Banana Cake with Honey Cinnamon Frosting

This is our GO-To dessert! DIVINE and pretty easy :) Start saving those old bananas!For the Cake:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 4 ripe bananas), plus 1 whole banana, for garnish (optional)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. Make a well in center of flour mixture. In well, mix together butter, mashed bananas, eggs, and vanilla. Stir to incorporate flour mixture (do not overmix). Pour into pan.
3. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of the cake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove cake from pan; cool completely on a wire rack. Spread top with Honey-Cinnamon Frosting.

For the Honey Cinnamon Frosting:

• 1 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat confectioners' sugar, unsalted butter, honey, and ground cinnamon until smooth, 4 to 5 minutes

Adapted from MarthaStewert.com

Asparagus Soup-Yummiest EVER

This is Fresh Asparagus Soup-Yummiest Ever

It has a creamy lemony taste to it, I bet broccoli could be easily substituted.
-Even France had 2nd's and 3rd's-

For The Soup

• 1 pound fresh asparagus
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth (I used chicken, its all I had)
  
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 pinch ground black pepper
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable broth (again with chicken)
  
• 1 cup soy milk (I use Lactaid)
  
• 1/2 cup yogurt (Fage! You can get cheaper tubs of it at Costco)
  
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese *Optional-we didn't
  

Directions

1. Place asparagus and onion in a saucepan with 1/2 cup vegetable broth. Bring the broth to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer until the vegetables are tender.
2. Reserve a few asparagus tips for garnish. Place remaining vegetable mixture in an electric blender and puree until smooth.
3. Melt butter in the pan that was used for simmering the asparagus and onions. Stir while sprinkling flour, salt, and pepper into the butter. Do not let the flour brown. Allow the mixture to cook only 2 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 1/4 cups vegetable broth and increase the heat. Continue stirring until the mixture comes to a boil.
4. Stir the vegetable puree and milk into the saucepan. Whisk yogurt into the mixture, followed by lemon juice. Stir until heated through, then ladle into bowls. Garnish with reserved asparagus tips. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 134 | Total Fat: 5.7g | Cholesterol: 15mg

*PS That's half and half drizzled on top-makes it prettier.

Focaccia-Style Flax Bread

*Note from About.com: "I call this "focaccia" because it is baked in that style -- flat on a sheet pan, and then cut up into whatever sized pieces you want. It works for toast, sandwiches, and other bready uses. It is "rough" in texture like heavy whole grain breads. Since it isn't made with wheat, it doesn't have the same kind of grain as wheat breads, but the carb in flax is almost all fiber. Flax is very useful on a low carb diet, as well as being amazingly good for you.

So we made it on my mom's recommendation, and guess who asked for more?! France! Yeah! We kept it in the fridge in an airtight container and toasted it. Pretty good bread for being carb-less wouldn't you say! :)

For the Flax Bread:

• 2 cups flax seed meal
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1-2 Tablespoons sugar equivalent from artificial sweetener
• 5 beaten eggs
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup oil

Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare pan (a 10X15 pan with sides works best) with oiled parchment paper or a silicon mat. (I use silpats now, I can no longer live with out them!).

1) Mix dry ingredients well -- a whisk works well.
2) Add wet to dry, and combine well. Make sure there aren't obvious strings of egg white hanging out in the batter.
3) Let batter set for 2 to 3 minutes to thicken up some (leave it too long and it gets past the point where it's easy to spread.)
4) Pour batter onto pan. Because it's going to tend to mound in the middle, you'll get a more even thickness if you spread it away from the center somewhat, in roughly a rectangle an inch or two from the sides of the pan (you can go all the way to the edge, but it will be thinner).
5) Bake for about 15-20 minutes, until it springs back when you touch the top and/or is visibly browning even more than flax already is.
6) Cool and cut into whatever size slices you want. You don't need a sharp knife; I usually just cut it with a spatula.

Nutritional Information: Each of 12 servings has less than a gram of effective carbohydrate (.7 grams to be exact) plus 5 grams fiber, 6 grams protein, and 185 calories.

Hot Cross Buns!

SO I have always wanted to make these...and since they are very "Eastery" it seemed it was my chance to jump on this yummy recipe! Happy Easter Ya'll!

PS Sorry everything is so 'bakey' lately. I've had quite the addiction to baking.

For the Hot Cross Buns

• 2 cups Whole Milk (I used Lactaid 'cuz that's all we have :)
  
• ½ cups Canola Oil
• ½ cups Sugar
• 1 package (2 1/4 Teaspoons) Active Dry Yeast
• 4 cups All-purpose Flour
• ½ cups (additional) Flour
• ½ teaspoons (heaping) Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoons (scant) Baking Soda
• 2 teaspoons Salt (I would use only 1 tsp next time)
  
• ¼ cups Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• Spices: Cardamom, Nutmeg, Allspice (optional)

GLAZE

• 1 whole Egg White
• Splash Of Milk

Icing

• 1 whole Egg White
• Powdered Sugar
• Splash Of Milk

BUNS

Combine 2 cups milk, canola oil, and 1/2 cup sugar in a saucepan. Stir and heat until very warm but not boiling. Turn off the heat and allow to cool until mixture is still warm, but not hot–about 30 minutes.

Sprinkle yeast over mixture. Add 4 cups of flour and stir to combine. Mixture will be very sticky. Cover with a towel and set aside for 1 hour.

Add 1/2 cup flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir till combined.

Combine 1/4 cup sugar with cinnamon and whatever other spices you want to use.

Lightly flour surface. Press to slightly flatten dough. Sprinkle a couple tablespoons of the sugar/cinnamon mixture then fold the dough over on itself and flatten again so the dough is “plain” again. Repeat the process, then fold the dough again. Repeat a third time. (You won’t use all the sugar/cinnamon mixture.)

Pinch off ping pong or golf ball-size bunches of dough. With floured hands, quickly roll it into a ball, then turn the edges under themselves slightly. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place for at least 30 minutes…an hour-plus is better.

PREHEAT OVEN TO 400 degrees

GLAZE: Mix 1 egg white with a splash of milk. Brush onto each roll.

Bake for 10 minutes, give or take, or until tops of buns have turned nice and golden brown.

Remove from pan and allow to cool on a cooling rack.

ICING

Mix 1 egg white with enough powdered sugar for icing to be very thick. Splash in milk as needed for consistency.

Add icing to a small Ziploc bag and snip the corner. Make icing crosses on each roll, making sure they’re completely cooled first.

Adapted from: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/

THE Chocolate Chip Cookie

I did it!

The one item of my mother's that I was afraid to make: The Chocolate Chip Cookie.
These chocolate chip cookies were the highlight of the week whenever my mom made them for us. They are perfect. They are light & fluffy & moist! To make them, directions have to be followed exactly or one will get lifeless, dried-out imitations. France loved them and was glad that I finally had the guts to make them. As usual, thanks for the amazing advice mom, they turned out perfect!

*For the Cookies:

2 cups softened butter
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups of white sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp of baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp of vanilla
6 cups flour
2-3 cups of chocolate chips (I use milk chocolate!)
*Nuts can be added if you are crazy like that

Directions:

1. Cream butter and sugar JUST until blended and not a second more!

2. Add the eggs and mix EVER so LIGHTLY (this is the key!).

3. Add the rest of the ingredients except the chips. Mix until JUST blended, never over-mix!

4. Stir in the chocolate chips.

5. Cool in fridge for 30 minutes, you want the butter to start to solidify.

6. Drop about the size of a tablespoon of dough onto cookie sheets and bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes.

7. Take out of oven and let sit for another minute on cookie sheet before transferring to another surface (do not transfer to cooling rack, it can dry out the cookies).

8. ENJOY!


*I half the recipe, the yield is huge if you make the full one!

Steak & Penne Pasta with Caramelized Onions

Opps! I forgot to take a picture so here is a stock photo! Next time. ;)

Ok so this is a GREAT dinner for diabetics or hypoglycemics or ANYONE! It covers the main food groups for health and sugar stabilizatoin and it is DELiCIOUS!

For the Steak & Pasta:

¾ lb flank steak
2 Tbsp cracked black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced (I use the jarred minced garlic...easy!)
1 Tbsp oil
1 large yellow onion, sliced
1 red onion, sliced
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 c reduced-sodium beef broth
8 oz penne pasta ( I use Barilla Plus)
6 oz baby arugula
shaved Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat the broiler. Place the flank steak on a pan (or cookie sheet) and coat all sides with the pepper and garlic. Let soak in for about 10 minutes. I like to place it on foil to help with the clean-up!

2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onions for 8 minutes, or until lightly browned. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the vinegar to deglaze. Stir in the broth, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, or until the onions are very soft and browned. Remove from the heat.

3. Prepare the pasta according to package directions, drain, and place in a large bowl.

4. Meanwhile, broil the steak, 4 inches from the heat, for 12 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted in the center registers 145°F for medium rare, 160°F for medium, or 165°F for well done. Let stand for 10 minutes, then slice into thin strips.

5. Stir the arugula into the onions. Add the pasta and toss to coat. Add the steak strips and top with the cheese.

MMmmmm: Adapted from DTOUR

Applesauce Syrup!

This recipe comes from my great friend Brityn! It's such a great and more healthful approach to syrup (less sugar...wahoo)! The sweet flavor and warm buttery-ness makes me want to make pancakes all the time (though I am more of a crepe person). :) Thanks chica! It's delicious!

For the Syrup:

2 cups applesauce
2 cups water
1/2 cup sugar (or less... I do a bit less)
1tbsp butter
cinnamon (to taste)
*** Mix all ingredients and bring to a boil***

Then...
Mix 2 tbsp of cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
Make sure you mix the cornstarch and water BEFORE you add to syrup!
***Add to boiling applesauce mix and

stir over heat until thick***