Moelleux au Chocolat

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Or, more commonly known as Chocolate Lava Cake.  … is a French classic that literally melts in your mouth!!!  French chef and chocolatier Jacques Torres claims this dish originated in France. The rumor has it the dessert was taken out of the oven too soon and found the center to be runny.  But, it was warm and tasted good – a classic dessert was born!

…Jack has asked me to make a Chocolate Lava Cake for his birthday this weekend.  I looked through many recipes and will go with the traditional French recipe.  Looks easy enough, not many ingredients and the cooking time is only 10 minutes!
Ingredients (4 servings):
6 oz. Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate (or use your favorite 70% dark chocolate bar)
6 oz. Butter (diced, room temperature)
3 Eggs
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
1/3 cup Flour
Butter for Ramekins

Directions: Preheat oven to 350°F.  Melt chocolate on low flame in a double boiler. When melted, take of flame, and stir in diced butter, until it melts.  In another bowl, beat eggs and sugar, until it starts to whiten.  Stir in melted chocolate and then the flour.

Butter 4 individual ramekins, and pour in chocolate batter.  Cook for about 10 minutes.  Tip ramekins upside down onto dessert plates and serve.

Garnish with fresh strawberries and top with a dollop of whipped cream.
Voilà!

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Scalloped Sweet Potato Stacks

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When I think of sweet potatoes, I think of marshmallows and brown sugar….yuck!  A good friend of mine served this version of sweet potatoes and for a non-sweet potato lover thought…okay, time to be polite.  BUT holy cow, these were outstanding!  So good in fact, I made them the next weekend for a family dinner!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb. small sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme, divided
1 cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese, divided (can use Gruyere instead)
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 garlic clove, pressed (I used about 3)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Directions:  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Layer half of sweet potatoes in a lightly greased 12-cup muffin pan. Sprinkle with 1½ tsp. thyme and ½ cup cheese. Top with remaining sweet potatoes. (Potatoes will come slightly above the rim of each cup.)  Microwave cream, next 3 ingredients, and remaining ½ tsp. thyme at HIGH 1 minute. Pour cream mixture into muffin cups (about 1 Tbsp. per cup).

Bake at 375°, covered with aluminum foil, 30 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining ½ cup cheese. Bake 5 to 7 minutes or until cheese is melted and slightly golden.  Let stand 5 minutes. Run a sharp knife around rim of each cup, and lift potato stacks from cups using a spoon or thin spatula. Transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with thyme, if desired.

note:  you can also make this in a 9×9 inch casserole dish but it will not be as beautiful a presentation as the individual servings.

Recipe credit goes to Southern Living Magazine, April 2011 edition

 

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Coconut Macaroons

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These little gems are easy to make (only 6 ingredients) and are great anytime!  We added these to our holiday cookie assortment this year and they were the first to be eaten up!

All the credit goes to Danny Cohen, aka Danny Macaroon, out of NYC.  Check him out at www.dannymacaroons.com and he’s also selling his macaroons all over the NY area….OR, you can make them yourselves!

 

Ingredients:
14 ounce bag sweetened shredded coconut
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted

Directions:  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  In a medium bowl combine the coconut with the condensed milk and vanilla.  In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites with salt until firm peaks form.  Fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.

Scoop tablespoon-size mounds of the mixture onto the baking sheets, about 1 inch apart.  Bake for about 25 minutes, until golden.  Let the cookies cool completely.  Dip the bottoms of the macaroons in melted chocolate (let any excess chocolate drip off) and place back on the lined baking sheets.  Drizzle remaining chocolate on top and refrigerate (about 10 minutes) until set.

This recipe makes about 2 dozen large macaroons or about 40 smaller ones.

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We are well into summer and grilling season!  Time for friends and family to gather around for a BBQ and celebrate the ending of a very long winter and relatively short spring.  We’re adding a bunch of new recipes to help you find something new and different to serve or bring to your next outdoor dinner party or picnic.

For fine organic meats stop by The Organic Butcher for the best cuts of beef, homemade sausages, and fresh fish.  Also, try The Unintentional Chef marinade on everything!

We have used the Simply Marinade in pasta salads (cooked pasta – any shape, chopped red onion, minced cilantro, chopped celery and Simply Marinade — toss and enjoy warm or cold!).

Enjoy!

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Parmesan and Prosciutto Mini Muffins

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Spring had sprung and summer is about to begin (although, if it’s Memorial Day, that’s really the beginning of summer).  Trying to keep things new and always looking for recipes that are both delicious and somewhat good for you.  This recipe caught my eye for a few reasons.  First, I love Parmesan cheese and prosciutto (lots of recipes on this site have at least one or the other in them).  Second, its a relatively healthy snack, appetizer, or bread side for a meal. I found this recipe on Weight Watchers site and for those of you counting, these little nuggets of goodness are only 2 points!

Ingredients:

Cooking spray

2/3 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large egg whites (at room temperature)
4 oz prosciutto shredded/minced
1/2 cup(s) part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup(s) low-fat milk
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Directions:  Position rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 400°F. Spray two 12 cup mini muffin tins with cooking spray.  In a large bowl, whisk together both flours, cheese, sugar, baking powder, salt and pepper.  In a second bowl, whisk together egg whites, prosciutto, ricotta, milk and melted butter until the mixture is fairly smooth.  Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients; stir with a wooden spoon just until there are no pockets of dry flour in the mixture. Spoon into prepared muffin tins, about 1 1/2 tablespoons per indentation.

Bake until browned on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 12 to 14 minutes. Cool in tins for a couple of minutes before turning muffins out and cooling them on a wire rack.

Eat Happy and Healthy!

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Marinade and Wine tasting

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BIG event coming up next weekend (5/21)!

Please come out and see us at the pre-Memorial Day Wine and Marinade event at The Wine Cabinet at Northpoint Village Center in Reston!  We will be sampling choice wines next to The Unintentional Steak Marinaded Hangar Steak (courtesy of The Organic Butcher in McLean) and The Simply Marinaded Chicken Breasts!  Come taste with us on Saturday, May 21 from 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm!

Taste and Eat Happy!

 

post script:  event was very successful!

 

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Orzo and Spinach Salad

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In keeping with the spirit of simple, healthy dinner ideas and recipes… it really doesn’t get any easier and healthier than this!  For those of you following Weight Watchers, this dish packs a whopping 2 points!  I served this to my family last night and no one was the wiser.  We had this salad alongside baked tilapia filets (olive oil, seasoning, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese) and roasted Brussels sprouts.  Talk about healthy!  And I’m happy to report – no left overs.  oh yeah!

Ingredients:

2 Cups of fresh baby spinach
1 cup of dried orzo
2 teaspoons of white wine vinegar
1 package of grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
salt and pepper for seasoning
1/4 cup of crumbled feta cheese

Directions:  cook orzo according to package directions (8-9 minutes).  In a separate bowl mix the vinegar, salt, pepper and halved tomatoes, toss.  Drain the orzo and toss with the fresh spinach until the spinach wilts.  Add the tomatoes and toss gently.  Sprinkle with Feta cheese and you’re done!

This is a great side dish or even main dish.  I only wish there were left overs – would have like to have this for lunch today!  Oh well, its easy enough to make again, and again, and again!

Enjoy!

 

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Fettuccine with Morels, Asparagus, and Goat Cheese

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Found fresh morels in the store….love these….add another favorite, asparagus, and I’ve got the foundation for a great meal. Hmmm, what else do I have handy at home….pasta, check, goat cheese, check, white wine….multiple checks!

We have the makings for dinner tonight!  Easy!  This recipe comes from Epicurious.com with a few minor changes ….

Ingredients:

1/2 cup minced shallot
2 tablespoons salted butter
1/2 cup dry white wine (I never measure the wine….may have more like a cup for the recipe and a glass for me!)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 pound fresh morels, washed well, patted dry, and trimmed
1/2 cup heavy cream
6 ounces mild goat cheese such as Montrachet, crumbled (about 1 1/2 cups)
3/4 pound asparagus, trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, and cooked in boiling salted water for 2 to 3 minutes, or until tender
1/4 cup minced fresh chives
1 pound fettuccine

Directions: In a heavy skillet cook the shallots in butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until it is softened, add the wine (remember a glass for you too), and simmer the mixture until the wine is reduced by half. Add the broth and the morels, sliced crosswise, and simmer the mixture, covered, for 10 minutes, or until the morels are tender. Add the cream and the goat cheese and cook the mixture over low heat, stirring, until the cheese is melted. Stir in the asparagus, the chives, and salt and pepper to taste and keep the sauce warm. In a pot of boiling, salted water cook the fettuccine until it is al dente, drain it well, and in a bowl toss the pasta with the sauce.
Enjoy!

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