Saying 'thank you' with coconut-chocolate banana bread

We have the best neighbors -- when our area was buried under a foot a snow on Sunday, the man across the street hauled out his snow-blower and cleared everyone's driveways, walkways and sidewalks.

I decided to say "thank you" with baked goods. I took inventory of my pantry, paged through my cookbooks, and came up with this sweet, coconut- and chocolate-flecked banana bread. This recipe can be doubled easily; if you make two loaves, use three whole eggs rather than two eggs and two yolks.

COCONUT-CHOCOLATE BANANA BREAD
Yield: 1 loaf

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup coconut oil, vegetable oil or melted and cooled unsalted butter
1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2 medium)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/3 cup finely chopped dark chocolate or mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.

If using coconut oil, melt in the microwave on low power, checking every 10 seconds. The oil should liquefy, but do not let it get hot.

In a medium bowl, stir together banana, oil and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients; stir just until combined. Fold in flaked coconut and chocolate. Scrape into the prepared pan.

Bake until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Let loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Savory Spaghetti Squash Kugel is gluten-free, dairy-free, kosher for Passover

Recipes that swap spaghetti squash for spaghetti are often unsuccessful. Despite their similar appearances, the two ingredients taste nothing alike.

This recipe, however, is an exception. The flavor of spaghetti squash blends perfectly with an abundance of onions and a touch of garlic in a satisfying, savory side dish.

Kugels are a Jewish dish that can be sweet or savory and usually feature egg noodles or potatoes. Some are made with dairy ingredients, while others, meant to be served with meat, contain no milk. I've seen dozens of variations -- I've even judged a kugel contest -- but this version was new to me.

It's one of 60 recipes in a new book, "Passover Made Easy," by Leah Scapira and Victoria Dwek. (For my review of the book and their recipe for Schnitzel Nuggets With Apricot Dipping Sauce, click here.)

The authors give two methods of precooking the squash: baking it for an hour or microwaving it for 10 minutes. I went with the microwave. As I was getting ready to scoop out the seeds, my eye fell upon a dipper-type ice cream scoop. I gave it a try and was happy to discover that it removed the seeds easily and quickly.

SPAGHETTI SQUASH KUGEL
Yield: 6 servings

1 large spaghetti squash (see tester's note)
1 tablespoon oil
2 onions, finely diced
1 garlic clove, minced
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coarse black pepper or less to taste

To precook squash in the oven: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wash squash and place in a loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cool. Slice squash in half and remove seeds. Raise oven temperature to 400 degrees.

To precook squash in the microwave: Cook for 1 minute to soften. Cut in half and remove seeds. Place cut-side down in a dish with 1/2 inch of water. Microwave for 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic. Saute onions until soft, 5 to 7 minutes.

Using a fork, scrape the strands of squash into a large bowl. Add onions; mix well. Add eggs, salt and pepper; stir to combine. Pour into a greased 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Bake until kugel is crispy on top, about 1 hour.

Tester's note: The original recipe didn't specify the size of spaghetti squash. I used a small squash and baked the kugel in an 8-by-10-inch dish. If you use a small squash, you might want to reduce the number of eggs to 3 or use small eggs and reduce the amount of black pepper to 3/4 teaspoon.

Recipe adapted from "Passover Made Easy" and photo from "Passover Made Easy" used with permission of the publisher.

Coconut-banana muffins are dairy-free

These muffins are loaded with ripe, sweet bananas and a triple dose of coconut -- coconut oil, coconut milk, and sweetened flaked coconut. What they don't have is even a trace of dairy.

Coconut oil is trendy right now, touted for its health benefits and sold in most supermarkets. You'll see two types, extra-virgin and refined. I used extra-virgin, which has a slight coconut flavor and a lovely coconut fragrance. Coconut oil is solid at room temperature. I found that melting it in the microwave gives the muffins a better texture. Follow the instructions and watch carefully so the oil doesn't heat up. If you don't have coconut oil, you can substitute vegetable oil or melted butter, but the flavor and texture might be a bit different.

You also could substitute cow's milk for the coconut milk, but again, you'll lose a bit of coconut flavor. Regular and reduced-fat coconut milk is sold in cans in ethnic markets and many supermarkets, usually the section for Thai foods. You can refrigerate the leftover coconut milk -- you'll have about a cup left -- and use it in curries or even puddings.


COCONUT BANANA MUFFINS
Yield: About 12 muffins

1/2 cup coconut oil
3 large ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons light coconut milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups (9 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup lightly packed sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup chocolate chips, optional 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 12 muffin cups or use paper liners.

Place coconut oil in a glass bowl. Microwave on medium-low power (30 percent or defrost setting) for about 4 minutes or until oil liquefies and warms slightly. If oil is hot, set it aside until it cools.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together bananas, eggs, coconut milk and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.

Using a wooden spoon, stir granulated and brown sugar into oil. Whisk in banana mixture. Add flour mixture and whisk just until combined. Don't overmix or the muffins will be tough. Gently stir in flaked coconut and chocolate chips

Scoop a scant 1/2 cup of batter into each muffin cup. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out with just a few clinging crumbs, about 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes in the pan, then remove muffins to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Copyright 2013 by Judith Evans. All rights reserved.

Coconut pudding parfaits brighten winter meals

This dessert was inspired by three things: Photos of a rich and labor-intensive banana pudding pie that a friend posted on Facebook; a half-empty bag of shredded coconut that I had used in my brownie recipe; and some bananas rapidly ripening on my kitchen counter.

I had a can of light coconut milk in the pantry, so I decided to use it to make pudding. You should be able to find light coconut milk in the Asian aisle of any well-stocked grocery or ethnic market. (I based my pudding on a recipe from the Food Network's Robert Irvine; you can find the original here.) To make enough pudding for four servings, I added 1/3 cup of nonfat milk to the coconut milk. For a nondairy dessert, use unsweetened almond milk or more coconut milk.

The pudding needs to be made in advance and chilled. Don't assemble the parfaits until you're ready to serve them. Otherwise, the enzymes from the fruit could cause the custard to become watery.

You can make layered parfaits or simply top bowls of pudding with fruit. Use your choice of fresh, frozen or even canned fruits. Berries, mango chunks, peaches, cut-up orange segments and pineapple chunks all come to mind. If you'd like a little crunch on top, garnish with a sprinkling of crushed gingersnaps or toasted sliced almonds. For a creamy topping, add a dollop of whipped cream.

TROPICAL COCONUT PUDDING PARFAIT
Yield: 3 or 4 servings

1 (about 13 1/2-ounce) can light coconut milk
1/3 cup nonfat milk, unsweetened almond milk or additional coconut milk
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup loosely packed sweetened shredded coconut, plus more for optional garnish
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
Slices or chunks of fruit (such as banana, mango, pineapple)

Pour coconut milk and nonfat milk, almond milk or 1/3 cup additional coconut milk into a 3-quart saucepan. Add sugar and salt. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves.

Reduce heat to medium-low and add 1/4 cup shredded coconut. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until the liquid begins to simmer.

In a small bowl or cup, mix together cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water, making a slurry. Slowly stir the slurry into the simmering coconut milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Scrape the bottom of the pan as you stir to prevent scorching.

Scrape the pudding into a medium bowl. Place that bowl into a larger bowl filled with several inches of ice water. Let cool, stirring frequently. When cool, cover the bowl of pudding with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold.

While pudding chills, toast coconut for the optional garnish. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread shredded coconut into an 8-inch baking pan. Bake until the coconut turns golden, about 3 minutes, stirring every 30 to 60 seconds. Transfer coconut to a plate and let cool completely.

To make parfaits, alternate layers of pudding and fruit in tall glasses. Sprinkle the top of each parfait with toasted coconut and serve immediately.  (Any extra shredded coconut can be frozen.)

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