Banana Gingersnap Pudding

The Butcher and the Boar. It's the talk of Minneapolis for a reason. If you haven't been, make a reservation -- it's a must!

Everything we had during our meal was delicious, but the one dessert that I was against getting has actually been on my mind for the last two days it was so good. It was called Gingersnap Banana pie. Here's my cheap and healthier version of this recipe.

My favorite pudding mix -- I got this at Whole Foods

Gingersnaps. You can't go wrong no matter who makes them. I could eat this box all by myself.

Banana Gingersnap Pudding
1 large box vanilla pudding
2 C. almond milk (or milk of your choice)
10-15 Gingersnap cookies, crushed
1-2 bananas, peeled and sliced thin

Make the pudding according to the package directions. Set aside. In five 1/2 cup ramekins, sprinkle the crushed cookies (about 2 per ramekin). Place sliced bananas on top, then pour the warm pudding over the bananas. Cover and chill until ready to eat. If you use almond milk, it's only 225 calories per serving!

Layer 1 - cookies

 Layer 2 - bananas

Layer 3 - it's getting tricky here...j/k. Pour in the pudding. Ta-da!

Porchetta (Italian Pork Roast)

'What the heck is porchetta?' you might ask. Well, it's the most delicious pork roast you'll ever have. Don't be fooled by grocery store or butcher shop imitations. The only way to make this authentic dish is to do it yourself.

Porchetta brings warm memories of my childhood. Every once in a while, my dad would bring home a porchetta roast from a co-worker's grandma. These were true authentic Italian Pork Roasts. My mom would roast it in the oven and the house would fill with the aroma of spices and fennel. I'm pretty sure we never had any leftovers when we had it for dinner...

This was my first attempt at the recipe after researching recipes online. I knew that the key ingredient was fennel seeds, but the rest I wasn't sure about. Let me tell you, the salt, and especially the smoked salt, was just as critical as the fennel. Throw it in the crockpot and in a few short hours the roast is falling apart. I paired the roast with a low-carb version of mashed potatoes using celery root and rutabaga.

Porchetta (serves 6)

4-5 lbs. bone-in pork shoulder

1/2 C. dry white wine

1/2 C. chicken stock

Rub:

8 garlic cloves

2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary

1 Tbsp. dried parsley

1/2 Tbsp. sea salt

1 tsp. smoked salt

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 Tbsp. fennel seed

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

olive oil

In a food processor or using a stick blender, grind up the rub ingredients into a paste. Poke holes into the roast and stuff pockets with the rub. In a large pan, heat the olive oil and sear each side of the roast (about 3-4 minutes per side). Remove from the pan and rub with the remaining paste mixture. Place into  a crock pot (cut up if you need to) and add in the wine and chicken stock. Turn the crock pot on high and cook for 4-5 hours until meat falls apart.

Celery Root and Rutabaga Puree (serves 6)

2 lbs. celery root, peeled and cut up into large pieces

2 lbs. rutabaga, peeled and cut up into large pieces

2 oz. goat cheese

2 Tbsp. butter

chicken stock

Salt and Pepper

Boil the celery root and rutabaga in water until tender (about 20 minutes). Drain. Add the goat cheese, butter, chicken stock, and salt and pepper. Puree with a stick blender.

Chino Bandito

This post is long overdue…When visiting Arizona last March, my friend’s husband recommended we eat at a local dive called Chino Bandito. In normal circumstances, I’d avoid a restaurant that is known for serving food in pie tin plates and uses folding furniture, but when I heard that Chino was featured on Triple D, I wanted to give it a try.

Their food isn’t what I’d called fusion but more a mix and match combination of Chinese and Mexican. There are two meal options – a small plate with one entrée and rice and the large plate option with 2 entrees, beans, and rice. Each entrée is a protein that can be ordered plain or in either a burrito or quesadilla. I was happy to learn that they have a “tasting station” where you can try bites of their most popular dishes. When ready to order you fill out their form and hand it to the cashier – not only are there a number of entrée choices, but there are also 2 types of beans and 4 types of rice.

I went for the Jade Red Chicken by itself, carnitas quesadilla, refried beans, and chicken fried rice. It was really strange to go between bites of sweet and sour chicken to refried beans. I ended up eating each item separately since the mixing of bites started to weird me out. Everything was really good…I’d definitely go back. Good recommendation TJ!

Diners Drive-Ins and Dives Segment

Lemon Pancakes

Lemon. Pancakes. Pancakes so good syrup isn't needed.

After numerous local write-ups and reviews, I finally had a taste of Hell's Kitchen's Lemon Ricotta Hotcakes. I now know what all the fuss is about. However, I ordered Heuvos Rancheros instead of the hotcakes, so I was left with just a taste from a friends plate. This morning I couldn't help but think about this delicious dish and how I could re-create it...and with a healthy twist.

My attempt was a success and I needed to share the recipe with you. One batch makes roughly 6 pancakes, or 3 servings (2 if you've got an appetite). Total caloric damage? Only 365 calories. Add a few strawberries and round it up to 400. Not bad for a weekend indulgence!

Lemon Pancakes
Adapted from the "Joy of Cooking"

3/4 C. AP Flour (I used GF Bob's Red Mill)
1/4 C. Ground flaxseed (mmm good ole fiber -- you can sub flour if you don't have flaxseed)
1/3 C. Granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. sea salt
3/4 C. Greek yogurt
1/3 C. milk (I used Almond milk)
1 egg
3 Tbsp. melted butter
Zest of one large lemon
1/4 C. lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon extract

Mix your dry ingredients with a whisk: flour, flaxseed, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl combine the remaining wet ingredients. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture until well mixed (no lumps with this recipe).

Scoop into 1/2 cup dollops and cook on a medium heat griddle or frying pan. Serve with diced strawberries and powdered sugar. If you must, use real maple syrup.