Glazed Pumpkin-Pecan Cakes, Better Homes and Gardens

Prep:

30 mins

Bake:

30 mins at 325°

Cool:

10 mins

Servings:

10

Yield:

10 mini cakes or 1 large cake

Ingredients

• 1 orange
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup water
• ¾ cup canned pumpkin
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup finely chopped pecans, toasted
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Directions

• Step 1
  Preheat oven to 325°F. Generously grease and flour ten 3 3/4- to 4-inch fluted individual tube pans or one 10-inch fluted tube pan. Remove 2 tsp. zest and squeeze juice from orange. Set juice aside for glaze.
• Step 2
  In a large bowl combine orange zest and next six ingredients (through vanilla). Stir in next five ingredients (through salt) until combined.
• Step 3
  Sprinkle about 1 Tbsp. pecans in bottom of each prepared individual pan and top with about 1/3 cup batter. Or sprinkle all of the pecans in 10-inch pan and top with all of the batter. Bake 30 to 35 minutes for mini cakes, 45 to 50 minutes for 10-inch cake, or until a wooden skewer comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes for mini cakes or 20 minutes for large cake. Remove from pan(s); cool completely on wire rack.
• Step 4
  Meanwhile, for glaze, in a medium bowl stir together powdered sugar and enough of the orange juice (3 to 4 tsp.) to reach drizzling consistency.
• Step 5
  Drizzle cake(s) with glaze and, if desired, sprinkle with additional pumpkin pie spice.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving:

341 calories, (2 g saturated fat, 6 g polyunsaturated fat, 5 g monounsaturated fat), 37 mg cholesterol, 255 mg sodium, 54 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 33 g sugar, 5 g protein.

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

2-3 cups chicken, shredded or cut into bite size pieces
1 t salt
2 T lemon juice

Refrigerate for several hours. Just before serving add:

1 cup seedless grapes
11 oz can of mandarin oranges
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup slivered almonds

Kale Salad and Dressing

KALE BRUSSEL SPROUT SALAD

For this salad I simply add chopped brussel sprouts and roasted almonds. I keep the base mixture of chopped kale and Brussel sprouts in a bowl in my fridge. They are both sturdy greens that last which makes it easy to keep on hand for a quick mid-day salad. I roast and chop almonds and keep them in a big Tupperware in my pantry. Then it’s always so easy to throw together the greens, dressing, almonds, + a little parm.

KALE

DRESSING

CHOPPED BRUSSELS SPROUTS

CHOPPED ROASTED ALMONDS

PARMESAN CHEESE

KALE SALAD DRESSING

2 Tbsp Mayo

2 tsp Dijon Mustard

2 Garlic Cloves

Fresh squeezed lemon juice- 2 lemons

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Fresh ground pepper

1 cup extra light olive oil

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Pulled Pork

Ree Drummonds Pulled Pork

Total: 10 hr 20 min (includes marinating time)
Active: 20 min
Yield: 16 servings
Level: Easy

1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon chile powder
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pork shoulder roast (also called pork butt)
4 onions, cut into halves 
1 bottle good barbecue sauce and good-quality hamburger rolls, for serving

Directions: Stir together the brown sugar, chile powder, paprika, garlic powder, salt, black pepper and cayenne in a small bowl. Rub the mixture all over the pork shoulder. Wrap the pork in plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or preferably overnight. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Place the pork in a large pot on a bed of the onion halves. Roast until fork-tender and falling apart, about 7 hours. Remove the pork from the pot and set it on a cutting board. Slice some of the onion. Place the pot on the stove over medium-high heat and add 1/2 to 1 cup of hot water. Scrape the pan to loosen up the bits and cook for 5 minutes to reduce. Pour in the barbecue sauce and stir to heat. Shred the meat with two forks, add the sliced onions to the pork and then toss in the barbecue sauce until it's coated to your liking! Serve on hamburger rolls.

Grandma Beth's Cheesy potatoes

Grandma Beth's Cheesy potatoes

1/2 cup onion, grated
6 medium potatoes
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup flour
4 cups milk
12 oz. sharp cheese, grated
Salt and pepper
Paprika

Boil potatoes until cooked but still firm. Cool; then grate into buttered casserole dish. Mix in grated onion. Melt butter in saucepan, stir in flour and milk to make white sauce. Add grated cheese, season to taste and pour over potatoes. Sprinkle top of casserole with a little grated cheese and paprika. Bake at 350°  F. for 30 minutes or 325°  F. for 45 minutes.

Serves 6-8.

Breakfast Sandwiches

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

• FOR THE BISCUITS:
• 5 cups flour
• 5 tbsp. sugar
• 2 tbsp. baking powder
• 1 tbsp. kosher salt
• 10 tbsp. unsalted butter, frozen, plus 4 tbsp., melted
• 1¾ cups buttermilk
• 2 tbsp. honey
• 
  FOR THE TOPPINGS:
• 7 oz. thinly sliced pancetta (about 32 slices)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 lb. collard greens, trimmed and roughly chopped
• ½ small Vidalia onion, thinly sliced
• ¾ cup chicken stock
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 clove garlic, mashed into a paste
• 1 egg yolk
• ½ cup canola oil
• 1½ tbsp. espresso
• 
  FOR THE EGGS:
• 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 8 eggs
• ¼ cup minced chives
• Kosher salt, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Make the biscuits: Heat oven to 400°. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Using the coarse side of a box grater, grate frozen butter into flour mixture; mix to combine. Add buttermilk and, using your hands, gently mix ingredients until a soft dough forms. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface; pat into a 7" x 9" rectangle, about 2" thick. Using a 4" round cutter, cut out 4 biscuits, reusing scraps as needed. Place biscuits on a parchment paper—lined baking sheet. Bake until golden, 18–20 minutes. Stir melted butter and honey in a bowl; brush over hot biscuits. Return biscuits to oven and cook until golden, 5 minutes more.

2. Make the toppings: Arrange pancetta slices in a single layer on 2 baking sheets; bake until crisp, 5–7 minutes. Pour fat from pancetta into a 12" skillet; set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook collards until tender, 4–6 minutes; drain. Heat skillet over medium-high; cook onion until soft, 4–6 minutes. Add cooked collards, the stock, salt, and pepper; simmer until stock has evaporated, 10–12 minutes. Whisk mustard, garlic, yolk, and salt in a bowl; while whisking, slowly drizzle in oil, and then espresso, until aïoli is emulsified.

3. Cook the eggs: Melt 1 tbsp. butter in an 8" nonstick skillet over medium; crack 2 eggs into skillet and break the yolks. Using the tip of a heatproof rubber spatula, gently swirl yolks into whites, making a flat omelette and taking care not to scramble the eggs. Cook until bottom is set, about 3 minutes. Add 1 tbsp. chives and salt; fold omelette into quarters, transfer to a plate, and keep warm. Repeat with remaining ingredients to make 4 omelettes. To assemble: Slice biscuits in half; spread halves with aïoli and divide collards, pancetta, and omelettes between biscuits.

Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce

Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce
Yield: 1 cup
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes, plus cooling

Follow these easy instructions to create sweet salted caramel sauce at home. Perfect for cakes, cupcakes, cookies, ice cream, cheesecake, sweet breads and more!

Ingredients:
•1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
•6 Tablespoons (90g) salted butter, cut up into 6 pieces*
•1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream*
•1 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1.Heat granulated sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly with a high heat resistant rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
2.Sugar will form clumps and eventually melt into a thick brown, amber-colored liquid as you continue to stir. Be careful not to burn.
3.Once sugar is completely melted, immediately add the butter. Be careful in this step because the caramel will bubble rapidly when the butter is added.
4.Stir the butter into the caramel until it is completely melted, about 2-3 minutes.
5.Very slowly, drizzle in 1/2 cup of heavy cream while stirring. Since the heavy cream is colder than the caramel, the mixture will rapidly bubble and/or splatter when added.
6.Allow the mixture to boil for 1 minute. It will rise in the pan as it boils.
7.Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon of salt. Allow to cool down before using.
8.Cover the caramel tightly and store for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Warm the caramel up for a few seconds before using in a recipe.

Additional Notes:

*Unsalted butter may be used instead, though I prefer salted. No other changes need to be made to the recipe if using unsalted.

*Heavy cream (approximately 36% milk fat) may also be sold as whipping cream. Light whipping cream (30% milk fat), or double cream (48% milk fat) may be substituted.