more chocolate goodies

Just another addition to the goodie box.

Dark Chocolate Mint Fudge

Makes 20 pieces.  Sometimes you can find mint chips, or mint-filled morsels for this.

            ¾ c. mint chocolate chips, divided

            1 (10-oz) pkg. dark chocolate morsels/chips

            1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

            1 tsp. vanilla (or mint) extract

Line an 8” square baking pan with foil.  Coarsely chop ¼ c. of the mint chips; set aside.  Combine dark chocolate morsels and sweetened condensed milk in medium, heavy saucepan.  Warm over lowest possible heat, stirring until smooth.  Remove from heat, stir in vanilla.  Gently stir in remaining ½ c. mint chips, just until they are covered.  Spread mixture in prepared pan.  Sprinkle with the coarsely chopped mint chips.  Press gently into the fudge.  Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm.  Lift from pan; remove foil.  Cut into pieces.  Store refrigerated in airtight container.    

tres leches cake

Tres Leches Cake

Serves 12.  We found this on chow.com, love the rum and coconut aspect.  Make it a day or so before you want to serve it – the longer it sits, the better it gets

            butter, for coating the baking dish

            1 c. flour

            6 large eggs

            1 c. sugar

            1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

            ⅔ c. evaporated milk (not nonfat)

            ½ c. unsweetened canned coconut milk

            1 Tbs. dark rum (plus more for serving)

            1 c. sweetened flaked coconut

            1½ c. cream

            1 Tbs. powdered sugar

Heat oven to 325 degrees and arrange a rack in the middle.  Coat a 13-by-9-inch glass baking dish with butter; set aside.  Place flour in a small bowl and whisk to aerate and break up any lumps; set aside.

Separate the eggs, placing the yolks in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Reserve the whites in a separate, very clean, medium bowl.  Add the sugar to the yolks and, using the paddle attachment, beat on high speed until pale yellow, about 5 minutes.  Transfer the mixture to a large bowl; set aside.  Thoroughly clean and dry the stand mixer bowl.  Place the egg whites in the clean bowl and, using the whisk attachment, whip on high speed until medium peaks form, about 1½ minutes.  Using a rubber spatula, stir about ⅓ of the egg whites into the yolk mixture to lighten it.  Then gently fold in the remaining whites.  Sprinkle the flour over the egg mixture and gently fold it in, just until there are no more white flour steaks.  (Do not overmix.)  Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake until the cake is puffed and golden and the edges pull away from the sides of the pan, about 30 to 35 minutes. 

Meanwhile place the three milks (sweetened condensed, evaporated, coconut) and the rum in a large bowl and whisk until combined; set aside.  Remove the cake from the oven and place on a wire cooling rack.  Using a toothpick or wooden skewer, poke holes all over the cake and allow to cool for 15 minutes.  Pour the milk mixture evenly over the cake and continue cooling, about 45 minutes more.  Tightly cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. 

When the cake is ready to serve, spread the coconut in an even layer in a large frying pan.  Toast over medium heat, stirring often, until lightly browned and fragrant, about 5 minutes.  (If the coconut begins to burn, reduce the heat.)  Immediately remove from the pan to a small bowl.  Place the cream and powdered sugar in large bowl and whisk until medium peaks form.  Maybe add in a tsp. of the dark rum.  Slice cake and serve topped with a mound of whipped cream and a sprinkle of toasted coconut. 

black beans, chorizo, tortillas, cheese - delicious

All layered up with a red chile sauce.  We used ancho chiles here.  We served it for a December dinner party - next to it you see a salad of Bibb lettuce, avocado, mango, queso fresco, bacon, and pumpkin seeds.

http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016157-black-bean-chorizo-casserole-with-pickled-onions

juicy pork chops

Orange-and-Rosemary-Brined Pork Chops

Serves 4.  This is a Martha Stewart recipe, would go great with applesauce.  Sounds like an episode of “The Brady Bunch” (pork chops and applesauce).  Brine the pork 4-24 hours in advance.

            ¼ c. sugar

            ¼ c. coarse salt

            2 dried bay leaves

            8 1-by3-inch strips orange zest

            16 whole black peppercorns

            3 small sprigs rosemary

            4 bone-in pork rib chops (each about 12 oz. and 1” thick)

            2 Tbs. oil

Combine sugar, salt, bay leaves, orange zest, peppercorns, rosemary, and 4 c. water in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar and salt are dissolved.  Reduce to a simmer and cook 1 minute.  Remove from heat; let cool completely.  Pour over pork chops in a 9-by13-inch baking dish.  Cover and refrigerate, turning once, at least 4 hours and up to overnight. 

Remove pork from brine; discard brine.  Pat chops dry; let stand 15 minutes.  Heat a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet over medium-high heat.  Add oil and swirl to coat.  Add pork, working in batches if necessary, and cook until bottoms are deep golden brown, about 5 minutes.  Turn and cook until a thermometer inserted into thickest part of chops (without touching bone) registers 138 degrees, about 3 minutes more.  Let rest 5 minutes before serving. 

Here I served it over rice with a bit of garlic, Parmesan, and parsley stirred in.

holiday baking

I usually do 4-5 different sweets and package them for the office.  Here is a new one we did this year.

Double Chocolate Cookies

Makes 26.  From the November 2014 issue of Cooking Light magazine.  They come in at 99 calories per cookie and they underbake so they come out of the oven glossy and gooey, then set up just a bit as they cool.  I made them triple chocolate cookies by adding in some cocoa nibs too.    

            1½ c. flour

            6 Tbs. unsweetened cocoa

            3/8 tsp. salt

            ¾ c. sugar

            ¼ c. unsalted butter, softened

            2 Tbs. oil

            2 large eggs

            ¼ tsp. vanilla extract

            ½ c. bittersweet chocolate chips

Combine flour, cocoa, and salt in a bowl, stirring with a whisk.

Place sugar, butter, and oil in a bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well combined (about 5 minutes).  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add vanilla; beat 1 minute.  Add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until combined.  Add chocolate chips; beat at low speed just until combined.  Cover with plastic wrap; chill 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Drop dough by 1½ tablespoonfuls 2” apart onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper.  Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes or until almost set.  Cool on pans 2 minutes or until firm.  Remove cookies from pan; cool on wire racks. 

turkey -> turkey stock -> pot pies

Leftover Turkey Pot Pies

Serves 4.  These were the best pot pies ever!  Because the leftover turkey and the broth (roasted turkey stock) we used was from our 2014 Thanksgiving heritage turkey.   

            4 Tbs. butter

            1 small onion, chopped

            2 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

            1 rib celery, thinly sliced

            kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

            4 Tbs. flour

            2½ c. chicken or turkey broth*, warmed

            ¼ c. heavy cream

            ¾ tsp. dried thyme

            1½ c. cooked, shredded, skinless turkey meat

            ½ c. frozen peas

            2 Tbs. chopped parsley

            1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

            1 large egg

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion, carrot and celery, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned, 10 minutes.   

Sprinkle flour over vegetables and cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently.  Whisk in broth and cream.  Add thyme.  Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer about 8 minutes, until mixture is thickened.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Remove from heat; stir in turkey, peas, and parsley.  Divide mixture among four 8-oz. ramekins.  Place on baking sheet.

Place puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface.   Slice into four 4-inch squares, and place over ramekins.  In a small bowl, whisk egg with 1 Tbs. water.  Brush pastry with egg mixture.  Bake until pastry is deep gold and filling bubbles, about 35 minutes.  Let stand 5 minutes; serve.

*Roasted Turkey Stock

Makes about 3 quarts.  We pulled this from the NY Times Cooking web site and used the carcass from our 2014 Thanksgiving heritage turkey.  After letting this cool we parcel it into quart size freezer bags and freeze for using in all kinds of dishes that would call for chicken broth.  Refrigerate to use within 4 days or freeze.   

            1 leftover carcass from a 10- to 15-lb. roasted turkey, preferably including neck,

              wing and leg bones

            4 or 5 onions, quartered (no need to peel; just rub off any papery skins)

            2 large or 3 small carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

            2 c. white wine

            2 large or 3 small garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

            4 sprigs fresh thyme

            2 bay leaves

            1 tsp. black peppercorns

            1 whole arbol (or another small dried red) chile

            kosher salt

Heat oven to 450 degrees.  Using a sturdy knife or your hands, cut or tear turkey carcass into large pieces.  Arrange in a single layer in a roasting pan and roast until brown and sizzling, 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove from oven and transfer pieces to a stockpot.

Add onions, carrots and celery to the empty roasting pan and place over medium heat.  Sauté briefly, just to loosen the crusty turkey bits from bottom of pan.  Return pan to oven and cook until vegetables are browned around the edges, 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove pan from oven and place it over medium heat.  Add white wine and cook, stirring, until wine is reduced to a syrup, about 3 minutes.  Add wine-vegetable mixture to stockpot with roasted carcass pieces.  Add garlic, thyme, bay leaves, black peppercorns and chile.  Add 6 quarts water and place over medium-high heat just until mixture comes to a boil.  Immediately reduce heat to low, skim any foam floating on top and simmer, skimming as needed, for 3 hours.  Add 1 tsp. salt and taste.  If stock tastes watery, keep simmering until stock is flavorful.  Taste for salt again and add more if needed.

Strain stock through a sieve into a large container or containers.  Discard solids.  Let stock cool slightly, then refrigerate.  Skim off any fat from the top of the stock.  

breaded lamb cutlets

Lamb Cutlets with Romesco Sauce

Serves 4.  I was all out of roasted red peppers when I made the sauce so I substituted pickled sweet cherry peppers from a jar – it was wonderful!  This recipe came from celebrity chef Jose Garces.  I served it with green beans topped with spiced pecans.  

            1½ lbs. boneless lamb leg steaks, cut ½” thick and lightly pounded

            salt and fresh ground black pepper

            ½ c. flour

            2 large eggs, beaten

            1½ c. panko bread crumbs

            1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped

            1 roasted red pepper from a jar

            1 garlic clove

            ½ c. salted roasted almonds

            2 Tbs. red wine vinegar

            pinch of sugar

            ¼ c. olive oil, plus more for frying

            2 oz. fresh goat cheese (¼ c.)

            2 Tbs. snipped chives

            2 Tbs. coarsely chopped fresh parsley

Season lamb with salt and pepper.  Put flour, eggs, and panko in 3 separate shallow bowls; season each with salt and pepper.  Dredge lamb in flour, then dip in eggs and coat with panko.  Transfer lamb to a plate.

In a blender, combine tomato, roasted pepper, garlic, almonds, vinegar and sugar and process until smooth.  With blender on, add ¼ c. olive oil in a thin stream and blend until creamy.  Season this Romesco sauce with salt and pepper.

In a large skillet, heat ¼” olive oil until shimmering.  Add the breaded lamb cutlets and cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until golden and crisp, about 7 minutes.  Drain on paper towels and transfer to plates.  Spoon some of the Romesco sauce over the lamb and garnish with goat cheese, chives, and parsley.  Serve remaining sauce on the side.    

red curry sloppy joes

Thanks to Sunset magazine for this east meets west treat.  http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/red-curry-sloppy-joes

gnocchi and salad

These came from the Nov. 2014 issue of Saveur magazine:
http://www.saveur.com/article/recipes/gnocchi-in-sagrantino-cream-sauce-gnocchi-al-sagrantino

the gnocchi goes well with this lovely fall arugula salad:
http://www.saveur.com/article/recipes/arugula-pecorino-pine-nut-and-pear-salad-rucola-con-pecorino-pignoli-e-pere

fish for dinner

Malaysian Pan-Seared Snapper with Garlic and Chiles

Serves 4-6.  This tasty dish came from the Nov. 2014 issue of Saveur magazine and is attributed to a recipe in the 2006 book Cradle of Flavor by James Oseland.

            1 tsp. soy sauce

            ½ tsp. dark soy sauce

            ½ tsp. sugar

            ¼ tsp. ground black pepper

            5 tsp. oil

            2 lb. boneless, skin-on red snapper fillets

            10 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

            1 small red onion, thinly sliced

            1 3” piece fresh ginger, peeled, thinly sliced crosswise, and cut into matchsticks

            1 tsp. rice vinegar

            2 fresh red Fresno or Holland chiles, stemmed and thinly sliced on an angle

Stir soy sauces, sugar, and black pepper in a bowl.  Heat oil in a 12” skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook fish, flipping once, until cooked through and skin is crisp, 4 to 6 minutes; transfer to a serving platter and keep warm.  Add garlic, onion, and ginger to skillet; cook until golden, 10 – 12 minutes.  Stir in reserved sauce; boil.  Add vinegar and chiles; cook 1 – 2 minutes.  Spoon sauce over fish.    

waffles as breakfast, or dessert (spam on the side, optional)

Cornmeal Waffles with Banana Bourbon Syrup

Makes about 10 waffles – we saw this in the NY Times and just had to enjoy it.  Add cornmeal makes a lovely crispier waffle.  This would also be a great dessert topped with maple-pecan ice cream.

            7 Tbs. butter, plus more to brush the waffle iron

            1 large ripe banana, peeled and sliced into ½”-thick-rounds

            2 Tbs. bourbon

            ½ c. maple syrup

            ½ c. toasted chopped pecans

            1¼ c. flour

            ¾ c. finely ground cornmeal

            1 Tbs. sugar

            1 tsp. baking powder

            1 tsp. fine sea salt

            ½ tsp. baking soda

            1 c. sour cream or Greek yogurt

            1 c. milk

            4 large eggs, separated

Melt 5 Tbs. of the butter either on the stove or in the microwave, set aside.

In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, melt remaining 2 Tbs. butter until foam subsides.  Add bananas in a single layer.  Cook, without moving, until undersides are golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes; flip and brown other side, 2 to 3 minutes more.  Transfer to a bowl.

Add bourbon to pan and let simmer until mostly evaporated, about 1 minute.  Pour in syrup and nuts; simmer until just heated through.  Pour syrup onto bananas and cover to keep warm (or reheat just before serving).

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.  In a separate bowl, whisk together sour cream or yogurt, milk, reserved melted butter, and egg yolks.  Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients. 

In a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks.  Immediately fold into batter.

Heat a waffle iron and, using a pastry brush or paper towel, lightly coat with melted butter.  Cook waffles (using about ½ c. batter per waffle) until golden and crisp.  Butter the iron in between batches as needed.  Serve waffles immediately as they are ready, or keep warm in a 200 degree oven until ready to serve.  Serve with banana syrup on top. 

roast poultry enchiladas

I used some of our Thanksgiving turkey, but you could also just use meat from a rotisserie chicken.  I sauteed some chopped onion and bell pepper, added in some shredded up meat and grated cheddar cheese and that was my filling to roll into corn tortillas.  I used a jar of red chile sauce - you can do red or green or Christmas - spread some sauce on the bottom of your baking casserole, lay the rolled enchiladas on top, cover with more sauce and cheese.  Bake until heated through, garnish with green onions (I also like sour cream on mine).

turkey day enjoyment

This is the first year we bought a heritage turkey (yummy Mary's Free Range) - the recipe for Roast Heritage Turkey and gravy in the Nov/Dec Cook's Illustrated issue is a real keeper!  Here are some links to the drinks, Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes, Rosemary Dinner Rolls, and to the Cranberry Mostarda (all from Food and Wine):
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/witkin-recipes---cranberry-juice-cocktail
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/maple-bourbon-smash
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/brown-butter-mashed-potatoes
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/rosemary-scented-dinner-rolls
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/cranberry-mostarda

With the wines from Merry Edwards we had quite a feast.

Here is the recipe to the stuffed date appetizer:

Devils on Horseback

Makes 12.  This is a riff on Angels on Horseback which involves oysters.  We enjoyed this at our 2014 Thanksgiving dinner.

            12 large pitted Medjool dates

            ¼ c. good blue cheese

            6 slices prosciutto, halved lengthwise

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Put about 1 tsp. blue cheese into the cavity of each date.  Wrap each with a prosciutto strip.  Place on baking sheet and bake until warmed through and cheese is melted, approximately 25 minutes.  Serve while still warm.     

different kinds of burgers - and a fall salad

I've been enjoying various burgers, from a July 6, 2014 article in the NY Times magazine.

The first burger is a mixture of ground lamb, egg, onion and parsley all pulsed smooth in the food processor, then grilled 5 minutes per side and served with a shallot-parsley mayonnaise.  The salad is from the Nov. 2014 issue of Food and Wine (I used dates instead of figs):  http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/autumn-salad-with-figs-and-blue-cheese

The next burger is ground pork mixed with garlic, ancho chile powder, ground cumin, a touch of cinnamon, oregano, and apple cider vinegar.  Kind of like making sausage - best to cook the next day, about 5 minutes per side on the grill.  Topped with chopped white onions, cilantro and lime.