Black Magic Cake

Found on: http://www.justapinch.com/recipe/lisa-glass/black-magic-cake-best-chocolate-cake-ever/cake?k=black+magic+cake&p=1&o=r


Prep Time: 15 Min
Cook Time: 40 Min
Ingredients

1 3/4 c all purpose flour
2 c sugar
3/4 c cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 c strong black coffee, cooled
1 c buttermilk
1/2 c vegetable oil
1 tsp real vanilla extract


CHOCOLATE FROSTING
1/2 c margarine, softened
2 oz melted unsweetened chocolate, cooled
3 c powdered sugar
3 Tbsp milk
2 tsp real vanilla extract



Directions

1 Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl or stand mixer.
2 Add eggs, coffee, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla.
3 Beat at medium speed for two minutes. Batter will be thin.
4 Pour batter into a greased and floured 9x13 pan or two 9 inch cake pans.
5 Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes for a 9x13, or 30-35 minutes for layer pans.
6 Combine frosting ingredients and mix with a hand or stand mixer. Spread frosting on cooled cakes.


Tresa's Notes
Soo good!!! Enjoy!!!

Beef Lo-Mein

Found on: http://www.foodbuzz.com/recipes/1036575-beef-lo-mein

4 ounces thin spaghetti (I used Barilla Plus)
1 tablespoon peanut oil
2 tablespoons ginger, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, sliced
5 ounces broccoli florets
5 ounces snap peas, trimmed
8 ounces lean beef (I think I used flank steak), thinly sliced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons garlic chili sauce (sambal oelek)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Toasted sesame seeds
Directions:

Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions and drain. Set aside.

Be sure to prep all of the ingredients before you start stir frying since everything will cook quickly! In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic chili sauce, and sesame oil. Set aside.

Add the peanut oil to a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the the vegetables and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add the beef and continue to stir fry for an additional 4-5 minutes, until the beef is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.
Add the noodles and the sauce to the pan and cook for an additional minute. Remove from heat. Serve topped with toasted sesame seeds.


***Tresa's Notes***

Instead of Garlic Chili Sauce, I used a teaspoon of Black Bean Sauce and a teaspoon of Garlic Red Chili Paste. The only oil I used was olive oil. I used acouple of round steaks and Lo-Mein noodles (4 0z), red bell peppers and onions. Soo good!!

Peanut Butter and Banana Chocolate Milk

Peanut Butter & Banana Chocolate Milk:


Found on: http://www.foodbuzz.com/recipes/3824252-apple-cabbage-slaw-with-creamy-poppy-seed-dressing

Ingredients:

6 ounces of Thick Greek Vanilla Yogurt {like Chobani}
1 cup Whole Milk
1/2 cup Ice
1/2 a Banana
2 tablespoons Smooth Peanut Butter
1 {heaping} tablespoon Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, plus more for dusting
Sugar or Honey to taste {optional}

Preparation:

Toss all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour in a tall glass and dust with a little extra unsweetened cocoa powder. Serve.


Tresa's Notes: Yum Yum Yum!!

Semi-Sweet Chocolate Pecan Butter

Found On: http://glutenfreegirl.com/homemade-walnut-butter/

Dark Chocolate Pecan Butter
Quite possibly the smoothest, silkiest, and richest nut butter I have ever tasted. This is a definite show stopper with an intense chocolate taste.

Yield: 1 cup

Adapted from Dark Chocolate Almond Butter.

Ingredients:

2 cups toasted pecans
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1 tsp coconut oil (or other oil may work)
1/4 tsp kosher salt, or to taste


Directions: Toast 2 cups of raw pecans for 10 minutes at 325F. Watch closely so you do not burn them. Place the 2 cups of toasted pecans into a food processor. Process for about 5-10 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl every minute or as necessary. The toasted pecans will form into a butter much faster than the almonds do.

Just before your pecan butter is ready, add the 1/2 cup chocolate chips and 1 tsp of coconut oil to a small pot. Melt on low. You want to remove the pot from heat when there are still some chocolate chip clumps remaining. Don’t worry they will melt as you stir the mixture. I always take it off the heat a bit early to avoid burning the chocolate.

Add the melted chocolate to the pecan butter (still in the processor) and process for a couple minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add your kosher salt to taste and process more. Scoop into a container and store in the fridge. Makes 1 cup of Dark Chocolate Pecan Butter. Refrigerate. Note that the pecan butter firms up in the fridge. Allow it to sit at room temperature to soften before using.


Tresa's Notes- I used vanilla extract instead of coconut oil, Semi-sweet all natural chocolate chunks instead of dark chocolate and I didn't add salt. The consistency on mine came out more like Nutella. I added a bit of milk to my chocolate to keep it from burning.

Marinated Cheese-Topped Salad

Recipe by Barbara Estabrook-found in Taste of Home magazine April/May 2011 issue

Prep: 24 Min + Marinating
Yield: 6 Servins

1/2 c. Olive Oil
2 T. minced fresh Italian parsley
2 T. Lemon Juice
1 T. minced fresh oregano
1 T. red wine vinegar
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, chilled
4 cups torn romaine
2 cups fresh argula or baby spinach
1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1/2 cup medium pitted green olives


1. For dressing, in a small bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. Cut cheese into 1/2 inch cubes; Toss with half of the dressing. Cover and refigerate for 30 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, combine the romaine, arugula, tomatoes, shallots and olives. Drizzle with remaining dressing; toss to coat. Top with marinated cheese. Serve immediately.

Homemade Pesto

Homemade Pesto

2 1/2 oz fresh basil

1/2 cup pine nuts (or walnuts)

1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2-4 cloves garlic (depending on how strong of a garlic taste you like)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse to your desired consistency. You can also pulse the garlic and pine nuts together before the other ingredients to break them down a little bit more.

Enjoy!


Found On:
http://www.asweetpeachef.com/sauces/pesto/