Nigella's Banana Buttermilk Pancakes

You make the batter in the blender so they're really easy to pour into the pan and they freeze well. So you can have pancakes even on school mornings! (And no, you can't taste the banana if that's an issue like it is with my son.)

This recipe comes from Nigella Lawson's "Feast".

Ingredients:

1 cup buttermilk

1 egg

1 teaspoon sugar

1 very ripe banana

1 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 oz melted butter

Method:

1. Whiz the first 4 ingredients together in the blender, then add the flour, baking powder & soda.

2. Let mixture sit for 5 - 10 minutes while you melt the butter (use the microwave, please, it's early!) and heat up the pan.

3. Mix in the butter right before you start frying up the pancakes.

Chocolate Cherry Cake

This is just fantastic. I'm going to make this into cupcakes and bring them into school for Sean's birthday.

Ingredients:

For Cake:

1 package chocolate cake mix

2 eggs

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 can cherry pie filling

For frosting:

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup milk

1/3 cup butter

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees; grease a 15" x 10" baking pan.

2. In a mixer, combine cake mix, eggs and almond extract. Add pie filling and mix in by hand.

3. Pour into pan and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

4. For frosting -- combine sugar, milk and butter. Cook, stirring gently, until sugar is dissolved and butter is completely melted. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips. Pour over warm cake, spreading evenly. Cool completely before cutting.

Makes 32 servings (OH MY GOD, IF THAT'S TRUE I HAVE EATEN WAY TOO MUCH OF THIS CAKE!)

Ravioli

Ravioli is one of my go-to dinners when I have no other ideas. I get the kind with spinach filling so I can pretend my children are eating vegetables. (Seriously, does a teaspoon of spinach count as a serving? I don't think so!) I don't usually go to all this trouble, but this recipe doesn't seem so hard.

(Adapted from the March 2010 issue of Cooking Light and it's what's for dinner tonight):

Ingredients:

9 oz package of frozen ravioli

1 cup green beans (cut into 2" bits)

1/4 cup thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 cup chopped tomatoes (canned will do)

1 clove garlic, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

Fresh grated parmesan

Method:

1. Cook ravioli. Add green beans during the last 5 minutes. Drain.

2. Combine sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, vinegar, chopped tomatoes and garlic in a large bowl. Add ravioli, beans, salt & pepper; toss gently to combine.

3. Top with cheese and serve!

Confession:

I didn't have the sun-dried tomatoes that I thought I had, but this tasted okay. Though I think they would butch up the sauce and shouldn't be skipped.

2nd Confession:

One child liked this, the other dissolved in a puddle of tears when served this. He is now pathetically trying to eat a single ravioli (that has been scraped clean of sauce) while choking and weeping in order to qualify for chocolate cake. How's that for excellent parenting?

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Adapted from the Weight Watcher's website.

Ingredients:

6 oz sausage

6 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 clove garlic

10 oz frozen gumbo-style vegetables

1 tbsp flour

1 cup canned, crushed tomatoes

1 cup chicken broth

1 bay leaf

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

1 medium scallion (optional)

Cooking Spray

Method:

1. Brown sausage. Add chicken breast and minced garlic when the pan is coated with the sausage grease (icky, I know, but it happens!)

2. Remove meats from pan and cut into 1" chunks. Return to pan and add frozen vegetables.

3. Cook until vegetables are thawed and sprinkle with flour.

4. Stir in chicken broth, tomatoes and spices. Simmer for at least 5 minutes. (I've simmered this for up to an hour and the gumbo reduces to a lovely, rich sauce coating the meat and vegetables. Your preference.)

Snowday Gingersnaps

So named just because we made them on one of the many snowdays we had in 2010.

Ingredients:
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup shortening
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup dark molasses
1/3 cup candied ginger, cut into tiny chunks (optional)
1/3 cup cinnamon sugar

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Sift the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into a mixing bowl. Stir the mixture to blend evenly, and sift a second time into another bowl.
3. Place the shortening into a mixing bowl and beat until creamy. Gradually beat in the white sugar. Beat in the egg, and dark molasses. Sift 1/3 of the flour mixture into the shortening mixture; stir to thoroughly blend. Sift in the remaining flour mixture, and mix together until a soft dough forms.
4. Pinch off small amounts of dough and roll into 1 inch diameter balls between your hands. Roll each ball in cinnamon sugar, and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet.
5. Bake in preheated oven until the tops are rounded and slightly cracked, about 10 minutes. Cool cookies on a wire rack. Store in an air tight container.

Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving Calories: 121 | Total Fat: 5.4g | Cholesterol: 7mg

Bread Machine Babka

This is adapted from a Cooking Light recipe from December 2009. Theirs had many more steps and they most definitely did not make the dough in a breadmaker!

Ingredients:

For babka dough:

3/4 cup warm, 1% milk

6 tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups bread flour

1/4 tsp. salt

2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast

5 tbsp. butter, cut into pieces

Put all ingredients (in order listed) into breadmaker and set on "Dough" setting.

For babka filling:

1/2 cup sugar

3 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

4 oz. mini chocolate chips (or finely chopped semi sweet chocolate bar)

1. When dough is complete, remove from breadmaker and stretch/roll/knead it out into a 16" square.

2. Sprinkle filling over dough, leaving a 1/2" border around the edges.

3. Roll up dough tightly, then twist, pinching seam and ends to seal. Fit dough into bread load pan that has been coated with cooking spray. Allow to rise for 45 minutes.

4. Bake in 350* oven for approximately 40 minutes (until brown on top and sounding hollow when rapped on bottom.)

5. Cook completely (or at least mostly) before slicing, otherwise it will fall apart!

Morroccan Roast Chicken

Ingredients:

1 3 - 4 lb. chicken, cut into pieces
1 bag baby carrots
1/2 cup Kalamata olives (no pits!)
4 bay leaves
1 lemon, cut into 1" pieces
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. paprika

Method:

1. Heat oven to 425*. Toss all ingredients (except paprika) together on a rimmed baking sheet. Arrange in a single layer and then sprinkle paprika on the chicken pieces.
2. Roast for about 45 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Toss the vegetables at least once.

Serve with pita points toasted with garlic butter.