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.