Chinese Orange Chicken

Orange chicken is one of my favorite Chinese dishes.  Here is a super simple crock pot recipe that is so easy.  Start it in the morning and walk away until lunch or dinner (AKA supper).

3 to 4 boneless chicken breasts

1/3 cup flour

Olive oil

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. of your favorite balsamic vinegar

3 tbs. ketchup

6 oz frozen orange juice concentrate (thawed or put in the microwave for 45 seconds)

4 tbs. brown sugar

Green onion

Cut your chicken breasts into about 1 inch pieces.  Coat your chicken in flour and cover each piece well shaking off any extra flour.  Pour a small amount of oil in a hot skillet and brown the chicken (medium heat). Do not over crowd the pan because it does not allow it to brown. The chicken doesn't need to be fully cooked since it is going in the crock pot.  After the chicken is done cooking, pour the pieces into the crock pot.  I like to lightly spray my crock pot with a little Pam first for easy clean up.

In a bowl, mix the orange juice, brown sugar, vinegar, salt, and ketchup.    Pour the sauce over the chicken and give the pot a stir.

Cook on low 5 to 6 hours or high 2 to 3 hours.

You do not need to fix it in the crock pot if you'd rather fix it on top of the stove.  You can put it in a covered baking dish and put it into the oven until it is done.  Heat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes or until the chicken is tender and done.

Serve with white rice and garnish with chopped green onion.

Hope you have a fun Halloween.  Be happy and may God bless you and yours.  

Canned Sweet Potatoes

At book club last Friday, I had a very simple sweet potato dish that I can say was the best I ever had.  It was made with white sugar and the potatoes were sliced very thinly.  We had a pork tenderloin roast and a mandarin orange salad that made for a beautiful fall meal.   I normally don’t like sweet potatoes when they are served with brown sugar or marshmallows, but I really like these.  I’m sharing a recipe similar to my apple-pie-in-a-jar recipe, so you can simply heat it and serve it at your will or use it for other recipes like sweet potato pie.  I can’t always find sweet potatoes here in Maquoketa, but am seeing them now so my mind went to canning them in a white syrup.

18 lbs peeled sweet potatoes steamed until just cooked through.

6 cups white or brown sugar (your choice)

10 cups water

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 tsp salt

18 lbs of sweet potatoes will yield 7 or 8 quarts, canned.

Cook the potatoes and cube them up into 1 or 2 inch cubes. Don't mash them up too much, or the results will be mushy.

Add the water, sugar, cinnamon and salt to a pot and bring the syrup to a rolling boil.

Fill quart jars with the sweet potatoes and cover with the hot syrup, leaving 1 inch of "head space" between the top of the potatoes and the top of the jar.

Put sterile lids on the jars and seal.

Process for 60 minutes in a hot water bath.

Stay sweet and happy.  May God bless you and yours.  

Norwegian Apple Cake

I've been busy the last couple of days so have neglected sharing any recipes.  I usually do this early each morning and just getting around to it here at 5:00 PM, but better late than never.  I like to try recipes from other countries and I love apples, so I thought I'd share this Norwegian recipe with you.  

1 Egg

2 Tbs. milk

3/4 Cup sugar

1 Tsp. vanilla extract

1 Tsp. baking powder

1/3 Tsp. salt

1 Tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 Cup + 3 Tbs. flour

1/2 Chopped almonds or walnuts 

3 Medium sized tart apples

Preheat the oven to 350° F, line a  springform cake pan with baking paper and then butter it.

Peal, core, and dice the apples.

Stir all the ingredients together (the mixture will be thick similar to that of muffins).  Spread into the pan.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until browned (check when you first start smelling it).  Insert a toothpick in the center to see if it comes out clean.

Cool for 1 minutes, run  a knife along the side of cake to loosen and remove from the side of springform pan.

Place a cooling rack upside down. Turn rack and cake over. Remove the bottom as well as the baking paper of the springform pan. Place back on the rack and cool.

Cut into wedges and serve with either sweetened whipped cream or ice cream.

Will make a great dessert for one of these cold fall evenings.  

Be happy, stay safe and may God bless you and yours. 

Dairy Free Veggie Dip

I played in the kitchen yesterday developing a dairy free veggie dip that my grandson can have since his diet is dairy free and gluten free.  I think I came up with something I like.  Hope he does too.

1 cup of your favorite Mayo

1 tsp. Balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. onion powder

½ tsp. garlic powder

1 large tablespoon of chopped chives

1 large tablespoon of chopped parley

Pinch of salt

1 tsp. dried dill weed (not seed)

I chopped some of the last of my parsley and chives I harvested from my garden yesterday.  I think the frost will take it with temps getting down into the 20’s starting tonight.

Mix your mayonnaise and chopped chives and parley.  Add a bit of your favorite Balsamic vinegar to give it a bite.  If you don’t have Balsamic vinegar, then squeeze a half a lemon into it.  Add your onion and garlic powder and stir very well.  Add a pinch of salt and your dill weed and finish mixing until well blended.  Refrigerate and let flavors marry for a while.

It should store just like mayonnaise in your refrigerator.  I put it in a pint sized mason jar. 

Variations - You can play with it and add your tastes.  You could add mustard or a dash of hot sauce to give it an even bigger kick.  You can also use it as a flavored mayo on your sandwiches. 

I love to invent in the kitchen.  It makes me happy.  Do what makes you happy and may God bless you and yours.

Enchiladas

This recipe does make a lot.  I will use a third and freeze the rest for later.  Put in 2 baggies to freeze for 2 more meals.   1/3 will make about 10 enchiladas.

4 cups of chicken broth, low sodium

2 cups of water

2 cans (15 oz.) tomato sauce

3 tablespoons corn starch

1 tsp. cocoa powder

2 tsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. cumin

2 tsp. onion powder

6 dashes of your favorite hot sauce (optional or cut down to cut heat)

In a large pot on medium heat, add the chicken broth, water and 1 1/2 cans of tomato sauce.

While this is starting to get warm, take the remaining tomato sauce and add this to a small bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and blend well.  Slowly add this to your pot.

Once your pot reaches a boiling point, it should start to thicken slightly. Turn your heat down to medium low and let simmer.

Let the sauce simmer for about an hour to marry the flavors.  You need to stir it about once every 15 minutes.  

Filling the enchilada is a matter of choice.  I like to fill them with a mixture of both chicken and hamburger.  You can make just chicken or just beef if you like or a pan of each. To season the meat I simply add salsa because it already has your onion, garlic, and other seasonings in it.  Cut up 2 chicken breasts into small pieces and fry them with a pound of 85% lean hamburger.  Fry your meat until done and add about a cup of your favorite salsa.  I like medium heat, but you can use mild or hot.

Spray your baking dish with oil and coat the bottom with just enough enchilada sauce  so that it covers the bottom of the dish.

Add Mexican blend grated cheeses or what ever your might have in the house.  Monterey Jack or Cheddar works fine.  Roll up the tortilla (I use corn tortillas but you can also use flour making them gluten free).  You may wish to stick them in the microwave a few seconds before you fill them so they become more pliable and they do not crack when you roll them.  I put a pile of them in and heat for 30 seconds.  Once filled, place the enchilada  face down in the dish so it does not open.  Pour your enchilada sauce over the enchiladas until each one is coated.  Sprinkle more cheese over the top of the enchiladas. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake the enchilada's for 25 to 30 minutes.  Everything is precooked, so you only need enough time to melt the cheese until it is bubbly and starting to brown and to warm the enchiladas. You can also freeze the enchiladas by double wrapping them in aluminum foil and just thaw and heat up for another meal.

Suppose to rain today and our nights are going to start bringing us frost.  That means hot meals on the table time.  This is a great family pleaser.

Be happy and may God bless you and yours.

Condensed Cream Soup Mix

Yesterday I reached for cream of mushroom soup for a recipe and I was out.  I always seem to be out of it or cream of chicken soup.  I found this idea and now I will not be out of it again.  I made some changes because the original called for Italian herbs and dried onion flakes.  I wanted it creamier and unseasoned not knowing what I would be putting it into.  You again can play with it how ever you like. It is easier to add the flavor accordingly once you have reconstituted it.

This is a great money saving idea and a simple solution to stocking creamed soup stock for your pantry to make winter soups or casseroles.

For each batch, you’ll need 2 quart jars to store. It’ll store on the pantry shelf up to a year.

4 cups instant non-fat dry milk

1/2 cup of dairy creamer

1 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup chicken bouillon  

2 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon white pepper

This equals 18 cans of condensed cream of chicken!  Just think of the storage space you save.

To reconstitute (equal to one 10 ounce can of condensed cream soup) the soup, combine 1/3 cup of the mix and 1 1/4 cups water.  In a small saucepan on the stove or a microwave safe bowl; cook and stir till mixture thickens.

Label the jars and note the above directions to reconstitute the mix right on the lid. Once you have reconstituted the soup, add you chicken, mushrooms, cheese, broccoli or what ever you wish to make the cream soup of your choice.

Note:  I used 1 2 quart jar so I could mix all of the ingredients in it by shaking well.  Shaves a mess and extra dish washing.

I love choices, don't you?  Be happy and may God bless you and yours.

Spicy Teas

Do you want to goose up your apple cider?  Try this warm recipe.

Spicy Apple Tea

             

Pour this spicy brew into a crock pot and keep warm to serve warm to family or guests.

1 (32 oz.) bottle apple cider

5 c. water

1/4 c. honey

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

3 family size tea bags

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large pan. Bring to a boil; remove from heat. Add tea bags; cover and let stand 4 minutes. Discard tea bags. Place over low heat; simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes. Serve warm. Yield: 3 3/4 quarts (about 71 calories per 3/4 cup).

Serve with a cinnamon stick in the cup of cider. 

Pumpkin Tea

This is a recipe to make your own pumpkin tea.  You will need to play with it to adjust to your liking.  The longer you steep the spices the spicier it will be. 

Pinch of Allspice

Cinnamon Chips

Grated Nutmeg

Whole Clove

Touch of Shaved Ginger Root

Touch of Orange Zest

Make a tea bag out of cheese cloth and tie with cotton string to steep the spices in your tea pot. 

Pumpkin Flavoring:

If you choose to have the flavor of actual pumpkin in your Pumpkin Spice Tea, and not just the spices alone, add pumpkin flavor from a teaspoon full of pumpkin butter.  I’ve given you a recipe below.  

If you just want spice tea flavor add the spices to a nice black tea or tea of your choice.  Look at some of your Celestial fruit teas like apple, orange or peach.  You may wish to add vanilla or honey to flavor. 

Pumpkin Pie Spice Recipe

If you have a recipe that calls for pumpkin pie spice, you do not need to buy it.  You can make your own by using spices you have in your pantry already.  Use these measurements for a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice.

This recipe makes just over a teaspoon of pumpkin spice blend. If you need more, simply double or triple the recipe.

1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1/4 Teaspoon Ginger

1/4 Teaspoon Allspice

1/8 Teaspoon Nutmeg

Carefully measure four ingredients and stir together.

This spice blend may be mixed in advance and stored in an airtight container.

Pumpkin Butter

1 can (15 ounces) Pumpkin

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Combine pumpkin, sugar, honey, lemon juice, cinnamon and cloves in saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat; reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring frequently, for 20 to 25 minutes or until thickened. Serve with biscuits, breads and corn muffins. Store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 2 months.  Makes 2 cups.

Pumpkin Spread

Well I lied.  I'm sharing another pumpkin recipe, but I think you will like this one.  It is a no bake recipe and you can use it as a snack or for breakfast.

While making pumpkin bread yesterday, my grandson wanted to lick the bowl.  It made me think that it would make a good spread in that I was making him cinnamon toast at the time.  So I came up with this spread after doing a search to see if someone already invented it.  They had and in fact I found that it was being sold.  I found this recipe and it really looked good.  With its cinnamon, nutmeg and maple flavoring, this really tripped my trigger.  It would be great for taking to work with bagels, dipping apple slices, on top of graham crackers, for brunch or for your Halloween party.  The idea of having it on a toasted bagel really appealed to me but it would go good on any crusty toasted bread.   I have tweaked the recipe it to my liking.  You may want to tweak it some more.  You could reduce the fat or use a sugar substitute if you like.

1 package (8 ounces) whipped cream cheese

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoon of maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 8 ounces frozen whipped topping

Prep work – thaw the whipped topping.  Set out the cream cheese to make sure it is soft.

In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, pumpkin and sugar; mix well. Beat in the cinnamon, vanilla, maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice and nutmeg. Fold in the whipped topping. Refrigerate until serving.  It yields about 4 cups.

Hope you have a great Monday.  Be happy and may God bless you and yours.

Cajun Three Fish Chowder

Here is a great soup seasoned or unseasoned for a chilly Fall Sunday.  

5 strips thick cut bacon

2 medium onions, chopped

4 large cloves garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons white flour

2 cups chicken, fish or vegetable stock (I use chicken)

2 cups unpeeled and diced potatoes

1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

1 pound whitefish fillets (cod or haddock hold up well )

1 pound frozen cleaned shrimp

1 pound mussels 

1 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

2 teaspoons curry powder

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

In a large, heavy Dutch oven, fry up the bacon until crisp. Drain bacon on paper towels and add the butter to the pot. Sauté the onions in the bacon drippings and butter until transparent (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Add flour, stirring constantly for a few minutes, until the roux turns slightly golden (If you prefer corn starch make a slurry and add after the potatoes are done) Stir in the stock, potatoes and thyme and simmer until potatoes are tender (about 30 minutes on medium heat).  Stir constantly to keep the soup from burning or sticking to the bottom of the soup pot. Cut the whitefish into 1 inch chunks and add to the pot. Simmer on low for 10 minutes or until the fish is just opaque. Steam the mussels while the fish is finishing cooking and set aside (if you can’t find mussels, add a can of clams).

Turn heat down to low.  Stir in the cream and seasonings and simmer on low until just heated through, making sure not to let the soup boil (you do not want it to curdle). Ladle soup into bowls and top with steamed mussels, bacon bits and parsley.  If you are using clams to replace the mussels, you can add the entire can when you add the cream.  Honestly though, mussels are one of my most favorite foods and think they add a great deal.  Hope you can find them.

If you do not like the seasonings, leave them out and you will still have wonderful chowder.  Play with it and make it your own.

Have a super Sunday.  Be happy and may God bless you and yours.  

Chicken with Apple Bacon Stuffing

This is a new idea for that chicken breast you don't know what to do with for supper or maybe you call it dinner.  Here in farm country many of us call the noon meal dinner.  That comes from a history of feeding a large meal at noon to hard working farmers, family and farm hands on the farm and our Sunday noon meal always being a large family sit down meal.  That leaves the evening meal to be called supper.  To this day, I can't call the noon meal lunch out of habit. What ever you call it or when you eat it, it is tasty.

2 large chicken breasts

1 cup chopped cooked bacon

1 large Granny Smith apple, remove core, chopped into small pieces

1 small white onion, chopped

½ teaspoon dried rosemary

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and pepper

Chicken

Using a clean work surface, butterfly both chicken breasts.  Slice along the length of the chicken at an angle that leaves about a 1/2 inch thick of flesh; continue slicing through, while pulling and unrolling the inside of the chicken until you get a flat rectangle that is about 1/2 inch thick.  Season both sides with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

Stuffing

Cover the bottom of a large skillet with extra virgin olive oil.  When hot, add bacon, onion, apples, and rosemary. Season the mixture with  salt and pepper to taste. Sauté, stirring occasionally until soft. Set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Spread stuffing on chicken starting from the edge closest to you, covering the chicken entirely, leaving about 1" clear on the far edge. Roll tightly, starting from the closest edge, then secure with twine.

Arrange roll on a single layer on an oven dish. Bake the roll for 30 minutes, turning it over once at the halfway point of 15 minutes. Glaze with 2 tablespoons of Maple Syrup during cooking and brush pan drippings all over the roll for color and extra flavor.

Let the roll rest for 10 minutes before carving.  Cut off the string and slice about 1 inch thick.

Variation - The original recipe calls for chorizo sausage.  Add 1 cup of cooked chorizo in place of the bacon.  The dish will have a Mexican flare and be much spicier.  You can also use 1 cup of just good breakfast rope sausage in place of the bacon or chorizo.

We get to see the sun today and tomorrow so looking forward to the weekend.  Hope we can see the meteor shower tonight.  Be happy and may God bless you and yours.    

Microwave Pumpkin Seed Brittle

1 cup salted hulled green pumpkin seeds

½ teaspoon cinnamon  

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. butter
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla

In a 1 ½  quart microwave safe dish stir together sugar, syrup, cinnamon, salt and pumpkin seeds. Microwave on high 4 minutes. Stir well. Microwave 4 minutes more. Stir in butter and vanilla, microwave for 2 minutes longer.

Add baking soda and stir until light and foamy. Immediately pour onto a Silpat or spray a cookie sheet with oil.  I love a Silpat for this.  Using an oiled spatula, spread the mixture out as thin as possible. Let it sit to cool and break into smaller pieces.

You can store it in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.  You may substitute any type of nut in this recipe.  At Christmas try cashews.  Yum!

Be happy and have a sweet day.  May God bless you and yours. 

Microwave Brownie in a Mug

Dessert for one; what a wonderful idea.  I shared it today on FB, but after I made it according to the recipe I  changed it because the original was quite dry. 

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour (for gluten free add 1/4 cup of soy flour)

2 teaspoons cocoa

Pinch of salt

3 tbsp. oil

3 tbsp. water

1 tbsp. chocolate chips

Mix first 6 ingredients in mug until smooth.  Add chocolate chips and stir.

Microwave 1 min 30 seconds.

Serve with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream on top of the hot mug.

Pumpkin Oatmeal

Well I know I said I was done with pumpkin recipes, but saw this yesterday and tried it and it is warm and wonderful.  I guessing you could also do this with grits or even Malt-O-Meal. 

 Pumpkin Oatmeal

Serves 1 so double or triple depending on how many you are feeding.

1/2 c. milk of choice (or half and half)

1/2 c. water or more milk of choice

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 c. oatmeal

1/4 c. canned pumpkin

1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Sweeten at the table as desired with sugar, brown sugar, or maple syrup

Raisins and walnuts (Optional)

1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients on the stove top and bring to a boil. Stir over medium heat until desired thickness is reached and oatmeal is done. You can make this in the microwave also with an envelope of microwave oatmeal.  Add ingredients and follow instructions on the box for cooking time.

Variation - put brown sugar on top and bake the already cooked oatmeal under the broiler until it gets all caramelized and crusty.

Have a warm breakfast this morning.  It is nippy out there.

Be happy and may God bless you and yours.  

Polish Kielbasa and Apples

I love Polish Kielbasa.  I've told the story of my living very near to a Polish butcher shop in Milwaukee and picking up fresh Kielbasa.  I ate an awful lot of Kielbasa in my Milwaukee days.  I will eat it plain, but if I can find a good recipe to goose it up, I’ll give it a try.  I found this one and needing to get rid of apples from my tree had to try it.  I used Golden Delicious apples though.  It is wonderful.  It is so good, you can also use it as a stuffing in Iowa Chops or butterflied chicken breasts.  Hope you enjoy it.

Kielbasa and Apples

14 oz. Kielbasa sausage

1 large onion

2 Granny Smith apples

2 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Sage and thyme (fresh if you can)

Prep work - Chop you apples and onions.

Heat butter in a large skillet. When melted, add the onions and apples and cook on low for 5 to 10 minutes until slightly caramelized. Add the rest of the ingredients, except for the thyme and sage, stirring to evenly combine. Cover and continue to cook on low for about 15 minutes or until everything is heated through and the brown sugar has formed a syrupy glaze. Plate and garnish with the fresh herbs.  If you do not have fresh, you can add the herbs while cooking.  Do not use much sage or it will over whelm the dish.  Season to taste.

It is suppose to rain today so it would be a nice warm dish for supper.  Be happy and may God bless you and yours.   

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars

Well I'm pumpkined out.  This is the last of my pumpkin recipes in my file.  I think you will like it though because it is super easy and tastes wonderful.  Tweak it anyway you would like.  You could use a yellow cake mix if you have that in your pantry (follow it's directions on ingredients) or season it according to your pallet.

1 box angel food cake mix (the 1 step kind)

1 15 oz. can pumpkin

3/4 cup water

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 8 oz. pkg. whipped cream cheese

1/4 cup cream

1/4 powdered sugar

Preheat your oven to what ever the cake mix box recommends.

Mix the cake mix, pumpkin, water, and spices together until it is smooth & well mixed, but do not over mix.

In a separate bowl, whip the cream cheese, cream and sugar until it is smooth.

Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with oil.  Add half of the cake pumpkin mix. Then smooth it out with a rubber spatula. Drizzle half of the cream cheese mixture over the top of it and take a small spatula to smooth it over the top. Add remaining cake pumpkin mix and  also the remaining cream cheese just making layers.

Take a butter knife and go back & forth over the top of the cake making figure 8 to blend it a bit to get the above desired effect.

Bake according to the box mix directions.  Let cool and cut into bars.  

Be happy and may God bless you and yours.  

Pumpkin Bean Kale Soup

This is a variation on my lentil soup I make often.  I grow kale each year, freeze it for winter and am always looking for another way to use it.  This is coupling it with pumpkin and beans.  

1/2 teaspoon olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

3 cloves of garlic

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

3 cups of chopped raw pumpkin, skin removed

1 cup dry Great Northern beans

1 bay leaf

2 sausages, sliced and chopped into chunks (rope sausage or sweet Italian sausage)

3 cups of chopped kale leaves (lightly packed)

Salt and pepper to taste

Pepper flakes to taste if you are using Italian sausage and like a little heat (Optional)

Presoak your beans over night to speed up cooking process.  Drain well just before using.

Brown your sausage until done and cut up into small pieces.  Set aside.

Chop your onions and garlic.

Heat a saucepan or soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté  for 5 minutes until the onions are translucent and soft.  Add garlic and sauté for one minute.

Stir in the broth, pumpkin, strained soaked beans and bay leaf, reduce heat to medium low and cook for an hour to an hour and a half or until the pumpkin is soft and the beans are fully cooked. Add additional broth or water if your liquid is evaporating. 

Add browned sausage and cook 10 minutes longer or until the sausage is good and hot and cooked through. I use Italian sausage in my lentil soup and think it goes well here adding more flavor to the soup.  You may wish to use a nice local homemade rope sausage.

Taste for seasoning.  Add salt and pepper to taste and if you like pepper flakes add a pinch of pepper flakes for heat.  You may leave this out if you like.  The soup still is well flavored.   

Add the kale leaves and cook for just 1 or 2 minutes longer until the kale is wilted, but still bright green.  You can also use frozen kale.  I do. 

Ladle the soup into serving bowls and serve hot with a piece of nice crusty bread to soak up the juices.

Great on a rainy fall day.  Have a great day and be happy.  May God bless you and yours.  

Pumpkin Pie on a Stick

To everyone that is a pumpkin pie lover, this is for your.  Everything is better on a stick, but surely not a requirement of this recipe.  It is just as easy to serve as a small individual pie.  You may also substitute the crust for a package of thawed puff pastry and make it easy on yourself.

Crust:

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 cup butter, chilled and cut into pieces

1/4 cup shortening, chilled and cut into pieces

2-4 Tbsp. cold water

Filling:

1 14 oz. can  pumpkin puree

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/2 cup packed brown sugar (taste and if you like it sweeter, add more)

1 large egg

Sugar for top

1 egg, lightly beaten

Popsicle sticks (Optional)

Make the pastry: in a large bowl or the bowl of a food processor, stir together the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter and shortening and use a fork, pastry blender, wire whisk or the “pulse” motion of the food processor to blend the mixture until it resembles coarse meal, with lumps of fat no bigger than a pea.

Drizzle the minimum amount of water over the mixture and stir until the dough comes together, adding a little more a bit at a time if you need it. Gather the dough into a ball, flatten it into a disc, wrap it in plastic and chill for at least half an hour.

Meanwhile stir together all the filling ingredients and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry out 1/4″ thick. Cut into 2″-3″ rounds with a cookie cutter or glass rim, and brush the edge with beaten egg. Place a lollipop stick on the edge, overlapping the pastry by about 1/2″, and place a spoonful of the pumpkin mixture in the middle of the pastry circle. Top with a second circle and press the edges with a fork to seal. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet, brush with a little more beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Repeat with the remaining pastry and filling.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Makes about a dozen pie pops. 

If you are serving as a dessert and not with the stick, drizzle the plate with a little caramel sauce and/or serve warm with ice cream.

You know you can make these with any kind of fruit filling year round.  You can always put a happy face on them.  You don't have to make them in circles either.  So you don't waste any of the dough, cut them in rectangles or squares and fold into a triangle.  Make sure you make a couple of cuts to vent them though.

Tomorrow another savory pumpkin dish.  I think I'm finally running out of pumpkin recipes unless someone wants to share a really good one.

Be happy and may God bless you and yours.  

Pumpkin Ravioli with Salted Caramel Whipped Cream

I saved this Pillsbury Bake Off recipe that won a million dollar and added it to my recipe file.  I can see why it won a million dollars.  It is delicious and so original.  It is also simple because you are using Pillsbury dough sheets.   I thought I would pass it on to you if you have not seen it so you can make it for your family. I have not made any changes in it because I don't think you can improve on a million dollar winner.

4 tablespoons butter

2 packages (3 oz each) cream cheese

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

1 egg yolk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup sugar

5 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/3 cup pecans, finely chopped

2 cans Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated seamless dough sheet

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/8 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons Hershey’s caramel syrup

4 tablespoons cinnamon sugar

Heat oven to 375°F.  Brush 2 large cookie sheets with 2 tablespoons of the melted butter.

In large bowl, beat cream cheese and pumpkin with electric mixer on medium speed about 1 minute or until smooth. Add egg yolk, vanilla, sugar, 3 tablespoons of the flour and pumpkin pie spice; beat on low speed until blended. Reserve 4 teaspoons of the pecans; set aside. Stir remaining pecans into pumpkin mixture.

Lightly sprinkle work surface with 1 tablespoon of the flour. Unroll 1 can of dough on floured surface with 1 short side facing you. Press dough into 14×12-inch rectangle. With paring knife, lightly score the dough in half horizontally. Lightly score bottom half of dough into 12 squares (3×2 1/4-inch each). Spoon heaping tablespoon of the pumpkin filling onto center of each square. Gently lift and position unscored half of dough over filling. Starting at the top folded edge, press handle of wooden spoon firmly between mounds and along edges of pumpkin filling to seal. Using toothpick, poke small hole in top of each ravioli. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut between each ravioli; place 1 inch apart on cookie sheets. Repeat with remaining 1 tablespoon flour, dough sheet and filling. Brush ravioli with remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter.

Bake 9 to 14 minutes or until golden brown.

Meanwhile, in medium bowl, beat whipping cream and salt with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Beat in 2 tablespoons of the caramel syrup until stiff peaks form. Transfer to serving bowl; cover and refrigerate.

Remove ravioli from oven. Sprinkle ravioli with 2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar; turn. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar.

To serve, place 2 ravioli on each of 12 dessert plates. Drizzle each serving with scant teaspoon of the caramel syrup; sprinkle with reserved chopped pecans. With spoon, swirl remaining 1 tablespoon caramel syrup into bowl of whipped cream. Serve warm ravioli with whipped cream.

I still have a few more pumpkin recipes in my file.  Tomorrows will be simple because it calls for puffed pastry, one of my favorite ingredients. 

Be happy and may God bless you and yours.  

Pumpkin Donuts

Want to start your day with pumpkin?  Try these sweet pumpkin donuts.  

3 3/4 cups all purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 cup sugar

4 tablespoons melted butter

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 cup pumpkin puree

Canola oil for frying

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, spice and sugar. Whisk together all of the remaining ingredients (except for the canola oil) in a second, medium bowl. Combine the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and stir them gently until the mixture is well combined. Place the bowl of dough into the refrigerator and allow to chill for 30 minutes.

Turn out onto a heavily floured surface, pressing the donut dough to approximately 1/2″ thick. Cut with a donut cutter or another large circle.

Heat 2 inches of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil reaches 350 degrees F, gently slide the donuts into the oil, frying on the first side until the edges of the donut are lightly browned, flip carefully and allow to cook on the other side until lightly browned.

Remove and dunk immediately into the brown sugar and molasses glaze.

Brown Sugar and Molasses Glaze

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 tablespoon molasses (Optional)

1/2 cup water

Pinch of salt

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Heat all ingredients in a small saucepan until they lightly boil. Turn the heat down to very low and carefully dunk the doughnuts into the glaze.

Makes approximately 18 doughnuts with of course, 18 doughnut holes.

You know donuts are always at their best when they are fresh and warm.  Be happy and may God bless you and yours.  

Pumpkin Bisque with Wild Rice

This is a great crock pot recipe you can start in the morning and have for lunch or dinner.   

2 cups chopped onion

2 15 ounce cans canned pumpkin (not pie filling)

3 1/2 cups cold water

4 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon packed  brown sugar

2 15 ounce can white beans, rinsed and drained well

3/4 cup uncooked long grain and wild rice

1/2 cup half and half

Fresh or died parsley (Optional)

Combine all ingredients, except cream and parsley, in a 5-6 quart crock pot. Cook on high heat setting for 3 1/2 hours or on low for 7 hours. Ten minutes before serving, stir in cream; cover to heat through. For garnish, you may sprinkle with chopped fresh or died parsley before serving.

Number of Servings: 6-10.

Variation -  Want to add some meat to the dish?  Fry up a pound of hamburger that you seasoned with salt and pepper.  Drain well and add it to the crock when you combine all of the ingredients.  

If you like rice, you will love this hearty dish. Tomorrow pumpkin donuts.  Be happy and may God bless you and yours.  

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

I hope you are not tired of pumpkin recipes yet.  Here is a wonderful bread pudding just right for a cold fall day.  Can you smell the pumpkin and cinnamon?

8 ounces French bread, torn into small pieces, about 5 cups (you can use up any old bread you have though)

2 cups half-and-half

3 large eggs

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

3 tablespoons melted butter

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon vanilla

Cinnamon sugar

Butter an 11 x 7 inch baking dish. Heat oven to 350°.

In a bowl, cover the torn bread with the half-and-half and set aside.

In another bowl, combine eggs, sugars, pumpkin, melted butter, spices, and vanilla; blend well. Pour pumpkin mixture over soaked bread and stir to blend.

Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle top with cinnamon-sugar and pecans. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until set.

Serve with a vanilla dessert sauce or brown sugar sauce, whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream.  Best served warm. 

  

Vanilla Dessert Sauce

1 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Pinch salt

Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. Combine sugar and cornstarch, blend well. Add sugar and cornstarch mixture to boiling water; reduce heat to medium, stirring constantly, and cook until thickened. Remove from heat and add the butter, vanilla, and salt, stirring until butter is melted. Spoon over the warm dessert or on the plate as decoration.  You can also serve in a small pitcher on the side if you like.  Serve it warm also.

Makes 3/4 cup.

Variation – For a brown sugar sauce just substitute the white sugar with brown using the same recipe. 

I’m not done with pumpkin recipes yet. You can save uncarved pumpkins for months if  you store them right (do not let them freeze outside.)  I'm supplying you with many recipes for those pumpkin lovers.  I’ll post a savory recipe tomorrow.

Be happy and may God bless you and yours.  

Pumpkin Cake

Yet another pumpkin recipe.  If you like zucchini or carrot cake, you will love pumpkin cake.

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

4 large eggs

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups pumpkin puree or cooked mashed pumpkin

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine sugar, vegetable oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl; mix well. Sift dry ingredients including your spices into a separate bowl; stir into oil mixture, beating well. Stir in the pumpkin puree.

Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13 cake pan. Bake at 350° for 35 to 40 minutes. Turn out onto racks to cool. Frost the pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting.

  

Variation -  You can add 1/2 cup of pecans or walnuts nuts to the batter if you like.  

Frosting

4 ounces soft butter

4 ounces soft whipped cream cheese

2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix well until well blended.  If it is too stiff, you can add a teaspoon of milk to it. 

Top the cake with candy pumpkins or candy corn or some more nuts.  

This recipe can carry you through to Thanksgiving.  It is the taste of fall.  Tomorrow I'll share pumpkin bread pudding with vanilla sauce.  

Be happy and may God bless you and  yours.  

Pumpkin Bars

My nephew asked for pumpkin bars so I'm sharing the recipe we all had for one of our Thanksgiving dinner dessert.  Our kids grew up on these and if they were not present, there was an awful lot of complaining.

 Pumpkin Bars

Crust

1 cup flour

1/2 cup quick rolled oats

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

Pumpkin Filling 

1 can (1 lb) pumpkin (2 cups)

1 (13 1/2 oz) can of evaporated milk

2 eggs

3/4 sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. cloves

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

Combine flour, oats, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cut butter.  Press on 13   X  9 pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. 

Combine pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar, salt and spices.  Beat well.  Pour onto baked crust.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  

Sprinkle with walnuts or pecans.

Variation 

You can add a crusty top to the bars.

Topping

1/2 cup pecans

1/2 brown sugar

2 tsp. butter

Combine the nuts and brown sugar and 2 Tbs of butter.  Sprinkle over pumpkin.  Return to the oven and bake another 15 to 20 minutes.  Serves 12.

When you serve you can drizzle caramel ice cream sauce over the top or whipped cream. 

Hope you add it to your pumpkin dessert recipes.

Be happy and may God bless you and yours.

Sunday Morning Pumpkin Pancakes

Sunday morning means fussing a little for breakfast or brunch.  Continuing with the pumpkin theme of the week, why not try pumpkin pancakes for your Sunday morning meal? 

2 cups flour (Gluten free substititue 1 cup rice flour and 1 cup soy flour)

3 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½  teaspoon ground ginger

½  teaspoon ground allspice

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

1 egg

1 ½  cups milk  (dairy free substitute almond milk)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Additional vegetable oil for frying

Butter (skip for dairy free)

Maple syrup

Walnuts or pecans for garnish (Optional)

Combine your flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

In a separate bowl, combine pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, egg, milk, and 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Slowly add in the flour mixture, and stir just until moistened.  To keep light, do not over mix.

Coat the skillet with 1 teaspoon vegetable oil over medium heat.

Using a 1/4 or 1/3 cup measuring cup, pour batter into the hot skillet and cook the pancakes until they are golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side.

Put a pat on butter on while the pancake while they are still warm just out of the pan.  Garnish with walnuts or pecans and serve with maple syrup.

Can you smell them?  Be happy and may God bless you and yours. 

Halloween Meringue Ghost Cookies

Here is a very easy and fun recipe to make for Halloween.  You may wish to double it if you are making them for a party.

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees F.   Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Make sure your bowl is very clean and has no oil or grease on it to get stiff meringue.

3 egg whites at room temperature

¼ tsp. cream of tarter

¾ cup fine sugar

Vanilla or flavoring of your choice (Optional)

Miniature chocolate chips

Beat your egg white at medium speed until foamy.  Add cream of tarter.  If you do not have cream of tarter you can use ¼ tsp. of salt.  It will also stabilize the egg whites.  Just beat until egg whites are at soft peak stage. 

Add ¾ cup of fine sugar.  If you do not have fine sugar, don’t go out and buy it.  You can put you sugar into your blender and blend it for 2 minutes.

Add the sugar slowly to the egg whites until you have stiff peaks.  You peaks should be stiff and shiny.  Test the meringue with your finger tips to feel if there is any grit.  If you can feel the sugar, beat some more until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Add 1 tsp. of pure vanilla for flavor.  You could also substitute a teaspoon of mint extract for a mint cookie.  I use this at Christmas as put in green food coloring and miniature chocolate chips for a great mint meringue cookie.  If you want your ghosts to have color you can always add a drop of food coloring.

Put the meringue into a large baggie or pastry bag.  Cut a hole in the tip of the baggie and squeeze out the meringue to form your ghost.  It should make about 9 cookies.

Place in your oven for 1 ½ hours at 200 degrees F. 

After 1 ½ hours check your cookies.  They should have a nice crust on the outside.  If they lift off the parchment paper, they are done.  Take out of the oven and cool off the cookie sheet. 

The cookie should be crusty on the outside and soft in the middle. 

This is a great cookie to make with the kids.  It is gluten free and dairy free.  It is a perfect cookie for Saylor and I to make next week.  

Get in the kitchen with your kids or grandkids.  Make this a memorable Halloween for you and them.  Be happy and may God bless you and yours.   

Habichuelas (Stewed Beans)

You may have to poke around in the ethnic aisle of your grocery store for some of the ingredients. This recipe will feed about 12 people as a side dish or 6 people as a main dish. 

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 lb. of smoked cubed ham

1 cooking green pepper (this is not hot), diced small (these are the long light green ones, not bell peppers)

1 large finely diced onion

4 finely chopped garlic cloves

2 cans (16 oz cans) pinto beans boiled in water and salt. The can label should say some kind of liquid with beans are in. Just be careful not to get the ones cooked in tomato sauce or "ready to eat".

2 ham or chicken broth bouillon cubes, diluted in 1 cup water

1 cup tomato sauce

½ teaspoon dry oregano leaves

2 medium cubed potatoes

1 small cubed pumpkin

1 zucchini cubed squash

Using a deep stock pot, heat the oil over a medium heat and sauté the onions for 5 minutes.  Add ham, and cook until it starts to get a light golden color on some of it. Add the garlic; stir in and heat for 1 minute.  Add the diced green peppers. Stir frequently to avoid burning. This process should take 5 minutes.  Add the beans with their liquid, the diluted broth (you could use your own homemade chicken broth if you like), the tomato sauce, and the oregano. Stir to mix. Let it boil at medium heat for 5 minutes.

Add the cubed potatoes, zucchini, and pumpkin. Lower the heat to low and do not cover.  Let it simmer until the potatoes, zucchini and pumpkin are tender and the sauce thickens (about 45 to 60 minutes). If you add the potatoes and pumpkin there is not enough liquid, add water little by little until there is enough to cover everything. If the sauce does not thicken enough, simmer longer (or if you are in a hurry, mash 2 or 3 extra pieces of the potatoes or pumpkin and add to the pot).

Correct the seasoning. You can add salt and ground black pepper as needed.  If it tastes a little acidy, add ½ teaspoon of sugar.

Serve over white rice.

Puerto Rican White Rice

My son Eddie grew up on this and loves rice.  We have eaten a lot of rice over the years.  It replaced the Iowa meat and potato diet I grew up on.  My secret is a good rice pan.  It was also Aunt Epi’s secret.  She taught me how to cook many Puerto Rican dishes.  She passed many years ago, but I can't make rice without thinking of her and thanking her.

I like to use a basmati rice. Aunt Eip did not teach me that.  That is my own touch.  It is a Indian rice, but I just love the aroma and flavor. I've passed that onto Eddie.  It has a more nutty flavor and the smell it brings to the kitchen is amazing.  It is a little pricey because it is aged, so you may want to just use a long grained rice to make it an authentic Puerto Rican rice.  If you are a member of Sam's Club, you can get a large burlap bag for a great price.  We eat a lot of rice, so this is how we save.  I know Eddie's family goes through many bags a year.

Olive oil
2 cups long grain rice
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
3 cups water

In a good pan that has a good lid that fits tight, cover the bottom of the pan with olive oil.  Heat the pan and pour in 2 cup of rice.  Use a long grain rice.  Add 1 tsp. of salt and 1/2 tsp. of pepper and 1 tsp. of garlic powder. When the rice begins to turn whiter (do not let it turn brown), pour in 3 cups of water and bring to a good boil.  Turn down the heat to low and cover the pan with the lid.  Do not lift the lid for at least 30 minutes.

In the Puerto Rican culture, you always fix more than your family can eat at one sitting.  Ed said that should unexpected guests come, you always had enough to ask them to join you.  If not, you will always have left overs.   It is a nice way of thinking.  The above recipe will feed unexpected guest also.

Hope you enjoy.  I really enjoy cooking different cultures in addition to my homemade country recipes.

Be happy and may God bless you and yours.  

Puerto Rican Baked Pumpkin Custard

I thought I would toss in a couple of Puerto Rican pumpkin recipes just for the fun of it.  I think you will like them.

1 1/2 cups sugar

One 12 oz. can evaporated milk

One 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

5 large eggs

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a medium sauce pan over high heat, add the sugar and pour 2/3 cup water around the perimeter. Using a wooden spoon, cook, stirring until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Lower the heat and cook until copper colored, about 1 to 2 minutes. Pour into ramekins.

Using a blender, combine the remaining ingredients and pour into ramekins. Fill a roasting pan with enough water to come up halfway on the sides of the ramekins. Bake until set, about 30 to 45 minutes depending on how big your ramekin is. Transfer to a rack to cool completely, about 45 minutes. Refrigerate until the caramel is set, about 2 hours.

Tomorrow another Puerto Rican pumpkin recipe of pumpkin and beans over Puerto Rican rice. 

Be happy and may God bless you and yours.