Banana Gingersnap Trifle

Posted on January 30, 2016 by Sarah

When asked their favorite dessert flavor, how many people immediately stand up and shout,

“BANANA!!”?

Well, except for these guys:

Not being a Minion, I myself wouldn’t typically place banana at the top of my list of dessert options. There are too many other amazing flavors to try, mostly revolving around chocolate. But every great once in awhile, I see a photo (or an article like this “Banana Pudding Recipes That’ll Take You Way Back to Childhood”) that makes banana pudding something I absolutely need to eat, like, immediately. As in, numbers 3, 4, and 7 in that article. NEED. And I didn’t even grow up with banana pudding, so I am clearly not the target market here.

Apparently, according to this oddly exhaustive article on the subject, banana pudding is a traditional Southern dessert, which explains its limited presence in my childhood. Arizona does not count as the South. So when I decided to make a banana pudding-based banana gingersnap trifle for a New Year’s Eve party with some dear friends of ours, I could only hope I would do it right.

Still, I have made many a pudding before, so I had that going for me. See? It’s good to have an arsenal of puddings up your sleeve. Nothing weird about having a microwave chocolate pudding for one recipe memorized. And–here’s a little secret about most banana puddings–there’s nothing actually banana-y about them until you top them with bananas. The pudding itself is basically just an uncomplicated vanilla. I know, we’ve all been lied to.

So, with a lot of past pudding experience and a little kitchen science, this banana gingersnap trifle took shape as a party buffet dessert. Ultimately, it must have been a success, because several people at the party commented on how much they enjoyed it–and who says that about banana desserts? One guy (who I don’t even know) actually interrupted me in a conversation to tell me how delicious it was before he left the party. I take that as a good sign! And I know I would certainly eat it again. A buttery gingersnap crust layered with silky pudding and whipped cream, adorned with the pretty presentation of sliced bananas–what’s not to like?

So I say:

Banana Gingersnap Trifle
A Love Letter to Food Original Recipe

Ingredients:

For the pudding layer:

1/2 c. sugar
3 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
3 egg yolks
1 large egg
1 1/2 c. 2% milk
1/2 c. heavy cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla

For the gingersnap layer:

3/4 c. crushed gingersnap cookies
3/4 c. crushed graham crackers
1/3 c. crushed pecans
1/4 melted butter

For the whipped cream:

1 1/2 c. heavy cream
1 Tbsp. powdered sugar

2 large bananas, sliced thin

Directions:

Make the pudding: in a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, flour, and salt. Add egg yolks and egg and stir to combine, then stir in milk and cream. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently so as not to let it curdle, until the mixture begins to thicken. (A whisk should leave a defined trail in the pudding when it is done.) Transfer to a bowl, cover the surface of the pudding with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least one hour.
Make the gingersnap layer: in a medium bowl, combine gingersnaps, graham crackers, pecans, and butter. Set aside.
Make the whipped cream: in a chilled bowl, beat heavy cream and powdered sugar on high with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form.
Assemble the trifle: in the bottom of a trifle dish, place a layer of gingersnap mixture (about 1/3 of the total mixture). Cover with a layer of half the prepared pudding, then a layer of half the prepared whipped cream. Top with slices of 1 banana. Repeat this layering once more, using another third of the gingersnap mixture, the second half of the pudding, and the second half of the whipped cream. Sprinkle with the remaining third of gingersnap mixture and arrange slices of 1 banana around the edges of the trifle.

Serves about 10.

Vegetable Feta Tart

Posted on January 25, 2016January 5, 2018 by Sarah

Have you ever heard the quote, “I’m not a vegetarian because I love animals. I’m a vegetarian because I hate vegetables?” If it takes you awhile to get it, that’s okay. It took me awhile, too. I have a joke with my husband that’s kind of the inverse of this statement: that because I’m not a dog person–and I mean, like, I’m REALLY not a dog person–I would totally eat dogs if they tasted good. (And who knows? Maybe they do taste good. People eat them in other parts of the world.) To me, it’s no weirder than eating cows or pigs. I’ve never owned a dog, so in my view, they’re just another animal. Maybe it’s because my forebears are from Switzerland, where according to Wikipedia, “cultural attitudes toward slaughtering of animals for meat is traditionally liberal.” Oh, you kooky Swiss!

{If you’re a dog person, I’m sorry. I promise to not eat your dog. I’m not actively trying to eat dogs or anything. Feel free to invite me to your house knowing I’m not wondering what Scamper would taste like with ketchup. Can we still be friends?}

Being a half-time vegetarian, for me, is (obviously) less a moral issue stemming from a desire to do no harm to other creatures and more about my own health and the health of the planet–selfish beast that I am. (Check out my Half-Time Vegetarian post for more info on why it’s a great option for your health, the earth, and your wallet.) That’s why, with 2016 off to a running start, I’m still plugging away at reducing our family’s meat intake. This vegetable tart is a delicious example of a meal whose lack of meat doesn’t bother me one bit. In fact, it’s a meal that reminds me just how delectable vegetables can be when they are pan-roasted and seasoned with just the right blend of spices. When I made this for my kids the other night before my husband and I headed out for dinner at a restaurant, I had to hold myself back from spoiling my appetite by eating too much of it. Fork-tender red potatoes and delicately caramelized zucchini and cauliflower in a pastry wrapper–be still, my half-veggie heart!

So, even though you may chuckle at the thought of someone eating vegetarian because they want to end the natural lives of vegetables, I doubt anyone can eat this meal and claim they hate vegetables. I dare any veggie-hater to try it see what I mean!

P.S. While we’re here, I’ma throw in some more vegetarian humor…

Vegetable Feta Tart
(Inspired by Real Simple)

Ingredients:

1 store-bought or homemade pie crust
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 zucchini, halved and diced into half-moons
1/2 shallot, thinly sliced
1 1/2 c. cauliflower, diced into small florets
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
2 oz. crumbled feta cheese
1 medium red potato, halved and thinly sliced

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add zucchini, shallot, and cauliflower and sauté until brown spots of caramelization begin to appear, about 6-8 minutes. Add salt, pepper, basil, and thyme and cook 1 additional minute. Stir in feta and potato and remove from heat.
Place a piece of parchment paper on a rimless baking sheet. Roll pie crust out on paper to a 12-inch diameter. Spoon the feta-vegetable mixture into the crust, leaving a 1.5-inch border around the outside. Fold the outer edges of the crust over onto the vegetables.
Bake until crust is golden brown and potatoes are tender, about 50-60 minutes. (Check after 50 and return to oven if needed.)

Serves 4.

In-Home Yoga Ladies’ Night

Posted on January 20, 2016August 26, 2016 by Sarah

Years ago when my kids were younger, I must have been complaining to an older mom about my lack of close friends, because I remember her saying, “Don’t worry. When your kids get to be school age, they’ll start to make friends for you.” I mainly remember this statement because I totally didn’t believe it. Like, what? I had no confidence that I would want to be friends with my kids’ friends’ parents. Hey, I love my kids and I believe they mostly choose good friends, but it doesn’t mean I’m gonna jive with the parental units. But lo and behold, my seasoned mom friend was right: now that my kids are older, I have begun establishing friendships with their friends’ parents.

It started several months ago, when my friend Sally, whose son goes to school with my son, suggested some of us first grade moms should get together for a monthly ladies’ night. Since September, the six of us have gone to a couple of wine bars and even tried line dancing at a place called Bourbon Jack’s (which was actually not as campy as it sounds–we made it out without getting hit on by any cowboys or ridiculed for not wearing snakeskin boots). This month it was my turn to plan our monthly get-together. I decided to deviate a little from our norm and suggested an event I’ve hosted in the past and have wanted to repeat ever since: an in-home yoga night. My friend Joy is an instructor at a local yoga studio (Naam Yoga in Mesa, AZ) and graciously agreed to come to my house to lead an hour of in-home restorative yoga for us. With her guidance, we enjoyed a really fantastic evening. For anyone looking for a relaxing experience for a party, a birthday, a ladies’ night, or other group event, I say give an in-home yoga session a try! If you have the space for a few mats–even if you have to move some furniture–it’s totally worthwhile. Here are some highlights from our evening!

The Yoga:

Setting the scene with a relaxing ambience was the goal for this yoga night. Candles and tea lights provided soft lighting in the living room. Pulling some furniture out of my living room gave us enough space to practice comfortably.

Since several of the ladies don’t have much experience with yoga, Joy offered us a gentle, restorative practice. As part of the session, she also provided her own speakers to play a chill soundtrack for our stretches, mats for those who didn’t have their own, blankets, and lavender-scented eye masks. (So nice!) If you don’t personally know anyone who teaches yoga, contact any local yoga studio and I guarantee they would be happy to give you a rate for an in-home session, or direct you to someone who could.

The Food:

You didn’t think we were going to get through this post without any mention of food, did you?

After our yoga session, I wanted to serve a relatively light dessert. With the constraint of two of the ladies in our group being gluten-free, a pavlova (a sweet treat made primarily with beaten egg whites and sugar) seemed like a good choice. Topped with whipped cream and berries, it was like one big crunchy-on-the-outside, fluffy-on-the-inside marshmallow. Definitely a winner I will use again when serving gluten free friends.

To drink, I thought I’d give a little nod to the spa experience by making some cucumber water…and of course some dessert wines.

The Parting Gift:

Finally, after our hour of yoga, our dessert, and a riveting discussion of the MTV series Teen Wolf, it was time to wrap up. I know I always like getting presents, so I thought it would be fun to send everyone home with a small parting gift…just a little something to say thank you for coming to our first get-together of 2016, and to remind us of the choice to keep doing right by our bodies. Hence the Kind Bars piggybacked onto Fiji water bottles: a little refuel snack for a future workout.

I’m so glad things worked out for our little group to share an evening of yoga. Whether you consider yourself an advanced yogi or your only association with yoga involves enjoying the stretchiness of yoga pants, a private, in-home session with friends could be a comfortable, fun new way to experience the practice.

Lemon Poppyseed Pancakes

Posted on January 15, 2016 by Sarah

Now that the rush of Christmas and New Year’s jollifications has passed, it seems like mid-January is back to business as usual. No more holiday parties filling the calendar, Christmas decorations decking the halls, or traditions to observe. Business, business, business!

I know a lot of people get to feeling a little down when the holidays are over, but (although I adore Christmas) I tend to feel a burst of energy when all things Christmas are put to rest. The house gets cleaned, the gifts and gadgets are put to work, and school and work are resumed. Everything feels in its proper place. Getting back to “normal” reminds me that I really do like my normal life, and opens the door to finding joy in everyday pleasures that get lost in the shuffle of the holidays.

Saturday breakfast is one of those pleasures. Of course, it’s not every Saturday that we go all out with something fancy for breakfast, but…

…these lemon poppy seed pancakes are a definite go-to. My husband Anthony is an excellent pancake maker/flipper, and I make a mean batter, so it’s a fun, rare event for us to cook together. When the weather is nice, we take our stack o’pancakes out back and eat breakfast as a family in the yard. There’s nothing like fluffy lemon pancakes with the subtle crunch of poppy seeds and a drizzle of maple syrup to start a weekend off right.

So, you know the classic song “Why Can’t Every Day Be Like Christmas?” where Elvis sings, “If every day could be just like Christmas, what a wonderful world this would be”? Sorry, Elvis, but with all due respect, I have to disagree. I’m happy to get back to my regularly scheduled life. Including Saturday morning breakfasts of lemon poppy seed pancakes with my favorite people.

Lemon Poppyseed Pancakes
(Adapted from Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. lemon juice
2 eggs
1/4 c. butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. all-purpose flour (or 1 c. each white whole wheat and all-purpose)
1/4 c. white sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. poppy seeds
1 Tbsp. lemon zest
Maple syrup, for serving

Directions:

In a glass measuring cup, combine milk and lemon juice. Let stand 5-10 minutes or until milk has curdled. Whisk in eggs, butter, and vanilla.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, poppy seeds, and lemon zest.
Make a well in the center of dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Mix until batter is mostly free of lumps (being careful not to overmix!).
Heat a skillet or electric griddle over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Pour 1/4 c. batter per pancake into the skillet and cook 2 minutes per side, or until golden brown.

Serves 6-8.

Smoked Salmon Quiche with Crispy Potato Crust

Posted on January 12, 2016January 4, 2018 by Sarah

It verges on embarrassing how many of my recipes come from an effort to use up one ingredient. Not the same ingredient every time, of course, I mean it’s not like I have an King Kong-sized jar of mayo I’m trying to get through…

…but there’s always one thing or another calling out to me from the fridge or pantry, “Uuuuuuuuse meeeeee! Uuuuuuse me or you’ll have to throw me awaaaaaay! And then I will haunt your dreeeeeeeams!” It may be that foil-topped can of chipotle peppers in adobo, that half-used bunch of cilantro, or, in the case of today’s recipe, a vacuum-sealed package of smoked salmon I grabbed on impulse when I saw it on a really good sale. I love smoked salmon in appetizers, but in the absence of any upcoming parties or other good excuses for appetizers, what the heck do you do with a hunk of smoked salmon?

Well, I’ll tell you what you do! You scour the internet for ways to insert it into a weeknight dinner! ….except… dang, it’s hard to find dinner recipes involving smoked salmon. The internet’s offering of smoked salmon appetizers stretches from here to Mars, but I think I think I would have gotten about the same number of results if I had Googled “Q-tips for Dinner” as “Smoked Salmon Dinner.” As I mentioned in December, I’m not above serving my family a hodgepodge of canapés for our evening meal, but I really wanted something a little heartier.

So it’s a good thing to know that, when faced with a dearth of options, you can make a QUICHE out of just about anything. And quiche, in my book, is a perfectly acceptable dinner. In fact, the idea of a quiche with a potato crust has been calling my name for quite some time, so this smoked salmon version with a crispy potato crust that eventually surfaced from the internet sounded like the ideal way to kill two birds with one stone. (Disclaimer: no birds were harmed in the making of this quiche.) The crispy, Cajun-spiced hashbrown crust turned out to be an excellent complement to the cooling flavors of salmon, cream cheese, dill, and leek …and a great way to use up smoked salmon, whether for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

P.S. While we’re on the subject, here are some other dinner-y, non-appetizer-y ideas for using up a hunk of smoked salmon, in case you ever find yourself in a similar predicament:

Smoked salmon fettucine alfredo
Smoked salmon chowder
Salad with spinach, smoked salmon, and other toppings like avocado and mandarin oranges
Potato latkes topped with herbed cream cheese and smoked salmon

Smoked Salmon Quiche with Crispy Potato Crust
(Adapted from Food Network)

Ingredients:

For the crust:

3 1/4 cups frozen hashbrowns, thawed (microwave at 30-second intervals until thawed)
1 Tbsp. butter, melted
3/4 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne powder
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 c. grated Parmesan

For the filling:

1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 leeks, halved and thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 tsp. lemon juice
3 eggs
3/4 c. half and half
4 oz. smoked salmon, diced
2 Tbsp. fresh dill (or 2 tsp. dried)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a 10-inch tart pan or pie plate. In a medium bowl, mix thawed hashbrowns, melted butter, spices, and Parmesan until hashbrowns are evenly coated. Press into the bottom and sides of the prepared pan. Bake 25-30 minutes.
When crust comes out of the oven, lower the heat to 350 degrees. Let cool on a wire rack.
In a small skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add leeks and sauté until softened, about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds. Remove from heat.
In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, lemon juice, and leek-garlic mixture. Add eggs one at a time, stirring between each addition, then add half and half, smoked salmon, dill, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
Pour evenly into baked hashbrown shell and bake 30 minutes or until the center is set. Cool 20 minutes. Serve warm or chilled.

Serves 6.

A Love Letter To Food

A lovingly crafted collection of recipes and reflections

Banana Gingersnap Trifle

Vegetable Feta Tart

In-Home Yoga Ladies’ Night

Lemon Poppyseed Pancakes

Smoked Salmon Quiche with Crispy Potato Crust