Gooey Butter Cake

Cake:
1 (18.25-ounce) box yellow cake mix
1 egg
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

Filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 (16-ounce) box confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well. Pat into the bottom of prepared pan and set aside.

Still using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth; add eggs and vanilla. Dump in confectioners' sugar and beat well. Reduce speed of mixer and slowly pour in butter. Mix well.

Pour filling onto cake mixture and spread evenly. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Don't be afraid to make a judgment call on the cooking time, because oven temperatures can vary. You want the center to be a little gooey, so don't bake it past that point!

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares. Just remember that these wonderful little cakes are very, very rich, and a little will go a long way-even for piggies like me!

I'm not sure where this recipe comes from but it's a favorite in my family. I recently had my sister send the recipe to me and I made it myself for the first time. I even left in the piggy comment at the end, which probably originates with one of my aunts. It's more of a snack bar than a cake. Even though it's rich and sweet, we sometimes have it as a breakfast pastry. It probably works better as a dessert, though, for most people.

Orange Honey Cupcakes

Original Recipe from:
Greetings from the Knit Cafe
By: Suzan Mischer
Recipe by:Julie Stark

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup of oatmeal (stove top, not instant)
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
2/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
zest from the orange
1/4 cup of honey
5 1/2 tablespoons butter melted

Icing:
1-1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar
bit of zest from the orange
tablespoon of orange juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a muffin pan or line with papers.

Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl, and stir with a fork. Add in the juice, zest, honey, eggs, and butter. Continue mixing batter until all ingredients are well integrated into the batter. Fill each cup of the muffin tin with batter till 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or light golden.

To make icing:
Combine 1 cup of powdered sugar, zest, and juice until a smooth glaze. If too wet, add more sugar. If too dry, add a very small amount of juice or water. Once the glaze is a smooth spreadable consistency, drizzle over the muffins while still warm and hurry up and eat!!!

Story:
My mom bought this knitting book for me as a Christmas present. I love the projects, suggestions and recipes. Hmmmmmm......What will your next present be? These muffins/cupcakes are really good, but I like pretending that I'm being healthy by using whole wheat pastry flour instead of the all-purpose. It gives the muffins more texture and better color, but that is merely my opinion, not fact. If you prefer, just use two cups of all-purpose. Be warned even sticking these treats in the freezer didn't stop me from eating them! Though they really do taste better when not frozen.

Dominik's Austrian Potato Salad

This is a very simple recipe and I LOVE it! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

1 kg potatoes
1 - 2 onions
3 - 4 tablespoons oil
2 - 3 tablespoons vinegar
salt
pepper
Water
cook the potatoes for about 20 minutes, pour cold water over them, peel
them, cut them in slices.
Mix all the other ingredients in the meantime.
Drop all potato slices into the marinade and give it a rest time in the
fridge.
Taste it.
If you feel that it's too much vinegar, add some sugar, if it's not a
little spicy add more salt and pepper, but that’s always a question of
personal preference.

Story:
This recipe was given to me by my friend, Dominik, who was an exchange student from Austria and practiced with the Illini Judo club. He was always cooking something at judo gatherings and this is the potato salad he made at the last gathering of the year. Usually not a fan of potato salad because of the mayonnaise, this salad is perfect! Thanks Dominik! XXX

Chicken Korma

Chicken Korma
Ingredients
1) 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil
2) 1 onion (chopped)
3) 2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
4) ½ teaspoon julienned ginger (I use ground)
5) 1 teaspoon salt
6) 1 teaspoon turmeric
7) 1 teaspoon ground cumin
8) 1 pound chicken (cooked)
9) 1 cup water
10) 1 ½ teaspoons garam masala (or to taste)
11) ¼ pint heavy whipping cream
12) Finely chopped coriander

Directions
Step 1: Heat oil in a large deep frying pan adding chopped onions and fry for 4 to 5 minutes on a medium heat until onions are slightly brown.

Step 2: Add garlic and ginger and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes.

Step 3: Add salt, turmeric, and cumin. Turn up the heat and cook for an additional 1 minute. It is crucial that the spices are well mixed in the pan with the chicken at this point to ensure that the chicken cooks with texture and flavor.

Step 4: Add chicken.

Step 5: After the chicken has been well mixed with the spices add water to mixture.

Step 6: Turn down heat slightly then add garam masala, and the cream and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Step 7: Sprinkle top with Corriander if desired

Sean’s note: I find that the sauce is a little thin so I add some flour to the water to help thicken it up a little.

Bola (Rum Punch Party Time Drink)

Mix 1/4 kg sugar and 1.5l of water; bring to boil so that sugar dissolves, let it cool down a bit. Pour the mixture in a big, stylish looking bowl. Squeeze in juice of 4 oranges and 4 lemons. Add 1/2 l of rum.

Put the bowl into the freezer and let it cool down completely. Add more sugar if needed, along with generous amounts of vanilla sugar, clove, nutmeg and other assorted spices and exotic fruits you happen to have handy.

Use a big laddle to serve bola in party cups... A good party will require more than one bowl of bola!

Armadillo Eggs

Since I'm currently visiting Texas, I figured I'd make my first post about a recipe I picked up on one of my other Texas visits. I guess I didn't actually get a recipe, I just ate a few and replicated it but it's a simple dish.

Here's what you'll need:
large jalapeño peppers
ground beef
cream cheese
shredded cheese
spices

The ground beef can have whatever amount of fat you prefer but the higher percentage, the less likely they'll fall apart, just like hamburgers.
For the shredded cheese, I usually just use cheddar but I have been known to use Mexican or other mixtures.


Cut the tops off the peppers and cut them in half lengthwise. Cut out the seeds and other junk.
Scoop out some cream cheese into a cup and add an equal amount of the shredded cheese. Mix it well. If I had any idea how much to make, I'd happily tell you but I just eye everything. The idea is to fill the halved peppers with the cheese mixture.
Season the ground beef with whatever spices suit your fancy. I use Cajun seasoning (i.e. Tony Chachere's, of course, I use that in almost everything I cook), some garlic salt, and sometimes chili powder. Mix the seasoning in evenly. If you're not sure of the seasoning, taste it. People are much too scared of uncooked meat; that is what tartar and sushi are.
After you've filled the pepper halves with the cheese mixture, take a handful of beef, flatten it out pretty thin, place the stuffed pepper half on top of the beef patty, and wrap the beef around the pepper half. Make sure the pepper is completely encased in the beef and the seams are well squished together to prevent splitting when cooking.
Once you've created all the armadillo eggs, grill them however you typically grill things. I've broiled them in my toaster oven and grilled them over charcoal.

I think that's about it. As I post more, you'll come to realize that I don't believe much in actual recipes or measuring. Cooking is more fun that way, it's all about experimenting and exploring. Cook fun stuff and have fun cooking.

7-Layer Taco Dip

OK, if brands are mentioned, they matter. In a 9x13, prepare the following 7 layers:

1. 2 cans Frito Lay bean dip
2. 1 part mayonnaise vs. 2 parts sour cream and 80% of a packet of Ortega seasoning
3. 2 freshly sliced avocados or guacamole
4. chopped black olives (1-2 small cans to taste)
5. diced/chopped green chilis (1-2 small cans to taste)
6. scallions - enough to sprinkle
7. Sharp cheddar (shredded)
8. diced roma tomoatoes

I know... there are 8 layers... GET OVER IT!