Apple Roasted Frenched Pork Chops

Although I love a piece of thick crispy bacon and can’t get enough Honeybaked ham, I am not a huge fan of pork chops.

It could be that my mom only served them one of two ways:

In the crockpot swimming in cream of mushroom soup or
In the oven, which meant they were usually overcooked and dried out “Shake and Bake” style.

My brother-in-law cooks a pork loin in a cream lime sauce that everyone else raves about. I don’t know why, because he’s a great cook, but it’s never really appealed to me. My husband and son love Shake and Bake and the pork chops have to be paper thin. Nope, not for me!

So, in an effort to give pork another try, I’m experimenting on a rather expensive (for pork) preparation of the loin chop: Frenched double cut pork chop.

Apple Roasted Frenched Pork Chops

Heat a large skillet (one that has a lid) with about 2 TBLS Olive Oil over a high flame. Liberally salt and pepper both sides and the fatty edge (I prefer freshly ground for both and I use sea salt) of 2 French Cut inch to inch and a half double cut bone in pork chops (I get mine at Trader Joe’s). When the oil is hot, sear the chops on both sides and on the fatty edge for 2-3 minutes per area.

Remove the chops from the pan and lower the heat to Medium. Add 1 thinly sliced small granny smith apple (peel on), about 1/2 Cup thinly sliced and separated sweet yellow onion, and 4-6 bulbs pre-roasted and cooled garlic to the pan. Cook about 3 minutes, until garlic is thoroughly incorporated (use a fork to break up the bulbs), onions are opaque and apples begin to soften. Add about 1 Cup apple juice, apple cider or white wine (if you wouldn’t drink it, don’t cook with it!) and stir up the brown pieces while deglazing the pan cook 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low. Add 1 Cup low-sodium chicken broth to the pan and simmer for 2 more minutes.

Return the pork chops to the pan, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20-22 minutes depending on the thickness of your chops. Turn the chops over at about 10 minutes.

Remove the chops from the pan and add 1/4 to 1/3 cup of heavy cream and a generous amount of freshly cracked pepper to the pan. Increase heat to medium and cook for 3-4 minutes stirring continuously to scrape up browned bits and thicken the sauce. Evenly distribute the apple, onion and sauce over the chops and serve immediately

I serve these atop a bed of mashed potatoes or with yesterday’s recipe: Roasted Garlic Cheesy Cauliflower and a crisp green salad.

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Roasted Garlic Cheesy Cauliflower

I bought a couple of heads of cauliflower at the farmer’s market, but wasn’t excited to serve it steamed with cheese, as make-believe rice, wannabe mashed potatoes, or even spiced up and roasted whole.

A trip to Trader Joe’s later, I had some inspiration for a main dish casserole I could serve with a salad. Later this week it will be a great side dish for smoked sausage or, if I’m feeling inspired, Roasted Frenched Pork Chops.

If you don’t eat, or don’t like pork products, you can easily substitute shredded chicken (grocery store rotisserie or home prepared) for the ham and either leave the bacon out or substitute turkey bacon. Another option is to cut leftover steak or prime rib into cubes as a substitute for the ham and leave in the bacon. If you are vegetarian you can leave the meat out completely and add more bell pepper (red, yellow, orange or green). It’s a recipe that’s easy to get creative with.

Roasted Garlic Cheesy Cauliflower

2 Heads of Cauliflower
2 Cups Shredded Pepper Jack Cheese
8 oz Cream Cheese
2 Cups Shredded Aged Gouda (or Trader Joe’s Gouda/Parmesan Blend) Cheese
4 TBLS Butter
1 Green Bell Pepper Diced
3 Chopped Green Onions
6 Slices Cooked Bacon
2 Cups Diced Cooked Ham
1 Clove Garlic, Roasted
3 Shallots, Roasted
Freshly Ground Pepper
About 1 TBLS Olive Oil
2 TBLS Gluten Free Flour
3/4 cup heavy cream or 1/2 & 1/2

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 Pyrex baking dish and set aside.

Peel away the papery skin and cut off the top of the garlic clove. Place inside a square of foil, drizzle with olive oil, close up the foil package, and place in a shallow pan in the oven. Do the same for the shallots. Bake 30-40 minutes and remove from oven. Set aside for a few minutes then open up foil pouch to let cool.

Break apart cauliflower heads, discard the stem and steam in a steamer in a large pot until tender but not mushy (about 20 minutes per head – you may have to do it in 2 batches). Transfer cauliflower to Vitamix Container or Food Processor and pulse until florets break apart but do not pulverize. Remove the cauliflower and put into a large mixing bowl. Add diced bell pepper, ham, half of the chopped green onions, and half of the crumbled bacon. Toss to combine.

In heavy saucepan squeeze the roasted garlic and shallots out of their skins and add 3 TBLS butter. Cook over medium heat until butter melts. Using a fork or an immersion blender stir/blend until the garlic and shallots are crushed and well combined. Add a generous amount of pepper, the cream (or 1/2 & 1/2) and bring just to a boil. Combine the last 1 TBLS of butter (melted) with 2 TBLS of the Gluten Free flour (all purpose if GF isn’t a concern for you) and blend or whisk into the mixture in the pan until the mixture begins to thicken. Add the cream cheese then 1 Cup of the pepper jack and 1 Cup of the gouda, stirring constantly until melted. It may not be a flowing sauce, but resemble a big melted blob – that’s ok. Remove from heat and pour into the cauliflower mixture in a large bowl. Use a large rubber spatula to stir together until well mixed.

Spread into prepared 9 x 13 pan, sprinkle remaining bacon, green onion and cheeses over the top, cover loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes; remove foil and continue to bake until cheese is brown and bubbly. Remove from oven and let cool 5-10 minutes. I serve with a bottle of Frank’s Red Hot for those who like more spice.

My Family Demanded Meat For Dinner

I tried to slip my planned Meatless Monday dinner menu past my husband and son as they left for work this morning and was met with a groan. When your child (whether he’s a grown ass man or not) whines like he’s being starved, Mom caves.

My Ralph’s Fresh Fare (AKA Kroeger’s) is too expensive to shop at for every day groceries, but I can’t pass up their meat department. It is head and shoulders above my local Albertson’s in quality, selection of available cuts of meat and variety of wild caught fish. They frequently have meat specials so I stock up and load the freezer when I can. I headed to the garage, dug through the icy depths and came across a perfectly trimmed, vacuum packaged Flat Iron steak.

I still had a couple of ripe avocados off my tree, a couple of jalapenos that needed to be used up, 3 green onions nearing their toss time, and 1/2 a lemon that was destined for freshening the garbage disposal if I didn’t use it soon. I had already tossed the wilted cilantro, so no Chimichurri. The basil in the drawer was well beyond it’s crispy best, so no Pesto. But, have no fear, with some pepper, olive oil and garlic salt a sauce was beginning to take shape in my head.

Pan Fried Flat Iron Steak with Spicy Avocado Sauce and Asparagus Risotto

Add about 2 TBLS Olive Oil to a 10″ skillet and heat over medium-high heat until oil is hot but not smoking. Liberally season a 2 LB Flat Iron Steak (trimmed of all visible fat) with Pepper and Garlic Salt and place in pan. Sear each side until browned (about 5 minutes per side) lower heat to medium-low and cook another 5 to 8 minutes per side for medium rare; 8 to 10 minutes per side for medium; 10 to 12 minutes per side for Medium-Well to Well. Time is estimated – adjust based on thickness of your meat.

While the steak is cooking prepare the sauce. In my Vitamix container I combined 1 and 1/2 ripe avocados, 1 large seeded jalapeno, 3 cleaned green onions, 2 TBLS Olive Oil and juice from 1/2 of a small ripe lemon. Process until it becomes a smooth, medium-thick sauce. Add garlic salt and pepper to taste and set sauce aside.

When steak reaches desired degree of doneness, leave in pan and remove from the heat to seal in the juices before slicing.

I found a bag of Trader Joe’s Asparagus Risotto in the freezer so I stir fried it in a dry non-stick skillet for about 8 minutes, then divided it among the three plates.

After thinly slicing the steak across the grain at an angle and resting it atop the risotto, I spooned a generous amount of the avocado sauce onto the meat and served it to my salivating family.

Dinner took about 30 minutes from stove top to plate and the cavemen in my household were satisfied & stuffed.

Roasted Jalapeno Avocado Bacon Pie

Because Thursday is the slowest day at my “real job” I usually have time to fool around in the kitchen to try to create a new dish to serve for dinner. This week was no different except that I needed to come up with something healthy because I am (BOO – HISS) dieting i.e., not eating anything that even resembles Halloween candy or that I can pick up at a drive-thru window, have delivered to my front door, or comes out of a can or box. No Bueno!

Determined to stay on track, into the kitchen I went to make a healthy meal that would taste good, keep me full and make my digestion work hard (and burn calories) all night long.

Happily I found some of my favorite spicy, salty, satisfying flavors there! Bacon, fresh jalapenos, a forgotten Roma tomato (thankfully still firm), some ripe avocados from my backyard, green onions, eggs, and a wedge of aged gouda. AHA Moment: I’d eat breakfast for dinner!

Roasted Jalapeno Avocado Bacon Tortilla Pie

4 Large Eggs
1 1/4 Cups Sour Cream
4 Slices of Bacon (cooked crisp, drained, cooled and chopped)
3 Green Onions
1/2 of 1 Large Roma Tomato
7 Corn Tortillas
1 Medium Avocado
1 Cup Shredded Aged Gouda Cheese
1 Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
Olive Oil Spray
Freshly Ground Salt & Pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray the bottom and sides of a 9.5″ Pyrex pie plate with the Olive Oil Spray.

In a small non-stick frying pan heat each of the tortillas until just lightly browned on both sides. Lay one in the center on the bottom and then layer the rest around the pan overlapping to make sure there is a “crust like” coverage.

In the same pan roast the whole jalapenos until the skin bubbles and begins to blacken. If you want a bit less spice, remove the seeds and stem first. Combine both of the cheeses: sprinkle 1/4 of the cheese over the bottom of the tortilla crust. When peppers are roasted, chop them and scatter over the first cheese layer.

Chop and quickly dry saute’ the whites only of the green onions (chop the greens and set aside) and the Roma tomato with a bit of salt & pepper. Distribute the onion/tomato mixture over the jalapenos then cover with 1/2 of the remaining cheese.

Chop the avocado then layer it with the bacon over the second cheese layer.

Mix the 4 eggs and the sour cream until well combined and beginning to thicken. Add cracked salt and pepper then pour carefully over the pie surface taking care not to overflow the edges of the exposed tortillas on the sides. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top and put pie pan in the center of the pre-heated oven. Bake 40-45 minutes, or until cheese begins to brown and a knife inserted into the center of the pie comes out with no egg mixture on it and center is cooked through. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes before slicing into wedges to serve. Top each wedge with the reserved chopped green onions.

To make this a complete meal serve with a salad of Romaine, the reserved 1/2 of the tomato, and any other fresh produce you’d like (I chop a green apple, some jicama, and add a shredded carrot) then dress lightly with olive oil, combined with salt, pepper and some lemon juice to keep it healthy.

This Dinner Will Get You Thirsty This Thursday

We missed taco Tuesday this week.

I was just too tired and sad from having to put my beloved lab to sleep Monday, to even think about cooking and getting my Mexican food fix. The household is slowly recovering so I ventured out to the grocery store and then into the kitchen to throw something together tonight, that wasn’t takeout. I came up with something tasty, filling and gluten free!

Chicken Stuffed Pasilla Peppers with Arborio Rice

4 Large Pasilla (A.K.A. Poblano) Peppers
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Orange Bell Pepper
1 Yellow Bell Pepper
2 Roasted Chicken Breasts
6 Strips Crisp Cooked Bacon
1 1/2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese Blend (Cheddar/White Cheddar/Sharp Cheddar)
2 Chopped Green Onions
1/2 Cup Trader Giotti’s Arrabiata Sauce (found at Trader Joe’s stores)
1/2 – 1 1/4 Cup Organic (Gluten Free) Chicken Broth
1 Cup Arborio Rice
3/4 Cup Sour Cream

I bought a nearly 6 pound whole young chicken and roasted it in a 375 degree oven for about 1 hour 45 minutes, took it out to rest and then removed the breasts and placed them in the Vitamix container. Strain the drippings into a measuring cup and add enough chicken broth to equal 1 1/2 Cups.

In the same oven, while the chicken was cooking, I laid 6 strips of bacon on a cookie sheet and baked them for about 18 minutes, until they were crispy and browned but not yet burning. Remove the bacon from the oven to drain and cool then cut it into pieces and add to the Vitamix container.

Once the chicken has finished cooking, increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees.

Wash and dry the Pasilla peppers then carefully cut the top off of all four, discarding the stem and seeds. Take each of the peppers and cut a wide V shape on one side (from the top toward the solid bottom it’ll look like a V-neck shirt). Place all 4 peppers on a cookie sheet.

Remove the stems and seeds from the bell peppers. Cut in half and then into quarters until all pieces can lay flat on a cookie sheet. Bake both sheets of peppers 20-25 minutes until the skins blister and start to blacken. Remove the bell peppers from pan to cutting board to cool and then cut into small pieces and add to the Vitamix container.

Pulse the mixture until well combined. Move mixture to a mixing bowl, add 3/4 cup shredded cheese, the chopped green onion and the Arrabiata sauce stirring to combine.

Fill each of the Pasilla peppers with the chicken mixture mounding each until they’re full. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over each of the peppers and bake in the 400 degree oven until the cheese is melted and starts to brown.

Rice: In a medium saucepan with a lid, combine the reserved drippings/chicken broth, 1 TBLS butter or olive oil, and 1 Cup Arborio rice. Cook over medium heat until it reaches a boil then put lid on, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove pan from heat and allow to steam for 10 more minutes then fluff rice with a fork.

Sauce: While the rice is cooking, simmer the reserved pieces of Pasilla pepper with about 3/4 cup chicken broth until liquid reduces by half and peppers are fork tender. Move peppers and broth to the cleaned Vitamix container and process until only a few small pieces remain. Add 3/4 Cup sour cream to the Vitamix container and process until thoroughly combined and smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve: Place rice in the center of the plate, lay one stuffed pepper on top of the rice and drizzle the sauce over the pepper.

If you are on Facebook and are interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to: recipes, food facts, nutritional information, photos and other things that make my mouth water, I have a Facebook page you can visit too https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood

Cooking and Blogging in a Wrist Brace

It is amazing how much of your body is controlled by the nerves in the small part of your spine in your neck.

C5 – controls the Deltoids (the rounded part of the shoulder) and the Biceps (flexion of the elbow and rotation of the forearm); C6 – controls the muscles that make up the wrist extensors and enable wrist extension and hyper extension and the movements that are tied to the Biceps (front of the upper arm); C7 – controls the Triceps (muscles in the back of the upper arm that allow the elbow to straighten); C8 – controls the hands

Either by hauling 40 lb bags of rocks to create a dry riverbed in the backyard, moving heavy plants and outdoor furniture around or moving furniture to clean places the housekeepers have been ignoring for months, I have managed to cause myself indescribable pain and numbness that has persisted for well over a week – thus my blogging absence. Typing puts my wrists in the wrong position and sends shooting pains up my arm & directly across my shoulders to my neck…

I threw a 16th birthday party for my friend’s son this weekend and the honoree requested chocolate cake (which French’s Bakery did a fabulous job on) and Buffalo Chicken Dip.

Who am I to turn a 16 year old boy down?

Only minimum movement was required, I didn’t have to do much stirring or carrying, and it only takes a few minutes to make, so I was able to grant his request!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2 Large Boneless / Skinless Chicken Breasts
2/3 Cup Hidden Valley Original Ranch Dressing
2/3 – 1 Cup (depending how spicy you like it) Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
1 – 8 oz Block Cream Cheese
1/2 Cup Shredded Cheese – Cheddar, Sharp Cheddar or my personal favorite: Aged Gouda
1/4 Cup Crumbled Blue Cheese (I am not a fan, this is entirely optional)
1/4 Cup Chopped Green Onion (optional but pretty)

Bring enough water to cover your chicken breasts to a boil. I leave the breasts whole to preserve the moisture and cook them for 20-30 minutes. When the chicken is done, I remove the breasts to the bowl of my stand mixer and using the paddle attachment, turn the mixer on to low then medium while the chicken shreds.

Put the whole block of cream cheese into the center of an 8 or 9 inch square Pyrex dish. Pour the dressing and the hot sauce over the top of the cream cheese and microwave on high for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the microwave and stir until well combined.

Add the shredded chicken to the dish and stir until all of the chicken is well coated. Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven 20-30 minutes (until bubbling along the edges).

Remove from oven and top with the blue cheese crumbles and chopped green onions.

I serve with carrot chips, celery sticks and jicama sticks. You could also use sturdy crackers (like Triscuit) or French bread chunks.

If it’s not going to be immediately inhaled, you can keep the dip warm in a small crock pot type warmer or, like I do, use your fondue pot to keep it bubbling hot.

To be honest, I forgot to take a picture, so yours (and mine) may come out looking different than the picture I found on the internet, but I’m sure it’ll look great!

Doc Says It Might Be Time To Cut Back a Bit

I hate dieting! Me without a hearty breakfast (think coffee, eggs, bacon, and some kind of bread), lunch, a snack around 4, and dinner + wine = a grumpy, hangry girl with a raging headache!

But I’ll be a good girl, at least as much as I can be, so my doctor gets happier with my blood tests and that stupid body composition machine she likes to torture me with every few months.

So, I grudgingly started today with a meal replacement shake prescribed by my doctor: Designs for Health PaleoMeal Plus Lean Body 14 Day Program.

There are some pluses to this choice:

It’s only available with a doctor referral
You get a significant discount off the regular $139 with a doctor referral
It’s made with Proserum, exceptional quality, native whey protein concentrate
Comes from cows that graze on pesticide-free, chemical-free natural grass pastures, and which are never given hormones, genetically modified organisms, or injected pathogens
The most important part, I get to eat between meals!

In addition, I know that I’m not making an effort to drink enough water, so 1 stocked up on liter bottles of Essentia 9.5% alkaline water.

Lunch was a really exciting smoothie concoction that I threw into the Vitamix:

2-3 Cups Fresh Baby Spinach
1 Large Ripe Nectarine – seed removed
1 Naval Orange Peeled
8 Medium – Large Frozen Strawberries
6-8 Ice Cubes

I mixed the fruit & spinach together on 2-5 speed until blended then threw the ice cubes in and popped it up to 8 until the ice cubes were crushed up. It was a very putrid shade of green but surprisingly sweet.

Big Bonus: I got 5 of my fruit/vegetable servings out of the way in one fell swoop!

Tattling on myself: While I was digging through the refrigerator I came across a bag of Sugar Babies. The bag of Sugar Babies is no longer in the refrigerator… Baby Steps.

If you are on Facebook and are interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to, recipes, food facts, nutritional information, photos and other things that make my mouth water, I have a page on Facebook you can visit too: https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood

Red Bean Chicken Chipotle Chili

It’s the first week of October and, after a few “cool” days in the low 80’s, it’s headed back up into the triple digits in perpetually sunny Southern California.

I’m not complaining at all, except that I do have serious weather envy about this time of year when the leaves are turning and there’s a chill in the mornings and evenings. The forecasters “promise” that we will be seeing rain and cooler temperatures “soon” but I’m not holding my breath.

To get out of the never-ending summer blah’s I will just crank the thermostat down to 70 degrees, put on a light sweater, pull out the slow cooker and throw together something that just might fool the family into thinking it’s really fall!

Red Bean Chicken Chipotle Chili

1 – 16 oz pkg Dry Red Kidney Beans
1/2 – 8.11 oz jar La Costena Diced Chipotle Peppers in Sauce
2 – 14.5 oz cans Diced Tomatoes with Onion
1/2 – 12 oz bag Fresh Spinach
3 – Large Carrots Peeled & Cut into Chunks
1 TBLS Olive Oil
2 Cloves Garlic Chopped
1 TBLS Chili Powder
2 tsp Ground Cumin
Fresh Ground Salt & Pepper
1 1/2 lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
3/4 lb Chicken-Spinach Sausage (Or any other flavored fresh chicken sausage you prefer)

Rinse and pick the red beans in a strainer. In a medium saucepan put the beans and about 1/2 the pan of water over medium high heat until it just reaches a boil. If you are preparing the beans and soaking the night before, remove from heat, cover and set pan aside. If you are “quick soaking” the beans, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 2 hours.

Cut raw chicken breast into 3/4″ to 1″ chunks and sausage into 1/2″ slices. Spray a medium skillet with olive oil spray and brown the chicken and sausage over medium-high heat. It’s not necessary to cook the chicken through, it will finish in the slow cooker.

Place the carrots and 1/2 cup water in a 2 quart microwave safe bowl and microwave on high 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Carrots should be fork tender but not mushy. Adjust time for the strength of your microwave.

In food processor/Vitamix container add undrained tomatoes, the carrots, chipotle peppers with sauce, the fresh spinach, olive oil, garlic, chili powder, and cumin. Process until well blended but not entirely smooth. Taste the sauce add a few grinds of salt & pepper and adjust the rest of the spices as necessary.

Put beans, chicken and sausage into your slow cooker then pour the sauce over the top, making sure you scrape as much as possible from the container. Stir until just combined. Cook on low for 6 hours.

I love this recipe because I get to hide vegetables in the sauce and it can be as healthy as you want it to be. I like to add some fresh avocado chunks and a bit of cheese to the top of mine and serve it with crusty bread and a salad for a hearty dinner that easily feeds 8 and packs 40g of protein in each serving.

Tomorrow’s Post: Tailgating on Thursday Nights Sucks!

Meatless Monday

I love to shop at Trader Joe’s!

Their produce is always fresh, they have great weekly specials and have a really unique, well priced wine and liquor department without having to fight with a giant grocery store atmosphere.

While browsing the aisles today I was inspired to create something quick and healthy for dinner tonight and didn’t want to ruin the workout I had just suffered through by making something that would make me feel bloated and bad about myself.

There were so many bright orange pumpkins displayed around the store that I thought something based on the same fall flavor would be great. A few more minutes in the produce department and I came up with an idea that didn’t seem very hard at all.

No Fuss Spinach Butternut Squash Lasagna

1 – 12 oz package Trader Joe’s Cut Butternut Squash (In the fresh produce department)
3/4 – 12 oz package Trader Joe’s Fresh Leaf Spinach
9 – Sheets Trader Joe’s No Boil Lasagna Noodles
1 – 16 oz container Trader Joe’s Part Skim Ricotta Cheese
1 – 16 oz pkg Trader Joe’s Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 – Wedge Trader Joe’s Parmesan Gouda Cheese
1/4 Cup Skim Milk
2 Cloves Garlic finely chopped
Fresh Basil (About 6 large leaves)
Nutmeg, Oregano, Salt, Pepper and Paprika to taste

Cook the butternut squash, in it’s package with a corner cut off, in the microwave for 6 minutes.

Shred the mozzarella cheese and grate 1/4 to 1/3 of the wedge of the gouda-parmesan wedge into two separate bowls and set aside.

In Food Processor (I used my Vitamix) combine the squash, milk, garlic, nutmeg, salt and 1/2 the container of ricotta cheese. Process until just smooth. Do not over process. If too thick add a little more milk. Taste and adjust the spices then set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl combine the spinach, the other half container of ricotta cheese, 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese, the chopped garlic, and some salt and pepper. Stir until the spinach is well coated.

In a lasagna pan (or 9 x 12 Pyrex pan) drizzle some olive oil then layer as follows:

1/3 of the squash mixture, a single layer of the unboiled lasagna noodles (I used 2 whole and 1 split to fill the layer), then a layer of the spinach mixture;
1/3 of the squash mixture, a single layer of the no boil lasagna noodles, then a layer of the spinach mixture;
Final 1/3 of the squash mixture, a single layer of the no boil lasagna noodles, then the rest of the spinach mixture;
Top the lasagna with the rest of the mozzarella cheese, the grated parmesan-gouda cheese, and then sprinkle with oregano, paprika and the chopped fresh basil.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes, or until the top is just browned. Remove from the oven and let stand 5-10 minutes so the cheese sets. Cut into 8 pieces and serve with a green salad for a healthy meal. My husband also added some Frank’s Red Hot to spice his up. It was a great change of pace and there was enough left over for a couple of lunches this week!

Tomorrow’s post: Slow Cooked Red Bean Chicken Chipotle Chili

Bananas Foster Bread

I was looking at 4 very sad – very ripe bananas while cleaning up my counter this morning and knew this was likely the last day they’d be good for anything more than freezing for smoothies. I still feel crummy and wasn’t really in the mood to bake, but I went online in search of something easy, outside the ordinary banana bread, to do with them.

Like I knew they would, Food Network came to my rescue:

Damaris Phillps’s Bananas Foster Bread

4 Medium ripe bananas mashed
2 Eggs
1 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup coconut oil, melted
3 TBLS plain yogurt
1 tsp rum extract (I used a tsp of Captain Morgan Spiced Rum)
1 tsp Vanilla
2 Cups All-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 Cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 Cup dark brown sugar
1/4 Cup spiced rum (Captain Morgan is my favorite)
1 tsp orange zest

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-by-4-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

Combine the bananas, eggs, sugar, coconut oil, yogurt, and rum and vanilla extracts in a bowl.

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

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until the flour is incorporated and batter is smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and set aside while you make the glaze.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and 1/2 cup water and stir. Cook until the sugar dissolves, and then continue cooking another 3 to 5 minutes over low heat until the mixture bubbles around the edges. Turn off the heat and carefully (in case it flames) stir in the rum and the orange zest.

Slowly pour half of the glaze over the banana bread, allowing it to seep into all the surfaces. Wait until the glaze has been absorbed, about 30 minutes, and then turn the loaf out of the pan.

Slice and serve with vanilla ice cream, if using, and the remaining glaze.

This was easy to put together and made the house smell amazing while it was baking!

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