Best Banana Muffins - “A Banana a Day Keeps the Doctor Away”
Back to school and going bananas! Our great banana recipes are all easy, quick and make great healthy snacks for kids and adults alike. Bananas can be kept in the freezer in their original form in the peel, to always have on hand for smoothies, muffins and popsicles, or as an addition to morning oatmeal, cereal or yogurt.
The health benefits of Bananas are endless. Bananas are high in potassium, high in fiber, have an antacid effect, electrolyte effect, and pro-biotic effect. They also have a low glycemic index, allowing for higher blood sugar levels.
Best Banana Muffins
Our recipe for Banana Muffins can be used for cake if baked in 2 – 9 inch round pans, layered with Easy Pareve (non-dairy) Cream Cheese Frosting or baked in loaf pans as Banana Bread.
Ingredients
1 ¾ pre-sifted, all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup sugar
2 eggs well beaten
1 cup mashed bananas (2 medium bananas)
1 cup of raisins (optional)
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in medium size bowl.
Bake in 350 degrees pre-heated oven for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. As a cake or bread – bake for approximately 1 hour.
Easy Pareve (non-dairy) Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
1 stick of margarine
1 - 8 oz container of Tofutti non-dairy cream cheese
1 cup of confectioner’s sugar
1 teaspoon of maple syrup or vanilla extract
Directions:
Beat all ingredients with electric mixer until smooth.
Banana-Berry Smoothie
Ingredients
½ cup blueberries
1 cup apple juice
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup partially frozen strawberries
1 cup partially frozen banana slices
Directions:
Add ingredients to blender in order listed.
Pulse twice then blend until smooth.
Healthy and Easy Banana Popsicles
Ingredients
3 medium firm bananas
6 wooden craft sticks or chop sticks
Your favorite yogurt or plain melted chocolate
Chopped nuts or sprinkles
Directions:
Peel banana and cut in half horizontally. Use firm bananas. If they are too soft, this won’t work.
Insert a wooden stick into each half. Roll either half or entire banana in either your favorite flavored yogurt or melted chocolate, then roll in a plate of sprinkles or chopped nuts.
Place on wax paper and freeze at least one hour.
Banana Ice
Directions:
Place on wax paper and freeze at least one hour.
Process bananas with a little bit of orange juice in the food processor and freeze for a quick healthy, creamy treat.
Banana Split
Directions:
Process bananas with a little bit of orange juice in the food processor and freeze for a quick healthy, creamy treat.
Split a banana in half, lengthwise. Put a half on each side of an oval dish or bowl.
Scoop three scoops of your favorite flavored ice cream in between the banana slices. This could be a variety of vanilla, chocolate and raspberry ice cream. Top with Banana Desert Sauce, chocolate flavored syrup and crushed cookies, sprinkles or chopped nuts.
Trifle Bowl Banana Split
Directions:
This can also be made as one giant desert in a trifle bowl.
Layer scoops of ice cream layered with crushed cookies – 3 times, top with Banana Desert Sauce, chocolate syrup and chopped nuts. Put banana slices all around the bowl touching the glass, vertically.
Melt enough butter to cover the bottom of a sauce pan with ½ an inch in the pot. When the butter begins to bubble, add thinly sliced bananas to cover one layer of the pot.
Cook until soft. Add brown sugar and stir until it thickens.
Add some pareve coffee creamer and stir until desired consistency.
This sauce is delicious on any desert or on its own as a pudding type of desert.
Wrap it up with these delicious and unique fillings…
Avocado
Mash avocado, spice with salt and garlic powder, spread on wrap with fresh onion and tomato slices.
Cream Cheese
Combine cream cheese with garlic mayonnaise (mayonnaise and fresh garlic or garlic powder), sliced almonds and fill with Swiss or Havarati cheese.
Fish Spread
For an unusual but surprisingly delightful taste, try one layer of scallion cream cheese topped with another layer of white fish salad.
Or try lox spread with fresh cucumber and pre-checked fresh dill.
Cold Cuts
Spread with mayonnaise and mustard and then layer Pastrami, and Turkey, top with pre-checked lettuce or ready deli cole slaw and sliced onion.
IsraeliStyle
Spread with Tehina or Hummus, add falafel balls and pre-checked lettuce.
Quick pizza
Spread tomato sauce and sliced cheese. Melt in a toaster oven until cheese is bubbly.
Grilled vegetables
Spread thin layer of Honey-Dijon mustard on wrap and fill with an assortment of grilled vegetables such as peppers, zucchini, carrot, mushroom and onion sprinkled with balsamic vinegar, garlic powder and salt.
Home Made Wraps
Ingredients
1 ¾ flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ cup of vegetable shortening or vegetable oil
½ cup of hot water (not boiled, but hot)
Directions:
Combine flour, salt, baking powder and shortening until there are no large lumps. Pour in hot water and mix until it resembles a soft dough. Knead on a well floured surface for approximately 3 minutes. Put the dough into a bowl and let rest for 15 minutes.
Roll out into one long rope and using the side of your hand, cut into approximately 8 equal parts. Roll each part into a ball and then flatten with a rolling pin to approximately 6 inches in diameter.
Fry in DRY, pre-heated frying pan (no oil added) flipping wrap 3-4 times to prevent burning.
Freeze in between sheets of wax or parchment paper stored in plastic zip lock bags.
Ingredients:
9 large eggs
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla sugar (or 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract)
1 ¾ cups flour
1 can cherry pie filling
Topping:
1 lb. of Bodek frozen strawberries with sugar
1 jar of pitted cherry compote or 1 can of sour pitted cherries
Whipped cream
Directions:
Beat 9 egg whites on high speed of electric mixer until frothy, add sugar a bit at a time while continuing to beat.
Add 9 egg yolks, one at a time, the vanilla and then the flour, also a bit at a time, just until well mixed. Do not over mix.
Pour into a parchment paper lined 9 X 13 inch baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes - 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
When cake is cool enough to handle, gently take out the cake, using a large knife, cut the entire cake in half lengthwise.
Spread the center of the cake with 1 can of cherry pie filling and cover with the other half making the cake whole again.
Serve in dessert cups or clear plastic cups, by alternating layers of strawberry topping, whip cream, a square piece of cake, then topping and whip cream again, ending with whip cream on top. Add a spoon to each cup and place on large tray. Bring the tray out to a crowd and watch your dessert disappear.
Note: This sponge cake can be used in a variety of ways. You can use your favorite frosting to spread in the middle and top of cake or you can spread frozen strawberries in sugar mixed with whip cream in the center of the cake, topping with plain whip cream for a quick strawberry short cake.
Ingredients:
One package of thin spaghetti, cooked
One bag of kosher frozen stir fry vegetables
3/4 cup oil
¼ cup soy sauce
1 Tablespoon garlic powder or fresh minced garlic
1 Tablespoon salt
Ingredients:
4 Tilapia Fillets (or any other white fish)
Salt and Pepper
¼ c olive oil
¼ c lemon juice
2 Tablespoons Honey
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
Onions
Instructions:
Slice onions into rings and place under fish.
Sprinkle salt and pepper on fish
Mix rest of ingredients together and pour over fish.
Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes or until fish is cooked.
Cheese blintzes are usually
served hot, with sour
cream or applesauce. They
are a special favorite
on Shavuot when it is
customary to eat dairy
products (not hard cheese)
before the main lunch
meal.
Batter:
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 Tbsp. sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 package vanilla sugar
pinch of salt
Heat on a low flame
a small amount of oil
in an 8-inch frying
pan until hot but not
smoking.
Ladle a small amount
of batter (approx. 1
ounce) into pan, tipping
pan in all directions
until batter covers
the entire bottom of
the pan.
Fry on one side until
set and golden, approx.
1 minute. Slip pancake
out of pan and repeat
until all batter is
used.
Add oil to pan as
necessary.
Filling:
In another bowl mix
all ingredients for
filling.
Assemble:
Fill each pancake
on golden side with
3 Tbsps. of filling.
Fold in sides to center
and roll blintz until
completely closed. Replace
rolled blintzes in pan
and fry for 2 minutes,
turning once.
Ingredients:
2.5 lbs of cream cheese at room temperature
1 3/4 granulated sugar
3 Tbs. all-purpose flour
Zest of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 orange
1/4 reaspoon vanilla extract
5 eggs
2 additional egg yokes
1/4 cup whipping cream
9-inch springform pan lined generously with butter and pattedwith graham cracker crumbs
Directions:
Heat oven to 500 degrees.
Prepare springform pan.
With and electric beater,mix the cheese, sugar, flour, orange and lemon zests and vanilla until smooth. Add the eggs and yokes, beating in one at a time, and finally the cream.
Pour the mixture into the prepared springform pan and bake for 10 minutes or until the top of the cake turns golden brown.
Reduce oven temperature to 200-225 and bake for one hour longer.
Remove cake from oven and cool on a rack until it reaches room temperature.Then release the sides of the pan. Do not remove the bottom of the pan.Place cake on a platter.
1 jar pickled beet slices
with their juice
1 jar sauerkraut with
its juice
1 lb flanken
2 ribs of celery
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp black pepper
sugar to taste
Instructions:
Do not add salt as
the sauerkraut has enough
in it.
Put everything in
a pot.
Add 6 cups of water
and bring to a boil.
Cook until meat is
done. Cool, then put
in fridge.
Next morning remove
any fat that has congealed
on top.
1 cup (2 sticks) of unsalted margarine or butter substitute, at room temperature
1 ½ cups sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
Instructions:
In bowl of mixer, cream butter and sugar together on medium speed until flluffy, approximately 5 minutes. Add orange juice, vanilla extract and 2 eggs, one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl if necessary.
Adjust mixer to slow speed and add flour, baking powder and salt just until combined. Do not over mix.
Divide dough into 2 or 3 sections, wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper inside of a plastic bag and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
When dough is well chilled, pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Remove one section from the refrigerator at a time. Roll dough out to 1/8 inch thickness with rolling pin, dusting it with flour if necessary to keep dough from sticking to it.
Using a medium or large sized, round cookie cutter, cut out circles and place on baking sheet. Note: If dough seems too soft to work with, place the baking sheet in refrigerator to chill until firm.
Place approximately 2 teaspoons of apricot or raspberry preserves in the center of each circle and fold in sides to form a triangle, leaving some of the center exposed. Pinch to tighten.
Bake cookies on center rack of oven until golden, 12-15 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes and then on wire racks to cool completely.
Optional: Beside other store bought fillings such as strawberry, cherry or blueberry preserves, you may also use home-made filling such as poppy seed, caramel-nut or chocolate fillings. Please see below.
Poppy Seed Filling, Ingredients:
2 C. poppy seeds
1 C. pareve milk or other non-dairy substitute such as soy milk
3/4 C. honey
1 tablespoon of lemon peel
1/2 C. raisins
Instructions:
Grind the poppy seeds; combine with milk substitute and honey.
Cook over low heat until thickened. Add 1 teaspoon lemon peel and 1/2 cup raisins.
Refrigerate to cool.
Chocolate Filling
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon margarine
1 tablesppon non-dairy creamer or other milk substitute such as soy milk
1 tea spoon vanilla extract
1 egg
Instructions:
Melt chocolate with margarine and milk substitute in sauce pan over low-medium heat.
Add sugar and vanilla. Stir until just melted.
Stir in beaten egg. Use immediately..
Caramel-Nut Filling
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
2 cups toasted chopped pecans or other nut
7 tablespoons margarine
1/2 cup non-dairy creamer or other milk substitute such as soy milk
1/4 cup honey
Instructions:
Dissolve sugar and water over low-medium heat in sauce pan, stirring constantly, add pecans, margarine and milk.
Remove from heat when thickened and stir in honey. Refrigerate until cooled.
One whole chicken
1 onion cut in quarters
3 garlic cloves
1" ginger root shredded
2 tsps. salt
1 pound potatoes
4 large carrots cut in
1" slices
2 stalks celery cut in
1" slices
1 zucchini (optional)
1 sweet potato (optional)
matzo balls (optional
- can add before ready
to serve - see next recipe)
Instructions:
Place all ingredients
in a large stock pot
and add water to cover
(3 to 4 liters).
Bring water to boil
over medium heat, but
watch the pot so water
never comes to rolling
boil (to avoid clouding
the soup).
When water is just
about to boil, turn
heat to lowest setting
so only a few lazy bubbles
break the surface. Cover
pot and let simmer for
4 hours. (Longer simmering
will not hurt soup.)
Remove pot from heat,
fish out most of the
chicken parts and vegetables
and discard. Strain
the liquid through a
fine strainer. Adjust
salt to your taste.
Makes about 3 to 4 liters
of chicken stock.
Enjoy your Shabbat with
scrumptious Kosher Food.
Matza Ball Recipe for
Shabbat
Ingredients:
4 eggs, slightly beaten
4 tbls. oil
4 tbls. ice cold
water
1 cup matza meal
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsps. pepper
Instructions:
Place all the ingredients
in a large mixing bowl
and mix well.
After mixing, refrigerate
for one hour covered
in the refrigerator.
Fill a large pot with
8 cups of water and
one tsp. of salt. Bring
to a boil. The matza
balls will expand in
the pot as they cook,
so choose a large pot
to allow for expansion.
After the water comes
to a boil, reduce the
flame to low.
Take the matzah ball
mixture out from the
refrigerator and in
your hand gently make
the balls. Make sure
that your hands are
wet before proceeding
to make the matzah balls.
Slowly add the newly
formed balls to the
hot water.
Cook for thirty minutes,
then turn off fire,
but keep the pot covered
and let it cool for
another ten minutes
Elegant And Easy Gourmet
Gefilte Fish Recipe for
Shabbat
Ingredients:
3 pounds whitefish and
pike fish fillets (1-1/2
pounds each)
4 medium onions, peeled
and diced (about 2 pounds)
3 tbls. vegetable
or canola oil
4 large eggs
2 cups cold water
6 tbls. matzah meal
1 tbl. salt to taste
2 tsps. ground white
pepper
2 tbls. sugar
2 large carrots, peeled
Parsley for garnish
Instructions:
Have your fish store
grind the fillets or
grind them yourself
in a food processor
or meat grinder. Do
not puree but fine grind.
Saute the diced onions
in the oil until soft
and transparent but
not brown. Cool.
In the bowl of an
electric mixer - place
fish, onions, eggs,
water, matzah meal,
salt, white pepper,
and sugar. Beat at medium
speed for 15 minutes.
Grate in the carrots
and mix well.
Pour the mixture
into a greased 12-cup
bundt pan.
Smooth the top with
a spatula and bake in
a preheated 325 degrees
F. oven, for 1 hour
in a larger pan filled
with 2 inches of water.
Cover with aluminum
foil and continue baking
for 1 hour or until
the center is solid.
Cool for 5 minutes
and then invert onto
a flat serving plate.
Refrigerate for several
hours or overnight.
Slice as you would for
a torte and serve as
an appetizer. Garnish
with parsley.
Yield:
20 appetizer servings
If you enjoy cooking,
you will love this Kosher
recipe. Otherwise, you
can simply use prepackaged
Frozen Gefilte Fish
found in your local
Kosher supermarket.
You can also shop online
at A
& B Gefilte Fish
Chulent
Chulent is a delicious
Kosher dish that is customarily
eaten as part of the Shabbat
lunch meal after Shul
(synagogue).
Ingredients:
1/2 package Beef Stew
1/2 cup Chulent Mix Beans
or Kidney Beans1/2 cup
Barley
3 big Potatoes
1 Onion
Garlic & Salt to taste
Oil
Instructions:
Fill the bottom of
a large silver pot with
oil. Put it on a low
flame.
Peel and chop an
onion. When the oil
is bubbling put the
onions in the pot. Fry
the onions until brown.
Take the meat, which
should be defrosted
the night before, out
of the fridge. Put it
in a mixing bowl, and
wash it with cold water.
Then, cut the meat into
smaller pieces. Put
the meat back in the
bowl and wash it again.
When the onions get
brown, add the meat.
Add the beans, and
barley.
Peel 3 big potatoes,
and cut them into slices.
Add it to the chulent
stew.
Sprinkle in the salt
and garlic. Cover everything
completely in water.
Raise the flame. When
it boils, lower to the
lowest flame.
Let it cook for 2-3
hours before Shabbat.
Put it on a blech when
Shabbat starts, and
be sure to keep it off
to the side of the flame
through Saturday noon,
when it's ready to be
eaten!*
Tip - Throw in garlic,
paprika, cinnamon, thyme,
Italian Seasoning, Oregano,
and more, in varied
amounts to keep it unique
from week to week.
3 large onions, chopped
2 tbls. vegetable
oil
2 cups green beans, cooked
and drained
1 3/4 cups green peas,
cooked and drained
3 hard boiled eggs
20 Tam Tams or other salty
crackers
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Saute the onions in
the oil over very low
heat for 20 minutes
until
limp, translucent and
golden. (Do not rush
this step.)
Combine the sauteed
onions with the remaining
ingredients in a food
processor. Grind until
well processed. Season
with salt and pepper.
Prep time:
30 minutes.
Yields:
5 Servings
This recipe is for Mocked
liver, and therefore,
it's Kosher Parve.
Soofganiyot for Hannukkah (Hanukkah doughnuts)
Ingredients:
Oil for frying
1/4 cup warm water
1 tbl. sugar
2 packages dry yeast
½ cup orange juice
1/4 pound butter
5 tbls. sugar
dash of salt
2 eggs lightly beaten
3 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions:
In a heavy pot, heat
oil to 350-375 degrees.
Combine sugar with
water and add yeast.
To proof yeast, put
in a warm, moist place
or put a pot of boiling
water in an enclosed
space such as the oven
or clean, empty dishwasher.
While yeast proofs,
heat orange juice, butter,
sugar and salt in a
small pan. When lukewarm,
pour into bowl and add
beaten eggs and proofed
yeast. Stir to mix.
Add flour and make
into a pliable dough.
Knead on floured board
or in bowl.
Grease bowl and allow
dough to rise in a warm
moist place for about
a half hour.
Punch down.
Cut dough in strips
or into circles.
Place on greased,
floured cookie sheet
at least one inch apart.
Return to warm, moist
place to rise. Allow
to rise for 20 minutes
or longer.
Fry in preheated deep
fat until nicely browned
on both sides.
Drain on paper towels.
Sprinkle with confectioners
sugar or cinnamon and
sugar mixture.
These may also be
served with honey or
jam and may be reheated
to restore freshness.
Yield:
18 - 24, depending on
size.
Enjoy your delicious
Kosher Doughnuts!
Head of cabbage
4 cans of tomato sauce,
Italian herb style
1 to 1.5 pounds hamburger
2 medium yellow onions
1 and half cups of bread
crumbs, Italian style
3 tbls of garlic powder
3 tbls of parsley
3 tbls oregano
2 to 3 tbls of salt
Directions:
Cut each individual
leaf of the cabbage
off. Wash then boil
for 5 minutes. Drain.
Mix your ground beef,
chopped onion, bread
crumbs, oregano, parsley,
salt and 2 cans of the
e tomato sauce. Mix
well.
Take a cabbage leaf,
one at a time, add a
little filling and roll
it like you would a
burrito. Place into
a deep pot.
Pour the other 2 cans
of tomato sauce in the
pot and 2 cans of water
over the stuffed cabbage.
Let it come to a boil,
then reduce heat to
medium.
