Breakfast: Fluffy Banana Pancakes

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 10-15 min

Serves (2)

As a kid, Saturday morning breakfasts were a tradition second only to going to church. These pancakes slow the clock, and help bring back a feeling of home. Put away the box mixes and flabby flapjacks, and take a few minutes to make a memorable breakfast. Your day will thank you--and so will your family.

Ingredients: 1 egg, 1 banana, 3/4 cup flour, 2/3 cup milk, 4 tbsp oil or melted butter, 1 tbsp baking powder, 1 tbsp sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp salt

Heat buttered skillet or fry pan over low to medium heat. A lower temperature helps ensure even cooking and gives the pancakes a smooth golden color.

While pan is heating, mash peeled banana in medium mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients to bowl and stir until all ingredients are mixed. Do not over beat the batter.

Pour batter onto preheated pan about 1/2 cup at a time--depending on how large you'd like your pancakes. Since this is a fluffy recipe with a fair amount of baking powder, as soon as the batter is in the pan, I give the pan a quick circular shake (almost as if swirling crepes) to evenly spread the batter. Otherwise, you run the risk of having mounded pancakes--the batter rising in the center but having thinner edges. Once edges begin to brown and bubbles form in the center of the pancake, turn over. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.

Remove from pan and top with your favorite syrup!

Dessert: Cinnamon Bananas with Sugared Tortillas and Brandy Chocolate Sauce

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 15 min

Serves (4)

This modern take on fried bananas introduces a hint of brandy and a little architecture with sugared tortilla triangles. Quick to prepare and hard to mess up, prepare this dessert after nearly any Latin entree.

Ingredients: 1 banana, 1 flour tortilla, ¼ cup of Italian brandy, 2 oz dark chocolate (65% cocoa or less), 3 tbsp butter, oil for pan frying (light olive or canola), sugar, cinnamon, honey

Rough cut the chocolate into small pieces. Using a one quart sauce pan, heat ¼ cup brandy with 2 tbsp of butter and add chocolate pieces to mixture. Stirring constantly, boil mixture over medium-high heat for 2 min. Remove from heat and set aside.

Place frying pan on stove over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp of butter to pan, then add just enough oil to coat the pan bottom. While pan is heating, peel the banana. Cut banana in half, then lengthwise. Set aside. Cut tortilla into quarters. Cut each quarter in half to form eight triangles.

Once pan is heated, place tortilla triangles in fry pan, being careful not to overlap the triangles. (Triangles cannot be overcrowded or they will not brown evenly. If you need more room, fry two batches—four and four.) Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on triangles in pan. Once bubbles form in the tortilla, turn over. Sprinkle other side with cinnamon and sugar. As soon as the edges are light brown, remove the triangles from heat. You do not want tortilla chips, but rather lightly warmed and slightly crisp triangles. Triangles should still be pliable.

Quickly place the quartered bananas—cut side down—in the excess oil/sugar in the pan and warm for 1 min. Remove from heat. Place one triangle on plate and place one quartered banana on top. Place another triangle on top of banana. Drizzle banana and triangles with honey and chocolate sauce. Dust with cinnamon. Repeat plating with remaining ingredients.