Stat Counter

Hey Friends!  I thought it would be cool to see how many hits our blog gets every day so I installed a free stat counter.  You can see the count underneath the "followers".  If you click on it, it will take you to a website where you can sign in with our blog username and password and see how many people viewed the blog today, this week, this month, etc.  Just thought it would be fun to see!

Sarah

White Bean and Kale Soup

Ingredients:

1 onion diced

2 carrot, diced

2 ribs of celery diced

1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic minced

½ teaspoon dried ground rosemary

½ teaspoon dried thyme

1 bay leaf

½ teaspoon white pepper

1 cup white beans, soaked (or canned)*

5 cups water

1 teaspoon sea salt

½ pound kale stems and center ribs discarded and leaves chopped into bite size pieces

¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions

1. Dice onion, carrot and celery into even ½ inch pieces.
2. In a medium pot, heat oil than the onion, carrot and celery and sauté vegetables for 4- -6 min till onions are translucent.
3. Add fresh garlic and dried herbs and sauté 1 min more
4. Add beans, salt, pepper, bay leaf and 5 cups of water
5. Cover the pot and bring up to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer for 50-60 min till beans are tender. *If using canned beans reduce cooking time to 20 min.
6. Add ½-1 cup more water till desired consistency.
7. Add kale and simmer stirring occasionally till kale is tender 10-12 min
8. Serve soup garnished with freshly grated parmesan cheese. (optional)

*Recipe from: http://www.examiner.com/healthy-food-in-boston/hearty-white-bean-and-kale-soup-recipe

- Sarah

Baked Spaghetti and Mozzarella

Ingredients

course salt

2 cans (28 ounces each) whole peeled tomatoes

2 T olive oil

2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

3/4 lb. spaghetti

2 cups packed basil leaves, torn

3/4 lb. fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch peices

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Set a large pot of salted water to boil.  In a food processor (or blender), pulse tomatoes until coarsely chopped.  In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add tomatoes and bring to a boil.  Cook at a rapid simmer until sauce thickens, about 12 minutes.  Meanwhile, cook pasta 5 minutes (it will still be crunchy).  Drain pasta and return to pot.  Add tomato sauce, basil, and half the mozzarella and toss to combine.  Transfer mixture to a 3-quart baking dish and top with remaining cheese.  Bake until cheese is golden and edges are bubbling, about 25 minutes.

I used whole grain pasta to add an extra bit of healthiness and had it with some salad.  It was very delicious!

*Recipe from Everyday Food Issue 75

-Sarah

Green Beans with Cider Vinaigrette

A very tasty assistance to the ordinary green been side!

Green Beans with Cider Vinaigrette

Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 pounds green beans, stem ends removed
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Directions

1.Set a steamer basket in a pot. Fill with enough salted water to come just below basket; bring to a boil. Prepare a large bowl of ice water.

2.Place green beans in basket; top with garlic. Cover, and steam until green beans are crisp-tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Reserve garlic. Transfer green beans to ice water; let stand until cool. Drain; pat dry.

3.Make vinaigrette: Using the flat side of the blade of a chef's knife, mash reserved garlic into a paste. Place in a small bowl; whisk in oil, vinegar, and mustard. Season with salt and pepper. (To store, refrigerate green beans and vinaigrette separately, up to 1 day.) Toss green beans with vinaigrette, and serve.

~Lynn

Everyday Food, June 2008.

Bacon, Egg, and Toast Cups

This is a fun, easy change up to the traditional "breakfast for dinner" nights.

Bacon, Egg and Toast Cups

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
8 slices white or whole-wheat sandwich bread
6 slices bacon
6 large eggs
Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter 6 standard muffin cups. With a rolling pin, flatten bread slices slightly and, with a 4 1/4-inch cookie cutter, cut into 8 rounds. Cut each round in half, then press 2 halves into each muffin cup, overlapping slightly and making sure bread comes up to edge of cup. Use extra bread to patch any gaps. Brush bread with remaining butter.

2.In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium, until almost crisp, 4 minutes, flipping once. (It will continue to cook in the oven.) Lay 1 bacon slice in each bread cup and crack an egg over each. Season with salt and pepper. Bake until egg whites are just set, 20 to 25 minutes. Run a small knife around cups to loosen toasts. Serve immediately.

3.Standard muffin pans come in 6- or 12-cup size; if baking 6 items in a 12-cup pan, leave empty space in between. Nonstick pans are nice but not essential. Beware of very thin pans, which often lead to burning. Place pans on a baking sheet to make them easier to get in and out of the oven.

~Lynn
.
Everyday Food, September 2010

Chocolate Mousse

I tried my hand at mousse for the first time; I looked to none other than Food Network's Tyler Florence.  This mousse turned out light, fluffy and chocolatey rich!

Chocolate Mousse

6 ounces semisweet baking chocolate, chopped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 large eggs, separated
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream, cold
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whipped cream and chocolate shavings, for garnish

Put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and place over a saucepan containing about 1-inch of barely simmering water (or use a double boiler). Stir with a wooden spoon until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and let cool slightly. Then grab a whisk and beat the egg yolks into the chocolate, 1 at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Set aside.

In another bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in 1/4 cup sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form.

In a chilled bowl, beat the heavy cream until it begins to thicken up. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and the vanilla and continue beating until the cream holds soft peaks.

Now that you've got the elements prepared, put it all together. Gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Then, fold in the whipped cream. Take care not over work the mousse or it will be heavy. Divide the mousse between 4 individual glasses, preferably Moroccan glasses. Cover and chill for several hours. Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate shavings before serving.

From FoodNetwork.com

~Lynn

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

My friend Sara Chidester posted the new Cooking Light cover recipe on her blog last week:  Peanut Butter Banana Bread.  Instead of retyping the recipe, I thought I would just give you the link to her page.

It was very, very moist and tasty! I loved using yogurt. 

Enjoy!

Lynn

Grilled Tuna with Soy-Ginger Glaze & Pickled Cucumbers

I received this recipe from a wedding shower 2 years ago...it's from one of my good friends down here, Jenna Surratt (also an ASU alum and Greensboro-ite!).  I've been intimidated by the recipe because I've never cooked tuna- only really had it raw in sushi or tartare.  But, I decided to give it a shot and it was really tasty! Even Michael liked it!

Marinade:
3/4 cup dry sherry
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp honey
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp asian chili sauce (I just used hot sauce)
1 tsp peeled & finely chopped FRESH ginger
2 Ahi Tuna steaks

Pickled cucumbers:
1 cup thin slices cucumbers
1/4 small red onion, sliced
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar

vegetable oil
2 tsp sesame oil
cilanto sprigs for garnish

Directions:Combine marinade ingredients in small saucepan. Put steaks in a baking dish and pour 1/4 marinade over them. Let stand at room temp or refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Put cucumbers, onion and vinegar in a bowl & refrigerate at least 15 minutes.

Prep med-hot charcoal fire or preheat gas grill to med-high or set grill pan over high heat until smoking. Remove tuna from marinade and pat dry.  Brush with oil. Grill, turning once 3-5 minutes/per side. Don't overcook! 

Meanwhile, heat marinade over med-high until syrupy.  Remove from heat and stir in sesame oil. 

Serve tuna with soy-ginger glaze and top with cucumbers and garnish with cilantro.

ENJOY!
~Lynn

Lemon-Splashed Shrimp Salad

My friend Sara Chidester posted this on her blog and it looked just too good not to try.  It was super quick and easy, and very tasty.  Thanks for the recipe, Sara!

 8 cups water

2/3 cup uncooked rotini
1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined large shrimp
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
3/4 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup chopped avocado
1/2 cup chopped seeded poblano pepper
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
2 tsp. grated lemon rind
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 tsp. kosher salt

Bring 8 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan; Add pasta and cook 5 minutes or until almost tender. Add shrimp; cook 3 minutes or until done. Drain. Rinse with cold water; drain well. Combine pasta mixture, tomatoes, and remaining ingredients; toss well.

(Sara took this from Cooking Light)


~Lynn

Turkey Meatloaf

Turkey Meatloaf

1 tsp oil
4 ounces turkey bacon, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 cup rolled oats
1 cup evaporated milk
1 1/2 lbs ground turkey
1 1/4 cup chili sauce or ketchup

Preheat oven to 350.  In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook bacon, stirring until crisp, about 4 minutes. Add onion and bell petter, season to taste with salt and pepper, amd cook until vegetables are soft, about 3 minutes.  Add garlic and cook 1 minute.  Transfer to a large bowl and add oats and evaporated milk.  Let cool.

Add turkey, salt and pepper, and 2 tbsp chili sauce/ketchup.  Stirl well to combine.  Transfer to a 5x9 in loaf pan and smooth top.  Spread chili sauce/ketchup on top (I skipped this part).  Bake until meatloaf is cooked through, about 1 hr 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Lynn

~From everyday food, "Emeril's Turkey Meatloaf" September 2010 issue

Apple Butter

I spent an entire day one weekend this summer making apple butter. It is soooooooooo delicious with some good ol' hot biscuits. I used apples from the trees at my folks in Bamberg, SC. I am quite excited that the recipe turned out!!! Last summer, I had much poorer luck. Oh, and turns out it was a good idea for birthday presents this year... (since I made 12 half pints and 5 quarts). Thanks Sarah for the pictures!

Like always, I reviewed and merged several recipes to come up with this one.

4 cups Cooking Apples, cored, peeled, and sliced
1 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
2 cups water
White Sugar
Salt
2 teaspoons Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin
1/2 teaspoon Allspice
Juice of 1 Lemon

1. Add apples (coated with lemon juice), vinegar, and water into a large pot. Cover and bring to a simmer. Cook until apples are soft (about 20 minutes).

2. Transfer apple mixture to a food processor, pulse until a smooth consistency obtained. Measure the puree.

3. Add 1/2 cup of sugar for each cup of puree. Add other spices. Mix until sugar is dissolved.

4. In a large, wide, uncovered pot, cook apple mixture of medium low heat, stirring constantly. The apple butter is ready when a spoonful placed on a frozen plate is thick and not runny. This process make take up to 2 hours.

5. You may choose to can the apple butter also... call me about this!


Enjoy~ Rach

Quick and Easy Quesadillas

So I have been craving Quesadillas lately.... Sarah and I had some when she came to visit. Of course, I would recommend eating them with her Guacamole recipe...

8 Flour Tortillas
1 can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium Onion, sliced
Cheddar Cheese, grated
Salt
Pepper
Cumin
Olive Oil

Heat olive oil over medium heat in skillet. Add onion, salt, pepper, and a dash of cumin. Cook until onions are caramelized. Remove from skillet. Using a cooking brush, coat the bottom of the skillet with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place one tortilla in the skillet and rotate around until coated. Add layers of cheese, onion, beans, and another of cheese. Top with an additional tortilla. Again, coat the tortilla with olive oil and salt. Press tortilla until ingredients are evenly distributed. Flip when golden brown.

Of course, I put a layer of sour cream before I add the guacamole.

Huevos Rancheros

Huevos Rancheros

4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
3 tablespoons canola oil
10 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
SAUCE RANCHEROS
Diced avocado, sour cream, and chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Sauce Rancheros: In a blender, puree:
1 can whole tomatoes with juice
1 chopped jalapeno chile, (seeds and ribs removed for less heat)
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves

In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon canola oil over medium heat.Add puree; cook, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush tortillas on both sides with 2 tablespoons canola oil; lay on a baking sheet. Bake until crisp and brown around edges, 7 to 10 minutes.


In bowl, beat eggs with salt and pepper. Heat remaining tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium-low heat. Cook eggs, stirring, until set but still moist, 6 to 8 minutes.


Place tortillas on plates; top with eggs, sauce rancheros, and Monterey Jack. Garnish with avocado, sour cream, and cilantro.


***From Everyday Food, October 2003.

~We halved the recipe, but it was just as good!
Lynn

Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Pork

Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Pork

2 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips (I used green instead)

4 (8 ounce) boneless pork loin chops (I used 3 pork butt steaks instead)

1/2 cup teriyaki sauce

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts
2 limes, cut into wedges

Coat a slow cooker with cooking spray. Place the bell pepper strips and pork chops into the slow cooker. Pour the teriyaki sauce, vinegar, red pepper flakes, and garlic over the pork chops.

Cover and cook on Low until the pork is very tender, 8 to 9 hours. Once tender, remove the pork from the slow cooker, and whisk in the peanut butter until smooth. Return the pork to the slow cooker, and cook 10 minutes more.

Pour into a serving dish and sprinkle with green onions and peanuts to garnish. Decorate with lime wedges to serve.

 

 

~This was really tasty, even if the picture looks sloppy.  Michael loved the sauce! I love slow cooker meals because I start them before work and they're done when I get home!

Lynn

***From Allrecipes.com

Stovetop Macaroni with Edamame

I know I said my previous post would be the last for a while, but this one was so easy I decided to just go ahead and post it.

Ingredients

-1 Box stovetop macaroni of your choice

-butter/sour cream/ milk - whatever you normally put in you mac and cheese

-frozen shelled edamame

Preparation

Prepare macaroni following box instructions, but add the edamame to the water at the same time as adding the noodles.  That's it!  Easy, yummy, healthier!

*From the creative mind of Rachel*

- Sarah

Nectarine Upside-Down Cake

This will probably be my last post for a while.  Back to work next week!  Maybe some other people can post recipes (hint, hint).

Ingredients

10 T (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

4 cups frozen (I used fresh) nectarines, thawed and cut into bite-size pieces

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 t. vanilla extract

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Place 4 tablespoons butter in a 9-inch round cake pan (2 inches deep at least) and melt in oven.  Remove pan from oven and sprinkle brown sugar evenly over butter.

2. With two double-thick layers of paper towels, press as much liquid as possible out of nectarines.  Arrange fruit in an even layer in pan.

3. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat 6 tablespoons butter on high until light and fluffy.  Add granulated sugar and beat until well combined.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down bowl as needed.  Beat in vanilla.  With mixer on low, add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions yogurt, and beat to combine.

4. With a spatula, spread batter over nectarines.  Bake until cake is dark golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (I recommend putting a pan underneath to catch drippings; mine dripped all over my oven!), 1 hour 10 minutes (it took mine 55 minutes to be done, so watch it).  Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack, 15 minutes.  Run a knife around edge of pan and invert cake onto a serving plate.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

*Notes added by recipe writer: 

1. Key to Success - Pressing excess liquid from the thawed fruit makes all the difference in the texture of this cake, so don't rush that step.

2. Try other frozen stone fruit like peaches or plums instead.

3. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Foodie Friend 1

Foodie Friend 3

*Recipe from Everyday Food Issue 75*

- Sarah

Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart

Okay, before I give you this recipe, I must tell you that I changed a LOT to turn it from an appetizer to an entree.  But I will give you the original recipe and then let you know the changes that I made later on.

Ingredients

all-purpose flour, for rolling

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 T sour cream

1 t. grainy mustard

coarse salt and ground pepper

2 large leeks, white and light-green parts only

1 T unsalted butter

3/4 lb. grape tomatoes, halved, or plum tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick, or a combination

2 oz. fresh goat cheese, crumbled

2 t. fresh thyme or basil leaves

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  On a lightly floured work surface, roll out puff pastry to a 12-inch square; transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.  In a small bowl, stir together sour cream and mustard and season with salt and pepper.  Spread sour cream mixture evenly over pastry.  Fold over 1/2-inch border on all sides and press edges to seal.  Refrigerate 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, halve leeks lengthwise; rinse thoroughly, pat dry, and slice 1/4 inch thick.  In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high.  Add leeks, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, 5 minutes.  Arrange leeks evenly over sour cream mixture on pastry.  Top with tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.  Bake until pastry is golden brown and crisp, 25 minutes.  Let cool slightly.  Top with goat cheese and herbs before cutting into squares.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Okay, here are the things I changed:

1. I used feta instead of goat cheese.

2. I used 8 oz. of feta instead of 2 oz. of goat cheese (I love cheese!  2 ounces is not enough!).

3. I put the cheese on before putting it in the oven so that it would be melted in.

4. I added salami slices to make it more substantial and entree-like.

It was delicious!  I'm sure the original recipe is good too, but the changes I made were quite good.  The leeks add a tangy flavor, plus lots of greens to the "pizza".  It was really good.

*Recipe adapted from Everyday Food Issue 75*

- Sarah

Pommes Anna

YUM!

Ingredients

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 tbsp. butter

1 onion, thinly sliced

1-1/2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/8-inch -thick slices

1 cup reduced-fat Swiss cheese

Preparation

1. Combine salt, thyme and pepper. Reserve. In skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, cook, stirring occasionally, until softened. Remove from skillet, reserve.

2. In same skillet, melt remaining butter over medium heat. Remove from heat. Arrange 1/3 of potatoes, overlapping slightly, in circles. Sprinkle with salt mix. Top with half of onions, and 1/2 cup cheese.

3. Repeat layering, ending with potatoes sprinkled with remaining salt. Mix. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Uncover during last 5 minutes. Run spatula around edge of skillet and under potatoes to loosen.

4. Place serving plate over skillet, invert potatoes onto plate. Remove skillet. Garnish with fresh chives.

*Recipe from www.cooks.com

- Sarah

Eggplant Parmesan

This is a different (and healthier) recipe for eggplant Parmesan.  It is very delicious.

Ingredients

2 T olive oil

1 garlic glove, minced

1 small eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices

1 T minced fresh basil

1 T grated Parmesan cheese

1 medium tomato, thinly sliced

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preparation

1. Combine oil and garlic; brush evenly over both sides of eggplant slices.  Place on a greased baking sheet.  Bake at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes; turn.  Bake 5 minutes longer or until golden brown.  Cool on a wire rack.

2. Spread half the eggplant in a greased 1 qt. baking dish.  Sprinkle with half the basil and Parmesan cheese.  Arrange tomato slices over top; sprinkle with remaining basil and Parmesan.  Layer with half of the mozzarella cheese and the remaining eggplant; top with the remaining mozzarella.  Cover and bake at 350 for 20 minutes; uncover and bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

3.  Serve over pasta with some fresh crusty bread.

Side Note - I love cheese! and basically I used a lot more Parmesan and mozzarella than the recipe calls for - just a heads up! 

*Recipe from Howard of Dominion Harvest - the company that delivers our fresh produce every other week.

-Sarah

Bulgur Wheat with Dried Cranberries

Easy, yummy, healthy side dish.

Ingredients

1 cup water

1/2 cup dry bulgur wheat

1 1/2 T chicken bouillon granules

1 t. butter

1/4 cup dried cranberries

Preparation

1. Bring water to a boil in a pot, and mix in bulgur, bouillon granules, and butter. Cover pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer 15 minutes.

2. Fluff cooked bulgur with a fork, and gently mix in the dried cranberries. 

I didn't have chicken granules so I used beef granules.  It was still good, but I would go with chicken if you have it.

*Recipe from www.allrecipes.com*

-Sarah

Strawberry Banana Bread

I know, I know; I just did blueberry banana bread.  But hey, I love bread with fruit in it, what can I say?

Ingredients

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1.2 tsp. baking powder

1 stick unsalted butter softened
1/2 Cup brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar

2 eggs beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3 over ripe bananas mashed (about 1 cup)

1/2 cup strawberries, pureed

1 cup fresh chopped strawberries, chopped

1/2 c. chopped pecans (or any other nut you prefer) (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375, and grease a loaf pan.

In a small bowl add the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Whisk together.

In a larger bowl (or stand-up mixer bowl) add butter, sugars, and eggs. Cream together until smooth and well combined, then add the vanilla. Add mashed bananas, and strawberry puree and blend until combined.  Add the flour mixture 1/2 cup at a time blending until no white is visible. Add chopped strawberries and pecans and gently fold into batter.

Pour batter into loaf pan and bake for 45-55 minutes or until a thin knife or toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool in pan for 10 minutes then turn onto a wire rack to continue cooling.

I always like to eat my fruit breads with cream cheese, but butter or nothing at all is good too!

*Recipe adapted from 

http://culinaryinfatuation.blogspot.com/2009/02/strawberry-banana-bread-with-pecans.html

- Sarah

Blueberry Banana Bread

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 large ripe bananas, mashed

1 1/2 cup flour

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1 t. vanilla

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

Preparation 

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Grease and flour 1 loaf pan.  Cream together butter and sugar; beat in eggs.  Add mashed bananas and mix.

3. Measure flour, reserving 2 tablespoons of flour to coat blueberries.

4. Stir baking soda and salt into flour, mixing well.  Fold into banana mixture; stir in vanilla.

5. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons flour over blueberries, then fold into batter.  Stir in chopped nuts.

6. Transfer batter to greased loaf pan.

7. Bake about 50 minutes (This is what the recipe said - it took me about 65 minutes).

Serve with butter or cream cheese on top!

**As someone who bakes a lot, I felt that the order of putting ingredients together was a bit weird (fold in flour instead of adding it while in the mixer? add vanilla AFTER stirring in flour?), but I decided to just follow the recipe and see what happened.  The bread is delicious so I guess it worked out well.**

**As you probably know, I do NOT like nuts in bakes goods, so you will not see nuts in my bread, but feel free to add them if that's what you like.**

*Recipe from www.cooks.com.

- Sarah

Shrimp Fajitas with Homemade Guacamole

For the Fajitas:

Ingredients

tortilla shells
1 lb shrimp, peeled, rinsed
1 large onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
olive oil
salt and pepper
cheddar cheese
sour cream

Preparation

1. Saute peppers and onions until tender.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Once peppers and onions are tender, add shrimp and saute until opaque.  This takes just a couple minutes.  Do not overcook the shrimp!  They take maybe 2-3 minutes to be completely cooked!

2. Pile chosen ingredients onto a tortilla shell, including cheese, sour cream, and guacamole.





For the Guacamole:

Ingredients

3 ripe (but not mushy) avocados
1 small (or 1/4 of the inevitably giant) red onion, minced
1 small tomato, diced
1 lime
salt
2 T chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

1. While the onions and peppers are cooking, this would be a good time to make the guacamole.  Before cutting open the avocados, you should diced all other needed ingredients and have them ready, because avocados turn brown quickly once they hit the air.

2. Mash up avocados and mix in all other ingredients, adding salt to taste and squeezing lime to taste.  The lime also serves the purpose of extending the life of the avocado, so don't be stingy!


They were quite delicious!  The guacamole is also good with chips as an appetizer.

**Fresh guacamole is really only fresh for one day, so be generous when you eat it.  It's possible to make it last another day, but the best way I've found is to line a very air-tight container with Saran wrap, put the guac inside, wrap the saran wrap over it, seal the container with the lid, and then put it in the fridge.  The guac should be good enough to eat the next day, you'll just have to scrape off the top layer of brownness.  But you should really eat all the guac that second day.  That is absolutely the only downside to fresh guacamole, and it's still totally worth it cause it's so delicious!**

- Sarah

Italian Chicken & Dumplings

Italian Chicken and Dumplings

• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 pounds chicken tenderloins, diced into bite-sized pieces (I used chicken breasts and cut them up)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons butter, divided
• 12 large white mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup shredded carrots, store bought
• 4 ribs celery from the heart, very thinly sliced
• 1 to 2 fresh bay leaves
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups chicken stock, divided

• 1 cup basil leaves
• 1 clove garlic
• A generous handful parsley leaves
• A handful pine nuts, lightly toasted
• A couple handfuls grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

(Instead of making this homeade pesto sauce, I had store-bought in the fridge so I used that.)

• 1 lemon , zested
• 2 (10 to 12-ounce) packages, fresh gnocchi

Place a large pot of water on to boil for gnocchi.
Heat a pot with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, a turn of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add chicken, season with salt and pepper, and lightly brown. Remove to a plate and add another tablespoon of olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter and heat. Add mushrooms, carrots, celery, and bay leaf, season with salt and pepper. Soften 5 minutes, sprinkle in flour and cook 2 minutes. Whisk in 2 1/2 cups stock, slide the chicken back into the pot and simmer to allow sauce to thicken.
Place the remaining 1/2 cup stock in food processor with basil, parsley, garlic, pine nuts and cheese, salt and pepper. Turn processor on and pour in the remaining few tablespoons oil.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat with the zest of 1 lemon.
Salt cooking water and drop gnocchi in the water, cook until the gnocchi floats, drain and add to the lemon butter and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Toss the gnocchi 2 to 3 minutes in lemon butter until light golden at edges.
Turn heat off chicken and stir in pesto sauce. Serve the chicken in shallow bowls and top with lemon butter dumplings.

*This was a very hearty and delicious meal. I can't complain when I get to use gnocchi as dumplings! We watched Rachael Ray make it and thought to try it ourselves! It wasn't as time-consuming as I thought it would be.

Rachael Ray, Food Network, 2008.