Have You Ever Dropped A Frozen Banana On Your Toe?

Well, it hurts.

That was my indication that the freezer needed some attention.
It is currently a bizarre mélange of odds and ends. It's a mess in there!

Bags of egg whites, super ripe bananas, 3 lamb shanks, bagels, vanilla ice cream, frozen berries, Parmesan rinds, frozen baby peas, 3 varieties of nuts, breadcrumbs, coconut milk, stalks of lemongrass, basil leaves and chile peppers.
And tucked way in the back is a pack of Hebrew National hot dogs that a friend brought us from America.

All crammed into a 14 x 16 x 11 inch space.

I've taken the bananas and some walnuts out for banana bread and the egg whites and some almonds out to make low fat biscotti.
Then I'll make a spicy lemongrass paste or curry with the chiles and lemongrass and coconut milk.
If the weather stays cool over the weekend I'll do something with those lamb shanks.
And as soon as I find some hot dog buns at the store we'll be eating those hot dogs. If only I could find some relish...


My favorite low fat biscotti recipe comes from Great Good Food by Julee Rosso.

Biscotti With Nuts
2 eggs
2 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup nuts such as hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios, toasted

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly spray or wipe a large baking sheet with vegetable oil.
2. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, combine the eggs, egg whites, and vanilla. Mix unti well combined. Add the sugar, flour, soda and salt; beat until a dough forms. Stir in the nuts.
3. Turn the sticky dough (it is very sticky) onto a lightly floured board. With clean floured hands, and with the aid of a spatula or pastry scraper, knead the dough several times. Divide the dough in half.
4. With floured hands form the dough into two flattish logs, about 15 inches long and 2 inches wide. Place the logs on the baking sheet, 3 inches apart. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove and cool for 10 minutes.
5. Reduce the heat to 275 degrees F
6. On a cutting board, cut the logs diagonally into 3/4 inch thick slices. Arrange the slices on the baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Turn and bake for another 10-12 minutes. Turn the heat off and leave the biscotti to crisp in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.
Makes 45 cookies