Mrs. Bass's Chocolate Bit Pound Cake

1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1 large pkg. vanilla instant pudding
1 large pkg. chocolate instatnt pudding
1 1/2 C. water
1/2 C. vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 C. chocolate chips
Combine all ingredients except chocolate chips in mixing bowl. Mix on low 3-5 mins. Grease & flour a bundt or tube cake pan. Stir chocolate chips into cake batter & pour into pan. Bake @ 325 degrees for 55-60 mins. Let set 25 mins. & turn onto cake plate.

Sneaky Veggies #1: Mock Garlic Mashed Potatoes

So as much as I'd like to consider myself a vegophile, I must admit that living in the company of a couple of boys  who could take them or leave them (not the dogs...they'll eat anything) does not particularly motivate me to spend a whole lot of time prepping them. And if I'm being completely honest, I find it a little challenging to eat copious amounts of the cruciferous types myself, no matter how excellent they are for you. So I set out on a search for some kid-friendly (not to mention husband-friendly...and OK me-friendly) veggie recipes. I gave this one a whirl (quite literally whipped it up in the bullet) tonight, and Caden ate it up with a spoon! (We are working on spoons). Larry took seconds...without being coerced. And if I do say so myself, it was quite delish! I didn't even bother with the butter, because it had enough flavor on its own. I'd say you could probably go without the chicken base/bouillon if you don't have it on hand. Larry thought it made it a bit salty. I personally tasted more garlic. And if you have trouble blending, you can add in a little milk.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/george-stella/mock-garlic-mashed-potatoes-recipe/index.html

Keen on Quinoa

I have this huge bag of quinoa from Costco. I came across this article a while ago that has all these tasty stir-in options that I've been meaning to try. I dug up the article and am placing it here so I will always know where to find it when I'm craving some quinoa!

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/food/wait-what-s-so-great-about-quinoa-anyway-2465290/

Stuffed Pepper Soup, the Mason Jar, Colorado Springs

Serves 10; can be cut in half to serve 5.

2 lbs. lean ground beef or ground turkey

2 quarts water

1 can (28 ounces) tomato sauce

1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes (undrained)

2 C. white or brown rice, cooked

2 C. chopped green peppers

1/4 C. packed brown sugar

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

2 tsp. beef bouillon

In a large pan, season beef or turkey with salt and pepper and cook until no longer pink. Drain meat and add remaining ingredients and simmer for 30-4- minutes or until peppers are tender. Enjoy!

Korean Steak Lettucs Wraps

Ingredients
1 pound flank steak
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup diced peeled cucumber
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup thinly sliced shallot
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 head lettuce, leaves separated

Instructions
1. Preheat grill to medium-high.

2. Sprinkle steak with salt and pepper. Oil the grill rack. Grill the steak for 6 to 8 minutes per side for medium. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut across the grain into thin slices.

3. Combine cucumber, tomatoes, shallot, mint, basil and cilantro in a large bowl. Mix sugar, soy sauce, lime juice and crushed red pepper in a small bowl and then combine with solid veggie ingredients.

**This dish is all about the veggie relish...it's packed with flavor and simply delish! We wrapped the steak, veggie relish, and cilantro lime rice (reference earlier post) in lettuce leaves. You could also do this is as a salad or to add a little more girth to the recipe, roll it all up in a tortilla. Maybe you just want to top rice and eat it all with a fork. The options are limitless. Since the meat doesn't require any special seasoning, I'm sure that chicken or tofu would be delish as well! One last thing, if you don't have shallots, I recommend red onion, but 1 shallot was perfect and added an incredible flavor. Yes, this coming from a self-proclaimed onion hater.

Chicken Piccata

Ingredients
2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, butterflied and then cut in half
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour, for dredging
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup brined capers, rinsed
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Directions
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate. Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate.

Into the pan add the lemon juice, stock and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Check for seasoning. Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley.


This is so easy. We like to toss pasta in the sauce right before serving, but you could also just spoon it onto your pasta if you wanted. Michael and I cut it in half and it is plenty of food for two people and leftovers.

Quinoa Banana Bread

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/food/user-post-quinoa-banana-bread-2461303/

I have not yet tried this recipe, but I am most intrigued. It comes at an opportune time, as my bug has been advised to eat more big people food, especially that which is rich in protein!

Quinoa Quick Tips:

• Quinoa expands to 4x it's size when cooked, so if you need one cup of cooked quinoa, start with 1/4 cup of dry quinoa.
• Use a 2:1 ration of liquid to quinoa when cooking. So if you are cooking 1/4 cup of dry quinoa, use 1/2 cup of water (or broth...but not for banana bread, silly!)
• Combine dry quinoa and liquid. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and cook for approximately 15 minutes.