7.12.2008

Mississippi Mud Cake

INGREDIENTS
Cake:
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup cocoa
1/4 cup water
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ bag miniature marshmallows

Icing:
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
4 1/2 tablespoons cocoa
9 tablespoons milk
1 ½ pounds confectioners' sugar
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 13 by 9-inch baking pan.
2. Combine the sugar, salt, and flour in a large mixing bowl. Bring the butter, oil, cocoa, and 1/4 cup water to a boil in a saucepan. Add to the flour mixture.
3. Beat together the eggs, baking soda, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add to the chocolate mixture, mix well, and pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes.
4. While the cake is baking, make the icing by melting the butter in the cocoa and milk over low heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, then remove from the heat. Stir in the confectioners' sugar. Slowly mix in the nuts and the vanilla.
5. Take the cake from the oven, and when it cools a bit cover it with miniature marshmallows. Pour the warm icing over the cake and the marshmallows. Cool the cake before serving.

Grilled Asparagus

INGREDIENTS
1 bunch of asparagus
olive oil
salt
pepper
lemon herb seasoning

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat grill.
2. In a pot of boiling water add salt and asparagus and cook for 2 minutes to blanch.
Remove asparagus from pot, and plunge into a bowl of ice water, to cool. Pat asparagus dry.
3. Drizzle with oil, salt, pepper and lemon herb seasoning to taste. Put asparagus on a heated grill. Grill for about 5 minutes, turning over half way through.

Grilled Halibut

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 pound halibut steaks
Pam for grilling cooking spray

DIRECTIONS
1. Spray grill with cooking spray. Heat grill.
2. In shallow dish mix lemon juice, vegetable oil, salt, pepper and garlic. Add fish and turn several times to coat with marinade. Cover dish and refrigerate 10 minutes.
3. Remove fish from marinade and reserve remaining marinade. Cover and grill fish on medium heat 10 to 15 minutes, turning once and brushing with marinade, until fish flakes easily with fork. Discard any remaining marinade.