Craggy Chocolate Cake

Good evening, everyone.

I love to bake, and I only like to do from-scratch baking on the weekends, unless I happen to have a weekday off and am in the mood.  Because it was so dreary and cool out today, I thought I would at least bake something for the evening.  I saw the recipe for this cake this morning on "French Food At Home" hosted by Laura Calder on The Cooking Channel.  It is also available here: http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/laura-calder/craggy-chocolate-cake-recipe/index.html.

It is called a "craggy" cake because the top becomes cracked and craggy as it cools once it is removed from the oven.  It also deflates, so don't think you did anything wrong. 

It is a flourless cake, but it rises due to the egg whites.  The recipe is pretty easy.  It is highly recommended to have the butter and eggs at room temperature in order for the whole process to work smoothly.  7 ounces of butter is 1 stick plus 6 tablespoons.  This recipe was originally written in metric, so it had to be converted over to our method.  :)

You end up using three bowls - one for the melting of the chocolate, one for the egg yolks and one for the egg whites.  I have no patience to whisk the whites by hand, so I used the whisk attachment on my stand mixer to do it.  I did whisk the yolks with the sugar by hand, pretty easy.

When you melt the chocolate, you have to keep an eye on it.  Make sure the water in the pan does not touch the bottom of the bowl you melt the chocolate in.  The water needs to be simmering and not boiling, otherwise the chocolate will scorch - not good.  Keep stirring it every 30 seconds or so.  Stir the butter in by the tablespoon and continue to stir it to melt it into the chocolate.  

The recipe does call for 70% chocolate, and that is what you should use.  Semi-sweet, milk and white chocolate won't have the same effect as the bittersweet chocolate.

The rest of the recipe is pretty fine.  I used a 9" springform pan with perfect results.

Serve this with some slightly sweetened whipped cream and/or a drizzle of hot fudge.  I ate it plain tonight, and it was amazing.

It was a delicious cake!

Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Brown Rice & Chicken

Good evening!

I know it's been a few days since my last post, but I am back with another one.  :)

This evening, I made roasted sweet potatoes with Bosc pears and arugula, brown rice with greens and feta, and then some lightly fried chicken breasts.

Sweet Potatoes with Bosc pears and arugula:

This recipe came from WomenHeart's All Heart Family Cookbook.  It calls for some sweet potatoes (obviously), garlic, EVOO, salt, pepper, pears, and arugula.  You roast the potatoes with the garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper in the oven for 40 minutes, but you throw the pears in with about 10 minutes left.  After it is cooked, you put the arugula in a bowl and throw the roasted potatoes and pears in the bowl with the arugula.  You then stir it to wilt the greens and serve! 

The recipe originally called for Bartlett pears, but I couldn't find them.  I used Bosc instead - delicious!

After tasting it, I would recommend spinach as opposed to the arugula if you don't care for the bitterness and peppery edge of arugula. 

Brown Rice with Greens and Feta:

This recipe also came from the aforementioned book.  This one has you roast some brown rice in some olive oil to crisp it up and brown it a tad.  Then you boil it in some vegetable broth with some diced up sun-dried tomatoes and garlic for about 40 minutes.  After that is done, you remove it from the heat and stir in some greens (I used mixed field greens) to wilt them.  Top it with some feta and serve!

I would leave this recipe as is, except I didn't use the whole 5 oz of greens.  About 2 oz works just fine.  

Lightly Fried Chicken Breasts:


My own recipe:

1/4 cup grapeseed oil
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Fine Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Paprika

In a cast iron skillet, heat the oil on medium heat.  Meanwhile, season both sides of each chicken breast with salt, pepper and paprika. 

Once the oil is hot enough, place each chicken breast in the oil to lightly fry it for about 6-8 minutes on each side, until each side is moderately browned.

Remove each piece from the pan once it's done and let it rest on a paper towel-lined plate for about 5 minutes.  Enjoy!

Balsamic Honey Chicken, Garlicky Asparagus and Couscous

Good evening!

Tonight, I made some balsamic honey chicken, garlicky asparagus and couscous. 

Balsamic Honey Chicken

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Zest of 1 lemon
5 garlic cloves, smashed
Lemon slices (not wedges)

Combine all the ingredients (except the chicken and lemon slices) in an oven-safe baking dish and whisk together.  Place the chicken in the dish and turn the chicken over in the marinade to coat all the surface areas.  Cover the dish with plastic wrap and set in the fridge to marinate for 2 hours. 

Preheat the over to 375 degrees.

Take the chicken from the fridge and set on the counter until the oven is ready.  Remove the plastic wrap and set a lemon slice on top of each piece of chicken.  Place the dish in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.

Take the chicken out of the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes to cool down a bit.  Serve alongside a grain and a vegetable.

Garlicky Asparagus


1 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 bundle of asparagus, rough ends trimmed (about 1 1/2" removed)
1 tsp fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Juice of 1/2 a lemon

Heat the olive oil in a skillet on medium.  Once heated, add the garlic and the red pepper flakes and cook for about 30 seconds.  Add the asparagus, salt and pepper.  Saute for about 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding additional olive oil in small amounts if the pan seems dry.  Stir in the lemon juice and serve.

Couscous


1 cup water
1 tsp butter
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1 cup couscous

Combine the water, butter and sea salt in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Once the water is boiling, add the couscous, stir quickly, cover the pot and remove it from the heat.  Let it stand for 5 minutes.  Remove the lid and fluff with a fork. 

YUM!!!

Lentil Chili (and Cornbread)

Good evening, my loyal readers/followers/viewers!

Tonight, I made some lentil chili.  It is my own recipe, and I will type it out for you now:

1 tbsp EVOO
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 15-oz cans black beans, rinsed
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 15-oz can stewed tomatoes, blended until smooth (or left as is)
1 jalapeno, seeded & de-ribbed
2 chipotle peppers in adobo, minsed (seeds left in the peppers)
1/2 cup red lentils
4 cups water
fresh cilantro
1 1/2 tbsp corn starch
1 1/2 tbsp cool water

In a large pot, heat the EVOO on medium heat.  Add the garlic to the oil and cook for 30 seconds while stirring every 15 seconds.   Add in the beans, chili powder, cumin, onion powder, oregano, paprika, salt and pepper.  Toast the spices for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Stir in the stewed tomatoes, jalapeno, chipotle peppers and red lentils.  Pour in the water and stir to mix everything together.  Tear in some fresh cilantro.  Stir again, raise the heat to high, and bring to a boil.  Once it is at a boil, reduce the heat to simmer and cover the pot.  Simmer the chili for about 35-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Test the chili at the end of the cooking time to make sure the lentils are cooked and to test for seasonings.  Add in more salt and pepper to taste, if needed.  Whisk the corn starch and water in a small bowl until smooth.  Pour the corn starch in the chili and stir to combine.  Bring the chili back to a slight boil to make the corn starch thicken the chili slightly.  Stir occasionally. 

Tear in some more fresh cilantro and serve in bowls, along with some pieces of Jiffy cornbread!!!


I baked some Jiffy cornbread because it is delicious, and I don't do from scratch baking on the weekdays.  I was very pleased with the chili.  It had some heat, but not too much.  Enjoy!!!

Quinoa & Field Greens Salad

Good evening!

For tonight's dinner, I decided on a simple salad.  It IS Monday, and I don't care for Mondays, especially Valentine's Day.  In any event, a salad is easy and healthy (usually).

For the salad, I boiled a cup of (rinsed) quinoa in two cups of water.  Before I boiled it, I added the zest of one lemon, some freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes.  I brought the water to a boil and then reduced the heat to simmer and let it go for 15 minutes.  Once it is done, fluff the quinoa with a fork.  Let stand and cool until ready to use.

The greens I used was mixed greens/field greens.  I am not a fan of iceberg or romaine by itself.  I love spinach and arugula, but I thought mixed greens would be a nice touch.

For toppings, I chopped up some strawberries and toasted up some slivered almonds (any almonds will do).  I assembled the salad by putting the greens in a bowl, then topping it with some quinoa, strawberries and almonds.  For the dressing, I simply squeezed on some fresh lemon juice, as well as few drips of balsamic vinegar.  I then stirred it to make sure everything was covered.  :) 

Lemon Lime Chicken Tacos with Mango Salsa

Good evening!

Tonight, I made lemon lime chicken tacos with a mango salsa. 

The recipe for the tacos was found online: http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/chicken-tacos/Detail.aspx.
I followed the recipe on this one.  I have made these before, and I really enjoyed them.  The toppings are your choice, of course, but I thought a mango salsa would be very nice for these.

The mango salsa is my own idea twisted with ideas from Ellie Krieger and Robin Miller (both of the Food Network).  The recipe is as follows:

1 mango - peeled and chopped into small cubes
1/2 cucumber - peeled, sliced into 1/3" pieces, and those pieces quartered
1 jalapeno - seeded, de-ribbed & minced
2 tbsp. cilantro - chopped
Juice & zest of 1 lime
Salt & pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix.  Adjust seasonings to taste.

Top tacos with the salsa and/or other ingredients, including, but not limited to: lettuce, tomatoes, onions (ew), sour cream, etc. 

Russian Tea

Good morning!

I have to say that I am totally looking forward to the warm-up this weekend!  It's about time that this snow melts.  I am so SICK of it! 

Anywho, I thought I would do a little post on Russian Tea.  It's a mixture of various things that you may or may not have in your pantry.

Recipe for Russian Tea:

2 cups Tang
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup instant tea
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves or nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a container that you will store it in (i.e. Tupperware), seal it tightly with the lid and shake it to mix it up.  Be careful as you open the container, as there could be a dust storm billowing out once you take off the lid. 

To make it to my taste, I cut out about 1/3 cup of sugar, use a full container of Tang, and I also do 1/4 tsp cloves and a 1/4 tsp of nutmeg. 

I had the hardest time finding Tang, which was annoying, but I found it at Wal-Mart...eventually.  So, I bought two containers of it, so that I would have plenty of this Russian tea on hand.

To drink, put some of the mixture (enough for your taste) in a mug.  Boil some water and add it to a mug.  Stir until dissolved.  I find it easier to stir & dissolve by putting the tea mixture in first, then adding the water.  You can always add some more of the mixture if it isn't strong enough.  My ratio is 3 tablespoons Russian tea in a "regular-sized" coffee mug and fill the mug close to the top with boiling water. 

A couple pictures of the mixture are below.  Let me know what you think!