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Chocolate Butter Chess Cake

May 10, 2013 Nicole

I have been wanting to try a butter cake recipe for a while now. Tonight in celebration of our finals being over I made a chocolate butter cake. OK So it’s not the real deal because the real deal calls for a yellow cake and I didn’t have one on hand nor did I have any desire to head out and get one. The weather is nasty anyway … no thank you!

I did have a chocolate fudge boxed cake mix so I decided to try it instead of a yellow cake. I mean …. Hello! … It’s chocolate …how could it be anything but fantastic?

This is a very easy recipe to make. If you are having guests over and you need something quick and easy this recipe should hit the spot. You don’t need to have a lot of ingredients on hand nor does it take a ton of time to make. It makes a great presentation and tastes fantastic. What more can you ask for?

I read many places online that people have mixed feelings on this recipe because it’s very sweet. If you don’t like anything super sweet then this recipe is NOT for you. We all loved it but I have to admit one pieces is my limit because it’s so sweet. It may not be as sweet if you use yellow cake in place of chocolate.

Bottom

1 box chocolate fudge cake mix (15 ounces)
1/2 cup margarine (4 ounces)
1 egg

Topping

1 package cream cheese, softened (8 ounces)
1 pound powdered sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten

Directions:

Bottom:

Melt margarine in 9X13 inch pan
Beat egg into margarine and then sprinkle in cake mix
Mix well with fork and press down in pan until evenly spread.

Topping:

Beat the frosting ingredients well and pour onto cake mixture.
Bake at 350º for 40-45 minutes.

Original Recipe Source

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Recipes

Salisbury Steak with Caramelized Onion Gravy

April 30, 2013 Nicole

I didn’t grow up on a lot of boxed processed foods so I never had the Salisbury steak frozen dinners. My husband on the other hand grew up on them and loves Salisbury steak. He was excited when I found this recipe because. I on the other hand wasn’t too sure. I have heard from other people how bad Salisbury steak is but I can only assume after trying this recipe they were referring to the frozen dinners.

This recipe is delicious the gravy alone is ridiculously good. I think I could just eat the gravy over mashed potatoes… Who needs the meat? I am in love with this recipe and can’t wait to make it again. It’s a bit time consuming and probably not something I would make during the week, but it sure makes a beautiful Sunday dinner.

Ingredients:

Onion Gravy

2 large red onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups low-sodium beef broth
1/2 cup dry red wine (optional)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
Salt and pepper

Meat Patties

1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup cooked white rice
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 clove minced garlic
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

To make gravy: Heat butter in a large sauté pan. Add onions and cook over medium-high heat, until onions start to brown, stirring occasionally. When onions are slightly softened and turning a deep honey brown, add 1/4 cup broth.
Reduce heat, cover and continue cooking, adding more broth as needed to prevent caramelized bits at the bottom of the pan from burning. It should take at least 25 to 30 minutes to properly caramelize onions.
Stir in flour and cook for about 2 minutes. Add wine and reduce by half. Stir in remaining beef broth and tomato paste.
Stir in cider vinegar. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to low and keep warm.
To make patties: Mix ground beef, rice, egg yolk, salt, pepper, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, parsley and thyme in a bowl.
Shape into 4 oval patties about 3/4-inch thick. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat.
Sear patties about 3 minutes per side, or until a brown crust forms.
Pour gravy over patties and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Serve warm with mashed potatoes or noodles. Yield: 4 Servings.

Original Recipe Source

Recipes

Pan Fried Pineapple

April 23, 2013 Nicole

This is so simple, but so good. By pan frying the pineapple it really brings out the sweetness in the pineapple. I love pineapple and love experimenting with it. One of my favorite things to do is to grill it. I thought this time it might be nice to try something a little different and pan fry it to see if it would bring out the same sweetness that grilling it does.

I was right. It worked like a charm. The sugar in the pineapple will start to caramelize when it’s heated up and the caramelizing brings out a whole new flavor in the pineapple! Delicious!

Ingredients:

1 pineapple

Directions:

Cut the top and the bottom off the pineapple then remove the outer skin of the pineapple and remove the core.
Once the pineapple is cleaned up cut it into chunks.
Set the pineapple to the side and heat up a nonstick skillet on medium high.
Once the pan is heated add the pineapple to the pan. Don’t overload the pan just put in enough to cover the bottom and work in batches.
Once the pineapple has a nice brown caramelized look remove from the pan and repeat.
Serve as a side dish or over ice cream.

Recipes

Seasoned Red Potatoes

April 21, 2013 Nicole

One of the first thing I but in my basket at the farmers market is red potatoes. The smaller the better. Unfortunately the last time I was there I couldn’t find the tiny ones but these were great too. My Dad would always preach the tiny ones. No bigger than a quarter in diameter he would say. No idea why, but that was his thing. We would have them at least once a week. For me this is always something I love to have because it reminds me of him.

This is a very good recipe full of delicious flavor. I really enjoyed them. Honestly I could have eaten the entire bunch myself, but I think everyone else would have been jealous!

Ingredients:

12 to 14 small red potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Peel a strip from around each potato.
Place potatoes in an ungreased 3-qt. baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the oil, butter and seasonings; drizzle over potatoes.

Original Recipe Source

Recipes

Southwest BBQ Chicken

April 20, 2013 Nicole

Wow is this recipe excellent! It reminds me of something I would order at Logan’s Roadhouse years ago. It’s actually still on their menu. This is very very similar if you are a fan of theirs. This recipe does take a bit of work but it’s well worth it.

After an Easter Sunday disaster and a big change of plans I ended up making this for dinner. It was fantastic everyone loved it, and actually raved about it. If you are entertaining and you are looking to make a really good impression on your guest this recipe is the one.

Ingredients: