Banana Muffins with Chocolate Chips

Bananas are a favorite to the boys in our house and we always seems to end up with some that become over-ripe. How convenient, since a delicious way to eat said bananas are in muffin form with chocolate chips! This fantastic version comes from the talented Isa Chandra and her "Isa Does It" cookbook.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a muffin tin with your favorite liners (we prefer the natural parchment variety) or you can lightly oil them.

3 large very ripe bananas
1/4 cup almond or rice milk
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons coconut or canola oil
1 tablespoon ground flax seed
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (whole wheat pastry is good too)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (Penzey's signature blend is our favorite)
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

In a medium bowl, mash the bananas until they look pureed, with only a few small chunks left. Add the milk, applesauce, oil, ground flaxseed, and vanilla and stir vigorously with a fork.

Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and allspice then add the sugar. Mix just until the wet and dry ingredients are incorporated, being careful not to over mix. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Fill each muffin well most of the way full with batter. Bake for 18-20 minutes. The tops should be lightly browned and a knife inserted through the center should come out clean. 

Remove from the oven and let cool. Enjoy!

Nehalem Bay Crab Cakes

• We absolutely love Dungeness crab, especially when we catch it ourselves on a beautiful day on the Oregon Coast. On a recent camping trip to Jetty Fishery, along the Nehalem Bay, we caught our own crab and made crab cakes at the campsite. We couldn't have asked for a better day, being outside and eating an amazing meal. We paired these with our Roasted Red Pepper Aioli which we made in advance of the trip. 
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• 1 pound dungeness crabmeat
• 2/3 - 3/4 cup panko crumbs (start with the smaller amount then add more if they are too moist.
• 1/3 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup finely sliced green onions
• 1/4 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
• 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
• Pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 egg plus 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• Olive or Canola Oil for frying
• Lemon wedges 
• Roasted Red Pepper Aioli

In a large bowl, break up crab meat into slightly smaller pieces, feeling through mixture to make sure no shell pieces remain. Set aside.

In another bowl, combine panko, peppers, green onions, parsley, Old Bay and pepper. Add to crab, then stir in mayonnaise, egg and egg white. Blend well and gently form into patties. Mixture will make 4-6 patties, depending on the size. Flatten patties, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until ready to fry. (They can be prepared the night before.) 

Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add crab cakes and fry for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, turning gently, until golden brown. Transfer to an oven at 350 degrees and cook for 10 minutes until cooked through. At the campsite, you can cook these on a grill over medium heat on a surface or pan (we have a Magma set)  and close the lid to cook through. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate as done, then serve with lemon wedges and aioli. 

Pad Cashew Nut Stir Fry

Pad Cashew Nut is our go-to stir fry anytime we crave Thai. This version comes from an international food blog and it is delicious! We typically add prawns but you can keep it vegetarian, add tofu, chicken or whatever you crave. It's another very fast and easy stir fry that you can quickly throw together on a week night.

3 Tbsp cooking oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 Tbsp Thai roasted chili paste (you can find this in Asian markets)

1 ½ Tbsp fish sauce

1 ½ Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp white vinegar

1 Tbsp sugar

20 medium sized peeled prawns

3 small sized sweet peppers (red or yellow), cut in large dices

1 medium sized white onion, cut into medium slices

2 spring/green onions, cut into 1 inch long slices

1 cup roasted cashew nuts

2 cups jasmine rice

Dry cracked chili (for spicy food lovers)

Cook Jasmine rice first, so when the dish is ready, the rice is ready too.

Prepare the sauce in advance too. Mix the Thai roasted chili paste, fish sauce, soy sauce, white vinegar and sugar. 

Set a frying pan or wok on a stove on medium heat, and add cooking oil. When the oil is hot, add minced garlic, and stir the garlic until it is a golden brown color, about 1-2 minutes. Add the sauce mixture, stirring until ingredients are well combined and have a thick sauce texture.

Add prawns to the sauce, stir and cook them for about 4 minutes. Don't overcook the prawns!

Add the sweet peppers and white onions and mix well. Quickly cook the vegetables, so they are still crunchy.

Turn off the heat, and add spring/green onion and cashew nuts. Stir all the ingredients until they are well combined.

Serve with steamed jasmine rice. It's fantastic with Tom Kha Soup too!

For spicy food lovers, you can sprinkle dry chili on top of the dish and enjoy.

Tom Kha Soup (Thai Coconut Milk Soup)

Tom Kha soup is one of our favorites of all time. It takes me back to college where a warm soup was the perfect remedy to a rainy Oregon day. There are many variations, depending upon which Thai restaurant you visit. This recipe is adapted from a top rated version by Sunset magazine and serves 2-3. We often pair it with a Pad Cashew nut stir fry and a really good beer. It is so easy and quick to make, much faster than waiting for take out at the local Thai restaurant!


1 can (14 oz.) coconut milk
1 can (14 oz.) chicken or vegetable broth
6 quarter-size slices fresh ginger
1 stalk fresh lemongrass, cut in 1-2 inch pieces so you can easily 'fish' it out later
1 cup sliced yellow onion
1 cup sliced button or crimini mushrooms

1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce (nuoc mam or nam pla)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon Thai chili paste
1/4 cup fresh Thai basil leaves
1/4 cup fresh cilantro

You can add chicken or shrimp depending on your preference. 

• 1 pound boned, skinned chicken breast or thighs, cut into 1-in. chunks
• 16-20 medium shrimp, shelled and deveined

In a medium saucepan, combine coconut milk, broth, ginger, and lemongrass and bring to boil over high heat. Add onion, mushrooms, tomatoes lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, and chili paste. (Add chicken or shrimp here too). Reduce heat and simmer 5 to 10 minutes. If using chicken or shrimp, cook until firm and opaque.  

Discard lemongrass with a slotted spoon. Garnish servings with basil and cilantro.

Coconut Chana Saag

The only thing better than eating food is reading about it. As a big fan of Isa Chandra Moskowitz, I could not wait to devour new latest cookbook, "Isa Does It" and sure enough there is much inspiration contained within. Isa has created a Coconut Chana Saag that delights all of one's senses. Made with basmati or brown rice, and white wine if you are at my house, you are in for a TREAT!





Ingredients:

2 Tbsp refined coconut oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
2 Tbsp mild curry powder (I use Penzey's sweet curry powder)

Several grinds (or pinches) of freshly ground black paper
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp anise or crushed fennel seeds
1/4 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp ground cumin1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 24-ounce can whole tomatoes (or use fresh with a splash of water)
2 15-ounce cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
8 ounces of baby kale
1 14-ounce can of coconut milk
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice 

For serving:
Fresh cilantro, chopped
Mango Chutney (store bought)

Heat the coconut oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute for about 7 minutes, until lightly browned. Add the garlic and ginger, and saute until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add the curry powder, salt, pepper, anise seeds, garam masala, cumin, and cayenne and mix well. Allow the spices to roast for about a minute.

Add the tomato juice from the can, and scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze. (or use fresh tomatoes and add a splash of water to deglaze) Add the tomatoes from the can, squishing them with your fingers or mashing with a wooden spoon. Add the chickpeas and mix well. Cover the pot and increase the heat to medium-high. Let simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the kale and stir until wilted, and then simmer for about 5 minutes more.

Add the coconut milk and lime juice and heat through. Taste for seasoning. Allow to sit for 10-20 minutes (if possible), so that the flavors can mingle. It tastes even better the next day. Serve over basmati rice and add fresh cilantro and chutney, if desired.