Pantry Raid Dinner

I have been trying not to go to the grocery store lately because every time I go to the grocery store I seem to spend a lot of money.  I go to the store for eggs, grapes, and milk and I walk out a hundred dollars poorer.  So I've been trying to use what's in my freezer and pantry for the most part and tonight it was kind of fun.  Remember that show which used to be on the Food Network?--I think it was called Doorknock Dinners--where a chef would come to somebody's house and make a fabulous dinner out of whatever was in the kitchen.  Sometimes it was kind of scary to see what people had in their refrigerator or freezer but the chef always came up with something great

Today I pulled a couple of boneless skinless chicken breasts out of the freezer and  tried to ignore my temptation to go to the store "just for a package of mushrooms."  I pulled out a can of artichoke hearts, a can of diced tomatoes,  an onion, some garlic and I even found some dried mushrooms which I reconstituted in some warm water.  I also had some leftover butternut squash, a box of vegetable broth, and some Israeli couscous, which apparently is actually pasta.  I called my friend, the Israeli couscous expert, for some support, and with her on the phone, started cooking:

For the chicken dish, I sauteed some sliced onion in olive oil til it started turning golden.  Then I added strips of chicken and kosher salt and pepper and continued to saute, adding chopped garlic at the end.    I then removed the chicken, onion, and garlic from the pan, added a bit more oil, and threw in the drained artichoke hearts and mushrooms and more salt and pepper.   When those were heated through and starting to brown, I added the chicken and onion mixture back in and added the drained diced tomatoes.  I had reserved the tomato liquid and kept adding it back in til the dish was the consistency I wanted.  After it was done I went outside and snipped some fresh rosemary, chopped it up, and sprinkled it over the chicken.  

The point of all this is not that you have to have exactly the items above to make dinner--but rather that it is kind of fun to challenge yourself and see what you can create from what you have on hand.  I could also have used some leftover spaghetti sauce for the chicken--or no sauce at all--maybe just a big squeeze of lemon juice at the end.  

For the couscous--I sauteed the onion in a pot with some oil and was supposed to let the onion caramelize--per my friend's instructions, but I got a little impatient and just let them get soft and translucent.  My friend told me to make the couscous like risotto, adding broth as it cooked and to cook the couscous til it was tender.  I added several handfuls of couscous and some broth along with some salt and pepper.  I kept stirring and adding broth and tasted it after a while--it's a little bland, I said to my friend, who was still in my ear.  "Add the butternut squash," she suggested, "and a little brown sugar."  I added some diced up cubes of already-cooked squash, along with a little brown sugar and some more salt and pepper.  I tasted.  It was delish!  My friend, the couscous expert, is a genius!  Now that I think about it a bit of butter at the end would have made the dish even better.  Oh well, I still have some leftover squash left over so there's always tomorrow.......

Banana Bread with a Fantastic Twist!!!!

I'm always searching for great banana bread recipes because I always have old--I mean--extra--bananas around.  A while ago I saw a recipe for a Banana-Apple Bread on another blog and have been meaning to make it.  The other day I got around to it and it was amazing.  The apples--which you caramelize--make the bread incredibly moist and delicious.  The combination of spices, caramelized apple chunks, and bananas is just perfect.  This bread is so delicious that Mr. Minivan ate some and immediately asked me to stop baking--he just can't resist eating it. So here--via
Dinner and Dessert, who got it from A Whisk and a Spoon by way of the Sweet Melissa Baking Book, is Banana Apple Bread. Make it today!

BANANA APPLE BREAD

Apples:

2 T unsalted butter
3 T firmly packed brown sugar
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1 t pure vanilla extract

Banana Bread:

2 C all-purpose flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground cloves
1/4 t ground nutmeg
1/2 t kosher salt
8 T (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 C sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 C orange juice
1 t pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 C mashed very ripe bananas (2-3 bananas) NOTE: I used about 3 1/2 bananas


With your oven rack in the center of your oven, preheat to 350°F. Lightly butter and flour (or use a baking spray) a 1 1/2 quart loaf pan.

Prepare the apples: Preheat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter and brown sugar and heat until bubbling. Add the apples and cinnamon and saute til tender and golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

For the banana bread:
In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
In a small bowl combine the orange juice and vanilla. Set aside.
Using an electric mixer cream the butter and sugar til light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture, in three batches, alternating with the orange juice mixture. Mix well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each flour addition. Stir in the mashed bananas until combined. Then stir in the apples.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool IN pan on wire rack for about 20 minutes and then unmold loaf onto wire rack to continue cooling.