Nana's Banana Nut Bread

This was my great-grandma's banana bread recipe and it's pretty much all I've known. I've tried a recipe here or there since being out of college, but I always come back to this one. It's so moist and full of flavor. I think adding the chocolate chips (and peanut butter chips on occasion) really helps. Yum. I love it!

1/2 c. shortening (I use either room temperature butter or softened butter most of the time, but shortening works just fine if I'm out of butter, which I seldom am, but it happens!)

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 c. flour

1 c. mashed bananas

1 c. sugar (I usually do 1/2 c. white and a 1/2 c. brown sugar, but you can use whatever you prefer)

1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)

2 eggs

1-2 cups chocolate chips (Guittard are the best!)

*today I added peanut butter chips as well. It compliments the banana so well

Mix shortening (or butter) and sugar. Beat in eggs, bananas, and flour that's been sifted with the soda and salt. Add nuts. Bake in a moderate oven (350 ) for 40-60 minutes.

Makes 1 loaf.

Praline Chicken

This is one of my favorite ways to eat chicken, and that's hard to say because I love chicken in almost every way. The kick of the creole combines with the sweetness of the syrup to make taste buds explode in your mouth. It's so wonderful. This does contain a large amount of nuts, but if you don't like them, you can still make the sauce and I'm sure it would still be tasty. I love nuts, however, so for me, the more the merrier! Enjoy. I do.

Prep time: 5 min. Cook time:15 min.

2 tsp. Creole seasoning

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/4 c. butter, melted

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1/3 c. maple syrup

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 c. chopped pecans, toasted

Sprinkle seasoning on both sides of chicken. Cook chicken in butter and oil in a skillet over medium heat 5 minutes on each side or until done (I cook longer because I like my chicken browned and a little bit crispy on the edges).

Remove on each side or until done. Remove chicken, reserving drippings in skillet. Place chicken on a serving platter; keep warm. Add syrup and sugar to drippings in a skillet; bring to a boil.
Stir in pecans; cook 1 minute or until heated. Spoon mixture over chicken.

Yield: 6 servings

I made the chicken, the green bean-garlic toss and the rosemary potatoes all together. The flavors compliment each other well.

Green Bean-Garlic Toss

This is my sister's recipe and it's an exciting way to eat green beans (although I love green beans just plain. They're pretty good anyway).

Prep time: 10 minutes. Cooking time: 10 minutes

1 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed, or 1 pkg. (16 0z) frozen green beans

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1/3 c. chopped pecans

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 c. Parmesan cheese

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add green beans; cook over medium-high heat until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic; saute until tnder, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to low. Add pecans, salt and red pepper flakes; saute until garlic is golden, about 2 minutes.

3. Drain green beans. Add to skillet; stir to coat with oil mixture. Cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Place green beans in a serving bowl; sprinkle Parmesan on top. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.