Banana Oat Muffins

Banana Oat Muffins
from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup mashed bananas

Directions

1. Combine flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, soda, and salt.
2. In a large bowl, beat the egg lightly. Stir in the milk, oil, and vanilla. Add the mashed banana, and combine thoroughly. Stir the flour mixture into the banana mixture until just combined. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper bake cups, and divide the batter among them.
3. Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 18 to 20 minutes.

Yields 12 muffins

Breakfast Casserole

Breakfast Casserole
adapted from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1 (2 pound) package frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed or 3 medium potatoes, skinned, shredded in a food processor, and browned in a skillet with butter
  
• 1/2 pound pork sausage
• 4 strips bacon
  
• 5 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 12 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 2 quart baking dish. Place the hash brown potatoes in the bottom of the baking dish.
2. Heat a skillet over medium heat and cook and stir the sausage until the sausage is crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink; drain.
   
3. Heat 4 slices of bacon in a skillet and brown on both sides. Let cool then chop into 1/2 inch pieces.
   
4. Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, milk, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, and pour over the potatoes. Layer with half the Cheddar cheese, the sausage and bacon, and the remaining Cheddar cheese. Cover with aluminum foil.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Remove cover; return casserole to the oven and bake until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 10 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

12 Days of Christmas Treats: Day 6

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

For the Dough (this is the same dough used in this recipe):
1 pkg yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm later
1 tsp salt
1 cup scalded milk
2/3 cup shortening (Crisco)
6 to 8 cups flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup potatoes, mashed
butter

For Filling and Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
4 Tbsp butter, melted
1 Tbsp cinnamon
2 cups powdered sugar
1 Tbsp water

Add shortening, sugar, salt and eggs to potatoes. Cream well. Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water, add to lukewarm milk, and add to potato mixture. Add sifted flour to make stiff dough. Toss on floured board and knead well. Put in large bowl and let rise until doubled in bulk. Turn out on floured board and kneaded slightly. Rub over top with melted butter. Place in a bowl. Cover tightly and place in refrigerator until ready to use.

Roll out dough. Mix brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon together. Spread over dough. Roll dough into a log. Cut log into 1 inch slices. Place rolls on a baking sheet and let rise 1 hour before baking time. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until edges start to brown.

Mix powdered sugar and water into a flowing but thick icing (add more water if needed). Spread over cinnamon rolls and enjoy.

Makes approximately 24 rolls.

Christmas Banana Pumpkin Bread

12 Days of Christmas Treats: Day 2

Christmas Banana Pumpkin Bread
adapted from: Taste of Home

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 2 medium)
• 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the bananas and pumpkin puree just until combined.Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts.


• Pour into a greased 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pan. Bake at 350° for 70-80 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Yield: 1 loaf (16 slices).

Wrap bread in cellophane and tie with a bow to make a great gift or turn recipe into four mini loaves and arrange in a bread basket.

Cafe Sua Da - Vietnamese Ice Coffee

Cafe Sua Da (Vietnamese Ice Coffee)

2 Tbsp strong French roast coffee such as Cafe Du Monde, ground
2 Tbsp sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups boiling water
ice cubes

Pour sweetened condensed milk in the bottom of a coffee mug. Unscrew coffee filter strainer. Add ground coffee to the bottom on the filter. Screw coffee filter strainer back on until it fits snug. Place coffee filter over mug. Add about 1/2 inch of boiling water over strainer. Wait about 30 seconds to allow coffee grounds to expand. Loosen filter by unscrewing two turns. Pour additional water over filter. When water has filtered through pour additional water over filter. Continue until all water has filtered through. Stir coffee in mug until the condensed milk has combined with coffee. Fill a class with ice. Pour coffee over ice. Enjoy!

Carrot Cake

Carrot Cake
Adapted from allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS
4 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups grated carrots
1/2 cup butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a muffin pan with liners and spray each one with cooking spray. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, apple sauce, white sugar, brown sugar, and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Pour into prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center cupcake comes out clean. Let cool completely.

To Make Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Frost the cooled cupcakes.

Banana Crumb Muffins

Banana Crumb Muffins
from allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 bananas, mashed
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins. Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

I followed the directions exactly as listed on allrecipes.com. The muffins were perfect. I wouldn't change a thing. This is a great way to use up bananas before they turn bad.

Mini Quiches

Mini Quiches
makes 15 to 18

Crust: Good For Almost Everything Pie Dough - Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) very cold (frozen is fine) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces2
1/2 tablespoons very cold (frozen is even better) vegetable shortening, cut into 2 pieces
About 1/4 cup ice water

Quiche Mixture

1 1/2 cups of any combination of chopped cooked spinach, chopped cooked broccoli, chopped cooked artichoke hearts, chopped cooked bacon
4 eggs
1/8 cup feta cheese, crumbled,
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
1 dash cayenne pepper
1 dash paprika
a few sprinkles of your favorite herbs (thyme, basil, parsley, dill, etc.)

additional shredded cheddar cheese to sprinkle on top

Put the flour, sugar and salt into a food processor fitted with a metal blade; pulse just to combine the ingredients. Drop in the butter and shortening and pulse only until the butter and shortening are cut into the flour. Don't overdo the mixing -- what you're aiming for is to have some pieces the size of fat green peas and others the size of barley. Pulsing the machine on and off, gradually add about 6 tablespoons of the water if making a double crust, 3 tablespoons if making a singe crust -- add a little water and pulse once, add some more water, pulse again and keep going that way. Then use a few long pulses to get the water into the flour. If, after a dozen or so pulses, the dough doesn't look evenly moistened of form soft curds, pulse in as much of the remaining water as necessary, or even a few drops more, to get a dough that will stick together when pinched. Big pieces of butter are fine. Scrape the dough out of the work bowl and onto a work surface.

Roll out dough and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile mix the quiche mixture together in a medium bowl. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove dough from refrigerator. Use a 5 inch diameter round cutter to cut out 15 to 18 circles. Place dough in a greased muffin pan. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes. Fill each crust with the quiche mixture to the top edge of the crusts (about 2 Tbsp. in each). Place back in oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle additional cheese on top of each quiche. Place back in oven for one minute to melt cheese. Remove from oven and let cool. When cool use a plastic knife to cut around the edges of each quiche and remove from the muffin pan.

Bisquick Coffee Cake

Bisquick Coffee Cake
from recipezaar.com

Dough
2 cups Bisquick
2/3 cup water or milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons sugar

Topping
1/3 cup Bisquick
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a deep pie plate, 8"x8" square pan, or 9"x9" square pan. Mix dough ingredients and put in baking dish. Mix topping ingredients with a fork or pastry mixer until crumbly. Spread topping mix over dough and drag a butter knife across like you were making a tic-tac-toe board several times. Bake for 25 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Scones

Chocolate Chip Scones
From Joy of Baking

2 cups (280 grams) all purpose flour

1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar

1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (113 grams) (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces

1/2 cup (90 grams) milk or semi sweet chocolate chips or chunks

1/2 cup (75 grams) dried cherries or cranberries *I omitted these

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2/3 cup (160 ml) buttermilk

Egg mixture for brushing tops of scones:

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon milk

Cinnamon Sugar:

2 tablespoons (30 grams) granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Powdered Sugar:

Dust on top

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and place rack in middle of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Stir in the chocolate chunks (or chips) and dried cherries. In a small measuring cup whisk together the buttermilk and vanilla extract and then add to the flour mixture. Stir just until the dough comes together (add more buttermilk if necessary). Do not over mix the dough.

Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead dough gently four or five times and then pat the dough into a circle that is about 7 inches (18 cm) round and about 11/2 inches (3.75 cm) thick. Cut this circle in half, then cut each half into 4 pie-shaped wedges (triangles). Place the scones on the baking sheet. Make an egg wash of one well-beaten egg mixed with 1 tablespoon milk and brush the tops of the scones with this mixture. To make the Cinnamon Sugar, mix together the sugar and ground cinnamon. Sprinkle the tops of the scones with a little of the cinnamon sugar.

Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and then turn your broiler on high. Sift the confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar heavily over the tops of the scones and place them under the broiler. Broil for just a few seconds, turning the pan as necessary, until the sugar has melted and turns golden brown. Make sure to watch the scones carefully as the sugar will burn very quickly. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Makes 8 scones or 16 to 18 biscuits

Graham Streusel Coffee Cake

Graham Streusel Coffee Cake

from: allrecipes.com

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon milk

Combine the first five ingredients; set aside. Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Pour half of the batter into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan. Sprinkle with half of the graham cracker mixture. Carefully spoon the remaining batter on top. Sprinkle with the remaining graham cracker mixture. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Combine confectioners' sugar and milk; drizzle over cake.

Pumpkin Scones

Pumpkin Scones

From: recipezaar.com and hungryjaney.blogspot.com

2 cups all-purpose flour

7 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

6 tablespoons cold butter

1/2 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

3 tablespoons milk

1 egg

Powdered Sugar Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons whole milk

Spiced Icing

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1 pinch ginger

1 pinch ground cloves

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or line with parchment paper.
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices in a large bowl. Using a pastry knife, fork, or food processor, cut butter into the dry ingredients until mixture is crumbly and no chunks of butter are obvious. Set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, half and half, and egg. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Form the dough into a ball.

Pat out dough onto a lightly floured surface and form it into a 1-inch thick rectangle (about 9 inches long and 3 inches wide). Use a large knife or a pizza cutter to slice the dough twice through the width, making three equal portions. Cut those three slices diagonally so that you have 6 triangular slices of dough. Place on prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 14–16 minutes. Scones should begin to turn light brown. Place on wire rack to cool.

TO MAKE THE PLAIN GLAZE: Mix the powdered sugar and 2 tbsp milk together until smooth. When scones are cool, use a brush to paint plain glaze over the top of each scone.

TO MAKE THE SPICED ICING: Combine the ingredient for the spiced icing together. Drizzle this thicker icing over each scone and allow the icing to dry before serving (at least 1 hour).

Christmas Leftovers Take 2

Ham and Cheese Crepes
Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
coarse salt
3 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons brandy
2 tablespoons butter, melted
vegetable oil for cooking crepes
1 cups shredded cheese (original recipe is for Swiss cheese but I used cheddar)
1/2 lb thinly sliced ham, cut into strips

For the crepe batter, combine the flour and a pinch of salt in a bowl and make a well in the center. Add the eggs, milk, and brandy to the well and whisk to combine. Stir in the melted butter. Cover the batter and set aside for 20 minutes.

Preheat a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat with a drizzle of vegetable oil. Cover the bottom of the skillet with just enough batter to coat, lifting and shaking the skillet to help the batter along. Let the crepe cook and lightly brown on one side, about 1 minute. Turn the crepe with a rubber spatula, lifting up the edges, then use a toothpick or your finger to flip it over. Once it is flipped, scatter some cheese and ham on top. Season with salt and pepper, then fold the crepe over and continue to cook until the cheese starts to melt. Transfer the crepe to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat 7 more times to serve 2 crepes per person.

Overnight French Toast Bake with Berry Topping

This is the second recipe I've tried from the Betty Crocker Brunch eCookbook. I actually prefer the first one I made, Upside-Down Banana-Nut French Toast, but this one was good too.



Overnight French Toast Bake with Berry Topping
from Betty Crocker Brunch page 8-9

Serves 8

For the French Toast Bake:
12 cups cubed French bread
8 eggs
3 cups half-and-half
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla

For the Berry Topping:
1 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
1/4 cup orange juice
1 bag (12 oz.) frozen berries (unsweetened) *I replaced this with more strawberries
3 cups strawberries, quartered

1. Spray bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place bread cubes in baking dish. In a large bowl, beat eggs, half-and-half, 1/4 cup sugar, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla until smooth; pour over bread cubes. Cover tightly; refrigerate at least 4 hours but no more than 24 hours.

2. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Uncover baking dish; bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown and knife inserted into center comes out clean.

3. Meanwhile, in a 2-quart sauce pan, stir together 1 cup sugar and cornstarch. Stir in orange juice until smooth. Stir in mixed berries. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook about 6 minutes, stirring constantly, until topping is slightly thickened. Remove from heat.

4. Just before serving stir strawberries into topping. Serve warm over French Toast.

Basic Biscuits

Basic Biscuits

Baking: From My Home to Yours By Dorie Greenspan

Yield: 12 - 2 inch diameter biscuits

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour (or 1 3/4 cps all-purpose flour and 1/3 cup cake flour)
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces
3/4 cup whole milk

Preparation

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Get out a sharp 2-inch diameter biscuit cutter, and line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.

Whisk the flour(s), baking powder, sugar and salt together in a bowl. Drop in the butter and, using your fingers, toss to coat the pieces of butter with flour. Quickly, working with your fingertips or a pastry blender, cut and rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is pebbly. You’ll have pea-size pieces, pieces the size of oatmeal flakes, and pieces the size of everything in between, and that’s just right.

Pour the milk over the dry ingredients, grab a fork and toss and gently turn the ingredients until you’ve got a nice soft dough. Now reach into the bowl with your hands and give the dough a quick, gentle kneading-3 or 4 turns should be just enough to bring everything together.

Lightly dust a work surface with flour and turn out the dough. Dust the top of the dough very lightly with flour and pat the dough out with your hands or roll it with a pin until it is about 1/2 inch high. Don’t worry if the dough isn’t completely even-a quick, light touch is more important than accuracy.

Use the biscuit cutter to cut out as many biscuits as you can. Try to cut the biscuits close to one another so you get the most you can out of this first round. By hand or with a small spatula, transfer the biscuits to the baking sheet. Gather together the scraps, working them as little as possible, pat out to a 1/2 inch thickness and cut as many additional biscuits as you can; transfer these to the sheet. (The biscuits can be made to this point and frozen on the baking sheet, then wrapped airtight and kept for up to 2 months. Bake without defrosting-just add a couple more minutes to the oven time.)

Bake the biscuits for 14 to 18 minutes, or until they are puffed and golden brown. Transfer them to a serving basket.

Chocolate Waffles

I was in the mood for something sweet this morning and I also wanted to use my waffle maker. I pink puffy heart my waffle maker. It is so fun to use and I love experimenting with different batters. So far I tried 2 kinds of traditional Belgium waffle batters, a spice (gingerbread-like) batter, and now a chocolate waffle batter. The chocolate waffles we good but the spice is still my favorite. I adapted a recipe I found on allrecipes.com. I thought the waffles we a little dry so next time I will add more milk.

Chocolate Waffles II
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chocolate-Waffles-II/Detail.aspx

INGREDIENTS

2 (1 ounce) squares semisweet baking chocolate (I used 1/3 cup chocolate chips)
1 cup butter, softened (I used 4 Tbs)
1 cup white sugar (I used 1/2 cup)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk (next time I will use 3/4 cup)
(I added 1/2 tsp cream of tarter)
(I added 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips to the batter at the end)


DIRECTIONS

In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave chocolate until melted. Stir occasionally until chocolate is smooth. Set aside.
In a bowl, mix the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. Stir in chocolate and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add gradually to the butter and sugar mixture, alternating with the milk.
Spray preheated waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Pour mix onto hot waffle iron. Cook until crisp.

MY DIRECTIONS
Separate eggs. Add egg whites and cream of tarter to a large bowl and beat on high speed until stiff peaks form. Mix in the sugar, egg yolks, baking powder, salt, and milk. Add 1/3 cup of chocolate ships and butter to a microwave safe dish. Microwave on high for 1 minutes. Stir until chocolate is melted. Add to egg white mixture. Stir in flour. Mix in mini chocolate chips. Add 1/2 batter to preheated Belgium waffle maker. Cook for approximately 5 minutes or until slightly crisp. Remove from waffle maker and top with powdered sugar, whip cream, strawberries, and/or chocolate syrup. Repeat with the remaining batter. Yields 2 Belgium waffles.

Upside-Down Banana-Nut French Toast

As soon as I saw this recipe I wanted to make it. The picture in the booklet looked mouth watering. I had most of the ingredients on hand (and what I didn't have I found pretty good substitutes) so I made it for breakfast this morning. It was super easy to make and I thought it came out just like the picture. It was also very yummy! I will definitely make this again. It looks fancy so you could make it for a special occasion brunch, but it is so easy that you could make it anytime.


Upside-Down Banana-Nut French Toast
Betty Crocker Most Requested Recipes

The recipe can be found here: http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/gm/brunch/

I made half the recipe. I used plain wheat bread and sprinkled cinnamon on top instead of the cinnamon bread. I also used pecans instead of walnuts.

Applesauce Pancakes

This was the second recipe from Jeannie for my mission to use up wheat bread. It was delicious but I am slightly partial to the banana fritter pancakes. I didn't have any dry milk so I used regular milk for both of these. It didn't seem to make a difference in the banana recipe but it made this one too runny so I added another slice of bread. That did the trick and they turned out perfect.



Applesauce Pancakes
from the LEAN and LUSCIOUS Cookbook

2 eggs
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 slices whole wheat bread, crumbled (I used 3 slices)
2 tsp vegetable oil
1/3 cup nonfat dry milk (1/4 cup 2% milk)
1 tsp double acting baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
sweetener equivalent to 3 tsp sugar (I used sugar)

In blender combine all ingredients until smooth. Preheat griddle or skillet over medium- high heat. Pour mixture unto griddle, making 8 4 inch pancakes. Turn carefully when edges are brown.
Makes 2 servings
263 calories

Banana Fritters

I went a little crazy at Costco and bought WAY too much bread. The next few days I will be on a mission to use up some of this bread because I hate wasting food. Jeannie sent me two fabulous recipes and I made them both for breakfast today. Yes, I finally got around to cooking breakfast at 10:30 am. It is my day off so I've been really lazy.



Banana Fritters
from LEAN AND LUSCIOUS Cookbook

2 eggs
1 medium ripe banana
2 slices whole wheat bread, crumbled
1/3 cup non fat dry milk (substituted 1/4 cup 2% milk)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp double acting baking powder
2 tsp vegetable oil
sweetener equivalent to 2 tsp sugar (I used sugar)
I also added 1/2 tsp cinnamon

In blender, combine all ingredients. Blend until smooth. Preheat a griddle or skillet over medium- high heat. Pour unto griddle making 8 4 inch fritters. Turn over carefully when fritters become brown.
Makes 2 servings
286 calories

This isn't exactly what I think about when I think of fritters. I was expecting a deep fried breaded banana. This is so much better and better for you. I would probably call it a pancake instead of a fritter.

Navajo Fry Bread Breakfast Pie

I stumbled upon a contest called Homegrown Gourmet while I was checking out some other food blogs.

Here are the rules:

Anyone can play!

A theme will be picked by the host. Participants will make a dish that follows the theme and that somehow represents their home region- town, state, area. Representation can feature a local ingredient, be a traditional dish from your area, or be a creative twist.

Participants will have 3-4 weeks (host discretion) to complete their recipes and post them to their blog (or email the pics and text), and notify the host. The host will then post the results and then let everyone know via email or message board the results are up! An explanation of your dish is required; it can be a story about the local custom or ingredient, how you came about eating/ making the recipe, or an explanation about how your creative dish fits the theme.

Fresh and local foods are encouraged!

When the round is done, the host will announce their favorite dish by updating their blog. Favorite is completely subjective to the host- no one expects the host to make and taste test all the dishes, it is just something that strikes the host’s fancy! The creator of the fave gets the honor of hosting the next round, if they so choose!

The theme for this round is…PIES AND TARTS!

I was so excited about a blogger contest! But then I got to thinking what could I make to represent Arizona? We are definitely not known for pies or tarts. The first things that came to mind were Indians, Southwestern/Mexican food, and oranges. Since our climate is warm we are one of the top citrus growing states. Unfortunately I couldn't think of any orange pie or tart that sounded good. That left me with Indian and Southwestern/Mexican food. Traditional pies like fruit pies, cream pies, or nut pies were ruled out. I had to think out of the box (or the traditional pie shell to be exact). It was also Sunday morning and I was getting hungry for breakfast. So I decided on a Southwestern take on Huevos Rancheros using Navajo Fry Bread for the pie crust.

One thing I've discovered about my town is there seems to be a festival every weekend except in the summer months when it is too hot to go outdoors. One of the most popular attractions at these festivals is the Navajo Fry Bread stand. Some people go to these festivals only to get some fry bread. You can order plain fry bread with powder sugar and/or honey for about $4 or you can get a fry bread taco with beans, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and sour cream for $7. I did a little research to find out how to make fry bread. It is actually really simple. I can't believe how much these stands charge for fried dough. Maybe I should start a fry bread business! I wanted to incorporate fry bread into my pie since Arizona has a strong Native American history.

We also have a strong Mexican influence. I love Mexican food. I could eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. My husband and I like to go to the Mercado on the weekends and have authentic carne asada, chile verde, and fajitas. The Mercado reminds me of a party with loud music and the aroma of delicious food. Several times we have tried to re-create the foods that we ate there at home. I like the red salsa so I'm always trying to imitate it. My husband likes the green salsa so he tries to make that one. The famous red/green salsa debate, popular in the southwestern states, continues in our own house! The key to a good salsa is fresh ingredients. I wanted to incorporate salsa roja into this dish because no matter what everyone else says the red salsa is the best!

It may sound a little strange but this actually turned out really, really well. I was very impressed and so were my taste testers!

Navajo Fry Bread Breakfast Pie

The Crust:
1 cup flour, plus additional for dusting
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup warm water
vegetable oil for frying

Heat oil in a large, shallow frying pan. Mix 1 cup of flour and baking powder in a bowl. Slowly add the water. Stir until a dough forms. Dust some flour on a sheet of wax paper or other clean, dry surface. Dust flour on a rolling pin. Add the dough to the surface and roll out into a 10 inch diameter circle. Add dough to oil and fry for 3 minutes on each side.

The Pie:
(use fresh ingredients for best results)
2 large tomatoes
1/4 cup white onions, diced
1/4 cup red onions, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
1 Tbs olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
4 oz tomato sauce
1 Tbs lime juice
2 Tbs cilantro chopped
4 eggs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Piece the skin of the tomatoes on the bottom in an "X" shape. Heat a bowl of water in the microwave just until boiling (about 3 minutes on high). Add the tomatoes to the water for 2 minutes. This will make it easier to peel the skin. Remove the skin from the tomatoes. Dice the tomatoes and add to an oven safe dish. Add the onions, jalapeno, olive olive, salt, pepper, cumin, and tomato sauce to the tomatoes. Stir to combine. Place in oven and roast for 40 minutes. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes. Add the lime juice and cilantro.

Place the fry bread on the bottom of a pie plate. Add the salsa on top. With a spoon, create 4 wells in the salsa. Crack an egg in each well. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until eggs reach the desired consistency.