coconut caramel cake

I gave Ben 3 choices of what he thought i should bake for desert tonight.   This is not what he chose :)
But after tasting it he said i made the right decision!

Fresh out of the oven -- ooey gooey and bubbly

Still warm and extra delicious!

Coconut Caramel Cake

Time: 15 min. prep + 40 minutes to bake

Yield: 12-15 servings

Recipe from Taste Of Home

Cake:

4 eggs

2 C sugar

2 t vanilla

2 C flour

2 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

1 C milk

1/4 C butter

Frosting: 

1 1/2 C packed brown sugar

3/4 C butter, melted

1/2 C half and half

2 C flaked coconut

 

 

1. In a medium sized mixing bowl, or in your stand mixer beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla for 4 minutes. It will thicken up a bit while you mix. 

2. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add it to the buttery egg combo and mix just until combined.

3. In a sauce pan bring the milk and butter to a boil, stirring constantly.

4. Pour it into your batter. Beat until well combined.

5. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Pour the batter into the pan.

6. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

7. While the cake bakes, mix all frosting ingredients together.

8. When the cake is done remove it from the oven and turn the oven to broil. Pour the ooey-gooey frosting over the top of the warm cake. Spread it around carefully with a knife.

9. Return the cake to the oven and let the frosting become browned. Be careful here, my friends. It can burn ever so quickly. It only needs to broil for about 3-4 minutes.

 

 

http://jamiecooksitup.blogspot.com/2011/02/coconut-caramel-cake.html 

RR's Basil, Chili, and garlic chicken

RR's Basil, Chili, and garlic chicken




You can almost never go wrong with a rachael ray recipe!  I've been making this one for awhile now.  Its pretty quick, has simple ingredients, and is really good!  The recipe calls for 2 teaspoons of crushed red pepper.  If you LOVE spicy food go for it!  If not, I would only put one in. 

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 4 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
• 1/2 pound thin Asian rice noodles or vermicelli pasta  (i used a whole package of rice noodles)
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced onion, plus 1 cup finely chopped onion (i used one whole onion sliced, and one whole onion finely chopped)
• 8 cloves garlic, finely chopped (about 3 tablespoons)  (i used about 12 cloves)
• 1-1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces  (i used 3.25lbs of chicken)
• 1 cup torn fresh basil leaves (i used about 2 cups)

Swap it
Skip the chicken and try cooked shrimp instead.

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup water with the fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar and crushed red pepper. Stir to dissolve the sugar; set aside.
2. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the rice noodles until al dente. Drain and set aside.
3. While the noodles are cooking, heat a wok or large, deep skillet over medium-high heat until hot, about 1 minute. Add 2 tablespoons oil, then the sliced and chopped onion, and garlic. Stir-fry until fragrant and softened but not browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside.
4. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet and heat for about 1 minute. Working in 2 batches if necessary, spread the chicken in a single layer in the pan without crowding and cook, undisturbed, until the edges change color, about 1 minute. Turn and continue cooking, tossing now and then, until lightly browned all over, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the reserved sauce and onion mixture and cook, tossing occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and evenly coated, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Remove the pan from the heat and add the basil, tossing until slightly wilted. Serve the chicken over the noodles.

 

meatloaf, roasted potatoes & salad

meatloaf, roasted potatoes & salad

soon after getting married, ben requested meatloaf for dinner, and said his mother made it really well.   seeing as how i'd never had or made meatloaf before i asked her for the recipe.   it didnt come out exactly as ben had remembered it, but it was still good.  so i decided to find my own recipe.  this is adapted from 'the joy of cooking' and its delicious!  at least we think so!  i served it with A1 sauce,  roasted potatoes, and a light caesar salad

 meatloaf:
1 package of meatloaf mix (ground beef, ground pork, ground veal)
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2/3 C ketchup
1 egg lightly beaten
1 - 1 1/2 C onion finely chopped
a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce
a dash or two of dried thyme
salt & pepper to taste


mix everything together w/out over-mixing it :)
put in a loaf pan
bake at 350 for about 1.5 hours til temp is 160

neely's chicken salad

neely's chicken salad

this chicken salad is delicious!  the combo of sweet grapes, celery, onion, shallot, nuts is amazing!
i used a costco rotisserie, toasted the almonds before adding, and the light mayo
i didnt have the tarragon leaves so i left them out.  i also substituted cider vinegar for the white wine since thats what we had in the house.   i served it on the new arnold sandwich thins

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 1 rotisserie chicken, skinless and meat shredded or diced
• 1/2 small red onion, diced
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped tarragon leaves
• 1 celery rib, chopped
• 1 cup slivered almonds
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3 cups halved seedless red grapes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

recipe here

Skillet Gnocchi with Chard & White Beans

skillet gnocchi with chard & white beans

i pretty much followed the recipe as written - i used the trader joes whole wheat gnocchi
this was pretty good - added some flavor to boring gnocchi!


Skillet Gnocchi with Chard & White Beans

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 16-ounce package shelf-stable gnocchi, (see Tip)
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup water
• 6 cups chopped chard leaves, (about 1 small bunch) or spinach
• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings
• 1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add gnocchi and cook, stirring often, until plumped and starting to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and onion to the pan and cook, stirring, over medium heat, for 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and water. Cover and cook until the onion is soft, 4 to 6 minutes. Add chard (or spinach) and cook, stirring, until starting to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, beans and pepper and bring to a simmer. Stir in the gnocchi and sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and cook until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling, about 3 minutes.

lemon cheesecake

i came across this recipe from betty crocker -- lemon & cheesecake double YUM!

recipe said to cook for about 1.5 hours until the "edges are set but the center jiggles slightly"  which took way longer than 1.5 hours and even then the center was more than "slightly jiggley"    no whipped topping for me though - i don't like it! 

this cheesecake is delicious but not your normal dense new york cheesecake.  still delicious!

the recipe

Crust

1	box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® yellow cake mix
1/3	cup vegetable oil
1	egg
1	teaspoon grated lemon peel

Filling

2	packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
3/4	cup sugar
3	containers (3.5 oz each) lemon pudding (from 4-pack container)
1/2	cup sour cream
3	eggs
2	cups frozen (thawed) whipped topping

	Print these coupons...
	$0.50 off Betty Crocker® Cake Mix & Frosting Plus 29 more...
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1. Heat oven to 300°F. Spray bottom and side of 10-inch springform pan with baking spray with flour. Wrap foil around outside of pan to catch drips. Reserve 1/4 cup of the cake mix; set aside. In large bowl, beat remaining cake mix, oil, 1 egg and lemon peel with electric mixer on low speed until crumbly. Press in bottom and 1 1/2 inches up side of pan.
2. In same large bowl, beat reserved cake mix, the cream cheese, sugar, pudding and sour cream on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until mixed. Pour over crust.
3. Bake 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 35 minutes or until edges are set but center of cheesecake jiggles slightly when moved. Turn oven off; open oven door at least 4 inches. Leave cheesecake in oven 30 minutes longer.
4. Remove cheesecake from oven; place on cooling rack. Without releasing side of pan, run knife around edge of pan to loosen cheesecake. Cool in pan on cooling rack 30 minutes. Cover loosely; refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Remove side of pan before serving. Pipe or spoon whipped topping around outside edge of cheesecake. Store in refrigerator.

wanchai ferry spicy garlic chicken

some nights you just need something quick & easy but tasty
I always keep some boxes of wanchai ferry chinese kits on hand for those nights.
tonight was one of those nights

i add in a red & green bell pepper and a pound of chicken tenders and the result looks like this

you can dowload a coupon here

http://www.wanchaiferryathome.com/products/boxed/spicy-garlic-chicken#tab_content_1

Almost-Famous Chimichangas

this is the second time i've made this recipe and its still delicious!
last time i added two jalapenos, this time just one -- it definitely needs at least 2
also didn't make the mexi-sauce last time - it is definitely tasty and add lots of flavor
i also doubled the cilantro, used a whole rotisserie chicken and used the 8" tortillas to make smaller/more chimis

Almost-Famous Chimichangas on the Food Network

Times:

Prep 30 min

Inactive Prep--

Cook 30 min

Total: 1 hr 0 min

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, diced (remove seeds for less heat)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Kosher salt
• 1 small tomato, chopped, plus more for topping
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 15-ounce can refried beans
• 4 10-inch flour tortillas
• 1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese, plus more for topping
• Mexi-sauce, for topping (see below)
• Shredded lettuce, for topping
• Mexican rice, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Melt the butter with 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a skillet; transfer to a bowl. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in the skillet. Add the onion, garlic and jalapeno and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin, cinnamon and 1 teaspoon salt; toast 30 seconds. Add the tomato and cilantro and cook until slightly dry, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chicken and sour cream and warm through. Remove from the heat.
Brush a rimmed baking sheet with some of the butter-oil mixture. Spread 2 tablespoons refried beans down the center of each tortilla, leaving a 2-inch border on both ends. Top with 1 cup chicken mixture and 1/4 cup cheese. Fold in the ends and roll up.
Put the chimichangas seam-side down on the baking sheet; brush with the butter-oil mixture. Bake 8 to 10 minutes per side, brushing again after you flip. Top with the sauce, more cheese, lettuce and tomato. Serve with rice and the remaining beans.
Make Chi-Chi's Mexi-sauce:
Saute 1/2 cup chopped onion and 2 chopped garlic cloves in a skillet with vegetable oil. Add a pinch each of chili powder, cumin, sugar and salt; cook 30 seconds. Stir in two 4-ounce cans chopped green chiles (drained and rinsed); cook 2 minutes. Add 1 cup chicken broth and simmer until thickened, then puree. Stir in 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Sweet and Saucy Shrimp and Green Beans with Rice Recipe - Every Day with Rachael Ray

rachael ray has another hit with this recipe -- ive been making this for awhile now and its a hit every time!
usually i make of double batch of the sauce since its so delicious!
i also double the amount of garlic (so quadruple if doubling the sauce) :)

i never have fresh green beans so i dumped a bag of frozen green beans in a skillet til they were defrosted and then dumped them in with the shrimp at the end
i also use sushi rice instead of regular rice :)

Sweet and Saucy Shrimp and Green Beans with Rice Recipe - Every Day with Rachael Ray

beef & bean enchiladas

nothing fancy tonight!   just threw together some last minute beef and bean enchiladas

brown some ground beef - drain fat & liquids
stir in some cheese til its melty
add enough salsa to make a good sauce
add in a can of rinsed black beans
mix it all together

spoon about 1/2C of this mixture onto a tortilla and roll it up
putting each tortilla seam side down into a greased dish
bake at 350 for 10 min
add more cheese and salsa on top and bake another 20 min

all done :)

ethiopian chicken stew - doro wat

mondays are usually a crockpot day!

ethiopian chicken stew - doro wat

i served this over brown rice and definitely serve with the hard boiled eggs!
i would use 2 per serving.  i thought it was ok but ben said it was delicious!