BLACK FRIDAY THANKSGIVING WRAP UP with NEW RECIPES for GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE, CRANBERRY POMEGRANATE TANGERINE SAUCE, PUMPKIN PECAN BUTTER CAKE with CARAMEL SAUCE & CINNAMON PECANS

As I mentioned before, I DO NOT shop Black Friday, unless it's from the comfort of my desk chair talking to a computer.  Thanksgiving weekend for us is and always has been casual.  This year was no exception. With just 2 of us this year I bought a turkey breast only.  So my questions is, where does the rest of the turkey go?

Our range is on the way out also - losing the heating elements one by one and the oven is now 75 degrees under temperature.  I didn't want to take a chance so I started the turkey breast in the slow cooker and then used the oven to only brown the top.  Amazingly, it turned out PERFECT!  I see great turkey sandwiches tomorrow! And there are plenty of leftovers until the new range is installed next week.

Our morning started out foggy and drizzly before turning to serious cold and rain.  I did manage to capture this Robin hanging out in the old garden bed.

And the first opening bloom of the Christmas Cactus this season.

99.9% of my recipes are made from scratch, but every now and then I do cheat a bit.  Part of Thanksgiving's dessert, PUMPKIN PECAN BUTTER CAKE with CARAMEL SAUCE & CINNAMON PECAN was one of those small cheats and believe me I will cheat again, but next time I'll add some fresh whipped cream.  MOST of the recipe is scratch ingredients, but it called for a Betty Crocker SuperMoist yellow cake mix.  Instead I used a SuperMoist BUTTER PECAN cake mix and it was FABULOUS!  I'll give you the original recipe (which for the life of me I can't remember where it came from - probably pinterest) with my changes in red.

GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE
3-15 ounce cans cut green beans, drained VERY WELL!
2 1/2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons Wondra
1 1/4 cup whole milk
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon each, paprika, sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Savory Spice Shop Hidden Cove Lemon Garlic Blend
1 teaspoon celery flakes
2 tablespoons Riverhouse Parmesan Herb dressing **
3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup +/- French's French fried onion rings

• Over medium heat melt butter in saucepan.
• Whisk in Wondra until golden.
• Add milk and heavy cream gradually, bringing to a boil JUST SLIGHTLY!
• Reduce heat and simmer, stirring continuously until sauce begins to thicken.
• While still stirring add in paprika, salt, pepper, Lemon Garlic and celery flakes. When you reach your desired consistency set pan aside to cool slightly.
• In a large mixing bowl toss the green beans with the Riverhouse Parmesan Herb dressing.
• Pour sauce over beans and gently toss and coat.
• Pour into a baking dish and top with crumbled bacon and fried onion rings.
• Bake 20-30 minutes until heated through.

**If you can't find this brand, Litehouse Parmesan Caesar is a great substitute.

CRANBERRY POMEGRANATE TANGERINE SAUCE
1 bag cranberries
1 cup pomegranate seeds

1/2 cup fresh squeezed tangerine juice with pulp*
1/2 cup pineapple juice*
2 cups sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon orange peel

• Wash cranberries and drain in colander. 
• Mix tangerine juice, pineapple juice and sugar in saucepan until dissolved. 
• Add cinnamon and orange peel. Stir well.
• Add the cranberries and pomegranate seeds simmering over medium high heat until bubbling, stirring often. 
• When the mixture begins to boil, reduce heat. 
• Cook uncovered or until all cranberries and pomegranate seeds have ’popped’. 
• Sauce will thicken as it cools. 
• Can be stored in the refrigerator for a week or frozen for future holidays.

Yields: 2 cups
*You can use ALL orange juice if you prefer

***I like to make a double batch at Thanksgiving and freeze half for Christmas.

PUMPKIN PECAN BUTTER CAKE with CARAMEL SAUCE & CINNAMON PECANS
CAKE BOTTOM 
1 Betty Crocker SuperMoist yellow cake mix (Butter Pecan)
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 Egg

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
• Line the bottom of your 10 inch springform pan with parchment paper. I cut a square sheet and close it into the seam of the bottom with the latch and then trim into a circle. Lightly spray the pan with non-stick cooking spray. 
• NOTE: you can use a 9x13 cake pan, but coat it well with non-stick cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl combine the cake mix, melted butter and egg until well blended.Press batter into the bottom of your springform pan. 

FILLING 
8 ounces softened cream cheese
15 ounce can pumpkin
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 teaspoon PURE vanilla
1/2 teaspoon orange peel 
3 eggs
2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
Caramel sauce (recipe follows) 
Candied pecans (I used Fisher's Cinnamon Pecans) 
Kraft Caramel Balls 
Smucker's Pineapple Sauce, slightly warmed (optional)

• In a large mixing bowl beat together the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth.
• Add melted butter, vanilla and eggs, beating until well combined.
• Fold in powdered sugar, orange peel and pumpkin pie spice until just mixed. 
• Pour batter over cake base and smooth even.
• Bake 60-75 minutes until cake is set and top is only slightly wobbly (similar to a cheesecake consistency). 
• COOL COMPLETELY on a wire rack BEFORE removing the pan.
• Serve sliced with Caramel sauce, pineapple sauce, caramel balls and pecans. 

NOTE: YOU WILL NEED LESS TIME USING A 9X13 PAN!

CARAMEL SAUCE 
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
3/4 cup sugar
2+ tablespoons water

• Combine the cream and butter in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. 
• Remove from the heat. 
• In a medium saucepan cook the corn syrup over a medium heat until bubbly. 
• Fold in 1/4 cup of the sugar and continue to cook until the edges begin to turn a light amber color. 
• Add in 1/4 cup sugar more and repeat until all the sugar is blended in. 
• Continue cooking until amber color darkens stirring constantly. 
• Remove from the heat and carefully fold in the cream mixture.
• Cook over medium heat stirring frequently until caramel is bubbling. 
• Serve warm. 
• Makes 1 1/2 cups. 

Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Microwave 20-30 seconds to soften refrigerated caramel before serving. 

I'm off to wrap Christmas presents - Have a great weekend! 

LABOR DAY BBQ RECIPES - BLEU CHEESE BURGERS, CHEDDAR BACON BURGERS & COWGIRL KISSES

BLEU CHEESE BURGERS
1/3 pound ground chuck
2-3 tablespoons bleu cheese crumbles
salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

• Mix together, form a patty and grill to taste.

BACON CHEDDAR BURGERS
1/3 pound ground chuck
2-3 tablespoons grated sharp cheddar
1 tablespoons bacon crumbles
salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

• Mix together, form a patty and grill to taste.
• Top with additional cheese and bacon if desired.

COWGIRL KISSES
8 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons Foothill Salad Seasoning
1 slice bacon per pepper
Jalapeno Peppers
Raspberry Chipotle Sauce (see below)

• Mix cream cheese and Foothill Salad Seasoning until well blended.
• Clean and remove seeds from peppers.
• Fill peppers.
• Wrap each pepper with a slice of bacon.
• Bake or grill over low heat until bacon is crisp.
• Serve with raspberry chipotle sauce. 

RASPBERRY CHIPOTLE SAUCE 
1 cup Raspberry Jam 
2 tablespoons diced chipotle peppers
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons apple cider or rice wine vinegar 

• Whisk all ingredients until well blended.
• Chill until ready to serve.  
• Warm before serving.

Homemade Puffy Pastry for Baking Partners & APRICOT RUM RAISINS

This month we're trying our hand at homemade puff pastry.  Gotta tell you I've done this before and everyone should try it at least once, but I now have no problem spending the extra money for Pepperidge Farm to do it for me.

This recipe is suggested by Sangeetha Priya of Nitha Kitchen. She made homemade spinach pinwheels, but I am just not into spinach that much so I changed mine to a sweet pastry - APRICOT PINEAPPLE DANISH.

HOMEMADE PUFF PASTRY    Recipe Source :- BBCFood 
You can make the pastry a day before and store in refrigerator or freeze it for longer use!!!

2 cups strong plain flour (I use King Arthur)

1 cup butter at room temperature, but not soft

1 teaspoon sea salt (I used Makrut Lime Sea Salt from Savory Spice Shop) 
2/3 cup cold water

• Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Make a well in the flour and pour in about two-thirds of the cold water, mixing until you have a firm rough dough adding extra water if needed.
• You can use food processor/blender at this time.
• Turn out onto a lightly floured board, knead gently and form into a smooth rectangle.
• Cover with cling film and leave to rest for at least 20 mins in the fridge. Overnight works too.
• Roughly break the butter in small chunks, use two parchment paper and chunk them loosely. You need to see bits of butter.
• Using Knife or scale and bring it to shape and store in refrigerator with the same parchment paper till use.
• Now roll the dough with thick center, place the butter at center and seal it properly.
• Roll the dough in one direction only, until 3 times the width, about 20 x 50cm.
• Keep edges straight and even.
  DON'T OVERWORK THE BUTTER STREAKS - YOU SHOULD HAVE A MARBLED EFFECT.
• Fold the top third down to the center, then the bottom third up and over that.

• Give the dough a quarter turn (to the left or right) and roll out again to three times the length.
• Fold as before, cover with cling film and chill for at least 20 mins before rolling to use.
• Roll and fold four more times, chilling after two.
• You can fold 4 times the previous day and then next day you can fold two times.
• In the whole process brush off the excess flour over the pastry dough.
• Chill the dough for an hour or more before using.

NOTE:

1. When you feel the dough is sticky just chill in refrigerator before the next fold.
2. You can check out this video for making the puff pastry.

I tried a design and wasn't totally thrilled with it, but I'll go back to a rope design next time.

APRICOT RUM RAISINS

1 cup butter

1 cup milk

1 1/2 cups warm water

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons yeast

4 eggs, beaten

7 1/2 cups flour

• In a saucepan melt butter.
• Add milk and water whisking until smooth consistency and JUST boiling.
• Cool 5-10 minutes so you don't kill the yeast.
• Add the sugar, salt and yeast to form a sponge like blob.
• Add the eggs until uniform consistency.
• In a mixer with a dough hook attached, combine flour and yeast mixture.
• Knead well. Put in refrigerator for at least several hours, but overnight is better.

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Roll a ball of dough the size of a golf ball into a rope and coil into a circle. Make sure the center is thinner than the outer edges to hold the filling in. Sometimes I prefer squares, but you just have to work with your dough after you have it coiled.
• Fill with a heaping tablespoon of filling per danish (recipe below).
• Let rise an hour in a warm place.
• Bake 15 minutes.
• Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting (see below). If you prefer a drizzle thin out this frosting with a couple extra tablespoons of milk until desired consistency.

Cream cheese apricot raisin filling

1 bag large dried apricots, chopped

1/2 cup golden raisins, chopped
1/4 cup golden rum

• Soak apricots and raisins in rum for an hour or overnight.
• Drain off rum.
• Set aside.

8oz pkg cream cheese

1 egg

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tablespoons grated orange peel

• Blend cream cheese, egg, powdered sugar and orange peel together until smooth.
• Fold in apricots and raisins into the cream cheese mixture. Or my favorite is to fill them as 2 separate fillings with the cream cheese first and the apricot in the center of that.

Cream Cheese Frosting
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar

• In a medium bowl beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.
• Add lemon juice and vanilla. Beat until blended.
• Add powdered sugar gradually until well blended and smooth.
• Ice first layer and then add 2nd cake top and ice again including sides of cake.
• Refrigerate 1 hour to set icing before serving.

An InLinkz Link-up

21ST CENTURY MALIBU CHICKEN

Many years ago you would find Malibu Chicken on many menus for popular restaurants.  Lately I've been craving it.  I couldn't find a recipe that was exact so I decided to bring Malibu Chicken into the 21st century using my favorite flavors.  The original recipe I believe was just chicken breast, a slice ofham, a slice of Monterey jack cheese layered and a simple sauce.  I added pineapple - after all ham and pineapple are always a winner together and I updated the cheese to more flavorful combination and then rolled them into bundles.

BUNDLES
4 boneless skinless chicken breast (I just buy the thin sliced chicken breasts)
Mayonnaise OR Dijon mustard
4 thin slices deli ham
4 slices CoJack cheddar cheese
1 can (8 ounces) unsweetened crushed pineapple, well drained
1-1/2 cups Panko bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon Supreme Shallot Salt
White pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon Savory celery flakes
SAUCE
1/2 batch cream soup substitute (see below)*
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon Savory celery flakes
2 tablespoons Simply Fruit raspberry jam

• Flatten chicken breasts to 1/4-in. thickness. 
• Spread 1 tablespoon mayonnaise over each; layer with ham, cheese and pineapple. 
• Roll chicken over pineapple; secure with toothpicks. 
• Brush bundles with mayonnaise.
• In a shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Supreme Shallot Salt, white pepper and Savory celery flakes. 
• Roll bundles in bread crumb mixture; place in an 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. 
• Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until cooked through. 
• Discard toothpicks.
• Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the sauce ingredients. 
• Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through. 
• Serve over chicken.

*you can use 1 can Campbells Cream of Chicken Soup if you prefer - I just prefer the scratch.

 CREAM SOUP SUBSTITUTES

Do you hate buying canned soups for use in recipes? Do you want something healthier and less costly?  These recipes make perfect substitutes for 1 can of soup.

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk or other liquid (as specified in variations)

• Melt the butter in heavy saucepan. 
• Blend in flour and salt. Cook until bubbly. 
• Remove from heat and gradually stir or whisk in liquid. 
• Return to heat and cook, constantly stirring until smooth and thickened.

VARIATIONS

• Cream of chicken: Use 1/2 c. milk and 1/2 c. chicken broth as the liquid. Add 1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning or sage.
• Cream of celery: Saute´ 1/2 c. chopped celery and 1 T. finely chopped onion in the margarine before adding flour. Use milk for liquid.
• Cream of mushroom: Saute´1/4 c. finely chopped mushrooms and 1 T. finely chopped onion in margarine before adding flour. Use milk for liquid.
• Tomato: Use tomato juice as liquid. Add a dash each of garlic salt, onion salt, basil, and oregano.
• Cheddar cheese: Use milk for liquid. Stir into the finished sauce 1/2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese and 1/4 tsp. dry mustard.
• Cream of shrimp: Drain the liquid from a small can of tiny shrimp into a measuring cup. Fill cup with milk to measure 1 cup of liquid. Add a dash of pepper, onion salt, curry powder, and paprika to the finished sauce, and stir in the shrimp.

SAVORY SPICE SHOP ~ BLACK & BLEU CHEESE VINAIGRETTE

I have a new passion!  I found this great new spice shop, SAVORY SPICE SHOP. They grind their own spices and have dozens of wonderful proprietary blends.  Check out their website for some wonderful recipes too.

Tonight I made their Black and Bleu Cheese Dressing.  The consistency is more like a vinaigrette if you use the sour cream so for us so I changed the name a little.  I also accidentally used apple cider vinegar instead of the plain white vinegar and hubby loved it! Next time I'm going to try Gorgonzola crumbles.

The Onion & Garlic Tableside Sprinkle is a great grilling salt free seasoning that did not disappoint on tonight's pork chops.

BLACK & BLEU CHEESE VINAIGRETTE

• 2 ounces Bleu Cheese Powder
• 2 teaspoons Cook County Charcoal Seasoning
• 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles, optional to taste
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup mayonnaise (sour cream if you want a vinaigrette)
• 4 tsp. white vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)

Notes: Replace the mayonnaise with sour cream for a tasty dip version of this dressing.

• Place all ingredients in a medium bowl and stir to combine thoroughly. I used my small food processor.
• Transfer to a sealed container and chill until ready to serve.