BANANA BREAD

Recently, I was heading out of town with my mom to visit my brother, sister-in-law, and my cute nieces and nephews.  Since I did not want the bananas to go bad that were on the counter, I decided to make some banana bread to take with us. The recipe is slightly adapted from the one I found in a Betty Crocker cookbook.

Now let's get to baking!

These are the ingredients you will need to make this tasty Banana Bread:

  INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/4 cups Sugar
• 1/2 cup Butter
• 2 Eggs
• 1 1/2 Mashed Ripe Bananas (3-4 approximately)
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 1/2 TBSP Vinegar
• 2 TSP Vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups Flour
• 1 TSP Baking Soda
• 1 TSP Salt
• OPTIONAL:  1 cup chopped walnuts
  

DIRECTIONS

1.  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease bottom only of loaf pan.

2.  In an electric mixer cream together butter and sugar.

3.  Add eggs, mashed bananas, milk mixture, and vanilla.  Blend together.  NOTE:  Pour vinegar in measuring cup and then add enough milk to make 1/2 cup.

4.  Add flour, baking soda, and salt.  Blend together until all ingredients are fully incorporated.  

5.  Pour batter into loaf pan and bake for 55 minutes or until golden brown and done in the center. Test centre with a knife or toothpick.  Banana bread is done when it comes out clean.

6.  Allow to cool for several minutes in the pan and then turn out on cooling rack to finish cooling.

7.  Slice and serve!  Wrap up any leftovers in plastic wrap or aluminum foil.  Banana Bread freezes well.
 

Enjoy! 

 

SPAGHETTI MEAT SAUCE

I enjoy Italian food dishes.  One of my favourites is spaghetti.  I personally like meat sauce on my spaghetti however this sauce can be used on your favourite pasta shape.  With the aid of a few "prepared" ingredients this is my recipe.  It is a fairly thick and chunky sauce - which is how I like it. Now let's get to cooking!

The following are the ingredients to make "Mandy's Spaghetti Meat Sauce":

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb ground lean beef
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• dried roasted or fresh garlic cloves, to taste
• 1 stick of celery, finely chopped
• 8 mushrooms, sliced 
• 1/2 small zucchini, chopped into small pieces
• 1 TBSP of Italian Seasoning or to taste 
• 1 can of stewed tomatoes
• 1 small can of tomato sauce
• 1 jar of prepared spaghetti sauce
• Optional:  1/4 - 1/2 cup water

Recipe Yield:  Approximately 6 servings

DIRECTIONS 

1.  In a deep pan and brown ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until cooked. Turn up heat and stir constantly until meat is thoroughly cooked and onions are soft.  Drain excess grease.

2.  Add chopped celery, zucchini and sliced mushrooms until cooked and tender.

3.  Take a brief break from making the sauce and put a large pot of water on to boil and cook 6 servings of spaghetti noodles (or noodles of choice) according to directions on package.

4.  Add Italian Seasoning (to taste) to meat and vegetable mixture.  Pour in 1 can of stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and jar of prepared spaghetti sauce.  Note:  If the sauce is a bit too thick you can and if desired - stir in the water a little bit at a time until desired consistency is reached.

 

5.  Stir together and bring sauce to a boil stirring constantly to avoid burning it.  Remove from heat.

6.  Drain noodles and combine with meat sauce.  Serve immediately.  Pair with a side salad and/or garlic toast.  If desired, top with grated mozzarella or parmesan cheese.

Optional Recipe Variation: To make Baked Spaghetti, place spaghetti in oven and broiler safe dish and smother top with mozzarella cheese and put under broiler for a few minutes until cheese is melted and lightly browned.  Watch it carefully so it does not burn.

Enjoy your Spaghetti feast!

CHEESE, MUSHROOM, SAUSAGE, & ONION OMELETTE

Hello again!  I really like omelettes.  They are my favourite menu item to order when I am in a restaurant for breakfast. Omelettes are so versatile.  You can have them for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  When I make them it is usually for that night's dinner.  What is also good with omelettes is the vast array of fillings that one can put into one.  The fillings I chose for this blog entry are cheddar cheese, mushrooms, sausages and onions.  I have to give credit to my dad for giving me great tips and pointers many years ago on how to make delicious omelettes.  Thanks dad!  Now let's get to cooking.

The ingredients you will need to make this omelette are:

INGREDIENTS

• 4 large eggs
• yellow onion, chopped, to taste
• 4 pork sausages, sliced
• 5 white button mushrooms, sliced
• Grated cheddar cheese, to taste
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Recipe Yield:  2 omelettes

DIRECTIONS

1. Beat eggs in bowl. 

 2.  Pre-heat and coat large frying pan with oil or cooking spray.  Add onions and saute over low-medium heat until cooked.  Push to the side.  Add sliced sausages until browned and cooked.  Push to side of pan.  Add mushrooms and cook until soft and browned.  Remove from heat, cover (to retain heat) and set aside.

3. Coat a small frying pan with oil or cooking spray and preheat to low or medium heat.  Ladle half of the beaten eggs into pan.  Watch closely until eggs have cooked on the underside but are still a bit liquidy on top.  Then gently flip over to cook other side.  Be careful not to overcook eggs.

4.  Sprinkle half of the grated cheddar cheese onto eggs and allow to melt slightly.  Spoon half of remaining filling ingredients onto the eggs and allow cheese to melt more.  If desired cover frying pan to until cheese is fully melted.  Season to taste.  Using a flipper gently fold the omelette onto itself and place on plate.  Repeat steps with second omelette and serve immediately.

Some suggested side dishes include:  Sliced fruit, sliced tomatoes, hash browns, toast, bagel, English muffin, etc.

Recipe variations:   Some examples of other fillings you can use in omelettes are: cooked ham, cooked bacon, pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, monterrey jack cheese, feta cheese, tomatoes, green onion, red onion, salsa, green, yellow or red peppers. 

Enjoy!

CHICKEN TACO SOUP

A few years ago, I was invited to a friend's place for dinner and she served this soup.  I had never had it before but I really liked it.  I have adapted the recipe she gave me and personalized it to better suit my tastes.  I hope you like it too.  Now let's get to cooking.

The ingredients you will need to make this soup are:

INGREDIENTS
 

• 1 package of chicken breast fillets (tenders)
• 1 1/2 cups mild salsa (or your favourite type)
• 1 341 ml (11.53 fl oz) can of corn
• 1 231 ml (7.8 fl oz) small can of tomato sauce
• 1 398 ml (14 fl oz) can of diced tomatoes
• 1 340 ml (11.49 oz) can of dark red kidney beans
• 1 340 ml (19 fl oz) can of black beans
• 1 packet of taco seasoning
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups of hot water  (Note:  You may not need to use all of the water)

***Optional Recipe Variations:  Add small can of black olives, grated mozzarella cheese.

DIRECTIONS

1.  Place chicken fillets (tenders) in crock with salsa.  Stir.  Cook on low for 2.5 - 3 hours.  Check chicken at 2.5 hours to see if it is done.  If not turn temperature to high and finish cooking chicken.

2.  Once cooked shred chicken and stir with salsa until fully incorporated again.

 
3.  Rinse and drain corn, kidney beans, and black beans.  (I did this to remove excess salt and because I did not want an overly watery soup.  I like thicker soups).  Pour in the cans of corn, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, kidney beans, black beans, and taco seasoning packet.  * If desired to thin out the soup add 1 - 1 1/2 cups of hot water.   Again you may not need all the water.  Gently stir in water until it is incorporated and you have reached the desired consistency.  Cook on high for one hour more.

4. Serve immediately and garnish with your favourite "Scoops" tortilla or corn chips, sour cream and grated cheddar cheese.  Refrigerate any leftovers.

Enjoy your soup!

CHEESEY "CREAM" OF BROCCOLI SOUP

I like soups.  One of my favourite soups is Cheesey Cream of Broccoli!  I had the ingredients so I decided to make this soup for dinner and thought I would also include it on my blog.  It's pretty fast and easy to make.  I originally found the recipe on www.cooks.com.  However, I have made a few changes to the original recipe and this is a variation of it.  Now let's get to cooking.

The ingredients you will need are:

 

• 1/2 half of large onion, chopped
• 1 tsp dried roasted garlic or 1-2 minced garlic cloves
• 4 cups chicken broth 
• 2 cups fresh broccoli, chopped into small pieces
• 2 1/2 cups 1% milk
• 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Recipe Yield:  Approximately 4-6 servings

DIRECTIONS

1.  Spray a large pot with cooking spray and heat over medium heat until hot.

2.  Add chopped onion and garlic and saute until tender.

 

3.  Add broccoli and chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

4.  Remove 1/3 of broccoli/broth mixture into a deep measuring cup or other container and blend with an immersion (stick) hand blender or food processor.

 

5.  Return pureed mixture to soup pot.
 

6.  Combine milk, flour and pepper and mix well with a wire whisk.

 

7.  Slowly add milk and flour mixture to soup and cook over very low heat for 20 minutes or until thickened.  Stirring constantly to avoid burning.  

8.  Remove from heat and add grated cheese, stirring until cheese has melted.

 

9.  Serve immediately with crackers, toast, sandwich or salad, etc.  Refrigerate any leftovers in fridge safe container.   

Enjoy your soup!