Chocolate banana bread

It’s Sunday night and what is your plan?

My plan is to bake chocolate banana bread tonight.  Take it to work tomorrow.  Receive accolades from co-workers for the remainder of the week.  Yeh! 

This chocolate banana bread is dark, moist, rich and tender…..just the way I like ‘em!!!

Chocolate banana bread

3 large ripe bananas mashed, about 310g

75g (1/3 cup) melted butter

150g (¾ cup) light brown sugar

1 large egg, approximately 50g, beaten

112g (½ cup) crème fraiche or sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

155g (1 ¼ cup) all purpose flour

23g (¼ cup cup) natural unsweetened cocoa powder*

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder, optional

¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder
½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

85g (½ cup) mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven 175C/350F. 

Grease a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl add the mashed bananas and stir in the melted butter.  Add the sugar and mix well.  Stir in the beaten egg, crème fraiche and vanilla extract.  

In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, espresso powder, salt and baking soda. 

Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture and gently combine.  Fold in the chocolate chips.  Do not over mix.  Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 60 minutes, or until the bread springs back to touch.

Remove from the oven and allow bread to rest in the loaf pan for 10 minutes.  Invert the loaf pan onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

*Do not use Dutch processed cocoa.  Believe me it will not work in this recipe!

One Chocolate Chip Cookie

I love the idea of a single serving cookie because I have SNEB (snarf-down-the entire-batch) tendencies.  This is the perfect chocolate chip cookie for my daily cookie craving.  It’s easy, yummy and…. worth every calorie!

One Chocolate Chip Cookie

14 g butter, softened

12 g brown sugar

4 g white sugar

1/8 teaspoon vanilla essence (extract)

16 g all purpose flour

25 g chocolate chips or chunks

Preheat oven 180 C/350 F.

In a small bowl, mix the butter, brown sugar, white sugar and vanilla extract with a fork or spoon.  Add the flour and mix.  Stir in the chocolate chips. 

Bake for 13 -15 minutes, until lightly brown. 

You can make one cookie or two. 

Enjoy!

Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Tikka Masala is my idea of food heaven.  I can eat it anytime, anywhere…spicy, comforting and delicious.  It is my  go to recipe and leftovers taste awesome!

Chicken Tikka Masala has an interesting history. Babur, the founder of the Mughal dynasty in South Asia, ordered his cooks to remove the bones from the meat before cooking in the tandoor.   Tikkas, the small bite sized meat pieces marinated in yogurt and spice, became the rage of the age!  Fast forward to Scotland in the 1970’s and food lore has it, a Bangladeshi chef created Chicken Tikka Masala to placate an irate customer.   

Chicken Tikka Masala

This recipe appeared in the Chicago Tribune in 2002 and is very spicy.  You have been warned!  I have slightly altered the recipe.

1 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into cubes

Marinade

½ cup plain yogurt

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons black pepper

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

½ tablespoon piece ginger, minced

Sauce

2 tablespoon oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 jalapeno pepper, minced

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon garam masala

½ teaspoon salt

12 ounce tomato sauce

¼ cup cream or yogurt

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, lemon juice, cumin, black pepper, cinnamon, ginger and salt.  Add the chicken cubes to the marinade.  Refrigerate the chicken for up to 24 hours.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil on medium heat in a large saucepan.  Add the garlic and jalapeno and cook for about a minute.  Stir in the coriander, cumin, paprika, garam masala and salt.  Add the tomato sauce and simmer about 15 minutes.  Stir in the garam masala.  Add cream and gently simmer for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat broiler.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set a wire rack inside the sheet.  Arrange the chicken cubes in a single layer.  Broil until the chicken is cooked and blackened in spots. 

Add the chicken to the sauce and heat.  If the sauce is too thick add water to achieve your preferred consistency.   Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve with basmati rice or naan.

DO AHEAD: Chicken can be made 2 days ahead. Cover; chill. Reheat before serving

                                                                                                                                          

Plout Jam

The end of summer is coming soon and I wanted to save the season in a few jars.  So, the last few days I have been making small batch jams.

Four reasons why I love making small batch jams.

1.  No fancy equipment required.  All you need is a copper jam pot, a thermometer, canning jars, 4^th burner pot, canning jar tongs and a funnel.
2.  Small-batch canning is less stressful.
3.  Small-batch canning is totally doable in an afternoon or evening.
4. The ritual of making jam is so relaxing; watching summer fruit and sugar doing their thing and then enjoying the fruits of labor in winter!  Heavenly!

Pluot (Ploo-ot) is a hybrid of a plum and apricot.   So if you are a plum/apricot lover, a jam lover or simply a food lover, you have got to try this delicious sweet tart jam. 

                                                                   












Pluot Jam

Makes Four 4oz jars

680 g (1 ½ lbs) seeded and chopped plouts
400 g (14 oz) white sugar
25 g (1 ½ tablespoon) lemon juice
1 vanilla bean

Day 1

Mix the chopped pluots, sugar, lemon juice and I vanilla bean in a preserving jam pot.  Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Empty the mixture into a ceramic or glass bowl, cover with parchment paper and macerate it in the refrigerator overnight.

Day 2

Put the pluot mixture in the preserving jam pot and bring slowly to a boil over medium high heat.  Cook rapidly to jellying point (220 degrees F).  Stir constantly to prevent sticking or burning.  Remove the vanilla bean.  Pour the hot jam into hot, sterilized jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace.  Wipe rims of jars with dampened clean paper towel; adjust the canning lids.   Process for 5 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Day 3 – 365

Sunshine in a jar!                                                                                                                           

Chocolate Cake Bonbons

I opened my fridge and spotted half dozen mini chocolate cupcakes, leftovers from the Super Bowl bash, staring at me.  So I started the day with a terrible predicament:  toss the cutie mini cupcakes or makeover the leftovers?  Not being one to waste chocolate cake, I decided to recycle the cupcakes into scrumptious chocolate bonbons for Valentine’s Day.

Leftover Makeover:  Chocolate Cake Bonbons

2.5 ounces chocolate cake, crumbled  (remove the frosting and toss out)

1 tablespoon crème fraiche

1 tablespoon Godiva Chocolate liqueur

1.75 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped

½ teaspoon butter

Remove the frosting from the cake and toss.  In a small bowl, crumble the chocolate cake.  Add the crème fraiche and liqueur and mix well.  Roll the cake mixture into 6 balls.  Set them on a waxed paper covered cookie sheet.  Put the cake balls in the freezer for about 30 minutes or until fairly firm (but not frozen).

Put the bittersweet chocolate and butter in a small glass microwavable bowl and microwave in 10 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted. 

Swirl each cake ball in the melted chocolate, remove, and set on waxed paper to cool.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Bara Brith

Bara Brith is my favorite tea-time snack.  It is speckled with lots of currants and raisins and look like a fruit cake..I know what you are thinking..but it is more bread-like.  It’s really simple – dried fruit, tea, eggs, self rising flour and sugar.  There is no additional fat!!!  I make a loaf on the weekend and then relish a heavenly slice every afternoon with a cup of Earl Gray.  It’s the perfect afternoon pick-me-up!

Bara Brith

240 ml/1 cup strong Earl Grey Tea, cooled ( I use two teabags)

 8 ounce/228 g mixed dried fruit ( I used a mixture of 2-ounces/57 g each of currants, raisins, dried cranberries and candied orange peel)

4.5 ounces/128 g Self Rising Flour

2 ounces/56 g sugar

1 large egg

3 tablespoons Orange Marmalade

In a medium bowl pour the Earl Grey tea over the mixed dried fruit, cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven 350F.  Grease a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, add the self rising flour, sugar, egg and marmalade.  Mix well.

Add the tea and dried fruit mixture and combine well.

Pour the batter into the loaf pan.  Bake for 50 – 60 minutes or until skewer or knife comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes in the pan.  Remove from pan and place on wire rack to cool.

No Self Rising Flour. No worry.

For each cup of all-purpose flour, add 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder and ¼ teaspoon salt.  Mix to combine.

 

Egg and Tomato Sandwich

Sandwich and a cup of soup….that’s my kind of lunch!  I really, really like this Egg and Tomato Sandwich, not because it’s easy (a big plus on weekday mornings), but because it’s so delicious.  The hard part was trying to figure how to keep it from falling apart as I ate it at work.  Egg on my laptop..ugh!!  Well, I channeled my inner “Martha Stewart” and wrapped and tied the sandwich.  Amazing how a simple sandwich can be so yummy!

Egg and Tomato Sandwich

Serves 1

2 slices multigrain bread
Butter
2 thick slices ripe tomato
1 large hard boiled egg, sliced
1 tablespoon chopped scallions, optional
1 tablespoon Japanese kewpie mayonnaise. See note below
Salt and pepper

Butter one slice bread and place the tomato on the buttered side of the bread.  Top with the sliced egg and  scallions.  Sprinkle salt and pepper, to taste.   Spread mayonnaise on the other bread slice.   Sandwich with top bread half. Press down lightly. Eat and enjoy!

Note:  Kewpie (pronounced QP) is a smoother, creamer mayonnaise, and it's made with rice vinegar rather than distilled vinegar.  You can use regular mayonnaise instead of Kewpie.

Korean Spicy Soba Noodles

Anyone for Dunch?  The pre -dinner meal that does not involve tea and scones with lashings of clotted cream!   These Korean Spicy Soba Noodles are a perfect light meal to keep the afternoon hunger pangs at bay. The spicy sauce takes soba noodles to another level of yumminess!

Korean Spicy Soba Noodles

Adapted from www.simplyrecipes.com

Serves 1

2 ounces buckwheat noodles

1 ½ ounces julienned cucumbers

1 ½ ounces julienned carrots

1 ½ thinly sliced cabbage

1 ½ ounces thinly sliced Asian Pear (optional)

1 scallion, sliced

½ boiled egg

Sauce

3 tablespoons Gochu Jang (Korean red chili paste)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1-2 tablespoons honey or to taste

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper or Korean chili pepper powder

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

In a medium bowl, stir in the red pepper paste, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, brown sugar, crushed red pepper, sesame oil and sesame seeds.  Mix well and set aside.

In a medium pot, add water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Add the buckwheat noodles and bring to a boil.  Cook soba noodles for about 3 -4 minutes or according to package instruction.  Immediately rinse the noodles in cold running water and drain well.

Place the noodles in a bowl.  Top with 2-3 tablespoons sauce,  Add the vegetables and egg.  Serve the remaining sauce on the side.

Spicy Oatmeal

Maybe it’s just me….oatmeal , the good for you grain, is so blah. So I decided to do something really weird like adding harissa (my new BFF) and fried egg and..OMG.  So satisfyingly delicious.   Horrified??  I tell you no lie when I say it’s the only way to kick your metabolism into overdrive and spice your life at the same time.  I have you covered!  

Spicy Oatmeal

Serves 1

¼ cup dried regular (not instant) oatmeal

¾ cup water

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon harissa

1 egg

2 teaspoons oil or butter  

 

Combine oats and water in a small pan and cook on medium high heat and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until oatmeal is thick and creamy.  

Stir in the harissa.

Heat 2 teaspoons of oil or butter in a small skillet.  Crack an egg into the pan and cook until the white appears solid, about 3 -4 minutes.

Add fried egg to the oatmeal.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Ginger Glazed Salmon

Warning!! Best. Fish. Ever.  Fish haters this recipe is seriously superb.  This is my week night recipe for when you are so tired to even call for take-out…It’s so easy, fast and delicious. Did I just say easy, fast and delicious in one sentence?  You can grill, pan fry or bake the fish.  Seriously, this is one of the best healthy and yummy fish recipes I have ever made.  The ying-yang sweet salty ginger glaze had me licking it of the plate….Enough said.

The marinade is excellent with Salmon, Mahi Mahi, Halibut and Cod.  You can grill, pan fry or bake the fish.

Ginger Glazed Salmon

Adapted from www.allrecipes.com

Serves 4

2 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon Chinese garlic-chili sauce or ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper

2 teaspoons olive oil

4 (6 ounces) salmon

Black pepper

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

In a shallow glass dish or a Ziploc plastic bag, stir together the honey, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, ginger, garlic, garlic-chili sauce and olive oil.  Sprinkle black pepper on the fish fillets and place the fish skin side down in the dish.  Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 20 minutes or up to 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Remove the fish fillets from the marinade and reserve the marinade. 

Heat vegetable oil in a skillet and lightly sear the fish fillets.  Put the fillets in a baking dish and bake for about 15 minutes or until the fish is cooked.  Remove fillets to a serving platter and keep warm.

While the fish is baking, pour the reserved marinade in the skillet and cook over medium heat until the mixture reduces to a glaze constituency.  Spoon glaze over fish and serve immediately.

Option:  You can grill the fish on a gas or charcoal grill instead of frying or baking.

Halibut in Tomato Sauce

If your New Year’s resolution is to eat more fish then you are in luck.  Halibut in Bombay Tomato Sauce is my all time favorite.   I have made this recipe so many times (I kid you not) and I am still not sick of it!  I grill the fish on my gas grill in summer and pan fry it in winter.  It’s all good whichever way you cook it! 

Halibut in Tomato Sauce

Adapted from Weber’s Way to Grill

Sauce:

3 tablespoons oil

6 ounce onion, halved and thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon finely grated ginger

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (2 teaspoons cayenne pepper if you can stand the heat!)

1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes in juice

¾ cup coconut milk

Fish:

4 tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon peeled, finely grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon turmeric

4 halibut fillets, each 6 to 8 ounces and about 1 inch thick

In a large skillet heat three tablespoons of oil on medium high heat.  Add the onions and sauté until it is golden brown, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, ginger, coriander, paprika, turmeric, salt, and cayenne. Mix well and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often.    Add the tomatoes and coconut milk. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed. Allow the sauce to simmer for about 5 minutes

In a small bowl mix two tablespoons of oil, turmeric and ginger. Brush the halibut fillets with the turmeric ginger mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. 

Pan frying:

In a large non-stick skillet heat two tablespoons oil over medium high heat.  Add the halibut fillets and cook the fillets on one side for about 4 minutes.   Nestle the halibut cooked side up in the tomato sauce and cook for about 5 minutes or until the fillets flake easily and is cooked.

Grilling:

Grill the fillets over direct high heat, with the lid closed, until they release easily from the cooking grate, 4 to 5 minutes, without turning. Using a wide spatula, transfer each fillet to the pan with the sauce so that the grilled side is facing up.  Nestle the halibut cooked side up in the tomato sauce and cook for about 3 -5 minutes or until the fish is cooked.

Broccoli Soup

Tis the season for a bowl of hot soup.   The air is crisp, temperatures dropping drastically and the leaves are changing color.  Five reasons why I love Fall:

5.            Chunky sweaters and boots

4.            Cold weather

3.            Football

2.            Pumpkin spiced Lattes

1.            Bowl of hot soup

We have been making broccoli soup for a few years now and we still love it!  I know what you are thinking…broccoli = ugh!  Try it once and you will be craving it all the time.  This soup will warm your heart after just one spoonful! 

Broccoli Soup

Adapted from Down Home Neelys

Serves 6

40 grams butter, room temperature

200 grams onion, chopped

600 grams fresh broccoli

100 grams carrots, chopped

5 grams salt

3 grams pepper

20 grams all-purpose flour

1 litre chicken or vegetable stock

In a large pot, melt butter and cook onion until tender over medium high heat.  Add the chopped broccoli, carrots, salt and pepper and sauté for about 5 minutes.  Stir in the flour and cook for about  1 minute.  Add stock and bring to boil.

Lower the heat and simmer uncovered until broccoli is tender, about 15 minutes.  Puree the soup.  Add water to obtain your desire consistency.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve hot with croutons.

Chai Banana Bread

My one afternoon guilty pleasure at work is a cup of Starbucks Tazo Chai Tea Latte and a slice of banana walnut bread.  So heavenly!  I love, love, love chai tea and banana bread.  I took my favorite banana bread recipe from Flour Bakery and added chai spices - cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and allspice. This bread is lightly spiced, very moist and out of the world delicious.

Chai Banana Bread

210 grams all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon cardamom
¾ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon all spice
¼ teaspoon salt
230 grams sugar
2 large eggs
100 grams canola or other flavorless oil
340 grams (about 3 ½ bananas), peeled and mashed
2 tablespoons crème fraiche or sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Butter a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan and set aside.

Sift the all-purpose flour, baking soda, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, all-spice and salt.  Set aside.

Using a stand mixer with the whip attachment, beat the sugar and eggs on medium until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Reduce the speed to low and slowly drizzle the oil so that the eggs do not deflate.  Add the mashed bananas, crème fraiche (or sour cream) and vanilla extract and continue to mix until just combined.  Remove bowl from mixer and fold in the flour mixture gently but thoroughly with a rubber spatula.  No flour streaks should be visible.

Pour into the greased loaf pan and bake in the center of the oven for about 1 to 1 ¼ hour, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs. 

Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 30 minutes, and then remove it from the pan to finish cooling on the wire rack.

The banana bread can be stored tightly wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days or wrapped and frozen up to 2 weeks.

Carrot-Ginger Soup

At first, I thought I was crazy…..the recipe did not sound tantalizing and I don’t even like carrots that much.  I was soooo wrong about this surprisingly delicious soup that I made it twice this past week!!  It is a terrific way to eat more carrots.   I will definitely be making Carrot - Ginger Soup again and again and again.  It’s easy, tasty, low-calorie and my new favorite!

A great soup for cold winter days!

Carrot-Ginger Soup

Adapted from www.Vegetarian.About.com

Serves 4

1 tablespoon oil

8 ounce chopped onion
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 ½ pound carrots, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon ginger
4 cups vegetable broth
½ cup orange juice
Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Sauté the onion until translucent.  Stir in the coriander and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add the carrots, ginger and vegetable broth.  Cook on high until the broth boils; then turn the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 25 minutes or until the carrots are soft. 

Transfer the carrots, and broth to a blender and puree until smooth or you can use a stick blender to puree the carrots.  Pour the soup back into the pot and add the orange juice, salt and pepper.  Heat the soup and thin with water to your desired consistency.  Serve hot.

Bin dae duk (Korean Pancake)

The star of this savory and nutritious pancake is…. mung beans.   I can see your face squished up into EW at the thought of mung bean pancakes.  Bin dae duk is to die for…crispy, soft, tangy, tasty!  These are easy to make but are not the spur of the moment kind of pancakes. The beans need to be soaked at least 4 hours but preferably overnight.
Note:  These pancakes can be frozen.  Just heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet and reheat the frozen pancake until it is hot all the way through.  DO NOT MICROWAVE!

Bin dae duk (Korean Pancake)www.drbenkim.com

Makes 10 pancakes

8 ounce/230 g split mung bean

3 tablespoon raw glutinous (sweet)  rice
4 ounce/115 g onion, coarsely chopped
6 ounce/170 g zucchini
4 ounce/115 g red bell pepper
2 green onions (scallions)
2 ½ ounce/75 g kimchi
5 sesame leaves, or ½ cup coriander leaves
Cooking oil for pan frying

Rinse the mung beans and rice and put them in a large bowl.  Add water and soak the mung beans and rice at least 4 hours but preferably overnight.

The next day, strain the mung beans and rice in a colander.  Put the mung beans and rice in a blender or food processor and add 1 cup water.   Blend until you have a smooth thick batter.  If you need more water to blend , add one tablespoon of water at a time so that you do not dilute the batter too much.  Add the onion and blend until smooth.  Pour the batter in a bowl and set aside.

Cut the zucchini into julienne and put it into a bowl. Mix ½ teaspoon salt to the julienned zucchini and set aside for about 1 hour.

In the meantime, dice the red bell pepper, and slice the green onions diagonally.  Squeeze the liquid from the kimchi and dice it into small pieces.  Slice the sesame leaves or coriander leaves. 

Squeeze out the moisture from the zucchini and add it to the batter.  Stir in the red bell pepper, green onions, kimchi and sesame leaves or coriander leaves.   Mix the batter well.

Heat 2 -3 tablespoons oil in a skillet.  Drop ½ cup of batter into the hot oil and spread it into a 3 ½ inch pancake.  I use a 3 ½ inch pancake mold.  Cook until undersides are golden, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until firm, 1 to 2 minutes more (adjust heat if necessary). Transfer pancakes as cooked to a heated platter and cover with foil to keep warm.  Serve with sesame soy dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauce

Makes ¼ cup

2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
½ tablespoons rice vinegar
½  teaspoon red pepper powder
½ teaspoon sesame seeds

Combine everything in a small bowl and whisk until combined.
 

Tiramisu Dip

So. Sinful. Decadent. Delicious. Addictive. Need I say more?

 

Tiramisu Dip

From www.chow.com

12 ounces mascarpone cheese

8 ounces ricotta cheese
½ cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons espresso
2 tablespoons Kahlua
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
½ cup finely chopped bittersweet chocolate
Strawberries
 

Make the espresso and keep aside to cool.

Place the mascarpone cheese in a medium bowl.  Using an electric mixer beat the cheese for about 30 seconds or until it is smooth.  Add the ricotta cheese, sugar, espresso and Kahlua.  Increase speed to high and beat for about 3 minutes or until it forms stiff peaks.

Spread the mixture in the serving bowl and sprinkle the cocoa powder.  Add the finely chopped bittersweet chocolate.  Serve with strawberries.

Tiramisu dip can be made up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated in a covered container. 

Tomato, Tortellini, Florentine Soup

Have you heard the latest …It is colder than Mars in some parts of the US…how insane is that!!  It is definitely hot soup weather here.  So if Jack Frost is nipping  chomping at your nose, warm up with Tomato, Tortellini, Florentine soup.  This soup-er ridiculously easy, quick and tasty soup is my new favorite.    Serve it hot with a crusty bread for a satisfying lunch or supper. 

 

Tomato, Tortellini, Florentine Soup
Adapted from Food network

Serves 4

1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 ounces minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
½ teaspoon crushed red peppers
1 14-ounce can whole tomatoes, coarsely chopped
4 – 6 cups chicken stock
9-ounce fresh, frozen or dried cheese tortellini
5 ounces fresh or frozen spinach, coarsely chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a 3 –quart stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the minced onions, garlic and crushed red peppers and sauté until onions are translucent.  Increase the heat to high; add the tomatoes and broth and bring it to boil.  Add the tortellini and cook until the pasta is cooked.   Stir in the fresh or frozen spinach until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes.  Serve sprinkled with grate cheese.

 

Baci Di Dama

I love cookies that have stories and legend has it that Baci Di Dama were made for the Savoy Royal family to represent the kiss between two lovers.   I am sure the King was impressed by these bite-sized crumbly delicious cookies pressed together to resemble a kiss..…eh?  These “kisses from a lady” cookies are irresistible, but beware…..one thing may lead to another…!!

Baci di Dama (Kisses from a Lady) 

Adapted from Cooks Illustrated magazine

Makes about 40 cookies

5 ounces hazelnuts, toasted and skinned

2 ½ ounces all-purpose flour

1 ¾ ounces sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

¼ salt

5 tablespoons butter, cut into small cubes and chilled

½ teaspoon vanilla

Nutella spread

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  Adjust oven racks to upper middle and lower middle positions.

Place the hazelnuts, all-purpose flour, sugar, cornstarch and salt in a food processor and process until the hazelnuts are finely ground.  Add the butter and vanilla and process until the dough comes together.

Divide the dough into four pieces.  Working with one piece dough at a time, roll 20 small balls and place 1- inch apart on the lined baking sheet.  Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 16 minutes or until the edges are lightly brown, switching and rotating the baking sheets halfway through baking.  Cookies will be very delicate.  Let cookies cool completely on the sheets.

Spread about a ¼ teaspoon of nutella over bottom of half of the cookies; top the remaining cookie and press lightly to adhere.

Sweet Potato Soup

We made Sweet Potato soup tonight because it is a “Let it Snow” night – cold and snowy.  This vegan friendly soup is flavorful, healthy and sure to warm you up with the added spicy kick from the Thai red curry paste.  If I wasn’t such a well mannered person I would have licked the bowl.  It is soooo delicious!

Sweet Potato Soup

Adapted from 300 Calories or Less!

Serves 3

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil

1/2 – 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
½ yellow onion, chopped
½ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon ground ginger
1 pound sweet potato, peeled and chopped
7 ounces coconut milk
2 cups vegetable broth
Juice of ½ a lime
2 tablespoons finely chopped coriander leaves


In a medium pot, heat the oil over medium high heat.  Add the Thai red curry paste and fry until fragrant, about 1 -2 minutes.  Add the onion, salt, and ginger and sauté until the onion is translucent.  Stir in the sweet potato and coconut milk. Add vegetable broth and bring to boil.

Simmer, uncovered on medium/low heat for about 20 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are soft.  Blend the soup either in a blender, food processor or with an immersion blender.  Stir in the lemon juice.  Serve hot with cilantro. 

Rosemary Roasted Cashews

These Rosemary Roasted Cashew nuts are quick, easy, definite crowd pleaser and so (unfortunately) ADDICTIVE!  They are a perfect combination of sweet, spicy and savory.   I served these at our Thanksgiving dinner and noticed that the scotch and wine drinkers were nuts over them.   Try to leave some for your guests…it is easy to eat the entire bowl by yourself!

Rosemary Roasted Cashews                                             

Adapted from www.thesisterscafe.com

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds unsalted cashew nuts

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

2 teaspoons dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon melted butter

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl combine the rosemary, cayenne, sugar, and salt and set aside.

Place the nuts on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for about 5 minutes or until they are warmed through. Put the warm cashews in a large bowl, pour the melted butter over and then sprinkle the rosemary mixture over the nuts. Mix the nuts well.  Serve warm.

Tip:  You can make them several hours before a party and cover them with foil - they stay warm until your guests arrive.