Banana Pancakes

Tonight we had breakfast for dinner. I had some bananas that were nice and dark brown, perfect for pancakes or banana bread. I chose pancakes. I love bananas, and these pancakes are full of them. These banana pancakes are made with my own pancake batter recipe. These are the leftovers that we now have for breakfast in the morning.

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Gluten free flour experiment take one

Today I started working on learning how to use gluten free flour. It is not as easy as you would think, and maybe that is why I think I will be asking someone I know that uses gluten free flour what tricks they have for  using it. I learned that the one I have does not work well with the recipe I came up with for pizza dough. The great thing is, is that the flour is not bad tasting flour and I get to continue to learn how to work with it.

Recipe: Name the Sauce Contest

 

I made this sauce on Tuesday night because my wife wasn’t going to be home for dinner. Finally, I could have a dish with olives and not have her say “EeWWWWW”. It is very simple and easy prep. It does take a couple hours to cook, but does not require constant attention.  You may try making it in the Crockpot for a couple hours, but it may not turn out the same way. Help me choose the perfect name for the sauce. This is a gluten free sauce.

Ingredients:

• 1 package (4 links) Isernio’s Hot Italian Sausage
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup black olives cut in half
• 1 1/4 cup red bell pepper, large dice
• 2 Tbsp. granulated garlic
• 1 Tbsp. Italian Seasoning
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 3 tsp. basil
• 1 Tbsp. dried rosemary
• 1 1/4 cup diced onion
• 1 – 2 Tbsp. oregano
• 2 14.5 oz cans no salt added diced tomatoes
• 1 cup water

• Thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta (or substitute with your favorite gluten-free spaghetti or angel hair pasta)

Directions:

1. In blender, blend diced tomatoes until smooth.
2. Dice peppers and onions about 1/2″-1″ in size.
3. Cut sausage links into 1″ slices.
4. Put everything in a pot, except the pasta and cook on low (2), covered, for about two hours. Stir occasionally.
5. Cook pasta as directed.
6. If desired, serve with additional Parmesan cheese on top.

 

 

Station Dinner Theatre

This is a Roasted chicken with Cranberry Stuffing that Aubrey and I had at The Station Dinner Theatre. We went to this dinner theater in Erie, PA for our 2 anniversary, and we would really like to go again. The station is made up of a train car and a small building. The play was a comical version of Princess and the Pea, and the waiters and waitresses are also the actors. We each had our own whole chicken, salad, and desserts  and had to eat everything with our hands. I really enjoyed it since I love finger foods and well no one can look at you funny for having your hands covered in food at the table when everyone is like that.

Where I love to eat Burgers and Pasta

We are not fast food people for the most part. Most of it just makes us sick no matter what we eat there, now that we are eating better. Strangely enough we have not been effect by Dick’s Drive-In. Aubrey introduced me to Dicks Drive In, in Washington state and I loved it from the start. Though I no longer live near an  In & Out  I love them as well. I find it nice to have a simple burger and fry sometimes. I am a huge lover of pasta and we both love having pasta often. Pasta can be very simple and relaxed or can be more extravagant and Romantic. Either way pasta is a great meal that we like going out to on date nights, or any night for that matter, and we find ourselves going to Olive Garden, Bucca Di Beppo, and Macaroni Grill. It has been a relaxing time where we can talk and spend time enjoying each others company.

Recipe Grilled Turkey & Fontina

Grilled Turkey and Fontina

I love the simple but tasty recipes. Sandwiches are great for lunch or dinner. They can make them for a large meal or for a small one. I love cheese and I have found that I love Fontina Cheese a lot. This light sandwich is great for a small lunch. It is quick and is very easy to make.

Grilled Turkey & Fontina

Ingredients

 1. 2 slices buttermilk bread

2. 4 thin slices of Roma Tomato

3. 3 Hillshire Farms Deli Select thin sliced Smoked Turkey

4. ¼ tsp. each of granulated garlic and dried oregano

5. A thin cut slice ¼ in thick of Fontina Cheese enough to cover bread

 

Directions

 1. Get George Foreman Grill out and turn it on

2. Slice cheese and tomato

3. Lay cheese down, sprinkle with the oregano and Granulated garlic, fold turkey slices in half and lay then on top side by side, lay down tomato and put other slice of bread on top

4. When Foreman grill is ready spray with cooking spray and grill sandwich for 2 ½ min.

Where I have eaten around the U.S

I love trying new foods from all over the place, or creating a whole new recipe that stands out from the rest. I have been to restaurants from California to Delaware, from Texas to Michigan. Most of the time I find the best ones are down home hole in the wall family restaurants, but I do love others that have caught my attention. There are many restaurants that I have been to all over but here are a few that are on my mind right now that have stood out to me. One of the places that stood out to me was Nicola Pizza in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, Fuzzy’s Taco Shop in Oklahoma City, OK,  The Galaxy Steak House (unfortunately it looks like they are closed) and Puka Dogs in Waikiki, HI,

Family Recipes: Fat Noodles

Aubrey’s family has been making fat noodles for generations, and I had never heard of such a thing. Her great grandma would make them every Sunday for dinner. Her family would often ask for this dish to be their birthday dinner. They do not often make this for guests because they don’t usually appreciate this dish (my family didn’t) and it takes a long time to make it. It is a very humble meal and very good. I have come to love it since joining the family.

Fat Noodles are similar in some ways to chicken soup; except that the noodles are extremely large and fat.

FAT NOODLES
Ingredients:

2 Cornish game hens or 1 young chicken
1 dozen eggs
8 to 10 cups flour
1 cup of water
1 tbsp. salt; 1 – 2 tbsp. salt
chicken broth

Fill stock pot with enough water to cover the chicken. Add 1 tbsp. salt. Place chicken in water and bring to a boil. When chicken is done, (about 1 1/2 to 3 hours) remove from water. Remove meat from carcass and put in a separate pan.
When chicken is almost ready begin making the noodles. In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, water, and a tbsp. salt. Begin adding flour to mixing bowl. You will want to use the dough hook attachment for your mixer. When dough is still slightly sticky, but manageable stop adding flour; typically between 8 and 10 cups.
Put sheets of waxed paper on counter. Put flour on the waxed paper and pour some of the dough onto the waxed paper. Sprinkle some flour on top and pat down dough into a layer about 1/4 inch thick. Put flour on a knife and cut the dough into strips. Then cut the strips into 3 to 3 1/2 inch pieces.
Bring the broth (water chicken was cooked in) to a boil. Add more chicken broth for extra flavor. Add a few noodles at a time to the broth. They will float to the surface when they are almost ready. When they are done, they will look white. Place cooked noodles in same pan as the chicken meat. Continue making noodles until the dough is gone. If you begin to run out of broth to cook the noodles, you can add more water or chicken broth to the pot. Taste cooked noodles as you go along. You may need to add some more salt to the broth, so the noodles do not taste bland. It is okay if you get some extra flour in the broth. It makes the broth a little thicker.
When the noodles are done, pour the remaining broth over the noodles and chicken. Serve in a bowl and add salt and pepper to taste.

Fat Noodles taste even better as left overs.

Progress on Maynardize It Cookbook

I am happy to hear that my recipes in my book have been cleared for publishing. For those that do not know, this means that there are no other recipes that have been copyrighted before. I am now in the design phase of the book, and will be glad to see the progress that will be taking shape with it in the next few weeks. I will be accepting pre orders in the near future.