peanut butter

Pretty much everyone loves Banana Bread, especially when its just out of the oven and slathered with butter. My ‘Not Your Grandmother’s’ Banana Bread’ gives you the extra kick of melted chocolate and nuts, not to mention just a hint of peanut butter flavor.

++ Here’s a great link with all the info. you’d ever need to know about pan sizes! http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html

Ingredients & Directions Oven at 350F Bake for 50 – 55 minutes

++ Use a 9 x 5 x 3 loaf pan, if possible !! If using a smaller pan, you may have to increase cooking time & the banana bread might be a bit crumbly… but still delicious!!

2 medium – VERY RIPE – bananas…. enough to equal 1 cup
1 Tbs. lemon juice ++ If you don’t have any lemon juice.. that’s fine.
1/4 cup buttered, SOFTENED ++Put in microwave for a few seconds.
1/4 cup chunk-style peanut butter
1/4 cup sugar If you don’t have brown sugar, use a total of 1/2 cup regular sugar.
1/4 cup brown sugar ++ DON’T pack down the brown sugar.
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 large egg
1/3 cup milk
1 3/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking POWDER
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup M&Ms
1/4 chopped peanuts OR chopped walnuts

Put bananas in a small bowl and mash with a fork until smooth. Measure out 1 cup and place mashed banana in a large bowl. Add 1 Tbs. lemon juice, 1/4 cup softened butter, 1/4 cup chunk-style peanut butter, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar (NOT packed), 1 large egg, 1/3 cup milk, 1 3/4 cups flour, 1 1/2 tsp. baking POWDER, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. vanilla.

Mix with electric mixer until ‘just combined’. Stir in 1 cup M&Ms and 1/4 cup chopped peanuts OR walnuts.

Pour into greased loaf pan (I suggest a 9 x 5 x 3). ++ I like to sprinkle the top with 2 tsp. of sugar, which gives the banana bread a nice look.

Bake for 50 – 55 minutes until a knife (or toothpick) comes out clean when stuck into the center of the loaf. Cool banana bread (still in the pan) on a rack for about 10 minutes, then turn it out onto the rack to cool further. (I bet the bread won’t last more than two minutes before someone cuts into it.) Enjoy!

It’s always hard for me to wait until I’ve finished photographing a new recipe before I can enjoy it eating it – I just want to “dive in”. And that’s what I’m doing right now – happily eating some of my Thai-Inspired Chicken and Noodles. I’m also watching Haunted Collector, so between that and eating so late, I should be having some pretty strange dreams tonight!

I had planned to make Chicken-Ham Roll-Ups today but, instead, posted about our beautiful farm in Quebec. Then, I happened to come across a recipe I had created quite a while ago for Peanut Sesame Noodles, so I decided I’d make it and post the recipe. I’ve added some chicken to the recipe, so now it makes a complete meal. I must say, I’m pretty happy with the results!

Don’t be put off by the addition of peanut butter. Many countries cook with peanuts/peanut butter, so give this recipe I try. I think you’ll like it !!

I call this recipe “Thai-Inspired” because it’s not an authentic Thai recipe. For one thing, a true “Thai” recipe would probably not include this much peanut butter, so feel free to put in less. This dish is neither overly spicy or hot, so adjust the Cayenne pepper to your taste if you prefer heat. (You could add some red pepper flakes.) That’s the beauty of cooking – you can make this as spicy or peanut-y as you wish!

I highly recommend using Gravy Master because it gives this dish a boost of both flavor and color. (Flavour & colour for my international friends.) Actually, much of the enjoyment in eating comes down to how food looks, as well as how it tastes, so a bit of extra color can make a difference in a recipe. Enjoy!!

Ingredients

8 oz (1/2 package) linguine or angel hair pasta – any kind of long pasta or noodles, cooked according to directions and drained.
1 large onion, cut lengthwise into slices
1 Tbs. butter
2 pieces chicken breast, cut into 1″ chunks
1 tsp. Gravy Master – “Seasoning and Browning Sauce”
1/4 tsp. ginger (I used ground ginger but you could use fresh.)
1 Tbs. butter
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup chunky peanut butter – (Feel free to use less – I just happen to like LOTS!!)
2 chicken bouillon cubes
2 – 3 pinches Cayenne pepper – (Add some red pepper flakes if you like.)
1 1/2 tsp. Teriyaki sauce (I like Kikkoman’s)
1 1/2 tsp. dark sesame oil
3/4 cup “half ‘n half” (cream)
salt & pepper to taste
2 tsp. chopped fresh parsley, plus some for garnish

Melt 1 Tbs. butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Remove cooked onions to a bowl and set aside.

Melt another 1 Tbs. butter, and add chicken chunks which have been mixed with 1 tsp. Gravy Master and 1/4 tsp. ginger. Cook, stirring, over medium-high heat for 4 minutes. LOWER HEAT TO MEDIUM.

Add 1/2 cup water, 1/3 cup chunky peanut butter (Again – feel free to use less peanut butter), 2 chicken bouillon cubes, 2 – 3 pinches Cayenne pepper, 1 1/2 tsps. Teriyaki sauce, 1 1/2 tsps. dark sesame oil, 3/4 cup “half ‘n half”, 2 tsps. chopped fresh parsley and salt and pepper to taste.

Add cooked onion slices to skillet, and continue cooking and stirring just until everything is heated through. Adjust seasonings and serve. Enjoy!!