Food - grace grits and gardening

Heavenly Coconut Cake

March 29, 2013 By Talya Tate Boerner

I made this cake a few days ago inspired by a Pinterest recipe. I tweaked it a bit (because I was at my mother’s house and didn’t have all the ingredients…) Had the cake been any more delicious, I’d have eaten the plate.

So simple and perfect for holiday entertaining!

Ingredients

1 white cake mix (I used Pillsbury)
3 eggs
1 cup water
1/4 cup coconut oil (the cake mix called for 1/4 cup vegetable oil. I substituted coconut oil which provides health benefits and adds a coconut flavor to the cake.)
1 14 oz. can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
1 8 oz. package sweetened coconut
1 container of Cool Whip, thawed

Method

Bake the cake according to the directions using mix, eggs, water and oil.

While cake is baking, toast coconut in a skillet.

Immediately upon removing the cake from the oven, poke holes in it.

Typically, I would make neater, rounder holes with the end of a wooden spoon, but since I was at my mother’s house and she has very few utensils, I made ugly slices with a knife. (FYI – Momma stopped cooking after Daddy died, and her kitchen is suffering…)

Pour the milk over the top of the cake and let cool completely.

Once cooled, ice with Cool Whip. Sprinkle with toasted coconut.

Yum.

Easy.

talya

Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

Rosemary Infused Olive Oil

March 21, 2013 By Talya Tate Boerner

We have so much rosemary growing in our garden, I am forever trying to work it into cooking, cleaning and decorating.

This rosemary infused olive oil is very flavorful, can be used in a variety of recipes and makes a great gift.

Ingredients

1 cup olive oil

5-6 sprigs rosemary

rosemary infused olive oil - great gift idea

Heat olive oil and rosemary on the stovetop on medium heat for five minutes. Return to room temperature.

Place a few of the rosemary twigs inside a decorative container and fill with olive oil. This will store in the refrigerator for a month.

Rosemary Snacks…

Popcorn: For an unusual twist on an old standby, drizzle a tablespoon of rosemary infused olive oil over air-popped popcorn. Sprinkle with finely chopped rosemary and sea salt. Yum!

Almonds: Spread 2-3 cups raw almonds on a cookie sheet. Drizzle rosemary infused olive oil over and mix to lightly coat. Sprinkle with sea salt, cayenne, chopped rosemary to taste. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Delicious!

Enjoy!

talya

Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

Mussels in White Wine Sauce

February 15, 2013 By Talya Tate Boerner

I always thought mussels would be an incredibly difficult dish to cook. This is not the case at all. The following recipe is courtesy of Dallas Central Market Cooking School. I attended the class last summer and discovered how truly easy it is to cook mussels.

Ingredients (serves 6 as an appetizer, 2-3 as main course)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup finely chopped shallot
2 cups roma tomatoes, diced 1/2 inch
1 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 pounds of fresh black mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded (if you buy them at Whole Foods they come this way)
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Pinch of fresh thyme
Crusty French bread, to serve

Method

1. Heat the butter in a large stew pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic and shallots. Sauté until golden, stirring constantly.

2. Add tomatoes, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes give up their juice. Then add white wine, salt, paper. Cook until reduced by half.

3. Stir in the mussels, turning to coat them with the sauce. Cover the pot and turn heat to high.

4. Cook mussels, covered, 7 – 10 minutes. Turn off heat.

5. Add herbs and stir to incorporate.

6. Divide mussels among serving bowls, discarding any that did not open, and ladle the sauce over them.

7. Serve with bread to sop up the sauce.