Banana Peanut Butter Cookies

Sometimes I just have an urge to bake something... Maybe I'm stressed out, maybe I'm sad, or just plain bored. Two weekends ago, it was a combination of all three. :-( In the mood for some sweets, I thought cookies were the easiest to bake.

Cookies then! Soft, crunchy, chewy, chocolatey, nutty... Everything I like, I will put in a cookie!

This is not a recipe from any master chef. I just made it up, approximating the amount of each ingredient to my liking. (Another way of saying it is, I was too lazy too look up recipes.) ^_^

Banana Peanut Butter Cookies

A:
1 banana (well mashed)
1 egg (well beaten)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda + 1 tsp baking powder
1/4-1/3 cup peanut butter (I think I used 4 big scoops of a soup spoon. Whatever, it's just pb.)

B: 2 cups rolled oats (oatmeal) + 2 TBS whole wheat flour

C:
1/3 cup chopped chocolates or chocolate chips (dark chocolate is best)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Optional: Smarties or M&Ms

1. Combine ingredients of A together well first, then add B.
2. Mix in chocolate chips and walnuts (from C).
3. Roll out the cookies into 1.5" balls and flatten them out a bit. Press a Smartie candy in the center.
4. Bake 350F for 12-14 minutes.

Makes about 2 dozens, depending on how big you want your cookies.

p.s. You don't really taste any banana in these cookies at the end. Only the peanut butter. The banana is only there as a binder (like the egg) for the dry ingredients. It also keeps the cookies soft on the inside, and adds a natural sweetness, so you don't have to use as much sugar.

Summer is Gone

But I still want all the juicy bountiful fruits of summer... Strawberries, cherries (my favorite), sweet cantaloupes, refreshing dragonfruits...

I wish summer is still here.

Tofu and Zucchini Blossoms

My simple lunch: Red rice with braised tofu, ginger and pineapple, and sauteed zucchini blossoms on the side.

Some people like to stuff the blossoms with cheese and then fry them. I just like to prepare 'em simply and healthy.

Turmeric Sticky Rice

Because turmeric is good for you! And turmeric tastes good too!

Sprinkle some sesame seeds on the sticky rice, and it makes a delicious afternoon snack! When eating sticky rice, I especially loooooove eating the burnt crunchy rice at the bottom. Everyone thinks the good part is the soft cooked rice on top, but the best part is the bottom. ^_^

And no sticky rice in the rice cooker- because it never gives you that crispy bottom rice. Stove top is the only way to make this!

You can read about all the benefits of turmeric here.

Plantain-Tapioca pudding

This Vietnamese dessert (Chè Chuối) is usually made with bananas, but I prefer using ripe sweet plantains. There is more texture to it after cooking. Soymilk is substituted for coconut milk, because it's just better health-wise.

Ingredients in this pudding: diced sweet potatoes, tapioca pearls, plantains, milk, sugar. Very simple, but very good. Oddly, this is one dessert I only like to eat hot or warm.

Basically, you boil diced sweet potatoes, drain and save for later. Then in a pot, simmer plantains in milk and sugar first, then add tapiocas. Put potatoes in again when tapiocas are cooked.

FAILED Bread

The name of this bread is Speja Apricot Raisin & Walnut Bread, one of my baking failures. Why? Because it's so short and dense! It didn't rise properly, probably because of my too many add-ins to it. Also because I modified the recipe without properly baking it as directed from here.

It's supposed to be very good with cheese with all the nuts and apricots! I will bake this again properly (without any mashed potato add-ins)! ^_^

Pork and Collard Greens Soup

A pretty hearty dish for the cold season.

What's in it: pork (with bone is more flavorful), carrots, collard greens, cauliflower, and a few left over green beans.

For non-vegetarian soups, I always poach or boil the meat to cook them first, to get a broth. If you don't want the meats to get tough, simply remove them and then add back at the end. Sometimes I will saute them in oil and garlic before adding water to make the soup broth.

In my opinion, I prefer not to cook the collard greens to mush. I've found that the stalk part of the collard greens are tougher, so you should cook those ahead for a few minutes before adding the leaves.