May 30

135. Strawberry Cake

I had a huge thing of Strawberries that would have gone bad so I found a recipe for a cake. It was really good and really strawberry tasty!

*1 package strawberry cake mix or white cake mix
*1 package strawberry jello
*4 TBSP flour
*1 cup vegetable oil
*1/2 cup sugar
*1/2 cup whole milk
*4 eggs
*1/2 cup chopped fresh strawberries

Preheat oven to 350
Spray three 9 inch cake pans
Mix in a mixer on low for 1 minute
Scrape the sides and mix for 2 minutes on medium
Pour into pans and bake for 33-35 minutes
Allow to cool before icing

136. Strawberry Icing

*1 stick soften butter
*4 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
*1/2 cup chopped fresh strawberries with juice

Mix and ice the cake.

Goes with the cake. It was good but I would go with a cream cheese icing for the cake next time. It was almost too much!

137. Chicken with Red Pepper sauce

*2 cloves garlic, peeled
*2 bell peppers, quartered, lengthwise, ribs and seeds removed
*1 TBSP red wine vinegar
*3 TBSP olive oil
*3 TBSP water
*coarse salt and pepper
*4 boneless, skinless chicken breast

Heat the grill to medium
Wrap the garlic in foil and grill until soft (10-15 minutes)
Meanwhile grill the peppers, skin down until charred, 6-8 minutes
Let peppers and garlic cool slightly
Remove skin for peppers; squeeze the garlic from skins
In a blender combine garlic, peppers, vinegar, 2 TBSP olive oil, and water; season with salt and pepper
Blend until emulsified, add some more water is needed
Rub chicken with olive oil and season with salt and pepper
Grill chicken until browned on both sides 5-8 minutes per side
Serve with sauce!

This was good if you liked Red bell peppers. Dave thinks that it needed a pop of heat but I liked it as is. The kids thought that the sauce was gross and then got ranch to finish off their chicken. I almost made those potatoes on the grill and they are so good. The ones in the tin foil packet. Yummy!

138. Home Style Mac and cheese

This is the best Mac and Cheese I have tried yet.

*7 ounces macaroni
*1/4 cup butter
*3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
*2 cups milk
*1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
*1/2 teaspoon salt
*1/2 teaspoon black pepper
*2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
*2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

*1 cup dry bread crumbs
*2 tablespoons butter
*2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 400
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
Add macaroni pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
In a 3 quart saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and stir in flour.
Cook for about 1 minute, until smooth and bubbly; stirring occasionally.
Mix in milk, cream cheese, salt, pepper, and Dijon mustard.
Continue cooking until sauce is thickened.
Add cooked macaroni and Cheddar cheese.
Pour into 2 quart casserole dish.
In small bowl mix together bread crumbs, butter and parsley; spread over macaroni and cheese. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and heated through.