Recipe from Racing Weight.

Here is the recipe as given in the book * with my notes

Serves 2 * very hungry people! For me, this serves 4.

4 bananas
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp mixed spice (also known as pudding spice)
2 Tbsp brown sugar
3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk
Fresh hulled and halved strawberries, natural yogurt, and pecans to serve * I’m usually too lazy to get past the berries.

My directions
I like this recipe enough that I made a mix of the dry ingredients for the pantry shelf. Then, I simply mash a banana, add the right amount of dry mix per banana (about 1/4 cup) and add buttermilk.

Heat a non-stick pan [or the kicka** griddle Matt's mom got us for christmas] over medium heat (~325 degrees), pour batter in small, half-cup servings. If you try to make a larger pancake with this recipe, it is very difficult to turn over. Cook 2-3 minutes on one side, until bubbles appear on surface. Edges may start to turn up. Turn and cook a further 1-2 minutes.

Calories per serving (remember that the recipe serves 2 and this probably includes the pecans – I usually count half of these)

Calories 529

Total Fat 2 g

Saturated Fat 1 g

Cholesterol 4 mg

Protein 12 g

Carbohydrate 121 g

Sugars 47 g

Fiber 8 g

Recipe written out by my ex-husband, from instructions of my stepfather.

“i take a big pot, saute a couple yellow onions and garlic in olive oil, then brown some pork in it when the onions start to get soft.”

“pork loin is best, but sirloin, chops, and shoulder all work just as well.”

“loin should not be cooked as long, though. once the pork is browned i cover with just enough water to submerge meat, and cover on low or med/lo. i add salt, pepper, chile powder, couple bay leaves, cumin, and a smidge of paprika all to taste. sorry i don’t know exact measurements.”

“while it’s simmering, you roast peppers; throw serranos, greens, poblanos, jalapenos, all the green peppers in existence under the broiler until the skin is black, then into a plastic bag to steam.”

“then under cold water to peel skins and seeds off, set aside.”

“i mush all the water i can out of the pepper pulp, as the verde always seems to get thinner when you add the peppers. then a bunch of tomatillos, then add pepper stuff. i let the meat cook on average around 2-3.5 hrs before adding the green stuff, then an hour or two once the greens are in. the key seems to be that the meat needs to cook on a pretty low heat; almost not even bubbling. otherwise it gets too tough. all this being said, you might want to ask jay as well as i’m sure i’ve been doing some stuff wrong. oh yeah, lime juice goes in as soon as the meat is simmering, it makes it softer, i usually use a whole lime at least.”

Recipe from “The Art of South American Cooking” by Felipe Rojas-Lombardi

Ingredients

Directions:

Grate most of the cheese, and cut 1/4 lb into small dice.

Chop half of the ham and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine the grated and cubed mozzarella, the bread crumbs, thyme, parsley, almonds, capers, salt, and chopped ham, and mix well.  Divide into equal portions.  Line each pepper with a slice of ham, add a mixture of the mozzarella mixture, and place another slice of ham on top.  Close the pepper as tightly as possible.

Cover the bottom of a baking dish or earthenware casserole with the onion slices.  Brush each pepper with oil and sprinkle with wine.  Cover the dish with a sheet of oiled parchment paper and seal with a piece of aluminum foil.  Bake in the middle level of the oven for 25-30 minutes.  Serve piping hot, right from the baking dish.

Roasted Sweet Peppers with Goat Cheese, recipe adapted from The Art of South American Cooking by Felipe Rojas-Lombardi.

with black raspberry vinagrette

I roasted 2 large, firm red bell peppers after rubbing them with olive oil.  We were also grilling, and the coals were hotter than expected, so I decided to roast them quickly (25 min) under a 450 degree broiler, turning frequently.

At the first turning.

While the peppers were roasting, I combined montchevre lemon goat cheese and fresh lemon thyme from the garden.  The recipe also called for italian parsley, but I omitted this.  The vinaigrette was black raspberry vinegar and olive oil.

after roasting, with toasted sesame seeds

After taking the peppers out of the oven, I transferred them to a sealed plastic bag and let them cool on the counter for at least 20 minutes.  The time in the bag further loosens the outer skin, making it easier to peel this away later.

ready for peeling

After peeling the pepper, I cut it in half and spread the cheese on the inside of each portion.  I added some additional sesame seeds, and placed them under the broiler again for 6-8 min.  After taking from the oven, I added the vinaigrette and garnished with thyme.  These were pretty good, and the first time I’ve roasted peppers myself.  Definitely will again.

dished up