Pumpkin bread pudding with rum butterscotch glaze

         This time of year, anywhere you look themicrowave a pumpkin flavored delight to be had.  Anything from pumpkin pancakes,  to coffee, to of coarse, pie. They are almost always good. These dishes are usually the hot items on the menu, and sell like hot cakes.

         One thing I know for sure is anything pumpkin flavored stirs up the warm feelings of home, and the holidays.  So i decided to combine pumpkin with the  down home goodness of bread pudding. Now the glaze, well, it wouldn't be my recipe if I didn't try to kick it up.

                  INGREDINTS

1  large loaf french bread, stale if you can get it
3  cups milk
6  eggs
3  tbsp pumpkin pie filling *
1  tsp vanilla extract
1/2  cup brown sugar
1/2  cup sugar
1/4  cup butterscotch morsels
1 splash of rum
2 cups powdered sugar

   * you can use homemade pie filling


           Cut bread into 1" cubes. If you couldn't get stale bread, place bread on a cookie sheat. Cook bread at 200 degrees for about an hour, or until bread is completely dry. DO NOT BROWN. Allow to cool

          In a large mixing bowl add the milk, eggs, vanilla, pie filling, and both sugars. Combine.  Place bread crumbs in a large mixing bowl, add pumpkin mixture. Stir with spoon CAREFULLY, as to break the bread chunks as little as possible.

       Put mixture in a 13x9 baking pan, and set, covered in fridge for about 2 hours. This is important,  it allows time for the bread to absorb as much as it can. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes, covered.

        To make glaze, put butterscoth morsels in a microwave savfe bowl, and cook at 30 second intervals until melted. In a seperate bowl put the powdered sugar, add water in small intervals while stirring with a fork. Do this until the consistancy of cinnamon roll frosting is achieved.  Add the butterscotch and rum.

      To serve, top desired prtion with glaze. Also goes well with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream!  Enjoy.

Appetizer night part 3

         MEATBALL SLIDERS

       Ingredients:
1 lb 80/20 ground beef
2 pieces sliced white or wheat bread
Milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/8 cup grated parmesan cheese
1-1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp onion powder
3 slices mozzarella cheese
12 fresh basil leaves
Spaghetti sauce ( can be store bought)
Slider buns or heat and serve dinner rolls

  Remove crust from bread. Tear bread into small pieces and place in a small bowl. Drizzle with milk in small increments,  lightly tossing until bread has absorbed all it can. Do not smash bread!

   In a large mixing bowl add ground beef, bread,eggs, bread crumbs, Italian seasoning,  onion powder, salt and pepper. Combine ingredients.

  Roll mixture into 1 inch balls. Place on foil covered cookie sheet, cook at 375 degrees for approximately 20 minutes. While meatballs cook, warm spaghetti sauce, cut sliced mozzarella in quarters, and split buns in half.

   Remove meatballs from oven, top each one with a slice of cheese and return to oven until cheese is melted.

  Place one meatball on a bun, top with a spoon of spaghetti sauce, a fresh basil leaf, and the top half of the bun.
                         Enjoy!

Appetizer night part 2

                                           Chorizo potato egg rolls

           Ingredients:

   Egg rolls
1 pkg egg roll wrappers
12 oz frozen poatoes o'brien (1/2 a bag)
5 oz chorizo (1/2 tube)
8 oz corn (about 1/2 a can)
10 oz black beans (about 2/3 a can)
1 tsp crushed garlic
vegetable oil
Salt
Pepper

   Dipping sauce
2-3 tbsp adobo
1 tsp teryaki
3 tbsp mayonnaise
3 tbsp sour cream
1 pinch cumin
1-2 tsp sriracha hot sauce


  In a large fry pan over medium high heat, cook chorizo until rendered. Add vegetable and potatoes. Turn heat to meduim, cook stirring occasionally until potatoes are soft. Add garlic, corn, and beans. Salt and pepper to taste,  and cook 2-3 minutes more. Set aside, and let cool.

   Add, a heaping spoon full onto egg roll wrapper and roll as shown.

Add enough vegetable oil to come about 1/2 way up egg roll, and heat to 350 degrees.  Fry egg rolls 2-3 minutes a side, or until golden brown.

  For the sauce simply mix all ingredients in a bowl and mix together. The amount of adobo, and sriracha may be altered to make it more or less hot. I add a little chopped green onion as a garnish.
                            Enjoy!!

Appetizer night

  Whenever my wife and I go out to eat we always order an appetizer. And, I don't know about you, but most of the time I am satisfied and no longer care about the meal. Furthermore I find myself reading a menu and thinking the appetizers are the only creative things on it.

  Needless to say, from time to time, I do "appetizer night". Instead of a traditional meat and potatoes meal I will make 2 to 3 appetizers. This is great  for an occasion when everyone sitting at a table is not ideal. Like Sunday night football.

   I did three recipes, this is part 1, 2 and 3 will follow.


  JALEPENO POPPER EGG ROLLS

  Ingredients
       EGG ROLLS
1 pkg egg roll wrappers
1 8oz pkg cream cheese
   4oz shredded monterey jack cheese
15-20 jalapeños about 1/2 reserved for dipping sauce
1 tsp crushed garlic
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt
Pepper

       DIPPING SAUCE
1 cup sugar
2 cups water
3 tsp corn starch slurry
   ( put corn starch in a cup with about 2 tbsp water and mix, should look like milk)

   Set cream cheese out, allow to come to room temperature.

   Remove seeds and veins from jalapeños, and dice into small pieces.

    Put vegetable oil and jalapeños in a frying pan over medium low heat. Salt and pepper lightly. Cook 15 minutes or so until soft. Add garlic, cook 2-3 more minutes.

    Place room temperature cream cheese, monterey jack, and about a 3rd of the jalapeños in a mixing bowl. Combine with a fork. Remove remaining jalapeños from heat, and allow to cool.

    After mixing cheese mixture,  fry pan should be cool. Place back on medium high heat. Add water and sugar, bring to a boil for about 2 minutes stirring constantly. Add about 1/2 the corn starch slurry, continue stirring. Sauce will begin to thicken. Add more slurry if necessary,  until maple syrup consistency is achieved. Pour into a bowl, let cool.

   
 Now, with hands form cheese mixture, and roll into egg rolls. See photos below. Tip: on last step of roll apply a little water to inside end of roll so it sticks to itself and doesn't unroll.

      In another frying pan bring enough vegetable oil to come 1/2 way up egg roll to 350 degrees.  Fry egg rolls 2-3 minutes a side until golden brown.

    Serve with sauce at room temperature.  Slice egg rolls in half on an angle.
                                          ENJOY!!

We all love bar food, don't we?

    We've all had occasions when an old friend is coming over for "a couple of beers." And I'm sure, like me, there's that friend where you know a couple of beers turns to 6, turns to 2am!  These nights make the greatest of memories. The problem seems to be at some point everyone needs to eat, but in a party atmosphere who knows when that will be? Servefood at the wrong time, and the whole vibe of the party can be ruined, or at least most may not be ready to eat.

     Here is a great sandwich that solves these issues, is creative, delicious, and is definitely "bar food". It's major components can be made ahead of time, and assembled in a snap.
This recipe makes 3 large sandwiches. They can be cut in half to feed 6.

     BAR STYLE POT ROAST SANDWICH

INGREDIENTS

1 1-2LB CHUCK ROAST

1 Small package baby carrots

1 large brown onion

1 green bell pepper

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

3 12" pizza doughs

Olive oil 

Crushed garlic

Salt & pepper

1 to 1 1/2pounds mozzarella cheese, shredded

Italian flat leaf parsley

Prepared creamy horseradish

   Note: I have found it easier to buy my pizza dough from the local pizza joint. If you want to go the extra step and make your own, by all means, go for it!

HARDWARE

Crock pot

Pizza stone

Pannini maker

    At least 5 hours before you expect to eat, put roast in crock pot, with carrots. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook until it shreds with a fork on high. Once done turn cockpot to "keep warm" setting if equipped. It will keep until ready to use.

    Pre heat oven to 500, or highest setting, with pizza stone in it. Roll out pizza dough to oval shape, about 1/4" thick. CAREFULLY, remove pizza stone from oven, and put dough on stone. Drizzle a little olive oil on dough. Spread crushed garlic to taste (a little goes a long way!).  Finely chop parsley. Top dough with cheese, and sprinkle on parsley to taste.  You have to work fast. Place back in oven, cook until cheese is melted.

   Remove from oven. This is the bread for one sandwich, repeat with other 2 doughs. Trim off crusts, this will hold fine covered for a couple hours.

    Dice onions and peppers to 1/4" pieces. Put about a tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan, add peppers and onions. Cook on medium high heat until soft, about 8 minutes. 

   When you are ready to eat, assemble sandwiches. Put helping of pot roast on a piece of cheese bead, cheese side up, top with peppers, onions,  horseradish,  and top piece of bread cheese side down. If you don't like horseradish,  it can be substituted for something like deli mustard. You can also omit it, and enjoy with au jous, like a beef dip. The choice is yours.

    Place in pannini maker and cook until bread is toasted,  and cheese is melted. Enjoy with an ice cold beer!

Rum drizzled chocolate neapalitin cake

       Funny thing about me, I love to cook, as if that isn't obvious.  I will, and do frequently, get up at 5am to smoke a pork butt for dinner. I will spend countless dollars formulating a new, crazy idea for a recipe. I will, and do, invite people over simply so I can cook for them. I equally enjoy the work involved, and sitting down and enjoying the benifits.

       Here's the odd part, I enjoy sweets/desserts as much, if not more than the meal. Yet, for some reason, I don't really enjoy making them.  Probobly because when I do cook, the meal consumes all my time. Needless to say when I do make desserts,  it's usually not from scatch.  As I see it thats o.k., with a little creativity,  you too can make an outstanding dessert!

         INGREDIENTS:
1 Chocolate cake mix and ingredients requested on box
1 Container fresh strawberries
1 Container fresh blueberries
1 Container fresh blackberries
1 Container fresh red raspberries
1 Container cool whip
1 Bottle raspberry,  coconut,  or golden rum

        HARDWARE:
1 loaf pan

         Make cake mix as directed on box. Butter and flour loaf pan. Bake in loaf pan until done, about 20 minutes.

         After cake comes out of oven, allow to cool. Drizzle the rum over the cake. The trick 

To this is to put your thumb over the top of the bottle so you can controlbhow much comes out. Were just adding flavor here, not getting anyone drunk!!

         Elice the cake to the thickness of thin sandwich bread. Top with cool whip, and berries. Add another slice, top with a dollop of cool whip, and a few more berries.

Margarita chicken

About me

        I am just an average guy, no different than anyone who may read this. I have a wonderful wife, 4 children, and have a small home in the suburbs. Professionally, I have been a car mechanic almost all of my adult life. It is a profession that requires hard work, long hours, a world of knowledge, and a passion for cars. It is the passion, that lead me to cooking as a hobby.

    Every man is born with a natural desire to build something,  be it a hot rod, a house, a model airplane, or whatever he dreamed of as a kid. My passion was obviosly cars, and several times in my life I tried to build a cooler, faster, sexier car. The problem is building such a car is very time consuming, and VERY expensive. Hense, every time, I abandoned my project car. Thankfully I was aware enough to see the burden it put on my family.

    I remember the day I decided to start toying with cooking as a hobby. We were making spaghetti for dinner, store bought noodles, and sauce in a can. I don't know why, but I opened "Mom ans Dad's" cupboard,  grabbed a bottle of amarretto, and poured some in the sauce. At the time, it was great, we all ate dinner and talked about what we could do differnt next time.

    Now, 15 years later, cooking is still my hobby. Though not as cheap as it used to be, it still brings good times to my family and friends. I now have friends and acquaintances asking me to cook for thier parties, wich I do just for the pleasure of it.

   So, now I am going to start sharing some of the recipes I have developed over the years. Hopefully you and your family will enjoy. If you do enjoy, you should also visit my aunt Cynthia's blog, www.iamthereforeibake.com. She is a professional chef, makes amazing food, and has been the one to push and inspire me to do this.

 First recipe next weekend!!!