Paula Deen - Get Cookin'

I was so excited about Bananas week.  My family loves this cake.  While it is baking, it reminds me of the trip to Grandma's house and the constant "Are we there yet?" But only it is "Is the cake done yet?".  What's worse is the cake is better if you let it sit overnight to "ripen".  So first thing in the morning our five children come running to the kitchen for cake for breakfast.  I figure since it has bananas, blueberries, eggs, pecans, so what could be better for you than that?

1 c fresh or frozen blueberries
1 1/2 c butter softened
1 1/2 c sugar
4 eggs
3 lg ripe bananas, mashed
1 14 oz container sr cream
2 c all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 c chopped pecans

Preheat oven 375.   Rinse and drain blueberries.  In a mixing bowl beat together butter and sugar.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing well.  Add the bananas and sr cream.  Mix well.  In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.  Stir this into butter mixture in 1/3's.  Fold the blueberries and pecans in the batter.  If using frozen blueberries, dust with flour first.  Pour batter into greased and floured tube pan.  Bake 1 hr or until toothpick inserted come out clean.  

Blueberry Sauce

2 c water
1 c sugar
1/4 c cornstarch
2 c fresh or frozen blueberries

In a medium saucepan, combine water and sugar and bring to a boil.  Mix cornstarch with a small amount of water to dissolve.  Stir cornstarch mix into boiling mixture.  Add blueberries, stir until thickened.
 

There are a a lot of days at our house that we half to have breakfast on the go. So quick and easy things are a must. I love to make all different flavors of smoothies, My favoroite being the Blueberry Banana Smoothie. This smoothie recipe is the prefect recipe to use up all those bananas the are getting to ripe. This recipe has no additional sugar added, just the natural sugar from the bananas, blueberries and yougurt. This smoothie is very versatile, meaning that you can use low fat, fat free or even soy milk. I know miss paula is working hard with her trainer so I think this recipe would come in handy.  I have also stated in my video that you can utilize frozen bananas as well. See my video for tips on freezing bananas. They are prefect for banana bread, muffins, pancakes or smoothies.

I have added photos of the blueberry banana smoothie in my photo album.

*I apoligize in advance for the video my daughter is 9 yrs old and was filming it for me. She cut my head off in one part, i think she was having to much fun with the zoom in and zoom out. LOL


~ Blueberry Banana Smoothie ~

1 - 2 - ripe bananas
1 - cup blueberry or vanilla yogurt
1 1/2 - cups ice cubes
1 - cup low fat milk, plain or vanilla soy milk
1 - cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Add the ice cubes, blueberries and milk to the blender. Blend on ice breaker or icy drink to break up the ice a bit. Add yogurt and bananas and blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and enjoy.

Yields - 4 Cups

Ever feel like going Bananas? Well this week I went "Ape Crazy !!!!"

I love this recipe because it brings back a lot of memories as a kid. My Grandmother used to make all kinds of snacks, and desserts with bananas, and just the banana is a healthy snack. Well, this recipe I want to share with y'all is not the healthiest form of this showcased fruit, but is one to try and savor to the last bite! Warning.....it will fill you up fast, so you might want to share this with someone, or just don't eat anything for the rest of the day......but it must be accompanied with a tall glass of cold milk!

I love Banana's Fosters, and while New Orleans’ famous Brennan's restaurant claims to have the best recipe version, no one can top my "Crazy Monkey Bananas Foster's Chocolate Chip Pancakes!" The recipe as followed:

Pancake Batter

    * 2 large eggs

    * 2 cups buttermilk

    *  3/4 stick unsalted butter, melted

    * 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

    * 1/4 cup sugar

    * 2 teaspoons baking soda

    * 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

    * 1 whole diced banana

    * 1/2 cup chocolate chips

    * Nonstick cooking spray or 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and buttermilk. Stir in the melted butter.

In a small bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined, don't worry if there are a few lumps. Stir in the bananas and chocolate chips.

Lightly grease a large griddle with the nonstick spray or butter. Heat the pan until hot and then spoon out 3 tablespoons of batter per pancake. Cook the pancakes until a few of the bubbles pop, about 2 minutes. Turn the pancakes over and cook for another minute.

Bananas Foster's Syrup

    * 1 cup of light brown sugar

    * 1 tsp. of cinnamon

    * ½ stick of butter

    * ½ of a banana- sliced down the middle

    * 1 tbsp. of dark rum

    * ½ cup of powdered sugar

In a skillet on medium heat, mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Once it begins to bubble, add your bananas and dark rum, and light it with a match to burn off the alcohol. Remove the skillet from the stove and add in your powdered sugar and stir quickly into the mixture.

Stack the desired amount of pancakes on a plate and drizzle with the Banana Foster's Syrup and bananas! Top with some fresh whipping cream....and open mouth and insert heaven! Trust me.....you will be going bananas for this sinful, chocolatey hot mess!

My submission for Bananas Week!

Bananas Foster filling:

3 bananas cut into circles
1/4 c butter
1 c brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 c Banana liqueur
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 c Rum
1 c oatmeal (not super quick-cook or instant)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, lightly grease muffin tin.  Chop bananas, dip in lemon juice and water to keep from darkening. Combine butter, b.sugar, cinnamon until sugar is dissolved.  Add in liqueur, stir.  Add rum carefully.  Once hot tip pan to flames to flambe.  Once flames dissolve, stir in oats and remove from heat.  Let cool.

Crust:

2 c Nilla Wafer crumbs
6 tblsp salted butter
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c sugar

Blend Nilla wafers in food processor or rolling pin over a ziploc bag.  Approx 60 Nilla wafers for 2 cups.  Melt butter and combine with all dry ingredients lightly with a fork.
Place a heaping teaspoon full into each muffin tin, press tightly from center outward up to the top of muffin tins.  Makes 12 tartlets.

Streusel topping:

1/2 c flour
4 tblsp butter
4 tblsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 c cinnamon baking chips (hard-to-find so can be substituted for any blend of finely chopped nuts or even just left out completely)

Soften butter, not quite melted.  Mix in all ingredients with fingers until crumbly.

Assembly:

After packing muffin tins with crust, spoon in the bananas foster and oat mix once cooled.  Fill tin to brim.  Toss streusel all over muffin tin pan, then carefully pack around the edges of each tartlet so no streusel is left out.

Bake at 350 degrees for 18 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.  Serve with ice cream.

I like bananas, but this challenge had me going a little bananas trying to come up with a dish. I was goig to share a recipe of profiteroles filled with banana cream, but the profiteroles didnt cooperate with me.  I burnt myself with the cookie sheet,  was a bit aggravated so I gave up making the dish.
 
   Im going to share few banana recipes, improvised, easy and quick, small and sweet.
  My favorite kind of bananas are those mini ones, they have a slightly diferent flavor from the regular bananas. I attempted to make caramelized bananas.  Tried to flambe the bananas with Brandy, big flame up in the air, ooooh preety colors! no worries it wasn't a hazardous flame, didnt burn the house down, ha ha but almost flambe the kitchen.  The bananas caramelized, poured them over French Vanilla ice cream.
 

Jo's Going Banana's ice cream topping

Caramelized Bananas

 2 cups of sliced mini bananas
1/2 cup of sugar
2 oz of Brandy
1/2 stick of butter
French Vanilla ice cream

  Melt the sugar until it turns into a honey color, add butter, stir until blended with the melted sugar, watch the temperature, do not burn the sugar or yourself! Add the sliced bananas.  Remove from burner, add Brandy.  If you Flambe it do it at your own risk.  You light it and a flame rises, be very careful, the flame will die down and alcohol will evaporate.  (I got scared with my flame, it wasnt big but it was a flame, fire, so be careful, I recommend to flambe outside, then bring the pan in after the flame dies down) =)

  Serve ice cream on a bowl and pour the bananas and caramel sauce over it and enjoy!

(Not to happy taking photographs of the presentation of this dish, the ice ceam melts fast, and I like taking photos of preety food =) I hope the presentation is appetizing).


My next dish with regular bananas, is a delicious version of a Fluffernutter, and kind of like Elvis's favorite sandwich, wich has peanut butter and bananas. 
  Here is what you need:

Grilled Banana Fluffernutter Sandwich

2 slices of bread
Marshmallow Cream
Peanut Butter
Chocolate syrup
1 sliced banana, cut at angles

  Spread Peanut butter on one slice, then marshmallow cream on the other slice.  Place the sliced bananas on between the two.  On a hot pan add some butter, wait til it sizzles and grill the sandwich until a pretty golden brown. Remove from pan, cut into triangles( is messy lol and hot be careful).  Place on a plate and drizzle chocolate syrup over it and enjoy!

  This next one is a quick recipe, I like taking shortcuts in the kitchen and improvising.

  Banana Pecan Muffins

1 box of Jiffy Banana Muffin mix
1 egg
1/3 cup of milk
1/2 stick softened butter
1 banana mashed
3 oz of chopped pecans
1 tsp. of vanilla

Butter Cream frosting
2 tbls whipping cream,
1/2 stick softened butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
 
   Follow the directions on the Jiffy package, add the egg, milk,softened butter, then add the mashed banana to the batter and the chopped pecans.  Pour the batter on mini muffin pan or regular cupcake pan and bake as the directions suggest on the packaging.  
Mix the butetrcream ingredients with a mixer until blended and creamy.
Spread buttercream over the muffins and sprinkle chopped pecans on top.

  This muffins are full of banana flavor and the pecans are a nice addition to it, diferent from the usual walnuts that are added to banana nut bread.  I recommend eating them warm with butter, or the buttercream frosting once they cool down.  
  These mini muffins are toddler friendly and they are a delicious treat to add to your childrens lunch box.