Grandma's Kumquat Cake

When I was growing up my cousins and I would go over to my uncle's yard and steal all kinds of goodies off his trees. There were loquats, mulberries, tangerines, oranges that he would cut so we could drink the juice, sugarcane stalks to chew, and of course, kumquats. Kumquats are these weird little citrus fruits that have a thick skin and a very tart flesh. You can eat them whole, or what we learned to do was eat the skin and throw the inside away. Kind of counter-intuitive but that's how we do.

Sometimes my grandma would task us with collecting some kumquats so she could make her kumquat cake. I have no idea where she found this recipe but this cake was beloved by the whole family. It's a good way of using up the fruit and making it tasty instead of being very sour.

 This past year one of my cousins reminded me about that delicious cake so I went to my grandma's cookbook that is falling apart and colored with age and countless uses and actually found the recipe! My cousins and I went out that night after dark to pick what remained from the kumquat tree and I baked this cake the next day. The first bite brought me right back to sitting at my grandma's kitchen table eating this cake and talking to her about whatever we used to talk about. It was a powerfully emotional experience because taste memory is so strong. Do you have a flavor that just brings you back to a time and place like that?

Around that time I made another cake to bring to Tyler's house for dinner and his mom fell in love with the cake. She said that she wanted this to be her birthday cake, which was quite the compliment! Since her birthday is in August and there are no kumquats to be found that time of year, I froze some kumquat puree so I could make it for her.

And here we are! I pulled some of the puree out of the freezer and made this for her birthday. Everyone loved it! It's such an embarrassingly simple cake but it has such a nice flavor. It's citrus but it's different from the usual lemon or orange. If you can't get your hands on kumquats you can substitute Calamondin oranges or a meyer lemon, I think, but it won't have the same signature flavor. Kumquats are hard to find and have a short season. I pick mine from my uncle's tree but you can find them in stores in the winter. If you're a kumquat nut like me make sure you're prepared for the long off-season!

This cake holds a lot of memories for me and is one of my favorite things to make. I love using fruit that grows on my family's property and I love making a cake with such personal ties. I always think of my grandma when I make it and thank her for a recipe that is still making people happy to this day. So if you make this, please enjoy and know that the recipe comes from a loving Grandma's kitchen.

Grandma's Kumquat Cake

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1 cup kumquat puree, divided
• eggs
• vegetable oil 
• 2 cups powdered sugar

To make the puree slice and seed the kumquats and place in a blender. They should puree without any additional water but you can add a little water if you need to.

To make the cake, substitute 3/4 cup of the puree for the water called for in the recipe.If the recipe calls for more than3/4 cup water, add the remaining amount of water. (So if it calls for 1 cup water, add 3/4 cup puree and 1/4 cup water). Add the remaining ingredients to make the cake as normal. Bake according to box instructions.

Take the remaining puree and add 2 cups powdered sugar and stir until combined. If too runny add more sugar, if too thick add some water. It should be thick enough to not run all over the place.

Once the cake is done prick all over with a fork and let cool. Spread the glaze all over the top of the cake. Enjoy!

Peanut butter Jelly Bars

I needed something quick to whip up before dinner guests came over and this recipe seemed promising. It came together quickly and tasted like a jacked up peanut butter cookie. Everything you love about peanut butter and jelly sandwich in bar form.

Some people go years without having a peanut butter jelly sandwich but I advocate frequent consumption. Those babies got me through my freshman year of college and are getting me through this summer of field work. What's your favorite flavor of jelly? I was raised on grape which will always have a special place in my heart but I really prefer raspberry most of the time. Last time I bought jelly I decided to get wild and crazy and bought blackberry which is what I used in these bars.

I halved the recipe and made it in an 8x8 pan and it worked really well. We didn't need a whole pan of these sitting around. They were a great hit at dinner! It's a good summertime treat.

Peanut Butter Jelly Bars
 Adapted from girlversusdough.com

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1½ cups granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 extra-large eggs, room temperature
• 18 ounces creamy peanut butter (I used Skippy Natural!)
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1½ cups whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 18 ounces raspberry jam
• ⅔ cup salted peanuts

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13-inch cake pan. Line it with parchment paper, then grease it again.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light yellow, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low, add the vanilla, eggs, and peanut butter and mix until all ingredients are combined.
3. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour to the peanut butter mixture and mix until combined.
4. Spread ⅔ of the dough into the prepared cake pan, making sure it covers the entire surface evenly. Spread the jam evenly over the dough. Drop small globs of the remaining dough evenly over the jam. Sprinkle with the peanuts. Bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool and cut into squares.

Steak Tips with Peppered Gravy

My camera is on the fritz and all the pictures turned out really weird. I apologize. It's not as brown as it looks. It also didn't help the sun had gone down before I made dinner so the lighting is garbage. Which, by the way, I'm already depressed summer is ending and days are getting shorter. I'm not done with summer yet! Anyone else feel like this or am I alone? Sure it's hot and muggy but I love every bit of summer in Florida. As I type the afternoon thunderstorm is brewing and the rumbles of thunder roll about outside.

I haven't made this recipe for a couple years for some reason but it won't be another couple years before I make it again. It comes together pretty quickly and works perfectly for a week night dinner. It got two thumbs up from the boyfriend so it's sure to make a repeat performance soon.

I have a few ideas for next time, I think a splash of red wine would be quite tasty and give a little more depth of flavor. Also it's probably possible to cook this in the crock pot instead of the stove top. I'll report back.

Steak Tips with Peppered Gravy

• 1 pound sirloin steak, cut into cubes
• 1 Tblsp butter
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 pkg sliced baby bellas
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 Tblsp soy sauce
• 3 Tblsp flour
• 1 1/2 cups beef broth
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• egg noodles

Heat pan over medium high heat and spray with cooking spray. Brown steak on all sides, does not have to be cooked through. Remove from pan, cover. Melt butter in pan and add shallots, garlic, and mushrooms. Saute until softened. Stir in soy sauce. Sprinkle flour over and cook for a minute. Add broth, stirring constantly. Add pepper, thyme, and salt. Bring to boil, cook 2 minutes or until thickened. Return beef to pan and cook for several more minutes until gravy thickens and steak is cooked through. Serve with egg noodles.

Crock pot Barbeque Chicken

I'm sorry for the hiatus! We've had so many social obligations I've hardly had to cook at all, and then I was visiting my family in Washington, D.C. But before I left I made this delicious barbeque.

 I've been craving barbeque for months but it's never on my radar when we go out to eat and most recipes call for using a whole pork butt which makes A LOT of food. So I switched pork for chicken in this recipe and my craving was satisfied. I apologize for the pictures but Tyler and I were so busy shoving this dinner in our faces I didn't have time to take good pictures. We seriously ate this over the kitchen sink because we couldn't be bothered to take our plates and sit at the table like civilized people. It was that good. Consider yourself warned.

I made a mandarin orange slaw to go along with it, and I was really excited about it but the flavor wasn't as different as I hoped. It kind of just tasted like regular slaw.

By the way, I've mentioned how much I love my crock pot right? It's the best. Dinner cooked itself and all I had to do was toast the buns a little and cooked up some tater tots because why not. I used just 2 chicken breasts and wondered if it would be enough for the two of us but we actually got 2 square meals out of it so it was economical too!

Crock Pot Barbeque Chicken

•  2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (or 2-3 lb pork tenderloin)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup pineapple juice
• 1 cup barbeque sauce (I like Pat's Homemade Barbeque Sauce available at Publix)
• hamburger buns
• pickles or slaw for serving

Spray crock pot lightly with cooking spray and place meat in the bottom. Mix the brown sugar and spices together. Sprinkle evenly over meat. Mix the garlic, juice and bbq sauce together and pour into bottom of crock pot. Cook on low 5-6 hours. Shred chicken with 2 forks and allow to cook another 30 -60 minutes. Serve on hamburger buns with pickles or slaw of your choice. 

Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops with Applesauce

For years I tried to cook pork chops and I was disappointed over and over again. Then I tried this recipe and it became my go-to recipe for pork chops. It has great flavor and if you're careful you can get really tender, juicy pork. It's really easy too!

 

I grew up eating applesauce with my pork chops and now applesauce is an absolute necessity whenever I eat pork. After making applesauce from scratch I vowed to never buy it again because making it is so easy and cheap. This particular batch I threw in the freezer so I just took it out the day before and then warmed it gently on the stove when I was cooking dinner.

It took a while to decide what to serve along the pork  and applesauce and I finally decided on risotto. Tyler and I both go nuts over risotto and it's pretty easy even though it has a reputation of being fussy and difficult. For a while I was weirdly mystified by risotto, I don't know if it was the reputation it has or the fact that I couldn't yet buy wine with which to make it. Now I have it down cold and it's nothing to be scared about. It's really more of a method than recipe. Anything that makes you come back to the stove to eat it directly out of the pot has to be a good thing.

Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops

• 2-4 pork chops (bone in or not, I buy whatever is on sale) 
• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese (the real stuff, not the green can stuff)
• 2 Tblsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 cloves finely chopped garlic 
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Heat a skillet on medium-high heat. Mix the garlic, cheese, rosemary, salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Salt and pepper one side of the pork and place seasoned side down in hot skillet. Let cook undisturbed for about 5 minutes or until golden brown and turn over. Evenly divide the parmesan mixture over the pork. Place into oven for about 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chops. I use a thermometer to make sure the pork is cooked to 160 degrees. For the last 5 minutes I turn the oven off and turn the broiler on high to crisp the cheese on top. When it's done let sit for 5-10 minutes before cutting.

Applesauce

• 5-6 apples (doesn't matter what kind)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup sugar (optional)

Peel and chop the apples into small pieces and place in saucepan. Add the cinnamon, water, and sugar (if using). Heat over medium-low until simmering. Let cook for about 30 minutes, until the apples are tender. Mash. If it seems loose it will tighten as it cools. You can mash as much as you want for a smoother or more chunky sauce. I like mine on the chunkier side. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to a week or freeze for longer.

Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Shells

 This dish just sounded really good when I found it and after I made it I realized it's actually pretty healthy. It's a departure from the usual stuffed shells I make, and I really liked it. It's pretty lightened up with light ricotta, boneless skinless chicken, spinach, and tomatoes. 

 

 It came together pretty quickly, except it takes a while to individually scoop the filling into the shells. I wish there was a faster way to do that. I served this with roasted broccoli which was good. The only thing I might change would be to add some mozzarella for extra cheesiness, parmesan doesn't get all melty and oozy as much. 

Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Shells 

Adapted from Heart Mind and Seoul

24 shell pasta, cooked according to package instructions

2 chicken breasts, boiled and shredded

1 cup reduced fat ricotta cheese

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded + more to sprinkle

1 cup frozen spinach, thawed

1/4 cup chopped sundried tomatoes

2 tablespoons chopped basil leaves

salt and pepper to taste

your favorite pasta sauce

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, combine shredded chicken, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, spinach, sundried tomatoes, basil leaves, and salt and pepper and mix well using a fork.

Stuff each cooked shell with the chicken filling carefully with a spoon. Place them in a baking dish. Drop spoonfuls of your favorite pasta sauce onto the shells. Sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 375 degrees F. for 25-30 minutes.

Shepard's Pie

My family, being amazing, celebrates two Thanksgivings a year. Once on Thanksgiving and once in July. The food is too good to only have once a year! This year was the best yet! What does this have to do with shepard's pie you may ask? Well somehow when our Thanksgiving in July was over I ended up with ALL of the mashed potatoes. So, being resourceful, I whipped up some shepard's pie to use them up.

I can't say I'm an expert on shepard's pie, even though it is the food of my people. So if this isn't what you expect from shepard's pie don't kill me. It tasted good and it used up the rest of my mashed potatoes! I had enough to make 2 small dishes of it so I stuck one in the freezer for some day down the road. It wasn't until I had stashed the dish in the freezer that I realized I had accidentally used a serving dish and I really have no idea if it's oven safe so I guess we'll have to wait and see how reheating it goes. Pray for me and my shepard's pie.

It's been a while since Joker made an appearance. He's still my kitchen helper!


Shepard's Pie
Adapted from my brain! 

• 1-ish pound lean ground beef or ground sirloin
• half onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups peeled, chopped carrots (I used baby carrots cause I had them)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 carton baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 3 Tblsp flour
• 3/4 cup red wine
• 1 can beef broth
• salt and pepper
• 1 tsp thyme
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup frozen peas
•  Mashed potatoes 
• 3/4 cup grated cheese (cheddar or colby jack would be good)

In one pan, start browning the beef until no longer pink. Drain if needed.

In another pan start sauteeing the onion, garlic, mushrooms, and carrots in a dash of olive oil. Once the vegetables have softened and released some water add the flour and stir around for a couple minutes. Deglaze with the red wine and stir until the flour dissolves and it comes back to a boil. Add the broth, Worcestershire sauce,thyme, the cooked beef, salt and pepper to taste and let bubble until it thickens. If it thickens too much add a little water to make a nice gravy. Add the peas at the last minute and just stir to warm them through. Pour the mixture into a baking dish. Cover with mashed potatoes as evenly as possible. Sprinkle cheese over the top. Put into preheated 375 degree oven for 15-20 minutes until the beef is bubbling and the potatoes are warmed through. Enjoy!