Additions: ½-1 cup dried cranberries and/or ½-1 cup chopped nuts
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour a 9”x5” loaf pan. Mix together sour cream/buttermilk and vanilla. Mix dry ingredients together. Cream butter and sugar add eggs one at a time, then bananas, beating well after each. Stir in flour. Stir in wet ingredients. Fold in nuts/fruit. Pour into prepared pan and bake 55-60 minutes or until tests done. Turn out of pan onto cooling rack. Makes 1 loaf.
DATE – NUT BREAD
¾ cup chopped walnuts
1 cup chopped pitted dates
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons shortening
¾ cup boiling water
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Mix walnuts, dates, soda, salt, shortening. Add water and let stand 20 minutes. Heat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour a 9”x5” x3” loaf pan. With fork beat eggs: beat in vanilla, sugar, flour. Mix in date mixture until just blended; pour into prepared pan. Bake 1 hour or until tester comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 min; turn out of pan onto cooling rack. When cool wrap in foil and store overnight before slicing. Makes 1 loaf.
ORANGE CREAM CHEESE
8 ounces cream cheese
4 oz unsalted butter
¼ cup orange marmalade (substitute grated orange zest and juice if desired adding 2T sugar if not sweet enough.)
Beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Gradually beat in marmalade.
LEMON BREAD
½ cup unsalted butter
½ cup granulated sugar
Grated rind of one lemon
2 eggs
½ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons double-acting baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Sift together all dry ingredients. Cream the butter and sugar together, and then add the lemon rind and the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in the lemon juice, and then gradually add the dry ingredients. Beat well after each addition until you have a light, workable batter. Pour into a buttered and floured 8 ½ x 4 ½ - inch bread pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 50 to 60 minutes. Turn out on a rack to cool. Wrap when cool. Do not slice until the next day. Serve with butter and preserves as a tea bread. Makes 1 loaf.
STRAWBERRY BUTTER
½ cup good quality unsalted butter
¼ cup strawberry preserves
Beat butter until light add preserves gradually until well incorporated.
PUMPKIN BREAD
3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg (preferably freshly ground)
2/3 cups water
1 -15oz can pumpkin
4 eggs
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts if desired
Stir wet ingredients together until sugar is dissolved. In a separate bowl, stir dry ingredients together. Add dry ingredients to wet and stir well. Stir in raisins and nuts. Pour into greased and floured loaf pans. Bake 350 F for 1 hour.
Makes 3 - 8 ½” x 4 ½” loaves or 2 – 9” x 5” loaves
CINNAMON HONEY SPREAD
8 oz cream cheese
4 oz unsalted butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon ¼ - ½ cup honey
½ cup chopped toasted walnuts if desired
Beat butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Add honey and beat until well blended. Stir in nuts.
HAM SALAD
2 cups ham, chopped in food processor
1 cup finely dice celery
¼ cup minced sweet onion
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tsp whole grain mustard
2 hard-boiled eggs, diced
¼ cup pickle relish
½ cup mayonnaise
Mix all ingredients. Spread on buttered bread.
CHICKEN SALAD
2 cooked whole chicken breasts (poached or baked) and chopped in food processor
½ cup finely diced celery
1 tablespoon finely diced shallot
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/3 cup dried cranberries – slightly chopped
¼ cup finely chopped toasted pecans
Salt and pepper to taste
Mayonnaise (enough to moisten)
Mix all ingredients and spread on buttered bread.
EGG SALAD
8 large hard-cooked eggs chopped
½ cup chopped celery
¼ cup chopped green onions
1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon cider vinegar
½ teaspoon sugar
¼ cup or more mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients and spread on buttered bread.
TORTELLINI SALAD
1 pound cheese tortellini cooked according to package directions and drained
5 ounces frozen peas (toss into the pasta for the last minute or so of cook time)
Dressing:
4 tsp red wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 – 3 cloves garlic minced (grate on micro plane if you have one)
1/3 – ½ C extra virgin olive oil (now is the time for the good stuff)
Chopped fresh parsley to taste
Handful of grated parmesan cheese
Make dressing while pasta cooks. Toss with warm pasta. Dish is best served close to room temperature so cool if serving immediately or, chill and remove from refrigerator for ½ to 1 hour if made ahead.
VEGETABLE PINWHEELS
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
½ cup mayonnaise, sour cream, or both
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
¾ cup chopped green pepper (add red pepper for a change)
½ cup chopped scallions or sweet onions
¾ cup chopped broccoli
¾ cup chopped cauliflower
1 carrot, shredded
½ cup chopped tomato if desired
¼ cup chopped black olives if desired
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 package sandwich wraps or large whole wheat tortillas
Beat cream cheese, mayonnaise (sour cream) and salad dressing mix until fluffy. Spread on wraps top with vegetables and cheese. Roll up jellyroll style. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill until ready to serve. Slice and serve.
WILD RICE SALAD
16 oz Quick cooking long grain & wild rice mix
(For Tea we used 4 parts Lundberg wild rice blend and 3 parts Lundberg brown basmati rice)
½ C dried cranberries
1 apple peeled and diced
1 medium carrot grated
2 green onions chopped
2.5 oz slivered or sliced almonds – toasted
Additions:
Torn radicchio (used for Tea)
2 C cooked chicken
Dressing:
½ C balsamic vinegar
½ C extra virgin olive oil
¼ tsp each salt and pepper
Cook rice according to package directions and cool. Add all other ingredients.
Whisk dressing ingredients together add to salad – mix thoroughly.