Little French Fudge Cakes

We went to a dinner party on Friday and I needed a quick dessert to take.  I looked through my Splendid Table cookbook, and this popped out at me because it was a) chocolate, b) looked rich and c) looked pretty quick and I had most of the ingredients.  This is one of those great last minute desserts you can whip up with things you already have, in very little time.  And no fancy pans or equipment is needed.  While I went bare bones and just made the cakes, you could fancy it up with some whipped cream and raspberry or caramel sauce.  This recipe makes 6 cakes and can be made ahead if necessary, then gently warmed in the microwave.

Ingredients:

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, such as Ghiradelli’s 70% cacao, chopped and divided

1 1/2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped

5 T unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 t ground cinnamon

2 large eggs, plus 1 egg yolk

1 1/2 t vanilla extract

1/2 c plus 2 T sugar

1/8 t salt

3 T flour

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a 6 cup muffin pan.  In a medium bowl, place 4 ounces of the bittersweet chocolate and all of the unsweetened chocolate, plus the butter.  Melt over a double boiler, or melt in the microwave on half power in 1 minute increments, stirring after each minute.  Repeat until melted.

Meanwhile, which together cinnamon, eggs and yolk, vanilla, sugar and salt until combined.  Whisk in flour.  Whisk in melted chocolate mixture and stir until well combined.  Stir in chocolate pieces.

Divide batter among muffin cups and bake for 18 minutes, until top is firm, but insides are still soft.  Cool in pan for 5-10 minutes, then serve.

Chicken and Mushroom Chile Rellenos

I went to Mezcalitos in Oakhurst a while back and had the special, which was a chile relleno with chicken and mushrooms.  When it arrived, I was happy to see that the chile was roasted instead of battered and deep fried, which was never really a turn on to me.  I knew I could replicate it at home and make a pretty healthy dish.  This weekend I attempted it and was really happy with the results.  It was really flavorful and filling, but not heavy or greasy.  These could easily be made vegetarian by replacing the chicken with 2 cups white rice cooked in vegetable stock.  I served these with some refried beans and sauteed vegetables.  It’s a pretty easy recipe, but the peppers do take a bit of work to prepare.  If you have time, it’s worth it!  Serves 4-5.

Ingredients:

8 large poblano peppers

1-2 T vegetable oil

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 2 c rice cooked in vegetable broth

1 large package button mushrooms, sliced

2 t ground cumin

salt and pepper to taste

2 c shredded Monterrey jack cheese

Salsa for serving

Directions:

Rinse and dry peppers and roast them under the broiler until the skins blister (about 10-15 minutes).  Place the peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel for 10 minutes to loosen the skins.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat.  Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper and cook through, about 5-7 minutes on each side.  Remove to a plate to let cool.  Place mushrooms in skillet and saute until softened, about 5-7 minutes.  Season with salt, pepper and cumin and stir to combine.

Shred chicken with two forks into 2 bite strips.  Add mushrooms and toss to combine.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, grease a 9″ x 13″ glass baking dish and preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Prepare peppers for stuffing by gently removing the blistered skin.  Cut a slit the length of the pepper and gently open the pepper and remove the seeds, keeping the stem intact, if possible.  Repeat with all peppers.

Add 1 c shredded Monterrey jack cheese to chicken mixture and toss to combine.  Place about 1/2 c of the mixture in each pepper, and place stuffed pepper in baking dish, cut side down.  Repeat with remaining peppers until all the filling is used.

Place peppers in oven and bake for 15 minutes.  Sprinkle with remaining cup of cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes, until cheese is melted and peppers are heated through.  Serve with salsa.

Mushroom and Poblano Tacos

This recipe was surprisingly delicious, flavorful and filling (and I hate to say this) for a vegetarian recipe.  I thought it would be good, I just didn’t think it would be this good.  The key, I think, is the corn tortillas, which you toast in the pan so the cheese melts and the tacos because crispy.  Even if you don’t love corn tortillas, I suggest trying them in this recipe because they really do make the difference.  I served this with some black beans on the side and it took no more than 30 minutes, start to finish.  This recipe comes from Bon Appetit, with a few alterations.  Makes 10-12 small tacos.

Ingredients:

3-4 T olive oil

2 packages sliced cremini (baby bella) mushrooms

1 poblano pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips

1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips

1 t ground cumin

1/4 t ground chipotle chili

salt and pepper to taste

block of Monterey Jack cheese, cut into thin slices

10-12 corn tortillas

Toppings: salsa, chopped tomato, shredded lettuce, Cotija cheese

Directions:

Heat 1 T olive oil over medium high heat in a large non-stick skillet and saute mushrooms, poblano and red pepper strips until soft, about 7 minutes.  Stir in cumin, chipotle, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Remove from pan and keep warm.

Clean out pan and heat 1 T olive oil over medium high heat.  Place 4 tortillas in the pan, draping them up the sides of the pan to fit.  Spoon mushroom filling into tortillas (about 2 spoonfuls) and place 3 strips of cheese over the top.  Using a spatula, press side of tortilla over the top and press down to close.  Brown each side for 1-2 minutes, then serve with toppings on the side.

Moroccan Lentil and Chickpea Stew

I’m back after a hiatus and I have two vegetarian recipes to post that were both really good and filling.  First up is this Moroccan Lentil and Chickpea Stew, which is perfect for cooler weather and has a really rich, subtly spicy flavor.  It would be great served with a dollop of plain yogurt and brown rice.  This recipe is quick in prep time, because there’s only a few things to chop and measure.  The original recipe calls for simmering this for an hour, but I cut it down to 30-40 minutes, because I wanted a chunkier texture.  Take a look at 30 minutes and you make the call.  This recipe from Kalyn’s Kitchen serves 6-8.

Ingredients:

2 T olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 t grated fresh ginger

1 T minced fresh garlic

1 t ground turmeric

3/4 c celery, cut into small dice

1 t garam masala

1 1/2 t ground cardamom

1/2 t ground cayenne pepper

1 t ground cumin

6 c vegetable stock

1 1/2 c red lentils, rinsed

1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, with their liquid

Cooked brown rice

Plain yogurt

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add onion, ginger, garlic and turmeric and saute for about 7 minutes, until onion is softened but not browned.  Add celery, garam masala, cardamom, cayenne and cumin and saute for another 4 minutes.  Turn heat up to high and add the vegetable stock, lentils, chickpeas and tomatoes in their juice.  When mixture is simmering, lower the heat to keep it at a very gentle simmer.  Cook with the lid on for 30-60 minutes, depending on how broken down you want the lentils to be.

Warm Sausage, Potato and Roasted Vegetable Salad

I’ve had a request for more vegetarian recipes around here, but sorry, this is not one.  I will get to those, I promise…just not now.  This was a salad recipe I spied a few weeks ago that looked like a heaty, warm winter salad.  It was, and the mustardy vinaigrette was great with the potatoes and sausage.  It’s a healthier alternative to a heavy winter dish of sausage and potatoes.  This recipe from For the Love of Cooking was adapted from a Real Simple recipe.

Ingredients:

For the salad:

4 large chicken sausages, sundried-tomato and feta or garlic and herb flavored

3 vine-ripe tomatoes, cut into quarters

1 red onion, cut into large chunks

1 c baby potatoes, halved or quartered, depending on size.  you want them bite-sized

2 c button mushrooms, quartered

10-15 asparagus spears, end snapped and stalks cut in half

3-4 cloves garlic, with skins on

1 bag fresh baby spinach

olive oil for drizzling

salt and pepper to taste

Feta or other cheese (optional)

For the dressing:

2 T balsamic vinegar

3 T olive oil

2 T water

2 T whole grain mustard

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  On a baking sheet, place tomatoes, onion, mushrooms, garlic and baby potatoes.  Drizzle with olive oil (maybe 2 T), sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat.   Roast in the oven for 15 minutes.  Add asparagus and roast for 10 more minutes, until potatoes can be pierced with a knife and asparagus and mushrooms are tender.

Meanwhile, cook the sausages in a skillet over medium heat for 10 minutes, until cooked through and browned.  Slice and keep warm.

Whisk together all dressing ingredients in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper.  Set aside.

When vegetables are done, remove them from the oven.  Squeeze garlic out of skins and chop.  Put about 1 t of garlic in the dressing and whisk together.  Toss the rest of the vegetables with the garlic (use as much as you think you’d like.)

Toss together the spinach, vegtables, sausages and dressing.  Divide among plates and spinkle with cheese, if desired.

Chicken Curry with Gentle Spices

Posted by popular demand, here is a curry recipe some folks have seen on my camera and wanted me to post.  I didn’t post it when I made it because although it was tasty, the recipe wasn’t quite what I was expecting.  The main issue comes from the fact that you puree raw vegetables- like onion, jalapenos, ginger and garlic- in the food processor, and it supposedly forms a paste.  I must say mine was kind of a gritty paste that never really smoothed out.  That said, the dish was delicious, but it had a funky texture.  I suspect sauteing the vegetables before you puree them might help, because they will be softer and breakdown more easily.  If you try that out, let me know how that works.  Otherwise, make this dish from the Splendid Table’s How to Eat Supper and let me know what you think.  Serves 4.

Ingredients:

For curry paste:

1 large onion, cut in half

6 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped

3″ fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1/2 t salt

1/2 t ground cinnamon

1 t ground cumin

1 1/2 t ground coriander

1/2 t ground black pepper

2 medium ripe tomatoes, or 4 canned tomatoes

1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped

1/2 c water

For sauce:

2 T vegetable oil

2 c full fat plain yogurt

1/3 c water

2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

2 T fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Directions:

In a food processor or blender, combine 1/2 the onion (save the other half for later) and the remaining curry paste ingredients and process until smooth.  Set aside.

Thinly slice the remaining onion half.  In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium high heat and add the sliced onion.  Saute until it begins to get some color, about 5-7  minutes.  Add the curry paste (add more oil if the paste sticks to the bottom of the pan) and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes (don’t rush this- it needs to cook to develop the flavor).  Add 2/3 c of the yogurt to the curry paste, scraping it from the bottom of the pan, and cook until it nearly disappears, about 8-10 minutes.

Add the rest of the yogurt, the chicken, and 1/3 c water and cook at a low simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 5-8 minutes.  Remove chicken from the pan to a serving dish with a slotted spoon and set aside.  Raise the heat on the pan until the mixutre is boiling, then boil until the curry sauce is thick and the oil begins to seperate from it- about 10 more minutes.   Pour the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with the cilantro.  Serve with steamed basmati ric

Sausage and Lentil Soup

You probably thought I dropped off the face of the Earth.  That’s almost true, and I sure haven’t done any cooking in the past week.  However, I will leave you with a favorite recipe perfect for this time of year.  I love lentils and soup, and especially lentil soup.  This one gets a lot of flavor from turkey Italian sausage and tastes better every day.  It makes a lot so you can eat on it during the week.  The lentils will absorb a lot of water even it has finished cooking.  Just keep thinning with water each time you reheat it to make a soupy consistency.

Ingredients:

1 T olive oil

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 shallot, minced

1/4 c celery, chopped fine

1/4 c carrot, chopped fine

2 t dried Italian herbs

1 t red pepper flakes (or to taste)

salt and pepper to taste

3-4 big links mild or hot Italian turkey sausage (or pork), depending on how meaty you like it.

1 bag brown lentils, picked over and rinsed

6 c chicken stock or water

Parmesan for top

1/2 c chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Directions:

Heat olive oil in big stock pot over medium heat.  Add garlic and saute for 30 sec until you smell it.  Add shallot, carrots and celery and saute until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add red pepper flakes, Italian herbs and salt and pepper to taste, and combine.  Remove sausage from casings and crumble into pan.  Cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until it is cooked through.  Turn heat up to high and add rinsed lentils and 6 c of the stock or water.  Bring to a boil, then turn heat down so the soup is at a gentle simmer.  Cook for 35 minutes, adding more stock or water if necessary.  When lentils are tender and broken down, taste and season with more salt and pepper, if necessary.  You could stir in a 1/2 c of freshly chopped parsley if you’d like.  Serve topped with Parmesan.

Mexican Rice

I’ve been delinquent in talking about the Mexican feast Haley and I made for friends who were in town for a wedding.  We had a taco party with carnitas and chicken, and rice and black beans, plus lots of toppings.  And it was delicious.  I’m going to share the black bean and rice recipes with you, but both are stolen shamelessly from Homesick Texan with no changes.  The Mexican rice was particularly good and just like the good kind you find in Mexican restaurants.  It keeps well too, and the flavor was almost better after a few days.  Sorry, no pictures, because we just dug right in.  I should also note I made the rice in a rice cooker and it worked great.  Just place the rice, chicken stock and butter in the rice cooker and cook.  Then saute your onions and garlic in a pan and follow the rest of the recipe.  Serves 4-6.

Ingredients:

1 cup rice, rinsed

2 cups chicken broth

1 T butter

1 T olive oil

1 small onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 c tomato paste

1 T lime juice

1/2 c  cilantro, minced

1 T cumin (You can use less if you prefer, I just like the flavor.)

Salt to taste

Directions:
Place rice, chicken broth and butter into a rice cooker and cook.  Or, place in a pot, bring to a boil on high, stir once and cover.  Simmer on low for 20 minutes, then remove from heat and keep covered for 5 to 10 minutes longer.

Meanwhile cook onions in oil in a skillet for 10 minutes or until just beginning to brown.  Add the garlic and cook for one minute.  Stir in tomato paste and cumin and cook for one minute.  Mix in the cooked rice, lime juice and cilantro, and season to taste.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Salad

Fall is here in full force- there isn’t a chill in the air, it’s more like a blast of cold air today.  I made this salad last week when it was much

roasted butternut squash and apple salad

warmer than today, but there was still a slight chill, which was enough to get me in the mood for Fall produce.  It’s a fairly quick salad to make- throw the butternut squash in the oven, then prep the rest of the ingredients while it roasts.  I served this with one of the farmer’s market’s great rotisserie chickens for a really fast meal.  Plus, this makes great leftovers!  This recipe from Bon Appetit makes 4 large serving salads.

Ingredients:

For the dressing:

2 T balsamic vinegar

2 T fresh lemon juice

4-6 T extra-virgin olive oil

For the salad:

1/8 c balsamic vinegar

2 t brown sugar

2 lb butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1″ dice

1 bag salad greens, such as arugula

1 Fuji, Gala or Pink Lady apple, unpeeled and sliced into 1/4″ slices

1 c blue cheese, crumbled

1/2 c dried cranberries

Directions:

For the dressing: whisk vinegar and lemon juice together in a small bowl.  Gradually drizzle oil into mixture and whisk to combine.  Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

For the salad: preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Mix together vinegar and sugar to dissolve sugar.  Scatter butternut squash cubes on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray.  Bake squash for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven, then drizzle brown sugar glaze over squash.  Toss to coat the squash, then bake for another 10 minutes, then mix squash around again to coat in the glaze on the pan.  Bake for another 10 minutes, or until squash is tender when pierced with a knife.

Meanwhile, arrange greens, apples, cranberries and cheese on plates.  When squash is done, place atop the salads and drizzle with the dressing.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Torte

This is a Dorie Greenspan recipe I spotted on food blogs almost a year ago…too late, I think, to make it for Greg’s last birthday, and so

chocolate peanut butter torte

long that I’ve really built it up in my head and was expecting great things.  And it did deliver.  The torte has a few steps, but is relatively simple to make and not too time consuming.  The finished torte has a creamy, medium-heavy filling of peanut butter, cream cheese and whipped cream, with lots of chunks of crunchy peanuts.  I read that some people had a hard time making the cookie crust and recommended increasing the number of Oreos you use, which I did by 25%.  I still couldn’t get the crust to come all the way up the edges, but that was purely my ineptitude.  It was still great, and great looking, and the corner of the crust was thick with Oreos.  I’ve posted the amounts the recipe originally called for, but if you want, you can use 30 Oreos and 5 T butter for an extra-thick crust.  Serves 12-16, depending on how thick you cut the slices.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 c coarsely chopped salted peanuts (use cocktail peanuts, not dry roasted)

2 t granulated sugar

1/2 t instant espresso powder

1/4 t ground cinnamon

Few dashes of ground nutmeg

1/2 c mini chocolate chips, or finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate

24 Oreo cookies, finely ground in a food processor

4 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 1/2 c heavy cream

1 1/4 c confectioner’s sugar, sifted

12 oz cream cheese at room temperature

1 1/2 c salted smooth peanut butter (do not use natural peanut butter)

2 T whole milk

4 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 9″ round spring form pan.  In a medium bowl, toss together the Oreo crumbs and melted butter with a fork until just moistened.  Press the Oreo mixture into the pan in a thin, even layer, working it up the sides of the pan as far as you can go.  Bake crust for 10 minutes, then remove from oven and let cool completely in the pan.

Meanwhile, toss 1/2 c chopped peanuts, granulated sugar, espresso powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and chocolate chips together in a small bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat 2 c cold heavy cream until medium peaks form.  Beat in 1/4 c sifted confectioner’s sugar until medium-firm peaks form.  Place whipped cream in refrigerator until ready to use.

Using a stand mixer with sturdy beaters (you don’t want to use whisk beaters), cream the cream cheese and remainign 1 c confectioner’s sugar until satiny smooth.  Add the peanut butter, 1/4 c chopped peanuts and the milk.  Mix until thoroughly combined.

Using a rubber spatula, gently stir in one quarter of the whipped cream to lighten the peanut butter  mixture.  Gently stir in the peanut chocolate mixture you assembled earlier, then gently fold in the remaining whipped cream- fold gently until just combined so as not to deflate the mousse.  Scrape the mixture into the cooled crust and smooth the top.  Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, covering top with plastic wrap as soon as it has firmed a bit.

To finish the torte, place 4 oz chopped semi-sweet chocolate in the top of a double boiler over simmering water just until chocolate has begun to soften and melts a bit.  Meanwhile, bring remaining 1/2 c cream to a full boil in a small saucepan.   When chocolate is ready, remove bowl from the heat and pour the hot cream over the top.  Whisk until mixture is smooth.  Spread chocolate over the top of the chilled torte and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 c peanuts.  Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes until topping is set.  When you are ready to serve the torte, warm the sides of the pan with a hair dryer or warm towel for about 10 seconds.  Gently remove sides of pan, slice and serve.