Chocolate Strawberry Cake

This is the easiest cake recipe I know and I am always making changes to it. My friends came over for this one, and we enjoyed it with a nice bottle of Pinot Noir. Thanks for the sweet memories guys.

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 ½ cups sugar
2/3 cup shortening
2 eggs
A pinch of salt
½ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup boiling water
1 ½ teaspoons almond extract
16 oz fresh strawberries (cut up to size desired, save a few for garnish)
Splash of full flavored molasses

Place all ingredients in a bowl. Mix well but do not beat. Place in desired size cake pans that have been buttered and lightly floured (I like to make one large circle cake and then the rest of the cake mix is placed in mini loaf pans so friends can take it home easily). Bake in oven at 350*F. for approximately 30 minutes.

This also makes for a great breakfast in the morning. ☺

Rosemary and Garlic Chicken with Rice

This is a fun and quick recipe. Your ingredients will vary on the number of people you are preparing for.

Ingredients:
Chicken Breast (de-boned)
Olive oil
Balsamic
Garlic cloves
A few fresh sprigs rosemary
Salt and Pepper

Rice


Place chicken in Tupperware. Top with balsamic, olive oil, chopped garlic and chopped rosemary add a bit of salt and pepper. Cover container and shake well. Place in refrigerator to marinade.

When ready to cook throw chicken on BBQ or place in skillet. Take extra marinade and heat in a saucepan. Make whatever rice you like. (I like a light and fluffy white rice, but wild rice would be great for this too). Once marinade is heated place cooked rice into it and mix.

Food is ready when chicken is cooked through. If you want garnish it with a bit of cilantro or left over rosemary. Enjoy! You know I did.

Turkey and Bean's Soup

This is a good hearty soup that will keep you going.

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground turkey breast
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper
(I used the left over cooked turkey and onion mix from the stuffed pastry I made last night for my soup. But directions are for starting from scratch)
1 can black beans
1 can white beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1 small can of chicken stock
Water
Cilantro and Chives for garnish

Sautee chopped onions and garlic in a medium saucepan until golden. Add turkey and cook thoroughly. Season with a bit of salt and pepper. Add diced tomatoes and black beans with juice. Strain white beans until clean of all juice. Fill can with beans still in it with water, pour into saucepan. Add can of chicken stock and heat until lightly boiling. Chop a small amount of cilantro and add it in. Stir it all together. All to lightly boil again until steaming hot. Pour into bowl and serve topped with a sprig of fresh cilantro and fresh chopped chives. Enjoy!

Freeze all extra for a day down the road.

Celebrating 30 and a walk on Cannon Beach.

Yes, it's true. I am now thirty. For my birthday it was drinks and a very heated Catch Phrase competition. A week later, I continued my celebration in Oregon. Walking the beach, listening to the waves wash on shore, and working on getting acquainted with my book again.

Besides finding out that I need to get my wisdom teeth out, and the massive tooth pain while on vacation, 30 is going great from the start. Enjoy the photos.

Stuffed Puffed Pastry

The great thing about this dish is that you can decide what you want to put inside it. I must thank Elisabeth for cooking for me the last night I was in Innsbruck, Austria. Using the same idea, she prepared a delicious treat that gave me energy for the next leg of my journey over seas. So have fun with what you prepare. Here is the recipe I came up with for the night. (Enough for two meals if your single, or for a family of four).

 

Ingredients:

Puffed Pastry sheet (buy these in the frozen section of your grocery store)

1 lb. Ground Turkey Breast (Jeannie O is my favorite)

1 onion

2 cloves garlic

Olive oil

Fresh basil chopped

Green beans (frozen is fine)

1 can Diced tomatoes (You will only use a bit of this so have a dish to save the rest)

Salt and pepper

Cheese (I didn’t have any in my fridge but I think it would have been nice to add).

 

Place oil in a skillet and heat. Chop onions and garlic and toss into hot oil. Allow to golden. Add turkey meat. As turkey is cooking, toss in half of your freshly chopped basil. Add salt and pepper. Cook thoroughly. 

While turkey is cooking take out the thawed puffed pastry. (If you are single you will only need to use one sheet, for a family use both that come in the pastry package). Place puffed pastry on a cookie sheet and fold out to full size. (I would use parchment paper on the bottom of the cookie sheet in case the ingredients boil over).  Take remainder of basil and sprinkle over the middle section of puffed pastry providing space on the ends to fold later. Then take green beans and layer on top of basil. Spoon diced tomatoes over green beans. When turkey is fully cooked spoon turkey and onion mix over the tomatoes. (Save extra turkey and onion mix in fridge to make a delicious soup the next day). Fold in the edges of the puffed pastry and then fold sides up and pinch to make something that looks similar to a calzone.

Place wrapped pastry in a 350* F oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until puffed pastry is golden brown and cooked.  Serve on a plate and enjoy. I liked it with a glass of wine, but you decide.