Jacked Up Banana Bread

I’ve had a few firsts in the last week:  poaching eggs, joining Pinterest, cooking with leeks (ok, it was my second time after a long absence but I’m really coming around to them!), carpooling to work, making Vegetable Chow Mein for dinner, watching Mad Men while I spin (Oh Draper...), and last but far from the least, having an “unplanned” Saturday.  Perhaps this last item is most pertinent to today’s post.  What else do you do with your first unplanned, non-working Saturday in weeks but take stock of your freezer, realize you’ve got 15 (count ‘em, fifteen) frozen bananas, and turn them into five (count ‘em, five) loaves of banana bread, varying them with or without dark chocolate chips and walnuts.  But of course you do!!

Mr. Jack

So, the following happened on this unplanned day of days:  I didn’t put on make-up, turned up the tunes, donned my apron, and baked.  I know I sound like a real life homebody, but I have to say that I could not have asked for a better day.  The hubby was working in his shop/"creative space”, so I worked in mine.  We make a great team. :)

FIVE! Notice chocolate on some, walnuts on others.

Chocolate Walnut Banana Bread

I have a hard time dirtying up my pretty aprons!

Brother from another mother.

 This is my favorite banana bread recipe thus far, and there are many, many out there.  It uses booze and I like that. ;)  Thank you, Smitten Kitchen, for this version of a classic!  You may add fill-ins such as chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, walnuts, pecans, etc, or add cream cheese frosting to dress it up as a dessert.  I highly recommend freezing the bread in greater quantities, like I did.  Let the loaves cool completely, then wrap in plastic wrap followed by foil.  Label with a date and stick them in the freezer, especially before the hubby comes home!   

Eggplant and Ricotta Rolls

Eggplant and Ricotta Rolls became a natural choice for my planned themed "Italian Night" last week.  I think, like most cooks I know, I was getting into a rut.  How many ways can one brown ground turkey?  Construct a panini?  Fry an egg?  While all of these are relatively fast and tasty options, this cook was tired of the obvious.  I scored a great deal on a Williams Sonoma cookbook recently and used it to jump-start my dinner repertoire.  Since this cookbook features recipes from all around the world, I flipped to the Italian section, recalling our trip to Italy six months ago, and was pumped to find a simple vegetarian/low-carb twist on a classic cannelloni (tube-like pasta) dish.  My husband was enthused when I announced that we would have "world cooking theme" nights, featuring recipes from this cookbook (well, enthused mostly that he would be fed something other than eggs for the next few weeks).  Hey, I'll take a chance on any recipe that builds on affordable, common ingredients to make a meal a little less predictable.  Our first theme night featured this meatless dish using summer eggplant wrapped around three types of cheeses and topped with a basic red pasta sauce.  How can you go wrong with cheese? And three types? With marinara sauce?  My man was all thumbs up after this one.

To make this recipe with meat, while staying within the boundaries of Italian cooking, I recommend adding prosciutto, like they did HERE.  Prosciutto is anywhere and everywhere in Italy, so it only makes sense to utilize this common sliced variety of ham.  Unfortunately, while it's cheap in Italy, it's not so cheap in the U.S.  If you buy prosciutto, please (I beg of you), please do not buy the prepackaged, already sliced version.  Blech.  It's slimy.  Go to a reputable meat counter and ask to get it sliced for you.  A little bit of effort goes a long way.  So, grab a glass of red and go Italian!

Eggplant and Ricotta Rolls, from Williams Sonoma's "The World Kitchen," p. 69:

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant (1 1/2 lb), trimmed

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 c. (8oz) whole-milk ricotta cheese

1/4 lb fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded

4 T. (1oz) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 T. minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Olive Oil for brushing

 2 1/2 c. (20 fl. oz) Pasta Sauce (any variety)

1. Cut the eggplant crosswise on the diagonal into slices about 1/4 in. think.  Layer the slices in a colander set over a plate, sprinkling each layer with salt, and let stand for 30 minutes to drain.

2. Preheat the over to 450 degrees F.  In a bowl stir together the ricotta, mozzarella, 2 T. of the Parmesan, the parsley, and pepper to taste.

3. Rinse the eggplant slices under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.  Brush the slices on both sides with olive oil and arrange them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.

4. Bake the eggplant until lightly golden brown on the bottom, about 10 minutes.  Turn the slices over and continue to bake until browned on the other side, 5-10 minutes longer.  Remove the eggplant from the oven.  Reduce the oven temp to 350 degrees.

5. Spoon a thin layer of the tomato sauce into a 9-in square baking dish.  To make each eggplant roll, place a spoonful of the cheese mixture near one end of a slice and roll up the slice.

As each roll is formed, place it seam side down on the dish.  Spoon the remaining sauce over the rolls, then sprinkle evenly with the remaining 2 T. Parmesan.

6. Bake until the sauce is bubbling hot and the rolls are heated through, about 25 minutes.  Divide the rolls among individual plates and serve at once. 

By the way, this savory dish was served alongside home-baked (in a breadmaker, I cheated) Italian Herb bread, like so:  

Oh, and don't judge.  I know you can see the blue glow from the TV in this final picture.  Yes, we eat in front of the TV, but listen, Italian is still Italian even while eaten in front of a riveting episode of The Bachelorette.

 


 

The Help

If you live in the South, you know about the book.  You might even have a friend of a friend who was an extra in the movie, as it was filmed in Jackson, MS.  Or, you may even know the Stockett family who has roots in central Mississippi, like, in my neighborhood.  Kathryn Stockett, author of the phenomenal book, The Help, was born three minutes away from where I live and lived in a house just a few blocks away from me for the first part of her life.  In fact, she lived right beside the iconic Southern author, Eudora Welty. Ironic? Yes.  Is she destined to become a great figure in literary history like Ms. Welty?  I have yet to see it, because after all, this is only her first novel, but I believe her honest and eloquent writing will propel her into a solid future.  How would you like for your maiden novel to be turned into a major Hollywood production with a passionate following all across the country?  Now that's impressive, y'all.

I so wished I could have afforded the $500 price tag to sit next to the stars (Emma Stone, anyone?) and experience the premier of the film in Mississippi, but alas, I settled for a $9 ticket a couple short nights ago to see the movie on its official opening day.  It was magical.  Our group settled in at the 10pm showing to avoid the crowds and found a whole row to ourselves.  It pays to go late, people! With that said, I would be lying if I didn't admit that I needed three cups of coffee and a shot of espresso to get through the longest Thursday of work ever.  I know it.  I'm old.  Anyway, go see it!!  The Help gives you such an exquisite and revealing look at life in Jackson, MS in the 1960s and depicts the stories of black help that raised white children.  I had been a fan ever since I read the book (for the first time) and was counting down the moments until the movie hit the silver screen.  This novel-turned-movie provokes tears, laughter, hate, and love through the tales of lives lived not that long ago.

And now, a side recipe to snack on!  The night of the movie, some chatty ladies and I got together over wine, cheese, and other yummy sides.  Need a quick, mid-busy-work-week, healthy appetizer?  I brought these:

Turkey Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

I'm telling you, this is so deceiving.  Its reception at parties usually contains the phrases, "Oooh! Who made this?" "These look lovely!" "So green!" "Healthy", etc.  To do: 

Cut strips of turkey bacon in half, the short way.  Wash and clean a bundle of asparagus, cut off the ends, and snap them in half.  Bundle two "tops" and two "bottoms" and wrap in a half strip of bacon.  Season to taste with salt, pepper, garlic, or whatever your taste buds are craving.  I think lemon juice would bring out the green and the freshness of the veggie.  Bake at 350-375, depending on your oven, for about 20-25 min, just until the bacon browns and the asparagus starts to appear heated through.  It will have a good bit of give to it, but it makes for a solid bite.  If you like softer stalks, bake longer.  Tada! Done!  I don't use a recipe for this; I just like to throw it all together and when baked, display on a silver tray.  Hey, you gotta dress to impress.

Birthdays All Around!

Two very sweet ladies in my life have birthdays this week and I can't not (excuse my grammar) acknowledge them.  In fact, I'm pretty sure they are sweeter than any sweet tea I've ever sipped (gasp!).  I should have a piece of cake in your honor, right?  These two have meant so much to me throughout my life, one having grown up with me (duh) and one I did a little more growing up with in college and beyond.  My sister and one of my dearest friends happen to share birthday weeks so of course I'm sending my hugs across the miles to each of them.  My sister remains harbored in the north while my friend (and also a bride-to-be!) has transplanted too many times to count, but calls Kansas her home, for now. :) Happy Birthday, loves!

Grad Day 2011.  Look at all those cords!

Turkey Day 2010: Her first southern Thanksgiving! 

The Market

{First of all, welcome! This is such an adventure for me. Thanks for visiting my blog!}  Really, I'm not just going to discuss fried foods on here (I know, I know).  In fact, I'm quite the health nut, which has produced some tricky impasses along my way through the South.  I respect traditional "Southern cooking" and now have favorites I never knew I had, like purple hull peas, warm sweet potato biscuits, and creamy shrimp and grits, but I’d much rather walk through a Whole Foods (please come to Jackson!) or Fresh Market store for their organic, go-green, local, buy in bulk, health-friendly products.  This blog will feature Southern recipes on occasion, but I will more often portray scenes from an active life as I try to make smart food and fitness decisions for my husband (a Southern boy!) and me.
    

My favorite place to shop right now is the Mississippi Farmer’s Market.  Check it out HERE and become a fan.  Every Saturday morning from early spring to the end of our sweltering summer (like, November) they serve countless folks from all over the area the freshest goods from local farmers and artisans.  Last weekend I bought my weight in yellow squash and zucchini, took it home, and cooked up a delicious summer squash and zucchini casserole for dinner.  These soft cooked veggies, along with a hint of sharp cheddar cheese and topped with crunchy-baked cracker crumbs, was the perfect side dish to feed my northern parents on their visit.  The Market hosts vendors like dear Ms Betty who brings a variety of home-canned jams, jellies, curds, slow-simmered tomato sauces, Sicilian capanatas, salsas, chow-chow, etc., with samples of each to spare.  If you’re like my husband, you’ll sweet talk her into not one, not two, but three samples of her black bean and corn salsa (medium hot) in one visit.  The Hummus Queen sits a few places down on her throne as she loudly proclaims her love for all things hummus.  Ever tried boiled peanut hummus? She makes it.  My top pick?  Black Bean.  With all that said, see you at the Market!