Secret layer of deliciousness

This was my first time making banana cream pie. I did it for Thanksgiving for my auntie, who said it was her favorite. It turned out awesome! I was so excited when it got rave reviews. The success came because I made something called a black-bottom banana cream pie, which has a layer of chocolate right above the crust. Score! I don't think I could ever eat it any other way now.

I made my own custard, which isn't difficult at all. Any kind of crust will work, but I think the crunch of a chocolate or graham cracker crust is divine.

THE RECIPE:

1 prebaked crust
3 eggs
1/2 c. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 c. whole milk
3 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2 oz. semisweet chocolate
1/4 c. cream
1 or 2 Tbsp. sugar
2 ripe but firm bananas
1/4 c. orange juice
2 c. sweetened whipped cream*

In a bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar and salt. Whisk in cornstarch thoroughly. In a saucepan over medium heat, warm milk until almost boiling, stirring frequently. Drizzle hot milk slowly into egg mixture, whisking the whole time. If you do this very patiently, you will temper your eggs gradually and prevent them from scrambling.

Return combined mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Cool for a few minutes, then place plastic wrap directly onto custard to cool completely. The plastic will prevent the custard from forming a skin.

Combine chocolate, cream and sugar, and microwave in small increments until smooth. Let cool completely, then pour into pie crust. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Cut bananas into 1/4-inch slices. Toss with orange juice, then drain and pat dry with paper towels. Fold bananas into custard, then spread into pie crust. Pipe whipped cream on top as desired.




*Whipped cream doesn't hold up long, so if you need to make this pie in advance, or if you need it to hold up for a long time through a party or extended refrigeration, you should consider stabilizing your whipped cream. This way it will hold up for days. See recipe below.

Stabilized whipped cream:

4 tsp. cold water
1 tsp. unflavored gelatin (such as Knox)
1 c. heavy cream
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Place cold water in a small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over top and mix in. Let stand for a minute to thicken. This process is called blooming. Microwave gelatin in small bursts, stirring each time, until melted into a translucent liquid.

Start beating cream, sugar and vanilla with mixer until cream starts to thicken. Pour in gelatin and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Makes 2 cups.

Ginger beef

My family can't get enough of this ginger beef. It is so fast and easy to make, and it tastes fantastic. It does have quite a bit of sugar, but the meat is intensely flavorful, so a small amount of it goes a long way over a large bed of rice.

THE RECIPE:

1 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 lb. ground beef
3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 tsp. fresh ginger*
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. brown sugar

Brown beef in sesame oil. Drain fat if necessary. Add remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly while cooking for a couple of minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer about 30 minutes. Serve over rice.

*For convenience, I often use bottled ginger, found in the refrigerated produce section of the store.

Note: With the purchase of gluten-free soy sauce, this dish could easily be made gluten-free.

Unleash your inner artist

Years ago, I posted this recipe for cornmeal cookies. Click here to see my old post, which contains the recipe. We use clean, fine-tipped craft paintbrushes and dip them in straight food coloring to decorate the cookies. This time around, it was Halloween style! We had so much fun, I thought the recipe deserved another shout-out.

*Note: The recipe calls for finely shredded lemon peel. I didn't have any fresh lemons this time, so I replaced the peel and the vanilla extract with 1 teaspoon lemon extract. Worked perfectly.

Autumn muffins

Remember all that lovely applesauce I made? Well, I used some of it to make a big batch of these healthy applesauce muffins. My family enjoyed them for breakfast several days in a row. They taste healthy and hearty, but they are moist and have a lot of flavor. We were really happy with them. As my husband said, these muffins taste like fall. You can't really taste the applesauce, but it adds great moisture and health value.

THE RECIPE:

2 c. rolled oats
2 c. applesauce
1 c. buttermilk
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. butter, melted
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 c. whole-wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease muffin tins, or line with paper liners. In large bowl, mix oats, applesauce, milk, eggs, vanilla, butter and sugar. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, soda and seasonings. Add dry ingredients to large bowl and stir just until combined. Don't overmix.

Distribute batter evenly among muffin cups (make each about 2/3 to 3/4 full). Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Set the timer a little early and check so you can remove muffins as soon as toothpick test allows. Overbaking will lead to dryness. Makes 24 muffins.

*Note: Refrigerate leftovers after 24 hours so they don't spoil. Reheat them in the microwave. Muffins can also be frozen.

Base recipe came from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

Tender, sweet and savory

This dish requires a ridiculously small amount of work. Yet, it is so delicious. That is my kind of meal. We call it sweet rosemary chicken. I wrote the recipe for the oven, but the Crock-Pot would be a fantastic substitute. Serve the chicken on a bed of rice; we mix white and brown.

THE RECIPE:

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs*
1/3 c. soy sauce
1/3 c. brown sugar
3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried rosemary

Mix sauce ingredients, then pour over chicken thighs in 8x8 baking dish. Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 2 hours. Spoon juices generously over rice.


*Make sure you use thighs. Dark meat cooks differently from white meat.

Note: With the purchase of gluten-free soy sauce, this would be a very easy gluten-free dish.

Fresh and healthy

Making applesauce from scratch was one of the most satisfying things I've done in the kitchen. It was so fun to know we grew the apples in our own yard, then slow-cooked them into this delicious, healthy puree. It was by far the best applesauce I've eaten in my life. Halfway into the cooking, your house will smell like a cider factory.

This is beyond easy! You can make as big or small a batch as you want. Use naturally sweet apples whose flavor you love, and you won't have to add a single bit of sweetener. I used honeycrisp apples from our tree, which we have been told are some of the best apples people have ever eaten. They made the sweetest, most flavorful sauce. I am excited to make this pie with it.

THE RECIPE:

Apples
1/2 c. water

Peel and core apples before slicing into eighths. It doesn't matter if the air turns the apples a little brown while you're working. Fill Crock-Pot with desired amount of apple slices. A full pot will cook down and make about half a pot of applesauce. Pour 1/2 cup water over apples. Cover and cook on high for 4 to 6 hours, or low for 8 to 10 hours.*

Puree apples to desired consistency. An immersion blender is fantastic for this. A regular blender works as well, or if you like a chunkier sauce, use a potato masher. Eat your applesauce warm, right out of the pot! Refrigerate leftovers. (Applesauce is also great for canning.)



*I do high for 6 hours, but every Crock-Pot is different, so you'll have to figure out what's best for you. I have two Crock-Pots, and one of them has a tendency to burn the top edges of food, so I spray the sides of that one with cooking spray before I put apples in it.

Satisfying stroganoff

This is a simple and delicious recipe for stroganoff. It's fresh and well seasoned. My kids love mushrooms, so they devour this meal. It can be served over noodles or rice. Although the picture above shows enriched noodles, I usually use whole wheat, which I highly recommend.

THE RECIPE:

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped (optional)
16 oz. mushrooms, rinsed and quartered
6 oz. reduced-fat cream cheese
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 c. milk
3 c. beef broth
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 c. sour cream

In a very large skillet -- I use my electric skillet -- start breaking up and browning beef. Add onion, pepper and mushrooms. Cover and cook for several minutes, until beef is cooked through and vegetables are tender. Add cream cheese and cover to melt.

In a small bowl, stir together cornstarch and cold milk until smooth. Pour broth into skillet, then add cornstarch mixture and stir well. Add salt and pepper. Cover and bring stroganoff to a boil. Uncover, add sour cream and simmer until thickened. The longer it sit, the thicker it gets. Serve over rice or noodles.


*Note: This recipe can be made gluten-free with very little hassle.