Pecan-Crusted Chicken with Orange Dipping Sauce

I heard this on the radio the other day as a way to do some shrimp - but since Don can't eat shrimp, I tried it with chicken. So quick and easy to prepare, and so good!

Pecan-Crusted Chicken with Orange Dipping Sauce

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I bet if you used chicken tenders or cut the breasts into smaller pieces, it would take an even shorter amount of time.)
1 egg white
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup pecan pieces, ground
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon mustard
3 tablespoons orange marmalade
3 tablespoons orange juice
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Preheat oven to 375˚. In a shallow bowl, whisk the egg white until frothy. Combine the panko crumbs and pecans with salt and pepper to taste in another bowl. Dip the chicken in the egg white to coat, and then in the pecan-panko mixture. Place chicken on a baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake about 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Orange Dipping Sauce: Combine mustard, marmalade, orange juice, and red pepper in a small bowl. Microwave 30 seconds.

Note: That's fried okra in the picture with the chicken.

Mole-Style Pork Chops, Zucchini and Carrot Ribbons

About once a week, Cooking Light sends me a recipe that I just HAVE to try. Last week the daily recipe was Mole-Style Pork Chops. I love mole - the unique chocolate flavor is something that takes a little getting used to - but it wasn't overpowering in this recipe. These chops were spicy and flavorful, and cooked just to where they were still juicy. The juice blended with the spicy coating to make a little sauce that coated each piece I cut.

Mole-Style Pork Chops
from Cooking Light

1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon ground chipotle chile peppers
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 (6-ounce) bone-in center-cut pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
Cooking spray

Heat a grill pan over medium heat.

Combine first 6 ingredients; rub evenly over both sides of pork. Lightly coat pork with cooking spray. Place pork on grill pan; cover and grill 3 minutes on each side or until done. Let stand 3 minutes.

In keeping with my goal of having potatoes as a side dish only once a week, I decided to try this recipe sent to me by Alanna of A Veggie Venture. I bought the little julienne gadget from Pampered Chef many years ago, but haven't used it much. It was perfect for this job, and so easy to use!

Zucchini and Carrot Ribbons
from Alanna of A Veggie Venture

2 carrots, washed but peels on (or off if you prefer)
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium-size zucchini, blossom and stem ends removed
Salt & pepper

Cut the carrots into ribbons, then in half. (I didn't cut mine in half.) Heat the oil or butter in a large skillet til shimmery. Add the garlic and the carrots, stirring to coat with fat. Let cook, stirring often, while cutting the zucchini. Add the zucchini to the skillet, stirring to coat and to distribute the heat. Cook til soft (or al dente if you prefer). Season with salt and pepper. Serves 4

Great Tastes! (and healthy, too)

I love burgers. But not all burgers are created equal. In my younger days, I enjoyed Quarter Pounders and Whoppers, which is obviously one of the reasons I'm where I'm at today, weight-wise. Thanks to fellow bloggers and some good magazines, I've been trying some different burgers. Tonight's burger was a repeat from March, Turkey Burgers with Curry-Lime Mayo.






To go with it, I made some Zucchini Oven Chips. I "borrowed" the recipe from Joe of Culinary in the Country, and even used his tip of adding some cayenne to the breading. These were virtually non-fat, yet tasted just as good as the fried zucchini I love so much. We didn't need a dipping sauce with these since they were so flavorful, but I'm sure you could try some ranch dressing if you wanted.




Zucchini Oven Chips
from Joe of Culinary in the Country

¼ cup dry breadcrumbs
¼ cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese (I used Asiago)
¼ teaspoon seasoned salt
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fat-free milk
2 ½ cups (1/4-inch-thick) slices zucchini (about 2 small)
*I added between 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of Cayenne
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 425°.
Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Place milk in a shallow bowl. Dip zucchini slices in milk, and dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Place coated slices on an ovenproof wire rack coated with cooking spray; place rack on a baking sheet. (Joe and I did these on a baking stone instead). Bake at 425° for 30 minutes or until browned and crisp. Serve immediately.

I've been given an award!

Teresa Cordero Cordell, who has a blog called Mexican-American Border Cooking, has bestowed on me the El Premio Arte y Pico award. Now I'm not totally sure what it's all about, but it's turned into a sort of meme, where each winner picks 5 more to give the award to. Teresa said she picked me because I'm a "woman of many talents. First, she’s a stickler for proper grammar, she loves to cook, and she loves to stitch. My cross stitching days are over (arthritis), but I still crotchet for short periods of time. So any cook who also has a passion for stitching is allright in my book." Cool!!!!!! And thanks so much for the honor, Teresa!

Now, I'm supposed to come up with 5 other bloggers to honor. I'll work on that for a day or two and come back and add it.

Home Again

We left Colorado Saturday morning, and spent Saturday night at the Richfield, Utah KOA. Sunday night we stayed at Whiskey Pete's in Primm, Nevada - it's a hotel/casino on the Nevada/California state line - cheap motel, average casino, good location for travelers who don't want to stay in Vegas, and a great steakhouse. We were home by 9 am on Monday.

Tuesday was the commissary trip to restock the pantry and refrigerator, Wednesday was Costco, and today was Trader Joe's. I'm back in business!

Cooking Resolution for Fall 2008: Limit potato side dishes to once a week. We really overdid the potatoes on our trip.

Tonight I tried an old recipe again plus a new one. The old one was Mahi Mahi with Jalapeño-Lime Butter, and in keeping with my new resolution, the new one was Tomatoes Florentine. Don really liked this (I did, too) and it was so easy that it'll be a repeat.

Tomatoes Florentine

6 medium tomatoes
salt
½ cup light cream
1 egg yolk
1 10 oz. pkg. frozen spinach, cooked, chopped, drained (I failed to read this part and squeezed the thawed spinach dry inside paper towels without cooking it. It still turned out wonderful.)
3 Tablespoons butter, melted

Cut top (1/4 in.) off each tomato. Scoop out insides. Sprinkle insides with salt. Combine cream and egg yolk; add spinach and 1 T of the butter. Salt to taste. Heat, stirring, just to simmering. Fill tomatoes with the creamed spinach. Place in baking dish. Top each with 1 t melted butter. Bake at 375˚ for 20 minutes. Serve hot.

Vacation Picture

Reflection on McKee Pond, near Marble, Colorado

Going on Vacation

I might not be posting for a while - we're leaving Tuesday morning for a 45-day trip to Colorado. We'll be at Redstone, on the Crystal River for a few nights, then Vega State Park on the Grand Mesa, then Turquoise Lake near Leadville, Tomichi Creek east of Gunnison, Taylor Park Reservoir, and then Lake City.

I hope to relax, cross-stitch, read, cook, and totally forget about work for 45 days. I'll take lots of pics, but they'll be posted over on my travel blog, Wanderlust. If I create any culinary masterpieces that I just HAVE to share, I'll post them here. Otherwise, I'll see you in August!

Up On My Grammar Soapbox - Mixed-Up Apostrophes

I pulled up to the BX at March Air Base the other day, and first saw this sign.











Then as I went inside, I saw this one:
(MENS SHIRTS)






Apparently, the apostrophe that belonged on this sign had wandered over to the Espressos sign.

Chicken-Peanut Chow Mein

This is another recipe from the daily "Dinner Tonight" emails I get from Cooking Light. It was today's recipe, but was in the April 2006 print version of the magazine. I had all the ingredients except mushrooms, so I just picked a few up at the store on my way home. I made a few changes - Don's allergic to shellfish, so instead of the oyster sauce, I substituted Yoshida's Gourmet Sauce and left out the sugar the original recipe called for. My version of the recipe is below.

Chicken-Peanut Chow Mein
adapted from Cooking Light

1 cup matchstick-cut carrots
8 oz. spaghetti noodles (I used Dreamfields)
1 cup sugar (snap) peas
1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast
3 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
3/4 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons Yoshida's Gourmet Sauce
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (original recipe called for 1/4 teaspoon, but we like it spicy!)
1 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
2 teaspoons bottled fresh ground ginger
1 cup sliced green onions
2 tablespoons dry-roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Bring a pot of water to a boil; add carrots and noodles. When the noodles are almost done, add the peas and cook another 3 minutes. Drain. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cut chicken crosswise into thin strips. Add chicken and 1 tablespoon soy sauce to pan; stir-fry 3 minutes. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Combine remaining soy sauce, chicken broth, Yoshida's sauce, and red pepper flakes. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and ginger to pan; stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add broth mixture and cook for 1 minute. Add noodle mixture and chicken to pan; cook 1 minute, tossing to combine. Sprinkle with onions and peanuts. Serves 4.

Fruit Bread - Bread Machine Recipe

I made this for Don the other day, and of course, had to try a slice. He likes date-nut bread, which is usually a quick bread - made with lots of sugar and fat. This one's a little lighter, since it's a bread machine recipe, and I used some whole wheat flour in it. I got the recipe from Linda, a fellow baker on my bread machine Yahoo group.

Fruit Bread - High Altitude version
from Linda Darwent

1 1/3 cups liquid (I used water), warmed slightly
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup dried fruit (I used chopped dates; Linda has used cranberries; you can try apricots, raisins...any dried fruit)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 teaspoon bread machine yeast

Place all ingredients in machine in order listed. Use sweet or whole wheat setting. Makes 1 1-pound loaf.

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

I grew up on my Mom's Texas-style taco salad - you know, the one with ground beef, lettuce, tomatoes, kidney beans, cheese, and tortilla chips. We added a few other things, too, but that's the basic taco salad. This one came to me via email yesterday - I subscribe to a daily "Dinner Tonight" email from Cooking Light. One look at this one and I new we had to have it for dinner last night. All I had to go buy was the avocado - you just don't keep those lying around the house. I like the "coolness" of this one from the sour cream, and the chipotle flavor made it really unique. (Yes, I know "really unique" is hyperbole...).

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad
from Cooking Light

Dressing:
⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro
⅔ cup light sour cream
1 tablespoon minced chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
¼ teaspoon salt
Salad:
4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 breasts)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cup diced peeled avocado
⅓ cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (8 3/4-ounce) can no-salt-added whole-kernel corn, rinsed and drained
To prepare dressing, combine first 7 ingredients, stirring well.

To prepare salad, combine lettuce and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss gently to coat. Serve immediately.

Tip: Add a spoonful of adobo sauce for a spicier salad. Kidney or pinto beans also taste great in this dish.

Patty Melts and My New Love

I was first attracted to this recipe by the picture in the magazine, and then by the simple ingredients and directions. After I made it, I was thrilled with how little time it took to make it. The onions took about 3 minutes, the meat 4, and then the whole sandwich about 2. Boy, was it yummy! We've added this one to our list of all-time favorites - so now I'm going to be looking for more sandwiches - grilled and pannini.

Patty Melts with Grilled Onions
adapted from Cooking Light


1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1/8 teaspoon salt
dash pepper
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 slices rye bread
1/2 cup shredded Jarlsberg or other Swiss cheese

Preheat electric grill or pannini pan. Sprinkle onion with balsamic vinegar. Spray pan with nonstick cooking spray and add onion. Cook about 3 minutes; remove and keep warm. Divide beef into two patties and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add patties to pan; cook about 4 minutes or until done. Spread 1 teaspoon mustard over 2 bread slices; layer each slice with 2 tablespoons cheese, 1 patty, half of the onion, and 2 more tablespoons cheese. Spread about 1 teaspoon mustard on remaining bread slices; place, mustard side down, on top of sandwiches. Wipe pan, if necessary. Add sandwiches, and cook about 3 minutes or until bread is lightly browned and crusty. Makes 2.

My new love is my grill/pannini pan. I've used it to grill meats, but this was the first time I'd used it to make sandwiches. Now I want some great recipes. Do you have any to share?

Hanging out in Barnes & Noble...

Sometimes I like to go to Barnes & Noble and sit and read. I was there the other day, sipping on a sugar-free iced coffee, and perusing a Taste of Home Healthy Cooking magazine. There were so many recipes in it I decided to buy it. This was one of the first recipes I tried.

Oregano Olive Chicken
adapted from Taste of Home Healthy Cooking

1 broiler-fryer chicken, cut up and skin removed
¼ tsp. pepper
2 Tablespoons olive oil
½ cup white wine
½ cup pimiento-stuffed olives, chopped
¼ cup capers, drained
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
1 Tablespoon cider vinegar
2 garlic cloves , minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
Sprinkle chicken with pepper. In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, brown chicken on all sides in oil. Remove and keep warm. Drain drippings from skillet. Combine the remaining ingredients; pour into skillet, stirring to loosen brown bits. Bring to a boil. Return chicken to pan. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until chicken juices run clear. Serves 6. I served this with some rice. The chicken itself has 2 grams of carbohydrates per serving.


Another recipe from the same magazine tasted too good to be low-carb and low-calorie. I had some South Beach Diet non-fat cottage cheese - which I decided I didn't like straight from the carton - and by using Dreamfields pasta, this was a great healthy pasta dish that was full of flavor. I added some crushed red pepper for a little kick. I took a great picture, and then accidentally deleted it.

Baked Mostaccioli
adapted from Taste of Home Healthy Cooking Magazine

8 oz. uncooked mostaccioli or penne (I used Dreamfields)
1/2 pound lean ground turkey
1 small onion, chopped
1 14 1/2-oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 6-oz can tomato paste
1/3 cup water
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/8 tsp pepper
2 cups (16 oz.) nonfat cottage cheese
1 tsp dried marjoram
1 1/2 cups (6 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan or deep skillet, cook the turkey and onion over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink; drain if necessary. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, water, oregano, salt, red pepper, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. In a small bowl, combine cottage cheese and marjoram; set aside. Drain mostaccioli. Spread 1/2 cup meat sauce into an 11 x 7 x 2-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer half of the pasta, meat sauce and cheese. Top with cottage cheese mixture. Layer with remaining pasta, meat sauce and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake, uncovered, at 350˚ for 30-40 minutes or until bubbly and heated through. Serves 6.

Bean Dip (as good as the name brand!)

When Don and I go camping, one of our favorite snacks is Frito-Lay Bean Dip - with Fritos Scoops. I found a recipe on recipezaar for a copycat - and gave it a try this afternoon. For $.69 for a can of refried beans, plus pennies for the add-ins, this recipe made 3 times as much as a little can of the name brand. We thought it tasted exactly like Frito-Lay's!

Lito-Fray Bean Dip

1 (15 ounce) can refried beans
5 slices bottled jalapenos (nacho slices)
1 tablespoon brine, from bottled jalapeno slices
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon paprika
⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1. Combine refried beans with the other ingredients in a food processor.
2. Puree ingredients on high speed until smooth.
3. Cover and chill for at least an hour before serving.

Pork Tenderloin with Sage, Garlic, and Honey

This was pretty tasty, and was very easy to make. I had a pork tenderloin I needed to cook, and thought I'd try a recipe for a pork roast.

Pork Tenderloin with Sage, Garlic, and Honey
adapted from Cooking Light

2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoon lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 Tablespoons fresh sage, minced
OR
2 teaspoon crumbled dried sage
½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 Tablespoon honey

Heat oven to 400˚. In small bowl, stir together oil, lemon juice, garlic, sage and pepper. Brown meat in a little olive oil in an ovenproof skillet. Brush with lemon juice mixture; roast for 10 minutes. Brush honey over top and sides; roast another 15 minutes more.

Two Low Carb Recipes

These were inspired by Kalyn. She'd made some Hamburger Kebabs, and I wanted the same flavors in ground turkey. I didn't have any pine nuts, but I had plenty of pistachios - and they're definitely Mediterranean, too.

Mediterranean Turkey Meatloaf Muffins

1/3 cup pistachios
½ medium onion, cut in chunks
¾ lb. ground turkey
1 egg
2 Tbsp. dried parsely
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
2 Tblsp. bottled Italian dressing for basting the tops

Preheat oven to 400˚. Combine pistachios and onion in food processor; pulse until nuts are finely chopped. Add turkey, egg, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper, and pulse until mixed well. Divide into 6 lightly-greased muffin cups. Baste tops with Italian dressing. Bake 30 minutes.

Dessert was another low carb treat borrowed from the South Beach Diet folks. I found almond meal at a good price at Trader Joe's today, and made this mini-cake.

3-Minute Chocolate Cake
from the South Beach Diet

2 Tbsp butter or nontrans fat marg. (Smart Balance)
¼ c almond flour
1 Tbsp cocoa (heaping is best)
¼ tsp baking powder
3 Tbsp + 1 tsp measurable Splenda have also used 2-3 packets too)
1 Tbsp water
1 egg
Melt butter in microwave; add rest of ingredients and stir. Cover with plastic wrap, slice a hole in the center and microwave for 1 min, 20 secs; until center is set but still moist. Serves 2.

I would bet that if you really wanted to make a frosting, you could mix up some cream cheese with cocoa and Splenda.

Hearty Onion-Dill Bread

I plan to make split pea soup in the crockpot tomorrow, since I have to work late, and I think this bread will go great with it. It's part whole wheat and part white flour, and with the high altitude adaptation of using just a smidge more than a teaspoon of yeast, it came out very well.

Hearty Onion-Dill Bread
high altitude recipe

1 cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons dried minced onion
2 tablespoons dried dill
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/8 teaspoon bread machine yeast

Place ingredients in bread machine in order listed. Use whole wheat cycle. When bread is finished, remove from bread pan to cool on a wire rack for at least an hour. Makes a 1 1/2-pound loaf.

Did a Little Baking Today

First up, I made a second batch of some muffins that appeared in this month's Cooking Light. I had made them earlier this week, but Don and I ate them all before I could take a picture! These are hearty enough (and healthy enough) to eat for breakfast - I would take two each morning along with a piece of string cheese.

Tropical Muffins with Coconut-Macadamia Topping
from Cooking Light

Muffins:
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (about 6 ounces)
1 cup regular oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2)
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup canned crushed pineapple in juice, drained
1/3 cup flaked sweetened coconut
3 tablespoons finely chopped macadamia nuts, toasted
Cooking spray

Topping:
2 tablespoons flaked sweetened coconut
1 tablespoon finely chopped macadamia nuts
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon regular oats
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. To prepare muffins, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl. Make a well in center of flour mixture. Combine banana and next 5 ingredients (through egg) in a medium bowl; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Stir in pineapple, 1/3 cup coconut, and 3 tablespoons nuts. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray.
3. To prepare topping, combine 2 tablespoons coconut and the remaining ingredients in a small bowl.
4. Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of topping over each muffin. Bake at 400° for 18 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove muffins from pans immediately; place on a wire rack.

Yield 18 muffins. (Cooking Lightsays this recipe will make 12, but even with almost-full muffin cups, it made 18. Also, since half of a small can of crushed pineapple is 1/2 cup, you might as well make two batches. What else can you do with half a can of crushed pineapple?

Next, I tried a new bread recipe in the bread machine - rye bread. I found a recipe that sounded more like pumpernickel, and thought I'd give it a try. The original recipe called for 2 teaspoons of yeast, but keeping with my practice of cutting the yeast nearly in half, I used a teaspoon and an eighth. It worked! And this bread really does taste more like a pumpernickel. I didn't put in the caraway seed - don't really care for it - and so now the bread will be good for sandwiches or toasted with jam.

Rustic Black Rye Bread
high altitude recipe

1 ½ cups water
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons softened butter or margarine
2 tablespoons molasses
2 ½ cups flour
1 cup rye flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
½ teaspoon onion powder
1 1/8 teaspoons active dry yeast

Place ingredients into the bread machine in order listed. Use the whole wheat, regular crust setting. Press start. After the baking cycle ends, remove bread from pan, place on a cake rack, and allow to cool for 1 hour before slicing.


Note: In the top photo, the reason there's a dent in the top is because halfway during baking, I blew a fuse in the kitchen. When I reset the power, I couldn't finish the loaf in the bread machine (it automatically starts at the beginning), so I finished it in the big oven. My big oven mitt made the dent while I was moving it. In the photo at right, you can see a couple large air bubbles - I think perhaps I could use even less yeast next time - but the texture of the bread was perfect. Not bad for 6000 feet!

Banana Nut Bread in the Bread Machine

This was a quick bread recipe - yet it took longer to do it in the bread machine than it would take to do it in the oven. I think the only time I would do this again would be if it were in the middle of the summer on a hot day and I didn't want to heat up the kitchen by using the regular oven.

Banana Nut Bread for the Bread Machine


1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
⅔ cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup vegetable oil
2 extra large eggs, lightly beaten
¼ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
⅔ cup mashed bananas
⅓ cup pecans or walnuts, finely chopped

1. Into baking pan measure flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, and salt.
2. Add oil, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla.
3. Insert pan securely into unit; close lid.
4. Select"Cake" setting; press"Start.
5. When beep sounds after about 5 minutes, add mashed banana and nuts.
6. Press"Start" again.
7. The"Complete" light will flash when cake is done.

Coconut Tart

A few weeks ago I was stitching a Christmas ornament from Just Cross Stitch Magazine. Many of the designers include recipes with their designs, and the one included with the piece I was working on was this coconut tart. This is a really simple recipe to make - just mix everything together all at once, pour it into a pie plate, and bake it. It puffs up nicely and forms a crunchy top crust that reminds me of a coconut macaroon. Underneath the crust is a light custard. Don and I tried it both warm and chilled, and I liked it both ways.


Coconut Tart
from Just Cross Stitch Magazine

1 c coconut
1 c sugar
4 eggs
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened *
2 c milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325˚. In a large bowl, beat all ingredients together until thick and creamy. Pour into a greased 9" pie plate and bake for approximately 30 minutes, until risen and golden.** Serve warm or cold. Makes 6-8 servings.

* I used salted butter and it was fine.
** I had to cook mine 40 minutes before it would set up.