Mex-Asian Spice Rub

This'll be a quickie...we had a package of pork chops in the fridge on the verge of being past its "best by" date. I considered using barbecue sauce, but we just had barbecue for Garth's birthday on Thursday (on May 28th, Garth turned 35! old man...) You really can't have barbecue more than once a week, in my opinion. So I improvised a spice rub with ingredients on hand:

Canola oil
Chili powder
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Salt
Chile paste
Lime juice
Cilantro


Oh, did you want ratios? Err...well, I listed the ingredients in order of amount from greatest to least (except for the oil which was used to make a paste).

The flavor was just right. It was sort of a combination of Mexican & Asian, as both cultures tend to use cilantro and lime and chile / chili. Perfect for the pork chops.

A Bluth Experiment

I love bananas. If you know me, you know why. (If you don't, it's because we grew up on a banana plantation in Costa Rica & the Philippines.)

I also love Arrested Development. Something reminded me of the Bluth banana stand in that show today, and since I made plans not to make plans this weekend, I had time to goof off in the kitchen.

Two things you have to love about this: bananas & chocolate. Really, how can you go wrong with this combination?

I almost don't want to write this in recipe form because it's too simple, and I don't want to seem condescending. Here goes:

Frozen Chocolate Bananas

3 bananas (see below on how to pick out the perfect banana)
6 oz semi-sweet, dark, or milk chocolate chips (your choice)
1 tsp vegetable or canola oil
sprinkles or nuts
popsicle sticks or skewers
(parchment paper)

Slice your bananas in half. Freeze for 15-20 minutes.

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine your chocolate chips and oil and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir, then heat another 30 seconds. Stir again (that did it for me, but if you need to keep going, just do 30 seconds at a time till your chocolate has melted).

Insert the popsicle sticks / skewers in the bananas. Dip in chocolate. Sprinkle with your toppings. Set aside on parchment paper.

Freeze another 15-20 minutes before serving. You can keep the bananas in an airtight container in the freezer for several days.

*Picking the perfect banana:
For this recipe, you will want to pick out a banana that is all yellow (no green at all) but with very few spots. If no spots, your banana will taste "raw." If few spots, it will be ripe enough but still firm. If very spotty, your gonna get a mushy banana, great for banana bread but not for this recipe...