Chocolate Banana Pudding Pie

I didn’t know anything about ‘nanner pudding until I came down South. It’s like the mascot of Southern desserts down here, and any Southerner will agree that it is a staple at potlucks and family gatherings. I haven’t made one in quite some time so when Hubby said he’d been craving banana pudding it was nothing to whip something up. Now, there are lots of recipes out there, and even some die-hard ones that go a little above and beyond (I’m talking toasted meringue and everything). I like to keep it simple.

A traditional banana pudding has just a few main ingredients: banana flavored pudding mix, bananas, and vanilla wafer cookies. In fact I posted a recipe well over a year ago here. But this time I decided to get a little fancy, and it’s easy to see how simple it is to change up a simple recipe and make it something more.

1 chocolate crust

2 bananas

1 pkg instant banana pudding

2 cups milk

1/2 cup Nilla wafer cookies

1/2 tub cool whip, thawed

1. Make pudding according to package directions and set in fridge for about 5 minutes.

2. Slice a banana and place all over the bottom of the chocolate crust. *Sorry, I just bought a premade crust. No recipe for that here just yet.

3. Take about 3/4 of the banana pudding and pour into the crust, over the bananas. Spread out evenly.

4. Place the cookies on top of this pudding layer, about 9 cookies, and then slice the second banana and layer them here, too.

5. Combine the remaining pudding with the cool whip and top the pie.

6. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Must keep cool. (I recommend some time in the freezer, if necessary)

7. Drizzle some chocolate syrup over the top, if desired, and enjoy!

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Shredded Beef Tacos with Lime Cabbage & Queso Blanco

Yay for a new Mexican-inspired meal! This was a hit mostly because it was quite different from the usual chicken or ground beef Tex-Mex dishes I usually make. I used a 2.5 pound chuck roast with plenty of fat to tenderize the meat, though you could use a leaner piece if you want. Also I let this baby slow cook for at least 12 hours. If you have the time I suggest it- it’s worth it.

2.5 lb. chuck roast

1 T EVOO

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1.2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp cumin

8 oz.beer

flour or corn tortillas (makes 6-8)

1/2 head of cabbage, thinly sliced

1 lime, zested & juiced

1/2 wheel of fresco queso cheese, chopped

1. Heat oil in skillet and sear meat on all sides. I cut the roast up into 5 thick 1-inch slices to get a good sear on as much of it as possible. Place seared meat in crock pot.

2. Combine together salt, pepper, paprika, onion & garlic powders, and cumin. Sprinkle over the meat and then pour the beer over it all. Set to low for at least 8 solid hours.

3. Thinly slice the cabbage and toss well with zest and juice of one lime and a pinch of salt.

4. Chop up or crumble the mexican cheese.

5. Additional sides for tacos are tomato, avocado, red and/or green onion, and salsa. Simply assemble tacos and enjoy.

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June Menu ~ 2013

Holy moly, I am having a hard time believing it is June already! Don’t get me wrong, I am so ready for summer and for the kids to be out of school, but when I look back at the past 5 months, I’m like wha??? Where’d it go? And it’s not even that so much as realizing that you’re half-way through 2013 already! Before you know it it’ll be 2014 and I still haven’t gotten used to writing 2013 on my checks!!

Ok, fine, enough complaining.

This month I have a lot going on. Most times June is a busy month for this family and this year is no exception. In fact, I have even more going on than usual for June, but mostly it’s coincidence. With that said, I will be out of town for three of the five weekends, and  so my aim is make my menu as easy as possible. There isn’t much in the way of new recipes, though I am sure if I have the time I will add something else. I often do. And there are also the leftover recipes from my May menu that I didn’t get to in time, so I will most likely get to those as well. I hope you find something you like. Happy cooking and welcome summer!

Recipes I have posted before: Bourbon BBQ Sliders, Baked Tacos, Poor Man’s Mongolian Beef, Balsamic Grilled Chicken, Tomato & Zucchini Frittata, Dijon Dill Salmon, Honey Sesame Chicken, Lobster Risotto, Chili Lime Chicken Fiesta Salad, Crispy Cheddar Chicken, Maple Mustard Chicken, Pasta Lentil Soup.

Recipes I am working on this month:

Tomatillo Salsa Verde

Brown Sugar Grilled Salmon

Tuscan Pasta

General Tso’s Chicken Sliders

Egg-Stuffed Potatoes

Crock Pot Pesto-Ranch Chicken

Chicken Pad Thai

Chocolate Fudge Tart with Mint Cream

Rhubarb Upside Down Cake

Pear Pecan Muffins

Raspberry Lemon Drop

Deviled Potato Salad

This is Hubby’s favorite. I don’t make it often, but if there’s something that screams the words “summer”, “picnic” or “holiday” it would probably be this one. I usually just throw the ingredients in and make it it to taste, but I will try my best to give you some more accurate measurements in case you decide to try it. And if you’re a deviled egg fan then you are going to love this potato salad.

3 large potatoes, peeled, cut and boiled

9 eggs, hard boiled

3/4 cup mayo

3 T yellow mustard

1/4 cup dill relish

1 T white pepper

1 tsp salt

2 tsp dill

Please bear in mind that these measurements are extremely adjustable, so be prepared to taste, taste, taste, and adjust, adjust, adjust until you get it just the way you like it.

1. After eggs have cooked and cooled, peel them and separate the whites from the yolks. Chop up the whites and throw into a large bowl along with the cooked and cubed potatoes.

2. In a medium bowl combine the yolks with the relish and mustard. I use a fork to break up the yolk and mix everything together. Use whatever kitchen tool you like to make this mixture creamy smooth (will be lumpy from the relish, of course).

3. Stir in mayo, salt, white pepper, and dill. Taste. Add anything you feel is needed.

4. Fold the dressing into the potato and eggs. If you don’t feel that there is enough dressing you can adjust by adding in a few tablespoons of mayo at a time, then adjust the flavors by adding in a bit of mustard and other ingredients slowly.

5. Taste, taste, taste. Refrigerate until cooled (this helps the mayo infuse with the other flavors) and until ready to serve.

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Parmesan & Chive Quinoa Patties

Wow, these were good! Everyone enjoyed them and I definitely will be making them again. They were the perfect side to my Honey Lime Chicken Kabobs, and just as satisfying as my Rice Fritters but with less mess (always a good thing around here). You should yield about a dozen 2-inch cakes, however size and number will vary.

2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa

4 large eggs, beaten

1/2 tsp sea salt

6 green onions, sliced thin*

1/3 cup fresh shredded parmesan

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup panko bread crumbs

EVOO

1. Combine the quinoa, eggs, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the chives, onions, cheese, and garlic. *When cutting up the green onions, use the entire thing. Add the panko, stir, and let sit a few minutes. If the mixture is too wet add more panko, if too dry add water.

2. Heat 1 T oil at a time in large skillet over medium high heat. Form your patties into approx. 2 ounce/1-inch circles and place into the pan. Fry until bottoms are considerably browned then flip over and cook the tops. Drain on paper towels.

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Honey-Lime Chicken Kabobs

These kabobs were super delicious, but more than that was the marinade. It was easy to whip up and it made the chicken tender and just plain awesome. Even without the skewers, this would make an excellent grilled chicken meal any way you serve it.

3-4 large chicken breasts

3 T soy sauce

2 T honey

1 T EVOO

juice of one lime

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp sriracha*

2 T cilantro, chopped

1. Place wooden skewers in some water with a pinch of salt. This will keep them from burning while on the grill. I’ve let skewers soak for anywhere from 5 minutes to a couple of hours. There is no right or wrong, just make sure they get some time in the water prior to loading them up with food.

2. In a small bowl combine the soy, honey, oil, lime juice, garlic, sriracha, and cilantro. Mix thoroughly. *I used a heaping tsp of sriracha and it was just the right amount of heat for us, but if you like your dishes to have a little more kick then you can add up to 2 tsp and even some red pepper flakes.

3. Clean and cut up your chicken into the pieces you want for your kabobs. Pour marinade over the chicken and turn to coat. Cover and allow to marinate for at least 1 hour.

4. Skewer the chicken, placing a few vegetables in-between. I used mini bells and mushrooms, but tomatoes and squash are good, too.

5. Grill on medium high heat until done. Makes 6-8 kabobs, depending on how much meat you put on each skewer.

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Vanilla Coconut Rice Pudding

Several months ago Hubby and I went on a mini-vacay to Virginia Beach where we stopped at a Greek restaurant and ate dinner. It was Hubby’s very first ever Gyro! (I know, right? I couldn’t believe it either.) Well, of course he loved it and we went back for lunch the next day. This was during my Gluten-Free February so I ate a huge Greek salad with gyro meat on it and it was divine! But that’s not what this post is about today (sorry to tease you). We also had an awesome Greek-style rice pudding for dessert and ever since I have been craving some rice pudding. Now this isn’t the same recipe by any means but if you’re a rice pudding fan I think you will like this one.

2 cups of cold, cooked rice*

2 cups 2% or whole milk

1 1/2 cups coconut milk (not coconut water)

1 T vanilla extract

pinch of salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 T powdered sugar

Combine all the ingredients, except the cinnamon and powdered sugar, together in a saucepan and simmer on medium-low heat for about 45 minutes; until thickened. *I like to reserve about 1/2 cup or so of the rice to add in after the cooking process for a little extra chewy factor, but you can cook the rice as you like. Allow to cool and then stir in the cinnamon and powdered sugar. Sprinkle additional cinnamon on top, if desired. Enjoy Easy-peasy and super delicious!

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