Sweet Potatoes with Roasted Bananas and Pecans

Sweet Potatoes with Roasted Banana and Pecans

6 lbs sweet potatoes
1 ripe banana (leave the peel on)
1/2 st butter, soft
1/2 c maple syrup
2 T grd cinnamon
2 t pumpkin pie spice
1/2 t salt

1 lb pecans
1/2 c butter unsalted
1 T salt
2 T brown sugar

Poke the potatoes with a fork and bake about 1 hour in a 425 degree oven. Roast the banana with the peel on in a dish for 15 min at the same temp. When cooled, peel the potatoes and banana. Put in a food processor or blender and pulse but leave the potatoes somewhat chunky. Add the butter and maple and puree until your desired smoothness. Add the cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice and salt. Transfer to a baking dish and smooth out.
In a skillet, cook the pecans with the butter over low heat and spinkle in the salt. Stir often for about 5 min. Put the pecans on top of the sweet potatoes and sprinkle the remaining brown sugar. Bake at 300 degrees for about 20 min until heated throughly.

This is very similar to a recipe Tyler Florence did a few years ago on Food Network.

Hot Ham and Cheese Sands

We have these with Pumpkin Soup in the fall. You can also freeze these for a quick lunch.

Hot Ham and Cheese

8 sandwhich buns
8 slices swiss cheese
1/2 lb sliced ham
1 t poppy seed
1/2 c butter, melted
1/4 c onion, chopped or 4 T dried onions
1 t worcestershire sauce
1/4 c dijon mustard

Assemble ham and cheese onto buns.
Combine poppy seed, butter, onion, worcestershire, and dijon in a small sauce pan. Warm ingredients on med heat until butter has melted. Spead mix on each bun. Wrap in foil. Bake for 15 min at 350 degrees.
If you freeze, freeze before you bake. Bake frozen sands at 300 degrees for 30 min.

Pumpkin Soup with Chili Cran-Apple Relish

This is one of our favorite soups. In fact, today when I mentioned that it's almost pumpkin soup time to my husband, his eye lit up! lol I think this is a Rachel Ray recipe, but we've been making it for a couple years now so I can't remember. Oh, and I know the relish sounds funny, but it totally makes the soup, so don't skip it!!!

Pumpkin Soup with Chili Cran-Apple Relish

1 T olive oil
2 T butter
1 bay leaf
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1 med yellow onion, finely chopped
Salt and Pepper
3 T flour
2 t poultry seasoning or 2 t ground thyme
2 t hot sauce or to taste
6 c chicken broth
1 can cooked pumpkin puree (28 oz) (you can also you fresh cooked pumpkin)
2 c heavy cream (I have used everything from cream to 1%)
1/2 t nutmeg

Relish
1 crisp granny smith apple, finely chopped
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
2 T lemon juice
1/2 c dried sweetened cranberries, chopped
1 t chili powder
2 t honey
1/2 t ground cinnamon

Soup
In a soup pot over med-high het, add oil and butter. Add bay, celery, and onion. Season with salt and pepper. Cook 6-7 min until tender. Add flour, poultry seasoning, and hot sauce. Cook flour for a min. Whisk in broth and bring to a bubble. Whisk in pumpkin. Simmer for 10 min. Add cream and nutmeg. Reduce heat to low to keep warm. Serve.

Relish
Combine apple, onion, lemon juice, cranberries, chili powder, honey, and cinnamon. Serve pumpkin soup with a few spoonfuls of relish on top.

We have this soup with hot Ham and Cheese Sands.

Molten Chocolate Cake

Molten Chocolate Cake

4 squares Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate
1/2 c butter
1 c powdered sugar
2 eggs
2 egg yolk
6 T flour

425 degrees. Butter 4 custard cups or souffle dishes. Place on a baking sheet.
Microwave chocolate and 1/2 cup butter in a bowl on High for 1 min. or until butter is melted. Stir with a wire whisk until chocolate is melted. Stir in sugar until blended. Whisk in eggs and egg yolks. Stir in flour. Divide batter between the custard cups.
Bake 13-14 min or until sides are firm and center is soft. Let stand 1 min. Run a small knife around cakes to loosen. Invert cakes onto dessert dish. Top with a dusting of powdered sugar, whip cream, or vanilla ice cream.

Almond Chicken

Almond Chicken

This is an easy 30 min meal that comes together using one skillet!

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/4 c Zesty Italian Dressing (I like this homemade Italian dressing)
1 c chicken broth

2 c green beans, cleaned, trimmed, halved
1 c minute rice, uncooked
1/4 c sliced almonds

Toss chicken with dressing. Add chicken and dressing in a large skillet on med-high heat. Cook 4 min per side until browned. Add broth and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 10 min. Add beans and cook for another 5 min or until chicken is done.
Remove the chicken. Add rice and almonds. Remove from the heat and cover. Let stand 5 min. Serve the chicken over the rice and beans.

Pumpkin Pie Bars

Pumpkin Pie Bars

1 1/3 c flour
1/2 c brown sugar
3/4 c granulated sugar
3/4 c cold butter
1 c oats
1/2 c pecans, chopped
8oz cream cheese, soft
3 eggs
1 can (15oz) pumpkin
1 T pumpkin pie spice

350 degrees. Mix flour, brown sugar and 1/4 c granulated sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or fork until it resembles course crumbs. Stir in oats and pecans. Reserve 1 cup or oat mix. Press other mixture onto bottom of sprayed 9 x 13 pan. Bake for 15 min.

Beat cream cheese, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, eggs, pumpkin, and pumpkin pie spice. Pour over crust and sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.

Bake 25 min. Cool completely. Cut into 24 bars.

Hot Beef Kabobs

This recipe came straight from Guam.

20 oz flank steak, cut into 1/2 in cubes
1 lb mushrooms
2 onions, cut in 1/2 in cubes

Marinade
1/2 c soy sauce
1/2 c salad oil
1/2 t sesame oil
2 T toasted sesame seeds
2 T brown sugar
1 T minced cilantro
1 T minced garlic
1 T minced ginger
1/4 t white pepper
1 t red chili pepper flakes

Combine Marinade. Marinade steak for at least 45 min and then skewer ingredients. Grill each side for 2 1/2 min and serve with teriyake glaze.

Teriyaki Glaze
1 c soy sauce
1/2 c mirin (sweet cooking rice wine)
1/2 c water
1/4 c brown sugar
1 1/2 t minced garlic
1 1/2 t minced ginger
1 T cornstarch
2 T water
In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients except cornstarch and water. Bring to boil.
Blend cornstarch and 2 T water to make a paste. Add to the sauce. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened.