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Eggless Mayan Chocolate Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour cake pans.

Wisk together:

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 6 Tbsp baking cocoa
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 3/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper

Add then mix with electric mixer on medium speed for 3 mins:

  • 2 cups water
  • 2/3 cup canola oil
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp. white vinegar

Pour immediately into prepared cake pans and bake:

  • 2 8×2″ round cake pans – 30-40 mins
  • 3 8×1.5″ round cake pans – 25-35 mins
  • 18 cupcakes – 25-30 mins

Frost with Valerie’s Amazing Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Posted on

Indian Spice Rub for Chicken

Click for larger image!

1-1/2 lbs. fresh chicken, rinsed and dried
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon sugar

  • I wash and dry the chicken so that it is room temperature and the skin is not too wet.
  • I double the recipe because we almost always make more chicken for future meals and it reheats very nicely
  • ***Note: original recipe calls for 1 tsp. cayenne. That amount of cayenne/chili will be WAY TOO MUCH. I use a solid 1/4 tsp. when I double the recipe and DJ can still eat it and he is only just getting used to spicy food.
  • I add a small amount of sugar, like half the amount of a single spice so if you’re double the recipe I would add 1 tsp. of sugar. It makes the spice rub become a little like a glaze and its not too sweet.
  • I start the oven at 400 degrees and then at 20 minutes I turn it down to 350 for the last 10 minutes. I don’t know what I’m doing, actually, but I tell myself that I’m, at first, searing/sealing in the juices and, secondly, then not drying it out by cooking too long.
  • We like to use this recipe on chicken wings: they are cheap and yummy. Enjoy yourselves!

The original recipe/instructions came from here: http://www.indiasnacks.com/recipe/811/Tandoori-Spice-Rub.php

Posted on

Transylvanian Goulash or Szekely Gulyas

1” chunks of pork shoulder
brown in bacon fat a few at a time so that they fry and not steam
place cooked pieces in another dish
saute onions, bell peppers, add garlic last
add the meat back in, cover with paprika
add a can of sauerkraut with half the liquid drained out
add ½” of water to bottom of the pan
add 2 bay leaves, pepper corns, pinch caraway (not too much) and dill weed and salt
simmer, place in oven at 350 degrees until meat is tender then it is done
serve with boiled potatoes and a dash of sour cream