I make no excuses...only delicious food

I think about giving up on this blog but then I always come back. I like to cook, I like to write, and I love to eat...this just makes sense.  I guess the egotistical side of me needs gratification of knowing someone is reading thing besides my Mom.  (Hi Mom!)

The significant other and I are dieting or having a lifestyle change or what ever you want to call it. It all boils down to we are trying to loose weight and eat cleaner food.  The thing is...my body seems to crave all that bad, processed food, and sugary drinks.  So far I am down 22 pounds since December 13, 2013.  We are using this great app/website called: MyFitnessPal. It really helps a lot and makes me think about what I eat and drink.   I was drinking so many calories and didn't realize it.

As for eating...we have come across this killer warm salad dressing to have on a spinach salad.  A serving of the salad with two servings of the dressing is about 300 calories. It tastes delightfully bad while being good for you.  We like to add some protein to it  in the form of some lean steak.  I'm sure it would be rocking with chicken or shrimp as well. It also goes great as a side with pasta dishes.  It's so good I could seriously eat this every night.  Original recipe called for blue cheese...feel free to use that if you like...I dislike blue cheese so asiago for me.  It also called for lettuce.  I'm not a fan of wilted lettuce so enter spinach.

Warm Maple Bacon Spinach Salad

Ingredients:

• 4 strips of Bacon, cooked, crumbled and bacon fat reserved
• 1/3 cup Real Maple Syrup
• 3 tablespoons Country Dijon Mustard
• 2 tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1/8 teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1 Shallot, finely diced
• 1 package of fresh spinach
• 1 small Honeycrisp Apple, sliced
• 1/4 cup Pecan Halves
• 1/4 cup Asiago Cheese, or more to taste

Directions:

1. Combine the maple syrup, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper into a small bowl or jar and set aside.
2. Toss together the spinach, sliced apples, pecans, cheese, and crumbled bacon.
3. Reheat the bacon fat over medium/ medium-high heat.
4. Sauté diced shallot until softened. 
5. While whisking, gradually add in the jar of maple/mustard mixture. 
6. Simmer for 3-5 minutes or until slightly thickened.
7. Plate up the salads and serve the warm maple bacon dressing drizzled over the top.

I also take no credit for making this recipe other than eating its delicious goodness...the significant other is the one that totally makes it. 

Köstliches Sonnenschein-Essen

I like German food. Lately it has been on my mind a lot. There is this lovely German restaurant in Portsmouth, VA. It is called the Bier Garden. I have ate their a few times and I have loved it every time. They have an awesome beer list and a great menu. Their schnitzel is heavenly. I am not a big fan of Spatzle, but I really like theirs. German chocolate cake and black forest cake to die for at this restaurant…I hope to take a weekend trip back to Portsmouth/Virginia beach just so I can stop by the Bier Garden again. I hope my good buddy Melissa can join me.

I also have recently been introduced with to an awesome Dusseldorf Style German Mustard in a Beer Stein…It is great with sausages.
I am not a fan of the German potato salad. Maybe I have never had a good version of it…I would be willing to try it again if someone could tell me where to find it.

Thanks to this entry…I have the desire to make sausage and sauerkraut this week. Mmmmmmm!

There was also another great restaurant in Portsmouth called La Tolteca Mexican. It was at a great location right by the Norfolk ferry at the Elizabeth River. You also had a great view of the Norfolk skyline, not to mention the food was great. I have sadly found out this place is closed. It is a great loss to the Portsmouth community.

German Chocolate Cake

Ingredients 

•  4 ounces baker's chocolate (recommend: Baker's German Sweet Chocolate)
•  1/2 cup water
•  2 cups cake flour
•  1 teaspoon baking soda
•  1/2 teaspoon salt
•  1/2 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
•  1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
•  1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
•  1/2 cup brown sugar
•  4 eggs, separated
• 1 cup buttermilk

Filling/frosting, recipe follows or whatever you prefer

Directions

In a microwave safe bowl, add the chocolate and water and heat in a microwave or over a double boiler until melted. Stir until smooth and set aside. In a separate bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, vanilla extract, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add egg yolks 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in the melted chocolate. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk, alternating, until just combined.

Add the egg whites to a small bowl and beat with an egg beater until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whites into the batter until well incorporated.

Pour the batter evenly into 2 (9-inch) cake pans or 2 (12 capacity) cupcake tins. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 30 minutes for the larger cakes and 15 to 20 for the cupcakes. Remove from the oven to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before filling and frosting.

To Assemble the German Chocolate Cake

Put a cake layer on top of a serving plate and top with a generous layer of the caramel/pecan filling. Cover the frosting with another cake layer of and spread with the frosting. Top with the final layer and frost.

Spread dark chocolate frosting (secret recipe), or your favorite chocolate frosting around the outside of the entire cake. Cut into wedges and serve.

Coconut Pecan Filling

• 1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
• 5 egg yolks, slightly beaten
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup butter
• 2 1/2 cups flaked coconut
• 2 cups toasted pecans

Combine the evaporated milk, slightly beaten egg yolks, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and butter in a large saucepan or heavy pot over low heat. When the butter melts raise the heat to medium, stirring constantly. The mixture will thicken after 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the coconut and pecans and cool before frosting the cakes.