Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Hands down my favorite pumpkin recipe!  I love this bread and make it multiple times every fall.  I don't have three bread pans, so I use my two that I do have and then four mini ones that are great for giving away.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

• 3-⅓ cups unbleached all purpose Flour
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tbsp Cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1-½ teaspoon Salt
• 2-⅔ cups Sugar
• ⅔ cups Softened Butter
• 4 whole Eggs
• 1 pound (or 1-30oz can or 2-15oz cans) Mashed Pumpkin
• ⅔ cups Water
• 1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Sift together dry ingredients and set aside. Cream sugar and butter until well incorporated. Add eggs one at a time and then add the mashed pumpkin. Alternate adding dry ingredients with water. Fold in chocolate chips.

Pour into three large greased bread pans and bake at 325 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean.

Makes 3 loaves. That won’t make it very long at your house before being devoured.

Lasagna Soup

This recipe could have and should have gone terribly wrong since I had to substitute ground beef for italian sausage, beef broth for chicken stock, etc.  It was still really good, so I'm looking forward to using the right ingredients next time.  And I will say that it tastes just like lasagna and the cheesy yum is what puts it over the top.

Lasagna Soup

for the soup:
2 tsp. olive oil
1-1/2 lbs. Italian sausage
3 c. chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 T. tomato paste
1 28-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
6 c. chicken stock
8 oz. mafalda or fusilli pasta
1/2 c. finely chopped fresh basil leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

for the cheesy yum:
8 oz. ricotta
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. salt
pinch of freshly ground pepper
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking up into bite sized pieces, and brown for about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.

Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Do not over cook or let soup simmer for a long period of time at this point, as the pasta will get mushy. Stir in basil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy yum. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.

To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy yum in each soup bowl, sprinkle some of the mozzarella on top and ladle the hot soup over the cheese.

Servings:  8

Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan

Most things I put in the crock pot I just throw in frozen and not worry about it.  This recipe, however, you do need to use thawed chicken otherwise you'll have frozen egg that the bread crumbs won't stick to...I speak from experience :).  It was still really good, so it's going to be even better next time!


Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan

2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (I cut mine into strips, to make them into more reasonable serving sizes for the kids)
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 egg, beaten
4-6 slices mozzarella cheese
1 jar (28-ounces) favorite marinara sauce

Directions: Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over the bottom of the crockpot stoneware.
In a medium bowl, beat egg.  In second medium bowl, mix the bread crumbs, spices, and grated Parmesan cheese all together.

Dip chicken in beaten egg and then toss into bread crumb mixture to coat completely on both sides.  Place chicken breasts on bottom of crockpot.  Place a layer of mozzarella slices on top of breaded chicken breasts.  Cover cheese layered chicken with entire jar of sauce.

Place lid of crockpot securely on and turn heat to LOW for 6-7 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours.  Serve over cooked pasta of your choice. 

Easy Lemon Chicken

I love any recipe that involves my crockpot...so easy!  This recipe can be done in the crockpot or frying pan, in case you don't think of dinner enough ahead of time :).  I think I will do less butter next time, it made a lot of juices that we ended up throwing away.  We ended up mixing the shredded chicken, quinoa and a mixture of vegetables with the juice and it was SO good!

Lemon Chicken

Melt 1 cube butter in fry pan.
Layer on 4 Chicken Breasts, or Chicken Tenders.
Sprinkle with 1 pkg. Italian Seasonings Salad Dressing Mix
Add juice of 2 lemons.
Cook until tender. Put the lid on at first, then take off at the end in order to brown and absorb seasonings.
Can be done in crock pot. (For chicken breast:  Cook on Hi: 4-5 hours, on Low:  6-8 hours.  When finished cooking, take out, shred chicken with 2 forks, and ladle on the juices.

Peppermint Brownie Mosaic Cheesecake

This was my Christmas dessert that took three days to make...but, it was totally worth it.  I tried to copy a picture because it's the prettiest thing you've ever eaten, but it keeps freezing blogger, so head the websites following to see it.  The original recipe is here and the peppermint version here.  The brownie recipe alone is a-maz-ing.  Fortunately, you don't need the whole recipe for the cheesecake, so you have plenty to munch on!

Peppermint Brownie Mosaic Cheesecake

One Bowl Brownies
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup flour

Preheat oven to 350. Line 13×9-inch baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Grease foil.

Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on high for 2 minutes, or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add flour and salt; mix well. Spread into prepared pan.

Bake 30 to 35 minute or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. Do not overbake. Cool in pan on wire rack. Remove brownies from pan, using foil handles.

Cut brownies once cooled.

Chocolate Crumb Crust
3 cups or 10 ounces finely ground cookies such as chocolate wafers or Chocolate Teddy Grahams
10 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt

Stir together crust ingredients and press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of a buttered 9-inch springform pan. Fill right away or chill up to 2 hours.

Peppermint Cheesecake
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
4 eggs
1 tsp peppermint extract
1 cup sugar
2 cups brownie cubes (from recipe above)
3/4 cup crushed candy canes or peppermint candies

Make crumb crust as directed above for 9-inch cheesecake. Preheat oven to 350°F.

Make filling and bake cake: Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until fluffy and add eggs, 1 at a time, then peppermint extract and sugar, beating on low speed until each ingredient is incorporated and scraping down bowl between additions.

Fold brownie cubes in very gently and pour mixture into prepared pan. Put springform pan with crust in a shallow baking pan. Pour filling into crust and bake in baking pan (to catch drips) in middle of oven 45 minutes, or until cake is set 3 inches from edge but center is still slightly wobbly when pan is gently shaken.

When completely cool, top with following glaze.

Peppermint Ganache Glaze
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, broken up, or 1/2 cup chocolate morsels
2 ounces butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1 Tbsp powdered sugar
6 candy canes, crushed

Grind the chocolate into powder in the food processor, scald the butter and cream in a saucepan (or in a Pyrex cup in the microwave). With the machine running, pour the hot cream/butter mixture slowly through the feed tube onto the chocolate. Blend until completely smooth, stopping machine to scrape down sides once or twice. Add the extract and sugar and process until smooth.

Spread over cheesecake while ganache is still warm. Sprinkle crushed candy canes around edges of ganache for garnish.

Chill until ready to serve. 

Hawaiian Grilled Chicken

 This recipe was amazing!  Make the rice and throw some corn on the grill and you've got a meal.  Make sure you use thighs versus breasts or it won't turn it nearly as lip-smackin' good!

 

Hawaiian Grilled Chicken

 

3 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs

2 cups soy sauce  (the soy sauce and water just needs to be a 1:1 ratio)

2 cups water

1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 bunch of green onions, chopped (reserve some for garnish)
1/4 cup of a white onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
1 (13.5 ounce) can of coconut milk

Note: The real key is the soy sauce. Kikomen's is way too salty. He prefers the Aloha Shoyu soy sauce. If you can only find Kikomen at least get the low sodium kind.
Trim chicken thighs of any visible fat. Mix soy sauce, water, brown sugar, onions, garlic, sesame oil, and coconut milk in a large bowl. Marinade chicken for at least 4 hours or overnight to make sure the flavor gets infused.

Grill chicken at a low heat so that the marinade does not burn for 5-7 minutes per side or until done. If you do not have a grill you can use a indoor grill pan.

Serve over a platter of coconut rice and garnish with green onions and a some additional soy sauce.

*Coconut rice can be made by just replacing half of the water in your rice recipe with coconut milk.