Sunday, November 28, 2010

Cranberry Pumpkin Bread & Pumpkin Butter

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup egg substitute
1 (16 ounce) can whole cranberry sauce
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon orange zest
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray two 8x4 inch loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon and ground cloves in a large bowl and mix well. Set aside.

3. Mix the egg substitute, cranberry sauce, pureed pumpkin, vegetable oil and grated orange zest together. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just moistened. Pour batter into the prepared pans. Sprinkle the top of each loaf with the chopped nuts.

4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let loaves cool for 10 minutes then remove from pans. Can be made even lower in fat by substituting 1/3 cup applesauce for the 1/3 cup vegetable oil.



Pumpkin Butter
1 (29 ounce) can canned pumpkin puree
3/4 cup apple juice
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:

1. Combine pumpkin, apple juice, spices, and sugar in a large saucepan; stir well. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes or until thickened. Stir frequently.

Transfer to sterile containers and chill in the refrigerator until serving.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Cookie Dough Cheesecake

2 Tbsp. Margarine
2 1/2 C. Chocolate cookie crumbs
2 lbs. Cream cheese – softened
1 C. Sugar
4 Eggs
1 tsp. All-purpose flour
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 C. Sour cream
1 lb. Refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
2 oz. Chocolate chips

TOPPINGS
1 pt. Heavy whipping cream – whipped
Chocolate chips
Chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 325~.
CRUST-Generously grease the bottom and sides of a 10″ spring form pan. Combine the margarine with the chocolate cookie crumbs. Press onto the bottom and sides of the pan.

FILLING-Using an electric mixer on high speed, combine cream cheese, sugar, eggs and flour and mix until smooth. Add vanilla and sour cream and mix just until blended. Pour 1/2 of the batter into prepared crust. Cut cookie dough into golf ball sized chunks and drop into batter. Sprinkle in chocolate chips. Pour over remaining batter. Bake for 60 minutes. Turn off the oven and open the door to the broil position. Allow cake to remain in the oven 30 more minutes. Refrigerate until ready to serve. To serve, remove the sides of the pan and top with fresh whipped cream. Sprinkle with additional chocolate chips and chopped walnuts.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Banana Bread

1 cup granulated sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
3 ripe bananas
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan.

Cream the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a small bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Mix in the milk and cinnamon. In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Add the banana mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until combined. Add dry ingredients, mixing just until flour disappears.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Remove bread from pan, invert onto rack and cool completely before slicing.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Beef Stew

1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups baby carrots
2 cups sliced celery
1 pound red potatoes, unpeeled, cubed
2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into bite-size chunks
2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
1 (14.5 ounce) can Hunt’s® Diced Tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup water
1 (6 ounce) can Hunt's® Tomato Paste

Directions:
1. Place onions evenly on bottom of 3-1/2-quart or larger slow cooker. Top with layers of carrots, celery, potatoes and meat; sprinkle with thyme. Pour diced tomatoes with their juice and the water over meat. Cover slow cooker with lid.

2. Cook on LOW 8 to 10 hours (or on HIGH 4 to 5 hours), or until meat is tender.

3. Stir in tomato paste; cover. Cook an additional 10 minutes.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Peaches and Cream Cheesecake

SPONGE CAKE BASE
1 Egg
1/3 C. Sugar
1/4 tsp. Vanilla
1/4 C. All-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. Baking powder
1 pinch Salt
2 Tbsp. Water

FILLING
2 lbs. Cream cheese – softened
1 C. Sugar
4 Eggs
1 tsp. All-purpose flour
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 C. Sour cream
1/4 C. Peach liqueur or peach – schnapps or reserved
canned/fresh peaches
2 C. Canned or firm peaches – ripe and fresh
sliced – drained well
TOPPING
1 pt. whipping cream or equivalent


BASE-Preheat oven to 375~. Lightly grease base of 10″ spring form pan. Beat whole egg in 1-1/2-qt bowl with mixer on high speed – 4 minutes – to a thick yellow foam. Mix in sugar on low speed until smooth. Add flour, water, vanilla, baking powder and salt. Mix on low speed until fully blended. Pour into spring form pan, roll around until level. Bake 16 to 18 minutes on lowest oven rack. Cool to room temp.

FILLING-Preheat oven to 325~. Mix cream cheese, sugar, eggs and flour with electric mixer on high until smooth. Add vanilla, sour cream and peach flavoring and mix on medium until a smooth thick consistency is obtained. Fold in peach slices carefully – distribute evenly. Pour cheesecake filling onto cooled sponge cake base. Bake 70 minutes on lower oven rack, turn off oven, open oven door to broil position and let cake remain 40 minutes. Cool to refrigerated temperature. TOPPING-Top with fresh whipped cream or equivalent and serve. STORE up to 2 days in the fridge.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Pot Roast

4 pounds beef chuck roast
1/2 cup margarine
1 tablespoon onion salt
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 (.75 ounce) packets dry brown gravy mix
5 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and diced
2 pounds carrots, peeled and diced
2 cups water


Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Lightly coat the beef chuck roast with margarine. Sprinkle onion salt, garlic salt, white and brown sugar and one package of gravy mix over the roast.

3. In a large roasting pan, spread a layer of potatoes and carrots on the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle 2/3 package of the gravy mix over the potato layer. Place the prepared roast on the bottom layer of potatoes and carrots. Surround the roast with the remaining potatoes and carrots, and sprinkle on the remaining gravy mix. Add the remaining margarine and the water to the pan.

4. Cover and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Reduce temperature to 300 degrees F and continue baking for 2 hours and 15 minutes, or to desired doneness.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Nine Layer Dip

2 strips lean bacon
1 16 0z Can Refried Beans Plain
1/2 C. Sour Cream
1/2 tsp. Taco Seasoning
3/4 C. Shredded Cheddar Cheese
3/4 C. Guacamole (Frozen or Prepared is Fine)
1/3 C. Diced Tomatoes (about 1 Romano Tomato)
1 Tbsp. Fresh Cilantro Chopped Finely
2 Tbsp. Sliced Black Olives
2 Tbsp. Finely Sliced Green Onions

Fry diced bacon until done, add refried beans and cook slowly and stirrer frequently until the bacon and bacon drippings are mixed through about 15 minutes, remove from heat. Mix taco seasoning with sour cream and set aside.

To build 9 layer dip place ingredients in this order.
Place refried beans on serving platter spread out to 1 – 1 1/2 inches thick.
1/2 C. shredded cheese
1/2 C. prepared sour cream
3/4 C. guacamole
diced tomatoes
diced cilantro
black olives
sliced green onion
1/4 C. cheese for garnish

Serve with crisp corn chips

Serves 12

Friday, November 12, 2010

Banana Cream Pie

4 C. Milk
1 C. Sugar
1 stick Butter
2 Tbsp. Cornstarch
4 eggs
4 egg yolks
1 Tbsp. Vanilla
4 bananas
8 Oreos«
2 C. Heavy Cream
2 Tbsp. Granulated Sugar
2 Oreo« Pie Shells

Combine milk, 1/2 the sugar and butter and bring to a boil. Mix the eggs, yolks, remaining sugar, cornstarch and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Temper the egg mixture with the hot milk, slowly adding while whisking. Pour the tempered eggs slowly into the hot milk. Whisk vigorously. Turn the heat on high and continue to whisk until mixture thickens. Place the pudding into the fridge until it cools. Remove the pudding mixture from the fridge once it has chilled to room temperature, this may take an hour. Whip the heavy cream to soft peaks and fold into the base mix. Fold in chopped bananas and crumbled Oreos. Fill the Oreo shells with the filling and refrigerate.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Beef Tenderloin

1 (3 pound) beef tenderloin roast
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup melted butter

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place roast into a shallow, glass baking dish. Pour soy sauce and melted butter over the tenderloin.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, then turn the roast over, and continue cooking 35 to 40 minutes, basting occasionally until the internal temperature of the roast is at 140 degrees F for medium. Or, cook to your desired degree of doneness. Let meat rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Baby Back Ribs

2 Racks Baby Back Ribs – Frozen – Pre-cut in 3 rib pieces
1 Large Onion – Quartered
1 Cup – Barbecue Sauce
1 Cup – Cranberry Honey

Place frozen ribs into a 5-7 quart Crock Pot with onion. Turn on High and cook for 6 hours. Mix the Barbecue Sauce and Honey together in a bowl for basting. Set aside. When ribs are done place them immediately on the grill (325 degrees – Medium heat). Baste the ribs with the sauce honey mixture for 10 -15 minutes. They will fall off the bones.

Friday, November 5, 2010

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup granulate sugar
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted

Cheesecake:
3 8 oz. packages cram cheese, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 3/4 cup (16 oz. can) solid pack pumpkin
2 eggs
2/3 cups (5 fl. oz. can) undiluted evaporated milk
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Topping:
2 cups (16 oz. carton) sour cream at room temperature
1/4 to 1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


For Crust:
Combine gaham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter in medium bowl. Press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of 9-inch springform pan. Bake in preheated 350 degree f. oven for six to eight minutes. Do not allow to brown. Remove from oven; cool


For Cheesecake:
Beat cream cheese, granulated sugar and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until fluffy. Beat in pumpkin, eggs and evaporated milk. Add cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg. Beat well. Pour into crust. Bake in preheated 359 degree f. oven for 55 to 60 minutes or until edge is set.

For Topping:
Combine sour cream, sugar, and vanilla in small bowl. Spread over surface of warm cheesecake. Return to 350 degrees f oven and bak for five minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Removes side of pan; chill for several hours or overnight.