Raspberry Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Got this recipe from pinterest from the recipe boy blog and since banana bread is one of Kyle's favorites I love trying new recipes for it.

• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 lg eggs
• 4 mashed bananas
• 1/3 cup plain yogurt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup chocolate chips or chunks
• 1 cup halved raspberries, tossed in flour

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Spray bread pan with baking spray
3. Whisk flour, baking soda and salt
4. In another bowl beat sugar and butter until well blended
5. Add eggs one at a time
6. Add banana, yogurt and vanilla beat until blended
7. Stir in chocolate chunks and raspberries
8. Spoon batter into bread pan and bake 50-60 minutes until wooden pick in center comes out clean.
9. Cool 15 minutes in pan and remove from pan and cool completely

Eggplant Rollatini

Got this recipe off The Chew, one of my favorite daytime shows I always record to watch after work.

• 2 Eggplants (sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick pieces)
• 1/2 cup Olive Oil
• 1 cups Ricotta
• 1/2 cup Basil
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 3 sprigs Thyme, chop up the leaves only
• Zest of 1 Lemon
• Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
• 1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano plus extra to garnish
• 2 cups Tomato Sauce
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Season the eggplant with salt and pepper
3. Add 2 tbsp olive oil to pan over medium high heat. Add eggplant once oil is heated up and cook on both sides until golden brown.
4. In a medium bowl combine ricotta, parm, basil, thyme, garlic, lemon zest, egg and season with salt and pepper
5. Spread sauce on the bottom of casserole dish.
6. Spoon ricotta mixture onto eggplant slices and roll up and place on top of sauce
7. Spoon sauce over eggplant in casserole dish
8. Add sliced mozzarella on top and bake 25-30 minutes.
9. Garnish with basil and parmesan.



Veal Marsala

Wanted to do something different for dinner so when we were at the market and I saw these thin veal cutlets I decided to make one of my favorites - Chicken Marsala and substitute Veal. Made some thin spaghetti to go along and was a great dinner.

• flour (for dredging veal)
• salt and pepper
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2-4 tbsp olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves smashed up
• 8oz mushrooms, sliced up
• 1/2 cup marsala wine
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• Cornstarch to thicken sauce (I didn't measure this, usually I just mix some with some water to thicken up sauce)

While I was making this and realized I needed a little more sauce for the pasta I added a little more red wine and marsala wine. This sauce is really easy to customize and increase, I got the original recipe from Food Network and have been making it so long I don't measure anymore and it still turns out great.

1. Season each side of the veal chop with salt and pepper and dredge in flour on both sides.
2. Heat up your saute pan with olive oil (I used a mushroom infused olive oil, but plain will also be great)
3. Cook veal about 2 minutes on each side and when done transfer to plate and set aside.
4. Add more oil to pan if needed and add in garlic. Saute about 1 minute.
5. Add sliced mushrooms and saute about 3 minutes.
6. Add marsala, red wine and broth. Simmer about 4 minutes and add cornstarch if need the broth thickened.
7. I set up our plates and poured the sauce and mushooms over the veal and added the remaining sauce and mushrooms to thin spaghetti.



Animal Love

Since I was young I've loved most animals, whenever we travel I always try to visit a Zoo. So when I found out we were visiting San Diego the zoo was on top of my list of things to do. I can't wait to go back again. We got to pet the amazing Galapagos Tortoise, here are two pictures, one of them is me actually petting one, and another is someone else petting one, but had to share the amazing photo.

If you are ever in the San Diego area check out this amazing zoo and the turtle and tortoise area.