Banh Chuoi Nuong (Vietnamese Banana Cake)

Inspiration:
The Amazing Race's pit stop in Vietnam
and
this recipe


Ingredients:

• 1.25 lbs ripe bananas
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 7 slices of sandwich bread
  

Instructions:

1. Slice the banana diagonally and sprinnkle with half the sugar. Cook the remaining sugar in coconut milk until dissolved, then add the vanilla. Remove crusts from the bread. Soak the bread in the sweetened coconut milk.
2. Butter a 12-inch non stick pan. Arrange a layer of banana on the bottom of the pan. Cover with a layer of bread, then another layer of bananas, another bread layer, and then finish with a layer of bananas, another bread layer, and then finish with a layer of bananas. Drizzle the remaining butter over the top, then cover with foil and bake in a preheated oven at 350 F for 1 hour.
   
3. Rest for 12 hours before cutting.

Notes: This bread pudding-like dessert was really easy and quick! I assembled this dish in a pie pan, and I only had one layer of bread and two layers of bananas. It tastes much better than it looks.

Liz's Rating: 8.5/10
Tim's Rating: 8.5/10

Broiled Grapefruit

Inspiration:
Williams-Sonoma
Ingredients:

• 2 large grapefruits, well chilled
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 4 small fresh mint sprigs (optional)

Instructions:

• Preheat a broiler.
• Cut each grapefruit in half crosswise. Cut a thin slice off the bottom of each half, if necessary, so that it will stand upright.
• Using a serrated grapefruit knife or a small, sharp knife, loosen the grapefruit segments in each half by first carefully cutting between the fruit and the peel and then by cutting along either side of each segment to free it from the membrane. Leave all the segments in their shells. Place the halves upright in a baking dish.
• In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, butter and cinnamon. Using your fingers, sprinkle the sugar mixture evenly over the grapefruit halves. Slip under the broiler about 4 inches from the heat source and broil until the sugar is uniformly bubbly, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Transfer each grapefruit half to an individual dish and garnish with a mint sprig. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Notes: Next time, I will do as instructed and cut the grapefruit before sugaring and broiling it.

Tim's Rating: 10/10
Liz's Rating: 10/10

Banana Bread Muffins

Inspiration:
Tim's request for banana bread with walnuts and this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place muffin cups in muffin tin, or grease with a little butter.
2. Mix sugar, oil, and egg until creamy and light yellow. Add bananas and walnuts. Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir until completely smooth. Spoon the batter into the muffin tin.
3. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until toothpick poked in center muffin comes out clean.

Notes: Makes one dozen muffins

Tim's Rating: 9/10
Liz's Rating: 8/10

Strawberry Cupcakes

Inspiration:
This recipe on the cooking blog Annie's Eats (modified from a recipe on Good Things Catered).

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:

• 2 ½ cups cake flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• ¼ cup oil
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups chopped strawberries

For the frosting:

• ½ c. strawberries
• 8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 ¾ cups powdered sugar, sifted
• ½ tsp. lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. vanilla

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
   
   

2. Sift flour, salt and baking soda into a medium bowl. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time until combined. Add buttermilk, oil and vanilla and beat until combined. Add flour mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in chopped strawberries. Fill cupcake wells ¾ full with batter. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.

3. For the frosting, puree strawberries in food processor. Strain through a mesh sieve to remove seeds, and set aside. Beat the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Add lemon juice, vanilla and strawberry puree. Adjust the amount of puree to achieve your desired consistency. Frost cupcakes when completely cool.

Tim's Rating: 10/10 ("Incredible")

Liz's Rating: 10/10

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips

(not my photo)

Inspiration:
allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 2 kiwis, peeled and diced
• 2 Golden Delicious apples - peeled, cored and diced
• 8 ounces raspberries
• 1 pound strawberries
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor
• 10 (10 inch) flour tortillas
• Melted butter
  
• 2 cups cinnamon sugar

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, Golden Delicious apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves.
   
2. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
4. Brush one side of each flour tortilla with melted butter.
   
5. Cut into wedges and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet.
   
6. Sprinkle wedges with desired amount of cinnamon sugar. Brush again with melted butter.
7. Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges.
8. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes.
   
9. Serve with chilled fruit and spice mixture.

Tim's Rating: ?/10
Liz's Rating: 9/10