Alley Restaurant Pumpkin Crunch

From the restaurant at Aiea Bowling Alley, Aiea, Hawaii

2-1/2 cups (1 pound 3 ounces) pumpkin purée

1 cup (8 ounces) evaporated milk

2 large eggs (3.2 ounces) 

3/4 cup (5.4 ounces) sugar

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Seeds scraped from 1/4 vanilla bean (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)

2 cups yellow cake mix

1 cup chopped pecans

10 tablespoons (6 ounces, or 1-1/4 sticks) melted butter 

» Whipped cream topping:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

3 tablespoons sugar

2 drops vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (or a convection oven to 325 degrees). Line bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment; grease sides.

Combine pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar and spices. Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle with 1 cup cake mix, then nuts, then remaining cake mix. Pour butter over all. Bake 45 minutes, or until crust is golden and filling is set and no longer jiggles.

Cool in pan, then refrigerate several hours.

To make topping: Beat whipping cream until fluffy; add sugar and vanilla; beat until well combined (do not overbeat or solids and liquids in cream will separate).

To unmold pumpkin crunch: Loosen edges, then invert pan over a serving plate. Tap lightly to unmold (don't tap too hard or you'll damage the custard). Peel off parchment. Top with whipped cream and dust lightly with cinnamon.

Variation: To bake in a 9-by-13-inch pan, use a 29-ounce can of pumpkin purée, a 12-ounce can evaporated milk and a full box of cake mix. Increase all other ingredient quantities by 1/2. Increase baking time to 55 minutes.

Melissa Gilbert's fried chicken

·       2 cups plus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

·       5 Tbsp Old Bay seasoning

·       2 Tbsp salt

·       1 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper

·       2 (4- to 5- lb) fryer chickens, cut into pieces, rinsed, and patted dry

·       Vegetable oil, for frying

·       2 cups warm milk

DIRECTIONS

1.    Mix 2 cups (250 g) of the flour, the Old Bay, salt, and pepper in a large zip-top bag. Drop in the chicken pieces (you will probably have to do this in batches) and shake to coat.

2.    Pour the oil into a deep 12-inch (30.5-cm) cast-iron skillet to a depth of 1 inch (2.5 cm). Heat it over high heat until a drop of water bubbles. Shake any excess seasoning mix off the chicken and put it skin-side down in the pan, cooking in batches, if necessary, to avoid overcrowding. Cook on one side for 15 minutes, then turn the chicken pieces over and fry uncovered for another 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Drain the chicken on paper towels. Keep it warm in a low oven while you finish frying all of the chicken.

3.    Pour off the oil from the skillet, leaving approximately 3 tablespoons in the skillet, and turn the heat to medium. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons flour to the skillet while whisking, mixing in the crunchy bits and cooking for 5 minutes. Pour in the milk and bring it to a low boil, whisking constantly and cooking for another 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with the fried chicken.

Spicy Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients:

For the fries:
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
½ teaspoon fennel seeds,
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon salt
2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 4 medium sweet potatoes), peeled and cut into wedges
2 tablespoons canola oil

For the dip:
1 ¼ cups mayonnaise
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground mustard
¼ teaspoon cayenne
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:
For the Fries:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle, combine the coriander, fennel, oregano, and pepper flakes; grind until mixture becomes a fine powder. If you don’t have either of these tools, try placing the ingredients in a sturdy zip-lock bag. Using a rolling pin, roll over the spice mixture repeatedly until powder. Empty contents into a bowl and stir in salt.

For the Dip:

In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, oil, and ground spices; toss to coat evenly. Transfer the potatoes to a baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until crisp and golden-brown.

Asian Coleslaw

Ingredients:

8 cup canola oil
12 wonton wrappers
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/2 cup almonds
6 cups shredded Napa cabbage
2 cups chopped baby bok choy
1 cup shredded or julienned carrots
1 bunch scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup stemmed and sliced sugar snap or snow peas
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil, or to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
 Juice from 1/2 lime

Directions
Heat the canola oil in a small 6-inch skillet over medium heat. Cut each of the wonton wrapper squares into 5 strips. Once the oil is hot, cook the strips in batches until golden. Season with salt, to taste, and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Set aside.*

Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Cook the almonds for 3-4 minutes until golden, shaking the pan frequently and keeping a close eye on them so they don’t burn. Season with salt, to taste, and set aside.

Place the cabbage, bok choy, carrots, scallions, snow peas, and cilantro in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, lime juice, and salt. Just before serving, toss the vegetables with the dressing and serve with the crunchy wontons and almonds on top.

'No Potato' cauliflower salad

Ingredients:

These ingredients are all variable.  

1 head cauliflower, cut into large florets

3 hard-boiled eggs, cut into 8 pieces each

1/4 medium-sized red onion, diced finely

3 stalks celery, diced finely

Green onions, chopped

2 small sweet pickles, diced

1 teaspoon dried dill

 Salt and black pepper, to taste

 Mayonnaise*

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Yellow mustard

Dill 

Directions:

Set up a steamer basket, making sure it fits snugly in a pot, and fill the pot with water without touching the bottom of the basket. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add the cauliflower, cover with a lid, and steam until tender but not mushy, about 7-10 minutes.

Rinse the steamed cauliflower under cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain the cauliflower well and pat dry with paper towels. Crumble the cauliflower into a large bowl, and add all of the ingredients except for the mayonnaise and vinegar. Thin the mayonnaise with the vinegar and stir into all of the other ingredients. Serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before serving.

Banana Nut Breads

Jeannie Schryer’s Banana Nut Bread

2 cups flour                   ]

1 ½ cups sugar              ]  Mix together.

1 teaspoon salt               ]       

2 teaspoons baking soda  ]

¾ cup vegetable oil         ]

3 eggs                           ]   Add to dry mixture.

1 teaspoon vanilla           ]

2 cups mashed bananas (the blacker the better)

2 cups nuts

Use mini loaf pans for best results.  Grease pans.

Bake at 350 deg. in electric oven, 345 degrees gas oven for 45 – 50 minutes or until knife comes out clean.

If using a 13” x 9” pan, bake at 345 deg. or 350 deg. (depending on the oven) for 20 minutes.  Then lower the temperature to 320 deg. or 325 deg. for another 20 to 25 minutes.

BBQ Sauce

Marian Swider's famous BBQ sauce

1 cup sugar
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup oyster sauce
3/4 cup shoyu

Jeannie Schryer's Portuguese Bean Soup

1 large pot

4 C Ham pieces 1-1/2” cubed  (use Turkey-ham if desired)

Water just to cover ham

2 cubes beef bouillon

Combine above and cook for ~ 2hours or until tender.  (Bring to boil & lower heat to low ~ covered)

Add:                1 T apricot jam or preserves *

                        1 can (14 oz) red kidney beans

                        1 can ((14oz) garbanzo beans

                        1 C diced carrots

                        1 C diced potatoes

Continue cooking on med-low until potatoes tender

Add:                ¼ t black pepper

                        ½ cabbage – chopped bite size

Cook until cabbage wilted.  Can also add macaroni.

* If ham is very salty add apricot jam or preserves ~ optional otherwise.