Sweet Potato Burgers

aka. chick food.

No way would any male ever really consider this meal a burger, but that doesn't mean that it isn't delicious and a perfect meal for me!

Before I dive in to this new recipe, let me rave about my new favorite blog that has provided me more recipes than I count. How Sweet It Is is my go-to blog for all sorts of recipes these days, and they have ranged from cookies, pasta, to these burgers. So far she has not let me down!

These recipes are the next on my list!

Butternut Squash Skillet Lasagna // Mole Rice // Bourbon Baked Apples // Graham Cracker Chocolate Chip Muffins

I tried this burger recipe first because I have been on a major sweet potato kick for about the last 15 months. I eat one for dinner at least once a week, put them in cinnamon rolls, and look for every excuse to make them in to fries. 

Funny to look at, delicious to eat. 

Oops! Too much gabbing in the kitchen means "well-done" burgers-- still delicious!

I love the sauce because it has the most unlikely combination of ingredients (greek yogurt, maple syrup, garlic, and cayenne pepper!) that mix for a perfect topping for the sweet potato. 

I had a total George Banks (via Father of the Bride part I) freak out at the grocery store when it came to  buying these buns. I was cooking these for me and one of my roommates, which equals two buns. Well then I don't want to buy a package of eight buns! I thought so seriously about breaking open the bag, taking two, stuffing them in my pants purse, and walking out. Luckily this didn't happen, but I have never felt more like a middle-aged man wearing Side Kicks in my whole life. 

Perfect Monday night meal. Perfect with girlfriends (if they dare try it!). Perfect as a side dish for your man. Perfect with wine. Just perfect.

You'll Be Obsessed. I promise. 

Emily's Favorite Chocolate Cake

After the Perfect Pasta, I immediately was back in the kitchen to start this chocolate cake. I originally found the recipe because my favorite blogger, Emily, featured it on Cupcakes and Cashmere and mentioned that it was one of her all time, favorite recipes. 

Ingredients

• Butter, for greasing the pans
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cups cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup buttermilk, shaken
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
• Chocolate Buttercream, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-inch x 2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Now it's time for the frosting.

Chocolate Frosting:

• 6 ounces good semisweet chocolate 
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• 1 tablespoon instant coffee powder

Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (or just microwave the chocolate in 30 second intervals like I did). Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 teaspoons of the hottest tap water. On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don't whip! Spread immediately on the cooled cake.

Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

Here are some things that the recipe don't tell you that I wish I would have known...

Don't make the frosting until the cakes are out of the oven and cooling.

Make sure the cakes are COMPLETELY cooled before you ice the cakes.

Until next time.
We never went on our walk...

Perfect Pasta

Tonight, in the girliest house known to man there was extreme success in the kitchen. All day, 2/3 of the house (that includes me) had been craving something delectably sweet and we decided it should probably be chocolate (this recipe will be coming later today). 

After choosing an incredible chocolate cake to bake for dessert we quickly became that yogurt commercial where the girl is deciding how it will be acceptable to eat a small, medium, large piece of cheesecake (her solution was eating it while jogging in place and eating celery at the same time). 

"So we will make chocolate cake and go for a walk after dinner... and do an ab workout too. And eat pretty healthy for dinner, yaa good plan."

So for dinner we decided to get all our servings of veggies in just one meal.

Perfect Veggie Pasta

assorted veggies (we chose 1 red pepper, 1 yellow pepper, carrots, 1 zucchini, and 1 yellow squash)

1 bag whole wheat penne pasta

1 package pine nuts

Cherub tomatoes

Chicken breast

Feta cheese

Parmesan cheese

Olive oil

Lemon pepper

Season pepper

Garlic, minced

Start by cutting all the vegetables into small cubes and placing on a cookie sheet. Drizzle olive oil on top and sprinkle with lemon pepper, season pepper, and garlic. Cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring vegetables every 10 minutes.

Place pine nuts in a small pan and drizzle with olive oil. Cook on low heat over the stovetop, being very careful not to burn them. Take off heat and let sit until the rest of the ingredients are ready.

Cook pasta until it reaches desired texture. Once finished drain and place back in the pot or large bowl. Mix in veggies, diced chicken, pine nuts, sliced tomatoes, and feta cheese.

Serve with parmesan cheese and eat with your favorite people! That last part is important.

Until next time.

Get ready for chocolate cake!