Sleepless but not in Seattle, Doctor's, Damaging Wind, First Instapot Meal

Been suffering a lot for inability to get to sleep lately. I read, somewhere, that Peppermint Tea was good for sleeplessness. So, I am trying it out. It seems to relax me enough to go to sleep, but Saturday night I woke at about 3 and couldn't get back to sleep again. I also read, Sunday morning, that you shouldn't eat ice cream around 4 hours before bedtime, nor dark chocolate. So, will try ice cream at lunch and see what happens. It doesn't help that I can hear my pulse clearly when I lay my head on my pillow. I hate that. Apparently that is tinnitis and has several possible causes. Luckily high blood pressure is not one of  them for me. As I seem to have had an allergy all day, problems with eustachian tube or hearing is most likely.

Tomorrow we both have to see the doctor. Next town unfortunately. Right opposite the Cannabis Office. Thursday is the Infectious Diseases Dept. Seems silly to me so long after the fact but what do I know?

The wind has been howling round this building all day, I don't know what it's strength is but I read that it is expected to be a "damaging" wind. I hope it will stop by tomorrow.

Some of you will be wondering whether I have tried my Instapot. I found this recipe. I cooked it Saturday night. I think I need to do a few alterations, but it ended up being a delicious meal. I think the cooking time was a tad long, I chose 5 minutes, and the glaze ended up somewhat sticky before I did anything to it. I chose 5 minutes cooking time - that seemed to take forever. One thing I didn't know, and it doesn't say in the recipe, after natural vent, you need to turn to venting before you can take the lid off.

Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin with Garlic Herb Rub

This Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin has a garlic herb rub that gives it INCREDIBLE flavour! Simply cook it in the pressure cooker with some chicken broth or add an easy 4 ingredient honey balsamic

glaze to make it extra special. An easy dinner recipe that is healthy, too! Cook from fresh or frozen.

1 cup low sodium chicken broth I used one cup and cooked for 5 mins. Liquid overcooked, next time will use 2 cups.
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1 lb pork tenderloin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp seasoning salt
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp black pepper

To Make the Glaze:
2-3 tbs  honey
1 Tbs ketchup
1 Tbs water
1 Tbs corn starch

Place trivet in the Instant Pot and add chicken broth and balsamic vinegar.

Trim silver skin from the side of the tenderloin. Cut in half and place on the trivet in the Instant Pot or pressure cooker.

 In a small bowl, combine garlic powder, parsley, seasoning salt, onion powder and black pepper. Sprinkle half over tenderloin in Instant Pot. Flip and sprinkle remaining seasoning over top.

Place lid on Instant Pot and turn the valve to sealing. Select Manual, high pressure (the default), and set timer to 7 minutes for fresh pork (10 minutes for partially frozen, or 13 minutes for frozen) -- for medium-well. If you like your tenderloin more on the rare side, 3-5 minutes is sufficient for fresh pork. 5 was too long for me. The meat was fine, the liquid almost dry.

When the cook time is done, turn the Instant Pot off and let pressure release naturally for 8-10 minutes. Then let it vent before you open the lid and remove the trivet with the pork on it and let rest for 5-10 minutes while you make the glaze. Do not drain the liquid. I didn't have any liquid after 5 minutes. Not sure, add more stock or use a lesser time.

To Make the Glaze:

Turn the Instant Pot to saute and add the honey and ketchup. Stir together the water and corn starch and whisk into the Instant Pot. Let simmer for 2-3 minutes until thick and bubbly. Taste and adjust seasoning or sweetness to taste.

Slice tenderloin and serve with glaze as desired.

Servings: 4

Author: Ashley Fehr
Source: Recipe Rebel

Have a great day
 

Cupavci, Heading West, Movie,

As I frequently do on a Saturday, I go to Victoria St. Market to get bananas. What a joke. Bananas don't cost nearly as much as I end up paying. This week I went for my bananas and ended up buying some cream, and some of their desserts. I believe the one we had tonight is called Cupavci but the girl who sold it to me said she couldn't pronounce it and I couldn't hear what she what whispering anyway..they really should teach their staff what desserts - or anything else - are called. Why I am fussing about it, we both found it to be delicious and want to be able to ask for more. The ones in the store were covered in almonds which were obviously toasted and in some kind of syrup. The whole  thing was absolutely delicious. Matt assures me I can get more if and when they have any. Maybe I'll phone them tomorrow and ask if they have some or will have some at the weekend.

Fairly quiet weekend - Lisa phone to say they were leaving and had decided to head West. Not sure they will find anything that interesting although they might find the odd lake in the way. I'll be interested to see where they ended up. Stratford-on-Avon, Ontario, is West of here if they were headed that way.

Tonight (Sunday) I watched The African Queen which is a wonderful movie and apparently the only movie Humphrey Bogart won an Oscar for. I think he deserved more than one. He is one of my favourites. Maybe I should say 'was'.  Of course Katherine Hepburn was in this movie too.

It occurred to me that many of the recipes I have for the Instant Pot are sweetish or certainly include either sugar or honey. So I did some Googling. I had already defrosted a pork tenderloin so I hunted for recipes without sugar. I found two I liked. This is the one I actually cooked. Have you noticed that the finished result of your recipe never looks quite the same as the pictures!!

Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin

An easy pressure cooker recipe for Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin served with a creamy mustard sauce

and onions. Low carb, keto, and gluten free.

1 pork tenderloin (1 - 1.5 pounds)
1 small onion thinly sliced
1/2 cup water
1 Tbs olive oil
salt and pepper
For the sauce:
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
1 Tbs dijon mustard

1. Cut the pork tenderloin in half so it’s half as long as before. If unseasoned, season all sides with salt and pepper.

2. Turn on the pressure cooker’s saute mode for medium heat. When the display reads HOT, add olive oil to coat the bottom of the pot. Add pork and cook until golden brown on one side, about 5 minutes. Flip to cook the other side for a few minutes. Transfer the pork to a plate.

3. Add onions and cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently. Turn off the saute mode.

4. Add water, stirring and briefly scraping up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Return the pork to the pot, nestling it on top of the onions.

5. Secure and seal the lid. Cook at high pressure for 4 minutes, followed by a 10 minute natural release. Make sure to wait the full 10 minutes; do not open even if the pressure is completely released before 10 minutes have elapsed.

6. Uncover and insert a thermometer into the thickest part of the tenderloin -- it should read 140-145 F. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let it rest, where it will continue cooking. Do not slice yet.

7. Turn on the saute mode. Add heavy cream and mustard to the pot, stirring together. Bring to a boil. Let the sauce boil for 8-10 minutes to thicken, stirring frequently. Turn off the saute mode and stir for a minute to let the boiling subside. Stir in parmesan cheese until melted.

8. Slice the pork into thin slices and serve onto plates. Pour the sauce on top.

Servings: 3

Source: Savory Tooth

Have a great day

 

Spies, Dogs, Them Green Things, Jeopardy,

Well, not only have I got ladydog keeping an eye on me through my blog, it appears that the Physiotherapist (the one who isn't a doctor!!) is keeping an eye on us through this blog too. Actually we had a good laugh about it today. He was teasing me about the artichokes. His pronouncement is that Matt is doing a lot better. I thought so too. Since stopping those pills, he is stronger and not shaking and doesn't jump with pain when the therapist touches the side of his thighs. He has now given him some leg strengthening exercises as well which are very similar to the ones we did in exercise class (wonder when they will start again) and he said I should do them alongside Matt. He ran Matt through them and was pleased by how well he managed.

Earlier Kathy had come in with the shopping and brought some more artichokes. She also brought Oates, her puppy in training. Cute little dog, she got on with everyone. She is a lab and actually quite small for a labrador  At one year old, she may grow a bit more I guess. She is already extremely obedient. Matt loved her. If he could have Zoey and Oates with him all the time he would be a happy man. She got some water in the bowl I use for Zoey and for my salad!!! Ladydog is not the only one.

Once everyone had gone I finished putting away the groceries. Turned out I had received 8 artichokes! Guess that was it for last week's order and I got them all. I might say the PC Express people had told me there were no artichokes!!! Maybe they don't know what they are. I decided to cook some and thought to myself that when I used to cook them in a pan they were in the water, so that is what I did this time, as an experiment, no trivet, just salted water and 3 chokes. They came out fine. So, if anyone else is planning to cook them in an Instant Pot, all you do is put them in your pot, upside down,  with a cup of salted water, stalks cut off and included, cook them for 15 minutes and then do a quick release. The time does depend on the size of the artichokes of course, but this is for the larger ones. Of course, if you want to, you can put all kinds of garlic and herbs in with them, but I don't think it's necessary.

My favourite programme, Jeopardy, is replaying the very first episodes from many years ago. Alex Trebek then sounds like any other Game Host. I guess he mellows during the years. The one they showed tonight, every contestant ended with 0 dollars. Apparently that didn't happen again for 30 years.

By the way, I have noticed I have been making a few errors in my blogs lately. My apologies, please put it down to tiredness and I will try not to do it any more, some hopes.

Looking at this recipe it could certainly be adapted for the Instant Pot. I must try it out.

Pork Marbella

We took the classic, beloved Chicken Marbella recipe from The Silver Palate Cookbook and made it weeknight-friendly by using quick-cooking pork tenderloin instead. The meat is marinated and then

cooked in those same delicious juices, which get turned into a luscious sweet-and-sour pan sauce.

2 1-lb. pork tenderloins
2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup dry white wine
½ cup pitted prunes, torn in half
? cup (packed) light brown sugar
¼ cup capers, plus 1 Tbsp. caper brine
¼ cup pitted Spanish green olives
¼ cup red wine vinegar
4 garlic cloves, peeled, smashed
2 bay leaves
1 Tbs dried oregano
¼ cup plus 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbs unsalted butter
¼ cup chopped parsley

1. Season pork with salt. Let sit 15 minutes while you prepare the marinade.

2. Combine wine, prunes, brown sugar, capers and brine, olives, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves, oregano, and ¼ cup oil in a large resealable plastic bag. Add pork, seal tightly, pressing as much air out of bag as possible, and turn to coat. Chill at least 2 hours or up to overnight.

3. Place a rack in center of oven; preheat to 325°. Remove pork from marinade and pat dry; reserve marinade. Heat remaining 1 Tbsp. oil in a 12" skillet over medium-high. Cook pork, turning occasionally, until golden brown all over, 6–8 minutes.

4. Remove pan from heat and let cool 1 minute. Pour reserved marinade over pork. Transfer pan to oven and bake, basting pork once with its sauce halfway through, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of tenderloin registers 145°, 22–26 minutes, depending on thickness.

5. Transfer pork to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes. Return pan to medium-high heat. Add butter and cook, swirling pan occasionally, until slightly reduced, 3–5 minutes. Stir in parsley.

6. Slice tenderloin crosswise against the grain. Transfer to a platter and spoon pan sauce over.

Servings: 4

Source: Bon Appétit



Have a great day, stay well, stay safe.
 

Air Conditioner, Bowling, Bastille Day,

Hooray, we have air. Mind you it's almost like winter out there, but we have air if we want it. We are now as poor as church mice but we have air and of course brakes etc. on the car.. He had one heck of a job removing the old one and another heck of a job getting the new one into the sleeve, but eventually he managed it. Was supposed to have someone with him but who knows what happened to him. This picture basically shows you how they work. The sleeve is part of the apartment and the unit slides (joke) in. Mind you, if we ever decide to move, I have a feeling we won't be able to take the unit with us.

After lunch, we went bowling as usual. We ended up with lots of noisy kids. Never known the place to be so bad. We played two games and Matt groused all through them. So we went home. Pity, I was bowling really well. The young man in charge today, said he enjoys kids and gets on well with them, good for him. There was one couple, the youngest kid was kicking his brother and his brother ended up howling his eyes out. That same howler was making enough noise for 6 kids, didn't seem able to speak below a shout. Not only that, there were a whole bunch of women having a pot luck and then bowling. One of the winter leagues I think. In themselves not particularly noisy but it all added to the general noise level. Great for business, not for us.

Today is July 14 or in France Bastille Day le quatorze Juillet. a day of national celebration. I can't believe they invited Mr. Trump to join them even though he has run down France quite a lot. However, I guess he is the President.

Some people wouldn't go near this recipe because of the prunes, but although I haven't yet tried it, I think the combination would be excellent and give a good flavour to the pork.

Pork Tenderloin With Shallots and Prunes

Porc aux pruneaux, which is a classic, is by no means fancy, and it is always much more old-fashioned bistro or grandmotherly than high end. Simply put, it is a pork roast with red-wine-soused prunes. Hardly elegant, although it doesn’t have to be heavy either. In France, countless versions of the dish are made in neighborhood joints and at home. Sometimes a large loin or shoulder roast is used, sometimes pan-fried chops. Here we use a lightly brined pork tenderloin, adding stewed shallots to the sauce for depth and texture, and a touch of ginger for brightness. While the roast is in the oven, the shallots simmer with the wine and prunes for the sauce. The dark red sauce (rather

unctuous really) is both sweet and tart, with a boozy hint of Madeira. It strikes a Middle European chord somewhere deep within. Serve with sweet potatoes or garnet yams roasted in their skins.

FOR THE BRINED PORK:
3 Tbs kosher salt
3 Tbs brown sugar
¼ tsp allspice berries, crushed
¼ tsp black peppercorns, crushed
2 bay leaves
Few thyme branches
1 pork tenderloin, trimmed, about 1 pound

FOR THE SAUCE AND ROAST:
4 oz pitted prunes, about 16 large
½ cup dry red wine
½ tsp grated ginger
½ tsp grated orange zest
1 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs butter
3 to 4 large shallots, finely diced, about 1/3 cup
½ tsp chopped fresh thyme
Salt and pepper
1 ½ cups chicken broth
1 Tbs Madeira or port, optional
2 tsp potato starch dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water.

1. To brine the pork: Dissolve the salt and brown sugar in 2 cups cold water in a glass or stainless steel bowl large enough to hold the tenderloin. Add the allspice, peppercorns, bay leaves and thyme. Submerge the meat, cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours (overnight is better). Before cooking, remove the tenderloin, pat dry and bring to room temperature. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. To make the sauce and roast: Simmer the prunes in the red wine until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, stir in the ginger and orange zest, and steep for 10 minutes

3. Heat the olive oil in a heavy stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly brown the tenderloin, about 3 minutes per side. (Turn off heat and use the same pan to make the sauce.) Transfer the tenderloin to a small roasting pan. Roast uncovered for about 15 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer registers 140 degrees. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing. (Residual heat will cause the meat to continue to cook a bit while resting.)

4. To finish the sauce, melt the butter in the reserved skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and thyme, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, until softened, stirring with a wooden spoon. Scrape up any browned bits to enrich the sauce. Add chicken broth, turn up the heat, and simmer 2 minutes. Stir in the prunes and wine, and simmer for another 2 minutes. Add the Madeira if using. Taste and correct the seasoning, then add the potato starch mixture and cook for another minute to thicken. Spoon sauce and prunes over the sliced tenderloin.

Servings: 4

Source: The New York Times

Have a great day

Cardiologist's Office,. Recipe Competition, Bowling,

Because I was concerned about where to go for my cardiology appointment, we decided to drive there and "case the joint". Am I ever glad we did. There seems to be miles of road known as The Boardwalk. Not only that lots of traffic islands. Nor could I see any numbers. Eventually spotted a tall glass building with Medical Centre. Pulled into the parking lot and double checked we were in the right spot, drove round a little bit and didn't see a wheelchair parking spot anywhere, called the office and they assure me there are lots, hope there is one free tomorrow.  Looking at the photo, I guess it's not all glass, just the frontage. That parking area in front was chock full today. It took us about 40 minutes to get there. May take a bit less tomorrow although I will not work on that assumption.

I seem to have competition, on The Really Real Housewives of America Liz Seckman is posting recipes for Instant Pot meals today. Sounded good and I am certainly going to make a note of it, despite the competition. Especially as Matt is now eating sweet potatoes after so long of not cooking them at all.

Today we managed to pick up our own groceries although it meant Matt used his cane which he has been told not to. However, he will have to use it when we go to the bowling alley. Talking of which, I have a major crisis I seem to have hurt my right thumb and wrist somehow and if it doesn't get better, I am screwed for bowling. Fingers crossed everybody. No idea what happened but it hurts. Also went to the baker, when I phone them they save 7 Grain buns for me in their freezer and I buy them at half price. Well, they are going straight in my freezer. They had so many saved today, wasn't sure I was going to have room for them, but I managed with less problem than expected.

This sounded interesting although apparently it was originally a chicken recipe. I happen to like prunes although I don't keep them in house. Olives I buy when I need them.

Pork Marbella

We took the classic, beloved Chicken Marbella recipe from The Silver Palate Cookbook and made it weeknight-friendly by using quick-cooking pork tenderloin instead. The meat is marinated and then

cooked in those same delicious juices, which get turned into a luscious sweet-and-sour pan sauce.

2 1-lb. pork tenderloins
2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup dry white wine
½ cup pitted prunes, torn in half
? cup (packed) light brown sugar
¼ cup capers, plus 1 Tbsp. caper brine
¼ cup pitted Spanish green olives
¼ cup red wine vinegar
4 garlic cloves, peeled, smashed
2 bay leaves
1 Tbs dried oregano
¼ cup plus 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbs unsalted butter
¼ cup chopped parsley

1. Season pork with salt. Let sit 15 minutes while you prepare the marinade.

2. Combine wine, prunes, brown sugar, capers and brine, olives, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves, oregano, and ¼ cup oil in a large resealable plastic bag. Add pork, seal tightly, pressing as much air out of bag as possible, and turn to coat. Chill at least 2 hours or up to overnight.

3. Place a rack in center of oven; preheat to 325°. Remove pork from marinade and pat dry; reserve marinade. Heat remaining 1 Tbsp. oil in a 12" skillet over medium-high. Cook pork, turning occasionally, until golden brown all over, 6–8 minutes.

4. Remove pan from heat and let cool 1 minute. Pour reserved marinade over pork. Transfer pan to oven and bake, basting pork once with its sauce halfway through, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of tenderloin registers 145°, 22–26 minutes, depending on thickness.

5. Transfer pork to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes. Return pan to medium-high heat. Add butter and cook, swirling pan occasionally, until slightly reduced, 3–5 minutes. Stir in parsley.

6. Slice tenderloin crosswise against the grain. Transfer to a platter and spoon pan sauce over.

Servings: 4

Source: Bon Appétit

Have a great day

 

Cooking, This 'n That,

I was a very busy girl (OK not girl) on Saturday. I started by doing the laundry which is a regular for Saturday. Then, after lunch, I decided to make sauces in my Instant Pot (surprise, surprise). I started out with Puttanesca Sauce which takes quite a lot of chopping etc. and then you are supposed to cook it on sauté for 40 minutes. No way, I poured it into a saucepan and let it bubble. I then started on a Marinara sauce which also needed some chopped onion at least. Both sauces taste pretty good and ended up in the freezer. Finally, I cooked some pork tenderloin for us, as supper. Just read the recipe and not one of the comments I added applied today. I used 1 cup of stock/white wine and had plenty of liquid. Dunno what I did last time. Served with crispy potatoes done in the Air Fryer and some asparagus. What else? Actually I tried doing some toast in the Air Fryer the other day and was delighted with it. Better than my toaster oven. I think I can only do one slice at a time though.

Forgot to mention, I think I told you that my air fryer was going to be replaced because it cut out around 3 minutes. I just  thought it would be repaired or something. Anyway, the new machine arrived about a week ago so I gave the old one to my cleaner. I haven't used it much because of my tooth problems which are now, thank goodness, all over. Didn't do much all week because of that stupid tooth. I bought extra asparagus because I intended to pickle it, never got round to doing it so I will have to get some more asparagus next week. Maybe today after I have had my ultrasound in the morning. Funny, they phoned to confirm my appointment and told me I had to fast for 4 hours, never heard of that one before, not sure why. Never had to in all my previous ultra sounds and I have had a few of them due to my peripheral arterial disease.

As you will see, it talks about putting the sauce on sauté for 40 minutes. No way I was going to tie up my pot that long so I put it into a saucepan and cooked it that way. Then getting on with the Marinara.

Instant Pot Puttanesca Sauce

No need to spend the day stirring at the stove--leave the homemade pasta sauce to your Instant Pot!

This easy pressure cooker pasta sauce spends just 10 minutes in your cooker.

1 28 oz cans tomatoes
1/2 2 oz can anchovies, drained and chopped or 1 tbs anchovy paste
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 Tbs salt
1/2 Tbs packed brown sugar
1/2 Tbs Blasamic vinegar
3/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 large lemon
3/4 cups olives, slivered
1/4 cup fresh oregano, chopped
2 oz capers, rinsed and drained.

1. Add tomatoes to Instapot. Stir in next seven ingredients (through crushed red pepper).

2. Lock lid in place. Set electric cooker on high pressure to cook 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand 15 minutes to release pressure naturally. Release any remaining pressure. Open lid carefully.

3. Set electric cooker on sauté setting and simmer, uncovered, 40 minutes or until reduced to 4 cups and thickened to a sauce consistency, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, remove 1 1/2 tsp. zest and squeeze 1/4 cup juice from lemon. Stir lemon zest and juice, olives, oregano, and capers into pasta sauce.

4. To freeze, ladle cooled sauce into freezer bags or containers. Seal, label, and freeze up to 3 months.

Servings: 15

Have a great day
 

Rice Cooking,

I have been wanting to cook rice in my Instant Pot since I got it, but all the recipes made too much rice. Then I Googled and found I can keep cooked rice, in the fridge, for 4-6 days. Everything I had been reading had frightened me off keeping rice. So Friday evening I made Thai Pineapple Shrimp Curry and put 1 cup Basmati, 1 cup water and a smidgin of salt in the Instant Pot. I cooked it for 4 minutes and allowed it to vent naturally for 10 minutes. It was great and I have enough for leftovers. I am so pleased because I frequently boil over the small amount of rice I cook in a pan. So, three cheers. Tomorrow I am doing the Pork Tenderloin I did a couple of weeks or so ago.

I have never heard of this cake before and yet I can taste it. From the description before the recipe, it sounds absolutely wonderful.

The Best Hummingbird Cake

Hummingbird Cake is a fantastic combination of banana bread and carrot cake (sans the carrots) with

a touch of pineapple! This recipe never disappoints and delivers a special treat for any occasion.

3 cups flour (gluten free or regular)
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs , room temperature
1 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup fresh pineapple , crushed (see below)
2 cups roasted bananas* , mashed (approximately 4 large or 6 medium-small bananas with peel left on; instructions below)
1 cup chopped pecans
Parchment paper to line bottom of the cake pan
Ingredients for Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 ½ sticks unsalted butter , chilled
3 8-ounce packages of cream cheese , chilled
1 tsp vanilla
1 ½ cups powdered sugar , sifted
1 ½ cups finely chopped pecans

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F

2. How to Roast Bananas

3. Place bananas on a cookie sheet with peels left on. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes until the skins are black (the bananas may leak which is fine). NOTE: Leave the oven heated to 350 degrees.

4. Remove and let cool until they can be handled. Peel bananas, place in a small mixing bowl and mash. Set aside.

5. Peel bananas, place in a small mixing bowl and mash. Set aside.

6. Making the Hummingbird Cake

7. Butter and flour 3-9 inch round baking pans.

8. Trace the bottom of the pan (for all three pans) onto parchment paper, cut out circle and place in the bottom of each pan.

9. In a sifter over a large mixing bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Sift into the bowl. Set aside.

10. In a second large mixing bowl combine the granulated and brown sugar; stir to combine.

11. Add the eggs and stir briskly by hand to combine all ingredients into a smooth mixture.

12. Whisk the oil and vanilla into the sugar/egg mixture until combined and smooth.

13. Add the flour mixture all at once and hand stir (do not beat) to combine the mixture fully.

14. To crush the pineapple: Place 1 cup of finely diced fresh pineapple in a medium mixing bowl and using a potato masher, crush the pineapple.

15. Add the crushed pineapple fruit and juice to the batter.

16. Add the mashed banana and the pecans. Stir just until combined; do not over stir.

17. Divide the batter evenly between the three pans. Tap the pans on the countertop to release any air bubbles and place in the 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes until cake bounces back to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.

18. Allow to cool in pans on racks for 5 minutes then turn out onto cooling racks to fully cool before frosting. NOTE: Be sure to peel off and discard the parchment paper.

19. Instructions for Cream Cheese Frosting:

20. Cut sticks of chilled butter into 1 inch pieces and place in the bowl of a standing mixer (can use a hand held mixer if needed). Beat on low speed, gradually increasing speed to medium until the butter is still cool but has softened together (about 3 minutes).

21. Cut the cream cheese into 1 inch strips and add to the butter. Mix at medium speed until fully combined, and smooth.

22. Add the vanilla and slowly add the sifted powdered sugar. Beat until well blended, increasing speed to beat on medium-high for 3 minutes or until the frosting becomes light and fluffy.

23. Fold in pecans by hand.

24. Instructions for Cake Assembly:

25. Place the first layer of cake upside down (the bottom of the cake will be frosted) on the serving plate. Cover with 2/3 cup of frosting. This will be a thin covering.

26. Place the second layer of cake right side up (flat cake bottom onto the frosting) and frost the top of this layer with 2/3 cup again (note: I found I needed just a bit more to cover this layer).

27. Place the last cake layer with cake right side up and use the remaining frosting to cover top of cake and the sides.

28. Allow cake to stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving and store any uneaten cake in the refrigerator. Cake best when made the day prior to serving!

Servings: 12

Source: Boulder Locavore

Have a great weekend
 

Laundry Day, Laundry Locks, Cleaning Help, Spanish,

Worked my little (I wish) butt off this Saturday morning. As I have mentioned I do the laundry then, this time I decided part way through to do the sheets at the same time. That meant 4 trips to the laundry room, there and back, for me that ends up being somewhat painful. Oh for back to normal. Then if I could get Matt taken care of, maybe I could get some of my problems taken care of. I had thought of doing a pork tenderloin recipe in the Instant Pot but decided I had done enough work for the day and as I had some Italian sausages already prepared, that's what we ended up with for supper.

One thing I haven't figured out in close on 20 years, is the lock on the laundry doors. If you go to the laundry room at 7:56 or somewhere round about, you can't get in. Dead on 8 you can. And yet it doesn't look like there is an electronic lock which unlocks all 9 floors at once. But I have never seen anyone running from floor to floor to do it. Must ask the super.

In the afternoon, Sarah came to do some housework for me. She also put the bed sheets back on for me. It occurred to me, having noticed my hair earlier, that wearing a hijab was a great way to hide bad hair. I mentioned it to Sarah and she agreed. She said it also is useful if you don't want to colour your hair. Maybe I should wear a hijab, especially at the moment. Doesn't help you men though. Turns out Sarah is originally from Pakistan. It is wonderful how she and Kathy help me.

Doing my Spanish later, I discovered some delightful, and fairly humorous little playlets which you can listen to and take part in by answering questions as you go along. Mind you they are somewhat overacted but that is to make sure you really understand the mood of the character, I suppose.

This looks delicious. Seems like one could use chicken thighs though. They are so flavoursome.

Asian Orange Chicken

A delicious citrus chicken recipe with flavors reminiscent of the orange chicken from a popular

restaurant in the mall.

Sauce:
1½ cups water
2 Tbs orange juice
¼ cup lemon juice
1/2 cup rice vinegar
2 ½ Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs grated orange zest
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ tsp minced fresh ginger root
½ tsp minced garlic
2 Tbs chopped green onion
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
3 Tbs cornstarch
2 Tbs water

Chicken:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
3 Tbs olive oil

1. Pour 1 1/2 cups water, orange juice, lemon juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce into a saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Stir in the orange zest, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, chopped onion, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and cool 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Place the chicken pieces into a resealable plastic bag. When contents of saucepan have cooled, pour 1 cup of sauce into bag. Reserve the remaining sauce. Seal the bag, and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

3. In another resealable plastic bag, mix the flour, salt, and pepper. Add the marinated chicken pieces, seal the bag, and shake to coat.

4. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place chicken into the skillet, and brown on both sides. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels, and cover with aluminum foil.

5. Wipe out the skillet, and add the sauce. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Mix together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water; stir into the sauce. Reduce heat to medium low, add the chicken pieces, and simmer, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Servings: 4

Source: allrecipes

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