RECIPE: BANANA MUFFINS

Adapted from the Joy of Cooking.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 cup Egg Beaters (or 1 large egg)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2-3 mashed very ripe bananas
6 tbsp. canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla

Whisk together dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk wet ingredients and brown sugar in another bowl. Add to dry ingredients and mix until just blended (batter will be lumpy). Bake at 375 for 18 minutes. Serve as soon as possible, preferably on the day you bake them.

I make muffin batter ahead, scoop into paper-lined muffin tins, and freeze. Once frozen, pop out the muffins and store in a freezer bag. When you want fresh muffins, just bake as many as you need. Add about 5 minutes to the baking time.

RECIPE: GOODEST PANCAKES

Another Joy of Cooking favorite. (If you don't have the Joy of Cooking, run, don't walk, to the bookstore and get it. I prefer the 1997 edition.)

Preheat a griddle to 350 degrees.

1 1/2 cups flour
3 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups buttermil
3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted (I use EarthBalance vegan margarine and it does not affect the taste)
2 eggs (or 1/2 cup Egg Beaters)
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Whisk together dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk together wet ingredients in another bowl, then add to dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. I use a 1/4 cup measure to drop onto griddle. Makes about 12-15 pancakes. We freeze the leftovers for school-morning breakfasts.

RECIPE: PUMPKIN PANCAKES

I first had these at a girls weekend of high school friends several years ago. I started making them for winter breakfasts at holidays and my kids and nieces and nephews all love them. I discovered this time around that they taste just as good with Egg Beaters and whole wheat flour.

1 1/2 cups skim milk

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 egg (or 1/4 cup egg beaters)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons vinegar

2 cups all-purpose flour (or white whole wheat flour - I used King Arthur's)

3 tablespoons brown sugar        

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

In a bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt in a separate bowl. Stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine.

Heat an electric griddle to 350. Pour onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. 

I serve these with real maple syrup and chopped pecans. Butter is good too, if you can have it, but it isn't necessary. The pumpkin makes the pancake itself so creamy.

RECIPE: PUMPKIN CINNAMON BREAD WITH RUM GLAZE

This is my first attempt at a yeast dough and I have Sunny Side Up in San Diego to thank for the great recipe and instructions. It was easy to follow and allowed me to succeed in baking (that doesn't happen much)! We all loved this, and Owen pronounced it "epic." Not much more I can say. Make this.

For the bread

2 tbsp unsalted butter (in the parlance of the American Heart Association, “acceptable stick margarine.” I used I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter. I can, though)

1/2 cup skim milk

2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast

3/4 cup pumpkin puree

1/4 cup white sugar

1 tsp salt

2 1/2 cups bread flour

1 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg

2 tbsp unsalted butter (or more margarine)

For the glaze

2 Tbsp unsalted butter (again, I used margarine)

1/8 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 tbsp skim milk

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tbsp rum or 1 tsp vanilla

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, brown 2 tablespoons of butter, letting it bubble up and turn a dark golden brown but being careful not to allow it burn. (If you are using margarine, as I did, it will not brown. Just melt it.) Remove from the heat and slowly add the milk. Return to stove and heat through.

Pour the milk and butter into the bowl of standing mixer (fitted with a dough hook) and allow to cool slightly (about 100-110 degrees F). Add the yeast and 1/4 cup of sugar and allow to proof (this can take up to 8 minutes, the top will look foamy and the liquid cloudy).

Then add the pumpkin, salt, and 1 cup of flour. Stir until combined then add the rest of the flour 1/2 cup at a time and knead for 6 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic and just slightly sticky. If the dough is too moist, add extra flour 1 tablespoon at a time. (I had to add a lot, but I think that’s a result of using margarine instead of butter.)

Move dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean towel. Allow to rise in a warm place for 60-90 minutes or until doubled in size.

While dough is rising, brown another 2 tablespoons of butter (or melt if margarine). Add the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix well. Set aside. Next, grease and flour a 9x5 loaf pan and set aside.

When the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and flip out onto a clean floured surface and knead with hands for 1-2 minutes. Roll dough into a 20x12 inch rectangle.

Evenly sprinkle the dough with the cinnamon sugar mixture and press into dough with palms of the hand. Cut the rectangle into 6 strips. Lay strips on top of each other and cut each strip into 6 even squares. Stack strips vertically into the loaf pan. (I wish I had taken photos of this because it took a while to figure this out – a visual would have helped!)

Cover the pan with a clean towel and let rise for 30-45 minutes. Preheat the oven 350 degrees. After rising in the pan, bake for 30-40 minutes or until top is a very deep golden brown.

To prepare the glaze, heat the butter/margarine, milk, and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to boil then immediately remove the pan from the heat and stir in the rum and powdered sugar.

I figured out the fat content of this but did not want to know the calories. It is low-fat, but definitely not diet food! If you make it with margarine, it is only 0.5 grams of saturated fat per piece!

RECIPE: HUEVOS RANCHEROS

Serves 4

28 oz. can plum tomatoes, lightly drained

2-5 serrano peppers, depending on your spiciness preference, stemmed and coarsely chopped

1/2 small yellow or white onion, chopped

1 large clove garlic, chopped

1 tbsp. canola oil

Salt to taste

Refried Black Beans (recipe below)

4 eggs

2 tbsp. feta cheese, crumbled

Tortilla chips*

 

To make sauce: place tomates, serranos, onion, and garlic in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil over medium-high heat. When very hot, add the sauce (which will sizzle) and cook, stirring, until the sauce is bright orange-red and thickened. Add salt to taste.** The sauce can be made a day ahead.

To assemble: make the refried beans (recipe below), or reheat if made ahead. Put some beans on a plate and make a hollow for the eggs. Fry or scramble your eggs any way you like them. Add eggs and top with sauce and cheese. Serve chips on the side of the plate. 

Refried Black Beans

1 tsp. canola oil

14 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. dried oregano

salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil over medium-high heat. Add beans and stir to coat with oil. Add cumin and oregano and stir and mash until heated through and the consistency you prefer. Add water or vegetable stock as needed to achieve desired creaminess. Add salt and pepper to taste (up to 1/2 tsp, but consider the whole plate as described above).

* To make this heart-healthy, either use baked chips, warm corn tortillas, or just skip the chips altogether. You could skip the cheese too, though in small amounts feta is not that bad for you.

**I had to add almost a 1/2 tsp. of salt, but check the saltiness of your chips before seasoning your sauce. I have had the overall dish turn out too salty because I made the sauce "just right" and didn't consider the chips.