Layered Cheese Spread...with Sundried Tomatoes, Artichokes and Nuts

Layered Cheese Spread...with Sun-dried Tomatoes, Artichokes and Nuts. This is a quick appetizer for the upcoming holiday gatherings...really easy to do and tasty! I first saw this recipe in a Nabisco Cracker recipe booklet, of all things:)! You know, the one you get for free at the supermarket. Well, I thought it was a rather neat idea, not only because it looks elegant, but that it would be very easy to do. I had most of the ingredients at home and only slightly modified it. The original recipe used 2 TBS of pesto mixed in with the artichokes. They also used smoked almonds for the topping, and because I didn't have any, I substituted a mixture of nuts and added some onion powder. It was delicious and seriously easy to do! You can definitely change the sun-dried tomatoes and artichokes with whatever you have around the house...a good one would be smoked salmon, capers and red onion. Try another one using some salsa, chopped black olives and green onions... Another good one might include, chopped pepperoni/ham, chopped roasted bell peppers and grated cheddar cheese. There are many combinations...choose one that you like. If you have any leftovers, you can combine the cheese with the layered ingredients....mix it all together. It will make a nice cheese spread for tea sandwiches or a base for turkey/ham/roast beef sandwiches.

You will need:

8 oz package of cream cheese, well chilled

3 TBS finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes, well drained

3 TBS finely chopped marinated artichokes, well drained

3 TBS chopped nuts, toasted

1 tsp onion powder

a pinch of fresh or dried basil/parsley

Directions:

Toast nuts. Mix nuts with the onion powder and set aside.

Using dental floss, cut cream cheese horizontally into 3 slices. Wrap an 18 inch (or so) piece of dental floss around the bottom third of cream cheese. Overlap the ends and pull steadily to cut the cream cheese.

Repeat the step yet again so that you have 3 slices of cream cheese.

Place a plastic wrap on top of a plate and place one of the cream cheese slices on it. Spoon the sun-dried tomatoes on the cheese.

Place another cream cheese slice and layer it with the chopped artichokes.

Place the last piece of cheese and sprinkle the seasoned nuts, making sure you kind of press the nuts lightly into the cheese. Sprinkle with the basil/parsley. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Serve with crackers/bagel ships/etc.

Chocolate Mousse Cake...with Raspberry Sauce

Chocolate Mousse Cake...with Raspberry Sauce. I made this dessert for my husband's birthday a while back... and he absolutely loved it! Of course, I was thrilled...so I am sharing it with you! Remember my post on the easy all purpose chocolate cake? Well, I promised that I would show you something marvelous out of the chocolate cake recipe. So here it is. The recipe is adapted from Fine Dinings. Check out her site for complete instructions of this beautiful creation. This is my version and I've included some photos to help you along, in case you would like to try it some day. First of all, this recipe isn't as complicated as it looks. The step-by-step instructions may be lengthy, but that's only because I wanted to share some tips along the way. I really like that you can make this dessert ahead of time....eliminating any last minute stress. The only thing you have to do last minute, is to decorate it...which is the fun part! This cake will be a lot easier if you have Mini cheesecake pans with removable bottoms . But if you don't, I wrote a few other options you can use in the directions below. This cake is decorated with a few sauces. I only used the raspberry sauce along with the ganache. The recipe also included a Creme Anglais sauce. I didn't make the sauce for this post....ran out of time. But, I think it would be lovely if you can make the Creme Anglais. You can also use softened vanilla ice cream as a substitution if you don't want to make it. You know you can be creative with with the sauces, right?.... There are lots of variations , so make this recipe your own. Try a caramel, blackberry, strawberry , or even a nutella sauce. You can also play around with the mousse filling... try adding some orange essence, mocha, peppermint, hazelnut, etc. Feel free to make your own pretty garnishes...use chocolate shavings/curls, fresh fruit, cocoa/sugar powder, nuts, cookies(tuiles would be extra nice)... or whatever you like.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did....

Chocolate Cake:
1 cup sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda

2 TBS cocoa (I used extra dark)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup water

1 egg
1/4 cup buttermilk (I used 2% milk with about 3 tsps lemon juice)
1/2 tsp vanilla (I used a bit more close to 1 1/2tsp)
Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 deg. Line a 11 1/2 x 17 inch(or 10x15)baking sheet pan with parchment paper. Lightly grease the parchment paper. The original recipe uses a 10x15 pan ...the cake would be a bit thicker than using the 11 1/2x17(which I used).
In a large mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients, sugar, flour,baking soda and cocoa.
In a sauce pan, add butter, oil, and water. Bring to boil. Add it to the dry ingredients. Add the egg, buttermilk and vanilla. Blend thoroughly. Pour batter in parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

Chocolate Mousse:
8 oz semisweet chocolate(or 1 cup chocolate chips)

2 oz butter, unsalted

3 eggs, separated
3/4 cup heavy cream
2-4 TBS Irish cream (optional)

Directions:

Place chocolate and butter in a sauce pan. Heat till melted. Remove from heat and add in 3 slightly beat egg yolks. Mix till blended together. Cool. You can refrigerate it, but only until cool. Otherwise, it will harden ...and you don't want that(it will be difficult to fold the whipped cream/egg whites into it). In a bowl, beat egg whites till stiff. Set aside. In a separate bowl, whip cream till stiff peaks. Fold both egg whites and whipped cream into the cooled chocolate mixture. Fold in Irish Cream, if using.

Raspberry sauce:

1/4 cup raspberries(fresh or frozen)

1 TBS sugar (or to taste)

1/2 tsp cornstarch

Directions:

In a saucepan, place raspberries and sugar and heat till sugar is melted. Add cornstarch and heat till thickened. Strain mixture and set aside in a plastic bag.

Chocolate Ganache:

1/2 cup heavy cream

6 oz chocolate,chopped fine (or 3/4 cup chocolate chips)

Directions:

Place heavy cream in a saucepan and bringer to a simmer. Add chocolate. Let sit for a bit and whisk to blend together into a smooth sauce. Pour in a squirt bottle or use a plastic bag and cut a small tip off.

Assemble Cake:

Using a 2 inch biscuit cutter, cut circles out of cake.

Place a cake circle at the bottom of a mini(removable) cheesecake pan.

Now, on to the rest of the instructions...

Place mousse on top of cake layer.

You should have at least 1 inch thick of mousse. Top with second cake circle.

Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until hardened. You can prepare the cakes ahead and freeze up to this point. Defrost for a minute or so and unmold.

Melt chocolate and drizzle onto a parchment paper, making any shape you like.You can make numbers, hearts, etc. Chill till hardened.

Place cake on plate and decorate with ganache, raspberry sauce, chocolate garnish,etc.

In case, you don't have the mini cheesecake pans:

I bought one of these from Amazon some time ago. They are perfect for mini cakes, plus they have removable bottoms. It works great for cakes like these. In case you don't have any, there are options! You can use tomato paste cans and cut them in half....that might require a handyman:). You won't have a removable bottom, but you can place them on a platter before freezing/chilling them...and they should work just fine. Just push the cakes out gently.

Also, you can use the cut cans to make the cake circles as well, ensuring that you will have a perfect fit.

I think you can also use muffin tins....they will be a bit bigger. You can place a plastic wrap inside the muffin tin making sure the plastic wrap is big enough to encase the whole cake in the end. Then proceed with layering the cake. You will be able to take the whole cake out later with the help of the plastic wrap.

Another easier way.... make squares/rectangles instead of the circles. This way, you will not have any cake left over. Just place cake layer on platter, spread mousse about 1 inch thick, and top with second piece of cake layer. Let set(chill/freeze) and then cut squares/rectangles....sort of like the ice cream sandwiches. Arrange on plate and decorate.

What to do with leftover cake cutouts?

Cut them in small pieces and layer them with mousse/raspberry sauce/ganache/ice cream and serve in a pretty glass. Top with fresh fruit and shaving of white chocolate.

Crispy Kale...Perfect as a Snack or Garnish

Crispy Kale...Perfect as a Snack or Garnish. Have you ever had crispy kale? Well, a while back, I saw Jacques Pepin making some crispy kale. Yes, that's right, crispy, crunchy kale. Who would have thought...The idea was so amazing to me, that I immediately wanted to try it. It was supposed to sort of "mimic" potato chips. Ok, I have to admit that I LOVE chips...but I also know that they aren't exactly the healthiest. Tasty or not, I was willing to try the kale "chips". If it would have the crunchiness/saltiness of a potato chip, I was up for it. I was amazed that you could eat kale and actually like it! What a great little snack. A great alternative to chips. Of course, I don't think you can actually eat a whole bag of these kale chips:)....

This is a great recipe for kids if you want them to eat their veggies. They won't even realize they are eating something that's actually good for them! The kale is so crispy that it practically melts in your mouth...well, almost. I decided to sprinkle some onion powder over the kale chips to bring additional flavor. We really enjoyed them that way. Feel free to experiment with different seasonings and spices.... When I first made these, I added a couple of pinches(or maybe more) of kosher salt. The kale ended up being a bit too salty. The kale as it bakes and crisps up will lose most of its volume and shrink quite a bit. So, add the salt sparingly! You may initially see a WHOLE bunch of raw kale and think to add more salt, but a little salt goes a long way. Plus, if you feel the crispy kale needs more salt, you can always add it at the end. The New York Times also has a recipe for crispy kale that can be found here. It is quite similar, except that the kale gets baked at a much higher temperature. There are other recipes out there, but I decided to try Jacques Pepin's recipe. Not only because I like his recipes, but because he mentions in his show that the higher temperature would turn the kale darker in color. I did not want that....not to mention the fact that I did not want to run the chance of burning my kale. I haven't tried baking the kale at the higher temperature, but I was very pleased with Jacques Pepin's version. The kale retained most of its green color and they really did taste like chips:)! Eat it as a snack... or use it as a garnish for soups, creamy dishes, fish etc. I hope you will try it...at least once...and let me know what you think.

You will need: Adapted from Jacques Pepin's TV Show "More Fast Food My Way".

1 bunch kale

1 TBS olive oil

pinch of kosher salt, or to taste

couple of pinches onion powder*

Chile flakes, to taste

* or you can use chili powder,garlic powder, chipotle or even a mixture

Directions:

Preheat oven to 250 degs.

Wash kale greens and remove the stems.

Blot very dry using a kitchen towel or paper towel. Break up kale in somewhat smaller pieces.

Add about 1 TBS of oil(you really don't need more). Add a pinch of kosher salt, chile flakes and toss to coat.

Arrange a baking rack on top of a cookie sheet. Spread the kale in an even layer on the baking rack. Try not to overlap the pieces.

Bake at 250 degrees for about 25 minutes. Toss about halfway through....(I really didn't do this). If the kale is still limp, leave it in the oven a bit more until it crisps up. The kale will darken a bit in color and shrink dramatically. Sprinkle more salt if needed. Sprinkle with onion powder, chile flakes or any other seasoning you prefer.

The result is a crispy and crunchy snack that's good for you(minus the salt:)).

Red Cabbage Salad...Salata de Varza Rosie

Cabbage Salad...Salata de Varza Rosie. My mom always had some sort of salad at every meal. Sometimes, she even had 2 or 3 different salads! This salad was often a side dish for many meals. Though we sometimes got kind of tired of the leafy lettuce salads, we never did get tired of the cabbage salad. Funny thing is, we all loved this salad. None of us complained. Mom always made sure we had plenty of vegetables and fruits in our diet. If she could give it to us in the raw form, she would. She did her best to provide us with the proper nutrients and a pretty well balanced diet. She often made a carrot salad that was sooo good!...grated carrots, lemon juice, a bit of sugar, and sometimes pineapple. She kept it simple, but it tasted so wonderful. We all loved it... definitely got plenty of vitamins out of it! Well, this cabbage salad was often made with red or white cabbage. We liked both. You could jazz it up with other ingredients if you like....red onion, grated carrots, dill, etc. But, sometimes simple is just as good or even better. Cabbage provides plenty of vitamins and fiber... Check out the nutrition facts here. I hope you will try this salad...simple, easy, and good for you. It is so simple to make, that I wasn't even going to post it. But maybe, just maybe, some of you might like to try it:)...

You will need: Feel free to double, triple the recipe. This recipe should feed about 4.

1/4 of large red cabbage

2-3 TBS extra virgin olive oil (though any vegetable oil will do)

2 TBS cider vinegar( or white vinegar/rice vinegar)

1/4- 1/2 tsp kosher salt/ or to taste

freshly ground pepper/to taste

Directions:

Wash cabbage. Cut a quarter.

Cut cabbage in thin strips.

Using your hands squeeze the shredded cabbage to soften it....this is key!

Sprinkle some salt and squeeze some more. You want the cabbage to sort of become limp...not so tough. This should take about a minute or so. Add oil, vinegar and pepper.

Toss to coat.

Check for seasoning and adjust. I noticed that the cabbage usually needs more vinegar than other salads...so add it to your liking. Enjoy!

Corn Parfait...or Corn Pudding.

Corn Parfait...Similar to a Corn Pudding. Sometimes I like to get out of my comfort zone and try something new. Such was the case when I made this recipe... a different side dish and yet really easy to do! You can make this for Thanksgiving, Christmas or any time of the year when you crave some real comfort food. This past summer, my husband and I went corn picking at a local farm. We loved going through the field and picking the corn. Nothing beats fresh picked corn. The taste is amazing...so sweet and creamy you could practically eat it fresh off the cob . One is never enough. My husband and I each filled our bucket...we had quite plenty to last us for quite some time. Back home, we ended up eating a few ...but we quickly realized that you can only eat so much! Even though we really like corn, we had way too much! So I decided to freeze the rest and use it throughout the winter. I have been thinking of trying new recipes with all of the corn I have sitting in the freezer. So I ventured to try this recipe...and my husband really liked it! He actually requested it for Thanksgiving dinner. It goes rather well with a meat course. The dish is creamy, and sort of like a savory pudding...actually it is:). I decided to add some dried onion flakes to the mixture , just to bring more flavor to the dish. But there are lots of other options... you could add some herbs, cheese, green chile, various spices, ...you could also add some chopped ham, bacon bits. I am sure you can be a bit creative with this recipe. If you like yours on the sweeter side, you can add some sugar. This corn parfait will puff up nicely as it bakes and gets a nice golden color. It will however, lose some of the height as it cools down. That is expected. You can also probably get away with using milk instead of the half and half. That's only if you want to cut down on some of the calories:). Give this recipe a try...you just might like it.

You will need: adapted from Jacques Pepin with a small change
1 teaspoon unsalted butter, softened
4 ears corn, husked*
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups half and half
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese

2 TBS dried onion flakes( you could probably use fresh...)

*4 ears of corn=4 cups of corn (in case you would like to use the frozen corn option)

* I made another batch with bits of pickled jalapeno in the batter...it was even better:)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Get your ingredients ready.

Coat a 4 or 5 cup gratin dish with the butter or you can use small individual ramekins. Cut the kernels off the ears of corn (or you can just use frozen corn that has been defrosted).

Place the corn in the bowl of a food processor (or blender...I used my VitaMix) with the flour, eggs, dried onion, salt, and pepper.

Process until well pureed.

Add the half and half, and process for another 5 to 10 seconds.

Pour into the buttered dish, and sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top.

(using a larger gratin dish)

(using individual ramekins)

Bake for about 25 minutes or until nicely puffed and golden brown.

If you are using small ramekins the baking time might be shorter. The corn parfait will sink a bit as it sits.

It is best eaten warm from the oven.

You can reheat it, if you like.

Roasted Root Vegetables with Orange Maple Glaze

Roasted Root Vegetables with Orange Maple Glaze ...I thought I would share a side dish for Thanksgiving(or any other day for that matter)that is quite easy to put together. I love making this dish....just because of all the health benefits. Plus, I think it is a colorful addition to any dinner menu. I love the fact that you can use a variety of vegetables or use just a few. I used what I had at the moment. You can omit the glaze if you like. I love the roasted flavor of the vegetables... but I have to admit, that I didn't quite care for the addition of the beets. When I was done with roasting the vegetables, I decided I would leave half of the vegetables without the beets. I liked them better that way. Maybe its just a matter of taste. Next time, I think I will substitute some purple potatoes or purple carrots...because I rather liked the purple color:). But you might like the beets...so use them if you like. Beets are really good for you, but somehow I prefer them boiled and tossed with some olive oil and vinegar instead. Feel free to add any herbs you like and toss some garlic cloves in for good measure(which I forgot to do this time around). I love the way the house smells when you roast the vegetables.... a comforting and cozy kind of feeling. This recipe omits the addition of butter, cream or marshmallows. In case you feel like trying out a healthier side dish, here is my version...

You will need:~

Serves about 4.... sort of inspired by Bon Appetit

1 carrot

1 parsnip
1 beet (or next time, I would use purple potatoes or purple carrots)

1 potato (or use a sweet potato)

1 yam
2 oranges (or orange juice)
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup(or use honey)
salt

garlic cloves (I forgot to add this, but I am sure it would be a wonderful addition...)

herbs of choice...try rosemary, thyme, parsley...

~ you can also use rutabaga, turnip, celery root ,fennel or omit any vegetable you don't like...

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400˚
Wash and peel the vegetables.

Cut them into 1-2 inch pieces.

Place them in a bowl. If you are doing beets, place those separately in another smaller bowl. Juice one half of one of the oranges (or use some orange juice) and whisk in the olive oil. Take one tablespoon of this mixture and drizzle it over the beet and mix to coat.
Pour the rest of the mixture over the other vegetables.

Toss to coat.
If you are doing beets, place the cubed beets in a separate parchment lined baking sheet.

This will ensure that the rest of your vegetables won't get stained. Place the rest of the cut vegetables in a separate parchment lined baking sheet.
Sprinkle both pans with salt and herbs.
Bake for 30 minutes or until tender when stuck with a fork.
Juice the remaining orange and a half and put the juice into a small heavy pot with the maple syrup.

Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook on low till the sauce thickens, stirring it every now and then.

Mix the beets with the other vegetables and pour the glaze over everything.

Serve immediately.

Easy, Creamy Butternut Squash Soup...Perfect as an Amuse Bousche

Easy, Creamy Butternut Squash Soup...Perfect as an Amuse Bousche. I often get inspired by the places I visit... along with the food that I might eat there. I usually come home and try to duplicate/create a recipe that has left its mark on me. This was one of them...though slightly changed. While in Ireland, my husband and I had the opportunity to dine at Gordon Ramsay's restaurant. We were served an amuse bousche.... pumpkin soup, compliments of the chef. I thought it was sooo good! It was rather creamy and luxurious, and the small amount of soup was just perfect. It wasn't too heavy, as if I would have eaten a whole bowl . I guess I also loved the fact that it was served in an espresso cup :)... So, I came home and thought of creating a soup similar to the pumpkin soup. I had bought a butternut squash and wanted to use that... feel free to use pumpkin instead. I found a recipe by Gordon Ramsay... a Spiced carrot and butternut squash soup and started adapting it. This is my version, but feel free to make the original. This soup comes together so quick, that it is amazing! The color is really bright and so beautiful...perfect for the fall. Last, but not least, the soup is quite economical and quite healthy for you....if you don't overdo the cream:). Since we are quite close to Thanksgiving, I thought it would be nice to share at least one recipe with you:)! This soup would be perfect as an amuse bousche...a fine tasting of what is yet to come on your Thanksgiving table. If you are expecting a rather large group you can easily double or triple the soup. The soup is also easy to tweak to your liking. Try changing the herbs and spices ..add some curry, ginger, or even some garam masala. But, I loved the tinge of smokiness and spice the chipotle added.... and since I had some fresh thyme growing in a pot, I used that as well. But, I also happen to love using thyme in my soups. Overall, a lovely and delicious soup! The soup makes about 3-4 (1 cup) servings or easily 8 espresso cups. Hope you enjoy...

You will need: inspired and slightly adapted from Gordon Ramsay's... Spiced carrot and squash soup

1/2 butternut squash, diced (about 2 cups)

1-1 1/2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade

1/2 onion, diced

1 carrot, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbs olive oil

2 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves only

1/8 tsp nutmeg, freshly ground

1/4-1/2 tsp chipotle pepper powder or use chile flakes

salt/pepper, to taste

1/4-1/3 cup half and half, (you could use cream, milk or even chicken stock)

croutons for garnish

Parmesan for garnish

fresh thyme for garnish

Directions:

Peel and dice butternut squash.

Peel and dice carrot and onion. Mince garlic.

To a soup pot, add 2 TBS olive oil. Heat oil and add chopped onion and garlic. Season with a bit of salt.

Saute on med/low heat till onion is soft...about 5-7 minutes.

Add diced carrot and squash.

Saute for a minute or so. Add 1 cup chicken stock, making sure the vegetables are pretty much covered in liquid. Add chipotle pepper or chile flakes, thyme and nutmeg. Season with a bit more salt, if needed.

Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until squash is tender. This can be anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes. Since I live at a higher altitude, mine cooks faster. Place cooked squash and liquid in a blender(I used my VitaMix).

Blend till smooth.

Place the pureed mixture back into the pot. It is at this point that you can leave it the way it is...it is a bit thicker... or you can thin it out with some sort of liquid. You can definitely use heavy cream...it will be luxuriuous! Or you can opt to use a lower fat...like I did, by using half and half. There are other lower fat options: you could use milk or even add more chicken stock. You might need to adjust the amount of half and half by adding more or less ...depending on how thin or thick you want your soup to be.

Pour the soup in espresso cups and garnish with thyme leaves,croutons, Parmesan cheese or just leave it plain.

You can likewise pour it in soup bowls.

Black Bean Brownies with Orange Zest

Black Bean Brownies with Orange Zest... Well, here it is! Finally, the long awaited Black Bean Brownie Recipe...at least for me anyway:). You see, I have been wanting to try this recipe for a long time now, but didn't have the guts to make it until recently. Many of you may have seen this recipe, others may have even tried it, while others may be thinking, "No way!". Come on, with a name like that?...I wasn't about to waste my time... I mean, really,.... bean brownies?!! I know, I know... but that's exactly what I was thinking. The recipe for black bean brownies has surfaced all over the blogging world and many have raved about it. There are all sorts of variations, some use different sweeteners, some use coconut oil, others don't use any leavening, but the main ingredient is always black beans. The first time I heard about it, I thought very little of it. You see, I love brownies and don't care to mess around with the ingredients too much. But, as time went by, I thought about it again. I mean we all love to eat healthier, don't we? So, why not make healthier brownies and eat them without so much guilt. Well, I decided it was high time that I tried them for myself. I knew instantly that I would add some additional flavors to the basic recipe, so I chose to bring in the orange flavor. I love the combination of orange and chocolate,.... though you can do a variety of flavors such as: peppermint/raspberry/mocha/Irish cream/Kahlua flavor. I also knew that I would like to use some sort of of leavening. I had seen too many pictures of the brownies that didn't use any baking powder/soda... and they all looked too flat. I came across this recipe that used baking powder to give the brownies some height. Because I chose to use the extra dark cocoa, the brownies baked darker in color than normal and were probably more chocolaty in flavor. The recipe uses the regular cocoa, so feel free to use that.
Ok, so how did I like them? Well, I thought they were very good. I did think they were a bit grainy, which I kind of expected. So, if you can get past that, I think you will like them. I did not taste the beans in the brownies at all! They were chocolaty, moist and fudgy. The orange flavor really stood out and I think was the key ingredient. There was something about the brownies that made me go back and grab another piece....trying all the time to see if I liked them or not:)! My only problem with this recipe, is that it uses 3/4 cup of white sugar. Somehow, I have mixed feelings about them being extra healthy. I feel that the brownies could definitely be healthier if I used another natural form of sweetener...maybe honey, date sugar, etc. I am not a big fan of artificial sweeteners. I would love to make them healthy enough so that I could eat a piece without worrying about the sugar content. Eventually, I would like to experiment with them. If you do try these, and use another type of sweetener, will you let me know how they come out? Even if you try them with the regular sugar, I would love to now what you think of them.

You will need:adapted from here with a slight variation.

15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed very well

3 large eggs
3 tablespoons canola oil
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder (I used EXTRA DARK...therefore the EXTRA DARK chocolate color:)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips, divided

1 TBS grated orange peel

1/2-1 tsp orange extract

I think this brownie needs additional flavoring to bring it over the top...

I chose to do mine with orange flavor but you can easily add a variety of flavors such as:

add 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract, subsitute chocolate chips with Andes chocolate chunks

add 1 TBS Irish cream and 2 tsps instant coffee

add Kahlua flavoring

add raspberry flavoring

add nuts

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8 X 8-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. I like to use parchment paper for mine...just as an extra precaution.
Place the black beans in the bowl of a food processor Process until smooth and creamy. I used my VitaMix for this to ensure absolute creaminess, but you don't need to. Just process until smooth. Add the eggs, oil, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, orange extract,orange peel, baking powder, and salt.

Process until smooth.

Add ¼ cup of the chips and pulse a few times until the chips are broken up a bit.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish.

Sprinkle the top with the remaining ¼ cup chocolate chips(or nuts if using).
Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until the edges start to pull away from the sides and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Mine was done in 30 minutes. Cool in the pan before slicing.

This would be extra good with some vanilla ice cream.

Italian Cheese Bread... Quick and delicious!

Italian Cheese Bread... Quick and delicious! I have been making this cheese bread for years now and we absolutely LOVE it. I originally got this recipe from a Taste of Home magazine. I wrote the recipe down and didn't try it until some time later. When I finally made it, I was thrilled! It was just wonderful... So here is yet another of my favorite recipes, that I hope you will try someday. I love the fact that you can make this bread in under an hour...from start to finish. Really!! It takes less than an hour to knead, rise and bake....that's when the instant yeast comes in handy( I use SAF instant yeast). Oh, and the bread is soft, cheesy and quite delicious:). It goes mighty well next to some garlic/olive oil linguine....not to mention lasagna, manicotii, stuffed shells, etc. Try it as an appetizer, and you will see them disappear. I have also made this into a regular pizza... adding ham, olives, chopped onions, bell peppers, etc. I used some chopped fresh tomatoes and skipped the tomato sauce. Just don't overdo the toppings...a little goes a long way. I actually made the pizza version one day for my dad... and he loved it. He couldn't believe how quickly it came together and kept saying, "You made this from scratch?" ! Well, I hope you will enjoy it. Be creative when making this...use different kinds of cheeses, add garlic, use different salad dressings, different spices or make the dough thicker or thinner depending on your taste. But, I would probably do the original version before venturing out... Also, the amount of cheese you use depends how cheesy you want your bread to be...use more or less to your liking. Either way, I think you will love this.

Dough:
2 1/2 cups flour

1 TBS instant yeast

1 cup warm water (120 deg)

1 TBS oil (I used olive oil)

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

Topping:

1/4 tsp. salt

dash of pepper

1/4 tsp. oregano

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. thyme

1 TBS dried chopped onion(optional)

1/4 tsp dried chile flakes(optional)

Mix spices in a bowl. You can also just use some(about 1 TBS) Italian seasoning instead. Set aside.

"SAUCE" and CHEESE:

1/4-1/3 cup Italian dressing(you can also vary this by using other dressings...though I usually stick with Italian)

1-4 TBS Parmesan cheese, grated

1 cup Mozzarella cheese, grated*

* you can use as little or as much cheese as you like, you can also vary the type of cheese(try some smoked cheese) as well.

DIRECTIONS:

Make the dough: In a measuring cup, combine the water and the oil. Set aside. In mixer bowl, add the flour, salt, sugar and instant yeast. Stir to combine and then add the water and oil.

Knead for 5 minutes until smooth.

Form in to a ball.

Cover and let rise for 20-30 minutes( I like to stick mine in the oven...so it would be free of drafts). Spread dough onto a greased 12 inch pizza pan. I split mine between 2 (8-10 inch) round pans.

If you want a thicker bread, just use one larger pan.

Brush with 1/4- 1/3 cup Italian dressing.

Sprinkle with the spices over the dressing, then with Parmesan Cheese and grated Mozzarella.

Bake at 450 for about 15-20 minutes.

Cut into wedges.

Serve it with pasta....serve it as an appetizer.... or make it into a pizza by adding other toppings such as ham,mushrooms,olives,etc.

Potato Pancakes(or Blinis)...with Smoked Salmon

Potato Pancakes(or Blinis)...with Smoked Salmon .

First of all, I would like to apologize for not posting in a while. Thank you all for your patience....

I have been out of the country, visiting the beautiful country of Ireland and have not had any time to post/respond until recently. So, here is yet another post. I thought I would post a recipe using some of Ireland's traditional ingredients...smoked salmon and potato.

Ok, so I like smoked salmon....and what better way than to combine it with a potato pancake. I originally saw a video clip with Jacques Pepin preparing potato pancakes and topping it with some caviar. Now, I don't have expensive caviar lying around the house, so I substituted some smoked salmon for mine. If you are a bit more fortunate, and DO have some caviar, I would suggest using the caviar instead :). The recipe looked rather uncomplicated and simple to make...sort of like regular pancakes. You place all the ingredients in a blender and make a batter out of it. You pour a bit in a pan and make these small blinis or pancakes that you can top with whatever you like. I chose to use some smoked salmon for mine, but you can top them with an olive tapenade, ajvar, cream cheese and sliced radishes, or any thing you like. I know most recipes use cooked potatoes, but this uses raw potatoes. I think that was the main reason I wanted to try the recipe. You might want to halve the recipe and see if you like the pancakes. This way you don't have to do the whole batch. But we liked them,... which is why I am posting the recipe. These little pancakes/blinis are a great alternative to the same ol' same ol' appetizer. They are also a great little tea sandwich as well. Plus, these are perfect for the gluten intolerant(if you use the potato flour). Hope you like these.

You will need: adapted from Jacques Pepin More Fast Food My Way.

2 cups diced raw potatoes

2 eggs

½ cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic smashed

2 Tbs potato starch or slightly more ordinary flour

½ tsp baking powder

salt and pepper to taste

some oil for frying

~You may top the blinis with some chopped chives, chopped red onion, chopped cucumber, fresh dill, or any topping you prefer.

~ You can easily halve the recipe, if you only want to make a few.

~You can add some favorite herbs in the potato pancake batter, if you like.

Directions:

Peel and dice potatoes. Cut onion and peel garlic.

Place potatoes, garlic and onion in blender.

Add flour, salt, pepper, and eggs

Puree everything in a blender.

I used my VitaMix for this. I find that you get a smoother finish.

Fry in olive or vegetable oil using 2 Tablespoons of puree per pancake.I used med/low heat. Lower the heat if you feel they are burning. I don't use too much oil for frying, don't want them to be too greasy. It is very similar to making regular pancakes. You might need to stir the batter every so often before pouring it in the pan.

You can definitely make the pancakes bigger if you want. Turn them over and continue cooking until golden brown, about a minute or so.

These pancakes are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. They will lose their crispiness as they sit. Top the blinis with some whipped cream cheese, smoked salmon, chives/onions/cucumber.