Galettes

Here's a simple way to serve potatoes.  It's basically a fancy form of oven fries, and since this particular batch didn't stick together as well as I remember previous times, they really were fries - healthy, oven-baked ones!  Next time I guess I need to make the slices thinner and do a better job of brushing them with oil so they stick together better.

Potato Galettes

potatoes, thinly sliced
olive oil
salt & pepper

Layer the potato slices in a circle on a greased baking sheet.  (Use about one potato per mound.)  Carefully brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes.

Chocolate Sponge Cake

After rediscovering my little heart-shaped pans while looking for something else, I decided it would be a good idea to actually use them.  Valentine's Day provided the perfect opportunity.  I cut my Chocolate Sponge Cake recipe into thirds, because we didn't want a lot of leftovers, and it turned out perfectly for three little cakes.

 First, prepare the pans.  Go here to see how I do it.

Beat one egg until thick, then mix in 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon water, a drop of vanilla and a pinch of salt.

 Sift together 1/4 cup flour and 4 teaspoons cocoa powder.

Mix that in gently.

 Pour into the prepared pans and bake at 375° for about 12 minutes.

Wait five minutes, then remove from pans and cool thoroughly.  To serve, dust with powdered sugar.

You don't get a picture of the finished presentation, because along with these beautiful flowers, Wayne brought home a mini chocolate cake from the bakery.  We think alike!

So, I stuck our little cakes in the freezer, and since we really liked this ganache-type frosting, I'll make some of our own when I serve them later!

Here's the original recipe:

Chocolate Sponge Cake
(serves 8 - 146 calories per serving)

2/3 cup cake flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Lightly grease a 9" cake pan and line with wax paper.  Grease the paper. Heat oven to 375°.  Sift together the flour and cocoa powder and set aside.  Beat the eggs until thick.  Gradually beat in the sugar.  Add the salt, vanilla and water.  Sprinkle the flour mixture over the egg mixture and gently fold it in.  Pour into prepared pan.  Bake for 25 minutes.  Let cool 5 minutes, then turn out onto cooling rack.  Sift powdered sugar over the cake.

Biscuits Supreme (with Valentine's Variation)

This recipe came from the Better Homes and Garden Cookbook we received as a wedding gift.  It's gotten a lot of use over the years!  Since I didn't have time to do cinnamon rolls for breakfast this morning, I pulled it out again for cinnamon biscuits.  And because it is Valentine's Day, I added some leftover sprinkles (from decorating dipped pretzels yesterday) just to make them a bit more festive.  They taste just fine, and maybe even better, without them!

Biscuits Supreme

2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup milk

Combine dry ingredients and cut in shortening.  Stir in milk just until dough combines, then knead gently on a lightly floured surface for 10-12 strokes.  Roll or pat to 1/2" thickness and cut into desired shapes.  Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake at 450° for 10 minutes or until golden.  Serve warm, with as much butter and jam as your heart desires.

To make Cinnamon Biscuits, prepare as directed and roll the dough into a rectangle.  Spread with softened butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.  Roll up, slice, and bake.  Drizzle with glaze while warm.

And to make Heart-Shaped Cinnamon Biscuits, once the cinnamon topping is in place, roll up one long side, but only half-way.  Start rolling the other long side so they meet in the center.  After slicing the individual rolls, pinch the center to make the heart point.  Place on pan and bake as normal.

English Trifle

The other day we had some Jello Cake that had been sitting in the fridge for a while (where's Steven when you need him?!) along with some blueberries that were going soft.  The inspiration came to make an English Trifle, something that I haven't done in years because my husband doesn't really care for it.  However, it brings back fond memories of my childhood, so I made it anyway.  Wayne said it actually wasn't too bad; the pudding hadn't turned the cake into mush yet.  I remember my grandmother's trifle having chunks of cake and cubes of jello; maybe combining the two beforehand helped with the "mushy" factor.

There's really no recipe, just a process: Layer cake chunks (and jello bits), fruit pieces, pudding and whipped cream in a bowl.  Chill and serve.  See, isn't that simple?  This version actually looked quite patriotic.  Maybe I'll make another one for my birthday some year!

Creamy Italian Chicken (with salad dressing mix)

A couple of years ago I posted a recipe for Italian Crockpot Chicken after a Relief Society meeting where it was shared.  Today we're having my mother-in-law's version, so I thought I'd post that variation as well. Although there are a couple of differences in how it's put together, the end result is just as delicious!


Creamy Italian Chicken

4-6 chicken breasts (Can you tell I doubled the recipe?)
1 packet dry Italian salad dressing mix (see below)
8 oz. cream cheese, cut in chunks
1 can cream of chicken soup

Place chicken breasts in the crockpot.  Combine remaining ingredients and pour over chicken.  Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 6-8 hours.  Serve over cooked rice or noodles.

Oven variation: Place chicken breasts in a 9x13" pan.  Combine remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Cover and bake at 350° for 30-40 minutes.

Note:  I don't buy salad dressing mixes.  Here's the combination of spices and herbs that I used instead:

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried onion
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

To turn this into salad dressing combine with 2/3 cup oil, 1/3 cup vinegar and 2 tablespoons water.

Chocolate Cherry Cake

Chocolate Cherry Cake

1 package (18 oz) chocolate cake mix
1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup milk
1 cup chocolate chips

Combine dry cake mix, cherry filling, almond extract and eggs.  Pour into greased 9x13" pan and bake at 350­° for 25-30 minutes.

Combine sugar, butter and milk in saucepan and bring to a boil.  Stir in the chocolate chips.

Beat until smooth.

 Then pour over warm cake.

Cool, then serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Dutch Oven Stuffed Hot Dogs

Today I'm trying to clean up the "My Pictures" folder.  I'm not going to bother looking up this recipe, because I think you can figure it out all on your own.

Cut a slit in a hot dog.  Stuff in a thin slice of cheese.

Wrap a slice of bacon around it (secure with toothpicks) and cook in the Dutch Oven until done.

Eat it.