Creamy Portabella Mushroom Penne

I love mushrooms. Love them. I love mushrooms so much that I've been known to saute a whole package of them and eat them for a snack. This Mushroom Dill Pasta recipe caught my eye on Pinterest, but I'm not a big fan of dill, so here is my version. It's a quick and easy weeknight meal.

Slice up one package of baby portabella mushrooms, 4 cloves of garlic (I always add more garlic than the recipe calls for...mmm!), and one medium white onion. 

Saute over medium heat in 2 T of olive oil until the mushrooms begin to brown and the onion is soft.

Add 1/2 cup vegetable stock, 1/2 cup half and half, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, cook up 1 1/2 cups of whole wheat penne noodles. Follow directions on the package to cook them. Mine boiled for about 10 minutes before they were 'al dente.' I still don't even know what that means... ha ha! I just keep boiling and checking the noodles every minute or two after they've boiled awhile. You could always try the "throw the noodle against the wall/on the ceiling trick", but I'm pretty sure that is only supposed to work for spaghetti noodles. I remember I used to have a ball with that trick when I was a kid ... I'll let you in on a little secret: I still use it today and smile each time I do. :)

I added about a teaspoon each of basil, oregano, and parsley. 

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and enjoy! Makes enough for about 4 people. :) 

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Banana-Oat Pancakes (Inspired by Ecuador)

I started to really love banana pancakes after traveling to Ecuador on a service trip with my University. We stayed at a biomarine station in the middle of the rainforest and the cooks there were amazing! Every morning there was fresh fruit juice and many of the mornings we had banana pancakes. So, in honor of Ecuador, my first Brenana Bread blogpost will be about banana pancakes!

Estacion Biologica Congal. 

The bunkhouse where we stayed.

If you're looking for the adventure of a lifetime look into volunteering here. It's amazing. Check out the Congal Biomarine Station Facebook Page. The people are wonderful! Anyway, back to pancakes. It's also imperative, I think, that you listen to Jack Johnson's "Banana Pancakes" while cooking these. I made them for a late breakfast yesterday and decided to add in oats. I think that was a good decision. :)


Ingredients:
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup old fashioned oats (quick cooking will also work)
3/4 cup Bisquick baking mix
1 egg
1 banana

Measure out 1/2 cup of skim milk and add the oats to the milk. Let them soak in the milk for about ten minutes so they get soft. Measure out 3/4 cup of Bisquick into a bowl.

Combine all ingredients and add chunks of banana. I use a spoon to make the chunks and then use a fork to mash them into the mixture. It's okay if it's a little lumpy.

Cook over medium heat.

Cook until the edges begin to look like they're set. Little bubbles will start forming in the batter.

Check for golden brown color and flip it!

The chunks of banana get ooey gooey and cook up perfectly. Every once in awhile you get a chewy bite where you can really taste the oats. Top with some butter and raw sugar and enjoy! The banana makes the pancake sweet enough that you don't need to use maple syrup... unless you want to indulge. :) This recipe makes 3 medium sized pancakes. Keep that in mind if you're feeding a crowd! 

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