Air fryer chicken 

Ingredients

• 4 Bone in, skin on chicken thighs, trimed of excess fat
• 1/2 teaspoon Seasoning salt
• 1 teaspoon Smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon Onion powder
• Teaspoon of poultry seasoning 
• 1/4 cup of hot sauce 
• 1 cup of flour 

Instructions

• Preheat your air fryer to 380F for 5 minutes. After pre-heating, spray with cooking spray.
  
• Add the chicken thighs to a large zip-top bag or a bowl with a lid. Top with the hot sauce salt, paprika, garlic powder, oregano and onion powder.  And other seasoningsShake to coat.
• Then add flour 
  
• Place the chicken thighs in the air fryer, skin side down, for 15minutes. 
  
• Turn your chicken thighs skin side up and cook for 15 minutes more. If you would like your chicken thighs super crispy. Cook for 4 minutes increments to get your desired crispness. 
  
• Thighs are done when an internal meat thermometer reads 165F. Serve.

Cream cheese pound cake

 

Ingredients

1 1/2 c butter, softened

1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened

3 c sugar

6 large eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3 c all purpose flour

1/8 tsp salt

Directions

1. Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes or until creamy

2. . Gradually add sugar, beating 5 to 7 minutes

3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until yellow disappears.

4. Add vanilla mixing well

5. Combine flour and salt, gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended after each addition.

6. Pour batter into a cake pan but use cake Release first.

Making cake Release  https://recipemamalinda.blogspot.com/2021/02/cake-release.html?m=1

10-inch tube pan. Fill a 2-cup, ovenproof measuring cup with water; place in oven with tube pan. Fill a 2-cup, ovenproof measuring cup with water; place in oven with tube pan. This will help keep the cake moist.

7. Bake at 300°F for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes; remove from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack.

8. Glaze- 1 cup powdered sugar 1/2 tsp

1 tbs of lemon extract- if you want the lemon glaze. 2 drops of yellow food coloring.

vanilla 1 TBS milk, to consistency Mix together till desired consistency is reached, but should be thin. Add more milk one teaspoon at a time to get the thinness you want. You can use a food coloring to change the color of your icing.

Drizzle over cooled cake

Cake Release

 Ingredients

1 cup Crisco shortening

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup all-purpose flour

Instructions

Thoroughly mix together shortening, oil and flour.

Store in airtight container in fridge

Use in cake pans, muffin tins, and loaf pans for perfect release of baked goods.

Before you mix your cake you would take your cake Release and spread it evenly inside your cake pans. You would use this in place of just plain flour and spray oil.

Once you remove your cake from the oven you allow it to cool for 10 minutes and your cake will slide right out of the pan.

Collard Greens story

 Collard greens are an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C, and calcium, a rich source of vitamin K, and a good source of iron, vitamin B-6, and magnesium. They also contain thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid, and choline.

When my Aunt would cook collard greens she would always say Girl don’t you be going around getting rid of that stem. 

As a teenager I was 16 years old and I would drive my mom to the south side of Chicago every Sunday and we would have dinner with my grandma who moved here from Preston Mississippi. Her sister may she Rest In Peace would make the collard greens. My mom always made mustard and turnip greens.

As I started cooking I realized collard greens were a tougher green. But honey when you cook collard greens the right way they are delicious. They are the only greens I make now.  As you add them to the pot you bring them to a boil and then you leave them to simmer for three hours maybe four depending on how tender you want them.

On Sunday I make a Sunday dinner and my kids and my hubby and I have dinner together.

But not just on Sunday, it’s important to start this tradition with your family so they can start it with their family.

This way we would talk about what’s going on in their life and what’s going on in school.

We can bond and keep that connection.

They see me as a mother but also someone they can come and talk to and let me tell you the older they get the conversations change.

My kids are 35 28 and 19

So if you have kids take some time and really get to enjoy them.

Beef and Broccoli

 

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 lbs flank steak thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon vegetable oil divided use
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 cup oyster sauce
• 1/4 cup beef broth or water
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the broccoli and cook for approximately 4 minutes or until tender.
  
• Add the ginger and garlic to the pan and cook for 30 seconds more.
  
• Remove the broccoli from the pan; place on a plate and cover.
  
• Wipe the pan clean with a paper towel and turn the heat to high. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil.
  
• Season the steak pieces with salt and pepper and add them to the pan in a single layer - you may need to do this step in batches. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until browned and cooked through.
  
• Add the broccoli mixture back to the pan and cook for 2 more minutes or until warmed through.
  
• In a bowl whisk together the oyster sauce, beef broth, sugar, sesame oil and soy sauce. In a small bowl mix the cornstarch with a tablespoon of cold water.
  
• Pour the oyster sauce mixture over the beef and vegetables; cook for 30 seconds. Add the cornstarch and bring to a boil; cook for 1 more minute or until sauce has just started to thicken.
  
• Serve immediately, with rice if desired.

Shrimp and chicken Alfredo

 

Ingredients

• 8 ounces uncooked fettuccine or Spaghetti 
• 2 chicken breasts cut into 1" pieces
• 1/2 pound shrimp (I used 31/40 size) thawed & peeled
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 tablespoon + 1/2 tablespoon Cajun seasoning (use a low or no salt variety)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
• 4 ounces cream cheese (I used 1/2 block of Philly)
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

• Take the cream cheese out of the fridge 30+ minutes prior to starting the recipe (or microwave it for 20-30 seconds). 
• Boil a salted pot of water for the pasta and cook it al dente according to package directions.
• If the shrimp are frozen, thaw them under cool running water. Peel them (leave tails on if you want). Pat shrimp dry. Cut the chicken into 1" pieces. Sprinkle the shrimp and chicken with the garlic powder and 1/2 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning.
• Add the oil to a deep skillet over medium-high heat, and once the pan is hot, cook the shrimp for about 3 minutes (flip once), then transfer them to a plate.
• Add the chicken to the skillet and cook for 5-6 minutes or until cooked through, stirring occasionally (let it brown a bit). Transfer it to the same plate as the shrimp.
• Take the skillet off the heat and add in the butter, cream, cream cheese, remaining 1/2 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning, and garlic. Return the pan to the stove (reduce heat to medium), and stir for a couple of minutes until the cream cheese has dissolved in the sauce.
• Let the sauce bubble gently for about 2-3 minutes, or until it's slightly thickened.
• Stir in the parmesan and then add the shrimp and chicken back to the pan. Let it warm through for a couple minutes. Season with extra salt & pepper as needed.
• I like to add a splash of hot pasta water (a tablespoon or two) to the skillet prior to draining the fettuccine to thin the sauce a little (optional). Toss the drained pasta with the sauce and serve immediately. I like to add a little more grated parmesan and some chopped parsley. A squeeze of lemon is delicious too!

Sweet potato Turnover

 

Ingredients

• SWEET POTATO MIXTURE: 
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, cooked 
  1/3 c granulated sugar 
  2 tsp cinnamon 
  
• 1 small pat of butter, melted 
  
• PASTRY DOUGH: 
• 2 c all-purpose flour 
  
• 1 tsp kosher salt 
  
• 1/2 c Crisco shortening, cold 
  
• 1/2 c ice cold water
• Cook 2 medium-sized sweet potatoes either by baking, boiling or microwaving them until tender and done. Cool and then peel. Put the 1/2 cup Crisco in the fridge as well as the 1/2 cup water. You want these two ingredients to be cold. This gives you a tender and flaky crust.
• While the potatoes are cooking you can start on the dough. Add flour and salt together and combine well. Add in the shortening and mix it in by using a fork. Add in the cold water and continue mixing with a fork until flour has absorbed the water. Now retire the fork and dig in with your hands and continue mixing until it sticks together.
• Form into a large dough ball and knead two or three times. Place dough onto surface sprinkled with either cornstarch or flour to prevent the dough from sticking to the surface. I always use a cheese cloth on my countertop then sprinkle that with the cornstarch. Divide dough in half and place one aside.
• Smear your rolling pin with the flour or cornstarch and roll out one of the halves of the dough to about 1/8" in thickness. Cut into four-inch circles, which will be about the size of a large slice of bologna.
• You'll have scrap dough left so ball it back up and knead it just long enough for it to start sticking together and repeat. You should be able to get 9 rounds out of each half of dough. Now start on your other half of dough and repeat. I just place the rounds on a cookie sheet and cover with a kitchen towel or paper towel at this point. NOTE: If using canned biscuits roll out each biscuit on a floured surface and follow steps below.
• Mash up the two cooked and peeled sweet potatoes. I simply use a wooden spoon. Add in the sugar, cinnamon and melted butter and mix well.
• Put a heaping tablespoon of mixture onto the middle of a pastry round. Try not use too much filling because once you fold it over it may seep out.
• Fold over and press with your fingers to seal. Now use a fork and gently press to secure the seal. This also gives them that cute little design.
• Heat either shortening or oil in skillet and gently place a few jacks in hot oil being careful not to over crowd them. Fry each side until lightly golden brown.

Cheeseburger soup

 

INGREDIENTS

  

• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 3/4 cup onion chopped
• 3/4 cup Carrots shredded
• 3/4 cup celery diced
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 4 tablespoons butter divided
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups peeled potatoes diced, about 1-3/4 pounds
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour okay to use gluten-free here
• 12 ounces pepper jack Velveeta
• 1-1/2 cups milk
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup sour cream

INSTRUCTIONS

 

• In a 3-qt. saucepan, brown beef; drain and set aside.
• In the same saucepan, saute onion, carrots, celery, basil and parsley in 1 tablespoon butter until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
• Add broth, potatoes and beef; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
• Meanwhile, in a small skillet, melt remaining butter. Add flour; cook and stir for 3-5 minutes or until bubbly. Add to soup; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes.
• Reduce heat to low. Add cheese, milk, salt and pepper; cook and stir until cheese melts. Remove from the heat; blend in sour cream.

Cheesy shells and beef

 

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 lb. ground beef, 85% lean
• ▢ 1 small diced yellow onion, can sub 1 tsp onion powder
• ▢ 3 cloves minced garlic, can sub ½ tsp garlic powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ▢ ½ teaspoon mustard powder
• ▢ 1 pinch red pepper flakes, optional
• ▢ 3 Tablespoons flour, optional-helps thicken the sauce
• ▢ 1 cup beef broth
• ▢ 16 oz. tomato sauce
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon cream cheese, softened
• ▢ ½ cups half and half
• ▢ 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
• ▢ ½ pound medium shell pasta
• ▢ Fresh parsley, to garnish
• ▢ Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving.

Instructions

• Shred the cheese and measure out all ingredients prior to beginning. Begin heating the pasta water for boiling.
• Cook and crumble the ground beef over medium-high heat. Add onions halfway through and cook until softened. Drain any grease.
• Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
• Add 1 tsp hot sauce, 1 TBS Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, ½ tsp mustard powder, 1 pinch of red pepper flakes, and 3 TBS flour. Cook for one minute.
• Add the beef broth and use a silicone spatula to ‘clean’ the bottom of the pot.
• Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, and softened cream cheese. Let the sauce simmer while you boil the shells for 7-8 minutes or as instructed on package. (Optional, add a few teaspoons of kosher salt to the boiling water.)
• Decrease heat to low. Stir in the half and half. Remove from heat and gradually stir in the shredded cheese until well-combined.
• Add the drained pasta shells and stir to combine. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with cheesy garlic bread and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.