July 2011 Dashing Dishes

Lemon-Blueberry Banana Bread

2 c. all-purpose flour

¾ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 c. granulated sugar

¼ c. butter, softened

1 c. mashed ripe banana (2 bananas)

2 eggs

1/3 c. sour cream

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. fresh blueberries

1 Tbsp. grated lemon rind

Glaze:

¼ c. (2 oz) cream cheese

3 Tbsp. powdered sugar

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

2 tsp. water

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk to combine. Place granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer on medium speed until mixture is well blended (about 1 minute). Add mashed banana, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Gently fold in blueberries and lemon rind. Spoon batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool the bread 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove the bread from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. To prepare glaze, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and water, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over cooled bread.

Ultimate Rubbed Chicken

1 Tbsp. packed brown sugar

2 tsp. smoked Spanish paprika

½ tsp. ground cumin

¼ tsp. garlic salt

¼ tsp. chili powder

4boneless skinless chicken breasts

½ c. barbecue sauce warmed (optional),

Heat gas or charcoal grill. In small bowl, mix brown sugar, paprika, cumin, garlic salt and chili powder. Rub both sides of chicken with seasoning mixture. Place chicken on grill over medium heat. Cover grill; cook 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, until juice of chicken is clear or when center of thickest part reaches 170°F. Serve with warm barbecue sauce if desired.

Shrimp Scampi

4oz. uncooked fettuccine pasta

2 Tbsp. margarine or butter

1 Tbsp. olive or vegetable oil

4garlic cloves, minced

½ lb. uncooked medium shrimp, shelled,

deveined

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

1 tsp. grated lemon peel

1/8 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

3 Tbsp. chicken broth.

Cook fettuccine to desired doneness as directed on package. In a medium skillet, combine margarine and oil. Heat over medium heat until margarine is melted. Add garlic; cook and stir 1 minute. Add shrimp; cook and stir 1 minute. Add all remaining ingredients; cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or until shrimp turn pink.

Drain fettuccine. Serve shrimp mixture over fettuccine.

Fruit Flag Salad

2 cans (8 oz ea.) pineapple tidbits in juice

2medium bananas, sliced

3pints (6 c.) fresh strawberries

3 containers (6 oz ea.) lemon yogurt

1 ½ c. frozen (thawed) whipped topping

3 Tbsp. powdered sugar

4 c. chopped cantaloupe, well drained

1 ½ pints (3 c.) fresh blueberries

2 c. miniature marshmallows

Drain pineapple, reserving juice in small bowl. Pat pineapple tidbits dry with paper towels to remove any excess liquid. Toss banana slices in pineapple liquid; drain well, discarding liquid. Reserve 18 to 20 strawberries for flag stripes; cut remaining strawberries into quarters.

In medium bowl, mix yogurt, whipped topping and powdered sugar until well blended and smooth. In ungreased 13x9-inch glass baking dish, layer cantaloupe and quartered strawberries. Reserve 50 blueberries for flag stars. Layer remaining blueberries over strawberries. Top with bananas, pineapple and marshmallows. With spatula, press fruit lightly to even out top. Spread yogurt mixture evenly over fruit. If desired, at this point, salad can be covered and refrigerated. When serving salad, add toppings; by sprinkling reserved blueberries in corner to resemble stars of flag. Cut reserved strawberries into quarters. Arrange strawberries in rows to resemble stripes of flag.

Broccoli Bacon Salad

1 bag (16 oz) frozen broccoli florets

1 large red bell pepper, seeded and diced

½ large sweet onion, diced

½ c. raisins

¼ c. reduced-fat coleslaw dressing

2 pieces bacon, cooked crisp, crumbles

Cook broccoli just until crisp-tender, drain well, and cool. In large bowl toss cooled broccoli, bell pepper, onion, raisins and coleslaw dressing. Sprinkle with bacon and serve.

Peanut-Butter Banana Pie

1 pie shell (either graham cracker crumb, or

regular pie crust already baked)

½ c. butter, softened

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

2/3 c. peanut-butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 c. powdered sugar

4 firm ripe bananas, sliced

Whipped topping

In a medium bowl, beat butter, cream cheese, peanut butter and vanilla with electric mixer until well blended. Gradually add powdered sugar beating until smooth and creamy and all sugar is mixed in. Gently fold in banana slices with rubber spatula. Pour filling evenly into the prepared pie crust and smooth top. Refrigerate 2 hours or until serving time. Serve garnished with whipped topping. Serves 8.

It’s July so bring on the heat, the pool, and the fireworks!! Hoping also for some more relaxing vacation time before August rolls around. I LOVE being home in the summer with not much to do but cook and try out recipes-I could do this all the time! Somehow my grocery bill goes up when I do this though?? I hope you find everything here you need for a great 4th of July picnic or any occasion that you are planning, even if it is a simple dinner at home with the family. The Lemon-Blueberry Banana bread is great summertime bread because fresh blueberries are available. All of the rest of the dishes make either party or small dinner get-togethers even more special! Whatever you choose to try here, I wish you….. Happy Cooking,

Rochelle