Chocolate Dipped Frozen Banana Bites
INGREDIENTS
2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons canola oil
Assorted toppings for coating bananas (such as crushed chocolate sandwich cookies, toffee bits, chopped Butterfinger candy bars, chopped salted peanuts, or toasted shredded sweetened coconut)
3 ripe bananas, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
PREPARATION
Stir chocolate and oil in heavy small saucepan over low heat just until smooth. Let stand 15 minutes to cool.
Place each topping in separate shallow dish. Line baking sheet with foil. Arrange banana slices on foil. Using fingers, dip 1 banana slice in chocolate, coating completely. Shake off excess chocolate. Drop dipped banana in 1 topping. Using clean hand, sprinkle more topping over banana to coat; transfer to foil-lined sheet. Repeat with remaining bananas, chocolate, and toppings. Freeze until firm, about 3 hours, then serve.
From Bon Appetit Magazine
This variation on the classic eggs Benedict makes a luxurious dish for a weekend brunch.
Ingredients:
For the crab cakes:
1 lb. cooked fresh crabmeat, flaked
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 Tbs. mayonnaise
1 cup white bread crumbs or panko
4 green onions, white portion only, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Cayenne pepper, to taste
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
For the hollandaise sauce:
4 egg yolks
2 Tbs. fresh lemon or lime juice
1 Tbs. water
1/8 tsp. salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
2 pinches of freshly ground white pepper
16 Tbs. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
6 poached eggs
2 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Directions:
To make the crab cakes, in a bowl, using a fork, stir together the crabmeat, egg, mayonnaise, bread crumbs, green onions, salt, black pepper and cayenne. Form the mixture into 6 patties and place on a baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 12 hours.
Line a baking sheet with paper towels. In a fry pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the crab cakes and fry, turning once, until crisp and golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Using a slotted spatula, transfer the crab cakes to the prepared baking sheet to drain.
To make the hollandaise sauce, in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, combine the egg yolks, lemon juice and water and whisk constantly until the mixture begins to thicken, then continue whisking about 1 minute more. Remove the bowl from over the pan as soon as the mixture thickens. Add the salt, cayenne pepper and white pepper.
Using a stick blender with the aerator attachment, blend the mixture while slowly pouring in the melted butter in a thin stream until incorporated, about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Cover and keep warm over very low heat until ready to serve.
To serve, place 1 crab cake on each of 6 individual plates and top with 1 poached egg. Pour about 1/4 cup hollandaise sauce over each egg and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve immediately. Serves 6.
Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.
To Drink:
Mimosa’s
Ubiquitous on brunch menus, this Champagne cocktail is lower in alcohol than most other mixed drinks.
Ingredients:
1 Tbs. triple sec
2 Tbs. fresh orange juice
4 fl. oz. Champagne or sparkling wine
1 orange wheel for garnish (optional)
Directions:
Pour the triple sec, orange juice and Champagne into a Champagne flute. Stir briefly. Add the orange wheel. Serves 1.
Recipes from William Sonoma
Ingredients
nocoupons
- 12 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise, seeds (not cores) removed
- 1/4 cup good olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 16 ounces fresh salted mozzarella
- 12 fresh basil leaves, julienned
Directions
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
Arrange the tomatoes on a sheet pan, cut sides up, in a single layer. Drizzle with 1/4 cup of olive oil and the balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with the garlic, sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 2 hours until the tomatoes are concentrated and begin to caramelize. Allow the tomatoes to cool to room temperature.
Cut the mozzarella into slices slightly less than 1/2-inch thick. If the slices of mozzarella are larger than the tomatoes, cut the mozzarella slices in half. Layer the tomatoes alternately with the mozzarella on a platter and scatter the basil on top. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Serve at room temperature.
– Barefoot Contessa
