Things to Eat!

Recipes and pictures of all the wonderful things I make

Vanilla pudding with Banana’s and Nila wafers

Super Jenn Things to Eat! , ,

When I was a kid, I always remembered having banana pudding over at my Aunts house. It’s never tasted as good as an adult as it did then… Until I made this recipe. It’s not as difficult as it sounds like it would be, so there is no reason to be intimidated. The hardest part of this recipe is to not eat it all in one sitting!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups half-and-half
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup powdered (confectioner’s) sugar
  • 1/2 12 ounce box vanilla wafer (about 44)
  • 3 ripe bananas, sliced 1/4-inch thick

Directions

  • For the pudding, combine half-and-half and sugar in a stainless-steel bowl or top of a double boiler set over simmering water. Whisk in flour and salt until combined, about 2 minutes; remove from heat. Place egg yolks in a separate bowl. Gradually add half of the hot cream mixture, stirring constantly to temper the eggs. Whisk egg mixture into remaining hot cream and place back over the simmering water. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture has thickened to the consistency of pudding, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla; set aside.
    • The pudding will thicken pretty quick on you, so it’s really important that you keep stirring it so it doesn’t get lumpy. I use vanilla extract that I made myself, so when it’s first added it smells very strongly of alcohol. After it’s mixed in the alcohol dissipates and the vanilla is very strong
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  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. For the meringue, beat egg whites in a bowl with an electric mixer for 1 minute. Add the cream of tartar, vanilla, and confectioner’s sugar. Beat on medium-high speed until the whites form stiff peaks.
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  • To assemble, cover the bottom of a 2-quart square baking dish with half of the vanilla wafers. Top with half of the banana slices and half of the pudding. Make a second layer, ending with pudding. With a spatula, spread meringue over entire banana pudding, forming attractive peaks. Place dish in the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until mixture is golden brown on top. Makes 8 to 10 servings.
    • I used individual souffle cups, either method works well provided whatever you use can be used in the oven!

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Enjoy!

Maple Bourbon Salmon with Cornbread Casserole and Brussel Sprouts.

Super Jenn Things to Eat! , ,

For my Birthday this past year my wonderful parents came to town and we went Salmon fishing! As a result I have had the pleasure of eating lots of wild caught salmon. The best part is being able to experiment.

I absolutely love this dish. It is super easy and pretty quick.

Maple Bourbon Salmon

Ingredients:

  • Salmon filet
  • Maple syrup
  • Bourbon
  • Orange Juice
  • Salt and pepper

Directions:

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For 4 filet’s it is recommended 1/3 cup each of the Syrup, Bourbon and OJ. Combine in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer until it thickens to a sauce. Meanwhile wash and dry Salmon. Sprinkle with Salt and pepper and place on a foil wrapped cookie sheet. (Trust me, you will not want to have to clean this when you are done, the foil is a life saver) Broil for about 2-3 minutes. Pour half the sauce over the salmon and bake until done. (I like my salmon Med-rare. It should just start to flake easily when using a fork when it’s done) Remove from the oven and top with remaining sauce.

Southern Cornbread casserole

Ingredients:

  • Jiffy Cornbread mix
  • 1 can corn
  • 1 can creamed corn
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese
  • paprika (garnish)

Directions:

Mix it all together, pour into a greased 2 quart baking dish, garnish with paprika    and bake at 350 for about an hour. 002

For the Brussels I just warm a pan, add some Olive Oil and Salt and pepper and saute over medium heat until the outside leaves begin to brown.

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Enjoy!

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Pizza from scratch!

Super Jenn Things to Eat! ,

Pizza is an everyday favorite for those in their early 20’s. As I have gotten older I have yet to outgrow my pizza cravings.

I have a great recipe that is easy to make – start to finish you can have a delicious pizza in an hour. The same amount of time it takes for delivery on busy nights!

The best thing about Pizza is the ability to customize it for all tastes.

First you make to dough – if you like a crispier crust then you should bake the crust alone for about 10 minutes before adding your toppings, While the dough is resting, or baking you can make your sauce and shred the cheese. I like to use a variety of cheeses on my pizza.

For the Dough:

The ingredients:

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  • 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
  • 1 teaspoon white sugar
  • 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
  • 2 1/2 cups bread flour
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt

The directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
  2. Stir in flour, salt and oil. Beat until smooth. (I like to knead it by hand to make sure it’s well mixed) Let rest for 5 minutes.
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  4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round. Transfer crust to a lightly greased pizza pan or baker’s peel dusted with cornmeal. Spread with desired toppings and bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let baked pizza cool for 5 minutes before serving.10426198_10205142648430950_1997271476674860397_n

For the Sauce:

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  • Diced tomatoes
  • tomato paste
  • rosemary
  • basil
  • oregano
  • salt and pepper
  • garlic
    • Combine all above in a blender and mix well

*If you are not lucky enough to have a mother like mine who grows her own herbs and sends them to you, or if you do not grow them yourself, then you will find them dried in the spice isle in your local market*

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I loved it!

Enjoy!

Cinnamon Rolls! (With nuts and fruit)

Super Jenn Things to Eat! , ,

In keeping with easy breakfast solutions, these Cinnamon rolls are easy to make and freeze well. I am excited to try them again!

The Ingredients:

For the Rolls:

  • 5 3/4 – 6 1/4 Cups Flour
  • 2 Pkg active Dry yeast
  • 2 1/2 Cups warm water
  • 1 Tablespoon packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 Cup butter, softened
  • 2 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 Teaspoon salt
  • 1 Cup packed brown sugar
  • 5 Tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1 Cup chopped walnuts or pecans – I used Pecans!
  • 1 Cup dried fruit (raisins, apricots or cherries) I used Cherries!

For the Icing:

  • 1 Cup sifted powdered sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon light cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
    • Combine all ingredients, adding additional powdered sugar if necessary, until drizzling consistency.

The directions:

  • In a large mixing bowl stir together 1/2 cup of the flour, yeast, 1/2 cup of the warm water and 1 Tablespoon brown sugar. Let stand about 15 minutes or until surface is bubbly.
  • Add 1 3/4 cups of the warm water, 1 cup of the flour, 1/4 cup butter, 1 tablespoon cinnamon and salt. Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough that is smooth and elastic. Let dough rise in bowl in a warm place for 15 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 400, Meanwhile, for filling, in a bowl combine the 1 Cup brown sugar, the 5 Tablespoons softened butter, and 1 Tablespoon cinnamon. Stir in nuts and fruit.
  • On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a large rectangle. Sprinkle with the filling, then carefully roll up into a spiral, starting from one of the long sides. Slice into 20 equal pieces. Place rolls in a greased baking pan
  • Bake about 20 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Cool slightly: remove rolls from pans. drizzle with icing.

** If you are going to only eat about 2-3 at a time, slice into 4th’s and put in freezer bags. Freeze until the night before. Defrost in the fridge, and slice up and bake as directed above. **

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Enjoy!

Easy Basic Banana Bread

Super Jenn Things to Eat! ,

One of my favorite breads is Banana bread. This recipe is easily modified to muffins as well. In fact, I tend to always make muffins so I can grab them and go! Sometiems you run out of time to use your bananas, but if you notice yours are going bad, trowing them in the freezer will keep them. Of course you will just have to make sure that they are completely defrosted before you use them. This time I did use frozen banana’s. The reason this recipe is my favorite is because it is very heavy on the banana! You can always modify this by adding walnuts, cranberries, or both!

The Ingredients:

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  • 1/2 Cup Butter  softened
  • 1 Cup Sugar
  • 2 Eggs
  • 4 – 5 Banana’s
  • 1 1/2 Cup Flour
  • 1 teaspoon Baking soda
  • 1/2 Teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons Vanilla

The directions:

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  • Cream Butter and Sugar
  • Add eggs and banana’s – combine well
  • sift together flour, salt and soda into creamed mixture
  • add vanilla
  • Mix well
  • Pour into greased loaf pan, or into muffin tin. (If you use cupcake liners, no need to grease the pan)
  • Bake at 350 for 50-60 mins for loaf, 30-35 mins for muffins.
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Maple Waffles with Bacon Weave

Super Jenn Things to Eat! , , , ,

I have been interested in experimenting with my bacon pancakes. i wanted to try a bacon weave to see how it worked. I also love maple waffles, so I knew already I was going to make those.

Making the batter is super easy. If you have a mix, then add a little less water and stir in your flavoring. In this instance it’s Maple syrup. You always want to use pure Maple syrup – it tastes better, it’s better for you, and it lasts longer. If you do not have an add water/milk mix, it’s easy to make the batter and then just add in you flavoring.

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My new oil to use for cooking has been coconut oil. I love it. Especially on my waffle iron! It is light and it tastes great! Added bonus – when it’s at a temperature less than 70, it’s a solid! It’s fun to work with!

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The Bacon weave, however, it a little trickier. I tried to do it in a pan, and that was a disaster. It was a shame to have to waste so much bacon! However, cooking it in the oven worked a lot better! I definitely recommend covering your pan with foil, and just building your weave on the pan itself. Pre-heat to 425. It takes about 15 minutes, depending on how crispy you like your bacon. I must say my first attempts were very successful.

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Stay tuned for the next stage in my experimentation!

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Cheese stuffed Chicken with Jerusalem Artichokes and Brussel Sprouts

Super Jenn Things to Eat! , , ,

This evening it started to rain, finally. It’s chilly, and there is nothing better than a good hot fresh meal. I was given some Jerusalem Artichokes, and I really wanted to try a new recipe with them. Paired with that I pan friend some Brussels and baked one of my favorite chicken recipes.

The height of the meal is one of my favorites. A stuffed chicken breast with all my favorite things – Cheese, Peanuts and Bacon! (This dish does need to bake for about 40 minutes, so it’s a good idea to start with the chicken and then prep and cook everything else once it’s in the oven) You must cook the bacon first, and while it cooks you can chop your peanuts and shred your mozzarella cheese. It’s best if you can cut a pocket to tuck the ingredients into, but if not then make sure you have some kitchen twine to tie it up with.

The Brussels are easy. Just wash them and trim the bottoms off. Heat some Olive Oil over Medium heat. Toss in some salt and pepper and the Brussels, tossing to coat. Let them cook, tossing every few minutes to turn.

The Jerusalem artichokes are pretty simple as well. These funny little root veggies are sometimes called sunchoke. I personally like to peel them, but it is not necessary. The recipe that I tried tonight called for fresh ginger, some sherry, and a dash of S&P.

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Cheese Stuffed Chicken (these measurements are for four servings)

Ingredients:

  • 4 chicken breast halves (2 to 2-1/2 lb. total)
  • 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (3 oz.)
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1/4 cup chopped peanuts
  • 6 slices bacon, crisp-cooked, drained, and crumbled
  • Salt and ground black pepper
  • Paprika

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Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Skin chicken, if desired. Using a sharp knife, make a pocket in each breast by cutting horizontally from side to side, leaving edges intact. In a bowl combine mozzarella cheese, feta cheese, peanuts, and bacon. Spoon filling into pockets, packing lightly (pockets will be full). Place chicken, in a 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Lightly sprinkle chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and paprika.

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  • Bake, uncovered, for 35 to 40    minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the chicken registers 170 degree F.

Gingered Jerusalem Artichokes – (these measurements are for four servings)

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound Jerusalem artichokes, peeled, if desired, and cut up
  • 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
  • 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
  • 1/4 cup Marsala, sherry, or apple juice (I used Dry Sherry)
Directions:
In a large skillet cook and stir artichokes in hot butter over medium-high heat for 5 to 6 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add ginger; cook for 30 seconds. Remove from heat; stir in Marsala. Season to taste with salt.
Start to finish – about an hour. Easy and delicious! Enjoy!
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Pumpkin Bacon Pancakes

Super Jenn Things to Eat!

This morning, I woke up to a perfectly windy, freezing Fall day. So I raided my pantry to see what I could come up with. Pancakes seemed to be the only thing that sounded good, But they can be very boring. I didn’t want to put a huge effort  into breakfast. So I have a box of “Pancake Mix”. I have yummy Bacon. I have a can of Pumpkin. So I thought to myself, why not?

Mix well

First I made the pancake mix. Since I am only cooking for myself, I halved the ingredients and only made one serving. Any remaining batter can be refrigerated for a few days. To the batter I added some pumpkin pie spice. (if you don’t have any then add a dash of ground Ginger, Ground Cloves, and nutmeg and two dashes of cinnamon). I add about 1/4 cup pumpkin for each serving. Adding the pumpkin will thicken the batter quite a bit.

I fried up the BACON! The amount is up to you, and how crispy you like them is a personal choice as well.

Once the bacon is done, I like to get the remaining grease off it by putting it on a paper towel for a few minutes.

In a new pan (or after cleaning the grease from the bacon pan) melt a small tab of butter. Place a piece of bacon in the pan, and top it with the batter. You want to be sure to not place it over your bacon too thick because It won’t cook all the way through. You have to cook these pancakes on a lower heat so they don’t burn. Once there is a significant amount cooked around the edges, you can flip them. I like to cook my pancakes all at once, and I don’t have a large flat skillet (yet) so my pan looks a little crowded.

Just let them cook

Once the pancake is cooked all the way through, you can put it off the heat. I only use real maple syrup. It tastes better, it lasts longer and you don’t need as much. I add a small pat of butter as well

. Bacon Pumpkin Pancakes

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice EVERYTHING!!!

Super Jenn Things to Eat! , ,

During the time of year, Pumpkin spice is Everywhere. Among with the posts about how yummy it is, comes equal posts about how many fake ingredients major manufacturers put in it. In my attempt to eat a cleaner life, I sought out a way to have a Pumpkin spice that I knew all the ingredients put into it. No corn syrup of any kind, so it does have an expiration date!

Ingredients

Ingredients:

  • 1 and 1/2 cups water
  • 3/4 cup light or dark brown sugar
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 and 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Directions:

  • In a medium saucepan, add water and both sugars. Simmer on medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves, about 4 minutes.
  • Turn the heat down to low and whisk in cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and pumpkin puree. Simmer for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do not allow the mixture to come to a boil. Once you add the pumpkin the mixture will thicken quite a bit, don’t be fooled! Continue to let it reduce a little.
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  • Remove from the heat and strain through a mesh strainer lined with cheese   cloth or a very thin, clean tea towel
  • Cheesecloth and strainer set up
  • Allow the syrup to cool to room-temperature before stirring in the vanilla extract. It’s important to note that it won’t really taste right until the Vanilla is added. If you are using a real vanilla extract and plan on giving the syrup as gifts, be aware that there will be alcohol (very small percentage) in it since it’s added after the cooking is done. Store in a mason jar or airtight container. The syrup will last for 1 month at room-temperature or 3 months in the refrigerator.
  • Pumpkin Spice Syrup

Homemade Bread

Super Jenn Things to Eat! ,

About six months ago, I made the decision to stop purchasing bread. I found that I was throwing away about 3/4 of the loaf due to mold, and just simply not being able to eat it fast enough.

I absolutely LOVE PB&J, and knowing that, my delightful Mother sent me a few jars of Jam she made. So here I have been sitting and waiting until I have the time to make some bread. Since it is a bit of a new en devour for me, I like to make sure that I have enough time to make sure I do it right. Hopefully as time goes by, I will get more confident with my bread-making skills.

Finally the day had come! I had an entire afternoon to do nothing but bake. I found a very simple recipe and followed it the best I could.Since I do not eat much bread, and it tends to go bad on me, I like to freeze half of it. This time, I divided it and froze half of it right away, before letting it rise. As soon as it was mixed, kneaded and ready to let sit, I cut it in half. I rolled the dough up in parchment paper, and placed in a plastic bag – labeled of course.

 Bread to freeze

The other half went according to plan, and after a few short hours I was finally able to enjoy a slice of homemade bread, fresh from the oven and topped with a bit of my Mothers yummy Jam

. Fresh Bread

Indredients:

  • 1 (1/4 oz) package of active dry yeast
  • 2 1/4 cups warm water
  • 3 Tablespoons sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon salt
  • 2 Tablespoons canola oil
  • 6 1/4 – 6 3/4 Cups all-purpose flour

Directions:

  • In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the sugar, salt, oil and 3 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
  • Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes. (This is the point where I halved it.)  Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. (either more oil, or butter can be used. I like to use butter) Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours.
  • Punch dough down. (some people suggest letting it rise and punching it down more than once to let it mix more thoroughly
  • )  Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide dough in half. Shape each into a loaf. Place in two greased 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30-45 minutes.
  • Bake at 375° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and bread sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. Yield: 2 loaves (16 slices each).

Fresh from the oven