Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 bananas, mashed
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions 

In a mixing bowl, cream sugar and shortening. Beat in eggs, vanilla and bananas until thoroughly blended. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture and stir just until combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Spoon into a greased 9-in.x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pan. Bake at 350* for 60-70 minutes or until the bread tests done with a wooden pick. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Buon appetito!

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Crêpe Suzette

 Ingredients:

1 cup cake flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup water
2 eggs
1/4 cup sugar

Butter for frying

Filling
8 oz cream cheese, 1.3 cup confectioner's (powdered sugar)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon zest


Technique:

Measure all ingredients into blender vessel and blend for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides and blend for 15 seconds more. Cover and let sit for an hour so that flour absorbs liquid).

Fry using melted butter in small skillet. Turn carefully when golden brown.

After cooled, fill with cream cheese, fold over and fry a little more till cream cheese is warm.  Serve Immediately!  Buon appetito!






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Brent's Butter Cupcakes

Named for one of my co-workers who is *slightly* obsessed with these lil gems....

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter or margarine (1-1/2 sticks) softened
3/4 cup whole milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs 

Technique:

Preheat oven to 350*. Line twenty-four  muffin-pan cups with paper liners.
In large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt until combined. Add butter, milk, vanilla and eggs, and beat just until blended. Beat 1 to 2 minutes or until creamy, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula.  Spoon batter into muffin-pan cups. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until cupcakes are golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately remove cupcakes from pans and cool completely on wire rack.  Frost and embellish to  your heart's desire!  Buon appetito!



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Turkey Vegtable Barley Soup

Ingredients:

1 turkey carcass leftovers/bones, cooked
56 oz low-sodium chicken broth
1 onion, chopped
4 stalks celery, sliced
4 carrots, sliced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cups chopped cooked turkey meat
1 (16 ounce) package frozen okra
1 cup uncooked barley (not QUICK barley)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon paprika

Technique

Place the turkey carcass in a large stockpot. Pour the chicken broth over the turkey add in the onion, celery, and garlic. Bring to a boil over medium heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.
Remove the carcass and bones from the stock and set aside to cool.
Remove as much cooked turkey meat from the carcass as possible and add the meat to the stock. Stir in the chopped turkey meat, frozen okra salt, pepper, oregano, basil and paprika. Bring the soup to a boil, cover, and simmer until the barley is tender, 40-60 minutes.  Buon appetito!

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Strawberry Pie

Ingredients:
1 (9 inch) pie crust, baked
1 quart fresh strawberries
1 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 cup water


Technique:
Set aside 4-5 berries for decoration on top. Mash remaining berries (by hand, it's yummier that way!) and combine with sugar in a medium saucepan. Place saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water. Gradually stir cornstarch mixture into boiling strawberry mixture. Reduce heat and simmer mixture until thickened, about 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour mixture in pastry shell, add strawberries on top. Chill for several hours before serving. Serve with homemade vanilla ice cream! Buon appetito!

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Ben and Jerry's French Vanilla

My father-in-law's favorite, the kids too!!

Ingredients:

2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups whipping cream
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract


Technique:

Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the sugar, a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended, about 1 minute more. Pour in the cream, milk, and vanilla and whisk to blend.

Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze following the manufacturer's instructions. Buon appetito!

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Valentine's Day Cooking for Boys

If the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, using pizza is the express train.  This is just a special treat I put together for my boys (3 & 4.5 & 30) on Valentine's Day!

Ingrediants:

Pizza Dough
Pizza Sauce
Mozerella Cheese
Peperoni


Technique:

Spread the Dough on your pizza pan or pizza stone.  Spread sauce and cheese on the dough.  Arrange peperoni in a heart shape.  As an added adult treat I like to cover the crust in olive oil and fresh ground Italian seasonings.

Have some cupcakes for dessert and you've got LOVE!


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Scallops and Greens

Ingredients

1 lb large scallops, patted dry
1 container spring mix letuce
2 tbs butter
Salt
Pepper

Dressing:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup whole milk or cream
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbs Italian spices

Technique

In a saucepan melt the butter, meanwhile salt and lightly pepper the scallops on both sides.  Add the scallops to the pan once all the butter is melted.  Brown for 2-3 min each side.

While the scallops are browning whisk all the ingredients for the dressing and spoon over the lettuce mix.  Remove scallops from pan and place ontop of lettuce.  Serve with your favorite wine.  May I suggest a dry Riesling.
Buon appetito!


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Tortellini Soup

This picture doesn't portray well the deliciousness of this soup, but then again it's not a very pretty soup.  It's perfect for a winter weekday meal as it's easy and takes very little prep work.  It's one of my family's favorites.

Ingredients:
2 T. unsalted butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. onion, chopped
4 c. vegetable broth
2 c. water
1 bag (9oz) frozen cheese tortellini
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes (petite diced is the best for this soup)
5 oz. fresh baby spinach, chopped
1 egg
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese

How:
In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium.  Add the onion and saute until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the broth and water and bring to a boil.  Add the tortellini and cook for 5 minutes, or less if using fresh pasta.

Add the tomatoes, including their liquid and simmer about 4 minutes.

Stir in the spinach and cook 1-2 minutes.

Whisk together the egg and cheese and slowly add to the soup, whisking the soup as it's added.  Cook about 3 more minutes in order to cook the egg.

Enjoy!

~At the end of the summer, I'll add basil from my garden.  It's not essential, so I won't buy it in the winter specifically for this soup, but it's nice when it's "free" from my garden.

~adapted from this recipe

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Lemon Tarragon Peas

This is a really nice flavor combination.  The tarragon isn't too strong and the lemon adds a little brightness to it.  Yum!

Serves 4 adults as a side dish.  Takes about 15 minutes to cook from start to finish.

Ingredients:

16 oz. bag of frozen peas

1 t. sugar

1/2 t. salt

2 T. butter (I recommend using 1 1/2 T.)

1 t. minced fresh tarragon (or 1/2 t. dried)

1/2 t. grated lemon peel

1 t. lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

How:

Place peas, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan and add just enough water to cover.  Boil, then reduce and simmer for 6 minutes.  Drain

Return the peas to the saucepan and add all the remaining ingredients.  Stir until the butter is melted.  

Enjoy!

~Original recipe found on food.com

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