Bananas and Beignets

I love bananas. Or, more accurately, I love things made with bananas. Banana bread, banana pudding, banana cream pie, banana ice cream, banana snow cones...Of course that last one doesn't really have bananas in it, but you get the idea. Unfortunately for me and my ever expanding waistline, I also love fried things, and doughnuts and the like are right at the top of my all time favorites. So when I saw this recipe http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/mini-banana-beignets-recipe/index.html in a recent Food Network magazine, I thought I'd died and gone to Heaven. Banana. Beignets. Two of my favorite things all rolled into one delicious mouthful. How could I go wrong? I decided to whip up a batch of these tasty little morsels this morning, and I was not disappointed. While they more closely resemble something you would find at your local donut shop than something you would consume with a steaming cup of chickory coffee in New Orleans, they were very tasty and very simple to make, two of my favorite qualities in a recipe. The only change I made was to reduce the amount of cinnamon in the cinnamon/sugar mixture because I'm just not a huge cinnamon fan, and because I didn't want anything interfering with that glorious banana flavor!

Mini Banana Beignets
Recipe courtesy of Jacqueline McComas for Food Network Magazine
Prep Time:
15 min
Inactive Prep Time:
--
Cook Time:
10 min
Level:
Easy
Serves:
30 beignets

Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for frying
11/2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup mashed banana (about 1 overripe banana)
1/4 teaspoon banana extract (optional)
Directions
Heat about 2 inches vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 375 degrees F.
Meanwhile, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/3 cup granulated sugar in a large bowl.
Whisk the egg, milk, mashed banana and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in another bowl. Add the banana extract, if desired. Combine the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a shallow bowl and set aside.
Whisk the banana mixture into the dry ingredients until just moistened. Working in batches, drop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into the hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 15 seconds per side. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels, then roll in the cinnamon sugar while still warm.

An Apple A Day

For years, my now 10 year old daughter has been pleading with me to take her apple picking. Living in Phoenix, the nearest real apple orchard is in Willcox, in southeastern Arizona. This means a 3 1/2 hour drive each way, so I haven't been in a big hurry to grant her wish. A few weeks ago my husband I decided we would finally make the trip, and on a warm Sunday morning set off in search of apple nirvana. As we approached our destination, the landscape was looking more and more New Mexico-esque. We knew we were a long way from home when we began seeing billboards advertising the sale of fireworks, which are illegal in AZ, but sold at just about every highway stop in NM. Once at the orchard we were given a bucket and an apple harvesting tool and driven to the pick-you-own apple location in a tractor-drawn haywagon. There we were greeted with rows of Red Delicious, Golden Delicous, Granny Smiths, Rome Beauty, and more. On this weekend in late September most of the trees had been pretty well picked over, but we still managed to pick 25 pounds of apples! After a lunch of applewood grilled hamburgers, cowboy beans and fresh baked apple pie, we made a stop at the orchard gift shop to stock up on fresh cider, apple cookbooks, and apple barbecue sauce. Next came the hard part, figuring out what to do with all of these apples! Aside from putting them into my daughter's lunch and sauteeing them with pork chops, I was looking for something a little different. Since we rarely have time to fix a nice breakfast at home, we occasionally have "breakfast for dinner" nights, so a few nights ago I decided to make a German Apple Pancake, or "Dutch Baby". These are really simple to make, with a thin batter poured over tender sauteed apples, then baked in the oven until the pancake puffs up golden brown around the edges of the pan. A dusting of powdered sugar and a little maple syrup, and this was a wonderful meal with some maple bacon and scrambled eggs.

German Apple Pancake (Dutch Baby)

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

3/4 cup whole milk

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon apple pie spice

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 apples (large) peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

1/3 cup light brown, packed

1 pinch salt

powdered sugar for serving

maple syrup for serving

Cooking Directions

In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients and whisk until just blended, being careful to not overmix. Set the batter aside to rest while you prepare the apples, at least 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
In a heavy, ovenproof (preferably nonstick) 12-inch skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over high heat. Add the apples, apple pie spice, and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the apples are soft and lightly golden around the edges, about 6 minutes. Add the brown sugar and cook, stirring, until the apples are caramelized and very soft, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and stir to melt.
Pour the batter evenly over the top of the apples and transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake until the pancake is golden brown and puffed, about 15 minutes. The pancake will puff up around the edges and extend above the rim of the skillet.
Using oven mitts or potholders, remove the skillet from the oven and serve the pancake, sprinkled with powdered sugar and drizzled with maple syrup, if desired.

A Taste of Iowa

Recently, while sorting through my skyscraper-like pile of foodie magazines, I came across a recipe that intrigued me. The recipe was for "Crispy Iowa Skinnies". Since I've never been anywhere near Iowa, these were a mystery to me. Iowa Skinnies are chunks of pork tenderloin, pounded flat, and breaded with a mixture of fresh bread crumbs and cracker crumbs, which are then pan fried and served on a soft white bun with shredded lettuce and tomatoes. One bite of this delicious sandwich and I was hooked. The combination of the two types of crumbs gave the pork a wonderful crunchiness, which provided the perfect contrast to the melt-in-your-mouth tender pork. With my "Skinny", a crunchy dill, and some oven baked fries I was a happy girl! This sandwich even got a thumbs up from my super-picky husband. While Iowa may not exactly be known as a culinary Mecca, if these sandwiches are any indication I'm ready to pack my bags and explore the possibilities.

Crispy Iowa Skinny
Serves 4
This sandwich showcases tender pork pounded thin, battered, and pan-fried to a crunchy golden brown.
1 pork tenderloin (about 1 pound)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1/4 cup mayonnaise , plus extra for serving
3 slices hearty white sandwich bread , torn into rough pieces
16 Saltine crackers
1 cup vegetable oil
4 hamburger buns
1/4 head shredded iceberg lettuce
1 medium tomato , sliced

First, prepare pork cutlets:

1. Use a paring knife to remove any silver skin or extraneous fat from the tenderloin.
2. Cut the tenderloin into 4 equal pieces.
3. Arrange pieces of tenderloin cut side up on cutting board. Cover with plastic wrap and pound into 1/4-inch-thick cutlets.

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Pat pork cutlets dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
2. Place flour in shallow dish. Beat eggs and 1/4 cup mayonnaise in second shallow dish. Combine bread and saltines in food processor and pulse to fine crumbs; transfer to third shallow dish.
3. Coat cutlets in flour, shaking off excess. Dip both sides of cutlets in egg mixture, then dredge in crumbs, pressing on crumbs to adhere. Place cutlets on wire rack set over baking sheet and let dry 5 minutes (or refrigerate up to 1 hour).
4. Heat 1/2 cup oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Lay 2 cutlets in skillet and fry until crisp and deep golden, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to large paper towel-lined plate and place in warm oven. Discard oil, wipe out skillet, and repeat with remaining oil and cutlets. Place 1 cutlet on each bun and top with lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise. Serve.

Recipe from Cook's Country Feb. 2007