Where has the time gone?

Wow, its been five years since I last posted! I can't believe how quickly time has flown. Due to Covid-19, we have been given back our most precious commodity of time, this is a problem for me, as I am not used to having idle time, but trying to make the best of it.  With that being said hoping to update this blog more frequently, feel free to comment below or text me any recipes you would like to add.  Hoping to be more consistent with updating current favorites, as well as family classics, stay tuned, as I am contacting the aunts for their delicious recipes, including cookies, cheesecake and Aunt Dee's famous ambrosia!  Interestingly enough I feel like this information should be in Instagram these days, but I decided since this is where it started this is where it will remain.  Hope you enjoy the Monte/ Nuzzo family favorites. 

Vegan Banana Bread

Dean has had an egg allergy for as long as we can  remember, so I have been always on the hunt for the best of the best eggless recipes.  After trying a few other banana bread recipes this is the one that is a definite winner.  This vegan recipe will not disappoint.  At the beginning of quarantine Madeline and I had this on heavy rotation, as it was a no brainer to make use of our bananas that were overripe.  We haven't made it in a while, but after Madeline begging and pleading we recently made a loaf.  After the smell of it in the oven and tasting the first bite, I instantly remember why we were making it so often.
Ironically 1- Dean doesn't even like banana bread, so there is no reason to leave out the eggs.
2- More excitingly his wonderful allergist at Mt. Sinai recently food challenged him to eat baked eggs and now we are supposed to add eggs cooked in baked goods to his diet!  YAY!!!!!!  This is absolutely amazing for him, as well as his parents;)  Not sure who is the most excited myself, Dean, Kenny or Madeline, as this is a long time coming.


Here is the vegan banana bread recipe, which we know you will enjoy.  Madeline and I might have to go back to the test kitchen and start testing out a few recipes that now include eggs ;)  Naturally,  I love to make modifications.  I used 1/4 whole wheat flour and 1 1/2cups all purpose white flour, added some ground flaxseeds, used olive oil and left out the walnuts for now, but will be adding them in when Dean's outgrows that allergy.

VEGAN BANANA BREAD (HEALTHY + EASY)

★★★★★

 

5 from 70 reviews

A tried and true, classic vegan banana bread! Perfectly moist and delicious, this healthy vegan banana bread recipe makes a terrific snack or great way to start the day.

• Author: Julie | The Simple Veganista
• Prep Time: 10 min
 
• Cook Time: 55 min
 
• Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
• Yield: 8 - 10 slices 1x
• Category: Quick Bread
• Method: bake
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

SCALE

ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups (245 g) flour (spelt, whole wheat, unbleached all-purpose, or gluten free blend)
• 1/3 cup (75 g) organic pure cane sugar (or 1/2 finely chopped dates)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch of mineral salt
• 1/3 cup (75 ml) neutral flavored oil (or coconut oil in liquid state, vegan butter at room temp or applesauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 small or 3 large overripe bananas (about 1 1/2 – 1 3/4 cups (338-410g)), mashed
• 1/4 cup (56 ml) almond milk, use only if needed

optional tasty add-ins:

• 1/2 – 2/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 –  1/2 cup chocolate chips (mini or regular)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease your loaf pan.

One bowl: In a medium sized mixing bowl, mash 3 – 4 bananas (about 1 1/2 cups to 1 3/4 cups works well), add oil/applesauce and vanilla extract, mix again. Add the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt, and mix well, but don’t overmix, just enough until the flour is combined. Batter will be slightly thick and a few lumps is ok. If mixture seems too thick, add more milk, especially if using heavier flours such as whole wheat or whole spelt, you’re more inclined to need it).

Pour batter into a greased loaf pan. Bake for about 50 min – 1 hour. Ovens vary, mine usually takes 50 minutes. You can also do the toothpick test in the center of the loaf, if it comes out clean it should be ready. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 min before slicing.

Seasoned Oven-Roasted Chicken

Recipe

Ingredients

8

boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 2 lb)

1

tablespoon olive or vegetable oil

1 1/2

teaspoons parsley flakes

1

teaspoon seasoned salt

1

teaspoon garlic pepper blend

1

teaspoon dried basil leaves

Directions

• 1Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Brush both sides of chicken with oil. Sprinkle both sides with parsley, seasoned salt, garlic pepper and basil. Place in baking dish.
• 2Bake uncovered 25 to 35 minutes or until juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut.
• 3Cool chicken 10 to 15 minutes. Cut into desired size pieces for recipes calling for cooked chicken. Wrap tightly and refrigerate up to 2 days or freeze up to 1 month.

Notes: Kenny used Seven Seas packaged dressing mix and a little water.

Pancake

Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, or vegetable oil
• 1 large egg (I used Ener-G egg replacer)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• (Also added 1-2 tablespoons of pumpkin or squash)
• Assorted toppings, such as butter, maple syrup, confectioners' sugar, honey, jams, preserves, sweetened whipped cream, or chocolate syrup
• DIRECTIONS
• Preheat oven to 200 degrees; have a baking sheet or heatproof platter ready to keep cooked pancakes warm in the oven. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, butter (or oil), and egg. Add dry ingredients to milk mixture; whisk until just moistened (do not overmix; a few small lumps are fine).
• Heat a large skillet (nonstick or cast-iron) or griddle over medium. Fold a sheet of paper towel in half, and moisten with oil; carefully rub skillet with oiled paper towel.
• For each pancake, spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of batter onto skillet, using the back of the spoon to spread batter into a round (you should be able to fit 2 to 3 in a large skillet).
• Cook until surface of pancakes have some bubbles and a few have burst, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip carefully with a thin spatula, and cook until browned on the underside, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a baking sheet or platter; cover loosely with aluminum foil, and keep warm in oven. Continue with more oil and remaining batter. (You'll have 12 to 15 pancakes.) Serve warm, with desired toppings.

New York Crumb Cake

According to Aunt Linda this recipe is pretty close to Grandpa Auggie's crumb cake.  Looking forward to trying it.    

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons canola oil, plus more for pan
• 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

DIRECTIONS

1. STEP 1

   Place rack in center of oven, and heat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly brush a 9-by-12 1/2-inch baking pan with canola oil, dust with flour, and tap to remove excess. Set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together 1 1/2 cups flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a second bowl, whisk together egg, milk, canola oil, and vanilla. Using a rubber spatula, fold dry ingredients into egg mixture.

2. STEP 2

   Spread batter evenly into prepared pan, and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine remaining 2 1/2 cups flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Pour melted butter over flour mixture, and toss with a rubber spatula until large crumbs form. Sprinkle crumbs over batter.

3. STEP 3

   Transfer pan to oven, and bake, rotating pan after 10 minutes. Continue baking until a cake tester comes out clean, about 10 minutes more.

4. STEP 4

   Transfer baking pan to a wire rack to cool. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Using a serrated knife or bench scraper, cut into 3-inch squares. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Whole Wheat Brownies

Brownie recipe

Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 1/4 cups unsweetened applesauce
• 1 large egg
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. STEP 1

   Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish; line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, cocoa, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.

2. STEP 2

   In a large bowl, stir together sugar, applesauce, and egg. Place butter and 6 ounces chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pot of simmering water; stir until melted. Stir chocolate mixture into sugar mixture. Stir in flour mixture. Pour into pan and top with 2 ounces chocolate.

3. STEP 3

   Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 40 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Use parchment to lift cake from pan and cut into 16 squares.

Banana Bread Recipe

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/banana_bread/#comments

Banana Bread Recipe

• Prep time: 5 minutes
• Cook time: 1 hour
• Yield: Makes one loaf.

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INGREDIENTS

• 3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

METHOD

No need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

NOTES: Used 2 bowls, 5 1/3 tbsp. butter, 3 bananas only, 1/2 brown sugar 1/4 white sugar, 1 fake egg, less than 1 tsp. salt, 3/4 white flour, 3/4 whole wheat flour (sifted).      

Waffles

Added a litte confectionary sugar. Also needed to cook a bit longer, because they were super mushy on the inside. Mixed a little white flour in as well.

Dean preferred them as pancakes, but Kenny loved the waffles!  Usually Kenny doesn't like foods that are missing the egg, but he really seemed to enjoy these.

Weelicious whole wheat waffle recipe

Whole Wheat Waffles  (makes 10 waffles)

• Prep Time: 2 mins,
• Cook Time: 13 mins,
• Rating: 

Leggo my Eggo! Remember those commercials of two kids fighting over that last waffle just as it popped out of a toaster? I know how those kids felt because I grew up loving boxed frozen waffles, too. But I also adored the fresh taste of...

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
• 2 tablespoons honey or agave
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat waffle iron.
2. 2. Sift the first 3 ingredients into a bowl.
3. 3. In a separate bowl, whisk the remaining wet ingredients.
4. 4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until combined. Do not over mix.
5. 5. Pour 1/2 cup of batter into a greased waffle iron and cook about 3-4 minutes or according to manufacturer’s directions.
6. 6. Serve with desired accompaniments.
7. *To freeze: Allow to cool, place in a Ziploc bag, label and freeze. When ready to eat, place in toaster oven until heated through or in the oven at 300 degrees and heat for 10 minutes or until heated through.

Eggless Chocolate Cake- Wacky Cake Recipe

Eggless Chocolate Cake

I always use this recipe or similar one to make cupcakes, I never actually made this as an actual cake.  Good only when fresh- they get stale very quickly.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup cold water

Preparation:

In a large mixing bowl, mix flour, sugar, cocoa, soda and salt. Make three wells in the flour mixture. In one put vanilla; in another the vinegar, and in the third the oil. Pour the cold water over the mixture and stir until moistened. Pour into 8 x 8-inch pan. Bake at 350°F. oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it springs back when touched lightly.

Recipes to check out

Once a month meals

Granola

Ingredients

• 4 cups old fashioned oats
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup chocolate chips*
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup honey

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat oven to 325 F.
2. 2. Combine the first 6 ingredients in a bowl.
3. 3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients.
4. 4. Pour the wet ingredients over the oat mixture and stir to combine.
5. 5. Place granola mixture on a parchment lined baking sheet and shape into a rectangle, about 13 x 9 x 1 inch thick.
6. 6. Bake for 40 minutes.
7. 7. Allow to cool completely then cut into 3 x 1 inch bars.**
9. * You can substitute raisins or other dried fruit for the chocolate chips.
10. ** Individually wrapped, the bars will remain fresh for several weeks.

Notes:  I halved the recipe. Parchment paper is mandatory.  Cooked 40 towards the bottom of the oven and I think they were overcooked- Dean and Kenny didn't think so, but I think they could have been a little less crunchy and a bit chewier.

Candy's candied sweet potatoes

Candace's step by step process:

-wash and boil sweet potatoes in a big pot of water until tender but NOT mushy; you should be able to just pierce with a knife, but you don't want them to fall apart. should still hold their shape and be able to cut into slices

- drain in colander and let cool until cool enough to touch (can put in fridge)

- peel skin off using knife; most will sort of slip right off

- slice into lengthwise pieces

- butter the bottom of a foil pan or cookie sheet and arrange slices in single later (can overlap a bit)

- put a small pat of butter on each slice (i usually cut a stick of butter in quarters lengthwise, and then cut crosswise; you end up with small cubes)

- sprinkle or spoon a bit of brown sugar on each slice-- maybe ~1 tsp on each slice? more for bigger ones?

- drizzle maple syrup over all potatoes, but not completely drenched.

-bake in 350 oven until everything is melted and looks caramelized (never know how long this is, since we are usually baking in an oven that has other stuff in it on Thanksgiving.. probably 30 mins?)
- you could turn on the broiler for a bit at the end if you really want to brown them up.

Goat Cheese, Caramelized Onion and Spinach Quesadilla

Recipe

Baked Zucchini Coins

Baked Zucchini Coins  (Serves 4)

• Prep Time:10 minutes,
• Cook Time: 20 minutes,
• Total Time: 30 minutes,

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup whole wheat panko or bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch coins
• canola or olive oil spray

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. 2. Mix the first 4 ingredients in a bowl.
3. 3. Whisk the egg in a separate bowl.
4. 4. Place the flour in another bowl.
5. 5. Make an assembly line with the bowls, and first dip the zucchini coins into the
6. flour, then the egg and finally into the bread crumb mixture, coating evenly and repeating with all the zucchini coins.
7. 6. Place all of the coins on the baking sheet/rack. Arrange so they’re not touching, spray with oil and bake for 20 minutes or until the
8. bread crumbs are golden.
9. 7. Serve.
10. *After step 5 place on a baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes. Remove and place in a ziploc bag, label, and freeze. When ready to eat – take them out of the freezer and put them in the oven adding at least another 3-5 minutes baking time.

Notes: I mixed panko with bread crumbs, white whole  wheat flour and ofcourse skipped the egg and used milk instead.  I also cut them a little thinner.  After about 15 minutes I flipped them and cooked them for another 8-10 minutes.  Dean and I loved the coins!!

Recipe

Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe

Carrot chips

Recipe

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
2. 2. Using a mandoline or a knife, thinly slice the carrots into rounds.
3. 3. Place the carrot chips on a silpat or parchment-lined cookie sheet, sprinkle lightly with salt and bake for 45 minutes.
4. 4. Serve.

Oven Fried Zucchini

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes

Total Time: 33 minutes

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 medium zucchini
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs or regular bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• 1/2 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.


2. Wash, trim and slice zucchini into 1/2-inch-thick rounds.


3. Drizzle one tablespoon of the olive oil over a baking sheet to evenly coat. Set aside.


4. Beat egg in a small bowl.


5. Spread bread crumbs out in a shallow dish. Stir Parmesan cheese, salt, basil and pepper into bread crumbs.


6. Dip 5-6 zucchini slices into the beaten egg. Transfer to the bread crumb mixture, pressing on both sides to coat. Shake off excess, and place on prepared baking sheet.


7. Repeat with remaining zucchini slices.


8. Drizzle remaining tablespoon of olive oil over the zucchini.


9. Bake in preheated oven 8 minutes. Using tongs, turn zucchini so the other side gets crispy. Bake another 5-7 minutes until golden brown.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Per serving (based on 6): 127 calories, 7 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 5 g cholesterol, 13 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 6 g protein, 7% vitamin A, 38% vitamin C, 12% calcium, 6% iron

Broccoli Recipes to try

Broccoli and Cheese Nuggets

Broccoli and Potato Pancakes

Broccoli Brownies

Thick, Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Recipe

1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces, or 115 grams) butter, softened
2/3 cup (125 grams) light brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup (95 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon table salt (I often use a half teaspoon, but I like more salt in my baked goods)
1 1/2 cups (120 grams) rolled oats
3/4 cup (120 grams) raisins
1/2 cup walnuts (65 grams), chopped (optional)

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together. Stir this into the butter/sugar mixture. Stir in the oats, raisins and walnuts, if using them.

At this point you can either chill the dough for a bit in the fridge and then scoop it, or scoop the cookies onto a sheet and then chill the whole tray before baking them. You could also bake them right away, if you’re impatient, but I do find that they end up slighly less thick. Either way, heat oven to 350°F (175°C) before you scoop the cookies, so that it’s fully heated when you’re ready to put them in.

The cookies should be two inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake them for 10 to 12 minutes (your baking time will vary, depending on your oven and how cold the cookies were going in), taking them out when golden at the edges but still a little undercooked-looking on top. Let them sit on the hot baking sheet for five minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool.

. We use no nuts, 1/2 cup raisins and 3/4 cup chocolate chips (but prefer to hand-chop chocolate because those coarse pieces will melt into heavenly puddles) for the mix-ins and highly encourage you to try it. When using chocolate, we drop the sugar down to a heaped 1/2 cup.

Note: They were super chewy- almost too chewy and moist. Next time need to make smaller and flatten them out and cook for a bit longer than the 12 minutes.