Gooey Turtle Cake

This cake is just as sinful as the picture shows. It is so rich and moist and amazing that a small piece will do ya. I couldn't help but pick at is as I prepared the icing and tried not to eat all the pecans before they made it onto the cake.  I love pecans. I can crack all day in the hopes of finding that one with the perfect flavor and consistency. And it is so satisfying to crack one and pull out two perfect halves. That doesn't happen often, usually I am digging pieces of shell out of pieces of pecan and drop most of the good stuff on the floor.

Anyways, back to the cake.  Don't bake this if you are on a diet. Don't bake this if you aren't planning to go into a diabetic coma after dessert. Do bake this if you want to know what heaven tastes like.

Ingredients

Cake
1 box devil's food cake with eggs, oil, and water called for on box
1 14 oz bag caramels
1/2 c evaporated milk
1 c chopped pecans
1 c semisweet chocolate chips

Icing
1 c semisweet chocolate chips
1 1.4 c heavy cream
1 Tbsp light corn syrup
Caramel for drizzling (I used ice cream topping)
Pecans


Directions

Cake
1. Heat oven to 350 (325 for dark or nonstick pans). Grease a 13 x 9 pan.

2. Make the cake batter as directed on the box. Pour half into the pan and refrigerate the unused portion. Bake for 20 minutes.

3. In a small saucepan, melt the caramels and evaporated milk. Pour over warm cake. Sprinkle on pecans and chocolate chips.

4. Spread remaining batter on top. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean of cake.

5. Allow to completely cool. Run a knife around the edges and turn onto a baking sheet to ice.

Icing
1. Place chocolate chips in a medium bowl.

2. Bring cream and syrup to a simmer on medium heat. Pour over chocolate and allow to sit for 1 minute.

3. Stir until smooth and shiny. Pour over cooled cake and spread to cover.

4. Drizzle on caramel sauce and top with pecans.

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Slow Cooker Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo

I love gumbo. Especially when it has sausage AND shrimp in it. It is filling, cheap, and so tasty. I know it is a Cajun dish by nature, but it is so prevalent in Texas cooking that it always reminds me of my home state.  We had friends over for dinner tonight and one (a native Texan) had never had this wonderful dish before! By the end of the meal, he was grilling me on the techniques and ingredients used.

I was hesitant about this recipe before I made it.  It didn't call for okra (whoever heard of gumbo without okra?!), had an odd way of making roux that I had never tried, and has minimal spices.  I was completely wrong to judge! The flavors were perfect and blended together so well.  This is a crock pot recipe but only takes 4.5-5 hours on low since the sausage is precooked and the shrimp takes very little time to be done. The majority of the time is spent softening in the okra and letting the flavors meld together.

Ingredients

1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes with juice
1 1/4 c chicken broth
1/4 c flour
2 Tbsp olive oil
3/4 lb smoked sausage (I used andouille), cut into small pieces
1 lb shrimp, raw (peeled and deveined)
1/2 onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp thyme
1/8 tsp cayenne, to taste
hot cooked rice

Directions

1. Combine tomatoes and broth in slow cooker.

2. Heat flour in a dry skillet on high until flour begins to brown.  Stir to completely brown and slowly add in oil while whisking.  Add enough oil to create a smooth , thick roux. Stir into tomato mixture in crock pot.

3. Add sausage, onion, pepper, and spices. Stir and cook on low for 3.5 hours.

4. Add shrimp and cook 1 hour.

5. Serve over rice.

Do you agree with me? Is okra a necessity for good gumbo? Or do you find the vegetable to be too slimy for your liking?

Baked Cheeseburger Macaroni

I love Hamburger Helper. I know, I know, it is full of unhealthy chemicals and unrecognizable ingredients. I don't care, I still think it tastes yummy. This Baked Cheeseburger Macaroni blows boxed Hamburger Helper out of the water. No, you can't have it on the table in 30 minutes, unfortunately. However, you can serve up a delicious meal that you know exactly what is in it and can customize to your family's taste.

The inspiration for this meal came from the Pioneer Woman, like many of my other recipes it seems.  I broke down and finally purchased her cookbook titled The Pioneer Woman Cooks; Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl.  On page 96, there is a delicious recipe for macaroni and cheese. It is a bit time consuming (around an hour) and is worth every minute of impatiently waiting by the oven.  I took her basic recipe and added in my own fixings to create this meal.  My darling little boy cleaned his plate and I have had the leftovers for lunch and dinner again.  Beware: this recipe makes A TON. The book says it serves 8. 8 extremely hungry people. If you don't want to be eating macaroni for the next week, cut the ingredients in half.

What special ingredients do you like to see in your cheeseburger macaroni?

Ingredients

1 lb hamburger, browned
4 c dry macaroni (16 oz box)
1 egg
1/4 c butter
1/4 c flour
2 1/2 c milk
2 tsp dry mustard, heaping
1 lb shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 c fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained
1 c diced green chiles, drained

Directions

1. Cook the macaroni until firm. It should not be soft enough to eat straight from the pot.

2. Beat the egg in a small bowl.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 and butter a large baking dish.

4. Melt the butter over medium-low heat and add in the flour. Whisk together for 5 minutes.

5. Add in the milk slowly, whisking constantly, to make the sauce. Stir in the mustard.

6. Temper the egg by slowly pouring in 1/4c of the sauce while whisking constantly to keep the egg from cooking. This warms the eggs up and keeps them from scrambling when added to the mix.

7. Whisk the egg mixture into the sauce. Add all except 1/2 c of the cheese, salt, and pepper. Stir until the cheese is melted. Adjust the seasonings if needed.

8. Mix in the macaroni, hamburger, tomatoes, and chiles. Pour into greased baking dish.

9. Top with remaining cheese and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and golden.

Tomato Soup

Don't ever buy another can of condensed tomato soup again. This recipe is quick, delicious, and extremely easy.  Husband said it is the best tomato soup he has ever had.  I don't care for canned tomato soups and I had 2 bowls of this for dinner tonight.

I credit the Pioneer Woman with this concoction. This recipe is found in her cookbook titled The Pioneer Woman Cooks.  She adds in 1 cup of sherry at the same time as the heavy cream. Husband is currently on some heavy duty pain pills so we opted out of this add-on tonight. Also, the recipe calls for 3-6 T of sugar.  The sugar is to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes, so start with 3 T and adjust as you see fit.

A batch of this wonderful soup and a grilled cheese sandwich make the perfect combination on a cool rainy evening.

What are your favorite toppings for tomato soup?

Ingredients

1 medium onion diced, white or yellow
6 T butter
2 14.5 oz canned diced tomatoes (preferably fire roasted)
1 46 oz bottle/can tomato juice
3-6 T sugar
1-2 T chicken base or 3 chicken bouillon cubes
Black pepper to taste
1 1/2 c heavy cream
1/4 chopped parsley
1/4 chopped basil

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a large pot. Add in the onion and cook until translucent.

2. Throw in the diced tomatoes, tomato juice, and sugar. Taste and adjust sugar.

3. Add chicken base and pepper. Bring to a low boil and turn off the heat.

4. Stir in the heavy cream, sherry if desired, basil, parsley, and more pepper to taste. Serve warm.