Sunday, August 29, 2010

Lemon and White Chocolate Mousse Parfaits with Strawberries


In the past, whenever I heard the word mousse, I thought "too hard and time consuming to make". Well I was wrong! I decided to be adventurous today and make this mousse and it was really easy! Don't be intimidated my the lemon custard. It's really simple and really good.

5 large egg yolks
½ C. sugar
½ C. fresh lemon juice
4 t. finely grated lemon peel
Pinch of salt
¼ C. plus 2 2/3 cups chilled heavy whipping cream
1 3.5-ounce bar high-quality white chocolate, finely chopped
5 C. sliced hulled strawberries

Whisk egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, lemon peel, and salt in medium metal bowl to blend. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water. Whisk until mixture is very thick and thermometer inserted into center registers 160 F. to 170 F, about 6 minutes(I used a glass bowl, so it took more like 12 minutes. Remove bowl from over water. Cool lemon mousse base to room temperature. Combine ¼ cup cream and white chocolate in another medium metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir constantly until chocolate is soft and almost melted. Remove bowl from over water and stir until white chocolate is melted and smooth. Cool white chocolate mousse base to room temperature. Beat remaining 2 2/3 cups cream in large bowl until firm peaks form. Divide whipped cream between both mousse bases, folding in 1 cup at a time (about 3 cups for each).
Layer scant ¼ cup lemon mousse in each of 8 parfait glasses or wineglasses; top with 2 T. strawberries. Layer scant ¼ C. white chocolate mousse over strawberries. Repeat layering 1 more time. Spoon strawberries over top of each parfait, if desired and serve.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Peanutbutter Cream Cheese Brownies


These brownies are really good! The first time I made them I thought it would be fun to use nutella. I think nutella is the best thing ever, and honestly, I could eat a whole jar myself! Anyway, the hazelnut flavor didn't come out as much as I would have liked. I made them again recently and used peanut butter and I think they are better this way. They are actually pretty darn good either way you choose to make them!

Brownie Layer:
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
½ C. unsalted butter, diced
½ C. sugar
2 large eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
½ C. flour
¼ t. salt
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 325 F. Spray 9-inch square metal baking pan with 2-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Line the pan with parchment paper leaving a 2 inch overhang on all sides. Stir chocolate and butter in medium saucepan over low heat until smooth; cool 10 minutes. Beat sugar, eggs and vanilla in medium bowl until very fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in chocolate mixture on low speed, then beat in flour and salt. Spread batter in pan.

Cheesecake Layer:
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 C. Natural peanut butter
1 t. vanilla extract
1/2 C. sugar
2 large eggs
2 T. heavy whipping cream
2 T. flour
2 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
Beat together cream cheese, pb, and vanilla in medium bowl until smooth. Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Beat in cream, then flour. Transfer 1/3 cup cheesecake batter to small bowl and reserve. Spread remaining cheesecake batter over brownie layer. Microwave chocolate in a small bowl for 10-second intervals until chocolate begins to melt, then stir until smooth. Mix chocolate into reserved 1/3 cup cheesecake batter. Drop chocolate batter by heaping teaspoonfuls on top of the cheesecake layer. Using a wooden skewer or knife, swirl chocolate batter in figure-eight pattern through white cheesecake layer. Bake brownies until edges of cheesecake layer are puffed and center is set, about 36 minutes. Cool brownies in pan on rack. Cover; chill at least 1 hour. Lift the brownies out of the pan and cut into 25 squares. The parchment paper makes it really easy to remove the brownies from the pan, so I would definitely recommend using it. Serve cold.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Stuffed Red Peppers


I have been participating?(I don't know if that's how you would put it)in a food co-op called Bountiful Baskets for a few months. It's great because you get a whole laundry basket full of fruits and vegetables for only $15. Supposedly the value of the produce is around $35. Last week I got five beautiful red peppers in my basket. Red peppers are usually about $2 a piece so I was really excited to get them. I decided the best thing to do with these peppers was to make stuffed red peppers, but I couldn't find a recipe that appealed to me, so I just made one up. I was pretty happy with the results.

4 large red peppers (or any other color)
2 T. olive oil
3 scallions sliced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 jalapeno with ribs and seeds removed, minced
1 1/2 t. cumin
1 1/2 t. chili powder
2 medium sized tomatoes chopped, about 2 cups
1/2 C. chopped zucchini
1 carrot grated
3/4 C. corn (I grilled mine, but you could certainly use canned or frozen).
1 can black beans rinsed and drained
Salt and pepper to taste
2 C. Mexican blend cheese
2 T. chopped fresh cilantro

Set oven to 350 degrees. Wash red peppers, cut off the top and remove ribs and seeds. If the peppers don't sit up straight, slice just a tiny bit off the bottom without making a hole in the bottom. You just want to cut off just enough to help it sit up straight. Save the tops of the peppers. Place the peppers in a buttered glass 8x8 baking pan and set aside. In a large skillet heat the olive oil. Add onion, garlic, jalapeno, chili powder, and cumin. Cook on medium heat for 3 to five minutes. Do not let the garlic brown. Add tomatoes, zucchini, carrot, and corn. Cook until the vegetables are softened. About 5 minutes. Add the black beans, salt and pepper and cook for another 3 minutes. Fill each pepper with the vegetable mixture. Top with cheese, about 1/2 C. cheese for each pepper. Place the top of the pepper over the cheese to prevent the cheese from browning too quickly. Bake for about 40 minutes. You can remove the top of the pepper after about 30 minutes if you like the cheese to crisp on top. Sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro and serve.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Chocolate Orange Cream Cheese Cupcakes


I changed this recipe quite a bit from the original and the cupcakes turned out really good! I love the flavor of orange and chocolate together. So I added orange zest to the cream cheese filling. I also thought the cupcakes needed some sort of frosting, so I added a ganache topping.

Filling:
1 8-oz package cream cheese
Zest of one orange
1 T. orange juice
1 large egg
1/4 C. sugar
1/4 t. salt
½ t. vanilla extract
Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in medium bowl. Add zest, juice,egg, sugar, salt , and vanilla and beat until almost smooth.

Cupcakes:
1 C. flour
3 T. sifted unsweetened cocoa powder
¾ t. baking powder
½ t. coarse kosher salt
1/8 t. baking soda
¾ C. plus 2 T. sugar
½ C. unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped, melted, warm
1/2 C. whole milk (you could replace 2 T. of milk with orange juice)
Preheat oven to 350 F. line standard muffin pan with 12 paper liners. Whisk first 5 ingredients in small bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in eggs. Stir in vanilla and chocolate; beat a high speed 5 seconds. Beat in flour mixture alternately with milk. Beat on high for 5 seconds to blend. Divide batter among cups, filling 1/3 full. Using tablespoon, hollow out center of each cupcake. Place 1 heaping tablespoonful cream cheese filling in each center. Top with just a little more batter. Bake cupcakes until toothpick inserted into center (but on cream cheese filling) comes out clean. About 20 minutes. Cool 10 minutes in pan. Remove from pan; cool completely on rack.

Ganache:
2/3 C. cream
1 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 t. butter
Heat cream in a small pot until just simmering. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate and butter until smooth. After cupcakes are cooled, dip tops in ganache and let set.

Brown Butter and Walnut Tuile Cups


These little cookie cups were really yummy. You have to work very quickly to get the cup shape, but they are worth the effort. They would be great with some caramel ice cream and chocolate sauce! If you have a silpat mat, it would be a lot easier to use than the parchment. As much as I love parchment, it was hard to work with in this particular recipe.
7 T. unsalted butter
2 large egg whites
½ C. sugar
Pinch of salt
½ t. vanilla extract
2/3 C. minus 1 T. flour
¼ C. finely chopped walnuts
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 F. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Arrange four ¾-cup custard cups upside down on work surface. Stir butter in saucepan over medium heat until nutty brown and milk solids are dark brown, 6 to 7 minutes. Carefully pour browned butter into small bowl and cool slightly. Combine egg whites, sugar, and salt in medium bowl; whisk until moisture is foamy, about 1 minute. Add warm browned butter, leaving dark brown milk solids behind in bowl; whisk until blended. Whisk in vanilla. Add flour and whisk until blended and smooth. Crop batter by scant tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 4 inches apart. Using small offset spatula, spread each to 5 inch round. Sprinkle generous ¼ teaspoon finely chopped walnuts over each. Bake tuiles, until evenly golden all over, about 11 minutes. Working quickly and using wide metal spatula, carefully lift each tuile from sheet and immediately drape over custard up and press to mold to cup, making cookie bowls. Cool until tuiles are set. Carefully remove tuiles from cups and place on rack to cool completely. Repeat procedure with batter and walnuts on cool baking sheets, making total of 12 cookies bowls.

Friday, August 6, 2010

Warm Chicken Sandwiches.


I got this recipe from Bon Appetit. There are a few things I did different, and a few things I would change. The recipe calls for ciabatta rolls. I couldn't find them so I just got some kaiser rolls. I will deffinetly get the ciabatta rolls next time. I think this sandwich would be best with a moist hearty bread like ciabatta. I didn't have foil, so I couldn't wrap the sandwiches. I'm sure this would have made the sandwich less crusty and dry.

4 ciabatta rolls, halved horizontally
3 t. extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
Whole grain mustard
8 ounces Fontina cheese, shredded, divided
12 ounces sliced white mushrooms
2 T. chopped shallots
3 garlic cloves, pressed
2 C. shredded roast chicken
1 5-ounce bag baby spinach
Preheat oven to 400 F. Pull come bread from ciabatta rolls to form slightly hollow centers. Drizzle ciabatta rolls with olive oil. Spread roll bottoms with whole grain mustard. Sprinkle roll bottoms with half of Fontina cheese. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; sauté 4 minutes. Add chopped shallots and pressed garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Add chicken; sauté 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Drain. Spoon chicken mixture, then spinach over roll bottoms. Top with remaining cheese. Cover with roll tops. Wrap each sandwich tightly in foil. Bake sandwiches until cheese melts, about 20 minutes.

Mediterranean Salad


I love this salad. It has all of the textures I love! It's crisp, crunchy, creamy, and juicy. I really think the polenta croutons make the salad, so don't leave them out!
1 package (18 oz) fat-free, plain precooked polenta
Olive oil cooking spray
2 pints grape tomatoes. I actually used a yellow tomato from my garden and some cherry tomatoes.
2 T. balsamic vinegar
1 C. canned cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
1/4 t. red pepper flakes
1 head romaine, torn (about 6 cups)
20 basil leaves or less if basil is too strong
4 oz fresh part-skim mozzarella, cut into small cubes. I use mozzarella pearls. It's cheaper and easier!

Heat oven to 400°. Halve polenta lengthwise, then halve each piece lengthwise. Slice crosswise 7 times (to yield 32 triangles). Coat a small baking sheet with cooking spray; evenly arrange triangles; coat tops with cooking spray. Place tomatoes on a small rimmed baking sheet; spray with oil and toss. Place both sheets in oven for 10 minutes; remove tomatoes from oven and stir. Return to oven and cook until croutons are toasted on 1 side and tomatoes are wrinkled and brown in spots, about 20 minutes more. Remove tomatoes. Flip croutons; return to oven for 20 minutes more. Pour vinegar over tomatoes; transfer to a bowl. Mix in beans, salt, pepper and pepper flakes; set aside. Divide romaine and basil among 4 plates. Pour tomato mixture over greens; top with croutons and cheese.
Note: I find that it's hard to find polenta at the grocery store, so I just make my own.

Polenta:
3 C. water
1 t. salt
3/4 C. plus 2 T. cornmeal
Boil water and salt in medium pot. Add cornmeal in a slow steady stream, whisking vigorously. Once all of the cornmeal is added, reduce heat to medium low and cook until the mixture is creamy and no longer has a cornmeal taste to it, about 30 minutes. Whisk the mixture often while cooking. Pour onto a buttered cookie sheet and spread to the edges. It will be a thin layer. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until the polenta is firm. I like to cut mine into triangles and then follow the crouton directions in the recipe.