Fried Banana Wontons with Black & White Drizzle

I saw this in the Sept. 2010 issue of the Rachel Ray Magazine and I knew I had to try it! It didn't let me down! I was easy and delicious. We ate it for breaky with eggs but it will be a great dessert too. I'm probably making it next week for our small group. This recipe makes 12 wontons, but you can easily double the recipe for a bigger crowd...Yes, I know it's been along time since my last blog but... what can I say, I'm here now so that counts for something right! :)

Fried Banana Wontons with Black and White Drizzle

• 1/2 C choc chips
• 1/4 C heavy cream 
• 24 wonton wrappers
• 2 bananas, sliced
• 1 egg white, 1 tsp of water beaten
• 6 TB butter
• 1/2 cream frache or a bottle of "tshhht" aka Whip Cream (that's the sound my kids would make when they were little to tell me they wanted a squirt in the mouth of it, yes we do that...)

Melt the choc chips and heavy cream in the microwave in a small bowl, stirring often. 2 rounds at 40 sec each did it for us. Be careful not to burn it.  Lay out the wonton papers. Now here is a fork in the road... you can either fold them (make triangles), making 24 or top 12 with the wontons ontop like a sandwich. This is a personal decision. I did it the sandwich way but I might try it the triangle way next time. Top the wontons with banana slices and seal them with the egg mixture (respective glue), push it snug to seal the top and bottom. Add some butter at medium heat and add your first batch of wontons. Cook on each side for 2 minutes. Remove when golden brown. Wipe pan and repeat.  Pile onto plates and top with chocolate sauce and cream! Delish!

Good Morning Huevos!

Good Morning Huevos! Breakfast Casserole with homemade Pico de Gallo salsa

Despite the weather being so hot that chocolate melted IN my kitchen, I have apparently have been inspired this week, which is great. This breakfast I whipped up with ingredients I had on hand. I like to call it Good Morning Huevos!

Good Morning Huevos!

• 6-8 corn torillas chopped into little pieces
• 1 container of egg substitute or 8 eggs 
• salt and pepper (to taste in the egg mixture)
• Cayenne Pepper (to taste in the egg mixture)
• Garlic Powder (to taste in the egg mixture)
• grated zucchini
• 1 can Ortega Chilies
• 8 slices of sliced ham
• cup of shredded cheese
• handful of feta cheese
• Sour Cream

Salsa 

• very large tomato chopped and drained a little
• 3/4 onion slices super fine and chopped small
• cilantro (I used the frozen cubes I have)
• 1/4 lemon or lime
• 5 cloves garlic
• 8ish leaves of basil
• salt & pepper
• Cayenne Pepper or whatever spice you like to give a little kick, Chile con Limon

Oven to 375. Spray your pan, add 1/2 the tortillas, chilies, 1/2 cheese, feta, zucchini, and ham. Then the rest of the tortillas and cheese.  Pour on the egg mixture. Bake for about 40 minutes or until cooked throughout.

While you are waiting, you can make the salsa. Blend the garlic, basil, and cilantro in a mini food processor or chop them all finely. Add the tomato, lemon, hot spice, s & p. Mix and your done! So easy!  

Top the egg bake with the fresh salsa and sour cream. Make more and you can eat it tomorrow!

Zucchini Bread

These were really yummy! I gave them as gifts to my kids teachers and my custodians at work.


Zucchini Bread
*2 1/4 cups whole wheat all-purpose flour
*1 cup all-purpose flour
*1 1/2 teaspoons salt
*1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
*2 teaspoons baking soda
*1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
*1 cup sugar
*1 cup agave sweetener (kinda pricey, I'll prob use all *white sugar next time)
*1 cup vegetable oil
*4 eggs, beaten
*1/3 cup water
*2 cups grated zucchini
*1 teaspoon lemon juice
*1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans


Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flours, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, cinnamon, sugar, and agave. In a separate bowl, combine oil, eggs, water, zucchini and lemon juice. Mix wet ingredients into dry, add nuts and fold in. Bake in 2 standard loaf pans, sprayed with nonstick spray, for 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Alternately, bake in 5 mini loaf pans for about 45 minutes. Mini bundts 17 minutes.

Healthy Zucchini & Spinach Sloppy Joe's

It's Zucchini time of year and we already have had about 10 from our plants so besides sautéing them, we had to figure out some new recipes. Matt wanted "Sloppy Joe's" so I had to figure out how to make that work with zucchini. 

Healthy Zucchini & Spinach Sloppy Joe's

2 cups shredded zucchini

1 Tb butter or EVOO

2 big handfuls of baby spinach chopped

1 can stewed tomatoes

dried onions

garlic powder

salt & pep

1 1/2 tomato sauce (I like Classico)

2 1b ground meat

soy & Montreal seasoning

Wheat Buns (we used the sandwich thins and they were... too thin, tasty though)

Parmesan for the buns

Cook the zucchini in the 1 Tb butter or EVOO for a couple minutes, then add the dried onion and spinach. Cook it for a bit to some water out. Add the stewed tomatoes, garlic, salt & pepper. Cook it down to get more water out. 

Cook the meat of your choice (we used beef) and season with some Montreal seasoning. Drain and add a couple dashes of soy sauce.  Toast buns with EVOO spray & Parmesan cheese.

Add the meat and sauce to the veggie mixture and mix. Spoon on to buns and enjoy!

Centerpiece Bundt Cakes

So i got this idea out a Martha Steward Living Magazine and thought it would be perfect for the Bridal Shower that I was throwing. You double to great ideas into one: dessert and flowers. We did 2 large Bundt cakes and a few mini ones. They turned out so delicious and beautiful. We didn't even frost them, I just sifted powdered sugar over the tops and added the fresh flowers!

Tortellini with Jalapeño Chicken Sausage and Zucchini

So this was one of those surprise meals. You know, the ones that you kinda know the ingredients you have or want to use but you aren't sure what combo you are going to do. I got most of the ingredients at Trader Joe's (TJ's) but I'm sure you can look around and find them else where. So this one is really easy and a bit spicy but my kids loved it because the sausage looks like hot dogs... 

Tortellini with Jalapeño Chicken Sausage & Zucchini

*1 package of Jalapeño Chicken Sausage (TJ's), cut long ways and chopped

*1 lb of Tortellini (I like the TJ's kind)

*1/4 cup sour cream

*1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (some to mix in and some to sprinkle)

* salt & pepper, soy sauce, EVOO, 1 TB Basil

*4 zucchini, cut long ways and chopped

*1 lemon

*1 small onion finely chopped

Boil your pot of water for the Tortellini and cook when ready.

Sauté the onion in a little olive oil and a dash of soy sauce. When they are soft, add the Jalapeño Chicken Sausage and crisp a little. Then add the zucchini stir frequently. By now the Tortellini should be done, drain it but pour a couple tablespoons of pasta water into the veggies & meat. Put a lid on the mixture and cook a bit.

Put the Tortellini back in the pot and add a "glug" of EVOO, 1/2 of the cheese, and the sour cream. Added about a tablespoon of cubed (frozen in cubes from TJ's) basil.  Mix it all together. Scoop the Tortellini and top it with the veggies and meat. Sprinkle cheese, grind some pepper, and squeeze some lemon and you are done! 

 

Mo's Amazing Apple Dip

This is an apple dip that will make you question your self control...

Mo's Amazing Apple Dip
-1 block cream cheese, softened
-1/3 cup brown sugar
-1 bag toffee bits
-1 jar Mrs.Richardson's Butterscotch 
-Granny Smith Apples-sliced
Mix cream cheese and brown sugar until completely blended and put into a shallow dish. Top with the Mrs.Richardson's Butterscotch, then the toffee bits. Best if refrigerated for at least an hour, but it's still delish without doing that. 


Variations: Hot fudge and caramel sauce. The caramel sauce was kinda thin but the fudge was great for a change!