Five Minute Chocolate Cake for One!

This came to me via e-mail. I thought it was worth posting.

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug (MicroSafe)

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well..
Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.
The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.
EAT ! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).

Red Chicken Enchiladas

Casey requested this for his birthday dinner. I think Hannah is the only one that doesn't eat it. But then, she doesn't eat anything.

This is one of those recipes that I just kind of wing every time, so forgive the vagueness. It's hard to mess it up though....

About 2 cups shredded cooked chicken

About 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

some sour cream

Big can of Rosarita enchilada sauce

Mix the chicken with just enough sauce to cover the chicken. Mix in some sour cream if you want a milder flavor (with kids, I recommend this....) Mix in the cheese. Scoop onto corn tortillas and roll them up. Place in a 9x13 baking dish (cover the bottom of the dish with sauce) and pour sauce all over the top. Sprinkle cheese on the top. Bake in a 350 degree oven until the cheese is bubbly.

Deviled Eggs

6 hard boiled eggs
¼ cup mayonnaise
½ tsp. vinegar
1 tsp. prepared mustard

Cut eggs in half lengthwise; remove yolks without damaging the white halves. Mash yolks with a fork. Stir together mayo, vinegar, and mustard; add salt to taste. Blend this mixture into masked yolks. Stuff egg white with yolk mixture. Garnish with paprika if desired.

Potato and Corn Chowder

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter
2 cups milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 (15 ounce) cans whole kernel corn, drained
2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Place potatoes, carrots, celery, onion and salt in a large pot with water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine butter, milk and flour in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir constantly until smooth and thick.

Pour milk mixture into cooked vegetables. Stir in corn and cheese until cheese is melted. Serve.

Note: I have done this with the Steam and Mash potatoes found in the frozen veggie isle. Just don't add them until the last 5-10 minutes of the first step.

Dana's turkey burgers and homemade fries

This is the easiest recipe but it went so well together I have to post it. A great alternative to burgers when you can't use your grill in the winter.
Turkey burgers (I only buy these when they are on sale)
Whole wheat buns
Lawry's seasoning, sprinkilled to taste onto the burgers
Swiss Cheese
Cook the burgers until they are done, usually 5 minutes on each side. Put mayo and all the fixings and cheese onto the buns.

Fries
Wash and slice your potatoes (I leave the skin on). I slice them into the size you'd get fries from a restaraunt. Lay them onto a cookie sheet. Drizzle a little olive oil over the potatoes. Then sprinkle with Lawry's. Cover with foil and cook at 425 degrees for about 10 minutes. If they seem tender after 10 minutes, take off foil and sprinkle with real parmesian cheese. Let cook without foil until brown and a little crispy- about 5 minutes. Adjust cooking times as necessary.

BLT Salad

One of my favorite salads. If you don't like one of the ingredients, just leave it out. For pretty presentation, it is fun to put each serving of salad into a pint-size canning jar with a pretty tie at the top. This can be served as a meal with rolls to top it off.
6 cups romaine or leaf lettuce
4 cups cubed turkey or chicken
1 1/2 cups chopped tomato
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cups shressed cheddar cheese
10 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup red onion
1/2 cup chopped cucumber
1 avocado, chopped
Dressing:
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup mayo
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
1 tsp. garlic powder (I find that is pretty strong- you can even try 1/2 or 3/4 tsp. instead)

In a large salad bowl, combine the first 10 ingredients. Just before serving, whisk the dressing ingredients. Pour over salad, toss to coat. For me, it would feel like my salad is swimming in dressing, so I usually only use about 1/2-3/4 the dressing. Then I save the rest for dipping fresh vegies, which my kids love, for another day.

Grapefruit Cake

No- it isn’t healthy, which is what everyone always asks me. After Jessica confirmed that it was NOT healthy, she tried a piece—and loved it! It is the perfect cake during grapefruit season!
2/3 cup butter, softened
1 ¾ cups sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. grated grapefruit peel
3 cups cake flour (or 3 cups regular flour minus 6 tbls.)
2 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ cup fresh squeezed grapefruit
¾ cups milk
Citrus Frosting (see below)
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each additions. Stir in vanilla and peel; mix well. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with grapefruit juice. Beat just until combined. Stir in milk. Pour batter into 2 greased and floured 9-in. baking pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

Citrus Frosting
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup butter
About 2-3 tbls. lemon juice (bottled is fine). If it is still a little dry, add a tbls. of milk.

Mix powdered sugar and butter. Stir in lemon juice. When cooled, frost the first layer of cake. Then put the second layer on and frost.