Marsha's Better Than Anything Cake

So, back in the day when I still worked in Morgan Hill, my co-worker Marsha brought in this scrumptious cake to share with everyone.  Of course, we all asked for the recipe, which she shared, and I wanted to share with you all here.  Very easy to do!

1. 1 box of chocolate cake mix (you can use German Chocolate if you want)
2. 1 small package of chocolate chips
3. 1 can of sweetened condensed milk
4. 1 jar of caramal ice cream topping (like smuckers)  
5. Cool whip or whipped cream to top the cake
6. Crushed Heath bars for the top.

Mix the cake according to package directions,  bake 10 minutes, and then sprinkle as much of the chocolate chips as you want over the cake.

Put cake back in the oven for the remainder of the cooking time.

When it comes out, poke holes in the cake with the end of a wooden spoon or something else and pour the sweetened condensed milk over the whole cake.  Let cool.

After it is cool, warm up the caramel a little so it runs liquid smooth without being burned and pour it over the whole cake.   Put in refrigerator to cool (overnight is best).

Put whipped topping on top and add crushed heath bars.  Serve.

Now I don't know about you, but I'm hungry, and just typing this up made me crave some!  I'd love to see your photos of how yours comes out, or even better, variations on it to make it better and different!

News and Updates

It has been forever and a day since I posted on this blog, and it's time I got back to it.  With the death of my grandmother, I received a couple index boxes full of recipes.  My plan is go through them and anything not of "secret recipe" status, I hope to share here.  In addition, I plan to be posting here and in collaboration with another recipe blog started by my friend, Marsha Nelson.  Her link is to the right under the "To the Courtyard!" section called "Celebrating the Home Cook".  I hope you take the time to follow us both and make contributions!
So here's to some good eats to come :).  Stay tuned.

Homemade Slow Cooked Ribs & BBQ Sauce

So, I was making homemade ribs and decided to make my own recipe for barbeque sauce, since we didn't have any in the house!

First, start off with your ribs - beef or pork is fine. If it's a rack of ribs, cut each one apart and place in a pan spaced out about an inch apart on it's side.

Pre-heat your oven to 400°F.

Season the ribs with salt and pepper. Place in the oven and cook for 15 minutes. Turn the ribs over and cook for another 15 minutes. Take the ribs out, drain the fat from them, and place them in your slow cooker/crock pot.

While your ribs are cooking, prepare your barbecue sauce. The sauce can be altered based on your preference (more sweet, more spicy, etc.). Another note - the mixture of balsamic, red, and white vinegars with the soy sauce can be eliminated and replaced with Worcestershire sauce.

4 cups Ketchup
18 tbs brown sugar
6 tbs balsamic vinegar
6 tbs soy sauce
4 tbs white wine vinegar
2 tbs red wine vinegar
6 cloves minced garlic
2 tsp garlic powder
4 tsp onion powder
4 tbs dark molasses
2 tsp Chipotle Mustard
4 tsp Dijon Mustard
2 tsp Ground Red Chipotle
1 tsp Emeril's Red Pepper Sauce
8 tbs Lime Juice

Bring the entire mixture to a boil, and then lower the heat to simmer, stirring occasionally.

Pour sauce over the ribs in your slow cooker. Place the heat on high and cover. Cook the ribs in the sauce for 4 hours, then lower the heat to low to cook the next 2 hours.

Serve with your favorite side dishes for ribs. You may want to make extra sauce to have along side for extra dipping!

Grilled Steak & Arugula Salad

1.5 lb. small red potatoes
1.25 lb. green beans
2 cups frozen corn
1 tsp. salt
3 tsp. ancho chili powder
2 tbs. + 1 tsp. light brown sugar
1 flank steak (1.5 lbs)
1 tbs. olive oil
0.5 cup ketchup
2 tbs. cider vinegar
2 tsp. dijon mustard
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. coriander
5 cups packed arugula (about 5 oz.)

Cook potatoes in pot of simmering salted water to cover until tender, 15-20 minutes.

Cut into 1/2 inch slices.

In a separate pot, cook beans until crisp & tender, about 5 minutes. In the last minute, add the corn. Drain.

Preheat broiler or grill. Combine salt with 1 tsp each of chili powder and sugar. Sprinkle on the steak. Rub steak with oil.

Cook steak to medium-rare, about 8 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before thinly slicing.

In a large bowl, whisk ketchup, 1/4 cup water, vinegar, brown sugar, mustard, chili powder, cumin, and coriander. Add arugula, potatoes, beans, corn, and steak.

Toss to combine.

Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition (per serving):


Calories: 404

Fat: 12 g
Carbohydrates: 50 g (7.2 g Fiber)
Protein: 30 g
Sodium: 729 mg

Update

My cookbook is in the works. Things have been delayed as I just got my pc up and running. I'm trying to combine everything from my Mac laptop and this pc, so I'm a bit behind in my posts. But I will be posting some more recipes and some more "info" blogs :). Hang in there!

Cooking Methods 101, Part 1

Every so often, I will be posting various cooking methods and terms. I hope that these help those who maybe are still trying to learn how to be better cooks. These were passed to me by my grandma, so I'm continuing the gesture!

AL DENTE -This is an Italian term meaning literally "to the tooth". This means cooking something, such as pasta, until it is just barely tender, with still a bit firm.



CHOW (STIR-FRY) -A basic cooking method in a Chinese kitchen. In most cases, a wok is used, but a large frying pan can be used. The food is tossed about in a hot pan with very little oil. It's a process somewhat like sautéing.

CORRECT THE SEASONING -When a dish is completed, a cook should always taste before serving. This term simply means to check for salt, pepper, or herbs to make sure the dish has turned out as expected. A little correction at the last minute may sometimes be necessary.


DASH -Generally, it means "to taste". A good starting point is less than 1/16 tsp. You can always add more. Harder to remove.DEGLAZING A PAN -After you've browned meat or vegetables, wine or stock is added to the pan over high heat and the rich coloring that remains in the pan is gently scraped with a wooden spoon and combined with the poured in liquid. If there is an excess of fat in the pan, you may wish to pour it off first and then proceed with deglazing.I hope this post will prove to be helpful for some. Next week, I will continue with the list! In the interim, stay tuned for some more recipes :).
BROWNING MEAT -When preparing stews, sometimes it is better not to flour the meat. This way you brown the natural sugars that are in the meat itself instead of the flour. Use a hot pan, making sure not to crowd the meat or cook too slowly. The meat should be seared or browned very quickly. This gives color to the meat and seals in the meat's natural juices.BLANCHING - Plunging food into boiling water for just a few minutes. The time varies for each recipe that calls for it, but it usually means anywhere from 10 seconds to 2-3 minutes. Food is then placed in cold water to stop the cooking process. The purpose is to loosen the skin of a vegetable or fruit, or to set the color of a vegetable. It is used to cook food partially in preparation for later completion of a dish or in preparing vegetables and some fruits prior to freezing to stop enzyme action.

Fresh Apple Cake with Caramel Glaze

A recipe from my grandma. This serves 6 to 8.


Ingredients


⅛ cup Cinnamon, Ground -- Take an additional teaspoon measurement and put aside.
2 ⅛ cup Sugar
4 lg Apples -- Chopped Small
3 lg Egg
1 cup Oil, Canola
2 cup Flour, White, Unbleached -- All-purpose flour preferable
½ tsp Baking Soda
2 tbsp Butter
½ cup Sugar, Brown -- Light, firmly packed
2 tbsp Milk


Instructions


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 1/4 cup of cinnamon-sugar mixture. Grease a bundt or tube pan and coat with cinnamon-sugar mixture.


Mix apples, eggs, and oil with an electric mixer. Add flour, sugar, baking soda, and cinnamon, mixing well. Pour into prepared pan. Bake about 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow cake to rest in pan for at least 10 minutes before inverting it onto a cake plate.


To prepare glaze, combine butter, brown sugar and milk in a medium saucepan. Bring slowly to a boil, mixing several times, and cook for one minute. Spoon over cake. Allow to cool before serving.


Kitchen Tip:


Serve with a spoonful of whipped cream or scoop of vanilla ice cream. Nut lovers can add 1 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans to the cake batter.


Wine Suggestion:


A nice white wine would go well, as well as a light zinfandel. Try not to go for something too sweet though, as you don't want to overpower the palette of your guests with everything being sweet. A light, even slightly dry wine might be suitable, depending on your preference.