Chocolate Cake with Seven Minute Icing

As part of my on-going cake obsession I made this beauty of a cake.  The cake is a mix however, I did make the icing.  I LOVE boiled icing and wanted to try it out.  Turned out pretty good.  And it was a lot easier than I thought it would be to make.  Next time I will make the cake from scratch.

I will post the recipe later today.....I have to go to work now.

"Somebody" loved the icing.........can you guess who??  He wouldn't eat the cake......just wanted to lick the beaters. 

Mini Peppers Stuffed with Ricotta

I had some mini peppers in the fridge so I thought I would try to stuff them.  They turned out pretty darn good.  I simply mixed together ricotta cheese, bread crumbs, fresh grated parm cheese and some herbs from my garden. I then cored each pepper and stuffed them with the filling.  They bake for about 30 minutes and voila!  They were sooooo good!  Definitely one to make again!

White Cake with a Lemon Filling

 This was an emergency cake.  We had company coming for dinner and no time for dessert.  So I grabbed a mix from the cupboard ( I know. I know.)  Baked it and made a lemon curd filling.  The icing is whipped cream.  Very simple dessert but very delicious too.  It was tart with just a hint of sweetness.  Perfect!  

Orange Cranberry Bread

  

I was at the Superstore and came across oranges and then some cranberries.....so naturally orange cranberry bread came to mind. I do not normally make muffins or quick breads because they NEVER turn out for me. They are always rubbery and holey. But I am bound and determined to get over this little hurdle! lol I will practice until I get the darn things conquered!

This bread came out pretty good.  I think I will actually try this one again.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
• 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
• 1/4 cup margarine, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup orange juice

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in orange zest and cranberries.

In a large bowl, cream together margarine, sugar, and egg until smooth. Stir in orange juice. Beat in flour mixture until just moistened. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for 1 hour in the 350 degree oven. After it cooled I drizzled it with a mix of icing sugar and orange juice.

Thanksgiving Dinner Desserts

For Thanksgiving dinner dessert I made Black Forest Cake.  I have to say I am pretty proud of this beauty.  It turned out perfect.  Moist. Chocolatey. The cherry flavor not too overpowering.  I decided to forgo the cherry brandy as I knew the kids would want some.  I definately will be making this one again! Well worth the effort. 

I also made this walnut tart.  Very rich so you only needed a small slice.  This one is a keeper too.  I found the recipe at Fabulous Foods.  I followed the recipe except I added a layer of chocolate chips to the bottom before putting the nuts and filling in. 

Anniversary Dinner

Syd and I celebrated our 5th Anniversary on September 17th.  Hard to believe it has been that long!

For our dinner I made a roasted pear and squash soup......I drizzled a bit of a good balsamic on top.  I should have reduced it a bit first for a better picture but it still tasted good.

Then we had this beautiful pork chop.  Double cut.  It was a gorgeous piece of meat! I seasoned it with S&P, seared it off on all sides and finished it in the oven.  It was moist and juicy considering it was such a thick cut and it took a bit to cook it through. 
We had a creamy polenta, brussels sprouts and red peppers with it.  I loved the polenta....Syd not so much.  hahaha.

Chocolate Cake

So lately I have been wanting to conquer the whole fear of making a cake from scratch.  I always use a mix and I thought it was about time I got a grip on this.  lol

So what better cake to make then a chocolate cake.  Well a chocolate cake with peanut butter icing!  Actually a 4 layer chocolate cake with 2 layers of peanut butter filling and one layer of chocolate ganache!  Then frosted with a mix of the peanut butter icing and the ganache.  I even added chocolate chips to the cake batter.  YUM!

This cake was very good for a first try.  However, next time I will use a darker cocoa so it is a richer color and taste.  But other than that it makes a great breakfast!  With a glass of milk of course! lol

25th Annual Balloon Fiesta

Tonight we went to the launch field for the balloon fiesta.  The fiesta doesn't officially start until tomorrow but we went up to see if a couple of balloonists were going to go up.  We were lucky 8 balloons launched.

White beans, kale and sausage

This was such an easy and filling meal.  I cooked some white beans and added them to a mix of sauted sausages, kale, onions and garlic.  I then drizzled some olive oil over the top just before serving.  It was even better the second day!

 

Its Apple Time!

I finally have internet again!  Yay!  So now I can get back to regular posts. 

My hubby brought me home 3 bag of apples yesterday so I decided to make good use of them.  I made 3 batches of applesauce and this applesauce cake.  It is pretty tasty for having no egg or oil in it.  I need to tweek it a bit before I post a recipe but all in all a pretty good cake.  It is really dense and moist. 

Under the layer of whipped cream is a pile of carmalized apple slices.  Yum.

There is cake under this huge amount of whipped cream honest!  I wouldn't eat just cream and apples!  lol

Graduation Peek-a-boo!

Revanna with her potato martini at the after graduation reception.  And me behind her.....funny how our shoulders lined up.  Can you see me watching you?

The Car Jacker

The other morning I caught this guy trying to break into my car. Sneeky little guy brought his own set of keys! 

He is a crafty little boy.
Steals cookies and wears many disguises especially hats! lol

Watch out for this one he's on my most wanted list!

My Garden Surprise

Early in June I planted a small garden.  Above is my herb garden.  Basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, savory, parsley, chives, sage, mint and lavendar.  Just the essentials!  lol

I also planted tomatoes, jalapeno, red and green peppers, brussells sprouts, squash, zucchini, pumpkins, carrots and beans and peas.  Quite a little garden if I do say so myself. 

While weeding the other morning I had a fantastic surprise!  Baby peas and beans!  I am so excited!

They are only about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch long.  So tiny!  It made my day.

Flowers around the camp

Just a few shots of some of my flowers that are in bloom now at our camp.

Solomons Seal.  It looks like a giant lily of the valley.

A beautiful pink peony that was my Grandmothers.

Bachelors buttons.
 

My favorite hosta.  One of the first plants I bought years ago!  While not in bloom it has grown to be huge this year!  The leaves are larger than my hands.  And it must be 4 feet across.

The View From the Clubhouse

This is the view from the patio at my work.  Is that not gorgeous!  I get to look at this everyday. The picture does not do it justice.

Closeup of the lupins from the garden.

And some geraniums and begonias.

Not much but it keeps me happy at work.

Charcuterie Black Box

Today we had our black box for charcuterie class.  My items were rack of lamb, a chicken leg and chicken livers.  I choose to debone the chicken leg and stuff it with a tomato almond mixture.  The livers I cooked with mushrooms, shallots and garlic.  The lamb was kept simple with just S & P. 

I made a sauce with the chicken bone and two of the lamb bones.  I added this sauce to the chicken liver pan and simmered it a bit.  My potatoes are seasoned with sage brown butter and cream.

All in all I was pretty happy with my plate.  Except for my chicken leg.  I should have put two pieces on the plate and placed it better.  But oh well!  My lamb was cooked perfectly and I loved my sauce! 

Homemade Hotdogs

So in charcuterie class we had the chance to make any items we wanted.  I choose to make hotdogs!  It has been years since I have eaten one.  I loved that I knew exactly what was going into these.  Beef, pork and spices!  Thats it.  Nothing gross or weird.  These were pretty tasty.  It was a group thing someone made fennel ketcup, my roommate made the buns.  Someone even melted all the leftover cheese in the fridge and made this ooey gooey cheesey sauce!

This will be something I make again!

Charcuterie class

In our charcuterie class we do platters for buffets.  Below is a look at a fruit and cheese platter.

A charcuterie platter showcasing a lot of our recent work.  Homemade chutneys, gravlax, foie gras parfait, sausages and pates.

Chicken liver crostinis with a fig chutney.

A Pâté en Croûte with a boiled egg inlay.

A terrine studded with pistachios.

It was a great class and we learned a lot.  Probably the best class of the year.

Chicken Galantine

Supper was left over galantines from class.  No one wanted to take theirs home so I confiscated all of them and threw them in the freezer!  hehehe  Cheap protein! 

To make a galantine you remove the skin of your chicken all in one piece then grind your leg meat with herbs and a binder like eggs and roll this in the skin. You can add an inlay to the middle like we did with a piece of seared chicken breast.  This log is then rolled in saran wrap and aluminum foil and poached.  You can either serve this cold or sear the outside and serve it warm.  I choose to slice the galantine and sear the flat sides as someone had already seared the outside. 

This was a quick tasty meal after a long day!

Tomato Soup with Ricotta

My roommate made tomato soup the other day and I spyed it while I was looking for something to make for lunch.  I made some sage fried in brown butter.  I took the leaves out and added a spoonful of ricotta to the butter and quickly heated it up.  Very quickly as it started to melt!  lol  I added this to the soup and garnished with the crispy sage leaves.  I am really in love with these sage leaves and brown butter!  What an incredible taste.

Easter Dinner

I did not go home for Easter Dinner this year so we decided to have a friend over for dinner and go to a movie.  It was a great day.  Not as great as seeing my family but still pretty good! 

Our meal started off with roasted eggplant and red pepper dip with homemade baby pitas!  Yum!  I had to take a bite to show you how fluffy these were.

Our second course was mini chicken pot pies with a cute little chick on top!  And dressed greens on the side.

Dessert was a dish called "Eaton Mess".  It is a dish of crumble macaron cookies (I seemed to have a huge surplus of these)  mixed with whipped cream and berries.  Simple but oh so delicious!  Not too mention colorful!  lol

I hope your Easter Dinner was just as yummy! 

Pear Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter

Pear Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter

1 large Bosc pear, small diced

5 tablespoon of butter

1 small clove of garlic, chopped fine

1 small onion, chopped fine

1 bunch of fresh sage

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice

1 ½ cups of arugula, coarsely chopped

½ cup ricotta cheese

¼ cup parmesan cheese

½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

½ teaspoon salt

pinch of cayenne pepper

-----

1 recipe of pasta dough

1 egg, lightly beaten

Over medium high heat add 1 tablespoon of butter to a large sauté pan. Add onions, garlic and pear and stir to coat with butter. Sauté until onions are translucent. Finely chop 2 sage leaves and add to pan with arugula, season with salt, pepper and cayenne.

Remove from heat and cool. Once cool add in ricotta, parmesan, lemon juice and lemon zest. Set filling aside as you roll out the pasta dough.

Roll pasta dough out to 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 24 3” circles. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of filling in the centre of 12 of the circles. Moisten edges with egg and place a second circle of pasta on top and seal edges, making sure to form a tight mound of filling in the centre.

Add the pasta to pot of boiling well salted water. Cook about 2 to 3 minutes or until the ravioli floats and is pale in color. Remove the ravioli from the water and drain well.

In a large sauté pan, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. Add the sage to the butter and continue to cook until the butter starts to brown and smells nutty. Remove from heat.

Place three of the ravioli in the center of each plate. Divide the crisp sage leaves evenly among the plates and spoon the brown butter over the ravioli and serve.

Pasta Dough

1 cup flour

1 large egg

2 tablespoon virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon of water

1/2 tsp. salt

In a large bowl mix flour and salt, make a well in the centre of the flour and add in egg , oil and water. Stir to make a soft dough, Turn dough out on to a work surface and knead until smooth and not sticky, adding more flour is necessary. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes before rolling.

French Macarons Part 2

Chocolate French macarons with an orange butter cream icing.  If you have never had a French Macaron you are missing out!  And no I did not misspell it.  It is spelled with only one O.  They are compeletely different from our macaroons.  And there is no coconut involved!

They are meringue-based: made from a mixture of egg whites, ground almonds, and both granulated and confectionery sugar. Simple ingredients but tricky to make. My first batch of these turned out more like a brownie.  Still yummy but not a Macaron!

And the flavor combinations are crazy too.  You can flavor and color both the macaron and the filling. I love looking at pictures of these.  Click here to go to some images.  My roommate used these macarons to make a dessert for class one day.  Such a classy dessert.

Next to try is blueberry and lemon curd ones! Or maybe make these again but add in some dark chocolate to the meringue to off-set the sweetness.


Last link.....I promise....just for fun check out this miniature box of macarons.  So tiny and realistic looking!

Meatloaf overhaul

Today I changed my meatloaf recipe.  I added bacon and diced tomatoes to the ground meat mixture.  I love the bacon in it.  But who doesn't love bacon right?!  And my spicy tomato jam goes perfect with it.

Comfort Food

I love cream peas and toast!  I had a rough first day back at class on Monday, seriously who gets up at 6 am!  Crazy people thats who.  After a long day all I wanted for supper was something quick, easy and satisfying.  And creamed peas and toast did it for me. 

Tomato Jam

So....this is my new sauce for my meatloaf.  It is so yummy!  My husband eats it on everything! It took a while to get the recipe figured out but I finally have it. I normally make it with canned tomatoes and an onion marmalade that I make.  So I had to figure out how to make it from scratch with fresh tomatoes.

Tomato Jam

3 1/2 cups fresh tomatoes, peeled and rough chopped

2 1/2 cups red onions, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
3 T brown sugar, lightly packed
1 T oil
1 T butter
1/2 cup port
1/2 cup red wine
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon chili flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter with the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over a high heat. Add the onions and garlic and stir well to cover with butter and oil. Saute until onions are golden.

Sprinkle with the sugar, chilli flakes, spices and some salt and pepper. Give everything another really good stir and reduce the heat slightly. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook uncovered for 4-5 minutes.

Pour in the wine, vinegar, water and port and simmer uncovered over a medium-low heat for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Stirring occasionally until the onions are soft and a deep mahogany colour and most of the liquid has evaporated. Cool and pour into jars.

Don't rush cooking this out.  The first picture is just the onions cooking, the second is 30 minutes later. The third on is after 1 hour.  The final picture is after 1 1/2 hours simmering.  It makes a difference to let it cook for the entire time.