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Hannah

Turtles Candy Inspired Hamentashen

This weekend I went home to visit and my mom and siblings. Before leaving school I received an urgent text from my mother: "please get lactaid the blue kind- I'm out!"Being a wonderful daughter, I trekked (on by that I mean the store that is on route to my house) to the grocery store to buy her lactose free milk for her dairy hating stomach. As I was handing the casher my single dollar bills (don't get any ideas there...), I noticed one of the bills had "juicy titties" written on it. I could not contain my giggles, although the dewed-eyed cashier girl only gave me a blank stare as if I was insane. I would like to not think where my dollar has been but hope it only continues to make others laugh. After my first grocery store experience, I went back the next day to buy more ingredients for my hamentashen. For those who are unfamiliar, hamentashen are a cookie traditionally eaten on the Jewish holiday of Purim. It represents the triangle-shaped hat the villain, Haman, wore in the story of Purim, where many Jews were almost killed within the Persian kingdom thousands of years ago. While trying to explain this to the children I teach at Hebrew School, one child shouted out, "if he was so bad- why do we have cookies to remind us of him?" Honestly it was a great question that in the moment I could not formulate a good answer to. Reflecting back on the question sometimes we eat our feelings, even if that means eating our hate or dislike for a person, especially one who wore a triangle hat. From my currently Purim- themed kitchen to yours, enjoy your triangle cookies and nosh nosh nosh on some hamentosh...en.

Servings: about 30 hamentashen

Ingredients:

2 cups of flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 cup of sugar
1/4 stick of butter or margarine at room temperature
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of orange zest*
1 teaspoon of orange juice*

Filling ingredients:
3/4 cup of caramel squares melted or caramel sauce
Whole pecans
8 oz of bittersweet or milk chocolate
1 teaspoon of instant coffee granules

*can be also substituted with lemon zest and juice

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Using a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Then slowly add in the eggs and vanilla extract. Next add in the lemon juice and zest.

In a medium sized bowl combine the flour and baking powder. Add this mix to the wet ingredients in batches. The dough will form a ball- if necessary add in more flour.

Melt the caramels according to the packaging, if using caramel squares- otherwise caramel sauce can  be used.

On a floured surface, roll out the dough. Using a glass cup, cut the dough into the circles. In the center add in a small spoonful of the caramel. Pinch the sides of the circle and create a triangle. In the center place the pecan. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden.

While the hamentashen are in the oven, n a microwave safe bowl, melt down the chocolate with instant coffee granules.  Set aside. Once the hamentashen have cooled, drizzle the chocolate on top of them.

Enjoy and Happy Purim!

Chocolate Chia Banana Bread

Vegan baking round one.

This week I decided to finally commit and cook up a vegan recipe. Of course it was taste tested by my go to vegan friend- and approved. My vegan experience was of course an adventure, but so has been my past week.
At my job at a Hebrew School we tie-dyed with the class. During the project I looked up to see a kid had squirted some of the dye across the table and hit another kid in the face. Sometimes a little extra green polka-dots on your face can't hurt, right? Another odd occurrence of the week was when a fellow classmate proceeded to analyze Bella from Twilight and how she believes she has a mental disorder. Honestly I wasn't sure if the girl was embarrassed to be admitting she so deeply analyzed the story or proud that she had figured out an underlying plot of the book. Although I find myself constantly surrounded my quirky and comical moments, baking up a banana bread seems to normalize the week- until I made it vegan.
From my kitchen to your- enjoy a little quirk and veganism.

Ingredients:
3 ripe mashed bananas
1/2 cup of melted coconut oil
2 tablespoons of chia seeds + extra for sprinkling
1 cup of sugar
2 cups of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of instant coffee granules
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/2 cup of soy or non-dairy yogurt
1/3 cup of cocoa powder
1/2 cup of non-dairy mini chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl combine the mashed bananas, sugar, vanilla, instant coffee, cocoa powder, and melted coconut oil. Then add in the soy yogurt. Stir well.

Add in the chia seeds and allow the mixture to sit for 1-2 minutes.

In a medium bowl combine the baking soda and flour. Add this mix in batches into the wet ingredients. Once fully incorporated, mix in the mini chocolate chips.

Line a medium sized loaf pan with parchment paper. Pour the batter into the pan. Before putting it into the oven, sprinkle some extra chia seeds on top of the batter. Bake for about 1 hour, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Enjoy!

Cranberry Orange Wheat Germ Muffins

Sometimes being a Psychology major is really interesting, and by interesting I mean entertaining. The other night in one of my lectures a comical situation arose- at least the class thought so. We were watching clips in class and attempting to diagnose the possible disorder displayed. One of the choices was Trichotillomania, or hair pulling disorder. A brave soul raised her hand and asked the TA if feeling gratification from pulling another's hair was also a disorder. She then went on to explain that she loves pulling other people's hair, especially her brother's leg hair. The entire class burst into laughter and disbelief that someone would say this aloud. It was an unexpected conversation for all. Although sometimes unexpected things, like combinations, can be for the better rather than the uncomfortable. You might not expect wheat germ in your muffins, but they are a great way to start the day that can be full of unexpected surprises and laughter.

Servings: about 10 muffins

Ingredients:
1 cup of milk
1 egg
1 cup of wheat germ
1 cup of whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
4 tablespoons brown sugar
4 tablespoons of oil
1/3 cup dried cranberries
Juice and zest of one orange

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Beat together the egg and milk. Then add in the wheat germ and allow it to sit to soak up the moisture. Then add in the flour, baking soda, sugar, and oil. Next mix in the orange zest, orange juice, and dried cranberries.

In a lined muffin tin, fill each cup about 3/4 of the way full. Sprinkle some dried cranberries on top. Place into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Enjoy!

Cinnamon Roll Chocolate Chip Cookies

In honor of Valentines day I wanted to make heart shaped cookies. I attempted to mold the cookie dough, but honestly they ended up looking like little penis cookies, which I guess could be entertaining and follow some theme on the "love holiday." In the end I just decided on normal round cookies, but theses cookies are far from normal. In lieu of my beau's love of cinnamon and cookies, I wanted to make these cinnamon roll chocolate chip cookies in hope of winning his heart again and again through his stomach. I mean my mother always told me a way to a man's heart is through his stomach and never accept a ring unless it's in a blue box with a white ribbon. Whether celebrating Valentines with a special someone or watching porn while eating cheez-whiz on crackers and crying on the inside, these cookies are a perfect way to warm anyone's heart and make you feel a little bit better.

Adapted from: Bakingdom

Servings: about 32 cookies

Ingredients:
1 1/4 sticks of melted butter
3/4 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups of flour
1 cup of chocolate chips

For the filling:
1/4 stick of butter melted
1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
 1/2 cup sugar
 1/4 + 1/8 cup flour

Directions:
Combine the butter and the sugars. Then add in the vanilla and eggs. Next mix in the baking soda and salt. In small batches add in the flour. Lastly stir in the chocolate chips.

Set the cookie dough aside. In a small bowl combine the melted butter, cinnamon, sugar, and flour. Add more sugar and flour if needed in order to reach a clumpy consistency.

Lay out a piece of plastic wrap and spread the cookie dough out in a rectangular shape. Spread the cinnamon filling in the middle of the cookie dough. Using the help of the plastic roll up the cookie dough into a log. Place the log into the fridge for at least one hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Take the cookie dough out of the fridge. Slice the dough in 1/2 inch thick rounds. Place the dough into the oven for 8-10 minutes, until the cookies are golden brown. Allow to the cookies to slightly cool and then move to a wire rack for them to fully cool.

Enjoy!

Curried Chickpeas, Tomatoes, and Spinach Millet Salad

Sometimes things happen for a reason and sometimes recipes pop into your head. My past week has been a roller-coaster ride, so it only seemed natural to cook up something to stabilize my hectic week. I was evicted (to be ever so dramatic) from the lease I was suppose to sign for the upcoming school year for silly reasons that made me laugh and cry. I guess they're missing out on eating my food (boo-hoo). I then went out to hear  music at a place where only a few people were lingering, the amp was too loud, and a artist hung around in the back sketching. Accompanied by sad fried food, I once again craved cooking. I then met my boyfriends grandparents and ate an ever so disappointing salad, followed by Super Bowl Sunday which was filled with nachos, wings, and ice cream cake. After that I am pretty sure I couldn't breathe and had to go to bed and hope to eventually digest my food. From odd food intakes to inhaling food till I cannot breath, I only craved the produce sitting away in my fridge asking to be eaten. Lately I have been trying to make food that is easy for on the go, since the only classes I have are two back-to-back night classes. Even though the mass amount of snow canceled class- a bit of cooking always cures a snow day. From my food adventures and craving to yours, enjoy the new recipe in good health, better places to sign a lease, and avoiding mass amounts of snow to shovel.

Servings: 4-5

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of millet
1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 shallot
3 cups of cherry tomatoes, halved
3 cups of chopped spinach
2 teaspoons of cumin seed
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon of chili powder
1 teaspoon of garam marsala
2 teaspoons of curry powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

Add 1/2 cup of millet to 1 1/2 cups of water. Bring the millet and water to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Cover the pot and allow the millet to cook for 15-20 minutes.

Sauté the shallot and cumin seeds. Once fragrant add in the chickpeas and tomatoes. Allow them to cook for a few minutes. Then add in the spinach and cook until the spinach is slightly wilted and then remove from heat. Then add in the spices and mix. Add salt and pepper to taste. Then mix in the cooked millet.

Enjoy!

Pistachio, Dark Chocolate, and Sea Salt Cookie Sticks

After arriving home from vacation, I soon found myself preparing for a blizzard. Naturally it only made sense to bake an absurd amount in order to occupy my time. I decided to make cookie sticks (in addition to cookies and mini cakes), but as in my new year's resolution, I wanted to make it without butter. According to my multiple taste testers, they came out great. Although having to shell my own pistachios, since no pre-shelled (for the lazy cook) could be found in stores, was not all too fun. Regardless, enjoy this sweet and a bit healthier treat to help stick to those resolutions.

Adapted from the Kosher Palette

Servings: about 25 cookie sticks

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup of melted coconut oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup of unsalted, roasted, chopped pistachios
1 cup of dark chocolate chips
Sea salt

Directions:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mix the sugar and melted coconut oil together.
Then add in the egg, vanilla, and baking soda.
Slowly add in the flour.

Lastly add in the pistachios and dark chocolate chips.
On a parchment lined cookie sheet, form the dough into a log. Before placing into the over, sprinkle sea salt over the dough.

Bake the dough for about 25 minutes. Take the dough out once golden brown and allow to cool for ten minutes. Then cut the dough into sticks and allow to fully cool.

Enjoy!

Thai Coconut Soup

Slowly winter break has come to an end and spring semester has crept up. Although I do no want to go back to class, I do miss my college house. To kickstart the new semester I though a new soup post would be nice, especially due to the predicated snowfall to come. 

It was hard to come back to freezing temperatures from 60 degree Las Vegas weather. But no, I did not gamble my life savings, get married, or wake up with a tiger in my room. Although my entire vacation I was craving Thai food, which could have spurred from forcing feeding peanut butter to my boyfriend's dog in order to prevent him barking on our plane ride there. Whether enjoying warm or freezing temperatures, enjoying curling up with this delicious soup!

Servings: 5-6

Ingredients:
1 14 oz can of light coconut milk
2 cups of vegetable broth
1 1/2  cups of water
3 cups of chopped oyster mushrooms
3 cups of chopped broccoli
1 cup of mung bean sprouts
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 cup of carrot slices
1/2 cup of red quinoa
1 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger
1 tablespoon of fish sauce
2 tablespoons of red chili paste
1 stalk of lemon grass

Directions:

Lightly sauté the garlic, carrots, broccoli, beans sprouts, and mushrooms. Then add in the coconut milk, water, and vegetable broth.
Add in the lemon grass, ginger, chili paste, and fish sauce.
Then add the quinoa. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower to a simmer and allow the quinoa to cook, for about 15-20 minutes.
Once the quinoa is cooked and the vegetables are tender, remove the lemon grass. Adjust spices to your preference and enjoy!

Sun Dried Tomato Pesto with Spaghetti Squash

Post New Year's- after a night of who knows what and waking up to strangers sleeping in various places in my house, it made sense to make a common New Year's resolution; eating better.  Of course that night my food intake included cereal bars, pizza, and sushi- yes an odd combination but one that could most likely be found at some type of kosher establishment (sushi and pizza always seem to be served together). I have always been health conscious but slowly surrounding myself with a house of people constantly making frozen chicken wings that always seem so tempting- I tend to cave. Instead of eating those yummy late night snacks, back on the kale kick once again. This pesto is healthy and packed with nutrients. 

Servings: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash
2 cups of kale
2 cups of spinach
1/2 cup of walnuts
1/4 cup of basil
2 teaspoons of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic (more or less depending on your garlic preference)
5-6 tablespoons of water
1/2 cup of sun dried tomatoes
Dried parsley flakes, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the spaghetti squash in half and scrape out the seeds. Place the squash on a baking sheet and place the spaghetti squash in the oven for 30-45 minutes, depending on how tender you prefer the squash.

While the spaghetti squash is cooking, place the sun-dried tomatoes in hot water to soften them. After about ten minutes place the tomatoes, olive oil, basil, kale, spinach, walnuts, garlic, and water in a food-processor. Adjust the spices to taste.

Enjoy!

Hannah Banana Granola

Last March I was debating on whether I should start a food blog. I was constantly cooking and creating various recipes. It has also always been a dream of mine to open a food establishment, but I believe in starting small and thought a blog would be a great start. I was at my friends house and asking if they had any ideas for my blog. My friend said so point blank- well duh Hannah's Bananas, since you are Hannah Banana. Thus, the blog was born. But even more so I am making a specific Hannah Banana post as a bit of a test. My boyfriend basically only refers to me as Banana and also has been asking for at least a shout-out. Yes, this is a test to see if he actually looks at my blog.
But besides the sneaky test, I made this granola of things I like and also in spirit for the start of the new year. Each year people make a resolution to eat healthier, be better, and on- so here is my healthier granola to help kick start a year I hope that is filled with good health, happiness, and prosperity for all.

Servings: 9 half-cup servings

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups of old fashioned oats
1/8 cup of honey
4 tablespoons of agave
3 tablespoons of water
4 tablespoons of PB2
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup of banana chips broken into small pieces

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

In a large bowl mix the oats, honey, agave, cinnamon, vanilla, PB2, and walnuts. Spread the mix onto a baking sheet and place into the over for about 40-50 minutes, until the oats are lightly browned.

Brake up the banana chips into small pieces. Once the granola is done, mix in the banana chips. Allow the granola to sit out and cool for about 30 minutes until it becomes crunchy.

Store in an airtight container and enjoy!

 

Peppermint Candy Chocolate Bark

As the holiday season approaches it is always nice to be thankful for what we have in our lives; it is important to focus on the good present rather that what is missing. For some holidays can be bittersweet- happy for the holly times or reminiscent of what used to be. But it is always important to shine the light on the dark and be grateful for our lives and the people in them. At the Hebrew school I teach as we discuss ways to give back to others and how we can be thankful for all we have. This past week we also had a discussion of how we can thank people, or G-d in the religious aspect of the school as well as where we can talk to G-d. Once this question arose, as we were sitting in the sanctuary of the Temple, a child called out, "Church! We can talk in Church!" Sometimes that needed chuckle is necessary and allows us to take a step back and appreciate all the good around us.  To appreciate and say thank you, this peppermint bark is a great gift.

Ingredients:

2 bags of semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 bags of white chocolate chips
1/2- 1 cups of crushed peppermint candies or candy canes
Instant coffee

Directions:

Line a 9 x 13 baking pan with parchment paper.

Make a double boiler and place the semi-sweet chocolate and about 1 teaspoon of instant coffee in the top part of the boiler. Allow the chocolate to melt and stir often. Once the chocolate is a smooth consistency, pour it into the pan. Place the pan into the fridge to allow the chocolate to harden.

While the chocolate is in the fridge, melt down the white chocolate. Once the white chocolate has also melted to a smooth consistency, pour it over the semi-sweet chocolate. Before placing the chocolate in the fridge, sprinkle the crushed peppermint candy over the white chocolate. Place the pan into the fridge and allow the chocolate to harden.

(*If wanting a smoother or more fudge like consistency, add a bit of milk into each of the chocolates as they are melting in the double boiler.)

Once hard, break the chocolate into pieces and enjoy!

Happy Holiday!

Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

I've been on a banana kick lately- maybe it is due to the lack of banana recipes on my blog or the fact I've celebrated my birthday for two weeks, and I am, of course, banana. My birthday festivities ranged from a surprise birthday party, to a nice dinner with my mom, to a small party with friends at school. Each had their special quirks and of course a banana theme- from an ice cream cake decorated with bananas to an apron decorated with the Hannah's Bananas logo. Although I love the combination of banana and peanut butter, thus making me inspired to create this recipe in honor of my last week for the semester at my research position. Yet on that day I did witness some interesting behavior involving a butt, but (haha pun!) I'll spare the rest of the details.
Enjoy this sweet and potential breakfast item and have a banana filled bite!

Servings: about 24 cupcakes

Ingredients
 3 mashed bananas
1 stick of unsalted butter, browned
1 egg
1 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup of sour cream

Frosting Ingredients:
1 stick of vegetable shortening
1 stick of unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups of powdered sugar
2 teaspoons of vanilla
3/4 cup of creamy peanut butter
5-6 tablespoons of water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In small pot, place the stick of butter on medium heat. Allow the butter to melt and continue to stay on the heat until it becomes brown in color and produces and nut like fragrance.

In a medium mixing bowl mash the three bananas. Then add in the sugar and browned butter. Then mix in the egg and vanilla. Stir in the sour cream, baking soda, and baking powder. In small batches mix in the flour.

Once the ingredients are fully combined, ladle the batter into a cupcake lined cupcake pan, filling the liners about 3/4 of the way full. Bake the cupcakes 15-20 minutes, until they are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

To make the frosting
In a medium add in 1 stick of vegetable shortening and 1 stick of butter. Slowly add in the three cups of powdered sugar, and cream the powdered sugar with the shortening and butter. Then add in the vanilla and peanut butter. Finally add in the water in order to reach a smooth consistency.

Once the cupcakes are cooled, the frosting can be added. Either by spreading or using a pastry/plastic bag to create a swirl, frost the cupcakes. To add a finishing garnish, place a banana chip on top.

Enjoy!

Miso Noodle Soup

Like a nice bowl of soup on a cold night, a good group of friends can give you a nice warm feeling in your belly- or more so your heart. As Thanksgiving approaches, so does my birthday. As usual everyone goes home and my birthday celebration tends to be postponed with my friends. Although, that changed this year. After going on an unnecessary long grocery shopping trip, I walked into my house only to hear a group of people yell surprise. Of course my natural reaction was to squeal in a ever so high pitched tone, but I was unsure of whether I was more afraid or surprised to see friends from various groups all in my living room to greet me with a ice-cream cake and yelling happy birthday. It was one of the greatest surprises and made me feel so loved by all my friends. Never did I expect such a thing and couldn't be more thankful to be surrounded by such great people in my life. But after the mushy-gushy of loving my friends, I wanted to share my recent recipe of Miso Noodle Soup. I hope this soup will warm your tummy on a cold night just as my friends warm my heart (or rather make me scream or possibly pee my pants from fright) in the least corny of ways.

Servings: 8-10

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of white miso paste
1/2 cup of chopped scallions
8 cups of water
1 block of firm tofu cubed into small pieces
1 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger
3 tablespoons of soy sauce
2 teaspoons of wasabi paste
1 cup of rice noodles
2 nori sheets broken into small pieces

Directions:

In a large pot, combine the miso past and water. Allow the water to come to a slight simmer. Continue to stir to make sure the miso paste is fully absorbed into the water.

Then stir in the cubed tofu, scallions, and rice noodles. Allow the water to simmer until the rice noodles are fully cooked- for about 8 minutes. Then stir in the soy sauce, nori, wasabi paste, and grated ginger.

Turn down the heat of the soup. Allow it to slightly cool and then enjoy!

 

Greek Yogurt Chocolate Chip Muffins

It is always a story when a friend turns 21. From waking up with  a mysterious nose bleeds, your face in a garbage can, or a wonder of how you got home and where that mark on your face is from, 21 leaves no room to not have a story after the night. This past week two of my housemates, one being my roommate, turned 21. This only meant double the trouble. From finding a stranded intoxicated friend on the front porch to a morning at the Emergency Room, I can only say the week has been eventful. But as always a story was made and entertainment provided by my inebriated tap dancing. Yet, what a better way to wake-up hungover and potentially wanting food and having the mom-like housemate (of course that's me) to make muffins to stuff your face with more. Although waking up at 7 and cleaning the house was not all to pleasant, muffins always are- unless someone is asking to butter your muffin (hope someone gets this mean girl reference). Regardless of the morning you are having and the want for muffins, enjoy this sweet and semi-healthy eat.

Servings: 14 muffins

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

Ingredients:
1 cup plain greek yogurt
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup of milk
1 cup of chocolate chips

Directions:
 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, yogurt, brown sugar, and vanilla.

Then in another bowl combine the flours, baking soda, and baking powder. Slowly add this mix in batches to the wet ingredient mix.

Then add in the chocolate chips- make sure to not over mix the batter. The batter will be lumpy- but this is fine. Ladle in the batter about 3/4 of the way into the liners.

Bake for 10-12 minutes and then allow the muffins to fully cool.
Enjoy!