Tres Leche Cake

Since Cinco de Mayo I have seen a flourish of internet activity on Tres Leche Cake.  It seems like all of the blogs I follow have posted a Tres Leche Cake.  With each additional posting I wanted to try it for myself even more. During Memorial Day weekend we had guests and I couldn't think of a better time to whip up this cake. Although not traditionally American I thought topping it each pieces with berries would be a delightful summer hit. 

The cake whipped up easily and just needed time to cool and soak up all of the three milk glaze.  This is definitely not a last minute cake. You need at least 4 hours from when the cake comes out of the oven till serving time. 

Mr. J is not really a cake guy at all but he got all excited as I made up the whipped cream frosting. If there is any cake for him this milk soaked whipped cream frosted cake is it. 

The cake is incredibly light and refreshing, perfect for a hot summer day. Tres Leche cake it is also quite sweet and indulgent. Just look at the three milk glaze if you don't believe me. I know we will be making this cake again but most definitely when we have others to help us enjoy each slice.

Tres Leche Cake

by Emily Morris

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25-30 minutes

Keywords: bake dessert Cinco de Mayo cake

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Ingredients (serves 24)

For the Cake:

• 1½ cups cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 5 eggs
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

For the Three-Milk Glaze:

• 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup half-and-half

For the Whipped Cream Frosting:

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Make the Cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

Beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 1 minute. Decrease the speed to low and with the mixer still running, gradually add the sugar over 1 minute. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl, if necessary. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and mix to thoroughly combine. Add the vanilla extract and mix to combine. Add the flour mixture to the batter in 3 batches and mix just until combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread into an even layer.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cake is lightly golden and reaches an internal temperature of 200 degrees F. Remove the cake to a cooling rack and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Poke the top of the cake all over with a skewer or fork. Allow the cake to cool completely and then prepare the glaze.

Make the Three-Milk Glaze:

In a small bowl, whisk together the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and the half-and-half. Once combined, slowly pour the glaze evenly over the cake. Refrigerate the cake for at least four hours, or overnight.

Make the Whipped Cream:

Using an electric mixer, whisk together the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla on low speed until stiff peaks form. Increase to medium speed and whip until thick. Spread the topping over the cake and allow to chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Leftover cake should be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day.

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Pioneer Woman's Chicken Enchiladas

We made a special treat last week and it was a feast.  Mr. J and I always struggle with tortillas. I like flour. He likes corn.  When you buy corn tortillas, at least for us, you get a ton. They end up getting stale and we have to throw them out.  Wasting food really bothers me.  Even more, I just don't care for the taste.  So occasionally I get them as a treat for Mr. J but most of the time we end up with flour.

Well the other day I was watching Pioneer Woman on the Food Network.  This NEVER happens.  Our Saturday mornings are busy. It is rare I watch any TV let alone a show I actually want to watch.  So I was all excited to see that Pioneer Woman was on and I could plop down on the couch and watch the remaining portion.  She was making these chicken enchiladas.  

My go to enchiladas involve ground turkey and  black beans, flour tortillas. Ree's were chicken and corn tortillas.  I wasn't 100% sold on the corn tortillas for all the reasons stated above but I thought the enchiladas looked so delicious.  I figured I would just go for it and we made a massive dish of chicken enchiladas.

I am glad we did because they tasted just as delicious as they looked on TV.  Love it when that happens. We still have a lot of corn tortillas. Mr. J better get on that soon because I think Miss O picked up my distaste for corn tortillas. She wasn't a fan of the enchiladas.

Pioneer Woman's Chicken Enchiladas

by Emily Morris

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Keywords: bake entree chicken Cinco de Mayo Mexican

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Ingredients (serves 6)

• 10 to 12 corn tortillas
• 6 Tablespoon taco seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• Three 15-ounce cans enchilada sauce (prefer red)
• 3 cups grated Cheddar Jack cheese, plus more if needed

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

One at a time, hold the tortillas over the stove top burner (heated to medium heat) to brown slightly, about 30 seconds per side. Set the warmed tortillas aside.

In a bowl, mix together the taco seasoning, salt and pepper. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken breasts with the spice mix.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook the chicken on both sides until done in the middle and the juices run clear, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Set aside on a plate to cool, then shred finely with a fork.

Throw the onions into the same skillet, stir them around and cook until deep golden brown and caramelized, 4 to 5 minutes; set them aside on a plate.

Pour the enchilada sauce into the skillet and reduce the heat to low, allowing it to warm through.

To assemble the enchiladas: Pour 2 cups of the sauce into a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish and leave the rest in the skillet. Dip a tortilla into the sauce in the skillet, then lay it on a baking sheet or plate. Sprinkle some cheese down the middle, followed by some chicken and finally, some of the caramelized onions. Roll it up tightly, then place it seam-side down in the casserole dish. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas. Pour the rest of the sauce over the enchiladas, then sprinkle on the rest of the cheese. 

Bake until hot and bubbly, 30 minutes. Let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

Serve the enchiladas topped with a dollop of sour cream, a sprinkle of diced tomatoes, a sprinkling of cilantro and a wedge of lime.

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12 Cinco de Mayo Inspired Recipes

Cinco de Mayo is coming up. I have no Hispanic heritage.   And I hear that even in Mexico this isn't a big holiday. Something, to a certain extent, Americans made up. We love Mexican food with all sorts of spice and probably eat some variation at least once a week. It should be no surprise then that come Cinco de Mayo we are ready to go big.  

Below are some of our favorite dishes.  We will be picking some kind of combination for next week.  On top of that the office is having a Cinco de Mayo potluck.  I will be doubling up on my festivities.  What are your plans for Cinco de Mayo?

Tator Tot Nachos
Healthy Mexican Vegetable Lasagna

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Acorn Squas, Black Bean and Spinach Quesadilla
Mexican Corn Soup
Taco Salad

Shredded Chicken Taquitos
Corn Risotto Stuffed Peppers
Five Layer Mexican Black Bean Dip

Southwest Chicken Pasta Skillet

Chili's Copycat Salsa 

Tater Tot Nachos #secretrecipeclub

I have a winning dinner for you today. And it is a quickie too. Tater Tot Nachos with sweet potato tater tots. I am still excited about this dish. I can hardly stand it. I got this recipe from I am a Honey Bee, my blog for the June posting of The Secret Recipe Club.

For those of you who don't know The Secret Recipe Club is a group of bloggers that get together once a month for a special reveal day posting to share a creation from a secretly assigned member of the group.  It is a great way to learn about new blogs and find tasty new recipes.

Nicole just got married and has a cutie little girl. It was fun looking at their adventures in Boston. Many of the places they explore are places that Mr. J and I have visited as well. Seeing them with their little bean out and about makes me dream about when Miss O is older and all of the things we will explore.

I started this month dead set on making breakfast burritos. And if you like waffles, this is the blog for you. So many waffles dishes. I drooled and drooled over many of those postings. However, our weekend mornings were always too complicated for blogging recipes. Babies can do that to you. Thus the burritos were put on hold, probably for a breakfast for dinner meal, and out came these Ultimate Tatchos.

I am a huge fan of nachos, especially when there is guacamole involved. I could probably eat them most days. I got super excited when I saw Nicole make some with tater tots. I only switched up the traditional tater tots with sweet potato tater tots. I heart sweet potatoes. This made for a wonderful dinner, quick and easy on a week night and super delicious. 

And the guacamole. I used this recipe from Nicole. 

Thanks for the yummy dinner and I cannot wait to try out the burritos. 

Tater Tot Nachos

by Emily Morris

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Keywords: bake Mexican

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Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 pound of tater tots
• 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
• 1 1/2 cups canned black beans, rinsed and reheated
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup guacamole
• 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• sliced pickled jalapenos

Instructions

Cook the tater tots according to the directions on the packaging. 

In an oven safe serving dish, layer half of the tater tots, beans, and cheese. Place under the broiler for a minute or so in order to melt the cheese.

Add the rest of the tater tots and top off with the remaining beans and cheese.

Again, place under the broiler for a minute or so in order to melt the cheese.

Top off with the salsa, sour cream, guacamole, jalapenos, and tomatoes.

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An InLinkz Link-up

Cinco de Mayo Round Up

Mexican is one of our favorite cuisines. So it comes as no surprise that we are happy to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a large Mexican feast.  

Here are some of our all time best Mexican recipes:

Healthy Mexican Vegetable Lasagna

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Mexican Corn Soup
Taco Salad

Shredded Chicken Taquitos
Corn Risotto Stuffed Peppers
Five Layer Mexican Black Bean Dip

 

Southwest Chicken Pasta Skillet

Chili's Copycat Salsa 

Are you celebrating Cinco de Mayo tomorrow? 

Healthy Mexican Vegetable Lasagna

A hearty Mexican style lasagna packed full of roasted veggies.

Mr. J and I always love a good Mexican meal. The spicier the better. And guacamole, boy do we love guacamole.  Let's just say any Cinco de Mayo celebrations are right up our alley.

Tacos, enchiladas, burrito bowls and nachos. We make them all on a regular basis. To switch things up a bit I decided to take the flavors and ingredients of all of the things we love and make a lasagna.

This lasagna bake is packed full of veggies and a can of refried beans making it super hearty and filling. It easily serves eight large portion. We have been eating it all week long. I portioned out containers the first night and they have been the easiest lunches each day.

I used red and yellow peppers but you could easily use green and orange. And really a pre-cut frozen package would work great too if time was tight. And I know Trader Joe's has a frozen roasted corn package. Easy peasy.


So get kick your Cinco de Mayo festivities off with this dinner.

Healthy Mexican Vegetable Lasagna

by Emily Morris, adapted from Pinch of Yum

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Keywords: bake entree vegetarian Cinco de Mayo Mexican

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Ingredients (Serves 8)

• 2 red bell , chopped
• 2 yellow bell peppers, chopped
• 2 jalapeno, sliced
• ½ onion, chopped
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 1½ Tablespoon taco seasoning
• salt to taste
• 2 cups Mexican blend cheese, shredded
• 15 small corn tortillas
• 1 can refried beans
• 2 can red enchilada sauce
• cilantro, guacamole, or sour cream for topping

Instructions

Heat a large nonstick skillet with oil over high heat. Add the onion and peppers, sprinkle with taco seasoning. Allow the peppers to roast and brown on the outside before gently stirring. Repeat one more time, waiting for the veggies to roast a bit before removing from heat. Set aside.

Repeat the process with the corn, removing from the heat when browned and roasted on the outside. Sprinkle the veggies with a little bit of salt and toss to coat.

Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the tortillas into thin strips. Put the refried beans in a bowl and mix with 2-3 Tbsp of water to make them easier to spread.

To assemble the lasagna spread a little bit of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of the pan. Place half of the tortilla strips on top of the sauce. Layer all of the refried beans, half of the veggies, half of the sauce, half of the cheese on top of the tortilla strips. Cover with the other half of the tortilla strips, and the remaining veggies, sauce, and cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted. Remove foil and cook a few more minutes to brown the cheese a bit.

Serve with guacamole, fresh cilantro, sour cream, or salsa.

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