Banana-Nutella Galette

Play dates aren't just for my little guy anymore. I am blessed to have gotten closer with a couple of women who have a child/children my son's age. So, when we get together for a play date, sure, it's for the kids. But not just for the kids. 

We had one recently so out came the apple juice, Goldfish, the wine & a little dessert I actually created on the fly. I didn't get a chance to go to the store that day but I wanted to make something sweet for my friend & used what I had in the house.

I wouldn't have minded if it was a flop because I am close enough to her not to be embarrassed but it turned out to be one heckuva hit. The underlying amaretto flavor from the extract paired so perfectly with the hazelnut spread & bananas.

I also love that, aside from the pie crust, this was a healthier alternative than most desserts & I didn't feel a tad guilty.

Banana-Nutella Galette by Live.Love.Eat

{ Click for Printable Recipe }

1 pie crust
About* 1/4 cup plus 2 tblsp of Nutella Hazelnut spread
1/2 to 1 banana sliced
Skim milk
Almond extract
Powdered sugar (for serving)
Fat free Cool Whip (for serving)

Pre-heat oven to 375. Unroll pie crust. Spread Nutella thinly on crust leaving a 2 inch border. Scatter bananas on top.

Whisk extra Nutella in a bowl with skim milk until you reach a drizzle type consistency. Add a drop or two of almond extract & whisk well.

Drizzle over bananas. Roll the border of the pie crust covering part of the filling slightly. Bake for 20 minutes, adding a few extra minutes if crust needs to golden more. Let stand for 10 minutes. 

Sprinkle with powdered sugar, cut into wedges & serve with whip cream.

{ Food for Thought }

Measurement on Nutella is not exact, just use your judgement & spread thinly on crust.


Linking Deliciously to Lisa at Blessed with Grace for Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays. 

Chicken Piccata - Healthy Makeover

Hello everyone & Happy Friday!!!!!!!!!!! And I am definitely happy today, especially after a few days of going on the treadmill in the early morning before work. It's a perfect way to start the day on a good note.

It's been a while since I have done a Not So Fat Friday. If you look at my side categories on the right you'll see there are plenty more healthy recipes under this name. However, I do need to re-label as Recipes - Not So Fat Fridays but for now just go to the N's for Not So Fat Friday.

This dish was so light, fresh & just a little lemony & perfectly filling & I love having my whole grain pasta without the guilt.

CHICKEN PICCATA - HEALTHY MAKEOVER from Eating Well

{ Click for Printable Recipe }

6 oz whole grain angel hair pasta
1/3 cup all-purpose flour, divided
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
4 chicken cutlets, (3/4-1 pound total), trimmed
3 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 10-oz pkg mushrooms, sliced
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup white wine
2 tblsp lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tblsp capers, rinsed
2 tsp butter (optional)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta & cook until just tender, 4 to 6 minutes or according to package directions. Drain & rinse.

Meanwhile, whisk 5 teaspoons flour & broth in a small bowl until smooth. Place the remaining flour in a shallow dish. Season chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt & pepper & dredge both sides in the flour. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken & cook until browned & no longer pink in the middle, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; cover & keep warm.

Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms & cook, stirring, until they release their juices & begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add garlic & wine to the pan & cook until reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the reserved broth-flour mixture, lemon juice & the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer & cook, stirring, until the sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in parsley, capers, butter & the reserved mushrooms. Measure out 1/2 cup of the mushroom sauce. Toss the pasta in the pan with the remaining sauce. Serve the pasta topped with the chicken and the reserved sauce.

{ Food for Thought }

Although I've never been a caper fan I loved them in this dish. I had them in the pantry so I wanted to use them up. If you don't want to go that route then this dish would be just as good without. I also didn't bother measuring out the sauce at the end. I just put the chicken back in with the sauce to warm through & served it all over the pasta on a large serving platter.

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I will definitely be getting around today & the next few days to catch up. I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!!!!!

Coming soon: a Banana Nutella Open Galette I recently created.

Coca Cola Chocolate Pan Cake

This past weekend was exactly what I was craving. It was the perfect balance of relaxation, productivity, family time, a little girlfriend time, a glass of wine, a mug o' beer, a lot of home organizing & plenty of outdoor time in our quaint, sweet town.

On a previous busier weekend, I made this cake for a small gathering. While I never drink soda, I was really intrigued. I would definitely make this again since it was really moist & delicious. It was also pretty easy to make for a cake from scratch. I LOVED that I only needed my whisk!!

 A chocolate lover would fall for this cake.

Coca Cola Chocolate Pan Cake

{ Printable Recipe Here }

Cake

• 2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
• 2 cup(s) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon(s) baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1 1/2 cup(s) miniature marshmallows
• 1 cup(s) (2 sticks) butter or margarine, cup up
• 1 cup(s) Coca-Cola
• 1/4 cup(s) unsweetened cocoa
• 1/2 cup(s) buttermilk
• 2 large eggs, well-beaten
• 1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract

Frosting

• 1/2 cup(s) (1 stick) butter or margarine, cut up
• 1/3 cup(s) Coca-Cola
• 1/4 cup(s) unsweetened cocoa
• 1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
• 1 package(s) (16 ounces) confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 13 by 9 glass baking dish. In large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking soda & salt. In 2-quart saucepan, heat marshmallows, butter, cola & cocoa over medium-high heat until bubbles form around edge of pan. Remove from heat; continue stirring until marshmallows melt.

Pour marshmallow mixture over flour mixture; with wire whisk, stir until well combined. Whisk in buttermilk, eggs & vanilla until blended. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Transfer to wire rack.

Meanwhile, prepare frosting: In 1-quart saucepan, heat butter, cola & cocoa to boiling over medium-high heat. Remove saucepan from heat. Add vanilla & stir until butter melts. Place confectioners' sugar in medium bowl. Pour hot butter mixture over sugar. With wire whisk, stir until well combined. Set aside until ready to use.

Stir frosting well; spread over top of hot cake immediately after removing from oven. Cool in pan on wire rack.

{ Food for Thought }

Check your cake at 40 min but you may need to cook it a bit longer like I did, anywhere up to an hour. The sides were perfectly done but the middle was still very moist & loose at 40, so you may want to cover it if you need to go longer.

Miniature Pancake Muffins

Whew...this past weekend marked the end of a wonderful month full of entertaining, get togethers & visiting family. It's been awesome & tiring at the same time!!!!

A sweet reader had emailed me this recipe thinking I might like it. Since my sister & her kids were visiting last week I figured it would be perfect as a breakfast appetizer. We really enjoyed them & they were super easy to make. I loved having all the ingredients on hand, except the buttermilk which I subbed.

Next time I will definitely be making these with blueberries!! These would even make a nice gift to your neighbor or friend, fresh out of the oven & wrapped up in a basket.

MINIATURE PANCAKE MUFFINS

{ Printable Recipe Here }

1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tblsp sugar
2/3 cup buttermilk or substitute *
1 egg
2 tblsp pure maple syrup
2 tblsp melted butter
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips or blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 24 mini muffin pan with liners. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt & sugar in a medium bowl. Sift together with a wire whisk. In another bowl, stir buttermilk, egg, maple syrup & melted butter until just combined.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients & stir with a spoon until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour 2/3 full into each cup. Bake for 9-11 minutes. Serve with syrup.

{ Food for Thought }

If you don’t have buttermilk, just put 1 tblsp white vinegar in a 1 cup measuring cup. Fill with milk to get to 1 cup. Let rest for 5 minutes.

I'd suggest using a bit less than 1/2 cup chocolate chips as it was a little overpowering. 

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