Pumpkin Cake

Batter

3 cps all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp Chinese five spice
½ tsp salt
2 sticks (soft) unsalted butter
2 cps brown sugar
3 eggs
15 oz pure pumpkin (canned)
Two 7in spring form pans

In a mixing bowl place pumpkin, butter, sugar, 1 egg at a time and salt together and mix until creamy. Sift flour, baking soda, Chinese five spice and baking powder together and pour into butter mixture and mix thoroughly. Once combined treat pans with nonstick spray, pour batter evenly into both pans. Bake In oven at 350 degrees for 45 min. When time is up put toothpick into middle and if it’s comes out clean cakes are done. Take cakes out of pans and let cool. (I like to cut them in half at this time because it helps faster cooling.


Frosting

Two 8 oz packages of cream cheese (soft)
Minced skin of one orange (no rind /white part)
2 sticks (soft) unsalted butter
2 cps powdered sugar
2 cps chopped walnuts


Place butter in mixing bowl and beat till it’s creamy now add cream cheese and minced orange and mix well. Now that it’s well combined add powdered sugar, once it’s done it should look whipped and creamy.

You should have four slices of cake, place one on the bottom and place frosting on top and spread evenly, repeat until top of cake is covered evenly. Now you are going to start spreading frosting on the outside of cake, as you spread keep turning cake to help evenly spread frosting around cake. Once you get the cake covered take a small handful of walnuts each time and just place onto the side of cake, until sides of cake are covered.

Save orange flesh for next post Moist Cake

Apricot Chicken

4 chicken breasts
4 tbsp. Apricot preserves
1 package onion soup mix (not prepared)

Place chicken breasts in casserole dish. Add 1 tbsp. of preserves to each chicken breast. Sprinkle onion soup mix over entire dish. Bake on 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Serve with rice or vegetable. This one is so easy you will make it again! Thanks to sister-in-law, Cindy.

Fish Cakes with Mustard Sauce

CAKES:
3 Fillets of tilapia
½ Red Pepper
1 clove of garlic
2 decrusted slices wheat bread
½ tsp spicy mustard
¼ sliced Red Onion
1 egg
½ tsp dry mustard
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp coriander
Salt and pepper to taste

MUSTARD SAUCE:
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp spicy mustard
1 tbsp mayonnaise
¼ tsp dill
¼ tsp garlic powder
Salt & pepper


Heat a iron skillet or non stick pan on Med high heat with about ½ tsp olive oil, in the meantime place all ingredients in a food processor until it’s a thick mixture. Now just form into patties and place into skillet or pan for 5-6 minutes per side.

Mustard sauce

Place all ingredients in bowl and whisk till thoroughly combined

Fancy Hot Dogs

4 Nathan’s Hot Dogs
Package of wheat buns
4 slices of tomatoes
¼ Red Onion diced
2 tbsp relish (if you want it bright green like in Chicago just put green dye in it)
Spicy mustard
1 can fried Potato sticks

Start the grill on high for ten minutes and then turn it down to med and place dogs on for three minutes a side. When you turn the dogs place the buns on the grill to toast. Slice each tomato slices in half. Place atop dogs with other toppings

Pork Stir Fry

Pork Stir Fry

Two pork chops cut into strips,
1 orange cut into thin slices (rinds still on),
½ tbsp cornstarch,
2 tbsp sesame oil,
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp ginger paste or fresh minced ginger,
¼ cup Sweet Asian chili sauce,
¼ Chinese five spice,
1 package of Bok choy sliced in 1 in. strips
¼ of sweet onion thinly sliced

Heat a non-stick pan on med high heat with 1 tbsp sesame oil. Place cornstarch in mixing bowl and place pork strips in and make sure pork is completely coated. Put ginger in sauce pan cook and mix for about a minute with sesame oil, now start browning pork strips. Oranges goes in next, along with onions for about three minutes. Now put in chili sauce, five spice, and soy sauce and bring to a boil for a couple of minutes and then turn down medium sauce should thicken. Place remaining sesame oil, and bok choy and cook for about three minutes.

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Monday-
Pork Burgers and Sweet Fries
1 lb ground pork, 1/4 tsp ground mustard, ¼ tsp celery salt, ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, 1/4 tsp oregano, 2 tbsp Mayo, 2 squeezes of lemon, ¼ tsp basil paste, 1/4tsp ginger 1/4 onion, two slices tomatoe, 2 leaves of Romaine,
Take first six ingredients together and form into patties. Take next four ingredients and mix them together. Turn broiler on and start cutting Sweet Potatoes (once in half and once again and cut into desired strips) Place and in pan and cook for 15-20 minutes. Heat grill on high for five-seven minutes once grill is over four hundred place burgers on grill for three- four minutes, flip over and turn grill down to low for about five minutes. With two minutes left place buns onto grill for toasting (optional). Once burgers and buns are done remove from grill and place on a CLEAN plate, spread mayo and put lettuce and tomatoes on buns and Enjoy.
Tuesday-
Manicotti,
15oz ricotta, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste. ½ Lb ground (browned) Turkey. Jar of favorite Marinara (We used CLASSICO Florentine, Spinach and Cheese) and four lasagna noodles (boiled).
Mix first five ingredients together preferably in a processor just make sure thoroughly combined. Once this is done take mixture an put into middle of each noodle and take one side of noodle fold over mixture and then roll up. Mix turkey and sauce together. Place a couple spoonfuls of sauce on bottom of a saucepan and place manicotti on top, now spoon sauce over manicotti and put under broiler for about five minutes.

Wednesday Fish Fernando-
2 Tilapia fillets, can of Black Beans (drained), ½ sliced Onion, Coriander, 4oz can of green chilies, dash of celery salt, 1 Pkg Sazon, 1 cup rice, 2 cup of water, three cloves of chopped garlic.
Sautee onions and garlic in a pot on med for about two –three minutes, add black beans, Pkg of sazon and chilies cook over med heat stir occasionally. Sprinkle coriander and celery salt over fillets. Cook rice as usual. Place fish into preheated oven 325 degrees and cook for about ten minutes. Once rice is done and also fish place rice on plate, fish, and top with black bean mixture.


Thursday-Pork & Sausage Succotash
I took two chops and cut them into cubes and sautéed them with crumbled sausage, and sliced onions, and a tsp of sesame oil and then served them with general succotash

Weekly Planner

I am going to start posting a weekly Dinner menu for the weekend I will add ingredients that you may not have in the house. The first dinner is from the mind of my new sous chef Emma Rodriquez. Our families ate breakfast this morning and she told me the ingredients: Pork, Jalapenos, basil and chopped red peppers. She also named it herself-- she is a whopping four years old.

Monday- Emma La Chong (red peppers, Jalapenos,basil, Italian bread crumbs, garlic,thin pork chops, one egg beaten,1\4 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp olive oil )
Take two cloves of garlic and mince them, dice red peppers, mince up 3/4 of the jalapenos, and tsp olive oil into a hot pan and cook over med high heat for about two minutes. Place beaten egg in a bowl and place bread crumbs in a separate bowl for battering. Heat butter and 1 tbsp oil in sauce pan. Take chops and drop them into egg and then in bread crumbs and place into hot pan and cook for about two minutes per side. Once done and chops are on plate top with Jalapenos mixture.

Tuesday- Chicken Dorito and Asparagus (2 chicken breast, spicy nacho Doritos,1 beaten egg)
Take a grab bag of spicy nacho doritos and put them into a processor and pulse until looks like bread crumbs. Place into bowl. Heat oven at 350 degrees. Place egg in bowl and beat. Place breast in egg and then into bread crumbs and then onto baking pan. Place into oven for 20-25 min or until internal temperature is 155 degrees. Once chicken is done place foil over it and set aside. Place Asparagus on baking dish and drizzle olive oil and salt and place into broiler for about seven minutes.

Wednesday-Spinach Pesto Tilapia and shredded Zucchini (zucchini, tilapia, fresh spinach, walnuts, feta cheese)
Two handfuls of spinach, 4 gloves garlic, 1 cup parmesan cheese and olive oil.
Put all ingredients into processor except oil and turn on processor. While machine is running, pour oil into mixture until pesto becomes pourable. Heat oven 350 degrees. Place filets onto baking dish and spoon pesto over filets. Cook for about 10-12 minutes. Shred zuccinini in processor, once shredded place into med-high heat pan and cook for about three minutes and place feta cheese into mixture and cook for another minute.

Thursday- Turkey Lasagna (2 cups mozzarella cheese, 5 lasagna noodles, ground turkey, marinara, 1 cup ricotta, onion chopped, 3 cloves of garlic minced, italian seasoning 1 1/2 tbsp, 2 cups spinach)
Place enough water in large pot to boil noodles. (always double amount of water to pasta ratio and you will not have to use oil in the water). In a med-high heat pan place turkey, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, spinach and cook until browned. In a separate pot place marinara and ricotta and cook over medium heat, once sauce is done combine with turkey and mix well. Take two spoonfuls of sauce and place on the bottom of a loaf pan place noodle on top of sauce and then turkey mixture. Continue layering process once a top cover with cheese.