Kristen's Recipes

To use overripe bananas, store them whole in the freezer to make smoothies later. When ready, peel off the skins from the frozen bananas with a paring knife. Slice into a blender and add berries, milk or yogurt, and fresh orange juice. Blend until smooth.

For a tropical ice cream that will cool you down in the summertime, peel 2 bananas, wrap them in plastic, and freeze until solid. Then place in a food processor with:

1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup canned coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries or strawberries
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Blend to the desired smoothness (or chunkiness). Pour into a shallow metal pan, cover, and freeze until firm. Scrape out servings with a spoon. Keeps frozen for up to 2 months.

For complex-tasting blueberry muffins with less fat, replace the butter in your favorite recipe with a mixture of mashed bananas and vegetable oil.

To give the kids a more nutritious frozen treat, make chocolate-covered frozen bananas on a stick. Peel whole bananas and skewer each one with a wooden craft stick or chopstick, then freeze until solid. Dip each banana into 1/4 cup melted chocolate (melted chocolate chips work fine). If you like, quickly roll in chopped nuts or sprinkles before the chocolate firms ups. Place on wax paper and return the chocolate-covered bananas to the freezer for 15 minutes.

Tidbit Adding a banana to a bag of peaches will help ripen the fruit faster. Ethylene gas emitted by the banana speeds the ripening process.

To make easy caramel sauce (dulce de leche), remove the label from a 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk. Put the unopened can in a large saucepan and cover with water by 5 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 2 hours, adding water as necessary to keep the can covered. Remove the can with tongs and cool to room temperature. Open the can and spoon the thick, sweet caramelized sauce over ice cream, brownies, pound cake, apple crisp, or your favorite desserts.

For ultra-easy strawberry sorbet, puree 1 quart strawberries with 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk and 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice. Freeze in a shallow metal pan, stirring occasionally. Scrape out servings with a spoon.

To roll up some chocolate truffles in no time, combine 20 ounces of bittersweet chocolate (or a mix of bittersweet and semi-sweet chocolate), 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon in a saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat until the chocolate melts and the mixture can be stirred smooth. Let cool until the mixture can be handled, then roll into 1-inch balls between your palms. Roll in powdered sugar and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. You can also refrigerate the truffles for up to 2 weeks, but bring them to room temperature before serving for the best flavor.

For no-fuss refrigerator fudge, combine 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk, 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract in a saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat until the chocolate melts and the mixture can be stirred smooth. Scrape into a foil-lined 8-inch square baking dish. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until the fudge is firm. Grab the foil to remove the fudge from the pan, then cut into 1-inch squares.

To flavor rice, steep a few tea bags (such as mint, orange, or jasmine) in the boiling water before adding the rice. Remove the tea bags, add the rice, and cook according to the package directions.

For a tasty topping for green beans, sauté 2 minced garlic cloves in 1 teaspoon canola oil until opaque, then add 2 cups brewed tea. Let the mixture simmer for a few minutes, then pour over a pound of steamed green beans. Garnish with sliced almonds, if you like.

To make an orange-scented sauce for pan-seared chicken or pork, remove the chicken from the pan and keep warm. Saute 1/3 cup chopped shallots in 1 teaspoon olive oil in the same pan. Add 1 cup chicken broth, 3/4 cup fresh orange juice and 2 Earl Grey tea bags. Boil until the liquid is reduced to 3/4 cup. Remove the tea bags and whisk in 1 1/2 teaspoons honey and 1 tablespoon unsalted butter. Serve over the chicken or pork.

To make an aromatic fruit relish, brew hibiscus tea in a saucepan. (Hibiscus tea is available in supermarkets, sometimes mixed with rosehips, which works just fine.) After the tea steeps for 5 minutes, discard tea bags then add sugar and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil until the liquid reduces and becomes syrupy. Stir in finely chopped onions, pineapple, and apple and simmer over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Serve the relish with seafood such as shrimp, scallops, or broiled fish.

For rhubarb scented with jasmine, bring 11/4 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan. Remove from the heat and add 3 jasmine tea bags. Cover and let the tea steep for 5 minutes. Discard tea bags, then add 2 pounds (6 cups) fresh or frozen sliced rhubarb, 1 1/4 cups sugar, and 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger to the saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the rhubarb is just tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and refrigerate until well-chilled, about 3 hours. Keeps in the refrigerator for about 4 days.

For a warm, energizing autumn drink, combine 4 cups apple cider, 4 cups pineapple juice, 1/2 cup water, 1 cinnamon stick, and 4 whole cloves in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then add 1 tea bag. Let steep for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 1 hour. Discard the cloves, cinnamon, and tea bag before serving.

To make muffins with a surprise flavor, add 1 tablespoon fine loose English breakfast or Earl Grey tea leaves to the batter of your favorite basic or blueberry muffin recipe. Bake as directed. If you don’t have loose tea leaves, open two tea bags and add to the muffin batter.

When you want to add something different to mulled wine, toss a few lemon spice tea bags into the simmering liquid. Remove the tea bags before serving.