Banoffee Pie (Banana Toffee Pie)

Hard to believe it's been a year since I started this blog to keep track of my recipes. Well, to celebrate our first anniversary, allow me to share with you a recipe that has always gotten appreciated.

Some pies are born great. Others acheive greatness. And some have greatness thrust upon them. I'm not sure category the Banoffee (BANana toFFEE) pie falls under, but I like making it, and people sure as heck like eating it!

First conceived way before I was in the 70s at The Hungry Monk restaurant in Jevington, East Sussex, this dessert is the best thing to come from England since the Industrial Revolution (seriously, England, what have you done for us lately?)

This recipe is my take on the classic. I've made it fairly standard so far, but hope to start to experiment with different additions soon. Keep watching this space for the latest!

Word of warning: While the actual making of the pie can take as little as 30 minutes, the toffee takes 3 hours to make and the pie needs to sit in the fridge overnight (at least 12 hours). So start early! I like to boil and keep tins of toffee handy so I can crack them open and use whenever necessary.

Ingredients	Quantity	Preparation
Sweetened Condensed Milk	1 can
Graham Cracker Pie Crust	1, 8-9 inches
Bananas	3 Med. or 2 Large
Heavy Cream	1 Small Packet (~250 ml)
Lemon Juice	1 Med. Lemon
Instant Coffee	1 heaped teaspoon	Optional
Powdered Chocolate	2-3 teaspoons
Cinnamon	1/2 tsp ground
Nutmeg	1/2 tsp ground

Method:

1. Remove all the paper from the can of Sweetened Condensed Milk. Try to remove any glue as well.
2. Boil water in a tall stockpot. There should be enough water such that after the can is submerged, there's a couple of inches between the level of water and the brim.
3. Once the water starts boiling, gently lower the can (WITHOUT OPENING IT!) into the pot, careful not to splash water on yourself.
4. Note the time. You're going to let it boil on medium for 3 hours. Make sure the can is completely covered with water at all times. If need be, add more water. This part is time/energy consuming, so I try to make 3-5 cans at once to save myself time later. Those cans will keep for a while in the pantry.
5. After 3 hours, take out the can and empty the stockpot. Let the can cool for at least an hour or so.
6. Peel and slice the bananas into 1/4 cm (~1/8 inch) thick slices. Think 2 quarters thick. Place them in a bowl and toss with about half the lemon juice.
7. Open the can of toffee. Start with the can opener at the far edge. Depending on how warm the can is, the toffee may be under significant pressure.
8. Using a butter knife, empty and spread the toffee over the graham cracker pie crust. Be careful to use gentle strokes, lest you break the crust.
9. Once the toffee is spread, arrange the banana slices in layers on top of the toffee. Usually I end up with 2-3 layers.
10. Press down gently on the bananas with both hands. This helps to make the pie dense.
11. Next, we're going to whip the cream in a bowl with the instant coffee and remaining lemon juice. Use a whisk (hand or automated) to whip the cream until it forms stiff peaks. When it starts to look like the tip of aa soft serve ice cream cone, you're done.
12. Empty the whipped cream on top of the pie and spread evently with a butter knife. You'll probably have a gentle peak in the middle.
13. Next, mix the powdered chocolate, cinnamon and nutmeg. Sprinkle on on the pie in a light or heavy dusting (as desired) using your hands or a shaker with thin holes.
14. Refridgerate overnight and serve the next day.

Makes 12 small servings.

Serving suggestion: None.

Variations:

1. Might try sprinkling with crushed pistachios instead.
2. Made it with a layer of strawberries and bananas once. Came out good!

I won't tell you how many calories there are in this one. Just enjoy it!

Date-Nut Drama

If you're like me, every time Ramadan rolls around you spend a decent chunk of your paycheck on a treasure chest full of California-grown Medjool dates. If you're like me, you also barely make a dent in them by the time the month is done!

So what do you do with all those leftover dates? Well, you could just eat 'em like popcorn while watching The Office or 30 Rock (that's Glee and Gossip Girl for you ladies). Or, you could make this fairly simple dessert recipe to share with friends and family.

As desserts go, this one is fairly healthy: No added sugar, butter, Crisco, or anything of the sort. Just plain old dates to make it sweet, and some other stuff to add flavor!

Let me know how it turns out!

Ingredients	Quantity	Preparation
Medjool Dates	10 oz	Chopped
Pistachios	1 1/2 cups	Shelled
Graham Crackers	5 oz	Ground crumbs
Clementines	3 medium
Evaporated Milk	1 cup
Chocolate	1 tsp	Powdered
Cinnamon	1/4 tsp	Powdered
Nutmeg	1/4 tsp	Powdered

Method:

1. Peel the clementines, being careful to remove the peel in large quarters.
2. Use a butter knife to remove and discard as much of white pith from the inside of the peel as possible by scraping it.
3. Arrange the peels orange side up on a baking dish. Place the dish in a toaster oven set at 135F for a couple of hours until the Peel appears dry and slightly crispy
4. Meanwhile, remove the pits from the dates and chop into quarter inch peices. Transfer to a big mixing bowl.
5. Crush the graham crackers until finely ground. Should yield about 1 1/2 cups. Transfer to the mixing bowl with the dates.
6. Once the clementine peels have dried, chop them up into tiny peices. Transfer to the mixing bowl.
7. Arrange the shelled pistachios in a baking dish. Place in toaster oven at 400F for about 5 minutes or until the nuts are toasted.
8. Once done, roughly crush the nuts by pressing down on them with a hard object like the bottom of a glass bottle. Also transfer to the mixing bowl.
9. Add the evaporated milk to the mixing bowl.
10. Use your hands to mix all the ingredients together properly for 5 minutes.
11. Lay out the resulting mixture in a shallow dish. Spread it evenly and press down on it to compact. The mixture should form a layer about 3/4th inch (2 cm) thick.
12. Sprinkle on top with powdered chocolate, cinnamon and nutmeg.
13. Refrigerate uncovered for 3-4 hours.
14. Before serving, cut and arrange in 1 inch squares on serving dish.

Makes 20-24 individual-sized servings.

Serving suggestion: None.

Variations:

1. If you can't find clementines, try other citrus fruit like tangerines, lemons, or even candied limes.
2. You can probably do these with any dates. Try Deglet Noors if Medjools aren't your thing.

Bon Ap, y'all!

Tzexy Tzatziki Dip!

I love Tzatziki sauce. Not as much as other sauces from the Mediterranean, particularly those from Turkey, Morocco and Italy, but there's something refreshing about a cool yogurt-based sauce you can use for dipping, and for taking the edge off of spicy food.

So when presented the opportunity to make a dip for a friend's party that wasn't as run of the mill as salsa, or as unhealthy as fake cheese in a can (yes, I'm talking to you Aarti!), I came up with my own take on Tzatziki. The final version had a zing to it like you wouldn't believe, so I called it Tzexy Tzatziki© (That is now a trademarked term btw, so no Kraft, you can't have it!)

People familiar with Indian cuisine who are tempted to dismiss it as Raita (another yogurt based sauce) would be well served to try it before they diss it. Unless you wanna take it outside. What's that? Didn't think so...

Ingredients	Quantity
Non- or Low-Fat Greek Yogurt	1 lbs/500 grams/2 cups
Cucumber	1 cup finely chopped
Olive oil	1 Tbsp
Garlic (aka Gahlic in New England)	3 cloves pressed or crushed
Mint (Optional)	~8 leaves finely chopped
Lemon	1/2 large, juice and zest
Red Chilli powder	1/4 tsp
Cumin	1/2 tsp
Pepper	1 tsp coarsely ground
Salt	to season (healthy sprinkle)

Method:

1. Empty out the Greek Yogurt into a large mixing bowl.
2. Add all the other ingredients.
3. Whip using a whisk or large fork for a couple of minutes, or until the mixture starts to look consistent.
4. Empty out the mixture into a large shallow dish. Level out the mixture by brushing a knife over it if you have to.
5. Put the dish uncovered (or loosely covered if you must) in the fridge overnight. The shallow dish helps more of the moisture escape, turning the yogurt into more of a paste. The refridgeration helps the ingredients do their magic!
6. And... (the next day), you're done!

Makes 6 servings (1/2 cup each)

Serving suggestion:
Garnish with a thin slice of lemon and some mint leaves right before serving. Tzatziki is a very versatile sauce. Its thick enough to use as a dip with Zaatar Pita Chips (Recipe coming soon!). I've also used it with kebabs, on spicy burgers (Look forward to that one as well!) or even with a spoon as a midnight snack on lazy nights!

Variations:

1. For some reason I want to try it with chopped sundried tomatoes next. Stay tuned!
2. Other serving suggestions or variations? Let me know by leaving a comment!

Here's a close approximation of the nutrition information per serving (serving size = 1/2 cup, using Low-fat Greek Yogurt):

Calories	85
Fat	4g
Carbohydrates	5g
Protein	8g

Pictures to come soon! Enjoy!

Muhammara: Red Pepper, Pomegranate & Walnut Dip

Tired of hummus? Try this other dip from the same region for a more complex, hotter taste. Muhammara can be served as an appetizer, or with kebabs as a dipping paste.

When going through this recipe, feel free to adjust all the ingredients to your taste. The olive oil gives the muhammara a creamier texture, so adjust accordingly (more for creamier, less for drier).

Ingredients	Quantity	Preparation
Red Peppers	2 large or 3 medium
Walnuts	1/2 cup	Shelled
Garlic	1 tsp	Crushed
Fresh breadcrumbs	1/2 cup
Red chillies	2 small pieces	Seeded & chopped
Olive oil	1/4 cup
Pomegranate seeds	1/4 cup
Lemon juice	2 tbs
Cumin	1 tsp	Powdered or ground
Red chilli flakes	1/2 tsp	Optional. Replace with another red chilli.

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 450F.
2. Cut the peppers into large, flat pieces. Arrange them skin side up in a baking dish & place in the oven for 10-20 minutes.
3. Once the skins turn black, remove the peppers and place them in a plastic bag. Allow the bag to cool in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.
4. Once cooled, the skins should just peel off of the red peppers. Discard all the skins and process the peppers in a food processor until they turn into a fine paste. Remove and set aside.
5. Chop the walnuts, garlic and breadcrumbs until finely ground.
6. Add the peppers, chopped chillies, olive oil, pomegranates and lemon juice. Process in short bursts to combine.
7. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Use a spoon to stir in the cumin and chilli flakes.
8. Season with salt, and refridgerate overnight to allow the flavors to mellow.

Serving suggestions:

1. Decorate with walnuts, pomegranate seeds, or olives. Make a pattern that looks kinda cool. Check out mine below!
2. Serve with toasted flatbread, or my favorite: Falafel chips!.

Variations:

1. If you have access to pomegranate syrup, you could use 1 teaspoon of that instead.
2. Small red chillies... green chillies... doesn't make much of a difference for this recipe. Use either. But, you CANNOT replace the red bell peppers!
3. I wonder what it would taste like with almonds or pine nuts instead of walnuts...

Enjoy! And feel free to leave comments!

Apple/Pomegranate Salad

This one is my own creation, based on several other salad recipes I've made and tried. Great when served with other entrees, or as part of a multi-course meal as a palate cleanser.

It's a very feel as you go recipe, so take the quantity suggestions very loosely (double or halve as you like).

Ingredients	Quantity	Preparation
Mixed Greens	1/2 lbs	I like a blend of baby spinach, romaine, etc.
Pomegranate Seeds	1/2 cup	Yes, you have to take the seeds out by hand and its not hard
Small Apple	1 piece	Chopped to look like 1 inch fries
Goat Cheese	2 tbs	Crumbled
Cherry Tomatoes	1/2 cup	Halved
Olives	1/2 cup	Sliced, whole, halved, or blend
Fresh Cilantro Leaves	1 tbs	Optional

Method:

1. In a big bowl, add the greens. Shake the bowl a bit to let the greens settle.
2. Spread the tomatoes, olives, and apple.
3. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds. Add more if necessary
4. Sprinkle with goat cheese. It should look like a green field with a little dusting of snow!
5. Spread the Cilantro leaves around.
6. Refrigerate until serving time.

Makes ~4 regular-sized servings.

Serving suggestion: Serve with salad dressing (Vinaigrettes work best), extra pomegranate seeds and goat cheese sprinkles on the side.

Variations:

1. Sprinkle slivered almonds for a little more crunch.
2. Use feta cheese instead of goat cheese.
3. Diced red/yellow peppers add more color to the salad.

I'll attempt my own salad dressings soon enough, and will provide a link on this post.

Spiced Split-Pea Soup

I picked up this recipe on a fitness forum. Great winter soup: high in protein, high in fiber, low in fat. Not so spicy that it'll burn your tongue, but will leave you with a warm feeling inside!

Ingredients	Quantity	Preparation
Split Peas	1 cup	Rinsed & Sorted
Ginger	1/4 tsp	Crushed
Garlic	1/4 tsp	Crushed
Red Chilli Powder	1/4 tsp
Turmeric	1/8 tsp
Cilantro	1 tsp	Chopped
Small Green Chilli	1 piece	Chopped & deseeded
Salt & Pepper	To taste
Lime	1 piece	Quartered

Method:

1. Rinse and sort the split peas in a bowl.
2. Put 4 cups of water in a medium saucepan and set to boil on high.
3. When the water boils, add the chicken stock cube, garlic, ginger, red chilli powder & turmeric to the split peas.
4. Once the mixture starts boiling again, lower the heat to simmer (I do between gas mark 2-3) and cover.
5. Let it boil for about 30 - 45 minutes, depending on how firm you like your split peas (30 for al dente, 45 for mushy). Stir it every 10 minutes or so to make sure it doesn't dry out. If its getting too dry, add some hot water.
6. Once the split peas become mushy, add the chopped cilantro, green chilli, salt and pepper. Stir & let it simmer for a few minutes (2-3). The soup is now ready!

Makes 3 regular-sized servings.

Serving suggestion: Serve with lime wedges, fresh chopped cilantro, and crusty sliced bread on the side.

Variations:

1. Use half a chicken stock cube for more flavor.
2. Use red lentils instead of split peas. You should only need to boil lentils for 15 minutes and it has almost the same nutritional values.

Here's a close approximation of the nutrition information:

Calories	216
Fat	0g
Carbohydrates	36g
Fiber	20g
Sugar	0g
Protein	18g