a friend on facebook just made an appeal tonite for anyone who might have a good banana bread recipe, and of course since i have one, i offered to share. and if i shared it with her, i might as well share it here because...my dad's recipe is the BEST! it's been a classic in our family since as long as i can remember. now if only i would get around to making it more than once or twice a year, that would be just lovely! next time you get a hankering to make banana bread, try this one on for size and see what you think. it's good warm, it's good cold, and it definitely tastes way better with a little smear of butter on top!
BANANA NUT BREAD
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour, sifted
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
3 really ripe bananas
½ tsp. salt
½ cup chopped nuts
DIRECTIONS:
Cream together sugar and butter, add eggs one at a time and beat. Add baking soda, salt, and sifted flour alternately to mixture with mashed bananas. Add vanilla and nuts. Place in a greased and floured bread pan. Bake for one hour at 350 degrees (for a metal pan) or 325 degrees for a glass pan. If you use mini loaf pans, bake for 30 minutes. The full size loaf pan can sometimes take a little over an hour to fully cook, just keep an eye on it.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Layer Enchilada Pie
1 pound ground beef or turkey
1 tsp. beef bouillon granules (for ground turkey)
--OR--
1 tsp. salt (for ground beef)
1 clove minced garlic
1 small can chopped olives
6 tortillas
2/3 cup water (use liquid drained from kidney beans and add water
if needed)
1 chopped onion
1 tsp. chili powder
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce (if you add more meat, use more
sauce to keep it from getting dry
2 cups(+) grated cheddar cheese
1 can drained kidney beans (save liquid for water above)
DIRECTIONS:
Brown meat and onion with beef bouillon. Add seasoning and beans, heat through. In a 2 qt. round casserole dish, spray with cooking spray and place a small amount of meat mixture in the bottom of the pan. Alternate layers of tortilla, meat mixture, and cheese until you run out of meat (I never get all 6 tortillas in the pan). Save some cheese to sprinkle on top, and pour the kidney bean liquid/water around the edge of the pan to keep the tortillas soft. Cover and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.
1 tsp. beef bouillon granules (for ground turkey)
--OR--
1 tsp. salt (for ground beef)
1 clove minced garlic
1 small can chopped olives
6 tortillas
2/3 cup water (use liquid drained from kidney beans and add water
if needed)
1 chopped onion
1 tsp. chili powder
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce (if you add more meat, use more
sauce to keep it from getting dry
2 cups(+) grated cheddar cheese
1 can drained kidney beans (save liquid for water above)
DIRECTIONS:
Brown meat and onion with beef bouillon. Add seasoning and beans, heat through. In a 2 qt. round casserole dish, spray with cooking spray and place a small amount of meat mixture in the bottom of the pan. Alternate layers of tortilla, meat mixture, and cheese until you run out of meat (I never get all 6 tortillas in the pan). Save some cheese to sprinkle on top, and pour the kidney bean liquid/water around the edge of the pan to keep the tortillas soft. Cover and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
South Beach Oatmeal Pancakes (for Phase 2)
ok, don't be fooled by the fact that i'm posting a south beach diet recipe...this stuff is plenty good enough for just regular non-diet eatin'. and it's very healthy and fibery, so what's not to love? if you're on the diet, a good substitute for syrup is just plain spreadable fruit (it's like jelly, but without any of the sweeteners...real or otherwise!) i think i've also read that you can use some lowfat yogurt and fresh fruit. get creative, this is a GOOOOOOD recipe!
1¼ cups rolled oats
2 cups fat-free milk
1 egg
½ cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup toasted wheat germ
1 Tbsp. baking powder
2 tsp. sugar substitute
2 tsp. canola oil
½ tsp. salt
DIRECTIONS:
In a medium bowl, combine oats and milk and let stand for 10 minutes. Stir in the egg, flour, wheat germ, baking powder, sugar substitute, oil, and salt; mix until evenly blended and only small lumps remain. Let the batter stand for 30 minutes in the fridge. Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with Pam over medium heat. Working in batches, pour the batter by ¼ cup into the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the top starts to bubble and the bottom is browned. Turn and cook 1-2 minutes, until golden brown. Makes 12 pancakes total.
*Note* To change the flavor, just add cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, or a tsp. of your favorite extract flavoring!
1¼ cups rolled oats
2 cups fat-free milk
1 egg
½ cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup toasted wheat germ
1 Tbsp. baking powder
2 tsp. sugar substitute
2 tsp. canola oil
½ tsp. salt
DIRECTIONS:
In a medium bowl, combine oats and milk and let stand for 10 minutes. Stir in the egg, flour, wheat germ, baking powder, sugar substitute, oil, and salt; mix until evenly blended and only small lumps remain. Let the batter stand for 30 minutes in the fridge. Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with Pam over medium heat. Working in batches, pour the batter by ¼ cup into the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the top starts to bubble and the bottom is browned. Turn and cook 1-2 minutes, until golden brown. Makes 12 pancakes total.
*Note* To change the flavor, just add cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, or a tsp. of your favorite extract flavoring!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Black Bean Chili
BLACK BEAN CHILI (phase 1 south beach diet)
31.6 oz black beans, canned
14.5 oz tomatoes, diced
48 oz salsa
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 cup sliced jalapenos
1 tsp tabasco
1 tsp chili powder
3/4 cup water
Directions:
Brown the ground beef (or ground turkey) with chili powder. In a separate big chili pot, cook one 15.8 oz can of black beans. After warmed, mash them with a potato masher. Add the remaining can of black beans and cook. Do not mash the 2nd can of beans. Add the diced tomatoes and diced jalapenos to the bean mixture and cook until it starts to boil. Add the meat, salsa, tabasco and water to the bean mixture and cook covered for 1 hour. Top with low-fat cheese or sour cream depending on your diet.
NOTES: i found that even half the amount of salsa still seemed a bit overpowering the first time i made the dish. you can always add more if it doesn't taste quite like you want, i think i just put a fourth in it now. if you don't like spicy chili, go easy on the chili powder. i only put about half or less than what it calls for. i used unsalted canned tomatoes, to cut back on the sodium content. and as for boiling it an hour, i didn't really find that necessary. we ate it once it was boiling for a few minutes. feel free to experiment with this yummy recipe! it's become a major hit in our house!
31.6 oz black beans, canned
14.5 oz tomatoes, diced
48 oz salsa
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 cup sliced jalapenos
1 tsp tabasco
1 tsp chili powder
3/4 cup water
Directions:
Brown the ground beef (or ground turkey) with chili powder. In a separate big chili pot, cook one 15.8 oz can of black beans. After warmed, mash them with a potato masher. Add the remaining can of black beans and cook. Do not mash the 2nd can of beans. Add the diced tomatoes and diced jalapenos to the bean mixture and cook until it starts to boil. Add the meat, salsa, tabasco and water to the bean mixture and cook covered for 1 hour. Top with low-fat cheese or sour cream depending on your diet.
NOTES: i found that even half the amount of salsa still seemed a bit overpowering the first time i made the dish. you can always add more if it doesn't taste quite like you want, i think i just put a fourth in it now. if you don't like spicy chili, go easy on the chili powder. i only put about half or less than what it calls for. i used unsalted canned tomatoes, to cut back on the sodium content. and as for boiling it an hour, i didn't really find that necessary. we ate it once it was boiling for a few minutes. feel free to experiment with this yummy recipe! it's become a major hit in our house!
Friday, January 23, 2009
Hamburger Stroganoff
Here's a major family favorite that my mom made a lot when I was growing up. It's a slightly different kind of stroganoff than what anybody else i know makes, but in our house we prefer this recipe over any other! Any stroganoff is good, in my book, but I have to admit that i do think this rendition is THE best. We'd eat it every week if we could!
1 pound ground beef/turkey
1 tsp. beef bouillon (for ground turkey)
--OR--
¾ tsp. salt (for ground beef)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. pepper
1 can (8 oz.) mushrooms (liquid can be saved to brown meat in)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 bag (12 oz.) egg noodles, cooked
1 cup skim milk
DIRECTIONS:
In a large skillet, cook and stir the ground beef/turkey and onion with beef bouillon and mushroom liquid. Add water if needed. Cook until onion is tender and meat is done. Stir in flour, garlic powder, pepper, mushrooms, soup, milk, and sour cream. Heat through over medium-low heat and serve over hot egg noodles.
HEALTHY TIPS:
To make this meal a little bit healthier, I typically use fat free sour cream and Healthy Request soup to cut down on fat content. Ground turkey tends to be leaner than beef, and I honestly don't notice a difference in taste. I also get the yolk-free egg noodles. And the last time I made this, I used whole wheat flour instead of white. It didn't taste any different, and it hardly even looked any different.
1 pound ground beef/turkey
1 tsp. beef bouillon (for ground turkey)
--OR--
¾ tsp. salt (for ground beef)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. pepper
1 can (8 oz.) mushrooms (liquid can be saved to brown meat in)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 bag (12 oz.) egg noodles, cooked
1 cup skim milk
DIRECTIONS:
In a large skillet, cook and stir the ground beef/turkey and onion with beef bouillon and mushroom liquid. Add water if needed. Cook until onion is tender and meat is done. Stir in flour, garlic powder, pepper, mushrooms, soup, milk, and sour cream. Heat through over medium-low heat and serve over hot egg noodles.
HEALTHY TIPS:
To make this meal a little bit healthier, I typically use fat free sour cream and Healthy Request soup to cut down on fat content. Ground turkey tends to be leaner than beef, and I honestly don't notice a difference in taste. I also get the yolk-free egg noodles. And the last time I made this, I used whole wheat flour instead of white. It didn't taste any different, and it hardly even looked any different.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
OH BOY...waffles!
Here's some amazingly good waffles (you can NOT eat enough of these things) that are also quite healthy. It is the ONLY recipe I will ever use for waffles, because it truly is the best out there!
Oh Boy Waffles
Sift together the following:
4 tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. salt
1½ Tbsp. sugar
2¼ cups flour (I do ¼ cup wheat germ
½ cup whole wheat flour
1½ cups white flour)
Mix together separately:
2 eggs, beaten
2¼ cups milk
½ cup salad oil
DIRECTIONS:
Add wet ingredients all at once to dry ingredients, beating only until moistened. Bake in a preheated waffle iron (mine only takes a few minutes but each iron is different so keep an eye on it!) Sometimes it helps to using cooking spray on the iron the first couple times to prevent the batter from sticking. Makes 10-12 waffles. I always double the recipe and freeze leftover waffles to heat up in the toaster or microwave later (who needs Eggo's?!) You can also refrigerate batter for a few days and cook the rest later.
Oh Boy Waffles
Sift together the following:
4 tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. salt
1½ Tbsp. sugar
2¼ cups flour (I do ¼ cup wheat germ
½ cup whole wheat flour
1½ cups white flour)
Mix together separately:
2 eggs, beaten
2¼ cups milk
½ cup salad oil
DIRECTIONS:
Add wet ingredients all at once to dry ingredients, beating only until moistened. Bake in a preheated waffle iron (mine only takes a few minutes but each iron is different so keep an eye on it!) Sometimes it helps to using cooking spray on the iron the first couple times to prevent the batter from sticking. Makes 10-12 waffles. I always double the recipe and freeze leftover waffles to heat up in the toaster or microwave later (who needs Eggo's?!) You can also refrigerate batter for a few days and cook the rest later.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
the best chicken recipe ever!
ok, i made this last nite so i figured i should share. it's an old family classic that everyone LOVES when they try it for the first time. a couple years ago our small group went on a camping trip for mother's day weekend, and this was one of the things we grilled at our campsite. one of our friends, upon tasting the chicken, declared that it was "sexy chicken"...and so the name has stuck, at least in OUR house.
SEXY CHICKEN
1 package boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 Tbsp. oil
4 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. honey
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
3 whole cloves
1 dash of pepper
DIRECTIONS:
Cut chicken into finger-type strips about 1 inch wide. This marinade is enough for 3-4 chicken breasts, so multiply proportions as needed. You can marinate for as little as a couple hours, but the longer the meat sits in this mixture the more flavorful and moist it will be. Letting it sit overnight is really the best. Cook the chicken on low heat (gas grill) about 3 minutes per side, twice. Cook until chicken does not feel limp anymore. If you are using a charcoal grill, you have to move things faster and keep the meat as high off the flame as possible to avoid burning it.
NOTE:
This recipe has been done in the oven and it does NOT come out the same. However, I just did this recipe last nite on the George Foreman grill and it was just as good as it is on the real grill. I also used breast tenderloins that were sliced very thin, so they cooked within a couple minutes and weren't dry at all! They barely marinated for 5-10 minutes, but since they were thin the flavor was still good. So you have options on the meat if you don't feel like cutting chicken tenders or don't have the time!
ENJOY!!!!
SEXY CHICKEN
1 package boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 Tbsp. oil
4 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. honey
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
3 whole cloves
1 dash of pepper
DIRECTIONS:
Cut chicken into finger-type strips about 1 inch wide. This marinade is enough for 3-4 chicken breasts, so multiply proportions as needed. You can marinate for as little as a couple hours, but the longer the meat sits in this mixture the more flavorful and moist it will be. Letting it sit overnight is really the best. Cook the chicken on low heat (gas grill) about 3 minutes per side, twice. Cook until chicken does not feel limp anymore. If you are using a charcoal grill, you have to move things faster and keep the meat as high off the flame as possible to avoid burning it.
NOTE:
This recipe has been done in the oven and it does NOT come out the same. However, I just did this recipe last nite on the George Foreman grill and it was just as good as it is on the real grill. I also used breast tenderloins that were sliced very thin, so they cooked within a couple minutes and weren't dry at all! They barely marinated for 5-10 minutes, but since they were thin the flavor was still good. So you have options on the meat if you don't feel like cutting chicken tenders or don't have the time!
ENJOY!!!!
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