Banana Bread

Today I made banana bread.  It has been so hot lately that it seems like almost as soon as I get the bananas home from the store, they start to turn brown.  Yes, I know they're still fine to eat, but I don't really want to. However - they are soon to be perfect for banana bread. The browner and gooey they get, the better.  So whichever ones I choose not to eat and save, I stick in the fridge so hubby doesn't eat them and I can make the bread whenever I choose (and so they don't get so gooey so quickly that I just have to get rid of them).

I have been making variations on banana bread since we arrived.  When hubby has to drive somewhere on a business trip, I'll make him a loaf to take along since it's great hot or cold or anywhere in between.  He likes them with chocolate chips.  For any variation, you make the basic recipe and then add your chosen variation after it is all mixed up.  Chocolate chips, blueberries, anything you think would be good.

This time I am using all Swiss found items (you need baking soda and vanilla)  The vanilla I actually made (so please don't think I'm adding vodka to the banana bread...though maybe it'd turn out like rum cake?)
To make vanilla,you need about 2 months before it actually will taste right. I made mine about a year ago.

Buy a cheap bottle of rum/vodka (mine was 14 chf from leshop.ch) and buy some vanilla beans - available at Coop or Migros.
Put the beans in the bottle and put it in a cool dark place for about 2 months (cupboard). Every two weeks or so, tip the bottle over once or twice and put it back.
You can pour some into smaller bottles and just refill the main one with more rum/vodka.
These would make nice little gifts for your friends that cook as well.

What you need for the banana bread:

1 large egg
3 large overripe bananas (you can get away with 2)
1/3 c vegetable oil (Sonnenblumenöl)
1 cup sugar  (250g Zucker)
2 cups flour (500g Mehl)
1 tsp salt (Salz)
1 packet (5g) Natron - (if using baking soda, 1 tsp) - Coop or Migros
1 tsp vanilla
optional: 1 small bag chocolate chips (schokoladenwürfel)


Mix flour, salt and soda into a separate bowl.  
Using a fork, mash up the bananas into small pieces and then add the egg, oil and sugar and mix until well blended. Add the vanilla. Add in the flour mixture 1/4 cup at a time until well mixed. 
Add your chocolate chips or blueberries (or whatever else you would like). Fold in gently.

I use this liquid butter from Migros instead of baking spray - which you can get for about 5 chf for a small can.  I save that for making waffles. This liquid works well - just grease the pan with a paper towel.  You could also use real butter or crisco (or the like) if you have some on hand.

Pour the mixture into a loaf pan and bake at 180C (350F) for about 60-70 minutes.  Closer to the 70 if you have added anything else into the bread.
When the time is up, insert a toothpick into the deepest part. If it comes out clean, your bread is ready.  (Be careful if you have added something that if you pull out your toothpick it is just not coated in melted chocolate).

Place the loaf pan on its side to cool for about 10 minutes.  Put a plate or cutting board on top of the bread to turn over and gently tap the bottom to help loosen it.  Either enjoy immediately or once completely cool, place in a sealing bag and put in the fridge.  Enjoy.

Today I made chocolate chip banana muffins. Make them the same as for the loaf but they cook for about 35-40 minutes.  Start checking on them at 30 minutes in.  If you make them without the chocolate chips, they will require slightly less time.

A new twist on an old favorite

Casseroles....remember those?  My mom had a great one - it was called stuffed pork chops. I've made it a few times but I think over the years it has changed again and again until I can no longer remember the exact recipe

Now, as I'm sure you know, you can't find everything here that you are used to having in your home country. No matter where you call home. We can only strive to find something similar for those special recipes, or to have our recipes evolve as we embrace the food of our new host culture. This is especially good if you are unsure of how long you will be living there, but I would think it would also be a great opportunity for those who know they are only staying a short time (6 months - 1 year) to make their way through the culinary delights that Switzerland has to offer since soon you can be back enjoying the delights of cheap take out.

At the moment, I'm talking about Cream of Mushroom soup - Cambpell's to be exact.  It took a while, but I found something similar at Coop. If the link stops working, it's called Pilzgericht am Rahmsauce and it's the Coop brand - 4.80chf.  A little different, but you can add (if desired) milk to reduce the thickness. For my recipe tonight, I left it alone. I hope you enjoy my evolution of the pork chop casserole.

Originally:
Cover pork chops with flour and shake off excess. Brown in a frying pan with some oil.
Place at the bottom of an oven safe dish and cover with crumbled bread (chunks not the small crumbs).  Pour 1 can of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup over the top and then add a half of can of milk (this is for 4 chops). Bake at 350F (180C) for about an hour.  Serve with baked potatoes.  This is how I remember it anyway.

What I did, and what you will need:

1 package of pork chops (Schwein). I originally bought all meat at Coop as they had pictures of the animal and I knew no German.
Sage for seasoning the pork
A little olive oil
Spinach - fresh/frozen or another if you prefer
Can of mushroom soup - Pizegericht am Rahmsauce
1/2 cup of mashed potatoes (kartoffelstock) Migros had these conveniently packaged and ready to go for me. You can also find them at Coop in the cold section.
1 package (or more) of the pastry shells. Mine were Migros brand and called Pastetli, Blätterteiggebäck


Heat a pan with some oil in it. The chops I got are the 2 minute kind, but the thicker butterfly ones would also be good. I sprinkled some sage in with the oil, and let it heat up

While you are heating up the pan, get out your pastry shells and spoon some of the mushroom sauce in. My shells required cooking at 180 C for 12-15 minutes.  After filling with the sauce, I put the mashed potato into an icing bag.  If you don't have one, it's very easy to put the potatoes in a bag and cut the corner off.  I then piped potatoes on the top of the pastry. 
(After and before the potato topping). Place in the oven. 


I used frozen spinach, so microwaving at this time is a good idea as well. 


Once the oil is hot, put the chops in, brown one side, flip and brown the other. Since these were the thin ones, they were pretty much done but the mushroom/potato bowls weren't so I covered the pan and turned off the heat.


Once everything is done, place it on a plate and enjoy.  I cut open my 'bowl' so I could mix it with the pork chop and spinach. Hubby however waited until the end.  I must say they were quite good and it was a fun new take on an old recipe.  I hope you enjoy it as well.