Honey Butter

 

• 8 oz unsalted butter room temperature
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp sea salt

Instructions

• Place softened butter in a medium bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the butter until smooth. 
• Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and continue beating at medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the butter is smooth.
• Take a moment to taste the honey butter. Add more honey or salt if needed.
• Serve immediately with additional honey and/or a sprinkle of sea salt OR transfer butter to a storage jar or airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Buffalo wings

 

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts boneless skinless
• 1 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup whole milk
• canola oil for frying
• 2 cups  buffalo wing sauce

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, salt and pepper and in a second bowl whisk the egg and milk together.
2. Cut the chicken into two inch chunks then dip each piece of chicken into the egg mixture then the flour mixture, then back to the egg, then back to the flour then rest on a cookie sheet for 20 minutes.
   
3. Heat three inches of canola oil to 375 degrees in a large dutch oven when you are ready to fry.
4. Add 6-8 pieces of chicken at a time to the oil and fry for 5-6 minutes until cooked through  then remove to a clean cookie sheet and when all the chicken is done toss with the buffalo chicken wing sauce.
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Lemon pepper wings

 

INGREDIENTS

• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into ½” pieces)
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 1 cup milk
• oil (for frying)
• Lemon Pepper Sauce-
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons butter (melted)
• lemon pepper (to taste)
• The juice of a ½ lemon
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large bowl combine flour, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. In a small bowl whisk together the egg and milk.
2. Dip each piece of chicken first into the egg mixture, then roll in the flour mixture. Repeat this process one time to that the chicken is double coated. Refrigerate the breaded chicken for 20 minutes.
3. Heat oil in a deep-fryer to 375 degrees F. Deep-fry the chicken in batches until golden brown and fully cooked (the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees F.), about 5-6 minutes per batch. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels.
4. In a small bowl combine olive oil, melted butter, lemon pepper, lemon juice, and garlic powder. Pour the sauce over the cooked boneless wings and toss to coat.

Apple pie

INGREDIENT

•  1 recipe double-crust pie dough - see below for recipe link
•  8 Granny Smith  apples, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4-inch thick (I use Granny Smith)
• They make great pies.
•  1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
•  1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
•  1/2 teaspoon grated fresh lemon zest
•  1/4 teaspoon salt
•  1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•  2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
•  1 egg white, beaten lightly

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  https://recipemamalinda.blogspot.com/2023/06/pie-crust-so-flaky.html?m=1

  
  

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Roll out one half of the pie dough and place in a 9-inch pie plate (how-to on rolling out pie dough here). Trim the crust to the edge of the pie plate. Refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Toss the apples, 1/2 cup of the sugar, brown sugar, zest, salt, and cinnamon together in a large large pot or Dutch oven. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the apples are tender when poked with a fork but are not mushy, about 10-12 minutes. Don’t over cook in this step as the apples will finish cooking and softening up in the oven.
3. Transfer the apples and their juice in an even layer to a rimmed baking sheet and let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Drain the cooled apples thoroughly in a colander, reserving 1/4 cup of the juice. Stir the lemon juice into the reserved 1/4 cup of apple juice.
5. Spread the apples into the dough-lined pie plate, mounding them slightly in the middle, and drizzle with the lemon juice mixture.
6. Roll out the second piece of dough and drape it over the pie. Trim the top crust so there is about a 1/4-inch or slightly longer overhang all the way around the pie. Tuck this overhang under the bottom crust ) so the pie is sealed. Crimp the edges 
7. Cut four gashes in the top of the pie with a sharp paring knife for venting. Brush the crust lightly with the egg white and sprinkle with the remaining one tablespoon sugar.
8. Place the pie on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake until the crust is golden, about 15 minutes.
9. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees and continue to bake until the juices are bubbling and the crust is deep golden brown, about 25-30 minutes longer.
10. Let the pie cool on a wire rack until the filling has set, about 2 hours. Serve slightly warm

Carrot Cake

 What you’ll need

2 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour

1 Cup Sugar

1 Cup Brown Sugar

1/2 Cup Vegetable or Canola Oil

4 Sticks Unsalted butter (Room Temperature)

4 Eggs (Room Temperature)

2 1/2 Cups Chopped Walnuts

1 can 15 ounces of Crushed Pineapple

2 Cups Matchstix Carrots

1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

1 Teaspoon Baking soda

2 Teaspoons Cinnamon

1 Teaspoon All Spice

1/4 Teaspoon salt

Confectioners Sugar

4 Ounces Cream Cheese (Cold)

Vanilla Extract

 

Tools You’ll need

Two 8 inch round baking pans

2 Large Decorating bags

2 couplers

Wilton #5 tip

Orange and Green Gel Paste Food Coloring

 

Preparation of ingredients

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Step 1-Add 2 1/2 Cups of Chopped Walnuts into a square 9×13 baking pan. Place into preheated 400 degree oven for 3 minutes. Do not leave them in longer or your walnuts will burn. IF you are using whole walnuts make sure you chop them into tiny pieces before you toast them.

Step 2-Drain your crushed Pineapple into mesh strainer. You will need only 1/4 cup of the pineapple juice from the crushed pineapple. You will add this into your cake batter later.

 

Preparing your cake batter

Step 3- Sift 2 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour, 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder, 1 Teaspoon baking soda, 2 Teaspoons Cinnamon, 1 Teaspoon All spice, and 1/4 Teaspoon Salt into a large bowl. Set aside.

Step 4- Add 4 Large Eggs(Room Temperature), 1/2 Cup Melted Unsalted Butter, 1/2 Cup Vegetable or canola oil, 1 Cup Sugar, 1 Cup Brown Sugar, and 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract and mix on medium speed for 5 minutes.

Step 5- Add 1 1/4 Cup of the All Purpose flour mixture that you sifted. Mix until well combined. Once done add an additional 1 1/4 Cup of the all Purpose Flour mixture and mix until well combined.

Step 6- Add 15oz can Crushed pineapple and 1/4 Cup of the pineapple juice. Mix on low speed until well combined

Step 7-Add 2 Cups Matchstick Carrots, mix on low speed until well combined.

Step 8- Add 1 Cup of the Toasted Chopped Walnuts. Mix on low speed until well combined.

***Spray two 8 inch round pans with Non-Stick Baking Spray***

**Preheat Oven to 325 Degrees***

Step 9- Add Carrot Cake batter into pans as evenly as possible. Gently shake pans on table and give them a slight tap onto the table. This ensures that the batter is even.

Step 10- Place pans into preheated 325 Degree oven for 35 minutes.

Step 11- Remove pans out of oven. Toothpick test inserted into both pans should come out clean. If the toothpick does not come out clean bake for an additional 5 to 7 minutes. Let cake cool for 3 hours.

Step 12- Once the cake layers has completely cooled, using a sharp knife trim dome off the top of each cake layer. If your cake does not have a dome then skip this step.

Step 13- Flip one cake layer over and place it onto either a cake turn table or serving cake dish. You will use this layer as the bottom layer of your carrot cake.

 

Making your Cream cheese frosting

Note- In my opinion, cold cream cheese is better to use simply because it is still very soft and does not have a hard texture as butter when cold so it will mix well with the butter. Also adding less will reduce the chances on your frosting becoming too runny BUT without sacrificing taste. Just make sure that your butter is softened and at room temperature.

Step 14-Add 2 Sticks Unsalted Butter(Room Temperature), Add 4 ounces cream cheese (cold) Mix until well combined.

Step- 15-Add 2 Cups confectioners Sugar, Mix until well combined. Once done add an additional 2 Cups Confectioners Sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, mix until well combined. Mix until well combined.

 

Making your buttercream frosting

Step 16- Add 1 Stick Unsalted Butter (Room Temperature) and 2 cups of Confectioners Sugar. Mix until well combined. You will notice that your buttercream will be really thick but in the next step we will thin it out some.

Step 17- Add 2 Teaspoons Whole Milk and 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract. Mix until well combined.

 

Coloring your Buttercream

Step 17- Remove half of the buttercream and place it into a small separate bowl. You will have 2 separate bowls of buttercream. Once in your mixing bowl that your originally mixed your buttercream in and the other half will be in a separate bowl.

Step 18-In one of the separate bowls, Add 1/4 teaspoon of orange gel paste food coloring and mix until well combined. If you do not have the orange gel paste food coloring then add 1/4 teaspoon of red and 1/4 teaspoon of yellow gel paste food coloring and mix until well combined.

Step 19- In one of the separate bowls Add 1/4 teaspoon of Green Gel Paste Food Coloring and mix until well combined.  If you do not have the Green gel paste food coloring then add 1/4 teaspoon of blue and 1/4 teaspoon of yellow gel paste food coloring and mix until well combined.

Step 20- Add the orange buttercream into decorating bag with coupler already inside the bag and Add Green buttercream into separate bag with coupler and tip already in place. Shake both bags in a downward motion to get buttercream to settle toward the bottom and twist the top of each decorating bag to prevent any buttercream from coming out of the top of the bag. Set aside.

 

Decorating your carrot cake

Step 21- Place a large amount Cream cheese frosting about 1 1/3 Cup of Cream cheese frosting onto bottom layer of carrot cake. Spread around with spatula as evenly as possible.

NOTE- The measurement I mentioned in the above step was just an estimate but you may need more or less depending on your desired amount of filling that you wish to have in the middle of your cake layer. Whatever frosting you will have left will be added onto the the tops and sides of your cake.

Step 22- Place 2nd layer of carrot cake on to the top of the bottom layer. Make sure that your cream cheese frosting is added onto the bottom layer and spread around that layer as evenly as possible.

Step 23-Take a small amount of cream cheese frosting (1/3 Cup) Onto the top layer of carrot cake. Spread around the top and sides of carrot cake. This will be the crumb coat for the carrot cake. Also make sure that you seal in the middle of the carrot cake by applying a small amount of cream cheese frosting onto the sides of the cake if there are any unfilled spots.

Step 24- Place cake into fridge for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes remove cake out of fridge.

Step 25- Place a large amount of the cream cheese frosting (All of it) onto the top layer of carrot cake. Take spatula and spread around the top layer of cake. As the frosting is spreaded you will notice that as the frosting reaches the ends of the cake it will free fall very slowly down the sides of the cake allowing you to frost the sides of the cake as well.

Step 26- Take spatula and even out the top and sides of the cake as even as possible. Once done the top and sides of the cake will be smooth.

Step 27- Take 1 1/2 Cup of toasted chopped walnuts and place along the sides of the cake in hand fulls the best way you can. Make sure you have a pan underneath to catch any walnut pieces that fall off of the cake.

Step 28- Pipe out your orange buttercream onto the top of your cake starting 1 to 2 inches from the center and piping until you reach about 1 inch from the edge of the cake. You can pipe out as many of these as you like. I made 8 carrots for this recipe.

 

Step 29- Take your green buttercream and pipe out two lines going from the corner ends of the carrot until you reach the edge of the cake. Once done you will will have some what of a triangle. Fill that triangle with lines until the the entire inside of the triangle is covered with lines.

Serve and enjoy!

Chicken Enchilada Soup

 

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion diced
• 2 to 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 cup masa harina
• 3 cups chicken stock or broth low sodium
• 2 cups cooked shredded or chopped chicken I just use a rotisserie chicken
• 14 ounces enchilada sauce I used O Organics Enchilada Sauce
• 15 ounce can black beans rinsed well, drained
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 15 ounces can diced tomatoes fire roasted tomatoes are delicious in this recipe
• 4 ounces can chopped green chiles
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature, cubed
• 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese grated, about 1 cup
• 4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese grated, about 1 cup

Optional Toppings

• cilantro, sour cream, tortilla chips or strips, avocado, diced tomato, shredded cheese, green onions

Instructions

• Heat olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the chopped onions and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. 
• Add the minced garlic and ground cumin and cook for an additional minute.
• Stir in the masa harina and cook for one more minute. Whisk in one cup of the chicken stock until well combined. Whisk in remaining chicken stock.
• Add the shredded chicken, enchilada sauce, black beans, diced tomatoes, green chiles, corn, and salt and pepper to the pot. Bring the soup to a simmer over medium heat and and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently to keep from sticking to the bottom. 
• Stir in the cream cheese until melted. Add in the cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack cheese a handful at a time, stirring until melted before adding more.
• Serve immediately with assorted toppings as desired.

Crockpot Chili

 

Ingredients

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 lb Italian sausage, spicy Italian sausage or ground beef your choice
• 1 medium yellow onion diced
• 1 red bell pepper seeded and chopped
• 1 to 2 garlic cloves minced
• 30 oz kidney beans rinsed well and drained (2 15 oz cans)
• 15 oz pinto beans rinsed well and drained (1 can)
• 29 oz diced tomatoes use the entire can, juice and all
• 3 oz tomato paste
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 tsp hot sauce
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp brown sugar or granulated sugar
• 8 oz tomato sauce

Instructions

• Brown the ground beef and sausage in a large skillet over medium heat until mostly cooked through. A little pink is fine.
• Add the diced onion, bell pepper, and garlic and stir to combine. Cooking cooking over medium heat until onion is translucent.
• Transfer the beef mixture to a 6 quart crockpot or slow cooker. 
• Add the kidney and pinto beans. 
• Top with diced tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, beef broth and hot sauce.
• Next add the seasonings (chili powder, cumin, paprika, cayenne, salt, pepper and sugar).
• Pour tomato sauce over the top and stir to combine.
• Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours or on high for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Serve with desired toppings such as shredded cheese, sour cream, corn chips, tortilla chips, etc.