Banana Bread

Taken from here

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp finely grated lemon rind
• 1/3 cup + 2 TBSP butter, softened, plus more for greasing
• 1 ½ cup wholemeal self-raising flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ¾ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 ½ cup mashed banana (about 3 bananas)
• ½ cup almonds
• 1/2 cup chocolate chunks
• 1 tsp brown sugar 
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon powder

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 180⁰C/160⁰C fan forced. 

2) Grease 14 cm x 21 cm loaf pan. Grease the other two sides with butter.

3) Add the lemon rind into a small bowl with the softened butter.

 

 

 

 

 

4) Sift flour and cinnamon into a large bowl.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5) Add rind, butter, sugar and eggs to the cinnamon-flour mix and combine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6) Stir in banana, almonds and chocolate.

7) Spread mixture into pan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8) Meanwhile, mix the brown sugar and grounded cinnamon to make the topping. Sprinkle over the bread mixture in the pan.

9) Bake for about 1 hour, or until a skewer comes out clean. 

10) Stand bread in pan 5 minutes before turning onto wire rack to cool.

 Pac Man

Creamed Onions

I have these every year at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Didn't know they were 'weird' until I went to college and now one else knew what they were. They are from Sweden, I guess. Can't find confirmation online, but another person I know who is part Swedish knew what they were and said it was his moms side (Swedish side) of the family that made them as well. Had to have a friend try them, so I made them! I ignored the fact that he said he did not like onions when I was planning this...he still ate them.

Ingredients:

• 2 16oz jars whole onions
• 3 TBSP + 1/4 cup butter
• 2 TBSP flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup sharp processed American cheese, shredded (I used Cheddar)
• 1/2 cup buttered breadcrumbs

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 350F/176C
2) Drain onions and reserve some liquid in jars.
3) Melt butter 3 TBSP butter in a pot.
4) Add flour and blend it in well to make a roux.
5) Remove from heat.






6) Add the milk and stir until blended.
7) Return to heat and cook until thickened and bubbling slightly.
8) Turn off the heat.






9) Add cheese.
10) Stir until melted. If too thick add the reserved liquid.
11) Add the onions and mixture to a lightly buttered 1 quart dish.






12) In the same pot add the 1/4 cup butter and breadcrumbs.








13) Add on top of the onions.
14) Cook for 40 minutes.

Garlic and Parmesan Pasta

National Garlic Day! And I really wanted butter pasta, so I made this!

Ingredients:

• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 1 cup pasta
• 4 garlic cloves (I should have used more...)
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup Parmesan plus extra for the top

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 175C on broil.
2) Boil water for the pasta.
3) Add the pasta.









4) At this time, heat the oil in the pan.
5) Chop the garlic and put it in the pan.







6) Add the butter when there is about 2 minutes left on the pasta.







7) Strain the pasta and add it to the  pan with the garlic and butter.
8) Add the Parmesan cheese.
9) Put into an oven safe bowl and add more Parmesan cheese.
10) Place into the oven and cook for 2 minutes.

Vegetarian Chili

The boyfriend had never had chili until a week before I made this and asked if it was possible for me to make it vegetarian...so I did!

Taken from here with slight alterations

Ingredients:

• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 4 bay leaves
• 14 oz can of diced tomatoes
• 14 oz can of kidney beans
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1) Heat the oil in a large pot on medium/high heat









2) Add the bell pepper, onion and carrots and saute for 5 minutes.








3) Add the chili powder, paprika, cinnamon and bay leaves and cook for another 10 minutes.








4) Add the tomatoes and cook for another 10 minutes.








5) Add the kidney beans, lower the heat, and cook for another 10 minutes.
6) Remove the bay leaves before serving.

Greek Pasta Salad

From: BBC Good Food 101 Veggie Dishes


Ingredients:

• 300 g/10 oz pasta
• 225 g bag prepared fresh baby spinach leaves
• 250 g punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
• 100g/4 oz kalamata olives
• 225 g/8 oz feta, broken into rough chunks
• fresh black pepper
• 3 TBSP olive oil

Directions:

1) Boil a large pot of water.
2) Add the pasta and cook for 10 minutes.








3) Add the spinach and cook for another 2.










4) Drain into a colander and let drip dry/shake water out.








5) Add everything else into a large bowl.
6) Add the pasta and spinach and mix.

Feta and Flageolet Salad

From: BBC Good Food 101 Veggie Dishes

Ingredients:

• 100 g/4 oz baby spinach leaves, stems removed
• 300 g/ 10 oz large salad tomatoes, cut into wedges, seeds removed
• 400 g can flageolet or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 200 g pack feta
• Dressing
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 TBSP lemon juice
• 1 tsp clean honey
• 3 TBSP olive oil

Directions:

1) Place the spinach leaves, tomatoes, beans and red onions.
At this point I started making the salad in an individual bowl, so not adding the cheese and dressing so it does not get soggy.
2) Drain the liquid from the feta and add, crumbled.





3) Mix the dressing ingredients together with a fork.
4) Add to the salad.

Chinese Almond Cookie

It's National Chinese Almond Cookie day!

Recipe from here

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp almond extract (sounds like a little, but is A LOT, the whole kitchen smelt like almonds)
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds
• 1 egg white
• 1/2 tsp water

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 325F/162C
2) Mix butter and sugar.








3) Mix in egg and almond extract.









4) In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking soda and salt.









5) Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture.








6) Roll into small balls and place on a cooking sheet.
7) Flatten the balls.







8) Sprinkle the almonds on top.









9) Beat egg whites and water.








10) Brush the egg white mixture over the cookies.
11) Cook for 14-16 minutes or until the bottom and edges are brown.
12) Let cool for 2 minutes before removing from the sheet.