Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2/3 cup water
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 cups sugar 
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg freshly grounded
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp or more ground ginger 
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
Grease  and flour three 7x3 in loaf pans or a large one.
In a large bowl, mix together eggs, pumpkin puree, oil, water and sugar until well blended.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger.  Stir the ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended.  Pour into the prepared pans.
Bake for about 50 minutes.  The bread will be done when a toothpick comes out clean.

Cheese stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients:

24 fresh mushrooms, stems removed
2 oz cream cheese
4 oz feta cheese
1 (10 ounces package) frozen chopped spinach
1/2 cup finely chopped green onion
pepper
salt
1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

preheat the oven to 350 F degrees.
Wipe mushrooms with a damp paper towel.  Thaw spinach in a strainer, squeeze out as much water as possible.  In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients except the mushrooms and parmesan.  Mix well with your hands. Fill mushrooms with the mixture, place on a cookie sheet.  Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.  Bake for about 15-20 minutes.   

 In this pictures the mushrooms are raw.  I forgot to take a picture after the came out of the oven.

Healthy banana muffins

Ingredients:

2  eggs, mixed
3 bananas, mashed
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

Preparation:

heat the oven to 350 F.
Lightly grease muffing cups.
mix the eggs with the bananas.  In another bowl, mix the flour, salt, baking soda and sugar.
Stir banana mixture into the flour mixture.  Do not over mix.
Bake for 20-25 min. or until toothpick comes out clean.  
These muffins are simple and pretty good. You can also add some sour cream to make them moist. How much? like 1/4 cup or 1/2 cup.

                                
  The liners are not perfect.  I know, my helper did a great job.

  This is my "hush maker" she calls herself.

Almond Baklava

Ingredients:

1 package (16 ounces) frozen phyllo dough, thawed
1 cup butter melted
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
4 cups sliced almonds

Syrup: 

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation:

In a bowl, combined the almonds, cinnamon and sugar; set aside.  Grease a 13 in X 9 in X 2 in. baking dish with some of the melted butter. Unroll phyllo dough sheets (keep phyllo dough covered with plastic wrap while assembling).
Place one sheet of phyllo in baking dish; brush with butter.  Top with a second sheet; brush with butter.  Fold short ends under to fit the dish. Sprinkle with about 1/4 cup nut mixture.  Repeat 18 times, layering two sheets, brushing with butter and sprinkling with nut mixture.  Top with remaining dough; brush with butter.  Cut into 2 in. diamonds with a sharp knife.
Bake at 350 F fro 45-55 minutes or until golden brown.  Meanwhile, in a sauce pan, combined the syrup ingredients; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.  Pour over warm baklava.  Cool on a wire rack.

Homemade Bisquick Baking Mix

Ingredients:
1 Cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 Tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp Crisco
1/4 Tsp salt

Preparation:

Mix all the dry ingredients together, using a pastry knife or a fork, cut the Crisco into the mix. Do not over mix. why? because it will get tough.
Makes 1 cup of Bisquick ( homemade)

This one doesn't have preservatives, so you might want to make it as you need it.  Store it in the fridge if you want to make a bigger batch.  It won't keep for long.
And this mix works just as great as the "real" one.

Amazing Banana Bread

Ingredients:

3 1/2 bananas, mashed and ripe
1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup + 2 tbsp sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil or canola oil
2 tbsp sour cream
1 tsp pure vanilla extract. I like to use only the pure one, as i taste the weird flavor of the imitation one.
2/3 cup of whatever nut you like

Preparation:

Heat oven to 350 F degrees.
Line the bottom of a loaf pan with parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  Then, Beat the eggs and the sugar with a whisk or a fork if you dare, until light and fluffy, about 7 min. Drizzle in oil.  Add the bananas, vanilla and sour cream. FOLD in dry ingredients and the nuts.  Pour into the lined loaf pan and bake it for about 45min to 1 hour, or until a tooth pick comes out clean.

This bread is moist and delicious.  I do not like dry banana bread, this one is perfect. 

Baked Apple with crisp topping

total time: 35-45 min

Ingredients: for 4 servings
2 Apples ( I use granny smith because i like them extra tart, but you can use Fuji or McIntosh)
1 Tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup strawberry preserves
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
3 Tbsp brown sugar
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold and diced
1/2 Tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup uncooked all fashioned oats
pinch of salt

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees.

Cut each apple in half along its equator.  Cut out each side of the core using a melon baller, so you will have a rounded hole.  Using the lemon juice, rub each exposed apple flesh.  Place 1 Tbsp of the strawberry preserve into each hole.  
For the topping:  mix together the flour, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, oats and salt in a bowl.  Press this mixture on the top of each apple half, covering the preserves.  Place in a baking dish ( i used a glass Pirex dish) filled with about 1/4 inch of water.  Bake until the top is golden brown AND apple is tender.  It takes between 35 min to 45 min.
They are fantastic. 

Pesto Shrimp Pasta

prep time: 30 min.

Ingredients:
1 lb spaguetti or any other pasta
3 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
the juice of a 1/2 to 1 lime
4 peeled garlic cloves
2Tbsp to 3 Tbsp olive oil
olive oil
pepper
salt
1 lb of cooked shrimp, tails removed

Preparation:

Cook the pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile, in a blender combine the basil, lemon, garlic, salt, pepper, lime juice and 2 tbsp of olive oil, blend until smooth.  Taste to see if you like it. It might new more olive oil or lime juice or salt.
In a large skillet, heat some olive oil and place the shrimp in it and saute until a little bit brown.  Take the out and mix the pasta with the pesto sauce and the shrimp. 
serve hot with a good parmesan cheese.