Cooking with KP

Big Momma's Easy Jamaican Banana Fritters

Most people love bananas. My mother often made us fritters (fried breads) with added vegetables or fruit. She was an amazing cook. I know she would enjoy these with hot cup of coffee. They are great
for breakfast or as a dessert.

2 very ripe bananas
1 1/2 cups pancake mix (Bisquick)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2-3/4 cup milk
Oil for frying
Confectioner's sugar to dust cook fritters
In a mixing bowl, mash peeled bananas until almost smooth (keep a few bits of banana). Add pancake mix, cinnamon, and vanilla. With a whisk, slowly add milk 1/4 cup at a time until you get a smooth batter a little thicker than a cake mix. Depending on the size of the bananas, you may need more or less milk to reach the right consistency.
Heat oil in a large skillet or frying pan until it reaches 360 degrees.
Carefully drop batter by tablespoons into hot grease. You can use a small ice cream scoop to get a more controlled sizing. Cook about 4 minutes and then turn over for another 3-4 minutes or until fritters are golden brown. Remove from oil and drain on plate lined with paper towels. Remove from paper towels and dust with confectioner's sugar.

NOTE: You can serve these with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, caramel dipping sauce, or Nutella that has been slightly heated in the microwave to thin a bit.

Cheesy Chicken Ranch Casserole (Crack Chicken Casserole)

The internet has several versions of a "crack" chicken casserole. Don't want to get on my soapbox,
but I don't like the use of term "crack"--it gives a "cuteness" to a serious problem in our world. But, no matter what you call it, this is a delicious dish and it is perfect for a covered dishes gathering. Most of the recipes call for Velveeta cheese, which we don't like. I used shredded cheddar, but I have listed the Velveeta as well. Enjoy!

1 pound of bacon
1 (16 ounce) package of thin spaghetti
2 cups Velveeta cubes or 2 cups of finely shredded cheddar cheese (Triple cheddar is awesome)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
3 cups cooked shredded chicken
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 package dry Ranch dressing mix
1 1/2 cup additional shredded cheddar cheese

Cut bacon into 1-inch piece and fry. Drain on paper towels. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a large casserole dish (9x 13 or larger). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook 10 minutes. While spaghetti is cooking, in a large skillet, add the 2 cans of soup (undiluted) and the chicken broth. Whisk until smooth over a medium-low temperature. Add Velveeta or shredded cheese, whisking consistently until melted and smooth. Add pepper and dry dressing mix. Drain spaghetti. Place spaghetti in casserole dish. Top with shredded chicken and half of the bacon pieces. Pour cheese mixture on top, making sure that it fully covers and blends in with chicken and pasta. Sprinkle on additional cheese to cover the top and then the rest of the bacon. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly and fully heated through.

Stuffed Bacon Cheeseburger Bread

There are many recipes online that call something very similar to this “Garbage Bread.” I don’t know The recipes I found use Velveeta, which is not a favorite of mine, but feel free to use it, it you like it.

why people would want to eat something called “garbage,” but the concept of this stuffed roll in very good.

1 pound of bacon, cut into small pieces

1 pound of ground beef

1 medium onion, diced

2 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 Tablespoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon pepper

1 cup of cheddar cheese, shredded or small cubes

1 ½ cup of Colby Jack cheese, shredded

1 can of ready-made pizza crust (13.6 ounce)

Dipping Sauce

1 cup mayonnaise

½ cup ketchup

3 Tablespoon pickle relish

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large skillet, fry bacon until done, remove from grease and drain on paper towel. Drain most of bacon grease from skillet, add onions and ground beef. Cook until ground beef is no longer pink. Add Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and pepper. Cook 3-5 minutes. Remove from burner and 1 cup of cheddar cheese, stir until cheese is melted.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place pizza crust on top. Spread meat mixture on top of dough. Top with bacon and Colby Jack cheese. Roll pizza dough and filling the long way like a cinnamon roll and tuck the end under. You want the seam to be down on the sheet. Bake for 20-23 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes and then slice.

While cheeseburger bread is cooling, in a small bowl, mix mayo and ketchup until smooth. Add all other ingredients and mix well. Dip cheeseburger bread in sauce. Enjoy.

Super Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have never been a serious cookie baker and have always stayed away from cookie recipes the require mixers, separated and beaten eggs, or chilled or rolled dough. I have always lived a busy live, so when I found this simple but tasty cookie recipe on the blog I HEART EATING, I knew it was worth a try. Once we tried it, we knew it was a keeper! I hope you will as well.

½ cup butter (don’t use margarine)

½ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup brown sugar, packed

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, leveled serving—be precise on this measurement

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

2. Microwave the butter for about 40 seconds. Butter should be completely melted but shouldn't be hot.

3. In a large bowl, mix butter with the sugars until well-combined.

4. Stir in vanilla and egg until incorporated.

5. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt.

6. Mix dough until just combined. Dough should be soft and a little sticky but not overly sticky.

7. Stir in chocolate chips.

8. Scoop out 1.5 tablespoons of dough (medium cookie scoop) and place on baking sheet. I like to line my baking sheet with parchment paper to make it easier to clean.

9. Bake for 7-10 minutes. They will be puffy and still look a little underbaked in the

middle.

Simple Buttermilk Biscuits

I learned this recipe from my mother-in-law Sue Lovelace. She could make some of the best biscuits in the world, and this recipe she called--SIMPLE. Yes, they are simple, but they are delicious.

1/2 cup COLD butter, cut into thin pieces
2 cups self-rising flour
3/4 cup buttermilk
a little melted butter for brushing on tops

Preheat over to 425 degrees. Lightly greased baking pan with butter or use a sheet of parchment paper lightly greased. Use butter to grease no cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl sift flour and then using your hands cut butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in buttermilk just until moistened. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead 3-4 times. Pat or lightly roll to 3/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. biscuit cutter.
Place biscuits on pan and bake 11-14 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Brush tops of biscuits with melted butter. Enjoy!

Kay's Zesty Croutons

Although it doesn't happen often here, if you have a leftover loaf of French bread or other thick bread you can make some delicious homemade croutons. You can store in zip-top bags or in airtight food storage containers at room temperature for up to three days or in the freezer for several weeks. They also keep in the fridge for several days with only a small loss of crunchiness.

1 loaf French bread (a few days old)

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

½ -2 teaspoons kosher salt (we don’t use a lot of salt so I only used ½ teaspoon on ours, but I think most people would want more salt.)

1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a cooking sheet/baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cut the bread into small cubes and place in a large bowl.

In a small skillet, melt butter and gently saute garlic for 2-3 minutes. Remove skillet from burner and let cool about 5 minutes. Add all other ingredients and stir well

Pour mixture over bread cubes and using your hands, gently toss the croutons and make sure they are coated with all the oils, butters and seasonings. Pour onto baking sheet and a single layer.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until they are golden brown. Check often so they don’t burn or get overly toasted. Remove from oven and let cool before serving.

Blonde Brownies

Sometimes Blonde Brownies are called Butterscotch Brownies because of their rich brown sugar and butter flavor. Call them what you want, they are delicious! Many, many years ago, I dated a guy whose loved blonde brownies, and this recipe was told to me by his grandmother.

1 ½ sticks of butter (12 Tablespoons), melted USE BUTTER NOT MARGARINE.

1 ½ cups dark brown sugar, packed

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 ½ Tablespoons vanilla

1 ½ cups self-rising flour

1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x13 baking pan with parchment paper, leaving extras for overhang, and lightly butter the top and sides of the parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together melted butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour. Mixture will be thick. Try not to overmix. Fold in nuts. Spread batter in baking pan.

Bake for 23-25 minutes. Insert toothpick in center to check for doneness. Toothpick will come out clean when done.

Cool for 15-20 minutes. Remove brownies from pan. Place on cutting board, and cut into rectangles. Enjoy

Cheaper Cuts of Beef Don't Have To Be Tough

Most people avoid the cheaper cuts of beef because they tend to be tough. With 8 children and three adults in our home, my mother had to find ways to tenderize the cheaper cuts of beef. One way to cook "down", as my mother used to say, a tough cut of beef steak is to season both sides of the steak with garlic powder, seasoned salt and pepper. Lightly brown the steak in a large skillet and on top add a diced green bell pepper, medium onion, a bay leaf, parsley flakes, a few dashes of Worchestershire sauce, and a can of diced tomatoes. Cover with lid. Let the steak simmer for 30-50 minutes. Remove lid and thicken juices by cooking 5-10 more minutes. You can also do the same with a cheap beef roast in a crock pot. Add all the ingredients in crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. The flavor is simple, amazing and great with mashed potatoes.

Fall Vegetables for a Healthy You

As the fall approaches, we will all start to stay indoors more hours. This will lessen our vitamins, such as vitamin A, D, and K, which are enhanced by sunlight. Below are a few vegetables you might want to increase in your diet as the fall and later winter days approach. Besides, they are very tasty. In fact, in the next few weeks, I will be posting recipes that incorporate many of these delicious veggies.

Sweet potatoes and yams are very rich in carotenoids, vitamins A, B6, C, potassium, iron and fiber and are delicious when baked and eaten plain (without butter) or used in soups, casseroles or stir-fries.

Bell peppers are great sources of potassium, manganese, fiber and vitamins A, B, C and K. These sweet peppers are flavorful additions to salads and healthy stir-fries. You can choose from a rainbow of colors, including: green peppers,yellow peppers, orange peppers,and red peppers.

Summer and winter squash are rich in carotenoids, vitamins A and C, potassium, magnesium and fiber and can be served alone or added to many dishes.

Just a few tips for you...

Spray your Tupperware with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato- based sauces. No more stains!

Use lifesavers candy to hold candles in place on your next birthday cake! Kids love them.

Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugarcone to prevent ice cream drips!

Zap garlic cloves in the microwave for 15 seconds and the skins slip right off!

If your celery begins to wilt in the fridge, fill a large cup half full of water and place celery in the cup. Put back in the fridge for two hours--it will be crisp. (Learned this from my mother).

Cooking Myth Busted

A Potato Can Save a Salty Soup or Stew. True or False? False. "This is an attractive idea, but it doesn't work because potatoes are not particularly absorbent," says Wolke, who conducted his own soup-and-potato experiment for his Cooking Myth Busters book. "There is no reason they would attract salt." If you remove the raw potato from the soup, the potato will taste salty, but so would a sponge — it has simply soaked up some of the salty liquid. Still, there is hope for salty stews: Adding a bit of vinegar or sugar can "cancel out" the saltiness by giving your taste buds competing flavors.

Super Moist Turkey

If you are looking for a way to get a moist turkey, you might try one of these family hints:

1--bake the turkey upside down--breast down for the first half of the cooking time. It will help the darker meat cook more thoroughly and the fatty juices of the darker meat will drip down to the breast and add moistness. Use a deep roasting pan for this.

2--bake the turkey with the breast up, but rub it with butter, garlic powder and pepper only. Do not salt the skin. Instead, mix salt in a cup of warm water and pour that cup of salted warm-not hot-water inside the cavity of the turkey. The salt water will steam up into the turkey, making it very moist.

3. bake the turkey with the breast up and slice two lemons and one orange in halves. Place the halves inside the seasoned turkey and the juices will steam into the meat, adding moisture and flavor.

Hint of the Week

Here is something I learned from my wonderful Mother, the greatest cook I have ever known. When you have just a small serving of cooked vegetables leftover from dinner, don't throw them away. Keep a large plastic container in the freezer and put the vegetables in the container. Mix them--carrots, corn, green beans, broccoli, etc. When the container is full make a pot of soup or stew. Also, if a recipe calls for 1/2 a chopped onion, chop the whole onion and add the half to the freezer container. My mother made the best vegetable soups from this idea.

Hint for the Week

With Fourth of July quickly approaching, you might be thinking of making Deviled Eggs. If you want perfectly boiled eggs, place eggs in a large pot and completely cover with cold water. Do not layer eggs on top of one another. Bring water to a rapid boil for 2 minutes, reduce to simmer and let eggs simmer 8 minutes, return to boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and empty hot water and fill pot with cold water. Let sit for 5 minutes. To peel easily, slightly crush shell in your fist and roll on counter with a firm grip. Of course, you don't want to push through the egg, but by making the shell crack in many small pieces, it is easier to peel. My father saw this on a cooking show years ago and taught me this. It truly works.