Pumpkin Muffins

borrowed from Smitten Kitchen

Pumpkin Muffins

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin (from a 15 ounce can)**
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
1 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Put oven in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Put liners in muffin cups.

Whisk together pumpkin, oil, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, 1 1/4 cups sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until smooth, then whisk in flour mixture until just combined.

Stir together cinnamon and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in another bowl.

Divide batter among muffin cups (each should be about three-fourths full), then sprinkle tops with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake until puffed and golden brown and wooden pick or skewer inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.

Cool in pan on a rack five minutes, then transfer muffins from pan to rack and cool to warm or room temperature.


**I substitute homemade pumpkin puree for the canned pumpkin.

Pumpkin Puree

Pie or sweet pumpkins

Cut stem off of pumpkin. Cut pumpkin in half and remove seeds and "guts". Save seeds for roasting.

Place pumpkin open side down on baking sheet, bake at 350 F for 90 minutes. Allow pumpkin to cool, then remove skin.

Put pumpkin in food processor to puree.

I freeze in 1 cup portions as that is the amount generally needed for recipes. Pumpkin can be kept in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

Pumpkin Pie

This recipe came off of a sticker on the bottom of a pie pumpkin. Adding to blog so I will be able to find the recipe in the future.

1-1/3 cup pumpkin puree
1 (14 oz)can sweetened condensed milk
1 egg
1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 cup hot water
Single crust pie shell

Preheat oven 375 F.

Mix together first 8 ingredients. Pour into pie crust. Bake 55-65 minutes. Filling will still move slightly when done. Cool before serving with whipped cream.

Greek Pita Bread

1 tablespoon of olive oil
1-1/2 cup of warm water
4 cups of bread flour
2 teaspoons of salt
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon of sugar

Place ingredients in bread machine. Start on dough cycle, will take approximately 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 F and oil baking sheets.

Take pieces of dough slightly larger than an egg and roll out on a floured surface to a thickness of 3/8 to 1/4 inch. Prick the bread with a fork in several places.

Place on baking sheets and bake on the lowest oven rack for 2-3 minutes, then turn the pitas over and bake for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a tray covered with a clean dishtowel, with another clean towel on top. When thoroughly cooled, pitas can be stored in plastic bags in the refrigerator, or frozen.

Before using, brown in a lightly oiled frying pan for a few minutes until browned on both sides. Also reheats well in the toaster.

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

1-1/2 to 2 cups pumpkin seeds
2-3 Tablespoons melted butter
1-2 pinches garlic salt

Toss together. Bake at 325 F for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Store at room temperature in a sealed container.

Chocolate Caramel Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

1 cup milk
1/4 cup caramel syrup
1/4 cup chocolate syrup
1/3 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

In large liquid measuring cup, measure 1 cup milk. Add syrups and whisk well until blended. Whisk in sugar, then vanilla extract, then cream. Mixture should measure 3 cups. Start ice cream maker and slowly add the ice cream mixture. Allow machine to process for 35 minutes, add in mini chocolate chips. *

*My ice cream maker has a maximum liquid capacity of 3 cups. It also requires the machine to be running before adding ingredients.

Yummy Chocolate Cake

1-3/4 cups boiling water
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1-1/2 cups flour
5 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups milk chocolate chips, divided
1 cup caramel bits, divided
1/2 - 1 cup chopped walnuts

In a small bowl mix boiling water and oatmeal. Let sit 10 minutes. Melt butter in a large bowl, add sugars and blend well. Add vanilla and eggs, mixing well. Stir in oatmeal mixture. In a small bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Gradually stir flour-cocoa mixture in oat-sugar mixture. Stir in 1 cup milk chocolate chips and 1/2 cup caramel bits. Pour batter into a greased 13" x 9" x 2" pan. Sprinkle top with remaining milk chocolate chips, caramel bits and walnuts. Bake at 350 F for 40-45 minutes until pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Allow to cool before serving. Excellent with vanilla ice cream.

Honey Cornbread

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup self-rising flour
1 egg
1/4 cup corn oil
1 cup milk
1 tsp pepper
1/8 cup honey

Mix all ingredients. Let rest 5 minutes. Pour into greased 8" x 8" pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until pick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Aeranthes's Stupid-Easy Tzatziki Sauce

Marie's recipe is the best!

1 quart greek yogurt (whole fat tastes best)
1 English cucumber, finely shredded, then squeeze all of the liquid out
2-6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh dill, minced (or 1 tsp. dried)
1 Tbsp. good olive oil
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
pinch of salt and fresh ground black pepper

Mix it all up in a bowl, then spoon back into the yogurt container. Refrigerate for at least one hour, then eat with big wedges of pita bread (not that pocket pita nonsense, the real pita)

Chicken Pitas

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into strips
2 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon allspice
Tzatkiki Sauce
lettuce
tomatoes
Greek pitas

Saute onion, garlic, chicken and spices in olive oil. Serve with tzatkiki sauce, lettuce, and tomatoes in greek pitas.

Pizza Salad

This came from an issue of Taste of Home, must have been at least 15 years ago. This has been a very popular recipe, this is for a half batch because the full batch makes 16 servings - that is good for a large gathering.

1/2 pound spiral pasta, cooked and drained
2 small or 1 large tomato diced and seeded
1/2 pound cheddar cheese, cubed
1/2 to 1 bunch of green onions, sliced
1-1/2 ounces sliced pepperoni
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

In a large bowl, combine pasta, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, green onions, and pepperoni. In a small bowl, combine oil, parmesan cheese, vinegar and seasonings; pour over the pasta mixture. Cover and refrigerate several hours.

Cream Soup Mix

Don't remember what cookbook I got this out of, but I have used this recipe and love it. There are 2 versions.

Version 1 (Flour)

2-1/2 cups flour
2 cups powdered milk
1/2 cup bouillon powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon pepper

Combine all ingredients in a plastic container. When making a casserole, combine 1/2 cup mix with 1-1/2 cups water; this is the equivalent of 1 can of cream soup. Combine with the other casserole ingredients.

Version 2 (Cornstarch)

1-1/2 cups cornstarch

2 cups powdered milk
1/2 cup bouillon powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon pepper

Combine all ingredients in a plastic container. When making a casserole, combine 1/3 cup mix with 1-1/2 cups water; this is the equivalent of 1 can of cream soup. Combine with the other casserole ingredients.

Alfredo Chicken and Pasta

4 boneless,skinless, frozen chicken breasts
1 (4 oz) can mushroom stems and pieces, drained
pepper
garlic powder
oregano
1 jar garlic alfredo sauce

Place chicken breasts in baking pan. Cover with mushrooms, sprinkle with spices, cover with alfredo sauce. Bake for 45 minutes at 350F.

Taco Bake

When I had surgery Patrick made us a Taco Bake for dinner. It was very yummy and I decided to recreate it tonight. I ended up calling him for the recipe, but didn't have all the ingredients so I made a few substitutions. I would not say this is his recipe anymore, but inspired by him :)

1 bag Nacho Cheese Doritos (didn't use quite the whole bag)
1/2 lb. hamburger
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 pkg taco seasoning
1/2 cup water
3 green onions diced
handful sliced olives
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Pour about 2/3 bag of Doritos into 13" x 9" pan. Brown hamburger, drain fat. Add kidney beans, water and taco seasoning. Cook for 5 minutes. Pour hamburger and beans over Doritos. Sprinkle with green onions, sliced olives and cheddar cheese. Put some more Doritos over the top. Bake 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

Tamales

First off, I do not use pork. Colby's stomach and pork do not get along. I am not spending that much time in the kitchen for something everyone in the house cannot eat. I use parts of this recipe. I also break it into two days.

Day One:

Prepare filling. I do this part in the crock pot.

1 whole chicken or 3 lb. beef roast
2-3 cups broth (same type as the meat)
1 taco seasoning mix (chicken may require 2)
1 Tbsp garlic powder

Put meat, broth and seasonings in crock pot. Cook 6 hours on high. When done, pull meat out and shred with forks. Then place in refrigerator overnight.

Day Two:

Boil 5 to 6 cups water. Remove from heat. Add 4-5 bundles of corn husks, place a bowl on top of them to keep them under water, so they can soften.

Get out steamer pot. Place clean coin in bottom of pan (if you run out of water it will rattle alerting you to the need to add water). Add water to just under steam rack. When the husks have softened, if you are worried the tamales will fall through the steam rack, place a few husks over the steam rack.

Mix the masa:

4 cups Instant corn Masa Mix
3 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder (no salt)
1 cup fresh corn oil
2 1/2 cups chicken broth

Put the masa, salt, and garlic powder in a large bowl and combine the dry ingredients.Then add the corn oil and mix with your hands. Now add the chicken broth 1/2 cup at a time.

Continue to mix with your hands and adding the broth until you get the consistency of cookie dough.You should have a consistency that you can spread with a knife or spreader.

If you add too much liquid you can always add a little more masa to thicken it up.

Putting the tamales together - for pictures see site listed above.

The corn husks should be soft and pliable. Take a few out and pat them dry with a paper towel or towel.

Take a spoonful of masa and spread it on the corn husk.

Leave the pointy end without masa so you can fold it over.

Place a small amount of the shredded meat mixture in the middle of the masa.

Fold the masa over so the ends meet. The idea is to put just enough meat so that you can encase it in masa and not leak out. Now roll it up.

After you roll the tamale up, fold over the end. Continue to make tamales and when you are done place them in a steamer with the open end pointing up. Do not place the tamales too close together, they need to have room to expand as they steam.

Place the damp cotton towel over the top of the tamales and cover with the lid. Get the water to boil and then turn the heat to low. Simmer/steam for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Check the tamales by removing one and letting it cool for 5 minutes. Open the hot tamale and check that the masa is firm and not mushy.

If need be, cook a little longer and check every 15 minutes until done.

When tamales are done take them out of the pot to cool on the counter. Tongs are great for this.

The tamales can be served immediately, kept in the refrigerator for one week or frozen. To serve after freezing, they can be steamed for about 20 minutes or microwaved for 60 to 90 seconds. These are great by themselves, with salsa, sour cream, guacamole or enchilada sauce. I like to use Rockin' Robin's Enchilada Sauce Recipe. It's quick, easy to make and very tasty.


Rockin' Robin's recipe site is a great inspiration and at least parts of this is very similar to her recipe as this is my adaptation.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

4 cups chicken broth
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 can corn, drained
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilis
1/2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
12 corn tortillas

Preheat oven to 350 F. In large pot mix everything except the tortillas, stir well. Bring to a boil. Cut tortillas into strips and bake for 10-15 minutes until crisp.

Serve soup with tortilla strips, guacamole, green onions, sour cream, cheddar cheese, whatever suits your fancy.

Turtle Brownies (Microwave)

These are not that great fresh out of the microwave. But they are much better after they have completely cooled.

4 squares unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
1/2 c flour
1/2 c diced pecans
1/2 c caramel bits

In microwave safe dish, cook chocolate and butter for 2 minutes. While melting, whisk eggs until fluffy. Whisk in vanilla extract and sugar. Remove chocolate butter mixture and stir until smooth. Stir chocolate mixture into egg mixture. Stir in flour and pecans. Pour into greased 8"x8" microwave safe dish. Sprinkle caramel bits on top. Microwave 4 minutes 30 seconds.

Cucumber and Tomato Salad

Inspired by Andi J.

1 cucumber
2 roma tomatoes
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp seasoning mix

Peel cucumber and cut into bite-size pieces. Cut tomatoes into bite-size pieces. Add oil, vinegar and seasonings to the vegetables. Stir well and taste, adding more seasoning if necessary. Chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour before serving.

Quick Homemade Chili

1 lb hamburger or stew meat (which I usually cut into smaller pieces)
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (4 oz) diced green chili
2 (14 oz) cans diced or crushed tomatoes
2 (14 oz) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of water
2 beef bouillion cubes*
1/2 to 1 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin

Brown hamburger with onion and garlic. Drain fat. Add the rest of ingredients, stir well, bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for at least 20 minutes, covered. Serve with cornbread (either from a mix or scratch).

* bouillion cubes and can of water may be replaced with beef broth.

Hamburger Pie

In honor of Pi Day (March 14) I realized I do not have Mom's Hamburger Pie recipe listed. It's what we are having for dinner tonight.

This is a good use of miscellaneous leftovers in the refrigerator and freezer.

1 frozen 2-crust pie crust
1/2 lb hamburger, browned, drained and rinsed
1/2 small onion, diced
1 cup mixed frozen vegetables or left overs from the refrigerator
1 can cream of mushroom soup (or cream soup mix)
Left over baked potato in chunks, or if no left over potato, boil one large or two small diced potatoes until done, drain
1 clove diced garlic

Preheat oven to 350 F. Remove pie crust from package and allow to warm to room temperature, about 15 minutes. Brown hamburger and cook onion unless using leftover hamburger. Mix all ingredients together, add salt, pepper and any other seasonings of your choice. Pour into pie crust, turn other crust out and place on top of pie, crimp edges, cut a few steam vents in crust. Bake for approximately 30 minutes. The possibilities are endless with this dish because it is different every time depending on the leftovers you have available. I sometimes add shredded cheese to the mixture.