Banana Bread with Coconut & Chocolate

Had a bunch of over ripe bananas and wanted to try something new.  Boy was this good!  Even my daughters who don't like coconut liked this.  Great warm with a little butter spread on it and a tall cold glass of milk...mmmm need I say more?

1 cup mashed bananas
3 /4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup grated coconut 
1/4 cup coconut oil

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Whisk the flour with the cocoa, baking powder, cinnamon powder and salt.

2. Beat the egg and sugar together till fluffy and pale lemony in color. Then fold in the mashed bananas and the grated coconut. Sprinkle the baking soda over this mixture and fold it in.

3. Then add the coconut oil in a thin trickle and mix it well into the batter. Finally, fold in the flour in 3 additions.

4. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Pour the batter into a greased medium sized loaf pan and bake for about 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.



Recipe and photo found at Served With Love.

Super Fast Hummus

Before I got married I would not go near anything Greek, olives (other than the traditional black ones in the can during Thanksgiving), feta, lamb, gyros, moussaka, hummus, and the list can go on.  I didn't want anything to do with it!  But I am slowly changing my outlook on Greek food.  It is pretty healthy for you, especially compared to some of the food we tend to eat here in America...point being I have come to LOVE hummus.  There is only one brand at the stores that I liked, Sabra, tried the others, but wasn't impressed at all.  So when I came across this post at Framed Cooks, I didn't hesitate on trying it out!  I don't have a food processor yet, hopefully for my birthday (fingers crossed) so I used my blender to make it.  Took a little more water and I had to stop and stir it a few more times than I wanted, but it was well worth the minimal effort!  I had to limit myself with how much I ate...but leaving the kitchen helped :)

1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
1 clove garlic
1⁄4 cup olive oil, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste; optional)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon chipotle pepper (optional for heat)

1. In a food processor, puree the chickpeas and garlic with the olive oil, lemon juice, tahini (if using), cumin, and ¾ teaspoon salt until smooth and creamy. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons water as necessary to achieve the desired consistency.

2. Transfer to a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with the paprika before serving.  Serve with pita chips, crackers, bread, cucumbers, tomatoes, your fingers...and enjoy!

 
Recipe found at Framed Cooks.

Buffalo Chex Mix

I had an over abundance of Chex mix and Cheerios so I decided to do what anyone would do with it.  Make Chex mix!  Wanted something a little different than the original stuff so I went with the buffalo flavor.  I loved the almonds in it, but none of the kids did so next time I will substitute it for something else, maybe some little goldfish and/or pretzels.  Don't think I can go wrong there!  Frank's Red Hot adds a little zip and heat to this crispy, crunchy snack but it doesn't take it over the top to hot and spicy. Feel free to add a little more than is called for if you want additional heat.

4 cups Rice Chex cereal
4 cups Corn Chex cereal
2 cups Nuts (I used almonds and pumpkin seeds)
(Next time I will use Parmesan-flavored goldfish crackers)
2 cups pretzel twists
8 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 tablespoons hot sauce
1 packet ranch dressing mix
2 teaspoons dill weed

1. Preheat oven to 250°F.
2. In microwavable dish melt butter in the microwave for 30-60 seconds. Add the hot sauce, ranch dressing mix and celery seed. Stir to combine.

3. Place cereals, nuts or fish crackers and pretzels in a large roasting pan. Pour butter mixture on top and stir well to coat pieces. Bake in oven for one hour, stirring every fifteen minutes. Remove from oven and cool mixture on paper towels. Store in air tight container when completely cooled, enjoy!

Samoas Bars

Ok, so I have never had a samoas before until this year...my daughter joined Girl Scouts and when it came time to sell cookies I bought a box, mistake, I should have bought like 6 or 7 of them!  They are like a cookie sent down from heaven above.  I just hope this recipe is as close as it can get! 

Amanda over at Fake Ginger is not big on chocolate so these aren't dipped in chocolate, but that is what I am going to do!  Bring it on!  Just melt a bag of chocolate chips instead of the 1/2 cup that this recipe calls for. Once it’s melted, dip the bars one at a time and then place on parchment (or wax paper) to harden.

For the crust:
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan, or line with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter, until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Working at a low speed, gradually beat in flour and salt until mixture is crumbly, like wet sand. The dough does not need to come together. Pour crumbly dough into prepared pan and press into an even layer.

3. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until base is set and edges are lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack before topping.

For the topping:
3 cups shredded coconut
12-oz good-quality chewy caramels
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoon milk
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Spread coconut evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet (preferably one with sides) and toast 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden. Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

2. Place caramels, salt, and milk in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the caramels have melted and everything has come together as one mixture. Fold in the toasted coconut.

3. Spread the caramel mixture evenly over the cooled crust. Allow to cool completely before cutting. Cut into 30 bars with a large knife or a pizza cutter (it’s easy to get it through the topping).

4. Once bars are cut, melt chocolate in a double boiler, a heatproof bowl set over simmering water, or a microwave. Once melted, allow to cool slightly and then transfer to a pastry bag with a small round tip (or ziploc bag – cut a corner off after the chocolate is in) and drizzle over tops of bars. Store in an airtight container once chocolate is set.

Photo and recipe found at Fake Ginger.

Spicy Dill Popcorn

So lately popcorn is my favorite go-to snack.  Wish I had an air popper to make it even more calorie friendly.  As it is, it is a lot better for me than those girl scout cookies I got yesterday...But those new Dulce De Leche ones, I have to hid them, from myself!  They are tasty.  So back to the more healthy of the two popcorn...my sister-in-law made me some with fresh dill last year and that is what got me started, she also melted butter and Worcestershire sauce  and poured it over the top, can we say yummmm!  But alas, not too calorie friendly there, so I have omitted that step and still and very pleased with the results.  Without the butter the spices don't "stick" as well as they would with it, but I still get a good coating without that extra fat.

Splash of olive oil
handful of popcorn
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon garlic granules or garlic powder
2 teaspoons dill weed
1 teaspoon chipotle pepper

1. Pop your popcorn over medium heat till all popped, make sure to shake the pan occasionally so you don't burn it.  When the popping slows down take it off the burner for a minute or so.  Pour popcorn in a large bowl, sprinkle with seasonings, make sure you have a drink and enjoy!