Banana Buttermilk Bread

butter, for greasing the pan

6 bananas, very ripe

150g (2/3 cup) vegetable oil

200g (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) dark brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp dark rum

2 eggs

75g (1/3 cup) cultured buttermilk or plain yogurt

210g (1 1/2 cups) plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp fine sea salt

3 tbsp caster sugar

Directions: Heat the oven to 180°c (350 F). Butter and line your loaf tin with baking paper.

Mash up well, 5 ½ bananas, reserving half a banana (cut lengthwise) for the top of the cake.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, brown sugar, vanilla, rum, eggs and buttermilk. Add the mashed banana and set aside.

In another bowl, whisk together the flour, soda, powder and salt.

Fold the dry ingredients into the banana mixture until just combined and pour into your prepared tin. Smooth the top and place the banana half on top and sprinkle with the caster sugar.

Bake for 40-50 minutes until a skewer inserted comes out clean and the top has become set and starts to caramelize. i sometimes use a kitchen blow torch to help this along.

Comment:  Rich, balanced banana bread, so good. If you haven't already, I highly suggest investing in a cooking/baking scale-it makes clean-up so much easier and is more precise! 

White Chocolate Cherry Macadamia Nut Granola

50 grams (1 cup) big coconut flakes                     

95 grams (1 cup) rolled oats

125 grams (1 cup) oat flour

30 grams (1 cup) rice puffs

1/2 tsp salt

50 grams (1/4 cup) sugar

70 grams (3/4 cup) roughly chopped macadamia nuts

85 grams (1/4 cup) honey

75 grams (1/3 cup) unrefined coconut oil, melted but not hot

1 egg white, room temp (if cold, it will cause the coconut oil to harden)

1 cup dried cherries, roughly chopped

1 bar lindt classic recipe white chocolate, chopped/broken into bite size shards

Directions: Heat oven to 300°f, and line a sheet tray with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl thoroughly combine the bee pollen, coconut flakes, rolled oats, oat flour, rice puffs, salt, sugar, and nuts.

In a separate bowl thoroughly combine the honey, coconut oil, and egg white.

Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir (or work with your hands) until thoroughly combined & all the dry ingredients are wet.

Pat the granola onto the sheet tray in one solid mass, a single layer, about 3/4 inch thick. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the edges start to turn golden. Remove from the oven, flip the granola, and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until it's just golden brown. Allow granola to cool fully (it will come out chewy but crisp up when it's room temp), and then break it up into desired size clumps. Gently mix in the cherries and white chocolate and store in an airtight container.

Comment:  The best granola recipe I’ve ever come across! You can subsitute whatever nuts and dried fruit you have on hand. Great for breakfast with milk or over yogurt, or for an afternoon snack.-Elizabeth

Strawberry Pretzel Dessert

Bottom Layer:

3 cups crushed pretzels      1 stick butter, melted

3 T. sugar

Middle Layer:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened      1 cup sugar

Top Layer:

2 cups boiling water      6 oz. strawberry jello

2 cups frozen strawberries, thawed to slushy consistency

Directions:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease a 9” x 11” baking dish.

For bottom layer, mix together ingredients, spread in pan, and bake for 8 minutes.  

Cool.

For middle layer, combine cream cheese and sugar.  Spread on top of cooled pretzels.

For top layer, add strawberry jello to boiling water.  Stir well.  Then add strawberries.  

Pour this mixture on top of the cream cheese.

Refrigerate one hour.

Comment:  A Lisa dessert so good that Grandma Romer eats it for breakfast!

Quick Dividend Chicken

1/8 tsp. garlic powder      ¼ tsp. thyme

¼ cup sliced almonds      ¼ tsp. pepper

¼ cup parmesan cheese      1 tsp. Lowry’s salt

2 T. parsley flakes

½ cup plain bread crumbs

2 pkgs. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts

½ cup melted butter  

Directions:  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease 8” x 11” baking dish.  

Mix together dry ingredients.  Dip chicken in butter, then in mixture.  Place breaded 

chick in baking dish.  Bake for 45 minutes.

Comment:  Serve with twice-baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, or baked potatoes.  A 

Lisa entry…interesting that this wonderful chicken is paired with potatoes?!?  A 

potential influence from Doug…

Chicken Adobo (A traditional Filipino recipe)

1 whole chicken, cut-up

2 cups white vinegar

¾ cup soy sauce

¼ cup Worchestershire sauce

2 T. whole peppercorns (black pepper) 

4 - 5 bay leaves

15 - 20 whole, peeled garlic cloves

Directions:  Place all of the above ingredients in a deep pot on the stove.  Cook on 

high heat for 10 minutes, then turn down to low and simmer for 1 – 1 ½ hours.  

Comment:  Serve with Jasmine rice and mild pepper rings. Lisa’s specialty.  

Delicious!