Fried Bananas

I wouldn't really call them fried bananas if it were me, but that is what it was/is called I guess....

This is a super simple recipe that has so many uses! All you need to have on hand is a banana, some sugar, a smidgen of butter, and a squirt of whipped cream (if desired).

Pre-heat the skillet and add about a tablespoon of butter. Cut up the banana to desired thickness and dredge in sugar. Place bananas in skillet until the sugar carmelizes, then  flip to the other side. Take out and enjoy hot! YUMMMMMM! Squirt some whipped cream if desired.

These bananas are great to add to buttermilk biscuits, crepes, creme brulee, pancakes, waffles, etc.

Pecan Pie

Ingredients:

3 Eggs
1 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Light Corn Syrup
1/2 tsp Salt
1 Tblsp Flour
2 Cups Pecans
2 tsp Vanilla
2 Tblsp Butter, softened
1 pre-made Keebler Ready Crust--whatever taste you prefer. I have  made it with Shortbread, Nilla Wafer, and graham cracker crust

Mix Thoroughly and add to a 9 inch crust, if you want a pastry pie crust it should be unbaked. bake for 1 hr at 325 *F


This is a super tasty and EASY recipe! It turns out wonderful every time I bake it!

Lemon Curd

I found this recipe online here, and I love it! Super simple and super tasty! Next time I make it I will definitely have to remember to post pictures.

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice
2 tsp finely grated Fresh Lemon Zest
1/2 Cup Sugar
3 Large Eggs
6 Tb Unsalted Butter, cut into bits

Whisk together juice, zest, sugar, and eggs in a heavy saucepan. Stir in butter and cook over med low heat, whisking frequently until curd is thick enough to hold marks of whisk and the first bubbles appear on the surface. (about 6 min). Then transfer the lemon curd into a bowl and chill (covering the surface with plastic wrap) until cold, about an hour or two. It can be stored in the fridge for about a week, which makes it great to just either have on hand, or when you are planning ahead.

Viking Professional Hand Blender

In order to make life easier on any home chef/cook a hand immersion blender seems to be necessary. I want to get the most out of my money and so I am in the research phase...

I have virtually come across the viking professional hand blender and wonder if anyone has used this hand blender, and if so, is it worth the price? It seems to have everything I would want/need, but I just don't know quite yet. I guess I need to find somewhere I could test it out! :)


Click here to be redirected to the Viking Website.

Chicken Cacciatore

I made this for dinner the other day and it was amazing. I found a similar recipe off the Food Network website, but didn't have all the ingredients on hand so I altered it to the following recipe and it turned out PERFECT!

Ingredients

8 Chicken Tenders, about 2 pounds
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
2 tsp Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion, thin sliced
1 bell pepper, thin sliced (any color)
1/2 pound- 1 pound of white button mushrooms (depending on how many mushrooms you like
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.5 oz) can of diced tomatoes in juice
1 tsp of Italian Seasoning
1/8 tsp of red pepper flakes
2-3 tsp fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped

Directions:

**Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Season with sea salt and pepper. Make sure the chicken is room temperature before you start to cook.  Heat the oil in a saute pan over med high heat. Sear the chicken on both sides and then remove the chicken and set aside. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion and pepper until  the onions sweat. Add mushrooms and stir occasionally. Once the mushrooms start to brown add the garlic and cook until the garlic becomes fragrant. Add the whole can of tomatoes (juice and all), Italian Seasoning, and red pepper flakes and a little more sea salt. Add the chicken breasts back in and simmer until the chicken is cooked all the way through--about 10 minutes. Just before serving stir in the Italian parsley and let slightly wilt. Serve over some orzo or a bow tie pasta. We ate it just as is and it was great!

** I brined the chicken tenders for about 20 minutes before I started the cooking process while I was deciding what to make. It was a simple brine mix of kosher salt and water.

Vita-Mix Countertop Blender

 

photo courtesy 

  Someday!!! I need to do more research, but everything I have heard/read about these amazing blenders makes me want ONE! You can use it to make smoothies, soups (even hot soup), and sauces. You can even use it for chopping nuts. AWESOME!

Waffles

Do you or your kids LOVE waffles? Do you purchase store-bought frozen waffles because of the convenience of popping it into the toaster on a busy morning? If you plan ahead just oh so slightly you can make your own frozen, precooked waffles that are more economical and healthy than the store-bought counterpart. I make these waffles on Saturday mornings--sometimes doubling the recipe. I just let the extra waffles cool and seal in a gallon size freezer zip-lock bag until I want to partake of some tasty waffles and take out what we need and stick in the toaster! PERFECT!

I have had this recipe what seems like forever and I am pretty sure it is an old Betty Crocker recipe...

Ingredients:

1 3/4 Cup Flour
2 Tlb Sugar
1 Tlb Baking Powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 Large Eggs
1 3/4 Cup Milk
1/2 Cup melted butter
1 tsp Vanilla

Directions:

Preheat your waffle maker. In a medium bowl mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl add all other ingredients. Then add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir until moistened and slightly lumpy.  Spray your waffle maker with a little bit of nonstick cooking spray. Pour into grids according the the directions of your waffle maker. Some 4 section waffle makers require 1 to 1/4 cups of batter. I have a 2 grid Belgium waffle maker and I add about 1/3 of a cup to each grid. Depending on the heat of your waffle maker and how dark you like your waffles it could take 3-5 minutes. Enjoy!!!

Orange Julius

I was going through my recipe archives this morning and came across this simple, tasty, and kid-friendly recipe. I acquired this recipe from a Bosch cooking class. I just had to make it a part of our breakfast this morning. My kids are still too young/small to drink the entire recipe, so we freeze the remaining drink into popsicle molds and they are so tasty!

1 6 oz can frozen orange juice concentrate
2 Cups Milk
1 tsp Vanilla
1/3 Cup Sugar *
 Ice (optional and to the consistency you desire)

* I have reduced the sugar to 1/4 Cup and it is tasty too! Every little bit helps right? :) I have yet to try splenda or truvia in this recipe, but I bet it would work just the same.

I just add everything into my blender, push the lovely button, and let the amazing gadget to it's job. Pour and serve immediately! :) ENJOY! Just think, with one small glass your kids get the added benefit from the nutrients of milk and orange juice without even knowing it! If only we can add spinach to this drink...

Hot Mulled Apple-Orange Cider

I went to a baby shower that served this drink and was in love! The hostess would not give me the secret family recipe (completely understandable) so I went on the hunt for the recipe because it was THAT GOOD! I tried out many recipes (thanks to the internet) and have found what I think is the recipe, or something close to it! The original recipe came from Southern Living, December 1997.

1 Cup Water
1/2 Cup Sugar
2 (3 inch) Cinnamon Sticks
4 Whole Allspice
1/2 tsp ground ginger
4 Cups Apple Cider
2 Cups Orange Juice
1/4 Cup Lemon Juice

Bring 1 cup of water and sugar to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil 3 minutes. Add cinnamon, allspice, and ginger. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Pour mixture through a wire-mesh strainer into a Dutch oven, discarding spices. Add apple cider and juices; bring to a boil and serve hot. The yield is about 7 1/2 Cups

To be redirected to Southern Living Recipe website, click here.

I must admit the recipe from that baby shower kept the spices in the Dutch oven and the hostess had slices of oranges in the drink. I have altered this recipe to more like hers. I have also, when possible, used all fresh ingredients and it is that much better.

Bay and Lemon Brined Turkey

I got this recipe off of  the Food Network's website and the recipe is courtesy of Dave Lieberman. I made this for Thanksgiving a few years ago and it was a BIG hit! I honestly did not think I liked turkey up until this dish. It was always, in my opinion, dry--no matter who was the cook. I gave up trying to like this bird until this recipe came into my life. Thank you DAVE LIEBERMAN for introducing me to the wonderful world of brining poultry!

Ingredients: 

1 (12 to 15 pound) Turkey

For the Brine:

2 Gallons of water
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Kosher Salt
2 Lemons, sliced in 1/2
4 Bay Leaves
3 Cinnamon Sticks
Small handful of cloves

Instructions:

Combine all brine ingredients in a big stock pot large enough to hold the turkey. Make sure all the sugar and salt have been dissolved. Add the turkey and refrigerate at least 6 hrs (or overnight).

Preheat the oven to 350* F

Remove turkey from brine and transfer to a roasting pan with a rack. Stuff turkey with the lemon halves, bay leaves, and cinnamon sticks used in the brine. Cook the turkey for about 3 1/2 hours, basting every 40 minutes or so. If any part of the turkey gets too brown towards the end of cooking, shield with pieces of tin foil. When the turkey is done, juices should run clear from the breast and the legs should pull away from the bird easily. Remove from heat and let rest for 15-20 minutes before carving! Enjoy!!!

La Bete Noire :: The Black Beast

Thanks to a wonderful friend who made this phenomenal flourless chocolate cake for me for my birthday! I was in HEAVEN! She found this recipe on http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/La-Bete-Noire-235831. This recipe was originally found in Bon Appetit Magazine.

photo courtesy via

Ingredients:

Cake:

3/4 Cup Sugar

1 Cup Water

9 Tablespoons of Unsalted Butter, diced

18 Oz of bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

6 Large Eggs

Ganache:

1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream

8 Oz of bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

Instructions: 

For the cake:

Preheat oven to 350*F. Butter 10-inch-diameter springform pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment round; butter parchment. Wrap 3 layers of heavy-duty foil around outside of pan, bringing foil to top of rim. Combine 1 cup water and sugar in small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat. (You are basically making a simple syrup. I wonder why the ratio isn't 1:1...)

Melt the butter in double boiler. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Whisk sugar syrup into chocolate; cool slightly. Add eggs to chocolate mixture and whisk until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan. Line the roasting pan with paper towels and then place cake pan in large roasting pan. Add enough hot water to the roasting pan to come halfway up sides of cake pan.

Bake cake until center no longer moves when pan is gently shaken, about 50 minutes. Remove from water bath; transfer to rack. Cool completely in pan.

For ganache:

Bring whipping cream to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Pour over top of cake still in pan. Gently shake pan to distribute ganache evenly over top of cake. Refrigerate cake in pan until ganache is set, about 2 hours. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.

 

Run knife around pan sides to loosen cake; release sides. Cut cake into wedges and serve with whipped cream.

** I have altered the instructions slightly. The original recipe did not call for the double boiler. However, in the books I have been reading they explain that the double boiler is safer and keeps the consistancy of the temperature more than the direct heat and all of their similar recipes direct the cook to use such methods.

Bacon & Brussels Sprouts

Poor Brussels sprouts... they get such a bad rap and they are truly tasty! I found this recipe on Foodnetwork.com, feel free to click here to be redirected to the original recipe link. I have altered the recipe ever so slightly so here it is... It seems bacon fat makes many foods edible to many!

1 pound of thick bacon
1 medium onion, thin slice
8 garlic cloves, halved lengthwise
2 pounds of Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
sea salt or kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

In a large, deep skillet, cook bacon med -high heat until browned. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. Add onion and garlic to the pan, reduce heat to moderate heat  until softened (3-4 minutes) Remove the veggies from the pan and set aside. Add the Brussels sprouts in batches and continue to cook until they are golden brown. Add the reserved bacon and veggies back along with the salt and pepper. Cover with lid and cook until sprouts are tender, about 10 minutes.