Food with a Dash of Fun

We all have a recipe for banana bread. Some of you mix it in a blender. Some of you involve chunks of bananas. Some of you think brown bananas are only good for the trash can. (I shake my head at that last group.) But no matter which group you belong to - I have the last banana bread recipe you’ll ever need. And trust me, I’ve tried enough of them to know.

This is the very first recipe I posted on this blog nearly four years ago. I decided it was time to bring it back for an encore because, quite simply, it’s that good. When I’m really on the ball I make this in the afternoon so it’s waiting for my kids when they get home from school. I get extra long hugs on those days.

Barb’s Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

• 2-3 ripe bananas
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 6 TB butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp lemon peel
• chocolate chips, if you insist on measuring it’s about 1/2 cup

First, mash 2-3 bananas in a bowl and set aside.

Put the sugar and butter in a large bowl and cream together with a mixer. Add 1 egg and mix well. Then add the mashed bananas, again mixing to incorporate all ingredients.

Now put all the dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, salt & lemon peel - together in a 2 cup measuring cup and add them to your wet ingredients in two batches to make sure it all mixes well.

By hand, stir in your handful of chocolate chips. Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 for 52 minutes.

Eat a slice while it’s still warm before the kids get home.

Barb lives in Crown Point with a hungry family that includes three kids. You can find her out running, watching the sky for snow, on Twitter and writing her daily blog, Quick Like A Bunny where you never know what she’ll be talking about.

Chinese New Year is just around the corner (Jan 23). In my house this is also known as an excuse for Mom to teach the kids about different cultures. Also known as an excuse for Mom to bust out some fun foods in the kitchen. One of the things I like about the Chinese New Year feast is that the foods carry meanings. Their colors, shapes or textures are supposed to bring certain wishes for the new year. With that in mind, I’ve got a recipe that features cabbage (bok choy) for prosperity and long noodles for a long life. Prosperity, long life and a yummy dinner - it’s a winning combination.

You can make this meal spicy or tame. My husband & I like it on the spicy side but I’ll give you instructions at the end if you want to tone it down. But come on… who doesn’t want a little spice in their life??

Shrimp & Bok Choy Noodle Bowl
Courtesy of Rachael Ray’s 365 No Repeats Cookbook with minor modifications by yours truly

2 TB cooking oil
2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (or less to taste)
4 tsp minced garlic
1 small piece of ginger (approx 2 inches long) peeled and cut into very thin matchsticks
1 package (8 oz) of shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1 medium bok choy, trimmed and cut into 3 inch matchsticks
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup clam juice (in the soup aisle)*
1 lb peeled shrimp
1 box thin spaghetti
4 green onions, cut into 3 inch matchsticks

1. In a soup pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add crushed red pepper, garlic, ginger, mushrooms and bok choy. Season with a bit of salt & pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add chicken stock and clam juice. Cover and bring to a boil.

2. Add shrimp and noodles and cook at a rolling boil for 5 minutes. Add green onions and turn off the heat. Let sit for another five minutes so all the flavors come together.

Serve it in big bowls. My kids love to use chop sticks to eat this dinner - another fun way to work in the Chinese New Year theme. I alternate between using a fork and a spoon (I’m terrible with chop sticks) and I’ve been known to slurp up the broth at the bottom of the bowl.

Don’t want it spicy? Omit the crushed red pepper. Some of you want it spicy? Divide and conquer - get two pots and make half with the spice and half without.

Oh and that * by the clam juice… in a pinch I’ve used a can of vegetable stock with a splash of Thai fish sauce. Seafood stock would be great if you can find it instead. The added seafood taste adds a very nice layer to this dish. You could just add another cup of chicken stock if you can’t find any fish-related substitution.

Happy Chinese New Year!

Barb lives in Crown Point with a hungry family that includes three kids. You can find her out running, watching the sky for snow, on Twitter and writing her daily blog, Quick Like A Bunny where you never know what she’ll be talking about.

Oh that Paula Deen. I think her recipes just might be fool proof. (Yes, and often full of butter.) I needed to bring an appetizer to a New Year’s Eve celebration and was looking for something new to bring when I stumbled across this recipe from Paula’s Southern Cooking Bible. It was featured in an article about the cookbook, a cookbook I might just have to buy considering how yummy this appetizer turned out. I made one little change and contrary to the name, they had just a little bit of kick - not very spicy. Kids and adults alike came back for seconds (and thirds).

Make these for this weekend’s bowl games or NFL playoffs or college basketball games or just because they’re so good darn it!

Sizzling Jalapeno Sausage Balls
3 cups Bisquick
1 bag of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 pound mild Italian turkey sausage, squeezed from the casings
3 tablespoons cold butter, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced

1. Knead it all together in a large bowl, adding a bit more water if the mixture is too dry and won’t stick together.

2. Form into 1 inch balls and place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

3. Serve with this easy dipping sauce: 1 cup mayo and 1 TB Dijon mustard, whisked together.

Notes: Paula used regular sausage and had to drain her meatballs on paper towels. I used turkey sausage and they weren’t the least bit greasy. Recipe makes approx 4 dozen - unless you have better self control than I do and make these uniformly small - Paula gets another dozen out of it.

Barb lives in Crown Point with a hungry family that includes three kids. You can find her out running, watching the sky for snow, on Twitter and writing her daily blog, Quick Like A Bunny where you never know what she’ll be talking about.

The holidays are just around the corner. Often you will find yourself with guests in the house for the holidays and sometimes breakfasts for company can be a challenge. Breakfasts on holidays where you’d rather be sitting with your family instead of standing in the kitchen can be an extra challenge. That’s why the breakfast casserole was invented. You put it together the night before and then all you have to do in the morning is put it in the oven. While you enjoy a cup of coffee by the tree or a nice conversation with family, your breakfast is cooking itself. Try one of these recipes next time you need a hands-off breakfast option:

Caramel French Toast Casserole
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup light colored corn syrup
1/4 cup butter
Cooking spray
10 slices of French bread or other thick, white bread
2 1/2 cups skim milk
1 TB flour
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
2 TB sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

1. Spray 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray - and spray it well.

2. Combine first three ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat for five minutes or until bubbly - stirring constantly. Pour into the bottom of your baking dish.

3. Arrange bread slices in a single layer over the syrup.

4. Combine milk, flour, vanilla, eggs and a dash of salt in a large bowl and whisk together. Pour over the bread slices, push the bread down to make sure it is all in the liquid. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

5. Preheat oven to 350. Combine the sugar and cinnamon to sprinkle over the bread. Bake for 45 minutes (uncovered) - until golden on top.

Other easy holiday breakfasts:
Two make-ahead casseroles: Spicy Broccoli & Egg and Cream Cheese French Toast

Crock Pot French Toast

Potato & Egg Casserole

Barb lives in Crown Point with a hungry family that includes three kids. You can find her out running, watching the sky for snow, on Twitter and her daily blog, Quick Like A Bunny where you never know what she’ll be writing about.

After last week’s turkey & sides feast, this is exactly the sort of recipe that your taste buds are seeking. It’s comfort food with a just little bit of a kick. My family isn’t a big fan of traditional rice & bean recipes in large part because of the red beans typically used. This recipe is a milder version in both heat and bean texture. It’s one of my favorites, especially if I have enough time to make a batch of corn bread to sop up the sauce when the bowl is empty.

Andouille Rice & White Beans
1 tsp minced garlic
1 pkg (approx 16 oz) of Andouille sausage, sliced & cut into half-moons
1 bell pepper, diced
1 bunch of green onions, sliced
1 carrot, peeled & diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
1 1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp hot shot (a red & black pepper mix) or ground red pepper
1 tsp creole or cajun seasoning
1 tsp salt
4 cups chicken stock (less-sodium preferred)
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (14 oz) white beans, rinsed & drained
2 cups brown rice

1. In a dutch oven, saute the sausage & garlic. When it’s about halfway done, add the diced veggies and cook over medium high heat until veggies are soft - about 5 minutes. Add seasonings.

2. Add stock, tomatoes & beans and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10-15 minutes while you cook your rice according to package directions.

3. Serve sausage & bean mixture over rice.

Note about the rice: You can cook the rice directly in the pot while it’s simmering but it will soak up much of the juices. I cook it separately because I like to soak up the juices with corn bread. However, it’s nice to have a one pot dinner so feel free to add the rice after you bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

Note about the sausage: The Andouille sausage in this recipe really does make a difference. Yes, you can substitute smoked sausage and it’s still a good meal but the Andouille brings it a much better flavor. For those of you that live in Northwest Indiana, Wise Way makes a good Andouille sausage (and the Pay Low on 93rd & Taft in Merrillville that used to be a Wise Way still makes its own sausage too.)

Barb lives in Crown Point with a hungry family that includes three kids. You can find her out running - yes even in the snow, walking her kids to school - again, even in the snow or everyday on Twitter and her daily blog, Quick Like A Bunny where you never know what she’ll be writing about.

Here’s the thing about Thanksgiving. It’s one of those holidays that tend to be steeped in tradition and the same foods year after year. In many cases you only eat/make these foods once a year which is part of what makes them so special. This delicious holiday repetition presents a problem. Over the years, I have shared all of my traditional Thanksgiving contributions. (If you’re curious - I’ve set up links to them all at the bottom.)

So today I have decided to share some tips on mashed potatoes. Mashed potatoes are not food reserved just for the holidays - at least not in my house. However, they are the foundation of a Thanksgiving plate. (Literally, my husband will cover his plate with mashed potatoes and put everything else on top of them!)

People make mashed potatoes in many, many ways. I even make them in different ways depending on the flavor and style I’m going for. At Thanksgiving, I’m going for creamy and fluffy. Here are my tried & true potato tips:

1. Use Yukon Gold potatoes: they consistently make the fluffiest mashed potatoes

2. Don’t skimp on the butter but go easy on the milk. Let’s say I’m making a 2lb bag of mashed potatoes. I will use two sticks of softened butter. Plop them in the bowl and dump the hot, drained potatoes on top of the butter to melt it. I will then add milk in little bits as I am mashing the potatoes - that way I can control the consistency. How much milk? I never measure but I promise I never add more than 1/4 cup at a time.

3. Use a hand mixer. WHA?!? I can hear some of you screaming in protest. I agree, hand mashed potatoes lend a lovely rustic touch. A potato ricer can indeed produce a delicious side dish. But when it comes to Thanksgiving and the hectic, crowded kitchen it brings I want something fast and guaranteed to give me some fluffy spuds. The hand mixer never lets me down.

4. Seasonings. Here’s where things get interesting. Most times I am just a salt & pepper girl with the occasional dash of garlic powder. Other times I’ll sneak in a generous dollop of sour cream or goat cheese. Mmmmmm… and while digging around my recipe files, I came across this idea from Cooking Light. If I don’t try this on Thanksgiving, I can promise you I will be trying it out on my dinner table soon:

Buttermilk-Parmesan Mashed Potatoes
1 1/2 lbs potatoes
1/2 cup skim milk
2 TB butter
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt & pepper to taste

1. Peel and chop your potatoes, place them in a large pot just covered with water. Bring to a boil and boil for 15-20 minutes - until fork tender. Drain and place in a large bowl.

2. Combine milk and butter in a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on high 2 minutes or until butter melts. Add this milk mixture to potatoes. Mash (or mix with a hand mixer!) to desired consistency. Stir in buttermilk and remaining ingredients.

Thanksgiving Favorites

• Double Layer Pumpkin Pie
• Pumpkin Squares
• Pecan Pie Squares
• Corn Bread & Sausage Dressing
• Using leftovers for turkey soup and/or white chili

Have fun with your menu planning!

Barb lives in Crown Point with a hungry family that includes three kids. You can find her out running thru leaves, walking her kids to school or everyday on Twitter and her daily blog, Quick Like A Bunny where you never know what she’ll be writing about.

I love spaghetti but I hate spaghetti sauce from a jar. I have a well-honed recipe for spaghetti sauce that simmers away all day in the crock pot but sometimes I wish I had something a little quicker and easier. Now I do. This spaghetti sauce was almost as simple as opening a jar but doesn’t have any of that funny jarred taste. Even better? The whole dinner was ready in 30 minutes.

Simple Spaghetti Dinner
One of my favorite sources for recipes is Cooking Light Magazine. Today’s recipe was torn out of Cooking Light a few months ago and waited patiently for me to rediscover it. I’ve made very few modifications to it.

Sauce:
1 TB olive oil
1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp basil

Pasta: 1 box of whole wheat spaghetti

Add-ins: cooked & sliced Italian sausage or shrimp

1. Cook your add-in if using one. I grilled some sausage, sliced it and then set it aside for later. If using shrimp you can saute it while your sauce is simmering - you’ll only need it on the heat for 3-4 minutes.

2. Bring water to a boil and cook pasta according to directions.

3. In a large nonstick skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic & crushed red pepper and stir it around for just a minute to let the flavors come out. Add tomatoes, salt & sugar and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Watch the heat - if your sauce starts to splatter you’ll want to turn it down. After 5 minutes, mix in your add-in so it can warm up in the sauce. Let simmer until noodles are done.

3. Drain pasta and place in a large bowl. Add sauce with add-ins and mix well. Top with shredded Parmesan cheese.

——————————

Review? My family loved this meal, it wasn’t too saucy or too spicy. We served it with warm Italian bread and steamed broccoli on the side.

Barb lives in Crown Point with a hungry family that includes three kids. You can find her out running thru leaves, walking her kids to school or everyday on Twitter and her daily blog, Quick Like A Bunny where you never know what she’ll be writing about.

I really need to come up with more original names for my recipes.

Anyway - as I was cleaning up the kitchen last week, I noticed the ridiculous ever-growing pile of recipes stacked on my cookbooks. These are recipes from magazines & newspapers, rough ideas from articles, pictures from advertisements. Sometimes I follow them exactly, more often I combine a few or take some ideas of my own and add to them. I decided that this pile of recipes deserves some attention. And thus, my goal is to cook one completely new recipe each week. And I will share that recipe with you here.

This week - it was a shrimp, broccoli & pasta sort of dish that originated in a Women’s Day magazine article. Though honestly the caramelized onions made the meal in my opinion so perhaps I should call it Caramelized Onion Pasta?? At any rate, it received thumbs up from all but the picky child (because, onions?!?).

Caramelized Onion Pasta
2 TB butter
1 large onion sliced thinly into 1/4 inch pieces
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 box of your favorite short pasta (thin penne, gemelli, capanelle etc)
1 lb of shelled shrimp
1 lb of broccoli, cut into small florets
salt & pepper

1. Melt butter in a saucepan with a lid, add onions and a dash of salt. Stir to coat in butter. Turn heat to medium and cover. Cook for 15 minutes until very browned, stirring occasionally. For the last 3 minutes sprinkle breadcrumbs on the onions so they get toasted.

2. Heat water and cook pasta according to directions - use a large pot for this. With 5 minutes left in cooking time, add the broccoli and shrimp to the boiling water. Reserve 1 cup of the pot water and then strain it all.

3. In a large bowl mix the pasta, shrimp & broccoli with the onion/breadcrumb mixture. Add some ground black pepper and the pot water to keep things moist. Then serve!

Barb lives in Crown Point with a hungry family that includes three kids. You can find her out running thru leaves, walking her kids to school or everyday on Twitter and her daily blog, Quick Like A Bunny where you never know what she’ll be writing about.

I like meatloaf - especially with a side of mashed potatoes… though I tend to put the potatoes on top of the meatloaf… mmmmm…. but I digress. I like meatloaf but I recognize that most meatloaf recipes aren’t terribly healthy. This one is definitely on the healthy side but I like it even more because it comes out so moist and delicious.

Roasted Red Pepper Meatloaf
Important note: don’t cook meatloaf in a loaf pan. That’s how people end up with undercooked meat, and that’s no fun for anyone. Shape the mixture into a loaf shape and bake it on a jelly roll pan (a cookie sheet with edges). Or a 9×13 baking dish.

2 lbs of ground turkey (get the lowest fat version you can find)
1 small yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
1 cup grated Parmesan
2TB plus 2tsp of creamy Dijon mustard
1 cup parsley
1 7oz jar of roasted red peppers, cut into small slices

1. Combine everything plus a bit of salt & pepper in a large bowl. Mix well. (I use my hands to make sure everything gets nicely mushed together.)

2. Shape into a loaf and place on your baking dish. Cook at 400 degrees for 45 minutes or until no trace of pink in the middle. I highly recommend using a meat thermometer to test it also - it should read 165-170 degrees. Let rest 15 minutes before slicing.

As with many of my recipes, this one started with something I tore out of a magazine and then tweaked while cooking. Magazines, newspapers, random advertisements - all serve as good inspirations for cooking. I wasn’t very careful when I tore this one out so I can’t give complete credit, but I think it came from Real Simple.

Barb lives in Crown Point with a hungry family that includes three kids. You can find her out running thru leaves, walking her kids to school or everyday on Twitter and her daily blog, Quick Like A Bunny where you never know what she’ll be writing about.

The air is getting chilly, sometimes a little wet & windy, the temperature is dropping… It’s soup season. Around here we make soup almost weekly. Served with a warm piece of pumpkin bread it makes an especially nice fall meal.

This particular recipe is one of my favorites. We first had it on a wine-tour through the Leelenau Peninsula in Northern Michigan - one of my favorite places. A winery was serving cups of it and pairing it with their chardonnay. It was the first time I’d thought of having wine with soup and it was an excellent idea! It also reminds me a bit of the soup of the same name from Panera’s - one of my favorite lunch spots. (Today’s post is just full of favorites!) I’ve tweaked it a bit for our family and I hope you enjoy it with yours.

Creamy Chicken & Rice Soup

2 pieces of celery diced
2 carrots, diced
1 large leek, sliced into half moons
1 small box of wild rice plus approx 1 cup of brown rice
1 cube of chicken bouillon
32oz of chicken stock
2 cups water
1 stick of butter
1/2 cup flour
3 cups cooked chicken, chopped
6 cups of milk, divided
salt & pepper

1. Empty box of wild rice into a 2 cup measuring cup. Fill the remainder of the measuring cup with brown rice.

2. In a large stock pot place celery, carrots, leek, rice, bouillon, stock & water. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes (rice should absorb most of the liquid). Remove from heat and set aside.

3. In a sauce pan melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and make a medium blond roux - stirring constantly until the flour takes on a dark blond color. Slowly add four cups of milk - a little at a time, still stirring constantly. If you have any flour lumps use the whisk. Pour the milk mixture into the stock pot with the rice. Add the chopped chicken, stir it all together and return the stock pot to a burner on low.

4. Add the remainder of the milk. Season with salt & pepper and let the whole thing simmer together for an hour - stirring every 15 minutes or so.

A quick note about leeks. These members of the onion family add a wonderful sweet flavor that a regular onion just doesn’t have. If you’ve never cooked with one before you might be surprised to find that they trap a lot of dirt between their layers. To prepare a leek, cut off the root tip and the dark green leaves - discard. Peel off the first layer of the leek and discard that also. Then slice the leek in half and into thin half moons. Place the pieces in a colander and rinse well with water - swishing them around with your hand to separate the layers and rinse away all the dirt.

Barb lives in Crown Point with a hungry family that includes three kids. You can find her out running thru leaves, walking her kids to school or everyday on Twitter and her daily blog, Quick Like A Bunny where you never know what she’ll be writing about.