Bananas Foster Bread

Banana bread is so good. I like it "plain" but I've made a few varieties: with molasses and oatmeal, and with strawberries. And this is another great option if you ever want to "doctor up" the perfectly delicious banana bread. It takes a few extra steps, but it's totally worth it for the depth of flavor in this variety.

Start by melting the butter in a small saucepan then adding the brown sugar



and bananas.



Bring this mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3-4 minutes.



Remove from the heat. Stir in the rum



then set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In another bowl, whisk the eggs and yogurt and add to the brown sugar/banana mixture.



Then stir in the remaining brown sugar.



Stir this banana mixture into the dry ingredients just until moistened.



Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan and bake for 45-50 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the glaze, add the powdered sugar to the melted butter,



then stir in the rum (or the rum extract and milk). Whisk well until smooth then pour over the cooled bread.



Slice and serve!



One year ago: Beer Bread
Two years ago: Shrimp Lo Mein

Find more inspiration at Mangia Mondays, Mouthwatering Mondays, Menu Mondays, Mop it Up Mondays, Tasty Tuesday, Tuesday at the Table, Tasty Tuesday (#2), Tempt my Tummy Tuesday, Made from Scratch Tuesday, Totally Tasty Tuesdays, Tasty Tuesday (#3), A Little Birdie Told Me, Crazy Sweet Tuesday, Tuesday Talent Show, Cast Party Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, These Chicks Cooked.

Bananas Foster Bread

5 Tbsp. butter, cubed
1 cup brown sugar, divided
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium)
3 Tbsp. dark rum or 3 tsp. rum extract
1 3/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 eggs
1/3 cup plain yogurt

Glaze:
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 Tbsp. dark rum or 1 tsp. rum extract + 2 tsp. milk

In a small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in 1/2 cup brown sugar and bananas. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 3-4 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat. Stir in rum; set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In another bowl, whisk the eggs and yogurt and add to the brown sugar/banana mixture. Stir in the remaining brown sugar. Stir this banana mixture into the dry ingredients just until moistened.

Transfer to a greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Combine the glaze ingredients and whisk well until smooth. Pour over the cool bread. Makes 12 slices.

Garlic Breadsticks

Garlic breadsticks are a wonderful addition to almost any meal. They're easy to make, especially if you let your bread machine do most of the work. And the payoff is huge - warm, chewy, buttery, garlicky goodness!

This is a recipe repeat. For full step by step instructions, visit the original post.

One year ago: Tiramisu


Garlic Breadsticks

3 cups bread flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 tsp. garlic powder
3 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 1/8 cups water
2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 Tbsp. melted butter

Combine flour, sugar, salt, garlic powder, cheese, oil, water and yeast in a bread machine pan. Process on the dough setting. When processed, divide into 20 pieces, and roll each piece into a ball, then a rope. Place on a greased baking sheet and cover; let rise in a warm place for 40 minutes or until almost doubled in size.

Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes. Brush with melted butter. Makes 20 breadsticks.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

I have a hard time narrowing down my favorite kind of cookie, but this one would rank right up there in my top 3. (And here's a secret: chocolate chip wouldn't even MAKE my top 3! Heretical, I know...)

I just love the combo of white chocolate and macadamia nuts. If you've never made or eaten these, prepare to be won over!

This is a recipe repeat. You can visit the original post for full step by step instructions. (Although this one is not so complicated!)

One year ago: Oatmeal Chocolate Cherry Cookies
Two years ago: Toasted Coconut Pie

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
1 1/2 cups white chocolate/vanilla chips
1 cup chopped macadamia nuts

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl; set aside. Cream butter, shortening and sugars in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, beat well. Gradually add in flour mixture, mix well. Stir in chips and nuts.

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes until golden brown. Let stand for two minutes on cookie sheets; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes 3 dozen.

Chipotle Shrimp Tacos

As soon as I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it. I had been wanting to make shrimp tacos for some time but it was the accompanying slaw that just put it over the top for me. These were so quick and easy to make - and the contrast of flavors and textures in this dish is amazing: cool and creamy avocado, crunchy coleslaw mix, spicy shrimp, crispy (sort of!) tortillas. I think I better make these again soon, as I'm practically drooling just reliving the making and eating of these!

Start by marinating the shrimp. Put them in a ziptop bag or other suitable container and season with olive oil, salt and pepper.



Place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

When it's dinner time, start with the slaw preparation. To make the dressing, combine the yogurt, garlic powder,



salt, pepper, paprika,



and lime juice in a measuring cup.



Mash up the avocado



then add it to the other dressing ingredients.



Stir well, then toss with the coleslaw.



Now, make the sauce for the shrimp. Combine the brown sugar, mustard, chipotle pepper and adobe sauce,



cilantro, salt and pepper, garlic, oil and vinegar, and stir well to combine.
Saute the shrimp in a large skillet for about 1 minute (or 2-3 if you're using raw shrimp) then pour in the sauce.



Let cook for another minute or two and stir so that all the shrimp are completely coated. This will smell amazing! But it gets even better!



Heat tortillas in a skillet so that they're easy to work with - I usually do 15-20 seconds per side in a hot skillet coated with nonstick spray or a little bit of olive oil. Divide up the slaw among the tortillas



then top with the shrimp and sauce.



I hope you enjoy these as much as I did!

One year ago: Creamy Orzo and Chicken
Two years ago: Beef and Barley Soup with Mushrooms

There's more great stuff at Full Plate Thursday, It's A Keeper, Foodie Friday, Fusion Friday, Food on Fridays, Friday Food.

Chipotle Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Lime Coleslaw

Shrimp:
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (or use cooked shrimp)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 chipotle pepper in adobe sauce, minced
1 tsp. adobe sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 sprigs of cilantro, chopped
2 Tbsp. of olive oil
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar

Slaw:
1 12-oz. bag coleslaw
1/3 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
juice of 2 limes
1 medium avocado, mashed
1/2 tsp. paprika

8 corn tortillas

Place the shrimp in a plastic bag or other container and season with salt, pepper and olive oil. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Pour the coleslaw into a large bowl. In a large measuring cup, combine the yogurt, garlic powder, salt and pepper, lime juice, avocado and paprika, and stir well to combine. Add to the coleslaw and toss.

Mix together the brown sugar, chipotle pepper, mustard, adobe sauce, garlic, cilantro, oil and vinegar in a small bowl.

Heat a saute pan to medium-high and cook shrimp for 3-4 minutes until slightly curled. (If you're using cooked shrimp, just cook for 1 minute to warm them up.) Add the sauce and toss to coat all the shrimp. Cook for another minute.

Grill the tortillas in a skillet coated with olive oil until pliable, about 15-20 seconds per side. Fill tortillas with coleslaw and then with shrimp. Makes 4 servings.

Recipe Source: Kitchen Belleicious

Chicken, Bacon and Avocado Quesadillas

I love quesadillas. They are so versatile, easy to whip up, and tasty! When I saw this version that included bacon and avocado, I knew I had to try it. I am always so impressed when relatively few ingredients combine to make an outstanding meal!

Start by cooking the bacon. I find it easiest to dice up the bacon first, then cook it over medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate, and drain off the grease, leaving just a tablespoon of drippings in the pan.

Return the heat to medium, and add the green onions to the skillet.



Cook for a few minutes until they soften, then add the chicken.



Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then saute til golden and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate, and rinse or wipe out the skillet. (Or, use a different pan to cook the quesadillas - that's what I did!)

Now, in the clean skillet over medium heat, melt 1/2 Tbsp. butter. Add one tortilla, and sprinkle the cheese on the front half of the tortilla. Add 1/4 of the chicken



then the bacon, and the avocado.



Carefully fold the top half of the tortilla over the filling



and press down gently to get it to adhere a bit. Let it cook for about 1 or 2 minutes, until the underside is golden and the cheese is melted. Then carefully flip it over and cook on the other side for 1-2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling.

I find it easiest to use a pizza cutter to cut these into thirds. Serve with plenty of salsa for dipping!

One year ago: Greek Salad
Two years ago: Hummus

Find more great ideas at Mouthwatering Monday, Mangia Mondays, Menu Mondays, Your Recipe, My Kitchen, Mop it up Mondays, Tasty Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday (#2), Tuesday at the Table, Totally Tasty Tuesdays, Tasty Tuesday (#3), Made from Scratch Tuesday, A Little Birdie Told Me, Kidz in the Kitchen, Tuesday Talent Show, Cast Party Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, These Chicks Cooked, Recipe Roundup, Famous Linkz Party, Bacon Fest.

Chicken, Bacon and Avocado Quesadillas

4 burrito-sized flour tortilla shells
1 lb chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup sliced green onions
8 strips of bacon, diced
1 avocado, diced
1 1/2 cups Mexican blend shredded cheese
2 tbsp butter

Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crispy. Remove to a paper-towel lined plate. Remove all the drippings except for 1/2 tablespoon. Reheat the skillet over medium heat, then add the scallions and saute about 2-3 minutes until softened. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 5 minutes or until chicken is golden and cooked through. Remove the chicken and scallions to a plate and rinse out the skillet.

Add about 1/2 Tbsp. butter to the skillet over medium heat. When foamy, add a tortilla and swirl it around to get it nice and buttery. Layer one side of the tortilla with cheese, chicken, bacon and avocado. Gently flip the other half of the tortilla over and press down. Cook the tortilla for about 1-2 mins on each side or until golden brown and crispy.

Recipe Source: Kevin and Amanda

Corn Casserole

This very easy side dish is a wonderful addition to a roast beef or turkey dinner. It is a snap to throw together, and makes "regular" corn a little more dressed up. Try it for your next Sunday dinner.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the corn, cream corn, Jiffy mix



and yogurt. Add the melted butter



and stir to combine. Add the cheese



and stir well. Spread into a greased casserole dish



and bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before you serve it.



One year ago: Chicken Noodle Casserole
Two years ago: Fried Cauliflower

Find more inspiration at Bake with Bizzy, It's a Keeper, Full Plate Thursday, Friday Food, Food on Fridays, Foodie Friday, Fusion Fridays.

Corn Casserole

1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can cream-style corn
1 package Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Mix together the corn, Jiffy, sour cream and butter in a large bowl. Stir in the cheese. Pour into a greased 9x13 baking dish or large casserole dish.

Bake at 350 for 55 minutes, or until golden brown and set. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe source: Adapted from Paula Deen

Chocolate Mousse Cake with Raspberry Sauce

It's time for Reveal Day again at the Secret Recipe Club! I had so much fun perusing Liz's blog (and I love her title: That Skinny Chick Can Bake!); as usual, it was hard to choose just one recipe. But I was baking for a special occasion, and this cake rose quickly to the top of my list. This Chocolate Mousse Cake is certainly celebration-worthy, with TONS of chocolate surrounded by lady fingers and whipped cream. It's actually even more delicious than it is beautiful. I was glad I had made chocolate chip cookies for the kids at the party so the adults could enjoy more of this delicious cake!

I made one change to Liz's recipe: I added a raspberry sauce. This was partly done out of necessity - Liz's recipe calls for soft ladyfingers, and I used Italian ones *(like you use for tiramisu). Because of this, I needed the cookies to soften more, so I added a raspberry sauce on the top and the bottom. It was more than just functional though - the red sauce added a dimension to the dessert that was fantastic - both in color and taste. Raspberries are a wonderful compliment to chocolate and everyone enjoyed the fruity addition.

Start by chopping all the chocolate and combining it in a saucepan, or microwave safe dish, with the water.



Melt the chocolate over low heat on the stove top, stirring constantly, or in the microwave at reduced power, stirring every 30 seconds. The mixture will be extremely thick. Then add the powdered sugar



vanilla and egg yolks



and stir vigorously until well combined. (Making this cake is good exercise! This will give your arm a work out!)



Set the mixture aside to cool. In the meantime, line a loaf pan with foil, and lightly spray it with nonstick cooking spray. Layer ladyfingers in the bottom of the pan, cutting them if necessary to fit.



Now beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold some of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture,



then fold in the remaining until totally incorporated. Pour half of the chocolate mixture over the ladyfingers.



Continue with a second layer of ladyfingers, the remaining chocolate, and a final layer of ladyfingers.



Cover with saran wrap or more foil, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, but preferably overnight.

To make the raspberry sauce, combine the raspberries, sugar and water in a small saucepan and cook over medium-low heat until raspberries are thawed. Stir often to sort of break up the raspberries. Combine the cornstarch and water in a jar and shake until dissolved, then add to the raspberry mixture. Continue to cook and stir until slightly thickened. Let cool completely.

To assemble the cake, carefully spoon half of the raspberry sauce onto the serving platter.



Lift the cake (in the foil) out of the loaf pan using the foil edges.



Invert the cake onto the platter and carefully peel back the foil.



Spoon the remaining raspberry sauce over the top of the cake. You want the sauce to soak into the top layer of ladyfingers, not run all over, so try to contain it as best you can!



Return to the fridge for several hours.

When ready to serve, pour the whipping cream into a small mixing bowl, and add the vanilla and powdered sugar.



Whip the cream, then frost the cake top



and sides,



being careful not to swirl too much of the raspberry or chocolate.



To garnish, I grated chocolate over the top, then added some whole raspberries.





This cake is very rich - be sure to serve with coffee (or tall glasses of milk) and enjoy!



Thanks, Liz, for a great celebration cake!

One year ago: Pumpkin Bran Muffins
Two years ago: Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake

For more great recipes, visit Mangia Mondays, Mouthwatering Mondays, Your Recipe, My Kitchen, Mop it Up Monday, Menu Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Tempt my Tummy Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday (#2), Made from Scratch Tuesday, Totally Tasty Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday (#3), A Little Birdie Told Me, Crazy Sweet Tuesday, Cast Party Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, These Chicks Cooked, Sweet Treats Thursday, Sweet Tooth Friday, This Week's Cravings.

Chocolate Mousse Cake with Raspberry Sauce

2 - 3 oz. packages of soft ladyfingers
(alternatively, use Italian ladyfingers - about 24)
18 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 Tbsp. water
1/4 cup powdered sugar
7 egg yolks
5 egg whites
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

8 oz. frozen raspberries
1/3 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. water

1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Raspberries or chocolate curls or shavings to garnish

Line a loaf pan with parchment paper or foil. Split the ladyfingers in half and arrange on the bottom the pan. Trim ladyfingers to fill any empty spots. Set aside.

Melt chocolate with 3 tablespoons of water in microwave. Start, stop and stir at 30 second intervals till chocolate is melted and smooth. (To melt on stovetop, stir constantly over low heat.) Mixture will be thick. Stir in powdered sugar, egg yolks and vanilla. Beat till smooth. Allow to cool.

Beat the egg whites till soft peaks form. Mix some of the whipped egg whites into chocolate mixture, then fold and mix in the rest till completely combined. Spread half of this chocolate mousse over the ladyfingers, then place a second layer of ladyfingers over the mousse. Top with the remaining mousse and then another layer of ladyfingers. Cover with foil or plastic wrap. Chill at least 6 hours or overnight.

For the raspberry sauce, combine frozen berries, sugar and 2 Tbsp. water in a small saucepan. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until berries thaw, stirring often to break up the berries. Combine the cornstarch with the remaining 2 Tbsp. water and shake til dissolved; add to the raspberries and cook and stir until slightly thickened. Let cool completely.

Spread half of raspberry sauce on serving platter. Lift cake in foil out of pan and invert over raspberry sauce. Carefully peel back foil, then spoon remaining raspberry sauce over the top of the ladyfingers. Return to refrigerator for several hours.

When ready to serve, whip cream with powdered sugar and vanilla. Frost cake with whipped cream and garnish with raspberries or chocolate curls or shavings. Serves 12.