Giant Banana Bread Muffins...with a Swirl!

My friend Jessica recently shared a Banana Bread recipe with me that I just had to try because it was different!  I love good banana bread, and I'm always up for something with a bit of a twist.  When I got ready to make these I decided to make them into giant muffins instead of making it in a loaf pan, so I actually poured the batter in four round CorningWare dishes.  (Hopefully you know what I'm talking about!)  I ended up wrapping one in a cellophane bag and tying it with cute ribbon with a note about how my son was just "bananas" to have his teacher...forgot to take a picture of that...oops!  Anyway, here's the crazy easy and delicious recipe!

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Giant Banana Bread Muffins...with a Swirl!

3 over-ripe bananas, smashed up

1/3 cup melted butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

dash of salt

1 1/2 cups flour

For the swirl:

1/3 cup sugar

1 tbsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350.  Butter and flour a loaf pan...or four CorningWare round dishes.  Mix bananas, butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla together.  Sprinkle baking soda and salt around on top of the banana mixture.  Then, gently stir in flour.  Be careful not to over-mix.  In a small bowl, mix together the 1/3 cup sugar and tbsp cinnamon.  Add 1/2 the batter to the loaf pan or round dishes and then sprinkle half, or a little more than half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture all over the batter in the pan.  Add the rest of the batter, and then sprinkle the leftover cinnamon-sugar on top.  If you are baking in a loaf pan, the recipe says to bake for 50-60 minutes.  When I baked these in the round dishes, I baked them for around 40 minutes I believe.  Just keep an eye on them!

Yummy!!  These are seriously good and so easy!  Enjoy!  :)

Cilantro Lime Pesto Chicken Tacos

I had pinned these from What's Cooking Chicago a while ago, and finally got around to making them.  Oh my goodness...I should have made them earlier.  They are FANTASTIC!!!  These will definitely be made again..SOON!!

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Cilantro Lime Pesto Chicken Tacos

Cooking spray

2-3 large boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, but in bite sized pieces

salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon garlic powder

tortillas

garnishes of your choice

Season chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  In a skillet sprayed with cooking spray, saute chicken until cooked through.

 For pesto:

1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, no stems

2 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons sliced, toasted almonds

3 tablespoons chopped fresh garlic

1 1/2 teaspoons lime juice

1/2 cup shredded asiago, parmesan, or romano cheese (I used romano)

1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 cup chicken broth

Mix all of the above ingredients in a blender on low speed for 2 minutes.

 Toss cooked, seasoned chicken with the pesto.

 Fill tortillas with chicken and top with desired garnishes.  I sauteed some yellow peppers and white onion and then added some avocado slices and sour cream.

These are SO GOOD!!!!  Get ready, they will go quick!!  Enjoy!  :)

Crunchy Herbed Chicken Breasts

I saw this recipe in a recent Taste of Home and am so glad I tagged it to make. This chicken comes out SO CRUNCHY on the outside, but moist on the inside.  It is fantastic!!  As always, super easy too!!  :)

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Crunchy Herbed Chicken Breasts

2/3 cup panko (Japanese) bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup grated Romano cheese

1 Tbsp. minced fresh oregano or 1 tsp. dried oregano

1 Tbsp. minced fresh basil or 1 tsp. dried basil

2 tsp. minced fresh parsley

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 eggs, lightly beaten

6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (5 oz. each)

Olive oil-flavored cooking spray

In a shallow bowl, mix the first nine ingredients.  Place flour and eggs in separate shallow bowls.  Dip both sides of chicken in the four, eggs, then crumb mixture, patting to help coating adhere.

 Place on a greased baking sheet.  Spritz tops with cooking spray.  Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes.

SO GOOD!!!!  My son loved it too, which is always a bonus!  Enjoy.  :)