Roasted Pork Loin with Maple-Mustard Crust

We tried this recipe from Fine Cooking last week. It made great, moist pork, and tasted great as leftovers, too. (We didn't have fennel, so we used onions. It was still yummy, although I do want to try the fennel next time.) The onions and apples had a ton of flavor, so eating the meat with the apples was especially delicious. We also thought it might be good to try making a jus or gravy out of the drippings.


I like to leave some fat on the outside of the pork because it browns beautifully and bastes the roast. I also make sure the pork sits in the brine for at least 8 hours but preferably 16 to 18 hours for the juiciest results. Finally, I scatter wedges of fennel and apple in the pan to absorb the wonderful drippings during cooking. They also prevent the glaze from scorching on the bottom of the pan.


For the Brine:
8 cups cold apple cider or juice
3/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, smashed
3 sprigs fresh thyme
One 4-lb. boneless pork loin roast (or two 2-lb. loins), trimmed only if it has a thick layer of fat

For The Roast:
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 Tbs. whole-grain Dijon mustard
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper; more to taste
1 large fennel bulb or 2 small bulbs, quartered, cored, and thinly sliced
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Brine the pork:

Combine 2 cups of the apple cider or juice with the salt, brown sugar, garlic, and thyme in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring so the salt and sugar dissolve, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining apple cider or juice and cool to room temperature. Transfer to a large container, add the pork, cover, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 18 hours.
Roast the pork:

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 450°F. In a small bowl, mix the maple syrup, mustard, thyme, and pepper. Drain the pork and pat dry with paper towels. Brush the pork all over with the mustard mixture.

In a medium bowl, toss the fennel and apple with the oil, salt, and a few generous grinds of pepper. Scatter the mixture in the bottom of a large roasting pan (large enough to hold the pork with a couple of inches of space around the perimeter). Put the pork, fat side up, on top of the fennel and apples. Roast the pork until the crust just starts to brown, about 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350°F and continue cooking until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the loin registers 145°F, 30 to 50 minutes more.

Let rest for 10 minutes and then thinly slice a quarter to a third of the pork. Serve, topped with the fennel, apple, and juices. Allow the remaining pork to cool to room temperature, wrap well with foil, and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

photo: Scott Phillips
From Fine Cooking 90, pp. 38
December 4, 2007

Stacked Chicken Enchiladas

I just realized that I put this recipe on our other blog, but forgot to post it here. It's a yummy one. I really liked the "stacked" presentation, and the cabbage salad on top was a very yummy touch. We actually made this without the chicken and substituted black beans for the meat. I don't think you need that much cheese on each layer, either. We also left out the pine nuts and raisins....because it sounded kind of weird.

The recipe is from Sunset magazine

Yield: Makes 2 enchiladas (each 3 to 4 servings)
Ingredients

* 1 cup chopped onion
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 can (28 oz.) red chile sauce, divided
* 1/2 cup pine nuts
* 1/4 cup golden raisins
* 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
* 1 tablespoon finely chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, plus 2 tsp. sauce (see Notes)
* 1 tablespoon tomato paste
* 1 tablespoon firmly packed light brown sugar
* 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
* 3 3/4 cups shredded white and/or dark chicken meat (from one 2 1/2- to 3-lb. rotisserie chicken)
* 12 corn tortillas (6 in. wide; see Notes)
* 3 cups coarsely shredded jack cheese
* 2 radishes, halved and thinly sliced
* 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
* 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 5 to 6 cups very thinly sliced green cabbage (see Notes)
* 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°. In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, cook onion with olive oil, stirring often until softened, about 5 minutes.

2. Stir in 3/4 cup red chile sauce, the pine nuts, raisins, cinnamon, allspice, chipotle chiles, adobo sauce, tomato paste, brown sugar, and vinegar. Add chicken, then bring mixture to a boil, stirring. Remove from heat. Pour remaining red chile sauce into a pie pan.

3. To make enchilada stacks, dip 1 tortilla in chile sauce in pie pan to coat. Place on an ovenproof dinner plate. Repeat with another tortilla on a second plate. Spread each tortilla evenly with a heaping 1/3 cup chicken mixture, then with 1/4 cup cheese. Repeat layering with 8 more tortillas, dipping them in sauce, then adding chicken mixture and cheese to make 2 stacks of 5 layers. (You'll use all the chicken but not all the cheese.) Dip the last 2 tortillas in sauce, place each, curved side down, on stack, and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

4. Bake enchiladas until hot in the center and cheese bubbles on top, 10 to 15 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, pour remaining chile sauce from the pie pan into a microwave-safe pitcher and cook in a microwave oven on full power until simmering, 1 to 2 minutes. To make the salad, stir together radishes, lime juice, and extra-virgin olive oil in a large bowl. Just before serving, stir in cabbage and cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

6. Top each enchilada with a small mound of salad and cut in thirds or quarters to serve. Offer with remaining salad and chile sauce to add to taste.



Sunset, MAY 2008

Skillet Apple Pie

Skillet Apple Pie
from America's Test Kitchen
Episode: Easy Apple Desserts


If your skillet is not heatproof, precook the apples and stir in the cider mixture as instructed, then transfer the apples to a 13- by 9-inch baking dish. Roll out the dough to a 13- by 9-inch rectangle and bake it as instructed. If you do not have apple cider, reduced apple juice may be used as a substitute—simmer 1 cup apple juice in a small saucepan over medium heat until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 10 minutes). Serve the pie warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Use a combination of sweet, crisp apples such as Golden Delicious and firm, tart apples such as Cortland or Empire.

Serves 6 to 8

Crust
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (5 ounces), plus more for dusting work surface
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening , chilled
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) cold unsalted butter , cut into 1/4-inch pieces
3–4 tablespoons ice water

Filling
1/2 cup apple cider (see note)
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 1/2 pounds sweet apples and tart apples (about 5 medium), peeled, cored, halved, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges (see note)


1 egg white , lightly beaten
2 teaspoons sugar



1. FOR THE CRUST: Pulse flour, sugar, and salt in food processor until combined. Add shortening and process until mixture has texture of coarse sand, about ten 1-second pulses. Scatter butter pieces over flour mixture and process until mixture is pale yellow and resembles coarse crumbs, with butter bits no larger than small peas, about ten 1-second pulses. Transfer mixture to medium bowl.

2. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons ice water over mixture. With blade of rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix. Press down on dough with broad side of spatula until dough sticks together, adding up to 1 tablespoon more ice water if dough does not come together. Turn dough out onto sheet of plastic wrap and flatten into 4-inch disk. Wrap dough and refrigerate 30 minutes, or up to 2 days, before rolling out. (If dough is refrigerated longer than 1 hour, let stand at room temperature until malleable.)

3. FOR THE FILLING: Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position (between 7 and 9 inches from heating element) and heat oven to 500 degrees. Whisk cider, syrup, lemon juice, cornstarch, and cinnamon (if using) together in medium bowl until smooth. Heat butter in 12-inch heatproof skillet over medium-high heat. When foaming subsides, add apples and cook, stirring 2 or 3 times until apples begin to caramelize, about 5 minutes. (Do not fully cook apples.) Remove pan from heat, add cider mixture, and gently stir until apples are well coated. Set aside to cool slightly.

4. TO ASSEMBLE AND BAKE: Roll out dough on lightly floured work surface, or between 2 large sheets of plastic wrap, to 11-inch circle. Roll dough loosely around rolling pin and unroll over apple filling. Brush dough with egg white and sprinkle with sugar. With sharp knife, gently cut dough into 6 pieces by making 1 vertical cut followed by 2 evenly spaced horizontal cuts (perpendicular to first cut). Bake until apples are tender and crust is a deep golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes; serve.



Step-by-Step: Keys to Flaky, Flavorful Skillet Apple Pie

1. Caramelize Apples: Precook apples in butter to deepen their flavor.
2. Add Cider: Coat apples with 1/2 cup apple cider to create juicy, flavorful filling.

3. Cut Dough: Score before baking to allow juices to bubble up and caramelize around edges.
4. Bake in Hot Oven: Precooked apples need less time in oven than traditional apple pie.

Barley, Tomato and Corn Salad

We bought some tasty heirloom tomatoes at a farmers market Saturday and needed a way to use them up. A while ago, I got curious about grains and bought a ton of different kinds. So, we've had the barley just waiting to be cooked. This made a wonderful salad. Derek found this recipe from the following site.

1 cup pearl barley tightly packed
1 cup basil leaves
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cups corn kernels, cooked (about 3 cobs)

*We had made a bunch of pesto and frozen it into ice cube shapes....we just added that instead of most of the seasoning...and it worked well. We also just cubed our larger tomatoes.

Bring large pot of boiling water to boil; add barley. Reduce heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 50 minutes or until tender. Drain; chill under cold running water and drain again.

In food processor, puree basil, Parmesan, oil, salt and pepper; stir in garlic. Toss with barley. Add tomatoes and corn. Toss again.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin

We had this for dinner tonight, and it was very good. Derek and I both agree that it's one of the tastiest tenderloins we've had. I got the recipe off of foodnetwork. We first saw it on Good Eats with Alton Brown.
I didn't get the ingredients until the night we were making it, so I didn't marinate it as long as it says, and we just threw it on our grill, but it was still really good.


Ingredients

* 1 whole pork tenderloin, approximately 1 pound
* 1 lime, zest finely grated
* 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
* 1/4 cup honey
* 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1 chipotle chile pepper in adobo sauce
* 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

Trim the pork tenderloin of any excess fat and silver skin.

Place the lime zest, lime juice, honey, salt, and garlic powder in a small, lidded jar and shake to combine. Pour half of the marinade mixture into a 1-gallon resealable bag, add the chipotle pepper, and move around to combine. Add the pork tenderloin to the bag and seal, removing as much air as possible and place in a container to catch any leaks. Marinate in the refrigerator for 6 to 24 hours, rotating the bag halfway through the time. Place the remaining marinade in a covered container and refrigerate until ready to use.

Remove the tenderloin from the bag and allow to sit at room temperature while preparing the grill. Remove the reserved marinade from the refrigerator.

Fill a large chimney starter with natural lump charcoal and light. Once the charcoal is ashy and white, approximately 30 minutes, dump the hot charcoal onto the lowest grate of the grill and spread into an even layer using extra-long tongs. Place the cooking grate back on the grill and cover with the lid; heat the grate to medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes.

Brush the grill with vegetable oil. Remove the tenderloin from the bag and place in the center of grate. Discard bag with marinade. Cover and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, turning every 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, until the tenderloin reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees F.

Remove the tenderloin from the grill and place on a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil folded at the edges to create a basket, and pour on the reserved marinade. Wrap tightly and rest for 10 minutes. Remove to a cutting board and slice. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Fresh Cranberry Scones

Derek found this recipe on The Kitchn

makes about 2 dozen

1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
1/2 cup light brown sugar
Zest of 1 small orange (we only had limes, so we used that...citrus family?)
2 1/4 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup milk
Extra flour
White sugar, for topping

*We didn't have fresh cranberries, so Derek used craisins--which we always have in our pantry. Plump the craisins by bringing about 1/2 cup orange juice to a boil and pouring the juice over the craisins. Let the craisins sit for at least 15 minutes, or over night. When ready to make scones, drain the craisins and chop.

Heat oven to 350 F and prepare two baking sheets by lining with parchment or lightly spraying with oil.

In the bowl of a food processor, whiz the cranberries until lightly chopped. (Skip if you plumped craisins and hand chopped.)
Dump out into a bowl, toss with the brown sugar and orange zest. In the food processor, whiz the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut the chilled butter into small pieces and whiz with the flour in the processor until fine and crumbly.
Mix with the sugar and cranberries and stir in the beaten egg and milk.
Sprinkle the counter or a board with flour, and dump the dough out on it. It will be very wet and sticky. Cur out rounds using a biscuit cutter or glass, and put on baking sheet. (Leave the dough fairly thick...maybe 3/4 inch--like a thick biscuit.) Sprinkle the tops with sugar.

Bake for about 25 minutes or until just getting golden. Serve warm with plenty of butter.

Chicken and Fettuccine with Tomato Cream Sauce

This recipe seems complicated, but I promise it's not very hard to make and it is totally worth it!
From the Williams Sonoma Complete Pasta Cookbook
Serves 8

1 1/2 lb Fettuccine
Tomato cream sauce (recipe to follow)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 chicken breasts cubed
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
6 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and cut into strips
Fresh thyme sprigs

Prepare tomato cream sauce. In a saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chicken and saute until cooked through (about 7-8 minutes). Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and keep warm. Cook fettuccine and combine with tomato cream sauce. Top with chicken and sun-dried tomato strips. Garnish with a thyme sprig.

Tomato Cream Sauce
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 fresh thyme sprig
1 cup chicken stock (I used chicken broth)
10 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, pureed
salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream and thyme sprig to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until cream is reduced by one-third, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Remove and discard the thyme sprig. Return the cream to the heat, add the chicken broth and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the tomato puree and salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat, stir in the thyme leaves and keep warm until ready to use.

Thai Green Chicken Curry

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 to 2 tablespoons Thai green curry paste
1 fresh hot red chile thinly sliced crosswise
1 3/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 14oz can unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons asian fish sauce
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
3 scallions thinly sliced

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the curry paste and chile and saute, stirring occasionally, until fragrant. Add the chicken and saute until just cooked through.
Add coconut milk, broth, brown sugar, fish sauce, and lime juice to skillet and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and scallions and simmer for about 1 minute more. Serve with rice. Makes 4 servings. Recipe from foodnetwork.com
*I ommitted the chile because I didn't have one on hand but this was still very yummy! Sorry, I didn't take a picture.

Lemon cupcakes with whipped cream cheese frosting

Cupcakes (recipe from allrecipes.com)
1 cup butter softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sour cream

Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add lemon peel and vanilla; mix well. Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups with 1/4 cup batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Makes 30 cupcakes.

Frosting (from allrecipes.com)
8 oz cream cheese room temperature
1 3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

Beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form (I beat mine for 5 minutes on high in a bowl that had been in the freezer for 30 minutes. You want the cream to be very thick). In a large bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Beat until smooth, then fold in whipped cream. I made this the night before and kept it in the fridge. It piped very well and seemed to hold it's shape well. Makes enough for 12 cupcakes.

Beef with Rosemary Mushroom Sauce

The picture isn't very appetizing, but this sauce is AMAZING! So good over mashed potatoes as well.
Recipe from The Best of Cooking Light cookbook
Serves 4

1 8oz package presliced mushrooms
1 cup red cooking wine
1 lb boneless top sirloin steak
1 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 10 1/2oz can beef consomme
1 8oz can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons butter

Combine mushrooms, wine, and steak in a large zip-top plastic bag. Marinate in fridge for 30 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove steak from bag, reserving marinade. Melt 2 tablespoons butter (cookbook called for the skillet to be sprayed with cooking spray instead of using butter but I chose to live dangerously!) in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add steak and cook until desired degree of doneness. Remove from pan.
Combine onions, 2 tablespoons parsley, rosemary, and remaining ingredients. Add onion mixture and reserved marinade to pan. Bring to a boil, cook until reduced to 2 cups (about 15 minutes), stirring frequently.
Cut beef diagonally across grain into thin slices. Place beef on plates and cover with mushroom sauce. Sprinkle with parsley.

Tomato Soup

This is one of our favorite soups. We found it in Fine Cooking magazine.
I've never tried canned tomato soup, because I can't imagine really liking it. I love this soup. We usually make the Southwest version of this, because I like the spice. It's good both ways.

2 Tbsp. Extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. Unsalted butter
1 Large white onion, finely chopped
1 Clove garlic, smashed and peeled
2 Tbps. All-purpose flour
3 c. Chicken broth
28 oz. Can while peeled tomatoes, pureed (include the juice)
1 ½ tsp. Sugar
Salt
Pepper

In a 5- to 6-quart pot, heat the oil and butter over medium-low heat until the butter melts. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft but not browned, about 8 minutes. Add the flour and stir to coat the onion and garlic.

Add the broth, tomatoes, sugar, and a little salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat while stirring the mixture to make sure that the flour is not sticking to the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes.

Let cool briefly and then puree in two or three batches in a blender or food processor (start slowly and cover the blender lid with a dishtowel). Rinse the pot and return the soup to the pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Reheat if necessary and serve warm, but not hot.

(Southwest variation: Omit sugar and add 1 tsp. chili powder and 1 tsp. cumin at the same time as the tomatoes. You may also add a roasted red bell pepper, at the same time. Garnish completed soup with a dollop of sour cream and cilantro.)

Walnut Blondie with Maple Butter Sauce

We also made these in California. Again, I've never been a big fan of blondies previous to this recipe, and I thought they were great. We found the recipe on Bakerella, but I think she found it from another site.

This blondie is baked with nuts, topped with both ice cream and chopped walnuts, and served warm covered with a rich, sizzling maple butter sauce. Everyone has a sweet tooth! Nothing is better than a warm brownie or blondie with ice cream. This recipe takes it to another level.

Serves: 4 (or 1 if your really hungry!)
Ready In: Under 60 minutes

Ingredients:
Dough
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour, sifted
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (or more if desired)
1/3 cup butter or margarine (melted)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Maple Butter Sauce
3/4 cup maple syrup ( I highly recommend using REAL maple syrup )
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

Dough
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Add baking powder, baking soda and salt to the already sifted flour. Then sift dry ingredients again.
Add chopped nuts and mix well. Set aside.

Add brown sugar to melted butter and mix well. Then add egg and vanilla extract. Mix well.
Add flour mixture, a little at a time, until mixed well.
Stir in white chocolate chips. Spread out dough in a 9-inch pan.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Use a toothpick or fork to test if it is cooked in the center.
Serve warm with ice cream and Maple Butter Sauce.

Maple Butter Sauce

In a pan, add real maple syrup and butter, cook over low heat until butter is melted. Next, stir in brown sugar until completely dissolved. If you desire, add walnuts.

Enjoy !

Salmon seared on Bacon, with Honey, Rosemary, and Balsamic Vinegar

We made this in California when we were visiting family...it was very yummy. Especially considering the fact that I don't typically eat fish. We got the recipe off of fine cooking.

For this dish, you want the skin on the salmon to crisp up like the bacon on the other side. The fish should be scaled—if it’s not, ask your seafood seller to do it for you.Serves four.

---

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs. honey
1/2 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 slices bacon
Four 6-oz. skin-on, scaled, center-cut salmon fillets
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

---

In a liquid measuring cup, combine the vinegar, honey, rosemary, and 2 Tbs. water.

Cut the bacon slices in half crosswise. Lay a slice on the flesh side of each piece of salmon and arrange the salmon, bacon side down, in a 12-inch heavy-duty nonstick skillet. Sprinkle the salmon skin with salt and pepper.

Set the skillet over medium-high heat and cook until the bacon is golden and crisp, 4 to 5 minutes from when it begins to sizzle. Turn the salmon and continue to cook until the skin is crisp and the salmon is just cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes more.

Take the skillet off the heat and transfer the salmon to a platter. Pour off the fat and return the skillet to medium-high heat. Stir the vinegar mixture well and add it to the skillet. Simmer until slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour over the salmon and serve.

Red Velved Cake

I posted this on my blog a little while ago, but here it is again...to kick off our new blog.
It is from FoodNetwork.com, but we did make a couple of adjustments when we made it.

Grandmother Paula's Red Velvet Cake

Ingredients
Cake:

* 2 cups sugar
* 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature (I ADDED 1 STICK)
* 2 eggs
* 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
* 2 ounces red food coloring (I USED ONLY 1 OUNCE)
* 2 1/2 cups cake flour
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup buttermilk (I THINK I USED A SUBSTITUTION OF 1 cup milk 1 Tb lemon juice)
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 tablespoon vinegar

Icing:

* 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
* 1 stick butter, softened (I USED 1/2 STICK)
* 1 cup melted marshmallows
* 1 (1-pound) box confectioners' sugar
* 1 cup shredded coconut
* 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter, beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition. Mix cocoa and food coloring together and then add to sugar mixture; mix well. Sift together flour and salt. Add flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Blend in vanilla. In a small bowl, combine baking soda and vinegar and add to mixture. Pour batter into 3 (8-inch) round greased and floured pans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from heat and cool completely before frosting.
Icing:

Blend cream cheese and butter together in a mixing bowl. Add marshmallows and sugar and blend. Fold in coconut and nuts. Spread between layers and on top and sides of cooled cake.

Chili-Lime steak salad

I made this on Sunday and it was yummy! I found the recipe on www.ourbestbites.com. I couldn't find flank steak so I used NY strip instead and used the broiler for about 4 minutes on each side. Enjoy!

1 1/2 lb flank steak, cooked with lime-chili rub and sliced into 1/4" slices
1 recipe Creamy Lime-Cilantro Dressing
1 large head romaine lettuce
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1 red onion, sliced thin
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed in cold water
1-2 avocados, sliced
cilantro for garnish
optional: fried tortilla strips

Lime-chili rub recipe:
1 t chili powder
1 t granulated garlic
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t coriander
1/2 t oregano
1/8- 1/4 t cayenne pepper*
3/4 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
*If you have chipotle chili powder, you can substitute it for the cayenne or just add a little in addition
1 lime (about 2 T lime juice)
1-2 lbs flank steak, or other good grilling cut (tenderloin, NY strip, and tri-tip all work well)

Juice the lime into a small bowl. Add spices and stir to combine. Some limes have more juice than others, so sometimes the mixture will be more liquid-y and sometimes it will be more pasty. If you find you're a little short on lime juice, just add a teaspoon or two of extra virgin olive oil to stretch it out. Place the steak in a shallow dish and pour the spice mixture on top. Let it sit for about 15 minutes then either grill it or broil it.

Lime-Cilantro dressing:
1 pack (1oz) Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix (regular or buttermilk)
ignore directions on the packet
1C mayo
1/2 C milk (or buttermilk depending on which packet you buy)
1 lime
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 C roughly chopped cilantro
1/4 C green salsa
hot sauce

Place milk, mayo, and ranch mix in a blender. Juice the lime in there too, you should get about 2T juice. Toss in the garlic, cilantro and green salsa. Blend 'er up. Sample it and add hot sauce to taste. Make it several hours ahead of time to allow it to thicken.