Banana Bread/Cake

This is a recipe for so called Banana Bread although it came out really heavy and quite moist so maybe it's banana cake.  Either way it's really good.  I like bananas but they are one of those foods that I only like in the perfect way...I like them just a tad on the green side if I can't have them on that one day when they are perfectly ripe.  If you wait another day they are too far gone and taste too much like, well, like banana.  Who wants that? =)  Once they've gone to the other side I let them go and use them for banana bread.  It's difficult to eat bananas for me...even if I remove all the bananas from the bunch (supposedly if they are not attached they ripen on different days) they all still ripen on the same day and I end up eating two or three a day so they don't go one day past good eating.  Anyhow....to the kitchen we go:

Recipe I found makes two loafs so I've cut the recipe in half as I only want one loaf at a time:

1/2 cup softened butter
7/8 cups sugar (1/2 of 1 3/4 cups)
1 cup mashed up very ripe bananas (I used two and did not measure)
2 large well beaten eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/8 cups flour
Unmeasured but happy amount of nuts: walnuts and pecans were my weapon of choice.

Large bowl time: cream butter and sugar.  Add bananas and eggs.  Combine flour and baking soda to mixture.  Stir by hand until moist.  Add nuts of your choice if you wish.  I use enough so the batter is perfectly lumpy and every bite will be nutty.  Pour batter into loaf pan.  Bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes.  Test center with toothpick or knife to make sure it comes out clean.  Run knife along edges and turn out right away.  Cool on a rack.

Mine came out quite dark and was very flat.  Not sure why...but it was surprisingly extremely moist.  Heavy like a cake.  Would be great with whipped cream...but then again what isn't great with whipped cream. =)  Enjoy!

Lasagna

It may not look quite the way it's supposed to but I wonder if it's because I like to eat my food hot - if you put it in the fridge well then it comes out in perfect set layers.  Like it much matters - it tastes yummy.  They say classic lasagna takes all day to make...why do they say that.  Just that you need to cook up those noodles first before you bake.  All in all probably takes 75 minutes total.  Might be awhile, but it's lasagna...come on that's totally worth it. =)

8oz pkg lasagna noodles
1 lb ground beef
2 15 oz containers of ricotta cheese
4 cups pasta sauce
2 eggs slightly beaten
2 cups (8 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese (divided)
1 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese (divided)

Preheat to 350. Get those noodles cooking.  I always end up boiling them longer than the box says as they are almost crunchy yet if I were to only cook them that long.  Anyhow cook to your liking.  Then drain. Meanwhile cook and drain your beef.  Then add your pasta sauce to the beef.  If you use the cans of sauce like I do you'll need 1 full can and 1/3 of another (plan on making spagetti later in the week or use this sauce on pizza - it's good).  I use the actual pasta sauce rather than spagetti sauce but whatever you want.  Or make your own.  I'd do that but then we have all those extra ingredients that I don't normally have on hand issue.  Meanwhile back in the kitchen;  Mix your ricotta, eggs, 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella and 3/4 cups parmesan.  Once everything is ready you can start layering.  Get yourself the 9x13 pan.  First up is 1 cup of the meat sauce.  Then, 1/3 of the lasagna noodles.  Spread 1/2 the cheese mixture on top of the noodles and top that with 1/3 of the meat sauce.  Repeat...noodles, cheese mix, sauce.  Top with the last of the noodles and the remaining meat sauce.  Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.  Uncover and sprinkle with all that extra cheese you saved without eating - 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup parmesan.  Bake an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is it's bubbly goodness.  Remove and let stand for 15 minutes (I never do this part cuz I'm hungry by now dang it!)  Cut to giant portions and eat and enjoy!

I find this to be a bit much on the cheese side - not that I'm complaining...but it's ricotta overboard so what I'd do is add 1-1/3 or 1-1/2 containers and then use the remainder in making that blueberry triffle for dessert.

I prefer to use Italian sausage instead of just plain beef but you could substitute ground turkey or chicken too I suppose.  Had been using ground turkey Italian sausage thinking it was healthier cuz it's turkey dang it...well I compared it to the pork sausage I had in the freezer and they were practically identical.  Turkey was higher in sodium and in protein but otherwise fat and calories were the same.  Interesting.  Turns out if you just buy ground turkey - that is adding all the skin and dark meat which adds to your unhealthiness, so you need to be on the lookout for ground turkey breast specifically or extra lean ground turkey.  And beefwise you are to buy in the 90s rather than the 85/15 kind - first number is fat free percent and second is fat percent I think.  So, you want the first number to be highest and second to be lowest.  Basically whichever is most expensive is healthier probably too! =)

I wanted to try a spinach lasagna but didn't have any spinach and wanted lasagna now! I'm thinking chopped up in the cheese mix.  Luckily for me I love Italian food so I'll try again...course I also love Mexican, and Chinese, and American, and Greek, and.....=)

Garlic Buttermilk Biscuits

1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/8 cup shortening
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped or diced
1/2 cup of buttermilk or 1/2 cup milk & 1 tsp lemon juice (or vinegar)

Mix your dry ingredients thoroughly.  If you have buttermilk measure out 1/2 cup - if not mix 1/2 cup milk with 1 tsp (or a squirt or two) of lemon juice (or vinegar if you haven't got lemon juice).  Let this sit to get a thick buttermilk like consistency.  While that's sitting cut the shortening into your dry mixture of flour, soda, and powder.  Stir liquid in.  Mix well with your small diced garlic pieces.  Usually I end up adding more flour to make it less sticky...but sometimes it works out just as is.  So, add flour as needed.  Knead until soft and elastic.  Roll to 1/2" thick...I usually make them about an inch thick. Use the biscuit cutter of your choosing.  Place on an ungreased sheet or pan and bake at 450 for around 8-10 minutes - a bit longer if you make them thick like I do.

If you don't want garlic simply remove it from the recipe.  If you want more add more.  If you don't have a pastry cutter put it on your Christmas list.  I use mine quite often but then I love, oh love, to make pie.  I love the pie.  Speaking of which I have some peaches just sitting here...the few I had were milly in texture - not so good for eating but oh so good for making pie with.  Peach pie is my favorite.  Course I love the pecan pie.  Oh and red raspberry pie.  Oh, but wait: fresh strawberry pie.  Oh my.  As long as you don't go and get all evil on the strawberries and bake the pie - that's just wrong.  Peach or strawberry.  Ooooh, how can I decide.  Well, there's only one way that I can think of - I'm gonna have to make both and have a pie off.  Coming soon: Pie Off results! =)  In the meantime enjoy these biscuits with any meal.  Yummmmm!

Celery Chicken

So, it's hard to make this look appetizing. I served it over rice which is tan, and the chicken is tan and then the sauce (for a lack of a better term) is tan.  Hmmmm.  Oh well, it was good.  So here you go!:

4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
4 oz cream cheese, softened (I used neufchatel cream cheese to be a bit healthier)
1 can condensed cream of celery soup
chopped up celery - amount to your liking - I used three or so stalks
pepper and Mrs. Dash Tomato, Basil, & Garlic

Rinse chicken and pat dry. sprinkle with seasonings.  Place in greased baking dish (I used a 7x7 or thereabouts). In a bowl beat up the cream cheese and then add and mix the soup until smooth. Mix in the chopped celery pieces.  Slather the chicken with this mixture.  Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.  Top with more pepper and seasonings if you'd like.  Parsley too if it makes you happy inside.  I served over brown rice with a side salad and garlic buttermilk biscuits (recipe forthwith =)

Enjoy!

Blueberry Trifle

Angel food blueberry trifle
Perfect for a hot day - aside from that little bitty part about turning on the oven and making angel food cake!

What you need: I usually measure in close enoughs but here are actual amounts for those anal ones who actually think that's important! =)

2 cups vanilla yogurt
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 cups fresh blueberries (or 1 cup blueberries and 1 cup strawberries if you want to spice things up a bit)
4 cups ripped up pieces of angel food cake (if you must you can cube it with a utensil but why dirty a knife when you can always lick off your fingers)
1/2 cup whipped cream

Blend the yogurt and ricotta until smoothish and creamy.

Combine your berries in another bowl if you must.

Pick your presentation bowl - I used a wine glass for my fun individual portions but you can dig out that trifle dish if you want.

Put in some cake and then some berries and then some custard. Repeat. Top with a few berries that you left out to make it look pretty (kinda wishing you read through the whole recipe before you began aren't you!) And dollop with whipped cream or dollop with whipped cream and then add your berry garnish.

Those of you technical cookers:
2 quart glass bowl. Layer 1 cup cake and 1 cup berries and half yogurt custard. Top that with remaining cake cubes, 3/4 cup berries, and remaining yogurt mix. Garnish with berries and whipped cream. Refrigerate should you have leftovers. I'd keep it all separate and remake it new the next day to avoid soggy cake but you do what you gotta do.

It's GOOOOOOOOD!!!!!!!!