Twice Baked Butternut Squash

Butternut squash is a fall vegetable that can be used in so many ways. Native to North America, manly eaten by the indians, but was forgotten about by the Americans until the early 20th century. Now the butternut squash is the most produced squash world wide out of any other squashes. This twice baked squash has a resemblance of a twice baked potato but with way more nutrients.

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash

1 C. sour cream

olive oil

salt and pepper

1/2 tsp. sage

1 onion

3 cloves or garlic

1/2 C. Bread crumbs and Grated Parmesan cheese

1 C. Water

Poached Pear

This is my version of a very simple and healthy dessert. This dessert has hardly any added sugar, and almost fat free except from the sliced almonds.

Ingredients:

1 pear

6 strawberries

6 cranberries

sliced almonds

honey to taste

"S" Cake

So my uncle and grandpa both approached me asking if i would make some of my great grandmas desserts for thanksgiving, because the miss having them at the holidays, and of corse I said yes. So, I started to google recipes for "S" cake and found nothing, so I had to go to my sources and talk to my grandma. I got the original recipe of the dessert and here I am going to share it with y'all.

The crust you'll need 

1 stick of butter

1C. Flour

pinch of of salt

1T. Water

In a food processor pulse flour salt and butter till crumbly add water till forms a ball

The batter 

1 C. Water

1 stick flour

1/4 C. Sugar

1 C. Flour

3 eggs

Heat the water and butter together till butter is melted

mix in sugar and flour then the eggs

bake in preheated oven at 425 then lower to 400 and bake for 30 min.

after 30 min. turn oven off and let sit in oven to 10 more minutes

The frosting

2 C. Powder sugar

1 stick of butter

1 T. Milk

1 tsp vanilla

Melt the butter and whisk in the powder sugar, milk, and vanilla

Top with sliced almonds 

ENJOY

Cranberry and Orange Cornish Hen

This is a very simple flavorful dish that is quick enough to make at any night of the week. The tartness of the cranberries balances very well with the flavor of the the hen. This recipe and be doubled for a chicken, or quadrupled for a turkey.

1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 zest of orange
1 clove garlic
1/4 stalk celery
1/4 C.carrot
1/2-1/4 onion
6 halved cranberries
1/4 C. Red wine
1/2 C. Chicken stock
1/4 C. Orange juice
one Cornish hen

ENJOY

Rustic Rye Bread

This simple old world bread that had a dark rich flavor and a lightly corse texture from the stone ground rye flour. With the addition of coco make the rye bred taste make like rye bread (if that makes sense). what the coco dose is enhance the flavor, but it does not taste like chocolate at all. Rye Bread was first made in the middle ages in Germany, and rye grains where easer to grow and harvest the wheat.

Recipe:
1 1/2 C. Rye flour
1 1/2 C. Ap flour
1 C. Warm water
3/4 tsp salt
1 packet yeast
1/4 C. Brown sugar
 2 T. Coco powder

In a bowl mix water sugar and yeast together and let sit for 10 min.
In your stand mixer put in both flours, salt, and coco
After 10 min. pour butter and water mixture into your stand mixer
Knead for 5 min, and spray bowl and let sit covered till dubbed in size
Then punch down and shape into your pan and cover till double in size
Bake at 350 for 35-45 min.

Lemon Loaf Cake

This lemon loaf has a light and airy texture, with a creamy glaze on top. This loaf is great for breakfast, snacks, or even a light dessert. 

Recipe:
1 1/2 C. Flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. of salt and baking soda
3 eggs
1 C. Sugar
1 tsp lemon extract
1/3C. Lemon juice
1/2 C. Oil

Makes your eggs with sugar till combine
Then add in your lemon extract lemon juice and oil and mix together
Mix all dry ingredients together in a separate bowl
Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix until smooth
Pour into desired pan and bake at 350 for 45 to 50 minutes if its a 9x5 pan or small pans 20-25 min.

Glaze
1 C. Powder sugar
1 T. 2tsp. Milk
1/2 tsp. lemon extract
Makes all ingredients together

One loaf is slightly cool pour glaze over it

Vanilla Wafer Cookies

What is a classic all American cookie? Of course, the Vanilla Wafer Cookie, just like the Oreo. The Wafer cookie was invented around 1965 and patented in 1967 by the Nabisco company. Who knew this simple cookie could bring so much joy to people?  If you love the classic cookie that you buy at the store, you will really love this one! The taste of real vanilla and butter makes this little cookie have so much flavor, with a crispy texture, and a golden brown color.

Wafer Cookie Recipe:
1 stick of butter
1 1/4 C. Flour
1/4 C. Sugar
1/2 C. Brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp of baking powder and salt
1 tsp Vanilla

Beat the sugars with your butters for about 2 min
Then add your egg and vanilla
Mix all your dry ingredients together
Slowly add dry mixture in to your wet batter
Put batter in plastic bag
Pipe out the size of a Hershey kiss
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 325 for 10-15 min.

Spotted Dick (Steamed Pudding)

When you first here of this recipe what is the first thing that comes to your mind? Probably the same thing that comes to everyones mind, one what is it, and that sound so gross!!

Come to find out it is a English dessert, which is a steamed pudding with raisin and custard sauce. So i understand where the "spotted" part comes from but where dose the "dick" fit in? So I googled, and googled, and googled, and found nothing. All I could find was that it was invented in 1847 in London and is England national dessert. So I thought if it is the national dessert of England could it really be that bad? So I made it and truth to be told it really good and I will be making it again very soon.

The only problem I had was that I could not find Suet! Dose any one now where to find some in america?  This pudding taste like a soft steamed sweet bread topped with a vanilla sauce. Well anyways this is my recipe for Spotted Dick

Recipe:
1 3/4 C. Flour
1/3 C. Dark brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
2 T. Sugar
2/3 C. Milk
1/3 C. Raisin
1/3 C. Boiling water
1 stick of cold butter cubed
1 tsp. Vanilla

First you want to take 2 tablespoons of sugar and your 1/3 cup of boiling water and pour over 1/3 cup of raisins
Mixture salt flour and dark brown sugar together
Gently mix in the butter into the flour mixture
Pour your vanilla and milk into your flour and butter mixture
Add your egg and mix till combined
Last folding your raisins and sugar water mixture
Pour into what ever pan  you want and put in sauce pan with water half Way up the sides
Bring water to a boil once boiling place a cover on turn to low  steam for an hour

Custard sauce:
 1/2 stick of butter
1 C. Milk
1/4 C. Sugar
2 tsp. corn starch
1 tsp Vanilla

Melt your butter and sugar together in a sauce pan
Add a little water to your  cornstarch and mix
Once you butter is melted pour in milk and Whisk
Add cornstarch and cook until thickened
Take off heat and add vanilla

Fresh Pasta

My Recipe for pasta:

2 1/4 C. Flour
1/3 C. Water
1T. Oil
2 egg
1/2 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients together in a stand mixer
Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes
Divide into six even pieces
Roll through pasta Machine to  whatever desired thickness

ENJOY

Mushroom Risotto

The last couple of months I have been on a kick for mushrooms! I just can never get enough of them, and I'm not sure if because I'm getting older, or I learned how to cook them. So anyway, this recipe is my version of a traditional italian dish.

2 C. White rice
10 mini Portabella mushrooms
2 Medium-sized onions
Two cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
3 T. Butter
1/2 C. White wine
4 C. Chicken broth
1/2 C. Grated Parmesan cheese

Watch video for steps to make risotto

Enjoy

Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Tart

When I first heard of this my first though was "nasty", and this was coming from a guy who loves onions! Then I was looking around in many cook books and found a number for different recipes for onion pizzas, onion bread, onion tarts, etc. so I thought if cook books have all these different recipes using caramelize onion they must be good! Right? so I tried a couple of different recipe and I was right!
I love onion tarts, the crispy crust with the onion and mushrooms, which give off a sweet taste when their caramelized, next to the complex flavor of the red wine! So here is my recipe of a Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Tart

1/4 C. Sour cream
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
3 T. Butter
about 10 mushrooms
3 Medium onions
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 C. Ham or bacon
One pre cooked tart crust recipe

Slice onions and mushrooms and put into sauté pan with melted butter and cook till caramelized
Minced garlic
After caramelizing add garlic and ham
After the mixtures cooled add half of it into the sour cream
And are prebaked tart pan put the sour cream mixture on the bottom then the caramelize onions and mushrooms on top of that and then sprinkled the Parmesan cheese after
Broil till the cheese is golden

ENJOY

Tart Crust

1 1/2 C. Flour
1 egg
pinch salt
3T. Sugar
1 stick butter

Cream together your butter sugar and salt for about three minutes
Next you want to add your egg and beat for another minute
Last at all your flour at once and makes for 30 seconds
Put dough into your tart panand press out evenly in your pan
wrap and place in refridgerator for 20 min.
Unwrap and poke bottom with fork and put aluminum foil topped with dry bean
Bake at 375° for 25 minutes, take off aluminum and bake for additional 10 min or till crust is golden

ENJOY

Madeleines

These are one of my favorite cookies. A Madeleine is a traditional french cookie, with a crispy outside soft inside, with a delicate  flavor. They say they are best served with coffee, but heck I eat them all the time by themselves... YES they are that good and I can never just eat one!

1 Stick of butter
1 1/3 C. Flour
1/2 C. Sugar
2eggs
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 C. Milk
1/2 tsp of Lemon and vanilla extract

Beat butter and sugar to gather for 2-3 min.
Add in eggs and beat again for another 2-3 min.
Next mix in milk, lemon & vanilla extract
Mix flour and baking powder together and slowly add to wet mixture
pour into madeleine pans and scrape off the top of the pan
Bake at 375 for 12 to 14 minutes if you have a silicone pan or 8 to 10 minutes if you have a metal pan

Red Velvet Cake

For The Cake:
3 C. Flour
2 C. Sugar
1/2 C. Coco
1 C. Milk
5 eggs
1 oz. reed food color
2 sticks butter
1 T. Baking powder

Put flour, sugar cocoa  powder and baking powder  into mixing bowl with two sticks of butter and mix till texture of sand (2-3min.)
Next in a large mixing bowl mix your milk five eggs and food
coloring
Slowly pour into your driving mixture with butter until completely combined
Divide between two spray cake pans and bake at 350 for35 minutes

Frosting:
2 lb powder sugar
2 (8oz) Cream cheese
3 sticks of butter
1 tsp lemon juice

In a stand mixer beat butter, cream cheese, and lemon juice
on low speed slowly add powder sugar
beat for additional 2 minutes
ENJOY

Cranberry Orange Bread

My recipe is
 1/4C. Oil
 1C. Sugar
 2 C. Flour
3/4 C. Orange juice
1 egg
 1 C. Dried cranberries
 1 tsp. baking powder
 1/2 tsp of salt and baking soda
 half of a zest of a orange
first mix oil and sugar together for a bout a minute
next and egg and beat for additional minute
slowly add orange juice and zest to liquid mixture
in separate bowl add all dry ingredients
mix dry ingredients with wet and pour into a sprayed loaf pan
Bake at 350 for 50-60 min.

Apple Butter

My apple butter recipe is
3 lb apples
 3/4 C. Sugar
1T Apple cider vinegar
 1/2 tsp.  Cinnamon
 pinch of cloves

Put all ingredients into crock pot on high heat for 2 to 4 hours
Check at two hours and if it's golden use the potato masher and mash till smooth
Cooking additional 1 to 2 hours on low heat uncovered
Cook until thick enjoy:)

Coq Au Vin

A traditional French red wine braised chicken stew.
1. Onion
1 Stock of celery
 2 carrots
 3 Cloves of garlic
 1 bay leave
1/2 tsp thyme and marjoram
 2 T. Olive oil
 3/4 Bottle of red wine
2 c. Chicken stock
3 lb Bone in skin on chicken thighs

First dice your carrots celery and onions and set aside
Next heat you pot on medium heat with the oil
pat dry all of the chicken and salt and pepper
Brown skin side down for about 8 min.
take chicken out of pan and let rest
put all you onion celery and carrot in pan and cook till caramelized (about 10min.)
Mince your garlic and add to pan with spices and cook for additional min.
place your chicken ontop of the veggies and poor in the chicken stock and wine
turn heat down to simmer and cook for about 1 1/2 hours.
ENJOY

Banana Bread

The recipe for banana bread is:
1/3 C. butter
3 bananas
1 egg
3/4 C. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp salt and cinnamon
1 tsp Vanilla 
1 1/12C. flour

First mix flour salt cinnamon and baking soda together
Next beat sugar and oil together for one minute
add egg to sugar and oil mixture and beat
Mashed bananas into the wet mixture
Add vanilla
Mixing dry ingredients into the wet mixture
Pour into loaf pan and bake at 350 for 50 minutes

About me

HI ,
Is anyone out there? Well my name is John and this will be my blog about cooking and baking.
I will show tutorials on recipes on different kinds of food. I already started a youtube channel call "whatjohnlikes" and i hope y'all will check it out. I start today on posting my cooking videos up on here with some additional info.https://www.youtube.com/user/whatjohnlikes?feature=guide