The 2 Spoons

Really Easy Chocolate and Coffee Cake

July 1, 2019 by Becky Spoon

Please follow and like us:

Jump to Recipe

Best Chocolate and Coffee Cake ever! Loaded with chocolate, filled with layers of cream cheese, with a strong coffee flavor! This recipe is so good. And when I say “really easy” it is just that!

Oh, I forgot to mention the chocolate ganache drizzled down the sides. This cake is almost fudge like. The layers are slathered with a cream cheese and coffee cream which keeps this cake soft and moist!

Really Easy Chocolate and Coffee Cake

I do like to use a quality chocolate. The cake layers are made with a Dutch processed cocoa powder and the ganache is with chocolate chips, heavy cream and a little Karo syrup. I use Ghirardelli brand chocolate that is really good. There is even better and they can get quite expensive, but I believe the higher quality of chocolate makes a huge difference. There are some high quality chocolates on the King Arthur Flour website. Here’s the link for the Ghirardelli brand that I used: https://www.ghirardelli.com. Most grocery stores will carry this brand.

Don’t forget to make some homemade vanilla ice cream to top this luscious cake or some homemade whipped cream. Here’s the link for my no-churn vanilla ice cream that is so easy! https://the2spoons.com/so-good-essential-no-churn-vanilla-ice-cream/

Here you go! Enjoy this easy recipe!

Chocolate and Coffee Cake

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Ingredients

Chocolate and Coffee Cake

2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup dutch processed cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp espresso powder
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanila extract or vanila paste (my preference)
1 cup strong coffee

Coffee Cream Frosting

2 1/2 cups cream cheese
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup strong coffee, room temperature
1/4 cup heavy cream

Chocolate Ganache

cup semi-sweet or milk chocolate, chopped into pieces
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp corn syrup

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour the bottom and sides of two 8" baking pans . Line the bottoms with parchment paper . Set aside.
Chocolate coffee cake: In a medium bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder and stir to combine. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl with a stand or handheld mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat sugar, oil, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla* just until combined. Stir in dry ingredients to combine. Slowly mix in hot coffee until combined. The batter will be very thin. Divide batter into the two prepared baking pans equally. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Don't overbake. I baked mine for 20 minutes. Let cool in the pan for about 20 minutes. Then remove from pan and transfer to a cooling rack. Let cool to room temperature.
Coffee cream frosting: In a large mixing bowl with a stand or handheld mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until creamy. Sift in powdered sugar and mix until combined and sugar is dissolved. Add cooled coffee and stir until incorporated. Stir in heavy cream and mix until creamy.
Assemble the cake: Cut a thin layer off the tops of your cakes to create a flat surface. Then cut each cake in half horizontally. Place one cake layer on a cake stand, turner or serving plate. Spread 1/4 of the frosting over the cake later. Repeat two more times. Place last cake layer on top and lightly frost the outside and the sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. Chill at least 4 hours in the fridge or overnight.
Chocolate glaze: Place chopped chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Place heavy cream and corn syrup in another heatproof bowl and microwave until very hot, almost boiling for about 1-2 minutes or heat over the stovetop being careful not to scorch. Pour over chocolate and let stand 1-2 minutes. Whisk until smooth, and the chocolate is completely melted. Let stand for about 10-15 minutes. Test the consistency of the glaze down the side of the bowl. It should drip. The longer it stands, the thicker it gets. If it is too firm, re-warm it a few seconds in the microwave. Once it reached the desired consistency, it's ready to spoon on top of the cake.
Remove cake from the fridge and spoon the glaze little by little around the sides and let it drip off the sided. Do this with a small spoon and do one drip at the time. Then spoon or pour the rest of the glaze on top of the cake (maybe you don't need all) and level with an offset spatula. Place cake in the fridge for 15 minutes or so to allow the glaze gets to get firm. Store leftovers in an airtight container.

Keyword cake, chocolate, chocolate and coffee cake, chocolate cake, dessert

Awesome Macaroni with Fresh Tomatoes from the Garden

June 29, 2019 by Becky Spoon

Please follow and like us:

Jump to Recipe

Macaroni with Fresh Tomatoes is another Southern recipe I grew up eating. My mother and grandmother both would make this dish. It is really good and comforting. I used fresh san marzano tomatoes from my garden that just made this recipe so much more satisfying. I did a quick hot bath on the tomatoes so that the skin would easily come off!

After I sauted bell peppers and onions, I added the fresh tomatoes to the mixture.

This is really an easy recipe, but it is super satisfying. Honestly, I could just eat a bowl of this and a piece of cornbread and eat nothing else! The freshness of the tomatoes and the sauce they make with the vegetables is amazing. I always add the Knorr Tomato Bouillon with Chicken Flavor to enhance the liquid. Here’s a link if you aren’t familiar with this ingredient. It really makes a difference. http://www.samsclub.com/sams/knorr-tomato-bouillon-w-chicken-flavor-35-3-oz/160906.ip

I served this recipe with my Smothered Cabbage and it was the perfect addition. Here’s my smothered cabbage link: https://the2spoons.com/smothered-cabbage-with-potatoes-smoked-sausage/

Here you go! Enjoy!

Macaroni with Fresh Tomatoes from the Garden

Print Recipe

Ingredients

For the fresh tomatoes

8-10 just picked san marzano tomatoes or 4 large fresh tomatoes
water to cover

For the Macaroni and tomatoes

1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
2 cups fresh tomatoes (You can substitute for a can of a quality brand of diced tomatoes)
1 1/2 cups macaroni
1 1/2 cups water (more is needed as you cook)
1 Knorr tomato bouillon with chicken flavor
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp butter
pinch of sugar if your tomatoes are too tart

Instructions

For the tomatoes

Cut an X in the top of each tomato to allow for easy peeling. Bring a pot of water to a boil. When at a rolling boil, add your tomatoes to the water and cook for a couple of minutes until you see the skin starting to release from the tomato. Remove from the heat and when they have cooled a little, peel them over a bowl to not lose any of the juices. .Then squeeze them to chop them up in chunks. You don't want to puree them, just use your hands to chop them up a little. You will need about 2 cups of the finished tomatoes.

For the Macaroni and Fresh Tomatoes from the Garden

Add the butter and extra virgin olive oil to a saucepan and sauté your peppers and onions until they have softened and the onions have become translucent. Add your tomatoes, the water and bouillon and cook for about 10 minutes. Then add the macaroni, stir to combine, lower heat and cover. Cook until your macaroni is tender, 15 to 20 minutes, adding water if needed. Enjoy!

Easy, Delicious Smothered Cabbage with Potatoes and Smoked Sausage

June 29, 2019 by Becky Spoon

Please follow and like us:

Jump to Recipe

You know, sometimes you just need some Southern comfort food like this Smothered Cabbage. Sometimes you just want the foods you grew up with like beans and cornbread! I probably should cook like this more because I absolutely love it, but Allen really doesn’t love this food as much as his meat and potatoes, but I sneak it in from time to time and he always thinks its delicious.

Easy, Delicious Smothered Cabbage with Potatoes and Smoked Sausage

I cooked this dish with Eckridge Beef Smoked Sausage https://www.heb.com/product-detail/eckrich-beef-smoked-sausage-family-pack/765512. I had this brand on hand, but you can use any good smoked sausage of your choice. I sliced new potatoes with the skin on, I added lots of onions, and cooked this in really very little oil with a little butter in a non stick skillet. You could add squash to this dish, and okra would be a great addition. I served my Macoroni and tomatoes with this and some spicy pinto beans and cornbread! Both of these recipes are also on the blog, but here is the Macaroni and Tomatoes recipe that my mother and grandmother made growing up! Delicious!
https://the2spoons.com/macaroni-with-fresh-tomatoes/.

This is a perfect dish to serve with my Good Luck Blackeyed Peas! Here’s the link: https://the2spoons.com/good-luck-blackeyed-peas/.

Easy, Delicious Smothered Cabbage with Potatoes and Smoked Sausage

Here’s the recipe! Enjoy!

Smothered Cabbage with Potatoes and Smoked Sausage

Print Recipe

Ingredients

1/2 head large green cabbage or one whole small
1/2 onion, sliced or diced
3-4 new potatoes, skin on and sliced
7 oz Smoked Sausage, sliced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp butter, two for cooking and 1 for finishing
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Cut the cabbage in half, take out the core and slice. Sliced your potatoes in about in little less than 1/2 inch slices, about a quarter inch. Slice your onions or chop them, then slice your smoked sausage in 1/2 inch pieces
Heat your oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Add your potatoes and onions and cook on medium high heat until your potatoes begin to brown a little. Turn them and reduce the heat, add a lid and turn your heat to low and cook for a few minutes just until the potatoes start to soften a little, but not done. Increase your heat and add your cabbage and smoked sausage and cook turning as all the ingredients brown a little. After a few minutes, lower the heat, cover and let the cabbage smother a little until soft. Then again, raised your heat, remove the lid, season with salt and pepper to taste and cook until the ingredients have browned a little and are fork tender. Add a pat of butter just to bring everything together. Enjoy!!

Delicious Buttermilk Brined Chicken Fried Pork Chops

June 28, 2019 by Becky Spoon

Please follow and like us:

Jump to Recipe

These Buttermilk Brined Chicken Fried Pork Chops are a favorite! When I ask Allen what he wants for dinner he always responds “Pork Chops or Tacos!!” Yes! Always. Obviously, he doesn’t get pork chops every day, but he does get pork chops a lot. Because of that, I am always trying to think of different ways to cook them. Smothered, grilled, pan- fried, and baked are just a few of the ways I cook pork chops. I like the center cut pork chops because they will be uniform. Have you ever bought that package of pork chops and the top is the only center cut and the rest are random. https://www.thekitchn.com/a-complete-guide-to-pork-chops-meat-basics-208638

Of course baking or grilling would be the healthier alternative, but just like fried chicken or Texas chicken fried steak, sometimes you just want that chicken fried pork chop. I really didn’t use much oil, it was new oil in a non stick skillet which takes even less oil. They are not deep fried. They sure are delicious though.

I made my Macaroni and Cheese with this. Here is the recipe that you must have! https://the2spoons.com/delicious-four-cheese-macaroni-and-cheese/ You will love this Mac and Cheese recipe! If I had not made macaroni and cheese, I would have made mash potatoes and cream gravy! Makes me hungry just typing this. I just can’t get away from my Southern roots and the food I grew up with! That doesn’t mean I have to eat like this everyday, but occassionally works for us.

Delicious Buttermilk Brined Chicken Fried Pork Chops

Print Recipe

Course dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine American

Ingredients

4 1/2 inch center cut pork chops
3 cups buttermilk
1-2 tbsp Louisiana hot sauce (optional)
3 cups all purpose flour
salt and pepper (cayenne pepper if you prefer)
2-3 large eggs, beaten
oil for frying

Instructions

Add the buttermilk and Louisiana hot sauce to a zip lock bag. Add the thawed pork chops to the brine and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. An option is to place frozen pork chops in the bag with the buttermilk and hot sauce and place in the refrigerator overnight. They should thaw overnight.
Add the beaten eggs to a flat container or large bowl. In a separate flat container or bowl add the flour with salt and pepper.
Heat your the oil to medium high in a large skillet. While your oil is heating remove a pork chop at a time and place in the seasoned flour turning to coat both sides pressing down a little for the flour to adhere. Then place in the eggs, letting the excess drip off, then back into the flour pressing down again on both sides. Pressing down helps you form a good coating for frying. Place on a sheet pan and continue until all the pork chops have been battered.
When your skillet has heated to about 325 degrees add the number of pork chops that will fit in your skillet without crowding. You want to leave a space between each pork chop. Try to not disturb as much as possible as you will knock the batter off before it can set. When that side has browned, turn and brown the other side. If your pork chops are frying too hot or browning too fast, lower your heat a little. Brown the other side and continue to flip from side to side to insure doneness and the internal temperature reaches 155-160 degrees. Remove from the heat, drain on paper towels. If you have more to fry, place the cooked pork chops in the oven on warm. Serve immediately! Enjoy!

Notes

If your pork chops are browning too fast, lower the heat a little. If both sides have nicely browned, but the internal temperature is not at 155-160, you can reduce heat to low and cover for a few minutes. Then remove the lid, increase the heat a little to crisp a final time. Enjoy!!

Keyword buttermilk brined, chicken fried pork chops, pork, pork chops, southern, southern roots, Texas

Macaroni and Cheese — Buttermilk Brined Chicken Fried Pork Chops

love these baja fish tacos.

June 26, 2019 by Becky Spoon

Please follow and like us:

Jump to Recipe

I love these Baja Fish Tacos! They take me back to my favorite resort in Cabo San Lucas! I mean you are having pool time, the staff is passing around menus for you to have a delicious lunch at the pool and what do I always order? Fish Tacos! Can you imagine how delicious and fresh those fish tacos are in Cabo on the Baja Peninsula where the Sea of Cortez meets the mighty Pacific Ocean! Fresh!

Well, I’m not there to get the fresh fish in Cabo, but I did find a beautiful fresh red fish that I used for these tacos.

The red fish made wonderful tacos; however, you can use cod , snapper, mahi mahi, grouper, flounder or halibut. All of these make delicious beer battered pieces to use in your tacos.

love these baja fish tacos.

I topped these with a Chipotle Crema that is so delicious! I keep Chipotles in Adobo in my pantry. Most recipes only call for one or two with some of the adobo sauce so what’s left from the can I always put in a zip lock bag and label it so I have them for the next time I need them. I love Chipotle which is a smoked jalapeno. Here’s a link for Chipotle if you aren’t familiar with them. https://amzn.to/34kb6J0

I also topped these with finely chopped onion, purple or white are best, finely chopped cabbage and cilantro.

Taco Tuesday will never be the same when you add these Baja Fish Tacos to the menu!

love these baja fish tacos.

I use a beer batter that I season with salt, pepper and chile powder. I used New Mexico chile powder because we love it. Beer makes a better batter than water because it adds a carbon dioxide, foaming agents and alcohol to make a light and crisp crust. I used a lime flavored beer but use what you like. I don’t like a dark, heavy beer for these tacos.

Frying the fish doesn’t require a lot of oil. Because of that you only want to fry a couple of pieces at a time. It’s also key to get your oil up to 350 – 360 degrees. I suggest a kitchen thermometer if you don’t have one. You can get a pretty inexpensive one. https://amzn.to/2YmuMIi I like a thermometer like this.

Need another taco recipe? Thy these https://the2spoons.com/crazy-good-carne-asada-tacos/.

Here’s the recipe for the Baja Fish Tacos! Enjoy!

Baja Fish Tacos

Print Recipe

Course dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

For the Fish

1 lb fish like red fish, snapper, mahi mahi, cod, halibut
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup beer
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
freshly cracked black pepper
1 tsp chili powder
corn or flour tortillas
3-4 cups canola or vegetable oil for frying

For the Chipotle Crema

1 cup mayonnaise
2 chipotles in adobo ( just use one if you want less heat but they add so much flavor)
1 tbsp adobo sauce
2 garlic cloves
pinch of salt
squeeze of lime

Topping

finely chopped red or white onions
finely chopped cabbage
chopped cilantro
limes for serving

Instructions

For the Chipotle Crema

Add the following ingredients to a blender or food processor and combine well: 1 cup mayonnaise, 2 chipotles in adobo, 2 garlic cloves, pinch of salt, and a squeeze of lime. You might need to add a splash of water to get it to combine. If you want more heat you can add more chipotles or some of the adobo sauce. Keep in mind that you can substitute some of the mayonnaise for plain Greek yogurt.

For the Fish

Pat dry and season the fish on both sides with salt. Cut into strips that are approximately 1" x 3". To make the beer batter, add the following ingredients to a mixing bowl: 1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and 1 teaspoon chili powder (optional). Combine well and then add 1 cup of beer. Whisk together until you have batter that is the consistency of thick paint, adding more beer if necessary (I added an additional 1/4 cup of beer to this batch.) Preheat 3-4 cups of oil in a saucepan until it reaches 350-360F (I used canola oil). One at a time, dip the fish sticks into the batter and drop them gently into the oil. Let them cook for 3-4 minutes or until the exterior is turning a darker brown. I used a narrow pan and only cooked 3-4 pieces at a time so that the oil temp remained as close to 360F as possible. Carefully remove the fish sticks from the oil and drain them in some paper towels, continuing until all the fish sticks are cooked. If making a big batch, place the fish sticks on a wire rack after draining , this will help prevent them from getting soggy. You can optionally keep them in a 250-300F oven until you need them.
Warm up the tortillas on a hot griddle, my preferred way, or nuke them in the microwave for 30-60 seconds. Each tortilla gets fried fish, Chipotle Crema, the toppings and serve with limes.

Keyword baja fish tacos, beer batter, beer battered fish tacos, Chipotle crema, cod, fish, fish tacos, mahi mahi, mexican food, red fish, tacos

Delicious Homemade Chorizo with Eggs, Hashbrowns, and Refried Beans

June 25, 2019 by Becky Spoon

Please follow and like us:

Jump to Recipe

This Homemade Chorizo with Eggs, Hashbrowns and Refried Beans is one of Allen’s favorite breakfast! Mine too for that matter because we love all things Mexican food. When we go to a Mexican restaurant for breakfast, this is a menu item that we love to order. Just delicious! Add your favorite salsa, sliced avacados or guacamole and you’re set!

This is how Allen likes to eat this breakfast. Sometimes if it’s just me, I’ll just make breakfast tacos with the same ingredients and just fold them in a tortilla.

I made homemade flour tortillas this time, but I don’t always. Wow! I can’t tell you how much difference it makes with homemade. They are very simple! For 12 tortillas I used 2 cups all purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 tablespoon lard (yes, you need to use lard) and about 3/4 cup warm water. I made mine in a food processor but you can knead by hand.

After you combine your dry ingredients, combine your lard and mix together using your fingers or processor until your flour resembles cornmeal. Add the water and mix until the dough comes together. If you are kneading on your countertop, just add a little flour and knead several times. Divide into 12 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Preheat a large skillet. Using a well floured rolling pin roll each ball into a round tortilla. They do not have to be perfectly shaped!

If you don’t want to make completely from scratch, the prepared tortilla mix that you just add flour is great also. This is the brand I have used and it is delicious!

Delicious Homemade Chorizo with Eggs, Hashbrowns, and Refried Beans

I started making homemade Mexican chorizo because it seemed the chorizo I bought from the store had good flavor but it was very greasy! It seemed like after cooking some of it and draining, there was hardly any left! This homemade chorizo is loaded with those same flavors but not greasy at all! It is delicious! You can make this recipe with beef, pork or even ground turkey or chicken!

Don’t confuse the Mexican Chorizo that is uncured with Spanish Chorizo that is cured. In Texas we mostly find Mexican Chorizo and only find Spanish chorizo in finer grocery stores. Spanish Chorizo will come in a casing, it is firm, and you have to dice it to cook it. Delicious as it is, it is different than the Mexican Chorizo we are used to in Texas.

After you make this chorizo you will never want to buy store bought again, unless you can finda a really good brand you like! I just make it and freeze it in half a pound portions. When i get ready for it I just let it thaw overnight, then I’m ready for my breakfast or other recipe. There are so many uses for Mexican chorizo. you can make the Cowboy Beans or Charro Beans and it is a great ingredient in a spicy pasta dish. Here’s some other uses from the Cooking Channels website: https://www.cookingchanneltv.com/devour/2013/07/25-ways-to-use-chorizo

Delicious Homemade Chorizo with Eggs, Hashbrowns and Refried Beans

The refried beans are essential to this dish in my opinion! You can purchase the prepared in a can which are good. If you do purchase, buy a good brand. I always heat them by adding a little oil to a skillet, adding the beans and if they need to be thinned a little, I will add just enogh water to do so. I really like to make them from scratch though because they’re just so much better. Here’s my recipe for the beans: https://the2spoons.com/pinto-beans-for-refried-beans/

Hope you enjoy this recipe!! Great for breakfast any day of the week!!

Homemade Chorizo with Eggs, Hashbrowns, and Refried Beans

Print Recipe

Course Breakfast

Cuisine Mexican

Ingredients

For the Chorizo

1 lb 80/20 ground beef or chuck, pork, or turkey will work too
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp paprika (I used smoked)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp dried oregano, crushed
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground black pepper

For the Refried Beans

See the link below or
1 can your favorite refried beans

For the Eggs and Chorizo

1 lb chorizo
6-8 extra large eggs, beaten
grated cheddar cheese (optional)

For the Hashbrowns

1 20 OZ PKG Simply Potato Brand Hashbrowns, or your favorite homemade hashbrowns

Heated Corn or Flour Tortillas for serving

Instructions

For the Chorizo:

Combine chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt, garlic powder, coriander, oregano, red pepper flakes, ground cloves and black pepper in mixing bowl and stir until well combined.
Add cider vinegar and stir until dry ingredients are moistened.
Add ground meat and knead until spice mixture is well incorporated into the meat.
You can use the chorizo immediately, but for best flavor development, place chorizo mixture in an airtight container and store overnight in fridge.
If I'm only using a portion, I divide in freezer bags and store for the next use.

To make the breakfast:

Brown your hashbrowns in a skillet with a little oil until lightly browned. Heat your refried beans in a saucepan.
Break your eggs into a bowl and whisk to combine. Brown your chorizo in a skillet with a little oil. When done, lightly browned, add your eggs and cook over medium high heat until the eggs are cooked through and set, like making scrambled eggs. Add grated cheese if you desire.
Serve in a plate with the hashbrowns and refried beans with plenty of corn or flour tortillas to scoop it up and eat it with! Have plenty of salsa on hand and avocado or guacamole if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

Pinto Beans for Refried Beans

Keyword chorizo, homemade, homemade chorizo, Homemade Chorizo with Eggs, Hashbrowns, and Refried Beans, homemade mexican chorizo, mexicanfood