Banana Bread

My darling daughter has this current obsession with Banana Bread, both making it and eating it. Since it was a lazy weekend in our house, as most of them appear to be of late, I indulged her request to make some.

This is a pretty straight forward recipe, that we have done a few times now and I can't even remember who it was originally from. It has never given us any problems, so we just keep on making it. My daughter likes it as long as there are no raisins or seeds (aka Nuts) in it, and lots of chocolate ;).


Banana Bread:



- 4 very ripe bananas
- 1 Cup sugar
- 8 Tbsp of butter, melted and cooled
- 2 large eggs
- 2 Cups flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips (or more if your heart's desire)

Preheat oven to 350F.

With a potato masher, mash up bananas and sugar, until liquidy and free of lumps. Add melted butter and eggs, and combine well.

In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and poor in the wet.

Combine well, but be cautious not to over stir.

Fold in chocolate chips (or if preferred seeds of choice).

Pour batter into a parchment lined loaf tin and bake approximately 60-70 minutes.

Let stand a room temperature for approximately 15 minutes before slicing.

Enjoy!

Menu Planning

Some weeks I am really, super, organized with my menu planning. I will sit down the night before my trip to the grocery store, with a cup of tea of course, at my little kitchen nook. I will slowly pull down the books one-by-one and drool over each and every page, while I meticulously pick our the ones I want to try.

Then there are weeks like today. It is 15 minutes before I am supposed to leave work, pick up my munchkin, and head to the store; and I am scrambling to put something together as fast as possible! It is a time when I pull out favorite staples out, and scan my blog for something that was simple, and I loved by have not have a chance to try again...creating new staples :). Of course I still try to find something new and exciting to try, just not a time when I let the creative juices flow.

Thursday: Spaghetti & meat sauce (This is perfect too because half the sauce can go into the freeze in preparation for when baby is here!)
Friday: Tofu in black bean sauce
Saturday: Chorizo & Pea Rissotto
Sunday: Thai style potato & leek soup (Won't Hubby be happy, soup for the second time in a week! Again though good to freeze!))
Monday: Leftovers/freezer stuff :)

Have a good week!

Menu Planning

Helloooooo, anyone out there still????

Guess if I gave you something to read every once and awhile it would be helpful eh? Truth be told there hasn't been much going on still in our house :(. We cooked Christmas dinner once again, and I honestly think that was the only meal that I cooked for all of December. It took so much out of me with the menu planning, and preparations, and then left overs and clean up, I was just drained! The other few months I am blaming on Hubby. If he didn't work such strange hours at times, and was home for supper, there would be more incentive to cook.

BUT, I am turning over a new leaf right now! At least my budget is. If I menu plan I cook, and if I cook we don't eat out, and if we don't eat out my bank account will thank me and I can get that fancy diaper bag I want. Not that I have ulterior motives or anything.

Tuesday: Deli something or other
Wednesday: Tacos
Thursday: Tofu Parma
Friday: Free for all night
Saturday: Soup
Sunday: Orange & Olive Chicken
Monday: Left overs

Wish me luck!

Salmon cakes & Corn Salsa

My favorite kind of cooking lately too is very non-involved, as I just don't have the energy for much more that than :) This one was perfect! So quick and easy and it was just bursting with flavor!

Salmon Cakes:
1 can salmon, drained well
1 green onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
1 tbsp finely chopped red pepper
1 egg
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup fine bread crumbs, plus 1/4 cup for dredging
2 tbsp olive oil for pan-frying

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until well combined. Form round patties, 2 inches in diameter. Spread remaining bread crumbs on a plate. Coat patties in crumbs, pressing to form firm, well-coated cakes.

Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Pan-fry cakes about 3-4 minutes per side or until lightly browned and crisp.

Sweet Corn & Tomato Salsa:



2 cobs of corn
1-1/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
2 green onions, finely sliced
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp chili powder
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil

Cook corn in large pot of boiling water. Run knife down sides of cobs to remove corn. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine.

Menu Planning

Yes, this is becoming a bi-weekly event. So is the grocery shopping though. Somehow we are making things stretch out a little long. Okay, I know it is happening and it really ain't very pretty. Hubby works late, eats at some greasy fast food place, wife doesn't feel like cooking for herself so eats cereal for dinner :0 Bad family! We are stopping that I swear, our waist lines as well as wallets can't handle it much longer.

Tuesday: Deli pizza
Wednesday: Salmon cakes & Tomato and corn salad
Thursday: Shangri-La Beef
Friday: Tandoori Chicken & Gobi Masala
Saturday: Working a wedding :)
Sunday: Pyrogies
Monday: Left overs

Have a good week :)

Cold Noodle Salad

My pie is in the oven, my family is coming over to eat it within the hour (I was supposed to make it yesterday but didn't have time), and my kitchen is a disaster. At this moment I should really be downstairs getting ready, but instead I am sitting hear inhaling my dinner and dying to share it with you all. I am sure you can guess what won that battle ;)

I had been looking for something quick, involved minimal 'cooking' as we have a mini heat wave going on, and lastly vegetarian. This one fit the bill perfectly, and is delicious. To be honest there is a slight chance that I am on my second bowl of it :)

Cold Noodle Salad (Courtesy of Emeril, with minor modifications)



1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 teaspoons sesame oil
1 pound whole wheat spaghetti noodles, cooked until tender and the run under cold water to cool
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
3/4 cup thinly sliced carrots
3/4 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded, and thinly sliced
1 cup lightly crushed toasted cashews
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro


In a small bowl, whisk together honey, soy sauce and sesame oil. To the noodles, add green onions, bean sprouts, carrots, cucumber, cashews, cilantro, sesame seeds, and the soy mixture and mix thoroughly.

Enjoy!

Menu Planning

I was going to weasel out of grocery shopping today, then I remembered it was

A) 15% off Tuesday (First tuesday of the month)
B) Wing Night at a restaurant right near out grocery store.

Can you guess what we are doing tonight :)

Wednesday: Nails night - No cooking
Thursday: Cold noodle salad (it is supposed to be HOT)
Friday: Shaking beef
Saturday: Tandoori Chicken
Sunday: Pirogies

Oh, and the great blueberry event is on again at our local grocery stores. That means this little beauty will soon be gracing our presence again :)