Banana Wonder

Vegan Not Vegan Stuffed Poblanos

noreply@blogger.com (Banana Wonder) — Fri, 17 May 2013 01:59:00 +0000

Lent is over, Greek Easter happened. I didn't smoke an entire lamb in my front yard like some of my diehard patriots; instead I ate pizza and copious amounts of brie. It was lovely! Although I do love cheese, I could have been completely tricked by the creaminess of these stuffed poblanos.

A few days before lent, I busted out dos poblanos waiting for some action in the fridge. Didn't know what I was doing, but blended up some soft tofu, 2 cloves of garlic, fresh dill from the front yard, and boom threw it in the shelled out poblanos, sprinkled with vegan cheese for me and Monterrey jack for him. These Mexican "Papoutsakia" or "Shoes" as we often call vegetable baking vessels in Greece, were pretty okay! The stuffing turned out unbelievable creamy and ethereal.

Vegan (or Not) Stuffed Poblanos
(serves 2 hungry bears)

2 large poblanos, cut lengthwise and de-seeded
1 12-oz pack of silken tofu (the kind used for smoothies)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
1/2 cup cooked rice
vegan and non vegan melt friendly cheese

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Arrange poblanos in a baking dish.
In a food processor or with a blender, beat garlic, tofu, salt together until smooth. Pulse in rice and dill.
Sprinkle some cheese at the bottom of the poblanos, spoon in tofu mixture, top with more cheese and sprinkle with paprika.
Bake for about 30 minutes. Broil for another 5 minutes or less depending on your crispness preference.

Amaranth and Pepita Waffles (vegan)

noreply@blogger.com (Banana Wonder) — Thu, 09 May 2013 03:01:00 +0000

These waffles are my ode to Aztecs - as they were one of the firsts to use the ancient grain amaranth and one of the first documented to eat pumpkin seeds. Also, I just learned the Greek word for pepitas according to this site is passatempos, which is the Italian phrase for passing time and also the name of a song of one of my favorite musics groups from Greece, Imam Baildi.
I woke up one weekend morning, opened the pantry and saw these two together in waffle matrimony. Earthy and nutty, these waffles made for a hearty (and vegan) breakfast.

Amaranth and Pepita Waffles

3/4 cup amaranth flour
1 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup soy/almond/coconut milk
pinch of salt
2 tsp. canola oil
1/4 pepitas, toasted

Mix dry ingredients together, add wet ingredients and mix until smooth. Follow waffles iron instructions - cook until golden brown, top with butter(vegan) and maple syrup. Perfection!

Taro, Macadamia, and Maui Onion Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Banana Wonder) — Thu, 02 May 2013 10:57:00 +0000

When I think of taro, dessert always comes to mind, usually dominated by the taro popsicles I'd eat growing up that were undoubtedly purchased from Marina Foods. I think of the color purple and how last year's attempt to make taro tea cake turned out anything but. This tuber needed something savory and refreshing, so naturally, that is salad (hummus next time!). I was inspired by the Hawaiian islands - and poi, so macadamia nuts, sweet Maui onions, chives and mangoes went into the pot. Lots of textures and tastes! This medley provoked summer thoughts in this early and still some what chilly Philadelphia Spring.

Taro, Macadamia, and Maui Onion Salad

1 medium taro
1/2 sweet Maui onion, minced
4 cups of spring salad mix
1/2 mango, chopped
1/2 cup chives, minced
1/2 cup macadamia, chopped
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
couple of sweet red peppers, optional
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon orange juice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice taro into thin discs and place on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast for about 15 minutes or until soft and extra crispy if you like them that way. Mix the other veggies together, except the chives. Mix the liquids and salt together along with the chives. Add more olive oil if you like! Pour almost all of it over veggies, mix together. Arrange on a plate salad piles and taro, drizzling a little more dressing over the taro. Sprinkle with macadamia. Enjoy with a rose.

Smoky Mountain Cheez

noreply@blogger.com (Banana Wonder) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 02:11:00 +0000

The one thing that I miss the most while fasting from animal products during Great Lent is cheese. Not a day goes by where I don't want to come home after a day's work and gnaw on a provocative hunk of cheddar. But, the good thing about Great Lent is that it challenges me to do things I normally wouldn't - in this case, making vegan cheese or cheez. Like a lot of food bloggers, I am not big into following recipes, usually just inspired by them. One exception is the Vegan Diner cookbook by Julie Hasson. I've actually made/followed three of her recipes so far with this cheez being the third. I am forever a fan! I don't even own this cookbook - my husband picked it out at the library for me and I copied some recipes before returning it, but it's very worthy of permanent bookshelf space and I'm creeping amazon for a used version.

This cheese grew on my exponentially. The first taste there was a little funkytown going on, but by the 5th day it was all I wanted! I didn't use an ultra smoky paprika, but I will make the extra effort for the next time. Also, find agar powder at an Asian food store. I totally got punk'd by the $8 agar flakes from Whole Foods and I hope this does not happen to you.

This recipe pretty much sums up the Vegan Diner's originals. Get after that cheez!

Fig, Whiskey, and Olive Oil Cake (GF and Vegan!)

noreply@blogger.com (Banana Wonder) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 04:12:00 +0000

This cake was made as part of my vegan baking blitz - exploring the word of vegan baking! Accidentally, this cake also happens to be gluten free. Since olive oil cake is one of my favorite cakes (tried three different versions here, here, and here), a vegan version was a must. I was inspired to make olive oil cake again after reading one of my favorite blogs, Souvlaki For The Soul after reading Peter's recipe for a semolina based olive oil cake. My favorite olive oil cake has cornmeal - something about the grittiness of the corn and the olive oil merry so well together. This time around I used semolina that picked up in the Italian district of Philly. I wasn't planning on adding figs until my husband came home with a haul of beautiful dried figs on baking day. They were going straight into that cake and the rest saved for cheese (and wine!) when Great Lent is over. When I think of figs, I often think of one of the most delicious cocktails I've ever had containing both whiskey and figs (at the Sapphire Hotel in Portland) - so whiskey naturally went into the cake. These were some distracting ingredients to make you not miss the eggs and milk this cake might have never needed.

Fig, Whiskey, and Olive Oil Cake (vegan and gluten free!)

1 cup semolina
1 cup almond flour
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 cup sugar
3 teaspoons ground flax seeds
9 teaspoons hot water
1 cup dried figs, chopped
1 1/2 cups hot water
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup whiskey
Powdered sugar for the top

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a small bowl, pour 1 1/2 cups hot water over figs. Let sit.
In cup, combine the rest of the hot water and flax seeds.
Combine semolina, almond flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium sized bowl.Mix in olive oil, sugar, whiskey, and flax seed mixture. Stir until everything is smooth. Drain fig and add them in. Pour into a greased baking vessel of your choice and bake for about 30 minutes.
Cool and dust with powdered sugar, add extra figs for aesthetics!

Black on Black Hummus

noreply@blogger.com (Banana Wonder) — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 23:15:00 +0000

Hummus never gets old! And this version, while really should be saved for Halloween, comes in handy during the Great Lent (vegan) fasting period. My friend and fellow Portland expat @CamilleBeGreen made black sesame tahini and gifted me a jar of it. This was something very special - never had I seen black tahini available for purchase nor had I ever dreamed of it.

I had to make hummus with some of it and didn't want the color to fade with standard chickpeas. While I could have used black beans to make this hummus, I wanted to stay classical and use black chickpeas. The best I could find without ordering online were these green looking "black chickpeas" from Whole Foods bulk. I was hoping the'd somehow become black during the cooking process - but brunette it was!

The black chickpeas have thicker skins, creating more of a grittier hummus, which is no biggie for me (still have not tried the hand-shucked etherally smooth version yet). One side note for the future, if you truly want black on black on black hummus, add squid ink!

Black on Black Hummus

3 tablespoons black sesame tahini (DIY here, and BTW beet hummus!!!)
2 cups chickpeas (reserve some bean liquor and chickpeas for decor)
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
juice from half a lemon
1 teaspoon salt

In a food processor, blend everything but the chickpeas together until smooth. Add the chickpeas and continue to pulse until smooth, add more olive oil or bean liquor to get to desired consistency. Serve in a bowl, sprinkles some extra chickpeas and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

Vegan Chocolate Avocado Loaf

noreply@blogger.com (Banana Wonder) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 14:34:00 +0000

Last week I got so desperate for chocolate that I stayed up late to bake this chocolate cake and proceeded to burn my mouth trying to eat a pipping hot from the oven bite before bed. I woke up with a bum tongue but the (town)house smelled like chocolate heaven!

More about this vegan cake: I couldn't find a recipe that had a fudgey end result - most were fluffy and cake-like. I wanted under cooked brownie texture. I used coconut oil and avocados and held it all together with super chia. These most definitely hit the spot!

Vegan Chocolate Loaf
(veganized off of 101 cookbooks)

1 cup cocoa powder
11/4 cups spelt flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 avocado
2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 teaspoons chia seeds
6 teaspoons warm water
1 cup boiling water
additional sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan and wine with parchment paper (must line if want cake to get cake out of pan).
Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
In a small bowl or cup mix together the chia seeds and water.
In a separate bowl, cream the coconut butter, avocado and cocoa powder until smooth, add sugars and blend until smooth.
Beat in chia seed combination and vanilla.
Now stir in 1/3 the flour mixture, then 1/3 of the water, alternating until all the flour and water has been incorporated into what seems like an impossibly thin batter.
Pour into the prepared pan (sprinkle with dusting sugar if you want), pace on a baking sheet (just in case there's overflow) and bake for 30 minutes.
Turn the oven down to 325 degree F and continue to bake for another 15 minutes. This cake isn't going to test done like other cakes, but as long as the oven temp is accurate, it should come out just fine.

Vegan Apple Mahlepi Spelt Coffee Cake: Milopita?

noreply@blogger.com (Banana Wonder) — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 22:26:00 +0000

I've been vegan baking like crazy these past two week and it all started with this apple coffee cake, which I must say, is one of the best coffee cakes I've ever tasted. The recipe was mutated off the Vegan Diner cookbook which my better half found at the library for me - it's got some pretty intriguing recipes - some that really try to be meaty and some that are just loud and proud vegan. I prefer the latter - which don't use faux eggs and meat to try and fit in. Soy isolates can be pretty scary!

When I read the recipe, it sounded almost like milopita - a Greek apple cake/pie. Well, my relatives would tell me it's apple pie, but we all know damn well that it ain't - it's more like apple coffee cake. I'm calling this milopita in honor of my Greek Orthodox fasting (vegan diet for nearly 50 days).

This cake is seriously delicious - moist, fragrant, and comforting. The base is so spot on that I'm thinking of trying different fruit combos in the future. I know apples aren't in season, but we always have a few to snack on in the house, since let's face NO fruits are in season right now in Pennsylvania. Gotta enjoy the ever-lasting apple!

Apple Mahleb Spelt Coffee Cake
(adapted from Vegan Diner cookbook)

1 cup AP flour
1 cup spelt flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp mahleb
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract (I used almond, and you should too if you love it)
1 cup vanilla almond milk
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp mahleb
2 apples (I used fuji), peeled, cored and thinly sliced

crumb topping
1/3 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup coconut oil
dash of cinnamon and malheb
1 heaping tablespoon flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch square glass baking dish with pam or some kind of vegan grease.
In a small bowl, sift together flours, baking powder, 1 tsp mahleb, and salt.
In a large bowl, beat together the oil, brown sugar, and vanilla (almond) extract with an electric mixer. Add the flour mixture a little at a time, alternating with the almond milk, beating until just combined.
In a small bowl, combine granulated sugar with cinnamon and 1/4 tsp mahleb.
Spread one third of the batter into the prepared dish. Lay half the apple slices on top of the batter, and sprinkle with some of the cinnamon-sugar-mahleb mixture. Spread another third on top and do the same thing with the apples. Spread the rest of the batter over (it may be spotty, but that's okay).
Combine the crumb topping ingredients and sprinkle on top of batter.
Bake the cake for 50-60 minutes, or until cake is golden brown and a tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Remove to a rack and cool before serving.

Philly Pretzel Love: No Need for Smackdowns - Metropolitan Bakery

noreply@blogger.com (Banana Wonder) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 03:32:00 +0000

Living in Philly (well, the 'burb sticks) there are pretzels everywhere. Delicious ones, even at chain gas stations (Wawa). There are soft pretzel chain stores like Philly Pretzel Factories which are in every township and brought to business meetings in lieu of doughnuts 'round these parts. For a minute, being so close to the pretzel capital of the U.S., killed my thirst for pretzel search. But it always happens when you're not looking for it.

This weekend I met up with my Jr. High School friend Minjung, who I hadn't seen since NYC circa 2010. We took cover from a chilly Philly faux Spring in the cafe closest to us, which happened to be Metropolitan Bakery. The whole wheat sourdough fennel pretzel was spotted and ordered - served toasted, sliced in half, with grainy mustard. The first bite said it all - a crunch of salt, a crunch of fennel seed, toasted exterior, soft, chewy innards. Mustard was not needed, although I love mustard too much not to. Bursting with sour, nutty and a pleasant herbal fennel punch - this pretzel was outstanding. The best I've had in a long while, and will make my way back for more on purpose in the future!

Metropolitan Bakery
262 S. 19th Street
Philadelphia, PA

Stay Calm and Avoid Bleeding Animal Products for 49 Days: On Being Greek Orthodox

noreply@blogger.com (Banana Wonder) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 00:44:00 +0000

What, no food pic? (Greek Orthodox Church in Norristown, PA)

Per a recent instagram post, some have asked, oh, did you give up raw fish for Lent? I went out with this spicy tuna sundae bang and it was damn good, and damn fun with my new Philly friend @MarissaGilbert.

A dream I share with cats: Tuna Sundae

Let it be known I am Greek American Greek Orthodox and I thoroughly participate in traditional Greek Orthodox Lent fasting, which means no bleeding animal products for the next 49 days. I love this time of year! I love being vegan (plus a non bleeding animal eater - octopus 4-eva). It brings me back to a time in my life where I hit rock bottom and found a healing sanctuary in Los Angeles, and of all places - a church! It brought me back to life and for that, I am forever grateful for my Greek Orthodox faith. I follow this fasting ritual as a way to show gratitude and to ground myself as means to appreciate everything I have. To celebrate, I'm busting out some of my favorite vegan recipes from the past year. This year will be especially awkwardly awesome since I work in the meat industry. Stay tuned!

Vegan Stoner Peanut Stew

Olive, Onion, and Orange Pasta

Olive Oil Pretzels with Ouzo Mustard (some people fast from olive oil too, I do not)

Quadruple Sesame Hummus

Vegan Coconut Butter Cookies with Ghost Pepper Sea Salt

Dandelion (wine) Cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (Banana Wonder) — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 23:37:00 +0000

Truth be told, these babies are filled with booze. The dandelion description is in fact dandelion wine flavor. Over a cup of the stuff! Yah yah, so I get off on baking boozey cupcakes - from ouzo cupcakes with sour cherry cream cheese frosting to Lemon Limoncello Cupcakes, not to mention the Grand Mariner ones. I don't make cupcakes for kids and please never give R. Kelly my number.

The dandelion wine was made by my boss who spent a lot of time picking flowers in random fields of Pennsylvania. The stuff is tedious to make, and not cheap if you want to buy it - nearly $50 a bottle! I was tempted to add more fun ingredients into the batter, but didn't want to mess with the precious dandelion essence. So, the only altercation was using coconut oil instead of regular 'ol vegetable oil. Ultimately, these cupcakes reminded me of the Greek keik. The kind of cake found in every Greek homebaker's household to be had with afternoon coffee - a cake that is not too sweet, but just enough to make you feel happy and not take your teeth out.

If you don't have dandelion wine and don't live in Pennsylvania where fruit (non grape) wines are more common than grape wines, use a sweet riesling. I bet that would be awesome! Also, I'd play up the icing next time, and go with a lavender icing or orange blossom water icing for some contrast. Cheers!

Dandelion (wine) Cupcakes

2.5 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
2/3 cup coconut oil
1 cup dandelion wine (or a fruit wine or sweet riesling)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons baking powder

Icing
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons dandelion wine (or orange blossom water/lavender/floral herb essence)
1 tablespoon soy milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease muffins tins or cake/loaf pan.
Blend all Ingredients for cake in a bowl together with a beater until smooth.
Pour into cups/pan and bake for about 25 minutes for cupcakes and 40 minutes or less for a loaf.
Let cool completely.
Blend all icing ingredients up until smooth and spoon on top of cake - let cool to solidify.

Peanut Butter Bacon Hummus

noreply@blogger.com (Banana Wonder) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 11:37:00 +0000

Let's rewind for a sec and talk about homebrew! A few weeks ago I unveiled my homebrew, Fat Lumberjack, for a small group of friends. They dressed up in plaid flannel, suspenders, and even accessorized with axes for the party. Everyone looked awesome! Some friends even brought over homemade maple rice pork belly sushi for the occasion.

Shout out to the home brew!

OK, so I couldn't resist not making hummus. In the spirit of those hearty lumberjacks and my random teenager bites of bacon and peanut butter sandwiches off Kevin Coolidge's lunches, one of the only other tall persons in school (we look out for each other!) - this very distant memory triggered the thought of a very brilliant paring. PB & B, except this time in hummus form!

The hummus turned out robust and so much more than just a bacon flavor. Because, yes, that gets overdone and yes, it's easy to add bacon to any sort of day part. Nutty, smokey, and just a tad of that ridiculous bacon greasy deliciousness, you smell what I'm steppin' in? It paired well with my biscuit malt heavy - maple syrup finished beer and probably would pair well with stouts, porters and richer ales.

Peanut Butter Bacon Hummus

1 can chick peas, drained (liquor reserved)

1 tablespoon tahini

11/2 tablespoons chunky peanut butter

1 clove garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 strips bacon (or more), cooked and crumbled

1 tablespoon bacon grease

1 tablespoon olive oil

In a small or large food processor, blend bacon grease, nut butters, garlic, salt, and olive oil until smooth (you may need to add some bean liquor). Blend in chick peas and 3 strips of bacon crumbles until smooth. Top with crumbled bacon. Enjoy with brewski.

Fried Plantains with Feta Sour Cream and Black Bean Hummus

noreply@blogger.com (Banana Wonder) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:45:00 +0000

Plantains deserve far more love than they currently get - potatoes are for the birds, plantains for the people! Whenever the classic plantain/black beans/crema combination is spotted on a menu, it's all mine! But I need to work on bringing these babies into the household since this Pennsylvania Dutch territory. And it's been forever since I made a plantains, cocoa nibs, cashews and feta salad. It was perfect timing in the middle of a cold, mid Atlantic winter, to make plantains. Instead of the traditional black beans and crema, I made black bean hummus and feta sour cream (topped with cocoa nibs and cashews). Feta sour cream is what's up! Ultra tangy with a lot of spunk - to contrast the sweet, warm plantains. So, when I can't make it out to the best celebrity chef restaurants on the block for fusion cuisine, this is the somewhat Greek-fusion I make at home.

Fried Plantains with Feta Sour Cream and Black Bean Hummus

serves two hungry people

1 ripe plantain

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Feta Sour Cream

1/3 cup sour cream

1/4 cup feta

Black Bean Hummus

1 can black beans

1 tablespoon tahini

1 clove garlic, diced

1/2 lime, juiced

1 tsp salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro

roasted cashews

cocoa nibs

fresh cilantro, chopped

Plantains

Slice them up. Heat oil to medium high in a large skillet. Add plantains and fry for about 3 minutes on each side or until browned to liking.

Feat Sour Cream

Whip feta and sour cream up in a food processor together! Add more of each if you want some for later (you probably will!).

Black Bean Hummus

Blend all ingredients up in a food processor. Add more olive oil or bean liquor to smooth out if needed.

Assemble ingredients - sprinkle cashews and cocoa nibs on cream, and sprinkle cilantro on everything else.

Blackberry Pistachio Ricotta Scones

noreply@blogger.com (Banana Wonder) — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 12:26:00 +0000

Making scones is the one baking activity I wish I started sooner. They are incredible easy to make with a short cook time and you don't even need eggs! Inspired by 101 Cookbooks, these scones got pistachios and spelt flour added in. This pistachios added a lovely buttery-salty crunch. The one change I'd make is to add more berries next time. Really, you can never have enough blackberries! Cheeeers (British voice) to scones!

Blackberry Pistachio Ricotta Scones
adapted from 101 Cookbooks
makes 6 extra large scones

1 cup AP flour
1 cup spelt flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
3/4 cup whole milk ricotta
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup chopped pistachios

Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix flours, baking power, sugar and salt together.

Cut butter into small pieces and work it into the flour mixture with fingertips until the mixtures resembles course meal (or use pastry blender if you have one). Stir in blackberries.

Stir in ricotta and heavy cream to the butter mixture to form a dough. Then use your hands to knead into a ball - the berries will get muddled a little, but it turns your dough into a pretty purple color.

Transfer the dough onto a floured surface and pat into an oval shaped disk about 1 inch high. Transfer the disk into your baking sheet and score six scones with a knife. Sprinkle some sugar on top if you like.

Bake for 15 minutes, until golden on edges. Cool on the pan a couple of minutes before eating.

Amada - Tapas Trophies in Philly

noreply@blogger.com (Banana Wonder) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 04:53:00 +0000

Exiting the train station and entering the heart of Philadelphia felt really good. Hobbling along with a sprained knee, husband holding my hand, and my friend Jessica, visiting from California, leading the way as Philly's out of state tour guide extraordinaire felt even better. We were in the city, and cared not about the freezing cold spearing our necks. We were taking the town by storm, one eat and drink at a time from the burger and cask flights at The Dandelion Pub to drinks at Franklin & Mortgage Investment Co. The pinnacle, was, of course Amada and its $55 tasting menu. Chef Jose Garces's empire is here, amassing 8 restaurants in the city of brotherly love with Amada being the big brother of the bunch. The scene is not your usual casual tapas - it's sleek and chic with a well-trained service staff. It's a night out. A special occasion like having a friend in town and my husband landing a job.

We started off with creamy tuna-caper "salsa" drizzled with balsamic (above). It screamed tuna pang fulfillment. The rest goes as follows:

Some artiseanal Spanish olives

Aged Manchego with truffled lavender honey, El Cantu with sherry caramel, and Cana de Cabra with fig and cherry marmalade. The crowd favorite was the El Cantu in all its sharp, nutty, crystallized glory.

Ensalada Verde: green salad, asparagus, avocados, green beans and fava. Something I could eat every day. Just pure refreshments with richness from the avocado and fava.

Let's be honest, I am no beef eater. I usually pass on it or give it to my little brother or husband. But these wagu beef brochettes with royal trumpet mushrooms turned me into a believer. Hands down, the trophy winner tapa of the night.

Gambas al Ajillo was also memorable in terms of sweet, just-barely cooked shrimp and abundance of addicting garlic. It is necessary to ask for extra bread to mop up the juices.

Habas al la Catalana, a mix of warm favas and limas spiked with mustard seeds proved to be a hearty vegetarian dish with mellow, earthly flavors shinning through.

Another trophy winner was setas - chantarelles massaged in a sexy parsley olive oil.

Tortilla Española with saffron aioli equates to luxurious comfort at its finest.

The last course was the Madre E Hijo, sous vide chicken breast, fried egg, mojama and truffles. I am not much of a chicken eater, but this changed my mind - fork tender chicken, runny yolk, and truffles? How can you not.

Dessert was a rich chocolate sorbet with arroz con leche - rice pudding with pine nuts and figs. We were beyond full, and the rice pudding would have been more appreciated as a light breakfast the next day.

Overall the tasting menu at Amada explores some of the best traditional Spanish tapas with a few twists. No complaints and a bargain of a tasting menu. Everything consumed was spectacular and my husband and I are heading back for the more daring Chef's selection next time!

Amada

217 Chestnut Street

Philadelphia, PA

Spicy Red Lentil Hummus

noreply@blogger.com (Banana Wonder) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 11:56:00 +0000

I brought organic red lentils from Greece with me from Oregon to California to Pennsylvania. Kind of ridiculous the travels these beans have been made and there was clearly only one way to celebrate them - in hummus form! This hummus turned out to be one of my latest favorites. Smooth with a velvety texture, these red babies are going to make me think twice about using the 'banzos next time. Cook some red chili flakes in there and and a little more later, and you have got some nice heat going. Sprinkle with olive oil and cilantro, and things look really good.

Spicy Red Lentil Hummus

1 1/2 cups red lentils
3 cups water
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tsps dried red chili flakes
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tsp salt
extra extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
chopped herbs (I used cilantro)

Heat water with lentils in saucepan until boiling. Reduce to a simmer, add 1 teaspoon chili flakes and cook for about 20 minutes, or until super soft. Let sit for about 30 minutes or more to cool off before making hummus.
In a food processor, blend everything except lentils and herbs together until smooth. Add lentils (save a few for the top) and pulse until smooth. Top with extra virgin olive oil, reserved lentils, and chopped cilantro.

Origin Of Taste Small Batch Love Story

noreply@blogger.com (Banana Wonder) — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 16:06:00 +0000

Origin of Taste is a charming new start-up company based out of Portland, Oregon. An online retailer of specialty food, committed to supporting the work of small-batch artisans and sharing products through whimsical storytelling and product description. I am hooked! So, I'm sharing their recent blog post announcing a storytelling contest for love day (as well as the goodies involved):

You said, that January, in the after-midnight silence of your dormitory room

while it snowed outside, “Again, someday, maybe in ten years.”

Now, ten years and more have passed and I don’t know where you live;

only in dreams does the too-serious intensity of our young love return to me.

We had what all the others hope and long for: we left it behind at nineteen.

Portland made Woodblock Chocolate

Bonbons made in a batch of ten. Coffee at five pounds per roast. A romance recounted in only three sentences. The beauty of the small-batch process lies in knowing that with each piece, each bar, each bag you buy, the artist was involved every step of the way. Between batches, the small differences are a symbol of natural labor and perhaps a sign of experimentation; these necessary imperfections just bring us closer to the artist, increasing our knowledge and love of their work. The small-batch process is one of increasing intimacy — between the ingredients and the artist who melds them, between the artist and the connoisseur, between the connoisseur and the food they can trace back to an origin.

Pearl Chocolates

Bees & Beans

In the spirit of small-scale perfection, Portland based Origin Of Taste invites you to share a love story told in not more than three sentences.

To enter the contest, follow these steps:
1. Sign up for the e-newsletter
2. Like on facebook
3. Submit your story to the Origin of Taste facebook wall or tweet it to @originoftaste (but, then it would only be 140 characters?!).

The love story can be about whatever it is that you love — another person, your pet, inanimate objects, food, whatever (just keep it clean, or at least dirty but subtle). Submissions are accepted through February. 14th, 2013. Winner will receive an assortment of small-batch chocolates, enough to make anyone swoon: One 5-piece bonbon sampler from Pearl Chocolate, one 4-bar set from Woodblock Chocolate, and a 3 mini gourmet candy bar sampler from Bees & Beans. Good luck!

Use code "BANANAWONDER" at checkout for 15% off any purchase on the site (expires Feb. 28th, 2013).

Almond Poppy Seed Rolls

noreply@blogger.com (Banana Wonder) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 01:59:00 +0000

Late Saturday nights I set my alarm for early morning Sunday power wake-ups. I hate these wake-ups and my alarm, but if I don't Sunday nights turn me into an insomniac and by Monday I am a working woman train wreck with the mere weekend bragging rights of watching lots of documentaries and MMA fighting (I know, I know, not very lady like). This past Sunday made for a particularly easy rise in anticipation of putting these overnight rolls into the oven and getting cream cheese from the store while they baked. It comes down to this: my quest for all thing poppy seed almond will never be exhausted! While I admit this passion has been put in the back burner these past few years with almond croissants, my heart will always be strung out on poppy seeds.

I love poppy seed almond muffins so much, why not make them in cinnamon roll form? A lush poppy seed swirl, almond laced cream cheese frosting, salted roasted almonds on top? This is what Saturday night dreams are made of! Dreams are also made of cream cheese frosting. And by the way, there is nothing cozier than rich cream cheese frosting on a warm cinnamon (poppy seed) roll.

Also, can cinnamon rolls and their deviations (poppy seed almond rolls, for example) be the new cupcakes/doughnuts? I'd like to see all sorts of crazy cinnamon roll spin offs happening. Because, there is nothing better than eating a gigantic roll in the morning (or afternoon).

Almond Poppy Seed Rolls

Dough
1 cup milk (I used almond milk)
1/3 cup butter
1 package of yeast
1/2 cup sugar
4 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
3 eggs

Filling
1 can poppy seed filling (about 10 oz can) - I used Solo
(if you don't want to use the can filling - I was intrigued having never used poppy seeds like this before, you can make a paste of poppy seeds, sugar/honey, and add some almond paste if you have it!)

Frosting
4 oz cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 teaspoon almond extract
smashed almonds, roasted and chopped

Heat milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat and stir in butter until melted. Let cool until lukewarm

In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Mix well, then add eggs and milk/butter mixture. Beat well. Add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When dough has just pulled together, turn it on a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Add more flour if needed, but this dough should be very sticky!

Cover the dough and let rest for 10 minutes.

Roll out dough in to a 9x12 inch" rectangle. Spread the dough evenly with poppy seeds. Roll up dough from the long end, then cut into 12 equal size roles (ok, I made mine way bigger!) in a 9x12" baking pan. Cover and put in the fridge over night.

The next morning remove the rolls and let sit on the counter for about 20 minutes to take the chill off. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until browned. Meanwhile, in a small food processor or a mixing bowl, blend together topping ingredients except the almonds. When rolls are ready, let rest about 10 minutes then frost and sprinkles with chopped almonds.

Winter Caprese

noreply@blogger.com (Banana Wonder) — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 03:31:00 +0000

It's always about now when I hit the bottom of the trough. It's around the time when I am X and 1 month years old. That time when there are no more Holidays to look forward to besides the day I began fasting for Greek Orthodox Lent and the light at the end of the winter tunnel is about three months away. I fight that downer named Debbie, and drink more coffee than water. My body aches for summer. Indecent dreams of fat ripened brandy wines leave me with hardcore tomato pangs.

"Thou shalt not buy tomatoes out of season," thunders in my head as I stride past the visibly mealy light red Romas in the supermarket.

Instead, I pop open a jar of sun-dried tomatoes. Rehydrate, throw on top of fresh mozzarella, add olives and capers for some brine. Who needs basil (that is soo summer) when you got abundant arugula. And now, everything seems brighter and January don't mean a thang.

Winter Caprese

(general directions for 2 big salads and 4 smalls)

1/2 cup oil packed sun-dried tomatoes

1/3 cup kalamata olive, chopped

2 tablespoon salt packed capers, chopped

1 medium sized ball of fresh mozzarella

2 cups arugula

Extra virgin olive oil

pepper

hot water

Place tomatoes in a large cup or bowl and pour hot water over them. Let stand for about 10 minutes or more. Drain, pat dry and chop.

Arrange arugula on plates, lay out sliced mozzarella and arrange capers, olive and tomatoes on top. Drizzle with some extra virgin and crack on some pepper.

Elk Burgers with Glühwein Caramelized Onions and Huckleberry BBQ

noreply@blogger.com (Banana Wonder) — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 16:54:00 +0000

Christmas merits a dinner of decadence. This year, it was just my husband and myself, so I figured burgers would be perfect to make for a party of two. I scored some elk meat from a colleague and wanted to bust it out for a special occasion - Jesus's birthday? This wild game came from Montana, which made me think of huckleberries - in BBQ form of course. Being that it was Christmas day, I opened up the bottle of Glühwein gifted from the Proprietor of a German Inn we stayed in in Indianapolis on our road trip from California to Pennsylvania. Ironically, the last time I had a burger was in Indianapolis, about three months ago. I used some of the wine to deglaze the onions, giving them a spicy-sweet depth of flavor. I added aged cheddar for a creamy salty contrast and finally, homemade brioche buns to hold everything together. Elk meat is ultra lean, but this round was ground was blended with pork fat for an ultra rich and juicy result. These burgers were so lustful!

I admit, I added feta to these burgers. I couldn't help myself. For a Christmas dinner, it wouldn't be complete without a little feta somehow, somewhere. All in all, I am not a burger maker - but these were hands down the best burgers I've ever made. Admittedly, I went into a coma after eating this dinner.

Elk Burgers with Glühwein Caramelized Onions and Huckleberry BBQ
(general directions depending on how much elk meat you've scored)

Ground elk meat (hopefully ground with some fat)
1-2 sweet onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup Gluhwein or mulled wine
olive oil
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
1/4 cup huckleberry jam
1/2 tsp garlic, minced
aged cheddar
Brioche buns (I made them myself using Smitten Kitchen's recipe)
feta (if you want!)

In a skillet on medium high heat, add some olive oil and the onions. Cook onions for about 5 minutes until they start getting blackened. Add some of the wine to deglaze. Lower heat, and continue cooking on a medium heat for 10-15 more minutes, adding more wine as you go.
Blend BBQ, garlic, and jam in a food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside for later.
Form patties making sure they are flattened in order to cook evenly and fit the bun. Heat non-stick skillet to medium high, add olive oil, fry patty for about 10 minutes on each side. Add cheese on top of burgers for the last few minutes until melted.
Split the brioche buns, add feta (if you want) to the bottom. Top with burger, BBQ sauce and onions. Add more BBQ if needed. Get messy!

Chickpea Garlic Spanakopita

noreply@blogger.com (Banana Wonder) — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 11:56:00 +0000

I don't know if I told you this, but I kinda live in the sticks. Some might consider this the rolling hills of suburbia, but for this urbanite, I am in yokeltown. Not a bad thing, I am not going to complain about my country drive to work, counting at least 3 freshly road killed white tail deer each morning. Traffic whaa? And there are never loud noises to complain about in my township. AND in this territory known as Pennsylvania Dutch, there is an amazing Egyptian eatery inside the nearest supermarket (no relation to the supermarket). Everything that gets pumped out of that kitchen is swoon-magical. My go-to favorite is something described as a "calzone" with spinach, garlic, chickpea, and cheese tucked inside. I thought I'd re-create this favorite into one of my favorites: spanakopita. This may just be my new favorite version of a favorite!

Chickpea Garlic Spanakopita

1 1/2 pounds baby spinach, rinsed
1/2 pack of phyllo, thawed
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup crumbled feta
2 eggs
1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese
1 cup cooked chickpeas
4 cloves garlic, minced
extra olive oil

In a large pot, on medium high, heat a few gluggs of olive oil. Add spinach and let cook until barely wilted. Stir in garlic. Remove from heat and let cool down a bit.
In a medium sized bowl, mix together cheeses and eggs. Set aside.
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix olive oil and butter together (I used a mix to keep it a little lighter than all butter).
Grease the bottom of baking vessel with some oil mixture, then start layering about half of the phyllo , sprinkling the oil mixture in between each layer.
Squeeze out an extra liquid from the spinach mixture, then add the cheese mixture. Stir and spread onto layered phyllo.
Continue layering until finished with phyllo. Pour extra melted butter on top and score with a sharp knife. Bake for about an hour or until golden on top.

Fat Lumberjack Spent Grain Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Banana Wonder) — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 12:14:00 +0000

I am getting excited in anticipation of homebrew that is about to be ready for enjoyment. Homebrewing without my brew buddy, Matt, is a whole new story. I took for granted the painless process of making our honey lavender pale ale and pitch black IPA made with the power of two. I got to say, it was more than twice as difficult as a solo brewer, but here's hoping to roping my husband in next time! I didn't have any chickens to feed this grain to, so I dried it out in the oven and on a cold Friday afternoon, jacked up the heat and made spent grain bread. There is nothing new about making spent grain bread, but just a head's up that after a long day of brewing (especially if you are solo brewing), the last thing you want to do is make bread. So, just put dem grains on a cookie sheet, set the oven on low and let is absorb all the wort moisture until grains are dry and ready for storage. Something like this:

In the meantime, Fat Lumberjack (Fat Tire enriched with extra biscuit malt and maple syrup) is getting its grizz on and this bread taste like sweet the future of beer!

The Lost Dishes of 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Banana Wonder) — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 11:57:00 +0000

Shroom and Hemp Crostada: dough made with hemp oil and hemp seeds, but it way too thick

Banana Wonder is four years old! She got to be at least 25 in blog years?

Looking back on the year involves a scan of photos taken this year. Every year, there are some pictures and dishes made that just get lost. Either I felt there was something wrong with them (like my way too thick crust in the crostada above) or simply forgotten. Before the year is over, I want to give these dishes a shout out and wish you the best for the next!

Egg Tacos made with Wind Attack in Guatemala

Addictive Brussel Spout Salad, yeah, it's really good. Shutterbean convinced me.

Sardine Rillettes inspired by sis.boom. [blog!]. I should have mashed everything with a fork instead of using the trusty food processor.

Seaweed Hummus

Nectarine, blue cheese and marcona almond summer salad (colors are all the same), but a highly delicious salad

Hazelnut Orange Tea Cake

Green machine pasta salad

Winter salad I am so OBSESSED: fennel, hot fresh chilies, clementines, cilantro, avocado with olive oil and champagne vinegar

Happy 2013!

Vegan Coconut Butter Cookies with Ghost Pepper Sea Salt

noreply@blogger.com (Banana Wonder) — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 16:58:00 +0000

Christmas cookies... there are the kind that disappear and the kind that don't. You know what I'm talking about. I was hesitant these would be the latter if I actually used the full description of these cookies at my work's holiday pot luck lunch. There are two reasons:

1) These cookies wouldn't stand a chance next to the Mennonite/Lancaster accesible baked goods it would be up against.
2) I work in the meat industry and veganism is only rarely mentioned in private circles and in off the record conversations.

So, naturally, I left the word "vegan" out of the description. I thought there'd be tons left considering I work in Pennsylavnia Dutch territory which means spice is verboten.

Surprisingly, these cookies were absolutely destroyed by the end of the day. I felt a sigh of relief sweep through my body. The people liked the heat! If you do, too, these are a delightful way to do it up!

Vegan Coconut Butter Sugar Cookies With Ghost Pepper Sea Salt

Cookies
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon egg replacer (or use 1 egg if you don't care about making it vegan)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup coconut butter
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon ghost pepper sea salt (you can make your own or buy some at a spice joint)

Icing
3 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons coconut milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
extra salt for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray or line with wax paper.
Combine flour and baking powder in a small bowl.
Whisk egg replacer with 2 tablespoons water in a separate bowl, set aside.
Cream sugar and butter in a bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in vanilla and egg replacer or egg and beat until smooth. Add flour mixture and beat until dough forms.
Divide dough into 2 balls. Roll 1 ball to 1/4 inch thickness on lightly floured surface. Cut into desired shapes, and transfer to baking sheets. Continue with the rest. Sprinkle with ghost pepper sea balt before baking.
Bake for 10-15 minutes or until light brown around the edges. Cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheets and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
Make icing: beat sugar, coconut milk and vanilla until smooth. Add more milk to smooth out if necessary.
Spread icing on cooled cookies and sprinkling sugar or more salt or sparkling sugar.

Persimmon, Pear, and Feta Spinach Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Banana Wonder) — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 04:23:00 +0000

The holiday season started off with a bang. Multiple bangs from neighbors of my quiet town of Blue Bell as I belted all the Xmas classics Mariah Carey's rendition of All of I Want Christmas to name a few) while my husbands runs off to his hobbit hole avoiding the misery of my singing. It was great - I sent Christmas cards off in November and had advanced to my second half gallon of eggnog.

But

then all the horrific tragedies started in Oregon and then in Connecticut. My heart is heavy and I am no longer in the Holiday spirit. When I hear Wham's Last Christmas on the radio my fingers quick twitch the changer to something, anything sounding more like Nirvana's All Apologies. Although this is not the time (for me) to prance around like Blitzen, a salad with winter's sweet fruit, salty rich feta, earthy sage, and slightly bitter spinach shared with the one I love (my husband) reminds me not to take for granted the small things in life.

Winter Salad of Persimmon Pear, Feta and Spinach

serves 4

1 bosc pear, finely slices

1 fuyu persimmon, sliced

1/3 cup crumbled feta (I use Dodoni)

4 cups baby spinach

1/4 toasted almonds, crushed

2 tablespoon sage

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

salt + pepper

extra extra virgin olive oil

Fry sage leaves in extra virgin olive oil. Remove from oil and lay leaves on paper towel.

Arrange fruit on spinach, top with feta, almonds, and sage leaves. Drizzle with olive oil, add salt and pepper to taste.