Easy Bananas Foster Pie

As soon as Passover was finished, I wanted pie.  There was a box of sugar-free vanilla pudding mix in the pantry, and I usually have a stray graham cracker crust on the baking shelf.  In case I ever want a spur of the moment pie.

I have an older, from-scratch Banana Rum Pie recipe.  Nothing wrong with it.  I should make it again sometime.  This one was about using items on hand, including half a bottle of whipping cream.  I only bought the bananas.

And unlike the original recipe, I'm using rum extract.  Bananas Foster is often brandy, but we're going with what I already have.  I'm so proud of using up the liquor cabinet, and don't want to buy a bottle for one recipe.  I feel weird about getting those little bottles.

I knocked this out in less than ten minutes, then it set up while I worked on the schlissel batch of challah.  I have bread again!

*1 4-serving box vanilla pudding mix (or banana for extra banananess)
*milk as suggested on box (probably 2C)
*1/2 tsp rum extract
dash nutmeg
*1 9" graham cracker crust
2 ripe bananas
*1 C whipping cream 
1 Tb sugar

1.  Thinly slice the bananas and have them ready to go.  If you want to garnish with them, use a third banana.  Bear in mind, they will start to turn brown within a few hours.  Don't slice that one until ready to serve.

2.  Beat the pudding mix and milk as directed on the box.  I got out my grandma's hand-crank beater, and it was the perfect speed for this project.  Easier than whisking or stirring, and not so fast that it splattered.  Before it gets too thick, beat in the extract and a few sprinkles of nutmeg to enhance the flavor.

3.  Line the bottom of the crust with banana slices.  Pour in the pudding, then dot with the remaining slices.  Cover with plastic wrap to prevent pudding skin and banana browning, then chill until firm, at least 2 hours.

4.  Whip cream and sugar to firm peaks.  For this one, I got out the electric whisk.  I added more nutmeg to my whip, and it was quite nice.  Remove film from pie and cover with the whipped cream.  I should have gone to the effort to make a cute design with a piping bag.  At that point, I had three recipes going simultaneously and not enough coordination for a last minute step.

5.  Chill until ready to serve.  If desired, add additional banana slices as garnish.

Serves 6-8

Difficulty rating  π

Blooming Lettuce

Before I ripped them out, I thought I'd show everyone what happens when lettuce goes to seed.  It isn't something that most people are aware of.

Seeds result after flowers are pollinated.  Doesn't matter if that flower is an ornamental or edible.  If you buy a plant seed, its parent had to flower.  Blooming broccoli is quite pretty.  Just doesn't taste good.

Everything is blooming early, after the heat waves we've been having in this La Niña year.  I got an enormous first artichoke out of Artie.  The stevia is already bolting and needs frequent trimming.  The celery, parsley, and oregano are holding their own.  I thought one kale was going to go, but it was just having trouble in the heat.

I'm planting my spring seeds and hoping it stays cool enough for them to do well.  I'm supposed to have three more months of temperate weather before summer sets in.  Instead, I'm already getting cherry tomatoes.  Just one volunteer in the box.  I'm not putting much in the Pond this year, so the calendula can finish killing the nematodes.

One last shot of the Pond before I got around to weeding and pulling out the watercress.  It was also going to seed and tough from the heat.  The planter box was refilled for turnips.  Without competition, the calendula are finally starting to flower.

Matzoh Arayes

I saw this idea on a YouTube short.  Can't remember the name of the channel.  I'm making these a little different than she did.  Triangles were unnecessarily hard to fold.

I know I said before that I wasn't sure if it was safe to make arayes with ground poultry.  I decided it was worth a try with matzoh, since it was going to take a long time for the bread to crisp back up after being made soft enough to fold in half.  I cooked them a long time, probably longer than I needed to.  The meat wasn't tough, so I guess I did it right.

As with the original arayes recipe, it looks like you're putting in too many spices, but you aren't.  I added more this time.  The sage was poultry-specific, and could be omitted if you're using red meat or changed to thyme or rosemary.

1 lb ground turkey (or other lean ground meat)
*4 green onions, finely chopped
*2 cloves garlic, minced
*1 tsp celery salt
*2 Tb dried parsley
2 tsp ground coriander seed
1 Tb cumin
2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp allspice
*1/2 tsp sage (optional)
*4 sheets matzoh
olive oil for cooking

1.  Combine ground turkey, onions, garlic, spices, and dried herbs.  Mix until evenly distributed.  Form into four balls and chill for an hour, for flavors to meld.

2.  When ready to cook, run matzoh under water briefly on both sides.  Set aside to soften for about 5 minutes.  They should be pliable but not so soggy that they fall apart.

3.  Lightly grease a griddle with oil and preheat on medium-high.

4.  On a work surface, set one of the softened matzoh flat.  Spread a meatball over one half, all the way to the edge.  Gently fold the clean side over the meat and press lightly, to make sure the meat is of even thickness.

5.  Gently transfer arayes to the hot skillet.  Brush top with more oil.  Cook until matzoh is crisp underneath and meat is partially cooked, about 5 minutes.  Flip and cook other side until the meat reaches 165º.  It's hard to get a thermometer in there, but worth it.

6.  If desired, cut finished arayes in half to make squares, or smaller pieces as an appetizer.  Serve as is, or with a pareve sauce.  I used some of the leftover Green Goddess dressing from Seder.

Serves 4 as a main, 8 as an appetizer

Difficulty rating  :)

Artichoke and Yogurt Soup

I'm starting to get artichokes, and there was still one bag of them left in the freezer from last year.  Time to use them up.

Frozen artichokes are often overlooked at the supermarket.  They are much cheaper than a whole one if you're just chopping it up for a recipe.  Canned in water is also an affordable option.  These are generally the smaller side buds that no one would buy at $4 each.  You only need to buy the fresh ones if they're being served whole.

Variations of this soup are attributed to Greek and Turkish cuisines.  I'm leaning Greek with this one, pulling from several recipes online, and thickening it with potato flakes.  You could use leftover mashed potatoes, or cook up and mash a small potato in the broth if you wish.  This was far easier, and I have the end of a box to use up.

It was way too hot to still be called winter when I made this a couple of weeks ago, so I had it chilled, like an artichoke vichyssoise.  Every recipe I read had it served hot, which is why you don't add the yogurt until it's in the serving bowl.

It isn't specifically a Passover recipe, but I'm giving it the label because it is KLP and we're still in the holiday.  I made my matzah lasagna once the Seder leftovers were gone, so there's nothing new to post.

1 Tb olive oil
1 C diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
*12 oz artichoke hearts, can be frozen or canned
1/2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
1/2 tsp celery salt
1 qt no sodium vegetable or chicken broth
1 tsp dill weed
1 Tb lemon juice
1/2 C potato flakes or 1 C mashed potato (1 small)
*1/2 C Greek yogurt

1.  Heat the oil in a soup pot.  Add the onion and cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, another 2 minutes.

2.  While that's cooking, chop the artichoke - and potato, if working from raw.  If you plan to purée the soup, any size will do.  I was keeping it chunky and simply chopped the hearts about the same as the onion.

3.  Add artichoke (and potato) to the pot.  Season with celery salt and dill weed.  Once heated, add broth.  Bring to a simmer and cook 10 minutes.

4.  Once soup has simmered, taste for saltiness and adjust with kosher salt if necessary.  Bear in mind that the potato will cut the saltiness a little, and if you're serving it chilled, that will further dull the flavors.

5.  If puréeing, do that now.  It can be done with an immersion blender or in batches in the blender, carefully.

6.  Return soup to a simmer.  Add potato flakes and lemon juice.  Allow the flakes to hydrate for five minutes, stirring occasionally.

7.  If serving hot, ladle out into bowls and add a dollop of yogurt to each.  You can garnish with fresh dill if desired.  Or, chill for at least 4 hours.  I whisked the yogurt with a bit of broth to smooth it out before adding to the bowl.  It will melt on its own if you're serving the soup hot.

Serves 4-6

Difficulty rating  :)

Seder 2026

I did all that elaborate cooking for Purim, and now Seder is reruns.  I decided to go easy on my guests (and myself) this year and keep it basic.  The only item close to an experiment was the sumac onions, and that was more of a condiment.  So was the green goddess dressing, which ended up being mostly parsley because the plant is now a bush.  I was skeptical about paying $4 for a start at Home Depot, but it has definitely earned its keep.

I didn't even make the latkes from scratch.  I started with a box mix, then added the last of some potato flakes, a couple of mashed leftover sweet potatoes, extra chopped green onion, and enough water and an extra egg to make it work.  They did not taste at all like my own recipe, but didn't taste quite like the mix either.

Good news, I was living in the moment.  Bad for the blog, the only photos I took were of the platter set-ups and extra sticky tabs on the cabinet so I wouldn't forget to serve something.  Still forgot to set out the charoses until we got to that point.  I added a few chopped dates to it this year on a whim, and it went over very well.

I was also proud of myself that everything was cleaned up the next day.  I'll do the laundry part once I have a full load, but the dining room is back to normal.

Roast Leg of Lamb

Potato Latkes with Applesauce

Roasted Carrots

Roasted Brussels Sprouts 

Salad with Green Goddess dressing

Sumac Onions

Torta Caprese

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cheesecake

Because Reese's is trademarked.  And, strictly speaking, I'm not using anything Reese's in it.

This is what I made for Pi Day (March 14th), and was primarily to use up some chocolate cookie crumbs I had in the freezer from a previous pie crust.  For this crust, you can use chocolate grahams, Oreos, or any other plain hard chocolate cookie you like.  These were Kedem chocolate tea biscuits.  I saw Reese's Oreos recently, but those may be special edition.

This recipe is an adaptation of my blender cheesecake.  I didn't want to clean peanut butter out of the blender and made it in the stand mixer.  Or, you can make this with a hand beater.  I'm going ahead and posting the 1/3 version for a 6" springform.  Triple everything if you're making this in a 10".  I bought all those smaller pans when 6" cakes were a thing, and I still prefer to bake smaller cakes.  You don't have to wait for a huge party that way.

*1/2 C chocolate cookie crumbs
3 Tb butter, melted
*8 oz cream cheese, softened
*1/2 C plain Greek yogurt
*1/3 C creamy peanut butter
1/3 C sugar (1/4 for less sweet)
2 eggs, room temperature 
2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp vanilla
*1/4 C semisweet chocolate chips
*2 Tb cream or whole milk

1.  Preheat oven to 350º.  Line a 6" springform pan with parchment paper, if desired.

2.  In a small bowl, combine cookie crumbs and butter.  Actual butter works better than margarine because it will harden more firmly.  Press into the bottom of the springform.  I did an especially good job this time, so I took a photo.  Bake 10 minutes, before it starts to look darker.  Set aside while you mix the cake.

3.  Cream together cream cheese and yogurt until smooth.  Add peanut butter and sugar and beat again.  Scrape down the sides.  Add eggs, which will make the mixture a little broken and soupy at first.  Last, beat in cornstarch and vanilla.  Scrape down again, checking the bottom of the bowl, and beat another minute.  Everything should be well mixed at this point.  If still broken or clumpy, continue to beat.  While this is happening, boil about a quart of water.

4.  Wrap springform in foil and place in a baking dish.  Pour filling into the springform, and place on the baking rack.  Carefully pour boiling water into the baking dish surrounding the cake pan, until it comes up about an inch on the sides.

5.  Bake 45 minutes, then check for doneness.  Cake should be mostly set when jiggled.  It's ok if it cracked or gets a little browned.  Check at 5 minute increments if too wet.

6.  Once cake is done, turn off oven.  Leave it in the oven with the door shut for 30 minutes.  Then open the door a crack and let it sit another 30 minutes.  This slow cooling is to reduce the chance of it collapsing.  Once cool enough to handle without oven mitts, remove it from the oven and let it sit until room temperature.  Only then, move on to the next step.

7.  Melt chips in the milk, either on a double boiler or in the microwave at 20 second intervals.  Stir until smooth into a ganache.  Spread onto cake, then chill until firm, at least 2 hours and preferably 4.   I made too much ganache and froze it in ice cube trays for later.  I'll either make it into truffles or stir into hot milk to make hot chocolate.

8,  When ready to serve, run a knife around the edge to loosen the cake, then pop the spring.  You'll notice I did the reverse in the photos, and I think it would have looked better if I had glazed it in the pan.  If you lined the bottom, you may be able to slide it off the bottom plate.  If not, it isn't worth the risk.  Just serve it on the springform's bottom on a platter.  If you've planned ahead, decorate with Reese's cups, whipped cream, or another garnish.

Serves 6-8

Difficulty rating  :-0

Tomato and Chicken Soup with Barley

After all the elaborate dishes on Purim, the next thing I made was soup.  This started with finding a can of tomato sauce slightly past its date and evolved into an ingredient-clearing powerhouse.  Because that's what soups do.

I got out all the ingredients I planned to use, but hadn't decided on the flavor profile.  It came as I was reaching for herbs and spices.  I've been cooking almost exclusively Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavors for a few months.  Decided to go French with this one, which is a Mediterranean country.  Tend to forget that.

I decided ahead of time that I wanted more chicken than just the can I had left and simmered up two chicken thighs to shred, which also left me with bone broth.  Once that cooled, I had a topping of chicken fat to use for cooking the onions.  I had planned to use olive oil, but here was some free rendered fat.

*1/2 C dry pearl barley
2 Tb olive oil or *chicken fat
*1 C diced onion
*1/2 small cabbage, thinly sliced (about 1/2 pound)
1 rib celery, diced (or *1 Tb dried leaves)
*1 15 oz can tomato sauce
*1 quart chicken broth
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced, or *1 15 oz can, drained
*2 cans or 4 cups shredded cooked chicken 
*1 tsp dry tarragon
1/4 C chopped parsley, or *1 Tb dried
*1/2 tsp thyme
salt and pepper to taste

1.  Barley takes a while to cook.  Up to 24 hours before, rinse barley and place in a saucepan with 2 C water.  Bring to a low boil.  Cover, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until split and soft, about 30 minutes.  Drain.  Refrigerate if a do-ahead.

2.  Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add diced onion and celery.  Cook until it starts to soften, then add cabbage.  Cover and cook until the cabbage is wilted, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3.  Add tomato sauce, broth, chicken, carrots, tarragon, parsley, and thyme.  Bring to a simmer for 5 minutes.  Taste, then add salt and pepper as needed.  Every broth is different.

4.  Finish by adding barley.  Stir and bring the pot back up to temp.  Serve hot.  Leftovers will be thicker, as the barley will continue to soak up the liquids.

Serves 4 as a main, 6-8 as a starter

Difficulty rating  :)

Farro-Stuffed Onions

This was the most elaborate dish on Purim, so I've saved it for last.  Filling, prep the onions, sauce.  This sort of took me all day, but only because I would do one step, run off and do something else, go back to it for a minute, wash dishes, etc.  Then I got the whole thing assembled and stuck it back in the fridge while I went out to deliver mishloach manot.

This is very similar to the quinoa-stuffed onions I made about a year ago.  Some day I will make them with meat, like you're supposed to.  Ground meat prices are still high enough that I'm considering getting the grinder attachment for the Kitchen Aid.  At about $2 a pound more to get a basic cut ground, I would break even in about a year.  Less, if I ground up an entire turkey.  $6 a pound?  Yes, grinding meat is drama and cleaning up is even worse.  I will have to decide where my priorities lie.

I'm calling two of these a serving, and that's how I plated it for the photos.  With all the dishes I made, I only had one per meal.  It counted as a carb and half a vegan protein.  If you're serving it as a side, you can get away with one per person and a couple of spares for seconds.

For the onions

*1/2 C dry farro
2 onions
*1/2 C chopped walnuts
*1 clove garlic, minced
*2 Tb fresh parsley or 2 tsp dried
*1/2 tsp dried mint
*2 Tb currants
1/4 tsp each allspice, oregano, and pepper
1/2 tsp salt
*1 Tb tomato paste
*1 Tb pomegranate molasses
1 Tb olive oil

For the sauce

*1 C tomato sauce
1/2 C hot water
*1 Tb pomegranate molasses
1 Tb olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

1.  In a small saucepan, bring farro and about 2 cups water to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.  It should be softened but still chewy.  Drain and set aside.

2.  While the farro is cooking, bring a larger saucepan to a boil with about four inches of water in it.  Cut tops and bottoms off of the onions and peel.  Cut once top to bottom into the core, keeping the onion intact.  Set in the boiling water and cook until the onions start to open up, about 10 minutes.  Drain and allow to cool slightly.  Peel off the layers gently.  You should get 4-6 large ones per onion.  The cores may be saved for other uses.  I put one in with the lima beans and diced the other for the freezer.

3.  Add remaining filling ingredients to the par-cooked farro.  Stir to combine.  In a separate bowl, combine sauce ingredients.  If baking right away, preheat oven to 375º.

4.  Spoon about a quarter cup of sauce into the bottom of an 8x8 casserole.  Set an onion layer on a work surface.  Spoon about 2-3 tablespoons of filling onto one side.  Allow the onion to roll itself up around the filling.  Place seam-side down in the pan.  Repeat with all the onion layers and filling.

5.  Pour remaining sauce over the onions.  Cover tightly with foil.  Bake 45 minutes, for the farro to finish cooking.  Remove foil, baste with the sauce, and roast another 15 minutes for the sauce to reduce.  Serve hot.

Serves 4-8

Difficulty rating  :)

Lima Bean & Dill Purée

This Turkish dish is supposed to be made with fava beans.  I tried, I really did.  No dried, no fresh, no frozen.  I was not about to go shopping in Little Persia during Ramadan.  And then the whole Iran thing happened and streets are closed for demonstrations anyway.  So, dried lima beans was my solution.

As a result, I'm making a couple of changes.  The main one is that fava beans apparently cook way faster than limas.  The other change is that my limas did not seem capable of thickening.  I could have made it like a lima version of vichyssoise, and may do that at a later date, but that wasn't what I was going for.  Cornstarch to the rescue.  The rest of the recipe is very similar to the one on Aegean Delight.

The result was what I was expecting.  This is a high protein, high fiber appetizer.  It's light, mildly flavored, and not difficult to make.  Just time consuming.

1 C dry lima beans
*1 small onion, chopped
*2 garlic cloves, minced
*1 Tb lemon juice
1/4 tsp lemon zest
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tb cornstarch
olive oil for the pan
*Fresh dill or dill weed to taste

1.  The night before, soak the beans in 4 cups of water.

2.  Sometime in the morning, drain the beans.  For a very smooth purée, remove the skins.  They should slip right off.  It doesn't have to be tedious; zone out and enjoy the five minutes.  I did it before draining, so I could see the skins when they floated to the surface.

3.  Return the peeled beans to the pot.  Add 1-1/2 C water, the chopped onion, garlic, lemon juice and zest, pepper, and salt.

4.  Bring mixture to a low boil over medium heat.  Boil for 5 minutes, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, until the beans turn to mush.  This could take 1-1/2 to 2 hours.  Remove from heat and let rest 10 minutes.

5.  Stir 1 Tb water together with the cornstarch to make a slurry.  Set aside.  Oil whatever pan you're using to chill the paste.  I did four ramekins.  You could make this in an 8x8 if you're planning to serve slices.  Mine was in use at the time.

 

6.  Pour purée back into saucepan.  If desired, stir in 1/2 tsp of dill now.  Add cornstarch slurry and stir to combine, then turn on the heat again.  Bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly, and cook until thickened, about two minutes.

7.  Pour into prepared pan or ramekins.  Chill at least 4 hours.

8.  When ready to serve, either slice and plate or turn out onto a serving platter.  Can also be served in individual cups.  Garnish with fresh dill and more olive oil.

Difficulty rating  π