Souping and Caking

When I got done arting with the girls on Saturday, I went home and commenced to cook. I made a pot of spicy cheeseburger soup, which we had for dinner with bread, and a chocolate raspberry cake, which we had after being disappointed by the newest "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie. The soup was nearly too spicy, even with the toning down I did. The boys and J raved about the cake long after they'd finished their pieces and gone on with life. I would add a touch more jam next time, but J said, "Don't change a thing!" I've had these recipes for so long that I have no idea where I got them.

Spicy Cheeseburger Soup

1 1/2 c. water
2 peeled, cubed potatoes
2 sm. carrots, grated (I actually used a fat handful of baby carrots and match-sticked them)
1 sm. onion, chopped
1/4 c. chopped green pepper
1 seeded, chopped jalapeño (I used half)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp. beef bouillon granules (I used a Knorr cube, crumbled)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 lb. ground beef, thoroughly browned & drained (I used 90% lean)
2 1/2 c. milk (I used 1%)
3 tbsp. flour
8 oz. Velveeta, cubed (I used 2%)
1 tsp. cayenne (I used half, tasted, then added the rest. I would simply use half next time)
1/2 lb. crumbled, cooked bacon (Frankly, I don't think this added anything, really, and the texture was a little awkward, so I would skip it next time)

In a soup pot, mix water through salt. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 15-20 minutes. I found that 15 was fine, but I cut my veggies small. Add beef and 2 cups of the milk. Heat while mixing flour with half a cup of milk until smooth. Add gradually to pot, mixing well. Bring to boil. Cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Reduce heat and add Velveeta, stirring to melt. Add cayenne. Top each serving with bacon on the way to the table.

Chocolate Raspberry Cake

1 chocolate cake mix (I used Devil's Food)
12 oz. chocolate chips
1/4 c. raspberry liqueur (optional & I skipped it)
1/2 c. raspberry jam
8 oz. sour cream (I used light without any texture or taste issues)
2 tbsp. chopped, toasted pecans (I subbed hazelnuts with no regrets at all...they seem right)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir up the cake mix according to the directions on the box. Add 1 cup of the chocolate chips to the batter and pour into 2 greased and floured 9" round pans. Bake 25-30 minutes at 350, using the toothpick test to determine doneness. Cool on wire racks 10 minutes, then remove from pans to cool completely. Brush top of each layer with liqueur, if using. Spread one layer with jam. Add second layer. Melt the rest of the chips, cool and gradually add sour cream. Spread the frosting on top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle with nuts. Chill 2 hours. (It did seem as though the frosting would have done just fine if eaten right away rather than being chilled, but I went ahead and chilled it anyway)

Apparently, the boys were still raving about this cake in the car on the way back to PA. It wasn't my favorite cake ever, but the rest of the family sure loved it. I have been spoiled by my chocolate nemesis, I suppose.

Operation 10 by 40

My wife and I have decided, after a week indulging in Miami, to try and get fit. She is calling her project Operation Size 12, for her goal size. Mine is size 10 by age 40. Not sure I can do it that fast, but we shall see. Last night, she broiled some tuna steaks she'd marinated in Old Bay Lemon & Herb, lemon juice, cayenne and a smidge of olive oil. On the side, we had a big salad with light Italian dressing and some steamed veggies. Tonight, I made a big salad and some pita sandwiches. The salad was an iceberg blend with cubed avocado, pieces of crisp turkey bacon, chopped tomato and light vinaigrette. I put a small amount of Jack cheese in the pitas, along with baby spinach, broccoli sprouts, sliced black olives, cucumber slices and light vinaigrette. It was a nice light dinner that was plenty filling. Now, I am going to have a Valencia orange and watch "Georgia Rule." When J gets back from class, we'll hit the treadmills for a half hour walk. Last night, we did the same and it was actually fun, with someone along to keep me company.

Chili & Pasta for a Chilly Night

Oh, boy, do I love chili! Last night, I put it over pasta for our supper and it was delicious! This is my adaptation of a Weight Watchers' recipe:

Rotini with Turkey Chili

1 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 minced cloves garlic
1 chopped onion
1 lb. lean ground turkey
28 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1 tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. oregano
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1/2 lb. rotini

Heat skillet on medium-high heat. Add oil and heat. Cook onion & garlic in oil for a couple of minutes. Add turkey & cook until browned. Add tomato & spices. Bring to a boil. Simmer while you cook the pasta, 15-20 minutes. Serves 4-6.

Tonight, my Beloved is cooking, but I am throwing some bread machine bread together & making amaretto peach crunch for dessert.

Garlic Herb Machine Bread

1 1/4 c. water
1 tbsp. butter, softened
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 1/4 c. bread flour
2 tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. rosemary
1/4 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. basil
1 1/2 tsp. bread machine yeast

Add to machine in order and set for large loaf of white bread.

Amaretto Peach Crunch

1 lb. sliced peaches, fresh or frozen
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. amaretto
20 amaretti cookies (I really only like the Lazzaroni ones)
1/2 c. slivered almonds
1/8 c. brown sugar
1/2 stick butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put peaches in 8x8 baking dish. If frozen, defrost before putting in dish. Sprinkle with lemon zest and juice and amaretto. Grind amaretti into crumbs in a few short blender pulses, adding almonds in last couple of bursts (or whack it all to crumbs in a zipper bag). Add sugar. Put in bowl & add melted butter, mixing with fork. Sprinkle over peaches and bake 25 minutes.

Banana Goodness

The 17 hours I'm taking this semester haven't prevented me from cooking, but they have eaten away at my time to blog. Thought I'd quick pop in and share my breakfast-for-dinner from last night. J snoozed on the couch while I cooked and awoke to a full breakfast set before her. I made the Lone Mountain Ranch's banana granola pancakes with bacon on the side and dished up some of the pear apple sauce I made last week to go with it.

Banana Granola Pancakes

1 1/2 c. flour
3 tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
Pinch salt
1 c. granola
2 eggs
1 1/2 c. buttermilk
2 bananas, sliced very thin
3 tbsp. melted butter

Mix dry ingredients together. Beat eggs with milk. Pour over flour. Stir to moisten. Add bananas & stir. Add butter & stir. Spray a skillet with cooking spray & heat. Ladle the batter into the skillet to form pancakes. Cook until bubbles form in the cakes and flip. Cook another minute or two. Keep warm as you repeat with the rest of the batter. Good with maple or hickory syrup. Serves 4.

A Little Zap of Caffeine

For some reason, my chosen class to bake for this year is not as interested in eating as last year's choices. I wonder if it's because break is at 10:30 as opposed to 3:30. Anyway, I just baked for them & it's a morning-sounding treat, in name if not in practice. They taste just like a mocha cappuccino.

Cappuccino Chunk Cookies

1 1/4 c. flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
6 tbsp. butter, softened
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted & cooled
4 oz. white chocolate, 3 oz. coarsely chopped
1/2 c. chocolate-covered espresso beans

Mix the dry ingredients together. Beat butter, sugars and vanilla together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Add melted chocolate. On low speed, gradually beat in flour mixture, mixing just until blended. Stir 3 oz. chopped white chocolate into dough along with the espresso beans. Chill at least 2 hours or up to overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheets. Shape dough into 1" diameter balls. Place 2" apart on cookie sheets. Bake 13 minutes. Melt remaining oz. white chocolate and drizzle onto the cookies. Let stand 1 hour.

This recipe came from an old issue of Ladies Home Journal.

More Harvest Treats

Friday night, we had a wonderfully autumnal veggie stew for dinner. While I didn't serve any dessert with it, the gingerbread cake I made for class Thursday would go well with it. My prof said, "Mmm, tastes like Fall!" when he bit into it. I served it plain for class, but I heartily recommend some real whipped cream to dollop on top.

Fall Veggie Stew

1 lb. acorn squash, cubed
2 potatoes, cubed
4 carrots, chopped into 1" lengths
4 ribs celery, chopped as above
1 c. sliced zucchini
1 c. green beans
1 c. peas
2 c. beef broth
2 tbsp. red wine (I used burgundy)
A good grinding of pepper
1 tsp. herbes de Provence (or rosemary)
1 lb. kielbasa, cut in 1/2" pieces (you could also use regular pork sausage links)
1/4 c. chopped green pepper
2 onions, quartered
2 tbsp. flour
1/2 c. warm water

Put squash, potatoes, carrots, celery, zucchini, green beans, broth, wine, pepper, herbes de Provence in crockpot. Brown sausage with peppers & onions. Add to pot. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Add peas. Whisk flour into water until smooth and add to pot. Cook on low 1 more hour. Serve with good, crusty bread like the tomato-basil bread from Lakewood's Breadsmith we found at the Farmer's Market this weekend.

Gingerbread Cake

1 c. sugar
2 tbsp. molasses
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. ginger
4 1/2 tbsp. melted butter
1 egg
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 c. buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix first 7 ingredients together. Beat in egg. Sift flour and soda together and add alternately with buttermilk. Butter 8" square pan. Pour batter into pan and bake 35 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before serving. Serves 9. I actually doubled this recipe and baked it in a 13x9 pan for about 7 minutes longer than this recipe calls for. This recipe comes from the fabulous Susan Branch, who included it, along with a recipe for lemon sauce that sounds delicious, in her Autumn cookbook. The recipes are wonderful, but the illustrations, watercolors by Branch, are even better. It's a delight to look at even if you don't cook.

Welcome Fall!!!

Ah, I just love seasonal changes and I especially love Fall! For our first Fall dinner this year, I roasted a chicken (slather with butter, sprinkle with sea salt, pepper and herbes de Provence, drizzle with olive oil and roast at 400 degrees for 15 minutes per pound plus 10 minutes...and let it rest 10 minutes before cutting), jazzed up some leftover mashed potatoes (spread into baking dish, topped with 1/2 cup heavy cream and a bunch of grated parmesan and broiled until it was all golden & bubbly on top), steamed some green beans and made an apple crisp. Of all the desserts I remember from my childhood, apple crisp and chocolate chip cookies are the most vivid memories. Every time my mom made apple crisp, I would help, but I would also be excitedly waiting for the curls of peel that I would get to snack on! I found some gorgeous Granny Smiths and used those along with MacIntosh, Pink Lady and some sort of homegrown Ohio apples.

Apple Crisp

10 apples, peeled and sliced Lemon juice 1 c. flour 1 c. brown sugar 1/2 c. cold butter, cut into bits 1/2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. cinnamon Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 2-qt. casserole. Layer the apples in it. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Mix the other ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over apples. Bake one hour.