Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies!!

A rainy night in means experimenting in the kitchen! Tonight I made the most delicious oatmeal, banana and chocolate chip cookies! I got my inspiration from Bethenny Frankel’s recipe, but did not have the ingredients she used. These cookies were improvising at its finest!

Ingredients

-2 cups of all purpose flour

-2 cups of oats

-1 ½ cup of sugar

-1/4 cup of apple sauce

-3 teaspoons of vanilla extract

-2 teaspoons of baking soda

-1 teaspoon of salt

-4 ripe bananas

-1 ¼ ups of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

First, mash up the bananas in a medium size bowl then add in all of the other ingredients, mixing evenly.  Use an ice cream scoop and spoon to evenly space mixture onto a cookie sheet (non-stick or spray with cooking spray). I was able to fit six cookies per cookie sheet (they also expand a lot in the oven!).  The consistency was a more like banana bread than a cookie, so this is a recipe I'll be trying again. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean, rotating trays half way through. Let cool for at least 30 minutes! Makes 18 yummy cookies :)

Pesto & Sundried Tomatoes!

Tonight I made a yummy pasta dish and even had some pesto left over.

Ingredients 

-2 ounces of fresh basil
-1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
-1 medium clove of garlic
-1/4 cup Pignoli (pine) nuts
-about 1/8 cup of extra virgin olive oil
-1/4 cup sundried tomatoes
-1 cup of whole wheat penne

Directions

In a small food processor add basil, garlic, cheese, nuts and drizzle in oil. Add your ingredients in a little at a time until you have used them all. Don't add too much oil at once because your pesto will become too watery. On the other hand, if your pesto is too thick you can always add in a little pasta water later on. Slice up the sundried tomatoes and warm them up in a small pan. Mix together your pasta, pesto and sundried tomatoes and you're done! This meal took no more than 20 minutes.

Turkey & Apple Panini

First post of the fall 2011 semester! Tonight I made Paninis with oven roasted turkey, granny smith apples and Munster cheese.

Ingredients
-Sliced oven roasted Turkey (I used Nature's Promise pre-sliced package)
-1 tablespoon of butter
-1 teaspoon of sugar
-1 granny smith apple, sliced
-6 slices of deli style Munster Cheese
-2 Ciabatta rolls
-Panini press

Directions

Melt butter in a medium sauce pan then add sugar. Once combined, add apple slices and cook on low heat until soft. My turkey was not fresh out of the oven, so I heated it up in a large pan on low heat. Slice the rolls in half. On the bottom slice place 2 pieces of cheese then the turkey. Next add on the apple slices followed by another piece of cheese. Place in the Panini press until cheese is melted.

It's Almost That Time Again

I've had a busy summer that hasn't left much time for cooking. With the fall semester only a few weeks away I'll be back to classy college cooking in no time! Thank you for visiting my blog, check back soon!

Quick Chicken Quesadilla

Ingredients:
2 thin-cut, cleaned chicken cutlets
1 green bell pepper
1 small tomato
1 cup of shredded Mexican or taco cheese
1/4 large white onion
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 whole wheat wraps
salt and pepper to taste

Makes two quesadillas

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice the green pepper and onion. The size depends on the size of your wrap. If you cut your veggies too big it won't be easy to fold the quesadilla in half. On a non-stick pan sprinkle chicken cutlets with salt and pepper. Then bake in the oven for 13-15 minutes. While chicken is baking, heat oil and chili powder in a medium size pan on medium heat. Add green peppers and onions; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover until softened, mixing occasionally. When the chicken is done cooking cut it into strips. 

On medium heat spray a small pan with cooking spray then place one wrap flat on pan. On one side of the wrap add cheese followed by slices of tomato, chicken, veggies and a little more cheese. The cheese needs to be on the top and bottom because it acts like glue. Fold the other half over so your quesadilla is a half-moon shape. Press down with spatula then cover with lid for about 3 minutes. If the cheese has melted flip it over to brown the other side of the quesadilla. Serve with salsa.