Chocolate Banana Bread

I will never forget how delicious this bread was, during the earliest (and most exhausting) days of early mommydom. It is best to slice and freeze it for an occasional treat or chocolate pick-me-up. The slices are delicious eaten while still frozen or microwaved so the chocolate chips inside melt.

Chocolate Banana Bread

Preheat oven to 350 and place oven rack to middle position. Butter and flour the bottom and sides of a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan. Set aside.

Place the nuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 - 10 minutes or until lightly toasted. Let cool and then chop coarsely.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl combine the mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, lightly fold the wet ingredients (banana mixture) into the dry ingredients until just combined and batter is thick and chunky. Fold in the nuts and chocolate chips. Scrape batter into prepared pan and sprinkle the top of the bread with coarse brown sugar (optional). Bake until bread has risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 to 65 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool and then remove the bread from the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 1 - 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf or three smaller loafs.

Recipe:
1/2 cup toasted walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 cup granulated white sugar
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 ripe bananas (approximately 1 pound), mashed well (about 1-1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Garnish:
Turbinado or Demerara sugar (optional)

Easy Chicken & Rice Divan

This is a recipe from "way back", at a time when I was rather novice in the kitchen and cooked recipes "to a T".
Anyhow, it was inspiration for tonight's dinner, though I didn't end up following the recipe at all.
Easy Chicken & Rice Divan

serves 6 (good leftovers too!)
prep 15 min. total time: 50 min.

2 cups milk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 cups Minute brown rice, uncooked
1 1/4 lb. boneless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1 pkg. (10 oz) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed & drained (or use fresh)
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar

preheat oven to 375

Using a 3 qt. casserole or 13x9 inch baking dish,
mix together the milk, mayo, thyme and garlic powder.

Add rice, chicken and broccoli; mix well.

Bake 30 min.

Remove and sprinkle with cheese.

Let stand until cheese is melted (or turn off oven, cover
with foil and leave in oven until it’s time to eat).

What I did:
Blanch fresh chopped broccoli in boiling water for 4 minutes, run under cold water to stop the cooking.
Chop up & saute some celery, onions and mushrooms.
Chop up 1 very large chicken breast.
Cook breast with the veggies once they are softened. I turned the chicken over at this point.
Pour into a casserole, grate some cheddar on top, cook at 375º until melted.
Cook up a side of rice.
Enjoy!
Here is a BIG fan of rice: