Banana Pancakes by Tamra Davis, "give me something good to eat"

I highly recommend the cookbook by Tamra Davis, "Give me something good to eat" available on Amazon.com. It is a wonderful collection of recipes that are healthy, some are vegan, non-dairy and also carnivore. Some of the recipes have a little addition to make them alsodelicious for adults, what a great idea. The banana pancakes are so good, the only difference I made was I added the banana when the pancakes were poured in the pan, (in case I didn't use all the batter I wouldn't have banana slices in it). I also added blueberries instead of banana to some of them. They are so good and have a small amount of sugar and just good ingredients. Big people will love them too, you don't have to have kiddies in the house to enjoy these easy and delicious recipes.

Banana Pancakes

(For 2 adults and 2 kids)

1 1/2 cup flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoon sugar

1 egg

1 cup milk

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1 tablespoon oil

1 banana sliced

Butter and maple syrup

Mix the wet ingredients together until blended. Mix the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Mix the wet and the dry together. Add the sliced bananas. Stir them in.

Put a small amount of butter or oil in a large frying pan. let it heat up evenly and start to pour pancakes. Make sure there is banana in all the pancakes. When the pancakes start to bubble, turn them over. Take a peak first to make sure the underside is cooked until lightly browned. Serve with butter and maple syrup.

Tamra Davis website is 222.TamraDavisCookingShow.com

I made these pancakes for Ocean and Lana this morning, they absolutey loved them, Ocean ate 4 - 3 sausage and Lana ate 2 and 1 sausage, little Michael Phelps usually eats twice what Lana eats.

COOK ON...................

I made this the other night and got a few inquires, I thought I'd share it with you. It is a rather low/fat/cal version. Not the traditional Mexican Posole (can be high in fat) but with the toppings, the soul of the soup is the same and gives a satisfying feeling. So do try this, make sure you serve it with warm tortillas and include all the toppings, it is integral to the Posole. If you have any questions contact me at ecbadgee@aol.com. It really is simple to make, this is my personal recipe so I had to create it on paper, hope it is clear and concise for you. COOK ON........

Chicken Posole

Ingredients Serves 8

3 Lbs boneless skinless thighs, (remove fat and cut into chunks)

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

4 celery stalks, diced

2 carrots, sliced

4-6 garlic cloves smashed & chopped fine

1 can diced green chilies (if you prefer hotter you can do a can of diced jalapeno)

1 1/2 tsp oregano

1 1/2 tsp thyme

1 1/2 tsp basil

2 bay leaves

1 tsp Menudo mix spice (optional)

1 large can hominy

2 quarts chicken broth,

Toppings:

sliced radishes (soak in cold water for 1 hr, removes some heat)

Cilantro, 1 bunch chopped

1 lemon or lime sliced

3 green onions chopped

Extra hot sauce

Saute chopped onion in olive oil for 5 minutes, then add celery & carrots, saute another 3 minutes, add garlic, oregano, thyme basil and menudo mix, saute 1 minute. Add broth, hominy and bay leaves. Let simmer for 15 minutes then add chicken chunks, done when chicken is cooked and tender.

Serve in bowl with squirt of lime or lemon juice, cilantro, radishes, & onions. Serve with warm tortillas.

Pot of Pinto Beans

The other night Michael and I went to another of our favorite little places for BBQ, Podna''s http://podnahspit.com/ All the BBQ of course is fantastic, even have BBQ trout WOW. They have several wonderful sides, corn bread, cole slaw, collar greens but my very favorite is the pinto beans, they are soft, creamy with so much flavor I just LOVE THEM!. I decided there must be a Mexican somewhere in that kitchen, hey well if they can do so can I, so I started yesterday by soaking two pounds of fresh pinto beans. This morning I drained and rinsed them. Added them to a big old pot and added water several inches above the pinto line. Let them boil and put them in the crock pot, I think they cooked about 2 hours, then I added a chopped onion, 6 diced garlic cloves, spices included cumin, oregano, espasote (helps w/the easiness) menudo mix, 2 bay leaves, thyme and some basil, be free they will just add to the flavor. They have now been cooking about 4 hours, I took about a cup to a cup and a half, pureed them and returned them to the pot (this is what makes them so creamy), stirred well then added salt and pepper to taste. You don't want to add the salt too early or your beans will never get tender. OH my they are so good, I can't wait till dinner. I'm going to be serving them with a cheese and avocado quesadilla and sliced catalope for a refresher. Try this dish, it is so satisfying to the soul. You can also add some meat to your quesadilla or make bean & cheese burritos. It's all good. So COOK ON...........

Fun Recipe

Do any of you but the oldsters remember Gracie Allen? This her classic humor. Anne (Guild) emailed this to me, she thought the bloggers would enjoy, I sure did. Google Gracie for some of her humor. Love you all. COOK ONl...........

Gracie Allen's Classic Recipe for Roast Beef

1 large Roast of beef

1 small Roast of beef

Take the two roasts and put them in the oven.

When the little one burns, the big one is done.

Spinach Beet Salad

Hello all, haven't been on for a while, last week was an incredibly busy one and I actually didn't do much interesting cooking. I'm on a very healthy food plan all this week, I had a friend over last weekend and of course we took her to some our favorite Portland eateries, that started the foodie indulgence which continued after she left, with blueberry cobbler a turnip cake (that's right and it was delish). But the the scale pointed at two additional pounds of all that wonderful food that attached itself to me. So, super healthy food week here I come. I'll be posting some of the recipes I use throughout the week. Last night I made a beet/feta/spinach salad. I followed a recipe sort of but I changed it so much that I'm going to just make my own. Hope you like as much as Michael and I did.

Spinach Beet Salad

Ingredients Serves 2

1 3-4 med beets

2 hard boiled eggs

1 C. thinly sliced sweet onion

3 C. baby spinach leaves

4 oz. crumbled feta cheese

1/3 C. walnut pieces

vinaigrette recipe below.

Directions

Boil the beets in water for approximately 12 minutes until tender enough for a fork to go it easily. When done take out to cool and put the two eggs in to hard boil, (you'll get that beautiful red color on the outside of the egg), cook eggs for approximately 15 minutes, then drop then into ice water immediately to cool, the shell will remove easily then. When the beets are cool enough to handle cut off stems and rub your hands over the beets and the skin will come right off, (use rubber gloves if you don't want your hands to get a beautiful pink, however it comes off in an hour or so.) Put eggs and beets in bowl to cool in refrigerator, they need to be cold before you serve the salad.

See you in a couple of days my friends, COOK ON................

Make a basic vinaigrette:

1/4 cup finely diced sweet onion

1 TBS dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, diced & smashed well

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

Pepper

1/3 cup olive oil

Add first 7 ingredients, blend then slowly add the olive oil, whisking (or in a blender) until emulsified (or incorporated into dressing) set aside.

Chop or slice the beets. Place beets, spinach, onion, feta, bacon, and walnuts into a large bowl. Drizzle with some of the vinaigrette, and toss to coat. Arrange mixture on 2 serving plates.

Quarter the pickled eggs, and arrange them on top of each salad. Serve with the remaining vinaigrette.

Pasta with Goat Cheese and Roasted Asparagus

Happy Monday all. I made this lucious dish last night. After you cook the pasta it takes about 15 minutes to put together. Because I'm not doing dairy I'm always looking for interesting recipes to use goat cheese.

Note: Goat milk has a completely different composition than a cow, for that reason it fits into a non-dairy diet (thank goodness or I'd have to kill myself, no cheese for the rest of my life, AHHHHH)

There are so many goat cheese options now, it's wonderful. Especially Trader Joe's (again sorry Alabama). Any log of goat cheese will do for this recipe. If you feel like you need meat you could add some baked chicken or a pork chop. However, Michael and I just had this dish and some toast. Lots of protein in that cheese. It is rich tasting, creamy and the roasted asparagus had an amazing flavor to the whole dish. Keep out a whole cup of pasta water, so you can thin it out more if you want.

Pasta with Goat Cheese and Roasted Asparagus

This corkscrew pasta turns sophisticated with a creamy no-cook sauce. It's a dream to make: Just whisk together goat cheese, pasta water, and butter, and toss with cavatappi and asparagus.

INGREDIENTS Serves 4.

2 bunches asparagus (2 pounds total), tough ends removed

4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

12 ounces cavatappi or other short pasta

1 small log soft goat cheese (5 ounces), crumbled

2 to 3 tablespoons snipped fresh chives, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for pasta. Place asparagus on a large rimmed baking sheet; dot with 1 tablespoon butter, and season with salt and pepper. Roast until tender, tossing occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes; cut into 2-inch lengths.

While asparagus is roasting, generously salt boiling water. Add pasta, and cook until al dente, according to package instructions. Set aside 1 1/2 cups pasta water; drain pasta and return to pot.

In a medium bowl, combine goat cheese, remaining 3 tablespoons butter, and 1/2 cup pasta water. Season with salt and pepper, and whisk until smooth. Add goat-cheese mixture and asparagus to pasta; toss to combine, adding more pasta water if necessary for sauce to coat pasta. Serve pasta garnished with chives.

First published

Copyright 2010 Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Healing Chicken Noodle Soup

Since I'm noticing colds/flu all over town. Michael has a cold now and I'm making him chicken noodle soup. I found this wonderful article about the healing properties of the soup and I thought this was a good thing to share with you. It is very close to my chicken soup. Add a little nighttime cold medicine and you will be comfortable all day. Love and COOK ON............

Why chicken soup heals:

We have all heard that chicken soup is good for the sick for hundreds of years. Can it really be true? Chicken soup is a favorite healing soup all over the world. It has often been called Jewish penicillin and scientists have spent time and money examining the actions of chicken soup on colds and flu. It’s no surprise that they’ve found evidence of the way chicken soup combats the symptoms of a cold. See Chicken Noodle Soup Recipes below along with the reasons why it is so good for us.

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The reasons why Chicken soup is healing

Soup has anti-inflammatory properties that helped sore throats and helped stop the movement of neutrophils (white blood cells that encourage the flow of mucus that accumulates in the lungs and nose). steam is a real benefit. Sipping the hot soup and breathing in the steam helps clear up congestion. This can also be said for many hot soups.

Spices that are often added to chicken soup, such as garlic and pepper (all ancient treatments for respiratory diseases), work the same way as modern cough medicines, thinning mucus and making breathing easier. chicken soup contains drug-like agents similar to those in modern cold medicines. For example, an amino acid released from chicken during cooking chemically resembles the drug acetylcysteine, prescribed for bronchitis and other respiratory problems.

Chicken Soup puts needed fluids back into the body.

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Curative properties

According to food historians chicken soup was prescribed as a cure for the common cold in Ancient Egypt. The 10th century Persian physician Avicenna referred to the curative powers of chicken soup in his writings. In the 12th century the Jewish sage Maimonides wrote that chicken soup “has virtue in rectifying corrupted humours”, and recommended it as nutrition for convalescents; Maimonides also particularly recommended chicken soup for people suffering from hemorrhoids and the early stages of leprosy.

Modern research conducted by Dr. Stephen Rennard, professor of pulmonary and critical care medicine, and his colleagues at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha suggests that there might be some scientific basis for the belief in the curative powers of chicken soup. They found that the particular blend of nutrients and vitamins in traditional chicken soup can slow the activity of certain white blood cells. This may have an anti-inflammatory effect that could hypothetically lead to temporary ease from symptoms of illness. Their research was published in 2000 in the scientific journal Chest. This was not, however, an in vivo clinical trial, and did not demonstrate that chicken soup was the best foodstuff for this purpose.

Because it is simple to prepare, relatively cheap, nutritious, and easily digested, chicken soup is a good food for winter convalescents. Sipping warm soup can also clear the sinuses because of the steam ventilating into the nasal passages, serving as a natural decongestant, which also relieves cold and flu symptoms. Last, but not least, chicken soup can be beneficial due to the placebo effect of comfort foods

Chicken Noodle Soup

Healing Directions

Stew your chicken first:

Place a 3 to 4 lb. chicken in a 5-6 qt. pan and cover with water.

Add 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.

Cook for 1/2 hour over medium heat

until chicken is done and falls off the bone.

Remove bones and chicken from the pot to cool.

Keep the broth in the pot and set to simmer.

Add to simmering broth:

2 large onion diced

3 celery ribs diced (seeds are good too)

3 carrots diced

1/2 stick of butter

3 cloves of chopped garlic

juice of 1/2 a lemon

salt & pepper

If you want a really strong /rich flavor: Nows the time to add...

Add 3 or 4 bouillon cubes

or 1 can of chicken stock.

(Note: if you are cooking this for someone who is already sick.... their taste buds may not be up to par and may need the soup to be stronger in flavor so they can taste it better.) Getting them to eat it is the key to getting well. It may be to strong for you but just right for them. You can always add water to your own bowl if it's to strong for you personally.

Cut chicken up into large chunks.

Replace chicken back into simmering broth.

Add 1 cup of large diced potatoes

Cover with water.

Cook for another 30 minutes on medium heat.

Last 10 minutes of cooking:

Important Healing Herbs

Add 1 bunch of chopped parsley to soup.

If you have thyme, add 1/2 teaspoon.

If you have sage, add 1/2 teaspoon.

If you have basil, add 1/2 teaspoon.

pinch of poultry seasoning

Add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper!!

Cook for 10 more minutes

2nd Day: Left overs

Re-warm the left over Chicken Soup

Add 4 ounces of egg noodles to the soup.

1 can of broth

1 cup of water

It's now Chicken Noodle Soup!

The Chicken Noodle Soup

will taste the best on this 2nd day!

3rd Day: Left overs

Note: Changing the soup slightly each day will add variety to the soup so it doesn't seem so boeing while keeping the regiment of someone eating it. This soup is packed full of vitamins and minerals so the more they are willing to eat, the better. If you go for a 3rd day, try adding a can of "Cream of celery soup" to thicken it up and add a new feeling in the mouth.

And if you have been feeling under the weather....

by now you should be feeling the effects of healing soup.

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The ingredients

Chicken contains an amino acid called cysteine, a substance released when you make the soup. This amino acid is similar to the drug acetylcysteine, which is prescribed by doctors to patients with bronchitis. It thins the mucus in the lungs, making it easier to cough out.

Onions: a regular in chicken soup- contains quercetin, a powerful anti-oxidant that is also a natural anti-histamine, and anti-inflammatory. Onion are a strong antibacterial agent.

Garlic: has phytochemicals that are helpful in reducing cancer risk and boosting the immune system. The herb (yes it is considered a herb or veggie) is beneficial to the bodys overall maintenance. It is rich in protein; vitamins A, B-1 and C; essential minerals including calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and selenium. Plus it contains 17 different amino acids. Increases energy and endurance. Garlic gives chicken soup a great flavor as well. ---- Bible: God through Jesus Christ our Lord (John 1:3, Col. 1:16) created garlic for us not only to enjoy as a flavor in our cooked foods, but also to use as a medicine.

Cayenne Pepper sprinkled in food, broth or tea also promotes sweating to break a fever. Cayenne acts as a catalyst, carrying all other herbs and supplements quickly to the place in the body where they are needed and increasing their effectiveness. It is also high in vitamin C and useful in the treatment of colds, sinus problems and respiratory ailments.

A greater variety of vegetables means a greater mix of nutrients and phytochemicals.

Carrots, one of the routine vegetable ingredients found in chicken soup, are the best natural source of beta-carotene. The body takes that beta-carotene and converts it to vitamin A. Vitamin A helps prevent and fight off infections by enhancing the actions of white blood cells that destroy harmful bacteria and viruses.

Herb/Parsley: Packed with nutrients, parsley (Petroselinum sativum) is a great source of dietary calcium, iron, vitamin C, and vitamin A, as well as beta-carotene, and folic acids.

Parsley has proved itself a potent medicinal herb. It has cancer-fighting volatile oil components including myristicin, limonene, eugenol, and alpha-thujene. Parsley is also rich in flavonoids with powerful anti-oxidant properties including apiin, apigenin, crisoeriol, and luteolin. It is known to both detoxify and soothe the kidneys. Parsley leaves can be a gentle treatment for kidney problems, bladder infections, and to reduce mucus in the first stages of a cold and influenza. A good chicken soup recipe will usually have 1 "bunch" of parsley as an ingredient.

Celery seed: Celery seed helps ease urinary tract infections, as it's an excellent antiseptic. It's also anti-inflammatory, relieving arthritis and gout. An excellent diuretic, it aids digestion and even alleviates gas. The Celery stalk itself is high in minerals and is a significant source for magnesium.

Thyme/herb: Thyme heals all colds. It's an effective expectorant, as well as an antiseptic. It can help clear congestion, viral infections, or a dry, hacking cough.