Simplest Recipe Challenge - Today Banana Muffins

I saw this banana muffin recipe on 5 Ingredient Fix on the Food Network and I'm excited to try it. My mother used to make banana bread when I was young and I've never made it for my kids yet. I love easy recipes that my kids can even help with so this seems like a winner. Steph and I will be making this and will report back with our review.

4 ripe bananas

1/3 cup raw agave syrup or honey

1 stick unsalted butter

1 large egg

1 3/4 cups self-rising flour

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper muffin liners.
Peel the bananas and add to a large bowl. Add the agave syrup and mash the bananas with a fork until very liquefied but still a little lumpy.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the milk solids have turned a nutty golden brown.

To the brown butter, add about 1 cup of the mashed banana mixture and whisk to combine. Cook for a few more minutes until a darker golden color is achieved. Add to the remaining mashed banner mixture and whisk to combine, then whisk in the egg. Fold in the flour, in 2 batches, with a rubber spatula, until just combined; do not over mix. With an ice cream scoop, evenly divide the batter among the muffin tin cups.
Bake in the center of the oven until golden brown and the tops spring back when pressed, about 25 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer the muffins to a rack to cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Take the simple recipe challenge. We're looking for the best, simple ingredient recipes to share with our readers. If you have a great recipe send it to stephandjanblog@gmail.com or comment below and we'll try it and review it. You'll also be eligible for our "Power Foods" book giveaway autographed by Martha Stewart.

Jan

Low Calorie Recipes

I am always looking for new recipes that are low calorie but taste yummy!  I found some great recipes that are low calorie and sound delicious!  I can't wait to try them!  I was reading in Good Housekeeping one of Valerie Bertinelli's favorites is her own made up dip.  It is cut up celery and radishes mixed with a non-fat cream cheese.  It is great for dipping carrots, crackers, peppers or bread.  I want to try it because I like to eat raw carrots but not plain.  I dip my carrots in a garlic hummus, it's really healthy and tastes great!  It will be a nice change to have a different low calorie dip to try.

I have also become a recent fan of Bethenny Frankel since meeting her and attending her Bus Tour show.  I have been reading her book The "Skinnygirl Dish".  She has some great recipes in this book that I am looking foward to trying. My two favorite indulgences are chocolate and peanut butter but can't stand all the fat and calories!  Bethenny has a recipe in her book for a low calorie moist chocolate cake with peanut butter glaze, yum!  It is made with no butter just a little vegetable oil.  Another recipe that I am going to try on my husband that I know he will love is beef satay skewers.  It is a healthy "guy food".  Bethenny made it for Phil Simms, former quarterback for the New York Giants.  Let me know if you are interested in the recipes and would like to try them!  Then you can join our cooking challenge!

Steph

Martha Stewart - "Power Foods" Book Signing

I heard Martha Stewart was going to be at the Fairway Market in Stamford, CT signing her new book, "Power Foods, 150 delicious recipes with the 38 healthiest ingredients". I've never been to a book signing and in all honesty I've never bought a cook book before. But it sounded appealing and the opportunity to meet Martha Stewart was exciting, and since it's only a 10 minute drive, I thought why not? And I'm glad I did.

Martha Stewart looked great and was very pleasant. It took about an hour before I got to have a minute of one of one time but she was radiant. She signed three books for me. One for me, one for my future sister-in-law and one for YOU. Our blog fans. Join our community, e-newsletter, ask a question or send a blog idea and you'll have a chance to win this autographed copy of "Power Foods". Send us an email at stephandjanblog@gmail.com.



"Power Foods" is really just what I've been waiting for. I want to create better meals for me and my family incorporating natural foods with the most benefits nutitionally to boost my energy, give proper nutrition to the kids and provide my husband with diabetic-friendly and filling meals. The cover alone is appetizing and the pictures of the dishes inside are a work of art.

I have to say I started this blog on Superbowl Sunday and planned on making guacamole and nachos. I bought the avocados but then I didn't know how to prepare the guacomole so we had nachos with sour cream, which still was tasty but guacamole would have Yummy! So I am super psyched to see a gaucamole recipe in the book.

I flipped through "Power Foods" and I'm excited to try these recipes. From what I can tell they look pretty easy. But that's the big test. For me, quick and easy preparation is KING! So ease of preparation and the ultimate test, will my family eat it, is the deciding factor on whether these meals are a hit. I'll be trying my hand at these recipes and I will definately report back on ease to prepare and the family thumbs up or thumbs down.

Thanks to Martha Stewart the the editorial team at Whole Living Magazine for giving me a tool that I can use to help in one of my big initiatives of the year, eating new and healthier dinners.  And if it wasn't for Fairway Market providing Martha Stewart's book signing, I am sure I would not have bought this book.

Don't forget to sign up for our enews, ask a question or give us an idea to blog about and you'll have a chance to win an autographed copy of "Power Foods, 150 delicious recipes with the 38 healthiest ingredients". Send us an email at stephandjanblog@gmail.com.

Jan