Red Wine Chocolate Cake

1 box Devils Food Cake (plus ingredients needed to prepare)

1 bottle dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon 

2 T unsalted butter softened

1 c semisweet mini chocolate chips

1 c powdered sugar

Fresh berries, cherries, whipped cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare the box cake mix as directed, but substitute wine for the water. Pour into a prepared bundt pan and bake for 40-45 mins, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cake completely. Then invert onto a large plate. 

In a small bowl, microwave butter and chocolate chips for 30 seconds. Stir, then microwave for 15-30 secs more until fully melted. Add 1/2 cup wine and stir. Add powdered sugar and stir until smooth. Let rest 10 mins before drizzling over cake. Serve with fresh berries or cherries and whipped cream. Oh, and drink up the rest of the wine!

Recipe adapted from Tasty

Overnight Cookie Butter Baked French Toast

• 
• 
  
  ⅔ of a loaf of challah loaf, preferably stale or lightly toasted
• ½ cup + 2 T cookie butter
• ½ cup chocolate chips
• 3 large eggs
• 2¼ cups milk
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 banana, mashed
• 3 tablespoons turbinado sugar 
• 
  
• Cut the bread into bite-sized cubes. Layer one third of the bread in a prepared deep 8x8 baking pan or lasagna baking dish. In a small bowl, microwave the cookie butter for 15 to 30 secs, until runny. Drizzle a third of the melted cookie butter over the bread cubes and sprinkle a third of the chocolate chips over the bread. Repeat this to create three layers of bread, cookie butter, and chocolate chips. Set aside. In a medium bowl, mash banana with cookie butter and salt until combined, stir in the eggs, then whisk in milk. Pour over the bread, ensuring the bread is completely soaked in the mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and leave in the refrigerator overnight. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar over the French toast and bake for 45 - 50 minutes, or until center is set.

  Serve with maple syrup, chocolate syrup, or enjoy by itself! 

  Change it up! One idea: sub in white chocolate chips and add dried cranberries. Add 1 tsp orange zest when mixing bananas and cookie butter. Another: add dried cherries and chopped pecans along with chocolate chips. Tons of possibilities! 

Recipe adapted from one published at www.cookienameddesire.com

Blackberry Jalepeno Chicken

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1/2 cup blackberry preserves

1/4 cup chicken stock

1 tablespoon ketchup

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon molasses

1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 jalapeño, seeded (mild) not-seeded (hot), sliced thin

1 medium onion, sliced

1 garlic clove, chopped

6 slices bacon, cooked, chopped

salt & pepper

Sauce (optional)

1/4 cup blackberry preserves

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke

1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

Goodies from the crockpot

Place sliced onions in the bottom of a crockpot. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Top with garlic, jalepeno, and bacon. In a small bowl mix together preserves, ketchup, stock, molasses, vinegar and liquid smoke. Pour over the chicken and set the crockpot to low and let cook for 5 to 6 hours, until chicken is fork tender. Turn crockpot to warm. If not preparing sauce, shred chicken in the crockpot using two forks. If preparing the sauce, remove chicken to a cutting board and shred. Using a slotted spoon remove the onion, jalepeno and bacon and put into a blender. Add ¼ cup of the liquid in the crockpot and puree until smooth. Add chicken back to crockpot and stir into remaining liquid. In a medium saucepan add preserves, ketchup, smoke, pepper and onion/jalepeno/bacon mixture and stir over low-medium heat until sauce is heated.

You can serve this a number of ways. For example:

On a bun, w/ pepper jack cheese with cooked bacon slices;

In a tortilla w/ queso fresco, sliced radish, and cilantro;

On top of a heaping plate of cheesy nachos;

Plain, topped with sauce;

Chilled on top of a salad

Recipe adapted from www.cookingforkeeps.com

Peach and Tomato Gazpacho

1 1/2 lb yellow tomatoes, chopped (3 cups)

1 lb peaches, pitted and chopped (2 cups)

1/4 cup crushed ice

2 tablespoons chopped shallot

2 tablespoons olive oil*

1 1/2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Optional: crumbled goat cheese and additional finely chopped basil

Purée two thirds of tomatoes and half of peaches with ice, shallot, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 2 teaspoons tarragon, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a blender until very smooth, about 1 minute.

In a bowl, toss together remaining tomatoes and peaches with remaining tablespoon oil, remaining 1/2 tablespoon vinegar, remaining basil, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a bowl. In a soup bowl add a couple spoonfuls of the chunky mixture, carefully ladle the liquid around. Top with goat cheese crumbles and finely chopped basil if desired.

*flavored olive oils, like basil or tarragon work great in this recipe!

Recipe adapted from epicurious.com

Smoky Lime Syrup & 3 Drinks

1/2 cup raw cane sugar
1/2 cup water
20 drops smoke bitters
1 lime, juiced + 1 tsp zest

In a small saucepan, heat sugar and water over medium heat, stirring often until sugar is dissolved. Take of heat and add lime juice and zest. Allow to cool then strain through a mesh strainer into a glass jar. Store in the refrigerator for up to one month.



Smoky Margarita

1 1/2 oz resposado or anjeo tequila
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
1/2 oz smoky lime syrup
3 dashes orange bitters
pinch of salt

Add first three ingredients into an shaker w/ 1 cup of ice. Shake vigorously for a minute then strain into an old fashioned glass filled with ice, topped with bitters and pinch of salt if desired.



Smoky Lime Rum & Cola

12 oz chilled cola
1 1/2 oz rum
1 oz smoky lime syrup
1 lime wheel

In a glass filled with ice, pour in syrup and rum, then top with soda. Stir and serve with a lime wheel.



Smoky Citrus Refresher

8 oz chilled lemon-flavored soda water
1 oz smoky lime syrup
1 lime or lemon wheel

In a glass filled with ice, pour in syrup and top with lime soda. Stir and serve with a citrus wheel.

Zucchini Fries w/ Garlic Aioli

Zucchini Fries

3 small zucchini

2 T + 1 T Italian seasoning

1tsp  + ½ tsp garlic powder

Pinch ground red pepper

Salt and Pepper

2 eggs beaten

¼ c grated parmesan cheese

1 cup panko bread crumbs

Garlic Aioli

1/3 c mayonnaise

1 small garlic clove finely grated or minced

1 tsp lemon juice

¼ tsp salt

Preheat oven to 425 F and line a baking sheet with foil. Slice ends off zucchini, then slice lengthwise. Cut each half in half widthwise, and each fourth into three triangle shaped fries. Should each be about 3” to 4” in length and ½” wide. Place fries in a small bowl or plastic bread bag, add 1T Italian seasoning, ½ tsp garlic powder, and a pinch of salt and pepper and toss to coat. In a shallow bowl, beat egg with pinch of salt and pepper. In another shallow bowl combine panko, cheese, 2 T Italian seasoning, 1tsp garlic powder, pinch of ground red pepper, black pepper and salt and stir until evenly incorporated. Take 5 to 6 fries and coat in the egg, then carefully coat each in the bread crumb mixture, generously coating. Place green skin side down on the baking sheet. Once all fries are coated and on the pan, bake for 15 to 18 mins or until breadcrumbs are golden brown. While baking, prepare the aioli by combining the mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice in a small bowl, letting flavors meld while the fries are baking. Allow fries to cool a couple minutes before serving with aioli. Not recommended for leftovers.

Recipe adapted from allrecipies.com 

Lemon Berry Fruit Pizza

SUGAR COOKIE CRUST

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Zest of ½ lemon

1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 and 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

TOPPING

8 oz full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

2 cups confectioners' sugar

Zest of ½  lemon (don’t toss that lemon! See below for a special use)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Assorted fresh fruit, about 3 cups (I used raspberries, blueberries and strawberries)

To make the crust, in a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the softened butter for about 1 minute on medium speed. Add the sugar on medium speed until fluffy and light in color. Beat in egg and vanilla, scraping down the sides as needed.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cornstarch. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 3 different parts. Once completely combined, cover the dough tightly and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or up to 1 day.

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray a 12-inch pizza pan with cooking spray or line a baking sheet with parchment. Remove chilled cookie dough from the refrigerator and press onto the pan in an even flat circle, as pictured above. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the edges are very lightly browned. Allow crust to cool completely before decorating. As the crust cools, slice the strawberries.  

To make the topping, in a medium bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat for 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat for 1 minute. Spread in a thick layer over the cooled sugar cookie crust. Decorate with fruit.

Cut into slices and serve. Fruit pizza may be made 1 day in advance, covered tightly, and stored in the refrigerator before serving. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Recipe adapted from sallysbakingaddiction.com

Using that leftover lemon: Have a dirty microwave? Slice your zested lemon in half. In a small bowl, add ½ cup water, juice each half of the lemon into the bowl of water, add the leftover halves into the bowl, pop into the microwave and run for 3 minutes. Then, do not open the door! Let sit for an additional 5 minutes. The oils and acid from the lemon and steam from the water will condense to the sides of your microwave’s interior. After 5 minutes, remove the bowl (do not throw away the lemon yet!) and wipe the interior of the microwave with a clean dry cloth. Works great getting that grime off! Now, the lemon rinds are soften, simply run them through your garbage disposal with a steady stream of warm water to freshen it up as well! If you don’t have a disposal, the lemons will nicely scent your garbage until the next time you take it out!