Black Russian Cake

I had a request for this recipe today from someone whose husband was having a bad day. I've made this cake for them before, to commemorate good days. That's the thing about this cake, it's equally appropriate for times of sorrow or times of celebration. With a yellow cake mix as a base, it's also easy to prepare.

Black Russian Cake
1 box yellow cake mix
1/2 cup sugar
1 c. oil
4 eggs
1/4 c. vodka
1/4 c. Kahlua
3/4 c. water
1 (3-oz.) pkg. instant Jello chocolate pudding

Glaze: 1/2 c. powdered sugar and 1/4 c. Kahlua

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together on low speed for 1 minute, then beat at medium speed for 4 minutes. Pour batter into Bundt pan and bake at 350 for 60-70 minutes. Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes. Turn onto plate; poke holes in the top of cake. Mix together ingredients for glaze (above); spoon over top of cake.

If you can't wait to celebrate (or drown your sorrows) until the cake gets out of the oven, mix together a Black Russian drink with a vodka to Kahlua ratio of 2:1 and pour over ice.

St Louis Food & Wine Experience

No, I'm not going. If I didn't already have plans I would definitely check out the St Louis Food & Wine Experience this weekend. My favorite healthy-cooking-celeb-foodie Ellie Krieger will be there, and she's having a book signing. Of course, you already know the story of me stalking her new book, The Food You Crave, so we won't get into that . . .

Peanut Blossom Cookies

In my last poll, you voted for the next recipe feature at Kenzie's Kitchen to be Peanut Blossom cookies. I haven't made Peanut Blossoms for ages, but I had an old Better Homes & Gardens recipe that (luckily) had nutritional information, so I was looking forward to baking them. Feeling extra ambitious, I also decided to make a lighter version of the cookies. I substituted light butter for the Crisco, Splenda sugar blend for baking for the sugar, and used Simply Jif instead of Jif (no difference in calories or fat, but fewer grams of sugar and sodium).

I spent my evening baking, calculating nutritional facts, and gathering the opinions of taste testers. In the end, the original cookies were crispier and had more flavor, especially peanut butter flavor. The light version was more moist and lighter in flavor. I thought the originals were a little better, but not a lot. But that was before I calculated the nutritional facts for the light version. After all that work, the lighter cookies (per piece) had 12 less calories and one less gram of fat. The points value did not change - 2 points per cookie for either recipe. The conclusion? Stick with the original recipe (and if you're counting points, I think you can find a more substantial treat for your two points - the angel cups in the "I can't wait to make these" post, or an individual serving of Weight Watchers ice cream, for example). Live and learn . . .

Original Peanut Blossoms
1/2 c. Crisco
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1 egg
2 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. granulated sugar
Hershey's Kisses

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat Crisco and peanut butter together on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add 1/2 cup granulated sugar, the brown sugar, baking powder and baking soda; beat until combined. Beat in egg, milk and vanilla. Gradually add flour, mixing in by hand.
2. Shape dough into 1-inch balls (approx. 1/2 tbsp.). Roll each ball of dough in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until edges are set and bottoms are lightly browned. Immediately press one Hershey's Kiss into the center of each cookie. Transfer to wire racks to let cool. Makes 54 (small) cookies.
Per cookie: 94 calories; 5 g fat; 0 g fiber; 2 points.




Light cookie on the left; regular cookie on the right.




Lighter Peanut Blossoms
1/2 c. light butter, softened but not melted
1/2 c. less-sugar peanut butter (I used Simply Jif)
1/4 c. Splenda sugar blend for baking
1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1 egg
1 tbsp. low-fat sour cream
2 tbsp. skim milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. Splenda sugar blend for baking
Hershey's Kisses

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat butter and peanut butter together on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add 1/4 Splenda sugar blend, the brown sugar, baking powder and baking soda; beat until combined. Beat in egg, sour cream, milk and vanilla. Gradually add flour, mixing in by hand.
2. Shape dough into 1-inch balls (approx. 1/2 tbsp.). Roll each ball of dough in Splenda sugar blend. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet (use parchment paper or a Silpat if available). Bake 10 minutes, or until edges are set and bottoms are lightly browned. Immediately press one Hershey's Kiss into the center of each cookie. Transfer to wire racks to let cool. Makes 54 cookies.
Per cookie: 81.7 calories; 4 g fat; 0 g fiber; 2 points.

Cookbook Feature: The Food You Crave

I have recently become a fan of Ellie Kreiger, whose show "Healthy Appetite" is on the Food Network. I used to watch Paula, Giadia, and Ina religiously; now it's Ellie. Her food always looks delicious, and her emphasis is on lightened recipes and health without sacrificing that deliciousness. As much as I've come to appreciate her Food Network show, it is not nearly as wonderful as her new cookbook - The Food You Crave.

I have been stalking this book. I bought it last night, two whole days after it was released (good self-restraint, don't you think?). When I got home, I promptly flagged all the recipes I can't wait to make, and calculated the points for each. Almost every recipe in the book sounds/looks good (except the fish/seafood, but that is only because I don't eat either); I actually ran out of page flags. The layout and pictures are good, the recipes seem easy to follow, and it includes lots of tips and useful information. Chapters include:
Breakfast
Nibbles & Noshes
Soups & Sandwiches
Main & Side Salads
Pasta, Pizza & Grains
The Main Course
Sides
Desserts

I haven't decided what the first recipe I try will be, but here are some of the top contenders:
Pumpkin Pie Muffins
Grilled Zucchini Roll-Ups with Herbs & Cheese
Devilish Eggs
Beef & Mushroom Barley Soup
Savory Chinese Chicken Salad
Portobello Lasagna Rollups
Macaroni & Four Cheeses
Cowboy Steak with Coffee and Ancho Rub
Pork Medallions with Cherry Sauce
Parmesan Mashed Potatoes
Garlic Fries
Triple Chocolate Cookies

I think I better go to the grocery store and stock up. Looks like I'm going to be busy cooking this weekend!

Pork Fajitas with Apple-Avocado Salsa

I have to admit that when I posted my "which recipe should I feature next" poll last week, I secretly hoped the Pork Fajitas with Apple-Avocado Salsa would win. They sounded good; not wintry at all, which is what I need right now. I'm done with winter. Unfortunately mother nature is not.

I invited Amy and Amanda over a couple of nights ago for a little break from the monotony of mid-January. Amanda brought salsa and pepper jelly she made this summer. We opened a bag of chili-lime pistachios from Christmas, a bottle of wine, and started cooking. I really wasn't sure how the salsa would turn out; I couldn't find a few of the ingredients I needed, so I did without. But with good friends and a little wine, there were no worries. Good thing, too, because no worry was necessary. The fajitas turned out great - the salsa was fresh, crisp tasting, and summery. Just what we needed.

Pork Fajitas with Apple-Avocado Salsa
2 tbsp. water (1 cup water if using dried chiles, see below)
1 tsp. chili powder (original recipe called for 4 dried cascabel chiles)
3 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp. salt
3 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 (1-lb.) pork tenderloin
8 flour tortillas (7-inch)
2 cups Apple - Avocado Salsa (recipe follows)

1. Combine water and chili powder (or boil water and chiles; remove from heat; cover and let stand 15 min.; drain, reserving 2 tbsp. liquid).
2. Combine chili water (or chiles and reserved liquid), lime juice, salt, and garlic in food processor, blender, or Magic Bullet. Process until smooth.
3. Trim fat from pork loin; place loin in a shallow dish. Pour chili/chile mixture over loin; cover and refrigerate 1-2 hours.
4. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
5. Coat broiler pan with cooking spray; remove pork from dish and place on broiler pan. Brush excess marinade over pork. Bake at 425 for 20-30 minutes, or until meat thermometer reads 160 degrees in thickest part of loin. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. (Make salsa while pork loin cooks)
6. Warm tortillas according to directions on package. Cut pork loin diagonally across the grain. Arrange 1/8 of pork slices and 2 tbsp. Apple-Avocado(A-A) Salsa. Fold tortilla over fillings. Top with 2 tbsp. A-A salsa (or you could just put all 4 tbsp. of salsa in the fajita, which is what we did).

Servings: 4
Serving size: 2 fajitas
Adapted from Cooking Light

Apple-Avocado Salsa
1 cup diced Granny Smith apple
1/4 c. diced red bell pepper
1/4 c. diced red onion
1/2 tsp. grated lime rind
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 garlic clove, minced (or 1 tsp. minced garlic from jar)
1/8 tsp. black pepper
optional: 1 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
optional: 1 1/2 tsp. minced jalapeno
1/2 c. diced peeled avocado

Combine all ingredients except avocado in a medium bowl. Gently stir in avocado.
(Make this salsa the same day you serve it; mine didn't keep all that well)

Per serving of 2 fajitas, each with 4 tbsp. A-A salsa:
Calories 462; fat 13.4 g; protein 32.2 g; carbs 52.5 g; cholesterol 79 mg; iron 4.4 mg; Points - 10*
* it would be easy to reduce points by reducing the amount of A-A salsa used per fajita, by leaving the avocado out of the salsa, or by eating only 1 fajita (with sides or appetizers, 1 is quite filling). If you're not counting points, add more avocado . . . yum!

We also made the angel cups from my previous post . . . they were good!

I can't wait to make these!

I don't have the ingredients on hand to make these, but I couldn't wait to share the recipe! If they taste as good as they look and as good as the recipe sounds, I'm pretty sure they'll become regulars around our house (and they're only 2 points/serving, for those of you who are counting!).

Strawberry Angel Cups
12 slices angel food cake, about 1/2 inch thick
1 cup chopped strawberries
2 tbsp. powdered sugar
1 tbsp. orange liqueur
3/4 cup frozen light whipped topping, thawed

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Press cake slices into bottom and sides of 12 greased muffin cups (make cup shape with cake slices). Bake for 15 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown. Remove to wire rack to cool. Cups become crisp as they cool.

2. Combine strawberries, powdered sugar, and orange liqueur in a small bowl. Stir well.

3. Spoon whipped topping into cake cups; top with strawberry mixture. Serve immediately.

12 servings. Per serving: Calories 99; fat 0.8 g; 21 g carbs; 0 g cholesterol; 2 g protein; 1 g fiber. 2 Points.

Recipe and picture courtesy of Healthy in a Hurry by Company's Coming.

National Beef Cook-Off on Food Network

If you're looking for beef cooking tips or recipe inspiration, look no further. The National Beef Cook-Off airs on the Food Network this Sunday at 7:00 p.m. (Central), and plays several times after that. The categories include: New Dynamic Beef Dishes; Nuevo Latino Beef Dishes; Small Plates, Big Taste; and Kids in the Kitchen.

Blog Problems

I had trouble with the RSS feed on Kenzie's Kitchen . . . and in trying to fix it, created a whole host of new problems. I had to remove several recent posts and pictures (apparently typing in Word and pasting into Blogger is a REALLY bad idea). I'm in the process of adding the posts and pictures back.

If you subscribe using RSS, you need to delete the old info and click on the "subscribe" logo in the top right to re-subscribe. Sorry for the inconvenience!

The silver lining to this little problem is this: while I was learning how to fix the RSS problem, I also (finally) learned how to change the colors and do some other fun things!

An Exciting (Food) Day

Today was an exciting day, food-wise, at Kenzie's Kitchen. Last night, I bought Canyon Ranch Cooks, which I'll introduce you to in a separate post. I looked through it at lunch today, making notes about which recipes I plan to try first. After lunch, the FedEx guy rang the doorbell with our shipment from US Wellness Meats - pork chops, ham slices, bacon (without nitrates), chicken-apple sausage, beef tri-tip steaks, My House Salt, and raw honey. Although we (Ken, more than me) have known the founder of US Wellness Meats for a long time, this is the first time we've ordered from their website. We ordered more pork than anything else since we have our own beef in the freezer . . . but I did want to sample the tri-tips, a cut we don't have . . . and grass-fed beef has some unique health benefits (compared to grain-fed beef).


Finally, Piper and I are having a "girls night" tonight. I made her homemade dog treats (which I found at Kayte's Kitchen) and we're getting ready to watch Grey's Anatomy. (And yes. . . one of them is shaped like a crown . . . because she is a princess . . . but don't tell Ken!)

Surprise Shepherd Pie + Banana Bread

I thought Mr. Meat & Potatoes would like Shepherd Pie. He likes beef, mushrooms, green beans, and potatoes - all primary components of Shepherd Pie. Makes sense, right? After taking the time to make Cooking Light's edition of the recipe, I dished it up and he said "I don't like stuff that's all mixed up."
Ugghh . . . I knew that . . . but I guess I . . . forgot?

Here's the surprise part: he ate it and he liked it! He actually said it exceeded his expectations and would give it 5 stars. That part really surprised me - 5 stars? I would have given it 3.5 or 4. It was good, but not great. It could have used a little more seasoning/salt and might be better with shredded beef (think pot roast) instead of ground beef. I'll work on the recipe and post it [someday] when I think it's worthy of the 5-star status Ken gave it!

Since I was on a comfort food kick, I also made banana bread. I found a recipe in an old Cooking Light cookbook; this version has 3 points per slice, compared to 5 points per average slice of banana bread. It definitely satisfied my craving for sweets/fruit/bread. This recipe yields a very dense loaf of bread. If you keep leftover slices in the fridge, let them warm up to room temperature or heat in the microwave before serving.


Banana Bread (adapted from Cooking Light)
1 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. light butter, softened
3 medium bananas, very ripe and mashed
1/4 c. skim milk
1/4 c. low-fat sour cream
2 egg whites
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Cream butter and sugar. Add banana, milk, sour cream and egg whites. Mix well.
3. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix well.
4. Gradually add flour mixture to sugar/banana mixture. Mix until well blended.
5. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan, bake at 350 for 1 hour, 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack. When completely cooled, slice into 16 servings and enjoy.

Per slice: calories 147; fat 2.2 g; fiber 1.1 g. Points: 3

Beefy pasta and an awesome 1 point side

Things got a little tough at 6 p.m. My stomach was growling and I almost succumbed to a Snickers bar while I was shopping for points-friendly fare. Thankfully, both of the recipes I tried tonight - our first two points recipes - turned out to be keepers. Ken really liked both the Beef Pasta Skillet and the Asparagus with Prosciutto. Me? I LOVED the asparagus. I want to eat it every day. And as long as I can find (and afford) the prosciutto, I might just do that.

Here are the recipes, adapted from Weight Watchers 15 Minute cookbook/magazine:

Beef Pasta Skillet
6 oz. farfalle pasta (uncooked)
1 lb. ground sirloin (at least 90% lean)
2 c. tomato basil pasta sauce
1/4 tsp. black pepper (preferably freshly ground)
1/2 c. shredded part-skim mozzarella

1. Cook pasta as directed on package (unless package calls for fat - omit fat). Drain pasta (when it is time to add it to beef in step 3).
2. At the same time the pasta cooks, brown ground beef over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Drain and return beef to skillet.
3. Add sauce and pepper to skillet with beef; cook 2 minutes. Add pasta to skillet; cook 2 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese; cook one minute or until cheese melts.

Makes 5 servings. Serving size is one cup.
Per serving: 336 calories; 9.1 g fat; 27 g protein; 33.9 g carbs; 1.1 g fiber; 56 mg cholesterol; 3.9 mg iron. 7 points.

Asparagus roasted with prosciutto
1 lb. asparagus spears
butter flavored spray (Can't Believe It's Not Butter)
1/8 tsp. salt (preferably freshly ground sea salt)
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced (or 1 tsp. minced garlic from a jar)
1/4 c. prosciutto, coarsely chopped
Optional: 1/2 tsp. lemon rind (great use for the Microplane in the shortcuts post)
Optional: 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Line jelly roll pan with aluminum foil.
2. Rinse asparagus; snap off tough ends and place on foil. Spray with butter spray (be generous but do not soak). Sprinkle seasonings on asparagus, toss to distribute. Sprinkle with prosciutto.
3. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until asparagus is tender-crisp.

4 servings.
Per serving: 37 calories; 1.4 g fat; 3.4 g protein; 3 g carbs; 1.3 g fiber; 6 mg cholesterol; 1.4 mg iron. 1 point.

Notes: Both of these recipes would be great for people who aren't counting points, as well as those who are. Even people who don't think they like asparagus will probably like this recipe!
For easy and affordable freshly ground salt and pepper, try the McCormick grinders, found near the spices in the grocery store.

Me too

Yes, that's right . . . I'm joining millions of other people . . . my New Year's resolution is to lose weight. Counting points, Weight Watchers-style, is what I'm going to do. I didn't start today though. We had company I wanted to cook for, and leftovers from last night's Southern-themed dinner. However, I have started an important project to help us reach this goal - compiling recipes with nutritional values and calculating the points. Many of the recipes thus far have come from Cooking Light and Eating Well.

I have also calculated points values for some of the packaged foods we have around the house - Graham crackers, trail mix, Luna bars, rice, etc. Oh . . . and I have also moved all the dessert mix-type stuff out of the pantry cabinet. I haven't decided where to go with it yet, maybe to a storage container in the garage or extra bedroom. I know, it's kind of drastic . . . but at least when I'm contemplating what to make for dinner, I won't be choosing from a Barefoot Contessa brownie mix or Stonewall Kitchen lemon bundt cake mix. Or Heath toffee bits, butter toffee pecans, Tastefully Simple Ugly Cake mix . . . you get the point.
So wish me luck, and in exchange I'll post the recipes I cook, complete with points values.

Shortcuts for Christmas or Anytime

Although the holiday season is a wonderful time, it is also a busy time. Presents to wrap, candy to make, snow to shovel, parties to attend . . . it leaves little time for the tedious little tasks associated with cooking. Fortunately, I have a few favorite shortcuts to share with you, just in time for Christmas.

Ingredient shortcuts
1. Melissa's Fresh Peeled Garlic - just as convenient as the garlic in jars, but much fresher.
2. Kraft "Grate It Fresh" Parmesan Cheese - the grater is part of the container.
Sure, I could use my microplane to grate Parmesan, but then I'd have to wash it. And it's usually covered in lemon or orange zest anyway. I'm sure that most foodies will scoff at the Kraft Parmesan, but honestly, I'm grateful that our small town grocery store had Parmesan that you can grate yourself, even if it is Kraft.
3. Frozen chopped onions - they don't make me cry.


Prep shortcuts/handy gadgets
1.Silpat - cookie sheet and cake pan liners - prevent sticking without adding fat.
2.Parchment paper - the next best thing to a Silpat. Or maybe it's better than a Silpat, because you can throw it in the trash instead of the sink.
3. Microplane grater - does AMAZING work zesting citrus fruits and grating cheese, chocolate, etc. Seriously, you have to see it to believe it.
4. Ziplock Zip'n Steam bags - steams vegetables perfectly and quickly - and creates no extra dishes to wash! The package includes directions for all kinds of recipes. Double shortcut if you use pre-washed and cut vegetables from your grocery store (not the aforementioned small town grocery store . . . mine came from the nearest HyVee . . . 30 miles from here).
Merry Christmas. May you use your newfound free time to sip hot chocolate in front of a fireplace.

Girl food

Husbands are great. Really, they are . . . or at least mine is! He's a meat and potatoes guy, which is okay. But sometimes I need a break from the meat and potatoes. So . . . when he's at a meeting or on a hunting trip, I make "girl food" - things he won't eat. Two things that (apparently, according to Ken) fall into this category are spinach dip and grits. Tonight, I ate a Panera Orchard Harvest salad and made myself an individual spinach dip. I think I got my full five servings of fruit and veggies today! When I make individual spinach dip, I try to go light on the cheese. Because I was out of sour cream, tonight's version was something like this: 1 carton of creamed spinach, 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella, a little freshly grated Parmesan, a pinch of garlic salt, and a dollop of Miracle Whip, baked at 375 for 25 minutes. Spinach dip (see full recipe in a previous post) an easy recipe to adapt - as long as you have creamed spinach and mozzarella cheese. Sometimes I add Italian seasoning. Sometimes rosemary or a different blend of cheeses. Artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, jalapeños or crab meat (if you like jalapeños or crab meat, which I don't) . . . so many possibilities!

Another favorite "girl food" of mine is cheese grits. This is an "Ultimate Quick & Easy" recipe from Southern Living:

Quick Double-Cheese Grits
6 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups uncooked quick-cooking grits
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (sharp or extra sharp)
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 tbsp. butter
salt and pepper to taste (start with 1/2 tsp of each)

Cook grits according to directions on package (usually this involves boiling the water, adding salt, then gradually adding the grits, stirring often, until thickened). Remove from heat; add cheeses and butter. Stir until blended. Stir in salt and pepper. Serve immediately. Makes 8 servings.

Note: grits keep reasonably well in the refrigerator; you might need to add some water when you reheat them. A friend of mine says she fries leftover cheese grits. I don't know if she breads them or fries them as is, but either way, I bet they're good!

Meg's Sweet Dreams Party

Friends, family and food . . . all three were present at the Sweet Dreams party I hosted for Megan on Friday night. But there is more to this story. Here goes: My mom has great friends, really, really great friends. Amongst this group of friends, they have a special wedding tradition. On the eve of the wedding of a daughter (of one of said friends), they hold a little gathering. Usually there is lingerie involved, and laughter. And always good food.

A tradition this good is worth repeating, so I decided to host one of these little gatherings for Megan, who is related to my husband. I thought it would be a good for her to be surrounded by her friends and family the night before her wedding, in hopes of getting her to slow down and relax. Because here's the thing - she is an amazing gal, but she's such an overachiever . . . you have to make her take a break! In the course of a week, she turned 20, had knee surgery, graduated from college (yes, that's right, at age 20), got married, and moved to Michigan, where she will begin law school in January.

Unfortunately, I was having one of those Murphy's Law-type days, where nearly everything goes wrong. Fortunately, it all worked out in the end (and everyone was full from the rehearsal dinner anyway!).

Here's what I ended up serving: toasted pecans, honey glazed almonds, maple candied walnuts, vanilla popcorn, pretzel "sparklers," sugar cookies, and brownies. And coffee and hot chocolate (Barefoot Contessa, yum!). And little bottles of vanilla vodka, Starbucks liqueur, and Kahlua, for the over-21-and-not-driving crowd.

What a great way to wish Megan "Sweet Dreams" on her last night as a single gal!