Banana Bread

This post is looooooooooooong overdue.  I've been meaning to post a recipe for like 6 months..so here it is.

I had some overripe bananas that I didn't want to go to waste so I thought...Banana Bread!

I looked up a recipe online and it was fabulous!  Bennett was the best banana masher in the house!  He loves to help in the kitchen.  I found it here.

It was so good he had to close his eyes to lick the spoon!

I added pecans for a little crunch.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed

• 1/3 cup melted butter

• 1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)

• 1 egg, beaten

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
• I added 1/2 cup pecans to change it up a bit

METHODNo need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

Spaghetti Squash

I had no idea that squash spaghetti tasted like noodles! This is the coolest vegetable. You can find a baked version here, but I cooked this squash the slacker way and used the microwave.

Ingredients
One Spaghetti Squash

Directions
1. Poke 3-4 holes in your squash.
2. Microwave for 4-5 minutes (7-8 minutes for large squash).
3. Feel the outside of the squash.
4. Microwave in one minute intervals until the outside of the squash feels just a little bit squishy.
5. Remove from microwave & slice the squash.
6. Remove the seeds.
7. Take a fork and spindle the squash. It will start to look like noodles.
8. Use them with any recipe just like any other noodle.

I added spaghetti sauce and called it a day. The taste difference between spaghetti squash & noodles are not that distinct.

Enjoy!

Sweet Onion Pie

My Dad's cousin, Don sent this recipe to me.  His wife makes it every year and it is always a hit.  




I forgot to take a picture but it basically a cheese and onion pie!  I will take one the next time I make it.



4-5 large sweet onions, sliced ¼ in. thick (quarter inch)
4 T. butter
Salt & Pepper
3 eggs
½ c. milk (half cup)
4 T. flour
1 c. grated sharp cheddar or Gruyere, plus
2 T. extra grated cheese for top
1 9 in. pastry crust, uncooked

In large skillet over medium heat, saute onions in butter until golden but not brown, about 40 minutes. Turn off heat. Add salt and pepper. Set aside.

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. In medium bowl, mix eggs, milk, flour, and the one cup of cheese. Add the onions, stir until evenly distributed.

Pour all into pie shell, sprinkle reserved 2 T. cheese evenly on top. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until crust is brown. Let sit for 5 minutes before cutting.

roasted kohlrabi.

I bought some kohlrabi at the Washington, MO farmer's market. I was eating it raw for the most part until a friend suggested that I roast a batch with some garlic and olive oil.

So I did.

It looks like french fries, but it's totally a vegetables! The roasting gave the kohlrabi a completely different taste. If you ever have the opportunity o purchase kohlrabi - do it!

Ingredients
-One head kohlrabi

Directions
-preheat oven to 450
-slice the kohlrabi into french fry like portions.
-toss with extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, and minced garlic
-roast for 15-20
-remove and serve immediately
-if you're feeling saucy, add a little parmesan cheese to give it an extra kick

Grilled Corn

Can I just be honest with anyone who reads this blog? I have been in a serious cooking funk for like 3 months. We didn't eat microwave dinners, but I just didn't want to be in the kitchen. Now that spring has sprung and farmer's markets are in full force, I'm back on track and in the kitchen.

This recipe is a variation from Green Bean Delivery. Corn is a pretty big deal around Indiana and it is a perfect side dish especially if you like kernels in your teeth.

Directions
Soak the corn for an hour in cold water. Drain.

Preheat grill to medium. Grill the corn, turning frequently, for 15 to 20 minutes. The husks will turn pale and start to brown. As the corn steams, the kernels will turn bright and glossy. Remove from grill and completely remove the husks.

Melt butter onto a plate and roll the ears of corn in the butter. Place the corn on a serving tray and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the herbs over the corn and garnish with freshly grated cheese.

Serves 4

++++

I hope to be around the blog a little more in the next few months. I'm in the market for some new pots and pans. Any suggestions? What does everyone else use? I've had mine since college and I know nothing about what to look for.

Happy Eating!

Bunny Bait

We made bunny bait the other night for Bennett's school Easter snack.  It made so much that I was able to package some for Henry's teachers.  I found it on Pinterest via here.  This site is so great because she will even e-mail you the bunny bait tag.  I asked too late so I had to make my own.  But, I have them if you now want me to forward them to you.  

This recipe was fun and VERY EASY to make.  It just took a few ingredients and about 10 minutes.

Ingredients

2 cups pretzel sticks

2 cups rice chex

1 bag microwave white popcorn, popped

1 bag white melting candies

spring sprinkles

1 bag Easter m&m's

Spread the first 3 ingredients out on a lined cookie sheet.

Add the white chocolate and mix together, coating everything.  Add the sprinkles and m&m's after it is mixed.  If you add the sprinkles and m&m's and then coat...they will all be covered!

Bag up for friends or teachers!

roasted cabbage

I’ve never cooked cabbage. It’s actually been sitting in my refrigerator for longer than I would like to admit and because I don’t have the heart to throw food away, I finally prepared it. I saw this recipe on Budget Bytes and it seemed easy enough.

Ingredients
One head of cabbage
Italian dressing

Directions
STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove any wilted leaves from the outside of the cabbage. Rinse under cool water and shake as much excess water from the cabbage as possible.

STEP 2: Cut the cabbage into wedges, leaving the stem/core intact (this will hold the wedges together during roasting). Place the wedges on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray. Brush the dressing onto all sides of the cabbage wedges, even the bottom.

STEP 3: Let the cabbage roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes depending on the size of the wedges and your desired doneness. About half way through (15-20 minutes in), remove the cabbage and carefully turn wedges over to allow them to roast on the other side (tongs work best). The cabbage should be tender and brown and crispy on the outer edges.

Wow. This recipe turned out really well! The cabbage alone is tasty, but I shredded the cabbage and added it to my tacos. Yum.