Warm Vanilla Cake with Raspberry Sauce

If you are spending Valentines Day alone like I did, there is no reason you can't eat cake!

This is one of my favorite cakes that I found in the Pillsbury Fast and Healthy Magazine back in 1997.

Not only is it low fat and delicious, but also super easy and quick to make.

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cake

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened

2 teaspoons vanilla (I also add 1 teaspoon of almond flavoring)

1 egg

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup skim milk

Sauce

1 (10oz) pkg. frozen raspberries in syrup, thawed. (I use fresh to avoid the syrup)

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Heat oven to 350. Spray 8" round cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In medium bowl, beat sugar and butter with electric mixer until well blended. Add 2 teaspoons vanilla and egg; beat well.

3. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Add flour and baking powder to butter mixture; mix at low speed until ingredients are combined. Blend in milk. Pour batter evenly into sprayed pan.

4. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

5. Meanwhile, place all sauce ingredients in blender container or food processor bowl with metal blade; blend until smooth. Strain to remove seeds.

6. So serve, cut warm cake into wedges; place on dessert plates and top each with sauce.

Split Pea Soup - Crock Pot Style

After weeks of endless travel and eating out at bad and good restaurants I craved, yearned and desperately needed a night at home with a good hearty meal that was easy to prepare.

Split Pea Soup

1 container of low sodium chicken broth

2 medium yellow onions, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 package of pre-cooked sausage, chopped

Fresh Thyme, remove from stalk

Fresh Rosemary, remove from stalk

Fresh ground sea salt, sprinkled

Cumin, sprinkled

1 package of split green peas, rinsed

Put all the above in a medium size crock pot on high for 3 hours, stir. Turn to low and cook an additional 3 hours, stir and let sit in the crock pot off for about 30 minutes. The consistency should be thick and should smell amazing.

Serve with red wine and a really hearty fresh 7 grain loaf of bread from a local bakery. Delicious and exactly what I needed on a cold wintry night.

My total meal was less than $20.00 including the wine. I love being home!!!

Mushroom Risotto

1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp olive oil
2 tsp butter
1 tbsp chopped onion
3/4 cup mix of sliced mushrooms (shitake, cremini, button, etc)
1/3 cup arborio rice
2 tbsp dry vermouth
1-2 tbsp Parmesan cheese

bring broth to boil in saucepan.
heat olive oil and 1 tsp of butter in sauce pan. saute onion until tender. add mushrooms and cook until softened.
add the remaining butter and stir in the rice. cook and stir for a minute or two. add the vermouth and when most of the liquid has evaporated, ladle in enough warm broth to barely cover the rice. adjust heat so that it simmers briskly. once that is absorbed, replenish with the same amount of broth. continue to stir often, adding broth as needed, until rice is cooked.
remove pan from heat and let rest for five minutes. sprinkle with cheese.
serves 2.

Chicken and Sun Dried Tomatoes

1 tbsp olive oil
3 lbs chicken breasts
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp basil
1/2 sun dried tomatoes, cut into slivers

heat oil in skillet. brown chicken.
transfer to crock pot.
add garlic, wine, broth, and basil to skillet. bring to a boil. scrape up bits from bottom of pan.
pour over chicken. scatter tomatoes on top.
cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours. serves 8.