Orange Blossoms

Keep a batch of Orange Blossoms in the freezer for a quick dessert.  Just the perfect sweet bite with a cup of coffee.

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 2 cups confectioner's sugar
• zest of one orange

Mix cake mix with water, oil and eggs according to package directions.
Pour into greased mini-muffin tins.
Bake 10 to 15 minutes in preheated 350-degree oven or until lightly browned.
Mix orange juice and confectioner's sugar until smooth.
Add orange zest.
Dip muffins while they are still warm in the glaze, covering completely.
Cool on rack.

Printable Recipe

Cost  $3.18 for 72 mini-muffins  $.13 for a serving of 3 muffins

Tips:

Perfect for freezer.
Sam's Club has confectioner's sugar for $4.58 for 7 pounds.
If you do a lot of baking this is cheapest way to buy confectioner's sugar, 18 cents a cup versus 27 1/4 cents a cup.
I got a great buy on cake mixes at Kroger for $.49 and my eggs are free, so
my cost  is $1.76  or $.07 a serving

Cost of ingredients based on the online prices at Wal-Mart in my area.

Shrimp Egg Rolls

 

Shrimp Egg Rolls

• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 2 inches fresh ginger, grated
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 green onions, sliced thinly
• 2 carrots, cut into 1-inch julienne strips
• 1 small red pepper, cut into 1-inch julienne strips
• 1 head Napa cabbage, shredded
• 1/2 cup water
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 20 egg roll wrappers
• 1 1/2 cups cooked minced shrimp

In a skillet, stir-fry the ginger and garlic in 1 tablespoon of oil about 30 seconds.
Add green onions, carrots, and red pepper and stir-fry over high heat for 2 minutes.
In a bowl, combine the water, soy sauce, and sugar.
Add the Napa cabbage and water mixture. Bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes.
Add sesame oil, cool for 15 minutes, and strain.
Fold in the minced shrimp.
Fill and roll the egg roll wrappers, using 2 tablespoons of filling for each roll.
Place the wrapper with one corner of the diamond closest to you.
Place filling in the center of the wrapper.
Roll the corner closest to you over the filling.
Brush the top corner with water.
Fold in the sides of the wrapper and continue rolling the egg roll up until it is closed.
Press to seal.
In a skillet set over moderately high heat, heat the remaining oil and saute the egg rolls until golden brown on all sides.
Serve with dipping sauce.

Printable Recipe
 

 

Dipping Sauce

 

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup rice vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons sesame oil

Pinch of red pepper flakes

                        
Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

Tip: 
Store fresh ginger roots in freezer.  It grates easier when frozen.
Eggrolls may be made ahead and frozen.

 

Cabbage Rolls

Cabbage Rolls

 

 

• 1 medium head cabbage
• 1-1/2 cups chopped onion, divided
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 can 14-1/2 ounces stewed tomatoes
• 1 can 14-1/2 ounces tomato sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 cup cooked rice
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a large pot cook cabbage in boiling water for 10 minutes or until outer leaves are tender.
Remove from pot and place in bowl of ice water.

Remove nine large outer leaves.
Refrigerate remaining cabbage for another use.
Remove large vein from cabbage leaves.
Set aside.

For sauce saute 1 cup onion in vegetable oil until tender.
Add tomatoes, garlic, brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
For filling mix together ground beef, remaining onions, rice, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper.
Divide into 9 potions.
Place meat mixture on each leaf.
Fold in sides to completely enclose filling.
Place in casserole dish and top with sauce.
Cover and bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour.

Tip:  For smaller families before baking divide into freezer to oven  containers and freeze.  When ready to serve bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 30 minutes, reduce heat to  350 degrees and continue baking another 30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.


Printable Recipe

 

 

Strawberry Cream Pie

 

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
1 cup chopped fresh strawberries
8 ounces whipped topping 

1 pre-made graham cracker pie crust

sliced fresh berries tossed with sugar for garnish 

 

Mix cream cheese, vanilla, and sugar.

Beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

Add strawberries.

Fold in whipped topping.

Spoon into pie crust.

Cover and refrigerate for several hours before serving.  

Garnish each slice with berries tossed with sugar.

Printable Recipe

 

 

Banana Nut Bread

Banana Nut Bread

Vary the bread by the nuts used.  Pecans, walnuts, or macadamias complement bananas.

 



Macadamia-Banana Nut Bread


2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons melted butter
2 large eggs
3 ripe bananas mashed
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup nuts

Stir together dry ingredients.  Flour, baking soda and salt.
Beat eggs.
Mix together wet ingredients. Eggs, sugar, melted butter, mashed bananas, buttermilk and vanilla.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.
Beat until smooth.
Stir in nuts.
Turn into a well-greased 8 1/2" by 4 1/2" by 2 1/2"  loaf pan.
Bake in moderate oven at 350 degrees about 70 minutes.
Cool bread before slicing.

Printable Recipe

 

Seafood and Sausage Gumbo

• 3/4 cup of butter
• 1 cup of green onions, chopped
• 1 cup of onions, chopped
• 2 cups okra, chopped
• 3 crabs
• 1 cup tomatoes, chopped
• 2 cups of tomato juice
• 1 quart water
• 2 cups peeled shrimp
• 1/2 pound of smoked sausage
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon file' powder
• salt
• pepper
• cayenne pepper
• cooked rice

Melt butter in skillet; Saute green onions and onions until tender; Add okra and crab; Add tomatoes
In a large stock pot bring to boil water, tomato juice, shrimp, cook 1 minute
Add vegetables to stock pot
Melt 3 tablespoons butter; Mix in flour and cook over medium heat until brown; Be careful not to burn flour mixture
Add some of the 1st mixture to the roux; Add to gumbo
Brown Sausage; Add to gumbo
Simmer 1 1/2 hours
Serve over rice
1/2 cup of rice to 1 1/2 cup Gumbo

Printable Recipe

I was planning on a different recipe today, but our first chilly autumn day is here. So what could be more comforting than a streaming bowl of gumbo and a loaf of crusty bread.  In Mississippi we are blessed with great seafood and fish.  The Gulf of Mexico has the best shrimp and oysters.  If not available in your area buy wild caught.  You can tell the difference in the finished dish.  I make this recipe during the summer when fresh tomatoes and okra are abundant.  I freeze it for a day just like today.  If making it for freezer don't add the roux or sausage before freezing.  Complete recipe when ready to serve.

Banana Muffins

Easy banana muffin recipe made with sour cream.

 

• 3 ripe bananas
• 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Mix bananas, brown sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla until smooth
Slowly add flour until just mixed
Mix in sour cream
Fill prepared muffin pans 2/3 full.
Bake in preheated 375* oven 18 to 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted in center.
Makes 18 muffins.

Printable Recipe

What you will need:

Bananas, Brown sugar, Oil, Egg, Vanilla, Self-rising flour and Sour cream

Mix bananas, brown sugar, oil, egg and vanilla in mixing bowl

Mix until smooth.

Slowly add flour until just mixed; over mixing after you add flour will cause your baked goods to be tough.
Stir in sour cream.
Fill muffin tins 2/3 full and bake in preheated 375* oven 18 to 20 minutes
Tip: Even if you use cupcake liners spray the liners with Baker's Joy and the muffins will not stick to the paper.

This is the same batter but baked in mini muffin tins.  They make a great mid-morning snack with a cup of coffee.  I rolled the muffins in cinnamon sugar while they were still warm.

 

Self- rising flour was invented in England in 1845 by a baker, Henry Jones.  He received a patent in the USA in 1849.  It is widely used in the South for biscuits and other quick breads.  Southerns prefer a soft winter wheat flour.  Winter wheat produces a light product because of it's low protein and gluten content.  Popular brands are Martha White and White Lily.  Self-rising flour already has the leavening agent and salt added to it.  My mother always bought self-rising flour in 25 pounds sacks.  It came in brightly colored cotton sacks.  My grandmother quickly claimed these sacks.  She carefully washed, starched, and ironed this fabric.  Over the years Granny had quite a collection of aprons, pillowcases, tea towels, and her favorite, patchwork quilts.  Now days I have a collection of different flours in my kitchen each for a different use, but at least I don't have to decide which bag is the prettiest.