Banana Butterscotch Muffins

Last weekend I turned on the tv and much to my surprise and delight, the food channel was actually showing an actual cooking show with actual cooking AND it was Nigella Kitchen! The bad news was that it was just ending so I didn't get to see anything, but I set my PVR to record any future episodes.

To celebrate I pulled out a couple of my Nigella cookbooks to find something to make for dinner in the upcoming week. But then I added butterscotch chips to my shopping list so I could make her Banana Butterscotch Muffins instead.

Pictures will be lousier than usual, my computer seems to have lost the ability to crop photos. Sad face.

These were so yummy - even my picky child liked them!  The butterscotch and banana were terrific together. 

The recipe notes these are also good made with white or dark chocolate, but I'm sticking with the butterscotch.  A new family favorite.

From Nigella Express, also on Nigella.com

• 3 very ripe bananas
• 125 ml Vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 250 grams plain flour
• 100 grams caster sugar
• ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 150 grams butterscotch morsel(s) (or chocolate)

Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6/400°F and line a 12-bun muffin tin with muffin papers.

1. Mash the bananas and set aside for a moment.
2. Pour the oil into a jug and beat in the eggs.
3. Put the flour, sugar, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder into a large bowl and mix in the beaten-egg-and-oil mixture, followed by the mashed bananas.
4. Fold in the butterscotch morsels, then place equal quantities in the prepared muffin tin - I use an ice cream scoop and a spatula - and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

Mom's Meatloaf

Simple, delicious.  

Comfort food rules.  

Mom's Meatloaf

Really? Corn Salad? by Coolio

2 Coolio related posts in a row? I know! But holy hell, this is such a tasty salad I have to share. 

I have some frozen corn from last fall still, and I was looking for a recipe to use some up. While I had Coolio's book out for the Smackdown (below) I was flipping through and found his corn salad recipe. 

Since it was pretty simple I figured no big deal if it wasn't good, but oh yes it was. This will be in heavy rotation in our house this summer and fall. 

Recipe: Really? Corn Salad?

Smackdown returns - Amanda Hesser vs Coolio

If you're a long (long, LONG) time reader of this blog, you may remember back in 2007-2008 I did a short series of posts pitting chefs and their books against each other to highlight an ingredient and choose a winner. See here for a refresher, if you'd like.

I never meant for my Smackdown posts to go away.  I had more planned, even some partially completed, but you know how it is.

But now kids, it's back.

The first Smackdown of 2013 - Amanda Hesser's Cooking for Mr. Latte vs. Coolio's Cookin' with Coolio.

  

 And the Smackdown Ingredient?  Chicken Thighs.

The recipes?  Amanda's (may I call you Amanda?) Chicken roasted with sour cream, lemon juice and mango chutney, and Coolio's Superfry Chicken.

Now neither of these recipes specifically call for chicken thighs, but that's what I had in my freezer. 

Let's start with Coolio.  I have really enjoyed all the recipes I've made out of his book, and his banana bread is one of my all time favorites.  I chose his Superfry Chicken because I knew it would work well with the thighs, and how yummy does garlic onion and balsamic vinegar in fried chicken sound?

 I cut the thighs into pieces so we were having Superfry Nuggets.  These were really really good.  Great flavor, and quick to prepare with ingredients you most likely already have in your cupboard.  Sure, frying is messy and not the healthiest, but it's ok to do once in a while.  Next time I might add a bit more onion and garlic and let it sit for a bit, as some pieces were more flavorful than others.

 Next is Amanda's dish.  I have owned this book for a long, long time and love it.  But I must admit that while I have read and re-read it countless times, I have only tried once recipe.  This one though, I've had marked since I first read the book. 

The chicken is covered in a creamy sauce of sour cream, mayonnaise, mango chutney and lemon juice, and cooked quickly in a hot oven.  In addition to using thighs instead of chicken breasts, I also subbed the mango chutney out for peach chutney, because it was cheaper.  My only beef with this recipe was the cooking time.  After 15 minutes the thighs were not cooked through.  But this was really good - quick and tangy and the sauce, although super fattening, was soooo good.  I saved the extra sauce and used it to top sweet potatos a few days later.  

Argh, I have to admit, it was really hard to pick a winner here.  But I am giving this Smackdown to...

Coolio.

Recipes for both of these great dishes here:

Superfry Chicken

Chicken Roasted With Sour Cream Lemon Juice And Mango Chutney

One pot spaghetti

1 tb oil

1 lb ground beef 

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic minced

1 jar spaghetti sauce (650 ml) of your choice

2 1/2 cups water

8 oz. spaghetti broken into pieces

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

 In a large pot over medium high heat, heat the oil, and add the beef , onion and garlic, and cook stirring often, until the meat is cooked through.  Drain fat off if necessary.

Add the spaghetti sauce, water and spices and stir well.  Add the noodles, stir again and cover.  Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until noodles are tender and sauce is reduced to the consistency of your liking, 10-15 minutes.  You  may want to remove the lid near the end of cooking to reduce the liquid.

Taste, adjust seasoning, and serve.

Oven baked fries with parmesan salt

I wanted to do something a little different with home made fries, so I tried this recipe from Emeril Lagasse.  Oven baked fries are topped with a blend of cheese and spices.  

I didn't follow the recipe exactly - I omitted Emeril's "Original Essence Seasoning" and seasoned the potatos only with salt and pepper before baking.  I also didn't measure out any of the salt ingredients, just eyeballed them instead.

This dish is a perfect combination of crisp on the outside, soft on the inside chips with a cheesey spicy kick.  A new favorite in our house.

Oven crispy french fries with paprika parmesan salt

Amsterdam Restaurant

Poffertjes

Corned Beef Hash

Amsterdam Pannenkoeken

Amsterdam Restaurant

1-111 Oriole Road

Kamloops

Sunday breakfast

 

Homemade pita with tomato, avocado, feta and hot sauce.

Nuff said.

Grocery shop Feb 16

2 kinds of milk, onions, eggs, soup, canned pineapple, salad, frozen veg, green onions, ham, turkey, chicken, horseradish, hot peppers, potatos, parmesan, butter, special k breakfast sandwiches, tomatos, canned tomatos, marshmallows.

$75

This isn't the most well rounded shopping trip, but I'd picked up a bunch of fruit and veggies from Costco, and this was just to fill in the blanks.  The store was having a sale so I picked up some frozen veggies ($1 each) and cans of tomatos (also $1 each) that weren't on my list.  The breakfast sandwiches weren't either, but I thought they'd be something different to try.  The marshmallows are for our Saturday afternoon project - rice crispy squares.

Total - $

Breakfast for Dinner by Lindsay Landis and Taylor Hackbarth

Breakfast for dinner - who doesn't love to switch it up from time to time? Pancakes, eggs and bacon for dinner can make the meal feel fun and decadent.

The authors of the cookbook Breakfast for Dinner - Lindsay Landis and Taylor Hackbarth - have taken the concept and fancied it up. Why have bacon and eggs for dinner when you could have Breakfast Sausage Ravioli, or a burger topped with crispy potatos and a fried egg?

 This is one of the most fun and mouthwateringly delicious cookbooks I've ever got my hands on. Beautiful photos and inventive well written recipes make this a cookbook worth picking up.

I made 8 recipes to test this book -

Grapefruit Herb Sodas

Mini BLT Biscuits

Pita Bread

Shakshuka

Loco Moco

Maple Glazed Pork Meatballs

Banana Bread Bundt Cake

Root Vegetable Latkes

First I have to say that all the recipes were great - they were all easy to follow and delicious.  I would and will make all of them again in a heartbeat.  

There were 3 standouts I must mention - the pita bread - super easy and delicious.  Within 2 hours of starting we were eating fresh out of the oven bread.  The Shakshuka - eggs poached in a spicy tomato sauce was Scott's handsdown favorite.  Mine was the Loco Moco.  Tasting a billion times better (to me) than the dish we tried in Hawaii, once the components of the meal are assembled, it is spectacular.

Thank you, Random House!

Ham and egg cups

This was Sunday breakfast last weekend - quick and easy and delicious.

Bread, crusts removed and flattened with a rolling pin.

Slices of ham

 Cheese

Eggs

Butter

Preheat oven to 350'

Lightly butter one side of each piece of bread. Place bread slices, butter side down, in muffin cups. Add a piece of ham to each cup, some sliced or shredded cheese, and an egg. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until eggs are done to your liking.

Carefully remove from muffin tin and serve. 

Grocery shop and 2 recipes

Rice, milk, potatos, soy sauce, tomatos, cheese, soup, brussel sprouts, eggs, coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk, beets, crackers, canned tomatos, bananas, tomato paste, green onions, yogurt, ham, turkey, bread, ground pork, bacon, apples, avocado, cucumber, ginger, snow peas, strawberries, creamer, popcorn.  About $86.00.

I cooked these two recipes recently, and I lost confidence while making them - figured that we would not enjoy them, so I didn't take photos of either.  

Short story even shorter - they were both really good.

Chicken Korma 

Macaroni and cheese, boursin style

Ham and Vegetable Gratin

This recipe was in the latest issue of Food Network magazine, and I wanted to make it because I had all the ingredients in the house.  I love it when that happens.

I stuck to the recipe except for 2 things - I didn't have a frozen pea and carrot mix, I used just peas, and I "bammed" the crisp panko bread crumb topping with a handful of crispy onions instead of the parsley (which I thought I had but didn't).

This was really good, really filling and made lots.  If made my way it tastes just like split pea and ham soup, and you know that can't be a bad thing.

Recipe: Ham and Vegetable Gratin

6 of my favorite restaurants in Kamloops

Why six?  Five wasn't enough, and I didn't want to do ten.  Six is the new five.

I've had this post in draft for, seriously, three years.  The number of restaurants keeps changing, as do the restaurants themselves.  Some fell out of favor, some closed, new deliciousness was discovered.  But here's how it stands currently.

In no particular order, here are my favorite places to eat in Kamloops:

Brownstone Restaurant
One of the best fine dining restaurants in town, they have amazing affordable lunches as well.
Located at the edge of downtown on Victoria in a Heritage Building (a former bank), the duck fat fries are a must try.

Donair Express
My coworkers and I discovered this tiny eatery after a lunch meeting we were to attend was cancelled, and we were roaming the streets of downtown Kamloops looking for something fast and inexpensive.  These guys deliver.  Primarily takeout as they have only a handful of stools at a small counter, the food is fast and fresh.  My favorite is the chicken donair.  Affordable, filling and deliciously garlicky. 


Indian Aroma
Located in a tiny food court on Victoria Street, Indian Aroma is a real gem for Kamloops.  The owners are friendly and the food is brilliant.  The butter chicken is the best I've ever had.  A post from fellow Kamloops blogger A.L. alerted me to a daily special to try - Papri Chaat.  Unique and delicious.

Jam Can Cafe
Jamaican food  in Kamloops!  Awesome!  The North Shore of the city hit the jackpot when this restaurant opened up.  It has a warm and friendly atmosphere and a great mix of traditional and fusion foods.  Two to try - the Jamaican Clubhouse, and the Curried Chicken Roti.  And don't forget a side of Johnny Cakes.

Passek's Classics
Local and homemade are key words here.  Many ingredients are purchased locally.  They make their own bread, smoke their pork and turkey.  The menu is large and varied with something for everyone.  Check out the $8 lunch menu available Monday to Friday.  Hungry?  Order the Schnitzel Breakfast.

Mori Mori Japanese and Asian Grocery
A place to not only pick up all your Asian groceries, but your lunch, dinner and snacks too - they do prepared take out as well, at amazing prices.  Tempura, sushi, edamame, salads,dumplings, rice bowls...... so much variety, all of it delicious and deliciously affordable.  I have a weakness for the yam tempura.

2013 Thompson Okanagan Wine and Dine

Super disappointed to see only 4 Kamloops restaurants taking part in Wine and Dine this year.

Wine and Dine on through February 3.  2 and 3 course dinners for $15, $25 or $35 per person.

Kamloops Participants.

Cauliflower Curry with Chicken

This one received absolute rave reviews from Scott - 2 bowlfuls and more complements than he has ever ever given anything I have ever cooked. Ever. 

Our curry powder is mild enough that even Pax tried it and liked it - and he is in such a picky eater stage that most times he just looks at something he doesn't recognize and declares it "Too spicy". 

Cauliflower Curry with Chicken

 Altered from a recipe by Mark Bittman

 2 Tb oil

 1 onion, minced

 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets

 1 tsp ground cumin

 2 tsp curry powder

 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatos

 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken, cut into small pieces

 Juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon

 salt and pepper

 Heat the oil in a large pan over high heat, add the onion, and cook, stirring, until starting to brown. Add the cumin and curry and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. 

Add the cauliflower and stir well. Add the can of tomatos and 1/4 cup of water. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and turn the heat down to medium low. 

Cook for 10 minutes until the cauliflower is beginning to soften. Then add the chicken, stir well, cover and cook for another 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked and the cauliflower is tender. 

Add the juice of 1/2 a lemon, taste, and add more salt, pepper and lemon juice if desired.

A different kind of breakfast sandwich

Normally if I mention breakfast sandwiches there is egg and hot sauce and cheese involved. Not this time! 

This one is a favorite of mine since the summer - peanut butter and berries. Strawberries would be an obvious favorite, but I also like raspberries and especially blueberries - I love the crunch of the blueberry with the creamy peanut butter.

 Yum. 

Monte Cristo Sandwich

Doesn't that look delicious!?!?!!?

I've been craving this sandwich for months now - we were out of town last year and I spotted a restaurant  that had them on the menu.  We tried to eat there but they were too busy, and I just couldn't get the thought out of my head.  This was supposed to be our New Years Day dinner but I was sick, so I put it off for a week.

I am so glad I made this.  So good.

Basically a Monte Cristo is a ham, turkey and swiss cheese sandwich.  But instead of eating it as is, or maybe toasting it, you go bonkers and batter and fry it.  THEN you sprinkle it with icing sugar and serve it with a side of jam.  It's amazing.

I've had this sandwich a couple of times before, most memorably at Disneyland.  So here's the recipe I followed, courtesy of a Disney recipe website:

Monte Cristo Sandwich

Try it and enjoy!

Grocery shop, January 13

3 kinds of crackers, tomato juice, 2 kinds of milk.  Macaroni, lettuce, tomatos, chips, honeydew melon, apples, sour cream, cream cheese, fruit snacks, strawberries, jicama, cucumber, broccoli, deli ham and turkey, gingerale, bread.  Cost about $65.00. 

I didn't have to buy any meat this week as I'm using up some stuff in the freezer.  The chips and cream cheese are for my skinny ass husband to make a crab version of his Shrimp Dip.  Damn him. 

This week I'm making a chicken curry from Mark Bittman, mac and cheese with boursin, and a miscellaneous night where I'll just pull things out of the freezer and fridge and we'll have a mishmash dinner. 

Happy Sunday.  It's cold and snowy and I'm curled up under a blanket watching Diners Drive Ins and Dives while my boy sleeps and the washer whirrs.  There may be a cocktail too.....

Nearly Wordless Recipe - Refried Bean Enchiladas

Tortillas

Refried beans

Cheese

Enchilada sauce

Yum.