Almond Cake with Chocolate Fudge Frosting

I live in a small town south of Indianspolis and around here Memorial Day is synonymous with the Indianapolis 500!  Today is the 100th running of this great race!  So if you are a Hoosier, you are likely to be invited to a race party like the one we attended yesterday.  There are activities from formal balls to simple backyard BBQ's & everything in between! We went to a potluck BBQ full of saucy ribs and yummy salads.  My sister brought her great pasta salad which I wrote about last year in the entry about All Week Pasta Salad.  My mother brought a cold dessert that she calls "Robert Redford or Better than Sex".  I will post that recipe when I can get a copy from her.  She is making a snickers pie for tomorrow's picnic so I'm thinking I will do a post on summer desserts!

As it happens many times, I surfed through Pinterest for inspiration.  I found a great recipe by Brown Sugar which I tweaked a bit to make it super moist and tender!  I sifted all the dry ingredients before mixing which gives you a higher rising cake and I also cut back the sour cream.  This recipe was really quick and easy to make.  The frosting recipe makes more than enough and my sons enjoyed the sweet leftovers!  I hope the next time you need to take a dish to a picnic or BBQ, you give this cake a try!

Almond Cake with Chocolate Fudge Frosting

Ingredients:

2 sticks of butter

1 cup water

2 cups cake flour

2 cups sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup sour cream

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 tsp almond extract

Frosting:

1 cup Sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened Cocoa powder, Sifted

1/2 cup Milk

4 tbsp Butter

2 tbsp Light Corn Syrup

4 cups Powdered Sugar, Sifted

2 tspVanilla Extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375*F.  Grease and flour a 9x13 glass dish and set aside. In a large bowl, sift together the cake flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder.  In a large saucepan, add the water and butter which should be cut into small cubes to allow even melting. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil and stir frequently.  Remove from the heat when the butter is completely melted.  Add the warm butter mixture to a mixing bowl. With your mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture, sour cream, sugar and eggs.  When the batter is thoroughly mixed, add the teaspoon of almond extract and mix the batter until all is combined.  Pour the mixture into the prepared 9x13 dish.  Gently tap the dish on the counter a few times to have any sir rise to the top.  Place the cake in the preheated oven and bake for 20-24 minutes.  Test the cake with a toothpick or small fork poked in the middle.  If the utensil comes out clean then the cake is ready to leave the oven.  Let cool for an hour before frosting. 

When the cake is ready for the frosting, combine the sugar and cocoa in a saucepan.  Whisk in the milk, butter and corn syrup.  Place the sauce pan over medium heat and stir continuously until the butter is melted and the chocolate mixture looks smooth.  Remove from the heat and slowly stir in the sifted powdere sugar.  When all the powdered sugar is combined, spread mixture quickly over the cake.  Let the frosting cool before serving.  Enjoy! 

Kitchen Takeover: Father-in-Law Edition!

This past week, we had my in-laws visiting us.  It is always a treat to have Nana & Grandpop here! They spoil all of us!  They spent the week entertaining the kids, helping us around the house & of course feeding us!  When they visit, I can always count on my father-in-law, Jim doing some of the cooking.  That's him in the picture above.  He is not a big fan of social media, but he has given me permission to make this post! This trip, he has made chili, potato salad, hamburger soup and jalapeño deviled eggs!! It was so great to come home from work & walk into the aroma of some delicious cooking!  It made me feel like a kid again coming home after school to all my mom's wonderful meals!  

Lucky for me, he left all the recipes so I could make them myself and share them with you!  

Hamburger Soup:

(Serves 8)

Jalapeño Deviled Eggs:

Ingredients:

12 hard cooked eggs, peeled

2 tbsp green onions, diced

2 tbsp cilantro, chopped

1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced

1/2 cup mayonnaise 

2 tsp yellow mustard

1 tsp salt

Chili powder for garnish

1 small jalapeño pepper, sliced & seeded for garnish

Directions:

Slice all the eggs lengthwise.  Careful remove the yolks to a bowl and set the whites aside.  Mash the yolks and then add the next six ingredients to the bowl.  Mix well.  Spoon the yolk mixture into the halved whites.  Sprinkle chili powder over all as desired and garnish with a slice of jalapeño!

Light Potato Salad:

(Forgot to take a picture!)

Ingredients:

2.5 lbs baby red potatoes, quartered with skins on

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream

1/4 cup reduced fat mayonnaise

1 tbsp country Dijon mustard

2 carrots, grated

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1/2cup radishes, sliced thin

1/4 cup parsley, rough chopped

1 tbsp lemon zest

1 clove garlic, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Boil the potatoes for 7-10 minutes until tender.  Drain the potatoes and arrange on a wax paper lined baking sheet to cool completely (~30 minutes).  Whisk together the vinegar and next 4 ingredients to make the dressing. In a large bowl, gently toss together the potatoes, dressing and the remaining ingredients.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Cover and chill for at least 2 hours before serving.  The longer it chills, the more the flavors deepen so this is a great make ahead dish!

Beef and Black Bean Chili:

Ingredients:

3 tsp olive oil

1.5 lbs ground sirloin

1 tsp kosher salt

1 lg yellow onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground oregano

1.5 cups reduced sodium chicken broth

1 cup water

1 can (28oz) crushed fire roasted tomatoes, undrained

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 tbsp honey

1 can (15oz) black beans, rinsed & drained

1 tbsp lime juice

Garnish Choices:

 Lime slices

Avocado, peeled & thinly sliced

Sour cream

Cheddar cheese

Green onions 

Cilantro, minced

Directions:

Heat a teaspoon of the oil in a large pot.  Place the ground beef into the heated oil and brown for 5-7minutes until no longer pink.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a bowl and set aside. Drain the liquid from the pot and add the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil.  Add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent (3-4 minutes).  Add the minced garlic and sauté another minute.  Stir in the chili powder, cumin and oregano. Cook for a minute to release the spices.  Add the beef back to the pot along with the chicken broth, water, fire roasted tomatoes, tomato paste and honey.  Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 1 hour.  Occasionally stir.  5 minutes before serving, add the beans and lime juice.  Plate in soup bowls and allow everyone to add the garnishes of their choice.

I hope you all try these great recipes!  We really ❤️ them!  Thanks, Pop!  We can't wait for your next visit!!

One Dish Dinner: Lemon Garlic Chicken

The busiest time of day in this household is generally between 4-6pm.  During that time, I need to supervise homework, complete household chores left from before work, make sure we have everything we need for evening activities and all the while preparing, eating and cleaning up dinner! The challenge is always how to get a good nutritious meal on the table without creating a mountain of clean up work!  That's where one dish meals come in! I love the quick prep time and minimal mess of these types of meals!  For this particular dish, chicken is so versatile, you can pair whatever veggies you like with it.  I chose potatoes and asparagus, but it would be just as great with turnips and green beans!  The total prep time is about 20 minutes which is mostly cleaning and cutting the veggies, lemon and garlic. Putting the dish together takes less than 5 minutes, it is just layering process.

Lemon Garlic Chicken:

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 lemons

4 cloves garlic, minced

6 potatoes, quartered 

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed

4 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350*F. Thinly slice 1 1/2 lemons.  Reserve a half lemon for the juice.  Coat a 9x13 casserole dish with 1 tbsp of olive oil and then place the sliced lemon in a single layer in the dish.  In a bowl, mixed together 3 tbsp of oil with the juice of the remaining lemon half.  Add the minced garlic, salt and pepper and mix well.  Gently toss the asparagus in the lemon garlic mixture and then place in an even layer over the lemon slices in the 9x13.  Repeat the same process with the potatoes and chicken.  Bake in the oven for 45 minutes.  Let dish rest for 5 minutes out of the oven before serving!

Bacon Wrapped Pork Roast with Mustard Duck Sauce Glaze

When I go grocery shopping, I make a meal plan and vow that I will stick to my list.  Inevitably, I end up buying extra meat that is on sale and I have no plan of what to do with it.  This week, I brought home a lovely small pork roast.  When I was ready to use it, I rummaged through my fridge and pantry for things to go with it and came up with bacon!  I looked up recipes for this combo and most had some sort of glaze.  Since this wasn't a meal that I planned in advance, I didn't have all the ingredients for any one specific recipe so I improvised. Instead of honey, preserves or chutney, I used packets of duck sauce that I had left over from Chinese takeout.  If you're like me, you always have extra takeout condiments floating around in your refridge!  Sean and the boys enjoyed my improv & I hope you will too!

Bacon Wrapped Pork Roast with Mustard Duck Ssice Glaze:

Ingredients:

1-2lb pork roast

4-6 slices of bacon

3 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tbsp country brown mustard

4 packets duck sauce

1 packet hot mustard

4 tbsp oil split in half

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325*F.  In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, garlic salt and the two peppers.  Rub this mixture evenly over the pork roast.  Wrap the roast in the slices of uncooked bacon and fasten with toothpicks.  Inserting the toothpicks on the side of the roast works best.  Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in an oven proof pan over medium heat on the stovetop.  Place the bacon wrapped roast in the pan and sear it on all sides about 8 minutes per side.  While the roast is searing, mix together the remaining oil, brown mustard, hot mustard, and duck sauce.  After the roast has been browned, remove the pan from the heat.  Brush the mustard duck sauce on the roast and place the pan in the oven.  Cook for 45 minutes to an hour. The roast should have an internal temperature between 150-160*F.  After you remove the roast from the oven, let it rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Mushroom Ranch Pork Chops

Tonight's recipe was an effort to create a crunchy crust that seals in the juiciness of the pork! I threw this together on the fly so I didn't take as many pictures as usual!  If you are s pork lover then you will really enjoy this yummy recipe!!

Ranch Mushroom Pork Chops:

 Ingredients:

4-6 boneless pork chops

1 cup flour

1 packet buttermilk ranch dressing

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

2-4 tbsp butter

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

2 green onions, sliced, tops reserved for garnish

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375*F.  Mix flour and ranch dressing packet together in a shallow dish.  Salt and pepper the pork chops and then dredge through the ranch and flour mix.  Melt 2 tbsp butter in an oven proof skillet over medium heat.  When the butter is melted, place half the chops in the skillet and sear for 5-6 minutes on each side.  Drain on paper towels and sear the remaining chops.  Add 2 more tbsp of butter if needed.  While the pork chops are cooking, mix together the chicken broth, cream of mushroom soup and the green onions.  Place the drained pork chops and the soup mixture in the hot skillet.  Bring the soup mixture to boil.  Place the skillet in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes.  Top with the mozzarella and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Let meat rest got 5-7 minutes before serving.  Garnish with green onion tops and enjoy!

Bacon Breakfast Braid

Hello, All!  It has been several months since my last post!  We've had so much going on that I haven't had time to post!  We moved into our new home in May !  I've been enjoying cooking and entertaining in my new space!  

I've been baking up a storm for family and friends the last couple of months!

To top off the summer, we had a wonderful young man from China come and spend the month of August with us!  We spent lots of time showing him what family life is all about here in Indiana!

I hope your last few months have been as enjoyable as mine have been!!

This morning, I thought I would get a little fancy with our breakfast!  I made a wonderful simple bacon breakfast braid.  This would be an ideal dish for a brunch buffet table.  

Bacon Breakfast Braid:

Ingredients:

Scrambled eggs (6-7 eggs)

7 bacon strips, cooked 

1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 can Pullsbury Crescent Dough Sheets

Directions:

 Preheat the oven to 375*F.  Roll out the dough sheet on to a parchment lined baking sheet and cut 2 inch slits up the long sides of the dough sheet.

Next, layer on the eggs followed by the bacon then sprinkle the cheese over the top.

Pull the dough strips gently towards the center at an angle to create the braid.

Bake for 12-13 minutes until the pastry is golden brown. After removing from the oven, let rest for 2-3 minutes before cutting.

Sunday Dinner: Roast Pork with Onion Jam and Bacon Wrapped Green Beans

Like most families, we are in the 4th Quarter crazy zone!  There are 5 weeks left in the school year paired with Spring sports.  We are on the run every day except Sunday.  Our dinners are reduced to sandwiches, pizzas and the like so on on Sunday, I try to make something a little more substantial.  Today's menu was all my youngest son's favorites, pork, green beans and corn on the cob!  I haven't blogged in so long, I didn't take the usual step by step pictures, but the recipes are super simple so I don't think the pictures are necessary.  I used all reduced sodium items in the recipe to keep it from getting too salty.

Roast Pork with Onion Jam:

• 3 lb pork loin
• 1½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp dried parsley
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp peanut oil
• 1 medium onion cut into 8 sections
• 2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
• 
  

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350*F.  In a small bowl, combine garlic powder, ground ginger, salt, thyme, and pepper, whisking to combine. Rub seasoning all over the entire surface of pork loin.

Heat oil in a large oven proof pot over a medium-hot burner.  Add onion to hot oil and cook 2-3 minutes until they start to soften.  Place the seasoned pork int the pot and brown it on all sides. Mix the broth, lemon juice and soy sauce together and pour into the pot with the pork and onions.  Place pot in oven and cook for 3.5 hours.  Remove pot from oven and place roast on board to rest for 20 minutes under a foil tent.  Remove the onions and reduced liquid to a measuring cup and allow it to rest also.  After 10 minutes, skim the fat off the measuring cup and remove.  Place what remains in the measuring cup into a small oven proof ramiken and place back in the oven for 5-10 minutes.  Remove and serve over the pork roast.  

Bacon Wrapped Green Beans:

1 pound fresh green beans

8 slices of bacon  

4 tbsp unsalted butter

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350*F.  Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray. Wash, dry and pinch the ends off the green beans. Bundle together 10 green beans. Wrap a slice of bacon around the center of the beans to hold it together. Lay the bundle bacon seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with remaining beans. Heat a small saucepan over low heat. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk until melted and combined.  Brush the mixture over top of each green bean bundle. Cover the bundles with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Turn up the oven heat to 400*F.  Remove the foil and bake for 10-15 minutes more or until bacon gets crispy.  After removing from oven, let rest for 2-3 minutes before serving.