Tomato and Black Bean Quinoa Salad

I have only very recently been turned on to the super grain called quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) and I love it! I wish I would have found it long ago. One of our local coffee shops (Jolts & Juice) has a tomato and black bean quinoa salad but the flavor was fairly muted and I wanted a little more flavor so I created this and it delish. I make it Sunday or Saturday and it provides lunch for me and sometimes Sam for the rest of the week.

Black Bean and Tomato Quinoa Salad
adapted from Epicurious
2 teaspoons grated lime zest

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup quinoa
1 (14- to 15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 medium tomatoes, diced

2 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Rinse quinoa in cold water. Cook quinoa as you would rice. 2 cups of water to 1 cup quinoa. Bring to a boild and reduce heat and simmer 10-15 minutes or til water is gone.

Whisk together lime zest and juice, butter, oil, and sugar. Once quinoa is cooked and drained pour dressing over and stir until the dressing is absorbed. Then add the beans, tomatoes,green onions, and cilantro. Serve immediately or refrigerate until you decide you want to eat an amazing delicious and healthy salad.

Not Too Sweet Magical Frosting

I saw this frosting in one of my fav magazines but it looked very similar to one on Tasty Kitchen I have tried several times and it never came out very successful. I tried different techniques and it always came out the same way... I could see the potential but didn't know how to get it to perfection but then I saw over on Mel's Kitchen Cafe that she had tried the recipe from Cook's Country and made it successfully so I figured I would give it a shot for Kellen's birthday and I am so glad I did. It's not too sweet but it is insanely creamy and amazing. I don't know what happens in the hour it sits but when I first tasted it I could kind of feel the texture of the cornstarch and I started getting nervous but after I frosted it and tried it again it was unbelievable!


Better than Buttercream Frosting
*Makes about 4 cups frosting (plenty for two 9-inch cake layers)

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
24 tablespoons (3 sticks) butter, cut into 24 pieces and softened at room temperature

In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt. Slowly whisk in the milk until the mixture is smooth. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a medium saucepan and pour the milk mixture through the strainer into the saucepan. Cook the mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture boils and is thick enough that it starts to become difficult to easily whisk. This could take anywhere between 5-10 minutes, depending on your stove, heat, etc. It should bubble quite a bit at the end (be careful of the splatters) and thicken considerably.

Transfer the mixture to a clean bowl and cool to room temperature. This is a very important step. Not warmth at all!! If it is warm the butter would melt and not beat up properly. I set it on the counter and did laundry and ran errands while it cooled.

Once you check the milk mixture and it is room temperature beat in the vanilla on low speed until it is well combined. Increase the speed to med and add the butter, one piece at a time, and beat the frosting until all the butter has been incorporated fully, about 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium-high beat the frosting for five minutes, until it is light and fluffy. Let the frosting sit at room temperature until it is a bit more stiff, about 1 hour. Frost whatever you desire and enjoy.

I made Kellen's cake two days early and put it in the fridge and it was great!!

Saw at Cook's Country and Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Dark Chocolate Cake.

OH MY GOODNESS!! I don't say this very often but you have to make this cake right now. I mean stop what you are doing and make this cake!! I made it with Special dark cocoa powder and it was AMAZING!! but our family loves dark chocolate! If yours does not the original recipe called for unsweetened coca powder so you can use that just as easily.

I have tried Pioneer Woman's sheet cake and it was yummy but it doesn't work as well with dark cocoa. I've also made this frosting on Tasty Kitchen and have struggled with it each time so when I saw this frosting and this cake and Mel's Kitchen Cafe (one of my fav cooking blogs!!)

It caused one slight problem in the house... her name is Wesli. The night I made the cake I went to the gym and Sam was watching the kiddos. It was Kellen's bedtime and Sam took him in to get him changed and ready. Wesli was alone for less than two minutes and she drug the chair over to the counter and took a bite out of Kellen's unfrosted cake!! I was so sad but instead of making another one I just frosted over it and it turned out ok. When asked why she did it Wesli said, "It smelled so DELICIOUS!" I asked her if it was and she said, "Yes."

Make this cake...Now!



Dark Chocolate Cake
Kellen's Birthday Cake

*When I made this I used regular cake pans but it is a lot of better and it over flowed a little bit. I went out to Joann's and bought the taller cake pans. Or you could make cupcakes instead or a sheet cake but if you use normal cake pans either watch it or don't use all the batter.

3/4 special dark cocoa powder
3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk
1 1/4 cups warm water
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease and flour your cake pans. Sift all your dry ingredients in to a large bowl. Add all the wet ingredients and mix on low speed for 3 minutes til smooth. Pour batter in to pan of your choice. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove from iron and cool on wire racks for 15 minutes. Turnout cake out onto cooling racks and let cool.

*Remember I made 2- 8 in cakes so the baking time is for those. If you are doing cupcakes or a sheet cake you need to watch it and test with a toothpick until it come out clean. I suspect if you overbake it it will be quite dry.

Adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe