Results: Mediocre...I'm not sure I would make the recipe again...we'll see if it's any better grilled with queso...

Chocolate ganache

I've been eating chocolate ganache all week (don't judge) and could not for the life of me find the one I had used...  finally found it!

Modifications: used the entire heavy cream container...put it it in pyrex measuring cup...heated it in the microwave....put in 8 ounces of  Bakers' semisweet chocolate bars...  continued to do a mix of heat / stir /heat / stir until it was all melted.  Be careful not to burn the chocolate.  Alright, so it's nothing like the recipe below but I found it helpful to reference approximate ratios.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Ginger-Cakes-with-Molten-Chocolate-Centers-and-Ginger-Creme-Anglaise-14595

Thanksgiving Prep...

Perfect Timing!  My favorite green box ever!

Methods

Ingredients
Onions: cut!  Note to self: wear contacts instead of glasses next time!  You'd think I was crying my eyes out!  I like to do all onions at once so then I can distribute them into various dishes without repeating the onions step...Used to pans at once and then combined the results.

Peels have been put into the strainer, carefully washed, and plopped into the large pot for veggie stock (see below).




Squash: Peels went directly into the pot.  Rest of the squash has been cut

and prepped for roasting!

Part 2: Vegetable Stock...
Background: I haven't had much luck with vegetable stock from stores...  They're always too strongly flavored so I'm trying the vegetable scrap version of making homemade stock.  I keep hearing that restaurants tend to use scraps to make their stocks.  We are going to try the veggie scrap /environmentally sound thing...worst case scenario, I'll throw the whole thing way and have wasted some water.  The nice thing about organic vegetables is that having scrubbed them well, the skins really should be flavorful and good for stock...we'll see!  I'm kind of excited to try something new.

Methods: I'm trying a combination of these:
http://www.squidoo.com/vegetable-broth
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Vegetable-Stock-14411
http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.com/2009/11/how-to-cut-butternut-squash.html

olive oil, onion peel, sliced garlic (peels still on), butternut squash peels and gunk, kale stalks, thyme, black peppercorn, sea salt, some caramelized onions thus far...

Potential Thanksgiving Contestants

Hors d'oeuvres

• Jalapeno cornbread with queso fresco http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Green-Onion-Jalapeno-Cornbread-231072
• Plus a little help from Trader Joe's: Thai Shrimp Goyza and Savory Scallop Bites

Starting Course

• Roasted butternut squash soup with parmesan crisps
• Wild mushroom soup with arugula http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/wild-mushroom-soup-with-arugula-and-crispy-serrano-ham-recipe/index.html
• Caramelized Pear, Arugula, and Red Lettuce Salad with Brie Fritters and Wine Dressing: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/11/08/health/20101108_thanksgiving.html#0
• My hope is the latter will be akin to what my friend and I had in Budapest... the ocean waves: Europe. on a shoestring.

Main Course

• Turkey -- The omnivores are in charge of this one
• Wild Mushroom Ravioli with crabmeat and browned butter and sage sauce
• Swiss Chard and Three Cheese Bread Pudding

Side Dishes

• Squash stuffing (stuffing: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/buttermilk_biscuits_with_goat_cheese_and_chives/)
• Garlic mashed potatoes

Dessert

• Chocolate and ginger lava cakes
• Pumpkin chocolate cupcakes

Buttersquash soup

Adventures in saving soup!

I am in love with butternut squash soup.  Every time my coworker goes to ABP for lunch and returns back with a bowl of butternut squash or pumpkin soup, I find myself incapable of fighting against the power of the soup...and despite having brought lunch to save money, I end up finding my two little feet at the cash register of ABP paying for soup.

It is sad that I am usually too lazy to make soup myself.  Well, I finally took the effort to roast my butternut squash from my last two organic veggie batches and was proud of myself for being so motivated...I roasted the quash with a little olive oil, garlic, basalmic vinegar, and brown sugar... The squash itself was delicious, so I expected the soup to be as well.  I could not have been more wrong!  It was so sad!  As if I don't have more important things to think about, I have been driving myself nutty the last few days with trying to tinker with the soup until all items were in the perfect ratio...  On day 3, I have finally achieved success!

The final ingredients:

• 1 onion, caramelized with several cloves of garlic
• Chunked butternut squash, roasted with garlic, olive oil, basalmic vinegar, brown sugar, freshly ground peppercorn, and sea salt
• Reduced red wine
• Milk (I used soy)
• And the missing ingredients that finally made life oh so much better that I forgot about?
• Carrots!!!!!!!  Improved the texture dramatically
• Cumin
• Thyme
• Cinnamon
• 2T of butter

Finally...  perfection in a bowl!  Phew!

Gleeful entertaining

I love watching Glee with others and seeing everyone's faces and snarky commentary.  So a gaggle of gays came over last night and we had a lovely food and gleeful fusion-themed evening.

Arugula salad with pecan pralines, mandarin oranges, and reduced peppercorn, cinnamon, wine, and pear basalmic dressing

Boy choy with Roasted butternut squash and goat cheese stuffing

Peanut and sesame noodles

Chocolate ginger cake with chocolate ganache.  I used the cake recipe below without the sugar (oversight).  I didn't love the recipe and thought about throwing the cake away but the boys and roommie approved.
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/chocolate-ginger-cake-with-bourbon-sauce

I was feeling uninspired last night when I received my biweekly case of produce... I mean, yes, it's cheap to make soup but how many times a month can one have kale and white bean together? 

This week's list: green bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, butter lettuce, onions, pea shouts, squash, kale, apples, bananas, oranges, plums...  But just in time, these recently came up!




First, check out the NY Times Vegetarian Thanksgiving Pictures
 http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/11/08/health/20101108_thanksgiving.html


Second, check out the following: http://fiveandspice.wordpress.com/2010/10/21/cheesy-winter-squash-muffins/