Banana Bread (Mom)

5 Tbsp butter (room temperature)
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
2 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. mashed, very ripe bananas (3 bananas)
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 c. heavy cream
1/3 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray bottom of loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Beat butter in large bowl with electric mixer set a medium speed until light and fluffy. Add sugar and brown sugar;  beat well. Add egg, egg whites and vanilla; beat until well blended. Add mashed banana, and beat on high speed 30 seconds.

Combine flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder in medium bowl. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with cream, ending with flour mixture. Add walnuts to batter; mix well.

Pour batter evenly into prepared loaf pan. Bake until browned and toothpick inserted near center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Cool bread in pan on wire rack 10 minutes.

Mushroom and Fontina Quicche

1 refrigerated pie crust
2 Tbsp butter
2/3 cup chopped shallots
5 cups of assorted mushrooms chopped (12-14oz)
4 large eggs
2/3 cup half and half
1/3 cup whole milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups (7oz) grated Fontina cheese

Preheat oven to 450F. Bake pie shell about 14 minutes. Reduce oven to 325F. Meanwhile, melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Add shallots, saute about 2 min. Add mushrooms; sprinkle with salt and pepper and saute until mushrooms are tender and beginning to brown, about 8 min. Tranfer to plate; spread out to cool slightly.

Whisk eggs, half and half, milk, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, and nutmeg in large bowl to blend. Stir in 1 cup Fontina cheese and sauteed mushrooms. Pour filling into crust Sprinkle remailing 1/2 cup cheese over quiche.

Bake quiche until puffed, golden brown, and just set in center, about 50 minutes. Cool 30 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve with salad.

Rabbit with Red Wine (Mom)

1 rabbit cut up in pieces (ask the butcher to cut it) 100ml of olive oil 1 chopped onion 2 garlic cloves minced 1 bay leaf 50g chopped bacon 50g chopped chorico 2 ripe tomatoes cubed 1 10oz button mushrooms Chopped parsley red wine salt & pepper Season rabbit with salt and pepper. In a wide pot heat up the olive oil, onion, garlic, bay leaf, bacon and chorico. Saute everything until they brown. Add the rabbit and brown it on all sides. Add the tomatoes mushrooms and pour enough wine to cover the rabbit. Cover and cook for about 45 minutes. When rabbit is tender, stir in the parsley and serve over mashed potatoes.

Chicken Giblets Appetizer (Mom)

1 Kilo of chicken giblets 2 big onions 2 garlic cloves 2 bay leaves 2 Tbs of olive oil 1 Tbs paprika 1 dl of white wine sal & pepper & piripir vinegar Wash giblets in water and vinegar. Chop or slice the onions and mince garlic and saute with the giblets in olive oil. Brown everything. Combine the paprika with the white wine and add the salt, pepper, bay leaves and piripir. Cover and simmer. If necessary add water or chicken broth to add enough gravy. Some add chourico to this dish, serve as an appetizer with crusty bread or a scoop of rice.

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

This is a perfect salad on a hot day, make it early in the day and enjoy it for lunch or dinner.

1 (20oz) package refrigerated rainbow three-cheese tortellini
1 Lb. asparagus spears, trimmed
1 cup bottled roasted red bell peppers, cut into 1" pieces
6 Tbsp light balsamic vinaigrette
3 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
4oz Pepper Jack cheese cut into 1/4" cubes(about 1 cup)
32 grape tomatoes
32 kalamata olives
2 cans drained quartered artichoke hearts
3-4oz slices prosciutto, cut crosswise

Cook pasta for 6 minutes. Add asparagus to boiling water; cook 1 minute. Drain in colander; rinse with cold water until cooled. Drain.

While pasta and asparagus cook, combine the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl. Add tortellini and asparagus; toss gently. Makes 12 servings (serving size 1 1/3 cup)

Calories: 304
Fat: 16.2g
Protein: 11.2g
Carb: 29.7g
Fiber: 2.2g
Chol: 28mg
Iron: 0.6mg
Sodium: 876mg
Calcium: 82mg

Herbed Spaghetti Squash

1 (3.25 Lbs) spaghetti squash
1/2 c water
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Pierce squash several timeswith the tip of a sharp knife. Microwave at HIGH 3 minutes. Cut squash in half lengthwise, and remove seeds and membrane with a spoon.

Place squash halves in a baking dish (squash halves will overlap); add 1/2 c water. Cover with plastic wrap; vent. Microwave at HIGH 10 minutes or until tender. Using a fork, remove spaghetti-like strands, and place in a large bowl. Add olive oil and remaining ingredients; toss well. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Calories: 76
Fat: 3.3g
Protein: 0.6g
Carb: 12.2g
Fiber: 0.1g
Chol: 0
Iron: 1mg
Sodium: 223mg
Calc: 42mg

Meatless Meatball & Herbed Spaghetti Squash

Cooking Spray
1 c chopped onions
1 (12oz) meatless meatballs
1 jar of tomato garlic pasta sauce
2 Tbsp sun-dried tomato pesto
Herbed Spaghetti Squash
Fresh shredded Parmesan Cheese

Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat, and coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion; saute 3 to 4 minutes or until tender. Add meatballs, pasta sauce, and pesto to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Spoon meatballs and sauce over Herbed Spaghetti Squash, and sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese. 4 Servings (1 cup of Spagherri Squash and 1 c meatball mixture.

Calories: 272
Fat: 10.6g
Protein: 15.5g
Carb: 30.8g
Fiber: 5.3g
Chol: 0
Iron: 4mg
Sodium: 1,082mg
Calcium: 167mg

Pumpkin and Chicken Chowder

This recipe came from delish.com and I doubled on the serving size, because really who has 1/2 cup of chowder? No one that's who?

8 Servings (1 cup serving size)

2 (14oz) red bell peppers
2 Tbps olive oil
1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
3 leeks, white and light-green parts only
1 (2 lbs.) pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1-inch chunks
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 ear (1 cup) corn, kernels
3 cans (14 1/2 oz.) low-sodium chicken broth
1 Tbsp fresh oregano leaves
1/2 cup sour cream (optional)

Cut the peppers into 1/2-inch pieces, set aside.

Make the soup: Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook until browned. Remove the chicken and keep warm. Add the leeks and pumpkin and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the flour, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the corn, peppers, chicken, broth, and oregano and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, about 30 minutes. Garnish with sour cream in each plate.

Calories: 314 (1 cup)

Creamy Quinoa Primavera

This recipe is really tasty, the kids ate all the vegetables but they weren't so sure about the quinoa. My husband and I loved it and we didn't need to add meat to our meal. This recipe came from Betty Crocker's Living with Cancer Cookbook.

1 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa
3 cups chicken broth
3 oz cream cheese
1 tsp dried basil leaves
2 tsp butter or olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
5 cups thinly sliced or bite sized uncooked vegetables (asparagus, broccoli, carrot, zucchini)
2 Tbsp grated Romano cheese

Rinse quinoa thoroughly; drain. Heat quinoa and broth to boiling in 2 -qt saucepan; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 10-15 minutes or until all broth is absorbed. Stir in cream cheese and basil.

Melt butter in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook garlic in butter about 30 seconds, stirring frequently, until golden. Stir in vegetables. Cook about 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are crisp-tender.

Toss vegetables and quinoa mixture. Sprinkle with Romano cheese.

Parsnips With Sage Butter

My kids think these are white carrots. I also take out the sage before serving it. (Ladies' Home Journal, Nov 2009)

2 Lbs. parsnips, peeled and thinly sliced lengthwise
4 tsp olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp unsalted butter
15 to 20 sage leaves

1. Heat oven to 375. Toss together parsnips, oil and salt in a shallow roasting pan. Roast until tender and golden brown, 25 to 30 min. Transfer to a serving platter.

2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook butter and sage until butter just begins to brown and sage is crisped, 2 to 3 min. Pour over parsnips and serve.

Makes 6 servings

118 calories
5g - total fat (2g sat fat)
251mg - sodium
17g - carbs
8mg - cholesterol
1g - protein
5g - fiber

New England Clam Chowder

This past summer we were at Boston's July 4th HarborFest. The whole family had the opportunity to go to ChowdahFest 2009. The winner was Ned Devine's Irish Pub. I found out the whole family liked Clam Chowder so even though this is not Ned's recipe, I found a lighter version at Cooking Light, November 2007.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups chowder and 1 1/2 teaspoons bacon)
Ingredients

4 (6 1/2-ounce) cans chopped clams, undrained
2 (8-ounce) bottles clam juice
4 bacon slices
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 garlic clove, minced
3 cups cubed red potato
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 parsley sprigs
1 bay leaf
2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup half-and-half
Thyme sprigs (optional)

Drain clams through a colander into a bowl, reserving liquid and clams. Combine clam liquid and clam juice.

Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 2 teaspoons drippings in pan. Crumble bacon; set aside. Add onion, celery, and garlic to pan; sauté 8 minutes or until tender. Add clam juice mixture, potato, and next 4 ingredients (through bay leaf); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until potato is tender.

Combine milk and flour, stirring with a whisk until smooth; add to pan. Stir in clams and half-and-half. Cook 5 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Serve with bacon. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 194 (25% from fat)
Fat: 5.4g (sat 2.7g, mono 1.9g, poly 0.4g)
Protein: 12.3g
Carbohydrate: 23.7g
Fiber: 1.4g
Cholesterol: 32mg
Iron: 2.2mg
Sodium: 639mg
Calcium: 111mg

Lemon-Sage Spaghetti Squash

My husband came home with a Spaghetti Squash and a great big smile on his face because he had found a low carbohydrate alternative. I felt like I needed a really good recipe so I wouldn't disappoint him. This recipe came from myrecipes.com. (Oxmoor House, October 2006)

1 (2-pound) spaghetti squash
1/3 cup water
2 Tbsp light stick butter
1/4 c chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp shredded fresh Parmesan cheese
2 tsp small fresh sage leaves
1 tsp grated fresh lemon grind
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1. Pierce squash several times with a fork; place the squash right on your microwave turntable, if you don't have one then use a dish. Microwave, uncovered, at HIGH 6 minutes or longer, depending on your microwave. Cut in half lengthwise; discard seeds. Place squash, cut sides up in baking dish; add water. Cover tightly with heavy-duty plastic wrap, turning back 1 corner to allow steam to escape. Microwave at HIGH 5 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool 15 minutes.

2. While squash cools, melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; saute 2-3 minutes or until onion is tender.

3. Using a fork, remove spaghetti-like strands from squash. Add strands (about 3 cups) to pan; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Transfer to a bowl; add Parmesan cheese and remaining ingredients, and toss well.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)

CALORIES 58 (47% from fat); FAT 3g (sat 1.6g); CHOLESTEROL 6mg; CALCIUM 48mg; CARBOHYDRATE 8g; SODIUM 270MG; PROTEIN 1.4g; FIBER 0.2g; IRON 0.4mg