(This comes from my sister in law, for a cake made for my birthday. To fill 2 standard cake pans, she recommends doubling it ~n)
(As found in Taste of Home magazine)
Cake Ingredients
¼ cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup baking cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
¾ cup milk
Icing Ingredients
½ cup butter, softened
2-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
½ cup baking cocoa
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 to 3 TBS hot water
Directions
1. In a mixing bowl, beat shortening and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk.
2. Pour into a greased and floured 9-inch round baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
3. For frosting, in a small bowl, cream butter. Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar, cocoa, vanilla and enough water to achieve spreading consistency.
4. To assemble, cut cake in half. Place one half on a serving plate. Spread with ½ cup frosting. Top with remaining cake. Spread remaining frosting over top and rounded edge of cake.
Yield: 4 servings
10.21.2010
8.18.2010
Corn and Zucchini Salsa
(note: This recipe is from The Big Book of Preserving the Harvest, by Carol Costenbader, pg 57. I followed the recipe and it made twice what it claimed, so sterilize some additional jars just in case! If you've never canned before, get a reliable how to book for beginners and follow instructions very closely! If you're just wanting a little salsa to eat right away, you can just make a partial batch, say, half or a quarter of this recipe. I think they should have titled it something to do with lime because it's the strongest flavor in the recipe. Very yum. ~nikki)
For Boiling-water-bath canner; makes two one pint jars
3 medium zucchini, cleaned trimmed, and diced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 ears of yellow corn, husked, silks removed
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 cup fresh lime juice (8 medium limes)
1/2 cup cider vinegar
2 jalapeno chilies, seeded and minced (wear rubber gloves)
1/4 cup finely chopped scallions with tops
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1. Toss the zucchini with the salt and let it "sweat" for 3 minutes in a non reactive colander. Rinse and dry on paper towels.
2. Coat the corn with 2 teaspoons of the oil and roast on a cookie sheet in a 400 deg F oven for 30-40 minutes. Cool. Cut off the kernels and scrape the cobs.
3. Combine zucchini, corn, remaining oil, tomatoes, lime juice, vinegar, jalapenos, scallions, garlic, and pepper in a heavy sauce pan. Bring to boil and cook for 2-3 minutes.
4. Ladle into hot clean jars. (1/2 in headspace) Cap and seal. Process in a boiling-water-bath canner for 15 minutes. Adjust for altitude if necessary.
11.09.2009
Beef in Claret Sauce
Everyone needs to know a few French recipes to impress company. This one isn;t hard or too time consuming.
Beef in Claret
5 oz lean bacon
6 to 8 small onions
2 cups chopped button mushrooms
3 lb stewing steak
4 tablespoons oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons flour
1 bottle of burgundy or fruity claret
Salt & pepper
1 teaspoon of sugar
Bouquet of herbs (parsley, rosemary, thyme, oregano tied in twine)
300°. Cook the bacon in a frying pan until it is lightly brown. Add the onions and cook uncovered for roughly ten minutes. Then add the mushrooms, stir, cover and cook gently for a further ten minutes.
Cut the stewing steak into cubes roughly 1½" (4cm) square. Heat the oil in a frying pan and brown the cubes of meat. Place in a casserole, add the garlic and sprinkle the flour over the meat. Place in the oven uncovered for 15 minutes to continue the browning process. Stir from time to time.
Add wine, sauteed veggies and herbs. Cover and simmer for 3 hours or until the meat is tender. Remove from the oven.
Serve over egg noodles, mashed potatoes or boiled new potatoes.
Beef in Claret
5 oz lean bacon
6 to 8 small onions
2 cups chopped button mushrooms
3 lb stewing steak
4 tablespoons oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons flour
1 bottle of burgundy or fruity claret
Salt & pepper
1 teaspoon of sugar
Bouquet of herbs (parsley, rosemary, thyme, oregano tied in twine)
300°. Cook the bacon in a frying pan until it is lightly brown. Add the onions and cook uncovered for roughly ten minutes. Then add the mushrooms, stir, cover and cook gently for a further ten minutes.
Cut the stewing steak into cubes roughly 1½" (4cm) square. Heat the oil in a frying pan and brown the cubes of meat. Place in a casserole, add the garlic and sprinkle the flour over the meat. Place in the oven uncovered for 15 minutes to continue the browning process. Stir from time to time.
Add wine, sauteed veggies and herbs. Cover and simmer for 3 hours or until the meat is tender. Remove from the oven.
Serve over egg noodles, mashed potatoes or boiled new potatoes.
10.19.2009
Lechon Asado
Lechon is one of my favorite Cuban dishes. I love it plain or put into a sandwich, even drowned in beans and rice. The entire house smells wonderful when making. Just be aware of the long marinade time. The shortest you can marinade it is 4 hours.
Lechon Asado
1 (8 lb) fresh ham (pork leg or butt)
1 head garlic, broken into cloves, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup sour orange juice (seville) or orange juice
1/4 cup dry sherry or lime juice
2 large onions, thinly sliced
Make shallow slits all over the pork.Using the tip of a knife; mash the garlic, salt, oregano, cumin, pepper, bay leaf and olive oil to a paste in a mortar then rub this mixture all over the roast, forcing it into the slits. Combine the sour orange juice, sherry, and onions in a small bowl to the side.
Place the roast in a large, heavy plastic bag; add the sour OJ mixture, making sure that the whole roast gets covered with the mixture. Refrigerate and marinate the roast in the bag overnight, turning occasionally during the time.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Drain the roast, and pat dry, reserving the marinade; place it in a lightly oiled, nonreactive, heavy roasting pan; cook the roast for 1 hour, turning once or twice to brown it on all sides.
Reduce the heat to 325 degrees; pour the marinade and onions over the pork; tent the pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil; (tear off a piece that is 1 1/2 times the width of your pan; fold it in half and crease the top; open it up, and place over the pan like a tent, tightly crimping edges to seal). Continue roasting the pork, basting from time to time with the pan juices, until almost cooked, about 1 hour; add a little water or sherry if the pan dries out.
Uncover the roast and continue cooking until the internal temp reads*at least* 150 degrees F on a meat thermometer, about 30 minutes more; (most Cubans like the meat well done, so after sitting, it should be up to 180 degrees--it's safer, also).
Let the roast stand for 10 minutes before carving or pulling apart with your fork.
To reheat add a little olive oil to a fryingpan and cook shredded pork in it until moist and warm. Fresh lime juice sprinkled over it just before serving is excellant!
Lechon Asado
1 (8 lb) fresh ham (pork leg or butt)
1 head garlic, broken into cloves, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup sour orange juice (seville) or orange juice
1/4 cup dry sherry or lime juice
2 large onions, thinly sliced
Make shallow slits all over the pork.Using the tip of a knife; mash the garlic, salt, oregano, cumin, pepper, bay leaf and olive oil to a paste in a mortar then rub this mixture all over the roast, forcing it into the slits. Combine the sour orange juice, sherry, and onions in a small bowl to the side.
Place the roast in a large, heavy plastic bag; add the sour OJ mixture, making sure that the whole roast gets covered with the mixture. Refrigerate and marinate the roast in the bag overnight, turning occasionally during the time.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Drain the roast, and pat dry, reserving the marinade; place it in a lightly oiled, nonreactive, heavy roasting pan; cook the roast for 1 hour, turning once or twice to brown it on all sides.
Reduce the heat to 325 degrees; pour the marinade and onions over the pork; tent the pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil; (tear off a piece that is 1 1/2 times the width of your pan; fold it in half and crease the top; open it up, and place over the pan like a tent, tightly crimping edges to seal). Continue roasting the pork, basting from time to time with the pan juices, until almost cooked, about 1 hour; add a little water or sherry if the pan dries out.
Uncover the roast and continue cooking until the internal temp reads*at least* 150 degrees F on a meat thermometer, about 30 minutes more; (most Cubans like the meat well done, so after sitting, it should be up to 180 degrees--it's safer, also).
Let the roast stand for 10 minutes before carving or pulling apart with your fork.
To reheat add a little olive oil to a fryingpan and cook shredded pork in it until moist and warm. Fresh lime juice sprinkled over it just before serving is excellant!
10.18.2009
Kitty's Kitchen Sink Chowder
Temperatures here dropped very unexpectantly into the low 60s. Normally most people don't think that's too bad, but I'm in Florida. That's cool for here this time of year. I threw together an unlikely chowder based off of mood and spoon tasting. It turned out really good.
Kitty's Kitchen Sink Chowder
8 cups of chicken or ham broth or stock
3 cups of cubed ham
1 teaspoon of chopped rosemary, fresh
1 lb of bacon, diced
4 lg cloves of garlic, minced
6 large red potatoes, peeled and cubed small
2 large carrots, grated
1 cup frozen corn niblets
1/2 cup broccoli florets, chopped
1/2 rib of celery, finely chopped
1 1/2 cup half and half
1/4 red sweet bell pepper, diced
2 tablespoons of ground black pepper
1 tablespoon of white pepper
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon of paprika
dash of cayenne pepper
green onion for garnish
Pour your broth in a large stock pot with your cayenne, rosemary, paprika, ham, white and black pepper over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Add potatoes.
In a frying pan cook bacon over medium heat, reserving all drippings. Add 3/4 of the bacon to the stock pot. Add carrots, celery, garlic, red bell pepper and onions to the bacon droppings. Saute until tender. Drain if need be then add to the stock pot. Add corn and broccoli to the stock pot.
Cook down until the potatoes start to mush. Stir in cheese until thoroughly mixed, then sour cream and half and half. Serve ASAP.
Garnish with remaining bacon and minced green onions.
Kitty's Kitchen Sink Chowder
8 cups of chicken or ham broth or stock
3 cups of cubed ham
1 teaspoon of chopped rosemary, fresh
1 lb of bacon, diced
4 lg cloves of garlic, minced
6 large red potatoes, peeled and cubed small
2 large carrots, grated
1 cup frozen corn niblets
1/2 cup broccoli florets, chopped
1/2 rib of celery, finely chopped
1 1/2 cup half and half
1/4 red sweet bell pepper, diced
2 tablespoons of ground black pepper
1 tablespoon of white pepper
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon of paprika
dash of cayenne pepper
green onion for garnish
Pour your broth in a large stock pot with your cayenne, rosemary, paprika, ham, white and black pepper over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Add potatoes.
In a frying pan cook bacon over medium heat, reserving all drippings. Add 3/4 of the bacon to the stock pot. Add carrots, celery, garlic, red bell pepper and onions to the bacon droppings. Saute until tender. Drain if need be then add to the stock pot. Add corn and broccoli to the stock pot.
Cook down until the potatoes start to mush. Stir in cheese until thoroughly mixed, then sour cream and half and half. Serve ASAP.
Garnish with remaining bacon and minced green onions.
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