My Aunts Pumpkin Cake - my favorite 10/24/2010
2 cups sugar 1 cup vegetable oil 4 eggs 2 tsp baking powder 2 cups flour 2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 2 tsp cinnamon 2 cups pumpkin puree **If I am baking for a large crowd, I double this recipe and add one can of pumpkin from the store. This typically makes 2 or 3 sheet cakes, depending on the size of your pans. Blend all ingredients together. Bake in extra large cake pan at 350 degrees for 25 min. Check to see if it is done (mine is never done at this time. I take a sheet of foil, spray it with pam and gently lay it over the cake so it does not get to dark. Then I add 3 - 5 min and continue to check it until it is done). Let cool completely and frost with cream cheese frosting - recipe below. 2 Comments Fantastic Cream Cheese Frosting 10/24/2010
This recipe is from my Aunt - she is a great cook. 3 oz cream cheese 3/4 stick of softened butter 1 tsp vanilla 1 3/4 cup powdered sugar 1 Tbsp half and half cream (if you don't have this, milk works, I have also used whipping cream) Mix all ingredients together until smooth. Spread Servings: Makes 21 muffinsIngredientsPumpkin Applesauce Muffins
In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, applesauce, pumpkin, and vanilla until blended. Add dry ingredients, alternating with the juice, beginning and ending with the dry mixture; mix until smooth. Fold in raisins. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each cup two-thirds full. Bake on the center oven rack until a toothpick inserted in the center of each muffin comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow muffins to cool in the pans several minutes; turn muffins out onto a rack. Serve muffins warm or at room temperature. Repeat steps 1 through 3 with remaining batter. The original version of this recipe is from Oprah.com Baked Chicken Dijon 08/22/2010
Prep time - 30 min, bake 30 min 3 cups pasta (bow ties, penne or ziti) 2 cups cubed cooked chicken 1/3 cup diced red peppers (we did not include these) 2 cups fresh broccoli (we used more than this) 1 can cream of chicken soup 1/3 cup chicken broth 3 Tbsp Dijon mustard 1 Tbsp finely chopped onion (we used 1/4 cup) 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese Heat oven to 375. Spray a rectangular casserole dish. Cook and drain pasta as directed. Mix pasta, chicken, peppers, and broccoli in casserole dish. Mix soup, broth, mustard and onion in a bowl, stir and pour over pasta mixture, mixing it well. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and bake about 30 min or until hot and cheese is melted. I am giving directions for making 3-4 lasagnas - I freeze the extras for later use. This recipe does take some time and preparation and it can be messy. 2 boxes of Lasagna noodles 4 Tbsp olive oil 4 med onion chopped 3 Tbsp minced garlic 3 pounds lean ground turkey oregano - to taste pepper - to taste salt - to taste 4 Tbsp ketchup 3 packages frozen creamed spinach - thawed 3 26 oz jars five cheese tomato sauce (I usually have four jars - just incase I need a little extra 4 packages shredded mozzarella cheese whipping cream Start cooking the pasta. In an electric skillet, over med high heat, saute minced garlic and onion in olive oil until golden brown. Add ground turkey and mix well. Add seasoning to taste. Stir constantly until meat browns. Add tomato sauce and ketchup - mix well, continue stirring for about 5 min. Add creamed spinach, stir another 5 min until sauce thickens slightly. Add approximately 1/2 cup of whipping cream and a handful or two of mozzarella cheese, reduce heat to med, stir until sauce thickens slightly. Layering Lasagna - Spray lasagna tins with Pam spray. coat pan with a thin layer of tomato sauce (from the jar, not the skillet) 1. place cooked noodles on bottom 2. spoon thin layer of turkey sauce 3. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese 4. repeat until you have three layers of each Cover with foil, bake at 400 until cheese starts to bubble - about 30 min. If frozen - remove from freezer the night before and let thaw in fridge. Check on it during the day to make sure it is thawing enough to cook in time for dinner. (I will usually carefully set mine in a sink of hot water for about an hour or so before cooking.) Chicken with Oregano-Peach Sauce - YUM 08/22/2010
Prep time - 35 min. **This is a grill recipe - but I made it in the oven and baked it. 1/2 cup peach preserves (I used homemade jam) 1/4 cup raspberry vinegar (we didn't have this and I didn't want to buy it for just this recipe - so we used regular white vinegar and mixed in 1 tsp sugar) 2 TBSP fresh oregano or 1 1/2tsp dried 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 lbs) 1/2 tsp garlic pepper 1/2 tsp seasoning salt *** I usually cook 3 large chicken breasts for our family of seven and it is enough. Heat oven to 350. Mix jam, vinegar, sugar, and oregano in a bowl. Place chicken breasts in a rectangular dish, sprinkle with garlic pepper (or garlic powder and pepper) and seasoning salt. Cover chicken with peach sauce. Bake chicken about 20-25 min - check to make sure juices run clear. Skillet Chicken Casserole 08/22/2010
Prep time - 25 min 6oz (4 cups) uncooked egg noodles 1 Tbsp butter 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into thin strips 3/4 cups chopped celery 1 med onion chopped (1/2 cup) 1 can cream of chicken or cream of chicken with herb soup 1/2 cup chicken broth 3/4 cup frozen peas Cook noodles according to package - drain and set aside. While noodles are cooking, melt butter over med heat. Add chicken, cook about 5 min or until chicken is no longer pink. Add celery and onion, cook an additional 5 min or until onion is tender. Stir in soup, broth and peas. Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 10 min. Add cooked noodles, toss to mix well. Cook until heated through. ** when I made this it was a little soupy - I did add more broth than it called for - but I think it still would have been a little soup like. We ate it out of bowls - everyone enjoyed it. The Easiest and Best Homemade Bread 08/16/2010
Recipe: No-Knead Bread Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery Time: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising 3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting ¼ teaspoon instant yeast 1¼ teaspoons salt Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed. 1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees. 2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes. 3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger. 4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack. Yield: One 1½-pound loaf. My Spaghetti Sauce 08/16/2010
Justine’s Spaghetti Sauce 2 pounds ground beef (cooked, drained) 3 15 oz cans tomato sauce (for thicker sauce use only 2 cans) 3 14-15 oz cans diced tomatoes 3 6 oz cans tomato paste 2 chopped onions 1 cup water 2 beef bullion cubes 4 Tbsp brown sugar 1/4-1/3 cup white sugar 1 Tbsp dried basil 1 tsp oregano 3/4 tsp salt 3/4 tsp pepper 2 cloves minced garlic or 1 Tbsp refrigerated minced garlic 1/2 – 1 cup chopped pepperoni Place all ingredients in a slow cooker on low for about 7-8 hours depending on how yours cooks. **Bill likes it when I cook 1/2 pound mild Italian sausage and put that in the pot too – but I don’t care for it – and usually don’t do it. He would also love mushrooms in it - but I don’t like that either. One of the things I miss from Oregon is the sandwiches at one particular restaurant - Philadelphia's. http://www.phillypdx.com/ Probably the best cheese steak sandwich around - the Portland area anyway. If anyone in the Nashville area knows of a GREAT Cheese Steak shop - Please let me know. Here is a recipe I found and we tried. Bill really liked it - and so did the kids - unfortunately - I was trying to duplicate the sandwiches I remember and it fell short for me. But that doesn't mean you won't like it.
olive oil for cooking
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