Banana Bread Recipe

November 30, 2014 by 3 Comments

baking bread

You can’t go past a good homemade banana bread. One slice after another – and before you know it you have eaten a whole loaf. Make sure you use really ripe bananas, as they bring about a deep, sweet banana flavor. Often I spread a cream cheese icing on top, finished with toasted chopped walnuts – but it wouldn’t be a bread then, would it? Tip: you can also make this delicious banana bread recipe in bread maker appliance easily.

Makes 1 x 23cm LOAF

220g self-raising flour

¼ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp salt

80g sugar

45g brown sugar

2 eggs

60ml milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

75g melted butter or vegetable oil

200g mashed ripe banana
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Christmas Cocktails – Reindeer Tracks

November 29, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Looking for the perfect drink to try this holiday season?  You will love this- the flavored vodkas by Van Gogh take it to a whole new level that your guests and you will love.

Reindeer Tracks

Christmas drinks

2 oz. Van Gogh Dutch Chocolate

1 oz. Hazelnut liqueur
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Caramel Apple Strudel Recipe

November 10, 2014 by 2 Comments

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Ingredients:
4 tbsp of butter for simmering apples
4 cups of Fuji, Pink Lady or other favorite baking apple
2/3 cup of brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
Pinch of ground cloves
1/3 cup chopped pecans (optional)
1 stick of melted butter for brushing fillo dough
8 sheets thawed Kontos fillo dough
Jar of caramel topping, warmed
French vanilla ice cream

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Peel apples and slice them about 1/8-inch thick.
  3. Gently melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a pan with lid. Add the apples and saute, covered, for about 10 minutes until the apples soften.
  4. Combine the softened apples with brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and optional nuts.

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Uniquely Greek Kalamata Olive Feta Spread

July 2, 2014 by 3 Comments

Uniquely Greek Summer Recipe:
Greek-Style Six- Layer Party Dip
Prep Time: 10 minutes Servings: 8

olive feta spread

Ingredients
8 oz container Uniquely Greek Kalamata Olive Feta Spread
2 plum tomatoes, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 lb feta cheese, crumpled
8 Kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped (To save time, buy pitted olives)
Dried or fresh oregano
For a spicy experience, add 1/4 cup of roughly chopped jalapeño or pepperoncini peppers
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Hasselback Baguette

May 6, 2014 by 6 Comments

Yield: 3-4 servings

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INGREDIENTS:

2 Tbsp oil

1 small red onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

½ tsp dried basil

¼ tsp kosher salt

  • pinch coarse black pepper

1 (24-in) baguette

  • shredded cheese

EQUIPMENT:

3 long wooden skewers

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 475°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add pepper and sauté for an additional 3 minutes. Season with basil, salt, and pepper.

3. Cut off the ends of the baguette; discard ends or reserve for another purpose. Slice baguette into 1 ½ inch thick slices (you should have about 15 slices). Slit each slice through the top, leaving the lower end uncut.
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Shepherd’s/Cottage Pie Meatballs

February 16, 2014 by 1 Comment

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If you call something shepherd’s pie on the Internet but you use beef instead of lamb, people freak out. I personally like this recipe better with beef, but it works both ways, so I wanted to leave it open for you to decide. The fun part of this recipe is biting into a meatball to find the soft mashed potato on the inside.

Makes: 30 to 35 meatballs

Heat: 0

Pig-Out Scale: 6.4

 

Potatoes

2 large russet potatoes

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

4 tablespoons (56 g) butter

2 carrots, diced

1 small onion, diced

2 cups (230 g) corn

½ cup (120 ml) cream

 

Meatballs

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons (30 ml) Worcestershire sauce

2 slices bread

2 tablespoons (30 ml) milk

¼ cup (16 g) chopped parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1 ½ pounds (680 g) ground beef or lamb

 

Make the Potatoes: Preheat the oven to 375˚F (190˚C, or gas mark 5). Rub the potatoes with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for about 1 ½ ours, until tender.
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Baby Carrot Soup Recipe

February 8, 2014 by Leave a Comment

 

Vidalia onions were first grown during the Depression in the sandy soil of Toombs County, Georgia, where farmers were surprised to find they’d cultivated a variety that was sweet, not hot. Their unique taste balances the slightly hot chipotle peppers in this easy-to-make (yet company-worthy!) soup.

pic 1

Makes 5 servings

Hands-On 10 min.

Total 37 min.

 

1 (7-oz.) can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

1 small sweet onion, chopped

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 (32-oz.) container reduced-sodium fat-free chicken broth

1 (16-oz.) package baby carrots

⅓ cup half-and-half

½ tsp. table salt

5 tsp. reduced-fat sour cream

Toppings: chopped fresh chives, chopped dried chile peppers
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Mac and Cheese Chile Rellenos

February 5, 2014 by 4 Comments

 

A chile relleno is normally stuffed with cheese, so why not add some mac in there, too? More traditional chile rellenos have an eggy batter that is almost reminiscent of eating a chile omelet. For this bastardized mac and cheese version, I did the standard American bar food breadcrumb crust and it matched perfectly. These chile rellenos have an amazing balance of crunch, spice, ooze and comfort!

Makes: 8 stuffed peppers

Heat: 5.5

Pig-Out Scale: 7.9

pic 1

Mac and Cheese

2 slices bacon

1 clove garlic

¼ cup (35 g) pickled nacho jalape.os

1 tomato

1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil

1 small onion, diced

2 cherry peppers, diced

½ pound (225 g) elbow macaroni

2 tablespoons (28 g) butter

1 ½ tablespoons (21 g) flour

1 ½ cups (355 ml) milk

½ teaspoon mustard powder

5 ounces (140 g) Cheddar cheese

5 ounces (140 g) Monterey Jack cheese

Vegetable oil

Salt

 

8 poblano peppers

2 cups (240 g) flour

2 cups (230 g) breadcrumbs

3 eggs, beaten

Make the Mac and Cheese: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Chop the bacon into ½-inch (1.3-cm) squares. Mince the garlic. Roughly chop the jalapeños and tomatoes.

In a Dutch oven with just a splash of olive oil, cook the bacon until crispy, about 7 minutes, and remove it from the pot. Let drain on paper towels. In the remaining bacon fat, cook the onion and peppers for about 5 minutes, until they start to brown. While the veggies cook, be sure to continually scrape the bottom of the pot to keep the browned bits incorporated with the food and not stuck to the pot. This would be a good time to get your pasta cooking. Add the minced garlic and butter to the onions and peppers and cook for about 2 minutes, until the butter is melted. Mix in the flour and cook, stirring often, until the roux is slightly darkened in color, about 3 minutes. Pour in the milk, whisking until smooth, and bring to a light simmer. Remove from the heat and stir in the mustard powder. Strain the pasta and put it directly into the milk mixture. Slowly add the cheeses and stir well until melted. Add the tomatoes and jalapeños and stir. Cool the pasta down to at least room temperature before stuffing the peppers.
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