Asian Cole Slaw - Secret Recipe Club

There's a Wednesday night Farmer's Market in the area where Tim works.  A few weeks ago, he was were given a coupon for $5.00 off at the market.  Tim used his to purchase two beautiful heads of cabbage.  That means cole slaw at my house.   I'd just received my Secret Recipe Club assignment for the month, Morsels of Life.  One of the first recipes I found was for Asian Cole Slaw.  We prefer non mayonnaise based cole slaw's at our house, so this was a perfect recipe to try.

We really enjoyed the flavors in this dressing.  Mine came out a little thick. When I make this again, I think I will add a little olive oil to thin it out just a bit.  You can find a series of cole slaw recipes at Morsels of Life.  Next time we have cabbage, I can't wait to try the Cranberry Walnut Slaw.

Asian Cole Slaw
Recipe Courtesy of Morsels of Life

8 oz cabbage, shredded
2/3 cup carrots, grated
1/8 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp ginger, grated
2 tsp peanut butter
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. lime juice
1 tsp. sesame oil
1/8 c peanuts, chopped

Combine cabbage and carrots.  Whisk remaining ingredients together.  Pour over cabbage and carrot mixture.  Combine well.  Sprinkle chopped peanuts on top, just prior to serving.

To see other great recipes from Secret Recipe Club members, visit the links below!

Strawberry and Cardamom Muffins   Thin Mint Cookies   Shrimp and Pasta Puttanesca   Feta Stuffed Tomato   Busy Day Goulash   Grilled Pineapple Chicken Foil Packs   Miso-Glazed Salmon   Deconstructed Wonton Soup   Black Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies   Zucchini Caramelized Onion Galette   Whole Lemon Bars   Chicken and Cheese Taquitos   English Muffins   Sweet Bell Pepper Salad (gluten & dairy free)   Mixed Greens and Apple Cider Vinaigrette   cheesy egg salad rolls   Mango Pound Cake   Curried Rice Salad   Churro Chex Mix   Homemade Ice Cream Drumsticks   Breakfast Spaghetti   Homemade Onion SOup Mix   Momofuku Milk Bar's Compost Cookies   Homemade Tortillas   Asian Cole Slaw   Chinese Cucumber Salad   Beef Potato Quinoa Soup   strawberry mango muffins   Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Bars   Thyme Infused Lemonade   Lemony Greek Stuffed Bell Peppers   Halushski( Buttered Cabbage and Noodles)   chocolate muffins and peanut butter cream cheese

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Not Your Mama's Banana Bread

One blog I never miss reading is Tomatoes on the Vine.  If you haven't been to Velva's blog, stop by she takes beautiful pictures and has delicious recipes.  I am always intrigued by banana bread recipes because I have one that I consider THE BEST!!  It's not my mama's but one of my best friends mama's and it is delicious.  When Velva said if you have a family favorite recipe, you'll like this one better, I knew I had to give this recipe a try.    I've tried a lot of banana bread recipes the past 30 years and none have replaced my favorite but let's take this one for a spin and see where we end up.

In fairness the recipe calls for bourbon and we didn't have any.  I used brandy instead.  I was going to throw in a few chocolate chips because they make everything better but I forgot.  That's probably good because it wouldn't be a true test of the recipe with the addition of the chips.  I think my pan was a little large than what the recipe called for so I reduced the baking time to 40 minutes.  Checked it and it was done.  The brandy added a delicious flavor profile to this bread.  Is it going to replace my favorite banana bread recipe?  Probably not but I will add it to the recipe box!

 

 Not Your Mama's Banana Bread

Recipe Courtesy of Tomatoes on the Vine

Ingredients:

3 to 4 ripe bananas, smashed

1/3 cup melted salted butter

3/4 to 1 cup light brown sugar (depending on your level of sweetness, that your prefer)

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon bourbon (optional)

1 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Pinch of ground cloves

1-1/2 cups of flour

Directions:

 Preheat the oven to 350 degree F.  With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl.  Mix in the sugar, egg vanilla and bourbon, then the spices.  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 50 minutes to one hour, or until a tester comes out clean.  Cool on rack.  Remove from pan and slice to serve.

Enjoy!

Red Hots Rice Krispy Treats

I've been making desserts as long as I can remember but never a lot of Rice Krispy treats.  Until recently that is!  Like a lot of older desserts, Rice Krispy treat recipes are receiving some updates.  There's even a blog, devoted to nothing but Rice Krispy treats.

 When Tim told me the coworker who's birthday they were celebrating with treat day liked  Red Hots, I wasn't sure I was going to find a recipe including the little hot candies.  I should have known better, you can find a recipe for almost anything with just a google search!

Rice Krispy treats are quick and easy to make and almost everyone likes them.  It's fun trying different flavors for a this classic treat.  The toughest thing about this recipe is smashing the red hots.  I ended up using my meat mallet out on the front porch, in a baggie of course. 

Red Hots Rice Krispy Treats
Recipe Courtesy of Mallow and Co
4 Tbsp butter
6 cups marshmallows 
1/2-3/4 cup crushed red hot candies (really smash them down to a powder)
1 tsp vanilla extract
 6 cups rice krispies
red food coloring (optional, I didn't use this)
4 oz (2 squares) Vanilla Almond Bark (I didn't do this step)

Pour the rice krispies in a large mixing bowl and set aside. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Once it's melted add in the marshmallows. Stir until they are mostly all melted (this will take a few minutes--low and slow is key for perfect texture) then stir in the vanilla, crushed red hots, and a few drops of red food coloring.

Once fully melted, take them off heat and pour over the rice krispy mixture. Stir lightly to combine, then dump into a greased 9x9 pan (I made mine in 9 x13 pan). Allow to cool 5 minutes, then press into pan with greased hands. While they finish cooling, melt the almond bark in the microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring in between each one until fully melted. Drizzle the bark over the treats. Enjoy!

Grilled Romaine

There's almost always a package of romaine lettuce in my refrigerator. We enjoy the flavor and it seems to keep well. Now that summer is here, I wanted to grilling the romaine. Pretty confident you just brush them with olive oil, sprinkle on some salt and pepper before grilling them, I wasn't sure I needed a recipe. However, I wasn't sure how long to leave them on the grill. I ran across this recipe and was intrigued by the use of the red wine vinegar granita.

If you haven't tried grilling romaine, try it soon!  We love it!  The combination of the char and red wine vinegar granita give the lettuce a nice smoky tang!

  Grilled Romaine

Recipe Courtesy of Alton Brown

1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 hearts of romaine, rinsed and patted dry
1 tablespoon olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup finely grated Parmesan
Vegetable spray, for pan

Directions

Place vinegar in shallow pan and place in the freezer. Allow the vinegar to freeze, approximately 2 hours. Once frozen, scrape with a fork to create a shaved ice texture. Return the vinegar to the freezer until ready to use.

Cut each heart of romaine in half lengthwise so that the root keeps each piece together. Lightly brush the cut side of the romaine pieces with olive oil. Season with the pepper. Place the cheese in a shallow pan large enough to lay the romaine in and press the cheese firmly onto the cut side of the romaine until it adheres.

Spray a nonstick griddle or saute pan with vegetable spray and preheat over medium-high heat. Place the romaine in the pan and cook until the cheese turns golden, approximately 1 to 2 minutes Place the romaine, cheese side up onto plates and sprinkle with the vinegar ice. Serve immediately.

I am linking this to On The Menu Monday and Miz Helen's Full Plate Thursday!

Butterfinger Cake

Do you try new recipes before you serve them to company or take them to an event? Normally I do! There's nothing worse than making a dish for a dinner party and having it be a flop. We were having friends over for dessert and I was debating whether or not to make a tried and true dessert recipe or try a new one. Browsing the dessert recipes, I'd pinned on Pinterest I saw this Butterfinger Cake. Looks easy enough and doesn't use too many ingredients, I decided to give it a try.  Oh my gosh, what a great choice, simple to put together and so good!  This may become my new go to for dessert.  I am going to try it next time with a chocolate cake and Heath bars!!!

Butterfinger Cake
Recipe Courtesy of Plain Chicken

 1 box yellow cake mix, plus ingredients to make the cake
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 jar Smucker's caramel ice cream topping
 1 (8oz) tub Cool-Whip 4 regular sized Butterfinger candy bars, crushed

Bake cake according to direction on the package.

 While cake is baking, mix milk and caramel topping until well blended. When the cake is done and while it's still hot, poke holes in it with a fork. Pour milk mixture over the cake. Allow cake to cool completely. If you don't want it quite as sweet, add half the can and half of the jar. Sprinkle two candy bars over cake. Spread (refrigerator temp) Cool Whip over the top, then sprinkle the remaining candy bars on top. Chill.

I am linking this to On The Menu Monday and Miz Helen's Full Plate Thursday!!!

Cake Batter Rice Krispie Treats - Secret Recipe Club

Can you believe it's the second week of June?  Crazy!  The second week of June means two things Secret Recipe Club and here in Omaha,  the College World Series.  This month my assigned SRC blog is No Reason Needed.  I am not sure whether my favorite part of SRC is browsing my assigned blog or finding out who had my blog and what recipe they chose.  Either way, SRC is fun.  You can find out more about SRC here.

It's always hard to decide which recipe to choose but when I saw the recipe for Cake Batter Rice Krispie treats, the decision was easy!!  I love cake batter!  I know it's risky  because of the raw eggs.  I've been eating it for years and have never gotten sick, so it's a risk I am willing to take.  Over the past few years the blogsphere has been filled with cake batter recipes.  I've made a couple of them Cake Batter Muddy Buddies and Cake Batter Ice Cream.  

I've always thought Rice Krispie treats were just okay,  almost too sweet for my taste.  Although it may sound strange, the addition of cake batter seems to tone down that sweetness.  I will never make the original Rice Krispie treats again.  Maybe it's that cake batter obsession but it's Cake Batter Rice Krispie treats for me from now on!

 Cake Batter Rice Krispie Treats

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. butter
1 (10 oz) bag marshmallows
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup yellow cake mix (I used 3/4 cup cake mix)
6 cups rice krispies cereal
assorted sprinkles

Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat and add marshmallows. Stir until the begin to melt and mix in vanilla. Add in cake mix one spoonful at a time and stir until combined. Stir in cereal so it is completely coated with marshmallow mixture. Sprinkle in half of the sprinkles and mix. Press into a baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray (I like an 8x8 or 9x9 to make them thicker - I used a 9x13 pan) and top with remaining sprinkles. Let sit for about 30 minutes before cutting.

I am linking this to On The Menu Monday and Miz Helen's Full Plate Thursday!

To see other great recipes from Secret Recipe Club members, visit the links below!

Bread Machine English Muffins   Buttermilk Pie Bars   Beef and Bean Chimichangas   Rhubarb and Strawberry Crumble   Warm Roasted Feta and Red Pepper Dip   Baby Nutella Cheesecakes   Best Crock Pot Pulled Pork   Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies (No Eggs!)   Strawberry Spinach and Quinoa Salad   Frosted Chocolate Chip Cupcakes   Spinach and Zucchini Pasta Bake   Rhubarb and Apple Crumble   Healthy Chocolate Oat Cookies   Minted Lemon Limeade   Glazed Coconut Pound Cake   Southwest Quiche   Baked Avocado Fries with Creamy Horseradish Sauce   Feta and Onion Caramelized Crusted Steaks   Blueberry Breakfast Bars   Grilled Chipotle Chicken   Pineapple Sangria   Layered Mexican Christmas Eve Salad   Swedish Meatballs   Buffalo Shredded Chicken Burger   Potato and Cheese Pierogies   Cake Batter Rice Krispie Treats   Easy Parmesan Cheese Bread   Chicken Alfredo Pizza w/ Bacon & Sun-Dried Tomato   Bahamian Johhny Cake   A Very Southwestern Casserole   Baked Chicken Spaghetti   Black Bean Brownies   Quick Lemon Cake   Gluten Free Strawberry Muffins   Rhubarb BBQ Sauced Country Ribs   Cinnamon-Sugar Pie Crust Cookies   Gooey Brown Butter Toffee Bars   panko crusted fish   slowcooker islander porkchops   Peanut Butter Snaps   Buffalo Turkey Burgers

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Five Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

Five ingredients? This recipe caught my eye immediately! I love a good cookie but don't bake drop cookies very often because they take so much more time than bar cookies. These are a creation of Emily's, she at Sugar Plum. If you don't follow her blog, you should. She has the best recipes and they're all her own.

These cookies are quick and easy to make.  Emily suggest grinding the coconut in the food processor until it's fine.  My coconut seemed to just whirl and whirl around, never seeming to become fine.  No worries, it still worked great in the recipe.   Five Ingredient cookies are delicious and crispy.  I will be making these again!  Next time I may try nutella or biscoff spread instead of peanut butter!!

Five Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
Recipe Courtesy of Sugar Plum

Ingredients:
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup egg whites or 1 large egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups finely ground unsweetened flaked coconut

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together peanut butter, sugar, and egg and until well combined - about 1-2 minutes.  Beat in baking soda until combined.  Beat in coconut until combined.

Roll heaping tablespoons of dough into balls.  Place on baking sheets, spacing about 3/4-inch apart.  Flatten balls making a criss-cross with a fork.  Sprinkle with a little sugar, if desired.  Bake 12 minutes or until cookies are golden around the edges, and crisp.  Cool 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool.

Makes about 1 dozen cookies depending how big you make them.

I am linking this to On The Menu Monday and Miz Helen's Full Plate Thursday!