My Favorite Banana Bread Recipe

This recipe comes from a community cookbook that I received for a wedding shower gift back in 1979. The covers are missing and the book itself is held together with a rubber band.  It's only a matter of time before I lose the page with this recipe on it, as it's already ripped and stained,  so I thought I would save it here.

I freeze bananas that are too ripe to eat and often use those in this recipe. I find that when I thaw frozen bananas, there can be a lot of watery liquid on the package. I drain most of that off, and sometimes I also decrease the milk in the recipe by an ounce or so.

BANANA BREAD

1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
3 medium bananas, mashed
1/2 cup milk
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tbsp. baking powder. (Yes, that really is a tablespoon)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or other nuts  (optional, I never add these)

Preheat oven to 350.  Cream margarine, beat in egg and bananas, add milk, then sugar.  Sift flour, baking powder and salt together, add to ingredients in mixing bowl.  Combine, then stir in nuts.  Bake in greased loaf pan for 1 hour.

Summer Garden Veggie Medley

Summer Garden Veggie Medley

INGREDIENTS:

(No amounts given, just use amount needed for your family)

Yellow summer squash, peeled, seeded and cubed

Roma tomatoes, cored and cut in chunks

Red, yellow or green pepper, (or some of each), cut in chunks

Yellow or white onion, cut in chunks

Shredded fresh Parmesan cheese, (not the kind that comes in those plastic shakers)

Olive oil cooking spray, (or small amount of any oil)

Seasoned salt, oregano, black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Grease or spray bottom of baking pan, (I used a 9x9 metal cake pan).  Put a layer of squash in the bottom and season lightly with spices.  Sprinkle with cheese. Top with a layer of each of the other vegetables, again season with spices and top with more cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees until veggies are heated through, cheese is melted and vegetables are done to your preference. 

I baked mine for 45 minutes and they were very tender, which is what I was aiming for.

You could easily substitute other kinds of squash.

Hutspot

I know, you are asking "what on earth is Hutspot"?  It is a very simple Dutch dish, inexpensive, easy to make, tasty and filling.  Simply put, it's Dutch comfort food.  It doesn't look like much, but it is tasty.

I am of Dutch ancestry, and this was a meal that my mother sometimes served if her day had been unusually busy.  Her version was all cooked together in one pan, preparation was easy and  clean up was minimal.  The ingredients were simple and usually in her pantry.  There are many versions of this dish, this one is my mom's.

Ingredients:
Potatoes, carrots and onions, enough for your family
Salt and pepper to taste
Chicken broth or water, enough to cover prepared vegetables
Smoked sausage, enough for your family ( it's best to use the thick smoked sausage, which comes in rings or long links, rather than the ones sized for eating on buns)
Milk and butter to taste

Method:
Peel and quarter potatoes, peel and slice carrots, peel and coarsely chop onions.  Put the vegetables in a sauce pan, and cover them with water or broth.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Sometimes I add a bay leaf.  Bring this to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until vegetables are not quite tender. Add  the smoked sausage ring or links on top of the simmering vegetables, and simmer for 10 more minutes or until vegetables are very tender. Remove sausage and drain the vegetables. Add butter and milk to the pan, just as you would for mashed potatoes and mash everything together. (Remember to remove the bay leaf if you added one.).  Cut sausage into serving size pieces and serve with the mashed vegetable mixture.

We often got homemade applesauce on the side.


Variations:
Some serve this with pot roast and gravy, or meatballs and gravy, rather than smoked sausage.
Bacon is a popular addition.
Dutch mustard is sometimes served with hutspot.
It is said that it tastes better if the onions are sautéed in a little oil or butter, rather than being cooked with the potatoes.  I've been too lazy to try this, but I suspect that this is probably true.
There are those who cook the carrots, potatoes and onions each separately and then mash them together. (See lazy comment above!)
Some recipes call for adding the smoked sausage at the beginning of the cooking time. I think this makes the sausage tasteless, but I will admit that it imparts a bit of a smoky flavor to the potato mixture.