Banana Bread

This recipe comes from The Martha Stewart web site. The batter for this easy to bake banana bread is enriched with the addition of sour cream. Well, I didn't have any sour cream. So I threw in a 1/2 cup of Marscapone Cheese instead. Delicious! Moist! Oh, don't make the same mistake I made and throw in 3 mashed bananas. Measure them!

Ingredients

Makes 1 loaf

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature, plus more for pan
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan; set aside. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, and beat to incorporate.
2.In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture, and mix until just combined. Add bananas, sour cream, and vanilla; mix to combine. Stir in nuts, and pour into prepared pan.
3.Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Let rest in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool.

Sloppy Joes

I have no idea how I got these in my mind. However, I decided to make a batch for supper. The recipe I used was basically ground beef, onion, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar and dry mustard. Not bad for a first attempt and I was going to post the recipe I used, but while watching the Food Network there was a show about Sloppy Joes. Chef Bobby Flay challenged the Schnipper brothers who are famous in Times Square New York for their Sloppy Joes against his. The brothers discussed a couple of key ingredients like Ground Beef, Onion, Red and Green Pepper, NO CELERY, Sweet Paprika, Brown Sugar, Red Wine Vinegar, Worchestershire, and a secret ingredient which I belive may be Coke. Yes Coke, it was in some of hundreds of Sloppy Joe recipes I looked at on line this weekend. They also said to make the sauce a day ahead to develop the flavors. Anyway, this is the recipe I came up with. Also, check out the Schnipper brothers under my links.

Sloppy Joes

Ingredients
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 small green pepper, finely chopped
• 1 small red pepper, finely chopped
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup barbecue sauce
• 1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon prepared mustard or 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper
Directions
In a large skillet, brown ground beef just until pink color is gone. Remove from pan and set aside.
Drain the fat except 1 tablespoon, add onion and peppers. Sauté until onions and peppers are soft, about 5 minutes.
Stir in remaining ingredients, ground beef, simmer covered, 60 minutes, stirring occasionally.
If Joes appear too’ loose', leave cover off and let moisture evaporate.
Cook until it's the consistency you like for serving on toasted buns, with french fries and cole slaw.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza

O.K. if I haven't inspired you yet to try a new recipe, don't pass over this one. It is absolutely delicious. Once again I used a prepared Thin and Crispy Crust from Sobey's, the Kraft Pizza Cheese Blend with Provolone, Mozzarella and Cheddar and a couple of thinly sliced Roma Tomatoes. Use a good quality Ranch Dressing like Rene's. It's has a thicker consistancy.

Chicken Ranch Pizza

Ingredients

2 cups cooked chicken, torn or cut into bite-sized pieces
2/3 cup ranch dressing, divided
1 (12-inch) prepared pizza crust
6 slices bacon, cooked crisp, crumbled
1/4 cup sliced green onion (optional)
3 cups Pizza Cheese

Directions

1.Combine chicken and 1/3 cup dressing in medium bowl; mix well. Spread remaining 1/3 cup dressing over pizza crust. Spoon chicken mixture over crust; top with bacon, onion and cheese.
2.Place on baking sheet; bake in preheated 425°F oven 8 to 10 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.

Grilled Stuffed Blueberry Marscapone French Toast

Derek made this last weekend for brunch and it was delicious. I have yet to find Brioche bread here in St. John's, so you can substitute a crusty french loaf instead.

Ingredients:
French Toast
•1 loaf Brioche bread
•1/2 cup cream cheese, at room temperature
•1/2 cup marscapone cheese cold
•3 tbsp confectioners’ sugar
•Zest of 2 lemons
•3/4 cup blueberries
•5 eggs
•1 1/2 cup half-and-half or milk
•1 tsp vanilla extract
•Pinch of kosher salt
•Freshly grated nutmeg
•Oil for coating grill grate
•Maple syrup warmed slightly
•2 tbsp melted butter for brushing

Directions:
French Toast
1.Slice bread ½ inch thickness 12 slices.
2.In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, mascarpone, the confectioners’ sugar, and the lemon zest.
3.Spread the filling equally on 6 slices of bread and top with blueberries. Place the remaining 6 pieces of bread on top of the filling, like a sandwich and press gently to close.
4.Place the stuffed bread on a large baking tray.
5.Whisk together the eggs, half and half, vanilla, a grating of nutmeg, and a pinch of salt.
6.Dip the bread in mixture, soak for 1 minute and let excess mixture drip off.
7.Heat the grill to medium heat 350°F (180°C) and oil grill to prevent sticking.
8.Place each of the French toast on the grill and cook until nicely browned and crisp on the outside, about 3 minutes per side. Watch closely for burning.
9.Transfer French toast to a platter, brush with melted butter. Drizzle with maple syrup and serve.

Hungry Heart Cafe

Today Derek, Cathy, Bev and I checked out the Hungry Heart Cafe at 142 Military Road. It's part of the Stella Burry Community and uses profits from the cafe to support training and affordable housing in the community. You can check it out yourself at www.hungryheartcafe.ca. The food was fantastic, colorful and seasonal. We had two orders of Eggs Benedict, French Toast and I had Pulled Pork Sandwich with chipolte aioli, grilled pineapple, sweet grilled sweet peppers. Reservations are recommended @738-6164.

Anyway, this reminded me of a couple of very tasty recipes for French Toast. I will post the recipes separately.

Festive JELL-O Poke Cake

Today was our friend Bob's birthday. Happy Birthday Bob! His wife Cathy made him a JELL-O Poke Cake for his birthday cake which I believe has become a tradition. It's so good, you'll want seconds. You can have a lot of fun with this cake by picking out your own JELL-O flavors. Although I don't have Cathy's specific recipe, I have made this one a couple of times.



Festive JELL-O Poke Cake


2 baked white cake layers (9 inch), cooled
2 cups boiling water, divided
1 pkg. (85 g) JELL-O Strawberry Jelly Powder
1 pkg. (85 g) JELL-O Lime Jelly Powder
2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, divided

Make It!

PLACE cakes, top-sides up, in 2 clean 9-inch round pans. Pierce cakes with large fork at 1/2-inch intervals.

ADD 1 cup boiling water to each flavour jelly powder in separate bowl; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Carefully pour red jelly over 1 cake layer, and green jelly over remaining cake layer. Refrigerate 3 hours.

UNMOULD cakes. Fill and frost with Cool Whip. Keep refrigerated.

For coloured frosting, gently stir 2 to 3 drops food colouring into the Cool Whip before using as directed.

Molten Dark Chocolate Cakes a.k.a. Lava Cakes

I have made these many times and the recipe never fails. The recipe originates from Kraft Canada. You can also use semi-sweet chocolate. Enjoy!

Molten Dark Chocolate Cakes

4 squares BAKER'S Premium 70% Cacao Dark Chocolate
1/2 cup butter
1 cup icing sugar
2 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
6 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. icing sugar
12 raspberries

PREHEAT oven to 425°F. Butter four 3/4-cup custard cups or soufflé dishes. Place on baking sheet.



MICROWAVE chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 min. or until butter is melted. Stir with wire whisk until chocolate is completely melted. Add 1 cup sugar; mix well. Blend in whole eggs and egg yolks. Stir in flour. Pour into prepared custard cups.



BAKE 13 to 14 min. or until sides are firm but centres are still soft. Let stand 1 min. Carefully run small knife around edges of cakes to loosen. Invert cakes onto dessert plates. Sprinkle evenly with 1 tsp. sugar. Top with raspberries. Cut in half. Serve warm.