Guest Post..Banana Bread

Hi guys! It's Leslie from The Hungry Housewife.
Miranda is off on vacation for 8 days! Lucky girl huh? She asked me to do a guest post for her so her blog wasn't lonely
I decided to revisit one of my most popular items, My banana bread. It made the food blog rounds a while back and it seemed everyone loved it. I know I do. And everyone always asks for the recipe. So if you haven't tried it before, I urge you to do so!!!

LESLIE'S(The Hungry Housewife) ULTIMATE BANANA BREAD

1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
2 cups ap flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
4 large nasty looking ripe bananas. smooshed up real good
1/3 cup buttermilk
3/4 to 1 cup toasted walnuts
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 cup coconut
1 cup blueberries + a handful for sprinkling on top

Preheat oven to 350 and use middle rack
Cream together butter and sugar with hand mixer or stand mixer. Add egg one at a time, mixing well in between each addition.
In a separate bowl whisk together flour, salt, baking pwdr and baking soda.
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, alternating with the buttermilk..(always start and end with the flour..why? I don't know, just cause that's what my mom told me to do!)
Add bananas, vanilla, nuts and coconut and stir until combined. Fold in blueberries.
Lightly grease TWO 8in x 3 3/4in x 2 1/2in pans( I use the Hefty EZ elegance pans)
Pour the batter into both pans evenly. Sprinkle some blueberries on top for a garnish.
Bake for 45-55 minutes or until toothpick comes out of the center with only slight crumbs on it.
Try to let it cool before cutting into it..but I can never wait that long before digging in and slathering some butter on it!
Tips***
To toast the walnuts, just place in large skillet over medium heat and cook until fragrant and lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Usually around 5 to 8 minutes.
I use the two smaller pans because I found that if you make one large loaf the bottom tends to burn before the middle is done. And besides 2 loafs is better than one.

Guest Post: Sweet Potato Croquettes with Yogurt Sauce

Hi everyone! (*waving hand*) This is Jenn from Bread + Butter. When Miranda asked me to do a guest post, I couldn't refuse the invitation. I'm always happy to help out a fellow foodie. Besides, I love sharing recipes and other food tidbits with others. There's fun to be had all around, right? Anyway, on to this very delectable little appetizer, which I had for dinner recently. I give you my Sweet Potato Croquettes with Yogurt Sauce.

I had some extra mashed sweet potatoes left from when I baked some sweet potato biscuits, which you'll see this coming week on Bread + Butter. I figured I'd make something a little similar to those little patty cakes I did a while back. So I turned them into golf ball sized croquettes. I did omit the sugar from my original recipe and seasoned it with a little salt and mixed in some panko crumbs instead of coating it. I baked them in the oven for roughly 10-15 min. They retained their shape as well as color and they came out with a slight firm crust, but when you bite into them it was soft like mashed potatoes. This is also great to get kinds involved, too. Let them shape the mashed sweet potato into ball.

I made a simple yogurt sauce to go along with this. A friend of mine had made something similar when I had dinner with her and her husband recently. I really loved it so much that I was surprised as to how easy it was to make. It was basically Greek yogurt, chopped fresh parsley and a tiny bit ot water. Simple.

Yum yum!!



Sweet Potato Croquette with Yogurt Sauce

2-3 Cooked and Mashed Sweet Potato
1/2 c panko crumbs
salt
pepper

Yogurt Sauce:
2 Tbsp greek plain yogurt
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp water

To cook the sweet potato:
Peel and cube the sweet potato. Put them into some boiling water and cook until tender. Drain and cool them down witn running cold water. Mash them in a bowl.


Preheat your oven to 375˚F

When the sweet potatoes are mashed, mix in the panko crumbs and season with a little salt.

Take 2 Tbsp of the mashed sweet potato and with your hands form into a ball.

Place them on parchment paper lined baking sheet and baked for 12-15 min.

While they bake, mix together the ingredients for the sauce and set aside until ready to serve.

Bon Appetit!!

I am leaving for vacation tomorrow and will be gone for 8 days. I have amazing writers to guest post so please stop by and check them out.

Here is my last post for the next 8 days. It is a cookie I created yesterday to bring for the kiddos to eat on vacation. Double Chocolate Oreo Cookie. Yes, they are as sinful as they taste. I am very impressed with how amazing they turned out.

One more thing, when I come back I have to post about a new pan line I got. It is called Calaphalon Unison. I must admit, it is my best pans in my kitchen.
I will let you know all about them next week!!!

Enjoy this recipe and wish me luck!! 11 hour drive with two crazy little girls!!!
I will miss you guys!

Double Chocolate Oreo Cookies (This makes a lot of cookies 48 cookies, cut it in half if you would like)

4 sticks of unsalted butter, Rm. temp

3 cps. sugar

4 eggs

4 cps. flour
1 1/3 cp cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

15 whole oreos

1. Add the butter and sugar to the mixer. Mix until fluffy. Add one egg at a time.

2. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda together. Gradually add it to the batter.

3. Add the chocolate chips oreos and mix. The mixing process will break up the oreos.

4. Bake on 350 for 8 minutes

DEVOUR!!!!

The Best Thing Ever: Roast Beef Pittsburgh Panini

Let me begin by saying I grew up in a small steel town along the Ohio River. I am from a very very small town, but it is only 45 minutes away from Pittsburgh. I grew up making the drive to that beautiful city. One of my favorite things was going under the tunnel in suburbia and coming out to the most amazing city full of lights. It was breath taking.

One of the staples of Pittsburgh for a foodie is the Primanti Brothers. If you ever visit the Pittsburgh area it is a must try. They make the most incredible Panini's.

I made this for my husband Sunday. He was speechless (the first time ever). He loved it. He loved it so much he called me this morning at 7:30 (DID I SAY AM?)to tell me that he can't get the incredible sandwich out of his head and he will be stopping by ASAP for another panini. Of course, I made him another one......That is what wives do? Right?

Anyway. this is a 10! (Rated by the hubby. This is very rare rating. I think, he is a little stingy on the tens or expects to much. LOL)

ARE You READY!? ONCE YOU TRY THIS...YOU WILL NEVER EVER WANT A NORMAL PANINI.

My Pittsburgh Roast Beef Panini:

The Beef

4lbs Lean Roast
1/4 cp. Montreal Steak Seasoning
4-6 cps Beef Broth
3/4 cp. Worcestershire Sauce
1 Red Onion quartered
4 garlic cloves minced

1. Rub the seasoning all over the beef and then sear all sides. Add the broth, onions, garlic, Worcestershire to the pan.
2. Cook 275 for 3-4 hours.
3. Slice Very thin, against the grain. (I used the slicing on my food processor)
4. Add back into the broth. (This meat tastes even better the next day after sitting in this amazing broth)

The Slaw:

Coleslaw (Pre-made package, very thinly cut cabbage)
1/4 cp. Zinfandel Vinegar
2 TB oil
2 TB Sugar

1. Toss everything together and set aside

Fries or Homemade Fries (I cooked 1/2 bag. I makes 2-3 sandwich's)
(Follow directions. I cook them until they are really crunchy)
Provolone Cheese (1/2 lb)
Tomato
Really Really good bread, I used a Three Cheese from Panera Bread

THE ASSEMBLING
Lay out the two slices of bread. Top the bottom with the a few slices of Provolone cheese, Add the Roast Beef, Add more cheese, Add fries, Add the slaw and then the tomato top with the second slice of bread. Slice in half. I secured with toothpicks.

Take A HUGE BIT of the amazing taste of Pittsburgh! YUM!

Hungry Housewifes Famous Nutella Brownies

My husbands all time favorite treat are brownies. I will be leaving him and wanted to make him something special. I went in the store yesterday and bought Nutella for the first time. I found this brownie recipe and new it was a must try. Not to mention, I knew that HH always has incredible recipes and food.

My Nutella conclusion: Nutella is incredible. I do not know how I lived without it. It will be a staple in my home for now on.

My Brownie conclusion: They are way to good for words. You can find the original recipe here
They are by far the best brownies I have ever had. Chewy. Gooey. Yummy. Goodness.
Don't take my word for it. Give them a try!!!



NUTELLA BROWNIES

1 cp. unsalted butter
2 cps. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
1 cp. flour
3/4 cp. cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking powder
dash of salt
1/2 cp. Nutella
1/2 cp. Smooth Peanut Butter

1. Melt the butter. Add the sugar and mix. Add the vanilla and one egg at a time.
2. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a different bowl.
3. Slowly add to the wet mixture and combine. Do not over mix. Add the Nutella and Peanut butter. Once again, do not over mix.
4. Add to a 9x13 greased pan and cook on 350 for about 50 minutes. When a tooth pick is inserted into the brownies and comes out clean.

Stromboli

Ah.....This is another childhood favorite. My mom would make this and it would be gone in no time. It also another recipe that I do not see that often. To me, it is a comfort food. It warms my soul.

The funny part about making this dish is that I forget my oven was broke. I had to broil high and cover the Stromboli's and then broil low to make sure it is cooked through. It was difficult, but successful.

STROMBOLI (makes one)

1 Pre-made pizza dough
1/4 cp. thinly sliced onions
1/4 cp. thinly sliced red peppers
1/4 cp. thinly sliced green peppers
1/4 cp. thinly sliced pepperonis
1/4 lb. salami
1/4 lb. pepperoni
1/4 lb. ham (I used capicolla)
1/4 lb. provolone
1/2 cp. mozzarella cheese
1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1. Cut the peppers, onions, pepperonis very thin.

2. Roll out the pizza dough. (about 16 in on one end, 10 -12 in. on the other side)
Start layering the meat. Add the pepperoni in rows, then the salami over top, then the ham, then the provolone. Top with the mozzarella cheese. Add the peppers, onions and 1/2 tsp. of Italian seasoning.

3. Roll. Roll toward you and tuck like a burrito. When you finish rolling tuck the ends to the bottom and seal. Brush the egg wash and the rest of the 1/2 tsp. of Italian seasoning on the Stromboli

4. Cook on 375 for 30-45 minutes.

Enjoy.

The Forgotten Cookie: No Bakes!

As I said before, I have a broken oven and it is putting me in baking withdraw. LOL.
I told my husband yesterday that I was thinking of going to one of my girlfriends house to bake in their oven. His response:

"Are you crazy?" "Why can't you just wait?"

For those foodies who also have that undying passion to bake can relate. It has been almost a week since my ovens heating element exploded on me. I actually ordered the part for next day delivery. I hope to get it today. CROSS YOUR FINGERS FOR ME.

Anyway, I was trying to come up with a great cookie for my baby girls without baking...

Then I remembered the days my mom would make these insanely yummy cookies. I could eat the whole batch. (Still could...)It was a huge hit. My girls loved them.

NO BAKE COOKIES

found on allrecipes.com

1 stick of butter

1/2 cp. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cps. vanilla sugar

pinch of salt

3 HEAPING TB of unsweetened cocoa powder

3 cps instant cooking oats

1/2 cp. peanut butter

1. Add the butter, milk, vanilla, vanilla sugar and salt to a sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Boil for one minute and remove from oven. QUICKLY add the oats and peanut butter. Then spoon onto parchment paper. Let set up.

Let me just say, I have had trouble with no-bakes sitting up. You have to let it rapidly boil for only a minute and then add the remaining ingredients.

ENJOY!!!!