How To: Turn a Banana Over-Ripe in the Oven

A few weeks ago I had gone to the grocery, did my usual grocery shopping but picked up some bananas. Usually, I do not ever get bananas but this time I did; I had it in my head that I wanted to make some banana bread. However, banana bread with yellow bananas would not work, so I started to ponder how I could make the bananas I had purchased over-ripe faster than letting them sit out on the counter.

I started to do some research and discovered that bananas turn brown in warmer temperatures and that people sometimes sit them outside to brown faster…well as you all know it’s not warm outside in Tennessee right now. After a minutes of pondering what I was going to so the light bulb went off in my head….hello you have an oven!!

So I decided to try an experiment with my bananas in my oven and it was successful!!

 

 

Over-ripe Bananas in your Oven

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

On a cookie sheet/ pizza pan, arrange your bananas so they are not touching (about an inch apart)

For 15 minutes, cook bananas on the side they are on. After the 15 minutes are up, flip the bananas over and cook again for another 15 minutes

Once the bananas are done, let cool for 10 to 15 minutes before use.

 

 

Roasted Dijon Potatoes

Potatoes, Potatoes, Potatoes….oh how I love thee.

Growing up I would spend lots of time out at my grandparent’s farm in Dickson County, TN. One of my favorite things to do on the farm was to go to the garden with Dada. I can remember as a little girl, sitting in the garden with my plastic shovel…(you know the beach sets you can buy in the summer with the pale and the shovel included…that’s the shovel I was using) and trying to dig up potatoes.

We would take the potatoes back to my grandmother and she would make the best creamed potatoes you have every put into your mouth. She would make them for every meal and I was always thrilled! Since her passing my mother still continues making them just like she did; every time I take a bit I am reminded of the memory of sitting in her kitchen listening to the mixer run and watching her make the creamed potatoes and then enjoying them for lunch on a Sunday after church.

A new recipe I tried here recently was Dijon potatoes. Dijon potatoes area a quick yummy side dish you can add to any dinner you have. I made them one night for my boyfriend and his friend and they were devoured.



Dijon Potatoes

1lb bag of red potatoes, quartered

6 tbsp. Dijon mustard

2 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 tbsp. paprika

1 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. fresh thyme

1 tbsp. fresh chives, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

½ tsp. black pepper

Tools: Casserole Dish 13x9  and Cooking Spray

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Coat the casserole dish with cooking spray

In bowl, combine Dijon mustard, olive oil, paprika, salt, thyme, chives, garlic, and black pepper.  Add quartered potatoes and toss.

Spread out potatoes onto the casserole dish. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes until tender.

 

 

Brown Sugar and Bacon Chicken Wraps

Tis the season to eat finger foods, fa la la la la la la la la.

Being that it’s a week before Christmas we are all busy finishing our shopping, wrapping presents, and preparing our holiday menus. We all have our favorite finger foods to eat this time of the year but if you are looking for something different to make this year, how about you try Bacon and Brown Sugar Chicken Wraps.

This is an easy recipe that you can prepare in no time and will be enjoyed by all at your party. I recently made these at my housewarming and they were a hit, ran out before everyone had the opportunity to enjoy them.

Bacon and Brown Sugar Chicken Wraps

2 packages chicken tenders

1 package center cut bacon

¾ cup packed brown sugar

¼ tbsp. chili powder

 

Tools: Toothpicks, Cookie Sheet, Parchment paper

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Step 1: In a Bowl, mix together brown sugar and chili powder and set aside

Step 2: Cut chicken tenders and cut each tender into about 3 pieces, if some are larger cut into 4 pieces. Place cut pieces into the bowl of the brown sugar mixture

Step 3: Take your center cut bacon strips and cut into equal halves.

Step 4: Take a piece of your chicken, roll it up in a piece of bacon, stick a toothpick in it and place it on a parchment paper lines cookie sheet.

Bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until bacon is crispy.

 

 

 

 

White Turkey Stew

If your family is anything like mine, we end up with lots of leftovers after our Thanksgiving dinner. Growing up, my wonderful mother would cook a feast fit for a king so therefore, leftovers were inevitable. She would always make the effort to send some home with family but some always ended up some in our refrigerator. Usually, we would eat on what was left but eventually tossed the rest; you can only eat the same thing so many times.

However, not until this year did I realized that I could cook new dishes with those leftovers from Thanksgiving. This year I acquired my leftover turkey from my boyfriend who had two cooked, so I decided to make some soup.

Soup is a meal that I have rekindled my love of within the last couple of years. Granted it may have been due to being a college student and soup was a freezable, homemade treat my mom would pack up and send with me back to Chattanooga but I have renewed my love of soup!  

 So back to the recipe, thanks to my boyfriend and his leftover turkey I decided to make it into a stew. Here’s my creation with all of my favorite vegetables and just enough spice to warm your tummy.

White Turkey Stew

 1 medium chopped onion

1 cup finely chopped celery

1 cup chopped carrots

2 cups chopped potato (about 4 red potatoes)

1 tbsp fresh thyme

1 tbsp chopped chives

3 (14.5oz) cans of low sodium chicken broth

2 (15.5oz) cans of cannellini beans

1 package McCormick White Chicken Chili seasoning packet

1 lb. chopped turkey

Tools: Crock-pot

1) Add all of your vegetables and herbs to your crock-pot.

2) Pour in your low sodium chicken broth and beans.

 3) Open the packet of seasoning pour in and stir until blended well

 4) Add your turkey slowly not to have broth splash out of the crock-pot. Give the whole mixture a good stir to mix all ingredients together.

5) Turn your crock-pot on slow and let cook for 8 – 10 hours.

**Great dish you can put on in the morning and by dinner it is ready for you to enjoy**