Double Chocolate Banana Bread or Muffins

Recipe found here 

3 very ripe bananas
1/2 cup (115 grams) butter, melted
3/4 cup (145 grams) brown sugar (I use dark here; either light or dark work)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 cup (about 6 ounces or 170 grams) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chunks or chips

Heat your oven to 350°F. Butter a 9×5-inch loaf pan, or spray it with a nonstick baking spray. Mash bananas in the bottom of a large bowl. (You’ll have a little over 1 cup mashed banana total.) Whisk in melted butter, then brown sugar, egg, and vanilla.

Place baking soda, salt, cinnamon (if using), flour and cocoa powder in a sifter or fine-mesh strainer and sift over wet ingredients. (My cocoa is almost always lumpy, so this is essential for me.)

Stir dry and wet ingredients with a spoon until just combined. Stir in chocolate chunks or chips.

Pour into prepared pan and bake 55 to 65 minutes, until a tester or toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out batter-free. Muffins bake 15-20 min.

Cool in pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and invert it out onto a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. The banana bread will keep for up to 4 days at room temperature.

Pictured with Pumpkin Muffins 

Spicy Southern Pulled Pork

PREP TIME TO BRINE

Recipe Found Here

1 (4-7 pound) whole Boston Butt or pork shoulder (bone-in with a layer of fat on the bottom)
Digital Meat Thermometer with an alarm 

DRY RUB
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon ground pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 cup brown sugar

BRINE SOLUTION
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 quarts cold water (8 cups)
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons dry rub mix

Butter 
Buns
BBQ Sauce (optional) 

Directions:

FOR THE DRY RUB 
Mix well and store in an air tight container.

FOR THE BRINE SOLUTION
Add salt to cold water and stir very well until all the salt is completely dissolved. Then add the brown sugar, dry rub, and bay leaves and stir well to combine.

PORK SHOULDER PREPARATION
Rinse the pork shoulder and place in a large container, pour in the brine solution until the shoulder is completely covered. Cover the container and place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.

Remove pork shoulder from brine solution, pat dry with paper towels, place in baking pan that is bigger than the shoulder by at least a inch in length and width and at least 3 inches deep. Sprinkle dry rub onto the surface of the shoulder and massage in such that it adheres to the surface. Coat all sides. Make sure the fat layer on the shoulder is facing up before cooking! 

Place baking pan uncovered in a 225 degree F oven on the middle rack. Insert a probe thermometer into the center or thickest part of the shoulder, but not touching the bone. Monitor the temperature throughout cooking (a digital thermometer with an alarm function is the easiest way to do this). Do not remove from the oven until the center of the shoulder reaches 200 degrees.

When the shoulder has reached 200 degrees, shut off the oven and let the roast cool for a couple of hours before removing from the oven. If the bottom of the pan is dry (or crusted with dried spices) then cover the pan with foil to retain internal moisture of the meat during the cooling period.

When the temperature drops to 170 degrees or slightly lower, remove from oven. Place on a large, clean work surface such as a cutting board, and remove the large sheet of crusted fat on the top. Pull apart with two forks, it will pull apart very easily. Serve for friends and family!

Put a little butter on some hamburger buns, toast under the broiler until lightly browned, and top with pulled pork. It’s so juicy and flavorful, you won’t even need BBQ sauce.

PLANNING AHEAD
An 8 pound pork shoulder took 13 hours to reach 200 degrees. Your shoulder will reach 170-180 very quickly, but those last 20 degrees will take much longer. Plan for at least 12 hours, and maybe 15+ hours for this pulled pork recipe.

Here’s how to do it… Two days before you want to serve this, prepare the brine solution and let the shoulder brine overnight and all day the next day in the fridge. That night right before bed, season the shoulder with the dry rub and put it in the oven and let it cook overnight. Even a small shoulder will take at least 10 hours to cook, so you don’t have to worry about the alarm waking you up the next morning.

Our favorite mustard sauce from Charleston, SC

How Many People Will This Pulled Pork Recipe Serve?

How much does your pork shoulder weigh? Multiply that by 1.5 for an estimate of how many people it will serve.

For example if your pork shoulder is 4 pounds, it will serve around 6 people. If your pork shoulder is 7 pounds, it will serve around 10.5 people.

To be more precise, you want to have about 1/3 to 1/2 pound of meat per person. But remember that a bone-in pork shoulder will only yield around 60% of its weight when cooked. So if you buy a 5-pound pork shoulder at the grocery store, when cooked it will yield around 3 lbs of meat, which will serve 6-9 people.

How To Reheat Pulled Pork

Just pop it in a 350-375 degree oven for about 5 mins. You’ll know when it’s done because the whole kitchen will start smelling so good! Pulled pork also freezes really well, just thaw it and reheat in the oven.

***Easy Pickin' Chicken Pie***

This is a regular in our house. Very easy to throw together and my husband really likes it. An all in one dish with protein, carbs, and veggies. 

(Martha White)

3 cups cubed cooked chicken (about 2-3 chicken breasts boiled, then cut into cubes/chunks)
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1 (10 ¾ ounces) can condensed cream of celery soup
1 cup chicken broth
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 cup Self-Rising Flour
1 cup milk
½ cup butter, melted

Heat oven to 400˚. Grease shallow 2-quart casserole. Spread chicken & vegetables evenly in bottom of greased dish. In medium bowl, combine soup, broth, and pepper; mix well. Pour over chicken mixture. In another medium bowl, combine flour, milk, and butter; stir until smooth. Pour over chicken mixture. Bake at 400˚ for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Perfect Grilled Salmon

PREP TIME TO MARINATE

Recipe found HERE 



1 1/2 pounds salmon fillets
Lemon pepper seasoning, to taste
garlic salt, to taste
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder or 2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced
Pinch of red pepper flakes

Season salmon fillets with lemon pepper.

In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, broth, vegetable oil, garlic and red pepper flakes until sugar is dissolved.

Place fish in a large resealable plastic bag or shallow container with a lid. Add the soy sauce mixture, seal, and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Use Pam Grill Spray before preheating grill, or lightly oil grill grate. Preheat to medium heat.

Place salmon on the preheated grill, skin side dowb. I basted them one time on the grill before discarding the marinade. Cook salmon for 5 to 7 minutes per side, may need less time for thinner pieces, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Plan on about 10-14 minutes total cooking time for every inch of thickness (and add about 10 minutes for each additional inch). I find it's easiest to flip on the grill using a large, flat, metal spatula vs tongs so the salmon doesn't fall apart.

Pumpkin Muffins

I use all whole wheat pastry flour instead of a white/wheat combo

Recipe found HERE 

2 1/2 cups (12.5 ounces) AP white flour
1 cup (5 ounces) whole wheat flour (King Arthur white wheat)
2 cups white granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I use avocado oil)
1/2 unsweetened applesauce
4 large eggs
2/3 cup buttermilk (or water)
1 to 2 cups semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips (optional), 2 cups is better 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pans or three 8 1/2-inch by 4 1/2-inch loaf pans or muffins pan (makes about 28 regular size).

In a large bowl mix flours, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together. Set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk together canned pumpkin, oil, eggs and 2/3 cup buttermilk, until well combined and stir into dry ingredients, just until the dry ingredients are moistened and no dry streaks remain.

Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour batter in prepared pans. Bake the bread for 50 to 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Bake muffin tins 18-25 minutes. I dump muffins out after just cooling 1-2 minutes to make sure the bottoms don't get too done.

Remove the bread from the oven and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Run a knife gently around the edge of the bread and turn the bread out, right side up, onto a wire rack to cool completely.

May freeze. After cooling, wrap the bread in a layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of tin foil. Freeze for up to 2 months.

Cheesy Chicken, Kale, and Sweet Potato Skillet Meal

Recipe Found Here

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 to 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed in 1/2-inch pieces
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup finely diced shallot
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 medium sweet potatoes (about 25 ounces, 3 to 4 cups), peeled, rinsed, and diced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups (about 4 ounces or more if you want lots of veggies) stemmed and chopped kale (Lacinato, Tuscan, Black or Dinosaur kale are all the same variety. I prefer Purple/red kale) 
1/2 to 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

In a large, 12-inch skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat until hot and shimmering. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and add to the skillet in a single layer. Let them cook and sizzle without moving (so they can get nice and golden) for 1-2 minutes. Flip the pieces and continue cooking until no longer pink in the center, another 1-2 minutes.

Remove the chicken to a plate and cover with foil. Keep as much liquid in the skillet as possible, and return the skillet to medium heat.

Add a drizzle of olive oil if the skillet is dry. Add the shallots and red pepper. Cook, stirring often, for 4 minutes, until the onions have started to turn translucent and soften. Add the garlic and cook one more minute stirring constantly (don't want the garlic to brown or burn).

Add the sweet potato, red pepper flakes, and broth. Give the mixture a good stir and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover the skillet and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring once or twice to make sure the sweet potatoes aren't sticking (turn the heat down, if needed), until the sweet potatoes are tender. Add more broth as it cooks if the mixture becomes sticky or dry.

Add the kale to the skillet. Stir and heat through until the kale is bright green and slightly wilted. Cover the skillet and let it steam until it is tender; uncover, add the chicken and heat through.

Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Sprinkle cheese over the top and cover with the lid until melted. Serve immediately.

Southern Baked Macaroni & Cheese

Recipe Found Here 

4 cups cooked elbow macaroni, drained

2 cups grated cheddar cheese (extra sharp yellow cheddar)
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
4 Tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350. Once you have the macaroni cooked and drained, place in a large bowl and while still hot and add the cheese.

In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and add to the macaroni mixture. Pour macaroni mixture into an 8x8 small casserole dish, top with additional cheese if desired, and bake for 30 to 45 minutes.