Chocolate Pumpkin Magic Cake

JUST last night, my very good friend, Theresa, served this cake to us for dessert.  I was hooked.  I knew I would share it in my weekly newsletter.  It is amazing.  ~Shelly


She told me this triple layer dessert is extremely easy to make, and comes out in perfect layers each time!

The bottom layer is a delightful pumpkin pie, the middle is a rich chocolate cake and then it’s topped off with a vanilla pudding frosting that is to die for.

The secret to this magical cake is how you bake it.
First you pour in the chocolate cake batter and then the pumpkin pie batter over the top.

Since the pumpkin pie filling is heavier, it will sink to the bottom and the cake will rise to the top.

Now… I get asked a lot, “Why don’t you just put the pumpkin on the bottom to begin with?” 
The pumpkin needs to bake longer in order to set, this little trick makes it so both the cake and pie come out perfect!

On the original pumpkin magic cake, the frosting had a hint of pumpkin pie spice, but you can opt to sprinkle some crushed gingersnap cookies on top.

Once your family tastes this cake… they’ll be hooked and asking for it all the time!


Grab a fork and dig in to this chocolate delight!

Ingredients

For the Cake:
1 box of devil's food cake mix PLUS ingredients needed to make (eggs, water, oil)
For the Pumpkin Pie:
1 (15oz) can Pumpkin Puree
1/2 cup evaporated milk

 

1/2 cup heavy cream
3 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
For the Frosting
1 (4 serving size) box vanilla instant pudding mix
1 cup cold milk
8 oz Cool Whip, thawed
4 to 5 gingersnap cookies, crushed into crumbs

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Prepare box of cake mix according to package instructions, then pour into a lightly greased 9"x13" cake pan. DO NOT BAKE. Set aside.
3. In another bowl whisk together the ingredients for the Pumpkin Pie (pumpkin, evaporated milk, cream, eggs, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice), until smooth. Slowly pour the pumpkin pie mixture all over the cake mix.
4. Carefully place cake into the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes or until the center is no longer jiggly, and a toothpick inserted into cake mix comes out clean. Let cool to room temperature.
For the Frosting:
5. Place the vanilla pudding mix into a large bowl and pour in the cold milk. Whisk until combined and starting to thicken. Gently fold in the Cool Whip until it's completely combined. Spread on top of the cooled cake then sprinkle with the crushed gingersnap cookies.
6. You can serve now, or chill the cake, and serve when chilled. Either way tastes great. Enjoy!

Beef Fajitas

This recipe, from The Pioneer Woman, calls for marinating your whole flank steak.

If you buy the Marinated Fajita meat on sale this week at Harter House, just half the ingredients called for here.

1 whole Beef Flank Steak

1/2 cup Olive Oil

3 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

1/3 cup Lime Juice, Fresh Squeezed

3 cloves Garlic, Minced

1 Tablespoon Cumin

1 Tablespoon Chili Powder

1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

1 teaspoon Salt

1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper

1 Tablespoon Sugar

2 whole Medium Onions, Halved And Sliced

1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Sliced

1 whole Orange Bell Pepper, Sliced

1 whole Green Bell Pepper, Sliced

1 whole Yellow Bell Pepper, Sliced

Oil, For Frying

Flour Tortillas, Warmed

Cheese (grated Cheddar/jack Or Crumbled Queso Fresco)

Salsa

Sour Cream

Cilantro Leaves

  

 

In a dish, mix together olive oil, Worcestershire, lime juice, garlic, cumin, chili powder, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and sugar until combined. Pour half of the marinade into a separate dish. In one dish, place the flank steak, turning it over to coat. In the second dish, place all the veggies, turning to coat. Cover the dishes with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

 

Prepare tortillas, salsa, sour cream, and cilantro.

 

I think it’s fun to serve both the steak
and the veggies directly on a cutting board

Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat and drizzle in some oil. Add the veggies and cook them for a few minutes, until they're cooked but still slightly firm and have nice black/brown pieces. Remove to a plate and set aside.

 

Heat the same skillet (or a grill pan if you have it) over high heat and drizzle some oil. Cook the meat for about 2 minutes per side until medium rare. Remove and allow to rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes.

 

Slice the meat right before serving and serve with all the fixins. Delicious! Enjoy!

Baking Ideas for a Boneless Pork Butt Roast

 

A boneless pork butt roast comes from closer to a pig's head than its tail. This meaty shoulder-cut, usually between 3 and 6 pounds, is striped with some intramuscular fat, and, unlike a number of slenderized cuts of pork, still requires a good old-fashioned long cooking until tender. Dressed with Latin, Southern or Asian flavors, its succulence makes it well worth the wait.

 

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Herb Paste

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary

10 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

1 1/2 tablespoons coarse salt

1 tablespoon cracked black pepper

1 tablespoon dry white wine

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 (6-pound) boneless pork shoulder Boston roast 

 

 

DIRECTIONS

 

Preheat oven to 275°F.

 

Blend together sage, rosemary, garlic, fennel seeds, salt, and pepper in a food processor until a thick paste forms. With motor running, add wine and oil and blend until combined well.

 

 

If necessary, trim fat from top of pork, to leave a 1/8-inch-thick layer of fat. Make 3 small incisions, each about 1 inch long and 1 inch deep, in each side of pork with a small sharp knife, and fill each with about 1 teaspoon herb paste. Spread remaining herb paste over pork, concentrating on boned side, (tie roast with kitchen string at 2-inch intervals, if not yet tied).

 

Put pork, fat side up, in a roasting pan and roast in middle of oven 6 hours. Transfer roast to cutting board and let stand 15 minutes.

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Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder: Step-by-Step

Start at High Heat, Finish at Low Heat

For the spice rub, mix up the following ingredients in a small bowl:

1 Tbsp dried crushed red peppers

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp ground ginger

2 Tbsp Kosher Salt (NOT sea salt or table salt)

1 tsp ground white pepper

2 Tbsp brown sugar

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

These precise measurements and ingredients aren't critically important, but what we're doing is creating a blend of sweet, salty and spicy.

Mix everything together to form a paste and smear it all over the roast.

 

Roast the pork at 500°F for the first 20 minutes. We start at a high temperature so that the outside of the roast will turn all brown and crispy and delicious. You might see a bit of smoke inside the oven, but that's OK — don't panic!

After 20 minutes, lower the heat to 250°F and cook for another 2 hours or so. This lower temperature prevents the meat from drying out.

The roast is done when the outside is nice and brown and the internal temperature reaches 145°F as measured with an instant-read thermometer. 

Resting the meat before slicing it results in a much juicier roast. That's because cooking tends to drive all the meat's natural juices into the center of the roast. Resting it before slicing gives the protein molecules a chance to reabsorb some of that moisture, so those juices don't all spill out onto your cutting board

 

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Pan Roast

In spite of its size, boneless butt can be traditionally dry-roasted in a shallow pan. This skinless, fat-capped roast is rolled and tied, then placed on a rack to prevent dripping fat from soaking the bottom of the meat. Slow-roast it between 275 and 325 degrees Fahrenheit, allowing at least 45 minutes per pound. You can both season this thick cut and help seal in juices by coating the roast with a paste of garlic, aromatic herbs and oil or mustard. When the meat has come to 180 F when tested with an instant-read meat thermometer, it's ready to come out. Let the roast sit for 10 minutes before carving, so that meat will be juicier and not shred when sliced.

Pot Roast

A rolled, tied pork butt can be browned lightly in a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed roasting pan, then braised in liquid and finished with the addition of vegetables. Brown all sides of the meat in a little oil, season as desired and add 2 to 3 cups of water or broth. Add onion slices and other aromatics as desired. Cover the roast, and cook at 350 F for approximately 3 hours for a 5- to 7-pound roast. Take the pan out of the oven, and add potatoes, carrots and other root vegetables, cut into chunks. Recover the pan, and bake for another hour, or until vegetables and meat are tender.

Ultra-Slow Roast

This is a favorite method for cooks who want meat tender enough to create pulled pork. While boneless butt is often sold with skin removed, slow roasting begins with a skin-on cut. Some cooks prefer a bone-in butt, but the goals of ultra-slow cooking are tender meat and uniquely crispy skin, which can be achieved with a boneless cut as well. For an ultra-slow roast, seasonings can be as simple as salt and pepper, or as complex as your favorite barbecue dry rub. Set your oven to 250 F, allow up to an hour per pound and remove from the oven when the internal temperature reads 180 F. Add barbecue sauce to individual servings, or shred the meat and skin, then stir in sauce.

Boneless Butt Flavor Profiles

Whatever your roasting strategy, boneless pork butt works particularly well with tart and fruity flavors. For a pre-cooking marinade, choose the Portuguese mixture of vinegar and garlic known as vinha d'alhos, a simple salt brine or a mixture of wine and citrus juices, in imitation of the sour orange juice used in Spanish and Caribbean cooking. Allspice, fennel and peppers add flavors that blend well with and cut through the fattiness of the meat. Vary with Asian barbecue sauce or one of America's tomato-based classics. Boneless pork butt travels serenely through the thorny thickets of barbecue opinion, benefiting equally from red, white and brown variants. Vary the classic buns for pulled pork with corn muffins, spoonbread or rice. Corn on the cob or corn pudding and dark leafy greens, from steamed collards to spinach-orange salad make your meal a feast. Leftovers go great in whole grain wraps with coleslaw and a bit more sauce.

 

by Janet Beal, studioD

References

• Cooks Thesaurus: Pork Shoulder Cuts
• Portuguese Cooking: Vinha D'Alhos (Garlic Wine Marinated Dishes)
• Washington's Green Grocer: Roasted Sunday - Oven-Roasted Pork Butt with Garlic, Sage and Mustard
• Epicurious: Six Hour Pork Roast Recipe
• Williams-Sonoma: Cuban-Style Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder with Mojo Sauce
• Pork Be Inspired: Be 145 Degrees F
• Pork Be Inspired: Fat in Pork
• Serious Eats: The Food Lab: Ultra-Crispy Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder Recipe
• Serious Eats: The Food Lab: Ultra-Crispy Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder
• Leite's Culinaria: Slowly Roasted Pork Shoulder With Fennel and Orange

Resources

• Pork Be Inspired: Roast Pork Shoulder Caribbean-Style
• The Chew: Michael Symon's Pulled Pork Butt BBQ with CTown BBQ Sauce

Photo Credits

• Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images

Cheeseburger Soup

I am SO excited for fall foods.  I love soups.

This soup looks really delicious!  With all the fresh ingredients and topped with shredded cheese, I'm certain I will make it often! ~Shelly

INGREDIENTS

1 pound Harter House Ground Chuck 
¾ cup chopped onion
¾ cup shredded carrots
¾ cup diced celery
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
4 tablespoons butter, divided
3 cups chicken broth
4 cups peeled and diced potatoes
¼ cup all purpose flour
2 cups of Velveeta processed cheese cubed (16 ounce) OR 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1½ cups milk
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ to ½ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup sour cream

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Brown the ground beef in 3 quart saucepan. Drain and set aside.
2. In the same saucepan add 1 T butter and add onion, shredded carrots, parsley flakes, basil and celery. Saute until tender.
3. Add the broth, potatoes and beef and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
4. In small skillet melt remaining butter (3 T) and add the flour. Cook and stir for 3-5 minutes or until bubbly. Add to the soup and bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
5. Stir in the cheese, milk, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until cheese melts. Remove from heat and blend in sour cream.

Author: Alyssa

http://therecipecritic.com/2012/12/cheeseburger-soup/ 

Recipe Adapted from Taste of Home

Brie and Cheddar Apple Beer Soup with Cinnamon Pecan Oat Crumble.

This is a perfect soup for a cool mid September evening. Not too heavy, but still just cozy enough.

I love the combo of apples and cheddar. I think the two are a perfect match.  The honeycrisp apples at Harter House are so good right now.  And finally, the Cinnamon Pecan Oat Crumble really enhances this recipe.  Give this recipe a try and tell me what you think.  ~Shelly

 

Ingredients

Cheddar Apple Beer Soup with Brie
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 sweet onion, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
2/3 cup apple cider
2 apples, chopped (I used honeycrisp)
2 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
1 (12 ounce) beer (I used pumpkin beer)
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup flour (may sub gluten free blend if needed)
1 cup milk (I used 2%)
16 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
8 ounces brie, rind removed + cubed

Cinnamon Pecan Oat Crumble
1 cup old fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups whole raw pecans
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons unsalted butter


INSTRUCTIONS

To make the Crumble

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Working on a greased cookie sheet or pyrex dish, add the oats, pecans, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add the softened butter and use your fingers to crumble it into the oats mixture until everything is moist and the butter is evenly distributed. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until crisp is golden brown and smells amazing. I like to serve this warm, so I make it while the soup simmers.

To make the Soup

Heat a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil. Once hot, add the onions and a pinch of brown sugar. Season with a little salt and pepper. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened. At this point, slowly add in the apple cider, let it cook into the onions, add more and continue to cook. Do this until the onions are caramelized. Add the apples and thyme to the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring, until softened, 8 minutes. Add in any remaining apple cider, the beer, chicken broth and cayenne. Bring to a simmer and cook 5-10 minutes or until the apples are tender. (This is when I bake the crumble)

Meanwhile, whisk the flour into the milk until smooth. Set aside.

Once the apples are soft, puree the soup until chunky smooth or completely smooth (whatever you like). Return the soup to the stove and bring to a low bowl. Whisk in the milk mixture and boil until the soup thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the cheddar cheddar cheese and brie until melted and smooth. Simmer the soup 5 minutes or until ready to serve.

Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the cinnamon pecan crumble. Plus maybe some extra cheese too!! Happy slurping!

http://www.halfbakedharvest.com/brie-cheddar-apple-beer-soup-cinnamon-pecan-oat-crumble/

Cheesy Chicken Alfredo Soup

I can't think of anything I like better than this Creamy, Parmesan-loaded Tortellini in a chicken broth soup.

It's a super easy recipe that serves a family a four.

I love this fresh Buitoni Tortellini.  At the Republic Road location, where I work, you can find it in a cold case near the Meat Department.

Ingredients

2 tbsp. butter

1 lb. chicken breasts

kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 large onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 c. all-purpose flour

4 c. low-sodium chicken broth

1 c. half and half

9 oz. Tortellini

2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

Fresh basil for garnish (optional)

Directions

In a large pot over medium-high heat, melt butter. Cook chicken until cooked through and golden, 6 minutes per side. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. Once cool, dice.

Add onion to pot and cook until soft and golden, 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add flour and whisk until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add chicken broth and half and half and simmer until thickened, 15 minutes.

Add tortellini to pot and cook until al dente, 10 minutes. Add diced chicken and season with crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with basil.

Chipotle-Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Black Bean Salsa

The benefits of pork tenderloin go on and on: It's low in fat and calories, easy to prepare, quick to cook, affordable, and absorbs seasoning and other flavors easily.

This Week, August 31 to September 6, 2016 at 5 Harter House Supermarkets, we have Pork Tenderloin on sale, Buy One Get one FREE.
























Here, pork tenderloin is marinated in a Southwestern chipotle blend, seared in a grill pan, and served with a fiber-rich bean and tomato salsa.

Ingredients

• 1 can(s) chipotle chile, in adobo sauce, (for pork)
• 3 clove(s) garlic
• 1/2 cup(s) coarsely chopped white onion, (for pork)
• 2 tablespoon(s) fresh lime juice, (for pork)
• 1 teaspoon(s) sherry vinegar
• 1 teaspoon(s) dried Mexican oregano OR Italian Seasoning
• 1 pound(s) pork tenderloin, trimmed of fat
• 1 can(s) (19 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup(s) grape tomatoes, quartered
• 1/4 cup(s) finely chopped white onion, (for salsa)
• 1/4 cup(s) finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 tablespoon(s) fresh lime juice, (for salsa)
• 2 teaspoon(s) minced canned chipotle chile, in adobo sauce, (for salsa)
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) ground cumin
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Directions
1. Make the pork marinade: Process chile, garlic, onion, lime juice, vinegar, and oregano in a blender until smooth. Rub marinade all over the pork. Transfer pork to a dish, and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat a grill pan over high heat. Grill pork until seared on all sides, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer pan to the oven; cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of meat registers 145 degrees, 20 to 25 minutes. Let pork stand at room temperature 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.

3. Meanwhile, Make the Salsa: Stir together the black beans, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, lime juice, chile, and cumin in a small bowl. Serve with the pork. Pork tenderloin is one of the leanest cuts of meat.

You will find everything you need at Harter House and Harter House World Flavors.