Holiday Rum Cake

                                                                                                                                      

1 box yellow cake mix

3.4 oz. instant vanilla pudding mix

4 eggs

1/2 cup cold milk*

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum

1 cup finely diced pecans (optional)

Preheat to 325 degrees F.

Prepare a 12-cup Bundt pan or 2 bread loaf pans, greased & lightly sugared.

Combine all of the cake ingredients and beat for a couple of minutes on high with mixer. Fold in pecans at this point.

Pour into prepared pan(s) and bake for 1 hour (55 min if using loaf pans).

Cool in pan and invert on serving plate.

 Rum Glaze

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup water

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup Bacardi dark rum

Melt butter in saucepan, stir in water and sugar. Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and stir in the rum (may cause release of steam).

Prick the top of the cake liberally with fork or toothpick and then drizzle over the top.

Steak Sliders

                                                                                                      

Boneless Ribeye Steak
Evelyn's rub (recipe under rub tag this blog)

French's yellow mustard
onion sliced as thin as possible
Potato rolls(recipe under rolls, bread, quiche tag this blog)

Let steaks come to room temperature. Rub steaks with Evelyn's seasoning rub and grill to medium.
Slice steaks into thin slices against the grain. Slice rolls, add a little mustard, the steak slice and the onion. Yummy!!!

BBQ Tater Skins

                                                                                                                                            

Toppings: Pulled pork, barbecue sauce, grated smoked Gouda cheese and sliced scallions

4 large russet potatoes washed, pierced with a fork

Grated Fontina cheese

Grated Smoked Gouda cheese

Bake directly on the oven rack at 350 degrees until tender, about 1 hour.

Let cool, then quarter lengthwise and scoop out the flesh, leaving a 1/4-inch shell.

Brush both sides with melted butter and season with salt and pepper.

Bake, skin-side up, at 450 degrees until crisp, about 15 minutes.

For cheesy skins, flip the baked shells over before topping, sprinkle with 1 cup Fontina cheese and bake an extra 5 minutes.

Herbed Potato Bread

2 1/4 t instant yeast 

1 cup warm water

1 t sugar or pure maple syrup

2 T oil

2 t salt

1 c cold mashed potatoes

1 c milk, warmed

4 c bread flour, plus more for kneading

1 c wheat bread flour

2 T minced fresh chives or fresh rosemary

In a large bowl, combine the yeast and 1/4 cup of the water. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes, then stir in the remaining 3/4 cup of water, the corn oil and the salt. Mix in the potatoes, stir in the warmed milk. Add about half the flour, stirring to combine, work in the remaining flour to form stiff dough. Transfer to a lightly floured board. Lightly flour your hands and work surface. Knead the dough well until it is smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes, using more flour as necessary so the dough does not stick. Place in a large lightly oiled bowl and turn over once to coat with oil. Cover with a clean kitchen towel or lightly oiled piece of plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1 to 2 hours. Meanwhile, lightly oil a large baking sheet and set aside. Punch the dough down and knead lightly. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface, sprinkle with the chives or rosemary, and knead until the dough is elastic and the chives or rosemary are well distributed, 3 to 5 minutes. Shape the dough into one large or two small round loaves and place on the prepared baking sheet. Flatten slightly and cover with a clean damp towel or lightly oiled plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place and let rise again until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400′F. Use a sharp knife to cut an X into the top of the loaf or loaves. Bake on the center oven rack until golden brown, 35 to 45 minutes, depending on size. Tap on the bottom of the loaf or loaves – if they sound hollow, the bread is done. Remove from the sheet and let cool slightly on a wire rack before slicing.

Wedding Soup

Meatballs:

1 lb. ground beef

1 small onion, grated

4 T. grated Parmesan cheese

1 t salt

2 T. bread crumbs

1 t. dried basil

1&1/2 t. dried parsley

2 egg whites

1 rotisserie chicken, shredded

Combine all ingredients and shape into small (1/2″) meatballs. Refrigerate for a few hours to set the shape so they won't fall apart in the soup.

Soup:

2 T. butter

1 small onion, diced

1/2 c. sliced carrots

1/2 c. sliced celery

1 clove minced garlic

12 c. chicken broth

Salt & pepper to taste

3/4 c. small pasta (I used orzo because we had it in the house)

8 oz. fresh spinach

Melt butter in stockpot. Add onion, celery, carrot, and garlic, and cook until veggies are tender, but not too soft. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Turn heat down, cover and simmer for approximately 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper to your taste. Drop in meatballs and cook about 7 minutes. Add pasta and cook for an additional 6 minutes. Add spinach and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Add in shredded chicken. Cover again and simmer for another 30 minutes or so. Serve topped with grated Parmesan cheese.