Banana Oatmeal Cookies-From Sam

 INGREDIENTS

2 ripe bananas

1 flax egg 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal + 3 tablespoons water

1 cup rolled oats gluten-free if needed

1/2 cup quinoa flakes or more oats

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS

 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

In a small mixing bowl, completely mash the banana. Stir in the flax egg.

Add the remaining ingredients and mix until fully combined.

Spoon the cookie dough on the cookie sheet, and gently flatten with the back of a spoon.

Bake 13 – 15 minutes, until browned and only slightly tender to the touch. Remove from oven, transfer to a wire rack and cool.

Store in a covered container for 2 – 3 days (if they last that long!).

Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients

6 cups rolled oats (not instant)

2 cups light brown sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon powdered ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup slivered almonds, toasted in the oven for 5 minutes

¾ cup chopped dried apricots

2 sticks unsalted butter, melted over low heat

4 eggs

2 cups milk

For the topping

¾ cup rolled oats

¾ cup brown sugar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (325 degrees for a glass pan). Use a pan spray to coat the pan, or grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch-by-13-inch-by-2 inch pan with 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter, then dust with flour, and set aside.

2. Mix together oats, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, spices, almonds, and apricots in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.

3. In a separate bowl, combine melted butter, eggs and milk and beat lightly.

4. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until just mixed.

5. Pour batter into prepared pan.

6. In a small bowl, stir together oats and brown sugar for topping and sprinkle evenly over the top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the oatmeal is set in the middle and is a dark golden brown on top.

7. Remove to a cooling rack and let stand for 3 minutes before serving.

8. Cut into 12 equal pieces. Garnish with fruit, if desired. It may be served with warmed milk, if desired.

Tamale recipe from Norma

Ingredients

 2 pounds chicken breast
 1 bag dried corn husks, approx. 3 dozen
 2 onions
 Chopped tomatoes
 2 bay leaves
 6 garlic, cloves peeled
 1 oz. dried guajillo chiles, tops cut off and seeds removed
 1 oz. dried ancho chiles, tops cut off and seeds removed
 4 cups masa mix/masa flour
 4 cups chicken broth, warm
 1 cup fat
 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
 1 tablespoon salt, divided
 1 tablespoon cumin ground
 2 teaspoons baking powder
 1 teaspoon oregano
 salt and pepper, to taste
 water, as needed

Directions

Combine chicken, onion, chiles and garlic cloves, cumin, tomatoes and salt in InstantPot.  Cook for 30 mins.
Remove chicken and shred.  Transfer sauce to a blender. In batches, puree until smooth. Add sauce to shredded chicken, mix until thoroughly coated with sauce.
Carefully soak dried cornhusks for 30 minutes in a large bowl of warm water. When ready, rinse and dry cornhusks and set them out on a baking sheet, covered by a damp towel.
 In a separate bowl, combine masa mix, baking powder and 2 teaspoons salt. Pour in broth, a little at a time, until you've got a dough-like consistency.
In a small bowl, beat vegetable shortening for 3-5 minutes, or until fluffy and lightened in color. Add shortening to the masa and beat until the dough is spongy.
Remove damp towel from husks and place 1 large husk, smooth side up and horizontally, on a flat surface. Using a spoon dipped in water, spread a thin layer of masa over the husk, but leave 1/4 of the husk exposed at the top.
Add 1-1 1/2 tablespoons of meat filling to the center of the masa, but leave some extra space at the narrow end. Fold the narrow end up and over to the center. Then fold both sides in towards the center. Pinch the top closed.
Once all tamales are wrapped, place them open/pinched sides up in a colander or steamer. Place steamer in a large pot filled with 2-3 inches of water, but make sure the water does not reach the steamer.
Cover pot with a damp cloth and place lid on top of pot. Steam tamales for 2 hours, making sure water stays at a low boil and doesn't boil away.
Tamales are finished when the insides begin to pull away from the outer husks.

Trying the buffalo chicken casserole again

Ingredients
• 1 large spaghetti squash, cooked and shredded
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 cup diced carrots, about 2-3 medium size
• 2 pounds cooked chicken
• 1/3 cup hot sauce (like Frank's Red Hot)
• 1/4 cup ranch dressing
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• salt to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon)
• 3 eggs
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400° and line a 13x9 pan with parchment paper and set aside.
2. While squash is cooking, sauté the onion and carrots for 5-7 minutes- until softened and mostly cooked through.
3. Shred squash with a fork and place in a large bowl. Use a clean towel and press the liquid out- it doesn't have to be super dry, but this helps make the casserole not too watery.
4. Add the onion mixture to the bowl along with the chicken, hot sauce, ranch, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir well.
5. Add the eggs, mix well, and pour mixture into the prepared pan.
6. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
7. Serve with additional ranch if desired.

Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
• 1 cup homemade mayo
• 1 (14oz) can coconut cream
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (I use Real Salt)
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
1. Mix mayo and coconut cream together with a whisk until fully combined.
2. Add in the garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine.
3. Store in the fridge. It will be pretty thin at first, but will set up in the fridge.

Sweet Potato, Kale and Mushroom Gratin (Blue Apron)

¾ Cup Milk
6 Ounces Cremini Mushrooms
3 Cloves Garlic
2 Sweet Potatoes
1 Apple
1 Bunch Kale
1 Head Butter Lettuce
1 Lemon
3 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Crumbled Blue Cheese
2 Tablespoons Roasted Pistachios
¼ Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high. Thinly slice the mushrooms. Remove and discard the kale stems; thinly slice the leaves. Peel the sweet potatoes; thinly slice into rounds. Using a peeler, remove the yellow lemon rind, avoiding the white pith; mince the rind to get 2 teaspoons of zest (or use a zester). Quarter and deseed the lemon. Roughly chop the pistachios. Peel and mince the garlic. Cut off and discard the lettuce root. Core and thinly slice the apple; place in a bowl with the juice of 1 lemon wedge.

In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, 4 to 6 minutes, or until lightly browned and softened. Season with salt and pepper. Add the kale and cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until wilted. Add ¼ cup of water; cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 4 minutes, or until the water has cooked off. Turn off the heat; stir in the lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside in a warm place.

While the vegetables cook, add the sweet potatoes to the pot of boiling water and cook 12 to 14 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork. Drain thoroughly; transfer to a plate and set aside in a warm place. Rinse and wipe out the pot.

In the same pot, heat the butter on medium-high until melted. Add the garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the flour and cook, whisking frequently, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until thoroughly combined. Slowly whisk in the milk and ½ cup of water; cook, whisking frequently, 2 to 4 minutes, or until thickened. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spread about ⅓ cup of the sauce into the bottom of a baking dish. Evenly top with ⅓ of the cooked sweet potatoes, then ⅓ of the cooked vegetables, then ⅓ of the remaining sauce. Repeat twice with the remaining sweet potatoes, cooked vegetables and sauce. Evenly top with the Parmesan cheese. Bake 14 to 16 minutes, or until golden brown and heated through. Remove from the oven. Let stand for at least 2 minutes before serving.

While the gratin bakes, squeeze the juice of the remaining lemon wedges into a bowl. Slowly whisk in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until well combined; season with salt and pepper to taste. Just before serving, in a large bowl, combine the lettuce, apple, blue cheese, pistachios and enough of the dressing to coat the salad (you may have extra). Toss to combine; season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the baked gratin with the salad on the side.