Caramel Latte Cake

Ingredients:

(cake)
1 18.25 oz package butter cake mix
1 small package French vanilla pudding mix
1 cup full fat sour cream
1/2 cup brewed espresso (I just used dark coffee)
1/2 stick butter, softened
4 large eggs

(layer)
1 jar caramel

(topping)
2 cups whipping cream
1 cup powdered sugar
1 T vanilla

Directions:

preheat oven to 350 degrees. grease and flour 9 x 13 pan. combine all cake ingredients in large mixing bowl. slowly beat for 30 seconds to incorporate, then beat on high for 2 minutes. pour into pan and bake for about 35 minutes or until just set in the middle. cool cake in pan for 25 minutes. cake is heavy and will pull from the sides. spread 2/3 cup of caramel over the cake top. (I would recommend poking holes in the cake so the caramel would soak in instead of dripping off the sides!) continue to cool cake. place all topping ingredients in cool mixing bowl and whip on high until peaks form. spread over caramel layer. Enjoy! Cake is dense, rich and delicious!



(recipe taken from Piece de Resistance by Sandra Byrd)

Southwest CousCous

Ingredients
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 package original couscous
course salt and ground pepper
1 1/4 cups fresh corn kernels (from 2 ears of corn)
1 can (15.5 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 jalapeno thinly sliced
ground cumin to taste
chili powder to taste
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and sliced
dollop sour cream
Tbsp taco sauce

Directions
Cook couscous according to package directions.

Heat 1 tsp oil in skillet and cook the corn, stirring occasionally, until it is browned (about 5 minutes). Season with salt and pepper, chili powder and ground cumin.

Add couscous, black beans, lime juice, jalapeno, toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper and serve with avocado slices, sour cream and taco sauce on top.

Stuffed Shells

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package jumbo pasta shells
2 cups large curd cottage cheese
2 cups ricotta cheese
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 pinch garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 (26 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Cook shells according to package directions. Drain.
2. Mix together cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, eggs, and garlic powder. Rub the dried herbs in the palms of your hands to pulverize them, and stir into the cheese mixture. Stuff mixture into the shells. (might be harder than it sounds! I tried to sort of open the shells with one hand and use a spoon to stuff the cheese into the shells with the other hand. It wasn't always pretty and I broke more than my fair share! It didn't change the taste, though :)
3. Spread 1/3 of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 15 x 10 inch pan. Place shells open side up, and close together in pan. Spread remaining sauce over top, and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes, or until bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy! These were delicious and there were plenty for leftovers!

BBQ Beans and Biscuts

Ingredients for Beans:

2 cups black beans , drained and rinsed

2 cups pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup BBQ sauce

1 15 oz can petite diced tomatoes, drained

several shakes of the chili powder jar

1 T molasses

a hint of mustard to taste

Ingredients for Drop Biscuits:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup milk

Directions for Beans:

Combine all ingredients in a pot on cook over medium heat until hot.

Directions for Biscuits:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Stir in butter and milk just until moistened. Drop batter on a lightly greased cookie sheet by the tablespoon. Bake in preheated oven until golden on the edges, about 8 to 12 minutes. Serve warm with BBQ beans on top.

This one was an A+!

Stuffed Bell Peppers and Tomatoes

Ingredients:
2 bell peppers
2 large tomatoes
1 avocado
1/4 feta cheese
1/4 c sliced black olives
1 T tsp ground cumin
1 tsp lemon juice
1 cup rice
15 oz can of diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 cup black beans
1 cup red kidney beans
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions for Peppers:
Cook the rice as directed on the package. Add the diced tomatoes and green chilies, beans, ground cumin and salt and pepper (to taste). Cut out the stem of the top of the green pepper and place the pepper in a pot with boiling salt water for 5 minutes. Remove from water, then stuff it with the filling. Top with a pinch full of shredded cheese. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and is bubbly.

Directions for Tomatoes:

Hollow out the tomatoes, removing seeds.

Mix the feta, olives, avocado, lemon juice, ground cumin and salt and pepper and stuff into tomatoes. Grill, broil or eat cold!

Parmesan Tuna Pasta

Ingredients:

8 oz pasta of your choice, cooked according to package directions
minced garlic or garlic powder to taste
2 c. fresh tomatoes
1/8 cup chopped capers
1/4 cup fresh parsely, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
15 oz black olives, drained and sliced
2 small cans water packed tuna, drained
3/4 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Put all ingredients in serving bowl and stir together. Add salt and pepper or seasonings to taste. Top with Parmesan cheese and serve warm. Try asparagus cooked with parmesan cheese as a side. Delish and plenty of leftovers for lunches!

Orange Chocolate Dream Cookies

One of my favorite combos is chocolate and orange. This recipe did NOT let me down!

Ingredients:

1c. butter
2/3 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
1 large egg
1 T. grated orange rind
juice from orange
2 1/4 c. all purpose flour (although I would recommend more if you get more than 1/8 c. juice from your orange)
3/4 t. salt
1 package chocolate chips (I combined milk and dark)

Directions:
beat butter and sugars until creamy. add egg, orange rind, juice and mix. add flour and salt gradually and mix well. stir in chocolate chips. Bake spoonfulls of dough at 350 for 12-15 minutes. The original recipe called for orange extract as well, however since I didn't have it I left it out. The orange flavor was just slight enough to be refreshing. I highly recommend these cookies!