Amazingly Easy (& Delicious) Banana Muffins

When life gives you ripe bananas, make these incredible muffins!

With autumn finally here in all its crisp air, gorgeous-colored glory, I unsurprisingly have been bitten by the baking bug lately.  It happens every year without fail.  There's just something about the smell of a something delicious baking in the oven that makes fall feel that much more like fall.

The other day, I had a craving for banana muffins, and I just so happened to have 4 ripe bananas hanging out on the kitchen table.  

Perfect!

I found this recipe over at Cat Can Cook, and I had a winner.  It's undoubtedly very easy and you've probably got all of the ingredients in your kitchen.  It's easy...Mix the wet ingredients together.   Mix the dry ingredients together.  Combine.  Bake.  Voila!

This recipe's simplicity and great results are going to make it a favorite of ours for years to come.

Bon Appetit, my friends!

Amazingly Easy (& Delicious) Banana Muffins
Adapted from: Cat Can Cook
Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:
4 large, ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups flour

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix the mashed banana, sugar, egg and butter together in a small bowl. Set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together the baking soda, baking powder, salt and flour. 

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well.  Pour into greased muffin tins, and bake in preheated oven for approximately 20 minutes. 

Cook's Notes:
*These are much more flavorful the next day, and they freeze very nicely too!
*Possible additions:  walnuts, toasted pecans, or chocolate chips 

 

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Giveaway Winner - Tasia's Table!

Drum-roll, please ........................................................................ ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

The winner of the autographed copy of Tasia's Table:  Cooking with the Artisan Cheesemaker at Belle Chevre is:

Comment #25 from Jacqueline!!!

"I tweeted about the giveaway too! @bloggingbeauty"

Congratulations and thank you so much to everyone who entered for a chance to win!

AS AN ADDED BONUS: 
I've picked a second potential winner.  Belle Chevre will also be giving away a signed copy of this awesome cookbook to a winner selected from the blogs participating in the Tasia's Table Virtual Potluck.  This name will be added to a drawing that Belle Chevre will do after October 14th.  The winner being added to Belle Chevre's drawing is:

Comment #13 from Dana:
"Dana @ Conscious Kitchen Blog said...My favorite thing about fall? So hard to choose, but I love the football games/tailgating, pumpkin flavored everything and sweaters and boots."

Good Luck, Dana!!!

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Break 'n Bread Food & Wine Festival 2012

This weekend marks one of the top food events in the state of Alabama - The Break 'n Bread Food & Wine Festival, and I am super duper excited to go this year.  The Birmingham Originals is an organization of our city's finest restaurants, and they are going big this year by hosting what promises to be the best BNB festival yet.

For those of you that live close to Birmingham, AL and are interested in attending, here are the details:

WHAT:  Break 'n Bread Food & Wine Festival
WHEN:  Sunday, October 14th
TIME:  1:00PM - 5:00PM
WHERE:  Railroad Park
TICKETS:   $35 for regular, $75 for VIP and children under 12 years old get in free

Break 'n Bread happens to be the signature experience for the Alabama Tourism Board's Year of Alabama Food campaign, and will feature an array of amazing food from nearly 40 Birmingham Originals restaurants.  A sampling of the restaurants include:

Ocean
Ted’s Restaurant
Slice
The FishMarket
Little Savannah
Daniel George
Mafiaoza’s
Nabeel’s
Hot and Hot FishClub
Satterfield’s

A wide selection of wine and beer will also be available from Birmingham's own Good People Brewery, International Wines, Pinnacle Imports, Royal Cup and more.

Here's some additional information about the event, straight from the source:

Since 2003, the Birmingham Originals have organized this grand fundraising event to not only celebrate the South’s talented chefs and local farmers, but to give back to the community that has supported them over the years. In an effort to continue pushing the envelope and delighting the crowds, Break ’n Bread will once again play host to four multi-award-winning chefs from out of the state. Chef Adolfo Garcia of RioMar, La Boca and a Mano; Executive Chef Brian Landry of Borgne Restaurant; and Chefs Alison and Slade Rushing of MiLa will helm the VIP area, serving up Big Easy-inspired dishes with Big Easy attitude.

While food enthusiasts gather at the tasting tents, just a few steps away will be a dedicated children’s area featuring face painting with clowns from the Children’s Hospital of Alabama, petting corner and entertainment from the Birmingham Zoo, healthy kids cooking demonstrations, Desert Island Supply Company writing workshop and a pumpkin decorating station. Local farmer’s market vendors will also be stationed in and around the park, offering a variety of fresh produce and artisan products.

Tickets for Break ’n Bread and additional information are available at www.birminghamoriginals.organd on the Birmingham Originals Facebook page.  Prices are $35 for regular, $75 for VIP and children under 12 years old get in free.  A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Make-a-Wish Foundation, Camp Smile-a-Mile and United Way’s Healthy Communities.

I hope to see you there!!  :)

***All photos are courtesy of Birmingham Originals***

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Bacon & Goat Cheese-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Apple Chutney + A GIVEAWAY

This week kicks off a virtual potluck, celebrating Tasia Malakasis' beautiful new cookbook, Tasia's Table, Cooking with the Artisan Cheesemaker at Belle Chevre...I'm excited to be a part of this fun event!  When the folks at Belle Chevre asked me to pick out a recipe from the cookbook, I had a hard time deciding on just one.  However, this recipe for Bacon and Goat Cheese-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Apple Chutney stood out and was calling my name.

This is an outstanding meal, which actually isn't too complicated to make.  The ingredients are simple and the results are savory, scrumptious and comforting.  A pork tenderloin is stuffed with a trio of goat cheese, bacon, and fresh parsley.  After a quick trip to the skillet to brown the tenderloin, it roasts in the oven until done.  The tenderloin is topped off by a few spoonfuls of an easy apply chutney, adding a fruity-citrusy flavor to round out the entire meal.  Plus, on top of all that deliciousness, the rendered bacon fat is used to brown the tenderloin AND is used to saute the onions and apples for the apple chutney.  This means every bite is infused with bacony (is that a word?) goodness.

This meal would be perfect for dinner guests and is a wonderful way to showcase all the apples which are now in season.

DON'T FORGET TO ENTER MY GIVEAWAY TO WIN AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF THIS COOKBOOK!

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

Be sure to check out these fabulous bloggers, who are also participating in the virtual potluck:

• Cooking With Books   
• Cheese And Champagne
• Blank Palate
• Deep South Magazine
• Sale e Pepe
•  Eggton  
• La Buena Vida
• Susan Greeley
• Bibberche
• Cactus & Kudzu 
•  Story of A Kitchen
• Sugar and Spice by Celeste
• Once Upon a Cutting Board
• 30AEats
• Miss in the Kitchen
• The Picky Eater

 

Before getting all rolled up.

Apple Chutney

Bacon and Goat Cheese-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Apple Chutney
Adapted from:  Tasia's Table, Cooking with the Artisan Cheesemaker at Belle Chevre by Tasia Malakasis
(Reprinted with permission from the author)

Ingredients:
1  1/2 - 2 pounds pork tenderloin, fat and sinew removed
3 slices bacon
4 ounces Belle Chevre goat cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
4  8-inch lengths of kitchen twine

Apple Chutney
1 small red onion, minced
1 tablespoon butter, unsalted
1 small Fuji apple, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and line a broiler pan with foil.

Fry the bacon in a large skillet, reserving the pan when done.  Pat the bacon dry with paper towels and chop.

Butterfly the pork tenderloin lengthwise, slicing it down the center, but not all the way through.  Open it up, and cover it with a sheet of plastic wrap.  Pound it evenly with a kitchen mallet or heavy-bottomed saucepan.

Remove the plastic wrap and sprinkle the inside evenly with the bacon, goat cheese and flat-leaf parsley.  Close the tenderloin back up and tie in four evenly-spaced places with kitchen twine to keep it shut.  Coat with olive oil and sprinkle with pepper.

Brown the tenderloin in the pan used for frying bacon.  When all sides are brown, place it on the broiler pan and bake it in the oven for 20-30 minutes, or until a meat thermometer registers 165 degrees F.

While the pork is cooking, make the chutney.  Using the same skillet used for the bacon and browning the tenderloin, cook the onion with the butter on medium-high heat.  After about five minutes, add the minced apple, cooking for another five minutes, stirring occasionally.  When the apple and onion are soft, turn the heat up and add 1 tablespoon each of lemon juice, honey and rice wine vinegar.  Stir on high for five minutes.  The mixture should turn golden brown.  Reduce heat to low and simmer.

When the tenderloin is done, slice it into medallions and arrange on a plate.  Top with spoonfuls of the chutney, and put the remainder into a bowl for the table.

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GIVEAWAY: Autographed Copy of Tasia's Table!

It's been an exciting week for my little food blog.  It officially reached 1,000 Facebook fans, and I'm excited to celebrate with a great giveaway for a lucky blog reader!

I love you guys so much, that I'm giving away an autographed copy of "Tasia's Table: Cooking With the Artisan Cheesemaker at Belle Chevre."

If you've never heard of this wonderful little fromagerie in Elkmont, Alabama, you'll definitely want to keep reading .  Their artisan chevre cheeses are award-winning and absolutely delicious.  Belle Chevre has been featured on NBC's The Today Show, and the following magazines:  Southern Living, O! Oprah, Southern Lady, Health, Traditional Home, Real Simple, Better Homes & Gardens, Cooking with Paula Deen, and Cooking Light to name a few.

Belle Chevre is owned by Tasia Malakasis, an uber-talented, former marketing executive whose passion for food carried her all the way from NYC to Belle Chevre.  Her brand-new cookbook is one that you'll certainly want in your arsenal....especially if you love chevre.  With recipes like Bacon and Goat Cheese-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Apple Chutney, Creamy Belle Chevre Grits with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Chocolate-Smothered Raspberry and Goat Cheese Buttercream Cakes, you'll be in love!  The book is filled with personal stories from Tasia, and the recipes are influenced by her Greek-Southern roots.

So, how can you win this fabulous cookbook?  It's easy!...

How to  Enter:
Simply leave a comment on this post, which answers the following question:

What's your favorite thing about autumn?

Also, for extra chances to win, simply do the following and leave SEPARATE additional comments letting me know that you did:

• Like Sugar & Spice on Facebook
• Follow Sugar & Spice by Celeste on Twitter
• Tweet the following "NEW GIVEAWAY: Win an autographed copy of Tasia's Table @SugarSpicebyC! #giveaway #cookbook #cheese @BelleChevre http://sugarandspice-celeste.blogspot.com/2012/09/autographed-cookbook-giveaway-tasias.html"
• Follow the Sugar & Spice by Celeste board on Pinterest 

The Rules:

• Entries must be submitted by midnight (CST time) on Tuesday, October 9th. 
• A winner will be picked at random (using random.org) and will be announced on Wednesday, October 10th.
• Please make sure you include your name and email address so that I will have a way to contact you if you win...especially if you leave a comment using the "Anonymous" option.
• At this time, the contest is open to US residents only.

Good Luck, and THANK YOU for following me along on this little foodie adventure of mine!  :)

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Orecchiette with Spinach Pesto, Chicken & Tomatoes

Let's face it...While leftovers make for a fast and easy dinner, they can be very boring.  So, I love dishes that allow you to take the leftovers and create a delicious yet different dinner on the 2nd night.  This recipe is a fantastic example.

I took the remaining orecchiette pasta and spinach pesto from this Chicken with Spinach Pesto and whipped up this easy weeknight dinner for two.  It makes for an easy-peasy dinner that's filled with flavor (not to mention - Popeye would be so proud of all that spinach!).

You simply cook some orecchiette pasta and stir in spinach pesto, baked chicken, and diced tomatoes.  It pairs perfectly with a loaf of crusty French bread and a glass of pinot noir.

Easy meals like this are the theme around our house lately.  We are in the process of doing some minor renovations to our home, which has turned out to be a lot of fun, yet a time-consuming process.  So far, we've installed a beautiful cream-colored subway tile backsplash in the kitchen (which I'm in love with).  We've also given the laundry room a MAJOR makeover with a fresh can of pretty light blue paint,  a lovely new shelf and fun paintings that my sisters did a while back.  That room makes me happy now. :)  It's a far cry from the while walls and plain wire shelving that graced the room before.  Our next project?  Painting the living room grey.  Woo hoo! 

Bon Appetit, my friends!

Orecchiette Pasta with Spinach Pesto, Chicken & Tomatoes
(spinach pesto recipe adapted from Food Network magazine)


Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. of your favorite Italian 0r Greek seasoning
1 lb. orecchiette pasta
3 cups baby spinach
1/2 cup firmly packed fresh parsley
2 tablespoons almonds, toasted
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tomatoes, diced

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts in an ovenproof casserole dish and drizzle with 2 tbsp of the olive oil.  Season with your favorite Greek or Italian seasonings.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. 

While the chicken is baking, make the pesto:
Puree the spinach, parsley, almonds, lemon juice, 3 tablespoons water, the grated parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and salt to taste in a food processor. Transfer to a bowl and set to the side.

Next, cook the pasta according to package directions.

Pour the cooked pasta into a large bowl.  Cut the baked chicken into bite-sized pieces.  Add the pesto, chicken and tomatoes to the pasta and mix together well.

Top with a little additional parmesan cheese, if desired.

Enjoy!

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Chicken with Spinach Pesto

Why haven't I ever thought of making pesto with something other than basil before?  Sure, basil pesto is nothing short of vibrantly green deliciousness, but lots of fresh basil can be somewhat elusive if not in season (at least around here).

I found this recipe for Chicken with Arugula Pesto in the September 2012 issue of Food Network Magazine in the weeknight cooking section.  It caught my eye with its fresh ingredients, so I added it to my next shopping list.  

Once at my local grocery store, arugula was nowhere to be found, and I didn't really feel like searching all over town for it.  So, I got to thinking...Why not use baby spinach instead?  Baby spinach is readily available all year long, easy to find and cheaper than basil.  It sounded like a winner to me.

And a winner it was, indeed.  The pesto tasted great, especially with the addition of the toasted almonds.  They added a great depth of flavor...Don't skip the toasting part.  It's worth the extra effort.

The orecchiette pasta and green bean salad makes for a flavorful side dish, thanks to grated lemon zest and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese, and the broiled tomato halves topped with pesto and bread crumbs rounds out this meal.

The next night, I cooked more of the orecchiette and then added the leftover pesto to the pasta, along with diced tomatoes and baked chicken.  It was the perfect way to use up the leftovers, yet make an entirely different meal (I'll post that recipe on the blog next).

You'll love this healthy, easy dish...Make it soon!

Bon Appetit, my friends!  :)

Chicken with Spinach Pesto

Adapted from Food Network Magazine, September 2012

Ingredients:

Kosher salt

6 ounces orecchiette (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into pieces
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
3 cups baby spinach
1/2 cup firmly packed fresh parsley
2 tablespoons almonds, toasted
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
4 small skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 pounds)
2 medium tomatoes, halved
2 teaspoons whole-wheat breadcrumbs

Directions:

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs; about 3 minutes before the pasta is done, add the green beans. Drain the pasta and beans and rinse under cold water. Toss with half of the cheese, 1 tablespoon olive oil, the lemon zest and salt.

Preheat the broiler. Puree the spinach, parsley, almonds, lemon juice, 3 tablespoons water, the remaining cheese and 1 tablespoon olive oil, and salt to taste in a food processor. Transfer to a bowl.

Place the chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound to about 1/2 inch thick. Transfer to a foil-lined baking sheet and season with salt. Rub all over with 1/4 cup of the arugula pesto and broil, turning once, until cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes per side.

Arrange the tomatoes cut-side up on another baking sheet and broil 2 minutes. Spread each with some pesto and sprinkle with the breadcrumbs. Broil until golden, 1 more minute. Serve the chicken, tomatoes and pasta salad with the remaining pesto.

 

Per serving: Calories 491; Fat 16 g (Saturated 4 g); Cholesterol 96 mg; Sodium 737 mg; Carbohydrate 42 g; Fiber 5 g; Protein 44 g

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