Tag Archives: recipe

Thursday Throwback: Ba-Nana Bread

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Since we’ve been blogging for over a year now, I thought I’d start a ‘Thursday Throwback‘ series.  We’ll see how well I actually keep up with it….

This past weekend I dug into my recipe book and brushed off the instructions to make my Nana’s Banana Bread that I hadn’t touched since April.  Since the warm months are now behind us, banana bread seemed very fitting for a chilly fall weekend at home.  Plus, running the stove for a hour cooking the bread will warm up the house a little bit, right?!

 

So, after Avery was fast asleep, I made myself at home in my tiny kitchen…

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I made meatloaf for dinner, so while that was in the oven, I mixed up the banana bread – while watching Project Runway (I know, I know, guilty pleasure.  Hey when else do I have time to watch TV?!  Gotta multi task!)

Nana’s Banana Bread Recipe:

  • Sift together 1 3/4c. flour, 2tsp. baking powder, 1/4tsp. baking soda, 1/2tsp. salt.
  • Work 1/3c. shortening until fluffy, then add 2/3c. sugar.
  • Beat and add 2 eggs.
  • Add flour mixture, alternately with 1c. mashed banana, beating until smooth.
  • Pour into 9x5x3 greased loaf pan.
  • Bake at 350 for about 1 hour.
  • ***I added chocolate chips to my version :) ***

By the time it popped out of the oven, it was too late to enjoy so I wrapped it up on the counter… and had a piece here and there this week.  Then I noticed it was going really fast… and I wasn’t the only one eating it…

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I asked the hubby (because Avery can’t reach the counter YET and that leaves only one culprit), and he had been having a slice for breakfast every morning.  I totally took this as a compliment and my inner chef grinned with pride!  See, my hubby HATES sweets.  He really doesn’t care for cake or pie or any of the yummy treats I LOVE LOVE LOVE.  So, I was completely taken aback when he said he really liked it.  And then even more so when he asked me to make more… and maybe try some other kinds like Cranberry.

Cranberry bread?  I have no idea how to make that, or any other kind of bread. Crap…

Help!  Send me some good bread recipes…

Buffalo Mac And Cheese

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When we came back from our Father’s Day weekend in the Berkshires, I was dying to try a recipe out – well, more-so create a recipe from the dish I had that weekend.  Buffalo Mac and Cheese.  A simple idea really, why I hadn’t thought of making it before I saw it on the restaurant menu is beyond me.  Vinay loves hot and spicy foods.  Anyways, I loved the restaurant dish, so I tried making it at home the next week… and it came out yummy!

Buffalo Mac & Cheese Recipe:

1. Make typical Mac & Cheese (from a box or homemade)

2.  Cook a protein (I did chicken sausage) and chop up into bite sized pieces

3. Grease a baking dish (I used a 13x13x2″deep pan)

4. Mix Mac & Cheese & your meat together in the dish

5. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs & parmesan cheese

6. Drizzle with hot sauce!

7. Bake in the oven (I did it at 350 degrees for 20 minutes) until the top gets crispy

8. Enjoy!  (makes 2-4 servings.. depending on how big of a serving you have!)

 

FIT-in-40: Dare to Desert Apple Baklava

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This is it.  Day 40 of my FIT-in-40 health kick.  What better way to go out, than with a desert inspired by my health-kick?

My dear friend at Dare to Desert featured a recipe for Apple Baklava, just for me to try out! When I’m not busy at work, with Avery, or other household ‘stuff’, I like to fit in some cooking or baking.  I’ve recently made homemade baby food & banana bread. So, I squeezed in some time on Sunday (between installing Avery’s new carseat and a birthday party) to make this yummy desert.

 

 

 

Apple Baklava courtesey of Dare to Desert

Gather ingredients:

  • 6 Oz. Raw, Unsalted Mixed Nuts (not containing peanuts), finely chopped in a food processor to the consistency of corn meal
  • 1/2 Cup Organic Agave Nectar
  • 2 Medium Apples
  • 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
  • 6 Tbsp. Butter (not margarine or any butter substitute)
  • 20 Sheets of Phyllo Dough (typically one roll of frozen phyllo), thawed according to the manufacturer’s directions

The hardest part of this recipe was gathering the ingredients.  I don’t eat nuts, never heard of Agave nectar before, and what the heck is Phyllo Dough?  It took a couple emails back and forth with D2D, to learn that you’ll find the Agave Nectar in the grocery store next to the honey, and Phyllo Dough in the freezer section next to the deserts.  Oh and, I swear we spent 10 minutes looking at nuts (hehe) because all of them were salted.  So, before you dare this recipe, make sure you have all the ingredients, because it took me over a week to find the time to go to the grocery store, and before I went, I had to know where to look for this stuff!

Gather Tools:

  • 13×18 cooking sheet
  • knife
  • frying pan
  • cutting board
  • something to grind nuts – i used potato masher but it didn’t work too well.  I need one of those bowl things with the club that smashes stuff… (very technical here.  What’s it called?)
  • mixing bowls
  • marinating brush

Instructions:

1. Thaw phyllo dough.  Take it out of the freezer, keep wrapped, for 2 hours.  If the box has two rolls of phyllo dough, put the other immediately back in the freezer for later use. (you’ll want to make this again)
2. Core & dice apples.  Leave peel on.

3. Saute butter (1 tbs) in a frying pan on low heat until lightly softened. Add cinnamon and diced apples and toss to coat. Remove from heat and set aside.

4. Finely ground nuts. Combine with agave nectar to make a paste. Set aside.

5. Melt the remaining butter in a bowl on low power in the microwave.
6. Preheat oven to 350° F.
7. Line the baking sheet with phyllo dough (2 sheets) and spread a very thin and even coat of butter on top (I used a brush). You want to use just enough butter to barely moisten the dough. Add another layer of dough and press down lightly. If the butter soaks through, add another layer, and then another thin coat of butter.

After maybe 6 layers of phyllo, evenly spread the nut mixture on top of the sheets of dough. Add another few layers of phyllo, being sure to butter lightly in between layers.

Evenly spread the sautéed apples on top. Layer the remaining sheets of phyllo.

Butter the top of the last layer.

8. Bake in the oven at 350° F for about 5 minutes, or until the phyllo is golden on top. (took about 10 min for me) Watch it closely, it’s thin and will burn very easily.
Remove and allow to cool before slicing into 20 evenly-sized pieces.

Nutrition Stats:

  • Calories/Square: 96
  • Carbs: 14g.
  • Protein: 1g.
  • Fat: 4g. (but it’s good fat!)
  • + Add a dollop of whip cream for only 15 calories!

For my first Baklava, I think it came out pretty good!  I put the squares in some Tupperware and gave to a coworker and a friend to share.  What a sweet way to end my health kick!

Have you tried any new recipes recently?  Are you more of a ‘baker’ or a ‘cook’?  Do you have any yummy (but healthy) recipes to share?  Although my health-kick is ending, I’ll still keep eating healthy :)