Sacramento Bee Logo

The Mailbox: Readers help find recipes | The Sacramento Bee

×
  • E-edition
    • Customer Service
    • SacBee Rewards
    • About Us
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Apps
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Twitter, Facebook, Google+, YouTube
    • News in Education (NIE)
  • Newsletters

    • Sacramento Region
    • Arena
    • City Beat
    • Crime
    • Local Govt Salary Database
    • The Homeless
    • Marcos Bretón
    • Transportation
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health & Medicine
    • Traffic Conditions
    • Weather
    • Communities
    • Elk Grove
    • Folsom/El Dorado
    • Roseville/Placer
    • Yolo
    • Sports
    • Kings
    • NBA News
    • 49ers
    • Giants
    • Oakland A's
    • High School Sports
    • Joe Davidson
    • More Sports
    • Raiders
    • NFL News
    • MLB News
    • River Cats
    • Soccer
    • Colleges
    • Golf
    • Autos Racing
    • Politics
    • Capitol Alert
    • State Workers
    • The California Influencer Series
    • Local Elections
    • PoliGRAPH
    • State Worker Salary Database
    • Legislative Gifts
    • Local Elections
    • California Elections
    • Election Endorsements
    • Election 2018
    • Voter Guide
    • Investigations
    • Data Tracker
    • Public Eye
    • Afghan Refugees
    • Nursing Homes
    • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Election Endorsements
    • Viewpoints
    • Influencers Opinion
    • California Forum
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Submit a Letter
    • Jack Ohman
    • Editorial Board
    • Entertainment & Life
    • Arts & Theater
    • Books
    • Home & Garden
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Outdoors
    • Pets
    • Travel
    • More Entertainment
    • Events Calendar
    • Horoscopes
    • Comics
    • Puzzles
    • TV Listings
    • Sacbee Rewards
    • Food & Drink
    • Restaurants News & Reviews
    • Restaurant Directory
    • Cooking & Recipes
    • Beer
    • Wine
    • Appetizers Blog
    • California
    • Big Valley
    • Marijuana
    • Wildfires
    • Water & Drought
    • Lottery
    • Business
    • Real Estate
    • Market Summary
    • Cathie Anderson
    • Nation & World
    • National
    • World
    • Technology
    • Family
    • Celebrities
    • TV news
    • Weird News
    • Video Break
    • News Obituaries
    • Death Notices
    • FAQ
    • ObitMessenger
    • In Memoriam

    • The Sacramento Bee Store
    • Golf Card
    • Farm to Fork Dining Card
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Cars
  • Homes
  • Classifieds
  • Legal Notices
  • Place an Ad
  • Advertise
  • Mobile & Apps

Recipes

The Mailbox: Readers help find recipes

    ORDER REPRINT →

January 15, 2014 12:00 AM

Rave review coconut cake

Prep time: 45 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Serves 16

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The Sacramento Bee

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

Ann Rosasco of Modesto lost her recipe for “rave review” coconut cake which called for a cake mix along with other ingredients and a cream cheese frosting with coconut and walnuts.

Pamela Ayala of Elk Grove shares this recipe that was one of her grandmother’s favorites.

INGREDIENTS

Coconut cake:

1  box yellow cake mix

One 3.5-ounce box Jell-O vanilla instant pudding mix

1 3/4  cups water

4  eggs

1/4  cup oil

2  cups flaked coconut

1  cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Coconut cream cheese frosting:

4  tablespoons butter, divided use

2  cups coconut

One 8-ounce package cream cheese

2  teaspoons milk

3 1/2  cups sifted powdered sugar

1/2  teaspoon vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS

Cake: Blend cake mix, pudding mix, water, eggs and oil in a large mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed for 4 minutes. Stir in coconut and nuts. pour into 3 greased and 9-inch layer pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Cool in pans for 15 minutes. Remove and cool on rack. Fill and frost with coconut cream cheese frosting.

Frosting: Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in skillet. Add coconut, stir constantly over low heat until golden brown. Spread coconut on a paper towel to cool. Cream 2 tablespoons of the butter with cream cheese. Add milk and sugar alternately, beating well. Add vanilla. Stir in 1 3/4 cups of coconut. Spread on top and sides of cake. Sprinkle with remaining coconut.

Per serving: 693 cal.; 8 g pro.; 91 g carb.; 35 g fat; 102 mg chol.; 578 mg sod.; 3 g fiber; 54 percent calories from fat.

Sweet potato and peanut stew

Prep time: 35 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour, 35 minutes

Serves 6

Teri Joseph of Grass Valley lost one of her favorite recipes, sweet potato and peanut stew, from The Bee, featured about 10 years ago. She was hoping someone had the recipe.

Sharon McKee of Sacramento share this recipe that she save from The Bee many years ago. It sounds like a match for Joseph.

INGREDIENTS

1/4  cup peanut oil

1  onion, chopped

1  red or green bell pepper, chopped

1  fresh jalapeño or serrano pepper, seeded and minced

4  cloves garlic, minced

1  packed tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1  tablespoon chili powder

1  teaspoon ground cumin

1/2  teaspoon red pepper flakes

2  sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

1/3  cup tomato paste

Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

1  teaspoon peanut oil, optional

12  ounces ground beef or turkey, optional

2  small zucchini, 1-inch diameter, trimmed and sliced

1/2  cup peanut butter, chunky or smooth, preferably unsalted

Hot cooked rice or couscous, optional

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, heat 1/4 cup peanut oil, add onion, bell pepper and jalapeno. Cook until the vegetables are tender but not brown, 7 to 10 minutes.

Add garlic and ginger; cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in chili powder, cumin and red pepper flakes; cook for 1 minute. Add sweet potatoes, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Add enough water to barely cover the vegetables and mix well. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

(For nonvegetarian version, if desired, at this point: In a medium skillet over high heat, heat 1 teaspoon peanut oil; add ground beef or turkey. Saute, turning often, until browned. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate; set aside until stew has cooked for 45 minutes, then add the meat to the stew.) Add zucchini to stew; cook for another 15 minutes.

Place peanut butter in a small bowl; stir in 1 cup of the stewing liquid until smooth; add peanut butter mixture to the stew.

Mix well and cook stew another 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve plain or with hot cooked rice or couscous.

Per serving without rice, couscous or meat: 299 cal.; 8 g pro.; 26 g carb.; 20 g fat (4 sat., 10 monounsat., 6 polyunsat.); 0 mg chol.; 237 mg sod.; 4 g fiber; 58 percent calories from fat.

  Comments  

Videos

How to cook delicious fried shrimp

How to make this deliciously spicy roasted broccoli pasta

View More Video

Trending Stories

‘Just please stop coming up here.’ Sierra travel can wait, officials say, as more snow moves in

February 16, 2019 03:40 PM

One dead in Tahoe City shooting, Placer County Sheriff’s Office says

February 16, 2019 05:58 PM

Home sales have dropped sharply in Sacramento. See how that’s affecting prices in your neighborhood

February 16, 2019 03:00 AM

‘Especially De’Aaron’: What Celtics star Kyrie Irving said about Kings’ De’Aaron Fox

February 16, 2019 03:17 PM

What-the-what? Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox burns In-N-Out at All-Star Weekend

February 16, 2019 01:11 PM

Read Next

Key lime pie can add a tropical twist to your holiday dessert menu

Recipes

Key lime pie can add a tropical twist to your holiday dessert menu

By Allen Pierleoni

    ORDER REPRINT →

December 24, 2018 12:00 AM

Florida’s official dessert since 2006 was born in Key West in the 1820s.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The Sacramento Bee

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE RECIPES

From avocados to kale: How one man forever changed the way we eat

Recipes

From avocados to kale: How one man forever changed the way we eat

March 06, 2018 08:00 AM
California citrus: Short crop long on flavor

Recipes

California citrus: Short crop long on flavor

February 06, 2018 08:00 AM
Sweet stress busters: Holiday cookies deliver more than taste

Recipes

Sweet stress busters: Holiday cookies deliver more than taste

December 12, 2017 08:00 AM
What’s green and fuzzy (or gold and hairless)?

Recipes

What’s green and fuzzy (or gold and hairless)?

December 05, 2017 08:00 AM
How well do you know your kiwi?

Recipes

How well do you know your kiwi?

December 05, 2017 08:00 AM
If you like apples, just wait till you taste these pear recipes

Recipes

If you like apples, just wait till you taste these pear recipes

October 17, 2017 08:00 AM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

The Sacramento Bee App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Photo Store
Advertising
  • Place a Classified Ad
  • Place a Legal Notice
  • Place a Digital Ad
  • Place a Newspaper Ad
Copyright
Commenting Policy
Corrections Policy
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story