Perfecting the Banana Cream Pie

Tomorrow is T's birthday which means tonight I will be making a banana cream pie. Sounds easy, right? Sure...if I bought a pre-made crust, some instant pudding, and a container of Cool Whip. But that would never do. It can only be made from scratch - just like his mom used to make when he was a little boy. And after many years of somewhat soupy and not-so-perfect pies, I think I've finally pretty much perfected it. The secret, my friends, is the love - oh, and lots and lots of stirring!

Perfect Pie Crust

1/3 cup & 1 tablespoon shortening
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-3 tablespoons cold water

Cut shortening into flour. Add salt. Stir in water with fork just until mixture forms a round ball. Yields one 9-inch pie crust; double ingredients for 2 crusts. Bake at 425 degrees until golden brown; prick with fork before baking to prevent bubbles and blisters.

Banana Cream Pie

2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups whole milk
4 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla
2-3 large bananas
1 pint heavy whipping cream

Once pie crust has cooled to room temperature, peel and slice bananas and arrange in a layer approximately 1/2-inch thick on top of the pie crust. Set aside. Stir together sugar, cornstarch, and milk in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly (I usually add milk one cup at a time). Continue cooking and stirring over medium heat until mixture thickens and boils (make sure you stir continuously and that the mixture is really thick before you stop). Pour about 1/3 of the mixture into the bowl containing the egg yolks and mix well. Transfer egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the "pudding" mixture. Bring to a boil and stir for approximately one minute. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Pour over bananas in pie crust and allow to cool slightly before refrigerating. Chill pie thoroughly (at least 2 hours) before covering with whipped cream and serving. (I usually chill the pie overnight and make the whipped cream the next day, just before serving).

Happy Birthday, baby! I love you with all of my heart!

If you like buffalo wings...

...then you're gonna love this dip! Super Bowl is just around the corner and I guarantee that I'll be whipping up a batch of this dip to snack on while watching the big game (and hopefully cheering the Pats on to victory!)

Buffalo Chicken Dip

1 lb. boneless chicken breasts or tenders, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 8 oz. package of cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup Frank's RedHot Buffalo Wing Sauce

1/2 cup blue cheese salad dressing

1 cup shredded cheese (we like a blend of cheddar and monterey jack)

Season chicken with salt, pepper, or whatever you prefer (we use fajita seasoning) and cook in skillet on your stovetop until cooked through. In large bowl stir together chicken, cream cheese, Buffalo Wing Sauce, blue cheese dressing and 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Mix well. Transfer mixture to a 9-inch pie plate or casserole dish and top with remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Serve warm with tortilla chips and maybe even some celery!

-

Note to self: Remember to try out some of these delicious looking recipes next football season!

Another favorite...

I made this for B & E (my brother and his lovely girlfriend) on Wednesday night as we watched our beloved BoSox move one step closer to clinching the division (go Sox!)


Creamy Pesto Shrimp and Linguine

1 box of linguine
1/2 cup butter*
2 cups heavy cream*
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
1/3 cup pesto (I prefer to make my own, see here)
1 pound medium or large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add box of linguine, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes (or as instructed on the box). Drain and set aside. While the linguine is cooking, melt the butter in a large skillet, over medium heat. Stir in cream, add fresh ground black pepper, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring constantly. Add parmesan cheese to the cream sauce, stirring until thoroughly mixed. Add the pesto and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly until thickened. Stir in the shrimp and cook for approximately 5 minutes (until they turn pink). Add the linguine, mix well, and serve.

*You can use lowfat margarine and half & half to make this a little healthier. You will just need to cook a little longer to thicken the cream sauce. And it tastes almost just as good!

And we will be trying this one real soon!

Yum!

Nothing beats homemade pesto...


Pesto

2 cups fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
pinch of salt
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons butter, softened

Put basil, olive oil, pine nuts, garlic, and salt in food processor and blend at high speed until evenly mixed (smooth, creamy texture). Pour mixture into a bowl and stir in parmesan cheese by hand. Beat in the 3 tablespoons of butter by hand. Pesto can be served with pasta, italian bread, refrigerated or frozen.

I ♥ Mussels

Although we love this best on the beach during the summer, this is one of our favorites year round:

Mussels Marinière

2 pounds mussels

4 tablespoons butter

2 shallots, minced

1 cup dry white wine

pinch of dried thyme

salt and pepper

1/4 cup chopped parsley

Soak mussels in a bowl of cold, salted water for 5 to 10 minutes. Discard any mussels that seem unusually heavy or light or that do not close their shells. In a deep pot, sauté the shallots in the butter for a minute or two. Add wine and let simmer for several minutes, allowing some of the wine to cook off. Add the thyme, a pinch of salt, and several grinds of fresh pepper. Add the mussels, cover tightly, and let steam over high heat for about 5 minutes. Shake the pot well several times to make sure that the mussels cook evenly. Pour the pot into a large serving bowl and sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately, preferably with a nice crusty baguette!