Banana Bread

We used to eat a lot of bananas. I think we are going through a lull in this fruit. The product of this lull was 3 very mushy brown bananas in the fruit drawer that had to be acted upon quickly! We made banana bread! It was very moist and sweet. The texture of banana bread is a favorite of mine. I love the heavy moistness and the graininess of the blacked fruit fibers. I don't know of another fruit that does that when baked!

Banana Bread

1 c sugar

1/2 c butter, softened

2 large eggs

1 1/2 c bananas, very very ripe, mashed

1/2 c milk

1 t vanilla

2 1/2 c flour

1 t baking soda

1 t salt

1 cup nuts (optional)

Move oven rack to the bottom position. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom only of two loaf pans. Mix sugar and butter in large bowl. Stir in eggs until incorporated. Stir in banana, milk, vanilla and beat until smooth. Stir in flour, soda and salt until moistened. Stir in nuts if using. Divide batter between pans. Bake about 1 hour. Cool for 10 min in pan then plate and cool for 2 hours before cutting.

Bana

Chocolate Chip Muffins

Albin wanted muffins and I wanted a sweet treat so we made chocolate chip muffins. Albie spent the rest of the morning picking out the chocolate chips from his muffins and eating them first, then finishing with the pastry part of the muffin. That kid is a nut!

Chocolate Chip Muffins

3/4 c Milk

1/4 c butter, melted

1 large egg

1 3/4 c flour

1/2 c semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 c walnuts or pecans (optional)

1/3 c packed brown sugar

2 1/2 t baking powder

1 t salt

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line pan with muffin liners. Beat mile , butter and egg in large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients just until moistened. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake 18 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Yellow Curry Chicken

I saw a picture of Yellow Curry Dinner on MSN today while web-surfing and I was inspired. I happened to have everything one needs for a yellow curry hanging around. The curry came out a bit mild. I could have gone for a bit more spice. Oh well.... next time!

Yellow Curry Chicken
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
5 large carrots, pealed and cut into large pieces
1/2 head of shredded red cabbage
1 large broccoli head, cut into florets
1 c raisins
3 T yellow curry
2t cumin
2t turmeric
1t chili pepper
1 can coconut milk

Place all of your ingredients into a slow cooker and cook on low 3-4 hours. Serve over rice or couscous.

Sweet Easter Tradition

Easter is finally almost here. I am making my traditional sticky pull-apart bread. I've heard it called monkey bread before. It should be a lot of fun. My son, Albie, got to pour all of the dry ingredients into the bowl. He also got to crack his first eggs. He was very good at it. Only one of the eggs made it half in and half out of the bowl.

This recipe is an adaptation of a James McNair Favorite. He uses currants and I use golden raisins or a mixture of dried apricots and golden raisins. I also use a dark corn syrup for more of a molasses flavor to my sauce. It's a good treat to take to a gathering or to put on a pretty cake pedestal as your brunch centerpiece. I've done both and it's just a good tradition no matter where you are headed or what the circumstances of your Easter meal.

St Patrick's Day Food

This St. Patrick's Day went by with out much fuss or effort. I did a few things though:

For breakfast we had green eggs w/ basil and bagel with green cream cheese.

I also tried out making corned beef and cabbage with red potatoes. I boiled it per instructions and hated it. SO then I tried it a different way, which was much better: I baked it in a roaster with some mustard seed and some vegis. Carrots and Zucchini, yum! It care out much better, but I realize that the secret to a good corned beef is the same as anything else, get a good cut of meat!!! I guess in Ireland they traditionally eat salt cured pork. It was the American Irish immigrant that adopted Jewish salted beef and created the corned beef we all think of as Irish. I guess we learn something every day.

Also... I learned that I am not a huge fan of corned beef. I do, however, love red cabbage!

Yaki Soba Chicken

Low fat and yummy. Slow cooker food is on my mind and in my belly.

Chicken:
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 T sesame seeds

Soba noodles and vegis:
Boil noodles for 4 minutes. Remove from water and fry with mushrooms, zucchini and onion in a pan with 1T vegetable oil. Toss with a few splashes of soy sauce and fry for 1-2 more minutes.

Serve chicken breast over the Soba noodles and vegetables. Drizzle on the left over sauce from the chicken over the top of all and serve.

Pulled Chicken Soft Tacos

A long time ago I was a child with a single working mother. She had a trusted crock pot that got plenty of use and I'm sure helped her to make the best use of time. Long after my mom had met the man of her dreams, my dad for most of my life, we were still eating crock pot concoctions. Actually, I think my dad may have brought this kitchen gadget to an art form with amazing slow cooked turkey legs and smokey flavored pork chops floating in the vapors of my childhood memories.

I have long forgotten the slow cooker in my cooking and I don't know why! So today I found a cook book in the depths of my cupboards that is full of slow-cooker recipes. I recommend this book Fix-it and Forget-it Lightly by Phyllis Pellman Good.

I chose to try out the Chicken Soft Tacos. It was very simple. It may have been one of the quickest meals I've made since I had a family. I want to share it with those of you who may not always have the time for home cooking or adding all fresh ingredients. This recipe calls for canned tomatoes with chilies and pre-mixed taco seasoning. It just can't get easier than this. It's a true shout to the era of the convenience cooking, but with a healthier take.

Pulled Chicken Soft Tacos:

1-1 1/2 lbs. frozen, boneless, skinless chicken breasts

14 1/2 oz. can low-sodium diced tomatoes with green chilies

1 envelope low-sodium taco seasoning

Place frozen chicken breasts in slow cooker. Mix tomatoes and taco seasoning. Pour over chicken. Cover. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Serve in warmed soft tortillas. Top with salsa, low-fat shredded cheddar cheese, guacamole and fresh tomatoes.

I am not a huge fan of pre-mixed powders and spices, so if you would like to make your own taco seasonings here is what I do:

Taco Seasoning:
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl, mix together chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Store in an airtight container.

Chocolate chocolate chocolate!

It's another birthday in the family. My aunt Kathleen is turning 65 and we are getting together to celebrate. I make Kathleen a stately cake with just enough whimsy, much like her own personality. I've been getting in to trying to design a cake around a person lately.

For Kathleen we (Albie and I) did a dark chocolate sour cream cake with ganache and cream cheese filling between the two thick layers. I frosted it by myslef as I lost my dear helper to a nap time. I used dark chocolate ganache and a bit of the cream ches filling for a contrast on top. Then I used the "dusted letter" trick that I picked up some months ago from working on a Christy's cake. This time I dusted with dark choc. shavings. It looks pretty enough to eat!

World's Best Chocolate Chip Cookie.

Well, it's time I let the cat out of the bag... and let the world know the secret recipe for the WORLD'S BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES!! It's no joke. I've looked. I've tried. I've baked, and finally I have found the best ever recipe! They are always plump and soft and chewy without being raw-ish and with just enough crunch to still call them cookies. These are true art. Your friends and family probably won't know how good they have it, or that they could have been eating a crunchy yucky cookie or a mushy mess.... but indeed they will be eating perfection!
I made the dough with my little helper (as usual) and this time he got to roll the cookies onto the sheet all by himself. The result was a cookie sheet full of various sized cookies. I have to admit that my two year old has a great idea here! There are big cookies for a big cookie need and little cookies for dieting mommies and medium cookies for two year old hands. I think I'll make a variety of sizes myself next time!
This recipe is from Betty Crocker, and is truly the most amazing in the history of C.C. Cookies.

Chocolate Chip Cookies:
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
12 oz. bag semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375°
Mix the sugars, butter, vanilla, and egg until well blended and creamy.
Combine flour, baking soda, and salt together. (You can do it right on top of the wet ingredients, mixing the soda and salt into the flour a little with a dry spoon before mixing the flour into the wet ingredients.)
Stir wet and dry ingredients together until well blended. The dough is very dry and stiff, and it may seem as though it is too dry to combine, but it will come together.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Put rounded spoonfuls of dough on a cool cookie sheet a few inches apart.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until edges are just beginning to brown. For best results, use one cookie sheet at a time in the center of the oven.
Cool 2 to 3 minutes on the cookie sheet and then transfer cookies to a cooling rack.

Baked Salmon dinner.

Dinner for two, plus baby, can be easier than you think! I tried to cook kid-friendly yet elegant food. I think it worked out, because before we knew it, my husband and I had slipped into a joviality that hasn't graced our dinner table since pre-toddler days! I think for at least ten minutes straight no one even told our son to sit all the way down in his chair... we were that busy talking grown-up speak!

I highly recommend this kind of cooking to all young families out there! It's relaxing, tasty, and comes with it's own rewards for any effort. My dinner, however, was simple and quick: Salmon fillet, baked sweet potatoes and green salad with poppy seed dressing. I really recommend the poppy seed dressing with salmon. It's the perfect compliment!

Salmon with oranges:
Fillet of wild Alaska Salmon
Juicy Orange
salt and pepper
1/4 c fresh orange juice

Slice oranges into pretty circles. Set salmon skin-side down on roasting pan. Pour half of orange juice over salmon fillet. Salt and pepper to taste, then lay on the orange slices to cover the fish. No need to wrap the salmon with foil... the orange slices will act as a heat buffer. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove and pour on the rest of the orange juice. Bake for 3-5 more minutes, depending on how thick the fillet is. The salmon should just be pink through, and lose it's dark pink/ red color. Plate and serve.

Baked sweet potato:
Wrap sweet potato in foil and bake on 375 for 55 minutes or more depending on thickness of the potato. After removing I like to let mine rest in the foil for 15-20 minutes more. Then I serve it warm with brown sugar on top. YUM!

Squash Soup

Squash is a subtle reminder for all gardeners out there that it's time to start digging out of the snow and planning for the growing season. Crocuses and Daffodils are poking out of the ground and life is beginning again.
I decided to make an acorn squash soup with a more vibrant and summery flavor than the traditional fall spices. I used ginger, but tempered it with fresh basil. It came out nicely and was a bright and fruity taste to welcome the spring!



Squash Soup:
2 Acorn Squashes, Peeled and sliced
3 1/2 c chicken broth
1T minced fresh ginger
1/4 c coconut milk
3 T minced fresh basil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Steam the squash until soft throughout. Place in a food processor and blend until smooth. Return to a soup pot. Add chicken broth and ginger. Bring temperature up and let the simmer at a gentle boil for 10 minutes. Add coconut milk, salt and pepper and fresh basil. Cook 5 more minutes and then serve with a basil leaf on top.