Freudian Fantasies

My mother and I were sitting around, drinking wine and watching Dick (starring Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams) when I got up to go get another glass of wine.  And somehow . . although I am not quite sure how . . . I ended up baking a cake.

Basically, I used a boxed cake mix and a can of frosting and a cocktail mix.  And I came up with something that was actually so damned delicious that I ate way more of it that I should have . . . and will promptly regret since I am diabetic and all.  LOL!!!

Seriously, I love love love tropical fruits.  Most especially mango and pineapple.  And a while back, my local grocery store had Pillsbury cake mixes and frosting on sale for $0.75 each, so I bought 10 cake mixes and 10 frosting and have been hoarding them.  (It never hurts to have cake and frosting on hand because you never know when you will need to spontaneously bake a cake!!!)

And since I like to experiment and mix things up, I couldn't just make any old cake, I had to do something different.

Here's what you need to make the most amazing Pineapple Mango cake.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 box of Pillsbury Moist Supreme Pineapple cake mix
• (follow package instructions . . . 1 cup of water, 1/3 cup of oil, 3 eggs)
• 1 cup of Master of Mixes Mango Daiquiri mix
• 1 can of Pillsbury Creamy Supreme Vanilla frosting

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Mix the cake mix according to the box instructions.
2. Add in one cup of mango daiquiri mix.
3. Bake according to box directions.
4. Open frosting and microwave for 1 minute until drizzling consistency.
5. Drizzle melted frosting over cake and allow to cool.

Please note that the cake will not rise and it will have a VERY moist consistency.  But it tastes so wonderful.  (My mom likes to pour a little half and half over hers while it is still warm.)

Try it.  Please.  And let me know what you think.

The things we can learn from cartoon rodents...

I admit it.  I love Disney movies!!!  And one of my all time favorites (because I can identify with the main character) is Ratatouille.  So, I decided to make Ratatouille.  But in my quest to find a suitable Ratatouille recipe, I realized that Ratatouille can be made in a couple of different ways.

I decided to make two different versions.

First I made a prettier, more colorful layered version (much like what Remy made in Ratatouille) and today I made the more traditional peasant stew version.  Both versions use the same ingredients, but one is more of a roasted vegetable dish and the other is more like a soup.

Ingredients:

• Large red bell pepper  (sliced)
• Large yellow squash  (sliced)
• Large zucchini  (sliced)
• Italian eggplant  (sliced)
• Fresh thyme
• 1 can tomato paste
• 1 can tomato sauce
• Fresh garlic (sliced thinly)
• Large onion (chopped)
• Olive oil
• Flat leaf Italian parsley
• Goat cheese (soft, not crumbled)
• Salt & pepper

First, for the cartoon version . . .

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Mix tomato sauce and tomato paste and pour into the bottom of a baking dish.
3. Stir in the chopped onion and sliced garlic.
4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
5. On top of the tomato, onion and garlic, arrange slices of chopped vegetables from the outer edge of the pan into the center.  Let the slices overlap so that only a part of each one shows.  Alternate the vegetables to give it a "rainbow" look.
6. Drizzle olive oil over the top of the vegetables, sprinkle with fresh thyme and more salt and pepper.
7. Cover the dish with a piece of parchment paper and bake for 45 minutes.
8. Serve with a dollop of goat cheese and a pinch of fresh chopped parsley.

When I made this version, I did not add the goat cheese or the parsley.  (Honestly, I was so excited to try it, I just forgot.)  I also served the Ratatouille over a bed of rice.

Now for the stew version.  I used the same ingredients as above except I added a can of whole, stewed tomatoes and a container of chicken broth.  Also, I used minced garlic in this version instead of sliced.  And this is how I made it.

Directions:

1. In a large pot, heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, add onions and garlic, sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Let cook for about 5 minutes.
2. Add one can of tomato paste, one can of tomato sauce, and one can of whole stewed tomatoes.
3. Add in sliced yellow squash, red pepper, zucchini, and eggplant.
4. Add a handful of fresh thyme, stem and all.  Also add in about 1 tablespoon of fresh copped parsley.
5. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes.
6. Remove thyme stems and discard.
7. Serve topped with a dollop of goat cheese and a pinch of fresh chopped parsley.

I served this stew with buttered cornbread and it was so delicious.  When the goat cheese starts melting into the stew, it gets so creamy and beautiful.

It's beginning to taste a lot like Christmas!

So, as I was out shopping today, I saw, completely by accident, these bottles of crushed peppermint candies.  I thought . . . "I could totally use those!!!"  So, I bought two bottles.  (World Market - $2.99 each)

Then when I got home, I remembered that I am supposed to go have dinner with my baby brother and his wife this evening, so I decided to make a dessert to take with me.  And what could be better than some Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes?

I used a box of Duncan Hines Devil's Food cake mix . . . but with a few twists!

Add:
1 tablespoon instant coffee powder
1-1/2 teaspoons pure peppermint extract
1 bottle (3.3 oz) of Festival Peppermint Crunch

I just mixed the cake according to the package directions but added in the coffee and peppermint extract.  Once it was well blended, I gently folded in the Peppermint Crunch.  Then I lined two standard muffin tins with white cupcake liners, scooped the batter into the cups using an ice cream scoop, and baked for 19 minutes.

When they were done, I let them cool completely then frosted half with white frosting and half with chocolate frosting.  And finally, I opened the second bottle of Peppermint Crunch and sprinkled some on top of each cupcake.

Sudden Tuesday Night Brownies

I got up an hour early this morning in order to get to work for a mandatory meeting.

I spent a long day at work solving other people's problems.

I came home, had a glass of wine and opened up the latest issue of "Cooking With Paula Deen" that came in the mail today.

ORANGE HAZELNUT BROWNIES!!!

Damn it . . . I don't have all of the ingredients that Paula Deen calls for.  So what!!!  I always alter and improvise . . . so I am making some brownies . . . Orange Pumpkin Pie Spice Almond Brownies!!!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup Dutch processed cocoa
• 1 tablespoon instant coffee
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 teaspoon strong orange extract
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup Planters Pumpkin Pie Spice Almonds, chopped

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil.
3. Lightly grease foil.
4. In a large bowl, stir together sugar, cocoa, and instant coffee.  Add eggs, melted butter, and orange extract.
5. Beat at medium speed with a mixer until smooth.
6. Stir together flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
7. Add flour mixture and 2/3 of the chopped nuts to the egg mixture, stirring until just combined.
8. Pour batter into prepared pan.
9. Sprinkle with the remaining nuts.
10. Bake for 22 minutes.
11. Cool completely.
12. Lift from pan using the foil as handles.
13. Remove foil and serve.

My mother said that these brownies just melted in her mouth . . . and she had never had a brownie do that before.

Please note . . . Cooking these brownies for 22 minutes leaves them slightly under-cooked in the center.  I particularly like my brownies this way, but if you like a more "done" brownie, you can cook these for up to 26 minutes, totally depending on your personal tastes.

So, my next two endeavors are going to be Ratatouille and Corned Beef.

Ratatouille . . . I want to make the kaleidoscopic, layered and beautiful version that was in the cartoon Ratatouille . . . and not the soggy, peasant stew version.  So I found a recipe for Ratatouille's Ratatouille . . . and I will be making it this coming weekend.

And some time between Thanksgiving and Christmas I plan to try my hand at making homemade corned beef and Thousand Islands Dressing.  Why?  Because I want to . . . and I want to make homemade Reuben sandwiches.  YAY!!!  ***DROOL***

Keep watching for these and other new, fun, and interesting dishes!

Southern Cooking At Its Finest

I've never cooked a Creole/Cajun dish before.  But we all know that Southerners just have to have their Cajun fare whenever they can get it.  And, I hate to admit it, but the Cajun food they serve in the Midwest . . . honey, that AIN'T Cajun!!!  (LOL!!!)

Anyway . . . there was a great recipe for Chicken and Andouille jambalaya in my new Paula Deen's Southern Cooking Bible, so I decided to take a shot (with a couple of alterations from her book).  (SPOILER:  DELISH!!!)

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3/4 pound Andouille sausage
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 green bell peppers, chopped
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 41 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 14-1/2 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1-1/2 cups long grain white rice

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a large skillet with a lid, heat the canola oil and butter over medium heat.
2. Add the sausage and cook until browned.
3. Transfer the sausage to a bowl.
4. Add the onion and bell pepper to the skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Lightly sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.
6. Add the chicken and garlic to the skillet
7. Cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes.
8. Add the thyme, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, celery seed, and bay leaves.
9. Cook for about 1 minute.
10. Add the chicken broth and diced tomatoes and bring to a boil.
11. Return the sausage to the pan with the accumulated juices.
12. Sprinkle the rice evenly throughout the skillet.
13. Cover the pan and reduce heat to low.
14. Cook until all liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender, about 15 minutes,
15. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes,
16. Remove and discard the bay leaves.
17. Serve.

Bosses Day = Booze & Syrup

The law firm that my mother works for has an annual Bosses Day pot luck luncheon.  This year my mother decided that she wanted to take a pecan pie.  So I pulled out my handy Paula Deen cook books and found a recipe for a pecan pie with bourbon and molasses.  But since my mother prefers cane syrup, I changed the recipe up a little and this is what I came up with.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 3 beaten eggs
• 2 cups pecan halves
• 2 tablespoons bourbon
• 1 frozen, unbaked, deep dish pie shell, 9-inch

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Stir together the sugar and melted butter.
2. Add the cane syrup, eggs, pecans, and bourbon.
3. Stir until all ingredients are combined.
4. Pour the mixture into an unbaked pie shell.
5. Place on a heavy duty cooking sheet.
6. Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees.
7. Lower the temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 25 minutes.
8. Cool on a wire rack before serving.

Time Flies . . . Playing Catch-Up

Wow!  It feels like just yesterday I posted but then I look back and see that it has actually been almost a month.

Well, last time I posted, I mentioned the new Paula Deen cooking utensils and cookware set.  I have since added a few more Paula Deen utensils . . . a French rolling pin, a frosting spatula, a slotted wooden spoon, and an ice cream scoop.  (My Paula Deen crockery utensil holder is now officially at capacity.  LOL!!!)

Now on to my cooking adventures.

Since my last post, I have cooked a few different things.  One of which was a battered and deep fried cabbage dish with a homemade tomato bacon wine sauce.  I got some photos of it, but I am missing some parts of the recipe.  (I kind of made it up as I went along.)  So I will eventually get around to posting that some day.  I also made a meal of Southern Pasta Carbonara for some visiting relatives from out of state.  I have the recipe for that, but since I was cooking at my brother's house, I forgot to bring my camera along and so I couldn't get any pictures.  Again, I will get around to posting that some day.

So for now we are left with three dishes I made that have two things in common . . . 1.)  They were AMAZING!!!  2.)  They are all my takes on some Paula Deen recipes.  (Yeah, yeah, so I like altering recipes a bit to make them my own.)  And then there is a cake I made . . . let us just start with that.

My older brother's wife celebrates her birthday on October 31.  (I'm a little jealous because I was born exactly 14 days too early to be a Halloween baby.)  So I decided to make her a "spooky" cake.  I used regular Duncan Hines cake mix and frosting, but you throw in some black sugar and chocolate Twizzlers and you get yourself a SPOOKY HALLOWEEN SPIDER CAKE.

I baked a plain white cake, two layers, and frosted it with plain chocolate icing.  Then I used my jumbo muffin tin and baked plain Devil's Food cupcakes.  (I gave away 5 and used one for the spider.)

I frosted the cupcake with white icing then completely covered the white icing with decorator's black sugar. I then piped two dollops of white icing onto one side of the cupcake and used just a dot of black decorating gel on the white to make the eyes.

Next, cut 4 chocolate Twizzlers in half and stick 4 into each side of the cupcake.  Bend them over and stick the other ends into the top of the cake.

Now you have a Spooky Halloween Spider Cake

Moving on . . . I'll post each of my other recipes and pictures in separate posts.  Stand by . . .