Karen's Incredible Triple Chocolate Cake

Karen’s Incredible Triple Chocolate Cake

(Everyone loves this, but especially Jesse and Matthew!)

Cake

            1 package Pillsbury Plus Devil’s Food Cake Mix

            1 c dairy sour cream                         ¾ c water

            1/3 c oil                                              3 eggs

            4 oz (+) bar milk chocolate, chopped in food processor

Frosting (I usually double this part for frosting-loving crowds)

            8 oz (+) white chocolate, cut into pieces*

            ¾ c butter, softened

            ½ c powdered sugar

Garnish (make before frosting the cake) -- This step takes the cake from amazing to over the top. You do NOT need to put the white chocolate curls/fans on top if you don't want to... the cake is still amazing without it!

            Apx. 2 lbs. white chocolate

            Heat the oven to 350. Grease and flour two 9” round cake pans. In large bowl, combine cake mix, sour cream, water, oil and eggs at low speed until moistened: beat 2 minutes at high speed. Gently fold in milk chocolate. Pour batter evenly into greased and floured pans. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly in center. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pans. Cool completely.

            Mix white chocolate in double broiler, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; cool. (If you don’t cool it thoroughly, it will harden when mixed in with room temperature ingredients and look lousy.) In small bowl, beat butter at ROOM TEMPERATURE (you canNOT melt the butter either -- it has to be really soft from being on the counter or the consistency of everything will change -- trust me on this!) and powdered sugar until fluffy. Gradually beat in cooled bar until smooth and fluffy. To assemble cake, place one layer bottom side up on serving plate. Spread generous amount of frosting between layers. Place remaining layer bottom side down on frosted layer. Frost sides and top of cake with remaining frosting.

            For garnish: Melt white chocolate and spread thin layer over back of cookie sheet or ideally on slab of marble. When it loses the shine, but BEFORE totally cool, take a putty knife or wide spatula, and make big chocolate curls or fans to put all over the top and sides of the cake. Put over sides and bottom while frosting is not yet “set.”

*Use GOOD white chocolate! I use Callebaut or get Ghirardelli or get chocolate from candy making store.

Vegan Aussie Bites

These convenient, tasty little bites are like a cross between a granola bar and a muffin. Best of all, they take only about 10 minutes to assemble!

Ingredients

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1 1/2 cups oat flour

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup unsalted roasted sunflower seeds

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/3 cup flaxseed meal

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup dried apricots

I didn't have apricots so used dates instead; instead of raisins I used dried cranberries and cherries, and I added some hemp seed and camu camu powder.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray the cups of a mini-muffin pan with non-stick spray or rub with a little coconut oil.

2. Heat the coconut oil and maple syrup in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until coconut oil has melted. Set aside.

3. To the bowl of an 8-cup or larger food processor, add oat flour, oats, and sunflower seeds. Pulse a couple of times until the seeds and oats begin to break up. Add the coconut, flaxseed meal, baking powder, and salt. Pulse to mix.

4. Add the raisins and dried apricots and pulse until the apricots are approximately the size of peas.

5. Pour the melted coconut oil and maple syrup over the dry ingredients, then pulse just until combined. Transfer to a large bowl and stir well to make sure all ingredients are well-combined. If any of the apricots and raisins stick together in clumps, use your fingers to separate and distribute them throughout the mix.

6. Scoop by the heaping tablespoonful into the cups of the mini muffin pan (I use a cookie scoop). With your fingers, press each gently but firmly to pack and flatten.

7. Bake for about 12 minutes until set and edges are golden.

8. Remove from oven, allowing to cool for about 10 minutes. Use a butter knife to help pop each bite out of its respective tin; carefully remove from tin and place on a wire rack until completely cool and set. They may be fragile until completely cooled.

9. Keep at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days, or freeze in a zipper bag.

 (from www.ohmyveggies.com)

Cajun Salmon on Fruited Arugula Salad

Put holes in your salmon and drizzle with olive oil and fresh lemon juice from two small lemons, add salt, pepper, fresh parsley, and sprinkle with cajun seasoning.  Broil until done.

To baby arugula add:  handful of pine nuts; can of drained artichoke hearts; handful of golden flax seeds; handful of shaved Parmesan cheese; handful of fresh raspberries, a diced avocado, and a large handful of crumbled sweet potato Garden of Eaten chips.  Add juice from two large lemons and drizzle with flaxseed oil.  

You can make any additions or substitutions you like!

Best Ever Mixed Yam Fries

1 japanese yam
1 red yam
1 regular orange yam

Cut each yam into thirds and then into fries.  Put in 9x13.  Sprinkle with olive oil, good cinnamon, and a little vanilla.  Toss some crushed macadamia nuts on top.  Bake at 350 for approximately 30 minutes.

Karen’s Ricotta-Stuffed Squash

4 acorn or 8 crookneck or pattypan squash               2 T butter

1 small onion, finely chopped                                                1 clove garlic, minced

1 10-oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed    2 eggs

1 lb. ricotta cheese                                                      ¼ c grated Parmesan cheese

1 T chopped parsley                                                  ½ t EACH salt, dry basil & oregano

dash of pepper                                                           Tomato sauce (recipe follows)

Cut squash in half, take out seeds, and steam until crisp-tender (apx. 5 minutes).  Plunge in cold water, drain well, and set aside.  In small frying pan over medium heat, melt 1 T butter.  Add onion & garlic & cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is limp.  Squeeze spinach to remove excess moisture.  Add spinach to onion mixture & cook 1 minute; let cool.  In a bowl, combine eggs with ricotta, stirring until well-blended.  Stir in Parmesan, parsley, salt, basil, oregano, pepper & spinach mixture.   Allowing about 3 T filling per squash, mound filling inside squash shells.  Arrange filled shells in shallow baking pans.  Melt remaining 1 T butter & brush over cut surfaces of squash.  If made ahead, cover & refrigerate.  Bake uncovered in 350 oven for approximately 20 minutes (30 minutes if refrigerated) or until filling is piping hot.  While squash is baking, prepare tomato sauce to spoon over squash before serving.

Tomato sauce:

2 15-oz. cans tomato sauce                                         4 T chopped parsley

2 cloves garlic, minced                                                2 t dry basil

1 t oregano leaves                                                        salt & pepper

In 1-qt. pan, simmer all ingredients together for 5 minutes.

Fat Flush Soup

Fat Flush Soup Recipe

(Recipe by Fat Flush Blog at http://www.fatflush.com/blog/fat-flush-soup/)

Ingredients

 2 tsp. olive oil

1-1/4  lbs. lean ground beef, turkey or chopped chicken*

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

1 large red, orange and/or green pepper, seeded and chopped

1 large zucchini or yellow squash, chopped

8 oz. mushrooms, chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

1 bottle (46 oz.) reduced-sodium tomato or vegetable cocktail juice

1 can (15 oz.) pinto, garbanzo or black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (14 oz.) crushed tomatoes

1 Tbs. fresh lime juice

1 Tbs. ground cumin

⅛  tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste

1/4 cup each fresh cilantro and parsley leaves, chopped

Instructions

1. In sauce pot over medium-high heat, cook oil 30 seconds or until heated.

2. Add beef, turkey or chicken and cook 5 minutes or until cooked through, stirring occasionally.

3. Remove from skillet; drain, if desired.

4. In same sauce pot, cook onions, peppers, zucchini, mushrooms and garlic for 5 minutes or until vegetables are

crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.

5. Stir in next 6 ingredients and cooked meat.

6. Add up to 1 cup water to thin soup, if desired.

7. Cover and bring soup just to a simmer (do not let boil).

8. Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

My Quest for the Perfect Belgian Waffle has ended!

BELGIAN SUGAR/LIEGE WAFFLES FOR FREEZING

http://www.notmartha.org/archives/2015/03/13/how-to-make-authentic-liege-waffles-in-six-minutes/

Recipe adapted from the Gaufre de Liège Recette Blog, which is excellent.

Makes 12 waffles.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tsp. (8 g) active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup (120 g) whole milk at 110-115 degrees F (43-46 C)
• 5 Tbsp. and 1 tsp. (80 g) water at 110-115 degrees F (43-46 C)
• 4 cups (480 g) King Arthur all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature and lightly beaten
• 2 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. (40 g) light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. (9 g) salt
• 17 Tbsp. (240 g) room temperature butter (just over two sticks)
• 2 Tbsp. (30 g) honey
• 4 tsp. (20 ml) vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cup (300 g) Belgian Pearl Sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Put heated milk and water in the bowl of a stand mixer, sprinkle yeast over the top and stir to moisten.

2. Add the eggs and about 1/3rd (160 g) of the flour, mix to blend.

3. Sprinkle the remaining flour over the top of the mixture but don’t stir it in. Cover the bowl and let it stand for 75 to 90 minutes at room temperature. You’ll see the yeast mixture bubble up through the flour.

after 90 minutes

4. Add the brown sugar and salt, mix on slow to combine everything in the bowl. (I just go ahead and use the dough hook.)

5. With your mixer on low speed add the honey and the vanilla. Add 2 Tbsp. (60 g) of butter at a time. Mix everything for 4 minutes at medium-low speed, scrape down sides a few times. Let the dough rest for 1 minute and mix again for 2 minutes. Do this again a few times until the dough starts to want to stick mostly to the dough hook.

6. Transfer the dough into a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let this rise at room temperature for 4 hours.

after 4 hours

7. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. This step is for yeast respiration, it will slow it down which you’ll need to do before the next step.

after 30 minutes

8. Using a silicone spatula press down on the dough to deflate it. Scrap this onto a piece of plastic wrap, stretch into a long rectangle and then fold into thirds. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and weight it down with dinner plates. Refrigerate overnight.

after an overnight rest

9. Divide your pearl sugar in 12 equal piles, about 2 Tbsp. (25 g) each. Divide the dough into 12 pieces (about 88 g each). Mix the pearl sugar into each part of dough, I usually flatten the dough, sprinkle sugar on top and fold it over a few times.

10. Shape each waffle into an oval lump, cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 90 minutes.

after 90 minutes

11. Spray your waffle iron with cooking spray. Heat until it registers at 365-370 degrees F (185 – 187 C). (Hotter than this and it will burn the sugar.) Cook until the waffle is dark golden brown and you can see the sugar melting and coating the outside. If you’re using a stovetop waffle iron I recommend turning it over every 90 seconds or so to keep the temperature on both sides up and allow for as much sugar to coat the exterior as possible. Carefully transfer the waffles to a wire rack to cool — be aware that the hot sugar will drip and can burn your fingers (ask me how I know) so use tongs and a flat spatula or small plate to help you move them. When cool tuck each waffle into some parchment paper and freeze in an airtight container. When you are ready to cook them preheat an oven to 275 degrees F and place the waffle directly onto the wire rack. Heat for 5 to 7 minutes, carefully transfer to a plate, maybe line the plate with that strip of parchment paper.

I recommend the oven over a reheating in a toaster because I don’t want hot sugar to drip into your toaster. A friend reported that even at the lowest heat setting the waffles burned in her toaster oven. So, regular oven it is.

12. If you are freezing the dough to cook later: Transfer the sheet with your dough directly into the freezer and let the dough chill for at least half an hour until set. Wrap each lump of dough in plastic wrap and place together in an airtight container in the freezer. When you are ready to cook follow the directions above for cooking. I remove as many ovals of dough as I want to make and place them onto the hot waffle iron, pressing the iron down slowly to flatten them out as they thaw. If you freeze the dough on parchment you can cut around them and use that parchment when you wrap them up, it will peel off cleanly before putting them in the waffle iron.