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Tiffany’s Birthday Creations

Tiffany’s Birthday Creations and Pineapple Upside Down Cake

My daughter-in-law Tiffany does make some beautiful creations for special days! She made the Minion cupcake and the pineapple flower cupcakes. Here is the link to how she made the pineapple flowers.

www.kitchn.com/how-to-make-dried-pineapple-flowers-241754

I made the upside down cake tweaked from a recipe Esther sent me for banana upside down cake. She and I discussed it and decided to add some dried coconut, pineapples, and cherries. I was surprised to find out the bananas remained firm. For the cake, I used a recipe from the old Joy of Cooking cookbook I grew up with. I baked the cake in my iron skillet. This cake definitely took me back to my childhood! It tasted just like it did in the 60’s.

Skillet or Upside-Down Cake

Topping:

20 oz. can pineapple slices

Maraschino Cherries (small jar)

1/2 cup coconut ( I used dried unsweetened)

1 firm banana

1 stick butter +

1 cup brown sugar

Cake:

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring

1 Tablespoon melted butter

1 cup granulated sugar

Instructions:

In a 9 or 10-inch skillet melt 1/2 cup butter, add 1 cup of packed brown sugar and cook gently until dissolved.

Place the slices of pineapple over the butter mixture. Place a cherry in the middle of each pineapple. Around the edge of the cake put a small slice of banana in between the pineapple and in the middle. Sprinkle it all with the coconut.  Set aside and mix the cake in a separate bowl. Beat the eggs, sugar, melted 1 Tablespoon butter, and the vanilla flavoring. Add the flour on top of that and then gently stir the baking powder into the flour and then mixed it gently until smooth. Pour the cake mixture on top and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and reverse the cake onto the serving plate. Let the skillet remain on top briefly for the brown sugar mixture to coat the cake. Remove the pan and serve.

One of the very positive things about Pineapple Upside Down Cake is that it is very quick to make. I made this because Esther requested it and it was good. However, I prefer the regular cake with the pineapples and cherries!

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Rice Noodle Bowl

I really wanted some type of Asian influenced food tonight. I haven’t cooked a lot of Asian food but I love to eat it! I had several things to create a dish with, on hand. This is what I created.

Rice Noodle Bowl

4 cloves of garlic

2 teaspoons of ginger minced

1 purple onion chopped

1 lime – zested and juiced

2  pounds of cabbage slaw mix

4 chicken breasts (I will add 1-2 more next time) cooked and cubed

1 cup of chopped broccoli (I had frozen so I steamed it a bit and added it when I added the chicken) Raw could be chopped and sauteed with the onions.

gluten free soy sauce

2 teaspoons of sesame oil

Rice noodles  8 oz. box ( I used Annie Chun’s Maifun Rice Noodles) The box says 4 servings but for me, it was easily 6-8 servings of noodles.

Cilantro a small handful

Bake or fry your chicken breasts. Cube the chicken. Start your water to boil. Saute´ the garlic and onions in the sesame oil and then add the cabbage and lime zest and juice and cook this until it is soft. If it is too dry add a couple of Tablespoons of the chicken broth from cooking the chicken.  Add the chicken.  Cook the rice noodles 1-2 minutes. Mix it all together in a large bowl and add the cilantro and soy sauce to taste. 6-8 Servings. Enjoy!

 

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Skillet Pizza Crusts

Skillet Pizza Crusts

In the early 1990’s I started making skillet pizza crusts. They became a favorite and a part of my “once a month cooking” recipes. This is a nice thing to do with a group or your family because you can talk and visit as you work together to chop the veggies or just make your own pizza. When I am ready to assemble I preheat the oven, chop some veggies, set out a jar of pizza or pasta sauce, and set out the pepperoni and cheese. You CAN make them all yourself if you wish but it is more fun to let each person make their own. Call the group in a few at a time to assemble their pizza just the way they like it.  If you have a large group you may want to use parchment paper on your baking sheet and write each person’s name on it so that their pizzas do not get mixed up. My baking sheets hold 4 on each one. I can usually bake on both racks. They each take 10-15 minutes to bake. I bake them until the cheese is melted.

Here is my recipe for Skillet Pizza Crusts. I usually get 10 individual crusts from each recipe.

3 packages or Tablespoons of yeast

1 teaspoon of sugar

3/4 cup of water (105°-115°)

3 cups all-purpose flour ( I like to use a mixture of wheat and white)

1 teaspoon of salt

1/2 cup of additional water

2 Tablespoons oil

cooking spray

Combine the first 3 ingredients in a 2 cup measuring cup; let stand 5 minutes. Combine the yeast mixture, flour, and next 3 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring until well blended. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead 5 minutes. Place in an oiled bowl and turn your dough to grease the top. Cover and let rise until doubled in size. Punch down and knead lightly. Divide your dough into small pieces. I usually just pinch off a small blob of dough (my grandma used to “pinch” biscuits as she called it). I roll these out one at a time and use a small saucer as a pattern to cut around. This will make the crusts a bit more uniform. They will still change shape a bit but no problem they taste great. I cook them on the stove in my iron skillet medium heat, 1-2 minutes on each side. When they slightly start to brown I flip them and cook the other side.  Cool on wire racks and then either freeze them or use them.

To assemble pizzas:

Preheat oven 350 °. Put the crusts on a baking sheet. Spread each crust with sauce. Put on toppings and sprinkle with cheese. Bake in the oven until hot and bubbly, usually 10-15 minutes.

Some of our favorite toppings:

Artichokes – canned, chopped

Green onions chopped

Mushrooms fresh or canned

Spinach fresh is best

Bell peppers – we especially like the colored ones

Pepperoni

Mozzarella cheese

You may wish to make your pizza a Hawaiian, veggie, or sausage or whatever your favorite may be.

If you have leftover crusts freeze them. They are great to use for tostadas, or just with melted cheese. Either way, they are economical to make and a lot of fun and they disappear rather quickly!

Let me know if you have any questions! Happy Cooking!

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Tacos for a Crowd

When my kids call and tell me that they are bringing 20 friends over for dinner (or for the weekend) this is what I make! I have two very fast meals I could cook. Today,  I will share one of them.

Tacos, Taco Salad, or Taco Bar is the fasted thing I can make to satisfy a hungry crowd and leave me with energy enough to visit with my company. One of the things I like about making a taco bar is that everyone can make their own plates. If they are vegetarian or meat eaters, if they are dairy or gluten-free they can all eat.

I brown the ground beef at least 5 lbs and/or start chicken breasts baking in the oven to be shredded and seasoned with taco seasoning or some herbs from your cabinet (chili powder, paprika, cumin, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper and red pepper flakes if you like it hot!) The beef takes me about 15 minutes to get it all browned, drained, and seasoned. The chicken breasts usually take 20 minutes to cook and then I either cut them up or put them through my food processor.

1 to 2 heads of Romaine lettuce ( I like it best, probably because it is greener) or bagged Romaine

A large jug of salsa, if we don’t have homemade in the fridge or two regular jars

Sour Cream at least 24 oz.

2 cans of black olives sliced if not presliced or diced

2 cans of pinto beans or black beans, drained if you do not have homemade beans on hand

One or two bunches of  green onions or any onions chopped in the food processor or chopper

A few tomatoes chopped, 2-4

A large bag of shredded cheese 2-4 lbs.

A couple of bags of tortilla chips, taco shells, or soft tortillas or a combination

If I am in a hurry the only thing I really have to cook is the meat. While the meat is cooking I open the other items and set up the bar. Giant bowls of chips, cheese, lettuce, and smaller bowls of sour cream, tomatoes, onions, and olives.

You may not need tacos for a crowd but hopefully, some of these suggestions will help you get dinner on the table fast whether you are feeding a crowd or just your family.

Now for my tips and shortcuts:

Buy bulk ground beef when it is on sale. Brown and season your ground beef and put it in freezer baggies in 3-4 cup packages. Then it is ready for making quick dinners during the week or for surprises.

Buy large bags of shredded cheese (at great prices of course) and divide it into freezer bags. I do bags with 2 cups each and freeze them.

Make your own taco seasonings. You have more control over what is in your food as well as saving money.

 

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Steak Fajitas

Steak Fajitas

1 ½ lb. of steak sliced thin against the grain or you may buy it already cut for fajitas

4 green bell peppers sliced and cut into chunks

2 onions sliced thin

8 ounces of pre-sliced baby Bella mushrooms

McCormick Montreal steak seasoning

soy sauce (gluten free)

olive oil

Preheat your broiler on high or you may pan fry. Place the steak in a bowl and sprinkle with the Montreal steak seasoning on both sides and pour on some soy sauce, turn the meat to coat. Let that marinate while you chop the vegetables. Coat your pan with olive oil and place the meat on it and broil for 7 minutes each side. Meanwhile, coat your iron skillet with a little olive oil and stir fry the veggies on the stove top. When both are done pour the veggies on top of the steak and stir. Serve. I served mine with a bit of homemade salsa, made by my wonderful husband, a slice of avocado and some chips. A quick and delicious dinner.

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My Chicken Curry Recipe

I used to make Chicken Curry in huge batches and freeze them. Lately, I haven’t been making it very much. When I did my menu plan this month I included this recipe. I no longer need the big batches. Yes, it is sad and happy. I miss having all my kids around the table. I am happy for them that they have their own adventures, though. Today my table only included 4 of us. We enjoyed a time of sharing what we are each working on and talking about complex math problems.

So here is my take on Chicken Curry! A big batch of 8-10 servings. Some to freeze for later or some to have for tomorrow’s lunch.

Chicken Curry

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 cups chopped onions

1 cup chopped green peppers

6 cups cooked chicken, chopped

2 Tablespoons of curry powder

salt to taste (1-1/2 teaspoons – 1 Tablespoon at my house)

1 cup water

1/2 cup lemon juice

2 cups  tomato sauce

4 cloves (not bulbs!) of garlic crushed or chopped finely

6-8 cups of cooked rice

Cook onion and green pepper in the oil until tender. Add the chicken. Sauté briefly. In a small bowl mix the salt and curry powder. Add tomato sauce and pour mixture over the chicken mixture. Mix. Heat a bit until hot and bubbly. Serve over rice.

Chicken Curry
Curry Chicken Skillet
Chicken Curry
Chicken Curry

Let me know what you think of this recipe. Please share your favorite curry recipe below or send me an email. I love to hear from you and I love to try new recipes.

 

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Chicken and Cabbage

Barbecued chicken
Chicken legs are on sale! So I bought some. I laid them out on a pan reversing each one to conserve space.  I brushed them with barbecue sauce (Sweet Baby Rays) and baked them for about 15 minutes at 350°until they started to look like they were beginning to brown. Then I drained the liquid from the pan and turned the legs over and brushed that side with sauce. I baked them 15 minutes more and checked the temp. I want the chicken to reach 165°. After the chicken reaches 165° if the top does not look slightly browned, then I place it under the broiler for the last 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, I sliced a head of cabbage and placed it in an oiled pan. I drizzled it with olive oil and salt and pepper and baked it in the oven for about 40 minutes.

You could, of course, cook the legs by using only the broiler if you prefer but then you couldn’t cook the cabbage at the same time. You can bake them at the same time. I place the chicken on the bottom rack.