Pasta Trapanese

School has begun and fall is around the corner...and we are ready to give away another great Gooseberry Patch cookbook!  From Maryland Crabcakes to Too-Much-Zucchini Stovetop Dinner to Chocolate-Hazelnut Skillet Bars, 101 Stovetop Suppers has all the recipes you need to make a delicious meal (or dessert!) without ever having to heat up the oven.  To top it off, each recipe includes a mouth-watering, full-color photo.

This Pasta Trapanese recipe from the "Slowly Simmered" chapter was absolutely amazing.  We have been giving "Meatless Mondays" a try, and this fit the bill perfectly.  While I did have to stir the sauce every now and then as it was simmering, I felt as though it was a very simple dish to make with a big payoff - the fresh taste was awesome and my family loved it.  With a large variety of recipes in chapters called "Quick & Easy", "Slowly Simmered", and "Serves a Crowd,"  I am sure that your family will find a lot to love in this book, as well.

We are sorry; This giveaway is over.

 INGREDIENTS:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed (I finely diced)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 28 oz can whole Italian plum tomatoes, crushed
• 5 to 6 T fresh basil, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
• 12 oz package penne pasta, cooked
• grated Parmesan cheese (optional garnish)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a skillet over medium heat, saute onion and garlic in oil.
2. Add tomatoes with juice, basil, salt and pepper.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.  Stir in almonds.  Serve over cooked pasta, garnished with Parmesan cheese.

Difficulty: easy
Time: 35-40 minutes
Source: 101 Stovetop Suppers by Gooseberry Patch

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Banana Bread

I do anything in my power to not throw food away; usually that means taking leftovers to work to eat for lunch.  But when it comes to fruit, I like my apples crisp and my bananas so fresh they are almost green.  So, what to do with those three way too ripe bananas sitting in the fruit bowl?  Make banana bread, of course!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1 cup mashed banana (3 medium)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cooking oil
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• a handful of chocolate chips (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease the bottom and sides of a 8 x 4 x 2 inch loaf pan; set aside.
2. In a medium mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.  Make a well in the center of the mixture; set aside.
3. In another bowl, combine the egg, mashed bananas, sugar, and cooking oil.  Add egg mixture all at once to dry mixture.  Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy).  Fold in nuts and chocolate chips, if using.
4. Spoon batter into the prepared pan.  Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  

Note:  The original recipe also says to cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes then remove loaf and cool on wire rack.  Wrap and store overnight before slicing.  This doesn't happen in my house.  We let it cool in the pan and leave it there...often eating it before the next day.

Difficulty: Measuring aside, this is easy and delicious.

Time: 15 minutes prep, 50 minutes baking

Source:  adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, 11th edition