Marthas Banana Bread

 

Ingredients:

½ cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature, plus more for pan

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups unbleached AP flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup mashed very ripe bananas( I use frozen bananas that were VERY ripe)

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan; set aside. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add eggs and beat to incorporate.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture and mix until just combined.

Add bananas, sour cream, and vanilla; mix to combine.

Stir in nuts and pour into prepared pan.

Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes.

Let rest in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool.

Note: Good story why I made this.

Gabe still rides his bike. Not 26 miles like he use to but still active.

He did his ride while I was at the doctors office and he had a flat.

The bike is way to heavy to walk home especially since he was 4 miles from ours. He wanted to leave the bike at someones house ( no one he knew). He knocked on a few doors and went to another house and a man came to the door and told Gabe he could leave the bike in his yard. 

Gabe thanked him and told him he would be back in a hour to pick it up with the car after he walked home. The man told Gabe that no way was Gabe going to walk - he would drive him.

This man's mother died the night before knocked on this mans door. He told Gabe that he was in bed praying and then the door bell rang- maybe Gabe was God answer!

Fluffy Cottage Cheese Blueberry Cloud Bread

 Ingredients:

4 large eggs, separated

1 cup cottage cheese

1 cup fresh blueberries

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar (optional, for stabilizing egg whites)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven: Set oven to 300°F (150°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whip the egg whites: In a clean bowl, beat egg whites with salt and cream of tartar (if using) until stiff peaks form.

Blend the base: In another bowl, blend cottage cheese, egg yolks, and vanilla extract (if using) until smooth.

Combine: Gently fold the egg whites into the cottage cheese mixture using a spatula, keeping as much air as possible.

Add blueberries: Carefully fold in the blueberries without overmixing.

Shape and bake: Spoon the mixture into rounds or loaf shapes on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake: Bake for 25–30 minutes until golden and set. Cool slightly before serving.

Notes

Make sure your bowls are grease-free to help the egg whites whip properly. For best texture, use fresh blueberries and blend the cottage cheese until completely smooth.

 My egg whites didn't "peak" up the way I wanted. A tiny bit of yolk  broke in the whites.

I know it didn't fluff up the way I wanted but might try it again.

Note to self- next time make it in the individual casserole dish. Came out SO much better. 

 

Cucumber Lime Detox Juice

 Ingredients

1 large cucumber, chopped

1 lime- juiced

1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves

1 teaspoon fresh ginger- grated

1 cup cold water

Directions:

Wash the cucumber well and chop it into small pieces. Juice the lime.

Add cucumber, lime juice, mint leaves, ginger, honey, and water into a blender.

Blend for 30–40 seconds until the mixture becomes smooth.

Happy St. Patricks Day! A healthy green smoothie to celebrate.

Lime from my 40 year old tree. The tree is in a large pot. We move it in the garage when it gets cold.

Chickpea Cucumber Taco Bowl

 Ingredients:

1  can chickpeas

   1 tablespoon plain greek yogurt ( you can add more if needed)

1 tablespoon honey mustard

Chopped cucumber ( I used 1 med. size cucumber)

1/3 cup chopped bread and butter pickles

2 tablespoons chopped chives

1 teaspoon lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Drain the chickpeas into a colander and rinse them under water, then shake off any excess water, transfer the chickpeas into a large bowl, and using a potato masher or food processor, mash down on the chickpeas until they are semi-mashed,

Add the greek yogurt over the mashed chickpeas, along with the  mustard, chopped cucumber, chopped red onion, chopped bread and butter pickles, grated garlic, and chopped chives, then add in the lemon juice, and season with salt and a generous portion of black pepper, mix together until well mixed, add in more yogurt as needed

My original idea was to add the above to a bed a lettuce. I have sweet potato wraps that I used for the bowl.

It's a make again.

Honey Garlic Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs

 Ingredients

2 pounds Chicken thighs 

⅓ cup Low-sodium soy sauce ( I didn't have low sodium and used dark soy sauce)

⅓ cup Honey

⅓ cup Ketchup

6 cloves Garlic minced

½ teaspoon Apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon Fresh ginger grated

1 pinch Crushed red pepper flakes ( didn't use)

2 tablespoons Cornstarch

Directions:

Whisk together soy sauce, honey, ketchup, garlic, vinegar, ginger, and optional red pepper flakes in a bowl.

Place chicken thighs evenly in the crockpot and pour sauce over them.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours until chicken is fork-tender.

Remove chicken and set aside. Pour the liquid from the slow cooker into a small pot.

Mix cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water to make a slurry.

Heat the sauce on medium and whisk in the slurry until thickened, about 2-3 minutes.

Return the sauce to the chicken or pour it over before serving.

Top chicken with scallions and sesame seeds. Serve with rice if desired.

Winn Dixie had thighs on sale. Gabe went shopping and bought a very large package of thighs. He was so excited when he got home, said look how cheap these were- LOL!

Baked Stuffed Shrimp Casserole

 

  1 pound large or jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails on, if preferred)

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup onion

2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

1 tbsp lemon juice

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/4 cup white wine or seafood stock (optional)

1/2 tsp paprika

Additional melted butter, for drizzling on top

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

Prepare the shrimp: Peel and devein the shrimp, leaving the tails on if desired. Butterfly each shrimp by slicing down the back without cutting all the way through.

Make the stuffing: In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter and sauté garlic and shallots (or onion) until soft. Stir in breadcrumbs, parsley, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. If using, add a splash of white wine or seafood stock to moisten.

Assemble the casserole: Grease a baking dish with butter or olive oil. Spread a thin layer of stuffing on the bottom. Arrange the shrimp on top, cut-side down, and spoon the remaining stuffing over the shrimp.

Add finishing touches: Drizzle the casserole with melted butter and sprinkle paprika on top.

Bake: Place the casserole in the oven and bake for 18–20 minutes, or until the shrimp are opaque and the topping is golden and crispy.

 

Optional broil: For a crispier top, broil for an additional 1–2 minutes at the end of baking.

Shrimp has been on sale quite a bit lately and I love the room sale so I have plenty in the freezer. 

This is one of the many recipes I want to make.

Protein Crust

 

Ingredients:

1 cup fat-free cottage cheese 

2 large eggs 

¼ cup oat flour 

or ½ cup almond flour

Optional: garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

 Blend everything until completely smooth.

 Spread thin on parchment into 2 crust shapes (thin = crispier).

 Bake 20–25 minutes until golden and firm.

Add sauce (0–1 point), part-skim mozzarella (2–3 points), toppings.

Bake 5 more minutes.

Let it cool 3–5 minutes before slicing — it firms up.

You need to spray the parchment or use the mats, they really stuck to the paper.

I baked them longer then I should but they came out good and will make the recipe again. Didn't add any toppings