Banana Cake

We tried quite a few recipes this weekend with great success. The first was cajan shrimp roll ups. The recipe was fairly easy. I halved the recipe.

Cajun Shrimp Lasagna Rollups
Ingredients
1-1/4 pounds uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped (used only one and added green pepper)
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese (used velveeta)
1 cup diced fully cooked andouille sausage (eliminated)
12 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained (used whole wheat)
4 ounces pepper Jack cheese, shredded (eliminated)
1 teaspoon paprika
Directions
In a large skillet, saute shrimp and onion in oil until shrimp turn pink. Stir in tomatoes and Cajun seasoning; set aside.
In a large saucepan, saute garlic in butter for 1 minute. Stir in flour until blended. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in cheddar cheese until smooth. Add sausage; set aside.
Spread 1/3 cup shrimp mixture over each noodle. Carefully roll up; place seam side down in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Top with cheese sauce. Sprinkle with pepper Jack cheese and paprika.
Cover and bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. Yield: 6 servings.

Secondly, I made hawaiian sliders on pretzel rolls. The pretzel rolls were ok, but I'm not sure better then the other recipe I've tried. My one complaint is that boiling them always ruins the texture. However, they were still good. The jalapenos made this HOT! Almost too hot so you couldn't taste the pineapple in the burgers. I also halved this recipe.

Hawaiian Sliders
1 can (20 ounces) unsweetened crushed pineapple
1 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef (90% lean)
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
18 minature whole wheat buns
Baby spinach leaves
3 center-cut bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
Sliced jalapeno peppers, optional
Directions
Drain pineapple, reserving juice and 1-1/2 cups pineapple (save remaining pineapple for another use). In a large bowl, combine 3/4 cup reserved crushed pineapple, pepper and salt. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 18 patties; place in two 11-in. x 7-in. dishes.
In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, garlic, pepper flakes and reserved pineapple juice. Pour half of marinade into each dish; cover and refrigerate for 1 hour, turning once.
Drain and discard marinade. Using long-handled tongs, moisten a paper towel with cooking oil and lightly coat the grill rack.
Grill patties, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from the heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 160° and juices run clear.
Grill buns, uncovered, for 1-2 minutes or until toasted. Serve burgers on buns with spinach, remaining pineapple, bacon and jalapeno peppers if desired. Yield: 6 servings.