Everything Banana Bars

 
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 large eggs

2 cups quick-cooking oats

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (very ripe)

1 cup chocolate chips (milk or semi-sweet)

Topping:

1/2 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup quick-cooking oats

1/2 cup chocolate chips (milk or semi-sweet)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a 9- by 13-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.

To make the bread batter, cream the butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar together with an electric mixer, until it is light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in vanilla.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the oats, baking powder, and baking soda.  Add the oat mixture to the ingredients in the mixer and beat on low to medium speed until well combined.  Fold in the mashed bananas and 1 cup chocolate chips.

To make the topping, in a small bowl, stir the peanut butter, brown sugar, and oats together with a fork until crumbly.  Stir in a 1/2 cup chocolate chips.

Spread the bread batter evenly into the prepared pan.  With your fingers, sprinkle the topping evenly over the batter.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Let cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before cutting into bars.  

Makes 24 bars.

Tuna Cheesies

Recipe adapted from Food Network Kitchen

Do you know what total bliss is?  Steve and me sharing a tuna melt sandwich at lunch time at a ski resort (with a side of boozy hot chocolate with whipped cream).  When I think of tuna melts, I think of skiing.  We love tuna melt sandwiches.  

You can make them open face on an English muffin, or baked in a bun (like photo at right), or grilled between two pieces of bread like a grilled cheese sandwich.  

It's good to double the batch and have it on hand to make sandwiches during the week.  This is the best recipe I've found so far.  

I'm making it on buns tonight so preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

2 - 6-ounce cans white meat tuna packed in water, drained

2 tablespoons minced celery

2 tablespoons minced red onion, soaked in cold water for 5 minutes and drained

1 teaspoon minced flat-leaf parsley

1/3 cup prepared mayonnaise

1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Salt

Pepper

Freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste (optional)

In a small bowl break up the tuna with a fork.  Toss with celery, onion, and parsley.  Add the mayonnaise, mustard, and cheese.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir to combine.  Add lemon juice, if using.

Split open four buns and spread tuna mixture onto buns.  Place on a baking sheet and cover loosely with foil.  Bake for 25 minutes.  Serve immediately.  

Honey-Lemon Cottage Cheese Pancakes

Source:  Better Homes and Gardens Magazine

Last year, Tyler and I quickly made these pancakes before a Formula One race started.  The good thing about them is that they have a lot of added protein from adding a carton of cottage cheese.  They are light and a little more dense at the same time.  8000 times better than box mixes.

6 eggs
1 - 16-ounce carton cottage cheese
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Butter, maple syrup, and/or berries or fruit or nuts or whatever

In a large bowl, stir to combine the eggs, cottage cheese, honey, butter, vanilla, and zest.  Add flour baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Stir just until moistened.  (Batter should be slightly lumpy.)

Pour about 1/4 cup batter onto a hot, lightly greased griddle or heavy skillet.  Cook over medium about 2 minutes.  Flip when top is bubbly and edges are slightly dry.  Cook an additional 2 minutes or until both sides are brown.  Keep warm in a 200 degree F oven while cooking remaining pancakes.  Serve warm with butter, maple syrup, or toppings of choice.  Makes 4 servings.

Each serving:  341 calories, 1 gram fat, 205 mg cholesterol, 792 mg sodium, 43 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 17 grams sugar, 17 grams protein

Ultimate Cheesecake

Adapted from a recipe by Tyler Florence

A number of years ago, my lovely daughter requested that I make an Oreo cheesecake.  The daughter is lovely, the cheesecake was not.  It was tasty enough, but I wasn't really happy with hard brown edges.  Back to the drawing board.  Let's start with basics....

Thus, it was time to turn to one of my favorite TV superhero chefs--Tyler Florence.  I just love his enthusiasm for food.  I have learned a lot from the guy!

With renewed determination and confidence, we made this cheesecake based on Tyler Florence's Ultimate Cheesecake.  We skipped the lemon blueberry topping that Tyler uses.  (I wouldn't have because I love blueberries, but Kate doesn't like them.)

Crust:

2 cups finely-ground graham crackers (about 30 squares)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

In a mixing bowl, combine the ingredients for the crust with a fork until evenly moistened.  Lightly coat the bottom and sides of an 8-inch springform pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Pour the crumbs into the pan and, using the bottom of a measuring cup or the smooth bottom of a glass, press the crumbs down into the base and 1-inch up the sides.  Refrigerate while you are preparing the filling.

Filling:

1 pound cream cheese, 2 (8-ounce) blocks, softened
3 eggs (room temperature)
1 cup sugar
1 pint sour cream (room temperature)
1 lemon, zested
1 dash vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. 

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on low speed for 1 minute until smooth and free of any lumps.  Add the eggs one at a time, and continue to beat slowly until combined.  Gradually add sugar and beat until creamy, for 1 to 2 minutes.

Add sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla.  Periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters.  The batter should be well-mixed, but not overbeaten.  Pour the filling into the crust-lined pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Set the cheesecake pan on a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil and fold up the sides around it. Place the cheesecake pan in a large roasting pan.  Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until the water is about halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan; the foil will keep the water from seeping into the cheesecake.  Bake for 45 minutes.

The cheesecake should still jiggle in the center (it will firm up after chilling), so be careful not to overbake it.  Let cool in the pan for 30 minutes.  Chill in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for at least four hours (overnight is better).

Loosen the cheesecake from the sides of the pan by running a thin metal spatula or knife around the inside rim.  Unmold and transfer to a cake plate.

Slow Cooker Zucchini Soup

Stolen from All Recipes Website

Okay, when the zucchini in the garden are going crazy, this is a great recipe to use for this prolific vegetable.

This is a recipe for zucchini soup which I found on All Recipes www.allrecipes.com.   It has many ingredients that individual family members don't like--celery, green pepper....  It got good reviews on All Recipes and we found it to be awesome.  Hint:  Use the unloved vegetables too.  This is definitely a soup that we will make many times and the beauty of it is it's done in the slow cooker.  

1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian sausage (remove casings)
2 cups 1/2-inch pieces celery
2 pounds zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch slices
2 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
2 green bell peppers, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 cup chopped onions
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook and stir sausage in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes; drain and discard grease.  Mix celery into cooked sausage; cook and stir until celery is softened, about 10 minutes.

Combine sausage mixture, zucchini, tomatoes, bell peppers, onion, salt, oregano, Italian seasoning, basil, and garlic powder in a slow cooker.

Cook on low for for 4-6 hours.  Garnish each serving with 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese.

Serve with French bread or serve over rice or noodles.

Serves 6.

Zucchini Nut Bread

Gosh, in summer when you leave town for a few days and when you come back you see your zucchini plants have been going crazy, there is one thing to do.  Make zucchini bread!  Before long, I'll have an abundance of vegetables.  

When Kate was a little girl, she hated nuts in baked goods.  I pulverized the walnuts and put them in anyway.  She never knew....

3 eggs

1 cup oil

2 1/4 cups sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 cups coarsely-grated zucchini

3 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 teaspoons cinnamon

1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour two loaf pans.  

In an electric mixer, beat eggs until they are light and fluffy.  Add oil, sugar, and vanilla.  Blend well.  Stir in grated zucchini.  

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.  

Blend the dry mixture into the creamed mixture only until combined.  Do not overmix.  Fold in the walnuts.

Pour the batter into two greased and floured loaf pans.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 50-60 minutes.  Test for doneness with a toothpick or cake tester.  Let them cool for 10 minutes before removing them from the pans.  After taking them out of the pans, cool breads on a wire rack.

Makes 2 loaves of bread.

Margarita Slush

Source:  Uncle Jack Kucera

Doesn't that look frosty and delicious!!  Having a container of the slush in the freezer is a very handy thing.  Just mix it with 50/50 and you have a fiesta!

5 cups water
1/2 cup sugar

Mix water and sugar in saucepan and boil on stove for about 10 minutes to dissolve sugar.  Let cool.

12 ounces orange juice concentrate
12 ounces limeade concentrate
1 cup tequila
1 cup triple sec

Mix all together with cooled water and sugar.  Freeze in 1/2 gallon container.

When you want a cool drink on a warm night, mix one half slush to one half Graf's 50/50 soda.  Stir. Enjoy!

Beef and Black Bean Burrito Bowl

 

Adapted from a Hello Fresh recipe

On Friday nights, we like to eat dinner in the great room so that we can watch a television series together.  We are backtracking a bit and are watching 1883.  These burrito bowls served with blue corn tortilla chips were just delicious!  As with all Hello Fresh recipes, it makes twice as much as we can eat at one time so we will be taking the leftovers and wrapping them in tortillas to make burritos during the week.  The air fryer makes short work of frying up crispy burritos using any ingredients.  It's our favorite device and we use it every day.

1 small beef steak of your choice

1 medium yellow onion

1 15 ounce can (or so) of black beans

13.4 ounce can (or so) of corn, drained (see note)

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup jasmine rice, uncooked

4 tablespoons seasoned vegetable base (I use Better Than Bouillon)

1 tablespoon Southwest spice blend

1 Roma tomato

Fresh parsley (or cilantro if you prefer)

1 lime

Extra virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons sour cream

1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used Co-Jack for this recipe--colby and Monterey Jack)

Salt and pepper

1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)

Blue corn tortilla chips

Prep:

Halve, peel, and dice onion.  Drain and rinse beans and corn, keeping them separate.  Season and grill the steak using your preferred method.  (I used an air fryer and seasoned the steak with seasoned salt.)  Cut steak into small pieces.  

Cook rice and beans:

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium pot over medium-high heat.  Add onion and cook until softened, 4-5 minutes.  Stir in rice, beans, vegetable base, and half of the Southwest spice blend (you'll use the rest later).  Add 3/4 cup water and a big pinch of salt.  Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a low simmer.  Cook until rice is tender, 15-18 minutes.  Mix in the grilled steak.  Keep covered off the heat until ready to serve.

Char corn:  

Meanwhile, dry corn thoroughly with paper towels, removing as much moisture as possible.  Heat a large, preferably nonstick pan over high heat.  Add corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly charred, 4-6 minutes.  If corn begins to pop, cover pan.  Note:  In summer, we cut corn off roasted corn on the cob and freeze it so I always have roasted corn in my freezer.  This is what I used.

Make salsa:  

Dice tomato.  Finely chop parsley or cilantro.  Zest and quarter lime.  In a medium bowl, combine charred corn, tomato, half of the parsley or cilantro, remaining Southwest spice blend, a pinch of lime zest, a large drizzle of olive oil, and a squeeze of lime juice to taste.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  

Make crema:

In s small bowl, combine sour cream and as much remaining lime zest and juice as you like.  Add water 1 teaspoon at a time until mixture reaches a drizzling consistency.  Season with salt and pepper.

Finish and serve:

Fluff rice mixture with a fork.  Divide between two bowls and top with salsa, cheese, and remaining parsley or cilantro.  Drizzle with crema and as much hot sauce as you'd like.  Serve with tortilla chips for dipping and any remaining lime wedges on the side.  

Hello Fresh Tip:  Next time, switch up your salsa routine by adding diced mango, kiwi, or pineapple.