1/11/18

Shauna Yosef's Banana Bread Muffins (via Pinterest)





INGREDIENTS:

4 large very ripe bananas mashed
1 egg (beaten)
½ cup sugar (you could use more if you like them REALLY sweet but the bananas are sweet enough)
⅓ cup butter, melted
1½ cups plain all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda 
½ teaspoon salt

Streusel Topping (not necessary! but it's what I made)

½ cup plain flour
¼ cup brown sugar
½ stick (57 grams) cold butter
¼ teaspoon cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350F. Mash bananas and add the lightly beaten egg, sugar and butter and mix well to combine and set aside. In another bowl, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and whisk well. Add nuts or chocolate or whatever add-ins you want to the dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until nearly all the flour has disappeared. Overmixed muffins are tough.Pour into greased cupcake pans (add streusel if you wish) and bake for about 20 minutes. Touch the tops and if they spring back, they're done.

Streusel Topping

Place all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until it's streuselly. (or crumbly) If you don't have a processor, a fork works just fine - or your fingers.

1/4/18

Lentils with Beef and Vegetables



Ingredients: 

2-3lbs of beef sirloin, cut into small chunks
5 large carrots, sliced
4 celery stalks, sliced 
1 large white onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 bag of lentils
2 quarts of beef stock
4 TBS tomato paste
3 TBS Worshishire sauce
2 Bay leaves
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Rinse and drain the lentils out very well in a colandar.
Put a pot of water on to boil with salt added.  Cook the lentils for 10-15 until they are soft but have a little bite. Drain, put back in the pot, on warm and put the lid on.
In a large heavy bottom pan or dutch oven, brown the meat in olive oil until browned. Remove the meat from pan and add in the vegetables. Add salt and pepper and mix in with the oil/juices. Cook until onions are translucent and veggies begin to brown. Add in the tomato paste. Blend in with the veggies with a wooden spoon. 
Throw in bay leaves and pour in the beef stock and Worshishire sauce.  Bring to a low boil, add the meat back in, simmer with the lid on for a good hour. 
Check the tenderness of the meat and carrots and taste for any needed salt, pepper etc...
Some people will add the lentils right into the pot, but I keep the cooked lentils on warm in a seperate pot and put a few spoonfuls of them in the bowl and top with the hot broth, and put the meat and veggies over them. I do this also with any noodle soups and any other soups with pasta.