Banana Bread with Pecans

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 overripe bananas

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

Mash 2 of the bananas with a fork in a small bowl so they still have a bit of texture. With an electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk, whip the remaining bananas and sugar together for a good 3 minutes; you want a light and fluffy banana cream. Add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla; beat well and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated; no need to overly blend. Fold in the nuts and the mashed bananas with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Give the pan a good rap on the counter to get any air bubbles out.

Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Don't get nervous if the banana bread develops a crack down the center of the loaf; that's no mistake, it's typical. Rotate the pan periodically to ensure even browning.

Cool the bread in the pan for 10 minutes or so, and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. Toast the slices of banana bread, dust with confectioners' sugar, and serve.

Source: Tyler Florence - http://www.foodnetwork.com/

Italian-Style Chicken with Sausage, Peppers, & Onions

***Here's yet another delicious recipe from Cook's Illustrated. It's definitely a little spicy, and I even left out the hot cherry peppers. I served it with mashed potatoes and French bread. M'mm, M'mm Good!***

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

8 ounces sweet Italian sausage , casings removed

2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves , trimmed of excess fat and skin and cut crosswise into 2 or 3 pieces

Table salt and ground black pepper

1 medium onion , halved and sliced 1/4 inch thick (about 1 1/4 cups)

1 large red bell pepper , stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch strips (about 1 1/2 cups)

3–5 pickled hot cherry peppers , stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch strips (about 1/4 cup)... (I left these out)

3 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

1/3 cup white wine vinegar plus 2 additional tablespoons

3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth plus 1 tablespoon

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves

Directions:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add sausage and cook, stirring to break sausage into 1/2-inch pieces, until browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer sausage to plate lined with paper towels. Remove skillet from heat; pour off fat into small bowl and reserve; wipe out skillet with paper towels.

2. Return skillet to medium-high heat and heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil until smoking. Pat chicken dry and liberally season with salt and pepper. Add chicken, skin side down, and cook without moving until well browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Using tongs, turn chicken and brown on other side, about 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to large plate. Remove skillet from heat and pour off fat into bowl with sausage fat; wipe out skillet with paper towels.

3. Return skillet to medium-high heat and heat 1 tablespoon reserved fat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add bell pepper and cherry peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until bell pepper begins to soften, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add sugar, 1/3 cup vinegar, and 3/4 cup broth; bring mixture to boil, scraping up browned bits from pan bottom.

4. Add sausage and chicken (with any accumulated juices) to skillet, arranging chicken pieces in single layer, skin side up, on top of peppers and onion. Transfer skillet to oven and cook until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken registers 160 degrees, 18 to 22 minutes, removing smaller pieces sooner if necessary. Meanwhile, combine cornstarch, thyme, and remaining tablespoon broth in small bowl.

5. Carefully remove skillet from oven (handle will be very hot) and transfer chicken, skin side up, to platter or individual serving plates. Place skillet over medium-high heat and stir in cornstarch mixture. Simmer sauce mixture until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Off heat, taste sauce and add up to 2 tablespoons vinegar. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce around chicken, being careful not to pour it directly over chicken. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

Source: The Best of America's Test Kitchen - Best Recipes and Reviews 2008

Chocolate Kahlua Cake

***It's definitely not a birthday around this house without a scrumptious, homemade birthday cake! My sweet mom-in-law recently celebrated her birthday. Her request?...A cake with chocolate and coffee flavors reminiscent of the groom's cake at our wedding. I searched and searched, determined to find the perfect recipe. I hit the jack-pot with one of my Southern Living cookbooks. The cake was a tremendous success! The Kahlua adds the perfect little "something" to the cake, without being overpowering. The cake was so good, that I just made it again for Jessica's birthday.

When making this cake, or any other cake for that matter, a good tip is to always have all of your ingredients at room temperature before starting. This includes eggs, cream cheese, milk, etc.***

Chocolate Kahlua Cake

The Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 3/4 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1/4 cup Kahlua

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 cup milk

2 (1 oz) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled (I used 3 squares!)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/3 cup Kahlua

3/4 cup chopped hazelnuts or pecans, toasted and divided (I used pecans)

Chocolate Kahlua Frosting (below)

Garnish: chocolate-covered coffee beans

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease three 9-inch round cake pans; line with wax paper. Grease and flour wax paper. Set aside

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed 5 to 7 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add 1/4 cup Kahlua; beat until well blended.

Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix at low speed after each addition until blended. Stir in chocolate and vanilla.

Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans. Peel off wax paper. Drizzle layers evenly with 1/3 cup Kahlua. (I brushed the Kahlua onto the layers with a pastry brush.) Cool completely on wire racks.

Combine 1/2 cup hazelnuts or pecans and 1 cup Chocolate Kahlua Frosting; spread between layers. Spread remaining frosting on top and sides of cake. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup hazelnuts or pecans on top. Garnish, if desired. Store in fridge.

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Chocolate Kahlua Frosting

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

1 (16 oz) package powdered sugar, sifted and divided

3 (1 oz) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled

1/4 cup Kahlua or strongly brewed coffee

Directions:

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer. Add 1 cup powdered sugar and chocolate; beat until smooth. Gradually add remaining powdered sugar and Kahlua, beating at low speed until spreading consistency.

Source: The Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook

Italian Pot Roast

***Pot roast is one of those comforting, yummy meals that you look forward to on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Growing up, my Mom always made a traditional pot roast. You know...roast, potatoes, carrots, onions...slowly cooked in a Crock Pot all afternoon long. So good! I've never even thought to cook a pot roast any other way until opening the recent "The Best of America's Test Kitchens - Best Recipes and Reviews 2008." There it was...Italian Pot Roast a.k.a. stracotto. I never would have thought to put this twist on a roast, but let me just tell you...it was probably the best pot roast I've ever had. It's absolutely PACKED with flavor, and the meat is so tender that it just melts in your mouth. It was such a nice change from what I'm used to. Don't get me wrong, I still love our traditional roast, but this one has earned a spot on my favorites list. I will no doubt be making this recipe for years to come!***

Italian Pot Roast

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:
1 boneless chuck-eye roast (3.5 - 4 pounds)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
1 pound cremini or white mushrooms, quartered
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (14.5- ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup red wine
1 large garlic heat, outer papery skins removed, then halved
1 large sprig fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh rosemary

Directions:
Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Pat the roast dry with paper towels and season with salt & pepper.

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown the roast on all sides, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer the roast to a large plate. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the onions, celery, mushrooms, and tomato paste until the vegetables begin to soften, about 8 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, sugar, water, 1/2 of the wine, garlic and thyme. Return the roast and the accumulated juices to the pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Place a piece of foil over the pot, cover with the lid and transfer the pot to the oven.

Cook until the roast is just fork-tender, 2.5 to 3.5 hours, flipping the roast after 1 hour. Uncover the pot and let the roast rest in its juices for 30 minutes, skimming the surface fat after 20 minutes. Transfer the roast to a carving board and tent with foil. Remove and reserve the garlic head and skim the remaining fat from the pot. Add the remaining 1/2 cup wine to the pot, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook until the sauced begins to thicken, about 12 minutes.
Meanwhile, carefully squeeze the garlic from the halves and mash into a paste. Add the rosemary to the pot and simmer until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Remove the rosemary and thyme springs, stir in the mashed garlic, and season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Cut the meat against the grain into 1/2 inch thick slices, or pull it apart into large pieces.

Source: The Best of America's Test Kitchens - Best Recipes and Reviews 2008

Roasted Fresh Asparagus with Hazelnut Butter

***Here's another great recipe from my new Biltmore Estate cookbook. One of our favorite veggies is fresh asparagus, so selecting this recipe from the book was a no-brainer. I also just so happened to have the Frangelico from the Giandua Souffle that I made a while back. It was delicious...and we have most of the Hazelnut Butter left over to add to other dishes. It would be good added to something like mashed potatoes. YUM!***


Roasted Fresh Asparagus
Ingredients:
1 lb. green asparagus, trimmed and peeled
2 tbsp. EVOO
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. pepper
3 tbsp. Hazelnut Butter (below)



Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Toss the asparagus with the olive oil, lemon juice, kosher salt and pepper in a bowl, coating well. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes or until tender. Serve with the Hazelnut Butter.

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Hazelnut Butter
Ingredients:
1/3 cup crushed toasted hazelnuts
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 tbsp. minced shallot
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. Frangelico Hazelnut Liquer
1 tbsp. honey
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. pepper

Directions:
Combine the hazelnuts with the butter, shallot, parsley and lemon zest in the bowl of a small tabletop mixer. Add the lemon juice, liquer, honey, kosher salt and pepper. Beat at low speed with a paddle attachment until well mixed, scraping the side of the bowl occasionally.

Shape into a log about 1 inch in diameter on plastic wrap or baking parchment. Wrap and chill until firm. Cut into 1/4-inch slices to serve.

Source: "Biltmore - Our Table to Yours - Chef's Selection Cookbook"