Iced Chocolate

Iced Chocolate
Two servings

Inspired by a drink served from Serendipity

If you don’t have any spare chocolates lying around, you can use the similar weight in dark chocolate. I used ice cream or sherbet but if you want a lighter beverage, you can make it without. I like the richness and the extra-chill.

3/4 cup (180ml) whole or lowfat milk
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-process
8 chocolates or 4 ounces (115g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces, 175g) ice cubes
2 to 3 scoops chocolate ice cream or chocolate sherbet
optional: 1 to 2 tablespoons, Kahluà or espresso (cooled), or to taste

Lightly sweetened whipped cream and chocolate shavings, for serving

1. In a small saucepan, heat two-thirds of the milk with cocoa powder, just until it begins to boil. Remove from heat and drop in the chocolates, stirring until the chocolates are melted and smooth. Let mixture cool to room temperature.

2. Using a blender, mix the chocolate mixture and the rest of the milk with the ice cubes and ice cream or sorbet (and Kahluà or espresso, if using) until completely smooth.

3. Divide into two glasses, top each with whipped cream and shaved chocolate.

Homemade Churros and Hot Dark Chocolate

Homemade Churros and Hot Dark Chocolate

makes about 20 small churros

from The NY Times

For the Churros:

canola or vegetable oil, for frying

1/2 cup, plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup water

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

3 large eggs

For the Chocolate Sauce:

1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks

scant 1 cup heavy cream

pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)

Add enough oil to a large saucepan or deep skillet to measure 2-inches deep.  Attach a candy/deep fry thermometer to to side of the pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cups sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.  Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, melt butter, water, 1 tablespoon of sugar and salt.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and add flour all at once.  Quickly stir together with a spatula until no lumps remain, and the mixture begins to form a ball.  This will take about 30 to 45 seconds.  Remove from heat and place loose dough ball in a large bowl.

With a spatula, beat the eggs into the dough one egg at a time.  The mixture may appear to be a broken mess, but keep stirring.  Keep the faith.

After the eggs are added, the mixture will be slightly gummy and slightly thick.  That’s perfect.

Spoon batter into a large pastry, or strong Ziplock bag with a Aceto 829 (large open star) tip attached.

Heat the oil, over medium heat,  to 350 degrees F.

Carefully pipe about 4 inch long dough segments into the hot oil.  Use a pair of kitchen sheers to cut the dough from the star tip.  It’s hard not to splash yourself with hot oil, just be  as careful as possible.

Fry dough for 5 to 7 minutes.  This might seem like a long time, but the dough through the center needs to cook through.  The churros will be a deep golden brown, and may split slightly when cooked.  Keep an eye on the timer.  Remove churros from hot oil and place on a paper towel.  After slightly degreased, toss in cinnamon sugar mixture and place on a plate to serve.

To make the chocolate sauce:

Place chocolate chunks, pinch of salt, and espresso powder (if using) in a medium bowl.  In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a boil.  Pour the heavy cream over the chocolate pieces.  Let rest for 1 minute before whisking.  Whisk until chocolate is completely melted.  Serve warm with warm churros.

Churros are best served just after they are fried.  So much yum.

Shredded Chicken Tortilla Soup

I must confess that I was dissapointed with this soup.  I was working and so I needed something that I could throw in the crock pot and come home to a finished meal since I have been meaning to make this soup for a while it seemed that its time had come.  The original poster spoke so highly of this soup I was excited to try it.  I did not like it at all.  However my kids all ate it with very little complaint, but I will not be making it again.

Shredded Chicken Tortilla Soup

Serves 6




Soup Ingredients:

2 (14.5 oz) cans of diced tomatoes

2 (14.5 oz) cans of reduced sodium chicken broth

2 -3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 T. unsalted butter

1 c. salsa – use your favorite brand

½ c. chopped cilantro

4 carrots, peeled and chopped in ¼ inch thick rounds

2 T. cumin

1/8 t. cinnamon

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, uncooked



For topping the soup:

1 bag of your favorite tortilla chips – Xochil is gluten-free & my hubby’s favorite

8 oz. Monterey jack cheese, shredded

8 oz. light sour cream

1 avocado, sliced

½ c. cilantro, chopped



Combine all of the soup ingredients except the chicken in a 4 – 6 quart slow cooker. Mix well. Add chicken. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. At this point, the chicken should be cooked and easy to shred. Remove the breasts from the soup and shred with forks. Return to the slow cooker and mix well.



Serve with your choice of topping ingredients. To reduce fat content, you can use reduced fat cheese or no cheese at all. You can also eliminate the avocado. This soup doesn’t need any toppings to taste delicious.

Cranberry Oatmeal Bars

I made these on a whim.  I had the ingrediants on hand and I thought my kids would like them.  They were really good.  Not to sweet, and the filling was nicely sandwhiched between the two struesel type layers.  They were also really easy to make. 

Cranberry Oatmeal Bars
Crust
1 cup AP Flour
1 cup Quick Cooking Oats
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
6 TBS Butter, melted
3 TBS Orange Juice
Filling
1 1/2 cup Dried Cranberries
3/4 cup Sour Cream (I used light)
1/2 cup Sugar
3 TBS AP Flour
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp Orange Zest
1 egg, lightly beaten
Preheat oven to 325 degrees

1. Combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, in a large bowl and combine with a spoon until clump free and evenly mixed. Add the butter and orange juice and mix with a spoon until fully combined. Press half of the crust mixture into a prepared 11×7 inch baking dish.
2. In a separate bowl add the cranberries, sour cream, sugar, flour, orange zest and egg. Mix until fully combined. Spread cranberry mixture over prepared crust; sprinkle reserved oat mixture evenly over filling. Bake for 40 minutes, or until edges are golden. Cool completely before cutting.

Fathers Day Heart Cake

This week-end my family celebrated our fathers with a fathers day lunch.  We hosted the family.  It was a nice relaxing lunch enjoyed by all who attended.  My father's favourite cake is red velvet.  However I did not want to make boring red velvet cake for fathers day so I had to jazz it up a bit.  Yes, I did make this.  Yes I did pipe on the design.  I think that I did a pretty good job since I am an amator cake baker and this was one of the few cakes I have attempted to decorate.  You know what they say, practive makes perfect, I guess I will just have to keep particing. 

White Cake
2 large eggs separated
1 3/4 cups sifted cake flour
2 tsps baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup room temperature butter
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract*
1/2 cup milk
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
Directions:
Separate the eggs, placing the whites into one container and the yolks into another. Let come to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour two 8in (I used 9in) pans.  Normally I use PAM, but this recipe really calls for the butter and flour method.  Just trust me on this one.
Put sifted flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl and set aside.
Using an electric mixer ( I love that this recipe calls for an electric mixer as I do not even own a KitchenAid Mixer), beat the butter until soft and creamy, about 1 minute.  Add 3/4 cup of sugar (reserving the rest) and beat for an additional 2 minutes.  Now add egg yolks, one at a time, until completely incorporated.  Add vanilla and almond extract until combined, about 30 seconds.
Now you are going to add your flour mixture and milk.  Starting with the flour, add 1/3 of the mixture and mix until incorporated.  Now add 1/2 milk mixture, mix until combined.  Add half the remaining flour, combine.  Now add the rest of your milk and combine.  Add remaining 1/3 of your flour mixture, and go ahead and mix until combined.  This whole process should take less then 2 minutes, as you do not want to over beat the batter.
In a separate clean bowl with clean whisk attachment, whip eggs whites until foamy then add the cream of tartar. (I did this on medium speed) Beat until soft peaks occur, and then gradually add in your remaining sugar.  You will want stiff peaks, which took me about 3 minutes.  Now, take your rubber spatula and fold your eggs whites into your cake batter.  Make sure they are fully incorporated, but do not over stir the batter, as you do not want to eggs to deflate.
Put batter into prepared pans and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Red Velvet Cake

3 1/3 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
2 stickes of butter softened
2 1/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 egg yolks at room temperature
2 tablespoons red food coloring
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and lightly flour three 9 x 2-inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with waxed paper.

To make the cake:
In a small bowl, sift the cake flour and set aside. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a small bowl, whisk together the red food coloring, cocoa, and vanilla. Add to the batter and beat well.

Buttercream Recipe

Makes enough for one 2-layer 9-inch cake or 2 dozen cupcakes*

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 6 to 8 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

In a measuring cup, stir the salt into the buttermilk. Add to the batter in three parts, alternating with the flour. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not overheat.

In a small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda. Add to the batter and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth.

Divide the batter among the prepared pans. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the layers cool in the pans for 1 hour. Remove from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack.

When the cake has cooled, spread the frosting between the layers, then the ice top and sides of the cake with frosting.

Strawberry-Mozzarella Stuffed French Toast

I made this for my kids as a different lunch.  It is heathly, warm and yummy tasting.  They really enjoyed it and I will make it again. It is basically a stuffed french toast. 

Strawberry-Mozzarella Stuffed French Toast

INGREDIENTS
Makes one stuffed french toast sandwich

• 2 slices whole wheat bread3 ounces Egg Whites
• 4 thinly sliced Fresh Strawberries (use thawed frozen ones if you need to)
• 2 ounces sliced low fat Mozzarella Cheese
• Optional Sweetener of choice: Maple or Agave
• Garnish: sprinkle with cinnamon, nutmeg or powdered sugar, or all

METHOD
Pre-heat medium sized non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Put egg whites in bowl. Add a sprinkle of salt and a bit of sweetener if desired. Stir. Layer a slice of bread with cheese and strawberries. Put second slice on top. Carefully dip both sides of the sandwich in egg whites. Place in pan with loose covered lid. Cook about 2 minutes until cheese starts to melt & bread is slightly crispy & browned. Flip sandwich. Reduce heat if needed and cook the second side for 1-2 minutes.

Roti Chicken

My sister is home visiting from India so in her honour I decided to make her an Indian meal becuase I know that she is missing her 'home' and her husband.  She said that it was nice although she did say that it was not Roti but rather Parata.  So if you are making this dish be aware that the name is wrong.  I think that this dish turned out really nice.  It was flavourful without being to spicy.  Only one out of the six of us would not eat it and that child would not even try it so I do not consider that failure bucause if had had tried it he probably would have liked it.  The 'roti' was actually really nice and I would probable make that again as a side dish.  It was actually surpirsed at how much I liked it.

Roti Chicken

Roti Potatoes:
2 large chicken fillets (about a pound)
27 oz potatoes (750gr)
7 oz green beans
1/2 red chili pepper (or Madame Jeanette)
2 medium onions
4 garlic cloves
1 tbsp curry powder
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
pinch ground cumin (or djinten)
1 tbsp tomato paste
chicken stock cube
4 tbsp sunflower oil
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp water
pepper
salt
Roti pancakes:
(mashed potatoes)
2 garlic cloves
1/2 red chili pepper (or Madam Jeanette)
9 oz self rising flour
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp lukewarm water
salt
Directions:
1.  Wash and pee 27 oz (750gr) potatoes.  About 1/3 of this I’m cutting up in coarse pieces; we’re gonna make mashed potatoes out of them.  Boil the 1/3 that you are using for mashed potatoes. 



2.  Cut the rest of the potatoes in slightly smaller pieces, rinse them and put them in a big bowl filled with cold water. Keep them there until we’re ready to use them.

3.  Cut up two medium onions.  Grate two garlic cloves, but keep the cloves separated.

4.  Wash 7 oz fresh, crispy green beans. Trim the ends and break them in half.
5.  Chop one chili pepper and combine with minced garlic and some cumin.  Chop the other chili pepper and set aside. 
6.  Cut the chicken in bit-size pieces.

7.  Drain the potatoes that you are cooking on the stove. Add the garlic and chili mix, a tiny knob of butter and mash them. Try to get them as lump-free as you possibly can. Season with a generous amount of salt and some pepper.
8.  Time to make the roti dough! Plunge 1 1/2 cup self rising flour in a bowl. If you don’t have self rising flour, here’s a great tip: for each cup of all-purpose flour, add 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and about 1/2 tsp salt. Instant self-rising flour.  Add 2 tbsp sunflower oil, 1/8 tsp salt and 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp lukewarm water to the flour. I’m using the dough hooks in my handmixer for this.  Knead until it’s a supple dough, put it in a bowl, cover the bowl with a clean cloth and let it rest for 15 to 30 minutes.
9.  Heat 2 tbsp oil, add half the chopped onions, 1 grated garlic clove and cook for about 3 minutes.

Add 1 1/2 tsp curry powder,  crumble up half the stock cube and add it. Cook for a minute while you drain the potatoes you’ve kept in the water until now. Add the potatoes and green beans, give it all a good stir and cook for another minute before pouring in 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp water in there as well.
Put the lid on and simmer, over low heat, for 10 minutes.

10.  In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp sun-flower oil and add the remaining onions, garlic and chili pepper. Cook for 3 minutes before adding 1 tbsp curry powder, the remaining stock cube (crumble it) and 1 tbsp tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute to sweeten the tomato paste.
11.  Now is add your chicken and cook for a few minutes, until the chicken loses its rawness. Add the chicken mix to the potatoes and beans and stir.  Season the chicken and potatoes with a generous amount of salt and optionally some pepper. Put the lid back on and simmer for another 20 minutes, until the chicken and potatoes are well done.
12.  Divide your dough in 4 pieces. Sprinkle flour on top of your cutting board or counter top and form a ball out of each piece of dough. Push a hole in the middle.  Well, a hole, this looks more like a meteor crater. Put about 1 1/2 to 2 tbsp of the mashed garlic potatoes in the hole, and fold the dough around it.

Flatten the dough with your hand, sprinkle flour on top of it and roll it with a dough pin until you end up with a 1/4 inch pancake-ish type of construction. The mashed potatoes will do amazingly yummy things to the roti and the garlic and chili pepper will add loads of flavor.

13.  Pour some  oil in a hot skillet and place the roti in the skillet. Now brush the top of the roti with the sunflower oil from the skillet and cook until it starts to form bubbles on top. Flip it over and brush it with oil once more. After about 2 minutes you flip it over once again and give it an additional minute.
Make all the roti pancakes and keep them on a plate, covered with a cloth, until you’re done.
14.  Serve the roti with the chicken curry.  You use the roti like a spoon scooping up the chiken with the roti pancake.