Recipe - Chocolate Sheath Cake

This is one of my favorites! If you try this one, you need a gallon of COLD milk to wash it down with!!!

Chocolate Sheath Cake

Cake Mix:

2 Cups Sugar

2 Cups Flour

2 Sticks Oleo

4 Tbsp Cocoa

1 Cup Water

1/2 Cup Buttermilk (If no buttermilk, use 1/2 cup regular milk and add 1 Tbsp lemon juice)

2 Eggs (Slightly beaten)

1 Tsp Baking Soda

1 Tsp Cinnamon

1 Tsp Vanilla

Sift sugar and flour together. In a sauce pan, mix the oleo, cocoa and water bringing to a rapid boil. Pour over flour and sugar mixture and stir until well mixed. Add buttermilk, eggs, baking soda cinnamon and vanilla. Mix well and pour into a greased pan that's at least 1/4" and bake at 400* in preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Icing:

Begin making about 5 minutes before the cake is done.

1 Stick Oleo

4 Tbsp Cocoa

4 Tbsp Buttermilk

1 Box Powdered Sugar

1 Tsp Vanilla

1 Cup Chopped Pecans

Melt oleo, cocoa and buttermilk together and bring to a rapid boil. Remove from heat and add 1 box of powdered sugar, vanilla and pecans. Beat well with spoon and spread on the cake while it's hot.

Recipe - Brandied Candied Sweet Potatoes

I don't care for sweet potatoes, but this is a favorite for holiday get togethers.

Brandied Candied Sweet Potatoes

1/2 Cup Butter

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar (Packed)

1/2 Cup Brandy

1/2 Tsp Salt

2 LBS Sweet Potatoes, Peeled and diced.

In a large skillet melt the butter. Stir in the brown sugar, brandy and salt. Stir until smooth. Add the sweet potatoes. Cook over low heat, stirring gently until sweet potatoes are heated through and well glazed.

Links

Just wanted to share some links to other websites that I enjoy.

http://www.texasbbqforum.com Excellent site for BBQ and smoking. Very friendly and knowledgeable folks.

http://www.theqjoint.com Another nice BBQ and smoking forum.

http://www.ncre.biz/DATsBBQ/PitGallery/PGM.html This is a different idea, but a cool site. Contributor's send in pictures of their grills/smokers.

http://metroplexbbq.blogspot.com BBQ Joint reviews for the DFW area.

http://tasteytemptations.blogspot.com Another blog with some really good recipes.

http://www.sucklebusters.com Great BBQ rubs, sauces and seasonings! Order ya some Hoochie Mama!!!

http://texasfishingforum.com Although this site can get very childish at times, I still find myself going back often.

http://texasbestfishing.com/forum Alot of great guys and good information on this forum.

Recipe - Roasted Potatoes

I love roasted potatoes and found this easy recipe.

Roasted Potatoes

12 to 15 small red potatoes or 8 larger red potatoes
1/2 onion
2 envelopes Lipton Onion Soup mix
1/3 cup olive oil
Pam Cooking Spray

Using small potatoes, cut in halves. If using large potatoes, cut into bite size pieces. Slice the onion and add to the potatoes.

Add the olive oil and mix. Mix in the soup mix.

Spray a Pyrex type dish with the Pam Spray then place the potatoes in the dish.

Cook in an oven that has been preheated to 425* for about 45 minutes to an hour. Stir the potatoes a time or two during the cook so they don't stick to the pan.

Recipe - Breakfast Potatoes

I never have been able to duplicate the potatoes that Mom fixed when I was growning up even thought she has tried to show me how. I ran across this recipe the other day so I decided to give it a shot. These are pretty close to Moms and they are so good! I think that I will add some jalapeno next time.

This recipe courtesy of Tasty Temptations

Breakfast Potatoes

4 white potatoes quartered and sliced very thin
1/2 yellow onion fine diced
1 clove garlic fine diced
1.5 tbsp rosemary chopped
1 SMALL pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
1 tbsp butter
3 tbsp olive oil
1 slice bacon

The key to making these potatoes right is to make sure to put everything in the right order. A very common mistake is for people to throw things in all at once and burn the onions and garlic.

In a large skillet add olive oil and butter over medium heat. Toss in potatoes and leave them alone. The key here is to let them start to brown. Turn them a few times until they are a light brown.

Add in the onions and rosemary and toss it all to coat. Make a well in the center of the potatoes and add in your slice of bacon. Once the potatoes are brown and the onions are clear toss in the garlic, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Reduce to low and toss a few more times. Remove the bacon before you serve this is simply there for flavor, I usually toss it in the pan with the other bacon I'm cooking to let it fry up properly.

Recipe - Crockpot Carnitas

I love carnitas and enjoy the simplicity of using a crockpot. I actually prefer the carnitas diced and cooked in the skillet, but my lovely wife prefers them this method so here is my recipe.

Crockpot Carnitas

1 pork shoulder (about 4-5 Lbs)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 bay leaves
2 cups chicken broth

Mix together salt, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, coriander, and cinnamon in a bowl. Rub the mixture onto the pork shoulder. Place the bay leaves in the bottom of a slow cooker and place the pork on top.

Pour the chicken broth around the sides of the pork, being careful not to wash off the spice mixture.

Cover and cook on Low until the pork shreds easily with a fork, about 10 hours. Turn the meat after it has cooked for 5 hours. When the pork is tender, remove from slow cooker, and shred with two forks. Use cooking liquid as needed to moisten the meat.

Serve on two corn tortillas with chopped cilantro, diced onion and some chile sauce.

Rubbed and ready to cook


Out of the crockpot. Small bowl on the left is the fat that was removed. The bone is in the front.

Recipe - Chili

I will be going against the true Texas Chili Heads by adding beans to the chili, but if you are stubborn and don't want the beans, simply omit them from the recipe. Also, as for the measurements on the spices, I don't know how much I use. I just go by taste on it.

Chili


2 Lbs Hamburger Meat
1 - Can Pinto Beans
1 - Can Kidney Beans (Dark or Light)
1 - Onion (Diced)
1 - Can Stewed Tomatoes
Jalapenos (Chopped)
Cumin
Chili Powder
Red Pepper Flakes
Salt


Brown the hamburger meat. Add the meat to a large cooking pot along with the rest of the ingredients. Include the liquid from the beans and stewed tomatoes.

Bring to a boil then reduce to a low simmer. Stir often until the chili settles down, then stir every 15 or 20 minutes afterwards. It should cook for 4 hours or longer.

Add 1 or 2 jalapenos and taste after 30 minutes or so. If you want more heat, add more. I normally save 1 jalapeno until the end of the cook before I add it.

Like I said, as far as the spices go, just add, simmer about 30 minutes, taste and adjust.

Add some meat from pork spare ribs or brisket to the chili if you happen to have some. This really adds flavor! I normally try to cook chili the day after I smoke brisket or ribs so I will have the meat.

Recipe - Beef Stew

This is a very simple recipe to make and it is soooo good!

Beef Stew

Stew Meat (About 2 Lbs or so)
1 - Large Potato (Peeled & Diced)
1 - Can of corn
Carrots (Cut into bite size pieces)
1 - Onion (Diced into fairly large pieces)
1 - Can stewed tomatoes
1 - Can beef broth
1 - Package McCormick s Stew Seasoning

Using a crockpot place the above ingredients in this order:

Potatoes
Carrots
Meat (Don't worry about seasoning the meat)
Beef Broth
Stew Seasoning (Stir the seasoning in at this point)
Onion
Stewed Tomatoes
Corn

Cover with water.

Now cook for about 8 to 10 hours on low. Don't forget to make the cornbread before dinner!