Cream Cheese Pound Cake

 

Photo source: The Seasoned Mom

This recipe reminds me of Sour Cream Pound Cake, my favorite pound cake that was always a good choice for a buffet style dinner for me.  Can't wait to try the Cream Cheese Pound Cake.  It may become my new favorite.

Click here to go to Blair's recipe page at The Seasoned Mom.  In addition to the recipe, she includes tips for making the pound cake with descriptive instructions, variations and serving ideas, how to make ahead, store or freeze it.  Thanks Blair!

 

Black Beans Cuban Style (Frijoles Negros)

 

This is another family recipe that I grew up with.  I love it so much and could honestly eat it every day.  It is one of those meals that is considered Ybor City Food.

Black beans and garlicy white rice is the perfect combination and is a delicious compliment to Gina's Mojo Roast Pork.  Many like to eat it with raw onions.  My nana used to put finely chopped onions in a bowl on the table for whoever wanted it. 

Hope you try one of my family's traditions.

Ingredients:

1 pound bag black beans, rinsed and picked over
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 medium pepper
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1 bunch cilantro, minced
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
3 bay leaves
1 tsp white vinegar

Instructions: 

Soak the beans overnight in a large pot. In the morning, drain the water and set beans aside.

In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil. 

Add the onion and green pepper and sauté until soft and translucent.  This is known as the sofrito.

Add 3 cloves of the minced garlic and bay leaves. Continue cooking until the garlic is fragrant.

Add the beans to the onion, green pepper and garlic mixture and enough water to cover everything by an inch. 

Bring beans to a boil then cover, reduce heat and simmer for one hour.

After an hour, stir the beans and add the remaining 3 minced garlic cloves and minced cilantro. 

Return to a simmer, stirring occasionally and cook another hour until beans are tender and the liquid is thick. 

Add the white vinegar.

Add salt and additional minced cilantro if desired. 

Serve over white rice made with lots of garlic.

Spaghetti Aglio E Olio

Photo source: Food Network

My nana often made this meal for lunch with homemade garlic bread, salad (with oil and vinegar dressing and parmesan cheese) and iced tea with lemon.  It was such a treat for me and it still remains one of my favorite meals.

The photo and the following link to recipe and video comes from Ina Garten, but I make mine a different way . . . I think much easier!

My version starts off by getting my pasta water boiling and get the pasta cooking.

At the same time, I heat up a pan and melt about 1/2 stick of butter (depends on how much pasta you are making).  Add about 2 garlic cloves, making sure the garlic does not brown.

Angel hair pasta is what I prefer and the best thing is that it is ready in three minutes, so I have to work fast to put this all together.

As the garlic is sautéing in the butter, I start adding pasta water little by little.  (You'll need to experiment with how much pasta water you add.)  I love the way the pasta water slightly thickens the butter and also brings lots of flavor!  Right before the pasta is done, I throw in a handful of parsley.

Add drained pasta to the mixture, along with about 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese.  Mix together!  I always make sure that I have enough mixture to add to the pasta so that the pasta doesn't stick together.  I hate when that happens! Reserve some of the pasta water when draining in case you need more.

A note about my recipe . . . I prefer butter over olive oil because I really don't like the taste of olive oil.  You can use olive oil or a combination of both.  Whatever you prefer!  

All in all, I've got this recipe down to just five minutes from start to finish.  I've had lots of practice making it since I was a little girl!

To get to Ina Garten's recipe, click on the link listed below.  Along with her recipe, there is a how-to video great for learning the techniques no matter how you make it.

The Food Network
Recipe courtesy of Ina Garten

2010, Barefoot Contessa How Easy is That?, All Rights Reserved
SHOW: Barefoot Contessa
EPISODE: Off Duty

Chocolate Walnut Strudel

Puff pastry has got to be one of my favorite tricks for semi-homemade cooking . . . actually, The Captain introduced me to cooking with puff pastry.

It is an awesome versatile product that can be used in so many ways.  The result is a very quick, easy and delicious dessert, like this recipe from Pepperidge Farm, that makes such a beautiful and impressive presentation.  But puff pastry is not just for desserts.

Puff pastry has become a regular on my grocery list and I will be posting more recipes from Pepperidge Farm and other sources, as well as those recipes that I create.

Click here to go to the source recipe page and check out more awesome recipes on the website.

Red Lobster Crab Alfredo

Photo Source: Food.com

Red Lobster is my favorite restaurant!  I'm always happy to find their copycat recipes :)

I've never had this dish at Red Lobster, but it includes my favorites, pasta, alfredo sauce and crab . . . so it has got to be good.

Comments for this recipe recommended starting off with less parmesan cheese and add more a little at a time until desired thickness is achieved.

Click here to go to the recipe page.

The Ultimate Shrimp and Grits

 

Photo source: Tyler Florence.com

To go to recipe:

Show: Tyler's Ultimate

Episode: Ultimate Shrimp & Grits

Anything from Tyler Florence is good!
He's my favorite chef of all time.

Shrimp and grits is not the easiest meal to put together
. . . but isn't it worth it?

It is the perfect meal for any special occasion.

Sandy's Tasty Pasta Meal

 

Looks like an awesome beginning to a delicious pasta meal!

Sandy is an old internet friend from back in the Entrecard days.  Anybody remember Entrecard?  Check out her fabulous blog where she shares her travel experiences, recipes and all kinds of interesting stuff.

Click here to go to the page with her instructions on how to make this delicious meal!

Southern Sausage Balls

 

Easy and delicious.  Love Bisquick!

This recipe has been a part of our family parties for as long as I can remember.  They bring back so many memories.

Ingredients

1 lb. hot sausage (Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage)

3 cups of Bisquick

1 cup water

12 ounces sharp shredded cheese

 

Directions:

Mix all ingredients blending well…….use your hands……

Roll into small balls and bake 350 degrees for 15 minutes

Makes about 4 dozen balls

Hot and Spicy Hush Puppies from the Neelys

Recipe and photo courtesy The Neelys . . . The Food Network

Show: Down Home with the Neelys

Episode: Loungin' and Lunchin'

Hush puppies are the perfect compliment to a seafood meal, at least they are in my opinion. 

I really miss The Neelys on The Food Network.  However, those episodes are on the website as well as this episode which is available on video as well as the recipe you can print out.  Just click on the link above.

 

Ten smart kitchen storage ideas and DIY projects

 

Source:  Thrifty Decor Chick

Have you been thinking about using available kitchen space to streamline your kitchen?  Sarah at Thrifty Decor Chick has lots of inspiration to make it happen.  She provides helpful information as well as high quality photos.

Click here for the source page for some awesome inspiration.

Storage Mistakes Costing You Money - from Allrecipes.com

Pecan Pie Bars With Shortbread Crust

 

Photo Source: Food Folks and Fun

These pecan pie bars would be perfect for your holiday buffet table or just to have for snacks.  If you like pecan pie, you will love these bars.  They look delicious.

Jillian always has the most delicious looking recipes.  Click here to go to Jillian's recipe source page.  Check out more of her recipes while you are there.

Drop Dumplings for Soup

 

Dumplings are not just for Chicken n Dumplings.  They are kind of like biscuits, but their fluffy texture will add to any type of soup or stew.

Actually, I would have never thought of dumplings as anything other than an important part of chicken n dumplings.  But Ashley at The Recipe Rebel knew that they were important on their own to enhance other meals.  She's very clever!

Click here to go to Ashley's article about dumplings, other ideas of how to use them and how to make them.

Puff Pastry Cream Horns

 

Cream Horns are one of my favorite desserts going way back.  We had italian bakery owners in our family, so desserts were always plentiful.  These were routinely part of the assortment of pastries.  I've never made them, but would love to.

Jillian's recipe at Food, Folks and Fun utilizes puff pastry to make the horn part of the pastry.  Sounds easy and delicious.  The puff pastry will make it so light and flaky!  Jillian is always so inventive with her recipes!

Click here to go to the recipe source page.

Cake with Rum Syrup

 

Photo Source: Recipes of Ybor City Facebook Group

This cake takes me back to childhood Christmas seasons.  There was a time when we would visit friends and family on Christmas Eve like a marathon.  I can't remember exactly who made this cake, but it was made every year.   

It was sinfully delicious!

CAKE:

2 c. sifted cake flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. sugar
6 egg whites
12 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla

Set oven to 375 degrees. 

Sift flour, baking powder and salt into medium-size mixing bowl. 

Beat egg whites until stiff, adding sugar a little at a time. 

Add egg yolks one by one. 

Fold in sifted flour. 

Add vanilla and pour into a buttered square cake mold. 

Bake for about 30 minutes. 

Let cool. 

Cut cake into squares but do not take out of the pan.

SYRUP:

4 c. sugar
2 c. water
1 cinnamon stick
1 lime peel
3 or 4 drops lime juice
2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. rum or sweet wine

Put the sugar, water, cinnamon stick, lime juice and lime peel in a pot. 

Bring to a boil and let it boil for about 5 minutes. 

Take off the stove and add vanilla.
 

Let cool and add the rum. 

Pour the syrup over the cake squares. 

Best when refrigerated a while.

Recipe from Recipes of Ybor City Facebook Group

Coconut-Pecan German Chocolate Pie

     Photo source:  Taste of Home

Going through recipes in my collection from old cookbooks and magazines.  My files are full of these recipes. Here is a recipe for a pie that could be a contender for your holiday dessert table from Taste of Home.  I love Taste of Home!  Check out their website for lots of awesome recipes.

Doesn't it look delicious?

NOTE:  I'm not a fan of lard, so I would substitute with shortening or butter.

Originally published as Coconut-Pecan German Chocolate Pie in Taste of Home, December 2013

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/coconut-pecan-german-chocolate-pie/


Ingredients

• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons cold lard
• 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

FILLING:

• 4 ounces German sweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 cup chopped pecans

TOPPING:

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 1 teaspoon McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Mix flour and salt in a small bowl . . . blend lard in until crumbly.  Add ice water gradually, toss until dough holds together.  Shape into a disk and refrigerate 30 minutes or overnight wrapped in plastic wrap.

Preheat oven to 400°. 

Roll dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle on a lightly floured surface.  Transfer dough to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim pastry to 1/2 in. beyond rim of plate and flute edge. Line unpricked pastry with a double thickness of foil and fill with pie weights, dried beans or uncooked rice.

Bake 11-13 minutes or until bottom is lightly browned. Remove foil and weights . . . bake 6-8 minutes longer or until light brown. Cool on a wire rack. 

Reduce oven setting to 350°.

Melt chocolates in a large bowl in the microwave and stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Whisk in milk, egg yolks and vanilla until well blended.  Stir in pecans. Pour into crust. 

Bake 16-19 minutes or until set. 

Cool 1 hour on a wire rack.

Meanwhile . . . combine brown sugar, cream and butter in a small heavy saucepan.  On medium heat, bring to a boil, while stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat.

Whisk a small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks in a small bowl.  Return all to pan and whisk constantly, cook 2-3 minutes or until mixture thickens and a thermometer reads 160°. Remove from heat. Stir in coconut and vanilla; cool 10 minutes.

Pour over filling; sprinkle with pecans. Refrigerate 4 hours or until cold. 


Yield: 8 servings.

Air Fryer Baked Potato

 

The baked potato looks so crispy and perfect!

I've made frozen french fries in the air fryer, but not baked potatoes.  Sometimes I make a meal of a baked potato, so I will have to try this.  

Thank you Ashley!  The Recipe Rebel is one of my new favorites with great information to go with the recipes.

Click here to go to Ashley's informative recipe page.

What To Make With Chicken Broth

 

Photo Source: Easy Chicken Recipes

Chicken broth is one of the most important items to have in your kitchen.  

While many make homemade chicken broth, I keep a jar of Better Than Bouillon to make my own chicken stock.  Since I love shortcuts in the kitchen, I just mix it in water and have delicious chicken stock in minutes.  Click here for the Better Than Bouillon website for everything you want to know about using this awesome product that comes in many flavors.

One of my cooking tricks is to use chicken stock instead of water when making rice or pasta.  Think about all the items you make that require water and replace with chicken stock.  It brings an enhanced flavor to whatever you are making.

Becky at Easy Chicken Recipes has an in depth article on everything you want to know about chicken broth, including 29 recipes using it.

Click here to go to Becky's post.

Air Fryer Chicken Thighs

 

Photo Source: Food Folks and Fun

The air fryer is what I now predominantly use since The Captain passed away and I am cooking for one.  I've adapted many of my recipes to prepare in the air fryer and will post many of these recipes.  There are many people cooking for one and using their air fryer, so I am looking for more air fryer recipes.  More recipes will be posted in the future.

Jillian at Food, Folks and Fun has posted an in depth air fryer recipe post for chicken thighs.  The article is very informative.  Thank you Jillian!  I am a subscriber to her newsletter and everyone should too!

Click here to go to the recipe post.

Pastina

 

Photo Source:  La Bella Vita Cocina

Pastina is one of my favorite childhood foods.  Maybe the fascination was the little tiny star noodles, however, it was also very delicious.  

It conjures up memories of my nana in the kitchen taking care of everyone.  Pastina would be served to anyone who had the flu or a cold, even though I would ask for it on a normal day.  Guess you could call it italian chicken soup.  

It has been decades since I've had Pastina since I have had no idea of how to make it.  My mom doesn't even remember.  It was one of those things that was so normal, the mindset was that it would always be there, like my nana.  We all loved it.  This reminds me how much I miss my precious nana, she was a treasure. 

Now, thanks to Roz at La Bella Vita Cucina, I can make pastina myself.  I would love to make a large batch and freeze it in portions.  

I mentioned Pastina to The Captain all the time and told him how special it was.  It makes me sad that he will never know.

Click here to go to the recipe page source.  Thank you so much Roz!

Spicy Crab Cakes

Crab cakes are one of my favorite foods . . . and I have posted a bunch of crab cake recipes in the past. This is another recipe a friend shared with me that I have not tested yet from my personal recipe collection.

The mayonnaise sauce in particular caught my eye and I plan on making some very soon . . . just for sandwiches and a different twist for egg and tuna salad sandwiches.

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1/2 lb. fresh lump crabmeat
1 c. ricotta cheese
1 c. (4 oz.) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapenos
3 tbsp. cut chives
3/4 c. fine seasoned dry bread crumbs
1/4 c. oil
1 (7 oz.) jar roasted red peppers, drained
1/3 c. mayonnaise


Directions:

Whisk eggs until blended.

Stir in crab, cheeses, chives and 1/4 cup bread crumbs.

Form crab mixture into 1/4 inch thick cakes a on sheet of waxed paper, coat cakes with remaining bread crumbs.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.

In hot oil, fry crab cakes, a few at a time, until golden on both sides, about 3 minutes in all.

As cakes cook, remove from pan, drain on prepared baking sheet with paper towels and keep warm in oven.



RED PEPPER MAYONNAISE SAUCE

Process red peppers with mayonnaise in blender  until smooth.

Serve with crab cakes.

12 servings.