Banana Buttermilk Muffins

Guess who has electricity again?! This moi.

I've already made 3 new recipes since the power came back. I was extremely glad that it was back in time for the 4th of July. A friend of mine has a view of the Washington monument from his balcony, and had people over yesterday to watch the fireworks. Since I don't like showing up to a party empty-handed, I brought Audra's lemon-blueberry cupcakes, and a jalapeno popper dip that I will share here once I tweak the recipe a bit (it was good, but way too mild for my tastes.)

The 3rd recipe that I made was this banana muffin recipe. I had half a carton of buttermilk leftover from making the cupcakes, and 3 blackened bananas sitting on the counter. These quick muffins are delicious, perfect for using up leftovers, and make an excellent breakfast or snack (especially when they're slathered with peanut butter.) I don't know the nutrition info for these, but they are butter free, and only contain 2 tablespoons of oil, so I have a feeling that they're not that terrible for you. They're definitely not a cupcake masquerading as a muffin like so many muffins tend to be. 

Here's what you'll need:

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup well-mashed ripe banana (about 2 1/2 bananas)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, and line a muffin tin with paper liners.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda.

In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, mashed banana, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and stir together with a rubber spatula until just combined. Do not over mix.

Using a level 1/3 cup measurement, add batter to the prepared muffin tin. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes (mine took 17 minutes), or until a toothpick comes out with crumbs attached, and the tops are light golden brown. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Makes 13 muffins.

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Source: Adapted from Williams-Sonoma

4th of July Recipe Roundup

I don't have a new recipe for you today.

This isn't due to kitchen laziness. I do most of my blog-related cooking on the weekend, but thanks to Mother Nature being a royal pain in the tookus, I could not. You see, there were crazypants storms in the DC area on Friday, and as I type this on Sunday evening, I have no power, and am sitting in a hotel room drinking beer while huddling next to an air conditioner that is spewing out 65 degree air. I'd be remiss not to mention that it has been 100 degrees here for 3 days. Clearly my efforts to escape the heat go far beyond sitting still in the dark like a normal person.

Since my name isn't Laura Ingalls Wilder, and I haven't yet figured out how to cook with fire or cure deer meat or do whatever she did to nourish herself, I have no new recipe today, and I am giving you some 4th of July recipe ideas from my archives instead.

Please pray that my power comes back soon. I'm a major germaphobe, and hotels frighten me. Whenever I stay in a hotel, I put the remote control in a plastic baggie and use it through the bag. That way germs can't get to me. It's science.

Now for some regurgitated content!

Are you barbecuing this weekend? May I suggest making these scrumtrulescent green chili cheeseburgers?

Maybe you're not the burger type. That's cool, because you can make barbeque pulled pork sandwiches. Is it just me, or is pulled pork total summer food?

Of course it wouldn't be a BBQ without some kind of cold salad. This spicy pasta salad that's full of chipotles and smoked gouda is one of my favorite recipes of all time.

Lastly, you really need a dessert with some patriotic colors. This summer berry tart is super tasty. 

For my American readers, happy Independence Day, and I hope these recipes help you plan your menus. For my international readers, happy random day in July! I hope you eat something tasty even though it's a regular day for you. I hope to be back soon with some new content, as soon as I have electricity and can cook again! 

Strawberry Milkshakes (and a giveaway!!!)

Earlier this month, I was invited to participate in the "Great Shakes 2012 Virtual Blog Party" to celebrate the paperback release of Adam Ried's book "Thoroughly Modern Milkshakes: 100 Classic and Contemporary Recipes."

I happen to love milkshakes (and really, who doesn't?) so I quickly agreed to join in, and anxiously awaited my copy of the book in the mail. I may have mentioned before that I love cookbooks, and tend to read them straight through like novels whenever I get a new one. I basically did the same for this book, and after drooling over creations like a Maple-Bacon Shake, and the Peach Shake with Brandy and Nutmeg, I settled on making an old classic - the Strawberry Shake.

Whenever I get a milkshake at a restaurant, I always opt for the strawberry version, and am usually disappointed by their lack of actual strawberry flavor. In the book, Adam Ried uses strawberry sorbet as a component of his strawberry shake recipe, and makes a point that oftentimes sorbet tastes more like actual strawberries than the fruit itself. Even when strawberries are in season, half the time they're shipped from 800 miles away, and just don't live up to their full potential. That is, unless you wake up at the bumcrack of dawn to go to a farmer's market and buy berries, which I do not.

I am please to report that this strawberry shake is the best shake I have ever had. It is super thick, and almost reminds me of a Wendy's Frosty in consistency (only like, 1,000 times more delicious.) There may be a straw in the photo, but I actually couldn't drink this through the straw until it got melty towards the end. Best of all, it is full of strawberry flavor, thanks to the author's brilliant idea to use sorbet. (Also, it's totally healthy because it is fruity and has tons of calcium. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.)

Now, for the giveaway! (Update: Congrats to the winner, Lianna!) The nice people at W.W. Norton & Company were awesome enough to agree to give away a copy of "Thoroughly Modern Milkshakes" to one of you!

To enter, just leave any comment below, with a valid email address so that I can contact you if you win, by 11:59 p.m. on Monday, July 2, 2012. I love you all, but only U.S. readers are eligible for this giveaway! One entry per person, please.

Lastly, if you're interested in learning more about this book & chatting with the author, join me & the rest of the participants in a Twitter party tomorrow (Monday) night - just follow the hashtag #GreatShakes at 8 p.m. EST to join in!

Disclosure: This giveaway is provided to you by W.W. Norton & Company. I received a copy of this book free of charge, but was not monetarily compensated for this review or giveaway. All opinions, as always, are my own!

Here's what you'll need to make 2 strawberry shakes:

1/2 cup cold whole or low-fat milk
2 tablespoons strawberry jam or preserves
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 14-ounce container strawberry ice cream, softened 'til just melty at edges
1 14-ounce container strawberry sorbet, softened 'til just melty at edges

Add the milk, jam, and lemon juice to a blender, and blend about 15 seconds, until mixed thoroughly. Add the ice cream and sorbet, and pulse several times to start breaking them up. With the blender turned off, use a flexible spatula to mash the mixture down onto the blades. Continue pulsing, stopping, and mashing until the mixture is well blended, thick, and moves freely in the blender jar - about 30-90 seconds. Add another splash of milk if necessary to adjust the consistency. Pour into glasses, top with whipped cream if desired, and serve immediately.

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Source: Thoroughly Modern Milkshakes: 100 Thick and Creamy Shakes You Can Make at Home