bananas – Page 3 – The Pajama Chef

Sweet and fluffy buttermilk waffles are topped with plenty of my favorite things…including caramelized bananas… to make my ultimate waffles!

How about a yummy breakfast for Monday morning? These waffles are my ULTIMATE breakfast, you guys. Seriously. They’re light and fluffy and full of my favorite flavors: chocolate and coconut. But they don’t stop there. No, they’re topped with sweet brown sugar caramelized bananas, peanut butter, maple syrup, more chocolate chips, and creamy vanilla yogurt [though if you’re a whipped cream fan, that would probably suit you better]. See? Yum!

Before making these waffles, I had never caramelized bananas before, but now that I know how to do it, I probably will never stop. It’s crazy how something so easy can totally transform something I love into something I love even more! And it was super fast to do, too. I realize by saying that it means I probably didn’t use the right technique, but they tasted good… so, oh well! 🙂 Breakfast of champions, right here! Enjoy your day. 🙂

one year ago: Creamy Shells and Yogurt
two years ago: Strawberry Muffins
three years ago: Watermelon Coolers
four years ago: Brown Sugar Bacon Twists

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Waffles with Caramelized Bananas

Servings: 2-3
Time: 30 mins
Print

Ingredients:

for waffles [adapted from allrecipes.com]

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour [can use white whole wheat or more all-purpose flour]
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk [can use 1 tablespoon lemon juice/vinegar + enough milk to fill 1 cup]
1/4 cup milk [can use half and half or heavy cream]
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract [can use vanilla or almond extract]
mini chocolate chips
peanut butter, vanilla yogurt, maple syrup, additional mini chocolate chips

for bananas [from Food.com]

2 teaspoons butter or oil
2-3 tablespoons sugar
2 bananas, sliced into coins [bananas shouldn’t be too soft/ripe to begin with]
cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat waffle iron.

In a large bowl, stir together flours, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. In a smaller bowl, whisk together milks, butter, eggs, and coconut extract. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients gradually, carefully whisking together.

Spoon batter into hot waffle iron. About 1/3 cup is right for my waffle iron. Top batter with about a tablespoon of mini chocolate chips, then cook until steam isn’t coming out of the waffle iron and the waffle is golden brown.

Continue cooking until batter is gone; this should be about 6 waffles.

While waffles are cooking, prepare bananas. Heat butter in a small skillet set over medium heat. Sprinkle sugar on a small plate or bowl and roll bananas in sugar until coated. Place bananas in hot skillet and sprinkle with cinnamon. Cook for a minute or so until golden brown. Flip and sprinkle other side with cinnamon, then cook for another minute and remove from heat.

Top waffles with peanut butter, vanilla yogurt, bananas, and mini chocolate chips or other toppings as desired.

Breakfast, Oatmeal

SRC: Chocolate Baked Oatmeal

May 4, 2014August 28, 2014 Sarah

Hi friends! It’s another SRC day. Every month I am always SHOCKED at how quickly it’s SRC time again. It means time is passing quickly… both for blog stuff and real life stuff. My first full semester working as a librarian has already come to an end, and we’ve been living in Nashville over 7 months now! Crazy stuff. But you know what isn’t crazy? How wonderful my Secret Recipe Club assignment for May was. [Betcha didn’t see that transition coming, now did ya? :)]

This month I was assigned to Food Ramblings, written by the lovely Elizabeth. She has tons of recipes on her blog, ranging from the indulgent to the uber healthy. My kinda girl! That’s exactly how I cook, so I had SUCH a hard time deciding what to make. As I was browsing through her archives basically everything sounded good to me. Maybe I was just hungry. 🙂 First, I really wanted to make this polenta with roasted tomatoes and spinach, I decided to wait until the summer for that–I’m sure it’ll be unbelievably delicious with fresh farmer’s market tomatoes. Then, I thought about making cheese and broccoli quinoa casserole, and finally landed on Chocolate Baked Oatmeal. It was only when I was writing this post that I realized it fell on Cinco de Mayo and I should have made something Mexican. Oh well, it was delicious. Though the baked oatmeal tasted rich and fudgy, it’s actually a pretty healthy breakfast. Well, as far as having chocolate for breakfast can be considered healthy. 🙂

Elizabeth’s original recipe called for making this baked oatmeal in muffin cups, which is SUCH a good idea. So why didn’t I do that? Ben. I asked his opinion and he thought it would be easier to just make a big pan of it. So that’s what I did. I also was nearly out of regular size muffin liners, and I never have luck greasing my muffin tin. She also used strawberries and peanut butter chips in her baked oatmeal, neither of which I had. So I used bananas and cinnamon chips and OH MY GOODNESS was that an awesome combination. I usually am not a banana oatmeal kinda girl but you can’t even taste it in this, especially if you mash up the banana really well. The cinnamon chips just add SO much flavor and little bursts of sweet cinnamon goodness. Later in the summer you can bet I’ll try that chocolate, strawberry, and peanut butter combination though… it sounds incredible, like a jacked up peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Before this, I was a newbie to chocolate baked oatmeal–usually I just make this plain version from my summer camp counselor days, and add my own toppings, but from now on I will be tempted to make this delightful chocolate version. Hope you enjoy as much as we did, and be sure to check out Elizabeth’s blog for more yummy recipes!

one year ago: Club Soda Waffles
two years ago: Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette
three years ago: Salsas for Cinco de Mayo

Chocolate Baked Oatmeal [adapted from Food Ramblings]
click to print

Ingredients:

2 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk [I used skim]
1 large egg
2 medium bananas, mashed
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup cinnamon chips, divided

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9 inch pie pan with cooking spray, or line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners.

In a large bowl, stir together oats, flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, egg, bananas, and maple syrup. Fold wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then stir in half of the cinnamon chips. Transfer batter to prepared pan and top with remaining cinnamon chips.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. [If baking in a muffin tin, bake for 20-25 minutes]. Serve warm, adding milk or yogurt if desired.

Time: 45 minutes.
Yield: 6 servings.

Please check out all the other fabulous recipes from my SRC pals here:

Linked up with: Weekend Potluck.

Breakfast, Muffins, Recipes

Double Chocolate Banana Muffins

August 2, 2013August 2, 2013 Sarah

Well, I wish I had a fun story to tell about these muffins, but I don’t. These Double Chocolate Banana Muffins are pretty much out of this world, so that’s the story itself, I suppose. They are utterly chocolately, perfectly fluffy, and even a smidge on the healthy side. You should totally make them, stat. Need I say more?

Like any banana bread or baked treat, these are best made with ultra ripe, almost too disgusting to look at, much less touch bananas. These are nowhere near ready… they should be almost completely black. The darker the banana, the sweeter the flavor, I say. [Even though I basically have to have Ben deal with the grossness.]

These muffins get their amazing, rich flavor from not one, not two, but THREE kinds of chocolate. I know I called them Double Chocolate, but I may have lied a bit. Cocoa powder, white chocolate chips, and mini chocolate chips are ALL necessary for success here, folks. In a cupcake, I’d pretty much never use all three things at once. But in these muffins? Totally works. Especially because these muffins are a bit on the healthy side thanks to the use of applesauce, flax seed, and whole wheat flour. What more could you ask for?

a year ago… Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
two years ago… Recipe Repeat: Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken
three years ago… Potato Soup

Double Chocolate Banana Muffins [from Amy’s Cooking Adventures]
click to print

Ingredients:

3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup ground flax seed
6 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners or grease well with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine bananas, oil, applesauce, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together flours, flax seed, cocoa powder, and baking soda.

Fold dry ingredients into the wet, then add chocolate chips and gently mix until just combined. Batter will be lumpy.

Spoon into muffin cups, filling about 2/3 full, then bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Time: 30 minutes.

Yield: 14-16 muffins.

Notes: Use or freeze within 3 days. These muffins freeze well!

LInked up with: Foodie Friday, Weekend Potluck.

Breads, Breakfast, Recipes

Grandma’s Banana Nut Bread

July 19, 2013July 19, 2013 Sarah

While I love making all sorts of fancy schmancy muffins and scones, cookies and cakes with recipes I found online, sometimes I get cynical of it all. The internet is overrun with complicated [but tasty] fad-type recipes, full of weird or rich or exotic ingredients and things our grandmas may or may not have called food. I like muffins made with greek yogurt and chia and goji berries and bittersweet organic chocolate chips and a flaxseed egg as much as the next food blogger, but you know what? Sometimes I just want simple. Familiar. Reliable. Or to eat my greek yogurt with a spoon. Whatevs. Sometimes I just want my Grandma’s Banana Nut Bread.

It’s the best banana bread I’ve ever tasted, buttery and soft and vanilla-y. Looking at the ingredient list it might look a little bland. No cinnamon, no nutmeg, no warm spice whatsoever. But if you use good quality ingredients–good butter, real vanilla, really ripe bananas–that doesn’t matter. You can use nuts if you want. I’ve made it with and without, and can’t really say which way is better. 🙂 Walnuts and pecans are my favorite two options here though. I can’t tell you how many loaves of this bread I’ve made over the years, with my mom and grandma surely, but also with my sister, my roommates, my husband. As it bakes up perfectly every time, I just think of family and love. Eating a warm slice of this bread is absolutely heavenly. I hope your family enjoys it as much as mine!

Grandma’s Banana Nut Bread
click to print

Ingredients:

1/2 cup margarine or butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda, dissolved in a little hot water
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 medium bananas, mashed
1/4 cup chopped nuts, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream shortening and sugar, then add ingredients in order given. Bake in 2 nut pans or 1 large [9×5] loaf pan for 1 hour.

Time: 65 minutes.

Yield: 14 servings.

Linked up with: Foodie Friday and Weekend Potluck.

Breakfast, Recipes, Waffles

Ginger Banana Waffles

July 12, 2013July 9, 2014 Sarah

Can I let you in on a little secret? I have a love/hate relationship with ginger. It’s good… but can be juuuust a bit overwhelming. Before I got married, I was kind of ambivalent about ginger. Sure, it went well in cookies but anything else? Cinnamon was my sweet spice of choice. But I married a ginger fiend, and branched out into the world of crystallized ginger and fresh ginger. Pretty scary times, I tell ya. Especially when you add a little too much to a smoothie. Holy spice! In these waffles though, I embraced my [warm] spicy side and invited ginger to join banana in a tasty breakfast treat. These waffles have just the right amount of flavor to satisfy ginger lovers and ginger tolerators alike. 🙂 The perfect compromise! [Now, if we could just agree on movies…]

As much as I loooove pancakes, some days, only a nice crisp, airy waffle will do. While I can practically make pancakes blindfolded [I should totally try that sometime], waffles can be a little more complex. The batter has to have just the right amount of flour and liquid and fat [yup–I said it] to cook properly in the iron and not stick or ooze out the sides or any equally unpleasant thing. And I’ve had some waffle DISASTERS before, so I know the importance of a good recipe. Trying out a new one is always a little scary, but I’m glad I took the risk, because Ben says they’re some of the best waffles he’s ever had. With banana and ginger, how can you go wrong? Plus, with this recipe, even cranking up the heat on the waffle iron doesn’t make them burn so you can enjoy all the crisp airiness of waffles without losing the flavor.

These Ginger Banana Waffles bake up easy and delicious–perfect for a lazy weekend morning, or a quick weeknight dinner. The recipe only makes 6, which is great for the two of us, but you might want to double it for a family–or for leftovers. A couple years ago, I went through a huge waffle phase where I’d cook up big batches and then cool and freeze ’em in those large gallon-size ziploc bags. Then in the morning, I’d pop out a waffle and voila! Instant breakfast. It was great. I should do that again. But in the meantime, totally try these waffles this weekend–you can’t go wrong with the taste of sweet banana and warm spice. Enjoy!

Ginger Banana Waffles

Servings: 6 waffles
Time: 30 minutes
Print

adapted from Cooks.com

Ingredients:

2 bananas, mashed
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
up to 1/4 cup skim milk [if necessary]

Directions:

Preheat waffle iron according to manufacturer directions.

In a small bowl, stir together the bananas, buttermilk, egg, and oil. In a separate, large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, ginger, and cinnamon. Fold wet ingredients into the dry ones, stirring until just blended together. Add more milk if batter is too thick–it should be somewhat easy to pour.

Cook on preheated waffle iron until golden brown. Serve with sliced bananas and maple syrup.

Linked up with: Weekend Potluck and Foodie Friday.