Asian Tuna Salad

This post is coming a few days earlier than normal, but that is because my family is going on vacation until May 31^st!  My sister won the ASCAP (a music composition award), so we will be spending a few days in New York City attending a ceremony honoring her achievements before heading on a cruise to Bermuda!  Needless to say, I am very excited!  I won’t be able to post while I’m gone, so I will leave you with this recipe and then share photos and stories upon my arrival back home.

Let’s talk tuna! 

To be honest, I hated canned tuna for the longest time.  It’s still not one of my go-to foods, but I have grown to tolerate (dare I say enjoy?) it more.  This recipe is a unique spin off of traditional tuna salad.  Instead of mayonnaise, the binding agent here is a miso salad dressing my mom found at Costco.  

This dressing is great!  I love it on top of my mom's homemade garden burgers. 

What you need:

1 3.5 oz can tuna

2 Tbs chopped carrots

2 Tbs chopped celery

1 Tbs chopped green onion

1 Tbs peanuts

What you do:

Drain the tuna.  Combine all ingredients and serve with crackers, over a bed of lettuce, or on toast.

I'll see you all in two weeks!

Cappuccino Frosted Brownies

And then my freshman year of college was over.   Just like that.

I’m home for the summer now, which means I am back to having the luxury of my own bathroom, free laundry, and a spacious kitchen.  It's the little things that make a difference, you know?

When I opened the pantry shortly after my arrival,  I found this.  Hazelnut Mocha Cappuccino spread.  Sometimes I wonder why I went so far away to school.

This spread is the key to these brownies.  Doesn't it sound awesome?  It's like Nutella 2.0!  We add some ground coffee beans to the brownie batter for an extra kick, but the main cappuccino flavor is in the frosting.

If you're not a fan of coffee, then you probably won't like this frosting.  This hazelnut spread has a pretty strong coffee flavor, which I like, but I know is not equally loved by everyone.  If you are a fan of coffee, then I'm sure you will love this frosting just as much as I do!

What you need:

For the brownies:

1 box of your favorite brownie mix.  I LOVE Ghirardelli mixes.

Eggs, oil, and water called for on the box

1 Tbs ground coffee or espresso beans

For the frosting:

½ C (1 stick) butter, softened

1/3 C Hazelnut Mocha Cappuccino spread

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 C Powdered sugar

An extra pinch of ground coffee beans, if desired

What you do:

Prepare the brownies as directed on the box.   While the baked brownies are cooling, prepare the frosting.   Make sure the brownies are completely cooled before frosting them-we don't want our frosting to melt off!

Beat the butter and hazelnut spread with an electric mixture until fluffy.  Add vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and coffee beans (if using), adding more sugar if necessary to reach the desired consistency.  

Pile the frosting on there nice and high. 

This brownies are rich and decadent, and I cannot stress to you enough how great the frosting is!  

It sure is good to be back home.  

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to the most wonderful woman I know!  She has always been there to support me through thick and through thin, and I am so grateful for that.  I love you, Mom!

Banana Boats

Stressed is desserts spelled backwards.  Coincidence? I think not!  This week was Dead Week (the week before finals), and it's always pretty stressful for everyone, with additional studying on top of regular homework assignments, presentations, and end-of-the-year activities.

This recipe is really easy to make, so grab your friends, grab some chocolate, and take a study break!

I love making these banana boats because 1. they’re super easy to make, 2. they’re completely customizable and 3. they’re somewhat healthy, but there is chocolate involved so we can call it dessert!  Also, bananas are probably brain food, which means eating more will help me retain information.  Maybe?

I should know the answer to that, considering I have my nutrition final next week.   Hopefully the questions will be along the lines of, “if I gave you a bunch of bananas, what would be the best dish to make using them?”

I’m pretty sure banana boats would be the correct answer.

What you need:

4 Bananas (you’ll need one for each person)

Your choice of filling

I used peanut butter, Nutella, and chocolate chips.  Marshmallows and caramel pieces would be great, too-feel free to get creative!

Toppings: Crushed cookies, chocolate peanut butter cereal, graham crackers

What you do:

Preheat the oven to 325°F.  Slice the bananas lengthwise about ¾ of the way through.  Fill cavity with your choice of peanut butter, Nutella, chocolate chips, marshmallows or other combinations of fillings.  Coconut, pineapple, and honey would also be delicious!

Wrap the bananas in completely in foil.

It’s like a banana present!

Bake for 5-8 minutes, until the filling is melted and the banana is soft and warm.  Top with crushed cookies, etc if desired and enjoy immediately.

You can also make these outside on the grill!  Prepare the bananas as directed then heat on the grill for 5-8 minutes.