Author Archives: Bonjour

Pat’s Bailey’s Irish Cream Cake

21 Friday Nov 2014

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My good friend Pat made this cake to share with her coworkers.  She loved to cook and bake for family and friends.  This is a delicious and quite lovely dessert to prepare for your loved ones over the holidays.  Pat is no longer here but I think of her often, especially when cooking for my family and friends.  Be thankful for those you still have and remember those who have gone.

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  • 1C  Chopped Pecans
  • 1 Pkg. Chocolate Cake Mix
  • 1 Box jello instant pudding (vanilla or chocolate)
  • 4 eggs
  • ½ C  cold water
  • ½ C  vegetable oil
  • ½ C  Bailey’s Irish Cream

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt cake pan.  Sprinkle nuts in bottom of pan. Combine all other ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.  Pour into pan over nuts and bake for 1 hour.  Cool cake and then flip out of pan.  Poke holes in cake and pour glaze over top.

Glaze

  • 4T. of butter
  • 2 T. water
  • ½ C  sugar
  • ¼ C  Bailey’s Irish Cream or Godiva Chocolate Liquor (I ran out of irish cream J)

Melt butter in small saucepan, stir in water and sugar.  Boil for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and add Liquor.  Pour over cake.

Meatloaf Is Calling My Name

17 Monday Nov 2014

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Sometimes comfort food is calling my name and meatloaf often shows up to nourish the body and comfort the soul.  This is a very easy meal to get on the table for a cold winter evening.  I like to serve with smashed potatoes or green beans with a lemon butter sauce.

Enjoy!

meatloaf

Meatloaf

  • 2 lbs. of ground beef
  • 1 chopped onion
  • 2 chopped hot peppers
  • 1 clove chopped garlic
  • 1 egg
  • ¾ cup of rice (minute rice)
  • 1/4 C of BBQ sauce
  • ¼ C of Ketchup
  • Salt Pepper
  • Worcestershire sauce (2 shakes)
  • *topping (below)

Sauté onions and pepper in a little olive oil until tender (make sure to season vegetables with salt and pepper)  add garlic for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and add to bowl with beef, egg, rice, bbq sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.  Form into loaf. Spray glass cake pan with Pam, put loaf in.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 min.

*Now mix ¼ C. mustard, ¼ c ketchup, ¼ c of brown sugar together.  Spread on top of meatloaf and bake for 10 more minutes.  Let it rest for at least 5 min. after you remove from oven.

Melt In Your Mouth Filet with Herbed Butter and Creamy Potatoes Au Gratin

03 Monday Nov 2014

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I cook on Sundays because I enjoy it.  My family enjoys it too.  This week we had French Onion Soup, Spinach Salad, Grilled Filets, Creamy Potatoes Au Gratin and bakery French bread.  It is immodest to rave about your own food but it was spectacular.  I had a few recipe failures last weekend so I couldn’t be happier that all was well once again this weekend.  I use to say to the children when they didn’t like what I had prepared for dinner “ I don’t cook for practice”.  I guess that is not really true anymore……….

plate

Grilled Filets

I have tips here, no recipe.  Let the meat rest for at least 30 minutes on the counter to warm up.  Pat completely dry with paper towels, rub with olive oil and season with your favorite blend.  We like Montreal Steak Seasoning.  You must season all over and both sides.  Now sear to get color on your filets and then grill to your desired temperature.  We like medium rare, so it doesn’t take long.  The most important thing now it to let your meat rest for five minutes before cutting.  This is imperative to a juicy filet.  Top the warm filets with herbed butter.

grilled filets

Herbed Butter

  • 6 T. butter-softened
  • 2 t. fresh lemon juice
  • 1 t. lemon zest
  • Salt and pepper
  • Assorted fresh herbs. (thyme, rosemary, parsley, chives) About 4 T. total.

Mix all together and form into log with plastic wrap.  Put in fridge until ready to use.

Creamy Potatoes Au Gratin

potatoes

  • 2 ½ lbs. of red skinned potatoes peeled and sliced thin
  • 1 ½ C milk
  • ½ C heavy cream
  • 1 clove minced garlic
  • 1 C gruyere cheese-shredded
  • Salt and pepper
  • Nutmeg

Butter a baking dish, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put all the ingredients except cheese in a large saucepan.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat, simmer for five minutes. You want the potatoes slightly cooked and the sauce thickened. Remove potatoes from sauce and ladle into buttered dish.  Now pour sauce over.  Sprinkle with cheese and bake for about 30 minutes.  Potatoes should be tender and cheese melted and browned.

These may very well be my favorite potatoes on earth.

Enjoy!