Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin Soup

In a saucepan, slightly beat 2 large eggs. Turn heat on medium, mix in 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp ground cloves. Whisk in 1 can (15oz) pumpkin puree.  Then once well blended, whisk in 1 can (12 fl oz) evaporated milk, slowly.  Keep stirring until soup is thick.  It will still be spouting while stirring once done.  I like to add a big scoop of vanilla ice cream to each bowl, or whipped cream.  Perfect for a nice comfort meal, or dessert. 

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Take 2 (8oz) packages of cream cheese and set them on the counter with 2 eggs to come to room temperature.  In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, 1/2 cup white sugar (I used 1/2 cup Agave Extract in it's place) and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.  Beat until smooth.  Then blend in one egg at a time.  Remove 1 cup of the batter and spread in the bottom of a graham cracker crust, or as much batter as it takes to cover the bottom of the crust.  Then to the rest of the batter add 1 can pumpkin puree, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon cloves, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon ginger.  Stir gently until well blended.  Pour over the batter in the crust.  Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes.  Let cool, then refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight... Cover with whipped topping before serving and enjoy!

Pumpkin Bread

I was testing out my sister's pampered chef mini-loaf pan today.  I decided on a pumpkin bread and it came out wonderfully. 

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup applesauce
2/3 cup water
3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour mini loaf pans.  In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended.

Pour into the prepared pans.  Bake for about 35 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

(Now I know, I have to buy my own pampered chef mini-loaf pan....  www.pamperedchef.biz/marandamedina )

Pumpkin Dump Cake!

I found out late last night that my eldest sister's dog of 12 years passed away.  My heart broke for her so this morning when I got up I started thinking of a good comfort food that I could make and bring to her.  I decided that pumpkin dump cake would be a great and delicious option.  So, Molly, this post is for you.







 First I started off by greasing a 9x13 pan and turned the oven onto 350 degrees.  Then you take a pan of pumpkin and mix it with 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 Tbsp of pumpkin spice, and 1 (12oz) can of evaporated milk. Pour this mixture into the 9x13 dish. I then take a box of yellow cake mix and mix 1 cold stick of butter in with it then dump on top of the pumpkin.  (Hence the name dump cake.). Put cake in oven for 50 minutes or until the cake is a dark golden brown. Wait for the cake to cool, then slice and enjoy! You can really use any mixture you want.  I have used pineapple and yellow cake mix before and it turned out great as well!

Chocolate, Strawberry, and Banana Trifle

So, lately, I have been craving a Chocolate Trifle that my Mom made when I was younger.  Today, I decided to make it to see if it was as good as I remembered or if it was the fact that my Mom made it that made it so delicious...  Here's what you do...

You take one Angel Food cake and cut it into small bite sized chunks.  Put half of the chunks into a trifle dish.  Then start the pudding, I just use a box of regular instant pudding.  I put the pudding mix, 2 cups of milk, and 1 tsp vanilla into a bowl and whisk away.  When the pudding is done, pour half of the pudding over the angel food cake. 

Then, slice up whichever fruit you want to put in, and put half of it on top of the pudding.  I did a layer of strawberries and a layer of bananas.  Then put the rest of the angel food cake on top, and pour the other half of the pudding over the cake.  Put another layer of fruit down, then top with whipped cream.

 I then put one last layer of fruit on top of the whipped cream and also put some caramelized sliced almonds on top.  Then, with a vegetable peeler I, grated a piece of chocolate on top.   

  Too simple, and oh so delicious.  Let sit in the fridge for a couple of hours to allow the pudding to soak into the angel food cake, then enjoy!

Pumpkin Coffee Cake

Warning: Non-Pumpkin lovers need not read on...

Pumpkin Coffe Cake? Yes PLEASE... Who would have thought.  I got up this morning intending to make a regular coffee cake but was inspired by the season... I thought what the heck, and tried to find out if anyone else had tried it.. I found the perfect pumpkin coffee cake recipe, and HAD to share it with you.  Heres what you do...

Mix 1/2 cup butter, 3 eggs, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 cup sour cream, 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1 teaspoon baking powder. 

Spread half of the above mixture into a 9x13 pan...

Now, in a different bowl, lightly beat 2 eggs then mix in pumpkin, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 testpoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, and 1/2 cup evaporated milk.  Next, pour this mixture over the half of the coffe cake mixture in the pan.  Then, pour the rest of the coffee cake mixture over the pumpkin mix... I found this to be quite difficult so I just dropped the mixture like dumplings and hoped for the best...

Now, to make the topping... Mix 1/3 cup butter, 1 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon....

Now, sprinkle the topping mix over the cake and put into the oven for 50 minutes. 

Fried Okra

My Mother-in-law called me this afternoon to invite me to dinner at her house... We had fried chicken, potato salad, okra, and chicken gravy... IF that doesn't say comfort food to you, I don't know what would.
  

It all started with the brine of the chicken... You soak the chicken in a solution of water and salt... It's best to let soak overnight, but a couple of hours will do.  Then you make your flour mixture in which you dip both your okra and your chicken. The mixture consists of flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.  If you love okra the way that I do, you want to get a big bag of Okra and defrost it.  You then sprinkle the okra itself with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.  Shake the okra really well and distribute the spices evenly.  Then dip the okra in the flour mixture covering it thoroughly.  Set this to the side, (or cook it now like I would.... and eat it as a snack while you wait for the chicken and potato salad to be done..)

  To cook the okra you want to deep fry it at 400* and cook until golden brown.   

MMMM... Okra... You know you want some.. 

Then, dip the chicken in the flour mixture and fry at 350*...

It's that simple folks... Gotta love me some comfort food.  I may decide to share the best potato salad recipe in the world with you tomorrow if you beg enough... Go ahead, beg...  

Enchilada Sauce/ Cheese Enchiladas

I suppose that since I shared my chicken tortilla soup recipe, and you really have to add a homemade enchilada sauce to it, I will share my treasured recipe.  Anyone I've cooked my enchiladas for have said that they are the best they've ever had... So I'll let you be the judge of that...

Cheese Enchiladas

 

1 Onion Chopped
4 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Flour
1 Clove Garlic, pressed or minced
 4 tsp Chili powder
28 oz can diced tomatoes
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce
1 pound cheddar cheese, grated
1 package flour tortillas

Brown onion in butter; stir in flour.  Add garlic. Add chili powder. Add tomatoes, salt, Tabasco. Let simmer for 1/2 hour to thicken. Roll enchiladas by taking a tortilla and dipping it in sauce. Place cheese in the middle and roll. Place in a pan. Fill pan and top with remaining sauce and cheese. Bake at 350 for 1/2 hour or til cheese melts.

(I never add the remaining sauce on top, but it depends on how much sauce you like. I usually freeze the remaining sauce and use it in chicken tortilla soup :))

I have to add, my family are really picky eaters, so I usually blend the diced tomatoes before adding them to the sauce!! 

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup *The PERFECT comfort food*

The past week has been a really hard week for me. I have been searching for comfort in clothes, food, music, and tv shows. The thing that has helped me the most was Chicken Tortilla Soup... Yes, it may still be in the 90's in Texas, but I'm pretending its Fall. Long sleeve shirts, soup... mmmm. SO I thought I would share my recipe for Chicken Tortilla Soup...

You start off by browning 1 pound of chicken in 3 tablespoons of butter.

Then add in 1 minced onion and 2 garlic cloves

Cook until browned.

Then add in the enchilada sauce, 1 can of fire roasted tomatoes, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. 

Pour in 4 cups of Chicken Broth

Stir all together and add 1 Cup of chedder cheese, and 1 can of black beans...

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, then cover and simmer for 20-30 mintues or until chicken is easily shredded.

Remove bay leafs, shred chicken, mix throughly, then serve!

Add chips, more cheese, and enjoy!

I make a homemade enchilada sauce that I use in the soup. I also think it is important to use fire roasted diced tomatoes because it gives it a nice smokey taste... You can also add 1 cup of rice straight to the soup and cook until the rice is done.  This will allow the rice to soak up the nice smokey flavor... If you do decide to add rice I would add in another cup of chicken broth...

• 1 pound shredded, cooked chicken
• 3 TBSP Butter
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced fire roasted tomatoes
• 1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can Black Beans

• 4 Cups Chicken Broth
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 bay leafs
• 1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 1 Bag Tortilla Chips