BANANA CHOCOLATE CHIPS MUFFINS

This was the recipe for the banana chocolate cupcakes. I added te amount of Banana and used 3 large bananas instead. I also used 60% chocolate ( semi-sweet) instead and added about 1 cup of chopped walnuts. Love you !!

You can view the complete recipe online at: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/101020

Banana-Chocolate Chip Muffins
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large)
1 large egg
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line twelve 1/3-cup muffin cups with foil muffin liners. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Mix mashed bananas, egg, melted butter and milk in medium bowl. Stir banana mixture into dry ingredients just until blended (do not overmix). Stir in chocolate chips.

Divide batter among prepared muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake muffins until tops are pale golden and tester inserted into center comes out with some melted chocolate attached but no crumbs, about 32 minutes. Transfer muffins to rack; cool.

Bon Appétit
March 1999
1999-02-19 00:00:00.0 

BROCCOLINI SALAD

1 lb / 16 oz / 450 g baby broccoli / broccolini, trimmed, and each stalk halved if you like
3 bunches scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 small serrano chile pepper, deveined, seeded and minced (opt)
1/2 cup / 120 ml extra virgin olive oil
fine grain sea salt
3 big handfuls of big, rustic croutons
a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
1 cup / 4 oz / 115 g sliced almonds, toasted
4 - 6 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, torn into big chunks

Fill a big pot with water and bring to a boil. Salt the water well and cook the broccolini briefly, about a minute, or long enough to take a bit of the snap out of the stalks. Drain, run under cold water to stop the cooking, and pat dry with a clean cloth. Set aside.
Combine the scallions, serrano pepper, olive oil, and a couple pinches of salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a sizzle, stirring all the while, and remove from heat. Stir in a squeeze of lemon juice.
To assemble the salad, just before serving, place the broccolini and croutons in a large serving bowl. Scoop about 1/2 of the green onions into the bowl, allowing most of the oil to drain off. Toss well and continue to add more green onions until everything is coated to your liking. Have a taste at this point to get a sense of whether you need to adjust the seasoning at all - with more salt or lemon juice. Add the almonds and toss, then one last (gentle) toss after adding the mozzarella.
Use the leftover oil (refrigerate) to cook eggs, drizzled over potatoes, drizzled into soup, etc.

Serves: 4-6 people
Can be a full meal if you ad boiled eggs.

SQUID WITH GINGER-SOY SAUCE MARINADE

Recipe by Tadashi Ono, executive chef of Matsuri in New York City

My husband found this recipe, and I copied in my blog, to have it for the Summer BBQ season. I will ad the picture asa I made it.  

What you’ll need:
1 pound small squid (bodies and tentacles), cleaned
½ cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
3 Tbsp mirin

How to make it:
1. In a large bowl, mix together the soy sauce, ginger, and mirin. Reserve ½ cup of the marinade. Add the squid in the meaning liquid, turning gently to coat. Marinate the squid for 10 minutes at room temperature, turning once.
2. Preheat a grill to direct, high heat (or white-hot charcoals). Grill the squid until opaque*, about four minutes total, flipping every 30 seconds and brushing with the reserved marinade. Serve immediately (shown here topped with black sesame seeds, chopped chives and grilled baby eggplant with Sriracha). Serves 4.

*Japanese pushcart vendors usually grill on a mesh-type grill grate with smaller slots than the typical American grill. If you’re grilling squid tentacles, they may slip through the cracks of the grill. To prevent this, cook the tentacles in a cast iron skillet or skewer them first. Or you can skip the tentacles and just pick up the bodies from your seafood counter or fishmonger. 

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DARAZSFESZEK OTTHONI MODRA

Gyermekkorom egyik kedvenc tesztaja.  Szinte latom a nagy tesztastalat letakarva, ahonnan kigyozik felem a mindent elmoso, mindent bevono fenseges vanilias cukros sult kottesteszta illata. Ami kicsi akarat van bennem az is eltunik. Csak eppen bekukkintok az asztalkendo ala, mondom magamnak, de az  illat es a szep piros, tetejen ropogosra sult felcsavart tesztak latvanya tul sok s gyorsan kiemelek eggyet, s elfutok a haz oldalahoz ahol apro kis darabokra torve, -hogy tovabb tartson az elvezet-, lassan megeszem.  Miutan ferhezmentem en is sokszor megsutom, de soha sem tudom olyan finomra, szajba olvadora sutni mint a nagymamam es edesanyam darazsfeszke.  Nagyon buszke es boldog vagyok mert a kislanyom is megsutotte az elso darazsfeszket es  nagyon finomra sikerult. Ezeket a fenykepeket o keszitette az elso probalkozasarol.  

hozzavalok a tesztahoz :

21/2 dg  (21g; ...tbsp) eleszto

4 -5 evokanal (4 - 5 tbsp) tej

1/2 kg (...cup) liszt

5 db tojassargaja

10 dg (100g; ...cup) cukor

... a keneshez:

25 dg (250g; ...cup) vaj

30 dg (300g; ...cup) cukor

.... a locsolashoz:

1/2 l (2 cup) tej 

1 kanal (1 tbsp) erosen vanilias cukor

Egy cseszebe beleontunk 4 - 5 evokanal langyos tejet egy kiskanal cukrot es az elesztot. Konnyeden osszekavarjuk es hagyjuk hogy az eleszto felfusson. 

A lisztet osszegyurjuk a tojassargakkal, cukorral, felfuttatott elesztovel, ha szukseges meg egy kis tejjel, hogy nyujthato legyen. 

Azonnal kinyujtjuk, 

rakenjuk a cukorral osszekavart

vajat es felsodorjuk:

3 cm szeles csigakra vagjuk,es a tepsibe letakarva megkelesztjuk:

Forro sutobe (160C; 370F) tesszuk es sutes kozben gyakran locsolva raontjuk a vanilias tejet. Mikor szep barnaspiros a teteje kivesszuk, 5 percig allni hagyjuk a tepsibe, utanna tesztastalra rakjuk es egy tiszta konyharuhaval letakarva hulni hagyjuk.

LAMB SOUP WITH TARRAGON

I always associated lamb soup with the arrival of Spring.  The taste of young lamb meat and fresh tarragon combined it brings me still the feeling of renewal, new start, sunshine and happiness.  

Ingredients:
1kg- bony part of the lamb (neck, tail etc)
1 tbsp fresh tarragon (1/2 tbsp dried tarragon)
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp flour
Egg (optional)
Milk
Vinegar (vinegar with tarragon if you have)
Sour cream (to serve)

Directions:
Wash lamb meat and place in a large soup pot. Cover the meat with water. Add tarragon, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat until the meat is cooked through. While the meat is cooking, mix together 1tbsp flour with enough water to create a smooth paste. A raw egg may be added at this step (optional). Slow add some of the hot liquid from the soup to the mixture and stir. Add enough liquid to dilute the paste completely. Once the meat is cooked add the flour/milk mixture to the pot and bring the soup to a boil. Add some vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Serve with sour cream.

SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH LAMB

This is a traditional Easter recipe from Transylvania; we always had it Easter morning.  We started to talk about it weeks before Easter; If we will be able to found the right meat, fresh eggs; and how tasty it will be. I can not imagine Easter without it. I am very happy that my daughter, - living in North America-,  is keeping this tradition alive.    

 Ingredients:
1 kg Lamb ribs/ lamb meat ( the best meat is usually on the bone - pieces should be about 1-2 inches long)
Vinegar (optional)
Oil
4 eggs
Milk (optional)
2-3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

Mix hot water with a few tablespoons of vinegar, pour over the meat. This should remove the lamb smell. Wash the meat in cold water. Remove any fat from the meat, and sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet and add lamb meat. You may pour 1-2 tbsp of water under the meat if it starts to burn. While the meat is cooking, in a bowl whisk eggs and parsley ( and 1-2 tbsp of milk - optional). Pour over the meat and cook until done.

HERB CREAM CHEESE RECIPE

In this recipe, I use the fresh herbs for a sprightly spread. This cheese is simple to make, less expensive than store-bought herb cheeses, and better-tasting. The touch of vinegar makes it less cloying by adding acidity. Herb lovers will find this a versatile spread—it is good on sandwiches and crackers, great on baked potatoes, and when thinned with a little milk it can be used as a tasty dip. My favorite use is on a sandwich of whole wheat sourdough baguette, liberally spread with this cream cheese, slices of summer-ripe tomatoes with salt and pepper, and a handful of arugula and/or baby lettuce—yum! HERB CREAM CHEESE RECIPE MAKES ABOUT 2 1/2 CUPS
• 1 pound cream cheese at room temperature
• 2 to 3 tablespoons half-and-half or milk
• 10 parsley sprigs, minced
• 4 or 5 marjoram sprigs, minced
• 4 or 5 fennel or dill sprigs, minced
• 4 or 5 savory sprigs, minced
• About 2 teaspoons fresh lavender flowers
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• About 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon herb or white wine vinegar, optional
1. Cream the cheese, adding half-and-half or milk if the cheese is dry. Add herbs, garlic, salt, cayenne and vinegar, if desired. Blend well, cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Adjust the seasoning with more garlic or herbs, salt or cayenne pepper. The Herb Cream Cheese Recipe improves in flavor after a day and may be kept for 4 to 5 days tightly covered and refrigerated.

ITALIAN HERB BLEND RECIPE

This herb blend can be added fresh or dried to almost any Italian dish, from appetizers and vegetables to sauces and main courses, garlic bread, even salad dressing. Basil and Italian oregano are essentials to this blend. If you don’t have the sweet Italian oregano (Origanum ×majoricum), then you will need to add a generous amount of sweet marjoram to balance out the pungency of a hotter oregano. Thyme adds a savory quality and sweetness, while rosemary adds a bit of piney resin to the blend. Some Italians might add a small amount of fennel seed.

This is the mix to use in tomato sauce and minestrone; it is perfecto for pasta, especially puttanesca; delicious in or on polenta and risotto; or used in a marinade or as a garnish for grilled vegetables, poultry or fish. Try combining this Italian Herb Blend Recipe with bread crumbs and olive oil and heaping it on halved tomatoes or onions, baked in a 350-degree oven until golden brown. Add some to olive oil, along with a clove of minced garlic and use it to dip artichokes or warm bread.

ITALIAN HERB BLEND RECIPE MAKES 1/2 CUP
• About 2 1/2 tablespoons oregano leaves
• About 2 1/2 tablespoons basil leaves
• About 1 generous tablespoon marjoram leaves

PERSILLADE

This quick French garnish is very similar to the Italian gremolata.
 It adds pungency at the very end of cooking a dish and is often added and mixed with the pan juices. It can be heated briefly in olive oil or butter, or simply used as a garnish.
Often, a steamed or sautéed vegetable is tossed with the persillade (păhr-sēē-yăhd) and allowed to stand, covered, for a few minutes to permeate the dish.
Use it with grilled or steamed vegetables, especially beets, cauliflower and potatoes.
 I like it in egg dishes like a frittata or omelet, added toward the end of cooking.
The mixture is good on raw tomatoes or a plate of cucumbers, drizzled with a little olive oil. It brightens a pizza or bowl of pasta and is perfect for grilled or pan-fried fish or fowl.
Although it is most often made with garlic and parsley, I like it best with shallots in place of the garlic; it is a bit milder yet still piquant. It makes a perfect compound butter.
The French sometimes add other herbs like chervil, savory, thyme or tarragon to their persillade.

PERSILLADE RECIPE MAKES 1/2 CUP
• Scant 1/2 cup fresh minced parsley
• 2 cloves minced garlic or 1 large shallot, minced—about 1 to 2 tablespoons

GREMOLATA

This Italian herbal blend is always prepared from fresh ingredients and is a combination of flat-leaf parsley, garlic and lemon zest. It is most often used as a garnish—the finishing touch to a dish—rather than being cooked in it. Traditionally, it is served over osso buco, however I enjoy gremolata (greh-mōh-lăh-tăh) on any steamed or grilled vegetable, especially with baked potatoes—and as a garnish on pasta or risotto. It enlivens pasta, potato, rice or grain salads, and is also good with fish and fowl. Wait until you taste it on oven-roasted potatoes or winter squash!
Generally, the amounts of the three ingredients are fairly equal, but you may want to use more parsley, and less garlic and lemon zest. I think of this as a peasant-style garnish and sort of rough-chop it; for a more refined garnish, you might finely mince the ingredients. 
Prepare this garnish just before serving. Rough-chop the garlic with a sharp knife. Add parsley and coarsely chop garlic and parsley together.
Add lemon zest and chop just a bit to combine the ingredients. Serve Gremolata Recipe immediately, using it as a last-minute addition to your favorite vegetable dish, or as the tradition—a flavorful garnish for pasta or risotto. GREMOLATA RECIPE MAKES 1/2 CUP
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup parsley leaves
• About 1 tablespoon lemon zest

HERBES-DE-PROVENCE

This well-known herb blend from Provence is sold worldwide in little clay crockery pots and is fairly expensive.
The five herbs included in this French favorite are fennel, basil, savory, thyme and lavender flowers; some blends also include marjoram or oregano, dill, rosemary or tarragon.
 I pretty much stick to the five, though sometimes I add marjoram. Use either green or bronze fennel. My favorite basil is Genoa green, but any green bush variety will do. For this mix, I choose summer over winter savory, although both add a pungent herb flavor. Provençal and French thyme are the appropriate choices here, although English and lemon thyme are quite good also. Any of the lavender flowers are edible, but the foliage is not. I have found that hyssop is added to this blend on occasion.

Use this Herbes de Provence Recipe blend sparingly as it is full of flavor; it is especially good with cheeses and eggs, and is used in sauces, with pizza and pasta, fish stews, marinades, and with lamb and poultry. I make this and use it fresh when the herbs are in season for bright flavor, or I combine the dried herbs to make a blend for year-round use.

 HERBES DE PROVENCE RECIPE MAKES 1/4 CUP
• 1 tablespoon basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon marjoram leaves
• 1 tablespoon savory leaves
• 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon lavender flowers
• 1 teaspoon cracked fennel seed

BONNES HERBES

This Parisian mélange is neglected as a seasoning in the United States. A delightful French herb mix of the summer, mostly annual herbs, bonnes herbes (bohn āirbs) is often used as a fresh garnish or added shortly before serving. It is prepared with equal proportions of the herbs, but you can adjust it to suit your taste.

Bonnes herbes adds appeal to any salad, from potato and egg to pasta and rice, and is delicious in salad dressing.
It enlivens chicken or fish—in salads, oven-roasted, pan-seared or from the grill. I enjoy it as a garnish on steamed or grilled eggplant, summer squash, green beans and tomatoes.

Although I love a soft scrambled egg with fines herbes, I believe that this Bonnes Herbes Recipe wins out as the favorite for the perfect savory egg dish.

 BONNES HERBES RECIPE MAKES ABOUT 1/3 CUP
• 1 tablespoon minced basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon minced chervil leaves
• 1 tablespoon snipped chives
• 1 tablespoon minced dill sprigs
• 1 tablespoon minced tarragon leaves
• Fresh ground white pepper

FINE HERBES

Fines herbes (fēēn āirbs) are more often used fresh than dried, though they can be easily dried. These herbs provide a lovely flavor combination that is tasty in salads and with light fare when used fresh. When dried, they don’t have as much of an impact. This blend of chervil, chives, parsley and tarragon is full of fresh flavor. Use common chives, or garlic chives, if desired, and either flat-leaf or curly parsley. When it comes to the tarragon, only French tarragon is good for culinary purposes. If you can’t grow tarragon, use Mexican mint marigold or fennel.
I have seen a few other savory leaves added to this blend, such as salad burnet, marjoram and/or watercress. I like the taste of this Fines Herbes Recipe most especially in scrambled eggs and fresh in salads; in mayonnaise, butters, light cheeses, sauces, vinaigrettes and marinades; in light soups and stocks, court bouillon; and with vegetables. Try the fresh blend above sprinkled over a fresh sliced honeydew melon for a surprisingly lovely flavor combination. FINES HERBES RECIPE MAKES 1 CUP
• 1/4 cup chervil
• 1/4 cup chives
• 1/4 cup parsley
• 1/4 cup tarragon