Red Marble Bundt Cake #BundtBakers

Yours Truly is hosting #BundtBakers this month.  I chose the theme of RED for this month's challenge.  Red for heart health month.  Red for Valentine's Day.  Red for Chinese New Year and the carpet at the Oscars.

Yep, we are seeing RED this month and we invite you to join us as we all share what we baked up for you this month.

I found this easy recipe at Southern Living during a Google Search.  It was posted as a Christmas Cake but I knew it would be perfect for this month's theme as well.

Once you color part of your batter, use an ice cream scoop to first put down a layer of white on the bottom of your bundt.  Then place a scoop of red on top of the white, in between every 2 scoops.  Repeat until all the batter is gone.  No swirling.  Just pop it as is into the oven.

It's a big cake so make sure you use a full size Bundt Pan.  Let it cool for 10 minutes in the pan, set on a rack, before flipping it out to cool completely on the rack.

I always hold my breath during this part.  I find that using baking spray to coat the bundt pan is the best way to hit all those nooks and crannies, giving you a perfect bundt each time.

I carried out the RED them by adding some sprinkles to the glaze.  The glaze is easy peasy.  2 1/2 c. powdered sugar mixed with 3 Tablespoons of milk and a teaspoon of vanilla.  This glaze works on Bundt cakes, cinnamon rolls, coffee cakes....anywhere you want a touch of sweetness without a full blown frosting.  I think this cake would also be very lovely served with whipped cream and garnished with strawberries.

The cake is marbled, without swirling, when you cut it open.  It is a beautiful presentation and I am so happy that I found this recipe to share with you this month.  Don't forget to scroll past the recipe to see what all of my friends are sharing today.

Red Marble Bundt Cake

source: Southern Living

1 c. butter, softened

1/2 c. shortening

2 1/2 c. sugar

6 eggs

3 c. flour

1 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

3/4 c. milk

1 t. vanilla

1 T. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 T. red food coloring

Beat butter and shortening in large bowl of stand mixer, fitted with paddle attachment, until creamy. Gradually add sugar  until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each, until blended.

Mix the flour, baking powder and salt together and add it, alternately with the milk, to the butter mixture.  Stir in vanilla.

Treat a bundt pan liberally with baking spray or grease and flour very well, making sure to get into all areas of the pan.

Remove 2 1/2 c. of the batter to another bowl and stir in the cocoa and food coloring.  Using an ice cream scoop, place scoops of the white batter along the bottom of your bundt.  Add scoops of the red batter on top and in the center of each two white scoops.  Continue in this manner until all the batter is used.  

Place in a preheated 325* oven for 55-60 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the center removes cleanly.  Remove from oven and let cool in the pan, on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.  Flip the cake from the pan onto the cooling rack and let cool completely.  Print Recipe

More RED Bundt Cakes just in time for Valentine's Day

• Berries Bundt Cake by Bizcocheando 
• Berry UpBeet Bundt Cake by All That's Left Are The Crumbs 
• Bundt Cake extra rojo by La mejor manera 
• Cherry & Chocolate Chip Bundtlettes by Sew You Think You Can Cook 
• Cherry Bundt Cake by Basic N Delicious 
• Red Marble Bundt by A Day in the Life on the Farm 
• Red Velvet Bundt Cake by I love Bundt Cakes  
• Red Velvet Marble Bundt Cake by Patty's Cake 
• Roasted Balsamic Cherry Chocolate Cake by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice 
• Strawberries and Cream Bundt Cake by Palatable Pastime 
• White Chocolate Bundt Cake with Raspberry Glaze and Fresh Raspberries by The Queen of Scones

Chile and Chocolate Prawns; #ImprovCookingChallenge

This months challenge asked us to share recipes that used chocolate and chile peppers.  I love a little heat with my chocolate so I was thrilled with this theme.

I chose to use crushed red chile peppers and Ghiradelli 68% cocoa chocolate for this recipe that I found in The Food and Cooking of Mexico, South America and the Caribbean by Jane Milton, Jenni Fleetwood and Marina Filippelli.  

I received this cookbook as a gift from our friend's, the Greens.  It not only contains a ton of great recipes but also the history of these areas, the foods cooked in different regions of these countries, and the feasts and festivals that they celebrate. It is the perfect book to curl up with on a dreary winter day, with a cup of tea and lose yourself into the sunshine and tropics of these areas.  I will be posting this recipe over at Foodies Read 2017 where we share all of our food related reads each month.

I adapted this recipe from one found in the section labeled street food and snacks.  They cook up in quickly especially if you, like I, buy raw shrimp that has already been peeled and deveined.  

Then you only need to butterfly them, dredge them in seasoned flour and fry them up in a little olive oil for only a minute or two before they are ready to be tossed in the chile chocolate sauce.

This sauce!!  Not only does it contain chiles and chocolate but also fresh squeezed orange juice and a touch of sherry.  If there is anything better than chocolate with a little heat it is chocolate and orange together.  I have loved this flavor profile since I got my first foil covered chocolate orange as a kid.  I love those things and buy them each Christmas when they are available in the stores.

They may be street food or snacks in Mexico but in our house it was the first course at our Valentine Dinner Party. Very apropos to serve a savory chocolate dish on this day accompanied by a bit of bubbly to get the party started! Don't forget to scroll past my recipe for more great Chile and Chocolate creations.

Chile and Chocolate Prawns

adapted from The Food and Cooking of Mexico

3-4  Raw Large Shrimp per person, peeled and deveined. (I used 24 shrimp)

2 T. flour, seasoned with salt and pepper to taste

1 T. olive oil

2 T.  dry sherry

Juice of 2 oranges

1 oz. dark chocolate, chopped

2 t. garlic paste

1 t. ginger paste

1/4 t. crushed red chile pepper, or more to taste

Place the orange juice, sherry, garlic, ginger and chile pepper into a small saucepan over med low heat and bring to a simmer.  Remove from heat and stir in chocolate pieces until smooth.  Set aside.

Butterfly your shrimp by cutting down the back until nearly but not completely through the other side.  Press flat into the seasoned flour on both sides.  Heat the olive oil in a skillet over med high heat.  Add the shrimp, in batches if necessary and cook for a minute or so on each side until golden brown with pink edges.  Remove shrimp to a plate.  Pour the sauce into the skillet and cook, stirring and scraping any brown bits stuck to the bottom into the sauce until slightly thickened.  Return shrimp to skillet and toss with the sauce before serving.  Print Recipe

Chile and Chocolate Challenge

An InLinkz Link-up

It's a Chocolate Dipped Fantastical Food Fight

Welcome to the February edition of Fantastical Food Fight.  In this little contest we are all given a common theme or food and are challenged to make our best version of it.  May the best blogger win!!

This month's challenge was to create a chocolate covered treat to share with each other and all of our readers.  Very apropos since we just finished celebrating Valentine's Day.  These friendly little fights are a lot of fun.  If you are a blogger and would like to join us you can learn all you need to know at the information page.

As you can see, I am sharing some chocolate dipped pretzels that I made up for two of my favorite valentines, EJ and Raechal.  EJ and Rae, belong to my friend Tamie, but she is nice enough to share them with me.  They are great kids and we always have fun when they come to visit.  

On this occasion, Tamie and the kids, joined us for dinner and game night last Saturday.  We ate a lot, laughed a lot and played a lot.  These pretzel sticks were a great hit and took very little time and effort to make.  That is what I call a win/win.....when you can bring a smile to those you love with just a few moments work.

These easy little treats are perfect for any occasion.  You can use any color chocolate melts and any sprinkles that you like.  How about green chocolate with dark green shamrocks for next month?  Or the colors of your favorite team the next time you get together with friends to watch a game?  I have used pastel colors at Easter and Red, White and Blue for Independence Day.  There is no limit to the fun you can have.  

This is also a fun project to do with the kiddos.  Simply lay down some parchment paper, melt the chocolate in a cup, set out some sprinkles and let them loose to create their own masterpieces.  Hey....You could even have a Fantastical Food Fight and name a winner!

Don't forget to scroll past the recipe to see what the other contenders have brought to the fight.

Chocolate Dipped Pretzels

Pretzel Rods

Chocolate Melts

Sprinkles

Place the desired amount of chocolate melts into a glass measuring cup.  Microwave on high for 30 seconds, stir and microwave in 10 second increments, stirring after each until melted and smooth. Tilt the measuring cup to bring the chocolate to one side.  Stick a pretzel rod into the chocolate, rolling to cover the top section.  Hold until slightly set, roll in sprinkles if desired, and set on parchment to set completely. Print Recipe

An InLinkz Link-up

Oven Baked Tropical Pancakes for #BreadBakers

This month's Bread Bakers is brought to you by Mayuri of Mayuri's Jikoni.  Mayuri chose the theme of pancakes......YUM!!  Mayuri invited us to go sweet or savory, suggesting items like crepes, blinis and gozleme.  Yes, I had to look up gozleme too.  It is a traditional, savory Turkish flatbread.  Mayuri encouraged us to go global with our choices.

Since I have sunshine and blue skies dominating my mind this month as we get ready to head to Dominica for a dive vacation, I decided to go tropical with my pancake.  Since we are posting on Valentine's Day I made them into hearts and topped them with some red currant syrup.

A couple of years ago, Frank and I took a road trip through our home State, staying at different B&B's along the way.   Our last stop was in Pentwater, MI where we stayed at a lovely Bed and Breakfast called Pentwater Abbey.  The owner, Karen Way, served us a wonderful Baked Pancake and was gracious enough to share the recipe.  The recipe is a photocopy of a page from an undisclosed cookbook.  I wanted to give credit to the original source of this recipe for "Fruited Buttermilk Oven Pancakes", so I did a google search.  I found Karen's entry in the Michigan B&B association website where she gives credit to BHG.  No wonder it was so good. 

I decided to take this recipe and make it my own by adding the tropical flavors of Mango and Coconut.  How did it turn out?   I'll let my favorite, little Valentine show you.

These baked pancakes are perfect!  You can use any fruit you want.  Choose what is seasonal or what your family loves.  Choose for the holiday, strawberry and blueberry for 4th of July was my first thought.  Each pan makes 4-6 servings that are ready at one time so you don't have to worry about keeping the first batches warm while cooking up the rest.  

Tropical Baked Pancakes

adapted from Pentwater Abbey

1 1/2 c. flour

2 T. sugar

1 t. baking soda

1 t. baking powder

pinch of salt

1 egg, beaten

1 1/2 c. buttermilk

3 T. cooking oil

1 (15 oz) can diced mango, drained

1/2 c. shredded, sweetened coconut

Cinnamon Sugar (2 T. sugar + 1/2 t. cinnamon)

Combine flour, sugar, soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.  In a 2 c. measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, egg and cooking oil.  Pour into the dry ingredients all at once.  Stir until just mixed. Spread the batter in 15x10x1 jelly roll pan (cookie sheet) that has been treated with baking spray. Sprinkle the mango and coconut evenly over the batter and then sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. Place into a preheated 350* oven for 12-15 minutes.  Pancake will spring back when touched and the edges will be lightly browned.  Cut into squares or desired shapes and serve. Print Recipe

Pancakes, Pancakes and More Pancakes

• Alagar Kovil Dosai from Sara’s Tasty Buds
• Blueberry Dutch Baby from Hostess At Heart
• Brown Rice Dosa (Indian Savory Crepes) from Spiceroots
• Buckwheat, Blackberry and Saffron Drop Scones from A Shaggy Dough Story
• Chinese Scallion Pancakes from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Corn Pancakes from Kids and Chic
• Crepes from A Baker’s House
• Dutch Baby from Herbivore Cucina
• Galettes de Sarrasin from The Bread She Bakes
• Greek Tiganites from Gayathri’s Cook Spot
• Hotteok (Korean Pancakes) from Cook’s Hideout
• Hotteok (Korean Stuffed Pancakes) from Passion Kneaded
• Kabalagala (Ugandan Pancakes) from Mayuri’s Jikoni
• Keralan Yeast Appam from Food Lust People Love
• Malpua (Sweet Indian Crepes) from SimplyVeggies
• Oven Baked Tropical Pancakes from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Pannukkau (Finish Pancakes) from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Potato Latkes (Jewish Pancakes) from Sneha’s Recipes
• Savory Finnish Baked Pancakes(Pannukakku) with Smoked Salmon from The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Srilankan Hoppers from I camp in my Kitchen
• Strawberry Nutella Crepes from Spill the Spices
• Swedish Pancakes from Palatable Pastime
• Sweet Potato Pancakes with Brown Sugar and Pecan Sauce from A Salad For All Seasons
• Wholegrain Yeast Pancakes from Ambrosia

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely bread by following our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated after each event on the #BreadBakers home page.
We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send Stacy an email with your blog URL to foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com.

Orange Vodka and Tonic ala By the Pounds; Don't Judge Me Mondays #FoodBloggerLove

Hi and Welcome to #FoodBloggerLove.  We are a group of food bloggers who, led by Allison of The PinterTest Kitchen, are assigned another blogger to track and learn more about.  I was assigned Rachel of By the Pounds for this event.  Interested in joining us for the next event?  Let Allison know at our Facebook page

I was not familiar with Rachel's blog and I am so happy to have been given this assignment.  Rachel is a relatively new blogger, since April of last year and she is a girl after my own heart.  You know what she blogs about?

Well, food, of course....she has a recipe page that is broken up into categories.  Breakfast.....Bruleed French Toast anyone?  Cocktails...yep a whole section just for cocktails!  Desserts, including this Chocolate Orange Layer Cake that is going to make an appearance in this household very soon. Main dishes like these fun Chili Fritos that would be great followed up with this Blackberry and Watermelon Salad.  Rachel had this under salads but wouldn't it be a great light dessert? Rachel finishes up her page as we often finish up our day...with Snacks.

Rachel also hosts a book club, I told you we were soul-mates.  Each month she shares not only a review of the book they read but the recipe for the cocktail she served and the menu of her dinner with at least one recipe.  My kinda girl!!

But, my favorite part of Rachel's blog?  Her Don't Judge Me Monday posts.  Each Monday, Rachel shares a new cocktail that she has developed.  Of course, this is my favorite category......don't judge me!

You knew, as soon as I said Rachel had a cocktail section, that I was going to choose to make a drink recipe.  This drink did not come from her Don't Judge Me Monday's section, but rather from her Book Club section.  Rachel served Orange Gin and Tonics, when she hosted their review of Girl on a Train.  I have also read and reviewed this book.  You can read my review in this post.

I made one slight adaptation to this recipe, using vodka instead of gin.  We are vodka drinkers and had no gin in the house.  I actually had 3 of these one evening while eating popcorn and watching our Food n Flix selection, Pan's Labyrinth.  Then, the other night, when we took our daughter out for dinner for her birthday, when I ordered up my usual vodka tonic, I asked for them to add a splash of oj.  I have found a new favorite cocktail.  Thanks Rachel!!

Orange Vodka Tonic

adapted from By the Pounds

1 oz. fresh squeezed orange juice

1 1/2 vodka

tonic to fill glass

orange wedge, for garnish

Fill a rocks glass with ice.  Add the juice, vodka and enough tonic to fill glass, Garnish with an orange wedge.

Please stop by and show some love to all of these wonderful blogs.

An InLinkz Link-up

Pork Dumplings to kick off #SundaySupper

We are celebrating Fancy Appetizers today at Sunday Supper.  Wendy of Wholistic Woman thinks that with "Award Season just around the corner it is the perfect time to throw an elegant dinner party".  She invited us to share our "best show-stopping appetizers Bperfect for feeding a crowd".

Believe it or not.....I am not a huge Oscars fan.  I very rarely watch them and if they are on I am usually using it as background noise while I blog, read, cook, clean....whatever.  I just am not interested in them enough to give them my undivided attention.  Further....I am not a fashion hound....I have no fashion sense.....give me jeans and a t-shirt and I am happy.  I could care less what they are wearing to the Oscars....sorry folks.

But I do love dinner parties and I love cooking for a crowd so I am more than happy to join in this week's Sunday Supper Party.  I am planning a dinner party for Valentine's Day and I have a wonderful first course planned that I will be sharing later but that doesn't help me today. 

For today's recipe, I am going back to my last dinner party, Chinese New Year, that we celebrated on January 28th.  These dumplings were the perfect appetizer for that dinner as they denote wealth and who doesn't want more wealth this year?  But they are also perfect for anytime you have a gathering, be it a dinner party, a game day party or an Oscar night.

They can be made ahead of time and frozen so that on the day of your party you can pull them out and cook them up.  You don't even need to defrost them, simply add a few minutes to the cooking time.  Now that, is a perfect appetizer to have on hand!!

Of course, you don't have to make them ahead of time.  It only takes a moment to make the filling and they cook up very quickly.  However, making the dumplings does take some time so if you are making them the day of the party, start early.  They hold in the refrigerator very well until it is time to cook them.  You are going to want to cook them up right before serving but, again, it only takes minutes and is mostly hands off.

I adapted this recipe from one for Potstickers from Cuisine at Home.  As far as I can tell the only difference between Dumplings and Potstickers are the shape.  I used wonton wrappers that I gathered around the filling to make these little flower shaped dumplings.  The sauce that you toss them with before serving is what makes these dumplings so special, just the right amount of heat to get your attention but not enough to linger, making you go back again and again....these little dumplings are very addicting!

Feel free to make them in any shape you like. If you get Potsticker wrappers, which are round instead of square, as opposed to the wonton wrappers they may be easier to form and take less hands on time.  I don't know.  I would allow at least an hour though for making the dumplings themselves.  I would also double this recipe and make two batches one for the party and extras for in the freezer for unexpected company or to take out and add them (without the sauce) into a chicken broth base flavored with scallions and ginger for a great soup.  

Pork Dumplings

adapted from Cuisine at Home, Issue #55

Dumplings:

2 1/2 c. thinly shredded Napa Cabbage

1 t. salt

1/2 lb ground pork

1/4 c chicken broth

1 T. soy sauce

1 T. corn starch

2 scallions, white and light green parts, minced

1/2" piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced

dash of white pepper

Wonton wrappers

2 T. vegetable oil, divided

2/3 c. water, divided

Sauce:

3 T. soy sauce

2 T. seasoned rice wine vinegar

2 T. sweet chili sauce

2 t. hot chili oil

2 t. cilantro leaves, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2" piece of ginger, peeled and minced

Sprinkle the cabbage with the salt and let stand for 15 minutes.  Squeeze out any liquid and place in a large bowl.

Combine the sauce ingredients; soy sauce, vinegar, chili sauce, scallions, chili oil, cilantro, garlic and ginger in a large bowl.  Set aside.

Add the pork, broth, soy sauce, cornstarch, scallions, ginger and pepper to the cabbage and combine thoroughly, using clean hands.

Place about a teaspoon of filling onto a wrapper.  Fold all four corners over the filling, meeting in the center.  Fold the four corners that were made, into the center of the dumpling, using water to seal the edges.  Your dumpling should look like a little flower.

Heat one tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add half of the dumplings, seam side up, and cook until bottoms are golden brown, 3 minutes or so.  Add 1/3 c. water, reduce heat, cover and cook until water is evaporated, 5 minutes or so.  Remove and keep warm while repeating this step with the other half of the dumplings.  Toss the dumplings with the reserved sauce and serve. Print Recipe

More Great Appetizers

Finger Foods

• BLT Crostini Sliders with Avocado Aioli by Casa de Crews
• Easy Caprese Puff Pastry Bites by The Weekend Gourmet
• French Onion Palmiers by Cooking With Carlee
• Ham and Mustard Spirals by Food Lust People Love
• Homemade Mozzarella Cheese Sticks by Grumpy’s Honeybunch
• Middle Eastern Deviled Eggs by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Mushroom and Blue Cheese Gougeres by Turnips 2 Tangerines
• Simple Greek Pinwheels with Tzatziki Dipping Sauce by A Mind “Full” Mom
• Soppressata Puffs by Cosmopolitan Cornbread

Hors d'oeuvres

• Baba Ganoush by The Crumby Cupcake
• Baked Fruit and Nut Camembert by Sunday Supper Movement
• Caesar Salad Wonton Cups by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Cucumber Bites with Creole Shrimp and Guacamole by Life Tastes Good
• Dates with Goat Cheese, Prosciutto and Truffle Honey by Monica’s Table
• Drunken Asparagus with Feta and Prosciutto by Wholistic Woman
• Italian Chicken Meatballs by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Japanese Meatballs by NinjaBaker.com
• Loaded Hasselback Potatoes Mini Size by Crazed Mom
• Mini Caprese Bites With Balsamic Drizzle by My Sweet Savings
• Pork Dumplings by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Prosciutto and Blue Cheese Pear Bites by Jersey Girl Cooks

Seafood

• Lime Shrimp Cups by Our Good Life
• Mini Crab Cakes by My Savory Spoon
• Oysters Rockefeller by Caroline’s Cooking
• Scallop Crudo with Citrus by Cricket’s Confections
• Shrimp Martini by Palatable Pastime
• Southwestern Shrimp Spring Rolls by The Freshman Cook
• Tuna Poke Mochi Waffles by Brunch-n-Bites

Sweets

• Gluten Free Champagne Cake Pops by Gluten Free Crumbley
• Loaded Chocolate Dipped Potato Chips by Desserts Required
• Mini S’mores Tarts by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Peanut Butter and Jelly Cheesecake Bars by Pies and Plots
• Sweet Dijon Pecan Baked Brie Bites by Soulfully Made
• Wine Gummy Bears by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Veggies

• Baked Eggplant Fries with Basil Dipping Sauce by Dizzy Busy and Hungry
• Blue Cheese Asparagus Bites by Hardly A Goddess
• Broccoli Pesto Potato Bites by Simple and Savory
• Mushroom Purses by Seduction in the Kitchen
• Roasted Carrot Soup by From the Bookshelf

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Weekly Menu for Valentines Week.

Hi Folks.  Time for me to sit down here, figure out what we're eating this week and write it all down to share with you.

A couple of items got moved from last week.  On Tuesday, when we were supposed to have Italian Chili, I was feeling pretty punk and spent most of the day in bed.  Frank made a wonderful spaghetti dinner for us while I rested.  The chili is being made for dinner tonight.  My friend Tami and her kids are coming over to join us and spend the evening playing games or watching movies.  They will decide how we spend the evening once they are here.

Last night we ended up going out to dinner with friends so the Cod Curry is being made for dinner on Wednesday after Food Pantry.  Tomorrow we are invited to Frank's sister's house for dinner.  Monday we are going out with Kurt and Kim and Tuesday we are hosting a Valentine's dinner for friends.

This week is chock full of recipes for you.  Each day this week there is at least one event and some days there are two so make sure you stop by for the fun!!

Saturday-Company for Dinner
Italian Chili
Italian Nachos

Sunday
Dinner at Roz and Ron's

Monday
Dinner out with friends

Tuesday- Valentine's Day
See Large Menu

Wednesday
Cod Curry
Steamed Rice

Thursday
Corn Flake Pork Chops
Baked Potatoes
Broccoli

Fish Friday
Beer Battered Fish and Chips
Cole Slaw