Banana Coffee Cake with Coconut Pecan Frosting

I've seen a few banana cakes on the web recently and it made me want to bake one. My son and I were bored one rainy afternoon so we decided to bake a banana cake with coconut pecan frosting. It's a Cooking Light recipe I found on myrecipes and it was simple to make and it turned out so moist and delicious. My kids loved this cake for their after school snack...they told me it was awesome at least three times. My husband and I tried it for dessert and we both agreed that it was amazing.

Banana Coffee Cake with Coconut Pecan Frosting:

Adapted recipe by For the Love of Cooking.net

Original recipe by Cooking Light, November 2002

• 1 1/3 cup of flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 2 large ripe bananas
• 3/4 cup of white sugar
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tbsp of water
• 1 tbsp of butter
• 2 tbsp pecan pieces
• 2 tbsp of sweetened coconut flakes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a glass pie or cake dish with cooking spray.

Combine the banana, white sugar, vegetable oil, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon and egg in a bowl then beat with a mixer on medium speed until creamy and thoroughly combined.

Mix the baking powder, salt and baking soda with the flour then gradually mix the flour into the banana mixture until well blended. Pour batter into the prepared pan.

Place in the oven and bake for 25-27 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then remove from pan and place on serving plate.

Combine the brown sugar, water, butter, pecans and coconut in a small pan over medium heat; bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Carefully spread the warm frosting over the banana cake, making sure to coat the top of the cake evenly. Slice and serve. Enjoy.

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Steak and Black Bean Nachos

Two of my son's very favorite foods are steak and nachos. We had leftover steak the other day so I decided to surprise him with steak nachos for lunch. He was so excited! He asked me to put lots of tomatoes on them. I used extra sharp cheese because he loves strong cheeses, and I added green onions and black beans for extra flavor and fiber. He gobbled up this entire plate of nachos and let me know that I was a really, really cool mom.

Steak and Black Bean Nachos:

Recipe and photo for the Love of Cooking.net

• Tortilla chips (I used Trader Joe's reduced guilt/fat chips)
• Extra sharp cheddar cheese
• Leftover steak, chopped up
• Black beans, drained and rinsed
• Grape tomatoes, sliced
• Green onions, sliced
• Sour cream
• Salsa

Layer the chips on a plate. Layer plenty of cheddar cheese all over each chip. Sprinkle the top with the black beans and leftover steak. Cook in the microwave for about 45 seconds. Remove the plate from the microwave and sprinkle the top with the tomatoes and green onions. Serve with sour cream and salsa for dipping. Enjoy.

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Green Beans with Mushrooms and Shallots

I was in the mood for steak and potatoes recently and decided to make some tasty green beans with mushrooms and shallots as the side dish. It was an extremely easy recipe to make, had very little clean up and tasted fantastic. They went really well with flank steak and mashed potatoes and gravy and were a huge hit with my entire family. I will be making these green beans over and over again.

Green Beans with Mushrooms and Shallots:

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

• Fresh green beans, ends trimmed
• 2 tsp olive oil
• Button mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 a small shallot, sliced into thin rings
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Add the green beans to a pot of boiling water and cook for 3-4 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking and to retain the bright green color. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and let them cook (without stirring) for 3-4 minutes; stir and add the shallots to the skillet. Cook the shallots and mushrooms for 2 minutes before adding the minced garlic and green beans. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute or until the green beans are nice and hot. Season with sea salt and pepper, to taste. Enjoy.

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Yogurt and Granola Parfait with Fresh Fruit and Almonds

My kids wanted a sweet treat after school today so I made a simple yogurt and granola parfait with fresh blueberries, cherries, strawberries, and sliced almonds. They took just minutes to make and made my kids very happy. I used low fat vanilla yogurt and low fat, high fiber granola to make this snack healthy and delicious. This is great for breakfast, an afternoon snack or dessert.

Yogurt and Granola Parfait with Fresh Fruit and Almonds:

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

• Vanilla yogurt
• Granola
• Fresh blueberries
• Fresh strawberries, sliced
• Fresh cherries, sliced
• Sliced almonds

Slice the strawberries and cherries (don't forget to remove the cherry pits). Place yogurt in a small dish then add granola on top followed by fresh fruit and almonds. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net

Italian Goulash

My mom used to make goulash for us when we were kids and it was one of my favorite meals. I haven't had it for years and I have been craving it lately. My mom would make her goulash with tomato sauce, ground beef, canned mushrooms, onion, bell pepper and elbow macaroni. I decided to make an Italian goulash using leftover homemade marinara, fresh mushrooms, onions, bell pepper, fresh basil, garlic and elbow macaroni. If you don't have time to make the marinara you could always use a jar of your favorite store bought marinara. My whole family really loved this goulash. Thanks for the inspiration Mom.

Italian Goulash:

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

Inspired by my Mom

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 lb of lean ground beef (94/6)
• 1 small sweet yellow onion, diced
• 3-4 baby bell peppers, diced (I used red & orange)
• 8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 3 cups of Roasted Tomato, Onion & Garlic Marinara
• 12 oz elbow macaroni, cooked per instructions
• Fresh basil, chiffonade
• Asiago, grated

Heat the olive oil in a small Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and mushrooms then cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the ground beef, bell pepper, chopped garlic then season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper; cook for 4-5 minutes making sure to crumble the ground beef as it cooks. Drain any excess grease from the pan then add the marinara sauce, stir until mixed thoroughly. Simmer the sauce for 1-2 hours so flavors combine.

Cook the elbow macaroni per instructions (make sure to season the water with salt) then drain completely. Combine the macaroni with the sauce, add the fresh basil and mix well. Simmer for 15 minutes so the sauce has time to flavor the noodles. Top with Asiago cheese if desired and serve. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net

Cinnamon Rolls

My daughter came home from school last week with a book that she checked out from the library and to my surprise it was a cookbook (needless to say, I was thrilled!). After carefully looking through the book, she said she wanted to make the cinnamon rolls with me. After looking at the recipe for the cinnamon rolls, I decided to adapt it quite a bit to work with the ingredients we had on hand and also to work with our bread making machine. My daughter helped me every step of the way and she was so proud and thrilled with the end result. They were a big hit with my entire family...I was still not feeling well so I didn't eat one but the small bite I had was delicious. The whole pan was gone within two days.

Cinnamon Rolls:

Adapted recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

Recipe inspired by Baking Kids Love by Sur La Table

• 1 cup of warm milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup of butter, melted
• 3 tbsp warm water
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 1/3 cups of flour
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp white sugar
• 2 tsp yeast

Combine the milk, egg, butter, water, and vanilla together and pour into your bread machine pan.

Mix the flour, salt and sugar together then pour on top of the milk mixture. Make a small bowl on top of the flour mixture and pour the yeast into it. Turn your bread machine on to the dough cycle, close the lid and leave alone until your machine beeps at you - mine takes 1 1/2 hours.

Once the dough is done, put it on a floured surface and roll out into a large rectangular shape (about 1/4 inch thick) using a rolling pin. Make sure you have enough flour on the counter so the dough doesn't stick when you roll it out.

Filling:

• 1 cup of brown sugar
• 4 tsp cinnamon
• 3 tbsp butter, softened

Combine the sugar and cinnamon and mix thoroughly. Spread the softened butter all over the entire surface of the rectangular shaped dough. Next sprinkle the filling over the dough.

Carefully roll up the dough as tightly as you can. If it sticks to the counter, slowly ease the dough up with your fingers - be careful not to tear the dough.

Use a piece of thread to cut the dough. Carefully slide the thread under the dough then cross the thread so it cuts the dough into 1 inch thick pieces.

Place the cut cinnamon rolls into a glass baking dish that is thoroughly coated with butter.

Cover the rolls with a dish towel and set in a warm place for 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook the cinnamon rolls in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until light brown on top - don't overcook.

Glaze:

• 3/4 cup of powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 3-4 tsp milk

Combine the ingredients together and mix thoroughly making sure to remove any lumps.

Once the cinnamon rolls are finished baking, remove from the oven and drizzle with the glaze. Serve immediately. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net

Chicken and Black Bean Stuffed Poblano Peppers

I love stuffing poblano peppers with different ingredients. I had leftover Southwestern Roasted Chicken to use up so I decided to mix the chicken with black beans, cilantro, onion, bell peppers, jalapeno, sharp cheddar cheese and some seasonings then stuff the mixture into the poblano peppers. I topped each baked stuffed pepper with guacamole and served them with a side of salsa. Words can't describe how good this dish was! My husband and I both LOVED these stuffed peppers. They were spicy, flavorful and so delicious. I HIGHLY recommend this recipe for anyone who loves Mexican food.

Chicken and Black Bean Stuffed Poblano Peppers:

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

• 3 poblano peppers
• 2 cups of leftover roasted chicken meat, shredded
• 1/2 cup of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup of sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 tbsp red and yellow bell pepper, diced
• 2 tbsp red onion, diced
• 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 small jalapeno, diced
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
• Dash of oregano
• Dash of cumin

Combine the chicken, black beans, bell pepper, onion, cilantro, jalapeno, 2 tbsp shredded sharp cheese, minced garlic, oregano, cumin, sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste. Mix all ingredients thoroughly.

Clean the poblano peppers and carefully slit them down the center (be careful not to go all the way through the pepper). Gently remove the seeds from the inside of the pepper. Line a baking sheet with tin foil then place the pepper on top.

Broil until peppers are blackened on all sides. Transfer the peppers to a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let cool for 10 minutes. Once the peppers are cool enough to handle, remove the blackened skin VERY CAREFULLY.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a glass Pyrex dish with olive oil cooking spray. Place the roasted peppers in the dish. Carefully stuff each pepper with the chicken and black bean mixture. Top each pepper with the remaining cheese.

Place in the oven and bake uncovered for 15 minutes or until the chicken is warmed through and the cheese is melted. Serve with guacamole and fresh salsa. Enjoy.

Remaining Ingredients:

• Guacamole
• Salsa

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net

Chicken and Basil Dumplings

I found this recipe in my Cooking Light Best Chicken Recipes magazine. The original recipe made rosemary dumplings but since my husband and I don't care for rosemary, I decided to use basil instead. This recipe was very easy to make and tasted FANTASTIC. It really hit the spot after being sick for so long. I loved the dumplings and the rich broth filled with chunks of chicken, carrots and celery. My kids and husband also agreed that it was a delicious dinner and my daughter asked if she could have the leftovers for lunch tomorrow. I will be making this recipe over and over.

Chicken and Basil Dumplings:

Adapted recipe from For the Love of Cooking.net

Original Recipe from Cooking Light Best Chicken Recipes

Soup:

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
• 3-4 carrots, diced
• 3 stalks of celery, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 8 cups of chicken broth (I used homemade)
• 2 cups of roasted chicken, shredded
• 1 tsp dried basil
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 2 tsp chicken bouillon granules

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Add the carrots, celery and minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, dried basil, bouillon granules, sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Cover and cook on medium low for 45 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.

Dumplings:

• 1 1/4 cups of flour
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp butter, softened
• 1/2 cup low fat buttermilk
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

Combine the flour with basil, garlic powder, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. But in butter with pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Combine buttermilk and egg, stirring with a whisk. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, stirring until just combined.

Remaining Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup of cornstarch
• 1/4 cup of chicken broth
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Add the chicken to the soup then taste to re-season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, if needed; bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Combine the cornstarch with the chicken broth and mix thoroughly to make a slurry. Add slurry to the soup, simmer for 3 minutes.

Drop dumpling dough, 1-2 tsp per dumpling, (I used two spoons to drop them into the soup) into the chicken soup. Cover and cook for 7 minutes (DO NOT LET THE BROTH BOIL). Add the chopped parsley to the soup and serve. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net

Roasted Tomatoes with Cotija Cheese and Cilantro

I am finally on the mend...thank you so much for all of your well wishes and sweet comments, you truly made me feel better.

One of my very favorite foods in the world is roasted tomatoes. I make them often and switch up the seasonings to suit the meal. I roasted these tomatoes with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper then topped them with cotija cheese and fresh cilantro. They are extremely easy to make and taste fantastic. I highly recommend roasting tomatoes if you haven't tried them yet... they make the perfect side dish and they are so good for you. I served these tomatoes with Southwestern Flank Steak and Cilantro and Lime Rice.

Roasted Tomatoes with Cotija Cheese and Cilantro:

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

• 8 vine ripened tomatoes, halved
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• Olive oil
• Cotija cheese, grated
• Fresh cilantro, chopped

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tin foil (for easier clean up) and coat with cooking spray. Slice the tomatoes in half and place on the baking sheet. Drizzle the tomatoes with olive oil and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.

Roast in the oven for 20-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with cotija cheese and fresh cilantro. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net

Suffering...

...from the stomach flu. I will be back next week when I can think about food again.

Cilantro and Lime Rice

I have always wanted to try making this rice dish and I can't believe it's taken me so long to do it. I found this recipe on Closet Cooking and trusted that it would be good because Kevin always has great recipes. It was not only really simple to make it also had very little clean up. I loved the cilantro and subtle lime flavor - it tasted fantastic and was a big hit with my family. This dish paired nicely with the Southwestern Flank Steak. I plan on making this rice again and again. Thanks for the great recipe Kevin.

Cilantro and Lime Rice:

Adapted recipe and photo by For the Love of Cooking.net

Original recipe from Closet Cooking

• 1-2 tsp olive oil
• 1/4 sweet yellow onion, diced
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 cup long grained rice (brown or white)
• 2 cups of water
• 1 tsp chicken bouillon granules
• 1 large handful of cilantro, chopped
• Juice and zest of 1 lime

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5-7 minutes, until soft and tender. Add the rice and garlic then cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes. Add the water and chicken bouillon granules, bring to a boil over high heat, cover and reduce the heat and simmer, until tender, about 20-25 minutes for white rice and 40-45 minutes for brown rice. Remove from heat and mix with the cilantro, lime juice and zest. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net

Southwestern Flank Steak

I was craving a steak for dinner and decided to make a rub using Southwestern spices. The rub was simple to make and tasted fantastic on the flank steak. I threw the spices together in a zip lock bag and shook it up to make sure it was mixed thoroughly. I sprinkled the flank steak with the seasonings and stored the remaining rub for later use. I let the rub sit on the meat for a few hours before cooking in my grill pan. It had a hint of heat and was loaded with flavor - my whole family gobbled it up.

Southwestern Flank Steak:

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

• 3 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• Pinch of cayenne
• Flank steak

Combine all seasonings in a zip lock bag and shake to mix thoroughly. Sprinkle rub on both sides of the flank steak then cover the meat and place in the refrigerator for a few hours before grilling. Keep the remaining dry rub in the zip lock bag for later use.

Remove the flank steak from the refrigerator 20 minutes prior to cooking. Heat the grill pan on medium high heat and coat with olive oil cooking spray. Cook the flank steak for 3-4 minutes per side or until it's cooked to your desired degree of doneness. Let the meat rest for 5 minutes before slicing in thin slices against the grain. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net