Chocolate Filled Red Velvet Cake Roll

I made my first cake roll and it was a complete success!!!! Our friends could not believe I made it because of how nice it looked. 

In this recipe and instructions it sounds like it is a lot of work, but to be honest its easier than it sounds. I really enjoyed making it and seeing the finished product.  

Ingredients:

4 eggs

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon red food coloring

1/2 cup granulated sugar

Powdered sugar

For the filling:

1-1/2 ounces semisweet chocolate, grated, divided

1 package (8 ounces) PHILADELPHIA® Cream Cheese, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup whipped topping

1 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Separate eggs. Allow egg whites and yolks to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, grease a 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Line bottom of pan with waxed paper or parchment paper; grease paper. Set pan aside. In a medium bowl stir together flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder; set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium mixing bowl beat egg yolks and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla with an electric mixer on high speed about 5 minutes or until thick and lemon color. Gradually add 1/3 cup granulated sugar, beating on high speed until sugar is almost dissolved. Beat in food coloring.

3. Thoroughly wash beaters. In another mixing bowl beat egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form (tips curl). Gradually add 1/2 cup granulated sugar, beating until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). Fold egg yolk mixture into beaten egg whites. Sprinkle flour mixture over egg mixture; fold in gently just until combined. Spread batter evenly in the prepared baking pan.

4. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Immediately loosen edges of cake from pan and turn cake out onto a clean kitchen towel sprinkled with powdered sugar. Remove waxed paper. Roll towel and cake into a spiral, starting from a short side of the cake. Cool on a wire rack.

5. For filling, set aside 2 tablespoons chocolate. In a microwave, melt remaining chocolate; stir until smooth. Cool to room temperature.

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and vanilla until smooth. Beat in melted chocolate. Fold in whipped topping and 1 tablespoon reserved chocolate. Unroll cake; remove towel. Spread cake with filling to within 1 inch of the edges. Roll up cake; trim ends. Cover and chill for up to 6 hours. Sprinkle cake with additional powdered sugar.

The silly thing is that when I was planning on making this, my husband asked me to please make the filling out of chocolate instead of the regular cream cheese. I was looking at all the pictures of red velvet cakes and they all had some type of "white" filling so I told him that it wouldn't look good like that, to what he responded "babe, it can be different". I didn't have an answer to that so I went ahead and made it just like he wanted. 

I was very proud of this beauty because I was a little intimidated by it at the beginning. You can do anything if you put your mind and heart into it and let God work through you. 

Merry Christmas to all!!!

Blueberry Fold-It-Up

The other day I was looking online for a recipe that I'm going to make for a little Christmas party we're having with some friends, and as I was looking my hubby came and sat next to me. OK, so I clicked on a website that had a video on how to make the recipe that I'm about to share with you, and guess what my hubby said; "please, please make that for me but with blueberries!!!!"  Yes, so here I am being a good wife and surprising him with this for tonight and hoping it tastes good.

The first thing I got to tell you is "IT'S SUPER EASY!!!!" If you want to make a quick dessert with only having to buy 2 ingredients and spending only around $5.00 this is it for you. There is 2 more ingredients needed in this but we usually have it at home, so in total you will need 4 ingredients for this delicious looking dessert.

What you'll need:

1 pie crust
3/4 blueberry pie filling (any other flavor will be good too)
1 tbsp milk for basting
2 tbsp of sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Roll dough on the prepared baking sheet.

Pour blueberry filling into the middle of the dough, leaving a 3-inch border. Fold the outside edge of the dough over the fruit, making occasional pleats.

Brush milk over dough; generously sprinkle with sugar. Bake in the preheated oven until crust is golden and the fruit is bubbling, 35-40 minutes.

The picture on the top is my fold it up ready to go in the oven, and I think it already looks good. 

I'm not crazy about blueberries but I can't wait to try a piece of this. I think this is like having a pie but without all the work that a pie requires. I will give you an update on what the hubby says about it. 

Hope you enjoy making it, just like I did. Have a good day and happy cooking.

Taco Ring

Hi guys!!! I have a quick question for you.

What do you do if you want to have a taco night but don't have the tortillas? Yes, I know what some of you would say "go buy them". But what happens if you don't really want to go out and buy them, don't have a car available or don't feel like walking and spending energy and money? 

Well, I have an idea for you!!! check your fridge and see if you have 2 cans of crescent rolls (if you don't too bad you're going to need to go out, LOL!!) I found a sale at a supermarket that had them for .99 cents and of course I bought like 5 of them and thinking on buying some more. OK, let's get to business.

I've had some requests from my Facebook friends to give them the recipe of this delicious taco ring I made last night and it's really not so difficult to make but here we go. 

What you’ll need:

1 pound ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1 (1-1/4-ounce) package taco seasoning mix

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

2 (8-ounce) cans refrigerated crescent rolls

1 cup corn kernels (if desire) 

What to do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 12-inch pizza pan.

In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium-high heat, stirring until beef crumbles and is no longer pink; drain.

Stir in taco seasoning; add water according to package directions. Cook over medium-high heat for 3 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Add cheese, stirring until it melts. Remove from heat and set aside.

Unroll crescent rolls. Place wide end of triangles in center of pizza pan, forming a ring, overlapping dough as necessary. Spoon meat mixture into center of each triangle. Bring smaller ends of triangles over meat, tucking ends under.

Bake 20 minutes, or until rolls are golden. Serve warm.

Add whatever traditional taco toppings you like, such as shredded lettuce, salsa, and sour cream.

Doesn't that look pretty!!! It was delish too. Here is a video I found to place the crescent triangles in the right place. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skXzjcYLYcI

Ready to eat!!!! Hope you enjoy it and have fun with it.

Sweet potato and Spinach Dinner Side Dish

What to do when you have a bag of spinach about to go bad in the refrigerator and don't really know what to do with them. That was me last night!!! I had that bag of spinach for about 2 weeks in the refrigerator and finally decided to use it, and since we're in the middle of the holidays and there is lots of eating going on I decided to go clean and light at least for this time.

So, this what I did.

Ingredients:
1 large sweet potato skinned and cut in small cubes
1 bag of spinach
1 large yellow onions
1 medium orange or red pepper (your choice)
2 roma tomatoes
1 tbsp minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Skin the sweet potato and cut it into small cubes. The smaller the cubes, the faster they will cook and crisp.

Lightly toss the sweet potato with the olive oil, pepper and salt and spread across a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake until the sweet potatoes are lightly browned and you can easily stick a fork through them, about 20-25 minutes; stir the sweet potatoes at the 10-15 minute mark so they brown evenly, at this point add the onions and peppers and put back in the oven for 10 more minutes. While the sweet potatoes are cooking get a pan and add a little olive oil, add the minced garlic to the hot oil and let it cook for a little bit. Add the spinach, salt and pepper,and cook it for 1-2 minutes then remove from heat.

Take the sweet potatoes out of the oven and gentle toss in the spinach. Top with the tomato slices and place back in oven for 5 more minutes.  Serve with your choice of meat.  

Doesn't that look good and colorful!!! It was very tasteful too. I added a little bit of lemon juice to the spinach before cooking (half lemon) and it added a kick to the flavor. It was delish

We ate it with stove top grilled chicken breast. The chicken was full of flavor and juicy, I would definitely be making this again. 

My husband enjoyed this so much and ate until there was nothing left in the plate. I know you would enjoy it too. 

Homemade Baked Glazed Donuts

I had been trying to find a "healthy" :) way to make donuts at home and found this recipe that goes really good with the holidays because it has cinnamon and a little bit of nutmeg in it.

The best thing about this recipe is that you don't have to knead the dough, or fry them. It's super easy!!! Even though there is nothing healthy about them, you don't have all the oil in them as you will get in the regular ones. 

Donuts Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten

1 1/4 cups whole milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Glaze
1/2 cup butter
3 cups powdered sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons vanilla
6 -9 tablespoons evaporated milk (can substitute regular milk or water for milder flavor)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 doughnut pans well.

Into a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, melted butter, and vanilla. Stir the wet mixture into the dry ingredients until just combined.

Spoon the batter into the baking pans, filling each one a little more than three-quarters full. Bake for 17 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then tap the doughnuts out onto a sheet pan.

For the glaze, melt the butter and stir in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth.  Add milk (or water) until desired consistency is reached. 

 *** to make chocolate glaze, melt 6 ounces of chocolate along with the butter!***

Dip them in the glaze and set them on a rack to dry.  I dipped both sides of my donuts in the glaze, but you can just do one if you would like.

I can't wait for my husband to get home to try them and tell me how they taste or if he even likes them. I tried a piece of one and thought it was really good, but let see what the man of the house says.

Simple Sugar Cookies

I finally got my cookie press!!!! So I had to make some easy sugar cookies to try it out.

Yes, I had to practice for when Christmas comes so I can make then like a pro and with different colors. Can't wait!!!!

Here is a simple recipe for these sugar cookies:

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

 1 teaspoon baking soda

 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

 1 cup butter, softened

 1 1/2 cups white sugar

 1 egg

 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Roll rounded teaspoonful of dough into balls, and place onto ungreased cookie sheets or if using the cookie press just fill it with dough and fit with desired disks. Press cookies onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

I took these to my husband's grandma, she loves cookies. I just hope she likes them.

 

Oven Roasted Chicken Veggie Fajitas

Yesterday I wanted to make a kind of Mexican dinner so I started searching for something easy and light. I love tacos, burritos, quesadillas and so on.... I checked to see if I had tortillas and all the ingredients that this recipe needed and the only thing I was missing was the red pepper which wasn't really important.

I can't go on without telling you guys that I will be making sourdough bread pretty soon, yes!!!! I'm so excited about my bread machine and trying new things in it. Yesterday I made the starter which is the sourdough (yes it already smells sour in my kitchen but my husband loves it and is looking forward to trying the bread)

Yes, I know it looks gross but I will show you when I make my bread and then you will tell me if it looks gross or what.

Now back to our main purpose, our chicken fajitas recipe and yummy pictures. I followed this recipe step by step and the only thing I added was corn in place of the red peppers. It needed to look pretty and colorful.

SEASONING

1 Tbsp chili powder

½ Tbsp paprika

½ tsp onion powder

¼ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp cumin

⅛ tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp sugar

½ tsp salt

½ Tbsp corn starch

FAJITAS

2 small (or 1 lg.) onion

2 medium green bell peppers

1 medium red bell pepper

1 lb. chicken breast*

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 medium lime

8 (6-inch) tortillas

½ cup sour cream (optional)

¼ bunch cilantro (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix all of the ingredients for the fajita seasoning in a small bowl and set aside (chili powder, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, sugar, salt, and corn starch).

Cut the onion and bell peppers into ¼ to ½ inch wide strips. Place them in a large 9×13 inch casserole dish. Slice the chicken breast into very thin strips and add it to the casserole dish with the vegetables.

Sprinkle the seasoning over the meat and vegetables. Drizzle the vegetable oil over everything and then use your hands to toss the ingredients until everything is well coated in oil and seasoning.

Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, stirring once half way through. Squeeze the juice from half of the lime over top of the meat and vegetables after it comes out of the oven.

Scoop a small amount of meat and vegetables into the center of each tortilla. Top with a few sprigs of cilantro, a dollop of sour cream, and an extra squeeze of lime if desired.

Looked so good and tasted delicious!!!! I didn't have sour cream for the dollop, but to be honest it really didn't need it. Definitely will be making this again. 

Hope you get to make this and enjoy it as much as we did. 

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars

Autumn is here and so are the pumpkins!!!! So let's make some yummy desserts out of those big orange fruits.
Husband is not a fan of pumpkin but he gave me the green light to make these dessert  and maybe, just maybe he'll like the way I made it. So my fingers are crossed and praying he not just like them but love them.

Here is the recipe followed by some yummy pictures.

Ingredients

FILLING

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

BATTER FOR BARS

1 cup canned solid pack pumpkin

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice 

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup chopped pecan pieces

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375° and spray a 9x13" baking pan with PAM or Baker's Joy. Set aside.

For filling, whisk together softened cream cheese, sugar and egg. Mix with a hand mixer until well-blended and smooth. Set aside.

 For batter, combine pumpkin, sugar, egg and oil in medium mixing bowl. Mix well.

Stir in flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, & salt. Mix well to combine.

Pour batter into prepared baking dish, and spread to cover bottom of pan.

Drizzle the cream cheese mixture over the batter. Cut through the batter with a knife or spatula, to make a marbled effect w/ the cream cheese mixture. Do this a second time, going in the opposite direction [i.e., if you go side to side the first time, go up and down the second time]. When doing the marbling, be cautious and don't let your knife drag or touch the bottom of the baking dish.

Sprinkle with the chopped pecans.

Bake 25 - 28 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool the entire pan of bars then cut into squares.

And now a close up of these delicious treats!!!

Can you tell they are moist? Yes!!!! they are very moist and delicious. Let see what the hubby thinks about them. 

They are sooooo easy to make, you should definitely try making them. 

Homemade Smothered Burritos

We love Taco Bell, and a couple weeks ago my husband had a smothered burrito from there. I saw how he enjoyed it that it made me want to make it for him.
Yes, it took several weeks but I made it and he enjoyed it a lot.

Here it is!!! My work of art and here is the recipe.

1 pound lean ground beef (I used shredded pork loin)

 1 cup chopped onion

 2 large garlic cloves, minced

 2 teaspoons chili powder

 1 teaspoon ground cumin

 1/2 cup taco sauce

 1 (16 ounce) can fat-free refried black beans

 6 (10 inch) flour tortillas

 3/4 cup Daisy Brand Sour Cream (optional)

 1 1/2 cups finely shredded Mexican cheese blend

1 can enchilada sauce

½ cup cheese

Directions:

Cook the ground beef in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes or until thoroughly cooked, stirring frequently; drain. Add the onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin and taco sauce to the meat and stir. Cook for 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated and the vegetables are tender, stirring frequently.

Spread 1/3 cup of refried beans on the bottom 1/3 of each tortilla, leaving 1-inch around bottom and edges. Spoon 1/3 cup of the meat mixture over beans. Top the meat with 1 tablespoon of sour cream and 1/4 cup of cheese. Start rolling up from bottom, enfolding the filling. Fold in the sides and continue rolling up.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray all sides of the burritos with cooking spray. Place burritos on a cookie sheet, seam sides down. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until thoroughly heated and browned, turning over once.

After they are done pour enchilada sauce on them and cheese (as much as you want) and put it again in the oven for about 5-7 minutes. Top with dollops of the remaining sour cream.

Note: I didn't use the chili powder and cumin because the taco seasoning was enough for me. 

Enjoy it!!!! Believe me, it was awesome I even have one left over for lunch today.

Crispy Potato Cakes or Patties

Do you have left over mashed potatoes and would like to eat them in a different way other then just "mashed" ? Well, here is your solution!!!

The other night I made this awesome patties and my husband could not stop eating them, they were so good and a different way to eat mashed potatoes. Know that you can put anything you want in them but since it was my first time making them I decided to make them plain, but next time I will try them with cheddar cheese and bacon in them, Yummy!!!!

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

2 cups mashed potatoes

1 egg, beaten

1 onion, minced

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. white pepper

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. butter

Preparation:

Mix together mashed potatoes, beaten egg and onion in a medium bowl. Add flour, cheese, salt and pepper and stir.

Over medium heat, heat olive oil and butter in a medium size nonstick frying pan. Drop about 1/4 cup of the potato mixture into the frying pan, patting it into 3 inch circles that are 1/2" thick. Cook until bottom is browned and crisp, about 3-4 minutes. Carefully turn the patty over and cook the second side until brown and crisp, 3-4 minutes. Serve with ketchup or salsa.

Of course I didn't serve it with ketchup, I made a delicious baked tilapia fish and some buttered sweet peas. My husband enjoyed dinner so much and I did too.

Hope you enjoy making them and eating them just like I did. Have an awesome weekend!!!!

Homemade Pulled Pork Pizza

I had been wanting to learn how to make pizza dough at home but had been scared of the process it has to go through. Yes!!! the yeast, the rising and so on.

Last Saturday I pulled myself together and said today is the day!!!! The day I'm going to be brave and make it, no matter what.
So I gathered all my ingredients and went at it. OK, I made it and the first mistake I made was putting it in the refrigerator right away; of course it didn't rise :(. I was so disappointed. but talking to a friend she told me that in order for it to rise it needed to be in a warm place so Monday morning I took it out of the fridge and put it inside my oven (not on) and like two or three hour after my dough had doubled in side, I was soooo excited and proud of myself.

OK, so now I couldn't wait to make pizza!!! but guess what we had for dinner yesterday? YES!!! pizza. I had taken out some pork so I put it in my pressure cooker for one hour and the shredded it, cut some onions and peppers, some olives and some pepperoni I had in the refrigerator.
Spread out my dough in the baking plate, pour some red sauce, mozzarella cheese, the veggies, the shredded meat, cheddar cheese and put it in the oven at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.

Here is my pizza just before going in the oven, I thought it looked pretty good even before it was ready to eat.
And now look at it just out of the oven and ready to be eaten!!!

Look at that crust!!!! It was crispy on the outside and very soft on the inside. I thought it was delish. My husband enjoyed it too and took 4 pieces to work and I'm eating some as I'm writing right now.

Here is the dough recipe (MAKES TWO CRUSTS):

1 teaspoon Active Dry Or Instant Yeast

4 cups All-purpose Flour

1 teaspoon Kosher Salt 

1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

TO MAKE THE CRUST:

Sprinkle yeast over 1 1/2 cups warm (not lukewarm) water.

In a mixer, combine flour and salt. With the mixer running on low speed (with paddle attachment), drizzle in olive oil until combined with flour. Next, pour in yeast/water mixture and mix until just combined.

Coat a separate mixing bowl with a light drizzle of olive oil, and form the dough into a ball. Toss to coat dough in olive oil, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and store in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours or until dough has doubled in size. Store in the fridge until you need it. ***It's best to make the dough at least 24 hours in advance, and 3 or 4 days is even better.

NOTE: You can add garlic, basil, pepper or any other seasoning to your dough for more flavor if desired. 

Enjoy and have an awesome day!!!!

Chicken Salad Croissant

I know it's been a while since I posted some of my delicious meals but here I am again bringing you ideas on what to make for dinner.

Yesterday I made a really good chicken salad, yes!!!! it was the bomb :) and I wanted to share the recipe with you.

You'll need:

2 chicken breasts

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon onion powder

1 stalk of celery, diced

½ small white onion, diced

3 hard boiled eggs, diced

1¾ cups Mayonnaise 

¼ cup sweet relish

Butter Bakery Croissants

Lettuce

Tomato

Instructions:

Season chicken breast with black pepper, salt, onion powder and garlic powder. You can also add more spices if you like. Place chicken in a large skillet.

Add water or chicken broth and simmer covered on medium heat for 7 minutes per side or until done.When chicken is done, let it cool and shred. Set aside.

In a bowl add chicken, onions, celery and eggs. Toss to combine. Stir in mayonnaise, sweet relish and more seasonings if you want to enhance the flavor.

Remember to taste it as you mix in the seasonings to check for the perfect balance. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. Overnight is best to maximize all the flavors. Sandwich between a buttery bakery croissant with lettuce and tomatoes.

Enjoy it with some chips, fries, grapes or just by itself, it's super good. Always remember to add your own touch to it and make it your own. 

Have an awesome day!!!!

Stuffed Chicken Wrapped in Bacon

Hello again!!!!

Yesterday I was in the mood for some chicken and some bacon. I as was looking through recipes to find the perfect combination of both I came across this wonderful recipe that I tweaked and made my own. Here it is, enjoy!!!

 Ingredients:

2 Chicken Breasts

2 slices extra sharp cheddar cheese or shredded cheese

½ bell pepper cut in small pieces

½ onion cut in small pieces

½ tomato cut in small pieces

4 pieces bacon

Salt and pepper for seasoning

Instructions

Carefully cut open chicken breasts with a long thin knife. You'll want to butterfly them, but be careful to not cut yourself or pull the knife up or down to get an uneven cut.

Season inside with salt and pepper.

Cut cheddar slices in half so you can lay them inside chicken and not overhang.

Mix bell pepper, onions and tomatoes.

Lay into chicken, fold chicken back up.

I added the cheese after I took the picture and forgot to take another one, upss!!!

Carefully wrap chicken with bacon.

If you are having a hard time, you can use a toothpick to keep the chicken closed and the bacon from sliding off- but that is totally optional.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, check chicken's internal temp.

When chicken is cooked thoroughly, set to broil and crisp bacon under broiler for about 2 minutes.

Serve with veggies and a salad, rice or other side dish and enjoy!

Note: I had two big chicken breasts and cut in half, so I made four stuffed chicken breast instead of two. I also used shredded cheese instead of slices (that’s what I had at home) and added a little bit of garlic powder on top of my ready to bake chicken. 

If you are looking for an easy recipe, this is it!!! It was so good and moist, my hubby loved it and took the other two pieces to work. 

Have a wonderful day!!!!