In memory of my wonderful mother-in-law. I always enjoy making her recipe for Red Velvet Cake. In my humble opinion, it is by far the best! (Don't even THINK about how many calories!)
RED VELVET CAKE
1 cup shortening
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 oz red food coloring (2 bottles)
2 tsp cocoa
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vinegar
2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1. In separate bowl, mix soda and vinegar together and set aside.
2. In separate bowl, make a paste with the cocoa and food coloring.
3. Cream sugar, eggs, and shortening
4. Mix in flour, salt, vinegar mix, buttermilk and stir.
5. Add in food coloring mix. Stir well.
6. Bake in two 8 inch pans on 350 until done.
7. Let cool. Split in cake in layers and ice layers, top, and sides.
ICING FOR RED VELVET CAKE
2 cups milk
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
8 Tablespoons butter
1 bottle red food coloring.
Cook over low heat until thickens. Add food coloring until "red" Beat after taking off heat until creamy. Let cool, then ice cake.
**I use 2 bottles of food coloring for the whole thing -- 1-1/2 in the cake, and 1/2 in the icing. After I empty a bottle, I put about 4 to 5 drops of water in it, shake with lid on, and add to cake or icing. This helps make up for the bottle not used.
RED VELVET CAKE
1 cup shortening
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 oz red food coloring (2 bottles)
2 tsp cocoa
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vinegar
2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1. In separate bowl, mix soda and vinegar together and set aside.
2. In separate bowl, make a paste with the cocoa and food coloring.
3. Cream sugar, eggs, and shortening
4. Mix in flour, salt, vinegar mix, buttermilk and stir.
5. Add in food coloring mix. Stir well.
6. Bake in two 8 inch pans on 350 until done.
7. Let cool. Split in cake in layers and ice layers, top, and sides.
ICING FOR RED VELVET CAKE
2 cups milk
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
8 Tablespoons butter
1 bottle red food coloring.
Cook over low heat until thickens. Add food coloring until "red" Beat after taking off heat until creamy. Let cool, then ice cake.
**I use 2 bottles of food coloring for the whole thing -- 1-1/2 in the cake, and 1/2 in the icing. After I empty a bottle, I put about 4 to 5 drops of water in it, shake with lid on, and add to cake or icing. This helps make up for the bottle not used.
Cornbread Dressing
This recipe is a mixture of several that I have used over the years, so I guess it has become 'mine.' I took a little bit from each recipe and tweaked it to fit my family's taste.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1 pon cornbread (a pon is a cast iron skillet that you have cooked the cornbread in) OR use the leftover bits of cornbread that you have been saving (see Household Helps)
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 cup breadcrumbs (from Household Helps)
1 egg
Salt (about 1 teaspoon) - if more is needed, each person can always add their own
Pepper (about 1 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Herbs: I use basil, parsley, thyme, chives -- just a small handful of each
1 can cream of mushroom soup
Chicken broth (from Household Helps) -- enough until the mixture is like cake batter
Pour into a greased 9 x 13 dish. Cook for about 45 minutes (golden brown on top).
Drizzle 1/2 stick melted butter (not margarine - yuck) over top.
This recipe is a mixture of several that I have used over the years, so I guess it has become 'mine.' I took a little bit from each recipe and tweaked it to fit my family's taste.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1 pon cornbread (a pon is a cast iron skillet that you have cooked the cornbread in) OR use the leftover bits of cornbread that you have been saving (see Household Helps)
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 cup breadcrumbs (from Household Helps)
1 egg
Salt (about 1 teaspoon) - if more is needed, each person can always add their own
Pepper (about 1 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Herbs: I use basil, parsley, thyme, chives -- just a small handful of each
1 can cream of mushroom soup
Chicken broth (from Household Helps) -- enough until the mixture is like cake batter
Pour into a greased 9 x 13 dish. Cook for about 45 minutes (golden brown on top).
Drizzle 1/2 stick melted butter (not margarine - yuck) over top.
EVERYTHING BREAKFAST CASSAROLE
So this may be the strangest cassarole you have EVER tried, but it's one that you MUST give a try at least once. When I cook a full breakfast (sausage, gravy, biscuits, etc) I always have a hard time gadging the amount to cook. Most of the time we always have leftovers and I usually give them to the Taffy, our dog. I decided one time to try something different and it was a HUGE hit with most of the family, so much so that Katherine occasionally will request it. :D It can be made many different ways, depending on what you have on hand or have leftover - just let your creative juices flow.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Spray LARGE pie pan with oil
LEFTOVERS:
1/2 pound of sausage cooked and crumbled (leftover) - if you don't have any leftover, be sure to cook some - this is a MUST ingredient
Bacon (if leftover) cooked and crumbled
Cooked grits (leftover) - if none leftover be sure to cook fresh either grits, gravy, or hashbrowns OR all of them
Sausage milk gravy (leftover)
Hashbrowns (leftover)
Biscuits (leftover) crumbled
NEW INGREDIENTS:
1-1/2 cup cheddar cheese and mozzerella cheese (total) reserved 1/2 cup
1/2 onion chopped
1 cup spinach chopped
1/2 cup chopped bell peppers - different colors - optional
Anything else you like - mushrooms, olives, etc.
6 eggs, whipped
Salt
Pepper
Mix EVERYTHING (except reserved cheese) together in a bowl. Pour into pie pan. Sprinkle with reserved cheese. Cook for 30 to 45 minutes until knife inserted comes out semi-clean (eggs will set as they cool) and cheese on top is melted and SLIGHTLY brown. Cool for 5 minutes. Slice and enjoy! :D [Weird, I know - but it's a very frugal way of not wasting food]
So this may be the strangest cassarole you have EVER tried, but it's one that you MUST give a try at least once. When I cook a full breakfast (sausage, gravy, biscuits, etc) I always have a hard time gadging the amount to cook. Most of the time we always have leftovers and I usually give them to the Taffy, our dog. I decided one time to try something different and it was a HUGE hit with most of the family, so much so that Katherine occasionally will request it. :D It can be made many different ways, depending on what you have on hand or have leftover - just let your creative juices flow.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Spray LARGE pie pan with oil
LEFTOVERS:
1/2 pound of sausage cooked and crumbled (leftover) - if you don't have any leftover, be sure to cook some - this is a MUST ingredient
Bacon (if leftover) cooked and crumbled
Cooked grits (leftover) - if none leftover be sure to cook fresh either grits, gravy, or hashbrowns OR all of them
Sausage milk gravy (leftover)
Hashbrowns (leftover)
Biscuits (leftover) crumbled
NEW INGREDIENTS:
1-1/2 cup cheddar cheese and mozzerella cheese (total) reserved 1/2 cup
1/2 onion chopped
1 cup spinach chopped
1/2 cup chopped bell peppers - different colors - optional
Anything else you like - mushrooms, olives, etc.
6 eggs, whipped
Salt
Pepper
Mix EVERYTHING (except reserved cheese) together in a bowl. Pour into pie pan. Sprinkle with reserved cheese. Cook for 30 to 45 minutes until knife inserted comes out semi-clean (eggs will set as they cool) and cheese on top is melted and SLIGHTLY brown. Cool for 5 minutes. Slice and enjoy! :D [Weird, I know - but it's a very frugal way of not wasting food]
ROASTED GARLIC CHICKEN
6 pieces of chicken (I used chicken breast)
15 cloves garlic, peeled
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon butter
4 Tablespoons all purpose flour
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 to 1/2 cup of chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
Dried herbs (I have a jar of mixed herbs - basil, chives, thyme, parsley, oregano)
Preheat oven to 350. Salt and pepper chicken.
Heat olive oil and butter in pan. Cook garlic in oil until tender. Remove from pan. Brown chicken on both sides in oil. Return garlic to pan, add herbs. Gently stir.
Place in oven for about 25 to 35 minutes until done.
Plate chicken and about half of garlic cloves.
With the remaining cloves and pan drippings, add flour and stir, making a small paste.
Add chicken broth and lemon juice. Stir until thickened. If it becomes too thick, add a little more broth.
Pour 'gravy' over chicken.
*I served this over garden noodles -- YUMMY!!!
6 pieces of chicken (I used chicken breast)
15 cloves garlic, peeled
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon butter
4 Tablespoons all purpose flour
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 to 1/2 cup of chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
Dried herbs (I have a jar of mixed herbs - basil, chives, thyme, parsley, oregano)
Preheat oven to 350. Salt and pepper chicken.
Heat olive oil and butter in pan. Cook garlic in oil until tender. Remove from pan. Brown chicken on both sides in oil. Return garlic to pan, add herbs. Gently stir.
Place in oven for about 25 to 35 minutes until done.
Plate chicken and about half of garlic cloves.
With the remaining cloves and pan drippings, add flour and stir, making a small paste.
Add chicken broth and lemon juice. Stir until thickened. If it becomes too thick, add a little more broth.
Pour 'gravy' over chicken.
*I served this over garden noodles -- YUMMY!!!