Pumpkin Bread with Orange Cream Cheese Swirl

It's fall.  It doesn't feel like fall in Hawaii, except for a little bit more rain here and there.  Thank goodness for Pinterest to snap me into reality that the seasons are in fact changing.  I absolutely LOVE pumpkin.  I stocked up last year at the end of the season, so I have had 4 large cans in my pantry that are good thankfully until 2014.  I think pumpkin in general is pretty expensive given that it is a canned food, but pumpkin in Hawaii...super pricey.  What isn't here though, right?  So this bread is a true treat.  I did some research on this recipe, and decided to pair it with my pumpkin bread recipe, and tweak the swirl to have more of a unique flavor.  Hence, you've got the cream cheese mixture flavored with orange zest.  It's awesome.  Not only is this a new twist on pumpkin bread, but it looks amazing.  I love a good presentation.  Of course if you wanted to add nuts, raisins, or chocolate chips, by all means it's your call.  If you don't want to flavor it orange, leave out the zest.

      Pumpkin Bread with Orange Cream Cheese Swirl

1/2 c oil
1 1/2 c pumpkin
2 c. sugar
2 c. flour
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda

Swirl:
8 oz cream cheese
1 egg
zest of an orange
1/4 sugar

 Preheat oven to 340 degrees. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, oil, sugar, and vanilla, mix well. Combine dry ingredients to the wet ones until well combined. In a separate bowl, mix cream cheese, sugar, egg and orange zest together until well blended. Spray loaf pans with cooking spray (2 medium loaf pans or 4-5 small ones).  Spread a thin layer of the pumpkin batter on the bottom of the loaf pans.  Divide cream cheese mixture among the loaves, then top with remaining pumpkin batter.  Take the end of a knife and swirl each loaf around.  Bake for 30-40 minutes or until set. Let sit for 10 minutes, and then remove from pans.

Roasted Broccoli with Parmesean, Garlic, and Lemon

Tired of having the same old steamed broccoli?  Well this recipe is a great twist on the side that many of us love.  My kids LOVED this recipe, and they were begging for more.  When you roast the broccoli at a high temperature, it gets nutty, and not soggy.  Broccoli is super flavorful when roasted.  In our family we like vegetables to be tender crisp.  Heaven forbid if I cross the line into the soft baby food texture....no one will eat them.  When you roast the broccoli is comes out soft crunchy and we loved it.  By all means if you want  use fresh parmesan cheese and garlic.  I was just into simplifying my life tonight. My last comment, is that fresh lemon is a MUST!

Roasted Broccoli with Parmesan, Garlic, and Lemon

1-2 heads of broccoli, cut into florets
1 1/2 tbs olive oil
1/4 c grated Parmesan (I used the stuff in the can)
1 1/2 to 2 tsp garlic salt (more or less if you like)
1/2 lemon (I zested the lemon, and then used the juice)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  On a large sheet pan place broccoli, olive oil, Parmesan cheese and garlic salt.  Toss together with your hands and settle into an even layer.  Place into oven.  Every 10 minutes stir broccoli with spatula, and settle into a single layer.  Broccoli should be done with the broccoli tops start to turn brown.  Take out of oven, and add lemon juice and zest, toss to coat. Serve.

Mixed Berry Sauce

We miss fresh berries in Hawaii.  You can get them, but they cost a fortune.  So, I have resorted to buying frozen berries from Costco, which are delicious.  I originally made this recipe over father's day, when I made my husband pancakes with berry sauce.  He loved it.  This sauce is not too sweet, but just right.  My new favorite thing to do it make this sauce up, store it in the fridge and add it on top of my Greek yogurt, it is super good!  This sauce could go on top of cheesecake, waffles, ice cream, angel food cake, pancakes, yogurt, and probably many other things.  You can use any type of frozen berry for this recipe.

Mixed Berry Sauce

2 c frozen berries
1/3 c sugar
1 tbs lemon juice
zest of one lemon
pinch of salt
1 tbs cornstarch

Combine all ingredients into a medium pot.  Set heat to medium high heat.  Bring mixture to a boil until desired thickness.  Enjoy!

Thai Style Chicken and Vegetables

Thank you Rachel Ray for this amazing recipe.  I loved the flavors in this dish.  I'm always looking for something easy but interesting in a recipe.  I modified the original recipe just a bit to suit my taste.  The original recipe called for a cup of basil, which I did not have.  I left it out, and didn't even miss it.  But by all means, if you have an abundance of basil try it! This was super yummy and something special to make!

Thai Style Chicken and Vegetables

4 tbs oil
1 1/2-2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite sized peices
Salt and pepper
1 c shredded carrots
1 onion, sliced thinly
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 inch piece of ginger, grated
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
3/4 c chicken broth
1 (13.5 oz) can light coconut milk
1 (10 oz.) box of frozen peas
1/4 c fresh cilantro leaves, coursely chopped
1 lime, zested and juiced

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat with 2 tbs of oil.  Season chicken generously with salt and pepper.  Add chicken to the skillet and brown it for about 5 minutes.  Remove chicken to a plate.  Add remaining tbs of oil to the skillet, then add carrots, ginger, onion, garlic jalapeno, and bell peppers and cook, stirring frequently for about 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken broth and coconut milk, turn the heat up to high and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add chicken back to skillet and cook for another 3-4 minutes.  Remove from the heat and add frozen peas, cilantro, lime zest and lime juice.  Serve with white rice.

Flavorful London Broil

It has been way too long since my last post.  My family and I went to the mainland for 5 weeks!  I can't believe I was gone that long.  It is good to be back in Hawaii, now I need to find time to schedule some beach time.
While I was staying at my in-laws house, I made London Broil.  My mother in law asked if I had posted this recipe on the blog yet, and I replied that I had not.  I didn't feel like it was worth posting about, because it is so easy.  She convinced me, that someone like her would want to know how to cook a steak, and what to marinate it in, so that it turns out juicy and flavorful.  Do not be intimidated by steak.  I have talked to many friends that don't even know what to do with a steak.  Trust me, it is sooooooo easy.
The story behind this recipe, comes from my childhood.  Growing up, every once in a awhile, my family would have London Broil, baked potato, and a salad with Good Seasons Italian Dressing on it. This is a perfect combination of flavors in my book, I still love it. It was a major treat to have steak, and my parents could afford feeding a family of 7, when they made London Broil.  London Broil always goes on sale.  You can get it as cheap as 2.00/pound on the mainland.  So buy it!  The way you stretch this steak, is by slicing it thinly rather than giving each person a hunk of beef.  Plus since it is a very lean piece of meat, you must slice it thinly, or it will be too tough to eat. Any leftovers are great for steak tacos, steak and eggs, or steak sandwiches.

Flavorful London Broil

1 London Broil
1/2 c Italian dressing (any kind)
1 tbs Lawry's Season Salt
1/2 tbs Montreal Steak Seasoning
1/2 tbs garlic powder

Place all ingredients in a freezer ziplock bag.  Let marinate at least 3-4 hours, or up to 6.  Turn broiler onto high.  Place steak onto a broiler pan, or a jelly roll pan with a cooling rack on it.  Place in the oven, with the rack as close as it can go to the broiler and cook for 6-7 minutes on both sides.  Remove steak to a plate, and let rest for 10 minutes.  Using a sharp knife, slice steak thinly against the grain. Serve.