What my Mom calls Chinese Chicken Salad.

Poach some chicken breasts in a 1:1 mix of sherry and chicken stock.

Julienne and blanch some veggies, usually for this I use 2 green peppers, 3 or 4 carrots, 2 or 3 broccoli crowns, a box of sliced mushrooms. 

Once the chicken has finished poaching, shred into bite size pieces.  Place in a bowl and cover liberally in rice wine vinegar, sherry, and soy sauce - to taste. 

Make one pound of angel hair pasta. 

Combine the above in a large bowl, add chick peas and roasted/salted cashews, add more vinegar/sherry/soy sauce - to taste.

(I don't go by amounts for my recipes....)

My Ultra Secret Pork Marinade:

1-1/2 cups Tanqueray (though I suppose you could use anything that smells like a pine cone drenched in rubbing alcohol)
3/4   TBS Sage Chiffinade (or 2 tsp dry ground sage, but I likes the fresh)
2 TBS Sesame oil
2-3 Garlic cloves, minced
3 to 4 oz honey
The juice of 2 limes (use a fresh lime for best taste, avoid store bought juices)
black or white pepper to taste

Throw everything into a small sauce pot and heat on low just until the honey melts, stirring constantly.  Chill, and it's ready to use.  I usually end up getting a large package of meat and throwing 2 or 3 chops into a ziplock baggie and sealing in just enough to cover the meat.  Let sit 12-36 hours before use, then pan fry on medium heat until done(meduim).  The honey will completely caramelize on the meat, making a dark and slightly bitter crust; but the inside will be sweet, juicy, and tender.

But that's so EASY! *impressed*

After I marry Pixie I'm marrying you too! HOORAY!

Our "just put the bloody seeds in and see what happens" experiment with Hokkaido pumpkins has met with resounding, nay, overwhelming success. There will, apparently, be lots and lots of little orange pumpkins this fall.

Any culinary ideas on what to do with them?

Thanks, Crystal, there's an idea! With number two due in early October, we are looking for stuff to feed him once he's no longer exclusively on mommy's best fresh off the tap.

Pumpkin pie sounds good, too. I'm afraid that googling for "pumpkin pie recipe" will give me millions of results, so are there any favourites you like to share?

Thanks a bunch, Crystal!

Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients

    * A pork tenderloin roast
    * Approx 6 slices of bacon
    * 2 tablespoons kosher salt
    * 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
    * 1/2 tablespoon oregano
    * 1 tablespoon sage
    * 1 teaspoon thyme
    * bread crumbs
    * olive oil

Instructions

   1. [Pre-heat the oven to 350
   2. Take your roast out of the package and dry it with some paper towels
   3. Take 3-4 pieces of butcher’s twine and place them under the roast so you can tie on the bacon.  If you would prefer, you and attach it with toothpicks instead, but if you use the twine, you need to lay it out now.
   4. Mix the salt, pepper, oregano, sage and thyme and coat the roast with it.  If you have an especially big roast, increase each spice proportionally
   5. Sprinkle bread crumbs to fully coat the roast
   6. Take the bacon strips and place them horizontally along the roast and tie the twine around the whole shootin’ match in 3-4 places.  Again, you can use tooth picks to attach the bacon if you would rather.
   7. Coat the whole thing with bread crumbs again then coat the whole thing with the olive oil
   8. Place in a glass baking dish and put it in the oven, uncovered for an hour
   9. Remove the roast from the oven, wrap it in foil and allow it to sit for 10 minutes
  10. Remove the twine/toothpicks, slice and enjoy

I love making Bundt cakes for holiday gifts and work potlucks: they're delicious, they travel well (I've actually shipped one to Alaska and had it arrive in perfect condition) and they're super easy to make.

Here are my two most popular recipes.

Kahlua Chocolate Cake

Preheat oven to 350°.

In large bowl combine:
1 (18.5 oz.) package devil’s food cake mix
4 large eggs
1 cup (8 oz.) sour cream
1 cup Kahlua
¾ cup vegetable oil

Beat at low speed to blend, then increase speed to medium and beat for 3-5 minutes (if you’re mixing by hand just stir it fairly hard until your arm feels like it’s going to fall off).

Stir in:
1 cup (6 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Pour batter into greased and floured Bundt pan. Bake at 350° for 55-60 minutes (cake will look crispy and will have cracks). Cool in pan for 30 minutes. Loosen pan and invert onto wire rack or plate. Remove pan and cool completely.

This cake requires no icing; the chocolate chips sink to the bottom of the pan and become the top of the cake. If you want to make it look pretty you can sprinkle a little powdered sugar on top. (Warning: do this right before you serve the cake. If you leave the powdered sugar on for too long it will absorb moisture/grease from the cake and go kind of weird looking.)

Notes:If you’re not a Kahlua drinker just buy the cheap knockoff. The cake can’t tell the difference.
   The toothpick test for doneness doesn’t really work with this cake because of the melted chocolate chips.

Cranberry-Orange Pound Cake

Ingredients:
2-1/2 cups granulated white sugar
1-1/4 cup butter, softened but not melty
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. grated orange peel
5 large eggs
2-3/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp. salt
¾ cup sour cream
1-1/2 cups chopped cranberries or original flavor crasins

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a large bowl mix together sugar and butter; beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and orange peel; blend well. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt; mix well. Add to butter mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well after each addition. Gently stir in cranberries.

Pour batter into greased and floured Bundt pan. Bake at 350° for 65-75 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (top will be well browned and cracked). Cool 15 minutes. Invert onto plate and remove pan.

This cake forms a wonderful carmelized crust that requires no icing. However, if you want to add an extra-special touch, pour Butter Rum Sauce over the cake just before serving.

Butter Rum Sauce

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. all purpose flour
½ cup half-and-half
½ cup butter
4 tsp. light rum

In small saucepan combine sugar and flour. Stir in half and half and butter. Cook over medium heat until bubbly and thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in rum. Serve warm over cake.

Fixer’s Bundt Cake Tips

•   Buy the nicest pan you can afford. With a heavier the pan the surface of your cake will be smoother and more evenly cooked. It will also be easier to remove. I recommend Nordic Ware; I have one of their cathedral pans and it makes beautiful cakes.

•   Use Baker’s Joy or Pam with flour to grease and flour your pan. This will your total prep time nearly in half.

•   Sifting your cake mix can reduce your mixing time considerably.


Happy holiday baking, everybody!