Banana pudding pound cake

 Banana pudding pound cake 

INGREDIENTS 

Cake:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

5 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups flour

1 (3.4 ounce) package banana cream instant pudding mix

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 mashed bananas

16 vanilla wafer cookies 

Icing:

1–1/2 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons whole milk

1 drop of yellow food coloring 

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour a round tube pan and set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until well combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until well incorporated. With the mixer on low speed, slowly beat in the milk and vanilla until smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, dry pudding mix, baking powder and salt. Add to the wet ingredients, one cup at a time, until just combined. Stir in the mashed and sliced bananas until evenly distributed.
4. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Bake for 60-75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
5. For the icing, whisk together the powdered sugar , 1 drop of yellow food coloring and milk until smooth and of drizzling consistency. Add more powdered sugar if too thin or more milk if too thick.
6. Transfer cake to a cake stand or serving platter and drizzle with icing. Garnish with 8 wafer cookies by sticking them into the cake, leaving half of the cookie out before you drizzle the icing , if desired. Then crumble 8 wafer cookies and place over the top of the cake.

Alfredo Spaghetti

 

Ingredients

• 16 ounces (1 pound) spaghetti noodles (cooked al dente)

For the meat sauce:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1 green bell pepper, finely diced
• 2 teaspoons cajun seasoning
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 24 ounce jar marinara sauce

For the alfredo layer:

• ½ cup unsalted butter
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 cups shredded parmesan cheese
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

For the topping:

• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese or 2 cups of cheddar blend 
• 2 Tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes (optional)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray, and set aside. If you haven't already, start cooking 16 ounces (1 pound) spaghetti noodles according to package directions.
  
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 pound ground beef, 1 small onion, finely diced, 1 green bell pepper, finely diced, 2 teaspoons cajun seasoning, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder and 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning. Break up the beef into crumbles and cook, occasionally stirring, until the beef is no longer pink and the veggies have softened, about 10 minutes.
  
• Drain any excess grease then stir in 24 ounce jar marinara sauce and reduce the heat to low, simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  
• While the meat sauce simmers, make the alfredo sauce. In a dutch oven or large stock pot melt ½ cup unsalted butter over medium heat. Add 4 cloves garlic, minced and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  
• Stir in 2 cups heavy cream, 2 cups shredded parmesan cheese, ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Cook until the cheese has melted and the sauce thickens slightly.
  
• Add the cooked spaghetti to the alfredo sauce and stir until the noodles are coated in the sauce. Pour this mixture into the prepared baking dish.
  
• Top with the meat sauce. 
  
• Sprinkle 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese and 2 Tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese over the top. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes until the cheese is melted.
  
• Garnish with 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes (optional) and serve!
  

Nutrition

Calories: 887kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 59g | Saturated Fat: 33g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 183mg | Sodium: 1244mg | Potassium: 730mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 2321IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 464mg | Iron: 3mg

Collard greens seaoning

 EQUIPMENT

• spice container or small air-tight container

INGREDIENTS

  

• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar packed
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon of chicken bouillon- I use powdered 

INSTRUCTIONS

 

• In a small mixing bowl, add all the ingredients.
  
• Stir to combine so the spices and sugar are distributed evenly.
• I use a empty spice container that I already have and just make a label or write on the container.
  
• Use in your favorite collard greens recipe or my Slow Cooker Collard Greens.
• For 2 bunches of collard greens I added 2 tablespoons of the seasoning. Adjust the seasoning as needed after it cooks and you have tasted it.

I let my smoked Turkey meat cook first, I use any kind of smoked meat. I let it cook for and hour.  I am cleaning my greens while the meat is boiling 

Then I just dice a onion and add it and then my greens after they are cleaned and cut . If I start my greens at night I let them cook for one hour then I transfer them to a crockpot and let them cook on low until I get up in the morning and they are the best.

Chicken Lasagna soup

 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion (finely chopped)
• 3 cloves fresh garlic (finely minced)
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt (reduce if not using low sodium broth)
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (more for extra spice)
• 3 cups low sodium chicken broth (use 4 cups for a thinner soup)
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 300 grams)
• ¼ cup sundried tomatoes (chopped - optional)
• 2 cups short dry pasta or broken lasagna noodles (about 120 grams - I use Mafalda Corta. They are like mini lasagna noodles!)
• 1 cup half and half or cream (the higher the fat content, the richer the soup)
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 1 cup fresh spinach (roughly chopped)
• ricotta cheese, Parmesan or shredded mozzarella cheese for garnish as desired

INSTRUCTIONS

• In a large dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and cook until just starting to brown. 
• Stir in garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook 1 minute.
• Add chicken broth and stir well. Then add chicken breasts (uncooked) and sun dried tomatoes. 
• Bring to a simmer and cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken breasts are cooked through (you will need an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F).
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling salted water to al dente, according to package directions. 
• When the chicken is cooked, remove from the soup and shred. 
• Whisk together cream and corn starch. 
• Stir the shredded chicken, cooked pasta noodles, cream and spinach back into the pot and heat through. 
• Serve with cheese as desired.

  NUTRITION

  Serving: 399grams | Calories: 459cal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 755mg | Potassium: 895mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1206IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 128mg | Iron: 3mg

  
  

  400 grams is 2 1/2 cups

  200 grams is 1 1/4 cup

  For me 1 cup is good.

  
  

Stuffed chicken breast

 

Ingredients

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
• 1/3 cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• wooden toothpicks
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon oil from sun-dried tomato jar

Instructions

• In a medium bowl stir together cream cheese, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic powder, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning until evenly mixed. Set aside.
  
• Cut a pocket in each chicken breast. Sprinkle the outside of the chicken and inside the pocket with salt and pepper.
  
• Sprinkle the outside of the chicken with paprika.
  
• Stuff each pocket with cream cheese mixture. Secure each opening with a few toothpicks.
  
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  
• Heat the olive oil and sun-dried tomato oil in an oven-proof skillet. (Either cast iron or stainless steel work well for this.)
  
• Add chicken breasts and cook until golden brown on the bottom. Flip over and cook until browned on the other side.
  
• Transfer skillet to oven and cook another 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Pink lemonade cookies

 

Pink lemonade cookies 

Ingredients

For The Cookies

• 15.25 oz lemon cake mix
• 15.25 oz strawberry cake mix
• 4 eggs
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil 1/3 for each mix
• 2 teaspoons lemon extract
• 1 cup powdered sugar

For The Icing

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1-2 tablespoons milk

Instructions

Cookies

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Place lemon cake mix into a large bowl and the strawberry cake mix into another large bowl.
• Mix 2 eggs, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, and 1 tsp lemon extract into each flavored cake mix until well blended.
  
• Place dough in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to firm slightly.
• Take 1 rounded teaspoons of lemon dough and roll into a ball.
• Do the same with the strawberry dough.
• Combine the lemon and strawberry dough to make one large ball.
• Place the dough ball in a bowl with 1 cup of powdered sugar, and roll to lightly coat in powdered sugar.
• Place on a parchment covered baking sheet at least 2 inches apart.
• Repeat with remaining dough.
• Bake 10 minutes until they turn slightly golden and are cooked through.
• Transfer to wire rack and let cool completely before frosting and serving.

Icing

• Whisk together 1 cup powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon of milk until combined.
• Add more milk for desired consistency.
• Once the cookies reach room temperature, drizzle icing on each cookie with a fork or piping bag.