Banana Muffins

Banana Muffins

Modified from this recipe

Yields: 12 muffins

1/3 C. butter, softened

3/4 C. white sugar

1 egg

3/4 C. all-purpose flour

3/4 C. whole wheat flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 Tbls. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. allspice

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

3 bananas, mashed

Crumb topping:

1/3 C. packed brown sugar

2 Tablespoons flour

1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 Tbls. butter

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly grease or line 12 muffin tins with muffin papers.

2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and white sugar.  Add egg.  Add remaining dry ingredients.  Stir the bananas into the mixture until moistened.  Spoon the batter into the muffin tins.

3. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon.  Cut in butters until mixture resembles course cornmeal.  Sprinkle over muffins.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out clean.

Commentary:

This is our favorite way to use bananas that we have forgotten about.  With just the three of us here, I usually end up freezing half of them just so they stay fresh, but we easily went through all 12 in one day with visitors.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies

(modified from this recipe)

Yields: 12 cookies

1/2 C. butter, softened

1/2 C. chunky peanut butter

1/2 C. white sugar

1/2 C. brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

3/4 C. flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 C. oats

1 1/2 Tbls. butter, softened

1/2 C. powdered sugar

1/4 C. smooth peanut butter

1 1/2 Tbls. milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cream together butter, peanut butter, white and brown sugar, and vanilla.  Add egg and beat well.

3. Combine flour, baking soda and powder, and salt.  Add to creamed mixture.  Stir in oats.

4. Drop by teaspoons onto a greased baking sheet.  Flatten to 1/4 inch thick.  Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.

5. Cream together butter, powdered sugar, peanut butter, and milk.  Apply a layer to cooled cookie and combine with another cookie to form a sandwich.

Commentary:

These are my new favorite peanut butter cookies.  I love that they also have oats in them...makes them feel slightly healthier.  From the original recipe, I cut the filling in half, you don't need much for them to be great.  Note: If you have more than 3 people eating them, you may want to double the batch.  However, if you are worried about your diet, it's best to make fewer, that way you're forced to restrain yourself from eating more, they are than delicious!

Parmesan Chicken

Parmesan Chicken

(modified from recipe found at allrecipes.com)

4 (4 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts halves (2 breasts cut in half)

1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1/4 C. shredded Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp. dried basil

1 Tbls. butter

1 Tbls. olive oil

1 egg

(Prep directions have been modified from the original recipe)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, basil, butter, and oil.  In another bowl, beat the egg.  Dip the chicken into the egg, then coat with crumb mixture.  Place in a greased baking dish and bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes in the preheated oven.

Commentary:

This recipe is great!  The only difference from the original version is that I baked the chicken instead of frying it in a skillet (I'm sure that when you bake it, you could reduce calorie/fat content by omitting the butter and olive oil, but I haven't tried that version yet).  I have made this twice now and it's come out perfect each time, very moist.  It's very simple to prepare and we all love it (Kennedy and Mike gobbled it right up).  I served it with pasta and marinara sauce one night, and the other night I served it with rice and carrots.  I also think it would be fantastic on a sandwich (that will have to be another time). 

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

2 C. elbow macaroni or penne pasta (preferably whole wheat)

1 can Cream of Chicken soup

1 C. sour cream

1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 1/2 C. shredded swiss cheese

1 C. cubed ham
1/2 C. Shredded chicken

1 1/2 C. Seasoned bread crumbs

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Prepare pasta according to package directions.

3. In a medium saucepan, combine soup, sour cream, lemon juice, and thyme on medium heat just until bubbling.  When bubbling, remove from heat and gradually add cheese while stirring constantly.  Add ham and chicken and stir thoroughly.  Stir in pasta.

4. Pour mixture into a casserole dish.  Top with a light coating of seasoned bread crumbs.  Cover and bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.

Commentary:

I once made Chicken Cordon Bleu for Mike and he loved it.  However, I can't handle eating too much meat all at once...and my wallet can't handle it either.  So I had left over ingredients not too long later and I decided to try something a little different.  Luckily, Mike really enjoyed this as well because it's a lot easier make and I like it a lot better.  I usually use leftover chicken from when I roast a chicken, but it wouldn't take too much longer to cook up a chicken breast and cut it up.  

Sourdough Bread

Sourdough Bread

1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast

1/2 C. sourdough starter

1 C. warm buttermilk

1 1/2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 C. semolina flour

3 C. all-purpose flour

Dissolve yeast in the starter.  Let sit for about 10 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl (I use a kitchen-aid mixer), combine warm buttermilk, olive oil, salt, semolina flour and 1 C. all-purpose flour. Add yeast starter.  Gradually mix in remaining flour until the dough is smooth and satiny.  The dough should be on the slack side, but not oozy; it needs to hold its shape in the oven.

Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel.  Place the bowl in a warm spot and let rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until doubled in size.

Punch down dough to expel air bubbles and turn it onto a lightly floured counter.  Knead dough gently and divide into two loaves (or 6 hamburger bun sized rolls).  Form the loaves into a ball (hamburger buns should be flatter and round) and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Slash the tops of the loaves and cover with a damp towel.

Let loaves rise until swollen. about 30 minutes.  While rising, preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Before placing in the oven, brush or spray the loaves with water (if you want your loaves to be crusty).  Bake for 10 minutes at 425 degrees.  Remove loaves from the oven and brush again with water.  Decrease temperature to 375 degrees.  Bakes loaves for another 25 minutes at 375 degrees, brushing one more time with water.

Comments: 

I have been experiment with bread for quite a while, and never seem to be quite satisfied.  It drives Mike nuts, but that's just because he is so generous about my cooking he would never tell me he was disappointed in something I make.  This recipe is the culmination of months of experimenting and I knew as soon as I pulled it out of the oven that it was a keeper.  It's absolutely delicious...just a little, but not so much that you don't want to eat it plain.  It also makes for a fantastic sandwich.  Obviously you can double the recipe if you have a larger family, but in all my experimenting I have tried to make no more than what we can eat in a few days.  This recipe made just enough to last us one day.  The tester loaf disappeared quickly, and the remaining loaves was soon devoured as part of our BLTs.  I wish I could tell you how well it kept after a few days, but it doesn't last that long in our house!

Lasagna

Lasagna

(original recipe from Jan McKinney, modified by Shaliese)

1 8 oz. pkg. Lasagna noodles (9 noodles)

1 lb. ground beef

5 cut strips of bacon

2 medium onions, diced

4 large celery stalks, diced

4 carrots, diced

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1 8 oz. can tomato sauce

1 1/2 C. diced tomatoes (or 1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained)

24 oz. cottage cheese

1 heaping tsp. dried parsley

1 lb. Monterey Jack cheese, grated

1. Brown bacon.  Add beef and brown lightly, then poor off grease.

2. Add onions, carrots, celery, salt, garlic powder, tomato sauce, and tomatoes.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 1 hour.  Drain off excess liquid, but not too much that the mixture is dry.

3. While meat mixture is simmering, cook lasagna noodles according to package directions.  Also, stir dried parsley into the cottage cheese.

4. Preheat oven to 350 while assembling the lasagna.  To assemble the lasagna in a 9x13 pan, alternate the following layers three times: layer of 3 lasagna noodles, cover lightly with meat mixture, spoon cottage cheese in small piles, then cover with grated monterey jack cheese.  Repeat for a total of three layers.

5. If you cook the lasagna immediately, bake uncovered for 35 minutes.  You may also prepare the lasagna the night before and refrigerate before baking.  If so, bake uncovered for 45 minutes.

Comments:

 This is my favorite childhood lasagna, with some modifications.  The ingredients are all the same, I just adjusted the amounts because I prefer more substantial filling in my lasagna.  Basically I doubled all of the vegetables and increased the cottage cheese.  The increased vegetables does create a little extra liquid in the meat/veggie mixture, which is why I suggest to drain off any extra, otherwise the lasagna will be a little extra messy.

This is also the first meal that I made for Mike (my husband) and that was the night that he brought up the idea of getting married, so I figure that's what made up his mind that he could to stand to spend the rest of forever with me!

Honey Popcorn

Honey Popcorn

(recipe from Jan McKinney)

2½ C sugar
2 squares butter (1 C.)
1 cup honey
1 t salt
2/3 cup cream or can milk

1.  Combine ingredients in a medium saucepan and cook to soft ball stage.  Poor over 2 to 3 gallons popped corn (amount depends on your gooey-ness preference).  Stir thoroughly.

Comments:
This is one of my favorite things.  I didn't even know there was such a thing as caramel popcorn for most of my childhood and by the time I tried it, well, let's just say it pales in comparison to our family traditional honey popcorn.  This makes quite a bit, but seeing as I grew up in a household of 10 people, we always devoured it without much to call "leftovers."  You could probably make it into popcorn balls, but it never lasted long enough in our house to get that far.  However, I did form it into cake pans to make my wedding cake, so I can verify that it does hold to shape (that's right, my wedding "cake" was made from honey popcorn).

Pasta Primavera

Pasta Primavera

(Shaliese original - 2 servings)

1 tsp olive oil

1 C green beans, 2-in pieces

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small zucchini, diced

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 med. to large roma tomatoes, diced

1/4 tsp salt

1 dash ground black pepper

1 C cooked whole grain thin spaghetti (we like Barilla)

1/4 C. shredded Parmesan cheese

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Add green beans and garlic powder, stir, cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add zucchini and lemon juice, cook, covered, for another 10 minutes.  (times can be adjusted if you prefer your vegetables more or less al dente).  Finally, add diced tomatoes, salt, and pepper, then cook for another 10 minutes.

2. In a large bowl, toss cooked spaghetti with vegetables and shredded Parmesan cheese.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Comments:

I have had some great primavera before, but couldn't ever find the right recipe.  I finally gave up and just started experimenting with what we had.  This has become one of my favorites because it's fairly simple and still good.  Obviously it is best with fresh-from-the-garden vegetables, but even mid-winter it's not too bad with the mediocre selection from the store.  Also, it may just be that I was lucky enough to have a child who likes vegetables, but Kennedy really enjoys this dish as well!

Bowtie Pasta Salad

Bowtie Pasta Salad

(recipe from Carol Sainsbury)

1 head lettuce, washed, chilled, and cut

1 pkg. cooked bowtie pasta (Farfalle)

3/4 C. mayo

1/2 C. miracle whip

1 Tbls. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

bag peas (thawed)

1 pkg. bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 bunch green onions chopped

6 oz. bag shredded Parmesan cheese

Combine mayo, miracle whip, sugar, salt, and pepper and stir.  Add to remaining ingredients, stir, and serve!

Comments:

This is a recipe I got from a friend that I worked with at USU.  We have come to love this salad and make it when we find bacon on sale.  This makes quite a bit of salad and I have used it at showers to supplement other food.  When at home, we will actually eat this as a meal.  We'll have some leftovers, but they don't last more than a day. 

Fruit Crepes

Fruit Crepes

8-10 Crepes (see recipe below)

Cream cheese filling (see recipe below)

1/2 lb. strawberries, sliced

1-2 bananas, sliced

Spread approximately one spoonful of cream cheese filling onto a crepe.  Place strawberries and bananas (or other fruit of choice), down the center line of the crepe.  Roll and enjoy!

Crepes

(found on allrecipes.com, changes marked in green text)

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/2 C. milk

2 Tbls. butter, melted

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 C. all-purpose flour

2 Tbls. white sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1. In large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, butter, vanilla, flour, sugar, and salt until smooth.

2. Heat a medium-sized skillet or crepe pan over medium heat.  Grease pan with spray oil.  Using a serving spoon or small ladle, spoon about 1/4 C. crepe batter into hot pan, tilting the pan so that bottom surface is evenly coasted.  Cook over medium heat, 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until golden brown.  Serve immediately.

Cream Cheese Filling

(Shaliese creation)

1/2 container cool whip, or equivalent whipped cream

3 oz. cream cheese

1/4 C. powdered sugar

Combine cool whip and cream cheese in a medium bowl with an electric beater until smooth.  Gradually add powdered sugar, 1 Tbls. at a time, until filling is sufficiently sweetened.

Commentary:

I felt that this recipe deserved to be posted first since it was while making that these crepes that I realized that I should really just make my own food blog to keep track of my recipes.  Why?  For one, they were really good and we will definitely want to make them again and two, I often use the cream cheese filling in desserts with strawberries and have never really bothered to write down specific measurements.  So, now I have.  I also love to put this on white or yellow cake, then cover with sliced strawberries. 

As for the crepes, I think they would be great with more savory fillings as well (cheese, veggies, etc.), but I would probably omit the vanilla if that was my intended use.  Even with it, I think it would work well either way!