Strawberry shortcake cake

Pioneer Woman

Serves: 10

Cake

• 1-1/2 cup Flour
• 3 Tablespoons Cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 9 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Softened
• 1-1/2 cup Sugar
• 3 whole Large Eggs
• 1/2 cup Sour Cream, Room Temperature
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla

Icing

• 1/2 pound Cream Cheese, Room Temperature
• 2 sticks Unsalted Butter
• 1-1/2 pound Powdered Sugar, Sifted
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 pound Strawberries

IMPORTANT: Be sure to use a cake pan that’s at least 2 inches deep! Before baking, the batter should not fill the pan more than halfway.

Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, and corn starch.
Cream 9 tablespoons butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well each time. Add sour cream and vanilla and mix until combined. Add sifted dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just barely combined.

Pour into greased and floured 8-inch cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes, or until no longer jiggly like my bottom. Remove from cake pan as soon as you pull it out of the oven, and place on a cooling rack and allow it to cool completely.

Stem strawberries and slice them in half from bottom to top. Place into a bowl and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons sugar. Stir together and let sit for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, mash the strawberries in two batches. Sprinkle each half with 1 tablespoons sugar and allow to sit for another 30 minutes.

Make icing: combine cream cheese, 2 sticks butter, sifted powdered sugar, vanilla, and dash of salt in a mixing bowl. Mix until very light and fluffy.

Slice cake in half through the middle. Spread strawberries evenly over each half (cut side up), pouring on all the juices. Place cake halves into the freezer for five minutes, just to make icing easier.

Remove from freezer. Use a little less than 1/3 of the icing to spread over the top of the strawberries on the bottom layer. Place the second layer on top. Add half of the remaining icing to the top spreading evenly, then spread the remaining 1/3 cup around the sides.

Leave plain OR garnish with strawberry halves.

IMPORTANT: Cake is best when served slightly cool. The butter content in the icing will cause it to soften at room temperature. For best results, store in the fridge!

*Chef’s note: This was the first thing I baked in the oven of my new apartment! Probably not the best idea, in hindsight. I think my oven runs a bit hot, because I checked the cakes very early after 30 minutes and they already were done. Perhaps a bit too done. The outside was more of a crust, which makes this tough to cut. I also would double the amount of strawberries. It may seem like a lot, but it’s a lot of cake! Especially with my overly dry version, more moisture and sweetness would have been great. The cake did have a great flavor, though. It was a nice switch-up from the typical biscuit base. As requested by my boyfriend, the recipient of this cake, we used Cool Whip in place of the frosting. T’was delicious! I recommend letting it thaw a tad before digging in when you remove it from the fridge.

Chicken salad

Pioneer Woman

Serves: 6-8

• 2 cups diced or shredded chicken
• 2-3 stalks Celery, Chopped
• 3 whole Green Onions, Chopped, white and light green parts only
• 2 cups (to 3 Cups) Grapes, Halved
• 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup Plain Yogurt Or Sour Cream
• 1/2 cup Half-and-half
• A Small Handful Of Fresh Dill, Minced
• 1/2 cup Slivered Almonds
• 1 Tablespoon (to 2 Tablespoons) Sugar
• Juice Of One Lemon
• Kosher Salt To Taste
• Fresh Ground Black Pepper To Taste

Chop all of your fruits and veggies and place them in a bowl with the chicken.

In another bowl mix mayonnaise, yogurt (or sour cream), lemon juice, brown sugar and salt and pepper to taste.

Add fresh herbs (dill, oregano, cilantro…whatever makes your skirt fly up) and if you’re feeling a bit brazen throw in a dash of cayenne pepper!

When the dressing tastes just right (you must taste test for appropriate saltiness especially), pour 3/4 of it it over the chicken/veggie/fruit mixture and stir gently until everything is thoroughly mixed. If you are feeling naughty add a sprinkling of bacon bits. Add more dressing if you want.

Allow the salad to chill for several hours (or even overnight). Serve on a bed of lettuce or in a sandwich or heck, eat it straight out of the bowl with a serving spoon.

*Chef’s note: This was chicken salad just the way I like it! Another reason I should meet Ree Drummond? Although I left out the dill and almonds. halved the recipe, using red grapes, all 3 green onions, the yogurt and plenty of salt and pepper, and I used only 3/4 of the dressing.

Sloppy Joes

Pioneer Woman

Serves: 8

• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 2-1/2 pounds Ground Beef
• 1/2 whole Large Onion, Diced
• 1 whole Large Green Bell Pepper, Diced
• 5 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1-1/2 cup Ketchup
• 1 cup Water
• 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Chili Powder (more To Taste)
• 1 teaspoon Dry Mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes (more To Taste)
• Worcestershire Sauce, To Taste
• 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste (optional)
• Tabasco Sauce (optional; To Taste)
• Salt To Taste
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
• Kaiser Rolls
• Butter

Add butter to a large skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add ground beef and cook until brown. Drain most of the fat and discard.

Add onions, green pepper, and garlic. Cook for a few minutes, or until vegetables begin to get soft.

Add ketchup, brown sugar, chili pepper, dry mustard, and water. Stir to combine and simmer for 15 minutes, adding salt and pepper to taste. Also add tomato paste, Worcestershire, and Tabasco if desired. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Spread rolls with butter and brown on a griddle or skillet. Spoon meat mixture over the rolls, topping with a slice of cheese if it makes your skirt fly up. Serve hot with kettle cooked chips!

*Chef’s note: Can I first just say that I love the Pioneer Woman? She is so funny! I feel close to her, redhead-to-redhead, now that I know she likes kettle chips with her Sloppy Joes, too. Just the perfect vessel to scoop up that Joe that falls overboard! This homemade version was very tasty, and, to me, a lot different from the canned Manwich sauce I grew up on. It had a nice kick to is and was more sweet than anything else. I think I missed the extra tomato flavor; next time I might add some crushed tomatoes, a plain tomato sauce or the optional tomato paste (not more ketchup because I don’t want any more sweetness). I don’t think the recipe from her cookbook I was working off of listed the paste like this online version does. But I would still recommend the recipe as is! I didn’t butter my toasted hamburger buns, but I knowww it would add to this sammie. Butter always does. Please note that this serves 8!

Beef with peppers

Pioneer Woman

Serves: 8

• 1-1/2 pound Flank Steak, Sliced Very Thin Against The Grain
• 1/2 cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
• 3 Tablespoons Sherry
• 2 Tablespoons Packed Brown Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
• 1 Tablespoon Minced Fresh Ginger
• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 teaspoon Red Chile Paste (or A Few Dashes Red Chile Oil)
• 2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
• 1 whole Medium Yellow Onion Sliced
• 2 whole Red Bell Peppers, Cored And Sliced Into Rings
• 1 Tablespoon Diced Fresh Jalapeno (or 1 Teaspoon Dice Hot Pepper)
• Red Pepper Flakes, For Sprinkling
• Cilantro Leaves

Mix together soy sauce, sherry, brown sugar, cornstarch, ginger, garlic, and chili paste (or chili oil.) Place sliced beef in the mixture and toss to coat. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high to high heat. When it is very hot, throw in the onions and cook for less than a minute. Remove to a separate plate. Return skillet to flame, allow to reheat, and add bell peppers (and hot pepper/jalapeno if using.) Cook for a minute, tossing, until peppers have brown/black bits but are still firm. Remove to a plate.

Return skillet to heat and allow to get hot. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Add 1/3 of the meat mixture, evenly distributing over the surface of the skillet. Allow to sit for 20 to 30 seconds, then turn with tongs. Cook for another 30 seconds, then remove to a separate plate. Repeat with remaining meat until all brown.

Reduce heat to low. Add all meat, onions, and peppers to the skillet and toss to combine. Pour in remaining sauce (the sauce the meat marinated in*) and stir. Allow to simmer on low for a few minutes. Sauce will slowly thicken. Turn off heat.

*Update/Note: you can also whip up an extra batch of liquid if you do not want to use the same liquid you use for the meat.

Turn off boiling water, then throw in noodles. Stir, then allow noodles to sit in hot water for 8 minutes or so (check package directions to be sure.) Drain, then add 1/2 the noodles to stir fry. Toss together, then add more noodles to taste. Add very hot water if needed to thin.

Top with cilantro leaves. Serve immediately.

*Chef’s note: NOMS. So flavorful and tender and scrumptious and yeah. Good stuff. I served this with brown rice and left out the noodles, and I always always always choose to forgo cilantro. (Ick.) I also left out the red chili paste and jalapenos. If you like the added heat, go ahead and add them, but if you’re just looking for flavor, this recipe stood alone fine without them.

Pioneer Woman quiche

Pioneer Woman

Makes: 2 standard pies

• 3/4 pounds Thick Cut, Peppered Bacon
• 1 stick Butter
• 1 whole Large (or 2 Medium) Onions, Very Thinly Sliced
• 2 boxes (5 Oz. Each) White Mushrooms, Washed And Sliced
• 1 can (14 Oz.) Quartered Artichoke Hearts
• 1 whole Pie Crust, Or Half A Recipe Of “Sylvia’s Perfect Pie Crust”
• 7 whole Eggs
• 1-1/2 cup Heavy Cream
• 2 cups Grated Swiss Cheese
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• Optional: Fresh Parsley, Fresh Chives

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a skillet, fry bacon until crisp. Crumble and set aside. Pour out excess grease but don’t clean the pan.

Melt butter in the same skillet. Add onions and cook for a few minutes. Add mushrooms and artichokes and cook for a few more minutes. Salt mixture to taste. Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 20 minutes.

Roll out pie crust and press into deep dish tart pan. (May also use 2 standard pie crusts for this recipe.) In a large bowl, beat eggs with cream. Add grated cheese, salt and pepper, and set aside. (Add cayenne pepper if you’d like a little kick.)

With a slotted spoon, add mushroom mixture into egg/cream mixture. Stir together. Add bacon and stir. Add parsley or chives, if desired.

Pour into pie crust and press to submerge ingredients. Cover loosely with foil, place on a baking sheet, and bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour. Bake for slightly longer if quiche is overly jiggly.

Remove from oven and allow to set for ten minutes before serving. Remove quiche from pan and slice into wedges.

*Chef’s note: Gosh, I love quiche. A true BLD (breakfast, lunch or dinner – Rachael Ray) meal. I used half and half in place of cream and added one egg, and this recipe was great for 2 standard pie dishes (I just used Pillsbury crust). If you don’t like artichokes, just leave ’em out! That’s the beauty of a quiche (besides its BLD versatility) – you can throw in whatever veggies or proteins you like, and it probably will still taste great.

Simple perfect enchiladas

Pioneer Woman

Serves: 4

FOR THE SAUCE:

• 1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
• 1 Tablespoon All-purpose Flour
• 1 can (28 Ounce) Enchilada Or Red Sauce
• 2 cups Chicken Broth
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
• 2 Tablespoons Chopped Cilantro

FOR THE MEAT:

• 1-1/2 pound Ground Beef
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
• 2 cans (4 Ounce) Diced Green Chilies
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt

FOR THE TORTILLAS:

• 10 whole (to 14) Corn Tortillas
• 1/2 cup Canola Oil

TO ASSEMBLE:

• 3 cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• 1/2 cup Chopped Black Olives
• 1 cup Chopped Green Onions
• 1/2 cup Chopped Cilantro

Step #1 – The Sauce
In a large saucepan over medium heat, add oil and flour and whisk together to make a paste, cooking for one minute. Pour in the red sauce, chicken broth, cilantro, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30-45 minutes.

Step #2 – The Meat
Brown the meat with onions in a skillet. Drain off fat. Stir in 2 cans diced green chilies and seasoned salt. Set aside.

Step #3 – Tortillas
Heat canola oil in a small skillet over medium heat. One by one, using tongs, fry tortillas in oil until soft, not crisp – about 30 seconds per side. Remove to a paper—towel lined plate. Repeat until all tortillas have been fried.

Step #4 – Assembly
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour ½ cup red sauce in bottom of baking pan. Spread to even out. Dip each tortilla into red sauce, then remove to work surface. Spoon meat, a little grated cheese, a little black olives, and green onions in the center of tortilla. Roll up and place, seam down, in baking pan. Repeat until pan is filled. Pour extra red sauce over enchiladas. Top with remaining cheddar cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle cilantro over enchiladas before serving.

*Chef’s note:  I am crazy about this recipe. Overly delicious. I used parsley in place of cilantro (hello, do you know me by now? :D) I will admit, it’s a pain to make, but if you have the time it is more than worth it! A bit rich, but, hey. I still could have eaten more than my share.