INGREDIENTS

• 1, 9–10-oz. jar dulce de leche or caramel sauce
• ¾ cup dulce de leche liqueur
• 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
• 2 tspn. sugar
• ½ tspn. ground cinnamon
• Large pinch of ground nutmeg
• 12 baby bananas; peeled

• 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
• Crushed amaretti cookies or almond macaroons

INSTRUCTIONS

Whisk dulce de leche sauce and liqueur in small saucepan over low heat until sauce is just warm. Whisk lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in large bowl to blend; add bananas and toss to coat. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add bananas; sauté until heated through and beginning to brown, turning gently with heat-resistant rubber spatula, about 5 minutes. Transfer 2 bananas to 6 plates. Drizzle warm sauce over bananas. Sprinkle with crushed amaretti and serve.

INGREDIENTS

• 2, 5 oz. mahi mahi fillets
• Salt and pepper
• Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy seasoning
• ¼ cup cashews; very finely chopped
• ¼ cup unsweetened coconut; finely shredded
• 1 Tbs. tapioca or arrowroot flour
• 1 medium orange; peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 medium banana; peeled and sliced
• ¼ cup red onion; finely chopped
• 1 medium poblaño pepper; roasted, peeled, seeded and diced
• ¼ cup cilantro; chopped
• Salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix together the cashews, coconut and tapioca flour in a small bowl. In a separate, larger bowl, combine the orange, banana, red onion, poblaño, cilantro, and season with salt as needed. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the fish is ready. Pat the fish dry with a paper towel and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and the spicy seasoning blend, then top each fillet with the cashew/coconut mixture, divided evenly. Bake the fish for 18-20 minutes, or until it flakes easily with a fork. Top with the orange-banana salsa and serve.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/3 cup unsalted butter; at room temp. plus more for greasing the pan
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tspn. baking powder
• 1 tspn. baking soda
• ¼ cup honey
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• ½ tspn. ground cinnamon
• ½ tspn. salt
• 1 cup baby bananas; roughly mashed
• ½ tspn. vanilla
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup plain, whole milk yogurt or sour cream
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter an 8½ x 4½ inch loaf pan and set aside. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder and set aside. Put the butter, honey, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in the bowl and beat the mixture on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and add the bananas and vanilla, beating on medium speed until the mixture looks broken or lumpy, about 1 minute. The bananas should be smashed, with a few small chunks remaining. Turn the speed to medium-low and beat in the egg until incorporated. Turn the speed to low and gradually add the sifted flour mixture, mixing just until no traces of flour remain. Add the yogurt and mix until the batter has only a few remaining white streaks. Be sure to avoid over mixing. Gently fold in the chocolate, if desired. Transfer the batter to the pan. Bake in the center of the oven until a tester comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes, then unmold and cool completely on the rack.

In This Menu:

• Pork Chops with Cider Reduction
• Golden Potato Soup
• Bananas Foster

I love the fall. The leaves, cool autumn air, football on TV and a fire in the fireplace all take me back to an earlier time. With growing up in Springfield, my mom used to make creamy potato soup often and she always served it with crisp bread and real butter.

My potato soup uses buttery, Yukon Gold potatoes which are on sale this week. The flavor of these potatoes with soft onion and rich cream is deliciously excellent. Add some bread smeared with butter, maybe some Chardonnay or even a tall glass of cold milk…man!

The entrée this week utilizes a wonderful, sirloin pork chop topped with a sauce I developed several years ago specifically for pork.

For the Pork:

• 4, 6 oz. sirloin pork chops with bone
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup hot water
• 2 teaspoons “Better than Bouillion” Chicken Base
• 2 teaspoons “Better than Bouillion” Beef Base

Heat a large skillet over high heat until very hot. Season pork chops as desired with salt and pepper. Place chops in pan and sear for about 2 minutes, turn over and sear on other side for another two minutes or until pork is golden brown on both sides. Mix chicken and beef base with water. Remove pork from pan and add bouillon mixture to pan. Bring to a boil and scrape up all brown bits from sides and bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to low, place pork back in pan, cover tightly and cook for about 15 minutes until pork is medium well in the center. Remove pork, set aside, and keep warm. Pour sauce from skillet into a small saucepan.

For the Sauce:

• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 3 cups Hiland apple cider
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 4 fresh Fuji apples, diced
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 3 ribs celery, diced
• 2 tablespoons water mixed with
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Put first three ingredients into the saucepan with the pork sauce and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and keep boiling until liquid is reduced by half. Strain liquid through a mesh strainer and discard rosemary and any solids strained out. Place sauce back on stove and add apples, onions, and celery. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Add the cornstarch and water mixture. Bring to a boil. Remove from stove and serve over pork.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 yellow onion, sliced thin
• 2 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and thinly
  sliced

• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 pint heavy cream
• More chicken broth as necessary
• Sour cream
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

METHOD

Heat butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, potatoes, stock, salt, and pepper. Bring to boil and reduce heat, cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. Puree in food processor or food mill and put back into saucepan. Add cream and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Add more broth as desired to reach desired thickness. Garnish with sour cream and chopped parsley.

Serve with a loaf of our “Bake and Serve” French bread available at most Price Cutter bakeries.

INGREDIENTS

• ¼ cup (½ stick) butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ cup banana liqueur (or 1 tablespoon banana
  extract)

• 4 bananas, cut in half lengthwise, then halved
• ¼ cup dark rum
• 4 scoops vanilla ice cream

METHOD

Combine the butter, sugar, and cinnamon in a skillet. Place the pan over low heat on top of the stove, and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the banana liqueur (or flavoring), then place the bananas in the pan. When the banana sections soften and begin to brown, carefully add the rum. Continue to cook the sauce until the rum is hot, then tip the pan slightly to ignite the rum. When the flames subside, lift the bananas out of the pan and place four pieces over each portion of ice cream. Generously spoon warm sauce over the top of the ice cream. Garnish with whipped cream and serve immediately.

In This Menu:

• Chicken Gumbo
• James’ Shrimp Creole
• Banana Pudding Cake

I, like most people, love Cajun food. My only trip to New Orleans really opened my eyes to the complexities of Cajun cooking as well as the myriad of subtle differences from other similar cuisines. My dad and I made the shrimp Creole, one of our favorite dishes, a million times which was inspired originally by a recipe called “Major Hollander’s Shrimp Creole”. I no longer know what cookbook it came out of or who Major Hollander was. I have recreated the dish from memory and I doubt it is exactly the same, but it certainly is tasty! The main thing I remembered about the original recipe is that it called for the zest and juice of one whole lemon. The lemon zest gives this version the signature taste I have come to love.

I want to thank Chef William Mauk from New Orleans for first making me true Gumbo and showing me how to make the best, dark, roux. I hope you like it. AAAIIIIEEEEEE!!!

INGREDIENTS

• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1 large chicken (young hen preferred), cut into pieces
• 1 pound andouille or smoked sausage, cut into ½” pieces
• ½ cup flour
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 quarts chicken stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning, or to taste
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• ½ cup fresh chopped parsley
• Filé powder to taste
• ½ bunch scallions (green onions), tops only, chopped

PREPARATION

Season the chicken with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning and brown thoroughly on both sides. Make sure that the fat is cooked out of the skin on the chicken and that it is crispy. Remove chicken to baking dish and place in oven at 350° for 30 minutes. While chicken is cooking, brown the sausage then remove from pan and set aside. Pour all excess fat but 2 tablespoons from skillet into a small, heavy bottomed, saucepan. Set skillet aside.

Add the flour to the oil, blending with a whisk. Cook the flour in the oil over medium to high heat (depending on your roux-making skill), stirring constantly, until the roux is almost the color of coffee or milk chocolate for a Cajun-style roux. If you want to save time, or prefer a more New Orleans-style roux, cook it to a medium, peanut-butter color, over lower heat if you’re nervous about burning it.

Add the vegetables to skillet and cook over medium heat, scraping bottom of skillet as vegetables cook to get all of the brown bits of flavor off pan. Remove chicken, let cool, and cut the meat off of the chicken into ½ inch pieces. Add the chicken along with the sausage to the pan.

Add the stock, seasonings, and parsley to pan. Bring to a boil, add the roux, then cook for about one hour, skimming fat off the top as needed.

Serve over rice in large shallow bowls. Top with chopped green onions. Accompany with a good beer and lots of hot, crispy French bread.

YIELD: About 12 appetizer-sized servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ cup diced green bell peppers
• ½ cup diced onions (reserve ends and skins)
• ½ cup diced celery (reserve ends, hearts, leaves)
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning*
• 1 (14-ounce) can tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 8 oz. shrimp stock
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce
• Zest of one lemon
• Juice of one lemon
• 2 teaspoons white sugar
• Salt and pepper
• 1½ pounds peeled and deveined shrimp (reserve shells)
• Green onions, for garnish

*Available in our spice aisle

PREPARATION

Place shrimp shells and reserved vegetable peelings on a cookie sheet and bake in a 400° oven until light brown. Place shells and veggies in a medium sauce pan, add 2 teaspoon Kosher salt and 4 cups of water to pan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes. Pour stock into another saucepan through a fine, metal strainer. Place stock back on high heat, bring to a boil and continue to boil until the stock is reduced by 2/3.

In fry pan, heat olive oil. Add peppers, onions and celery and garlic. Cook until softened. Add Cajun spice and sauté until caramelized. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, shrimp stock, hot sauce, lemon zest, lemon juice, and white sugar.

Cook for 3 hours. Add shrimp and cook for about 3 minutes. Serve over rice. Top with chopped green onions.

I decided to do an easy dessert for you since cooking in this heat can be tiring! I created this recipe very recently and originally did it with a homemade custard and cake from scratch. I don’t think that using the pre-made mixes will hurt the integrity of the dish much. If you would rather use from scratch products, feel free!

INGREDIENTS

• 3 bananas
• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1 box vanilla pudding mix
• Whipped cream
• Mint for garnish

PREPARATION

Slice bananas into ¼ inch slices. Prepare cake per package directions. Bake, let cool, and cut into pieces. Prepare pudding according to package directions and set aside. In several large ramekins or wine glasses layer the dessert in this order:

1. Pudding
2. Bananas
3. Cake
4. Whipped Cream
5. Bananas

The last and top layer should be whipped cream with banana slices around edge. Top with mint for garnish. Chill and serve.