Box Cake Dressed Up Tips

 Box cake taste homemade

*Start with a good box mix (Duncan Hines works well - white, chocolate, red velvet, strawberry)

*Replace water listed on box with milk (or use buttermilk for red velvet)

*Replace oil listed on box with melted butter

*Add an extra egg

*Add a tiny bit of almond or vanilla extract (for white cake)

*For chocolate cake mixes, add 1/4 cup cocoa powder if you like (or hot chocolate powder??)

White Almond Sour Cream Cake

 White Almond Sour Cream Cake

Yield: two 8x2 rounds

From Sugar Geek

1 box of white Duncan Hines mix

1 c. of all purpose flour

1 c. of granulated sugar

¼ tsp salt

1 c. sour cream   

½ c. melted butter  

1 c. of water or milk  

4 egg whites 

1 tsp almond extract  

Place all of your ingredients into the bowl of your stand mixer and stir on low to combine until just moistened (so flour doesn’t fly.)

 Then bump up to medium speed and mix for 2 minutes to develop the texture and structure of the cake. 

Pour your batter into your prepared pans. I like to use a homemade pan release (cake goop). The best homemade pan release there is! Bake at 350ºF for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out from the center cleanly.

Lemon Poppyseed Mini Donuts

 Lemon Poppyseed Mini Donuts

Yield: 32 +/- mini donuts

Donut Batter

1 c. all-purpose flour (125g)

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

1 TB poppy seeds

½ tsp salt

2 TB butter, melted and slightly cool

1 large egg, at room temperature

⅓ c.  granulated sugar (65g)

¼ c. milk

¼ c.  sour cream

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 TB  lemon juice

1 TB lemon zest

Make the donuts: 

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, poppy seeds, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside. Whisk the melted butter, egg, sugar, milk, sour cream, vanilla, lemon juice, and zest until completely combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not overmix. The batter will be thick. Scrape into a gallon ziploc bag and snip the corner to pipe into donut wells. Place cooked donuts on a wire cooling rack placed in/on a cookie sheet.

Lemon Glaze

2 TB  unsalted butter, melted

1 c.  confectioners’ sugar (120g)

1–2 TB  milk

1 TB  lemon juice

½ tsp vanilla extract

Make the glaze: 

Whisk all of the glaze ingredients together. Dip each donut into the glaze and place back on the wire rack as the glaze sets (cookie sheet will catch the drips.)

African Tacos/Stew CrockPot

African Tacos (or stew) in the CrockPot

Tami B

2 large tomatoes, skinned, chopped ( or 2 cans diced tomatoes, drain what you can)

1 can Chili beans in mild chili sauce

3 TB corn starch

1 lb. beef stew meat (half the Costco package)

1 can kidney beans, drained

2 onions, diced

1 large green pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tsp. oregano

1 beef bouillon cube

2 tsp. chili powder

2 tsp. mustard powder

4 TB Worcestershire sauce

2 TB vinegar

2 tsp. salt

Mix corn starch into cold canned diced tomatoes and chili beans until dissolved.  If it won't fully dissolve, add 1 tsp water at a time until it does. 

Then put all remaining ingredients in a slow cooker, making sure the meat is immersed.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Serve in/with pita or tortilla, cheese and sour cream. Enjoy!

Chicken Enchilada-Tortilla Soup

 

Chicken Enchilada-Tortilla Soup

Yields: 6-7 medium servings

3 med. sized chicken breasts

1 (10 oz) can red/mild enchilada sauce

2 c. chicken broth

1 finely chopped white onion (about 1 cup chopped)

1 yellow squash, diced

1 can drained, whole kernel corn

1 large can diced green chilis (7 oz)

2 cans diced tomatoes (option to use cans of diced tomatoes with green peppers/green chilis in them)

½ tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. chili powder (less if you don’t like spice)

½ c. water

¾ tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. lime juice

1 bunch chopped cilantro

Layer all ingredients in crock pot.

Cook on low for 8 hours (preferable), or on high for 3 hours.

When finished cooking, remove chicken and shred, then return to slow cooker. Add in half of cilantro. Use other half of cilantro to top for serving.

Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, and tortilla chips

Butter Chicken Crock Pot

Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

  

1 TB coconut(or olive) oil

1 yellow onion diced (about 1 cup)

1/2 tsp ground ginger (or 1 TB minced fresh ginger)

4 tsp minced garlic

1 ½ TB curry powder

1 TB garam masala

1 ½ tsp chili powder

¾ tsp kosher salt

1 (6-oz) can tomato paste (no salt added)

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts about 4 medium breasts

About 4 1/2 c. chopped cauliflower florets (1 small cauliflower or 1/2 large head)

Optional- large diced potatoes, such as halved baby potatoes (maybe 2 cups)

1 (14-oz) can tomato sauce

2 TB unsalted butter cut into small pieces 

1 can full-fat coconut milk 

½ c. plain nonfat Greek yogurt

On stove, heat the coconut oil over medium high. Once hot, add the onion and cook until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, curry, garam masala, chili powder, salt, and tomato paste. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Transfer half the onions mixture to a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Lay the chicken on top, then the cauliflower florets (and diced potatoes if using), and top with can of tomato sauce. Stir to combine the florets and sauce a bit, leaving the chicken pieces undisturbed underneath. Scatter the butter pieces over the top.

Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours or high for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours until the chicken is cooked through. The cooking time may vary based on your slow cooker, so check early to ensure the chicken does not dry out. When the chicken is done, remove it to a cutting board and let cool slightly. Cut and return to slow cooker.

Give the contents of the slow cooker a big stir to coat the florets with the sauce. Recover the slow cooker and cook on HIGH until the florets are completely tender, about 30 minutes to 1 hour more. (If your florets are already tender, you can skip this step.)

Stir in the half-and-half (or coconut milk). Let cool a few minutes, then stir in the Greek yogurt. (Don't stir in the yogurt right away; if the butter chicken is too hot, it will curdle.) 

Enjoy warm over brown rice, quinoa, pita or naan, sprinkled with fresh cilantro.

Pumpkin Apple Soup CrockPot

 Pumpkin Apple Soup CrockPot

Kathy W.

Yield: 6 servings

 

¼ c. butter

2 onions, sliced

2 c. water

4 tsp/cubes chicken bouillon

2 tsp/cubes beef bouillon

2 cans pumpkin (30 oz. total)

3 apples- peeled, cored, sliced

¼ tsp. pepper

½ tsp. nutmeg

place onions, butter, and apples in bottom of slow cooker. Add rest of ingredients on top. Cook for 4 hours on low. Pour soup through food processor or blender (immersion blenders don't fully blend it). 

Can be served as is, or can have mix-ins available: cooked chicken, roasted broccoli/cauliflower, roasted potatoes, etc

Serve warm with bread, rolls, etc.