Friday, June 27, 2014

Lucky Leaf Peach Cake

Lucky Leaf Peaches Cake

Today I’ve got another cake for you.  Lucky Leaf Premium Pie Filling sent me a package recently, including more of their delicious pie fillings, some great recipes, and a 9x13 inch Rachael Ray cake pan with lid.

Lucky Leaf

This cake, much like the pineapple cake I posted last, was super easy to make.  Although this one used a cake mix, which isn’t my favorite thing to use, but since I don’t eat the cake, I don’t mind making that kind of dessert for others.  This peach cake I made, used Lucky Leaf peach pie filling.  I chopped some of the peaches in the filling a bit smaller than they were, then just added the whole can of filling to a yellow cake mix with some eggs and sour cream.  That’s it.

Peaches Cake 6-22-14 (Lucky Leaf Pie Filling)

The recipe on the Lucky Leaf website had a different topping, which I should have made since I had all the ingredients, but for some reason, I decided to just make a simple vanilla glaze for the top of the cake. 

Lucky Leaf Peaches Cake 2

I’ve left the link for the cake recipe above at Lucky Leaf.  The glaze I made was simply just some powdered sugar, a little butter, pinch of salt, vanilla and some milk. 

Glazed Peach Cake

Kevin thought it was really sweet.  He doesn’t like some things to be too sweet.  Get this, in a matter of a day and a half, Kevin ate one and a half pieces of the cake.  During that same time, Scott ate the rest of the 9x13 inch cake.  THAT is a lot of cake consumed by one person.  Granted, he’s a 16 year old growing boy, but wow.  Taylor ate about a half piece of the cake, but Scott ate the rest of it.  And for some reason, I’m fine with that.  When I make the cake again sometime, I will use the topping recipe Lucky Leaf provided.  It had cream cheese, vanilla pudding mix and crushed canned pineapple.  Sounds good.

Lucky Leaf Peaches Cake

Another Lucky Leaf recipe I can’t wait to make with the cherry pie filling they sent me is this White Chocolate Cherry Cream Pie.  I would probably even “steal” a little bite of this one!

whitechocolatecherrypie

(Photo courtesy of Lucky Leaf)

I’ve mentioned this before, but I love Lucky Leaf pie fillings.  They have no high fructose corn syrup!  Thanks again for the package, Lucky Leaf!

Friday, June 13, 2014

Easiest Pineapple Cake

Easiest Pineapple Cake

This really is one of the easiest cakes I’ve ever made.  And I love that it was even easier than making a box mix cake and definitely not full of so many things you can’t even pronounce and shouldn’t eat!

I’ve made this cake three times in a couple of weeks and it’s been liked and popular by everyone who has eaten it.  I made it for my sister-in-laws birthday and everyone liked it.   Then I made a cake for the funeral of a neighbor’s dad and someone who went and had some took the time to message me and say how yummy it was.  I also made one for a family reunion we just had—but we had so many desserts, it wasn’t even touched.  So I took some of the cake to the friend who praised it after the funeral and she again said it is delicious, and that was after the cake was a couple days old (I’d had it sitting in our fridge waiting for the reunion for a couple days).  I also gave more of it to my sister-in-law.  I have to admit, I took a little bite of the cake, even though I’m not eating gluten and sugar, I needed to know if it really is good.  It is!

It was a cinch to whip up and make and is perfect for any occasion, especially a group get together, party or holiday!  I found this cake at my blogging friend, Mary’s blog, Bunny's Warm Oven.  When I think of cakes, I definitely think of her blog as one of the first places to look for ideas and great recipes.  But check out her blog for plenty more goodies as well as delicious-looking savory food now and then. 

I love that the cake also has no oil or butter and is still moist and tasty.  With the usual baking ingredients like sugar and flour, you just add a can of crushed pineapple (in it’s own juice).  So simple.  And you certainly can’t beat a cream cheese frosting and nuts on top!  I didn’t even notice until writing this up that the recipe actually says to frost the cake while it’s still warm (making it even faster)!  I waited until it was completely cool.  You choose what works best for you.

 Easiest Pineapple Cake 2

Easiest Pineapple Cake, very minimally adapted by Katrina, Baking and Boys! from Mary at Bunny’s Warm Oven

2 cups (240 grams) all purpose flour

2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1—20 ounce can of crushed pineapple (in it’s own juice, NOT syrup), undrained

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

8 ounces cream cheese, softened (I used 1/3 less fat kind)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch of salt

1  1/2 cups (165 grams) powdered sugar, sifted

1 cup walnuts, lightly toasted and chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a 9x13 inch cake pan with cooking spray.  Set aside.  Whisk together in a large bowl the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda.  Add the eggs, vanilla and pineapple and stir with a spatula until well combined.  Pour into the pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack.

To make frosting—Beat the butter, cream cheese, vanilla and salt in an electric mixer until creamy.  Gradually add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth and creamy.  When the cake has cooled, spread the frosting evenly over the cake.  Sprinkle with nuts.

Easiest Pineapple Cake

I need to find a way to try this gluten free and refined sugar free.

Sunday, June 01, 2014

Red Lentil Patties with Spicy Tomato Jam and Rhubarb Walnut Loaf—Secret Recipe Club

Red Lentil Patties with Spicy Tomato Jam

Betcha anyone coming over here from the Secret Recipe Club that knows me well is shocked that this is my pick for the month and it’s not dessert!  Here’s the deal—I made three recipes from my blog assignment this month and chose the one I liked the most to feature here first.  I liked all three recipes from Isabelle’s blog, Crumb.  I am so happy that I took the time to make these Red Lentil Patties with Spicy Tomato Jam.  I had them in mind the whole month and just kept not getting it done. 

In the meantime, after spending Mother’s Day weekend with my parents in Idaho, I brought home a bunch of rhubarb from their garden.

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Mom and I were having loads of fun trying to take a selfie before I left.  Some of them were pretty funny.

5-12-14

My parents just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on May 16th!  Anyway, their yard and garden is beautiful and they have 3-4 big rhubarb plants.  I got to bring home a bunch.

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How cool is this pvc pipe planter?  They made holes all along the top, filled them with dirt and planted things like lettuce and herbs.  They’ve done that all along fencing in their yard.  No weeding!

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I could post more pictures, but I’ll spare you too many more.  I just wish I could be like my parents and have a yard and garden like they do!

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Back to the rhubarb—I scoured Isabelle’s blog for any rhubarb recipes and found this Rhubarb Walnut Loaf.  I decided that it wouldn’t be too difficult to make gluten free and made it. 

Rhubarb Walnut Loaf 5-22-14

Here’s how I changed it to be gluten free and with a few other changes.

Gluten Free Rhubarb Walnut Loaf, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!

2/3 cup organic brown cane sugar

1/2 cup coconut oil

1 large egg

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup canned coconut milk

zest of 1 lemon

1  1/2 cups diced rhubarb

2  1/2 cups gluten free flour (I used Premium Gold ancient grains blend with xanthan gum)

2 tablespoons ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup organic brown cane sugar

juice of a lemon

1 tablespoon toasted unsweetened coconut.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Whisk together the brown sugar and coconut oil.  Add the egg and mix well.  Stir in the vanilla and coconut milk.  Zest and juice the lemon.  Stir the zest into the wet mixture.  Save the lemon juice for the glaze.

Whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir just until combined.  Fold in the rhubarb and nuts.    Pour the batter into a 9x5 loaf pan that his brushed with coconut oil.  Bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Whisk together the 1/4 cup of brown sugar and lemon juice and bring to a simmer in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved.  Pour the glaze over the loaf as soon as it comes out of the oven.  Sprinkle with coconut.  Cool on a wire rack.

Rhubarb Walnut Loaf

Stay tuned for the red lentil patties and tomato jam, I’ll get to it soon.  It might be the first time in my blog’s history that I didn’t blog for a whole month.  I need to make up for lost time.  A bit more of the month went by and I still kept thinking about the lentil patties with homemade “catsup”.  I looked through Isabelle’s blog again, just for the heck of it and found these Cherry Walnut Oatmeal Breakfast Bars and felt like making them.  I made a few changes, using gluten free oats, brown rice flour, cranberries, sunflower seeds, almond milk, etc.  If you want my version of the recipe, let me know.  They were a good snack throughout the last week. 

Gluten Free Cranberry Walnut Oatmeal Breakfast Bars (June SRC)

Gluten Free Cranberry Walnut Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

I didn’t think I was going to get the lentil patties made.  I knew if I made them they would only be something I would eat and no one else around here, but a couple days ago, I just decided to get it done last Thursday, the boys’ last full day of school.  I started with the Spicy Tomato Jam.  Super easy and very tasty!

Spicy Tomato Jam, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!, adapted from Isabelle at Crumb Blog

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1 small shallot, finely minced

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1/4 teaspoon dry ground mustard

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

14 ounce can of whole tomatoes, drained and chopped

1/4 cup organic brown cane sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

Saute the shallot and ginger in olive oil for a couple minutes.  Add the garlic and mustard and saute until fragrant.  Chop the tomatoes, or pulse them in a food processor.  Add all the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer.  Reduce heat and cook uncovered for about an hour, stirring occasionally, until it has thickened like jam.  Let the jam cool, then spoon into a jar and refrigerate until ready to use. 

Spicy Tomato Jam

This really has great flavor and a nice, perfect kick.  You can add a little more or less red pepper to your taste.  Isabelle used red pepper flakes.  I prefer the ground kind.  This tomato jam would be good on so many things.  After the jam was done, I made the patties.  I had bought some garam masala, which I had never used before, just to make these.  I’m glad I did! 

Red Lentil Patties with Spicy Tomato Jam 2

Since I was the only one eating these, I made just a few of them and have done so a couple times with the patty mixture in the refrigerator ready to make more.   I think I’ll fry off the rest of them, which I’ve done in coconut oil, and freeze them.  I made them gluten free by using rice flour instead of all purpose flour.

Red Lentil Patties, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!, adapted from Isabelle at Crumb Blog

1  1/2 cups red lentils

3 cups water

1 small shallot, finely minced

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 teaspoons garam masala

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 large eggs

1/2 cup brown rice flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro

coconut oil, for frying

In a large saucepan, bring the lentils and water to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer until lentils are soft, 15-20 minutes.  Drain lentils well.  In a skillet, saute the shallot in olive oil for a few minutes.  Add the garlic, cumin, and garam masala.  Cook and stir a few more minutes.  Remove from heat.  In a large bowl, combine the lentils, sauteed ingredients, eggs, flour, salt, pepper and cilantro.  Form into balls (or use a cookie scoop).  Lay them in a skillet that is heated with a couple tablespoons of coconut oil and flatten them to about 1/4 inch thick.  Fry the patties for about 5 minutes per side or until golden brown and crisp.

Serve them warm or at room temperature with the spicy tomato jam. 

Red Lentil Patties with Spicy Tomato Jam

These really were quite simple to make and I’m so glad I found the time to do so!  You know, a couple years ago, I got the pleasure of filling in for a missing Secret Recipe Club assignment and made some delicious marbled choco banana muffins and granola from Isabelle’s blog.  What I wouldn’t give for one of those muffins now!  I also just realized and had thought I had been assigned Isabelle’s blog before, but knew I’d filled in once, so I didn’t question it until now—I have also already had an actual assignment for Crumb and I made a couple more things--Warm Raspberry Chocolate Pudding Cake and Sweet Potato Falafel!  I knew something seemed off, but didn’t question it.  Oh well, I am super glad I got to find more yummy things on Isabelle’s blog!  We need to have a talk with “the powers that be” who make these assignments. ;  )