Darn Good Chocolate Cake

I got this recipe from my friend when Jack and I attended the BYU Ward in Provo. I think it is A-MAZING! :)

1 chocolate cake mix

1 small box chocolate instant pudding

1/2 cup chocolate chips

4 eggs

3/4 cup oil

1 cup water

1 cup sour cream

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients for 2 minutes, then add chocolate chips

2. Grease pan. Bake 40-50 minutes at 350. Cool for 20 minutes

Frosting

5 Tbsp butter

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup milk

1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1.Mix in medium saucepan using medium-high heat. Stir while boiling 1 minute

2. Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips. Stir until melted. Pour over cake.

Ice Cream Sandwich Cake

Adapted from here - http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/ice-cream-sandwich-desserts/detail.aspx

Layer ice cream sandwiches along bottom of pan

Top with layer of cool whip

Top with hot fudge

Sprinkle with toffee bits

Add another layer of ice cream sandwiches

Top with layer of cool whip

Drizzle caramel sauce over it

Sprinkle with more toffee bits

Freeze.

Eat.

Enjoy!

Banana Bread

I really wanted to make banana bread, but my indeciveness makes it difficult so I decided to try 2 different recipes

1.) http://allrecipes.com/recipe/banana-sour-cream-bread/detail.aspx

2.) http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/banana-banana-bread/detail.aspx

I liked the 1st one better. Just better tasting, though both were very moist and the 2nd probably did have more banana flavor.

Tzatziki Sauce

Can't tell you how much we love this. Found here - http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chicken-souvlaki-gyro-style/detail.aspx

• Tzatziki Sauce (cucumber sauce):
• 1/2 cup seeded, shredded cucumber
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
• 1/2 teaspoon Greek seasoning
• kosher salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

Toss the shredded cucumber with 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and allow to sit at least 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, mix the yogurt, sour cream, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, rice vinegar, and olive oil. Season with garlic, fresh dill, and Greek seasoning. Squeeze the cucumber to remove any excess water; stir into sauce. Season to taste with kosher salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.

*I never have rice vinegar. Mix like 3/4 part vinegar and 1/4 part water

*I also make my own Greek seasoning, which works wonderful. I just keep it in a small tupperware. I found it here - http://allrecipes.com/recipe/greek-seasoning/detail.aspx

• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried mint - again, we never have mint so I use a little extra basil
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1/2 teaspoon dried minced onion
• 1/4 teaspoon dried minced garlic

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to 6 months.

• 

Tabbouleh

Got the recipe from here - http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/tabbouleh-i/Detail.aspx

This is very different than the tabbouleh Jack has made in the past, but I think it was still a nice refreshing (and very simple) salad. I think it went well with my roasted potatoes which I just cooked with some olive oil and mediterranean seasoning.

I only made a little to be safe in case it turned out awful :)

• 1/4 cup bulgur
• 1/3 cup and 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon boiling water
• 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint - I Left This Out Completely
• 3/4 tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 cucumber - peeled, seeded and chopped - I also left this out since I had cucumber dill yogurt sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Microwave water and stir in bulgar. Cover, and set aside to soak for 1 hour.

1. Add oil, lemon juice, onions, parsley, mint, tomatoes, and cucumber; toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Shish Kabobs

Found the recipe here - http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/armenian-shish-kabob/Detail.aspx

Now, Jack will tell you this didn't have the armenian flavor. And you're supposed to use cubed lamb in designated recipe. I used ground beef, but it still tasted great in the pita bread topped with the tzatziki sauce, red onion, lettuce, and tomatoes.

1 lb ground beef

1/4 cup olive oil

• 1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon water
• 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/8 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
• 1 bay leaf

Stir together olive oil, lemon juice, water, and garlic; season with salt, pepper, oregano, rosemary, and bay leaf. I mixed these together then massaged the meat into it and formed into log rolls. I let it sit in the fridge overnight. When I cooked them I skewered them on some intense skewers I ordered from Russia and broiled them in the oven turning often. I'm sure any skewers would work, but the fat ones make them easier to turn and cook.

Sorry, no stock photo. I should have snapped a picture of ours. Oh well, just picture deliciousness. :)

Homemade Pizza

I'm always looking for a great pizza dough. Saturday night we had a family party so we made pizzas together and laid blankets on the floor to eat while watching a movie together.

This one turned out pretty good - http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/jays-signature-pizza-crust/detail.aspx

• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and brown sugar in the water, and let sit for 10 minutes.
2. Stir the salt and oil into the yeast solution. Mix in 2 1/2 cups of the flour.
3. Turn dough out onto a clean, well floured surface, and knead in more flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Place the dough into a well oiled bowl, and cover with a cloth. Let the dough rise until double; this should take about 1 hour. (I covered mine and set it out in the sun. Didn't take more than 1/2 hour) Punch down the dough, and form a tight ball. Allow the dough to relax for a minute before rolling out.
4. Oil pan and let it rise for 15-20 minutes. (I didn't do this and it still tasted great).
5. Bake in oven at 425 degrees F for 10 minutes.
6. Top pizza with favorite toppings
7. Bake pizza until the cheese and crust are golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Before baking it I brushed the crust with some butter and garlic powder. It was pretty delicious. And of course it is a fun, family activity!

Black Bean Salad

This is so totally delicious! Seriously an absolute favorite of mine and we will be eating a lot of it this summer!

Found here - http://steedsustenance.blogspot.com/2009/07/meatless-mondays-red-chilaquiles.html (check out her link because she posts it with fried corn tortillas and enchilada sauce which really goes amazing with this salad)

You'll need:

• 2 cans black beans, drained, about 30 ounces
• 1 (15-ounce) can corn, drained
• 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper (sometimes I leave out)
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1/4 cup diced green onions
• 1/2 cup canned pineapple tidbits
  
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro leaves (When I don't have this I leave it out, still amazing!)
• 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• Pinch ground cumin

The preparation instructions for this recipe are the greatest:

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour (if you don't have an hour, don't think you can't make this. It will still be delicious!)

....Awesome.

Try it, you will not be disappointed!

Rice and Bean Casserole

I always have leftover rice when i make this, so I like to make a casserole a few days later with it.

Open a can of refried beans and spread at bottom of pan. Top with your rice and bean mixture. Sprinkle corn on top and cheese. Bake in oven until heated through.

This is great with chips, on a tortilla, or scoop it on some greens for a mexican salad. Very good stuff!

Pistachio Cake

Found the recipe here - http://johnstonfamilyrecipes.blogspot.com/2009/10/perfect-cake.html

Pistachio Cake

Ingredients:

1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage
3 eggs
2 (3 ounce) packages instant pistachio pudding mix
1 tub whipped cream
1 cup milk

Instructions:

Beat cake mix, oil, soda, eggs, and first package of pudding until smooth. Pour batter into greased 9 x 13 inch pan.

Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 45 minutes, or cake tests done.

Beat cool whip, milk, and second package pudding; pour over cake. Refrigerate.

This recipe is from the website http://allrecipes.com/.

So - the cake turned out light and moist and PERFECT. I have read that you can try this with any pudding/cake flavors. Now I am dying to try a vanilla pudding cake, or a chocolate pudding cake (maybe with chocolate cake mix too), or a coconut cream pie cake? Anyway, next time I try it I want to try reducing the oil and see how it goes. I totally recommend this simple recipe. I hope that you like it too!

Chicken Pot Pie Casserole

This is actually one of my favorite casserole dishes, though I may change a few things next time to see if I can make it better.

I adapted the recipe from here - http://johnstonfamilyrecipes.blogspot.com/2011/03/chicken-pot-pie.html

Chicken Pot Pie

*Double Recipe to fit in a 9x13 pan*
2 c. chopped cooked chicken
2 hard boiled eggs, sliced
1/2 c. thinly sliced carrots
1/2 c. frozen green peas
1 can (10 oz) cream of chicken soup
1 c. chicken broth
salt & pepper
1 1/2 c. instant Bisquick mix
1 c. milk
1 stick butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease casserole dish.
Layer chicken then eggs then carrots then peas.
Mix soup, broth, salt & pepper. Pour over layers.
Stir Bisquick mix and milk. Pour over casserole.
Drizzle melted butter over top.
Bake 30-40 minutes until top is golden brown.

I left out the egg since I didn't have any cooked, but I am excited to try it with it. I also added chopped broccoli and a can of corn on top of my peas and carrots. I added an egg to my Bisquick/milk mixture since I was nervous about the fact the recipe said Instant Bisquick. Is this different than regular Bisquick?... Anyway, it still turned out yummy and got a nice fluffy top, but I think if I left the egg out it would be a more crispy top. We'll see. Either way, I don't think you can go too wrong with this.

Mexican tomato rice and bean Quesadilla

found the recipe here -http://fortheloveofcooking-recipes.blogspot.com/2010/10/mexican-tomato-rice-and-bean-quesadilla.html

Basically, make this yummy rice below. Take a tortilla (corn and flour are both delicious), top with cheese, rice and bean mixture, more cheese, top with a tortilla and cook on griddl until golden brown. Serve with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, whatever!

You'll see a link for the rice and bean mixture here - http://fortheloveofcooking-recipes.blogspot.com/2010/02/mexican-tomato-rice-and-beans.html

Mexican Tomato Rice and Beans:

Adapted recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

Original recipe from Fine Cooking Annual 1

• 1 cup of white rice
• 2 cups of water
• 1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes
• 1-2 tsp olive oil
• 5-6 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped finely
• 1 15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped finely

Bring the water to boil in a large sauce pan over medium high heat, add the rice, cover with lid and simmer on low for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for another 5 minutes.

While the rice steams, set a fine sieve in a large measuring cup and drain the tomatoes. Add enough water to the tomato juice to equal 1 cup. Chop the tomatoes very finely.

Heat the olive oil a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and jalapeno to the skillet and sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the black beans, cumin, chili powder, oregano, sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Stir in the tomato juice mixture and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans absorb much of the liquid, 5-7 minutes. Add the tomatoes, cilantro and cooked rice then cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is warm, 1-2 minutes. Serve immediately. Enjoy.

Stir Fry

I like to have meatless meals. Let's be honest, I'm not that into being a vegetarian-just think it is healthier and cheaper. We're supposed to eat meat sparingly, especially in the summertime so it's a good thing. Plus, stir-frys are quick and easy!

carrots

onion

broccoli

peppers

frozen stir-fry mix

eggs

ramen. or rice

soy sauce

ginger

lemon juice

I usually dice some carrots and red onion then cook them in a skillet with a little oil and garlic until tender. I add some broccoli and my frozen stir-fry mix to get a little more variety.

While they are cooking I sometimes crack an egg or two in there. Just like the way it tastes.

When the veggies are tender I add a little of my flavor packet for the ramen, soy sauce, ginger, lemon juice-whatever flavors meet your fancy and serve on top of ramen or rice. Tonight was ramen. Easier to make and easier to clean-up. :)

Ham Potato Casserole

Found the recipe here - http://easter.spike-jamie.com/ham3.html

EASTER LEFTOVERS CASSEROLE

5 potatoes, cubed
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups cooked ham, cubed
1 clove garlic, minced
5 oz cream of chicken soup - see my substitute
3 tablespoons butter
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and mash with the butter and milk.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Combine mashed potatoes, ham, garlic, soup, egg and parsley in a mixing bowl. Transfer mixture to greased casserole dish and bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and bake an additional 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

This was actually pretty tasty I think. Just kind of like twice baked potatoes with some ham mixed in. We served it with a salad and I think the garlic croutons and ranch dressing with the casserole made an excellent combination with a bit more flavor and a little crunch!

Ham Pineapple Rice

Made a variation of the recipe found here - http://easter.spike-jamie.com/ham3.html

HAM AND PINEAPPLE DINNER

1 tablespoons butter
1 cup cooked and cubed ham
2 green onions, chopped
1 can of pineapple
1 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoons prepared mustard
1 tablespoons cornstarch

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the ham, onions and pineapple chunks (leave the juice out) in the butter for about 5 minutes. Take out and set aside.

Pour the pineapple juice in the skillet along with the brown sugar, mustard and cornstarch. Cook until thickened. Mix the ham, pineapple and onion back in and heat through. Serve on top of rice.

Simple and good enough. Nothing spectacular but nothing to complain about either.

Funnel Cake

Okay, so the canned biscuits that are like .25 a can on sale are awesome opened, pinched with a hole, fried in oil then topped with powdered sugar or cinnamon and sugar. It is the quickest, yummiest treat out there, but I found a pretty good alternative with stuff that I always have in the kitchen.

1/2 cup pancake mix

1/3 cup milk

1 Tbsp oil

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

Whisk together your wet ingredients, mix in your pancake mix then pour into your hot oil til browned, flip, wait a few seconds until browned on that side, set on a paper towel and shake your sugars on!

I have a little tupperware that has a pour spout so I just put on the lid, shake up my wet, add the dry, shake again, then zigzag pouring my funnel cake. Very easy and gives you that oily, sugary fix you're looking for, Enjoy! ;)

Cream of Chicken soup substitute

I always hear how bad cream of chicken soup is, and so thought I should find a substitute when recipes call for it. I don't know if this is any healthier actually, but I know I always have it on hand and it is super easy, so I want to make sure I post it!

evaporated milk plus chicken bouillon

Oh, you don't always keep evaporated milk on hand and I said you will-make your own!

2/3 cup of powdered milk

3/4 cup water

yields 1 cup

Yep, that's it. I mix it in my magic bullet, it takes approximately 30 seconds and works great! Though I have noticed it makes a little less than what it says.

If you're wondering how much chicken bouillon to put in, eh, up to you for taste. I do about 1 tsp per cup...?