Creamy Banoffee Pie with a Crunchy Pecan Crust

Everybody I know in Ireland absolutely loves banoffee pie, and why not? Bananas, caramel, toffee, cream, pie, yummy, yummy, yummy....but what is 'Banoffee Pie?' I hear you cry! Well, actually it's a dish that originated in England in the seventies and has spread through the UK and Ireland as a firm favorite in coffee shops throughout the land, or as the perfect suburban dessert, served as a 'sure bet' after the home cook has embarrased her guests with the weird exotic dish she dreamed up just last night...

But seriously, this is a suprizingly yummy dessert, made with suprizingly simple ingredients that will very much impress your guests at your next party event....

Here in the South there is already a love affair going on with 'pies' in general, so, to sweeten the deal I have added a pecan crust into the recipe to give it that little 'Southern twist' and make a wonderful dish even better, (oh, and I replaced that 'boil the can for hours' thing as well, which can be a little tiresome I'm afraid.)

So, give it a go...bananas, creamy caramel, rich pecan crust and fresh whipped cream...what could possibly go wrong!

(serves 8-10 people)

(crust)
8 oz (2 cups) graham crackers or Irish digestive biscuits (crushed)
1 Tbsp fine granulated sugar
½ cups finely chopped pecans
½ cup melted butter
¼ tsp cinnamon

(Cooked Toffee layer)
4 oz (1/2 cup) butter
9 Tbsp fine granulated sugar
1 ¾ 14 oz cans (2 cups) sweetened condensed milk

(Filling)
3 medium bananas
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp fine granulated sugar
1 tsp cocoa powder (sieved)

Method
1. To make crust combine all ingredients and press the crumb mixture in to the bottom of a large greased 9” pie plate.
2. Bake crust for 10 minutes at 325 degrees. Cool and set aside.
3. To make the toffee combine the butter and sugar and stir until melted. Add the sweetened condensed milk and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low and simmer for 12-15 minutes until it becomes a rich caramel color. Remember to stir all the time as mixture can easily burn. Remove from heat and cool.
4. Slice the bananas and arrange on the bottom of the prepared crust. Squeeze lemon juice over bananas to help prevent fruit from browning. Then spread caramel mixture on top.
5. Refrigerate until ready to eat. Whisk fresh cream and sugar in electric mixer until soft peaks appear and spread over toffee layer. Using a sieve dust liberally with cocoa powder.

Enjoy!
Judith

*oh, and if you want to print this out for your own kitchen I suggest copying and pasting it into Word. If you print this blog you will depleat the entire forests of Canada in one fell swoop! ...you have been warned! :-)

Pan Seared Salmon & Dubliner Cheese Potato Bread

This week I will be at Whole Foods in Alpharetta GA taking part in a wonderful event entitled 'Take Home a Chef'. I will be one of several chefs taking part with the goal being to teach and encourage people to cook & eat quality wholesome food at home. Yes, you too can make restaurant qualtiy food with a little imagination, and a little help from your friends (thanks Paul McCartney!) So, my contribution to the evening is a wonderful 'Salmon & Potato bread' dish I created especially for the night. This dish is simple, yet elegant, tasty, wholesome, low in fat and can be prepared in minutes! Don't believe me?...go on and give this a try!

I infused KerryGold 'Dubliner' cheese into the potato bread for a more robust flavor that compliments the delicacy of the fish perfectly, and rubbed the salmon with a smoked paprika for an added kick. Put this altogether with a fresh salad and side of my special 'lemon caper mayo', and you are good to go! Serve with a cold crisp glass of chardonnay, and viola!

Enjoy!!

• 1 ½ lbs salmon (skin removed cut in to 4 pieces)
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp smoked paprika
• 1 Tbsp olive oil

(Baby arugula salad with citrus herb vinaigrette)

• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• ½ tsp honey
• Pinch of sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cups (packed) baby arugula salad greens
• Sprig of dill (chopped)
• Sprig of flat leaf parsley (chopped)
• 1 Tbsp finely sliced red onion

(Lemon caper mayonnaise)
• 1/2 cup mayo
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp capers (drained and chopped)
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• pinch salt and ground black pepper

(Dubliner cheese potato bread)

• 2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled (1 cup mashed)
• 1-cup flour
• ½ tsp baking powder (sifted)
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ cup Kerrygold Dubliner Cheese
• 1 Tbsp butter (melted)
• ¼ cup whole milk


Method:
1. Prepare the lemon caper mayo by mixing mayo, mustard, chopped capers, lemon juice, salt and pepper together in a bowl, then refrigerate until ready.
2. To make potato bread, cut potatoes into quarters and place in a saucepan with cold salted water. Bring water to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Then drain and allow them to dry out on low heat for a few seconds in a colander over the warm pot. Finally, mash the potatoes.
3. Sieve the flour, baking powder and salt together then add to potatoes. Stir in the Dubliner cheese, milk and melted butter. Knead lightly on a floured surface.
4. Roll out to ¼“depth with a floured rolling pin and shape into a rectangle. Use a sharp knife to cut around uneven edges, then cut into 4 squares lengthwise and cut again to form 8 triangles.
5. Sprinkle salmon fillets with a little sea salt and smoked paprika. Add olive oil to a hot heavy based skillet and place salmon to sear for 3-4 minutes on each side (flesh will be pink and flakey).
6. Sprinkle a little flour on griddle and cook potato bread in small batches on medium heat for 3-4 minutes on each side until the crusts are golden brown.
7. To make citrus vinaigrette, squeeze lemon juice in to bowl with sea salt and honey. Slowly whisk in olive oil until mixture emulsifies then stir in arugula, herbs and red onion. Gently toss together.
8. To assemble, place a dollop of mayo on each potato bread triangle (allow 2 per person) arrange on one side of the with the salad on the other. Place the salmon over the salad into the center of the plate, drizzle with olive oil, garnish and serve.

BLT Boxty Bites

So, the sun is shining in Atlanta at last. Shorts are back, flip-flops are here. Fire up the grill and pop a cold beer! (hey, that rhymes!) Yes indeedy, it's time for fun food on the deck and this week I thought I would take advantage of the wonderful weather in Georgia during Spring Break to introduce you to a light & fun favorite of mine - 'BLT' Boxty Bites.

These wonderful wee morsels pack a punch of flavor, go fantastic with a nice glass of your favorite chilled white wine, or a wheaty beer and are simply fun to share with friends on a back porch or as an appetizer when guests arrive.

'Boxty' is an old Irish recipe for a particular type of potato bread, and for my appetizer I have made the recipe 'current' by reducing them to 'bite sized' rounds which I prepare on the griddle then top with roasted red tomatoes, apple wood smoked thick cut bacon, mayo & olive oil. Try them....you'll enjoy a little bit of Ireland whilst basking in the sun!...and as the ol' Irish saying goes:

“Boxty in the Griddle
Boxty in the Pan
If you cannot make Boxty
You will never get a man”

Boxty BLT bites

• 24 potato rounds
• 12 roasted red tomato halves (cut in half)
• bunch Arugula leaves (stems removed)
• 1tsp olive oil
• salt and pepper to season
• 8 slices Irish style or Apple wood smoked bacon (cooked and cut in to 3 pieces)
• ¼ cup mayonnaise

Boxty Bread rounds

(Makes 24)

• 2 medium baking potatoes peeled (1 cup mashed)
• 1-cup flour
• ½ tsp baking powder (sifted)
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ cup Kerry gold Dubliner Cheese
• 1 Tbsp butter (melted)
• ¼ cup whole milk

Roasted Red Tomatoes

• 6 Roma Tomatoes (cut length wise)
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• chopped fresh garden herbs (parsley, thyme)
• 1 Tbsp good quality olive oi1
• 1/2 tsp sugar (to sprinkle)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
2. Toss tomatoes in olive oil and season well with sea salt, pepper, sugar and herbs. Place tomatoes face side up on a baking pan and slowly roast for 1 ½ to 2 hours. 3. Remove from oven and cool.

Method:

1. Cut potato into quarters and place in a saucepan with cold salted water. Bring water to a boil and cook for 15-20 minute until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Drain, and allow potatoes to dry out on low heat for a few seconds in a colander. Mash the potato.
2. Sieve the flour, baking powder and salt together and add to potatoes. Stir in the cheese, milk and 1 melted butter. Knead lightly on a floured surface.
3. Roll out to ¼“depth with a floured rolling pin and cut with a 1” biscuit cutter.
4. Fry bacon in a large heavy based skillet until crispy and set aside on a warmed plate.
5. Sprinkle a little flour on griddle and cook boxty bread bites in small batches on medium heat for 3-4 minutes on each side and crust is golden brown.
6. To assemble bites begin by slicing bacon into thirds and dressing Arugula with a little olive oil and salt and pepper. Place a small dollop of mayonnaise on top of the boxty bread. Follow with the Arugula leaves, apple wood smoked bacon and then the sliced red roasted tomatoes.

Enjoy!
Judith the I F

(oh, and as ever, if you want to print this recipe for your own kitchen be 'green' and paste the bit you want into Word and print. Don't print the blog or you will 'eat the planet') :-)