Blue Ribbon Banana Bread

         This is another amazing recipe from my subscription to Cooks Illustrated All-Time Best Recipes  magazine. I thought at first that all of these extra steps were pointless and time wasting, but I tried it anyway, and believe me, it was worth it!  So don't let the extra, seemingly pointless steps, scare you away!

Blue Ribbon Banana Bread:

    Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 very ripe bananas
• 8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) melted butter
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup pecans (optional, I don't use them)
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

    Instructions:

1. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl:
   
2. In another bowl, place five peeled bananas and microwave until juice cooks out of them (about four minutes):
   
3. Strain bananas in a fine mesh strainer over a bowl until all juice comes out:
   
4. Pour juice into a small sauce pan and boil for about five minutes, or until juice has reduced by about 50%
5. Stir back into banana mash and add butter, eggs, sugar, and vanilla 
6. Pour wet ingredients into wet and stir just until combined, add pecans if using:
   
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and oil one loaf pan.  Pour batter into pan 
8. Slice the remaining banana into circles and lay  in two lines across the edges of the batter and sprinkle evenly with sugar:
   
9. Bake for about 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean,  Enjoy!
   
   
   
   

Chicken Tacos with Grilled Pineapple and Peaches

       One of my mom's best friends used to make the most amazing potato tacos before he moved. They were really very simple.  He would just mash boiled potatoes together with seasoning like taco seasoning and salt and pepper, put it in a corn tortilla, and fry it.  Then when we got them, we just topped them with crema (Mexican sour cream), cheese, lettuce, and cilantro making it the best meal ever!  He was a really good cook so another thing he would send with it was fruit salad.  Whether it was strawberries in cream or mangoes with jalapeno, it was always delicious!  Today, this is my twist on it:

Chicken Tacos with Grilled Pineapple and Peaches:

    Ingredients:

• 5 chicken tenderloins
• 4 corn tortillas 
• 1/4 cup shredded cheese
• salt
• pepper
• cilantro
• crema or sour cream
• lettuce or cucumber
• 1 pineapple
• 2 peaches
• coconut oil

   Instructions:

1. Cut the top and bottom off pineapple.  Place one flat side down and cut the outside of the pineapple off in strips going around the pineapple 
2. Cut the pineapple in half down the middle, then into quarters to make four pineapple spears.  To remove core, lay each spear on its and cut down the inside of the triangle. Then cut each piece in half to make eight pineapple spears:
   
3. Take both peaches and cut them down the middle width wise.  Remove the pit and slice down the middle one more time to make eight medallions:
   
4. Lay a piece of aluminum foil on a grill and turn on to medium high heat.  Place about a teaspoon of coconut oil on foil and add pineapple and peaches 
5.  Let cook until slightly browned on each side (you may need to add more oil):  
   
6. Remove from grill and place on a plate:
   
7.  Once fruit is off grill, place chicken tenderloins on the same piece of foil with the heat still on so some of the fruit flavor cooks into the chicken.  Season both sides with salt and pepper:
   
8. Cook on each side for about six minutes
9. Remove from grill and cut into small pieces
10. Microwave tortillas in a wet dish towel or napkin for 45 seconds.  Remove carefully
11. Place a small amount of cheese on each tortilla and a couple spoon fulls of chicken, fold each in half and carefully place in a medium high heat pan with about a half inch of hot oil in the bottom
12. Fry on each side for two to three minutes, or until golden brown and crispy 
13. Place on a plate with fruit and top with diced cucumber or lettuce, crema or sour cream, cilantro, and cheese. Enjoy!
    

Chicken Piccata with Tomato Salad

         Last time I was at my grandparent's house in Ohio, me and my grandma made an amazing dish, that I later found out was called Chicken Piccata.  It just so happens that Cuisine at Home (a food magazine I get) featured Chicken Piccata this month, so what else could I do other than make it?

Chicken Piccata:

  Ingredients:
    Piccata 

• 5 chicken breasts
• 1 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup dry white wine 
• 2 teaspoons crushed garlic
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons drained capers
• 2 tablespoons butter
• lemon slices from 2 lemons

    Tomato Salad

• 3 large tomatoes
• 1 cup small mozzarella balls
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons basil leaves, sliced
• salt and pepper

  Instructions:

1. Cover chicken breasts with plastic wrap and pound chicken flat with a meat tenderizer (I  had to slice mine in half width-wise):
   
2. Whisk flour salt and pepper together in a shallow bowl (a pie pan works well)
3. Coat each chicken breast in the flour and place in a large medium high heat cast iron or non stick pan:
   
4. Cook on each side for about seven minutes, or until fully cooked and slightly brown:
   
5. Remove from pan and place on a plate.  Deglaze pan with white wine and add garlic  
6. Bring wine to a boil, then add chicken broth, lemon juice, and capers and let it boil
7. Place chicken back in pan and cook for one minute on each side.  Remove from pan and place on plates to serve
8. Add butter and lemon slices to sauce then turn off pan immediately so the sauce doesn't get bitter from the lemons:
   
9. Pour sauce over each chicken breast
10. Mean while, dice the tomatoes and combine in a large bowl with mozzarella, balsamic, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste, enjoy!
    

Red, White, and Blue Cheesecake

         Most of my family lives in Ohio, making it challenging to see or talk to them because of the three hour time difference.  Instead, we have started Skypeing, mostly just me and my grandma.  Recently we decided that we should start cooking together over Skype twice a month.  The first thing that we agreed on was a cheesecake.  Because it was only a few days before Fourth of July, we decided to add strawberry puree and blueberries to make it red, white, and blue:

Cheesecake with Strawberry Puree and Blueberries:

  Ingredients:

• 18 graham crackers
• 5 tablespoons melted butter
• 4 packages cream cheese
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cups milk
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 1/2 cups sour cream
• 1/4 cup unflavored yogurt
• 1/4 cup sugar

  Instructions: 

1. Place graham crackers in a gallon sized plastic bag and seal well:
   
2. Roll over with a rolling pin to crush until graham crackers form a powder:
   
3. Mix in a bowl with melted butter, then press in a lightly greased 9 1/2 by 13 inch casserole pan
4. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes, until golden brown
5. In mixer or hand held mixer with a large bowl, whisk cream cheese, sugar, and milk.  Once creamy,  add eggs one at a time
6. Whisk in sour cream, vanilla, and flour:
   
7. Pour over crust and smooth with a rubber spatula.  Place in preheated 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for one hour:
   
8. After one hour, turn off oven, but leave cheesecake in for 45 minutes without opening the door
9. Hull 1 pint of strawberries and place in blender:
   
10. Pulse just until strawberries are pureed but still have some texture
11. Whisk together sour cream, yogurt, and sugar.  Pour over cheesecake and bake at 350 for 10 minutes.  remove from oven and chill
12. Once cheesecake is cool, trim off edges and slice into one inch squares, wiping the blade of the knife in between each slice:
    
13. Remove from pan and place on a tray, plate, or serving platter:
    
14. Using a spoon, place a small amount of puree in the center of each square:
    
15. Top with two or three blueberries, depending on what fits:
    
16. Enjoy!
    
    
    

Marinated Chicken Kabobs with Baked Sweet Potatoes

       This is an easy recipe that is great for hot days because you can make it outside on the grill so you're not heating up the house.  However, it is just as easy to make them on a griddle inside.  You can also substitute regular baked potatoes for the sweet potatoes but if you haven't tried baked sweet potatoes, you are missing out!

Marinated Chicken Kabobs with Baked Sweet Potatoes:

    Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup soy sauce 
• 3 tablespoons sesame oil
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 teaspoon chili flakes
• 2 tablespoons miso paste or 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (your choice)
• 2 scallions, sliced thinly 
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 2 crushed garlic cloves
• 5 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 bell peppers
• 1 quart baby tomatoes
• 1 large onion
• 6 sweet potatoes

    Instructions:

1. Cut chicken into roughly 1 inch cubes
2. In a large container, wisk soy sauce, sesame oil, canola oil, chili flakes, miso paste or sesame seeds, scallions, sugar, salt, pepper, orange zest and garlic:
   
3. Add chicken to marinade and place lid on container, shake well.  Place in fridge and marinade over night or at least six hours:
   
4. Cut bell peppers into 1 inch squares:
   
5. Cut onion into triangles, leaving each wedge together (when you skewer them, you will take three or four together):
   
6. If using wood skewers, soak in water so they don't burn.  If using metal, don't worry about it
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and place potatoes right on baking sheet after poking with a fork for 30 minutes
8.  Skewer the chicken and veggies.  Be sure to start and end each skewer with chicken so nothing slides off:
   
9. Grill each skewer for about 4 minutes on each side or until chicken is fully cooked, Enjoy!