Sunday, October 30, 2011

Office Potluck Better than Sex Cake - For the Family, Chicken with Artichokes

First and foremost, how to make "Better than Sex" cake:

1 box devil's food cake mix (plus the ingredients needed to bake the cake)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
caramel and/or fudge ice cream topping
8 oz. (or more) Cool Whip
4 Heath Bars

In a 9 x 13 aluminum baking pan, bake the cake mix according to the instructions on the back of the box.  Let cool just slightly, then poke holes all over (I used a Korean chopstick, which is made of metal and narrower than wooden sticks).  Carefully pour the sweetened condensed milk over the cake, letting it soak in.  Once it is all nice and soaked, drizzle the caramel or fudge topping over the top.  I used Smucker's brand, and I used a little of both, because anything worth doing is worth overdoing.  Cover and chill the cake for a while.

Unwrap the Heath bars and place them in a ziploc freezer bag.  Using a wooden mallet, whack the hell out of the candy until it is nice and broken up.  Don't make it too fine, and don't worry about uneven-sized pieces - it just adds to the charm.

Spread the Cool Whip all over the top, and then sprinkle the candy pieces over all.  Serve immediately or cover and chill some more.  I like to chill it overnight.  Awesome.

Sorry I have no pictures, but we ate it too quickly.  And went back to our desks in a much better mood  ;-))



Found this pic on the interwebz.  Yeah, it looked something like this before we scarfed it all up.

Now the chicken dish - very easy, great for a work night.

1 package skinless and boneless chicken thighs - about 6-7 thighs.  Cut them in half, season well with:
Garlic salt, Lemon pepper, Paprika

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large pan, then brown the chicken on both sides.  When brown, remove the chicken to a baking dish, 9x13 works well.  Add 2 more tablespoons of butter to the same pan, then add:

1 large sweet onion, sliced
8-12 oz. sliced white mushrooms
2 cloves of garlic, chopped

I also had some of those mini sweet peppers in the house, so I quartered them lengthwise and threw them in as well.  When the vegetables are tender, sprinkle on:

1/4 cup flour

and cook, stirring constantly for a minute or until the raw flour smell is gone.  Gradually stir in:

1 1/2 cups chicken stock (from a box)

and bring to a boil.  Stir until sauce is thickened.  Remove pan from heat and stir in 1/3 cup dry sherry.  Not cooking sherry, please.  If you don't have sherry, use vermouth, white wine, whatever.  Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning, but keep in mind the chicken is pretty well seasoned, so don't go nuts with the salt.  I like to add some dried thyme at this point, and a couple of drops of Tabasco sauce.  I like quite a bit of thyme, but your mileage may vary.  Use your judgment. 

Drain a can of quartered artichoke hearts (not the marinated kind) and spread over the top of the cooked chicken.  I use my hands to break up the artichoke hearts a little more.  Then pour the sauce over the chicken and artichokes (yes, the smell is intoxicating), cover with aluminum foil, and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes.

This is one of those dishes that goes really well with white rice.  Add a green salad to the menu, and your family will nominate you for sainthood.