Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers - Moosewood Collective [64]
caribbean sautéed bananas
Warm, luscious bananas soaked in rum—a little taste of tropical paradise.
SERVES 4
TIME: 20 MINUTES
5 firm bananas
2 tablespoons lime juice
½ cup dark rum
¾ cup packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
Peel the bananas, cut on the diagonal into thick slices, and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle with the lime juice and set aside.
In a small bowl, stir together the rum, brown sugar, cinnamon, and ginger. Pour into a large skillet and simmer on medium heat for a couple of minutes, until the sugar is melted. Add the banana slices and stir gently to coat them with the sauce. Spread out the bananas, reduce the heat, and simmer for 3 or 4 minutes, until the sauce thickens and the bananas begin to soften and fall apart. Remove from the pan and serve warm.
serving & menu ideas
Served plain, these bananas hold their own as a simple dessert, or they can be dressed up with toasted coconut and a garnish of fresh mint leaves. They are also delicious as a topping on cake or vanilla ice cream. This is a fabulous dessert to follow a supper inspired by the cuisine of the Caribbean, India, or Southeast Asia, such as Spicy Potatoes & Spinach or Roasted Vegetable Curry.
riesling roasted pears
These subtly spiced pears have an attractive crinkly look and are a lovely finish for an autumn meal. They keep nicely in the refrigerator for 4 or 5 days.
SERVES 8
TIME: 50 MINUTES
8 ripe pears
zest and juice of 1 lemon
zest and juice of 1 orange
1 cup Riesling or other sweet white wine
6 peppercorns
1 cinnamon stick
½ cup sugar
6 whole cloves (optional)
Preheat the oven to 375°. Place the pears in a baking dish that will comfortably hold them in an upright position.
Place the rest of the ingredients in a saucepan on medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil. To reduce the liquid a bit, cook on high heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t boil over. Pour the spiced wine over the pears and bake until the pears can be pierced easily with a sharp knife, 30 to 40 minutes. Baste once or twice, using tongs to lift a pear if necessary to get to the basting liquid.
Serve at room temperature with the wine sauce drizzled over the pears.
cherry shortbread crumble
The easiest crumble we know of—it uses frozen cherries and store-bought shortbread cookies that you can find on the natural foods shelf. (See photo)
SERVES 4
TIME: 30 MINUTES
16 ounces frozen pitted, sweet cherries without sugar or 3 cups pitted fresh
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup crumbled shortbread cookies or pecan sandies (about 8 cookies)
Preheat the oven to 425°.
Put the cherries into an unoiled 8-inch square baking pan or a 9-inch glass pie plate. Sprinkle with the sugar and cinnamon and add 2 tablespoons of water to the dish. Bake for 15 minutes, and then remove from the oven. Top with the crumbled cookies and bake until the cherries are bubbling and the crumbs are browned, about 10 minutes more.
Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold.
orange-almond polenta cake
Making cake batter in the blender? What could be easier? This cake is elegant enough for a dinner party and easy enough for a weekday.
SERVES 8
HANDS-ON TIME: 15 MINUTES
BAKING TIME: 45 MINUTES
⅓ cup cornmeal
⅔ cup unbleached white flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1½ cups almonds
¾ cup sugar
1 orange
½ cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly oil and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.
Sift the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. In a blender or food processor, whirl the almonds and sugar until the almonds are finely ground. Add to the flour mixture.
Grate the orange peel and juice the orange (about ⅓ cup). Add the orange juice, orange zest, oil, eggs, and ⅓ cup of water to the blender or food processor and whirl for about 15 seconds.