Banana Bread (from Britney Wood)

¼ c. butter

1 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 ½ c. mashed bananas (about 3)

1/3 c. vanilla yogurt (or sour cream)

1 tsp. vanilla

2 c. flour

¾ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350’

Beat butter and sugar and vanilla until blended.

Add eggs one at a time.

Add remaining wet ingredients until blended.

Add flour mixture just until moist.

Spoon into sprayed bread pan. Bake 1 hour (or 1 hour 10 minutes) or until toothpick comes clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan. Remove and cool on rack.

*NOTE: If your bread pan is a dark non-stick pan, preheat oven at 350’ but turn down to 325 to bake and plan on 1 hr 10 minutes.

Sometimes I sub applesauce for the butter. 

Meatloaf (2 loaves)

Ingredients
2 lbs ground turkey
1 lb ground sausage (jimmy dean reg or sage)
3 eggs
1 cup oatmeal
2 cups bread crumbs or stuffing mix (pep farms)
2 cups cornflakes
2 tsp salt
1 TBSP parsley
1 TBSP basil
1 onion, chopped
2 cans cream of chicken soup
pepper
2 TBSP worcestershire sauce

Directions
Mix above ingredients. Wet hands with water to smooth top of loaves. Bake 350 F for 1.5 hours. You can add a topping to this (bbq sauce, ketchup and brown sugar), but it isn't needed, imo.


from Vonnie Baird

Thai Shrimp Soup (mild)

Ingredients
1 cup uncooked rice (thai recipes usually use white rice, but brown works fine too)
2 TBSP butter
1 lb small raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (or substitute chopped/shredded chicken)
salt and black pepper
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium red bell pepper, diced or cut in strips
1 TBSP fresh ginger, grated (freeze prior then use a microplane grater for ease)
2-3 TBSP red curry paste
2 cans (13.5 oz) unsweetened coconut milk (substitute 1 can light milk for less fat)
4 cups vegetable broth
2 TBSP fresh cilantro, chopped
1 lime, juiced
Sautéed mushrooms (optional)

Directions
Cook rice according to package directions. Melt butter in large pot. Add shrimp and pepper and salt. Cook until done, 2-3 minutes. Remove shrimp from pan and set aside in a large bowl. Add onion, garlic, and red bell pepper to pot. Salt and lightly pepper then cook, stirring occasionally, until tender (4-5 minutes). Add curry paste and ginger and mix in well. Slowly whisk in coconut milk and vegetable broth until well combined. Bring pot to boil then reduce heat to med/low and simmer for 10 minutes. Add cooked rice (keep in mind it'll expand significantly if not eaten right away), shrimp, cilantro and lime juice. Enjoy!

Fish taco topping/dressing

OPTION 1
1 scallion
1 cup honeydew, diced
juice and zest of 1 lime
couple TBSP cilantro, diced
2 tsp olive oil
salt
pepper

OPTION 2
sour cream or plain yogurt
avocado
lime
cilantro
shredded cheese
finely chopped cabbage

Garlic Red Potatoes

2 lbs red potatoes, cleaned and quartered
1/4 cup butter
2-3 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tsp lemon juice
course ground garlic salt with parsley
parmesan cheese, optional


Preheat oven to 400 F.

Place butter in 9X13 dish and place in oven. Clean and quarter potatoes while butter is melting. Place potatoes, garlic, salt, pepper and lemon in dish in oven and mix. Cover with tinfoil. Cook about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover, sprinkle with 'course ground garlic salt with parsley' and parmesan cheese (if desired) and cook an additional 10 minutes uncovered.

You can also mix all ingredients together and cook in the microwave for 15-20 minutes, stirring a couple times throughout. This tastes just OK I comparison to the baking method.

roasted cabbage

Tender Chicken Breast (stovetop)

Directions
Flatten chicken breast and make sure they are even throughout. Coat with flour (optional) and salt and pepper. Heat sauté pan to medium high heat. Add a couple teaspoons of olive oil. Turn down pan to medium and immediately add chicken breast. Cook 1 minute without moving chicken (not quite a sear/browning). Flip chicken breast. Turn heat down to low and cover pan tightly. Cook for 10 minutes without lifting lid. Remove pan from heat and let sit for 10 more minutes, without ever lifting lid (peeking will ruin it!). Your chicken should be done. You can cut them in half or take their temperature to be sure. This has worked really well for me and is relatively easy, time-wise.

Artichoke Dip

Ingredients

8oz cream cheese

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 can chopped artichokes, drained

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tsp lemon juice

smidge minced garlic

1 shake dried dill

Blend all ingredients together with an electric mixer.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the top is brown and bubbly.

This recipe is great with sliced baguette bread or Fritos chips.

Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs with vinegar
6 eggs
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Smoked Spanish paprika, for garnish

Deviled eggs with relish

6 large eggs 

2 tablespoons mayonnaise 

1 1/2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish 

1 teaspoon prepared mustard 

1/8 teaspoon salt 

Dash of pepper 

Garnish: paprika 


Boil water in pot. Add 1 tsp baking soda. Add eggs gently (I use a spoon to add them). Put lid on pot and boil on a low boil for 1 minute then turn off stove and sit for 15 minutes. Transfer eggs, gently, into a bowl of cold water and let them sit for several minutes to cool off. Cut eggs in half and transfer egg yolks to a bowl and egg whites to a plate. Smash down egg whites with a fork. Put other ingredients into a quart size ziplock bag and mix up. Add smashed egg yolk. Mix again. Cut a small hole in corner of ziplock bag and squeeze mixture into egg whites. Enjoy! 

You can also boil water, add eggs, and cook without a lid for 11 minutes (florida update).

Little Smokies

Ingredients:
13.5 oz. bbq sauce (about 1.5 cups)
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 c + 2 tsp  ketchup
3/4 TBSP worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup onions, chopped
24 oz package /1.5 lb. of little wieners (a package from costco)

Directions:
Mix ingredients together in a crock pot and cook on low for at least two hours.