Banana Cake

If you are a fan of banana bread, you will love this cake. The cake is extremely moist and flavorful, and the cream cheese frosting tops it off nicely. I learned a little trick from this recipe as well, if you put the cake in the freezer right after it comes out of the oven, it will make the cake very moist. I highly recommend cooling the cake using this method. I topped the banana cake with chopped walnuts but other nuts would work as well if you prefer. The cake is baked at a low temp of 275 degrees. The oven times here are going to vary so it is important to keep an eye on this cake and check it from time to time with a toothpick.

Yield:

Serves 14

Ingredients

1. 1 ½ cups ripe bananas (mashed)
2. 2 tablespoons lemon juice
3. 3 cups flour
4. 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
5. ¼ teaspoon salt
6. ¾ cup butter (softened)
7. 2 1/8 cups sugar
8. 3 eggs
9. 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
10. 1 ½ cups buttermilk
11. Cream cheese frosting
12. ½ cup butter (softened)
13. 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese (softened)
14. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
15. 3 ½ cups icing sugar
16. Walnuts (chopped, for garnish)

Directions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 275 degrees. Grease 2, 8” round baking pans.
2. In a small bowl mix mashed bananas and lemon juice. Set aside. In a medium bowl mix flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl cream ¾ cups butter and 2 1/8 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in vanilla extract. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Stir in banana mixture.
3. Evenly distribute the batter into 2, 8” round baking pans. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Between those times keep checking on the cake with a toothpick to see if it’s done. When the cake is done take the baking pans and place them directly into the freezer for 45 minutes to cool.
4. While cake is cooling, prepair the frosting. In a bowl cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Beat in vanilla extract. Add icing sugar a little at a time and beat on low until combined, then increase the speed to high and continue to beat the micture until smooth.
5. Remove the cake from the pans and lay out the bottom layer on a plate and frost completely. Place the top layer on the bottom and coat the entire cake with frosting. Add chopped walnuts as desired.

Notes

Caesar Potato Salad with Sugar Snap Peas

This recipe makes enough salad for a picnic in the park, or to pack in your lunch all week.

Yield:

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

1. 1-1/2 lbs unpeeled assorted baby potatoes (such as white-skinned, red-skinned, and purple), cut cross-wise into 1/2 inch slices
2. 8oz trimmed sugar snap peas
3. 1 bunch radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced
4. 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
5. 1/4 cup olive oil
6. 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
7. 1 tbsp dijon mustard
8. 1 garlic clove, pressed
9. 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan

Directions

1. Steam potatoes on steamer rack set in large pot until almost tender, about 10 minutes. Add sugar snap peas and steam until crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Transfer veggies to a large bowl, cool slightly, then add radishes and onion.
2. Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, garlic clove and dijon mustard together in a small bowl until well blended. Whisk in parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Add dressing to potato mixture and toss to coat. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Mixed Bean Salad (with Tomato and Lemon)

This mixed string bean salad might sound dull and uninteresting, but this is anything but. It’s a bit spicy, sour-edged and incredibly fresh.

Yield:

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

1. 2 medium tomatoes
2. 1/2 pound yellow wax beans, ends trimmed and beans halved crosswise
3. 1/2 pound haricot vert, or slim green beans, ends trimmed and beans halved crosswise
4. 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
5. 2 cloves garlic, minced
6. Pinch of red pepper flakes
7. Glug of white wine
8. Salt and pepper
9. Juice of one lemon

Directions

1. Bring a medium-large pot of salted water to boil. Carefully lower the two tomatoes in with a slotted spoon and cook for one minute. Leave the water boiling while you drop them into a bath of ice water, peel them and then set them aside.
2. Meanwhile, lower the wax beans in the water for 2 to 3 minutes, until lightly cooked but still firm. Remove them from the boiling water with a large slotted spoon or tongs and plunge them in the ice bath to stop cooking them. Drain them in a colander and then spread them out on a kitchen towel to dry.
3. Repeat this process with the haricot vert, but only cook them for one minute.
4. If you, like me, are in a tiny kitchen and love nothing more than a one pot dish, dump the water out of the pot, dry it, and heat the olive oil to medium-high. If you love doing dishes, you can complete this step in a large saute pan. Yeah, I thought so.
5. Once the oil is heated, add the minced garlic and stir it around with a wooden spoon until lightly cooked but not brown, one minute or so. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes, and then the two peeled tomatoes that you have set aside. Break them up into chunks with your spoon, and simmer this into sauciness for about 5 minutes. Add a glug of white wine, and simmer for one more minute.
6. Dump the drained and dried beans into the tomato sauce, and mix it around until combined and heated through. Salt and pepper to taste. Put the salad in a serving bowl and squeeze the lemon juice all over it, tossing it lightly.

Notes

Zucchini Carpaccio Salad

After slicing a few zucchini into translucent coins, you salt and rest them for a while before draining and rinsing them. What this leaves you with is zucchini like I’ve never seen it before–fabric-like pieces that bend and fold, but retain enough structure that they’re nothing like the overcooked summer squash we’ve all had the displeasure of experiencing. Once you pat it dry, you toss it with a heaping pile of baby arugula, shredded parmesan, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Yield:

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

1. 1 1/2 pound zucchini (about 3 large)
2. 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3. 1/2 pound arugula, stems discarded and leaves cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips (6 cups)
4. 1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano, coarsely grated (on large holes of a box grater; 1/2 cup)
5. 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6. Juice of one lemon
7. 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1. Cut zucchini crosswise into paper-thin slices with slicer. Toss zucchini slices with one teaspoon salt in a large colander set over a bowl and let drain 20 minutes.
2. Rinse zucchini slices well, then drain, pressing gently on slices to extract any excess liquid. Pat zucchini slices dry with a kitchen towel.
3. Put arugula greens in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Drizzle 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil over greens and toss. Arrange zucchini slices over arugula greens, then drizzle with remaining oil, lemon juice and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano and pepper.

Notes

A delicious and colorful variation could include yellow summer squash, as well.

Tequila Lime Chicken

A common mistake people make when grilling meats and chicken is to keep turning it over and over again- poking it- sticking it,etc. It’s not rocket science! You really only need to turn it once - or if you like those cross hatch grill marks- after it’s all nice and brown on both sides and cooked through- give it a quick second turn to achieve those grill marks on the one side for a nice presentation

Yield:

Serves 6

Ingredients

1. 1/2 cup gold tequila
2. 1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (5 to 6 limes)
3. 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (2 oranges)
4. 1 tablespoon chili powder
5. 1 tablespoon minced fresh jalapeno pepper (1 pepper seeded)
6. 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic (3 cloves)
7. 2 teaspoons kosher salt
8. 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
9. 3 whole (6 split) boneless chicken breasts, skin on

Directions

1. Combine the tequila, lime juice, orange juice, chili powder, jalapeno pepper, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add the chicken breasts. Refrigerate overnight.
2. Heat a grill with coals and brush the rack with oil to prevent the chicken from sticking. Remove the chicken breasts from the marinade, sprinkle well with salt and pepper, and grill them skin-side down for about 5 minutes, until nicely browned. Turn the chicken and cook for another 10 minutes, until just cooked through. Remove from the grill to a plate. Cover tightly and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Notes