Red Velvet Cake using Devil's Food Mix with Meringue Cream Cheese Buttercream

Ingredients
1 box       Devils Food Cake Mix
3              Eggs
1 1/3 cup  Buttermilk
1/2 cup     Vegetable Oil
1 tsp         Vinegar
2 oz (4Tbsp)  Red Coloring

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Lightly oil & flour cake pans (two 9-inch round pan)
1) Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl
2) Beat for 3 minutes at medium speed
3) Divide evenly into two pans, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes
4) Remove cake from cake pans, and place on cooling rack to cool
5) Frost cake once cake is cool

Meringue Cream Cheese Buttercream
Adapted from KitchenSidecar

Ingredients:
6 Tbsp     Meringue Powder
1/2 cup     Corn Syrup
1/4 cup     Warm Water
2 sticks     Butter, softened and cubed
1 block     Cream Cheese, softened and cubed
1 tsp         Vanilla Extract

Methods:
1) Combine meringue powder, corn syrup, and warm water.
2) Beat/whisk until shiny and glossy. About 5 minutes.
3) Add cubed butter and continue beating. Mixture might look like cottage cheese, but keep on beating until well-blended. It may take 10 minutes.
4) Add cream cheese and continue beating. Mixture might look like cottage cheese again, but keep on beating until well-blended. It may take 10 minutes.
5) Beat until mixture is light and fluffy like butter cream. Add vanilla extract and combine until blended.

Link to original The Silver Linings Saga blogpost referring to this dish:

Four-Day Weekend Full of Cooking Shortcuts posted on 11/28/2010

Greek Lemon Chicken Soup (Avgolemono)

Adapted from Whole Foods Market

Ingredients:
6 cups      Homemade Chicken/Turkey Broth
1 cups      Shredded Chicken/Turkey
2 cups      Cooked Brown Rice
2 eggs      Eggs
1/4 cup    Lemon Juice (or juice from 1 lemon)
Herbs (1 Bay leaf or 1/4 tsp Herb de Provence)
Salt & Pepper

Methods:
1) Add Brown Rice and Herbs to Chicken Broth and bring to boil.
2) Let is simmer for 20 minutes
3) Add Shredded Chicken and simmer for 5 more minutes
4) Whisk eggs in a clean bowl
5) Add lemon to the eggs and whisk until blended.
6) Add a cup of soup to the egg mixture and keep whisking it
7) Add another cup of soup to the egg mixture and whisk the mixture
8) Turn the heat off and add egg mixture to the soup
9) Salt and pepper to taste, if needed

Link to original The Silver Linings Saga blogpost referring to this dish:

Four-Day Weekend Full of Cooking Shortcuts posted on 11/28/2010

Pumpkin Mousse

Adapted from Food Network

Ingredients:

1 can (15oz)   Pumpkin

3/4 cup          Sugar

1 cup             Heavy Cream

1/2 tsp           Pumpkin Spice

2 tub (8oz)     Whipped Topping (i.e. Cool Whip)

*If you have 29oz canned pumpkin, you can double the recipe above to make a very large batch.

Methods:

1) Combine pumpkin, sugar, heavy cream, pumpkin spice in a pot and cook over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes.

2) Remove from heat and let mixture cool.

3) Put cooled pumpkin mixture in a big bowl and fold whipped topping into the mixture.

3) Serve in individual bowl and garnish with nutmeg

Link to original The Silver Linings Saga blogpost referring to this dish:

Four-Day Weekend Full of Cooking Shortcuts posted on 11/28/2010