Spaghetti with Walnuts and Anchovies

Okay, so let me cut right to the chase by saying I am NOT an anchovy person.  I am so much not an anchovy person that I make the Southern husband open the anchovy can so I don't accidentally get any anchovy oil on my fingers.

I am so much not an anchovy person that when someone else even suggests getting anchovies on even a portion of a pizza that I will be sharing I give them a look that suggests that ordering anchovies on pizza might be the end of the civilized world as we know it.

What am I doing putting anchovies in perfectly good spaghetti then?  I honestly don't know, other than the fact that I, completely illogically in every way, actually LIKE a tiny bit of the anchovy taste in Caesar salad, and there was something about the idea of mixing that slight anchovy taste with olive oil and garlic and walnuts and parmesan cheese and parsley that made me throw caution to the wind and buy one of those little containers of anchovies.  After all, it only called for using four of the teeny little anchovy strips in the entire recipe, and the recipe called for mashing them into the hot olive oil until they broke down and melted into the oil.

I can get into ANYTHING that melts into olive oil, so I mustered up my courage and went for it.  (While still making the Southern husband open the can, just to be perfectly clear.)  And I have to say, it was absolutely, perfectly, mesmerizingly delicious...one of those pasta dishes where you twirl the first bite around your fork, put it in your mouth, and then have to close your eyes at the sheer heaven of it all.  

Anchovies, I owe you an apology.  I am truly, deeply sorry from the bottom of my heart.

I still want my pizza plain though.  Rome wasn't built in a day.

Spaghetti with Walnuts and Anchovies, from The New York Times

1/2 cup shelled walnuts (2 ounces)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

4 anchovy fillets, coarsely chopped

3/4 pound spaghetti

1/4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley

freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup freshly grated pecorino (optional)

1. Begin heating a large pot of water over high heat. Meanwhile, lightly toast the walnuts on a baking sheet in a 375-degree oven for just a few minutes until fragrant, or in a pan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. When the walnuts smell like they’re beginning to toast, remove them from the heat and transfer to a clean dish towel. Wrap them in the towel, and rub between your hands to remove some of the papery shells. Chop the nuts medium-fine, and set aside.

2. In a wide, heavy skillet or saucepan large enough to accommodate the cooked spaghetti, heat the oil over medium heat and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, until it begins to sizzle, and add the anchovies. Cook, mashing the anchovies with the back of your spoon or with a fork, for about 30 seconds until they begin to fall apart and melt into the oil. Add the walnuts, stir together for about a minute and remove from the heat.

3. When the water comes to a boil, salt generously and add the spaghetti. Cook al dente, following the timing recommendations on the package but checking about a minute before the indicated time. When the pasta is almost done, add 1/4 cup of the pasta water to the pan with the walnuts and anchovies, and reheat over medium heat.

4. When the pasta is ready, drain and toss with the walnut and anchovy mixture. Add the parsley, adjust salt if necessary and add pepper. Serve, passing the pecorino at the table.

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Tuna Panzanella Salad

My favorite thing about this fabulous, delicious, nutritious, handsome dish is how scrumptious it tastes.

My second favorite thing is that you can throw it together in about 20 minutes.

My third favorite thing (and it might secretly really be my first favorite thing) is that I got the recipe from a website called Tuna The Wonderfish.  Yes....www.tunathewonderfish.com.  This makes me ridiculously happy, just the very fact that I am surrounded by mindblowing cookbooks like THE SILVER PALATE COOKBOOK and THE WAY TO COOK and COOK'S ILLUSTRATED NEW BEST RECIPE, and I can still find rocking good recipes that make my heart sing on Tuna The Wonderfish.  It restores my faith in...something.  It definitely makes me smile.  

Meanwhile, back at the recipe, this is pretty much your standard, wonderful panzanella salad...but with tuna.  Panzanella salad is basically a mixture of toasted bread cubes, tomato, and a mix of herbs and a few spices.  In this recipe, you toss in some cucumber and a little red onion, and (of course) some tuna.  You can use the water-packed version if you really have to, but I think that tuna packed in oil is just SO much better.  Drain off as much of the oil as you want to, and go for it...it's worth it.  My other words of tuna wisdom are these: don't bother "flaking the tuna with a fork" or using some other dainty method to break it up.  The only way to deal with tuna is with your hands.  Dump it in a bowl, wash your hands, and then break it up with your fingers until it is all nice and shredded.  It's easy and efficient, and if you use the oil-packed tuna your hands will get all moisturized in the process.

After that, it's just a matter of tossing everything else together in a bowl and digging it...it honestly could not be easier, or more delicious.  Tuna the Wonderfish!!  They weren't kidding.  :)

Tuna Panzanella Salad, adapted from the (I am not kidding) TunaTheWonderfish.com


2 cans of tuna (12 oz each) or 2 pouches of tuna (5 oz or 6.4 oz each)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 taspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 loaf (4-5 cups) Italian bread, cubed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large tomato, cubed
1 medium cucumber, cubed
1 red onion, diced
15 large fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/2 cup light balsamic vinaigrette


Preheat oven to 300° F. In a large bowl, toss bread cubes with olive oil, garlic and salt. Spread on a baking sheet and bake for 7-10 minutes until toasted. In another large bowl, mix tuna, peppers, tomato, cucumber onion, and oregano together to blend well. Add bread cubes, basil, and vinaigrette and toss well. Garnish with fresh basil, and salt and pepper to taste.

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Mexican Meatball Soup

Okay, so let me start out by saying, there are certain days when I wake up and I know I just HAVE to have Mexican food.  Have to.  Not want to.   Have to.  Now, when this happens on a Friday or a Saturday, this is pretty straightforward.   We head out to this place near us called El Bandido and a glass of sangria and a tostada later, life is good.

When this happens on, say, a Tuesday, it's a little bit more challenging, given the whole work week thing and all.  These are the times when it is good to have a few fast and easy Mexican food recipes in your arsenal, and these days when it is getting a little nippy outside, a soup that includes meatballs, salsa, avocado and tortilla chips?   Yep, that's got my name on it.  (As much as an Irish girl married to a Southern Cherokee guy could have her name on a Mexican recipe.)

Here's the drill on this one: you make up some little meatballs that are spiced up with a little Mexican flavor...scallions, tortilla chips, cumin, and cilantro if you are a cilantro person. I am not a cilantro person.  It's not my fault, it's been proven that cilantro-disliking is genetic.  But if you love cilantro, you feel free to be you.  Anyway, while the meatballs are cooking, you whirl up some salsa and water in a blender (yes, it is THAT easy), and heat it up.  Drop in your meatballs, heat it all up, and then go to town on the garnish.  Sour cream, avocado, definitely more crushed tortilla chips...etc.  Improvise!

Mexican food on a Tuesday!  Life is good. 

Mexican Meatball Soup, from Real Simple

• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1 cup tortilla chips, crushed, plus more for serving
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus sprigs for serving
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 3 cups mild jarred salsa (about 1 1/2 16-ounce jars)
• 1 avocado, cut into pieces

1. Heat broiler. In a bowl, combine the beef, scallions, tortilla chips, chopped cilantro, cumin, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
2. Shape the mixture into 1-inch balls (about 24) and place on a broilerproof baking sheet. Broil until beginning to brown, 5 to 6 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a blender, puree the salsa with 1 cup water. Transfer to a large saucepan, add 2 cups water, and bring to a boil.
4. Add the meatballs, reduce heat, and simmer until cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes.
5. Serve the soup with the avocado, cilantro sprigs, and tortilla chips (if desired).

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Candy Corn Fudge

I am irresponsible enough when it comes to ordinary fudge, and by irresponsible I mean that whenever it is in the house, I sidle on by and shave off slivers of it (it's just a sliver!  how bad could that be?!) until there is no fudge left.

I take pretty much the same general approach with candy corn.  (Just one!  Just three!  Just...ten!) And so when I fell for this recipe I immediately packed up the entire thing and sent it down to the teenager so she could share it with her millions of college buddies.

Well, almost the entire thing.  Pretty close to the entire thing.  Very close.  I know you believe me.

Anyway....this is fudge that is pretty much the standard fudge recipe you know and love.  Marshmallow creme, evaporated milk, sugar, semi-sweet chocolate...but with candy corn.   It's a quick and easy recipe...honestly, the hardest part of the whole thing is getting the dang marshmallow creme (or fluff, as we like to call it) out of the jar.  That stuff hangs on for dear life.

Anyway, devilishly good candy corn fudge...just in time for Halloween!  All treat, no tricks.

• Candy Corn Fudge, adapted from My Recipes
• 
  
• 1 7-oz. jar marshmallow cream
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup evaporated milk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 cups candy corn (about 12 oz.)
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

• 1. Line an 8-inch square pan with foil; butter foil. Combine marshmallow cream, sugar, evaporated milk and butter in a large, heavy pan. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches 235°F on a candy thermometer, 10 to 15 minutes.
• 2. Remove from heat and stir in candy corn and chocolate chips, stirring until chocolate melts. Immediately transfer to foil-lined pan and smooth top until even. Chill until set, at least 2 hours.  Cut into one inch squares and give away immediately so you don't eat it all yourself!

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Mini Bacon Herb Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

There's a few things you need to know right up front about this recipe.  First of all, those cupcakes are about all of one inch tall.  When I was done with the pictures I realized that I should have put something next of them for scale, but since I didn't you'll just have to take my word for it.  You make them in min-muffin pans, which means they are bite-sized little morsels.  This is a dangerous, dangerous thing.

The second thing you need to know is that they are pretty much the best little appetizer I've ever made.  The cupcake is a light little dough that has crumbled bacon and chopped herbs and scallions mixed in.  You can use whatever herbs take your fancy...I went with thyme, parsley and a little sage.

The third thing you need to know is that the frosting is made with cream cheese.  I got all elegant and piped it on with my handy pastry bag, but you could spread it on with a knife and it would be just as delicious.  Garnish the frosting with a little bit of herb, or a little bit of bacon.  (Guess which ones went faster in my house?)

The final thing is that they took about 15 minutes to put together, not counting the agonizing time I had to wait for them to bake and then cool.  I have ZERO patience when it comes to waiting for bacon anything to be done.

That's enough from me on this one.  Go make 'em!!

Bacon Herb Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting, adapted slightly from My Recipes

• 1 1/2 cups sour cream
• 1/2 cup cooked, finely crumbled bacon
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1/4 cup finely chopped assorted fresh herbs
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 6 ounces cream cheese, softened (the whipped variety works really well)
• Garnishes: assorted fresh herbs, cooked and crumbled bacon

• 1. Preheat oven to 375°. Stir together first 6 ingredients. Stir in flour until blended. (Mixture will be thick.) Spoon batter into lightly greased miniature muffin pans, filling completely full.
• 2. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove cupcakes from pans to a wire rack, and cool completely (about 30 minutes). Spread or pipe tops of cupcakes with cream cheese. Garnish, if desired.

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Spiced Candied Chick Peas

Not only does this recipe give me the chance to make something out of chick peas other than my beloved Five Minute Hummus, but it also gives me the chance to show off my beloved Farm Animal plates from one of my most beloved stores, JK Adams in beautiful Dorset, Vermont.

I didn't get to make my usual summer trip to JK Adams this year because I was taking a certain teenager down to college in Clemson, South Carolina, which is in the completely opposite direction.  Which meant I didn't get to gaze longingly at all the La Crueset cookware that they have.

I didn't get to convince myself that I really DID need rolling pins in two or three sizes, or covet the ones with the red handles.

The Southern husband didn't have to pull me slowly away from the rack of every slotted spoon I could ever need or want.

Listen, everyone has their dream destination spot, right?  Mine is JK Adams.  Did I mention that they sell buckeyes right there at the checkout counter?  Yep, there's a big bowl of them.  Just waiting for me.

If you, like me this summer,  aren't able to visit JK Adams in person, you can still get a set of your own farm animal plates by clicking here.  And then you can make yourself a batch of these highly addictive candied chick peas to go on 'em. A word to the wise...make sure you are using a very fine mesh wire rack when you are cooling them otherwise the chick peas will fall right through.  If you don't have one, cool them on parchment paper - they will take a bit longer to cool, but there's a lot to be said for anticipation, right?  I'm anticipating my next trip to JK Adams right this minute!

 Spiced Candied Chick Peas, from Everyday Food

• 1 can (15.5 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 cup vegetable oil

In a medium pot, combine chickpeas, sugar, cinnamon, allspice, salt, and water over medium-high. Bring mixture to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves and liquid is very thick, about 12 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium (a chickpea should sizzle slightly when added). With a slotted spoon, strain off as much sugar syrup as possible, then transfer chickpeas to oil. Fry, gently shaking skillet to prevent chickpeas from sticking, until dark golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. With slotted spoon, transfer to a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet lined with paper towels. Immediately season with salt; let cool completely.

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Brown Butter Pasta with Egg

If I had to make a top ten list of foods that I love, it would probably go something like this:

1. Bacon

2. Pasta

3. Bacon

4. Eggs

5. Bacon

6. Pasta

7. Bacon

8. Bacon

9. Bacon

10. Chocolate

So a recipe called Brown Butter Pasta with Egg?  Oh, man.  Yes please.  First, just a little bit about brown butter.  It's pretty much exactly what you think it is...butter that has been melted on the stove and cooked until it turns brown.  Why the brown?  Because when you cook butter that long, it gets this nutty, intensely buttery flavor that is just plain out of this world.  It's like buttered butter.  You have to try it to believe it.

And in this case, not only are you going to use the browned butter on your pasta.  Oh no.  You are also going to cook a couple of eggs in the browned butter, just until they are nice and soft-set.  Then you are going to toss some pine nuts in the brown butter until they are warm.  Then you are going to toss the pasta and a little pasta water in with the brown butter and divide it among some plates.  Then you are going to nestle one of those fried eggs on top of the pasta on each plate, and ever so lovingly break the egg so the yolk runs through the brown butter pasta.  Then you are going to sprinkle the whole thing with some fresh grated Parmesan cheese, a little fresh ground pepper and some nutmeg.  Yes you are.

It's going to be SO wonderful, you won't even miss the bacon and the chocolate.

Brown Butter Pasta with Egg, from Saveur

Kosher salt, to taste

8 oz. fresh pasta, such as fettuccine or tagliatelle

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

3⁄4 cup pine nuts

4 eggs

Freshly ground black pepper, 
to taste

Freshly grated Parmesan 


Grated nutmeg, to taste

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add pasta; cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 4 minutes. Set a strainer over a bowl; drain pasta, reserving 1⁄2 cup pasta cooking water, and set aside.

2. Melt butter in a 12" skillet over medium heat. Add pine nuts and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pine nuts to a bowl. Working in two batches, crack eggs into butter and cook, spooning butter over yolks, until whites are set but yolks are still runny, about 3 minutes. Transfer eggs to a plate and keep warm. Add pasta and half the pine nuts to skillet and toss until hot. Stir in some of the reserved pasta water to create a sauce, and season with salt and pepper. To serve, divide pasta between 4 serving plates and top each serving with a fried egg. Sprinkle with remaining pine nuts, Parmesan, and nutmeg.

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Chocolate Mint Cookies

I have SO many things to say about this simple little recipe.  If you can't bear to wait through all my random thoughts, skip down to the end where you will see that these little gems come together with just three ingredients, and in just about no time.   Otherwise, don't say I didn't warn you.

First of all, I have to admit that I was a Brownie drop-out.  I was miserable at all the things Brownies are supposed to be good at.  I wasn't able to sew a half-way decent sit-upon (remember those?).  I could never find my uniform on the days I was supposed to wear it (it was probably under my bed, where I stashed things when my mother put her foot down and made us Clean Our Rooms.)  Practically the only happy memory I have of my short-lived Brownie career, other than the happy happy day when my mom took pity on my and let me drop out, was the discovery of Girl Scout Thin Mints.  Oh yes.  Chocolate covered wafers of pure happiness.  Loved them then, love them now.  I would also like to point out that the whole Brownie thing is further proof that opposites attract, as the Southern husband made it all the way to Eagle Scout.

The second thing that this recipe reminded me was that melting chocolate is an art and a science that can literally make you cry, if you are me.  Here's the thing...one false move during the melting process and the chocolate will seize.  Seizing is the technical term for going to just about melted to a hard, grainy lump of chocolate disaster.  It can happen in the blink of an eye, and there you are with your lump of evil chocolate, weeping.  It happens if the chocolate gets too hot, or if there is any teeny invisible drop of water in it.  It's tragic, and for me, it happens when I try and melt chocolate in the microwave.  Not every time, mind you...just enough to make me crazy.  Which is why I finally realized that it is worth the extra work of dragging out the double boiler and melting it slowly and lovingly on the stove with a gently simmering pot of water underneath it.  It will melt in a dependably obedient way, and you won't find yourself sobbing in the kitchen with an empty bag of Ghiradelli chips in your hand.

Now that I've gotten all that off my chest, here's a fun recipe that is the closest I've seen yet to the classic Thin Mint.  You need a box of those thin plain chocolate wafers from the supermarket, some semi-sweet chocolate chips, peppermint extract, your handy double boiler and some parchment paper.  Now, melt up the chips in the double boiler, stirring them constantly until they are smooth and liquid.  Take the top of the double boiler with the chocolate off the heat and stir in the peppermint extract.  

Next, dip those thin wafers into the melted chocolate one by one and place them on a cookie sheet that you have lined with parchment paper.  A fork is the best way to handle them...it makes the cookies easy to flip over in the melted chocolate and easy to lift out and put on the parchment paper.  

Aren't they gorgeous?   Let's take a closer look...

Now pop the cookie sheet into the fridge until the chocolate hardens - 15 minutes or so should do it.  

Chocolate Mint Heaven!  No crying allowed.

Chocolate Mint Cookies, adapted from Martha Stewart

• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
• Ten thin chocolate wafers 

1. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  
2. Place chocolate in a double boiler and heat over medium, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth.  Remove top half of double boiler from heat.  Add peppermint extract and stir until mixture is smooth.
3. Working with 1 cookie at a time, place a chocolate wafer into melted chocolate and turn to coat. With a fork, lift cookie from bowl, letting excess chocolate drip off. Transfer to prepared sheet. Refrigerate until chocolate hardens, about 10 minutes (or up to 1 week).

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Roasted Tomatoes with Shrimp and Feta

Ah, Fall.  The days are getting shorter, the air is crisp and clean-smelling.  We've used the fireplace for the first time, and I've started buying those cute little pumpkins you see around everywhere this time of year.

And you know what all THAT means.  Yes, a mad rush to use up any last local tomatoes that are bravely hanging on.

I do love fall, but I always get a pang when I realize that the tomatoes and basil are over for another year.  If you are still lucky enough to have some in your neck of the woods, here's a quick and delicious recipe that combines those beloved tomatoes with shrimp, feta cheese and a few other good things.  It comes together in a snap, and while we like to have it with some bread on the side to sop up the gorgeous garlicky sauce, it's also pretty dang great spooned over linguine too.

Goodbye, tomatoes...until we meet again!

Roasted Tomatoes with Shrimp and Feta, from Real Simple

• 5 large tomatoes, cut into eighths
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 cup Feta, crumbled
• crusty bread, for serving

1. Heat oven to 450° F. Place the tomatoes in a large baking dish and spoon the olive oil and garlic over them.
2. Sprinkle with ¾ teaspoon each salt and pepper and toss. Roast on top rack of oven for 20 minutes.
3. Remove baking dish from oven and stir in the shrimp, parsley, and lemon juice. Sprinkle with the Feta.
4. Return the dish to oven until the shrimp are cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve warm with the bread.

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Shrimp on Rosemary Skewers

Every now and then I run across an idea for a recipe - usually a completely simple and obvious one - that has never, ever occurred to me before.  And after I smack myself in the forehead a couple of times, I then can't settle down until I make it, just to make up for lost time.  That's how I was with this shrimp.  I'm sure you guys figured this out millions of years ago, but it wasn't until a few weeks ago that I realized that those tall, woody stems of rosemary growing in my back yard herb garden weren't just good for, well, rosemary.

They also make rocking good SKEWERS.  Yep, skewers.  As in, those things that you spear things on and pop on the grill.  In this case, I used some nice big shrimp, and after they were nice and skewered, I marinated them in a little Italian salad dressing for about an hour.

After that, all I had to do was pop them on the grill for a couple of minutes per side.  If you have a gas grill, turn one side down low so that the rosemary leaf end of the skewers is on the cool side.  That way you still have a little bit of non-burnt rosemary when you are done.  I served mine with a little romaine leaf salad with buttermilk dressing and candied pecans, and all was pretty much right with the world.

I wonder what else I am missing???  Let me know if you have any ideas.  :)

Shrimp on Rosemary Skewers, from Taste of the South

• 3/4 pound large fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 4 large sprigs fresh rosemary (about 8-9 inches in length)
• 1/2 cup Italian salad dressing

1. Skewer shrimp onto rosemary skewers, using 3-5 per skewer depending on the size of your shrimp.
2. Place skewers in a shallow dish and pour Italian dressing over them.  Refrigerate for one hour.
3. Spray grill with nonstick spray and preheat to medium.
4. Grill skewers until shrimp are pink and firm, about 2-3 minutes per side.  If your grill has a cool side, aim the tops of the rosemary towards the cool side, although don't worry it it gets charred.
5. Remove from grill and serve immediately.

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Ultimate Banana Bread

I know, I know, we've all got a banana bread recipe, and who REALLY needs another one?  That was pretty much my attitude when I came across this recipe from Cooks Illustrated.  I'm all for trying endless versions of macaroni and cheese, but banana bread?  I was content with my plain old tried and true version.  But then Cooks Illustrated did what they do...they promised they had the best banana bread recipe on the planet, and they said it involved microwaving the bananas to get some banana juice going (banana juice?) and then they went and called the recipe ULTIMATE Banana Bread, and I was a goner.

Because I always do have bananas lying around.  For this recipe, you want the really ripe and squishy ones, not well-behaved yellow ones like these three.  I just figured the world could live without a picture of brown squishy bananas.

Anyway, you DO get to microwave bananas for this, and they DO make a kind of juice when you do that, and it DOES make an amazing banana bread.  Amazing.  Maybe even Ultimate.  And who could resist that?  Not me!

Ultimate Banana Bread, adapted ever so slightly from Cooks Illustrated

• 1 3/4cups (8 3/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2teaspoon table salt
• 5 large very ripe bananas, peeled 
• 8tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 2large eggs
• 3/4cup (5 1/4 ounces) packed light brown sugar
• 1teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2cup walnuts , toasted and coarsely chopped (optional)
• 2teaspoons granulated sugar

1. 1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8½ by 4½-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together in large bowl.
2. 2. Place bananas in microwave-safe bowl; cover with plastic wrap and cut several steam vents in plastic with paring knife. Microwave on high power until bananas are soft and have released liquid, about 5 minutes. Transfer bananas to fine-mesh strainer placed over medium bowl and allow to drain, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes (you should have ½ to ¾ cup liquid).
3. 3. Transfer liquid to medium saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until reduced to ¼ cup, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat, stir reduced liquid into bananas, and mash with potato masher until fairly smooth. Whisk in butter, eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla.
4. 4. Pour banana mixture into flour mixture and stir until just combined with some streaks of flour remaining. Gently fold in walnuts, if using. Scrape batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle granulated sugar evenly over loaf.
5. 5. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean, 55 to 75 minutes. Cool bread in pan on wire rack 15 minutes, then remove loaf from pan and continue to cool on wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Stacked Chicken Enchiladas

Okay, consider this a warning:  make this extremely fun recipe when you and everyone around you is extremely hungry.  This is not a recipe for the faint of heart, or anyone not wearing an elastic waistband. We're talking chicken, cheese and - count 'em - six tortillas in each stack.  Now that's not to say that you can't cut the stack into sections and give each person a section.  That's what the Southern husband and I did, and after we had plowed our way through a reasonable section of each of our respective halves, we gave each other the "I'm So Full I Can't Eat Another Bite Even Though I Really Really Really Want To" look.  Marital look # 274, right behind the "I Think It's Definitely Your Turn To Let The Dog Out" look.

Now that we've gotten all that out there, let me just say that if you are a little bored with all the usual Tex-Mex recipes in your repertoire,  this is a delightful and pretty easy departure, especially if you (like me) have some leftover cooked chicken that needs a home.  I always deliberately make extra when I do my beloved Buttermilk Grilled Chicken because I know I will need it later in the week for something or other, and in this case the Southern husband shredded up that leftover chicken for this stack of enchilada wonderfulness.  Then it's just a case of building a tower of corn tortillas that have been dunked in enchilada sauce, the shredded chicken that you have mixed up with an easy, spicy sauce, and of course cheese.  A little while in the oven just to make it perfectly warm and melty, a little lettuce and radish garnish, and you are in stacked enchilada heaven.

Just remember, elastic waistband!  It should probably be part of the recipe.

Stacked Chicken Enchiladas, adapted slightly from My Recipes

• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 can  or bottle (28 oz.) enchilada or taco sauce, divided
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, plus 2 tsp. sauce 
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 3 3/4 cups shredded white and/or dark chicken meat 
• 12 six-inch corn tortillas 
• 3 cups coarsely shredded jack cheese
• 2 radishes, halved and thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 to 6 cups very thinly sliced iceberg lettuce
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375°. In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, cook onion with olive oil, stirring often until softened, about 5 minutes.

2. Stir in 3/4 cup enchilada sauce, the pine nuts, raisins, cinnamon, allspice, chipotle chiles, adobo sauce, tomato paste, brown sugar, and vinegar. Add chicken, then bring mixture to a boil, stirring. Remove from heat. Pour remaining sauce into a pie pan.

3. To make enchilada stacks, dip 1 tortilla in sauce in pie pan to coat. Place on an ovenproof dinner plate. Repeat with another tortilla on a second plate. Spread each tortilla evenly with a heaping 1/3 cup chicken mixture, then with 1/4 cup cheese. Repeat layering with 8 more tortillas, dipping them in sauce, then adding chicken mixture and cheese to make 2 stacks of 5 layers. (You'll use all the chicken but not all the cheese.) Dip the last 2 tortillas in sauce, place each, curved side down, on stack, and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

4. Bake enchiladas until hot in the center and cheese bubbles on top, 10 to 15 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, pour remaining sauce from the pie pan into a microwave-safe pitcher and cook in a microwave oven on full power until simmering, 1 to 2 minutes. To make the salad, stir together radishes, lime juice, and extra-virgin olive oil in a large bowl. Just before serving, stir in lettuce. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

6. Top each enchilada with a small mound of salad and cut in thirds or quarters to serve.

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Cheese Ravioli with Toasted Walnuts

Before I get into the wonderfulness of this dish, here's yet another insight into how the Southern husband and I team up on this whole food thing I have going on.  Being the obsessively organized, over-scheduled person that I am, I make up my menus for the week on the weekend, and each morning I put out the recipe for the day before I trundle off to work.  By the time I've gotten home, the Southern husband has looked it over and done a pretty decent job of getting out the ingredients and lining them up on the counter.  (Although I will say, the man has a hard time differentiating between a zucchini and a cucumber.  Hey, nobody's perfect, right?)

There's also usually at least one day a week where I need some ingredient that needs to be gotten fresh on the day the recipe is being made - usually seafood but sometimes other things - and since I work far from home and he works close, he's elected.  For this particular recipe, I wanted really nice fresh ravioli...not the kind from the supermarket.  I'm sure those would work fine, but I was looking for FINE.  So that was his assignment: really FINE ravioli.  

He's usually pretty relaxed about these assignments, but he looked at the recipe beforehand, and started to sweat a little.  Because as you will see, this recipe features a pretty simple, light, streamlined "sauce."  It's delectable, but it's basic: garlic, a little olive oil, some walnuts, a little lemon juice and some parsley.  It's an accent more than a sauce...which is why I needed FINE ravioli.  The pressure was on.  And so wisely, he headed to one of my favorite places on earth, The Italian Riviera.  Not the actual Italian Riviera, but the fabulous Italian Riviera food market in Waldwick, New Jersey.  

FINE ravioli.  FINE.

And now that I had my ravioli, it was a quick 10 minutes worth of cooking the ravioli, sautéing the garlic and walnuts in olive oil with some lemon juice and parsley, and tossing on some parmesan.  Done!

He did SUCH a good job I almost let him get out of cleaning up the kitchen.

Cheese Ravioli with Toasted Walnuts, from My Recipes

• One 14- to 16-ounce package cheese ravioli 
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, sliced
• 1 cup (2 ounces) walnuts, roughly chopped
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 
  

• Cook the ravioli according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 3 tablespoons of the cooking water.
  
  Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and walnuts. Cook, stirring, until the nuts are lightly toasted and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, the parsley, and the reserved cooking water. Add the ravioli and toss to coat. Divide among individual plates and sprinkle with the Parmesan.
  
  
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