Patrick's Birthday

Patrick is already putting in requests for his birthday dinner and cake in April.  Looks like I'm not the only one that plans things four months in advance. . . .
Of course neither is South Beach even a little bit, but it's okay to splurge once in a while, and splurge we will.  I know that it will make me sick afterward, binging on non SB foods always do when I've been good for a long time, which will hopefully only encourage me to stay good.

First up - a bacon wrapped meatloaf he saw on the cover of a magazine called Fine Cooking, which I've never even heard of.  I tweaked the recipe just a tiny little bit based on preference and user reviews.

Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf
4 oz. cremini (baby bella) or white mushrooms, cleaned and finely chopped (1-1/3 cups)
1/2 cup minced yellow onion
3 Tbs. dry sherry
1 Tbs. minced garlic
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 oz. day-old rustic or dense white bread, torn into about 1/2-inch pieces (1-1/2 cups)
1/4 cup whole milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 lb. ground beef (85% lean)
1 lb. ground pork
2 Tbs. light or dark brown sugar
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
8 slices center-cut bacon

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350ºF.
In a medium bowl, toss the mushrooms with the onion, sherry, garlic, 1-1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the bread, milk, and egg. Stir well, lightly mashing the bread until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add the beef, veal, pork, brown sugar, Worcestershire, and the onion-mushroom mixture. Using a large, sturdy wooden spoon or your hands, gently mix just until all the ingredients are blended; you may need to push the meat against the side of the bowl to get the pieces to break up.

Put the meat mixture in a 9x13-inch metal baking pan. Shape the mixture into a rectangular loaf about 10x4 inches. Wrap the strips of bacon around the loaf crosswise, overlapping them slightly and tucking the ends securely under the loaf. Pat the loaf back into shape if necessary.

Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the loaf reads 160ºF, 60 to 70 minutes. Take the meatloaf out of the oven and position the oven rack about 6 inches from the broiling element. Heat the broiler to high. Broil the meatloaf until the bacon is brown and crisp, about 3 minutes. Let the loaf rest at room temperature for at least 10 minutes.

Use two flat spatulas to transfer the meatloaf to a serving platter. Slice and serve with the mushroom gravy.
Just in case you were wondering:  Calories (kcal): 340; Fat (g): 19; Fat Calories (kcal): 170; Saturated Fat (g): 6; Protein (g): 26; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 9; Carbohydrates (g): 15; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 1.5; Sodium (mg): 610; Cholesterol (mg): 105; Fiber (g): 1;


Sherry Mushroom Gravy 
1 cup lower-salt beef or chicken broth; more as needed
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
2 slices center-cut bacon, minced
6 oz. cremini (baby bella) or white mushrooms, cleaned and sliced about 1/8 inch thick (2 packed cups)
1/2 cup minced yellow onion
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbs. dry sherry
3 Tbs. all-purpose flour

Combine the broth with 1 cup of hot water. Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring to break apart the pieces, until just starting to crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms, onion, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms have cooked through and start to brown the bottom of the pan, 5 to 8 minutes.
Add the sherry and stir to release the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, about 1 minute. Sprinkle in the flour and stir constantly until the mixture has browned and is slightly dry and crumbly, about 30 seconds.
Whisk in half of the broth mixture and continue whisking until the liquid is absorbed into the flour, about 30 seconds. Whisk in the remaining broth mixture and bring the gravy to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 5 to 10 minutes.
Season to taste with salt and pepper and thin with water or broth if necessary. Transfer to a small saucepan, cover, and keep warm. Reheat the gravy if necessary before serving.

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Served with butter laden mashed potatoes, this is certain to make us very happy to eat and then very ill for having eaten it.  Then of course there will be the meatloaf sandwiches the next day. . . I can hardly wait.  But there's more!!!  Maybe laying in bed on the weekend watching Food Network until we're too starved to stay horizontal any more isn't a good thing.  We saw Paula Deen try to awkwardly set up her son with a pretty blonde AND make an amazing looking meal.  I'd like the whole thing actually, but the cake certainly caught Patrick's attention.

Double Decker Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Nonstick cooking spray

3 cups cake flour, plus more for pan
1 cup butter, softened, plus 1/2 cup, melted
2 1/4 cups sugar
5 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups whole buttermilk
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 (20-ounce) cans pineapple slices in juice, drained well (reserve 2 tablespoons juice for frosting)
1 (10-ounce) jar maraschino cherries, drained well
Pineapple Buttercream Frosting, recipe follows
Chopped pecans, for garnish, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 2 (9-inch) round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray and coat with flour.
In a large bowl, beat 1 cup butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add the sugar, beating until fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla and set aside.
In a small bowl, add the 3 cups of flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine. Add the flour mixture into the egg mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
Divide the brown sugar evenly into each pan. Pour the melted butter equally over the brown sugar. Arrange the pineapple slices and cherries over the brown sugar. Reserve remaining pineapple slices and cherries for another use.
Pour equal amounts of batter over the fruit and bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Invert the cakes onto wire racks to cool completely.
To assemble the cake, carefully arrange 1 cake layer, pineapple side up, on a cake plate. Carefully stack the remaining cake layer, pineapple side up, over the first layer. Frost the sides of the cake with Pineapple Buttercream Frosting. Press chopped pecans into sides of cake, if desired.

Pineapple Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons reserved pineapple juice
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Beat all the ingredients in a large bowl until well combined.

Yield: about 2 cups

Tacos Al Pastor

No reason not to give it a whirl at home. . . . thanks Goya!
They seem to know what's up:
"Tacos al Pastor are a favorite in Mexico and Mexican restaurants throughout the world for good reason: The mixture of smoky, spicy chiles, sweet pineapples and fresh onions and cilantro is taco perfection. Traditionally, Tacos al Pastor are made by marinating pork in chile sauce, layering the meat on a vertical rotisserie, adorning with a pineapple and roasting slowly for hours--a process that's almost impossible to replicate at home. So we've taken the delicious, authentic flavors that make these tacos so special, and adapted the recipe for your home kitchen, so you can enjoy it whenever a craving strikes!"

Tacos Al Pastor
For the pork:
5 Goya Guajillo Chiles
5 Goya Pasilla Chiles or Goya Ancho Chiles
1 Goya Chipotle Chiles in Adobo Sauce
1 medium white onion, halved
1 (20 ounce) can Goya Pineapple Chunks
1/4 cup Goya White Vinegar
2 tablespoons Goya Minced Garlic
1 teaspoon Goya Cumin
Goya Adobo with Pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons Goya Vegetable Oil
1 (2 1/2 pound) boneless, skinless pork butt, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
For the garnish:
1 (10 ounce) package Goya Corn Tortillas, warmed
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime, cut into wedges 

Bring 2 cups water to boil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add guajillo and pasilla chiles. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until chiles soften, about 10 minutes; transfer to plate. Remove and discard stem and seeds. Meanwhile, coarsely chop one onion half; reserve remaining half. Strain pineapples; reserve juice and fruit separately. 

Transfer guajillo, pasilla and chipotle chiles, chopped onion half, reserved pineapple juice, vinegar, garlic and cumin to bowl of food processor. Puree until smooth, about 2 minutes. Transfer chile mixture to saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring chile mixture to a boil; cook until paste loses raw onion taste, about 2 minutes. Season with Adobo; cool. In large container with lid, or in large ziptop bag, combine pork cubes, cooled chile marinade and reserved pineapple chunks; transfer to refrigerator. Marinate at least 2 hours, or up to 24 hours. 

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Strain pork and pineapples, discarding marinade. Add pork and pineapples to skillet. Cook in batches until dark golden brown on all sides and cooked through, about 15 minutes; transfer to large serving plate. 

Meanwhile, finely slice remaining onion half. Transfer sliced onion to bowl with cilantro. Serve pork and pineapple mixture in warm tortillas. Garnish pork tacos with cilantro, onions and limes. 

Cooking tip from LA COCINA GOYA:

Warm, soft tortillas, every time! Achieving perfectly warm and pliable tortillas can be tricky business: We find the microwave results in gummy, chewy rounds while the oven dries them out. Our tried-and-true method: steaming. To do, fill a steamer with 1/2 inch water; bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low. In the meantime, wrap the tortillas in a dish towel. Then, place the bundle in the steamer, cover with a tight-fitting lid and heat until warm, about 10 minutes

Pineapple Upside Down Cakes

When I was planning for Iron Chef Battle Cupcake, my beloved Buzzie suggested an idea I had long since dismissed - pineapple upside down cupcakes. I couldn't think of how to get the pineapples in place - normally you flip the cake over so the fruit and goo that was in the bottom of the pan is now on top. I envisioned messy, sticky, burnt on sugar that would tear apart the cakes and stick in the bottom of the pan and be a bastard to clean.
I wondered if I could just make the cakes and then top them later with what would typically go in the bottom of the pan.
I decided against it.
Until I saw this recipe, and now I'm rethinking things.
For my first go round, I actually tried it in regular sized cupcake tins (I had visions of minis and just using pineapple chunks).  I had to cut the pineapple rings into quarters (or smaller) to get them to fit into the cups.


Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cakes
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 (20 ounce) cans sliced pineapple
1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1/4 cup veggie oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbs dark rum (I used Captain Morgan)
12 maraschino cherries, halved
Directions

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and butter; mix well. Spoon into 24 greased muffin cups. Drain pineapple, reserving the juice. Trim pineapple to fit the muffin cups; place pineapple in each cup (enough to create a layer).
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, oil and 1-1/4 cups of the reserved pineapple juice (this was the amount in one can); mix well. Spoon over pineapple, filling each cup two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Immediately invert onto wire racks to cool. Place a cherry in the center of each pineapple ring.

Grandma's Favorites

Once upon a time, I was sitting with my grandmother watching television, and this commercial came on. You know the ones, sponsored by some big food manufacturing conglomerate that owns thirty brands and they're showing you how to use all their brands to make a "quick and easy" treat or some such hoo ha.
This particular one featured Cool Whip and Jell-O pudding so it must've been Kraft. In any case, we both kind of went, "mmm, that looks good." So for Grandma's birthday Quinn and I stopped by the assisted living facility and dropped one off. Apparently it was just about the Greatest Thing Ever because she's been talking about it ever since. Like any time anyone mentions birthdays, cakes, desserts, pineapple, Cool Whip or the weather.
And because I always have to think, "wait, what was in that again?" posting it here will save me a precious few minutes of redundant web searching.
You can make it too, I hear it's pretty tasty, especially in the opinion of diabetic grandmothers who shouldn't be eating it anyway.

I'm putting all the brand names in caps because I'm sure KRAFT would (to show their GREAT IMPORTANCE), so you can decide if you'd like to fall prey to the manipulations of the KRAFT machine, or so you can swap 'em out and get whatever brand because I'm sure it doesn't matter one bit. Don't tell KRAFT I said that though please.

Pineapple Cream Angel Food Cake
1 package JELL-O instant vanilla pudding (4 oz)
1 can DOLE crushed pineapple in juice
1 cup COOL WHIP
1 ready to go Angel Food Cake
fresh berries for garnish

Mix pudding and pineapple in medium bowl. Fold in the COOL WHIP.

Cut cake horizontally into 3 layers. To make this easy and even, some genius recommended I put the cake in a baking pan/cookie sheet with sides and slice across using the sides as a guide for my knife. Brilliant!
Top bottom layer with 1/3 of the pudding mixture. Repeat layers 2 times.

Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Top with berries just before serving. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Travel with it carefully; it's slidey.

I hear she also likes this stuff, which I totally forget how to pronounce, even though my mom just told me not five minutes ago.

Recipe Exchange

I got one of those chain emails, one of the only ones I ever bother to forward on; the recipe exchange email. You know, put your name in the number 2 position and put my name in the number one position and send it out and everyone sends a recipe to the person in the number one position and so on and so forth. Absolutely baffling to some of my less tech savvy relatives, but still a fun way to get some new recipes, or at least get you thinking of variations that you might actually eat.
I think it's hilarious the varied responses I got (from mojitos to random dumpings of things in casserole dishes to actual recipes), and so I've decided to post them here (typos in tact, I don't have time to edit for everyone you know). If you end up making any of them, please let me know! A couple of them frighten me a little, I'll admit. . .

SHRIMP CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP

1- can of 46oz. Tomato jucie*
1- can Tomato paste*
1- quart heavy cream*
1/2 bottle cocktail sauce*
3 tablespoons worcester sauce*
3 tablespoons hot sauce* to your taste
1 tablespoon seasalt or table salt* to your taste
1 tablespoon onion/flakes * (optiional)
* bring all above ingredients to boil then simmer.

2 lbs. chop and/or whole shrimp meat
1 lb. imitation crab
1 cilantro bunch chopped
1/2 cup Vin Rose Wine*
Add above ingredients simmer for another 5-10 minutes
Enjoy!

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Let's call these: Stuffin' Meat Muffins, because, well, funny, and they had no name when they were sent to me

1 lb. Lean Ground Beef (Turkey)
1 pkg. (6oz) Stove Top Stuffing
1 C. Water
3/4 C. Shredded Cheese

Mix meat and stuffing mix and water. Press into 12 muffin cups sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 375 for 30 min. Top with a bit for cheese and bake another 5 mins.

Yummy! You can add same salsa before cooking too. Or BBQ sauce.

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Mango Mojitos

1 serving (serving size: 1/2 cup)

Ingredients

• 2 lime wedges
• 5 fresh mint leaves
• 1/4 cup club soda
• 3 tablespoons rum
• 2 tablespoons simple syrup
• 1 tablespoon mango nectar
• Crushed ice

Preparation

Squeeze the lime wedges into a small glass; add wedges and mint to glass. Crush with the back of a spoon for 30 seconds. Add soda, rum, Simple Syrup, and nectar; stir gently. Serve over ice.

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Curried Chicken

This is so delicious, not spicey, sauce is great over rice!!! Oh, and easy...

1/2 cup chutney

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 TBS curry powder

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup golden raisins

2 1/2 cups orange juice

5 pounds chicken, cut up

Add all ingredients to a pot, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for an hour.

Serves 10

Enjoy!!

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Brisket 3-5 lbs

1 bottle chili sauce, by catsup, Heinz is a common brand

I envelope onion soup mix

2 onions-thinly sliced

2 ribs celery-thinly sliced

water

Put brisket in bottom of crock pot. Pour over the chili sauce, then fill up the sauce bottle half way, shake and then add this half bottle of water to the pot. Put in the onions and the celery, sprinkle with the onion soup. Cook on high for 5 hours or low for 8. Serve over egg noodles.

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I package angel food cake mix....

1 med. can crushed pineapple

dump cake mix into bowl

dump pineapple into bowl with dry mix and mix by hand

cook in angel food pan as directed on box...

delicious, refreshing, low calorie and easy....

yummy yummy

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More to come as I receive them because, well, why not.




Breakfast Fritata (great for company/easy to make)

Ingredients:
6-8 eggs
one can evaporated milk (low fat)
1 package (30oz) shredded hash browns (frozen)
2 cups shredded colby jack cheese
1 can diced green chiles
1/2 medium onion diced
1 green or red bell pepper diced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Beat egg and evaporated milk, stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into a lightly greased 13x9x2 pan. Bake at 350 for 60 minutes or until set.

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Chicken Pozole
Serves about 6

1-whole or 1/2 chicken
4-5 cans of chicken broth or make your own
1-can of white hominy-can be purchased at Safeway or small hispanic owned grocery stores in SSF
3-Ancho dried chiles-can be purchased at Safeway or small hispanic owned grocery stores in SSF
1-small cabbage
2 tomatoes
1-lemon or lime
1- onion
1/2 bell pepper
salt
garlic
oregano


1. Make chicken soup:
a. whole cut up chicken, water and or chicken broth, salt and garlic (to taste)
chop 1 tomato , 1/2 onion and 1/2 bell pepper (this is how I make my basic chicken soup)
cook until done.

Add all ingredients below after the chicken soup is done.

2. Ancho chile sauce:
a. In a separate sauce pot place 3 ancho chiles and 1 whole large tomato and let simmer adding water as needed until chiles (they're purchased dry) are soft.
b. Place tomato and chiles in a blender or in a magic bullet puree
c. Pour into stock

3.White Hominy 1 can, 1lb:
a. Open can drain and pour hominy into soup

Bring to a boil chicken soup ancho chile sauce and white hominy.

4. Serve with thin slices of cabbage, finely chop 1/2 onion, lemon and oregano (to taste).