Shift the Balance: Reza's Cheese Soup or Sausaquences and Peppers

Guess what today is! Guess what, guess what, guess what!

Okay, you're not going to guess so I'll tell you: TODAY IS THE DAY THAT DREAMFALL CHAPTERS: BOOK 5 COMES OUT!

No, but you guys, you have to understand, it's the final part of the final game of The Longest Journey saga, and it's been so long since Book 4 came out, and the ending of Book 4 kind of left me sobbing on my keyboard and I just...

I have a lot of feelings, okay?

Anyway, since we all know I celebrate with food, and since I already made Balance Cupcakes, I decided to make something out of the game itself.

Pretty early on in Book 1 (it seems so long ago...), Zoe-- one of the main, playable characters-- has a simple fetch quest: pick up lunch for her boyfriend Reza, and bring it to his office. Seems simple enough, right? It's designed to help you get used to navigating the Propast area (which is totally my favorite in the game), so it's not trying to trip you up or anything. Go to the food cart, talk to the vendor, pick up a food item, find Reza. Easy peasy. Reza even gives you free reign to pick whatever you like, though Zoe knows he doesn't have the most adventurous palate.

However, this is a gritty technopunk future, so when Nela reveals that she has some very rare real pork sausages for sale, it's a bit of a game changer.

Zoe knows that Reza would prefer his usual order of cheese soup, but she also wants to broaden Reza's culinary horizons, and the pork sausages are hard to say no to. So, it's up to you as the player to make the choice.

It seems like an innocent enough choice, something simple for the devs to throw in to give the player the illusion of control. However, as the end card says when you finish Book 1, this choice actually has unexpected and far-reaching consequences. Or sausaquences, as Zoe refers to them in her journal.

And, after one dev tweeted about everything coming back to a choice to you didn't think mattered, everyone's pretty nervous about the sausaquences coming back to bite us.

In honor of that potentially fatal choice, I decided to make both foods so you can make the choice for yourself.

Since it's mid June and it's been pretty warm here in NJ, I decided to make both meals in the slow cooker. Not that Nela does that, but I didn't feel like standing over the hot stove or turning the oven on. Plus I don't have Karl to help out. (Karl is the name of Nela's food cart. It makes more sense in context).

Reza's favorite cheese soup I decided to make nice and hearty. The broth is creamy and flavored with sharp cheddar cheese, and it's chock full of broccoli, potatoes, carrots, celery, and onions. Plus, to thicken it up a bit, since there's not much evaporation in the slow cooker, I added a couple tablespoons of instant potatoes. That's totally optional: you can add rice or noodles with will absorb some of the liquid, go for a cornstarch slurry, or leave it as is, but I liked it this way.

One note is that you really need to add the cheese at the end. Cheddar breaks very easily if it's cooked for too long. You can always use Velveeta to avoid that, but we all know real cheese tastes better.

As for the sausages, since I wasn't going to make my own (Nela didn't either, so we're square), and plain sausages doesn't seem like much of a lunch, I went with sausage and peppers. Or, sausaquences and peppers, get it?
...
I thought it was funny.

Sausage and peppers is a ridiculously simple dish that I think every Italian knows how to make, and it's a fairly common street food around here, especially down the shore (usually served on a roll), so I thought Nela might approve.

My family usually makes it in the oven (dump everything in a baking dish, cover with foil, bake until the sausages are done), but now I might always make it in the slow cooker because holy crap on a cracker did it turn out good. The sausages were so tender they were like butter, and everything just came out so flavorful that I ate like three helpings when I went to taste it. Plus, it's even easier to make it in the slow cooker than the oven, since I don't have to preheat the oven or worry about a timer.

Now, you can brown the sausages on the stove first if you like. I won't stop you. Many people do, to cut down on grease and crisp up the casing. But that just seemed too much like work to me.

So now you have a very important choice to make: Reza's cheese soup or sausaquences and peppers. The fate of two worlds may be in the balance. Or possibly just the fate of your dinner.

Reza's Cheese Soup
Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients 
3 ribs of celery, chopped
2 potatoes, chopped
1 head of broccoli, chopped small
1 onion, diced
1 cup shredded carrots
6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 cans evaporated milk (I used skim)
3 tbsp. instant potato flakes (optional)
16 oz. shredded sharp cheddar
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions
In the bowl of a slow cooker, add the first eight ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours until the vegetables are soft and the potatoes are fork tender. Add the evaporated milk and potato flakes, stirring until the flakes have dissolved. Cover and cook 30 minutes, until heated through. Add the cheese, half cup at a time, stirring until completely melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.

Recipe by Kim

Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers
Yield: 6 servings 

Ingredients 
12 sweet Italian pork sausages
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes with basil
2 red bell peppers, sliced into strips
1 onion, sliced into strips
2 tsp. garlic powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
6 large rolls, to serve

Directions
Add the peppers and onion to the bowl of a slow cooker. Season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Add the sausages and crushed tomatoes. Give a quick stir to coat. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, until the sausages are cooked through and tender. Serve in rolls.

Tip: if you have leftover sauce, add it to rice or pasta

Recipe by Kim 

Salted Caramel Death Star Popcorn Balls

Tomorrow is Star Wars Day! YAAAAAAY! (For those of you that are new here, May 4th is Star Wars Day because May the fourth be with you. Get it?)

To celebrate, I made multiple Death Stars. Out of popcorn and caramel. And then I covered them in candy. I don't think that's what the actual Death Star was made out of, because then the rebels wouldn't have needed Luke's Force-guided missile aim to blow it up. They could have just sent a couple Wookiees in to eat it. I'm sure Chewie would volunteer.

I've never actually made popcorn balls before. I mean, I've done marshmallow popcorn treats (like krispie treats, but with popcorn), and while I suppose that you could make those into balls and call them popcorn balls, I wanted to try something a little closer to the old fashioned method.

Except that the old fashioned method uses sugar and corn syrup, and I was worried that dipping them in the melted candy would make them too sweet. So I found this recipe from Food Network for caramel popcorn balls that was basically the same but used honey and brown sugar instead.

For my part, I thought the honey flavor was a little too strong, so if I made them again, I'd probably try some maple syrup or maybe dark corn syrup, but other than that, they were delicious. And fairly simple to make, providing you have the time and patience required for boiling sugar. (Never take your eyes off the stove when cooking sugar. CONSTANT VIGILANCE). Bonus, I had some extra popcorn left because the caramel had hardened too much to make another popcorn ball, so I spread it on a lined baking sheet to cool, and it made the perfect caramel corn. It was like the stuff you get in the tins at Christmas, only better because you made it.

One thing I didn't love was that the caramel, by necessity, was still pretty warm when I was shaping the popcorn balls. You have a very small window of opportunity between cool enough to not burn and hardened caramel, and I have very sensitive hands. So if you have sensitive hands like I do, use a pair of rubber gloves for that part (just spray them with cooking spray so the candy doesn't stick).

Then, when they had set, I dipped them in a mix of melted black and white candy wafers to get a dark grey, and I used some black sparkle gel to do some very simple detailing. Easy peasy.

Salted Caramel Popcorn Balls
Yield: About 12 popcorn balls

Ingredients
Approx. 8 cups popped popcorn
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 1/4 tsp. salt*
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
To decorate: black and white candy melts, black decorating icing

Directions
Generously grease a large mixing bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Pop your popcorn using your preferred method and place it in the bowl.

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the brown sugar, honey, and unsalted butter, stirring constantly until it comes to a boil. Allow it to boil, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until it reaches 300 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat and quickly stir in the salt and baking soda. Stir in the vanilla and pour over the popcorn, stirring until well coated. Let sit until cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes (it will still be very warm).

Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Dip your hands in water to prevent sticking and shape the popcorn into balls about 3 1/2 inches wide. Place on the prepared baking sheet and let them sit until the caramel has completely set, about 10 minutes.

Melt the black and white candy melts together. Coat each popcorn ball in the melted candy, letting the excess drip off, then place back on the lined baking sheet. Chill in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes, or until the candy has hardened. Decorate with black decorating icing. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

*Adjust this amount to suit your personal preference. If using prepackaged microwave popcorn, add only 1/4 tsp salt, since your popcorn will already be salted.

Recipe adapted slightly from Food Network

Things you may need (affiliate links):

*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links*

Other Star Wars Day Treats:

Star Wars Cake Batter Truffles

"Darth" Chocolate Cupcakes

Wookiee Cookies

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookie Cups

Do you guys remember when I made that soooper delicious gluten free cookie cake? And I said the one drawback was it was a little bit delicate? Well, I wanted to try the recipe again with a little xanthan gum to see if I could solve that problem. But then it was the holidays and I had a ton of Christmas baking to do. Except, I'm a problem solver.

My mom gives me a list of things to bake every year to give to her coworkers. This year it consisted of Browned Butter Maple Blondies, Zucchini Brownies, and my sort-of famous Cherry Almond Oatmeal Cookies. She puts together a little selection of treats for everyone and I assume it pleases them since she still asks me to do it. But one of her coworkers is gluten free and she only gets the cookies. Don't get me wrong, everyone loves those cookies, but it's gotta be a little sucky when everyone else has all sorts of choices and you've only got the one.

"What about my cookie cake?" I asked. "I want to try making it again and it's gluten free."

My mother had reservations. "But it's a pie. How would I give it out?"

"I could make it into cookie cups." She agreed that sounded like a good idea.

I had all the ingredients to make the cookie cake in my pantry already, I just bought some Reese's to stuff the cookie cups with when I was picking up the ingredients for everything else on my list.

Then I made them with just a couple adjustments, and I had to keep from stuffing all of them in my face they were so good. I managed to keep from eating them all so my mother could give them away as presents, but I made them again to share on ze blog and these are mine-all-mine

These don't taste gluten free at all. In fact, the coconut flour helps make the outside crisp while the inside stays soft and gooey, giving it the ideal cookie cup texture. These aren't delicate the way the cookie cake was, plus they don't have grainy edges like the cookie cake did.

The Reese's on top then gets all melty and biting into it is like an explosion of peanut buttery chocolatey goodness. And just like the cookie cake, these are beyond simple to make. One bowl, one whisk, stuff it with a seasonal Reese's, and you've got a simple and adorable treat perfect for sharing.

Or hoarding. Which is what I plan on doing.

*EDIT: it's been brought to my attention that the seasonal Reese's are not gluten free. However, Reese's cups are GF and actually fit better into the cookie cups. I was just trying to be cute and seasonal. Please always make sure to read the packaging*

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cups

Yield: 3 dozen cookie cups

Ingredients

2 eggs, lightly beaten

6 tbsp. milk

3 tbsp. butter, melted and cooled to room temperature

1 tbsp. maple syrup

1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ cup packed dark brown sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

½ cup coconut flour

1½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp salt

½ tsp. xanthan gum

1 cup chocolate chips

36 chocolate covered peanut butter candies (like these Reese's hearts), unwrapped and frozen

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Generously grease a mini muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, butter, maple syrup, and vanilla. Add the brown sugar and mix until dissolved. Mix in the peanut butter until smooth. Add the coconut flour, baking powder, salt, and xanthan gum and mix until well incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Add 1 tablespoon of dough to each cavity of the prepared muffin tin, pressing it in lightly with your finger. Bake 8-10 minutes, until the edges start to brown and set. Immediately press the candies into the middle of each cup.

Place the tin on a wire rack to cool for a few minutes before removing the cookies to cool completely. If you want the candies to keep their shape, chill the tin in the refrigerator for 10 minutes before removing the cookie cups.

Note: Seasonal shaped Reese' s candies are not gluten free. See more on the Hershey' s website here

Recipe by Kim

 *Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links*

Buffalo Chicken Twice Baked Potatoes

Happy 2015! How were your holidays? I got sick just in time for Santa to arrive. I wasn't feeling especially great when I was leaving my uncle's house on Christmas Eve, but I figured I ate too much. When I got home, it was a different story, and after I was, erm, finished, I looked at the clock and saw that it was just after midnight. My only thought was, "Gee, thanks, Santa!"

I'm still not sure what that was all about. It wasn't a stomach virus, nobody else got sick, so it couldn't have been food poisoning. Maybe since I didn't put up a stocking, that was Santa's creative alternative to coal?

It wasn't all bad, though. I did get a slow cooker and a rice cooker (I have this block against cooking rice. I can make a risotto, but I can't make rice. Does this make sense to anyone?), so basically I have a ton of appliances that help me avoid using my stove. Yay!

The parentals also bought me a new TV, since all I had was my little 17 inch one, which served me fine in the past, but since my living room is actually pretty big, it looked kind of sad and tiny (also, the sound was starting to go wonky, and it didn't have an HDMI port for my blu-ray player. It was time). It's a smart tv, so I've been fascinated by the fact that I can watch Netflix on something other than my Kindle. It's the little things in life.

Anywhozzle, I've totally had this potato craving lately, which made me realize: I don't think I've ever made a potato dish. Like, ever. I mean, I've made baked potatoes (mostly in the microwave, because I'm usually just making one for me), and I've put potatoes in soups and things and on my Italian Hot Dogs, but just potatoes? Nope.

Well, thinking about it now, I have made potato salad and roasted potatoes, and I made a potato nacho thinger where I sliced up a potato and pan fried it and smothered it with cheese and bacon and baked it. But I had to really think about it, so they totally don't count.

And that's totally crazysauce because I love potatoes. I love all things potato. Potato chips and french fries and mashed potatoes and potato croquettes and potato salad and my Aunt Sophie's potato pie. Potatoes are awesome.

So one night, I was making a baked potato in the microwave for dinner, like you do, and I suddenly decided I was going to put buffalo sauce on it instead of butter, and it was like a revelation. I was in love with the combination of potato and buffalo sauce, so the idea stuck me: what about buffalo chicken twice baked potatoes?

Now, I'd never actually had twice baked potatoes, but I liked the idea of them. You take baked potatoes, scoop out the insides, mash them up and mix them with yummy good stuff like sour cream and cheese, put it back in the potato skins and bake it back up until the cheese is all melty-gooey. What's not to like? I figure I'd just add some hot sauce, some diced red onions, peppers, and celery, a little cilantro and chives, top with some chicken, et voila, buffalo chicken twice baked potatoes.

And you guys, it's like baked potatoes meet mashed potatoes meet potato salad meet buffalo wings. It's epic. And while it sounds fussy and hard, it's really not. It takes a while, but that's mostly because the potatoes take a while for the first baking. I really like that I can do all the prep while the potatoes are in the oven. You'd have to wait anyway, so it gives you something to do while waiting. Since I hate waiting, that's a plus.

You could totally make these ahead, just follow the steps up until the second baking, cover and put in the fridge. When you're ready to serve, just pop them back in the oven for the second baking. The skins won't be as crisp, but it will still be yummy.

I love that these are super versatile too. Serve one potato half as an appetizer, or two potato halves as a meal. You can eat them with a knife and fork or pick them up with your fingers. You could even skip the chicken if you want, or use premade chicken strips from the grocery store. My original intention was to make shredded chicken and mix it in with the potatoes, but I make a lot of shredded chicken and wanted to try something different. That's always an option if you want a less saucy and messy finger food. You could totally just eat the filling and not put it back in the potato skins, which I had to stop myself from doing.

Twice baked potatoes. You need them in your life.

Buffalo Chicken Twice Baked Potatoes
Yield: 8 potato halves

Ingredients
4 large russet potatoes, scrubbed and dried*
olive oil
salt (optional)
1 chicken breast, cut into strips
1 tbsp ranch seasoning (I used this mix, minus the dill)
2 tbsp. prepared buffalo sauce**
1/3 cup sour cream
2-4 tbsp. hot sauce
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1 tbsp. chopped fresh chives
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 small red onion, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
About 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese.

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Prick the potatoes a few times on all sides with a fork. Rub with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, if using. Bake for 45-60 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender.

While the potatoes are cooking, heat about 1 tbsp. of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken and ranch seasoning. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is almost cooked through. Add the buffalo sauce, and continue to cook until the chicken is done. Set aside.

When the potatoes are done, use a sharp knife to cut them into halves, being careful not to tear the skin. (use a clean dish towel to hold the potatoes, since they will be very hot) Use a spoon to scoop out the inside into a bowl, leaving about a quarter inch in the skin to keep its shape. Use a handheld potato masher to mash the potatoes. Mix in the sour cream, butter, and your desired amount of hot sauce. Mix in the diced vegetables.

Divide the filling equally between the empty potato skins. Sprinkle liberally with shredded cheddar, and bake about 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Top with the cooked chicken in buffalo sauce, drizzle more buffalo sauce on top, if desired, and serve immediately.

Note: If you prefer softer veggies, you can saute them with the chicken

*My potatoes were kind of on the small side, so I used the 4 biggest I had plus one small one
**You can make your own buffalo sauce using 2 parts hot sauce to 1 part melted butter

Recipe by Kim

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

So that name's a bit of a mouthful, but you won't really care too much about the name when you get a mouthful of this cake, because it is the bomb diggity.

Do people still say that? Bomb diggity? Is it still common knowledge that that refers to a thing that is very good? I was never really all that up on hip lingo. Which should be evident by my use of the words "hip lingo." But I digress.

This cookie cake is so good that we need to come up with a new word to describe it. Something fantastic. How about something like... phantasmagorical!

No, wait, that's a word that already exists and means something completely different. I'll do some brainstorming and get back to you.

Here's the skinny on this cake--or not-so-skinny as it were (Get it? Because it's a cookie cake? And it makes you not-so-skinny? I made a funny) (Laugh, dammit) . Coconut flour keeps us all in the gluten free territory, and it's high protein content helps make us full faster so we don't over indulge. Which is good, because I could have totally seen myself eating the entire thing in one sitting. Thanks coconut flour! (Thumbs up! Big smile! Tooth twinkle!)

The last time I worked with coconut flour, I noticed that it had a bit of a grittiness to it, and I wasn't the hugest fan of that. But this cookie cake is so moist and gooey in the middle that you don't get any of that gritty texture (well, you get it a bit around the edges which are drier, but for the most part, zero grittiness.)

And let's talk about that gooey, peanut buttery, chocolatey center of goodness. It's almost like eating raw cookie dough, except it's totally cooked through, so you've got the best of both worlds. Plus, it's a one-bowl, no mixer necessary recipe, so it's an easy dessert to throw together last minute if you've got unexpected guests, or maybe just forgot about them.

The one downfall of this cake is that it is a little delicate. If you try to cut a slice still warm from the oven, it kind of falls apart. I actually found it easier to slice after it had been chilled. Then you can always warm it up for a few seconds in the microwave and serve it with a big ole scoop of vanilla ice cream. Or, you could not care about getting pretty slices. That's always an option.

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

2 eggs, lightly beaten

6 tbsp. milk

3 tbsp. butter, melted and cooled to room temperature

1 tbsp. maple syrup

1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ cup packed brown sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

½ cup coconut flour

1½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 cup chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9 inch pie plate or cake tin with butter or nonstick cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, butter, maple syrup, and vanilla. Add the brown sugar and mix until dissolved. Mix in the peanut butter until smooth. Add the coconut flour, baking powder, and salt, and mix until well incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before cutting.

Recipe by Kim

Peanut Butter Caramel Pie with a Chocolate Cake Crust

Do you remember when I made Black and White Mini Cupcakes and I told you that it makes a buttload of cake? Do you remember when I oh-so-subtly pondered on what one could do with all those leftover, frosting-less mini cupcakes? Yeah, they've been sitting in my freezer ever since.

See, I never know what to do with leftover cake. Usually, I just eat it, but this was a little much just for me. I stirred some chunks into some mocha ice cream, and that was good, but there was enough cake for about 25 gallons of ice cream. So I consulted the interwebz, like you do, and most of the results were predictable. Trifle (meh). Cake pops (ick). Put in ice cream (been there, done that).

Then I found a recipe where the cake was crumbled up, toasted in the oven, and then used like cookie crumbs for a pie crust. Now we were talking.

The only thing that remained was a filling to put in the pie. Something that would pair well with the dark chocolate cake, but was still easy to make (my free time has been taken up by NYCC and prep for the brother's wedding and I still got asthmatic kitty to worry about) and maybe didn't dirty too many pans.

Enter the crazy deliciousness that is this Peanut Butter Caramel Pie from the Cooking Actress. Not only is it peanut butter and caramel, but you make it in the microwave. Chill, top with whipped cream, et voila, vous etes finis. Plus, it makes your house smell amazeballs. Like, if Willy Wonka took over the Reese's factory good.

The toasted cake crumb crust is chewier than a traditional cookie crumb crust, less crisp, but not soggy or soft by any means, and it tastes like cake which is awesome. Plus, you can use any kind of cake you like. Are you gluten free? Use a gluten free cake. Got an egg allergy? Go with an egg free cake. And then there's the peanut butter caramel. Words cannot describe how much you need peanut butter caramel in your life. It's caramel, but with a rich, peanut buttery undertone. Neither flavor overpowers the other, but instead they meld into this amazing new flavor and it is necessary for living

I may or may not be eating this pie right now. For breakfast. Don't judge.

Peanut Butter Caramel Pie
Yield: 1 9" pie (8 servings)

Ingredients
For the crust:
2 cups toasted chocolate cake crumbs (instructions below)
1/2 cup melted unsalted butter

For the caramel:
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch salt

For the whipped cream:
1/4 cup chilled heavy cream
1 tbsp. powdered sugar
1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions
To make the toasted cake crumbs: Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Crumble chocolate cake onto a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for about an hour, until the cake is dry. Once completely cooled, pulse in a food processor until finely ground. Store in an airtight bag or container.

Prepare the crust: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9 inch pie plate with butter or non-stick cooking spray. Combine the cake crumbs and melted butter, and press evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes, until the crust is set.

While the crust is cooling, prepare the caramel: In a large, microwave safe bowl, add the sugar, heavy cream, and peanut butter, and whisk until completely smooth. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Remove and stir. Microwave on high for another 2 minutes, or until bubbly and thickened. Stir in the vanilla and salt and let cool until thickened, but still warm. Add to the prepared pie crust, cover, and chill in the refrigerator, minimum 4 hours or overnight.

Before serving, prepare the whipped cream: Add the ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand mixer). Mix on low until well combined, then gradually increase the speed to high. Whip on high speed until stiff peaks form. Spread evenly on top of the pie and serve.

Tip: Let the pie sit at room temperature for a bit so it's easier to cut

Crust recipe adapted from PastryJane.com*. Pie recipe adapted from The Cooking Actress
*The website where I found the pie crust recipe has since expired, so I can't link to the original

Cocoa Pebbles Grilled Bananas

I have a confession to make: I don't own a normal people grill. I would have no where to put it if I did. (I have a balcony, but the HOA says only an electric grill can go there, and I don't grill enough to really worry about it) I do own a George Foreman grill, however. That's right, the lean, mean, fat-busting machine. (It's a cheapo one, though, so I'm a little leery of trying to cook meat on it-- mostly I use it as a panini press)

Bananas made on a George Foreman grill are still grilled bananas, right? Even if the marshmallows didn't get toasty?

I don't know about where you are, but here in NJ, it's been hot. And not just hot, but muggy and humid. Turning the oven on is not recommended. These bananas, stuffed with peanut butter chips, Cocoa Pebbles, and mini marshmallows, are a great warm weather dessert, especially if you've already got the grill going for dinner. Something magical happens to bananas when they start to cook-- I mean, you know how much I love bananas in my baked goods-- then the peanut butter chips get all melty, and you know peanut butter and banana is a rockin' combo. But what else goes with peanut butter and banana? That's right, chocolate. That's where the Cocoa Pebbles come in, giving it a sweet, chocolatey crunch. And if that's not enough, the whole thing is topped with gooey marshmallows, and if you have a normal person grill, they'll get all toasty too.

I was going to tell you how filling these were, and that you can probably eat them instead of a meal, because I was a little uncomfortably full after eating one for dessert. But that wasn't the banana's fault, I soon realized. I forget I'm not supposed to eat blue things, and when you use multicolored marshmallows, there are bound to be a few blue ones. (This weirdo blue food coloring intolerance of mine is very inconvenient, mostly because I don't eat blue things that often, so I forget about it) But I will still back you if you want to make these for breakfast. It's fruit and cereal, right? Totally okay for breakfast.

Cocoa Pebbles Grilled Bananas

4 large bananas

1/4 cup Cocoa Pebbles Cereal

1/4 cup Peanut Butter Chips

1/3 cup miniature marshmallows

Cut each banana lengthwise about 1/2 inch deep, leaving 1/2 inch uncut at both ends.  Gently pull each banana open, forming a pocket.  Fill each pocket with Cocoa Pebbles cereal, peanut butter chips and marshmallows, evenly divided among the four bananas.  

Wrap each banana in foil and grill over medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until marshmallows are melted. 

Serves 4. One banana per serving.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Photo courtesy of Post

*Disclaimer: I was provided with free samples of Post Cocoa Pebbles so I could feature this recipe. I receive no other compensation for this post. All opinions remain, as always, my own*