Sour Cream Banana Bread

Nothing makes me happier than "using" up an ingredient that I have left over from another recipe.  In the gumbo I made on Saturday, I used left over chicken broth.  For the lemon cake I used buttermilk from last week.  Today I finished off a container of sour cream in this Sour Cream Banana Bread.  It is a very easy recipe with a nice cinnamon flavor and crunchy, brown crust.  I added walnuts because I like nuts in my banana bread.  I have already had two pieces and it is not even cool yet.  Must give the rest away! 

Lemon Pound Cake

This recipe is called Lemon Bundt Cake though I think it is a lemon pound cake.  The batter is basic and the lemon zest and juice brighten it up and make it taste very fresh.  I used two, large lemons in the cake for juice and the zest of three.  The icing, a basic cream cheese/butter/powdered sugar icing, is amazing and the vanilla and lemon juice give it a great pop of flavor.  I think zest in the icing would be nice as well.  I used one lemon for juice in the icing and ended up adding another cup or so of powdered sugar to get the consistency I wanted.  

Slow Cooker Chicken Gumbo

I grew celery in my garden and since celery generally has a supporting role in dishes, I have been searching for soup recipes to cook.  Celery has a surprisingly short shelf life unless you keep it hydrated.  Good thing I can just cut it fresh when I need it!

I made slow cooker chicken gumbo because it sounded too good to be true.  A gumbo that does not require a roux?  One that can be made by throwing all the ingredients in at the same time and then left alone for 6 hours?  Sign me up!   

I realized that with tomato juice listed as an ingredient that this was not the gumbo I am used to.  But still, with all the vegetables and seasonings I knew it would be good.  And it was very tasty with the perfect amount of seasonings and heat for my taste!  I did add more salt at the end, after I tasted it.  Also, I used chicken thighs and put in half the sausage because it seemed like too much but I should have put the entire link in as it really cooks down.  Oh, and I did use a red bell pepper rather than green because I have heard that red peppers have more nutrients. 

Carrot Cake

I grew carrots from seed in my garden and it is time to harvest.  What does one do with 50 carrots all ready at the same time?  Well, I am harvesting a few at a time and assuming those left in the ground will continue to grow.

With my carrots I made Carrot Cake.  It is more than CARROT cake because it has pineapple, coconut and nuts.  For those that do not like coconut, I did not even taste it.

This recipe makes a very moist, sweet cake.  There is a cream cheese frosting and buttermilk glaze. 

Modifications I made were using just two pans rather than three.  The pans were less than half full so I did not see why I should use 3.  I also used fresh pineapple and crushed it with a potato masher and I had a very ripe banana so I threw it in as well.

When I poured the glaze, I guess because I used 2 cakes rather than 3, I had a lot left over.  I poured enough to cover the cakes and after a few minutes of soaking in I poured the remaining out because I was afraid the cakes would become a soggy mess.  Rather than being soggy the cakes were very moist yet delicate.  I recommend cooling completely in the pans before removing.  If some sticks to the pan it is easy to push it back into place.  This cake is very forgiving and the cream cheese frosting ensures it will look perfect in the end.

Easy Beef Enchiladas

I made the easiest beef enchiladas EVAH tonight.  I cannot remember the link to the recipe so I will replicate it here.  A picture is not required as most people know what enchiladas look like (especially us Texans).

Ingredients:

10-12 corn tortillas
28 oz red enchilada sauce (I like mild.  Extra Hot is inedible in my opinion)
1 lb ground beef
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup Monterrey jack cheese, shredded

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray bottom and sides of 9 x 13 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray.  Coat bottom of pan with 1 cup of enchilada sauce.

Brown ground beef and add seasonings as you like.  The original recipe said salt and pepper but I used fajita seasonings and I think cumin would be nice.  After browning, drain off fat.

Fill each tortilla with a couple spoonfuls each of meat and cheese.  Roll and place in prepared pan.  After dish is full of enchiladas pour remaining enchilada sauce on top.  Spread cheese down each enchilada.

Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until bubbly.  Let stand 15 minutes before serving.  YUM and so easy.  Next time I think I will add onions to the beef but otherwise very good, tasty recipe.

Cajun Shrimp and Okra

Last week I had dinner at a neighbor's house and she served shrimp and okra with crab meat.  It was DELICIOUS.  The base was not tomato and it was similar to a thick gumbo.  That meal got me craving okra and I found this recipe for Cajun shrimp and okra.  I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs rather than shrimp because I wanted lots of meat.  I followed the recipe exactly except I browned the chicken thighs until almost done and removed to a plate.  Then I continued with the recipe, putting the thighs back in and simmering about 30 minutes.  At that point, I removed the thighs, shredded, and returned to the pot. 

This was very good with nice flavor.  I think next time I will cook this in my crock pot, just throwing all ingredients in and letting it cook until the chicken is done.

White Chocolate Strawberry Trifle

Strawberries are on-sale and I bought an abundance and needed a recipe to use them in.  I like trifles and I wanted something different and White Chocolate Strawberry Trifle fit the bill.

The white chocolate pudding was not very "white chocolatey" and next time I will supplement with some white chocolate ... maybe drizzled over the cake or on top or shavings.  The pudding layer was thick and creamy, the angel food cake layer light and sweet (I LOVE ANGEL FOOD CAKE) and the strawberries tied it all together and next time I will use 2 pints.