The Scoop: Banana Ice Cream for All

Ok, now when I first heard I could make ice cream with one ingredient and without my trusty ice cream maker, I had to admit, I was a bit apprehensive. I thought it was some sort of cheap trick to make me think I was eating ice cream but alas, I was wrong. There must be some magic in bananas that allow it to happen but with this recipe, bananas can easily turn into a delicious ice cream.

Banana Ice Cream

Bananas (about 1 banana per serving)

1. Peel the banana and slice it into about 1-inch thick slices. The size isn't really important, just slice it.
2. Place the slices on a plate and put them in the freezer for 1-2 hours.
3. Put the frozen banana slices and any mix-ins into a food processor or blender (I've tried both, both work equally well so pick whichever is easier to clean!).
4. Pulse until smooth.
5. Scoop out and serve!

For our first try, we made it with 3 bananas, 1 graham cracker and about 2 tablespoons of peanut butter chips and 1 tablespoon of mini chocolate chips. It was delicious and filling. I made it a second time with 1 banana and nothing more and it was a fantastic guilt-free snack and it actually tastes and looks like ice cream! Definitely in the regular rotation.



AEM

Pretzel Balls

Mike loves big soft pretzels. It's his gameday routine at any baseball, basketball, football, or hockey game. His night is just not complete unless he gets his pretzel. I decided to try and give it a shot and make a nice snack for sitting on the couch and watching a game or a mid-day treat on the weekend. I never really considered making pretzels before because I figured it would be too hard and virtually impossible for my uncoordinated self to whip up something that even remotely resembled  pretzel. When I stumbled upon the idea of pretzel bites, I was sold. While I was wrong in assuming it is difficult to make pretzels, I failed to consider the fact that it is just one big giant pain in the ass. Luckily, the final product was well worth it but this won't be something I'll be making once a week...I say that now but man, these little buggers were good so I'm sure I could be easily convinced to give it another go!


Pretzel Balls

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 package active dry yeast
4 1/2 cups flour
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cups baking soda
10 cups water
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
pretzel salt or coarse sea salt
cooking spray

1. Combine warm water, sugar, and salt into the bowl a stand mixer and sprinkle yeast on top. Let sit for about 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam.

2. Add flour and butter. With dough hook, mix on a low speed until well combined. Switch to medium speed and knead until dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 4-5 minutes.

3. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and spray with cooking spray. Put dough back into sprayed bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place for about 50-55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

4. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.

5. Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in a large pot.

6. Pretzel balls/bites: divide dough into 4 pieces. Roll out each piece into a rope that is about 24 inches long. Cut the rope into 1-inch slices and set slices aside.
    Twisted Pretzels: divide dough into 8 pieces. Roll out each piece into a rope that is about 24 inches long. Create a U-shape with the dough, twist like a pretzel and press the loose ends down into the bottom of the U.

7. Put dough slices into the boiling water, a few at a time for 30 seconds. Remove them from water with a large flat spatula or slotted spoon. Put on to cookie sheet, brush the tops of each with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture. Sprinkle with pretzel/sea salt.

8. Bake until golden brown, about 12-14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for about 5 minutes because they will be hot! We enjoyed them with some honey mustard. They store well in a plastic bag in the fridge and heat up really nicely at 400 for just a couple of minutes.

Original recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/homemade-soft-pretzels-recipe/index.html


AEM

Banana Bread Pancakes

Eggs and toast every Saturday morning can start to wear on a girl so every now and then I shake this up. Last weekend our pancakes got a makeover, similar to the fall makeover they got when pumpkin came into the picture. This time, the game changer is bananas mixed with my favorite pancake mix. My mix calls for 1 cup of mix and 3/4 cup water. 

Banana Bread Pancakes

1 cup pancake mix

1 smashed up banana

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

about 1/4 or so water...just so the pancakes are more pourable and less banana-y

1. Preheat griddle to 375 degrees (or as directed by pancake mix). 

2. Mix all of the ingredients together and pour your favorite sized pancakes onto the griddle. 

These cakes end up slightly fluffier than normal pancakes but the hint of banana is just the right amount to brighten any morning. 

AEM

Egg Rolls and Fried Rice

You didn't know McCann is an Asian surname? Ok but seriously, I wanted to continue down the path of new recipes and stumbled upon the idea of baked egg rolls. Of course we had to compliment them with fried rice and edamame! It ended up being much easier than I expected and might even be a good use for leftovers. I even added a touch of guacamole to our rolls for a little added flavor.


Chicken Egg/Spring Rolls

1 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 cup shredded carrot
1 cup mushrooms
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 lb shredded chicken
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 package egg/spring roll wrappers
1 egg white

1. Lightly chip carrots and mushrooms in food processor.
2. Heat olive oil over high heat and add cabbage, carrot, mushrooms, garlic, and ginger. Cook for about 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the chicken and cook until warm. Stir in hoisin and soy sauces. Remove from heat and let cool.
4. Lay out one egg/spring roll wrapper. Put about 2 tablespoons of filling diagonally, near the middle. Fold up the bottom and fold the sides in towards the middle. Brush the top flap with egg whites to help seal the roll and continue to tightly roll.
5. Place rolls on lightly greased baking sheet and brush tops with a little olive oil. Bake according to wrapper directions or at 425 for about 10 minutes.

Fried Brown Rice

4 cups of cooked, cooled brown rice
2 eggs
1 cup of shredded carrot
1 cup of sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup of frozen peas, thawed

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan on high heat.
2. Beat eggs and pour into pan. Do not stir as they cook, let them sit until the top is almost dry. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high heat. Add carrots and mushrooms and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and coot another 2-3 minutes.
4. Add soy sauce, butter, and cooked rice. Cook another 3-5 minutes.
5. Add peas. Slice egg into strips and add to mixture. Mix so everything is evenly incorporated. Serve.

AEM

Leftover Fajita Pizza

I made fajitas and there always ends up being too much and I end up having it for lunch the next day but then it just sits in the fridge and rots because we don't usually get around to finishing. This time would be different! This time we would eat those leftovers and like it! This time we'd throw them on pizza and call it a day :)


Leftover Fajita Pizza

pre-made pizza crust (we like the whole wheat Boboli thin crust)
refried beans
peppers and onions
shredded chicken
diced tomatoes
jalapenos
shredded cheese
guacamole
shredded lettuce
Clean out the fridge! Whatever is in there works!


1. Spread refried beans onto crust. This is your "sauce".
2. Add sauteed peppers and onions.
3. Sprinkle on shredded chicken.
4. Add other toppings. Tomatoes for Mike. Jalapenos for me!
5. Sprinkle on shredded cheese. I went with the Mexican blend and added a touch of mozzarella.
6. Bake at 450 degrees for about 8 minutes. Until the cheese melts.
7. Carefully spread a thin layer of guacamole.
 8. Add shredded lettuce, slice, and serve!

AEM

Tortellini Chicken Soup

It was a cold cold night in Florida...no really, it was! I was looking for a quick and easy and warm idea for dinner so I settled on Tortellini Chicken Soup. It took only a few minutes and warmed our souls. It tasted just like chicken noodle soup which is great, if you like that type of thing...which I don't. Probably should have considered that little fact before I made this! Still good either way!

Tortellini Chicken Soup

8 cups (2-32oz boxes) of Low Sodium Chicken Broth
2 packages (9oz) refrigerated cheese tortellini
shredded chicken (I used the leftover lemon honey chicken from the night before)
1 tablespoon parsley flakes

1. Pour broth into a large pot and add chicken. Bring to a boil.
2. Add in tortellini and cook as directed but to not drain the broth when finished.
3. Sprinkle in parsley flakes and serve

Great for lunch the next day too!

AEM

New Year, New Recipes - Lemon Honey Chicken

Unbeknownst to me, apparently I decided I would kick off the new year with all kinds of new and tasty recipes. It took me about a week into 2012 before I realized this was my plan but so far, I've kept up with it. Because of the lemon tree that just keeps kicking out lemons, we started the year with a lemon chicken recipe courtesy of my wonderful neighbor!


Lemon Honey Chicken

1 lemon
1 whole roasting chicken
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup honey

1. Rinse/clean chicken. Pierce lemon with fork and shove up the chicken's butt (ok, place in chicken cavity but whatever). Put chicken/lemon, laying down, into slow cooker.
2. Combine orange juice and honey. Pour over chicken.
3. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Just before serving, remove lemon and squeeze over chicken but be careful, it'll be hot!
4. Carve chicken and serve. We loved it with wild rice and green beans.

AEM