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Susanq
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| | Posted on Tuesday, November 15, 2005 - 03:41 am EST : |   
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Had an out-out-town guest for dinner tonight and served this for dessert. It was so simple and so delicious! Other than cutting the bananas - I had everything prepared in advance so there wasn't much last minute work:
Dirty Bananas
This dessert is the perfect compromise for a chocolate lover and a fruit lover. The banana and chocolate are wrapped in puff pastry with a touch of cinnamon – sugar for a quick and easy dessert that tastes much more impressive than it would seem based on the time it takes to make. As it bakes, the chocolate melts, making the banana appear dirty, thus the name.
8-ounce package frozen puff pastry (found in the freezer case) bananas, not too ripe
4 teaspoons cinnamon sugar
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, preferably 70 percent Scharffen Berger, broken into pieces (I used Ghirardelli 60% Cocoa Bittersweet)
1 pint vanilla ice cream
Thaw the puff pastry in the refrigerator overnight or at least 3 hours before making the dessert. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Meanwhile, peel and cut the bananas in half crosswise and then lengthwise, so each banana yields 4 pieces. Set them aside. Set the cinnamon-sugar and chocolate in bowls so all of the ingredients are at your fingertips when you assemble the puff pastry packets.
On a lightly floured board, cut the pastry into 4 equal pieces about 8 inches square. (I cut one sheet into four pieces, cut waxed paper to fit in between the four pieces and rolled them out to almost 8 inches and then stored in the frig until ready to assemble)
When ready to assemble, sprinkle each piece of puff pasty with cinnamon-sugar, place 2 bananas pieces in the center and top with some of the chocolate pieces. Fold the edges of the pastry over the filling as if wrapping a present. Pinch the sides and edges of the pastry together to make sure they are securely wrapped.
Place the puff pastry packets, seam-sides down, on parchment paper and a cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes, or until browned. Serve immediately, with vanilla ice cream.
I wish I could remember where I found this recipe so I could give credit. Too often I copy and paste and don't recall - which I regret.
I'll try to post the rest of the meal later - rave reviews from our guest (Grilled salmon with sundried tomato and kalamata olive olivada - Oven roasted asparagus - Oven roasted balsamic sweet potatoes and squash, and Oven roasted baby potatoes).
SusanQ - Zone 4b-5b Wisconsin |
Monique
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| | Posted on Tuesday, November 15, 2005 - 11:20 am EST : |
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My DH loves bananas..and choc and pastry..I bet it's pretty too Susan..And the cinnamon must clinch it..
Thanks..And yes to the rest:)
Monique Quebec Zone 5 |
Blue_moon
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| | Posted on Tuesday, November 15, 2005 - 12:50 pm EST : |
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that sounds wonderful, the cinnamon is the clincher!
Blue_moon
- ca,
Zone "9"
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Susanq
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| | Posted on Tuesday, November 15, 2005 - 02:13 pm EST : |
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I forgot to add in the instructions above that when assembling, I just pulled the four corners together, pinched them and left the seams up. I also cut some fresh banana slices for garnish on top.
Here's the rest of the meal:
Grilled Salmon with Olivada
For the grilled salmon, we have a gas grill which is set on medium because ours gets really hot. I found a nice stainless steel grill grate for grilling fish which I spray with non-stick spray just before putting on the fish. I use a large salmon filet which I buy at Sam's and grill it whole for approximately 12 minutes, flipping it twice with very large grill spatulas, at 4 minute intervals. Then I allow it to rest after removing from the grill and tented with foil, for 5 minutes before serving.
I don't have an exact recipe for the olivada. I have tried to duplicate a dish from a favorite restaurant. I use pitted Kalamata olives, rehydrated sun-dried tomatoes - about 2 parts olives to 1 part dried tomatoes (I used 1 jar of pitted olives, about 3/4 cup), 1 clove minced garlic or to taste and about 1/8-1/4 cup olive oil. Chop all ingredients together in a food processor to a very coarse consistency. This can be made early in the day and refrigerated. Allow it to come to room temp before serving. I pass the olivada at the table so everyone can top their salmon with as much as they like.
Oven-Roasted Baby Potatoes
24 new potatoes about the size of a golf ball, cleaned
(I used baby Yukon Golds)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Place the cleaned and dried potatoes in a large bowl. Pour in the oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with the salt and toss again to coat evenly. Place the potatoes on a cooling rack set inside a jelly roll pan (or cookie sheet with sides) in the center of the preheated 400ºF oven. Roast for 20 to 250 minutes until tender. (I turned up the heat to 450 for the last 5 minutes)
The potatoes are done when the skin puffs slightly and the potatoes are very soft in the center. Serve immediately.
Oven Roasted Asparagus
I used about a pound of asparagus (I trimmed about 4 inches off the ends) - washed and dried. Toss asparagus in a large bowl with olive oil to coat and add kosher salt to taste (exactly the same prep as the potatoes). Spread asparagus on a baking pan or jelly-roll pan and bake in a 450-500 degree oven for about 8-12 minutes. I started the potatoes and asparagus in the oven at the same time and pulled out the asparagus first when it started to brown and get tender. The asparagus can be topped with parmesan or lemon zest, if desired. The original recipe is here: http://splendidtable.publicradio.org/recipes/special_twelvemin_asparagus.shtml
Balsamic Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Butternut Squash
My recipe was cut from a magazine (don't know which one, unfortunately) and I halved the recipe last night. Since the potatoes and asparagus would be in the oven at the same time I roasted this recipe earlier and popped in the oven to reheat when the asparagus came out:
4 sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 3/4" by 3" cubes
1 large or 2 small Butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4" by 3" cubes
1/4 cup olive oil plus more for drizzling
3 T balsamic vinegar plus more for drizzling
2 T butter, melted
1 T chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 sm arugula bunch washed, and stems removed (I omitted this)
Method:
Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, toss together the potatoes, squash, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, butter, salt and pepper.
Arrange the vegetables in a single layer on one or two baking pans. Transfer pans to oven, and roast vegetables until golden and tender, 40-45 minutes, rotating the pans between the shelves halfway through roasting if using two pans.
Remove the pans from the oven, and allow vegetables to cool slightly. Transfer vegetables to a large bowl. Toss the vegetables with the arugula (again, I'm not a fan of arugula so I omitted). Drizzle with additional olive oil and balsamic vinegar,if desire, and serve immediately.
10 to 12 servings.
My appetizer was the Baked Vidalia Onion spread which I've posted before, and salad was the balsamic and gorgonzola and pine nut recipe which I've also posted. ENJOY!
SusanQ - Zone 4b-5b Wisconsin |
Twrosz
My Weather
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 15, 2005 - 06:54 pm EST : |
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SusanQ, your making me so HUNGRY! I'm just gonna go do up some of those over roasted potatoes!
My sister always roasts up the asparagus and indeed it's so GOOD!
THANKS for sharing!
Terry
Twrosz Alberta, Can. Zone 3a |
Monique
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| | Posted on Tuesday, November 15, 2005 - 08:06 pm EST : |
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Thanks Susan..I am now an afficionado of Roasted Asparagus..W/ zest:)
Oh and under my salmon:)
The rest sounds yummy too.Let's do lunch:)
Monique Quebec Zone 5 |
Rosemary
My Weather
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 15, 2005 - 08:29 pm EST : |
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Yummmmmmmmmmmm!
Rosemary
- CT,
Zone "5"
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Blue_moon
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| | Posted on Wednesday, November 16, 2005 - 12:37 am EST : |
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whywhywhy do i read these!!!
Blue_moon
- ca,
Zone "9"
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Susanq
My Favorite Photo
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| | Posted on Wednesday, November 16, 2005 - 01:02 am EST : |
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SusanQ - Zone 4b-5b Wisconsin |
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