BEST EVER BANANA BREAD

INGREDIENTS
TOPPING
6 tablespoons butter
10 tablespoons dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 cup chopped pecans ( or more, toasted)
BATTER
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
4 very ripe bananas, mashed ( or 1 3/4 c, the bananas have to be so ripe that they're nearly black!)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract ( I add 1 tblsp)
4 tablespoons buttermilk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda ( I also add 3/4 tsp baking powder)
1 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cream butter and sugar; mash bananas, beat 2 eggs and add to the bananas with vanilla and buttermilk; mix well and add to creamed butter and sugar; sift together flour, soda and salt; add to banana mixture, beat well; pour into 2 greased and floured 9x5x3-inch loaf pans; bake 45 to 50 minutes (I find this bread needs over an hour) or until bread pulls away from sides of pan; add topping.
To prepare Topping: Melt butter in saucepan; add sugar and milk; cook until syrupy (like honey); remove from heat and add chopped pecans; pour over bread spreading to all the corners and place under broiler until bubbly and brown.
Watch closely (this takes around 1 minute- maybe even less!).

MINNESOTA WILD RICE SOUP

1/2 c. light butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 c. celery, finely chopped
1/2 c. carrots, finely chopped
8 oz. portabella mushroms, chopped
1/2 c. flour
6 c. low sodium, fat-free chicken broth
3 c. cooked wild rice
1 c. cooked ham, chopped
2 c. fat-free half-and-half
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. ground pepper

Heat the butter in a stockpot until melted. Add the onion, celery, carrots and mushrooms. Saute until the onion is tender; do not brown. Add the flour; Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Whish in the chicken broth gradually. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat.

Add the wild rice, ham and half-and-half to the vegetable mixture and mix well. Stir in the salt and pepper. Adjust the seasonings as desired.

Cook the soup until of the desired temperature. Ladle soups into bowls. Garnish with chopped parsley or chives.

CRAWFISH ENCHILADAS

1 stick butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup diced green bellpepper
2 pounds crawfish tails, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained
1/2 cup chicken broth
3 cups half and half
1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. chili powder
8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
12-16 corn tortillas
Green onions for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt all but a Tablespoon of the butter in a saucepan. Stir in the flour. Cook to form a blond roux, stirring constantly. Melt the remaining butter in a heavy saucepan or Dutch oven. Add the onion, bellpepper and garlic. Saute until tender. Add the crawfish, tomatoes with green chiles and broth. Saute for 5 minutes. Stir in the half and half, Cajun seasoning, sugar and chili powder. Bring to a boil and stir in the blond roux. Cook for 15 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly. Fold in half of the cheese. Cook until melted, stirring constantly. Alternate layers of the tortillas and crawfish mixture in a 10×13-inch baking pan coated with nonstick cooking spray, beginning with the tortillas and ending with the crawfish mixture. Top with the remaining cheese. Bake for 20 minutes. Broil for 5 minutes longer or until the cheese is melted. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving, and sprinkle with green onions.

Adapted from Something to Talk About: Occasions We Celebrate in South Louisiana cookbook by the Junior League of Lafayette. The original recipe calls for heavy cream and Velveeta cheese. 

FRENCH QUARTER CHEESE SPREAD

8 oz softened cream cheese

1 garlic clove, minced

1 T. grated onion

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1 t. worcestershire sauce

1/2 t. mustard

1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Combine cream cheese, garlic and onion in a bowl.  Mix well and shape ito a 6-inch disk, 1 inch thick.  Place on a serving plate and chill in refrigerator

Melt butter over meidum heat with brown sugar, worcestershire, mustard and pecans in a saucepan, until warm and blended.  Pour pecan mixture over cheese disk and return to refrigerator until 1 hour before serving.  Remove from refrigerator and let stand until room temperature is reached.  Serve with assorted breads, crackers, and fruit.

Recipe adapted from the Junior League

BLUE RIBBON LASAGNA

Blue Ribbon Lasagne

Heritage Cookbook, Salt Lake Jr. League

For Sauce:

1 lb ground beef or combo of ground beef and Italian Sausage

2 onions, chopped

1-28 oz can tomatoes, chopped

1-15 oz can tomato sauce

1-6 oz can tomato paste

2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons oregano, dried

2 tablespoons parsley, dried

2 tablespoons basil, dried

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt

ground pepper

Pasta:

1-16 oz package lasagne noodles

Cheese layers:

1 lb cottage cheese ( or a mixture of half cottage cheese, half ricotta)

2 eggs, beaten

1 lb grated Mozzarella cheese

1 lb grated Monterey Jack cheese

grated Parmesan cheese for topping

Brown meat, drain off all grease, discard. Add onions and cook until transparent. Stir in remaining sauce ingredients. Simmer two hours, or more. Remove bay leaves and discard.

Cook pasta as directed on package. Drain. Set aside.

Mix cottage cheese and beaten eggs. Combine Mozzarella and Monterey Jack cheeses. Grease a casserole (9x13 or larger) pan. Place a small amount of sauce in bottom of dish. Using half of each, layer noodles, then meat sauce, then cottage cheese mixture, and finally grated cheeses. Repeat with remaining halves. Sprinkle top with grated Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Tips:

PHARSALIA CASSEROLE

PHARSALIA CASSEROLE

8 oz. cream cheese
2 c. sour cream
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
3 med. onions, chopped
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
2 tbsp. butter
2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. Worcestershire
2 (5 oz.) pkgs. thin egg noodles
1/2 c. shredded cheese

Mix cream cheese, sour cream, salt, pepper and onion and set aside. Brown beef in butter. Add tomato sauce, sugar and Worcestershire. Cook noodles and put in 2 quart casserole dish. Top with 1/2 meat mixture, then 1/2 of the cheese mixture. Repeat, then top with Cheddar cheese. Cook 350 degrees until hot and browned, about 30 minutes.

CHIPOTLE RED BEANS

Chipotle Red Beans

Makes 8-12 servings. Recipe is by Teresa B. Day.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound smoked sausage, sliced

1 onion, chopped

2 bell peppers, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 quarts fresh red beans or 1 pound dried

1 to 2 bay leaves

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 to 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, minced

1 teaspoon adobo sauce

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1. Heat oil in a stock pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

2. Sauté sausage, onion, peppers and garlic until tender.

3. Stir in fresh red beans. If using dried beans, soak overnight before cooking.

4. Add bay leaves, then pour in broth.

5. Stir in chipotle pepper and adobo.

6. Add all seasonings, adding more to taste later, if desired.

7. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until beans are creamy and liquid is reduced by half.

8. Serve warm over warm rice.

Fried Whole Okra

Makes 8 servings. Recipe is by Teresa B. Day.

2 cups milk

2 cups yellow cornmeal

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated

1 pound okra pods

4 cups canola oil

1. In a small casserole or baking dish, pour in the milk.

2. In a shallow bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne and Parmesan cheese.

3. Cut the tips off the okra.

4. Dip the okra first in the milk, then the coat in the cornmeal mixture.

5. Dip the okra again in the milk, then back in the cornmeal mixture. Set aside.

6. Heat oil to 300 F. Cook okra in batches until just golden crispy.

7. Drain on a paper towel