Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Chocolate Banana Bread

Seriously.  This could be a dessert.  Think outside the box.  Whenever we have bananas that don't get used in time, I remove the peel and throw the bananas in a freezer bag.  No need to waste the bananas!  When I need them, I just thaw them out and throw the bananas and the juice that it creates in the freezer bag right into my banana bread recipes.   Works every time.


Chocolate Banana Bread

3 ripe bananas
2 eggs
1/2 c. 2% plain greek yogurt
1/3 c. honey
1 t. vanilla extract
1 t. baking soda
1 c. wheat flour
1/2 c. cocoa powder
1/2 c. chocolate chips

In a bowl, beat together bananas, eggs, yogurt, honey, vanilla, and baking soda.

Add the flour and cocoa.

Fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour te batter into a greased 9x5 inch bread pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.



Creamy Chicken and Mushroom One Pot Pasta

I found this recipe on a 'Tasty' post on facebook.   The thing I like about it is that it is easy, only uses one pot, there is no pre-cooking or draining of the pasta, and has a nice rich flavor.

Would I make it to impress my foodie friends?  Probably not, but it's a good go-to family meal and I'll make it again!


Creamy Chicken and Mushroom One Pot Pasta

3 T. olive oil
1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts, cut in pieces
1/2 of an onion, diced
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
2 c. cremini mushrooms (I used 3 c. of sliced white mushrooms that I had on hand)
3 cloves minced garlic
1 t. thyme
2 t. paprika
4 c. chicken broth
1 c. heavy cream
1 lb. farfalle pasta (I didn't have any so used rigate.  Any medium sized pasta will work fine!)
5 oz. spinach (I didn't put this in because I didn't have any)
1 c. parmesan cheese

In a large pot, heat 2 T. olive oil on medium heat.  Add the chicken and brown it until cooked through.  Remove the chicken from the pot.

Add 1 T. olive oil and the onion to the pot and cook down for a couple of minutes.

Add the mushrooms and cook them down a bit.  Add the garlic, salt and pepper, thyme and paprika.  Stir to evenly season.

Add the broth and cream and bring it to a boil.

Once boiling, add the pasta and cook per the pasta for the length of time as directed on the package.  Stir it every couple of minutes so the pasta doesn't stick together.    Once the pasta is done, you can add the spinach if you choose to add that, and let it wilt a bit.

Add the parmesan cheese and stir until the sauce is creamy.

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T = tablespoon
t = teaspoon
c = cup
lb = pound