Peanut Butter, Banana, and Oat Milkshake

makes about 2 1/2 cups.  one large or two small portions

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2 cups cold almond milk (soy or regular milk would also be delicious)

1 banana, cut into chunks (frozen is ideal) (definitely peel the banana… like, for sure.)

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 heaping teaspoon honey

1 tablespoon flax seeds, ground into meal

2 teaspoon old fashioned oats, ground fine

In a spice grinder, pulverize flax seeds and oats into a fine powder.  My spice grinder is just my coffee grinder really well cleaned out.

In a blender combine almond milk, banana, peanut butter, honey, and ground flax and oats.  Blend until no banana chunks remain, and the mixture is thoroughly incorporated.  Pour into a glass and enjoy immediately.

Vegan Mango Banana Bread

makes one 9×5-inch loaf

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3 medium or 2 large ripe bananas

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 ripe mango, sliced into chunks

granulated sugar for topping

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease and flour a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.

In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas well. Add the sugar, oil, and vanilla extract, and whisk briskly to incorporate.

Sift in the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. Use a wooden spoon to mix until the wet and dry ingredients are just combined.  Fold in mango chunks.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and sprinkle with extra sugar if you’d like.  Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. The top should be lightly browned and a knife inserted through the center should come out clean, or with just a few crumbs.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 20 minutes before transferring out of a pan and onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Banana bread will last, wrapped at room temperature, for up to 5 days… but it’s super delicious eaten within a few days.

Brown Butter Banana Strawberry Bread

makes 1 9×5-inch loaf

inspired by The Amateur Gourmet

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6 ounces unsalted butter, melted and browned to just over 1/2 cup of butter

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup plain yogurt (any fat content) or buttermilk

1 1/4 cup mashed banana (from about 3 medium bananas)

1/2 cup diced strawberries plus 1 strawberry very thinly sliced, for topping

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan and set aside.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Butter will begin to foam and crackle as it melts.  When the crackling subsides, the butter will begin to brown.  Swirl the pan as the butter cooks.  When the butter browns and begins to smell nutty, remove the pan from the flame and transfer the butter to a small bowl.  Taking the butter out of the hot saucepan will stop the butter from overcooking and burning.  Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, vanilla extract, and yogurt or buttermilk.  Whisk in the mashed bananas.  When butter has cooled, whisk in the browned butter.

Add the wet ingredients, all at once to the dry ingredients.  Fold together, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to reveal any hidden pockets of flour.  Fold in the diced strawberries.  Fold together ingredients, but try not to over stir.

Spoon batter into prepared pan and top with thinly sliced strawberries.   Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.  Remove from the oven and allow to rest in the pan for 15 minutes, before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Bread will last 4 days, well wrapped at room temperature.  This loaf also freezes well.

Butterscotch Pudding with Caramelized Bananas and Cream

serves 4 to 6 people

recipe adapted from David Lebovitz

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For the Pudding:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup dark brown sugar

3/4 teaspoons salt

3 tablespoons cornstarch

2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 tablespoon whisky (optional, but dang delicious)

For the Bananas:

2 to 3 ripe but firm bananas, sliced about 1/3″ thick, at an angel

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

scant 1/4 cup dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons whisky (optional, but delicious)

For the Whipped Cream:

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

3 tablespoons powdered sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 teaspoons whisky (again… optional, but delicious)

about 8 graham crackers, coarsely crumbled

Melt butter in a medium saucepan  I used a saucepan with a rounded bottom, which helped keep any pudding bits from getting over cooked and curdled in the corners of the pan during the whisking phase.  If you have a big enough pan with a slightly rounded bottom, go for it!  If not… totally not the end of the world.

Add brown sugar to the melted butter and whisk together to ensure that all of the brown sugar is moistened by the  butter.  The mixture will be grainy.  That’s ok.  Remove the pan from the flame.

In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch, salt and 1/4 cup of milk.  Make sure there are no cornstarch lumps in the mixture.  Whisk in the eggs.

Return the sugar and butter mixture to a medium-low flame.  Pour in the milk, cream and cornstarch mixture.  Whisk almost constantly as the mixture heats.  The mixture will thicken just as it starts to simmer.  Allow to simmer, whisking constantly, until the pudding is the thickness of warm hot fudge sauce.  Pass the pudding through a fine mesh strainer and into a bowl.  Stir in the vanilla extract and whisky. Cover the pudding with plastic wrap, directly on top of the pudding, and allow to cool and thicken in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Once the pudding is thickened, caramelize the bananas.

Melt butter in a small sauce pan.  Add banana slices in a single layer and top with brown sugar.  Allow bananas to brown on one side.  Flip bananas, cook down the sugar, and allow bananas to brown on the other side.  This took me about 4 to 5 minutes.  Remove pan from the flame and drizzle in about 2 teaspoons of whisky.  The pan will sizzle a bit.  Use this sizzling time to remove the bananas and sugar from the pan and place on a plate to cool slightly before using.

While the bananas cool, whip together cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and whisky.  Whip until soft peaks form.

In 4 or 6 small serving dishes, add a few spoonfuls of pudding.  Top with a few banana spices, crumbled graham crackers and whipped cream.  Repeat layering once more.  Serve immediately or place in the fridge if necessary.  Graham crackers will lose their crunch if they sit in the pudding in the fridge… just so you know.

Kale Spinach and Pear Smoothie

inspired by Tracy.  Thanks Tracy!

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1 heaping cup spinach leaves

1 heaping cup chopped kale leaves

1/2 pear

1 frozen banana

1 1/2 cups cold almond milk (or soy milk or orange juice)

1 tablespoon honey

Remove kale leaves from their rough center stalk and coarsely chop.  In a blender, combine kale spinach and almond milk.  Blend until no big kale bits remain.  Stop blender and add banana honey and pear.  Blend until smooth.  Enjoy immediately.  Heck yea!

Banana Bourbon Bread Pudding

adapted heavily from Sweets

serves 8 in a 9×13-inch pan

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10 slices of white bread, toasted and sliced in half diagonally

1/2 stick (4 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened

3 eggs

2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup granulated sugar (brown sugar would also be great)

generous pinch of salt

3 Tablespoons bourbon

1/2 teaspoon banana extract

2 bananas, sliced

2 Tablespoon granulated sugar, for topping

1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon, for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter a 9×13-inch pan and set aside.

Lightly toast 10 slices of white bread and butter each slice.  Cut each slice of bread in half diagonally.  Layer bread slices in pan, butter side up so that the bread tips are pointing upwards.

In a small sauce pan, heat the milk and sugar just until the sugar is dissolved.

Whip the eggs and pour the warmed milk mixture over the eggs while whisking the eggs thoroughly.

Add bourbon and banana extract.  Pour the custard over the bread slices.  Add banana slices to the bread pudding, placing them in between the bread slices and deep into the custard.  Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the custard is set.  Remove from the oven and sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar.  Let cool to room temperature before serving.

Strawberry Banana Cream Pie
adapted from Dorie Greenspan

recipe makes 1 9-inch pie

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for the filling:
2 cups whole milk
6 large egg yolks
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch, sifted
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 ripe bananas, sliced
10 fresh strawberries, sliced

for the topping:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

for the tart crust, if not using mini Dufour shells:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick plus 1 tablespoons (9 tablespoons) unsalted cutter, cold or frozen, cut into cubes
1 large egg yolk

to make the tart crust:
Put the flour, powdered sugar and salt in a food processor fit the the blade attachment. Pulse a few times to combine. Scatter the pieces of cold butter over the dry ingredients and pulse until the butter is coarsely cut in. There will be pieces of butter that are the size of oatmeal flakes and butter the size of peas. Beat the egg yolk with a fork and add a little of the egg yolk at a time to the flour mixture. Pulse for 10 seconds at a time. When the egg is in, process in longer pulses until the dough forms clumps and curds. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and, very lightly and sparingly, knead the dough just to incorporate any dry ingredients that may have escaped mixing.

Butter a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough evenly over the bottom and the sides of the pan. Press the crust so that the pieces cling to one another, but not so hard that the crust loses its crumbly texture. Freeze the crust for at least 30 minutes before baking.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter the shiny side of a piece of foil and fit the foil, butter side down, tightly against the frozen crust. Put the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil. If the crust is puffed, gently press it down with your fingers.
Bake the uncovered crust for 8 to 10 more minutes on the baking sheet. Keep an eye on the crust. It will brown quickly.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before filling.

to make the filling:
Bring the milk to a boil in a small saucepan.

In a large, heavy-bottom saucepan, whisk the yolks together with the brown sugar, cornstarch and salt until well blended and thick. Whisking without stopping, drizzle about 1/4 cup of the hot milk into the egg mixture, warming the eggs so they don’t cook and curdle. Still whisking, slowly add the rest of the hot milk in a steady steam.

Place the pan over medium heat and, whisking constantly (make sure to get the edges of the pan), bring the mixture to a boil. Boil, still whisking for one minute before removing from the pan from the heat. Mixture will be thick and silky. Be warned, once the mixture starts to boil, it will thicken very quickly. Don’t be afraid to remove the pan from the flame to whisk it smooth.

Whisk in the vanilla extract. Let stand for 5 minutes then whisk in the butter, stirring until fully incorporated and the custard is smooth and silky. Transfer custard to a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap so that the plastic touches the surface of the custard and refrigerate until cold throughout. Custard can be refrigerated up to three days.

When ready to assemble the pie, slice bananas and strawberries into thin, round slices.
Whisk the cold custard to loosen. Add a handful of banana slices. Stir.
Arrange a thin layer of banana slices on the bottom of the tart shell. Arrange a thin layer of strawberries atop the bananas. Reserve some strawberries for topping the pie. Top with banana custard. Smooth out a refrigerate while you make the whipped cream.

for the topping:
With a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat heave cream until it just starts to thicken. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Continue to beat until the cream holds stiff peaks. With a rubber spatula, spoon whipped cream onto banana cream pie filling. Top with sliced strawberries.

Serve pie immediately or refrigerate for several hours before serving. This pie is best served the day it is made, but also isn’t too shabby the next day for a breakfast treat.

Mini Chocolate Dipped Bananas

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3 firm but ripe bananas

9- 12 wooden popsicle sticks or lollipop sticks

2 cups chocolate chips or chunks, melted

1/2 cup nuts of your choice, pulverized in the food processor or finely chopped.

Peel three firm bananas and slice each banana into thirds or fourths.  Each banana slice should be about 3 inches tall.

Place wooden sticks or lollipop sticks through the center of one end of the banana slice, about 2 inches deep.

Place of a tray or plate, making sure that the bananas do not touch, cover with plastic wrap and freeze for four hours, or overnight.

Using a food processor, pulse the nuts until they are chopped very fine.  You can also do this by hand, it just takes a bit longer.  Place in a bowl and set aside for the dipping.

Melt chocolate over a double boiler.  Simmer 3 inches of water in a pot, place the chocolate in a heat proof bowl and, once the water is simmering, place the bowl of chocolate over the simmering water.  The water should not touch the bottom of the bowl.  Stir the chocolate pieces  occasionally until they’re all melted.

Remove bananas from the freezer, dip in chocolate, roll in nuts and place on a foil lined baking sheet.  When all the bananas are dipped, return to the freezer for 30 minutes to harden.  Once hard, wrap individually in plastic wrap and store in the freezer until you’re ready to snack on them.  Yum!  I think they’re best eaten when thawed at room temperature for about 7 minutes.

Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie

adapted from Martha Stewart, but mostly from me.

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For the Crust:

1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

3 tablespoons sugar

pinch of salt

1/2 stick (4 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted

For the Chocolate Layer:

2 ounces of dark chocolate, melted over a double boiler

For the Peanut Butter Layer:

3/4 cup homemade peanut butter, or the jarred stuff, chunky or smooth as you see fit

For the Banana Layer:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 large egg yolks

2 cups whole milk

2 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter

3 ripe bananas, thinly sliced

For the Whipped Cream Layer:

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

2 teaspoons powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

To make the crust, stir the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and salt together in a medium bowl.  Pour over the melted butter and stir until all of the dry ingredients are uniformly moist.  I use my fingers.  Turn the ingredients into a 9-inch pie pan and pat with your fingers to create an even layer of crumbs of the bottom and up the sides of the pie pan.

Put the pan in the freezer while you preheat the oven.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Once heated, place the pie crust on the center rack of the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes.  Remove from oven and set crust aside to cool.

For the chocolate layer, put two inches of water in a medium sauce pan, once simmering, place a larger bowl with the 2 ounces of chocolate in it over the simmering water.  Melt the chocolate in this double boiler situation.  Once cooled, pour into the baked graham cracker crust and spread around with a spatula.  Place in the refrigerator to cool and harden.

Prepare the peanut butter.  Once the chocolate is cooled, spread the peanut butter over the melted and hardened chocolate.

To prepare the banana filling, combine granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a bowl. Add egg yolks, and whisk until smooth. Bring milk to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup milk to yolk mixture in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly. Pour mixture into pan with hot milk, and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture begins to bubble and is very thick, about 6 minutes.  Make sure to keep an eye on this and whisk constantly over a low flame.  The cornstarch will make the mixture thicken quickly.

Pour milk mixture through a large-mesh sieve into a bowl. Add butter, and stir until melted. Fold in bananas. Pour into crust. Place plastic wrap directly on surface of filling to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Make the topping: Beat together cream, sugar, and vanilla until soft peaks form. Spread whipped cream over filling. Using a rubber spatula or the back of a spoon, shape topping into peaks.

Make chocolate shavings:  Carefully run a sharp knife along the back side of a dark chocolate bar towards yourself.  Quickly sprinkle the shavings on the top of the pie.  It’s that easy!