Category Archives: Uncategorized

October 4, 2011 · 7:39 am

Big Girl Birthday Cake

Here’s the thing….

I’m not a huge cake person.

Don’t get me wrong…it’s a birthday requirement I can definitely live with.

But given the choice…I would almost always choose some other dessert over cake.

Especially if there is a brownie option.

But you know…birthdays happen.

And on birthdays you eat cake.

This past weekend my friend Bridget visited because she just had a birthday and I epically failed so we had our own little celebration.

And, obviously, I made a cake.

It involved a big girl ingredient called Kahlua.

Do not be alarmed.

This cake does not taste like booze.

It tastes like delicious chocolate cake with coffee liqueur.

Get excited

It came from this awesome book (thanks, Mom!) called The Cake Mix Doctor.  The recipes start with a plain old box of cake mix and doctor it up, (get it? get it?) until it’s something ridiculously delicious that is SO easy to make but will make everyone think you’re a master chef.

Best thing ever.

I actually made this cake for my friend Claudia over the summer.  I brought it to the lab and it was a huge hit!

It even made me into a cake person…at least for the day.

It is UNBELIEVABLY moist and has just the right amount of sweetness and chocolatey flavor.

I like that it has a glaze rather than a 2 inch thick layer of pure sugary grossness.

It may look like boring old chocolate cake but do not be deceived by its modest appearance! This is a chocolate cake like you have never had.

Trust me. This is coming from a pretty strict brownie person.

SO let’s boogy.

(ugh boogy? really? I need to hire a writer or something)

The cool thing about this recipe is that it requires only one bowl!

Throw everything in there.  Yup. Everything.  All at once.

Mix it up until everything is well combined.  That’s harder than you think because of the ridiculously thick batter. Check this out…

Luckily that’s all you have to do.  Now spread it in a pan and bake it up.  The original recipe calls for a bundt pan.

I do not own a bundt pan.

So I made it a sheet cake.  Bridget forgave me.

Real life.

You could also make it a layer cake with two rounds, or even make it into cupcakes if that’s your thing.

Bridget is not a cupcake person.  She is a sheet cake person.  What kind of person are you?

(Suddenly that sounds like a loaded questions…it’s really not)

Chocolate cakes tend to overcook more easily than lighter cakes so start with way less bake time than you think you need…you may surprise yourself…then let bake longer as needed.

When it’s all cooked up…stab it all over with a fork or a chopstick…

(yeah I have those…but no bundt pan…it’s fine)

…or whatever other pokey object you have laying around.  You’re making holes for the glaze to seep into the cake.

Yeah.  Important stuff here.

Next take your glaze (powdered sugar and kahlua…I added a little milk…so simple!) and pour it all over.

I decided not to sugarcoat things here.

(Bridget’s got that covered HA!)

Yes, that is Bridget pouring the glaze so I can take a picture.

Yes, I did make a corny sugarcoating joke just now.

Yes, we are on the floor.

There’s better light next to my back door than anywhere else in my house.

Real life in action right there.

Pretty much after this you know what to do!

Light some candles, sing happy birthday, don’t forget the cha cha chas…

Maybe shave a little chocolate over it for added pizazz…

Savor that supermoist, melt-in-your-mouth, best-cake-you-ever-had feeling.

Have a good time with some good friends and some good food.

Happy Birthday Bridget!

❤ Ellen

Chocolate Kahlua Cake

Recipe adapted from The Cake Mix Doctor by Anne Byrn

Cake:

1 package (18.25 oz) plain devil’s food cake mix (whichever is you favorite)

1 package (5.9 oz) chocolate INSTANT pudding mix

3/4 cup Kahlua (**note: I bought a 200 mL bottle, used 3/4 c for the cake and the rest for the glaze)

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 large eggs (really)

Glaze:

1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

remaining Kahlua (**note: original recipe calls for 1/4 cup kahlua and no milk.  I just used the rest of my little bottle…it was delicious but had a more subtle Kahlua flavor)

milk

**Oven 350 degrees

1. Place cake mix, pudding mix, Kahlua, water, oil and eggs in a large mixing bowl.  Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute, scrape the bowl, then increase the mixer speed to medium for 2-3 minutes more

2.  When batter is thick, smooth and completely combined, pour into a greased and floured cake pan of your choice (bundt for original recipe, sheet cake, rounds or cupcakes..doesn’t matter!)

3. FOR A BUNDT PAN: bake 45-47 minutes.  OTHER PANS WILL NOT BAKE THIS LONG! You can cut the time at least in half.

4. To prepare the glaze: mix sugar and remaining Kahlua, then add milk a little at a time, mixing completely, until you reach the desired consistency.

5. Poke holes in your cake so the glaze will absorb into the cake itself and pour the glaze all over the cake (in a bundt-allowing the glaze to drizzle down the sides, in a sheet cake-spreading evenly)

6.  Shave some chocolate over the cake just before serving.  Enjoy!

Notes:

  • The Cake Doctor suggests adding 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon to play up the Mexican flavors.  I’ve never tried it but I bet it would be delicious.  If you try that let me know!
  • Cake keeps on the counter up to 4 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.  You can also freeze it (wrapped well) for up to 6 months! Let it thaw completely on the counter before serving.

10 Comments

Filed under Dessert, Uncategorized

September 29, 2011 · 10:39 pm

Fancy Pants Green Beans

I decided something today.

The only difference between you and a fancy pants culinary school graduate is that you might not know fancy pants culinary school names for things.

We have been watching the show “Chopped” a lot lately.

It has made me realize that some of the food I make is the same as the food they make…except they call it a fancy pants name.

Pretty much…turns out I have very, very fancy pants.

And so, friends, I give you: Fancy Pants Green Beans

AKA: Green Beans Almondine

Guess what it is?

Green beans with almonds.

Hey….I said fancy pants not creative pants.

I like this combo a lot.  It has color, it has crunch, it feels like something special…and all I did was throw in some almonds.

This time, though, I got a little out of control.

I made green beans almondine…WITH MUSHROOMS!

What!?

Crazy talk, I know.

Seriously, sometimes it’s so ridiculous how easy it is to feel fancy.

This took all of 5 minutes.

Shall we?

Pinkies out!

First let’s blanch some green beans.

Don’t freak out about the word “blanch.”

All I want you to do is boil them for like 2-3 minutes…just a bit.

Then put them in ice cold water to stop the cooking process and keep that bright green color and crispy crunch.

While they’re chillin in their ice bath…

(haha!)

…grab your shrooms.

Season these guys with the standard saltnpepper plus maybe a little garlic powder.

I said A LITTLE garlic.  The mushrooms really absorb whatever flavor you put on them.

Saute.

They add a rich, meaty element that make this feel almost like a meal by itself.

Don’t forget your onions because onions go in everything.

Saute ’em up until they are no longer raw and super rank-breath-inducing

Everybody goes into a pan to hang out for a while, finish cooking, and absorb flavors.

Now for your (apparently) fancy pants final touch!

Throw some slivered almonds in a dry pan to toast them and bring out they’re almondy flavor.

(Almondy…definitely a word)

WATCH THEM!!

This is not a good time to check your e-mail or whatever.

They’re finished when you can smell them and it doesn’t take long!

Toss everybody together!

Serve in a beautiful bowl your boyfriend made.

And done. Fancy pants green beans.

Go impress the pants off somebody.

❤ Ellen

P.S.

Speaking of fancy pants!

Check out the fancy pants new banner! One of the most talented people I know created it…thanks, Sabrina!

This site is under construction…expect some changes soon!

As always, thank you for reading my words. You’re the best!

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Filed under Sides, Uncategorized

September 25, 2011 · 9:58 am

Guacamole!!

Well, it’s official!

Football season is upon us.

Happy Sunday!

Commence periodic alarming shrieks of agony coming from the living room and consumption of massive amounts of beer, pizza, wings, chips and………pause for effect……..guacamole.

I’m sorry super convenience lovers, but with guac…freshly homemade is the ONLY way to go.

It’s not difficult.

It doesn’t involve a lot of ingredients.

It doesn’t take all day to make.

It tastes the best.

You’re running out of reasons not to make your own.

Ok, ok so it’s not as fast as ripping open a container but who wants to deal with those weird little vacuum sealed bags it comes in so you have to squeeze oddly flavored green goo into a little plastic container anyway?

Suspicious.

I choose avocados.

I bet you will too.

Especially after you’ve tasted this.

First: collect yourself.

You just need some ripe avocados (we’re goin 4 avocados), an onion, and a handful of cherry tomatoes.

Isn’t it pretty?

When I tried to type cherry tomatoes just now I accidentally wrote cheery tomatoes instead.  That sounds about right…

Also honestly….you don’t even need the onions and cheery tomatoes! You could have JUST avocados and be good to go.

We need to get those avocados into a bowl to mash them.

Cut them in half and open them like a book.

I’m going to teach you a trick and officially smash your last reason not to deal with avocados!

Chop at that big sucker of a pit with your knife so it sticks in there like this:

Give it a twist and wham bam thank you ma’am…super easy

Now just take a spoon and run it between the skin and the meat of the avocado. Pile it up in a super appetizing bowl of green mush!  Which we will make delicious.

Now just smash them up, dice half your onion and chop your cheery tomatoes into quarters.

Note: I like cheery tomatoes because they hold their shape better when you cut them up. 

You could use just one big tomato but then you’ll have guac with tomato guts rather than guac with tomato pieces. 

Still delicious. It’s completely your call.

Throw everything your bowl with juice from about half a lime, salt to taste and a DASH (seriously we’re talking not a lot here at all just a hint) of garlic powder and LOOK!

You made guacamole!

It’s it’s like a tasty Mexican flag in a bowl!

Which you should immediately consume with chips.

If you happen to have leftovers..

(weirdo)

((just kidding I still like you even if you don’t eat all your guac))

…cover it with plastic wrap and press it down so that it literally touches the guac. There shouldn’t be any air between the covering and the guacamole.

That way nobody turns brown and everybody is happy.

Enjoy!

❤ Ellen

Guacamole

(sort of a recipe I guess…)

4 ripe avocados

1/2 onion, diced

a handful of cherry tomatoes, quartered

juice from 1/2 lime

a dash of garlic powder

salt to taste

cilantro (optional)

1. Cut the avocados in half, remove the pit, and spoon the meat into a bowl.  Mash with a fork or potato masher until it reaches the desired consistency.

2. Add lime, salt and garlic, combine well

3. Add choped onions and tomatoes, mix well

4. Serve immediately (or it will brown) with chips or add to a seven layer dip! (recipe soon)

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Filed under Dips, Uncategorized