Liver Let Die (30 page)

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease a 9 × 13 baking dish with a tablespoon of oil. Mix the hash browns, soup, and milk and pour the mixture into the pan. Place the pork chops in a large sauté pan over medium heat and brown them on both sides, 3–5 minutes each side. Lay the pork chops on top of the hash brown mixture (Each pork chop will be a serving.). Cover tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and sprinkle the top with the cheddar cheese and French-fried onions. Return to the oven and bake uncovered for 10 more minutes, or until the top is browned and cheese is melted.

LONGHORN PRIME RIB’S CHOCOLATE DECADENCE CAKE

2½ cups cake flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3½ ounces semisweet or bittersweet dark chocolate,
melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1½ cups cold water
Nonstick cooking oil
Raspberry liqueur, for drizzling
Chocolate-Chip Butter Cream Frosting (recipe follows)
Dark chocolate shavings, for decoration
Raspberry Sauce, for decoration (optional; recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 350° F. In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In another large bowl use a hand mixer on medium speed to cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3–5 minutes. Add the chocolate and vanilla and beat for 3 minutes on medium speed. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat for another 3 minutes. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients, alternating with the water. Beat 1 minute after each addition. Mix until batter is smooth.

Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking oil. Cut two circles of parchment paper (I use waxed paper) to fit the pan bottoms and place them inside the pans. Spray the paper for added nonstick insurance. Pour equal amounts of the batter into each of the prepared pans and smooth the surface with a spatula; the pans should be about two-thirds full. Bake 30–35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Cool for 40 minutes. Place one of the layers on a cake dish and remove the paper. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of the raspberry liqueur. Spread ½ cup of the butter cream frosting over the first layer of cake. Carefully place the second layer on top of the first and repeat what you did for the first one. Smooth the sides with the frosting and then spread the rest over the top so that the cake is completely covered. Refrigerate for 5 minutes before decorating or cutting. Scatter chocolate shavings over cake. Drizzle Raspberry Sauce, if using, on the plate before adding a slice of cake. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. (This is really a rich cake and the ice cream cuts the sweetness.)

CHOCOLATE-CHIP BUTTER CREAM FROSTING

4½ cups confectioners’ sugar
10 tablespoons hot water
6 ounces semisweet dark chocolate, melted and cooled
2½ teaspoons vanilla
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup (4 ounces) semisweet dark chocolate, finely
chopped

In a medium large bowl use a hand mixer on low speed to dissolve the sugar and water. Beat in the dark chocolate and vanilla. Add the butter gradually. Continue mixing on low speed. Mix until everything is completely incorporated. Using a spatula, fold in the semisweet chocolate bits.

RASPBERRY SAUCE

1 10-ounce package frozen raspberries
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon orange liqueur (optional)

Put the raspberries in a food processor and puree until smooth. You can strain to remove seeds or not. Add the lemon juice and, if using, the orange liqueur.

ROSIE’S POTATO CHIP CHICKEN

Budin de Papitas Fritas con Pollo

Yields 6 servings

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, rinsed and cut up
into bite-sized pieces
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 package (10 ounces) sliced almonds
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted (or for low-fat version, use
¼ cup butter and ¾ cup low-fat mayonnaise)
1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
Nonstick cooking oil
10 ounces grated cheddar cheese (about 2½ cups)
1 (7.5-ounce) bag of potato chips, crumbled

Preheat the oven to 350° F. In a large bowl mix the chicken, celery, almonds, butter, onion flakes. and pepper. Spray a 9 × 13 baking dish with nonstick cooking oil and add the chicken mixture to the dish. Top with the cheese and then the chips. Bake uncovered 45 minutes, or until filling is bubbly and chips are golden brown.

RAY’S PUMPKIN PIE CRUNCH

1 (15-ounce) can solid pack pumpkin
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
3 large eggs
1½ cups sugar
4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
½ teaspoon salt
1 package Duncan Hines classic yellow cake mix
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted
Whipped topping

Preheat the oven to 350° F. In a large bowl combine the pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Pour the pumpkin mixture into a greased 9 × 13 pan. Sprinkle the cake mix evenly over the pumpkin mixture and top with pecans. Drizzle the melted butter over the top. Bake 50–55 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool for fifteen minutes. Serve warm with a dollop of whipped topping. Refrigerate the leftovers and reheat in the microwave before serving. You will never eat regular pumpkin pie again!

MYRTLE’S MANDARIN ORANGE CAKE

CAKE

1 package yellow cake mix
1 can (11 ounces) mandarin oranges with juices
½ cup cooking oil
4 large eggs, beaten

TOPPING

1 large (16-ounce) container Cool Whip
1 small can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple and juices
1 small box (1.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding, dry

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease and flour a 9 × 13 baking pan. To make the cake, combine all the cake ingredients and mix by hand, then pour the batter into the pan. Bake as indicated on box. Cake is done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow cake to cool completely (approximately 30 minutes). To make the topping, combine all of the topping ingredients and mix well. Spread the topping on top of the cake and store in the refrigerator until ready for serving.

ALEX’S TEX-MEX BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

Tejano Casserole Desayuno

6 slices of any kind of bread
Butter or margarine for bread
1 teaspoon cooking oil
1-pound tube hot breakfast sausage
12 ounces grated cheddar cheese (about 3 cups)
6 ounces pepper jack cheese (about 1½ cups)
6 large eggs, beaten
2 cups whole or 2% milk

Trim the crust off of the bread and butter one side of each slice. Grease an 8 × 11 baking pan with cooking oil and line the bottom with the bread, butter side down.

In a small skillet, brown the sausage, crumble, and drain. Layer the sausage over the bread slices. Top with the cheddar and pepper jack cheeses.

In a small bowl beat together the eggs and milk and pour over the cheese. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 350° F. Bake covered for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake another 15–20 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown.

MYRTLE’S CHOCOLATE-CHIP COFFEE CAKE

Yields 1 9 x 13 pan

2½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1½ cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream (can use low fat)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease and flour a 9 × 13 pan.

Combine the flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl use a hand mixer to cream the butter and 1 cup of the sugar. Add the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla and mix well. Gradually add in the flour mixture. Batter will be thick.

In a small bowl combine the chocolate chips, the remaining ½ cup of sugar, and the cinnamon. Set aside.

Spread half the batter in the pan. This is tough, so sprinkle a little flour on your hands and spread like pizza dough. Sprinkle half the chocolate chip mixture over the batter. Spread the remaining batter on top. (This is also going to require a lot of patience. Don’t worry if you aren’t able to cover the entire first layer. It will still be delicious and look good.) Top this off with the remaining chocolate-chip mixture.

Bake 25–30 minutes. Allow the cake to completely cool before cutting or the chocolate will be messy.

LONGHORN PRIME RIB’S RATTLESNAKE PASTA

1 pound bow-tie pasta
5 tablespoons cooking oil
¼ cup sliced onions
½ medium yellow squash, cut diagonally into ¼ inch
slices then cut in half (about 3/4 cup)
½ medium zucchini, cut diagonally into ¼-inch-thick
slices (about 3/4 cup)
¾ cup sliced mushrooms (optional)
1¼ cups heavy cream
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced (or ½ small can
minced jalapeño)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
2 ounces freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about ½ cup)
1 can (14½ ounces) fire-roasted diced tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, rinsed and cut up
into bite-sized pieces
All-purpose flour and Cajun seasoning, for dredging

Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, yellow squash, zucchini, and mushrooms (if using) and cook for 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are heated through but still firm.

Pour in the cream and the cooked pasta and simmer for 4 minutes. Mix in the jalapeño, garlic, mustard, and Cajun seasoning and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the cheese and the tomatoes. Reduce heat to low.