Banana Bread

Ingredients:

1 stick of butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or chocolate chips
3 mashed bananas (until you have 1 full cup of bananas -- liquid measure)

1. 
   
2. Directions:
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
4. In a large bowl, cream together one stick of butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla, mix well. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.  Stir into the butter mixture until smooth. Finally, fold in the sour cream, walnuts (or chocolate chips) and 1 full cup of bananas (liquid measure). Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool loaf in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Braised Fennel

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 fennel bulbs, halved and each half cut into 4 wedges
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon minced thyme leaves
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Ground pepper

Instructions:
Melt 2 Tablespoons butter in a 12 inch skillet over medium heat.  Springle the 1/2 teaspoon sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt (don't over salt) evenly over the bottom of the skillet and add the fennel, cut side down, in a single layer.  Stir occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes

Add the wine, broth and thyme.  Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until a knife inserted into the root end meets little resistance, about 20 minutes.

Transfer fennel to warmed serving platter, leaving the broth mixture in the skillet and cover.  Return the liquid to a simmer over medium high heat for about 1-2 minutes until mixture in thick and syrup like.  Turn off the heat and add 1 Tablespoon butter, lemon juice and season with salt and pepper (if necessary).  Spoon the sauce over the fennel and serve immediately.

Chicken with Mustard Mascarpone Marsala Sauce

Giada deLaurentis

Ingredients


1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, each breast cut crosswise into 3 pieces

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

5 tablespoons butter, divided

3/4 cup chopped onion

1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 cup dry Marsala wine

1 cup (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves, plus whole sprigs, for garnish

1. Directions:
2. Start water boiling for pasta.  Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and cook just until brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cool slightly.
3. While the chicken cools, melt 2 tablespoons of butter to the same skillet over medium-high heat, then add the onion and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and saute until the mushrooms are tender and the juices evaporate, about 12 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until it is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Stir in the mascarpone and mustard. Cut the chicken breasts crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through and the sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chopped parsley. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper.
4. Meanwhile,  add the fettuccine and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain. Toss the fettuccine with 3 tablespoons of butter and season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Swirl the fettuccine onto serving plates. Spoon the chicken mixture over top. Garnish with parsley sprigs and serve.

12 ounces dried fettuccine

NFL Bratwurst Sundays

1 Package Bratwurst
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
1 stick of butter
3 beers

Combine ingredients and then simmer.  Can then grill when done par-boiling.

Saute onions and peppers if you want.
Serve on Rolls.

Deviled Eggs

Hardboiled Eggs
Mayo
Mustard
White Vinegar
Salt

Bacon?

Mix in a bowl or ziplock bag and pipe into eggs

Cheesy Ham and Hashbrown Casserole

Ingredients:

1 (32 ounce) package frozen hash brown potatoes
8 ounces cooked, diced ham
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of potato soup
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F 

2.  In a large bowl, mix hash browns, ham, cream of potato soup, sour cream, and Cheddar cheese. 3.  3.  Spread evenly into a 9x13 dish. 

4.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
5.  Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until bubbly and lightly brown. 

Notes:  I did steps 1-3 and put in refrigerator.  Sprinkled parm on and baked in the am to save time.

Chicken in a Cilantro Lime Cream Sauce

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Ingredients:

4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chicken stock
2-3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
6 Tablespoons heavy cream*
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
optional: lime wedges and more cilantro for garnish

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 375°F
2.  If the chicken breasts are uneven in thickness, pound them down so they’re all even. This way all the breasts will cook through simultaneously. 

3,  Sprinkle each chicken breast with salt and pepper.
4.  In a large ovenproof skillet (LeCruset), heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 6-7 minutes, turning once.  Just sear and brown the chicken.  (It doesn’t have to be cooked all the way through yet.) Set chicken on a plate and cover tightly with foil.

5.  Add onions and saute for a few minutes until translucent.

5.  Remove skillet from heat and add the broth, lime juice, cilantro, and red pepper. 

6.  Return to heat. Cook and stir to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Bring to a boil. Allow to boil gently, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until the liquid is reduced to around 1/4 cup. 

7.  Reduce heat to medium-low, then add the cream and butter. Stir until butter has melted.
8.  Add chicken to the sauce and place the skillet in the preheated oven. Bake uncovered until the chicken is completely cooked through, about 5-10 minutes.

Serve chicken with sauce spooned on top and any of the listed optional garnishes. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for a few days. Reheat to your liking.

Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Bread: 

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree (small can)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 super heaping teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 super heaping teaspoon ground nutmeg 

1/2 super heaping teaspoon ground cloves 

1/4 super heaping teaspoon ground ginger 

4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
1 cup brown sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Vanilla Extract
2 cups white sugar
Chocolate Chips


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter three 7x3 inch loaf pans.
In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water, vanilla extract and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Add chocolate chips.  Pour into the prepared pans.
Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.