Butternut Squash-Apple Coffee Cake

Butternut Squash-Apple Coffee Cake 1 butternut squash (2 lb) 2 c + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour 2 tsp + ½ tsp cinnamon 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt ⅓ c sugar ¼ c + 2 Tbsp unsalted butter (room temperature) 1 c low-fat plain Greek yogurt 2 lg eggs 1 c peeled and diced Granny Smith apples ½ c chopped toasted pecans ⅓ c dark brown sugar Confectioners' sugar (optional) HEAT oven to 425°F. PEEL, seed, and dice 1 butternut squash (2 lb) and place in even layer on greased baking sheet. Roast until soft, 20 to 25 minutes. Reserve 1 cup. Place remaining squash in food processor and puree until smooth. Reduce oven heat to 350°F. COAT a 9" × 9" baking dish with cooking spray. Sift 2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. Beat the sugar and ¼ cup unsalted butter in large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the Greek yogurt, eggs, and pureed squash until smooth. Stir in dry ingredients until combined. Fold in the apples and reserved diced squash. POUR into pan. Stir together the pecans, brown sugar, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter. BAKE until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool and dust with confectioners' sugar, if desired.

Olivia Walton's Applesauce Cake

Olivia Walton's Applesauce Cake 1 cup butter 1 cup sugar 2 cups applesauce 2 cups light raisins 1 cup chopped walnuts 1 teaspoon baking soda 3 1/2 cups flour (sifted) 2 eggs 1 teaspoon cinnamon 2 teaspoon cloves 2 teaspoon nutmeg Pinch of salt Sift together: Flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Take 1/2 cup of flour mixture and stir into the nuts and raisins. Set both aside. Cream butter until whipped soft. Add sugar a little at a time until mixture is smooth. Beat in eggs vigorously. Alternately stir in flour mixture and applesauce. When all mixed together, add nuts and raisins and mix well. Pour batter into a well-greased cake mold. Bake in pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for one hour. Cool ten minutes, then turn out on cake rack. Frost with Whiskey Frosting when Cake is cool. -- Whiskey Frosting: 1/4 cup butter 1 tablespoon cream Pinch of salt 2 cups powdered sugar 2 tablespoons bourbon Cream Butter, add sugar and salt, then cream and whiskey. Whip until smooth. Frost cake.

CHICKEN FAJITA MELTS

CHICKEN FAJITA MELTS 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 6 (6 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, thinly sliced ½ cup sliced onions ½ cup sliced red bell pepper ½ cup tomato juice 2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix 1 cup salsa 8 (1/2 inch thick) slices French bread 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, and cook and stir until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the sliced onions and red peppers, and cook and stir for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the tomato juice and taco seasoning, and mix well. Cook mixture until the juice has thickened and the chicken is well coated with sauce, about an additional 7 minutes. Preheat the oven's broiler and set the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source. Spread 2 tablespoons of salsa over each slice of French bread. Evenly spoon the chicken mixture on top of the salsa topped bread. Sprinkle each sandwich with 1/4 cup Cheddar cheese. Place sandwiches under the preheated broiler and cook for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown.

POTATO SALMON CAKES

POTATO SALMON CAKES 3 medium potatoes, peeled and shredded 2 eggs salt and pepper to taste 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 1/2 pound cooked flaked salmon 3 green onions, chopped 2 tablespoons capers, drained 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped 3/4 cup chopped canned banana peppers 3/4 cup sliced fresh mushrooms 3/4 cup dry bread crumbs 1 cup oil for frying, or as needed Squeeze as much liquid from the potatoes as you can, and place in a large bowl. Beat the eggs with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning, and mix with the potatoes. Mix in salmon, green onions, capers, red bell pepper, banana peppers, mushrooms and bread crumbs. Form into about 12 patties about 3/4 inch thick. Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the patties for about 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels quickly before serving. Try to fry all the patties at one time, otherwise the mixture becomes stiff.

Fall-Off-The-Bone Ribs

Fall-Off-The-Bone Ribs one rack of pork baby back ribs juice of one lemon 1/4 cup dry rub (see recipe below) 1/2 cup BBQ sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's) Preheat oven to 300° F. Remove excess fat from ribs. Peel the silver skin off the back of the ribs - lift with a sharp knife and grab with a paper towel to remove. Cut ribs apart into individual pieces. Rub ribs all over with lemon juice. Coat ribs with dry rub. Place meat side down in large baking pan, & cover tightly with foil, shiny side out. Bake in the oven for 2 1/2 hours. Remove from oven & pour off liquid. Brush bbq sauce over all sides of ribs. Grill: To finish ribs on the grill, remove from the pan and place ribs on the grill (I use a basket over direct but low heat) basting and turning a few times for about 10 minutes. Oven: To finish ribs in the oven, set oven to broil and return ribs to the same oven rack, uncovered, basting and broiling about 5 minutes per side, watching so they don’t burn. They will be so tender, it’s best to turn them using gloved hands. Dry Rub for Pork Ingredients 3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar 3/4 cup white sugar 1/2 cup paprika 1/4 cup garlic powder 2 tablespoons ground black pepper 2 tablespoons ground ginger powder 2 tablespoons onion powder 2 teaspoons rosemary powder How to use it Mix the ingredients thoroughly in a bowl. If the sugar is lumpy, crumble the lumps by hand or on the side of the bowl with a fork. If you store the rub in a tight jar, you can keep it for months. If it clumps just chop it up, or if you wish, spread it on a baking sheet and put it in a 225°F oven for 15 minutes to drive off moisture. No hotter or the sugar can burn. For most meats, wet the surface of the meat with water and sprinkle just enough Dry Rub to color it. Makes. About 3 cups. Store the extra in a zipper bag or a glass jar with a tight lid. Use enough to cover the meat surface but still let some meat show through.

CROCK POT COUNTRY CHICKEN

CROCK POT COUNTRY CHICKEN 1 medium onion, chopped 4 carrots, sliced 4 celery ribs, sliced 6 -8 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 to 2 lbs) 1 teaspoon dried tarragon 1 teaspoon dried thyme salt and black pepper 1 (10 3/4 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup 1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix 1⁄3 cup white wine (or 1/3 cup apple juice) Place onion, carrots, and celery in slow cooker. Arrange chicken over vegetables. Sprinkle with tarragon, thyme, salt, and pepper. Pour soup over chicken. Sprinkle with dry onion soup mix and then pour in white wine. Cover; cook on HIGH 3 to 4 hours, stirring once during cooking. Serve over rice.

GINGER SHRIMP & BROCCOLI

GINGER SHRIMP & BROCCOLI Reynolds(R) Parchment Paper 4 cups broccoli florets 1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 tablespoon sesame oil 1/2 tablespoon grated fresh ginger 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Tear off four 15-inch sheets of Reynolds Parchment Paper. Fold each sheet in half and crease it in the center. Cut each into a heart shape; unfold. Divide broccoli and shrimp evenly on one-half of each sheet near crease. Mix garlic, sesame oil, ginger and soy sauce. Spoon 1/4 the mixture evenly over broccoli and shrimp on each sheet. Fold over other half of each sheet to enclose ingredients. Starting at top, make small overlapping folds down entire length of parchment to secure edges together. Twist last fold several times to make a tight seal. Place parchment packets on a large baking sheet with 1-inch sides. Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until shrimp is done. Place parchment packets on dinner plates. Carefully cut an X in the top of each packet; open carefully, allowing steam to escape. Serve immediately.