Easy Banana Muffins

I  had four super ripe, super mushy bananas so rather than throw them out I made these super easy banana muffins.  It took ten minutes to put everything together in one bowl without having to use a mixer.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

4 large bananas
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup melted unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mash bananas, add sugar and the slightly beaten egg.  Stir in melted butter.

Stir in dry ingredients.

Spoon in to a muffin pan, dividing batter evenly for 12 muffins.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Poppy Seed Almond Tea Bread

I have been making this for many years and it's always a family favorite.  It's also a great gift loaf for the holidays.  I used my Santa and Rudolph loaf pan for one loaf.

2 cups sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 large eggs
4 teaspoons poppy seed
2 teaspoons pure almond extract
1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups whole milk

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 - 2 tablespoons orange juice 

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour 2 loaf pans.  

Combine sugar and butter in a bowl; beat well at medium speed until well mixed.  Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in poppy seed, 2 teaspoons almond extract and vanilla.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.  Add flour mixture and milk, alternately, to butter mixture, beating after each addition until just combined.

Divide batter evenly among prepared pans.*  Bake 50-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.  Place pans on cooling rack; cool 5 minutes.  Remove bread from pans; cool completely.

Glaze:

Combine powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon almond extract and enough orange juice for desired glazing consistency in a bowl until well mixed.  Spoon (drizzle) glaze over loaves. 

*Can bake in 5 mini loaf pans (5 3/4" x 3").  Adjust baking time to 35-45 minutes, check at 35 minutes.  Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.  

Fried Goat's Cheese and Pomegranate Salad

Jill made this delicious salad to share with everyone.  Love the ingredients especially the fried goat's cheese.

300g soft goat's cheese 
1 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups Panko breadcrumbs 
oil, for frying

For the salad:

1 cup pomegranate rubies
100 g pine nuts, toasted
salad leaves
olive oil and balsamic vinegar, for drizzling over

Slice the goat cheese into 3cm rounds.

Coat, first in the flour, then in the beaten egg and finally in the breadcrumbs.

Fry in hot oil until golden brown.

Remove from the oil and drain on kitchen towel.

Serve the fried cheese on the salad leaves, sprinkle over the pomegranate and pine nuts and a good drizzle of olive oil and Balsamic vinegar.

Serve immediately.

Baked Ravioli Casserole

Another delicious and easy weeknight recipe from Christine, served tonight with a Caesar Salad and Five Cheese Garlic Bread.  She made it yesterday and stored it in the refrigerator taking it out this morning to sit on the counter until ready to bake.

2 jars (24 ounces each) Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce

2 packages (1 lb. each) frozen cheese ravioli

1 package sliced provolone (approximately 8 slices)

3 cups shredded mozzarella

1/4 shredded Parmesan

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish.  Place about 1/4 to 1/2 cup sauce on bottom of baking pan.  Layer one bag of frozen ravioli on top evenly.  Place rest of the first jar of sauce on top of frozen ravioli.

Place sliced provolone on top of sauce.  Then layer with second bag of ravioli and follow with the second jar of sauce.  

Finish with the shredded mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese.

Bake covered for 1/2 hour on 350 then uncover for last 1/2 hour.

  

White Condiment Mashed Potatoes by Christine

These mashed potatoes are a delicious accompaniment to almost any meal.  It's a Christine creation.


1 3 lb. bag of Yukon Gold potatoes (pictured)
cut in half with skin left on

1 stick salted butter
1 8 ounce package of cream cheese
1 16 ounces sour cream
Salt and pepper, to taste

Boil the potatoes until very tender approximately 
45 minutes.

Mash the potatoes with the butter, cream cheese
and sour cream.  Salt and pepper, to taste. 

Serve immediately.

CCCC = Christine's Crispy Cracker Chicken

This is comfort food at it's best.  Buy "Italian Style" chicken breasts (pictured)    The topping is so crunchy and buttery.  Christine served it with her delicious whipped potatoes, recipe to follow,  shoe peg white corn (photo below) and cinnamon applesauce.  A winner dinner!  Grandson Quinn says it's his favorite chicken dinner.  

4 eggs, beaten
3 cups crushed Ritz crackers
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
ground black pepper to taste
5 skinless boneless Italian Style chicken breast halves
1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place eggs and cracker crumbs in two separate shallow bowls.  Mix cracker crumbs with garlic powder and pepper.  Dip chicken in the eggs, then dredge in the crumb mixture to coat.

Arrange coated chicken in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.  Place pieces of butter around the chicken.

Bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes.

Saturday Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Christine made this delicious slow cooker beef stew yesterday courtesy of the "Damn Delicious" blog, with modifications.  

A perfect dinner complete with a warmed artisan sourdough loaf and a bottle of Malbec.  

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds good quality stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes (She purchased the stew beef at our local butcher).  

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 pound baby red potatoes  (Christine used baby red/golds and cut them in half).

4 carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices

1 small onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups beef broth

1 6 ounce can tomato paste

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

2 bay leaves

1/4 cup flour

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. 

Season beef with salt and pepper, to taste.  Add beef to the skillet and cook until evenly browned about 2-3 minutes.

Place beef, potatoes, carrots, onion and garlic into a slow cooker.  Stir in beef broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire, thyme, rosemary, paprika and bay leaves until well combined.

Cover and cook on low heat for 8 hours.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour and 1/2 cup stew broth.  Stir in flour mixture into the slow cooker.  Cover and cook on high heat for an additional 30 minutes, or until thickened.