Grilled Harissa Chicken... with millet and tomato salad. Leftover chicken can be sliced and  used as lunchmeat. I'm always thrilled to add another chicken recipe to my collection of simple and delicious chicken meals. I'll admit these aren't the best pictures... was hurrying up the dish, and really didn't take my time to properly heat up the grill, therefore the lack of good grill marks on the chicken. On the other hand, the chicken came out so moist and quite delicious:). In any case, this recipe came about one day when I decided to do something different with the defrosted chicken breasts I had on hand. Knowing we wouldn't eat them all at one sitting, I immediately thought of grilling them. Grilled chicken always tastes better, and it makes for good leftovers. 

I'll be honest, sometimes I take the easy route and simply season the chicken with some olive oil, grated fresh garlic, salt and pepper... sometimes I'll add some chile flakes or some paprika, be it smoked or sweet. This time though, I wanted to bring in a slightly different flavor. Why, with all the spices I had in my pantry, I should be able to come up with a good spice mix:). I decided to go with a harissa marinade for the chicken. Not only would it be different, but I'd use some spices that both my husband and I love. After looking over some harissa chicken recipes online, I settled on one from Food and Wine as the inspiration for my version. And even though I ended up using spices and ingredients I had in the house, the result was still delicious!

My intention was to serve the harissa chicken atop a tomato salad, but I quickly changed my plan when I noticed a full bag of millet in my fridge. I knew it wouldn't take much to cook the millet, plus  it would "stretch" the chicken meal even further and bring in some added nutrients. The millet would also help to absorb some of the tomato juices from the salad. But I loved the combination and found a new dish to make again. 

I'm thinking next time, to change things up a bit, I'd substitute the millet for other grains... even couscous. And because we didn't eat all the chicken breasts, I had some leftover chicken for the following day. We sort of finished the salad and millet(millet is best the same day it's made) for dinner. The next day I decided to thinly slice the grilled chicken breasts and made a sandwich for my husband. He absolutely loved it. Sometimes I wonder why I still buy deli meats:). 

The flavor on the chicken isn't overpowering, so it works to use it in sandwiches. I think when I want some lunch-meat, I'll just make the chicken without the salad. And it's a cheaper alternative to the store-bought lunch-meat... it actually tastes much better. In any case, if you're looking to try a different chicken dish, you might want to give this recipe a try(or the original from Food and Wine).  Even if you make the chicken alone, to use as lunch-meat, it would still be worth it. Hope you enjoy...

Summer Vegetable "Ceviche"... without the seafood.  I don't normally post salad recipes. And maybe this isn't a salad per se... maybe it's more of an appetizer or a side dish that can accompany some grilled seafood. Salads in our house are quite simple, nothing out of the ordinary. But every once in a while, I come upon a salad recipe that's worth posting. This is one of them...

This summer vegetable salad is treated in the same manner as you would a fresh seafood ceviche. The salad omits the seafood, yet keeps all the wonderful flavors associated with ceviche. Because this recipe makes use of summer produce, it's an ideal dish to make after a visit to the farmer's market. A cool and refreshing sort of salad that's vegetarian, as well as vegan... not to mention gluten-free.  Perfect for the hot summer months.

While I didn't have any fresh lima beans, I chose to use some frozen peas which I defrosted under cold running water. However, I think the lima beans would be ideal.... or any other fresh shelling bean. And while ceviche in general is best after a few hours of marination, I have to say that I rather liked this dish after only about 1/2 hour resting time in the fridge. I guess I prefer to keep the fresh colors of the salad along with the crunch of the "ceviche". The peas, after a while, will turn an army green from the lime juice... and textures  of the other vegetables/nectarine soften a bit. But it's up to you how long you allow the " ceviche" to marinate. The sweetness of the nectarines balance out the tartness of the lime juice. I found it to be perfect. Loved, loved this salad! Hope you enjoy...

You will need: adapted from Food and Wine

Dressing:

1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest

1/3 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 scallion, thinly sliced

1 small shallot, thinly sliced

sea salt, to taste

Veggies and Fruit:

1 jalapeño, thinly sliced(deseeded, if you don't want it too spicy)

1 cup fresh baby lima beans or other shelling bean (I used peas)

1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (from 1.5 ears)

2 nectarines, cut into thin slices

1 Hass avocado, cut into cubes

1 orange bell pepper, thinly julienned

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved ( heirloom cherry tomatoes would be ideal)

Extra:

chopped cilantro to taste( about 1/2 cup lightly packed)

sliced radish, totally optional

Directions:

1. If using fresh beans: In a small saucepan with salted boiling water, cook the lima beans until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the beans and rinse under cold water.

If using frozen peas: Defrost under running cold water. Drain.

2. In a large measuring cup, whisk the lime zest and juice with the olive oil, scallion, jalapeño and shallot. Season the dressing with salt. Pour  the dressing in a large bowl.

3. To the dressing add the lima beans( or peas, if using), corn, nectarines, avocado, orange pepper, jalapeno and tomatoes. GENTLY fold and coat the veggie mix with the dressing. Refrigerate the “ceviche” for 1/2-2 hours.

4. Fold in the cilantro and sliced radish(if using) right before serving. 

Chicken with Fresh Tomato Sauce...or Romanian " Mancare de Rosii cu Pui ". This past week I had some really nice garden-fresh tomatoes at my disposal. As I was contemplating on what to do with them, I remembered a dish I grew up with, called Mancare de Rosii. I hadn't made the dish in years. But it would be good to make it...the dish would bring back wonderful memories of the simple meal my mom used to make for us while growing up.

Every summer, my mom would have an abundance of fresh tomatoes in the garden. And we always looked forward to the garden-fresh tomatoes. We most often would devour the tomatoes in a salad...a simple salad consisting of tomatoes, cucumber, onion and seasoned with oil and salt. The salad was often served alongside a main meal. But during hot summer days, the salad would easily be a mid-afternoon "snack" that would cool us down a bit....and we always had plenty of french bread to sop up the tomato juice. Even though we preferred the tomato salad, my mom would use some of the fresh tomatoes to make other dishes...

Mancare de Rosii was a dish she often made for us. It was a great dish to make in the summer because she didn't need to be in the kitchen for too long, nor did she have to heat up the oven. While the Mancare de Rosii was cooking away, my mom would get a pot of water ready to make polenta that would accompany the dish. The combination of the polenta with the tomato sauce went extremely well together. My mom always served the Mancare de Rosii with soft polenta. In fact, I don't ever remember her serving the Mancare de Rosii without the polenta...maybe there were a few times where she might have served it with bread. But I'm thinking that was rare....if ever.

In any case, I wanted to make the dish and post it here for future reference...and to also include the dish in my Romanian Cuisine section. But I really wanted to do it right, not merely from memory...so I called my mom up:). As we went over the method of making this simple dish, she mentioned that she would use lots of onion, and that the onion needed to be cooked down to the point where it practically "melts"...or as she called it,"sa se topeasca". She also mentioned that she would oftentimes add a bit of flour/water slurry(not very much) at the end. She said it brought the sauce together without it being too watery. However, she made a point to say it wasn't a must. I am therefore, listing the flour as optional...and in my case I skipped it, because I totally forgot:).

Since my mom doesn't really cook with exact amounts, I needed to use my own judgement when it came to measurements. I was really thrilled with the results.... and I think I came pretty close to her original:). The dish is pretty simple to prepare, and it is a great way to use some fresh tomatoes. Actually, the fresh tomatoes really stand out...and are the star of the whole dish. I love this dish....so summery. Hope you enjoy...

Note: How to make polenta using a regular pot on the stovetop can be found... HERE

Using a pressure cooker can be found... HERE.

Tip: You can make a spicy version, by adding some hot chiles or cayenne.

While I prefer the chicken thigh version, I am sure you can get away with using chicken breast... even bone-in chicken pieces.

In the recipe below, I listed 5-6 chicken thighs...but you can easily use just 4 chicken thighs. You'll just have a bit more sauce...

Another option is to make this a vegetarian dish and skip the meat altogether.

While I served it with soft polenta, I am sure you can serve it with rice, pasta, potatoes...and probably even grits.

You will need: inspired by my Mom

3 TBS olive oil

5-6 chicken thighs, boneless, diced

3 medium onions, small diced

1/2 red bell pepper, small diced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 1/2 lbs garden-fresh(or vine-ripe) tomatoes, peeled and diced

2 TBS tomato paste

salt and pepper, to taste

pinch or two of sugar, optional

flour and water to slightly thicken sauce, optional

chopped parsley

Directions:

1. Peel tomatoes by plunging them in boiling water for a minute or so and then removing them. Peel the skin... it should come off pretty quickly.

2. Dice tomatoes and set aside.

3. Chop onions finely. Dice the bell pepper as well and and mince the garlic. Set it all aside.

4. Dice chicken....season with salt and pepper.

Cauliflower Crust Pizza.... Gluten-Free, Grain-Free. Since I recently shared my now favorite flour-based thin crust pizza, I could not not share a gluten-free version:). This gluten-free pizza crust has swept the blogging world like fire over the past year or so.... although it's been made long before that. But I've been lazily procrastinating making the crust. I'll be honest, I'm not much of a follower of most trends. I say most, because every once in a while, something that's trending may catch my eye... and I'll add it to my to do list, especially if it sounds like something I might enjoy or can tweak. And truthfully, I wasn't  really keen on the idea at first. I mean really, cauliflower? But....  

I finally made it. And the crust far exceeded my expectation. It's really good. I'll be honest, it's not like a real pizza dough, but it does satisfy! The crust, while you can hold it up with your hands, has a slight "vegetable-y" flavor... according to my husband:). Personally, I felt the flavor slightly reminded me of a quiche or a zucchini fritter.... I say slightly, because it wasn't overpowering.  Anyway, you won't get the extra crispy crust associated with a regular pizza, but the crust isn't soft and mushy either. And for being gluten-free, it's excellent. The pizza can be a great appetizer or even made into a meal, by simply adding a salad. 

I'm mostly posting this recipe for myself, as a reference... because I plan on making it again:). And if you haven't yet heard of this crust before, it's worth making. At least once. I love making it in my toaster oven... no need to heat up the big oven. Now, I've even seen a carrot pizza! Hmmm.... Hope you enjoy... 

Note: There are all sorts of variations on this recipe... some simply skip the pizza sauce and topping and just add cheese... to make them more like "breadsticks". Other versions double the amount of mozzarella cheese and skip the parmesan. Others add more egg... feel free to play around with the crust to your liking... but it is important the cauliflower be squeezed dry.  

Tip: For a different variation try a BBQ sauce/chicken pizza...

You will need:

Crust: makes 2(6 inch) pizzas

1 head of cauliflower, cut in florets

1 ex-large egg 

1/2 scant lightly packed shredded mozzarella

1 tsp Italian seasoning (you could also use oregano only)

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil

Toppings of choice: * denotes toppings I used

mozzarella cheese*, fontina, or mixed cheeses, shredded

thinly sliced onion*

chopped bell peppers*

sliced mushrooms

sliced olives*

pepperoni*, ham, cooked chicken

pizza sauce*, barbecue sauce 

shredded basil

dried pepper flakes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 deg F. I used my toaster oven.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then brush parchment paper with oil 

1. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil and add a pinch of salt.

2. In the meantime, cut cauliflower in florets and place florets in a food processor bowl. Pulse raw cauliflower florets until you achieve a rice-like texture.

3. Add the rice-like cauliflower to the boiling water. Cook for 3-4 minutes.... you don't want to over cook  it and get mushy. 

4. Get a large colander and place a clean, thin dish cloth inside. 

5. When the cauliflower "rice" has cooked a bit, pour the hot water and cauliflower over the dish cloth. Allow to drain and cool somewhat. 

6. Twist cloth around the cauliflower rice to remove as much of the liquid as possible... mine was still hot to handle with bare hands, so I used my tongs. When you think there's no more liquid, squeeze again. This is essential... and key to a non-soggy crust!

7. In a large bowl, mix the  strained rice, egg, mozzarella cheese, and spices.... season with a bit of salt and pepper. Go light on the salt as the toppings can get to be salty later on. Divide mixture in 2.

8. Place about 1 TBS  of the shredded Parmesan on the left side of the baking sheet( that has been lined with parchment paper and oiled lightly)... sprinkling the cheese to form a rough circle about 6 inch in diameter. Add another 1 TBS of shredded Parmesan cheese on the right side of the baking sheet and repeat another circle of Parmesan cheese. You are basically making the base for 2 cauliflower crusts.... it will help with crisping up the crust and give it extra flavor.  

9. Add half the mixture of cauliflower on top of one of the Parmesan cheese circles. Using your hands, spread out the cauliflower mixture to form a round circle... roughly 6 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick. You can form a "lip around the crust, if you like... really, not necessary. Sprinkle crust with additional 1 TBS Parmesan cheese on top of crust. Repeat with the second half.

At this point, if you want to use your  toaster oven  you will need to bake in 2 batches. Just place the formed crust with parchment paper in the fridge while the first is baking. Otherwise, use a regular oven and bake both at the same time.... or make a rectangular pizza that will fit the toaster pan. I personally like the round smaller pizzas because they are easier to handle.

10. Place crust to bake in a preheated oven for about 40 minutes.... or until nicely browned. I ended up flipping the crust for the last 5 minutes of baking just to further crisp the bottom of the crust. If you don't want to be bothered, you can skip this step.

11. Remove crust, add sauce and toppings of choice. Bake for another 10 minutes or so... or until cheese is bubbly. 

Easy All-Purpose Chocolate Cake...Perfect for Ice Cream Sandwiches. Some time ago, I stumbled upon the FineDinings website. Some of you may have noticed that I have it on my helpful links....some of you may have not noticed it at all:) I enjoy the site and have enjoyed making a couple of her recipes....there's a picture with every recipe, so that is always helpful. It takes a bit to manuever yourself through the site, dodging all the ads...but, there are some wonderful recipes. What I really like about the site, is that you can make some elegant restaurant dishes right in your own home. There are tips on how to make things ahead of time so that the meal can come together without so much stress. I was amazed with the author's creativity and most of all her story. You can read more information about how she started her website here...you will be absolutely amazed! This chocolate cake recipe is from her site and I will soon post another recipe that uses this same cake to make something marvelous! But for now, I will post the chocolate cake....which I used to make ice cream sandwiches! By the way, the chocolate cake is more like a devil's food cake ... soft, delicious, and not too sweet.

Some time ago, I made Giada's Hazelnut Gelato. Now, I like Giada's recipes, but this time around, I was a bit disappointed. Don't get me wrong...it was edible and all. Actually, some really liked it! Maybe it was just me...but, I wasn't crazy about it. It was smooth... with a faint hazelnut chocolate taste. It had more of a "hot chocolate" taste.... I thought the gelato was a bit more sugary and not as creamy as I would have liked it. Anyway, I still had quite a lot of the gelato in my freezer, and I wanted to use it up. So, I made this chocolate cake and "hid" my gelato between the cake, making ice cream sandwiches. It worked...and my gelato was transformed! But, feel free to use store bought ice cream to make this simple dessert. I am sure kids(and adults) will love it...

Cake: adapted from FineDinings.com

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)

~you can also add 2 tsps of instant coffee

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 deg. Line a 11 1/2 x 17 inch(or 10 x 15)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) and calls for un-greased pan.... I was glad I used a parchment paper. I found out that it would have been a mess trying to take out the cake if it had not been lined. I also halved the recipe another day and used my toaster oven baking sheet(10 x 8 1/2). It worked great!

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. You may have to spread it out evenly. 

Bake for about 10 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Cool on wire rack.

For Ice Cream Sandwiches: you can use Giada's Hazelnut Gelato or ice cream of choice.

Cut cake in half. Spread softened ice cream on top of the cake. Make sure you have close to 1 inch thick of the ice cream.

Place second half of cake on top of the ice cream. Be careful, as the cake is quite soft and can break on you. You can always patch it...the ice cream will hold it in place. I like to use the parchment paper to help me lift it on top, and then peel the parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ice cream is hardened. Cut into rectangular shapes... 

Wrap each ice cream sandwich in plastic wrap and freeze for a later day. Or eat one then, as a snack:). You can also serve it as a dessert and embellish it with some chocolate sauce chopped nuts, whipped cream and a cherry on top. 

Chocolate Hazelnut Spread... or Homemade "Nutella" I realize making your own homemade "nutella" isn't anything new. If you've made your own nutella, you know it's totally worth making. Normally, the homemade nutella is made with just toasted hazelnuts, cocoa, sugar and oil... and maybe a bit of vanilla. This version is simple to make... and can make wonderful hostess gifts.  

I'll admit the homemade version doesn't taste exactly like the store-bought version. The homemade has more of a pronounced chocolate and hazelnut flavor, it's also a bit thicker and not as smooth. But that's ok by me. Actually, I like the tiny bits of hazelnuts that give the spread character. However, if you use a super powerful blender, such as a Vitamix, you'll actually get a pretty smooth spread... and you'll hardly notice the "roughness". I used a Vitamix... and you can see in the photos how smooth the spread turned out.

This  homemade chocolate-hazelnut spread is a bit different than the cocoa version because it uses chocolate instead. You can make a dark chocolate version by adjusting the cocoa percentage to your liking and even adjust sugar to preference. Sometimes it's nice to combine milk and dark chocolate... or even use bits of chocolate you may have around. Of course, the better chocolate you use, the better the outcome. If you don't care for hazelnuts, you can opt to use another nut of choice, even peanuts, or some toasted sesame seed paste(tahini) or sunflower seed butter. 

This simple spread goes well in crepes, on toast, used as part of a frosting, mixed in cookie dough, or even in ice cream.  I'm thinking it would be great as a filling in cinnamon rolls as well... even as a filling for beignets or Romanian gogosi. How about warming the spread and  glazing baked doughnuts? I think I may just do that next time:). Recently I made a pumpkin roll... skipped the normal cream cheese filling and spread some of this chocolate hazelnut spread. Yum! Thinking ahead, it would also make a wonderful hot chocolate for the winter months. Possibilities are endless:). Hope you enjoy...   

Note: The resulting chocolate spread will be quite thin and runny, but it will thicken as it cools. If you refrigerate it, it gets quite hard... so bring back to room temperature if storing in the fridge. Otherwise, keep on the counter for up to 2 weeks.

You will need:

12 oz chopped chocolate( I used 60 %)

1 cup toasted hazelnuts

2 TBS coconut oil

3 TBS icing sugar

2 tsps vanilla extract

1/4-1/2 tsp salt, or to taste 

Directions:

1. You will need to toast/peel your hazelnuts, if not already toasted/peeled... I had some already in my freezer, so I used that instead. 

~But if you need to toast the hazelnuts:

Preheat oven to 350 deg F.

Lay hazelnuts in a single layer on a cookie sheet. 

Toast for 10-12 minutes, watching carefully so as not to burn. You want them to have the skins blistering and the nuts lightly toasted.  

Wrap nuts in a kitchen towel and rub vigorously so skins fall off...  some will be stubborn:) 

2. Place nuts in a high power blender(Vitamix) or a food processor. I have a Vitamix and it does an amazing job!

3. Blend/Grind hazelnuts to a very fine paste.... similar to making peanut butter. 

4. Melt the chocolate in a saucepan bain marie-style... or in the microwave. Stir until smooth. 

5. Stir in the coconut oil, sugar, vanilla, and salt.

6. Add the melted chocolate mixture to the ground hazelnut paste and continue blending/processing until the mixture is as smooth as possible. You can leave it chunkier if you prefer.

7. You have the option of straining the "nutella"... but I didn't bother as it was quite smooth.

 8. Pour the chocolate/hazelnut mixture into a jar and let it cool to room temperature. You can speed this up by placing it in the fridge until it hardens a bit. 

enjoy!!!!

Chocolate Almond Butter Cookies with Chocolate Glaze. This cookie has a milder chocolate flavor... than say, the brownie cookie I posted earlier. But it still has plenty of chocolate flavor coming from all the chocolate- almond spread, chocolate chips, and chocolate glaze. It's a nice soft cookie....

While the original recipe uses Nutella, I chose to use a chocolate almond butter/spread...just because I had a jar in the house. I can only imagine the hazelnut flavor would be quite delicious. So feel free to use Nutella instead. Yet another cookie that can be made quickly...and varies the cookie platter up a bit:). So here is #4 in a series of desserts. Hope you enjoy...

You will need: adapted from Espresso and Cream

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup chocolate-almond butter/spread (or Nutella as per original)

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1-2 tsps. vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped almonds/hazelnuts, optional(I didn't use)

Additional melted chocolate, for glaze, optional

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy 4-5 minutes.

3. Add in the egg and beat until combined.

4. Beat in the chocolate-almond butter/spread or Nutella ... and the vanilla.

5. Whisk the baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour.

6. Add the flour mixture to the chocolate butter mixture and mix just until combined.

7. Stir in the chocolate chips and chopped almonds/hazelnuts( if using) by hand. You can reserve some chocolate chips to place on top of the formed cookie dough...not necessary, though.

8. Scoop dough by large tablespoons(or use a 1 1/2 TBS cookie scoop)and form into balls.

9. Place cookie balls about 2 inches apart, on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 8 -10 minutes, until edges are crispy and center is still slightly soft.

10. Remove from oven and cool about 5 minutes on baking sheet. Drizzle with melted chocolate, if desired.

King Arthur Flour Brownies...An Awesome Recipe! Have you ever had brownies that are about 1 inch thick and are chewy, fudgy, chocolatey, and a bit cake-like with a nice shiny, crackly top all at the same time? Well, I recently made a BIG batch of brownies...a 13x9 pan! The whole batch had about 2 cups of sugar and 2 cups of butter! You know they had to be good:).

My husband has been asking me to make him some brownies...I haven't made brownies for a while now. And whenever I do make brownies, I most always make my World's Chocolatiest Brownies...because my husband thinks they are simply the best. But you see, I have been wanting to make King Arthur Flour's fudgy brownie... a brownie that is KAF guaranteed(meaning they will come out as described). They looked so ... well, like brownies should look,...fudgy with a shiny, crackly crust. I HAD to make them, even if the recipe had well over 2 cups of sugar and 2 sticks of butter. I told myself that it was o.k.... since the recipe did make a BIG pan. I guess I could have halved the recipe. But I didn't. And decided to make the whole batch. I guess I wanted to see what they were like, if it would be a great recipe to have on hand when I need to make a big batch.

I know you can freeze brownies, so I wasn't worried about the big batch the recipe yielded....and my husband wouldn't mind:). It would be a special treat to have a small bite with coffee every once in a while. I mean brownies and coffee...that's a pretty good combination. 

For this post, I also wanted to show you how to turn regular brownies into elegant desserts. I was inspired by King Arthur's brownie bites post... so, I guess that is part of the reason why I decided to make the whole batch. Well, with just a few simple decorations, you can turn the brownies into something extra special. Use a raspberry, caramel, chocolate sauce or some sweetened whipped cream to decorate. Make some chocolate curls using a vegetable peeler. I love to make them into mini brownies as well.

These brownies would be extra cute for tea parties. Just cut them in round bite-size pieces and decorate as desired. I love to add various flavorings to my brownies....orange peel/extract has got to be one of my favorites. But I also like to add other flavorings, such as Irish Cream, rum, raspberry and mint.

These brownies delivered....they were incredibly good! If you like chocolate, you will probably like these brownies. Oh, if you like nuts, feel free to substitute some of the chocolate chips with some nuts. Hope you enjoy...

You will need: adapted from King Arthur Flour

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

2 1/4 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1 1/4 cups Double-Dutch Dark Cocoa or Dutch-process cocoa( I used Hershey's DARK)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon espresso powder

1 tablespoon vanilla extract*

1 1/2 cups unbleached All-Purpose Flour

2 cups chocolate chips

* I used orange peel

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

1. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan

2. In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, or in a saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter, then add the sugar and stir to combine. Return the mixture to the heat (or microwave) briefly, just until it's hot (about 110°F to 120°F), but not bubbling; it'll become shiny looking as you stir it. Heating this mixture a second time will dissolve more of the sugar, which will yield a shiny top crust on your brownies.

3. While the sugar heats a second time, crack the 4 eggs into a bowl, and beat them with the cocoa, salt, baking powder, espresso powder, and vanilla till smooth.

4. Add the hot butter/sugar mixture, stirring until smooth.

5. Add the flour and chips, again stirring until smooth. Note: If you want the chips to remain intact in the baked brownies, rather than melting in, let the batter cool in the bowl for about 20 minutes before stirring in the chips.

6. Spoon the batter into a lightly greased 9" x 13" pan. I used parchment paper on the bottom.

7. Bake the brownies for about 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Mine did excellent at the 30 minute mark, even though the toothpick still had some moist crumbs/filling. It continues to cook as it cools. The brownies should feel set on the edges, and the center should look very moist, but not uncooked. Remove them from the oven and cool on a rack before cutting and serving.

OR...

Make elegant desserts by cutting them in round shapes using a biscuit cutter. Decorate as desired....with whipped cream,shaved chocolate curls(using a vegetable peeler), raspberry sauce, ice cream and caramel sauce...or whatever you prefer, like chocolate covered espresso beans.

Quick Salsa... I admit that nothing can beat fresh salsa. But, when you live in Montana, fresh tomatoes aren't as readily available during the winter months.... or good ones, anyway. So, I opt to do this version from time to time. It is quick and it uses canned diced(or whole) tomatoes. It works pretty well. The canned tomatoes have to be in their own juice, not puree(check the label). If you can, get an organic one, like Muir Glen Fire Roasted Tomatoes. But really, any brand will work just fine. Hope you enjoy...

You will need:

14.5 oz can diced or whole tomatoes

1-2 garlic cloves

1 jalapeno (ribs and seeds removed, or not)

1/4 cup cilantro

1/4-1/2 onion (I added 1/4)

salt/pepper

juice of lime (or lemon...works just as fine)

splash of olive oil

Directions:
1. Drain tomatoes rather well over a sieve. You don't want your salsa to be too watery.
2. In the meantime, place garlic, onion and jalapeno in a food processor.
3. Process for 30 seconds or until finely chopped (not too fine).
4. Add drained tomatoes and pulse for an additional 30 seconds or so until nicely chopped.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add lime juice. If it doesn't taste right adding more lime juice will usually do the trick. Sometimes, I add a splash of olive oil to blend the ingredients together.

Pressure Cooker Pasta(perfect al-dente!)_... and Creamy Mac and Cheese.  You know, I 'm not much of a pasta person... ok, let me back up a bit. I do like pasta, but somehow I tend to associate it with too many calories. Maybe it's the pasta with the cream sauces. And as I'm writing this, I sound like I don't like a good bowl of creamy alfredo or any pasta coated with lots of butter and cream, but I do! The thing is, I really can't have it often, otherwise I'll really put on the pounds:). So I stay away... On the other hand, I do like a good noodle dish with lots of vegetables... this one is a favorite! However, I'll admit that once in a while I crave a good mac and cheese... one that is creamy and quick to make without being too heavy. 

So for this post, my original intention was to share a recipe that uses the pressure cooker... to cook pasta in half the time it would normally take otherwise, attaining that perfect al dente texture. But as I was cooking the pasta, I thought about the possibilities of turning it into a one pot meal... just to bring about a quick meal. Why not make some creamy mac and cheese? I could hardly remember when I last had a good bowl of macaroni and cheese. It's been years, I'm sure.

Some time ago, I had come across the idea of using evaporated milk to make a creamy stove-top version of mac and cheese. The recipe was made popular by Alton Brown and Cook's Illustrated... it cut down calories and sort of rivaled the boxed mix. Both Alton Brown and Cook's Illustrated versions use evaporated milk. The thing with evaporated milk is that it helps with emulsification of the sauce...  eliminates the grainy texture. But because I don't use canned evaporated milk, I was sort of stuck. I mean, I wanted a creamy mac and cheese, and at the same time I wanted a lighter version, calorie-wise. 

So I opted to use a dry non-fat milk powder as a substitution, figured it was a better alternative to the canned version.... not by much I'm sure:). But it worked. I had creamy mac and cheese  in a matter of minutes:). But I also know that using heavy cream and cheese will also yield a creamy cheese sauce, so that's another option if you don't want to use the evaporated milk or the dry milk for that matter.  

Even if you don't want to make macaroni and cheese, cooking the pasta in a pressure cooker is so totally worth it! You cook it in half the time, use less water, and have perfect al dente texture every time. Hope you enjoy...  

Note: A good rule of thumb for cooking pasta in the pressure cooker... cook it for half the time it says on  the box and add enough water to just cover pasta. Most smaller type of pastas such as elbow macaroni will take 6 minutes, some pastas can take an extra minute or two, like the penne. But here's a great chart that can be useful. And every brand of pasta is different, so you'll probably need to experiment a bit until you know what works for you.

    

Tip: The mac and cheese is ready to be served immediately.... but if you make it ahead, and the mac and cheese cools down and clumps up, slowly heat it up again while adding enough liquid (be it water, milk or cream) until it loosens again and becomes creamy.

You will need: Makes a smallish batch for 2-3 people. You can easily double recipe.

PASTA can use other shapes similar in size to the elbow... penne would be great.  

1 1/2 cups elbow spiral macaroni

2 cups water (you can substitute some chicken stock, if you like) 

1 TBS oil*

couple of big pinches of salt

*I didn't add, but it's supposed to help with reducing foaming, which can clog valve

CHEESE SAUCE inspired by Alton Brown and Cook's illustrated. The evaporated milk and egg help with emulsification... so you have a creamy sauce.  Alternately, you can use a bechamel sauce if you like... or substitute cream for the dry milk and water. Regular milk will tend to make the cheese sauce grainy.

1 TBS butter

1/2-1 tsp yellow mustard

1-2 tsp hot sauce, optional

1/3 cup dry milk powder

1 egg

1/4 cup water 

4-6 oz grated cheddar cheese*

salt and pepper as needed

extra water/milk/cream for thinning sauce if needed(adding cream will make it creamier)

* I used a vintage white cheddar, but you can use a combo of cheeses you like that will melt nicely.

Directions:

1. Get the cheese sauce ready. Grate cheese and set aside.

2. In a measuring cup add water and dry milk. Whisk to combine. Add egg, mustard, salt and pepper to taste, and hot sauce( if using). Whisk until combined. Set aside. 

3. Cook pasta by placing all pasta ingredients in your pressure cooker. 

4. Securely lock lid, heat on high and wait for pressure to reach. When pressure is reached, lower heat to low and cook for 6 MINUTES.

5. Remove from heat and release pressure. You will notice there is still a bit of pasta water ( maybe about 1/2 to 3/4 cup. You can drain at this point if using pasta for other dishes. If using for mac and cheese, do not drain.

6. Place pressure cooker pot back on low heat and add butter.  Stir to combine.

7. Add the reserved milk mixture and stir. Heat thoroughly.  

8. Add cheese( you may add it a bit at a time while stirring  to prevent clumping)... and stir until it melts. You may remove from heat, while adding the cheese, if it gets too hot... you don't want to overheat the cheese as it can get grainy.

9. You may add a bit of hot water/ milk or cream to thin out sauce, if needed... especially if you like the sauce thinner. Serve immediately.

Using the Gluten- Free Flour blend... to make a couple of desserts. As promised in a previous post, I am posting a couple of recipes I made for a GF dinner gathering I hosted recently. One of the recipes was apple pie tartlets... a mini version. I ended up using a semi-cooked apple filling...  a filling I usually make when baking apple turnovers. I have included the link to the apple pie filling below, so you can click on it if you would like to see the recipe. And because I made mini tarts, I used my toaster oven to make things even simpler, but feel free to use a regular oven.  

The second recipe was an apple and pear cake I made on the spur of the moment... it was an adaptation from a golden apple brownie I had in one of my cookbooks. The cake somewhat  falls apart when warm... because I omitted the xanthan gum in my flour, and probably because my fruit pieces were cut a bit too big. But my husband loved the apple/pear cake, as did my guests, so I'm posting the recipe for the cake as well. The cake is a light and fluffy sort of cake with a caramel-y flavor from the coconut sugar I used. However, the cake should still work with brown sugar, if you choose to use it... it might even hold together better. 

Since I had some leftover pie crust (and some extra apple pie filling) I managed to line 3 (6 inch) tart pans with the pie crust and froze them... for baking another day. The day I chose to bake them, I used the leftover apple pie filling(also frozen) from the mini tarts I made earlier to make an apple tart. However, I still had a couple of pastry lined tarts, so I ended up making a pumpkin filling to fill the remaining tart shells. With the leftover pumpkin filling, I simply made a few extra mini crustless pumpkin pies... ended up being more like a custard/souffle. They were good and healthy for breakfast:).

In any case, these are just some ideas for using the gluten- free flour and GF pie crust I posted earlier.  The post might seem long, but I ended up posting the recipes I made... as a guide, with lots of pictures. However, they are just ideas... you can easily use your own apple pie filling, or any fruit filling for that matter... and use your own favorite pumpkin pie filling. The apple/pear cake was delicious, but you can play around with the fruits... and using toffee chips instead of the nuts, or  adding some chocolate in the mix. Be creative and make the recipes your own. Hope you enjoy...    

  

Extra: 

powdered sugar

drizzle of icing

caramel

dollop of sweetened cream

ice cream

Directions:

1. Make apple pie fill per directions in above link. Allow to cool somewhat and proceed to roll out pastry dough to line mini muffin tin/s.

2. Roll out pie crust between floured parchment paper... make sure to use a GF flour blend. 

3. Using a circle cookie cutter, cut out circles that are about 1/2 inch wider than the mini muffin well. 

4. Using a small offset spatula lift the pie crust circle and place in mini muffin tin well. Press to fit in. 

5. Continue with the rest of the pastry until all the muffin tin is lined with the pie crust.

6. Fill each muffin well with about 1 TBS of the apple filling. 

7. Bake in a preheated 425 deg F  oven for 10-12 minutes... or until crust is nicely golden and filling is bubbly. 

Note: I used my toaster oven to bake the mini pies.

Gluten-Free Apple and Pear Cakelets... with walnuts and coconut sugar.

Note: Since I didn't use any xanthan gum in my flour blend, my cakelets had the tendency to fall apart a bit, especially when warm. I chose to chill /freeze them  a bit before removing from pan. I think it would work much better if the cakes would be baked in muffin liners... wouldn't have to worry too much with them falling apart. Now, if you add a bit of xanthan gum, you might not have the falling apart issue.

You will need: I used a pan with 8 mini loaf pan wells, but muffin pans lined with cupcake liners should work equally well, if not better.

2/3 cup coconut sugar (can be substituted with lt. brown sugar)

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup melted butter

1/4 cup light olive oil

1 ex-large egg

1 medium pear, diced*

1 large granny smith apple, peeled and diced*

1/2 cup chopped walnuts/pecans

2 tsps vanilla extract

1 cup gluten-free flour blend (I didn't add xanthan gum, nor any stabilizer)

pinch of salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp grated nutmeg

1/8 tsp powdered ginger 

*I chopped my fruits a bit bigger than I should have, ideally it would be a ton better if fruits are diced small

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 deg F

Butter mini loaf pan and line with parchment paper... or use muffin tin lined with cupcake liners.

1. In a large bowl, mix sugar, melted butter, oil, and egg until fluffy... about 2-3 minutes.

2. Chop nuts along with the pear and apple. Fold them into the egg mixture. Mix in the vanilla. 

3. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. 

4. Stir in the dry mixture into the wet mixture until just blended.

5. Using an ice cream scoop, fill the mini loaf pans (or muffin tins) and spread batter evenly with a spatula. 

6. Bake for about 20-35 minutes (depending what pan you use, timing will vary)... OR until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

7. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan.... since I made the cake in mini loaf pans, I let them  cool in the pan completely and even chilled them a bit so they wouldn't fall apart. But it 's up to you how you want to cool them:)... Serve with caramel sauce, ice cream, or sweetened whipped cream.

You will need:

Apple Pie Filling

I used leftover semi-frozen apple pie filling from the mini tartlet recipe above. 

Directions:

1. Line tarts with GF pie crust, and place apple filling on top... I piled my apple pie filling on high, as it was semi-frozen.

2. Bake at 425 deg F for 15 or so minutes... or until crust is golden and filling is bubbly.  Drizzle with caramel, or dust with icing sugar. Serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired. 

Note: I used my toaster oven to bake the tart.

Pumpkin Pie Filling:  Filling is not very sweet using the coconut sugar, so if you like it sweeter, use regular sugar or increase coconut sugar... or pour some maple syrup over the cooled pie and add sweetened whipped cream as a topping. Also, the spice is there, but on the milder side, so increase amount of pumpkin spice if you like it spicier. While a normal pumpkin pie contains evaporated milk, I subbed a bit of cream... 

15 oz pumpkin puree

3/4-1 cup coconut sugar( you can substitute with 3/4 cup cane sugar)

2 ex- large eggs, beaten

1/3 cup heavy cream (you can add more if you like)

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp kosher salt

Directions:

1. In a small bowl whisk and combine the sugar, spices and salt. In another bowl, add the pumpkin puree and mix in the beaten eggs. 

2. Add the sugar mix and whisk to combine. Pour in the cream and whisk to fully combine.

3. Pour the pumpkin filling into GF pastry lined tarts. 

2. Bake in a preheated oven at 425 F for 10-12 minutes. Decrease temperature to 350 F and bake for an additional 15-18 minutes or until center is almost set(it will continue to cook as it cools).  Allow to cool completely. Chill. Serve drizzled with maple syrup, honey, caramel, ... or simply topped with sweetened whipped cream, or ice cream.  

Note: I used my toaster oven to bake the tarts.

America's Test Kitchen Pizza Crust...This version of Pizza Margherita comes from America's Test Kitchen Baking cookbook. I shouldn't really call it Pizza Margherita because, I added some thinly sliced mushrooms, some thinly sliced onion and some chopped bell peppers. But , you can do a classical one by sticking to only cheese, tomato and basil. I have to admit that I changed a few things. Ok, I just used the dough recipe and added my own toppings:) ... 

I really liked this pizza...I noticed that the leftovers were even better. I had never used a food processor to make bread doughs ...always trusted my Kitchen Aid to do the task. But, I must admit this dough fared very well and I liked the fact that it worked! I was also intrigued with the recipe in that it called for a cup of cake flour. The dough came out crusty and chewy and kind of light ...I really don't know if the cake flour was the reason. I will have to try it again without the cake flour and just do a substitution. 1 cup cake flour= 7/8 flour + 2 TBS cornstarch.

Recently, I have been using my pizza stone quite often. I really am becoming a firm believer that the stone makes a huge difference in the outcome of the crust ...be it bread or pizza. Well, here is the recipe with my own variation. Hope you enjoy...  

Note: This has become my favorite pizza crust by far... love the light texture, and slight chew. Better than Papa Johns's:)! Here is a couple of new photos...

Dough Ingredients : will make 2 (10-12 inch) pizzas

1 3/4 - 2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup cake flour* 

2 tsps sugar

1 1/2 tsp table salt (not kosher)

1 1/4 tsp instant yeast or rapid rise

1 cup warm water (110 degF)

*I normally use AP flour & substitute 2 TBS of the flour with 2 TBS cornstarch

Topping: (my version...but you can use what you prefer)

pizza sauce( I like to cook mine down a bit so it isn't too watery)

1-2 Roma tomatoes sliced thinly and patted dry

thinly sliced onion

diced bell peppers

thinly sliced mushrooms

shredded mozarella

3-4 garlic cloves minced

2- 3 TBS oil for brushing the edge of the pizza and to saute some garlic

kosher salt to sprinkle on top of baked pizza

fresh or dried basil, for sprinkling on top

Directions for the Dough:

1. Pulse 1 3/4 cups of the AP flour, 1 cup cake flour, sugar, table salt, and yeast in a food processor (fitted with a dough blade if possible( I used the regular blade) to combine.

2. With the processor running, pour the water through the feed tube and process until a rough ball forms, about 30- 40 seconds. 

3. Let the dough rest for 2 minutes, then process for 30 sec. longer. If after 30 seconds, the dough is sticky and clings to the blade, add the remaining 1/4 flour 1 TBS at a time as needed. (I noticed that I didn't need to add the extra flour).

4.Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and shape it into a smooth , tight ball.

5. Place the dough in a large lightly oiled bowl and cover tightly with a greased plastic wrap. Let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size~ 1 to 1 1/2 hrs.

6. In the meantime, in a skillet on low, saute some minced garlic in 2-3 TBS of olive oil. Keep the heat on low so as not to burn. You want a mellow garlic. This step was my version so you can skip it if you want.

7. Adjust oven to the lower middle rack , place a baking stone on the rack and heat the oven to 500 degrees. Let the baking stone heat for 30 minutes( but no longer than 1 hr~so heat it about halfway through the rise time of the dough)

8. Line a rimless (or inverted) baking sheet with parchment paper (this helps tremendously!). I used a pizza peel instead of the baking sheet.

9. Turn the dough out unto a lightly floured counter, divide it into 2 equal pieces and cover with greased plastic wrap.

10. Working with one piece, press and roll the dough into a 12 inch round on a lightly floured counter. (I noticed if you just press and roll it directly on the parchment is saves you a step from transferring the dough.)

11.Transfer the dough to a piece of parchment paper and reshape as needed. Make an indented rim around the whole pizza.

12. Lightly brush the dough with the oil and garlic. Keep the garlic in the inner circle of the dough trying not to put any garlic on the rim of the pizza dough~ so as not to burn the garlic in the oven.

13.The original recipe had you par bake the dough for 5 minutes. I didn't ...

I also let the dough rest for 5- 10 minutes so that it puffs up a bit after all the rolling. Again, the original recipe doesn't have you do this.

14. Sprinkle some cheese, add toppings and slide the parchment and pizza onto the hot baking stone.

15. Bake for 8-12 minutes total. Depending how thick or thin you spread out the dough. I noticed mine was good at 10 minutes.

16. Transfer pizza unto cutting board sprinkle with basil some kosher salt(this helps a great deal~ it brings out the flavors).

17. Drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil. ( you can omit if you like)

You will notice the bottom crust of the pizza dough is nicely browned and crisp~due to the baking stone.

If you are baking both pizzas on the same day, let the baking stone reheat for 5 minutes before putting the second dough. I put my second piece of dough in the refrigerator and used it the next day. Just let it come to room temp before using it and let it rise a bit.