Sunday, January 24, 2010

Green beans and beets with tasty red wine vinegar dressing

This salad makes me feel happy whenever I make it and eat it. It is my original (albeit simple) creation. Bon appetit!

1-2 pounds green beans
1 can beets, sliced
2-3 tablespoons of good red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon of olive oil
FRESH ground black pepper (this makes the salad)
Salt to taste
Pinch of sugar

Boil the beans, strain, add ingredients, and toss. By my estimation, the whole salad, which can be split up into 2 meals, is 4-5 weight watchers points.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Banana Bread Recipe, Courtesy of Robin's Mom, Sue

To my friends who request this recipe over and over, I memorialize this recipe here so that you can access it any time. My good friend, Robin's mother used to make and send this banana bread to us in college. When we were roommates, I dreamed about packages arriving with the bread or couldn't wait until Sue would come to visit and give us a fresh loaf.

10 years later, at my competitive ex-boyfriend's insistence, we had a banana bread baking contest. I won, hands down, using this recipe, even though the judging was conducted by his friends.

Anyway, here's the recipe, and enjoy, thanks to Robin's mom, Sue!

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup chocolate chips
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 large, ripe bananas (ripeness is key to this recipe)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
cinnamon-sugar mixture (for topping)
1 Tbsp. melted butter (for topping)

Instructions
  • Cream the butter and sugar
  • Beat in eggs one at a time
  • Mix in mashed bananas
  • Sift dry ingredients and stir into the banana mix
  • Add the choc chips (I prefer milk choc because semi-sweet is too bitter paired with the bananas)
  • Pour into a 9x5x3 loaf pan (make sure to grease the pan, of course)
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean

While the cake is still warm, pour melted butter over it and sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture over.

Bon Appetit!

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