Old Fashioned Banana Pudding

Is it a pudding or is it a pie? We are a family of banana lovers. This is a take on the banana pudding triffle and so amazingly delicious!

Old-Fashioned Banana Pudding

Ingredients:

        1/3 cup Flour
        1 dash Salt
        2 1/2 cups Milk
        1 (14 oz) can Sweetened Condensed Milk
        2 Egg Yolks
        2 tsp Vanilla Extract
        3 cups Bananas, sliced
        45 Vanilla Wafers
        4 Egg Whites
        1/4 cup Sugar

Directions:  

1. Mix flour and salt in a large sauce pan.
2. Add milks and egg yolks to pan slowly, stirring constantly over medium heat, until mixture thickens, about 7-8 minutes, then remove from heat.
3. Stir in vanilla.
4. Layer enough banana slices to cover the bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish.
5. Cover the bananas with 1/3 of the pudding mixture.
6. Layer with 1/3 of the vanilla wafers.
7. Repeat layering, starting with bananas, then using pudding, then vanilla wafers.
8. Do the layering a third time as usual, except do not cover the pudding with wafers.
9. Place the wafers around the edges of the casserole, tucked into the pudding.
10. Beat the egg whites at high speed with a mixer until they foam.
11. Add the sugar gradually, and keep beating until stiff peaks form.
12. Spread this over the top of the pudding, forming a seal to the edges.
13. Bake pudding at 325F for 25 minutes or until the meringue becomes light golden.
14. Allow to cool 30 minutes before serving.
15. Refrigerate unused portions.

Enjoy!

            Ingrid

Old-Style Diner Burgers

I've been thinking about experimenting with burger recipes for a while now. I decided that I would begin with old-school and try a recipe for burgers the way we had them at 1970's diners. This recipe for old style diner burgers was simple, but so yummy!   

Old-Style Diner Burger

Ingredients:

 
        2 1/2 lbs Ground Beef
        Sea Salt to taste
        Black Pepper to taste
        6-8 slices Cheddar Cheese

Toppings:

        12-16 slices Bread, (Use less bread if you double up the burgers.)
        Mayonnaise
        Tomatoes
        Onions
        Relish
        Lettuce
        Ketchup
        Mustard

Directions:

1. Lay out two sheets of plastic wrap.
2. Divide your ground beef into 6-8 even mounds
3. Shape each mound of beef into a good, tight ball with your hands.
4. Place ball onto sheet of plastic wrap and lay the second sheet on top.
5. Roll ball flat with rolling pin, about 1/3 inch, into a thin patty. Roll from all directions to make into a patty.
6. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
7. Repeat with remaining balls.
8. Heat griddle over medium-high heat.
9. Flip patty into hot pan.
10. Do this with as many patties as fit onto griddle. 
11. Cook patties for about 3-4 minutes. Pressing down with spatula.
12. Reduce heat slightly, flip over and top with cheese.
13. Cook another 3-4 minutes, until cheese starts to melt.
14. Remove from pan and repeat with remaining patties. (Keep warm in 200 degree oven if needed)
15. Toast your bread.  I used wheat bread. You can use hamburger buns but these are thinner patties, so they may get lost in the breading.
16. Smear bread with mayonnaise.
17. Place patty on bread. Add toppings.

Tip: 

Great with a side of your favourite cut of fries. 

Enjoy!

            Ingrid

  

Asian-Influenced Pork Loin

My family loves pork tenderloin. but so many times it ends up drier than I like inside.  They don't complain, but I just am not pleased. This recipe, that I found on Taste of Home website, turned out so juicy and tender. As usual, I tweaked the recipe to suit what I have on-hand. 

Asia-Influenced Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

        1 boneless whole Pork Tenderloin (3-4 pounds)
        1/2 tsp Sea Salt
        1/2 tsp Ground Pepper
        1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
        1 Tbs Butter
        1 med Onion, finely chopped
        1/2 cup Ketchup (I used homemade - recipe below)
        1/2 cup Light Corn Syrup
        1 Tbs Hoisin Sauce
        1 1/2 tsp Chinese-Style Mustard
        1 tsp Oyster Sauce
        1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
        1/4 tsp Ground Ginger
        1/4 tsp Sweet & Spicy Saigon Seasoning

Directions:

1. Sprinkle pork roast with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
2. Place in a shallow roasting pan.
3. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 oven° for  50 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, saute onion in butter until tender.
5. Stir in the remaining ingredients.
6. Bring to a boil.
7. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes, stirring often. 
8. Brush sauce over pork.
9. Bake 10-15 minutes longer, or until thermometer reads 145°.
10. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. 

Homemade Ketchup

Ingredients:   

        1 cup Tomato Sauce (I was out, so I made some from scratch) 
        1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
        3 Tbs Apple Cider Vinegar
        1/2 tsp Salt
        pinch Ground Cloves

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients until well combined.

                           

Tomato Sauce Sustitute

Ingredients:

        1 part Tomato Paste
        1 part Water

Directions:

1. Mix well.

Enjoy!

            Ingrid

Chicken in Sour Cream, and Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup

I have to admit that my favourite piece of chicken is the thigh. It has so much more flavour than the breast. And lots more meat than the drumstick.  I love using the Maple-Glazed Chicken recipe, but variety is good too. I found an interesting recipe over at AllRecipes and decided to tweak it a little bit.  First of all, I have no Cream of Mushroom Soup and couldn't find a substitute recipe (see bottom). So I came up with this one that was a complete hit.

Chicken in Sour Cream

Ingredients:

        8 chicken thighs
        1 Tbs Vegetable Oil
        1 pinch Ground Black Pepper
        1 pinch Salt
        1 pinch Paprika
        Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup
        1 (1 oz) pkg Dry Onion Soup Mix
        1 cup Sour Cream
        1 Tbs Lemon Juice
        1 tsp Dried Dill Weed

Directions:

1. Place chicken in a 9 x 13 inch greased baking dish. 
2. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika to taste.
3. Combine mushroom soup, onion soup mix, sour cream, lemon juice, and dill weed.
4. Pour over chicken.
5. Bake at 400 degrees F (175 degrees C) for one hour, or until chicken is tender and sauce is brown.

Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:

        Butter  (I used unsalted) 

        Mushrooms, chopped

        Garlic

        Flour

        1 cup Milk

Directions:

1. Melt Butter.
2. Add chopped Mushrooms.
3. Saute until slightly brown
4. Add chopped Garlic, Flour, 1 cup Milk
5. Heat to a nice roux.

Enjoy!

            Ingrid