Банановый хлеб

Рецептов бананового хлеба, неверное, приблизительно столько же, как и рецептов борща.
У меня был когда-то даже один, на бумажке записанный, но он был утерян, увы :) и забыт :)

Забывала я его медленно - и мой банановый хлеб с каждым разом становился все не такее и не такее :):):)

Тут мне привалило многА переспевших бананов и я доверилась первому попавшемуся рецепту, самый чуток его поменяв.
И так:
- 2 яйца
- Маленькая кружечка клубничного варнья (Спасибо, Costco!)
mix-mix-mix
- Один йогурт (у меня был карамельный, несладкий - малыши открыли и отказались есть)
- 3 банана, потертых на терке
mix-mix-mix
- Пол маленькой кружечки (в которую варенье накладывала) кокосового масла
последний раз mix-mix-mix
- 2 кружечки муки (завтра кружечку измерю :))
- Чуть больше половины чайной ложки соды
- Чуток соли

Духовка на 350F- пеклось 1 час. Вкусно и ароматно получилось - неимоверно.
Псу нашему пришлось вытирать морду салфеткой - пока мы не доели - он от нас не отходил, преданно заглядывал в глаза и поливал слюнями, бедняга :)

Чебуреки

Почти правильный вариант чебуреков. Правильный в смысле нежирности.
А так - вкусняшка, остановиться невозможно :) Переедание гарантировано.

Когда Costco объявит конкурс на рецепты из их продуктов - моим чебурекам обеспечен приз в категории "ем не могу остановиться"

Список продуктов
- Вместо тесто - uncooked flour tortillas

- Говяжий фарш
- 2 средние луковицы

Witch's Butternut Squash Soup

Fall is a magical season, it calls for magical recipes.
Witch in the kitchen book is full of them :)
And butternut squash soup is my absolute favorite.

1. 2 cups of butternut squash - peeled, cubed
2. One potato - peeled cubed

I make cubes really small - it cooks faster.
Simmer with a small amount of water until soft. 

3. One half medium onion, minced
4. One garlic clove, minced

Fry with olive oil until you like it. Add to the squash and potato pan.

5. One medium apple, peeled, cubed

6. One cup apple juice

Add to the squash and potato pan. Simmer until apple is soft.

Mix-mix-mix. Blend-blend-blend.

Salt-pepper to taste. 

The recipe calls for nutmeg - I chose cinnamon. Add nuts (or not) and enjoy!

Home-made sausage in a cup

NOTE: I forgot the starch. Need to try again :)

I knew sausages can be made at home.
But still - it was like magic, something that is supposed to be store-bought.

I found a recipe.
The recipe said: Easy. And it WAS EASY!
So rarely happens!

Chicken breast - 1 lb
Milk - 1 cup
One egg
1.5 tea spoon of Montreal steak seasoning
1/5 tea spoon sugar
1/5 tea spoon nutmeg
Olive oil

Mix all ingredients in the blender.
Starting with chicken breast, adding one-by-one
Sprinkle 2 cups with olive oil
Add mixture to the cups - leave some space - as if for extra cream in the coffee.
Put cups into the pot, add water above the mid of the cups.
Boil for 40 min.

Wait for the cups to cool down.
Take your sausage out - comes out easily - enjoy with salad, veggies and cheese!

Energy Candy

Финики без косточек 10 шт, изюм 1/2 стакана, клюква 1/2 стакана, фисташки очищенные 1/2 стакана, кокосовая стружка несладкая 4 ст. ложки (можно и без нее, или использовать какао и кунжут), кунжутное масло 1/2 ст. ложки, мед 1 ст. ложка, апельсиновый сок 1 ст. ложка.

Готовим просто.

* Закладываем все ингредиенты (кроме двух столовых ложек кокосовых стружек) в кухонный комбайн или в чашу блендера и измельчаем.

* Лепим шарики и обваливаем из в кокосовой стружке или в том, что сами выбрали.

Mexican style spaghetti squash

I just recently discovered spaghetti squash and fell in love with it.

Here's my favorite recipe to bake it:

1. Cut in half

2. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and oil.

3. Bake face down at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes (until fork-tender).

For Mexican style spaghetti squash:

1. 1/2 medium onion, sliced

2. 1/2 green pepper, sliced

3. 3 tbl spoons olive oil

4. Leftover salsa

5. 2 cloves garlic, minced

5. 1 prepared spaghetti squash

6. Salt and pepper

• In a skillet, fry onions and green pepper with olive oil. Add garlic.

•  add squash, stir

•  add salsa leftovers, salt and pepper to taste

• enjoy

Bison Meat Loaf

When my husband goes shopping he always picks up some, well, uncommon stuff.
Last time I sent him to Costco he came back with ground bison meat.
I never cooked bison before (never even tasted).
and
I never every made a Meat Loaf.
So I had to start with something - and I started with this Food and Wine Bison Meat Loaf Recipe
Just altered it a bit.

INGREDIENTS

2 slices of white bread >> Replaced with 1/2 cup quick oats
1/3 cup milk
2 minced garlic cloves
1/2 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup grated zucchini
1/2 cup grated onion
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 pound ground bison
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon minced rosemary >> I have rosemary in the garden, so - fresh!

HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE

1. Warm up milk in the microwave and add oats to soak (while other ingredients are being prepared)

2. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. 

3. Put in the baking dish. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes covered. 

4. Sprinkle with cheese (optional) and bake another 5 minutes uncovered.

Let rest for 5 minutes, then slice and serve.

Yummy, juicy - will absolutely do it again!

Prep time is just about 10 minutes!

Love it!

Eggplant Spread - or Dip (lazy option)

• 2 medium eggplants
• garlic
• 2 tablespoons of mayo
• Parsley
• Salt, pepper

This eggplant spread will be ready in less than 10 min (as opposed to 'normal' version - where you bake eggplants and peel them hot :D)

Peel the eggplants, dice them in about half-inch cubes

Put the cut eggplant in the microwave-safe bowl. Add 2 table spoons of water. Microwave about 4 minutes.

(The eggplant should be tender - but not dry). While the eggplant is getting ready - cut the parsley and mince garlic.

Take the bowl with the eggplant out of the microwave. (it IS hot :) Drain the excess of fluids.

Add mayonnaise and mash as it were potatoes. It took me 2 full table spoons of mayo - I like creamy.

Add parsley, keep perfecting the puree.

Add garlic. How much? As much as you like :) I added 3 cloves.

Salt and pepper to taste.

I like it on the rye bread toast :) Also great on crackers and with nachos.

Theoretically - could stay in the fridge for couple of days.

In real life - well, once I had some leftovers for the next day :)

Potatoes a-la-Vit

Today in morning I opened my Facebook - to see what's happened in the World while I was sound asleep.

I saw a post from my friend - he was awake in the middle of the night (at 4am) - probably busy with Facebook - and he was begging somebody to cook potatoes for him - and even posted some pictures :)

So I decided to do it!

1. Peel 6 medium potatoes and 1 medium onion.

 2. Using a mandolin slicer - slice the potatoes in one bowl

and onions - in the other

 3. Get a baking pan, grease it a bit with olive oil and layer potatoes and onions

4. Once you run out of potatoes and onions - add some minced garlic and toss some fresh herbs (I used cilantro) 

 5. Now we're ready for the sauce - I used half-n-half, salt and pepper (milk and other spices will do too)

In a small bowl mix 2 cups of cream with 1/2 tea spoon of salt, add pepper, mix-mix-mix

 6. Add the mixture to the potatoes. Put in the oven. Bake at 385F for 40 minutes.

I baked it covered - my cream ran away a bit - so beware!
Open - sprinkle some grated Parmesan and cook uncovered for anotether 10 minutes.
Voi-la:

Sushi Tower

This Saturday we went to Coho Cafe and ate their awesome Avocado-Wasabi-Crab Tower.

Today I tried a cheap home-made version :)

1. Rice as if for sushi (I had some leftover rice in the fridge)

2. Guacamole (avocado, cilantro, salt, a pinch of wasabi, 1 tbs mayo)
3. Fresh salmon (in my case - marinated in say sauce) - minced

4. Cucumber - cut in quarter inch cubes

5. Prepare garnish - Sesame seed and minced seaweed - fried with soy sauce

Assemble the tower

Method 1 - using a cup a s a form. 

Place layers upside down starting with the fish,
then guacamole,

 Then rice and garnish

Flip the form over.

(for me - did not work out very well, part of the tower got stuck :))

Add cucumbers on the top
Decorate with garnish

Method 2 - assemble on the place

Place layers starting with rice

 Second layer - guacamole

Third layer - fish
Decorate with cucumbers and garnish
Serve with soy sauce and wasabi

Fried Rice

Ingredients
1 cup of rice
2 Eggs
3 Scallions
1/5 milk
Olive oil
Soy Sauce

Feeds two hungry teenagers that just came form x-country practice.
Prep time: 10 min (less if the precooked rice is used)

1. Cook the rice as described on the package.

2. While rice is cooking prepare other ingredients

3. In a bowl mix eggs and milk, add the cut scallions

4. Add one table spoon of oil to the frying pan and fry the mixture 

5. As soon as the mixture begins to settle - add soy sauce

6. Add the rice, stir occasionally for 2-3 minutes