Cooking my way through the Southern Living cookbook #'s 4 and 5

The last 2 days were so busy, I didn't get a chance to blog so I have 2 to make up today!!  So I am blogging a quick bread and a delicious meal!

Spiced Applesauce Bread

Measure 1 1/4 c. applesauce

Combine applesauce, suage, oil, eggs and milk and stir well.

Measure out dry ingredients, including the delicious spices that make this very flavorful!

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry

Now mix them together real good!

This is where you would fold in the pecans but I am not a nut person (unlike my mom!!) so I leave them out!

Mix together the topping ingredients

and sprinkle on top.  Now throw it in the oven and bake it for an hour.

Take it out of the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes before taking it out of the pan.

Cool it on a wire rack out of the pan and slice it.

Spiced Applesauce Bread
1 1/4 c. applesauce
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 T. milk
2 c. flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. allspice
1 1/2 c. pecans
1/4 c. light brown sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; stir well. 
Combine flour and next 6 ingredients; add to applesauce mixture, stirring well.  Fold in 1/2 c. pecans.  Pour batter into a greased 9x5 inch loaf pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes.  Remove from pan, and cool completely on wire rack.

Enjoy!!

Now for a meal- I thought it was pretty good and my family loved it!  But it was a little too thick- maybe I'll use a little less cornstarch next time.  And since I was talking to my brother while I was making it, I unknowingly grabbed Worcestershire sauce out of the frig and poured it in instead of sesame oil!!  I realized my mistake, tried to take most of it out but I don't think I got it all.  So, it had a little "extra" flavor in it that SHOULD NOT have been in there!  So I put more marmalade and added some brown sugar- all to hide the worcestershire flavor.  So, that might have been why it was a little too thick!  Oh well, I was asked to make it again and they never mentioned the "off" flavor!  :)

Orange-Pecan Shrimp Stir-fry

Take 4 green onions and cut the white ends and green tops into 1-inch pieces.  Set aside.

Now take your green pepper (the recipe calls for red but the organic red peppers were almost $4 a piece so I bought an organic green for a whole lot cheaper!!) and cut into thin strips.  The red would've added the much needed pretty color but maybe next time!! :)

Now stir together 1 cup water, corn starch, soy sauce, marmalade, ginger and orange rind. OMW- (oh my word- that's my "christian version" of OMG-snicker, snicker)- while typing this, I realized I forgot the ginger!  Ok, I am really amazed my family liked this with the added worcest. sauce and no ginger!  Plus, I didn't add the orange rind- I didn't have an orange.  So I guess this recipe is pretty forgiving!!

Now you are going to stir-fry your ingredients!

First, stir-fry your shrimp.  Mmm, those look good!!

Now, stop what you are doing and help your daughter figure out what she wants in the frig.  :) 

That's her new thing this week- she hangs on the door of the frig and tries to open it.  Then you open it and she stands on the bottom and either wants yogurt or cottage cheese.  Too funny.  Sometimes she doesn't know what she wants and just looks.  I want to say "speed it up girl"!!

Ok, when you're done with that get back to your dinner and take out your shrimp after 3 minutes or so.  Now you are going to stir-fry your peppers and white onion pieces for 2 minutes. Then add your green tops and cook for a minute or so.

Now add your shrimp and soy sauce mixture; bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute or until thickened.  Now you'll stir in your pecans and sesame oil.  Note: not Worcestershire sauce!  And it might help to stay off the phone until this step is done.  :)

While you are doing all that, (as if that isn't enough) you are supposed to be cooking your rice too!  Then you can serve it over the rice and it should be delicious!!

Orange-Pecan Shrimp Stir-Fry

2 lbs. unpeeled, medium-size fresh shrimp  ( I used frozen)

4 green onions

1 c. water

1/4 c. soy sauce

4 t. cornstarch

2 T. orange marmalade

1 T. grated orange rind

1/2 t. ginger

1 T. vegetable oil

1 large red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1 c. chopped pecans, toasted

2 t. sesame oil

Hot cooked rice

Peel shrimp, and devein, if desired.  Set aside.

Cut white ends from green onions; cut into 1-inch pieces, and set aside.  Cut green onion tops into 1-inch piecs, and set aside.

Stir together 1 c. water and next 5 ingredients; set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat 2 minutes.  Add shrimp, and stir-fry 3 minutes.  Remove shrimp.

Add bell pepper and white ends of onions; stir fry 2 minutes.  Add green onion tops; stir-fry 1 minute.  Add shrimp and soy sauce mixture; bring to a boil, and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute or until thickened.  Stir in pecans and sesame oil.  Serve over hot cooked rice.

Enjoy!!