CHOCOLATE PUDDING CAKE... SAVE ROOM FOR DESSERT

I'm always on the lookout for over-the-top dessert recipes that are not only sinfully delicious, but also relatively simple in their preparation.  My friend Melinda brought this recipe to me about a month ago, after she had made it for her family.  It's from the Australian Taste.com site; the original recipe can be found at the link.  I've tweaked my version, using butter rather than reduced-fat margarine, as well as the addition of vanilla extract.  I did use skim milk, as that's all I had in the fridge.  The outcome?  Absolutely over-the-top chocolatey goodness!  Seriously folks, this is one delicious cake, complete with its own chocolate sauce!  The additional of vanilla ice cream made it sublime, and if you're aiming to impress anyone, them make this cake, add the ice cream, and then, finish it with a dollop of whipped cream.  Whatever you were hoping to gain, it will be given to you on a platter!  It's that good, and even better?  It's absurdly quick and easy.  Make it.  Tonight. 

Chocolate Pudding Cake
1 cup self-rising flour
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, divided
1/2 cup cocoa powder, divided
1/2 cup milk (skim, 2%, whatever you have)
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups boiling water.

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Butter or spray a 6-cup (1.5 L) baking dish, set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup cocoa, vanilla, melted butter, and milk.  Beat until mixture is smooth, then pour into prepared baking dish.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining brown sugar and cocoa; sprinkle mixture onto batter.
• Bring 2 cups of water to a boil, then carefully pour over batter.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes; serve immediately with ice cream and/or whipped cream.

Recipe adapted from Taste.com.au

Cheeseburger Soup

CHEESEBURGER SOUP adapted from Recipes from Dawn's Daily Life
1/2 pound ground beef
3/4 cup of chopped onion
3/4 cup of shredded carrots
3/4 cup diced celery
1 teaspoon dried basil
4 tablespoons butter, divided
3 cups chicken broth
4 cups diced, peeled potatoes (1-3/4lbs)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups (8oz) processed cheese (Velveeta)
1-1/2 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup sour cream

Directions:  In a 3-quart saucepan, brown beef; drain and set aside. In the same saucepan, saute onions, carrots, celery, basil and parsley in 1 tablespoon butter until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add broth, potatoes and beef; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile in a small skillet, melt remaining butter. Add flour, cook and stir for 3-5 minutes or until bubbly. Add to soup; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add cheese, milk, salt and pepper; cook and stir until cheese melts. Remove from heat; blend in sour cream.

Modifications:
-I used 93/7 lean ground beef
-I used whole wheat flour
-I used light sour cream

Brown the ground beef.  Once browned, pull it out of the pan and set it aside.

Peel and dice the potatoes, dice the celery, shred the carrots, and dice an onion.

Throw the veggies in the same pan that the beef cooked in along with 1 Tbsp of butter.  Cook until tender (about 8-10 minutes).

Add the chicken broth and potatoes.  Put the ground beef back into the pot.  Cook on high until boiling, cover, and reduce.  Cook until potatoes are soft.

While the potatoes are cooking, melt the rest of the butter in a separte pan.  Add the flour.

Add the flour into the soup pot and stir well.

Add the milk.

Add the Velveeta and stir until melted.

Once the cheese melts, pull the soup off of the stove and add the sour cream.  Stir until the sour cream is mixed well.

Here's what you'll end up with:

I'm not sure it tastes like a cheeseburger but it does taste fantastic! 

Simple Saturday: Sweet and Spicy Chicken

Hello my foodie friends and welcome to Simple Saturday!

When I read Jenn's post yesterday here at Our Krazy Kitchen featuring Sweet and Sticky Grilled Chicken it reminded me of an appetizer I made way back in 2009 that my kids just loved - Sweet and Spicy Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites.

I found myself suddenly craving a sweet and spicy chicken dish!

I had some chicken cutlets in the fridge ready to go for last night but had no idea what I was going to make. I don't have access to a grill at the moment and didn't want to make appetizer portions for the chicken bites - and didn't have enough bacon to wrap all the chicken bites anyway. I decided to wing it and come up with something similar. It's more of a simple process than a recipe.
.

I washed and salted the cutlets, dredged them in a combo of brown sugar and a Cajun seasoning blend - lots of Cajun seasonings! I placed the cutlets in a baking dish, topped with crumbled  bacon (I used the precooked packaged kind), baked for 25 minutes at 350 and served with steamed broccoli and rolls.

It was a nice dinner, I love all the flavors of this chicken dish together, but to be honest there are a couple things I would change about this next time - I would cook the chicken on a rack instead of in a baking dish and instead of just coating the chicken in the brown sugar and Cajun seasoning I would top it with a heaping helping for more flavor - and  I know this would be even better on the grill!

Join me over at Seaside Simplicity for more quick and easy recipes.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Fire Day Friday: Sweet & Sticky Grilled Chicken

 

I'm sure that most of you have had this happen:  you find a recipe that you really want to try, so you print it out or bookmark it or whatever you do to save it, and than put it away with all the other recipes you want to try.  One day, you are scouring through those said recipes and all of a sudden, the one (you know the one.... the one you wanted to try so bad so long ago) is right there in your hand and you know this time you aren't letting it go! 

That is this recipe for me.  I saw the original recipe for this on Comfort of Cooking.  If you have not seen Georgia's site, I suggest heading over there as soon as you are done here (no, don't go now...finish mine first, than go see hers.....thank you!!)...not only are her recipes fantastic but her pictures will leave your mouth watering!!

Anyway, this chicken turned out perfectly...it lived up to it's name...it was sweet, it was sticky....it was FANTASTIC! 

Sweet and Sticky Grilled Chicken
Adapted from Comfort of Cooking
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1/3 cup red wine (I used Chianti)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon Wondra (you can use cornstarch)
2 Tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1 clove of garlic, minced
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Directions:
Bring wine, brown sugar, Wondra, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic to a boil in a saucepan.   Reduce heat and stir occasionally, until sauce becomes thicker. (it should not take long)  Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.  Reserve 2 tablespoons of the sauce and set aside.

Place the chicken in a shallow dish or Ziploc bag and pour the remaining sauce mixture over the chicken, making sure to coat all sides.  Let marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat grill to 400 degrees.  Remove the chicken from the dish or bag; discard the marinade.  Place the chicken directly on grill grates that have been rubbed down with oil.  Grill for 8-10 minutes per side, making sure to brush with the reserved sauce mixture, or until the chicken is cooked through, 165 degrees.  Enjoy!

 

STUFFED PINK MANICOTTI ALFREDO ~ CLASSIC GOOD EATS

STUFFED PINK MANICOTTI ALFREDO
1 box manicotti pasta shells
1 lean ground chuck
15 ounces ricotta cheese
3 cloves garlic, mashed
1 small bunch green onions, diced
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning mix
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups grated Mozzarella cheese
2-8 ounce cans Contadina tomato sauce
1 recipe PINK ALFREDO SAUCE (recipe follows)

• In a large skillet brown ground chuck with onions and garlic.
• Salt and pepper generously.
• Drain fat.
• Add 1 can Contadina tomato sauce to meat mixture and blend well.

• Add the ricotta cheese and herbs until well blended.
• Prepare manicotti shells al dente according to package directions. Cool shells slightly.
• Slice shells carefully along one edge so they resemble taco shells. Once they are cooked no one will notice that you took the easy way out to fill them.
• In a 9x13 baking dish pour tomato sauce evenly on bottom.
• Top with 1/3 of the grated Mozzarella cheese.

• Fill each shell to overflowing with ricotta mixture.
• Lay side by side on tomato sauce.
• Top with PINK ALFREDO SAUCE and the remaining Mozzarella cheese.
• Bake 30 minutes until cheese is golden and melted.
• Serve with Garlic Cheese Bread.

PINK ALFREDO SAUCE
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon minced garlic, jar
1 tablespoon Classico sun-dried tomato paste
1 egg yolk, beaten
1/4 teaspoon thyme
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• Melt butter in a saucepan.
• Add garlic and saute until fragrant.
• Gradually add heavy cream, stirring constantly. Stir in salt, pepper and grated Parmesan cheese and stir constantly until melted.
• Whisk in egg quickly and heat through.

QUINOA & BLACK BEAN COLD SALAD

I love the flavors of this salad. It's no secret that I adore red wine vinegar. That paired with the lime, the cilantro, the onions, and finally the texture of the Quinoa, just gives this that "what is that flavor" feeling on your tongue. You can't help but continuing to go back for more and more. It's really that good.

It definitely has that south of the border appeal and would be great for a fiesta or any Mexican themed meal.  We ate this with some taco burgers and it was sensational!  This makes a lot but it stays in the refrigerator for a long time so you can enjoy the leftovers!

Quinoa & Black Bean Salad Recipe

1 ¼ cup quinoa 
1 can (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 can of corn
1 red pepper, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ cup cilantro
¼ cup lime juice
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ teaspoon cumin
3 tablespoons olive oil

½ tablespoon splenda or sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

• Rinse quinoa under cold water thoroughly. 
• Put quinoa in a pot with 2 cups water. 
• Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer 20 minutes or until water is absorbed and quinoa is tender. 
• Fluff quinoa and transfer to a large bowl and allow to cool. 
• In a small bowl, toss beans with vinegar and salt and pepper. 
• Add beans, corn, red pepper, green onions, garlic, cayenne and cilantro to the quinoa. Toss well. 
• In a small bowl, whisk lime juice, cumin, splenda and oil. 
• Drizzle over salad and toss well with salt and pepper.

Total calories = 1770

12 - 1/2 cup servings = 148 calories per serving

IT'S ALMOST TIME - THE SUPERBOWL IS FEBRUARY 6TH!

BRING YOUR FAVORITE RECIPES AND JOIN US ON FEBRUARY 6TH FOR A VIRTUAL TAILGATING PARTY!  WHO ARE YOU ROOTING FOR?

CHICKEN MARSALA

Most weekdays I am hurried. There just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day to get everything done. Sometimes when dinner rolls around I want something quick and delicious. This chicken dish , thankfully, Is one of those meals. I always make sure I have a small bottle of Marsala wine in the house so I can whip this up in no time. And the kids like it. They sop up the juices with slices of french bread. And they eat the mushrooms!

Chicken Marsala
4 tablespoons butter
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
4 shallots, chopped fine
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup dry Marsala wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon lemon juice
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Pound chicken breasts to even out thickness and lightly salt and pepper.

2. In large skillet, cook  chicken in 2 T melted butter until lightly browned, about 2 minutes per side.

3. Remove from pan and set aside

4. Melt remaining butter in pan and add shallots, oregano and mushrooms

5. Cook until mushrooms are lightly browned.

6. Add Marsala  wine and bring to a boil, scraping browned bits from bottom of pan.

7. Add cream and lemon juice and return to a boil. Season with salt and pepper to taste

8. Return chicken to pan for about 3 minutes to reheat and finish cooking

9. Serve with hot buttered noodles 

    

    

Magic Brownie Bars

Hello Dollies, Seven Layer Bars, Magic Bars, these delights have many names and all of them delicious.  This is my take on this old favorite, and it's super quick and easy to put together as it starts with a brownie mix of your choice.  Actually, all of the ingredients used to build these bars can be individualized.  I used three types of chips, but you could use just one, two, or even use more than three!  Have fun and make them taste like magic!

Magic Brownie Bars
1 family size brownie mix
1+1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 large egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup crushed graham crackers
1 cup coarsely chopped & toasted pecans
2/3 cup each semi-sweet morsels, butterscotch chips, white chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups coconut nut
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a 13x9 pan with parchment or foil, so that edges extend on sides of pan.
Toast pecans in 350 degree oven for 7-8 minutes, toss with 1 tablespoon melted butter and sprinkle on 1/4 teaspoon salt; set aside.
Mix brownie mix, melted butter, and egg together to make a stiff dough; press into bottom of prepared baking pan.
Layer the following ingredients onto brownie bottom: graham cracker crumbs, pecans, semi-sweet morsels, butterscotch chips, and white chocolate chips, and coconut.
Pour entire can of sweetened condensed milk over top.
Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.
Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes, remove from pan, and cut into squares.

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL???

We're HUGE football fans!  Football season seems like it just started! (where does the time go?) And yet the final playoff games are here. And you know what that means - it's time for tailgating again, serious football food and game day buffets.

Bring over your best appetizers and your biggest appetite and oh don't forget the Brewskis to go with it all.  

Tailgating Time will be posted every Sunday at noon and open all week for you to add your football favorites. We'll play each and every week until Superbowl Sunday and then have a big party. I can't wait to see what you'll be bringing!  We'll host a big Superbowl party here at OUR KrAzY kitchen.

It's Tailgating Time!
HOSTED BY: 
Martha at Seaside Simplicity

Tamy at 3 sides of Crazy 
Lyndsey at Tiny Skillet 

Debbie at Dining with Debbie
& at  OUR KrAzY kitchen 

Would you like to be a host of Tailgating Time too? 

Leave a comment here with your email, at OUR KrAzY kitchen or with Martha over at Seaside Simplicity so we can send you the code and add you to the host list - more exposure, more links, more football food and more fun!!

Teriyaki BBQ Beef or Chicken with Broccoli Noodle Bowls

Last week we had an amazing Chinese-inspired dish at our house so I thought I would try another Chinese dish this week.  This is the epitome of being a home cook in that I just used what I had and I improvised.

Teriyaki BBQ Beef or Chicken with Broccoli Noodle Bowls adapted from Rachel Ray

For the BBQ Sauce

1/2 cup beef or chicken stock

1 cup ketchup

1/2 cup teriyaki sauce or low sodium teriyaki sauce

1/3 cup honey or agave syrup

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 palmful coarse black pepper

1 1-inch piece of ginger root, peeled

For the steak or chicken, veggies and spaghetti:

1 cup frozen shelled edamame

3/4 pound flank steak or boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 bundle broccolini or 1 small head broccoli

Salt

1 pound whole wheat or whole grain spaghetti

2 tablespoons vegetable oil or peanut oil

4 scallions, very thinly sliced on an angle

Directions:  Place the ingredients for the barbecue sauce in a small pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes to thicken and concentrate the flavor a little. Remove the ginger root.

Place a large pot of water on the stove to boil.  Pour a cup of edamame from the freezer into a bowl to defrost. Add the meat to the freezer to firm up, about 15 minutes.

Trim the broccolini or broccoli and cut into 2-inch pieces. Add salt to the boiling water and cook the broccolini or broccoli to tender-crisp, 5 minutes. Remove the broccolini with a spider or slotted spoon and drain well. Drop the pasta into the water and cook to al dente.

Remove the meat from the freezer and slice it very thinly on an angle, against the grain if you're using beef.

Heat the oil, a turn of the pan, in a large skillet or wok over high heat until smoking. Add the meat and stir fry until brown. Add the edamame and broccolini or broccoli and pour in the sauce. Drain the pasta and toss into the skillet to combine.

Serve in bowls topped with scallions.

Modifications:

-I just used a bag of stir-fry veggies instead of cutting up broccoli/edamame.

Here is what you'll need:

Put all of the "wet" ingredients into a saucepan.  Let it come to a boil and then turned down to a simmer.  Put some water on to boil for the pasta.

Chop up 3 cloves of garlic.

Cut about a 1 inch piece of ginger root, peel it, and throw it in with the wet ingredients.

Throw the garlic and ginger root in.  Add the pasta to the boiling water.

Thinly slice beef, on the grain.

Cut up some scallions or green onions.

After about 20 minutes, pull the ginger root out of the sauce.

Put the canola oil in a wok or pan and get hot.  Add the beef until brown.

Add the vegetables.

Add the sauce.

Drain the spaghetti and then add to the pan.

Here's what you'll end up with:

Another successful dish!  The honey really adds to the teriyaki sauce and we actually loved the diversity of the frozen stir-fry vegetables rather than just broccoli and edamame.