Carmelized Bananna Crepes

I have had this thought in my head for quite some time and today I realized I had a bunch of bananas that needed to be eaten and some leftover frozen crepes in the freezer, shazam!

My husband and I are mostly savory breakfast folks, but this was really good for a change and super easy!

3 bananas sliced
2 tbl butter
1/4 brown sugar
Crepes buy them or make them
Sliced almonds (optional I wish I had some to use when I made mine)

Slice your bananas into a bowl and set aside

Place the butter and brown sugar into a non stick fry pan on medium heat, and let them caramelize, keep stirring until the color is a nice dark brown and the mixture thickens (I did not let mine go long enough the mixture is too light in color). Add your bananas and cook for about a minute

In the meantime prepare your crepes, cook fresh ones or re-heat some you have

Place some of the mixture down the middle of your crepes, roll them up and top with additional banana mixture and nuts. Whipped cream is also yummy!

Avocado, Graperfruit and Feta Salad

Recently the California Avocado Association via Foodbuzz offered to send me some of their awesome Avocado's to try. They arrived carefully packed and are absolutely gorgeous! They included an awesome little tool which makes cutting and removing the meat of the Avocado a breeze, Thank you!

I had seen the Avocado, Grapefruit and Feta salad all over the food blogs for months and finally decided to make it myself. The creamy Avocado with the tart Grapefruit and one of my favorite cheeses all worked well together. I will be making this again and again.

I do think this would be good with grapes, purple onion or perhaps some nuts, maybe next time!

1 Avocado, seeded, skin removed and cut into squares
1 Del Monte Grapefruit Cup (drain and reserve juice)
2 to 3 ounces Feta Cheese

Dressing:

½ cup champagne vinegar
3 tablespoons of the reserved Grapefruit Juice
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons honey
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

Strawberry Lemonade

In the summertime I always feel left out when everyone else is enjoying Strawberry Lemonade when we go out to eat. Being a diabetic I am stuck with Diet Soda or Water.

The other day I had an idea, what if I took fresh strawberries and pureed them with my stick blender and added them to a pitcher of Crystal Lite Lemonade. I was instantly in love, I could be just like everyone else! Whooo Hoooooooooo. It is super easy to make and so refreshing!

I realize this is not rocket science, but if I took me this long to give it a try, maybe someone else who has to go the low sugar route for health reasons or just simply does not care for sugary drinks can use the idea!

My husband thinks a dash of Orange Juice would be good, but I omitted that ingredient!

1/3 to 1/2 cup fresh strawberries (frozen would work I am sure)
1 package Crystal Light Lemonade (or your choice of lemonade)

Puree the strawberries in a blender or use your stick blender, add in a a bit of water to help it along

Add the strawberries into a pitcher along with your Lemonade Mix, add water

Mix well and serve over ice, garnish with a strawberry if desired

Brazilian Cheese Bread - Pão de Queijo

As I have mentioned in previous blog posts, my mother In Law has developed an allergy to Gluten, Celiacs to be specific, so I have been working on developing and finding recipes she can eat, it has become a hobby of mine.

My Mother In Law holds a special place in my heart, my Mom passed away when I was 16 and my boyfriends Mom (later my Mother In Law) treated me just like one of her own kids. I don't think I would be the person I am today without her guidance and love, so if there is one little thing I can to do make her life easier I like to do it!

I had no idea how hard it is to live the gluten free life, a piece of bread on your plate even when removed can affect you. You need a separate toaster for regular bread versus gluten free bread and on and on. Items you would think have no Gluten often times do, especially bottled salad dressings! How crazy is that!

The rolls are nicely crispy on the outside and the inside almost feels like it is still raw, but that is exactly what it is supposed to be like! These are delicious whether you are allergic to gluten or not!

1/2 cup butter
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups tapioca flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp cayanne pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper
2/3 cup freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
2 beaten eggs

4 tbl butter mixed with 1 minced garlic clove, microwaved till melted (brush this mixture on the top of the rolls when they come out of the onion for even more flavor)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Pour milk, butter and salt into a large saucepan, and place over high heat. When the mixture comes to a boil, remove from heat immediately, and stir in tapioca flour and spices until smooth.

Set aside to rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

Stir the cheese and egg into the tapioca mixture until well combined, the mixture will be chunky like cottage cheese.

Drop rounded balls of the mixture onto an ungreased baking sheet. I used my 1 inch scooper, so the balls were small.

Bake in preheated oven until the tops are lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. (I learned the hard way, they will need closer to 25 minutes till browned and crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside)

Remove and brush with melted butter and garlic mixture.