The Best Banana Bread

I'll be the first to admit that I often buy fresh fruit and vegetables and eat more of them, but then I forget about them and before I know it they're mushy, moldy, or too gross to eat. But the beautiful thing about bananas is that when they turn to their soft brown stage, they become perfect for banana bread! This recipe is by-far the best banana bread I have ever made or eaten. The batter is so fluffy and light and immediately looks different from regular banana bread which, in my eyes, is definitely a good sign. The bread itself comes out extremely moist and sticky and tastes so delicious. The moistness is a result of two unusual ingredients: cream cheese and sour cream. And I'm not ashamed to admit that I eat both of these plain every now and then. How can you turn anything down that has the word "cream" in it? I was feeling naughty the day I made this and added in chocolate chips, but the bread itself is absolutely delicious without any additions. Aside from my ramblings and descriptions, the bottom line is this is the best banana bread ever and you need to try it. (Recipe courtesy of How Sweet It Is)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter


• 3 oz. cream cheese


• 1 cup brown sugar


• 2 ripe bananas, mashed


• 1 egg


• 1/4 cup sour cream


• 1 1/2 cups flour (can substitute whole wheat)


• 1 tsp. baking soda


• 1 tsp. baking powder


• 1/2 tsp. salt


• 1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease loaf pan. Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add in mashed bananas, egg and sour cream and mix until smooth. Stir in dry ingredients. Fold in chocolate chips. Bake for 50-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu

Whenever I hear about the recipe "Chicken Cordon Bleu," I always think of the class high school prom dinner with this as the main course. Maybe I'm crazy, but it seems like it's one of those fancy, but not overly-priced meals that works great for something like a high school dance. Anyway, the main reason I rarely, if ever, make these is simply because of the time it takes to butterfly the breasts, stuff them with ham and cheese, attempt to roll them up and stick them together with toothpicks, roll them in breadcrumbs.. You get the picture. It's just way too many steps. Enter Chicken Cordon Bleu without the endless steps and mess. Chicken breasts are cut in half length-wise and then topped with slices of ham, Swiss cheese and bread crumbs and baked until golden brown and crispy. Then there's the sauce.. the creamy Parmesan Dijon sauce that tops it all. De-licious. Granted, it's definitely not as pretty as regular chicken cordon bleu, but when you're short on time and you're just feeding your family, then pretty isn't exactly the main thought that crosses your mind.

Ingredients:
Chicken Cordon Bleu:

• 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half length-wise to form two thinner chicken breast cutlets


• 4 slices deli ham


• 4 thin slices Swiss cheese


• 1 cup bread crumbs


• 2 Tbsp. butter, melted

Parmesan-Dijon Sauce

• 2 Tbsp. butter


• 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour


• 1 cup milk


• 1 chicken bouillon cube (or 1 tsp. chicken bouillon granules)


• 1/2 tsp. salt


• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard


• 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce


• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Lightly grease an 8x8-inch baking dish and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Layer each chicken breast with 2 slices of ham and two slices of cheese. In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and the melted butter and sprinkle over the top of the chicken. Bake the chicken for 30 -35 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and bread crumbs are golden.

While the chicken bakes, in a medium sauce pan melt the butter. Add in the flour, stirring constantly, for about 1-2 minutes until it forms a roux. Slowly pour in the milk while stirring. Add in the salt and chicken bouillon cube. Stir constantly over medium heat until the mixture begins to simmer and thicken, about 3 - 5 minutes. Once the sauce has bubbled and thickened, remove from heat and add in the Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and Parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted. Keep warm until chicken is finished baking. Serve over warm chicken immediately.

Note: If sauce is too thick, stir in more milk until it is at your desired consistency.

Santa Fe Chicken Salad Wraps

I'm usually pretty good at packing a lunch with me when I go to work everyday, but I'm not very good at bringing a variety of meals that I don't get tired of quickly. Sometimes I feel like I eat sandwich after sandwich until I would rather starve than eat another one. Lately I've been spicing things up a bit by trying new wraps filled with everything from eggs, bacon and potatoes to chicken salad. This is a fantastic recipe that has a slight Mexican zing to it. It is very versatile and can be used for lunch or dinner and it is very healthy compared to some of my other lunchtime options. I served it last night for dinner and it made plenty for my husband and I with enough leftover to bring for lunch today! And I have to admit: you just can't beat having a home-cooked meal for lunch. (Picture and recipe adapted from Good Life Eats)

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup sour cream


• 3 Tbsp. lime juice (or juice from one lime)


• 1/2 tsp. salt


• 1/4 tsp. pepper


• 1/4 tsp. cumin


• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder


• 1-2 Tbsp. minced cilantro


• 1/4 cup diced onion


• 1/3 cup corn kernels


• 1/3 cup black beans


• 1/3 cup diced green or red pepper


• 2 cups cooked chicken, diced or shredded


• Burrito-sized tortillas


• Sliced avocado


• Lettuce or baby spinach

In a medium bowl, combine the sour cream, lime juice, salt, pepper, cumin, garlic powder and cilantro. Add the onion, corn, black beans, pepper and chicken and stir to combine. Cover and chill until serving.

To prepare the wraps: Layer chicken salad, lettuce and avocado slices in the center of the tortillas. Fold in the ends and wrap up to seal it.

Mango Rice Salad

This is the essence of a perfect summer dish. Light, fresh, crisp, fruity and refreshing. It's absolutely delicious by itself as a side salad, or served over grilled chicken or fish. It looked intriguing with the mango mixed with the vegetables and rice and reminded me of a rice bowl from Rumbi Island Grill. I honestly can't say anything bad about this dish. I was moaning over it the entire dinner. It is big enough to serve about 4 people but my husband I kept dipping our forks into the bowl until it was scraped clean. (Recipe and picture adapted from Our Best Bites)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked rice, at room temperature*


• 1 14 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed


• 1 medium mango, peeled and diced


• 1/2 red pepper, diced finely


• 1/2 medium onion, diced finely


• 1 handful chopped cilantro (1/2 cup)


• 3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar


• 2 Tbsp. olive oil


• 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice


• Salt


• Pepper

Mix together the rice, beans, mango, pepper, onion and cilantro. In a separate small bowl, mix together the red wine vinegar, olive oil and lime juice until combined. Pour on top of salad and toss to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Chill at least one hour before serving. Serve alone or over chicken or fish.

*I recommend cooking the rice in either vegetable or chicken broth for more flavor.

Pineapple Shrimp Kabobs

Who doesn't love grilled kabobs on a hot summer day? We made these shrimp kabobs as an addition to our main dish for Memorial Day. They had a sweet yet savory flavor that everybody loved. We used green pepper, onion, pineapple and shrimp for ours but they are extremely versatile and can be used with any vegetables you have on hand. Plan ahead to marinate the shrimp for at least 3 hours before you grill the kabobs and you'll have perfect, flavorful shrimp! Also, if you use pre-cooked shrimp you'll only have to grill them for a few minutes to slightly soften the vegetables and warm everything up. (Recipe courtesy of Taste of Home)

Ingredients:

• 1 8 oz. can pineapple chunks


• 1 cup Italian salad dressing


• 1 8 oz. can tomato sauce


• 1/8 cup packed brown sugar


• 1 tsp. ground mustard


• 1 pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined


• 1-2 large green peppers, cut into chunks


• 1 large onion, cut into chunks

Drain pineapple, reserving the juice. Refrigerate the pineapple. In a medium bowl, combine pineapple juice, salad dressing, tomato sauce, brown sugar and ground mustard. Add in the shrimp and coat with the sauce. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

On skewers, alternately thread the shrimp, pineapple, green pepper and onion. Grill, uncovered over medium heat for 6-10 minutes or until shrimp turn pink and vegetables are tender, turning and basting occasionally with the marinade sauce. Serve immediately.

White Chocolate & Raspberry Ice Cream

Make this now. Not tomorrow, not this weekend, now. I couldn't get enough of this perfect ice cream combination and was tempted to literally straight-up drink the raspberries and cream out of the bowl before I transferred it to my ice cream maker. This was extremely easy (as most ice cream recipes are) and it turned out perfectly sweet with a hint of tartness from the raspberries. It makes a fantastic summer dessert, particularly after a long day of sunshine and fun. I whipped up this baby after my mother-in-law suggested we make some type of ice cream for dessert for Memorial Day, and to be completely honest it's probably the best homemade ice cream I've ever had. The white chocolate added a creamy, sweet and rich base to the ice cream and the raspberries broke apart, adding juice and little chunks of fruit throughout the dessert. Even my husband, who doesn't normally like berries in general, loved it and ate every last bit of his dish. Try it again soon! I know you'll love it.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whipping cream


• 1 cup milk


• 1/2 cup sugar


• 2 oz. white chocolate, chopped


• 2 tsp. vanilla


• 1-2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries

In a medium saucepan, mix together the whipping cream, milk and sugar and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and slowly add in the white chocolate, stirring constantly until completely melted. Allow to cool and add in vanilla and raspberries. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until cold. Follow instructions for your ice cream maker and freeze accordingly.

Creamy Southwestern Black Bean and Corn Salad

This recipe is very similar to my BBQ Black Bean and Corn Salsa recipe I posted several months ago, but with a different sauce and a few different ingredients. I had completely forgotten about this recipe until my brother-in-law called me on Saturday and begged me to make this salad for him that night. I complied and later on that day realized I had never even posted it on my blog before! It really is absolutely delicious and can be used as a salad or, even better, as a chip dip. Ffunny enough, it tastes best with Doritos (discovered by my husband). Any flavor works great, but the Doritos really complement the light, soft flavors of the dip perfectly. This is a very healthy and fresh recipe that is perfect for a summer BBQ or family party. It literally took me 5 minutes to put this together and it was ready to eat immediately. It does taste better the longer it sits since the flavors can meld together, but it's still delicious if you're like me and can't wait a few hours to dig in.

Ingredients:

• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed


• 1 can corn, drained and rinsed


• 1 large green pepper, diced


• 1 medium tomato, diced


• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped finely


• 1/2 small onion, diced (optional)


• 1/2 cup sour cream


• 1/4 cup ranch dressing


• 1 tsp. cumin


• 1 Tbsp. lime juice


• 1 tsp. garlic powder

Mix the beans, corn, green pepper, tomato, cilantro and onion together in a bowl. Combine the remaining ingredients and stir into the salad until evenly coated. Add more ranch and seasonings to taste. Store in the refrigerator for several hours before serving. Serve as a side salad or as a chip dip.

Chicken Parmesan Bundles

Last weekend my parents and younger brother came to visit my husband and I for a few days. We tried to show them a lot of Nashville and ended up fitting a lot into just a few short days. To end the fabulous weekend, I made a special dinner for them on Sunday afternoon before they left to catch their flight back home. I wanted to do something simple that everybody would like, but that was also a little more special than the traditional pasta dish and this was the end result. These bundles take a little bit more time and effort than a regular weekday dinner, but they are absolutely delicious and extremely impressive. The hardest part is pounding the chicken breasts flat, but if you have a meat mallet (or an aluminum spaghetti-o's can in my case), it goes by very quickly and without too much effort. Try to find thinner chicken breasts to begin with and it will cut down the preparation time significantly. Next time you're looking for an upgrade to spaghetti or if you have guests over for dinner, try making these! They are an easy-pleaser and are also very inexpensive to feed a crowd. (Picture and recipe adapted from Kraft Foods)

Ingredients

• 5-6 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4-inch. thickness


• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened


• 1 cup frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained


• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese


• 1/2 cup cottage cheese or ricotta cheese


• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese


• 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs


• 1 jar spaghetti sauce, heated

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the cream cheese, spinach, mozzarella cheese and cottage cheese in a medium bowl. Spoon onto chicken breasts. Roll up chicken tightly, securing with toothpicks if needed. In a separate small bowl, mix together the parmesan cheese and bread crumbs and roll each chicken bundle in the mixture until coated. Place in sprayed 9x13 pan and bake, uncovered for 30 minutes or until cooked through. Serve chicken topped with spaghetti sauce and some fresh mozzarella.

*If desired, serve over a bed of warm pasta.

Brazilian Lemonade

Wow, wow, wow. That is all I can say about this recipe. Oh.. and I made about 2 gallons of it in less than a week because I couldn't get enough of it. It is so simple and only requires 4 ingredients, one of which is water. Think of a sweet and tangy lemonade, but replace the lemons with limes. Then add in sweetened condensed milk and a bit of crushed ice to make a cold, sweet and extremely refreshing drink. I have always seen Brazilian lemonade on the menu at restaurants and heard about it from a few other people and I finally got around to making it this week. My husband and I had it as our drink for our Cinco de Mayo meal and I made it again for my in-laws for our Mother's Day dinner. All 6 people who drank it literally could not get enough. It is so easy and takes all of 5 minutes to throw together. You must try this recipe as soon as humanly possible. (Picture and recipe courtesy of Our Best Bites.)

Ingredients:

• 6 cups cold water


• 1 cup sugar


• 2 limes


• 6-8 Tbsp. sweetened condensed milk

Mix the cold water and sugar together until well blended and sugar is dissolved. Keep in fridge until ready to use. Wash off the limes with some warm water and dish soap since you'll be using the rind as well as the actual juice. Cut each lime into 8 wedges and set aside. Pour half of the sugar water into a blender with half of the lime wedges and pulse until the the lime juice and the sugar water are combined (Limes will look very sad and mangled). Pour through a fine-mesh strainer into a pitcher and discard the limes. Repeat with the remaining sugar water and limes and pour into the pitcher. Stir in the sweetened condensed milk, adding more or less to taste. Serve immediately over ice.

Note: I think this would also be delicious mixed with ice in the blender to make a Brazilian Slushy!

Lemon Chicken Tetrazzini

First of all, let me apologize for basically falling off the earth the past couple of months. Tax season is finally over and I now have a life outside of the office again. I am also ashamed to say that while my life was filled with taxes and financial statements, I had to put aside homemade meals and new recipes. My poor husband survived solely on Taco Bell, Subway, canned food and egg burritos. This was one of the first homemade meals I made after I had my evenings back again. Neal's first comment when we sat down to the table was "Wow, I've really missed this...." And the best part of it all is that it literally took me 25 minutes to throw this together. A compliment for a quick and easy meal? Yes, please! This recipe consists of a chicken casserole dish with mushrooms, pasta, and a creamy lemon sauce flavored with plenty of parmesan cheese. It is a quick and healthy meal to throw together and can also be frozen for one of those busy nights where cooking does not sound very appealing. I am a huge pasta fan and I'll have to say that this recipe ranks right up there with some of my favorite pastas.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. pasta, cooked and drained


• 2 chicken breasts, diced into small pieces


• Salt and pepper to taste


• 1 cup diced mushrooms (fresh or from a can)


• 1/8 cup butter


• 1/8 cup flour


• 1/2 cup chicken broth


• 1/2 cup milk


• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated


• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice


• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese


• 1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs

Turn the oven on to 350 degrees. While the pasta is cooking, saute chicken with salt and pepper over medium heat until nearly cooked through. Add in the diced mushrooms and the butter and saute until the mushrooms are soft and begin to release their juices. Turn the heat down to medium-low and add in the flour until a roux (or thick paste) forms. Slowly add in the chicken broth and milk and stir over medium-high heat until it begins to boil and thicken. Return heat back down to medium-low and add in the cheddar cheese, lemon juice and parmesan cheese until cheese is melted and flavors meld together. Add more lemon juice and parmesan cheese to taste. Mix in the drained pasta and stir until the pasta is coated with the sauce. Pour pasta mixture into an 8x8 pan and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Bake, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes, or until breadcrumbs are golden brown in color.