baking Archives - Simply Sells Kitchen

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Sandra Sells — Thu, 28 Apr 2022 16:24:01 +0000

I know what you are thinking, “What am I going to do with all those ripe bananas?” Well, I know what you should do—make banana bread! I mean, most of us have more than one banana going a little too ripe anyway. Banana bread is my usual go-to solution, but sometimes we make our paleo banana pancakes or smoothies. I was thinking of how to make the recipe better. Chocolate chip banana bread was the perfect answer! Bananas in our home In our household we love bananas. We go through bundles and bundles every month. The kids have grown up loving them as well. They’re really perfect to incorporate into any sweet treat and add another depth of flavor. One of our favorites is something we call banana whip. We freeze a few bananas and then blend them in our Vitamix blender for a sugar-free treat you can’t beat. This chocolate chip banana bread recipe is a great one that your friends will love! I wrote this as a two-loaf recipe in hopes that you will share one with a friend, or you can freeze it if wrapped well! This past weekend I brought two loaves to our precious friends at church for a post-service snack. I definitely got some thumbs up! It just warms my heart when everyone shows me their mouthful smiles! Banana bread recipe This recipe is so simple! It can be made using a bowl and a whisk or right in your mixer. I opted for our KitchenAid stand mixer. I would ordinarily say to mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and then combine them, but let’s be real and save a dish. So, just put the bananas in the bowl (or mixer), and then add the rest of the ingredients and mix them until just combined. It is better not to over mix, so just mix the ingredients until a smooth batter. Add the evenly split batter into your greased loaf pans and bake at 350℉ for 45-50 minutes. I advise you to look at them at the 45-minute mark and decide your desired brownness. We like to spread butter on the bread right after it comes out of the oven, and if possible serve it warm. There is just nothing like a warm slice of this chocolate chip banana bread with a spread of smooth and creamy butter, along with your favorite hot drink! This is something that we had often growing up. I really hope you and your loved ones enjoy this banana bread!

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Shepherd’s Pie

Sandra Sells — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 15:38:13 +0000

When growing up, there were three or four favorite recipes that we repeatedly made in my mother’s house, and I bet your family did the same thing. These days, I find myself going through seasons where certain meals in our house are repeated. I think it’s because they’ve become our family favorites, especially for the weeknights. Kodi and I find food to be our creative outlet and something that inspires us as part of living well and loving well. We love to cook and make new creations in the kitchen, but sometimes you just need to make that family favorite you have made so many times before. The kids love it, and you usually have the ingredients in the fridge or freezer. The dishes that were my favorites when I was growing up were definitely chili, taco bowls, barbeque meats, salad and my mother’s famous shepherd’s pie. Today, I thought I would share with you one of our family favorites – our Simply Sells shepherd’s pie. My father is a British man straight out of Yorkshire, England. My mother is a Colombian lady who found herself in England at a very young age. It’s in England where my mother met my father. She picked up a few good recipes along the way that have found their way into our kitchen at the Sells house. I wouldn’t call them generational traditions, just good home cooking inspired by a combination of both the Hispanic and British sides of my parents. Shepherd’s pie is made traditionally with lamb. In our house we tend to use beef. We still call it shepherd’s pie like my mother did, but some might say our version is more like cottage pie since we use beef. Sometimes I lighten it up a bit and use ground turkey for the meat or mashed cauliflower for the potatoes. Whether ground beef or turkey, mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower this recipe is the real deal and full of flavor and deliciousness. Be ready to indulge! A bit of History… Shepherd’s pie was created in the 1800’s in England. It’s a very sneaky dish that may have come about just to cover up leftovers with mashed potatoes, and then served to the family as a new meal. Genius if you ask me! I love it since I am always trying to make sure I use everything in the fridge, to limit waste. We could learn from those mommas that may have lived through lean times. Even though we may not live in lean times at the moment, one thing we have learned is that it’s important to stretch out meals and, when needed, feed a neighbor or someone in need. Making Shepherd’s Pie To make our Simply Sells shepherd’s pie, I start by melting the oil and butter in a Dutch oven pot. I like using a Dutch oven because I can make the whole recipe right in the same pot – anything to save a dish in my opinion (who likes doing the dishes). This also makes it easy to store the leftovers because you can just cover the pot with the lid. After the butter and oil melts, add your onions and carrots, and then sauté them until softened and the color begins to brown. Next, stir in the tomato paste and let it begin to deepen in color for a couple minutes without burning. Toss in the garlic – take a minute to inhale the aroma coming from the pan. Wow! Add the lean beef, Worcestershire sauce, broth, salt and seasonings. Let it all start to combine and bubble up on the stove, and then stir in the peas. Top it with your favorite mashed potatoes. I have the recipe and ingredients listed for how we make ours, which has a coarse texture as I prefer hand mashing, which tends to leave some lumps. When I top the dish, I like to create peaks in the mashed potatoes like my mother always did. I then sprinkle the top with a most delicious cheese, to create a beautiful masterpiece. This shepherd’s pie is great to make ahead and freeze for another day. Along with being delicious, I love it because the leftovers are just as good as on the first day. I hope you enjoy our Simply Sells shepherd’s pie. It really packs a hearty punch and sneaks in yummy veggies.

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Tres Leches Cake

Sandra Sells — Mon, 30 Aug 2021 14:55:06 +0000

Baking at the Sells household is always a fun family affair. Whether brownies, cookies, or cakes it doesn’t matter. Kodi and I love it, the kids love it and, of course, neither of us can hardly wait to lick the spoon! This tres leches (three milks) cake is no exception. Baking as a family For us, baking dessert is a sign that we are relaxed and happy. Out come the kid’s stepping stools shortly followed by the young ones slightly arguing about who will be the closest to the mixing bowl action. We get so much happiness from our family coming together. I really do believe baking is therapeutic and brings a sense of hope that something good is just on the horizon. I know that might sound slightly dramatic but it does bring tons of joy in our house! We’ve always had a sweet tooth – who doesn’t – so we want to share a tres leches cake recipe that is sure to cure sweet tooth cravings. Besides satisfying your own sweet tooth the recipe is fantastic for a potluck, party or family gathering. History of Tres Leches Historically, canned evaporated milk used in tres leches started being made in the 1850’s and became more popular in the early to mid-twentieth century during both world wars. At that time it was popular to soak sponge cake in evaporated milk to preserve or sustain the cake’s life. In trying to keep up with demand for canned evaporated milks, companies expanded operations to Central and South America. Some say Nicaragua was responsible for using canned evaporated milk to create the delicious tres leches treat while others trace its origin to England in the Middle Ages. Miami even tries to stake claim to the origin of the popular dessert. Either way, regardless of who’s responsible, we can all agree that tres leches is truly a heavenly and magical dessert! The back story Our recipe started as a cure for Kodi’s sweet tooth back in his college days. It was originally a budget branch-off recipe of a coconut cake that he learned to make while living in Boston, which always hit the spot. After moving back to Florida, he discovered and grew a love for Spanish flavored foods. Tres leches cake has been a favorite of his since. In the beginning, he started with box cake, a few milky toppings, and then covered in sweet whipped topping. The cake was quick, easy, delicious and required very little effort. Now that we are well beyond college days, the cake has been reinvented into an upgraded version made from scratch. The result gives bragging rights to any baker! The tres leches recipe can be adapted for any holiday by decorating the top with colored sprinkles, berries or any other seasonal fruit. By doubling the recipe you can make a very large sheet cake that will really impress at your next gathering. Have fun and let us know what you think! Feel free and be creative!

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Happy “Challah” Day

Sandra Sells — Wed, 25 Nov 2020 20:40:56 +0000

Bread… We love bread! I could say that again and again! We especially love fresh homemade bread – sourdough, challah, whole wheat, focaccia, pan de queso, baguettes, brioche – there are so many choices! All I can say is the taste of fresh baked bread must be one of the most delicious things we can experience. No matter what, just the idea of warm fresh bread right out of the oven brings excitement to my heart. For quite a few years now our family has made homemade fresh bread as one of the center pieces at all our holiday meals. Some of our relatives have a family tradition of making what they call all-bran rolls – a tradition we gladly indulge. All they have to say is, “The rolls are ready” and everyone comes running. They’re seriously that good! A couple years ago my brother decided to make a copycat recipe of Texas Roadhouse restaurant rolls and honey butter from scratch. They were a huge hit. They were so warm, yeasty, and delicious with just a touch of sweetness from the honey butter. I think they were pretty accurate to the restaurant experience. As long as I can remember and especially since we’ve been married, Kodi has made the most amazing loaf of fresh challah bread every Thanksgiving holiday. Why challah bread? Honestly, I’m still not too sure how it became our tradition but it has. Challah is a bread traditionally eaten at different Jewish holidays and braided a variety of ways. We’re not Jewish; we just enjoy the comfort of a good loaf of bread! Challah traditionally contains no dairy products, however, recipes were altered as they were passed down generation-to-generation and adopted in several eastern European cuisines. Our Simply Sells challah bread recipe is an egg version that Kodi decided to make one day. We both tried it and thought it would be amazing at Thanksgiving dinner with warm turkey, gravy, and green beans. Honestly, making a turkey sandwich with Thanksgiving leftovers and all the fixings in between the freshly sliced Challah is divine! Challah has a grand look. A double batched, triple braided loaf with poppy seeds adorning the top as it comes out of the oven can make you drool. Not only does the appearance make you want to hang around the kitchen the smell is incredible! It takes a lot of patience to make the bread, and then wait for it to come out of the oven but it’s worth it. The challah is almost an appetizer for us because it’s the first thing we want to try. It always seems to get swarmed over and devoured in no time, even before the Thanksgiving meal. Pats of butter melting on the warm bread is so delicious with hints of both sweet and salty. The bread’s texture is perfectly fluffy and moist. Try it out. You won’t be disappointed. Simply Sells challah recipe will make a great addition to your everyday family table and a wonderful addition to your holiday meal plans. Go ahead and double-batch the dough; the crowd will be more than pleased! Yum, I can smell it cooking now, as we are just days away from our Thanksgiving day celebration.

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