Breaking Ice & Making Nice

MmmMonday: Bananas Foster Breakfast Sandwiches

It's been a long time coming. Welcome to another delicious installment of MmmMondays!

I'm really excited about this post because it's the first "almost-original recipe" that I have shared. I admit to some inspiration from Annabel Karmel's First Meals. But I am pleased as punch with myself for figuring out something that achieves the breakfast trifecta: delicious, nutritious, and a quick-fix!

Bananas Foster Breakfast Sandwiches

   1 ripe banana, sliced on the diagonal
   1/2 Tbsp. butter or butter substitute (we use Smart Balance)
   Maple syrup (pancake syrup doesn't count!)
   Cinnamon (ground)
   2 whole- or honey-wheat English muffins

1. Put the 1/2 Tbsp. butter in a small sauté pan and melt over medium heat.
2. Add the banana slices and cook for 1-2 minutes, until golden brown.
3. Flip the banana slices with a small spatula. Drizzle maple syrup and sprinkle cinnamon over the top, then cook for another minute more. Remove from heat.
4. While the bananas cool slightly, toast the English muffins and spread with butter, peanut butter, honey... whatever your pleasure!
5. Place one-half of each English muffin on its plate, top each with half the sautéed banana slices, and perch the other pieces of muffin halfway over the bananas (it looks so fancy that way). Enjoy!

MmmMonday - Better Late Than Never Enchiladas

Okay, okay, I know it's Tuesday. And for those of you reading on the East Coast, it's already Wednesday. But still... They are called Better Late Than Never Enchiladas, right?

So I planned to make these enchiladas last night for our "regulars," two recent Coast Guard Academy grads currently stationed in Seattle. But I wasn't totally comfortable infecting both ladies with the nasty bug that has left my husband and two children with nasal faucets and smoker's coughs. So, I cancelled dinner, which left me with three cranky, sniffling boys and a bunch of leftover Thanksgiving turkey that needed a home ASAP.

This recipe is adapted from The Great After-thanksgiving Turkey Enchiladas (Bon Appetit, November 1998). Since I have small children with sensitive taste buds and not a lot of time for enchilada prep, I changed a few things. Enjoy!

Better Late Than Never Enchiladas

  3 tablespoons canola oil
  1 cup finely chopped onions, divided into 3/4 cup and 1/4 cup
  1 28-ounce can mild enchilada sauce
  5 plum tomatoes, finely chopped (canned is fine)
  1 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided in half

  3 cups diced cooked turkey or chicken
  2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese, divided into 1 1/2 cups and 1/2 cup
  3/4 cup light sour cream

  12 5- to 6-inch corn tortillas

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 3/4 cup onions and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.

2. Add enchilada sauce and tomatoes. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Remove sauce from heat, then stir in 1/2 cup cilantro. Season sauce with salt and pepper.

4. Mix turkey, 11/2 cups cheese, sour cream, and remaining 1/4 cup onions and 1/2 cup cilantro in bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread 1/2 cup sauce in 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Microwave corn tortillas until pliable but not dry. Spoon 1/4 cup turkey mixture in center of each tortilla. Gently roll up tortillas and arrange seam side down in dish. Spoon 2 1/2 cups sauce over enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.

6. Cover enchiladas with foil and bake until heated through, about 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 5-10 minutes more, or until cheese is slightly browned.

7. Rewarm remaining sauce in saucepan over medium-low heat. Serve enchiladas with extra sauce and sour cream as condiments.

*Note #1: If you have lots of extra turkey, this doubles and freezes well.
*Note #2: While I haven't tried these healthier alternatives, I wonder how the recipe would fare with low-fat cheese and whole-wheat tortillas? Maybe we'll find out next year.

MmmMonday - Creamy Tomato Soup

In the spirit of two of my favorite people and bloggers, Nova and Anna, I have decided to start another regular feature, MmmMondays, where I share a new recipe each week. Some of these will be taken from other sources, but I will also share some new creations, as too much Food Network has left me itching to experiment in the kitchen.

This week I share one of my favorite soup recipes, adapted from The Daily Soup Cookbook. It's a creamy tomato-veggie soup, the perfect complement to a grilled cheese sandwich. And, because my dear friend Mike is trying to lose Forty by 40, I have included some suggestions to make this one lower in fat and calories. Enjoy!

P.S. If you haven't seen Nova's Pie Hole Wednesdays or Anna's Food Fridays, check them out! Your taste buds will thank you profusely.

Creamy Tomato-Veggie Soup

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 large sweet onion, finely chopped
1-2 leeks, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1-2 tsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. dried thyme
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. kosher salt (optional)
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
6 cups vegetable broth
28 oz. + 14.5 oz. cans whole plum tomatoes
2 cups heavy cream (low-fat option: light cream or milk, or omit for a broth-base soup)
2 Tbsp. brandy (optional)
Chopped fresh chives, for garnish

(1a. I recommend using a food processor to finely chop the onion, leeks, and celery. But if you prefer a really chunky soup, just chop them by hand.)

1b. Melt butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion, leeks, celery, garlic, and sugar, then sauté for 10 minutes, or until veggies are soft, perhaps golden brown.

2. Add the thyme, bay leaves, salt (optional), and pepper, and stir to coat the vegetables.

3. Add the vegetable broth and tomatoes. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes or until the grilled cheese sandwiches are ready.

4. Just before serving, stir in the cream and brandy (both optional, but highly recommended) and simmer for 2 more minutes.

5. This soup is slightly chunky, my favorite way to eat soup. If you prefer that your tomato soup live on the smooth side, put it in the blender before serving.

Note: This soup makes a BIG pot. I usually take out half the soup just before step 4 and put it in the freezer. Then I add only 1 cup cream and 1 Tbsp. brandy to the pot. When I pull the frozen soup out to rewarm, I add cream and brandy just before serving. Tastes like you just made it!