[product highlight] umami paste

If you're like me, there are some products you stumble upon at the grocery store that you want to tell people about because they're so good.  I've decided I need to do more of that, hence this post.

When I found this umami paste at TJ's, it was calling my name and I had to try it!  I have a highly umami palate and love finding fun sauces/pastes that add quick and easy flavor to dishes.  And this stuff did not disappoint.  I love it.  I'll squirt it in tomato sauces, curries, stir-fry's... things like that.  It adds a nice saltiness and richness.  

[side note: if you don't live by TJ's... first, I'm sorry, second, if you really want to try this let me know and I might just mail you one 😁]

Here's a soup I made this week that used the umami paste.  It's almost soup season, but sometimes the things that need used up in my fridge just scream for me to make soup out of them... and I think I'm one of those people that can really eat soup anytime.  This one was super flavorful and delicious.  I'm not much of a recipe repeater, but I think I'll definitely make this again.  Hope you love it if you try it!

How to make the soup:

2 T. bacon grease *

one onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. pepper & paprika

Saute onion and garlic in bacon grease for a few minutes, then add spices and cook a few more minutes until the onions start to get tender.  I wanted to add red wine but didn't have any open... if you do I would recommend adding a big splash at this point.

4-5 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1/2 c. sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped

squeeze of umami paste, about 1 T.

Add in these ingredients and saute a few more minutes until the tomatoes start to break down.

1c. green lentils

~ 4c. chicken broth

Add lentils and broth.  Cover and simmer until lentils are almost tender.  You could start with 3 c. of broth and add more as needed.  My lentils needed about 4 c. of broth, but I also made my soup pretty thick.

2 c. chopped cooked chicken (optional)

big handful chopped fresh basil

Add in the chicken and basil and cook just until the lentils are tender.  

* or any type of fat if you're not wise enough to save your bacon grease... my husband was delighted when I started doing that and I felt like my mom 😜

** between the umami paste, sun-dried tomatoes, and chicken broth, I didn't have to add any extra salt, but add to your taste if needed

juice

It has been a very very long time since we've pulled out our juicer.  Like maybe a year?  Chad had the grand idea to juice this past weekend and I of course was all like "oh that thing has so many pieces and it gets pulp everywhere and then you have to wash it."  But I'm so glad we did!... it. was. AMAZING.

I usually put celery and spinach and cucumber and green things in our juice... which I love, but I didn't have any of those things, so we used what we had:  carrots, oranges, limes, apples.  I chugged it.  It was so refreshing.

Here was what we made on Saturday that was the best juice ever:

2 large whole carrots
2-3 apples (they were leftover from something and in little slices, so not sure how many)
2 oranges (peel removed)
1 lime (peel removed)
* made two glasses of juice

We made something similar on Monday, which was still delicious, but a little more bitter with the grapefruit and green apple addition:

2 large whole carrots
2 granny smith apples
1 red delicious apple
1 grapefruit (peel removed)
1 orange (peel removed)
1 lime (peel removed)
* made three glasses of juice

Ok.  That was supposed to inspire you... now go juice!


.... if you don't have a juicer, you could use a blender, you would just have to do a little more prep... peel and core all fruits/veggies.  and it might be more pulpy (unless you have like a Vitamix), if you're into that kind of thing.  I, for one, do not get along with pulp.  good luck.

oh-so-easy banana treat

I'm always trying to come up with different ways to use up ripe bananas... not really brown, mushy bananas that can only be redeemed with banana bread, but bananas with lots of brown spots that are past their eating-plain prime.  Lots of them go into smoothies for Beck and I've discovered a new banana pancake recipe (with just bananas, egg, almond butter, almond meal & flax... so good!) that's also a great way to use them up.  Then yesterday I remembered an easy little treat I saw on pinterest - chocolate covered peanut butter banana slices... sounds too good not to try it out!

And it was very easy and quick.. just a little messy!

 Here's the steps:

1.  Lay 1/4"-1/2" banana slices on a parchment or wax paper lined pan and spread a little peanut butter on top of each slice.

2.  Melt semi-sweet chocolate chips in the microwave (I used about a 1/2 c. of chips for 2 bananas and also added a couple tsp of coconut oil to the chocolate for flavor and to thin it out a little).  I had to re-melt my chocolate half way through the dipping process, as it got too thick.

Spoon chocolate over the banana slice and then use the fork to drip off the excess chocolate.  This is the messy part! (or at least it was for me :))

3.  Lay the chocolate covered banana slices back on the lined pan.  Refrigerate to harden chocolate and then store in the freezer.

Hurry and eat some because they won't last long!

Oh, and be sure to make them in the company of a cute little baby.. it makes it much more fun. :)

Any other ideas for using ripe bananas??