GeekChic Promotions

When banana’s start to overripe, make banana bread! Hunting around my cupboards, I found I had remnants of ingredients that might spice up a boring banana bread recipe. Thus, a delicious mouthful was born. 

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp salt

3 medium overripe bananas

2 1/2 tbs half n’ half

1/2 cup & 2 tbs butter

1 cup & 2 tbs sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup chocolate chips

2/3 cup toasted coconut

1/2 cup nutella

To toast coconut: spread on a cookie sheet and bake at 250 until brown.

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt.

In a small bowl, mash together bananas and half n’ half.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add in eggs one at a time. Stir in vanilla, followed by the banana mixture. Add in the flour mixture slowly, until just combined. Fold in nutella, coconut and chocolate chips.

Grease a 9-inch loaf pan and pour in batter. Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

If making in muffin form, fill cups halfway and bake for 30 minutes.

Allow to cool for 20 minutes before removing and slicing to serve.

Prepare yourself, for this soup *ahem*...bisque, is absolutely delicious for you pescatarians/peco-vegetarians! It does take a long time to prepare and is a bit labor-intensive with all the straining and shells, but it is so worth it! However, if you’re sensitive to dairy, make sure you take that Lactaid. This recipe serves 6, so it makes a delightful first course for a special occasion.

2 cups dry white wine

1 bay leaf

1 yellow onion, roughly chopped

1 clove garlic

2 stalks celery

1 lobster, 1.5-2 lbs.

12 medium shrimps, in shell

24 mussels, well scrubbed

12 sea scallops

4 cups heavy cream

1 cup milk

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tbs fresh parsley, minced

1/4 tsp dried rosemary

1 cup fresh spinach, chopped

1/2 cup grated carrot

1/2 tsp lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Combine wine, bay leaf, onion, garlic and celery in a large stock pot over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Add lobster, cover and steam for 10 minutes. Remove lobster and set aside.

Add shrimp to broth, cover and steam for 5 minutes. Remove with tongs, set aside.

Add mussels, cover and steam until they open, about 5 minutes. Remove with tongs, extract meat and discard shells.

Add 2 cups of water to the broth. Bring to a boil, and add scallops. Cover and steam for 3 minutes. Remove with tongs and set aside.

Extract lobster meat, reserving shells. Peel and de-vein shrimp, reserving shells. Chop meat into bite-sized pieces.

Return lobster and shrimps to broth with shells, and add 2 more cups of water. Boil and then reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes. Strain and return to pot. Discard shells.

Bring broth to a simmer over low heat. Add cream, milk and herbs and simmer for 5 minutes until thickened. Add seafood, and simmer for 2 minutes.  Stir in spinach and carrot, and simmer for 2 more minutes. Season with lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.

Welcome back! We took a couple weeks off to ring in the New Year and now we’re back with an entertaining MUST. If you have guests coming over, whether it’s for dinner or just to watch a movie, it’s always polite to have some little bites out to nibble on. An easy option is of course to just buy a veggie tray, or some meats and cheeses. But if you are looking to impress (call back to our previously posted Savory Stuffed Mushrooms!), here is another delicious go-to for you to consider. This recipe is vegetarian, but not vegan.

24 cherry tomatoes (red and/or yellow)

1/4 lb fresh goat cheese (Chevre is our fave)

1/4 cup minced fresh basil

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

optional: chopped green onion or parsley for garnish on top 

Cut the top off each cherry tomato. Using a small spoon, scoop out the tomato pulp to make a hollow, yet sturdy shell. Drain off any juice.

In a bowl, combine the cheese, basil, salt and pepper. Mix with a fork until well-blended.

Using the small spoon, fill each tomato with about 1 tsp of the cheese mixture. Optional: bake in oven at 350 for 7 minutes for warm bites. Arrange on a platter and serve. Serves about 4. 

Helpful hack: You can use Boursin cheese to fill the tomatoes if you are short on time!

There’s a joke that’s been perpetuated throughout the years with GeekChic’s CEO, Kris Simon. Once upon a time years ago, during a holiday potluck at work, Kris ran out of time and instead of making something from scratch, which she was known to do, she ran to Trader Joe’s and picked up their ready-to-bake molasses cookies...and people just assumed she made them from scratch. TBH, she went along with it, and confided her secret to a couple people. It became a long-running joke and guessing game between them, as over the years it was anyone’s guess what was store bought, and what was made from scratch! You had to be there. This recipe here is the real deal, and final proof that Kris’ cookies are indeed made from scratch (aside from one or two times):

1 cup shortening (Crisco butter flavored is the best)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup fine white baking sugar

1 cup brown sugar, tightly packed

1/2 cup molasses (can substitute honey if in a bind)

2 eggs

4 cups all purpose flour

4 tsp baking soda

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp ground ginger 

1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream together shortening and butter in large bowl. Add sugars, eggs, and molasses and beat well.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda and spices together and add to the large bowl. Mix well. If using a cookie cutter, chill dough 3 hours or overnight and roll out. If not, immediately form dough into walnut-sized balls and roll in granulated or decorative sugar. 

Place on greased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

IMPORTANT: Check cookies at precisely 8 minutes f you want chewy cookies. If the edges are even slightly brown, they are done, even if they look under-cooked. They will flatten down and harden once taken out. If you prefer crispy, gingersnap-like cookies, leave in for the full 10 minutes.

Store in an airtight container to keep from getting hard. TIP: add in the heel of a loaf of bread to the container to keep the cookies soft and chewy. This can also help restore softness to cookies that have already hardened. 

Our second holiday recipe is from GeekChic’s President, RuthAnn Thompson. At GeekChic, we’re all coffee lovers, but we have to say, RuthAnn’s recipe for Christmas Mint Coffee is pretty inspired and definitely a new favorite! The ingredients are simple, and this has been made with a Keurig (although you need to have the separate reusable attachment that allows you to “fill your own K-cup”) as well as a coffee press and a traditional coffee maker. Here’s the recipe per cup:

Vanilla flavored coffee

1 teabag (per cup) of peppermint tea

coconut creamer (to taste)

sugar or stevia (to taste)

Cut open teabag and add tea leaves directly to ground coffee before brewing. You can drink it black if that’s your thing, but adding the coconut creamer and sugar brings out the mint and vanilla flavors and really embodies the flavors of Christmas! Enjoy.

The next three recipes leading up to Christmas will feature a recipe from each GeekChic partner that they traditionally have for the holidays. Sauerbraten sounds foreign and intimidating, but is actually a delicious German meat-lovers dish. Warning: It takes 2 days to prepare! GeekChic’s CEO, Kris Simon, has always celebrated a German Christmas with her family, the Koerner’s. Typically this includes a first course of Oxtail Soup (Gebundene Ochsenschwanzsuppe), followed by Sauerbraten and Spaetzle, among other delights.  Here’s the traditional recipe that Mrs. Koerner follows:

4 lb rump roast

2/3 cup white vinegar

1 tsp pickling spice

2 bay leaves

1/4 tsp pepper

1 medium yellow onion, sliced

2 tsp sugar

gingersnaps

If frozen, thaw the rump roast overnight. In large skillet or pan (with cover), marinate with white vinegar and pickling spice after tenderizing. Marinate for 1 hour, each side, until the vinegar gets mostly soaked up. Add a little bit of water to the vinegar and simmer in the covered pan, with added bay leaves, pepper and onion. Simmer until onions are clear.

Strain and save the juices, then transfer the roast to a slow cooker or crock pot and cook on high for 4 hours. 

Slice the meat, and put the slices back into the strained juices. Refrigerate overnight. Skim off the accumulated fat and remove the slices.

Grind up half a bag of gingersnaps. Bring separated juices to a boil. Add the gingersnaps and sugar gradually, while stirring constantly. The sugar will thicken the gravy. Add water to make more, if necessary. 

Warm the sliced meat in the gravy before serving. Serves 4-6.

While Autumn is not yet over, next week we turn our focus to Winter Holiday recipes as this is the last day of November! Booo! While we love the holidays, we do mourn the beautiful oranges and yellows of Halloween and Thanksgiving before moving on to red, silver and green!!  This recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free, but if you just can’t do without some meat, we recommend adding sausage, if you must. Credit for this recipe goes to GeekChic friend Annie for coming up with this creative and healthy soul warmer.

1 carton Trader Joe’s Organic Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper Soup

1 carton Trader Joe’s Vegetable Broth

1 yellow onion, chopped or diced

5 carrots, sliced into “coins” (or roughly half a bag of baby carrots)

5-6 stalks of celery, sliced

1/2 bag frozen yellow corn, or 1 can organic corn, drained

1/2 can of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (if you love beans, add the whole thing!)

1/2 cup white rice or quinoa

In a large pot, over medium heat, add onion, carrots and celery. Cook until fragrant, about 5-8 minutes. Add the kidney beans, stirring for another 2 minutes. Pour in the cartons of soup and broth, and bring to a slow boil. If you like a creamier soup, add less than the entire carton of the broth.

Cook rice or quinoa according to directions. Be careful with the amount, because if you make too much, the soup will absorb into the grains and you’ll wind up with paste!

Add the rice or quinoa, along with the corn, to the boiling soup. Simmer on low for at least 15 minutes, but we recommend 45 minutes to an hour to release the full flavors of the vegetables.  Serve and enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving! Because we’re so thankful for you, we’re letting you in on one of our most best-kept secrets! GeekChic’s Famous Pumpkin Pie was created when GCP CEO Kris Simon and GCP President RuthAnn Thompson made the decision to share what makes their pumpkin pies so delicious. And then they combined their recipes! And by doing so, stopped the apocalypse from destroying the world. As with most of our recipes, this one comes with choices. Gluten-free option will be listed.

¾ cup sugar

½ tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 ¾ tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tbs ground cloves

1 shake cayenne pepper

2 large eggs

1 can Libby’s or 15 oz fresh pumpkin (we cut up and steam the skin off our jack o’ lanterns before they go bad and mash the pumpkin and freeze it until ready for use)

1 can evaporated milk

1 unbaked 9-inch graham cracker pie crust (store bought is fine).

Gluten-free option: 1 box gluten-free ginger snaps, ground up to equal 1.5 cups. 6 tbs butter and 1/3 cup sugar

If you’re baking gluten-free, you’ll need to combine the 1 ½ cups crushed ginger snaps with 6 tablespoons melted butter and 1/3 cup sugar. Press into a 9-inch pie plate and bake at 375 for 7 minutes. Set aside and let cool.  

Heat oven to 425. Mix first 6 ingredients (sugar and spices) in small bowl. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Stir in the pumpkin and the spice mixture. Gradually add the evaporated milk. Pour into pie shell.

Note: If you are using fresh pumpkin, it will be very watery. Don’t panic, it will still bake up just fine. And you may have extra left over. You can discard, or save for a later use.

Bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350, and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, when toothpick comes out clean. Cool. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Do not freeze.

Extra tip: Blend heavy whipping cream with 2 tsp almond extract until fluffy, for a heavenly topping!

Just because it’s Thanksgiving, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pre-game. Part of having a successful Thanksgiving is grazing just enough throughout the day in order to enjoy that huge meal that is coming your way in the afternoon. If you don’t eat anything, you will find yourself full very quickly! Plus, that’s just unpleasant. This is America! Having this bacon for breakfast on Thanksgiving will definitely make you thankful. Sometimes this bacon goes under a slang name, called Candied Bacon. Bah! Warning: this recipe gets messy, and if not done right, you’ll be chipping the bacon off your cookie sheet with a hammer and wall scraper.

2 cups brown sugar

1 tbsp red pepper flakes

1 package thick cut maple bacon

honey (you can substitute maple syrup if desired)

Pour brown sugar and pepper into a large, gallon sized zip-loc bag. Drop bacon strips in one by one and well coat. Lay them down on a rack (like the one pictured) on a large cookie sheet that is lined with foil or parchment, and drizzle with honey. If you don’t have a rack, a broiler pan will work in a pinch, or use just the cookie sheet, but be prepared to peel off some really sticky bacon. It’ll still taste fabulous!

Cook at 350 for 20 minutes (or until desired crispness). Every 5 minutes, sprinkle on more brown sugar.

Tip: Don’t forget to share!

Fun fact: GCP Partner Kris Simon can’t stand the taste of mushrooms. It’s definitely a texture thing! However, that doesn’t stop her from making the most delicious stuffed mushrooms for her friends and family that do like them. Once a year, she’ll try a different mushroom dish in the hopes that she’ll have suddenly developed a tolerance for them. Hasn’t happened yet! In the meantime, here’s a basic recipe that is easy to make (vegetarian, not vegan), and gets rave reviews from mushroom lovers:

12 large, fresh mushrooms

1/4 cup grated or shredded Parmesan cheese

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 tbs olive oil

1 tbs minced garlic

1/2 tbs fresh parsley

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp onion powder

Preheat your broiler, with your oven rack moved to the top shelf of the oven. Spray cookie sheet with non-stick spray.

Take a damp paper towel and carefully wipe your mushrooms, cleaning them of dirt and debris. Break the stems off and finely dice them, discarding any tough ends. 

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and the stems to the oil. Saute until the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

Once they are cooled, stir the cheeses, herbs and spices into the mixture. Mixture should be thick.

Using a small spoon, fill each mushroom cap with a generous amount. Place on sprayed cookie sheet. Back on the top rack for 3 minutes.

Purely a concoction of GCP Founder Kris Simon, this pie is loaded with goodness and comes with the option to do caramel only, without the apple cider. But who would want to do that??  Chuh!  Note: These are actual pictures of the caramel apple pies that Kris has made.

1 package refrigerated pie crusts

6 honey crisp apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

1 stick + 10 tbs butter (frozen)

1 cup light brown sugar

3 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. allspice

1/4 tsp ground clove

1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 tbs milk or cream

1 jar salted caramel topping (I get Trader Joe’s Fleur de Sel)

For apple cider mixture:

3/4 cup apple cider

1 tbs. cornstarch

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp grated lemon rind

Preheat oven to 425 F. Fit one pie crust into a 9-inch pie dish. In small saucepan, melt stick of butter over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, allspice, cloves and lemon juice. Stir until well-blended, and sugar is melted, about 3 minutes.

Mix apples and sauce until apples are coated. Turn into pastry-lined dish.

Apple cider mixture: In saucepan, stir apple cider, cornstarch, ginger and grated lemon rind. Bring to a boil over moderate heat. Spoon apple cider mixture over apples in pastry-lined dish.

Pour caramel over apples, to taste.

Pie topping: Grate remaining frozen butter into bowl. Toss butter with flour, remaining sugars and cinnamon. 

Fit top crust over apple mixture, and press edges together to seal. Brush top of crust with milk or cream. Make slits in top crust with knife to create steam vents. Sprinkle topping evenly over pie. Carefully wrap aluminum foil band around edge of pie, to prevent burning. You may want to bake on a cookie sheet in case the pie bubbles over through the vents.

Our second recipe is the embodiment of Autumn itself, calling to mind drinking apple cider in the most fall-est of places, Vermont! Except we’re not drinking the cider, we’re eating it in the most delicious of dishes, macaroni and cheese. 

1 13.5 oz box of rotini pasta (the cheese sticks best to this type)

1 Cup Hard Cider (we like Woodchuck, but any brand is okay, Amber and green apple gives a crisper taste)

1 cup heavy cream (half & half works if you want to go lighter)

3 tablespoons salted butter

3 tablespoons flour (whole wheat, white or gluten free) 

1 granny smith apple, peeled cored and diced 

1 yellow onion diced

18 oz. shredded cheddar cheese, sharper the better (we like white for this, but yellow is also very good)

Preheat the oven to 350. Prepare pasta according to the box’s directions. Meanwhile, prepare your cheese sauce.

In a medium pan over medium low heat, add butter, diced onions and apples. Saute for approximately 5-10 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Sprinkle flour over them, mixing continuously until the flour has coated all the onions and apples (it should appear pasty). Slowly pour in cider and cream, whisking constantly.

Bring the mixture to a boil. Stir in 12 oz of the shredded cheese, mixing until smooth.

Pour cheese sauce over the cooked and strained pasta. Pour into a medium baking dish. Top with leftover cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the sides are bubbly. Enjoy!

Autumn is upon us, it’s time for fall colors, Crock-Pot meals and warm, spiced drinks! The ladies of GCP love this time of year, and to celebrate, we’re bringing out the recipe book, and posting our favorite fall recipes that literally ANYONE can make. These recipes are created by us, mostly as we put our own spin on an old favorite. Today’s recipe is GeekChic’s Southwest Chili. This can be made vegan, vegetarian or with meat. All three versions will make you think you’re in Chili Heaven! Will this be the BEST chili you have ever eaten? Maybe not, because taste is subjective. But it’s super easy to make and really delicious all the same.

1/2 of a red onion, diced

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic ( a clove or two)

1/2-1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning or chili powder

2 10 oz cans Ro*tel diced tomatoes with green chilies (mild)

1 can of red kidney beans (rinse first!)

1 tiny can of “no salt added” tomato sauce  

Optional: shredded cheese, sour cream, green onions and 8-10 oz ground beef or turkey. Bacon.

If you’re doing this in a Crock-Pot/Slow Cooker, then throw everything in and cook it on low for 3 hours or so. Taste test often, and add more seasoning or garlic to taste. If you’re using ground beef, then brown it first and throw it in as well, if you’re adding bacon, then you need to cook that first, and then crumble it in. We recommend 3-4 slices, but it really depends on your bacon fondness.

Traditional: Coat a large saucepan with cooking spray (or use non-stick). Heat pan over medium-high flame, add in onion and garlic. Cook and stir for 3 minutes.  Add in Cajun seasoning or chili powder and stir in for 30 seconds. If your nose hairs burn off when you smell it, then it’s good. Add in the un-drained tomatoes, beans and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 3-5 minutes. Top with cheese and sour cream, and green onions if desired. 

If adding ground beef or turkey, then you can start with browning it in the pan, and add in the onion and garlic and go from there.

If adding bacon, we recommend lining a baking sheet with foil, and baking it in the oven at 350 for 12 minutes. This can be done while cooking your chili.

Serves 2, with possible second helpings. Happy eating from the ladies of GeekChic Promotions!