This Donna Hay recipe has had a post-it note sticking on it for a year! There were two banana recipes in this particular issue that I tagged. One was a loaf cake, which I haven't made yet, but will, and will post it soon.
But this particular photo had me drooling...I love caramelized bananas. When my grandmother was baking, she'd give me some extra crust and I'd take some bananas and brown sugar and make little pies. Yum! You never forget those first attempts at cooking and those little pies were delicious.
I'm going to insert a word of caution here...this is an extremely sweet dessert. In fact, I was surprised as I thought it would be more cake-like, but no....the caramelized sugar seeps into the cake. (Which you could use less of) A couple mouthfuls did it for me and I'd serve it with half and half to cut the sweetness. Not ice cream as DH suggests!
Sure looks tempting though, doesn't it?
Banana Upside Down Cake with Coconut and Palm Sugar
From Donna Hay, Issue 67
Ingredients:
75g unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup grated palm sugar (Whole Foods has it, already grated and packaged)
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 egg
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup coconut flakes
1/4 cup milk
For the caramel sauce:
100g unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup brown sugar
4-5 bananas, depending on size
Method:
Preheat oven to 350.
Lightly grease a 6 by 10 inch baking dish or baking pan with sides.
Make the caramel sauce:
Melt the brown sugar and butter together on the stove and boil for 1 minute. Pour it into the baking dish. Cut the bananas in half lengthwise and arrange them face down on top of the caramel sauce. Set aside.
Make the cake:
Place the butter, palm sugar and brown sugar in an electric mixer and beat fot 10 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and egg and beat again. Add the flour and baking powder and mix until combined. Then add the coconut flakes and milk and mix again.
Spoon the mixture over the bananas and with a palette knife, smooth the top evenly.
Place the dish on a parchment-covered baking pan to catch any spill during baking.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.
Loosen the sides with a knife and invert carefully on a serving dish. Serves 8.
Such great flavors in this delicious soup! It really hits the spot on a cold night. Yes, we've been having some cold nights in South Florida too and while you're snickering over that comment, keep in mind it's all relative. :)
I don't make a lot of soups, unlike my sister, who is the worlds greatest soup maker in my opinion. But this one appealed to me...I loved the colors and it's a hearty, warming soup even though it's light in calories.
Shrimp Noodle Soup
From Style At Home
Ingredients:
4 baby bok choy
12 sugar snap peas
12 shrimp, peeled
1/2 teaspoon of grated ginger
1 tablespoon of peanut (or canola) oil
A pinch of dried chilies
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
2 teaspoon of light soy sauce
2 spring onions, sliced
4 cups of chicken stock (homemade, hopefully)
Toasted sesame seeds for garnishing
300 grams of dried udon noodles
Method:
Cook the noodles according to package instructions. Run them under cold water once cooked, and reserve.
In the meantime, add the bok choy (cut in half lengthwise) and the sugar snap peas to a pot of boiling water. Boil for 2 minutes. Shock the vegetables by placing them in ice cold water. Once the vegetables are cold, drain and remove excess water with paper towels.
Heat your wok to medium low heat. Add the peanut oil, ginger, garlic and dried chili. Stir fry for 2 minutes. Add the peeled shrimp. Once the shrimp starts to turn pink, add the vegetables, stirring constantly. Add the noodles and then the chicken broth. Bring to a boil.
Once the broth has come to a boil, add the soy sauce, sesame oil and spring onions and cook for another minute.
Serve topped with toasted sesame seeds.
Serves 4.
What a great recipe! Leave it to Lori, most of her recipes are winners. I didn't change a thing; when I visit her I always come away with something awesome.
Your family is going to love this one, from the yogurt-based pizza dough to the pesto in the pinwheel. So many layers of flavor and if you dip them into some of your favorite pizza or marinara sauce, you've got one mouth-watering Super Bowl snack.
Pizza Pinwheels
From Lori at Recipe Girl
Ingredients:
1 cup self-rising flour
1/2 teaspoon granulated white sugar
pinch of salt
2/3 cup Fage Greek Yogurt (this is important, you need the thick yogurt)
3 tablespoons prepared pesto
3/4 cup chopped pepperoni
3/4 cup shredded Italian cheese blend (or mixed mozzarella & Parmesan), divided
pizza or smooth marinara sauce, warmed
Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Mix in the yogurt and continue to stir and mix until the ingredients (Use your hands!) are well-combined and forms a dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it a bit so the dough comes completely together. You may need to add more flour, but I found this amount to be just right. You want a non-sticky dough. Roll it out into a rectangle about 9x14-inches.
Spoon the pesto onto the rolled out dough and spread it evenly. Then sprinkle the chopped pepperoni and top with the cheese.
Carefully roll up the dough into a log. Use a sharp knife to cut about 1/2-inch slices. You have to hold the sliced roll together while you transfer it to the prepared baking sheet and then shape them a little more into a round. Repeat with the remaining slices.
Bake 20 minutes, or until cooked through and lightly browned. Serve warm with sauce.
