Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Bread

(2 loaves)

Ingredients:

3 cups Sugar

3 cusp All-Purpose Flour

½ tsp. Baking Powder

2 tsp. Baking Soda

½ tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Grounded Cinnamon

1 tsp. Grounded Nutmeg

1 cup Canola Oil

1 cup Water

4 large Fresh Eggs

1 (15 oz.) can Pumpkin

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

! cup Walnuts, chopped (optional)

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients (first 7) and in another bowl the wet ingredients (next 5). Now combine the dry into the wet bowl and mix until just combined. Add the nuts and mix just enough to incorporate. Pour into two 5x9 loaf pan that has been greased and floured. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 50 minutes to1 hour or toothpick comes out clean.

Note: To grease and flour the pan (glass or metal) use butter or oil. Use enough to coat the insides of pan without excess. Sprinkle a little flour into pan and shake to coat sides and bottom of pan. Knock out any excess before filling with batter.

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Quick Breads

Many of you are probably asking "What are Quick Breads?"  Well, they are breads that are made without yeast.  Instead they use leavening agents such as "Baking Soda" or "Baking Powder" and some even use both.

Quick breads are even an American original.  They date back to at least the mid 1800s when baking soda and baking powder first commercially produced.

Some products that are considered "Quick Breads" include loaf breads like banana, pumpkin and zucchini. They also include muffins, biscuits, pancakes and waffles.

There three common ways to make quick breads.  Combining all the wet and dry ingredients separately and then combining before baking is one way.  This method is used in making muffins, pancakes and corn bread.

Another is to cream the butter (fat) and sugar together and then adding the other ingredients.  The main thing to remember using either method is to not over work the dough.  This is used more for cakes than anything else.

The last method is cutting the fat into the dry ingredients.  This is done by using a food processor, a pastry blender, two forks or even your hands.  Biscuits and scones are the main products that use this method.

Depending on the method and type of quick bread being made, the dough or batter will have a different consistency.  Pancakes and the banana type breads have a more "pouring" batter.  Muffins are more of a "drop" batter.  While chocolate chip cookies are a "soft" dough and sugar cookies use a "stiff" dough. The difference between all 4 is the amount of liquid to the dry ingredients.  The more equal the two are makes for the pouring batter.  Where as the greater the dry is to liquid gives you the stiff dough.

So this week I have two of the more traditional quick breads.  Both recipes are from the early 20th century and have been passed down for several generations.  They come from different people that eventually made it to my mother.  The reason they get passed down or along is because they taste great.  First is "Pumpkin Bread" and it is followed by "Pecan Bread".  Do take the time and try these.  And look for other quick bread recipes to add to your baking desires.

In the meantime, "Happy Cooking" until next week.

Over the Top Biscuit & Gravy Sandwiches

Over the Top Biscuit & Gravy Sandwiches

(3-6 servings)

Ingredient List:

1 lb. Bulk Breakfast Sausage (your choice on type or brand)

4 Tbsp. Butter

4 Tbsp. All Purpose Flours

1 Tsp. Black Pepper

2 Cups Milk (whole, 2%, 1%, it’s your choice)

3-6 Biscuits, prepared (see note)

3-6 (4 oz.) slices Ham, warm (your choice on type)

3-6 large Fresh Eggs, fried (your choice on doneness)

Directions:

In a sauté pan over medium heat, crumble and cook sausage until done. Drain any grease and then add the butter. After the butter has melted, start to whisk in the flour and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Next, add the pepper and milk while continuously stirring with the whisk. The mixture will slowly start to thicken. Continue cooking for 3 or 4 minutes after it has thickened for you. If gravy is too thick, just add a little more milk. If it is to thin, turn it down to medium-low and let it cook a little longer. Make sure you continue to stir it occasionally. Slice a biscuit in half horizontally and place the bottom on a plate. Repeat with remaining biscuits. Top each biscuit bottom with a slice of ham followed by an egg. Place the biscuit tops on each and ladle sausage gravy over each and serve.

Note: Try using my food blog recipe for Sweet Potato Biscuits recipe. If not, any biscuit will work.

Note: You can substitute several pieces of cooked bacon for the ham if you desire.

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Fried Egg Quesadillas

Fried Egg Quesadillas

(2 servings)

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. Unsalted Butter or Canola Oil (or combination of each)

2-4 large Fresh Eggs (depends on how many you want/need on your Quesadillas)

2 (10 inch) Tortillas

½ cup Shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese

1 medium Haas Avocado (see note)

¼ cup Salsa (optional) (your choice on type)

¼ cup Green Onion, sliced

Directions:

In a large saute pan over medium heat, add butter or oil. When hot add one egg at a time and break each yolk. Fry eggs on each side to desired doneness and set aside. Take a tortilla and sprinkle one half with a forth of the cheese. Top the cheese with half the slices of avocado followed by one of the eggs. If using salsa, spread half of it on the other half of the tortilla. Top the egg with the green onion and another forth of the cheese. Fold the half of the tortilla with the salsa over the half with the egg. Place the tortilla in the saute pan and heat for 2-3 minutes per side. Remove tortilla from the pan and slice into 3 wedges to serve. Repeat the process with the second tortilla.

Note: Cut the avocado in half and remove pit. Using a spoon, scope each half out of skin in one whole piece. Slice each half into thin slices for sandwich.

Note: Fro those that need meat in their Quesadillas, you can add cooked bacon, ham or sausage to it. I would add the meat before adding the egg.

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Breakfast Sandwiches

Since tomorrow is Christmas Day, let me wish all of you a "Merry Christmas."  May the good lord bless you and help with your "Culinary Skills."

This week we're talking "Breakfast Sandwiches" as I'm one of those who believe breakfast is the most important meals.  It is what starts you off for a good day.  I know I've mentioned it before but you need to make time in the start of your day with some nutrition in you.  It really does make a difference in how your day goes.

For those of you that have trouble getting your day started, breakfast is difficult.  The fun thing about breakfast sandwiches, many of them can be made ahead.  You can make them the night before, just heat it up in the microwave and carry it out the door with in the morning.  You could make a batch of them and freeze the sandwiches for quick easy future meals.

If you have my cookbook or have been following this food blog long, you know that I advocate eating breakfast foods at times other than just your first meal of the day.  A quick recap for new readers.  Most everyone enjoys eating breakfast foods but have a difficult time doing it up right in the workday morning. Having breakfast meals at the evening meal, for example, gives you the time to enjoy these specialties and help your food budget at the same time.  That's because these type menus are less expensive compared to traditional evening meals.

The blog has a fair number of breakfast recipes available on the "Breakfast Recipe" link above.  Be sure to check them out.

I've a couple of breakfast sandwich recipes this week.  Because of the holidays, many people have guests (family or friends) staying with them.  This usually means one must offer more than just the big holiday meal to them.  So I have a couple of recipes that are not your normal breakfast fare.  Thought your guest might like something a little changed up.

The first is for "Fried Egg Quesadillas"  and they work well in a Panini or George Foreman grill.  If you don't have one of those, the recipe actually does it in a saute pan.  As with all the recipes I offer on this blog, I encourage everyone to change up some of the ingredients to make it fit your tastes and lifestyle.

The second recipe is taking a traditional dish and adding some excitement to it.  This one is a knife and fork sandwich as all sandwiches don't have to be held.  "Over the Top Biscuit and Gravy Sandwich" is again flexible with ingredients.  So change it up if helps meet your flavor profile better.

My hope is that you will get into breakfast more no matter the time of day, whether you guests or not, with roof-mates or even just by yourself.  Enjoy these and all the other recipes on this blog as you continue to cook.  Again, "Merry Christmas" and "Happy Cooking" until next week.

Greek Layered Dip

Greek Layered Dip

(12-18 servings)

Ingredients:

8 oz. Cream Cheese with Chives & Onion, room temperature

8 oz. Hummus (your favorite brand & style), room temperature

1 large Fresh Cucumber, peeled, seeded & chopped

3 large Plum Tomatoes, seeded & chopped

1 (2 ¼ oz.) can Sliced Ripe Olives, drained

4 oz. Feta Cheese, crumbled

¼ cup Green Onions, sliced

Directions:

Spread the cream cheese in the bottom of a 10 inch serving dish (quiche, pie, etc.). Next, spread the hummus over the cream cheese covering all. Then sprinkle the cucumbers evenly over the hummus. Sprinkle evenly the tomatoes next followed by the olives and feta cheese. Garnish the dish with the green onions and serve with pita chips, crackers or vegetables.

Note: You could double this recipe using a larger low-sided serving dish or make two different dishes of the dip for larger crowds.

Note: I like Kalamata olives more than the black ones. So I will use these instead. Just chop or slice pitted ones for this recipe.

Ideas for Future Efforts

Roasted Red Pepper & Artichoke Dip

Roasted Red Pepper & Artichoke Dip

(about 2 cups)

Ingredients:

1 (7 oz.) jar Marinated Artichoke Hearts, drained

½ cup Roasted Red Peppers, drained

3 oz. Cream Cheese, room temperature

½ cup Sour Cream

¼ cup Fresh Parsley, chopped

Assorted crackers, chips or vegetables

Directions:

Place the artichoke hearts and red peppers in a food processor, cover and coarsely chop. Add the cream cheese, sour cream and parsley to food processor and mix until just blended. Place in a serving dish and garnish with a little more parsley. Serve with your favorite crackers, chips and/or vegetables.

Note: You can serve this immediately at room temperature or refrigerate up to a day ahead of time.

Note: To double recipe, repeat the process twice and then mix the two batches together. If you have a large food processor, you may be able to do in one batch.

Ideas for Future Efforts