Pumpkin Muffins with Chocolate Chips

Vegetable oil spray for misting the pan
1 package (17.8 oz) chocolate chip muffin mix
1 cup canned pumpkin
½ cup milk
1 large egg
½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400. Mist the bottom of 12 muffin cups with the vegetable oil spray. Set the pan aside

Place the muffin mix in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Place the pumpkin, milk, egg, and pumpkin pie spice in the well and stir the wet ingredients with a fork to combine and break up the egg yolk. Stir the wet and dry ingredients together with a wooden spoon just until combined, 20 strokes. The batter will still be a little lumpy. Spoon or scoop 1/3 cup batter into each prepared muffin cup, filling it three quarters of the way full. Place the pan in the oven.

Bake the muffins until they just spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 20 to 22 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Place them on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. The muffins are ready to serve.

Mustard-Glazed Pork Tenderloin

1 (8 oz) jar Dijon mustard (1 cup)
1/3 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons Creole seasoning
1 ½ lbs pork tenderloins

Stir together first 3 ingredients. Place pork in a shallow dish or zip-top plastic freezer bag; pour mustard mixture over pork. Cover or seal, and chill 2 hours, turning occasionally. Remove pork from marinade, discarding marinade.

Grill, covered with grill lid, over medium-high heat (350 to 400) 10 to 12 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 155 degrees. Remove from grill; let stand until thermometer registers 160 degrees. Let stand 5 more minutes before slicing.

Teriyaki Chicken with Pasta

1 Package boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
½ cup teriyaki sauce, divided
1 pound fresh asparagus
1 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 tablespoon lemon juice
8 ounces pasta of choice (I use piccolini)
Grated parmesan cheese

Toss together chicken pieces and ¼ cup teriyaki sauce in freezer bag. Chill 15 minutes.
Snap off tough ends of asparagus; cut asparagus in 1-2 inch pieces.
Sauté asparagus in 1 tablespoon hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove from skillet, and set aside.
Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet; add chicken, and sauté over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until chicken is done. Stir in remaining ¼ cup teriyaki sauce and lemon juice; bring to a boil. Toss with asparagus, pasta and 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with more cheese, serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

Salsa Pie

1 package ground turkey or ground chicken
1 cup salsa
1 can refrigerated crescent rolls
Shredded cheese (I use Mexican blend)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook turkey or chicken in skillet until no longer pink. Stir in salsa.
Press crescent roll dough onto bottom, upside and on rim of 9-inch pie plate to form crust. (I put four together on bottom and separate the other four and put around sides.) Spread meat mixture evenly over crust; sprinkle with cheese. Bake about 20 minutes or until crust is browned and mixture is bubbly.