Friday, May 13, 2011

Cooking : Banana Coffee Cake

Ingredients
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions
In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the bananas and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder and baking soda; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Combine topping ingredients; add half to batter. Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan. Sprinkle with the remaining topping. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Cooking : 5 Minute Banana Berry Smoothie

Ingredients
1 cup strawberries
1 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons honey

Directions
Blend the ice, strawberries, banana, orange juice, and honey in a blender until smooth.

Cooking : Breakfast Pepperoni Pizza

Ingredients
1 green onion, chopped
2 teaspoons water
1 teaspoon butter
1 (7 inch) prebaked Italian bread shell crust
1/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup pizza sauce
12 slices pepperoni sausage

Directions
In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, onion and water. In a small skillet, heat butter until hot. Add egg mixture; cook and stir over medium heat until eggs are partially set.
Place the crust on an ungreased baking sheet. Sprinkle with about 2 tablespoons cheese and drizzle with about 2 tablespoons pizza sauce. Top with scrambled egg mixture. Drizzle with remaining pizza sauce; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Top with pepperoni. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until crust is slightly crisp. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Cooking : Brennan's Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
Stir the milk and vinegar together, and allow to stand until curdled, about 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet. In a bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
Gradually stir the soured milk into the flour mixture until the dough just comes together, and turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface. Knead a few times, and shape into a round. Place the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. With a sharp knife, cut an X shape into the top of the dough to release steam and help the bread keep its round shape.
Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 45 minutes.

Cooking : Bait and Tackle Salad

Ingredients
2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes
2 small zucchini, coarsely chopped
2 small yellow summer squash, coarsley chopped
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
5 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions
In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash and cilantro. In a blender, combine the vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt and pepper. White processing, gradually add oil. Drizzle over vegetables; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

Cooking : Baked Tofu Spinach Wrap

Ingredients
2 (10 inch) whole wheat tortillas
1 (7.5 ounce) package hickory flavor baked tofu
1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup fresh baby spinach
1 tablespoon Ranch dressing
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste

Directions
Place the tortillas side by side on a paper plate. Slice tofu, and place slices down the center of each tortilla. Sprinkle cheese over the tofu. Cover with a damp paper towel, and heat in the microwave for about 45 seconds, or until cheese is melted.
Pile some spinach onto each tortilla, and pour on some Ranch dressing. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, roll tortillas around the filling, and eat.

Cooking : Broccoli Pizza Pie

Ingredients
2 pounds potatoes, sliced
1 pound broccoli, chopped
2/3 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 tablespoon dried parsley
2 (10 ounce) packages refrigerated pizza crust doughs
1 (14 ounce) jar pizza sauce

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes; drain.
Meanwhile, place broccoli in a steamer over 1 inch of boiling water, and cover. Cook until tender but still firm, about 2 to 6 minutes; drain.
In a large bowl combine potatoes, broccoli, cheese, lemon juice, garlic, basil, oregano and parsley. On a pizza pan or baking sheet, roll out 1 pizza dough. Top with potato mixture and cover with second pizza dough; with moistened fingers seal edges of dough together.
Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve with warmed pizza sauce.

Cooking : Always A Winner Potato Salad

Ingredients
10 large baking potatoes, scrubbed
3 bunches green onions, chopped
6 dill pickles, chopped
1 (4 ounce) can shrimp
1 (4 ounce) can small shrimp, drained
2 cups low-fat mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons celery salt
2 tablespoons paprika

Directions
Place potatoes in a large pot, and cover with water. Boil until soft. Remove from water; set aside to cool. Peel, and then chop into bite size chunks.
Place eggs in a saucepan, and cover completely with cold water. Bring water to a boil for one minute. Cover, remove from heat, and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water, and cool. Peel, and chop.
In a large bowl, combine potatoes, eggs, green onions, dill pickles, and cans of shrimp. Mix in mayonnaise, celery salt, and paprika. Season to taste with salt an ground black pepper. Chill for 2 hours, and serve.

Cooking : BREAKSTONE'S Creamy Chicken Chipotle Skillet

Ingredients
1 tablespoon oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 medium onion, cut into thin wedges
1 1/2 cups water
1 (8 ounce) can mushroom pieces and stems, undrained
2 chicken bouillon cubes
8 ounces medium egg noodles, uncooked
1 tablespoon finely chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 (8 ounce) container BREAKSTONE'S Reduced Fat Sour Cream

Directions
Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken and onions; cook and stir 5 to 7 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
Add water, mushrooms with their liquid, the bouillon cubes and noodles; mix well. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover. Simmer 10 to 12 minutes or until noodles are tender and only a small amount of liquid remains. Stir in peppers. Cook an additional 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
Stir in sour cream.

Cooking : Apple Pie in a Glass

Ingredients
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1 cup reduced-fat frozen vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup apple pie filling
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions
Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor; cover and process until smooth. Pour into glasses; serve immediately.

Cooking : Apple Cider Sauce and Pork Loin Chops

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 pork loin chops
seasoning salt to taste
black pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 (8 ounce) container frozen apple cider concentrate, undiluted
1/4 cup dry sherry

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe frying pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chops with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and poultry seasoning. Place in hot oil, and brown on both sides. Drizzle Worcestershire sauce over chops, and pour in apple cider.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove chops to a plate, and return frying pan to stove over medium-high heat. Stir sherry into pan, and boil until sauce thickens, stirring frequently. Serve sauce over chops.

Cooking : Atomic Tuna Salad

Ingredients
2 (6 ounce) cans tuna, drained
1/2 head broccoli, finely chopped
1/2 head cauliflower, finely chopped
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 cup fat-free mayonnaise, or to taste
4 pita bread rounds

Directions
In a large bowl, toss together the tuna, broccoli, cauliflower, onion and celery. Stir in mayonnaise until the salad reaches your desired consistency. Serve on pita bread.

Cooking : Black Bean Lasagna I

Ingredients
9 lasagna noodles
1 pint part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (16 ounce) cans black beans
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions
In a large pot of lightly salted boiling water, cook the lasagna noodles 10 minutes, until al dente, and drain.
In a bowl, blend the ricotta cheese and egg, and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat a 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
Spray a large skillet with cooking spray, and saute the onion, green bell pepper, and garlic until tender. Mash 1 can of black beans. Stir mashed black beans, whole black beans, and tomato sauce into skillet, and cook until heated through.
Arrange 3 lasagna noodles in the bottom of the prepared baking dish, and layer with 1/3 each of the ricotta mixture, black bean mixture, and mozzarella cheese. Repeat twice.
Bake 40 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Cooking : Breakfast Sausage Cake

Ingredients
1 cup raisins
3 cups boiling water
1 pound ground pork sausage
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup cold coffee
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place raisins in a bowl and cover with boiling water; set aside for 5 to 10 minutes. Drain well and dry raisins in cloth, set aside.
Place sausage in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until lightly brown. Drain, crumble into small pieces and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine sausage, white sugar and brown sugar; stir until mixture is well blended. Add eggs and beat well.
In a separate bowl, sift together flour, ginger, baking powder and pumpkin pie spice. Stir baking soda into coffee. Add flour mixture and coffee alternately to meat mixture, beating well after each addition. Fold raisins and walnuts into cake batter. Turn batter into well-greased and floured Bundt cake pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 75 to 90 minutes until done. Cool 15 minutes in pan before turning out onto serving platter.

Cooking : Big Mama's Fruit Dip

Ingredients
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow creme

Directions
Blend marshmallow creme and cream cheese until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.

Cooking : Barb's Fried Green Tomatoes with Zesty Sauce

Ingredients
1 cup potato flakes
36 thin wheat crackers (such as Wheat Thins�)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter-flavored granules (such as Butter Buds�)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup butter flavored shortening (such as Crisco�)
5 green tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup buttermilk ranch dressing
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce (such as Frank's RedHot�)

Directions
Place potato flakes, wheat crackers, flour, butter-flavored granules, salt, and pepper into a food processor. Pulse until the crackers are finely crushed, then transfer mixture to a bowl.
Melt the butter flavored shortening in a skillet over medium-high heat. Dip the tomato slices one at a time into the eggs, then the cracker mixture. Pan fry the tomatoes in the shortening until golden brown on both sides, 7 to 10 minutes.
Mix the ranch dressing, sour cream, and hot pepper sauce in a bowl. Serve the fried tomatoes with topped with the sauce.

Cooking : Awesome Broccoli Casserole

Ingredients
2 (10 ounce) packages chopped frozen broccoli, thawed
1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 large onion, diced
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of broccoli soup
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
1 (6 ounce) package herb-seasoned dry bread stuffing mix
1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, mix together broccoli, corn, and onions. Stir in sour cream, soup, and 1/4 cup shredded cheese. In a separate bowl, toss together stuffing mix and melted butter. Spread broccoli mixture into a 2 quart casserole dish and cover with stuffing mix.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until heated through and browned on top. Sprinkle remaining 1 3/4 cups cheese on top and bake an additional 5 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Cooking : Beef Barbecue Biscuits

Ingredients
3/4 pound ground beef
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
4 teaspoons brown sugar
1 (12 ounce) package refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions
In a skillet, brown beef; drain. Add barbecue sauce, onion and brown sugar; set aside. Separate dough into 10 biscuits; flatten into 5-in. circles. Press firmly into the bottom and up the sides of greased muffin cups. Spoon 2 tablespoons of beef mixture into each cup; sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10-15 minutes or until biscuits are golden and cheese is melted.

Cooking : Balsamic Salad dressing

Ingredients
3/4 cup tomato juice
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix
2 teaspoons sugar

Directions
In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine all ingredients; shake well. Store in the refrigerator.