Red Velvet Cake

You’ll need:

• 3 1/2 C flour
• 1/2 C cocoa
• 2 T salt
• 2 C canola oil
• 2 1/4 C sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 1-ounce container red food color
• 1 1/2 t vanilla
• 1 1/4 C buttermilk
• 2 t baking soda
• 2 1/2 t vinegar

What to do:

Preheat oven to 350° and grease a 9-inch round cake pan.

Using an electric mixer (we use a white KitchenAid), mix flour, cocoa, salt, canola oil, sugar, eggs, red food color, vanilla, buttermilk, baking soda and vinegar at medium speed until combined.

Bake about 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If desired, repeat for multiple layers; we made two. Cool completely before icing (see recipe below).

Cream Cheese Icing

You’ll need:

• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 stick butter, room temperature
• 3 C powdered sugar
• 1 T vanilla

What to do:

Using an electric mixer (we use a white KitchenAid), beat cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.

Notes: You may want to double the icing recipe if you like it slathered on thick.

(Loose interpretation based on this)

Healthy Dinner

In an attempt to be healthy healthier, we decided to change things up a bit the other night. We bought chicken rather than beef and upped our veggie intake by filling our plates with tomatoes and cucumbers. The result? Baked Chicken, Stuffed Tomatoes and Cucumber Salad.

A big thank you to Casey’s parents for supplying the fresh herbs!

Baked Chicken

You’ll need:

• Grapeseed oil
• Fig vinegar (we use I Fruttati)
• Fresh basil, oregano, sage, thyme and rosemary, chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic (more or less, depending on your taste)
• Salt, black pepper, oregano, coriander and cayenne
• Chicken thighs, filleted
• 1/4 Vidalia onion, sliced
• 1 splash red wine

What to do:

Preheat oven to 375°.

Using a mortar and pestle, grind grapeseed oil, fig vinegar, herbs, garlic, salt, pepper and spices into a paste. In a baking tray, rub paste on bottom of chicken, fold and rub remaining paste on top. Scatter onion around chicken. Bake for about 15 minutes. Add a splash of wine to the pan, then cook for an additional 15 minutes.

Stuffed Tomatoes

You’ll need:

• 2 large tomatoes
• Grapeseed oil
• Salt and black pepper
• Dried oregano
• Mozzarella, cubed
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 C basmati rice, cooked to label instructions, but substituting chicken stock for water and adding a sprig of rosemary
• Fig vinegar (we use I Fruttati)

What to do:

Preheat oven to 375°.

Slice off top 1/2 inch of each tomato, remove the core and seeds. Drizzle grapeseed oil inside tomatoes and sprinkle with salt, black pepper and oregano. Place a cube of cheese and garlic clove inside each tomato, then pack with rice until full. Top with 2 more cubes of cheese, then drizzle grapeseed oil and fig vinegar. Bake, covered with foil, on a greased baking tray for 20-30 minutes.

Cucumber Salad

You’ll need:

• 1 cucumber, sliced
• Fig vinegar (we use I Fruttati)
• Grapeseed oil
• Fresh basil and oregano, chopped
• Salt, black pepper, oregano, cayenne
• 1/4 Vidalia onion
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• Lemon juice

What to do:

Combine cucumbers, fig vinegar, grapeseed oil, herbs, spices, onion, garlic and lemon juice in bowl. Refrigerate about 30 minutes before serving.

Notes: Feel free to sub olive oil for grapeseed oil, fig vinegar for balsamic vinegar, etc.

Anniversary Dinner

In honor of our two year anniversary (and a sale on fish!), we made Baked Basa with Shallot Cream Sauce, Corn with Sour Cream Cayenne Sauce and Asparagus. It was Plate Lickin’ Good!

Baked Basa

You’ll need:

• Basa or other white fish, such as tilapia
• 1 lemon
• Salt, black pepper, cayenne and dill
• 1 small handful almonds, crushed into a powder
• 1 splash dry white wine

What to do:

Preheat oven to 350° and grease a glass baking tray.

Rinse fish under cold water and pat dry. Squeeze on a small amount of lemon juice and season with salt, black pepper, cayenne and dill appropriately.

Cover tray with foil and cook 20-25 minutes. When the fish is almost done, uncover and squeeze on more lemon juice and sprinkle with almonds. Add a splash of wine to the pan, then broil, uncovered, on the top rack for about 2 minutes.

Shallot Cream Sauce

You’ll need:

• 3 strips bacon, crumbled (more or less, depending on your taste)
• 1 T butter
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 handful almonds, crushed into a powder
• 2 T flour
• Salt, black pepper and dill
• 1 splash dry white wine
• Jarred roasted red peppers in oil, chopped
• 2 C cream

What to do:

In a small saucepan, cook bacon, then crumble and remove. In the same pan, heat butter over medium heat. Sauté shallots until melted, then simmer almonds, flour, salt, black pepper, dill, a splash of wine, peppers and cream. Bring sauce to a boil while slowly stirring, then return to a simmer until it thickens.

Corn

You’ll need:

• 1 ear corn
• Water

What to do:

In a large pot, bring corn and water to a boil. Remove kernels while still warm.

Sour Cream Cayenne Sauce

You’ll need:

• 1 T butter
• Sour cream, room temperature
• 1/2 lemon
• Salt, black pepper and cayenne

What to do:

Melt butter in microwave, then mix in sour cream, lemon juice, salt, black pepper and cayenne until combined.

Asparagus

You’ll need:

• Salt
• Asparagus
• Water
• Paper towels

Sprinkle asparagus with salt and wrap in several wet paper towels. Microwave about 3-4 minutes until tender.

Notes: Be sure to keep an eye on the fish as it cooks so it doesn’t dry out. The objective is to have everything ready simultaneously, so we’d recommend starting with the fish and corn.