Banana Cake (or bread)

1/2 C  margarine (I use Gold n Soft or Blue Bonnet)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
( 1 tsp pure vanilla if desired)
3-4 smaller bananas - mashed
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp lemon juice
2 cups Flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

chopped pecans or other nuts if you desire 1/2 cup or so- I don't measure, just throw in a handful or two.

Cream margarine and sugar. Add eggs and beat well. Add bananas (confession- I just throw them in and let the mixer mash them) vanilla if desired, milk, and lemon juice. After those ingredients are mixed in well, add the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. I add these separate from the flour so that they get a better chance to fully incorporate instead of using the sifting method. Then, add the flour and nuts (if you are).

Bake in a 8 x 8 cake/brownie pan- at 350 degrees for approximately 45-50 minutes. Or you can bake in a loaf pan for banana bread and you would need to bake it for an hour.

For a 9x13 pan, double the recipe.

Mexican Sides - Rice, Pico De Gallo, Cebiche, Green Salsa

Here are a few authentic recipes gathered by the DR from some of the work crews when we lived in Oregon-

Rice-
fry in a small amount of butter for a few minutes before cooking. Then cook as usual using 2/3 part water and 1/3 part tomato soup-


Pico de gallo (fresh salsa)

2 Tomatoes- finely chopped
1 yellow onion- finely diced
jalapeno- thinly minced- to taste
cilantro- finely minced- to taste
black pepper- to taste
salt - to taste
1/2 to a whole lime- juiced

Mix all ingredients and adjust the flavor-



Cebiche

Shelled, Uncooked Shrimp
Lime juice
same ingredients as pico de gallo except the lime juice for that
shredded carrots

place shrimp in bowl, cover in fresh lime juice. Cover bowl with tin foil and place in the freezer for 15-20 minutes. Take out and drain lime juice. Add vegetables. Put back in freezer for about 10 minutes. Serve on tostada.


Green Salsa

12 Tomitillo (sp)
2 fresh jalapeno peppers
Salt
Finely Chopped onion
Finely chopped Cilantro



These are not the most thorough recipes as they came directly from some of the mexican workers and the DR's writing- but they are close enough.

Spinach Dip

1 pkg ranch flavored Dip Mix
1 pt sour cream
10 oz pkg frozen spinach
8 oz can of waterchestnuts

Sour Dough Bread Bowl

Thaw and drain spinach. Mix dip mix (not dressing) with sour cram. Add drained spinach. Drain and chop waterchestnuts. Add to mix.

Cut and "gut" bread bowl (or just put in a bowl and cut up a loaf to dip), making chunks of bread to dip in the spinach dip.

Oh Henry- Rice Crispy bars

O' Henry's

2 C sugar
2 C White Karo Syrup
7 C Crispy Rice Cereal
2 C salted peanuts
2 c peanut butter
12 oz pkg butterscotch chips
12 oz pkg chocolate chips

Bring sugar and Karo just to a boil. Don't overcook or bars will be hard. Add peanut butter and peanuts and stir. Add cereal. Pour into large 12 x 17 inch cookie sheet. Melt both flavors of chips, blend and spread over the top of the mixture in the pan. Let set. Cut into bars.

Salsa - Bottled

Salsa-

The basis for this Recipe comes from my friend Melani in Auburn Washington. I have adapted it to my family a little.

16 C peeled and mashed tomatoes
2-3 jalapeno peppers (more if you like it hot)
10-12 yellow peppers (look like jalapenos)
5 bell peppers- diced
3 large onions- diced
6-8 large cloves of garlic- minced
2 1/8 C Cider Vinegar
2 1/2 TB Salt
1 to 1 and 1/2 C sugar ( I personally like my salsa sugarless- but the DR insists- I use as little as I can get away with :0 )

Cook tomatoes for a minimum of 15- 20 min. The thicker you like your salsa, the longer you want to cook and reduce the liquid level. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for about 1 1/2 hours (longer if you want it thicker)

Put in jars and process in a boiling water bath according to jar sizes- 15 minutes for 1/2 pint, 20 minutes for pints and 30 minutes for quarts.

This amount makes approx 12 pints- give or take depending on how thick you let it reduce.

Ann's Shrimp Dip

Shrimp and Cream Cheese: (S.I.L. A.)

2- 8 oz cream cheese
1- 4 oz can tiny shrimp, drained
juice from one lemon

Mix with electric mixer until well blended.

This one we prefer with a plain, ridged, potato chip-

Frito Dip

Frito Dip- because we eat it with Fritos: (Sis- Amyrinkis)

1 lb of Jimmy Dean Original Sausage, browned and drained.
2- 8 oz pkg cream cheese (room temp)
1- 10 oz can of Ro-Tel Tomatoes- Original with green chilis and cilantro

This is a warm dip, so as soon as you drain the grease from the sausage, put the sausage in with the cream cheese and stir with a spoon until it is well blended. The sausage will make the dip chunky. Then add the can of Ro-Tel.

If you want it spicier- then use the hotter Ro-Tel, or for mild, use the mild Ro-Tel. Some people like this dip when it has been chilled, but I like it best warm, so I will microwave it if it gets too cool.

Bacon wrapped Waterchestnuts

Package of Sizzlean (less shrinkage) or bacon
a couple of cans of whole water chestnuts

Sauce (see following directions)


Cut "bacon" slices into about thirds. Wrap one piece around one chestnut and secure with a toothpick. Place on a baking sheet. Continue until you either run out of "bacon" or water chestnuts. These get gobbled up- so make plenty.


Make sauce-

1 C Ketchup
1/2 C either sugar or brown sugar- depending on your preference.


Preheat oven to 375- Bake wrapped chestnuts for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven, drain fat, and then put wraps into a casserole dish. Pour sauce over the top. Cover and bake for 15 minutes longer.

Cocktail Wieners

Cocktail Wieners:

1- 2 pkgs Lil' Smokies
1 jar of Pineapple Ice Cream Topping
3/4 of the topping jar full of ketchup
1 can of drained pineapple chunks
1 TB Worcestershire Sauce
3 TB Brown sugar

Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan or crock pot and heat through.