Chocolate Pots De Creme

Luscious Chocolate Pots de Creme, served in dainty cups, boast just four ingredients and require only a saucepan and measuring utensils to make. 


A few notes about making pots de crème: be careful to cool the scalded milk a bit so it doesn’t curdle the egg yolks. Yes, I did that the first time around! Second, since this doesn’t bake, the taste of this dessert comes strongly from the chocolate you use. A good bittersweet is essential; I like Ghirardelli. As for the spiced chocolate, I like Lindt’s Chili dark chocolate. If you can find Ibarra chocolate, though, use it by all means instead of the chili-infused chocolate and nix the added vanilla and cinnamon. Finally, play with the whipped cream’s flavoring if you like; I sweetened it lightly with powdered sugar and splashed in vanilla extract, but you can add cinnamon, vanilla beans, or even pepper itself if you want.

Ingredients:

1       - cup semisweet chocolate morsels
1       - cup whipping cream
1/2    - cup half-and-half
2       - egg yolks


Procedure:

Step 1
- Combine first 3 ingredients in a heavy saucepan; cook low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate melts.

Step 2
- Beat egg yolks until thick and pale. Gradually stir about one-fourth of hot mixture into yolks; add to remaining hot mixture, stirring constantly.

Step 3
- Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, 2 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly. Spoon into individual serving containers.

Step 4
- Cover custard and chill.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Fudge Waffles

Before 1886, the origin and history of fudge is unclear, but Fudge is thought to be an American invention. Most believe the first batch was a result of a accidental “fudged” batch of caramels, hence the name “fudge”.


Fudge is a crystalline candy and controlling the sugar solution crystallization is the key to delicious, smooth fudge. One of the most important aspects of any candy is the final texture. Temperature separates hard caramels from fudge and tiny microcrystals of sugar in fudge gives fudge its firm but smooth texture. The secret to successful fudge is getting these crystals to form at just the right time.

Ingredients:

2       - large eggs
1/4    - cup butter or margarine, melted
1       - teaspoon vanilla extract
1       - cup buttermilk
1       - cup all-purpose flour
1/2    - teaspoon baking powder
1/2    - teaspoon baking soda
1/4    - teaspoon salt
1/4    - teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4    - cup sugar
1/2    - cup cocoa
1/2    - cup chopped walnuts (Optional)
1/4    - cup semisweet chocolate mini-morsels (Optional)


Procedure:

Step 1
- Combine first 3 ingredients in a large mixing bowl; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until foamy (about 2 minutes). Add buttermilk, mixing well. Set aside

Step 2
- Combine flour and next 6 ingredients; gradually add to egg mixture, beating at low speed just until blended.

Step 3
- Stir in walnuts and mini-morsels, if desired

Step 4
- Bake in a preheated, oiled waffle iron until done.

Yield: 18 (4-inch) waffles

Hot and Spicy Grouper

This recipe originally calls for catfish, which is mild and a little lighter in texture than I’d prefer.  I tend to substitute grouper in this recipe, as it’s a little firmer while maintaining that sweet and fresh flavor.  Since it’s pan-seared (in a grill pan) it makes it easy to get a nice crust on the fish while keeping the inside moist and tender.  Besides, they didn’t have catfish.


Jerk has become widely known as the definitive spice blend of Jamaica.  Traditionally, it’s a paste made from allspice, Scotch Bonnet chiles (hotter than habaneros!), cloves, cinnamon, garlic, thyme and a host of other ingredients, depending on who’s family recipe you are following.  Admittedly, I’m not about to make a giant batch of super-spicy jerk paste for myself, so I tend to cheat and use a dried spice blend (in my case, McCormick’s Gourmet Blend, which is a good combination of spicy, hot and sweet).


The slaw is a spicy slaw, with a habanero, cilantro and lime juice giving it a massive amount of flavor.  In the end, it’s spicy combined with spicy which makes this solo-dining husband a happy eater.

Ingredients:

4     - (4-ounce) grouper or snapper fillet
1/4  - cup lemon juice
2     - tablespoons water
2     - tablespoons hot sauce
1     - tablespoon vegetable oil
2     - teaspoons grated fresh gingerroot
1/2  - teaspoon salt
       - vegetable cooking spray
1     - tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
1     - tablespoon chopped fresh parsley


Procedure:

Step 1
- Place grouper in a shallow dish; set aside.

Step 2
- Combine lemon juice and next 5 ingredients; divide in half. Cover and refrigerate 1 portion. Pour remaining portion over fish, turning to coat. Cover with aluminum foil.

Step 3
- Refrigerate fillets 1 hour; turning fish occasionally.

Step 4
- Remove fish from marinade, discarding marinade.

Step 5
- Arrange fish in a single layer in a grill basket coated with cooking spray. Cook, covered with grill lid, over hot coals 5 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, basting with remaining marinade.

Step 6
- Transfer fish to a serving plate; sprinkle with sesame seeds and parsley.

Yield: 4 servings

Strawberry Ice Cream Sandwich

If you try on those Astronaut Ice Cream Sandwiches and you find yourself wanting, then in Martha we trust, right?  Take a look at Martha Stewart’s engagingly delicious Chocolate Hearts Ice Cream Sandwich Recipe.  Are they not beautiful?


Show that someone how much you love them by cooking this up for dinner tonight, they will not soon forget.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 3/4 - cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting,
1/2    - cup cocoa powder ,2 1/2  teaspoons baking powder.
1/4    - teaspoon salt,12  tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature,
1 1/2 - teaspoons pure vanilla extract,
1 1/2 - cups sugar,2  large eggs,
1       - tablespoon milk,
2 to 2 1/2 - pints strawberry ice cream, slightly softened,

What’s Next.

Procedure:

Step 1
-In a medium bowl- sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, vanilla, and sugar.Add eggs and milk, and mix until combined. Add reserved flour mixture, and mix on low speed until incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula at least once. Divide the dough in half, and shape each half into a flat disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap, and chill until firm, about 1 hour.

Step 2
-Go ahead & preheat your oven to 350 F or 175 C.Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface; use an offset spatula to unstick the dough every few turns of the rolling pin. Roll dough to an 1/8-inch thickness. Cut dough using a variety of heart-shaped cookie cutters from 2 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter, making sure there is a top and bottom cookie for each sandwich.

Step 3
- Place hearts on a parchment-lined baking sheet; chill until firm, about 30 minutes. Remove from refrigerator; use a fork to prick holes all over the surface of the cookies. Bake until firm, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool slightly on baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Using half the cookies, spoon softened strawberry ice cream about 1/2 inch thick on each underside. Place matching cookie on top of ice cream, top-side facing out. Transfer immediately to freezer to harden; repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve directly from the freezer. Sandwiches can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for 3 to 4 days.

Mediterranean Chicken

Rich in culture and food history, the nations on the shores of the brilliant azure Mediterranean Sea—Italy, Spain, France, Morocco, Greece, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey and Israel—have all contributed something special to the colorful, vibrant tapestry that is Mediterranean cuisine. Key components of Mediterranean cuisine include heart-healthy olive oil, protein-rich legumes, fish and whole grains with moderate amounts of wine and red meat. The flavors are rich, and the health benefits for people choosing a Mediterranean diet are hard to ignore—they are less likely to develop high blood pressure, high cholesterol or become obese. This collection features delicious and nourishing recipes that evoke the essence of the Mediterranean region while helping you work your way toward optimal health.

Wonderful food does not have to begin with the bewildering grocery list. Sometimes great taste lies in the easy combination of just a few ingredients. Here we honor simplicity. Each of this recipes use five or fewer ingredients are carefully chosen to both intensify taste and enhance eye appeal. Keep handful of these in ingredients in your pantry and you wont find you hand full at dinnertime.


Ingredients:

4    - skinned and boned chicken breast halves
3    - tablespoon all-purpose flour
2    - tablespoon olive oil
1    - (141/2-ounce) can ready-to-serve chicken broth
1/4 - cup sliced ripe olives
2    - teaspoon capers
1/8 - teaspoon pepper
1     -(14-ounces) can whole artichoke
         heart, rinsed and halved


Procedure:

Step 1
- Dredge chicken in flour; set aside.

Step 2
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium hight heat. Add chicken, and cook 3 minutes on each side or until lightly browned.

Step 3
- Add chicken broth and next 3 ingredients. bring to a boil, reduced a heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until thickened and bubbly.

Step 4
- Stir in artichoke halves, and cook until mixture is thoroughly heated.

Yield: 4 servings

Apricot Apple Crumb Tart

There is a sweet and natural affinity between the soft sunset blush of early summer apricots and the homespun State-Fair-Blue-Ribbon pride of corn. 

Maybe it has something to do with long full days of bright sun, a labor-intensive harvest and our wholehearted ritual of indulging in the season’s bright splash of sumptuous colors and flavors.

Apricots are my ideal baking partner and this easy breezy tart really maximizes their lusciousness as they bask in the company of their adoring admirer, cornmeal. These two pair so harmoniously I can't help but conspire in their brief rendezvous every year.

These apricots are first bathed in a little sugar, vanilla and cinnamon to coax along some juices that bake into fruity puckers of bright acidity once they are ensconced in the tart. The little burst of cornmeal has just a slight crunch and all the rustic flavor but is not too dense or grainy. It almost begs for an embroidered tablecloth.

This time my immersion into the intersection of the cornfield and the apricot orchard has produced a beauty. I know I’ve waxed on and on about my love for apricots each and every season and I have to say, this is one of my favorite pastries to emerge from my studio. So now it’s your turn. Please, do tell: what are your favorite pastries that you seek out each year?

Ingredients:

2       - (6-ounce) packages dried apricot halves
1       - (8-ounce) package dried apples*
3       - cups water
1/4    - tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2    - (15-ounce) package refrigrated piecrusts
1       - teaspoon all-purpose flour
1/2    - cup all-purpose flour
1/2    - cup sugar
1/4    - cup butter or margarine
         - Ice cream or sweetened whipped cream


Procedure:

Step 1
- Combine first 3 ingredients in a large saucepan, bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Drain well.

Step 2
- Combine 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon flour, stir into fruit mixture. Set aside

Step 3
- Unroll pie crust, and press out fold lines. Fit into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch tart pan, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon flour. Spoon fruit mixture into prepared pastry shell.

Step 4
- Combine 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup sugar, cut in butter with pastry blender until mixture is crumby. Sprinkle mixture over tart.

Step 5
- Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes, reduce temperature to 350 degrees, and bake 35 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve within 12 hours with ice cream or sweetened whipped cream, if desired

Yield: one 9-ince tart.

* 1 (6-ounce) package dried apricot halves may be substituted for a tarter dessert.

Chile-Beef Kabobs

Ingredients:

*16      - (1 1/2-inch) onions
*1        - lean boneless sirloin, cut into 16 pieces
*16      - medium size fresh mushrooms
*2        - sweet red peppers, each cut into 8 pieces
*2        - sweet yellow peppers, each cut into 8 pieces
*1        - cup Red Chile Sauce, divided (see recipe below)
*1/2     - cup Burgundy or other dry red wine
*1        - cup nonfat sour cream
Garnishes: jalapeno peppers, kale leaves


Procedures:

Step 1
- Cook onions in boiling water to cover 8 minutes, drain

Step 2
- Alternate meat, onions, mushrooms, and the remaining vegetables on 8 (14-inch) skewers, place skewers in shallow dish.

Step 3
- Combine 1/2 cup Red Chile Sauce and wine. Pour over kabobs, turning to coat. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours.

Step 4
- Remove kabobs from marinade, discarding marinade. Place kabobs on a rack; place rack in boiler pan.

Step 5
- Broil 5 1/2 inches from heat (with electric oven door partially opened) 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally.

Step 6
- Combine sour cream and remaining 1/2 cup Red Chile Sauce. Serve with kabobs.
Garnish, if desired.
Yield: 4 servings.

Note: The Red Chile Sauce and sour cream mixture makes a spicy dip for raw vegetables or baked tortilla chips.

REMINDER:
- Per 2 kabobs and 1/3 cup sauce:
Calories 372 ( 22%fat )
Fat 8.5g (2.6g saturated)
Cholesterol 80mg
Sodium 244mg
Carbohydrate 32.6g
Fiber 5.1g
Protein 36.8g

Red Chile Sauce

Use a few spoonfuls of this sauce to spice up salsa. Spanish rice, gazpacho, tacos, refried beans, or vegetable soup.

Ingredients:

4       - ounces dried Anaheim chile peppers *
2       - cloves garlic, minced
1       - tablespoon vegetable oil
2       - tablespoons all-purpose flour
2       - cups water
1 1/2 - teaspoons ground cumin
3/4    - teaspoon salt


Procedure:

Step 1
- Remove pepper stems and seeds. (Wear rubber gloves when handling peppers.) Cover peppers with boiling water; let stand 30 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup liquid.

Step 2
- Position knife blade in food processor bowl; add peppers and reserved liquid. Process until smooth, stopping twice to scrape down sides. Set aside.

Step 3
- Cook garlic in oil in a heavy saucepan until tender. Gradually stir in flour, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until caramel colored (about 6 minutes). Gradually add 2 cups water, stirring constantly. Stir in pepper mixture, and cook until slightly thickened.

Step 4
- Pour mixture through a wire-mesh strainer into a bowl, discarding solids. Return to saucepan; add cumin and salt, and cook over medium heat until thickened. Sauce may be refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 3 months.

Yield: 2 3/4 cups