Rum Banana Bread

I’ve always loved my mother’s banana bread recipe but when it’s a winter storm warning outside, it’s time to play in the kitchen.  Bananas and rum go together in a variety of different recipes so I decided to add some rum (real and extract) to my banana bread and it had delicious results.

Rum Banana Bread

1/3 cup butter, softened
2/3 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 3/4 cups flour
3 ripe bananas, mashed

½ tsp rum extract

2 tbsp rum

Cream together butter and sugar.  Add in eggs and mashed bananas.  Gradually add in dry ingredients.  Bake in a greased loaf pan for 70 minutes at 325°.

Dr Pepper Short Ribs

This was a great way to start off the New Year with an easy meal of short ribs cooking all day in the crock pot.  They have lots of flavor and you can use as a topping for potatoes, polenta or just use in a sandwich and use the strained Dr Pepper crock pot juices as a dip.

Dr Pepper Short Ribs 

2# boneless short ribs

1 1/2 cups Dr Pepper

3/4 cup beef broth

2 shallots, cut in half

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tsp adobe or chili powder

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Season and brown the short ribs in 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil.  Place into the crock pot with the rest of the ingredients.  Cook over medium low heat for 8 hours.  Remove the meat and cut or shred (it should fall apart).  Taste to see if it needs any additional salt and pepper.  

Cranberry~Blueberry Bread

One of the best smells in the world is fresh baking bread.  I wanted to make a good sandwich and toast bread so I added some dried cranberries and blueberry infused cranberries to it.  I can highly recommend it for ham and turkey sandwiches.

 

Cranberry & Blueberry Bread

 

3 1/2 cups bread flour
2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1 1/4 cups warm water
2 tsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp extra light virgin olive oil
3 tbsp nonfat dry milk powder

1/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped

1/3 cup dried blueberries (or blueberry infused cranberries), chopped

Combine warm water, sugar and yeast and allow to sit for 15 minutes.  Add in olive oil before adding to the dry ingredients in your mixer bowl.   Pour in yeast and water mixture and mix with your dough hook until it kneads for 4 minutes.

Place dough in a clean bowl with 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil rubbed on all sides and allow to raise until it has doubled.  Lightly punch down and shape to fit into a greased bread pan.  Allow to rise again.

Bake for 25 minutes at 350°.  Remove from oven and brush on 1 tbsp of butter.  Return to oven for an additional 2 minutes.

Orange Pizzelles

These Italian cookies are nice, crisp wafers that you can leave flat or roll up to use as a cannoli shell.  I flavored them with orange zest and extract.  Originally I was going to do lemon but I wanted to try orange for a change.  

Orange Pizzelles

3 large eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 tsp orange zest
1/2 tsp orange extract
2 tsp baking powder
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp Orange liqueur (optional)

Beat eggs until they are light.  Add in sugar, melted butter, orange zest and extract.  Fold in dry ingredients.  Drop by teaspoonfuls into the center of your heated pizzelle maker.  Close the lid for about 30 seconds.  Carefully remove the pizzelle and place on a wire rack.

Cheesy Chicken Bacon Soup

It's that time of year for soup and the cold weather seems to have hit earlier than normal.  I was planning on another meal with chicken but decided to warm up with some creamy soup that comes together in less than an hour.

Cheesy Chicken Bacon Soup

1# chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large carrot, peeled and sliced
32 oz chicken stock
1 tbsp celery flakes
1 cup long grain & wild rice
1 cup milk
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Heat olive oil in the bottom of a dutch oven or soup pot.  Cut up chicken into bite size pieces and add into the heated oil.  Stir often so all sides cook.  While that's cooking, microwave the carrot slices for a couple minutes so they cook faster.  Add in the carrots, chicken stock and celery flakes and bring to a simmer.  Stir in the rice and cook for 12 minutes.  Add in the milk and cheese and cook until the cheese melts.  Serve with additional cheese and bacon on top.

Cream Cheese Biscuits

Light and fluffy biscuits that are perfect with jam for breakfast or with a bowl of stew later on in the day.  You can whip with use in no time once your butter and cream cheese have softened.   I like making biscuits because it gives me an opportunity to use my grandmothers antique biscuit and cookie cutters that I have displayed in a clear glass cookie jar.

 

Cream Cheese Biscuits

3 oz cream cheese, softened

½ cup butter, softened

In a medium bowl, sift together the following

2 cups flour

1 tbsp baking powder

½ tsp sea salt

Cut in the softened butter and cream cheese.  When the mixture is crumbly, pour in 2/3 cup milk.  Stir until dough sticks together.  Knead on a floured surface until it’s no longer sticky.  Roll out to a ½” thickness and cut with a biscuit cutter.  Brush the tops of the biscuits with milk and bake for 10 minutes at 450°.

Makes 14 biscuits.

Roasted Garlic White Bean Hummus

A hint of lemon, Parmesan cheese and creamy garlic for a healthy dip for veggies or Pita chips.  This dip can be made within minutes (after you roast the garlic).  I happened to have Meyer lemons on hand so I used the zest and juice from one of those but put the measurements in the recipe for using a regular lemon.

Roasted Garlic White Bean Hummus

6 cloves garlic (roasted for 1/2 hour at 350° wrapped in aluminum foil)
1 can white cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1 tbsp lemon juice, fresh
zest from 1/2 of a lemon
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp water
pinch of sea salt

Blend all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth and creamy.  Place in a serving dish and top with a tsp of extra virgin olive oil and some Parmesan flakes.