Banana bread with chocolate chips and nuts

We have a lot of frozen bananas and decided to try this NYT recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020899-chocolate-chip-banana-bread?unlocked_article_code=1.tlA._8nF.4xy-IUtCydSN&smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share Our modifications: first, instead of plain Greek yogurt, we used 1/3 cup Siggi’s nonfat vanilla Icelandic yogurt. Second, because our bananas were on the larger side, we had extra batter for a mini-loaf (pictured above) in addition to a 9×5”…… Continue reading Banana bread with chocolate chips and nuts

Lemon-garlic sour cream dip

I had a craving for French onion dip, but wanted to try a version using fresh ingredients. We tried this recipe, which combines full-fat sour cream with fresh lemon juice and zest, salt, and 1 clove microplaned garlic: https://www.allrecipes.com/3-ingredient-sour-cream-dip-11989936. Despite not having dried onion, it does evoke French onion dip and is very tasty. (June…… Continue reading Lemon-garlic sour cream dip

Simple frozen fruit smoothies

Years ago, my husband loved ordering fruit smoothies from Whole Foods’ kiosks. Those smoothie bars are long gone, but we had a craving this weekend. Taking inspiration from recipes such as this one (https://www.thekitchn.com/pineapple-smoothie-recipe-23761690), we experimented with two flavors: Pineapple smoothie: 1/4 cup Greek vanilla yogurt (we used Siggi’s Icelandic-style), 1.5 Tbsp honey, 1.5 cups…… Continue reading Simple frozen fruit smoothies

Sumac chicken with apricots and olives

In honor of Passover, we tried this recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021962-roast-chicken-with-apricots-and-olives?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share&cgs=c Our modifications: first, we combined all ingredients (including the white wine) in the marinade. Instead of Calvestrano olives (which we find bland), we used 1 cup Queen Spanish pimiento-stuffed olives, cut crosswise in half, plus 2 Tbsp olive brine. We marinated the chicken pieces for 8…… Continue reading Sumac chicken with apricots and olives

Simple pumpkin pie with a frozen crust

We misplaced our pie weights, so we weren’t able to blind-bake (prebake) a frozen pie crust. We decided to try this recipe, which calls for a frozen crust: https://startcooking.com/pumpkin-pie-for-beginners. Our modifications: first, we placed a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet in the oven before preheating to 425. Second, in lieu of 1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice,…… Continue reading Simple pumpkin pie with a frozen crust

Applesauce Pumpkin Bread

We craved pumpkin bread but wanted a healthier option, so we tried this recipe: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/230579/applesauce-pumpkin-bread/ This recipe uses applesauce instead of oil. Our modifications: first, we used unsalted butter to grease two standard loaf pans. Second, we reduced the white sugar to 1.5 cups (from 2 cups) and utilized unsweetened applesauce. For the pumpkin puree,…… Continue reading Applesauce Pumpkin Bread

Small batch mixed berry and grape jam

We buy fresh fruit every week, mainly for breakfast and afternoon snacks. We ended up having 1 lb strawberries, 1/2 cup blueberries, and 1 cup black seedless grapes leftover, so we decided to try this recipe: https://kickassbaker.com/mixed-berry-jam/ Our modifications: first, we reduced sugar to 1/4 cup. Second, we found the jam was ready in about…… Continue reading Small batch mixed berry and grape jam