Cake Mix Pancakes - Red Velvet or Other!!!

http://www.purewow.com/entry_detail/recipe/9070/It-doesnt-get-sexier-than-red-velvet-pancakes.htm

Ingredients

Red Velvet Pancakes

2 cups red velvet cake mix

3 tablespoons melted butter

1 egg

1 cup whole milk

Nonstick spray, for cooking

Cream Cheese Icing

6 tablespoons whipped cream cheese

4 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

4 tablespoons heavy cream

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Make the pancakes: In a large bowl, whisk the cake mix with the butter, egg and milk to combine. Work out any lumps with the whisk to make sure the batter is smooth.

2. Heat a medium nonstick skillet over high heat. When the skillet is hot, spritz it with nonstick spray and reduce the heat to low (to prevent the pancakes from becoming too dark).

3. Working in batches, ladle the batter into the skillet and cook until bubbles begin to rise from the center of the pancakes, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the pancakes and continue cooking 1 to 2 minutes more. Remove the pancakes to a plate and cover with a towel to keep warm.

4. Make the icing: Using a whisk or hand mixer, combine the cream cheese with the sugar, cream and vanilla.

5. To serve, pile the pancakes onto plates and top generously with icing.

Blueberry Ginger Smoothie

http://www.purewow.com/recipes/Blueberry-Ginger-Smoothie

Ingredients

½ cup plain yogurt

1 cup frozen blueberries

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

Pinch of cinnamon

⅓ cup almond milk

1 tablespoon honey or agave

¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a blender, puree all ingredients until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add additional almond milk until the desired texture is achieved. 

Note: You can use fresh blueberries, but add ½ cup ice into the blender to keep the texture.

Chocolate Bread

Original Recipe at: http://www.purewow.com/entry_detail/recipe/8325/Double-chocolate-bread-you-can-make-in-one-bowl.htm

Ingredients

1½ cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch of salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

½ cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup dark-chocolate chips

Confectioners’ sugar, as garnish

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. Add the butter, sugar, eggs, sour cream and vanilla, then mix with a whisk until well combined.

3. Gently fold in the chocolate chips until they are evenly distributed.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. It should fill the pan a little more than halfway.

5. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 minutes to 1 hour.

6. Let the bread cool for 15 minutes in the pan, then remove it from the pan while it is still warm by inverting it onto a cooling rack. Cool completely before slicing and serving. If desired, finish the loaf with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar.

Peanutbutter Graham Cracker Sandwich

Original Recipe: http://sprinklesomesunshine.blogspot.com/2012/08/peanut-butter-sandwich-treat-party.html

Ingredients:

6 graham crackers

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate for dipping (I used chocolate Candiquik today) but you could also use the chocolate chip/shortening combo mentioned below.

Directions:

1.  Mix peanut butter, powdered sugar & vanilla with a fork in a bowl & stick it in the freezer to firm up a bit.

2. Melt chocolate (Candiquik melts beautifully in the microwave) & brush one side of the graham crackers with melted chocolate using a pastry brush. 

3. Scoop peanut butter mixture on top of chocolate side of the graham crackers. I used about 2 tablespoons of pb mixture per cracker. Spread pb evenly to edges of cracker.

4. Place crackers in freezer for a bit to firm up the pb.

5. Reheat the chocolate if needed. Dip the pb graham crackers into chocolate. I set them in the bowl of melted chocolate, one at a time, & spooned the melted chocolate over the top. Then lift the cracker out of chocolate with a fork & tapped the fork on the side of the bowl so extra chocolate drips off into the bowl. 

6. Place on waxed paper or parchment paper & allow chocolate to set up. I drizzled extra melted chocolate over the top. Store in refrigerator & serve very cold.

Chocolate Chip Shortening Combo:

12 oz. chocolate chips
2 tablespoons shortening

Melt chocolate chips & shortening. I melt half the chocolate/shortening to start & melt the rest as needed . I use the microwave on medium power, cooking for 1 minute & stirring, repeating until melted and smooth. I use a small plastic bowl. You can use a doubler boiler instead of the microwave.

Flour Tortillas

I need to try this recipe!!!   From the St. Andrews Moms Taste & See Cookbook. :)

Kristi's Chicken Fried Rice

Ingredients:

2 c rice uncooked

2 eggs

1T Butter

1T Olive Oil

4 Green Onions

2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced

1 cup frozen peas

Garlic Salt

Salt

Pepper

Soy Sauce

Instructions:

My friend uses boil in a bag rice, but I put 2 cups of white rice in my rice cooker. While that is cooking, melt some butter and olive oil in a pan. Sauté the green onions in that. Then add eggs and slowly stir them… You don't want to actually scramble them. 

Then add the chicken (which should already be cooked and diced) and peas. 

Then a little garlic salt and pepper. When rice is done cooking, add it to the pan and stir it all up. Add soy sauce to taste.  

My friend typically does 2 boil in a bag rice bags at a time and three eggs.  Another option is to buy chicken strips from the deli and use that for the chicken. You can use fried chicken strips or you can use baked chicken. Or shrimp or whatever meat.

Pesto (Or Not) Brie Dip

Hot Mama Notes: The recipe above is what I used as the basis for my Brie dip.  The problem was that I had no green onions (I substituted fresh garlic chives from my garden!) and no pesto (I omitted it altogether, but in hindsight, I should have chopped up a few fresh basil leaves from my garden.) and no plum tomato (I used 5 cherry/grape tomatoes from my garden).  I also did not have 1 lb of Brie.  I had 2 wedges.  Still, I followed the directions as given, and my Brie turned out AWESOME!!!!  Mine might have been cooked a little longer.  The cheese was pretty much completely melted.  But, no matter, it tasted AWESOME!!!  I served it with a loaf of crusty white bread (french and italian) that I cut in half to make the pieces smaller and thus "bite size". :)  I will definitely make this again, though Brie is SUPER expensive.  $5 for each wedge.  They were given to me, so I didn't feel the pain.  I used a tiny (5"x7"x1") glass baking dish in our small oven.

Hot Mama Grade: A

Chicken Black Bean (or Spinach) Enchiladas

Hot Mama Notes: My family likes this enchilada recipe.  It is a good one.  Easy to make, and easy to make substitutions if you need to.  I also like that it doesn't have as much cheese as some enchilada recipes do.  I make a lot of substitutions to this recipe.  I cook one package (frozen or fresh, usually 3-4 breasts) of chicken in the crockpot with one can or jar of green enchilada sauce.  After the chicken is done, I shred the chicken.  As per the recipe, I take the chicken out of the crock pot using a slotted spoon and put it in a separate bowl.  This way the chicken is dryer/drained.  I use the remaining liquid in the crock pot in lieu of the cream of chicken soup.  Combine the measured liquid from the crock pot, the sour cream, picante and the chili powder.  In separate bowl, combine chicken, cheese, and beans (I try to use my own cooked beans from the freezer, but if I don't have any, then I use one can black beans, well rinsed and drained in a colander).  Put 1 cup of sauce into the chicken mixture.  Put chicken mixture into tortillas, roll, and place in pan seam side down.  I use a pampered chef stoneware 13x9x2.  Pour remaining sauce over the enchiladas.   Bake at 350F for 40 minutes or so.  When I needed to make a vegetarian dish, you can omit the chicken and use cooked spinach (steam fresh spinach in the microwave steamer or use frozen cooked spinach), along with  either cream of asparagus or celery soup, or use plain green enchilada sauce.  The vegetarian option is good, as well, though I prefer chicken.  I use flour tortillas.


Hot Mama Grade: A-

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Hot Mama Notes: This recipe was one that I tasted at my friend Tawnya's ice skating pot luck.  We liked it so much that we asked for and received the recipe.  I've made it since then, and it is good, but not as aesthetically pleasing as regular enchiladas, but it's easier and quicker.

Hot Mama Grade: B+

Dill Dip

Hot Mama Notes: This is the best dill dip ever.  Seriously.  It is so tasty and ridiculously easy to make.  A real crowd pleaser!  :)  Make sure to whip the dip with a hand mixer or stand mixer.  Otherwise it is lumpy and not as good.

Hot Mama Grade: A