Garlic Braised Mustard Greens

I tried mustard greens for the first time this weekend- They were delicious! This is how I cooked them:

Garlic Braised Mustard Greens

1/2 lb. mustard greens, with the thick stems cut off.

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

Boil greens in water for 1 minute. Meanwhile, saute garlic in oil. Drain greens, and saute in olive oil until done- about 6-10 minutes. Serve immediately.

This makes a very small serving- definitely make multiple recipes for a family!

Orange Punch

This may be the best punch you will ever taste- seriously. The almond extract just adds something special.

Orange Punch

6 c. water

4 c. sugar

1 small package of orange jello

1 large can frozen orange juice

1 small can frozen lemonade

2 (46 oz.) cans pineapple juice

1 oz. almond extract

2 bottles ginger ale

Boil water and sugar until clear. Remove from heat and add next 6 ingredients. Pour into separate container- leaving room for mixture to expand. Freeze. When ready to serve, remove from freezer 14-20 minutes ahead of time. Add ginger all and stir.

Macaroni Meat Pie

Didn't get a picture of this meal- we ate it too fast!

Macaroni Meat Pie

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 tsp. salt

12 oz. thick spaghetti sauce

2 cups elbow macaroni

1/4 c. butter

1/4 c. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup milk

2 eggs

1 c. grated parmesan cheese

bread crumbs

Cook beef, onion, garlic, and the 1 1/2 tsp. salt in a large skillet until beef is well browned. Drain fat and stir in spaghetti sauce. Continue to cook and stir until mixture is thickened.

Cook macaroni following the instructions on the box. Drain. Melt butter in pan, stir in flour and salt. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, continuing to stir until mixture thickens and bubbles. (about 1 minute.)

Butter a 9 inch pie plate. Sprinkle sides and bottom with bread crumbs. Spoon 2/3 of the macaroni mixture into pan. Spread into even layer, covering the bottom and the sides to form a "crust." Spoon meat mixture into center. I had some extra meat, so I spooned it into several ramekins. Sprinkle remaining macaroni mixture over top of the meat mixture and sprinkle with bread crumbs.

Bake @ 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until brown on top. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Carrot Cake Cups

I saw a recipe for mini carrot cake cups in a Pampered Chef cookbook. I thought that they looked wonderful, but was disappointed when I read through the recipe. Why does Pampered Chef always suggest that cooking can be made easier by using cake mixes and canned soups? Sometimes, that would be the best way to do things. But I felt like baking completely from scratch- so this is my attempt at creating my own version of the recipe. And I have to say- I'm pretty proud of them.

Carrot Cake Cups

2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

3/4 cup grated carrots (about two medium carrots)

2 eggs

3/4 c. oil You might have to add more oil- this is the only part of the recipe that I'm stuck with! Just add more oil slowly after the 3/4 c. and when the batter looks all mixed up and wet (it will still be very thick) it should be fine.

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. cloves

Mix dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients. It will be very thick. More like a banana bread consistency than a cake mix consistency.

Spoon into greased mini muffin pans until 2/3 full. Do not overfill. Bake @ 350 degrees for approx. 11 min. or until tops are firm to touch. Once out of oven, use floured tart shaper* to push down cake cups. Let cool for 3 minutes in pan, then transfer from pan to cooling rack.

Filling-

8 oz. softened cream cheese

3/4 cups powdered sugar

1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

Add powdered sugar to whipping cream. Beat until thick. Beat in cream cheese.

Fill either a pastry bag, or a Ziploc bag with filling (then cut corner off of Ziploc bag.)

Fill cups with filling and garnish with grated carrots and/or chopped walnuts.

Enjoy!

*Pampered Chef makes awesome kitchen gadgets, and I would recommend their tart shaper if you don't already have one.

Banana Nut Bread

Banana Nut Bread
1/3 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 3/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. mashed bananas
1/2 c. walnuts

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together shortening, sugar, and eggs. Sift dry ingredients and add to the creamed mixture alternately with banana. Mix in nuts. Blend well after each addition. Pour batter into well greased 9"x5"x3" loaf pan. Bake 45-50 minutes or until done.
Remove the bread from the pan after letting it cool for about five minutes.

Honey and Molasses

Don't you hate it when you measure out honey or molasses, and when you begin to pour your measured out honey into a different bowl, it :

• takes forever to come out of the measuring cup or spoon
• it stick to the sides.

To avoid this, simply spray the insides of your measuring bowl or spoon with cooking spray. It'll slide right out!

Black Forest Cake

My brother, who works at Dairy Queen, likes to call this, Choco- cherry love cake, after the Blizzard. Whatever you call it, it is delicious!

2 16 oz. cans of tart pitted cherries, undrained

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 1/2 t. vanilla extract

2 (9 inch) round layers of your favorite chocolate cake, baked and cooled

3 cups heavy whipping cream

1/3 cup confectioners sugar.

Drain cherries, leaving 1/2 cup of juice. Combine reserved juice, cherries, sugar, and cornstarch in saucepan. Cook and stir over low heat until thickened. Stir in vanilla. Cool.

Split each cake layer in half, horizontally. Set aside on half layer.

Beat whipping cream and sugar together. Set aside 1 1/2 cups for piping.

Place 1 cake layer on serving plate. Spread with whipped cream, and top with cherry mixture.

Place second layer of cake on top. Spread with whipped cream, and top with cherry mixture.

Place third layer of cake on tope. Ice top and side of cake with whipped cream. Spread cherry mixture on top.

Take your last cake layer and cut it in half. Crumble on half, and pat crumbs onto the sides of the cake.

Use reserved whipped cream to pipe around the edges on the top and bottom.

Any leftover cherry topping and whipped cream can be used for the extra half layer of cake.

Yum!