Toasted Coconut Banana Bread

Toasted Coconut Banana Bread

From Trim & Terrific Freezer Friendly Meals

Servings: 16 slices

1 egg

2/3 cup light brown sugar

¼ cup canola oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 bananas, mashed

1 cup light coconut milk, shake before opening

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ cup flaked coconut, toasted

Toasted walnuts or pecans (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-inch non-stick loaf pan with cooking spray or butter.

In a bowl, mix together the egg, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla. Add the mashed banana and coconut milk. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda in a small bowl. Gradually stir in the flour mixture into the banana mixture just until moist. Add half the coconut (and toasted walnuts or pecans if desired) and transfer batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with the remaining coconut and press into top of batter. Bake 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean.

To Freeze: Cool to room temperature, then wrap, label, and freeze. Recommended freezing time: up to 4-6 months. Just remove from freezer and defrost when ready to eat!

* Jill’s notes: To toast coconut either put in the oven in a metal pan (can do as it pre-heats) and stir on occasion until coconut reaches desired level of toasting. Can also toast in a skillet on a stovetop. Cook over low heat stirring occasionally. This is one of Rob’s favorite snacks and we always have some coconut flakes on hand. Add toasted coconut to mixed nuts, chocolate chips, and raisins or cranberries for a quick trail mix, sprinkle on top of yogurt, pudding, or ice cream, or just eat plain!

** This is a great recipe to double. Eat one now and freeze one for later. 2 batches will use 1 can of coconut milk and you can throw in 4-6 bananas.

*** You can also easily incorporate whole wheat flour into this recipe. Make a blend of whole wheat flour and regular flour 50/50 or I used 100% white whole wheat flour.

Nutrition Info (as recipe is written): 161 calories; 6g fat; 2g sat. fat; 13 mg. chol.; 84 mg. sod.; 1g fiber; 2g protein

Smothered Okra



Smothered Okra

 From Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

Servings: 4

½ cup chopped onion (1 medium)

½ cup chopped green sweet pepper (I used regular and italian frying peppers)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 T. butter or margarine

8 ounces whole okra (about 4 med. to lg. sized), cut into ½” pieces (2 cups), or 2 cups frozen cut okra, thawed

2 cups chopped, peeled tomatoes (2 large)

1/8 tsp. ground red pepper (optional)

2 slices bacon, crisp-cooked, drained, and crumbled (optional)

Parmesan cheese to taste (optional)

1. In a large skillet cook and stir the onion, sweet pepper, and garlic in butter over medium heat about 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in okra, tomatoes, red pepper, ½ tsp. salt, and 1/8 tsp. black pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 20 minutes for fresh okra (10 minutes for thawed okra) or until okra is very tender. If desired sprinkle with bacon and/or cheese.

Nutrition info: 106 calories; 7g total fat; 4g sat. fat; 16 mg. chol.; 367 mg. sodium; 4g fiber; 2g protein

Daily values: 25% vit. A; 72% vit. C; 6% calcium; 6% iron

Exchanges: 2 ½ vegetable; 1 fat

Pretty simple ingredients

Sauteeing the peppers and onions



The Tanzer Family Table

After coming over for a home-cooked dinner one night a good friend of ours told me, “Regular people wake up each morning and ask themselves, ‘What am I going to do today?’ You wake up each morning and ask yourselves, ‘What are we going to eat today?’”

I hadn’t really thought much about it before then but I quickly realized he was right. I have always enjoyed cooking and have done a lot of it over the years. I have shelves and shelves of recipe books and stacks of loose recipes I want to try someday. Luckily, when I met my husband he shared my passion for good, home-cooked food. Although he wasn’t much of a chef in the beginning, he is too curious to be kept out of the kitchen. He quickly started picking up on cooking techniques and recipes and now is a better cook than I am at lots of things. I have to laugh when I am cooking something and I hear him come into the kitchen. I can almost guarantee within a matter of seconds he will take the spoon out of my hand and take over the cooking. I have given up fighting him on this one and we have reached a happy level of harmony in the kitchen. I love that one of our favorite things to do together is to cook – even if it is just for ourselves to enjoy. We have one rule of thumb for our kitchen: it has to be big enough to accommodate two chefs!

Along the way I have also developed a passion for healthy living and cooking. I hope what I put on the table each day is not only delicious but something that is healthy and nourishing for our family. Many people have fallen victim to a convesration with me about my love of the magazine Eating Well and a lot of my recipes come from their books and magazines. Many studies have shown the eating habits of one spouse can influence the other – I know that to be true. I also know my sister is an invaluable resource for me when I want to cook something new or need inspiration. I really feel your best inspiration comes from the other cooks around you so I hope pass along whatever I can.

A few of my other core “foodie” beliefs:

* Life is too short to eat bad food

* Good food and healthy food are not mutually exclusive

* A high calorie splurge on occasion is healthy and often well-deserved

* Recipes taste better if they are shared

* One cook can inspire another

* You can never fail when you try something new (food item, cooking method, etc.). You will always walk away knowing something you didn’t know before

* Don’t worry if you don’t follow the recipe perfectly - some of the best recipes you ever make will be a “mistake”

* Life is also too short to be a picky eater – try a food several different ways before you rule it out

* Find a handful of simple, go-to, recipes to put in your mental recipe box (some of mine are baked sweet potatoes, asparagus with garlic butter, coleslaw, turkey paninis, chicken salad sandwiches, etc.) These should be recipes that are so simple you can pick up 5 or less ingredients at the store and make them without looking at a recipe.

* Planning ahead to make a weekly menu will take 50% of the stress out of cooking

* Doubling a batch of something to freeze takes very little extra work - you will thank yourself later

* If you love to cook, you should share the love by feeding friends, family and strangers. A happy cook makes everything taste better!

So for those who wonder what is on the Tanzer family table today, I will try to share some of our newest (and oldest!) food adventures and obsessions.