Another hit at the Pongs!

Cake Mixture
2 cups white sugar
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups canned pumpkin
4 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Cream Cheese Frosting
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a bundt cake pan. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl combine sugar and oil. Blend in vanilla and pumpkin, then beat in eggs one at a time. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in nuts. Spread batter into prepared bundt pan.

3. Bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

4. For the frosting in a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners’ sugar.

5. Spread frosting on cake. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts

I made this last week for our dinner party. It was amazingly good. Crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. Goes great with vanilla ice cream.

2 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 cups apples – peeled, cored and diced

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour bundt cake pan

2. In a mixing bowl; beat oil and eggs with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat well.

3. Combine the flour salt, baking soda, and ground cinnamon together in a bowl. Slowly add this mixture to the egg mixture and mix until combined. The batter will be very thick. Fold in the apples by hand using a wooden spoon. Spread batter into the prepared pan.

4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 55 minutes or until cake tests done. Let cake cool on a wire rack. Once cake is cool serve with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar.

I made this for Jen’s birthday party last weekend. The recipe was advertised as Tiramisu but tasted more like a traditional New Yorker. I would double the coffee liqueur next time. Pretty good nonetheless. The lady fingers make for a pretty decent crust.

12 ounce package lady fingers
4 tablespoons butter, melted
4 tablespoons coffee flavored liqueur
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
1 (8 ounce) container mascarpone cheese
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 (1 ounce) square semisweet chocolate

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Crush the package of ladyfingers to fine crumbs. Mix the melted butter into the crumbs. Moisten with 2 tablespoons of the coffee liqueur. Press into an 8 or 9 inch springform pan.

3. In a large bowl, mix cream cheese, mascarpone, and sugar until very smooth. Add 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur, and mix. Add the eggs and the flour; mix SLOWLY until just smooth. The consistency of the mascarpone can vary. If the cheesecake batter is too thick, add a little cream. Do not overmix at this point. Pour batter into crust.

4. Place pan on middle rack of oven. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until just set. Open oven door, and turn off the heat. Leave cake to cool in oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, and let it finish cooling. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight, before serving.

It’s been awhile since I posted a recipe. This cobbler is great on a lazy summer weekend.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup cold water
3 cups fresh peaches – peeled, pitted and sliced
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons coarse granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, 1/2 cup white sugar, and baking powder. Mix in milk and 1/4 cup butter until smooth.

3. In a medium saucepan, stir together the brown sugar, cornstarch, and water. Mix in the peaches and blueberries. Cook and stir over medium heat until thick and bubbly. Mix in 1 tablespoon butter and lemon juice. Continue cooking until the butter melts. Pour into a 1 1/2 quart ungreased baking dish. Evenly spoon batter in mounds over the hot fruit. In a small bowl, mix the coarse sugar and nutmeg, and sprinkle over the batter.

4. Place the baking dish on a shallow baking pan in the preheated oven. Bake cobbler for about 35 minutes, or until bubbly and a toothpick inserted into the crust comes out clean.

This is one of the few things I could eat this week. Went down really easily

1 lb beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 onions, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large stalk celery, minced
2 carrots, finely chopped
1/4 pound green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, coarsely chopped
3 potatoes, peeled and diced
1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
2 (14.5 ounce) cans fat-free chicken broth
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 (10.5 ounce) cans beef consomme

1. In a slow cooker, combine beef, onions, garlic, celery, carrots, green beans, mushrooms, and potatoes. Pour in the tomatoes and tomato sauce. Season with bay leaf, pepper, thyme, and marjoram. Stir together chicken broth and flour. Pour chicken broth mixture and beef consomme into slow cooker, and stir.

2. Cover, and cook on Low 6 to 10 hours. Remove bay leaf before serving.

A great and easy Filipino dish

1 (2 to 3 pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 bay leaves

1. Place chicken pieces in a large bowl. Pour vinegar and soy sauce over chicken, and season with ground black pepper to taste. Toss to coat.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and brown garlic. Be careful not to burn garlic, as this will make the dish taste bitter. After browning garlic, remove it from the oil.

3. Place marinated chicken pieces in hot oil. Pour remaining marinade over all, and add bay leaves. Reduce heat to low, and cook chicken pieces for about 10 minutes on each side, or until no longer pink and juices run clear. The marinade will reduce, and make a nice gravy. Remove bay leaves, and serve immediately.

This is probably my new favorite recipe.

3/4 cup golden raisins
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 tablespoons chopped black olives
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon white sugar
2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil
1 (16 ounce) package angel hair pasta
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
4 (6 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
4 sprigs fresh basil

1. Soak the raisins in warm water until they plump, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

2. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion, garlic, pine nuts, and olives. Season with bay leaves, oregano, and cayenne. Cook until the onions have softened and begun to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper; cook for 5 more minutes. Add the raisins, balsamic vinegar, and sugar; cook, stirring occasionally until thickened, about 5 more minutes. Remove the bay leaves, and stir in the julienned basil. Cover and keep warm.

3. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

4. While the pasta is cooking, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. While the skillet is heating, toss the chicken with the lemon juice to coat (the lemon zest will be used later). Cook the chicken on both sides until golden brown and the juices run clear, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a warm plate, and allow to rest for about five minutes.

5. To serve, slice each chicken breast against the grain into thin slices. Divide the pasta into four wide, shallow bowls. Fan the chicken slices out over top of the pasta, and spoon the tomato sauce over them. Sprinkle with lemon zest, Parmesan cheese, and a sprig of basil to garnish.

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – cubed
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup milk
2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees

2. In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. Add water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.

3. In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.

4. Place the chicken mixture in bottom pie crust. Pour hot liquid mixture over. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.

5. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

This is a regular in my cookbook. Easy and tasty!

1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles
1 cup chopped black olives
1 (10.75 oz) can cream of mushrooms
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups of cubed chicken, cooked
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
4-6 (12 inch) flour tortillas
1/4 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a medium baking dish

2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and saute the green onion until tender (about 3 to 4 minutes). Add the garlic powder, then stir in the green chiles, cream of mushroom soup, olives and sour cream. Mix well. Reserve 3/4 of this sauce and set aside. To the remaining 1/4 of the sauce in the saucepan, add the chicken and 1/2 cup of shredded Cheddar cheese. Stir together

3. Fill each flour tortilla with the chicken mixture and roll up. Place seam side down in the prepared baking dish

4. In a small bowl combine the reserved 3/4 of the sauce with the milk. Spoon this mixture over the rolled tortillas and top with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded Cheddar cheese. Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly

Found this recipe and tried it out. Best pork chops I’ve ever eaten

1 egg, lightly beaten
1 quart heavy cream, divided
salt and black pepper to taste
6 boneless pork chops
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 quart vegetable oil for frying
1 tablespoon butter
1 large onion cut into 1 inch chunks
1 clove garlic, diced
3/4 cup maple syrup
6 ounces sliced mushrooms
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves

1. Mix the egg, 3 cups heavy cream, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper, and dip in the cream mixture. Then dredge in the oats to coat. Repeat to coat chops completely.

2. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Use tongs to place the coated chops in the hot oil, and fry until browned on both sides. Remove from heat, and set aside.

3. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat (you may use the same skillet if the oil has been drained), and cook the pork chops, onion, and garlic until onion is tender. Pour in the maple syrup, and mix in mushrooms and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 10 minutes, or until pork chops are done. Remove chops from skillet, reserving sauce.

4. Mix the remaining cream into the skillet with reserved sauce. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir until thickened. Serve over the pork chops.