Dinner, Lunch, Salad

Tolan’s Mom’s Potato Salad

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A classic version of the ultimate summer side dish.  Tyler Florence’s recipe combines all the things I love in perfect balance for what he calls “the best potato salad I’ve ever made!”

Didn’t get this out to you all in time for the fourth, but it’s here for the weekend and the rest of the summer and honestly all year long.  This classic dish goes with everything and could stand alone for days as the perfect snack ready for anytime of day.  

Tyler’s recipe call’s for peeling the potatoes after cooking them – I find that the tiny Yukon gold’s have such a thin delicate skin that they don’t need peeling, take less time to cook and just a gentle smash makes the craggy edges that soak up all the dressing in the best way.  

Two hard boiled eggs cook right with the potatoes (pull them out after about 10 minutes of boiling) and then get grated into the dressing.  This is a vintage cooking trick that makes so much sense and feels like something your grandmother would teach you – I love that.  

Tolan's Mom's Potato Salad

Print Recipe
A classic version from Tyler Florence of Summer's Ultimate side dish
Course dinner, Lunch, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American, French
Keyword potato salad
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 8

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs small yukon gold potatoes
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 bunch scallions sliced, white and green parts
  • 2 Tbsp drained capers
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped dill pickle
  • 1/4 cup pickle juice
  • 1 small red onion minced
  • 2 Tbsp chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
  • 2 Tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
  • 1/2 lemon juiced
  • 1 tsp fresh ground pepper

Instructions

  • Place potatoes and eggs in large saucepan, then fill with cold water to cover completely at least an inch above. Add a couple of tablespoons of kosher salt to the water.
  • Bring to a simmer, and remove the eggs after 10 minutes to cool under cold tap water. Continue cooking the potatoes until fork tender, likely only another minute or two, depending on their size.
  • Drain potatoes in a colander and let them cool. I like to lay the cooked potatoes on a large rimmed baking sheet to cool faster, and then gently squeeze them to break apart.
  • Reserve some scallions and capers for garnish. Stir together mayonnaise, mustard, pickles with juice, onions, remaining scallions and capers, parsley, tarragon and lemon juice in a bowl large enough to hold the potatoes. Season with kosher salt and black pepper.
  • Peel the cooled eggs and grate them into the bowl. Then add the smashed baby potatoes, and toss everything to coat in the dressing. Season with extra salt and pepper to taste, and garnish with reserved scallions and capers.

Notes

This recipe is from Tyler Florence's cookbook - Tyler's Ultimate, which has an incredible collection of perfect recipes for every day classic cooking.  
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Appetizers/Snacks, Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Tortilla De Patata

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A traditional Spanish Omelette with Potato and Onion.  This versatile dish is great for anytime of day, can be made ahead, and is the epitome of simple Mediterranean cooking.  

I was first introduced to the traditional Spanish Omelette, Tortilla de Patata when my family hosted an exchange student from Madrid in 1988.  Monica came to live with our us during my eight grade year, and she became the big sister I never had.  She was patient with our traditional American cooking, but every now and then we would step things up and make gazpacho, paella (with her help!) and this traditional Spanish tortilla.  Below are some photos from a family trip to Spain to visit Monica in the year 2000.  HOLA MI HERMANA!!!

It continues to be a main thread of conversation regarding healthy eating, that the “mediterranean diet” is the ideal model.  I consider this recipe to be exemplary of why this type of cooking makes so much sense.  It’s literally five ingredients, all that should be chosen with the highest level of quality, and cooked simply together.  The tortilla becomes a great meal option for any time of day – cold out of the fridge for breakfast, or heated slightly and topped with a raw salsa salad as shown here.  

Many variations of this recipe call for copious amounts of olive oil to be used in the poaching of the potatoes and onions…  This is not exactly a “light” dish, but the olive oil absorption rate into the final product totals approximately 4 Tbsp, or 1/4 cup out of the original full cup used.  And, we all know EVOO is good for us!  

The two pictures above show the potatoes and onions cooking in the olive oil, and then the final tortilla just after being flipped in the pan.  I followed many variations of this recipe but landed on the final one mostly based off Smitten Kitchen’s version https://smittenkitchen.com/2007/09/tortilla-de-patatas/.  The raw salsa “salad” is a nod from a Jamie Oliver version, and this makes the whole thing much better.  I can’t find the actual recipe for that part, but this is the video link if you want to check it out.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xb4kCB7VAsM.  Whatever version you make, feel free to add in other veggies like a regular frittata – this is a flexible dish that is really about the method more than anything else.  But make the salad!

One of the tricks to making this raw salsa “salad” is grating the tomato on the small side of a box grater, allowing the juice to collect in the bowl, but keeping the fleshy pulp and seeds on the side for the most part.  This juice brings a vibrant flavor to the dressing.

Tortilla de Patata

Print Recipe
A spanish style frittata with olive oil, potatoes and onions.
Course Breakfast, dinner, Lunch, Snack
Cuisine Mediterranean, spanish
Keyword fritatta, spanish omelette, tortilla

Ingredients

Tortilla de Patata

  • 3 to 4 medium sized Yukon Gold potatoes (about 1 1/4 lbs)
  • 1 small yellow onion
  • 1 cup olive oil
  • 6 extra-large or 7 large eggs
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper don’t skimp

Raw Salsa Salad Topping

  • 4 medium plum tomatoes, very ripe
  • 2 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
  • 2 handfuls mixed salad greens, or micro-greens

Instructions

Tortilla de Patata

  • Prepare potatoes and onions: Peel potatoes and onion and slice them very thin with a mandoline, the slicing blade of a food processor, or by hand. If either are on the large side, first cut them in a half lengthwise so the slices will be in half-moons.
  • Cook potatoes and onions: Heat oil in an 8- to 10-inch skillet, ideally nonstick, over medium-high until very hot, about 3 minutes. Add potatoes and onions in even layers and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 15 minutes, flipping and nudging potatoes around to ensure they cook evenly. Potatoes are done when they are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. They should not get brown or fall apart in flipping (unless you like your tortillas with softer, more broken-up potatoes, as some do).
  • Drain potatoes and onions: Transfer potatoes and onion to a colander set over a bowl and drain them. Season potatoes and onion with salt and pepper and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes. (You can make the raw salsa salad now!)
  • Make the tortilla batter: In the bottom of a large bowl, lightly beat eggs with a couple good pinches of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir in drained potatoes and onions. If you have 10 minutes, definitely let them soak together for that long; it makes a difference in how well the finally tortilla stays together. If you’re in a rush, it’s not going to ruin the dish if you skip it.
  • Cook the tortilla: Add 2 tablespoons of the drained cooking oil back to the skillet over medium-high heat. Pour potato mixture into skillet and flatten the potatoes with a spatula until they’re mostly even. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, moving and shimmying the skillet and nudging the egg around (so it runs underneath) for a minute before letting the tortilla cook undisturbed until the top is wet but not very runny, and it is golden underneath. I found this took about 8 minutes.
  • Loosen the tortilla with a spatula then slide it onto a large dinner plate. With your hands in potholders, invert the skillet over the plate, take a deep breath, and flip it back into the skillet. You can also use a lid for the pan to invert the tortilla, and simply slide it back in upside down. Shake the skillet to straighten the tortilla and use a spatula to gently tuck the edges back under, if needed.
  • Return the skillet to the stove and cook tortilla to your desired doneness, another 2 to 3 minutes.

Raw Salsa Salad

  • To make the salad, take two of the tomatoes, remove the seeds and juice, leaving just the skin and pulp. Finely dice the tomatoes into small bits, setting them into a large shallow bowl.
  • Take the other two tomatoes, and using the small sized side of a box grater (see picture above) grate the tomatoes to collect fresh tomato juice into the bowl with the chopped tomatoes. To that, add in the red wine vinegar, the olive oil, and a heavy pinch of kosher salt and black pepper. When you're ready to serve, toss in the basil and whatever salad greens you want - top the tortilla with this raw salsa salad like frosting on a cake!

Notes

This recipe is based mostly on the Smitten Kitchen Tortilla de Patatas  https://smittenkitchen.com/2007/09/tortilla-de-patatas/.  The raw salsa salad comes from Jamie Oliver, but I've only seen it in a video, so it was kind of my interpretation of it.  Thanks to both of these great chefs!
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Dinner, Lunch

Grilled Chicken Margherita

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Italian Spiced Grilled Chicken topped with mozzarella, pesto and marinated tomatoes.  Fast, simple, and healthy, this is a family friendly weeknight meal to put on repeat.

This is an easy summer dinner you’ll find all over the internet,  and it’s honestly so simple you barely need a recipe.  My favorite part is the tomato salad on top, but the grilled chicken with mozzarella and pesto makes a great sandwich in leftovers too.  

You can adjust the seasoning to fit your own tastes – I love red pepper flakes, and amp up the heat when possible, but you can omit entirely if you choose.  I strongly recommend the oregano and fresh garlic, and you can use Italian seasoning if you have it on hand too.  

Grilled Chicken Margherita

Print Recipe
Italian Spiced Grilled Chicken with Mozzarella, Pesto and Marinated Tomatoes
Course dinner, Lunch
Cuisine Italian
Keyword chicken margherita, grilled chicken.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 14 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp oregano, or Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
  • kosher salt and black pepper
  • 6 oz mozzarella cheese, sliced or shredded
  • 3/4 cup basil pesto (homemade or store bought)
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
  • 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 cup sliced or torn fresh basil

Instructions

  • Preheat a gas grill to medium high, making sure the grates are clean and oiled. Alternatively, you can use a cast iron grill pan on a stove top.
  • Pound the chicken breasts so they are even in thickness, to about 1/2" or 3/4" - you can also slice the breasts to make them similar in size.
  • Mix together 3 Tbsp of the olive oil, minced garlic, oregano (or Italian seasoning), red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Add the chicken breasts and turn to coat.
  • Add the chicken to the hot grill, close the lid, and grill the chicken for 5-6 minutes on the first side. Flip the chicken, cook for 2-3 more minutes until fully cooked through (registering 160 on a meat thermometer). You can lay slices of cheese on top directly, or I like to line a baking sheet with tinfoil, and put the cooked chicken breasts on that, then top with cheese, and close the grill lid for about 1 minute to melt. This method keeps the grill a little cleaner!
  • While the chicken is resting, toss together the sliced tomatoes, remaining tablespoon of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and the fresh sliced basil. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
  • Top each chicken breast with 2 Tablespoons of pesto and spread it out. Finish with a heaping spoonful of the tomato basil mixture. Enjoy!

Notes

This recipe is easy to make and reheats well, and is also great cold out of the fridge the next day.  The leftovers will keep well for three days.  
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Dinner, Lunch

Ultimate Grilling Marinade

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The best and ONLY meat marinade you’ll ever need!  This is a classic, simple combination of ingredients you likely have on hand, thrown together in minutes, and ready to embrace whatever you want to soak – chicken, pork, beef, fish, even vegetables!  

This spring we took a trip to visit my in-law’s, in a relatively remote spot where you tend to bring in the food you want for the whole week.  On the night we arrived, Juju (my mother in law) had pork tenderloins marinating in this magic sauce, and we had them simply grilled for dinner.  It was DELICIOUS.  So simple, it qualified for the lean kitchen trip, but was the most flavorful marinade I’d ever had.  

The real recipe credit goes to Terri Leake, who shared the recipe with my mother in law, and it made me love this even more.  These are the recipes you want to hear about – the special ones that were remembered from good times with good people, shared between friends, and then, generations.   Thanks TL – you are a gem!

June 1st is this weekend, and I hope you try this one out soon, and put it on repeat all summer long.  As I said, I’ve had it on just about anything you throw on a grill, and nothing doesn’t fit.  I would recommend doing a shorter hang time for delicate fish or veggies (portabello’s)  as the acid in the soy could break them down – it’s a quick enough marinade to work with just a 10 minute soak time.  Beef, pork, and chicken can sit all day long before cooking.

Ultimate Grilling Marinade

Print Recipe
The best marinade for anything you want to grill
Course bbq, dinner, Lunch
Cuisine American
Keyword chicken, grilled food, grilling, marinade, steak
Servings 8 people

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
  • 4 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 bunch scallions, chopped
  • 1/3 cup canola oil
  • 1 Tbsp red pepper flakes

Instructions

  • Simply combine all the ingredients, and throw into a baking dish with whatever you want to marinate! This works with beef, chicken, pork, fish, even vegetables. Beef, pork and chicken can sit all day in this, but limit delicate fish and veggies to 10-15 minutes.
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Dinner, Lunch

Lemon Pasta with Arugula, Tomatoes and Parmesan

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Pasta bathed in a lemon cream sauce, studded with bright spring vegetables.  This is a classic Barefoot Contessa Recipe (Lemon Fusilli with Arugula) and I’ve taken one shortcut liberty and highly recommend this deliciousness for your upcoming Memorial Day Weekend!

My first memory of this pasta dish is from 2010 when an amazing friend/relative (JCW – lookin at you!) brought this to our family when our Annie was born.  It was one of those overlooked BC recipes in my cookbook collection, that had definitely caught my eye but I had never made it.  I remember eating this cold straight out of the fridge with a fork in the big bowl in the middle of the night.  It was that thing you wanted that you didn’t know you wanted.  

This is true make ahead magic, it tastes great at any temp, keeps for days, and can be tailored to whatever vegetables your crew prefers or has on hand.  It’s one of the simplest but most delicious pasta sauces I’ve ever had.  

Lemon Pasta with Arugula, Tomatoes and Parmesan

Print Recipe
Pasta bathed in a lemon cream sauce with fresh spring vegetables.
Course dinner, Lunch
Cuisine American, Italian
Keyword lemon pasta, pasta primavera, spring pasta
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 24 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp good olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp minced garlic 2 cloves
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 3 lemons
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 cups frozen broccoli florets
  • 1 pound dried short cut pasta of your choice
  • 5 oz baby arugula (1 box)
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
  • 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes halved

Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the garlic, and cook for 60 seconds. Add the cream, the zest from 2 lemons, the juice of 2 lemons, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until it starts to thicken.
  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the pasta, and cook according to the directions on the package for al dente, stirring occasionally. During the last 30 seconds, add the frozen broccoli florets. Drain the pasta and broccoli in a colander and place it back into the pot. Immediately add the cream mixture and cook it over medium-low heat for 3 minutes, until most of the sauce has been absorbed in the pasta. Pour the hot pasta into a large bowl, add the arugula, Parmesan, and tomatoes. Cut the last lemon in half lengthwise, slice it 1/4-inch thick crosswise, and add it to the pasta. Toss well, season to taste, and serve hot.

Notes

This is a classic Barefoot Contessa Recipe called Lemon Fusilli with Arugula, which can be found here https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/lemon-fusilli-with-arugula-recipe-1947414. I have changed the broccoli - she calls for blanching it ahead of cooking everything else, and I have found that small frozen broccoli florets tossed into the pasta water for the last 30 seconds is much easier.  I prefer Whole Foods frozen broccoli - the florets are smaller and always come out bright green.  
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Dinner, Lunch, Salad

Spring Panzanella

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Spring Panzanella with Asparagus, Peas, Herbs and a Lemon Buttermilk Dressing.  A slight twist on a Bon Appétit recipe from 2020 by Molly Baz, this is the bomb.  

Traditional Panzanella leans on the juice of tomatoes to soften the bread, melding everything together.  This version takes things up a notch, using a dreamy lemon buttermilk dressing that is so good you’ll want to put it on everything you make.  

I added both fresh shelled peas and pea shoots to this dish, but they are both not needed if you can’t find them in season – this is not the place for frozen peas, so just add in a few more sliced sugar snaps if you can’t find the others.  You’ll need to blanch the peas, making for a bright green addition to the already gorgeous array of seasonal veggies.  

Spring Panzanella

Print Recipe
Panzanella with spring asparagus, scallions and pea shoots with a lemon buttermilk dressing.
Course dinner, Lunch, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword panzanella
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 garlic clove
  • 2 lemons
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk
  • 8 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil divided
  • Kosher salt freshly ground pepper
  • 1 English hothouse cucumber halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1½” pieces
  • 4 scallions thinly sliced on a diagonal
  • 4 oz. sugar snap peas trimmed, thinly sliced on a diagonal (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 1 cup shelled fresh peas (optional - when available)
  • 2-3 slices sourdough bread
  • 1 bunch asparagus trimmed, sliced on a diagonal into 2” pieces
  • 1 cup fresh pea shoots only when available - omit otherwise
  • 1 cup chopped herbs - basil, chives, parsley, mint
  • 4 oz. feta

Instructions

  • Finely grate garlic and the zest of 1 lemon into a large bowl. Slice both lemons in half and squeeze their juice into the bowl. Add buttermilk and 6 Tbsp. oil and whisk to combine. Season dressing with salt and lots of pepper.
  • To prepare the shelled peas, bring about 3 cups of water to a boil, adding1 Tbsp of kosher salt. Prepare an ice bath by placing a bowl of ice in the sink with cold water. Blanch the fresh peas for about 45 seconds. Remove from the heat and immediately dunk the peas into the bowl of ice... I like to use a large strainer that can fit into the ice bath, so the peas are easy to extract once chilled. Set aside until you are assembling the veggies in the dressing.
  • Lightly crush cucumber on a cutting board with a rolling pin or wine bottle. Add cucumber, scallions, sugar snap peas, and blanched shelled peas to dressing and toss well to combine. Let sit while you fry the bread and asparagus.
  • Pour remaining 2 Tbsp. oil into a 12 inch skillet, allowing room for 2-3 slices of bread to lay flat. Cook, undisturbed, over medium heat until golden brown and crisp underneath, about 5 minutes. Turn bread over and cook just to lightly fry on the other side, about 2 minutes. Season both sides of bread with salt. Transfer to a plate.
  • Arrange asparagus in same skillet, season with salt, and increase heat to medium-high. Cook, tossing occasionally, until bright green and blistered in some spots, but still crisp-tender, about 3 -4 minutes. Add to salad.
  • Tear bread into 1½” pieces and add to salad. Toss to evenly coat and help bread soak up some of the dressing. Taste and season with more salt and pepper as needed. Add herbs (and pea shoots, if using) to salad and toss once more.
  • Divide salad among shallow bowls, reserving any dressing and juices that pool at the bottom of bowl. Break feta into large pieces and nestle into salad in each bowl. Drizzle reserved dressing and juices over.

Notes

This is a Bon Appétit Recipe by Molly Baz from 2020, and it is one of the best takes on panzanella ever.  The dressing is sublime and would be great on any bright greens you can get your hands on.   I added fresh shelled peas to the salad, but I wouldn't use them unless they are in season - this is not the place for frozen peas.  Just omit and use a little more sugar snap peas in place...  
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Dinner, Lunch, Salad

Orzo with Roasted Vegetables

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Classic Barefoot Contessa orzo with roasted vegetables, feta and pine nuts.  Just in time for Mother’s Day, one of her best recipes in a slightly tweaked version!  While it stands alone beautifully, it also pairs well with anything on the grill – shrimp, steak, chicken, or even just some grilled bread.

This recipe comes from the Barefoot Contessa Parties cookbook, which might be my favorite of all.  The idea here is roasting the vegetables, and tossing them with the hot orzo and the lemon vinaigrette (which is HUGELY simple), and allowing everything to come together.  Toss it at the end with the fancy ingredients and you have a meal of a salad. 

The beauty of this is the ability to adjust whatever veggies you prefer – in the fall, you can do butternut squash and add some sliced kale to wilt while everything is hot.  Ina’s original recipe calls for roasted eggplant, which isn’t a favorite here, so we use zucchini, asparagus and summer squash, but you could simply just do peppers and onions if you prefer.  All that matters is that you make it the way YOU like it.  

Orzo with Roasted Vegetables

Print Recipe
Roasted Vegetables tossed with Orzo, Lemon vinaigrette, Feta, Basil and Pine Nuts
Course dinner, Lunch, Salad
Cuisine American
Keyword orzo salad, roasted vegetable salad
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 24 minutes
Servings 6 people

Ingredients

  • 2 small zucchini sliced into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 small summer squash sliced into 1 inch pieces
  • 2 peppers - any color 1-inch diced
  • 1 bunch asparagus sliced into 2 inch pieces
  • 1 large red onion peeled and 1-inch diced or sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1/3 cup good olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 8 oz orzo (uncooked) (1 cup)

For the Dressing

  • 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 lemons
  • 1/3 cup good olive oil
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

For serving

  • 1 bunch scallions minced (white and green parts)
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts toasted
  • 3/4 pound good feta broken apart into small bites
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, sliced

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
  • Toss the zucchini, squash, asparagus, bell peppers, onion, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper on 2-3 large sheet pans - don't crowd them, as things will steam vs. roast. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until browned, turning once with a spatula.
  • Meanwhile, cook the orzo in boiling salted water for 7 to 9 minutes, until tender. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the roasted vegetables to the pasta, scraping all the liquid and seasonings from the roasting pan into the pasta bowl.
  • For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and pour on the pasta and vegetables. Let cool to room temperature, then add the scallions, pignolis, feta, and basil. Check the seasonings, and serve at room temperature.

Notes

This is a classic Barefoot Contessa Recipe that is from her "Parties" cookbook, which might be my favorite of all.  The recipe is adaptable, make ahead, and simple in all the right ways.  Her version, is here - I have changed a few things...  Mostly removing the eggplant and adding zucchini, squash, and asparagus.  https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/orzo-with-roasted-vegetables-recipe-1951921
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Appetizers/Snacks, Breakfast, Sweet

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

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The Best Banana Bread with nutty brown butter and chocolate chips.  The ultimate recipe for everyone’s favorite snack.

The key to this recipe is saving your banana’s until they are seriously over-ripe.  Covered in brown spots, mashed and frozen into ziplocks, it all works here!

I tend to collect recipes in a messy pile hidden behind my cookbooks, torn out of magazines with the best intentions to make them ALL.  Every few months, I’ll cull the pile and toss the majority, and this one kept making the cut.  I think it was worth the save – it comes from Molly Baz, and I added chocolate chips to make it even more decadent.  This is a good one.  

This would make a great gift for Mother’s Day – nothing says I love you more than home cooking!  Salted Honey Butter is a nice finishing touch too…

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Print Recipe
the best banana bread with brown butter and chocolate chips
Course Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword banana bread
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 12 slices

Ingredients

  • 5 large, ripe bananas
  • 10 Tbsp butter plus more for greasing the pan
  • 1/2 cup greek yogurt
  • 2 xl eggs
  • 2 cups plus 2 Tbsp flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp packed dark brown sugar (divided)
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla
  • 2 cups chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 × 5-inch loaf pan with butter and line it with parchment paper.
  • Brown the butter: Cut 10 Tbsp butter into several pieces and place them in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Melting the butter in smaller pieces helps it brown more evenly. Cook, swirling the saucepan frequently, until the butter foams up, the foam dies down, and the milk solids turn deeply golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Let cool.
  • Mix your dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour, 1½ teaspoons baking soda, and 1½ teaspoons kosher salt.
  • Combine your wet ingredients:
  • ✦ Peel 4 ripe bananas, break them into thirds, and place in a large bowl. Using a fork or potato masher, mash the bananas until they are a very thick, mostly homogeneous pulp. Save the fifth banana for topping the bread just before baking.
  • ✦ Whisk in 1⁄3 cup greek yogurt, 2 eggs, 1 cup dark brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until the mixture is homogeneous, about 1 minute.
  • ✦ Whisk the cooled butter into the wet ingredients, using a spatula to scrape any bits that are stuck to the pan!
  • Combine and bake:
  • ✦ Combine the wet and dry ingredients, and then fold in the chocolate chips.
  • ✦ Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan, evening it out with the back of a spoon or a spatula. Peel the last banana and cut it in half lengthwise. Arrange both halves of the banana cut-sides up on top of the batter. Sprinkle the remaining 2 Tbsp of brown sugar evenly over the batter and sliced banana. This sugar will caramelize on the bananas in the oven.
  • ✦ Bake until deeply browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes. Let cool in the pan slightly before using the parchment overhang to remove it from the pan.

Notes

This recipe is adapted from a Molly Baz Banana Cake recipe I tore out of a magazine a long time ago - it was a good rip.
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Sweet

Browned Butter Coconut Cookies

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Nutty brown butter and coconut come together for a delicious flaky and chewy cookie that is perfectly balanced in flavor and texture.  A Smitten Kitchen and Martha Stewart fave from City Bakery in Manhattan, tweaked with brown butter.

Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen posted this recipe, with a tweak of brown butter, evolving the OG from City Bakery to a new level of flavor depth and flakiness.  She subs a little water to make up for the lost volume when browning the butter – I simply added 2 more Tbsp of butter to the browning process, and the results were great.  A little easier – this recipe requires some chilling for the browned butter before mixing the dough, but other than that it’s insanely simple and completely decadent and you should make them now.  

To quote Deb, “let’s get the obvious out of the way” – this recipe is HEAVY on the butter, and even HEAVIER on the coconut.  It’s the unsweetened flaked kind, not the sweetened shredded, and we can all agree this is a special ingredient.  That with the browned butter, and lots of rich vanilla bring four truly royal elements to what becomes a simple but insanely delectable treat.  

Coconut is something we need more of in our daily life – it evokes feelings of sunshine and happiness, vacation and even if you are sitting here in the rainy and dreary northeast, these will truly brighten your day!  I would highly recommend making them for all the May festivities to come – a finish to Cinco De Mayo, a Kentucky Derby win, and a fabulous treat for mom on May 12…

Browned Butter Coconut Cookies

Print Recipe
Buttery coconut cookies with a salty sweet finish
Course Cookies
Cuisine American
Keyword brown butter cookies, coconut cookies
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 16 cookies

Ingredients

  • 2 sticks plus 2 Tbsp butter
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar
  • 3/4 cup lightly packed light-brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/4 cup plus 3 Tbsp flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 4 cups dried unsweetened coconut chips

Instructions

  • In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. It will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir frequently, scraping up any bits from the bottom as you do. Don’t take your eyes off the pot as it seems to take forever (more than 5 minutes) but then turns dark very quickly. Once it is a deeply fragrant, almost nut-brown color, remove from heat and pour butter and all browned bits at the bottom into a measuring cup. Chill browned butter in the fridge until it solidifies, about 1 to 2 hours. You can hurry this along in the freezer, but check back and stir often so it doesn’t freeze unevenly solid.
  • Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat.
  • Scrape chilled browned butter and any bits into a large mixing bowl. Add both sugars and beat the mixture together until fluffy. Add egg and beat until combined, scraping down bowl as needed, then vanilla. Whisk flour, baking soda and salt together in a separate bowl. Pour half of flour mixture into butter mixture and mix until combined, then add remaining flour and mix again, scraping down bowl if needed. Add coconut chips in two parts as well.
  • Scoop dough into 2 inch balls and arrange a few with a lot of room for spreading on first baking sheet; use the back of a spoon or your fingers to flatten the dough slightly. Bake for 12 minutes and take the cookies out when they’re deeply golden all over.
  • Cool cookies on baking sheet for 1 to 2 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Cookies keep for up to one week at room temperature. Extra dough can be stored in the fridge for several days or in the freezer for a month or more.

Notes

This recipe is originally from City Bakery in New York, and was featured on the Martha Stewart Show.  I found it on the Smitten Kitchen website, and appreciated her addition of brown butter to the OG, and have made a very minor extra tweak to this as well - it's delicious!  https://smittenkitchen.com/2014/06/coconut-brown-butter-cookies/
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Dinner, Lunch

Spicy Turkey Meatball Subs

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Spicy Turkey and Sausage Meatballs with Marinara, Mozzarella and Toasted Ciabatta.  A spin on the Barefoot Contessa’s classic Spicy Turkey Meatballs and Spaghetti, this one is a crowd pleasing treat I want to eat all year long.  

This is one of those recipes I used to make often and forgot about – it’s like running into an old friend, except you get to eat it.  

The meatballs can be baked fully, and frozen either IN the marinara or just in a large gallon ziplock, making for an easy party treat.  Simply toss the frozen meatballs into a pot with the marinara and bring them to a heated temp when you are ready to eat.

Spicy Turkey Meatball Subs

Print Recipe
Spicy Turkey and Sausage Meatballs with Marinara, Mozzarella and Ciabatta
Course dinner, Lunch
Cuisine Italian
Keyword meatball sub, turkey meatballs
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 8

Ingredients

  • 3 cups bread from an Italian loaf, crusts removed chopped into cubes
  • 2/3 cup whole milk
  • 2 pounds ground turkey 85-percent to 92-percent lean
  • 1/2 pound sweet or spicy Italian pork sausage casings removed
  • 4 ounces packaged diced prosciutto
  • 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 extra-large eggs lightly beaten
  • 3-4 Tbsp good olive oil plus more for the ciabatta
  • 3 24-ounce jars of Rao's
  • 1 lb. fresh mozzarella
  • 1 loaf ciabatta bread
  • leaves of basil for garnish

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.
  • Place the bread in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until the bread is in medium crumbs. Transfer the crumbs to a small bowl and add the milk. Set aside for 5 minutes.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the turkey, sausage, prosciutto, bread mixture, parmesan, parsley, oregano, red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Lightly combine the ingredients with your hands. Add the eggs, and stir lightly with a fork to combine.
  • With your hands, or an ice cream scoop, lightly roll the mixture into 2-inch-round meatballs and place them on the prepared sheet pans. Brush the meatballs with the olive oil. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the tops are browned and the centers are completely cooked. Keep the oven on for the bread!
  • Pour the marinara sauce in a large, low pot, add the meatballs, and bring to a simmer. When heated through, top with the fresh mozzarella, and cover fora. few minutes, allowing it to melt.
  • Meanwhile, slice the ciabatta loaf in half lengthwise, leaving a top and bottom. Drizzle the bread with a generous coating of olive oil, and bake in the 400 degree oven for 5-7 minutes until lightly toasted.
  • To assemble, spoon the meatballs and sauce onto the ciabatta with the melted cheese on top. Ideally you will make two slabs of open faced sandwiches. Top with fresh basil and extra red pepper flakes as desired. Slice into servings and enjoy!

Notes

This is a classic Barefoot Contessa recipe, with a twist of making it into a sandwich instead of serving with spaghetti.  These meatballs are full of flavor, and as always, Ina NAILED it.  Find her recipe here:  https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/spicy-turkey-meatballs-and-spaghetti-recipe-2119707
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