30 by 30: French Dip Sandwiches

My favorite sandwich.

 Hands down, all time favorite.

 French Dip Sandwich.

I think I lived on Jenkins' French Dip Sandwiches when I was in high school. Kubba (my bestie!) and I went to Jenkins EVERY FRIDAY night before a football game!

Jenkin's Deli is one restaurant that I ALWAYS try to make it to when I go home to visit. I always order the French Dip, fried pickles, and a Dr Pepper!

There is just something about this sandwich and how good and it is! I didn't think I would be able to make it at home and taste as good as what I love but these were pretty darn close. While I am not a beer drinker, I needed some for another recipe but I don't know if I will include it next time. The beer did make the meat taste really good but I didn't like the sauce with it.

French Dip Sandwich

printable recipe

4 pounds rump roast

1 (10.5 ounce) can beef broth

1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed French onion soup

1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer

6  rolls of choice

2 tablespoons butter

6 slices provolone cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Trim excess fat from the rump roast, and place in a slow cooker. Add the beef broth, onion soup and beer. Cook on Low setting for 7 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Split rolls and spread with butter and top with cheese. Bake 10 minutes, or until heated through.

Slice the meat on the diagonal, and place on the rolls. Serve the sauce for dipping. (As I learned, you will need to stir the sauce before serving. Even though I really should have thought of that!)

 

 

 

recipe adapted from this recipe on Delicious Meliscious



recipe linked to Potluck Sundays at Mommy's Kitchen and Mouthwatering Mondays at A Southern Fairytale

 



Fire Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

At the end of last month, my blog friend Branny at Branny Boils Over, annouced she was going to have a Charity Souper Bowl! For every soup recipe she gets during the month, she and her husband are going to donate $1 per post to the ASPCA!

While I don't have any animals in pets in my life, my sister does! So this post is dedicated to her boyfriends cats Snoop and Zuk I know that he loves these cats more than anything and would do anything for them (I wish I could have found pictures of them!)

While I am barely squeaking in with this entry, 

I am so happy to get something made so she can make it to her goal!

I love tomato soup but have never made it so this recipe was definitely something right up my alley! The original recipe didn't call for salt and pepper (which I really don't understand but oh well!) so I have added them in.

Fire Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

(adapted from this recipe on Betty Crocker's Website)
printable recipe

1 tablespoon Olive oil

1 large chopped onion

2 medium chopped carrots

2 cans fire roasted diced tomatoes (undrained)

32 ounces, chicken broth

1 cup water

1 tsp. red pepper sauce
1 T. Kosher Salt
2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 cup orzo (uncooked)

1 tsp. dried basil

In 4-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and carrots. Cook about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Stir in  diced tomatoes, chicken broth, water, red pepper sauce, salt and pepper. Heat to boiling. Stir in pasta. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to medium. Cook uncovered 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta and carrots are tender. Stir in basil and cook one more minute while stirring.

Enjoy!





This recipe is also being linked to Tasty Tuesday at Beauty and Bedlam.

Wordless Wednesday

Rosemary Beer Bread

We love a good challenge in this house and when I mentioned to my husband this challenge, we immediately began to think of what we could make. The required ingredients for the challenge were beer, ham, and rosemary.

I wanted to make a beer bread because I thought that would be the easiest way to get the beer into the recipe. Adding rosemary and ham to a bread seems pretty easy but yet it wasn't as easy as we thought.

The bread needed to taste savory since we were incorporating the rosemary. But yet not just any plain type of ham would do either. We thought the ham needed to be a country ham to add more flavor (SALT!) to the bread and some extra sharp cheddar helped too. The beer we had on hand was a Red Ale type of beer . (We like supporting local businesses!)

Rosemary Beer Bread

(The Boys Original recipe)
printable recipe

1 12 ounce beer (of choice)

3 cups self rising flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon Rosemary

1 cup Country Ham (you know, the good ole country,salty stuff)

1 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese

1 tsp. Kosher Salt

1 tsp. Black Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together until well incorporated.Bake in a bread pan for 45-55 minutes or until done and lightly brown on top.

What's Baking for January-- Coconut Madeleines

Our theme for January What's Baking? was to try something new.
I was really stumped on this trying something new.

You see back when I was in high school, I knew I wanted to be a pastry chef. So I dived into any cooking class in my area that would improve my baking skills. So while other people were hanging out at the mall, I was making puff pastry dough or pie dough or decorating cakes. I made all the pie crusts for my culinary class and we also made homemade biscuits and cinnamon rolls on a weekly basis. I know how to work with yeast too (and it doesn't scare me!).

I eventually decided on Madeleines. I've had a madeleine pan for almost a year and never made any! Nor have I ever had one! This recipe was super easy and madeleines are delicious! They are like little buttery cookies or mini cakes. The coconut was a great surprise too.

Coconut Madeleines

(recipe adapted from Ina Garten, Barefoot in Paris)

•  1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter, to grease the pan
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
  
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  
• 1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• Confectioners' sugar, optional

Directions

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Thoroughly butter and flour your madeleine pan. 

In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed for 3 minutes, until light yellow and fluffy. Add one stick of butter and mix. Sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt, and stir into the mix with a rubber spatula. Stir in the coconut.

With a soup spoon, drop the batter into the pans, filling each madeleine we almost full. Bake the madeleines for 10 to 12 minutes, until they spring back when pressed. Tap the madeleines out onto a baking pan lined with parchment paper and allow to cool.  Dust with confectioners' sugar, if desired. 

The Chef thought these would be really good dipped in chocolate.

I liked them how they are as did Coley!

Linked to Mouth Watering Monday at A Southern Fairytale and Sunday Potluck at Mommy's Kitchen

Coconut Cake

I know what you're thinking.

Coconut Cake.

Great. Another coconut cake recipe (to pass by). BUT Don't!!! TRUST ME!!

I've been making this cake for years and this was what my husband and sister requested for me to make for one of our family get togethers for the holidays.

I can still remember the first time I made this cake for them. My husband literally ate about all of what my sister didn't eat. We were living in Atlanta when I made it for them the first time and we had just eaten at Marietta Diner but yet we had room for this cake and it was practically gone by that night! And we had brought home cake from the Diner (seriously the best place in the ATL to get cake!- my favorite one is like 4 different layers of cake: chocolate, red velvet, carrot, and I don't remember the other one!) but yet didn't eat it, we ate this cake instead!

**Yes, I know it has a cake mix but I think it could be easily swapped for your favorite white or yellow cake.

Coconut Cake

--1 white or yellow cake mix

--1 can of cream of coconut

(not coconut water-- I use the brand Coco Lopez-- normally found in the ethnic aisle at the grocery store)

--1 tub of cool whip

--1/2 package of coconut or 1 package of frozen coconut 

( I prefer the frozen kind but can't find it at all stores)

Make the Coconut Cake according to package directions on box. When cake comes out of oven, pour the cream of coconut on top. Let cake cool. When cake is cool top with cool whip and then sprinkle coconut on top of cake. Enjoy! 

This recipe was given to me by my friend, Vivian (a long,long time ago!)








Also linked to Family Friendly Friday at Mommie Cooks 

and Simply, This, That and the Other

30x30 - Vanilla Cake

For every birthday, my mom always got me a cake from the same bakery.

(Yes, every single birthday! and I have a summer birthday, so if I wasn't home, she came to me, Village Bakery cake in hand!)

 Nothing ever compared to their vanilla cake with white icing for me. Until now! I've always wanted a good, homemade vanilla cake recipe in my recipe stash and I finally have one.

Mel mentions that she got the original from Parade magazine and someone pulled this recipe for me too but Mel's version is better to me. I guess it's the difference between all purpose flour and self rising flour which makes this difference.

I'm glad that I also FINALLY get to mark something off my 30 by 30 list too!

Vanilla Buttermilk Cake

(recipe adapted from this recipe on Mel's Kitchen Cafe)

printable recipe

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) butter, softened to room temperature

1 cup granulated white sugar

2 large eggs

1 large egg yolk

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 for light, aluminum or silicone muffin pans (or 325 for dark, nonstick muffin pans). Line about 16-24 muffin cups with muffin liners and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl with a spatula as needed. Mix in eggs and egg yolk one at a time and then mix in the vanilla. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix well. Add 1/4 cup of the buttermilk. Mix. Add another 1/3 of the dry ingredients. Mix. Add the final 1/4 cup of the buttermilk. Mix and then add the final 1/3 of the dry ingredients. Mix until combined and the batter is smooth. Spoon out batter into lined cupcake pan, filling only halfway or just barely over halfway. I always find that using an ice cream scoop is the best for filling muffin pans.

Bake for about 15-18 minutes (depending on the heat of your oven based on the type of muffin pan you have), until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out with moist crumbs. Don’t overbake!

Wordless Wednesday

This is what happens when my husband plates dinner.

Woohoo!!

Just bought my ticket!!!

Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

What a week!!

If you are one of my friends or family, you know that I HATE snow. And guess what?

We had snow. Lots of it. 

 The snow started late Sunday night and then didn't let up until Monday night.

 So guess what?!?!!? I got a snow day!

Actually, I got 2 snow days. I haven't had a snow day since I was in high school!

It was nice to be home with my boys!

Knowing that I would go back to work on Wednesday and be really busy, I wanted to make my co-workers something sweet, not too sweet, but something different too. This was a great dessert after our pizza that was ordered for us! I was unsure of this cake after it came out of the oven but after it set overnight the flavors came together better and tasted much better!

Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

(adapted from this recipe on Baked Bree)

Cake:

1 stick butter at room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 eggs, separated

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups (16-ounces) sour cream

3 cups flour

1 teapoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Topping:

1 bag chocolate chips

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of the mixer, whip the egg whites until they are stiff.  Take out of the bowl and set aside. In a seperate bowl, Cream together the butter and the sugar. Mix in the egg yolks, one at a time and add vanilla. Sift (or whisk) together the dry ingredients.

Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the sugar and butter mixture. Add half of the sour cream. Continue the flour/sour cream mixing until all are well combined. Gently Fold in the beaten egg whites.

In a seperate bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon.

Spread half of the cake batter into a well greased 9x13 pan.  Spinkle half of the cinnamon/sugar mixture on top and half of the bag of chocolate chips. Add the rest of the cake batter and repeat the cinnamon/sugar mixture and chocolate chips. Bake in oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until cake tests done with a toothpick.

Enjoy!

Linked to
Family, Friendly Fridays at Mommie Cooks
I'm Loving it Fridays at Tidy Mom

Chocolate Passion Bowl

I had seen this recipe months ago and remembered making something like it before but with cake. I had it starred in my Google Reader and knew that when I made it, I would need to make it for a group because there was no way my family could eat all of it! I made for one of the many Christmas family gatherings we had and had very little left. Everyone loved it! This would be ideal for a potluck or church reunion too!

Chocolate Passion Bowl

 printable recipe

3 cups cold milk

2 packages (smaller) Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix

1 tub frozen whipped topping , thawed and divided

1   baked 9-inch square brownie layer, cooled, cut into 1-inch cubes
*(You can use the brownie of your choice! I've also made this with chocolate cake!)

Fruit of your choice for top of dessert (I used strawberries, original calls for raspberries)

  Mix milk and pudding mixes with whisk 2 min. Stir in 1 cup Cool Whip.
Place 1/2 of brownies in 2-qt. bowl; top with layers of 1/2 each pudding mixture, remaining Cool Whip and fruit. Repeat all layers.

Refrigerate 1 hour.

adapted from this recipe on The Novice Chef Blog 

linked to Potluck Sunday at Mommy's Kitchen ,
Mouthwatering Mondays at a Southern Fairytale, Tasty Tuesday at Beauty and Bedlam, And Sweets For a Saturday at Sweet as Sugar Cookies

Croissant Egg Muffins

I Love Breakfast.

I could eat breakfast every day of the week not only for breakfast but for lunch and dinner too.

I found this recipe about a year ago and It's one of those that you really don't know why you don't make it more!

I'm sure that these could have lots of  different varieties of vegetables or cheese added to it and be just as good!

I made these for dinner and served with fried potatoes (or hashbrowns).

They got a thumbs up from all the boys! (Husband included!)

Croissant Egg Muffins

(adapted from recipe found on Foodbuzz Family Bites March 22,2010)

printable recipe

1 can refrigerated croissants

3 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 cup fresh chopped spinach

1/2 cup diced ham

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin pan with cooking spray. Whisk eggs,milk, spinach, ham, and seasoning together. Set aside. Press one triangle of croissant dough into each muffin well. You want to create a "cup" in order to hold the egg mixture. Pour egg mixture into each muffin well just half full. Sprinkle cheese over the top of each muffin. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until eggs are set. Serve Warm.

 

Cinnamon Pound Cake

Remember the bet my husband and I made?

Well, my brother-in-laws (Hi David and Roy!) have been asking me who has won. I have six months to finish the bottle but I did get a good start on it during the holidays!

I made this for one of my work parties. We party a lot in my area!

(Give us a reason to have a party and we'll have one!)

We actually ate this for breakfast that day but would be a wonderful dessert too. The cinnamon was the perfect complement in this recipe too!

Cinnamon Pound Cake

(recipe adapted from Sing for Your Supper Blog)

4 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons cinnamon

1 yellow butter cake mix (don’t use white cake mix – it has to be butter)

1 package instant vanilla pudding

1/2 cup canola oil

1 8-ounce container sour cream

4 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a bundt pan.

Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl and sprinkle half of the mixture in the greased bundt pan – shake it around to coat the entire bundt pan. Mix yellow cake mix with  the pudding, oil, sour cream, eggs and other half of cinnamon/sugar mixture. (You will probably want to use your Kitchen Aid for this one!- unless you want a work out!)

Pour into pan and bake for 45 – 50 minutes until springy. Cool for 20 minutes before taking out of pan.

This recipe is linked to Tasty Tuesday on Beauty and Bedlam

Hot Fudge Sauce

When I was in high school, I was heavily involved in our Culinary Program. I loved being able to cook (and eat!) during the day, instead of normal learning. I knew back then that I really wanted to be a chef and so I started on the fast track and immersed myself in anything and everything cooking/baking I could do. Luckily, I had a great teacher who helped me get there too!

This sauce is a sauce we would make to go with hot fudge brownies or cakes.

 I thought it would be fun to make this for the boys for New Years Eve as a special treat! We all loved and there was even some leftover!

Hot Fudge Sauce

1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk (I've tried this with other milks and it just doesn't work!)

1 bag (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips (or 2 cups)

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

In 2-quart saucepan, heat milk, chocolate chips and sugar to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly; remove from heat.

Stir in butter and vanilla until sauce is smooth and creamy. Cool about 30 minutes. Sauce will begin to thicken (and be as good as you remember from the restaurant that used to serve hot fudge cakes that were so good!) Store covered in refrigerator up to 4 weeks.

adapted from this recipe

 

  Linked to Potluck Sunday at Mommy's Kitchen and Family Friendly Fridays at Mommie Cooks

Happy New Year!

Happy 2011!!!

So we've made it to another year!! 

I'm very happy to get past the year that was 2010 and move on to a bright, bright future.

This lovely year is also the year that I turn 30. I still am trying to wrap my head around the entire idea but I've got about 5 months left in my twenties and I plan on enjoying them!

I've got lots of goals for this blog. Some are little. Some are big. Hopefully, they will get accomplished. 

My Top Three Goals for 2011!

1. Become a Foodbuzz Featured Publisher.
2. Finish my 30 by 30 list. (Considering I have 23 weeks left, I really need to jump on this one.)
3. Attend a Food Blogger Conference. I don't have a preference even though I have my eyes on BlogHer Food (mainly because it is within driving distance)

I am still new to this blogging world and looking forward to what I learn and sharing some great recipes!