Super Moist Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter room temperature
1 cup brown sugar packed
1 large egg beaten
3-4 ripe bananas mashed
2 cups all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup dark chocolate chips

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place a folded piece of parchment paper in a loaf pan and spray with cooking spray and set aside.

2. In large bowl, cream butter and sugar together for about 2 minutes until well combined. Add the egg and the mashed bananas. Mix for 20 seconds, scraping down the sides of the bowl.

3. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and vanilla. Mix until well combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

4. Pour the mixture into the loaf pan. Bake for 55-65 minutes until a knife inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Serves 5-6

Gluten Free Caramel Apple Oatmeal Crisp

Ingredients:

2 cups gluten free oats
1 cup butter or margarine, melted
5 or 6 large apples, peeled, coarsely chopped
1 cup caramel topping
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray bottom and sides of 13x9 inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.

2. In large bowl, stir oats and melted butter until crumbly and set aside.

3. In another large bowl, toss apples, ½ cup of the caramel topping and the cinnamon. Spoon into baking dish and sprinkle with cookie mixture.

4. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until topping is golden brown and apples are tender. In small microwavable dish, microwave remaining ½ cup of caramel topping uncovered on high for 20 seconds. Drizzle over crisp. Serve warm.

Serves 5-6

My Favorite Pumpkin Quick Bread/Muffins

Ingredients:

1 can pumpkin (2 cups)
2 cups sugar
1 cup canola or safflower oil
3 eggs
3 cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup white or black raisins optional

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Spray 2 large loaf pans with cooking spray.

3. Add and mix first 4 ingredients.

4. In separate large bowl, mix flour and spices.

5. Make a well in middle and add wet ingredients to dry.

6. Mix by hand and do not over mix. A few lumps are ok.

7. Divide batter among prepared loaf pans and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour. Test with a knife in middle of bread. It’s best if you don’t bake it till knife comes out completely dry. Can also make one loaf of bread and use remaining batter for muffins, but check after ½ hour.

Serves 5-6

Brunswick Stew

Ingredients:

2 large chicken breasts, on the bone, skin on
5 cups water
3 slices bacon, cut into 1inch pieces
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 28 ounce can whole tomatoes
2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 bag frozen green peas, or lima beans (whichever preferred)
1 bag frozen corn
1 teaspoon sugar
2-3 teaspoon salt
Dash of red chili pepper flakes
Black pepper to taste
3 tablespoon butter, melted
3 tablespoon flour

Preparation:
1. In large soup pot, stew chicken, water, bacon, onion and 1teaspoon salt for 40 minutes over medium-low heat.
2. Remove chicken to a bowl, cool, skin and remove meat from bones. Cut or shred into small bite sized pieces and return to soup pot.
3. Add remaining ingredients, except for corn, butter and flour.
4. Cook for ½ hour, cutting tomatoes with a fork or knife as they stew.
5. Add corn.
6. Mix melted butter and flour in small bowl and add by the spoonful to stew. Adjust salt, pepper, red pepper flakes to taste.

Serves 5-6

Best-Ever Grilled Chicken

Best-Ever Grilled Chicken

by Suzanne Yearley, What’s for Dinner

Suzanne offers private and group cooking classes focusing on quick, tasty, and healthful meals for your family.

Ingredients:
1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 ½ to 2 lbs. thin-sliced, skinless, boneless chicken breast
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground pepper
¼-1/2 tsp. seasoning such as dried oregano, thyme, rosemary, ground cumin or smoked paprika
1 garlic clove
juice of 1 lemon or lime, optional

Preparation:
Place the chicken in a pie-plate or other low dish. Drizzle with oil. 

Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and desired seasoning. Crush the garlic with a garlic press and add to the chicken, using a fork to mix everything together. Set aside for 10-15 minutes.

Heat a cast iron skillet, grill or grill pan over high heat for 5-10 minutes. (Please note: no additional oil is needed!) 

Put the chicken in the pan, turn the heat down to medium-high, and cook the chicken, about 2-3 minutes per side, until cooked through.

Remove to a plate, top with fresh-squeezed lime or lemon juice if desired, and keep warm. 

Keeps for 3-4 days, refrigerated.

Serves 4-6

Sweet Summer Corn Salad

Sweet Summer Corn Salad

by Melissa Wetzstein, A Pure Life Nutrition

Melissa is a Holistic Nutritionist practicing in New York. She helps clients find their balance, through whole foods and healthy practices.

Ingredients for salad:
4 ears of corn, shucked
1 avocado, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup of strawberries, cut in quarters length wise
1 nectarine, ripe but firm, cubed with skin intact
1/2 small red onion, very thinly sliced
6 fresh basil leaves, rolled together and thinly sliced crosswise
1/2 a lime or lemon

Ingredients for dressing:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. honey
fine sea salt and fresh pepper, to taste
Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl

Preparation:
Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil under high heat.  Add corn, reduce heat to medium and boil for 6-8 minutes until just cooked, but still slightly crisp. Remove corn from pot and into a colander to cool.

While corn is cooking, prep avocado, strawberries, nectarines, onion and basil leaves, and set aside. squeeze lime/lemon over avocado to keep from browning.

When the corn has cooled, place ear of corn (stem side down) in a serving bowl. Working your way down from top to bottom, use a serrated knife to cut kernels off the cob and into the bowl. Add remaining ingredients, salad dressing, and toss gently to coat using two serving spoons.

Serves 5-6

Watermelon Salad

Watermelon Salad

by Jared Goldberg, as adapted from J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

Jared is a Boston University student who works in pastry at Bar Boulud, New York City, and is a Teen Chopped Finalist.

Ingredients:
3 lbs watermelon (1 small one or ¼ of a large watermelon), rind removed and cut into cubes
1 large, ripe tomato, seeded and sliced into bite size pieces
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
3 tblsp olive oil
¼ cup roughly chopped mint
4 oz. crumbled feta

Preparation:
Put watermelon cubes and tomato in a large serving bowl.  Zest the lemon on top.  Then squeeze the lemon juice, add the olive oil, mint, and freshly ground pepper.  You may add a pinch of kosher salt but use sparingly because the feta is salty.  Mix to incorporate and lastly, crumble the feta on top.  Serve cold.
Serves 4-6