The Secret Ingredient

Thank you all for your delicious recipes!  I'm excited to try them myself.  Nothing like a good "secret ingredient" to keep things interesting and tasting great. 

When you get a chance, e-mail me your recipes and I'll finish this post.  And if you couldn't make it, send me your recipes anyway.

Thanks,
Miriam


Lemon Meringue Pie by Janna Mangum (Secret Ingredient: Crushed Pineapple)

Chocolate Chip Cookies by Amy Steele (Secret Ingredient: Cream Cheese)

Best Ever Banana Muffins by Sara Havey (Secret Ingredient: Vanilla-- real Mexican vanilla!)

• 3 large ripe bananas
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Mash bananas.  Cream sugar, melted butter, and vanilla.  Beat in egg and bananas.  Sift in dry ingredients and stir until moistened.  Bake in greased muffin cups at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.


Chocolate Cake by Karalee Monson (Secret Ingredients: Zucchini, Black Beans, Potato Flakes)

• 3/4 cup pureed black beans
• 1/2 cup oil
• 3/4 cup potato flakes
• 1 cup sugar (or omit potato flakes and add in total 1 3/4 cups sugar)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 5 Tbsp. cocoa powder
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 1/2 cup sour milk (or substitute 1/2 cup sour cream)

Mix together and bake in a greased 9x13 pan at 325 degrees for 45 minutes.

Frosting:  Beat together the following ingredients until smooth:

• 5 Tbsp. butter
• 3 Tbsp. pureed black beans
• 5 Tbsp. cocoa powder
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla

Chocolate Cake by Miriam Deru (Secret Ingredient: Zucchini)

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 4 Tbsp. cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 cup sour milk (1/2 Tbsp. vinegar or lemon juice + enough milk to make 1/2 cup total liquid)
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Mix butter, oil and sugar until smooth.  Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.  Add flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sour milk.  Beat well.  Blend in zucchini.

Pour into greased 9x13 pan.  Sprinkle chocolate chips over top.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.


Macaroni and Cheese by Miriam Deru (Secret Ingredient: Butternut Squash Soup)

• 1 medium butternut squash
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 large potato, peeled and cubed
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 8-oz. cream cheese
• 1 tsp. basil (optional)
• Garlic salt, to taste
• Dash cayenne
• 1 lb. macaroni noodles

Rinse squash and boil in a large pot of water for several minutes, until the peel is softened.  Remove from pot, drain out water.  Peel squash with a potato peeler.  Dice it into 1-inch cubes, removing seeds. 

Add to pot the diced squash, onion, potato, and chicken broth.  Bring to boil, and reduce heat to simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour, until everything is soft.  Remove from heat. 

Blend vegetable mixture to a puree, return to pot. 

Soften cream cheese by warming in microwave for a minute or two, stirring a few times until nice and creamy (and if possible, lump free).  Stir cream cheese into pureed vegetable mixture.  If there are lumps of cream cheese, you can melt them by whisking soup over medium-low heat.  Add spices  to taste (Note: kids may be turned off by basil flecks in their mac 'n cheese, so omit if necessary).

Now I think this soup is delicious as is (and by the way it freezes beautifully), but my kids aren't too thrilled by it.  Enter Macaroni Noodles.

Cook macaroni noodles according to package directions.  Add to a proportionate amount of soup, so the noodles are slathered in creaminess, but it looks more like macaroni and cheese than soup with pasta in it, know what I'm saying?  And enjoy!