My VERY Favorite Chocolate Cake with My VERY Favorite Frosting

It is spectacular.
It is rich.
It is moist.
It is perfect.
Chocolate Cake is my ULTIMATE dessert.  Like last-meal-on-earth favorite.  This chocolate cake is true perfection.  Topped with that crazy icing made with flour that tastes like a cross between whipped icing and the filling of a Ho-Ho.  Maybe I should have called this a deconstructed Ho-Ho Cake.
This is one of those things I really wish I could just make one for each of you just so you could try it.  So, please, please, pretty please try this cake. 

My VERY Favorite Chocolate Cake
Recipe Source:  slightly adapted from Hershey's

• 2 cups sugar
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1-1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13 pan with non-stick baking spray.

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting. 

My VERY Favorite Frosting
Recipe Source:  Pioneer Woman - Tasty Kitchen

• 5 TBSP Flour
• 1 cup Milk
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 1 cup Butter
• 1 cup Granulated Sugar (not Powdered Sugar!)

In a small saucepan, whisk flour into milk and heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens. You want it to be very thick, thicker than cake mix, more like a brownie mix is. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. (If I’m in a hurry, I place the saucepan over ice in the sink for about 10 minutes or so until the mixture cools.) It must be completely cool before you use it in the next step. Stir in vanilla.

While the mixture is cooling, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. You don’t want any sugar graininess left. Then add the completely cooled milk/flour/vanilla mixture and beat the living daylights out of it. If it looks separated, you haven’t beaten it enough! Beat it until it all combines and resembles whipped cream.
Grab a spoon and taste this wonderful goodness. If there is any left after your taste test, spread it on a cooled chocolate cake.

Japanese Steakhouse Chicken and Veggies with White Sauce

While I was looking through some of my favorite blogs for some recipes that were low carb/low sugar, I came across this gem from Amber of This Mommy Cooks.  I put it on my menu plan immediately for the week and could not wait to try it.  Well, it certainly did not disappoint.  This is an A-MAZING recipe.  While it may seem like a simple stir-fry, this White Sauce is OUT OF THIS WORLD!  Now, this recipe will take a little advanced planning since you need to make the sauce the night before.  It isn't optional, it needs that long for the flavors to completely transform the taste of the sauce.  Just trust me on this.  You can use any veggies you would like in this dish.  I used a combo of mushrooms, zucchini, a few red pepper slivers,  broccoli, and cauliflower.  I seriously could not get enough dipping the chicken and veggies in the sauce.    Don't hesitate to try this one right away!

Japanese Steakhouse Chicken and Veggies with White Sauce
Recipe very slightly adapted from:  This Mommy Cooks

• Chicken, cut into bite size pieces (or any meat you choose)
• Salt
• Lemon Pepper
• Choice of veggies, cut into bite sized pieces
• Soy Sauce (I used 1-2 TBSP total) 
• Oil of choice

White Sauce

• 1-1/4 cup real mayonnaise (Hellman's or Duke's)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 1 TBSP melted butter
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4-1/2 tsp Sriracha Sauce (you could also use cayenne pepper sauce) 

For the White Sauce:
The night before you want to serve this, make the White Sauce by using a fork or a whisk to combine all ingredients together until mixed and the sauce is smooth. Refrigerate overnight for the flavors to blend.
For the chicken and veggies:
In separate pans, heat a small amount of oil. Season chicken with salt and Lemon Pepper.
Cook chicken, careful not to over cook, add some real soy sauce to taste. For the vegetables, you pretty much do the same thing. Slice up your chosen vegetables, and place in heated oil, season with a little Lemon Pepper and Soy Sauce. Cook until still slightly crisp.

This recipe has been linked up at:
This Chick Cooks

Menu Plan 1/29/12 - 2/3/12

LOTS of new recipes this week...I went a little crazy on Pinterest this weekend, lol!
Hope you all are having a great weekend - xoxo

Sunday
     Bacon Cheeseburger Salad.  Kiddos will have theirs on a bun with Potato Wedges.

Monday
Pepperoni Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Breasts, Caesar Salad, Parmesan Pasta

Tuesday
Japanese Steakhouse Chicken and Veggies with White Sauce, Brown Rice

Wednesday
Seasoned Tilapia with Dill Sauce, Garlic Almond Green Beans, Rice Pilaf

Thursday
Roasted Boursin Chicken, Steamed Broccoli and Cauliflower, Mashed Potatoes

Friday 
Left-overs or out for dinner

Roasted Broccoli with Balsamic Sesame Glaze

Straight up, this is an amazing way to have broccoli.  We LOVED it!  I made it to accompany the Bourbon Street Chicken.  Yum, yum, YUM!  Roasting veggies just gives them an entirely new layer of flavor.  I hear it does the same with Brussel Sprout...yet, I still can't go there...bleck!  
ANYWHO, I hope you enjoy this...I can't imagine a dish it wouldn't make an amazing Robin too (you know...Batman....Robin) except maybe ice cream.  Or Brownies.
Did I mention I have a wicked head cold right now.  It is either from kiddo cooties or sugar detoxing...not sure which.  It has made me a bit wonky though.  I need to go back to bed.
But, before I go...I thought I would share my most very favorite Broccoli song EVA! 
Choppin' Broccoli
Make this though.  Over and out.

Roasted Broccoli with Balsamic Sesame Glaze
Recipe Source:  the ever-fabulous Jaime from Jaime Cooks it Up.  Go visit her site, she has some amazingly scrumptious eats!

• 1 pound broccoli
• 1 1/2 TBSP soy sauce
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1 TBSP balsamic vinegar
• 2 TBSP honey
• 1 tsp peanut butter
• 1 TBSP toasted sesame seeds

Wash your broccoli and cut off the big stems. Spray a large cookie sheet with cookie spray and place the broccoli on it. Spray the top of the broccoli with cooking spray.
Put the cookie sheet in your oven at 425 for about 10 minutes, or until a fork can be inserted easily into the pretty little vegetable.
While your broccoli roasts away place 1 1/2 TBSP soy sauce, 1 TBSP olive oil, 1 TBSP balsamic vinegar, 2 TBSP honey
and 1 tsp peanut butter into a small sauce pan. Heat the sauce over medium high heat. When it boils, remove it from the heat.
When the broccoli is done, put it in a medium sized mixing bowl and pour the sauce over the top. Stir it all around, making sure each broccoli piece has sauce on it.
Sprinkle 1 TBSP toasted sesame seeds over the broccoli and serve.
Enjoy!

This recipe has been linked up to:
This Chick Cooks
Tidy Mom
The Country Cook
Simply Sweet Home
Eat at Home

Bourbon Street Chicken

Yuuuppp! 
HA!  Anyone who watches "Storage Wars" just said that in Dave Hester's nails on a chalkboard voice. 
Anyway, back to the YUP.  I meant to go on and say "YUP, just like the Bourbon St. Chicken you get in the mall."  It is scrumptious.  It is simple.  The only change I will make next time I make it is to use chicken thighs instead of breasts.  The mall uses dark meat and I just feel like dark meat stays oh-so moist.

Bourbon Street Chicken
Recipe slightly adapted from:  Big Oven

• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts OR boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces 
• 1 -2 TBSP Olive Oil 
• 1 Garlic Clove, crushed
• 1/4 tsp Ginger (I used dried ginger powder) 
• 1 tsp Sriracha Sauce 
• 1/4 cup Apple Juice
• 1/3 cup Light Brown Sugar
• 2 TBSP Ketchup
• 1 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1/2 cup Water
• 1/3 cup Soy Sauce
• 1 TBSP Cornstarch (to thicken sauce if desired)

Heat oil in a large skillet.

Add chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned.
Remove chicken.
Add remaining ingredients, aside from cornstarch, heating over medium heat until well blended and dissolved.
Add chicken and bring to a hard boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes uncovered.
If you want a thicker sauce, combine 1 TBSP of cornstarch to 1 TBSP water.  Add to sauce and stir to thicken.
Serve over hot rice.

This recipe has been linked up to:
This Chick Cooks
Country Cook
Tidy Mom
Simply Sweet Home