Banana Crumb Muffins

Bananas are a popular item in our home.  In fact, we usually buy 2 Costco bunches each week.  And, with as many as we actually eat, there are always a few that don't make it to the end of the week.  Because of this, I'm always in the market for a good overripe-banana recipe.  A few Sundays ago, my extra time coincided with a few overripe bananas.  So, I hopped on allrecipes.com and found this deliciousness. 

These muffins had a great topping.  And, the inside of the muffin was totally moist.  They were even moist and delicious the next day!

Banana Crumb Muffins
12 muffins

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 bananas, mashed
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tbls all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbls butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly grease (or line with paper) 12 muffin cups.

In large bowl, mix together first 4 ingredients.  In another bowl, mix bananas, white sugar, egg, and melted butter.  Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture just until moistened.  Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

In small bowl, mix the brown sugar, 2 Tbls flour, and cinnamon.  Cut in 1 Tbls butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.  Sprinkle topping over muffin batter.

Bake for 18-20 min, or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.

NOTES: When I was in college, I took a "Family Cooking" kind of class.  It wasn't as in depth as culinary school would have been, but I did learn a few tricks of the trade.  One of these tricks involved quick breads, which are made with baking powder instead of yeast.  (Examples are pancakes, muffins, banana-type breads...) 

Whenever you are making a quick bread, you should mix your wet and dry ingredients separately.  After you add them together, you should mix only until the dry ingredients are moistened.  Mixing too much causes the gluten in the flour to develop, which creates a more dense structure.  The leavening power in baking powder can't compete with the strands of gluten and you end up with a dense, rubbery quick texture.

In the past, some of my quick breads have ended up with lumps of flour and/or baking soda in the batter.  If you've ever taken a bite with a lump like that, you know it's not a pleasant experience.  I have found that sifting my dry ingredients through a mesh strainer into the wet ingredients helps avoid this problem.

Sticky Chicky

Last week, it seemed that I was reaching the end of each day and wondering what to make for dinner.  It wasn't that I didn't have ideas.  I got busy doing something else, (or something came up), and suddenly, Ryan was coming home in 45 min.  And, most of my dinner ideas needed about an hour.  (You know, 30 min., plus time to feed the baby, break up arguments, wipe off the table from lunch, rotate a load of laundry, etc.)  So, I grabbed my Taste of Home magazines and started scanning the index page.  When I got to the May/June 2009 issue, I found a quick and yummy recipe that I actually had all most of the ingredients for.  (And, yes, the picture is one of the worst so far--there is only so much sunlight we get here in WA!)

Sticky Chicky
8 servings

16 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 3 lbs.)
1/2 cup BBQ sauce (use your favorite kind)
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
1 Tbl. chili powder
1 Tbl. Dijon mustard
1 Tbl. grated gingerroot
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 Tbl. cornstarch

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray 9x13 in. baking pan with cooking spray.  Arrange chicken thighs in pan in single layer.

In medium bowl, whisk together remaning ingredients except cornstarch.  Pour evenly over chicken.  Turn pieces to coat both sides  Bake, uncovered, for about 40 min. or until chicken is no longer pink in the center.

Remove chicken from pan and keep warm.  Carefully pour sauce into small saucepan.  Bring to boil over med-high heat.  Combine cornstarch with 1 Tbl. water; mix until smooth.  Add to sauce.  Cook until sauce is thickened, about 1 min.  Serve hot chicken with sauce on top.

NOTES:  When I grabbed my Dijon mustard from the fridge, the bottle was pretty much empty.  So, I swapped it for some ground mustard.  And, Ryan is NOT a fan of ginger--so I used a small amount of powdered ginger instead.  Also, I used a mixture of thighs and breasts--and the thighs were much better.  Then again, thighs are my favorte part of the chicken, so I'm probably biased on that one.

Hamburger Supper

Years ago, I received a gift subscription to "Quick Cooking" magazine.  I was newly married and definitely excited to cook for my husband every day!  These days, the shine has worn off a bit, but I kept a few years' worth of Quick Cooking, (which was later changed to Simple and Delicious).  And, I'm glad I did.  Hamburger Supper has become a favorite at our house.  It's one of the few recipes that I have made repeatedly.  It's incredibly easy and very tasty.  Give it a try!

Hamburger Supper

Serves 4

1 lb. ground beef
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 envelope brown gravy mix
1 medium onion, sliced and separated into rings
1 medium carrot, sliced
2 medium potatoes, sliced
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese

In large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.  Stir in water, poultry seasoning, and pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Stir in gravy mix.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Arrange onion, carrot, and potatoes over beef.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer 10-15 min., or until vegetables are tender.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Cover and cook 3-5 min. longer or until cheese is melted.

NOTES: It seems I'm always adjusting recipes to deal with something at the last minute.  This recipe is no exception.  I stopped purchasing the individual packets of brown gravy mix a while ago.  Instead, I bought a Costco sized container of it.  (It's great to have on hand.)  I use 3 Tablespoons of mix in this recipe.  Also, if I don't have an onion on hand, I use about 1/3 cup of dehydrated onions and add them with a little extra water when the water is added to the beef.  I was out of onions this time around, so that's why you don't see beautiful rings of onion in the picture.